Quest Journal, sections 86-89 [Are you a Maphibosheth?]

(back to) sections 86-89

86-   When the human [carnal] mind stands with its back to the “light”; as the light shines past it and to its front, it perceives itself to be the light source, the greatest power in the universe: the source of life and vitality.  Another imagery is that of seeing our ‘shadow’ as being the reality of who we are in every aspect of life.  We must turn around and face the light, in ‘face-to-face’ fellowship with the Father, and recognize the true light source: God, and see ourselves as He describes us; thus, the only truly empowering perspective is realized.

87-   Are you a Maphibosheth?  In 2^ndSamuel 4:4, 9:1-13, Maphibosheth was the son of Jonathan [David’s friend], who was the son of Israel’s King Saul.  Upon the same-day wartime death of King Saul and Jonathan, Maphibosheth’s nurse [nanny] did not know the heart of the new King, David, to do good to any descendants that Jonathan may have had.  Therefore, after the death of Saul and Jonathan, she took the young boy [five years old at the time; and crippled in an accident during this ‘escape’] into hiding, where they lived in perceived safety, yet in poverty, for several years.  After King David learned of the existence of Maphibosheth, he told his servants to bring him to him so he could transform him from being an ignorant escapee, into being a member of David’s [Christ’s] family and eat continually at his table.

This is not a perfect analogy in all respects, but think for a moment in terms of King Saul being Abraham, Jonathan being Jesus, and David being the Holy Spirit.  Maphibosheth’s nurse [a likeness of the natural human spirit/mind in relation to our novice born-again spirit/mind (Maphibodheth)] did not understand the heart of David [the heart of the Holy Spirit and the authentic disciples of Christ]; therefore, she ran from him and took Maphibosheth with her [the carnal mind is afraid of a power it knows is greater than itself].  They lived in seclusion and fear for several years, until they were brought good news by a faithful friend/servant: that the King wanted to bless them.  Maphibosheth [meaning: “shame, confusion, and idolatry dispelled”] still did not know what to think of the situation; but because the King called him, he went, still fearing for his life [our carnal mind (the ‘nurse’) teaches our born-again mind to fear what our carnal mind does not (cannot) understand].  He soon discovered for himself the true heart of the King, and submitted himself to the blessing awaiting him.  Is that not the way many people are today?  They do not understand the heart of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit so they attempt to ‘escape’ into ‘hiding’ and hope to escape God’s wrath.  They do this to their own hurt and have to provide everything for themselves solely by their own carnal abilities.

This scenario has been played out repeatedly throughout the history of Israel, and is being replayed again today – and in the heart and mind of those who have not fully committed their life to Christ.

As those who serve Christ have come to realize: would it not be a much better approach to life, to seek to understand the true heart of the Father and live in the blessings of faithful relationship with the Holy Spirit?

88-   The most important choices we make in life, are the choices of the thoughts we meditate on and the attitude with which we do so.

89-   Victim, or Victor?  No ‘victim’ can live in the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Pastor of a church congregation should not foster, or be content with, anyone’s victimhood.  A true shepherd will not only have compassion for a sheep that has fallen into a ditch, but they will also do whatever possible to rescue them.  People who live their life under a victim mentality have ceased [or not begun] to operate in the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven, and have thereby [in practicality] absented themselves from the blessings of the Kingdom.  Our blessings await us in the place where God assigned us to be.  God assigned us to an attitude of ‘victory’ in his Kingdom.  [1^stKings 7:2-16 (vv.4, 9), Heb.11:6]

(to be continued with #90)

Quest Journal, sections 98-100 (end of book 1)

(continuing) Journal sections 98-100

98-    We must resist the internal, external, secular, and ‘religious’ pressures that intimidate our life into compromising the Word of God in order to compensate for our carnal appetites and desire to be satisfied with past performances.  Jesus was not satisfied with an emotion-centric ‘religion’, or with what ‘religious’ leaders said was a satisfactory spiritual lifestyle.  Jesus faithfully followed the Holy Spirit’s instruction, and he reaped the Holy Spirit-empowered ‘harvest’ of earthly life and ministry, and Eternal Life and Glory.  Who and/or what will you follow, and reap its earthly and Eternal ‘harvest’?  [Ps.36:1-12; Mt.6:16-21, 15:7-9, 23:13-35, 25:1-13; 2^ndCor.4:7-11; Heb.12:7-16; Rev.12:10-11]

 

99-    Lord, help me to keep from boiling up and thinking and acting like a Pharisee.

Rom.3:4[EV], “⁴… let God be true, [faithful to his Covenant;] and every man[, who speaks against God’s Covenant, and His faithfulness to His Covenant and Humanity,]a liar;”

 

100-   1^stKings 19:19-21 – When Elijah put his mantle upon Elisha, Elisha got a taste of God’s anointing that was upon Elijah and would eventually be transferred to Elisha.  Elisha was not following Elijah, per se, during their subsequent joint adventures with God; he was following the anointing God had placed upon Elijah.

If we know God’s Covenant and what true Anointing is, and follow the leadership of the people who truly follow God’s Word and manifest God’s Anointing on their life [not attempt to counterfeit, or piggyback off, someone else’s Anointing], we will follow God’s Covenant and find the Anointing the Holy Spirit desires to manifest through our life.

[This is the end of Quest Journal introduction and book 1.  The next post will begin “book 2,” Quest Journal, book 2 (#101) www.woodystonejournal2.wordpress.com .  I’m not sure, but you may need to ‘subscribe’ to it in order to automatically receive email updates.  Maybe someone can send me a message and let me know.]

Quest Journal, sections 96-97

(continuing)  Journal sections 96-97

96(a)-   Eph.4:11-15[WSV], “^11-12… ¹³Till we all come in[to] the Unity [undivided belief, purpose, and method] of [with] the Faith, and of the knowledge [Spiritual understanding (‘epignosis’)] of the Son of God, unto a perfect man [person], unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of  [in full Character-unity with, and ministry like unto,] Christ: ¹⁴that we henceforth be no more children [childishly uneducated and naïve about spiritual matters], tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine [‘breezes and gusts’ of flawed philosophies of life (Dr. Spock, Bill Clinton et al., your local pedophiles and spouse and child abusers, etc.)], by the sleight [twisted political and mental manipulations] of men [people], and cunning craftiness [junk politics, ‘science’, and religion], whereby they lie in wait to deceive [manipulate through threats, condemnations, and/or delusions of grandeur]; ¹⁵but [through] speaking the Truth in Love, [we (the individual members of the Body of Christ)] may grow up [mature] into him in all things [perfect obedience and cooperation in all ways in our relationship/fellowship and ministry with], which is the ‘Head [of the body’:], even Christ.”

 96(b)-   Eph.4:11-15[EV], “^11-12… ¹³Till we all come into Unity₁ with the Faith and Spiritual understanding₂ of the Son of God, unto a perfect man₃, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of₄ Christ: ¹⁴that we henceforth be no more children₁, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine₂, by the sleight₃ of men₄, and cunning craftiness₅, whereby they lie in wait to deceive₆; ¹⁵but through speaking the Truth in Love, we₁ may mature into perfect obedience and cooperation in all ways in our relationship/fellowship and ministry with the ‘Head of the body’: Christ.”

Ephesians, 4:13(1) undivided belief, purpose, and method; 4:13(2) ‘epignosis’; 4:13(3) person; 4:13(4) in full Character-unity with, and ministry like unto,; 4:14(1) childishly uneducated and naïve about spiritual matters; 4:14(2) ‘breezes and gusts’ of flawed philosophies of life [Dr. Spock, Bill Clinton et al., your local pedophiles and spouse and child abusers, etc.]; 4:14(3) twisted political and mental manipulations; 4:14(4) people; 4:14(5) junk politics, ‘science’, and religion; 4:14(6) manipulate through threats, condemnations, and/or delusions of grandeur; 4:15(1) the individual members of the Body of Christ

97-     Our success or failure in life and eternity, is not the result of things around us, it is the harvest from the things within us.  We are the harvest the ‘crop’ [life] produced in our own ‘garden’ [spirit and mind].  The conditions [environment] around us can be allowed to nourish, or diminish, the extent of our harvest; but we are the ones who determine the ‘seeds’ [philosophies, visions, attitudes, etc.] we allow to flourish in our ‘garden’.  We can allow the junk philosophies and actions of the carnal world to contaminate and overwhelm our ‘garden’; or we can ‘tend our garden’: plant and nourish the authentic Word of God, and eliminate the ‘weeds’.  Through the very fact that we live in this carnal world, our ‘garden’ is contaminated with the ‘weed seeds’ and ‘pollen’ of the world’s carnal philosophies [you might say, ‘they blow and are strewn over the wall’] – they come from all directions and cannot be eliminated.  If we do not control the weeds, they will overwhelm and strangle, or contaminate the ‘pollinating genetics’ of, the ‘plants’ growing in our ‘garden’; but if we do control them, and nourish the authentic Word of God, we will enjoy the rewards promised in God’s Word.

 God’s Word is the only perfect ‘seed’, and Christ is the only perfect ‘ground’ and ‘gardener’.  Some Monasteries, Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, Temples, cult compounds, etc. attempt to create a perfect ‘garden’ environment; but the people who establish and populate those environments carry ‘weed seeds’ and contaminating ‘pollen’ with them when they enter.  Even if someone were to be raised totally within an environment sterile of ‘over the wall’ external contaminants, the very doctrines taught within those environments [the ‘seed’ they intentionally ‘plant’] have already been ‘contaminated’ [‘pollinated’] with outside influences: like the genetic differences between potatoes and roses, or between sweet corn and field corn.

 The Holy Spirit has been working for thousands of years, and in various ways, to bring our spiritual ‘genetics’ [beliefs, thoughts, and actions] to the perfection God the Father initiated in the ‘Garden of Eden’.  The difficulty of completing His task is perpetuated and multiplied through our actually inviting contaminating ‘weed seeds’ [false doctrines (carnal-based, worldly philosophies)] and ‘polluting pollens’ [ideas and doctrines that comingle (‘cross-pollinate’) with God’s authentic Word (‘religions’, cults, denominations, etc.)] into our ‘garden’. 

 The authentic and complete doctrine of Christ is the perfect ‘seed’ and ‘pollen’ that, under the right conditions, produces the perfect ‘harvest’ that supplies our every healthful need and enjoyment in this life, and leads to perfect eternal Life.  For the purpose of example, I will call that perfect seed and pollen “manna” [Ex.16:15, 35; Ps.78:24-42; Rev.2:17].  Like the children of Israel [on their way to the Promised Land], we contaminate our harvest by allowing our carnal desires [our earth-bound carnal nature (whether we are born-again or not)] to manipulate and control our character and influence it to pursue things outside God’s Covenant.  We deceive ourselves when we think we can nurture the world’s ‘weed’ doctrines, or ‘cross-pollinate’ the Word of God with our own carnal-based doctrines, ideas, and desires in our ‘garden’, and still reap the perfect ‘harvest’ promised in God’s Word [receive Divine health, peace, relationships, prosperity, eternal blessing, etc.].  [Num.11:1-6, 33-34; Rom.6:19, 8:5, 13, 20; 12:1-2]

 What is the substance of your ‘harvest’?  If our ‘harvest’ does not conform in all ways to the blessings God promised to those who actually Love and Follow Him, then we still have some doctrines and beliefs [‘seed genetics and pollen-acceptance’] to purify.  God’s original ‘seed’ and ‘pollen’ [His Word and Works] are pure and undefiled, but the “doctrines” we mix with them [the ‘seeds’ we plant, pollinate, and harvest] are not necessarily so pure.

 God desires for our Salvation to be inexpensive to us [the cost is pre-paid and freely offered], but we too often choose to perceive it as being cheap [devalued, insignificant, or obtained without serious effort].

(to be continued) 

Quest Journal, section 95

(continuing)   Quest Journal, section 95

95-  God has a blessed destiny planned for each of us and has prescribed a specific set of precepts [the gospel of Christ] we must follow in order to fulfill that destiny, but God has given us the full right [as free-will human beings] to determine our own path in life [whether or not to follow God’s design].  We can invent our own path, or adopt someone else’s [Preacher, Rabbi, Imam, Guru, President, Legislator, Judge, friend, neighbor, etc.] plan and precepts; however, the ultimate choice is ours to make, and God, through his Covenant, holds us accountable for our choices.  We will ultimately receive the in-route and final destiny and recompense that result from our choices, and we never know when our most recent choices will be the ones that bring us to our final destiny in this life and eternity.

