I make reference on a regular basis here how I seem to be ‘connecting more dots’ over time as I pour over scripture, from both OT and NT writings. Truth be told, it is the Holy Spirit that is ‘connecting the dots’ for me given we can’t see or understand much of anything out of our Bibles unless He is opening our eyes to understand the ‘mysteries of the kingdom’. (Matt. 13:11; Luke 10:21; 24:31-32,45; John 16:13; 1 John 2:26-27) To some, that last sentence might sound a tad arrogant, but I challenge you to look those verses up and give them some serious thought.

Now while no one has accused me directly of doing this, I can imagine why some might suggest that my postings here, where I present verses from all over the Bible, might be an example of taking scripture ‘out of context’. And I would just have to politely and humbly disagree. We can easily get caught up in man’s methods when it comes to ‘systematic study’ of scripture, but let’s face it...if we have not truly come to Jesus with our whole heart, we are just spinning our wheels trying to figure it all out. (John 5:39-40). I would not even pretend or presume to be some learned scholar or biblical theologian. But I will continue to share with you here all that I have learned in the past several years and you too can study these things out for yourself to see if they are true and ‘line up’, if you so desire. (Acts 17:11)

Let me ask you a question. For those of you who like to construct jigsaw puzzles...I know folks have various methods of putting them together, and it would be pointless to argue whose methods are ‘right’ or better, as long as all the pieces fit correctly and they reveal a clear picture for all to see at the end, right? But for those who like to lay out all the pieces beforehand, maybe even separate them by color, putting them in small trays and such, ... would you accuse someone who takes all the straight edge pieces first, along with the four ‘corner’ pieces... putting the ‘frame’ together to start out...that they took all those pieces ‘out of context’?

I suppose when it comes to studying the Bible, some might call this ‘topical study’, where you pour through scriptures that pertain to a particular subject and then examine what they all may seem to be suggesting or point to. I guess that is what it may appear to some what I tend to do here at times. And for the past four years, there has been a very particular subject matter that I have stayed zeroed in on as I circle back and share more layers of biblical truth. I can tell you that those three areas center around God’s law, dealing with the ‘old man/flesh nature’, and just who the ‘enemy’ is and how he/they operate. To simplify, I refer to this, in short... as The Law, The Flesh, and The Enemy. It was not long before I found these ‘sandwiched in’ between two liberating truths for me, personally: Abiding in Jesus is Everything and IF...we are abiding in Him, we can be totally set free from sinning...on This side of heaven. (1 John 2:6; 3:6-9)

I have even gone as far to suggest these areas of study have been grossly neglected in many church teachings today, even likening it to someone having a new home built, and for whatever reason, no steel rebar was used in the foundation slab. And we all know how that would not be a good thing, especially when the foundation of every believer will be, and is already being ‘tested’ by the oncoming storms and ‘floods’. (Matt.7:24-27; Heb. 12:25-27)

All that to say...the very first lesson God made clear to me on the very first day I ‘turned my life over to Him’ 44 years ago, was an impactful one. I’ve shared the story here before how God wanted my 'eyes opened' to see I lived in a spiritual world where forces of darkness were very much a reality. It is a lesson that really does consist of the ‘straight-edged pieces’ in this puzzle that creates a framework that makes all the other ‘pieces’ of scripture make more sense. Tomorrow, Lord willing...another look at that framework as it helps coming to understand this world we live in.