If you are going to study Tongues you need to have a proper context. You must also make sure to throw out everything you think you know and take the words for what they say, not skim them and think you know what they say. Much has been misread by old religion. It is also very helpful to go back and study the Greek on much of the NT around this. English translations by religious scholars have totally messed up a variety of scriptures because they translated with their own biases. The following are the scripture verses I reference when I study this topic. I'll be adding to this if I find more, from time to time.
Verses on Tongues:
Saved and Spirit Filled are a seperate Issue:
How does Jesus give the disciples the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 and then also tell them to wait for the Holy Spirit. Isn't that a bit double minded? Unless there are two things happening here.
Acts 8:1-18 Holy Spirit clearly sperate issue from being saved, tongues not mentioned, but implied as SOMETHING was clear evidence or lack thereof, and in most other instances Tongues is present.
(Vs 12 They Believed and Baptised)(Vs 15-17 Spirit had not come on them, so Apostles laid hands on them. Vs 18 Simon "Saw" the spirit come on them... how so?)
Acts 10:45-48 Peter sees them "get the Holy Spirit" How does he know? Tongues and Praise.
Acts 19:1-7 Paul comes accross people saved by baptism of repentance but clearly notices they don't have the Holy Spirit on them and lays hands on them. What is the result? Tongues.
Who works what in whom? What does "ALL" mean to you?
Notice that Paul is asking the Corinthians to seek the gifts that build... which means they have the right and ability to develope all the gifts they want to.
I'd suggest to read and re-read 1 Cor 14 over and over and over... because MOST people make it say exactly the opposite of what it says.
Other: Verses and Sections
All of 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14
All of Acts
Daniel 5:25 "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin" What was that? God speaking in a language unkown to ALL the scholars around the King, and Daniel interpreting the Word of God through God's unkown language. Sound Familiar?
Genesis 11:4-11 Babel is the begining of conusion in language, and The Holy Spirit is the restoration of that confusion!
Romans 5:2 (New American Standard)...through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
As I ponder GRACE I am challenged to challenge my own understanding of the word. As I listen to Dr Jim Richards, read his book "Grace the power to change", and listen to others who teach on GRACE I begin to understand that there more to this word, just as I learned years ago now that there is more to the other words we use to throw around so freely. For example "The Blessing" means WAY more than most of us in Christianity ever knew! (See this video: The Blessing) and read this book (The Blessing by Kenneth Copeland).
Definitions
Grace/Charis(St G5485): Favor, Kindness, God extending himself toward man.
Faith/Pistis(St G4102): Belief, conviction of truth.
Love/Agape(St G26): Brotherly Love, Affection, Good Will
Let's take a closer look at these words we use so often in Christianity.
Faith/Pistis(St G4102): Belief, conviction of truth.
Faith doesn't just mean "Belief". In fact in the bible belief is a slightly different topic. Faith is defined for us in Hebrews 11 and re-enforced all over the bible. Heb 11 says: "Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen." You study Faith throughout the bible and you see that Faith is actually THE substance and creative force of God. God didn't create this world out of nothing. That's not biblical. God created this world out of something unseen. It's a substance called Faith. (Great book on this topic: Faith and Confession, by Charles Capps)
Love/Agape(St G26): Brotherly Love, Affection, Good Will
Love isn't just a warm fuzzy feeling. 1 Corinthians 13 shows us what Love (agape God kind of Love) really is and does. We see Love is far more about action based on our will and choice than on feeling or emotion. In fact emotion is really nothing more than an afterthought to true Love. Love is a Choice, based on Will.
Christ isn't Jesus' last name! It isn't really even his title, although it partially is. The word Christ in Greek, Messiah in Hebrew, and Anointed in English all mean exactly the same thing. To Anoint means: to smear, rub on, pour over with an oily liquid. The Hebrew word for Anoint/Anointed/Anointing was also translated into the word Fat in many cases in English because Fat/Oil are very similar, if not same, substances. They are even used interchangeably by most Chef's in today modern kitchens. We see in Isaiah 10:27: "It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil." So Christ then is defined as Anointed. Anointing is "the burden removing, yoke destroying, power of God. " So He is Jesus The Anointed One. We can do all things through "Christ" which strengthens me. Some translations say who, which isn't entirely inaccurate because it is Jesus that anoints us and it is His anointing. But any time you see "Christ" it is talking about The Anointed One and His Anointing. You can't talk about the Anointing without referring to the Anointed One, and you can't talk about The Anointed One without talking about His Anointing. The correct rendering of this verse then could be: "I can do all things through Anointed One and through His Anointing WHICH strengthens me..." It's the Anointing that is at work strengthening me. This is a lot more powerful than just some wishy washy idea that I'll get a warm fuzzy feeling from knowing Jesus and that will somehow help strengthen me.
