Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth?

-by Patrice Tsague, NPIM

And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 1:46

Where are you from? What family were you born in? Are people surprised by your accomplishments due to your family background, place of birth, race or nationality? Have you limited your scope due to these factors? Have you ever asked the question, "Can anything good come out of....?"


Nathanael asks this question about Jesus when Phillip introduces Him as the prophet from Nazareth, Philip's response is, "Come and see."


Prior to the birth of Christ, Nazareth was not an important part of the national and religious life of Israel. It had a bad reputation in morals and religious life. Even the Galilean language had a crudeness to it. Due to these factors, Nathanael is surprised that the Messiah would come from Nazareth or be identified by it. God has an interesting sense of humor. He chooses to bring greatness out of a place or person who seems unlikely; the less likely the human possibilities, the more likely the divine possibility.


The Lord laid upon our hearts to relocate the Nehemiah Project headquarters to Portland, Oregon in 2010. As we contemplated the move, we asked, "Why Portland?" Even after we moved, many who live in Portland asked us the same question. They are asking, in other words, "If you could move anywhere else in the country, why would you choose a place so liberal, so un-churched, one of the least ethnically diverse in the country, and one of the most hit economically. Can anything good come out of Portland?" The good news is good things can come out of anyplace where God is present and there is a righteous remnant who are committed to His will. I ask all who are curious about "Why Portland?" to take a visit and see a city where, despite its challenges, God is moving in a dynamic way in the marketplace. From weekly small groups, to networking events, to philanthropy, to social transformation, to equipping His people, God is at work in Portland. Prophetically, Portland will serve as one of the model cities of what God can do when people come together across denominational, political and ethnic lines to bring community transformation for His glory.


I come from a well-to-do family in Cameroon, Africa; however, because I was born in Africa, viewed as rebellious and very playful by my family, relocated to America at a young age, did not speak English at all, did not go to seminary or have an MBA, many thought, "Can anything good come out of that boy?" My response is, "Wait and see."


What has held you back? Whom have you allowed to define your destiny? No matter your origin, race, education, or circumstances, if you commit your works to the Lord and trust Him with your life and business, He will do more through you than you can hope or imagine. If it does not happen on this side of glory, wait until you get to heaven. You will be amazed. So the next time you are asked, "Can anything good come out of...?" Just respond, "Wait and see." As you prepare to celebrate this Christmas season, remember where our Savior came from, remember what He did, and remember His words, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father" John 14:12.


Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The Benefits of Pleasing God

When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7


How would you like to make your worst enemy live at peace with you? Your enemy could be an in law, a competitor, a neighbor; anyone whom you have done your best to be kind to, but for some reason, no matter what you do, he or she seems to get more enraged with you. Your enemy may be determined to undermine you. No matter what you do, the person seems to be unsatisfied; it seems that his or her satisfaction will be to see you hurt or non-existent.

Romans 12:18 states, "if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." This suggests that unfortunately no matter how hard you try, being at peace with all is in part dependent upon the other person's willingness to cooperate. What do we then do when the other person is not willing to cooperate? In such instances, we should focus our attention on pleasing God and allow Him to fight our battles for us.

Pleasing God has many benefits, which include:

• He will give you the desires of your heart

• He will give you eternal life

• He will provide for you

• He will cause you to live at peace with your enemies

• And much more

Let us focus on the aspect of being at peace with our enemies. Why is this benefit so important for the Biblical Entrepreneur? Our enemies can be a distraction, they can be a temptation, and they can take us off our game. No matter how spiritual you are, an enemy who is persistent may eventually wear on you because he may employ ungodly methods against you while you are limited to only using strategies that honor the Lord in your dealings with him. Unfortunately, when some of us are fed up, we take matters into our own hands so we are not perceived as being a weak Christian. This is unacceptable because when we take matters into our own hands, we fight battles ourselves when the Bible states that "the battle is not ours it is the Lord's". I Samuel 17:47

When we have done all we can to make peace with our enemies to no avail, let us focus our energies on pleasing the Lord with all of our hearts so He may fight our battles. Who have you been trying to make peace with to no avail? Turn your focus on pleasing God and watch Him supernaturally turn their hearts around.


Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6


The American Declaration of Independence includes this famous line, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness." One may argue that the term the pursuit of happiness is an empty slogan and the fuel behind our materialistic society. Since many entrepreneurs are in pursuit of happiness they believe that anything that will make them happy is their right to have. Although this view of happiness is unscriptural, the writers of the Declaration of Independence were not totally off base when they used those terms. The Bible does teach about happiness, but within the context of it being something that is a divine favor from God as a result of our obedience to His Word and His will.

The word "happiness" comes from the word "blessed". In His Sermon on the Mount, in what is commonly known as theBeatitudes, Jesus says, "blessed [or happy] are the poor in spirit, blessed [or happy] are those who mourn blessed [or happy] are the meek, and blessed [or happy] are those who thirst and hunger after righteousness". We can therefore conclude that God does want us to be happy, but this happiness is the bi-product of a spiritual pursuit and not the end unto itself. Happiness is not guaranteed; rather, it is a reward to those who do the will of the Father.

How do Biblical Entrepreneurs pursue this happiness? This happiness is attained by acquiring the following spiritual attributes taken from Matthew 5:3-11:
1. Poor in spirit, recognition of our spiritual poverty before God. We realize that we are incomplete; only He can enrich our lives and without Him we are miserable.

2. Mourn, to have feeling of grief. We must not be too proud but rather grieve before God for the unrighteousness around us so He may bring us comfort.

3. Meek, power under control. We must not use our advantage or talents to advance our own agenda but rather to protect and defend others.

4. Hunger and thirst after righteousness, we must continuously demonstrate a strong desire for God and His Word.

5. Mercy, a sense of compassion which leads to action. We must demonstrate compassion towards others, especially those who are suffering.

6. Pure at heart, a singleness of focus before God and allowing his word to transform us on the inside.

7. Peacemakers, we must be people who attempt to bring harmony and reconciliation to those who are estranged from God and others.

8. Persecuted for righteousness sake, allowing ourselves to suffer in the hands of those who do not know nor understand our Savior and His plan for our lives for the purpose of advancing the will of our Savior.

Do you still want to be happy? If so, covet after these things and happiness will be yours.


Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Rwanda: pics from our Business Development Center

Dr John Mulford interacting w/ students at opening of BDC

Jason introducing egg-drop challenge

For God So Loved the World...

"For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16


Most entrepreneurs, when asked why they want to start a business, respond by saying, "So I can be my own boss and make some money." As Biblical Entrepreneurs, money should never be our motivation for being in business. We should have the same motivation that God had as He sent His Son in the earth realm to start His business. God's motivation was not money or a big organization, but love. He could easily maintain love as His motivation because He knew that He owned everything and there was nothing else He needed to gain that He did not already have.

