the Shepherd- Theory about happiness

a little commercial break here.. this another book called.. hope.. this wil help you.. to find your own happiness.. (vic see carefully le oh)..

The Shepherd – A modern parable about our search for happiness – Matthew Kelly

In today’s world where appearance is valued more than substance there is a restlessness rampant among us. Deep within one question tugs consistently at our hearts: “ What will truly brings me happiness?” As we wrestle with this question we come to one very potent realization: “There must be more to life…”

Everyone has a theory about happiness, but rarely do you look deep into the eyes of a person who has the peace to back up their theory.
In The Shepherd, Kelly sorts through the false conclusions, half-baked theories, and endless contradiction which seems to dominate our modern search for happiness, to arrive at the one true source of this happiness we desire. The beautiful message contained within these pages has the power to change our lives. This book can lead us along a rarely trodden path to arrive at the ever-needed truth. If you open yourself up to its message, The Shepherd will guide you to the happiness your heart desires.

Introduction
The human heart is on a quest for happiness. As individuals we are all so unique and different, but we are bound together by our common yearning for happiness. Regardless of our age or the color of our skin, regardless of the land in which live or the land in which we were born, we all yearn for happiness.
In our search for happiness, we often do things that we think will make us happy, but in fact end up making us miserable. Under the influence of self-centered philosophies we often seek happiness through pleasure, possessions, power, or just simply the path of least resistance. Each of these may offer moments of happiness, but they end too soon, having lasted ever so briefly, and our quest for a lasting happiness continues. These moments of happiness are of course real, but only as real as a shadow is real. The shadow of a person is real and wonderful, but it is nothing compared to the actual person. Sadly, so many of us spend our lives chasing shadows of happiness.


The modern search for happiness seems to be governed by greed, lust, gluttony, selfishness, exploitation, and deception. And yet, as these diseased values become more and more the focus of modern lifestyles, people seem to be filled with great discontentment and unhappiness with each passing day.
The great tragedy here is not that we fail to achieve our plan, but rather, that we don’t know that even if our master plan had worked out, we still wouldn’t have the happiness we desire.
Fame, fortune, pleasure, and possessions will never satisfy our deep, deep yearning for happiness. Possessions will lose their glow, wealthy people seem wealthy but they are not happy, they cannot enjoy their wealth. All of them are just illusions that sparkles and shine, and distract us from the true happiness we yearn for deep in our beings. You never can get enough of what you don’t really need.


The Shepherd is a story about a man who has found the happiness that our hungry hearts desire. His simple and peaceful spirit provides a vision of happiness that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom, but may just be that “new vision of happiness” that can rescue us all.
“Get to know The Shepherd, Stop trying to put together a master plan for your life… for your happiness… Instead, seek out The Master’s Plan for your life… for your happiness… Allow Him to lead you, to guide you, to be your companion, your friend, your coach, your mentor… He will lead you to green pastures… He will restore your soul…Your cup will overflow…”

Afterward
… in that moment of spontaneous prayer the Spirit that guides us all led me to pray, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” It was perhaps the first moment of honest and humble prayer in my life. Before that day I had only been interested in telling God what my will was, I had never asked Him to reveal His will.

“God, what do you think I should do?” I call this “The BIG Question.” It is the question that changed my life forever, and the question that continues to transform my life today.

This question should be a constant theme in our spiritual lives. When we are attentive to this question we are happy regardless of external realities, because we have a peace and contentment within. It is the peace that comes from knowing that who are, and what we are doing makes sense regardless of the outcome, and regardless of other people’s opinions. This peace comes from taking into account the only opinion that truly matters: God’s.

Everyday we make dozens of decisions, some of them large and some of them small. When was the last time you invited God into the decisions of your life?

Sometimes I block His voice out because I want to do something I know He doesn’t want me to do. Sometimes I foolishly believe that I know a shortcut to happiness. These decisions always lead me to misery of one form or another.

The will of God is a mysterious thing. In my own spiritual journey I have learned that God reveals His will one step at a time, but this creates a great deal of uncertainty, and we don’t like that. In this modern age we try to control all the elements so that we can have security and stability. If only we could learn to enjoy uncertainty. Uncertainty is a sign that all is well. God is your friend; He will take care of the details.

Sometimes I cannot help but wonder how many of those have actually formed the habit of spending a few minutes in prayer each day. Often people dismiss the message as too simple. It is true that the simple things in life are often the best. It is also true that simple things have a tremendous ability to transform our lives. Simplicity is the key to perfection. I have experienced the power of simplicity in my own life and I invite you to do the same.

