*The God of Peace*By K. Blades (1-7)

*The God of Peace *
*By K. Blades*
*Part Seven Conclusion*
*

Our Godly Peace Today

The Godly peace is true and with us today. When we too through prayer
intelligently commune with our Father about specific matters of His
counsel and purpose with us as His "sons," it effectually works within
us to displace disturbing thoughts about what may be happening to us and
have them replaced with the Godly thinking that produces peace.

For this reason after our sonship edification gets underway in Romans
8:14ff, and we are taught the fundamentals of God's specific counsel and
purpose with us as His "sons" in this present dispensation, we are then
immediately exhorted to make use of that knowledge as we encounter the
inevitable "sufferings of this present time" and tribulations of this
life. Hence, for example, in Romans 12:12 we are told to be,...

12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in
tribulation; continuing instant
in prayer; (Romans 12:12)

Through what we are taught regarding God's counsel and purpose with us
in this present dispensation we learn about the particular "hope" in
which we should be "rejoicing." We also are taught to understand and
appreciate a number of specific, fundamental reasons why we should be
"patient in tribulation" when it occurs in our lives. Hence when such
tribulation does occur, the issue for us is to think on the things that
we are taught regarding God's counsel and purpose with us, and to
commune with our Father about them by being "instant in prayer" in
connection with them.

Now when we do occupy our minds with this information, and do
intelligently commune with our Father about our tribulation specifically
in the light of this information, it effectually works to produce within
us the Godly peace that our Father Himself has regarding our situation.
The tranquilizing ministry of prayer occurs within us as the disturbing
and distressing thoughts that we have in response to the tribulation are
displaced by the effectual working of God's word regarding us, making it
so that our thoughts become the same as our Father's thoughts, and
there-by producing Godly peace within us.

And not only so, but Godly peace is able to be effectually produced
within us throughout the entire range of sufferings, afflictions,
tribulations, and trouble to which we can be subject in this present
dispensation. Nothing is outside its range, or beyond its capacity. For
it is produced within us by the excellency of the power of God's word to
us, which in perfect accordance with God's counsel and purpose regarding
us has been specifically written to address and deal with every form of
suffering to which we are subject as His "sons."

Wherefore even when it comes to facing the extreme tribulations
belonging to the policy of evil against us, as was the case when Paul
wrote to the saints in Philippi, the tranquilizing ministry of prayer is
effectual. Hence as they faced death and were being 'terrified by their
adversaries, ' Paul said to them,...

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at
hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

Indeed our Father is "the God of peace." He truly has provided for us to
have His peace - Godly peace-in all areas of our lives. Both within and
without; from mild disturbances to the most extreme occurrences of
carefulness, anxiety, or distress.

May it be that through our sonship edification and sonship prayer, as we
learn both general and specific matters regarding God's counsel and
purpose with us and commune with Him about them in prayer, that we truly
learn to know our Father and love Him as "the God of peace" that He is,
and thereby possess peace "always by all means." Especially may this be
so as we frequently encounter and experience any of the common
"sufferings of this present time," but more so as we are privileged to
bear any of "the sufferings of Christ." - K.R. Blades

The God of Peace *
*By K. Blades*
*Part 6 of 7*
*

However they will not be 'in a lurch.' For they will have much knowledge
from God's word upon which to operate at that time. Knowledge that is
specifically designed to produce peace and stability within them in the
very situations they find themselves, and knowledge that does this by
being specifically about God's counsel and purpose with them during that
time. Hence, as the following examples show, it will be by having their
minds occupied with this specific knowledge, and communing with God
about it in prayer, that they will have the peace that the Lord promised
them when He said to them,...

In your patience possess ye
your souls. (Luke 21 :19)

God has given them specific knowledge and information for 'their
patience.' And when they operate upon it, and hold themselves
accountable to it in prayer, they will be able to 'possess their souls'
and be at peace within.

Note the reality of this, for example, in Psalm 94.

