“The pastures of His love go beyond explanation. It is to graze endlessly and be fulfilled, refreshed, and thirsty no more. The peace and the love that lives within is the ultimate freedom and expression of eternal rewards…”  My response in an upcoming article in 2015 when asked about God’s love.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:15 KJV)

My pastor did a play on words while speaking of “Peace” of God.  He equated it to  a puzzle.  You know, the type of puzzle put together on the table… a former family favorite of days gone by, some of you may recall.  Well, many a time having worked so dilligently on the puzzle only to find there is “one piece missing.”  Did that ever happen to you?   Well, it’s like our presence…it’s not complete without that final piece of the puzzle.  That would be GOD.

He is the missing piece of the puzzle which ostensibly brings about PEACE.

Throughout the Bible there are references relating to knowing “peace” and having secured it only through the “Spiritual” aligning of His word and His Spirit.  Without it there is no peace. It simple and complex.  Simple to those who know…complex to those who haven’t yet accepted it into their lives.

You’ll recall the famous sign that many churches display:  NO GOD – NO PEACE.  KNOW GOD–KNOW PEACE.   Well that is precisely what His presence,  His light,  His love, and His word accomplish within us.  We know perfect peace when we’re one with Him.

The world can literally tumble and fall around us(which these days it seems it is happening as such)…but knowing God will keep us free from anxiety and worry.

As Jesus said in Matthew  7:31 – 34 —“Therefore take no thought , saying , What shall we eat ? or, What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed ? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof…”

God loves us, and created us with that love and there is no fear in love. As stated in 1 John 4:18 KJV – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  So knowing that and knowing He loves us…we have peace.  In peace, there is no fear. So it goes…

When we exhibit and therefore take on the behavior of  Christ in what we do… we eventually lose sight of “the world” and take up the Spiritual aspect of living. Things that mattered before, no longer have a place in our life. When people push us to the limits the Spirit will guide and give us the wisdom as to the handling of such circumstances. At times, we might not even be aware of such folly. It’s difficult to describe walking in the Spirit and wearing the gospel armor other than to say, It’s to feel and know PEACE.

The pastor also gave another good example of “love and peace.”  It was like describing a certain food to someone who’s never had it.  You can describe it, but you cannot really know until you’ve tasted of it.  Such is the love and the peace and the rewards of knowing God and participating in His banquet which He offers to all.

Stop, drink and eat of His presence and His love.  I promise, but most escpecially and most important… HE promises the rewards are boundless.  Amen.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philipians 4:7 KJV)

All those years ago, He came looking for us. He came to save us, and to love us, and to offer us eternal life.

The word became flesh and walked amongst us…Our bread, and our living waters, and the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 

Thank you JESUS for your unprecendented love and for redeeming us, one and all. 

I LOVE YOU.

Thank you Father for sending us Your Beloved Son…I LOVE YOU.

To all those reading this post, may you have a Blessed Christmas and truly embrace the reason for this season.

Enjoy the following  Scripture from the Gospel of Luke.  And, God Bless~

Luke 2-20King James Version (KJV)

2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

²¹ And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

²³ (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

²⁴ And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

²⁵ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

²⁷ And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

²⁸ Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹ Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

³⁰ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

³³ And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

³⁴ And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

³⁵ (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

“You’re stupid!–Hey where were you when they handed out brains?” —-“You didn’t go into see your mother when she was sick, oh boy…you should be ashamed of yourself.”—“Where were you when I was in the hospital with daddy, I was the one that was there, you weren’t.” 

The comments above are merely there for purposes of this article. And perhaps the above words were said to someone somewhere reading this right now. Perhaps someone is feeling hurt and/or guilt over another person’s assasination of their very soul.

Clearly words can either minister “life” or  death and condemnation” —and to be a person of faith–we know that ministering “life” is from God.  God does not humiliate degrade or catapult us into a guilt trip making us feel unworthy. God lifts us and edifies and brings peace and jubiliation to our souls.

The book of Proverbs is a healing and cleansing book that helps us to discover our way in life, and gives examples of wisdom versus folly. It has many valuable lessons in which to ponder and meditate, but one in which I’d like to concentrate on right now is “the tongue” and the “intent” of words.

A foolish and callous person can hurt with their words.  As Proverbs 18: 7 states: “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”  What we say can be powerful and the repercussions can be plentiful in terms of our “soul.” It can hurt the person that is the recipient of such scorn, but ultimately it will cause irreparable damage to our very souls.  It can be fulfilling or inhibiting our spiriitual growth and cause a “sour belly.”   Proverbs 18:20 “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.”

