My reviews and opinions on movies, food and anything that is worth recommending and sharing around for others to know. It’s just my two cents worth, nothing much.
These are some of the World’s Most Ethical Companies that are the businesses that respond not with a PR campaign, but with real action as shining examples of complete transparency for the public and significant effort given to fixing the core problem.
Read the full list of companies here>>>
Check out the names of these movers and shakers for 2008 picked by TIME magazine.
Read the complete list here>>>
Mediocrity is a curse that God wants to remove from our lives.
As Christians, we should reach for a higher standard of excellence than the world sets. God deserves our very best!
Superior quality should be the hallmark of everything a Christian is and does as we have the responsibility to bear a good testimony whenever we produce works of superior quality.
Conversely, we become a poor testimony when we produce works of inferior quality.
What does it mean to excel or to have excellence?
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, excellence means:
Touching more on the topic of leadership, here’s something insightful and interesting that might help us understand the dynamics of the co-relation between leaders and followers that we can observe around us.
According to a best-seller book- Principle-Centred Leadership– by Stephen R. Covey, there are three basic levels of power and influence that leadership have over followers: coercive, utility, and legitimate powers.
Here is a brief summary of what these three powers are:
1. Coercive power is a manifestation of the psychology of fear on the part of the leadership/leader and the frightened masses. The former, due to lack of confidence in itself and in the people, unleashes psychological terror and when necessary the ‘big stick.’
The follower follows out of fear that something adverse might happen to him, if he does not. In this case, there is a fear that something bad might happen to him or something good might be taken away if he does not comply. The follower obeys the leader in order to avoid facing adverse consequences.
The follower’s loyalty is superficial and he just moves along for the sake of tagging along. Most of what he does is simply to ensure that his interest and comfort are not affected.
2. Utility power is based on a relationship where there are some benefits that will accure to the follower if he follows.
Both the leader and the follower has some interest to protect. The follower has something the leader wants such as time, energy, personal resources, talent and support. The leader too has something the follower wants such as information, money, promotions, inclusion, security and opportunity.
These followers believe that the leader can and will do something for them if they fulfill part of their bargain. Much of what happens in most organisations today are fueled by this utility power.
3. Legitimate power is based on trust and respect for the people. Unlike the two powers discussed above, legitimate power does not depend on fear and material reward, but rather because the follower tends to believe in the leader and what they are trying to achieve.
As Covey succinctly puts it, leaders with legitimate power “are trusted, respected, honored… And they are followed because others want to follow them, want to believe in them and their cause, want to do what the leader wants. This is not blind faith, mindless obedience, or robotic servitude; this is knowledgeable, whole-hearted, uninhabited commitment.”
All of us would like to enjoy a healthy spiritual life. But the sad truth is that many of us, and many churches today, are barren because of hazardous additives. We have believed a different gospel—one laced with legalism, performance-based religion and salvation by works—when Christ alone is our only source of life.
Jesus Himself referred to these toxins as “the leaven of the Pharisees” (Luke 12:1). He told us that the Pharisees’ brand of religion, which looked good on the outside, was deadly—and contagious.
Have you been infected? You can take your own pH test by examining these eight characteristics of a religious spirit.
Read the complete article here>>>
By Mike Fehlauer
1. Power positioning
There is certainly a place for biblical teaching on spiritual authority. But if a pastor preaches on this subject every Sunday, constantly reminding everyone that he is in charge, you can be sure that trouble is around the corner. In an unhealthy church, the pastor actually begins to take the place of Jesus in our lives.
2. An atmosphere of secrecy
When a church member surrenders to a system of control, the leader gives limited information to each individual, carefully monitoring each relationship. As a result, each member is only able to relate to other members based on the information he receives from the leader.
This way, if the pastor or church staff determines that one of the members has become a “threat,” they have a strategy in place to maintain the control they believe is required. Consequently the church can sever relationships when necessary and keep this process cloaked behind a veil of secrecy.
3. An elitist attitude
This deadly trait produces an “us and them” mentality. This is the church that believes no one is really preaching the gospel but them. Or at least, no one is preaching it as effectively as they are!
