Decisive ... Hearing God's Voice

by Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com

Decisive is about making better choices in life and work. The authors, Chip Heath and Dan Heath, describe a process using their WRAP formula:  widen options, reality test assumptions, attain distance and prepare to be wrong.

Most, when making decisions, encounter a choice, analyze options, make a choice and live with it.

Although villains face each of these phases. Villain one is we "narrow frame" our choices by limiting how we do go about them. Villain two is confirmation bias, where we accept confirmation for decisions based on biases we have. Villain three is that short-term emotions tempt us to make the wrong choices. Villain four is over-confidence about the future and how things will play out. 

They advocate that process matters more than analysis... by as much as a factor of six. A pros and cons process is too limiting; it won't correct these problems. The WRAP process will. 

Widen Your Options 

Reality Test Your Assumptions 

Attain Distance before Deciding 

Prepare to be Wrong 

Widen Your Options.

Learn to distrust "whether or not" decisions. Being too focused can cause us to not see other options. What if your current options disappeared. What would you then consider?

Compare alternatives and consider multiple alternatives. 
It keeps politics and ego's at bay. This is called multitracking. Always try to consider one or two extra choices beyond what you feel you have. Considering multiple choices simultaneously helps to shape the problem. If people on a team disagree on options, you then have real options. Toggle between prevention mindsets and promotion mindsets. A prevention focus avoids negative outcomes. A promotion mindset pursues positive outcomes. Push for "this And that," rather than "this Or that." 

When you look for options and feel stuck, look to someone who has solved your problem. Look out side... competitive analysis, best practices; look inside... your bright spots. Create a great decision playlist. The "what you did right" and "how you did it." It opens up new ideas. Why generate your own ideas when you can sample the world's buffet of options. 

Reality Test Your Assumptions.

Consider the opposite.

Watch out for confirmation bias where we seek out information that already favors our opinion, which is also self-serving.One exercise is to try to murder an idea to test its strength. Play devil's
advocate, the gong show game.

To gather trustworthy information we can ask discomforting questions. Try to come up with questions that that force ourselves to consider something opposite of our instincts. Test our assumptions with a deliberate mistake and see how it handles it. It takes discipline to challenge self-confirming information
.

Zoom out, zoom In.

Compare the inside view... what is in our heads... with the outside view... what is going on outside. The outside view is usually more accurate. Although most people gravitate to the inside view, what is in their heads.

What are the base rates... what usually happens in a given scenario. How far are you from these. Zoom in to examine the details to give it texture. The two are needed to balance the decision. 

Ooching 

Ooching is running small experiments to test our theories, rather than jumping in head first.  It slows the decision process down. In ooching we dip a toe in first.  Most are terrible at predicting the future. Entrepreneurs go out and try things, and then decide on the next steps based on  what they found out. Now, things that require commitment, like entering a college program, ooching is not the best plan. You don't take one class at a time and see what you want to do next. But when working with new people ooching is probably better... to try them out steps at a time, versus  trying to figure  them out if they will work out all up front. This makes a case for contracting with others on a short term arrangement. Ooching finds out first. Why try to predict when you can know. 

Attain Distance Before Deciding.

After reality testing your assumptions, many go ahead and make a decision. They feel it is time to choose. But what needs to be looked at is their feelings on the decision. Fleeting feelings tempt us to make decisions that are bad in the long term. To overcome distracting short-term emotions, we need to attain some distance.

One method is applying the 10/10/10 framework. Ask how you will feel about this decision 10 minutes from now, then what about 10 months from now, then what about 10 years from now. This tends to pull us out of the emotional side to a reality side.

Our decisions are often altered by two subtle short-term emotions: Mere exposure... we like what's familiar to us. Loss aversion... losses are more painful than gains are pleasant.  Look at it from someone else's perspective. What would our successors think?  Or ask  yourself, "What would I tell my best friend to do in this situation?"  

Honor your Core Priorities.

Quieting short-term emotions won't always make a decision easy. Agonizing decisions are often a sign of conflict among your core priorities.

Core priorities: long-term emotional values, goals, aspirations. What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of an organization do you want to build? The goal is not to eliminate emotion. It's to honor the emotions that count by identifying and enshrining core priorities. It is easier to resolve present and future dilemmas. 

Prepare to be Wrong. 

Our certainty about what will happen in the future is usually wrong. We really don't know.

Bookend the future.

Bookending is eliminating two different scenarios.  The dire scenario (the lower bookend), where things go badly for an enterprise. The rosy scenario(the upper bookend), where the enterprise gets a lot of breaks. It is looking at a range of possible outcomes from bad to very good.

To prepare for lower bookends, use a premortem. "It's a year later, our decision has failed. Why?" Prepare for the upper bookend of beyond belief success. Have a pre-parade. Will we be ready for success? What do we need to do now to be ready if it happens? 

To prepare for what is not foreseen, have a safety factor. Anticipating problems helps to cope with them if they occur. By bookending, anticipating and preparing for both adversity and success, stack the deck in favor of our decisions. 

Set a tripwire.

What can signal that we need to look at our decisions and make new ones. What can snap us awake to reconsider, that will grab our attention. Create an engine warning light.

Consider deadlines or partitions... where we hit a wall and we need to take a look. Tripwires can cap risks, quiet your mind until the trigger is hit. Many tripwires are patterns rather than dates/budgets... unexpected problems, unexpected success. They tell us we have a choice to make.  

Trusting the process. 

The most difficult way to make fair decisions is to involve as many people and get them to agree. To compromise is valuable in that it demonstrates you made use of diverse opinions. Most in business want decisions quickly, but you can't build consensus quickly.

Bargaining, horse trading, until all sides can live with the choice, makes for good decisions that
are fair. It is important to make sure those involved feel the decision is just. Trusting process is important. It isn't glamorous but the confidence it provides is precious. 

More at the Heath brothers' website. 

http://heathbrothers.com/ 


Hearing God's Voice. 

 When making decisions, we can ask God for direction. Many have wondered how to hear God's voice. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

First, as believers we have the mind of Christ, when after time in  reading the Scriptures, listening to Worship music, I sense a keener feeling to hearing His voice.  The thoughts and ideas I get at these times I have taken them as direction from God's Spirit.

When I get an impression, and later on while still contemplating a decision, if I read something or someone shares something with me that re-enforces the impression I am getting in my mind, I take it as God's voice confirming what I am thinking. 

Another individual may share something with me and a phrase in what they say may jump out at me that relates to what I am thinking. I take that as God's voice.

The issue in many cases is confirmation. What I have learned to trust are the quiet times when contemplating while reading the Bible. In those moments, I take those as God speaking to me. The ideas and thoughts in those sessions, I have learned to trust and value. 

Here is an excerpt from what I wrote from my experience with a mentor I had on trusting God's voice.

