PEACE BE WITH YOU

Peace be with all of you, my people, on this day in the Year of the Lord 1994. Peace, my peace, not
the peace of the world, I give to you this day.

Listen to my words to you. Close your eyes, and visualize me coming to you as I did to my disciples
after my resurrection. With eyes closed, ponder on your situation at this time in your life. Think now
of the problems that face you, the fears that envelop your mind at this time. How about your
relationship with me, your friend and savior? Are you like my disciples of old, who sat in a room
behind closed doors afraid that they would be arrested because of their association with me? Are
you too afraid to claim acknowledgement of me as your holy Savior? Do you fear what men will say
to you if you speak of me? Are you afraid of their jesting and mocking because of your devotion to
me? Or are you remembering the times you have deserted me and denied me before your friends
and neighbors and at your workplace? After all, you can't let them see you as a disciple of mine, for
they will ridicule you, call you names, and maybe call you a religious fanatic by mentioning my name
often during the course of the day. Even when you are blessing someone in my name, you realize this
could be offensive to some people. Do you stop, or do you continue to act as my disciple against all
obstacles?

Do you feel abandoned by your God in times of troubles, much like my disciples of old who, after
my death, thought that I had abandoned them? Do you, like they, feel that I have not kept my
promises to you when I said that I would never abandon you or forsake you in times of trouble? Do
you feel that I have neglected you when I have told you so many times that I love you? Are you
wondering, in confusion, about my love for you? Maybe you have just had tremendous loss, your
heart has been pierced; maybe many tribulations have occurred in your life, and, even though you
have always regarded me as a loving God, you now question your belief in my existence. Where am
I, your loving God? Where have I gone? Have I left you to face this pagan world alone? My
disciples felt much the same way after my death. Maybe, like my dis-ciples, you even fear your own
death, wondering what will become of you after your death, fearing the unknown and not trusting in
my words to you when I said, "Be not afraid. I go before you. Come, follow me, and I will give you
rest." Now, open your eyes. I stand before you and I say, "Peace be with you." I open my arms out
to you and let you see my wounds that I suffered for you. See my tears shed for all of your unbelief.
See your crucified savior alive in your midst and affirm with the saints of the ages, "Christ is risen! He
is truly alive in our lives today."

Yes, it is I who come to you often, as I did with my first disciples, and say to you, "Peace be with
you." Suddenly you sense a strange peace that you have never felt before. I breathe the Holy Spirit
into you, and you feel a joy come over you that transcends all human under-standing.

The joy of my resurrection is as real today as it was at the time of my first resurrection many years
ago. I still come among my people, witnessing to them, healing them, and sending the Holy Spirit to
minister to them. I am the same today in your world as I was in the world nearly 2,000 years ago.
Although you cannot see me with your physical eyes, you can sense my presence and see me with
your spiritual eyes, the eyes of the soul.

I am always with you; I have not abandoned you. Feel my presence when you allow me to come
into your lives. How can this be accomplished, you ask? Ask me to come to you when you have a
problem. Feel my presence when you come together in fellowship with other believers. Feel my
presence when you read from Holy Scripture and other godly books. Listen to my words to you in
the quiet times when the world has been blocked out of your mind. Feel my true presence when you
receive the Lord's Supper. Feel my presence when you help others in my name. I say unto you,
when you are lonely, when you are ill, when you are depressed, when you are hurting, when you feel
deserted, when you feel unloved, when life seems so unjust, so burdensome, when you feel that you
cannot go on, come to me--close your eyes and look for me. Feel my presence. Envision me as I
step down from my heavenly throne and come to take your hand and lift you from your misery and
say unto you, "My peace I give you." Picture me in your minds coming to you. Be of good faith and
you will see me. I, your friend and savior, Jesus, will be with you to forgive your offenses and to
listen to your troubles, as a true loyal friend. Open your hearts to me. Talk to me. Tell me of your
weariness, of your troubles. I will come and gently take you by the hand and lift you above the
world's lies and deceits and troubles, and you will feel the peace that only I can give.

This season as you recall my physical trials, my physical abuse, my death, and my triumphant
resurrection, I ask you to carry your crosses with me as we relive my passion. If you fall, do not
worry--get up and walk on through your storms of life. Forget the abuse, the mocking, the injustice
in your lives. Look to me, your savior, Jesus, for I will be leading the way to the hill of atonement.
Die with me. Give up your sinful lives, your ungodly lives, and commend yourself to my heavenly
Father, asking his forgiveness. Then come with me to the tomb where you will bury all your sordid
past. I will place a pure white garment around you, and you will rise with me to a new life, a glorious
life, free of pain, free of worry, free of worldly temptations. I will embrace you and show you my
heavenly kingdom. I will say unto you, "Peace, my friend! You have fought the good fight. You have
been a good and loyal soldier on the battlefront of the world, and you will now be rewarded with my
peace, the peace that will last forever, the peace no man can take from you.

As this holy, blessed season comes to pass, come to me often. Close your eyes. Talk to me and tell
me of your problems, your trials, and the many times you have fallen. Then open your eyes and see
me, your friend and savior, Jesus, coming to you, holding my arms open to embrace you and saying,
"My friend, peace be with you. I love you."

Your loving friend and savior,

JESUS