Archive for November, 2011

HOW DO I “THINK ON THESE THINGS”…..

Sunday, November 27th, 2011
PART 1 – DALE CARNEGIE, PEALE, OSTEEN OR JESUS?

The best selling Business book of all time is “HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE” by the great self-help author and business trainer – DALE CARNEGIE. In terms of impact, while other books like “A Purpose-Driven Life” by Rick Warrren may have sold more (over 26 millions copies) per unit, Carnegie’s book and philosophy has influenced more worldwide, due to its ongoing training institute.

Dale Carnegie’s personal story is very instructive in doing the right thing (for himself) at the right time. Even his name change from Carnegey to Carnegie, was a stroke of marketing genius. At the time, famous US steel magnate Andrew Carnegie was as well-known as Donald Trump’s is today.  Carnegie took the world by storm on the following principles, which formed the foundation of the best known course in the world:

  1. Build greater self-confidence
  2. Strengthen people skills
  3. Enhance communication skills
  4. Develop leadership skills
  5. Improve our attitude and reducing stress
His “How to Win Friends...etc” book was based on the following four pillars:
  1. Part One: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
  2. Part Two: Six Ways to Make People Like You
  3. Part Three: How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
  4. Part Four: Be a Leader – How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
If you look at these items above, there seems to be nothing wrong with any of it. However, I am more interested in How Christ would measure up to any of these things. This is important because a person’srelationship with the Lord Jesus is more significant than succeeding in the natural.
One major fault I find with this book and its successor – Norman Vincent Peale’s “THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING” – is its complete dependence on Psychology. Peale even said ” Positive Thinking is another term for Faith”!
WHAT????
While Peale’s Guidepost Magazine is still a wild bestseller, it should not be confused with biblical Christian doctrine, as it sometimes includes stories of other religious Faiths.

COMFORT THE BROKEN…AND HURTING

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

As if times are not confusing and crazy enough these days, here come the annual end of year holidays where Faith, Family and Food all mix in a fluid flow of fantastic fellowship.

It is the kind of fellowship which runs for the better part of a month.
It is the kind of fellowship which brings so much joy to many.
But it is also the kind of fellowship and season which brings depression, sadness and loneliness to many!

In fact, this time of year – starting from Thanksgiving week to New Year’s day – is an officially recognized type of depression call Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D.

What an appropriate abbreviation for all of this – S.A.D!

What we find, even in the midst of large groups in some families, community groups, churches and in offices, is the absolute despair and inability to cope with life, as we know it today. Without getting into detail, which we don’t really need to, let’s see this week…and yes, this Christmas season, if we can’t reach out and bless someone who is adrift in such a sea of despair.

Many people do not have a support mechanism or even a friend they can rely on….the type of friend who is a phone call away to encourage and pray with you….the type of friend who is closer than a Brother, like Jesus is! The vast majority of depressed folks this time of year, fall into that category.

Can YOU be that friend….to the older man at work, who has health problems or maybe his wife was sent to a nursing home?

Can YOU be that friend….to the single mom, who has been made to feel like trash by men who gave other men like us, a bad name?

Can YOU be that friend….to that young person in your church, who comes week after week, sings praise songs, listens to a sermon going over her head which means nothing to reality…and leaves even more confused and hurt than when she/he came in?

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