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.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
They shall become one flesh
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 1:24).
If you are married and were to die today, would your mate be able to continue the business? Would they know enough about your business affairs to provide leadership for the next steps?
Unfortunately, too many kingdom business stewards operate their businesses apart from their mates. They see the business as theirs alone and the only contribution that the business makes to their marriage is the financial provision it brings to the family. Business can be a great tool that brings couples together and unity in the marriage. It can also be the source of great stress to a marriage and a wedge that drives couples apart. All married kingdom business stewards operate a family business whether their mate is actively involved or not.
Men have historically committed grievous errors in not involving their mates in their business affairs, and many women entrepreneurs are modeling those same bad behaviors today. These errors cannot be blamed on the world. Rather, the responsibility rests with the church in the way it has traditionally taught about headship and dominion. The dominion mandate in Genesis was not given to males alone but given to both the male and the female. "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the seas, over the birds of the air, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Gen 1:26-27
When the bible refers to the original man that was made in the image and likeness of God it is not referring to the gender male but rather to the species of man. The species man combines both the male and the female. This is the reason that when God wanted to provide man with a companion, He did not create another being - but rather He did surgery on the man to separate the female gender from the male gender. Notice that after the surgery, Adam rejoiced and affirmed his new companion and declared that together they shall become one flesh. This enabled them to operate in the original order, with two separate bodies but one in soul, mind and spirit. The question is then raised about headship - is the male still not the head? Headship has nothing to do with oneness. Headship has to do with order. Just because the male is the head does not mean he cannot operate as one with the female. As a matter of fact, headship within a marriage cannot be effective without oneness in the marriage. If there is headship without oneness then the marriage will be dysfunctional. Headship without oneness leads to stress and can also lead to eventual divorce.
How do you know if you are not operating as one flesh with your mate in business?
1. It is your business and not yours and your spouse's
2. You do not involve them in the major decisions of the business
3. You never have family business meetings
4. You do not see them as an asset in the business
5. You do not embrace their ideas
6. You intentionally keep them out of the loop
7. If you were to die they would not know how to continue or exit the business
How do you walk in oneness?
1. Declare the business as a family business
2. Establish a family advisory board or board of directors with regular meetings (monthly, quarterly, or biannually)
3. Make sure your mate understands the vision and general goals of the business and how it connects to God's plan for your family
4. Do not make any major decisions without involving your mate and make sure you both are in agreement.
5. Stop referring to it as your business but instead, as our business
6. Pray together about the business
7. Seek a business coach to guide you along if necessary
Marriage is one of the greatest institutions that God created; it can be a place of great fulfillment and reward. A dysfunctional marriage however can be worse than a prison. It is better not to marry than to marry and not be committed to enjoying the best that marriage has to offer. Your business can either be a tool that God uses to enhance fulfillment in your marriage or a weapon used by the enemy to further bring division. You must be committed not to give place to the enemy and seek God's wisdom and guidance as to how to walk in oneness with your mate in business. The rewards will not just be fulfillment in the marriage but can also lead to business growth and success.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
If you are married and were to die today, would your mate be able to continue the business? Would they know enough about your business affairs to provide leadership for the next steps?
Unfortunately, too many kingdom business stewards operate their businesses apart from their mates. They see the business as theirs alone and the only contribution that the business makes to their marriage is the financial provision it brings to the family. Business can be a great tool that brings couples together and unity in the marriage. It can also be the source of great stress to a marriage and a wedge that drives couples apart. All married kingdom business stewards operate a family business whether their mate is actively involved or not.
Men have historically committed grievous errors in not involving their mates in their business affairs, and many women entrepreneurs are modeling those same bad behaviors today. These errors cannot be blamed on the world. Rather, the responsibility rests with the church in the way it has traditionally taught about headship and dominion. The dominion mandate in Genesis was not given to males alone but given to both the male and the female. "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the seas, over the birds of the air, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Gen 1:26-27
When the bible refers to the original man that was made in the image and likeness of God it is not referring to the gender male but rather to the species of man. The species man combines both the male and the female. This is the reason that when God wanted to provide man with a companion, He did not create another being - but rather He did surgery on the man to separate the female gender from the male gender. Notice that after the surgery, Adam rejoiced and affirmed his new companion and declared that together they shall become one flesh. This enabled them to operate in the original order, with two separate bodies but one in soul, mind and spirit. The question is then raised about headship - is the male still not the head? Headship has nothing to do with oneness. Headship has to do with order. Just because the male is the head does not mean he cannot operate as one with the female. As a matter of fact, headship within a marriage cannot be effective without oneness in the marriage. If there is headship without oneness then the marriage will be dysfunctional. Headship without oneness leads to stress and can also lead to eventual divorce.
