Tag: bible

Exchange

I am Grateful for your provision and faultless faithfulness!

In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

Isaiah 26:1-4

Me: Good afternoon, Father!

Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: Father, you suggested the verse, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You”, as I was asking what you wanted me to meditate upon today. I love the promise of “perfect peace” in Isaiah 24, if we keep focusing on You. No, more than focusing. It says trusting, too. And not just temporarily, either! When I looked at the context of that promise, I saw that it was to Judah and was a picture of salvation to come. It even mentions that salvation is appointed by You and that it stands as a bulwark, as protection against the enemy. Isaiah said, “Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter”. But that made me think of what Jesus said to the rich young ruler:

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Luke 18:18-19, Mark 10:17-18

Say again how is it that Judah, and those who are being saved become known as a “righteous nation” and as keepers of the truth? When Jesus walked physically in Judea, He declared, “I Am the Truth”. Yet the so-called spiritual leadership of the nation goaded the people to cry aloud, “Crucify him!” before the Roman Judgement Seat, where they accused Him of heresy and sedition. (John 18:28 – 19:16)

Abba: Jesus did not grant the religious order or the Roman government power over the message He came to deliver (John 19:11).  As you see, the leaders were corrupt, serving their own interests, and the people were cowed into taking direction from them. The religious leaders had the power to put anyone out of the synagogue, which was the center of the community. The Romans exercised the power of capital punishment in such a way as to induce the most fear. Look at what this passage in Romans says of Abraham’s faith:

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:3-5

This passage speaks of the belief My friend Abraham had in Me and of grace that Jesus has bestowed by His sacrifice of bearing your unrighteousness, again, to those who believe.

Exchange (by faith): His righteousness for your ungodliness.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 2:16

Twice in the above verse, Paul speaks of the faith of Jesus and once of faith in Jesus. Faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8, James 1:17), if you but agree to receive it.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8

James speaks of problem of being double minded, as it relates to faith for receiving wisdom if one asks. This issue of double mindedness, though, applies to faith for anything you are doing according to My direction. I just said that you have to agree to receive the gift of faith. That plays out in steadfast trust in what I Am saying to you. It is the enemy of your souls who will plant doubt about what I Am saying. Go back and look at his exchange with Eve (Genesis 3:1-6). What did he do? He got her to doubt that she had understood what I said, even that I had her best interests at heart and was being deceptive. Talk about narcissistic projection! Mind games are his specialty.

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (Romans 1:16)

Me: Thank You Father! I love You! Thank You for the awesome gifts You give! Thank You for linking all these scriptures together by Your Spirit. It seems the Gospel in a nutshell!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Goings-on to the West (my image)

Combatting Darkness

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8

Me: Good evening, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good evening, Jon!

Me: I know we are not now under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). But Jesus also said that none of the law would pass away while heaven and earth remain (Matthew 5:18). How does this injunction from Joshua 1:8 apply to believers?

Holy Spirit: The Word stands forever. Focusing on it, meditating on it, speaking it, observing (obeying) it, is key to transforming your mind:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 12-17

You see, aligning your heart and mind with My word, which reveals my perfect will, is not just about improving your own spiritual state, but is critical to equip you to be effective in the work I have called you to do. As the world system and its inhabitants accelerate into the dark abyss of corruption, it is upon those who will apply themselves to My Word to shed light where I have placed them.

Me: Thank You, Holy Spirit! I love You!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

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

Wind and Fire

“Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock;and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Matthew 7:24-27

I was a little behind and I am grateful for a good night’s rest!

Me: Good afternoon, Father!

Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: I read a blog post from Nicola in the UK this morning that contained a prophecy of a mighty wind of Your holiness coming, that it would blow also against every house that has Your name associated with it. With that, You caused me to think of the passage above in Matthew seven.

Abba: Here is another passage on purging:

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13

There is a picture of surviving this fire in Daniel, chapter three. Here is another passage from Jesus about purging:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 15: 1-14

I Am holy. I made you to be holy, as I Am holy. (Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:26; 1 Peter 1:15-16) My purging work in the lives of My children is an expression of My deep love. My pruning results in bearing the fruit of righteousness: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These traits are the expression of My rock-solid nature in you. If you permit My Spirit to do this work, you will be transformed as Jesus, the exact representation of My nature.

Standing on the Rock, here is a description of the needed change:

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4

Jesus spoke of this move from earthly tent to spiritual house in this way:

 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

John 14:2-4

Clothed in My righteousness, standing upon the Rock of My Son, you will fear neither wind nor fire when they come, as they surely will.

Farm Sunrise