2011-09-24

Kingdom Principles Discussion 04 The Dual Worlds

The Spiritual world controls the Natural world. But believers are given the authority to command from earth what happen in the spiritual world. The fig-tree story is an objective lesson given by Jesus to teach us how to apply our faith to influence the spiritual first and then the natural world by saying and believing by faith in God. You can get what you say in faith of God. 
Previous Discussion: Kingdom Principles Discussion 03 The Golden Rule for Business.

This week discussion is on the Reality of Two Worlds - Spiritual and Physical.  In fact, the Spiritual is the greater reality where the Physical/Natural is a reflection of it. Heb 11:3 what is seen comes from what is unseen. Unseen does not mean it is not there. Scientists now talk about 'Dark Energy' and 'Dark Matter'. Dark not as evil but unseen and unknown - we know it is there but can't say much about what it is. Here is the updated mind-map of our discussion:


The Fig Tree Story
We are not under the mercy of the spiritual world. God gave us (the believers) the authority to control from our natural world the happenings in the spiritual world as shown in the above mind-map in Mat 16 and Mat 18. In fact, Jesus gave us further assurance and power but telling us to agree.

The Fig-Tree Story is an life objective lesson on how to apply the authority. See Bringing the Words from the Mind into the Heart.

Here is another way to present the study on Mark 11:22-23.

Discussion Questions:




Lim Liat (c) 23 Sep 2011

2011-09-18

Kingdom Principles Discussion 03 The Golden Rule for Business

Continued from Kingdom Principles Discussion 02.
This week discussion is based on The Golden Rule for Business Mat 6:33.

In addition, we take from the teaching of Ancient Chinese Classics and in particular: Similar Verses in Bible and Chinese Classics 9 on Money & Righteousness. The Chinese teaches the same thing of "Go after righteousness and not profits". 是故財聚,則民散。財散,則民聚。Keep your wealth and people scatters; Spend your wealth and people gather. Money hoarded will only cause destruction.

We also take cues from secular books on wealth. In particular, we look at the Millionaire Mind of T Eker's and a Quote from Mark Hansen.

“I have been told all my life that if a person is rich, he is very dishonest and dishonorable, and mean and contemptible. My friend, that is the reason you have none, because you have that idea of people. The foundation of your faith is altogether false. Let me say it clearly, 98% of rich men in America are honest. That is why they are rich, that is why they are trusted with money, that is why they carry great enterprises and find plenty of people to work with them.”—Mark Hansen.

Here is the mind-map that integrates the wisdom of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard St John and T H Eker.

 See also Adding Biblical Wisdom to Bill & Steve Jobs' Wisdom for Success

They just show that the Bible teaching is correct and it works even when followed by people that are non-believers!

More biblical teaching on righteousness can be found here The Righteous - Wisdom from Proverbs,


Next Discussion: Kingdom Principles Discussion 04 The Dual Worlds

Index Page: Kingdom Laws & Principles

Lim Liat copyrighted 18 Sep 2011


2011-09-17

Bringing the Words from the Mind into the Heart

In this post, I shall cover a point in Five Habits for Effective Christian Living. It is about bringing the Biblical words that we read from our mind into our heart. It is only when the Word is planted in our heart that we can believe,  and then by acting on it and to know fully, without needing to believe anymore, that it works.
The process is Read -> Meditate -> Believe -> Act -> Know. 
Meditation - Bringing Words from Mind into the Heart
Meditation could be also described as seeding the heart with the Words. Here are steps (need not be in sequence. repeat any step when needed):
  1. Read aloud, Repeat, Memorize. (For the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the mind to focus. Use our 5 senses for input as much as possible).
  2. Break it into the key subject, verb, object. Put back the modifiers/qualifiers.
  3. Word by Word exposition and visualization
  4. Rephrase. Get a tagline for easy recall.
  5. Put “Ourselves” into it. Apply in our own life.
  6. Listen to the Holy Spirit.
  7. Think about it whole day.
  8. Write it down and Say it out.(ØStephen Covey (8th Habit) said writing is more powerful than visualization. It bridges the conscious and the subconscious mind. It is a psycho-neuromuscular activity and literally imprints the brain). 
Try it with Mark 11:23
Here is the most powerful verse on faith and giving command on God's words. It is also Kenneth Hagin's favorite. The context (one must always read any verse in its context) is in Mark 11:12-14 and 11:20-25. This incidence is commonly known as "The Cursing of the Fig Tree". There are quite a few interpretations about why Jesus cursed the fig tree - such as "hypocrisy" because the tree show signs that it had figs but it did not when Jesus went closer to pick the figs. But I think the true lesson of this incidence is revealed in Jesus' teaching on faith given in 11:22-25 - How to Pray Effectively.

Mar 11:22  And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.
Mar 11:23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
Mar 11:24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mar 11:25  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
The Breaking Up and Putting Back of Mark 11:23
The teaching of Faith begins with v22 "Have faith in God"
  • Have : must have this faith. Don't have don't work.
  • Faith in God only, not in anything else. Faith in science, in others, don't work well.
I shall use mind map to visualize the breaking up and joining back of 11:23 as shown below:



  • Begin with thinking about the speaker - Jesus. Who is he? What authority? Is he reliable? Is he powerful? etc.
  • Truly - Jesus says it is very important and it works.
  • say to you: What has Jesus got to do with me? What is the relationship that he share this working principle with me? 
  • Note the tag line "Whoever says and believes shall be granted him"
  • Note the other qualifiers to give details on the whoever, says what, believe what, get what.
Rephasing - "I get what I say and believe in God".

I don't get whatever I say, but only in what God says because v22 says have faith in God. God's promises to us are in the Bible. There are many promises like eternal life, shalom peace, health, wealth, success, relationships, good spouse, good children, long life, etc.

Listening to the Holy Spirit
As you meditate on His words, be aware and sensitive to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. He will lead you with concepts and other verses to think about and relate. He may bring people into your mind for you to pray for them or even incidents, and needs that show you that God is interested in giving you the answers.

Application:
What is your mountain of need as the Spirit reveal and your inward deep desire? Relationship, healing, job, children,etc ? Find a promise in the Bible to stand on. Then say out the answer that you need. Such as "I command you, sickness, to go away, be cast into the sea". Then believe in your heart and doubt not when we receive contrary news from doctors or others or even our body. Every you encounter such bad news, say it out that you believe God's words and speak to the sickness (not to God. God already given you the authority) to go away. Your need will be answered according to your saying and believing. Sometime it takes time to see the answer but the it already begin. When did the fig tree die? The moment Jesus cursed it. But it took the next morning to be seen on the outside.

Giving Thanks
We don't have to wait to seen the full answer to give thanks. Give thanks now. We took driving test, enter university knowing for sure we shall pass and get our degree. We ordered our furniture and wait for it to be delivered to our house. We are happy when we place the order. Happier when we fully receive it. But giving of thanks begin when we order it. Order it - whatever is your need, find the promise that the Holy Spirit reveal to you, in God's name and give thanks to Him.

See also Meditating on God's Words using Mind-mapping