17 Unless the LORD had been
my help, my soul had almost
dwelt in silence.
18 When I said, My foot
slippeth; thy mercy, a LORD,
held me up.
19 In the multitude of my
thoughts within me thy com-
forts delight my soul. (Psalm
94:17-19)

This Psalm has the final installment in God's program with Israel in
view. In that time the remnant of Israel will be experiencing the
temporary 'triumphing of the wicked' described in the beginning of the
Psalm, along with all of the afflictions that they will experience as
that apparent 'triumphing' takes place. However during that time there
is a specific doctrine that God expects the remnant to have learned, and
hence to have operating within them. This is the doctrine of the Lord
Jesus Christ functioning as Israel's Avenger, fulfilling the third
mandate of the Davidic Covenant. By its effectual working within them it
is designed to give them the clear understanding of what is happening at
that time and why. It teaches them about God's counsel and specific
purpose with them during that time, including why the wicked are allowed
to triumph to the extent they will and the wisdom of God in connection
with it. As such this specific knowledge is designed to be the subject
of their prayers and their cries to God for vengeance, as the
'triumphing' is underway and the afflictions are experienced.

Wherefore as this specific knowledge of God's counsel works effectually
within them, the Psalmist declares,.. .

12 Blessed is the man whom
thou chastenest, 0 LORD,
and teachest him out of thy
law;
13 That thou mayest give him
rest from the days of adver-
sity, until the pit be digged for
the wicked. (Psalm 94:12-13)

So then when the distress of this particular situation becomes
overwhelming for the believing remnant during that time, as the Psalmist
says there is tranquility, rest, and even delight for their souls as
their prayers hold them accountable to the specific doctrine that God
has given to them for this situation and it effectually works within them.

Hence as the Psalmist says, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me
thy comforts delight my soul"; with those "comforts" being the specific
knowledge from the law about the Lord being their Avenger at that time.

A similar type testimony is found earlier on in Psalm 55 and Psalm 61 in
connection with some different afflictions.

16 As for me, I will call upon
God; and the LORD shall save
me.
17 Evening, and morning, and
at noon, will I pray, and cry
aloud: and he shall hear my
voice.
18 He hath delivered my soul
in peace from the battle that
was against me: for there
were many with me. (Psalm
55:16-18)

1 Hear my cry, a God; attend
unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will
I cry unto thee, when my heart
is overwhelmed: lead me to
the rock that is higher than I.
(Psalm 61 :1-2)

The God of Peace *
*By K. Blades*
*Part 5 of 7*
*

Godly Peace from "The God of Peace"

Now it is God's own brand of peace that He not only offers to us, but
expects us to receive and operate upon in our lives. In connection with
this, what the Lord said to His disciples in the climactic stage in
Israel's program is also true regarding us in this present dispensation.

*

*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)*

*

The peace that God provides for us to have in this present dispensation
is also "not as the world giveth." It too is "my peace"; i.e. God's own
peace.

Furthermore just as the peace that the Lord gave to the remnant of
Israel comes from specific information and knowledge about God's counsel
and purpose with them in the climactic stage of their program, so too
does our peace come from specific knowledge and information regarding
God's counsel and purpose with us as His "sons" in this present
dispensation. Through both general and specific information thereon God
provides us with the ability to possess the very thinking and
understanding that He operates upon regarding us. This makes it so that
when we likewise think what He thinks, and understand what He
understands, it effectually produces within us the same peace and
contentment that it produces in Him.

Therefore when this is the case with us we not only have peace from "the
God of peace," but we truly have Godly peace. That is, we have the very
same peace that God Himself possesses.

Let's appreciate the reality of this by briefly considering some
examples of it. First in God's program with Israel. Then we will deal
with our Godly peace today.

Godly Peace in God's Program with Israel

The book of Psalms deals with many of the distressing, worrisome, and
dreadful situations that the remnant of Israel will experience
throughout the climactic stage in Israel's program. In particular, as
their program enters its final installment, the intense afflictions that
will come upon them will have the tendency to easily overwhelm them and
drive them to despair. Indeed, this will be one of the objectives of the
Adversary's persecution as he works to 'wear them out' and have their
hearts fail them in their stand for the truth.

*
*THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK **

This moment is all you're guaranteed, tomorrow may never come......(in
this world)...... so live it up,.....love it up....laugh it up........and
put Jesus at the very center of every moment...... .and enjoy.

This is the abundant life God was talking about....... .seize
it.......sufficient to each day are it's troubles.... .we can either live
in those troubles or by faith in God........cast all our cares on Him
and live in His joy......... ......you choose.

............ ..Wendell. ..His servant *

*The God of Peace *
*By K. Blades*
*Part 4 of 7*

*
Once again, there is nothing abstract, mystical, or mysterious to this.
Instead both prayer itself and its tranquilizing ministry are functions
of the intelligent, information- based functioning of our inner man,
which God has designed to be both the source and the foundation for the
Godly lives that He has purposed us to live with Him.

