33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
This speaks a very contemporary word to our world. Our God is not a god of disorderly insurrection or violent riots and chaos. He is a God who brings peace by peaceful means. The Gospel cannot be advanced by other than peaceful means. No Christian can bring the message of Jesus with an explosive vest strapped to their body. That contradiction would go to the heart of the message of Jesus. Jesus’ message is one of peace, individual, familial, corporate, societal and global. Those who want to preach a message that would lead to militancy in any of these realms is missing part of Jesus’ message. This is true during our worship services. Our corporate times should be times when the peace of Jesus is present. There should not be confusion and especially division. There should be a clear sense of direction and structure. But please note that the Scriptures don’t give us a clearly defined universal template for our corporate worship experiences. We have guidelines, but not specifics. One of those specifics is that they are to be orderly. There should not be competing voices at work at the same time. If there are, our attention is away from what God is speaking through the speaker, and wondering what is really going on. I have to admit that sometimes during singing I close my eyes so that I don’t get distracted by other’s worship. Sometimes during prayer I do the same thing. I must take control of my personal disorders in order to stay present with what the Spirit is doing at the moment. I have to put aside the restaurant planning and pray for those whose will is surrendering, habits presented, and with struggles wrestling. Am I willing to stay and fight on someone’s behalf? Are you? What about personal peace? Are there struggles inside you that seem to pull you away from Jesus? If there are, find someone trained to listen and ask the right questions to help you in the quest for inner peace. There are counselors who will help you in your quest. Find one. Peace is not something for everyone but you. Jesus wants to bring peace to your inner world.
The Arnold Journey 