Grace Defined
Grace/Charis(St G5485): Favor, Kindness, God extending himself toward man.
So then what is Grace in light of the Word. Let's see if the Word can define what it means. In all the above cases the Word defines these terms for itself in a way that exceeds the basic meaning of the letters themselves. The words each have meaning beyond the base definition. What is this Favor? What is this loving kindness that God extends toward Man? Do a search for "Grace" in the the New Testament alone and there are so many uses of the word. I came up with 122 occurrences.
Are there Key places it is defined as we've seen with other words? Let's find out. I honestly don't know because I'm searching as I'm writing this. I have ideas, but I still don't quite get it. So I'll find out with you...
I find something interesting. 1 Corinthians 12..."Now brothers concerning spiritual gifts...now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit..." The word used for "Gifts" here is the word Charisma, from Charizomai, from Charis. All meanings bring this word to mean a gift of grace. Gift, Grace, Favor, Pleasant Gift, a favor one receives without merit of his own... So in actuality when we see gift in 1 Cor 12 we are actually seeing the same word that we see in 2 Cor 9.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (New American Standard) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed ;
So we could translate 2 Cor 9 to say: "God is able to make all gifts abound to you..." We could translate 1 Cor 12 to say: "There are a variety of Graces but the same Spirit...". What's most interesting about these two seemingly unrelated verses (both written to the same people by the same author) is that they both involve God doing something for us, that we could not do on our own, and that we could not deserve or earn. He does for us, without Merritt. Found a great article by someone who's done some study on this already: http://www.victorychurch.nu/articles/grace_gods_ability.
Same Measure
Let's take a look at a few other verses. Ephesians 4:7 "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift." Incidentally this word "gift", for Christ's gift, is a different word (Dorea) and does just mean gift or present or freely given. So to each one of us is given (grace/gifting/favor) according to the measure of Christ's freely given gift to us. So it's according to HIS measure not ours. We are not given this Grace at different levels. I don't get more or less than you. We all get the same measure of The Anointing of The Anointed One. Intersting.
Grace at Work
Here we find another use of this word earlier in the same book.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
We have been saved By Grace Though Faith... Dr Richards pointed this out in a message once and it's been simmering in my mind for the last few days. It's actualy the verse that caused me to want to do this study. Ask any Christian audience...
"You have been saved by __________"
...and they generally fill the blank with "faith". But the verse actually says "by Grace THROUGH Faith." So it was Grace that did the saving and Faith that did the receiving. I imagine a pitcher and catcher in baseball. Grace through the pitch, Faith received it. You need both to complete the circuit. What's really a mind twister is that it's Jesus' Grace and Jesus' Faith doing both! So it's really none of you and all of Him... but if you weren't involved He couldn't do it for you, because you have to participate.
I guess it's almost as if you give a child a basket ball. You pick the child up. You hold him right up to the hoop. He puts the ball in the hoop. And then you congratulate him on what a good job he did. He really didn't do anything, but you cheer and smile and get excited as if he were Michael Jordan himself. Why? It's not that imrpessive. If someone held a fully functioning healthy grown man up like that at a real game and he slowly dropped the ball through the hoop people who have lots of reactions, but cheers and excitement would not be among them. Why do we get so excited when a little child does something, if you actually did most of the work for them?
God feels that way about you. He gives you HIS Faith, HIS Grace, and then you receive HIS Best! Then he get's excited when you do it! It's the same Father's heart at work.
Misunderstood
This through me for a loop the first time I heard it, having come from prior background in other Christian cirlces...
2 Corinthians 12 (King James Version) 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure . 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak , then am I strong.
Ask anyone I went to Church with prior to 2003 and we all would have said that this verse proves it's not always God's will to heal or deliver you. Sometimes God perfects you through trials and tribulations... Well we were wrong. That's not what this says AT ALL! In fact, this whole verse is saying the EXACT opposite of that. But we didn't bother to let the bible define the bible. We used our western english minds, filled with centuries of religion, define it for us.
First of all, the messenger sent to Paul was not from God but from Satan. Jesus says in John 10:10 that He came to give life and life abundant. But Jesus also mentions Satan's job on this earth. The theif came to steal, kill, and/or destroy. He also told us in Mark 4:15 that when the Word is sown into a life Satan's first attempt to stop it from bearing fruit is to steal it. Then he goes on to say that if he can't steal he'll try to put pressure on it through persecution to kill it, and then if that doesn't work he'll try to sufficate it through cares/anxieties/worries of this world destroying it's fruit. Well, Paul had received revelations from Jesus about the Kingdom of God.