John 3:16 could be stated this way, "for God so loved sinful humanity that He started a global enterprise called Operation Rescue, Inc." This enterprise had one product called the Gospel or the good news. He assigned His only begotten Son, Jesus, to serve as the CEO. His goal is to recruit and train men who would lead this new enterprise and their mission is to seek and save the lost. How can a Holy God love sinful humanity? Does He not hate sin? God was able to see the potential of humanity beyond its condition. He saw what could be possible for humanity if someone was able to successfully rescue it from its current state. That possibility so excited Him that faith kicked in and embraced love in an attempt to make that potential a reality. God did that knowing that everyone would not accept His product and that among those who do, some would not appreciate it. He rejoiced knowing that if only one person accepts and appreciates His product it would all have been worth it. He did His market research and knew that enough people would accept His product to keep the business profitable. His love compelled Him to believe in humanity more than it could believe in itself.

What is your motivation for being in business? Are you motivated by love as God was, or are you motivated by money or gain? Our motivation is what fuels our passion for the business. It drives us and inspires us to defy logic and move by faith to make the impossible possible. Our motivation helps us overcome the difficult times of business; it helps us overcome fear and ensures that we will not fail. How do you know if you are motivated by love and not money? Here are a few things to help you determine whether you are an entrepreneur who is motivated by love or money.

In addition, remember that when your motivation is money, the only thing that can help you love the customer is money. The problem with that is there is never enough money to buy your love since money is temporal and one can never have enough of it. Consider the fact that because God owns everything and has nothing else to gain and is motivated purely by love, He entrusted you and I with all He owns. He made us to have dominion over the works of His hands and put all things under our feet. We therefore have nothing else to gain since all things have been put under our feet. We can focus on loving our customers and not on money, trusting that our God will add all things unto us.


Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Bearing the Arms of Moses; Ten Ways to Pray for Mobilizers and Cross-cultural Workers

By Shane Bennett (see on original site at Missions Catalyst)

It's a fascinating picture, isn't it? As long as Moses holds his staff aloft toward the throne of God, Joshua and his army prevail against the bad guys. But Moses, though a galactic superman, got tired. Exodus 17 tells us his buds Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they began to hold up his arms! I know you've heard this story since you were a kid, but think about it for a second: They used their arms to hold up his arms. I suppose Moses got tired of holding the staff, but how long until Aaron and Hur got tired of holding his arms, holding the stick? Couldn't have been long. Yet they persevered through sun, fatigue, and smelliness ... and it worked. Come evening, Joshua prevailed on the battlefield below.

Now maybe it's a stretch to equate missionaries and mobilizers with Moses. If it doesn't totally feel like you're cheating on your hermeneutics prof, try this on: We have the opportunity, through prayer, to be Aaron and Hur for our friends who are holding up the staff of God for the advance of his kingdom among the least evangelized peoples on the planet.
When I think of you who read this column, I realize that (unless you were assigned to read this as a "bad example" of persuasive writing) you probably have some stake in the completion of the Great Commission. You've made sacrifices in an effort to see the good grace of Jesus go to where it hadn't before. So I asked myself, how I would pray for you? How would I hold up your arms so that the dreams of your heart might find success?

Here it is. Here's what I pray for you. Maybe these things would be good to pray for every last one of us, but I think they have particular relevance for those who have laid it on the line for the "sheep of another pen."

1. Freedom from Fear

Perhaps more frequently than any other command, the Bible tells us not to fear. At the same time many of us live in cultures both saturated with and fueled by fear. I know I fear failure. I fear discomfort. I fear the loss of my health, security, and status. But this is not normal life for a follower of Jesus. John tells us that "perfect love drives out fear."

E. Stanley Jones, a world-class missionary who lived most of his life in India, encourages, "Then discipline yourself against all anxiety and fear. Fear is the enemy - not the thing of which we are afraid, for most of our fears are never realized. They never come. Those that do come can be used in the purposes for which we live."

May God add his grace to our discipline, resulting in lives free from fear.

2. Growing Hope

If you've been a Great Commission groupie for a while, perhaps you've wondered from time to time why the job's not done yet. Maybe (on dark days) you struggle to believe it ever will be. God's promises are huge. His commandments are extensive, and the effort exerted to obey them has been epic. But there's so much still undone. So much pain. So much despair.

As you add days to days and years to years, may you look increasingly like your father Abraham who "against all hope, in hope believed and so became the father of many nations."

My God fill us with hope. May he rekindle within us the conviction that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

3. Big Faith

As that hope grows, I pray big faith for you. Faith that allows you to pray audacious prayers. Faith that compels you to ask for the nations. Faith not content with one Muslim here and one there following Jesus, but that asks God for hundreds of millions from the sons of Ishmael to find life in Christ. Faith that asks God for what you not only can't accomplish on your own, but can barely imagine.

4. Battle Skills

May you have eyes to see what's really coming at you. May you have wisdom to discern between the focused attacks of your enemy and the normal challenges of a world that produces thorns and thistles. May you have the kind heart of the truest Mennonite with the fighting skills of a Navy Seal (or their spiritual equivalent). Let these skills be deployed under God not only for the protection of your family, but also for the release of many captives from their prisons and the rolling back of the work of our enemy.

5. A True Band of Brothers and Sisters

As you exercise your faith and hone your spiritual warfare skills, may God gather around you a team like Moses had in Aaron, Hur, and Joshua. May he give you, as he sees fit, a husband or wife, colleagues, pals, counselors, and mentors - people who will speak the truth to you even at great risk, love you even through great failure, and accept you even though they know you deeply. May he bring you a band of people for whom you would gladly die.
6. Authority

I pray for you to grow in authority. May God fill you with such spiritual authenticity, such power, such tangible presence of Jesus that though you never raise your voice, the room is quieted. May men and women of power care what you say, even do what you ask, because the scent of Jesus is strong on you. May no pain you experience be wasted, but rather captured for the maturing of your character, readying you to prevail in the next challenge ahead.

7. Wisdom

As your authority grows so will the trickiness of your problems. Get wisdom and keep on getting it. May God push that wisdom into the depths of your heart and all the way out to the edges of your consciousness. May you understand how to humbly love people, both submit to and lead people, inspire hope and great sacrifice in people. May you have sufficient wisdom to hear and follow the voice of your shepherd and thereby give your youth, your energies, and your very life in the place of your greatest usefulness.

8. Perseverance

May you walk all the way to the end of your road. Though it seems the road will never end and for long stretches you walk alone, don't stop walking. May the resilience and perseverance we imagine, or know, to have been in our ancestors also be found in you. I ask God for your strength, determination, and commitment. Keep walking.

