In the Morning, My Prayer

 

Our Fortress.

 Psa 71:2-6 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.  Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.  Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. 

We are delivered not by our righteousness, but God's righteousness. We escape through our Lord's righteousness. Our God will save us, He will hear us as we call out to Him for help. He is our strong habitation where we have to continually go.

David sang the words…be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort.  

God wasn't some text on a screen, words on papers, but a reality to David in such a way that He could CONTINUALLY resort to God as being his STRONG habitation, David considered God to be his ROCK and his FORTRESS! 

Was David delusional?  No.

God as a reality to David made him believe that God was his protector. David could constantly, continually, over and over resort to God, his protector. David knew God had given a commandment to save him! David sang- Deliver me O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.   

We too need this kind of relationship with God. This relationship is revealed to us for our edification, for an example to us. We have wicked and unrighteous and cruel people all around us everywhere. No, most of us do not have these sorts seeking us physically ready to kill us, to harm us, but some people around our world right now do have people wanting to harm them and even kill them simply because they belong to God. Like David we must cry out to be delivered.

'For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.'  

God is our HOPE. God is our TRUST.  David trusted God from His youth. 

By God we are kept alive even in our mothers as we are growing, and while we are being born! All praise to God always, constantly!

Oh, to be able to sing with David our love of God, our assurance of God, our wonder and awe of God. The truth beyond doubt, the knowing of God as our all in all! 

Is God your strong fortress, your rock, your place of refuge? What makes God this impenetrable place of safety, when in truth our flesh is so frail and constantly subject to degradation as we age? We are vulnerable beings living in a world of chaos. There is no rhyme nor reason to who gets what disease, deformity, injury, hardship of any sort. The richest person can be taken down instantly in an accident, their money unable to save them. The poorest person could have disease heaped upon them on top of their monetary deprivation. There is no fairness in our chaotic world, yet God can be our hope, our refuge because He offers us the HOPE beyond all of this!  Beyond each of our heartaches, our setbacks, our pains, and agonies of living God has given to us, the hope of our Savior, who is the hope of our Salvation from all enemies, all of them in whatever form they take. 

God be with us always, all through Jesus Christ our LORD now and forever!!!!!! Amen!

I Don't Trust Myself, I Trust Jesus!

 Psa 71:1  In thee, O LORD, do I put my TRUST: let me never be put to confusion.

Where do you put your trust? Do you put it in yourself? Can you really trust yourself to do all the things you know are right to do? Or are you constantly finding yourself being disappointed in yourself? Or are you never disappointed in a single thing you do, or have done, I'd like to be able to say that's a great thing, but I really think it's most likely a bit delusional. 

If we can't trust even ourselves when we are really supposed to be our biggest supporters, then who can we trust? We try to trust each, don't we? We put a great store in trying to trust others. Others put their trust in us and time and again we disappoint them, don't we? We don't mean to. We don't want to be horrible people who are untrustworthy. 

You might be reading this and saying that you are trustworthy, you don't disappoint people, and that's wonderful! However, I'm not talking specifically about HUGE things. 

How often do we disappoint in tiny things? Again, we don't mean to disappoint, not even in tiny things. A misplaced word, a spoken thought that should have never reached our lips, you know those tiny things. And how many times have we disappointed someone without even realizing it? 

Trust. I've broken the trust of people who I cared greatly about, and regret doing so. It's one of those situations where you wish you could turn back time and undo everything. Okay, I've had more than one of those situations in my life. I'm not sure where you stand on this, I hope you do not have any of those situations, and never do. I keep having to remember these verses-

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I need to forget the things that are behind… the past is in the past and it can consume you if you let it. Recent past, past forty years ago, past 55 years ago it doesn't matter. All the broken trusts, all the guilt from the disappointment they caused, all these are unchangeable but they are forgivable. 

Where do we put our trust? It can’t be in ourselves our track records speak for themselves on that account. We can't put it in others, they are just like us. We disappoint, they disappoint, we are all a part of the same sinful human race. 

If we put our trust in our Savior He will forgive us of all those past horrible moments in our lives that Satan wants to use against us forever. If we put our trust in our Savior He will be our constant strength, present, and future! Our Savior alone has the power to do for us what we cannot do as sinners. We must press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!  Press towards the mark! The prize of the HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS! In thee O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion!  

Where do we put our trust? IN JESUS CHRIST!

Psa 71:1  In thee, O LORD, do I put my TRUST: let me never be put to confusion. 

Psa 22:5  They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they TRUSTED in thee, and were not confounded. 

Psa 25:2  O my God, I TRUST in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Psa 25:3  Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 

Psa 31:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my TRUST; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. 

Psa 125:1  A Song of degrees. They that TRUST in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Psa 146:5  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the LORD his God

1Ch 5:20  And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their TRUST in him. 

Rom 9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever BELIEVETH on him shall not be ashamed. 

1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that BELIEVETH on him shall not be confounded. 

Isa 45:17  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end

Jer 17:18  Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. 

Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not

See Beyond the Horrors to the Hope.

 Lam 3:25,26  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 

Rev 14:12.13  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Jer 29:11-13  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

An expected end. Our expected end is either living and witnessing our Lord's return for us without ever dying, or dying and entering our long rest and letting our works follow us when we are awakened from death's sleep to meet our Lord upon His return for us.  This is our expected end, belonging to our Savior forever. 

We wait for Him, we seek Him, we hope for Him, we wait patiently, quietly.  We keep the commandments of God. We keep the faith of Jesus.  We call on the Lord, we pray unto the Lord, we seek Him, we will find Him. We must search for Him will ALL our heart! 

Learning of Jesus, surely this is a searching we do with all our hearts. 

Mat_7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

Act_17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us

Our Lord isn't far from any of us, He wants us to seek, to find, to knock, to learn of Him! How is it that our learning of Him is a never ending constant education? Can we ever truly know all there is to know of anyone? Sure, we know a lot about each other. Married couples who have been together fifty years will know most of the ins and outs of each other- but they can never fully know the innermost being of each other. We are in a constant state of learning. Is it any wonder that some people get to a point in a relationship where they can say they are different than when they were married, they've changed? Marriage is an agreement to remain together as the changes occur. Some changes certainly aren't for the better. We change as we grow. Circumstances can change us, the things we go through can change us and we are constantly learning and changing. 

