More on Sabbath Peace

One of Jesus' titles is 'Prince of Peace'. And when He was here on this earth He said that the Sabbath was made for 'man'. I have been coming to more and more of a conclusion that the Sabbath is to be the 'outside sign' of God's kind of peace.

Just 'keeping' a list of 'rules' on the Sabbath is not keeping it holy in my present understanding.

The Sabbath - the day when God rested, blessed and united His new human family with Himself in love - was to be 'reviewed', 'remembered' 'delighted in' and even 'celebrated' as a sign that Jesus, as Prince of Peace, is Lord, even of the Sabbath.

So, how does a person 'review'? One way is by looking at how God has led me during the past week and rejoicing in His loving compassion, divine grace and almighty power. I also believe it is good to review that my strength from the Lord is called 'JOY'.

How do I remember? In order to remember something there has to be something to remember. In order for the Sabbath to be remembered I must have already been 'exposed' to the Lord of the Sabbath who 'created' the Sabbath in the first place and I would have had to accepted the "Prince of Peace" as 'being my prince (sounds like the born again experience, to me).

The Bible talks about 'delighting' in the Sabbath - or at least calling the Sabbath a delight. That is difficult at best if I don't know the "Lord of the Sabbath" as a personal friend and 'Father'. As I have been partaking of the Joy of the Lord day by day, to have a whole day to focus on God's Joy is a big reason to delight.

And then that word 'celebrate'. Oh, in some people's vocabulary it is almost a taboo. In other peoples language it has been known to refer to activities that lend themselves to revelry and drunkeness (Mardi Gras as an example). But just as with most words, there is a counterfeit as well as a genuine meaning. God intends that His family should experience true forms of celebration. I am still learning about this area of my Christian experience so I won't elaborate very much right now.

Having said all of the above, may I invite you to join me in worshiping the Creator God of the Universe this Sabbath.

Peace be in your heart from the Creator of real peace

Bringer of Peace

Peace from having God's heart in control of me

I was listening to a presentation today and the speaker said something very interesting. He commented that some folks listen to their own heart 'too much'. Some should even 'fire' their heart. I had to chuckle at the thought. But the 'thought' I got was that when we are 'born again' then we will be learning to listen to God's heart rather than what 'our' heart says. The old heart has gotten pretty hardened (and a few other terms even less encouraging). But the 'new heart', 'new spirit' from God has 'wired into it' how God thinks.

When others don't understand us, when we do things that maybe we don't even understand ourselves, when circumstances seem to be 'agin' us, the new heart experience leads us to look at us and our surroundings as God sees them - and us. How is that different than before the 'new heart'? For one thing, since God is in control, I don't have to be constantly trying to manipulate the other 'hearts' in order to get them to 'see' like I do for that is now God's business.

Another real blessing is that as I focus on who God is He has pomised to make me like what He is.

I didn't always live that way today but I believe God was really working on me in that area.

Peace is trusting in God so much that, as a small baby, we can rest in His love as a baby does in a mother that he recognizes loves him.

May the God of peace enable you to know that You are very special to Him just now.

Bringer of Peace

Does having enough produce Peace?

Should peace be related to have enough _______ (fill in the blank with whatever, . . . _)? Would enough financial income bring peace - the lasting kind, anyway? Would enough clothes give one a permanent sense of peace? Will true peace in the heart ever come from what we humans consider 'enough' - of anything?

This past two weeks or so we have experienced shortage in the financial arena. I was grumbling that if 'so and so' had paid what they 'owed' us we would not have gotten into this 'mess'. But the Lord simply said that we were not to rely on that source of income for our financial 'peace'. [To be honest I'm sure we could come up with some of our choices that didn't help the situation either.] Then a close friend of mine asked me why I hadn't told her of our problem so she could have helped us out. I told her I didn't think she had much more than we had - which she didn't disagree with. We are back in the black - barely - (with no thanks to the financial policies of the place where we have our money 'stored'). But it did make me do some thinking along the lines I have been sharing.

