.. They would rather die than deny their lusts. If lust cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed. .. Obe- Sections and quotes to revisit:
1. Obedience -
.. They would rather die than deny their lusts. If lust cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed. .. Obey God's voice. This is the beauty of a Christian. What are the great arguments or incentives to obedience ? Obedience makes us precious to God - His favorites. You will be My portion, My treasure, the apple of My eye.
.. Scripture: If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples (Exodus 19:5). You are honored and I love you (Isaiah 43:4). .. There is nothing lost by obedience.
2. Love -
.. If the sun has set in the understanding, it will be dark in the emotions.
.. Wherein does the formal nature of love consist? The nature of love consists in delighting in an object. .. As Thomas Aquinas said, "The lover's delight in his beloved." This is loving God - to take delight in Him. .. Scripture: Delight yourself in the LORD (Psalm 37:4), as a bride delights herself in her jewels (Isaiah 61:10). Grace changes a Christian's goals and delights.
.. Scripture: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart (Mark 12:30). God demands the whole heart. We must not divide our love between Him and sin. The true mother did not want the child divided (1 Kings 3:26), and God does not want our hearts divided. We must give Him the whole heart.
..We must love God for Himself, for His own intrinsic excellencies. .. We must love Him for his loveliness. It is a harlot's love to love the portion more than the person. Hypocrites love God because He gives them corn and wine (Genesis 27:28; Hosea 2:8). The sincere Christian loves God for Himself - for those shining perfections that are in Him....more
interesting worldview and insights, you can see how they appear so attractive to man's/male thinking - fiercely independent and focused on solving oneinteresting worldview and insights, you can see how they appear so attractive to man's/male thinking - fiercely independent and focused on solving one's problems and standing in life, as well as finding a higher purpose that pushes one through - attractive to the mind for practical coping with suffering and existence yet false and useless in eternity and facing God's judgment.
on an obvious note, Musashi's thinking is deeply influenced by Buddhism and eastern transcendental thinking - to transcend oneself, think lowly of oneself and highly of the world, renounce desires, become one with the "universal spiritual being", oneness and eastern enlightenment - all of these, as a Christian, I know are objectively false and cannot recommend to young (faith) Christian Trinitarian believers (unless they come knowing the Buddhist influence on Musashi's writings ; or they have some training and education in theology, philosophy, eastern history or history of religion).
good use to the book for Christian men ? - understanding the novel and highly popular stoic, eastern and "code of honor" mentalities, finding a bridge for communication and understanding with non-believers (not-born-again) who adhere to these ideas.
you could see how principles like hard work, mastery and dedication to one's craft are timeless and work across cultures (thinking of Proverbs) and a tint of creativity in actions and not being bound to customs and cultural norms give you independence, flexibility and a high sense of freedom at the cost of being an outcast - Musashi chose one form of suffering over another, but where does all of this lead to in the end ?...more
To-do: come back with general notes and updates, some inclarity on attributing soft monophysitism to Lutherans and Aquinas and likewise Nestorianism bTo-do: come back with general notes and updates, some inclarity on attributing soft monophysitism to Lutherans and Aquinas and likewise Nestorianism being attributd to Sproul/presby?
Caledonian - Vera Deus, Vera homo. Q - why not fully God and fully man? - probably related to one Vs two nature distinction, get clarity on two natures...more
The main message of Alex's book is that creating wealth comes down to:
- adopting the right mindsets and taking specific actions,
rather than relying oThe main message of Alex's book is that creating wealth comes down to:
- adopting the right mindsets and taking specific actions,
rather than relying on luck or talent.
The book outlines 10 key principles or "pillars" that can help shift your thinking and behaviors towards building wealth quickly through entrepreneurship, rather than slowly through traditional employment.
1 - Reject Getting Rich Slow:
Becker argues that getting rich slowly through a job is riskier and less fulfilling than entrepreneurship, which allows you to "get rich quickly" while having control over your life.
2 - Separate Time From Money:
Build systems that generate income without directly trading your time, such as automated businesses or passive income streams.
3 - Accept That You Must Be Better Than Everyone Else:
Develop superior skills and expertise in your field to outcompete others and provide exceptional value.
4 - Every Little Thing Is 100% Your Fault:
Take full responsibility for your life and outcomes, without blaming external factors.
5 - Adopt An Abundance Mindset:
Believe there is an abundance of wealth to be acquired, rather than a scarcity mindset that limits your potential (focusing your energy on defensive and saving strategies).
6 - Forgetting "What If" And Focusing On "What Is":
Take action without dwelling on hypothetical scenarios, and focus on executing the tasks at hand.
7 - Map Out Actions That Achieve Goals:
Clearly define your goals and create a step-by-step plans to achieve them.
8 - Focus Solely on What Gets You Paid:
Prioritize income-generating activities over busywork that doesn't contribute to your bottom line.
9 - People Give Money To People That Get People:
Develop skills in persuasion, marketing, and understanding human psychology to effectively sell products or services.
10 - Find Competitive Friends and Suitable Mentors:
Surround yourself with driven, ambitious people who will motivate and support your wealth-building efforts.
Summary - shift your mindset away from conventional paths to wealth, take full control through entrepreneurship, continuously improve your skills, take massive action....more
In attitude towards Bible reading, JMac emphasizes the importance of directly engaging with the Bible rather than relying solely o1. Reading the Bible
In attitude towards Bible reading, JMac emphasizes the importance of directly engaging with the Bible rather than relying solely on secondary sources or books about it.
He recommends a personalized approach to reading the Bible (with different strategies for the Old and New Testaments):
- i. reading through the Old Testament at least once a year (noting important truths and questions)
- ii. repetitious reading of individual New Testament books over a month or more to retain knowledge and understanding.
- iii. practical steps: > a. reading short books like 1 John in one sitting daily for 30 days > b. dividing longer books like John into shorter sections for daily reading over a longer period.
(ex: John - 21 chapters. Divide it into 3 sections of 7 chapters. At the end of 90 days, you'll finish John. For variety, alternate short and long books. )
2. Interpreting the Bible // TODO
3. What should be my response to the Bible ? - JM Study Bible
Loading...
