Contentment in Christ

Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He becomes everything to us. He must become everything to us. We are in a continual struggle against Satan to keep other things (especially money) from taking the place of Christ. The World sends us a message that says more wealth and more stuff will make us happy. But God warns us in  that worldly wealth cannot offer us true satisfaction and security.

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:17-18)

Only God can provide us with true wealth and open our eyes so we can see the truth. God has a higher purpose for us than riches far beyond our needs and 6,000 square foot homes. God wants more meaning in our lives than a brand new luxury car in the driveway and a shiny yacht next to the dock. God has a higher calling for our retirement years than fruitless day after fruitless day spent on the golf course, beach, or back porch. The World’s message contradicts God’s message so much that we must choose between the two. 

He who is not content with what he has will not be content with what he wants.

Life may seem like a race to accumulate more money, more wealth, more status, and more possessions. Sadly, many people are very greedy and look only for ways to get more for themselves, thinking, "If I could just get this certain thing, then I would be happy."

However, greed is not the path to contentment. Greed is when you always want a little bit more. Yet, greed causes you to never be satisfied, because you always want more and as soon as you get what you want, you want even more. And so you never get what you want, because what you really want is contentment.

The old cliche "money cannot buy happiness" really is true.

It is no wonder Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, 

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

Likewise, Hebrews 13:5 tells us: 

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." In other words, God is enough to keep any person content and joyful. (Hebrews 13:5)

The fact that God is always with you and that He will never leave you ought to be a cause of great joy in your life.

Luke 16:13-15 says:

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”  The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”  (Luke 16:13-15)

We must choose between serving God or Money. There is no middle ground. Devotion to Money is completely and absolutely opposed to devotion to God. Greed and generosity cannot exist together. Consumerism and contentment demand different paths. Choosing to love and serve Money means that you are choosing to turn your back on God. But if you want to serve God, you must give your heart completely to Him.

In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus tells us that greed and envy come from our hearts:

“For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.'” (Mark 7:21-23)

Once God has the commitment of our hearts, He can begin to transform our minds – change our thinking. The New Living Translation renders Romans 12:2 this way:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  (Romans 12:2 NLT)

The solution to serving God and rejecting the World’s message is not to start trying to do what we think are all the right things. The solution is to give ourselves completely to God – to offer our entire lives as a sacrifice to Him in thankfulness and love for what He’s done for us. Then as we focus on Him we’ll learn what His will is for us and how we can glorify Him.

This step of getting God’s view takes time. It is a gradual transformation in our thinking that God effects as we grow in Him. We have to see that our focus on the things of this world keeps us from seeing the importance of love and relationships. That misplaced focus keeps us from fully serving God. We must focus on storing up treasures in heaven rather than on Earth because that will show whether our hearts belong to God or Money. If we let the concerns of this life take priority over the concerns of eternal life, we will be unfruitful. Jesus warns of this danger in Mark 4:18-19:

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19)

We must learn that everything belongs to God and everything comes from God. We must learn to be thankful in all circumstances. We must find satisfaction in our daily bread. We must learn that life is more than pursuing wealth, buying everything our culture tells us to want, and retiring early. And even though these ideas go against our human nature, we must understand that it’s not worth gaining the whole world if we end up losing our souls.

The transformation that happens as we let God renew our minds and thinking has huge repercussions in our lives. We gain understanding of what it means to be content in Christ. We see that our faith in Jesus gives us eternal life. We see the utter worthlessness of everything on earth when compared to our salvation and the riches of eternal life with God. We put our hope in Christ and the life He gives. Christ then gives us true contentment that conquers any circumstance we may face, but we must continue to focus on our hope in Him and weigh everything against the surpassing value of our eternal life with God.

When we find contentment in Christ and Christ alone, the importance of money in our lives diminishes and pales to the value we place on Jesus. We learn the secret to being happy in all situations – whether we’re full or starving, rich or poor, employed or jobless, single or married – nothing in this life matters at all when compared to the glorious gift of Jesus and the fact that no one and no circumstance can take that away from us. 

The apostle Paul knew how to be content.  He said, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.(Philippians 4:11-13)

In other words, Paul said that regardless of his immediate circumstances he could be content. Why? Because he lived his life through Christ and in Christ. In short, Paul knew that the secret of being content is God!