As I looked back over the experience I was impressed again with the need to be able to find peace from a source other than having 'enough'. The temptation was definitely to lose our peace when confronted with that type of problem.

So, what is God's kind of peace based upon? There is an author who has written on peace and I have greatly appreciated the comments. Here are a few helpful gems in my learning about real peace.

" Christ longed for careworn, weary human beings to come to Him, that He might GIVE them the light and life and JOY and PEACE that is to be found nowhere else."

"As by faith we look to Jesus His JOY and PEACE are reflected from the countenances."

"There is PEACE in believing, and JOY in the Holy Ghost. Believing brings PEACE, and trusting in God brings JOY."

Real peace and genuine joy are never 'far apart'. The 'joy of the Lord is your strengh' seems very near 'great peace have they which love Thy(God's) law and nothing shall offend them.' Even science has come to that conclusion. There was almost a whole issue of TIME magazine a couple of years or so ago that outlined how the human mind increases its capacity to cope with stress - good or bad - in direct relation to how much joy/peace has been experienced in that mind.

The same author I mentioned above also wrote.
"When trial comes to prove us, when we cannot see an increase of prosperity and comfort before us, but a probably lessening of these things, when there is a pressure necessitating sacrifice on the part of all, how shall we receive Satan's insinuations that we are going to have a hard time, that everything is going to pieces, that there is sore trouble ahead of us?
WE OUGHT TO GATHER UP THE FRAGMENTS OF HEAVEN'S BLESSINGS AND TOKENS OF GOOD,
saying, Lord, I believe in You, in Your servants and in Your work. I WILL TRUST IN YOU."
And remember that 'trusting in God brings peace'

I am coming to believe that God is more eager for me to have His kind of peace than I am even concerned about it. But as I seek to share God's kind of Peace and JOY with others I find I am being 'helped' to experience it also. How? Read on. "We are to be laborers together with the heavenly angels in presenting Jesus to the world. With almost impatient eagerness the angels wait for our co-operation; for man must be the channel to communicate with man. And when we give ourselves to Christ in wholehearted devotion, angels rejoice that they may speak through our voices to reveal God's love.

It is encouraging to know that even when I make mistakes, God doesn't throw me out. Just last night my son gave me his 'take' on some things I had told him and I realized that what he was hearing was not what I was thinking or had intended at all. I continue to ask God to not only help me say the right words, acts the right acts and have the right attitude but that the other person will 'receive' what I communicate in the 'right way' - or rather maybe I should say God's way.

I believe that is happening also. Son just asked if we could all go out to a local park tomorrow.

There are so many ways I see God working in an around me and I praise Him.

May God's peace be revealed in your heart and life today as well

Bringer of Peace

Ah, Sabbath Peace again

Science has 'concluded' that the human body has a 'rhythm' based on 7. It was designed to 'work' for six days and rest on the seventh. God, the one who created the human body, was the one who set it up to operate this way. The Bible record in Genesis 2 tells that God set up just such a 'cycle'. Over the history of this world other 'cycles' have been attempted. During the French Revolution a 10 day cycle was instituted - for a while. But when the 'dust' settled, even France went back to a seven day week.

A number of times in the Old Testament God declared that the seventh day - Sabbath as He called it - was the sign that He had given to show that a person was in full allegience to Him.

Secular history reveals that other 'powers' - who were avowedly against the Creator God - substituted other days as 'sacred' in place of the Seventh day Sabbath. Makes sense. If followers of other powers were to keep holy and reverent the day signifying loyalty and allegience to the Creator God, then sooner or later they would 'forget' the 'other power' they were serving. But other powers were able to persuade their followers - either by reasoning or by force - to make another day 'holy'. Some chose the first day of the Creation week to show their allegience to another power. Others chose to keep the sixth day of the week 'holy' as part of their religious beliefs. It really doesn't matter what 'other day', though, just so long as it is another day. Why? Because the seventh day Sabbath is the outside sign of an inside loyalty to the Creator God.

Ah, the Sabbath rest and peace is here again. Just think of it. 24 hours of special opportunities to get to know more about our wonderful Lord, the Creator God. There are so many things to 'do' and 'think about' and 'be' during the first six days of every week. Ah, at the end of those six days is the Sabbath Peace and rest. God is delighted when I slow down expressly to spend time with Him. I talk with Him the rest of the week. I listen to Him both through His Word and works during the six days of the work week. But on Sabbath I can honestly, earnestly and joyfully lay aside my weekly cares and responsibilities and focus anew on who the Creator God really is and what He is like.

Ah, the Sabbath Peace - coming into my heart from the God of Peace - bringing me ever closer to being in full unity with the God who loves me so much.

In my past, 'keeping the Sabbath holy' at times got into what I sometimes refer to as 'legal' - don't do this, you've got to do this, you can't do that on Sabbath, you've got to be this 'way'. etc.

What is the difference between keeping the Sabbath holy in a 'legal' sense and Sabbath keeping in God's original plan? Mainly this. The Sabbath of God's original design was a 24 hour weekly gift from God. God intended it as a delight. God, as a lover, longs to spend quality time with me who He calls His 'beloved'.

So what happens if someone else doesn't 'see' Sabbath, and its observance, as I do? For one thing, God - who does not force - is not in the business of 'making' people 'keep' the Sabbath holy. [It is, however, the one thing God said to 'remember'.(Exodus 20:8)]

Now, what are some things I enjoy doing with my Lord on Sabbath. I happen to enjoy singing so often I will join with others in singing songs of praise to God and of experiencing spiritual worship to God with others. When the opportunity presents itself I have, often Sabbath afternoon, spent time in nature enjoying the beauties God created. Usually on Sabbath morning I gather with other believers in God to focus more fully on what God is really like and what He has done in the lives of others. I also like to listen to what God has done for others and as time permits share some of what He has done for me during the past week.

During the past several months I have been teaching young children more about God on Sabbath mornings. At times I have taken time on Sabbath to prepare what I will be sharing. I like lots of visual aids for this age group so I often have things that I might need to prepare to use with my teaching of the younger children.

Someone just came and invited us to join with them in singing so I will close this for now so we can be part of that 'delightful' activity in praise to God.

Until I write again, may the God who created the wonderful time called Sabbath give you His peace - not just on this Sabbath but from this time forward.

Happy Sabbath

Bringer of Peace

Time 'flies'

It hardly seems possible that it has been three weeks since my brother came to help with remodeling here at our place. The bathroom project turned out to be a real challenge but he finished it finally, early this week. We had started working on it about a year and a half ago. We thought we could 'finish' it but it turned out to be a lot bigger than even my brother had thought. He may get a towel rack mounted before he leaves that was just bought, but if he doesn't that is not a problem for the others here. I also plan to paint the door and window trim today so we can truly say the job is DONE!

It is so nice to see one of the projects here 'finished'. He was also able to get a window in another room installed and trimmed while he was here for which we are grateful.

Another part of my brother's time here that I have greatly appreciated has been his willingness to share with me his observations concerning me. We have often talked in the past with what I consider relationship challenges with other folks who live here. My brother watched exchanges between myself and others and often, after the fact, he would share insights as to why I might have acted, or reacted, the way I did. I found it very helpful. I believe he loves me and that makes his comments even more meaningful to me.

I wonder if the Lord also feels that way about my life. It seems I have so many unfinished projects going on in my heart. I am becoming more and more convinced that most of my trials are the result of God attempting to reveal to me areas in my heart and life that need 'completing'. Another 'reason' for some of the 'rough' experiences is also to show me if there has been progress made in the areas of life in me that God is working on at the present.

