Bible - 12 Essentials Tommy Nelsen

*Biblical success is the science of living blessedly. It's the art of living within God's favor and underneath his gaze.

* He states that it begins in the fear of the Lord from Proverbs 9:10. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The version I have now says that the wisdom begins with bowing down to the Lord.

This implies a recognition that life was designed by someone other than me, that my abilities are given to me by God, that God has established the rules for success in this world, he created it....

"The fear of God is the recognition that God is the designer of this life, he designed me...life lived at odds with his absolute design is a life that is going to suffer and hurt.

*Exodus 33:15-16. Moses had led the Isrealites out of Egypt and he was praying to God saying essentially if you don't go with me, then I don't want to go...

Nelsen argues that Moses was a talented man. He had an Egyptian education, he had tended flocks for forty years in the wilderness at this point and he had led the Israelites out of Egypt....if there ever was a time for him to be cocky that would have been it...but he realized that all of this was accomplished by and through God. The foundation of his success was being so desperately dependent on the presence of God that your life is shaped by the need for Him.

* This is a belief or a confidence in yourself and not warranted....You must believe and rely on the fact that unless God has an active presence in your Life you are in trouble....no matter how well things might appear to be going. Everyday examples of people with lots of money, fancy cars, etc are shown of this, by divorce, misery, etc.

*This is to then ACQUIRE WISDOM. This is an act, deliberate act. Nelsen uses the word Chokmah as the Hebrew word for wisdom, skill, or art. It is used in the book of Exodus for the designing of the tabernacle. The artisans did it with great skill. So we are to have Chokmah in life....how do we get it, by realizing that God gives it freely and go to his word daily!!! Wisdom is gained only through God.

Nelsen says that wisdom is born out of humility and the recognition of our own ignorance. We must be humble.

*Proverbs says the beginning of all understanding, knowledge, wisdom is the fear of God. Solomon gives us a great example of that in 1 Kings 3:7... He is beginning his reign as King! remember Solomon is considered very wise...he wrote most of Proverbs! but at the beginning of his reign when praying to God he says I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in....give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people." In other words God I' can't do this without you. He recognizes that he needs wisdom and that the beginning of that comes from the Fear of the Lord.

It thinks that it is useless...."If any man amongst you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise."

In other words don't think that you are smart, you'll never learn anything. Go into every situation with any person thinking that you can learn from them or the situation or both. Wisdom isn't that you can learn it is what you learn and what you remember.

He exists in some sense as a relationship. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.

Selfishness. "He who seperates himself seeks his own desire" This makes sense when I am alone I can do exactly what I want, never have to worry about anyone else, very selfish.

*Being a bad listener will doom you to failure. People don't like being interuppted or having someone not listen to them. "He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him."

I really struggle with this one because I am constantly in a hurry...quit worrying about your time and focus on the relationship and listening. Work to let people finish their sentence, especially your wife.

"A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly." Proverbs 12:23
People don't like know-it-alls.

Another verse is Proverbs 10:14 - "The wise accumulate knowledge, a true treasure; know it alls talk too much - a sheer waste."

The NEWS of your knowledge should be THIN and hidden like a GNOME.

It is more damaging than you think. He says it is like pulling a grenade on your family. You may say your sorry and really mean it, but the shrapnel leaves scars that don't go away. It is ok to disagree but one should not lose their anger and blow up on people. They lose trust in you.

It is one of the 40 ways to find failure in relationships. "Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those who send him." Prov 10:26. People must be able to rely on us. If you say that you are going to do something you need to do it. Don't tell someone that you are going to do something and not do it.

Ok this is a big one for me, but God takes it seriously. "He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished." Prov 17:5. This is a big one for me to work on and people may laugh at your joke but then they worry that you are doing the same thing to them when they are not around.

Verse location remember: When you hear NEWS of calamity you should DOCK your tongue for fear of HELL.

This is obviously important for relationships. "He who goes about as a talebearer revelas secrets." Prov 11:13. The newer version on my kindle says "A gadabout gossip can't be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won't violate a confidence." Also Paul talks about it in the new Testament in 1 Tim 5:13 and 15.

This basically is saying that you have to be flexible in this life. If there are oxen there is going to be a messy barn. You have to learn to flex with this life.

When someone is hurting weep with them, You need to be sympathetic to the feelings of others.

You shouldn't use people. The bible doesn't say that being rich is evil it does use rich people often as examples of what to watch out for because often those people became rich because of compromise of their morality and using others. This is basically saying that watch out for this person they may only be out to use you.

* No I should pray about that constantly. TN says that if all you do is tell people what they are doing wrong then they aren't going to want to talk to you anymore.

Proverbs 16:21 "sweetness of speach increases persuasviness."

Absolutely...if you think about it logically it is the only thing. If you are wrong the quickest way to learn and move on is admitting it early and often. God says in Proverbs that the wsidom of the sensible is to understand his way, but the foolishness of fools is deceit."

This is a tricky one in the sense that it is a spectrum. We should be there for each other and utilize our brothers and sisters but you should get your deepest needs met in God so that you don't ask your loved ones on this planet to do more than they can do. Proverbs 25:16-17 "Do you have honey eat only what you need, that you not have it in excess and vomit it. Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house, or he will become weary of you and hate you."

* People don't like yellers and God doesn't like yellers either. "A harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs.

Don't make false promises. If you say you are going to do something then do it.

*This is a saying in Texas about being all pompous and showy with really nothing to show for it. " Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant than he who honors himself and lacks bread." Proverbs 12:9.

This is kind of like buying expensive clothes when you don't have money (me) or buying an expensive car when you don't have a house.

*Think of letters of alphabet for key words:
A-arrogent, argumentative
B-backbiting tongue, bad listener
C-cold, critical, controlling
D-defiant to authority
E-explode easily
F-frigid
G-gaudy
H-hot/cold
I-insensitive, inconsiderate
J-jealous
K-know it all
L-liar, loner
M-mooch
N-negative
O-overly sensitive
P-pompous, pessimist
Q-quarrleler
R-rude, rash
S-sarcastic, selfish
T-talebearer, two-faced
U-uncontrolled anger, user of people, unreliable
V,W,X
Y-yeller
Z

* Without Nobel there would be No Boom - he invented TNT.

One of his brothers died in 1888 and a French newspaper mistakenly wrote the obituary thinking it was Alfred Nobel that died and called him the "merchant of death."

He then devoted his net worth to prizes awarded those seeking humanitarian causes.

* It is because God "has also set eternity in [our] heart" We were designed for an infinite existance we cannot be pleased long term with the things of this world.

* He references the book of Haggai and says that the people of Israel in this book had forsaken the Lord and were living for their own pleasures. God says check your values, you don't have energy and discipline for the things of God. You don't sacrifice for Me, but you make incredible sacrifices for your own personal pleasures."

*T.N. describes it as God refuses to bless their life because they aren't living for God they have commited idolatry to themselves. God says I am the one who has cursed your life, because how you are living leads the wrong way and he doesn't enable you to continue by blessing you.

* You should be daily in the word first. Second be practical...as you work think about why you are working and to whom and what you are hoping to accomplish. As you talk to friends, think about what is going on in your heart, your motives. Pray for God to align your values with his.

Another major practical point is to tithe. Sacrifice for God the best time of your day, the first of your blessings.

Give God your firsts. The first of your day, the first of your week, the first of your wealth...they are all blessings from Him.

*No, coexistence with the flesh peacefully is not possible. You can live in sin so long that you forget or are desensitized to it, pray that God would show you that sin, remember the duck with the arrow.

*He tells us that the temptations for sin will be there daily, "Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) But he also says that he will provide a way out. "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1 Corin. 10:13)

*No God calls everyone to submit and it most aspects of your life. Wifes submit to husbands, but Paul then says for the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church."
Submit to those in authority in the workplace, I like this one alot because it doesn't say just to good bosses. ..."not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable." (1 Peter 2:18) We are to be good workers, not by "eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph 6:6)

* No Christ gives us the example. Ginger is to submit to me, but then I am to submit to Christ. I have to think about the way Christ loved us and loves us. While we were still sinners he died for us, for me. He gave himself as a living sacrifice yet we mocked him at Calvary, we spat at him. We are disobedient and, lack loyalty, and turn from him every day but he is patient and loving and always desires what is best for us. That is a hard act to follow, but is the example he gives.

Because this life is really, really hard and really, really unpredictable. The bible tells us that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed." (Rom 8:18), but we have to wait for that glory.

Eccles. has alot to say about this topic as well. That our fate is not in our hands..."The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God's hands --but day by day, whether it's love or hate they're dealing with, they don't know." Eccles 9:1-2. You have no idea what is in store for you and can't control it even if you did. Solomon goes on to say that the fate for all man in the end is the same...death.....

So what is Solomon's conclusion....remember this is at the end of his life and he was fabulously rich, built a great empire (for not as his son was a rube and he knew it), his take is to seize life!

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes---God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don't skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive...Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, for there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think in the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed. Eccles 9.