Modeling God's Wills

Title Page

2010-04-09T08:19:00.002-05:00

This is the sequel to "Modeling God". (For those who have read the Title Page, here is the link for the Table of Contents.)

In April of 2009, Newsweek's cover story is: "The End of Christian America"

Here is a key excerpt:

The term was popularized during what scholars call the "death of God" movement of the mid-1960s—a movement that is, in its way, still in motion. Drawing from Nietzsche's 19th-century declaration that "God is dead," a group of Protestant theologians held that, essentially, Christianity would have to survive without an orthodox understanding of God. Tom Altizer, a religion professor at Emory University, was a key member of the Godless Christianity movement, and he traces its intellectual roots first to Kierkegaard and then to Nietzsche. For Altizer, a post-Christian era is one in which "both Christianity and religion itself are unshackled from their previous historical grounds." In 1992 the critic Harold Bloom published a book titled "The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation." In it he cites William James's definition of religion in "The Varieties of Religious Experience": "Religion … shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they consider the divine."

THIS is the CAUSE of what we are seeing today...In the 1960's Christian leaders decided to take Christianity in a direction that would go WITHOUT an orthodox UNDERSTANDING of God.

"Modeling God" presents an understanding of God which is the OPPOSITE of the strategy of current popular Christianity. I feel even more confident that what I've written the reason why will stand the test of time...

However, I now realize why the most popular versions of the Bible published since 1960 state Jesus is NOT the Son of God. They were interpreted in light of this man-made strategy of "Godless Christianity". In going without an orthodox explanation of God, they ended up changing key doctrine which makes Jesus state He is NOT the Son of God in their versions of the Bible. In fact, there are several important doctrines that have been changed in the last 40 years...

1. What do you think of sex before marriage?

2. How does the Bible end? (What is the Meaning of Life?)

3. What is "Biblical divorce"?

4. Is Jesus the Son of God?

Click on these links if you want to begin to understand the answers...

Preface

Table of Contents

If you just want the answers, then keep reading:

1. The Bible says that sex IS marriage because it is covenantal. The only way you can have sex before marriage is to believe in man's doctrine of state recognized marriage (created by John Calvin) in place of God's doctrine of marriage.

2. Jesus marries the church (new Jerusalem). The Meaning of Life is church and marriage.

3. Divorce is a definite break in the marriage covenant and can occur if the husband finds some uncleanness. Defining "Biblical divorce" as only in cases of adultery and unbelief is a misinterpretation of Mark 10:11-12.

4. Believing that Jesus used the word divorce (twice) in Mark 10:11-12 instead of "putting away" leads to proving to us Jesus is not the Son of God. The first verse depicts Jesus saying that following the Law leads to sin. The second verse depicts Jesus as not knowing the Law! This would prove to us Jesus is not the Son of God.

When people reference the following versions as the Word of God (NIV, NASB, NKJ, NLT, ESV, and The Message) and base their doctrines on them, they are confessing that they are a Pharisee and Jesus isn't the Son of God.

I've written the publishers of these versions and asked them if they think it is okay to publish a book that proves Jesus is not the Son of God. Three have responded. Two (Zondervan and Good News Publisher) basically said they just print the book and others are responsible. One (Thomas Nelson) responded this way:

"Thanks for your email. I’ve touched base with our editorial team and your question deals with interpretation of the passage and not translation. To further explore interpretations you may wish to consult commentaries, or books written about the topic. You may also wish to ask one of your church leaders for advice and guidance in this area."

The issue is translation and Thomas Nelson's response shows an incredible lack of understanding. At the ICRS I talked with Moody about the Ryrie translation. Again, no response to the question: Do you think it is okay to publish a book that proves Jesus is not the Son of God.

We are making the Word of God of none effect by our tradition!

If you disagree with any of this, I challenge you to click the links above and tell me where the explanation is wrong...

However, I've written to the publishers of the "versions" listed above and none of them have an explanation...

In fact, some of the explanations have been embarassing.

Bottomline:
Marriage is an AMAZING God-given tool to generate value so we can bring about God's Will.

However, the current state of marriage is a mess BECAUSE we DON'T follow God's Word...we follow our man-made tradition.

Problem #1: We have been following a man-made tradition in place of God's Will for marriage and it leads to bad marriages and us not being able to bring about God's Will.

Problems #2: There seems to be a conspiracy among the current church to keep problem #1 from people!

This work not only shows you how to have Biblical marriage, it will prove to you that current "leadership" is teaching and man-made tradition and isn't interested in following God's Word and Will. See for yourself...

39-9

2010-04-09T08:19:00.001-05:00

divorce
bible is not true 31-2,3,4

purpose: created to do
1rst command everyone

39-8

2010-04-09T08:18:00.001-05:00

new creations - names , replant tree
jacob, lucifer, peter, abram and sarai, daniel

39-7

2010-04-09T08:17:00.001-05:00

abuse/love 31-5
loving w/o confrontation is enabling
matthew 18 3rd step

initial sin
-feed back with a Question

39-6 Expectations

2010-04-09T08:16:00.003-05:00

When it comes to Faith and Hope, the person acts (DO) on something BEFORE the event occurs.

We could see this as giving (actions) BEFORE enjoying the benefit (of the future event).

Remember, Salvation is dependent on grace and faith. This means we give BEFORE enjoying the benefit of Salvation.

Paul wrote in Philippians 2:

"12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Paul wrote in Philippians 3:

"12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."

Notice, Hope and Faith cause the believer to continue growing.

The PROOF that we are saved is we love others. John wrote in I John 4:

"7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

Hope/Faith leads to Salvation which is proven in Love.

On the other hand, Expectations are the OPPOSITE of Hope and Faith.

Expectations occur when someone enjoys the benefit BEFORE they have given. The person considers the future action to have occurred and they begin to enjoy the benefit.

Expectations give the person a reason to stop growing.

Now we see this is the "Once Saved, Always Saved" mentality. People want the benefit of being saved NOW...they want to not have to continue growing in God.

Love is giving WITHOUT EXPECTING...

Expectations are not love. In fact, EVERYTIME someone gets angry, it is because their expectations were not met.

Expectations prevent Salvation and the proof is people get angry...and do not love. Eventually, this will become Abuse.

Let's look at an example...

Let's say you were going to meet your date for dinner at a specific restaurant at 6 PM. If you were to arrive early and be seated, you would either act in Hope/Faith or Expectation.

If you "hoped", you would have gotten the table because you believed your date would show up. However, you wouldn't begin enjoying the benefits of having the table until your date arrived. If your date failed to show, you would give up the table and be disappointed, but that is all.

If your date showed up, you would enjoy the benefit of your hope in their presence. You would be excited to see them and begin ordering.

Notice, the worse that can happen with Hope is it isn't fulfilled and the best is the benefit. There is no loss. This is simply the equalling out of Justice.

If you "expected", you would begin ordering. You would enjoy the benefit of meeting them BEFORE your date arrived. You would be enjoying the benefit in their ABSENCE. If the date shows, there is no difference.

If your date failed to show up, you would have to pay for the benefit without having gotten the benefit...which would make you angry.

Notice, the best that can happen is the Expectation is fulfilled and the worst is that you have to pay without receiving the benefit. This is simply the equalling out of Justice.

Let's look at this relative to dating/marriage...

If you date or marry with Faith, without expectations, then everything is a benefit that is always enjoyed in the presence of the one you love. Your brain files away great moments WITH the one you love.

The energy this couple experiences can grow eternally.

If you date or marry with Expectations, then the only benefit you experience is by yourself. Your brain files away the great moments separate from the one you love. However, everytime your expectations aren't met, you get angry at the one you love...and you confront them. Now, your brain files away the angry moments WITH the one you love. The only thing this person can really do is disappoint you.

The best this couple can expect is to maintain the energy they have, however, we know it will eventually lessen and become Unprofitable.

The same can be said for other areas...

HEALING: Jesus repeatedly stated the individual's faith is what healed them. The person gave BEFORE he got the benefit of healing.

SALVATION: We ought to continually give God our lives and kill our flesh...we can enjoy the benfit later. However, Calvinists would say to act like you are saved and enjoy the benefit now of being saved by not thinking.

CANCER: Some Calvinists handle cancer by saying God is the cause and the cancer patient ought to act like they are healed and rejoice in the suffering...to not "waste" their cancer! Others will say to rejoice in the causeless suffering.

Taking in everything we have learned, here's HOW/WHY a Christian would handle suffering:

1. I AM THE CAUSE - Be contrastive. Determine if you have caused your own suffering. If you have, confess and repent. Take actions that will limit your suffering and the suffering of others.

2. I AM NOT THE CAUSE AND I DON'T KNOW THE CAUSE - Use causality. Your suffering is a cause. If you handle it well, then you are due a Reward.

3. I AM NOT THE CAUSE AND I KNOW WHO (believer) IS THE CAUSE - Use non-contradiction. If the person is a believer, confront them (Matthew 18, Luke 17). Resolve the apparent contradiction between their Unaware Brain and conscious brain. Give them the opportunity to repent. If they do, forgive. If they don't, intentionally chose to act as "mercy" towards them. If they don't hear you, involve others.

4. I AM NOT THE CAUSE AND I KNOW WHO (unbeliever) IS THE CAUSE - Use growth. If the person is an unbeliever, REJOICE. This goes beyond forgiving. Forgiving gives you a Reward (#2). Not only are you getting a Reward, but you are PROVING you are at the highest level of Christian maturity.

The next Section is not ready at this time. Check back in a few days...

39-5 Replanting Trees

2010-04-09T08:15:00.003-05:00

Several of the chapters dealt with changing thought patterns. Whether it had to do with sex or seeing your spouse as a new creation, the goal was to begin a new Profitable thought pattern.

When it came to sex, we saw the current thought pattern as it relates to sex is people (especially men) use foreplay to get ramped up for intercourse. Once intercourse is over, they lose interest. Basically, the foreplay got them to a "higher state" and intercourse returned them back to their original state. At best, this is Not Unprofitable. Sex is seen as a series of separate physical events...Sex is a cause.

We saw God intended sex to be an effect of sharing the mental, emotional, and spiritual. Basically, foreplay consists of sharing. Intercourse ought to also be sharing instead of groping. Each person ought to be touching the other in a manner that the other enjoys. This is love and can only be done if the spouses continue to share during intercourse. After intercourse, the couple ought to continue to share. In fact, we saw this is the best time to share the mental, emotional, and spiritual...because the physical has been satisfied.

When sharing is the cause, then sex is an effect. Sex is Profitable because the spouses end up at a "higher" level than when they began. They actually end up at a level from which they can continue growing...and sex is seen as a part of a larger event.

Recently, I read a book that physiologically confirms what has been written in this work!!!

"The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge MD, states that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains...even in old age!

When it comes to sex, Dr. Doidge explains the brain is most plastic during the times immediately following pleasurable moments. The chemicals associated with these events are changing the brain. He even writes, "It is the afterplay, not the foreplay, that counts in building trust."

The BEST time to build with your spouse is just after intercourse!

However, if spouses immediately isolate themselves after intercourse, they are changing their brain to value sex in an Unprofitable manner...as well as tell their Unaware Brains this is what they want to be "juiced" towards doing in the future.

We covered HOW the couple ought to begin forming this thought process by first not touching for a year...and then when they do touch, make sure they stop touching and continue to share. Basically, this causes the couple to establish "their tree" over sharing. This is what the couple will resort to in order to drive the marriage. We saw this is Fellowship...and sharing is something that can be novel/new for eternity.

Now, look at what Dr. Doidge writes:

"A tolerance, akin to tolerance for a drug, can develop in happy lovers as they get used to each other. Dopamine likes novelty. When monogamous mates develop a tolerance for each other and lose the romantic high they once had, the change may be a sign, not that either of them is inadequate or boring, but that their plastic brains have so well adapted to each other that it's harder for them to get the same buzz they once got from each other."

Dr. Doidge gives the physiological explanation for HOW/WHY married couples experience an initial high which the rest of the marriage can never exceed! The ability to reach greater highs depends on "novelty". If the couple bonded over touching or events, then they will need to continue to do even more to maintain this high.

When it comes to sex, there is a physical limit to the novelty without it getting into destructive (Unprofitable) behavior. We know the answer is SHARING!!!! This is God's solution to paradisiacal marriage!

Look what Dr. Doidge suggests:

"Fortunately, lovers can stimulate their dopamine, keeping the high alive, by injecting novelty into their relationship. When a couple go on a romantic vacation or try new activities together, or wear new kinds of clothing, or surprise each other, they are using novelty to turn on the pleasure centers, so that everything they experience, including each other, excites and pleases them."

This is IS. Sharing is OUGHT.

Activities and possessions are NOT the spouse. It is not causing the spouse to grow in attraction.

Sharing is about the spouse. It causes the spouse to grow in attraction.

Not touching for a year while getting to know each other DOES "grow the tank"!

It causes the couple to bond over sharing...which they can ALWAYS do MORE of and will ALWAYS be NOVEL/NEW for the rest of their marriage. This will cause the other person to become MORE attractive. In fact, Dr. Doidge also recognizes this physiologically:

"Romantic love triggers such powerful emotion that we can reconfigure what we find attractive, even overcoming 'objective' beauty. In 'On Love' Stendahl describes a young man, Alberic, who meets a woman more beautiful than his mistress. Yet Alberic is far more drawn to his mistress than to this woman because his mistress promises him so much more happiness. Stendahl calls this 'Beauty Dethroned by Love.' Love has such a power to change attraction that Alberic is turned on by a minor defect on his mistress's face, her pockmark. It excites him because 'he has experienced so many emotions in the presence of that pockmark, emotions for the most part exquisite and of the most absorbing interest, that whatever his emotions may have been, they are renewed with incredible vividness at the sight of this sign, even observed on the face of another woman...in this case ugliness becomes beauty'."

Dr. Doidge explains novelty re-images the brain of the spouse. Learning something new about your spouse, causes your brain to treat your spouse as new...just like the brain does when it learns a new fragrance!!!

Early in this work, I shared how habituation occurs between the brain and nose. The brain learns a fragrance...during that time the strength of the fragrance appears to grow. Actually, the strength is the same...the brain is learning to appreciate all of it.

Once the fragrance is known, the brain causes the strength of the fragrance to appear to diminish...even though it is STILL THE SAME STRENGTH!

Likewise, each of our spouses are greater than we know. If we continue to get to learn them, they will grow in our estimation...we will get a greater experience over time.

However, if a spouse refuses to share, then they are "known". The brain then causes the effect of that spouse to diminish...and people think marriage is flawed.

The same can be said for Fellowship with others.

SHARING is so vital! It needs to be the focus.

Next Section

39-4 The Word of God

2010-04-09T08:14:00.010-05:00

The biggest reason people do not read the Bible is they don't believe it is true. The individual has an incongruity between his Unaware Brain and conscious brain when it comes to the Bible. Continuing to read the Bible actually causes more pain and brain damage.

Remember, during Old Testament times, every boy MEMORIZED the Torah. Memorization keeps the conscious brain and Unaware Brain consistent with each other.

Teaching the Bible wrong actually causes the conscious brain to believe something different than the Unaware Brain...which causes pain...depression...and brain damage.

I believe the main reason the overwhelming majority of Christians can't even finish reading the Book of Genesis, let alone the entire Bible is because they form this incongruity within the first three chapters...

Remember, your Unaware Brain is going to arrive at the non-contradictory conclusion whether you are conscious of it or not. However, stating a different conclusion with your conscious brain causes the incongruity. Let's look at the most popular passage from The Bible to see HOW/WHY this incongruity forms.

Genesis chapter 3 contains the most read and preached passage of The Bible:

"1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

Notice, the woman knew the contrastive fact: eating of this tree results in death.

"4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

This was a lie. The serpent attempted to refute the contrastive fact.

"6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

Notice, the woman looked comparatively. She found three facts encouraging her to eat the fruit: good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and makes one wise. The connotation in this verse was Adam was standing next to Eve while this happened...Adam was "with her".

"7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."

What did God say? Take a moment and try to state what God said next...

"9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"

Did you think God made a Statement or a Question?

"10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Again, take a moment and try to state what God said next...

"11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"

Did you have God asking TWO Questions?

Did you notice anything strange about the first three Questions God asked?

Actually, I ought to ask if you consciously noticed anything strange, because your Unaware Brain already noticed it...

God asked where they were. God asked if they ate of the tree.

Did God NOT know where they were or if they ate of the tree?

Take a moment and answer that question...

If you consciously believe God did NOT know where they were or if they ate of the tree, you don't believe God is omniscient. Or, to put it bluntly...you don't believe God is God!

Perhaps your conscious brain would like another attempt...WHY did God ask these two Questions? Was God pointing out their sin in order to condemn/judge them?

Take a moment and answer that question...

If God was asking a Question about the past in order to reinforce the past, then God is NOT focused on the future. God is NOT the God of the living...but the God of the dead. God is Deterministic because His focus was on things we can't do anything about. If you believe this, you are on your way to Calvinism...and a contradictory interpretation of the Bible.

What does your Unaware Brain realize?

Your Unaware Brain realizes God asked a Question in order to find out something He did NOT know. What would THAT be?

HOW Adam and Eve will respond to their sin!!!!

Will they justify God by confessing and repenting? Will they rationalize and justify themselves?

"12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."

Adam's response was to rationalize, justify himself AND blame God BY blaming the woman. What did God do next? Did He judge Adam? Did He judge Eve?

Take a moment to decide what you believe God did next...

"13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."

God asked a Question of Eve...the SAME Question He asked Adam. Eve rationalized and justified herself.

What did God do next? Did He judge Eve? Did He ask the serpent a Question?

"14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

God did NOT give the serpent the opportunity to confess and repent. He made Statements and Judged the serpent. God asked Questions of Adam and Eve, NOT to condemn and judge, but to find out their response to their sin!

The entire Bible showed a God that was NOT judging and condemning when people sinned initially. Yet, people teach a Bible where God not only judged and condemned immediately, but actually encouraged us to immediately judge and condemn others.

Actually, your Unaware Brain knows God asked Questions of those who sinned in order to find out their response to their sin...which is what God judged and condemned.

Our culture says to NEVER admit you are wrong...to rationalize and justify. We've already seen consciously rationalizing and justifying our own sin causes the Unaware Brain to look for more opportunities to sin. Now we see God is actually focused on how we respond to our own sin AND NOT whether we initially sin or not.

We see the same pattern in Genesis 4 with Cain:

"1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."

This is Matthew 6! God gave to Abel. Abel gave MORE back to God. God gave respect to even out justice.

God gave to Cain and Cain gave back to God. This was a Right WHAT, however it was a Wrong HOW/WHY...so Cain had his Reward. Some teachers try to say Cain SINNED by NOT doing the Right HOW/WHY. Keep this in mind...

What was God's response to Cain? Can you come up with what God said next? Take a moment...

"6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?"

Two Questions focused Cain on the causes.

"7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

Two IF/THEN's...one in Question form led to Reward. One in Statement form warned of Judgment.

Notice, God said "sin lieth at the door"!!!!

Cain HAD NOT SINNED!!!!

Every teacher stating Cain sinned is causing brain damage! In fact, if Cain sinned by giving, then everyone who tithes without giving their best at this teacher's church is sinning according to that teacher. Will that teacher encourage people NOT to tithe...NOT to sin?

Cain's problem was he looked sideways and compared himself to his brother, rather than look to God. He ignored the First Command and attempted to manage the Second Command.

What was the next verse?

"8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."

Notice, Cain talked with his brother about his conversation with God!!!! Cain consciously stated his conversation...that he knew he was in danger of eventually doing wrong.

It almost looked like Cain gained Abel's trust by telling him about his conversation with God. Time passed between that conversation and the brothers going into the field. Did Cain ask Abel for help in picking the best? I don't know, however, Cain eventually got Abel into the field and killed him.

What was God's response? Take a moment...

"9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"

God AGAIN, asked a Question that He knew the answer to. So, He asked to find out Cain's response to Cain's sin. Cain lied to God!

"10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth."

God again asked a Question to get Cain's response AND pronounced judgment for Cain's lying to God.

Your Unaware Brain knows God is NOT focused on your initial sin...He is focused on your response to your sin.

Our culture and church teaching us to rationalize and justify ourselves...worse, teaching us to judge the initial sin of others, is causing us to make the Word and Will of God of NONE EFFECT.

Whether it is the contradictory man-made divorce doctrine in newer "versions of the Bible" or faulty teaching of passages correctly presented, we have been driving people away from the Word of God by consciously accepting an interpretation different than what the Unaware Brain knows to be true.

Next Section

39-3 Confession and Repentance/Repair

2010-04-09T08:14:00.009-05:00

In chapter 12, we covered confession and repentance...

Now we see HOW and WHY confession and repentance fixes damage in the brain for both parties!

Let's look at the case of an Abuser hurting an Abused person...

The Abused person's Unaware Brain knows the HOW and WHY of the Abuse. However, her Unaware Brain is living in fear because it doesn't know the Abuse won't happen again. The Unaware Brain of the Abused doesn't believe the Abuser is conscious of the Abuse. So, every time the Abuser interacts with the Abused, the Abused is ramping up protecting against the next occurrence of Abuse.

Furthermore, the conscious brain of the Abused may continue to replay the Abuse looking for HOW the Abused might have caused the Abuse! This is a contradiction that wears the Abused out.

The Unaware Brain of the Abuser knows what he did. However, the Unaware Brain may not know if he wants to continue the Abuse or not. This is WHY Jesus told us in Matthew 18 and Luke 17, the Abuser MUST be confronted if he is a believer...so the Unaware Brain of the Abuser can know which way the individual wants to go.

If the individual rationalizes or justifies the Abuse, the Unaware Brain is going to "juice" the individual towards more Abuse. Eventually, the Abuser will cease to be a believer and get removed from community...which ought to cause the conscious brain to get out of denial and choose to Repair the Abuse.

Ideally, the individual would admit (confess) the Abuse was wrong when he is confronted. This causes the Unaware Brain of the Abuser to "juice" the individual away from Abusing others!

When the Abuser confesses, he states he CONSCIOUSLY knows WHAT he did...he CONSCIOUSLY knows WHY he did it...and he CONSCIOUSLY knows it was wrong. This is the definition of confession.

The Abused can now relax because their Unaware Brain AND conscious brain both know the Abuse had a cause and the Abuser is in control of it. The Abuser stating it is wrong will cause the Abused to file away the Abuse without contradiction...the Abused knows she wasn't the cause of the Abuse.

The confession ALONE is healing...but there's more.

When the Abuser Repents...takes action to Repair the Abuse, the Abuser's conscious brain and Unaware Brain achieve congruity...which is healthy for the Abuser. Notice, Repentance is a DO. Confession is a SAY. Repentance helps the person's DO match his SAY.

The Abused is now firmly convinced the Abuse was not her fault and can also achieve congruity.

Ignoring the Abuse does not make these thoughts go away...it actually ensures the person will become damaged over time.

Today, many ministries endorse a "reset button" mentality. They encourage the Abused to forget the Abuse. This is actually an attempt to damage the Abused's brain!!!!

Jesus gave us several examples and encouraged us to confront believers. He did this for OUR benefit. However, one of the main reasons the church lacks unity is we don't know HOW/WHY to confront others.

Next Section

39-2 Calvinism

2010-04-09T08:13:00.004-05:00

Chapter 3 dealt with Calvinism.

Now, we see HOW and WHY Calvinism damages the brain...

The Unaware Brain can see the explanation for Calvinism is contradictory. However, when a person CHOOSES to embrace ANY form of Calvinism, the Unaware Brain sees the lengths the conscious brain goes to in order to justify this contradictory belief. The conscious brain is leading the Unaware Brain towards encouraging the individual to believe in things without proof...without thinking.

When the Calvinist continues to attempt to PROVE his point by requiring others to think, then the Unaware Brain has reached a contradictory goal...thinking AND NOT thinking...which causes the Unaware Brain to shut down the individual. The only way for the individual to continue is to intentionally rewire their brain...to not check for contradictions and reward themselves as if they had...we've seen this is possible with the experiment involving Democrats and Republicans.

The other effect is the individual is going to get depressed...which means in order to feel "normal", the individual needs to get emotionally ramped up. This is one of the reasons WHY Calvinists get very emotional even though they believe there is nothing that can be done concerning critical decisions!

Furthermore, the Unaware Brain knows Calvinism is NOT Fellowship with God. The individual is in pride and NOT interested in justifying God. The individual is interested in justifying themselves.

We saw when the conscious brain is forced to created a causal pattern for unknown information, it will lie AND convince itself the events happened and/or make sense. The best example is when Calvinists state EVERYTHING is up to God AND it is NOT God's fault.

Calvinists get very emotional when they can't explain themselves. Which is another proof they are damaging their brain.

Regardless the passion a Calvinist expresses with his explanation, if he cannot explain HOW and WHY God carries out His Will in a non-contradictory manner, he is really stating it is all God's fault...which is justification of self...which is idolatry.

In fact, you won't find Calvinists who can even define THEIR OWN BELIEFS! They focus on stating what they are NOT. They will say they are NOT a "hyper-Calvinist"...but won't say what they are. A Calvinist does NOT have a definition for their system of belief. Going without a definition for the thing you are focused on evangelizing is an even more advanced case of brain damage!

The reality is we have volition...we have the ability to choose. This is the cause.

If a person chooses to believe in volition, then they will exhibit the EFFECTS of "free will"...and these effects will be apparent to all.

If a person CHOOSES NOT to believe in volition, then they will exhibit the EFFECTS of Determinism...and these effects will be apparent to all.

Effects can contradict if they are treated as causes. The Calvinists and Arminianists both claim these effects as causes. This is WHY they contradict each other AND can point to examples of the effects we all witness.

The ultimate goal of Calvinism is to remove the cause of volition...which is not possible. In fact, their attempt to do so PROVES volition is a cause.

However, all Calvinism is really able to do is remove the effects of volition for its supporters and become a stumblingblock for others...

Next Section

39-1 Brief Review Examples

2010-04-09T08:12:00.004-05:00

First, let's briefly review several examples of HOW/WHY the Unaware Brain and conscious brain are the causes of effects we've already addressed...

PORNOGRAPHY
In chapter 14 we covered pornography. Now we can see this is an issue where the Unaware Brain is being led by the individual's conscious brain.

The individual chooses to look at pornography and imagine (fantasize), both of which are done with the conscious brain. The Unaware Brain is looking for an objective and the conscious brain has provided one: look at pornography so the conscious brain can fantasize.

Now, every opportunity to look at porn will be pointed out by the Unaware Brain. The Unaware Brain will "juice" the individual towards doing this...and away from his wife if he is married. So, in addition to the husband making body parts of other women the standard his wife always loses to, his Unaware Brain is being trained to stop "juicing" him towards his wife.

JESUS' TEACHING
We also covered Jesus' Premiere Teaching (Matthew chapters 5-7) which culminated with the following summary:

"21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:21-29)

Jesus concluded with the most critical issue: SAY vs. DO.

Jesus explained the people who SAY the right things don't necessarily make it to Heaven. Then Jesus supported this with an example. Notice, the difference between the two cases was NOT whether the person heard the Word of God...both cases covered a person who HEARD the Word of God. The difference was the DO.

Having a difference in your SAY and DO not only damages your conscious brain, it can result in eternal damnation.

STATEMENTS VS. QUESTIONS
We covered the difference between making a Statement and asking a Question. We also looked at Statements that Judge or Project.

Now, we can see if the person makes a Judgment or Projection with the conscious brain AND the individual does these same thing they are judging others for, the Unaware Brain recognizes a contradiction. Again, the Unaware Brain doesn't care this is the SIN of hypocrisy. The Unaware Brain is concerned the statement is contradictory, which is giving the Unaware Brain TWO conflicting objectives.

The Unaware Brain doesn't know whether to "juice" the person to live according to what they SAY or what they DO.

So, the Unaware Brain begins to shut down the individual until this contradiction is resolved...which can manifest as depression.

We saw Matthew chapter 7 began with Jesus having stated for us to judge NOT, lest we be judged. Now, we see the judgment is not just coming from God; it is coming from within ourselves...which is ALSO what God intended when He made us this way!

These are just three quick examples. Each of the following sections will look at an example in depth...

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2008-07-31T09:30:00.011-05:00

38-9 Counseling People To Think

2008-07-31T09:29:00.043-05:00

God wants us to choose to reason...to think intentionally...to participate in conscious thinking that is Profitable. What does this process look like objectively?

I believe God has purposely taken me through the experiences I've had in order to teach others HOW to think. This is the process I use when I help people out of a crisis...because the only time most people are willing to participate in conscious thinking that is Profitable is when they have to...when they have a problem.

1. What is the objective? (What is the desired effect?)
I believe the biggest reason people make their problems worse is because they can't answer this first question. Their lack of an objective is actually a bigger problem than any crisis they could be facing because failure to handle this step well will lead to the problem getting worse...by the hand of the person having the problem. There are some subcategories of this step that are important:

-Is there more than one objective?
A lot of people get overwhelmed because they are actually trying to pursue more than one objective and they think it is only one objective. People also try to solve more than one objective at a time. I have stated this more than a hundred times to people in trouble: "I don't know about you, but I'm only able to handle one problem at a time."

If there is more than one objective, determine which one is the most pressing and focus on that alone...a lot of times several of the other issues go away. If they don't then you work on the next most pressing issue. However, trying to stamp out each "fire" at the same time will only result in none of the "fires" going out. Stamp one out completely. The others may grow, but you have less "fires" to deal with and are better able to put out the other "fires".

-Is the objective in your control?
Usually, these two sub-questions bring 99% of the focus to an issue. People tend to have several objectives they have been working on and when this question is answered, they realize that only one of them is in their control. If your objective has to do with the weather, the behavior of others, or "solutions" (money, feelings, etc) then you are only going to wear yourself out.