Our God is the same --- Heb_13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

And yet we are forever learning of Him because as we interact with each other- fulfilling the second of the greatest commands- to love one another (the last six of the moral laws are all about loving one another) we are learning to love people where they are in their lives. We are learning love. God is love. We will never be able to stop learning to love it is a fluid thing that never stops surrounding us in so many ways. Learning of Him, He wants us to learn of Him, learn of love, His love, His perfect love. 

The Lord want us to be His, this is His desire. The Lord wants us to know His peace. His peace that had Him live a life in human flesh, and still cling to His Father. His peace that saw beyond the horror to the everlasting hope. 

2Th_2:16,17  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Being able to see beyond the horror to the hope can truly give us peace. Our world is in a constant state of chaos. Not a single person in this world has a life free of it horrors. The horrors take on different shapes and sizes for all the different situations people find themselves in- rich, poor, young, old, sick, well, heartbroken, content- all these people face horrors in their lives. We must live beyond the horror and for the hope that only our Savior can give us. That hope makes the horrors bearable- if barely sometimes- because that hope offers us heaven. The hope of our Savior returning for us! Come Lord, Jesus, come!

All in the name of our Savior, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

(Jerry Note & A Study)

 A sad day and a blessing. Today I had to go to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to get our car title transferred to my name. I went through the check in process where they told me I'd have a very long wait. I'd already heard the person in front of me being told they'd have over an hour wait so I wasn't looking forward to the waiting. Jo and I went and sat down to begin the long wait and I silently prayed. I spoke to the Lord telling Him that I know it's not possible to just make the time pass really fast, but couldn't He maybe make the people who are in front of me have simple things and get done quickly. I had number- N141 and they called N129, there were 12 people needing to be seen before me. Five, ten minutes passed and during that time N130 was called, then a few more minutes and N131 was called. A few more numbers without the N- people needing different sorts of things done- were called then after about 15 minutes waiting N140 was called.  I'm like, what just happened? Why weren't N132-139 called? And then just a few minutes more and N141, my number was called!  Now, I know different workers take people based on the type of service they need so this isn't unheard of, but it was a BLESSING for me, a huge blessing and I have to thank and praise God for doing that for me. During the time I was being serviced I continued to hear numbers being called, I heard N132, N133 and so on, so the people hadn't gone home.  

As I was being served I started to tear up, I couldn't help it. The talking of my "deceased husband"- handling the death certificate, just simply answering the question 'What day did he die?" All had me fighting tears. I finally turned the death certificate over so I didn't have to sit there looking at it, which helped a bit. God blessed us in another way too. The woman helping us had me sign a paper that explained it would be 80.00 then she walked away to do more things with the papers and came back and said I have to sign the same form again because it is now only 10.00, they just had a change in policy recently and she hadn't been aware of it, her manager just told her. God is good! 

*******

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

Joh 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 

Joh 1:7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 

Joh 1:8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 

Joh 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 

Joh 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

Such beautiful words! Jesus was in the beginning-Jesus was the WORD-

In the beginning …

Gen 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 

And God said! The WORD was in the Beginning speaking! 

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Jesus was WITH God-  God with God in the beginning of our creation!

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Nothing was made without God who would in time take on flesh and become the only begotten Son of our Heavenly Father God. Such beauty! Such wonder! Knowing that the Word made flesh- was the same Word at the Beginning of our world. Jesus' relationship to the Father is amazing. Jesus' life did NOT begin in Bethlehem as a baby, Jesus' life, like that of the Father is from everlasting to everlasting. There was a decree made and Jesus was to take on the flesh of a human baby, flesh corrupted by sin's long degradation against it. Jesus in taking human flesh divested Himself of His powers as a God with God and became completely and utterly dependent upon God the Father for all His power. All the miracles performed by Jesus were performed through the power given to Him as a human, by God the Father. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

Life in Jesus, life that was the LIGHT of men. Light shining in the dark, but…the dark did not understand. 

There is a very real analogy between light and dark, how could there not be. Light dispels darkness, truth dispels lies, knowledge dispels ignorance. Jesus would have us LEARN of HIM and to learn of Him means to come to know Him. Jesus is the LIGHT, we need to comprehend the light. 

Joh 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 

Joh 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

True light- meaning… there can be a false light. Take a few seconds to think about that. False light. Untruthful light. You see, we can gain so much knowledge, our brains can be illuminated with grand things, our minds expanded with dark knowledge. Do you remember in that Garden in Eden the tree was of Knowledge- of Good and Evil.  Knowledge of evil is false light. It's still knowledge but a knowledge that deceives and causes spiritual darkness. Jesus was the TRUE LIGHT which LIGHTETH EVERY MAN THAT COMES INTO THE WORLD!   Jesus' truth is offered to everyone in the world! Jesus was in the world and the world was MADE by Him and the world KNEW HIM NOT. Jesus came unto His OWN and His OWN received HIM NOT!  

Oh how long Israel belonged to Jesus as God with God in heaven! Israel was HIS! Israel were taken to be a people of God and they perverted that honor! Time and time again throughout their history as God's people they turned their back on Him! It's no wonder that when Jesus God took on flesh and came to His own as the Son of God, they didn't receive Him. They had often rejected God's prophets, they would continue that rejection. 

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

But…   there were those of His own that separated themselves from the corporate body of Israel and did receive Him! And Jesus gave them the power, the ability to become sons of God!!!!!!!  Even to them that BELIEVE ON HIS NAME!

God gives NEW life of the Spirit when we receive Him! We can't get a new birth of flesh and blood, that's impossible. We can't will ourselves to have the Spirit, it must be given to us! We do NOT possess it of our own accord, we can't! Jesus will give this to us when we are His!