Dr. Ashcroft always encouraged me to hear from Spirit directly and
trust the voice of Spirit through my mind...
To be bold, in what I was led by the Spirit Voice to do;
Use the Bible to double check to make sure it was consistent with Spiritual principle;
To follow my heart and not man's voices.

I have learned to read the Scriptures and trust the impressions I get from them. “That’s how God speaks to you, learn to trust that,” Dr. Ashcroft encouraged me. In this one area Dr. Ashcroft had the greatest impact on me. I struggled to believe that I could trust these impressions, ideas as from God. I always felt I had to defer these thoughts and find out what God was saying through someone else.  

 Also, here are a few more thoughts. 

--Hearing God's voice can sound like a series of spontaneous thoughts.

--Be still so you can sense God's flow of thoughts and emotions.

--Double check the emotions against the Bible... love, joy, peace, understanding,
etc. If they stir anger, strife, anxiety, you may want to re-examine the thought.

--Think of the character of Jesus and would this be something you would
hear from Jesus, His Spirit.

--Write out what you hear, and look at it later. God's voice will carry a Spirit
of genuineness and continue in a Spirit of excitement. It grows in stature

and significance and importance.  

 Some common ways God speaks to us are through The Bible (His Word), words of other people, circumstances and a message you get from them, and the notable still small voice. 

Being quiet and learning to listen is a skill to be developed where after several confirmations of hearing and knowing it is God's Spirit speaking, we learn to recognize the voice as His voice.

Again, it is in most cases He uses our mind and thoughts, and we learn to recognize when it is His voice speaking.

The Energy Bus ... what keeps it going

by Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com

  The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon is about how to cultivate energy, maintain it in all circumstances, and then share it with all others.

In life, you can choose to see the curse or choose to see the gift. On Joy's bus, she encourages the riders that it's their choice, so choose wisely. 

 George had a flat tire, so he had to take the bus. There he met Joy, the bus driver, who always was smiling at him. George found out his car had a defective brake system, was part of a recall, and that it would take two weeks for the part to come in. He decided to take the bus the next two weeks.

His job was on the line. George had lost zeal for life. What he learned from Joy turned his life around. Joy had "10 rules for the ride of your life" posted on front of the bus. The next ten days, Joy and her joyful bus riders explained the importance of these rules to George.

Rule #1. You're the Driver of Your Bus. Take responsibility and control of your life. Take it where you want it to go. You must decide what you want, then create it. Don't let the world create it for you. What's your vision for your life, your work, your relationships. The laws of physics point out it's all about energy. What and who increases your energy. Sometimes by seeing what we don't want we see what we do want. Use crisis to create opportunity.

Rule # 2. Desire, vision, and focus move your bus the right direction. Stop thinking about what you don't want and focus your energy on your vision and what you want. Live in your energy field of dreams.

Rule #3. Fuel your ride with positive energy. E + P = O. Events in your life plus your perception creates your outcome. Make P a positive energy perception. You control that. This fuels your vision and puts energy behind your focus and creates positive results. It's like remembering the excitement of a great golf shot. You review it in your mind, tell others about it. Recall the exciting events of the day. Think about your vision, replay it in your mind daily and tell others.

Rule #4. Invite people on your bus and share your vision. Remember you're driving the bus, but you are also asking people to get on. It's too much to do it all yourself so you need an organized, energized team to deliver a successful product launch. When you invite people to get on they need to be excited about your vision too. And don't forget to tell your wife and family... it is indispensable that they be kept in the discussion of your vision.

Rule #5. Don't waste your energy on those who don't get on your bus. You may have some negative team members already. You may have to ignore them and not take it personally. Don't worry about those who won't get on your bus. The less energy you spend worrying about them, the better off you'll be.

Rule #6. Post a sign that says No Energy Vampires Allowed on your bus. Some who are negative and won't be positive with the vision may need to be asked to get off your bus. Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's negativity. Your certainty must be greater than anyone's doubt. Lead with your heart. The heart is your power center.

Rule #7. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them during the ride. Everyone around will be in beat to the frequency of your heart. Your positive energy will radiate to everyone's around you.

Rule #8. Love your passengers. Share love generously and you will become a love magnet to everyone around you. What people really want is to be loved and appreciated. When they feel loved employees will do more, and customers will send you more business.
Five ways to love your passengers. 1. Make time for them. 2. Listen to them. 3. Recognize them. 4. Serve them. 5. Bring out the best in them.

Rule #9. Drive with purpose. When you fuel up with purpose you find excitement in the mundane, the passion in the everyday, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Find your bigger purpose in the here and now and your purpose will find you. Shared purpose keeps your team energized. It is more powerful, meaningful, and inspiring if the team formulates what they want to be. They will be an energized, purpose-driven team.

Rule #10. Have fun and enjoy the ride. Live young, have fun, arrive at your destination as late as possible, with a smile on your face. Put these rules in your bus and the energy bus will give you the ride of your life.

In summary: 1. Create your vision. 2. Fuel your vision with purpose(it's benefit to others). 3. Write a vision/purpose statement. 4. Focus on your vision. 5. Zoom Focus. 6. Get on the bus. 7. Fuel the ride with positive energy. 8. Post a sign "No vampires allowed." 9. Navigate adversity and potholes. 10. Love your passengers 11. Have fun and enjoy the ride. For more go to...

http://www.jongordon.com/theenergybusbook.html


Jesus said when you remain in My Love you obey my commandments. His commands are not burdensome. We are to love God with all our heart and love each other.

In The True Vine by Andrew Murray, he writes about abiding in God's love. (Note John 14 and 15.) Abide in My love Jesus says. We speak of a man’s home as his abode. Our abode, the home of our soul, is to be the love of Christ. We are to live our life there, to be at home there all the day: this is what Christ means our life to be, and really can make it. Our continuous abiding in the Vine is to be an abiding in His love. The love of the Father to the Son is not a sentiment—it is a divine life, an infinite energy, an irresistible power. It carried Christ through life and death and the grave. The Father loved Him and dwelt in Him, and did all for Him.

So the love of Christ to us too is an infinite living power that will work in us all He delights to give us. The feebleness of our Christian life is that we do not take time to believe that this divine love does really delight in us, and will possess and work all in us. We do not take time to look at the Vine bearing the branch so entirely, working all in it so completely. We strive to do for ourselves what Christ alone can, what Christ, oh, so lovingly, longs to do for us.

And this now is the secret of the change we spoke of, and the beginning of a new life, when the soul sees this infinite love willing to do all, and gives itself up to it. “Abide in My love.” To believe that, it is possible so to live moment by moment; to believe that everything that makes it difficult or impossible will be overcome by Christ Himself; to believe that Love really means an infinite longing to give itself wholly to us and never leave us; and in this faith to cast ourselves on Christ to work it in us; this is the secret of the true Christian life.

And how to come to this faith?