A lot of people pose a solution as an objective. For instance, when I was in the corporate world, people would say our objective was to get more resources. That is a solution to some issue...what is the issue? WHAT is the Desired Effect? I would go to the front of the room and write down "More resources"...then I would draw a line above these words and write "ISSUE?". I would ask, "WHAT is the issue?" The response would be something like "we aren't productive enough". I would write "Increase Productivity" as the objective (Desired Effect) and then ask, "HOW can we solve this issue?" Then the answers would come pouring out. Now we have a list of twenty and one of them is "More resources".

-Is the objective IS or OUGHT?
Are we trying to determine the cause and solve it to perfection (OUGHT) or are we trying to deal with the symptoms and hope it goes away (IS)? IS solutions don't solve the problem...they just cover the appearance of the problem. The symptoms will come back, maybe in a different form, and there will continue to be more damage in other areas. Determining IS vs OUGHT helps increase the focus of effort on the identified objective.

-How are the terms associated with the objective defined?
We are talking about the meaning of Words. We need to understand what all of the participants mean when they use specific Words. Jumping over this step almost always results in a dilution of effort and an inability to achieve a solution. This isn't a "right or wrong" issue. This is an opportunity to improve the focus. It doesn't matter how you define the Words...as long as the Words are defined. If you don't define your terms upfront, you will end up coming back to this step when you hit a dead end or make a bigger mistake because of the lack of communication/focus.

Once the objective is determined, the goal becomes to determine the cause of The Desired Effect...this is a WHAT.

2. What are your options?
Everything before this stage is preparation. This is really the first step in trying to solve the problem. This step is trying to identify all the possible causes (WHY). This requires you to be completely comparative and uncomfortable in order to determine all possible options. As humans, we are limited in our knowledge. We can't possibly know all the possible options. Only God knows all the options. So in order to do this step completely right, you must get revelation from God.

It is possible to cover all the options in a general way...the more general the better we can do this. For instance, CS Lewis would say Jesus was either: 1) a liar, 2) a crazy man, or 3) who He said He was (the Son of God). There are no other options...but notice, these options are general...we have a lot of arguments within each option.

3. What do you know for sure is not possible?
This step occurs only after you have done the previous step. Everything is questioned. Now you need to actively try to prove each option wrong. In the CS Lewis example from above, Lewis then says someone may say Jesus was only a great moral teacher. Lewis shows this is contradictory because Jesus said He was the Son of God and if that isn't true then Jesus lied and couldn't be a great moral teacher.

This is the step that separates the Unaware Brain people from the conscious thinking people. In detective stories and medical dramas, this is the key step. Someone questions a piece of information that people assumed was true. This results in people getting very uncomfortable that someone would even consider something was not true...especially a deeply held belief.

This is probably my strongest point. People who know me say that I'm like the TV character "House". I see some of the similarities. He gets told by people that they have checked everything. Then he'll question a piece of information and people tell him he's crazy. I have turned that scenario into a running joke. Whenever someone tells me that they have considered everything, what they are saying is, "There is no cause to this observed effect because I checked all the possible causes and none of them would result in this effect. I'm not trying to argue with you."

Then I laugh and say, "Actually I want you to be right. Do you realize how rich and famous we will become when we document the first case where causality failed? We have a documented case of a completely random and causeless event. Even if it only occurs in that one location on earth, we need to buy the property and set up shop over the only place in the world where the principles of truth (or science) fail to work. I really hope you are right!"

Unfortunately, after spending over 20+ years in pursuit of thousands of examples where causality seemed to cease, I have to report that none of them have been confirmed.

4. WHY is the option not possible?
It's not enough to say something is wrong. You have to come up with the reason WHY...you have to present the contradiction in terms of premises. Usually it is one of the premises that are faulty.

This is the formula for every "mystery/detective" story: you are presented a series of premises that appear true and don't give the expected effect. Then the story works its way through the premises until you find the one (or more) that are incorrect. The hour long shows are built on secondary causes. The first effect is solved in the first half hour and everyone relaxes...then the problem comes back and we realize we didn't get to the primary cause...just the effect of the primary cause.

If all of the options are identified, then the option that can't be proven wrong must be the cause (WHY) of the Desired Effect (WHAT).

If there is more than one option that can't be proven wrong, then you need to determine the information necessary to prove one or more of the options wrong...and get that information.

If the problem doesn't resolve itself, then you didn't identify all the options...either because you were afraid to get uncomfortable or you didn't listen to God grace.

Again, notice that the perfect way to do this process involves stating your will, revelation from God, and proving truth.

The purpose of "Modeling God" was to prove a non-contradictory explanation of God and Salvation. While it is an intellectual explanation, the process of how it was done over 14 years follows the process presented in this chapter. This chapter covers how the four God-given principles (contrastive, non-contradiction, causality, and growth) are used together to repair the thought processes in our conscious brain and Unaware Brain...so we are able to determine truth.

In fact, now that we have this foundational understanding concerning thought processes, there are several concepts that were previously explained that we can now take deeper and understand the HOW/WHY...

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Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-8 Improving The Second Feedback Loop

2008-07-31T09:29:00.040-05:00

The Second Feedback Loop has five parts:
1. The full thought is converted into a chemical
2. The emotional response
3. The decision
4. The action
5. All of this information is converted to an electrical fact in the brain

Recall, the Second Feedback Loop is ONLY completed by the individual expressing their will to complete the Second Feedback Loop by filing away the information into their cortex. This information consists of: the stimulus, connecting fact, associated emotion, emotional perspective, action taken, and feelings about the action taken. There are three facts/actions and three emotions/feelings that are filed away into the cortex.

Now we see WHY connecting facts have emotions attached to them...they get filed away with emotions AND the actual facts/actions we took...which we can also feel good or guilty about.

Notice, this means that everyday, we are remaking our brain. Everyday, we either have a better or worse brain. Everyday, we are either improving our thought processes or damaging our thought processes. (This explains HOW Lucifer could be made perfect by God, yet end up with sin later...because Lucifer changed his thought process to one that allowed sin in. The same could be said for Cain.)

Not only does lacking this information in the brain lead to a damaged thought process, it turns out it can also lead to physical illness! HOW? WHY?

The Second Feedback Loop is completed in the rest of the body apart from the brain! For instance, the heart has a record of what action was taken. Also, somewhere in the body, there is at least one cell that has the same chemical (as was present in the hippocampus) with a record of everything that resulted from this specific stimulus.

Dr. Leaf shows in her book "Who Switched Off My Brain?" that the resulting stress from the body having a record that the brain is lacking causes the body to create toxic chemicals that medicine has been able to show leads to 87% of the illnesses that the individual experiences.

Let me be crystal clear: Medicine is finding out that our physical illness is actually the effect of an Unprofitable Thought Process. Medicine is finding out our physical well-being is actually the result of a Profitable Thought Process. (The Bible stated this thousands of years ago...)

The part of the brain that causes most of the problems during the Second Feedback Loop is the amygdala. Let's look more closely at the amygdala...

THE AMYGDALA
We saw that the amygdala is also a part of the "Unaware Brain". The Unaware Brain works according to all four of the God-given principles! We saw with the Emory University experiment, that the amygdala can override your conscious brain and cause physical movements! We also saw that Rehearsing can intentionally change the response of the amygdala. Let's look at another experiment that shows HOW the amygdala can be "rewired"...

Around the 2004 Presidential elections, a study was done with partisan Democrats and partisan Republicans. Each person was shown a set of contradictory statements by the 2004 Presidential candidates. The participants’ brains were scanned with M. R. I. The results were very telling…

When the Democrats watched the contradictory statements by Bush and the Republicans watched the contradictory statements by Kerry, their brains worked correctly. The reasoning part of the brain that detects contradictions was active and this caused activity in the parts of the brain associated with emotion. Basically, their amygdalas fired and they got really upset.

However, a completely different pattern was observed when the participants watched contradictory statements by "THEIR" candidates. The reasoning part of the brain was not active AND the area of the brain that reinforces reward was active.

Essentially, their brain was now "wired" to avoid detecting the contradiction. Weren't they aware they hadn't detected the contradiction? No. The part of the brain that rewards them for checking for contradictions still worked. The brain lied to itself! The Unaware Brain had been modified to give a good feeling for being objective when the brain in fact wasn't objective!

Think about this for a minute...the person literally believes (feels without guilt) that they have in fact checked for a contradiction in their candidate. Not only don't they think they saw one...they also felt GOOD about checking for the contradiction!

The activity in the brain was physiologically "rewired"...

We are in charge of our brains. Attempting to act apart from causality and non-contradiction (believing "we can't know or aren't supposed to know") is ACTUALLY an attempt to damage your brain. Encouraging others to do this is an act of destruction...it is evil.

Like in the previous section on the First Feedback Loop, when it comes to the Second Feedback Loop, there are a list of problems and solutions we need to be aware of...

1. Lacking information - The most obvious issue a person can have is that they completely lack the information in their cortex that their heart and rest of their body possesses. We saw that this is the cause of physical illness in 87% of the cases...and this number may grow as medicine continues to understand this issue.

Solution: Obviously, the person needs to finish the Second Feedback Loop from this point on in order to avoid greater damage. However, what can the individual do about past events? The person can find out from others what ACTUALLY happened during the events that they have missing from their memory (cortex). This will take humility. The individual needs to focus on understanding instead of agreement.

2. Amygdala moments - This is when the person's amygdala fires so strongly that they respond with a destructive emotional reaction. The amygdala is like a search engine. When we experience (either consciously or unconsciously) a stimulus, the amygdala searches for all the events that are associated with that stimulus. If it finds an event that has VERY STRONG emotions tied to it, the amygdala can take over the individual's physical actions.

Solution: Rehearse the event to find out what aspect set the person off.

For example, let's say a friend told me that he ALWAYS reacted negatively towards his ex when he picked up his son from her house. I would have him rehearse the event with me being his ex. He would close his eyes and we would have a conversation. Suddenly he would respond to me by calling me names. We would go back and rehearse the event, however, this time I would change what I said slightly. Maybe we would get the same response. We would keep doing this until he made it through the encounter without having an amygdala moment. We would then figure out that, for example, he felt she thought he was stupid. We would then rehearse an appropriate response. We may do this three times with me saying the "offending" comments and him responding with the rehearsed appropriate response. The next time he met with his ex, he will NOT have an amygdala moment. WHY? Because the amygdala doesn't know the difference between a "real" moment and a rehearsed moment...it is ALL real to the amygdala.

(There is a new technique used to treat people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that is gaining acceptance. The person follows lights with their eyes and does choreographed motions with both hands WHILE talking about stressful moments. Stressful moments are events that happened in which the person was NOT in control. What they are doing now is rehearsing the stressful events while being in control of two senses: sight and touch. This ties a sense of control to the moments when they did NOT feel in control. Imaging on the brain shows that the hot spots from high activity in the brain due to stress are GONE after doing this rehearsal treatment!)

The rest of these problems deal with the person's inability to complete the Second Feedback Loop.

3. Denial - The person denies an event has occurred shortly after its occurrence. The individual is stonewalling. They are actively pursuing comparative thinking and comfort. This person is attempting to damage themselves and it is NOT loving to allow them to continue to live in denial.

Solution: Fellowship with someone who is Fellowship with God. The person needs to be confronted in love as to the existence of the event they are actively stating did not occur.

4. Unwilling To State Their Will - The person won't state out loud whether their bad actions were good or bad. The person is not in denial. They have stated they did the action. However, the last bit of information that is encoded on the chemical in our short-term memory is OUR EMOTION about the action. They are actively pursuing comfort and contradiction. Again, this person is attempting to damage themselves. It is NOT loving to allow them to continue to avoid stating their will.

Solution: Fellowship with someone who is Fellowship with God. The person needs to be encouraged in love that they won't be criticized or judged for the action. The important point is that they state EITHER WAY (even wrongly) their will about their action.

5. Unable To State Their Will - The person can't decide whether their bad actions were good or bad because they have a contradiction. Most of the time, the person has a contradiction because one thought loop is being honest and objective while the other thought loop is trying not to be wrong.

Solution: Fellowship with someone who is Fellowship with God. The person needs to be encouraged in love that they won't be criticized or judged for the action. The person needs to choose whether they want to be objective or right. The important point is that they state EITHER WAY (even wrongly) their will about their action.

6. Too Busy/Emotional To State Their Will - The person keeps themselves occupied physically or ramped up emotionally to the point that they don't have time to think. This is a form of denial, however, this occurs after the person admits that the event occurred. This person is extremely defensive and will try to position themselves as the victim. They may make comments like: "I don't have time to think about small things", "I need to be about my kids or job right now", or "I'd love to talk about this but it makes me so angry that I am better off not thinking about it".

Solution: Fellowship with someone who is Fellowship with God. The person needs to be encouraged in love that they will be understood. The person really needs to be approached emotionally first. Trying to talk logically with this person will only make them more upset until they deal with the emotions.

SUMMARY
The First Feedback Loop is improved through more "technical" approaches: breaking the repeated loops, non-contradictory definitions for Words, bringing Resolution to complex concepts, and dealing with the emotions first.

The Second Feedback Loop is improved through more "relationship" approaches: understanding others, rehearsing with others, and Fellowship with someone who is in Fellowship with God.

The key to helping people is to improve their thought PROCESS.

A person with a Profitable Thought Process is able to:
-Complete the First Feedback Loop and express the full thought without ramping up through repeated loopings
-Repair bad AREAS because they complete the Second Feedback Loop and intentionally look for problem AREAS to correct (They pursue Growth and Contrastive Thinking.)

Next Section at Book Level: Counseling People To Think

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-7 Improving The First Feedback Loop

2008-07-31T09:29:00.039-05:00

Our thought process is made up of two Feedback Loops. In this section, we will look at the First Feedback Loop and HOW to help people repair it.

Recall, the First Feedback Loop results in a full thought that has three parts:
1. Stimulus
2. Emotion/Attitude
3. Connecting Fact

The cortex is made up of "dendrites", which is the Greek word for "trees"...and the dendrites look like trees! This leads to an analogy I like to use to represent the First Feedback Loop...

The First Feedback Loop is like a squirrel that goes to the trunk of one tree, runs up the trunk and out to then end of a branch...in order to jump to the branch of another tree. The loop is complete when the squirrel runs to the trunk of this second tree and then runs to the ground.

Notice, the squirrel made progress...it began near the trunk of one tree and end up near the trunk of another tree. The tree is the stimulus. The second tree is the connecting fact. The emotion is how the squirrel feels about being on the second tree.

The speed at which this feedback loop is able to be completed is a measure of intelligence. I will refer to this analogy to explain the problems that occur during the First Feedback Loop.

1. Ramping up - The person goes through the First Feedback Loop and uses the resulting full thought as a stimulus in order to begin the First Feedback Loop again...and again...and again.

Notice, we can do this in order to build a more complex thought. However, what I'm talking about here is people who go through the loop many more times than necessary ramping themselves up in fear until they have an episode (e.g., anxiety attack). They can do so many loops (and get energy from each loop) that they end up, after numerous comparative loops, at a full thought that is extreme and alarming...and is not connected in reality with the original stimulus.

It is as if the squirrel does loops until it is so exhausted it begins to hallucinate. The individual overheard a comment from a friend and the next thing you know they are talking about how everyone hates them. How did they get from a comment from a friend to everyone hates them?

Solution: Today, many people treat this issue with medication. The medication essentially slows down the ability to complete this First Feedback Loop. The thought being that it may take ten times longer to ramp up to a place that isn't in touch with reality. Notice, people with very fast brains are MOST susceptible to this problem...NOT people with slow brains.

I have found the best way to help people with this problem is to have them break the loops by either writing or talking about what they are thinking. Basically, the person is "living inside their head" and needs to get out so they can get a "reality check". Once they write out their thought or tell it to another person, the individual recognizes what they are thinking is ridiculous. The key is to get this out immediately after they begin to feel anxious. The problem is, they actually get a burst of energy going through the loops. The individual needs to overcome the desire to ramp up and intentionally take a moment to express their thought. Even if the person IMAGINES someone is present and explains out loud what they are thinking, it can help break this destructive thought process.

Notice, writing or talking also gets the Unaware Brain involved! The Unaware Brain can shut down the loop because it has nothing to do with the direction the Unaware Brain is attempting to lead the individual. However, the Unaware Brain does NOT know what the conscious brain is thinking if it doesn't get the thought out through one of the five senses.

Another way to fix this problem is to have the person INTENTIONALLY choose the most positive branches. Basically, the squirrel is selecting the biggest branches AND in this person's brain, the biggest branches on this tree are the most negative. Remember, the First Feedback Loop works ACCORDING TO comparative thinking and comfort. The First Feedback Loop works AGAINST contrastive thinking and growth. However, you can CHOOSE to operate ACCORDING TO contrastive thinking and growth.

An example is when someone you know ALWAYS mentions that they went up the Statue of Liberty when you mention "New York". The biggest and most comfortable branch on the tree that represents "New York" in that person's brain is associated with the Statue of Liberty. The person mentions this naturally...without intentionally thinking. However, you can tell the person to mention ANYTHING other than the Statue of Liberty the next time you say "New York"...and they can intentionally choose a different branch. In the same way, pessimistic people can intentionally choose the most optimistic branch. It may slow down their thought process, but it is extremely difficult for them to end up being anxious if they continue to make this choice with every loop.

This first problem ("ramping up") is very destructive. However, the only people who have this problem are those with very fast brains. The solution basically focuses on creating a break in the ramping up process. While this works, it still does NOT solve the root cause: the person does NOT have a Profitable thought process. The next three problems apply to everyone who has a Unprofitable thought process regardless of the speed of their brains...

2. Endless Loop - This is when the person is unable to complete the First Feedback Loop because they keep jumping back and forth between the same two trees.

Basically, the squirrel jumps from a branch on the first tree to a branch on the second tree and runs to the trunk...only to run back out to another branch on the second tree and jump back to a branch on the first tree...only to repeat the process. The squirrel is jumping between two trees and never chooses to go down the trunk to the ground. This occurs because the individual has a contradiction. The person has two definitions for the same Word.

An example of this occurs with people who believe in "Predestination". They believe "there is nothing they can do" when someone they don't care about is suffering. They believe "prayer can change things" when someone they care about is suffering. If they examine the concept of "Predestination" for any time at all, they will end up in an endless loop. Some people get out of this loop by concluding that we can't know or aren't supposed to know certain critical things about God...which actually introduces contradictions in other loops and further damages their brain.

Solution: The person needs to settle on ONE definition for the critical Word. One of the purposes for writing "Modeling God" was to provide non-contradictory definitions for the critical Word and concepts behind our beliefs. Remember, we think and communicate in terms of Words. The information stored in our brains is in terms of Words. Your ability to think Profitably depends on your Words. Having non-contradictory definitions for critical Words not only reduces your stress, it actually results in being able to think better because you have a more Profitable thought process! You are able to make progress in your thoughts.

3. Lumping - This occurs when the individual is unaware they are actually expressing TWO or more full thoughts and can't resolve which is correct.

We saw this tends to happen when people "lump" concepts...after the squirrel jumps from one branch to another, he runs to the trunk only to find out he is in the same tree. He has made NO progress.

We have seen numerous examples of this in this work. One HUGE example is when two people are arguing. Most people don't realize there are TWO objectives they can have: understanding or agreement. Understanding is in the control of each individual and the argument will eventually end Profitably. Agreement is NOT in the control of each individual...and most arguments NEVER end in agreement. In fact, having agreement as the objective will almost always ensure the argument is going to get MORE destructive. Having Understanding as the objective almost always concludes an argument in a Profitable manner.

Solution: We saw that we need to bring Resolution to our thought process. For example, realizing there are two possible objectives for a discussion (understanding or agreement) and then focusing on one of them.

Resolution takes what appeared to be one tree and turns it into two or more trees. Now, instead of the squirrel being stuck in the tree, he is able to go from one tree to another AND MAKE PROGRESS. Notice, we didn't ADD any more information. We broke up the LUMP of information into smaller quantities so that we can PROGRESS from one piece of information TO another. In a sense, we have taken one Word and turned into multiple unique and more specific Words.

4. Negative Emotions - Remember, EVERY fact in our cortex has an emotion associated with it. We feel the emotion BEFORE we are able to retrieve the fact. If the fact is associated with a positive emotion, the person is going to take their time and find the best fact. If the fact is associated with a negative emotion, the person may not finish the loop because they won't return with ANY fact. Recently, a friend made me aware of a practical and frequent example of the damage that can be done in this area...

When I ask a question of someone, I am asking them to retrieve a fact from their brain. If that question leads them to a part of the forest in their brain that has negative emotions attached to it, the person is going to give me the first fact they encounter in order to avoid spending time feeling a negative emotion. This fact is NOT the best fact that is available. However, if I treat this fact as their best answer and begin to ask more questions in order to prove them wrong, then I am going to get worse facts AND make them MORE upset. In fact, this person knows that I KNOW they aren't giving me the best facts. So, my holding them to these facts as if they are their best is COMPLETELY Unprofitable. This is actually the perfect strategy if my objective is to be right or "to win". In fact, this is a classic tactic used in "The Art of War" and competitions/games.

What OUGHT my objective to be if I am a Christian?...if the Holy Spirit is guiding me?

Solution: My objective is to UNDERSTAND and LOVE (help) the person experiencing the negative emotion. This means that I OUGHT to immediately give up my quest for facts and focus COMPLETELY on Understanding and helping the person with their negative emotion.

If my objective is to UNDERSTAND and LOVE, then ANY fact I get that is attached to the negative emotion will ACTUALLY hinder my Profitability. I OUGHT to ask the person WHAT they are feeling...and give them all the time they need to express it. Then I can ask them HOW did my question cause them to feel this way...and give them all the time they need to explain. Then, and ONLY then, can I ask WHY they feel they way they do.

WHY questions are the hardest to answer. WHAT questions are the easiest. When a person is in distress, we OUGHT to LOVE them by easing them into UNDERSTANDING...from WHAT to HOW to WHY.

SUMMARY
The four ways to help people with problems that occur during the First Feedback Loop are:
1. Encourage them to: express what they are thinking and intentionally find the most positive facts
2. Define their Words in a non-contradictory fashion
3. Get Resolution on complex concepts
4. Deal with the negative emotions FIRST

Next Section at Book Level: Improving The Second Feedback Loop

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-6 Unaware Brain Applications

2008-07-31T09:29:00.038-05:00

At the conclusion of His Premiere Teaching (Matthew 7: houses built on sand and rock), Jesus introduced the concept that Salvation is evident when a person's Right SAY is the same as their DO. It is NOT enough to SAY the Right thing. If you are truly saved...if you have God directing your actions, then you would ALSO DO the Right SAY.

Let's see HOW and WHY this works within the individual...up to a point.

NOTICE: We are saved by grace through faith. Salvation ONLY comes from God because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. However, EVERYONE (saved and unsaved) has a SAY. EVERYONE (saved and unsaved) has a DO. GOD made each of us to operate with a SAY and a DO. The SAY and the DO are ULTIMATELY in the control of the individual and therefore are PROOF of whether we are saved or not.

Since God made us to constantly operate with a SAY and a DO in EVERYTHING, there are implications to our SAY and DO that are SEPARATE from the tie between SAY/DO and Salvation. This section will focus on the implications relative to Salvation...

COUNSELING
In the previous section, we saw that the purpose of counseling is to provide the Right Words to connect with a person's feelings (Unaware Brain). We have seen that when this happens, the Unaware Brain "juices" (gives a euphoric and/or alert feeling to) the individual because the Unaware Brain is understood. Here is my technique for making this connection to the Unaware Brain:

1. I ask the person what they are feeling...however, I do the next step immediately...

2. I reinforce that there are no right or wrong feelings.

We feel what we feel for a reason (WHY). The instant a person expresses their feelings with ANY value judgment words (Right, Wrong, Good, Bad, etc.), they are NOT speaking from their Unaware Brain. They are speaking from their conscious brain. This is going to limit their ability to get the correct words for their feelings. This is going to be destructive if I let them keep me focused on value judgments.

3. I tell the person they won't be held to their WORDS.

I'm trying to give their Unaware Brain freedom and create a safe place where they can blurt out anything without consciously thinking.

4. I may even throw a couple of Words at them to get them to respond emotionally without thinking...without their conscious brain.

If the person responds from their Unaware Brain and THEN instantly brings up value judgment Words, I reinforce that this isn't about right or wrong. If they can't stop mentioning value judgment Words, then I usually stop the discussion because I am causing distress. I am dealing with a person who has a very Unprofitable thought process...they are defensive and their conscious brain is getting in the way.

5. I don't immediately accept the Words they give.

The first two or three Words a person gives to me are considered a starting point. They are actually effects of the causes (beliefs causing their emotions). If they had the Right Words, they wouldn't be in distress.

6. I ask the person if they are willing to consider a couple of scenarios.

This is the modeler in me. If they agree, then I try to give them scenarios (causes) that will result in different emotions. If they look up to the sky and try to feel the scenario, I smile because I know they have accepted the proposed causes.

For example, someone says they feel like they need affirmation from their boss or they get upset or depressed. I may ask them how they would feel if their boss told someone else something good about them while they were present...then when they weren't present. I'm trying to see if they need to see their boss say it or if it needs to be said directly to them or if knowing it was said was enough. This could tell me if they are untrusting/paranoid, prideful, or insecure.

7. Then I pose different Words to explain their feelings.

Every Word I give them is an attempt to help them UNDERSTAND THEIR FEELINGS. They are considering a Word and their Unaware Brain is giving them a physical response. The closer the Word is to describing THEIR FEELINGS, the more dramatic the physical response.

When the Words are Right, everything will "click". Their eyes may even get wide and their face will light up. I call this "getting juiced" by the Unaware Brain. They may even come up with the Words themselves. They UNDERSTAND THEIR FEELINGS.

For example, "I'm insecure about my standing at work, so it causes me to feel paranoid, threatened, defensive." Insecurity is the CAUSE and the feelings are the EFFECTS. Understanding deals with CAUSES.

LAWS AND SIN
In "Modeling God", we looked at what Paul said about Sin and the Law...HOW the Law can "revive sin".

Here is an explanation on HOW Paul's statement in Romans chapter 7 causes sin to be revived:

Once the law comes back, sin uses our awareness of the law to come back to life (revive) itself. How did the commandment come back unless we allowed it to come back?

In fact, this happens all the time with "Christians". Jesus' death allows us to live in grace with Him. However, when someone does something wrong, they can state their will that they don't want to do what they did ("I want to do good")...and they continue growing if they confess and repent.

However, when a person responds to their undesirable behavior by saying, "I can't do that again." they have just made a law! More uncomfortably, they have just made Jesus' death something less! Think about it...the person is saying in effect, "Jesus, I know your death brought me victory, however, in this one area, I NEED TO CREATE A LAW because your guidance isn't enough."

The individual is now relying on themselves...they create a law...a DON'T or CAN'T...and Paul says THAT REVIVES SIN...it brings sin back to life!

Now we know WHY this occurs!

For example, when a person states, "I CAN'T smoke any more", the Unaware Brain applies the four God-given principles to this statement that it observed from the conscious brain and comes to the conclusion: "Actually, you CAN smoke!"

Then, the Unaware Brain juices the individual at EVERY instance where it is possible for the individual to smoke. The individual feels this juicing and calls it a "craving"...and they tend to end up smoking again.

The people who quit "cold turkey" are the ones who state, "I don't WANT to smoke any more." Notice, this is NOT a law AND it is something the Unaware Brain can actively work on helping the individual accomplish. However, if the person SAYS this and doesn't mean it, they are going to DO the OPPOSITE of what they SAY...and their credibility with the Unaware Brain is going to lessen.

This is a very Unprofitable situation! Not only is there a disconnect between the Unaware Brain and the conscious brain; there is also a weakening of the ability that is able to help close this gap! The person's SAY and DO are disconnected AND their ability to resolve this difference is lessening. Thinking back to the conclusion of Jesus' Premiere Teaching, what could be worse than a person's SAY and DO being disconnected AND their ability to reconcile this difference lessening? There is a word for this behavior...

HYPOCRISY
Hypocrisy is shown when a person holds others to a higher standard than they hold themselves. A key characteristic of hypocrites is that they SAY the Right thing and DO the Wrong thing. God can judge these people as guilty because their SAYING the Right thing is PROOF that they know what is Right. Let's look at what Jesus said about hypocrites...

Matthew 15
"7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Jesus stated in verse 8 that hypocrites honor God with their lips (Right SAY), but their heart is far from God (Wrong DO).

Verse 9 shows Jesus stating that hypocrites worship God in vain...without a Profit. The cause? Hypocrites teach as doctrine the beliefs of men! (The foundational point of this work!)

Then Jesus concludes this passage by calling to the multitudes to HEAR AND UNDERSTAND the following: that which proceeds OUT of the mouth (Words) defiles the man. Hypocrites are open to judgment...

JUDGMENT
We are our Mind/Soul. We are in charge of our conscious brain BY our Mind/Soul. I believe Judgment in some respect is going to be based on the difference between our conscious brain and our Unaware Brain. People (non-believers) will say, "I didn't know!" Then God will pull their Unaware Brain out of them, hit "play", and all the information is going to come out. It is in EVERYONE!

However, we get judged according to our conscious brain because it is an effect of our Mind/Soul (who we really are). We are different than the animals. It is as if God gave us the opportunity to PROVE what we DESIRE by seeing what we (Mind/Soul) DO with our conscious brain. The effects are seen in our DO...

Matthew 24
"46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus states that blessed is the believer who God finds DOING when he comes. Jesus' contrastive example is the EVIL servant (unbeliever) who SAYS in his heart that he can have a Wrong DO (smite fellowservants, drink with drunken, etc.) The contrastive example states this person will have his portion WITH THE HYPOCRITES...where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Hypocrites don't go to Heaven.

Luke 12
"1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."

Luke 12 begins with Jesus talking to "the many thousands of the multitude". He states to beware of the "leaven" of the Pharisees WHICH IS HYPOCRISY. Verse 2 implies that hypocrisy can appear to be "covered up" now (especially if you are Unaware)...but eventually, God will expose the gap between their SAY and DO. Now look at the end of Luke 12...