God gave us the gift of free and total access to the fullness of the Guidance, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power of his Holy Spirit.  However, God created our personal free spiritual will to be the final authority for the design, implementation, and empowering route we use to arrive at our personal destiny, no matter what attitudes or paths we choose in achieving that destiny [whether we choose God’s way, or our own].  Moreover, our spiritual will is only able to manifest God’s blessed destiny in our life [or whatever destiny our choices lead to] through the permission and cooperation of our personal free mental will [His design?  His plan?  His help?  – Our choice!].  [Rom.12:2; 1^stCor.9:16-19; 1^stThess.5:23; Titus 3:5]

Our mind has no access to God except through our spirit, and our spirit has no access to the Father God except through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Our spirit also has no access to our Earthly life except through our mind: which ultimately controls our body unless there are missing or malfunctioning aspects of our mind and/or body.  Our spirit can overcome any missing or malfunctioning aspects of our mind and/or body, but not under ‘natural’ [without God’s help] circumstances.  In order to take advantage of the advantage God has given us to overcome ‘natural’ obstacles, our spirit must actually be tapped into a higher spiritual power source than itself: the Holy Spirit [Holy Spirit <> our spirit].

Our mental will energizes the necessary mental/physical realm route [link], wisdom, knowledge, vision, power, and emotional fortitude that our spiritual will needs/uses to access the realm of Humanity [> Holy Spirit >? spirit > mind > body].

Our spiritual will energizes the necessary spiritual realm route [link], wisdom, knowledge, vision, and power that our mental will needs/uses to relay its desires to the realm of God [< Holy Spirit <? spirit < mind < body].

Our spiritual will determines our connectivity with the Holy Spirit; and our mental will determines the permission and cooperation our spirit has in manifesting its power toward God and toward the human mental/physical realm.  I will ask you then: In addition to being born-again in your spirit, how important is it for you to be born-again in your mind (“… transformed through the renewing of your mind …”)?  [Rom.12:1-3]

[Analogy]  Think about a two-way radio or telephone communication system [also like the human nervous system] used to convey messages back and forth that enable the accomplishment of a task [like between a supervisor and a person in the field – or between our brain and foot].  Now, apply that analogy to our effort to communicate with God and get his blessings to manifest in our human realm of existence [in our mind, body, situation, etc., and eventually in the world at large].

Every aspect [Holy Spirit, spirit, mind, and body] of communication and task accomplishment have their own responsibility, accountability, ‘personality’, cultural environment, desires, and abilities.  Our mind has an interface “frequency” [based in the mental realm, with mental/physical properties – ‘body-connectivity’] with which it communicates and interacts with our body; and it also has a different interface “frequency” [based in the mental realm, with spiritual/mental properties – ‘spirit-connectivity’] with which it communicates and interacts with our personal spirit.  The necessary elements that determine the success or failure of those communications and interactions [between spirit/mind, mind/body] include the following major points.

1) Having an actual active connection,

2) Operating on the appropriate connective ‘frequency’,

3) Both parties having the ability to hear, think, and speak from a language and cultural background both parties understand,

4) Both parties having the ability to understand and interact with the actual and authoritative abilities and limitations of the other party, and

5) Both parties having the knowledge and ‘tools’ necessary to accomplish their part of the task at hand.

If any of these elements is missing, there will be a breakdown in the ability to communicate, interact, and exchange wisdom, knowledge, and power – thus the task is doomed to failure.

 In this analogy, and in our life, the same principles that apply in the communication and interaction between our personal human spirit and its own mind and body, also apply to the communication and interaction between our personal human spirit and the Holy Spirit.  Do you see an interactive chain of communications and activities that must take place [downwardly] between the Holy Spirit and our spirit, between our spirit and our mind, and between our mind and our body [and in the reverse interactions going upwardly]?

The connectivity [or lack thereof] that is necessary between the Holy Spirit and our personal spirit is the point at which all the religions of the world [including all the different types of Christian ‘religion’] have separated themselves from true/original Christianity: the gospel demonstrated and taught by Christ Jesus.  There are far too many specific philosophies [secular theories, ‘religions’, denominations, etc.] to get into at this point [you would recognize many of them], so I will simply state that the essence of the problem with ‘religion’ lies in people relying on the powers of their own human spirit [even though they may imagine otherwise] instead of allowing [insisting upon] their spirit to actually communicate and interact with the Holy Spirit.  Most ‘religions’ do not even know of, or acknowledge the importance of, the Holy Spirit.  Authentic connection and communication with the Holy Spirit is accomplished through authentic spiritual and mental Submission to the Holy Spirit, not through imagination, religious formularies, or wishful thinking.

The human spirit is the internal power source that was given to every individual of humanity when God  “… breathed into his [Adam’s – our] nostrils [his inward ‘workings’] the breath [spirit] of life [our individual spiritual-life power source and connection-point with God] …” [Gen.2:7].

In the system God created, our mind and body are always dependent upon our personal spirit’s connection with the Holy Spirit to keep us connected with the Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power of God.  If we break, or never establish, the link between our spirit and the Holy Spirit, our mind and body are forced to rely solely upon whatever wisdom, knowledge, vision, power, etc. our personal spirit may possess.  This isolated-from-the-Holy-Spirit [through ignorance, and not knowing it is isolated] human power source is what all religions [including Christian ‘religion’] are ignorantly attempting to tap into, thinking it is God himself [the devil’s ultimate deception]; because they have lost, or not found, the knowledge of the reality of the necessity, purpose, and benefit of having authentic spiritual connection with the Holy Spirit.  The devil is perfectly content with all ‘religions’ [he actually invents and promotes them] as long as they stay away from actually making connection with the Holy Spirit.  All ‘religious’ people think that if their mind is friendly toward God, that that is the only thing necessary to have an active and beneficial relationship with God.  This concept and attitude is NOT true Christianity; but it is the message communicated through the ignorant ‘religious’ beliefs and behaviors of most who call themselves Christian.  Mental focus on God [which all ‘religions’ promote] is an essential part of God’s system; but without our valid and solid spiritual connection with the Holy Spirit, all our mental sincerity and focus on God is worthless [except through possibly promoting a better and more peaceful social structure on Earth.  Radical Islam is the latest system to have lost even this little bit of benefit from ‘religion’ [along with other ‘religious’ and secular philosophies and systems (all philosophies are some type of ‘religion’ – including Communism, Socialism, Liberalism, Nazism, etc.; even Capitalism can be a ‘religion’) of the past and present]].

 Most Christian ‘religions’ misguidedly think that once a person is ‘born-again’ there are then no further problems to be resolved between us and God [Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit]: that our spirit is perfect toward [in perfect standing with] God, and we are in position to receive all the blessings of God; therefore, any problems with receiving blessings must be ‘God’s fault’.  We have all the right ‘equipment’, and are in position to be ‘able’ to receive from God; but to actually receive, it is necessary to have an active and deliberate connection, communication, and interaction between our spirit and the Holy Spirit.  By promoting a seeker pacifying, emotionally soothing, easy way, one-step reaches all blessings, gospel; we are promoting the spiritual suicide of every seeker we come in contact with, including our fellow Christians.  ‘Religion’ is death; Life comes only through authentic Truth.  [Ps.119:89, 105, 140, 160; Jn.1:16-17, 17:17]

 [Jn.3:20-21, 4:23-24, 8:31-38, 14:17, 17:17-19; Rom.5:21-6:23; 1^stCor.3:8, 11-15, 5:8; 2^ndCor.5:10, 6:1; Eph.4:25; Col.4:23-25; 1^stThess.5:19-24; 2^ndThess.2:12-14; 1^stTim.6:3-6; Titus 1:14; James 1:3-8, 3:1; 1^stPet.1:22-23; 2^ndPet. 2:12-14; 1^stJn.3:18-24; 2^ndJn.7-8]

(to be continued)  [Questions?  Comments?  Glad to hear them.]

Quest Journal, section 94

(continuing) Quest Journal, section 94

94-    Except in His perfect Vision of improving the overall eternal blessing of Humanity [e.g. the crucifixion of Jesus, end-time events, etc.], God does not now cause or sanction difficulties in this Earthly experience we call ‘life’.  We cause our own problems through our imperfect spirituality and tendency toward carnality, by pulling, or remaining, away from the perfect life God made available to us through the presence, wisdom, and power of his Holy Spirit.

My life is by no means a perfect example; however, my personal experience is that of having received several instantaneous, and many gradual, spirit-sourced healings.  Upon investigating the cause of my problems, I have discovered that I had always, in various ways, not entered into, or drifted away from, living life in accordance with Christ’s gospel, and given sickness, accident, depression, and other forms of “darkness” an avenue to affect my life.  However, when I brought my beliefs, thoughts and actions into, or back into, alignment with Christ’s gospel, the “Light” of the wisdom, power, and blessings of God’s Covenant [Christ’s gospel] overtook and dispelled the “darkness.”

 [Analogy]  Our personal internal spiritual/mental truth-and-culture environment is like our ‘house wiring’, which determines the continuity and route electricity takes from the main source [power plant and main line] to its outlet connections in our home.  This ‘wiring’ allows ‘electrical’ power to connect to outlets and be the energy source that empowers the applications we desire [coffee pot, cook stove, air conditioner, etc. – spiritual/mental/physical manifestations in life].  Becoming “born again” is like linking our ‘house wiring’ [personal spiritual/mental attributes] to the ‘three phase main line’ of an ‘electricity’ provider [power plant, main line, trunk line – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit].  We, as ‘homeowners’ [our spiritual and mental qualities], determine where, when, to which application, and to what extent we utilize that power.  Receiving and utilizing full Salvation is the process of us building,  applying and maintaining all the Salvation system God provided for us to successfully and powerfully live our life [properly ‘wiring our house’, and properly utilizing God’s power], which keeps every part of our life connected to His power source of wisdom, knowledge, power, and blessed outcomes.  False doctrine and spiritual/mental cultural misalignments [between God’s culture and ours] disconnect us from God’s [‘electrical’] system [or place a large ‘resistor’ in the path between God and us], and leaves us dependent upon Earthly resources [our own, and those of the world system] to live this life.  This is like hooking up our house to the main power supply [born-again] but not installing or utilizing that power throughout the house [maybe only one 30 watt light bulb in a main room (accepting Christ, church attendance, teaching Bible classes, etc.)].  Giving due recognition and respect to God for empowering the existence of every aspect of his Creation; our degree of alienation from the Spirit of God leaves us isolated from the full Power of God in our life, and therefore proportionally dependent upon our own ability to produce the power for directing and living our life.  This is like relying on an open candle to light our way on a windy path, or trying to read a book by the ‘light’ of an electric lamp that is not plugged in.