Jesus was the Word and that Word was MADE FLESH, and Jesus dwelt among us. We are so incredibly blessed to be able to BEHOLD His glory! Glory! He is the ONLY begotten of the FATHER- HE is FULL OF GRACE and TRUTH!

Let us LEARN OF HIM! Forever learn of Him!

All by His grace and mercy, His love! All through the SPIRIT that Jesus has given to us! All through the FATHER in Heaven! Now and forever! All glory, honor, all thanksgiving, all LOVE to our GOD! Amen!

Good Seed, Bad Seed.

 Parables. Jesus spoke in parables, why? Let's let Jesus answer this question Himself… It's important because we have access to many of these parables. Please, take the time to read Jesus' words--

Mat 13:10-14  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 

(Isa 6:9  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. )

Mat 13:15-17 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

The disciples of Jesus were curious about Jesus' parables. I know sometimes when we want a straight answer to a question, a person will give us instead a song and a dance all leading up the point. If the song and dance continues on long enough it can confuse us so that we forget what we were even asking. Or, we grow tired of the song and dance and realize no straight answer is to be had. We have to listen to the song and watch the dance - truly listen, truly watch if we want to ascertain the answer seemingly hidden in that song and dance.  I know I'm a storyteller of sorts. My husband was often the exasperated one - as he'd wait for me to get through my song and dance so he had the answer he was after. It became a running joke in our relationship. I had to take the long way around and make many stops before I get where I'm going, and he'd take the straight line way not stopping at all. Some say it's a guy, girl thing, but I know it's not- not really.  Do you see, I'm giving you one of my songs and one of my dances right now- not intentionally- it's just me. 

Jesus spoke in parables and those who sought discernment truly desiring to know and understand would be able to. Those who just wanted the answers they perceived, rather than what was real, and those who only wanted to dispute whatever answers were given- they remained blind. Jesus' parables are for the heart and spirit, not for those who aren't interested in a heart and spirit understanding.

With this in mind, let's learn more of our Savior--

Mat 13:36 -43  Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

The parable explained:

The sower of the good seed- is Jesus.

The field where the seed is being sown- the world.

The good seed- the children of the kingdom of God.

The tares (bad seed) - the children of the wicked one.

The sower of the tares (bad seed) - the Devil.

The harvest of all that is sown- the end of the world.

The reapers of the harvest- angels.

The gathered tares- bad seed sown by the devil- gathered and burned at the end of the world.

The gathered good seed- are gathered into the kingdom of the Father. 

Do you have ears to hear?

Jesus is speaking plainly here explaining His parable in detail, giving the disciples the straight line explanation. 

Jesus, the children of God. The Devil, the children of the Devil. The end of the world, angels gather them all. The children of God go one place and the children of the Devil to another end.

So why don't we believe really believe in the Devil? Why don't we believe there are children of the Devil? Can we comprehend that not everyone chooses to be a child of God? 

We need the whole truth, not just the bits that make us acceptable to the world and to God. We crave worldly acceptance and shun appearing different. We label the 'John the Baptist' types as being crazy, just as they did in the day of John the Baptist. Notice I said TYPES. There will not be another John the Baptist, but there are men and women of God who live for God, and share God with others as He would have them do.

Before that harvest at the end of the world, the men and woman of God, those sown by the Son of God, Himself will be alive for God, not for themselves.

God help us to be sown by the Son of God, and not by the Devil! Let us learn of Jesus, really learn all about Him. All through God's love, His grace, His mercy! Now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

Joh_3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Joh_4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Joh 14:21  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. 

Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

Deu 5:10  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

Isa 1:16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 

Isa 1:17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your 

 be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Dan 9:4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 

Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 

Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Gal 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

This Is Jerry's(Note) Learn of Him( Study)

 This is Jerry's…  it must forever remain untouched by anyone but Him!

This is Jerry's…  who would He want to have it?

This is Jerry's…  no one will ever want that.

This is Jerry's…  no one can have that.

This is Jerry's…  why did he ever keep it?

This is Jerry's…  how can I use that… it was His?

This is Jerry's…  it's valuable because it was His.

This is Jerry's…  he'd want them to have it.

This is Jerry's…  don't touch it!

This is Jerry's…  please, take it.

This is Jerry's…  

Don't make me say it! I have to say it…

This WAS Jerry's… it all WAS Jerry's, not IS Jerry's, but… it is… it is Jerry's… it will always be Jerry's.

Almost seven weeks later and I still question, how can he be gone?  

Jerry owns nothing now and that doesn't seem real, or right, in any way. Gone, never, ever ever forgotten. 

Truthfully, there are a lot of things that will always be Jerry's, I'm not making that up. Even without Him here to possess them, they are his. I'll just be a caretaker of the things that are His-- keeping, distributing, loaning, things that are his as my heart decides. 

I still have my grandfather's desk, my grandmother's china cabinet, my mother's bedroom set…  See, they remain theirs forever- it's in their history. I don't say I have my grandfather's desk which went to my mother, which in turn went to me- there is no long spiel about it, just simply, that was my grandfather's. There are sentimental treasures here that will be passed down to my children and they will forever be their father's- this, and their father's - that, and this is the way of life as it continues ever onward. 

Seven weeks… and in some ways it seems like yesterday. 

*******

Learning.

We live in the furnace of affliction and so many people don't recognize it as such. What would happen if one of the first important things you were taught growing up was the fact that you live in a world with unseen forces that truly impact your life in a very real way? That the world unseen is filled with beings intent on causing us to endure all manner of afflictions. That the world unseen is filled with those who will allow the afflictions in order to purify us, refine us, strip off the layers of superficial life right down to our very core where the workings of our heart live. What would happen if we were all taught the truth from the day we were born? 

What has all that to do with learning of Christ's yoke and burden? Christ's yoke and His burden are the core of our core. That which lives under our outer impurities, our fleshy dross. We need to learn of Christ- the core of our core, the love that enables us to love. Christ who could have called ten thousand angels to set Him free from this earth bent on His murder, but chose to endure all the horrors inflicted because He was sacrificing Himself to prove His love, His core, Himself. 

