The Adjustment Bureau

The rules of the world are the beliefs of pagans

As most of us already know — and The Adjustment Bureau is eager to confirm — angels are watching over Matt Damon. Blessed among actors, he can charm us as the resilient Jason Bourne, then amuse us as the addled hero of The Informant! without breaking stride...

Given the casting, Bureau would have fared better as a political thriller or straight-up romance without all the metaphysical hoaxes. Like the melancholy watchers in Wings of Desire (and its Nic Cage/Meg Ryan spawn, City of Angels), the Bureau men don't seem to like their job very much, and when we catch a glimpse of their workplace — a vast, old-fashioned library filled with scribbling supernatural drones — we can see why. In the near future, it seems, even the age-old dance between chance and fate has been corporatized. Before we move on. Ask yourself these Questions: Does your life stress manmade rules and taboos rather than, God’s grace. Does it foster a critical spirit towards others or does it exercise discipline, discreetly and lovingly. Does it stress formulas, secrets knowledge or special vison more than the word of God. Does your life elevate self -righteousness, honoring those who keep the rules rather than elevating Christs?

The storyline lends me a hand in the universal circumstance that has plague us during the Covid outbreak. It was determined by some that the circumstance of the plague caused an awakening into who we thought we were; and what we believed. It revealed our inability to focus, mentally distorted, physically bored with ourselves and discontent with our spouse, and no joy or peace etc... We lost faith, hope and love. God was an afterthought to many and we seemingly just did not know who God was anymore because we did not really have the relationship we thought we had.

Now that we have entered 2023 an adjustment is needed for us to be relevant and to reevaluate our personal perspective on life in lieu of your surrounding and those you think you are connected to. Your connection points are indicators to your overall health, wellbeing physically and spiritually.

You are what you eat.

Preparations for the Conquest of Your Life

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates-all the Hittite country-to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to their ancestors to give them. "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Note To Ponder: Once you do this expect your mind and desire to be adjusted into the mindset of the mind of Christ. In order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom—the mind of Christ.

Like the Adjustment Bureau we are living in this make-believe life scenarios pinned up on circumstance that appeal to our natural desires that are in direct conflict where we want to go. We have come to realize that we have failed to admit; that we are born and shaped in iniquity, drawn away of our own lust. Grammatically, James 1:14-15 presents three statements that reveal a three-step process whereby sinful temptation and sinful behavior take hold upon our hearts and lives. Each of these three statements contains the relative conjunction “when,” revealing a conditional truth that when a certain event occurs, then a certain result will arise. First, verse 14 presents the character of sinful temptation -- “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”.

What is the difference between tempted and drawn away?

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires, he is lured away and enticed. But a man is tempted, being drawn away and being enticed by the own desire. So, for this 2023 quest what do you desire? How far are you willing to go? How much time are you willing to invest in your life? Now depending on your disposition there are some steps you must take.

Put Your desires to Death

Colossians 3 in which Paul gives a series of practical encouragements and admonitions in directing believers on how to successfully live the Christian life. The Colossians were in danger of being led astray by the deceptive doctrine of the false teachers who variously advocated philosophy, legalism, mysticism, ritualism or asceticism as the means to produce a godly life. Paul summarized their teaching and practices in Colossians 2:23 saying, “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence.” The teaching and practices of philosophy, legalism, mysticism, ritualism or asceticism seem to be wise from the human perspective, but ultimately, they fail in making a person right with God and also in controlling fleshly desire. Why? Because sin is a problem of the mind and heart and not just outward behavior. Self-discipline can result in restricting a behavior, but it cannot change the sinful heart, so sinful thoughts continue, and sinful behavior erupts in other areas.

Mortifying the Flesh

“Therefore” which immediately takes us back to what Paul said in the previous verses as the reason for what he is about to command. In those verses we found that the real key to living in godliness is Christ. In just those first four verses Paul makes five references to Jesus – four by title and once by a personal pronoun. We are raised up with Christ (vs. 1); seek where Christ is (vs. 1); have our life hidden in Christ (vs. 3); and will be revealed with Him (vs. 4) when Christ, who is our life, is revealed (vs. 4). It is our identification with Jesus’ death (vs. 3), resurrection (vs. 1), life (vs. 3 & 4) and glory (vs. 4) that is the basis for Paul’s command here to “consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

Adjust your thought pattern

Paul lists five specific elements that are part of our earthly members that he states that we are to put to death. Since some of these are not physical, we know that these “members which are on the earth” also encompass your mind and will. Your old self or old man (Colossians 3:9) is more than just your physical body, but also includes your old way of thinking and what you desire, which is why our minds must be renewed (Romans 12:2). These five particular deeds and desires are only representative since Paul includes a second list in verses 8 and 9, and passages such as Galatians 5:19-21 list out many more specific sins. We also find that this list moves from physical actions to the motives that led to those actions – immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and finally, greed.

The Issues

Sins of immorality are a problem today just as they were in the ancient world and so the same admonitions and corrections apply. The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 issued a warning that the Gentile believers avoid immorality. The attitude in Corinth was so bad that some of the believers there were still consorting with the temple prostitutes. Paul had to strongly correct them that in doing so they were joining Christ to a harlot, and so they needed to flee immorality and instead glorify God with their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:12-20).

We live in a society that is increasingly sexually perverse and open about it. Tragically, so many have fallen into this sin that fornication and adultery are considered normal with homosexuality not far behind in its acceptance.

Study to show yourselves approved unto God is your first step. Impurity…Passion… Greed…

The Past Life

The scriptures are always humbling and encouraging. Every true Christian was previously “a child of wrath” that was dead in trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world, living in the lusts of the flesh and indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Ephesians 2:1-3). We did not save ourselves by any sort of righteous deeds which we have done, since they are all as filthy rags before our Holy God (Titus 3:5; Isaiah 64:6). Instead, it was God’s love demonstrated to us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8) that extended His mercy and grace to save us by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) and justifying us before Him on the basis of faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ in His atonement for our sin (Romans 3:28; 5:9). The result of salvation in Jesus Christ is that we become new creations in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17) who have been bought with the price of Jesus’ blood so that we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19,20; Ephesians 1:7). We have been adopted in the God’s family so that we can call Him “abba” (John 1:12; Romans 8:15), yet the reality is that we have also been bought so that we are God’s bondservants – actually, slaves (1 Peter 2:16).

Amen!