9. Rest

Stop walking from time to time. Obey the fourth commandment. Rejoice that you are a creature and not the Creator. Accept his gift of rest with open arms. As you pause, I pray God will restore your soul, that he will speak to the core of your being, and that he will give you strength to get up and walk again.

10. Joy

Finally, I pray for joy for you; for a radical love for God and a daily, intimate connection with him. May Jesus be your shepherd and friend. May the Holy Spirit empower you and counsel you. May abundant life be yours. Right now. And forever. May you breathe in God and radiate out the peace, power, and purpose of a God intent on defeating every evil and winning the whole world.

Amen.

Beyond Business Ethics

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  Matthew 19:21


I am often told, "I'm a Christian and operate my business ethically. I'm fair to my employees, take good care of my customers and do not cheat on my taxes; why do I still need to take the Biblical Entrepreneurship course?" What else do people who are already running their businesses in a biblical manner need to learn about doing business God's way?

In the gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke, there is a story of a rich young ruler who approaches Jesus to request what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus' response to him is that he must keep the commandments; he must not murder, he must not commit adultery, he must not steal, he must not bear false witness, he must honor his mother and father, and he must love his neighbor as himself. The young ruler's response to Jesus was that he has kept all these commandments from his youth. He wanted Jesus to let him know what else he lacked. Jesus tells him to sell what he has and give to the poor; by so doing he would store up treasures in heaven, and then to follow Him. But the young man, after hearing those words from Jesus, becomes sad and walks away because he is very rich.

The young ruler had been ethical based on the standards of his time. However, that was not good enough for Jesus because in the kingdom we must move beyond ethics to righteousness. Ethics is defined as the principles relating to right and wrong conduct or morality. Ethics limits itself to right and wrong based on societal standards or the acceptable standard by the majority, while righteousness focuses on being right with God. Righteousness is a lifestyle based on God's acceptable standards alone. Righteousness has no bearing on the acceptable practices of man; rather, it seeks to draw us closer to becoming like God. Like the rich young ruler, many of us have limited ourselves to being ethical rather than seeking righteousness. Here is the difference between ethics and righteousness.

Ethics

• I operate my business based on acceptable moral conduct.

• I seek to be fair to everyone.

• I follow the law of the land and the guidelines of my industry.

• I seek to please others.

• I pay my taxes and give to the poor.

• Man is good and just needs to be guided.

• There can be several ways to get to God; you just have to find the right one for you.

Righteousness

• I operate my business based on God's standard.

• I seek to be just.

• I make sure I obey God's word while adhering to the law of the land.

• I seek to please God.

• I pay my taxes, tithe, and give generously as God directs me.

• I believe man is sinful and needs salvation.

• There is only one way to God - Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, the more ethical a person is, the more difficult it is to get him or her to understand the need for the Savior. Such people believe that if they do all the right things there is no need for a savior. The rich young ruler was willing to do everything for God, except submit to God. What was most precious to him? His possessions. All those who limit themselves to ethics give up everything except that which is most important to them, while those who seek to be righteous turn everything to God and are prepared to follow Him wherever He leads.

Where are you in your spiritual journey? Are you prepared to move beyond ethics and trust God with everything?

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The responsibility of an entrepreneur...

 "In China, an entrepreneur's top responsibility is to keep his own business sound, to fulfill taxation payments, and create jobs. This is also out of a philanthropist heart." -billionaire Guo Jinshu, China

What's this about? Well, evidently Bill Gates and Warren Buffet had a meeting with some of China's richest today to talk about philanthropy...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100929/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_gates_buffett

Personally, I don't think it's either/or, but certainly Mr. Guo has a point.
Other thoughts?
-skye

RCE's Entrepreneur-in-Residence spearheads new venture

Tom Stansbury, RCE Entrepreneur-in-Residence, is spearheading a Kingdom business initiative in a joint venture with Nelson's Food Service Corporation and a residential men's ministry called The Refuge - working with men struggling with alcohol, drug and homeless issues that create barriers to employment.

RCE is making this project our primary domestic initiative, with Tom assisting with capital acquisition, business model development and implementation, and on the ground entrepreneurial support building the Nelson's brand with men from The Refuge in markets throughout Ohio. Men who were once on the street struggling with addictions, homeless, and cast-off, are being transformed into responsible men of God who find healing and are mentored and discipled in a Kingdom business; they will be trained to ultimately operate Nelson's Catering locations much like the Chick-Fil-A model.

We will be expanding this unique catering and fundraising business model throughout the state of Ohio in Phase 1, and if the speed to market strategies prove successful, national opportunities exist to expand into additional states and cities across America.

Embrace Your Privilege

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men.  Philippians 2:5-7


Privilege is defined as a special advantage or immunity not embraced by all, or a right reserved exclusively for a particular person or group. Throughout the history of mankind, there has always been a group of people who were more privileged than others. In many situations there are several individuals who enjoy certain privileges based on their position, their family, or their personal accomplishments. Having groups or individuals who are privileged is not something that was invented by man. Throughout the Bible, we see groups and individuals who enjoy special advantages or rights because of their relationship with God. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came as one who was privileged. He enjoyed special advantages as the only begotten Son of God; being God in the flesh and having all powers under His command. The key to privilege is not the privilege itself but rather how you use the privilege. Jesus did not deny or reject His privilege but used it to fulfill the will of His father. He was not ashamed of it but rather through meekness, called upon His privilege to achieve the mission He was given to accomplish.

There are many believers who find themselves privileged because of the family they are born into, the country they are from, or just by the mere fact that that they have accomplished success in their vocation or business; however, they are ashamed or feel guilty that they are able to enjoy certain privileges or rights that others do not have. Like Jesus Christ, you must not be ashamed of your privilege but rather embrace it and seek the Lord as to how you ought to use that privilege to fulfill His will in the earth realm.

By the grace of God I grew up privileged, the son of a successful business woman and politician. My family enjoyed the privileges of the ruling class of my country. Because of this privilege, I was able to come to the United States and enjoyed a certain education early in my development; I had certain exposure to business and government that the average person does not have. I enjoyed relationships with individuals who inspired me to believe in myself and pursue my dreams. With this privilege came a responsibility; thank God I had a mother who taught us about the responsibility of privilege. Your privilege is not so that you can enjoy the finest things in life, but rather so that you can be of service to others. Coming to Christ brought an eternal dimension to this concept. Every child of God is privileged. The Bible tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ, we are kings and priests and God has given us stewardship over the works of His hands. What a privilege! Someone more powerful then my mother, richer then Bill Gates, and wiser than Einstein, has made us joint heirs with His only begotten Son. He has made us to be kings and priests, meaning that we are little rulers in our own right and can come to Him boldly for spiritual matters. He also placed His resources at our disposal. Wow!

