Our greatest privilege in life is to learn to be a person that God will rest upon.
The indwelling presence of the holy spirit is to make us produce fruit.
The infilling power of the holy spirit is for ministry.
–Bill johnson in hosting his presence
the Holy Spirit is in (EIS in Greek) us for our fruitfulness. He is upon (EPI in GREEK) us for our giftedness to others.
He INDWELLS us for our spirits to thrive and be fruitful,
but he onpours (Epi’s) us with gifts to overpour them upon others.
— myself
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
-C. S. Lewis
Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds.
-Albert Einstein
“Our presuppositions shape our perspective, our perspective shapes our priorities, and our priorities shape our practice.”
– Dr. Kenneth Boa
To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; To seek Him, the greatest adventure; To find him, the greatest human achievement.
–Augustine
“Whatever fascinates us will guide us, so I pray that the only thing that’ll fascinate me is God and His marvelous glory.” – A.Z. Tozer
“When the Holy Spirit touches our spirit through others’ spirits, we receive edification.
What comes out of the spirit ignites us as soon as we touch it.”
— Watchman Nee, The Release of the Spirit
“If you want to coach people through change, don’t rely on facts, fear, or force.” “What is most effective in bringing change?” ….relate, repeat, reframe…”Good coaches need to relate to their clients in ways that build emotional relationships, sustain hope, and inspire.” Repetition- “Change doesn’t involve just ‘selling’: it requires ‘training.’” Reframe- …”they need to see their current situations in a fresh way.” “New hope, new skills, new thinking”
— Christian Coaching by Dr. Gary Collins
Each of us holds unique heart languages. These are the activities, symbols, or even objects in which we find special pleasure and delight. Our words and ideas become incarnate when they are delivered in the heart language of another.
— The Revolutionary Communicator
“It is not so much the example of others we imitate as the reflection of ourselves in their eyes and the echo of ourselves in their words.”
–Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) Philosopher
Wherever you fix your eyes upon grows within you. Whatever grows within me, I become.
Emotions are byproducts of pictures. Change your picture, change your emotions.
The pictures you hold can guide your emotions.
— Dr. Mark Virkler
What comes into our minds when we think about God, is the most important thing about us.
A.W. Tozer
“Change happens not just by giving the mind new arguments but also
by feeding the imagination new beauties.”
-Tim Keller
A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening. -Soren Kierkegaard
You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him. – A.W. Tozer
A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening. -Soren Kierkegaard
Our prayers speak the loudest when we affirm how the Holy Spirit is telling us to communicate them.- It is about stilling our spirit, soul, and body (Be still and know that I am God)- focusing undistracted in vision to the author and perfector of our faith (Heb 12:2), moving spontaneously with the fluidity of His living waters (John 7:38), and capturing in journaling, art, intuition, imagination, etc. (all right brain functions) (Hab 2:1-2) what it is He is conceiving, incubating, and birthing within us- groanings included (Rom 8:26).
“Leadership has less to do with position than it does with disposition.” John Maxwell
Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Mary was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old & Lazarus was dead. Now what’s YOUR excuse? Can God use you?
“All law implicitly involves morality; the popular idea that ‘you can’t legislate morality’ is a myth. Morality is legislated every day from the vantage point of one value system or another. The question is not whether we will legislate morality, but whose morality we will legislate.”
-Chuck Colson, 1931-2012
Emotions and Actions are a result of your Beliefs. – Dr Vince Rizzo
The heart cannot exalt what the mind rejects.
Ideas touch the mind, stories touch the heart.
Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.
C. S. Lewis
The following quote is from Dr. Mark Virkler in his book How to Walk by the Spirit,
“And how many parents have watched in sorrow as their beautiful Christian teenager “got in with the wrong crowd?” How quickly the shine and openness disappeared from their face, to be replaced with a mask of rebellion, anger, and sin. Soon he was walking, talking, dressing, and acting just like his new friends……”
What is happening in this situation?
Is it simply the effect of… peer pressure and crowd psychology that makes us become like those with whom we associate? I do not believe so.
I believe it is the spiritual dynamic of “transference of spirits.”
We have learned that man’s spirit is his underlying attitudes, motivations, and character traits.
