Selfishness and Pride

Selfishness is mankind’s fundamental defect. Selfish means: self-centered, self-serving, self-important.

At the root of every problem is selfishness. JAMES 3:16
Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.

No other “religion” teaches to put others first, to love your enemies. Christianity is the only one that teaches you can be totally changed and become a person with a new nature.

We are products of a corrupt culture that teaches selfishness. All sin is selfish. No one ever sins for someone else — we do it for selfish reasons.

We must die to selfishness — or self-destruct. However, we are unable to do it by ourselves. We must allow Jesus Christ to change us inwardly.

You can’t change the fruit without changing the root. That is why you must be born again-renewed in your nature. Only by receiving Jesus Christ, and letting Him change you, can you be a truly unselfish person.

Being selfish is a sin.

It can cause

1. Illness,

2. No happiness, depression, always feeling sad, despise oneself

3. Loose your value of your earnings, no prosperity

4. Whatever good you do turns out negative for you

5. All your relatives and friend turn against you

6. You loose your standing in family

7. You loose your standing in society

Pride

Pride is self-importance and self-focus — which leads to selfishness which is selfish thinking and selfish acting — which is the opposite of Jesus’ command of agape love (John 13:34).

Pride and selfishness always go together. A truly humble person cannot be selfish at the same time.

Pride is the root of selfishness — and thus the root of all evil. Pride is hidden but manifests as selfish acts. Selfishness is the cause of all evil. All evil proceeds from selfish actions. Selfishness is the only manifest problem, but pride feeds it. Dealing with the root cause of the problem is the only lasting solution.

Pride produces selfishness. All selfishness is pride.

Doing things yourself, on your own, is a part of selfishness. Prayer is the opposite of doing things yourself. We must desire God’s: will, done in God’s time, and done God’s way.

]]> http://www.drpaulose.com/selfishness-and-pride/feed http://www.drpaulose.com/faith-without-actions-is-dead http://www.drpaulose.com/faith-without-actions-is-dead#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:39:37 +0000 Doctor http://www.drpaulose.com/?p=727

James Chapter 2:14-26
My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?
Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat.
What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don’t give them the necessities of life?

So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.”
Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear.
You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?
How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.
Can’t you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.
And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God’s friend.
You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.
So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

God gives and we must give in return.

We know in our heart of hearts that the best charity of all is the gift of our selves. When you give of your own time to help another, you are giving a part of your very life that is irreplaceable.
That is why the example of Mother Theresa resonates with everyone who knows her story.
Of course, our personal time is limited. There are only so many hours available that we can use to assist others.
For those of us who have accumulated goods and material wealth we want to be able to add or substitute gifts such as food, shelter and money to help others. On occasion we also want to be able to direct who receives our gifts.
We now need to find others who will distribute our giving on our behalf.
When we give we want our gift to be something true. We want our gifts and charity to be of real use to those who receive.

Giving tithe

WHO: Whoever desires to worship God.
WHAT: Giving first 10% of income to God.
WHEN: Whenever you receive income.
WHERE: Where you have been fed the Word of God.
WHY: To worship God and to receive His blessings.
HOW: By faith, diligently, promptly, cheerfully.

“The earth belongs to God! Everything in all the world is His!”

“Give to every one that asks of you, and ask not again; for the Father wishes that from his own gifts there should be given to all. Blessed is he who gives according to the commandment, for he is free from guilt; but woe unto him that receive”.

Global food prices rose 65 percent in the last year.

The crisis is widespread and the result of numerous causes - According to some experts, the worst damage is being done by government mandates and subsidies for “biofuels” that supposedly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fight climate change. Thirty percent of this year’s U.S. grain harvest will go to ethanol distilleries. The European Union, meanwhile, has set a goal of 10 percent bio-fuels for all transportation needs by 2010.A huge amount of the world’s farmland is being diverted to feed cars, not people.
One in four bushels of corn from this year’s U.S. crop will be diverted to make ethanol, according to estimates. Nevertheless, despite the recognition that the biofuels industry is adding to a global food crisis, the ethanol industry is popular in the U.S. where farmers enjoy subsidies for the corn crops.

