True Greatness

But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:26-28)

We live in such a competitive culture. Our entertainment is filled with sports, reality shows, “Biggest Losers”, best Chefs, Survivors, and on and on… It’s part of our nature to be   competitive. Where does that come from? I believe it comes from our natural desire to be first. That desire compels us to be competitive. And, it’s often expressed in our tendency to be comparative.

We’re constantly measuring ourselves against others, or others against ourselves. Because “I” want to be first, I scan the environment around me to compare how everyone else is doing. If they’re not doing so well, I feel pretty good about myself. If they’re all doing better, I either push harder to be better, or I give up and find another group to compare myself with.

  

The Bible describes this as “self-ish-ness; we’re self-centered. We constantly get fooled seeing the “grass” that always looks greener on the other side of the street and we’re often dissatisfied with how it’s going with us. Why? Perhaps it’s the way we were raised; or the way we’re raising our children.

The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus to ask if He could do her a favor. After all, it’s “Who you know”, isn’t it? She wanted her two sons to be seated on Jesus’ left and right hand in His Kingdom. Surely her two sons would have it made if only they could achieve that high position of honor and power. Now, she wasn’t a bad mother and they weren’t bad sons. However, they misunderstood how things work in God’s Kingdom (both in Heaven and on Earth).

Jesus shares two important points with her. First, He tells her that there is a cost associated with our position in the Kingdom. This is what He meant when He asked, “Are you able to drink from the cup I am about to drink…” ? Oh yes, there is a price to pay to be in the “highest” position in God’s Kingdom. Secondly, He said that those positions were reserved for the ones the Father has prepared them. He further explained that the Kingdom basically didn’t work that way. The Kingdom of God doesn’t work in the same way things work in the “world.” Hard work, striving for political influence; hobnobbing with the right crowd; being seen with the right people in the right place, at the right time; and on and on… This may be how things work in the corporate jungle, but not the Kingdom. Yet, there are those who try to operate within the Kingdom the way they do in the world. This attitude and behavior have a corruptible impact on the Kingdom and the Community of Faith.

No, to be great in the Kingdom requires that we become the servant of others – THE SERVANT OF EVERYONE ELSE. Servants are often overlooked, under-recognized, over-worked and under-appreciated. In the world, that’s enough to quit. But, in the Kingdom, that makes for PROMOTION! To where will you be promoted? The position that God the Father has already designated for you.  He already has it reserved for you. Will that be at the top or at the bottom? Here’s a secret, aim for the bottom!

I wonder if Zebedee’s sons were still interested in becoming the greatest. No, they just concentrated on SERVING. They left the ‘greatness’ to the Father. So, will you serve if there’s nothing in it for you now? Will you labor though there is no recognition; no plaque with your name on it? Will you give even if there will never be a pew with your family’s name on it? These questions test all of us.

Beloved, let’s serve the Lord and be the “unprofitable” servants we are. At the end of the day we will say, “Lord, we have only done that which was our duty to do.” Eternity’s morning will tell who the ‘greatest’ among us were while we were serving at the bottom here on earth. There is no competition in the Kingdom, just servants. The Great One is the Lord, Jesus Christ – and that’s all that really matters.

What is Servant Leadership?

Servant Leadership is a concept and a practice that all Christians should implement.

In all human history, the best example of Servant Leadership is that of Jesus Christ. He had been with the Father from eternity. He had awesome glory, power and majesty. As the "Word" or Spokesman for the Father, it was His voice that said, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). At the very throne of God, He was surrounded by indescribable beauty and majesty. Over 100 million angels were there, worshiping and praising Him and the Father (Revelation 5:11-12).

Yet, since the Word and the Father had decided to bring millions of human beings into their Family, this great Being was willing to "empty" Himself—as the Greek word is correctly translated in Philippians. He took the "form of a servant." Then, "being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross" (Philippians 2:7-8).

In the human flesh, Jesus "gave" of Himself all day long. He lovingly and patiently taught, He healed, He blessed, He encouraged, He served. Jesus had very clearly taught His disciples by His example, "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28).

In all our activities, the emphasis must be on serving—not on pleasing the self or exalting the self or seeking a bigger "position." All of us must constantly humble the self through God's Spirit, and try to be sure that we are genuinely motivated by a spirit of service in whatever we do. If we have to take a lower position for a time-as even the Son of God did—in order to better serve, let us graciously do this and thank God for the opportunity.

God is testing the attitudes of every one of us! He wants to know if we are truly learning the lessons of Servant Leadership. Are we willing to take the "lowest seat" if that works out better and helps us serve more? Are we constantly thinking about how we can best use our talents, our time and our resources to better serve others and to prepare for the Kingdom of God?

