08 Oct 09 A maturity checkup

1. A mature person does not take himself too seriously — his job, yes.
2. A mature person keeps himself alert in mind.
3. A mature person does not always “view with alarm” every adverse situation that arises.
4. A mature person is too big to be little.
5. A mature person has faith in himself which becomes stonger as it is fortified by his faith in God.
6. A mature person never feels too great to do little things and never too proud to do the humble things.
7. A mature person never accepts either success or failure in themselves as permanent.
8. A mature person never accepts any one of his moods as permanent.
9. A mature person is one who is able to control his impulses.
10. A mature person is not afraid to make mistakes.

Tags: A maturity checkup

04 Oct 09 Tater People

Some people never participate, but are contented to let others do all the work.
They are called “Spec-Taters”. (Spectator)

Some people never do anything to help, but are always finding fault with the way others do the work.
They are called “Comment-Taters”. (Comment)

Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do. They don’t like to dirty their own hands.
They are called “Dic-Taters”. (Dictate)

Some people are always looking to cause problems by asking others to agree with them. It is too short or too long, too sweet or too salty.
They are called “Agi-Taters”. (Agitate)

There are those who say they will help, but somehow just never get around to actually doing the promised help.
They are called “Hesi-Taters”. (Hesitate)

Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not.
They are called “Imi-Taters”. (Imitate)

Tags: Spectator, Tater People

22 Sep 09 Emergency Telephone Number

Emergency Telephone Numbers
These are more effective than 911
When -

• You are sad, phone John 14
• You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
• You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
• People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
• It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
• Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
• You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
• You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
• You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
• You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
• You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
• You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
• It feels as if the world is b igger than God, phone Psalm 90
• You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
• You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
• You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
• You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
• Inflation’s and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
• You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
• Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
• You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
• It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
• You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
• You feel the world is small comp ared to you, phone Psalm 19
• You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
• Paul’s secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
• With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
• To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS

• For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
• For security, call Psalm 121:3
• For assurance, call Mark 8:35
• For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY.
NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY.
ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH

Tags: bible verses for different needs, Emergency numbers

07 Sep 09 My word is my bond

A friend of mine told me that in the old days, stockbrokers operating at the London Stock Exchange were executing transactions without written contracts or other legal documents. Every stockbroker was expected to honour his side of the bargain. Indeed since 1801, the London Stock Exchange’s motto is “My word is my bond”.

The London Stock Exchange worked on the principle of trust and honour. Break the trust and you lose your honour in the stockbroking community. The result is that no one will deal with you thereafter.

The Bible exhorts Christians to abide by their own undertakings: “Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay” (Jas 5:12b). The Lord Jesus Christ said: “Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil (Matt 5:37). So if a Christian gives an undertaking and subsequently breaches it, it is evil. Perhaps a Christian’s motto should be “My word is my bond”.

But some may ask, “What about the wife? Should she be privy to things that the husband has given an undertaking of confidentiality? Is the husband expected to tell his wife such information? Recently I came across an article (http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/10/tell-your-wife-everything/) where the author disagrees. An undertaking once given should be honoured. It is the “My word is my bond” principle again.

But what about religious leaders like pastors, elders, etc? I once heard a pastor saying: “God calls me to be a pastor. God did not call my wife to be my co-pastor or deputy pastor”. How many wives of religious leaders assume such a role today? By doing so, they expect to be told by their religious leader husbands all the confidential information gleaned through counselling sessions, for example. Is this biblical? I doubt it.

But what exactly are the duties of a religious leader’s wife? Well I read another article on this subject (http://www.credenda.org/issues/12-2femina.php) recently. This article is written by a pastor’s wife. In it she said that first and foremost, “a pastor’s wife should keep the pastor her number-one priority, not the church. Her ministry is to him and secondly to their children. This means keeping his needs foremost in her plans and in her mind. The pastor’s wife is no different from any Christian wife on this point, no matter what the husband’s calling”.

 She goes on to say that a pastor’s wife is not automatically the head of the women’s ministry, nor is she the church’s hostess or the church’s office. She also does not set the standard for dress or behaviour. She is also not the social organizer for the church. Wow! I wonder how many wives of religious leaders realize all this.

Tags: Confidentiality, Ethics, Keep my word, Role of pastor's wife, Secret, Spiritual ethics

15 Aug 09 Why we must bridle our tongue?

Doctors are held in high esteem and patients can trust their personal and medical information with them without fear of it being repeated to anyone else (not even their spouses, friends, parents or employers)

Lawyers are also governed by similar set of ethical codes. In fact both doctors and lawyers could be suspended or even sued for breaching such ethical codes of their profession.

There are no such strict guidelines for maintaining confidentiality of information among friends and even religious leaders. How can we be assured that our friends, colleagues or even our religious leaders who provide counselling to their flocks maintain the same level of confidentiality when we share information with them?

Strictly speaking I have not heard of any law that cover this area of ethics with regards to confidentiality. However I do believe that the trust among friends, colleagues and even with our religious is sacred.

Under normal circumstances, true love and genuine concern for each other would be a good enough constraint to keep confidential and private the information we heard from friends or the people we care for. This trust has to be upheld because it is sacred to maintain the friendship and the trust with have with the leaders.

