Update from RCE - KENYA

-by Jeremiah Koshal

(Jeremiah is the former Research Fellow for RCE. He and his wife Ruth returned to Kenya in July 2008 after many years of study and work in the US. Jeremiah operates two kingdom businesses and Ruth is a Regional Director for World Vision Africa.)

Though we’ve been back in Kenya for almost four months now, we’re still in the adjusting mode. It is funny to talk of adjusting in your own country, but that’s a fact we cannot pretend to ignore.

When we arrived at the beginning of July, I was upbeat about implementing all the ideas and projects that I thought would help my community and country. First of all, I already had two kingdom businesses that were on-going with two different partners (Alpha International Consultancy and Go Africa Safaris). I was ambitious about starting a fertilizer import project with AgConcepts (a US-base company) that can help reduce the shortage of fertilizer in this country as well as make the fertilizer more affordable to small farmers. I was also to start the process of building an Ecotourism Community Lodge that will help create employment for hundreds of unemployed young people, and generate income for holistic programs (health care, education, environmental conservation, business development, etc.) in the community.

Further, I was planning to start a Regent MBA cluster as well as start teaching Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE), a biblically based business training for people who want to operate their businesses according to Godly principles. I have gone through the Regent MBA program myself and I’m also a certified BE instructor.

I had the enthusiasm, the passion and the drive to do all these things, but I soon realized that I was setting myself for failure, as there was no way I could undertake all of the above projects while trying to readjust to being here at the same time.

Speaking of adjusting, we’ve had to learn a lot since returning, even in our own country. For instance, ninety-percent of the people don’t keep time, and they are not apologetic about it. There are other issues such as scrambling for just about any service, people not being straightforward because they expect kickbacks, etc. But needless to say, there are also myriad great things here; connecting with family and friends is one of those, plus the feeling that God has us here to try and fix what we think is not working well. So we are honored to be back home, but at the same time we are also challenged to roll up our sleeves and do what we can.

I’m focusing on Go Africa Safaris right now, but I’m also strategizing on all the other projects that I’ve mentioned. With God’s help and with your prayers and support, all these projects and many more will come into fruition.

The Two Trees

by Jason Benedict ⋅ originally published in Momentum Magazine on October 23, 2008 ⋅

In my book Eden Inc. I make the case that the Eden narrative sets the precedent for a global enterprise mandate. That the mandate in Gen 1:26 is to extend the rule (or Kingdom) of God to the ends of the earth. I believe the means for the completion of this mandate is enterprise. Within this construct, the Garden of Eden is not some primordial jungle but rather a functioning agricultural enterprise that was given to Adam and Eve to accomplish a global mission.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:26-28 NIV: emphasis mine)

Genesis is a rich book when it comes to developing a theology of enterprise. We find the mandate, means, mission construct mentioned above, but we also see the introduction of satanic influence into God’s system, the resulting fall, and the introduction of a diabolical alternative to God’s intention for enterprise.

As we have discussed, God’s original intention for enterprise (insert “business” if you like) was for it to be an engine for His global purposes. God was in a very real sense the ultimate entrepreneur, and he brings man in as a partner (a regent) in his operation. This partnership was a covenant relationship that involved Adam having a daily consultation with God. God would consult with man who would then implement God’s purposes in the Earth. Out of this relationship of love, trust, reliance, and obedience blessing flowed into Eden and was supposed to flow into the entire Earth. This relationship was shattered by the introduction of sin and a new order or world system. These two competing systems are paralleled in the two trees of the garden.

The Tree of Life is analogous of covenant relationship with God (more on this later), and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Tree of Knowledge for brevity sake) is about the attempted misappropriation of divine prerogatives. The eating of its fruit represents the inauguration of the kingdom of darkness.

[The serpent said] “…when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5 NIV)

That tree was for God alone, and was off limits to man. It is the “me” tree, it is about controlling your own reality, destiny and outcomes. Conversely, The Tree of Life represents listening, trusting, and obeying. The Tree of Knowledge is about independence, being in charge or being _____ enough (Fill in the blank.).

Branches of the Tree of Knowledge are:

• Intellectualism: being smart enough to control destiny
• Perfectionism: being good enough, beautiful enough or perfect enough…
• Witchcraft: using secret knowledge to manipulate outcomes (I couldn’t think of a phrase with enough in it).
  
