Random
January 2, 2013
January 2, 2013
The following are a few random entries from my 2010-2011 journal before I threw it away: They are what I call 'springboards' for further idea development.
The longest prison sentence ever served is by God waiting for the spirit or service to take possession of the church. (To understand this thought read the last paragraph in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 11 by Ellen White.)
When you eat food cooked by someone else, your entire life and %100 of your health and mind is being controlled by someone else. (This makes sense when you think about the proverb 'you are what you eat') If you eat fast food or at a restaraunt your future is being determined by someone you do not know and can not see.
I wish I could see my life now as I will see it from eternity - finding the motivation to cut out anything that will keep me from winning souls. The importance of obtaining a 3 billion year perspective. What will this hour of my life look like after 3 billion years in heaven? If the joy of heaven is seeing souls saved then I want to be direct in line with soul winning now.
The pain and frustration that I have now is that I can not see what prayer does or what prayer is doing (in real time). It is very difficult to know how to pray or how long to pray for if you can not see the progress or lack of progress in real time.
The first page of my journal says "This book captures ideas. This is my idea capturing tool."
How to evangelize 7 Billion people? According to this article the population of the world at the time of Noah was 7 Billion people. If Noah was the only preacher of righteousness among 7 Billion people then the completion of the Great Commission today does not depend on technology or methods but on finding people wholly surrendered to God.
The best idea generators: Exercise, Vacation, Church, Prayer, Books.
Nobody spoke like him because nobody lived like him (quote from Mike about Jesus)
I heard a pastor tell a story about Satanists that pray. What does that say about prayer if Satanists pray also?
What if God raised up a laboring laborer every time you asked him?
Violence of busy-ness. Being too busy is a form of violence.
How to finish a talk on time? Put a cell phone in your pocket with a timer to vibrate when you have 5 minutes left.
A blessing is not a blessing unless it defies the laws of life without explanation (true?)
Yeah! The Resurrection of Jesus! The Resurrection is a guaranteed knockout! Win every time! There is no real opponent. There is no comeback or grounds to counter. It is the beginning and full stop. Death is a problem and it is the greatest enemy and the Resurrection crushes it! The Resurrection is the only valid answer.
Dilemma? The motivation to fast and pray does not come until after praying and fasting. if prayer and fasting is so valuable then how does one obtain a 'jump start' motivation to begin to pray and fast?
The longest prison sentence ever served is by God waiting for the spirit or service to take possession of the church. (To understand this thought read the last paragraph in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 11 by Ellen White.)
When you eat food cooked by someone else, your entire life and %100 of your health and mind is being controlled by someone else. (This makes sense when you think about the proverb 'you are what you eat') If you eat fast food or at a restaraunt your future is being determined by someone you do not know and can not see.
I wish I could see my life now as I will see it from eternity - finding the motivation to cut out anything that will keep me from winning souls. The importance of obtaining a 3 billion year perspective. What will this hour of my life look like after 3 billion years in heaven? If the joy of heaven is seeing souls saved then I want to be direct in line with soul winning now.
The pain and frustration that I have now is that I can not see what prayer does or what prayer is doing (in real time). It is very difficult to know how to pray or how long to pray for if you can not see the progress or lack of progress in real time.
The first page of my journal says "This book captures ideas. This is my idea capturing tool."
How to evangelize 7 Billion people? According to this article the population of the world at the time of Noah was 7 Billion people. If Noah was the only preacher of righteousness among 7 Billion people then the completion of the Great Commission today does not depend on technology or methods but on finding people wholly surrendered to God.
The best idea generators: Exercise, Vacation, Church, Prayer, Books.
Nobody spoke like him because nobody lived like him (quote from Mike about Jesus)
I heard a pastor tell a story about Satanists that pray. What does that say about prayer if Satanists pray also?
What if God raised up a laboring laborer every time you asked him?
Violence of busy-ness. Being too busy is a form of violence.
How to finish a talk on time? Put a cell phone in your pocket with a timer to vibrate when you have 5 minutes left.
A blessing is not a blessing unless it defies the laws of life without explanation (true?)
