Advertisement for Christians Should Be Prosperous:
Grow in God’s power, and you will see it manifested in your life – financially, physically and spiritually. Claim the joy and prosperity God has watiting for you as you apply the Biblical principles taught in this study.
(altered slightly to not be plagarized)
Excerpt from a very non-informative article about the Way Disciples:
One of the new faithful believing believers has impaired hearing. She has asked us to believe with her for her hearing to improve so she can hear every word of the teachings at fellowship. She and her husband read our ministry booklet Christians SBP a few weeks ago and immediately started abundantly sharing faithfully. They were so very blessed to find out that God wants us to expect blessings in return for our giving. Although they had been Christians for several years they had never been taught this principle of prosperity. (the person who wrote this letter may get a bonus for getting a new abs’er in their fellowship)
My question is regarding the applicability of the articles. Is there anything in them one could actually learn from and use or are they the same stale statements we've heard for years?
The reason I always found the magazine unhelpful was that they tended to be repetitive and generic. Articles about finance, for example, usually had vague things like living within your means but always got back to giving money. I can't remember any article talking about real life "nuts & bolts" issues. Maybe my expectations were wrong but they just had no value for me.
"One of the new faithful believing believers has impaired hearing. She has asked us to believe with her for her hearing to improve so she can hear every word of the teachings at fellowship."
Did anyone lay hands on the new faithful believing believer and minister healing? Seems that the answer would come if they gave money to the ministry. Is that the point they are making?
Did the fellowship pray without ceasing and not stop until the believing believer got their hearing back?
They just don't get it.......
It is always the same.....need healing.....give us money.
Then.....if you don't get healed....it is your fault....and you
are a prime candidate to get kicked out of the ministry.
insurgent, I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of offering (in part) one of the articles in the same magazine.
2003-2004 Leaders Meetings
Growing In God's Power
During the Leaders Meetings held at HQ....They enjoyed an abundance of the Word of God, teaching, sharing, fellowship, and direction for the future. Their joyful hearts are represented in the following experts from letters the BOD received in thankfulness for these meetings.
"Thanks for your leadership and guidance, and for how you elevate my life with the Word you live and teach...."
"Not only did you give to us, but even greater, you gave us something to give to others. We can contribute and we can help others to contribute also...."
"....I am very thankful to get my yearly supply of spiritual goods—my covered wagon is filled to overflowing as I head back out to the hungry hearted in the wilderness."
"To again see the respect for the Word, the care of the household—now and for future generations—and the heart that is poured into every decision sure inspires us...."
"....I was encouraged and inspired to believe to rise up to even greater heights regarding what I can do and become as a WC minister. All of you are great examples of what it takes...."
"....We rejoice in the wholeness and deliverance that will be brought to the household as we work in one accord with you."
"....The teachings, personal guidance from the Directors...."
"....My heart is filled and my vision is clear with the direction these meetings have provided."
"....I am very thankful to get my yearly supply of spiritual goods—my covered wagon is filled to overflowing as I head back out to the hungry hearted in the wilderness."
Literal translation according to usage:
"I was inspired by the other wannabes to kiss your behind even harder. It was obvious that you enjoyed this and might even promote me and put me on the payroll. That way I can spend more time bossing my little toadies around. Was my letter over that top enough? Please say it was! Put it in print too so I can know that I've done what is most important which is getting in the WayRag."
quote: "....I was encouraged and inspired to believe to rise up to even greater heights regarding what I can do and become as a WC minister. All of you are great examples of what it takes...."
Another literal translation according to usage:
"I am so jealous of what you guys have here. Oh for the sybaritic lifestyle of being waited upon hand and foot and never having to do a day's hard and honest toil. Not having to worry about bills or where the rent or my next meal is coming from. How well you have demonstrated how to appear godly, for which you deserve an Oscar."
JT, Naw, it's the same crap as it's always been. Every article is about obedience, outreach, abundantly sharing or how great the "ministry gifts" are and how "blessed" you should feel to follow their orders and kiss their feet.
HaR, Glad to have some help showing how much the twi(t)s have not changed despite their claims to the contrary.
I feel sorry for all those poor wc slobs stuck in a dead organization. :(--> Twould be nice if they could experience "the real thing" and be a part of something exciting and growing and thrilling because people's lives are being transformed. So sad.......
Our church had VBS this past week, and was absolutely packed with kids wanting to be involved. We didn't want to turn anyone down, so actually had kids meeting outside cause all the classrooms were full. We had thousands of kids in the program, probably more than people in TWI.
Too bad they're stuck in a dead end "church" that's never gonna go anywhere. :(-->
So the Way Corp is back to training at Gunnysack. It seems that (someone correct me if I'm wrong) a few years ago, all the Corp were being trained at Headquarters, and only a skeleton crew of Corp grads was assigned to caretake at Gunny.
I asked this question a year or so ago: Approximately how many Waybots are there currently undergoing Way Corp Training? Certainly, they aren't being very forthcoming with the rank and file concerning those numbers. My guess is that there are probably well under 50 total---both Single and Family Corps. Since the great majority of Way believers is rapidly heading toward retirement, instead of just starting out in life, Rosie and Co. are probably having a lot of problems attracting new Way Corp recruits. It would be interesting to know how many young people, once they leave home for college and careers, remain actively involved in the ministry. Some of the many new posters that are either still in, or have just left can probably address these questions.
I'm really enjoying some of your "literals according to usage" regarding the letters - LOL.
Reading this, I thank God I don't have to speak like that ever again. It really is sad looking at the Way rag and letters from an "outsiders" perspective now.
By Steve Crommett – class of 81 and serving as International Outreach Dept coordinator at twi
You’d think this would be about true word-based goals such as being a better Christian, being more thankful, getting closer to God, etc….. In any true church it probably would be, but not for the twi(t)s….
God’s vision for the temple in the OT was that it would be a place for the people of Israel to gain knowledge of and love for God and for them to find refuge from their troubles. God revealed the plan to David, but it was David’s son Solomon whom God directed to carry out the actual construction. Once Solomon determined to build the house of the Lord his desire to achieve this goal was kindled greatly. Solomon prepared and implemented all the details of the plan. The temple took him seven years to build but when it was finished God was able to bring within its courts great deliverance to Israel. (God couldn’t bring deliverance to Israel until this temple was built????
Solomon was able to reach this word-based goal by applying the keys of godly planning.
As sons of God who are born-again we can also operate the same principles that Solomon did! (Yee haw) I’m going to show you 4 specific keys that you can apply in order to triumph in achieving your word-based goals – decision, desire, details and deliverance. (COULD YOU TEACH SOMETHING NEW JUST ONCE?????) We make a decision based on God’s word then that proper, godly desire to do God’s will is energized within us. We carry out the details of our plan because we have the energy of our conviction to see it through to completion. This effort results in our deliverance because we grow in God’s power as we achieve a goal that God has made available to us in His word.
Through this study we will use the term “godly planning”. What distinguishes this expression from simple planning? Time mgt expert Alan Lakein wrote that planning is brining the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. We may analogously define “godly” planning as bringing the promises of God into a present situation so that a disciple can believe them now. (You have to be a disciple – just a plain ordinary Christian doesn’t cut it.) Godly planning involves activities that a disciple prepares and executes according to the standard of God’s word (as it changes according to twi(t) whims and as we communicate those standards to you. Pay attention!) A disciple carries out godly plans in order to achieve “word-based goals” those that God as made available in His word to His children in this Grace Administration.
Decision
Consider the first of the 4 keys. In order to start achieving a worthy goal, we need to first make up our minds and decide what our goal is. Before Solomon got started 2 Chron 2:1 says that he determined to build an house…. He had to make the decision.
Making a decision takes effort, and there are some practical steps we can take to help us be successful: determine the plan, record it in writing (you record it in writing because we are never putting anything in writing again unless absolutely necessary) count the cost and finally, commit ourselves to the plan. Each of these aids the mechanics of making a decision.
Jer 10:23 – …I know the way of man is not in himself….
Prov 16:9 ….A man’s heart deviseth his way…. It is only the Lord who can truly direct a man’s steps. So in determining our godly plans we decide to direct our steps according to the revealed Word of God ( why do they always have to throw in arbitrary adjectives everywhere? Why does it matter if it’s the revealed word? How could we possibly direct our steps according to the “hidden” word???)
Next we record our plan in writing. When David told Solomon that God had chosen him to build the temple he didn’t just communicate the plan for it’s construction verbally, he also wrote it down.
1 Chron 28:10,11,19
The act of writing down our plan to achieve a Word-based goal helps us clearly define the task before us. Then as we carry it out, we need not rely merely on our memory. We have a written record of our plan that we can trust and refer to as we follow through with the details.
Hab 2:2 shows the benefits of jotting our goals down. ….Lord answered…and said…write the vision….
In this situation, God instructed Habakkuk to write the vision, to put it in a written form that would be plain and simple. Why? So that the reader would clearly understand it and be able to act on it.
Another practical step in decision making is to count the cost of implementing our plan. In Luke 14 Jesus Christ (can’t just say Jesus, remember?) taught his followers that before they decided to become his disciples, they first needed to count the cost.
The Greek word for “counteth” means to calculate. We calculate the cost of our plan before we embark on its execution. We take the time to consider how much time, finances and even physical energy. In our reckoning we often ask other mature disciples in the household who have carried out a similar plan to advise us on our godly goal. (but don’t ask about how to pay cash for a house because they can’t advise you. ) maybe we overlooked something that would be a sound reason for reconsidering some aspect of our plan. Careful attention and planning before embarking on our endeavors help to ensure God’s blessing and protection (If you don’t plan you don’t get God’s blessings and protection and we know what happens to those without God’s protection….
Desire
The word “desire” usually associated with something a person longs or hopes for. It’s synonymous with wish, want, crave or covet. When we speak of godly desire we are referring to our motivation to do something according to God’s word, not according to our feelings. it’s God who works in us to have godly desire and act upon Word based goals. (that pressure you feel to sign up from the class comes from God, not us)
Phil 2:13 …God which worket in you….
Once we have committed ourselves to our goal by making clear decisions then the proper godly desire to carry out that decision will be energized. We see this in Solomon’s example. Hiram when he learned of Solomon becoming king sent envoys to visit. Solomon responded by sending him a business proposal. In the message recorded in 1 Kings 5:3-6 he shared his decision to build the Temple. ( Why do they capitalize “temple” in this article?”) He also shared his desire to have Hiram supply the timber. Hiram said yes, thereby fulfilling Solomon’s desire.
Solomon had made a decision and the godly desire to follow through on it was energized within him. He kept this desire for the 7 years he took to build the temple. (maybe this is their justification for taking 10 years to make the simplest change)
We can do what he did and maintain our desire by steadfast believing.
One of the greatest examples of this is Abraham…..
Reason for his success is he was fully persuaded…..not weak in believing…hold an unwavering certainty….fully conviced….beyond a shadow of doubt….When we truly believe that God will perform what He has promised we can maintain our desire to reach that word-based goal without being discouraged.
Obstacles do arise at times as we carry out our plan, so we prepare accordingly. The coordinator of a foundational class on The Way of Abundance and Power in one of our ministry’s International Outreach countries helped 18 students prepare backup plans so that each one could reach the goal of attending all twelve sessions at his house on time….(We knew this was coming, didn’t we??) They were set up to catch the bus early so that they could walk to class if the bus was running late.
90 minutes before one of the sessions, the Class coordinator (why capitalize the word class?? Are we worshipping the class?) learned that a convoy of trucks would be routed down the street in front of his home. The phone lines would be unhooked so the trucks would fit down the street. The police were closing the route including a bridge the students had to cross. Because they carried cell phones they were able to call the coordinator and he filled them in. They got off their bus and walked to class. 45 minutes before the session the landline was disconnected so other students called him on his cell phone. Ten minutes before class all 18 were seated and thankful for backup plans.
Establishing backup plans helps overcome obstacles so that we can reach our goals. …
Prov 2:11 ….discretion shall preserve thee….
Hebrew for “discretion” means thought, device or plan. The definition of “preserve” is to keep, guard or protect. Planning shall protect you could be a literal according to usage for this first part.
Details
Now we are ready to carry out the details of our plan because we have the energy of our conviction Solomon operated this principle extensively….
Just as Solomon had so many intricate details to carry out….we also have details that we need to accomplish as we execute our godly plans. There was order and method to Solomon’s work and there should be for ours as well. A helpful way to organize the details of a godly plan is to schedule the actions we need to take.
One method is to follow the OATS formula – Objectives, Activities, Time and Schedule (adapted from the President’s Newsletter of Ketchum Public Relations)….
Making a schedule is a powerful act. However it is only as good as our faithfulness to carry it out…..Excerpts on this from Nov/Dec 2000 Way Rag “Practical Keys to Prospering and Prevailing” article (is this a lcm article?they don’t mention the author.)
Planning is a function of the mind and it helps us control our lives. (it’s all about control, isn’t it?) Sticking to a plan, which is a very critical aspect of planning, is disciplining your mind to keep control over your body.(craiggers and others have set a great example for us here, haven’t they?)
Once we have completed all the scheduled details of our godly plan, we are ready to receive God’s deliverance.
Deliverance
One dictionary (guess which one because he isn’t going to tell you) defines deliverance as the act of freeing or state of being freed. When we carry out our godly plans by making a decision, maintaining the desire and taking action on the details we see God’s deliverance. (how many friggin times have they had this sentence in an article or teaching?)
Any positive-thinking person in the world today can achieve his or her goals by applying the law of believing HOWEVER, as God’s sons and daughters IN THE HOUSEHOLD, growing in our operation of His power, we can accomplish our WORD-BASED GOALS far beyond what we imagined possible. (Adding caveats of THE HOUSEHOLD to vee pee pee’s original explanation of the law of believing, aren’t we? Isn’t that “adding to the word”? :D--> So the power is in the mind, not in God is what I’m hearing you say there buddy.)
After we make the decision, the godly desire to fulfill our plan is energized within us. We maintain that desire by steadfast believing. We carry out the details of our plan by making a schedule and faithfully sticking to it. Our believing efforts will result in prevailing deliverance. (didn’t he JUST say that exact same thing 3 times already?)
The artwork on the article is picture of a notebook with an Objective at the top. The objective? Attend the Advanced Class
I noticed the committed wc trainee's weren't writing letters home to the folks nor going for walkabouts or the movies or playing basketball at the Y nor in any way shape or form fitting in in any concievable form or fashion with the society they are trying to help out of the wilderness and into an already overflowing chuckwagon...which begs to question what the hell is this guy doing living in a chuckwagon?
Oh wait I forgot this is the committed waycorperson, living on a needs basis...
My next observation is fairly obvious, aren't all these wonderful articles, that just ooze of the goodness love and single heartedness of the directors (what an Orwellian title, director)...leading in one and only one direction, signing up more people for the class?
It's a rehash of the same drivel over and over again, believe gawd, committ to running more classes and give give give so we can run a class class class...
It would be one thing if what twi offered was interesting or even entertaining (tee vee preachers are that at least) or showed tangable results other than pins in a map showing where all the classes are running, but alas no laying on of hands, no committed elders praying for healing, and as a result no healing and more importantly, no message to the world, sad really but when you innies read this (if you do) consider that last true healing you saw and ask yourself, if you are truly Gods chosen household then why are not more healings both spiritual and physical happening and if in fact they are then why are not hundreds if not thousands of people flocking to fellowships door for their own blessings from the household and it's directors...
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insurgent
Advertisement for Christians Should Be Prosperous:
Grow in God’s power, and you will see it manifested in your life – financially, physically and spiritually. Claim the joy and prosperity God has watiting for you as you apply the Biblical principles taught in this study.
(altered slightly to not be plagarized)
Excerpt from a very non-informative article about the Way Disciples:
One of the new faithful believing believers has impaired hearing. She has asked us to believe with her for her hearing to improve so she can hear every word of the teachings at fellowship. She and her husband read our ministry booklet Christians SBP a few weeks ago and immediately started abundantly sharing faithfully. They were so very blessed to find out that God wants us to expect blessings in return for our giving. Although they had been Christians for several years they had never been taught this principle of prosperity. (the person who wrote this letter may get a bonus for getting a new abs’er in their fellowship)
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Raf
Insurgent: It's okay to quote something. That's not plagiarism. And it's not copyright infringement either.
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JustThinking
Gack! Those titles are just like the music: generic and completely forgettable.
Raf,
Do any of them actually have specific, useful advice? Or is it the usual WHAT you should do not how to do it?