 Are you born-again yet still immersed in the ‘darkness’ of sinful [carnality driven] character and behavior [or sickness, depression, shame, etc.]?  In all the writings of the ‘New’ Testament [especially Rom.3:25, 6:1-23; 2^ndPeter 1:9; and the Parable of the ‘Soils’ Mt.13, Mk.4, Lk.8], we are told that when we are born-again our past sins are forgiven by God and our spiritual desire for sin dies (and can remain dead), and that the condition of our beliefs has a profound impact on the ‘harvest’ we receive from God.  After we are born-again, our carnal-dominant thinking and appetites are still very much alive because of our untransformed mental patterns and immature character, knowledge and life-vision.  Sin is predominantly a spiritual issue, and when we are truly born-again, our past sins are forgiven through the mercy and grace of God; but the reemergence of temptations to sin raises new issues that must be dealt with at the spiritual and mental level in our new life in Christ.  Sin will again dominate our spirit, mind, and future [including eternal] unless we are renewed [in spirit and mind] in God’s Word, and the power of that Word is allowed to penetrate, nourish, and rule our life [Rom.12:1-3].  Through ignorant [or blatant] resistance to Truth, many people spend much time mourning at the ‘grave’ of their past sin [through regret and/or desire – old desires, fears, and drives that are embedded and nourished in our mind].  Through fixation on the carnal pleasures, regrets, fears, and drives of sin, we can literally raise sin from the ‘dead’ [re-accept and yield to sinful desires] in our life; or set up memorials to our old life by cherishing some of its ‘better’ [more carnally desirable] aspects.  By refusing to allow the sins of the past to die and remain dead, we can overthrow our newly accepted Godly character-maturity standards and behavior.  In essence, through reverting back to the acceptances or tolerances of the past, and yielding to current carnal-culture pressures and pleasures, we can relinquish the life [falsely imagined to be death] found in the ‘New’, in favor of the death [falsely imagined to be life] found in the ‘Old’ – thus becoming dead to the ‘New’, and alive again to the ‘Old’ [losing all, or part, of the Salvation we once gained – “Not Once Saved Always Saved” (NOSAS)].  We sacrifice all, or a proportional majority, of true and full Salvation, by allowing ‘death’ [spiritual/mental darkness] to reign, or co-reign, on the throne of our life.  Accepting, or re-accepting, the negative [sin] initiates, nourishes and empowers death to dominate all, or a majority, of the positive [Life – Salvation] that could be present in our life.  [Lev.20:22-24; Rom. 8:2-4; 2^ndPeter 2:20-22; Rev.3:15-16]

 Very little of God’s Truth, as it applies to our life, can be derived and understood from isolated statements in God’s Word.  Favorite-Scripture mental gymnastics [Scriptures isolated from the full context of the true gospel of Christ in order to support any particular denominational doctrine] is prevalent throughout all religions, including Christian ‘religion’.

The Apostle Paul said to Christ’s disciple Timothy in 2^ndTim.2:15[WSV], “¹⁵[Diligently] study {God’s Word [“logos” and “rhema” (see this Quest Journal, #1 (posts 1a-1w))]} to show [in order to demonstrate] thyself approved unto [that you are examined and certified by] God[:], a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth [a righteous and bold exemplar (especially not of those who fall in disgrace) because you have learned to accurately discern, understand, live in, and distribute God’s Word (“logos” and “rhema”) of Revelation, Character, Blessing, and Power].”

 2^ndTim.2:15[EV], “¹⁵Diligently study God’s Word₁ in order to demonstrate that you are examined and certified by God: a righteous and bold exemplar (especially not of those who fall in disgrace) because you have learned to accurately discern, understand, live in, and distribute God’s Word₁ of Revelation, Character, Blessing, and Power.”

2^ndTimothy, 2:15(1) “logos” and “rhema” [see this Quest Journal, #1 (posts 1a-1w)]

 Living in God’s Word [His Covenant] is not simplistic, and the blessings proclaimed in that Word are not attained simplistically or nonchalantly, as many who live in spiritual ignorance and deception would have you believe.  God’s Truth is learned [mental] and accepted [spiritual]: concept upon concept, trial upon trial, blessing unto greater blessing.  If we do not learn God’s Word through spiritually and mentally [through our spirit] following the Holy Spirit, we will fall into carnal-bound religious ‘ditches’, and present and eternal spiritual destruction reside in those ditches.  However, following God’s authentic, provable Word produces harvests of blessings now, and eternal Life and more blessings in the future.  [see also “NOSAS” blog; and  this Journal, entry #4]

(to be continued)  [Your questions and/or comments are welcome.]

Quest Journal, section 93

(continuing) Quest Journal, section 93

93-   When we are born again and seemingly have nothing of eternal value to lose by our physical death, why do we so tenaciously cling to this life?

In spite of what is far too often our carnal-based conscious thinking on the matter, our spirit knows that this life is where we gain the knowledge, understanding, character, and live the lifestyle, that determine our eternal habitation and glory.  When it has a choice, in spite of our mental ignorance on the subject, our spirit does not intend to give up without a fight and wind up settling for less than its full potential of eternal blessing and reward.

Unfortunately, many people never discover [on their own, or are never truly taught] Christ’s authentic message that there is hope in life through the ‘renewing of their mind’; and their spiritual craving for life and its Holy benefits is never fulfilled.  Many people commit suicide because they cannot imagine that things can ever be better than they are at the time they end their life.  Such belief and behavior is the result of their personal spirit and mind being stagnated in a physical-realm-dominant mode of operation [which includes all versions of corrupt spiritual and earthly philosophies (everything outside the genuine gospel of Christ Jesus)].  [Rom.2:7, 6:23, 8:29, 12:2; Titus 1:2; 1^stJn.2:25, 5:11-13; Jude 21]

Rom.12:1-2[WSV], “¹[Therefore (because of all the things previously stated in this letter),] I beseech [implore, exhort, and instruct each of] you therefore, [my] brethren, by [through all] the mercies of [compassion emanating from] God, that you [to] present your bodies [whole self] [spirit (spiritual power, wisdom, will, and connection with the Holy Spirit and your mind), mind (mental rationale, attitude, emotion and connection with your spirit and body), and body (outward expression of all your spiritual and mental substance)] a[s a] living sacrifice, Holy [divine character empowered], [and] acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service [logical – and not too much to be required considering the sacrifice Jesus made and the rewards God promised us].  ²And be not [Do not allow yourselves to be] conformed to this world[’s carnal-based-and-driven appetites and philosophies of life;]: but be you transformed by  [in/with God and His Covenant (His Word) through] the renewing of your mind, [Renewing our mind in the Word of God opens, and gives permission to, our spirit to seek the wisdom, knowledge, and power of God.][.  Do this (by taking advantage of all the merciful benevolence of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power God bestowed upon us through Jesus and the now present, active, and personally accessible Holy Spirit) so] that you may [will be able to] prove [substantiate – authenticate under the pressure of testing] what is that [the reality and necessity of, and the rewards for, progressing in and through the] good [30% of potential – meeting minimal standards], and [the] acceptable [60% of potential – enthusiastic, above average achievement], and [the] perfect [100% of potential – spiritually mature, totally fulfilled potential (as God sees our potential)], will of God[, as you walk with him].”  [Parable of the Sower (Soils): Mt.13:-; Mk.4:-; Lk.8:-; and 1^stThess.5:21-24]

Rom.12:1-2[EV], “¹Therefore₁, I implore, exhort, and instruct each of  you, my brethren, through all the compassion emanating from God, to present your whole self₂ as a living sacrifice, Holy₃ and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service₄.  ²Do not allow yourselves to be conformed to this world’s carnal-based-and-driven appetites and philosophies of life; but be transformed in your life by understand God and His Covenant₁ through the renewing of your mind₂.  Do this₃ so you will be able to prove₄ the reality and necessity of, and the rewards for, progressing in and through the good₅, the acceptable₆, and the perfect₇ will of God, as you walk with him.”_S

 Romans, 12:1(1) because of all the things previously stated in this letter; 12:1(2) spirit (spiritual power, wisdom, will, and connection with the Holy Spirit and your mind); mind (mental rationale, attitude, will, emotion and connection with your spirit and body); and body (outward expression of all your spiritual and mental substance);12:1(3) divine character empowered; 12:1(4) logical – and not too much to be required considering the sacrifice Jesus made and the rewards God promised us; 12:2(1) His Word; 12:2(2) Renewing our mind in the Word of God opens, and gives permission to, our spirit to seek the wisdom, knowledge, and power of God.; 12:2(3) by taking advantage of all the merciful benevolences of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power God bestowed upon us through Jesus and the now present, active, and personally accessible Holy Spirit; 12:2(4) substantiate – authenticate under the pressure of testing; 12:2(5) 30% of potential – meeting minimal standards; 12:2(6) 60% of potential – enthusiastic, above average achievement; 12:2(7) 100% of potential – spiritually mature, totally fulfilled potential [as God sees our potential]; 12:2(S) Parable of the Sower [Soils]: Mt.13:-; Mk.4:-; Lk.8:-; and 1^stThess.5:21-24

 A renewed mind, transformed through believing the authentic ‘logos-Word’ of God [see Quest Journal, posts 1a–1w (‘logos’ and ‘rhema’)], authorizes our spirit to ‘rhema-access’ the attributes of the Holy Spirit.  Our mind then receives and nurtures that which our spirit ‘rhema-receives’ from the Holy Spirit and ‘rhema-relays’ to our mind:  “precept upon precept … line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” [Isa.28:10]; “glory to glory” [2^ndCor.3:18; Rom.8:18; 1^stPeter 5:1]; and “grace for grace” [Jn.1:14-17; Acts 13:43; 2^ndCor.6:1, 9:8; 12:9; Eph.2:8, 4:7; Heb.12:15, 13:9; James 4:6-7; 2^ndPeter 3:18; Jude 4].

 Except in the case of maladies of the body, our body does exactly as our mind dictates.  [Our mind consists of the combined elements, interactions, and powers of our sub-conscious mind (which is singularly carnal trained), our conscious mind (which is carnal and Holy Spirit trained), and our super-conscious mind (which is singularly Holy Spirit trained).]

Except for maladies of the mind, our mind does exactly as our spirit dictates.

Except for maladies of the spirit, our spirit does exactly as the Holy Spirit dictates, and there are no maladies in or of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, to present our “body” as a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto to God” [Rom.12:1-2], we must bring our spirit into authentic submission to God [happens gradually, as the Holy Spirit works to purify our life].  This, in turn, will bring our mind [gradually] into authentic submission to God.  This, in turn, will bring our body [also gradually] into authentic submission to God and his vision for our life.  This Vision is stated and explained in God’s Covenant and was [is] perfectly demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  There is an aspect of instantaneous healing evidenced in Scripture, and is evident in the life of many people today, but most everyone, because of their spiritual/mental inconsistencies in God’s Covenant, are not in a position to receive such healing.  Everyone has instant healing available to us through the constant presence and power of the Holy Spirit, but we should not plunge, or slide, into self-condemnation or condemnation of Scripture, doctrines, or ministers [or accept condemnation from anyone else] if we do not receive an instant healing.  Rather, we must be willing to continue pressing into relationship/fellowship with the Holy Spirit and discover the Truths about Scripture, ourselves, and others, that will allow and empower our healing to manifest in this Earthly realm.  Authentic, permanent spirit-sourced healing of our body, mind, and/or spirit is able to manifest in our life only as the combination of these elements is brought into alignment with God’s laws of positive creation.

 I know there are some ‘spiritualists’ out there who will say they are, or know, someone who is not a Christian who has been permanently healed of ‘this or that’; so what’s the big deal about being a Christian?  I agree there are non-Christians who have, and will be, healed through ‘spiritual’ means; there were many who came to Jesus who did not believe he was the Messiah, but they did believe in his ability to heal.  We have no evidence of Jesus healing anyone who did not believe he had the power to heal.  Jesus said “if you can [truly (‘pisteuo’)] believe …” [Mk.9:23].  Our authentic beliefs [spiritual and mental beliefs (not just our mental wish list)] change our spiritual receptors [positively or negatively] whether or not we are Christian.  My point is, that the Holy Spirit is the only one capable of teaching us to live in the complete laws of Creation, so we can constantly receive healing in all aspects of life when we need it [we may not reach that point of completeness, but it is available to us].  Jesus, who is actually the Messiah, came to Earth to prove the way God’s system operates; and if we are going to receive, live and operate in the best God has to offer, we must do so through utilizing the Holy Spirit Jesus came to demonstrate to us.  That is only possible through truly accepting Jesus as the Messiah sent by God the Father.  This is God’s plan of Salvation, whether we believe it or not.  [John 3:16]

(to be continued)  [Questions or Comments?  Glad to receive them, either here, or at awoodystone@gmail.com ]

Quest Journal, sections 90-92

(continuing) sections 90-92

90-   If we do not appreciate and utilize the blessings of the ‘New’ Covenant [the gospel of Christ], we are held accountable to fulfill the standards of the ‘Old’ Covenant [the Law]: which is actually impossible for mere humans to accomplish.

 91-    Feeling bad begins to feel normal when a person feels bad all the time.  Because of a lack of authentic spiritual Vision received from the Holy Spirit, we accept less in our life than what God made available to us.  Complacency and/or satisfaction in what we believe, limits God’s access to our life and stagnates our future.

