Peace to Your House no. 9

You have graced me with more insight than the old sages

because I have not failed to walk in the light of your ways.

101I refused to bend my morals when temptation was before me

so that I could become obedient to your Word.

102I refuse to turn away from difficult truths,

for you yourself have taught me to love your words.

103How sweet are your living promises to me;

sweeter than honey is your revelation-light.

104For your truth is the source of my understanding,

not the falsehoods of those who don’t know you, which I despise.

Psalms 119:100-104 TPT

169Lord, listen to my prayer. It’s like a sacrifice I bring to you;

I must have more revelation of your Word!

170Take my words to heart when I ask you, Lord;

rescue me, just like you promised!

171I offer you my joyous praise for all that you’ve taught me.

172Your wonderful words will become my song of worship,

for everything you’ve commanded is perfect and true.

173Place your hands of strength and favor upon me,

for I’ve made my choice to follow your ways.

174I wait for your deliverance, O Lord,

for your words thrill me like nothing else!

175Invigorate my life so that I can praise you even more,

and may your truth be my strength!

176I’ll never forget what you’ve taught me, Lord,

but when I wander off and lose my way,

come after me, for I am your beloved!

Psalms 119:169-176 TPT

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Change your ways and your behavior, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in the deceptive and lying words [of the false prophets who claim that Jerusalem will be protected by God because of the temple], saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ 5 For if you thoroughly change your ways and your behavior, if you thoroughly and honestly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the transient and the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood [by oppression and by unjust judicial murders] in Jerusalem, nor follow after other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers [to live in] forever and ever.

8 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive and useless words that bring no benefit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear [oaths] falsely, offer sacrifices or burn incense to Baal, and follow after other gods that you have not known, 10 and [then dare to] come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My [a]Name, and say, ‘We are protected and set free [by this act of religious ritual]!’—only to go on with this wickedness and these disgusting and loathsome things? 11 Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes [a place of retreat for you between acts of violence]? Behold, I Myself have seen it,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 7:3-11 AMP

Yesterday was kind of a big deal around the plantation. After the past fourteen days of working toward sustainability, the plantation is starting to get some milestones. Yesterday was the birth of the first chick on the plantation and the first tomato success story. Both of these milestones were a long fourteen days in the works and thankfully they are now in the past. All the work that began because I wasn’t going to allow government to starve myself or my family, have finally moved into reality. God is good all the time.

There is always a lot that is deserving of our thanks. Sometimes it just takes a little work to find those things and other days those things are very easy to spot. BUT those things are there regardless. I see the steps forward that are being made by myself and others to grow our own food, restore our lawns to native sanctuaries, and become better stewards of the land and the environment. Those are all wonderful things to accomplish with the past fourteen days and beyond.

There will never decrease the amount of people that will not understand the benefit of freedom. The freedom to plant, to harvest, to raise, to heal, to protect, and to prosper. These are all wonderful things to experience. The work of creation is beneficial in its tangible and intangible rewards to our body, mind, and spirit. Getting out there in the dirt and working against the forces of nature to bring an order and an abundance is important work. And doing that without harming the environment with harmful chemicals and poor technique is important for sustainability and regeneration of the land.

We are here to struggle with and for the environment because we are part of that environment. We came from dust and will return to dust. In the time we are here, it is our duty to look after nature and work the earth righteously. Practicing good stewardship to our animals and our seeds as we grow them for our survival as well.

So, even in this lull in the growing process as I get ready for August planting, there are plenty of things to enjoy and give thanks. I pray that your crops, your animals, and your homes are doing well.

Peace to your home. Bless your being. The reign of God is now. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin

Peace to Your House no. 8

How would I discern the waywardness of my heart?

Lord, forgive my hidden flaws whenever you find them.

Keep cleansing me, God,

and keep me from my secret, selfish sins;

may they never rule over me!

For only then will I be free from fault

and remain innocent of rebellion.

So may the words of my mouth, my meditation-thoughts,

and every movement of my heart be always pure and pleasing,

acceptable before your eyes, Yahweh,

my only Redeemer, my Protector.

Psalms 19:12-14 TPT

Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart.

My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.

I overflow with praise when I come before you,

for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else.

You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.

I lie awake each night thinking of you

and reflecting on how you help me like a father.

I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow,

offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!

Psalms 63:4-7 TPT

Yahweh is my strength and my wraparound shield.

When I fully trust in you, help is on the way.

I jump for joy and burst forth with ecstatic, passionate praise!

I will sing songs of what you mean to me!

You will be the inner strength of all your people,

Yahweh, the mighty protector of all,

and the saving strength for all your anointed ones.

Save your people whom you love, and bless your chosen ones.

Be our shepherd leading us forward,

forever carrying us in your arms!

Psalms 28:7-9 TPT

So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 AMP

There needs to be a change in the way we live if things on earth are going to get better. And that way has nothing to do with economic theories, political ideologies, government policy, or legal reform. We have to change our hearts, our minds, and our souls in order to be that justice and righteousness in the world. It’s nice to want our government to change, it’s nice to believe that folks will just start having our best interests in mind, it’s nice to think that folks will do the right and proper thing for humanity, however, we have to first start living by that example.

I asked a series of questions yesterday that I think get at the root of what it means to be righteous and just. We need to be open to the ministry of the Son while he was here on earth. Christ was totally dedicated to putting the community before life, before wealth, before family, before everything BUT the Almighty. And that is the example that the New Testament should be teaching us. That the only reason we have anything here on earth is through divine mercy.

Too often do we see that the evil and destruction of this planet is those that put their neighbors at a disadvantage to the betterment of themselves. They pollute, they cheat, they steal, they lie, and they do it all for their own glory and power. These folks are not leaving the world better than they found it. They are leaving this world as a mess and making things worse for everyone.

The only way to change our situation is to change our focus. To live a life that is aligned with the values of Christ. Because if Christ is truly the example that I follow, then it should be rather easy for others to see and know. Folks shouldn’t have to guess that I am a Christian. My works and words should declare that on their own. And we do that by worrying more about those folks that are in need, those folks that are vulnerable, those folks that are hurting and need righteousness and justice. Who else is going to show that to them BUT Christians?

Peace to your home. Bless your being. The reign of God is now. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin