Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 1
| "My kingdom" | "this world" |
|---|---|
| I am the Light | I am John Doe, 52 years old, male, 6 feet tall, 190 pounds. I have a BS in this-and-that. |
| Happiness Matthew 6:33 19 | Pleasure and pain, attachment to outcome. |
| Love 1 John 4:8 18 | A sense of being a separate-self, incomplete, apart from God. |
| Knowing the Father, God, the cause of the phenomena of life. John 17:3 17 | Judging by appearances and assumptions, based on past and hearsay. |
| Faith: a reliance in the goodness and generosity of creation. Hebrews 11:1 15 1 Corinthian 2:5 16 | A strong personal sense of doer-ship. A narrow outlook based on survival, defending the person we assume to be. |
| Nurture, inspiration and guidance from the source of Life. Psalm 1:1-3 14 | At the mercy of other people, outer circumstances and chance. |
| Always enough. 2 Corinthians 12:9 12 Luke 12:30 13 | Unconscious lack and restlessness. |
| A sound mind. Titus 1:7 11 | Not knowing the nature of our own mind. |
| Right identification as the child of God. 1 John 4:7 10 | Being intimidated by thoughts and feelings in "this world", in our person. |
| Here and now, life eternal. John 3:16 9 | Avoiding to feel the present moment, a strong habit to escape in an assumed future or past. |
| "My grace is sufficient for you." 8 | Blame, shame, guilt, expectations, attachments. |
| Peace and confidence. Isaiah 30:15 7 | ...fear or hesitation to admit "I don't know". |
| Truth = Consciousness --the canvas of all experience, that which never changes. John 8:32 6 | Whatever comes goes. |
| I AM the Light of this world. John 12:46 4 I am with you always, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8 5 | I AM a mortal body. |
What a treasure the Bible can be when we relate it to our here and now; when it becomes alive and real in this moment.
Sorry, the above table is an oversimplification.
Please help me to see my own blind-spots.
“every spirit” also relates to your own thoughts, beliefs and assumptions! ↩
It is too easy to reject and to close down, but much harder to show and share the Truth.
Don’t miss your opportunity in life; know your Bible, know what the words mean and where they are pointing to…
If we just rattle through scripture we spill the precious milk.
↩How does learning work?
We start with a conceptual understanding, but then go out into the world and make it alive, practical and relevant. ↩
…45And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me.
46I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
47As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.…↩8The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”↩
31So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”…↩For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
16“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.…↩For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.…↩Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.↩For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
8but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,
9holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.↩9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
10That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.…↩…29And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.
30For the nations of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.…↩1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.↩Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.↩
4My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
5so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
6Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.…↩2For You granted Him authority over all humanity, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him.
3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only TRUE God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
4I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.↩7Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.…↩32For the pagans strive after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.…↩