Prologue

A thoughtful man once said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and nothing was made without Him. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

My dear friends, as much as we are able with our finite minds, we need to understand life as a whole. See the big picture; why we are here, what our purpose is, the natural order of how God created the world with its laws and principles of life and that we live for eternity not for the present world. When we truly believe that the Word became a man and lived among us and that He is the Son of God; that He came and died for us to pardon our sins and when we fully understand and appreciate the necessity of His teaching for three years before He was crucified…

When we fully comprehend that we must be reborn in the spirit, repent and accept Him as our Lord and Savior and that He truly is the way, the truth and life…then, that is when our life begins to take on meaning and purpose. When we understand the big picture, we will discover we are in the world but not of the world. We will want to see the world through His mind and eyes. We will know why we need Him and must follow Him. It is the only path to life and freedom and inner peace, my friends; all other paths lead to dead ends…to death.

It all seems so simple and straight forward and yet, so many have not found or chosen this path! Why is it that this world seems more appealing than our eternal life with Christ? When I was granted those precious few moments on the other side I could see in an instant into the hearts and minds of humanity and of my closest friends. I recall discussing the visions I was granted to see from that heavenly perspective with my protector as if it were yesterday.

“It is easy to see, Zachariah, why there are so many differences between people on earth and why it is that some can live in peace with themselves and others, while still so many subject themselves to a life filled with worldly values, problems, confrontations, worries and all sorts of mental concerns and depression.”

Zachariah nodded, his warm brown eyes reflecting compassion for the human dilemma. “How one perceives his world is crucial to his well being. All sorts of good and evil are played out in the mind’s theatre. Clearly, the battleground in which man lives out his life is in his mind. And since all men have the gift of free will, the choices they make based on how they see and think about situations that come their way determines their emotions and reaction either for better or for worse.”

“Yes, yes, we are what we think and how we think is determined by all the experiences of our past that bring us into each and every present moment we live.”

Zachariah nodded, a momentary silence fell between us.

I gazed at my protector still in awe over the vision I just witnessed how from the moment we leave our mother’s womb the journey of our lives begin. Learning first from our parents, family, then friends, and teachers and combined with our hereditary nature we acquire emotional habits, good and bad, and a self image of who we are. We develop fears, and values, prejudices, hurts, joys and sorrows…. Yes! Through the billions of choices we make based on all that went before continues to shape our lives and determines our quest for happiness and inner peace. On any particular day and given moment we may find ourselves a million miles away from the world of Jesus, and other days just on the doorstep and occasionally we may enter. This is how it is for each of us.

Zachariah broke into my thoughts with an insight I was just contemplating. “What many do not realize is that how they see their world is different from the world others see because of all the things in their lives that brought them to this moment in time as well. Each man creates his own world and is different from all other men. All too many believe that how they see a situation is the same as how another sees it, but this is not the case.”

I was about to speak but Zachariah went on. “An awareness of this helps to make a man more compassionate and understanding of another. No-one is perfect and each man’s world view is made up of much faulty thinking and conditioned emotional reactions, misunderstanding and hurts. For better or worse a man brings his good and bad traits into each situation he encounters. Reality is perceived through what each person brings into their lives.”

“So true, Zachariah, that’s why open, honest communication is so important to clarify our perceptions to each other. I have noticed that over and over during my life. So often we are left to our own thinking and analysis of what is in the minds of others and their motive. How could he or she do this to me? And yet, when we understand where they were at and see the situation from their point of view, even if it is flawed, we can then accept why they did what they did.”

This time it was I who nodded as I couldn’t speak. I could see how the minds of mankind churned with self righteousness and pride. Tears of sorrow surfaced as my heart pained to see the many conflicts in families; children angry with their parents, wives against husbands, husbands against wives, unforgiveness in so many hearts and misunderstandings of all sorts. Where, oh where is the love, the forgiveness and understanding? How can we let days, months and years go by and live in the past over some hurt that may have been over some reaction due to one’s perception of life at that time? A past hurt or slight is only a thought kept alive by playing it over and over in our minds… for what purpose!? Such a heavy price to pay for the sake of getting even, being right or justified. We are all imperfect. Why do we act superior to one another and condemn the speck in our brother’s eyes and fail to see the log in our own?

I could see in the vision before me that Jesus is absent in so many homes which further compounds and impedes man’s search for meaning and purpose. Prayer, kindness, repentance lacking in so many lives, it is no wonder so many flounder and do not see the path that leads to life and inner peace.

Zachariah knew my thoughts and softly spoke words of hope and encouragement. “Had not the Lord become man to live and die for humanity the vision you see would have been the life of all mankind. There would have been continual strife and darkness and death would have been the end to man’s existence.”

I barely heard Zacharias’ words when there before me appeared the good news, the coming of Jesus to pay the price for our sins and open the gates of heaven. I was spellbound as I saw Jesus standing on the mountain side giving the Sermon on the Mount that I had read so many times before in Matthew’s gospel. His words were filled with love, compassion and forgiveness, teaching us to live through His world, His mind, His thinking! “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth….” My heart began to overflow with gratitude as the light of the Word; its truth and justice swept through my spirit.

“Oh, if only we would all come to Him, repent and commit our lives to Him! How much more peace would fill our existence!”

Romans 12:2 illuminated my mind like a flashing marquee:

‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’

“Yes, it is easy to see from this perspective that the degree to which we accept, commit and obey His teachings is the degree to which we live in the real world that prepares us for eternity. It is the degree to which we grow in peace. It is the degree to which we become peacemakers and beacons to lead others into the light. It is the degree to which we help Jesus fulfill His great commission to bring all mankind into the kingdom of heaven.”

“Why is it Zachariah that many know this truth, yet still live on the fringe of it all and so many abandon it all together as if unattainable? Yes, it requires effort to be obedient to His teachings and to yield our will to Him, but in my own life the rewards of living for God is immeasurable.”

“You are a fine example of living such a life of being in the world but not of the world… You have realized early on that it is impossible to do God’s will on your own strength. Daily I have seen you on your knees asking for mercy and forgiveness and inviting the Master into your heart to live through your life. It is because of the way you have chosen to live your life that your example has brought many people to the Lord. You have been a beacon of light for Jesus. You give others hope and instill faith.”

I nodded gratefully, “I have only been a light to other’s by God’s grace and strength! As St. Paul says, ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.’ It is only by abiding in Christ that we can live as God intended. He is the vine, we are the branches. By remaining in the vine steadfastly, we grow in the light moment by moment until the day we die. When we are hurt, we forgive, when a lie is convenient we say the truth, when we are tempted to judge, we accept. We are obedient to Jesus’ teachings. We show kindness, patience, goodwill, peace in every situation we find ourselves. All our thoughts, words and deeds must have a spiritual side.”

My kindly guardian smiled approvingly, “Yes, man must take up his cross and follow Jesus daily. There will be times when the struggle is great, the temptations so powerful that man slips into darkness. That is why God sent the Holy Spirit and His Angels to continually help us. God understands man’s frailty and how easily he is lured back into worldliness and worldly ways of thinking. Every moment is a decision to live for Christ or himself. Every time man yields his will to God and allows Jesus to live within him, he develops a new habit of living for Christ and weakens his old habits and nature. Although his tendency for self is always present, it is through his choices and sincere efforts that he receives God’s grace and strength to grow ever closer into the mind and heart of Jesus.”

“Yes, Zachariah, it is as you have said, when man sees the big picture and how he fits into the scheme and plan of the heavenly Father that is when he begins to live in the light of the real world. He now lives with meaning and purpose with eternity ever in his sight.”