Why would He do that if there weren't something more for us than this world with its unseen forces? Jesus came and said…

Joh_14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

Fact- His Father has a house big enough to contain MANY MANSIONS. 

Fact- His Father's house with its many mansions exists and is being prepared for US.

Fact- Jesus will come again to receive us.

We live now and all the afflictions we endure CAN be used to refine us, stripping away our dependence upon ourselves so that we recognize our need to be dependent upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Some of those unseen forces in our world will do all they can to keep us from learning of Jesus, of really learning of Him in the way that we can recognize His easy yoke and light burden.  Read the many verses below of how God refines. We need to understand the refining isn't going to be easy- mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. This world as it is now isn't intended to give us easy, affliction free lives. If you choose to simply live for this awful world because you're too prideful to let the afflictions refine you to your core, then no, you will not inhabit any prepared mansion. Not a single person will inhabit a mansion in heaven that willfully chooses not to learn of Jesus now. You may scoff at all this unbelievable nonsense, but think for just a single moment, what if none of it is nonsense? You have to know deep down that this world has a whole slew of seemingly unfixable problems and that in the thousands of years we've had to fix things, we just don't. This world is broken, we are broken, but we can have hope to be fixed. 

Christ's burden and yoke are light and easy, learn of Him. Don't learn of any one religion, just learn of Him. Please.

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Isa 1:25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 

Psa 66:10  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 

Pro 17:3  The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts. 

Jer 9:7  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 

Eze 22:18  Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. 

Eze 22:19  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 

Eze 22:20  As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. 

Eze 22:21  Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. 

Eze 22:22  As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you. 

Zec 13:8  And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 

Zec 13:9  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. 

Mal 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 

Mal 3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 

Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, not and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

Two Father's- God or the Devil- You Choose.

 Two Fathers and A Choice.

How shocking it is to hear the words- My father is the Devil. First, let's clarify what it means to be a father. We use it for any man who has an offspring. That isn't the only way the term is used though. No one can be a father without having a child- either by biological means, adoptive, or figurative means. The term father is used in conjunction with a having a position over others.  The motorcycle rider whose nickname is 'Father', why? Because he acts as a father would, or he has taken on the role of a moral guide, or maybe he is the opposite of what a father should be and given the name ironically.  But why am I blathering on about this? Because if someone comes up to you and tells you their father is the Devil, we need to know what they mean by making that claim. For the sake of this particular message we are going to state right off the Devil in question is Satan, the fallen archangel, Lucifer, the Father of Lies, and whatever other names, of which there are many, you wish to include. The person making this claim is not stating that their human father is the Devil, they are claiming that the actual Devil is their spiritual, adopted father.  

We know the Devil isn't producing offspring as humans produce offspring so when the claim is made that the Devil is their father they are really saying that they have chosen the Devil to be a leading authority figure in their lives. They are claiming to respect the Devil, to honor the Devil, to look up to the Devil, to love him. 

I don't know about you but I've never met anyone who has outright made this claim. Yes, I know there are plenty out there who do make it, I've just never personally been face to face with such a person.

I have been face to face with those who claim God in Heaven to be their father. In fact, I'm one of those people. God in Heaven is my Heavenly Father. I do look up to my Heavenly Father, I respect Him, I honor Him, I love Him. My Heavenly Father is my creator. My Heavenly Father has an only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I am the adopted daughter of my Heavenly Father. 

What a lot of people don't seem to realize because they are wrapped up in their arrogance, is there are only two spiritual fathers we can choose from, only two and we all MUST choose one or the other. Deciding not to make a choice is a choice so there is no escaping having God as your Heavenly Father, or the Devil as your father. If you do not choose God to be your Heavenly Father, if you do not choose to be adopted by Him, then you belong to the Devil and whatever form he's taken on. It really that simple and a lot of people do not like that. They want to insert this clause and that clause, and this idea and the other idea but all their supposing is nothing more than an encouraged ploy by the Devil. All those who say they do not believe in any God, or any deity, but that they only believe in themselves, once again, they are choosing the Devil's side automatically because the Devil chose that side too when he embraced sin and abdicated his high position in God's kingdom in favor or wanting to be God himself. The Devil believed in himself and he loves when people choose to believe only in themselves. The Devil loves when people choose nature as their god, or some ancient cult worshipped god, a sun god, a moon goddess, an ethnic god of their choice, gods- plural and so on. Go ahead pick whatever god you want besides the Heavenly Father and the Devil will be very pleased. 

Jesus said the following words to the religious- the outwardly God fearing people. He didn't point at a demon possessed man, or an outcast sinner, and say the following. When you read this just KNOW that Jesus was speaking to those who professed to belong to God.

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer  from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a  lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and  the father of it. 

Jesus spoke and said, "You are of your father…"  Do you understand this? Jesus is telling the people they are of their FATHER.  Jesus continued and named their father.  "You are of your father the DEVIL."  

Jesus didn't stop there. "..and the lusts of your father(the Devil) you will do. The Devil was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own for he is a liar and the father of it."

There is NO TRUTH in the devil. Any seeming truth the Devil may spout is twisted in his perverted ways. He may appear to speak truth, but his reason for it appearing that way is to deceive. The Devil is the father of LIES.

Your Spiritual Father is either God or the Devil, and make no mistake you have a spiritual father. One of the spiritual Fathers speaks only TRUTH, the other -LIES.

Jesus knows who our father is- there is no hiding from Him the choice we make daily, hourly, minutely. Jesus taught us to pray-

OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. 

And just as the supposed God-fearing who Jesus was talking to, there are many who pray this prayer but are far from having God as their Father. If we choose ANY deception over truth we belong to the Devil no matter what our mouths profess, or self-deception is taking place. If we choose to purposefully NOT seek out truth, the Devil is our father. Truth! We must ABIDE IN TRUTH, we must LIVE IN TRUTH constant truth! We must never grow tired of learning and allowing God to open our understanding, never. Those Jesus said were of the Devil thought they had all the truth they'd ever need too. They clutched the truth they had tight to their chests and refused anything else! 