"54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.
56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?"

Jesus again references hypocrisy...

If we are able to know what is Right in the physical world, WHY aren't we able to recognize what is Right concerning God's Plan?

Bottomline: Having a gap in you SAY and DO is Unprofitable...and may be proof that you are not saved!

Our focus ought to be to get our conscious brain to be as similar as possible to our Unaware Brain. There are two ways to do this...

1. Use the four God-given principles to model out all of the influences that are taken in. This progresses the conscious brain towards the Unaware Brain.

2. Intentionally put KNOWN (by the conscious brain) Profitable influences in front of our Unaware Brain. This progresses the Unaware Brain towards the conscious brain.

I'm realizing the Bible is FULL of BOTH of these techniques...whether it is straightforward verses like Romans 12:9...

"9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." ("dissimulation" means "hypocrisy")

OR all the mentions in the Bible of Fellowship!

Notice that Fellowship addresses BOTH methods! In other writings, I have equated Fellowship with the four God-given principles as one of the five behaviors that repair our brain and can lead to physical health! Speaking of health...

There are two KEY points to also remember:
1. The conscious brain (First and Second Feedback Loops) does NOT work when it is overstressed. Make sure you are giving your body time to absorb the adrenaline and your amygdala has stopped firing before you apply the four God-given principles.
2. The conscious brain needs TIME to catch up to the Unaware Brain. Don't make any decisions or take any actions UNTIL YOU HAVE TO.

James 3
"13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

Say what you want about Bill Clinton, but he was a perfect example of someone who didn't respond while in distress. He was an example at handling stressful situations because he delayed his reaction (KEY point to remember #2) until he had all the information and checked everything out. Eventually, a way out was determined...as long as a bad decision wasn't acted on in the mean time. I Corinthians 10 says,

"13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

STATING YOUR WILL
Stating your will is a way to help others close the gap between their SAY and their DO.

We have learned that our responsibility is to get people to state their will, don't argue with them, and leave them alone. "State your will" means the person expresses out loud a definite "yes" or "no". We have seen that people go out of their way NOT to state their will. Why? The individual wants the benefit of doing something unjust WITHOUT feeling the guilt or pain of being unjust. The first half (before "WITHOUT") of that last sentence is the conscious brain; the second half is the Unaware Brain. Asking people to state their will is causing them to link the two!

The following statement of the will results in Salvation!

Romans 10
"8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

The biggest service we can do for other believers is to confront them when their SAY and DO are disconnected...

Luke 17
"1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."

Jesus is stating that there is no limit to the amount of times a believer closes the gap between their SAY and DO...even seven times in one day! Notice, without the confrontation, the believer who sins doesn't close the gap between their SAY and DO.

Matthew 18
"14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."

Jesus is showing that the believer who won't even HEAR from believers who are helping him close the gap between his SAY and DO can eventually lose his Salvation!

Confession and Repentance are statements of the will!

SAY: Confession is an admission of the wrong act.

DO: Repentance is DOING the OPPOSITE to the point of repairing the damage.

The Unaware Brain REWARDS ANY effort to close the gap!

This is HOW/WHY the "placebo effect" is observed. The Unaware Brain can cause an illness. The person takes a pill. The Unaware Brain can believe the conscious brain is making the effort to close the gap, so it can remove the illness.

The pill turned out to be a sugar pill. People end up saying, "Sometime the mind just heals itself". This is a WHAT. The HOW/WHY is that the Unaware Brain can encourage the conscious brain to keep making progress.

However, if the individual doesn't get counseling (for depression) or change their actions (for erectile dysfunction), the Unaware Brain can cause the effects to come back. Now the doctors say the dose needs to be increased, or the prescription needs to be changed, or discontinued. For example, over half of the prescriptions for Viagara do not get refilled.

I see this same effect in the Traditional church. People don't know what they believe and WHY, yet they judge others. The Unaware Brain can sense the disconnect and the believer can get a bed feeling.

The believer begins stating a lot of Right WHAT's (effects)...and this can cause them to feel better. The Unaware Brain can encourage the conscious brain. However, when the individual does not follow through solving their problem, they can end up feeling twice as bad. They could get help and focus on the causes. Or they could state twice as many flowery effects!

The cycle continues until they seem to live in two states: flowery high or discouraged low. How many Traditional-minded people do you know who "talk themselves high" with flowery Biblical effects? How many "Christian" books are written completely in this manner?

These people are NOT attempting to close the gap between their SAY and DO. They are trying to survive by talking themselves high AND NOT have understanding as to the causes...

I Timothy 4
"1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

Hypocrisy is one of the traits that will become more apparent "in later times"...

Our focus OUGHT to be to get our conscious brain to be as similar as possible to our Unaware Brain. There are two ways to do this...

1. Use the four God-given principles to model out all of the influences that are taken in. This progresses the conscious brain towards the Unaware Brain.

2. Intentionally put KNOWN (by the conscious brain) Profitable influences in front of our Unaware Brain. This progresses the Unaware Brain towards the conscious brain.

I'm realizing the Bible is FULL of BOTH of these techniques. Notice that Fellowship addresses BOTH methods!

At first blush it looks like Jesus was focused on #1: Modeling everything we take in.

It looks like the Epistles were focused on #2: Intentionally putting Profitable influences in front of our Unaware Brain.

Jesus was a rebel who walked among a lot of bad influences and was constantly modeling them. THAT is a complicated lesson to teach!

The Apostles and Paul were stressing the easier lesson to teach. Notice all of the themes that are mentioned:

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Philippians 4:6-9)

"Think on these things"!

It is as if God made us in a way that encourages us to communicate for our own benefit! Fellowship, community, Church, Marriage...the Meaning of Life!

This section reviewed a lot of Scripture that was presented earlier in this work. We now see that the Ultimate cause is thinking!

Let's look at a couple more applications before concluding this section...

We saw that the amygdala was a part of the Second Feedback Loop. The amygdala is also a part of the Unaware Brain! This is where the conscious brain and Unaware Brain overlap. Consequently, it is possible to intentionally change a person's emotional reaction to a situation.

This is called REHEARSING! The person intentionally IMAGINES a scenario that could happen. They intentionally see the situation (for example, an Unprofitable exchange they had with another person). They intentionally go through the verbal exchange with the other person in their head. This is done either by having someone else stand-in for the other person OR by bringing one of the senses into the REHEARSAL. This intentionally puts the experience in the amygdala (Unaware Brain). Then when the experience ACTUALLY happens, the amygdala acts the way it REHEARSED because to it, there is no difference between a REAL event and an IMAGINARY event!

Another application has to do with "church"...

Our Unaware Brain is a MODELER. It works according to the four principles and determines the CONCLUSION.

Our conscious brain does NOT do this, so there is a distance between our Unaware Brain and our conscious brain. The conscious brain has three choices...

1. Do NOT try to figure things out. (Emergent church) This guarantees that the individual's conscious brain will end up serving the enemy, however, this takes time for it to happen.

2. Try to figure it out according to the Wrong (man-made) HOW/WHY. This is destructive and causes the individual's conscious brain to serve the enemy fairly soon. These people are the ones I wrote about during the explanation on Abuse...these people end up not only taking themselves down but a lot of other people with them. (Traditional church)

I hope you can see WHY someone would rationalize that doing #1 is MUCH BETTER than #2.

It is interesting...my first post on my blog more than three years ago dealt with how Christians believe there are two options and how they swing back and forth between these options every 20 years. Recently, "an obituary" was written for the Emergent church and it stated it was 21 years old.

My first post on that blog asked whether we want to continue the same destructive pattern or do the third option which is what the Bible presented....which is:

3. Try to figure out according to the Right HOW/WHY...which is MODELING. The WAY to MODEL is ACCORDING to the four God-given principles!

So, basically, our conscious brains are CONSTANTLY falling behind our Unaware Brains. The ONLY way to intentionally keep them closer together is for the conscious brain to work according to the same principles as the Unaware Brain!

Finally, there is a HUGE IMPLICATION to the information in this section...

Paul's definition of Spiritual Warfare (2 Corinthians 10) states that it is not physical. Spiritual Warfare consists of taking THOUGHTS and IMAGINATIONS captive. In the brain, THOUGHTS and IMAGINATIONS consist of Words. In the next book, we will see that the examples of Spiritual Warfare in the Bible consist of Words.

An Unprofitable thought process is due both to genetics and learned behavior. The First and Second Feedback Loops are the results of genetics and surroundings. We learn our thought process from our surroundings. In fact, the Unaware Brain is primed from our surroundings. For example, people OUGHT to confess and repent, yet they LEARN to rationalize and be hypocritical.

Unprofitable behavior that is exhibited by our ancestors that is not dealt with through confession and repentance is the VERY DEFINITION of a "Generational Curse".

We have seen numerous examples of HOW to use the Unaware Brain to repair an Unprofitable thought process. Next, let's look at HOW to repair an Unprofitable thought process in the conscious brain. Let's begin with the First Feedback Loop...

Next Section at Book Level: Improving The First Feedback Loop

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-5 The Conscious Brain

2008-07-31T09:28:00.058-05:00

Let's contrast the conscious brain (Feedback Loops) with the Unaware Brain...

Animals and humans BOTH have Unaware Brains.

Humans have a conscious brain. Animals do NOT.

Humans can INTENTIONALLY lie. Humans can INTENTIONALLY Remember and INTENTIONALLY Imagine. I have called this "The Sixth Stimulus". The Unaware Brain ONLY works according to the five senses. The conscious brain works according to the five senses as well as having the ability to initiate its own stimulus through intentionally Remembering or intentionally Imagining. When the conscious brain does this internally (without involving the five senses), the Unaware Brain does NOT experience this.

The conscious brain is the logical brain. It works according to intentional Understanding. It weighs ALL the information (causes and non-causes) to determine an answer. This means the conscious brain can actually become MORE wrong with MORE information (if it is focused on information that is NOT a cause).

The conscious brain works internally and expresses itself according to Words. It can be precise and little picture. It is what we SAY and tends to focus on APPEARANCE. It sometimes takes days to months for the conscious brain to process information and reach a conclusion.

The solution to making the conscious brain Profitable is for it to pursue growth and think contrastively...to actively try to prove everything wrong so that it isn't distracted by noise (non-cause information).

However, the First Feedback Loop, which results in the formation of a conscious full thought operates according to comparative thinking and comfort. The First Feedback Loop looks for the quickest most comfortable route by finding a comparative thought. The First Feedback Loop works OPPOSITE to two of the God-given principles...hence the hindrance humans experience with their conscious brains...and the need to chose to be contrastive and pursue growth.

Our Unaware Brain takes in all the information and reaches conclusions without any effort on our part.

Our conscious brain ONLY takes in what we are conscious of...as for conclusions, our conscious brain ONLY reaches conclusions based on the principles we choose to use.

Our Unaware Brain uses the four God-given principles: causality, non-contradiction, growth, and contrastive Thinking

If we DO the OPPOSITE of the four God-given principles, then we are operating according to the flesh. It is up to US (Mind/Soul) to determine if we are going to use our conscious brain to be led by the flesh and work according to the OPPOSITE of these four God-given principles OR led by God and work according to the four God-given principles so that we close the gap between our Unaware Brain and our conscious brain.

Remember, we are not talking about morality when it comes to the Unaware Brain...yet. Using these principles allows the Unaware Brain to determine if there is a cause and effect pattern or not. In fact, using the four principles also determines whether the cause and effect pattern is Profitable or not. So, THINKING according to the four principles will result in KNOWING three things: what is NOT causal, what is causal and Unprofitable, and what is causal and Profitable. Whether the cause and effect pattern is something to be followed will be discussed.

Notice, our Unaware Brain CANNOT communicate directly with Words with our conscious brain or our Mind/Soul. The Unaware Brain can only communicate physically (feelings, movements, etc.)

Our conscious brain works according to Words.

This leads to a HUGE conclusion:

The only way that our Unaware Brain can know what the conscious brain wants to do is through the conscious brain's Words (SAY) and/or Actions (DO).

This leads to two general applications:

1. Understanding the Unaware Brain
The Unaware Brain is trying to communicate. It does NOT use Words. It uses a feeling. When the correct Words are stated, the Unaware Brain will give a rush of feelings. I call it "juicing". The Unaware Brain "juices" the person and they feel a rush.

2. Understanding the conscious brain
Remember, the Unaware Brain does not discriminate according to morality. The Unaware Brain looks for patterns regardless if they are sinful or holy. The Unaware Brain WANTS to help the conscious brain TOWARDS the patterns that the conscious brain DESIRES to pursue regardless of whether they are sin or not. This occurs by the Unaware Brain observing the SAY and DO of the individual to determine whether the Unaware Brain should juice a pattern or not.

Now, let's look at some simple well documented applications...

1. Writing your goals
For decades, it has been proven that you are more likely to accomplish your goals if you speak them or write them down. This is a Right WHAT. WHY and HOW does this work?

When the conscious brain does not share the goals with the Unaware Brain, the Unaware Brain can't point out opportunities to the conscious brain. Writing or saying the goals outloud is ACTUALLY the conscious brain telling the Unaware Brain what it desires...and the Unaware Brain then goes looking for these opportunities, which results in the person being more likely to achieve them.

2. Journals
Again, research has shown that people who keep a daily journal are found to be healthier. This is a Right WHAT. WHY and HOW does this work?

Again, the Unaware Brain is learning what the conscious brain is thinking so that there can be continuity between both. Dr. Leaf wrote that having a disconnect in this area leads to stress which may cause the body to produce chemicals that are toxic and lead to illness.

3. Fellowship
Keeping a daily journal gives the same effect as when people who are in distress talk and feel better. People end up saying something like, "Sometimes it just feels good to share your problems with someone else." Fellowship is a Right WHAT. The Right WHY is that talking to someone else allows your Unaware Brain to know what your conscious brain is thinking. Sharing with others benefits the sharer!

4. Checklist
I have helped people with this one for years...

Let's say a person has ten tasks to accomplish and they've already done seven. They may find they don't have the energy to accomplish the last three. I tell them to list all ten tasks on a piece of paper. Then read the list twice. Then ONE AT A TIME WITH A PAUSE, check off each task that has been accomplished. Suddenly the person has the energy to do the last three tasks! WHY?

Your Unaware Brain is ahead of your conscious brain and knows you need to get the last three tasks done. However, it doesn't know if you know it...so it will run you down trying to get your attention. When you make the list, the Unaware Brain will reward the conscious brain with endorphins. Studies have also shown that the body releases endorphins each time you physically check a task off a list. This is the Unaware Brain juicing the conscious brain.

Now, let's look at some more complicated conclusions. The following conclusions are supported by the book "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell...

Conclusion #1: When a person's conscious brain is given wrong Words for the feelings from their Unaware Brain, the result is confusion and frustration. The person is ACTUALLY worse off than before they were given the Wrong Words.

The author gives several examples. Here is the one that surprised me...

People were given a question that has three obvious solutions and one tricky solution. People easily come up with the first three solutions. When they can't come up with the fourth solution, the questioner does a subtle motion that the Unaware Brain recognizes, but the conscious brain does not. The people then get the answer.

However, when they are asked to explain HOW they got it, they lie! They had an "aha" moment from their Unaware Brain (within themselves) that was a disconnect in conscious thought. They considered something that their Unaware Brain "juiced" them for stating. However, asking them to explain HOW they got to the answer is requiring the conscious brain to explain the IN-BETWEEN steps that the Unaware Brain took. The conscious brain has NO IDEA HOW the Unaware Brain did this, so the conscious brain makes up the IN-BETWEEN steps.

(This explains WHY there always seems to be more than one story for HOW an inventor came up with their revelatory idea. Isaac Newton, Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein...these people solved problems with their Unaware Brain and the explanations by their conscious brains are most likely fictitious!)

This leads to an important point:

DO NOT FORCE PEOPLE TO EXPLAIN THEIR FEELINGS WITH WRONG WORDS!

The person is experiencing feelings from their Unaware Brain. Requiring them to consciously explain these feelings with any sense of urgency is causing them to lie. This causes people to be Unprofitable. This is Abuse.

This conclusion covered how the person deals with a revelatory idea from WITHIN themselves. "Blink" then covers the person's response to a revelatory idea from OUTSIDE themselves...

Conclusion #2: When a person experiences a revelatory idea from OUTSIDE themselves, they become DESTRUCTIVE if they are forced to put their feelings into WORDS.

Intentionally giving the person something that is an "aha" moment from outside themselves causes them to feel DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE. These are the two Words the Unaware Brain is FEELING...and does NOT communicate.

Again, the Unaware Brain isn't going to feel the words RIGHT or WRONG in a moral sense.

As long as this person is left to themselves, they will continue to grapple with the DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE feeling. However, if they talk to others, they will begin to use Words that are negative: "not good", "not right", "wrong", "ugly", "could have been better". However, they won't be able to explain WHY or HOW the revelatory idea is WRONG...AND their association of the Word "wrong" with the feeling leads to them feeling the revelatory idea is WRONG.

Some of the examples in "Blink" of this phenomenon are a new office chair, tv shows, and music. The office chair was many steps ahead of anything anyone had ever seen. When forced to describe its appearance, the closest Word was "ugly"...but they couldn't explain WHY. The company was told not to introduce the chair because "ugly" ALWAYS means bad sales. They introduced it and chair was their best seller. The tv shows "All in the Family" and "The Mary Tyler Moore" show followed the same pattern.

I believe that the prophets and visionary scientists of the past who expressed a revelatory idea were killed for these same reasons.

A group of people discuss their DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE feelings with wrong Words to other people who also responded to the revelatory idea with DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE. The Words the group ends up using are WRONG and HERETICAL. The group kills the people...then can't EXPLAIN WHY they killed him or HOW the person with the revelatory idea could have explained themselves "better".

During Conclusion #1, we saw that causing a person to explain an "aha" moment from WITHIN themselves is Abuse. It is Unprofitable. Now we see that a person who experiences an "aha" moment from OUTSIDE themselves and chooses to explain it to others is Abusive...not only to the person who shares the revelatory idea, but also to EVERY person that the Abusive person talks to concerning the revelatory idea. This is the Ultimate example of Unprofitability.

Now I Understand the pastor (and others) who has publicly declared me WRONG and HERETICAL, yet won't meet with me AND has NOTHING to support his claims!

It appears these people felt DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE when they read "Modeling God". They discussed it with a dozen people who were also feeling DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE when they had previously read the revelatory ideas that were given to me by the Holy Spirit. They ended up CONVINCED that it was WRONG and HERETICAL.

One pastor put up a website. Other people who feel DIFFERENT and UNCOMFORTABLE find this website and express themselves with the words WRONG and HERETICAL. I asked them WHY it is WRONG and HERETICAL. They tell me I could have written Modeling God "better"...but can't begin to explain HOW when they are asked.

This pastor won't meet with me to discuss this because he can't put the right Words to his claims. His lawyer finally writes me with his formal support...and NONE of what he writes makes ANY sense! In fact, besides the blatant misquotes of "Modeling God", one of his "supporting facts" shows he denies that Jesus is Fully Man!

This also explains WHY people who are led through "Modeling God" by others who "get it" are more likely to make it through the book in a Profitable manner.

Conclusion #3: People who can INTENTIONALLY put Right Words to feelings are called EXPERTS.

The examples in "Blink" are food tasters, music industry people, and heart attack diagnosticians.

We have seen two examples of people who aren't able to put Right Words to their Feelings...the result was Unprofitability. It makes sense that putting Right Words to feelings would result in Profitability.

I really like this definition of an EXPERT...it relies on the ability to be INTENTIONAL. It is completely non-contradictory with everything in this work. In fact, it has implications for one of the biggest sources of stress within the individual:

Ministry involves helping people put Right Words to THEIR feelings.

We need to become experts if we want to help people.

People in distress are experiencing a wide difference in their SAY (conscious brain) and DO (Unaware Brain).

People do NOT believe in something until they Understand (conscious brain) and Feel (Unaware Brain) it is true.

Whether we are helping people in distress or helping them have faith in God, we need to be able to help people RECONCILE their SAY and their DO...we need to help people RECONCILE their conscious brain and their Unaware Brain. (Notice, people refusing to complete the Second Feedback Loop are intentionally choosing to widen the gap between their conscious brain (SAY) and HOW they actually expressed themselves (DO).

Let's conclude this section by looking at three applications that concern topics previously covered in this work...

1. Definitions
When a person says they have a definition for a word, but cannot actually give the definition, they are showing that they have chosen NOT to Understand the issue with their conscious brain.

They FEEL they have a definition because of the Unaware Brain...and they probably do have a definition in their Unaware Brain. However, that definition is going to be one that is consistent with how the individual ACTUALLY uses the Word. So, that first definition the individual attempts to give you and stops is actually their true definition, but they stop because the conscious brain recognizes the definition is going to give them a negative appearance.

When the person attempts to avoid giving a definition by stating that we can't or aren't supposed to Understand, they are literally damaging themselves and their own brain. This is RATIONALIZATION and it is extremely destructive...

2. Attracted to destructive guys
How many times have you heard a female lament, "WHY am I always attracted to the wrong guys?"

When the female dates the first destructive guy, the Unaware Brain KNOWS that this guy is Unprofitable. However, the Unaware Brain does NOT know if the conscious brain desires Unprofitable guys or not. So the Unaware Brain watches...

When her friends and/or parents tell her the guy is destructive, the conscious brain reaches the critical moment.

If she would admit the guy is destructive and state she does NOT desire a destructive guy, the Unaware Brain will NOT juice her towards him or any other Unprofitable guy.

However, if she RATIONALIZES her choice, she will say something like, "You don't know him. He is actually nice. He really loves me. I love him. This is the type of guy I want"...the Unaware Brain now knows to juice the female whenever she meets Unprofitable guys.

The Unaware Brain is assessing every guy it observes. If a guy is Profitable, the Unaware Brain will cause her consciously to "feel nothing" towards the Profitable guy. However, once she consciously observes an Unprofitable guy, her Unaware Brain will juice her...and she will "feel that special something" towards the destructive guy.

The guy may even physically Abuse her. Her conscious brain knows this is wrong, so she leaves him. However, her Unaware Brain hasn't been told that she doesn't want a destructive guy...so when she sees him at a later date, she finds herself attracted to him again. This is especially true if she RATIONALIZES her time with him during the time she leaves him.

3. Lusting Men
The same destructive result can be seen for males...

When a boy stares at a female, the Unaware Brain is waiting for direction.

If the boy would consciously state he doesn't want to stare at females or that it is wrong and he doesn't want to be wrong, his Unaware Brain will stop juicing him that way.

However, if the boy or his friends or his dad RATIONALIZES his behavior ("My son is ALL man" or "It's not a crime to look." or "You can look but you can't touch" or "That is just the way it is" or "Boys will be boys"), the Unaware Brain intentionally juices the male towards staring at females. How much damage are the church and national ministries doing when they RATIONALIZE destructive behavior?

I know someone who got juiced when a woman with very specific characteristics visited his workplace. He even thought about how he had told people he had always wanted to date a woman with these characteristics. He was extremely attracted to her. However, he kept thinking and realized that he was valuing the physical over the mental, emotional, and spiritual. His response? He stated OUTLOUD that he did not want to be attracted to women for ONLY that specific physical characteristic AND he wanted to be attracted to the mental, emotional, and spiritual characteristics.

He saw the woman the next day. What happened? He felt no attraction! In one day, this woman who he found extremely attractive, suddenly was not attractive at all...because of his Unaware Brain.

SUMMARY
When rationalizing with the conscious brain is seen with respect to HOW it affects the Unaware Brain, we can see that RATIONALIZATION is EXTREMELY damaging.

When a person intentionally rationalizes bad behavior, the person is telling their Unaware Brain that this destructive behavior is DESIRED...and the Unaware Brain will actively look for opportunities to be more destructive.

The best thing a person can do is state the truth out loud...that they recognize their behavior or the behavior of others is destructive...even if they choose to continue to associate with either of these. That way, the Unaware Brain has the information that destructive behavior is NOT something that is being DESIRED and it won't intentionally look for it AND/OR that Profitable behavior is something that is being DESIRED and will be intentionally sought out.

The Bible states this person OUGHT to confess and repent...

Actually, this last application dealt directly with sin...

Next Section at Book Level: Unaware Brain Applications

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-4 The Unaware Brain

2008-07-31T09:28:00.057-05:00

The First and Second Feedback Loops deal with intentional thinking. They deal with the conscious brain.

It turns out we also have an Unaware Brain. Here is an example of the effects of the Unaware Brain...

Dr. Gregory Burns of Emory University placed people in a setting where they had to respond to a visual screen by moving their right or their left index finger. At the same time a tube was placed in their mouth that either gave them a burst of water or sweet kool aid. Dr. Burns was specifically looking at a group of people he calls "learners"...people who have the healthy connections in their brain.

The screen and the liquid seemed to give a random pattern to the conscious (logical) part of the brain. However, the "unaware brain" did recognize that a left index finger triggered a burst of sweet kool aid. In every case, "learners" would "involuntarily and without awareness" suddenly rapidly move their left index finger...the "unaware" part of the brain took direct control of physical movement.

Here are seven conclusions about the Unaware Brain that will be applied in the following two sections...

1. The Unaware Brain works according to the four God-given principles
-The Unaware Brain "models".
-Without effort, the Unaware Brain works according to Causality, Non-contradiction, Growth, and Contrastive Thinking
-We have seen the Bible was written according to these four God-given principles.
-The Unaware Brain looks at EVERYTHING (contrastive) for causal relationships.
-It removes patterns if they contradict.
-The Unaware Brain gets to the conclusion very rapidly.

2. The Unaware Brain does NOT work according to good and evil
-The Unaware Brain is looking for predictable patterns regardless of the moral result

3. The Unaware Brain ONLY takes information through the five senses
-The Unaware Brain is the same brain that an animal has.
-Whenever you get lost with this information, start with the fact that an animal has an Unaware Brain...
-Animals aren't moral...neither is the Unaware Brain
-Animals don't intentionally REMEMBER or IMAGINE...neither does the Unaware Brain
-Animals don't have a Mind/Soul...neither does the Unaware Brain
-Animals are flesh...so is the Unaware Brain

4. The Unaware Brain does NOT discriminate between REAL and IMAGINARY information
-The Unaware Brain treats EVERYTHING the SAME
-The quickest way to know that you are speaking to someone's conscious brain is if they say, "That isn't real."

5. The Unaware Brain OBSERVES the conscious brain externally
-The Unaware Brain does NOT know what the conscious brain is thinking until one of the five senses is involved.

(The Unaware Brain gets to the conclusion of a matter quickly and then looks to see if the conscious brain "gets it". However, it can ONLY know if the conscious brain gets it through the individual's SAY and/or DO. This has WIDE implications which we will cover in detail in the following sections. Let's finish the last two conclusions so we can get to the fun stuff...)

6. The Unaware Brain can be "primed" through intentionally REMEMBERING, IMAGINING, or EXPERIENCING
-We can put specific EXPERIENCES in front of our Unaware Brain in order to build Profitable patterns...as well as Unprofitable patterns. (EXPERIENCE is external.)
-We can also intentionally REMEMBER and IMAGINE with our conscious brain to get the same benefit IF WE FOCUS ON ONE OF THE FIVE SENSES. (It is NOT enough to imagine or remember something...you have to consciously focus and "experience" the smell, taste, touch, sound, or sight in detail in order for the Unaware Brain to "experience" the same information.)

7. The Unaware Brain is constantly getting "primed" whether you are aware of it or not
-For example, racism mostly takes place in the Unaware Brain. The Unaware Brain recognizes a pattern that people of a certain race are portrayed as criminals and dangerous. (Notice, it does not matter to the Unaware Brain that the portrayals are fictional. These portrayals are "priming" the Unaware Brain to this racist conclusion.) Consequently, the person physically reacts to someone of another race in a manner they are not conscious of...which the Unaware Brain of the person of the other race picks up on, yet can't consciously explain WHY they believe the first person is a racist. You are constantly priming your Unaware Brain...the only question is WHAT are you putting in front of your Unaware Brain?

8. The Unaware Brain communicates physically
-The Unaware Brain causes the person to FEEL something
-The Unaware Brain causes the person to unconsciously move body parts (The clicking index finger in the sweet kool-aid test by Dr. Gregory Burns of Emory University)
-The Unaware Brain causes the person to blurt out words without knowing WHY
-The Unaware Brain "juices" the individual when the correct Words are put to the Unaware Brain's feelings. (By "juicing", I mean the Unaware Brain releases chemicals that cause euphoria and/or alertness.)

Next Section at Book Level: The Conscious Brain

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-3 The Second Feedback Loop

2008-07-31T09:28:00.048-05:00

The Second Feedback Loop has five parts:
1. The full thought is converted into a chemical
2. The emotional response
3. The decision
4. The action
5. All of this information is converted to an electrical fact in the brain

Here is the physiological explanation:

1. The full thought is converted into a chemical
The thalamus sends the electrical full thought information to the chemical manufacturer of the brain...the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus creates chemicals in response to the full thought information. These chemicals are based on your internal emotional state. The experience, memories, and emotion (full thought) are now completely tied together as a chemical.

2. The emotional response
This information is sent to the amygdala. The amygdala is an almond shaped structure in the brain that stores all the emotional perceptions that have ever occurred every time a memory has been built...since the womb. So, memory and emotions are also tied together in the amygdala. The amygdala determines an emotional response. The response to this full thought is determined based on past emotional perceptions. The emotion and thought are filed away in the amygdala.

3. The decision
The amygdala is where the "emotional decision" is made. The amygdala has many more electrical connections going to the cortex (logical decision) than the cortex has going to the amygdala...so the amygdala can overwhelm the cortex electrically and prevent reasoning.

The amygdala is the cause of the "fight or flight" response. If it sends a negative message to the adrenal glands, adrenaline and cortisol (chemicals) are released which fogs the brain...and encourages the response: fight or flight. The amygdala can also initiate the release of positive chemicals if the emotion is positive.