Yeah! The Resurrection of Jesus! The Resurrection is a guaranteed knockout! Win every time! There is no real opponent. There is no comeback or grounds to counter. It is the beginning and full stop. Death is a problem and it is the greatest enemy and the Resurrection crushes it! The Resurrection is the only valid answer.
Dilemma? The motivation to fast and pray does not come until after praying and fasting. if prayer and fasting is so valuable then how does one obtain a 'jump start' motivation to begin to pray and fast?
Why not start an Answer meeting? Nobody is attracted to attend a prayer meeting. Everywhere I have been on three continents less than %1 of people that attend church will attend a prayer meeting. Why not start an answer meeting? That is where people go to get answers. Praying for an hour is not motivating. Finding God and getting real answers to prayer and sharing those answers, now that's motivating!
People do not follow sermons, they follow examples.
People do not follow sermons, they follow examples.
Matthew 18:19 seems to suggest that group prayer is more powerful than individual prayer. Throw fasting in to the mix and what do you think will happen? Does prayer become more effective with fasting? What about a group that prays and fasts, is that the most powerful combination?
If prayer and fasting is so helpful then how come we know so little about it? If we have the option of a nuclear bomb then why are we using a sling shot to attempt to finish the Great Commission? Why is there such a natural resistance within us to do what works? How do we overcome that resistance? What do we need to think and believe in order to want to want the results that only prayer and fasting will bring us?
If prayer and fasting is so helpful then how come we know so little about it? If we have the option of a nuclear bomb then why are we using a sling shot to attempt to finish the Great Commission? Why is there such a natural resistance within us to do what works? How do we overcome that resistance? What do we need to think and believe in order to want to want the results that only prayer and fasting will bring us?
"Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3, NIV). In Christ is the promise of eternal life; but since human life is mortal, humans are confronted with difficult issues regarding life and death. The following principles refer to the whole person (body, soul, and spirit), an indivisible whole (Genesis 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Life: Our valuable gift from God
1) God is the Source, Giver, and Sustainer of all life (Acts 17:25,28; Job 33:4; Genesis 1:30, 2:7; Psalm 36:9; John 1:3,4).
2) Human life has unique value because human beings, though fallen, are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 3:2; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18,19).
3) God values human life not on the basis of human accomplishments or contributions but because we are God's creation and the object of His redeeming love (Romans 5:6,8; Ephesians 2:2-6; 1 Timothy 1:15; Titus 3:4,5; Matthew 5:43-48; Ephesians 2:4-9; John 1:3, 10:10).
Life: Our response to God's gift
4) Valuable as it is, human life is not the only or ultimate concern. Self-sacrifice in devotion to God and His principles may take precedence over life itself (Revelation 12:11; 1 Corinthians 13).
5) God calls for the protection of human life and holds humanity accountable for its destruction (Exodus 20:13; Revelation 21:8; Exodus 23:7; Deuteronomy 24:16; Proverbs 6:16,17; Jeremiah 7:3-34; Micah 6:7; Genesis 9:5,6).
6) God is especially concerned for the protection of the weak, the defenseless, and the oppressed (Psalm 82:3,4; James 1:27; Micah 6:8; Acts 20:35; Proverbs 24:11,12; Luke 1:52-54).
7) Christian love (agape) is the costly dedication of our lives to enhancing the lives of others. Love also respects personal dignity and does not condone the oppression of one person to support the abusive behavior of another (Matthew 16:21; Philippians 2:1-11; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:8-11; Matthew 22:39; John 18:22,23; John 13:34).
8) The believing community is called to demonstrate Christian love in tangible, practical, and substantive ways. God calls us to restore gently the broken (Galatians 6:1,2; 1 John 3:17,18; Matthew 1:23; Philippians 2:1-11; John 8:2-11; Romans 8:1-14; Matthew 7:1,2, 12:20; Isaiah 40:42, 62:2-4).
