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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wisdom Loves You

Thoughts from the Mens Wed Morning Meeting 06/15

Have you ever noticed how childlike Benny Hinn is? He is always ecstatic about God's healing in people... He is always in awe about how much God loves him and his people... He is truly enveloped with the revelation of God's love for himself and for people... There is a sweetness to his anointing that is rare indeed. There are things about his personality that rub some people wrong, especially religious people... but if you place your preconceived ideas aside and spend some time getting to know him and his heart you can't help but love him. Nobody that loves God can help but love Benny Hinn and his unique relationship with God, even if you disagree with him on some point. 


Love is wisdom at it's highest point... Wisdom at it's highest level is understanding God's love. It's not just loving God, or loving people, or even loving your enemy. It's becoming totally absorbed with and saturated by God's love for you... and then God's love for people (Individually). 

That is the thing that has been burning in my heart since this mornings meeting. If you spend time becoming totally drowned in God's love for you it will be impossible for you not to have immediate access to the wisdom of God in each circumstance and for each person you are ministering to. 

Another example is Jesse Duplantis. "Hey Jesus!" "Hey Jesse!"... It's that closeness that allows both of these ministers to cross denominational lines. It's the love of God in and on Jesse that allows even Muslims to ask him to speak even though he's christian. 

Love/Wisdom two sides of the same coin. I've tried to love God and Folks... I've failed many times... It's time I start to build a foundation inside of me on the Love of God FOR me! All else follows that. 


James 3 is to Wisdom as 1 Corinthians 13 is to Love:


James 3:13-18

New King James Version (NKJV)


Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are donein the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.


1 Corinthians 13

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Greatest Gift

 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Love, your brother in Christ, Darrell G. Wolfe

Monday, June 13, 2011

NOSCE TE IPSUM


In vino veritas... those were the first words that came to mind when I was trying to remember the Latin for "Know Thyself". Then I recalled that the line I was quoting came from an old favorite movie of mine "Tombstone". The dialogue I found actually provides the translation of what was said, I always felt out of place not knowing. 


Thanks Webster:

In the movie Tombstone, Doc Holiday has a confrontation with Johnny Ringo -
Doc Holliday (while finishing his shot): In vino veritas. "In wine is truth"
Johnny Ringo:Age quod agis. "Do well what you do"
Doc Holliday: Credat Judaeus apella, non ego. "The Jew Apella may believe it, not I"
Johnny Ringo (while tapping his gun): Eventus stultorum magister. "Events are the teachers of fools"
Doc Holliday (eyes wide open speaking in a haunting whisper): In pace requiescat. "Rest in peace" 


Alternate languages are interesting because they force us not only to choose our words with purpose but consider other points of view. Various cultures have a certain way of looking at things. It helps to break out of the box and see with someone else's eyes. 

Latin: Nosce Te Ipsum: Know Thyself
Greek: Gnothi Seauton: Know Thyself

In context the phrases design means to understand your abilities and limitations. I was coaching someone to refer an inquiry they had received to a person who specialized in that area. Know Thyself. Know what you do well. Learn and Grow. But Know when to refer to a higher/alternate source for something you are not a specialist in. 

Recently I met with an experienced person to discuss the practical aspects of ministry. He told me something that stood out more than anything else that day. Delegate. You must delegate. Leaders in ministry and business fail for a lack of being able to properly delegate. They want to serve, so with the best heart they do everything, involve themselves in everything, and wear out the people either by pushing them out through annoyance or making them feel like they have no place of service. Delegation is key to leadership. Without it the leader burns out himself and those around him. 

Part of delegation is being able to fully hand over a task. He gave an example of chairs. You put someone in charge of making sure there are enough chairs for service. You are renting a hotel and there is a charge for last minute chair orders. He comes to you and says after a week or so, how many chairs do we need? You say, I don't know, that's your job. I refuse to take it back. Then he tells me. If you tell him how many chairs, then a few weeks he'll ask you again. You're still doing everything. Keep out of it. What if there aren't enough chairs??!? There will be next week, it's alright. Delegation is giving someone permission to make mistakes with NO regret. He'll make sure it doesn't happen again. As long as you keep your hands on it, he'll never grow. If he can't handle it, you'll figure it out and remove that task from his hand. If he can you have one less thing to deal with each week. 

