He Is Always Keeping Me in Perfect Peace

 

 

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

For a long time, I had misconstrued this verse. I kept seeing nothing but demand in this verse, as though I had to do something, like "keep my mind stayed on Him," so that I could have perfect peace.

But the enforcement clause of that promise above is simpler than that: "Because he trusts in You."

So, today, I realize that I have perfect peace in Christ. I do not have to do something more, something extra to have His perfect peace.

The moment that any of us think that we have to add something or perform something extra, we are back under law, and we negate the Finished Work of the Cross.

Paul did not come to preach self-help or self-effort, but

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Jesus is alive, and He is our Savior.

We live, and move, and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28)

We have a perfect redemption, because Jesus our High Priest forever, lives after the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16)

I already have perfect peace in Christ!

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" (Ephesians 2:14)

and

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

All this time, I kept thinking that I had to "do something more." What a mistake.

And then there were all the fearful premonitions and upsets in my mind. I was overwhelmed by this lie that I had to think and feel a certain way. I had to manipulate my mind to ensure that I was not thinking or feeling the wrong things. Oh, the torture!

Thank you, Jesus, that you have set me free!

I see You now more than ever before. I SEE YOU FULLY!

I do not have to "do something" or think something to see You or enact You.

THANK YOU, JESUS!

You are always keeping me in perfect peace. AMEN!

The LORD is Pleased With Me -- I Don't Have to Do Something to Maintain It

One of the chronic mindgames that I had to deal with in the past was that if I had a bad feeling or bad thought, I had to do something about it. I had to get rid of it.

I kept thinking that the bad thoughts or the bad feelings would knock me out of the place of peace and presence, and therefore I had to do something to get back to that place again.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

I now realize that that whole game: do something about the feelings to get back in the right place-was all wrong in the first place.

I don't have to do anything about any of that, because I am already in Christ, and how I feel, what I think, whatever I am going through cannot affect me.

There is nothing that this world can dish at me that can affect me. Nothing.

I am favored because of all that Jesus has done at the Cross.

It really is not about us. There is no "our part" that we need to be busy about.

We need to get rested in His Finished Work on this.

For too long, I was so convinced that I still "had to" do something more to maintain my relationship with my Daddy God. Now I know that all of that is gone.

Now I know that He is taking care of me, always on my side. AMEN!

The Debate In My Mind Has Ended for Good

  "Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high." (Isaiah 58:4)

God does not want us to engage in endless debate, endless contention with others.

But what happens when you fall into endless debate with ... yourself?

That had been my lot for many years. It is amazing yet true, and I cannot back away from admitting it.

There was a war that was waging in my head for a long time. I would have these terrible thoughts, these recriminations of times past, of times to come, premonitions of what may happen, or what will happen in the future.

I had no rest in my mind. None whatsoever. I was convinced that I had to keep a lid on whatever was going on in my head, through my head, all the time.

This need to answer every threat, every bad word, every bad thought, I felt compelled to respond to it, as though it was true because I was thinking it. Unreal.

Today, I am set free. God did not call for us to debate, to argue, not with others, and not with ourselves, over endlessly resolved matters.

"But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes." (2 Timothy 2:23)

For the longest time, I was convinced that I had to quash every bad thought, that every thought had to be removed or in line with God and His goodness, or for some reason I would be lost, make a mistake, sin, or fall into a bad line of behavior.

For the longest time, this passage and its full blessings seemed to allude me:

"4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

God's Word is the answer. God's promises stand, regardless of what I am thinking of feeling. For the longest time, I used to think that the bad thoughts, the bad feelings had to be tamed in order for what God had promised to come true.

It's insane, yet oh so true.

I treated those terrible thoughts which welled in my head as if they were my own!

They were the fiery darts of the enemy! They were never my thoughts to begin with! None of them were! 

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." (Ephesians 6:16)

All this time, I believed that I had to "do something" about those fiery darts. I did not realize that the shield of faith is as basic as recognizing that God is alive, God is real, and God is ever-present with me, regardless of how I feel.

