Peoria Prayer Center

They are Coming. History is full of times when people left one place in quest of a better one. Those of us in the Christian tradition know this well or should know it well. It is our story. The story of lost hope regained. The story of rebellion restored with rebuilding. The story of leaving our past and pursuing a higher purpose. But the Christian story is not about human desire or need. The story of redemption in history and in the Bible is not the story of mankind on their own quest. It is the narrative of a people made by God, rejecting their creator and then seeking to escape the pain and suffering of those actions and return to God’s grace and provision. You don’t need to be kicked out of paradise long before you want back in. Or in the imagery of the Parodical Son, a few weeks with pigs creates a desire for the provision of Father. So, is what is happening in our world right now a holy quest or ongoing rejection of God? It is an important question because ho...

Grace and Peace Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2 NASB So how often does grace and peace occur together in the New Testament? [i] About 18 times, most of which are Paul addressing the people he is writing to. But is Paul doing more than offering a common greeting like “hello” or “how are you doing?” I think He is. Saying “hi” is something we all do, even Paul does it every day. Every communication has a greeting, an introduction, that is just a part of writing. But Paul is greeting people with an awareness that we need more than grace. We need the combination of both grace and peace. Paul wants the followers of Christ Jesus to have this as an introduction to their lives. The awareness of kindness (grace) manifests in our bodies, minds, and souls producing peace. Maybe grace and peace are like some other common pairs I know. Like burger and fries or smile and laughter. Life is full of doubles. Joy and tha...