Turn away from the visible if you would see and possess the invisible. Take more time with Jesus, gazing on Him as the heavenly Vine, living in the love of the Father, wanting you to live in His love. Turn away from yourself and your efforts and your faith, if you would have the heart filled with Him and the certainty of His love. Abiding means going out from everything else, to occupy one place and stay there. Come away from all else, and set your heart on Jesus, and His love, that love will waken your faith and strengthen it. Occupy yourself with that love, worship it, wait for it. You may be sure it will reach out to you, and by its power take you up into itself as your abode and your home. 

Murray continues in Abide in Christ.
"This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you." Let us try in all simplicity and honesty to go out to our home to translate the language of high faith, so that all men can understand it.

--Let our temper be under the rule of the love of Jesus: He can not alone curb it--He can make us gentle and patient. Let the vow, that not an unkind word about others shall ever be heard from our lips, be laid trustingly at His feet.
--Let the gentleness that refuses to take offense, that is always ready to excuse, to think and hope the best, mark our intercourse with all.
--Let the love that seeks not its own, to give its life for others, be our aim as we abide in Jesus. Let our life be one of self-sacrifice, always studying the welfare of others, finding our highest joy in blessing others.
--And let us, in studying the divine art of doing good, yield ourselves as obedient learners to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

By His grace, the most commonplace life can be transfigured with the brightness of a heavenly beauty, as the infinite love of the divine nature shines out through our frail humanity. Fellow-Christian, let us praise God! We are called to love as Jesus loves, as God loves.

Good to Great ... enduring work

By Dale Shumaker
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com

Good to Great (2001) by Jim Collins: "How to build a good organization into one that produces sustained great results." For over a decade, Good to Great has been on the top ten best business books.
Here is an outline of these stalwart business precepts that if all followed, applied, integrated within their systems, we could in decades move to new powerful heights as a business nation.

The first part of a business process is the build up. Then comes the breakthrough. But a certain path must be taken to get there. Here's the way:

The Build Up

Level 5 Leadership
Not Big personalities; but quiet, reserved, blending personal humility and professional will. The ambition is for the company, institutional success not personal success. Charismatic leaders need to learn lessons on how to involve others, build up others, and develop the skills of their team. It's having more plow horses than show horses. Their drive is for producing sustained results.

First Who... then What
Get the right people on the bus; the wrong people off. Most important asset--not people but the right people. Not ruthless cultures, but vigorous cultures. Put your best people on your best opportunities.

Confront the Brutal Facts(Yet never lose faith)
Maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your reality. …"conduct autopsies without blame." Create a place where everyone can be heard. Get "motivated, self-directed people" and don't de-motivate them.

The Breakthrough

The Hedgehog Concept
Simplicity within the 3 Circles
Circle 1. What you can be the best in the world at.
Circle 2. What drives your economic engine.
Circle 3. What you are deeply passionate about.
In times of trouble go back to the 3 Circles.

The Council: people who can share openly, collect ideas, sort out honestly, and then come to a best idea resolved from great councils. It's a device to get a balance of perspectives of all parts of the company using the 3 Circles. Select people knowledgeable who work in critical areas.
Keep it to 5 to 10 people.

A Culture of Discipline
"When you have disciplined people, you don't need hierarchy."
"When you have disciplined thought, you don't need bureaucracy."

Technology Accelerations
"Pioneers in the application of carefully selected technology."
Use as a strategy to accomplish the 3 circles. It can accelerate the business clock. Avoid fads and use as a strategic servant to accomplish your values. Does the technology fit within your Hedgehog theme... it’s your slave, not your master.

The Flywheel and the Doom Loop
The flywheel builds results; the doom loop lacks results and sells the future. Relentlessly pushing a flywheel in one direction, turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthrough and beyond. When you skip the build up and move directly to breakthrough, you risk entering the doom loop…creating a negative momentum difficult to reverse.

The Collins’ research group based their conclusions on findings, facts, and characteristics they found. They did not use a hypothesis approach to prove or disprove an assumption. They found out what worked and explained why it worked.

For more on Good to Great here is a more extensive summary:
http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/met/courses/met317/IAC/2011%20fall%20IAC/Good_to_Great.pdf
and Jim Collins’ website and particularly note
the Collins’ Good to Great diagnostic tool:
http://jimcollins.com/

If we would read the Bible in this way, we would maybe be better off pulling out what it is saying, than trying to make it fit preconceived ideas we have. The Bible is a life study book, loaded with spiritual case studies and enduring principles of Spirit. Just read it for yourself. See what jumps out at you and comes to mind. You can trust that as the Spirit of God speaking directly to you. Share it with a friend and see what comes of it.

The theme for progressing from good and moving to great is to be good, be humble and have patience. Humility with frankness plus respect form a winning combination. "I am not better than you. I respect you as much as I hope you respect me."

What is good?
This is a word that is one of the most vague terms we use. Talk to 20 people and you will probably get 20 different versions. So what is good? For whatever it's worth, here's my version.

Paul, the Apostle in the Bible said to fight the good fight. When he referred to fight the good fight he referred to doing what's righteous (God is Holy and we do all things in the light of what Holiness is. That still is vague and we wonder what that means and we have 1000's of very righteous groups telling us exactly what that means.)

The Apostle Paul goes on to say it is being like God, it promotes faith, expresses love, stays persevering, and is always gentle and kind. 1 Timothy 6:11, 12

God is Good, God is Holy, and to be Good is to be in God. Through Jesus Christ we have this right, privilege and ability to be in God. Jesus said to not call a man Good... "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good." Luke 18:19

This is to be in the very presence, person of God Himself, The Spirit of Likeness of Himself. Becoming just like Him. Then we are good. So our ability to be Good is limited by our own humanness and we come up with many definitions of what Good is, of which most are partially right but not truly great definitions.

Jesus goes on to say that "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and they who know me do as I do. We are all one who follow one voice. I lay my life down for my sheep."

He encourages us to take the back seat; humble yourself before others. John 10:14-17

It's humility among men, not making more of yourself that will make you appear better than others. Being able to appeal for help when needed and not being embarrassed, or too proud. Do not think you should do it all. Ask for help when you need it. Accept help when it’s offered to you. Allow others to bless you with their gifts, abilities as they have them to share and give you. If you have the same gifts as someone else who works with you, lay yours down and let the other one use theirs. The more you give up so others can shine in what they do, and allow them to use their gifts and abilities, the stronger you become as a group.

Patience then comes into play. Jesus, when hearing of His dear friend's sickness, Lazarus, waited a few days before going to him. Consequently, Lazarus died. Martha, Lazarus' sister, was at first upset that Jesus was not there. She told Jesus if you would have come he would not have died. But then she also had confidence in Jesus in that He could do whatever He wanted.

Jesus knew everything has a time and purpose. He waited because there was a greater glory everyone was going to experience. His time was for a certain time so to bring Glory to God (raising Lazarus from the dead).

