Mental Hygiene for Christian dotcomrades

editor

This sounds really good. Is it something that you can continue to do if you have to miss a few days? or do you have to look at and study every day?

My Dad is supposed to find out when his surgery is going to be tomorrow or Tuesday.

My Mom's brother in Delaware has had a stroke, possibly two, and if my Dad's surgery isn't for a few more weeks we may be running down there, and they do not own a computer.

So I may miss a lot of days. If it is one of the ones, that has to be done strictly everyday to keep up, I may have to wait until April's to join in.

Gayle, you really do have so much on your plate right now. {{{{spiritual hug}}}} your way.

Join in as you can. This time I will be keeping all the lessons on this one thread so that it will not be so confusing to catch up with a day with TBD's programming error where a subject drops off the discussion after 10 days. I believe this study will allow us to deepen our love for the Lord.

Thanks editor.

I do hope I can keep up as much as possible. I forgot somewhere in those days is packing and planning for Houston trip, and my own two doctor's appointments. I may need a miracle to keep up.

Let's hope it is so interesting you won't want to fall behind. No, I understand and expect all to work at their own pace. I just like to do daily's on top of my regular routines. I tend to remember better than if I do a weekly supplement.

editor

I am marking one helpful, one funny, because the inspirational button is cutoff at the end again, and I can not use it.

All three got tagged, Gayle, and what a pick-me-up. Kewl beans!

Lesson 1 – What is the Theology of Everything?

INTRO

Scientists around the world are diligently searching for a single formula that

would explain the mysteries of the universe. No one can be sure that there

is such a thing, but if it exists, it would be the DNA of our creation: a

simple little code that governs everything from galaxies to sub-atomic matter.

Scientists call this The Theory of Everything and they hope to discover it within a

few years. If they do discover it, it would be one of the greatest scientific

breakthroughs in history.

A discovery of even greater significance can be seen in the Bible and, like The

Theory of Everything, there is a verse of scripture that does provide us with a

single formula – a simple code, or a DNA if you will – that governs all things: and

not just the visible universe, but the invisible world of the spirit.

For purposes of our discussion and to differentiate it from The Theory of

Everything we refer to this as The Theology of Everything.

John 3:30 is the key that unlocks the mystery and gathers together all the truths,

revelations and teachings of scripture into one simple little statement. In the

authorized King James version of the Bible it contains just seven little words. Yet

within those seven little words we can see the Theology of Everything:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The man who uttered these words was John the Baptist. Jesus said that John was

the greatest prophet – greater than Moses, greater than Elijah – even though John

did no miracles. So what made John the Baptist the greatest prophet? It was his

insight into the person of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose:

and this is why he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease”.

John spoke those words in response to his disciples who complained that Jesus was

getting a larger following than he was. On the surface, of course, we could take

these words literally and simply interpret them in the context of John's deference to

Jesus. But, if we take the statement and apply it to ourselves, and make it personal,

it takes on a prophetic significance: Who must increase? Jesus must increase. Who

must decrease? You and I must decrease.

If we take these seven simple words and make them our confession, and

personalize them, and apply them to ourselves, then something dramatic happens.

We learn that everything past, present, and future can be explained by this. This

explains everything God has done, everything God is doing and everything God

will do. This explains everything God has said, everything God is saying and

everything God will say. And not only that, this explains everything you have gone

through, everything you are going through and everything you will go through.

Now is it really possible that seven little words – one tiny fragment of scripture –

can really answer all these questions? Yes... provided we discover the spiritual

principles behind John 3:30 and consider them in the context of the entire record of

scripture.

In our next lesson we'll discuss The First Universal Spiritual Principle.

QUIZ

Lesson 1 – What Is The Theology of Everything?

1. The Theory of Everything is best described as

a) a scientific explanation for everything in the universe

b) a religious explanation for everything in the Church

c) a medical explanation for everything wrong with you

2. The Theology of Everything is best described as

a) a religious explanation for everything in the Church

b) a simple way to explain God and His ways

c) a philosophy for merging all religions into one

3. Although The Theology of Everything is supported by many Scriptures, the single verse that

best describes it can be found in

a) John 3:16

b) Genesis 1:1

c) John 3:30

4. The “Seven Simple Words” that best describe The Theology of Everything is

a) We must stop and smell the roses.

b) Early to bed and early to rise.

c) He must increase, but I must decrease.

5. If we apply it to ourselves in a personal way, The Theology of Everything can help us better

understand

a) everything past, present, and future

b) what God has done, is doing, and will do

c) everything we have gone through and will go through

d) all the above

editor

I forgot to thank you for the hug you sent me yesterday. It was much needed and very appreciated. ((((hug)))) May the peace of Christ be with you.

A very good contemplative reading.

My quiz answers are

1) A

2) B but it was a hard choice. I think it could be both a & b together. But a didn't seem to stand alone as well as b.

3)c

4)c

5)d

I hope everyone who comes in here has a great day.

Gayle, you got right to the heart of the matter today and dug into the study to get a perfect score.

Personally I do want more of Jesus and less of me!

I liked that study.

I hope you come each day, Nancy as we learn to let Jesus shine in our lives greater than ever before.

Thanks for coming, Nancy!

You understood the importance of today's lesson. #5 is actually d all of the above.

If we give Jesus His rightful place in our life we will see Him increasing and others shall be drawn to Him.

Go, Jesus!

I had them all right but didn't get to post them before editor gave the correct answers.

Is there anyway the answers can be posted later in the day, so more people get the chance to answer? If not that's ok, I understand you may not have the time.

Yes, absolutely. I will wait until the next early a.m. to do so. Good suggestion, Gayle.

L E S S O N 3

The Second Universal Spiritual Principle

f you have spent some time studying John 3:30, by now you probably can

guess what the second universal spiritual principle is: “I must decrease” -

and, that decreasing is just as important and just as sure as the increasing.

Just as Jesus must increase, in the same way, we must decrease.

On the one half of the equation we have the Law of Increase, which states, “He

must increase”. On the other hand we have the Law of Decrease, which says “I

must decrease”.

The Law of Increase tells us that everything God has done, is doing, and will do is

for the purpose of increasing Jesus. The Law of Decrease tells us that everything

we have been through, everything we are going through and everything we will go

through is for the purpose of decreasing self.

These two laws – the Law of Increase and the Law of Decrease – create kind of a

holy tension and a balance. People of other religions and philosophies have tried

to glimpse this balance and they have attempted to explain it in terms of male and

female, or yin and yang, or light and darkness; and the have observed something

that is true, but, they are powerless to explain exactly what it is or why it is. They

can't really explain it or understand it because it cannot be explained apart from the

revelation of Jesus Christ. Behind this process of increasing and decreasing is not

an impersonal force but a living personality!

The Law of Increase says, “He must increase”. We call this a positive law, because

it adds something. The Law of Decrease says, “I must decrease”. We call this a

negative law, because it takes something away from us. These two laws are

working in harmony together: as Jesus is increased, I am decreased; and as I am

decreased, Jesus is increased.

So using John 3:30 as a reference point, we now want to apply these spiritual

principles to the idea that God has a purpose and a will, so in our next lesson we

will begin discussing The Three Indisputable Facts of God's Purpose.

QUIZ

Lesson 3 – The Second Universal Spiritual Principle

1. The Second Universal Spiritual Principle is found in the second half of John 3:30, and says

that

a) He must decrease

b) I might decrease

c) I must decrease

2. The Law of Increase in John 3:30 tells us that

a) God wants us to be prosperous

b) the more you give the more your receive

c) Jesus must increase

3. The Law of Decrease in John 3:30 tells us that

a) Self must decrease

b) the poor get poorer

c) if you sow sparingly you’ll reap sparingly

4. Since both Universal Spiritual Principles work together to create a “holy balance”, we have to

remember that

a) Jesus must increase but we don’t have to decrease

b) both the increasing and the decreasing is optional

c) both the increasing and the decreasing are necessary

5. The Second Universal Spiritual Principle is referred to as a “negative law” because

a) no one likes to decrease

b) something is taken away from us

c) dying to Self is hard work) if you sow sparingly you’ll reap sparingly

4. Since both Universal Spiritual Principles work together to create a “holy balance”, we have to

remember that

a) Jesus must increase but we don’t have to decrease

b) both the increasing and the decreasing is optional

c) both the increasing and the decreasing are necessary

5. The Second Universal Spiritual Principle is referred to as a “negative law” because

a) no one likes to decrease

b) something is taken away from us

c) dying to Self is hard work

lesson 3

1) C

2) C

3) A

4) C

5) B

1c 2c 3a 4c 5b

Both Gayle and Nancy are stellar students. Good job.

My observations today: "The Law of increase tells us that everything God has done, is doing, and will do is for the purpose of increasing Jesus."

When we look at what God is doing in our life, we fail to praise and thank Him and give Him the glory for ALL things. Whatever He allows or disallows is so that Jesus may be preeminent in our life and draw others to Him, not our own personalities.

L E S S O N 4

The First Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose

In Ephesians chapter one verses 9-11 we find three indisputable facts of God's

purpose and in this lesson we will look at the first one. Ephesians 1:9-11 says

this: “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His

good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the

fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which

are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have

obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who

works all things after the counsel of His own will.”

So the first indisputable fact of God's purpose is: God has a will. God has a

purpose!

Most of the world's philosophy, most of the world's religion, is based on man's

attempt to answer these questions:

1) Who am I?

2) Where did I come from?

3) Why am I here? and...

4) Where am I going?

But these questions can only be answered when we consider them in the light of

God's ultimate will and His purpose. He created nothing by accident! In Isaiah

45:18 it says that the Lord created the heavens and He formed the earth, He

established it and He did not create it in vain.

In other words the earth did not just suddenly appear by accident! God had a

specific purpose in mind when He created the earth. A design implies a Designer.

A creation implies a Creator. A plan implies a Planner. And a purpose implies a

Person who decided upon that purpose. There is a purpose, a reason for being.

There is a reason for creating, a reason for living: a purpose which is larger than

us, yet it includes us.

You are a living miracle, you are not an accident! You were not created in vain!

Just like the earth, you too were formed to be inhabited by God Himself. There is

a will, a purpose, a reason, a goal towards which God is moving. He has an

intention. He is seeking a result! God is not floating along aimlessly towards

everything in general and nothing in particular. He is moving towards something.

God wants us to know His will so that we can enter into His will and work in

harmony with Him, cooperating together. Why not just do what He wants? Why

bother to reveal it to us at all? Because you and I are part of that will and part of

that purpose.

So the first indisputable fact of God's purpose is: God has a will. In our next

lesson we will discuss The Second Indisputable Fact of God's Purpose.

QUIZ

Lesson 4 – The First Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose

1. Ephesians 1:9 says that God has made known to us the mystery of His Will. If we believe

this to be true, then we have no choice but to conclude that

a) no one can be sure what His Will really is

b) God DOES have a Will and He wants us to know what it is

c) only deeply spiritual Christians can understand His Will

2. The First Indisputable Fact of God’s Purpose is

a) everything is determined by cause and effect

b) God has a Will and a Purpose

c) man is in control of his own destiny

3. The “Big Questions” most philosophies and religions attempt to answer are

a) who am I and where did I come from

b) how did I get here and where am I going

c) all of the above

4. If there really is a Purpose for everything, then there must be

a) an amazing series of coincidences that explain it

b) a Person who decided what that purpose should be

c) a scientific way to figure it out eventually

5. If God can do anything He wants at any time, why would He bother to reveal His Will and

His Ways to us?

a) because we are part of His Purpose

b) because He can’t do anything without our permission

c) because He needs our help to make it happen

My answers for today are

1)b

2)b

3)c

4)b

5)a

Right on, Gayle!

My observation today is: God has a will. We want to be found in the center of it. Being outside of it is rebellion.

Excellent, Gayle! Although this seems a simplistic study, our eyes are being drawn to Christ and the fact that He must increase. As He increases and we decrease we will see the glorious Church emerge triumphant and powerful as it should be a magnificent witness to the world.

A very good quiz taker you are, Gayle!

Such comfort I have from reading the Bible day in and day out and knowing in its entirity, "it is a continuous unbroken thread of God's will which weaves it's way throughout all of God's dealings with man." I am so glad I didn't just read it once or twice expecting to comprehend it in a few sittings, but knowing each time I read it, God expresses a deeper revelation of His will to me.