You may say, "Yes, but God allowed this to keep Paul humble..." Well 1 Peter 5:6 says that if we humble ourselves before God He will exalt us in due time. And in fact the text of this verse says that Satan didn't want Paul to be exalted (lifted up in order to preach the good news). So Satan sent his demons to beat up on Paul and try to steal, kill, or destroy that word. The progression of Mark 4/John 10 is the same progression. Satan always uses the same tactics. Try to steal through lack of understanding, if that doesn't work kill through pressure, if that doesn't work destroy the fruit through choking anxieties/cares. Satan is not very creative.
So what did God say to Paul regarding this? "Paul... stop asking me to do something. I did everything I'm going to do on the Cross! I gave you my Grace... my Grace IS sufficient for this problem. Take my Grace and run it out of your life!" How do we know that's what God meant? Let's flip back just a few pages in the SAME BOOK to 2 Cor 9 again:
2 Corinthians 9:8 (New American Standard) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed ;
Not only did Paul give us the very definition of Grace, but he used the same two words. GRACE is SUFFICIENT. So what is Grace then?
GRACE: ALL SUFFICIENCY in ALL things!
Grace: Always having all sufficiency, in all things, having abundance for every good work!
GRACE is God's ability to overcome!
So then, Grace means that we all have the ability of God, we have it in the measure of Christ, not our measure. We can do all things. We are more than conquorers. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. We are given a variety of graces by the same spirit. 1 Cor 12:6 also says that the same God works all of these graces in all men. So it's not about "Brother X got tongues and Brother Y got healing gifts". These aren't their gifts. They are the Graces of the Holy Spirit and he works all of them, in all men, when, where, and how He sees fit to do so. The Holy Spirit literally enables men to do things through this un-earned favor.
This brings light to Romans 8:11 the same Spirit that raised Christ (The Anointed One) from the dead lives in your body giving life to your body too! In fact, we see the Holy Spirit decend as a dove on Jesus at his baptism by John and THEN his Anointed ministry starts. The Holy Spirit is the Anointing of Jesus. So that same Anointing is at work in us 24-7 if we'd just allow Him to work. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that we are to take up the Armor of God and stand against the strategies of the Devil. Notice who is to take that stand? God? We hide behind God and ask Him to get rid of the devil for us? No! WE take God's tools and WE stand against the devil ourselves.
In fact THAT is one of the KEY revelations that Paul had received and therefore it is ironic that Paul even had to ask God three times to take out the devil from his life when it was one of the very revelations Paul had received that contained his answer. No Paul, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT... take up my Armor and DRIVE THAT DEVIL OUT!
Brother Rick Renner enlightened us on this word "stand" in the greek. It is also a very intersting Word. Stand/Histemi (St G2476): "Cause to stand, make firm, unmovable" It is the word we get our English Medical word: Histamine. This word is a verb, meanig it is an action word not a passive word. It's not just about standing still or in one place. It's about standing in opposition to an enemy. Wiki Expounds:
Histamine triggers the inflammatory response. As part of an immune response to foreign pathogens...
If you are Histemi, you are taking your position of authority and standing against an attack. Literally calling up all your power/ability/authority in response to foreign enemies attacking you. It would be the position of Soldiers in a castle taking defensive but aggressive positions against an invading force. I get the image of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings: "You Shall Not Pass!" Sure, it looks like Gandalf looses in this move, but it's actually the move that turns him into a victor, and he becomes Gandalf the White. Just saying it wasn't enough. There was a battle that ensued. But he won!
SO... take your pick I like all three definitions...
GRACE: ALL SUFFICIENCY in ALL things!
Grace: Always having all sufficiency, in all things, having abundance for every good work!
GRACE is God's ability to overcome!
Maybe you have a better way to word this? Comment below.
OK, so maybe it's not always a scam. There are people who could benefit from it. So let me explain. There are two different terminologies that mean TOTALLY different things that you should know about. Details vary from bank to bank but the essence of these are about the same at most banks. Allow me to explain.
Overdraft Protection
Overdraft protection means that if your account becomes overdrawn for any reason the bank will pull money from another account to cover it. Typcially this comes from a linked savings account, credit card, or line of credit. There is most often a transfer fee associated. You typically pay a fee of $25-$40 per item (up to four per day) for overdrafts. So intead you have this protection and it pulls money from a linked account to cover you and charges a transfer fee of between $10-$20 per day (rather than per item). So instead of paying four $35 fees ($140) you pay one transfer fee of $15. Would you rather pay $15 or $140? Obviously Overdraft Protection (ODP) is worth it if you are going to have an overdraft.
Debit Card Overdraft Service
The debit card overdraft service is the banks answer to the new overdraft rules that came with the stupid Dodd-Frank ACT (a monsterous peice of legislation that is only hurtin the consumer I assure you). Mythbusters proved you CAN polish poop, and so the banks polished poop (the Dodd-Frank ACT) too.
