September 19, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) - I am convinced that these last several days of relative peace after a fierce storm are the direct result of increased prayer by God's remnant people who are born again through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and who serve Him in this present evil world (Galatians 1:4). The God of Heaven who is revealed in the Holy Scriptures is so merciful and gracious.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 has a direct relationship to this matter:

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

In this passage, the Lord urges His people to pray for their governmental leaders, and He mentions a two-fold result of such prayer: (1) a quiet and peaceable life and (2) the furtherance of the gospel. According to this passage, it is not wrong to pray that God will grant temporal peace. We know that ultimately there will be no permanent peace in this world until Jesus Christ returns. Any peace movement prior to that is doomed to failure.

"There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked" (Isaiah 48:22).

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:2,3).

At the same time, we can see throughout history that God has given many periods of relative peace to His people.

Some have the idea that the gospel grows best through persecution and tribulation. That is not necessarily true. Under Communist or Muslim dictatorships, for example, while the gospel is not entirely quenched, it was also not very widely preached because of the severe governmental restrains; and under such conditions multitudes die without a knowledge of the Savior.

I believe 1 Timothy 2 tells us that it is often God's will to bless nations for the sake even of small remnants of sincere and godly Christians who petition Him in this matter.

May we take this responsibility seriously, and cast ourselves and our nations upon God, that He might restrain the evil and that we might use the resulting peace to good advantage to preach the gospel to the unsaved multitudes.