Chapter 16: Revisit 1-15, Part 2: 9-16 2025 (revelation2221.com)
Chapter 16 is a lot, I know that. None of this stuff happened to me overnight, it took time, but in retrospect, it has been time better spent than before the relationship with Christ began. It’s been a long road and one that is fraught with mistakes, sin, pain, time, so much time in the patience of God. Doing these assignments by myself for myself has been an arduous task, but an honorable one and as time presses on in my life, I realized doing it for God had always been the key, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. Yea, that was huge, that the need I had to write down and share these notes, was a need given me, a gift by the Spirit of God. So, I get it, the assignments are nearly impossible to do during the week, simply because they are for whatever reason. That doesn’t take away from what happens when people do involve the mind, in the study and a in depth of chasing true knowledge in Christ’s destiny planned just for me or you. It’s a good thing, but only as good as my effort. The truth is the key, and basically more truth is revealed, both in the understanding of God and the hideous memories that remind me of what I am and what I have been, and how essential, critical, the need for Christ in what would be a hopeless life without Him.
The world changes the concept of Christ year after year, although unfortunate it does not change the Word or the truth of the one true Christ and written in that Word. If I change my testimony to fit anything really, to possibly make it easier or more palatable, it frankly wouldn’t be my testimony. It would be an interesting story I made up, that might not even be interesting. These chapters that follow Partnering with God, they were the beginning of my new life, a better life, but not an easy life. In the beginning it was a combination of me, the old and me, the new coming. And how can I expect you to go any faster than I did? In one way it would make sense, I was a left over catholic and couldn’t remember a single thing I learned, except maybe, “bless me, father for I have sinned,” a saying all of us recited as we, the children of middle School, entered the vestibule of confession, in front of the old priest, who was behind the veil, listening to a litany of our youthful transgressions. But, alas, God was there tutoring his student, day by day, quietly and probably unbeknownst to me.
What I can tell you about this 16, part 2 is that I was asking questions of God. Why this was happening or that. How come these people got their way, or what God meant by anything and everything I was experiencing. God answered my requests through the Word and that reality I share with you each week, chapter by chapter, question by question. What I didn’t know is the preparation for corporate turnaround was happening, only by the hand of the Master, same as He will do with you, if you apply yourself. I remember what life was like before, I was irrelevant, and then He brought me to scripture.
Psalm 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I
am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Suddenly, when reading such a passage, I knew better, that He knew, …me. The world is a difficult place, and the church is in the world, which makes things a bit confusing sometimes as well as disappointing. In your business if you ask yourself for the answers, ultimately you will run out of information and start circling around and around and around the same answers to no avail. Such is life without the knowledge and wisdom that can only be found in the request and time-line of God, for the benefit of you, I might add.
Jeremiah 33:2-4 “Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the[a] Lord is His name): 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [b]mighty things, which you do not know.’
There are 23,145 verses in the old testament and 7,957 verses in the new testament. Could you recite even one of them to help your friends or your family? I remember asking myself that question even yesterday, but years ago, I tried desperately to remember the scriptures. It became clear to me that my testimony, rather than memorizing random scripture, brought me to certain Truths God was teaching me. I may not be able to recite the exact address of the scripture every time, but I can still share it and find it with my friends.
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there Am I with them.”
Your enemy chaos will come for you, your family and your friends, and there in lies the test for us all. We all call for the Lord, and have called for the Lord for centuries, our children will do the same. Might be a good idea to jot down some notes.
Psalm 83:1-5 A song. A psalm of Asaph.
O God, do not remain silent, do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire
against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
That was written three thousand years ago, and it is more accurate now than today’s news. Wouldn’t it be great if you went back and took a look at such writings. Whatever the case, these chapters brought me to a lot of information in the Bible.
Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Before I run it down, may I say, Many people say to me, “I keep an open mind to the world and the solutions in it.” Be careful of such a thought, it could be a trap, and take you off of the one true path.