Embrace your privilege and understand the awesome responsibility that comes with it. Do not be ashamed nor feel guilty about it, rather, ask God why He privileged you and how you ought to use that privilege for His glory. Thank God for men and women of God who have historically used their privilege to accomplish God's will in the earth. Should your business become a financial success so that your children and grand children enjoy the privileges I enjoyed, make sure they understand the responsibility of privilege and its eternal implications so they may build upon your legacy to continue to advance the will of God in the earth realm.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

From the Road...

(by Patrice Tsague)
Greetings friends,

It is now around 2 AM Monday morning in Freetown Sierra Leone and I’m standing on my hotel balcony looking at the Pacific Ocean while doing some last minutes phone calls and emails before turning in for our last night here in Freetown. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be used by the Lord to impact nations and advance his kingdom on earth. I had a chance to meet with several people who shared with me the impact that BE and Nehemiah/Bethel Sierra Leone has had in their lives and family in less than 1 year since it has been here in Sierra Leone.

• A young Muslim committed his life to Christ though he is facing persecution from his family he is determine to persevere. During this trip we help him get a short term job so he can earn $130 to pay the balance on his school tuition so he can get he can graduation from College and find a place to stay.

• A young man who serve in the Hotel where we usually stay was scholarship by us to attend the BE classes shared how it changed his mindset concerning doing business and he is now planning on starting his own business so he can one day leave the hotel to run his own business.

• A woman shared with us how since BE her business has expanded she is now planning on taking her first trip to London next week to export her products there

• A young man who in the Timber business shared how he now has the opportunity to work with and learn from a large Timber Company in the US. A dream come true. He never thought it could ever happen to him.

• The highlight for me was when we announce the winner of the business plan competition. A young woman who has no mother and father and has build a Beauty Salon for women hair. She held on to Rod Friesen for at least 5 mns praising God and kept saying thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank Jesus.

Yes, thank Jesus for using all of us to help others build sustainable enterprises to transform their lives, community and nation. We will send you pictures later this week.

I arrived here last week Tuesday with Rod Friesen for their first BE Business Plan Competition and Graduation as well I was ask to teach the first National Men’s Conference hosted by Bethel World Outreach Int’l in Sierra Leone. Our trip has been truly rewarding and fruitful. It was Rod’s first time in Africa and he is looking forward to returning again. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Judge the first business plan competition with 13 students presenting their business plans

a. 1st place was a women Hair Styling and Manicure Salon that employs 4 people with several interns - their prize was an invitation to compete in the Int’l business plan competition in 2011 at NPIM Weekend and visit Dudley Corporation the US leading manufacturer of cosmetic products and beauty care for Africa Americans.

b. 2nd place was an IT company – their prize was $100.00 cash

c. 3rd was a high end Fashion and Apparel company - their prize was $50 cash

2. Conducted the graduation during the Sunday service with 21 graduates

3. We conducted a men’s conference for three days on the topic of “How to fulfill the dominion mandate in your Government, Business and Family .

4. Review the loan package with the local team to prepare them to submit the application for their first initial $10K loan to fund at 5 of the businesses with loan sizes averaging $2000.00 each at 12% interest. Our goal is to have the loan fund operational here by Nov 1st 2010

5. We also brought product with us 3 business opportunities for Nehemiah Sierra Leone and the Biblical Entrepreneur students to consider through one of our US partners Affirm Global. They will be conducting a test market of these products to determine its viability in the local market.

a. An agricultural products to increase crop production

b. A water filter

c. A Solar Powered Night Lamp

6. We reviewed the developments of several projects that have been initiated by US Biblical Entrepreneur and GA Repple Advisor Steve Mc Cain. Mc Cain has already conducted two visit here since we brought him earlier this year and brought several people with him. They working on the following:

a. A timber company

b. Coal mining

c. Electricity

7. We attended a monthly meeting with the Full Gospel Business International of Sierra Leone where we shared our vision for country and they have agreed to partner with Nehemiah Sierra Leone to build kingdom businesses throughout the nation

8. We met with the Executive Secretary of the Agro Business Chamber of Commerce and discuss using biblical Entrepreneurship to train over 500 famers to enhance their business skills and create partnership to grow their businesses.

9. We are leaving today (Monday) to return back to the US but we will make a stop in Ghana to meet with a Pastor in Ghana who want to discuss how to bring BE into Ghana. We will arrive in the US Tuesday afternoon.

Please keep us in your prayers for safe traveling mercies. We look forward to being with you next week at NPIM Weekend. Thank you for your continue sacrifice and support to build kingdom businesses around the world.


Patrice Tsague
Chief Servant Officer
http://www.nehemiahproject.org/

The Birds of the Field

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? Which of you by worrying can add a cubit to his stature?  (Matthew 6:26)

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, man's foundational needs are physiological. These needs - food, drink, and clothing - are the literal requirements for human survival. If they are not met, the human body cannot continue to survive. Although Maslow's hierarchy is incomplete - in that it does not include man's need for God - it does speak to those natural elements that cause man to worry and become anxious. Nothing creates anxiety and worry like the feeling that one will run out of food and natural provision.

This is why Jesus addresses this issue head-on during His Sermon on the Mount. He states in Matthew 6:25, "Therefore I say to you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" As if that were not enough, He continues in verse 26 to challenge us to look at the birds of the air and learn from them.

What can we learn from birds?

Jesus states, "For they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feeds them." Whoa, you mean birds do not work, yet our God feeds them? Now isn't this a violation of God's economic principles of sowing and reaping? The Apostle Paul makes it very clear in II Thessalonians 3:10b, that "If anyone will not work, neither should he eat." God Himself states in Genesis 3:19a "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground."

Why does God give birds preferential treatment? He does not. Jesus is teaching us about a law higher than the law of sowing and reaping--the law of sovereignty. The law of sovereignty is God's complete authority and power over His entire universe. The way laws work is that any law can be overridden by a higher law. For instance, according to the law, it is illegal to drive past a red traffic light. However, if there is a policeman driving his car with his siren on, not only can he pass the red light, but if you are blocking his car, you must move to make way for him.
The law of sowing and reaping states that if a man will not work (sow), he shall not eat (reap). The law of sovereignty, however, states that God has authority and rule over the entire creation, and He will provide for anyone He chooses in any way He chooses. The lesson here is that if God can feed a non-working bird that is not made in His image and likeness, what about you and me, who not only are made in His image and likeness, but also work to bring Him glory?

Why did Jesus use this example? I imagine that He was ministering to people who were worried about their provision, not necessarily because they were not willing to work, but perhaps because they could not find jobs as a result of discrimination towards Jews in a Roman colony.