So... what did the banks do? They created the Debitcard Overdraft Service. This is how this works. By default all personal (non business) checking accounts will decline your Debitcard if there are not enough funds for the one-time ATM/Debitcard Purchase. You have $10, you try to buy something for $20, your card is declined. You get ZERO fees. You just don't get what you are trying to buy. The banks lost a TON of money.
BTW... the people paying overdraft fees are the only ones making "free checking" accounts cost effective for the banks. If you think about it, the average check-2-check person makes NO money for the bank. You have to have 1000's in your savings and leave it long periods before the bank can make use of it to lend. You have to have credit good enough to lend on. So if you have no money and bad credit you are literally a waste of the banks time and money. So when you complain about why all accounts require direct deposit or balances or transactions to stay free why can't they just be "free" anymore? Remember... who paid for all that "free" call centers, technology, websites, branches, tellers, bankers, etc... Not you, if you have no money or credit. So when you say that you are taking your accounts elsewhere and you have no money or credit the banks says (THANK GOD! They were costing us money!) They designed the system to make people who don't make them money want to leave... surprise they did it on purpose!
Anyway... Bank says, you don't want your card declined? You don't want to be embarrased at the register when your card doesn't work because you ran out of money? OK. Enroll in the debit card overdraft service. We will (at our discretion) let your things go through and then charge you fees for each item just like we do with checks. BUT when items you had the money for, but pended forever because the lazy merchant took their time processing it, post negative, those get fees too. So now people are right back paying $100's of dollars in fees again.
This service does NOT decline the card for recurring transactions. Netflix, LA Fitness, and other "autopay" type things still clear posting negative and get fees.
This service does NOT decline until it checks your overdraft protection first. Which means that instead of declining your card it will pull money from that savings first. AND charge a transfer fee.
CHECKS
So checks don't get declined. Checks, EChecks, and all other account number based transactions come through nightly processing and cause overdrafts more often than not. Checks are evil. The UK is killing checks soon. You should too. You should not own checks. Let me say this another way. STOP WRITTING CHECKS! Checks are posted electronically now so it is common for a check you wrote for $5 to post for $500 because a computer read it wrong.
Also, DON'T give your account numbers (or card numbers) over the phone or online to other companies. The VAST MAJORITY of claims filed at banks on accounts related to errors not fraud. Merchants take the wrong amount, wrong date, take payment without asking, take payment after being told to stop, etc, etc... I've even seen once where a lady gave her number to her sisters cell phone company to pay her bill one month because her sister was short. Three years later that company started drafting again because her sister was late again, without asking either her or her sister. Don't give out your numbers to anyway, except for employer/tax return direct deposits.
Bill Pay
Most banks Bill Pay will send payments WITHOUT releasing your account/card numbers to the places you are paying. Bill Pay does not have to be automatic/recurring. Bill Pay can pay anyone, not just bills. It can send electronic payments to your bills, but in other cases it can send a cashiers check (which doesn't have your account number on it) by mail if needed. It's the only safe way to make payments.
SOLUTIONS
Make SURE that your "Debitcard Overdraft Service" is turned OFF! So that your one-time debit card transations get declined if you don't have enough money.
STOP giving our your account numbers and/or writing checks.
Use Bill Pay exclusively as your one and only form of payment for bills and all non-purchases.
Use a seperate account or credit card for autopay items you must do, like netflix.
Finally, if you've done all this, turn that overdraft protection off. If you run out of money your card will decline. Then you'll remember to transfer the money from savings yourself and save yourself the transfer fee.
Therefore, IF you are set up right, you don't need overdraft protection and probably would benefit from turning that linkage off. IF you insist on writing checks... keep it... but you'll probably pay more fees than those who don't.
OK, so maybe it's not always a scam. There are people who could benefit from it. So let me explain. There are two different terminologies that mean TOTALLY different things that you should know about. Details vary from bank to bank but the essence of these are about the same at most banks. Allow me to explain.
Overdraft Protection
Overdraft protection means that if your account becomes overdrawn for any reason the bank will pull money from another account to cover it. Typcially this comes from a linked savings account, credit card, or line of credit. There is most often a transfer fee associated. You typically pay a fee of $25-$40 per item (up to four per day) for overdrafts. So intead you have this protection and it pulls money from a linked account to cover you and charges a transfer fee of between $10-$20 per day (rather than per item). So instead of paying four $35 fees ($140) you pay one transfer fee of $15. Would you rather pay $15 or $140? Obviously Overdraft Protection (ODP) is worth it if you are going to have an overdraft.
Debit Card Overdraft Service
The debit card overdraft service is the banks answer to the new overdraft rules that came with the stupid Dodd-Frank ACT (a monsterous peice of legislation that is only hurtin the consumer I assure you). Mythbusters proved you CAN polish poop, and so the banks polished poop (the Dodd-Frank ACT) too.
So... what did the banks do? They created the Debitcard Overdraft Service. This is how this works. By default all personal (non business) checking accounts will decline your Debitcard if there are not enough funds for the one-time ATM/Debitcard Purchase. You have $10, you try to buy something for $20, your card is declined. You get ZERO fees. You just don't get what you are trying to buy. The banks lost a TON of money.
BTW... the people paying overdraft fees are the only ones making "free checking" accounts cost effective for the banks. If you think about it, the average check-2-check person makes NO money for the bank. You have to have 1000's in your savings and leave it long periods before the bank can make use of it to lend. You have to have credit good enough to lend on. So if you have no money and bad credit you are literally a waste of the banks time and money. So when you complain about why all accounts require direct deposit or balances or transactions to stay free why can't they just be "free" anymore? Remember... who paid for all that "free" call centers, technology, websites, branches, tellers, bankers, etc... Not you, if you have no money or credit. So when you say that you are taking your accounts elsewhere and you have no money or credit the banks says (THANK GOD! They were costing us money!) They designed the system to make people who don't make them money want to leave... surprise they did it on purpose!
Anyway... Bank says, you don't want your card declined? You don't want to be embarrased at the register when your card doesn't work because you ran out of money? OK. Enroll in the debit card overdraft service. We will (at our discretion) let your things go through and then charge you fees for each item just like we do with checks. BUT when items you had the money for, but pended forever because the lazy merchant took their time processing it, post negative, those get fees too. So now people are right back paying $100's of dollars in fees again.
This service does NOT decline the card for recurring transactions. Netflix, LA Fitness, and other "autopay" type things still clear posting negative and get fees.
This service does NOT decline until it checks your overdraft protection first. Which means that instead of declining your card it will pull money from that savings first. AND charge a transfer fee.
CHECKS
So checks don't get declined. Checks, EChecks, and all other account number based transactions come through nightly processing and cause overdrafts more often than not. Checks are evil. The UK is killing checks soon. You should too. You should not own checks. Let me say this another way. STOP WRITTING CHECKS! Checks are posted electronically now so it is common for a check you wrote for $5 to post for $500 because a computer read it wrong.
Also, DON'T give your account numbers (or card numbers) over the phone or online to other companies. The VAST MAJORITY of claims filed at banks on accounts related to errors not fraud. Merchants take the wrong amount, wrong date, take payment without asking, take payment after being told to stop, etc, etc... I've even seen once where a lady gave her number to her sisters cell phone company to pay her bill one month because her sister was short. Three years later that company started drafting again because her sister was late again, without asking either her or her sister. Don't give out your numbers to anyway, except for employer/tax return direct deposits.
Bill Pay
Most banks Bill Pay will send payments WITHOUT releasing your account/card numbers to the places you are paying. Bill Pay does not have to be automatic/recurring. Bill Pay can pay anyone, not just bills. It can send electronic payments to your bills, but in other cases it can send a cashiers check (which doesn't have your account number on it) by mail if needed. It's the only safe way to make payments.
SOLUTIONS
Make SURE that your "Debitcard Overdraft Service" is turned OFF! So that your one-time debit card transations get declined if you don't have enough money.
STOP giving our your account numbers and/or writing checks.
Use Bill Pay exclusively as your one and only form of payment for bills and all non-purchases.
Use a seperate account or credit card for autopay items you must do, like netflix.
Finally, if you've done all this, turn that overdraft protection off. If you run out of money your card will decline. Then you'll remember to transfer the money from savings yourself and save yourself the transfer fee.
Therefore, IF you are set up right, you don't need overdraft protection and probably would benefit from turning that linkage off. IF you insist on writing checks... keep it... but you'll probably pay more fees than those who don't.
So the other day I talked to a man who was not planning to start a ministry or business by taking steps or making steps toward it. He was just "planning" to win the lotto so that he can go on missions trips and evangelize. But he's doing NOTHING toward that end until he wins the lotto. And he was serious about planning to win. He got mad when I laughed about the plan.
Amazing! A grown man, at retirement age “planning” on winning the lotto so that he can go on the missions field. Maybe, just maybe, God told him that would be His plan. Wealth transfer from the wicked to the righteous is in God’s M.O. But God isn’t about luck. If God called you to the missions field He has a billion ways to supply you and He doesn’t want you waiting on the lotto. What are you going over to teach people? Just trust God and win the lotto or trust God and HE will provide for you?
Now, I believe God will take money away from the World and use them to fund you. He may tell you to go buy a lotto ticket in a strategic move. If God told you to buy it you'll win though. You won't need to go buy it again and again and again... There was once, many years ago, when I happened to be eating at a casino on Christmas day because it was the only place open and I wasn't paying my Dad was. As I walked outside I noticed a machine and had a nickel in my pocket. I felt a strong pull toward a machine. I ignored it thinking God wouldn't want me gambling, but I couldn't shake it. So I walked over, pulled the handle and lights went off and sounds happened and I got nevous, I thought I broke it!
The man next to me says "just stay there and a lady will come and give you some money!" I said, well ok then! This lady comes and gives me over $750 in cash and then the machine drops $200 in coins on top of that. I had been praying all that week for the money to register my car and smog it. Praise God for unusual provision. But you know God has never sent me back into a casino again. It was an instruction for one time. It was obedience to pull the handle once. Going back in to pull the handle again hoping to duplicate the results would be seeking men rather than seeking God. God's not a formula.
So what about this man who plans to win the lotto? Well there was a man who did just that. He was a statician and figured the most likely winning numbers and played them over and over for years. He won mini pots of a few hundred and even a few thousand several times and then won the big one. Millions! He took that money straight to a team of advisors and set out a plan to turn it into billions. There was a man who didn't just SAY he was going to win, he developed a strategy.
What am I saying? This man who said he was going to win the lotto and go on missions trips... did he hear from God? Maybe he did. And maybe he'll go on missions trips. I'll tell you know that if he doesn't go he didn't hear. The thing is... he wasn't making any plans. He didn't go get his passport, or plan for the handling of that money or estate planning or check into international business/banking. He didn't DO anything to plan. Therefore I doubt his plan was faith.
What is your vision for the future... what are you doing about it now?
DW
Have questions about anything I said here? Want to share your story? Comment Below! I call you empowered 2 prosper with good success!
So the other day I talked to a man who was not planning to start a ministry or business by taking steps or making steps toward it. He was just "planning" to win the lotto so that he can go on missions trips and evangelize. But he's doing NOTHING toward that end until he wins the lotto. And he was serious about planning to win. He got mad when I laughed about the plan.
Amazing! A grown man, at retirement age “planning” on winning the lotto so that he can go on the missions field. Maybe, just maybe, God told him that would be His plan. Wealth transfer from the wicked to the righteous is in God’s M.O. But God isn’t about luck. If God called you to the missions field He has a billion ways to supply you and He doesn’t want you waiting on the lotto. What are you going over to teach people? Just trust God and win the lotto or trust God and HE will provide for you?
Now, I believe God will take money away from the World and use them to fund you. He may tell you to go buy a lotto ticket in a strategic move. If God told you to buy it you'll win though. You won't need to go buy it again and again and again... There was once, many years ago, when I happened to be eating at a casino on Christmas day because it was the only place open and I wasn't paying my Dad was. As I walked outside I noticed a machine and had a nickel in my pocket. I felt a strong pull toward a machine. I ignored it thinking God wouldn't want me gambling, but I couldn't shake it. So I walked over, pulled the handle and lights went off and sounds happened and I got nevous, I thought I broke it!
The man next to me says "just stay there and a lady will come and give you some money!" I said, well ok then! This lady comes and gives me over $750 in cash and then the machine drops $200 in coins on top of that. I had been praying all that week for the money to register my car and smog it. Praise God for unusual provision. But you know God has never sent me back into a casino again. It was an instruction for one time. It was obedience to pull the handle once. Going back in to pull the handle again hoping to duplicate the results would be seeking men rather than seeking God. God's not a formula.
So what about this man who plans to win the lotto? Well there was a man who did just that. He was a statician and figured the most likely winning numbers and played them over and over for years. He won mini pots of a few hundred and even a few thousand several times and then won the big one. Millions! He took that money straight to a team of advisors and set out a plan to turn it into billions. There was a man who didn't just SAY he was going to win, he developed a strategy.
What am I saying? This man who said he was going to win the lotto and go on missions trips... did he hear from God? Maybe he did. And maybe he'll go on missions trips. I'll tell you know that if he doesn't go he didn't hear. The thing is... he wasn't making any plans. He didn't go get his passport, or plan for the handling of that money or estate planning or check into international business/banking. He didn't DO anything to plan. Therefore I doubt his plan was faith.
What is your vision for the future... what are you doing about it now?
Here are few tips regarding official/public Facebook pages.
Set a proper username once you are able.
Set a proper description.
Both of these functions are on the "Update Info" panel. Under the Admin Panel, which is at the top of your page if you are signed in as you and viewing the public page. Look for "Update Info" under the "Edit Page" section.
