I am grateful for help with how to get the modifications to the exercise room done!
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Ps 27:14
Me: Good morning, Father!
Abba: Good morning, Jon!
Me: The order of this exhortation is perplexing. Does it mean be of good courage and then you will strengthen?
Abba: The phrase has the call to wait on Me as two book ends. One who waits on Me is recognizing his own inadequacy to the task.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8
One who does not wait on Me is forging ahead relying on his own devices and strength rather than counting on My omnipotence (and omnipresence).
Look at all of Psalm 46:
I AM your refuge and strength. I AM a very present help in trouble. I AM the river that makes glad. I AM your protector. I AM with you.
Be still and know that I AM God. Come, behold the works of the Lord.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Since I need to get into the beehives today, I am grateful for the cooler morning! (74°F now, 84°F predicted)
Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Titus 2:15
Me: Good morning, Father!
Abba: Good morning, Jon!
Me: When I read this passage in Titus 2 this morning, I wondered how to understand ‘authority’ in this context. Also, when Paul told Titus, “Let no one despise you”, how does one have any control whatever of what another will think about what we say?
Abba: First, the word “authority” in Titus 2:15 is preceded by “with”. That is, Paul was exhorting Titus on the way he delivered the message.
For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
1 Corinthians 14:8
In that First Corinthians Fourteen context, Paul was talking about speaking in tongues; whether about revelation, knowledge, or prophecy, but the principle holds. For a message to connect with the hearer, it needs to be clear. I AM always looking at the heart. I know every thought and intent (Hebrews 4:14, Genesis 6:5). Not so, either Titus’ hearers, or yours. How quickly one will abandon a plodding tome produced by an unskilled author! (No coincidence that the words author and authority derive from the same root.) So, to summarize, this part of Paul’s message to Titus is about effective delivery.
Further, tying to the idea of not letting anyone despise; the author, teacher, pastor, preacher, prophet or other orator who would influence – especially about the Gospel, where the stakes not merely temporal – has responsibility to find ways to reach his audience.
Romans 10:17, which you committed to memory from the King James version, is “So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Notice in the Greek, the last word is Χριστοῦ (Christ) and “word” is ῥήματος (rhēmatos, the spoken word).
The opening of the first chapter of the Gospel of John reveals Jesus as the incarnate Word of God. There the word is Logos. We are to fill our mouths with the spoken word of the incarnate Word. Therein is true communication possible.
Look more carefully at Jesus’ commission:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20
Notice: Authority. It belongs to Him.
Neither Titus, nor you can fulfill the commission except by delegation of His authority. You are a steward, responsible for His purposes, rightly operating only under His authority and for His purposes.
Listen to Jesus. See His example. Observe His attitude.
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
John 5:30
If Jesus knew that any activity not anchored in conversation with Me would be so ineffective as to qualify as “nothing”, how should you expect something different? Jesus, in that same commission, promised to be with you. If the conversation is not active, if not vital and alive, the lack is not on His side.
Now, to go back to what Paul meant telling Titus to “let no one despise you”. In John 5:30, when Jesus says, “as I hear, I judge”, He is not talking about pronouncing Judgement on unrepentant men (though the time for that is certainly hastening), He was talking about judging how to proceed to accomplish My will, in each and every varied case. Only I AM holding knowledge of the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). I AM not going to override the will. However, I AM the One who knows what may resonate, and the moment in which the word of the Word may break through.
Me: Thank You, Father! I love You!
Abba: You are welcome! I love you!
Photo by Ahmed Allam on Pexels.comBees removing their own heat from the hive to maintain internal temperature for the developing brood.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32
Me: Good morning, Holy Spirit!
Holy Spirit: Good morning, Jon!
I know You are One who is freely given:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16
The part of Jesus’ explanation, of what You are come to do, needs some more explaining for me. He said You would convict of righteousness, because He was going to the Father, and that He would be seen no more (in the flesh in that day). That part is not so obvious to me. Are You convicting the world about righteousness? The world seems to be “going off the rails”.
Holy Spirit: You are perplexed by what you see in the natural realm, every man doing what seems right in his own eyes. The Scripture tells you this is not new. It goes all the way back to the garden.
So when the woman (being deceived) saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes But he who heeds counsel is wise.
Proverbs 12:15
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.
Proverbs 21:2
[Also, Deuteronomy 12:8, Judges 17:6, Job 32:1]
This comes back to what the Father told Adam, that disobedience leads to death.
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 14:2
And of course, this is still going on. When Jesus was preaching and teaching He was making true righteousness known. He was saying in John 16 (that you asked about) that He was going to the Father, that the message was going to transition from His external witness to My internal witness. This is also why it would be to the advantage of His hearers. And, just as many rejected Jesus’ words, concerning righteousness, so many reject the impressions they get from Me on that subject.
Jesus knew this. It is why He often issued the challenge, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” [Matthew 11:15, and many other passages]
Isaiah saw the work I Am sent to do.
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55
I Am convicting those who have not hardened their hearts against My voice, those who yet have ears to hear. It may not be obvious, except to those who truly know them, for they find peace. They are not noisome like those who are constantly encouraging and approving ungodly behavior. (Romans 1:31-32)
“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7
Me: Good afternoon, Father!
Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!
Me: The idea of the surveillance state with enough cameras and data centers to store everything about everyone is of great concern. But having You know every detail is a great comfort, for Your very nature is love and no injustice ever proceeds from you!
Abba: Yes, and I should have proven my forgiveness to you:
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Romans 8
Me: I am always awed at Your forgiveness and such great cost to Yourself!
Yet on the government surveillance front, there is this, which I seem to continually struggle with:
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Romans 13
History is littered with tyrannical regimes which favored one group over others, even to carrying out genocide. It seems AI powered identification of everyone is risky business. I believe it is against the spirit of the fourth amendment to the Constitution for unreasonable searches. What could be more intrusive than monitoring everywhere you go and every thing you buy and everyone you associate with?
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Revelation 13
This passage in Revelation speaks of a “beast” who is numbered (counted?) as a man with authority to prevent the commerce that is necessary to daily life unless he receives the worship that is due only to You. So, to me, it seems the building of the surveillance state is laying the groundwork for man carrying out the purposes of Satan.
Abba: Verse 14 says, “And he deceives”. That means, as is his usual restraint (from Me) his plans must be accepted by the ones implementing them. This usually happens because they think there is something in it for their own purposes.
Me: We see many signs of injustice already. I am thinking of tax money being used to subsidize abortion providers under the heading of “health care”. The courts used to attack those who provide energy to run transportation and the economy, because the existing laws don’t agree with the plaintiff’s position. On and on it goes.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Birkenau Auschwitz Concentration Camp
How do we properly address these things? I no longer have any confidence in elections to improve things. Surely, not over the long term (if there is a long term).
Abba: These are valid concerns. I would not deny that they are. However, considering these things, read Romans 8 in its entirety and take it to heart.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8
To the end, the hairs on your head will not cease to be numbered by Me.
Me: Thank You Father for that comforting perspective! I love You! Your will be done!
