First Comes The Darkness, Then Comes The Light

It is written in the story of creation in The Book of Genesis in The Bible, "And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day." (Genesis 1, NIV). We see that first comes the darkness, then comes the light.

We learn from opposites, first we're given the evening (the darkness) so we can know the morning (the light).

We're at the beginning of a new creation, the quality of bestowal. We have to change from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others). We're going from darkness to light, from selfishness to bestowal.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Do not be afraid. God is with us.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

One Thing Is Used To Mean Another

The Bible and The Quran speak only about our internal qualities and how we'll change from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others).

It takes wisdom to understand The Bible and The Quran, but it also takes some logic:

• When John the Baptist saw Jesus he called him the Lamb of God. (John 1:29, NIV) Was Jesus an actual lamb? No. So we know that John was referring to something else.
• Jesus refers to himself as the true vine. (John 15:1, NIV) Was Jesus an actual vine? No. So we know that Jesus was referring to something else.

So we understand that one thing is used to mean another. This is an important concept when it comes to understanding The Bible and The Quran.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

A Little Child Will Lead Them

If Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was about 30 years old, who is the little child that will lead them spoken of in Isaiah?

There's a difference between The First Jesus, The Second Jesus and The One:

1. The First Jesus:
• "Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry." (Luke 3:23, NIV)
2. The Second Jesus:
• When Jesus was 12 years old, his parents found him in the temple courts listening to the teachers and asking them questions. (Luke 2:41-52, NIV)
• "Jesus grew in wisdom", meaning he wasn't born with Godly knowledge, he learned it over time.
• "... you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity ..." (Quran 5:110, Sahih)
• The Second Jesus is a part of The One, as it is written, "... you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One ... (Matthew 26:64, NIV)
3. The One:
• "... a little child will lead them." (Isaiah 11:6, NIV)

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Rivers Of Living Water

When I write about changing from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others), I'm writing about the key to the kingdom of heaven. Here's how rivers of living water form:

• This message comes to me from above, it's alive because it holds the key to life.
• I receive it and give it to you.
• If it touches you and you begin to seek to benefit others instead of yourself, then you enter life.
• And if you influence others to do the same, then they enter life.
• And if they influence others to do the same, then those they influence enter life.
• etc., etc.

In this way, rivers of living water form as we influence others to change from personal selfishness to mutual bestowal, where we all seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Of this Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:38, NIV)

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Our Biological And Spiritual Family

Here's an explanation of the difference between our biological and spiritual family:

1. Our Biological Family:
• This is the family that we're born into in this world - our father, mother, brothers, sisters, our own children and all our relatives.
• This family is connected with the quality of selfishness because:
• It's the only family that we perceive while we're immersed in selfishness.
• We tend to take care of this family, excluding all others. For example a mother will look after her own baby, but will unlikely look after someone else's baby.
• Here's how Jesus reacts to his biological family:
• "While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"" (Matthew 12:46-50, NIV) 
2. Our Spiritual Family:
• This is the family that we perceive after we go through a change in the perception of our reality, after our internal qualities change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others).
• This family is connected with the quality of bestowal because:
• It's inclusive and it transcends blood, race, gender, religion, politics, nationality etc.
• Through love of friends, we take care of everyone equally, and our biological family becomes part of the larger family, we treat them as we would everyone else.
• Jesus explains who his family is:
• "Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."" (Matthew 12:46-50, NIV) Meaning, whoever is in the quality of bestowal, seeking to benefit others instead of themselves, is family.

We're all one family and we have to start treating each other as one family. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Sometimes, Plans Change

Some people believe that everything a prophet says has to come true, as it is written, "If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken." (Deuteronomy 18:22, NIV)

However, we know from several other examples in The Bible that plans change:

1. Abraham And Isaac: Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham made all the preparations to do so, but at the last moment an angel of the LORD stopped him. The plans changed and Abraham sacrificed a ram instead. (Genesis 22:1-18, NIV)
2. Ahab And Elijah: Ahab wanted Naboth's vineyard, but Naboth wouldn't sell. Jezebel (Ahab's wife) had Naboth killed and Ahab took his vineyard. Elijah was sent by God to tell Ahab that God would destroy him, his wife and his descendants. When Ahab heard this, he repented. God heard him and the plans changed. What had been decreed against him wouldn't take place in his day, but in the days of his son. (1 Kings 21, NIV)
3. Hezekiah And Isaiah: Hezekiah was ill and God sent Isaiah to tell him that he would die. After Isaiah left, Hezekiah prayed to the LORD. God heard him and the plans changed. God sent Isaiah back to him to tell him that 15 more years had been added to his life. (2 Kings 20, NIV)
4. Jonah And The People of Nineveh: God sent Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh that the city would be destroyed. When the king heard of it, the entire city repented. God heard them and the plans changed. The city would not be destroyed. (Jonah 3, NIV)

Our relationship with God is exactly that, it's a relationship. It's dynamic and it changes from moment to moment based on our interaction with Him. Ask God to help you and He will.

There's no contradiction between Deuteronomy 18:22 and the other examples. Deuteronomy 18:22 is talking about how a level of attainment called 'prophet' corrects a desire. The other examples are different states within our internal qualities.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

What Does Jesus Mean By "This Generation"?

When Jesus was talking about the sign of the end times, he said, "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." (Matthew 24, NIV)

What does he mean by this generation? He means the quality of selfishness, meaning the quality of selfishness will not disappear until all these things have happened.

This generation and this world are connected with the quality of selfishness (when we seek to benefit ourselves with no regard for others). By contrast, the next generation and next world are connected with the quality of bestowal (when we seek to benefit others instead of ourselves).

Here are a few more examples:

• Jesus said, "You are of this world; I am not of this world." (John 8:23, NIV) Meaning, "You are of the quality of selfishness, I am not of the quality of selfishness, I'm of the quality of bestowal."
• Jesus said, "Anyone who loves their life with lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25, NIV) Meaning, "...anyone who hates the quality of selfishness will enter into the quality of bestowal for eternity."
• Jesus said, "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out." (John 12:31, NIV) Meaning, "Now is the time for judgement on the quality of selfishness, the quality of selfishness will be driven out and replaced with the quality of bestowal."
• Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36, NIV) Meaning, "My kingdom is not of the quality of selfishness, it's of the quality of bestowal."

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.