In their day, just like today, there was possibly limited job availability. Maybe there were people who had jobs, but who were not making enough money to meet their basic needs. As one of my friends puts it, they had more days in the month than they had money. I am sure that there were businessmen in His midst who were unfairly and heavily taxed which impacted their profitability. Some may have been forced to close their businesses, and others may have faced low demand since customers themselves were economically challenged.

The questions the people must have asked Jesus were, "How will we feed ourselves and our families? How will we pay our workers and pay our expenses?" Jesus responded by saying, "Do not worry; do not be anxious; do not take the problem into your own hands. God has not forsaken you; man does not live by bread alone."

To illustrate His point, He pointed to the birds of the air. God, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, the Sustainer of life, the Creator of all things, the Faithful Wonder Himself feeds them.

He,

El Elyon - the Lord most high,

El Shaddai- the God who is sufficient for the needs of His people,

Jehovah Elohim - the Eternal Creator,

El Olam - the Everlasting God,

Jehovah Jireh - the Lord our Provider,

Jehovah Shalom - the Lord our Peace,

Jehovah Shammah - the Lord is present,

Jehovah Rohi - the Lord our Shepherd,

Jehovah Huseemu - the Lord our Maker,

Jehovah Eloheenu - the Lord our Maker,

He cares for them!

Now if God takes care of birds that do not work, what about you and me who are not only created in His image and likeness and whose difficulty is not as a result of slothfulness on our part or even our lack of a desire to work? Will God not take care of us in the midst of circumstances outside our control? Even if our circumstances are due to mistakes on our part, we serve a God who is merciful, kind, gentle, generous, forgiving, and who works all things "together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28.

How are you doing? Have you lost your job? Is revenue down? Are you worried about meeting your needs, meeting payroll, or paying the bills? Follow Jesus' instructions: look at the birds of the air and know that you have more value than they do. My prayer for you is that, "my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19. Think about His goodness in the morning and thank Him for His faithfulness as you lay down at night. He will take care of you.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

What Is Planning?

See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.  (Exodus 25:40) 
Planning is the ability to tap into the mind of God and gather the necessary details on how the vision He gave you will be implemented. It requires you to carefully do your research so you can effectively support and communicate the assumptions you make throughout the plan based upon the revelations that the Lord has given you.

Planning is essential to the success of any business. It is key to not only starting the business but to managing the business as well. Can you imagine Moses building the tabernacle of God without a plan from God, or Jesus fulfilling His purpose on the earth without the blueprints of the Old Testament to make references to and be guided by? Effective management begins with planning, which leads to setting goals. Planning is the most important function in establishing a business. The sad reality is that most entrepreneurs do not bother to plan. The excuse often is time, know-how, or they just feel it is not necessary. No doubt about it, planning is hard work. It involves thinking and thinking is hard work. In essence, planning is solving future problems before they occur, making decisions, speculating on the future (both far and near), setting objectives (long and short range), considering alternatives, and making choices. Planning for the future requires flexibility to cope with the unexpected. You must set timetables and establish priorities; decide on the methods to be used and the people who will be involved. You must analyze the existing situation, formulate and apply targets, logic, and creativity to all details in between. Planning gives purpose and direction to your daily activities. Without it, your activities are aimless and uncoordinated. Whether you are a start-up business or a growing business, if you have not developed a plan or updated you existing plan, it is essential that you do so, not just for your sake, but for the sake of those who are called to co-labor with you.

Keys to successful planning:

1. Seek the Lord for clarity and direction

2. Determine the type of plan and engage your team

3. Clarify your purpose and mission

4. Update your internal and external assessments

5. Develop your strategy or operation plan

6. Update your financial plan based on your new strategy

7. Develop your monitoring systems

Eliminate the excuses, overcome the procrastination, discipline yourself, and write your plan. Just doing it will be a reward in itself.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Help the Business Development Center in Rwanda--with clean hands

Good morning! The training program at the Rwanda Business Development Center is launching August 23, 2010. Our vision is to build a self-sustaining Center in order to help entrepreneurs start and grow hundreds of businesses that employ thousands of people.

 Hand sanitizer from Clean Hands Pure Heart

One way you can partner with us is to purchase hand sanitizer and soap from Clean Hands Pure Heart. They are giving us a generous portion of each product we sell, which will help RCE continue the work we are doing.  Check it out!

heading for Rwanda!

The last few weeks have been non-stop, as John and Jason have been preparing to leave for Rwanda and Hanisha and I doing our best to keep up! It's exciting to see how the Lord has opened the door for us to do entrepreneurship training there.

The first class is on August 23! Check out the new website for the Center in Rwanda: http://www.bdcrwanda.com/. What do you think?

Birthing an Ishmael

by Patrice Tsague

So Sarai said to Abram, "see now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her. And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai." Genesis 16:2


Patrice's last devotional was entitled "Hope Deferred" which many responded very well to. It seems many of us know what it feels like to have our hope deferred, but thank God for Jesus who is our hope. The hope He gives, the world cannot take away!

One of the consequences that occurs during the times when we feel as though our hope is deferred is that we commit adultery with the maid and birth Ishmaels. Ishmael represents the planned, but illegitimate, outcome of impatience.

In Genesis 12, God comes to a business man named Abraham and makes him a promise to take him to an unknown land, full of blessings, make him into a great nation, and bless many through him. Excited about the promise, Abraham obeys the Lord and leaves his country. He takes his wife, a young nephew, his servants and his possessions. Several years later, Abraham, who experienced enormous blessings from the Lord, realizes that should he die, one of his servants would have to take over the family business, since he did not have any children. He goes before the Lord and asks God to bless him with a child who would be heir of his enterprise. God not only promises him a child, but God also promises him a nation.

Unfortunately, God did not act fast enough for Abraham's wife Sarah who, due to a lack of patience, suggested that Abraham conceive a child with her maidservant Hagar, which Abraham did. The result was Ishmael; the planned illegitimate outcome of taking things into their own hands due to a lack of patience. How many of us have files in our offices full of Ishmaels? The problem with birthing Ishmaels is that you will have to live with them. You can make the choice but you cannot choose the consequences. One of my pastors used to say, "Choices are long lasting and life changing". Abraham and Sarah had to live with the consequences of Ishmael, which created family issues over inheritance, and favoritisms; issues that continue today in the Middle East between Palestine and Israel. If you are considering committing adultery with an alluring new idea that promises to take you to your hopes quickly and cause you to easily avoid the trials and tests that you are facing, stop and think about the long-term devastating effect of birthing Ishmael. It will not just affect you, but it will also affect those who will come after you for generations to come.

How do you avoid birthing an Ishmael?