If you don't have peace and joy right now where you are in your life, please understand that getting more things will not give you contentment. Instead, you need to seek God, because He is the source of true contentment. Then, once you have established God as the source of your contentment, you can be content in any and every situation.

When we see everything in light of eternity, we find that nothing on earth is of more value than our faith in Christ. We learn that while we may never be rich by the world’s standards, we have riches that can’t be measured in dollars, gold, houses, cars, or anything else in this life. We understand that contentment in Christ is true wealth.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 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. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:6-12)

Once we have this conviction of always finding our contentment in Christ, the Spirit will teach us to place much less importance on material things. We will no longer be focused solely on our own needs and wants – an early retirement, a bigger house, a nicer car, and so on. Instead, we’ll be consumed with a desire to focus on the needs of others – to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and show God’s love to the world through our faith and deeds. This is the essence of contentment in Christ. We’ll spend less and less on ourselves and our desires as we seek to give more and more to others and fulfill God’s desires.


All Sufficient God

“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” (John 6:35, NLT)

Many wander through life, wondering if this is all there is. Maybe live hungry for something more, often feeling drained, worn and tired. Jesus takes authority over this age-old problem, for He tells us He is the Great I Am. He is more than sufficient for our every need, burden, or pain. He alone can fill every hole in our hearts.

Our all-sufficient God satisfies, for all is fulfilled in Him. In Him we are no longer hungry. In Him our thirst that seemed endless is finally quenched. In Him is Life, a life filled with the abundant fruit of His Spirit here on Earth, and a life everlasting with Him for all eternity.

This life is full of hurt, pain, and suffering, but this life is not all there is. There is all-sufficient life given to us by the Great I Am, our Creator – our Savior, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Satisfied in Christ

The Law of Life says that the presence of Christ within the believer results in spiritual satisfaction. If we have Him then we will never hunger or thirst again, because He is Infinite Supply.

Anything less than spiritual satisfaction indicates that there is a problem. I am not saying that one should be content with their progress and present knowledge of Christ so that they stop growing; but I am saying that no matter what stage of progress you may be at presently, Christ should be your satisfaction.

Today's Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please open my eyes that I may see. Open my heart that I may know and understand how sufficient You are. Lord I don’t want to hunger and thirst anymore. Fill me Oh Lord; let my cup overflow with all of who You are, because of what You have done for me. I want to rest in Your all-sufficient grace, no longer needing anything of this world. What I really need is You, my Great I Am. Amen.

Biblical Principles in Network Marketing

As a Pastor, Bill Nissen was against Network Marketing for years.  In 2003, a friend helped 
him see a new perspective.  He still dislikes the ethics of many who do it, but he sees a 
biblical perspective that allows him to not only support network marketing, but embrace it as
a way to serve people.  Watch This Video. It is longer than most (20 minutes) but carries essential information.

Our Labor in the Lord

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1Corinthians 15:58).

There is a paradigm shift going on among a remnant of business people today. That paradigm shift is a focus on using our business and work life as a platform for ministry versus a platform solely for material success. There is a remnant of business people throughout the world today who understand their birthright in the marketplace is to reflect Christ fully in and through their work. It is reflected by a commitment to use their resources and skills to provide a product of excellence with the overall motive to affect people for Jesus Christ. The difference is these individuals have an overriding ministry objective to their work.

When the apostle Paul tells us to fully work unto the Lord, he does not mean we must be in a missionary effort or "full time Christian effort." He understands that all of life is holy and sacred to God. If our motive is to serve God where we are, then our labor in the Lord's will is not in vain.

As you begin your work today, ask God if you are working with the primary motive of reflecting His life and character through your work today. Let nothing move you from this motive being central to your activity. The Lord will reflect His power and leading in and through your life when this becomes your primary motive.

The Work God Blesses

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth’” (Genesis 9:1).

Every man and woman has a work assigned to them by God. This becomes their purpose, their reason for being on the earth, their calling, their destiny. Abraham had an assignment for his life, as did Joseph. Moses was called to perform a specific life-task. David had a destiny. So did Daniel, Jeremiah, and all the prophets. Esther was raised up “for such a time as this.” John the Baptist fulfilled a definite role, as did Peter and John. Paul had a purpose, a reason for being.