 I am developing a Vision of real health, real love, and real financial provision: real victory and peace in my life, along with all the other blessings of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power God made available to me in His Covenant – the ever-increasing fullness of the reality of Christ in my life.  [Mt.11:27-30; Rom.15:25; Eph.3:14-19, 4:11-13; 1^stPeter 1:22]

 92-   Follow after Love, Joy, Peace, Righteousness, Godliness, Faith, Patience, Humility, Edification, Temperance, Meekness, …, and lay hold on Eternal Life.  Anything that does not produce and promote these things [the harvest of the Grace of God] does not have God’s Truth as its source of Life.  [Jn.8:31-38; Rom.14:19-23; 1^stCor.14:1; Gal.5:22-23; Eph.5:7-11; Col.3:12-17; Eph.5:9; 1^stTim.6:11-12; 2^ndPeter 1:5-7]

(to be continued)  [Questions???  Glad to answer.]

Quest Journal, section 85

[This is a replacement post of section #85.  Expanded insights.  The old 85 has been deleted.]

 85-    Yes, Colossians 2:13-14 is referring to the forgiveness of our past sins [Rom.3:25] that were holding us back in our relationship with God, but that is only a ‘small’ part of what these verses are saying, and what the Holy Spirit would have us understand.  This is not an example of God repenting of an old plan and initiating a new one, but rather, it is an enhancement [advancement] of the creation system he set into motion before the beginning of time [“before the foundation of the world” (Mt.25:34; Eph.4:1; 1^stPeter 1:18-21)].

 Col.2:14[WSV], “¹⁴blotting out [superseding] the handwriting of ordinances {[the Law] as God’s main method of guiding and dealing with Humanity [God legally amended (progressed) the operating system of his Creation (his Covenant: the ‘Constitution’ of his Kingdom – by giving all Humanity access to his Holy Spirit).].} that was against us [Physically written and articulated ordinances, by themselves (working through our carnal nature), could not solve all the problems Humanity faced (faces):], which was [they worked] contrary to us {the way our internal spiritual/mental traits operate [they could not change our carnal nature – we had (have) a ‘heart’ problem, not a knowledge problem]}, and [God] took it [the previous system] out of the way [made it subordinate to the stipulations and operations of the New operating system (the New Covenant)], nailing it [‘posting’ the amended Covenant] to his [Jesus’] cross [enacting the amended Covenant (which included Jesus’ payment for our sins) that incorporates the New operating system (‘contract’, Covenant) for those who will accept it];”.

Col.2:14[EV], “¹⁴superseding the handwriting of ordinances₁ as God’s main method of guiding and dealing with Humanity₂.  Physically written and articulated ordinances, by themselves₃ could not solve all the problems Humanity faced₄: they worked contrary to the way our internal spiritual/mental traits operate₅, and God took it₆ out of the way₇, nailing it₈ to Jesus’ cross₉;”

Colossians, 2:14(1) the Law; 2:14(2) God legally amended (progressed) the operating system of his Creation (his Covenant: the ‘Constitution’ of his Kingdom – by giving all Humanity access to his Holy Spirit).; 2:14(3) working through our carnal nature; 2:14(4) faces; 2:14(5) they could not change our carnal nature – we had (have) a ‘heart’ problem, not a knowledge problem; 2:14(6) the previous system; 2:14(7) made it subordinate to the stipulations and operations of the New operating system (the New Covenant); 2:14(8) ‘posting’ the amended Covenant; 2:14(9) enacting the amended Covenant (which included Jesus’ payment for our sins) that incorporates the New operating system (‘contract’, Covenant) for those who will accept it

 The Cross of Christ had a twofold purpose.  For those who would [will] accept it, it empowered a transition in the relationship of God with Humanity: from a relationship of Law and punishment, to one of Grace and fellowship.  It superseded the regulatory system of the Old Covenant, and initiated the regulatory system of the New [amended] Covenant: a system and relationship of Brotherhood.  For those who would [will] not accept the New Covenant, they are stuck with an Old Covenant relationship with God: a relationship of law and punishment.

 The transition between the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Covenants is like the God-designed system that regulates the transition of the way parents interact with their children, and visa versa, between childhood and adulthood.  From infancy through young adulthood, regulation of behavior is trained through law and punishment [the age of adulthood varies – between ages 12 and 25, and sometimes higher – depending on the character and personality maturity of the children, and of the parents].  After Character maturity has been established [at whatever age], a relationship of grace and fellowship is able to progress.  If both parties never accomplish that point of maturity, stagnation of relationship sets in and both parties suffer the consequences, along with their surrounding cultures.

 The Old Covenant alone could not solve all the many problems of Humanity and prepare us for ‘adulthood’ and a Grace/Fellowship relationship with God.  However, through all the previous phases [amendments] of THE [“Older”] Covenant, God’s ‘law and punishment’ instruction in the principles of developing Godly mental Character [through Abraham, through the nation of Israel, through Mary and her family, and eventually through Jesus] moved us step by step further down the road toward the final stage in the development of the ‘MAN’ God designed and began [in Adam] to create in the beginning.  That new ‘MAN’ is the aspect of Humanity which will develop fully mature spiritual and mental Character [as Jesus did], and will comprise the population of His Eternal Kingdom.  In the beginning, Adam did not (could not) possess Godly Character – as evidenced by his quick abandonment of God’s instructions when his emotions conflicted with those instructions.  Adam ‘could not’, at that time, possess Godly Character, because Character must be developed – it cannot be given, even by God.  Even Jesus was not born with mature mental Character; his Character had to be developed [Lk.3:52].  That development came mainly through his spirit being willing to receive instruction from the Holy Spirit; but that willingness could have been stymied had it not been nurtured through a mother, through a family, and through a nation progressed along God’s Wisdom and Covenant pathway.  Without Godly parenting and/or mentoring, a Godly offspring and population are not possible!  Without a mind trained [mentored] in the precepts and application of Godly Character, even a pure and wise spirit has no chance of expressing itself in the world.

 Under the conditions of the New [amended] Covenant, instead of God requiring us [as with young children] to live our life in compliance to a list of physically written Laws and through the powers of our old carnal nature [the Old Covenant], he now requires us to live by the Spiritual ‘laws’ [precepts – ordinances] written in our heart [spirit – as with young adults] through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The Old system [Covenant] showed us our weaknesses and fallibility – which proved [proves] that we could [can] not fulfill the requirements of the Old Covenant through the carnal-bound attributes of our old post-Adam’s-fall [separated from the ‘Garden’] human nature.  Through transitioning The Covenant through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Holy Spirit, God began the process of teaching our mind to follow God’s instruction through our spirit connected to the Holy Spirit.  The New system reveals and empowers the superiority of living life completely through the attributes of the Holy Spirit: as Jesus did.  If we truly accept the redemption provided by and through Christ Jesus, our old carnal-bound human nature is replaced by a new spiritual nature that is permanently connected to the Holy Spirit of God, lives in the Grace of God, and, with our cooperation, reeducates our mind to live in that Grace [Jer.31:33-34; Joel 2:28-29, 32; Acts 2:17-18, 21].  Through a new attitude and behavior, this new spiritual connection works to authenticate that a New quality of spiritual strength [maturing Character] abides in us: a spiritual quality and strength greater than that of the original Adam and Eve.

 Our redemption and reconciliation to God [the ‘New’ Covenant] was nailed upon the cross of Christ Jesus [Jesus was God’s ‘signature’ of authenticity and authority placed upon the Covenant].  To claim our redemption and fully live in our reconciliation to God, we must put our life [our ‘signature’] on that Cross [legal document] also.  God’s signature on the New Covenant was the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus [Himself in human form], and his power of enforcing that Covenant was enacted when he planted  his Holy Spirit within us.  Our signature on that same Covenant is our life lived in compliance to the terms of that New Covenant.  Is our signature complete and written in our life-blood?  Jer.29:13[WSV], “¹³And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for [inquire of, seek, pursue] me with all your heart”; and Mk.8:34-38[WSV], “[bear the burden of] cross [his calling (assignment), as Jesus did – whatever that may involve], and follow me.  ^35-38 …”.  This does not necessarily mean we must die physically in defense of the New Covenant; but we have all been given [at least] the assignment of dying to the self-centeredness and self-justification of our carnal nature: by maturing spiritually, and completely yielding our life to God in obedience to the gospel of Christ [our “cross”] unto the fulfillment of our God-given assignment.  We have all been assigned the task of demonstrating the fulfillment of God’s redemption/reconciliation through the way we live our life.  [Mk.10:21; Jn.6:37; Rom.3:21-26, 5:10, 12:2, 21; 1^stCor.1:17-18, 14:20; 2^ndCor.5:17-21; Gal.5:1; Eph.1:3-14, 5:29-32; Col.1:12-23, 2:19; Heb.2:16-17, 9:14-15, 10:16-17; and many more]

(to be continued)

Quest Journal, sections 77-84

(continuing) Quest Journal, sections 77-84

77-  Emotion demands to be the leader.  It is the responsibility of character to make sure emotion only follows.

78-   Mt.28:18-20, Mk.16:15-18, and Lk.24:47-49 reveal the indicators of true belief and true ‘baptism’ [cleansing].  If we truly and fully believe, the things stated in these verses will be evident in our life and ministry – if we do not, they will not.  Do we truly believe and been thoroughly ‘cleansed’?  [Acts 13:23-25] [see also later Journal entries: ~246]

79- Num.13:30, 14:24; Deut.1:36; Josh.14:6-14 [1^stSam.17:1-54, 2^ndSam.21:18-22 (1^stChron.20:4-8)] Like Caleb, we must kill the ‘giants’ [of carnality within ourselves] that inhabit and dominate the ‘land’ [our life], in order to take possession of that ‘land’ [Caleb with the army of Israel – us with the victory provided through the Holy Spirit, and us with Christ’s army (his people – the true Church of authentic believers)].  Each ‘giant’ [unGodly precept, concept, desire, imagination, motive, attitude, habit, idol, god, etc.] holds some territory in our life.  Defeat them one at a time along with all those they are in alliance with.  This is permanently possible only through incorporating the wisdom, knowledge, and power of the Holy Spirit.  There are multitudes of examples in the Old Testament of the nation of Israel, after God provided them with victory over their enemies [salvation], forsaking the precepts of God and losing their ‘Salvation’.

80-  Character cannot be given, it must be developed.  God-based [or any] character is not just accidentally happened upon.  We are born with our emotions running full stride.  Children [and spiritually immature adults] must be trained [discipled] in order for them to develop a particular character [God-based, or otherwise].  God-based character-guided belief, thought, and action must be developed under the mentorship of the Holy Spirit [both personally and through Holy-Spirit-led people].

81-  “Prayer” is appropriating, through the Spirit realm, the things God [in his Covenant] promised to provide.  Prayer can be practiced and evidenced in the speaking of words, but it is more productively practiced in the changing of our attitude, our gaining wisdom and knowledge, and/or our doing something that God has instructed us to do.  This is the only way God is able to provide what he promised [what God, under the provisions of his Covenant, is allowed to provide].  [Lk.21:36, 2^ndThess.1:11-12]

82-   Although repentance can be applied to sin, repentance is not just a matter of doing away with sin [God is sinless, yet he ‘repented’].  True repentance is a matter of changing our belief, attitude and commitment toward something.  A change in behavior is a result of a change in belief, attitude, and commitment [‘repentance’].  If our belief, attitude, and/or commitment revert to old ways, our behavior will also revert and our reward for previous obedience will suffer great loss. [Ex.32:14; 1^stSam.15:35; 1^stChron.21:15; Ps.106:45; Jer.26:19; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 4:9-10; Acts 10:]

83-   What is the difference between “to receive” and “to be a receiver”?  Responsibility.