The amygdala can overload the cortex electrically and fog the brain chemically.

4. The action
Once the decision is made taking into account the full thought from the cortex and the emotional response from the amygdala, the individual's response to the stimulus is expressed. This is the actual action that the individual expresses to the outside world.

All of this information...the information from the external world (reality), the internal response (perception), and the external response (actions) is then sent to the hippocampus in the form of a chemical...a physical molecule. This information is now in the short-term memory. This information is stored between 24 and 72 hours.

Now it is time for the critical fifth step:
5. All of this information is converted to an electrical fact in the brain

So far, everything that has been covered in this section happens whether you want it to or not. It happens naturally...it is in your nature. In order to complete the Second Feedback Loop, an intentional decision has to be made...and the clock is ticking!

The decision: a) ignore the information in the hippocampus or b) deal with it?

This involves your corpus callosum...

a) Ignoring the information is a choice and causes the hippocampus to discharge the information (in the form of a chemical) as heat energy once the individual's unique ability to hold short-term memory has expired...and the information is consciously forgotten.

b) If you choose to intentionally deal with the information, the corpus callosum passes the information to your cortex to be electrically filed away in your memory...and the Second Feedback Loop is complete.

Notice, the Second Feedback Loop is ONLY completed by the individual expressing their will to complete the Second Feedback Loop by filing away the information into their cortex. This information consists of: the stimulus, connecting fact, associated emotion, emotional perspective, action taken, and feelings about the action taken. There are three facts/actions and three emotions/feelings that are filed away into the cortex.

Now we see WHY connecting facts have emotions attached to them...they get filed away with emotions AND the actual facts/actions we took...which we can also feel good or guilty about.

Notice, this means that everyday, we are remaking our brain. Everyday, we either have a better or worse brain. Everyday, we are either improving our thought processes or damaging our thought processes. (This explains HOW Lucifer could be made perfect by God, yet end up with sin later...because Lucifer changed his thought process to one that allowed sin in. The same could be said for Cain.)

Not only does lacking this information in the brain lead to a damaged thought process, it turns out it can also lead to physical illness! HOW? WHY?

The Second Feedback Loop is completed in the rest of the body apart from the brain! For instance, the heart has a record of what action was taken. Also, somewhere in the body, there is at least one cell that has the same chemical (as was present in the hippocampus) with a record of everything that resulted from this specific stimulus.

Dr. Leaf shows in her book "Who Switched Off My Brain?" that the resulting stress from the body having a record that the brain is lacking causes the body to create toxic chemicals that medicine has been able to show leads to 87% of the illnesses that the individual experiences.

Let me be crystal clear: Medicine is finding out that our physical illness is actually the effect of an Unprofitable Thought Process. Medicine is finding out our physical well-being is actually the result of a Profitable Thought Process. (The Bible stated this thousands of years ago...)

Getting back to the decision...

Our Mind makes the decision to file the information away into our brain (cortex) or not. We have a choice as to what information is in our brain and how it is arranged. Dr. Leaf explains that it would be better to file the information away wrong, then to not file it away at all. Wrong information can be accessed and modified. Information that is lacking could be gone forever and may result in greater stress between the body and the brain.

You can physiologically repair your brain. After three days, the new connection physically appears to have always existed.

One of the main purposes of "Modeling God" is to make you aware of what YOU believe and WHY. Even if you don't agree with what is written in "Modeling God", you can become healthier by identifying what you do believe and intentionally filing that information into your brain. People who are unaware of what they ACTUALLY believe are in danger of "amygdala moments" (moments where the amygdala controls the body to the exclusion of the cortex) and may be setting themselves up for future illnesses.

However, notice that we can't falsely file information into our heart. What gets planted in our heart is an effect of what we ACTUALLY think and feel! Hearts and Minds are spoken about in the Bible in a completely unique manner from each other. We have seen that recent discoveries in medicine completely agrees with the Bible.

What you TRULY believe is planted in your heart whether you want it there or not. The heart cannot lie...the Mind and the brain can lie. (This makes SEVERAL passages about the heart from the New Testament and the Old Testament take on a much deeper meaning.)

It turns out that the people who tend to live the longest have less information to process each day AND take the time to process this information. For example, people who keep their mental faculties longest over analyze things and have a partner that lives with them.

A person who over analyzes things faces most to all of the information in their short-term memory. A person who lives with a partner is more likely to face the information in their short-term memory.

This means that Fellowship can make us healthier!

This means attempting to live with NO HOW/WHY and encouraging others not to think actually results in brain damage!

SECOND FEEDBACK LOOP SUMMARY
The Second Feedback Loop results in the brain possessing accurate information.

This information is composed of facts (thoughts and actions) and emotions (feelings and attitudes about the actions).

A Profitable Thought Process would complete The Second Feedback Loop.

An Unprofitable Thought Process would fail to complete The Second Feedback Loop or complete it with inaccurate information...causing future First Feedback Loops to be Unprofitable.

Next Section at Book Level: The Unaware Brain

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-2 The First Feedback Loop

2008-07-31T09:28:00.045-05:00

Our brains work according to two feedback loops.

The First Feedback Loop has three parts:
1. Stimulus
2. Emotion/Attitude
3. Connecting Fact

Here is the physiological explanation:

When you experience something through any of your five senses, this information enters the brain (cortex) in an electrical form. The information reaches the "relay station" of the brain...also known as the thalamus. The thalamus is the "relay station" because it is the site of the First Feedback Loop.

The thalamus sends an alerting signal to the cortex to prepare it for the information to follow. The cortex holds your memory in electrical form, so the thalamus is going to search your memory connected with the electrical impulse you just experienced from your senses in order to create "a full thought". The alerting signal actually creates your attitude...it finds out ahead of time if the memory is positive or negative and then the desired information in your memory is viewed with this attitude.

The electrical impulse you experienced from your senses and the electrical impulse(s) from your memory (along with the attitude) are then fed back to the thalamus (relay station). The First Feedback Loop is complete and results in "a full thought".

A "full thought" consists of:
1. an experience (stimulus)
2. a memory (connecting fact)
3. an emotion connected to the memory

Let's look at an example...

I see the color red. (This is a stimulus through my senses...sight).

I get excited. (This is the emotion connected to the memory and I experience it BEFORE I get the connecting fact.)

I think of a fire truck. (This is the connecting fact.)

So, my "full thought" is: a red fire truck that I'm excited about.

A person can choose to end this feedback loop or use the "full thought" as a stimulus and begin The First Feedback Loop again. For example, in the above example, I could consider "a red fire truck that I'm excited about" as the stimulus and form a more complex thought. I could continue doing this until the complex full thought is the story about the time when I was ten years old. My friend (Jimmy) and I followed a red fire truck to the biggest fire I had ever seen.

Notice, our thoughts are made up of WORDS.

EVERYTHING we will cover in this chapter is based on WORDS...

The First Feedback Loop is the most basic tool that people use in order to intentionally think. In fact, when you watch people intentionally think, this explanation sheds light on two issues people have with The First Feedback Loop:

1. They can't complete the loop.

2. They can't get out of the loop.

In order to understand the HOW/WHY behind both of these issues, we need to look at the cortex of our brains more closely...

The cortex is made up of "dendrites", which is the Greek word for "trees"...and the dendrites look like trees! This leads to an analogy I like to use to represent the First Feedback Loop...

The First Feedback Loop is like a squirrel that goes to the trunk of one tree, runs up the trunk and out to then end of a branch...in order to jump to the branch of another tree. The loop is complete when the squirrel runs to the trunk of this second tree and then runs to the ground.

Notice, the squirrel made progress...it began near the trunk of one tree and end up near the trunk of another tree. The tree is the stimulus. The second tree is the connecting fact. The emotion is how the squirrel feels about being on the second tree.

The speed at which this feedback loop is able to be completed is a measure of intelligence. Remember, everything is filed away in terms of WORDS. So, complex and/or contradictory definitions are going to slow down or completely prevent someone from finishing the First Feedback Loop.

People who are unable to complete the loop (issue #1) either can't make the jump (to the connecting fact) because of a bad memory or they are afraid to attempt the jump because the emotion associated with the stimulus (first tree) or connecting fact (second tree) puts the individual into fear. Remember, all the facts in our cortex have an associated emotion...and we feel the emotion before we are able to retrieve the connecting fact.

When we speak of people who can't get out of the loop (issue #2), we are talking about people who can't make settle on a full thought and move to the Second Feedback Loop. There are two ways this manifests...

First, the person ramps emotionally up and exhibits anxiety. The person gets so carried away with the emotion that they continue to jump to subsequent trees without returning to the ground. Notice, the inability to get out of a loop tends to occur with people who have very quick brains. For example, they can do so many loops and get energy from each loop that they end up, after numerous comparative loops, at a full thought that is extreme and alarming...and is not connected in reality with the original stimulus. They are far away from where they began, but they don't realize it because their "squirrel" didn't go down the trunk to the ground.

Second, the person has a contradiction that doesn't allow them to settle on ONE full thought. When it comes to a contradiction, the person actually express TWO or more full thoughts and can't resolve which is correct. The squirrel jumps from the first tree to the second tree...only to jump back to the first tree...only to jump back to the second tree. The reason WHY they jump back and forth is they have two different definitions for the same Word. When they jump from the first tree, the Word means one thing. When they land on the second tree, the definition changes which causes them to jump back to the first tree.

This inability to get out of a loop also tends to happen when people "lump" concepts...the squirrel jumps to a branch only to find out he is in the same tree! In order to deal with this, we need to bring Resolution to our thought process.

Resolution takes what appeared to be one tree and turns it into two or more trees. For example: Right-Right vs. Right-Wrong. People don't see a difference between two people who state a Right WHAT. They consider them to be in the same tree...and can't make progress during discussions. However, the difference between a Right WHAT with a Right WHY vs. a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or NO) WHY is the difference between Life and Death. Bringing Resolution to the topic through the WHY causes this one tree (Right WHAT) to become two trees (Right WHY and Wrong or no WHY). Now, the person can make progress through by going from one tree to the other. Calvinists are lumpers...they can't give the HOW/WHY, so they state that God intended us NOT to make progress in this thought because it is a mystery.

Finally, one common tool used to determine how quickly people are able to complete The First Feedback Loop AND how well their thoughts are organized is "Word Association". A WORD is stated (which is a stimulus). The respondent is supposed to state the first WORD they think of...the first connecting fact from the First Feedback Loop. The resulting emotion is also discussed.

FIRST FEEDBACK LOOP SUMMARY
The First Feedback Loop results in a full thought.

A full thought contains a stimulus, emotion, and connecting fact.

A Profitable Thought Process would create this full thought quickly and accurately.

An Unprofitable Thought Process would be unable to create an accurate full thought in a timely manner.

All of this is made up of WORDS...

Next Section at Book Level: The Second Feedback Loop

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

38-1 Thinking Introduction

2008-07-31T09:28:00.043-05:00

Thinking is our first cause...

We have seen that God wants our brain to have Profitable Thought Processes. God wants us to have a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY.

The enemy and our flesh wants our brain to have Unprofitable Thought Processes. We saw that deception is a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY.

We are our Mind. The Mind is the same as the Soul and separate from our brain. EVERYTHING begins with Our Mind/Soul either making a choice to:

1. use our brain Profitably (an intentional effort to do the opposite of our nature...which can only be achieved by making the decision to allow God to do it through grace)

OR

2. not use our brain Profitably, which means we think according to our nature (flesh) which is the same as how an animal thinks.

The battlefield is NOT our Mind. The battlefield is our brain and our heart (physical).

The combatants are made up of two teams: The Holy Spirit (God) and our Mind/Soul vs. the enemy (unclean spirits) and our fleshly nature.

In order to understand HOW we OUGHT to build our faith AND how the enemy and our flesh fights our ability to do this, we need to become masters at understanding our Thought Processes...which are made up of WORDS and SENTENCES.

The first cause for all of us is the choice between thinking and "not thinking".

EVERYTHING else is an effect.

The Bible has a lot to say about thinking. We have seen that Jesus valued thinking and consistently encouraged us to think like God thinks and not like man thinks. The Bible recognizes our ability to accept and learn from the Bible is OUR responsibility...and this is expressed as our ability to think. Before ANYONE can determine ANYTHING about God, they must first make the choice as to whether they are going to think or "not think".

Man thinks in a short-term fashion and according to the OPPOSITE of the four God-given principles. The Traditional church, Calvinists, and the Pharisees are excellent examples of people thinking like men. These people focused on effects, lived with contradictions, made their points comparatively, and pursued comfort.

Every twenty years, people realize this is wrong. Their response is to attempt NOT TO THINK. This is called "post-modernism". People attempt to NOT think and encourage others NOT to think. However, it is impossible to NOT think. We are going to see that people attempting to NOT think are ACTUALLY damaging their brains! WHY have people considered this to be the correct response to the damage caused by short-term thinkers?

In fact, we ought to realize this strategy is hypocritical because they way (HOW) these post-moderns attempt to convince you is by requiring you to think in order to understand their perspective. Post-modernism is NOT new. It comes around every twenty years when the Traditional church falls out of favor AND post-modernism is the cause of the next rise in popularity of the Traditional church!

Do we want to break this cycle?

When everyone agrees that the Traditional church is wrong, we ought to realize there are actually two choices:
1. attempt not to think (post-modernism)
2. think MORE...according to the four God-given principles!

This chapter will approach thinking from a physiological point of view. In the last five years, the medical field has discovered some powerful information concerning our brains and HOW they were intended to operate. It is turning out that our thought processes are actually the cause of our ability to be Profitable...to the point that it can result in physical illness. This latest information completely agrees with the Bible!

This information concerns two areas...

The next two sections are going to explain HOW our brains form a full thought and HOW our response to this formation determines our physical health.

After that, we will spend three sections covering the Unaware Brain and the conscious brain...and HOW the lack of reconciliation between the two can lead to Unprofitability.

Finally, the last three sections will deal with HOW to repair our thought processes and the thought processes of others.

Let's look at HOW we form a "full thought"...

Next Section at Book Level: The First Feedback Loop

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

37-7 Women and Leadership Summary

2008-07-31T09:27:00.027-05:00

The Bible proves that God sees women as more excellent than men.

1. “Help meet” doesn’t mean support from an inferior. It means support from a superior.
2. “Cleaving” means the woman is the stable being (superior) and the man is the variable (in need).
3. Women were made from a more complex and excellent raw material.
4. God made woman second and better than man because God is about MORE.
5. Women’s brains have more connections than men’s brains and the result is behavior that is more Profitable.
6. Men are focused on the physical while women are focused on the spiritual
7. Women bear the proof of virginity
8. Women have been given the responsibility to determine who procreates.
9. Proverbs 31 proves women are more excellent because they are about OUGHT.
10. The end of the previous dispensation occurred because Zerubbabel proved that women were more excellent than men.

Now that we have the two main effects identified and understood, let’s take a moment and summarize everything we’ve learned with some powerful implications.

God’s Plan is Church and Marriage. God’s Will is that unique people would interact in their ARE (Church) in order to marry His Son.

Would God’s Plan result in a being less excellent than His Son? That Plan would be lacking. How can God create something that has the potential to be more excellent than Jesus? By making the being “female” while His Son is male. Again, the sex of the Beings is very important…

Tradition has hidden this truth from us by telling us women are less excellent than men!

However, the real damage from tradition can be summarized from the perspective of Leadership.

Tradition says there is a BOSS and everyone is accountable to the BOSS. The followers are essentially the possessions of the BOSS. The BOSS uses laws to require people to be accountable to him. These possessions are treated the same (uniqueness is denied) and their only reason for being is to facilitate the Purpose and Progress of the BOSS. If there is more than one BOSS, this system quickly fragments into separate groups, which reduces the potential for Profitability. We feel good about ourselves because we feel bad about someone else. Over the Long Term, everyone will end up isolated. This system is not sustainable.

The Bible refutes this perspective at every turn.

First, the Bible says that we are ONLY accountable to God:

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” (Romans 14:10-13)

We aren’t supposed to judge others. We OUGHT to remind everyone they are accountable to God. The only thing we OUGHT to judge are actions within the Church that may cause believers to stumble…harm their progress.

When an individual recognizes she is accountable to God, a Being she will not be able to fool, she OUGHT to actively grow and remove blemishes. She OUGHT to seek out people she trusts and give these people permission to speak into her life for her Long Term benefit. The Bible calls this Fellowship.

The Leader would facilitate the Purpose and Progress of others because this is the ultimate way to be Profitable. This would cause the Leader to focus on ARE instead of HAVE and DO. The Leader would understand who God created the person to be and serve their Purpose and Progress. The Leader is a servant.

The Leader persuades the person through principles instead of laws. The Leader doesn’t approach the person with threats or begging. The Leader presents a reason (WHY) and a value. Principles focus on the objective and gives freedom to the uniqueness of the individual to determine HOW the objective is reached. Laws focus on HOW NOT to behave.

The Bible says we can ALL be Leaders! At the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples that they OUGHT to all be Leaders because they OUGHT to all serve each other. Actually, Jesus’ focus was who was quantitative. He spoke about who could be the “greatest”…and it was the one who served the most.

Notice, when people say you can’t have all Leaders and no followers, they are testifying they have bought into the man-made tradition instead of God’s Word. Remember what the Paul said in Ephesians when he described the Meaning of Life?

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:21-22)

The rest of this passage described the Marriage between Jesus and His bride. However, the verse before deals with the Church. We OUGHT to be submitting ourselves one to another within the Church. This means we OUGHT to serve each other…we OUGHT to ALL be leaders.

Notice, submitting is a voluntary act. It is an act of the will of the individual. It is actually an act that a “greater” does to a “lesser”. When a lesser gives in to a greater, this isn’t submitting. There is no choice involved.

Our ability to submit our will to God is proof God can’t initiate His Will over ours as a first cause. Our will is greater than His ability to do this. This would also be an additional proof that the Bible sees women as greater than men because it asks women to submit to men…it doesn’t ask men to submit to women.

This perspective would lead to unlimited Profitability. The key to this perspective is uniqueness. More specifically, it is the ability of each of us (even Jesus) to see someone else as more excellent than themselves in at least one area. This makes Fellowship possible. It is possible for you to surround yourselves with people who are more excellent than you for your benefit…AND for these SAME people to be surrounded by people who are more excellent than themselves for their benefit. We would feel good about ourselves because we feel good about someone else. This is sustainable. This could go on forever AND get better over time.

There is NO other explanation for an eternity that is sustainable and constantly getting better than what has been presented and explained in this work.

There is a root cause for everything. It is our only moral responsibility because everything is an effect of it. In the next chapter we will cover this root cause…

Next Chapter at Book Level: Root Cause

Next Chapter Summary

Current Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

37-6 The Roles of The Sexes

2008-07-31T09:27:00.026-05:00

This is the ideal time to determine the roles of the sexes.

First, when it comes to Leadership, we have seen that God's definition of Leadership (OUGHT) is "a person who facilitates the Purpose and Progress of others".

We have seen the characteristics of BOSS are:
-want to be treated as if they are LESS excellent than their followers
-are exclusive
-are focused on APPEARANCE
-can't publicly admit they are wrong
-use the physical to berate others because they make the physical a cause
-expect support BECAUSE they are wrong (loyalty)
-don't know the causes because they are focused on effects
-don't realize respect is an effect of being humble
-and cannot explain God's doctrine in a non-contradictory and specific manner

When we look at the world's (and traditional church's) definition of a "man", we see that it lines up perfectly with BOSS!

God made males to NATURALLY act as BOSSES. The question becomes should we encourage males to remain in their nature and act like BOSSES...or should we encourage males to act apart from their nature and allow God to flow through them?

I believe God's definition of Leader results in people becoming MORE able to do God's Will over time. In fact, I believe the man-made contradictory traditional definition of "Leader" (BOSS) actually results in us getting increasingly further away from accomplishing God's Will!

Think about the traditional definition of "Leader" (BOSS)...It is NOT possible for all of us to facilitate our own Purpose and Progress at the expense of others.

Leaders operate according to causality...they provide the cause in order to get the desired effect.

Bosses operate opposite of causality...they attempt to get the effect without providing a reason or a cause.

"Man" according to the world and traditional churches is a being focused on the physical...focused on effects.

Males are NATURALLY focused on effects. Males are NATURALLY BOSSES.

Should we REINFORCE a male's NATURE?

IS Response: God WANTS males to act like BOSSES. ("Whatever is, is right.")

OUGHT Response: God WANTs males to act apart from this nature and be Leaders.

The IS definition for "man" according to the world and traditional churches is "the sex of our species that focuses on the physical, and ultimately, the EFFECTS."

The OUGHT definition for "man" is "the sex of our species that OUGHT to be focused on the CAUSES regardless of the EFFECTS".

EVERYTIME A MALE DOES DAMAGE IT IS BECAUSE HE IS FOCUSED ON THE EFFECTS.

Notice, if the male is focused solely on the causes then he cannot control the effects. So the first effect of being a "man" is that he is HUMBLE. He can ONLY stay focused on the causes if he humbles himself and allows God's NATURE to flow through him.

We have stated this several times before: the best a group of men can achieve is "NOT Unprofitable". There are NO EXAMPLES in the Bible of a group composed SOLELY of males being Profitable in the Long Term. We saw that even The Trinity is "NOT Unprofitable". How could The Trinity interact with each other in a manner that results in gain? Everything The Trinity created has returned LESS value than what it took to create it. To think that we have returned MORE value to The Trinity than what They gave to us is to make us superior to The Trinity. Be careful.

The Trinity created The Bride so that The Trinity could interact with each other in a Profitable manner FOREVER.

Notice, our society needs people who do the causes EVEN WHEN they know the effects are Unprofitable. The reason WHY? Because if they don't do it, it will become CATASTROPHICALLY Unprofitable.

Think about war, a burning building, or a child that has fallen down a well. When each of these situations is handled as well as possible, is the result Profitable? Are the soldiers BETTER off after the war than they were before the war? Is the house that caught fire better than when it caught fire? Is the kid healthier than before they fell down the well? No. No. No.

However, if someone doesn't handle the situation, there will be more deaths in the war, the house will be completely destroyed, and the child will die. All of these situations are CATASTROPHICALLY Unprofitable.

Our society REQUIRES people who will do the causes EVEN WHEN the effect is going to be Unprofitable!...otherwise things will be MUCH worse. We need people who will do the causes knowing they will NOT personally benefit from the EFFECTS...whether the effects are profitable or not.

These people are known as MEN.

Jesus was the Ultimate MAN. Jesus stepped into a situation that needed someone to be COMPLETELY about the causes knowing that the result was going to be Unprofitable. However, Jesus also knew that without Him, the result would be CATASTROPHICALLY Unprofitable.

Take a moment and realize what it would be like to know AHEAD OF TIME that ALL the effort you will give for three years will still end up in your death and your followers eventually being murdered...and that is the BEST POSSIBLE RESULT!

Next time you read a gospel account of Jesus, notice HOW He doesn't get excited about EFFECTS...both good and bad. Notice how He CONSTANTLY reinforces the CAUSES.

Jesus intentionally avoided His fleshly nature by ALWAYS and COMPLETELY allowing God to flow through Him. The ONLY way Jesus could ALWAYS and COMPLETELY do this was because He was ALSO divine in His Nature.

Jesus is the Ultimate Man. He was COMPLETELY about the CAUSES during His time on earth. He did the CAUSES regardless of the EFFECTS...even when He knew it would end in disaster.

Taking in everything we have read, what is the definition of "woman"?

The OUGHT definition of "woman" is "the sex of our species that OUGHT to create Profitable EFFECTS according to her uniqueness".

However, the IS definition of "woman" is - "the sex of our species that is used by the male for sexual intercourse, committing violence against, and blaming for the ills of the world. She is meant to share an adventure, unveil a beauty, and be fought for."

The Hebrew definition for the word "female" that is used in the Bible is:

Strong's #5344 naqab - "to puncture, lit. (to perforate, with more or less violence) or fig. (to specify, designate, libel): - appoint, blashpheme, bore, curse, express, with holes, name, pierce, strike through."

The world's definition of "woman" is the sex that are used for sexual intercourse, committing violence against, and blaming for the ills of the world. For instance, we saw excerpts from "Sacred Marriage" where the role of the woman was to provide sex as a cause.

More specifically, John Eldredge states in "Wild at Heart":

-"Every woman yearns to be fought for. She wants to be more than noticed – she wants to be wanted. She wants to be pursued." (p. 16)

-"Every woman also wants an adventure to share. A woman doesn't want to be the adventure; she wants to be caught up into something greater than herself." (p. 16)

-"And finally, every woman wants to have a beauty to unveil. Do you see me? asks the heart of every girl. And are you captivated by what you see? What if those deep desires in our hearts are telling us the truth, revealing to us the life we were meant to live? A woman must know she is beautiful, she must know she is worth fighting for." (p. 17)

-"Every woman needs to know that she is exquisite and exotic and chosen. This is core to her identity, the way she bears the image of God. Will you pursue me? Do you delight in me? Will you fight for me? And like every little boy, she has taken a wound as well. The wound strikes right at the core of her heart of beauty and leaves a devastating message with it: No. You're not beautiful and no one will really fight for you. Like your wound, hers almost always comes at the hand of her father." (p. 182)

Females (according to a Christian author) are COMPLETELY DEPENDENT on others in order to be "women". This is NOT what we saw in the Bible. This belief about "women" is a man-made contradictory doctrine that is making the Word and Will of God of NONE EFFECT.

Notice, Jesus is the Ultimate MAN. Jesus' Nature consists of the CAUSELESS CAUSES: Right and Just. Jesus will be able to focus on the CAUSES perfectly for eternity.

Notice, Jesus is married to the Ultimate WOMAN...The Bride...which is made up of us: The Church. We already saw that The Bride is made up of ALL the EFFECTS. The Bride will be able to create Profitable EFFECTS from the CAUSES that are provided by Jesus.

This is the PERFECT arrangement. Jesus is PERFECT and will produce the CAUSES perfectly with the absolute minimum of Unprofitability. The Bride will provide Profitability. Even if The Bride does NOT provide the Maximum Profitability all the time, she will still be Profitable and this arrangement WILL NEVER BECOME UNPROFITABLE. However, if the man was someone who could be Unprofitable, then it would be POSSIBLE for this arrangement to come to an end.

Finally, bringing this back to earlier chapters: The man initiates the interaction with his wife by taking an emotional risk.

This can only be done by a person who is SOLELY focused on the CAUSES. If he attempts to manage the EFFECTS, then he is lessening the "risk" and lowering the Profitability of the exchange.

The wife now has a CAUSE that she can turn into a Profitable EFFECT according to her uniqueness. If the woman responds in an excellent manner, the EFFECT that ends up occurring is "attraction"...and the EFFECT of that is sexual.

However, the world and the traditional church make Marriages Unprofitable by telling the woman to appeal to the man's fleshly nature by making sex a CAUSE. The man no longer supplies the CAUSE and he takes NO RISK. This encouragement of the man's fleshly nature PREVENTS the Holy Spirit from flowing through the couple and attaining OUGHT Marriage.

Let's summarize these two solutions...

Next Section at Book Level: Women and Leadership Summary

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

37-5 I Esdras 4

2008-07-31T09:27:00.025-05:00

Chapter 4 begins with the second person’s explanation WHY:

“Then the second, that had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say, O ye men, do not men excel in strength that bear rule over sea and land and all things in them? But yet the king is more mighty: for he is lord of all these things, and hath dominion over them; and whatsoever he commandeth them they do. If he bid them make war the one against the other, they do it: if he send them out against the enemies, they go, and break down mountains walls and towers. They slay and are slain, and transgress not the king's commandment: if they get the victory, they bring all to the king, as well the spoil, as all things else. Likewise for those that are no soldiers, and have not to do with wars, but use husbundry, when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bring it to the king, and compel one another to pay tribute unto the king. And yet he is but one man: if he command to kill, they kill; if he command to spare, they spare; If he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, they make desolate; if he command to build, they build; If he command to cut down, they cut down; if he command to plant, they plant. So all his people and his armies obey him: furthermore he lieth down, he eateth and drinketh, and taketh his rest: And these keep watch round about him, neither may any one depart, and do his own business, neither disobey they him in any thing. O ye men, how should not the king be mightiest, when in such sort he is obeyed? And he held his tongue. (I Esdras 4:1-12)

The second person states that the king is the most powerful. The explanation perfectly fits the description of a Boss, not a Leader. Basically, the king can make anyone do what he wants and he gets all the benefit. This answer demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of OUGHT Leadership.

“Then the third, who had spoken of women, and of the truth, (this was Zorobabel) began to speak.” (I Esdras 4:12)

Well, we see that the person answering third is Zerubbabel! He’s going to speak about women and truth…

“O ye men, it is not the great king, nor the multitude of men, neither is it wine, that excelleth; who is it then that ruleth them, or hath the lordship over them? are they not women? Women have borne the king and all the people that bear rule by sea and land. Even of them came they: and they nourished them up that planted the vineyards, from whence the wine cometh. These also make garments for men; these bring glory unto men; and without women cannot men be.” (I Esdras 4:13-17)

Zerubbabel begins his answer by showing that women are above wine and the king because women are the cause…they produce life. He even brings up women making garments like in Proverbs 31. Zerubbabel continues:

“Yea, and if men have gathered together gold and silver, or any other goodly thing, do they not love a woman which is comely in favour and beauty And letting all those things go, do they not gape, and even with open mouth fix their eyes fast on her; and have not all men more desire unto her than unto silver or gold, or any goodly thing whatsoever? A man leaveth his own father that brought him up, and his own country, and cleaveth unto his wife. He sticketh not to spend his life with his wife. and remembereth neither father, nor mother, nor country. By this also ye must know that women have dominion over you: do ye not labour and toil, and give and bring all to the woman? Yea, a man taketh his sword, and goeth his way to rob and to steal, to sail upon the sea and upon rivers; And looketh upon a lion, and goeth in the darkness; and when he hath stolen, spoiled, and robbed, he bringeth it to his love. Wherefore a man loveth his wife better than father or mother. Yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for women, and become servants for their sakes. Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women. And now do ye not believe me? is not the king great in his power? do not all regions fear to touch him? Yet did I see him and Apame the king's concubine, the daughter of the admirable Bartacus, sitting at the right hand of the king, And taking the crown from the king's head, and setting it upon her own head; she also struck the king with her left hand. And yet for all this the king gaped and gazed upon her with open mouth: if she laughed upon him, he laughed also: but if she took any displeasure at him, the king was fain to flatter, that she might be reconciled to him again. O ye men, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing they do thus?” (I Esdras 4:18-32)

Wow! Zerubbabel hit all the points. Men will look to give of themselves for a woman. They cleave to her…they give up the physical…they risk their life…they make mistakes…they want to please the woman. (Notice, anyone trying to claim the Bible verse saying that “men cleaving to their wives” somehow makes men superior has just been proven wrong by Zerubbabel. He specifically uses that verse to show that women are superior to men!) Men were made to take an emotional risk with a woman…this is Profitable. In fact, Zerubbabel has given the only answer that results in Profitability for all!