L E S S O N 7

The First Expression of God’s Purpose

We just learned that God has a purpose, that God's purpose is “All

Things in Christ”, and that God is working all things together according to

this purpose. There are three expressions of God's purpose, three ways in

which we can see God working to bring His purpose about, and you can find this in

yet another little snippet of scripture: in Romans chapter eleven and verse thirty

six. And if you turn in your bible there, Romans 11:36 says this: “For of Him and

through Him and to Him are all things; to Whom be glory forever! Amen.”

Now in this little fragment “...of Him, through Him, and to Him...” we have the

three expressions of God's purpose; and the first expression of God's purpose is

“Of Him”.

“Of Him... are all things”, and this is speaking of the past. When I say that

everything God has done, everything God is doing, and everything God will do is

connected to this purpose, I mean it is connected to increasing Jesus and

decreasing everything else. That's partially based on this portion of Scripture: of

Him, through Him and to Him are all things. “Of Him” is the past, “Through Him”

is the present, “To Him” is the future.

So let's look at the first expression: “Of Him”. That means everything that God

has done, everything God is doing, everything God will do flows from Christ! Of

Him are all things.

Several scriptures bear this out:

John1:3 says “..all things were made by Him and without Him was not anything

made that was made.”

Ephesians 3:9 says “...to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,

which from the beginning of the world has been hidden in God, Who created all

things by Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 1:16 says “... by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and

that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or

principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him.”

Hebrews 2:10 says “... for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things.”

1 Corinthians 8:6 says “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all

things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we

by Him.”

Finally, Revelation 4:11 says “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor

and power, for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and

were created.”

So the first expression of God's purpose is: "Of Him - of Christ - are all things”. In

our next lesson we will discuss The Second Expression of God's Purpose.

QUIZ

Lesson 7 – The First Expression of God’s Purpose

1. Romans 11:36 contains three ways in which we see God working to bring His Purpose about.

They are best described as

a) of me, through you, and to God

b) of Him, through Him, and to Him

c) from Him, through me, and to others

2. The First Expression of God’s Purpose is

a) “of Him”

b) “through Him”

c) “to Him”

3. “Of Him... are all things” means that everything

a) begins with Christ

b) moves through Christ

c) ends with Christ

4. If all things are “of Christ”, this means that

a) everything was created by Him for a specific purpose

b) He is the Alpha and the Beginning

c) nothing was created apart from Him

d) all the above

5. Since all things are “of Him”, this proves that

a) we cannot be certain about Creation

b) man is now in control of everything

c) nothing exists by chance, accident, or fate

My lesson 7 observations:

To be found in Him, to be faithful in Him, and to honor Him is my desire, past, present and future.

L E S S O N 8

The Second Expression of God’s Purpose

We have already learned that God has a will. God's will is “All Things

in Christ” – and God is working all things together according to that

purpose. In Romans 11:36, if you will turn there again, we see three

expressions of God's purpose. How does God go about working all things together

according to His will? Romans 11:36 says that of Him, and through Him, and to

Him are all things.

The first expression of God's purpose is “of Christ”. In other words, everything

past flows out of Christ – everything created out of Christ!

In the present tense all things are “through Him” and we can take other scriptures

and demonstrate that and categorize them: 1) All things are in His Hands, 2) All

things are under His feet, and 3)All things are working because of Him. Let's go

through some of these.

First, all things are in His hands:

In Matthew 11:27, Jesus said “All things are delivered unto me of my Father.”

John 3:35 says “the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.”

John 13:3 says “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His

hands, and that He was come from God and went to God.”

John 16:15 says “All things that the Father hath are mine.”

Hebrews 1:2 says “God has, in these last days, spoken unto us by His Son, whom

He has appointed heir of all things.”

Then, all things are under His feet:

Ephesians 1:22 says “He has put all things beneath His feet and gave Him to be

the head over all things to the church.”

Colossians 1:18 says “Jesus is the head of the body, the church, who is the

beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.”

Hebrews 2:8 says “You have put all things in subjection under His feet, for in that

He put all in subjection under Him, he left nothing that is not put under Him.”

And then, all things are working because of Him:

Colossians 1:17 says “He is before all things and by Him all things find their

being.”

