Thursday, August 14, 2008

20/20 Vision: Affirmations I & II


Hey bloggers,

I kept posting GPF pictures that people were sending me under 8/11 (now titled: GPF Highlights) until it became necessary that I just re-arrange all of them in sequential order (which sort of turned out to be a huge hassle, but they're there now, so please scroll down and check them out).

I also added the Event Video, including Erik and Pastor Debye. If you have additional comments about them you can put them there or on today's article.


Thanks again for the great feedback from yesterday...here's some more from the book...



Affirmation I.

All the creativity that I need to have a productive and successful day today is already resident within me.






Conventional wisdom says that seeing is believing, but, in fact, believing is seeing. When you begin to see what you already have inside you, you can really start to believe in yourself from the depths of your being. You were designed for success, so you have been equipped with the skills to live your life successfully. Instead of allowing yourself to give in to artificial thoughts of inadequacy that can cause you to feel overwhelmed by your problems, begin to see yourself as a capable individual who is inventive enough to create imaginative solutions to those problems. Dig down deep until you discover that vision, then doggedly hold to it.

Without a doubt, success is always a team effort and everybody needs help, supportive input, and advice from qualified people on occasion. But, when all is said and done, nobody knows how to handle your personal situations better than you. You have the innate ability to deal with anything that can arise in the course of a day, good or bad, in your own original and artful way. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to face your life and the unique challenges it brings with it. You are ingenious and resourceful on your own terms, and you can produce positive results by simply recognizing your own capacity for creative effectiveness.


The Creator brilliantly designed you with both the desire and the ability to unveil and reveal His nature within yourself through a continual process of self-discovery, and every new day is filled with fresh opportunities for you to do just that. You can’t afford to allow yourself to be so blinded by your own perceived fear of the potential for incompetence that you begin to doubt your credentials as a creator in your own right. That blindness so colors your perception of believability that it renders you unable to recognize God within yourself, and so you miss the beauty of the process because you don’t trust your own God-given creativity.

You have been authorized to make every single day of your life a good one by using your extraordinary powers of sight to recognize each day for the miracle that it is –and you don’t need externals to give you the necessary confidence to pull it off! You already have genuine confidence in you that has been tested and tried, so you don’t have to keep pretending to be an amateur at running your own life. You know what to do, so do it! And do it with a self-assurance that requires no apology or defense. It’s time for you to start seeing yourself for who you really are by recognizing what you already have. You can change your life by changing the way you see things.




Affirmation II.

I am empowered to rise above any and all small thinking today.


A small, insignificant life is the product of small, unimportant thoughts that are the product of small, unexceptional inner pictures. By fearlessly embracing the largest vision that you can for your true self and for your best possible life, you liberate yourself from being stuck in a third-rate mindset of prolonged toleration for the average and the ordinary. Someone you know who can’t see a bigger picture may tell you that something can’t be done simply because, in their sight, it’s a small world after all. Love and appreciate them for whom they are, but ignore their little words and little ideas, because you are being enlarged by what you are able to see.

Claustrophobia is the abnormal fear of confined spaces, and it is a very negative and debilitating thing that can greatly disrupt the lives of people who suffer from it. But there is a type of this phobia that is actually quite positive and useful – a mental claustrophobia, if you will – that manifests itself as the absolute aversion and revulsion to small, confined ways of thinking. To break out of the restrictions of a mindset that continues to put limitations on your life, you actually have to develop a phobic repugnance for any line of thought that doesn’t allow your brain to breathe. Mental claustrophobia will cause you to avoid such thinking.

The continual allowance of petty thoughts of cowardice, self-doubt and paranoia eventually shrink your mind down to a state of feeble barrenness. A great mind cannot afford to permit itself to dwell on these kinds of thoughts. Neither can a great mind consent to agreeing with negative, outside influences that addict themselves to the exaltation of the impossible. It’s actually quite easy to fall into the nasty habit of always seeing how a thing can’t be done, and then pointing it out to others. This way of thinking and speaking causes faith to dwindle and shrivels up the capacity for vision until it becomes virtually useless. Don’t let yourself be diminished in this way.