All this time, I would condemn myself for having these thoughts, as thought they originated in me, or in my mind. I now recognize that they are lies, they are frauds, they are false evidences appearing real (FEAR), and therefore I ignore them entirely. I do not worry about what they may do, or whether they may appear in my mind.

There is no need for me to debate with the bad thoughts that I am thinking or feeling. God is my Father, I now live because of His Son, and His Spirit lives and flows through me. Because I recognize the concrete reality of His presence, I do not have to fear the feelings I may feel or the thoughts which may pierce my mind. There is no need to debate, there is no need to fight; therefore, I can enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:11)

Rest In Jesus' Righteousness, In the Midst of Every Storm

"29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." (Matthew 14:29-30)

Times are very difficult right now.

In the United States, lawlessness is become the law. Courts, executives, legislators are ignoring the spirit of the law, and they are dispensing with the Laws of Nature and Nature's God.

When the United States Supreme Court ruled that words in a statute could be reinterpreted to mean something entirely different, I was crushed, devastated. I had so hoped that the current court appointed by the current President would rule in a righteous, judicious manner.

But they did not.

This prophecy is coming to pass in our midst, in our times, in our generation:

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

I was so dejected, so unhappy. I just felt like giving up the calling that God my loving Father had given me.

Of course, in times of great hurt, trial, pain, we don't have to run and hide, and we do not have to hide our pain.

Let us call out to Him when we are in trouble:

"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)

I had faced similar privations before, a sense that all was lost. I still remember years prior when I had no money, no vehicle, and a number of other pressing engagements against me. I cried out, and then I recalled those days when even though I had every material need taken care of, a sense of deep shame had cast a terrible pall over me. What good are the goods of the world if you feel condemned in your Spirit?

And then I remembered: God's gift of righteousness overcomes all hurts and pains! No matter what may happen in this world, I know that I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)

That has to be the most important prize to us. Christ is our Wisdom, and our Righteousness. In Him, we are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified through the Law of Moses (Acts 13:  38-39)

Righteousness produces the very peace that all of us crave:

"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." (Hebrews 12:11)

So, what is the discipline, the child-training that is happening for me?

I must admit that I was basing my peace on political and judicial outcomes. "When the courts rule this way ... " and "When the President accomplishes this action ..." and "When this legal outcome occurs ...", those were the thoughts that I was still entertaining without realizing it.

The most important thing that we are to rest in, to rejoice about? That we have been made the rightoeusness of God in Christ! That we will never be condemned, shunned, or damned for our sins!

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20)

God does not want us to rejoice because we are saved, that we have all things in Him ... AND something else, too.

If we are trusting or taking comfort in other things, God is going to shake those complacencies away from us:

"27And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:" (Hebrews 12:27-28)

When I rested back in that Gift of Righteousness, and keep receiving the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17), an immediate and lasting peace overwhelmed me! I was not worried about the bad courts, the lawlessness in the streets, the upsetting tumults of leaders who refuse to lead.

I may have felt like Habakkuk, when he cried out to God that so much evil was happening in his generation, and yet God seemed absent (Habakkuk 1:1-4), but I realized that the tumults, my upsets would not dissuade Him from taking care of everything.

That revelation brought me to Jesus walking on the water in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 14: 22-33).

Peter asked Jesus to invite him to walk on the water, and Jesus did so. Peter began walking on the water toward Jesus, but when he was distracted by the wind, he began to sink. Peter called out to the Lord to save Him, and Jesus "immediately" reached out to him to rescue him (Matthew 14:31).

Jesus then gently rebuked Peter: "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31)

What was the doubt? Peter thought that the waves, the winds, the whirling around him would be greater than Jesus and His power to keep Peter from drowning. Obviously, that was not the case. Yet also notice that Jesus saved Peter from drowning, and also bear in mind that Peter walked on water to get back to the boat, too!

