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Monday, October 23, 2017

John 3:31-36 He Who Comes from Above

(for the pdf version, click here)
Jesus, please teach me on this text:

I came to bring life, and life in abundance. For this to happen, people had to receive my words and my witness of the Father’s love.
Many people don’t want love, because they think that belongings from the earth will give them happiness. What gives happiness is not things but joyful relationships - that is the shalom we want to bring.
Whoever welcomes us, we teach how to love and be loved, how to develop holy and joyful relationships, and this brings peace and joy. Blessed are the poor, and the poor in spirit. When you realize your need of being loved, your need of help, you are in a better position to receive my testimony. 
The ones who are fed with rich foods and a deceptive sense of security will rarely come to us. It is more difficult for a rich person to welcome the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. You cannot be filled and hungry, your cannot be dull and passionate, you cannot think you got it all and seek for us.
Life, real life, eternal life does not come from belongings. Belongings last so much and then break or get old or disappear. Eternal life comes from relationships, and first from the relationship with me and the Father. We sent the Spirit to enable you to be with us and to communicate with us all the time, in all situations. That is the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit. I came to model life in God on earth. I had eternal life in me because the Father was in me and I in the Father.
In the same way, remain in me and I in you, and eternal life will remain in you. It is so simple, yet for many it is complex because they want to control and master. The life that is eternal is not controlled, it can only be received with simplicity. You receive our life when you realize you need it and are ready to follow to the rules of our love. Our rules are pretty simple: do to others what you would like do to you, love your neighbor, imitate the way we deal with you in your ways to relate to others. We forgive and are gracious, therefore forgive and be gracious. Our love is poured in you so that it can spill over and bless others also. We are not selfish, so don’t be selfish.
The one who does not believe in me will neither obey me. The one who believes in me will listen to me and do what I say. Faith and obedience are tightly connected. Paul understood it when he says that his ministry was to bring the Gentiles to the obedience of faith. As he said, faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from my words of life.
The life of faith is to learn to tune into my voice, to listen to me and to do what I show you. You then learn to welcome my words and develop dialogs of life with me. I have so much to teach you about our love, about the kingdom of God. Learn from me, for I am humble of heart. I don’t crush a bruised reed or a smoldering wick. 
Yet, the one who rejects my words and disobeys our love, the wrath of God will remain on him. We cannot let people reject love and find eternal life, that would be an absolute contradiction. The one who does not forgive, we will not forgive. The one who keeps his wrath against his neighbor will experiment the wrath of God. This teaching remains.
Humans think they are clever in imagining that everyone will have eternal life, not realizing how stupid this would be. 
We created each of you with the freedom to choose, between life and death, between love and power, between generosity and selfishness. Choose and accept the consequences of your choices. Our desire is for each to choose life, and to have it in abundance. Yet, we never force anyone, even us - even with all the power at our disposal. Your world is built on our love, and can survive and flourish only through this love. It is not a weak love, but a passionate and vibrant love. Our love can overturn empires and mountains. This love is at the foundation of all our creation. Learn to welcome this love at the foundation of your being, and to let our love guide all your thoughts and actions.