Zixar

I had the opportunity to read the screenplay for Kubrick's masterful comedy the other day while researching my own screenplay-in-progress. Several things struck me as I paged through it and recalled the film: -The rule of thumb for a film screenplay is that one page of script equals one minute of film, so writers are advised to shoot for no less than 80 pages and no more than 120 pages for a feature film. Dr. Strangelove is only 55 pages long, but the dialogue hits the perfect blend of satire and drama. (The movie runs 93 minutes.) -I could just see George C. Scott showing he was just as keen a comic as he was an actor. "He'll see the Big Board!!!" -Peter Sellers did not get half the credit he deserved in his life. It's obvious he played Group Captain Mandrake, and you can see him as Dr. Strangelove, but I think I saw it three times before I realized he was playing President Muffley as well. As the story goes, Sellers was even going to play Slim Pickens' character (Major Kong) but couldn't quite nail the Texas accent. He had also broken his leg before shooting started, which is why Muffley is always seated, Strangelove only leaves his wheelchair once ("Mein Fuehrer, I can VALK!") and Mandrake always walks with a cane. -Sellers also gives one of the best phone gags ever filmed, the conversation between Muffley and Soviet Premier Kissov. It's the best deadpan-comedy bit I can remember. -Kubrick wanted Pickens to play Major Kong absolutely straight, so he didn't tell him it was a comedy until after shooting wrapped. - Fail Safe, with Henry Fonda and Larry Hagman is nearly the exact same movie, yet it's depressing as hell. As always, the script/direction/acting/perception shapes the same idea to two wildly different ends. Dr. Strangelove has aged better than Fail Safe because comedy helps the suspension of disbelief. There's not just one reason the AFI rates this as #11 on their 100 Best Movies of All Time list.

OLM: Um, actually, James Cameron (Aliens, Titanic, True Lies) directed the Terminator movies, not John Carpenter. Carpenter directed Halloween and Escape From New York...

Kit: It does if you right-click on the clock in the lower right hand corner, go to Adjust Date/Time, and set it to do so in the Internet tab. This doesn't work behind a firewall, however. If you have problems, do a web search for Tardis95. It'll work through just about anything. God bless! Zix

With the release of the new computer game/sequel, I thought I'd pick up the Collector's Edition DVD of John Carpenter's 1982 horror masterpiece, "The Thing". Wow. I watched it twice in a row the night I got it. An Antarctic research station encounters a deadly extraterrestrial that can imitate and invade any living organism. Who can you trust when your friend might be a monster? Closer to the original short story than Howard Hawks' 1951 version, this claustrophobic, ultra-gory paranoia machine is not for the squeamish. Rob Bottin's special effects are some of the most disturbing ever filmed. Coupled with a creepy Ennio Morricone score, and a wonderful ensemble cast, this is the stuff of which nightmares are made. The running commentary feature on the DVD is marvelous, featuring both director Carpenter and star Kurt Russell. They make a few points I hadn't noticed: -The movie has no humor in it. Most action movies today have the heroes firing off pithy quips as fast as armor-piercing bullets, but there's really only one joke in this whole movie, and nobody laughs when it happens. (Hint: David Clennon's character, Palmer, says it, although I disagree with Carpenter--Donald Moffatt's "couch" line is funnier.) -The movie frequently has scenes where nine or ten characters are in the shot simultaneously. In most movies, you rarely have more than 3 characters with dialogue in a single shot. This was a directorial nightmare, but Carpenter pulls it off on several occasions. -Most of the scenes in the beginning with the sled dog were shot in only one or two takes. Jed, the half-wolf/half-husky dog actor was simply incredible. Watch him closely and you'll see it, especially in the hallway sequence. So, yes, it isn't for the faint of heart, but look past all the incredible gross-out special effects, and you'll see why this movie, a box-office flop when it was released against "E.T." in the summer of '82, is on most sci-fi fans' all time Top Ten list. Watch it again. With the lights on...

bookworm: Glad it helped! Here's another tip: if you do have a cat that has started vomiting regularly, yet is still having normal bowel movements (i.e., no obvious intestinal blockage), check to see if what the cat is bringing back up has been chewed or swallowed whole. If it looks like it was swallowed whole, your cat's teeth may be bothering him/her. This is also indicated if your cat starts losing weight. Our eldest female, Sunny, had this problem, vomiting unchewed food and weight loss, yet otherwise healthy and normal. A veterinary tooth cleaning cleared the problem up overnight. FYI, Zix

TommyZ: Iams brand cat food is quite good, especially their "Eukanuba" line. Our cats seem to like it, and they produce less waste when they're on it. It is rather expensive though. The regular Purina/Friskies/9 Lives dry foods will do nicely as well, but you really want to stay away from canned foods. The cats love them, and they're good for an occasional treat, but our vet strictly warned us against them as a main diet. The problem is that canned food is like candy is to humans--it promotes tooth decay. Dry foods help keep the cat's teeth clean, and they don't seem to mind a steady diet of dry. Another thing to remember is that cats do NOT need a wide variety of foods. You might go nuts eating the same thing for every meal, but cats don't. Mixing up flavors and types of foods can upset the cat's stomach. If you cat vomits a lot, and it's food, not hairballs, it may be that a food change is the culprit. You can try different types at first, to see which the cat prefers, but don't just swap foods later because you think the cat is tired of Seafood Crunchies. Speaking of hairballs, there are various hairball-reducing food types (our cats like Purina Hairball Formula, but hate Iams and Science Diet HB blends) and urinary-tract health foods, too. Ask your vet which to get, depending on the breed of cat you acquire. Cats are really great pets. (We have five now...) They're low maintenance, and have a wide range of interesting personalities. God bless! Zix

Unfortunately, that site's clock is almost a minute fast... Do a search for the "Tardis 95" utility, and set it to query the atomic clocks at the US Naval Observatory or the National Bureau of Standards.