How do you know if you are not operating as one flesh with your mate in business?
1. It is your business and not yours and your spouse's
2. You do not involve them in the major decisions of the business
3. You never have family business meetings
4. You do not see them as an asset in the business
5. You do not embrace their ideas
6. You intentionally keep them out of the loop
7. If you were to die they would not know how to continue or exit the business
How do you walk in oneness?
1. Declare the business as a family business
2. Establish a family advisory board or board of directors with regular meetings (monthly, quarterly, or biannually)
3. Make sure your mate understands the vision and general goals of the business and how it connects to God's plan for your family
4. Do not make any major decisions without involving your mate and make sure you both are in agreement.
5. Stop referring to it as your business but instead, as our business
6. Pray together about the business
7. Seek a business coach to guide you along if necessary
Marriage is one of the greatest institutions that God created; it can be a place of great fulfillment and reward. A dysfunctional marriage however can be worse than a prison. It is better not to marry than to marry and not be committed to enjoying the best that marriage has to offer. Your business can either be a tool that God uses to enhance fulfillment in your marriage or a weapon used by the enemy to further bring division. You must be committed not to give place to the enemy and seek God's wisdom and guidance as to how to walk in oneness with your mate in business. The rewards will not just be fulfillment in the marriage but can also lead to business growth and success.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Taking Dominion Through Business
by Patrice Tsague
Then God blessed them, and God said to them. Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. (Genesis 1:28)
It is clear by the reading of scripture that God gave man dominion over the works of His hands. This dominion is not just limited to Christians, but given to all men. Christians however have a unique opportunity based on the fact that they have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to exercise that dominion as an act of obedience to God and in a manner that glorifies Him. What is dominion? Dominion is a divine legal right and power given to man over the works of God's hands (Psalm 8:6). There are three institutions that God has ordained through which man can exercise dominion in the earthly realm:
1. The Family
2. Business
3. Government
Business is a tool to exercise dominion in the marketplace. Unfortunately, many kingdom entrepreneurs struggle to exercise dominion in the market place - therefore they are not able to have the type of influence that God desires for them to have in society. As Christians, we are called to be salt and light but our influence is limited if we are not walking in dominion through our businesses. There are four stages of growth that is essential for us to have dominion through our businesses. However, these stages cannot be accomplished if we are not walking in divine blessings. This is the reason that BEFORE God instructed man to have dominion, He blessed man. Divine blessing is walking in the favor of God. It is a release of power, protection and grace from heaven to enable us to accomplish our earthly assignment. Without it, nothing you do will be successful, nor will it bring glory and honor to God.
How to take dominion through your business?
1. Be fruitful - dominion begins with fruitfulness, which is the ability for the business to be profitable. You will never take dominion through business if your business is not profitable since profitability enables you to not only remain in business but to generate the necessary resources to expand the business.
2. Multiply - to multiply means to expand. Once you are profitable then you must find ways to expand the business to serve more people. Serving more people provides you with the opportunity to increase your profitability which enables you to generate more resources for greater impact and influence.
3. Fill the earth - to fill the earth means to have a global vision. Do not limit yourself only to the community where you started your business but consider other cities, states and even countries. Remember that as Great Commission companies you are called to "go into all the earth."
4. Subdue - this is final stage of dominion which means to conquer. Establish your business as a clear leader in your industry or in the places where you are doing business. Without this last phase your influence will be short lived and have limited impact.
There are many examples of kingdom companies that have clearly taken dominion in the marketplace - though we do not have nearly enough. Many are striving such as Chick Fil-A, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Cyrus Hall McCormick Sr., Timothy Plan, CMC Group, GA Repple and Company and others. You could be the next one.
