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“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company… a church… a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”   Charles Swindoll

The above quote is by Charles Swindoll.  It is one of the most profound statements that could make one enjoy life if heeded positively.  A person with a bad attitude lives a miserable life full of regret.

The most important point of this statement is that the individual has complete control over their attitude.

Attitude leads to behavior.  One’s behavior defines their character.  Character is defined by those who interact with you.  Others see the good, bad, and ugly.  The workplace, where one spends a large portion of the day, is where one’s attitude is witnessed consistently.  The place where one’s true attitude is witnessed is at home with family.  Home is where people let down their guard completely.  Family witnesses one’s attitude most clearly and consistently.

Attitude is developed by one’s thoughts (mind) and feelings (spirit) both of which are influenced by their relationship with God who created them.  A good relationship with God spills over resulting in good relationships with people.  A poor relationship with God spills over resulting in bad relationships.  This is fact.

A good relationship with God is centered around love.  Love is what fills our emotional “cup”; when it is full, it overflows with love to others.  A bad relationship with God is centered around “self”; when it is full, it overflows with self to others.

Filling ourselves with God and His love gives us an attitude that spills over to others representing our relationship with the God we serve, the Most High or ourself.

Believers in the one and only Almighty God are often warned of the dangers of eastern philosophical religions and the New Age movements.  We are told they are un-godly and of the devil.  Examples of these philosophies that are characterized as evil or un-godly include the use of energy from crystals, light, sound, fragrance, and vibration.  Yoga, Tai-Chi, and the idea of yin and yang are demonized by religious Christians, BUT what is the TRUTH?

God lets us know EVERYTHING IS THE HIS.  The earth is the Lord’s and its fulness; the world and everyone on it (Ps. 24:1).  We are foolish to think Satan, or the devil owns anything; he owns NOTHING.  Satan takes what is God’s, he steals it, and attempts to use it for his glory; this is what Satan does. (Is. 14:13,14).

Eastern philosophies and New Age practices utilizing energies from the universe such as crystals, light, sound, fragrance, and vibration can be very effective.  Meditation, acupuncture, Yoga and Tai-Chi can be healing.  Why?  Because it is based on the science of God who created everything.

Why is it demonized by churches, religious leaders, and Christians?  Most of these just mentioned don’t realize the eastern philosophies and New Age practices are really based on the science of God’s creation, the Almighty Most High God’s creation, not the false god, Satan.

What makes eastern philosophy and New Age evil is, they DO NOT give the Most High God the credit.  God created light on the first day of creation.  God created ALL energy.  He is not energy, He is the source, the creator of it.  That is true POWER.

False religions are false because they give credit to humans, or little “g” gods, the fallen angels and Elohim.  When a religion or philosophy teaches “it’s within you to do it; you have the power”, they are teaching humanism, making humans god.  This is the evil.  When they teach “you have the power” BUT add through the Most High God, giving Him the praise, worship, thanksgiving, and credit, they are legitimate TRUTH tellers.

God is everything.  All things become evil when God is removed from the equation.

Whether you eat, drink, or whatsoever you do; do all for the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31).

Have you ever thought about money and what it really is?  Money is something we can’t seem to get along without and there is some truth to that.  Is money evil or just the love for money evil.

Money is a perception, yes, it is a perception.  It is a perception of belief.  Most everyone believes money will get them what they want and need.

Why is money traded?  Money is traded because the person giving it to another person is receiving something in return.  The one who receives it believes it can be used to later get them something they want or need.  The traders each received something they perceived to be of equal value.  So, you can see, money is a perception, a perception of value.

When an individual uses money to buy something, they probably consider what they did to receive the money.  In other words, what did it cost them to get the money?  For example, if someone is paid $100 a day for eight hours of work, they can easily surmise it cost them eight hours of one day which may have included a couple stressful and strenuous hours as part of the total eight hours.  When they later buy something that costs $100, they can reflect on what it took for them to get that $100 and then they decide, is it worth $100.  You see, money is a perception of value.

Money is really a perception translated and represented by a dollar bill with each dollar representing a price that was paid to get each dollar.  Therefore, money is a way of assigning perceived value.

When many people in a society accept money as perceived value and accept what it represents, it can be accepted as an easy way to trade goods or services.

This means the more money one has, the more goods and services they can procure.  This gives having money, power.  The more money one has, the more power they have to purchase goods or services.

Along the idea of money equaling power, money can influence.  The reason it can influence is that it can be used to get others to do something or refrain from doing something.  This shows that money is powerful.

Money represents power and influence.  When a person purchases an item that cost them a lot of money, that purchase can be put on display for others to see; When others see the high cost item, they know the person owning it paid lots of money for it and they immediately compare themselves to that person.  This is how money displays power and influence for others to see.  It is non-verbal communication.  It’s a way of gaining respect from others.