Only a few of these people realized what their work was. Most of them were like you and me: we only come into an awareness of our purpose slowly. Everything seems ordinary and mundane; we feel like there is nothing special about us, no calling we could possibly fulfill. Moses is a striking example. The first forty years of his life were spent learning how to be a prince of Egypt. The next forty years of his life were spent in the desert, unlearning everything he had been taught. It seemed like a huge waste of a life. When God sent him back to Egypt at the age of eighty, Moses still did not understand or appreciate the full extent of what God was calling him to do. Neither did the Hebrews. But now we understand that God had a purpose for him all along.

Or look at Joseph. At an early age he senses God’s call on his life for something special. But things do not go the way he expects them to go (things seldom do). His brothers first seek to kill him, but then settle for selling him to the slave-traders. His situation improves for awhile, but then he is framed for something he did not do and gets thrown into the dungeon. As the years slipped away Joseph must have believed he’d made a mistake when he thought he heard from God. But when we see the final result everything makes perfect sense. God used those experiences to shape and mold his character, and to prepare him for the work he was called to do.

And consider Noah. In Genesis 9:1 we see that God blessed Noah and his sons. The blessing of the Lord means divine favor and approval. How do you feel when someone ELSE gets blessed? Are you happy for them? Envious? Frustrated? All we see is the end result – but we do not see all the labor, the sweat, the tears, the pain, the struggle, the misunderstanding, the confusion, the dark nights, all the things that person has endured in order to have the blessing of the Lord. I am not saying the blessing is something we can earn through self-effort; but the blessing of the Lord is the benefit of fulfilling the work He has called us to do.

In this writing we will look at the life of Noah, learn the universal principles behind the work that God blesses, and apply those principles to our lives as well. They are not complicated principles, but very, very simple. I pray they will encourage and strengthen all of us to persevere in whatever situation the Lord has placed us.

A Heritage of Walking With GOD…

The story of Noah begins over four hundred years before he was born. The Scriptures tell us that Noah’s great-great grandfather was Enoch. We know Enoch was a man who walked with God and suddenly disappeared, for God took him. Exactly what that means we can only speculate, but this much is clear: Enoch had a close relationship with the Lord.

Enoch was also a prophet. Jude 14, in the New Testament, records one of his prophecies of a future judgment. But a little closer to his own time, Enoch perceived that the Lord was about to execute judgment on the earth. So when Enoch had a son he named him “Methuselah.” You remember Methuselah is the oldest person in the Bible, living to the ripe old age of 969. The name “Methuselah” has prophetic significance. Most Bible reference books give the meaning as “dart man” or “man of the spear”. A less frequently found definition is of Chaldean origin and means something a little more intriguing: “at his death, the sending forth.” The sending forth of what?

Perhaps that makes no sense to us – until we use the chronology provided to us in Genesis 5. All the generations of Noah are given to us with the exact time frames in which they lived and died. Enoch had a son named Methuselah, Methuselah had a son named Lamech, and Lamech had a son named Noah. When we do the calculations from Enoch to Noah, we find that Noah finished building the ark the same year his grandfather Methuselah died, just in time for the “sending forth” of a great flood – exactly 969 years after Enoch said that it would come.

So this judgment had been building for nearly a millennium. Enoch knew it was coming. Certainly Methuselah knew. Presumably Lamech knew. But none of them were called to build the ark. That work was reserved for Noah. And even then, he was five hundred years old before God revealed His purpose for Noah. Think about it: Noah walked with God for five hundred years before God gave him the plans for building the ark. If the man is not right then the plans are not right; but after five hundred years of relationship-building, the Lord finally said, “Now I can trust you to do the work I have called you to do. The survival of all life on earth depends on it.” What an awesome responsibility!

The Lord Blesses Us To Be A Blessing…

That brings us to the first principle: the work that God blesses is bigger than us. The ark was not Noah’s private little retreat. It was not his personal little ministry, his private little vision. Of course, Noah and his family were beneficiaries of the work, but the purpose of the ark was to preserve all living things. Otherwise, Noah would have built a much smaller vessel.

When the Lord gives us a work to do it will be bigger than ourselves. The size of a person’s heart may be judged by the size of their work. By size I do not mean numerical or financial strength. I mean this: is the work larger than the person working? Is it fulfilling a purpose far greater than the people involved? I say this because I am convinced that most churches exist only because the pastor needs a place to preach. Entire ministries are created to give some man or woman an audience. What a tragedy that is. Yesterday I drove past a little building that calls itself a church. The church was named after the presiding elder: “Smith Apostolic Church” (not the real name, but a true story). Such work fulfills nothing of eternal significance, it only meets the self-serving needs and aspirations of the person leading it.