However, he continues speaking about truth:

“Then the king and the princes looked one upon another: so he began to speak of the truth. O ye men, are not women strong? great is the earth, high is the heaven, swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day. Is he not great that maketh these things? therefore great is the truth, and stronger than all things. All the earth crieth upon the truth, and the heaven blesseth it: all works shake and tremble at it, and with it is no unrighteous thing. Wine is wicked, the king is wicked, women are wicked, all the children of men are wicked, and such are all their wicked works; and there is no truth in them; in their unrighteousness also they shall perish. As for the truth, it endureth, and is always strong; it liveth and conquereth for evermore. With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards; but she doeth the things that are just, and refraineth from all unjust and wicked things; and all men do well like of her works. Neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness; and she is the strength, kingdom, power, and majesty, of all ages. Blessed be the God of truth.” (I Esdras 4:33-40)

Zerubbabel is stating that women are stronger than wine and the king…and the truth is ultimately stronger than women. Notice, he calls truth a “she”…because it produces life. Basically, Zerubbabel is stating that there is no Unprofitability in truth…so it is strongest…most powerful…most able to make Profitable things happen because it is the source of Profitability.

“And with that he held his peace. And all the people then shouted, and said, Great is Truth, and mighty above all things. Then said the king unto him, Ask what thou wilt more than is appointed in the writing, and we will give it thee, because thou art found wisest; and thou shalt sit next me, and shalt be called my cousin.” (I Esdras 4:41-42)

Zerubbabel has won and the king says he can ask for anything…

“Then said he unto the king, Remember thy vow, which thou hast vowed to build Jerusalem, in the day when thou camest to thy kingdom, And to send away all the vessels that were taken away out of Jerusalem, which Cyrus set apart, when he vowed to destroy Babylon, and to send them again thither. Thou also hast vowed to build up the temple, which the Edomites burned when Judea was made desolate by the Chaldees. And now, O lord the king, this is that which I require, and which I desire of thee, and this is the princely liberality proceeding from thyself: I desire therefore that thou make good the vow, the performance whereof with thine own mouth thou hast vowed to the King of heaven.” (I Esdras 4:43-46)

Zerubbabel asks Darius to keep the vow that was already made…to give the command to build the temple and Jerusalem.

“Then Darius the king stood up, and kissed him, and wrote letters for him unto all the treasurers and lieutenants and captains and governors, that they should safely convey on their way both him, and all those that go up with him to build Jerusalem.” (I Esdras 4:47)

Darius kisses Zerubbabel and gives the command to build Jerusalem. The rest of the chapter documents all of the details.

This is the story behind the trigger moment for the countdown of the end of the fifth dispensation…

Zerubbabel proved that women are "stronger" (more powerful) than men.

This fact led to the end of the dispensation!

If we recognize the non-contradictory roles of Leaders and women then we will have enough value to bring about God’s Will!

The longer we ignore this fact, the more we embrace tradition and determine how bad it has to get and how many more people need to go to hell.

The Apostles’ knew this story…why don’t we?

Next Section at Book Level: The Roles of The Sexes

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

37-4 I Esdras 3

2008-07-31T09:26:00.012-05:00

“Now when Darius reigned, he made a great feast unto all his subjects, and unto all his household, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia, And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundred twenty and seven provinces. And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked. Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king's body, spake one to another; Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory: As, to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with bridles of gold, and an headtire of fine linen, and a chain about his neck: And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called Darius his cousin. And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laid it under king Darius his pillow; And said that, when the king is risen, some will give him the writings; and of whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as was appointed.
(I Esdras 3:1-9)

Basically, three men that guarded Darius make a deal that whoever speaks the wisest sentence should be declared the winner.

“The first wrote, Wine is the strongest. The second wrote, The king is strongest. The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth beareth away the victory.” (I Esdras 3:10-12)

Two things to note…

First, we are talking about three people speaking a wise sentence to a king. The answers are: king, wine, and women. Remember Proverbs 31? It began with a mom speaking wisdom (it was even called prophecy) to a king and the beginning dealt with being a king, wine, and women.

Second, this is taken from the 1611 King James Version. Strong’s doesn’t cover the Apocrypha. The word "strongest" does NOT occur in the New Testament, which is written in the same language as the Apocrypha (Greek). However, the word “strongest” does occur one time in the Old Testament (Hebrew)…in the chapter before Proverbs 31. (Proverbs 30:30…three verses away from Proverbs 31.)

According to Strong’s it is #1368 gibbor - “from the same as 1397; powerful”. We saw that “powerful” is the ability to make things happen.

#1397 geber - “from 1396; prop. a valiant man or warrior”
#1396 gabar - “to be strong; by impl. to prevail”

When the three men talk about “strongest” they are trying to state WHAT ultimately is the most able to make things happen…to prevail.

“Now when the king was risen up, they took their writings, and delivered them unto him, and so he read them: And sending forth he called all the princes of Persia and Media, and the governors, and the captains, and the lieutenants, and the chief officers; And sat him down in the royal seat of judgment; and the writings were read before them. And he said, Call the young men, and they shall declare their own sentences. So they were called, and came in.” (I Esdras 3:13-16)

Darius is not only accepting of this contest; he is making a show of it by having each person justify their explanations...give the WHY! The chapter ends with the first giving his explanation WHY:

“And he said unto them, Declare unto us your mind concerning the writings. Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine; And he said thus, O ye men, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it: It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich: It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt: And it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembereth neither king nor governor; and it maketh to speak all things by talents: And when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a little after draw out swords: But when they are from the wine, they remember not what they have done. O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to do thus? And when he had so spoken, he held his peace.” (I Esdras 3:17-24)

This is what Lemuel’s mother said! In fact, this is the reason she told Lemuel not to drink wine. Basically, wine makes a Profitable person Unprofitable and makes a person unaware of an Unprofitable situation.

Next Section at Book Level: I Esdras 4

Chapter Summary

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37-3 Zerubbabel

2008-07-31T09:26:00.011-05:00

The account of the building of Jerusalem and the temple is covered in several books of the Old Testament. In these accounts, it appears that one of the main leaders of this project was Zerubbabel. He is seen as the Leader of the project in Ezra 4:

“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.” (Ezra 4:1-3)

He is in the lineage of Christ!

“And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;” (Matthew 1:12-13)

He is one of the two leaders for the list of priests and Levites given in Nehemiah 12:

“Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,” (Nehemiah 12:1)

He is one of the people that God stirred up to do this work during the time of Darius’ reign.

“And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” (Haggai 1:14-15)

Is there any record of how this command ("the trigger") came about?

Actually, there is an entire story explaining how this command came about and it is contained in the Apocrypha…in I Esdras. Let’s look at this story that was in the Apostles’ (Greek) version of the Old Testament…

Next Section at Book Level: I Esdras 3

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37-2 Daniel

2008-07-31T09:25:00.005-05:00

During the fifth dispensation, Daniel received the following message:

“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Daniel 9:21-23)

An angel (Gabriel) comes to give Daniel understanding about the end of the fifth dispensation.

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)

We saw that this is the overarching plan of 490 years. This entire plan won’t be completed until after the end of the Tribulation…the seventieth week.

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:25-26)

This covers sixty-nine of the seventy weeks. We have seen the fifth dispensation ends, but is not completed. Our dispensation begins at Pentecost and ends with the Rapture of the Church…which begins the Tribulation. The Tribulation is the seventieth week…so, the fifth dispensation comes back for seven years in order to complete everything mentioned in verse 24. This is the explanation of the seventieth week:

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

The point of revisiting this passage is to see two things. First, that God warned Israel when their dispensation would end and when it would be completed. Second, God gave a trigger for the countdown to the Messiah and the end of their dispensation.

This prophecy has a time constraint, but the trigger was not up to God. God knew once the commandment was given to restore and build Jerusalem, He would have enough value through people that He would be able to set the timing until the Messiah…and since God is Right and Just, He shared His decision ahead of time.

It looks like we ought to understand the trigger event…

Next Section at Book Level: Zerubbabel

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Part I Table of Contents

37-1 Reason #10

2008-07-31T09:23:00.005-05:00

Part I showed how we are in the sixth dispensation and that it is God’s Will for this dispensation to end. We also saw how this dispensation will end when people have enough value. We’ve seen that understanding Leadership and the role of women would result in more Profitability.

We also saw that prophecy is of two types: with and without a time aspect. It would make sense that if we wanted to understand the triggers for the end of our dispensation; we ought to look at how the last dispensation came to an end.

Next Section at Book Level: Daniel

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36-8 Nine Proofs

2008-07-31T09:22:00.023-05:00

So far, we covered nine “proofs”:

1. “Help meet” doesn’t mean support from an inferior. It means support from a superior.
2. “Cleaving” means the woman is the stable being (superior) and the man is the variable (in need).
3. Women were made from a more complex and excellent raw material.
4. God made woman second and better than man because God is about MORE.
5. Women’s brains have more connections than men’s brains and the result is behavior that is more Profitable.
6. Men are focused on the physical while women are focused on the spiritual
7. Women bear the proof of virginity
8. Women have been given the responsibility to determine who procreates.
9. Proverbs 31 proves women are more excellent because they are about OUGHT.

We will cover one more “proof”. However, it will require its own chapter because it brings together everything from the beginning of this work…

Next Chapter at Book Level: Reason #10

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36-7 Proverbs 31

2008-07-31T09:22:00.022-05:00

According to the Bible, the job description of a woman is presented in Chapter 31 of the Book of Proverbs. Let’s go through this chapter and see what we can learn about the role of women according to God.

"1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?"

(Most of Proverbs is written by Solomon. However, notice that this chapter in Proverbs is not written by Solomon. Would Solomon have been able to tell us about the right way to interact with women? This chapter is actually written by a woman…the mother of Lemuel. The first verse identifies the source and the second verse begins the narrative from her mouth. Finally, in keeping with the doctrines dealt with in this work, notice Lemuel is the son of her vows…of her Marriage Covenant.)

"3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings."

(She is stating that Lemuel shouldn’t invest his time in women (plural) and the reason WHT is given with the rest of the verse…and the other ways that destroy kings. Again, not only couldn’t have Solomon written this, but this chapter is condemning Solomon.)

"4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

(She is stating that the job of a king is to remember the law, enforce judgment, and plead the cause of the poor and the needy. Getting involved with women and strong drink will distract the king from his duty. She then states the value of strong drink is to help ease the pain of those with a heavy heart.)

"10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

(She has now stated that a virtuous woman is extremely valuable. Notice, the introduction of what follows focuses on a virtuous woman…not a virtuous wife. A wife is only one aspect of what is being discussed here. What is being discussed is the value of a virtuous woman. This is the job description of a woman…the role of wife is one possible part of this job description.)

"11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

(These two verses deal specifically with being a wife. Notice, the first verse is from the perspective of the husband…if the woman has no husband then the verse doesn’t apply. The first verse makes the wife the source...THE PROVIDER! The second verse talks about Profitability. She will create (good) and not destroy (evil). Again, Profitability is God’s metric for community (Marriage). However, the wife is the provider according to God. In our culture, the husband is the provider. Who is MORE "excellent" according to God?)

"13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard."

(These verses make her out to be a businessperson. She works, handles the house including the help, she invests and plants. There is no involvement by the husband in any of these verses. She doesn’t check with her husband to do any of this. He completely trusts her because she is excellent. Again, the woman is THE PROVIDER.)

"17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms."

(There is even a physical aspect to her that applies to men as well.)

"18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy."

(These verses go back to her ability to create but now it is so that she can give to the poor and needy. This woman is abundant, not only does she have enough for her family; she has enough for the poor and the needy. Again, the woman is THE PROVIDER.)

"21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land."

(This set of verses show that she is Profitable enough to not only PROVIDE for the family but bring honor to the family. Her husband being known in the gates means that he can do his role with excellence because he doesn’t have to get involved in her role! The husband is SITTING with the elders. The wife is PROVIDING. Who is more "excellent"?)

"24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant."

(Now we are seeing “super abundance”. Not only does she take care of her family well and help those in need, but she is able to make money from her work. She is a successful businessperson.)

"25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

(The intangible qualities are covered. In fact, we have covered the FOUR CAUSES that God uses to bring judgment: pride, fullness of bread, idleness of time, not strengthening the arm of the poor. A worthy woman does the OPPOSITE of the FOUR CAUSES of God's Judgment. Now that the effects have been covered, the causes can be stated in the summary.)

"30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

Verse 30 essentially says that appearance (grace and beauty) are Not Profitable (vain). We have repeatedly covered the difference between beauty and attraction. This verse warns men NOT to focus on beauty. The cause is a woman who fears the Lord and the proof is Profitability (fruit and works), not appearance.

Take a big step back and summarize this job description…

What doesn’t it cover? It doesn’t cover working by the sweat of one’s brow, fighting, going to war, risking her life, handling confrontation and crisis…

The job description of a woman involves planning. It involves the Long Term aspects of life. For instance, the “business” aspects of Proverbs 31 are done at her discretion, not according to a rigid daily schedule of “office hours”. Proverbs 31 involves the most Profitable aspects of life. Women are actually the providers!

Men were made to handle crisis, conflict, physical exertion…short-term aspects. Men were made to put out fires at a moment’s notice.

Women were made for OUGHT. Men were made for IS.

PROOF #9. Proverbs 31 proves women are more "excellent" because they are about OUGHT.

Proverbs 31 is saying that a woman can have it all: wife, mother, career, etc.!

Wait, there is one area that isn’t covered: hobbies. This description says nothing about a woman having hobbies. Actually, the Bible doesn’t say anything about men having hobbies.

Again, the perspective on women is the ultimate effect of a society’s values. For instance, today we have contradictions about the role of women because our tradition wants to make them servants to the men’s career and account for hobbies and distractions.

All of these contradictions are removed if we look to the Bible.

Proverbs 31 shows women aren’t inferior or equal to men…they are "superior". They are the most "excellent" sex. They were made to handle all the things that result in Long Term Profitability. Women were made by God to create Profitable effects. Men were made by God to focus solely on the causes regardless of the effects.

Men were made to be Leaders…which according to the Bible means they facilitate the Purpose and Progress of others. Ephesians 5 even stated that a husband OUGHT to give his life for his wife, like Christ did for His Bride (The Church).

Putting men in charge of this world only reinforces IS…men don’t naturally understand how to achieve OUGHT. Women do because women are more "excellent" than men. However, holding down the most "excellent" and Profitable half of the inhabitants of this world by valuing the physical hurts everyone.

This Biblical description of a woman far exceeds what our society expects from women. It far exceeds what society expects from a man. Would the Bible have an expectation that couldn’t be fulfilled?

Next Section at Book Level: Nine Proofs

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36-6 Depending on Excellence

2008-07-31T09:22:00.021-05:00

Two of the “proofs” are that God set everything up in a fashion that actually depends on women being more excellent than men.

7. Women bear the proof of virginity

We saw that God put the responsibility of proof of virginity on women. This caused women to not only ensure they were virgins when they got married and community can continue, but it also put the burden on the women to help men remain virgins!

While PROOF #7 is obvious when one goes by the Bible instead of man-made tradition, there is a more subtle responsibility God gave to women and it affects all of us...

More and more, science is finding out the role of genetics as it relates to mental, emotional, and physical deficiencies. We are learning that mental and emotional deficiencies are effects of physical genetics. Basically, the people we have today are the result of people with specific genetic make-ups procreating.

We’ve seen that men have deficient brains when compared with women. Men tend to thrive in competitive environments and focus on the physical…settings that result in Unprofitability. Is it any wonder our prisons are filled with many more men than women?

If criminals are a source of Unprofitability and disunity…and men by and large are the cause of this disunity…and the men that are the cause of this disunity are an effect of fathers procreating that had these defects, the question is: Who is choosing to let these deficient men procreate?

8. Women have been given the responsibility to determine who procreates.

Women are ultimately responsible for the people who exist in our society...

The overwhelming majority of people who are alive today are an effect of women choosing to allow specific men to procreate. Specifically, if a man has major deficiencies, than a specific woman is responsible for allowing into this world people who create disunity.

This is why rape throughout history has been seen as a crime of violence and not purely a sexual crime. It affects all of us (and our descendents) when a person who couldn’t control themselves physically is allowed to procreate.

Next Section at Book Level: Proverbs 31

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36-5 Physical vs. Spiritual

2008-07-31T09:21:00.015-05:00

On the whole, men are physically stronger than women. Men basically are superior to women in physical strength. Notice, this is not to say women aren't physically strong…men are stronger. This is quantitative.

There is nothing a man can do that a woman can’t qualitatively do. The difference is quantitative. For instance, a man can hit a baseball or a golf ball. A woman can hit a baseball or a golf ball. However, the difference is that, on the whole, a man can hit a baseball or a golf ball quantitatively farther than a woman.

Look at what this world values…in general, it values the physical. It pays people more money for physical attributes. In “Modeling God” we saw that the physical is the opposite of the spiritual. That we ought to move from a physical perspective to a spiritual perspective through thinking.

One of the measures of the Unprofitability of a society is how much it values the physical over the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. The downfall of a civilization is measured by the increased focus on the physical. Notice, this world values the quantitative physical abilities of men as MORE positive than negative even though the negative aspects of men being more physically focused make all of us Unprofitable.

Women can qualitatively do things men can’t do. First and foremost, they give life. In fact, the simplest way to explain the difference according to the Bible between men and women is women give life and men protect life.

WHY are angels always masculine?

What would be the purpose of a feminine angel? To produce more angels. That is not WHY God created the angels. Angels are created to protect us…they are masculine. In fact, we saw the fact that all angels are masculine led to the Unprofitability of the second dispensation…when angels married earthly women.

6. Men are focused on the physical while women are focused on the spiritual

When male leaders pervert God’s plan of masculinity (to put others interest above their own), the focus of society becomes the physical…and, on the whole, the society becomes less…it becomes more Unprofitable over time. Men see the physical as a cause. It is in their nature. The result is men are ultimately Unprofitable when it comes to the physical. However, women create and nurture life...and are much less likely to be destructive physically. Clearly, women are MORE excellent when it comes to the physical.

Look at how a society treats its women and you can tell what the society really values. Some cultures make the women cover themselves from head to toe. WHY? Because the men will lust.

Think about that. The society admits men are focused on the physical and are “weaker”…to the point that the women have to bear the burden…the women have to be more excellent because the society is beyond expecting the men to act in an excellent, non-physical manner. That leads to the next two “proofs”…

Next Section at Book Level: Excellent Expectations

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36-4 Biology

2008-07-31T09:21:00.014-05:00

More and more, science is finding the differences between the brains of men and women are that women have connections that men don’t have. Essentially, men’s brains are damaged and less effective versions of women’s brains. This chapter will highlight two studies that show these differences.

VIAGRA
In February of 2004, the makers of Viagra (Pfizer) gave up on creating Viagra for women, after announcing months earlier that they had been successful.

In men, arousal almost always leads to desire. Pfizer found that improving a man’s ability to achieve arousal led to increasing his desire for sex. Pfizer figured the same would be true for women. So they set about testing a drug that helps women achieve arousal.

Pfizer was able to show there was a drug that improved a woman’s ability to achieve arousal, however it had no effect on desire. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"There's a disconnect in many women between genital changes and mental changes," said Mitra Boolel, leader of Pfizer's sex research team. "This disconnect does not exist in men. Men consistently get erections in the presence of naked women and want to have sex. With women, things depend on a myriad of factors."

Women are much more complicated. Essentially, when women experience physical changes, the information goes to their brain where it stays until they make a conscious decision. This does not happen naturally for men. If one believed in evolution, you would have to believe that women evolved from men. It shows that men are made in their nature to make the physical a cause. Women are made in their nature to have the physical be an effect.

However, we know it is because God created women second…

COLLABORATIVE VS. COMPETITIVE
In 2005, a study was done by economists in Pittsburgh. They paid men and women to add up five numbers in their heads. They were paid for each correct answer. At first the men and women worked individually. Then they competed in four person tournaments. On average, the women and men did equally well. This was a task that both were equally capable of doing and there wasn’t one sex that was better than the other.

Then, they offered everyone the choice to get paid for each sum or compete in a "winner take all" tournament. Most women declined to compete, even the ones who had done the best during the tournaments. Most men opted to compete, even the ones who had done poorly during the tournaments.

Basically, the men thrived on competition and over-rated their ability. They actively embraced the “pyramidal” structure where one person comes out on top. The women did not want to participate in this structure even when they knew they had a good chance of winning.

The women embraced an “organism” structure where everyone is valued and gets what they deserve. Collaboration is encouraged.

We saw that the Industrial Revolution introduced the pyramidal structure to our society and encouraged men to act like animals. Isn’t this what the world values? Isn’t this the mentality we need people to have in order to conduct wars?

What would serve us most? A system where one person wins at everyone’s expense? Or a system like a body where everyone is valued for what they do best and works together to a greater good?…something like the Meaning of Life.

5. Women’s brains have more connections than men’s brains and the result is behavior that is more Profitable.

Actually, the difference goes beyond the brain…

Next Section at Book Level: Physical vs. Spiritual

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36-3 Genesis Indirect Proofs

2008-07-31T09:20:00.013-05:00

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)

God made Adam from the dust of the ground.

“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:21-23)

Eve was made from a bone.

Dust is very simple and unstructured. Bones are very complex and structured.

3. Women were made from a more complex and excellent raw material.

God was limited in what He could make from the dust relative to what He could make from a bone…

I realize this may rub people the wrong way to think God could ever be limited by us, but we have dealt with that fact throughout this work. (Besides, if God was never limited, then how can things that God makes be better and worse?) Actually, there is another proof that is implied in this that takes this point further…

God is always about MORE. God doesn’t maintain and He doesn’t go backwards. God is about improving. This is OUGHT.

Man’s ways are Unprofitable. Man is happy to maintain. This is IS.

There are several examples throughout the Bible where God is about MORE…we covered some of them. Doctrine #2 covered the Meaning of Life which is about MORE…John 15 states Jesus said the branch that bears fruit is cut back so it will produce MORE…John 14 (after the “Father’s House discussion) states Jesus said we will do greater works than Jesus because He goes to the Father. God is always about MORE…not less over time. Let’s look at an example that ties together several topics covered in this work…John 2.

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.” (John 2:1-3)

We’ve already seen that a wedding is a feast. This wedding has a problem…they ran out of wine. This is central to the wedding because it is a feast…not a ceremony.

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:4-5)

There is no mention of Joseph. Mary has presented the problem to Jesus and He asks her a question. Notice, Mary doesn’t answer Him…she knows He will “obey” her!

“And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.” (John 2:6-8)

Jesus does “obey” His mom and turns the water into wine. He also gets confirmation for the sake of the disciples…and us.

“When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9-10)

Notice, men put the best first and then let it run down…become less. We saw the enemy offers the benefit in the short-term; causing us to pay in the Long Term.

God makes us pay up front so we can have a Long Term benefit…so things can get better (MORE) over time.

Jesus did His first miracle at a wedding and it taught us God is about MORE, while man is about getting the benefit up front.

Is it possible Jesus did this miracle to show us God wants Marriages to be about MORE…to get better over time? We have seen that Christian authors have stated that Marriage is supposed to be great at first and get worse over time and all we can hope for is to maintain…like the governor said every man handles the wine at a wedding.

God made man. God made woman. WHY would God make a second being that was worse or only equal to His first being?

4. God made woman second and better than man because God is about MORE.

Next Section at Book Level: Biology

Chapter Summary

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Part I Table of Contents

36-2 Genesis Direct Proofs

2008-07-31T09:20:00.012-05:00

The first place to start with understanding the Biblical view of women is at the beginning of the Bible…when God created women.

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Genesis 2:18-22)

What does “help meet” mean?

First, some people quote this phrase as “help mate”…and immediately make the woman subservient to the male. The word is “meet”.

MEET Strong's #5828 ezer - “aid”

Actually, the Strong’s reference for HELP is the same Strong's #5828, so it looks like MEET adds nothing to this verse. Some people have stated that “meet” means “fitting” or “perfect”. While this would seem to apply to the context of this passage (because the animals were not being “meet” for Adam), I don’t have enough information to support that interpretation…that is not to say it is wrong.

Let’s look more closely at “ezer”…

There are two kinds of “help” someone can get. He can get help from someone “lower” than him, like an underling. The second kind of help is from someone “higher” than him…like from God. For instance, Psalm 60:11 states:

“Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.”

The first “help” is Strong's #5833 “ezrah” and is from the same root as “ezer”. This is help from a superior. The second “help” is Strong's #8668 “tesuwquh”. This is help from an inferior.

Everywhere that Strong's #5828 (ezer) is used in the Bible it means help from a superior.

1. “Help meet” doesn’t mean support from an inferior. It means support from a superior.

Let’s continue the passage from Genesis 2 to get our second “proof”.

“And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:23-25)

The man shall cleave to his wife.

“Cleave” is Strong's #1692 dabaq - “to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere”.

Everything about this word states the woman is the standard (the stable being) and the man is imposing himself on her. Even the context implies a man is the property of his parents until he marries…and then he is the property of his wife.

However, let’s look at another passage that uses “dabaq”.

"20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name." (Deuteronomy 10:20)

When it comes to humans “cleaving” to God…which one do you believe is the “superior”: humans or Gods?

2. “Cleaving” means the woman is the stable being (superior) and the man is the variable (in need).

These are two “proofs” that are direct…they are taken from specifically what is stated. There are two more proofs from this chapter that are indirect…

Next Section at Book Level: Genesis Indirect Proofs

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

36-1 Women

2008-07-31T09:19:00.006-05:00

If men OUGHT to be Leaders, what is the role of women?

The most vocal people speaking on behalf of women are “feminists”. What is the definition of “feminism”?

Feminism definition – the belief that women are equal to men, socially, politically, economically, etc.

IS and OUGHT are needed to sort out what feminists are really saying…

Feminists believe women are currently being treated as less than men (IS) and they OUGHT to be treated equal to men…because they are equal to men.

Notice, the entirety of their perspective rests on the belief that women are equal to men.

What if women are not equal to men? More to the point, what if women are more “excellent” than men?

If women are actually more able to be “excellent” than men, then the objective of feminism is actually the opposite of what it OUGHT to be. Feminism would be focused on bringing women down to the same level as men instead of making people aware of their ability to be at a higher level.

This discussion really depends on “metrics”…what do you measure and how do you measure it?

What is “excellence”? according to the world? according to God?

The world’s definition of “excellent” is: physical focus, able to Boss people, and possessing money…also known in the Bible as: APPEARANCE, POWER, and WORLDY WEALTH.

I believe men are currently valued as “superior” to women in the measures valued by the world.

I believe the Bible states that women are ACTUALLY more excellent than men in these worldly measures. There are a multitude of “proofs”. I will share ten of them that have to do with what has been presented in this book.

Next Section at Book Level: Genesis Direct Proofs

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-8 Leadership Summary

2008-07-22T17:50:00.026-05:00

Here are the two models:

BOSS MODEL
1. Tells the follower the purpose
2. Energy supplied from outside
3. Focused on rules (Laws)
4. Driven by the physical (force)
5. Focused on personal benefit
6. Believes Leadership has perks
7. Doesn’t give reasons (no WHY)
8. Inflicts pain
9. Ethical

LEADER MODEL
1. Asks the follower his purpose
2. Energy comes from within the follower
3. Focused on principles
4. Driven by the spiritual (logic)
5. Appeals to self-interest of follower
6. Realizes Leadership is a responsibility
7. Explains reasons (Right WHY)
8. Bears pain
9. Moral

The Pharisees were bosses.

We are not going to be Profitable and bring about God’s Will until we have Leaders.

God will help us have Leaders, but it will be painful. How much pain must we experience before we choose to follow God’s Word and Will and give up our man-made traditions?

Will our “religious leaders” choose to change or will they wait for God to break them?

We will see…

Leadership was the first effect to monitor.

Now, let’s look at the second effect…

Next Chapter at Book Level: Effect #2

Next Chapter Summary

Current Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-7 Matthew 6 and 7 Implications

2008-07-22T17:50:00.025-05:00

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Verses 28-29)

Matthew 5, 6, and 7 are doctrine. The people were astonished because He taught as one having authority: He gave a reason and a value for everything He said. Jesus gave the Right HOW/WHY to support the Right WHAT. He knew what He was talking about. Can your pastor give you a reason and a value for everything he wants you to believe? Can your pastor give you the Right HOW/WHY without contradiction?

Fourteen years ago, I began reading the Bible cover-to-cover every year. After two years, I realized that God's metric was Profitability. During my third read through, I realized everything in the Bible makes sense if you view it from Profitability and not appearance (short-term).

People who judge others because they do something wrong in the short-term are opening themselves up to judgment if they are wrong, regardless of who they are...this applies to everyone...even people who are "Christians" and "Christian leaders".