 84-  “Mental assent” is head-work: an ability of the carnal mind to acknowledge and cooperate with some precept or action.  “Faith” and “character” are spirit-work: the products of spiritual knowledge and understanding, and are qualities born of, matured in, and emanate from the spirit only, and manifest in our mind and behavior.  True faith is a product of character, and character is a product of faith – they rise or fall together.  It is important to remember that even though “mental assent” is not the major component in the development of character and receiving the manifestations of God’s blessings of Grace, it is impossible to develop character and receive from God apart from “mental assent.”  Our mind must agree with [acquiesce to] our spirit, and our spirit must agree [acquiesce to] the Holy Spirit.  Just as Faith and Character are codependent, ‘mental assent’ and spiritual development are codependent.  As soil cannot produce a harvest without a seed, a seed cannot produce a harvest without soil [in hydroponics, the liquid nutrient solution is the “soil”].  [Mt.18:19, Rom.8:7, James 4:7; and the parable of the ‘soils’: Mt.13, Mk.4, Lk.8]

(to be continued)  [Have these things caused you to rethink some of these subjects?  I am interested in your comments and/or questions.  You may comment on this blog (below), or by email at awoodystone@gmail.com ]

Quest Journal, section 76

(continuing)  section 76   ©

76-   Phil.4:17-19[WSV], “¹⁷ … ¹⁹But [And] my God shall supply [level up, satisfy] all your need [necessity (for God-assigned ministry and blessed life under the New Covenant),] according [in equal proportion] to his riches in glory [your true unity with the richness of God’s glorious attributes which he deposited in you in Christ-the-Holy-Spirit (Comforter) and made available to you (to accept or deny, to nurture or deprive)] by [because of, and through, the sacrificial life and death ministry of] Christ Jesus.”  [Jn.14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7; Eph.1:17-23, 2:10, 3:11-20, 4:13]

Phil.4:17-19[EV], “¹⁷ … ¹⁹And my God shall supply₁ all your necessity₂, in equal proportion to your true unity with the richness of God’s glorious attributes which he deposited in you in Christ-the-Holy-Spirit₃ and made available to you₄ because of, and through, the sacrificial life and death ministry of Christ Jesus.”_S

Philippians, 4:19(1) level up, satisfy; 4:19(2) for God-assigned ministry and blessed life under the New Covenant; 4:19(3) Comforter; 4:19(4) to access or deny, to nurture or deprive; 4:19(S) Jn.14:16 – 16:7; Eph.1:17-23, 2:10, 3:11-20, 4:13

 2^ndCor.5:17-21[KJV+], “¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  ¹⁸And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  ²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  ²¹For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

 [Because of length and complexity, in this posting I left out the Word Study Version (WSV) of this passage of Scripture.  If you need to see how I transitioned from the KJV+ to the following Expanded Version [EV], the WSV is available upon email request to awoodystone@gmail.com ]

2^ndCor.5:17-21[EV], “¹⁷Therefore₁ if any person is truly in Christ₂, they live life as a New kind of created being₃: separating themselves from their old ways₄ of living life.  By following the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant, they begin to live in God’s New Kingdom₅ by living from a new perspective with corrected understanding, priorities, vision, and power₆._S  ¹⁸All the qualities necessary to live this New life have been provided by God, who, through reconciliation, remodeled our spiritual connectivity to allow for our reunification with himself through Christ₁.  Through gracing us with the Holy Spirit, God committed unto us the assignment₂ of recognizing and utilizing His New Covenant of reconciliation, and totally empowered us to live by his precepts₃._S  ¹⁹Through this operation, God was in Christ redeeming, restructuring, and reconciling the world₁ unto himself₂, not charging₃ their past₄ trespasses₅ unto them; and has also committed unto us the assignment of helping others to recognize and utilize the message and power of this New Covenant reconciliation₆._S  ²⁰Therefore, we are all now the ambassadors of Christ, according as God himself called and entrusted you to duty through us and beckoned you to expectation of blessed outcomes.  For this cause, I implore you, in the voice of Christ, to recognize, accept, take advantage of, and demonstrate your responsibilities and rights of reconciliation to God._S  ²¹God the Father accepted₁ the sacrificial life and death of Christ Jesus, who had no personal experience in sin, to be the self-sacrificial redemptive substitution for the penalty we owed for our sin₂.  This was done for us in order to empower us to develop Godly character and overcome sin by taking advantage of the liberty, opportunity, and power available to us as we come into unity with Christ the Holy Spirit.”_S

 2^nd Corinthians, 5:17(1) because God has designed us to be clothed in glory [v.1-5] and the power of the redemption provided by Christ [v.14-15], and because of Christ’s impending judgment of our life [v.9-11]; 5:17(2) wholly given to a position of accurate stability in (at one with) Christ – Being truly “in Christ” involves much more than simply verbally speaking the ‘name’ of Jesus over our life, or even living a ‘religious’ Christian life; it involves actually making the authentic doctrine of Christ the axle of our life, whereby every decision and action revolves around, and is determined through the moral and ethical filter of, obedience to Christ.; 5:17(3) outward appearance of a human, but inward spirit and mind of Christ [1^stCor.2:16]; 5:17(4) carnal-based ideals and vision; 5:17(5) the New aspects of the way God operates (and expects us to live in) his Creation; 5:17(6) Through our redemption provided by Christ, God began dealing with Humanity through a New operating system that covers all of Humanity [not just the Jewish nation].  As we follow Christ [the Holy Spirit (Rom.8:9)], Old methods and standards of thought, drawing conclusions, making decisions, and determining our behavior die away; and we accept and experience a completely New way of living life [5:15].; 5:17(S) Isa.65:17; Lk.4:1; Jn.6:63; Rom.6:3-10, 8:9-10, 14; 1^stCor.6:11, 12:7-11; 2^ndCor.3:18; Eph.3:5; 1^stPet.3:18; 1^stJn.3:24; 5:18(1) Jesus and the Holy Spirit; 5:18(2) ministry task – administration; 5:18(3) If we do not do so, it is because we choose to not do so.; 5:18(S) Rom.5:10; 5:19(1) Earth’s population of humans; 5:19(2) After someone truly accepts Christ Jesus as their Savior, God, through Christ, does not make them responsible for the sin they committed prior to doing so.  God is now able, through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, to keep sin from ruling our life and continuing to be a barrier between us and our spiritual maturity in relationship/fellowship with God the Father.; 5:19(3) to their debt account; 5:19(4) Rom.3:23-26; 5:19(5) sins – the breaking of Covenant stipulations and standards; 5:19(6) He has now assigned unto us the responsibility and accountability for sharing with others [through actions and spoken word] the message of God’s provided reconciliation.  If we are to receive the benefits of reconciliation, God demands our commitment to, and demonstration of, true reconciliation to God: the outward proof of that which is [supposedly] manifest in our character, attitude, words, and behavior due to our own reconciliation.;5:20(S) Eph.6:20; 5:21(1) designed, ordained, anointed, and sent; 5:21(2) Just as the first Adam sacrificed the glorious future of each individual of Humanity, in the pursuit of satisfying his own strong carnal desires; Jesus [the last Adam] sacrificed satisfying his strong carnal desires in order to give each individual of Humanity access to a glorious future.; 5:21(S) Gen.3:6; Isa.53:4-12; Rom.1:17, 3:24-26; 1^stCor.1:30, 15:22, 44-50; 1^stTim.2:14; Heb.9:15

 God committed unto Christians [turned over to us, and made us responsible and accountable for, the substance and manner in which we distribute the wisdom, knowledge, power, and manifestation of] the message [proof] of the reconciliation he made available to all Humanity through Christ.  [Mt.28:18-20; Mk.16:15-18; Lk.17:10, 24:45-49; 1^stPeter 1:13-16]

As is related to us in the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead [Jn.11:1-44]; it was the ‘Word’ of God [working through the life of Jesus] that had the power to loose Lazarus from death.  However, Jesus assigned to his followers the task of loosing Lazarus from the restrictive cultural ‘wrappings’ that signified, verified, and bound Lazarus to the death that previously overwhelmed his life.  As we live life in spiritual death [ignorance of, and separation from, true spiritual Life] we wrap ourselves and others, and others wrap us, in many layers of the ‘garments’ that proclaim, and bind us to, spiritual and mental ‘death’ [separation from God’s promised freedom of spiritual Life].  The “word of reconciliation” is, of course, the verbal message of our reconciliation [the “logos” of reconciliation] to God; but it is also the work of helping others to identify, and allow God’s power to remove, their death ‘clothing’ [bondages in life] through our teaching them by knowledge, example, and demonstration, how to walk in the freedom of Life provided through the Holy Spirit [the “rhema” of reconciliation].  There is a loosing from spiritual death, which Christ provides through the ‘new birth’; but there is also a loosing from the ‘garments’ of death [physical impairments, philosophies, imaginations, attitudes, truths, actions, etc.], which we, as Christ’s disciples, must provide to others through the help of the Holy Spirit [the Living Word] and the Written Word.  Many people in the “body of Christ” are born again [loosed from spiritual death], but live their entire life on Earth bound up in the ‘grave clothes’ of death [alienation from the righteousness, joy, health, freedom, benefits, and power of True Life], usually to the extent that the bindings feel ‘normal’.  The ministry of the Life that resides in God’s authentic ‘Living Word’ [the Holy Spirit] looses us from death and empowers our part of manifesting God’s Love on the Earth (the removal of the ‘garments’ of death).  God has his part to do; but also, we have our part.  Our part is what the Holy Spirit calls “the ‘word’ of reconciliation.”  [2^ndThess.2:16-17]

Righteous freedom in the natural realm is not free.  It takes great effort to harvest and maintain great freedom.  Less effort harvests less freedom.  Lazy people do not exert the effort to gain or retain righteous freedom, and therefore are not worthy of great freedom [and lapse into extreme socialism, despotism, communism, slavery, and death].  The same is true in the spiritual and mental realms.  Through Jesus, God, by providing us with the Holy Spirit, gave us access to the power to achieve spiritual, mental, and physical freedom in the human realm; but it is strictly our responsibility and accountability to be worthy of that freedom by accepting and utilizing the attributes of the Holy Spirit available to us.  Personal freedom requires personal effort.  Despots [the ‘devil’ included] use the ‘ropes’ of lust and gifts, and terrorism and tyranny to subdue or hang all ‘underlings’.  No one can escape the terrible spiritual, mental, and physical penalties that come from yielding to evil.  [Prov.11:18, 18:9, 24:33-34; Rev.22:12]

Spiritual, mental, and/or physical freedom is not free.  Spiritual, mental, and/or physical bondage comes through little or no effort toward righteous freedom.  [Ps.119:44-48; 2^ndCor.3:17; Gal.5:1; 1^stPet.2:15-16; 2^ndPet.2:12-22]

(to be continued)  [Did you receive any insights from this material?  I am interested in your feedback of comments or questions – either through this page (below), or by email awoodystone@gmail.com  ]

Quest Journal, sections 71-75

(continuing) Quest Journal, sections 71-75     ©

71-     Jer.29:13[WSV], “¹³[God speaking] And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your ‘heart’ [spiritual/mental core (soul)].”

Rom.8:18[WSV], “¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us [being a greater-than-mere-man ‘Man’].”    [see also Journal, #37b (‘sacred cow’ #2)]

72-    Prov.20:27[WSV], “²⁷The spirit of man [a person] is the candle [darkness penetrating light] of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”

 “Belly” is a metaphor that represents the innermost to outermost workings of everything that makes us human: our human nature: our innate powers, Vision, knowledge, personality, behavior, etc.  If we want to change the way we live life, we must change our “belly”: our nature: the core and substance of our spirit and mind.  It is impossible to change our human nature by using the powers of desire and willpower alone.  Human nature resists change, and will yield only a power greater then itself.  That is why Jesus came, lived for us, died for us, and sent his Holy Spirit back to live in us: to give us that Greater Power.

 I have heard Prov.20:27 [above] preached in major denominations within Christendom to authenticate the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is the ‘candle’ of God in our life, and that that ‘candle’ allows God to shed his ‘Light’ of Love, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power into our life.  This doctrine is generally true in the extended overall operations of the spirit realms, but it is not an accurate interpretation of the meaning of the particular wisdom revealed to us by God in this verse, and should not be used to authenticate this doctrine.  This verse clearly says something different, and their interpretation only works to reveal biased and illogical thinking and works to degrade the world’s opinion of the intelligence of the preacher and the acceptability of the Gospel of Christ.  Oh, the damage we do to the cause of Christ in our attempts to bolster our own standing in the community.  If this interpretation of this verse were true, and knowing God’s Love for us and that he would use his access to our life to benefit us in all ways if he could, there would be nothing less than perfection manifest in our life.  This interpretation clearly is not in line with what this verse reveals.  As this verse clearly communicates, it is actually the human spirit, not the Holy Spirit, that is “the ‘candle’ of the Lord [God] searching all our inward parts”, even though God the Father and Son do receive and utilize the information gained through the Holy Spirit’s connection with our spirit [our “belly”].  The Holy Spirit, observing and working through the ‘light’ and power of the human spirit [utilizing the penetrating self-knowledge, immediate-surroundings insight, and power of the human spirit], knows, and is able to influence, every aspect of our life.