Accordingly, therefore, prayer and its tranquilizing ministry are
functions of Godly thinking. With this being so, the mechanics of
prayer's tranquility are easily described. Indeed they are just what
Isaiah declared to Israel in Isaiah 26:3 regarding God's provision for
the peace of their inner man, ...

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

So it is then that as we intelligently and doctrinally commune with our
Father in prayer, it functions to keep our minds and hearts sober and
sound in godliness, instead of the opposite. Through prayer we
deliberately and pointedly hold ourselves accountable to sound doctrine
that we have learned as "sons." In so doing "the doctrine which is
according to godliness" controls and governs our thinking; stabilizing
it, adjusting it, and thereby settling our minds and hearts.

Moreover this is something that prayer does especially when our minds
and hearts have become unsettled by some situation, circumstance, or
event with the result that we are upset, disturbed, distressed, and
lacking inner peace. This, once again, is prayer's tranquilizing
ministry. And it is something that we should deeply appreciate and enjoy
when we are experiencing any of the afflictions belonging to "the
sufferings of this present time" and/or any of "the sufferings of Christ."

Godly Peace

Now as was previously stated, specific living words of the living God
are designed by God to effectually work within us to displace what is
disturbing our inner man and replace it with Godly thinking that
produces peace. And indeed this is accomplished by specific living words
of the living God. In fact they are the very same words that live and
operate in God's own mind. They are the very words that form and
comprise His thinking about us and about our situation, which in turn
has Him in a state of peace and contentment regarding us.

It may seem almost silly to put it this way, but the truth of the matter
is that neither God our Father, nor the Lord Jesus Christ, nor the
Spirit of God within us, become distressed when we encounter and
experience disturbing situations. With God there is no onset of anxiety
or worry; no racing of the mind; no 'fight or flight response'; no
wringing of the hands, pacing of the floor, sleepless nights, or any
other product of distress and uneasiness of mind. Instead our Father,
our Lord, and the Spirit within us, are at peace within themselves
regarding us.

Yet this is not simply because God is God, and anything but contentment
is impossible for Him. For though God is God, He is not a detached,
impersonal, or unaffected God, as He clearly testifies. Rather He has a
direct, interactive and personal relationship with His creation as a
whole, and more specifically with His people. Because of this God is
personally affected by what occurs, having not only purposed and
designed for this to be so, but also having enabled it to be so. And
this is true both in His program with Israel and with us in this present
dispensation of His grace. With this being so God acts and reacts with
real actions and reactions; not merely with sentiments that are
anthropopathisms in description, but not true sentiments in nature. For
God is not only the "true" God, He is also the "living God." As such God
lives and has a living, involved relationship both to us and with us. So
much so that He is neither a casual, nor detached, nor unaffected
observer of us or of what occurs with us. Instead God is genuinely
touched by us and by what occurs with us; and this is true and real with
God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Ghost that
dwells in us.

So it is, therefore, that God is genuinely touched by any and all of the
disturbing and distressing things that we may encounter in our lives.

Now though God is genuinely affected by them, He is not disturbed and
distressed by them. For operating within Him is some particular
peace-producing and peace-maintaining knowledge, which is the product of
His own counsel and purpose regarding us as His "sons." And on the basis
of this particular knowledge God thinks differently about our situations
and circumstances than we do. Hence His mind generates responses to our
situations that differ from those that are typically generated by our
natural minds. Consequently with this particular knowledge operating
within Him, God is not distressed regarding us. Instead, He is at peace
and content.
*=========== =======*
*...neither God our*
*Father, nor the Lord*
*Jesus Christ, nor*
*the Spirit of God *
*within us, become *
*distressed when we*
*encounter and*
*experience disturb-*
*ing situations.*

The God of Peace *
*By K. Blades*
* Part 3 of 7*

*

Peace and the Role of Prayer

Prayer truly is designed to be an integral component of our peace. For
this reason when we are in the initial stage of our sonship edification
and the apostle Paul deals with us about properly responding to
tribulation in our lives, he teaches us to be,...

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in
prayer; (Romans 12:12)

Likewise in God's program with Israel is this so. Hence, for example, as
James says to the members of the remnant of Israel,. . .