We know there is unfolding truth, prophecies yet to be fulfilled. If our minds and hearts are shut off to advancing truth then we are not making our abode with God the Father, but rather with the Devil.  

TRUTH. Let us LEARN more and more of our Savior. Jesus tells us to LEARN of HIM!

Learn right now-   JESUS IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.

Joh_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Let us LEARN truth!

There are two fathers, and you have a choice. The Father of Truth, or the Father of Lies? Choose.

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever! Amen!

Learn of Him.

 

A Study and A Note (Jesus' Easy Burden)

 Today's Jerry Note- 

I know a lot of my Jerry notes revolve around food, but that's only natural considering we eat a lot, right? Breakfast, lunch, dinner or some variation of that happens every day for most people. That's a lot of food, food practically every day of our lives. By now those of you reading these little Jerry notes and such know that He liked a whole lot of things others of us in our family did not. Veering off onto another track for a moment, don't worry it meets back up with the Jerry track- some of you also know my mother made the best Spaghetti Sauce ever! (I know, a lot of moms do that.) Her sauce was a staple in our families, each of her kids learning to make some variation of her sauce- which she encouraged. If you liked a hotter sauce she told us to add jalapenos, if we wanted a cheesier sauce just add some parmesan right into the pot, don't save it solely for a topping later. My mom also made meatballs to go with her sauce and sausage. I'm not going to say all of us loved her spaghetti sauce, but the majority of us did and do. Now veering back on the Jerry track- Jerry also liked my mother's sauce BUT he liked his OWN mother's sauce more. His mother's sauce had things like mushrooms, big chunks of green pepper and onions, ground beef - not meatballs, ground sausage- not links, a different combination of spices.  So, in our family we would have both sauces but NOT every time we had spaghetti. When Jerry got a hankering for his mother's sauce he would ask me to make it, and sometimes I'd just surprise him with it.

One day during the last two months of his life for dinner I told him we were having spaghetti and he immediately asked- "With my sauce?" I nodded and told him I'd made his sauce too, and boy, he was happy. That night he had his sauce - plus a meatball and enjoyed it immensely.  He had it once more after that on another night that week and then guess what I did?  I froze the rest of the sauce. 

You know what's coming next… recently I gave the sauce away. My niece, Tisha took the two containers home with her about a month ago. Today when Tisha came over I asked her if she'd had a chance to eat it yet and she told me just this past week they did and they loved it!  

And yet again, you know what I'm going to say, Jerry would have been so thrilled to know that sauce did not go to waste, that others enjoyed it as much as he did. 

I know I keep telling you of these things that are probably starting to seem a little like the same ol' story, but I can't help it, I really can't. You see, I know that once all these sauces, soups, meats and so on are gone from that freezer, then a part of him will be gone too. Each time a frozen food that was meant for him is gone there is joy and tears because that's what life is right now- joy and tears. I will run out of food stories soon enough, but for now they are something I have and want others to know about so they too can share in a part of my husband's life- knowing him in a small way that they never did before. Sharing his love of food, his love of life, his love of me, his children and his family and friends.  

God blessed me richly with Him and God blesses me richly with memories of Him and a life filled with knowing Him. I can't tell you how many times I've said the words- "I know Jerry would have…" Because I know him. 

Another little thought just crossed my mind- I can remember my own mother speaking of my father in the same way, "Your dad would have…"  

Those we love in loving them, we know of them, so much of them. We are blessed. 

*******

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus did not have a wooden yoke in His hands when He told the multitudes to take His yoke. Even if He had, who of the many would have been the one to take it? The yoke He spoke of was figurative. The yoke symbolic of the burden Jesus was carrying. Take my yoke upon you, He says. And how do we do this? How do you take on the burden of another? You've done it before haven't you? Someone has a problem and they tell you their problem with the hope you'll be able to help them. They want you to share their burden, make it lighter, or if not lighter then at least bearable. Sometimes we do share our troubles with others without wanting their help, we share it just so another person knows what we are enduring. We might share it just to get someone to pray for us, or think of us with a bit of compassion. There are a lot of burdens that cannot be shared physically. I can't take the job interview my son has to take, but in knowing how heavy that burden is for him I can pray for him, I can offer my commiseration. Jesus told us to take His yoke upon us, take His burden upon us.  He also told us something else along with that. He said, Take my yoke upon you and LEARN OF ME. Take His burden and learn of Him.

Then He goes on to further say- that He is meek and He is lowly in heart.  He doesn't stop there, He tells us that we will find rest unto our souls. And that His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

Such amazing words! Such wonderful, awesome words!

Jesus DOES have a burden. 

Jesus' burden is LIGHT.

Jesus' burden is EASY.

Jesus is MEEK.

Jesus is LOWLY IN HEART.

Tell me, what do those last two things mean? What does it mean that Jesus is meek and lowly in heart?

Mat 21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass

Num 12:3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 

Psa 131:1  A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 

Isa 42:2  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 

Isa 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 

Isa 42:4  He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

Luk 9:54  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 

Luk 9:55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 

Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. 

2Co 10:1  Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 

1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Meek-humble, lowly-gentle, heart-thoughts and feelings. 

Jesus is meek, humble, lowly, submissive, without elevation, 

Who can read all the above and NOT comprehend that Jesus was the epitome of selflessness? 

Is it a burden to be selfless? It can be, especially in the world we live in today. We grow up with a lot of outside stimulus towards being self-focused, self-serving. We are inundated by a whole slew of entertainment that promotes the life of the self-serving, business men and women who thrive on serving themselves. It's sobering to realize that the men and women in our world who control the vast majority of wealth choose to keep the majority of that wealth to keep their own self-interests afloat. Our world is ruled by a system that dictates the wealthy are in need of being even more wealthy while the poor are  told to become wealthy- somehow, without help, just do it. Yet the world could not support all people being considered wealthy, or so that's what we are taught. The wealthy thrive, the poor suffer- history proves this to be the case since sin entered and took over the lives of mankind.