• Machiavellianism: Trying to be powerful enough to control destiny.
• Materialism: Being rich enough…
• Vain Religion: Being pious enough…

We are constantly confronted with temptations to live our lives out of the Tree of Knowledge. The world system pulls on us like gravity on a swimmer: To be passive is to be sucked under. Go through the list above and think about the pull that these things exert our lives. I know that they pull on me. Just think of the blizzard of advertising we are each exposed to: you note that these themes predominate.

When I reflect on the times in my life when I was trying to go it alone (or simply slipped into going it alone), I have flashbacks of the fear, anguish, worry and strife associated with those times. If I had to do word association I would come up with PRESSURE. When I think about the times in my life when I have been walking in reliance upon God, the word that comes to mind is PEACE.

An Understanding of the Two Trees Applied to Finances

One of the most common ways that this worldly system manifests itself is in the temptation of riches. This is even evident in the terminology we use. We say things like, “He is independently wealthy,” or “I want financial independence.” The sentiments represented by these statements stem from the world system based on the attempted misappropriation of divine prerogatives. The desire for riches is always condemned in scripture.

“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:9,10 NIV

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income…” Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV

“You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 NIV

While the scriptures summarily condemn a wealth motivation, those who desire blessing are commended. Examples are Jabez and Jacob.

"Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request." 1 Chronicles 4:9,10 NIV [emphasis mine].

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Gen 32:24-26 NIV.

To the casual onlooker, blessing and wealth may appear to be essentially the same thing but, there is a marked difference in the motivation behind the two. The concept of riches as we have seen is rooted in independence from God. The concept of blessing is rooted in covenant relationship. For much of my life I thought that if I could just get rich enough I would be able to rest: I could stop worrying and striving to get by, make ends meet, and support my family. I have discovered this kind of thinking is a vain delusion. God does desire for us to be able to rest, but that rest is the rest of relationship and not the rest of riches!

I have always been inspired by the stories of European Jewish families that escaped the Nazi holocaust with little more than their lives: The Third Reich froze their accounts, stole their art, and looted their businesses. Yet many of these families rebuilt their wealth in one generation. Part of the explanation for this is that these families were experts at building human capital, the other part is that though people can steal your goods they cannot steal your blessing. Riches are temporal, but blessing is eternal.

I wish that every Christian family had a strategy to see their passive income surpass their regular expenses. I am just saying that this strategy should be informed and motivated by a desire for covenant blessing and not financial independence.

The principles of covenant blessing are Sunday school simple, yet in their simplicity they somehow elude us:

The blood of Christ has established a new and living way into Relationship with God.
Agree with God and be blessed
Listen to God’s voice and obey.
We are blessed to make us a blessing
God is absolutely unique and everything is ultimately about God.

It is as simple as repent, agree, trust, worship, listen, and obey. It seems to me that many of the Old Testament laws are meant to encourage these basic things. This seems true of the laws governing Old Testament economics: the Sabbath, the Jubilee, tithes and offerings. These laws would seem to have the effect of putting Israel at severe economic disadvantage to their neighbors (competitors).

• You must work one fewer day than your competitors.
• You must tithe 10% of your income rather than reinvest it for growth.
• You cannot accumulate real property much beyond one generation.
• You cannot charge interest to your brethren.

These laws basically give Israel a handicap in all the areas that economists call the factors of production: Land, Labor and Capital. I believe that this is rooted in a supernatural paradigm of covenant blessing that essentially says, “yes these things are handicaps, and they do put us at a competitive disadvantage naturally speaking, but we trust in God and have a covenant with Him and this fact nets us an overwhelming competitive advantage.

Applying this Understanding to the Extension of the Kingdom

Much is being written about Kingdom Business and Business as Misisons these days, and I am excited about this. Nevertheless, we need to make sure that our businesses are realy of the right kingdom. I believe this two trees paradigm is essential to getting our motivations right. As I talk to people that are a part of the Kingdom business movement, I realize that we have some work to do in this area.

From a spiritual warfare perspective we need to make sure we are not ignorant of the enemy’s devices. Missiologists are concerned with animistic syncretism and witchcraft in African, Asian and Latin American Churches, and they should be. Yet, North Americans should be just as concerned about the rampant syncretism in our churches. We have mixed biblical truth with our own brand of materialism and this is just as idolatrous.

It is interesting that in animist, totemistic and polytheistic belief systems there are deities and powers associated with the branches of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In these religions you find false god’s of knowledge, pleasure, materialism, etc. I believe this stems from man’s fallen desire to place his trust in substitutes to a simple relationship with God.