An elitist spirit discourages church members from visiting other churches or receiving counsel from anyone who doesn’t attend their church. If anyone visits another church, he is viewed as a dissident.
“Everything you need can be found within the framework of our group,” this spirit says, adding, “Everything you need to know, you will receive from the pastor and his teachings.” Consequently there is little respect, if any, for other denominations.
4. Performance emphasis
Opportunities to minister are abundant in most churches. Yet in a controlling church, these areas of ministry are no longer opportunities to serve. They become necessary in order to prove one’s commitment to the organisation. Whether it’s faithful attendance to worship services or working in some department, loyalty becomes the key.
Obviously church attendance is vital to our spiritual growth. But if we find ourselves attending church so we can win favor with the pastor or to earn his trust, then we have missed the point.
5. Fear motivation
When a pastor tells his congregation that those who leave his church or disobey his authority are in danger of God’s wrath, you can be sure this man is operating in a spirit of control. He is attempting to use fear as a carnal means of keeping people in his church.
The line usually goes like this: “If you leave our church, the blessing of God will be lifted from your life, and you will miss God’s will.” Another version says, “If you leave our church, you will be in rebellion, and Satan will be free to bring havoc into your life.”
Read the complete article here>>>
Here’s a blog entry by Pastor PK’s blog who serves Hope London Church. I am very much encouraged by his passion for God’s Kingdom and vision for His Church in being a powerful instrument of change in the marketplace. I pray that fellow Christians will be inspired to live out their faith in God more boldly from Mondays to Saturdays at work, just as they would on a Sunday.
The Archbishop Rowan Willaims, Head of the 80m Anglican Communion worldwide, provoked outrage when he suggested on February 7th that the adoption of elements of Islamic sharia law in Britain was “unavoidable”. This undermined further his authority in trying to bring unity to the Communion which has been divided over the issue of homosexuality between the liberals and the conservatives in the Communion.
This also weakens the position of the state church which has been seen by the increasingly secular Britain as privileged yet irrelevant. By trying to extend religious rights that Christians enjoy to the Muslims, it actually upsets the secularists further. They are already calling for a smaller official role of the church in Britain. At present 25 bishops sit in the House of Lords.
I personally believe that Christians have to find their voice in society like anyone else, without any advantage over non-Christians. To demonstrate our faith and the greatness of our God, we have to reflect God’s greatness in our lives.
This means that Christians have to raise the bar in our performance in the classroom or in the workplace, wherever God puts us. There is a greater need for us to shine for Jesus in the world in order to attract people unto Him. Whilst the classroom continues to be a fertile ground for harvest, I believe that the marketplace is where the biggest battle for souls is fought.
The challenge is immense; serving God, not money. The key is living out the Gospel with the help of God. (cont’d)
Read the rest of the entry here>>>
Have you ever wondered what companies provide the most number of jobs, both in the United States and worldwide? Here is a list of the largest publicly traded companies by number of employees.
Information courtesy from Stockerblog
Jan 3rd 2008
From The Economist print edition
“IN THE long run,” as John Maynard Keynes observed, “we are all dead.” True. But can the short run be elongated in a way that makes the long run longer? And if so, how, and at what cost?
People have dreamt of immortality since time immemorial. They have sought it since the first alchemist put an elixir of life on the same shopping list as a way to turn lead into gold. They have written about it in fiction, from Rider Haggard’s “She” to Frank Herbert’s “Dune”. And now, with the growth of biological knowledge that has marked the past few decades, a few researchers believe it might be within reach.
To think about the question, it is important to understand why organisms—people included—age in the first place. People are like machines: they wear out. That much is obvious.
However a machine can always be repaired. A good mechanic with a stock of spare parts can keep it going indefinitely. Eventually, no part of the original may remain, but it still carries on, like Lincoln’s famous axe that had had three new handles and two new blades…. (cont’d)
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A look at some of the key figures who will play a significant role in shaping our worlds of business, finance and economics.
By BusinessWeek Staff
Andrew: Inside & Insights 