Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David

We've established that there are two families referenced in the Bible, each having its own qualities and attributes:

 

è   è   è   We Develop from Selfishness to Love of Others   è   è   è
Family of Selfishness	Family of Love of Others
•       Seeking to benefit oneself •       This family has a father, mother, brother, sister etc	•       Seeking to benefit others •       This family has a father, mother, brother, sister etc
•       Father is the devil •       Kingdom of this world	•       Father is God •       Kingdom of God
•       Death •       Evil •       Enemies	•       Life •       Green Pastures •       Still Waters •       Paths of Righteousness •       House of the LORD (YHVH)
Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

 

Psalm 23 is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible. Here's how it's connected to the two families referenced in the Bible:

 

Psalm 23: A Psalm of David (NKJV)	Connection to the Two Families
1. The Lord (YHVH) is my shepherd;	The LORD (YHVH) (of the family of love of others) is my shepherd
I shall not want.	I shall not be in selfishness, wanting
2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.	He makes me be in the quality of love of others
3. He restores my soul;	He restores my quality from selfishness to love of others
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.	He leads me in the paths of love of others So that I have the quality of love of others
4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,	Though I am in selfishness
I will fear no evil;	I will not fear selfishness
For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.	For You are with me, bringing me out of selfishness to love of others
5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;	You prepare me to be in love of others, instead of being in selfishness
You anoint my head with oil;	You change my qualities to love of others
My cup runs over.	Until I am completely in love of others
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me	Surely I will be in love of others
All the days of my life;	All the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord (YHVH)	And I will dwell in the house of the LORD (YHVH) (of the family of love of others)
Forever.	Forever
Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

 

Love of Others in Action

What actions do I need to take in order to be in love of others?
How do I need to behave?

Video:  Life Vest Inside - Kindness Boomerang - "One Day"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwAYpLVyeFU

 

Perception of Reality

The Bible actually references perception:
And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive...' (Matthew 13:14, NKJV)

Reality is what you see around you. What you see, what you perceive is your reality. You start off in this one state of reality.

Perception of reality introduces the idea that there is more than one way to perceive the world, meaning your reality. If your perception changes, your reality changes.

Going through a change in the perception of your reality means you transition from perceiving one reality to also perceiving another, you become aware of two realities.

In the first perception of reality you see yourself as separate from the world. In the second perception of reality you see yourself as being a part of the world.

The second reality was always there, you just didn't perceive it.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

God and the devil

Mutual Responsibility

We have to change the way we connect with each other.

Currently we are entrenched in egoism (selfishness) and seek only to benefit ourselves even at the expense of others. We don't care about others, we only care about ourselves.

Our ego is responsible for all the problems in the world and our selfish behaviour cannot be sustained in the long term. Something has to change. We have to change.

We have to change our nature from selfishness to love of others.

Love of others is when you seek to benefit others instead of yourself. I look after you and you look after me, we become mutually responsible for one another.

Once we change our nature we will become integrated in one another.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Spring Brings Love

Spring brings love
Hear nesting birds singing
Smell the subtle fragrance of new flowers
See the stars in the night sky
Taste fresh picked fruit
Touch the light through the trees
Spring brings love

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Love of Others - We are All Interconnected

We are all interconnected in so many ways:

I didn't grow or make any of the food I eat, someone else did.
I didn't make any of the clothes I wear, someone else did.
I didn't make the house I live in, someone else did.
I didn't make the computer I'm using to write this, someone else did.

By the time goods and services reach me, countless people have been involved in the planning, preparation, development, creation, marketing, logistics, delivery, retail and selling.

Other people make my life possible.

Thank you to all the people who work in the various fields and industries that make my life possible.

Thank you to the One True God, the Infinite God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for giving us life itself.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Reading The Bible

If you've never read the Bible but want to, here's a good place to start:

1.  Psalms
The book of psalms has 150 poems that will touch your heart, they express the full range of human emotion from joy and jubilation to sorrow and suffering.

2.  The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John in the New Testament summarizes Jesus' life. The other gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke also speak of Jesus' life.

3.  Genesis and Exodus
Genesis speaks of creation and how man fell from God. Exodus speaks of redemption and our return to God.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

There are Two Families Referenced in the Bible

The Bible shows the natural development of our soul as it grows and changes from selfishness (seeking to benefit oneself) to love of others (seeking to benefit others).

These two states of selfishness and love of others are referenced in the bible as two distinct families, each having its own parents, mother, father, brothers, sisters etc.