If a person 'pushes one of my buttons' and I respond just like I always have before it might be indicative that I haven't learned some lesson the Lord has been trying to teach me up to this point. The other day someone said something that before would most likely have really upset me. I felt feelings inside beginning to 'rise'. Then I remembered some of what I have been learning about remembering who I really am - a princess, a daughter of king Jesus. The comments made suddenly took on another view in my mind. I realized that I no longer needed to be upset. It wasn't something that I could do anything about at that moment anyway so just let the Lord take care of the situation. There are things that I can make decisions about but that wasn't one of them at the moment so I just let the other person have their opinion and didn't attempt to interject what I 'saw' or believed.

Another blessing during this time was that my brother brought some DVDs with him that deal with some of the subjects I need to learn more about particularly in my relations with others. I haven't been able to listen to all of them but I have listened to quite a few of them.

Another man and his son have been adding their time and effort to the remodeling going on as well. They have taken on the project to 'finish' the main kitchen in the farm house. That was also started about a year and a half ago. The main part of the kitchen - cupboards, counters, sink, etc. have been finished, but the last of the trim is yet to be installed. Then, on another wall we hope to complete an area more like a pantry - which is what they are working on right now.

Another project which is on my list is to get more of the 'trash' and 'old' stuff hauled away. We have been taking pickup truck loads to the transfer station but I have come to the conclusion that the expense of that is 'too high' for the benefit. Our pickup uses lots of diesel - possibly even $20 per trip. I am looking now at seeing the possibilities of a waste container and help to 'fill it up'. Oh it will be nice to get things back in order. I will really be happy when that job is 'DONE'!

Writing my dreams down is nice, but it isn't getting anything done. So I'm signing off now to go get something 'done' today. Hope you have a profitable day as well. Whether or not you get things 'done' just remember that the God of Peace is working in your life and You can have that peace in your heart right now just for the accepting of it from Him. It really helps, too, to remember who you are - a child of king Jesus - which means, since He is the God of peace, He will give you His kind of peace whenever you ask for it in agreement with His promises. So, I leave you God's peace as I go in peace also.


Bringer of Peace

Sabbath Peace

There is a promise of peace for all who remember the special appointment Jesus has made with each and every person every Sabbath. This week it sounds really nice. Not only have I been busy with projects, encouraging others and even trying to keep my own self going but since my brother has been here for a few days, he has been kind enough to give me some objective comments. He can see me and my reactions much better usually than I can. I am so thankful for his help in this area. I do believe that I am beginning to see some of what he has pointed out. But for the Sabbath he and our son went to visit another Christian group in northern Virginia. Sounds like they are having a good time thus far. I was talking to his wife and he called in to give a short report thus far. They were enjoying the fellowship. One other comment was that it seemed such a blessing to be with so many people and yet still sense a peace and harmony.
I believe that is God's plan, dream and goal.

May your Sabbath with Jesus be blessed.

Until we meet again,

May God's peace be upon you

Bringer of Peace

Catch up 2

What a day! I was typing away while talking to our son. He commented that I wasn't interested. I asked him why he thought that and he said it was because I was 'busy' on the computer. Needless to say the computer got left. We ended up going to a town about 45 minutes away to get some mail for a friend. He has gone on to a business meeting this evening so I am trying to 'catch up' a little more before my hubby gets home. I'm so far behind that it would take a lot to even get near catching up but for some reason I keep trying.

The new window is almost installed. It is looking nice. There are two more to go but it is supposed to rain for a couple of days so I don't know what will happen.

Back to the drive with our son, I was really grateful for the 'time' together. It seems he has different times for doing things so I don't get a chance to be with him very much. He shared with me a few of his dreams, goals, ideas and such. Now I have more to talk with my heavenly Father about as well. He wants to be successful and have a family of up to 7 children - good goal. God delights in His kinds of families of that I am learning. Now my goal in prayer will include that God will keep him on track to become what God sees in him and be who God sees him and not get sidetracked by the devil's tricks or lies.

Even if I do say so myself I really think the farm is beginning to look a little bit better.

A pleasant spring greeting to anyone reading this.

Bringer of Peace