We can steal of God when we move ahead of His timing and disturb His timing for His Glory. Move on God's timing.

Even Peter, the Apostle failed to be patient. He wanted to take matters in his own hands and he even told Jesus He was wrong. Jesus told His disciples to wait. Wait until the very Spirit of God would come on them... before you take action on His Mission.

Breakthroughs come when we are patient and allow the Spirit to work and then move when that power is with us and goes before us. Not forging ahead on our own, but allowing God's Spirit to do its work, and this Power of Spirit going ahead of us.

So what is great?
According to Jesus, Greatness is living in Spirit Process.
“So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven ."
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven !" (Matthew 5:19-20, NLT)
“I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John (the Baptist). Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!” (Luke 7:28, NLT)
“So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:4, NLT)

John the Baptist lived a very humble life. A child is open minded and willingly learns, without a sense of self-importance.

So then what is Great?
It is being Holy, Being in God (true Goodness),
and not into just yourself,
being humble around others,
and being patient for God to act on your behalf.
God helps us to be Great like Him?

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances... I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.” (Ezekiel 36: 27-30, NASB)

Take the back seat,
wait for Spirit,
then move with the flow of Spirit... Spirit Process!

Then, you will know the power of All God's Creative power
is with you and you will have penetrating breakthroughs.

Progress from good to Great by being in God’s Greatness.
Be humble and allow the talents of others to be expressed.
Be patient and watch Divine Power work on your behalf.

 

The Spirit Savvy Network ... living the Spirit Savvy way

by Dale Shumaker

The Spirit Savvy Network

www.spiritsavvy.net

What is a Spirit Savvy Network?

A Spirit Savvy Network is about

--discovering your natural gifts and becoming Spirit Savvy by expanding your gifts to be Spiritual Gifts.

--adding knowledge of business skills and entrepreneur skills that are empowered by the Spirit becoming Spirit Savvy.

--defining and refining your mission in life and operating in Spirit Savvy methods. ... using your gifts and abilities, entrepreneur skills within a Spirit-filled, Spirit-charged way of living.

Then networking with those who live the Spirit Savvy way of life.

This is a Spirit Savvy Network.
How is this done?...learn more at the Spirit Savvy Network where it has free links to biz book summaries and teachings on living supernaturally through prayer,
plus
programs on becoming a New Breed Missionary Entrepreneur and a leader of other Missionary Entrepreneurs through the Accelerator plan. 

How To Create a Buzz.
Taking Mark Hughes six buzz factors from Buzz Marketing we can see how Jesus used all of them and with great impact. It is still being talked about 2,000 years later. Now that is a power buzz.  People remember what is taboo, unusual, outrageous, hilarious, remarkable, or a secret. Jesus used all six factors that made what He did stick in the minds of people.

The taboo: Jesus talked to a women with several husbands which was at His time very “politically inappropriate” to talk to. It even raised the eyebrows of His disciples. But she told the whole town about Jesus, and they all came out to meet him.
The unusual: A blind man from birth was healed by Jesus. All the religious leaders wanted to speak to the blind man to find out what happened… they never saw this happen before.
The outrageous: Everyone was outraged, even His disciples, when Jesus asked one of the biggest crooks in town to be part of His inner circle. 

The hilarious: Jesus’ disciples must have had a tongue-in-cheek moment when they told others of how Jesus commanded demons to leave a person and they went into a whole herd of pigs who went squealing into a lake and drowned.
The remarkable: Walking on water, turning water to wine, and offering living water to prostitutes and undesirables was a little "out of the box" in going about things.
The secrets: Jesus told His disciples to keep it a secret that He was the Son of God. Nonetheless, the word of who Jesus was spread so rapidly He had to avoid public appearances because the crowds got big real fast.

Jesus' buzz still hums today. He walked in great Power to do this.

Use these six principles of creating a buzz to advance your mission. He promises that even today we have the same Power available to use.

Saying to us,
"I did this and You Can Too!"
"All things are (still) possible for those who believe." (Mark 9:23)

Believe:
Go against the grain of nature and traditions. Do something outrageously "good" and superior to mankind’s way of doing things.

Start your buzz… of Spiritual significance.The Spirit Savvy helps to develop skills like creating a buzz with the Spirit as the Driving force behind it.

One Word ... the power to stay focused

by Dale Shumaker
The Spirit Savvy Network
www.spiritsavvy.net

One Word by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, Jon Gordon is about finding that One Word that will change your life.  Each year many resolutions are made but when it comes down to it one word sticks. The authors created a One Word process. They found the power of a word that a person keeps in focus all year has more impact on your life than themes, mission statements, and phrases.

The process to One Word has three steps
1. Prepare your Heart 
2. Discover your Word
3. Live your Word

One Word creates laser-like focus that lasts. Where do you want to make impact?
...spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, mentally, financially ... set your word and focus.
1. Prepare your heart by looking in.
2. Discover your word by looking up.
3. Live your word by looking out.

Prepare your heart.
Escape from the busyness of life and take time to look in. Unplug intentionally, and find solitude (that's unplug from TV, computer, phone, people, to do lists...)

Ask...
1. What do i need? What may need changed, improvement, attention?
2. What's in my way? Obstacles, or attitudes in your mind?
3. What needs to go ? Past mistakes, bitterness, forgiveness, what we need to let go?

Discover your word.
Plug in. Make time for prayer.

Ask...
What do you want to do through me? It's about receiving a word, a God
Word. It's personal to you and specific for the moment.

Listen up
You may get the word while reading, listening to a song, a small voice while waking up. Be open to all experiences. The word may come through surprising channels.

Live your Word
When the word comes it may be in the form of a character trait, a discipline, a spiritual focus, an attribute, a number."  Some examples are "rest, intimacy, bold, green, purity, three..."

Live it out. Keep your word on the tip of your mind. Post it in prominent places, so you see it on a regular basis. It's your word... own it, personalize it, internalize it.

Write it down. Make it your screen saver, paint it on a sign, hang it around. Share your word with friends, family, and make it stretch your team, that is those who stretch you.
Now, go spread the word.

More on the One Word that will change your life at:
http://getoneword.com/

What one word would you say was Jesus' One Word.
His I see as being "Love."

All the commandments He said could be summed up in One Word...
to "love" the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and being.
And the second commandment is similar... to love everyone as much
as you love and desire for yourself.

Love contains a large volume of qualities.
Love remains patient when others want to react or get in a hurry.
Love stays kind no matter what others may do to him, or how he feels.
Love perseveres the pains and sufferings of life. He bears out a long time with things that are troubling without becoming down cast, resentful or wanting to get revenge.

Love does not get jealous of others who well, it does not brag on things it
has accomplish and becomes proud because of it, and is not rude to others
in all things. Love gives others the benefit of the doubt and is always
courteous and thoughtful to others.