How is your business? What phase are you in as you seek to exercise dominion in the marketplace? Remember, you have power, protection and grace from heaven to accomplish your earthly assignment.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Then God blessed them, and God said to them. Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. (Genesis 1:28)
It is clear by the reading of scripture that God gave man dominion over the works of His hands. This dominion is not just limited to Christians, but given to all men. Christians however have a unique opportunity based on the fact that they have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to exercise that dominion as an act of obedience to God and in a manner that glorifies Him. What is dominion? Dominion is a divine legal right and power given to man over the works of God's hands (Psalm 8:6). There are three institutions that God has ordained through which man can exercise dominion in the earthly realm:
1. The Family
2. Business
3. Government
Business is a tool to exercise dominion in the marketplace. Unfortunately, many kingdom entrepreneurs struggle to exercise dominion in the market place - therefore they are not able to have the type of influence that God desires for them to have in society. As Christians, we are called to be salt and light but our influence is limited if we are not walking in dominion through our businesses. There are four stages of growth that is essential for us to have dominion through our businesses. However, these stages cannot be accomplished if we are not walking in divine blessings. This is the reason that BEFORE God instructed man to have dominion, He blessed man. Divine blessing is walking in the favor of God. It is a release of power, protection and grace from heaven to enable us to accomplish our earthly assignment. Without it, nothing you do will be successful, nor will it bring glory and honor to God.
How to take dominion through your business?
1. Be fruitful - dominion begins with fruitfulness, which is the ability for the business to be profitable. You will never take dominion through business if your business is not profitable since profitability enables you to not only remain in business but to generate the necessary resources to expand the business.
2. Multiply - to multiply means to expand. Once you are profitable then you must find ways to expand the business to serve more people. Serving more people provides you with the opportunity to increase your profitability which enables you to generate more resources for greater impact and influence.
3. Fill the earth - to fill the earth means to have a global vision. Do not limit yourself only to the community where you started your business but consider other cities, states and even countries. Remember that as Great Commission companies you are called to "go into all the earth."
4. Subdue - this is final stage of dominion which means to conquer. Establish your business as a clear leader in your industry or in the places where you are doing business. Without this last phase your influence will be short lived and have limited impact.
There are many examples of kingdom companies that have clearly taken dominion in the marketplace - though we do not have nearly enough. Many are striving such as Chick Fil-A, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Cyrus Hall McCormick Sr., Timothy Plan, CMC Group, GA Repple and Company and others. You could be the next one.
How is your business? What phase are you in as you seek to exercise dominion in the marketplace? Remember, you have power, protection and grace from heaven to accomplish your earthly assignment.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Monday, March 1, 2010
And the second is like it: 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself'.
-Matthew 22:39
I know what you are thinking, a business devotional on loving self? Is not that part of the problem? Don't we love ourselves enough? Should we not be focusing on loving others?
To love yourself is not a self centered admiration and focus on oneself at the expense of others. Rather, it is an appreciation for who God created you to be, with desire to express that same appreciation to others. It is a love born out of your love for the Lord. It is an appreciation for who you are in Christ.
The scripture did not say love your neighbor as you love God, but rather after instructing us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all of our soul and with all our mind it then tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Why is it necessary to love our neighbor as we love ourselves? The assumption made here is that we naturally love ourselves; it is easy to measure our love for ourselves and then extend that to others. What if we do not love ourselves, what are the consequences? If we do not love ourselves then we cannot love others, since the same love we have for ourselves is the love we extend to others.
How do you know if you do not love yourself?
1. You exemplify false humility
2. You constantly use self-deprecating comments about yourself
3. You allow yourself to be abused by others
4. You don't see yourself deserving of anything good
5. You are quick to condemn yourself
6. You reject what God says about you
7. You do not love others
If this is the case then we can logically conclude that if we love God but struggle to love others it means that we do not love ourselves, because we cannot give to others what we ourselves have not yet received. You cannot give what you do not have. Giving what you do not have leads to eventual self-destruction.
If you have ever been on an airplane and listened to the instructions before takeoff, you are always instructed that in case of emergency you must first secure yourself before securing anyone else, including children. This is so that you are able to live long enough to help others - if you are severely hurt or dead you are no good to anyone. The trials of life are like airline crashes - unless you are secure in your own journey you are in no position to be of service to others.