What does the bible say about this matter? It is stated very clearly that if a man claims to be religious and he shut not his mouth to keep secrets availed to him in private, his religion is in vain. This will definitely dishonour God.

A loose tongue that does not know how to keep secrets can set a fire, defile the whole body and create havoc to an organization (James 3:6)

What is friendship if friends could not even keep secrets out of love for each other? I would rather share my secrets with my enemy. At least I know I did not trust him rather from the start and I would be on my guard not to reveal anything more that what I want him to hear.

How scary it is when friends start to gossip about things and it returns back to your ears?

If you are troubled and have no one to turn to share your burdens you can definitely share it with my friend who is a Jew. His name is Jesus.

Unlike sinful man who can beguile you and lie to you, Jesus is always true and faithful. Call on Him and pour out your trouble and sorrow to Him. He will never fail you nor betray you because He has died for you. He is your true friend indeed!

• If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain. James 1:26
•  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! James 3:5
• And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. James 3:6
•  But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8
•  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 1Peter 3:10
• My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1John 3:18

Tags: confidential, ethical code, friends, lie, secrets

06 Aug 09 Psalm of Comfort when I needed God most

PSALMS 25

2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
15 Mine eyes [are] ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I [am] desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: [O] bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Tags: comfort, Psalm of comfort

23 Jul 09 Change your behaviour or change your name

Several centuries before Christ, Alexander the Great came out of Macedonia and Greece to conquer the Mediterranean world. He didn`t know it, but God was using him to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah – for it was as a result of Alexander`s conquests that Greek was established as the lingua france (common language) of the Grecian and later even Roman Empire.

On one of his campaigns, Alexander received a message that one of his soldiers had been continually, and seriously, misbehaving and thereby shedding a bad light on the character of all the Greek troops. And what made it even worse was that this soldier`s name was also Alexander. When the commander learned this, he sent word that he wanted to talk to the errant soldier in person. When the young man arrived at the tent of Alexander the Great, the commander asked him, “What is your name?” The reply came back, “Alexander, sir”. The commander looked him straight in the eye and said forcefully, “soldier, either change your behaviour or change your name.”

This story has a lesson for each of us. When we call ourselves Christians, we are identifying with Jesus Christ. Is your behaviour compatible with that Name?

Tags: Jesus Christ, name, Testimony

22 Jul 09 Was Michael Jackson happy?

Was Michael Jackson happy when he was alive? He had all the popularity of a great celebrity. He had large followers of fans. He had lots money (at least before he lost them). He lived is a big mansion. But he could not sleep. Why couldn’t he sleep? Perhaps he had no peace. Was he happy? He was trying so hard to please so many people.

Can you find happiness on earth? Where can you find happiness?

• Not in unbelief — Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born.”
• Not in pleasure — Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure, if anyone did. He wrote: “The worm, the canker and the grief are mine alone.”
• Not in money — Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.”
• Not in possession and fame — Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: “Youth is a mistake, manhood a struggle, old age regret.”
• Not in military glory — Alexander the Great conquered the known world of his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, because, as he said: “There are no more worlds to conquer.”

Where, then is happiness found?

The answer is simple: “In Christ alone.” He said: “I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” (John 16:22)

Where can we find great JOY? The secret is found in the acronym J.O.Y.

To have joy you must put Jesus first, Others next and then Yourself last.

That’s right! Put Jesus on top of everything else. Put Jesus as your motive for doing anything. Put the needs of other people first before looking at your own needs. If you follow this formula you will find true happiness.

Tags: Happiness, Happy, joy, Rejoice

20 Jul 09 Failure of Christians

  An unknown medieval poet, observing the failure of Christians in his day to give Christ His rightful place, wrote these words carved in stone in the cathedral at Lubeck, Germany:-

Thus speaketh Christ , our Lord;
You call Me Master and obey Me not.
You call Me light and seek Me not,
You call Me Way and walk Me not,
You call Me life and desire Me not,
You call Me wise and follow Me not,
You call Me noble and serve Me not,
You call Me just and fear Me not,
If I condemn you – blame Me not.

Tags: Failure of Christians

19 Jul 09 Eat crumbs

Dr. Arnott who has gone to GOD used this illustration in one of his sermon.
The sermon and text have all gone, but that illustration is fresh upon my mind to-night and brings home the truth.

He said: “You have been sometimes out at dinner with a friend, and you have seen the faithful household dog standing watching every mouthful his master takes.

All the crumbs that fall on the floor he picks up, and seems eager for them, but when his master takes a plate of beef and puts it on the floor and says, “Rover, here”s something for you,” he comes up and smells of it, looks at his master, and goes away to a corner of the room.

He was willing to eat the crumbs, but he wouldn”t touch the roast beef–thought it was too good for him.”

That is the way with a good many Christians. They are willing to eat the crumbs, but not willing to take all God wants. Come boldly to the throne of grace and get the help we need; there is an abundance for every man, woman and child in the assemblage.

Tags: Abundance, Christians, crumbs, Dr Arnott, Rover