 Understanding the Love [Jn.3:16, etc.] and willingness of God to help us [Jn.10:10], and also recognizing that our life is less than perfect, does not reveal a contradiction or mystery in Scripture, it actually presents an opportunity to increase our understanding of the God-designed spiritual operations of his Creation.

 Just as we need a supplemental light source to enable our search of the deep recesses of a cave, God needs the ‘light’ of the human spirit [“spirit of man”] to see into the deep recesses of our life; and needs the avenue of our human spirit to manifest his greatness in our life.  This does not reveal a weakness in God; it reveals an element of the spiritual operation of the Creation He created.  Without the cooperation of our human spirit and mind, God is helpless [due to the operations of His flawless plan and design of Creation] to manifest his blessings in our life except through the cooperation of some outside third party [which may, or may not, be available when needed] – which is actually the God-designed purpose of the Church [those who truly believe and follow the gospel of Christ].

 Through taking advantage of people’s ignorance of God’s Word, and in thousands of other ways, the secular world [This actually includes most people in the organizational church, because most of its leadership does not know how to operate in the authentic righteousness and power of God’s Creation.] works to set itself up as being ‘God’ over our life.  They are often successful because people living in spiritual ignorance do not recognize any difference between worldly darkness and ‘religious’ darkness – because there is little, and in some places no,  difference.  It is like trying to distinguish subtle shades of gray while in a dark room.  God holds people accountable for their own spiritual ignorance; however, He also holds the leaders of the organizational church accountable for their, and its, slide into spiritual complacency and stagnation, and persuading their followers into that same darkness.  [James 3:1]

 The doctrines of the Church should be a definite contrast from the world’s earth-bound philosophies.  The Holy Spirit must be our Greater Light to follow, and we must be the reflection of that Light [like the moon reflects the light of the sun] into the dark world for them to follow until they learn to recognize, follow, and benefit from the Greater Light directly.

 Through the Holy Spirit’s connection with our individual spirit, God knows all the authentic parts of our ‘chamber’ [“inward parts” of our “belly” (‘house’ – life): where we really live] down to the smallest detail: our ‘dwelling place’: our true character and faith: all our life from innermost to outermost: our spirit and mind, which control our physical presence and behavior.  Christ the Holy Spirit connects our individual spirit to Christ Jesus and God the Father.  Through the Holy Spirit’s connection with our spirit, Jesus and The Father have total access to [not control of] our life: our thoughts, desires, attitudes, imaginations, intentions, motives, purpose, vision, behavior, etc.  Therefore, through our spirit, God is able to guide us personally, to the point of us understanding God’s ways, making beneficial decisions, and setting and completing our course in life, and will do so if we coöperate through knowing and obeying him.  Through an abundance of Scriptural evidence, and through our correct observation and discernment of this present life, we know God wants to use his spiritual connection with us for our benefit and the benefit of his Kingdom.  [Ex.15:26; Ps.107:20-21; Prov.15:4, 23:12-14; Ezek.3:20-21; Jn.14:16-17, 15:26, 16:7, 13; Rom.6:16; 1^stCor.2:12-14; Eph.5:5-16; 1^stTim.4:1-2; 2^ndTim.1:13-14; Heb.3:7-14; Jude 1:17-21, and many more]

 Someone may say, “I don’t want God to know everything about me, the very thought makes me feel bad, self-conscious, and condemned, so I will reject the presence of the Holy Spirit, and even the idea that such an entity exists.”  Sorry, it is too late.  Through his Holy Spirit’s presence under the New Covenant, God already indwells every human in enough of a measure that gives him full access to knowledge about every aspect of our life.  We cannot hide from God; therefore, it is to our benefit to appreciate his presence and use it to our advantage by accepting God’s design and yielding to the Spirit’s influence and guidance.  God [Jesus] said he would never leave us or betray us, and would work everything to our advantage if we truly Love him and follow his Leadership.  If we reject or neglect his Love and Leadership, we are on our own to scratch and claw our way through life.  If we truly cherish God’s Love, Nurturing care, and Leadership, the Grace Advantage he has given us will be loosed to manifest His blessings in our life.  [Deut. 31:8; Ps.44:21, 66:18; Prov.14:2, 28:6, 18; Jn.10:10, 12:44-48; Rom.8:28, 32; 1^stCor.2:9-16, 13:12; Heb.13:5]

 73-    Many people use the ‘church’ to gain intellectual-‘spirituality’ and/or emotional, social, and economic support, instead of using it to learn how to conduct their life in the true Love, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power of God.  This is mainly the result of the organizational ‘church’ losing its spiritual sense of direction and purpose.  [This is not talking about the proportionally small population of the authentic international Church of believers in Christ.  The true ‘Church’ is no particular ‘religion’, sect, or denomination, but is the group of people who truly follow Christ (Jesus and the Holy Spirit) to the very best of their present, and ever-increasing, knowledge of how to be followers of Christ.]

 74-    In Mt.25:14-30, the man given the one “talent” did not bear up under the weight of his extra delegated responsibilities, and he exhibited a negative emotional response.  His character foundation [which includes his knowledge and imagination] could not endure the stress he needlessly placed upon himself.  He was undermined, intimidated, and hindered by his own thoughts and emotions.

 75-    Why do we read, “Curse of the Law” [Prov.3:33; Gal.3:10-14], and ‘understand’ this to mean, “the Law was/is a curse to us.”  The Law was/is actually a blessing [Gal.3:21-29; Rom.4:31, 8:3-7, 10:4; 1^stTim.1:5-8].  The Law was/is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.  Schoolmasters of righteousness are not a curse.  The “curse of the Law” is simply the negative side [curse aspect] of the Law of recompense [God’s Covenant]: which is still in proportional effect for those who are not, or only partially [1-99%], conducting their life under the guidelines and powers of the New Covenant [which includes the vast, vast majority of all who claim Jesus as their Savior].  The Law is only a curse to us if we continue to think [now that Christ has come] that we can earn right standing with God by fulfilling the Law, or that fulfilling God’s supreme Law is unnecessary.  The Law was given to show us that in our flesh [our carnal nature] we are incapable of meeting the standards of what God expects of us: that which would qualify us to be in right standing with him if we possibly could fulfill all the Law.  That is why Jesus came: to deliver to us the “equipment” (the Holy Spirit) necessary for us to live the Life of God in this flesh: as Jesus did.  If we use the Holy Spirit as intended, we will access the Love, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power that enables us to develop Godly Character and live God’s will.  Jesus did not come to do away with the leadership of God’s Law; the Christian Bible [the Written Word] is our ‘Moses’: to lead us out of ‘Egypt’ [slavery to the carnal aspects of life] and guide our mind through the ‘wilderness’ of discovery.  Christ [the Living Word] is our ‘Joshua’: to lead our soul [spirit and mind] across the ‘Jordan river’ [the great spiritual divide] and into possessing our Promised Land – back to the ‘Garden of Eden’.  Through the Holy Spirit, we have direct access to the wherewithal to fulfill God’s two supreme commandments: to Love God with all our being, and to Love others to the extent that God Loves us.  [Deut.11:1; Mt.5:17-20, 7:12, 22:37-40; Mk.12:30-31; Rom.3:19-31; Gal.3:21-26]

(to be continued)  [For further information, I invite you to visit my other blog http://www.woodystonedotcom.wordpress.com ]

Quest Journal, section 70

(continuing) Quest Journal, section 70  ©

70a-    Mt.6:19-24[WSV], “¹⁹[Jesus speaking] Lay not up [Do not establish] for yourselves treasures {the foundation of your values and goals [your vision] in life [your ‘treasures’]} upon earth [the concepts and examples presented by the ‘shifting sands’ of the world’s philosophies (the shifting sands of carnal-realm philosophies of life: they are carnal-dominant (non-Holyspiritual) and constantly changing and deteriorating)][, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:] [; …]  ²⁰but [rather,] lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven {establish your foundation {our values and goals in life [“lay up for yourselves treasures in ‘heaven’ (the spirit realm)”]}} {upon the constantly enlightened, powerful, and stable ‘bedrock’ of Truth established by God [We must establish our ideals and goals (aspirations) in life (the things we consider to be of great value: our ‘treasures’ – life’s abundance) upon God’s standard, and have them focused on God’s will for us and receiving his promised blessings of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power through the Holy Spirit (God’s ‘bedrock’).]}[, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:][; …]  ²¹For [because] where your treasure is, there will your heart be also {the treasured aspects (true purpose and intent) of your life determine and intensify your life-focus, and your focus determines the intensity and direction you apply the powers of your spirit and mind [our ‘soul’ – Like the lens of a camera, we focus the purpose and power (direction and zoom) of our spirit and mind on the things we truly esteem; so if we want God’s best in our life, we must focus on God’s best for our life.]}. [Mt.7:24-27; Lk.6:47-49]

²²The light of the body is the eye [Your perspective of life works to develop your perception, understanding, and behavior (our ‘enlightenments’ – like the relationship of the lens of a camera to the development of the image on the film (memory chip and display), and your perception, understanding and behavior work to develop your perspective of life.]: if Therefore[, if] your eye [perspective, perception and understanding (our spiritual and mental ‘lenses’)] be single [are singular in their direction, focus, and stability toward God’s instruction (which is possible through accepting God’s Truth to be our absolute Truth), the behavior of], your whole body shall [life (spirit, mind, and body) will] be full of light [established in His enlightenment and manifest His righteousness].  ²³But [However,] if your eye be evil [spiritual and mental ‘enlightenments’ in (wisdom and perspective of) life draw their inspiration and power from the earth-bound (carnality – “darkness”) precepts of the world’s philosophies and behavior [the things we accept into our spirit and mind as being our Truth (our profoundly acceptable knowledge, interpretation, understanding, attitude, thinking, and behavior in this life) that are not dominated by God’s enlightenment and power]], your whole body [life (spirit, mind, and body)] shall be full of darkness [dominated, clouded, and diminished [full of unrighteousness, instability, and failure (“darkness”)] in proportion to that darkness].  If Therefore[, if] the light that is in thee [your accepted ‘enlightenments’] be darkness {are steeped in darkness [distortions and unrighteousness: spiritual dullness and incompetence, mental misunderstanding and confusion, and other lack or lessening of the direct blessings from God (if our life’s ‘lens’ is misshapen and marred)]}, [Oh] how great[ly] is that darkness {your life will be warped away from God’s desire and planned blessings for you [His perfect plan (‘picture’ – Vision – personal empowerment) for our life]}!

²⁴No man [person] can [be fully loyal and do genuine] serve [service to] two masters [at the same time (have our life’s ‘lens’ focused on two different objects in different directions at the same time)]: for either he [they] will hate the [despise (choose against)] one, [#1] and love the other [#2]; or [if it is possible for us to associate with both] else he will hold to the they will [at self-advantageous times] care for one [#1], and despise the other [disregard #2] [This paradox is alive and well in “Christianism” (Christian ‘religion’).].  You cannot [truly honor and] serve God[,] and[, at the same time, do service to] mammon [the things that dishonor (mock, counterfeit, belittle, distract from) God and his supply of blessings] [“Mammon” is counterfeit “manna”: the things we contrive (money, devices, methods, relationships, philosophies, etc.) that we think will allow us to live this life without having to follow God’s instruction.  God’s supply of ‘manna in the wilderness’ (Ex.16:2-35; Num.11:6-9; Deut.8:1-20; Josh.5:12, Jn.6:48-58; Rev.2:17) is what He expected the children of Israel to rely on instead of focusing their attention on what they missed about living in Egypt.  This is like us focusing on what we used to enjoy about living in the pleasures associated with worldly philosophies, or on what a wonderful life we will have when we get back to heaven (the origin of our life: the ‘Promised Land’ – the ‘Garden of Eden’), instead of understanding, cherishing, and seeking the blessings of wisdom, knowledge, and power God has made available to us in this ‘wilderness’ we call life on Earth.  We must appreciate the blessings we do have, and look forward to tomorrow’s ‘manna’; instead of crying about the blessings we don’t have, or being jealous of the blessings others have been able to receive (or “the ‘pleasures’ of sin for a season”).].” [Mt.6:33; Rom.15:13; Gal.5:22-23, 6:7; Heb.11:24-26]

70b-    Mt.6:19-24[EV], “¹⁹₁Do not establish the foundation of your values and goals₂ in life [your ‘treasures’] upon the concepts and examples presented by the ‘shifting sands’ of the world’s philosophies₃ …₄; ²⁰but rather, establish your foundation₁ upon the constantly enlightened, powerful, and stable spiritual ‘bedrock’ of Truth established by God₂; …₃; ²¹because the treasured aspects₁ of your life determine and intensify your life-focus, and your focus determines the intensity and direction you apply the powers of your spirit and mind₂._S 

 “²²Your perspective of life works to develop your perception, understanding, and behavior₁, and your perception, understanding, and behavior work to develop your perspective of life.  Therefore, if your perspective, perception, and understanding₂ are singular in their direction, focus, and stability toward God’s instruction₃, the behavior of your whole life₄ will be established in His enlightenment and manifest His righteousness.  ²³However, if your spiritual and mental ‘enlightenments’ in₁ life draw their inspiration and power from the earth-bound₂ precepts of the world’s philosophies and behavior₃, your whole life₄ shall be dominated, clouded, and diminished₅ in proportion to that darkness.  Therefore, if your accepted ‘enlightenments’ in life are steeped in darkness₆, Oh how greatly your life will be warped away from God’s desire and planned blessings for you₇!

