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Thermostat Talking

CecilW

CecilW

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Real Person
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Mark 11:22-24 ... those things he SAYS will be done. (Go ahead. Look up the whole passage for yerself, and mark it ifn you ain't yet. It's important.)

I look around me and see health problems, stacks of bills, no mate. ... But the Bible SAYS that if I SAY and BELIEVE that I HAVE health, abundance, and um, relationship(s), I will have them. All of the above.

I try a while, but then feel sorta silly saying out loud that I have what is so clearly not present. And the devil says, "What you telling those lies for, boy?" Then God says, "How can you be lieing, repeating what *I* have said about you?" It's all very confusing. So maybe I stop (which was the devil's goal.)

I've simply failed to understqand the difference between thermometer and thermostat speech, and the fact that when I speak, my speech SETS THE THERMOSTAT.

Now, if you ask me what is the current state of things, I may look at the thermometer and be forced to report in honesty that the temperature is 102 degrees.

But unless I am giving a current progress report, a very specifically thermometer communication, what proceeds from my mouth sets the thermostat.

If I set the thermostat to match the thermometer at 102, nothing is going to get better. If I set it to 72, and the Power is connected, things begin to improve. I don't even have to keep focussing on it. Don't have to cheer it on -- "Come on, heat exchanger! You can DO it all night long!"

Just set the thermostat and DON'T keep changing it. If every 2 minutes I go reset it to the thermometer reading, then go back to the target setting then back to the thermometer, nothing very impressive will really occur.

Keep the thermostat set for the target reading. 72 degrees.

"But I gotta say it like it is. That's just me." Really? Do you stand on your front porch and yell, "Somewhere, Fido. Somewhere! Pee on another hydrant!"? or do you yell, "Here, Fido, Here! Come to Papa!"? THAT is calling things that are not into being.

Do the same thing with health, finances, and healthy relationships. "Come health, come! Come to me!" Or, "Come money, come. Come into our family." Regardless, set the thermostat, and keep it set! See what happens.
 
That is a great illustration.

The thing that always bothers me about that passage is, what if we are wrong? What if our plans for the future are different to God's? His plan will be better, what if we are praying for something that He doesn't intend to happen?

But that's my human logic talking. The Bible says what it does, so it must be true. Very encouraging.
 
FollowingHim said:
what if we are praying for something that He doesn't intend to happen?
Click to expand...

Well, if I declared that you were going to send me $20,000 US tomorrow, and that after paying my bills I would use the remainder to fly to NZ for 2 weeks where I would not only speak on PM to crowds of 5,000 but would marry 2 gorgeous 24 yr old virgins and in the process become the future owner of their respective parents' large sheep stations, and then return here -- all in time for a weekend event the last weekend of May, that MIGHT be a wee bit much. :lol:

Not to mention, I'm not quite certain at this point in my life, whether that would be fantasy or nightmare, :roll: but am slanting towards the latter! :lol:

However, if it IS in line with the promises of God, it seems appropriate. The contention of the speakers from whom I am learning the concepts is that it works whether you intend it to or not. If what is coming out of your mouth is doom and gloom, that is what you will get. So you might as well use it to your advantage and that of God's work.
 
My only caution would be that it seems borderline "health and wealth gospel", "prosperity gospel" so on an so forth. That said, we can see from Phil 4:8 that we are to think on a whole host of positive things including what is pure, praiseworthy, excellent and more. So I think one could make a case for the importance of setting your thermostat with such positive thoughts. Of course one must keep the proper focus on God or it could become just another part of the New Age positive thought philosophy. Pretty sure that's not where you were going with this.
 
What was it John said? I wish above all things that you may PROSPER and be in HEALTH even as your soul prospers?

It would seem that God does want us both prosperous and healthy. Might as well get on board ourselves.

Could it be that just as therer is crazy good intimacy in marriage and plenty but nowhere near as fulfilling outside of it, there is health and wealth in the world, but it is so much MORE and so much more satisfying with God?

The first verses of Ps 103 ploace forgiveness, healt, and prosperity kinda bundled together.

There are lots of others.

Yes, folks could pursue God only for the wrong reasohs. But in pursuing Him, they could also enjoy the benefits that come along with the relationship. Makes sense for God and marriage both.
 
A quick bit of clarification, my caution is that we avoid buying into the line that just because I pursue or follow God doesn't mean that I will have good health be monetarily wealthy, etc. I think we can easily look around our circles of friends and quickly ascertain that not all Christians are free of disease and millionaires. If one isn't too careful we can stray into the mindset of thinking that those who are poor or ill must not be following or pursuing God. Again, based on my reading of your statements I don't believe you were going there. :)

I do believe that those who seek God will tend to have more joy and peace in their day to day.
 
Let me clarify beyond mistake:

I believe that the churches have done a criminally POOR job of teaching the gospel / Bible regarding health. I readily admit that in looking around I see disease everywhere among the people of God, and have been ravaged by it myself. However, I believe that Jesus purchased healing for us here at the whipping post on His way to the cross, and that we all could and should be set and maintained free of disease in this life.

The same applies to finances. No, Jesus didn't die to make you employee of the month, nor to get you an estate in the Hamptons. But the promises are unequivocal: ALL your needs Divinely supplied. In abundance. So that you CAN always be generous on every occasion. Don't like the wording of those promises? Take it up with God.

Will the outworking of that promise differ based on situation? of course. Needs met while living iin a remote village in Papua New Guinea subsisting on local produce and game differ rather wildly from those while living in Northern Minnesota making a living by writing software over the internet.

And, of course, we all may be called upon to lose every material possession and/or human relationship, even to our own lives, at any time for the sake of the Gospel. Separate situation. Hebrews 11 says that those who accept these tough conditions see them as a voluntary investment towards a greater reward. Not exactly a helpless, "it must be God's will for me to be poor", mindset.

But, while I am still changing my language and mindset from 50 years of "it says, but it means" to "it says, so it's so", I am definitely proposing and choosing to believe the Word. It clearly says that healing and constant Divine health is for all humans, and that abundant Divine provision is for all Christians.

Do YOU pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? Any poverty or infirmity there? :D

We need to learn, practice, and administer these things, teaching them to others. PM is interesting, but it is a total side show. Jesus told the disciples: Go, preach, heal, forgive, raise, deliver, and give. Destroy all the works of he devil! Never did tell the or us to stop!

Caution? "Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!" The Holy Spirit brings boldness, not caution, and an ability to laugh at and party in the midst of any resulting persecution! (Paul & Silas in prison.) (Which, btw, is one of the reasons I so strongly recommend being open about your belief in or practice of PM.) :o :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I like the way you word some of these things... great view. I've frequently been wrong or slightly off so I'll have to dig into this one a bit more. I do agree that he promised to meet our needs but no such promise around wants. This does indeed match my experience.

With regard to health, I've always been blessed with good health so it's possible that I've forgotten to give credit where credit is due. :shock: :)

Then I do wonder how to balance it with in this world you will have trouble type passages as well. Anyway, seems like I always have more to learn, good discussion. Now I just need to locate a 2012 Maserati.... :D
 
chris said:
no such promise around wants.
Click to expand...

There, the key is the word "anything".

There is a list of words that Christians generally flat out refuse to believe. Among them are: all, anything, nothing,... I'll have to look up the rest.

Try reading the psalms and NT, especially, choosing to believe them. Believe that Jesus was articulate enough to know exactly what He said.

While you are doing it, check the tenses of statements. If it is put into the past tense, then it must be DONE.

Finally, ask yourself if certain passages which appear contradictory would make sense if they were written to people in different spiritual states -- natural man, born again, baby believer, mature believer, etc.

See if the whole thing makes much more sense, and if the whole churchian theology doesn't suddenly get turned upside down and revealed as the contradictory mess it truly is!
 
Point taken... oy just when I thought I was making headway in understanding this... :)
 
oy, you ARE! Try reading with those ideas in mind, and you will find the Bible, and especially the NT coming alive as an incredibly interesting read.
 
CecilW said:
There is a list of words that Christians generally flat out refuse to believe. Among them are: all, anything, nothing,... I'll have to look up the rest.
Click to expand...

Here's the list I have. Interesting to underline them when we come across them and see how different some things start to appear...
  • All
  • Any
  • Whatsoever
  • Whosoever
  • Nothing
  • Anything
  • Shall
  • Forever
  • Never
  • Every
  • None
  • Shall Not
Enjoy! :D
 
Hunh? Lost me.
 
the opposites some are already listed so was wondering if the other ones not listed are also included in that list.
CecilW said:
CecilW said:
There is a list of words that Christians generally flat out refuse to believe. Among them are: all, anything, nothing,... I'll have to look up the rest.
Click to expand...

Here's the list I have. Interesting to underline them when we come across them and see how different some things start to appear...
  • All
  • Any
  • Whatsoever
  • Whosoever
  • Nothing
  • Anything
  • Shall
  • Forever
  • Never
  • Every
Enjoy! :D
Click to expand...

Shall Not?
and none being the ones not listed
 
Thanks, Jen. I believe you are right, and have amended my list accordingly.

Isn't that at the core of breaking any one of the 10 commandments? We excuse our way around one or another of the "shall nots"? *sigh*

After a lifetime of hearing Religion excuse its way around all of these "no exception" type words, it is taking me a while to retrain my brain. But I am finding it very rewarding.
 
A prime example of thermostat vs thermometer talking is found in 2 Kings 4:17-37.

The Shunamite woman's son died. Did she call the mourners? Wail? Tear her clothes? Tangle her hair? Cover herself in sackcloth and ashes?

Nope. Left his body in Elisha's room and went to find the prophet, expecting the current situation (thermometer) to change! To everyone who asked her, including her husband, she gave a pure thermostat report: "All is well."

Only when she got to HIM did she report the thermometer reading, "My son done croaked!" Why then? Why him? He was the one who could do something about it. He had to know where the starting point was.

Note that eLISHA tried to send Gehazi with a staff. Almost a brushoff. She was having none of it! "I'm not leaving you 'til thIs gets fixed!" Sounds like the Canaanite woman who Jesus told "No", but who pretty much said, "I came for healing, and I'M NOT GOING HOME WITHOUT IT!"

Folks, we all face challenges. Some of them pretty bizarre and dire. SET YOUR THERMOSTAT! And watch the current reality change!
 
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