30 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations,2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today,3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a] and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors.6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today.9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors,10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
We had the best
discussion in our study of 1, 2, 3 John last week. Two phrases that
came up during our discussion, were, 'One Call That's All' and 'You
Can't Handle the Truth.'
The phrase 'One
Call That's All' is currently used on a commercial for a law group.
However it is also fitting for our life. We rely on so many other
outside sources in the world for comfort and peace, when all we
really need to do is call on God. Just One Call. God handles it all.
'You Can't Handle
the Truth' refers to a line from a famous movie starring Tom Cruise
and Jack Nicholson, but it speaks perfectly to the worldly people
here on earth. They can not handle THE TRUTH - God's truth. There is
no other truth, despite what so many people wish us to believe. There
is no truth for Jill and another truth for Sam. Saying that is just
the excuse people use to justify their sinful actions.
As soon as I got
home from Bible Study, I began looking for photos to illustrate those
two phrases as they pertain to our Christian life. Naturally, that
lead me down the proverbial rabbit trail. I began thinking of Bible
verses that mention being in the world but not of the world. The
search for those verses led me to the Bible Reasons website. I've
definitely bookmarked it to refer back to in the future!Bible Verses About Not of this World
https://biblereasons.com/not-of-this-world/
“Even though we are in this world
Christians are not of this world. Our true home is not in this sinful
world it is in Heaven. Yes there are bad things in this world and yes
there will be suffering, but believers can rest assured that there is
a glorious Kingdom that awaits us.
A place far greater than you could have
ever imagined. Do not love the things of the world and be conformed
to it. The things that unbelievers live for are temporary and it can
all be gone faster than a lighting strike. Live for Christ. Stop
trying to fit in. Don’t act how people of this world act, but
instead be an imitator of Christ and spread the gospel so others can
one day go to their heavenly home.”
I pray that you will spend some time to
read through these verses. What a strong reminder that this is not
our home, we are not of this world. Our home is heaven, and one day
we will be there, where we feel loved, where we fit in, and where we
feel at home. We need to be reminded daily that we are not of this
world, especially in these turbulent times. Don't just read the verses below, pray them. Pray that God makes them part of your being and the Holy Spirit fills you with the knowledge that are citizens of Heaven, not Earth.
John 17:14-16 I have given them your word and the
world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I
am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the
world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not
of the world, even as I am not of it.
John 8:22-24 So the Jews said, “Will he kill
himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of
this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in
your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your
sins.”
1 John 4:4-5 You, dear children, are from God and
have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the
one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak
from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you brothers and
sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper
worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able
to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and
perfect will.
James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know
that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore,
anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of
God.
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love this world nor the things
it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love
of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for
physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our
achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are
from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything
that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live
forever.
John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of
this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest
by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And
we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
1 Peter 2:11-12 Dear friends, I warn you as
“temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly
desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live
properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse
you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they
will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Matthew 10:22 And all nations will hate you because
you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be
saved.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Don’t let anyone deceive
you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Don’t be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what
do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can
light live with darkness? 15 And what harmony can there be
between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian be a partner with
one who doesn’t believe?
Proverbs 13:20-21 Spend time with the wise and you will
become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer. Trouble
always comes to sinners, but good people enjoy success.
John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
1 John 2:15- 17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - The desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life - It's not from the father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
