“And so we know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16 NLT)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT)
“So God created human beings in his own image.In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food and I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:27-31 NLT)
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.a. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” (Revelation 21:1-7 NLT)
“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit,a with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5 NLT)
“Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?” (John 14:9 NLT)
Daddy is leading me to understand His Word through what I am calling a “3 step filtering process”:
I) How does my current understanding of what I am reading fit with the Nature and Character of God?
- Nature: God is Love
- Character: God is Good
II) How does my current understanding of what I am reading fit into God’s Design and Desire (Will) expressed in sinless environments?
- Garden of Eden
- New Jerusalem
- Heaven
III) How does my current understanding of what I am reading fit with the Gospel accounts of the Words, Actions, and Ministry of Jesus?
- He is the exact image/representation of the Father.
- He is Perfect Theology (He only said and did what he saw the Father saying and doing).
If my current understanding of any verse or passage does not line up with this “filter” I need the Spirit to teach me the Truth that I am currently missing. (This is especially critical in how I understand the Old Testament.)
Perhaps this approach will be of benefit to you. Please consider…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 143: “3 Step Filtering Process for understanding the Word.”