Another contributing factor to the crisis is the demand for more meat in an increasingly prosperous Asia. More grain is used to feed the livestock than is required to feed humans directly in a traditional grain-based diet.

Bad weather is another problem driving the world’s wheat stocks to a 30-year low - along with regional droughts and a declining dollar.

High gas prices, increased food production costs and Global warming are the causes of present famine blamed.

Don’t blame God

When something bad happens, we want someone to blame. When the bad thing is a natural disaster, there’s no one left to blame but God. Wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, lightning strikes. The insurance companies call them “acts of God.” Nobody is to blame.

Why does God let anyone die? Why did God let Mother Teresa die? “She was old,” someone might say. “It’s the natural way.

When someone we love grows old and dies of “natural causes” we accept it as the way God has designed the creation-there’s a time to be born and a time to die.

But when someone we love dies before growing old, we ask, “Why would God allow this to happen?” Death is part of life, and every person who lives will also die.

Whom to blame then?

While millions die of hunger, rich Western nations burn millions of tons of food a year to keep prices high. Famines are largely a result of Man’s corruption and greed and unwillingness to care for others.

Everyone one is looking for an answer on mans terms when there is none.

Gluttony seems to be a sin that Christians like to ignore. We are often quick to label smoking and drinking as sins, but for some reason gluttony is accepted or at least tolerated. Many of the arguments used against smoking and drinking, such as health and addiction, apply equally to overeating. Many believers would not even consider having a glass of wine or smoking a cigarette, but have no qualms about gorging themselves at the dinner table to the point that they feel like they are going to explode. This should not be!
One of my friends who is a kitchen manager-Butler from Royal palace tells me there were times after Royal dinner, the left over rich and lavish food items were thrown into the sea and not allowed to be eaten by His starving subjects.

Proverbs 23:20-21 warns us, “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”
Proverbs 23:2 proclaims, “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.”
Physical appetites are an analogy of our ability to control ourselves. If we are unable to control our eating habits, we are probably also unable to control other habits such as those of the mind (lust, covetousness, anger), and unable to keep our mouth from gossip or strife. The ability to say “no” to anything in excess-”self-control”-is one of the fruits of the Spirit common to all believers (Galatians 5:22).

God has blessed us by filling the earth with foods that are delicious, nutritious, and even pleasurable. We should honor God’s creation by enjoying these foods, and by eating them in appropriate quantities, while controlling our appetites, rather than allowing them to control us.

Hunger

Do you know what hunger is, if not fast and (pray) one day, you will know for sure.
Try to imagine what it would be like if you were hungry and no food was available. None. Your body starts to feed on its own fat and body tissues. If you don’t eat for a long time, you may lose about 50 percent of your body weight. Your skin becomes thin, stiff, pale, and cold. Your hair becomes dry and sparse and falls out easily. After about 8 to 12 weeks without food, you starve to death.
Starvation caused by famine is the most serious form of hunger. There are millions on this planet who hunger.

Remember, these people don’t live on another planet. These are your neighbors. We need to look after one another.
Once one of my preacher friends shared me about an incident. He was privileged to have a “dinner” with mother Theresa when she was in kerala. It was some rice and dhal in a plantain leaf. After eating mother noticed my friend left over few grains of rice on the plantain leaf after finishing the meal. She scolded him lovingly of wasting precious few grains of rice which can feed a hungry child.

Charity is the giving of food, clothing, time, energy, or finances to someone in need. For much charity is no more than a social event, albeit for a good cause. Other acts of charity are done for political purposes. Such acts are of no eternal value if they were not done in real love.
“When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. [Mt. 6:2]
The advent of tithing took place when Abram [Abraham] gave ten percent of his possessions to the priest and king Melchizedek. The practice of tithing [contributing ten percent of one's income to the Church] and other offerings was confirmed in the Mosaic Law and acknowledged in Matthew, Luke, and Hebrews. 1

How much to give?