To be selfless is burdensome because the world fights against true selflessness in its supposed need to be so many other things. 

More on all of this tomorrow by the grace of God, by His will. We need to LEARN of JESUS! May we humble ourselves and learn! 

A Note and A Study (Jesus' Yoke)

 A little Jerry note. Most of those who knew Jerry, knew that he had a great love of venison. For as long as he was capable he would actually go deer hunting, belonging to a Hunt Club where they were guaranteed venison from any of the hunters who were able to make a kill. When He was no longer capable of going hunting he never passed up an opportunity to share in the spoils of other hunters when he could. My brother, Wesley, was one of those hunters and my cousin, Bruce, as well as other members of the family. Jerry was able to get venison from them more than once and boy, did he enjoy it immensely! Well, these last few years he hadn't been so lucky in getting any venison, that was until at the Rehab center one of the therapists mentioned her husband going hunting. Of course Jerry was able to talk her into getting himself some ground venison. 

Now comes the unhappy part, the plans we'd made were for him to have the venison as hamburgers when we grilled steaks in the middle of June, as JoAnna would still be here. 

Tonight in Jerry's honor, I made those venison burgers and both Matthew and JoAnna enjoyed them as much as he would have. Jerry would have been thrilled to know the venison didn't take on time capsule status in the freezer but was actually used and enjoyed.  It's these little things that mean so much right now.  Yes, there is the Borscht which was like salt poured on my bleeding heart, but today there was venison which was somehow healing to my heart. Yes, I've already made plans for the Borscht to go to my sister, Elizabeth, who enjoys beets- I hope she likes it when she tries it, that would be healing too. And if she doesn't like it, at least she will have tried it and that's something too. 

Thank God for today's healing. Tomorrow might bring salt, balm or both, but whatever it is, I know my Savior is going to be there going through it all with me!  

*******  Two Yokes. 

'There are two yokes,—the yoke of sin (Satan’s yoke), and the yoke of Christ. The yoke of sin is hard to bear,—Satan is a hard master; but the yoke of Christ is easy, and His burden is light. He sets us free from sin, that we may serve Him by bearing His mild yoke.' Matthew 11:29-30. (EG Waggoner)

A yoke. Mention the word yoke and people naturally are repelled by it. We prefer the word freedom. Yoke is a word of bondage, not freedom. We hold up the word free and want it to mean we should be able to live without anyone dictating to us in any way. When a person lives in a country where their lives are ruled by a dictator who tells them what they can and cannot do, who they can talk to, what they can read, what they're allowed to watch on TV, and even try to tell them what to think, they can feel oppressed. I don't know this first hand though, because I live in a place they call the 'Land of the Free.' There is a reason America took on this name. People from all different countries who lived under oppression in one form or another- poverty, religious persecution, and the like looked upon the United States as a place to come to be safe from persecution, a chance to live a life outside of poverty, they called it a place to be free, a place without a yoke of bondage. 

Jesus even says- 

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Joh 8:33  They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The truth shall make you free, and Jesus was talking about being free from the penalty of sin. The Jews didn't consider they were in bondage to any but Jesus said that they were in bondage to sin if they commit sin. Freedom from that bondage to sin can only be found in Jesus. So when Jesus says…

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

…He is saying that He has a yoke and wants us to share it with Him, He isn't wanting to put us back into bondage.  This yoke He wants to share with us is one of us learning of him, and as we learn of Him we will find rest. Yokes usually are not associated with rest, but the opposite.  If we say we are under a yoke, we are telling others we feel burdened, not at rest. Christ's yoke is easy, His burden is light- but the FACT remains He has a yoke and a burden for us.

More on this tomorrow by the grace of God! All through Jesus Christ our Lord. I want His yoke, I want His burden. 

Choosing God.

 Daily bread. Have you asked for your daily bread yet today? Give us this day our daily bread. Daily. Not a single day is to ever pass in our lives when we do not recognize our Father in heaven. Not a single day is to go by without prayer. Daily we are to speak to our heavenly Father. And how often are we to ask for forgiveness? Daily. Our lives are to be filled with God. So many cite the cruelty of our world as reason not to believe in God, or a reason to hate God if they believe. Many cannot fathom the idea of a loving God who has their eternal life in His hand, letting horrors happen now. They envision a hard-hearted God, indifferent to the pain we endure. Far from indifferent, far from hard-hearted, our God could have wiped humanity from existence, but He chose to offer redemption instead. Annihilate or save? Destroy or give hope? God had the choice but chose rather to account us human beings as something worthy of salvation. God accounted us worthy and without the worthiness given to us by God we have none. Our lives are absolutely worthless without God. I did not say without religion, I will never say without religion, I will always say, without God. Don't confuse the two. God needs to be a personalize presence in our individual lives, we should not attach ourselves to a religion and expect that attachment is all we need. Too haughty to be God's? Able to give yourself eternal life? We mustn't be, because we cannot give ourselves eternal life. If ALL we are to have hope in - is this current existence- we are truly hopeless. Every single injustice in this world screams out at us to despise this sin ruled world. Every single evil we are witness to is a testament to the wrongness that can only meet its opposite in God's love. We are not left in the dark. We are told this world is NOT as it should have been. We are told that things went horrifically wrong, God hasn't tried to sugarcoat this world. God wants us to know it's NOT as He intended. God doesn't say He is love and then tell us we are living in a hopeless world. God is upfront about who the prince of this world is right now. God doesn't want anyone to love Him unwillingly. Man alone uses force in their version of love. We are sinners- each of us undeserving of our own accord. We recognize our powerlessness to save ourselves. We acknowledge that our salvation is given to us undeservedly. We have to accept the salvation offered because it will not be forced on us. If you choose not to be a part of eternal salvation through Christ's gift that is exactly what will happen, you will not be a part of eternal salvation. We are sinful and need daily forgiveness, daily a prayer must ascend to our Heavenly Father. May we seek our Father daily, choosing to live under His love for us His children. 