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. (James 5:13a)

Prayer, therefore, is a pivotal mechanism for producing peace when
needed. It is designed to have a tranquilizing ministry to it. And as we
partake of its tranquilizing ministry, and benefit from it amid the
details of our lives, we come to know, understand, appreciate, and love
our God and Father as "the God of peace" that He is.

Now before considering this any further, there is an important matter
that needs to be addressed regarding prayer itself.

An Intelligent Communion; Not an Abstract or Mystical Experience

Unfortunately a lot of Christians lack a real solid and clear
understanding of what prayer is. Hence their ability to appreciate its
tranquilizing ministry, and fully benefit from it, is hindered. Moreover
there is also much misunderstanding, misinformation, and erroneous
teaching about prayer today, which contributes to a lack of proper
understanding and so compounds the problem all the more. Because of this
a lot of Christians actually look upon prayer as something different
from what it really is. Likewise many seek to obtain benefits from it
that either do not exist, or that do not pertain to what God is doing today.

Now when Christians learn the need to be "rightly dividing the word of
truth" in accordance with the great dispensational change that God has
made, this certainly goes a long way towards rectifying the problem. For
at least they are no longer trying to operate upon doctrines and
promises about prayer, and examples of it, that pertain to God's program
and dealings with Israel, and not to us in this present dispensation of
His grace.

Yet this does not clear up all the misunderstanding and misinformation
about prayer. For often times the very nature of prayer itself is either
not clearly understood, or it is badly misunderstood. And sadly this
seems to be on the rise today, with prayer more frequently being taught
and described as something other than what it really is. Consequently
instead of prayer being understood to be an intelligent, thoughtful
activity that we participate in with God, in which we have
heart-to-heart fellowship based upon specific knowledge that God has
given to us in His word, Christians are given to understand it to be
something other than this; something more lofty and transcendental in
nature; something more experiential.

Hence increasingly prayer is being looked upon, and actually taught to
be, 'an incomprehensible experience that transcends our knowing,'
through which one 'feels God's presence' or 'experiences contact with
God' in an inscrutable way and on a 'higher or different level of
consciousness. ' Though expressions and descriptions like these are
normally encountered in mysticism, idolatry, the occult, and mystical
forms of men's religions, such ideas and thinking about prayer also
exist 'under the umbrella of Christianity. ' Sometimes even among ones
known for being 'Bible-believing' and 'fundamentalists. '

However neither the tranquilizing ministry of prayer, nor prayer itself,
is some unintelligent or abstract or inscrutable experience. It is not
some mindless, or mind-emptying experience by which one achieves a state
of mental relaxation and inner peace. Hence it is not a yoga-like
exercise or practice. Nor is it a transcendental meditation of any kind.
Neither is it some process for the abstraction, or the distraction, of
the mind; nor a practice involving the concentration of the mind by
which a mind-over-matter state is reached, through which our disquieting
thoughts and overwrought emotions are mastered. Nor is it a relaxation
technique; or a calming exercise.

The tranquilizing ministry of prayer is also not some mystical,
mysterious, and unexplainable experience. It is not an ethereal thing,
which is beyond comprehension; or something that takes place
unconsciously, passively, magically, or subliminally. Hence it is not an
experience in which you just let the Spirit of God infuse you with a
calming sensation, as you shut out all outside distractions and concerns
by focusing upon God in prayer; intoning His holy name, letting go, and
feeling the Spirit take control.

Instead the tranquilizing ministry of prayer is a function of what
prayer itself is: i.e. intelligent, communicative communion and
fellowship with God based upon specific knowledge that God has given to
us in His word. There is nothing abstract, inscrutable, or mystical
about it. In accordance with this, the tranquilizing ministry of prayer
is the product of intelligent, thoughtful communion with God, by which
our minds are actively occupied with knowledge, understanding, and
thoughts that God has designed to produce peace. To put it more
pointedly, the tranquilizing ministry of prayer is the product of
specifically designed living words of the living God effectually working
within us to displace what is disturbing our inner man and replacing it
with intelligent Godly thinking that produces peace.

*"May God, Whose grace is irresistible and *
*all sufficient, be glorified!" *

*The God of Peace*
*By K. Blade*
*Part 2 of 7 *

*

Moreover in the outworking of our sonship edification, (as we progress
through its curriculum for our godly edifying, processing its numerous
forms of doctrine and so growing and maturing), we encounter God
presenting Himself to us as "the God of peace" in various contexts and
for various reasons. For example,...

"Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:33)

"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:20)

"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be
of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with
you. (II Corinthians 13:11 )

"Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:23)

"Those things, which ye have both learned,and received, and
heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
(Philippians 4:9)

"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all
means. The Lord be with you all. (II Thessalonians 3:16)

God is indeed "the God of peace." And though realizing this is not
something that is exclusive to us in this present dispensation of God's
grace, there is a real sense in which we today are to have a special
understanding and appreciation for God as such. For the fact is that
knowing God as "the God of peace," deeply appreciating Him as such, and
hence loving Him as such, is a definite and preplanned objective in our
sonship education and edification. It is not only one of the specific
ways in which we as "sons" have intimacy of fellowship with God our
Father, it is also one of the primary ways in which we learn about the
excellency of the power of God's word operating within us. Moreover this
particular aspect of our education and edification provides for the
development within us of an increasing ability to trust in, and operate
upon, the power of the effectual working of God's word within us no
matter what.

Wherefore our God and Father presents Himself to us as "the God of
peace" a number of times and in several different contexts. With this
being so, as we proceed through the curriculum for our sonship
edification we are taught to understand and appreciate the issue of
"peace" in a number of different ways, ranging from the fundamental
issue of having "peace with God" being justified in His sight, to the
issue of possessing complete inner peace, along with joy, even when
encountering the most extreme adversities from the Satanic policy of
evil against us.

Therefore the "peace" that God extends to us is manifold and varied,
existing in many forms. Yet of all its forms and occurrences, one of the
most fundamental is the Godly peace for our inner man that our Father
wants us to possess when we experience disquieting, disturbing, and
trying circumstances in the details of our lives. And though this is a
fundamental matter, and we are taught about it right from the outset of
our sonship edification, it is also something that God has designed for
us to benefit from throughout the growth and maturing of our Christian
lives. In view of this the Godly peace that our Father extends to us is
far-reaching and mighty in its capacity, being able to deal effectually
with whatsoever may come our way as we progress through our sonship
edification.

Wherefore it behooves us to be certain that we understand and appreciate
the issue of possessing such Godly peace. Especially the particular
mechanism by which God has purposed for us to acquire it and enjoy it,
and also through which we are to grow to love Him as "the God of peace."
And the mechanism for all of this is the direct communion and fellowship
we are able to have, and should have, with our Father through prayer.

*The God of Peace*
*By K. Blades*
*Part 1 of 7*


Peace. Even the sound of the word has something soothing and pleasant
about it. Though not strictly classified as an onomatopoetic word, it
possesses the essential quality of such, both in English as well as in
other languages. It has no sharpness in sound nor in appearance; no
jarring impact occurs when it is spoken, heard, or read. Rather in
accordance with its meaning it possesses the exact opposite features,
being quiet in sound and gentle on contact.

Hence in meaning and in sound the word "peace" is welcomed by our inner
man. It is no intruder or unwanted guest. Of all the visitors that come
'knocking on the door of our mind,' peace is one that we long to see and
readily receive. It is the most welcome of guests. Moreover we want it
to reside with us; to make itself at home with us. It can never overstay
its welcome, for it is always welcome. Because of this we are grieved
whenever peace takes its leave, and when unwanted guests arrive to take
its place in our minds. We are not at ease and relaxed when we are
intruded upon by such characters as stress, distress, grief, sorrow,
perplexity, anxiety; carefulness, worry, fear, dread, despair, and the
like. Their visits are always unsettling and up-setting. Hence we long
to see them leave, and for peace to pay us a visit again.

Peace, therefore, is something we much desire. We also view it as a most
precious commodity. For often we will seek it at great cost; sometimes
even at all costs. This is because there is little that compares with
'being at peace,' both in our inner man and in our relationships with
others. In view of this, being 'at peace' is often the consummate
expression used by psychologists and the like when referring to what
best characterizes 'good mental health.'

Now peace in its various forms and occurrences is not only something
that we naturally desire in the details of our lives, it is also
something that God Himself wants us to possess. Hence He has fully
provided for us to have it, and as such He both deliberately and
constantly extends it to us. In fact understanding and appreciating the
reality of this is so fundamental to our relationship with God, and to
our fellowship with Him in our daily lives, that He has Paul preface
each of his epistles to us with this very offering by saying,..

"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ:"

GraceNTheTruth@ COX.NET*