Author: Jon

Awestruck son of the Sovereign of the universe, from whom all rights and responsibilities of men derive.

Calling of Levi

I am grateful to have the new yard hydrant installed and some of the dirt back in the hole.

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2 New King James Version

Me: Good afternoon, Father!

Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: Do we do such a poor job of communicating the Gospel, that instead of being drawn by the tender mercies named in this exhortation, many non-believers see judgmentalism, which they interpret as hatefulness?

Abba: Do you recall from the Scriptures when Jesus called Levi (later called Matthew) from his tax-collector’s booth?

Me: Yes, Luke 5, Matthew 9, and Mark chapter 2.

Abba: Levi was operating what you would call a toll booth today, on the Via Maris (meaning “way of the sea”). It was an ancient trade route that ran along the costal plain of the eastern Mediterranean. Levi’s tax collection was under the authority of Herod Antipas with the collected duties shared by Herod and Rome. The heavy fees collected were viewed by Jews as burdensome and ceremonially defiling, as the Jews chafed under their Roman occupation. Therefore, those who were making their living as tax collectors were viewed with the utmost contempt by the Jewish religious leaders, and by the Jewish populace who were subject to these taxes.

Me: From the passage in Luke, when Jesus called him, Levi got up and left everything behind and followed Jesus. Then, apparently, Levi put on a banquet to introduce all his tax-collector friends to Jesus (Luke 5:29). This caused the religious leaders to complain that Jesus and His disciples would stoop to eating with such “tax collectors and sinners”(v30).

Abba: And what was Jesus’ response to this charge?

Me: Verses 31 and 32 are well known: Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Abba: The religious leaders considered themselves above reproach. Though if you read the Scriptures diligently, it becomes plain that their righteousness was only self-righteousness. Levi, on the other hand, jumped up and followed immediately at the grace extended to him.

And that is the crux of the matter, so to speak. Those who consider themselves righteous are often judgmental, seeing themselves as superior. Those who understand their need of grace, are open to receive My righteousness.

Notice that Jesus did not say it is OK to keep on sinning. His call is to repentance. However, judgment is Mine.

Finally, some have mistakenly assumed that I can’t deal with sin as though it would pollute My holiness. If that were so, I would have ceased speaking to man entirely after the fall in the garden. What I can’t stand about sin, is the damage it does to My children. They even misinterpret My reaction to Jesus bearing the sin of the world on the cross. They will say I couldn’t look upon that sin. What was rending My heart was that My Son had to endure it.

Me: Thank You Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

picture of new yard hydrant installation.

Holey Work

When we bought the place we live in 2012, we had a yard hydrant that was seized and couldn’t be turned on. With a new garden plot on that side, near the barn. That would have proven to be inconvenient, had we not had more than our share of rain this summer.

I have been working lately to dig up the offending hydrant to replace it with a new one. Here in Iowa, the “extreme” freeze line requires the water lines to be five feet deep to avoid having your water freeze up on the coldest winters.

The rusted, formerly galvanized pipe, leads me to believe this hydrant has been in the ground a long time!

I can tell you tonight I am feeling every shovelful of dirt I have thrown out of the hole. We bottom two feet was definitely still plenty wet (and heavy and gummy) from the earlier rains.

The block structure is a previously used well pit. The blocks are merely stacked and not mortared. When the water was converted to supply by the local rural water supply, the metered water was connected in the existing pit and the well was retired (I was told the well was sulfurous, which might explain the bad drain and waste yard hydrant). There are cut-offs in the pit, which I will need to access when the new hydrant is installed.

Right now I am looking for a source for a stainless tee than can insert into the poly pipe and provide a 3/4″ NPT (normal pipe thread) to attach the new hydrant.

These hydrants have a drain hole near the bottom that allow them to empty when shut off so they don’t freeze in winter. It seems to me the four-inch drain tile and handful of rocks (still on the ledge next to the block wall) was a pretty poor installation, given that the level of the drain hole is in a pure clay strata.

Out of Chaos…

…Order

Substance

I am grateful to have the small chicken coop moved under the trees, where the chicks will be cooler in the summer heat!

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11

Substance, here, in the NKJV, is hypostasis; a compound of hupo and histemi; a setting under (support), i.e. (figuratively) concretely, essence, or abstractly, assurance (objectively or subjectively) — confidence, confident, person, substance.