Why then is it that many God-loving Christians do the exact opposite and crash? They confuse loving yourself with serving yourself. Just because I love myself first does not mean I serve myself first nor does it mean I put my interest before others. Rather it means I do not serve you or put your interest first (at my detriment) because that would not be love. Loving myself allows me to continuously love others unconditionally, without requiring anything in return for that love, since the love I give you is out of the abundance of the love I have. If, then, the love I give you is out of the abundance of the love I have for myself, it does not take anything away from me but rather it gives me great fulfillment.
How do I love myself?
1. Love God
2. Accept the way God created me unconditionally
3. Forgive my shortcomings
4. Take responsibility for myself and the things God has given me stewardship over
Do you see yourself in the image and likeness of God? Commit to loving your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
-Matthew 22:39
I know what you are thinking, a business devotional on loving self? Is not that part of the problem? Don't we love ourselves enough? Should we not be focusing on loving others?
To love yourself is not a self centered admiration and focus on oneself at the expense of others. Rather, it is an appreciation for who God created you to be, with desire to express that same appreciation to others. It is a love born out of your love for the Lord. It is an appreciation for who you are in Christ.
The scripture did not say love your neighbor as you love God, but rather after instructing us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all of our soul and with all our mind it then tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Why is it necessary to love our neighbor as we love ourselves? The assumption made here is that we naturally love ourselves; it is easy to measure our love for ourselves and then extend that to others. What if we do not love ourselves, what are the consequences? If we do not love ourselves then we cannot love others, since the same love we have for ourselves is the love we extend to others.
How do you know if you do not love yourself?
1. You exemplify false humility
2. You constantly use self-deprecating comments about yourself
3. You allow yourself to be abused by others
4. You don't see yourself deserving of anything good
5. You are quick to condemn yourself
6. You reject what God says about you
7. You do not love others
If this is the case then we can logically conclude that if we love God but struggle to love others it means that we do not love ourselves, because we cannot give to others what we ourselves have not yet received. You cannot give what you do not have. Giving what you do not have leads to eventual self-destruction.
If you have ever been on an airplane and listened to the instructions before takeoff, you are always instructed that in case of emergency you must first secure yourself before securing anyone else, including children. This is so that you are able to live long enough to help others - if you are severely hurt or dead you are no good to anyone. The trials of life are like airline crashes - unless you are secure in your own journey you are in no position to be of service to others.
Why then is it that many God-loving Christians do the exact opposite and crash? They confuse loving yourself with serving yourself. Just because I love myself first does not mean I serve myself first nor does it mean I put my interest before others. Rather it means I do not serve you or put your interest first (at my detriment) because that would not be love. Loving myself allows me to continuously love others unconditionally, without requiring anything in return for that love, since the love I give you is out of the abundance of the love I have. If, then, the love I give you is out of the abundance of the love I have for myself, it does not take anything away from me but rather it gives me great fulfillment.
How do I love myself?
1. Love God
2. Accept the way God created me unconditionally
3. Forgive my shortcomings
4. Take responsibility for myself and the things God has given me stewardship over
Do you see yourself in the image and likeness of God? Commit to loving your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Unity
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
Unity is one of the most widely used yet least applied or understood words in the body of Christ. Most people do not understand its true meaning let alone how important it is. Without unity, God cannot command a blessing. Without unity the world will not know that Jesus was sent and without unity there cannot be real marketplace transformation.
A pastor friend of mine commented on a difference he recently noticed between the business world and the body of Christ. While business people will argue over contracts and terms, at the end of the day it's never personal - just business. Leaving the table as friends, they grab a cup of coffee together.
Sadly, this is most often not the case within the body of Christ. Sometimes, we leave the church or quit a ministry because of petty disagreements. In the worst case scenario, churches split - simply because our love for Jesus and one another is not as compelling as the business man's love for money.
It is sad that we bring this spirit of petty divisiveness with us from the church into the marketplace. When will our love for the Lord and each other be greater than our disagreements?
