"You are not of this world." - St. John 15:19a
"You are not of this world. You are an 'alien', so to speak. You are a stranger; a foreigner, to this world.
Be 'in' this world, but be not 'of ' it. You are not your own, you were bought with a Price. My Son paid the Price for you. He has paid the ultimate Ransom. He has made the everlasting Exchange ... His life for yours.
He died that you may live. You have accepted this fact. You have asked, invited, prayed - for Messiah, My Son, to inhabit your heart; your spirit. He has accepted your invitation. He has come to dwell within you. You are part of His celestial body.
Again, you are not of this world.
You are a pilgrim travelling through a foreign, strange land. You are just passing through. This is not your home. Heaven is your home.
--pause-
Enter My presence with joy ... with thanksgiving. This is not (merely) a trite saying: it is survival for you. You 'must' praise Me ... for your own good! It is not an option: it is mandatory.
Am I a hard taskmaster? The reason for My command is for 'your' benefit, not to punish you! It is for your well-being ... (for) your connection with Me. Praise is a divine connection. It is 'plugging into' My atmosphere! You need My power. I tell you the way. Now, plug in!"
©strengthfortheweak
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Definitions:
celestial = pertaining to the spiritual or (the) invisible Heaven; heavenly; divine
trite = commonplace, mediocre, ordinary, general
taskmaster = one assigning work; overseer
peculiar = special, treasure, jewel (Hebrew); special, one's own, purchased, possession (Greek)
alien = foreigner, stranger
Scriptures:
John 8:23b "...I am not of this world."
John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of this world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
John 17:14 "I have given them Thy Word; and the world hates them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
John 18:36a "...My kingdom is not of this world....
Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God."
John 3:31 "He that comes from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth: He that comes from Heaven is above all."
I John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world system), the love of the Father is not in him."
I Peter 2:9 "But you are a chose generation, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light..."
*Note: In I Peter, the Apostle Peter is speaking to the early group of believers, who were Jewish ... as well as to the non-Jewish (Gentiles)