I note that we get our English word stasis from the Greek word histemi, meaning – in this context – equilibrium or a stable state. The Strongs exposition, above, incorporated the word concretely, which we equate with stability.

In the third verse, the writer speaks of the worlds being framed by the word of God as a basis for understanding faith. The word of God is surer as a foundation than is concrete! Concrete will eventually decay, but the word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Lord, thank You that Your word is faithful and true, a sure foundation for life! Thank you that our relationship with you is by faith in You, and not by our always-inconsistent performance.

Small Chicken Coop

Debtors

Continuation of a short stroll through Romans 8

I am grateful to be caught up on hoeing!

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.

Romans 8:12-18 NKJV

Me: Good afternoon, Father!

Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: “put to death the deeds of the flesh” recalls the process of rejecting the desire, for an alcoholic to drink or, really, the emphatic demands of any addictive or controlling behavior; that life may ensue instead of death.

Abba: Giving in to these assertive desires without restraint is, in fact, pandering to the flesh rather than the Spirit. I Am never going to lead in a spiritually self-destructive direction. (Do I even have to say that?) But the clamoring of the flesh is at odds with the Spirit.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 14:12

It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life.

John 6:63

I spoke into the void (not empty space, for there was no space). I spoke all that is, and it came into being at My word. (Genesis 1) It is the same power that Jesus was referring to when He said, “the words that I speak”. The void did not have an option other than to obey My words. You do. This is why the scripture tells you to choose (Joshua 24:15, Deuteronomy 30:19, Revelation 3:20). You constantly have a choice. However, My Spirit is within the redeemed. They are sealed:

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 1:13

Me: Thank You Father! I am grateful for the recognition that squelching the clamoring of the flesh both possible and lifegiving. is I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! The flesh is like a demanding toddler. The demands are not aways in his best interest. I love you!

Graphic depicting some aspects related to the mind, heart, and spirit.

Featured photo, Sagar Sintan, Pexels

Damselfly

Female Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

Found this damselfly resting by the garage door. If my identification is correct it is a female Ebony Jewelwing. We have a small creek that runs a little over one hundred yards south of the house, so this lady was not too far out of her normal element.

I never cease to be amazed at the creative nature of our Creator! So, I thought I might share the picture.

Picture taken with iPhone 16 Pro Max on 5x zoom.

Life and Death

A short stroll through Romans 8

I am grateful that You are Spirit!

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

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. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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.

Romans 8:6-11

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I think Romans 8 may be my favorite passage of scripture.

Abba: What is not to like? No condemnation, freedom, righteousness, life, peace, adoption, heirs, glory, hope, help, purpose, deliverance, an protection, just to skim the surface.

Me: The benefits you have given us in Jesus are truly boundless! Thank You! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Tiger Lilly with Visitor

New Chick Hatching

Now!

I am grateful that Your creation reflects Your loving care for us all to see!

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

Revelation 12:10

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: This is a marvelous verse, Father! Can You please tell me something about its temporal language? It uses words like “have come”, “has been”, “now”, and “accused”.

Abba: I Am glad to point out that “has been” is applicable to the accuser.

Many have speculated as to when this “now” is referring. In Job 1:6 and 2:1-2, Satan’s access to heaven is mentioned. He accuses both Job and I that Job only honors Me because of the blessings I bestowed on him.

Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” (Luke 2:10) Though the English translation of this verse seems a strong past-tense rendition, this is not so in the original. Rather, it emphasizes that it was an event, something that happened at a particular point in time.

Consider how Revelation 12:10 links a moment (now) with salvation and the power of the Christ, with Satan’s casting down. In Revelation 12:7, leading up to verse 10, “war in heaven” is the setting. Verse eleven in Revelation 12 says this:

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

So, this victory, in which you stand, was won by Jesus at the cross. And the victory enfolds all who put their trust in Him. The Accuser, then, has no more standing to accuse those who have repented of their lives of sin and put their faith in the work of the sinless Son.

For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2, Isaiah 49:8

While a person has breath, there is a moment – now – when it is possible to enter in to the salvation provided. None knows whether another moment is coming.

Me: Hallelujah! Thank You Father! I love You! Thank you! Thank you!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Demolition

Sometimes an improvement starts with a mess. Resisting change is resisting even the possibility of an upgrade.