Monday, May 21, 2018

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

PEACE emanates from within.  Unfortunately for so many, THE EXTERNAL is often out of alignment with THE ETERNAL.  Nevertheless, you and I have attitudinal choices.  We must not allow ourselves to be irrationally influenced or controlled by outside circumstances.  How can this possibly be?  How can we shape and secure positive attitudes during close encounters with trouble or tragedy?  Indeed, it is possible because you and I are infinitely more capable and more competent than we might appear!

In the context of time, we merely LOOK LIKE human bodies, subject to an endless array of sensory stimuli: auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile and visual.  Admittedly, we are impacted by all these human factors, many of which supersede the span of our control.  Nevertheless, WE ARE MUCH MORE than our frail human bodies might suggest.  Far beyond our physical anatomies, THE CREATOR has endowed us with exceptional minds and eternal spirits.  This means we can live in total transcendence; and, despite anything, WE CAN RISE.  Fact is, we are WINNER-BELIEVERS, endowed with the MIND OF GOD and encompassed by the PEACE OF GOD.  Through Him, we embrace inexplicable peace – even in the midst of challenges and storms.

Consider the tale of the ancient king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the most accurate portrayal of peace.  Many artists submitted their work and the king carefully examined every picture.  There were only two he really liked, so he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake, perfectly mirroring the peaceful, towering mountains all around.  Overhead was a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.  It was the favorite of all who saw it.  Truly, they concluded, it was a perfect portrait of peace.

The other picture had mountains also, but they were rugged and bare.  Above was an angry sky from which rain poured down and lightning danced about menacingly.  Down the side of the mountain roared a foaming and powerful waterfall.  It would be difficult to imagine a less peaceful place!  But when the king looked more closely, he saw beside the waterfall a tiny bush growing out of a crack in the rock.  Inside the bush, a mother bird had built her family nest.  There, surrounded by an angry rush of water, sat a contented mother bird, warming and protecting her young – in perfect peace.

Which picture would you have selected?  The king chose the latter.  When asked “Why?” the king replied, “Because peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, or no issues.  Peace means to be in the middle of all these things while yet remaining calm in your heart.  That is the true meaning of peace.”

Jesus Christ bequeaths His peace as a legacy to every believer: “Peace I leave with you,” he declares, “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) Yet, many Christians experience perpetual anxiety, shrouded in chronic and tormenting fear.  My friends, this need not be.

Please prayerfully consider the following scriptural admonitions and solutions:

---God is love. (I John 4:8)
---There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment.  He that fears is not made perfect in love. (I John 4:18)
---Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
---Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
---Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:4-6)
---Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. (Luke 18:1)

The logic of THE WORD is profoundly clear and simple.  The first requirement for personal peace is to fully embrace GOD (Who is LOVE), which positions and empowers us to expel toxic fears.  However, this is not automatic; there is a process involved.  The second requirement is to constantly meditate on the essence and character of God, via the Word of God.  The third requirement is to seek specific direction from God for every potentially troubling situation.  This is accomplished via the vehicle of prayer.  The fourth requirement is that we must PRAY FROM THE WORD (The Covenant Contract) as we confidently enlist the support of “The Mediator” of the covenant. (Hebrews 8:6)

My friend, have your INTERNAL AFFAIRS been set in order, or are you still struggling to maintain composure and sanity whenever you encounter difficulties or storms?  It is God’s perfect will that we experience the provision and prosperity that resides within His peace. (III John 1:2) So always “let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

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