I know we can pray anywhere, but there is something mystical and powerful abut entering into the presence of God in His house.
I challenge you to take a few moments with your God each day. Enter into the classroom of silence. Sit with God and dream some dreams. Once you are in the classroom of silence, if you can muster the courage to ask the big question and the patience to listen to the silent murmuring of your hear, He will lead you. You may not hear any voices, or see any wonders, but He will lead you. Nothing is surer. And then, your life will become a passionate and enthusiastic adventure.

Forget about trying to put together a Master Plan for your life… for your happiness. Start looking for The Master’s Plan for your life… for your happiness.
If you are willing, little by little, step by step, He will reveal a plan, and in that plan your deep gladness will unite with the world’s deep need. Only then will you taste the holy contentment that our very beings never stop yearning for.

Get to know The Shepherd. He will lead you to green pastures… He will restore your soul… You cup will overflow…:)

chpt 4 of God own$

4 The Danger of Greed
Hans Christian Andersen once told the story about a poor farmer who had a goose. One day the goose laid a golden egg. The farmer was so surprised that he took the egg to the goldsmith’s shop and had it tested. It turned out to be of pure gold. Overnight, the farmer became a rich man, as the goose would lay one golden egg every morning.
Six months later, the farmer who was by then a very rich man, was counting all his cash and drawing up his financial projections. He was so consumed by his future income prospects that he said to himself, “Why do I have to wait to collect my gold daily? Why not take it all now?”
So he killed the goose and opened up her stomach, wanting to take all the gold! We know the rest of the story – no eggs and no more goose! The farmer, driven by greed, lost everything!
The god of greed and materialism is prevalent in every affluent society today, in different ways and through different manifestations but the drive is the same. There is an exaltation of the earthly over the heavenly and the material over the spiritual. Jesus called this god Mammon.
The encounter between Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, and Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, in 2 Kings 5 will show us that we serve God and not Mammon. Prior to the encounter, God dealt with Naaman’s pride. When that pride was laid aside, the power of God was released. Naaman, who had leprosy, was healed. His soul was converted and he acknowleged the God of Israel. He also realized he could not buy God’s blessings. Instead, he had to humbly seek and receive. That was why Elisha refused to accept Naaman’s gifts after the healing. Gehazi, however, had an eye on the reward and the monster of greed began to work its evil.

6 Characteristics of Greed
1. Greed is Hidden
2 Kings 5:20 says, “Gehazi…said to himself…” In other words, Gehazi was greedy in his heart. Greed tends to be hidden. It dwells in secrecy and is often unknown to those around us. The covetousness that is inside is known only to God and to us. If we allow the searchlight of God’s Word to shine into the depths of our souls, we may just see the monster of greed lurking there. Pehraps that is why some of us do not seems satisfied with our current lot in life.

2. Greed Rationalises
Greed will always give us a reason for wanting to possess or accumulate more. It will always find good reasons for us to upgrade our homes or change our cars. Gehazi rationalized that perhaps Elisha had been too easy on Namman. Wasn’t it only right that Naaman gave some money to Elisha? After all, he was a rich man. Prophets, too, needed retirement funds! But who was the money really for? Gehazi himself! This is how greed works in us too! We can excuse it by saying that it is evidence that God is blessing us.
It can be hard to draw the line between need, greed and providence. Greed can be very quickly turn a luxury into a need. We require honesty and discernment to overcome this tendency to rationalize.

3. Greed is Compulsive
Greed can never be satisfied. The more you get, the more you want. In God’s eyes, greed is not a small thing. It is, in fact, tantamount to idolatry! Once we bow our knees to mammon, we will be enslaved. The grip of mammon may be so tight that it is difficult for us to break loose except by the power of God. Jesus said in Mark 10:25, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” But it is not just the rich who can be greedy; the poor can be greedy too. It is not just the rich who can be greedy; the poor can be greedy too. It is not what you do or do not have; it is the condition of your heart and your attitude towards money and possessions.
Let us ask God to set our hearts free from discontentment and greed, and to enjoy whatever He has blessed us with instead of striving for more.

4. Greed is Deceptive
Gehazi was so overcome by greed that he ended up lying to Namman and Elisha. In the same way, greed can cause us to scheme and deceive. If a Christian businessman is greedy, he is not above lying to close a deal or scheme for a break. Mark 8:36 tells us, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”

5. Greed Distorts
If greed enters our lives, it distorts our value system. The difference in the value systems of Gehazi and Mary (Mark 14:3-9) is the difference between greed and love. Greed is calculating whereas love is extravagant.