The proof is shown with Long Term Profitability. Over the Long Term, are the effects becoming more apparent and abundant, or are they becoming less? The worst thing a person can do is attack or attempt to limit someone who is producing more fruit over time...because now they are judging someone who actually is ahead of them in God's Eyes.

Godly effects are proven over the Long Term by Profitability. Most people judge short-term results by looking at appearance...Matthew 6 and 7 are judgment against these people.

God does NOT judge us according to perfection. God judges us according to "good" (Long Term Profitability).

This means we can have flaws in the short-term (appearance) but as long as it is Profitable in the Long Term, God considers us "good". We saw in Part I how all things work for good for those who love God and obey His Will. This meant that even when we make a mistake, if we love God and take direction from Him (grace), He will find a way to make it Profitable (good)...not perfect, because we lost the ability to achieve that with our initial choices.

However, God is focused on Long Term Profitability...creating something of more value than what originally existed. This also means the only way we can actually be "good" is to have God direct our actions (grace). (Notice, this also explains WHY we need to first get ourselves right...so that we can hear from God and allow Him to influence our heart. Not having ourselves right hinders grace...and stops us from helping others.)

However, it is our responsibility to choose to let God flow through us...that is WHY Jesus is appealing to us with logic. If there was nothing we could do (HOW) and nothing we could be responsible for (WHY), then Jesus is wasting His time and our time with explanations.

The only way to interpret the Bible in a non-contradictory manner is to realize HOW/WHY God judges us as "good" even though we have flaws.

Notice also, that it is impossible for God to consider someone as "good" if they condemn others!

When a person condemns someone else, it is according to appearance...this results in them immediately bringing judgment on themself because they also have flaws. They are a hypocrite. We saw that here (Matthew 7) and in the past we have looked at Romans 2:1-3. Hypocrites don't make it to Heaven.

The right response is to confront the believer and point out factually what appears to be Unprofitable in the Long Term with Principles and Questions. The right response is to help (love) the other person even if you disagree with them!

Let's summarize Leadership...

Next Section at Book Level: Leadership Summary

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-6 Powerful Summary

2008-07-22T17:50:00.024-05:00

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Verses 24-27)

Point #1: The winds and the rain (physical hardships) beat on both houses. People who tell you that your negative physical circumstances will be less because you are a Christian are contradicting Jesus.

Point #2: BOTH cases involve someone who HEARS Jesus' words. (Right WHAT) Jesus is NOT talking about people who DON'T hear Jesus' words. It is NOT enough to just HEAR Jesus' words!

Point #3: The ONLY difference between the two cases is one person DID the words (Right HOW) and the other did NOT do them (Wrong HOW). The "rock" is the DOING of the Word of God. The "sand" is the NOT DOING of the Word of God.

Jesus summarizes His Premiere Teaching by saying it is ALL up to you whether you DO His words or not. This has nothing to do with you being unable to do anything good or not being able to make a choice. The responsibility is COMPLETELY on YOU to DO Jesus' words. As we saw in the previous section, the ONLY way to DO the Will of God is to CHOOSE to allow God to do it through you...which is the definition of Biblical Grace. So, it is still up to you to choose (Right WHY) to allow God to work through you (Right HOW).

Jesus proved this with multiple reasons and values.

Next Section at Book Level: Matthew 6 and 7 Implications

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-5 Matthew 7

2008-07-22T17:49:00.022-05:00

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Verse 1)

Quick point: This verse, in and of itself, would be begging and appealing to emotion (Right WHAT with no HOW/WHY) if no explanation and no value followed. This verse is what you would find in most religious books. And most people who represent Jesus act as if this is all that Jesus said...but we will see it is followed with a "for..." (reason)

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Verse 2)

This is a powerful statement that most people completely ignore. The same judgment you put on others will be put on you (HOW/WHY). What was the second half of the most quoted objective (John 3:16) that God has? John 3:17 says Jesus came not to condemn the world. There is no excuse to judge others harshly and not expect to be held to the same standard by God.

This verse gives no out...it doesn't say, "...unless you are a Christian leader, then you won't get judged the same way you judge others." Notice also that Jesus isn't saying we are perfect. He recognizes we have flaws, yet He's still appealing to us as if He considers us "good".

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Verses 3-5)

Like in Matthew 6, Jesus follows His Leader pattern: state an objective (Right WHAT), give a reason (WHY) and a value, give an example (HOW)...this example shows/proves there is no "out" for anyone. If you have the same problem as someone else, regardless if you are trying to help them or judge them, you are a hypocrite if you don't fix yourself first.

Notice, this is going back to logical self-interest. This passage just gave you a reason (logic) WHY you ought to improve yourself first!

Notice also, fixing yourself still does not allow you to judge the other person. Fixing yourself qualifies you to help others. It qualifies you to be a Leader!

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Verse 6)

This is an interesting and often misinterpreted verse. It can only be understood by looking at it in the context of Matthew 6 and Matthew 7. Jesus is saying not to give a value to people who don’t appreciate it. He is beginning the explanation that there are two kinds of people: good and evil. What are your definitions of "good" and "evil"?

Matthew 6 dealt with the issues within the individual. It didn't matter what others did...this is what you do. In Matthew 7, we see that Jesus is dealing with the issues between individuals. This chapter started with Jesus telling you how to deal with judging others...yet Jesus still shows how it affects you.

Then Jesus made sure you knew the danger of judging others if you have the same issue. Next, He stated the objective was to help...not judge. However, Jesus knows we are going to still want to judge others, so Jesus is going to tell you how to objectively determine if someone is "good" or "evil". He introduces the concept by saying that "swine" exist and if you give these people a value, they won’t appreciate it and they will turn on you!

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Verse 7)

Here we go again...Jesus states an objective. Next we need to hear the reason and the value...is there a "For..."?

"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Verses 8-11)

Again, Jesus gives:
-a reason (verse 11)
-a value (verse 8)
-an example (verses 9 and 10)

Jesus begins His explanation of dealing with "good and swine" by starting with the Father! Jesus is always pointing us to the Father...not Himself. He also does it with a question...instead of forcing His point on us. So, one of the characteristics we ought to look for in dealing with people is: Do they ask questions?

"Swine" DON'T ask questions.

"Good" people ask questions.

In fact, both "swine" and "good" people can be led by Laws...by BOSSES. However, this passage is showing us that ONLY "good" people can be led by a Question and a Principle. The way to find out if you are dealing with a "swine" or a "good" person is to first lead them with a Question or a Principle. If they don't handle these well, they are "swine" and can ONLY be led by a BOSS. Remember, Leaders are the ONLY ones who OUGHT to act like BOSSES because they first approach everyone as if they are "good". Leaders let the person determine if he is a "swine" or "good".

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Verse 12)

Jesus' draws a conclusion to this section by saying we OUGHT to treat others like we want others AND God to treat us. When we ask, we want an answer. When others ask us, they deserve an answer from us. This is a Principle! The uniqueness is "whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you". The value is that you are doing the cause of the Law and the Prophets (Salvation)...you are a Believer.

Jesus just explained that there are "swine" and "good" people. The "good" people are the excellent people who can be led by Principles and Questions which proves they are believers. Does Jesus think there are many or few excellent people?

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" (Verse 13)

Here we go again...Jesus states an objective.

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Verse 14)
Here we go again...Jesus gives a reason WHY ("because...") and a value (life).

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Verse 15)
Here we go again...Jesus gives an objective.

Notice, verses 13 and 14 state that it is harder to get to Heaven because the path is narrow. Now, in verse 15, Jesus is giving us ANOTHER reason WHY it is harder to get to Heaven: Prophets (people who OUGHT to help you towards God) can be FALSE! False Prophets APPEAR to be GOOD (sheep's clothing), yet Jesus is saying that INWARDLY they are extremely EVIL (ravening wolves). Questions and Principles would cut through their appearance...

It is time for Jesus to follow up His objective with a reason, a value, and an example...

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Verses 16-20)

Here we go again...Jesus gives a reason and a value and an example.

However, this is the main point...the main metric! Jesus says HOW to measure people...by their "fruit"...by their Profitability. This passage is completely consistent with John 15. In that passage, Jesus says that the tree producing fruit is cut back. WHY? So it can produce more!

It doesn't matter about appearance! The metric is Profitability! (Remember Jesus curses a tree because it appeared to bear fruit, but upon objective evaluation it produced no fruit. Mark 11:12-14) Is the person “good” (creates in the Long Term) or “evil" (destroys in the Long Term)? You can objectively tell by looking at their "fruit".

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Verses 21-23)

I could write a whole chapter on this section, but here is the summary: Jesus says the measure is doing the Will of God...and the effect is Profitability. Reread John 15...Jesus says you OUGHT to bear fruit (be Profitable) and you cannot do it unless Jesus is flowing through you! Unless you know Jesus and the Father. Again, Jesus presents a Right WHAT (Salvation) with a Right HOW/WHY (doing the Will of God/knowing God through Fellowship)

People love to talk about having a "relationship" with God. However, we've seen God wants you to have Fellowship with Him...and these people prove they don't know their Bible because the word "relationship" isn't in the Bible. Second, this "relationship" they talk about it is proven by Profitability. It is not something that is stated. It is not appearance. In this section, Jesus says that people will say they "knew" Him...and that is not proof! Profitability is the proof.

Verse 21 BLATANTLY states that SAYING the right thing does NOT guarantee you will get into Heaven. However, DOING the Will of God (which is the right thing) DOES get you into Heaven!

Jesus follows this powerful point up with an explanation from the future. People will SAY to Jesus that they DID things in Jesus' Name...and Jesus will profess to them that He NEVER KNEW them. Aren't works a Right WHAT? Remember, God is focused on the HOW/WHY. It almost looks like these people are stating that they DID these works in their own strength (Wrong HOW), didn't know God (Wrong WHY), and gave credit to Jesus. Jesus is saying the key is to KNOW Him (Right WHY) and let Him DO the works through us (Right HOW).

The key is Fellowship with God and Grace! Salvation comes by GRACE through FAITH...

Jesus has been building a POWERFUL explanation. It's time for Jesus to summarize His Premiere Teaching with His ultimate example...

Next Section at Book Level: Poweful Summary

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-4 Piecemeal

2008-07-22T17:49:00.021-05:00

We are studying consecutive chapters of the Bible so we can get all of the main points Jesus is making.

These points are easy to miss if you don't read your Bible a chapter (or more) at a time. It is also easy to mislead others if you pull out a verse or two and project your meaning onto the verses. One way to explain it is that Jesus is pointing us to a specific goal. The way He points is with a straight line made of logic. This line is made up of consecutive points that are on the perfectly straight line.

It is possible to draw a different straight line through one point (one verse)...however, that straight line will not overlap (include) the rest of the points on Jesus' straight line. We've called this “contradiction". What is our goal? If it is to prove our own point and try to make our own traditions appear right, then we will only focus on one or two points that the Bible makes and then project our interpretation on the rest of the verses. If our goal is truth, then we need to make sure all our points line up with all the points of the Bible.

In Matthew 6, Jesus showed us not to focus on appearance because it actually leads to us losing spiritual Reward...even though we think (because of man-made tradition) it leads to spiritual Reward. We believe appearance is the effect of being right.

Actually, if we continue reading Jesus' explanation, we will see that Jesus even tells us the true effects of being right...

Next Section at Book Level: Matthew 7

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-3 Matthew 6 Summary

2008-07-22T17:49:00.020-05:00

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Verses 19-21)

The ultimate goal is to lay up treasures (Reward, value) in Heaven. All of these examples involve hypocrites having their treasure here, while Jesus is saying for us to have our treasure in Heaven. Again, this is not about Salvation.

This concerns the "name it and claim it" or "Word of faith" gospel! They know that justice exists and if people do the right things, they have spiritual Reward/value. However, the "Word of Faith" people actually believe in experiencing that Reward on earth. Let me be clear...the "Word of Faith" people do not do the things the hypocrites do, otherwise they would not get anything. Yet, they do not do what Jesus recommends because they use their spiritual value while on earth to get tangible (physical) things.

(This concept was explained years ago in Green Bay to two representatives for a very famous TV personality from Texas (who was headlining a convention). These people agreed with the concept of Justice and Reward. However, they said you have to use your spiritual value now (in the form of cars, houses, money, etc.) otherwise you lose it!)

We just saw that Jesus said having it on earth will result in you losing it eventually. Not having it now results in having it in Heaven forever. Watch closely the preachers that have a lot of cars, houses, etc. Ask yourself if there is something inherently wrong with having physical stuff. (I don't think there is.) Ask yourself how Jesus says this will all be equaled out due to justice.

(Whether they go to Heaven or not is up to God, but I believe they won't have as much Reward as what they had earned. Remember, Salvation and Reward are two separate concepts. Making them one concept results in Salvation by works.)

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Verses 22-24)

Now Jesus is blatantly going to teach on the response to physical things is an effect of a heart attitude. The heart attitude explanation concerns light and darkness. The effect is whether you serve God or mammon. Notice, if you cannot serve two masters AND you are supposed to serve God: how ought you to relate to mammon (physical things)? They ought to serve you!

Jesus then sums up all of this. He starts with a "Therefore", so all of this was the reason and the value to get us to do something. What does Jesus want us to focus on doing?

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Verses 25-34)

Jesus is saying not to be concerned with appearance!

Whenever someone says that it is obvious that God cares about how things look so we should have the best of everything, ask them where that is in the Bible. Then take them through Matthew 6 (and other passages) and ask them what this means.

Whether it is people seeing you say and do the "right" things to having money to drinking the "right" drink to having the "right" clothes...none of this results in you having more Reward in Heaven. In fact, it looks as if all of this means you will have less Reward in Heaven if your focus is on how you look to others.

Jesus is being a Leader. He is motivating us to not focus on appearance. He is motivating us by telling us the value we get if we do what He says. He tells us the value others are losing by not doing what He says. Jesus has presented a Right WHAT (treasure in Heaven) with a Right HOW/WHY (not having it here/Justice).

I believe Jesus is alive in each believer through the Holy Spirit. However, if Jesus was physically present on earth today, I believe we would "crucify" Him again as a heretic. He is way too logical and constantly telling us how to gain and how to prevent losing Reward to mesh with our traditional man-made view of being a "Christian".

It seems the way to prevent seeing this is to only look at what Jesus said a couple of verses at a time (to prevent understanding the power of and reliance on His logic) and/or not to look at the Bible at all (to prevent seeing He didn't appeal to our emotions).

Remember, a dictator appeals to your emotions. They tell you WHAT to do...and they do not give a logical reason (WHY) and a value.

The Bible is different (I would say superior) to every other religious book because it gives a reason (WHY/HOW). Everything after the words "for", "because", therefore", "that", etc. are the reasons WHY.

Next time you read a religious book, see if it just says, "Be nice to people" (WHAT) or see if it says, "Be nice to people so that (reason WHY)"

For instance, we saw that Jesus said to love your enemies (WHAT) so that you gain (WHY).

However, just because this chapter of Matthew ends; it doesn’t mean that Jesus is done making His point...

Next Section at Book Level: Piecemeal

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-1 Matthew 6 and 7

2008-07-22T17:48:00.025-05:00

Matthew chapter 5 has been covered extensively in this work. Recall, Matthew 5 includes: the Sermon on the Mount, Doctrine of Righteousness vs. Doctrine of Sin, weed killer, the misinterpretation of "Putting Away" into “Divorce”, the guidelines for discontinuing Unprofitable community, and the problems with vows. Besides all of that, the chapter ends with Jesus saying we ought to love our enemies.

However, Jesus’ narrative continues uninterrupted throughout Chapter 6 and finishes in Chapter 7. In fact, Matthew chapters 5 through 7 make up Jesus Premiere Teaching...Jesus' first (recorded) and foundational message.

It is small wonder then that in this work, Matthew chapters 6 and 7 were heavily quoted in piecemeal fashion. This work's focus is God's Doctrine, not man-made tradition. This is the same focus as Jesus' Premiere Teaching! The "basics" are presented in Matthew chapter 5. Matthew 6 and 7 contain the effects (the verses we all love to quote like John 3:16) of Jesus’ Premiere Teaching.

The greater message is that Jesus is the Ultimate Leader. We can only truly get the greater message when we look at these chapters consecutively. We also get a true appreciation for how Jesus appealed to people with powerful and unshakable reasoning (Right HOW/WHY)…like the ultimate Leader that He is.

I realize we have covered a lot of this material earlier in this book. However, I believe it is important to review this material in light of what we have learned about Jesus: He always gave a reason (HOW/WHY) and a value…He appealed to our Long Term self-interest through logic. As you read this, focus specifically on this new perspective.

Let’s begin in Matthew chapter 6…

Next Section at Book Level: Matthew 6

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

35-2 Matthew Chapter 6

2008-07-22T17:48:00.022-05:00

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Verse 1)

We've covered this verse before, but let's look again because it sets the tone for the entire chapter. In this verse, Jesus uses the word "reward". This word cannot mean "salvation", otherwise people are losing their Salvation by giving and having someone see the giving.

In order to explain this concept to people, I talk about "value". I could just as easily use the word "reward", but I've found that people think of Reward as only a benefit. The definition of "reward" is to recompense both good and bad. It is justice. It evens things out. It is possible to be rewarded evil. This "reward" or "value" is spiritual and can be used at a later date either here on earth or in Heaven.

This first verse and the following verses show that there is a positive Reward that is either obtained here and now OR later. The positive Reward is deserved because of an action (HOW) or attitude (WHY). However, the ability to have the positive Reward later is lost because of an action or attitude that deserves a negative Reward because it gains a positive Reward now. This has nothing to do with Salvation. You cannot earn your Salvation. You can earn Reward...Jesus says this.

Here is the same explanation using the word "value": The following verses show there is a value that is either obtained here and now OR later. The value is deserved because the individual gave a value (in action and/or attitude). However, the ability to use the value later is lost because the individual is using the value now through an action or attitude that is itself a value.

For example, in verse 1, the individual deserves a spiritual Reward for giving alms. However, the person gets their spiritual Reward now because they are seen by men. It is not necessarily bad to be seen by men. It is a spiritual Reward or value to be seen by men; so there is no spiritual Reward or value left.

Jesus is going to explain HOW/WHY we get Reward. HOW: DOING things (WHATS) out of sight of others so that (WHY) we don't get our Justice/Reward immediately from others.

In this chapter, Jesus will consistently present a Right WHAT with a Wrong HOW/WHY to show that the result is no Reward. Then He will present the SAME Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY that results in Reward. Clearly, Jesus is more focused on the HOW/WHY than the WHAT.

"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Verse 2)

This verse is a more specific explanation of verse 1 because it has an example. This example says the reason these hypocrites gave was so "that they may have glory of men". Jesus just showed an example of what was wrong. Now He's going to show a right way to do Verse 1.

"But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." (Verses 3 and 4)

Notice also that Jesus is giving a reason and a value.

Right WHAT: alms. Wrong HOW/WHY: sounding a trumpet. Right HOW/WHY: in secret so God will recompense...which is Justice.

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Verse 5)

Now the discussion has moved to prayer! Prayer is based on spiritual value. Notice, praying to be seen results in you getting your Reward now. This looks as if the prayer doesn't get answered because the value was received in a different manner.

Right WHAT: prayer. Wrong HOW/WHY: standing in front of people.

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." (Verses 6 and 7)

Right WHAT: prayer. Right HOW/WHY: shut the door to an inner chamber so God will recompense...which is Justice.

This looks as if you get your prayers answered (Reward) because the only way the value can come to you is in response to your prayer because you didn't get any value from others. The discussion then moves to vain ("not Profitable") repetitions.
Again, "vain" is a quantitative word. Jesus is saying that saying the same valueless things over and over does not result in getting our prayers answered.

Jesus took prayer one more step. He is speaking about another HOW/WHY. Wrong HOW: vain repetitions. Wrong WHY: they will be heard for much speaking.

"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." (Verse 8)

Jesus is saying that God knows what we need before we ask. So, the point so far is that saying the same thing over and over in public is not going to get our prayers answered. Also, since God knows what we need, is Jesus saying we shouldn't pray?

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Verse 9-15)

Jesus says we ought to pray even though God already knows what we need. This prayer is also known as "The Lord's Prayer". It is actually one of Jesus' hard sayings that we have looked at in one form or another throughout this work.

(As a refresher, take a look at some of the implications of what Jesus told us to pray. Jesus just got done talking about Reward, getting your prayers answered, and God knowing what we need. Jesus tells us to ask for these things because if we don't then they won't happen. Go through each request in the prayer and ask yourself WHY you have to ask for this?)

"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." (Verse 16)

Now Jesus has transitioned to fasting. Again, the example regards a hypocrite who gets their Reward now.

Right WHAT: fast. Wrong HOW/WHY: sad countenance so men know they fast so God will recompense...which is Justice.

"But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Verses 17 and 18)

Right WHAT: fast. Right HOW/WHY: don't look sad so that you don't get your Reward from men.

Notice, if you read this passage and substitute "unbeliever" in for "men", you will see that Jesus does NOT want you to get your Reward NOW from unbelievers (by lashing out at them)! Jesus ended the previous chapter stating that if you love your BRETHREN only, you don't get a Reward...because they will LOVE you back since they are believers. It looks like Jesus spoke specifically about believers and unbelievers and wanted us to know the difference.

Again, the example for you talks about not getting rewarded now. Jesus has given several examples that have followed the same pattern. It is time for Jesus to summarize His point.

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34-9 Conflicts

2008-07-22T17:48:00.018-05:00

In Matthew 18, Jesus gives a step-by-step process for resolving conflicts with other Christians. We’ve already seen that we are supposed to deal with our enemies by loving them. However, we don’t need to spend eternity with these individuals. We can let judgment fall on these people and it only benefits us. We become Profitable (Reward) off of our enemies.

However, when it comes to people we are supposed to spend eternity with, their judgment does affect us. (We covered this when we looked at Luke 17:3.) We need a better solution to dealing with people within the church so that Jesus’ “Bride” isn’t unprofitable. We need a perfect solution.

"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1)

Matthew 18 actually begins with a question from the disciples! All of what follows is in response to another question about value! Jesus reiterates that the greatest ought to be a servant. (We can't seem to get away from this point...yet today the majority still believe greatness is demonstrated by lack of servanthood, meekness, humbleness, etc!)

"Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire." (Matthew 18:8-9)

Jesus then goes into an explanation of Profitability. Again, Profitability (not appearance) is God's metric for greatness. The best way to be Profitable is to serve...to love. Jesus is setting up conflict resolution within the Church by establishing God's metric for greatness (Answer: Profitability) and God's metric for getting to Heaven (Answer: Profitability). This culminates in Jesus blatantly stating God's Objective (God's Will):

"Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)

Take some time to read the first fourteen verses of Matthew 18 to see HOW Jesus connects the concepts we have been talking about on Leadership. Notice, Jesus is going to teach something new to the disciples...and Jesus takes the time to set up the background (Right HOW/WHY). The foundation for conflict resolution involves serving, loving, Profitability, and God's Will: Reward and Salvation.

When people represent Jesus as being mysterious or appealing to our emotion or as primitive, they are proving they haven't read the Bible well or they are biased. Jesus was absolutely superior in His thought process...He is still beyond us with things He said and did 2000 years ago!

WHY haven't any characters been created recently that are beyond us? Aren't we smarter than people were 2000 years ago? Understanding all of this secures my faith Jesus actually existed because no person could have created a character 2000 years ago that is still beyond us.

Jesus is now ready to go deeper and begins this section with "MOREOVER..."

"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Matthew 18:15-17)

Jesus says that if a believer has wronged you, you need to tell him one on one. Notice, this is a requirement. We ought not let it go if a believer trespasses against us. In fact, we saw with Luke 17:3 that if they don’t repent, we ought not forgive them. That verse begins the same way as this one, with a believer trespassing against us, and also states we are required to confront them.

If they hear you, then the process is done: Let justice take over. If they don’t hear, then you need to get one or two more people and repeat the process. If the person still doesn’t hear you, then you are supposed to tell it to the Church. If the person doesn’t hear the Church, then he is supposed to be treated as a heathen. We have seen that this individual has lost their Salvation and is cut out of community.

Notice, this did not say he had to agree with you. Jesus never said that you should focus on resolving the issue and getting your justice. Again, Luke 17:3 gives the answer to what we ought to do if they hear and don’t confess: don’t forgive them…and that is the end of the matter.

This process is actually focused on benefiting the offending party! Your focus is love. That is, you are supposed to be concerned with the Profitability of the person who appears to be in the wrong.

Also, a more extreme version of "not hearing" you is not to meet with you. This passage could have just as easily said if they don't meet with you...however, it wouldn't have covered the case where they meet with you but don't hear you. There is no excuse for not hearing or meeting with you. The Bible says we shouldn't break bread or argue with Unprofitable people...this is after you have contrastively proven for yourself you are correct by meeting with them and hearing them out. You don't have to agree. You don't have to argue. You just have to be able to repeat back to them what they believe to their satisfaction.

Jesus is saying to act as a servant (Leader). Your goal is to facilitate the wrong doer’s Purpose and Progress. If he has done something wrong, you are supposed to make him aware of it so he can consciously make a choice whether he wants to make it right or not. This means he ought to be able to repeat to you what you believe about the situation well enough that you can admit he understands...and then the process ends even if he disagrees with you.

If he hears you and disagrees, then the matter is up to God and you’ve done your part. This is not an opportunity to embarrass the offender or control him. You shouldn’t forgive him because Luke 17:3 is telling you that since you are still in community with him, justice being taken out on him will negatively affect you…logical self-interest.

You are not obligated to carry out judgment because you might be wrong. Remember Jesus said your job is not to judge because it is Unprofitable for you. Your objective is to teach...to be Profitable. In fact, if the wronged person does hear you, doesn’t repent and ends up being in error, he will actually receive a bigger punishment and you will receive a bigger Reward.
If the offender doesn’t hear, even after the Church Leadership is involved, Jesus says they aren’t a part of the Church.

Essentially, Jesus is saying the person who isn’t willing to hear is Unprofitable and does not have what it takes to continue the journey. The person is expressing their will to pursue comfort and avoid growth. And like Jesus referenced in His foundation explanation, the Body is better off being without this heathen and making it to Heaven (being Profitable) than for the whole Body (Church) to suffer because they have a member who is so prideful he is unwilling to hear and makes the whole Body Unprofitable.

Notice, the final decision is left up to the Church and not you. You must give up your will before the process is over. Therefore, you also need to be ready to hear what the Church has decided if it doesn’t go your way.

This conflict resolution method is perfect. It is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY. It never exposes the wronged party to being in error and it accounts for a way (HOW) to help the apparent wrong doer (WHY). There isn’t a more Profitable way to resolve conflicts than for a wronged person to focus on facilitating the Purpose and Progress of their apparent wrong doer and leave the ultimate decision in the hands of a group focused on love.

We saw all of these sayings make sense when viewed with respect to Profitability...God's metric for Reward and Salvation (remember these two are completely separate).

However, these sayings are initially tough to understand and look contradictory because we believe God values appearance.
This may even make some people so uncomfortable they will try to change the meaning and/or words in the Bible to fit their perspective...to make a good appearance. When this happens it is proof we are following tradition in place of the Word of God.

Before we look at the second solution that would help us embrace God’s doctrine instead of man-made tradition, let’s summarize Leadership with a look at consecutive chapters in the Gospel.

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34-8 Expectations

2008-07-22T17:47:00.015-05:00

HOW does a Leader set expectations?

Recall that we said a Leader ought to be more excellent, not less. The highest expectations ought to be on the Leader!

A BOSS sets lower expectations on themselves...they want perks and benefits. Consequently, they set the highest expectations on the "lowest" people.

Jesus followed the Leader model when it came to setting expectations for others. Jesus is harder on those for which He has high expectations. Jesus is kindest to those for which He has low expectations. For instance, Jesus was hard on the Pharisees.

"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?" (Matthew 23:13-17)

Once again, Jesus gives an effect, then a reason and a value...then examples! This passage begins with Jesus stating that He saw the "greatest" as the one who would make themself a servant...and the one who exalts himself will be abased. This is Leader vs. BOSS. Then, in giving examples, Jesus is very hard on the Pharisees...in public!

The Pharisees should have known better. They should have realized they were hypocrites and fools. In fact, Jesus called them names! (In verse 33, Jesus also calls them "generation of vipers".) Jesus was a name-caller. How do we look at people who participate in name-calling?

"And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner." (Luke 7:36-39)

When people saw how Jesus treated the religious leaders, they really thought He would humiliate the prostitutes. In this passage, a Pharisee has Jesus (and disciples) come over to his house to eat. A sinner touches Jesus.

To a BOSS, this lowly person deserves to be publicly humiliated. The BOSS would humiliate this woman in order to feel better about himself. The BOSS would facilitate his own Purpose and Progress.

When Jesus doesn't humiliate the sinner, the Pharisee starts to question whether Jesus is a prophet. Notice, the jump in logic. Jesus' prophetic mantel is question because Jesus doesn't have the same perspective as the Pharisee. Take a moment to look at this example of a thought process.

The issue is whether Jesus is a prophet. The proof would be if Jesus knew this woman was a sinner. If the Pharisee thought like God, he would be contrastive and ask Jesus, "Do you know if this woman is a sinner or not?" Instead, the Pharisee thinks like a man and projects his perspective (values) onto Jesus..."if Jesus knew she was a sinner, Jesus wouldn't be nice to her...therefore Jesus is not a prophet."...and the whole time, the Pharisee is thinking that he is completely right.

Notice, the Pharisee says this within himself. The next part of the passage has Jesus "answering" him...Jesus is The Prophet. Take a moment to set this scene in your mind...Jesus turns to Simon to have the conversation with the Pharisee...

"And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged." (Luke 7:40-43)

Jesus just explained His perspective...that ought to be enough to answer the Pharisee's question. However, Jesus has higher expectations for the Pharisee. Again, take a moment to get this picture in your mind. Jesus is now going to look at the woman and talk to Simon...but we all know who Jesus is really talking to...

