Dear Christian friends:

In our text verse four, Isaiah makes a beautiful prophecy that there will happen a time when there will not be war anymore. He says they shall not learn war anymore: "nation shall not lift up sword against nation."

He says they will take the steel of their weapons and melt that steel and make it become tools for peacetime living. Truly this is a wonderful promise about peace all nations long for the day when there will be no more war. So do you and I.


First of all he shows that this peace is to be found in the Church and not in false religions as Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons and Christian Scientists.

Also this peace will not be established by the United Nations or NATO or SEATO. Neither will Mr. Kennedy and the Democrats bring peace to us. If we want this wonderful peace of which Isaiah speaks we must understand that the Church is chief above all organizations and powers of men.

Isaiah says in verse two, "And it shall happen in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house (the church) shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it."

When Isaiah wrote this the Jews had left God's House on mount Moriah where the true teaching of God was explained and they went to other hills around Jerusalem and made idols in the groves and worshipped false ideas of God.

That mount Moriah on which the true Church was established, that mountain they despised, but the other hills where they built altars to the idol Baal and other false gods, those hills they exalted and honored and hoped for peace and comfort in them.

That is why Isaiah says in the last days "the Lord's house will be exalted above the hills." When people again understand that the Holy Christian Church is the chief Kingdom and power in the world then they will begin to have peace in their hearts. Peace with God first and then peace with each other.

But if people try to establish false churches and false teachings and despise the true Church and get fed up with that and tired, they will not find this peace of God. Also if we hope in the United Nations or in NATO or SEATO for peace we will be surprised to find all these organizations failing one day. True these things may help to keep peace for a short time, but they cannot give the peace of which Isaiah speaks in our text.

If we want this wonderful peace we must look to the Church of Jesus Christ although it appears weak and imperfect. It is the one kingdom that will last forever and it has everlasting peace.

Isaiah now shows how the Church gives this peace: In verse three we read: "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob and He will teach us of His ways, and we walk in His paths: for (because) out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

This verse shows that the Church (here called house of Jacob, Zion, and Jerusalem) sends out God's Word. It means the Gospel Word that announces "peace on earth God's kindness to all people" as the angels announced to the shepherds that first Christmas night.

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

Because the Church was very small and weak when Christ was born the scribes and priests misunderstood the Gospel God sent angels to preach His Gospel and He used a strange star to tell the wise men of the Savior's birth.

But since that time God has made strong His Church and exalted it and sent it to preach His Good News of forgiveness and peace. Before He ascended into heaven after his death and resurrection Jesus gave His Church this command, "Go, ye, unto all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."

And now for almost 2,000 years since Christ's ascension His Church, Zion, Jerusalem exalted on the mountain, has been preaching that Gospel to lost and condemned sinners. During those 2,000 years God has used many people to preach His Gospel, sometimes many, sometimes few. Today God wants to use you and me. We also are members of His Church. He wants each one to support the preaching to the deaf here in Minnesota and here at Prince of Peace. He wants us to also help through our District and Synod mission offerings help through that to preach His Gospel of peace to all people.

This is the true and greatest work. No other work is as precious or great. Let God use you and your money for His great work of preaching peace, through Jesus' blood.

Now this peace in Jesus is not yet perfect in this life on earth. Jesus, in Matthew 24:6-7 clearly says that we will have terrible times and wars and rumors of wars: unto the end. "Nation shall rise (fight) against nation," He clearly states.

Yet this preaching of Jesus brings peace in our heart. Peace between man and his God through forgiveness of sins. And if a man has peace with God, he can more easily shake hands with his brother or enemy and make peace with him.

But, because we still have our old, proud sinful heart with us always in this life we often fail to receive God's peace daily and we fail to forgive one another. So often we therefor have quarrels between Christian husband and wife; between Christian members and between Christian nations, as history shows.

But when we die or when Jesus comes again we will have the perfect peace between God and ourself and between our brothers and nations. In heaven they shall really beat their swords into plow shears .... they shall not learn war anymore."

If by faith in Jesus we have this hope of perfect peace. Then let us now even here on earth try to practice that more and more. That means more hearing of the Gospel for ourselves daily at home and in Church. More support of Church and Missions in all the world.

Isaiah pleads with the Church in verse five: "O house of Jacob, Oh Church members, please Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Amen.