Deliberations 2016 (5): #Brands

Why do companies brand their products? Briefly, a brand is a name, design or symbol, (often legally registered), that is used to advertise a product and give it a competitive marketing edge. Initially livestock branding was used to distinguish one person’s cattle from another by burning a distinctive symbol into the animal’s skin.  

Some brands draw us with just a picture/image; others include catchy phrases that stay with us. An example is McDonalds golden arches and “i’m loving it” phrase. (Even babies have been shown to recognize this brand!) Then there is Nike’s Swoosh and “Just do it”, and the Apple trademark and advice to “Think different”. (I’m told that learning to use an Apple computer is indeed a different experience!)

Some brand designs are so good that they capture attention immediately and need no further design changes; others evolve with time, e.g. Microsoft’s Windows logo, (which is still a work in progress).

But let’s not overlook biblical symbols. And the good thing is that they are constant and forever—truly not one jot can be changed. For example the cross forever reminds us of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for our sins. A dove draws us back to God’s gift of the Holy Spirit—bestowed first on His Son at His baptism, and then sent to us as our Comforter/Advocate. And a rainbow, despite human attempts to corrupt its meaning, reassures us that the earth will never again be destroyed by flood.

What brand are we displaying to others? Has Christ’s nature been symbolically burned into us so that our testimony—what we do and say—truly reflects Him? Is our brand a winning one that draws others to Jesus, or are we advertising an unattractive product that, despite being steeped in truth, loses out to other brands that are portraying falsehoods? 

Just wondering……

03/07/2016 
Sobering comments (on FB) about being branded with Christ's righteousness, and selecting the "brand" we want to wear in the latter days - the mark of the beast or the seal of God.

Deliberations 2016(4): Emergency Numbers.

Whom do you call, or where do you go, when you are in need? Do you call a 911 number or a 919 number? Or is it dialing 112 on your cell phone – even when it is locked, or with no SIM card? Do you call a husband, wife, mother, father, sister, brother, best friend, or your pastor??

Persons who experience unexpected illnesses or accidents generally visit emergency rooms, with the full expectation that they can be helped – and most times they are. It would be good if we were to regard our Bibles in the same way—a place we can go to for help with all the trials we encounter in life.

Here are some passages that can be a virtual “emergency kit” for addressing our needs when we are upset, worried, dealing with loss, etc. Won’t you make them part of your personal first aid kit during your daily struggles? 

[N.B. These suggestions were taken from different sources, including the Internet]

A favorite Bible story for me has always been the account of the Israelites exodus from Egypt and their journey to the Promised Land. The lack of faith exhibited in the face of God’s constant presence and leading is astounding—although in retrospect we might have behaved exactly the same! I also like the reassurance of Psalm 73:21-26, as I seek new direction in my life.

Won’t you share your favorite personal passages to help to strengthen someone else when they are in need, or feeling lost on their life’s journey?

Deliberations 2016(3): #Men vs Women in Church

Is this an anomaly? Church leaders are usually men, but most churches are comprised primarily of women and children. Sooooo…. Is the church not benefited by the presence of men in the congregation? Should special efforts be made to evangelize them?

Consider the following excerpt from Pastor Nikita Thompson’s article in the Logos – a publication of the South Bahamas Conference of SDA – 11/14/2015:

            “A survey done a few years ago by “Focus on the Family Publishing shows:

·      If a child is the first person in the household to become a Christian, there is a 4% probability that everyone else in the household will follow.

·      If wife/mother is the first to accept Christ, there’s a 17% chance the rest of the household will follow.

·      But if the man—the husband, the father, God’s Point Man—is the first person in a home to become a Christian, there’s a 93% probability that the rest of the family will follow.

      When God's appointed, spiritual head of the household accepts and grows in Christ, his family is most likely to follow. If we can reach the men we will reach the family. As our world seems to be going from bad to worse, men desperately need, and are looking for, a ministry uniquely designed to reach them."

Hmmmm…… Much food for thought……

Can we continue to merely sit back and wring our hands while men are being lost? And sadly, so many of them are found in prisons—which is certainly not an equal opportunity institution— since men outnumber women here about 10 to 1.

What plans do we have in our churches and civic organizations to reach men spiritually, and then mobilize them towards evangelism in their families and in the wider community…..

An old African proverb reiterates the need for focusing on men: “When the root is strong, there is no need to fear the wind”.

[By the way - for those persons who thought they missed a post last week - not true. I'm trying to post fortnightly rather than weekly]