When Jesus says, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9, NKJV) he points out several things:
1. Earth (selfishness) has its own father and heaven (love of others) has its own father
2. You can call someone on earth (selfishness) your father but you shouldn't, do not do it, meaning do not be in the quality of selfishness
3. The One in heaven is your father meaning you should be in the quality of love of other
4. We should change our quality from selfishness to love of others

Once we understand these two families, the following scriptures that appear to be contradictory now make sense.

Honor Your Father and Mother
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord (YHVH) your God (Elohim) is giving you."  (Exodus 20:12, NKJV)

The land which God is giving us is the land of love of others, benefitting others instead of ourselves. This land has its own family, it's own father and mother. We honor our father and mother in this family of love of others.

Once we change our qualities from selfishness to love of others, we switch families, moving from the family of selfishness to the family of love of others.

We become a part of an entirely new family, new parents, new father, new mother, new brothers, new sisters etc, a family with the new quality of love of others.

Hate your Father and Mother
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26, NKJV)

Jesus is saying that we should hate the family of selfishness. We should leave the attributes of our old life of selfishness behind and change our quality from selfishness to love of others.

Once we change our quality from selfishness to love of others and seek to benefit others instead of ourselves, we become a part of a new family of love of others. Only then can we become disciples of Jesus.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Change from Separation to Unity

Change from Selfishness to Mutual Guarantee

Change from Receiving to Giving

Change from Being Disconnected to Being Connected

Change from Hatred to Love

Change From Being Served to Serving Others

Change From Me to We To ONE



Love Covers Over all Wrongs

"...Love covers over all wrongs." (Proverbs 10:12, NIV)

Currently, we are each immersed in self-love and hatred of others, thinking only about benefitting ourselves instead of working to benefit others. Nobody is perfect and so we are united in our common state of imperfection.

To reach love, each and every one of us has to change. We have to change our attitude, mentality, perspective, habits, actions and thought processes so that we think only about benefitting others instead of benefitting ourselves.
 
Since I'm not perfect and you're not perfect, we each have to change. I can't change you, I can only change myself. So how do I change? In two ways:

1.  I Have To Rise Above My Imperfections To Love You

In my current state, I am entrenched in self-love. I think only about what's good for me with no consideration for other people. I have a 'survival of the fittest' mentality. I want to win at all costs even if it means hurting other people to achieve my selfish ambitions. I don't care about other people, I care about myself.

In my changed state, I rise above my selfish tendencies and stop thinking only about myself. Because our tendency is for self-love, it takes effort, will and determination to rise above this selfish state to reach a state where I’m focused on benefitting others instead of benefitting myself.

2.  I have To Look Past Your Imperfections to Love You

In my current state, I have hatred for other people. There are so many things wrong with other people, I can't help but judge them and want them to change. I don't like them at all. They should be more like me.

In my changed state, I look past the 'flaws' of other people. Instead of focusing on what's wrong with them, I focus on the human being who is just like me and has needs just like me. Because our tendency is for hatred of others, it takes effort, will and determination to look past their 'flaws' and reach a state where I’m focused on benefitting them instead of hating them.

Currently we are united in our common state of self-love and hatred for others, if each and every one of us changes: I rise above my selfish tendencies and look past your imperfections and you rise above your selfish tendencies and look past my imperfections, then we become united in our common state of love of others.
 
Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Unconditional Love

To love is to serve the needs of others in order to benefit them.
Meaning instead of thinking about what's good for you, you think about what's good for others.

Do:
1. Think of others instead of yourself.
2. Serve the needs of others instead of your own.
3. Give in every way you can - your wealth, time, energy, effort, talent, skills, abilities.
4. Care for others with comfort, kind words, encouragement, sympathy, compassion.
5. Perform good deeds so others can benefit from your work.
6. Love others unconditionally, without any conditions.
7. Be a good example and role model for others.
8. Change yourself, not others.
9. Be open and flexible, be mindful and thoughtful, be aware and be present.
10. Be kind, gentle and considerate of others

Do Not:
1. Do not love others expecting a reward, a return, compensation, or a better life.
2. Do not perform good deeds to be seen as a righteous person in the eyes of others.
3. Do not have hidden agendas seeking personal gain from your good works.
4. Do not have expectations that others will change or even thank you and be grateful.
5. Do not force, coerce, intimidate or oblige others to be like you.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Repent and be Saved

The purpose of these three stories is to show two things:
1.  If you repent you will be saved.
2.  If a prophet decrees judgment and it doesn’t come to pass right away that doesn’t mean s/he is not a true prophet. If people repent they will be saved.