Christians need not subject themselves to the Old Testament law of the tithe. Instead, they should give according to the following four New Testament guidelines. Christian giving should be:
• Proportional to one’s income - 1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8:12
• Consistent - 1 Corinthians 16:2
• Sacrificial - Mark 12:43-44, 2 Corinthians 8:2-3
• Cheerful - 2 Corinthians 9:7
Christians should live their lives open-handed acknowledging that they are merely stewards of God’s possessions. They should always be willing to give 100% of that which they steward at any time required by the Lord. Indeed, they should even be willing to offer their very “…bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God….”

What New Testament says

2 Corinthian 9 (6-11)
“Remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop; the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop.
You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.
And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.
As the scripture says, “He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever.”
And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.
He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.

It doesn’t matter whom you give as long as they are deserving, but how would one know who is deserving. Give to those who ask for help, let it be anyone, sometimes you can be cheated, but the person who receive cannot cheat God.
After all it is God given possession you are sharing. God doesn’t want your money.
Spirituality without outreaching to your fellow neighbor is meaningless. After all what is the Horizontal and vertical bar of the CROSS mean? What is meant by Jesus and His death on the cross?
One thing for sure I can tell you that the more you give the more you receive; this is Gods promise and challenge. It cannot go wrong.

Few genuine place needing help:

SNEHATHEERAM

I know Sr.Roslyn for many years. In fact years ago, she left the catholic convent at her own will and started this orphanage. Now she is single handedly looking after more than 50 or more old and mentally handicapped men. In the early days she was unjustly criticized by our own kind, even made gossip that she eloped with some one. But it was all Gods plan. What courage. I salute her.

Her address is as follows.

Sr Roslyn (Abhaya)
SNEHATHEERAM
Vilakkudi .P.O.
Near Kunnicode
Quilon District Pin 691508
Kerala, India

Tel- Mobile 09447338241

Any gift payable to “Snehatheeram Charitable Society, Ac no.2574, Canara Bank Kottarakkara”

PROVIDENCE HOME

Dr. (Sr) Litty has several poor homes for mentally handicapped Children; one of them is in a remote hill midst of nowhere near Kunnicode.Since it is in a remote place hardly anyone knows the place and renders help. The sisters there looking after 30 or more mentally handicapped children. These sisters are angels with immense courage and the strength of the Holy Spirit to do this type of service.

Address is as follows

Providence Home
Kuttickonam
Kunnicode P.O.
Quilon Dist.
Kerala India
Tel-0475 232 3338

Your gifts payable to “Providence Home Ac No 127001000 7125 8 , Federal Bank, Elambal, Quilon District, kerala.

FOOD MINISTRY

For 1 USD you can feed 4. Or say 1 food parcel cost you Rs10.

These guys from the prayer group we attend, is giving food parcel to the poor patients and their bystanders in the Trivandrum Medical College Hospital on every Sundays. They are feeding around 400-500 people every Sunday.
If you give Rs 1000, you are feeding 100 ….Genuine, wonderful act of charity.

If interested please contact.

Rex Jacob or Mr. Martin
Coordinator
Employers Prayer Fellowship (Udyogasthakoottayma)
Santa Maria Convent
Plamoodu
Trivandrum
Tel: (+91) 0471 2441074 Mob (+91) 09447963146 (Martin), Mob (+91) 09846066230 (Rex)

Please mention FOOD MINISTRY

My pledge

Any fees or gifts received by online/telephone consultation through this website will be given to the needy like the one above.

 

Gods love

One day Mother Theresa was walking along the road to her convent, the news media and photographers were with her. On the way, she saw a poor old lady sitting along the pavement and begging. Mother stopped at her, went and sat beside her. Every one was curious what she was upto. It was good photo session.

They looked at each other, eye to eye and then start smiling and laughing. After few minutes she touched the poor old lady on her check, got up and went on.

The news guys asked mother, what did you give her? Mother replied, you know my hands are always empty but I gave her my heart.

“Sometimes a smile, a touch, a good gesture is enough to impart Gods love”.