Delegate with our time:
I am now thinking about life... How much do we take on that God didn't tell us to take on? How many tasks are we handling that he would rather someone else do, or have us delegate to others or plain reject and do away with. Maybe we don't need to watch that many TV shows this week. Maybe I don't need to eat that. Maybe I ought to cut out and put aside time to do this... 

Delegate the spirit realm: 
Jesus calmed the storm from a boat... but he obviously intended the 12 to handle it. He shouldn't have had to. He was upset at THEIR lack of faith. When a tornado warning hits my area I don't hide in the middle of the house, I go outside and deal with it in prayer and then tell the storm what it's going to do and not do regarding my property. I have little authority over my neighbors house, some but not as much as mine. 1,000 on my left and 10,000 on my right but it CANNOT touch me unless I let it through negligence or ignorance. 

Depression is NEVER EVER of God. It's always a tool of the enemy to kill steal and destroy. Believers can be sad for a loss but NOT depressed or inactive because of it. If depression is trying to come on me I have a right and responsibility to take it and eject it like the cock roach it is. I have no business indulging it and saying that it's OK because this or that happened. Praise stills the avenger and we shall enter his courts with thanksgiving and praise. Depression cannot exist in the same heart as thanksgiving and praise. Pity accompanies depression. So I can run a self diagnostic. What levels are my Thanksgiving/Praise readings at? Darkness is not the opposite of light it is the absence of it. Depression is not the opposite of praise it is the absence of it. Praise and Thanksgiving bring the presence of God. So depression is no the opposite of the presence of God it is the absence of it. If my tanks are low on Thanksgiving and Praise I am without the manifested/physical showing of the presence of God. This is the root of all evil. I cannot run a low level of depression and be OK with that. Jesus died and became a curse for me and rose again so that I could live free of the curse. To refuse praise and thanksgiving is to refuse the presence of God and treat as of little value the gift of Jesus Christ. 

Be not drunk with wine... be filled with the Spirit... if the Spirit of God is filling someone, presently, in a tangible way they often appear drunk to others. Instead of saying In wine is truth, in other words a drunk man is less likely to lie... it should be: In Spiritus Veritas. Real Truth is found in the Spirit, despite the facts or beliefs of men. 

The joy of the Lord if my strength... I choose that. It's not well I wish I had joy, so since I don't I am without strength. It's, I have joy, because the bible says I do so I have strength. Choices... Delegation. I delegate Joy, Thanksgiving, Praise, and the like because God gives me authority to do so. I then take up that which I have been given and delegate time to engage those things. I don't just call them and engage them, I practice them, and carve out time for them on purpose. I can call myself Joy all day long and still live mired in depression or worry or other common human emotions. I must go beyond calling them into my life and on purpose MAKE time in my schedule for them. Practice them. Lock myself in a room and purpose to praise until I feel something shift for the better on the inside. Even if it's just a seed of a shift. 

Maybe this article should have been called "Purpose to Praise". How do you say that in Latin?





So, maybe I should make a name tag and wear it tomorrow as a self reminder... 

Animo (Purpose to)
Laudate (Praise)

Laudate Animo... Darrell G. Wolfe

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Curse Words...

