One of the most recognized book titles in history is “War and Peace”. Those two subjects, and their dichotomy, perhaps stir more human intrigue, emotion, and "a need to know" than any other topic contemplated by the human species. 

Frankly, the only other title to my soon to be released book “One” that I would be happy with would have been “War and Peace”. But Tolstoy took that one! So, “One: The Gospel According to Mike” it is and (keep your fingers crossed) will be published this summer.

Interestingly enough, in the final analysis, “One” really is all about war and peace—a war that that began soon after the creation of man in the Garden of the Eden and a peace which was declared at the re-creation of man at the Cross in Jerusalem.

My book is centered, of course, on the Gospel. “War and Peace” was not. It is about war and peace between men. War has been, and remains, one of humanity’s greatest tragedies. Peace has been, and continues to be, this planet’s most elusive and earnestly sought after reality.

Throughout our study of history, how many times have we heard that it was “this delayed communication or that last minute misunderstanding”  that led to the outbreak of war? In addition, that religion and belief in an angry, vengeance-seeking God is at the heart of most war is undeniable.

The current "War on Terror" has both of the above elements at least in part at its core. We now know that it was faulty information that was the deciding factor in us going to war in Iraq. Some say the war was still worth it even though we went in under wrong information. Others say it was not. However, it is a fact that wrong information about the presence of weapons of mass destruction prompted the almost unanimous decision in the U.S. government to go to war with a huge majority of Americans supporting the decision at the time. Now, ten years later, all agree the information we went on was wrong—regardless of whether they believe the war was still worthwhile fighting or not. 

The second factor, along with miscommunication---a conceptually angry, wrathful God---is right at the heart of our current conflict, too. Some Fundamentalist Muslims call it a holy war, a “Jihad”.

There is nothing holy about war.

Part and parcel with this, and with almost every war, terms are championed like: “God is with us.” “God is on our side.” “God’s speed.” “God bless us against the evil of our enemy.”

It is my persuasion that God is not on either side of any war. Many around the Earth may not agree with my persuasion, but persuaded I am.

The preachers of the so-called "gospel" of the past incorrectly invoked the statement in the New Testament writings about "peace on earth" . And they did it, as has so often been the case, out of context. The actual quote is, “and on earth, peace and good will TOWARD man”. It was not peace between men. This good news that got the angels so excited was about a process that began at the birth in Bethlehem that would eventually result in a declaration of peace between man AND God, period! That announcement had nothing to do with peace between men or nations. If it had, it would have been the greatest statement of failure in history!

Still, like a moth drawn to the flame (admittedly a potential danger to the moth), I am drawn to three places in the Prophets that seem to indicate a scenario on Earth where there will literally be "no more war".

Isaiah, Joel and Micah insist that as a result of, "the Day of the Lord", men would beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not rise up against nation and neither shall the learn war any more. Of course, the Scriptures are all about Jesus. Yet many times those same Scriptures make us aware of the effect his work could and will have on our thinking, on our soul, on our brains. Paul called it “salvation”.

For example after assuring us of the covenant of peace with the world, Isaiah says we now have a heritage, a heritage to condemn ALL prophecies of judgment after this Day of the Lord—the Day of the Cross. Why? Because ALL prophecy of any kind was fulfilled and completed at the Cross! This heritage to condemn teachings of judgment was ours all along, even though we have only begun to invoke it in the last couple of years. We didn't know. Now we do. 

Here is another one: "The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever".  Even though this was won for and awarded to all people 2,000 years ago, unless the Gospel is being experienced in a “CPR Way” (Consistently, Persistently, and Repetitively) the Gospel’s effect of peace and righteous quiet assurance is muted—to say the least!

The effect of the Gospel is not based on how powerful it is. After all, it’s the Power of God for goodness sake! How much more powerful could it be? However, the effect of the Gospel is strictly based on the degree of exposure one has to this incredibly Good News. So, CPR, Baby, CPR!