1. Be willing to endure the suffering and humiliation of delayed hopes.


2. Count it all joy and rejoice in your challenges, knowing that this is the will of God concerning you.


3. Embrace the lessons that God wants to teach you during the times of waiting.


4. Do not allow others to lure you into new ideas, no matter how promising they may seem.


5. Count the cost.


6. Trust that God is faithful.


7. Keep your eyes on the prize - Jesus. He is your hope and will never defer His promises.

We relocated to Portland in December of 2009 and joined a local church that was not just committed to marketplace ministry, but demonstrated its commitment with the fact that services were held within a hotel that it owned and operated. The pastor/founder of the ministry, a great friend and author of a book called "Mission Based Entrepreneurship Revolution," had a vision to take this model across the nation and the world.

This past May, five months after we arrived in Oregon, a fire destroyed the sanctuary portion of the hotel where our church met for worship services. Within that same week, due to circumstances beyond the church's control, the hotel facility was sold to a non-Christian company. These circumstances caused many within the congregation to become perplexed. What happened to the dream we had and what would become of our vision?

What makes me proud to be a part of this congregation and the leadership team of this church is the heart of the people. My friend and Senior Pastor of the church boldly declared that we would not quit nor stop, neither would we birth an Ishmael during this difficult period. Instead, we would patiently seek the Lord, regroup, and more than ever, commit ourselves to building a model of a sustainable strategy that funds social justice and educates others around the nation and the world on how to do the same.

It is easy to quit when our hope is deferred. It is even easier to birth an Ishmael, because Ishmaels make us feel as though we have accomplished something. Ishmaels seem to temporarily remove humiliation and disappointment, but they always bring long-term devastating effects that are irreversible. Are you currently flirting with a project or idea that you know is not in line with God's original vision for you? Seek the Lord for the grace to say, "No Lord, not my will but Your will be done."

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Hope Deferred

by Patrice Tsague

Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when desires comes it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

The recent economic crisis of the last two years swept away the hopes of many individuals and kingdom business stewards. Some had plans to make a great impact in the kingdom; some believed God to retire from one career so they could be repurposed into another area of ministry; some planned to get out of debt, give more to the work of the kingdom, and expand their businesses or start new businesses. But the crisis depleted their savings, reduced their income and brought many to the point of bankruptcy. The Bible states that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” The delay of hopes and dreams has caused many to lose their Godfidence and some have even quit.

Hope is an anticipation of a desired future. Hope keeps you going when nothing around you seems to work. Hope is the heartbeat of future dreams and goals. When you have no hope, no matter how realistic your goals or how rewarding the promise may be, you will not have the strength to continue to persevere. You will quit!

What causes our hopes to be deferred? Our hope is deferred when we put our hope in the wrong thing. Whenever our hope is bound by anything tangible, it is at risk of being deferred. We live in a sinful world and no matter how comprehensive our plans, how righteous our walk, or how worthy our goals, they may not always come together the way we envision them. Our hope must always be based on the unchanging nature and character of Jesus Christ.

In Luke chapter 24, Jesus had just been crucified and we find two of His disciples traveling to a village called Emmaus. As they travel, they begin to talk with sadness about what had just occurred in Jerusalem. As they talked, Jesus Himself draws near to them and asks them why they are so sad. They proceed to recap how their leader was condemned to death and crucified when their hope was that He would redeem Israel, but now that hope had been deferred. Jesus rebuked them for their faithlessness, reminded them of the Scriptures, and revealed Himself to them. They were hopeless because they had taken their eyes off Jesus, forgotten the scriptures and were solely focused on their short term loss and immediate desires. Whenever we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on our circumstances, our hope gets deferred.

If we do not properly manage our deferred hopes, we may allow our faith to be shipwrecked or we may begin to lean on our own understanding and “help God out” by creating our own path. That was the case with Abraham and Sarah as they were waiting for the child of promise. They became impatient and began to feel as though they were getting too old. So they made arrangements with their maid for her to carry a child for them. The result was Ishmael. That act has caused problems until this day.

How do you prevent your faith from shipwrecking or birthing an Ishmael when you faith is deferred?

Remember that deferred does not mean denied.


Make sure your hope is based on God’s will for you.


Distinguish between God’s will versus your personal dreams and desires.


Make sure your hope is anchored on your faith in Jesus Christ – Jesus must be your hope.


Know that God will work all things together for your good.


Keep in mind that your timing is not God’s timing.

Rejoice, for such is the will of God concerning you.

Like you, my wife and I have been on a long journey to realize a vision that we believe to be from God, but we did not realize would take this long. We constantly have had to renew our faith and keep our eyes on Jesus so we can persevere. What keeps us encouraged is the joy of seeing the many lives that have been transformed and the kingdom businesses that are creating jobs and resourcing the kingdom due to our obedience. There is also the joy of knowing that we are being used by the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. The struggles help to keep us on our knees, maintain a level of humility, and keep our eyes on Him.

Has your hope been deferred? Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, neither yield to the temptation of creating your own path, nor give up. Rather, endure the suffering that comes with the sense of loss and personal disappointment with joy, knowing that He who began a good work in you shall complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. He will work all things together for your good because you love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The Beloved Community

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. -Acts 4:32

How would you like to be a part of a community where in spite of external persecution, trials and tests, everyone is in one accord with complete integrity, trust and transparency? A community where out of the surplus of trade, the needs of the suffering and vulnerable are met so that essentially none suffers any lack of material provision? This type of community sounds unreal and even impossible to achieve - but not only is it real but very possible. This type of community did exist within the original Christian community; it was how the church began. It was a beloved community led by compassionate and just leadership. It was a community that adhered to the doctrines of scriptures. It was a community that grew in spite of persecution. It had a stable micro economy that self corrected when there was any internal economic issues because it had a clear mission and vision.

So what happened to that beloved community? How did we get so far from where we started? Unfortunately, today's Christians have a reputation for being the poor and needy in society. Even the word "Christian" doesn't equate with integrity anymore since Christian's cheat, lie and steal just like the rest of the world. Unity among us is a slogan, and prosperity is a catch phrase for church growth but has nothing to do with empowering individuals. Stewardship is a gimmick used to increase giving within a local assembly rather than a way to better care for all that God has entrusted us. Individuals give not with a pure heart but as a way to manipulate God into blessing them. As a result, the harsh reality we face is that Christians would rather not do business with other Christians because of perceived mediocre products and services. Also, Christian consumers conclude that being a Christian business means giving discounts and free services to all who call on the name of Jesus. This creates a spirit of entitlement that calls for everything Christian to be free or at a reduced cost.

If we, the disciples of Jesus, are to fulfill the mandate of the great commission, we must renew our commitment to restoring that beloved community. What is a beloved community? It is a redemptive network that unashamedly recognizes Jesus Christ as Lord; adheres to the bible as its governing principles and is committed to establishing the kingdom of God within a micro level that will be so powerful and be such a light that it will influence the macro economy towards a more righteous system of Government and commerce. It is a community that is in the world but not of it. It is a redemptive network that is self sufficient, sustainable, and profitable. A community that is uncompromising in its principles but compassionate in its approach, a community that is the envy of the world. How do we build this community?