Life: Our right and responsibility to decide
9) God gives humanity the freedom of choice, even if it leads to abuse and tragic consequences. His unwillingness to coerce human obedience necessitated the sacrifice of His Son. He requires us to use His gifts in accordance with His will and ultimately will judge their misuse (Deuteronomy 30:19,20; Genesis 3; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 3:5,6, 6:1,2; Galatians 5:13).
10) God calls each of us individually to moral decision making and to search the scriptures for the biblical principles underlying such choices (John 5:39; Acts 17:11; 1 Peter 2:9; Romans 7:13-25).
11) Decisions about human life from its beginning to its end are best made within the context of healthy family relationships with the support of the faith community (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 5,6).
12) Human decisions should always be centered in seeking the will of God (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 6:6; Luke 22:42).
*Abortion, as understood in these guidelines, is defined as any action aimed at the termination of a pregnancy already established. This is distinguished from contraception, which is intended to prevent a pregnancy. The focus of the document is on abortion.
**The fundamental perspective of these guidelines is taken from a broad study of scripture as shown in the "Principles for a Christian View of Human Life" included at the end of this document.
Life: Our valuable gift from God
1) God is the Source, Giver, and Sustainer of all life (Acts 17:25,28; Job 33:4; Genesis 1:30, 2:7; Psalm 36:9; John 1:3,4).
2) Human life has unique value because human beings, though fallen, are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 3:2; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18,19).
3) God values human life not on the basis of human accomplishments or contributions but because we are God's creation and the object of His redeeming love (Romans 5:6,8; Ephesians 2:2-6; 1 Timothy 1:15; Titus 3:4,5; Matthew 5:43-48; Ephesians 2:4-9; John 1:3, 10:10).
Life: Our response to God's gift
4) Valuable as it is, human life is not the only or ultimate concern. Self-sacrifice in devotion to God and His principles may take precedence over life itself (Revelation 12:11; 1 Corinthians 13).
5) God calls for the protection of human life and holds humanity accountable for its destruction (Exodus 20:13; Revelation 21:8; Exodus 23:7; Deuteronomy 24:16; Proverbs 6:16,17; Jeremiah 7:3-34; Micah 6:7; Genesis 9:5,6).
6) God is especially concerned for the protection of the weak, the defenseless, and the oppressed (Psalm 82:3,4; James 1:27; Micah 6:8; Acts 20:35; Proverbs 24:11,12; Luke 1:52-54).
7) Christian love (agape) is the costly dedication of our lives to enhancing the lives of others. Love also respects personal dignity and does not condone the oppression of one person to support the abusive behavior of another (Matthew 16:21; Philippians 2:1-11; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:8-11; Matthew 22:39; John 18:22,23; John 13:34).
8) The believing community is called to demonstrate Christian love in tangible, practical, and substantive ways. God calls us to restore gently the broken (Galatians 6:1,2; 1 John 3:17,18; Matthew 1:23; Philippians 2:1-11; John 8:2-11; Romans 8:1-14; Matthew 7:1,2, 12:20; Isaiah 40:42, 62:2-4).
Life: Our right and responsibility to decide
9) God gives humanity the freedom of choice, even if it leads to abuse and tragic consequences. His unwillingness to coerce human obedience necessitated the sacrifice of His Son. He requires us to use His gifts in accordance with His will and ultimately will judge their misuse (Deuteronomy 30:19,20; Genesis 3; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 3:5,6, 6:1,2; Galatians 5:13).
10) God calls each of us individually to moral decision making and to search the scriptures for the biblical principles underlying such choices (John 5:39; Acts 17:11; 1 Peter 2:9; Romans 7:13-25).
11) Decisions about human life from its beginning to its end are best made within the context of healthy family relationships with the support of the faith community (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 5,6).
12) Human decisions should always be centered in seeking the will of God (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 6:6; Luke 22:42).
*Abortion, as understood in these guidelines, is defined as any action aimed at the termination of a pregnancy already established. This is distinguished from contraception, which is intended to prevent a pregnancy. The focus of the document is on abortion.
**The fundamental perspective of these guidelines is taken from a broad study of scripture as shown in the "Principles for a Christian View of Human Life" included at the end of this document.