To cure a disease one has had to know where it started, what started it and what continues to perpetuate it.  War is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases ever inflicted on this planet. So, then to find a cure, one would have to know where it started, what caused it and what currently maintains it.

Let’s now expand our perimeter, the established “place” where the human mind creates and learns in order to include the very origin of war which, of course, was the original war—the one between God and man.

Like any dastardly malignant disease, finding its source will give us the very keys to its demise. Is it possible the prophets knew what the effect of the understood, embraced, and meditated work of the Cross would be? Could there be a mindset that could eliminate all war or at least reduce it to insignificant numbers?

If misunderstanding, miscommunication, and belief in an angry God are major initial factors of war, and indeed they are, can you see what accurate understanding, effective communication, and the knowledge of a God at Peace could do? Do you see it? Am I crazy for thinking that the proclamation, clear articulation and understanding of the Gospel of Peace and Grace could begin to turn "the tide of war"?

Does the Gospel contain the power to remove the elements of war?

Pertaining to the involvement of an  "angry God"  as a factor in war, of course the Gospel takes care of that. We have to answer that question with a resounding, hands-down, and an emphatic, “YES”! The Gospel and ONLY the Gospel reveals that a once angry God is angry no more!

You might say, “But Mike, some believe God was never angry."

If God was not angry, then he was not angry, fine. However, if God was angry, as the Scriptures affirm and if we ignore that fact, are we therefore refusing to look at the very cause of war to begin with? We would literally be missing out on “the where and the what" that caused the disease in the first place!

I will not take that chance. Again, if we are to "cure" war, we must look to where it ALL started. It’s the only way to get at the cause and not just deal with the symptoms of the disease.

The very first recorded murder was Cain's killing of his brother Able. Look at the story. It was all related to who was and was not perceived to be accepted or favored by God! Would Gospel knowledge and logic root out this contagion from an individual, from a group, from a nation, from the entire world? You know the answer. The Gospel would inoculate every soul from the disease of self-righteousness! If only we knew it!

Who are "we"?

We are the whole of humanity, the whole human family, the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ!

And we are ONE! Now WE as ONE just need to know it as ONE!

Please understand. This is in no way an endorsement of a "no war" political policy nor a cozy place for a religious passivism.  It is a place to begin to open our thinking to the possibility that within the context of Scripture, we can learn how and by what means a mindset can be changed from war to peace.

Still, I can hear it already...“Mike Williams, you have the audacity to say you know how to cure the disease of war which has plagued humanity since day one?”

Call it audacity or see it as the little moth flying way too close to the flame. It is my firm persuasion that the Gospel is the cure to war.

And the Gospel Revolution presents the most unvarnished, unbridled, fully disclosed, articulated completed work of the Cross in centuries, perhaps maybe ever! If another effort like this exists or existed I would LOVE to support it. Show me one single teaching that says ALL prophecy and ALL law was fulfilled at the Cross of Christ and I would do everything that is within my ability to promote it.

Why is "it is finished" such a difficult concept for the religions and the religious of the world to comprehend?

Revolutionary thought would not cause a revolution if it was easily embraced and walked-out. But our friends all over the world are involved in such a revolution!

What organized effort or group has proclaimed to the ends of the Earth, "God is not angry any more!?" And then explains in a clear consistent way why that is an established and historic fact. Who defines the Scriptures the way Jesus did as strictly the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets and then goes ONLY to that “Body Document” to validate and verify truth?

Who? The Gospel Revolution that is who!

Someone grab me! Shake me! Stop me from this boasting! I admit it, I am so proud of the Gospel, its Revolution, and our Revolutionaries! I am so proud of YOU! 

If my conclusions about God’s imputed wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption for ALL people is correct, the cure for war is already in place. The cure resides in ever human heart. Therefore, all humans have the capacity to see the possibility of peace on Earth. This being true, peace—peace this time between man and man, is only a mind change away.

"Neither shall they learn war any more.”

Much Love and Peace,