Love seeks what is true and applauses those who tell the truth. Love is not irritated easily, and gives others the credit when it is due.
Love does not keep mental records of all the times someone has done
something wrong or tried to hurt them. Love does not become offended easily.
Love never gives up, always maintains hope and seeks opportunity to
be loving constantly. Love never, ever gives up as it endures all things.

So when Jesus said to love... he had quite of list of qualities love covers
that we can live out in all conditions.

 

The Entrepreneur Skill ... with an Inspired Spirit

by Dale Shumaker 
Spirit Savvy Network
www.spiritsavvy.net 

Many articles and books address the essential personal skills of the effective entrepreneur. This is a brief summary of those skills, plus the Spiritual skills. These are skills that may not be innately characteristics of a person, but eventually can be learned that keep advancing the entrepreneur in his vision and efforts. The more advanced and developed a person is in the entrepreneur personal skills, the greater the advances of the vision and the endeavor.
Spirit takes it to another, and many times an unexplainable, plane. 

Key personal skills of the entrepreneur.

Vision - imagination:  Synergistic dreamers who see potential and the components that inter- relate to the opportunity of what is imagined. 

Organized thought: Creating organization to a variety of thoughts to form a system from which it can work.  Very good at creating systems to get things done. 

Communication:  Communicating interpersonally in conversation and in writing, speaking and presenting. 

Inspiration:  Presenting ideas that can be simply understood along with a view that inspires and moves men’s hearts.  To create a buy-in within the communication. 

Planning and self-discipline.  Self-directed motivation along with the discipline to plan and systematically execute plans and make mid-course adjustments as necessary. 

People skills:  Understand different personalities and spot motives each person has, and create a relationship that influences that personality and its motives.

Problem solvers and creative solution finders:  Look at problems from all perspectives and find solutions within the problems, and create new solutions from problems. Great at finding new opportunities within a problem, and be the one to offer the new solution. 

Pleasing personality:  Easy to be around and talk to. People respond to their magnetism and humble nature as a person.  Being likeable and liked by all people of diverse positions in life. 

Self-educating:  Continuous learners with skills to educate one’s self. Can comprehend various information quickly, and see potential of it. 

Mental stamina: Can keep on task, even with unfavorable environments and conditions around them.  A strong locus of control, with stamina to press through obstacles, i.e., persevering. 

Redirect thinking:  An ability to handle criticism, recognize and work through prejudice and handle crazy people. Not everyone is rational in thinking, so ways are found to work around this. Advanced in people strategy skills. 


The Spirit Savvy Network integrates Spiritual skills with entrepreneur skills. True entrepreneurial skills actually originate in Spirit.

Spiritual components include.

Cooperation vs. competition:  A Spirit based commerce community works together combining gifts and abilities for a greater cause.  This is in contradiction to competitive commerce that works to tear down another's gifts and abilities to achieve their goals. Cooperative networks are more dynamic than competitive systems. 

Spirit Driven: Vision is based on God’s vision for the person. What  part does God want to play, what is God’s calling? This is the motivating and inspiring factor. 

Diving Intelligence: Divine intelligence is sought and applied. The Holy Spirit provides unique strategies to solve problems or advance the vision. The results and inroads this intelligence creates is unprecedented and recognized as God-Inspired. 

Love binds and love supports: Incentives and interactions are love driven. A Spiritually innate desire exists, with a desire to contribute to people’s lives. Those with more help those with less. 

The Spiritual model of a missionary entrepreneur is driven by the Spirit. God’s mission is encompassed with Spiritual gifts, love among each other, each proactively supporting and propelling each other... the nucleus of its power.

Spiritual connection to God’s Spirit and Spiritual connection to others of the same Spirit creates a Supernatural synergy among the network. This network, a Spiritually-driven community, works from God’s intelligence and Spiritual Power.  A Spirit Savvy Network.

Life Entrepreneurs ... becoming Missionary Entrepreneurs

by Dale Shumaker
Spirit Savvy Network
www.spiritsavvy.net

Finding your mission, Empowering your life through prayer,
Becoming a Missionary in the Marketplace
Leading others to be Missionaries in the Marketplace

Life Entrepreneurs by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek is how ordinary people can create extraordinary lives using entrepreneur principles. Being an entrepreneur and living a life should be the same thing. What we learn in the business entrepreneur world can be applied and should be applied to our lives as well, so we live them as one thing. The authors studied the lives of 55 entrepreneurs who they found were ordinary people who did extraordinary things. They found not just business ideas, but people that have living and business as integrated, intertwined principles. They live happy, fulfilled lives.

The Life Entrepreneur is one who creates a life of significance through opportunity recognition, innovation, and action.

Life entrepreneurs use the same tools that business entrepreneurs use. It is about developing an authentic, personal vision for our life and then setting up audacious goals. It's finding rewarding work consistent with our values. Where we can develop our talents and achieve the success we desire. It's threading the needle of opportunity and happy home life.

Then along side this is drive and direction to create an extraordinary life. The path to the good life is winding, each person's path is different, but we all can walk our personal path of an authentic integrity, deep awareness, breakthrough innovation, courage to try, purposeful spontaneity, adaptive persistence and pervasive service where we contribute as our defining feature in our lives.

The steps of this life entrepreneur path are:
1. Discovering Core Identity
2. Awakening to Opportunity
3. Envisioning the Future
4. Developing Goals and Strategies
5. Building Healthy Support Systems
6. Taking Action and Making a Difference
7. Embracing Renewal and Reinvention.

Our Core Identity
Our core identity comes out of a convergence of our history, the current circumstances in our lives, the nature of our relationships (external elements) which converge with our needs, strengths, and passions. This forms our core identity of purpose with our values. It is the dis-covering of ourselves, that's peeling off the layers of ourselves to find our core person. The process to get to this requires introspection, action, change and reflection.

In forming our values and purpose core, we must delve deeper. Spirituality has shown up in how leading entrepreneurs do this. It includes believing in a higher power, experiencing a transcendence as we employ strengths, passion, connect with others...by staying active and doing your best.

This is enhanced by the pursuit of a calling. Our core identity is meaningless without Spirituality. Life is about not finding our purpose but uncovering it. This then becomes the passion of calling driving us, and sight of a new vision giving us direction.

Our Purpose and Values emerge and we live out authentic integrity... that's congruence between who we are and what we do.

Awakening to Opportunity
After our core identity is discovered and we are molding it, we start waking up to possibilities. Rather than being tossed around by our circumstances, we look for and discover opportunity in our challenges and changes we face and see around us. Most limits we think we see are really our mental illusions from something in our mindset that prohibits expansion. We create new categories, remain open to new ideas and information, accept uncertainty, re-frame and enlist our minds in a creative playful state.

With mindset skills of breakthrough innovation we create and innovate. Creativity is coming up with new ideas. Innovation is applying a newly found creative solutions in a specific context, and making the way so others cause it to effect change. Finding a better way and seeing to it that it is something others can use to make things better. So the life entrepreneur recognizes the opportunities, while proactively and purposefully choosing which ones to seize.