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Raf
I don't understand the question. You sure it was intended for me?
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JustThinking
Raf,
Sorry, that was kind of vague.
My question is regarding the applicability of the articles. Is there anything in them one could actually learn from and use or are they the same stale statements we've heard for years?
The reason I always found the magazine unhelpful was that they tended to be repetitive and generic. Articles about finance, for example, usually had vague things like living within your means but always got back to giving money. I can't remember any article talking about real life "nuts & bolts" issues. Maybe my expectations were wrong but they just had no value for me.
JT
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Raf
I haven't read the articles. I didn't start this thread, insurgent did.
:)-->
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Lightside
"One of the new faithful believing believers has impaired hearing. She has asked us to believe with her for her hearing to improve so she can hear every word of the teachings at fellowship."
Did anyone lay hands on the new faithful believing believer and minister healing? Seems that the answer would come if they gave money to the ministry. Is that the point they are making?
Did the fellowship pray without ceasing and not stop until the believing believer got their hearing back?
They just don't get it.......
It is always the same.....need healing.....give us money.
Then.....if you don't get healed....it is your fault....and you
are a prime candidate to get kicked out of the ministry.
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Trefor Heywood
Strange how the gospels never record Jesus asking for money before healing, nor the Apostles in Acts.
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dmiller
Trefor -- yes.
:)--> Matter of fact, one of the few times Jesus needed money, he had Peter get it from the mouth of a fish. 
(Mat. 17:27)
And even then , it was not for Him, but to be used for taxes.
:P-->
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dmiller
Nothing more fun than doing "calisthenics or stoking the wood-burning stove" while dressed in yer best!
--> Wood-burning stove? 
-->
Is that the only heat available there (other than that from "leadership")?
:P-->
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houseisarockin
insurgent, I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of offering (in part) one of the articles in the same magazine.
2003-2004 Leaders Meetings
Growing In God's Power
During the Leaders Meetings held at HQ....They enjoyed an abundance of the Word of God, teaching, sharing, fellowship, and direction for the future. Their joyful hearts are represented in the following experts from letters the BOD received in thankfulness for these meetings.
"Thanks for your leadership and guidance, and for how you elevate my life with the Word you live and teach...."
"Not only did you give to us, but even greater, you gave us something to give to others. We can contribute and we can help others to contribute also...."
"....I am very thankful to get my yearly supply of spiritual goods—my covered wagon is filled to overflowing as I head back out to the hungry hearted in the wilderness."
"To again see the respect for the Word, the care of the household—now and for future generations—and the heart that is poured into every decision sure inspires us...."
"....I was encouraged and inspired to believe to rise up to even greater heights regarding what I can do and become as a WC minister. All of you are great examples of what it takes...."
"....We rejoice in the wholeness and deliverance that will be brought to the household as we work in one accord with you."
"....The teachings, personal guidance from the Directors...."
"....My heart is filled and my vision is clear with the direction these meetings have provided."
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JustThinking
QRV (Queen Rosie Version):
"....I am very thankful to get my yearly supply of spiritual goods—my covered wagon is filled to overflowing as I head back out to the hungry hearted in the wilderness."
Literal translation according to usage:
"I was inspired by the other wannabes to kiss your behind even harder. It was obvious that you enjoyed this and might even promote me and put me on the payroll. That way I can spend more time bossing my little toadies around. Was my letter over that top enough? Please say it was! Put it in print too so I can know that I've done what is most important which is getting in the WayRag."
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JustThinking
Raf,
I should have pointed my question to insurgent. Sorry. More coffee please!
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Trefor Heywood
Another literal translation according to usage:
"I am so jealous of what you guys have here. Oh for the sybaritic lifestyle of being waited upon hand and foot and never having to do a day's hard and honest toil. Not having to worry about bills or where the rent or my next meal is coming from. How well you have demonstrated how to appear godly, for which you deserve an Oscar."
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JustThinking
Trefor quote:
"which you deserve an Oscar"
ROTFLMAO!
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insurgent
JT, Naw, it's the same crap as it's always been. Every article is about obedience, outreach, abundantly sharing or how great the "ministry gifts" are and how "blessed" you should feel to follow their orders and kiss their feet.
HaR, Glad to have some help showing how much the twi(t)s have not changed despite their claims to the contrary.
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JustThinking
Ah, the WayRag.
Your boat anchor in a sea of life preservers.
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ex10
Thanks for sharing the articles, insurgent.
I feel sorry for all those poor wc slobs stuck in a dead organization.
:(--> Twould be nice if they could experience "the real thing" and be a part of something exciting and growing and thrilling because people's lives are being transformed. So sad.......
Our church had VBS this past week, and was absolutely packed with kids wanting to be involved. We didn't want to turn anyone down, so actually had kids meeting outside cause all the classrooms were full. We had thousands of kids in the program, probably more than people in TWI.
Too bad they're stuck in a dead end "church" that's never gonna go anywhere.
:(-->
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Cherished Child
So the Way Corp is back to training at Gunnysack. It seems that (someone correct me if I'm wrong) a few years ago, all the Corp were being trained at Headquarters, and only a skeleton crew of Corp grads was assigned to caretake at Gunny.
I asked this question a year or so ago: Approximately how many Waybots are there currently undergoing Way Corp Training? Certainly, they aren't being very forthcoming with the rank and file concerning those numbers. My guess is that there are probably well under 50 total---both Single and Family Corps. Since the great majority of Way believers is rapidly heading toward retirement, instead of just starting out in life, Rosie and Co. are probably having a lot of problems attracting new Way Corp recruits. It would be interesting to know how many young people, once they leave home for college and careers, remain actively involved in the ministry. Some of the many new posters that are either still in, or have just left can probably address these questions.
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Sunesis
I'm really enjoying some of your "literals according to usage" regarding the letters - LOL.
Reading this, I thank God I don't have to speak like that ever again. It really is sad looking at the Way rag and letters from an "outsiders" perspective now.
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Trefor Heywood
The very language used is both cheesy and sycophantic.
The garden is so perfect and lovely and the BOD are so inspirational.
Think of how Stalin was lauded and how Saddam Hussein was, great inspirational leaders and the saviours of their people.
Anther historical figure too bu to avoid Baldwin's law being invoked I will not name him.
Under them too there were certain things that had to be said, in a certain way and praise had to be heaped on with a trowel.
I don't think I could read a whole issue of the Rag now without puking.
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insurgent
Achieving our Word Based Goals
By Steve Crommett – class of 81 and serving as International Outreach Dept coordinator at twi
You’d think this would be about true word-based goals such as being a better Christian, being more thankful, getting closer to God, etc….. In any true church it probably would be, but not for the twi(t)s….
God’s vision for the temple in the OT was that it would be a place for the people of Israel to gain knowledge of and love for God and for them to find refuge from their troubles. God revealed the plan to David, but it was David’s son Solomon whom God directed to carry out the actual construction. Once Solomon determined to build the house of the Lord his desire to achieve this goal was kindled greatly. Solomon prepared and implemented all the details of the plan. The temple took him seven years to build but when it was finished God was able to bring within its courts great deliverance to Israel. (God couldn’t bring deliverance to Israel until this temple was built????
Solomon was able to reach this word-based goal by applying the keys of godly planning.
As sons of God who are born-again we can also operate the same principles that Solomon did! (Yee haw) I’m going to show you 4 specific keys that you can apply in order to triumph in achieving your word-based goals – decision, desire, details and deliverance. (COULD YOU TEACH SOMETHING NEW JUST ONCE?????) We make a decision based on God’s word then that proper, godly desire to do God’s will is energized within us. We carry out the details of our plan because we have the energy of our conviction to see it through to completion. This effort results in our deliverance because we grow in God’s power as we achieve a goal that God has made available to us in His word.
Through this study we will use the term “godly planning”. What distinguishes this expression from simple planning? Time mgt expert Alan Lakein wrote that planning is brining the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. We may analogously define “godly” planning as bringing the promises of God into a present situation so that a disciple can believe them now. (You have to be a disciple – just a plain ordinary Christian doesn’t cut it.) Godly planning involves activities that a disciple prepares and executes according to the standard of God’s word (as it changes according to twi(t) whims and as we communicate those standards to you. Pay attention!) A disciple carries out godly plans in order to achieve “word-based goals” those that God as made available in His word to His children in this Grace Administration.