Finally, I think getting this right is key to the Church being able to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

Jason works as a strategist with the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship in Virginia Beach. He serves as a missionary with Calvary International and has written a book on business as mission titled Eden Inc. He is also a contributing editor with Momentum Magazine.

Is God in this Current Crisis?

by Patrice Tsague, RCE Partner

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" 2 Chronicles 16:9a

Declining stock value, foreclosures, bankruptcies, rising unemployment, etc. The current global economic crisis makes you wonder where God is in all of this. Has God abandoned His creation? Is this the end time?

Whether or not these are the end times, the reality is that God is with us. He is looking for His ambassadors to represent him in these times (2 Chronicles 16:9a). He has entrusted the work of His hands to His people. Psalm 8:6 tells us that we have the legal right and authority to take dominion over His creation. In Genesis we learn about a time in biblical history when the world faced an economic crisis worse than this one, but God had prepared a man named Joseph to respond and take authority over the situation (Genesis 41:57).

Where are the Josephs of our times? Unfortunately, today many of God's people are afraid. They are just as anxious over the current crisis as the heathen. In some cases, the world cannot tell the difference between the children of God and non-believers. Many of God's children have bought into an economic worldview that is worldly and secular. They have blended in with the world; they have lost their savor (see Matthew 5:13).

Biblical history shows that God's people in the marketplace can retain a vital role in preserving the earth in times of crisis:

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

2. God creates man in His image and His likeness. (Genesis. 1:26)

3. God gives man dominion over His creation. (Genesis 1:26b-28)

4. Man violates God's command. Sin enters God's creation. (Genesis 3:6)

5. God does not take away the gift of dominion from man. (Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 11:29)

6. Two groups now seek to take dominion over the works of God's hand. (Genesis 4:1-5)

• Those who reject God and continue to walk in disobedience to God.
• Those who have repented of their sin and returned back to God.

7. Man develops an economic system to exercise the gift and responsibility of his dominion
mandate. (Psalm 8, Genesis 41:37 - 41)

• Those who reject God are the ones who
  control the macro economy (the overall
  economic system).
• Those who are obedient to God have the opportunity to develop micro economies (how
  we govern our lives, our homes, our businesses and the industries we are a part of) that model God's intent and influence the macro economy.

The current crisis is the result of the failure of believers to influence the macro economy. God is right here with us. His purposes will be done through us, His people, as we reject fear and know that we are here, even in turbulent times, to advance His kingdom.

Spend some time this week renewing your mind to the scriptures that promise God's establishment of your work and well-being, even during crises. Related Scriptures: Psalm 33: 18-19; II Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 13:5.

Patrice Tsague is the founder of Nehemiah Project International Ministries (NPIM)

Spiritual Convergence

Kingdom Business Blog – October 17th 2008

Update for The Africa Project: Regent Center for Entrepreneurship’s Tom Stansbury visited Opportunity International’s Board of Governors’ meeting in Chicago earlier this month. RCE has begun partnering with Os Hillman of MarketplaceLeaders.org, who sends 160,000 Marketplace Meditations each day to Christians in business worldwide. Dr. John Mulford and Tom Stansbury will be in Dallas October 18th to the 28th networking with Kingdom business leaders and holding an RCE Roundtable event on the 27th. If you are interested in attending, or feel called to give to the Africa Project, contact Skye at the RCE office (rce@regent.edu).

Spiritual Convergence

The Miriam-Webster definition of ‘Converge’ is:
1 : to tend or move toward one point or one another : come together : meet <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meet>
2 : to come together and unite in a common interest or focus

I am amazed at how God moves when what is often referred to as ‘convergence’ happens in a Kingdom leader’s life. When our calling in God; our gifts, abilities, and talents; our past experiences (good and bad); AND an outpouring of the Holy Spirit is released in and through us—when all this ‘comes together and unites’ all at the same time, it’s spiritual convergance. It often happens when we go through a season of difficulty or suffering, sometimes paying the consequences of our own mistakes. It can happen even when we are at the most difficult time it seems ever in our lives. As John Madden would say during a football game, ‘BOOM! – It happens!’ When it seems all is lost and we are just about ready to give up, something breaks in the Spirit, circumstances suddenly change, and victory is achieved!