Envisioning the future
Our vision is something big we see years down the road... maybe out 10 years.The vision goes beyond the status quo, is projected out far enough that we can work for it, and altogether lined with our core identity... purpose and values. The vision moves in three directions... personal, professional, and within our relationships.

We may have to push our minds beyond our present circumstances and not be confined by them. It may evolve over time, but each next step may not be crystal clear, but we move toward it. A big vision may take a while, so our purpose values keep driving us in its direction. Stuff happens. The Life Entrepreneur holds fast and figures out ways to continue the path.

When a vision is shared with those in our lives, spouses, friends, colleagues, these associations keep us going when progress seems bleak or even out of the question. In sharing, there is a resolve of power.

Developing Goals and Strategies
Goals are aims, the ends we seek, the objectives we want to accomplish. They keep us focused and accountable. Goals are purposeful, prioritized, clear and measurable, challenging but achievable. Although long-term in vision, in the short-term they make us highly effective. Short-term gains added up over time create the long-term results we hope for.

Some stumbling blocks to goal setting...
--too many goals (3-5 well constructed goals are best for achievement)
--lowering goals if we fail (commit to work harder)
--getting them out of the mind (write them down with action activities)
--over fixation (keep them in perspective and remain flexible)
--making them a one-time sprint (its constant and ongoing continually)

When developing strategies, master the context of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Test assumptions
Craft experiments
Mitigate, disarm risks
Identify required resources

Now Blaze the Trail.

Build Healthy Support Systems
Having healthy support systems has significant effect on our success and happiness. But, unfortunately, evidence is pointing to that this is on the decline generally.The average person has two close friends, someone they can confide with in total honesty. And one out of four say they don't have any close friends. We all are more fragile and vulnerable than we care to admit. The important people in our lives encourage us to be people of courage and character. They are a root of foundation on how we handle difficult challenges or whether we collapse when they come. Our closest friends are our chosen family. We look to them for support when challenged in mind, and spirit. One key to entrepreneur success is having these close, supportive, encouraging, friendships that spur us on when facing tough situations.

An ideal support system is couples. Entrepreneurs as couples have proven to be next to invincible. The Howard Schultz story of his wife's support at a critical time of his dream for coffee bistros in the US like Europe, was the turning point difference that has given us Starbucks today. So many notable entrepreneur ventures thriving today, have this "entrepreneur couple" factor highly factored in. This growth of entrepreneur coupling is budding the entrepreneur phenomenon.

Other factors of support strength includes mentors that know the road and help you on your entrepreneur path. Professional partnerships that include strong friendship relationships rise up to the top of a healthy support system. Then creating extended support networks works it way up the ladder... inviting those to join in your vision who whole heartedly support it.

How do you build this strong support network? The greatest persuader is authenticity. Without a personal conviction, expression of your passion, your words come off hollow. Being genuine, authentic, aligning what we do with our purpose and values, we present a package that attracts others.

Unquestionable trust and integrity bind the relationship between you and your support people... beyond legal agreements. Respect between parties must reign.

Healthy support relationships have trust, diversity, and reciprocity in their themes. When we are doing something good, people notice. When they see it's from the heart, it grabs theirs. Our support network brings others to support us too. The "positive network effect" is the flow of ideas through a broad web of relationships, a power that gains a momentum to a point of being unstoppable. It is the key ingredient for taking vision to reality.

Taking Action and Making a Difference.
Each entrepreneur has the courage to try... to discover who they really are and leave what is comfortable, safe and known. They could recognize the brief windows of opportunity and move quickly to seize them. They live in a purposeful spontaneity. If their purpose and core values were not defined and known to them clearly, this spontaneity would be a train wreck. Their search is a search of excellence discovery and bringing more excellent things into the marketplace. Service is a theme in all parts of our lives... home and work. Service is the "rent we pay for living on earth." Living in the realm of adaptive persistence. Sticking with it while being able to instinctively alternate between anticipation, changing course, learning to navigate to the back door if the front won't let them in.

There is more risk when we do not go for it, when the opportunity and purpose of self line up. Real failure is not entering the arena, or erasing the lines that stand between us and opportunity, and then not persevering.

Embracing Renewal and Reinvention
Stress is no stranger to the entrepreneur. Stress is induced by over committing ourselves and not being able to fulfill our promises, intense time pressure, and being subject to matters outside our control. So renewal and reinvention is essential. Adapt renewal strategies. Find a personal sanctuary where you can pray, reflect; places to walk, jog or swim; listening to music or reading a novel. Create habits of renewal.

The renewal process cycle has four stages. The awakening stage is realizing the need to change. Reflection is entering our sanctuary to revisit our core identity and get back to what is important to us. Planning is about taking action anew. Action is breaking out of old patterns.

When renewal is not enough, we must reinvent our lives. After a divorce, midlife crisis, we may need new direction which require big changes. Each change should lead to realigning us with our core identity of purpose and values. Then once again gain congruence and integration in lifestyle.

Creating a New Future
The authors discovered three overarching societal trends that emerged through their research of the life entrepreneur. The new age of entrepreneur progress has had its influence of Google, You Tube, wireless, open source, instant messaging, bioengineering, nanotechnology...

The first trend surfacing is untethering. A move away from traditional institutions and structures to a greater prevalence of free agents and specialized products and services. A move from traditional careers, to professional reinvention. Community is being redefined as we are untethering from local neighborhoods to social networks of similar interests and values... again made possible by the new advances in technology. Lives are more free flowing and uniquely designed by each individual, no longer tied to traditional modes of living.

The other trend is authenticity... finding a fit in the world that matches our genuine selves. There is a search for lifestyle and work which pushes them into their unique ideas, talents, skills and interests. The goal is to add purpose to their lives, and not be manipulated by work that takes them away from their true selves. Meaningful, lasting and enduring are key characteristics. This also affects consumer trends as social conscientious thinking affects who we choose to participate with in purchase of products or services.

The third trend is integration... a restoration of coherence and congruence in our lives. The blend is about less emphasis on income and security, and more on learning, challenge, fun, fulfillment, and service. Work must have value while paying the bills. It integrates family values with lifestyle interests, so work enhances and expresses these. Life is lived coherently and fluidly with our purpose, work, relationships, choice of place to live and activities coming together in a powerful whole.

Life is about living a life of our own that we own and someone else, or business doesn't. All three are the foundations for the pursuit of a new future in the lives of Life Entrepreneurs. The new life is about choosing to do so... with imagination, courage, and conviction. We integrate work and purpose. Success is about limitedless opportunities we now pursue and knowing we have the freedom to pursue them. There is joy, grace, and beauty to live out days within purpose and value.