Decision
Consider the first of the 4 keys. In order to start achieving a worthy goal, we need to first make up our minds and decide what our goal is. Before Solomon got started 2 Chron 2:1 says that he determined to build an house…. He had to make the decision.
Making a decision takes effort, and there are some practical steps we can take to help us be successful: determine the plan, record it in writing (you record it in writing because we are never putting anything in writing again unless absolutely necessary) count the cost and finally, commit ourselves to the plan. Each of these aids the mechanics of making a decision.
Jer 10:23 – …I know the way of man is not in himself….
Prov 16:9 ….A man’s heart deviseth his way…. It is only the Lord who can truly direct a man’s steps. So in determining our godly plans we decide to direct our steps according to the revealed Word of God ( why do they always have to throw in arbitrary adjectives everywhere? Why does it matter if it’s the revealed word? How could we possibly direct our steps according to the “hidden” word???)
Next we record our plan in writing. When David told Solomon that God had chosen him to build the temple he didn’t just communicate the plan for it’s construction verbally, he also wrote it down.
1 Chron 28:10,11,19
The act of writing down our plan to achieve a Word-based goal helps us clearly define the task before us. Then as we carry it out, we need not rely merely on our memory. We have a written record of our plan that we can trust and refer to as we follow through with the details.
Hab 2:2 shows the benefits of jotting our goals down. ….Lord answered…and said…write the vision….
In this situation, God instructed Habakkuk to write the vision, to put it in a written form that would be plain and simple. Why? So that the reader would clearly understand it and be able to act on it.
Another practical step in decision making is to count the cost of implementing our plan. In Luke 14 Jesus Christ (can’t just say Jesus, remember?) taught his followers that before they decided to become his disciples, they first needed to count the cost.
The Greek word for “counteth” means to calculate. We calculate the cost of our plan before we embark on its execution. We take the time to consider how much time, finances and even physical energy. In our reckoning we often ask other mature disciples in the household who have carried out a similar plan to advise us on our godly goal. (but don’t ask about how to pay cash for a house because they can’t advise you. ) maybe we overlooked something that would be a sound reason for reconsidering some aspect of our plan. Careful attention and planning before embarking on our endeavors help to ensure God’s blessing and protection (If you don’t plan you don’t get God’s blessings and protection and we know what happens to those without God’s protection….
Desire
The word “desire” usually associated with something a person longs or hopes for. It’s synonymous with wish, want, crave or covet. When we speak of godly desire we are referring to our motivation to do something according to God’s word, not according to our feelings. it’s God who works in us to have godly desire and act upon Word based goals. (that pressure you feel to sign up from the class comes from God, not us)
Phil 2:13 …God which worket in you….
Once we have committed ourselves to our goal by making clear decisions then the proper godly desire to carry out that decision will be energized. We see this in Solomon’s example. Hiram when he learned of Solomon becoming king sent envoys to visit. Solomon responded by sending him a business proposal. In the message recorded in 1 Kings 5:3-6 he shared his decision to build the Temple. ( Why do they capitalize “temple” in this article?”) He also shared his desire to have Hiram supply the timber. Hiram said yes, thereby fulfilling Solomon’s desire.
Solomon had made a decision and the godly desire to follow through on it was energized within him. He kept this desire for the 7 years he took to build the temple. (maybe this is their justification for taking 10 years to make the simplest change)
We can do what he did and maintain our desire by steadfast believing.
One of the greatest examples of this is Abraham…..
Reason for his success is he was fully persuaded…..not weak in believing…hold an unwavering certainty….fully conviced….beyond a shadow of doubt….When we truly believe that God will perform what He has promised we can maintain our desire to reach that word-based goal without being discouraged.
Obstacles do arise at times as we carry out our plan, so we prepare accordingly. The coordinator of a foundational class on The Way of Abundance and Power in one of our ministry’s International Outreach countries helped 18 students prepare backup plans so that each one could reach the goal of attending all twelve sessions at his house on time….(We knew this was coming, didn’t we??) They were set up to catch the bus early so that they could walk to class if the bus was running late.