Unity is an unbroken chain forged from our love for Christ and an unconditional love towards one another. If the goal of kingdom business is truly to fulfill the Great Commission, then it cannot be realized without unity. The Great Commission won't be realized by building a big business, amassing more money or garnering political influence. The world has all that. If big business, more money and political influence are evidence of godliness, then Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump are on their way to heaven. These factors are not the keys to our success. They are important but not the most essential elements. Without unity, they are empty and meaningless; they make us kings of our own castle but do not necessarily bring us closer together.
As long as the world sees a divided kingdom they will not know that the Gospel we preach is any different than great philosophies, or other religions. That is why Jesus prayed in John 17:20-22 that the Father will make us one just as He and the Father are one so the world will know that He was sent. This is the key to the Great Commission and marketplace transformation; if the world does not believe that Jesus was sent they will not believe that He is the Son of God. When you look at the transformation happening in the book of Acts it was due, in part, to the oneness of the early church (Acts 2:1, 44, Acts 4:32). What has happened to that oneness? Why do we pursue power, money and influence at the expense of the very thing that can bring the sinner to repentance?
We are all guilty and I'm the chief of them. We forsake basic relationships to get 'more.' We will not work together because we are 'different.' Some have even left spouses when ministry called because those spouses were perceived as a hindrance to God's work. Do we really believe that God is blessing our hypocrisy? Jesus himself said that before you give Me any gifts, you must first be reconciled with your brother (Matthew 5:23).
If we truly desire to see God transform the marketplace, we must be committed to the oneness Jesus prayed for. We must fully allow our love for Christ and our unconditional love for each other to create that unbroken chain that will bind us together.
How do we create this unity?
1. Repent for our lack of unity
2. Cultivate our personal relationship with Jesus
3. Confess our sins one to another
4. Forgive one another
5. Stop competing with and complete one another
6. Lay down our lives for each other
7. Wash each other's feet (serve one another)
Who are you holding a grudge against? Has business brought division between you and your mate? Who are you competing with? Whose success have you not celebrated? Whom have you withheld help from due to envy, jealousy or judgment? It is the desire of our King that we be one - so commit to walking in unity and confront your attitude toward your brother or sister so you may enjoy the blessing that He will command. Those around you will know that He was sent by the Father to save us from our sins.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Unity is one of the most widely used yet least applied or understood words in the body of Christ. Most people do not understand its true meaning let alone how important it is. Without unity, God cannot command a blessing. Without unity the world will not know that Jesus was sent and without unity there cannot be real marketplace transformation.
A pastor friend of mine commented on a difference he recently noticed between the business world and the body of Christ. While business people will argue over contracts and terms, at the end of the day it's never personal - just business. Leaving the table as friends, they grab a cup of coffee together.
Sadly, this is most often not the case within the body of Christ. Sometimes, we leave the church or quit a ministry because of petty disagreements. In the worst case scenario, churches split - simply because our love for Jesus and one another is not as compelling as the business man's love for money.
It is sad that we bring this spirit of petty divisiveness with us from the church into the marketplace. When will our love for the Lord and each other be greater than our disagreements?
Unity is an unbroken chain forged from our love for Christ and an unconditional love towards one another. If the goal of kingdom business is truly to fulfill the Great Commission, then it cannot be realized without unity. The Great Commission won't be realized by building a big business, amassing more money or garnering political influence. The world has all that. If big business, more money and political influence are evidence of godliness, then Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump are on their way to heaven. These factors are not the keys to our success. They are important but not the most essential elements. Without unity, they are empty and meaningless; they make us kings of our own castle but do not necessarily bring us closer together.
As long as the world sees a divided kingdom they will not know that the Gospel we preach is any different than great philosophies, or other religions. That is why Jesus prayed in John 17:20-22 that the Father will make us one just as He and the Father are one so the world will know that He was sent. This is the key to the Great Commission and marketplace transformation; if the world does not believe that Jesus was sent they will not believe that He is the Son of God. When you look at the transformation happening in the book of Acts it was due, in part, to the oneness of the early church (Acts 2:1, 44, Acts 4:32). What has happened to that oneness? Why do we pursue power, money and influence at the expense of the very thing that can bring the sinner to repentance?
