January 1.

2020
John 5. 31-35
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my
favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true. 33 “You have sent to John and he has
testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; I mention it that you may be saved.
35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

I mention it that you may be saved

Jesus is reasoning with the Jewish Leaders giving the powerful Living Words from God to break
them out of the condition of blindness. Some people have a natural spiritual intelligence. These
people are eclectic thinkers who have artistic personalities. An eclectic learner gathers
information from a broad spectrum, covering multiple disciplines. They can find a line of
reasoning that allows them to believe in the identity of Jesus because they are not limited to one
line of reasoning. As a consequence the possibility of eternal truths are easier to accept than they
are for Liner thinker.

A linear thinker is a person who has one clear line of reasoning that is sequential. They have to
plan out every step required to accomplish a task before they start a project. Hours and hours,
some times days or years can be spent considering all the variables that must be planned out
before beginning a project. Linear thinkers are very successful as politicians, teachers, math
professors, accounts and scientists. They cannot understand anything that is out of the
metaphorical box. Anything that disrupts the traditional flow of the linear thinkers is suspect and
often rejected.

Jesus is both a eclectic and linear thinker at the same time. He is comfortable in the non linear
world of eclectic thought and in the sequential world of the linear thinker. The Jewish leaders
cannot place Jesus in the sequence of events that lead up to recognizing the Him as the Messiah
because of the way they think.

As a result, Jesus is giving the Jewish leaders a sequence of events that led up to recognizing
Him as the Messiah. Unfortunately, the way a linear thinker processes information requires a
great deal of time. They have to have meetings, discussions, examine the sequence closely,
scrutinize the facts and figure out how to enter them into the sequence in order to change
anything. This is very hard for them to do. Jesus is simply doing things to fast for for a linear
thinker to accept. This frightens them.

Most poor people are eclectic thinkers; non linear thinkers. They do not have to establish a
preconceived pattern to adopt a new concept. Therefore it is hard for them to follow any
required sequential pattern to accomplish a goal. They have trouble doing anything exactly the
way anyone else did it in the past. They are extremely creative seeing ways to streamline the
process so that it is simpler.

Jesus is giving His followers Freedom to have minds that are linear and non linear as the
circumstances demand. They are not blinded by human tradition nor are they unable to
demonstrate how human tradition points to Jesus. Here Jesus is giving the Jewish leaders one
element in the sequence of proof that He is the Messiah. John the Baptist is the lamp that reveals
the identity of Christ. So there not division among these who believe in and follow Christ the
Living Messiah. There is only compassion, love, patience and long suffering in the hearts and
minds of those who are alive in Christ. Those who are baptized into new life in Christ have
living water flowing through them in a way that their minds are transformed.

'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.' Romans 12:2. 'We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.' 2
Corinthians 10:5 2 Corinthians 5:17–Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The
old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Ezekiel 36:26–And I will give you a new heart,
and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and
give you a heart of flesh. Ephesians 4:23 - And be renewed in the spirit of your mind“The
weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine
power to demolish strongholds.” Philippians 2:5 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus – 2 Corinthians 10:4 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
– John 8:32 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” – Colossians 3:2 “The
mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” –
Romans 8:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7