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread. 

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Isa 44:22  I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Psa 51:7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Psa 51:8  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 

Psa 51:9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 

Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

Psa 51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 

Psa 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 

Psa 51:13  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 

Psa 51:14  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 

Psa 51:15  O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 

Psa 51:16  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Mic 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 

Mic 7:19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

Lord, Help Us Keep Our Treasures In Heaven.

 Job- I've heard his name more lately than I like. When we think of Job we think of the undeserved suffering he experienced as Satan did his worst against him. When things happen to us, not little things, not a few things, but a lot of big, awful things Job comes to mind. Job wasn't a sinless man, no human being is, but Job was complete in God. By complete I mean, Job was a man of God, he was upright, morally sound. We know Job sinned, he asks for forgiveness… 

Job 42:6  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 

You repent when you've sinned. Job was God's, Job lived for God. God could use Job as an example of a man who loved Him, and lived for Him. Satan believed the only reason Job could love God was because God had given him so many good things. God favored Job and Satan challenged that the only reason Job loved God so deeply was because of those things he received at God's hand. We know all about Job. We know that Satan was allowed to do his worst against him just shy of taking Job's life and still, Job held fast to God- but not perfectly, not sinlessly. 

When our lives are filled with horrors and we love God, we know that none of those horrors will take God's love from us. We aren't being punished by God, God doesn't hate us. Satan would have us believe that, but it's not true. Tested, refined, but not punished.

So maybe it's good to consider Job's life as the problems of our own accumulate and threaten us with despair. God loved Job, God loves us and nothing will stop that love as long as we love Him and put our faith wholly in Him, our God, our Savior, our Lord forever! We live for heaven's reward in Christ, not for any of this world's cherished treasures. We can only hope that no matter what our lives are or become that we hold fast to the love of Christ above it all. Some might say it's easy to say these things but much harder to believe them as life's problems crush us and they're right- it is easy to say them, harder to believe because Satan wants us to despair and come to hate God. Heaven is where our treasure is, our real treasure and Satan can never take that from us. In all the evil Satan can unleash upon us, He cannot take our Heavenly Treasure, not ever! Please, Lord, please, help us to keep our TREASURES in HEAVEN where they belong. Please, keep us from evil, keep us from despair. All in the name of our LORD, our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST! Now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

*******

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, 

Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.  

Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 

Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 

Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. 

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 

Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 

Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? 

Job 40:9  Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? 

Job 40:10  Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. 

Job 40:11  Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. 

Job 40:12  Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. 

Job 40:13  Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. 

Job 40:14  Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. 

Job 40:15  Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 

Job 40:16  Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 

Job 40:17  He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. 

Job 40:18  His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. 

Job 40:19  He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. 

Job 40:20  Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. 

Job 40:21  He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. 

Job 40:22  The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. 

Job 40:23  Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 

Job 40:24  He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares. 

Job 41:1  Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? 

Job 41:2  Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? 

Job 41:3  Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? 

Job 41:4  Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? 

Job 41:5  Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 

Job 41:6  Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? 

Job 41:7  Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? 

Job 41:8  Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. 

Job 41:9  Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 

Job 41:10  None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? 

Job 41:11  Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 

Job 41:12  I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. 

Job 41:13  Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? 

Job 41:14  Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. 

Job 41:15  His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. 

Job 41:16  One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. 

Job 41:17  They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. 

Job 41:18  By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 

Job 41:19  Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. 

Job 41:20  Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. 

Job 41:21  His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. 

Job 41:22  In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. 

Job 41:23  The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. 

Job 41:24  His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. 

Job 41:25  When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. 

Job 41:26  The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. 

Job 41:27  He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. 

Job 41:28  The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. 

Job 41:29  Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. 

Job 41:30  Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. 

Job 41:31  He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. 

Job 41:32  He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. 

Job 41:33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. 

Job 41:34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. 

Job 42:1  Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 

Job 42:2  I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 

Job 42:3  Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 

Job 42:4  Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 

Job 42:5  I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 

Job 42:6  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 

Job 42:7  And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 

Job 42:8  Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 

Job 42:9  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. 

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 

Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 

Job 42:12  So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 

Job 42:13  He had also seven sons and three daughters. 

Job 42:14  And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. 

Job 42:15  And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 

Job 42:16  After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. 

Job 42:17  So Job died, being old and full of days. 

Never Again.

 A simple thing, an everyday thing really. Or maybe it's not an everyday thing any longer. How many people still use recipe books? Hard copies, not online, but recipe books that you can open up and look through to find a recipe- a new one or an old favorite? Several years ago, a few years before my mother died, she took the time to put together her favorite recipes into binders and she did this for each of her children and grandchildren I believe. This recipe book was in a thin binder and soon I was adding my own recipes to it and I needed a large binder. So over the next several years my mother's recipe book was transformed by me in more ways than one becoming something I would not want to be without. Before anyone suggests I should have all those recipes backed up on my computer, they are there and most of them (but not all) are online.

There you have it, a short history of my recipe book. Why did I feel the need to share that today? Because today I had to grab it up to find a recipe I needed and the tears welled up once again as I turned a page and saw one of Jerry's favorites- Borscht. 

My thoughts came fast and each one was a little dagger twisting in my heart. I would never again make Borscht for him. So many never again-s and each never again held its own dagger. Some of those daggers were only capable of tiny pinpricks and scarcely did more than pinch. Other daggers slip in silently, deeply and the agony of those cause my heart to scream unheard by all but me.

Today my heart screamed over and over as I continued to turn the pages of that recipe book in search of the recipe I wanted, and recipe after recipe that I made solely for Jerry, with ingredients only he enjoyed, went by. Never again, never again… never again… 

Then, as I found my recipe and closed the book, I wiped the tears away, and my heart while still stinging from grief's brutal attack, sighed heavily from emotions released. I took a deep breath, tucked the recipe book, minus the recipe page I extracted, back where it belonged.  I knew I'd have to open it again, and again and I'd see Jerry's recipes, recipes of his favorite foods that he'd never eat again, that I'd never make again, but it would get easier, at least that was my hope for the future.

