Free Will – Missionary Sojourn

Debtors

Continuation of a short stroll through Romans 8

I am grateful to be caught up on hoeing!

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For 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. ¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵For 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.” ¹⁶The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and 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.

¹⁸For 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

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!

Peace in the Midst of Turmoil

From my handwritten journal entry of 4/5/2025

I am grateful for peace in my heart!

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:14

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
John 17:22

Me: Good morning, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I lament the “divide and conquer” inroads the enemy is making into our society. There is so much discontent, name-calling, accusation, and even outright violence!

Holy Spirit: Do not expect peace to prevail where the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) is rejected. Your statement of gratitude today recognizes that the heart is the residence of Peace.

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteousness of God tests the hearts and minds.
Psalm 7:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9

Those who have accepted Our invitation, who have allowed our indwelling have the fulfillment of Ezekiel 36:26 –

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Those who have not accepted will still be subject to hosting evil vitriol, and will remain in fear, be filled with hate, strive in turmoil, and be overrun with anger. This is what you observe around you, to varying degrees of progression. The cure to this terminal sickness was purchased through Jesus’ blood shed for all. However, fear, hate, chaos, and anger are blinding. They obscure the light of Truth (Matthew 10:34).

Let the light you have been given shine (Matthew 5:16). The darkness has no defense against it. Encourage those who will listen to not respond to evil speech in kind. The dark response will merely merge with the darkness that baited them, resulting in more darkness.

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

Peace Personified

Bride of Christ – Post #10

Extracted from my handwritten journal for 3/1/2025.

I am grateful for the many reminders in Your word that the “natural” world is not all there is to Your marvelous creation! The visions of Ezekiel (and others) come to mind.

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13 (the parable of the ten virgins)

Me: Good morning, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good morning, Jon!

Me: Holy Spirit, when the five foolish virgins return to the marriage supper, presumably with more oil, they knock on the door and are denied entrance. How is that different than what Jesus is saying in Revelation 3:20?

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Holy Spirit:

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

First, the purpose of the lamps held by the virgins is not to provide light inside the marriage feast. The householder had lamps of his own to provide light for the house.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5;14-15

These lamps of the Virgins in this parable are symbolic of the spiritual state of the individual, whether the life that is in them persists in affecting the world for God’s glory. The oil represents Me. I Am not a commodity that can be obtained in the market. Remember that it was midnight. Your supposition that they returned with oil is not correct. The wise virgins had “extra” oil, more than they needed. This is symbolic of eternal life that is in Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6

On the point that the householder did not need their lamps, consider these verses.

“The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.
Isaiah 60:19

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
Revelation 21:32

The virgins had lamps for the customary greeting of the bridegroom’s arrival for the wedding party. When the foolish virgins returned, the time for that welcome procession had passed.

Second, notice that the bridegroom was already arriving when the foolish virgins became painfully aware of their lack. The time had come, and they were unprepared. Also, when they return, knocking and crying, “Lord! Lord!”, the bridegroom answers, “I do not know you.” In Matthew seven, there is a similar statement to those saying “Lord, Lord” without the attendant relationship:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Matthew 7:21-23

Earlier in Matthew seven are assurances of entry for everyone who comes asking, seeking, and knocking.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8

Again, to everything there is a season.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isaiah 55:6

Proverbs 1:20-33 speaks of the transience of opportunity. Do not think it is only the bridegroom’s rejection. There is a significant risk that the hardness of heart necessary for habitual rejection of the invitation will render one incapable of later acceptance.

If the planting, nurturing and growing and maturing seasons are missed, what will come at the season of harvest?

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-5

How We Walk

I am grateful to have found places for all the new barn signs!

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Ephesians 5:28-30

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23

Me: Good afternoon, Father!

Abba: Good afternoon, Jon!

Me: Clearly, we can walk “after” the flesh, even if we are “in” Jesus.

Abba: You are slave to whomever you obey (Romans 6). You need your body in this life. You are to be a good steward of it. Your body, contrary to popular opinion, does not belong to you.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Your body: you feed it, exercise it, rest it, and otherwise take care of it that it may serve the purposes I Am giving you to fulfill. Your body is not intended to be in charge. The desires of the flesh know no practical limitation. Driven by unfettered desire, you will overeat because I generously made food to taste good to you. Left to the body’s own choice, work and exercise will fall by the wayside and laziness will assert control. You will be tempted to stay up late, then to sleep in. The body’s desires always seek the most instant gratifications. But I Am calling you to be steward over your body, as I said before.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25

[Temperance: ἐγκράτεια (eng-krat’-i-ah) Self-mastery, self-restraint, self-control.]

Please note that though this is, in human terms, called self-control, it is a gift of the Spirit to Christ followers. What does this mean? Remember that statement about yielding from earlier, that came from Romans 6? Your will is in play here. If you decide to yield to My Spirit and follow My word instead of fleshly desires, if you seek the strength to walk in My ways from Me, then you will see freedom from the domination of fleshly desires in My power. The cravings of the body can then be relegated to fulfill the functions they were created to fulfill with full enjoyment. Most get the proverbial cart before the horse and seek to control the flesh in the power of the flesh, using willpower instead of My power. The natural result is that the flesh (that wants no control) will have made you its slave and you will remain locked in a vicious cycle of serving it.

Me: Thank You Father! I love you!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Worn out by your vicious circle?

The Source of Gratitude and Peace

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (heart of compassion), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:9-13

Whoso offers praise glorifies Me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23

Do the things that Colossians 3:9-13 lists that we are to “put on” seem difficult? Does the prospect of attaining prevailing gratitude, love and peace seem a distant hope?

First, Paul was speaking to those who have accepted Christ as savior. Outside of His indwelling Spirit, these things are not just difficult, they are impossible.

Second, these traits do not come after getting our sin in submission by our own efforts, any more than we can evict all the darkness out of a room so it will be light in there. If the light is turned on, the darkness is driven out by the presence of light. [Let me observe here that light does not fill a room in a static manner, as water fills a container. It flows from its source in a continual manner. The speed at which it travels is considered the “universal constant”, the fastest physical thing in the cosmos.] Rather, it is the instantaneous saving transformation of our sprits at salvation, and the purposeful transformation of our minds by the Word that enables banishment of the things that we are to “put off” and the adoption to the characteristics that we are to “put on”.

“Put” is a verb. This passage is not saying the process of transformation is automatic. We do have to resist the flesh and the devil. I am not backpedaling on what I have said in the previous paragraph; I am saying that the power to resist comes from the Spirit of God and that must come first to drive out the darkness.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Further, we must stay deliberately engaged in the Word. Engagement in this sense is not mere reading. It implies willingness to be conformed to the revelations of the Holy Spirit.

The Righteous Judge

The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. Psalm 103:6

From a purely physical perspective, it doesn’t always look like that to us, does it? My last post was from a conversational journal passage about the unrighteous judge. God, on the other hand, is a righteous Judge for all that are oppressed. That invites the question, are we oppressed? I believe that is a perspective that we often have because there has been some truth to it for all and that may be the actively downward-spiraling situation for others.

When Peter was sent to by the Spirit to minister the Gospel to Cornelius and his household, his discourse included this:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

Well, what manner of oppression might this be?

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

(This verse in John 10 is in the middle of a parable where Jesus is describing Himself as the Good Shepherd.)

Is something stealing your peace? Have you been involuntarily divested of property? Is health being destroyed in some fashion? Has death darkened the door of your house yet? If not, certainly the door of friends and loved ones. The methods of such oppression are varied and far reaching.

That is what makes the message of 1 John 3:8 so encouraging.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

It is by sin that the devil gained access to trouble mankind with all manner of things leading ultimately to death. All of us have sinned and continue to do so. So what of Jesus’ statement that He came to give us abundant life? That is the good news, for sure.

I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

(Remember in John 10, Jesus was likening Himself to a good shepherd.)

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

The remainder of Psalm 103 gives quite a list of benefits we can expect from the Righteous Judge. It is certainly worth frequent reading to be reminded of God’s mercy, redemption, compassion, and more.

I will leave you with a cautionary reminder for all of us.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

On the positive side, this is great news given to believers in Jesus! But even for believers, the corollary is that the devil will not flee without resistance. Continuing to engage in intentional sin is not resistance, and in fact gives him further access.

