I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people, He’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.”
Revelation 21:3-4 MSG
The Good News has arrived once in the person of Jesus, but God’s story for His people doesn’t end with that first arrival here on earth.
In Revelations, we are reminded the Good News yet to come…Jesus is coming again.
He is going to come back and make His home with His people, Beloved.
He will live with us, not just within us where He currently resides.
And once He has moved in, look at the next things He does….
He wipes every single tear from our eyes.
For He brings peace with His presence.
In fact, He will stop us from crying or weeping at all.
For He brings joy in His Presence.
We will never experience or suffer another pain. Ever!
For He brings hope in His Presence.
We will never die again.
For He gives life to those in His Presence!
The Promise will come to pass when we are with Him forever. No more tears, crying, pain or death!
Now is not forever, as You remind us all, God!
What a promise to celebrate! Sing, journal, dance – however you best offer your thanksoffering of praise for His promise yet to come!
Let this truth soak deep into the hearts and minds of the Beloved, Abba. Bring it back to the forefront when we need the reminder in the hard moments, Holy Spirit. May we entrust all we are, pain and tears, hopes and dreams, grief and loss, joy and hope, into Your loving, more than capable hands, Jesus.
One day spent in Your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. Psalm 84:10 MSG
I love to worship. It is the one thing I like best after spending time in His Presence, and diving into the Word.
When I get really busy, I tend to rush through my day beginning with a quick devotional instead an unrushed time at His feet, focusing solely on Him.
This quick fix mentality opens me up to selfishness, hurry, and distraction. Spend too long with that crew, and the enemy begins to make his play.
When sin comes knocking, sometimes what looks good in the moment can appear better than what we know to be true. For the enemy was an angel of light, and very beautiful in the eye of the beholder. (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)
However, beauty is only skin deep, and the truth about all things will be revealed the more time we invest in it. A handsome man or gorgeous woman isn’t always so lovely once you get to know them when their personality becomes revealed.
Sin is the same.
Just because it looks good, doesn’t mean it is good.
If it sounds too good to be true, it may just be a lie.
Only God IS good, and so are His ways.
Nothing can ever beats being His, and being with Him.
●How we live magnifies our priorities.
●What we love reveals the desires of our hearts.
●What we focus on attracts more of the same….
If we zoom in on our lack or selfish desires, our mood will become increasingly dissatisfied and depressed. If we seek Him first and His Kingdom, its standards will be reflected within us.
What most appeals to His Beloved should be the things which most appeal to Him: community, truth, holiness, being with the one you love.
Lord, may we choose to regularly worship You, and keep our gaze focused on what is good, true, wholesome and pure. (Philippians 4:8) Be the fixed point of our devotion, and ever clarify our focus so we can see you better. Let Your character magnify our vision, and replicate itself within us.
May the gift of Presence be the one we unwrap the most, and may our heart align up with Your passions the more we spend time with You, and focus on what will last a lifetime instead of a fleeting moment.
Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you.
Happy to have you back, He’ll calm you with His love and delight you with His songs. Zephaniah 3:17 MSG
I have a confession to make.
This verse is one of my favorite verses in the Old Testament. In the passage of Zephaniah 3, God is reminding His people that He is with them, and restoration is coming.
Because of who He is.
Present with us.
Mighty to save us.
Ready for battle.
But He doesn’t just remind us of His physical presence in this verse, for He is not a two dimensional God. He is whole, and how He describes Himself is alive and ever for His Beloved.
God reassures us of His devotion for us, His people, through Zephaniah’s writings.
●Thrilled we have returned to Him
●Calming our worries and anxieties with His love
●Delighting us with His songs
God not only protects those who come under the shadow of His wing, He loves up on us! He keeps us calm! And to top it off, God HIMSELF sings to us for OUR delight!
If you have forgotten how wonderful our God is, in all the many ways He chooses to be there for us, invite Him to remind you as you return to the safety of His embrace. Let Him love up on you when you are with Him, in His Presence.
Into the storms of my life
You enter
with a mighty roar
You announce to the heavenlys
the Prince of Peace
has arrived
yet in all Your might
You speak
with such love
and care
right when i need You
the most
The wonder of it all
lies not in Your might
but in Your heart
for even though
humanity bungled the path
You made a way
through time and space
to bring us back to You
the Prince of Peace
comes not only to save
but to restore
and make us whole again.
The Gift of Christmas
set on display
the heart of God
the Prince of Peace
the wonder of God with us
for all the world to see
forevermore!
If you too need a reminder of what the Prince of Peace came to do for you, visit the gospel of Matthew, and watch the video by Hillsong United here.
Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Since becoming a mother, I realized that probably one of the most peaceful moments I ever had with each of my children was the moment I first held them, as i gazed upon them with awestruck wonder at the precious gifts God had given to my husband and I.
Mary must have had a moment like that too…but not quite.
There would have been quite a bunch of noise going on, what with the angelic chorus singing over the flocks, a jam packed town with no space left in the inn, and likely Joseph’s concern mixed with Mary’s cries for deliverance.
Then Jesus was born.
Silent Night brilliantly captures the wonder of a virgin giving birth, and the Son of God coming down to earth as a baby.
Peace entered the world as the Prince of Peace.
And for one moment in history, all was calm, and all was bright.
Then the shepherds arrived to gaze at their new King, Mary and Joseph still had to head to take part in the census, and the angel would shortly arrive to yell them to flee the wrath of Herod.