The work that God blesses is not merely for our own personal benefit, but for the benefit of the Body of Christ, for the Kingdom of God. Our vision must carry us beyond ourselves; our vision must survive us. The only vision that is bigger than ourselves is Christ. If our vision is Christ then we are building upon an eternal foundation, and the Lord will bless that labor. Noah carried the Messiah in his loins – the ark was meant to preserve not just physical life, but a spiritual lineage. Thus, it was bigger than Noah, and the Lord blessed the work.

The Lord Blesses What We Cannot Do On Our Own…

The second principle is closely related to the first, and it is this: the work that God blesses is beyond our ability to do on our own. In other words, if I can do it all by myself, then I do not need the blessing of the Lord. I can simply call upon my natural talent, experience, and skill to do what needs to be done. Now, work done in this manner may or may not be successful, but irregardless, it is MY work; it is not the Lord’s work, and it does not enjoy the blessing of the Lord.

The Lord delights to place us in impossible situations. Noah was no shipbuilder. Yet God calls him to do the very thing he cannot do and gives him specific and detailed plans for doing it. The sheer size and scope of the work is astounding. First, Noah is to build a boat. Not just a little fishing boat, but a floating fortress with three levels in it. The Living Bible gives the dimensions as 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Nothing this large had ever been constructed. The project would take one hundred years to complete. But the most amazing thing about this huge boat is that it was built on dry land. The Bible says Noah had faith (cf. Hebrews 11:7)!

But building the ark was only part of the work. After the ark was complete, there was the issue of bringing every sort of animal and bird into the boat. In the movies you see the animals streaming towards the ark of their own accord while Noah looks on in amazement. Perhaps that is the way it happened. Yet the Scripture says that the Lord told Noah to go get them and bring them into the ark (cf. Genesis 6:19). He had to go and gather them. How does one go about gathering one male and one female of every kind of animal in the world? And with some species God said to get seven pairs!

Then there is the matter of food. The Lord told Noah to gather samples of every kind of food that is eaten (cf. Genesis 6:21). The food was for feeding his family and all the animals, but it was also for future planting. Today we have fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains because Noah somehow managed to find them all and store them in the ark. Now I ask: is it humanly possible to do all the things Noah did? Can someone with no experience build a boat that large? Can an ordinary person gather together every kind of beast, bird, and bug? Can anyone gather together every kind of food in the world, and store it? The Bible says, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22). When God asks us to do the impossible, we can ask for, and expect to receive, the blessing of the Lord on our work. He will show us what to do, and He will enable us to do it.

The Lord Blesses Obedience, Not Originality…

The third and final principle is this: the work that God blesses is originated by God Himself. This is one of the most important lessons we can learn. I spent many years creating and executing my own plans, asking the Lord to bless them. One day I understood that instead of always trying to get the Lord to bless what I wanted to do, it was much simpler to find out what the Lord wanted to bless, and simply do THAT. Instead of trying to get God to come down to my level and do what I wanted, it was far better to come onto the Lord’s ground and do what He wanted. Great synergy and blessing is released when we simply cooperate with what God has already purposed to do. Heaven backs us up with tremendous power and authority. Instead of trying to make something happen, I simply flow in a current that already exists. The Lord will deny no request that is in agreement with what He Himself has originated.

Noah could expect the blessing of the Lord on his work because he was simply carrying out what the Lord had already determined to do. It is so much easier this way. Often the greatest hindrance to the best is the good. The greatest hindrance to Isaac is Ishmael. There are many good things we can create, many good things we can do. But only one thing is needed (cf. Luke 10:42). We have to discover the “one thing,” and we only discover it when we are seated at the feet of Jesus. When we are only motivated by what JESUS needs, not what MAN needs and not what we think WE need, then we are on the path of continual and perpetual blessing.