It’s been said that you can never expect a 16x20 idea to fit into a 3x5 mind. If you are a seer or visionary, there will always be the small-minded ones around you who will oppose you, simply because people generally fight what they don’t understand. See past them. Do not allow yourself to be infected by their stunted mindset. You are not obligated to go along with the thinking of everyone else. You can rise above the mental limitations of others and distance yourself from them. You may have to be willing to enter a season of loneliness because of it, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. You can change your life by changing the way you see things.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bishop, I came across an interesting website when I googled "ultimate salvation for all" and it is pilkingtonandsons.com/hell.htm
LOTS of books about universal reconciliation, don't know if it's been mentioned in school of the Bible or anything but just wanted to send the info your way.

Erik said...

Major Paradigm Shift --

Hello,

Great message Wed. night Bishop !

All relate to God through The Anointed One. The One with ultimately the name only The One knows. The Anointed One relates and speaks through every culture, belief, and expression. It is accurate that God speaks, present tense always. No document or collection of documents can contain all of God, and yet each document, collection of written words expresses God, from The Bible as we know it, to the Qur’ an, the Upanishads, Torah, Book of Mormon, and other writings. There is no loss, only new depth in all.

As John 10 describes, there are many others, and no limit to God. To the benefit of those who know God through Jesus, without diminishment to those who do not, a certain connection in relationship of God/Man exists. However, there is no diminishment of those who relate differently. All, already know God through The Anointed One, with many names, and a name none know. Because, it does not matter how we ’name’ , just that we ‘know’. ---- “How long to the point of Know return”.

A mind bender – For at least the last 1000 natural years, The Abrahamic faiths ( Muslims, Jews, Christians) have caused the most Dis-ease , conflict, and horrors in the natural we know. However, Abraham was not like this, nor was Mohammed, nor was Jesus. – What Gives??? We, of The Abrahamic faiths know our core, yet choose to pretend we are not who we have been born into, and select the pretense that money and guns are where our trust lies, and lies.

Consider, does anyone ever feel threatened by a Buddhist or a Hindu? Maybe their fashion sense, (beautiful color, but limited style) but not anything else. Yet, that same peace is not automatically evoked of someone says they are Jewish, Muslim or Christian.

Consider this – Maybe the Abrahamic faiths are really the problem children of God, since we seem to trust money and weapons far more, or at least equally to God to solve our problems. Maybe, all the blessing and attention we receive is as problem children, trying to rehabilitate, while the rest of the world is waiting for us to catch up. So, to bring us into The Now, we have been assigned the most amazing of tasks, to reconcile, bring inclusion and unification to ourselves, and actually join what is already in progress. Maybe that is why we should rejoice in the ‘Last is First’ because we are indeed last, and will be made first (because first and last is still important to us, as a if throwing ‘us’ a bone, we can ‘feel good’ about being first, even though (in our own awakened state) we see we could be last – but the others do not care first, last – just that we have finally got it.) So actually, the rest of the Universe is coddling us, because we have not yet ‘come to’, as a whole. And then, in that state, God so loved us in this perception, that God entered in completely, to share peace and education with us (Pharisees and not) to especially help us. Maybe we are ‘Special Children’ .

Anonymous said...

My brother told me this week about a mining company somewhere out west, that decided to reopen an old gold mine.

All they did, was believe that there just might be gold found, where someone else decided there wouldn't be anything of any value found.

All they did was start digging in the exact spot where someone else quit, packed up their stuff, and went home.

All they did was dig three feet,
and they hit the mother lode, three
feet, thirty six inches, three one foot rulers lined up in a row.

All we have to do is, like Bish said, take what is already in us and keep moving forward, and who knows, the next door we knock on just might be the one we've been dreaming about, a three inch door,
so keep knockin'.

NTL
PS- Teezy, you go girl, you don't let anything get in the way of your dream.

word ver dpeer ...(dig) deeper...

el ojo y la luz said...

Erik - Great revelation.

People cripple themselves by believing the small-minded ideas that others have pour into them. Whether you were raised that way or you learned thru the course of your life to be satisfied with being less than outstanding, it is still possible to change your current circumstances, and ultimately the path of your life, if you open your spiritual eyes. We have to believe what God says about us and stop putting so much faith in what people say. We can't have a victim mentality, unless we want to be victims. No one owes us more than we owe ourselves. I am God's. I walk around everyday claiming to be His child. I have to succeed, to excel. Not only because I am His. I have reach higher because I owe it to myself, my children and each person that I come in contact with. My hope is that when people see me, they feel and see christ. I want to wear my changed view on my sleeve. I want people to be drawn to the God in me. Believing, then seeing the bigger vision, thinking outside the box, knowing who I really am and using all that God has placed inside me...that is the way I can change my life.