John, the beloved Apostle, tells us, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16). Let us truly be motivated by a spirit of giving, helping, serving and encouraging one another. Then, without doubt, we will be granted entrance into our Father's everlasting Kingdom which will be totally based on that spirit of love, kindness, patience, service and profound joy.

Yes, I wannabe a man with a servant’s heart like Jesus. Thankfully, He stands ready to enable me to serve others, but also to forgive me when I fail to have that servant’s heart. One day, I was reminded that the true measure of servant hood and humility is evidenced by how one reacts when someone treats you like a servant.


Lord, help me have a servant’s heart---a heart like Jesus!

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 Faithful Manager

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” (Luke 12:42-44)

A very important question for each one of us to ask is this:  “What is the task the Lord has placed in my hands at this particular time?” Could the task be extraordinarily difficult, requiring His all achieving power and our diligence and perseverance to carry it out? Could the task be extremely boring and mundane, requiring the same all achieving power and our diligence and perseverance to finish it well?

“If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work’ I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” -Amy Carmichael

God calls us to persevere in the mundane as well as in the difficult and the exciting. Oftentimes life’s work can become quite daily. A great verse to memorize is the wonderful command in Colossians:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Our Lord, who judges without favoritism or partiality, will repay each and every person in full when He comes again. When we work as unto Him, all our efforts become set apart for God’s glory. We are told in Isaiah:

“Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone, but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing, and God everything.” -St. Ignatius Loyola

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. (Isaiah 40:10)

Jesus said:
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.” (Mark 13:32-34)

Jesus’ exhortation is for each generation to be watching, waiting, and working until His return or our own homegoing. Paul gives us a wonderful charge:

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24)

Life is not nearly long enough for everything! As believers, we must be focused on the things of God! We must stand firm in our commitment to Him and remain unencumbered by things that might keep us back from attaining our goal. This is the crux of Hebrews 12:1-3:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Just as surely as there are always consequences to sin, there are always blessings to obedience. In our verses for today Jesus speaks of the rewards of the faithful. Scripture has many illustrations regarding rewards in the here and now and also our future eternal rewards. Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded according to our actions:

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27).

Paul echoes the same sentiment in Ephesians:
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. (Ephesians 6:7-8).
Our good deeds will not go unnoticed!

Resolving the Ownership Issue
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters (Psalm 24:1,2).

As Christian business people, we are called by God to view all that we have as not our own. We are to be stewards of all that he entrusts to us. This is one of the hardest of all commandments to follow for the Christian businessperson. Because if we work hard at business, we receive all the benefits of that work. It appears as though all that we have achieved was through our hand. Yet, God says that it is by His hand that we are able to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8). He is the source of that ability. As soon as we become owners and not managers we fall into trouble with God.

Joseph understood that he was a steward of all the resources of Egypt. God promoted him to affect an entire region of the world. He had the most power, prestige, and wealth for any thirty year old who ever lived before him. The temptation for him in this newfound role in life must have been great. There has been many a man who has not been able to handle material success. Many of God's choicest servants began well in their calling and service to God only to fail at the end. Consider Hezekiah, the great king who achieved many great things but failed to acknowledge God's blessing at the end of his reign. His reign was cut short and was not passed down to his family line because of pride.

"Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity." Oswald Chambers.

Ask the Lord today if you are living as a steward versus an owner. Put whatever skills and resources you possess on His altar. Then, you can expect God to do great things through you.

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.

Christ's Leadership

He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

Jesus is the living leader and head of his church. There is no man who has this right. No one but Jesus has earned this position. Jesus is supreme. Even though supremacy is rightfully his because of his divinity, he has earned his supremacy by what he has done for us. He was there before there was a beginning, he was the Creator of all that is, and he was the one who passed through death victoriously for us.

As I looked at the launch of Jesus’ leadership in Matthew 4, I was amazed.  He began by gaining people’s attention through a bold vision:  “The Kingdom of God is at hand!”  He then began to create meaning through social architecture as he called his disciples and began to teach them about the Kingdom and their role in it as “fishers of men” (Kingdom Networkers).
Then he established trust and credibility for his organization through positioning as he networked “about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and … disease among the people.” 
(Matthew 4:17-23)

Finally, after doing these things, he “gave [the twelve] power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness … and diseases”—i.e., to do the very same works he was doing.

Those who know nothing but their Bibles, as Matthew Arnold once famously said, do not even know their Bibles.  It is amazing how secular literature on leadership can call out principles that open our eyes to things in the Bible that we gloss right over in our daily reading.  It’s also wonderful to recognize that Jesus knew everything about leadership. Though he never wrote a word that survived history, we can find no better textbook on the topic than his open-book life.

Great leadership always appoints people to help them accomplish the vision that God has given them. To provide an example for leadership and discipleship, Jesus had to establish that practice Himself.

