In the current business world, the trend in branding is to offer service instead of merely selling products as commodities.
What is a commodity?
A commodity is like matchboxes or parking coupons or packets of sweets. It does not matter from whom you buy it from. As long as you pay for a transaction and get what you want, you do not really care who is serving you. The ” thing” that sells a commodity may be a counter staff or a vending machine. It does not matter. The customer does not care whether the staff on duty keeps on changing. He does not care to chat or share his needs to the staff. Once he pays for what he wants, that ends the transaction.
In the case of providing a service (especially when it is costly), it matters who is serving you. Customers tend to go for or ask for a specific person or company because “they understand me/my needs better” .
Thanks to modernization, church goers have become more utilitarian.Frequently asked questios in their minds are “is this useful? What is it for me?”. As long as I get what I want, I may stick around to build a relationship otherwise I will leave. The commodity they want from God’s church is knowledge, method, facilities and services. They are not seeking God Himself. If I do not get it from here I will go elsewhere including internet. With their mouth they say they are searching for God but they are seeking something else eg children bible class with state of art facilities?, a place to show case my gfifts? (more…)
July 19th, 2008
Why did Paul bother to write “God, our Father”? Isn’t the name “God” sufficient? more respectfully appropriate with much grandeur?
Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
How would the Lord’s prayer be diferent if worded like this….Our God, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…
Any different with ” Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name” ?
What emotions do you experience? (more…)
June 2nd, 2008
I often say my prayers
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?
I may as well kneel down
And worship gods of stone,
As offer to the living God
A prayer of words alone.
For words without the heart
The Lord will never hear,
Nor will He to those lips attend
Whose prayers are not sincere.
Anon
Do you pray because you have been assigned or delegated, “arrowed” ?
Do you pray because you are scheduled and expected to mouth certain ” spiritual words” publicly?
Do you pray because it is ” one of the acts of worship” ?
June 2nd, 2008
Lesson from Mother Goose.
THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread.
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
a)Is this old lady shepherding a flock or managing an organization?
b)Is she more concerned with efficiency or the needs of each child?
c)Why do you think she didn’t know what to do?
d)How is she coping with maintaining order without compromising numbers?
e) Do you see an example of “one size fits all” approach?
f) If the shoe is a church of poor lost hungry children for God, what kind of leader does this old woman represent?
g) How does such a leader ” whipped them all soundly and send them to bed” in a church setting?
h) Is such a leader feeding the flock to grow spirirually healthy or just feeding a flavour of the real thing wihout much substance as in ” broth without bread” ? What kind of sermons do these people preach?
i) How does the size of a church change a family to an organization?In what way does an increasing congregational size a disadvantage?
Is the church to make disciples or increase headcount in membership?
Why do you think such a situation arises in modern churches especially?
June 2nd, 2008
Biblical words describing Christians are humbling. Makes you think twice whether you should call yourself leader and what behaviours should shine forth instead.
You will realize that not all words translated as ’servant’ or ‘minister’ have the same meaning.
1.Doulos - a bond servant, one who voluntarily or involuntarily bond himself up to the will of another
a. Paul
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant (doulos) of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God…
b. Apostles
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants (doulos) for Jesus’ sake.
c. James
James 1:1 James, a servant (doulos) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…….
d. Simon Peter
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant (doulos) and an apostle of Jesus Christ…
e. Christians
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants(doulos) to obey, his servants(doulos) ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
We become his slaves out of our own free will.We choose to be subservient to Him.
2. Oiketes - house servant, menial servant or in South East Asia we may say “coolie” of a household.
My grandfather used to have a faithful coolie who came from China at a young age. With no family of his own he was just grateful simply because he had a roof over his head and food provided for his hard labour. He remained faithful even to my father after the death of my grandfather.
Luke 16:13 No servant(oiketes) can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant(oiketes)? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
If you are a menial worker for one master who provided for you, how can you serve a master from another house? All coolies are judged based on what the Master has instructed. Coolies listen to the call of the Master.
3. Misthios - hired servant, servant paid for their labour; wage earner. (more…)
February 6th, 2008
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