Anonymous said...

The idea expressed in affirmation II, " I am empowered to rise above any and all small thinking today ", was connected to a thought of common good that caught my attention on the news this morning. The world's tallest woman according to Guiness World Records, Sandy Allen, was 7'7" and passed away recently in an Indianna convalescent center where the world's oldest person (115 yo Edna Parker)also resides. During her very active life Ms. Allen embraced her difference and went all over the country teaching children to accept those who appear to be different than them.

To embrace what God says we are is sometimes difficult and requires courage. It is easier to shrink ourselves to a place of not being noticed.

The shortened version of this statement is that when we attempt to hide in what we believe to be the crowd of others like us and then open our eyes to peep out, we find that we not only are we still a giant but we are also dwelling in a land of giants.

It is better to embrace who God says we are and encourage others to do the same.

The gospel according to Bishop Jim is a great thought mentioned last night. I can see as one of the themes in that gospel being a continuous flow of encouragement to see ourselves through the eyes of God.

Jesus is still asking his followers who do they say that He is and it is those that have obtained courage from the Comforter to proclaim the works of Jesus the Christ as being ultimate beyond exclusion that are in the place of being seen as different by those who think they are hiding. As the truth of God's greatness is further revealed to the hiders they will all come into knowledge of just how great they are themselves.

Such a glorious moment as this is just as close as the blinking of an eye.

JB

Anonymous said...

Thoroughly enjoyed last night's teaching(s)! The Bible, after all, isn't merely one book.

20/20 Vision pic - Online websites offer fascinating material, if anyone's interested. Just type: what do birds see? One site explains: In birds, the cones are complex. The inner segment characteristically contains a colored oil droplet adjacent to the base of the outer segment, forming a filter through which light must pass before reaching the visual pigment.

The personal synchronicity has been from observing some in my back yard & wondering what & how they perceive.

Vision & the David & Goliath pic - love it. Especially 1 Samuel's (16:12) description of David's ruddy appearance & God's command to Samuel (anoint him w/oil).

Later, at the next chapter (verse 42) look how the Philistine perceived the same qualities! But, his reaction was different. He disdained that David was young, rugged & good looking. Boy, did that boy, bug Goliath (though, technically, no locusts/carob beans were injured in the reconstruction of this scene).

Re: "You can change your life by changing the way you see things." Filament in the light bulb pic resembles a coil on a mouse trap, which leads me to the adage of building better & newer things, & that Scripture about creativity/ witty inventions.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the sharpening of my 20/20 vision! ALL is a word in due season!!!

Meant to comment on the GPF video with Pastor Debye in it....she looks like a beautiful angel and the anointing is all over her and everything she is speaking!

EMBRACING Victory!

~Joy~

Crownjewel

Anonymous said...

Hey all

Today is going to be a great day.
There is a miracle in the works for someone today.
Life is good.
Couldn't make it to church last night (car problems) but thank you Jesus for streaming.
It's all good.
You know looking at my car, I know it can be fixed just as when I'm down I know I can be fixed.
All I have to do is say Yes I can make it today.
Hey are we still having prayer in the morning tomorrow? I will have a working car for most of the day tomorrow.
Looking at the glass over half full.
Life is good

Cliff Hancock said...

I love this word today.

Fertilizing the impossible or possible. WOW

Ive been thinking a lot about China and the Olympics and the Olympic circles joined together.

How mankind has drawn circles to exclude.

I heard it wonderfully said the other day " when someone draws me out of their circle I will just draw a bigger one and put them in mine."

Love you all
P. Cliff

Anonymous said...

laura,
I just love how you just deal with it as it comes, such a blessing.

NTL

Son of Zadok said...

º¤ø„¸¨°º¤ø„¸¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨
¨°º¤ø„¸ GOD ¸„ø¤º°¨
¸„ø¤º°¨ ROCKS!!``°º¤ø„¸
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Son of Zadok said...

Hey all you glorious Overcomers!

How many of you love music?

I'm sure everyone of you just thought, "I do, I do."

I was just thinking about something today that I so enjoy and I wanted to share it with you all.

Have you ever heard of a website called Pandora?

