God’s Thoughts and Ways compiled by Rev. E. Anderson

March 12, 2008 at 11:44 pm (God's Thoughts/Ways)

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Rev. E. Anderson

These are but points to ponder that will initiate a greater comprehending of God’s mind and procedures. He desires that there should be a knowing of His sovereign plans and purposes so that life, ministry and service will be enriched and enhanced by His input. There is a revelation that His “thoughts and ways” are infinitely superior to ours – Isaiah 55:8, 9. We need to know and embrace them so that we might be able to achieve and succeed according to His desire and determinations. God bless you in your quest.

GOD’S THOUGHTS AND WAYS

 THE WAY OF HUMILITY

READING    Philippians 2

INTRODUCTION

 VIRTUE: This is a crowning virtue amidst the virtues. It is an outstanding factor that does not seek of itself to be outstanding but the sheer grace and quality of it makes it unique and causes it to occupy a supreme and honourable place. There is no doubt that it heads the list and is revealed as the grace that makes everyone that possesses it beautiful and it is reflected in not only in their character but in all they do. PATTERN: In considering the example and manifestation of this sublime quality, there can be no greater or better person to reflect upon than the Lord Jesus Christ. This chapter appears as a majestic pinnacle in the definition and demonstration of it in the most glorious character that ever lived. This virtue inspired and influenced Him always and made Him majestic in being and behaviour. REQUIREMENT: This is something that God requires and demands if we are to have any relationship with Him and if we are to work effectively for Him. The opposite is pride and arrogance and God abominates such. It heads the list of ‘deadly sins’ and is regarded as an obnoxious factor in His sight. He calls and commands humility – 2 Chronicles 7:14; James 4:10. Genuine repentance has the hallmark of humility. It is a sign that a person is on the right way. 

1/.  HUMILITY IS THE COMPLETE NEGATION OF SELF, THE ‘I’ FACTOR – v7 

The fallen and corrupt nature of man is plagued with the ‘self and I ‘ syndrome. Man has a vain evaluation of himself. Pride arrogates to itself self-importance, placing undue emphasis upon one’s own being and standing. Sin causes people to be bloated with pride and makes them think and feel that everyone and everything should revolve around them. The whole inward motivation is wrong.Humility deals with these selfish mind and attitude and deals it a death- blow. It is crucified. There is the will to see it destroyed and put out of the way so that it is no longer ‘I’ that is on the throne ruling the life and proceedings. There is the acceptance of the thought and way of the Lord. 

2/.  HUMILITY HAS A TRUE ESTIMATION OF ONE’S OWN PERSON- - v6 

It must be said that humility is not a demeaning of oneself. No, it is the readiness to accept the fact that one needs to be at one’s best, revealing the quality of God’s own nature and the way He admirably acts. Whilst selfishness is removed there comes into revelation a new person with the divine quality and image, that shows a higher standard and mode of conduct. Jesus knew who He was as to His person, origin and attributes, but He manifested what it means to act with worth and significance –v6; John 13. He never sought to show His disciples up when He took the bowl and towel. He was revealing the principle and procedure of God and heaven. 

 3/.  HUMILITY HAS A VALUABLE APPRECIATION OF OTHERS – v3 

One of the signs of pure humility is seen in our view of and action to others. Humility paces enormous worth and value on others and because of this seeks to serve with grace and dignity to the advantage and blessedness of others. The reason why Jesus Christ became a man was because He had an untold view and appreciation of man. He treated people with utmost regard and respect and sought to impart to others and impress on others real worth. He was not in the business of knocking people down, He was here ‘to raise the sons of earth in a divine way. 

4/.  HUMILITY IS DEPOSITED THROUGH A UNION WITH CHRIST – v5 

It may be asked: “How can this humility be birthed and developed? Well, it is not the production of self. There must be a living association with Jesus Christ. Paul states: “Let this mind be in you . . . .”  “Let the same disposition be in you . . . “  Moffat.  For this to be so it will require the actual living presence and inspiration of Jesus Christ himself to be birthed inside the heart and life. The reason why Christ came was in order to take the sin and selfish nature out of us and to replace it with His nature and attitude. True Christianity thinks as He thinks and acts as He acted. We become ‘people of the way’ – HIS WAY. 

5/.  HUMIILTY IS REVEALED IN  A PURE AND TRUE DEVOTED SERVICE – vv7, 8 

Paul gives us the tremendous steps that Jesus took in order to raise and bless the sons of earth. His coming to earth was in order to serve us and it was with holy and happy affection and devotion that He did this. He temporarily laid aside the divine form and the rights and privileges as God in order to kindly, sincerely; simply and gladly attend the sons of men in quality service. He who was the best gave His best so as to make us the best. It was not self-ambition but ambition for the Father and mankind. He who was King and Lord was ready to be Servant of all –Mark 10: 45. He served everyone with such grace and beauty that one could not be but impressed by His person – c.f. John 8: 1-11. 

6/.  HUMILITY CAN BE THE GREATEST AND ACT THE LOWEST – vv6, 7

Christ did not cease to be God when He became the Son of man.  He simply showed that the greatest could become and act the lowest in a very becoming and influential manner and measure. This conduct of His is in stark contrast to Satan and the spirit of his kingdom. He puffs people up to their undoing and destruction. Because He is God this is how God is and behaves. God loves to do little things well and has genuine interest and commitment to all and does it not a showy, arrogant manner.

 7/.  HUMILITY IS THE FACTOR THAT IS OWNED BY GOD  - vvv9-11 

The ultimate thing that is made known is that humility is exalted to the highest location. In the exaltation of Christ we see the enthronement of this quality grace. The One who is glorified on the throne reveals that this virtue is the one that is crowned with Him. He came to act in the lowest capacity with dignity is now in the highest place of authority and He sits enthroned in humility. The kingdom that He rules and reigns over has to be inspired and governed by this same nature and disposition. We are informed in v13 “For it is God which worketh in you . . . .” and this surely means He is working this grace and virtue in us so that we can reflect the same spirit of the King. 

CONCLUSION

 Whilst humility is the eradication of the old self, at the same time it is the manifestation of the divine nature and image as personified in and by Christ. This quality of life and work will make us acceptable to God and will cause us to wholly benefit those around us in the kingdom of God and the world. This way of life is sure to be impressive from the right attitude and motivation and will bring the quality influence that is required to society. In a wicked and twisted generation we will shine and stand out as the sons of God – vv15,16.

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Illustrations of Note provided by Rev. E. Anderson

March 12, 2008 at 11:37 pm (Illustrations)

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Rev. E. Anderson

YOUR TIME IS COMING 

Pastor Sam Smith stood at the grave of his 25 year old son (who was a minister) and prayed, ‘God, if You’ll help me, I’ll win seven souls for every soul he’d have won.’

He had no idea how he’d ever keep that promise, but he felt strongly ‘led’ to make it. After a fruitful ministry, Sam finally decided to retire, still wondering about his promise. 

A computer whiz-kid in his congregation put Sam’s Bible Study notes on the Internet and they went around the world. 

Even though the Chinese and Islamic governments have successfully blocked most Christian material on the Internet, they found a way through using Satellite, a cell-phone and an automatic translation machine. 

Today, Sam Smith not only gets his Bible studies into China, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, but he also broadcasts his services live around the world. 

In one thirty-day period, he started one hundred and forty ‘care groups’ in China and helped to establish a church in Albania and another in Thailand. Each of them has grown more tha 600 in just a few months. What a lesson for us all!  

Never surrender your dream! Listen, ‘Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled’ – Habakkuk 2: 3. Just as surely as the palm tree produces its greatest harvest in the final years of its life, so God will visit you again – Psalm 92: 1`2. Believe it, for it’s God word for you today.       Word for Today

THE SPIDER’S WEB 

During the third century, when St. Felix of Nola was running from his enemies, he took refuge in a cave. Eventually a spider began to weave a web across a small opening, sealing it off and making it look like nobody had been inside for months. As a result his pursuers passed by and didn’t bother looking there. Later, stepping out into the sunshine, Felix declared, ‘Where God is, a spider’s web is a wall. And where He isn’t, a wall is but a spider’s web.’ 