Hebrews 1:3 says “Jesus is the brightness of God's Glory, the express image of His

Person and He upholds all things by the word of His power.”

Romans 8:28 (which we have already referenced) says “God works all things

together for good, to them that love God, to them that are called, according to His

purpose.”

Hebrews 4:13 says “No creature is hidden from His sight, but all things are naked

and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

So, “All things are of Him” and “All things are through Him”. And in our next

lesson we will discuss The Third Expression of God's Purpose.

QUIZ

Lesson 8 – The Second Expression of God’s Purpose

1. The Second Expression of God’s Purpose is

a) “of Him”

b) “through Him”

c) “to Him”

2. Whereas the First Expression of God’s Purpose (“of Him”) represents things PAST, the

Second Expression of God’s Purpose (“through Him”) represents

a) things past

b) things present

c) things future

3. “Through Him... are all things” means that everything

a) begins with Christ

b) moves through Christ

c) ends with Christ

4. If all things are “through Christ”, this means that

a) nothing happens without His permission

b) in Him we live and move and have our being

c) all our steps are ordered by the Lord

d) all the above

My lesson 8 observations: All things under His feet should give us great courage in stepping out in faith declaring Christ to be the exact expression of God. Let us not be ashamed of proclaiming we are in Him.

It is a joy to see you grasp, God's concepts, Gayle!

L E S S O N 9

The Third Expression of God’s Purpose

If you will turn in your bible again to Romans 11:36, we are discussing the

three expressions of God's purpose. We have already learned that God's will

and His purpose is to gather together in one “all things in Christ”, so that

Jesus will have the preeminence in all things. And we have also learned that He is

working all things together according to the counsel of His will.

So, in Romans 11:36 we see three expressions, or three ways, in which God works

all things together towards increasing Christ and decreasing everything else: “For

of him, and through Him, and to Him are all things”. “Of Him” refers to things

past, “Through Him” refers to things present, and “To Him” refers to things future.

So the third expression of God's purpose is “Unto Him are all things”.

Philippians 3:21 says “He will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like

unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to

subdue all things unto Himself.”

1 Corinthians 15:28 says “When all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall

the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God

may be all in all.”

Ephesians 1:10, we've already read “That in the dispensation of the fullness of

times he might gather together in one all things in Christ.”

Colossians 1:20 says “Having made peace through the blood of His cross by Him

to reconcile all things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth,

or things in heaven.”

Ephesians 4:10 says “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far

above all heavens, that he might fill all things.”

Revelation 21:5 says “He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things

new.”

So “All things are of Him”, “All things are through Him” and “All things are unto

Him.” Those are the three expressions of God's purpose. You see the entire object

of Christianity: it is not a religion about Jesus! It is Jesus Himself at the center of

everything.

A quote from T. Austin-Sparks would be good at this point. He says this: “What

we are after is to see the centrality and universality of the Lord Jesus, and He is, by

divine appointment, at the center of everything in this universe, every phase and

every aspect, and He is it's explanation.” Isn't that a great quote?

Now, in our next lesson we are going to go back to our First Universal Spiritual

Principle – He must increase – and discuss exactly what that increase is: how it

begins, the process of the increasing, the goal of the increasing, and the means, the

instrument, through which Jesus is increased.

Then we'll look at the second universal spiritual principle – I must decrease – and

we'll discuss the beginning, the process, the goal, and the instrument through which

that decreasing is accomplished. Then we'll be better able to understand and

appreciate and acknowledge that God is working all things together according to

His purpose; that of Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ are all things - so that

Jesus Christ would have the preeminence in all things, beginning with you as a

disciple; with the church corporately, as the body of Christ; and ultimately in all

creation.

He must increase, therefore He will increase, and He is increasing.

QUIZ

Lesson 9 – The Third Expression of God’s Purpose

1. The Third Expression of God’s Purpose is

a) “of Him”

b) “through Him”

c) “to Him”

2. Whereas the Second Expression of God’s Purpose (“through Him”) represents things

PRESENT, the Third Expression of God’s Purpose (“to Him”) represents

a) things past

b) things present

c) things future

3. “To Him... are all things” means that everything

a) begins with Christ

b) moves through Christ

c) ends with Christ

4. If all things are “to Christ”, this means that

a