We are all guilty and I'm the chief of them. We forsake basic relationships to get 'more.' We will not work together because we are 'different.' Some have even left spouses when ministry called because those spouses were perceived as a hindrance to God's work. Do we really believe that God is blessing our hypocrisy? Jesus himself said that before you give Me any gifts, you must first be reconciled with your brother (Matthew 5:23).
If we truly desire to see God transform the marketplace, we must be committed to the oneness Jesus prayed for. We must fully allow our love for Christ and our unconditional love for each other to create that unbroken chain that will bind us together.
How do we create this unity?
1. Repent for our lack of unity
2. Cultivate our personal relationship with Jesus
3. Confess our sins one to another
4. Forgive one another
5. Stop competing with and complete one another
6. Lay down our lives for each other
7. Wash each other's feet (serve one another)
Who are you holding a grudge against? Has business brought division between you and your mate? Who are you competing with? Whose success have you not celebrated? Whom have you withheld help from due to envy, jealousy or judgment? It is the desire of our King that we be one - so commit to walking in unity and confront your attitude toward your brother or sister so you may enjoy the blessing that He will command. Those around you will know that He was sent by the Father to save us from our sins.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Upcoming Leadership Prayer Luncheon
The next South Hampton Roads Leadership Prayer Luncheon will be held March 15th at noon, in the new fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk. Dr. Carlos Campo, President-elect of Regent University, will speak. Everyone is welcome!
For more information click here
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For more information click here
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Monday, February 15, 2010
Why Sit Here and Die?
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?" II Kings 7:3
A story is told in II Kings of a crisis that fell on the nation of Israel after it was invaded by the King of Syria. This crisis created a famine that was so dire that a woman, out of desperation, ate her own child (II Kings 6:26-29). During this crisis, the prophet Elisha prophesied that God would restore the city, but because of unbelief, the officer of the king did not believe him.
Meanwhile, there were four leprous men who were at the entrance of the city gate, hungry and afraid to enter the city because of the famine. Lepers had a contagious skin disease that made them unclean according to Old Testament regulations. They were isolated from the population until they were healed (usually miraculously) or until they died. The only place these lepers could find food was at the Syrian camp, but they were afraid to go there because they might be killed by the Syrians. They realized that whether they stayed where they were, entered the city, or went where the Syrians were, they would die.
They mustered up their courage and took the path with the most chance for them to survive. They approached the outskirts of the Syrian camp. To their surprise, there was no one there. There was plenty of food and treasure, but no people. The Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and horses; the noise of a great army which caused them to flee. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired the king of the Hittites and the Egyptians to attack them. After eating and getting their share of the treasure, the lepers went to the king of Israel to inform him about what had happened. This led the Israelites to plunder the tents of the Syrians, and the prophecy that was told by Elisha came to pass. The courage of the lepers and their refusal to die prematurely not only saved their lives, but made them heroes and saved the lives of others.
It can be easy to take a defeated posture during a crisis. With decreased revenues, unavailable credit lines, high interest, unemployment and the uncertainty of when all this will end, you may be tempted to throw in the towel. These are times when the entrepreneur should be most alert and ready for action. These are times of great risks and great rewards. Like the lepers, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Do not simply rely on what you see; trust in a God who can do more than you can hope, think, and even imagine. Trust in a God who can part the Red Sea, open blind eyes and raise the dead- a God who is still performing miracles in the life of the believer.
Do not sit there and die! Rather, with great courage, seek the Lord for wisdom and direction, adjust your plan to reflect the reality of the times, and like the lepers, press forward toward the direction where there is provision. Make those phone calls to prospective clients, send out those promotional materials, visit those customers, and call those creditors and vendors. What is the worst thing that could happen? Give it all you've got, and I guarantee you the Lord will meet you more than half-way. Who knows? Your success may lead to God using you to save the lives of others, or at least cause them to turn to the God who saves.
Copyright © 2008 Patrice Tsague
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
A story is told in II Kings of a crisis that fell on the nation of Israel after it was invaded by the King of Syria. This crisis created a famine that was so dire that a woman, out of desperation, ate her own child (II Kings 6:26-29). During this crisis, the prophet Elisha prophesied that God would restore the city, but because of unbelief, the officer of the king did not believe him.