Username
Then You will find the third option down is "Username". Once you choose it you either won't be able to chang it, or you'll have to pay a fee to do so, so choose wisely. Remember that the username will come after Facebook.com like this "Facebook.com/Username" So choose something that is simple to say and write and will fit easily on a business card. See mine for example: Facebook.com/n2goodsuccess.
About Section
Another factor to look at is the description section of your page. You can set this also on the "Update Info" page and look for the "Short Description" box. This will translate onto your page as an "About" section just under your profile photo. This section should be short. Put a motto/saying/business catch phrase. Then put either a link to your website or twitter account or both. Something for people to link out of Facebook and into your "real" web presence. If you don't have anything besides facebook place something else of interest. The MOST important thing you want them to know should be here and be short.
When I came across this I had to take a moment to think about it. On one hand it makes perfect sense. On another hand it's hard to believe this many people could ever be put out of work by Robots. The fact is that jobs are disapearing and being replaced by new jobs. But the jobs of the future are high tech and high skill. Not nessasarily high "education". The old days of going to get a bachelors or even masters or PhD and being gaurunteed a job are gone. In todays marketplace a job could just as easily go to a young kid right out of highschool who spent his freetime learning computers and technology instead of playing games or "hanging out" with friends all the time.
PAUL WISEMAN and BERNARD CONDON, AP Business WritersReleased : Friday, January 25, 2013 1:19 PMWASHINGTON -- They seem right out of a Hollywood fantasy, and they are: Cars that drive themselves have appeared in movies like "I, Robot" and the television show "Knight Rider."Now, three years after Google invented one, automated cars could be on their way to a freeway near you. In the U.S., California and other states are rewriting the rules of the road to make way for driverless cars. Just one problem: What happens to the millions of people who make a living driving cars and trucks, jobs that always have seemed sheltered from the onslaught of technology?"All those jobs are going to disappear in the next 25 years," predicts Moshe Vardi, a computer scientist at Rice University in Houston. "Driving by people will look quaint; it will look like a horse and buggy."If automation can unseat bus drivers, urban deliverymen, long-haul truckers, even cabbies, is any job safe?Vardi poses an equally scary question: "Are we prepared for an economy in which 50 percent of people aren't working?"
The days are coming however that some stats say 55% of the USA will be self employed. So stop hanging onto that corporation. What is God calling you to do, learn, train for?
There's a thought... DW
Have questions about anything I said here? Want to share your story? Comment Below! I call you empowered 2 prosper with good success!
When I came across this I had to take a moment to think about it. On one hand it makes perfect sense. On another hand it's hard to believe this many people could ever be put out of work by Robots. The fact is that jobs are disapearing and being replaced by new jobs. But the jobs of the future are high tech and high skill. Not nessasarily high "education". The old days of going to get a bachelors or even masters or PhD and being gaurunteed a job are gone. In todays marketplace a job could just as easily go to a young kid right out of highschool who spent his freetime learning computers and technology instead of playing games or "hanging out" with friends all the time.
PAUL WISEMAN and BERNARD CONDON, AP Business WritersReleased : Friday, January 25, 2013 1:19 PMWASHINGTON -- They seem right out of a Hollywood fantasy, and they are: Cars that drive themselves have appeared in movies like "I, Robot" and the television show "Knight Rider."Now, three years after Google invented one, automated cars could be on their way to a freeway near you. In the U.S., California and other states are rewriting the rules of the road to make way for driverless cars. Just one problem: What happens to the millions of people who make a living driving cars and trucks, jobs that always have seemed sheltered from the onslaught of technology?"All those jobs are going to disappear in the next 25 years," predicts Moshe Vardi, a computer scientist at Rice University in Houston. "Driving by people will look quaint; it will look like a horse and buggy."If automation can unseat bus drivers, urban deliverymen, long-haul truckers, even cabbies, is any job safe?Vardi poses an equally scary question: "Are we prepared for an economy in which 50 percent of people aren't working?"
The days are coming however that some stats say 55% of the USA will be self employed. So stop hanging onto that corporation. What is God calling you to do, learn, train for?
This doesn't JUST mean a person who is outside of Christ, although it means that too, it would also mean someone who is a Christian, but doesn't know that they have a Covenant relationship with God, and they don't know how to operate inside of that covenant.
Invited
Sunago: Literally-To Lead. This is the word we get "Synagogue" from. It means to lead into, gather, invite, be a good host. It is compared to the word Sullego which means to collect in order to carry off. At the final harvest of souls the angels will Sullego the tares (enemy) and Sunago the wheat (Believers).
We are to lead with compassion into an inviting and hospitipal place all those who are without knowledge of Christ and/or their covenant in Him.