Before I end this I have to add just a bit more. That Borscht recipe that struck the first blow upon my heart today, well, Jerry asked me to make it for him about a month before He passed. I remember his enjoying it immensely for dinner one day and for a snack on another day- the memory was a good one, a balm on the wounds earlier made. 

As the day wore on, I didn't realize that those heart daggers had retreated only to be sharpened. When I went to the freezer to take out things I'd needed, hopefully like most people - I had to do a bit of rooting around. I move this container, that container and then the long, thin knife blade was thrust hard into my heart with an added twist for good measure- there was a container clearly marked-- Borscht. You see, I'd made a whole pot of the Borscht Jerry loved so he could have it again at a later time, there will be no later time, in fact there is only…never again. 

*******

Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 

Isa 55:2  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 

Isa 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 

Isa 55:4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 

Isa 55:5  Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. 

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 

Isa 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Isa 55:12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 

Isa 55:13  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. 

Peace In Spite of the Storms.

 Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, PEACE be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 

Joh_14:27  PEACE I leave with you, my PEACE I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus said- 'My peace I give unto you.' Jesus gives us His peace. What is the peace of Jesus? Surely it isn't an ordinary peace. Do I have peace to give to anyone. If I said, my peace be with you, what am I giving you? You'd look at me and have to wonder what my peace is, what am I giving to you? What makes my peace special? And is it even possible for me to even give you something like peace which isn't anything tangible at all whatsoever. Peace is defined as being -

1.freedom from disturbance; tranquility.

2.a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.

Can I give you my freedom from being disturbed? Can I give you my tranquility? When a person (especially in the 60/70's) greeted someone with the phrase- "Peace." What were they indicating by such a gesture? They were generally meaning that there is a desire for nothing upsetting, a calmness in the exchange, they were wishing someone wellbeing. They couldn't give their peace to someone else, but they could indicate it was something they wanted- peace between them. Jesus has a peace to give, and it's a peace the world doesn't offer to anyone. Jesus knew that the world He came to live in, and did so for thirty-three years, was one of contention, filled with angst, anger, warring, conflicts on every side. Jesus knew that every human being had to deal with sin's resulting peace destroying attributes. On every hand there are peace destroyers. In our everyday lives we are confronted with the destruction of peace. Have you heard someone say (or say yourself) "I'd just like a moment of peace, just one moment."? How is it that our lives can be so disturbing we long for the peaceful moments because they seem elusive. Truly, every day we can be faced with upsets- tiny ones to huge ones. Jesus knew all this and witnessed it in His time upon earth firsthand. 

Jesus could leave us with His peace, how? It's a peace that passes understanding so why am I even talking about it as if I could understand? I'm talking about it because Jesus would not have mentioned if it weren't something to be studied, something to be thought about, something to desire. 

Joh_14:27  PEACE I leave with you, my PEACE I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Let not your heart be troubled. Oh, how our hearts can be troubled! Neither let it be afraid. Oh, how our hearts can be filled with fear.  Jesus doesn't want us to be troubled and fearful, but Satan does. Satan would have us constantly filled with fear and trouble. 

Are there things that are legitimately meant to be fearful? Yes! There are a lot of things that cause fearful reactions in us. I know if a stranger burst into my house intent upon harming me I'm going to be filled with fear. I know if I go to the doctor and they tell me they suspect something is wrong with me, I'm going to be filled with fear. I know if one of my children is struggling, I will fear for them. We know these are normal, everyday expected reactions to have. Yet, fear can be debilitating in many ways and this is what our Savior does NOT want us to have in our lives. Fear that blocks out hope. Fear can be destroying, it destroys peace! 

When people face situations that seem hopeless, and they do face them all the time. When life seems to be one awful blow after another hopelessness strives for preeminence with us. Satan wants us to despair completely of ever having hope. Jesus wants us to be filled with hope!

Peace. Jesus' peace is not the world's peace at all. Jesus' peace isn't found in absence of life's constant stream of struggles, one after the other. Jesus' peace is found in spite of the presence of all struggles. Jesus has a peace that He can give to us through the knowledge of the hope we find in the salvation He alone can offer us. No other can give us eternal salvation, no other. Some people offer a form of temporary salvation to others when they are in dire circumstances, but only Jesus can give us a permanent salvation. Jesus gives us a salvation promise for the future, not for peace and safety here upon earth. Jesus offers a peace found only in the eternal hope of Him, and the undeserved gift of life everlasting with Him. Jesus has given us the amazing hope that defies all despair, allowing us to find peace in HIM now. 

If we live for a struggle free life, if our focus is on an eventual life void of peace destroying attacks here and now during our life, we are going to be awfully disappointed time and time again. We have to live for peace within the storm, peace in spite of the storms, peace of knowledge we can cling to by FAITH, filling us with the HOPE of our SALVATION from this sin filled world. 

I do NOT know what new peace destroying attacks are coming my way. I do know that my life is filled with peace destroying situations right now. In spite of these situations I am going to cling to the PEACE only my Savior can give to me, His peace. 

I know this world will NOT offer me peace, it can't, it can only offer a pretended peace, temporary peace, it has no more to offer. Jesus offers me eternal peace.

Joh_14:27  PEACE I leave with you, my PEACE I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus tells me- don't let your heart be troubled, don't be afraid- you have my peace, a peace this world and all its awfulness cannot touch.  

All by His amazing love and grace, through His forgiveness, I will cling to the hope I find in Him, claiming His peace! In His name! Thank you, my Savior, thank you Jesus Christ my Lord now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

Peace verses- 

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you

Joh 20:26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 

Num 6:26  The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 

Psa 29:11  The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. 

Psa 85:10  Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 32:15  Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. 

Isa 32:16  Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 

Isa 32:17  And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. 

Zec 6:13  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

Luk 10:5  And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 

Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 

Rom 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

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

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

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

2Th 1:2  Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Th 3:16  Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne