Future Sense
  Living Wisely
   Russ Fochler
  October 13, 2012
Wouldn’t It Be Nice?

If life was simply about
going down a gentle river

in an inner tube?
Kind of like this....
And sometimes, everybody
was just floating with you....
As nice as “tubing through life” sounds...
   we’re making choices all the time
 We’re faced with challenges and choices
 every day
 We make many decisions everyday
 Even when we try hard to avoid difficult
 choices, this is still a decision.
 Ultimately, our choices also shape us -
 and deeply affect those close to us.
Not to mention...
• The many things that may affect us
  profoundly that we generally have
  little control over like:
  • the economy, weather,
     earthquakes, etc.
  • accidents
  • dangerous diseases
  • violence/crime/war
And of course...
We want to live as entrepreneurial sons
and daughters of Father God.
We want to be led by the Holy Spirit so
that we are positioned and prepared for
what God “dreams” for us:
10 Forwe are God’s masterpiece. He has
created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can
do the good things he planned for us long
ago.
Eph 2:10 NLT
Good News!
  We know the One who:
• Is the Beginning and the End (Rev 1:8)
• Holds all things together (Col 1:17)
• Will never let go of us or lose us (Jn
  17:9, Romans 8:38-39)
The Key to Living Now and
The Key to Living Now and
Preparing for the Future is.....
The Key to Living Now and
Preparing for the Future is.....
Friendship
The Key to Living Now and
Preparing for the Future is.....
Friendship
Friendship with Jesus
Friendship with Jesus
 14 You   are my friends if you do what I
  command. 15 I no longer call you
  servants, because a servant does not
  know his master’s business. Instead, I
  have called you friends, for everything
  that I learned from my Father I have
  made known to you.
John 15:14-15 NIV
Chosen to be His Friends
16 You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you so that you
might go and bear fruit—fruit that will
last—and so that whatever you ask in
my name the Father will give you.
(John 15:14-15 NIV)
Soak-in the Wonder!
From Colossians 1:13 - 17
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved
Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins.
15  He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things
were created, both in the heavens and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—all things have been
created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before
all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Once we “know” that we are
 eternally secure in Jesus with
         Father God...
• And we live in friendship and
 communion with Jesus:
• Here are some points of wisdom
 that I have found helpful.
The Holy Spirit!
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth
has come, He will guide you into all
truth; for He will not speak on His
own authority, but whatever He hears
He will speak; and He will tell you
things to come.
John 16:12-13
Processing Things that Might be
     from the Holy Spirit
• Our own impressions, dreams,
  thoughts, visions, audible voices,
  encounters, etc.
• Messages via other people to us
  • personal prophetic words
  • prophecy to churches, regions,
    nations, etc.
Sometimes God uses
 whispers and nudges


Some of my stories
Exercise - Stories of
Responding to the Holy Spirit
Pair up with someone you don’t
know well.
Each of you share a story of time
when you acted upon a “nudge”,
impression, “word”, dream, etc. -
and how it made a difference....
And it is our responsibility
    - to “test” and discern
• What is the “strength” of the revelation?
• Is it with the bounds of God’s written Word?
• Does our spirit and the Holy Spirit resonate
  with this “revelation”?
• If it is coming through someone else, what is
  their “track record” and do they love God?
• If the “cost” of following the revelation is
  significant, are there confirmations?
Sometimes lives are
preserved by responding to
      true prophecies
• The story of followers of Jesus who
  remembered His warning about
  Jerusalem.
• The story of a village in Armenia and
  a boy who gave himself to seeking
  God.
Jesus prophesies about Jerusalem
        and Judea (Luke 21)
20 “But  when you see Jerusalem surrounded
by armies, then know that its desolation is
near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee
to the mountains, let those who are in the
midst of her depart, and let not those who
are in the country enter her. 22 For these are
the days of vengeance, that all things which
are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe to those who are pregnant and
to those who are nursing babies in those
days! For there will be great distress in the
land and wrath upon this people. 24 And
they will fall by the edge of the sword, and
be led away captive into all nations. And
Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until
the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
(Luke 21 NKJV)
Judea was invaded and Jerusalem was surrounded
by a Roman army within 40 years (a generation)
after Jesus gave His warning.
There was a terrible time of suffering (tribulation).
Much of it was due to Jewish factions fighting each
other. In the end, in C.E. 70, Jerusalem fell, the
Temple was utterly destroyed. Josephus estimates
1.1 million died.
In that time, there were people falsely claiming to
be “The Messiah”. And even 60 years later, Bar
Kochba led another rebellion, acclaimed by Rabbi
Akiva to possibly be the Messiah. It was also
crushed.
Early Church Tradition:
      The Followers of Jesus Got Out!
From Eusebius History of the Church 3:5:3:
 “But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been
 commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men
 there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a
 certain town of Perea called Pella.”
In 1989 Craig Koester published his discussion about the
Pella flight in which he closely examines the texts of
Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions
and concludes that ‘the origin of the tradition is that it
recalls actual events of the 1st century’.
• The story of a village in Armenia and
  a boy who gave himself to seeking
  God.
• From the book: “The Happiest People
 on Earth” by Demos Shakarian
Kara Kala: Once in Armenia,
    now part of Turkey




The Karakala village photo was taken in the late
1800s shortly after the Armenians moved in.
Among the Californian Armenian
community is a disproportionate
number of descendants of
immigrants from the small village of
Karakala, or Kara-Kala, near Kars.
(Bluebird Reseach)
Good Words from the Apostle Paul:
  16 Rejoice  always, 17 pray continually,
   18 give thanks in all circumstances; for
   this is God’s will for you in Christ
   Jesus.
  19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not
  treat prophecies with contempt 21 but
  test them all; hold on to what is good,
  22 reject every kind of evil.
Common Sense Future Prep:
• Take steps to have on hand what you and
  your household need
• In case something interrupts the necessities
  of life:
• Aim for a minimum of two weeks (14 days).
  Prep for one month or more - even better.
• Water - 1 gallon/day/per person x 14 days =
  14 gallons per person in your household
Common Sense Future Prep:
• Food - canned goods, energy bars, etc.
  There are also longer term food storage
  products available - see Costco or the
  internet.
• If your stored food needs to be cooked - a
  stove and fuel would be wise.
• Basic necessities - personal hygiene, TP, etc.
• Extra money hidden safely - is a good idea
Its much better to take even a
  few steps - rather than feel
overwhelmed and do nothing!

   A helpful, thorough site is:
        www.ready.gov
Future Sense
  Living Wisely
   Russ Fochler
  October 13, 2012

Future Sense

  • 1.
    Future Sense Living Wisely Russ Fochler October 13, 2012
  • 2.
    Wouldn’t It BeNice? If life was simply about going down a gentle river in an inner tube?
  • 3.
    Kind of likethis....
  • 4.
    And sometimes, everybody wasjust floating with you....
  • 5.
    As nice as“tubing through life” sounds... we’re making choices all the time We’re faced with challenges and choices every day We make many decisions everyday Even when we try hard to avoid difficult choices, this is still a decision. Ultimately, our choices also shape us - and deeply affect those close to us.
  • 6.
    Not to mention... •The many things that may affect us profoundly that we generally have little control over like: • the economy, weather, earthquakes, etc. • accidents • dangerous diseases • violence/crime/war
  • 7.
    And of course... Wewant to live as entrepreneurial sons and daughters of Father God. We want to be led by the Holy Spirit so that we are positioned and prepared for what God “dreams” for us: 10 Forwe are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Eph 2:10 NLT
  • 8.
    Good News! We know the One who: • Is the Beginning and the End (Rev 1:8) • Holds all things together (Col 1:17) • Will never let go of us or lose us (Jn 17:9, Romans 8:38-39)
  • 10.
    The Key toLiving Now and
  • 11.
    The Key toLiving Now and Preparing for the Future is.....
  • 12.
    The Key toLiving Now and Preparing for the Future is..... Friendship
  • 13.
    The Key toLiving Now and Preparing for the Future is..... Friendship Friendship with Jesus
  • 14.
    Friendship with Jesus 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:14-15 NIV
  • 15.
    Chosen to beHis Friends 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (John 15:14-15 NIV)
  • 16.
    Soak-in the Wonder! FromColossians 1:13 - 17 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
  • 17.
    Once we “know”that we are eternally secure in Jesus with Father God... • And we live in friendship and communion with Jesus: • Here are some points of wisdom that I have found helpful.
  • 18.
    The Holy Spirit! However,when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:12-13
  • 19.
    Processing Things thatMight be from the Holy Spirit • Our own impressions, dreams, thoughts, visions, audible voices, encounters, etc. • Messages via other people to us • personal prophetic words • prophecy to churches, regions, nations, etc.
  • 20.
    Sometimes God uses whispers and nudges Some of my stories
  • 21.
    Exercise - Storiesof Responding to the Holy Spirit Pair up with someone you don’t know well. Each of you share a story of time when you acted upon a “nudge”, impression, “word”, dream, etc. - and how it made a difference....
  • 22.
    And it isour responsibility - to “test” and discern • What is the “strength” of the revelation? • Is it with the bounds of God’s written Word? • Does our spirit and the Holy Spirit resonate with this “revelation”? • If it is coming through someone else, what is their “track record” and do they love God? • If the “cost” of following the revelation is significant, are there confirmations?
  • 23.
    Sometimes lives are preservedby responding to true prophecies • The story of followers of Jesus who remembered His warning about Jerusalem. • The story of a village in Armenia and a boy who gave himself to seeking God.
  • 24.
    Jesus prophesies aboutJerusalem and Judea (Luke 21) 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
  • 25.
    23 But woe tothose who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21 NKJV)
  • 26.
    Judea was invadedand Jerusalem was surrounded by a Roman army within 40 years (a generation) after Jesus gave His warning. There was a terrible time of suffering (tribulation). Much of it was due to Jewish factions fighting each other. In the end, in C.E. 70, Jerusalem fell, the Temple was utterly destroyed. Josephus estimates 1.1 million died. In that time, there were people falsely claiming to be “The Messiah”. And even 60 years later, Bar Kochba led another rebellion, acclaimed by Rabbi Akiva to possibly be the Messiah. It was also crushed.
  • 27.
    Early Church Tradition: The Followers of Jesus Got Out! From Eusebius History of the Church 3:5:3: “But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella.” In 1989 Craig Koester published his discussion about the Pella flight in which he closely examines the texts of Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions and concludes that ‘the origin of the tradition is that it recalls actual events of the 1st century’.
  • 28.
    • The storyof a village in Armenia and a boy who gave himself to seeking God.
  • 29.
    • From thebook: “The Happiest People on Earth” by Demos Shakarian
  • 30.
    Kara Kala: Oncein Armenia, now part of Turkey The Karakala village photo was taken in the late 1800s shortly after the Armenians moved in.
  • 32.
    Among the CalifornianArmenian community is a disproportionate number of descendants of immigrants from the small village of Karakala, or Kara-Kala, near Kars. (Bluebird Reseach)
  • 33.
    Good Words fromthe Apostle Paul: 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
  • 34.
    Common Sense FuturePrep: • Take steps to have on hand what you and your household need • In case something interrupts the necessities of life: • Aim for a minimum of two weeks (14 days). Prep for one month or more - even better. • Water - 1 gallon/day/per person x 14 days = 14 gallons per person in your household
  • 35.
    Common Sense FuturePrep: • Food - canned goods, energy bars, etc. There are also longer term food storage products available - see Costco or the internet. • If your stored food needs to be cooked - a stove and fuel would be wise. • Basic necessities - personal hygiene, TP, etc. • Extra money hidden safely - is a good idea
  • 36.
    Its much betterto take even a few steps - rather than feel overwhelmed and do nothing! A helpful, thorough site is: www.ready.gov
  • 37.
    Future Sense Living Wisely Russ Fochler October 13, 2012