Naked
Gumnos: without clothing, stripped, without an outer garment. One could be partially clothed but not fully clothed and still be Gumnos/Naked.
There are those who are naked spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. We are to help clothe them all.
Clothed
Periballo: To throw around. As in a mote around a castle, shawl around shoulders, robe around a man.
This one who is stripped of their outer protection can be covered by ours. We could be using OUR Faith to put it to work on behalf of others who don't know how to use theirs.
Sick
Astheneo: Literally to be without strength. Typcially this is physical weakness as opposed to other types of weakness.
This isn't just someone with the flu. This is elderly, orphans, widows, people with disabilities, and others who need help. I would posit further that this could also mean that someone who doesn't have the capacity for something. A mechanic helping someone who is not mechanically inclined.
Visited
Episkeptomai: To look on, look after, look with the eyes. Could also be to look after as in to care for another for their benefit.
It is our job to "look after for the benefit of" those in our spehere of influence that are weak.
This isn't JUST coming over to have coffee and talk. This is what our youth group was doing when they went to elderly peoples homes and cut the grass and cleaned the gutters.
This is when KCM sent people to Sandy Vicitms LONG before any other Government institutions came to help, which as of 02/2013 they STILL haven't!
Those are my thoughts from todays reading...What are yous? DW
As I've pondered success and growing into new levels of success I am reminded of an interview I had recently with a former supervisor. Since we last really sat down to chat we've both had promotions. He shared something that had never occured to me regarding leadership. It takes new skills at each level. These are the levels in my field, but the principles will carry over into other fields.
The front line employee is taking calls and is responsible only to himself, for the most part.
The front line Lead position is still right there in the mix and has a lot of influence, taking escalated issues and irate customers, but this person has influence over each of his direct reports in a very real and immediate way.
The front line Supervisor is a salary position. It's full of meetings and reports. Due to the nature of this position the person has a lead or two under them along with 15-30 front line staff. This person would like to be there in the middle of it all, sharing their expertise, and is able to at some level. But the administrative details of the position make it hard to balance.
The Manager. Now for a person who was VERY hands on at the Front Line, Lead and Supervisor level there comes a switch. It could be intimidating for a Front Line employee to be coached by someone this far above them. So the Manager cannot be in the midst of it or the results could be counter productive. He must now lead through his leaders. This process is the other side of delegation.
Delegation, is what I want to ponder right now. I've always thought of delegation as the simple handing out of tasks and following up on their progress. But as I've studied this more, and read books like "The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey", I've realized it's more about trust than anything else. You must develop your people into people you can trust. You also can't wait around for them to become that way on their own. Some will never get their, due to their own choices or mindsets, these you will have to lay aside and allow to stay where they are until their light turns on. Most can be lead into leadership.
Delegation is about training the next generation of leaders. I think of Jesus, how he took a rag tag band of people and turned them into the group that would turn the Roman world upside down. How did he do it? Did he personally train 1,000's of people? No. And neither can an effective high level manager. Instead, He trained 120 people superficially in meetings, 12 people one and one, and 3 people he allowed into his inner most circle and closest experiences to watch him and learn.
So likewise, if you want leaders you have to train them to be leaders. At the Lead Level, you can allow some of your Front Line to take on small responsiblities, maybe sending out an email when new information comes out on a particular subject. This will take the load off of you in creating the email and through simple edits and collaberation you can duplicate your time and start training a leader.
At the Supervisor level you can begin to designate higher level tasks and time to do them, not long time, but time. Also at the Supervisor level you take your leads and let them into your inner circle to start getting in their head. The sooner they are thinking right the sooner you can trust them to make decisions you would have made in your absence.
At the Manager level you have many people under you. You can't personally coach them all, but you can work with your leaders to lead others to lead. The problem is you now have people with their own needs, desires, and ideas. You have to work with them. You can't create carbon copies of leaders. But what you can do is find their potential within and bring it out of them.
In all levels you have to find trust. This is what my leaders have done in and for me over the years that has produced a leader, in training, in me. They didn't JUST assign me projects, they actually asked me to decide what types of projects I could/would like to work on. They were digging out of me something they never could have put in me.
When training a leader...
What is their motivation?
What is their strength?
What is their strongest area of growth (formerly known as weakness)?
What can you asign them, at their level, in line with business needs, that they can work on themselves?
What can you show/demonstrate/allow them access to that they wouldn't see without your allowing them?
Be an Open Book. Don't disclose condidential information, or share EVERY attitude and thought you have about the staff around you, that's just foolish and immature. But DO be an open book. If you struggled with something and you found a way to overcome, share the struggle not just the solution. The process you used to overcome is often MORE valuable than the solution itself.
... Other ideas about developing leaders? Please share below.