1 Timothy 4 God’s Spirit specifically tells us that in later days there will be men who abandon the true faith and allow themselves to be spiritually seduced by teachings of the devil, teachings given by men who are lying hypocrites, whose consciences are as dead as seared flesh.
Back in the day there was a man named Joshua, and in his land were many false gods. These were his comments to those around him who had an open mind to the ridiculous world and its musings.
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
I will blast through these questions, one short description at a time, as I did so many years ago, and hope that in prayer, you might find your way as well. Chapter 16, part 2, 9-15
#9) The Myth of Stewardship, simply put, “I think I’m doing a great job. Perhaps even the poster child of “holiness.” In fact, I have no idea why my business is failing, I’m a great guy. I’m a victim of unfortunate circumstance and mean people.” Right? May seem crazy but truly we have such thoughts and many people act on them, incorrectly, i.e., “the myth”, because it ain’t true. None of us are that great and we are responsible for the mess we create.
#10) Breach of Fiduciary duty vs Mistake. “I didn’t take those loans or mismanage corporate funds by accident or a mistake, I planned it and it blew up in my face.” That is a breach of fiduciary duty, to blame it on anything else, is a lie and the mistake would be not owning it and saying, “I get it, I did it, I’m sorry, what to do now for the repairs?” Like that in a walk with God the breach of fiduciary duty is the sin against God, the mistake is not repenting.
#11) “The OverUse of Scripture.” Scripture is power, power can be OverUsed. Either for personal gain, to mask mistakes, or for any other reason than what power is meant to do. What is power meant to do? All power comes from God, as does all scripture. It is meant to serve God and His purpose. OverUse, misuse, incorrect use, all of it, does not serve the Lord, or the plans that He has made for you. Misplaced power, through His teachings, or anything else, will hurt others and the perpetrator, rather than help. Stay the course, listen to the Lord, obey the rules.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
#12) The Triangle and the sliding scale: I had to make some way of keeping myself in check. Mind, body and spirit, covering all the bases God had allowed me to do and keeping myself healthy and in order at the same time. Without the triangle, I will get sick, mind, body and spirit instead of healthy, mind, body and spirit. Without this chapter I simply think I’m measuring myself correctly, but alas, I am not.
#13 The day He opened my eyes! Well, long story short, I prayed and begged Him, to save my life. He did. End of story, right? Actually, the beginning of story that continues to happen to this very second.
#14 Where does Judgement begin? It starts with the whisper of the devil and ends absolutely with Jesus. Judgement has no solution, so rather I learned in my responsibility assessment rather than judgement. Assessment has solutions, and leaves people more often with dignity than not. Judgement is a loaded gun that shoots backwards.
And finally Chapter 15, Doing Better than your best. Not possible without God. My very best, best, best thinking gets me put into trouble. It allows me to listen to stupid people, devise dumb ideas and engage incomprehensible pain to those people who care for me and to end any hope for success in myself and any effort put forth. My best is definitely not good enough for anything good. God helps me overcome and accomplish better than my best, and in that, God is my partner.
Chapter 16, revisit 1-15, part one and two 2025. Basically without these notes, I would forget everything that God has done for me and then how could He use my testimony? Common Sense is not common and stupid is very, very expensive.
Proverbs 2:6-8 All wisdom comes from the Lord, and so do common sense and understanding. God gives helpful advice[a] to everyone who obeys him and protects those who live as they should.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses …
Chapter 16, Part 2, “Observations of a Traveler walking a road, with a bible, a pair of glasses and a flashlight.” The name of the road you might ask?
Isaiah 35:8 A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.
That is me, a fool on this road will not go astray.
Proverbs 3:1-12 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
Proverbs 7a:Keep my commands and you will live;
Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
Hebrews 2:1 – “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”
Chapter 16, Part 2, 9-15, remembering always, Part 1, Chapters 1-8. May the Lord be with you. Amen.