Though His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), choose you this day whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:15)

Undead Yet?

I am grateful, Father, that You have enabled me to be in Jesus and to be raised with Him!

2 And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God]. 3 Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], indulging the desires of human nature [without the Holy Spirit] and [the impulses] of the [sinful] mind. We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind]. 4 But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). 6 And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, 7 [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption]. 8 For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. 10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. Ephesians 2:2-10 AMP

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: Seems this revelation that we are dead unless regenerated, born again, in Jesus is mysterious to the still dead.

Abba: I told Adam, beforehand.

So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience].” Genesis 2:15-17

Eve was lied to, in Adam’s hearing, and the two of them bought what the deceiver was selling.

Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Genesis 3:3-7

The serpent countered My message to Adam, “On the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die” with “You certainly will not die!”

In disobedience, stepping away from the Author and Sustainer of life is death. Spiritually in the moment, physically in due time. The serpent told a perverted “truth”. Though man’s spiritual connection to Me perished with the sin, his lungs kept filling with air and his heart kept circulating corpuscles to be aerated. Eventual physical death is a mercy to the spiritually dead.

Consider the “sons of disobedience”, who fight against My purposes. Contrary to what the serpent said, My will for man is only for good. Still, the disobedient spiral down into twisted decay. They seek to fill their cadaverous emptiness with anything they think will bring them pleasure or benefit of any kind. They become wholly self-absorbed. They harm others (even children) because they have no idea what the truth is. They call that which is evil, good. They call that which is good, evil. (Isaiah 5:20) The Devil comes but to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10) and they are sold into bondage to him.

Me: The redemption You have provided in Jesus is such a stark contrast to the ever-deepening darkness that follows sin! Thank You for the grace You have lavished upon us! What You have done is beyond comprehension. Yet we can enjoy freedom in the new life and express thanksgiving where there was only taking before. Thank You! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

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!

The Truth

I am grateful that You have sent the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth! (John 16:13)

Psalms 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

Psalms 119:99 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they [commandments] are ever with me.

Psalms 119:148 Mine eyes prevent [anticipate] the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

Psalms 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Selected Psalms and Proverbs

Me: Good morning, Jesus!

Jesus: Good morning, Jon!

Me: Jesus, lately some have been allowed to raise the issue of attempts, by various forces and agencies (such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Disinformation Governance Board), to control what is to be sanctioned as “truth”. I recognize the Disinformation Governance Board was officially disbanded in late August last year owing to the recognition that it was a huge political liability for the administration. Still, we have polling results that say more Americans were in favor of such controls in 2021 than they were in 2018. I don’t know it that would still hold today. It seems to me that truth is under Your purview for good reason.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6

Jesus: That passage highlights that My words about coming to God are true, exclusive (the truth, but by Me), and reliable. If you back up to the beginning of the Gospel of John and the beginning of Genesis, I would like to make a further point about My word.

John 1:1-13, Genesis 1, Colossians 1:15-20, Romans 11:29

The entire creation with all its energy, intricacies, and connections came into being and is maintained in existence by the words of My mouth.

This desire in the heart of man to reserve judgment as to the truth has beguiled mankind from the beginning (Genesis 3), and its deception and consequence will persist unto the end (2 Peter 2). However, I uphold my word, and those who would know the truth may absolutely rely on My promises to help you set your heart on things above (Colossians 3:1).

As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him. So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:30-32

Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 5:17-20 and Matthew 24:35 tell you that nothing spoken by Me will pass away, for I Am watching over My word to preform it (Jeremiah 1:12).

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you!

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

Postscript:
Referring to the graphic above, the function of meditation on the word of God (what is true) is the channel by which the mind is renewed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This work has decidedly positive effects on the whole of the soul, improved emotional state, mastery of the will, a clear conscience, strengthened faith, and banished unbelief. A corrupt self-awareness comes into line with the true identity of the believer in Jesus.

Godly meditation is really nothing more than allowing the word of God to form an image in your mind, allowing you to “see” what God is saying to you by His word. It is by this process that we can be truly transformed.

Continuation of a short stroll through Romans 8

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