MESSAGE NOTES
Tonight’s ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i word is Maka’i which means goodness or excellence.
Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly by doing what comes naturally and they don’t stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.
~ John W. Gardner
Success means being the best. Excellence means being your best. Success, to many, means being better than everyone else. Excellence means being better tomorrow than you were yesterday. Success means exceeding the achievements of other people. Excellence means matching your practice with your potential.
~ Dr. Brian L. Harbour
Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. ~ Exodus 18:9
טוֹב ~ towb (HEBREW)
welfare, benefit, pleasant, agreeable or good.
…I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. ~ Exodus 33:19
טוּב ~ tub
good things or beautiful things or wonderful things. In this case, the BEST things, the MOST beautiful things, the MOST wonderful things.
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ~ Luke 18:19
ἀγαθός ~ agathos (GREEK)
intrinsically good, good by it’s very nature, good whether it is seen or not, good whether it is experienced or not or perceived or not.
And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. ~ Romans 15:14
agathósuné (GREEK)
goodness
Like Jesus, Paul is ALSO talking about the goodness of God here. He is writing to Spirit-Filled Christians. That is the only reason they are full of goodness or knowledge. They have God living in them and through them. They are full of Him.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23
Only as Spirit-Filled Christians are we able to tap into God’s goodness and knowledge.
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. ~ 2 Peter 1:1-4
ἀρετή ~ areté (GREEK)
moral excellence, moral goodness or moral virtue
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ~ 2 Peter 1:5-7
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8-9