There are seven key guiding principles and concepts that are essential to establishing a beloved community:

1. There is one Lord, one Savior, one King, Jesus Christ - Acts 2:36

2. The bible is the basis for all activities with clear rules of engagement  - Acts 2:42, Acts 5:1-11

3. Leadership is called and is held accountable - Acts 1:15-26

4. The Holy Spirit is active and alive - Acts 2:1-4

5. We are all stewards - Acts 4:32

6. Individuals and industries are profitable - Acts 4:34-37

7. We have compassion for the needy and the lost - Acts 3

Are you a part of a beloved community? Let us each commit to joining with others to build these communities throughout the world, beginning with our homes and our churches. Imagine a network of beloved communities throughout the world that is lighting up the world and restoring flavor in a rotten world to ensure that God's redemptive purpose for the world is accomplished.

Through Biblical Entrepreneurship we are committed not just to build kingdom businesses, but to create a community of kingdom business stewards who provide God-honoring services and products in a God-honoring way and are contributing to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. This is our contribution towards the building of the beloved community. We can build kingdom businesses - but unless they become a part of a community whose purpose is to fulfill the mandate of Christ, we have failed in our mission. Join us as we attempt to build that which is impossible without Christ - let us build the beloved community as we wait for Jesus to come. Come soon, Lord Jesus, come.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

The Good Fight

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I Timothy 6:12

Temptation can be great in volatile economic times for individuals and businesses to be distracted from their primary mission or to give up on their assignments altogether. When the forecasts look bleak and there are indicators such as rising unemployment, foreclosures, decreased revenues and net loses - the burning question in many business people's minds is, "Why continue?" Yet it is in times like these that Kingdom businessmen and women must remember that they started their businesses to meet a marketplace need, create a profit and fulfill the Great Commission in the marketplace.

Do you ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?" or "Is there a higher purpose than just making money?" If the focus of your business has become simply to make money, or if your business model is purely transactional, your business could falter. My question to you is this, "Are you involved in the good fight?"

Life is a fight and no matter what you are doing you are fighting - either for something or against something. You have to make sure that you are fighting for the right reasons and against the right enemy. The good fight is a battle against the works of darkness for the soul and destiny of humanity. In the marketplace, this battle is waged through the venue of commerce. Your business must deliver (with passion!) a product or service that meets clear needs in people's lives, or you will not survive tough economic times.

Great battles are won or lost not based on the might of an army, but based on the magnitude of the mission and the selflessness of the army's purpose. If an army goes to war just for the spoils of victory and the satisfaction of destroying an enemy, the soldiers will not remain inspired during the difficult times of the war. If, however, their mission is significant and their cause is greater then themselves, then no matter how difficult the war, they are prepared to die for what they are fighting for and that which gives them a great advantage.

This is a time to reflect on the reasons you entered into business in the first place. Review your purpose and mission and ensure that it is for a cause bigger than yourself, then realign your activities with your purpose and mission.

Those who are engaged in the good fight cannot lose. The fight was already won at Calvary by our Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ. The battle is not ours. It is the Lord's. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

What are you fighting for?

Make sure you are fighting the good fight, then you will have the stamina to make wise business decisions in tough times that will produce profitable physical and eternal dividends.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Entrepreneurship for Artists

Artist Scholarships to Ei Forum
http://www.faithandwork.org/artsei

This April, the Arts Ministry of Redeemer Church, NYC, is highlighting entrepreneurship for artists in collaboration with Redeemer's Entrepreneurship Initiative (Ei), which culminates with the annual Ei Forum, April 16-17. The Arts Ministry is offering several full scholarships to the Ei Forum for artists who are serious about being entrepreneurial about their careers.

Whether pursuing free-lance careers or starting business ventures that support their creative work, all artists are entrepreneurs. The Ei Forum welcomes artists, and in fact has speakers and a special breakout session for artists and arts ventures.

Catch a vision for how gospel-centered entrepreneurial thinking might impact your kingdom creative work by attending the Ei Forum!

To apply for a scholarship, answer the following questions (2-5 sentences for each section, with as much detail as necessary) and email to Luann Jennings, luann@redeemer.com, by April 9. Recipients of scholarships will be notified by April 13. Priority will be given to those who have not been given financial support in the past to attend the Ei Forum. Applicants need not be Redeemer attenders.

What kind of creative work do you do and how is your career going?


What is your training and professional background?


How do are you approaching your work entrepreneurially?


What innovative methods are you using or ideas are you pursuing in your arts career or business?


How can attending the Ei Forum help you implement those methods or ideas?


How does your faith in Christ impact how you are thinking about and pursuing your creative work?

Also please include the following (briefly):

Name, email address, telephone, mailing address
Church affiliation Involvement in church (small group attendance, service, etc.)

Questions? Contact Luann Jennings, luann@redeemer.com or (212) 808-4460 x1343.

Abide in Christ

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

In an earlier devotional we discussed how to be fruitful in the midst of the storm; we stated that being fruitful for a kingdom business means productivity that results in an acceptable net profit margin while manifesting the fruit of the spirit. We also stated that in order to achieve that fruitfulness the first thing that we must do is abide in Christ.

I realize that this is not taught in business school, and it is difficult for some to understand how abiding in Christ can lead to productivity that results in an acceptable net profit margin. Why are unbelievers able to achieve those margins without Christ? A personal relationship with Christ is not necessary to achieve financial gains, but a personal relationship with Christ IS necessary to cultivate and maintain the fruit of the spirit. Those who do not believe in Christ are able to achieve financial gains through proper diligence, good stewardship and sometimes a little cheating. Though this enables them to realize financial gain, they have money without its full benefits. That is a net loss in God's economy.

A relationship with Christ provides the entrepreneur wisdom from above that enables him to create wealth without suffering the side effects that wealth brings. They also have an assurance of eternity and the expectation of the great heavenly rewards given to those who are used by the King to advance His kingdom in the earth. You truly cannot do business God's way if you are not abiding in Jesus. To abide in Christ means to submit your heart and mind to God's word and God's will so that His rule may govern your life in everything you do. To abide in Christ is to wait and rest in Him, to completely turn over your agenda to Jesus, so that He may have complete control over your life and business affairs. How do you abide in Him?

1. Know His Word and will for your life - study the scriptures to know His Word and will for your life; and no matter what circumstances you go through, stand on that Word, confess that word, and do not move from that word.

2. Trust His Word and will for your life - things happen and there are times when cash is tight, expenses are growing, and it is uncertain how you will make it through. In these times, we are tempted to go another way, develop alternatives that may not be in line with what we know to be God's will for us. This is a lack of trust in His Word and will for your life. Stay the course, make adjustments if necessary, but make sure they are in line with His word and will. Trusting the Word is to believe and act based on the Word.