The Nucleus of Spirit-Powered life in Mission

Jesus had a power formula for turning the ordinary into extraordinary.
He said when just two or three agree in pursuits, desires, objectives and lovingly work together toward that pursuit, everything is possible.The secret is the closeness of our relationships and respect for each others diverse nature, and abilities. When diversity, people of different personalities and abilities work together, extraordinary results manifest from it.


Now what is the nucleus to this power?

When you master the following as the nucleus to your faith ... what ever you hope for can be manifested... materialized... come into a tangible, living reality… in your very life, YOUR life.

This is the missing ingredient we have lost in our society and institutions of Spiritual representation. The Secret to the Law of Manifestation is…
1. When just two or more people join in thought and action,
2. When they connect circuits Spiritually, make contact in person, or through some other communication means (phone, email, internet video, etc.),
3. On behalf of Jesus Spirit...meaning
--In a state of love that loses interest in self and considers others more important than themselves
--Sharing in thought and ideas and respectfully considering others thoughts, feelings and personal gift/callings.
--Serving each other as if they were serving themselves... with the Spirit of serving others as more important than trying to get from others, or selfishly using others for one's own gain.
(Note Matthew 18)

This is the master formula... that creates miracle, supernatural power in all things and the greatness of Jesus among Us... all universal potential of Jesus manifests itself.This is the missing component to why power is not around, functioning naturally as a normal, existing part of life.

Master the above and the Supernatural events as Jesus demonstrated when he returned to His followers will be a partisan part of your personal life, business operations, family, and all components of life.

"Given these components, one can expect the manifest presence of Jesus" as Jesus Spirit is with us.

Expect the least likely, most defeated areas, to have their rebirth, reappearance in you and even marvelously more superior than before. The circuits of Spirit will flow continuously and powerfully in all aspects of all you do. This intimate fellowship with each other is reflected among us... above normal.

The Body of Christ ... Dr. A’s Passion, a Tribute to Mankind

by Dale Shumaker
Spirit Savvy Network
www.spiritsavvy.net
4spirit@gmail.com
Finding your mission, Empowering your life through prayer,
Becoming a Missionary in the Marketplace
Leading others to be Missionaries in the Marketplace

He was a president of three colleges over his lifetime. A leader in Spiritual living. Although his last book the Body of Christ was never published by his denomination. So he published it himself with only a few hundred copies in circulation.

He was really ahead of his time and the model for the Body of Christ in Power is relevant to many settings... how to have a Spirit-empowered business, a home study group, any group that meets with the goal to grow spiritually, solidly, in Truth to God’s guiding principles. It is remarkably very relevant to the society who looks for true Spiritual living. It is my view it was Inspired, by God, for a generation to come. We are entering that generation.

The following is based on excerpts from his book and my personal experiences with him. He shares views of various aspects of what has been called the Body of Christ, the Church, the power of prayer partnering and God’s ideal plan.

Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft was called Dr. A by those who worked closely with him. I affectionately use Dr. A in reference to him.

My tribute to Dr. A. Here's some of what He said about the Body of Christ and its significance. (I have used Jesus is Us as my aka for the Body of Christ.)

The following reflects Dr. A’s way of explaining Jesus…who now literally is living among man as a corporate unit. Instead of just one man (Jesus), being God's representation of His Spirit, we as a group are now all Jesus was when on earth. That's why his emphasis on unity and being One... with each other, as with God's Spirit.

I have included extensive excerpts from Dr. A's works on the Body of Christ... and its relationship to Spiritual Power…Spiritually Vibrant, Exhilarating Living.

“The Body of Christ in Action”... as per Dr. A. (Quotes are Dr. A's)

The Apostle Paul in the Bible (note 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14 in the New Testament) made an analogy between the human body and how Jesus returned to live in us right after He physically died.
Dr. A called it "incarnation"... He lives in us...individually and as a group. We now as a group represent the "Body" of Jesus.

We have all the privileges of Spirit as when the very Spirit of God was in human physical form... Jesus. Jesus was referred to as the Christ... meaning God Himself was in Jesus' Body.
Dr. A explains.

"God manifests Himself in the earth today through the Body of Christ."

"Jesus explained that it was expedient that He go away. For greater things were to be done which may not be done with Him being present. He had a plan... the Holy Spirit to form ‘again’... another Body... the Body of Christ as Paul the Apostle calls it. And what was expected of the first ‘Body’ of Jesus is also being expected in part of the Body of Christ Presently Manifested on the earth."

"For this reason, the forming of believers into the Body of Christ.. the bonding, Yes, BONDING of believers... is Absolutely Necessary for the fulfillment of the purpose of God."

Believers totally absorbed into this intertwined group of people form One Group.... Jesus is Us... as a whole. What was the significance of water baptism during Jesus time?

"Water baptism suggests burial... death; death to the sovereignty of the physical nature. This is a powerful lesson for us. When we come to Christ and surrender our lives to Him, we end the sovereignty of the natural man and come under the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit."

"We can see that our baptism into the Body of Christ causes us to be completely oriented to the life of the Spirit and to dedicate ourselves in service to the needs of others. We die to the life of selfishness and come alive with the life of sharing. ...When we die to self, we minister to others.  All are contingent upon our sensitivity to the needs of believers or humanity at large."

Jesus Spirit now among all believers produces gifts in all believers. And that's what they are ...Gifts, a privilege, not a possession.

"Manifestation of the Holy Spirit are not possessions, they are functions of the Holy Spirit. Often it appears as though the individual has these gifts as his own possession, they are manifestations of the Holy Spirit for the entire Body. ...they are given for the good of all. They are not for the possession and exclusive use of certain individuals."

"There is mutual sharing of need and supply. Whenever the Body of Believers are in that Spirit of unity there is opportunity to
--communicate one specific need to the body of believers
--receive the answer to any specific need."

Dr. A emphasized that when we pray, our first question should be... what is my role in answer to this prayer; helping with this need?

(He believed much was a practical thing. That we all do what we can when we know of a need by someone we pray with, pray for.)

Then, share information, ideas you get in prayer that could help in answer to this prayer.

How should this Body be managed?

"The Body of Christ is the instrument through which God has chosen to reveal Himself and to accomplish His work in the world. And this is under the administration of Christ Himself as the Head of the Body."

"Just as God was revealed and acted through Jesus Christ, His Son, on the earth, so now, He is revealing and acting through Christ's Body, The Church!"

"Note: It is important to observe that a crowd or congregation, even an ecclesia (assembly of people) is not equal to the Body of Christ. It takes more than membership or association. It takes being knit together."

Today the term "church" is a confusing term. Dr. A told me his views on the Body of Church were radical and this makes it radical to today's views of what The Church is. The Church, authentic Church, is the name the Bible gave to those who Believe, Live Out, and were genuinely Connected in Spirit with each other

…not limited to building, location, organizational name, membership or attendance. We do not “go to” church; Believers “Are” The Church!... wherever they are.