Meanwhile, there were four leprous men who were at the entrance of the city gate, hungry and afraid to enter the city because of the famine. Lepers had a contagious skin disease that made them unclean according to Old Testament regulations. They were isolated from the population until they were healed (usually miraculously) or until they died. The only place these lepers could find food was at the Syrian camp, but they were afraid to go there because they might be killed by the Syrians. They realized that whether they stayed where they were, entered the city, or went where the Syrians were, they would die.
They mustered up their courage and took the path with the most chance for them to survive. They approached the outskirts of the Syrian camp. To their surprise, there was no one there. There was plenty of food and treasure, but no people. The Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and horses; the noise of a great army which caused them to flee. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired the king of the Hittites and the Egyptians to attack them. After eating and getting their share of the treasure, the lepers went to the king of Israel to inform him about what had happened. This led the Israelites to plunder the tents of the Syrians, and the prophecy that was told by Elisha came to pass. The courage of the lepers and their refusal to die prematurely not only saved their lives, but made them heroes and saved the lives of others.
It can be easy to take a defeated posture during a crisis. With decreased revenues, unavailable credit lines, high interest, unemployment and the uncertainty of when all this will end, you may be tempted to throw in the towel. These are times when the entrepreneur should be most alert and ready for action. These are times of great risks and great rewards. Like the lepers, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Do not simply rely on what you see; trust in a God who can do more than you can hope, think, and even imagine. Trust in a God who can part the Red Sea, open blind eyes and raise the dead- a God who is still performing miracles in the life of the believer.
Do not sit there and die! Rather, with great courage, seek the Lord for wisdom and direction, adjust your plan to reflect the reality of the times, and like the lepers, press forward toward the direction where there is provision. Make those phone calls to prospective clients, send out those promotional materials, visit those customers, and call those creditors and vendors. What is the worst thing that could happen? Give it all you've got, and I guarantee you the Lord will meet you more than half-way. Who knows? Your success may lead to God using you to save the lives of others, or at least cause them to turn to the God who saves.
Copyright © 2008 Patrice Tsague
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Created in His Image
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).
Out of all of God's creation, He chose to make us in His own image. What does that really mean? What is the image of God? How can we conform to that image? Walking in the image of God, which is our original nature before sin, is essential to building a successful kingdom business. As kingdom business stewards we are operating as God's representative and must manage His business as He would.*
The image of God is His own reflection; we were made to look and act like Him. There are seven characteristics to God's image:
1. Eternal - God has no beginning or end. He Is, Was, and Is To Come. Like God we become eternal upon receiving salvation. Not that we are immortal but death becomes our passport to eternity.
2. Holy - God is pure. There is no imperfection in Him. He calls us to be Holy as He is Holy. Holiness for us is not the absence of sin but rather it is the presence of a dynamic relationship with a loving Savior whose blood cleanses all of our imperfections.
3. Spirit - God is not a physical being but an existing Spirit. The mistake we tend to make is to limit our existence to our physics, when that is really not who we are. Like God the real us is spirit and we must allow that spirit to be activated and take full control over our physical being. Our physical nature is limited while the spirit man is unlimited.
4. Creator - God is an innovator and industrious. He has the ability to make things. Of all His characteristics entrepreneurs can best relate to this one because we understand the process of creating. Like God, whatever we imagine we can produce. There are no limitations to our creative abilities.
5. Loving - For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son... John 3:16. God's love is what caused him to cover Adam's nakedness and it is what led Him to send His only Son to die on the Cross. Like God, we must be loving and this love must be demonstrated by our compassion for others and our willingness to lay down our lives for others.
6. Savior - Without His saving nature, Adam would not have been redeemed and Jesus would not have been sent. He loves rescue missions because it gives Him the opportunity to be the Savior that He is. We have the opportunity through our business to bring salvation to the lost, saving them from their sins. We have the privilege to provide a safe environment for people to serve and provide for their families, saving them from abuse and tyranny.
7. Just - God's justice causes Him to judge wickedness and chastise those whom He loves. We must not cooperate with wickedness but take every opportunity to challenge it. We must resist the temptation to adopt fairness as a value which is a false attempt to play God and walk in the justice of God even when it is painful knowing that God's justice yields to redemption.