Jesus said, “you’ll know them by their fruits” and there are many parts of that fruit. There is the overall behavior which incorporates “words, kindess, compassion, and Jesus’ doctrine into our daily lives. There is light from kind words that filters out and chases the darkness away, there is the healing and peace from words that will bring about a transformation.  There is the proclamation of Jesus being our Savior and being aligned with His truth.

Words from the grace of God who gives us the wisdom are “a breath of life” in which we breathe.  Words are balm to our souls, words are the essence of our faith and the consequences of belieiving in Jesus and His ways.

The next time you see someone bereft and hurting…bring out the balm and “minister life” from the Lord Jesus Christ, by speaking His truth, His love and His ways.  We can’t do anything without Christ.  But, through Christ who strengthens us we can. Nothing is impossible for God. It is not us that accomplishes things of worth or goodness, but it is God who allows us to do so.  It is the power of His name and His sovereign being that permits us to do do.

Sweet words are as honey to our minds and soul. Let them flow smoothly over someone today and everyday.  Minister life through Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:8 KJV)

 Don’t be afraid of people. I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 1:8  GW)

Time and time again if we were to sit down and reflect on incidents from our past we would no doubt see that God was with us all along no matter what.  His arms and hands of grace are poised and have always been throughout our lifetime. His love unwavering and His depth of compassion overflowing.

Our Father is a God of love and encouragement. When we realize or take the time to meditate on His expressive acts of love we invariably will be inclined to keep wanting more and more of Him. The paths in which we walk can be quite conflicting at times but His love and His word open up a whole new meaning of clarity redefining our goals and behavior in the realm of His ways.

His unyielding promises are substantial in all aspects and have never faded…they are as pristine and powerful as when they first were penned all those years ago.  The fundamental principles of living a life filled by our faith unfold easily when we “hear” His voice through His words.

Our trust and belief system is validated each day when we look, watch and observe. There are so many things we take for granted. Like, getting up in the morning. Before getting out of bed  do you give a resounding “THANK YOU FATHER for another day of loving YOU in the flesh.”— do you?

When we look, listen and observe…we will be pleasantly surprised at His gifts that He showers down upon us. There are signs all around if we truly take the time to understand and realize the depth of His love. Our Rock who is ever present throughout our life each day of our existence.

My husband went had a six hour round trip this past weekend. He stopped along the way many times. It was a cold inclement day. When the trip was completed and he was back in our town, he made one more stop to get some things in a local supermarket. However, when he got back to his car he couldn’t start it. It was completely dead. He called the auto club and received a charge and it got him to our driveway. Praise GOD!

Why do I praise God? Well–other than the fact of praising Him because He is worthy…and therfore should be praised all day long–I praised Him for geting my husband home safely.  He could have been stuck on the road in pitch blackness and cold wintry weather, and who knows how long it would have taken to get roadside help. So thank you God for being our Rock and our Refuge.

Our souls are kind of like a car battery.  If we keep in the word and do His work we will stay fully charged and able to perform beautifully. If we deviate from His word we are in danger of going “KAPLUNK” like a car battery. Stay charged in His word and His love and keep running beautifully. After all, our goal is eventually to win this race and inherit the Kingdom of the Lord.

Amen~

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Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (1 Corinthians 9:24 KJV)

Don’t you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win.  (1 Corinthians 9:24 GW)

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  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.  (Psalm 91:14 KJV)

Because you love me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you know my name.  (Psalm 91:14 GW)

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         I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14 KJV)

I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14 GW)

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John 14:16-21 (KJV)

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

When we pray and do it earnestly from the heart and in His will…we’re able to define a higher level of closeness with our Father.  The Trinity is a powerful union and for those who believe and hold that truth in their heart soul and mind will inherently reap the benefits of being a child of faith.

Always praying in God’s will is a solidification that shows our trust in our Father as we surrender and leave it up to Him.  We begin a deeper walk with God when we pray in the Spirit and depend on Him for everything.

The Holy Spirit –which dwells in the believer–knows our hearts, and will know what we need before we ask.  The Father is aware of any given situation that we may face– and knows what we are going to pray for. The dialogue with Him, through prayer, is a tool which binds us closer to Him as we reach for His will and help. To be immersed in the Spirit and to bow to Him in supplication is an overwhelmingly peaceful feeling…and a reason to rejoice and praise God for all things.

If everyone knew what went on when praying and how intimate it is, and how thoughts, and our desires are known, I think more people would pray more often. The prayer goes up to the Lord and the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf.

Take a knee, sit , stand…wherever you are and whenever you want–speak to the Father, tell Him you love Him and share your inner most desires with the One that knows all about us anyhow.

Bring your troubles, your heart and your love to Him, and then let the Spirit guide you and the sit back and watch how the Father works.  His love is a potent and immeasurable source of comfort and joy.  Amen, and Hallelujah.

John 14:16-21King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

¹⁹ Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

²⁰ At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.