Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 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. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

As I was parasailing the other day over the beautiful coastline in Cabo, I began to reflect on the different perspective I saw the city from, at a height ranging from 150 to 300 feet above the water (my estimate). Here are a few observations:

• Buildings, roads and even large resorts seemed very small.
• The sky was still very big.
• The ocean was full of beauty.
• The future trials and challenges I faced seemed to lighten a bit as I was above the city.

Many times we get caught in a day-to-day perspective, working hard, serving those we are responsible for, and trying to manage relationships that can be fickle. But God has a much greater perspective than we do. Like my parasailing height multiplied by 1,000, he sees all, knows all, and is everywhere at one time.

When we live in a sinful world, its people, in general, see the world from a sin-warped point of view, that only goes a a few feet forward. It is like trying to find your way around town, looking through reading glasses that are dirty.

The Good News is, God sees it all clearly and he can clear up our vision too! He has a much higher and clearer perspective on life.

If we trust him to guide us, we gain so much perspective compared to what we used to have, it is incredible. I have experienced this and it is wonderful!

This Independence Day, let us focus, alongside our victory over the British to free our ancestors, on the freedom we gain from sin's vicious grip on our lives. This incredible act of valor and bravery by Jesus (the dying on the cross for us) is our independence from sin!

Lord, I pray that you will prune my heart more and change my thinking more and more — to be focused on your will and your ways. You love me and desire for me to know you deeply.  I want more of you. Come to me and clean my fogged up vision, and help me to clearly see and understand your plan for my life.