Peace That Surpasses All Understanding

Dove of Peace

• “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7)

I visited with out-of-town family members recently and we started to reminisce, particularly about a young, vibrant person who at about 23 years of age,  became a victim of  a drunk driving, severe auto accident in the prime of her life, leaving one person dead, one person fully untouched physically,  and “L”  now completely physically and brain-damaged for about the past 20+ years.

“L” was a straight “A” student at University of  Texas  in Austin, Texas,

Littlefield Fountain and Main Building of The University of Texas at Austin. The area leading up to the Tower from the Fountain is known as the South Mall. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

majoring in mathematics; she was a page at the Texas State Capital Bldg. in the Senate looking forward to life’s challenges and fulfilling her destiny.

Out of family privacy, she will not be named for this article but I will refer to her as “L.”

After years of pain and struggles for medical and physical treatment, “L” now lives in a special facility for brain-damaged adults.

Her mom was particularly amazed as she spoke about her daughter, saying “I don’t understand it, and I know the bible speaks about “peace that surpasses all understanding,” but when  “L” speaks, she speaks with total peace.  “L,” when she speaks swears she’s God‘s angel on earth.  How?  Where and how does this peace cover her?  Given her circumstances, I don’t understand it!”

I sat listening to her speak and I merely nodded in silence.  Then I spoke:

“You know, a few days ago I was weighed down with issues which I call crap.  As I bathed I spoke with the Lord praying for relief.  Then suddenly, He pulled a memory from long ago:

“L” was about 8-9 years old and we had visited a small zoo not far from where we lived, housing peacocks, rabbits, … the usual animals, and lions.  I was standing directly next to a particular lion cage, and the next thing I hear is the loudest “ROAR” from the lion simultaneously hitting the cage.  I instinctively remembered jumping and screaming my heart out in terror!’

“L” with her arms flailing in space and with all speed her little legs could carry her came running up to me as well as the rest of the family concerned over my screaming.  “L”  was  yelling ‘What’s wrong Tia?’ and quickly assessing the situation and my stuttering, she matter of factly stated: ‘Tia, you scared the lion!  The lion is blind!’

Blinking rapidly, feeling quite helpless and speechless, I turned and looked at the lion–sure enough the lion was quite agitated and yes, the lion was blind!

Realizing my mistake, and the lion is not charging at me, all I could feebly mutter was ‘I guess I thought I was in Africa!’  Everyone completely broke out laughing at me.’

I laughed at the Lord for bringing this memory to me because I certainly felt foolish but most of all, the memory,  coated with love and affection, broke the weight of heaviness from me.”

As I relived this memory to “L’s” mom, everyone around the table laughed.  It brought the needed relief from the awkwardness of the pain of loss revisiting.

Only God can give us the peace that surpasses all understanding, including pulling long ago memories from days where innocence ruled and reigned.

I believe “L” is now experiencing God’s “peace that surpasses all understanding” because she is under His covering, His protection, His love, His provision for her welfare.  When she speaks about God, she speaks with conviction and encourages everyone to listen to God.

Given her now limited  abilities “L” is way ahead spiritually over  anyone who has failed to take time out to listen to God, to turn and go His way.

We go through storms of destruction but as long as we focus on God,  He will guide us out into better times.

In Times Like These

Arlo Guthrie

• ²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” — God  (Matthew 11:28-30)

____________________________________

SeashoreMary

Abide In Me, Corpus Christi Website Designs, YouTube – ‪SeashoreMary, Christianchirp, Twitter

The Word: A Double Edged Sword

• For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

• And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;  (Ephesians 6:12)

Speaking of the sword, let me first use an analogy of creating and molding, honing (sharpening), and polishing a sword.

“A sword is a bladed weapon (edged weapon) of more than 50 cm (20 in) in overall length used primarily for cutting or thrusting. All have a blade and a handle, known as the hilt. Blades may be straight, curved, single-edged, double-edged or just pointed. Hilts vary considerably in style and length, and may include protective guards for the hand. Detailed design depends on the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration.” (source Wikipedia)

Swords are both either single (razor-sharp on one side) or double-edged (razor sharp on both sides).