 “²⁴No person can be fully loyal and do genuine service to two masters at the same time₁: either they will despise₂ #1 and love #2; or₃ they will₄ care for #1, and disregard #2₅.  You cannot truly honor and serve God, and, at the same time, do service to the things that dishonor₆ God and his supply of blessings₇.”_S

 Matthew, 6:19(1) Jesus speaking; 6:19(2) your vision; 6:19(3) the shifting sands of carnal-realm philosophies of life: they are carnal-dominant [non-Holyspiritual] and constantly changing and deteriorating; 6:19(4) “where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:”; 6:20(1) our values and goals in life [“lay up for yourselves treasures in ‘heaven’ (the spirit realm)”]; 6:20(2) We must establish our ideals and goals [aspirations] in life [the things we consider to be of great value: our ‘treasures’ – life’s abundance] upon God’s standard, and have them focused on God’s will for us and receiving his promised blessings of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Power through the Holy Spirit [God’s ‘bedrock’].; 6:20(3) “where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”; 6:21(1) true purpose and intent;6:21(2) our ‘soul’ – Like the lens of a camera, we focus the purpose and power [direction and zoom] of our spirit and mind on the things we truly esteem; so if we want God’s best in our life, we must focus on God’s best for our life.; 6:21(S) Mt.7:24-27; Lk.6:47-49; 6:22(1) our ‘enlightenments’ – like the relationship of the lens of a camera to the development of the image on the film [memory chip and display]; 6:22(2) our spiritual and mental ‘lenses’; 6:22(3) which is possible through accepting God’s Truth to be our absolute Truth; 6:22(4) spirit, mind, and body; 6:23(1) wisdom and perspective of; 6:23(2) carnality – “darkness”; 6:23(3) the things we accept into our spirit and mind as being our Truth [our profoundly acceptable knowledge, interpretation, understanding, attitude, thinking, and behavior in this life] that are not dominated by God’s enlightenment and power;6:23(4) spirit, mind, and body; 6:23(5) full of unrighteousness, instability, and failure [“darkness”]; 6:23(6) distortions and unrighteousness: spiritual dullness and incompetence, mental misunderstanding and confusion, and other lack or lessening of the direct blessings from God [which are possible through our accepting God’s Truth to be our absolute truth] if our life’s ‘lens’ is misshapen and marred; 6:23(7) His perfect plan [‘picture’ – Vision – personal empowerment] for our life; 6:24(1) have our life’s ‘lens’ focused on two different objects in different directions at the same time; 6:24(2) choose against; 6:24(3) if it is possible for us to associate with both;6:24(4) at self-advantageous times; 6:24(5) This paradox is alive and well in “Christianism” [Christian ‘religion’].; 6:24(6) mock, counterfeit, belittle, distract from; 6:24(7) “Mammon” is counterfeit “manna”: the things we contrive [money, devices, methods, relationships, philosophies, etc.] that we think will allow us to live this life without having to follow God’s instruction.  God’s supply of ‘manna in the wilderness’ (Ex.16:2-35; Num.11:6-9; Deut.8:1-20; Josh.5:12, Jn.6:48-58; Rev.2:17) is what He expected the children of Israel to rely on instead of focusing their attention on what they missed about living in Egypt.  This is like us focusing on what we used to enjoy about living in the pleasures associated with worldly philosophies, or on what a wonderful life we will have when we get back to heaven [the origin of our life: the ‘Promised Land’ – the ‘Garden of Eden’], instead of understanding, cherishing, and seeking the blessings of wisdom, knowledge, and power God has made available to us in this ‘wilderness’ we call life on Earth.  We must appreciate the blessings we do have, and look forward to tomorrow’s ‘manna’; instead of crying about the blessings we don’t have or being jealous of the blessings others have been able to receive [or “the ‘pleasures’ of sin for a season”].; 6:24(S) Mt.6:33; Rom.15:13; Gal.5:22-23, 6:7; Heb.11:24-26

(to be continued)

Quest Journal, sections 62-69

(continuing)

62-   James 5:7[KJV+], “⁷… until he receives the early and latter rain.”  We must receive both the “early rain” [the beginning of ‘prophet level’ understanding and obedience – to be built upon] and the “latter rain” [the beginning of ‘Christ level’ understanding and obedience – to be built upon] of the Holy Spirit to produce God’s promised ‘harvest’ in our life: planting and nurturing – concept and application – knowledge and revelation – life and everlasting Life.  [Deut.11:12-16; Prov.1:all; Joel 2:23; Zech.10:1-2; Mk.4:28; Jn.5:39-40, 10:10]

 63-   Lk.14:28-30[KJV+], “²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower [house (burgh, borough, settlement; on a smaller scale: house, abode, business)], [does not first] sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he has [they have] sufficient [the wherewithal (money, material, time, energy, etc.)] to finish it?  …”

Lk.14:28-30[EV], “²⁸For which of you, intending to build a house₁, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether they have the wherewithal₂ to finish it?  …”

Luke, 14:28(1) burgh, borough, settlement; on a smaller scale: house, abode, business; 14:28(2) money material, time, energy, etc.

Do you intend to build a life that truly reveals the blessings of God?  See to it that you have, and make use of, the God-designed wherewithal [the wisdom, knowledge, and power of the Holy Spirit] to finish the task [dream, vision, plan].  God’s design and wherewithal are revealed in God’s Written and Living Word [the Bible, and the Holy Spirit].  The Christian Bible, as revealed through the Holy Spirit, is the design; the Holy Spirit working through us is everything else.

Ps.127:11[KJV+], “¹¹Except the Lord builds a house, he labors in vain that builds it.”  This is not just the finances for a project; it is also the property, architecture, and material of the ‘house’ [the substance of our spirit, mind, and body yielded to God]: seeing the design set forth in God’s Word, and understanding how it applies to our life as revealed by the Holy Spirit.  The authentic wherewithal [wisdom, design, supply, finance, etc.] to finish manifesting God’s design for our life, and the world, is not active in our life outside of relationship/fellowship with the Holy Spirit.  [Lk.20:24-25]

 64-   All believers in Christ are on the same ‘ladder’ to eternal life and blessing.  Accepting Christ Jesus puts us on that ladder.  If we are not climbing the ladder, we are standing still or descending.  We can frustrate the efforts of those God assigns to help us, and we can also hinder our own progress and the progress of those we have been assigned to lead and help.  Because of our spiritual and mental confusion, stagnation, and stubbornness others may have to climb around us in order to fulfill their own assignments in life.  We should be encouraging and receiving help from those ahead of us, and encouraging and helping those behind us.  If others have the ability, assignment, and necessity to pass us and go further, help them – do not hinder [stubbornness, resistance, laziness, complacency, and stagnation hinder everyone].

 65-   What does “eternal Life” mean?  The Life of God is what lives forever.  The life that is bonded to that Life will also live forever.  When we truly accept Christ as our savior [rescuer, deliverer] we receive the Life that lives forever.  When we die physically, God’s power of Life, which gives life to our soul while we are on Earth, returns to God.  What if our soul [the spiritual/mental part of us that makes us unique entities of Creation] never bonds with God’s Eternal Life: by making Christ the true Lord [controller, guide, instructor, mentor, and power] of our life?  Can we resist the bonding?  Can the bond be broken?  If so, who can break the bond?  God will not break it, he said he would “never leave [separate from us of his own will] nor forsake [betray] us” [Deut.31:6, 8; Heb.13:5].  Can bonds deteriorate or dissolve [like the bond between two pieces of wood at a glue joint]?  The bonding is eternally secure as far as God’s responsibility and power are concerned [Rom.8:38-39 speaks of external forces – not mentioned, is we ourselves], but it can degenerate with neglect and/or friction from our side.  To hold firmly, our side of that bond must be nurtured, kept lively, energized intently, and protected diligently.  To remain united with God, or anyone else, our bond of relationship and fellowship must be accepted, nurtured, and maintained. 

As a limb grafted onto the trunk of a tree, when we accept Christ as our savior our life is grafted onto God’s Life-flow [his substance, his Blood (‘sap’)].  At some point in the future that graft will be made permanent [eternal], but until then it must endure: be nurtured, kept lively, energized intently, and protected diligently from the temptations and tribulations brought against it by the carnal-dominant philosophies and things of this world.  The only way for us to accomplish this task is through utilizing the attributes of the Holy Spirit.  [Eccl.3:21; Mt.24:45-51; Jn.10:10, 17: all, esp. v. 21; Acts 3:22-26; Rom.11:17-25; Eph.1:7-8]

 66-   Emotion is ignorant of character’s strengths, but character is not ignorant of emotion’s frailties.

 67-   People who are weak in character carry their reality around in an emotional hand-basket.

 68-   Laziness, procrastination, jealousy, and condemnation are symptoms of being dominated by emotions.  All sins of the spirit, mind, and body are manifestations of being dependent upon emotions to be ones guiding light.

69-   2^ndCor.5:21[WSV], “²¹For he [God the Father] has made [accepted  (designed, anointed, and sent)] him [the sacrificial life and death of Christ Jesus, who had no personal experience in sin,] to be [the self-sacrificial redemptive substitution for the penalty we owed for our] sin for us, who knew no sin;  [In similar manner as the first Adam, in pursuit of satisfying his strong carnal desires, sacrificed the glorious  future of each individual of Humanity; Jesus (the last Adam) sacrificed satisfying his own strong carnal desires in order to give each individual of Humanity access to a glorious future.][.  This was done for us] that we might be made [in order to empower us] the righteousness of God [to develop Godly character and overcome sin by taking advantage of the anointing, liberty, opportunity, and power available to us] in him [as we come into unity with Christ the Holy Spirit].”  [Gen.3:6; Isa.53:4-12; Rom.3:24-26; 1^stCor.1:30, 15:22, 44-50; 1^stTim.2:14; Heb.9:15]

2^ndCor.5:21[EV], “²¹God the Father accepted₁ the sacrificial life and death of Christ Jesus, who had no personal experience in sin, to be the self-sacrificial redemptive substitution for the penalty we owed for our sin₂.  This was done for us in order to empower us to develop Godly character and overcome sin by taking advantage of the anointing, liberty, opportunity, and power available to us as we come into unity with Christ the Holy Spirit.”

2^ndCorinthians, 5:21(1) designed, anointed, and sent; 5:21(2) In similar manner as the first Adam, in the pursuit of satisfying his strong carnal desires, sacrificed the glorious future of each individual of Humanity; Jesus [the last Adam] sacrificed satisfying his own strong carnal desires in order to give each individual of Humanity access to a glorious future.