Cross

Look at the cross carefully, the vertical is the line connecting you and God, and the Horizontal is the line outreaching to your own kind-Godhood and brotherhood happened thru Jesus on the cross.

Learn to Bless

The tradition in Jews family is to bless the children by parents, every day after night prayer , by laying their hands on their head and saying” May God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and keep you”. Once they reach the age of 12-13, they are taken to the synagogue and the priests lay their hands and bless them.

As Christians we should learn to bless our little children every day by these words-”May the God the father, and son Jesus Christ and the Holy spirit, bless you and protect you…”

Luke ch.24 versus 50-And the Lord led them out of the city as far as Bethany , where He raised His hands and blessed them, as he was blessing them, he departed….

Yes the lord will keep on blessing us until he returns where he left.

Eucharist

How can the little piece of wheat bread transform to the body of Christ? Ok, how the almighty can takes a human form, and lived among us. Then no more doubts.

Power of the word of God

It was the word of God from the creation till the time of Jesus did all the miracles. Jesus did all the miracles by saying” the word”, no other techniques. He called the dead Lazarus and the spirit of the departed man came back to the body and become alive again.

The word of God is so powerful, so read it everyday.

Where are the Angels

The lord mention about thousands of angels at his fathers disposal. So many of them. If so ask the lord to send a few for your protection, after all why they want to sit unemployed.

My Will versus Gods will

We often say it is Gods will. If something goes wrong, we blame God, and say Its Gods will. Is it really Gods will or your own will?

How can one differentiate between Gods will against our own will. It is often difficult.

It is already being decided even before one is born. But we can try with our limited capability.

Before taking any decision in life do few things

1. Pray on the subject, listen what your inner spirit says, get guidance from the Holy Spirit.

2.Pray to get some sign or vision on the subject

3.Seek what God speaks to you thru the Bible

4. If any circumstances are against, don’t proceed

5. Can ask some one, truly spirit filled person to pray and give guidance or a sign.

If you follow the above steps, the chances are you are following Gods will.

Passing the buck

It is a figure of speech. It means not taking the blame or responsibility for something and pointing your finger “passing the buck” at some one else as the cause of the problem or situation.

Blaming the bad decision you made on someone else. Also making someone make a decision that you are supposed to make.

All started with Eve- the first feminist. She blamed Satan and then blamed Adam. We blame poor Adam for committing the first sin-the so called Original Sin. But it is Eve who did the first sin. Satan lied to Eve and she fell, and ate the fruit.

Adam had a choice whether to eat or not. After thinking a lot, he did not want to loose Eve, even if he loose God. Adam chose to leave God and decided to be united with his wife. Both lost the sanctifying Grace and became naked.

God came and asked “Adam what happened, where you are”, it was a cry from God, seeing his own image going against him. Same cry you hear in Isaiah ch.1 (2-3).

There is a way of getting back the lost Grace of God- God loved world so much, He gave his own son to redeem the world i.e. Jesus. He is the truth and the way. The absence of sanctifying grace in the new-born child is also an effect of the first sin, that’s the reason we baptize the child.

Once a little child was going up to a hill, a snake asked him on the way, whether he can carry him to the hill top. The child said no way, you will bite me. The serpent told him, I promise you, I won’t harm you. Believing the snake, he put him in his pocket and reached top of Hill, once he reached there the snake bite him and said thank you son.

Smart criminal

Golgotha- 2 bandits were hanging equidistant from Jesus on the cross, for similar sins, why one(right) got lucky at the last minute. He feared God, did repent, but the other kept on insulting and mocking God.

Be smart like the bandit on the right. Don’t ever insult the Holy Spirit.

Don’t be Luke warm, be wise, the sooner you both get renewed, the better for you.

Thorns

In dark, one man was walking thru a narrow road, he was struck with a thorn, it was very painful. After wards each step he took was with caution. Little ahead he saw a snake, he was able not to step on the snake.

Negative experience can be painful, but this helps you in future to avoid bigger setbacks.

Transfer of pain

The CEO fire the MD, the MD fire the manager, the manager fire the staff. The staff reaches home and fire his wife and kids.

This happens in every walks of life.

