Category: Purpose

The Path to Lasting Peace and Joy

Do not anticipate where the Father instructs Me to lead you. Look to Me, follow Me, for with Me you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.

Meditation Thought: “My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life.” (John 10:27,28)

My voice reveals My love, and guides my sheep to hope. No more are you lost in the briers, but I shall lead you to nourishing pastures – to protected places. You need fear no more, when you follow Me, I am the resurrection and the life – your resurrection and your life. I came – and I come – that you may live within My loving care, that you may be – and feel – secure wherever we are together.

The way is simple, but not considered “easy” for it requires obedience and discipline. The way dictates that you not run off to places other than where I lead you – for I lead you where the Father has first led me. But in your choosing obedience and discipline rather than bearing the consequences of the alternate path, you will gain. You will gain the peace of obedience to the very best hope – the Father’s ultimate will. To suffer in struggle is not as painful as to suffer in conscience for realizing that there was a path which could have been a way to feed the sick, clothe the naked, love the unlovely – and transform the woes of the world into the joys of the kingdom – and you chose another path, a path which left the world in as sad a condition as you found it – perhaps even a worsened condition.

Do not anticipate where the Father instructs Me to lead you. Look to Me, follow Me, for with Me you are in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. What is ‘right’? ‘Right’ is the process of the cohesive working of the Father’s will: the process of wooing His children, who have strayed foolishly in their freedom, back into His loving Presence. He does not force them – for that would negate their freedom to, of their own choice, love Him – or reject Him. And love forced is not love at all, but coercion.

The Father sent Me to bring His message: “I love you. All is forgiven. Come home to Me, where I will welcome you with open arms, and prepare celebrations of our reunion. Fear not that you have rebelled against Me, disappointed Me, distrusted Me. All that is in the past. I desire – I have always desired – only that you allow Me to love you, for when you allow Me to love you, it follows as day follows night that you will love Me. Our mutual love and understanding expressed as we once again dwell together is My plan for the ‘fullness’ of time. It happens at the time you understand that My desire to lavish My love upon you is compatible – in fact, is identical with your desire to have Me do so, knowing that My love shall wash you clean, heal your wounds, bring joy to your heart and peace to your soul. And when My child is clean, healed, full of joy and peace, then is My will done. Then am I well pleased.”

Embrace the Unseen: Finding True Prosperity

The kingdom’s definition and the fulfillment of the promise of the kingdom’s prosperity and success shall be your peace, your joy, your fulfillment.

Meditation Thought: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. The unseen shall be the developing of the seen. Your thoughts, your energy, your time and your commitment to My Word, My Son and My Spirit shall bring you prosperity and success. Prosperity and success not in the world’s definition but in the Kingdom’s definition.

The kingdom’s definition and the fulfillment of the promise of the kingdom’s prosperity and success shall be your peace, your joy, your fulfillment. No good thing shall you lack, for I am your Father: loving, encouraging, delighting in you as My precious child. I am not a harsh taskmaster – any discipline I administer is for your good: to teach you, to prepare you, that your challenges of life will be met in confidence, and overcome with enthusiasm.

Together are we not equal to any circumstance? Together are we not equal to any task? Together shall we not cause the success and prosperity of the kingdom to displace the failures and poverty of the world?

We meet, embrace,
Come together as one.
Not complete was one alone.
Larger now, complementing one another
In appearance,
Declaring strength.
Rejoicing in hope.
We are met – and melded – and molded:
Pliable, yet withstanding pressure –
Pressure which would separate us,
Reversing our gains.
We shall be firm – in purpose
We shall be soft – in comfort
We shall be what we should be,
What we desire to be:
A portion of the kingdom.
And being such,
Changing a dreary world
From a rebellious misfit
Into an orderly, joyful, place –
Annexed by the kingdom,
Surprised – but pleased!

Running Together, Achieving Glory

If there were no challenge to overcome, where would be the glory of the victory?

Meditation Thought: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21)

In these ways, you will be able to meet the challenge of life – in body and in spirit. Do not despair over the horrors of the times. Through the power and wisdom and knowledge and strength of God flowing in you, subdue that which would destroy you – even make the enemy your friend – one who works for your good, as you have worked for their good.

Life is complicated, and must be met at many levels. But you are capable of meeting the challenge: you have been created to do so. You need only to become convinced of it, and you will act accordingly.

You are weak when you rely only on your own resources. But, as you realize you are spirit and mind – and made in the Father’s image and have have His love, His character, His teaching, and His power all working for your successful meeting of the challenges – then, then you are not only a child of God in HIs eyes, but a child of God in your eyes, and a child of God in all eyes.

If there were no challenge to overcome, where would be the glory of the victory? You would shun the race if you could – but you cannot. Given this fact, the better choice by far is to study, prepare, practice that you may do well. Do well, not with the purpose of outperforming your ‘competitors’ – but that you may enable them to perform well also. You are not running against each other, but running together to do the best possible time on the course.

The manner in which you train and run will influence all who run with you. You can run well. You can inspire well. Will you train with discipline? Will you run with vigor? Follow the One who has demonstrated the way.

Transforming Despair into Hope

We must trust our Father as to the design that will be needed for eternity even though it may look out of place in the earthly realm.

Meditation Thought: “I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting.” (2 Corinthians 7:9)

Death – Resurrection
Despair – Hope
Dormant – Live
Passive – Active
Proud – Humble
In-self – In-God
In weakness – in power
Ineffective – dynamic
Sinful – righteous

We choose one of each pair – we must choose one of each pair with each breath we take. The process determines our life in human form. As in a test in school, we may choose to the read the instructions carefully, rise to the challenge of doing our best and seek to learn. Or we may plunge into the test ignoring the instructions, defiantly, sloppily working along to get it over with, with the least inconvenience to our feelings, ignoring our Teacher’s signals that would correct our misunderstandings. Our moment-by-moment choices count on the ‘test’.

