Friday, September 25, 2009

THE PERFECT GENTLEMAN 4

"The gentleman is a man of truth, lord of his own actions, and expressing that lordship in his behavior; not in any manner dependent or servile, either on persons, or opinions, or possessions."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson


There is a rare joke that Adam in trying to show himself a Perfect Gentleman when, seeing what his wife, Eve had done, he bit back the bitter words he might have said, and then-he too-took a bite of the apple: but alas! How far he fell immediately afterward, when he stammered his pitiable explanation that the woman tempted him and he did eat!

The actual story behind this joke could possibly raise a number of questions about Adam’s character. Was Adam trying to be a type of a truly admirable character to his wife when he ate the apple his wife gave him without any question, even though he knew that it was forbidden by their creator to eat of the fruit of that tree? I believe that one of the greatest tests of a man’s character is how he responds when temptations are suggested to him through the people he loves most. These loved ones may in any case mean no harm or even perhaps mean the best of affection while unknowingly being a vehicle of temptation to the man. The true gentleman must respond, but in all gentleness, except the occasion calls for a sharp rebuke! He must possess the wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong and while always trying to do what is right, albeit with much tact. A reminder of the timeless wise caution to all men: “be shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

It is well said that real men are marked by how they stand for what they believe. They follow a clear conscience in their decisions and aspire to be found honorable and upright by abiding by strong principles no matter what others say. They have the courage to do what is right and to try new things even when it is hard or costly. They build and guard their reputation they do not lose heart if they fail or don’t get what they want in a certain venture; rather they are bold enough to persist while learning from their past mistakes.

A true gentleman will tell the truth, first to himself and then to everyone else and in all circumstances, nothing but the truth. He is always forthright and candid in his dealings with all men and is willing to be found naïve in such acts as lying, cheating, stealing, sneaky or deceptive behaviour. Such gentlemen honor their word and are committed to being dependable. When gentlemen borrow, they return what they have borrowed and pay their debts in due time. They do not procrastinate and are found to be punctual at all occasions they are invited. These are men who stand by and protect their family, friends, school and country. They are such fellows who cherish friendships and look out for those who care about them. They do not betray a trust and would rather forgive an offence quickly; however, they would not do anything just so others will like them, because they live by principles which are truly divine.

When a man treats fellow men the way he wants to be treated, he has fulfilled the ‘Golden Rule’ – “do unto others as you would want them to do to you”. Real men respect the dignity, privacy and freedom of all individuals. They value and honor all people, no matter what they can do for them or to them. They understand the importance of respect for other peoples’ property and take good care of property they are allowed to use; they don’t take or use peoples’ property without permission. The respect for the autonomy of other people’s choices is acknowledged by men of character, they tell them what they should know to make good choices about their own lives instead of imposing their opinions. They don’t use or manipulate others or abuse, demean or mistreat anyone. Their judgment of others is based on character, abilities, and conduct without regard to race, religion, gender, where they live, how they dress or the amount of money they have. They learn to be tolerant, respectful and accepting of those who are different from them. They listen to others and try to understand varying points of views and resolve disagreements peacefully, without responding to insults or resorting to anger and violence.

Stanley Walker once said that if you, “associate with well-mannered persons your manners will improve. Run around with decent folk and your own decent instincts will be strengthened.” Therefore every gentleman must learn to use good manners, be courteous, polite and civil to everyone. A gentleman must never use put-downs, insults or ridicule to embarrass or hurt others.

How can a true gentleman recognize himself? It’s not going to be by reflection alone, but also through action. Every man who aspires to be great must therefore begin at once to do their duty in their station in life and immediately he will know what is inside him. It is the moral duty of gentlemen to accept responsibility for the consequences of their choices, not only for what they do but also for what they don’t do. They must think about consequences on themselves and others before they act. They must set a good example and think long-term in every endeavor, and they must do whatever they can do to make things better wherever they find themselves. Real men don’t look the other way when they can make a difference and they don’t make excuses or blame others when they fail to make a difference.

An important call of men today is to make all they do worthy of honour and emulation, to take charge of their own life and by setting realistic goals they will keep a positive outlook. Hence, it is noble for men to be prudent and self-disciplined with their health, emotions, time and money. By learning to know the difference between what he has a right to do and what is right to do, a man will become self-reliant and manage his life so he is not dependent on others. Nevertheless, good men do not miss an opportunity to help people in need without strings attached, just for the sake of making someone else’s life better, not for praise or gratitude.