We have seen how the spirit is manifested in the soul and body of man, through his actions and appearance and demeanor. This spirit can be transferred to another through association and conversation (Proverbs 13:20, 1 Cor. 15:33).
WE need to be so saturated with the Holy Spirit that others receive only Him from us.”
“When we gaze upon the face of God, we not only begin to know Him, but we begin to know ourselves.” – Del Tackett
The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind is akin to that of the religious worshiper or the lover; the daily effort comes from no deliberate intention or program, but straight from the heart. Albert Einstein
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. –C.S. Lewis
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth:
1. The Law Of Intentionality – Growth doesn’t Just Happen
2. The Law Of Awareness – You Must Know Yourself To Grow Yourself
3. The Law Of The Mirror – You Must See Value In Yourself To Add Value To Yourself
4. The Law Of Reflection – Learning To Pause Allows Growth To Catch Up With You
5. The Law Of Consistency – Motivation Gets Your going – Discipline Keeps You Growing
6. The Law of Environment – Growth Thrives In Conducive Environments
7. The Law Of Design – To Maximize Growth, Develop Strategies
8. The Law Of Pain – Good Management of Bad Experiences Leads to Great Growth
9. The Law Of The Ladder – Character Growth Determines The Height Of Your Personal Growth
10. The Law Of The Rubber Band – Growth Stops When You Lose The Tension Between Where You Are And Where You Could Be
11. The Law Of Tradeoffs – You Have To Give Up To Grow Up
12. The Law Of Curiosity – Growth Is Stimulated By Asking Why?
13. The Law Of Modeling – It’s Hard To Improve When You Have No One Else But Yourself To Follow
14. The Law Of Expansion – Growth Always Increases Your Capacity
15. The Law Of Contribution – Growing Yourself Enables You To Grow Others
SPIRIT DEFINED
Dr. MARK VIRKLER
SPIRIT- the deep, underlying MOTIVATIONS, ATTITUDES, and CHARACTER TRAITS
MOTIVATIONS- the inner needs or desires that cause one to act
ATTITUDE- your position, mental or emotional, toward a thing
CHARACTER TRAITS- the distinctive qualities of a person
TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN US, GOD, AND OTHERS IN REGARD TO THE SPIRIT AS FOUND IN SCRIPTURES FROM BELOW–
The things God does to or for man’s spirit-
Forms it
Stirs it
Revives it
Tries it
Cuts it off
The things we should do to our own spirits–
Rule it
Take heed to it
The thing we should do for other people’s spirits is to refresh them
The thing we should be careful not to do to them is to crush them
Being “cool” in the Bible
Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Proverbs 17:27 ESV
7119. qar
cold, excellent
Contracted from an unused root meaning to chill; cool; figuratively, quiet — cold, excellent (from the margin).
7174b. qarar
qarar: to be cold
Transliteration: qarar
Short Definition: fresh
Definition
to be cold
NASB Translation
keeps its fresh (1), keeps fresh (1).
7119. קַר q̣ar: An adjective meaning cold, cool; even-tempered. Used in a simile, it refers to chilly or cold refreshing water that soothes the soul (Prov. 25:25; Jer. 18:14). Cold water, especially cool spring water, was highly prized in Israel, in the hot ancient Near East.[1]
LOVE
Love Nurturers
1) Proximity
2) Familiarity
3) Similarity
4) Chemistry
5) Staying Power
Models of Love
Intimacy alone=liking
Intimacy + Passion=romantic love
Intimacy + Commitment=companionate love
Intimacy + Passion + Commitment=consummate love
Passion alone=infatuation
Passion + Commitment=fatuous love
Commitment alone=empty love
Love Languages
Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Acts of Service
Physical Touch
Love as Fruit
Joy is love enjoying.
Peace is love resting.
Patience is love waiting.
Gentleness is love being able to empathize.
Kindness is love reacting.
Goodness is love choosing.
Faithfulness is love keeping its word.
Temperance is love being in charge
.
Definitions of Biblical Love
Agape- altruistic, selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love
Philos- brotherly fondness, to show warm affection in intimate friendship
Storge- cherishing love between family members
Philostorgos- affectionate brotherly love that shows itself like you are family
Eros- Erotic married consummating romantic sacred covenant-protected love
– portrayed in the Song of Solomon
⁃ only twice in the Septuagint in Proverbs 7:18 and 25?