Roses

“In life one cannot expect flowers only but the thorns too.”

2 parrots

One daughter in law had a parrot, she always was fighting with her mother in law, always she curses the old lady saying, ” ninte thalyil idithi veezhatte”, the parrot learned it very fast and started repeating this to who ever come to their house.

Once the parish priest came to visit the house, he was shocked to hear the parrots welcome words.

But the priest had a good behaving parrot that was taught the prayer “ente yachana kelkaname”

The priest decided to take the naughty parrot and try changing the other by keeping them together.

Once the Bishop visited the parish, the naughty parrot said “Ninte thalyil idithi vizhatte”,the good parrot folowed “ente yachana kelkaname”

Moral- Sometimes it is difficult to change, where ever you are.

Tonsuring

Here is my opinion on why tradition of tonsuring may have come into being. Hair is a matter of Pride (ego) for men and women alike. It is not easy to strut around with a tonsured head and through the days when the hair is re-growing without a form or shape. In offering your hair to God, you are in the spiritual sense offering your pride and ego to God.

Tithe

Tithing is the practice of giving one-tenth of one’s income or possessions to God. The first tithe recorded in the Bible was given by Abraham to Melchizedek, king of Salem. The next biblical mention of a tithe is when Jacob made a vow to God, saying, “…of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” The Lord God commanded the Israelites to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house….” (Malachi 3:10)

The tithe, therefore, is a component of the Mosaic Law which was never restated as part of the law of Christ. While not requiring a tithe of believers today, the New Testament does speak of God’s blessing on those who give generously to the needs of the church and especially to those who labor in the Word.

Christians may not subject themselves to the Old Testament law of the tithe. Instead, they should give according to the following four New Testament guidelines. Christian giving should be:
1- Proportional to one’s income (1 Corinthians 16:2, 2 Corinthians 8:12)
2-Consistent (1 Corinthians 16:2)
3-Sacrificial (Mark 12:43-44, 2 Corinthians 8:2-3)
4-Cheerful (2 Corinthians 9:7)

How much one should tithe?

Each Christian should give what he has decided in his own heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) No set amount or percentage of income is dictated, rather, if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12)

Giving less than the tithe?

Giving less than a tithe of ten percent is simply not an option.

May be you believe the tithe was an Old Testament standard, and we’re no longer under the law but under grace, so tithing isn’t a requirement for us. Studies show the average Christian gives only just over 2% of his income to the Lord, unlike the Jews who still give a total of 23% to the Lord, make sense why they prosper!!!!!!!

3 reasons commonly given for not tithing are-

1-Why should I pay to the church? They have plenty of money. See, God doesn’t need your bribe. It is ones obligation.

2-How can I pay the tithe, if I am in debt, must pay off my debts first or also other important things in my life to pay for. Why you are in debt in the first place? Is God responsible for your unwise or self-serving decisions that may have put you there? And even if you have come into debt, isn’t your first debt to God? If we obey God and make good our obligations to Him, He will help us as we seek to pay off our debts to others.

3- “I can’t afford to tithe.” Of course you can. What if your salary was reduced by 10%? Would you die?

Scripture makes clear that in many cases God blesses us financially when we generously give (Proverbs 11:24-25; Luke 6:38).Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

When God prospers us in this way it is not merely to give us new toys and more beautiful homes but to allow us to give still more: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11). God’s extra provision is usually not intended to raise our standard of living, but to raise our standard of giving.

“Shovel out the money, and God shovels it back to you-because God has a bigger shovel.”

As God miraculously stretched the oil and bread of the widow in Elisha’s day, and as He made the clothes and sandals of the children of Israel last forty years in the wilderness, I am convinced He sometimes graciously work in unexpected ways in our life.

We should thank God for His behind-the-scenes provision, including preventing accidents, illness, expensive hospital bills and incidents that would have been very costly. We need to give careful thought to our ways, and ask ourselves if we would do better to give more to the Lord and ask Him to maximize what we keep, rather than trying to hang onto more, only to have it leak out our pockets

No matter how much we give, we can never out-give God.