9 June 2014 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar –
1 Cor. 3 :11-13
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
The supreme quality of a leader is unquestionable integrity. We got to have a transparent life for people to trust us and follow after us. God will never compromise, neither will He lower the bar in this area no matter how justified your excuses maybe.
GOD LOOKS AT THE CHARACTER OF THOSE HE CALLS.
Christian leadership is more than a mere position or appointment
You know what? Some people try to develop character (1) on human values and principles. (2) Some people try to develop character on good behaviour. (3) Some people try to build their character on human philosophy.
At the end of the day when everything has been said and done, the testing and the trials, the storms and the floods will beat against your house… only then, the foundation on which you have build your character will prove whether you could withstand the pressures of time . And the Bible gives us a dramatic analogy in:
Matthew 7:24-27
THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
It says in another translation: Great was the fall of it! It fell with a mighty crash.” You know what? You and I need to be aware of the seasons we are living in today. “Not all people who sound religious are really godly people.”
Many people are building their lives on business, political power, money, beauty physical strength etc. You know something? All these things are not permanent, it’s not lasting. All these things are subject to change. It will fade away in time to come.
When you and I rely on all these things totally and when these things start to disintegrate and change we will come tumbling down. When the American stock exchange fell in 1929 we are told that many businessmen who lost their entire fortune committed suicide.
You know why? Because their total foundation was built on something that was changeable! Something that was moveable! That was volatile and fragile! Something that was not lasting or permanent! It was built on sand, I am afraid!!
Likewise there are many famous actors and actresses in holly-hood who had build their lives on beauty,fame and name which are just passing clouds in their lives.
These people refuse to face reality and when one fine morning they wake up to discover that all that they had relied upon! All they had built upon! All they had hoped upon has given way, what happens next?
They sink into psychotic depression, they get hooked into alcohol and hard drugs and even end up with suicidal tendencies.
Ultimately they become dysfunctional. Needless to say that it is a tragic situation to see these people ending up into such condition simply because they have built on the wrong foundation in life.
I am talking about some filthy rich guys mind you! But unfortunately their richness was never able to rescue their situation.
Richness, power and position are not the solutions towards your peace. It is not a solution to your joy and your security. So often we mistake that money and power is the solution to all our problems!
WHEN YOU REMOVE GOD FROM YOUR AFFAIRS YOU ARE HEADING FOR A CRASH
Prov.16:25.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death”
You know what? Your own understanding, your concretized mentality! Your fixed pattern of thinking! is the greatest enemy! It’s the greatest hindrance for God to work in your life.
It limits God’s miracle in your life! It limits God’s intervention in your life! It limits the impossibilities God can break through for you in your life!
Today the reason why the world is in such a mess is because of a lack of integrity and character in leaders. The intellectual world tries to be cleaverer than God. They have rejected God as their very foundation and source; instead they use their own intellectual philosophy to build their principles and values to run nations.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
You know what? We can only build our foundation on Jesus Christ! He is our foundation. He is a Pillar of Truth and Peace. Make no mistake about this. He is our anchor! He is our Rock!
Character of righteousness is the ultimate goal that God seeks in us. There is absolutely no compromise in this area before God.
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT KNOWING ABOUT JESUS AND KNOWING JESUS ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS?
The religious world will say I know about Jesus but the one who is spiritual will say “I know Jesus!” This was the very condition of Nicodemus that night when he approached Jesus in John chapt er 3. YOU SEE NICODEMUS KNEW GOD ONLY WITH HIS HEAD KNOWLEDGE, HE DID NOT KNOW GOD IN THE SPIRIT. I GUESS HE WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN JESUS TOLD HIM YOU NEED TO BE BORN AGAIN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
When we know Jesus, we take on the CHARACTER OF CHRIST. We become a people of integrity. A people called by his name.
Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is also the representative of Faith International Bible School for Malaysia & Singapore. He is the founder and senior pastor of Full Gospel Outreach Ministry KL, a member of ECCM, Spiritual Adviser & overseer of Full Gospel Christian Church KL. Co-founder and adviser of Kingdom Christian Fellowship, Subang Jaya, he is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’
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References for pictures
http://clorindasfootprints.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/the-quest-for-character-1.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/–0Wpt8ciPyg/TlQ-AIcoowI/AAAAAAAAADU/-Mdg_UjF4Ro/s400/crash1929.jpg
https://lisavandyke.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/drunky.jpg
http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Campaigns/Crashed%20Lives/crashed-lives.png
http://newcreationbiblefellowship.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Knowing_Jesus.6243317.jpg
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