Philostorgos
A compound form of storge is found in Romans 12:10:
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (ESV)
In this verse, the Greek word translated “love” is philostorgos, putting together philos and storge.
It means “loving dearly, being devoted, being very affectionate, loving in a way characteristic of the relationship between husband and wife, mother and child, father and son, etc.”
Agape Love
Love is long-tempered (forbearing, have patience, suffer long), is kind (gentle, full of service to others); love is not envious (jealous of); love is not braggart, is not puffed up (inflate by blowing, egotistical blowing arrogant thoughts), acts not unseemly (unbecomingly, lacking proper form); seeks not the things of its own, is not easily provoked (cut close alongside, irritated, sharpened, incited), it keeps no reckoning (take into account, reason to a logical conclusion) of bad (kaka- foulness, inner malice). It rejoices not at injustice (unrighteousness), but rejoices with the truth.
It covers (places under) all things, believes all things, hopes for all things, endures (bears up under) all things.
— 1 Corinthians 13 LET (my own Literal Emphasis Translation)
Couples Love Building
CHAIRS- How to respect a husband
Conquest- Appreciate his desire to work and achieve
Heirarchy- Appreciate his desire to protect and provide
Authority- Appreciate his desire to serve and to lead
Insight- Appreciate his desire to analyze and counsel
Relationship- Appreciate his desire for shoulder to shoulder friendship
Sexuality- Appreciate his desire for sexual intimacy
COUPLE- How to love a wife
Closeness- she wants you to be close
Openness- she wants you to open up to her
Understanding- don’t try to fix her just listen
Peacemaking- she wants you to say- I’m sorry
Loyalty- she needs to know you’re committed
Esteem- she wants you to honor and cherish her
If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things. – Albert Einstein
To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.
Four boxes keep us free: the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. –C.S. Lewis
Every heart is a furnace, Your Word is the fuel and the Spirit the flame.
–Misty Edwards
Heavenly Father,
we call upon you this in our hour of need for You are the shepherd that shall guide the wanderer through the desert You are the light that shall be his beacon in the darkness and Yours is the mighty sword that shall strike down his enemies for he is on the path of righteousness. Amen. – The Lone Ranger movie
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
Don’t let someone dim your light, simply because it’s shining in their eyes.
“The yearning to know what cannot be known, to comprehend the incomprehensible, to touch and taste the unapproachable, arises from the image of God in the nature of man. Deep calleth unto deep, and though polluted and landlocked by the mighty disaster theologians call the Fall, the soul senses its origin and longs to return to its source.”
― A.W. Tozer
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” – Joel A. Barker
Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.
— Billy Graham
“There are two kinds of revolutionists, as of most things- a good kind and a bad. The bad revolutionists destroy conventions by appealing to fads- fashions that are newer than conventions. The good do it by appealing to facts that are older than conventions.” — G.K. Chesterton
Without a doubt, there comes to many of us the choice between a life of contraction or one of expansion; a life of small dimensions or one of widening horizons, larger visions and plans. — John R. Mott, Nobel Peace Prize winner and missionary statesman
The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. — Peggy O’Mara
1. A great leader determines a path to greatness.
2. A great leader chooses goals that can be obtained.
3. A great leader believes in his or her followers.
4. A great leader knows to accept blame and pass along honor.
5. A great leader knows that the company’s true assets are the people who work for it.
6. A great leader motivates – usually by example.
7. A great leader leads the way – and asks others to follow.
“Most teachers waste their time by asking questions that are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning is to discover what the pupil does know or is capable of knowing.” -Albert Einstein
“Revival is not an event. It’s an environment. It’s a culture. It’s a whole bunch of people living in the fullness of who they’re supposed to be, and the impact of that causes a restoration.” — Graham Cooke
“Religion is about bad people becoming good. Christianity is about dead people becoming alive.” – David Nasser
Commandments show us how to live. Statutes show us how to think. Testimonies show us what to expect. –Bill Johnson
“Faith is relational; it works by love. It begins and ends in our relationship with Jesus. Our part is to pay attention to His nature. Prophetic ministry speaks of what God is authoring in each of us. We are the echo of God – we speak the same language from the same heart.” -Graham Cooke
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
~Steve Jobs~
“The key to tolerance is not silencing people but valuing individuality. If we value someone’s individuality, we tolerate their ideas as an expression of the person’s individuality. To silence a person would be to negate their individuality and thus destroy the underlying reason for tolerance to begin with. You can completely reject a person’s idea, object, argue against and even denigrate without rejecting them. We can say a person is wrong, and they can be wrong, and if they accept our ideas they can be become better versions of themselves. But if we silence them because we reject their idea, and if they change what they say because they have to, then they have no selves at all, and in the end, neither do we, because we don’t believe anything because we have personally come to accept it, but because we are told that it is right, and we blindly accept what we are told. The Bully nature of the mob wins at the expense of its individual members.”