Jesus said you’d have problems on earth; people will disappoint you, and you’ll disappoint yourself. Sometimes you will end up in a cave because of something you did, other times because of your circumstances you have no control over. But God is with you either way. And like Paul said, ‘With God on our side….how can we lose?’  Romans 8: 31 The Message      Taken from Word for Today

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Prayer Dynamics furnished by Rev. E. Anderson

March 12, 2008 at 1:57 am (Prayer Dynamics)

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Dr. Peter Marshall was well-known Scottish minister in America and impacted his generation in a powerful manner. He eventually had the privilege of taking daily prayers in The Senate and the members looked forward to these unique prayers. He died early from a heart attack which had a great impact on his wife, Catherine. She wrote two inspiring books worth reading besides others: To Live Again and Beyond Ourselves. His life and work was made into a film called into A Man Called Peter which I saw in my teens and which greatly affected me in a dynamic sense. A book was written The Prayers of Peter Marshall an we include them on this site. They are worth knowing and repeating in faith.

 I Need Thee, Lord 

I need Thee. Lord, I need Thee now. I know that I can do submit many of the things that once I thought were necessary ­but without Thee I cannot live, and dare not die. 

I need Thee when sorrow came, when shadows were thrown the threshold of my life, and Thou didst not fail me when I needed Thee when sickness laid a clammy hand upon my family, and I cried to Thee, and Thou didst hear. I needed Thee when perplexity brought me to a parting of the ways, mid I knew not how to turn. Thou didst not fail me then, but in many ways, big and little, didst indicate the better way. And though the sun is shining around me today, I know that I need Thee even in the sunshine, and shall still need Thee in the tomorrow. 

I give Thee my gratitude for that constant sense of need that keeps me dose to Thy side. Help me to keep my hand in Thine and my cars open to the wisdom of Thy voice. 

Speak to me, that I may hear Thee giving me courage for hard times and strength for difficult places; giving me determination for challenging tasks. I ask of Thee no easy way, but just Thy grace that is sufficient for every need, so that no matter how the way, how challenging the hour, how dark the sky, I may be enabled to overcome. 

In Thy strength, who hast overcome the world, I make this prayer. Amen

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Leadership Factors adapted by Rev. E. Anderson

March 12, 2008 at 1:47 am (Leadership Factors)

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Rev. E. Anderson

Leaders Who Gather Followers vs.Leaders Who Develop Leaders

by John Maxwell 

Consider seven major differences between leaders who gather followers and leaders who develop other leaders.  

  1. Leaders who gather followers need to be needed; leaders who develop leaders want to be succeeded.

 Many who desire to lead followers do so because followers stroke their egos. They feel indispensable. But leaders who develop leaders work to make themselves dispensable. They don’t want a following, but a legacy. 

    2.  Leaders who gather followers focus on their followers weaknesses; leaders who lead focus on their strengths.

 Ineffective leaders focus on their followers’ weakness, sometimes out of misunderstanding the way development and encouraging work, other times because of insecurity- they want to keep their followers off-balance. But strong leaders focus on their people’s strengths because they know that is the key to developing people. 

    3.  Leaders who gather followers focus on the bottom per cent; leaders who develop leaders on the top 20 per cent.

 Explosive-growth leaders focus on the best for their leaders; they also focus on the best potential leaders. In contrast, leaders of followers usually give their attention to the loudest and most difficult people, the ones who take and, giving nothing in return. 

    4.  Leaders who gather followers treat everyone the same; leaders who develop leaders treat people as individuals.

 When Paul went on his missionary journeys, he didn’t try to take everybody with him. Nor did he give everyone an equal chance to oversee the churches he started. He treated each person he encountered according to his gifts, calling and willingness to grow.  

    5.  Leaders who gather followers spend their time; leaders who develop leaders invest their time.

 Everywhere Paul went, he took companions. He considered the time he spent with them an investment. And if he didn’t see a return-as in the case of John Mark – Acts 3: 13 – Paul felt reluctant to keep investing in them – Acts 15: 3740. Think of your work with emerging leaders as an opportunity to invest in them. 

    6.  Leaders who gather followers ask for little commitment; leaders who develop leaders ask for great commitment.

 Following a leader takes commitment. But it’s nothing compared to the commitment of a follower who is asked to lead others. As you ask people to step up to leadership, don’t treat your request lightly. Let them know to what you are asking them to commit. Acquaint them with the sacrifice and the service that come with leadership. 

    7.  Leaders who gather followers impact their generation; leaders who develop leaders impact future generations.

 People who lead followers impact only the individuals whose lives they touch personally. But people who develop and lead leaders extend their reach. It takes a good leader to gather a group of followers and lead them to achieve a worthy goal. but it takes a great leader to lead other leaders- and that’s the only kind of leader who can take an organization to the highest level and achieve explosive growth.      

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