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The Stewardship Principle - Part Two

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:57

"And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward...
And he called him, and said unto him...give an account of thy stewardship..."
Excerpted from Luke 16:1-2 (KJV)

I have owned two companies and been Senior Pastor of two great churches.  Since the age of 27, I have been in charge of people, in one way or another.  I have hired many and, unfortunately, had to fire a few.  The sobering thing is that in the eyes of God in all cases, I was a steward, not an owner, and one day I will stand before God and give an account of my stewardship.

Accountability is a hot topic these days.  The corporate scandals at Enron, World Com, et al, have left the American public with a great “trust debt” regarding how we do business.  They fell for lack of accountability.


The Fear of the Lord

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:56

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”
Psalm 111:10

The recent public disclosure of sexual immorality involving nationally known ministers of the Gospel begs the question: “Where is the fear of the Lord these days?”
How can prominent, gifted men of God be guilty of such gross immorality?

A number of years ago, the late Don Basham wrote a book about “True And False Prophets: Confronting Immorality In The Ministry”.  One of the themes of the book was that we should never make the mistake of assuming that someone with a genuine anointing was automatically living a godly life. The Apostle Paul had to deal with the fact that some of God’s “elect” can actually, at times, be “enemies” of the Gospel.


The Terrible Trap of Top-Down Management

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:54

“...whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant”
Mark 10:43

In his excellent book, “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”, author Hans Finzel makes this statement: 
“(the) top-down attitude is the mother of all leadership hang-ups.”

I would concur. 


King Kong

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:47

King Kong(1933)
DVD/VHS; B & W; 100 Minutes

Stars: Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot

It’s 1933 in America.  The Depression has touched every citizen and family in the country.  The soup kitchens and welfare lines are endless.  Cash is King, but nobody has any.

But a 10-cent ticket got you in to see the blockbuster hit that would set the precedent for generations of monster movies, "King Kong".  Here it is, folks. The classic story of "Beauty and the Beast" retold from the imagination of storywriter Edgar Wallace.  This is the original "King Kong", made for $500,000, (an astonishing budget in those days), the brainchild of documentary filmmaker Merrian C. Cooper.  Including the new version out now, King Kong has been filmed three times.  But this is the original.


The Little Foxes

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:46

The Little Foxes(1941)

B&W/116 minutes

Stars: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Dan Duryea


“Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:14

Here’s one of our favorite films, a movie that can be seen over and over again, with the richness of the performances shining through every time.

Set in the Deep South at the beginning of the last century, the Hubbard family is embroiled in their own money-driven, power hungry, family version of the “civil war”.  Scheming forces within the family are out to redirect the wealth of family head (Herbert Marshall) even if it means doing it without his knowledge!


The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:45

The Inn(1958) 
DVD or VHS/Color/158 Minutes 
Stars: Ingrid Bergman, Curt Jurgens, Robert Donat
 
Here's a wonderful film for the entire family.

This movie is based on the true-life story of Gladys Aylward, an English parlor maid who became a missionary to China two generations ago. 

Gladys Aylward is portrayed by Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, who had won the Oscar for Best Actress a year earlier (1957), for "Anastasia". Bergman is totally convincing in this part and I was moved to see how God will put a burden for a particular nation on an ordinary person and then send them there against all odds. 


The Bridges At Toko-Ri

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:41

Toko-Ri(1954)
 
Stars:  William Holden, Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Frederic March
 
Color by Technicolor/103 minutes/Not Rated

The revival of American patriotism, sparked by “911”, has brought good war films back into vogue.  I enjoyed “Saving Private Ryan” and “We Were Soldiers”.  But here’s a gem of a movie from 1954 that gets the point across without excessive gore and violence.

Retired WWII veteran Harry Brubaker, (a wonderful portrayal by William Holden), is called back into the military as fighter pilot during the Korean conflict.  Brubaker must tear himself away from his daughter and adoring wife, (has any American movie star ever been more beautiful on screen than Grace Kelly?), and risk his life again for his country.


The Big Country

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:40

Big Country(1958)
VHS or DVD/B&W 157 Minutes
Stars: Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, Charles Bickford

I love Westerns. And of all the Westerns I love most, this one would be in my top three. This movie has it all, great actors, great story, great music, and most of all, a powerful message about the value of personal character and integrity.

Gregory Peck, one of the finest actors of all time, is Jim McKay, a successful sea captain relocating "out west" to marry the daughter (Carroll Baker) of a cattle baron (Charles Bickford). He quickly runs into misunderstanding and trouble. Folks out west rate "manhood" quite differently from McKay's view, and therein lies the heart of the tale.


Singin' In The Rain

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:39

Singing In The Rain(1952)
Technicolor; DVD and VHS; 103 Minutes

Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds

With films like "Moulin Rouge" and the upcoming "Chicago", some experts are predicting a return to popularity for big Hollywood musicals.  But I believe time will tell how the newer models can't really compete with the wholesome, upbeat styles of days gone by.

So here's "hats off" to what film critic Roger Ebert calls, "The greatest Hollywood musical ever made".  Even if it's not the "greatest" musical ever,  "Singin' In The Rain" is certainly a national treasure.


Red River

Submitted by PastorRay on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 22:38

Red River(1948)   
VHS or DVD/B & W 118 Minutes  
Stars: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan  

Here's one of the really great western movies of all time, produced and directed by Howard Hawks, and featuring John Wayne in one of his most memorable roles. 

Wayne plays Tom Dunson, a self-made cattle baron who'll do anything to preserve his empire.  When hard times come, he undertakes the most famous cattle drive in film history, driving his Texas herd on the first journey up the perilous Chisholm Trail, (losing his sanity along the way). 


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