#0002023

The skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field. With his forces intact he will dispute the Mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem…- Sun Tzu, The Art Of War, by James Clavell…..Prv2:10 “For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, Understanding will be pleasant to your soul.”

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#0002024

‘Berkshire Partner and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger made me focus on the merits of a great business with tremendously growing earning power, but only when you can be sure of it like CocaCola—not like Texas Instruments or Polaroid, where the earning power was hypothetical.’ One reason for buying excellent companies, in addition to strong growth, is that once a purchase is made, the investor has only to sit back and trust the company’s managers to do their jobs. ‘I can almost do it with my hands in my pockets. I really live a pretty easy life.’ – ‘I tell everybody who works for our company to do only two things to be successful. They are 1) think like an owner, and 2) tell us bad news right away. There is no reason to worry about the good news.’…- Warren Buffett Speaks, by Janet Lowe….Prv7:12 “For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.”

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#0002025

Have you felt the hurt of the Lord to the uncovered quick, the place where the real sensitiveness of your life is lodged? The devil never hurts there, neither sin nor human affection hurts there, nothing goes through to that place but the word of God. Peter was beginning to discover to himself how much he did love the Lord, that there was no one in heaven above or upon earth beneath beside Jesus Christ; but he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord came. The Lord’s questions always reveal me to myself…- Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest……John21:17 “The third time He said to him,’. . . Do you love me?’

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#0002026

How we live at home is the acid test for any man or woman. It is far easier to live an excellent life among our friends, when we are putting our best foot forward and are conscious of public opinion, than it is to live for Christ in our home. Our own family circle knows whether Christ lives in and through us. If I am a true Christian, I will not give way at home to bad temper, impatience, faultfinding, sarcasm, unkindness, suspicion, selfishness, or laziness. Instead, each day my life will display the fruit of the Spirit, which is ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control(Gal5:22,23).’ How different would your home be if you consistently practiced these Christ-like virtues?...- Billy Graham, Hope For Each Day……John15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.”

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#0002027

The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands…- Arthur Stainback……Isa53:5 “But He was pierced for your transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

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#0002028

Healing of all kinds should be the result of the Holy Spirit’s touch on the lives of hurting people. Healing is any sign of God’s kingdom in a person’s life—not necessarily an answer to every medical or physical need. Healing does not refer to becoming as you were; it is becoming what you should be…- Charles Farr, Refuge And Strength…………….Psa103:1,2 “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”

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#0002029

The biblical heroes of faith call to us from the heights they have won, encouraging us that what man once did, man can do again. They remind us not only of the necessity of faith but also of the patience required for faith’s work to be perfected. May we fear attempting to remove ourselves from the hands of our heavenly guide, or missing even one lesson of His loving discipline due to our discouragement or doubt. Like tempered steel, I realize the Lord tests me in the same way: through fire, water, and heavy blows of His hammer. If I am unwilling to withstand the test, or prove to be unfit for His tempering process, I am afraid He may throw me unto the scrap heap. . . When the fire in your life is at its hottest, stand still, for ‘later on . . . it produces a harvest(Heb12:11) of blessings…-LBCowman, Streams………….. Heb6:12 “Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

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#0002030

James and John wanted the highest positions in Jesus’ Kingdom. But Jesus told them that true greatness comes in serving others…-Tyndale, NLV Life Application bible…… Mark10:42-45 “So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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#0002031

James and John wanted the highest positions in Jesus’ Kingdom. But Jesus told them that true greatness comes in serving others…-Tyndale, NLV Life Application bible…… Mark10:42-45 “So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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#0002032

Only Buy Securities That You Understand: ‘Investment must be rational; if you can’t understand it, don’t do it.’…-Warren Buffett Speaks, by Janet Lowe……..Gal6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap if we do not give up.”

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#0002033

While there may be financial advisers or insurance agents who can handle one’s money, it is not right for one to just leave it solely in the agent’s hands and hope that the money will multiply and be safe. You cannot work for several hours for money and hand it over to someone in the hopes that they’re going to do what you need them to do with it. Hope is not a financial plan…-Suze Orman, World-renowned financial adviser…….Prv5:15 “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.”

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#0002034

Individuals will have to check their statements and talk to their agents about their money. What happens to your money directly affects what happens to your life, not your insurance agent’s life and financial adviser’s life…-Suze Orman, World-renowned financial adviser….Prv6:5 “Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.”

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#0002035

If you are drawn to the casino, watch what you drink: ‘You’re dealing with a lot of silly people in the marketplace; it’s like a great big casino, and everyone else is boozing. If you can stick with Pepsi or CocaCola, you should be okay.’…-Warren Buffett Speaks, by Janet Lowe……Isa6:9,10 “He said, ‘Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

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#0002036

Some of futures markets’ products are nothing more than gambling games with a big skim for the casino owners: ‘And the more the activity, the greater the cost to the public and the greater the amount of money that will be left behind by them to be spread among the brokerage industry.’…-Warren Buffett Speaks, by Janet Lowe…….Mat6:25,32 “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

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#0002037

Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire, which transcends everything…-Napoleon Hill…..Psa49:4 “I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.”

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#0002038

All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth…-Napoleon Hill…….Psa49:2, 3 “High and low, rich and poor—listen! For My Words are wise, and My thoughts are filled with insight.”

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#0002039

Two kinds of people are contrasted here: those who trust in human beings and those who trust in the Lord….-Tyndale, NLV Life Application bible……Jer17:5-8 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord(Jer17:5). They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land(v6). But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence(v7). They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit(v8).”

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#0002040

“The living God giveth us richly all things to enjoy(1Tim6:17).-Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgements, and His statutes, which I command thee this day: lest when thou has eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein(Deut8:11, 12); . . . then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God(v14): . . . for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth(v18).”

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#0002041

“Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth His beloved sleep(Psa 127:1,2).- They got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst favour unto them(Psa44:3).- There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us(Psa4:6).”

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#0002042

The rich are inclined to define themselves by what they own and not by what they are. Riches can clog up your being, so that you do not know who you are. Then you look out from that place of not-knowing and you see other people, but you do not really see them, you only see what they own, or do not own. Others looked at the doorway and saw a poor man there; the rich man looked and saw nobody…-Claretian Comm Foundation……Luke16:25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here and no one can cross over to us from there.”

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#0002043

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand(Psa121:3-5).- The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore(Psa121:7,8).- I, the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day(Isa27:3).- Thou, Lord wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt Thou compass Him with a shield(Psa5:12).- The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it(Prv10:22).”

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#0002044

“We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities(Heb4:15).- It became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings(Heb2:10).- Behold how He loved(John11:36).- Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested(Heb2:17,18).”

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#0002045

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them(1Tim2:1). . . so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity(v2). This is good and pleases God our Savior(v3), Who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth(v4). For there is only one God, and one Mediator Who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus(v5). He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time(v6).”

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#0002046

Do not wait till you are a setting sun. It is a maxim of the wise to leave things before things leave them. One should be able to snatch a triumph at the end, just as the sun even at its brightest often retires behind a cloud so as not to be seen sinking, and to leave in doubt whether he has sunk or not. Wisely withdraw from the mere chance of mishap, lest you have to do so when it becomes reality. Do not wait until they turn you the cold shoulder and carry you to the grave, alive in feeling but dead in esteem. Wise trainers put racehorses out to pasture before they arouse derision by falling on the course. A beauty should break her mirror early, lest she do so later with open eyes…-Baltasar Gracian Aphorism110, Art Of Worldly Wisdom, by Jacobs…Psa90:1,12 “Lord, through all the generations youhave been our home!- Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”

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#0002047

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to read, and all the friends I want to see…-John Burroughs……….Psa19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

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#0002048

The discipline of dismay is essential in the life of discipleship. The danger is to get back a little fire of our own and kindle enthusiasm at it. When the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come that following of Jesus which is an unspeakable joy…-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest……..Isa1:9-11,19,20 “If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah. Listen to the Lord, you leaders of ‘Sodom’. Listen to the law of our God, people of ‘Gomorrah’. ‘What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?’ says the Lord.- If you will only obey Me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

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#0002049

What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability. It is more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are…-Anthony Robbins…..Prv3:7,8 “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”

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#ooo2050

“A wrong temper of mind about another soul will end in the spirit of the devil, no matter how saintly you are. One carnal judgement, and the end of it is hell in you. Drag it to the light at once and say—‘My God, I have been guilty there.’ If you don’t, hardness will come all through. The Master Assizes…-Chambers, My Utmost…….2Cor5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ.”

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#0002051

One day Dr Lehman Strauss, of the Moody Bible Institute, told of a trial that challenged everything he believed about God. His wife, Elsie, who had never been sick a day in her life, was felled by a stroke. . . With sadness, he went to her room and told her what the doctor said, adding, ‘But Elsie, God is in control!’ Then he broke down and wept as he sobbed, ‘Elsie, is God really in control?’ . .Here was a man who had preached the Word for years, yet what had happened to His wife still challenged his faith. . He went on to explain that in the days ahead, he and his wife read the Word together and it was the strength of what God promised that carried them through this dark hour. . . When your world is turned upside down, go to the Bible, and there you will find strength and encouragement. There you will realize that God is really in control…-Sala, Refuge And Strength…… Heb12:28 “But now this is what the Lord says—‘He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine’.”

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#0002052

A prayer for victory in battle. Such a prayer can help us prepare for any great challenge. David knew that trust should be placed in the Lord more than in human power…-Zondervan NIV, Life Application Bible…….Psa20:1 “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”