"And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." (Luke 7:44-50)

Jesus just explained in public that the prostitute was better than the Pharisee!

Let's look at expectations more closely before we examine another example of Jesus having expectations...

Love according to Jesus, John, and Paul is the giving of a value to a person WITHOUT EXPECTING that person to pay back.

Everytime someone gets angry, it is the result of that person having an expectation. We saw the key is to understand the difference between "expecting" and "hoping".

An "expectation" occurs when the person considers the future event as accomplished NOW. (Recall, we saw that expectations are when the person "enjoys the benefit" before the future event occurs. This is NOT faith.)

A "hope" is recognizing the future event isn't currently accomplished and may never be accomplished. (The person does NOT "enjoy the benefit" before the future event occurs. This is faith.)

The reason a person would have an expectation is so they could justly plan future events. For instance, if I was putting on an event that required spending money for advertising, I would have to expect that I had a facility reserved on a specific time and date that I would be guaranteed to use. It would be irresponsible to spend money on advertising and find out later that I was unable to use that facility at the date and time advertised.

If a person has a HOPE, then if nothing happens, the result is 0.
If a person has a HOPE and it happens, the result is +...they gained something.

The worst that can happen with a HOPE is 0 and the best is +. When a person has HOPE, they can't lose.

A person with an EXPECTATION has considered the event as having occurred. The person has "enjoyed" the value that they are EXPECTING to eventually receive.

If a person has an EXPECTATION and it happens, the result is 0.
If a person has an EXPECTATION, then if nothing happens, the result is -.

The worst that can happen with an EXPECTATION is - and the best is 0. When a person has EXPECTATIONS, they get the benefit BEFORE the event happens and the actual event can end in the apparent loss of a value.

Here is an interesting question: Are expectations wrong?

My answer: Expectations, in and of themselves, aren't right or wrong. I would say that having an expectation may lead to anger if the expectation is not met. In fact, the Bible states that God gets angry! HOW does that happen?

One example is Deuteronomy 29. God lists a series of warnings about following the gods from the land of Moab and tells Moses to tell the children of Israel what He said. After the warnings, verse 20 states this:

"The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven."

God expressed His expectations to Israel in the Torah through warnings. God essentially considered His Laws followed by Israel so He could dedicate resources towards planning the next series of events. When Israel does NOT abide by His expectations, He gets angry at Israel and He is NOT Unjust for dedicating resources ahead of time.

In all the examples I found of God getting angry, it was always preceded by God expressing His expectations to the judges (Moses in the passage above to be expressed to a group of people), kings, and priests in the Tanakh. When a Leader does NOT abide by His expectations, He gets angry at the Leader because of their role. Other than Leaders, it appears God does NOT get angry with unique individuals. God has expectations and gets angry at groups of people or individuals who have a responsibility within the group because they have a role in the group.

God loves everyone because He has no expectations for individuals as unique individuals. If God had an expectation for a unique individual (an individual that is NOT a part of the church or any other group), it would be the same as saying God considered the individual's giving of a value in the future as having given it now. If God acted on this, then it would be POSSIBLE for God to be Unjust because He would be crediting a value ahead of the actual occurrence. However, it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to be Unjust, so God does not have expectations for unique individuals.

God has expectations for groups of individuals...and He can get angry at groups. When God has expectations that can be seen as applying to individuals, it is because the individual is part of a group...whether they are a Leader or a member. The expectation for that individual would not exist if they weren't a member of the group.

We ought to be careful when we have expectations for individuals because it prevents us from loving them in that area.

How does God express these expectations?

God only puts Himself in the position of being able to get angry when it involves dealing with a group or a leader. In these cases, the individual is a servant...a member of a special group. God speaks to these people through commandments and laws. God expresses His expectations through commandments and laws.

This explains the following passage from Jesus' Mouth:

Luke 17
"9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."

God does not thank the servant for doing the things that were commanded. God already considers them done! So, God's expectations in the Bible always follow an expression of a commandment or Law by God.

However, God's expectations can make us Profitable...in fact, our expectation may make others Profitable!...not ourselves. THAT would be the sign of a Leader...

Remember, the individual who has the expectation, already considers the result a done deal. So, when the event does or doesn't happent, the best is a 0 and the worst is a - for the individual that has the expectation. However, the individual who accomplished the expectation has gained experience, perhaps even understanding...it is possible for this individual to become Profitable.

Now, let's look at the passage that really throws people...

"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." (Matthew 16:21-23)

Jesus called Peter "Satan"...there is no getting around this. Talk about name-calling! Is there anything Jesus could have said that would have potentially been more hurtful? The embodiment of Righteous and Just called one of His disciples the embodiment of Evil!

I have heard people try to explain that Jesus wasn't talking to Peter...He was actually talking to Satan. Was Peter possessed? How exactly do you get that interpretation from this passage? I believe the cause for attempting that interpretation is a skewed perspective on Leadership and Profitability. If a person believes Jesus taught that Leaders ought to be less excellent, then that interpretation would be consistent. However, we have seen Jesus had higher expectations for people He saw as more excellent.

This passage would actually make the case that Jesus saw Peter as His strongest disciple. Peter was strong enough to take the ultimate name-calling incident! WHY did Jesus do it?

First, the effect of what Peter was rebuking Jesus about would have been the ultimate in Unprofitability. It was the ultimate evil. Second, Jesus’ focus was Peter’s Purpose and Progress. Jesus saw Peter as a Leader in the group...not as an individual. Jesus said it out of love because He was trying to help Peter. Jesus did not gain from this exchange...Peter did.

However, this is the opposite of the way we think today. The “best” people in our society tend to think they shouldn’t have to take any criticism. These “leaders” get offended. The cause of this is pride and insecurity.

Look at athletes or entertainers. They get paid millions of dollars for their ability to use their physical gifts to entertain us, yet they get offended or quit if they are criticized. All they are really doing is showing us they aren’t looking Long Term. They are actually less excellent...they just appear to be excellent.

Jesus objective for all of us is Profitability, not appearance. Jesus was tougher on people He saw as greater. (John 15 says the Profitable branch is cut so it can produce more.) Jesus had higher expectations for people who He saw as more excellent.

Next Section at Book Level: Conflicts

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-7 The Objective

2008-07-22T17:47:00.013-05:00

What did Jesus say was His objective?

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many". (Matthew 20:25-28)

Just like we have been saying, Jesus sees Leadership and greatness as facilitating the Purpose and Progress of others...as serving others. There is no short-term benefit or perks for Jesus mentioned in this passage. In fact, it is the opposite...you ought not have any perks or benefits if you are a Leader...Leadership is a responsibility.

"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three." (Luke 12:51-52)

This is one of the hard verses from Jesus. When pastors and teachers say that Jesus came so that we would have peace and agreement, Jesus own words contradict these "Christian"(?) BOSSES.

"Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:28-29)

Jesus specifically says that He doesn't do anything that would bring Him any credit. His objective is to serve. This means serve God (First Command) and the effect is to serve others (Second Command). What benefit did Jesus receive while He was on earth leading us? How do "Christian" books rationalize perks and benefits for our current "Christian" BOSSES when the Bible says Leadership is a responsibility?

"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" (John 7:16-19)

There is a lot in this short passage!

First, Jesus was all about His Father's objective. Second, Jesus tells us to be all about His Father's objective. Third, notice how Jesus motivates us to do His request (HOW)? He gives a reason WHY (who you speak of tells if you are in pride or not...whose glory you are seeking) and a value (no unrighteousness)! Finally, He backs this up with an example using Moses and Jesus' current timeframe! Jesus actually gave reasons, values, and examples!

What was God's objective? Let’s look at a passage of the Bible verse by verse. I’m going to leave off the “address” of this passage until the end, so you can focus on each section and not get distracted by where it is going…

"Verily, verily, I say unto you thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?"

First of all, Jesus talks about knowing (Right HOW/WHY) what He is talking about. This is the foundation of this entire passage. Jesus says He wasn't believed when He stated objective facts.

Then Jesus goes practical! Jesus essentially says, "Now stay with me on this...if I told you about things we all know to be objectively true and you didn’t believe that (the undeniable stuff that takes no faith!), then you explain to Me how you are going to believe spiritual things...things that take faith...things that you can't see!!!!!

This small portion of this teaching is light-years ahead of what we experience today! We can't even get some "Christians" to admit things that are objectively factual...HOW could we ever have discussion about the truly important things?

WHY don't we know about this passage? WHY don't people reference this passage? Maybe it is in some dark corner of the Gospels...you know, NOT next to anything important or often quoted. Let's see what the next verse is...

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

Wait! Jesus isn't done explaining and building a case! This part is "better" than the previous portion!

First, Jesus gives a reason WHY He would know what He is talking about (HOW). Then He gives a value (eternal life), but not before linking himself to Moses and the lifting up...just like the previous passages we have shared in this chapter! Jesus is giving reasons...He is appealing to our logic! Jesus presents a Right WHAT (eternal life) with a Right HOW/WHY!

Surely, this passage ought to be well known and quoted. However, it must be far away from anything we as Christians would quote. All of what has been quoted from this passage is the cause...it is the reason HOW/WHY. What is the next verse? What is the effect? What is the WHAT?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

OUCH!!!! This is God's objective (Right WHAT) and a lot of people can't explain the foundation (Right HOW/WHY) behind this objective...they prove it every time they behave like a BOSS.

Worse yet, the next verse is equally important because it restates God's objective in terms of WHAT it is not:

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:11-17)

Jesus saw it necessary to state God's objective comparatively and contrastively! If someone is following God's objective would they condemn the world? Did Jesus condemn the world? Did Jesus act like a BOSS? Was Jesus focused on "fear of loss"?

Or did Jesus focus on giving a reason (Right HOW/WHY) and a value? Did Jesus act like a Leader? Was Jesus focused on "achieving gain" (growth) and appealing to us through logic (Right HOW/WHY)?

Jesus' objective while He was on earth was to serve. He was a true Leader because His objectives were to facilitate the Purpose and Progress of others. There were no perks or benefits to Jesus...it was all a burden. Leadership is a responsibility. The most often quoted Right WHAT of the Bible by "Christians" is built on the foundation of understanding the HOW/WHY...something most "Christians" and BOSSES are unable to do! HOW and WHY would we expect these people to be able to receive and help others with Salvation?

There are some who will say that is a fact, but it was not Jesus' Long Term (ultimate) objective. His ultimate objective was to be the Leader in His Kingdom. However, they would also say His ultimate objective was to be in charge...and that certainly benefited Him. These people would say that ultimately, Jesus' Leadership is about perks and benefits. It is not a burden. It is not a responsibility.

Let's look at Jesus' Long Term objective...

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10-12)

Notice, from the first announcement to mankind, Jesus' earthly objective is stated (Saviour)…and there is objective proof given (a sign). However, there is an announcement about Jesus that precedes this one by hundreds of years and it has the same sort of phrasing "unto you is born"...

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The Zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Notice, this is Jesus' Long Term objective! We saw that Jesus said He didn’t come to bring peace, but division. That (division) was His objective while on earth. His Long Term objective results in peace...in fact, the increase of His peace will have no end. This passage specifically speaks about Jesus and His Kingdom...His Long Term objective.

The passage talks about the government (singular) being on His shoulders...and the increase of His government (singular) having no end. This is not referring to anytime where there is more than one nation. This can only refer to the time when there is only one government...eternity in Heaven. So, is this the perk and benefit people are talking about?

Read the passage closely...the government is on His shoulder...Jesus is under everything He is governing! The government is not under His feet. He is not using the government as a footstool. Jesus is supporting the government...He is serving it. If you don't believe this, let's look at the word for "shoulder"...

Shoulder in this passage is Strong's #7926 shekem - "from 7925; the neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens."

7925 shakam - "(a prim. root); to incline (the shoulder to a burden); literally to load up (on the back of man or beast)"

Jesus' ultimate Long Term objective is a burden. He is the ultimate Leader because He bears everyone’s burden for eternity...and it is only going to continually increase without end.

Remember, doctrine #2 says eternity is Church and Marriage. So, Jesus “serves” the Church in His Marriage. Men are Leaders…this means they do what is in the best interest of the wife. They are masculine…they put the interest of others ahead of themselves.

Tradition says men are BOSSES in their marriages and get the perks of putting their own interests above everyone else’s. This tradition is Unprofitable. This traditional understanding of Leadership makes the Word and Will of God of none effect.

Let’s look at two more Leadership areas that result in Unprofitability when tradition is embraced in place of God’s doctrine: expectations and conflict resolution.

Next Section at Book Level: Expectations

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-6 A Reason and a Value

2008-07-22T17:46:00.024-05:00

Recall, the Pharisees came to power apart from the Word of God. By the time Jesus was born, Israel was politically under the one superpower that exists (Rome) and religiously under a group (Pharisees) that followed tradition instead of the Word of God in order to stay in power. This religious group believed in a doctrine that resembled Calvinism. (Do you think circumstances are different today for Christians?) Now we can look at how Jesus led people who had tradition in the place of the Word of God...

When it comes to influencing people, there are three basic ways Leaders do this:
1. Threaten them physically
2. Appeal to their emotions
3. Give them fair value

Let's look at each interaction from the perspective of Profitability.

The first way is to threaten someone physically. "Give me that or I'll hurt you." If I threaten you with physical harm, then I am requesting a value in exchange for not hurting you. Basically, I am asking for a value and promising you I won't take a value from you. The extreme case of this would be to put a gun to your head and threaten your existence.

When you give me a value, are you getting a value? Some would say, "yes", because you didn't lose your existence. In this case, however, you had your physical existence before our encounter, so, technically, you didn't gain anything. You didn't lose your physical existence and you lost the value I requested. This encounter results in my gaining a value and your loss of a value. We called this “fear of loss”…authority based on an effect. This is a Wrong WHAT (take a value) with a Wrong HOW/WHY (by force for the benefit of the Boss).

The second way is to appeal to you emotionally. "Please give it to me. Be a nice person, not a mean person." Some people call this begging. What I am really doing is asking for a value and promising you that you won't feel bad. Again, are you receiving a value? Some would say you are because you are not feeling bad; however, I would say you didn't feel bad before the encounter, so the non-loss of this value is not the same as gaining a value. If you give me a value I begged for, this encounter results in my gaining a value and your loss of a value.

Another version of this second way is to be a BOSS: "Do this because I said so! I don't have to give you a reason!" This is a Right WHAT (give a value) with a Wrong HOW (emotional blackmail) and NO WHY (no reason). This is DECEPTION! (Loyalty also fits in this category. Recall that we saw that loyalty is also deception.)

The third way would be for me to offer something you valued in exchange for the value I was requesting from you. In the end, we both become Profitable or we don't do the deal. This is a Right WHAT (give a value) with a Right HOW/WHY (through understanding and uniqueness for mutual benefit). This is the only moral way to interact with others. We must offer people something in exchange for what we want.

Profitability and uniqueness (Right HOW) allow us to do this in a fashion that both gain out of the encounter because we all value things differently. Truth also played a role in the creation of Profitability because we appealed to each other through reason (Right WHY). The first two methods did not involve truth and therefore didn't result in Profitability. Actually, both of those non-profitable exchanges will get rectified in the end through justice.

Now the key question: “What kind of Leader is Jesus?”

Does He threaten us physically and work on us through authority? (Wrong WHAT).

Does He appeal to our emotions and tell us to do things without a reason because He said so? (Right WHAT with a WRONG HOW and NO WHY).

Does He appeal to us through reason and the giving of a value? (Right WHAT and Right HOW/WHY)

According to the Bible, what kind of Leader is Jesus? Does He threaten people? This mentality would make Jesus a slave owner and us slaves. We know He is against physical force of any kind. In fact, He does not condone any physical response, even in self-defense. Jesus does this because He understands Justice will give us a bigger value in the end.

Also, Jesus said those who lived by the sword, died by the sword. (Matthew 26:52) That means those who repaired themselves by threatening others would eventually lose their ability to repair themselves because there is always someone more forceful. Jesus did NOT appeal to us with a Wrong WHAT.

Does Jesus play on our emotions and not give reasons to support His beliefs? This would make Jesus a BOSS and a DECEIVER. The overwhelming majority of people believe this is HOW Jesus leads! In fact, they believe this is HOW we are supposed to follow Jesus today. When you ask them WHY they are supposed to love their enemies, they say, “Because Jesus said so.”

That is a fact, but the question is “WHY did Jesus say to do it?” Most people think that Jesus didn’t tell us WHY. They think Jesus leads with NO WHY! We’ve already seen that we are supposed to love our enemies for the sake of Justice. It is one way we can get a value from God and bring judgment on our enemies.

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” (Luke 6:35)

Jesus offers a reason (Right WHY) and a value (Right HOW) for His request. Clearly, Jesus leads in a moral fashion. Notice this style of Leadership allows him to lead us today. Jesus gives value for value. He appeals to our reason and knows the “WHY”. Jesus presents a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY! In fact, Jesus is very intentional. He never does anything without a purpose. Jesus very clearly has a “scientific” perspective. There is nothing random or unintentional about him.

He knows his purpose for everything He does. His goal is for everything He does to yield a Profit. This means everything. In fact, He said we would have to give account for every idle (Unprofitable) word we utter. (Matthew 12:36)

Jesus always offers a value when He requests a value. This proves to us that Jesus is the ultimate Leader. In fact, there is another proof, however, it consists of WHY Jesus is NOT a BOSS...

One of the things I’ve noticed about BOSSES is they are focused on appearance (WHAT). Remember, appearance can never be perfect. It is very easy for someone to point out what doesn’t appear perfect. However, I’ve noticed that BOSSES believe they are giving a value when they do this. Whether it is pointing out a crooked picture, a wrapper on the ground, or even dust in a hard to reach place, people who believe this is WHY they deserve to be in authority are proving they are BOSSES.

Remember, Jesus was not focused on appearance at all. Jesus did NOT do the proof of being a BOSS at all.

For the rest of this chapter, we are going to see that the Bible documents Jesus always influencing people with a reason and a value, despite our traditional belief that we should just do it because Jesus (and the Bible) said so. I think you will be surprised not only at how consistent Jesus is at giving a reason and a value for His request, but also how consistent current teachers are for presenting a Jesus that does not give a reason and operates like a BOSS by threatening people with fear of loss.

Leaders operate according to causality...they provide the cause in order to get the desired effect. They can present a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY.

BOSSES operate opposite of causality...they attempt to get the effect without providing a reason or a cause. They operate with a Right WHAT and a Wrong HOW and NO WHY.

One of my favorite tests in this area is to ask people to finish the following scripture…

When the rich man came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do so that he may have eternal life, Jesus listed Commandments. (Remember this moment takes place during the time of the Law.) Eventually, Jesus goes further and talks about what it takes to be perfect. (Matthew 19:16-21)

“If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give it to the poor and…”

What is the next thing Jesus says? Take a moment and finish this verse for yourself before reading the next paragraph.
If you said, “…then follow me”, this would mean that Jesus wanted the man to give a value (Right WHAT) and not get anything in return (Wrong HOW/WHY).

This would make Jesus a BOSS that plays on emotions and doesn’t give reasons or value for the value He receives. This would make Jesus a DECEIVER. If you looked up the passage, you will notice that Jesus says, “…and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”

Jesus offered a value (treasure in heaven) that is actually more beneficial in the Long Term than the value the rich man would have given up. Jesus offered the Right HOW/WHY!

Jesus is perfect.

We are going to look at how Jesus would do the things we’ve already covered in the previous sections. We’re going to find out His way is the ultimate version of everything we’ve already learned. It is the way that would yield the maximum Profit…and that is what proves to us He is perfect. Jesus supplied the Right HOW/WHY!

In this instance, Jesus gives the rich young man the ultimate way (HOW) for him to achieve the maximum Long Term Profit. Notice the method is dependent on the uniqueness of the individual. Selling all that he had and giving it to people who couldn’t pay him back (the poor) would cause (Right WHY) Justice to give the rich man the maximum value in Heaven. In addition, following Jesus would cause him (Right WHY) to accumulate even more value. There is no other way for the rich man to gain more Long Term value apart from what Jesus told him!

Notice, this is NOT necessarily true for everyone. When the man that Jesus cast a legion of demons out of tried to follow Jesus, He told him to go home and tell his family and friends what happened (Matthew 5:18-19). This is a different HOW/WHY...and it is a Right HOW/WHY in this instance because it takes into account the uniqueness of the individual!

As the ultimate example of a Leader, Jesus appeals to the self-interest in others. He shows people what they can gain in the Long Term by doing what He says: He gives a reason (cause) and a value. This reason and value are specific to the individual. It is grace and according to the uniqueness of the individual.

Notice, Jesus does not appeal to people through altruism...this falls under the second way to influence people, which we called "begging", and saw was the method used by a BOSS. This is a Right WHAT (give) with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY. Altruism is DECEPTION. Jesus doesn't say, "I don't care HOW you do it, just give me the “effects"...the WHAT". Jesus does not say give (Right WHAT) and you won’t get anything in return (Wrong HOW/WHY).

A lot of people preach an altruistic (begging...Right-Wrong) Jesus. They will even tell you not to be "selfish". Yet somewhere in their presentation they eventually contradict themselves by appealing to (and counting on) your "selfishness" in order to get you to follow them! They will eventually try to convince you by showing you the value you will receive.

More interestingly, they won't allow the same altruistic technique they preach to work on them. Try this the next time someone preaches the merits of "altruism" to you...ask them for money. Notice, the first thing they will say to you: "WHY should I give you money?" If you do it quick enough, the person may set a World Record for hypocrisy! The second they asked WHY, they were denying altruism.

The truth is that every dictator that has ever existed starts off as an emotional BOSS...an "altruistic leader"...a DECEIVER. They tell the people to think of others above themselves (Right WHAT) and not get anything in return but a good feeling (Wrong HOW/WHY). Soon after people give into this feeling, the dictator says he has to force people to be good and the dictatorship is born. For example who stated the following?:

"It is thus necessary that the individual should finally come to realize that his own ego is of no importance in comparison with the existence of his nation; that the position of the individual ego is conditioned solely by the interests of the nation as a whole...that above all the unity of a nation's spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual...

"This state of mind, which subordinates the interests of the ego to the conservation of the community, is really the first premise ...The basic attitude from which such activity arises, we call -- to distinguish it from egoism and selfishness -- idealism. By this we understand only the individual's capacity to make sacrifices for the community, for his fellow men."

What is wrong with this? Aren't we supposed to be unselfish? Isn't that a Right WHAT? Aren't we just supposed to produce a requested effect without getting a logical reason and a value? The speaker of the quote? Adolf Hitler, October 7, 1933. When people preach an altruistic Jesus, they are saying Jesus used the same methods as Hitler.

It would seem to me that we would have realized this by now and demonized this emotional tactic. Yet, all groups, both religious and worldly leaders, consistently use it to get their way. This method is focused on an effect. It has a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY.

Jesus doesn’t want a dictatorship. He has a reason (WHY) for everything He does (HOW) and He’s constantly focused on appealing to your self-interest. Jesus is a perfect Leader because He is a servant: He facilitates the purpose and progress of others and He appeals to others by what helps them make progress. Jesus is Right-Right.

Before we finish this section, let me be perfectly clear about "selfishness". Some people say we are not supposed to be "selfish". However, we are supposed to do what benefits us most in the Long Term. The cause of the confusion is that people don’t distinguish between short-term and Long Term benefits…that is, people don't think and use their words in a non-contradictory manner.

For instance, having an affair may benefit a woman in the short-term, but is that really in her self-interest? Does she really want to have guilt, make the effort to hide her actions, and eventually deal with God because she broke her vow to her husband? No, it would be in her Long Term self-interest to not have an affair. She is actually being "selfish" when she doesn’t have an affair.

However, when most people say “selfish”, what they mean is short-term self-interest. The problem is they demonize people who focus on Long Term selfishness. If they mean we should not focus on our Long Term self-interest, they are contradicting Jesus.

The Bible records that Jesus appealed to our Long Term benefit (Right HOW/WHY)...especially when it came to Salvation (right WHAT). In addition, what is the ultimate Long Term best interest of an individual while on earth? The First Command…which results in taking direction from God and becoming who he was created to be. This would require a person to focus on himself through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus leads us by appealing to our Long Term self-interest (Right WHAT) with logic (Right WHY) according to the uniqueness of the individual (Right HOW).

Next Section at Book Level: The Objective

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-5 God's Leaders

2008-07-22T17:46:00.021-05:00

The first thing most people think about in the Bible when you say "leader" is "king". Technically, Israel's first experience with a king was in Egypt: "And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt." (Genesis 41:46)

Israel were slaves most of the time they spent in Egypt under Pharaoh. If you read Exodus, you will see spending hundreds of years in slavery and being miraculously delivered out of bondage did not hinder them from considering going back. This is important to realize, because it gives some perspective on the story of how Israel ended up with their first king...

After Israel was delivered out from under a king (Pharaoh), God led them in the desert: "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." (Exodus 13:21-22)

Moses was their judge during this time. When Moses died, Joshua became their judge...and they entered the promised land. When Joshua died, Israel was led by God through a series of judges. Hence, the book that follows "Joshua" in the Old Testament is called "Judges". However, all of this changes in I Samuel 8:

"And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment." (vv. 1-3)

KEY POINTS
-Samuel's sons were already judges in Beersheba and they had proven they weren't worthy of being Leader...they facilitated their own Purpose and Progress by taking bribes.
-WHY didn't Samuel know this?
-Did Samuel know this and was giving them the chance to prove themselves?
-What is the peoples' solution?

"Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and they sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like the nations." (vv 4-5)

KEY POINTS
-The elders of Israel ask Samuel for a king!
-The elders of Israel wanted to be like the other nations.
-Notice, the first half of what they said was the issue ("sons walk not in thy ways"), the second half was a solution ("make us a king to judge us like the nations").
-It is great to identify the issue. However, if we get locked into a solution of our own making, then we are not relying on God.
-Kings are man’s solution, NOT God’s. Said another way, kings are an effect of man’s doctrine/tradition.

"But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." (vv. 6-7)

KEY POINTS
-Normally, I don't interrupt God, but I don't want us to lose the huge insight these verses give us before we get more huge insight into God.
-Samuel is displeased with their solution...not the issue (because he knew the issue was a fact).
-Samuel prays to God.
-In “Modeling God”, we covered the Biblical model for prayer. The summary is that prayer involves four steps: 1)Praising God, 2)Building faith, 3)Referencing justice, 4)Making a request. The making of the request ought to be the statement of your will that you want to use the value you've obtained through justice. It ought not be the specific solution, otherwise, you are relying on yourself and limiting God's ability to solve the problem. (I realize this sounds different that what you've probably heard about prayer, but every other explanation contradicts the Bible.)
-GOD is showing Samuel (and us) how He handles prayer!!!!...and wants Samuel to act in His place in this story.
-God "hearkens unto the people in all that they say".
-God says the people haven’t rejected Samuel, but God Himself (because the people created their own solution instead of leaving it to God).
-God says the solution of the people (“kings”) will lead to God not reigning over them. If someone says God wants kings or that kings are a part of God’s Will, they are contradicting God’s Word.

Now, back to God...He is still speaking:

"According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them." (vv. 8-9)

KEY POINTS
-God is showing the role of "justice" when He says "according to all the works".
-God is going back to when they were brought out of Egypt...God has been leading them "officially" since that day.
-God is giving the WHY...He is not hiding “why” He's doing what He is doing from Samuel or us!
-MY FAVORITE PART: God tells Samuel to protest! God is telling Samuel to disagree (give them resistance) and do what they ask. God knows this is a bad decision on the part of Israel. This doesn't mean God just does it...that would be unjust. God shares His perspective. That doesn't mean God just overrides their will to do the right thing...that would be unjust. God shares His perspective and does what is the will of the individual after the individual has had an opportunity to listen...it is not up to God whether the individual actually listens.
-God also tells Samuel to show them what manner of king will reign over them. This will be in sharp contrast to God and allow the people to state their will with full knowledge.
-God has made them aware after they state their will and then let's them knowingly state their will.
-When you pray, make sure you aren’t stating a solution. You want to give God room to work and prove you are trusting God.
-Whether you state a solution or not, make sure you take time during your prayer to hear from God because after you state your will, God will give you more insight (especially if you are wrong)...but you have to be willing to listen. (Watch people pray if you don't believe most people still consider prayer to be a one-way conversation...)

"And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said this will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you:..." (vv 9-10)

Then Samuel goes through a list that includes:
-He will take your sons for himself for the king’s: chariots, horsemen, harvest, and instruments of war.
-He will take of your daughters to be cooks.
-He will take of your property and give to his servants.
-He will take a tenth of your seed and give to his officers and servants.
-He will take your servants and put them to work.
-He will take a tenth of your sheep.
-You will be his servants.

This list shows that the king is not a Leader...everything is going to facilitate the king's purpose and progress at the expense of the "followers". Then Samuel concludes the list with a warning:

"And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day." (v. 18)

This arrangement was NOT in God's Will! God did not want Israel to be like the other nations and have a king. Again, anyone who preaches or teaches that God wanted Israel to have a king is contradicting the Bible. What was the peoples' response to this list and warning?

"Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles." (v. 19)

Notice the people have stated their will they want a man in place of God...they want a man to do the things that they had relied on God for so that they could be like other nations. This is another example of embracing tradition (king) over faith (unseen God). Faith mixed with God’s Word is Profitable (Leader). Tradition (BOSS) makes the Word and Will of God of none effect.

They had God on their side (more than that, as their Leader!) and they chose the way of the world. Remember, the Israelites who made it out of bondage to the king of Egypt were willing to go back into bondage. That also was an example of how people value the world ("pots of meat") over following God. Perhaps an Israelite king who would put them in "bondage" didn't look so bad compared to the last king they had...

"And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city." (vv. 21-22)

God did not intend for us to be led by a king. (This is tradition.)

God did not intend for us to be led by a human. (This is man’s doctrine.)

God intended for us to be led by Him and today that is known as grace.

