What an apparent oxymoron.  Striving for peace can carry the connotation that we must confront and defeat conflict.  This can lead to forcing peace on a situation which starts to look like the conflict it is supposed to replace.

Yet there is indeed a striving which goes on between our ears.  Or as some say getting that revelation from God to travel the 18″ north from our heart to our mind.

The peace of God is a fact.  In Him there is no strife or unrest,  His Kingdom is peace and joy and rest and we are ushered into that kingdom by virtue of the finished work of the cross.  The difficulty for us is that the notion of salvation by grace is so foreign to the world system we are born into that we must catch the revelation of it and make the conscious decision to accept it for ourselves. That is where we strive,  not to make it happen ourselves but to set aside all our preconceived notions of working our way up to heaven. 

We are already accepted in the beloved.  Fully atoned for, made righteous through no act of our own.  We are indeed already at peace with our Creator as far as He’s concerned, He’s merely waiting on us to make that realization and accept it as fact in our lives. 

Your mercy flows like a river.  In all its ways mercy is like a river flowing from your throne.  We see mercy as something too good to be true.  Unfathomable in its depth and power.  We step a toe in at first because it seems unreal that forgiveness is poured out in such a mighty flow.  Gingerly stepping in to see if it’s really true that your mercy has no bounds.  Yet as we take steps into this river of love we find that the gentle currents give way to a pull on our souls which is irresistible then overwhelming.  As we embrace the mercy we are carried away by a force so deep and wide that there’s nothing we can do but embrace your love and surrender to the fact that your mercy is shown without limits, without repentance, without end.   

”The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.“

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.”

1 John 4:16-17 ESV

Jesus walked in the manifest Glory of God.  Everywhere He went, the manifest presence of Papa, was demonstrated in healings, miracles and wonders.  He told us as believers that we would walk in the same manifestations as he did and even more!

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

John 14:12 ESV

It was the very presence, the Glory, which Jesus walked in that overpowered the law of sin and death around Him.  We are to walk in the light as He is in the light.  Carrying the Glory of heaven here on earth.   Enforcing His rule and reign in the domain of men.

Moses spent 80 days altogether in the very Glory cloud up on Mt Sinai and walked in perfect health till he went home at 120.  Peter demonstrated this very principle of Kingdom living by the way his shadow would heal those he merely walked by.  Paul would touch pieces of cloth and they would carry that glory (anointing) to whoever was in need of healing and release the glory there. 

Should we not walk likewise?  We are under the same new covenant as the early disciples.  The centuries of church doctrines to the contrary do not negate the very words of Jesus and the testimony of the saints in the Word.  We are carriers of the light of Jesus. 

Step out in faith and begin to release the Glory, the light of Jesus into this dark and dying world.  Brothers and Sisters, we are the answer because we carry the Glory. 

Our mind is the source of our perception of the world.  We see everything through the lens of our experience filtered through either reason or faith. 

We frame everything in regards to what we’ve come to believe is the reality around us. It is our safe space, our comfort zone but it’s really a cage if it’s constructed from reason not faith. 

We become imprisoned, snared and in bondage to what we believe. You’re either in bondage to what you believe or are liberated by what you believe in the Word.  “Allen D Bruce”

The truth of the Word, both written and living in the person of Jesus unlocks that cage.  We hide inside the comfortable “safety” of our beliefs which we’ve constructed from our experience.  The world makes sense when we view it from our protected place in the cage.  It keeps out anything that contradicts its bars.   Yes the very bars which make up our cage are made from ideas and thoughts reasoned out in our minds.

When Jesus shows us the way, the truth and the light our caged world is shattered and freedom rushes in.

Faith opens a whole new world outside the cage and we begin to see clearly the limitless possibilities of life in the Spirit.   The more we seek Him, His face, His glory, the more He leads us into all righteousness and orders our steps.   The whole world, outside the cage, falls into place and our life has new meaning well beyond the visible sphere. 

It is in the relentless pursuit of Papa God that we find our true purpose and fulfillment.  Free from that cage we built to keep us “safe”.

Let us keep going after God for there is freedom in no-one else.

Laying down your life in prayer daily is indeed worship, surrendering your will to His is the height of worship,  saying that His plan is the best course for your life is coming into agreement with the One who has your best in mind.  

Our flesh tends to rebell against the control of another.  We want to plan out all the details and possibilities of life as if we are actually in the driver’s seat.   Yes, ultimately our will is what determines our destiny, but the guiding hand of God has great influence on our best destiny.  Seeking His Kingdom first, His will, His glory, His Face in prayer, not just His hand of provision is one of our highest callings.   And as we take that time to wait upon the Lord, to listen for that still small voice we grow ever closer to His plan for us.   His plan which is our highest calling and destiny is what we were specifically made to accomplish in this life.

Start your day with this worship prayer.