Ultimately, God is an eternal Holy Being who created everything that exists and although sin brought destruction to His creation, His love for us compelled Him to come as a Savior to redeem His creation and bring judgment upon the wicked.
Walking in the image of God is essential to our success as kingdom business stewards since that is God's original and divine order. In order for us to conform to our original nature we must make sure that we have accepted His Son as our Lord and Savior. We must have an active prayer and devotional life and we must challenge ourselves daily to walk in the characteristics of God's image.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
*Introduction:
It is unfortunate that in spite of the revealed truth of the word of God some still foolishly believe in the lie called evolution; that man was a result of chance and evolved from a monkey into a human being.
If that were the case, why is it that monkeys no longer turn into humans? Though I have not yet seen a monkey turn into a human, I have however seen humans turn into monkeys. Only a monkey will believe that he came from a monkey. Man turns into a monkey when he rejects the truth of scripture and does not reflect the image of God His creator. "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God..." (Psalm 14:1a).
*(RCE recognizes that there are sincere believers with various views on this issue--Ed.)
Out of all of God's creation, He chose to make us in His own image. What does that really mean? What is the image of God? How can we conform to that image? Walking in the image of God, which is our original nature before sin, is essential to building a successful kingdom business. As kingdom business stewards we are operating as God's representative and must manage His business as He would.*
The image of God is His own reflection; we were made to look and act like Him. There are seven characteristics to God's image:
1. Eternal - God has no beginning or end. He Is, Was, and Is To Come. Like God we become eternal upon receiving salvation. Not that we are immortal but death becomes our passport to eternity.
2. Holy - God is pure. There is no imperfection in Him. He calls us to be Holy as He is Holy. Holiness for us is not the absence of sin but rather it is the presence of a dynamic relationship with a loving Savior whose blood cleanses all of our imperfections.
3. Spirit - God is not a physical being but an existing Spirit. The mistake we tend to make is to limit our existence to our physics, when that is really not who we are. Like God the real us is spirit and we must allow that spirit to be activated and take full control over our physical being. Our physical nature is limited while the spirit man is unlimited.
4. Creator - God is an innovator and industrious. He has the ability to make things. Of all His characteristics entrepreneurs can best relate to this one because we understand the process of creating. Like God, whatever we imagine we can produce. There are no limitations to our creative abilities.
5. Loving - For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son... John 3:16. God's love is what caused him to cover Adam's nakedness and it is what led Him to send His only Son to die on the Cross. Like God, we must be loving and this love must be demonstrated by our compassion for others and our willingness to lay down our lives for others.
6. Savior - Without His saving nature, Adam would not have been redeemed and Jesus would not have been sent. He loves rescue missions because it gives Him the opportunity to be the Savior that He is. We have the opportunity through our business to bring salvation to the lost, saving them from their sins. We have the privilege to provide a safe environment for people to serve and provide for their families, saving them from abuse and tyranny.
7. Just - God's justice causes Him to judge wickedness and chastise those whom He loves. We must not cooperate with wickedness but take every opportunity to challenge it. We must resist the temptation to adopt fairness as a value which is a false attempt to play God and walk in the justice of God even when it is painful knowing that God's justice yields to redemption.
Ultimately, God is an eternal Holy Being who created everything that exists and although sin brought destruction to His creation, His love for us compelled Him to come as a Savior to redeem His creation and bring judgment upon the wicked.
Walking in the image of God is essential to our success as kingdom business stewards since that is God's original and divine order. In order for us to conform to our original nature we must make sure that we have accepted His Son as our Lord and Savior. We must have an active prayer and devotional life and we must challenge ourselves daily to walk in the characteristics of God's image.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
*Introduction:
It is unfortunate that in spite of the revealed truth of the word of God some still foolishly believe in the lie called evolution; that man was a result of chance and evolved from a monkey into a human being.
If that were the case, why is it that monkeys no longer turn into humans? Though I have not yet seen a monkey turn into a human, I have however seen humans turn into monkeys. Only a monkey will believe that he came from a monkey. Man turns into a monkey when he rejects the truth of scripture and does not reflect the image of God His creator. "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God..." (Psalm 14:1a).
*(RCE recognizes that there are sincere believers with various views on this issue--Ed.)
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