90 minutes before one of the sessions, the Class coordinator (why capitalize the word class?? Are we worshipping the class?) learned that a convoy of trucks would be routed down the street in front of his home. The phone lines would be unhooked so the trucks would fit down the street. The police were closing the route including a bridge the students had to cross. Because they carried cell phones they were able to call the coordinator and he filled them in. They got off their bus and walked to class. 45 minutes before the session the landline was disconnected so other students called him on his cell phone. Ten minutes before class all 18 were seated and thankful for backup plans.
Establishing backup plans helps overcome obstacles so that we can reach our goals. …
Prov 2:11 ….discretion shall preserve thee….
Hebrew for “discretion” means thought, device or plan. The definition of “preserve” is to keep, guard or protect. Planning shall protect you could be a literal according to usage for this first part.
Details
Now we are ready to carry out the details of our plan because we have the energy of our conviction Solomon operated this principle extensively….
Just as Solomon had so many intricate details to carry out….we also have details that we need to accomplish as we execute our godly plans. There was order and method to Solomon’s work and there should be for ours as well. A helpful way to organize the details of a godly plan is to schedule the actions we need to take.
One method is to follow the OATS formula – Objectives, Activities, Time and Schedule (adapted from the President’s Newsletter of Ketchum Public Relations)….
Making a schedule is a powerful act. However it is only as good as our faithfulness to carry it out…..Excerpts on this from Nov/Dec 2000 Way Rag “Practical Keys to Prospering and Prevailing” article (is this a lcm article?they don’t mention the author.)
Planning is a function of the mind and it helps us control our lives. (it’s all about control, isn’t it?) Sticking to a plan, which is a very critical aspect of planning, is disciplining your mind to keep control over your body.(craiggers and others have set a great example for us here, haven’t they?)
Once we have completed all the scheduled details of our godly plan, we are ready to receive God’s deliverance.
Deliverance
One dictionary (guess which one because he isn’t going to tell you) defines deliverance as the act of freeing or state of being freed. When we carry out our godly plans by making a decision, maintaining the desire and taking action on the details we see God’s deliverance. (how many friggin times have they had this sentence in an article or teaching?)
Any positive-thinking person in the world today can achieve his or her goals by applying the law of believing HOWEVER, as God’s sons and daughters IN THE HOUSEHOLD, growing in our operation of His power, we can accomplish our WORD-BASED GOALS far beyond what we imagined possible. (Adding caveats of THE HOUSEHOLD to vee pee pee’s original explanation of the law of believing, aren’t we? Isn’t that “adding to the word”?
:D--> So the power is in the mind, not in God is what I’m hearing you say there buddy.)
After we make the decision, the godly desire to fulfill our plan is energized within us. We maintain that desire by steadfast believing. We carry out the details of our plan by making a schedule and faithfully sticking to it. Our believing efforts will result in prevailing deliverance. (didn’t he JUST say that exact same thing 3 times already?)
The artwork on the article is picture of a notebook with an Objective at the top. The objective? Attend the Advanced Class
Then it lists all the activities with deadlines:
Repeat Intermediate Class - January
Complete Registration - by Feb 2
Make Motel Reservations - by Feb 27
etc.
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herbiejuan
I noticed the committed wc trainee's weren't writing letters home to the folks nor going for walkabouts or the movies or playing basketball at the Y nor in any way shape or form fitting in in any concievable form or fashion with the society they are trying to help out of the wilderness and into an already overflowing chuckwagon...which begs to question what the hell is this guy doing living in a chuckwagon?
Oh wait I forgot this is the committed waycorperson, living on a needs basis...
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herbiejuan
My next observation is fairly obvious, aren't all these wonderful articles, that just ooze of the goodness love and single heartedness of the directors (what an Orwellian title, director)...leading in one and only one direction, signing up more people for the class?
It's a rehash of the same drivel over and over again, believe gawd, committ to running more classes and give give give so we can run a class class class...
It would be one thing if what twi offered was interesting or even entertaining (tee vee preachers are that at least) or showed tangable results other than pins in a map showing where all the classes are running, but alas no laying on of hands, no committed elders praying for healing, and as a result no healing and more importantly, no message to the world, sad really but when you innies read this (if you do) consider that last true healing you saw and ask yourself, if you are truly Gods chosen household then why are not more healings both spiritual and physical happening and if in fact they are then why are not hundreds if not thousands of people flocking to fellowships door for their own blessings from the household and it's directors...
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