Next Section at Book Level: A Reason and a Value

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-4 Leaders Acting as Bosses

2008-07-22T17:46:00.020-05:00

There are times a Leader ought to act as a BOSS. It depends on the job and the person doing that job. Let’s look more closely at “jobs”…

Every job is a combination of task aspects and understanding aspects.

Tasks are the things that just about anyone can do. These aspects can be written down and tend to be physical. For example, although it is not completely a task job, you can write a description for a janitor. For the most part, anyone can do this job by following a written description. Task aspects don't involve a lot of intentional thinking.

On the other hand, a teacher's job is mostly understanding. You could try to write down a description for what to do, but it wouldn't take long for something to happen that isn't specifically covered in the description. In order to do this job, the teacher has to intentionally think.

Leaders ought to handle people doing understanding aspects, because you can't force people to think intentionally. It isn't Profitable to stand over these people and threaten them. While, task aspects are an ideal situation for a BOSS, Leaders can also manage task aspects. Let's look more closely at the people...

When people who perform tasks don't respond to a Leader, they could be saying they need a reason (WHY). The Leader can give them the WHY. However, a BOSS is unable to give a reason (WHY). The BOSS will respond with a statement (WHAT) along with injecting more energy into the followers through force…through "authority". The BOSS will inflict pain...with a threat to take a value. Let’s get back to the Leader…

If the follower still doesn't respond to the Leader who gives a reason (WHY), the follower is saying he is in need of outside energy. It is only then that it may be necessary for a Leader to become a BOSS and supply that energy. However, unlike the BOSS, this is done in love. That is, this is done with an attitude that benefits the follower. No “fear of loss” like the BOSS. Also the Leader doesn't get offended or feel disrespected if the follower doesn't respond.

Now we see the only case where a Leader acts like a BOSS: If the follower can't or doesn't respond to reason/logic (HOW/WHY). Notice, this can also apply to the follower being unable to respond to reason/logic because the individual lacks understanding, purpose, or time. The Leader is actually doing the follower a favor by using "authority" (stating a WHAT). However, the Leader now has the responsibility of being right, because if they are wrong, justice will require a value from the Leader. Let’s look at some examples...

A doctor in an emergency room may need to act as a BOSS when they don't have time to give a reason (WHY). A parent can become a BOSS, especially if the child is doing something that will hurt himself in the Long Term. For instance, if a child were going to be hit by a car, you wouldn't reason (WHY)with the child. You would physically move him or yell at him (WHAT). However, for most of us, these situations are few and far between.

We’ve seen that love is the ultimate attribute. Love guides Leaders. Love is the giving of a value without expecting anything from that person. A Leader first checks every sentence and action with the question, “Who is benefiting from what I’m about to say or do?” The Leader only continues if others benefit.

Love is focused on benefiting others, just as a Leader facilitates the Purpose and Progress of others. This increases the Profitability of individuals, as well as the community. What greater value could you give to someone? Can you see how rare this is? Can you see why we are in need of Leaders?

The other half of "giving a value" is to "willingly receive negative value". Love is also the receiving of a negative value (pain) from someone willingly (without trying to even it out). (Remember Jesus telling us to love our enemies?) That's WHY we called "bearing pain" the effect of being a Leader.

Parenting is the most obvious example. Before children can reason (WHY), the only way you can lead them is by being a BOSS (WHAT). You can’t really explain to them WHY they should do WHAT they were told to do. They learn by getting punished or denied a value because of what they didn’t do.

If the goal of the parents is to raise the child into becoming self sufficient, they will first approach the child from a Leader perspective. They will reason (WHY) with the child. They will account for uniqueness and determine what motivates the child. If the child doesn’t respond, then the parents will approach the child as a BOSS. For instance, the parent may first try to show the child WHY it would be best for him to stop bothering his sister before physically separating the child from his sister.

I realize being a BOSS is easier for the parents. They get WHAT they personally want more quickly. They don’t have to give a reason WHY. Both of these are definitions of being a BOSS. However, if the parents fail to adjust over time, the child may end up not valuing growth, thinking, or morality. Worse yet, Justice may demand that God act like a BOSS with the parents! After all, the parents are showing God HOW they want to be led by their Heavenly Father.

Another example deals with church leadership. For instance, how does the "leader" of your church motivate people to tithe? The "authority" method would just take it out of your paycheck. The BOSS method would tell you it is a law (WHAT). They would tell you to do it and appeal to your emotions through guilt. They would show you what you lose if you don't do it.

The Leader would realize tithing is a principle. He would appeal to your best interests by showing you HOW/WHY you gain if you do it. He would use reason (HOW/WHY)and explain the value you get.

Tithing is part of The Law. We are under no obligation to tithe because we are not under the Law. However, the principle of tithing is true. God blesses those who tithe and have a good attitude. Tithing follows the Reward Model.

Remember, the Spiritual aspect is most important to God. The giving of money to God is an effect of a Spiritual cause.

Actually, it always was…it’s just that now we have the opportunity to be blessed (gain) because it is not a law (fear of loss), it is a principle.

There are a lot of things that Jesus tells us to do for our benefit (gain), but people seem to still interpret it as a law and use it as a threat.

Next Section at Book Level: God's Leaders

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-2 Leader Definition

2008-07-22T17:45:00.017-05:00

We saw that God created each of us with unique abilities. We called this the ARE...who God created you to BE.

We also saw that the effects of this ARE comes out in four areas: mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. When the ARE comes out in these areas, we call this the “personality".

The ARE is a cause and the personality is an effect. We can know who we ARE...it takes an eternity to learn a personality. We can know who God is...however, it will take an eternity to learn His Personality.

We've also seen that a personality can be Profitable or Unprofitable over the Long Term. When the ARE comes out it is Profitable. When something other than your ARE (your flesh) comes out it is Unprofitable.

So, everyone is "ARE" and "personality"...everyone is PURPOSE and PROGRESS.

When I counsel people, the first thing I do is find out if the problem is Purpose: Does the person know who they were created to be? Does the person have an objective? If not, then I work at helping the person determine their Purpose.

If the person knows their Purpose, then the problem is Progress...they aren't making any progress or they aren't making it fast enough. I help them become more Profitable...I help them make Progress.

People who know their Purpose and are making acceptable Progress don't need counseling! This brings us to the definition of Leader...

LEADER - One who facilitates the Purpose and Progress of others.

There are a lot of ways to "facilitate" the Purpose and Progress of others. We will cover these later. For now, notice that the measure of a Leader is determined by whom is benefiting. Notice also, this definition is completely compatible with love. (The giving of a value without expecting anything back from the receiver.)

Some people have identified this and called it "servant leadership". This is like saying "unconditional love"...what kind of love is conditional? What kind of leader isn’t a servant?

Leadership involves serving. Everything else is being a boss, a tyrant, a dictator, etc.

Whose Purpose and Progress was Hitler facilitating? Whose Purpose and Progress was Satan facilitating? Whose Purpose and Progress was Jesus facilitating?

"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." (John 13:1)

This is how the chapter describing Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet begins. After Jesus washes the disciples' feet, the story continues in verse 12:

"So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." (John 13:12-15)

Jesus gave them an objective example at the very end of His time on earth that being a Leader (Master and Lord) means serving others. What immediate benefit did Jesus get from washing the disciples' feet? What immediate benefit did Jesus get from anything He did?

For now, let me state that I tend to categorize people as Leaders and Bosses.

BOSS - One who facilitates their own Purpose and Progress at the expense of others.

Which one do you think Jesus was: LEADER or BOSS? Which one do you think Jesus has called you to be? Which one do "Christian" authors tell you to be?

Notice, Jesus calls us all to be Leaders. It is possible for all of us to facilitate the Purpose and Progress of others. It is not possible for all of us to facilitate our own Purpose and Progress at the expense of others. Did Jesus call us to be Leaders or Bosses? Do current books on “Leadership” tell us to be Leaders or Bosses?

Next Section at Book Level: Effect of Leadership

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-3 Effect of Leadership

2008-07-22T17:45:00.016-05:00

People seem to like the effects list like the “Managers vs. Leaders” list found earlier in this chapter. My effects list for "Leaders vs Bosses" has only one effect.

LEADERS bear pain, they don't inflict pain.

BOSSES inflict pain, they don't bear pain.

Unfortunately, a lot of people see inflicting pain as the main benefit of being a "Leader". It seems most people want to be in charge so that they can order people around (for their own benefit). In fact, some people want this so much, they are willing to let others order them around now if it means they will get to order others around later. I call it the "frat mentality"..."I let the seniors abuse me so that someday I can abuse freshmen." OR "I won't question the people in charge so that one day when I'm in charge people won't be able to question me."

I've even heard people rationalize this mentality by calling it the "perks of leadership". If a book states that Leaders ought to be obeyed or not questioned, it is really encouraging people to be Bosses (authority). There are no perks with Leadership. We will see from the Bible that being a Leader is a responsibility, not an entitlement.

In fact, now is the perfect time to bring up a deception that most "leaders" present: LOYALTY.

The word "loyalty" and the concept of loyalty are NOT in the Bible. Loyalty is a man-made doctrine that ministers project onto God. What is loyalty?

Loyalty is supporting someone BECAUSE they are wrong!

Loyalty is a Right WHAT (supporting someone) with a Wrong HOW/WHY (because they are wrong). This is deception!

Notice, supporting someone because they are right is not loyalty. Also, confronting someone who is wrong is not loyalty. Loyalty is ONLY mentioned when someone wants support when they are wrong. Loyalty is looking for AGREEMENT because the person is wrong. Loyalty is only mentioned when a "leader" wants to threaten someone...

Leaders don't cause pain by threatening others. They don't enter a situation and look for a way to make everyone feel worse. Leaders take on the pain of their followers. They enter a crisis and look for ways to make things easier for the followers. They are supposed to be more excellent, not less.

Think about that last point for a second...when someone says they deserve "perks" (special privileges) for being in charge, they are saying they ought to be treated as less excellent...they believe their life ought to be made easier at the expense of others...usually their followers. In fact, the biggest benefit desired by most people in charge is to be questioned and challenged less! They want more leeway in making mistakes. They want to be held to a lower standard than everyone else...and most "Leadership" books today support this mentality!

The reality is that people in charge who cause their "followers'" pain are really followers themselves! These people in charge are in need of someone else to facilitate their Purpose and Progress, which is to feel good about themselves in the short-term. When the BOSS displaces pain, the person to whom they are displacing pain is actually the BOSS' LEADER, if he bears the pain!

The ultimate Leader example is Jesus. Did Jesus displace His pain on His followers? Did Jesus bear the pain of His followers?

The reality is that all of us experience pain. We have to give it to someone...and that person is either willing or unwilling to bear our pain. We tend to call the people who are willing to bear our pain: friends. People who are unwilling to bear pain have two choices: displace it back on the person or pass it on to someone or something else.

Displacing it on the person who initiated the exchange just ramps everyone up...in fact, most people want you to displace the pain back on them. WHY? So they don't feel guilty. Watch for this next time someone displaces pain...if the person takes it and doesn't displace it back, the initiator will look to end the exchange by "taking a step back"...this usually takes two forms: apologizing or rationalizing.

They'll see that there is no energy coming back and when they feel bad they will say they are sorry. OR once they see there is no energy coming back, they will give a reason why it was right for them to go off in the first place.

This world is full of people displacing their pain onto others. If we have no one who is willing to take it, this world will quickly come to an end. The only way for us to survive in society is for there to exist people willing to bear the pain of others. This is love.

We have seen that Jesus tells us this is the main effect of being a Christian! To love, with one form being to suffer well. This world needs people with this effect! Without it we will end up in chaos. This world understands it needs Christians and that is why non-Christians get so mad at Christians who don’t have that effect.

Think about it...non-Christians understand the effects of being a Christian! The proof that you are a Christian shouldn't come from other Christians...it should come from non-Christians.

As Christians, we are supposed to understand that Jesus has agreed and is able to bear our pain...so we OUGHT to bear the pain of others and then bring it to Jesus.

Jesus is the ultimate Leader. He is ultimately the Person who willingly bears the pain of the entire world. We prove we are “little Christs” (Christians) when we bear the pain…when we love.

Next Section at Book Level: Leaders Acting As Bosses

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

34-1 Leadership

2008-07-22T17:44:00.007-05:00

I believe the first of the two solutions to get us back to accomplishing God’s Will involves Leadership. In my opinion, We currently lack "Leaders" because we are not teaching people what a leader OUGHT to be. The Bible tells us what Leaders OUGHT to be. Instead we have embraced man-made traditions and created IS "Leaders".

What is a Leader?

Take some time and really think about your definition of a leader.

There are a lot of books written on Leadership, yet very few actually give a definition for Leader. The ones that do give a flawed definition. Let's look at a couple of them...

Definition #1: Someone who has followers

This is the most basic and misleading definition. People have "followers" for a variety of reasons and various lengths of time. This doesn’t result in our Profitability and our embracing God’s Word over man-made tradition. Since this definition is easy to disprove, we now have a more popular candidate...

Definition #2: Someone who has influence over others

This seems to be the current definition by the most popular "Leadership" authors. In fact, in some of these books, "Leadership" is boiled down to "influence". When this definition comes up, I respond with: "If someone slips on a banana peel, that would influence me not to step on it. Is that person my Leader?" Again, this man-made contradictory definition is part of the reason we are not accomplishing God’s Will.

A list that is making the rounds contrasts "Leaders" with "Managers"...

Definition #3:

•Managers administer; leaders innovate.
•Managers ask how and when; leaders ask what and why.
•Managers focus on systems; leaders focus on people.
•Managers maintain; leaders develop.
•Managers rely on control; leaders inspire trust.
•Managers have a short-term perspective; leaders have a long-term perspective.
•Managers accept the status quo; leaders challenge the status quo.
•Managers have an eye on the bottom line; leaders have an eye on the horizon.
•Managers are the classic good soldier; leaders are their own people.
•Managers are a copy; leaders are original.

This is a list of effects!!!! We are looking for the definition of Leader...we are looking for the cause!!!!

With every definition of "Leader”, my main question is to ask if Hitler and/or Satan were "Leaders". Look at the three definitions that have been presented...Hitler and Satan fit as "Leaders". When I ask this question of people who run "Leadership Institutes" or "Leadership Training", their answer is, "Yes, but Hitler (or Satan) was a leader…a bad leader".

The problem is their institute and training sessions aren't called "Good Leadership Institute" or "Good Leadership Training"...so I respond by asking them how their "Hitler Training" is going. In fact, these contradictory definitions ultimately lend themselves to saying that Hitler had “some good leadership” and everyone has a little bit of Hitler in them.

Hitler was not a Leader.

Satan was not a Leader.

I believe God’s definition of Leader results in people becoming more able to do God’s Will over time. In fact, I believe the man-made contradictory definition of "Leader" actually results in us getting increasingly further away from accomplishing God’s Will.

Be careful how you define Leader. Take some time to create your definition of Leader...

Next Section at Book Level: Leader Definition

Chapter Summary

Part III Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

Doctrine #4 Table of Contents

2008-06-30T21:25:00.010-05:00

BOOK BLOG

PART II

Doctrine #1: Marriage
Doctrine #1 Table of Contents

Doctrine #2: Meaning of Life
Doctrine #2 Table of Contents

Doctrine #3: Divorce
Doctrine #3 Table of Contents

Doctrine #4: Jesus' Divinity

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
27.1 Doctrine #4: Jesus' Divinity
27.2 Fully Man and Fully God
27.3 Doctrine #4 Answers
27.4 Doctrine Answers

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
28.1 Jesus and Community
28.2 Joseph and Mary
28.3 Adultery
28.4 The Woman at the Well
28.5 Jesus' Community Verses

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
29.1 Jesus and Covenants
29.2 Matthew's Account
29.3 Matthew 5:32
29.4 Interpretation
29.5 God's Word
29.6 Jesus and Vows

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
30.1 Jesus and the Word of God
30.2 Mark's Account
30.3 Jesus' Answers
30.4 Jesus' Response (Matthew)
30.5 Jesus' Response (Mark)

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
31.1 Another "Word of God"?
31.2 Versions
31.3 Contradictory Jesus?
31.4 Statement of Unbelief
31.5 Control of Freedom?

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
32.1 I Corinthians 7
32.2 Paul's Permission
32.3 God's Commands
32.4 Marriage to Unbelievers
32.5 Paul's Sanctification
32.6 Paul's Conclusion
32.7 Other Versions of Paul
32.8 OUGHT Divorce

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
33.1 Summary of Five Doctrine
33.2 Luke 14 Introduction
33.3 Luke 14 Story #1
33.4 Luke 14 Story #2
33.5 Luke 14 Story #3
33.6 Luke 14 Story #4
33.7 Luke 14 Summary
33.8 Doctrine #4: Jesus' Divinity Summary

SUMMARY OF DOCTRINE #4: JESUS' DIVINITY

Part III

Part III Table of Contents

2008-06-30T21:24:00.011-05:00

BOOK BLOG

PART II

Doctrine #1: Marriage
Doctrine #1 Table of Contents

Doctrine #2: Meaning of Life
Doctrine #2 Table of Contents

Doctrine #3: Divorce
Doctrine #3 Table of Contents

Doctrine #4: Jesus' Divinity
Doctrine #4 Table of Contents

PART III

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
34.1 Leadership
34.2 Leadership Definition
34.3 Effect of Leadership
34.4 Leaders Acting as Bosses
34.5 God's Leaders
34.6 A Reason and a Value
34.7 The Objective
34.8 Expectations
34.9 Conflicts

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
35.1 Matthew 6 and 7
35.2 Matthew Chapter 6
35.3 Matthew 6 Summary
35.4 Piecemeal
35.5 Matthew 7
35.6 Powerful Summary
35.7 Matthew 6 and 7 Implications
35.8 Leadership Summary

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
36.1 Women
36.2 Genesis Direct Proofs
36.3 Genesis Indirect Proofs
36.4 Biology
36.5 Physical vs. Spiritual
36.6 Excellent Expectations
36.7 Proverbs 31
36.8 Nine Proofs

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
37.1 Reason #10
37.2 Daniel
37.3 Zerubbabel
37.4 I Esdras 3
37.5 I Esdras 4
37.6 Zerubbabel Implications
37.7 Women Summary

SUMMARY OF FOLLOWING SECTIONS
38.1 Thinking Introduction
38.2 The First Feedback Loop
38.3 The Second Feedback Loop
38.4 The Unaware Brain
38.5 The Conscious Brain
38.6 Unaware Brain Applications
38.7 Improving The First Feedback Loop
38.8 Improving The Second Feedback Loop
38.9 Counseling People To Think

Full Table of Contents

33-8 Doctrine #4: Jesus' Divinity Summary

2008-06-30T21:23:00.049-05:00

Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?
-I believe Jesus is the Son of God.

WHY or why not?
-Because Jesus has the same Nature as God: Right-Right and Just.

Do you base it on the Word of God or tradition?
-I believe the Word of God proves Jesus was always completely Right and always completely Just.

Do you believe the Word of God proves to us Jesus is the Son of God?
-Yes. In fact, I believe that the Holy Scriptures in the original language proves Jesus was always completely Right and always completely Just. If a “version of God’s Word” showed Jesus being wrong and/or unjust, I would not consider it to be the Word of God.

Do you believe Jesus was always Right and always Just without exception?
-I don’t believe Jesus ever did anything wrong or unjust. I don’t believe the Word of God records Jesus ever doing anything wrong or unjust.

However, man-made tradition has changed the doctrines of Marriage, Meaning of Life, and Divorce. The result is that publishers are printing versions of God's Word that have Jesus stating:
1) Doing the Law results in sin
2) He doesn't know the Law

When Divorce is substituted for Putting Away in Mark 10:11-12, the result is that book is stating the Jesus is NOT the Son of God.

Now it's time to look at the first of the two effects that need to be reversed...

Next Chapter at Book Level: Effect #1

Chapter Review Summary

Next Chapter Summary

Doctrine #4 Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

33-7 Luke 14 Summary

2008-06-30T21:23:00.048-05:00

The Meaning of Life is eternally Profitable community: Church and Marriage.

God’s Kingdom can’t be realized until we get enough people to make up the Bride.

God’s Ultimate Will definitely occurs…it is up to us when and at what expense.

We need to be Profitable and generate Reward in order to bring about God’s Will.

God gave us Church and Marriage on earth as a way to be Profitable and achieve God’s Will.

This is important and has eternal consequences for everyone.

This needs to be handled God’s way according to truth.

People are expressing their will when they embrace man-made tradition, man-made culture, and appearance instead of God’s Word and Will…especially in the most important and public doctrine.

WHY haven’t we been able to realize Church and Marriage the way it OUGHT to be?
I know for sure God wants this and it isn’t God’s fault that it hasn’t been realized!
I’ve tried to explain why we haven’t realized Marriage the way it OUGHT to be…

…the Church discussion will have to wait for the next work.

Embracing tradition in place of God’s Word is proven most in two main effects. We will get closer to achieving God’s Will when we see these two effects reversed.

Let's summarize Doctrine #4: Jesus Divinity before we look at these two effects...

Next Section at Book Level: Doctrine #4: Jesus' Divinity Summary

Chapter Summary

Doctrine #4 Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

33-6 Luke 14 Story #4

2008-06-30T21:23:00.046-05:00

"25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."

(Jesus is establishing that the criteria for being a disciple is doing the First Command: Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. This transition establishes that most people won’t make it to Heaven because people tend to focus on DO and HAVE instead of God. This makes us wonder WHY it is just of God to wait to bring about His Universal Will when so many people are going to end up in torment. Jesus is transitioning from a story about people not going to Heaven to how God brings about His Will.)

"28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace."

(Jesus is saying that carrying out a plan, whether it is building a tower (Babel? new Jerusalem?) or going to war (Jesus ending the Tribulation) requires intentional thought. A person OUGHT to only begin the project when they have all the resources. Jesus is saying God will not give His consent on the new Jerusalem until all the resources are available. We are the resources!)

"33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

(Jesus brings this back to the resources: us. We need to make an intentional decision to go to Fellowship with God and acquire the value to bring about God’s Will. It will take intentional thought and planning to realize OUGHT Church and OUGHT Marriage are the source of the value. When people don’t intentionally think and plan, they end up with IS Church and IS Marriage based on man-made tradition.)

"34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

(Jesus is saying that salt is able to create (good) unless it has lost its savour. Then there is no hope for a seasoning that has lost its seasoning and it is cast out. By the way, the purpose of salt is to cover bitterness...not add flavor or bring out the flavor. We are salt...we are supposed to remove bitterness in this world. We are not responsible for adding flavor or bringing out the flavor...that is God's job. Again, removing bitterness is a work that we can intentionally do...and when we do this God is ready to immediately flow in order to create...to bring out the flavor!)

(It is not God’s fault when we lose our ability to create…it is our choice not to be Profitable. When we choose to be Unprofitable, God has no use for us and we deserve to go to the lake of fire.)

(God doesn’t do anything until He has everything He needs to finish His Plan with excellence. God is all-powerful…He has total mastery over things that don’t have a will. It takes little to no time for God to accomplish these parts of His Will. However, we are in control of part of His Will and the fact that it takes longer than He planned and results in more people spending eternity in the lake of fire is our fault, not His.)

Next Section at Book Level: Luke 14 Summary

Chapter Summary

Doctrine #4 Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

33-5 Luke 14 Story #3

2008-06-30T21:23:00.045-05:00

"15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”

(One of the people understood the references to the Meaning of Life and stated that blessed are those who make it to eternal life. Now Jesus can explain how God brings about His Will.)

"16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.”

(The man is God the Father and the time is come for Him to end the dispensation. The invitations are given out to those who the Father thought were friends…to His chosen people.)

"18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”

(The people who were chosen turn down the invitation. They are focused on their DO and HAVE. Notice that God can’t make these people come to His party against their will!)

"21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”

(The fact that people focused on their DO and HAVE made God upset, so He invited the people who didn’t deserve to come to the wedding. WHY would God get upset if He predetermined that these people wouldn’t come to the wedding? Because God DOESN’T predetermine who is and isn’t making it to Heaven! This is Jesus’ explanation that the dispensation of the Law was coming to an end because God’s chosen rejected Him. This would be confirmed when Jesus was crucified…which Daniel also warned marked the end of the dispensation of the Law.)

"22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.”

(Notice, this verse represents our current dispensation. Everyone has been invited, from most honorable to least and still there is room. Notice also, we see the connection to the second story where Jesus said it was wise to invite the undeserving to the supper. Regardless, there is still room. What is God’s Will?)

"23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

(God won’t end the dispensation until His house is filled. The new Jerusalem is huge. It appears God’s Will involves a minimum number of people. There is a sobering effect of this fact…)

"24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”

(God says that those who were asked and didn’t come won’t taste of His Supper. These people are going to the lake of fire. Notice, God didn’t say He chose for these people to reject Him. Notice, God is angry they chose to reject Him. It was not God’s Will that anyone would reject Him.)

(God needs a minimum number of people to accomplish His Universal Will…His Plan. An effect of God’s Will not being accomplished is that people will end up in the lake of fire. In fact, the longer it takes to achieve God’s Universal Will, the more people that will end up in the lake of fire. Every minute we put off accomplishing God’s Universal Will, more people end up in the lake of fire.)

(This is not God’s fault…it is ours. God has provided everything necessary for His Universal Will to be achieved. However, He can’t unilaterally make it happen because that would be unjust. It is up to us to choose to make God’s Universal Will happen. In order to do this we need value.)

(God provided the ultimate ways for us to generate value to bring about His Universal Will: Church and Marriage. It is our fault we have replaced these doctrines with tradition…and delayed God’s Universal Will. We are determining how many people go to the lake of fire. Calvinism tried to alleviate our responsibility by saying there is nothing we can do and putting the blame on God.)

(It is time for Jesus to bring this to a stunning conclusion…)

Next Section at Book Level: Luke 14 Story #4

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33-4 Luke 14 Story #2

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"12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee."

(Jesus transitioned to this second story by referencing another supper and justice. Inviting your friends to a supper will cause them to invite you to their supper and give you a “recompence”. There is no reward for people who do this.)

"13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

(Jesus just presented Reward and Salvation! The resurrection of the just is Salvation. Being recompensed at the resurrection is Reward. Jesus is saying when you have a supper, intentionally invite people who can’t pay you back so that you will have Reward in Heaven. Jesus is telling us to intentionally focus on getting Reward! This is Doctrine #2: The Meaning of Life.)

Next Section at Book Level: Luke 14 Story #3

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33-3 Luke 14 Story #1

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"7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them."

(Jesus first parable is meeting the group right where they are at…it deals with something Jesus saw happen. Jesus can be confrontational because He has established His authority in Spirit and Truth.)

"8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

(The first point is that Jesus is speaking of Doctrine #1: Marriage. Jesus establishes that a wedding is a feast. Second, Jesus is establishing that not everyone is equal at the wedding…some have more honor and some have less. Third, he finishes the parable with the reason (WHY) for more and less honor: Justice…it will all equal out...which is Reward. Jesus is talking about what will occur after Judgment: a wedding feast between the Groom and the Bride...the same as we saw in during Doctrine #2: The Meaning of Life.)

Next Section at Book Level: Luke 14 Story #2

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33-2 Luke 14 Introduction

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Comments in parenthesis…

"1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.”

(Notice, this chapter takes place in the presence of the Pharisees and His disciples.)

"2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?”

(We saw examples of the Pharisees trying to test Jesus with their knowledge of the Law. Here we have an example of Jesus testing the Pharisees and the lawyers with a question. The lawyers are teachers of the Torah who are masters in their understanding of the Law. Will they answer?)

"4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
6 And they could not answer him again to these things.”

(The Pharisees and lawyers didn’t answer Jesus’ question! Jesus healed the man! It is easy to lose this point in all the words presented here. Jesus could not be accused of breaking the Law because He first asked the group and they didn’t answer. Then Jesus takes it a step further and asks them another question: if they will not save one of their animals if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath. This is a question that asked for a resolution between which Law took precedence...not doing work on the sabbath day and loving. Again, they do not answer.)

(Jesus has established that He knows the Law AND He performs miraculous healings! Take a moment and reread the first six verses realizing a miraculous healing has taken place in their midst. Jesus is flowing in Spirit and Truth…everyone else is humbled. Jesus has established His authority. This is the perfect moment to begin a momentous teaching…)

Next Section at Book Level: Luke 14 Story #1

Chapter Summary

Doctrine #4 Table of Contents

Part I Table of Contents

33-1 Summary of Five Doctrine

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We have seen five doctrines:

God’s Will
-God's Will happens through people who have value
-God's Will is the end of this dispensation
-This dispensation will end when we have enough value

Marriage
-A Covenant that generates spiritual value to excess (unlimited amount) to all of the persons in community (wife, husband, and God) in order to bring about God’s Will.

Meaning of Life
- The Meaning of Life is Church and Marriage. God’s purpose is to create a Bride for His Son. Church is the ultimate community solely made up of people (even though Jesus can be a part of it). The Ultimate Community is Marriage because God is involved. The Meaning of Life is the Church (one type of ultimate community) in the Ultimate Community (Marriage Covenant with Jesus and God the Father).

Divorce
- Divorce is a definite and objective ending of the Marriage Covenant so that both parties can remain in community with the greater community of believers. God intended for both parties to remain in the greater community (Church) after Divorce. It is only after Putting Away that God intended for one of the spouses to leave Church.

In a sense, the doctrine of Marriage and Divorce serve the doctrine of Church…with all three being joined in the doctrine of the Meaning of Life.

Jesus Divinity
-Jesus never did anything wrong or unjust. The Word of God doesn't record Jesus ever doing anything wrong or unjust.

In order to believe in man-made traditions for the previously mentioned doctrine, you have to believe the Bible recorded Jesus doing something wrong and/or unjust.

Any book that records Jesus doing something wrong and/or unjust is NOT the Word of God.

I believe these doctrines fit together to give us an explanation of when our dispensation will end. I believe this is summarized in Luke 14.

Next Section at Book Level: Luke 14 Introduction

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