This is the original text of Rafael Olmeda's commentaries on "The Bible Tells Me So" (The Blue Book) from Waydale. This is reposted as a refresher for those who have not read Mr. Olmeda's original thread, and for those who would like to re-read it without wading through all the opposing viewpoints. Along with the chapters, there is one post that was a clarification of some of the points made in the previous posts at one point. The archivist apologizes that some of the formatting was lost in the translation. God bless! Zixar -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* STUDIES IN ABUNDANT LIVING Vol.1 The Bible Tells Me So Chapter 1 – Release From Your Prisons What’s right with it… In this opening chapter, we learn the importance of our own mindset in dealing with our problems. Recognizing fear, worry, and anxiety as prisons from which we should be released was revolutionary for me, even though it’s not unique to VPW’s doctrine. There are some very powerful and accurate statements in this chapter, including: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “In following God’s Word and in knowing His Son, we will not only be free, but we shall be free indeed.” “Every influence which is not based upon the accuracy of God’s Word shall come to naught. Such influences lead only to imprisonment.” “Outside of Christ we cannot be free. Jesus Christ was the liberator who set us free. He is the head of the church.” “The truth of The Word and of Christ is our light and power in life; this is our release from fears, worries anxieties, frustrations, heartaches, headaches and everything else that comes along. This is our means to get out of the negative prisons of self-enslavement intothe glorious liberty of children of God.” "It is the introduction of light that dispels darkness, not the dwelling on darkness that introduces light." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What’s wrong with it… This chapter fails in several ways. First, it rips numerous verses from their context in order to make a point about “thinking positive.” The best example is the first. In quoting John 8:31, 32 and 36, VPW alerts us to the fact that the truth of Christ shall make us free. But what about the missing verses? The missing verses answer a very important question: FROM WHAT shall the truth of Christ make us free? VPW’s answer: from self-condemnation, from bad thoughts and bad feelings based on sins committed ages ago: “The prisons of our secret sins, things in our lives which we don’t want to share with any other person in the world...” Jesus’ answer: “I tell you the truth. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36, NIV). See the distinction? Christ was discussing freedom from SIN. VPW used those verses to discuss freedom from SIN CONSCIOUSNESS, from self-condemnation, from feeling bad. Now, the Bible DOES teach freedom from those things, but not in these verses. And the Bible teaches HOW to be released from these prisons. But the answer is NOT “clearness and concern.” It is NOT getting a “positive, clear picture of your freed self.” The answer to freedom from sin-consciousness and self-condemnation is mourning (Matthew 5:4) and godly sorrow (II Corinthians 7:9-10). VPW takes us from the commission of sin straight to the rejection of sin-consciousness, skipping the all-important aspect of godly sorrow, the genuine and heartfelt REPENTANCE of a humble heart who comes to the Father and says, with sincerity, “I am sorry.” You will NEVER be released from the prison of sin-consciousness or self-condemnation without mourning and godly sorrow. The forgiveness is guaranteed by God (I John 1:9). Then, and only then, should you be free from sin-consciousness. Another failure of this chapter is the centrality of the human will. Take the following statements for example: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “If you want to get rid of something today, you must focus, dwell on what you want.” “If you want to get out of your prisons today, immediately change your thinking about your situation; change your subject of focus. As you change your thinking, you will draw a mental pattern for the things you do want in your life, which in turn will dispel and root out those things you do not want.” “The release from one’s prisons depends upon two things: clearness and concern – the two “C’s” of release.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, to VPW’s credit, he does eventually invite God into the picture, but it’s not central. It's very clear that the solution starts with you and your mind and your framework and your mental picture and you you you you you and oh, by the way, God. It should be the other way around (Matthew 6:33). What if you pray for release and you do not get it? According to VPW, it’s because “you only momentarily changed your mental image; you did not keep your picture in focus and allow the proper exposure time.” The focus is on the process and how you ask. According to the Bible, the answer is: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:3) The focus is on your heart and intentions. God isn’t in the business of giving us whatever we want. He’s in the business of giving us what He wants us to have. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “How have you mentally pictured yourself for the past week, month, year, ten years? The picture that you carry of yourself with clearness and with concern is what you are. This law works for positive and negative thinking alike.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I really like the above statement. There’s a lot of truth to it. But it’s not a law, and calling it a law doesn’t make it a law. It’s very nice. It’s really nice. Copy it and stick it on your refrigerator. I LOVE THAT STATEMENT. But it’s not a law. VPW’s conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “When you find yourself in one of life’s prison’s, get a positive, clear picture of your freed self. Focus in on the positive image and thank God that right now you have the answer. Keep confessing and believing positively according to The Word, and your release will absolutely follow.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: When you find yourself in one of life’s prisons, PRAY. Get God into the picture as early as possible. Ask Him what He wants you to do. Learn His will so that it becomes second-nature to you (something VPW also suggests). If the prison is guilt, mourn your sin and God through Christ WILL comfort you. The “positive thoughts” of God’s Will are stronger than anything you can conjure up in your mind. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 2 - How To Avoid Being A Failure What’s right with it… This is a really frustrating chapter. VPW begins with a worthwhile premise: God does not want any failures. He wants His children to be successes. And VPW quotes several reassuring promises of God through Christ: “Come unto me… and I will give you rest.” “Lo, I am with you always…” “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” What’s wrong with it… The chapter on “How To Avoid Being A Failure” IS a failure. It is a failure because it does not define success or failure! Without a definition of success, it is virtually impossible to succeed. The majority of this chapter is devoted to the blatant and incomprehensible misapplication of a parable in Luke 15. Please READ LUKE 15 before proceeding. I’ll wait… I mean it… No, really, go back and read Luke 15 or I’ll call you a failure. Ok, you’re back? Good. VPW uses the parable of the lost piece of silver to teach something other than what Jesus is teaching. Looking at the parable in its context, we see that it is the second of three parables. The first is commonly and accurately referred to as the parable of the lost sheep. The second is the lost piece of silver. And the third is commonly and accurately called the parable of the prodigal son. Why are these names important? Because the focus of each of these stories is the value of that which is lost. VPW writes, “The second is a story of a woman who avoided being a failure because she found one little piece of silver.” VPW is wrong. That is not what this story is about. Note all three stories: what do they have in common? All involve something of value that is LOST (a sheep, a piece of silver, a son). All involve the FINDING or RETURN of that which is lost (the sheep is found, the silver is found, the son returns). And all involve the REJOICING of the one who lost the item or person in the first place (the shepherd, the woman, the father). In all three cases, the thing lost is compared to a sinner, the return of the thing lost is compared to a sinner who repents, and the one who rejoices is compared to God and the angels of heaven rejoicing when a sinner repents. (The “Prodigal Son” contains all of these aspects, and adds the aspect of the jealousy of the son who did NOT waste his inheritance: meaning the steadfast are to rejoice at the repentance of a sinner, not glory in their own steadfastness). So this story has nothing to do with a woman who avoided being a failure. VPW took the emphasis off the importance of that one little piece of silver (YOU) and put it on the woman trying to find the silver. A parable is supposed to make a point, and using the parable to make ANOTHER point may be profitable, or it may not. In this case, VPW completely missed the reason Jesus was telling the story. The woman, in the story, is compared to God. The woman does not want to lose that piece of silver. God does not want to lose YOU. The woman does whatever she can to find the piece of silver. God does whatever He can to get YOU back. The woman rejoices when she gets the silver back. God rejoices when He gets YOU back. That is the lesson of this story. Does the woman avoid being a failure by finding the piece of silver? Would God be a failure if you or I failed to return to Him? If the answer to the first question is YES, and the answer to the second question is NO, then clearly, the analogy no longer applies. So why emphasize the one aspect of the parable in which the analogy does not apply? VPW then writes, “We too can avoid being a failure by putting first things first.” Huh? I agree with the statement, but it doesn’t flow logically from that parable. VPW goes on to quote Matthew 6:33 (Seek the kingdom of God first and all these things will be added unto you…), and concludes that if you seek anything else first, all things will be subtracted from you. That’s faulty logic. It’s not what the Bible says at all. It says seek the kingdom of God first, and these things (food, clothing, necessities) will be added to you. Logic dictates, then, that if you DON’T seek God first, those things will NOT be added to you (that is, not by God). There is no threat in Matthew 6:33. VPW’s threat has no biblical foundation. VPW’s conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You are the one to now decide Whether to believe Him or toss Him aside. You are the one to make up your mind Whether to accept Him or linger behind. Take Him or leave Him, which will you do? Believing is assurance of no failure for you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: Believing is assurance of no failure? Hogwash. Success takes work. It takes hard work. According to VPW, success means you turn your house upside-down to find that one little piece of silver worth just a few cents. Obedience to God and His Will is what assures success. So with all due respect to VPW, this chapter has a catchy title and an uplifting conclusion, but as a study on How to Avoid Being a Failure, I give it an F. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 3 - Are You Limiting God? What's right with it... I really, really like this chapter. God is glorified throughout, and His grace really shines. To write everything I like about this chapter, I would have to practically rewrite it. Here's the point: God wants to help us. He promises to be there for us in every situation. He gets the glory. When we don't believe Him, we limit Him. So let's believe Him and we'll see His Word come to pass. What's wrong with it... This is not a flawless chapter, but the benefits far outweigh the nits I'm about to pick. VPW's discussion of kingdoms is not recognized by anyone anywhere. He made it up. It's nonsensical, and gets in the way. The oft-repeated definition of righteousness is given. Practical error often accompanied this definition. I think many Way believers were willing to say "I get to stand before God without any sense of sin, guilt or condemnation," always forgetting that it's our "GOD-GIVEN" right. Is VPW to blame for the practical error that accompanied this definition? Partially, but not in this chapter. VPW's conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you limiting God? Why not release the power of God that is latent within you, and believe God for the abundance which He has promised? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: VPW blows it with this closing paragraph. Throughout the chapter, the focus is on God, His ability, His willingness, His grace, His mercy, HIM HIM HIM. Then, suddenly, at the close of the chapter, it's about the latent power within YOU. Dang! Why? Why? Why? The chapter is not called Are You Limiting YOU? I wish I could find an old manuscript somewhere that omitted the last paragraph of the chapter. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Part II: What We Believe = What We Are I'm taking a moment here to address the fact that chapters 4 and 5 are a unit. What ties them together? The idea that there is a "law" of believing. Now, it is important to ask, what does VPW mean by "law?" Does he mean "general principle?" Or does he mean "an edict which must be obeyed?" Or is it something even greater? It is up to VPW to answer that question, so let's allow him to do so. From PFAL, p. 32 Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The law of believing is the greatest law in the Word of God. As a matter of fact, it is not only the greatest law in the Word, it is the greatest law in the whole world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- p.37 Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Believing is a law. As one believes, he receives. On the negative side, fear is believing; fear is believing in reverse; it produces ill results. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- p. 44 Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What one fears will surely come to pass. It is a law. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yikes. It is clear throughout the teachings of VPW that he thought "believing" an "immutable law" (Christians Should Be Prosperous, p.2). Immutable laws are to be distinguished from the Mosaic Law. Immutable Laws never change. They cannot be broken, ever, under any circumstances. A good physicist will tell you, for example, that an airplane does not break the law of gravity. (That's right.) An airplane works in conjunction with the law of gravity and other physical laws and principles in order to appear to defy the law of gravity. But you can rest assured, when that plane is in the air, the law of gravity is still very much in effect for that plane and for everyone on it. The Bible Tells Me So, p.29 Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The law of believing is dynamically powerful, yet so simple. The law, simply stated, is that what we believe for or expect, we get. This applies in every realm: physical, mental, material, spiritual. Thus it is this law which basically controls the abundant life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is no question: VPW did not think "believing" was just some positive principle. It was not just some Biblical, godly instruction. It was an IMMUTABLE law, a law that works whether you like it or not. My position is that believing is NOT a "law." It is not a law because the basic statements governing this law are not true. "Believing equals receiving." "What we believe for or expect, we get." "Confession of belief yields receipt of confession." There are so many exceptions to the above statements that to call the governing principle behind them a "law" defies credibility. So I've taken a very long time to try to get to "The Synchronized Life" and "The Law of Believing" because I want to make sure I don't discourage people from believing. A lot of people have their opinions on the subject, and there's a thread somewhere on Waydale called "Is TWI's doctrine of beliving abusive?" I won't pretend to go into all that detail, nor will I say I agree with everything that's been written there, but I do believe VPW's emphasis on the "Law of Believing" was Biblically incorrect: he overstates its impact and importance. Allow me to present a thesis: In the Greek, "faith" and "believing" are the same word. But in English, they are different words. The distinction in English is this: "Believing" places the emphasis on the mental action of the person who believes. "Faith" places the emphasis outside the person who believes and onto the person or thing that is believed. For years we called ourselves "believers." The emphasis was on us. It would be wonderful if we also called ourselves "faithful" so that the emphasis could once again be placed on the One in whom we have faith: God. It's just a thesis. It's helped me, and I hope it helps anyone else who made the same mistake I made. It is not "the law of believing" that controls the "abundant life." It is the Faithfulness of God to His Word that controls the abundant life. If God was not faithful to His Word, then we could BELIEVE His Word all we want, and it would profit us nothing. While we're at it, I think it was Mandii who brought up the point of "the abundant life." VPW's definition of "abundant life" was that we would have abundance in this life. PFAL, p.3 Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I looked about me at the communities where I had served and among the ministers with whom I had worked, the abundant life frequently was not evident. In contrast to these Christian people, I could see that the secular world of non-Christians were manifesting a more abundant life than were members of the church. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wow. How could the secular world be manifesting that which Christ came to make available if they do not accept Christ? Clearly, the "abundant life" VPW sought and preached was a kind of life that is independent of faith in God (for those who have no faith in God are manifesting it). "The Law of Believing" and VPW's definition of "abundant life" are two of the most basic, foundational errors of The Way International. They were held up above the very Word of God itself. Unbelievers manifest the abundant life, why can't we? The law of believing works for saint and sinner alike! You don't even have to be a Christian! John 10:10 The thief cometh not but for to steal (to steal what?), to kill (to kill who?) and to destroy (destroy what?). I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. To steal, kill and destroy what? Check the context: the answer to all three questions is sheep. Not stuff. Not material wealth. Jesus Christ came so that God's people may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. He is not promising riches. He is not promising wealth. He is promising LIFE. A whole lot of life. Eternal life. Jesus Christ didn't come to bring us away from God, kill us, and cast us into the lake of fire. He came to bring us to God, give us (new) life and the rock-solid promise of an eternal inheritance. It hardly seems credible to me that in John 10, Jesus took a moment to promise wealth to all who believe him. "Follow me and you'll have more chariots than your neighbors?" I don't think so. God Bless You. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 4-The Synchronized Life What’s right with it... Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whatever a person believes is directly reflected in what he confesses. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frame that statement. It’s a gem. Note that it does not say, "Whatever a person believes is directly reflected in what he PROfesses." What a person CONfesses, or admits, is what that person really believes. What a person PROfesses may or may not be what he believes: perhaps it is what he wants you to THINK he believes. But it’s the CONfession that reveals someone’s true belief. PROfession is what you say. CONfession is what you say and mean and truly, truly believe. Likewise, the exposition on Psalm 18:33 is just beautiful. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That is, He makes it so that my "hind feet" will track with my "front feet (representing the Word)." Thus, where the Word has set its feet, there also will I put my feet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VPW’s bold declarations of Romans 8 offer great encouragement. Here’s another quote worthy of framing. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confess from the heart, with your mouth, what has been confirmed by The Word. Confess what the Bible says you are, not what you think you are, not what your next door neighbor says you are, not what your best friend my say you are. Hold fast to what the Word says. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And for good measure: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I assure you that God will never bless you because of your goodness, but because of your believing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That last one is tricky, because a so-called believer who doesn’t exhibit or manifest "goodness" may not really be a believer, but the context here is key: God honors faith/believing. Good works may and should be an outgrowth of our faith/believing, but God honors the faith/believing, not the works. What’s wrong with it... I drew a distinction in the above section between CONfession and PROfession. As you read through this chapter, I want you to ask yourself, does VPW draw the same distinction? Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you begin to confess that Word, it becomes a reality in your life. Until that time you will be defeated by satanic principalities on every hand because of your confession. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How can you confess something before it is a reality in your life? It’s one thing to say, "Believe God’s Word to the point that it’s His Word you are confessing because what a person confesses is what he believes in his heart." It’s quite another thing to say "Confess the Word and then, afterward, it will become a reality in your life." The Word has to BE a reality in your life in order for you to confess it. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next time evil or negatives come into your mind, immediately declare The Word and say, "I confess that I have been delivered from the power of darkness by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." Keep saying this and soon it will be a reality in your life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perhaps VPW could have been more clear in defining the phrase "a reality in your life." As written, it could appear that you confess first, then ultimately you would believe it. That’s a contradiction of "Whatever a person believes is directly reflected in what he confesses." Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What a person confesses in his innermost being is what he brings into manifestation in his life. If a person goes through life confessing that he has great need, he will definitely have great need. If he confesses sickness, he will continue to be sick and afflicted because of the law that what one believes in the depth of his soul absolutely appears in his life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a blanket statement, this is just utterly false. How vile and contemptible this statement is! This takes audacity! Attention everyone who’s ever been sick: IT’S YOUR FAULT! Attention everyone who has a baby with a birth defect: IT’S YOUR FAULT! Attention to that mother whose kid was hit by a car: IT’S YOUR FAULT! How utterly cruel! Where is this law written, that "what one believes in the depth of his soul ABSOLUTELY appears in his life?" Can someone, anyone, supply a chapter and verse on this? If you believe you are a failure, it doesn’t mean you will be a failure. It means you will be depressed. There are many people who are very successful in many ways, but they believe they are failures and they are depressed. The outward manifestation is not always an indicator of what’s going on inside that heart. If you are diagnosed with cancer, it’s NOT because you were afraid you would get sick. It’s because we live in a present, evil age and people get sick and people even die. Happens all the time, sadly. There’s a devil, an adversary who takes cheap shots at all people, including God’s people. It’s not warranted. It’s not fair. And it’s not God’s fault. And it’s not your fault. Sickness is not an indicator that your believing is off in the depth of your soul. It’s an indicator that you are a descendant of Adam. And as I have said before: death is not an indicator that you stopped believing. It is an indicator that you stopped breathing. Now I know that Proverbs teaches "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." But that statement does not mean a man who thinks he's sick will be sick. It does not mean a man who thinks he's free won't be in bondage. It DOES mean that a man who thinks he's content will be content. A man who thinks he's confident will be confident. A man who thinks he's committed will be committed. It's a general statement, and as a general statement, it is true. There are many ways to apply it accurately. There are many ways to apply it inaccurately. It is not presented as an immutable law of life. VPW gives three definitions of "The Synchronized Life." Definition One: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The "synchronized life" is simply stated by this formula: confession of belief yields receipt of confession. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Definition Two: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you stand upon the Word of God and you confess that Word, you become what the Word of God says. This is the synchronized life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Definition Three: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Know the Word, confess the Word and act upon the Word. That is what is meant by a synchronized life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Definition one is a contradiction of the law of believing as defined in the PFAL class and in the introduction to Part II of this book. Which is it? "Believing equals receiving" or "believing plus confession equals receiving?" What’s with the sudden importance of confession? Has anyone else noticed how the law of believing takes a backseat to your mouth during this chapter? Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you confess that you are a son of God and the Bible says that you are a son, then you are a son of God. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO! If the Bible says YOU are a son of God, then you are a son, whether you confess it or not. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you stand on the Word of God and you confess that Word, you become what the Word of God says. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You become what the Word says by your believing. Your confession doesn’t make it so. Your believing makes it so. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If the devil’s power is defeated, as it is, then his power cannot touch you when you believe The Word. But, you must confess that you know the power of God in your life. You must confess what God says in His Word and then the Word becomes a reality in your life. Whenever you dare to confess that you are what The Word says you are and act on what The Word teaches, you will find that your prayers are answered. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confession and believing are not synonyms. They may be closely related, but they are not synonyms. One involves a mental action, the other a verbal action. Confessing the power of God in your life is not what brings the power of God into your life: BELIEVING is. BELIEVING what God says in His Word is what brings it to pass in your life. Prayers are answered because you BELIEVE God’s Word, not because you confess it. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So long as I cannot get my mouth and my heart coordinated on some point that is confirmed by The Word, I have no power with God. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not true. Your mouth has nothing to do with it. Coordinate your heart with the Word, and you have power with God. Your mouth is not in the equation. Why did I spend all this time on the subject? Because I believe that this chapter was written to emphasize the importance of what you SAY, and it does so at the expense of what you BELIEVE. The major concept behind the chapter is valuable and valid: we should get our hearts lined up with The Word, and when we do so, our mouths will follow. But so many of us read this chapter and thought: I have to get my mouth lined up with the Word, and my heart will follow. That is not necessarily true. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Determine now that you will never again make a negative confession. Learn what and how to confess. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Define "negative confession." "Lazarus is dead." Was THAT a negative confession? "One of you will betray me." Oooh, stop being so negative, Lord! If reality is negative, confess the negative. Confessing the reality of a given situation is NOT a contradiction of God's Word. Now, if Jesus had said, "Lazarus is dead, and there's nothing I can do to change that," that would have been a negative confession that denies the power of God. Without defining "negative confession," VPW's advice is bad advice. How many people ended up in utter denial of reality because they were afraid to make a negative confession? (How ironic is that? AFRAID to make a negative confession!) So they ended up making so-called "positive confessions" that they didn't really believe. Well, if you "CONfess" something and you don't believe it, it's not really a CONfession, is it? It's more like a PROfession, isn't it? "Determine that you'll never make a negative confession" is really, really bad advice. Fortunately, VPW follows it up with terrific advice (I cited it above in the "what's right with it" section). VPW's conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As we act on the promises of God, they become real to us and are evidenced in our lives. Synchronize your believing and confession on the promises of God's Word and you will manifest a more than abundant life in Christ Jesus. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: As usual, be cautious of VPW's definition of "abundant life." It is not a Biblical definition, by his own account. God does require and expect us to believe Him and His Word. Confession of belief does not yield receipt of confession unless your belief is grounded in either reality or truth. So believe God's Truth, and the "Synchronized Life" is yours. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 5 – The Law Of Believing What’s right with it… When God makes a promise, in order for us to “receive” that promise, we have to believe God. That is the single greatest lesson in this chapter. God wants us to believe Him. God expects us to believe Him. He requires it of us. This cannot be emphasized enough. God wants and expects us to believe Him and His Word. It’s not about formal prayers. It’s not about wild guesses or blind faith. It's not even about "positive thinking." It’s about BELIEVING GOD. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The evil of the world can never make you do evil or wrong unless you permit it through your own weakness of character or lack of believing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes sir! Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God is always the victor over evil; but it is up to you to believe God and make His will your will. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amen! Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right believing is constantly knowing God’s power and presence are in you and with you in every situation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hallelujah! Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fear, worry and anxiety are types of believing. If you worry, have fear and are anxious you will receive the fruit of your negative believing which is defeat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our fear, or our confidence, is absolutely a critical factor in determining the outcome of the situations with which we are faced. If you face a situation with nothing but doubt, worry and fear, that does play a crucial role in how you approach the situation and, in turn, may affect the outcome. I would rather not have an airline pilot who panics at the thought of landing the darn thing. I want an airline pilot who is confident, who knows what he’s doing, who believes without hesitation that he can get that plane on the ground without incident. VPW is at his best when he plays up the importance of believing God. What’s wrong with it… Simply put, believing is not a law. You don’t necessarily receive whatever you believe. You often do not. What you believe in the depth of your soul does not necessarily come to pass in your life. In fact, what you believe in the depth of your soul is often inconsistent with reality or truth. For example, a singer may believe he (or she) is remarkably talented. Most people who hear him (or her) don’t agree. When the performance is over, the crowd boos. The singer believed he/she was doing a wonderful job. The crowd knew otherwise. It is often necessary to confront ourselves because the images we carry in our minds about ourselves are not true to reality, and only in confronting this discord can we do anything to change it. Believing you are smart doesn’t make you smart. Believing you are polite doesn’t make you polite. Believing you are the spiritual head of God's people is a guarantee that you are wrong. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is power in believing. There is power in this world to which you and I as born-again believers have easy access. This power will enable us to overcome our shortcomings and our difficulties, bringing release and victory to our lives. This power is from God. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is backwards thinking. There is no power in believing at all. The power is not in our believing, but in WHAT we believe. If you believe you can find a way to turn brass into gold, you can work on that all you want. It’s never, ever going to happen, no matter how much or how strong your believing is. The “power” is not in believing, but in God. The power in this world to which you and I have access is not the power of “believing,” but the power of God unleashed when we believe. VPW puts the emphasis on the believER and takes it off the believED. It is a critical and consistent error. The so-called “power” of believing is entirely dependent on the reliability of that which is believed. If I believe error, then my believing will profit nothing. I could believe for a new car to show up in my driveway tomorrow. It won’t happen unless I do other things necessary to make that happen. Believing is a CRUCIAL factor in bringing things to pass in our lives, but it is not the only factor and there are plenty of times in which it is not even the determining factor. It is absolutely crucial in bringing the promises of God into fruition in our lives. We’ve got to believe God in order to, as VPW puts it, appropriate God’s promises. Now get this: the power of God is so powerful, and the promise of God is so sure, that the only thing left to do is believe. So in bringing God's Word to pass in your life, "believing equals receiving" makes a lot of sense. The question is, do we really know what God's will is in every situation? When you read this chapter, it is clear that VPW considered “believing” to be something that controls the outcome of all situations. He’s wrong, because not all situations have the rock-solid backing of a promise from an Almighty God. VPW concludes the record in Mark 9 several verses early. After that record of deliverance, the disciples come up to Jesus to ask why they weren’t able to help the man, and Jesus responds, “This kind of miracle requires prayer and fasting.” VPW was right to point out that a lack of trust in God inhibited the disciples from being able to minister effectively. But does “prayer and fasting” mean “fervent believing?” I ask because I do not know. I DO know that Jesus’ answer to the question is not presented in this chapter, and it should have been. Why? Because VPW gives his own (idios) answer to the question. The least he could do is provide The Lord’s answer so that we can see if the two answers are consistent. Let me make that clear: The disciples tried to help someone. They couldn’t. Jesus did. Why couldn’t the disciples help? VPW gives the answer to that question WITHOUT giving the Lord’s answer to the VERY SAME QUESTION. That was a mistake. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In all the New Testament epistles, you will never find Christian believers urged to have faith; they already have faith as believers, and they are encouraged to believe God and express what they already have. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here VPW introduces, for the first time in this book, his unique distinction between “faith” and “believing.” Biblically, they are the exact same word. To say New Testament believers are never told to have pistis because they already have pistis, but instead they are told to have pistis, is simply preposterous. New Testament believers are told to have faith repeatedly. Being told to BELIEVE GOD is the EXACT SAME THING as being told to have faith! There is simply no distinction to be made. None. But what about the verse that says we have all been given the measure of faith? And that other verse that talks about a time “before faith came?” The vast majority of occurrences of the word pistis are very clear about their meaning: believing/faith. It carries a lot of weight when used of believing or having faith in God. There’s YOUR responsibility to BELIEVE, and there’s the importance of THAT WHICH YOU BELIEVE, namely, God. To separate these meanings is unbiblical. So those other verses (full measure of faith, before faith came) are the difficult verses that should be interpreted in light of the clear verses that teach that pistis and pistis are the same thing. Before faith came, we were kept under a schoolmaster (Galatians 3:23-25). What is faith in this context? Simply put, faith was something new to believe: namely, Christ. That’s not so hard. And we have been given the full measure of faith: we have, through faith, everything Christ came to make available. Faith is faith. Believing is believing. Faith is believing. They are the same word. The distinction exists only in English, and it is this, in my opinion: faith emphasizes WHAT or WHO you believe, while believing emphasizes THAT you believe. Both are important. VPW’s conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The word “believe” is a verb which connotes action. Therefore, believing the Word of God, taking the Word of God literally and acting upon it, brings results. This is the law of believing and this is the action that will bring release and victory to your life in every situation. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible [presently available] to him that believeth.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: VPW is inconsistent in his definition of “The Law of Believing.” This latter definition, which is hardly ever how he defines it, is wonderful. Believing God’s Word brings the results promised by God. The power source is not your believing/faith, but the promise of God. It’s like a light switch. A light switch does not turn the light on. Electricity does. But without the light switch, I have no way of accessing that light bulb. Telling someone to believe is like telling them to flip the switch. Telling someone to have faith is like telling them to turn on the light. You can’t turn the light on without flipping the switch. And you can’t get God’s Will to come to pass in your life without believing. Note: The following additions, inserted on 10/16, remain under the heading of "What's Wrong With It." Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may believe rightly or wrongly. Believing works both ways, and you bring to yourself whatever you believe. Matthew 9 and Job 3 show the types of believing and their results. Matthew 9:20-22 And behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith [believing] hath made thee whole. Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared [believed] is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIGH! Where to begin? First, you do NOT bring to yourself whatever you believe. Second, the woman did not BELIEVE to have an issue of blood for twelve years, did she? She did not believe for sickness. Third, and this is important, Jesus said to that woman "your faith has made you whole." VPW changes "faith" to "believing," thus offering a less than complete translation of the word "pistis." Yes, the woman's believing was a part of it, but the greater part of it was WHO she believed. To see that, we would need to look at some other verses. I'm not going to list them here, but if you read the gospels you will see that there were many occasions when people got healed by touching the hem (or fringes, or tassles) of Jesus' cloak. (Matthew 14:35-36) WHY? According to one prominent TWI offshoot, the answer lies in Malachi 4:2. "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings..." Now, here my memory is failing me, and if anyone can help explain this more fully, please help me. My point is that this woman with an issue of blood had a REASON to BELIEVE GOD. She didn't just pick an accessory and say "if I touch it, I'll be healed." It doesn't work like that. She believed a promise of God and was delivered. As for Job, VPW thinks there's something extraordinary about a parent being afraid something horrible might happen to his children. News flash: Every parent's worst fear is that something will happen to his/her children. There was nothing unusual in Job's "fear." It wasn't crippling him. It wasn't stopping him from living or from loving God. In Job 1:1, Job is described as "blameless" (and that's BEFORE all the trials and tribulations). Yet VPW blames Job for all the horrible things that happened to his children. VPW owes Job an apology. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Recaps and Reconsiderations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taking into account the honest reproof of others who have posted, and looking with fresh eyes at the reviews I have written so far, there are a number of things I would probably change or express differently. Rather than go back and edit all the critiques to date, I thought I'd list a few things here. Release From Your Prisons I originally wrote: "The answer to freedom from sin-consciousness and self condemnation is mourning." This is a remarkably incomplete statement. I should have written that the answr to freedom from sin-consciousness INCLUDES mourning, which is an aspect to our walk that VPW routinely ignored. I also wrote that VPW skipped from the commission of sin straight to the rejection of sin-consciousness. I don't think God ever instructs us to reject sin-consciousness. Self-condemnation is wrong, but there's nothing wrong with remembering the fact that you have sinned in the past, that those sins may have hurt people, and that they are wrong. How To Avoid Being A Failure I think it's fair to say I was really critical of this chapter and that I probably went a few steps too far. The answer to "How To Avoid Being A Failure" IS included in the chapter, although in my opinion it is "buried." The answer is Matthew 6:33. I think I glossed over it because VPW immediately followed his citation of that verse with something I consider to be an unscriptural threat (seek other things first and these things will be taken away from you). Is it okay to take the primary lesson of a parable, put it aside, and offer a secondary lesson? The answer has to be "yes," as Anemone and MOG pointed out. I don't know if VPW's explanation of that parable is culturally accurate, and I don't think it's the best example of someone putting "first things first." It seems to me that woman put the cares of the world (ie, whether she would find the lost piece of silver) above far weightier concerns (are the children fed?) all because her culture would have considered her an outcast if she didn't find the silver. Her husband would have cast her out, and SHE was the one worried about being a failure? What happened to BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (which is an intruction addressed to the church)? I guess it's all a great big can of worms that don't really need to be opened as long as we use the parable to teach what Jesus taught. The chapter did a terrific job of explaining why the lost piece of silver was significant, but failed to tell readers that the significance of the silver was the WHOLE POINT of the parable, and that Jesus was not giving a lesson on success. In that parable, we are not the woman looking for the silver. We ARE the silver. VPW puts us in both positions. I personally think he was wrong to do so, and you can disagree with me on that, but I CERTAINLY believe VPW was ineffective in making that comparison. Maybe I would give the chapter a D instead of an F. Are You Limiting God? If I was hard on the last chapter, I was a little too easy on this one. But just a little. Was it Laleo who pointed out that spirit-filled Christians can and do talk about worry, anxiety, etc? That is, of course, correct. Spirit-filled, walking Christians don't walk around with their heads buried in the sand screaming "My friend didn't die from cancer lalalalala I can't hear you!" I still believe VPW's explanation of "kingdoms" was a distraction, and if you skip those sentences while reading the chapter, you will see that none of it is lost. The Synchronized Life AND The Law of Believing VPW was entirely to dependent on formulae. The fact is, God wants us to believe His Word. He promises to back up His Word. If our experiences don't line up with His promises, we should not blame ourselves or our lack of believing. We should ask Him why things did not go the way we thought they should. We should seek his guidance and His comfort and His help. But I see nothing wrong in saying believing the promise of God is a vital, critical, nearly-indispensible prerquisite for seeing that promise come to pass in your life. I say "nearly-indispensible" because God's a little bit bigger than me, and just because I don't "rise to believe" Him, that doesn't mean He can't bring something to pass anyway. That's another reason believing is not a law. God can do, whether we believe or not. He can do something to strengthen our faith. He is not bound by it. Now, I WILL edit the segment on "The Law of Believing," so please go back and read it again. I'm certain you'll get a kick out of the addition. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 6 - The Counsel of the Lord What's right with it... Everything. What's wrong with it... Nothing. This chapter was a pleasure to read again. In fact there were a few points when I laughed out loud, because I don't believe the testimony of VPW or TWI came anywhere near the beauty of this chapter. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you will notice the prayer life of most Christians, you will see that they try to direct the Lord as to what He ought to do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VPW wrote that with a straight face, I think. Come on, be honest, show of hands: how many of us directed the Lord as to what He ought to do BECAUSE OF, not in spite of, TWI's name-it-and-claim-it brand of teaching? God, thank you for the red curtains. I need to point something out here: in reviewing these chapters, I am not planning to make many comments about plagiarism. I am more concerned with the doctrine that is presented than I am with the source. When I feel plagiarism has taken place, I MAY choose to compare and contrast VPW's presentation with the original presentation. I can't foresee a specific instance to use as an example, but if it should happen, don't be surprised. By the way, if you have evidence of plagiarism, please feel free to post it. I'm not up on those allegations, nor do they particularly concern me. But others may find them profitable. VPW's conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is the Lord God who must direct our hearts unto His love to the end that we will make the same confession as recorded in Psalms. Psalm 73:22-25 So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou has holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom I I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: Who am I to argue with the captain of the Enterprise? -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 7 - God Rescued Us What's right with it... God sure did rescue us! This is another chapter full of gems. There are some things I'm not sure of (is the word "translated" in Colossians 1:13 really "citizenship" in the Sanskrit?), but overall, this chapter gets much more right than it gets wrong. This is another case in which it would be difficult to spell out everything VPW got right. Just read the chapter: it speaks for itself. My favorite tidbit is the dead-on accurate translation of "delivered" from Colossians 1:13 as "rescued." Right on! What's wrong with it... I think these are minor quibbles, but someone else may find them more important. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This kingdom cannot be "the kingdom of his dear Son" for the Son has no kingdom of His own; the "kingdom" is the kingdom of God. The word "of" should be "by." It is the genitive of origin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huh? Do we need to list the references to Christ as King? There's a lot of background to this, and I don't care to get into it, but the fact is if you are King, then you have a kingdom. If God the Father installs Christ as king, then the kingdom is Christ's, no? Is the kingdom of God something other than the Kingdom of His Son? VPW had some odd definitions of Kingdom of God as compared to Kingdom of Heaven. The terms are absolutely, indisputably synonymous in the Bible, but VPW believes otherwise. Oh well. (If anyone wants to debate this point, I'll ask that we do it on sidebar, because it's such a minor point in the chapter that I don't want to clutter up this thread with that discussion). VPW's conclusion: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When He lead "captivity captive" and "gave gifts unto men," we were given the power to live victoriously even in the realm of Satan, having the ability to manifest the power of God in the more abundant life. What a revelation to the soul of man! What glory, what joy, what peace, what bliss! We are rescued now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My conclusion: As usual, we should be wary of VPW's definition of "abundant life." It's simply not Biblical. Our rescue and our victory may or may not be manifested in this lifetime, but that doesn't make it any less absolute or certain. In God's eyes, a sick Christian in poverty no less victorious than a rich Christian in perfect health. This is a really terrific chapter. Don't let a few words spoil it. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 8 - You Are Righteous Now What's right with it... This chapter is subtle but clever in that there are a million things that could be wrong with it, but they are almost all blunted by the chapter's context. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many born-again believers are spiritually defeated in this life because of sin-consciousness. They have been saved, but Satan comes to their minds and tells them they are not good enough for salvation because of the many years they lived in sin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By now I believe I have established a pattern of distrust of the term "sin-consciousness." The term does not appear in the Bible. However, in the context of salvation, I believe VPW has properly applied the term in the opening words of this chapter. I do not believe there is anything wrong with being "sin conscious" in the sense of recognizing that something is a sin, that sin is wrong, and that when you have sinned you have wronged God and, more often than not, some other person. There is nothing wrong with being conscious of the damage sin does to your day-by-day walk with God in Christ. There is nothing wrong with being conscious of the fact that walking in sin has a damaging impact on your ability to be an ambassador for Christ. BUT when that consciousness of sin keeps you far from God, when it keeps you from approaching Him, praying to Him and having a real relationship with Him because you know you just don't deserve His goodness, then it is a bad thing. I know I do not deserve God's goodness. That is why God had to make it so that I could approach Him in spite of my sin. We could go back and forth on the subject for years, but suffice it to say that in the opening of this chapter, VPW's invocation of the error of sin-consciousness is well-conceived and well-applied. The follow-up is even better. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This spiritual antagonism and defeat comes when a person does not realize what has been given to him by Jesus Christ. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So the righteousness of which Wierwille speaks is not our own righteousness. It is a quality given to us by the completed work of Jesus Christ. Who gets the glory? Christ. Bravo, VPW. This righteousness which is given to us by God is very specifically (and somewhat erroneously) defined. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Righteousness is the God-given justification whereby a person stands in the presence of God without any consciousness of sin, guilt or shortcomings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the TWI offshoots altered the meaning of this particular righteousness to read "the God-given justification whereby a person stands in the presence of God DESPITE any consciousness of sin, guilt or shortcomings." I like that definition better because it is more humbling. I know I have no "right" to come before God and ask Him for anything, except that He has GIVEN me that right. Remember while reading this chapter that the righteousness of which VPW speaks THROUGHOUT is always in reference to salvation. If we fail to see that, certain sentences and paragraphs will not make sense. Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...so many Christians do all kinds of work to obtain righteousness, such as confessing their sins, teaching Sunday School classes and keeping the ten commandments. Yet these good works do not make a person righteous. Righteousness is obtained from God through the faith of Jesus Christ. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your tears, your toil and all your prayers - your good works - will avail nothing. Righteousness is not by the cross that you bear, but

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phnx84: My mistake, I was assuming the six points were Branden's "Six Pillars Of Self Esteem". I stand corrected.

satori: Hmm. I hadn't thought about that. Are the terms "self-respect" and "self-esteem" synonymous? Or is SR a subset of SE? abigail: In the original, "feel" wasn't part of it. Sorry if I hurt your feelings!

Abigail: No offense, but a lot of kids FEEL Santa Claus brings them toys every year. From satori's post of 6/5/01 A good post. Not how I would have put it, but a well thought-out position nevertheless. Without getting into minutiae, the first three pillars are bogus because they deal with immeasurable rights and values. They are logically null, if not semantically null. If you really want to explore self-esteem, I'd think beginning with Pillar #4 would be a good start. The first 3 are crap. God bless! Zix

Actually, going over the thread from last May, satori brought up quite a few good angles on the rights issue, but I was just too busy being pi$$y with him over another argument we were having on another thread at the same time. satori: For what it's worth, I wrongly accused you of some things you really weren't doing/didn't do. (I know, you knew it all along...) Sorry I was needlessly belligerent with you on that occasion. 84/kaiser/verbal/whoeverelsefromusualsuspectsyouwanttobetoday: Do you really think it's possible to start a thread with a "here's what I think, and I only want to hear from you if you don't disagree with me", and NOT get called on it? Grow up. God bless, Zix