Jesus, the Prince of Peace,was born into the hustle and bustle of real daily life.
He had to endure long days of travel on the road, becoming a refugee, learning a craft from His earthly father, being a brother and son, and the one many muttered gossip about over the years.
Our Messiah left His peace filled place in heaven to bring us the peace our souls and spirits desperately needed.
And when each of us grasp that truth?
We too can experience the peace of Heaven, and lift up the song of praise our Prince of Peace wells up in our hearts!
God knew our world would be divided by country, race, actions & emotions.
After all, He is the one who separated us at the tower of Babel, as the result of humanity’s decision to try to reach Heaven based upon the works of their hands.
That drive for glory and conquering has simmered within humanity ever since, rising and falling with those seeking power and conquest.
The world at war is not a new concept. Each generation is reintroduced to leaders trying to out do themselves in their attempts to forcefully take over, at great cost to the lives they trample along the way.
We all know who is at the core of those decisions. The ones which try to obliterate a people off the planet, subjugate the weak to follow their will or else, strike terror at undermining public safety, and sap the peace from the world.
The one trying to rule this world is not going to succeed in the long run. For the war will be run by the King of Heaven.
But the painful battles will continue to rage on, as the enemy’s hate finds willing hosts to do his will, in his attempt to cause the most harm he can to those God loves….each person He has created.
I have been a bit numb with all the recent news over Paris; slavery at home and overseas; Syria; Israel; Iraq.
My heart hurts for all those who have lost a loved one, become displaced, and long for peace in the turmoil their lives have become.
I know His heart breaks for each one as well, for He loves us so.
I have been reminded of several verses over the past weeks. Some through reading the Word directly, some through song lyrics, others through the words and posts of the faithful whom I follow.
Today I want to share 10 verses to remind you that God is able to give you peace despite the swirling going on about you, both here and afar. I will be sharing them in the Message version, because:
1. I need to hear them like I would hear them as if off the lips of one of my best friends.
2. Sometimes hearing a familiar word put in an unfamiliar way can strike a chord within us.
God makes His people strong. God gives His people peace. Psalm 29:11
For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us! He’ll take over the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness (Peace). His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. Isaiah 9:6
People with their minds set on You, You keep completely whole (at peace), steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Isaiah 26:3
God, order a peaceful and whole life for us, because everything we’ve done, You’ve done for us. Isaiah 26:12
For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
My covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart. Isaiah 54:10
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest (find peace). Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30
I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught. John 14: 27
I’ve told you all this so that trusting Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world. John 16:33
God has a peace beyond what we can discover for ourselves here in this world. He longs to pour His supernatural peace into us as we look to Him. Above the waves. Beyond the circumstances. Clinging to Him. Despite what we see.
His peace awaits you, Beloved. Allow the fear, anxiety and worry to ebb away as the Prince of Peace draws near, until He is all you can see.
The Creator cares about every tribe, tongue and nation. He will be bringing peace to them all.
A beautiful image has recently been shared on the internet, putting into art what I believe is a reminder to us all that the Prince of Peace knows all happening in this world, and is present there will each of us in it all.
May He speak His peace over you, Beloved. May you see Him with you through it all. May He heighten your awareness of Him, and may you sense Him everywhere you go.
I can’t hold it back
my love for You
it bubbles up within
waiting for me to
open my mouth
and release it
I only want to be with You
the Lover of my soul
I long to be always
in Your embrace
gazing upon
Your Holy face
seeing Your love
reflected in Your gaze
I’m a lover of Your Presence
and it’s all I wanna be
Until that day
when I move Home
and there will be no
further space
between us
I will jump
at every chance
to be Your partner
in this dance
as I learn
to depend on You
for everything
and seek You
through this life
laid down
for You
I’m a lover of Your Presence
and it’s all I wanna be
evermore
I sense
You smile at me
as I pen these words
and sing them
from the depths of my heart
You sing back to me
and your reply
shakes me to my core
with love and adoration
I’m a lover of your presence, Beloved, and
all I want
is all of you
forevermore!
Over and over, I fail.
His love for me remains,
constant, solid, dependable.
Unlike me.
I am nowhere near perfect, inside or out, but I am no longer where I was when He found me.
One thing has changed me for eternity: His love.
And His love is a constant flowing moving living force. It isn’t passive. It is actively seeking out those wanting to be soaked in His Presence, changed by & for His glory.
God never turns away those upon whom Jesus has bestowed His mark, for His love grants us an all access pass to His courts, a freely given gift to enter His Presence, this King over all, at any time.
At any time, you & I have access to the Father.
At any time, you & I have access to Jesus.
At any time, you & I have access to Holy Spirit.
At any time means just that…
Today, take the all access pass you’ve been gifted, and join me as together we use it.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart.
Sing a new psalm of praise as you remember all He has done for you.
Bring the offering of your sin & past, to leave at the altar & exchange for peace & a future.
Be filled with His living water, coated in the oil of gladness, received with living bread.
The weather outside may be drab or dreary, your soul may be tattered or weary, the path ahead fearful or leery.
Your all access pass brings you straight in to the Holy of Holies, into the arms of the One who calls you Beloved, and longs for you even more than you desire to draw close to Him!
Don’t let your pass stay in your back pocket, only to be used in emergencies.
You will never overuse it, ever.
Any time, any place, for any reason, you have all access to God!
KARLA LEES 