Ralph Waldo Emerson rightly said that, “Men of character are the conscience of the society to which they belong." Accordingly, true gentlemen are found to be good citizens and good neighbors. They care about and pursue the common good of all. They cultivate a taste for cleanliness and order and readily volunteer to help their community become better, cleaner and safer. These men of noble character participate in making things better by voicing their opinion, voting, serving on committees, reporting wrongdoing and paying taxes. They know how to play by and live by the rules. They are the ones who have learnt to obey parents, teachers, coaches and others who have been given authority over them. By observing just laws, they honor and respect principles of democracy in their nations. These are the men in every nation and tribe who are daily being transformed from the fallen nature of Adam to the risen nature of Jesus Christ – the Perfect Gentleman.

*For further reading, please click the following links:


Uche Aneke
Email: houseofvirtue@gmail.com

Monday, September 21, 2009

THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK 1

“And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley. And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the people and take the goods for yourself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, the most high God, the possessor of Heaven and earth, that I will take from all that is yours, not from a thread even to a shoestring, lest you say, I have made Abram rich. Nothing for me, only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” ~~~(Genesis 14:17-24 MKJV…also Hebrews 6:20, 5:6, 7:17,21) 

 

What really is the Order of Melchizedek? ……..In the above Bible verse, we learn that after Abram and his alliance of 3 men who were connected with him went out to defeat the 5 kings, the king of Sodom came out to pay tribute to Abram for what Abram had done in setting Sodom and the surrounding places free. Here the King of Sodom represents the king of this earth, or the system of this world. We often realize as Christians that after we come into a dimension of power, or into a place of victory, the things that will try to lay hold of us will come from the systems of this world. The final attack on the church is not coming from the demonic world, its coming from the market place; it’s going to be how we as Christians will survive in the market place (the places of our daily interactions with the world).  This is why demons are gong to find every way and means not just to attack us directly, but they will begin to use the systems of this world, to latch unto us, to attack us, and to reduce the strength of the local church. That’s why people are going to be sucked up into the systems of this world, their jobs, their vocations and everything that happens around and about their lives.

 

The devil plans to draw Christians away, just like King Nebuchadnezzar came into Jerusalem and for 2 years he made a siege over Jerusalem, and took over the city and took every article from the temple (2 kings 24:10-13), so that the temple function will be hindered. In like manner, the church will always be hindered from moving forward because the articles of the house have been attacked. God’s people are His articles, God dwells in them- His gifts are in them, His power, His grace, His grace are all in His people, so that the people can release them and function in them! Therefore if the devil lays hold of people, then the work is going to be hindered and destroyed. So find out that when Abram is making advancement that the king of Sodom comes in to intercept in order to lay hold of what Abram has become. We must understand that the devil doesn’t come to kill unless you have life! He doesn’t come to steal, unless you have something valuable and worthy of being stolen! And he doesn’t come to destroy, unless you are a threat to his kingdom! That’s why every Christian must understand that this Order of Melchizedek is a kind of special ministry that God is giving to the Church, that will protect the church from the attacks of the enemy through the market place.

 

You see it’s easy to understand how in the spiritual realm that the devil’s there and we are here, and we know how to bind and loose, but the tangible manifestation of these things will occur in the market place. The Order of Melchizedek shows us that the same way that Abram or Abraham - the Father of Faith – overcame the devil and the system of this world is how we (the church of our Lord Jesus Christ) must overcome the systems of this world and the powers of darkness in the market place. This Order will give the church the grace to govern and the power to prevail! It is this kind of grace that is needed inside the church today so that we can prevail over the powers of the enemy in every environment or situation we may find ourselves. So that we can be like Isaac (in Genesis 26:16) going into Abimelech’s territory and begin to realize that we have become more powerful than them, even though we came in as strangers, but now, we are taking over! We cross into their territory in order to take over. God is giving His people all kinds of territories to take over – in different nations, or regions or politics, military, entertainment, media, sports, etc. God is restoring back the articles which the devil had stolen from the temple. And when all these articles are returned to the temple, then the whole house will be in full function!

 

Praise the Lord!

 Uche

Compiled from my notes on the Message of Dr Jonathan David: The Order of Melchizedek.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Bigger Picture...



I remember a story I was told when I was a kid, about the six blind men who went to ‘see’ what an elephant looked like. It was said that when they met with the elephant, because they could not see with their eyes, therefore they believe that whichever of its body part they touched described the elephant. So the man who touched the trunk described the elephant as a big hose, the one who touched the tusk described it as a sharp prick, the one who touched the ears described it as a broad leaf, the one who touched the leg said it was more like a tree trunk. The blind man who touched the sides of the belly said it was like a wall, and the last of the six, even laughing at the folly of his fellow blind colleagues, condescendingly said to them that the elephant was nothing more that a rope or a snake! Then they even went on in argument, until a man whose eyes were not blind came by, and pitifully explained to them that they were only just describing mere parts of a bigger whole elephant.

For many years and even till now, people have usually had a natural tendency to go through life without really understanding the bigger picture of God’s understanding, plans and purpose for their lives. They just stumble on and accept whatever comes their way as the best. I found the following verse of Bible scripture very interesting:


“1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You........

........ 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”~~~(Psalm 139 NKJV)



Talk about God’s perfect knowledge of man. King David in this Psalm embarks a journey of discovery of God’s omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Until he saw the bigger picture! King David’s relationship with God was dynamic and intimate (a man after God’s heart - Acts 13:22), it was from this relationship that his perspective on life changed. As the king of Israel and the greatest military leader of his time, he rejoiced that he could draw upon God’s infinite wisdom; that he could never run from God or God’s justice, and that he could always count on God’s power whenever he needed it.

He also realized that God knows our every thought, every word, and every move (Psalm 139:1-6). That God directs us, no matter where we go (Psalm 139:7-10). He realized that God knows no hopeless or helpless situations (Psalm 139:11-12). It became clearer to him that God is the one who formed every complex detail of our bodies, minds, and spirits (Psalm 139:13-16), and that God constantly has us in His mind and is concerned with the details of our lives (Psalm 139:17-18).

Today, I realize also like King David, that God searches our hearts and will purify our motives (Psalm 139:23-24). What about you dear friend, do you see the bigger picture of your life in God? A relationship with God through Jesus Christ can give you a better perspective on life.

If you are looking for peace, you can't find it anywhere in this world except in God. Also, no one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to forgive my sins and come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Amen"

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.

*For inquiries, email: houseofvirtue@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Virtue of Praise and Thanksgiving...


“Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”~~~ (Psalm 100:1-5 NKJV)

This song of praise should be considered as a prophecy, and even used as a prayer, for the coming of that time when all people shall know that the Lord He is God, and shall become His worshippers, and the sheep of His pasture. Great encouragement is given us, in worshipping God, to do it cheerfully. If, when we strayed like wandering sheep, He has brought us again to His fold, we have indeed abundant cause to bless His name. The matter of praise, and the motives to it, are very important. Know ye what God is in Himself, and what He is to you. Know it; consider and apply it, then you will be more close and constant, more inward and serious, in His worship. The covenant of grace set down in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, with so many rich promises, to strengthen the faith of every weak believer, makes the matter of God's praise and of His people's joys so sure, that no matter how sad our spirits may be when we look to ourselves, yet we shall have reason to praise the LORD when we look to His goodness and mercy, and to what He has said in His word for our comfort.



Culled from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

From the Belly of the Big Fish...to the Ears of God


And Jonah prayed to Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly, and he said, I cried to Jehovah from my distress. And He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help, and You heard my voice.~~~(Jonah 2:1-2 MKJV)

In the above Scripture, it can be observed that when Jonah was in trouble, under the tokens of God's displeasure against him for sin, he prayed. Likewise, when we are in affliction we must pray. Being kept alive by miracle, he prayed. A sense of God's good-will towards us, notwithstanding our offences ought to open our lips in prayer; our lips which would have been closed with the dread of wrath. Also, consider where his prayer rose from; in the belly of the fish. No place is amiss for prayer. Men may shut us from communion with one another, but not from communion with God. To whom he prayed; to the Lord his God. This encourages even backsliders to return.

Jonah’s prayer here seems to relate his experience and reflections, before (in his trouble) and afterwards (answered prayer from God). Jonah reflects on the earnestness of his prayer, and God's readiness to hear and answer. If we would get good by our troubles, we must notice the hand of God in them. He had wickedly fled from the presence of the Lord, who would have been justified to take his Holy Spirit from him, and never to visit him again. Really miserable people are those whom God does not or will no longer own and favour (and its usually their own choice, not God’s). But though he was perplexed, yet he was not in despair. Jonah reflects on the favour of God to him, when he sought to God, and trusted in him in his distress. He warns others, and tells them to keep close to God.

Those who forsake their own duty, forsake their own mercy; those who run away from the work of their place and day or their calling, run away from the comfort of it. As far as a Christian copies those who observe lying vanities, he forsakes his own mercy, and lives below his privileges. But Jonah's experience encourages others, in all ages, to trust in God, as the God of salvation.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Mind of A Child of God

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

A sound mind is part of our rightful inheritance as children of God.*As is written in the Bible, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19). “This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him” (John 3:16 The Message).

God further promises His children,* “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

Soundness of mind comes to a person when he or she has peace with God, peace with other people, and peace with his or herself. All fear and worry interfere with soundness of mind. God tells us in His Word, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).

Soundness of mind is only possible as we think right thoughts. Sound thoughts help to produce a sound mind. The Bible says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 TNIV).