Temper, temper... It's not that I'm not glad you've found a book to give you some more self-esteem. I merely put it to you that the concepts upon which the author places so much stock are debatable. So, I'm debating them. Why does that threaten you so much?

satori: That's more like it. No, I don't have a problem with self-esteem per se, my problem is with that ridiculous first question. If the rest of the list of questions from 84's book is predicated on that null argument, any conclusions reachable through them are highly suspect. As your examples illustrate, either everyone has an equal "right to exist" granted by, and revocable by, the Creator, or everyone has zero "right to exist", they're just peculiar random coincidences of the Universe. Regardless of the quantity, zero or one, the value is invariant ab initio. It's debatable whether a person's life actions can change the value. Osama bin Laden probably has ....loads of self-esteem, but I think he's forfeited his "right to exist". What was the next question, again? Cordially, Zix

You're not honestly going to start with THIS crap again, are you?

Seth: Have you considered a Chapter 7 bankruptcy? It might buy you another 3 months, depending on the laws in your state. See if there isn't a Legal Aid clinic around where you are. God bless! Zix

Seth: You'd be surprised what modern anti-depressants can do. They aren't a cure-all, but they do help break the chemical cycle of depression leading to more depression. Usually, that's enough to help someone work back out from under the pile of stress. If not, psychotherapy isn't just for serial killers anymore, either. Remember, as Robert Heinlein once wrote: "As long as the flesh is warm, and the bowels move regularly, all other problems are minor and temporary..." God bless! Zix

Dear C-Kathy, As others have said, it's entirely normal, and hardly unusual for you to feel that way. If the foundation you thought was firm starts to give way, the natural instinct is to freeze, or panic, or both. Until you know which parts are solid and which parts are firm, you don't know which way to jump, so to speak. One of the best pieces of advice I've seen here is to get a different version of the Bible to read. Over all the years in TWI, the emphasis on "teaching and research" served to indelibly link the wonderful language in the KJV with the "official" TWI dogma on those verses. Reading it in slightly different language, without all your TWI margin notes and scratch-outs helps your brain re-acquire God's message. Personally, I find the NASB version to be the best, but a lot of folks prefer the NIV. When all else fails, remember Christ's words to the Pharisees: Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. You can act and think and believe the right thing in any situation by applying that concept first. Worry about the details later. God bless! Zixar

socks: That's a picture of Sharon Stone from "The Quick And The Dead", not anything from "Tombstone"... Or are you trying to derail a derailment?

Post redacted. Never mind. [This message was edited by Zixar on August 07, 2002 at 20:32.]

long gone: That's a valid point. The only defense I could offer is that all of us have been in situations where we didn't act as precisely as hindsight would dictate. In other words, better late than never. [shrug] We shall see.

Steve: Oh, I'm certain I've been harsher in the past. Go look up some of the furballs Satori and I had, way back when. There are certain situations where being rude is the only way to drive home a point. It's not up to me to decide who is or is not welcome here. Some people obviously get a kick out of the "stream of consciousness" types. But I don't have to like it, and I don't. I refuse to be censored for the sake of popularity. Some are just going to have to read what I write and hate my guts for it. My guts aren't here for anyone to love, after all.

firebee: With respect, your sense of chivalry is notable, even admirable; however, especially in our "enlightened" society, one man's noble chivalry can be another woman's patronizing chauvinism. Women are at no physical disadvantage on the internet, so coddling them is more of an insult than a compliment. Well, in my opinion, anyway. At any rate, I don't blame Excathedra one bit for not wanting anything to do with anything remotely "Wierwillian." That's entirely her right, especially in light of what she suffered directly from VPW, and she's welcome to it. I don't even think she and I were really arguing that point, up until Ginger flew off the handle because she thought I was. The point is, I can see WHY excathedra feels as she does. I'd be biased too, in her shoes, and I certainly wouldn't ask her to go to a CFF meeting. People who've been bitten by a snake will tend to freak out at a garden hose later. It's only natural. However, "guilt by association" has always been a facetious argument. It's the basis for all bigotry, from racism to sexism, and everything in between. Judging a group by the actions of a few is just plain stupid, especially in this case, where the malefactors aren't even part of the group being condemned. Even more stupid is an individual condemning a group based solely on hearsay! As long gone said, if there is a bad foundation after all, CFF will not stand. If there is a good foundation, it will prosper. Each splinter will live or die on its own merits. So far, CFF looks good. In contrast, what little dealings I've had with John Lynn's CES group lead me to believe they've got a serious screw loose. (Momentus, personal prophecy, no eternity in heaven, etc.) If it's not easy to be intreated, it's probably not the Word, after all. C'est la vie. TWI gave us a perfect example of what happens when the congregation isn't vigilant. Eyes fully open, Zix

Ex10: The only thing I'd add is that ResearchGeek is even nicer in person. Catcup, too. Good people to know.