2-- Priorities Of Time Usage

Priorities of Time Usage I was going to post more proof against the Good Friday tradition, but Sunday (April 5, 2009) evening the Holy Spirit indicated that I was to write another essay about something else. (If you want the information I have collected about the just indicated controversy which involves accepting or rejecting the non-literal interpretation of Jesus Christ’s prophecy about how long He would be in the tomb, go to http://www.box.net/shared/ot74yxiupr .) I have been spared from death at least 4 times, the most recent was my heart attack experience. I mostly have been thankful for being able to do fulltime ministry mostly via the Internet since the end of December 2003. Don’t you feel best when after you have used time unselfishly? Earlier this year, I made the new e-mail address of [email protected] because I thought that God wanted me to change my ministry focus from mostly warning others about USA political leaders and about unBiblical End Times teachings. But because of my deep patriotic concern for the United States, I kept doing what I was doing last year. I used to be a sports-a-holic and I read the sports section of many newspapers, and listened to many sports talk shows on the radio and pre-game shows on TV when I was in the USA. I just realized that political news reports and commentaries are similar: mostly usually controversial facts and opinions. But what does Philippians 4:4-8 say we should be thinking about (and think why I did not just put the 8th verse)? “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers [and sisters], whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever things are of good report-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-meditate about such things.” Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 23:7a-- “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he” Matthew 12:34-35 “Oh generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matthew 15:18-19 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth 1

come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Before going on in this essay, how do those Scripture passages relate? How do they relate to politics? How do they relate to Christian church services? And how do they relate to your current usages of time? Last night the following verses were shared after church: 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Romans 14:23c “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Matthew 22:37-40 “Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shall love The Lord your God with all your heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.’” And then there is the following passage which the Holy Spirit has urged me to share thousands of times last year and this year: Jude 1:20-23 “20 But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in The Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference. 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” If you are a true Christian, what do the above Scripture indicate? Try to figure out why I bolded certain words and phrases before going on to the rest of the essay. On September 2, 2005, I had a strange experience out of which a new way for introspection idea came. I wrote this testimony: “The Holy Spirit mentioned the word “priorities” last night just before I went to bed. I told Him that I already done an inventory of my abilities. He said that wasn’t the need for me and for some of those on e-mail list. He suggested doing a self-inventory in relation to the following list “The Commandments of Jesus” (compiler unknown). I was 2

surprised because I thought I would do something more related to the Great Commission. Below is my first phase before reading the Scriptures:” Commandments of Jesus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Topic Area Searching the Scriptures

1-10 Scripture 9 Matthew 7:15-17 & 16:6-12; Mark 4:24; Luke 8:18 & 9:44; John 5:39 & 15:20 Faith 9 Matthew 6:25-34 & 14:27; Mark 5:36 & 11:22; Luke 12:4-7 & 29; John 14:1-27 & 20:27 Believe (Trust for Your Life) 9 Mark 1:5 & 11:24; John 6:28-29, 10:37-38, 12:36, 14:1 & 11 The New Birth ("Born Again From 10 Matthew 12:33 & 23:26; Mark 9:50; Luke Above") 10:20; John 3:7, 6:27, & 15:4 Receiving the Holy Spirit 10 Mark 7:27; Luke 11:5-13 & 24:49; John 7:3738, 14:15-17, 15:26, 16:24, & 20:22 Repentance (Change) 7 Matthew 4:17 (Revelation 2:5), 6:33, 7:7, 11:25 & 28, & 16:24; Luke 13:24 Following Jesus 7 Matthew 3:13-15, 7:24, 11:29, & 28:19; Luke 9:23 & 22:17-19; John 12:26, 13:14-15, 14:23, & 15:9 Supreme Love to God 8 Matthew 4:7 & 10, & 23:9; Mark 12:30; Luke 12:5, John 4:23-24 & 5:22-23 Prayer 8 Matthew 6:6-8 & 9-13; Luke 6:28, 10:2, 21:36, 22:40-46; John 16:24-26 Unselfish Love from God the 6 Matthew 5:39-41, 44, & 48, 19:21, 26:52; Luke Father 6:27-28 35, 12:33, 21:19 Meekness (Humbleness) 7 Matthew 11:29, 20:25, 23:8; Mark 10:43-44; Luke 10:20, 14:8-11, & 17:10 Against Covetousness 3 Matthew 5:42, 6:19-20, & 23:23; Luke 11:41, 12:15 & 14:12-13 Against Hypocrisy 2 Matthew 6:1-6, & 16-18, 23:2-3; Luke 12:1, 20:46-47; John 2:16 Wisdom 7 Matthew 7:6, 10:11 & 16-17, 15:12-14; Luke 9:5, 10:10-11, 22:35-36 Letting Your "Light" Shine 5 Matthew 5:16; Mark 5:19; Luke 6:36 & 11:35; John 4:35, 12:35, 15:8 & 16 Our Duty to God and Others 6 Matthew 5:25 & 34-37, 19:5-6 & 17; Mark 4:22, 9:38-40, 12:17; Luke 10:8; John 6:12 Our Love for Other Christians 6 Matthew 5:24, 7:1-5, 18:10-15; Mark 9:50; Luke 6:37 & 17:3-4; John 7:24 & 15:12 Our Duty to Our "Neighbor" 4 Matthew 19:17-19; Luke 6:31 Preaching the Gospel 1 Matthew 10:7-8 & 27, 28:19-20; Mark 4:22 & 16:15; Luke 24:46-47; John 21:15-17 Preparing to be Faithful Unto Death 6 Matthew 10:19 & 23; Luke 6:23 & 21:28; John 6:41; Revelation 2:10 & 3:11 Ready for the Second Coming of 7 Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 12:35-36, & 40, 17:31Christ 32 & 21:8 & 34; Mark 13:5-6 & 34-37; Revelation 2:25 & 3:2-3 3

“In conclusion, my priorities should be”: 1 Loving God more 2 Becoming more Christ-like 3 Sharing God’s truths with others 4 Searching the Scriptures and creating Bible study tools 5 Doing intercessory prayer 6 Counsel others 7 Go against unBiblical teaching and hypocrisy The time I wrote this essay was the day after Palm Sunday of April 2009. I will greatly reduce the time of reading, downloading, uploading to Diino and Box.net accounts, and e-mailing news reports and news commentaries. (Thinking “que sera, sera” will help me do so.) I will greatly increase my time of communion with the Godhead, e-mail and blog ministering, developing and promoting good Bible study tools, and intercessory praying. I hope that you also might make some changes in your life in response to what you have read in this essay. I think that God wanted me to make the changes in January. Habits are hard to change, but God just wants the best for us. Jude 1:24-25 “24 Now unto Him Who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 to The Only Wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” My understanding of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding or past experiences; in all my ways acknowledge Him (be thankful to/for God), and He (via the Holy Spirit) shall direct my thinking and doing. We each need to choose many times daily whether to live unselfishly or selfishly, for the glory of God or for our satisfaction. Onward to Christ-likeness because we love Him.

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