Learn to do right, seek justice, correct the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” 18“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
Isaiah 1:18
Those are clear encouragements, for you and me, individually, here and now.
Let’s get to work!
It is convenient to wait for Christ to come, or to believe that the last days are out there…
Let today be the last day of your own adultery.
“Neither do I condemn you, go [enjoy Life] and sin no more”. John 8:11
“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
Matthew 18:4
Sorry for the repetitions, but we wasted already so many years, not really hearing and applying the good news!
The Bible is a spiritual message, it relates to our inner being, our attitude, our knowing the Truth, knowing and praising God, the cause of the phenomena of life.
“This world” is the effect, the fruit of our maturing in knowing the real cause.
The Lord introduces himself: 2
I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.
Leviticus 11:44
The creatures that move on the ground are your own unexamined attention, interest, belief and identity.
Be watchful! Humble yourself like a little child, don’t pride yourself with your old adult understanding, “this world”.
Be open, be present, here and now; don’t escape into hoping that one day you will be magically saved; you are already free if you read and apply scripture bravely.
The Bible is not about school-learning and being a nice girl or boy, but it is about the highest discovery and experience in the human kingdom!
If there is one thing we can agree on, it is that your own experience is the ultimate test for you! You are not here to please an assumed God, but to be yourself, the one who God made and sustains! In “this world” we can believe anything we want, and we reap the fruits accordingly.
Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.“
John 18:36
You have to be vigilant towards your own understanding! Humble yourself like the little child; do not jump to the first conclusion that comes to mind.
Admit the humility that it is your own (involuntary) ignorance that keeps you outside “my kingdom”, suffering “this world”.
Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.
1 Corinthians 10:26
Whatever you do, do it in Love.
“My kingdom” is neither lo here nor lo there!
The Bible is a spiritual message, written for the ignorant mind, using words and mental pictures of “this world”.
Our suffering in life is caused by our attitude, not by circumstances.
The limitations in life are not in what we see, but how we see!
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think on these things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8
We need understanding! Just being positive, but ignorant, won’t humble us into the kingdom.
Who really knows if “the last day” refers to this global world of multiplicity and diversity, or if it relates only to you individually.
What matters is that we don’t miss our chance of liberation, of redemption.
It might be just a convenient escape of the “wicked” in us to wait for outer change; to hide in passive submission.
Let today be the last day of our (involuntary) ignorance by really taking the Bible to heart! Not as a rambling sheep, but as the Shepard, in us, by having that mind which was also in Christ Jesus!
“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?”
John 8:32
Stick with the Bible, if this is your background, your believe, your hope, your Faith.
If your hunger is for Truth, for Love, for Reality, then nothing in “this world” can hinder you.
There is only one Life, one Love that creates and maintains our existence; one God, Father of all!
But seek Him and only him. Hope, believe and Faith are stepping stones while fighting the good fight in our own minds and hearts.
Your particular history, your cultural and social conditioning is just a veneer, a veil, that you need to see and understand in order to experience that we never left Paradise, that you cannot die. This sounds too fantastic; and our pained and bruised wicked part in us will protest and have many well thought-out arguments and outworn answers to justify its own misery and past investments.
The Lord introduces himself to you: I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.