Here’s a short video on the making of a steel edged sword and creating the hilt (handle) using modern techniques like a kiln hot enough to melt the steel into a hot liquid for molding the sword:

Fathers Sword

Did you notice the fiery, intensive heat which melted the steel into a hot molten liquid that it took to create the sword?

Some of our unspeakable circumstances can be considered a fiery event in our lives and we “need” God’s Word to help us fight and win the battle. Why?

• For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
  
• Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

We need the Word, which is a Double Edged Sword, both to fight the battle and to bring correction and discipline into our own lives.

Words have a power all their own (Photo credit: waɪ.tiː)

The bible provides the Word (activated by and through the Holy Spirit–the Word of God), the knowledge, the battle plan and the reason for the battle.

Without the knowledge and the power of the Word, we cannot stand and expect to win the victory.

Our spirits require the feeding of the Word and in order to access God’s (Jesus‘) supernatural power, it must be kept razor-sharp to be used at a moment’s notice as a wielding weapon.

I am reminded that when I became a newbie in Christ, one of my friend’s grandchildren, a relatively newborn baby, had taken seriously ill.  She had the “instruction” (the Holy Spirit unction) to call me because she knew I believed in Christ and in His supernatural power.

When she called me she stated: “Mary, my grandchild is desperately ill. He’s stopped eating. We’ve taken him to the doctor for treatment but it doesn’t look good.  They’ve released the baby from the hospital to come home to spend his last days with family.” I got the impression the child was lifeless.

Shocked, I immediately answered her,  “Esther, let’s go to God and pray.  There’s nothing that He can’t or won’t do.  Let’s believe He will heal the baby.”

“Is the baby with you now?” I asked her.

“Yes.” she answered softly.

“OK, hold the baby in your arms and come into agreement with me,” I responded.

Pulling my bible, I opened it to two of what have become my favorite prayers, Psalm’s 91 and 103.  I verbally read these prayers back to back several times over the phone, as in the Book of Joshua who fought the battle of Jericho–seven times.

At one point, I uttered “Hey, hold the child!” (How on earth, did I “know” there was a problem holding the child?  I’m at home on the phone with Esther.)

Laughing Esther responded, “I’m trying Mary!  He’s squirming trying to get out of my arms!”

Encouraged, I kept on praying and praising the Lord for His healing virtue ending with “I call it done, in the Name of Jesus!”

Esther never stopped believing either.  She gave thanks and praises to the Lord, and told me “thank you, Mary!”

I distinctly remember hearing the mom in the background “Look, he’s moving!”

I mentioned to Esther that if it was necessary, we would pray again the following day if she felt the need and to call me.

I did hear again from Esther but to tell me that the child was well and eating!

A few years passed and one day, I was visiting my mom; Esther dropped by to visit.  She had the now grown youth with her and introduced me formally pointing out “this is Mary, who prayed for you when you were so sick.”  Apparently this is now a family miracle story.

All Honor, Glory, and Power to the Lord Jesus Christ!

How powerful the Word, when activated, in faith to believe, in the midst of a battle; a battle of life and death.

• May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double edged sword in their hands, (Psalm 149:6)

John’s vision of God, the son, Jesus Christ, in the Book of Revelation prophesying (decreeing and declaring the Word) over the seven churches:

• ⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
• ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” (Revelation 1:10-11)
• In his right hand He held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:16)
• “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double edged sword. (Revelation 2:12)

Jesus Just The Mention Of Your Name

by Jimmy Swaggart

Blessings,

___________________________________

SeashoreMary

Abide In Me

CorpusChristiWebsiteDesigns

YouTube – ‪SeashoreMary

Christianchirp

Twitter

Ancient of Days Still Reigning

Before the earth was created, heaven was created by Father God, the Ancient of Days.