Noah walked with God, and Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (cf. Genesis 6:8,9). It took five hundred years of walking with God, but Noah found grace, and that made it all worthwhile. Let us learn to do nothing apart from this amazing grace. It is better to wait five hundred years for grace than to work for five minutes without it. What is grace? I teach people that Grace is a Man. Amazing Grace is simply Jesus living in me, doing what I cannot do. It does not matter if “what I cannot do” is save myself, overcome sin, love my neighbor, or build an ark. “For by Grace (Jesus) are you saved through faith (trusting Jesus to do what you cannot do); and that not of yourselves: it (He) is the Gift of God”Ephesian (s 2:8). I am insufficient; but His Grace (Jesus) is sufficient. His Grace (Jesus) is more than enough. His Grace (Jesus) is Infinite Supply! But “without Me you can do nothing” (cf. John 15:5b).

Be encouraged. The Lord has a purpose for you, and a destiny for you to fulfill. But things will not always go the way you think they should. That is because the Lord calls you to something bigger than yourself, something beyond your ability, something you cannot originate or perpetuate without Him. It takes time. Noah walked with God for five hundred years and spent one hundred years building the ark. Abraham was one hundred years old before he finally saw God’s promise come true. Moses spent forty years in Egypt, then forty years in the desert, before God sent him to Pharaoh. Jesus prepared thirty years for an earthly ministry of three and a half years. Dear brother, dear sister: walk with God. Find Grace. Discover the One Thing. Focus on being, not doing. And when it IS time for you to do something you can be confident that your labor of love will be the work that God blesses.

Your Work

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do (John 17:4).

The Lord has given to every man His work. It is his business to do it. And the devil's business to hinder him if he can. So sure as God has given you a work to do, Satan will try to hinder you. He may present other things more promising; he may allure you by worldly prospects; he may assault you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you to work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you, editors to assail you, and excellent men to slander you. You may have Pilate and Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas all combined against you, and Judas standing by ready to sell you for thirty pieces of silver; and you may wonder why all those things come upon you. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil to draw you away from your work and hinder your obedience to God?

Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stoop to stone the devil's dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbit. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let corporations resolve, let editors publish, let the devil do his worst; but see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work that God has given you.

He has not sent you to make money. He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood which Satan and his servants may start to peddle. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.

Keep about your work. Let you AIM be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men, but see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of being, until at last you can say "I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do."

Pray with Os Hillman...

Biblical Principles in Network Marketing

As a Pastor, Bill Nissen was against Network Marketing for years.  In 2003, a friend helped 
him see a new perspective.  He still dislikes the ethics of many who do it, but he sees a 
biblical perspective that allows him to not only support network marketing, but embrace it as
a way to serve people.  Watch This Video. It is longer than most (20 minutes) but carries essential information.

The Spirit Led Entrepreneur

Kingdom Entrepreneurs - are those men and women who, while fully committed to fulfilling the great commission commanded by Christ, also want to use their business skills in marketplace missions.  They want to incorporate all they have learned in their area of expertise (engineering, science, technology, wealth management, etc.) to transfer knowledge and provide infrastructure to the under-served Christian leaders throughout the developing world – not to just write them a check but to become personally involved with them.  They want to meet their staff and families, and come alongside their visions.  They are enablers in the best sense of the word!

A Universal Gift

Kingdom Entrepreneurs come in all shades and sizes because this spiritual gift is trans-cultural.  No race, culture or ethnicity has a corner on this giftedness.  However, some cultures, religions and political systems are more conducive to the nurture and expression of this spirit than others.

History shows that when the entrepreneurial spirit is honored there is advancement.  Where it is repressed, there is stagnation and regression.  Thus, we have developed countries and under-developed countries. We have first world nations and third world or two-thirds world nations advanced societies and primitive societies.

All over the world, KEs seek to partner with God and His people to build His kingdom rather than their little kingdoms.  They abdicate the throne of their lives and businesses, and surrender to the Lordship of Christ.  They are differentiated from secular entrepreneurs because they live in humility, not pride.  Their entrepreneurial root is nourished by the love of the Lord Jesus and therefore their financial fruit blesses others.

Whose Business is it?

One main difference between the world’s strategy for success and the Kingdom’s strategy for success is this: The World drives you from without, the Lord inspires you from within.

Are you ready for kingdom business?  Are your really ready for a paradigm change?

If we are truly going to be Spirit led Entrepreneurs in the marketplace, we must be ready for a paradigm change.

One major difference between Kingdom Entrepreneurs and the Entrepreneurs of the world is that the Kingdom Entrepreneur is Holy Spirit led.

Are you self-led, other-led, market-led, money-led, or Holy Spirit led?