Search: "blessing and cursing"

  1. Deuteronomy 30:19
    I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
    Deuteronomy 30:18-20 (in Context) Deuteronomy 30 (Whole Chapter)
  2. Joshua 8:34
    And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
    Joshua 8:33-35 (in Context) Joshua 8 (Whole Chapter)
  3. Psalm 109:17
    As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
    Psalm 109:16-18 (in Context) Psalm 109 (Whole Chapter)
  4. James 3:10
    Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
    James 3:9-11 (in Context) James 3 (Whole Chapter)

A recent encounter has caused me to examine myself. From time to time my old nature comes out and I let loose what is known in English as a "Curse Word" It may be in a moment of physical pain, or mental/emotional frustration. I would like to say that I am redeemed enough to never let that happen, but that would be lie. From time to time it does, then I repent. Nevertheless, I desire to grow into the likeness of God. Therefore I started praying about this today. 

What is a curse word. If you just say "Curse" it brings to the western mind an image of a witch casting a spell, or a cursed place. It brings to mind those who are afraid to break a mirror because they don't want 7 years bad luck. It's unfortunate to say that you find such nonsense even within the walls of of the Church. But in light of vocabulary and descriptives, what is a curse word?

To understand any issue, one must find it's root. The root for this, as with so many things, goes right back to Genesis Chapter 1:28. The beginning of man. God says: 


Genesis 1:27-30

New King James Version (NKJV)
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.


The Blessing was mans initiation onto planet earth. It was, is, and forever will be the command of God to all men and women. We are created in His image. We are, when functioning correctly, tied into and flowing in HIS nature, which is a creative nature, it is a blessing nature, it is a fruitful nature. 

THE Blessing on Adam was given to him to have a domain, and cause that domain to flourish with the Life force of God. When Adam disconnected from God and connected to Lucifer he did NOT create the curse. Neither Satan nor Adam could create. God is the creator. Man creates only through his connection to the creator. When disconnected from God Adam disconnected from the flowing force and power of life. Life is not a state of being, or an event, it is an ongoing creative force. Death is not the opposite of life, it is the lack of it. The force of death is nothing more than the force which cuts off the force of life. 

THE Curse, therefore, is the force and power of death which is that which cuts one off from life. It is not as powerful as Life. For only LIFE is a power unto itself. Rather, it is a force one chooses to enter into and it's affect is to remove one from the flow and force of life. It is as though one places a kink in the hose and the life force stops flowing or slows. The reason Adam died physically was because life stopped functioning, but there was so much life in him that it took him over 900 years to die physically after he died spiritually. However the hose was turned off the VERY moment he disconnected from the LIFE of God. 

Back to Curse Words. ALL forces in life are connected to the Blessing or the Curse. 

Even a word as seemingly nuetral as "THE" can connect one to the blessing or curse depending on the heart from which is was spoken. 


:)
"The Bird!" Spoken in hate connects one to the curse and death. 

>:(
"The Bird!" Spoken in adoration of the creation and glory of God's work connects one to the blessing. 

So then Curse Words, are words which connect us to the curse. To say that you are merely expressing yourself and that it's your right is true and fine. But where did you get the right to express yourself. Where did that right come from? It came from Genesis 1:28, in fact, more specifically, it came from Deuteronomy 30:19.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing andcursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

God did in fact let you choose which words you would connect your life to. But you will also be reaping the result of those choices and words. 

Psalm 109:17
As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.

James 3:10
Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

So as I examine my life I must begin to make very slow, deliberate choices. What words will I use? 

Deuteronomy 30:14
But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in yourheart, that you may do it.

Matthew 15:18
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of theheart his mouth speaks.


Romans 10:8-10

New King James Version (NKJV)
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”[a](that is, the word of faith which we preach):9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.


Your heart spoken through your mouth will cause you to receive.


I have the right to use any word which I choose. I can even use curse words and still go to heaven. But if I make that choice not much of Heaven will function in my life while I'm waiting to go. I must begin to choose my words with more care and crafting. I am in fact crafting my life with them.

This also means I should be less inclined to speak whatever comes to my mind to people. Even if it seems like a harmless piece of information given to a cashier at a store, did I need to say that? Was it connected to the blessing of the curse. Even "Have a nice day!" in the wrong heart will create the curse and not the blessing.... choose... life...

Darrell G. Wolfe





















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