Did you ever see Band of Brothers? It’s the HBO series based on a story of a group of soldiers in World War 2. There is a point in the war that their group is faced with the most difficult circumstances ever – cold snowy conditions, no food or blankets, the enemy is pounding them to a pulp. After a long series of battles already under their belt they are faced with the darkest and deepest depression probably they ever had faced in their lives – ‘It happens.’ There is a scene in the series when, at the darkest moment, a small victory becomes a ‘turning point’ and all of a sudden the enemy begins to flee. The sky clears. Within a few short hours the Band of Brothers are on their way through Berlin to the Eagles Nest where Hitler had a mountain top villa. They even find themselves drinking some of the finest wines in Europe with probably the deepest sense of fulfillment and wonder how events suddenly turned in their favor – just at the time when all seemed lost.

I am sure the Apostles felt the same way when in the beginning of the book of Acts Jesus tells them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit – that they would receive all power to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Here is a ‘Band of Brothers’ who have just been beaten down, their leader killed and all their hopes dashed. Fear had set in and many of them probably felt they had failed miserably. It was, perhaps, the darkest moment in their lives. “Boom – It happens,’ and God intervenes. Convergence happens.

These rag tag apparent ‘losers’ suddenly see thousands of Jews repent and give their lives to Christ after the Holy Spirit falls on them; Peter gets up and now has the courage to stand up and answer the call of God on his life, walking in a new dimension of faith, in a place of victory. It had been days and weeks since he had denied Christ three times and his ‘world’ had come crashing down – now he is boldly proclaiming the Gospel of how Jesus rose from the dead. As this Convergence unfolds, there are a series of divine appointments that ultimately lead to the Gospel going to the ends of the earth, and the future of the entire world is changed forever – by a group of 12 ordinary men who were willing to ‘lose their life in order to gain it.’

This season of uncertainty today in our country – for many of us - is ‘such a time as this,’ as the financial markets are in turmoil and many have lost much of their life savings – some even their livelihood. For many, fear has set in and the worldly system of relying on an ever-increasing debt load to sustain not only our individual lives, but even the entire US economy, appears to be unraveling, unsustainable. Yes, for many, this is a difficult season and a time of turmoil – but let me encourage you, it is not a time to allow fear to set in and go on the defensive. This is a time to go on the offensive and win that small battle in your life, find the ‘turning point’ that will lead to a ‘Boom - It happens’ experience. You begin to walk in a new dimension of faith with divine appointments occurring each day. You deeply know in your gut there is a ‘God in Heaven who sits on the throne and all is well.’

Over the course of the past few years, Spiritual Convergence has begun to happen for me in my own life and walk with the Lord. I overcame some dark moments, hit a ‘turning point’ and have been launched on a great adventure of faith that literally had changed me to the core of my being, knowing how intricately involved the Lord is in my life.

This partnership with RCE and ICCC in The Africa Project and the ICCC Global Trade Center, I believe, is part of a move of the Holy Spirit in the global marketplace central to the Kingdom Business Movement worldwide. I am so grateful that God has allowed me to be a ‘herald’ of this adventure in the marketplace.

As the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Regent’s Center for Entrepreneurship, I am asking each of you to join us on this great adventure of faith. We are on an adventure in God – and through this Kingdom Business Blog I hope to take you on this journey of faith together with us and the team – a ‘Band of Brothers (and sisters – no gender bias here!).’ My heart is that you will begin to see Spiritual Convergence happen in your life as it has happened in my life – and in the lives of those connected to this Kingdom Business Movement we are all called to participate in. I know in my deepest heart of hearts the course of history is being changed.

Strength and Honor,
Tom Stansbury

The Africa Project

Here at RCE we have embarked on a Great Adventure we are inviting all of our Founders, Friends, and Regent Alumni to join with us!

This Great Adventure is the heart of Kingdom Business – transforming lives and nations through business – beginning on the continent of Africa!

Dale Neill, President of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), has invited Dr. John Mulford and the RCE Team to partner in a Great Commission venture. We’ll be creating Business Development Centers in the nations of Burundi, Rwanda, Benin, and Liberia, in association with the ICCC Global Trade Center based in Jerusalem.

Dale and Dr. John Mulford, RCE Director and former Dean of Regent’s Graduate School of Business, traveled to Africa in August to lay the groundwork for what we are calling "The Africa Project”: establishing Business Development Centers that will create profitable and sustainable SME’s that we believe will create jobs and a groundswell of Kingdom impact, beginning in January with the nation of Burundi – one of the poorest nations on planet Earth.

The Presidents of these four nations are Christians who have asked ICCC and Regent University to partner together to train emerging entrepreneurs in each of their respective nations. The goal? To establish thousands of businesses that we believe will not only lead to the transformation of these nations through business, but which will provide access to the other 49 (or 50, depending on your source) nations on the continent of Africa.