Ancient of Days by William Blake 1794

He is described by the prophets of old in the Books of  Isaiah, Daniel, as well as by Jesus Christ, himself, when He walked on earth, and by the prophet, John, who had visions of the violent end times in the Book of Revelation:

• “Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:13)
• “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. (Daniel 7:9)
• “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, (Jesus Christ) coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. (Daniel 7:13)
• …until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:22)
• And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, (Genesis 1:14)

“I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle” words spoken by Almighty Father God speaking of a time when trouble would affect mankind:

• …which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? (Job 38:23).

Father God foresaw events taking place on earth, after the fall of man through Adam and Eve’s disobedience to Him.  However, because of His lovingkindness and tender mercies,  He makes provision to save man by sacrificing His own Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us back to Him.

In the meantime, the season of time involving trouble (hunger and famine, pestilence–viruses, death, poverty, destruction) includes the worldwide collapse of the financial economy ushering in World War III, and introducing the Mark of the Beast.

• I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. ² The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” (Revelation 13: 1-4)
• ⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. ⁷ It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. ⁸ All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.  (Revelation 13:5-8)

“Going By the Book”  by Johnny Cash

Hope for the future come in the form of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He said to his disciples:

• You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (Matthew 24:6)
• “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. (Luke 17:22)

Timothy (The Book of Timothy) speaks of terrible times:

• But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. (2 Timothy 3:1).

Father God, Ancient of Days,  is still on His throne reigning, orchestrating events to once and for all destroy (yes, I said “destroy”), satan (aka: the dragon, the beast) revealed in the form  evil once and for all.

• In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. (Psalm 37:19)

• “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,” (Joel 3:1)

Prophesied events are fulfilled in the Book of Revelation:

• These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of  God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Worship the Ancient of Days:

• Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; (Psalm 95:6)
• It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” (Romans 14:11)
• …that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (Philipians 2:10)

Ancient of Days

by Ron Kenoly

Blessings,

___________________________________

SeashoreMary

Abide In Me

CorpusChristiWebsiteDesigns

YouTube – ‪SeashoreMary

Christianchirp

Twitter

Seek First the Kingdom of God

This is the Sunday before Christmas Sunday next week.   I was listening to a sermon teaching when I heard this scripture: ” seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Oh my God, my favorite scripture!  It was resonating deeply in my spirit causing my heart to start racing in excitement because I love this scripture.

The Lord reminded me that He hadn’t dropped a specific scripture on me and that since  I had dedicated this column to Him, it was He who would give me my guidance.

I wanted to cry.  I am always grateful when He speaks to me, ever so gently.  My burden lifted from me and I got even more inspired and open to Him.

So a few questions came to mind with their dictionary explanation:

• Q.  What’s a kingdom?
• A.  A kingdom is a state or government having a king  or queen as its head.
• Q.  What’s a king?
• A.  A male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure, and usually by hereditary right, the chief commanding authority over a country and people, a monarch ruler, royal, regal, supreme ruler over an empire.
• Q.  What or who is the King of Kings?
• A.  God/Jesus

A king assumes responsibility (carries a particular burden of obligation) over a country or an individual.

The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 11: 27 thru 30:

• ²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
• ²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
• ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

In a nutshell, turn first to the Lord Jesus Christ, all of whom you are, what you are,  all of what you have, all of what you dream–all, (your life, your family: your mother, father, husband, wife, children, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, your job, your friends, your health, your finances, etc.)  seek Him first.

How many kings  do you know today, or from days past, who can give you a promise of this kind, of this level of integrity,  that the Lord promises and actually guarantees it to you to come to pass?

• ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:

            ‘ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.

Jesus has all your corners of life covered, if you seek His kingdom first.

____________________________________

SeashoreMary

Abide In Me

CorpusChristiWebsiteDesigns

YouTube – ‪SeashoreMary

Christianchirp

Twitter