Do Business Till I Come

If God is our boss, then we should be in the marketplace carrying out his dictates, and doing business on his behalf.   Remember what the Master told his servants after distributing the talents to them in the Parable of the 10 Talents?

He said:  “Do Business until I come.” (Luke 19:13)

This tells us they were not Lord’s unto themselves and that they were doing business on behalf of another, their Lord and master.

Since “our business” is not “our business” but the Lord’s business, we are only stewards taking care of his business.

Lordship has to deal with the issue of ownership, which puts us in the place of servants and stewards, ready to carry out our Lord’s commands.

Is Jesus our Lord or are we lords unto ourselves?

The issue of lordship is quite critical in our walk and in life as Kingdom Entrepreneurs. When we get this right a lot of other things just naturally fall into place.

We must come to a point in our lives and business where we acknowledge that God is God and we’re not him.  We must acknowledge that we’re not God, and neither is money.

We must ask ourselves these questions:

Whose system are we working to promote?

Are we working to promote God’s kingdom, or the kingdom of the world?

Whose principles are we using, are we doing business God’s way, or the world’s?

If money is our boss, then will make decisions differently, we might make decisions based on what the best deal is, what is the most proper profitable venture, and we may even cut corners.

Clarify Your Priorities!

Jesus made a profound statement in Matthew 6:24; he said,

“No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”  (Matthew 6:24)

In this statement, contrary to popular thinking, Jesus is not talking about choosing one or the other, he was not saying, if you choose God, you cannot have money.  He was talking about our priority system.

He was saying that either God is going to be our boss or it is going to be money.  We need to choose who our boss is going to be.

If we are truly going to be Spirit led Entrepreneurs in the marketplace, we must be ready to surrender our lives and we must surrender our will to the master. We must be able to say: “Not my will but yours be done!”  We must choose to become Spirit Led Entrepreneurs.  As the Scripture says those who are led by the Spirit are the offsprings of God. (Romans 8:14)

Who is Boss?

Sort Out Your Priorities and Get Rid of Your Wealth Creation and Businesses Complexities

A lot of the simple and complex problems that Kingdom Entrepreneurs and other Marketplace Leaders have in life and in business stem from having the wrong priorities.

When we sort out our priorities, a lot of these longstanding problems simply disappear.

The wrong priorities bring disorder, confusion and poverty.  Having the right priorities bring order, peace and prosperity.

One of the areas that you need to sort out before you can be economically empowered is with regards to your priorities as it relates to God, people and money.

Have you given each of these their rightful place?

Is Money the Root of All Evil?

“Money is the root of all evil,” I bet you’ve heard that statement before.  Well this scripture, is supposedly one of the most misquoted Scriptures from the Bible.  It’s also one of the most misunderstood Scriptures.

The scripture in question actually says that “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil, ” and not that, “Money is the root of all evil.”

“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 6:10)

Now, is God actually saying that having money is wrong? Certainly not!

What it’s really saying is that when money is put in its wrong place in our lives it has the propensity not only to hurt us, but to destroy us.

This scripture is actually talking about having the right priorities. Is talking about getting our priorities straight.

Now, under the New Covenant, our priorities are thus:  Love God, and love people even as we love ourselves.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’c This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

These are the first and second commandments.  It will be totally out of order to place money before any of these two commandments.

Money is a Servant at Best!

Money is to be used to serve God and to serve people.  When we acknowledge God as boss, then esteem people and ourselves even as the Scripture says, then money will find its proper place and it will serve its rightful purpose in our lives.

When we acknowledge God as God, he will direct our paths as it relates to our investment and use of money.

Many marketplace business owners are often stuck in the valley of indecision, they are often stuck between two minds: to exercise their entrepreneurial prowess to the full, or not to.

Theory of Change

Governed by the Spirit

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all

things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." ( John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit is the vessel – the Person, the instrument, the agency, the method and the means – through Whom God accomplishes His purpose of increasing Christ in all things. Jesus said this Helper, this Counselor, this Comforter, this Teacher will abide with us for– ever and will help us as we walk the Difficult Path towards the full knowledge of Christ.

To the extent that we allow ourselves to come under the government of the Holy Spirit, to that extent will Christ be increased. Since the Holy Spirit is responsible for the increase of Christ, spiritual growth is impossible apart from the Spirit. There will be no measurable advancement, no real apprehension of spiritual things, and no recovery of the Heavenly Order apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Biblical Principles in Network Marketing

As a Pastor, Bill Nissen was against Network Marketing for years.  In 2003, a friend helped 
him see a new perspective.  He still dislikes the ethics of many who do it, but he sees a 
biblical perspective that allows him to not only support network marketing, but embrace it as
a way to serve people.  Watch This Video. It is longer than most (20 minutes) but carries essential information.