–Daniel Wanless, college professor
I believe, therefore I will know…eventually. — Blaise Pascal
“To fall in love truly is to fall in love not only with the person as they are, but also with the person you know that God is making, that God is turning them into,” “In other words, you get glimpses of future greatness [even though] you know the person is very flawed. Yet, you get excited about their future self as well as who they are now and you say ‘I want to be a part of getting you there.’” — Tim Keller
“If you curl up you will die, but if you help others then you heal.”
— Joplin, Missouri tornado victim that lost everything
You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.
– Winston Churchill
“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.”
WHO JESUS IS?”
* To the artist, He is Altogether Lovely.
* To the astronomer, He is the Sun of righteousness and the Bright and Morning Star.
* To the baker, He is the Living Bread.
……* To the biologist, He is the Life.
* To the builder, He is the Sure Foundation.
* To the carpenter, He is the Door.
* To the doctor, He is the great Physician.
* To the editor, He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
* To the educator, He is the Great Teacher.
* To the engineer, He is the New and Living Way.
* To the farmer, He is the Sower, the True Vine, and the Lord of Harvest.
* To the florist, He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.
* To the geologist, He is the Rock of Ages.
* To the hopeless, He is Our Hope.
* To the juror, He is the Faithful and True Witness.
I am sure God is an Outdoorsman
by Brady Rex
– In Genesis He hovered and vibrated over the waters
– In Genesis, Adam and Eve hid from Him, showing up even Mossy Oak
– In Genesis He was the first one to kill an animal and make clothes out of it for Adam and Eve
– In Genesis once the serpent deceived Adam and Eve and messed everything up for them, I have to imagine that Adam and Eve had a new appreciation for serpent hunting, no wonder the dinosaurs are extinct
– In Genesis, Jesus provided outdoor education warning of the dangers of the worst tree in the garden
– In Genesis, Noah was given inspiration from God on boat building, maybe some of these whitewater kayak companies should do the same for us bigger-taller guys
– In Genesis, God dropped Noah and the boat off on the mountains.
– In Genesis, God must have honed the skills of Nimrod- known as the “mighty hunter.” — I have to wonder if the whitetail of their day was some kind of devil looking serpent/dinosaur and they would pay big money to go on dino-hunts
– In the tower of Babel, communication got all messed up- just like my GPS taking me on roads that were removed 20 yrs ago
– In the wilderness, God provided cloud by day and fire by night for GPS
– In the wilderness He gave water from a rock, showing that He know best about water filtration in the wild
– In the temple, those priests knew how to have the best BBQ- God ordained professional grillers, no higher chef distinction than that- and yeah they wore a hair hat and front covering as well
– In Psalms 18:16, He is skilled in water rescue even in rough waters
– In Psalms 147:8, He can call the weather perfect every time
– In Psalms 148:7, He must be a deep sea diver
– In Jeremiah 2:13, He knows about getting fresh flowing spring water and avoiding the breaking and stagnation problems of cisterns
– In the OT, it is full of stories of archery, which today is an increasingly popular form of hunting, recreation, and stealth warfare
– In the OT, He keep the boys from getting burnt in even the hottest of fires, now that is a first rate fireman
– In the Gospels He went to a scenic overlook and threw the devil over the cliff (in words of course). It may have been interesting for Jesus after proving Himself, would have walked on air as well or para-glided
– In the Gospels He rock climbed to the top of the Mount of Transfiguration and gave an awesome revelation to His inner circle
– In the Gospels He did a lot of wind sailing on boats in the Sea of Galilee and elsewhere
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