Who could better show us Christ-like living than Jesus Christ?

Jesus walked along, ministering to those in His path and finding those whom He was going to bring alongside Him. This was no random selection; Jesus knew exactly whom He was calling and why. The men He used were busy tending to their family occupations, or were busy with a task at hand when Jesus asked them to drop all they were doing in order to follow Him.

The great thing about this scene is this: Jesus picked people just like you and I to do Kingdom work. How exciting is that? Please remember from this day forward that if God could use those 12 men in all their humanity, then He can use you and me today!

Many people followed Jesus wherever He went, waiting to see a miracle or some amazing feat being accomplished by this man in their midst. The mass of people may not have realized that Jesus was gathering a group that would support Him in ministry as He traveled from place to place.

He asked men who were actively working and busy with their own lives to drop everything they were doing to follow Him. And they did. When they became a part of His following, and when the timing was right, Jesus decided to bring structure to this plan. Jesus brought those He had chosen with Him on the mountainside, named them as His apostles, and these men were ready to go forth in a group, serving their Savior in unity.

Jesus ultimately appointed 12 men, designating them as Apostles. He appointed them to follow Him and to preach the message He gave them. Why did He choose 12 disciples? Or a better question might be: why did He choose this motley assortment of leaders?

Most of The 12 weren’t very noteworthy in society; a few were despised; and a few were even related to each other. Fishermen, tax collectors, and the like were not what that society would have considered being among the most respected professions!

It was not their impressive resume or knowledge of Scripture that caused these men to be worthy in Christ’s eyes—it was their potential dedication to the cause of spreading the Gospel and the true intentions in their heart that won Him over. It was the simple fact that they would follow Him and not try to take His spot as Savior.

There was no great campaign with a controversial election. There was no “smear campaign” going on among these men discrediting others to elevate themselves. They did not ask to be selected. They were selected while focused on activities that were critical to their lives. They were selected because God wanted to mold them, use them, and walk with them. They were chosen because God called them.

These men who were chosen were already involved in activities they were dedicated to. They put their heart into their work and focused on the task at hand. Their hearts were set on the present and were not usually swayed by what others were doing.

Like the disciples, no matter what our words or actions may say about our intentions, our heart is what God sees, and God judges us based on our hearts. Their hearts are what God searched, and He found them to be useful vessels to serve Him. They were not necessarily perfect, but they were useful to God. Teachable.  Loyal.  Willing.

Are you teachable? Would God consider you loyal and willing? Take a moment to ask God to shape you into a more teachable, loyal and willing servant, focusing on His will, and not just focused on pleasing man.

So, who were the 12? The first apostles were “. . . Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot; and Judas Escariot. . .” (Mark 3:16–18).

These followers were not just the favorite men of Christ. He gave them the title of apostle, anointed them with power to preach the Word of God and authority to cast out demons. These were no longer just ordinary men who followed their Savior. They were separated for service, and given a task to complete.

The first disciples modeled the very charge for all believers. Again, Jesus gives us the example of how to fulfill what God asks. We bring others alongside us to help in the ministry of the gospel. Jesus showed us how to do this through His appointing of the disciples. Out of the multitude of believers, Jesus saw those with a call from the Father on their lives, and put them into positions of servant leadership. Jesus saw the ones whom the Father had brought alongside Him, and He asked them to serve with Him in ministry.

In Acts 6:1–7, after Jesus had ascended to the heavens, we see the apostles carrying out the Great Commission. We see them appointing helpers. God had blessed them with a great following, and now these men needed to select other helpers to serve meals so that those chosen to preach could focus on preaching. The apostles were following the example of delegation given by Jesus.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13-7)

What makes a great Christian leader? The Holy Spirit emphasizes 3 things in this passage: 1) they teach others the word of God; 2) they live as great examples for others; and 3) they have observable faith. God puts each of us in positions of influence with our children, our friends, our work acquaintances, and our neighbors. 

What kind of spiritual leadership are we showing them?

Today's Thoughts 
We often fail to realize that one of the very best ways we can make Kingdom leadership better is by being better followers. Kingdom leadership means that leaders will have to answer to God for how they have led. Kingdom citizenship means that we will be held responsible for how we have obeyed and blessed our leaders. What have you done to show your love, respect, and support for your church leaders lately?

How does Jesus’ example of appointing helpers compare with your way of asking for help? Do you look for the “right” person, or do you tag the person closest to you, whether that person is right for the job or not? If you ask Him, the Lord will equip you to do what He has called you to do, and He will call others to come alongside you in service.

Today's Prayer
Almighty King, all authority and dominion belong to you. You alone are worthy of power and the right to rule. Please glorify yourself in us and permeate our leaders' hearts with your will. We want the world to see your supremacy because of our unity and devotion to you. Please bless our leaders at church that they may lead by serving and following Christ.