Christ Jesus was ‘molded’ to replace [be established in the place of] that part of us [our human spirit – our inborn carnal-dominant nature (since Adam’s fall)] that opens the door of our life to ‘sin’ [noncompliance with God’s Covenant].  The Spirit of Christ [the Holy Spirit] is the ‘replacement part’ God issued for the purpose of us incorporating him into our ‘operating system’ and allowing him to rule our life [not to simply sit on the shelf].  We have been given the option [because of our free will] of incorporating Christ into our life: into the ‘compartment’ [our character] which has control over our sin and/or righteousness, and the manifestation of both in our life.  The precepts we accept into our character [establish as our true faith], and the way we apply the power of that character, is up to us, not God.  Through our free will, we can choose to plant and nurture the ‘seeds’ of the precepts of Christ, or the ‘seeds’ abundantly provided to us through the carnal-dominant precepts and actions of the world; but we should make our determinations wisely, because we are the ones who reap the ‘harvest’ of our choices.  [2^ndCor.9:6; Gal.6:7-10; Rev.14:15-16]

(to be continued)

Quest Journal, sections 58-61

(continuing)

58-   When we reverse the direction of our walk in life [“repent”: like driving a car in the opposite direction on a road], the landmarks by which we gauge our direction and progress are on the ‘other side’ of our perception and priority.  If what we observe, and the rules by which we operate our life, is not on the other side of our perception and acceptance, we have not changed direction [not repented].  The same is true in the negative sense as well as the positive.  If we “repent” of our decision to make Godly righteousness essential and the right way to conduct ourselves in a situation [backslide], righteousness becomes a landmark on the other [“wrong”] side of our perception and priority, and we move ourselves out of position to receive the direct blessings of God.  There is an element of life whereby we can be second-, third-, or forth-handedly blessed [or cursed] by way of our earthly associations, but those blessings [or curses] are not indicators of God’s direct blessing [or curse].  God’s direct blessings can only reach us if we are directly participating in the Salvation Jesus came to provide.

 There is a ‘religious’ element of self-justification that says, “I am blessed in this world’s goods, and/or good health, etc.; therefore, I ‘must be’ operating righteously, and am blessed by God.  The fact that I am blessed in a way that is described in God’s Word, is proof that I am living in God’s will [in spite of any other disqualifying indicators].”  Our circumstance in this world is not proof of our standing [relationship/fellowship], or lack of standing, with God.  The proof of our standing with God does not even come from our operating in the ‘gifts of the Spirit’, which are simply gifts associated with our personal assignment from God [1^stCor.12:1-11]; but rather, our standing with God comes from the extent of our operating in and demonstrating the “fruit of the [Holy] Spirit”: Gal.5:22-26[WSV], “²²… [Godlike] Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith,  ²³Meekness, Temperance …”

The fruit [our individual life manifestation: beliefs, thoughts, and behavior] produced on the limb demonstrates the relationship of the limb [our internal wisdom, knowledge, and power] to the trunk of the tree [our individual mentors (whether Christ, or some Earthly being we learn from)] and the trunk’s relationship to the root of the tree [either the life and doctrine of Christ, or some philosophy of the world system – and generally a commingling of the two].  This is the process of the grafting and hybridization of our spirit and mind toward, or away from, Christ.  [Jn.14:20-21, 15:4-9, 17:21-23; Rom.6:21-22; Heb.12:11]

 59-   1^stTim.6:18-19[WSV], “¹⁸… ¹⁹Laying up in store [treasuring away] for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 

“Time to come” is not only referring to the sweet by and by [Eternal Life begins when we are conceived into physical form], but also the troubled times in our Earthly traverse.

Prov.8:17[WSV], “¹⁷… those that seek me early [with earnestness] shall find me.”  Jer.29:13[KJV+], “¹³And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.” 

When times of trouble come, we will seek and [possibly] find Him where He is [present in us and ready to help].  What keeps us from searching for God with intense dedication when there is no trouble?: lack of relationship/fellowship with Him, ignorance, desiring the pleasures of sin, and/or complacency and satisfaction in the darkness of ‘religion’.  [Ps.50:15, 23; Prov.1:all, 8:4-36; Hos.6:15; Col. 2:3;]

 Ps.41:1[WSV], “¹Blessed is he that considers [regards and guides wisely] the poor [needy, weaker]: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” 

God has not instructed us to be motivated to do mentoring so that we will be blessed.  Our motivation must be: to be able to genuinely and correctly mentor in God’s precepts [with God’s quality of Love] – yet, at the same time, we can know that the blessings of deliverance are the reality of our reward, while not allowing the latter to dominate the former.  [Lk.4:18-19; 1^stCor.13:all, 16:13-14; 1^stTim.1:5; 2^ndTim.2:22; 1^stPeter 4:8; 3^rdJn.3-8]

 60-   Jesus entered into redemptive association with all Humanity through the sacrifice of his life-blood, but he can and will only have intimate relations [true and complete fellowship] with his ‘bride’ [the authentic activated believer]; otherwise, he would be committing ‘adultery’.

Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-21[WSV] say, “²⁸ … I will pour out [¹⁷of] my Spirit [the initial (inherent) level of the Holy Spirit] upon all flesh”; and Rom 12:3[KJV], “³ … according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” 

Therefore, it takes more than simply being human, or born/adopted into the ‘Christian’ culture, to be in personal relationship with Jesus; and more than being a Believer and assuming we, at the moment of authentic belief, already have all the possible fullness of the Holy Spirit.  We all have the ability to be in “marriage” relationship with Christ, but if we do not actually Receive the Holy Spirit to be our own [our ‘groom’, our guide and empowerment in life – actually receive a higher level of life-empowerment through intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit], we cannot/will not be in intimate relationship with God the way he requires for our Salvation.  [Lev.26:12; Jer.31:33, 32:38-41; Acts 2:38, 10:45; Rom.12:1-3; 2^ndCor.6:all; Titus 2:11-15; 1^stJn.4:13]

 61-    No one I know has the Holy Spirit in His total fullness today [although the total fullness (the ‘Christ level’ of the Holy Spirit) is available to everyone (Eph.4:7, 13-15)].  However, those who believe in and accept Christ do have at least a greater-than-the-lesser measure [the ‘prophet’ level: “life” (Jn.3:27-36)], or even a great measure [“more abundantly” (Mt.3:15; Jn.10:10)] of that Spirit.  Since the day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus, all humans conceived into this natural world have the initial measure of the Holy Spirit: the ‘measure’ that empowers us to hear the beckoning imploration of Christ Jesus.  This “measure” is God’s initial ‘leaven’ [faith] in our life, which is meant to generate and empower the full ‘loaf’ [full Salvation and Holy Spirit empowerment].  Unfortunately, through self-justification and ‘seeker-pacifying’ beliefs, we religiously puff up [pride, arrogance, assuming completeness, etc.] our image of God’s initial gift of ‘faith’, and believe that that initial measure [the ‘seed’] is Salvation’s all in all [the ‘harvest’].  However, that initial gift of faith is meant to empower the initial ‘seed’ [measure of the Spirit], the seed of spiritual maturity, to become greater in our possession and bring about our everlasting harvest of full and complete Godlike Faith, Character, and Salvation in Christ.  [see also, Journal, #21, 32, 161, 165, 196]

(to be continued)

Quest Journal, sections 52-57

(continuing)  ©

52-   Some substances can be formed or altered through the process of oxygenation [oxygen-‘genation’]: the formation of a different type substance through the process of infusing and melding an original substance with oxygen.  Through this same process, we create our imaginations [image-genations] by forming and intermeshing our images, interpretations, concepts, truths, perceptions, and prejudices of how life operates, along with our priorities and preferences in the way we wish it would operate.

 If the things and situations of this carnal world rule our imaginations, our imaginations will change with the conditions and emotions of every moment and situation; thus, our vision of life will change with the moment and situation, and our life manifestation will not have a chance to become stable or trustworthy in God’s Vision for our life.

 If our imaginations are truly ruled by the authentic Word of God, which never degrades or falters, our Vision [which is a spiritual element] of life, and thereby our life manifestation, develops purposeful focus, spiritual maturity, faith, stability, and trustworthiness.

 53-   Eve = imagination + vanity

Imagination is the physical-conscious mind’s ability to project things and situations onto the picture screen, and audio, of our mind and envision a conclusion.  Imagination is the part of us that thinks in sounds and pictures.  The Spirit of God can also use this avenue to communicate with his creatures.  This does not mean that all, or even any, of those who say they are in communication with God actually are.  Many times, it is simply their wild carnal imagination at work.  It is our personal responsibility to know the difference.

 Vanity [self-centeredness] is the perspective that demands that we see how everything pertains to and affects us personally [usually, but not necessarily, in the best light possible] [Rom.8:20].  This includes, along with all those in-between, those who see themselves as the worst scumbag that ever lived; as well as those who see themselves as some beauty queen, Napoleon, Atlas, Einstein, Schweitzer, Jesus, Paul, or any other of various figures of renown or reputation.  [Ezek.28:16-22]

 Imagination and vanity are necessary in our human experience, because we personally cannot understand anything until we can “see” how it pertains to some aspect of our personal being or situation.

 54-   There is no greater deceiver than he who deceives himself.

 55-   Inside our comfort [satisfaction] zone is an insidiously evil place to remain.

 Satisfaction establishes a comfort zone, or reaffirms an existing one.  Do not seek to fulfill the compulsion toward satisfaction. 

Contentment with where we are and with what we have, yes, on the way to where we shall be: as Paul was content – but not satisfaction [Phil.4:11, 1^stTim.6:8, Heb.13:5].  Contentment continues a steady pace in the race of life, whereas Satisfaction ends the race.  Satisfaction is the major ingredient of stagnation.

 56-    The best way to deal with gossip is to let it die of starvation.  The same is true for a bad reputation.

 57-    Accept Jesus and enter into continuing Life – not necessarily Eternal Life.  [Jn.5:26, 40; 10:10; 20:31]

 Accepting Jesus as Lord [superior, example, leader, and instructor] is the starting point [being born-again], not the finish line [total Salvation].  Next comes accepting Him as our savior [“soter” (Eph.5:23, 1^stTim.1:1, 2^ndPeter 2:20), which is the origin of “sozo” (‘saved’) (Acts 2:40, James 1:21, 5:15)].

{Lk.1:79; 6-11; Rom.10:10; 2^ndCor.6:2; Eph.6:14-18; Phil.1:19-20, 2:12; 1^stThess.5:8-9; 2^ndTim.4:18; 1^stPeter 1:9, 22; and [2^ndThess.2:13-14[WSV]: “¹³But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beLoved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to Salvation [‘soteria’ – rescue, safety] through sanctification of [the human spirit through] the [Holy] Spirit [working in our spirit: human spirit (character)] and belief [in your spirit and mind] of the Truth: ¹⁴Whereunto he [Christ, the Holy Spirit] called you by our gospel, to the obtaining [achieving and preserving] of the [same] glory of [that] our Lord[,] Jesus Christ [Jesus, possesses].”]}

 2^ndThess.2:13-14[EV], “¹³But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beLoved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to Salvation₁ through sanctification of the human spirit through the Holy Spirit₂ and belief₃ of the Truth: ¹⁴Whereunto he₁ called you by our gospel, to the obtaining₂ of the same glory that our Lord, Christ Jesus, possesses.”

 2^ndThessalonians, 2:13(1) ‘soteria’ – rescue, safety; 2:13(2) working in our spirit: human spirit [character]; 2:13(3) in your spirit and mind; 2:14(1) Christ, the Holy Spirit; 2:14(2) achieving and preserving

 Salvation and glory are “obtained” [gained (not earned)] through our consecration and sanctification of our spirit, mind, and body to God through utilizing the help of the Holy Spirit.  There is a big difference between declaring these things to be consecrated and sanctified, which ‘religion’ is accomplished at doing, and actually making them to be so.  [Acts 20:32, 26:18; Rom.2:13, 1^stCor.6:9-11, Phil.1:19, 3:8; 1^stThess.4:3-9, 5:23; 2^ndThess.2:13; 2^ndTim.3:15-17; Heb.5:9, 10:10, 14; 1^stPeter 1:2]  In addition, Titus 2:3-5 uses an extension of “soter, soteria, and sozo”: “sophronizo,” that means to be an example of a righteous disciplined lifestyle: to “teach [by example] … to be sober” [Godly-righteous and stable in belief, thinking, and lifestyle].

(to be continued) [Thank you for your interest and participation.]