3. Wait on Him - the toughest thing for us as entrepreneurs is to be patient, especially when things are difficult. Patience is needed when things are difficult - not when things are easy. You will be pressured - but do not yield to measures born of impatience because you think it will get you there faster. Simply wait. Completely surrender to God's will, refuse to achieve success or accomplish your objectives at 'whatever the cost' but rather depend solely on God for everything. Do not force your way through, but pray your way through.

4. Rest in Him - completely cast your cares upon Him. Enjoy yourself on the lap of your Father. Become like that little child that is totally comfortable in the hands of her daddy because she is completely assured that her daddy will protect her no matter what - even if it means putting his own life in danger.

Abiding in Christ is not easy. Temptations, trials and tests come in midst of our business journey to cause us to leave that place of submission and rest. You may feel there is no other alternative - but this is the devil's trick to move you into harm's way and make you unprofitable. He does not want you to experience the benefits of Abiding in Christ. These benefits include:


1. Manifesting the fruit of the spirit


2. Provision


3. Peace that passes all understanding


4. Blessings without sorrow

Are you abiding in Him? Remember no matter how great your motives or noble the business, if you do not abide in Him severe consequences will ensue. If you are not abiding in Him, not only will you be robbed of the benefits, but all of your financial gains and all your accomplishments will be empty and meaningless. No matter how much money you make or what you accomplish, you will be cast into the fire and burned because you are a fruitless branch. Know His will and Word for your life - TRUST His will and Word for your life, wait on Him, rest in Him. Be patient - Abide in Him.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Update: The Center for Entrepreneurship Success, Ternopil Ukraine

Our recent trip to Ukraine (March 17-22) went extremely well!! Upon arrival in Kiev, we had the awesome privilege of meeting with Steve Weber the Regional Director of CBN Outreach, responsible for CBN Western Europe. As a result of our meeting, Mr. Weber agreed to host a BE I class in his Kiev studio on June 7th and 8th, which will be taped and offered online through their online video portal throughout Eastern Europe Ukraine. Following this meeting, we traveled to Ternopil to conduct a BE III class (Planning a Kingdom Business) with 52 registered students - our largest BE III class in the history of this program. Students will continue to meet weekly to work on their business plans - the types of businesses include: Accounting, Bakery, Car Repair, Cosmetics, Christian Cafe, Construction, Dental Office, Educational Web Portal, Photo Services, Real Estate, Pizzeria, and WebDesign.

We will return to the Ukraine in June for the Business Plan Competition and to teach BE I at the Embassy of God, Pastor Sunday Adelaja. My trip concluded in Kiev at the Embassy of God where I preached on the topic of "Unity." Here are some pictures from our trip!

--Patrice Tsague, NPIM; RCE Partner

Fruitfulness in the Midst of the Storm

I'm the true vine, and My father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:1-2).


Imagine planting a garden in your backyard with strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries and so on; all these great fruits and vegetables that your family enjoys. However, after spending months watering and caring for them a bad storm appears out of nowhere and destroys all of your hard work. Worst of all, imagine you were a farmer and you depended on these fruits and vegetables to provide for your family and now all of your hard work is destroyed. This makes you wonder whether God truly cares. Is He concerned about your daily needs? If He is, then why would He allow a storm to come and destroy all that you have worked so hard for?

This is how many kingdom business people around the world feel at this time. Many of them worked hard throughout the past several years to build a business that would honor God, meet market needs and expand the kingdom of God. However, the recent economic storm seems to have caused major damage to their business and for some it completely threatens to shut down their entire industry. They wonder whether God can cause them to be fruitful in the midst of the current economic reality. Of course He can. There is no greater time for God to demonstrate His power and sovereignty. Although the world's macro-economy is in jeopardy, this is nevertheless the best time for God's micro-economy to thrive and provide solutions. Unfortunately, because we are in the world we will suffer along with the world the consequences of sin and man's mismanagement of God's resources but it does not have to create permanent damage to us nor destroy us. We can be fruitful in the midst of economic storms.

A kingdom business is fruitful when its productivity results in an acceptable net profit margin while manifesting the fruit of the spirit. Financial gain without spiritual increase (evidenced by the presence of the fruit of the spirit) is a net loss in God's economy no matter how wide the margin of profitability. Though it is acceptable to experience temporary financial net losses as you seek to be fruitful you cannot afford to compromise the fruit of the spirit. That is the difference between a kingdom business and other businesses. Can we profitably steward resources in tough economies without becoming a victim of the works of the flesh? The fruit of the spirit is evidence that we are indeed operating by the spirit and not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16-26). I continue to be convinced that making a profit in business is not difficult - it all depends on how wide the gate is through which you are operating. It becomes difficult when you must operate within the boundaries of kingdom principles - this is the narrow way. As Jesus stated, it is difficult. With man it is impossible for it to be achieved but with God all things are possible (Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 19:23-26).

How do you ensure that you experience fruitfulness through your business during the tough uncertain times?

1. Abide in Christ - The bible clearly states that we must first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness if we want God to provide for us. Abiding in Christ is submitting your heart and mind to God's word and will so that His rule may govern your lives and everything you do. This also ensures that we manifest the fruit of the spirit.

2. Have a clear mission - revisit your mission statement and make sure it is clear and relevant.

3. Be a faithful steward - evaluate your current expenses and make the proper adjustments to demonstrate your contentment, determine your breakeven point and the acceptable margin of profit. It is not how much you make that makes you fruitful but rather how much you do not spend.

4. Be diligent - if you do a scriptural word study on the word diligent you will find that in most bible references the words riches, wealth and success is often preceded by diligence. Diligence is the consistent application of effort towards a single goal with determination.

In spite of the many horror stories about the number of kingdom businesses that have been devastated by the economy, there are equally (if not more) stories about those businesses that are experiencing fruitfulness during this time; some are even having the best year of their business journey. One of those is Bruce Woodard of BSI, a Certified Biblical Entrepreneur who was awarded our Rookie of the Year award in 2009. Bruce recently shared how his business is currently overflowing and he is abundantly blessed to be serving so many people. Another success story is Junior Anderson of Royalty Transportation. He is also a Certified Biblical Entrepreneur who was the winner of the Atlanta BE Business plan competition last year. Junior is experiencing such an increase in demand that he is reviewing his current operation to ensure that his capacity can meet the growing business opportunity without compromising quality.

Where is your business productivity? Can you believe God to make you fruitful? My prayer for you is that your business will become so fruitful that it will draw your unbelieving family, friends and associates to take notice and acknowledge that your God is God and submit their lives to Him.

Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.