Please empower us to follow their leadership in ways that exalt the cause of Christ and bless the leaders in your Kingdom.  May our  life never be a burden to them or an embarrassment to you and help us to be a better Christian leader to the people you have put in our sphere of influence. Empower us to have a life worth imitating. In Jesus's name I ask it. 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.

Diligent Work & Good Stewardship

Where contentment helps us to spend less on ourselves, understanding God’s call to work diligently helps us earn more money. As the gap between our spending and our income grows, we are left with more and more to manage wisely, prosper, and give generously to the needs of others. The attitude and spirit we have as we approach our work can also glorify and honor God’s name. We can be a witness to the goodness of God in how we deal with people in our businesses and our motivation in our work.

From the beginning of creation, part of our purpose was to work. When God created Adam, He assigned Adam the task of working in the Garden of Eden.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)

Additionally, we need to work to meet our needs. 

Proverbs 28:19 says:

He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. (Proverbs 28:19) 

We can use the abundance that comes from diligent work to meet our needs and to meet the needs of others. Paul exhorted his fellow Christians to work precisely for those reasons. 

Ephesians 4:28 says:

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. (Ephesians 4:28)

Paul lived out the example of diligent work by meeting his own needs while he was serving among the brothers. 

Acts 20:34-35 says:

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.  In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:34-35)

The Bible warns against the dangers of laziness because it brings poverty, dishonor, and difficulties in life. God wants to protect us from these dangers, and that’s part of the reason He calls us to work hard. But in following God’s call to work hard, we must not forget our need for rest. God wants us to rest because He knows we need it. We will do our best work for Him and others when we balance diligence and a strong work ethic with the wisdom to know when to take our rest.

Being Diligent As a Believer!

"He did it with all his heart and prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21)

God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is He pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hidden treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it be done with all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but He does not encourage our idleness; He loves active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the ones whose hearts are on fire! Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, "It is the Lord's work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in His strength I will accomplish it." Beloved, are you thus "with all your heart" serving your Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was His! He could say, "The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up." When He sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden He had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when He poured out His heart, it was no weak effort He was making for the salvation of His people!

Finally, we can honor God by reflecting His character in our business and work. God values fairness, justice, integrity, and careful stewardship. These are values that we should use in our businesses and as we work for our employers. As the Spirit works through us, we will naturally follow God’s will in our work. But identifying the values and ethics God teaches us in the Bible can help us better serve Him as we grow in the likeness of Christ.

Our Work Versus Our Value

Man was created to have seven basic needs. Each of us has a need for dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundary, intimate love and companionship. It is when we go outside God's provision to meet these needs that we get into trouble.

Every man has a need to work and gain satisfaction in caring and seeing something come from his efforts. Many of our basic needs are derived from our work. It was one of the first acts God did for man in the Garden of Eden. He gave him responsibility to care and work the Garden. God knew man needed to be productive. He needed to gain satisfaction from his work.

The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says, "as long as I perform in my work, I am acceptable to myself and others." This is a subtle trap for all of us. It can lead us to become work-a-holics if we are seeking acceptance through what we do. Sometimes this can be on a subconscious basis.

Our value must be centered in Christ, not in what we do. If we lose our job or our business, this should not devastate us if we are centered in Him. It will certainly create difficulties, but God is the orchestrator of all the events in our lives for His purposes. Even this has its purposes.

Today, ask the Lord if you have a proper balance in your work life. Is Christ the central focus? If you work long hours, ask yourself "why"? You might discover that God may not be the central focus.

Good Stewardship

While the Bible says little about financial planning as we know it today, God has shown us the value of using wisdom and prudence in managing our affairs. There are verses that speak to planning ahead, saving, avoiding debt, and other practical matters we will encounter in our personal finances. By wisely managing the blessings God provides (that gap between our income and our spending), we can be good stewards and have even more to give in His name.

Good stewardship starts with understanding that God is the Creator of all things, the Owner of all things, and the Giver of all things.

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

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2)

And David says in 1 Chronicles 29:14:

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.              (1 Chronicles 29:14) 

The fact that God created all things, owns all things, and gives us all that we have should profoundly shape our lives. When we start to see our lives through the lens of God’s ownership, we make decisions based on eternal results. How you spend your money, what you buy, how you spend your time, your plans for the future – they must all run through the filter of God’s will. We must step back and ask ourselves “How does God want me to handle this decision?”. Through prayer, study, and discernment we learn how we can glorify and honor God through our personal finances.

What this often boils down to is determining how we can store up treasures in Heaven rather than treasures on Earth. Instead of always focusing on how we can maximize our wealth to meet our desires and dreams, we learn to focus on how we can meet the needs of others. 

We learn to follow Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.  
(1 Timothy 6:17-19)

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.

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.