Zero to 1 startup faith, part 2

May 9, 2024

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to The Smart Edit newsletter … the newsletter that knows that Absolute Truth outweighs the World. ⬇️ 

Glad you’re in the mix. We’re questing to level up our Christ-following and deeply impact our circles of influence.

In this email:

• Kingdom dynamic: “zero to 1” startup faith, part 2

• Worldview: millions ‘mixing and matching’ beliefs

• Word wealth: overcoming the world system

• Health: overthinking

• And more

👇️ Listen: Jesus empowers women with Mary DeMuth and Frank Viola

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For me, the Word and the Woods blend beautifully. I heard John Eldredge say, “The glory of God is in nature.” Maybe it’s the lake, rivers, mountains, or fields for you. It doesn’t have to be far away. Psalm 104 is rich with providence, praise, and the glory of God in nature. “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth” (v 30 NKJV). Nature nourishes. At times these little respites can be sublime. Goldfish draw their life from the pond — our habitat is the Creator.

KINGDOM DYNAMIC
“Zero to 1” startup faith, part 2 of 3

We're living in a moment that demands bold, groundbreaking faith-moves. That’s where we come in. Each one of us is poised to cross into "Zero to 1" startup faith exploits.

This is part 2 of 3 in this mini-series. Review part 1 here.

In Zero to One, Peter Thiel writes, "Every time we create something that exists for the first time, we go from 0 to 1." After that, we can develop it.

• God is the ultimate "Zero to 1" startup artist. "God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist" (Romans 4.17 NASB).

• Abraham was a startup faith artist (SFA). First Hebrew. New Messianic bloodline. He's our faith prototype in Jesus.

• Noah was a SFA. Builder. Reset. New world.

• Moses was a SFA. Deliverer. New nation. The Messiah would come.

• The Promised Land was SFA land. Milk and honey territory. Joshua who led the conquest was a penetrating SFA.

• Israel itself is a SFA nation. David's throne. Jesus reigns on that throne forever. We’re seated with Christ.

• Jesus is a quintessential SFA. All things created through him. Came and initiated a new expression of the Kingdom. Drafted a team. Builds the church.

• The Apostle Paul was a SFA. Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentile World. Planted churches. Put a Kingdom dent in the Roman Empire.

• Martin Luther was a SFA. Transitioned from the Middle Ages. Reformed the church. Transformed Europe and then the world.

  

And there’s more …

You're downrange from all of this. We're rebirthed for big-league moves, empowered by the Holy Spirit, connected to a legacy of audacious faith. Play for keeps.

Look for part 3/3 of this mini-series in the next newsletter.

For now: "Father, my identity is in you. I'm rebirthed into the "good works" you've prepared for my life. Prime me for all things new wineskin! To hold what you're pouring into the earth. Let it be. I praise you."

ALL THINGS NEW
Higher thoughts

🧠 Reconceptualizing: A Christian clinical and research neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf says we can wire into our brains new ways of thinking — altering our neuron connections for the better. Video: 3 Tips to Stop Overthinking.

📣 Gospel: Euangelion (NT Greek word trans. ‘gospel’) is a good news announcement of the arrival of the king or emperor into a space. It’s also good news officially heralded about the kingdom. Let’s underscore — it is the “gospel of the Kingdom.”

WORLDVIEW
Cultural Research Center: Millions in the United States ‘mixing and matching’ beliefs

“Amid growing dissatisfaction with the state of the nation, the latest report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University is shedding new light on the underlying cause behind growing social turbulence and the ongoing decline of American culture.”

“The American Worldview Inventory 2024, conducted by CRC Director of Research Dr. George Barna, reveals that the typical American adult adopts beliefs and behaviors from an average of nine distinct worldviews, resulting in a hodgepodge of often-contradictory philosophies known as Syncretism.”

Dr. Juli Slattery of Authentic Intimacy has been on the podcast. She talks about the niche of ‘sexual discipleship.’ And she clearly says the world is out-discipling the church.

Beyond sexuality, the system of this world is out-discipling the Church across the spectrum. The American Church must pray and work for a clear spiritual awakening.

And then we must disciple new Christ-followers in a true Christian Worldview. Disciple your family and grandchildren. Can you lead a class or group at your church. Talk with your church leadership about worldview concerns. Consider doing what you can via social media. Ask the Holy Spirit what you should do.

Trending

• According to a recent report, over half of Gen Z claims to have been “transformed” by the Bible

• The Boy Scouts is changing its name to Scouting America to reflect priority of inclusion

• Mark Driscoll: Stormy Daniels Is a Jezebel — 10-min video (shocking content)

• Jonathan Cahn reveals the force behind the anti-Israel protest movement on college campuses

WORD WEALTH
Overcome the world system

Jesus: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18.36 NKJV).

Kosmos (the New Testament Greek word) means an orderly arrangement, adorning, symmetry. The English word cosmetics comes from this word.

Sometimes, the word is translated earth depending on the context. Often, kosmos is used in the NT to describe an order of things, a world system alienated from God and opposed to Christ and his kingdom.

Let’s pray and affirm … "Father God, I will not be distracted, and I will not align with the system of this world that is under the sway of the Liar, Satan. Holy Spirit, renew my mind, enliven my life to harmonize with the Kingdom of Christ and overcome this world system. Let it be. Thank you.

STELLAR QUOTE
The future is here

The real future can only be foretasted by those who are born again in Christ. And even among Christ-followers, it’s not equally distributed.

HEALTH
Overcoming overthinking

I was talking with my mom this week. She’s in her 80’s and has some health issues. But she’s always had a strong mind. We touched on the topic of overthinking.

Also known as rumination, overthinking is thinking about a thought or situation repeatedly. It can actually be disruptive to your life, affecting your hormonal profile, overall wellness, mood, relationships, sleep, and energy levels.

One effective strategy to mitigate overthinking is practicing meditation for 10 to 20 minutes twice daily, in the morning and evening. This practice encourages slowing down the mind's processing speed — let’s try for .25x or .5x.

Eastern meditation is emptying the mind and achieving detachment. I’m advocating for a Hebraic and ancient Christian approach to meditation, emphasizing attachment to the Creator and His Kingdom.

The Old Testament Hebrew word, hagah, means to reflect, ponder, make a quiet sound like sighing or repeating words. See Psalm 1.1-3.

Release outside distractions and then meditate on gratitude to the Creator, praise, and the truths of inspired scripture.

We’ll try to daylight mental and emotional wellness in this newsletter …

To go a little further, you can explore these articles: 9 surprising ways meditation changes your brain (Business Insider) and Meditation and a relaxation technique to lower blood pressure (Harvard Health Publishing)

Appreciate you

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Best.
Brian Del Turco

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