The bible tells us, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and POWERS…” (Eph. 6:12).  Is it possible, God is telling us, many of our struggles are because of the power of money?  Money is a perception of value and influence.  Money represents power.

The danger and therefore, evil of money is not its “face value”, it is how that representation of perceived power is used to hurt or harm others.  Of course, disposable money can be used to “purchase” pleasure or debauchery.

Money is a perception of value of power.  The power can be used for good or for evil.  It all depends on the one who has it and controls it.

We need to learn how to control money to avoid it controlling us.  When God is the focus of our life and is in control of our life, we can have the power to control money.

The Hebrew word for sin means “To Miss the Mark”.  This infers sinning is anything that misses God’s desire, purpose, and will.

Ephesians 4:19:  Paul says sinners “being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness”.  Lasciviousness is Behavior Without Restraint and Disregard for Anything/Anyone.

In verse 17, Paul talks of the “Walk of Life” which should not be futile, meaning life should not be chaotic, or haphazard without purpose.  Confusion is the word that best describes a sinful life.  “God is NOT the author of confusion, but of peace…” (I Cor. 14:33).

Paul also talks of sinful people being blinded because of the “ignorance that is in them” because of their heart.  The heart Paul is speaking of is our Heart’s Attitude toward God.  Let’s look at the progression of the Heart’s Attitude.

In verses 17 through 19 of Ephesians chapter 4, Paul provides a reason for a futile walk (lifestyle) and futile mind (thought life).  He first says it’s because of ignorance, which is because of a blind heart.  The blind heart is the problem.

Why do people have a blind heart?  Because they made a CHOICE.  The choice begins with greediness (self being more important than ANYTHING OR ANYONE).  This Heart Attitude leads to lasciviousness which causes behavior of uncleanness.  Uncleanness is impurity; God is pure.  A habit of unclean behavior leads to becoming “Past Feeling”.

Being “Past Feeling” is the “Unpardonable Sin”.  Jesus tells us all sins are forgiven by God but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven and is in danger of eternal damnation (Mark 3:28,29).  What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?  It means to reject God’s calling to forgive.  The one who rejects God’s offer to forgive is telling God “No, I want to live for myself and my own pleasure”.

How can we know this is the only sin God won’t forgive?  We know forgiveness is awarded to “whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).  When one calls upon God they are looking to God for salvation.  Sin is looking away from God, a complete “180”.  Sin is living for self.  Repentance is “turning away from”; It is a complete “180” of living for self and self-pleasure to living for God.

The original sin of mankind, Adam and Eve was to live for self, enjoying pleasures of living as one pleased because they had been given scientific “knowledge” to be capable of living life without God.

Satan was and is the great deceiver.  He convinced mankind they could live without relying on the God who created them.  All mankind had to do was choose to 1) turn away from God and 2) look to Satan for guidance for “Knowing” how to accomplish this by using the “Knowledge” Satan would teach them.  In other words, looking to Satan for guidance was to elevate Satan to being honored more than God.  Isn’t this what Satan attempted when he and a third of the angels attempted to overthrow God in heaven?  Wow, now here on earth, he could be “like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14).

With the goal of living for self and self-pleasure, mankind would “Miss the Mark” (Hebrew meaning of the word sin).

The irony of living for self is that people believe living for self and self-pleasure is freedom.  Who wants to be enslaved to someone who demands all your attention?  No one!  But after sinning, and making ourselves our own god, we find we are truly enslaved to the consequences of living for self and self-pleasure.

Truly, there is freedom in worshipping the Most High God.  Jesus even tells us “committing sin makes us the servant of sin BUT Jesus sets us free and we are Free indeed” (John 8: 34-36).  There is Freedom in serving God.  This is Liberty!

Look at the world we live in, it is full of sickness, suffering, death, and pain, both emotional and physical pain.  We live in a world of fear and anxiety with NO real peace.  God is the author of PEACE (I Cor. 14:33).

“Missing the Mark”, sin, is a general term and is not specific.  When we assign a definition of sin listing what is right and what is wrong it can be easy to, also miss the mark.  The listing of sins most religious people list as being sinful is actually the characterization of the Heart’s Attitude and the natural behavior of that attitude.

Heart Attitude leads to intent which leads to behavior.  This is why Jesus said if you think an evil thought, you have already sinned (Matthew 5:28).

Proverbs 23:7 says, “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he”.

The first known church is that of Adam and Eve.  It was the simplest church.  They walked with God in the garden.  They walked and talked with God.  They fellowshipped; This was the first church as God intended it to be.  It was a lifestyle where God and humans simply enjoyed fellowshipping with each other.  They enjoyed the garden, the animals, birds and fish, the trees, flowers, grass, sky, breeze, and fragrances; It was a lifestyle of enjoyment.

The second church was simply an alter where a sacrifice was made to God.  This is a big change from the simple fellowship enjoyed by the first church.  What happened?  Sin.  Sin ruined the relationship and the simplicity of a relationship with God.

Ensuing churches progressed from an alter to a meeting place which was typically a public area where people gathered.  In early Jewish history it was typically the synagogue.  The synagogue was a meeting place with an auditorium where the Word of God was read.  The auditorium was a place where someone would read and/or teach from the reading but the audience could comment.  Often, members of the audience would shout out with praise and/or singing.

The synagogue, in Jewish controlled places, was also a place for political activity, judicial activity, social concerns and social events because God was the central figure of life’s decisions and lifestyle.

Churches have waxed and waned from a place for both social and religious gatherings to religious only gathering and back to social and religious gatherings.

We can see churches are a result of sin entering and breaking the perfect relationship God originally intended.

Trinity Living is not a church.  We encourage local churches, but we believe the best church is the first church as ordained by God.  That church is a Personal relationship with God.  Trinity Living offers help and support from members who are “Student Teachers”.

Trinity Living’s focus is the Trinity Living Lifestyle which embraces the wholeness of the Spirit, Mind, and Body wholly dedicated to the God who created us.  We have no leaders per se’ but we think of ourselves as a family with God as our Father.  We each have a different maturity level and understanding of God; therefore we refer to our member leaders as “Student Teachers”.  We may be able to teach but we are always learning.  Life is a journey and God is always teaching us as we move along this life.

Walking with God daily sounds good, but if we were honest, it’s not easy to do.  In fact, it sounds “korny” and impractical, but it can be done in a realistic, mature, practical, and effective manner.

Trinity Living was organized to help people acknowledge God in a Simple and Practical way daily, called Trinity Living Lifestyle.  God needs to be Important to us and He wants to be part of our life every day because He loves us and cares for us.  God created us with the intention of Him being Abba Father and we His children.  He wants family!

God does not need us; He wants us and that is what makes our relationship with Him unique and special.  He wants us to be His family!

If we were honest, most of us would admit we are busy and forget about God and His presence.  It’s not that we don’t want Him to be a part of our lives, it’s we’re busy.  This is most often the case until tragedy strikes and there is no where else to go for help because doom, gloom, or death is quickly approaching.

Most of us would feel used and angry if people, especially family treated us this way.  The truth is, God does feel hurt and sad BUT He is Patient, Kind, Gracious, Forgiving, and Merciful… thankfully.  He is more these characteristics than anyone we will ever know.

To help people who want to make God a part of their everyday life, we suggest taking baby-steps and growing in habit as they progress.  This will help to Make God Important Again.  All of God’s creation has the same propensity to let concerns of daily life be the object of our attention instead of God.  Life’s concerns and demands have caused us all to lose focus of God making Him less important than life’s chores and demands.

Most don’t know where to begin, so let us offer a suggestion.  Begin each day with the “Lord’s Prayer”.  Why do we say the Lord’s Prayer is a good place to start?  The Lord’s Prayer as taught by Jesus encompasses everything God expects from us in a relationship with Him.  First, it acknowledges who God is and His authority, Second, it is a prayer that is always answered by Him, Thirdly, it acknowledges our daily dependance on Him, Fourthly, it acknowledges our sinful nature and need for His forgiveness, Fifthly, it acknowledges our need to get along with fellow humans, Sixth, it acknowledges our need for God’s protecting us from being affected by the one who wants to destroy us, Satan, and finally, it again acknowledges who God is and it offers thanks to Him for all He does.

Most every religious denomination declares they understand God and what his expectations are.  They encourage attendance and membership in their respective denominations.  They go on further to interpret God’s Word explaining to their members they intend to rightly divide the Word of “Truth” (Timothy 2:15), But who is right?  Who is interpreting God’s Word accurately?

My official answer is, most are telling the truth until they get into detail.  Detail is what defines and divides, this is why Trinity Living chooses to focus on the basics of Simple Faith.

What are the basics?  1) One Sovereign, Almighty, Most High God who is Creator, Sustainer, and Provider of all that exists, 2) God created mankind in His image, 3) Mankind sinned and fell by turning from God to trust self, 4) Death, a blood sacrifice, was the penalty for the sin of leaving God, 5) God provided a remedy to restore the relationship through the death of Jesus, God’s Sacrificial Lamb, 6) God manifested His Almighty Power by raising Jesus back to life, and 7) Repenting of our sin, turning to God, and calling upon God to Save is how  God’s Sacrifice is applied to His promise of Eternal Life.

Anything beyond the above seven basics is detail as determined by each denomination.  We choose the basics as foundational truth and call it SIMPLE FAITH.

What makes a false religion false?  Anything that takes God, His Sovereign Deity, and His Provision of Salvation, Jesus, out of the equation.  Anything beyond these basics are incidentals.  The incidentals may be biblically sound, but they are not required by God for His love, mercy, or grace.

God owns everything (Psalm 24:1).  Evil, is when God is removed from the equation of anything.  Evil is when God is not considered, and evil is when anyone takes the truth of God and hijacks it for self and/or self-glory.  Evil is taking credit from God and giving credit to a want-to-be God like Lucifer.

Everything is God’s including light energy, sound energy, vibrations, fragrance healing.  Everything belongs to the Almighty Most High God.  Do not be deceived into thinking any power is from itself or another source.  Not True.  New Age is not new, it is as old as God.  God owns Everything.

When a food is said to taste salty, everyone knows what that means; It has a distinct taste with a tingle.  It certainly adds flavor.

What gives salt its flavor?  A chemist would tell you that its unique flavor is due to it being an electrolyte but what is an electrolyte?  From a chemist’s point of view for a substance to be classified as salt it must have two charged chemicals, one having a positive charge and the other having a negative charge.  In chemistry opposite charges attract one another just like a magnet.  If you take two magnets and try to get them to come together, they will only attach when the positive side of the one magnet is positioned with the negative side of the other magnet.  If you attempt to join a positive charge magnet of one magnet with the positive side of another magnet you feel the repulsion.  They seem to not want to connect.

Table salt is sodium chloride.  The sodium has a positive charge while the chloride has a negative charge and when they attract and attach to each other they become the white crystals we sprinkle on our food to give the food flavor.

The salt we sprinkle on our food does not give its unique flavor as the crystal; It must be broken and separated.  The sodium must separate from the chloride causing an “electrical” charge, a positive charge from the sodium and a negative charge from the chloride.  This is what gives salt its flavor.  The take-home message is the salt must be “broken” to be effective.  When it is broken, the electrical charges can be felt.  Not only are the charges felt and cause flavor, but the charges also protect and make salt become a preservative.

Brokenness is the key, broken can mean broken from pride and self.  When we are broken, we are open to God and his strength and power.  When we are broken, we become dependent on God.

Another analogy of salt is Lot’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back to Sodom.  She looked to her past.  She looked back and the looking back caused her to turn into a pillar of salt.  The pillar of salt was the crystal which is not effective.  Salt as a crystal cannot perform its magic and power.  It must be broken into individually charged particles.

Looking back to our past failures can cause us to become paralyzed or to turn into a pillar of salt.  Brokenness is coming to an end of self and becoming dependent on God.

God is a God of forgiveness and wants us to look and move forward, not stop and look back as Lot’s wife did.  We have all failed and looking back at past behavior and past failure can prevent us from moving forward.  We can easily become a pillar of salt and lose our flavor.  Let’s try to look and move forward.

What is “religious”?  Religious is a lifestyle; however, it can be practiced in one of two ways, either from-the-heart or ritualistic.  The difference is from-the-heart is based on attitude whereas ritualistic is rote mechanics going through the motions.  With from-the-heart there is desire to do or give whereas with ritualistic, there is expectation to receive.  One is giving, the other is receiving.

Trinity Living is a religious lifestyle based on the premise God is the center of our life; In other words, He is the heartbeat of our being.

Religion is a set of manmade rules based on man’s interpretation of God and God’s Word.  Religions are recognized by denomination based on their individual interpretations.

Jesus’ lifestyle was religious.  He lived his life with purpose and meaning.  This is obvious because he was despised by the Pharisees, the leaders of religion.  Jesus is the best example for being religious.  He best exemplifies a lifestyle where God, his father, was the central focus of his life.

Jesus’ life was based on his relationship with God his father.  From the relationship with his father, he was able to have a perfect relationship with fellow man.  Don’t be confused into thinking all relationships Jesus had was perfect, they were not.  Relationships are two-way.  Jesus’ attitude and behavior was always perfect but the other party’s attitude and behavior may not have been perfect or desirable.  Jesus always knew how to deal with even the most difficult people.  Jesus is and was God in the flesh, perfect man.  He conducted himself in a perfect manner with ALL his relationships.  He should be our example.

Trinity Living is a religious lifestyle with God being the central focus.  With God being the central focus, our emotions, thoughts, and care for our body, a temple, is based on His purpose and plan for our life.  His purpose is for us to rule the earth under His authority and enjoy fellowshipping with us.

The natural outcome for such a relationship will automatically improve our relationship with fellow humans.  A Trinity Living lifestyle is a lifestyle based on an attitude that is developed from our thoughts and feelings as they relate to God.  Attitude determines behavior which together defines one’s character.