Invest Your Life

In The Parable of Talents (Matthew 25: 14-26)

Jesus told his followers the story of a man with three servants. He entrusted each of them with a portion of his fortune while he went on a journey. When the man returned, he found that two of his servants had invested the portion they’d been given and were able to show him that they’d made a great return – each of them had doubled the treasure he’d given them.

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

But the third servant was scared and didn’t invest what he’d been given. Instead, he had hidden it and had only the one portion to return to the man when he returned.

‘You wicked, lazy servant!’

When you read this story, you might feel a stab of conviction. You’ve probably figured out that Jesus isn’t trying to teach us about money here, rather, He’s offering a lesson on investing our lives.

You have been entrusted with a precious treasure: salvation and a close personal friendship with God, of course. But You have also been given a treasure unique to you: a special combination of spiritual gifts, your heart – the things that you care deeply about and love to do, your talents. Your story. This is the treasure of your life.

What have you been doing with your treasure? The reason He’s given you all of that is because He believes in you and trusts you to invest what you’ve been given and multiply it. The potential value of your life is off the charts. So, how do you multiply the treasure you’ve been given? Invest in people. Take everything you’ve been given and use it to make disciples.

A Sound Investment

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

 

Insure your interior treasures. Spend at least an hour this week uninterrupted developing a talent God has given you or exercising a spiritual gift.

What are you doing to make sure that you keep your heart and soul healthy?

Keep your spiritual gifts from gathering dust by living in the Holy Spirit daily. Make your talents, your gifts, your relationship with Christ the true treasure of your life and you’ll find that life really is more abundant.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

This verse reminds us that everything we have comes from our Father, who loves to give His children good gifts. As I consider His gifts, I’m reminded that many of them are temporal, only to be used for a season.

Ultimately, everything belongs to God. This is where we get the biblical concept of stewardship; a steward is not an owner. Stewards are required to take care of something until the master returns to take possession. We can love the gifts we’ve been given, but the Bible warns us to never love them more than the Master.

Recall the parable of the wicked tenants (Luke 20: 9-18) who were placed in charge of a vineyard. When the master wanted to harvest the produce, the tenants refused and went so far as to kill his son. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the vineyard, but they sinned when they loved it so much that they tried to steal it for themselves.

Time is a great example of this. It is a gift – one we’ve been entrusted to use wisely – but not one that we own. This humbles me as I also reflect on other gifts in my life. I often forget that all these wonderful earthly treasures we enjoy belongs to God.

Let’s be faithful with what we’ve been entrusted, whether it’s time with friends, ministry positions, communities, career, or family. Love these gifts, just not more than the Giver.

Eternal Investments

Plan and purpose are concepts that flow beautifully through the entire Bible. There is nothing random or spontaneous about our God and his works. He is purposeful in all things.

God’s kingdom is increased by men and women who tap into the purpose that God has for them. They understand that their story is part of a much bigger story, His story, and this great insight becomes their guiding light.

Perhaps one of the greatest verse in the Bible on the subject of God’s will is this one: 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Consider what that one verse means for your life:

God has a plan perfectly formulated with your name on it.

It’s a good plan. He didn’t create you to be miserable, but to be fruitful.

God has reserved for you a future filled with hope.

Further, we can venture certain conclusions from this plan:

God’s plan was written long before you were born. (Jeremiah 1:5)

God’s plan for you is bound up with his plans for others. (Romans 8:28)

God’s plan is built upon your gifts and talents. (Ephesians 2:10)

God’s eternal purpose brings together your plan with those of others. (Proverbs 16:9)

God will guide you as you attempt to follow his will. (Proverbs 16:3)

Today’s Prayer:

Biblical Principles in Network Marketing

As a Pastor, Bill Nissen was against Network Marketing for years.  In 2003, a friend helped 
him see a new perspective.  He still dislikes the ethics of many who do it, but he sees a 
biblical perspective that allows him to not only support network marketing, but embrace it as
a way to serve people.  Watch This Video. It is longer than most (20 minutes) but carries essential information.