“When 2 or more gather in Jesus Name... That’s Church, ” Dr. A emphatically stated one day. And he added this is a radical view. Especially when you compare it to today’s mindsets of what a church is. If we don't communicate out of love and care for each other than out of love, we are not really part of The Church, even though we do the things Dr. A described above.

"It is the Holy Spirit who forms the Body of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who will bring the Body of Christ into unity and productivity."

Interesting observation is that Paul, the Apostle, who wrote about the Body of Christ, was not a personal disciple of Jesus. He was not personally under the teaching of Jesus while Jesus was alive. He learned what he learned from the other disciples who were with Jesus and through Spiritual Intelligence, through Spiritual Revelation.
We have the same privilege as Paul.

Dr. A always encouraged me to hear from Spirit directly and
trust the voice of Spirit through my mind...
To be bold, in what I was led by the Spirit Voice to do;
Use the Bible to double check to make sure it was consistent with Spiritual principle;
To follow my heart and not man's voices.

I have learned to read the Scriptures and trust the impressions I get from them. “That’s how God speaks to you, learn to trust that,” Dr. A encouraged me. In this one area Dr. A had the greatest impact on me. I struggled to believe that I could trust these impressions, ideas as from God. I always felt I had to defer these thoughts and find out what God was saying through someone else.

"Don't be ignorant. Know the difference between the Spirit-led life and the life of sensuality. The contemporary lifestyle of our time is more than the problem of sexuality. It is sensuality.

By this we mean that we are under the spell of our self-life and pleasing one's own sensual desires."

"They (Corinthian Believers) had been 'carried away' by... under the spell of ...the cultural patterns which were entirely sense related.

They worshipped dumb idols, material idols.
They had no awareness of the Holy Spirit! The objects of worship were in the material realm or oriented to physical pleasure."

So characteristic of today's society which is materially driven and sensually focused.
One thing which I fear is that high energy praise and worship today may become more a sensual experience than Spirit-led worship in mass meetings. Those who manage such events must be careful of this. It may seem very "spiritual" but only be a "sensual high" we think is Spirit. Then too, some deep meditative exercises may be a pseudo-spiritual state as well.

Each have merit, but to double check ourselves in that they are truly Spirit-led. It is so important that we learn how to follow the genuineness of Jesus Spirit within us and allow that to control us and all we do.

Jesus Spirit should be the regulator for our conscious, Jesus Spirit should be our consciousness and life as directed, controlled and precisely guided by Jesus Spirit... of love, humility and compassion for man around us.
Always remember... Jesus Spirit lives in us.
Jesus is Us!

"Spiritual intelligence, communications, physical needs, material necessities are all provided under the leadership of the Holy Spirit to believers in community... the Christian community."

… the Jesus is Us group.

"Each time the believers are in Spirit of Unity and koinonia (spirit of sharing), each believer looks around him to see whom he may minister to or help with something... and also be open to receive the ministry of the Body of Christ."

"The human body is the analogy which Paul the Apostle used to impress upon the Corinthians how the Holy Spirit will fulfill His ministry. Here are some obvious lessons to be learned:"

1. The believers are precisely and very intricately interconnected like a web. All actions (good and bad) affect all others.... directly or indirectly.

2. Every one of Jesus Spirit has a very unique role and everyone should help each other identify it and encourage them to put it to work. Our role is being "gift spotters" and "gift motivators" based on what Jesus Spirit has put in them and for the purpose Jesus Spirit has for it.

3. When any part of Jesus is Us is hindered and not allowed to use his Spirit Gift, it drastically limits the total effectiveness of the whole group. In Spirit we are all interconnected, so it puts a drag on the whole system. It just pulls everyone else back and pulls the power down.

4. When one member suffers the others should stand ready to be responsive to help.

"Manifestation of the Supernatural for the benefit of the Body is a priority. The world outside becomes a beneficiary of the powers of the Holy Spirit through the Body of Christ. So much depends upon the practice of caring for one another."

"When one suffers, we all suffer." (Paul the Apostle)

"This implies the degree to which each member participates in the need of other members of the Body of Christ... the entire Body. This is also the price of discipleship. So much depends upon the application of this practice."

Each person has a personal mission that needs encouragement.
All parts of Jesus Spirit, Jesus is Us, is necessary. It is necessary for all facets, differences, styles, types to work together.

"Differences, yes! Divisions, no! We may have differences, but no divisions."

We can't overemphasize "the importance of sacrificial love. It is the cement that unites and holds together the unity so needed in the Body of Christ."

"The high priority for each individual in the Body of Christ is to be fully yielded to the Holy Spirit. It is obvious that in our humanity, it is impossible to achieve this quality of love. So, we are locked into total dependence upon the Holy Spirit. The emphasis and practice of waiting for the Spirit must be our first consideration."

No matter what we do, if love for others is not the motivating nucleus of our actions, it basically counts for nothing. As human beings we can't love to the level of Jesus Spirit and His Heart. So we have to allow Jesus Spirit and His Heart to whole-heartedly possess our very human being... heart, mind, soul, and body.

Spirit lives in us… it is imperative we allow it to do what it does best.... allow it to take its loving control to a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and compassion.

There is a power in Spirit we’re not experiencing, and we can!

May we all work as a unit to reclaim what has been lost since Jesus time on earth. And may we set our goals to exceed Jesus Example.

“You will do even greater things.” (Jesus)

Dr. A desired anonymity as this writer also does. He wanted himself out of the picture as he was just one person, one small part of this Body, I call Jesus is Us. I desire the same. It is about Jesus is Us… not me.

As an insignificant person, I was surprised by the significant attention he gave me. This is my tribute to Dr. A.

So Dr. A., this is Dale saying thank you
... and it is again on its way!

I hope someone takes this attempt to share a view of Jesus we both knew, and wanted to be like and share, without fanfare, recognition, wealth or fame...and share it with one another.

The work we set out to do will be passed on, one at a time. and in time, many may know. But hopefully, many will begin to live in the vision we both saw for mankind.

May I do my part to see it comes about. And if I share in rejection as you, I count it a privilege to work for what is right and what is Jesus’ Heart as we saw in our hearts and Spirit.

We knew each other’s hearts; we saw the same things.
We were different, but one in vision.
It’s now time for me to take what I have learned from you
and press on.

To pick up from where you stopped and continue on. And pass on what I know. Maybe all this will grow and we’ll see Spirit in Power blossom again.…which was your Passion and mine as well.

You are with Jesus in Spirit now, the one you loved so much.
I am still on earth. I miss you.

As you often said “Chambers really hit me today.”
Today, Chambers really hit me.

"It is not wrong for you to depend on your 'Elijah' for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, 'I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ '
Yet God says you must continue."
(My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers, August 11)

Dr. A,
you were my Elijah,
...and I will continue!
Love ya Man! and Thanks so Much!

A committed friend …for our mutual friend, Jesus.