The Prince of Peace

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jn 14:27
Having recently moved home after living and serving as a volunteer for a Christian ministry in Chicago for the past two and a half years, these words on gifts and peace have recently come to mean infinitely more to me than they did before. Life is full of changes, and at some stage each of us enjoys these changes ordained by Father. Some enjoy the anticipation of change, some the present reality of the change, and for some, enjoyment waits until the change has been changed. The thing I most enjoy about change is that God, my Father, never changes. It is beautiful to discover Him in each place as He makes Himself known through His Word, His children, and His creation. He is about the business of transforming me into the image of Christ, and He often uses “change” in my life to accomplish that purpose. The main thing I’ve been learning is that when you are in Christ, no matter where you are on this planet or what you are doing, as long as it is in the will of God, you can be in peace because that is one of the fruits of His Spirit which dwells within Him and within those He calls His own.

“Present, O God,

Thou art with me,

And so shall it remain

Where’ere I may be.

For Thy Spirit,

Thou hast placed

Within my own,

With Thee I have been graced.

Present,

I shall be,

With Thee, with Thee,

For all eternity.

Now, in this present

Even now I see -

That Thou, my God

Canst be present in me.”

EBC 10-27-2006

These two pictures are of the same boat, on the same lake, taken one year apart.

The day the misty picture was taken I sat on the end of the dock which jutted into Wolf Lake, and was very much in a “storm” in my life. However, as I gazed at that boat, my heart knew a peace because of Him who dwells in my heart. He, the Sovereign Lord of all not only ordained the storm, but also created peace for me in it. This peace, though a gentle whisper, could still be heard over the raging storm. Christ, my Lord who once rested in a boat on stormy waves and stilled the noise thereof by one word from His mouth, is the same Lord who dwells within my heart by faith. As I sat and looked at the boat through the mist, my heart was offering to Father the sacrifice of thanksgiving for His beauty as expressed to me through that boat and the mist that surrounded it.

The mist was so thick I couldn’t see the water on the shoreline not 300 yards from me, but I still knew the shoreline was there. I couldn’t see hope on the other side of my trial, and yet I knew that “now abides faith, hope, and love.” The boat was beautiful to me because it was firmly anchored out there in the deep. It stayed anchored when the waters were calm and when the waters were noisy. It reflected the light and the atmosphere around it. Later, when night brought darkness over the lake and I couldn't see the boat, I knew the boat was still there.

These were precious pictures for my faith at the time, and through “looking unto the Author and Finisher of my faith” as I sat there on that dock, I knew His word to me was to abide and trust. I couldn’t free myself of the storm in my soul, but He could if I waited on Him. He wanted me to remain, for He wanted to remain with me - in the storm, until it was past, and after it was past.

The picture of the boat catching the rays of peach-filled five o’clock sunlight that caught the polished chrome on the boat was taken one year after the picture just described above. I was walking the path that lined the shore of Wolf Lake once again and was somehow drawn to the end of the dock where I happily sat and gazed out over the lake. Hardly realizing the significance of what I was about to experience, I turned on my trusty Canon A95 Powershot and set about capturing the beauty that lay in front of me. Somewhere in this process which only spanned a few short minutes, I had a vague recollection of shooting this same boat one year prior. Having reaped what I felt was a sufficient amount of images, I paused to enjoy the beauty of my Father’s world which sang all about me.

Looking at the boat, I realized that the great storm which I faced one year ago in my life had come to a calm. The tempest had been freed by the power of Christ, and now, here I sat, gazing at the same boat on the same lake, and yet so much had changed. Hmm… the change had brought joy where once there was mourning, laughter where once there was tears. The sunbeams now bounced of the boat unhindered by the mist. Now I could see the sunlight which I coudn't see before because of the clouds and mist. However, both were beautiful - in their time, in His time.

The connecting factor is peace. Somehow, peace had strengthened me to endure the storm, and now that peace rested deeper in my heart and allowed me to glory in the Lamb who is the Light. So… while the scene on Wolf Lake was new, it was familiar all at the same time because after all, this is my Father’s world. He, ever Emmanuel, allows storms in my life, and for His purpose and pleasure He calms the storms which make us stronger because they make us realize WHO is strong, and let us see His strength in our weakness. To this day that boat still rests on the deep waters, it’s anchor holding fast.
Storms and change are a part of life. Some storms are easier to go through than others. Some are short, some are long, but all are in the timing of our Infinite God. His will never contradicts His will, and He loves us enough to bestow His will on our lives, that the testing of our faith might produce patience.

"In the fear of the Lord, trust is made sure,
And the heart is drawn to that which is pure.
My trust must be strong, for so is my God,
He shows me His heart, even on this sod.

For memory sings a deep part of the song,
Written in His heart, where melody belongs,
For He is perfect and He teaches us,
His patience and purpose through this, our trust.
EBC 10-27-2007

“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:18

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,' says the Lord, 'who is an who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Revelation 1:8

The Prince of Peace could not reign if He were not also at the same time Emmanuel, God with us. Between the realization of a storm and the release from it there is this epoch called T-I-M-E.

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Colossians 1:16,17

May we, with the living creatures who dwell before His throne in heaven say with all we are:

"You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11

Children of the King

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has yet to be revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
1 John 3:1-3 NKJV



“And they go on in His ways, the children of the King,
Standing in the test of time, leaning hard upon His wing.
Watching as He works His will, joy comes when steps are hard,
Yet they stand in His grace, at the changing of the guard.

For they look unto their God, they gaze into His face,
Seasons change in His stead, light marches on in grace.
Trained to know their Beloved, the daughters sing and dance,
Sons, in honour, bow their knees, God is seen in their glance.

So sustained by glory’s force, they daily give their lives,
Their Example walks with them, at dawn and eve’tide skies.
Gilded by a hope so strong, they cannot turn aside,
United soon forever, when they are made His bride.

Wisdom is their Father’s heart, their hears with His commune,
Very God of very God will meet His children soon.
Here within the kingdom we seek Him with ev’ry breath,
Longing to make Jesus known, we’re made like Him by death.

Only He would choose this way, all to pursue our heart,
For He longs to make His bride like Him in ev’ry part.
In the never-ceasing fight for truth, for light, for hope, for peace,
Children of the Mighty One, His arrows, find release.

Father’s hand is strong and sure, they cannot ask for more,
At ev’ry turn He is there, hedging behind and before.
So encompassed by His love, the Spirit wields the sword,
Piercing through the darkness ‘round, that hope might be restored.

It’s way prepared in their hrearts, the torch of vic’try lit,
The call summons all they are, for glory they are fit.
Consuming Fire leaves His mark, in hearts He has made clean,
The King in honoured by this gift, through their trusting He is seen.

Life rises in His likeness, purpose proclaims her song,
Breathing His eternity, His children follow on.
For they know the glad exchange, their God is ev’rything.
And they go on in His ways – the children of the King.”
- EBC June 4, 2007




“Blessed is the man whom You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, Of Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas; Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, And the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.”
Ps 65:4-8 NKJV

Wherever you are in your journey, may you be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
May your heart hear the call of your Captain, and may His grace equip your heart for the work to which He has called you.
May you climb the mountains in the strength of the One who created them.
May you face the seas with the peace of the One who stills them.
Be it morning or evening in your heart, may you rejoice in the King of light.