Our choices will repeat a pattern – a lovely one, prepared for display in the Kingdom – or a haphazard disordered one better suited to the back room. Remember, we can see only the limited dwelling places of the world. Patterns we would make for the world would look out of place in a mansion in heaven. We must trust our Father as to the design that will be needed for eternity even though it may look out of place in the earthly realm.

Finding Peace and Boldness in Faith

Experience love, give love, be more alert. Your joy is boundless, your eyes perceiving beauty everywhere, your mind connecting all that comes into it into a pattern never before even suspected.

Meditation Thought: “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In Christ, a new creation!
– Righteous, for your sin is forgiven and forgotten
– Bold, for fear is replaced with confidence in your Helper (who is always with you, forever)
– Content, for your longing for peace and fulfillment is satisfied
– Excited, for you know that in Christ the work of the Father is constantly being done. And done with enthusiasm, good results and often in surprising ways!
-You are experiencing love and giving love, you are more alert, your joy is boundless, your eyes perceiving beauty everywhere, your mind connecting all that comes into it into a pattern never before even suspected.
– That which is unseen becomes as that which is seen, and that which is seen becomes magnified and intensified.

Christ is beyond all of the most potent effective medicines, vitamins, beauty aids and self-help courses washing over you, pouring into you, transforming the dead entity of your self now willed to Him into the Father’s image: His precious offspring, spirit of His spirit – His paternal dream fulfilled.

Suggested prayer:
“Come, Lord Jesus, into my heart and mind, that all of my thoughts and actions are in tandem with your thoughts and actions. Amen.”

Guaranteed Harvest: Faith and Perseverance

Turn to Me to cope with crisis. I will lead you through it, bringing new knowledge and wisdom.

Meditation Thought: “ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

A guaranteed harvest! What farmer would not eagerly plant, till, and gather, despite difficulties and setbacks, knowing that all of the effort would absolutely be rewarded if they don’t give in and give up?

This is what our Father would have us realize: He sent His Son to us with the message that “Your harvest is guaranteed. Your faith is not misplaced. I do not ask you to work in vain but to work to produce a bountiful harvest. A harvest for you, for your family, for your fellow man. Believe it!

Turn to Me to cope with crisis. I will lead you through it, bringing new knowledge and wisdom in overcoming that will increase the harvest beyond even your fondest dreams. I give you the seed, I nourish it – do your part to make it thrive despite all that would destroy it. Study My ways, which I wish you to know, but which I will not force upon you. You will learn a superior method of farming to your joy and others’ amazement. Together, we will turn chaos into productive lands, feeding my people who will praise My name.”

Creating a Beautiful Life

Will you allow God the pleasure of loving and caring for you?

Meditation Thought: “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

“Picture yourself choosing various objects laid out before you to drop into a transparent cylinder of time. The overall pattern is determined by the objects you choose. If you listen to Me, I will enable you to choose objects which will produce a pattern of glowing loveliness and beauty. It will be a column of time giving pleasure to the world and to the Kingdom.

If you choose to ignore My wisdom and knowledge of the whole in selecting the objects, the column of time will be clouded and dark and jumbled. It will make no pattern of loveliness. Do not become so preoccupied with the necessity of selecting that you forget to consult Me. Walk in the Way, the Word, the Spirit, to discover My selections for your ideal pattern.

Trust Me – knowing that as the child, you cannot function properly without the care of your Father. I desire to love you and care for you – allow Me this pleasure.”

Transforming Hearts: How God’s Love Changes Us

Our heart changes when His loving presence moves into it, bringing light, warmth, wisdom, understanding, knowledge and forgiveness.

Meditation Thought: “for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Love is the key to life: without love there may be existence but not fullness. But how do we know love? We know love by allowing God into our heart. He seeks by His love and grace to enter into us. We must pry open the door of our free will to allow Him to enter.

Our heart changes when His loving presence moves into it, bringing light, warmth, wisdom, understanding, knowledge and forgiveness. We are so changed that nothing appears as before. It is enhanced, enriched and increased in value according to the Kingdom’s value system.

Suggested prayer: Lord, come into my heart! Clean, shine, renew, refurnish, redecorate, rebuild, remodel. Conform my heart to your image and specifications, while still expressing my personality in its uniqueness and style. Amen.

Caring for Our Bodies in Christ’s Image

Meditation Thought: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 6:15)

Christ in each cell! With the yielding of my will to His will, my body is transformed into Christ living in the world today! How can I treat His body with anything but care and love?

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Genesis 1:27 says that God created people in His own image. That cannot refer to our physical beings – if it did we would all look like each other! Therefore, spiritually we are made in God’s image. Made to seek Him and His way. Made to care for the body He chose to encase our spirit. Not to abuse it, not to bemoan it, but to care for it and love it. And by so doing, we are then able to love others.

Trusting the Director of Your Life’s Journey

The wisdom of the ages is set before you. Will you partake?

Meditation Thought: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

The wisdom of the ages is set before you. Will you partake? It is the background for the action taking place in your life – its presence affects your performance. Your performance affects your audience.

Come, the time is ripe to be directed into a great performance of the Father’s will. You have been rehearsing and practicing. Now come the years in your life to perform what you have been learning.

The Director is in charge; if you will listen to Him, the performance will be effective for you and your audience. You don’t know the effects of your performance. Therefore, you must believe with all your heart that the instructions of your Director are bringing your performance to exquisite perfection that it may bring enlightenment and appreciation into all who see it, that they might rise up to give glory to the Author, and recognition to the Director.

Will you obey the Director, trusting His judgment is better than yours?