We begin in January 2009 in the nation of Burundi, intent on training entrepreneurs to plan and launch 1,000 small to medium-sized businesses over the next 5 years. In April of 2009, we start a 15-week course that will take the first group of Burundi students through the process of identifying a business idea, learning the functional areas of starting a business, and then provide coaching through the start-up and launch phase.

As you know, Africa has been the recipient of foreign aid for decades – a continent rich in natural resources that has benefitted little from foreign aid. Our purpose is to use ‘trade,’ not ‘aid,’ to literally transform these nations as well as the entire continent – teaching people to fish, ‘to feed them for a lifetime,’ not just a day.

Regent’s theme is ‘Christian leadership to change the world’ and we believe The Africa Project is an amazing opportunity given us by God to make a difference by going in with resources and depositing an entrepreneurial spirit that will help lift these nations from poverty and civil war to be a blessing to other nations – even Israel (more on that aspect later). God has placed Christians in top leadership positions in these four nations – leading their countries at a time of literally rebuilding their nations from nothing – and we have this window of opportunity to actually transform lives and nations through business as never before.

In order to capture this opportunity we need your help!
Time, Treasure, and Talent – these are the resources God has given you, and it is our desire to channel your gifts and resources through The Africa Project.
RCE needs to raise $200,000 by December 31st, 2008 in order to get on the ground in January. We are asking everyone we know to participate in at least 1 of these areas. When was the last time you had a chance to partner in the transformation of 4 nations that has the prospect of transforming an entire continent?
I just returned from Ukraine where I served in a Kingdom Business venture. For the past 3 months I was a Strategic Business Consultant with one of the largest financial institutions in the nation, helping to create a nationally-branded company in the real estate sector. Over the course of the past year, RCE has launched a business development center in Ternopil, Ukraine – there we have taught Biblical Entrepreneurship and now have emerging entrepreneurs in the process of writing business plans; we will be holding a Business Plan Competition in November of this year.

This experience has given us ‘on the ground’ competencies in launching Business Development Centers we hope can be replicated around the world. ICCC is in over 100 nations, and we believe The Africa Project will not only impact the continent, but also provide a Kingdom business replication model that can be launched world-wide.
As we embark on this Great Adventure, the RCE Team is inviting each and every person who reads this to partner with us in this huge Kingdom Business effort – because if all of us join together with what God is doing on the earth today, we can impact an entire nation – even an entire continent, if we do it ‘AS ONE’ (remember Gladiator?).

I will be keeping you posted on developments each week as we take this step of faith. Be in prayer, as the week of September 29th I am in Atlanta to meet with Os Hillman from Marketplaceleaders.org, along with Dale Neill, regarding The Africa Project. Later in the week I will be attending the Board of Governor’s Meeting in Chicago for Opportunity International as well.

Next week, on October 8th, we will be holding an RCE Executive Roundtable at Regent University where Dr. Mulford and I will be laying out more details of this incredible opportunity – you are invited, so please join us!
For the King and His Kingdom,

Tom Stansbury, MBA
Entrepreneur-In-Residence

Read introduction letter from Dr. John Mulford, Director of the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship

The Heart of a Servant

by Patrice Tsague, RCE Partner

But thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. I Samuel 13:14

In I Samuel chapter 13 we learn about God's rejection of King Saul, the first king of Israel. King Saul had only reigned for one year and in his second year he found himself in the midst of war against the Philistines. Because he was afraid of losing the battle, he became impatient and took it upon himself to make sacrifices to God instead of following the instructions of the Prophet Samuel, which would have required him to wait for Samuel to arrive.

Saul's actions demonstrated a lack of faith in God's sovereignty and he violated the division of labor. Although he was king, only the priests were permitted to conduct the sacrifices to God. As a result, king Saul's actions had great consequences:

1. His kingdom would not reign forever
2. His son could not inherit the kingdom
3. Jesus Christ would not come through his lineage

When God's servants act in disobedience the consequences are both temporal and eternal. The consequences of their disobedience not only affect them but generations after them. God is after our heart not our actions. He said to obey is better than to sacrifice. David, the second king of Israel, committed a more grievous sin; he committed adultery with a married woman and killed her husband to conceal his sin but his heart never turned against God. Once he was confronted by the prophet Nathan he quickly repented.