Now, here's the deeper revelation which came to me, in the midst of these stormy trials battering the nation that I live in, and which may batter against the times and spaces where you find yourself:

For years, I had spent so much of my time mentally, spiritually trying to quite the winds of doubt, hurt, shame, fear, etc. in my mind. I actually believed that I could not "see" Jesus in my life, walk by faith if these tumults of pain, fear, bitterness, anger. etc. welled up suddenly in my mind and emotions.

What I realized earlier this week, and what I receive and share today, is that Jesus simply asks us to rest in His righteousness, to see Him, even if there are storms, winds, and tumults about us. We do not have to eliminate the storms in our lives. He is above the storms, and when we recognize that we are in Him, then we see ourselves overcoming the storms, for "As He is so are we in this world." (1 John 4;17)

There is such a rest in this revelation for me, and I hope that you receive it, as well.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)

Let us make His righteousness our most important priority, for after all, Jesus declared in His Sermon on the Mount:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

Jesus fulfilled this promise for us when He died on the Cross, and then sent to His Spirit.

His Holy Spirit today convicts us of righteousness! (John 16:8-10)

And when we are established in His righteousness, we can know and believe that no weapon formed against us will prosper (Isaiah 54:14,17)

Let us rest in His righteousness, in the midst of every storm. He is not going away, and He has already overcome the world and every terror and tremor that it may contain to harm us (John 16:33).

Second Chronicles 7:14 -- Is That The Prayer We Pray Today?

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Is this the prayer that we should pray to heal our nation?

Many preachers, teachers, and elected officials have referenced the above verse in times of crisis.

The United States, the whole world is caught up in fears and worries about the Coronavirus.

I am not worried.

I have been reading, meditating, and receiving revelation from Psalm 91, especially this verse:

"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence." (Psalm 91:3)

It's an assured promise. God informs us clearly: "Surely ...", not maybe, might be, could be, but "Surely" He delivers us from the traps and snares of the enemy, and he is delivering us from the catastrophic diseases which are wreaking emotional havoc on populations around the world.

Now, let's get back to the verse above from Second Chronicles.

God spoke to Solomon shortly after his public prayer and dedication of the Temple on Mount Zion. God gave this direction to the king under the Old Covenant.

Under the Old Covenant, man had to offer the blood of bulls and goats to atone for sin--but it never cleansed sin away for good. God could not hear from His people at the time unless they had offered the sacrifices, unless they had atoned for their sins.

Today, because of Jesus's Finished Work on the Cross, we do not have to ask God to forgive our sins in order for Him to hear from us.

In fact, today, we have forgiveness of sins NOW!

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7)

How can we ask for something which He has already given us?

We don't have to beg God to help us anymore, since He has freely given us His Son, and with Him we can freely receive all things (Romans 8:32).

In fact, because of all that Jesus has done for us on the Cross, we have entered into a New Covenant with God the Father:

"10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

"11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

"12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:10-12)

Indeed, God has offered healing to our land, to every land, if we will just believe in Jesus.

He offered His body for us, for our healing!

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53: 4-5)

The most important point to draw out, however, is that God has forgiven our sins. He imputed all our sins, and sin, to His Son!

"2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" (Romans 8:2-3)

and

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Most clearly of all, so that there is no equivocation or confusion on the matter:

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" (Colossians 2:13)

We are not praying to God for Him to forgive our sins. We need to rejoice in that Jesus has accomplished a perfect work, and all our sins have been forgiven!

"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" (Hebrews 10:12)

Let's pray to God for healing, let's receive His Promises by faith!

What Can The Righteous Do? Be Established in His Righteousness

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3)

David writes: "If the foundations (of society) are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

The answer: Remain established in His righteousness:

"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54:14)

In this verse, "oppression" and "terror" refer to political tyranny, not just spiritual oppression.

The world may get darker and darker, but ...

"But the path of the just [righteous] is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." (Proverbs 4:18)

Even during the Ten Plagues, when one plague brought utter darkness on the land of Egypt:

"They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." (Exodus 10:23)

This light was the Divine Light, since a natural light could have been produced by the Egyptians, as well.