6. Greed Destroys
Isn’t it ironical that what Naaman lost. Gehazi ended up having – leprosy! Gehazi’s heart was greedy. He schemed and finally body became corrupted. 1 Timothy 6:9 says, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.”
A man who is lost at sea finds water all around him and the temptation to drink is great. But the more he drinks, the thirstier he becomes. It would be suicidal to drink sea water. The only thing to do is wait for the heavens to open and the rain to fall.
Greed always leads to destruction; Gehazi was destroyed by leprosy.



CHOOSE CHRIST
At the start of this chapter, we talked about the goose and the golden eggs. We are all at different stages of our lives, and may fit into any of the following categories:

More golden eggs: Some of us have reached the stage of being able to share some golden eggs with others. Perhaps God is challenging you to increase the number of eggs you are giving away. This is particularly important if a church is moving into a new phase. If your church is entering into a building and expansion phase, there is a need to increase the staff strength for growth to be sustained. To have a more organized church with better infrastructure, everyone would have to contribute more in terms of time, treasure and talent.

Some golden eggs: There may be others whom God is challenging to confront materialism and greed. The best way to dethrone greed is to be generous. Go in the opposite spirit! Give like you have NEVER given before.

The golden goose: God may be challenging yet others to take an even greater step of faith. He is not only placing a demand on your golden eggs, but he is also asking you to surrender the golden goose. In other words, you are to surrender your wealth as well as the opportunity for future income through your career by serving Him full-time in the ministry.

If you sense that you have a call upon your life but find it so hard to give up what you have, know this: You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. Whatever you may feel that God is asking you to do – be it to surrender more of your golden eggs, surrender some of your golden eggs or surrender the goose that lays the golden eggs – do not fear because you will be surrendering your resources to the One who gave them to you in the first place.
What Gehazi was to Elisha in the Old Testament, Judas was to Jesus in the New Testament. Both of these men had the opportunity to become great in the kingdom of God but they missed it because their hearts were gripped by greed. Let us resolve not to miss God’s best because of greed but to pursue Christ with all heart, mind, soul and strength.

chpt 3 of God own$

3 The Delight of Giving
The Bible puts it this way in Matthew 6: 21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Perhaps this is why money is the most talked about topic in the Bible. One Bible scholar estimated that there are 5,280 verses on the subject of money alone. The number of references on money far exceeds that on heaven, hell, salvation and prayer. Sixteen out of 38 parables refer to money and possessions.
This is misquoting 1 Timothy 6:10, which says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief.” The root of evil is not “money” but the “love” of money.
When the Bible talks about giving in terms of money, it always speaks of tithes and offerings. The principles of giving are found in the Old Testament and then carry over into the New Testament.

Tithing
1. The Progression of Tithing
When we tithe, we are recognizing that God is the Sovereign Lord who owns everything and we are but stewards of what He has given us. Tithing is mentioned 10 times in the New Testament; each time, Jesus did not do away with tithing but took it to a new dimension under grace. He challenged believers to go beyond the legalistic righteousness of the Jews.
Under the Law, the tithe was the ceiling. However, under grace, the tithe was the floor! The tithe is the starting and not the ending point. It is the least that we can do, out of gratitude for what Jesus has done to set us free.

2. The Place of Tithing
In Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…” The storehouse originated from King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 31. It refers to the Temple of the Lord. In the New Testament, the storehouse would be the local church – the place where God has chosen for His Name, the place where you are spiritually fed.

3. The Purpose of Tithing
Under grace or the New Testament, we are compelled by love to give, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:3,”If I give all I possess to the poor ad surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”


6 NEW testament principles of giving
1. The Principle of Proportion
1 Corinthians 16:2 says, “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income…” The general principle is this: “To whom much is given, much will be required” and “Give as the Lord prospers you…” The most basic proportion would be the tithe or 10 per cent.
God is just God. He does not look at what we give but at what we keep. In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth, ” he said “this widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

2. The Principle of Priority
Paul exhorted believers to set aside an amount for God first. In other words, let God have the firstfruits. If we are paid monthly, then set aside what we want to give God first before anything else. If not, we may end up giving God our leftovers.
***Malachi 3:10-12 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,’ says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

3. The Principle of Purpose
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 tells us, “ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Let our giving be done purposefully. Let it be planned and predetermined. Do not tip God! Before you go to church, prayerfully decide what you want to give. Prepare the offering. Give purposefully as an act of worship.

4. The Principle of Privacy
Matthew 6:1-4 says, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven …… when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Giving is so self-effacing that after you have given, forget about it! Do not keep an account of how generous you have been. Do not even brag about what you have given. Keep your giving private!

5. The Principle of Privilege
We must recognize that giving is a privilege! We give because we receive so much from the One who, for our sake, became poor, so that through His poverty, we might become rich. Giving then is no longer a sacrifice but a joy. We are no longer bound to give tithes and offerings. We are morally bound to give out of a heart of love and gratitude.

6. The Principle of Profit
Luke 6:38 tell us, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” God is no man’s debtor. We cannot outgive God.

chpt 2 of God own$

2 A Biblical Perspective on Wealth
There is something powerful, intriguing and mystical about money. For money, one man could kill another; a son could sue his father; a woman could violate her body; and a man could even sell his soul. This is perhaps the reason Jesus spoke more about money than almost any other subject during his ministry on earth. The Holy Bible is the best economics book of all time. Everything does changes, but the principles of God do not change and blessed is the man who applies these principles in his money management.

From Old Testament of the Ecclesiastes, we will see what King Solomon noted about the world of money.

4 observations about wealth
1. The Materialistic Grip of Wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12)
Wealth has a way of gripping man. Even Christians can be seduced to bow our knees to this false god of Mammon. Its grip can be so strong as to make us act irrationally. When materialism has done its worst, it will make slaves out of us. Materialism can never be satisfied. The more you get, the more you want.

The wise man said in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” Referring to the materialistic grip of wealth, Jesus said in Matthew 19:23, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”


2. The Danger of Hoarding Wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:13-17)
There is danger in hoarding wealth – you will lose it, not once but twice! You could lose it before you die, and you will definitely lose it when you die. You may have the ability to accumulate great wealth but you cannot find your security in money. You could lose it in a moment. One wrong decision and it is gone! Even if you do not lose your wealth in this life, you will definitely lose it when you die. In Luke 12, Jesus said to a rich man “You fool… ” Put simply, a fool is someone who disregards God. In Psalm 14:1, we read, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

Isn’t it true what the wise man said in Ecclesiastes 5:15, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs.” The Bible puts it differently, “Naked you come, naked you will go.” Wealth is temporary.

Think about this:
Money can buy medicine but not health.
Money can buy you a house but not a home.
Money can buy you companions but not friends.
Money can buy you entertainment but not happiness.
Money can buy you food but not appetite.
Money can buy you a bed but not sleep.
Money can buy you a crucifix but not a Saviour.
Money can buy you a good life but not eternal life.


3. The Delight of Having Wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20)
The wise man went on to say that despite the dangers inherent in having wealth, it could still be a gift from God. Wealth can be a blessing from God, to be enjoyed by man. When we see our wealth as a gift from God and not something we have acquired by our own hands, we will not fight to keep it.
We must learn to have an “open palm” approach to riches. Hold every blessing that God brings to you with an open palm. Enjoy the blessings while you have them without desiring to possess them. Then, if God should choose to take them away, He need not pull your fingers apart! This way, it would be a delight to have material possessions.

4. The Grace to Enjoy Wealth (Ecclesiastes 6:1-3)
A man may have wealth but is unable to enjoy it for a number of reasons, such as poor health and bad relationships. Let us remember that God is the one who gives us the grace to enjoy the wealth that we have, be it little or much. Indeed, it is by God’s grace that we are able to enjoy even a cup of coffee. Many of us constantly complain that we do not have enough, when we should be thankful for what we do have.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things that God has blessed us with. Unfortunately, when we are gripped by greed and materialism, we turn God’s formula around. Then we put 10 per cent of our resources at God’s disposal – provided we even tithe – and retain 90 per cent for our own parting and entertainment and to maintain our standard of living. God’s kingdom is not one about just food and drink, but also about love, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; it is a kingdom where the rich would share with the poor and all have enough for joyful, contented living.

1st chpt of God own$

1 The Master and the Steward
Money is a tool that can be used for great good or great ill. So preached John Wesley in a sermon went on to give us three simple rules concerning money: Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. This is good counsel coming from a man skilled in the discipline of stewardship.
Having money can be intoxicating. It is almost addictive. The more you have, the more you desire. Money has the ability to hold us in its grip. And when it does, it can make us do things we do not want to do. It can cause irrationality. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 6:24
- “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

Notice closely to the above quote, our Lord did not say, “You should not…” He was also not giving friendly advice like, “You must not…” but He was, in fact, stating an impossibility- “You cannot…” It is simply impossible for us to serve both God and Money. In the end, we either serve God or end up serving money.
Theology of stewardship provides a pivot to hold the two extreme views, poverty theology and prosperity theology. What we possess as Christian is a privilege rather than a right. We have a stewardship responsibility to mange all the above faithfully and wisely, according to the will of the Master.

In the end, the true measure of godly success is how faithful we have been in administering with wisdom what God has entrusted to us; be it little or much. Our goal is to be able to hear the Father say to us, as the master said to the servant in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:21), “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

*Wesley’s sermon on Luke 16:9 can be accessed at
http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/serm-050.stm