“Lord, I submit myself to You. All that I am or hope to be, my past, hopes dreams, wishes, desires and needs, I submit everything to You, God. I submit my successes and failures, my members, thoughts, imagination, and life to You. I surrender everything to You.” 

“Now, Lord, I resist the devil and because I resist him, he must flee. I choose to draw near to You, Father and I thank You, Father, that You draw near to me.”

From: Biblical secrets of a supernatural life by Allen D. Bruce

When Papa God looks at us, He sees Jesus because as He said we are in Him.  Literally wrapped up in the blanket of grace.   I know it feels like we are still the same old person, stumbling and falling on our daily walk but the Creator of the cosmos, Yahweh Himself set things up to where those who accept Jesus’ finished work as their own salvation are forever place in Him (Jesus).

So how are we then to live?

Fully embrace the heavenly gifts from the Father of lights.  Step into the fullness of the gospel and in the power of the Spirit, live for Him.   It’s not a question of rules and regulations, do’s or don’ts.  Our walk in this life is about hearing the voice of the Lord, through the Spirit and following Him to the best of our ability.

Are we going to perform perfectly?  That’s the wrong question to ask.  Rather is our heart continually seeking His face, His presence, His power to change things here in this world.

Our one example is  Yeshua, our Messiah,  He is the perfect image of the Father and showed us how to walk this life out.  Sharing His love for everyone, reaching out with healing, blessing and restoration.  Bringing others to the saving revelation of Jesus.  So they too can be wrapped in His love.

“Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! And in love he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence. For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace —for the same love he has for the Beloved, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭TPT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1849/eph.1.3-6.TPT

The small stream which flows through the garden of your spirit is the manifestation of the river of life in you.   It begins so small, even as a spring of life bubbling up out of your innermost being.  It’s a cool refreshing sensation on your tired feet as you sit quietly talking to Jesus in your garden.  

He says, “We have walked all day in the cool of the morning and in the glorious sunshine of midday and now it is the time of rest and reflection.  Reflection on all the things we’ve shared in our walk today.  My love for you is boundless, I showed you how much when I stretched out my arms on the cross.  Giving up everything to secure our future together was the sweetest gift of all.   Now as we walk together by this stream we’ll see how it flows together with many others into the very river of life which flows from my throne to the ends of the earth. Share this water of life with all you meet. It is pouring out from your belly to water the earth and bring eternal life with me to all.   Rejoice that I’m using you to reach all my children.”

Why are we so dull to the spiritual blessings of Jesus?  We hear that His Spirit is in us at the point we accept His gift of salvation but we let the light grow dim in the day to day cloud of life’s difficulties.   

We are instructed in the following verses to pay careful attention to our hearts.  This clearly means we must focus on the voice of the Spirit to live in the light of truth.   Just like that lamp we must stay connected to the source of fuel for our light to really shine.   Our goal is to stay in close contact with the Spirit, listening intently to His still small voice no matter what the thunderous noise of the world is screaming in our ears. 

We have the revelation light of Jesus in us. That search light of the Spirit which burns so bright.  We must cling to that lighthouse no matter how thick the fog of darkness comes at us.  Because that fog is a lie and the truth is that we are to be the light of revelation to the world. 

“No one lights a lamp and then hides it, covering it over or putting it where no one sees its light. No, he places the lamp on a lampstand so others benefit from its brightness. Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—it will all be revealed. Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the revelation-light. So pay careful attention to your hearts as you listen to my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows. And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine themselves to have will be taken away.”

Luke 8:16–18 TPT

Ever since the fall in the garden, death has reigned over mankind.   The literal keys to the planet had been given to satan and he enforce the rule of death and  destruction.

But, Jesus, turned it all on its head, Life is swallowing death.

Yes, the gates of hell; sin, disease and death shall not withstand the ecclesia. We the governmental body of the Kingdom, His called out ones, are to enforce that Kingdom on the earth.   Jesus already secured victory over the enemy but He also restored to man all the authority over the earth.

The problem is we do not enforce that authority properly, instead we surrender the rightful place Jesus gave us, to the enemy.  We do this because he, satan lies to us and we believe his deceptions!   We do not take Jesus at His word and see His miraculous deeds as absolute proof that we are to be like Him in this world. We allow the kingdom of darkness to penetrate the very walls of our kingdom here on earth.

Sharing the good news of salvation.  Healing the sick, lifting up the downtrodden, interceding for others, fellowshipping together are the ways we rebuild the breaches in the walls and force back the darkness. 

Many times I find you in the morning, in the garden, sitting on our bench, listening to your creation sing its song of the dawn.  Worshipping your beauty and holiness resting in your presence.  There is none like you, no one else can touch my heart like you do.  My master my lover my friend the one who sustains my every breath.

Such peace and joy envelopes me as we sit drinking in the beauty of your creation.  Knowing you have life in your hands quiets the storm of fear raging in the world of men.  Here in your quiet place I know there is nothing which can pull me out of your loving arms. Let this be our daily meeting place from now on.