Returning to David's Psalm, David does not ask this question "What can the righteous do?" as if there is no answer.

He provides it right away:

"The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." (Psalm 11:4)

He is still very much on the throne, governing in the affairs of those who believe on Him.

In fact, to those who seek to undermine the foundations:

"The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming." (Psalm 37:13)

David the continues:

"The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth." (Psalm 11:5)

Yes, the Lord examines us, knowing that we will measure up, trusting in Him to see us through. The tough times reveal the perfect work which He has accomplised in those who believe in Him. Abraham was tested in Genesis 22, and demonstrated the fullness of faith!

The Supernatural Peace Which the World Cannot Give -- Or Take Away

"6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

This verse has incredible power and meaning already.

That power, that wonder, that grace has taken on a new level for me today.

I cried to God out of incredible anguish. My mind just could not rest.

I just cried to God. The pain in my mind was so great:

"Just a throne will reach God's throne" many preachers have shared.

Here's the verse which brings up this revelation:

"26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27)

When I wept sore like that yesterday, all of a sudden this great peace took hold of my mind. Even if I wanted to worry, I simply could not.

Even if I wanted to panic, it was impossible.

His peace had captured me. Just as I had learned last week that even if I have lustful feelings or desires in my flesh, so too any sense of fear or panic does not prevent God from caring about me, and caring for my condition.

He has been loving me since the beginning.

He has been caring for me since the beginning. I began to have further revelations of all that could and may indeed happen to me in the weeks to come! I was predicting things that would happen, and that they would not happen.

I look back on yesterday, and the many other times that I have panicked. I realized that I had been spending so much time trying to work up a sense of peace by imagining outcomes that I would like to see.

Yet that kind of imagination does not bring peace. That's a peace that the world can take away.

Jesus has given us something so much better:

"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." (John 14:27)

This peace is with me, even when I sense a little fear.

We do not have to feel condemned when we get troubled in our hearts, or when we start getting careful about matters.

He still cares for us. He still cares for me!

That's what makes all the difference.

His peace the world cannot give or take away -- and "the world" includes my own flesh!

Last of all, I know that He is watching out for me, and that no matter what happens, He loves me. He cares for me, and He will carry my through all difficulties.

His Covenant of Peace Will Never Decay or Fall Away

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee." (Isaiah 54:10)

This is an incredible promise for those who believe in Jesus.

Not only will the kindness, the chesed of our Daddy God never leave us, but His covenant, the covenant of HIS peace will never be removed.

That word "remove" is mot, which speaks of decay, shaking away, or falling away, like falling on hard times.

When does this word first appear in the Bible?

"And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee." (Leviticus 25:35)

The first mention of "decay" is in reference to a brother in the nation of Israel who has fallen into great need, who has slipped or faces hard times.

Even under the Old Covenant, God commanded the Israelites to help their fellow Israelite brethren, not to stand far away and do nothing.

Today, we can rest assured that our First of Many Brethren, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29) will take care of us.

We can rest assured that the Covenant of God's peace will not fall away. It's an unshakable covenant which we cannot break, since the enforcing close does not depend on us!

"10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

"11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

"12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8:10-12)

God the Father has been propitious to our unrighteousness, in that He sent His Son to die for our offenses, and then to be raised for our justification (Romans 4:25)

I don't think Paul the Apostle could have made it clearer:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We can rest assured that this Covenant of Peace will never decay, never fall away. Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, and that is the covenant which decays and falls away (Hebrews 8:13).

Also, notice that God does not assure about any covenant. This the Covenant of His Shalom peace!

His peace, His provision, His protection, His prosperity, His purpose.

And it will never decay or fall away!

Struggling to Study God's Word? Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Here is something else that I wanted to meditate on.

I was really honored that I could go to Arizona and speak out about the Trump Movement and the opportunities to fight for what is right. It was great to see other like-minded conservatives, and to be welcomed with open arms.