1.  Elijah and Ahab (1 Kings 21: 17-28, NIV)
17 Then the word of the Lord (YHVH) came to Elijah the Tishbite:
18 "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.
19 Say to him, 'This is what the Lord (YHVH) says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord (YHVH) says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!'"
20 Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord (YHVH).
21 He says, 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free.
22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.'
23 "And also concerning Jezebel the Lord (YHVH) says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'
24 "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country."
25 (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord (YHVH), urged on by Jezebel his wife.
26. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord (YHVH) drove out before Israel.)
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
28 Then the word of the Lord (YHVH) came to Elijah the Tishbite:
29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

2.  Isaiah and Hezekiah (2 Kings 20: 1-11, NIV)
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord (YHVH) says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord (YHVH),
3 “Remember, Lord (YHVH), how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord (YHVH) came to him:
5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord (YHVH), the God (Elohim) of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord (YHVH).
6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”
7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.

3.  Jonah and Nineveh (Jonah 3: 1-10, NIV)
1 Then the word of the Lord ( YHVH ) came to Jonah a second time:
2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord (YHVH) and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.
4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
5 The Ninevites believed God (Elohim). A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.
8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God (Elohim). Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
9 Who knows? God (Elohim) may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God (Elohim) saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Addiction

The kingdom of this world is about serving ourselves. The Kingdom of God is about serving others.

Addiction is a complicated issue. There are many experts and services available to help people suffering from addiction.

The simple explanation provided here should not be construed as a lack of sympathy for the seriousness and complexity of the issue.

Problem – Disconnection
Addiction is one of the ways we are disconnected from one another. When we are high, stoned, drunk, passed out, hung over, mentally unavailable and/or physically unavailable, we are disconnected from others.

Reason for Problem - Selfishness
Addicts are entrenched in self-serving behavior, spending time, energy and effort focused on feeding the addiction. Addicts do not think about anybody else except themselves.

Solution – Connection
If we change the way we live our lives and seek to serve others instead of ourselves, then we make sure we are mentally and physically available to serve them.

Instead of engaging in addictive behavior that leaves us unavailable, we keep our minds, bodies and hearts fit, ready and alert to be of service to others.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

God is My Husband

“And it shall be, in that day,” Says the Lord ( יְהוָה ), “That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’  (Hosea 2:16, NKJV)

“For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת ) is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God (אֱלֹהֵי ) of the whole earth.”  (Isaiah 54:5, NKJV)

You are The One True God, The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and King David.

You are my Husband, my one true love.

You alone are my provider and protector; I turn to You alone for all my needs.
You satisfy me completely in every way and fulfill all my desires.

I need You, I have always needed You and I will always need You.
I love You, I have always loved You and I will always love You.

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

A Letter To Israel - Calling Israel to Return to God ( יְהוָה )

From:
Carter Kagume
 
To:
Israel
 
 
The time has come for Israel to repent and return to The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

EXILE IS OVER!

The return to God ( יְהוָה ) has begun. Israel, we are going back to God ( יְהוָה ) , back to where we came from, back to where we belong.

This is a call to Israel to repent and return to God ( יְהוָה )!

As it is written:

“O Israel, return to the Lord your God, ( יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ )
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity…”  (Hosea 14:1, NKJV)

“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts ( יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת ): “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts ( יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת ), “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts (יְהוָה  צְבָאוֹת  ).”  (Zechariah 1:3, NKJV)

“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”  (Exodus 19:6, NKJV)

“I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God ( לֵאלֹהִים ).”  (Exodus 29:45, NKJV)

“They shall be My people, and I will be their God ( לֵאלֹהִים )”  (Jeremiah 32:38, NKJV)

Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.

Resurrection

Raise me from the dead,
       from selfishness and the love for myself

Bring me back to life,
       to Godliness and the love for others

Fill me with righteousness and holiness,
       the riches and treasures of heaven

Bestow upon me Your full bounty,
       so I may be a citizen of the Kingdom of God

Give me Your every provision,
       so that I may know You

Open Your gates and bring me to life,
       for I am returning to You


Copyright © 2013 , Carter Kagume. May be used for research purposes only. May not be used for any commercial purposes.