It's a really great concept designed to help you enjoy music you already know, and to help you discover new music you'll love. What is does is allow you to enter in the name of a song or a band/artist and then based on that entrance, using the Music Genome Project, it begins playing a radio station based on what it thinks you might enjoy. You then can give the thumbs up or down to songs you like and it will keep the ones you do enjoy stored in that station for you until you load it up again next time. You can create as many stations as you like.

Their is so much wonderful music in the world, but we really fail to hear it because of lack of exposure.

So broaden you horizons and enjoy. God loves music and so do we! Amen !

pandora.com

The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, insatiably curious.

Unlike those gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery.

It's also important to note that at the bottom of Pandora's box was Hope...

Anonymous said...

teezy 313,

Please forgive me for speakin' without seekin'.

The encouragment to you is the same, just that the ending is changed : YOU GO DUDE, DON'T LET
ANYTHING STOP YOUR DREAM!!!!!!!

Please do forgive me.

NTL

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks for the tip, Clark Kent…great collection of books…

Interesting comments, Erik…as you probably read, I finally figured out how to post the GPF event video (under 8/14) with you on it…

It’s all good, NTL…good exhortation about persistence…

Well said, El ojo y la luz…

Great observation, JB…I didn’t know Sandy Allen had died…

Sanctuary much, Izumi…

Several people have said that about Debye looking like an angel, CJ, and I agree…

Amen, Laura….

Pastor Cliff! Where have you been?! Welcome back!

Cool fireworks effect, SOZ, and thanks for the 411…

I’m sure Teezy’s cool, NTL…

Where is everyone else?

Anonymous said...

GOD IS GOOD!

hairslinger said...

Bishop, u continue to amaze me 66 Books 66 Scriptures!!!! And you also blew me away Aug 3 Sermon, preaching the christmas story in August w/ a whole new revelation of it.

Larry Usher said...

Hi all!

Just checkin' in. Loved the affirmations, needed the affirmations.

Watched a program on scientists last night, with Voltaire, Farraday, Einstein & others that was fascinating. The hot pursuit of the truth is to be greatly admired. It is this out-of-the-box approach that they all had and a staggering curiosity which drove them to their discoveries I find joyously childlike. God enjoys His children "dicovering" Him in similar manner. "Dig into the inner court", woos the Creator, "come see what I have done and who I Am(you can only imagine the show that awaits)."

Rhema-outpouring of God- who has entwined Himself into the fabric of the Logos and snuck in under the radar and slapped us upside the head with His Spirit. "Gotcha!"

Like the seed planted in the soil is the Logos, waiting for the sun & rain of the Spirit to make it a Rhema; at just the right time, the right place & for the right purposes. Rain on us Lord! Turn the "water" into "wine"!! "She knows! She knows!

Blessings & rhemas to you,

Larry

Erik said...

Hi,

Thanks el ojo y la luz, and thanks Bishop for the reference.

I love the constant recalculation the Holy Spirit gives me. It is always well, always grace and mercy. The more I want to see, becomes visable, and more and more it comes back to the beam in my /our own eye. I say our, in the sense that I am part of our community, nation, shared beliefs, culture, species --- all of it is boiled down, deeper and deeper and always with a light yoke, what beam is in my / our eye.

Change me/us, change my/our world. Most power for real change is always within, minimal ability is without, some but far less than within. The false prophet preaches we can change others more effectively than we can change ourselves. To change the dynamic around us, we change what is within us.

Praise God !!!!

Teezy313 said...

NTL,
It's all good!

Bish,
Have a nice vay-cay from the blog and I hope that you do hear form God and soon!!!

Luv ya much,
Teezy

Erik said...

Hi,

Bishop, if you are passing posts through, I have to comment on 2 separate ideas.

1- watching the women’s all around individual gymnastics – screamed all the best of America. Gold medal went to Nastia Liukin , American born is Moscowcoached by her father, silver to Shawn Johnson from Iowa coached by a Chinese born coach. This America at its best, all of the world, old and new, and changed, merging here. Truly a locus that all can center on, especially to effect unification, reconciliation of all, awaken US (us) to our best.

2- In complete agreement with you for direction. If anything we can do say so, other than that, we stand with you in the place you can only stand. Only what is of God stands. All else can fall without remorse. What falls, frees. It is yours.

Godspeed,

Love , Erik