Still, I felt so overwhelmed in Arizona. So many things to do and so little time to do it all. Every time that I wanted to read God's word, my head was just so overwhelmed. I could not focus. It was unusual for me. The time was so much and yet so much needed to be done.

I didn't like the fact that my head was just shaking so much, and that I couldn't sleep as well as I would have liked to.

I got to tell you, I didn't like the fact then I was just so tired.

I wish that there had been a better way to ensure that every need was met and that I was not tired. I felt so hungry for God's Word. I felt that all the bad things that were happening around me we're getting so much more attention than God's goodness and blessing in my life. How true it is that resting in God's Word is a labor, for we are called to labor to enter His rest (Hebrews 4:11).

Sometimes, it's better to pass on attending certain events, no matter how exciting and fun they will be. We simply cannot be everywhere doing everything. I have more respect for President Trump, in that he campaigned like mad across many states in the last two weeks of the 2016 campaign. It takes a lot of energy to do stuff. Man has to rest.

Something else has emerged in the midst of the times that I am going through.

A number of people who wanted to tell me all their problems. There are too many people more interested in fights, conflicts, uproars, and tumults. It has gotten easier for me to confront people kindly, calmly, yet assertively with: "I don;t want to hear it." Someone called me yesterday and wanted to complain about the Trump border rally yesterday. I told him that I was passed that event, and that I was glad that I could be there. That is all that really mattered. I'm so glad that I'm now starting to say "No!" to people. I don't want to hear people complaining anymore. I am not interested in the internecine fights.

What is it about delays, frustrations, and heartaches? God does not want us to suffer, but rather prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper (3 John 2). One preached shared that there are many things in our flesh, or rather our propensity to depend on our flesh in key issues, which God wants to remove from us. He wants us to rest more in His grace, not our efforts.

I have noticed a few things that I want God to change in me. I don't want to try to take on so many demands on my time to accomplish things. I was interested in running for city council, but there was no way that I could. The time really wasn't there, and yet a sense of goading would rise up in me from time to time. A fear of "What will you think when looking back on skipping this event?" came over me sometimes. What had held me in bondage that compelled me to do this? There is this ongoing sense that if I don't do something, then nothing will get done.

We need to learn to rest in God's grace. He is taking care of so much in our lives. People like me just want to do, do, do. It's very hard for me to receive God's exhortation to "Rule in the midst of your enemies" (Psalm 110: 2) I want my enemies under my feet NOW! We have to wait, because we want God's goodness to be fully manifested in our lives.

As I had written, I have wanted to do so much. After coming back from Arizona, in which I flew over

I wanted to go to the Border rally and then I wanted to root for the president while he was having a fundraiser in Beverly Hills. I wanted to go to the border Rowling and then I wanted to route for the president while he was having a fundraiser in Beverly Hills. I flew in at 12 midnight, and I slept for only 4 hours, and then slept in the truck of my friend who drove me to the wall. Yes, it was fun yes it was nice to being in the media, yes it was really good to connect with new faces who were big fans of President Trump. 

But then I wanted to try to go to Beverly Hills, and the fatigue was so great that I couldn't do it. How true it is that "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41). It all seemed possible to me when I was flying over from Arizona to LAX. What could really stop me? But the actual facts of fatigue cannot be ignored.

Something else is still not settled properly in my heart. I have seen and endured injustice in the past, and instead of trusting God to handle it or to know that he is taking me to a better place, I still want to avenge what's happened to me. He makes the promise that vengeance is His (Romans 12:19), and yet I still struggle to believe him.

My heart was troubled, but then I could just simply remember that I don't have to have the troubled heart. Jesus invited His disciples and invites me today to believe the same thing (John 14:1,27). This is the will of God that you believe on him whom the father has sent (John 6:29). I want to get better at taking all things easy and not feeling rushed when I am visiting other people in other states. There is so much opportunity to do good wherever I go, and there is no need to rush.

Last of all, one of the most important things that I could do over the weekend was to meet with Tony of Arizona and share the Word with him, and I was able to share with him specifically what I had read earlier that weekend and 2nd Samuel, Chapter 12. More events like that are coming my way, because I trust God to lead me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Psalm 23: 3).

My Meeting With Tony of Arizona (Focus on Jesus, not Your Hardships)

Last week graciously, I was invited by a strong, active contingent of Trump supporters in the Phoenix area who wanted me to join them in their latest Patriot Rally.

I really looked forward to it. One of the organizers even paid for my plane ticket, room and board. I have never felt so honored in my life.

On Thursday, throughout the day, I visited the Grand Canyon.

The next day, we visited the offices of different elected officials to make our voices and concerns heard.

Then I went back to the local McDonald's, where I get a lot of my work done.

It was Friday night in Arizona, and another man was sitting where I used to sit. It was no big deal, since I don't own any table in any restaurant. I asked if I could sit at the same table with him, so that I could plug in my computer, my phone to recharge it, etc.

From there, he started telling me about his life. He shared with me how he had been abused repeatedly as a kid, moved from one foster home to the next. He had his first child at 15, and he married the mother.

They had since divorced.

While he was talking with me, he told me that he has seen me sitting at the same table, and said "There was something about you." He then told me that I look like his son.

His son had died, washed out in a heavy rip current along the shores of the Hawaiian Islands. Tony was the man's name, and he shared with me the pain of losing his son, who had disappeared. He spent a large sum of money searching for his son, and sent out a search team, but no one was able to find him.

Tony then opened up to me and shared "I am so angry with God." He also talked about how he had lived in a rehab center for a while, trying to get off of alcohol. At that point, I could share with him that Alcoholics Anonymous is a cult, and he needs to get away from it as soon as possible. He actually agreed with me.

When we talked more about his son, I candidly told him that I could not explain why his son was dead, how such a tragedy could strike against him; but I found myself having to correct him at great length with the following statement:

"God did not take your son. It is not God's fault!"

In fact, I went to great lengths to explain to him that death is an enemy.

Then I started reading to him from 2 Samuel, the account in which David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then the child born to David from another man's wife ended up dying.

"21Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." (2 Samuel 12: 2-23)

Part of the reason I share this story with you is to show that God our loving Daddy is guiding us all the time! He guided me to read the right word so that I could share God's word with Tony about his lost son and the troubles overwhelming him in this life.

I found that he frequently came back to "Look at me. Look at all the things that have happened in my life. How could it be that God allowed all of this in my life?" My response: "No matter what is happening in our lives, do not blame God. Justify God, no matter what may be happening in and around you. It's not God's fault that your son died."

In fact, because the shoreline was dangerous and the authorities had gone to great lengths to inform people of the dangers, I had to inform Tony that his son made that decision. I also asked Tony if he felt guilt about his son dying there. "He had asked me to go with him, and I didn't go because I had to take care of other things."

Very serious. It must have grieved him a great deal that he had not gone with his son, and thus he didn't see his son again after he had left for Hawaii.

I talked about the Old and New Covenants, and how God cannot operate in our lives if we trust in ourselves and our flesh rather than in God's grace. We cannot be responsible for our children's decision once they make them.

After that, I took out a CD sermon which I had purchased: "God has condemned sin in the flesh", but Joseph Prince. Tony told me that he recognized the face. I offered it to him, and he gladly received it.

After that, I prayed with him, and told him that God is our Daddy, and He is caring for us in every way. Tony felt better after all of it, and told me that he was going to go to sleep feeling so much better after all that he had been through.

Five days later, I look back on this incredible God moment and I am sharing with you now why it matters enough to me to share with all of you what happened.

Why was this man so sad? It's true that he had endured so many terrible privations in his life. It was so easy to look at all of those troubles. But then I realized that the true source of so much of his pain was "I ... I ... I."

"Look at what has happened to me!"

"How could God let this happen to me?"

"Why is this happening to me?"

I began to realize another reason why we must be established in the truth about God's salvation for us. He didn't come to make bad men good. He came to make dead men live.

He is our life. I have nothing apart from Him. Period. That is not some psychological novelty to help me bear sorrows in this dark, fallen world. This is the truth. Adam sinned, man died, and death reigned through Adam (Romans 5:12-17).

We need to accept this revelation. We need to get over the idea that we are independent from Him, and that anything we suffer is somehow a result of God's doing.

We then need to focus on how good He is, and He he is very much in the restoration business:

"25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

"26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

"27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed." (Joel 2: 225-27)

In fact, I read from the 2 Samuel account further to show how God makes good on the greatest griefs which we endure:

"24And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. 25And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD." (2 Samuel 12: 24-25)

Notice God's grace to David and Bethsheba, in spite of their great sin. Their next son was Solomon, who would be the next king of Israel, and the greatest king in the nation's history:

 "Where sin increased, grace superabounded" (Romans 5:20)

I shared the same revelation to Tony, and he acknowledged that he had heard that too. It is important for us to realize, too, that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of Christ! (Romans 10:17). We need to hear it again and again for our faith to be built up in Him.

But we have to look at God and know that our redeemer lives. Even Job, despite his self-righteousness, called upon God as His redeemer (John 19:25)

And God not only redeemed Job, but provided for him double for all his losses:

"10And 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 42:10)

That same promise holds true for all of us. We need to see Jesus more than ever, and we need to see how good He is, how gracious He is!

Final Reflection

This morning, I learned something new about true godly counsel to those afflicted, in great pain. When we are confronted by the woes and hurts of others, we are not to focus on the sin, but the sin offering. The priests in the Old Testament ate from the sin offering. We feed on God's faithfulness, not man's sinfulness!

"The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation." (Leviticus 6:26)

We are to focus on Jesus, to see Him nourishing us, restoring us to wholeness no matter what pains, hurts, and sorrows we have been through. I must say that this new teaching, this greater revelation of God's grace and truth is essential for me. I spent about an hour talking with Tony about Jesus and how He overcomes all the horrors and sorrows in our lives.

I am so glad especially that I learned how much God restores in our lives, too! He is a very much a restorer. With that, I want to share with all of you that every person I have met, men and women who have lost their children, in their lives they experienced an incredible restoration. One of their other children would not only have kids, but TWINS.

This has happened to angel moms whose sons or daughters have been murdered. This happens to men and women whose spouses have died or were taken from them for unjust reasons, too. There is no need for us to live in bitterness or anger about something taken from us.

God is very much in the restoration business! Let's focus on His goodness, not the world's badness:

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." (Psalm 37:3)

The original Hebrew reads more like "Feed on His faithfulness".

Not our sin, not the fallen world, but on Jesus, for through Him we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).

Having a Peaceful Heart Makes All the Difference

"And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore." (Isaiah 38:3)

Hezekiah, one of the greatest kings in Judah's history, was facing an imminent death. The prophet Isaiah told the king to prepare for death. Instead of just accepting this sad fate, Hezekiah reminded the LORD how he walked in the truth and had a "perfect heart",

I looked at this passage recently, and that word "perfect" stood out to me.

Throughout the Bible, we read that man needs a new heart, and that no man can claim to be perfect in his thoughts or deeds.

No man is made righteous through what he does but rather what he believes (Habakkuk 2:4)

In the original Hebrew, the word "perfect" is shalom, or peace, a peaceful heart.

God wants us to walk in truth, having a peaceful heart towards Him, and knowing that He has a peaceful heart toward us:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." (John 14:1)

God asks us that we "let not" our heart be troubled.

It's that simple. If we allow His life to flow through us, He is able to bless us, allow His grace to rest and be released through us into our lives:

"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10).

Let's rest in the peace of Christ, let's allow His peace to hold us and guide us through the hardest as well as easiest times in our lives.