Where is your heart? Are you a man or woman after God's own heart? As Biblical Entrepreneurs we are called to have the heart of a servant. The heart is the inner self that thinks, feels and decides. It is the central part of a person. It is the part of our being that experiences emotions such as love and hate. Every victory and failure that we experience begins in our heart. That is why the Bible says as a man thinketh in his heart so is he and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Saul's problem was a heart problem; even when confronted by the prophet he did not repent but stubbornly continued on the path of disobedience and pride.

God wants us to be sensitive to His Spirit and His will at all times. We must resist pride and always be quick to repent when we find ourselves in violation of God's will. Developing the heart of a servant is the key to our success in the marketplace; it enables us to be led by God's Spirit and to put the needs of our customers and employees before our own. Like David, we will make mistakes but will we quickly repent once confronted by God or will we choose the ways of Saul?

God does not expect perfection but He does expect righteousness; a righteousness that is of God and not based on our own standards, a righteousness that relies solely on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. A righteousness that recognizes that though we are imperfect, through the shed blood of Christ we are made perfect before God and that the only way to maintain that perfection is to stay in Christ.

Supporting development in Mongolia

The work ADRA * is doing in Mongolia is exciting, including a business component, and I wanted to share it here. Not quite kingdom business, at least not explicitly, but certainly kingdom work. Enjoy!

*The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) was initiated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The basis for its existence, its reason for being, is to follow Christ’s example by being a voice for, serving, and partnering with those in need.

ADRA seeks to identify and address social injustice and deprivation in developing countries. The agency’s work seeks to improve the quality of life of those in need. ADRA invests in the potential of these individuals through community development initiatives targeting Food Security, Economic Development, Primary Health and Basic Education. ADRA’s emergency management initiatives provide aid to disaster survivors.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency Canada (ADRA Canada) is an independent humanitarian agency established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church whose mission is to empower the poor around the world and in Canada with the resources, skills and opportunities to live a better life with dignity and hope. Our vision is to achieve a world without poverty.

You are the light of the world..

by Patrice Tsague, RCE Partner

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

Imagine you wake up during the night and there is no light in your house because of a storm which knocked the electricity out. You open your curtains hoping that the light outside the window will light up the house but there is no light on the outside either. The entire neighborhood has no light. The storm was unexpected and no one was prepared. No candles, no lamps, no flash lights.

One by one, your neighbors begin to get up and notice the same thing, they begin to worry. It is dark, damp and no one has a light. The entire neighborhood is concerned and scared. Without light people cannot see where they are going, the elderly, the children and the handicapped are at risk of hurting themselves. Without light thieves can easily break into houses and stores because no one will notice them.

Imagine that this lasts for days, weeks, months and years. Of course overtime people will develop alternatives to illuminate the night until the real light comes back but no matter how great the alternative, it will only provide a temporary fix until the real light appears.

When Jesus appeared on the scene over 2000 years ago to begin His public ministry, He found Himself in the midst of darkness; the poor faced economic uncertainty, the church and state were corrupt and oppressive, and entrepreneurs were greedy and manipulative. There was complete darkness. Although temporary lights provided direction until His appearance, Jesus, the real Light, was now here.

As followers came to Him for answers concerning their conditions and how to address the problems of their day within the government, church and economy, His response was not an escape plan from the world nor ammunition to overthrow the government and church leaders; rather He reminded them that they are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

Jesus recognized that the reason the world was in such darkness was because there was no light. He encouraged them to not run and hide from a world full of darkness but to make themselves visible to all by the works that they do.

Over 2000 years later, much has not changed; we still face economic uncertainty, corruption, oppression, and a marketplace full of greed and manipulation. The consequences are mortgage crises, bankruptcy and corporate bailout by the government. The marketplace is in darkness and in need of light.

Light is something that enlightens and illuminates, and provides direction and awareness. Biblical Entrepreneurs and kingdom businesses are the light of the marketplace. Our economy is facing tremendous turbulence - illustrated by the mortgage and financial crises - and the only hope seems to be government bailout.

We all know that the government cannot solve market problems; all it can do is bandage the problems or provide a short fix. Solutions to permanently address market problems must come from the market and not the government. The role of government is to provide sound economic policies that are market friendly.

Since the solution of the market crisis must come from the market and not the government, Biblical Entrepreneurs and kingdom businesses must provide leadership to solve the problems of the market.

We are the light of the world; the reason why there is darkness in the marketplace, causing uncertainty and financial crisis, is because we are not letting our light shine. Our light must not be kept under a bushel nor hidden. This is the moment to let our light so shine before men so they can see our good works and glorify our Lord who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Are you letting your light shine in your industry?