MUDAH TERGODA DENGAN BISNIS LAIN

Mudah Tergoda Dengan Bisnis Lain
(Salah Satu Penyakit Penyebab Bangkrutnya Usaha)

Kasus:
Mudah tergoda dengan bisnis lain adalah salah satu ”penyakit” yang juga sering menghinggapi para pengusaha. Pada saat bisnis sudah lancar, penghasilan juga makin mantab, pundi-pundi kekayaan juga terus mengalir, maka biasanya akan muncul ”godaan” untuk terjun ke bisnis lain.
Katakanlah Anda adalah seorang pengusaha yang sukses mengelola usaha konveksi. Disaat usaha Anda sedang maju-majunya, tiba-tiba ada relasi Anda yang mengajak Anda bisnis jual beli besi. Sudah barang tentu relasi Anda sudah menyiapkan estimasi keuntungan yang menggiurkan bagi Anda. Nah, banyak pengusaha yang tertarik hanya dengan melihat angka-angka ”manis” yang tercantum dalam business plan. Akhirnya tanpa melihat kemampuan dirinya dan kemampuan dari relasi yang mengajaknya berbisnis besi, tawaran itupun akhirnya diterima. Dan diapun rela mengalokasikan sebagian dana (yang sebetulnya dana milik perusahaan konveksi) untuk dialihkan sementara sebagai modal berbisnis besi.
Ketika bisnis besi sedang dalam proses, tiba-tiba ada saudara Anda yang datang menawarkan program investasi. Dengan sangat meyakinkan dia mengajak Anda untuk terjun ke bisnis investasi. Semua dunia bisnis yang belum pernah Anda kenal sebelumnya. Entah karena benar-benar tertarik dengan estimasi bisnisnya atau sekedar karena tidak enak dengan saudara, maka Anda pun kembali ber-investasi ke bisnis saham tersebut.
Sudah barang tentu Anda sangat berharap dengan mengalihkan sementara uang dari usaha konveksi ke bisnis besi dan saham itu, Anda akan mendapatkan keuntungan besar dalam waktu singkat dan kemudian hasil keuntungannya bisa digunakan untuk mengembangkan usaha konveksi yang selama ini sudah dijalankan. Sebetulnya itu bukan logika yang salah. Dan kedua jenis usaha itu juga memang termasuk jenis usaha yang cukup menjanjikan dan sedang menjadi trend bisnis saat ini.
Namun masalahnya adalah, banyak pengusaha yang berani terjun ke bisnis lain yang sama sekali tidak diketahui seluk beluknya. Dia sama sekali buta dengan proses yang harus dilalui sebelum keuntungan didapatkan. Dan seringkali karena ketidaktahuan Anda, karena ketidakcermatan Anda, maka bisnis-bisnis sampingan tersebut akhirnya gagal. Padahal uang yang digunakan adalah uang bisnis konveksi Anda yang sebetulnya sudah berjalan baik.
Wah, jika itu yang terjadi, bisa saja bisnis konveksi Anda yang sebetulnya tinggal pengembangan itu terganggu cash flow nya. Dan tidak menutup kemungkinan jika dana yang Anda tarik untuk investasi ke bisnis lain terlalu besar akan membuat bisnis konveksi Anda terancam gulung tikar.
 

TRANSITION TO CONGRUENCE

Transition to Congruence
Times and Seasons - I had the opportunity to attend a conference last week (the Kingdom Economic Summit) and I heard some new ways of articulating this pioneering phase of market place ministry we're currently in. It was encouraging and enlightening.
Hearts are longing for purpose - Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life was prophetic in the sense that it captures a move in the heart's of God's people right now. Believers are hungry to be "congruent" with their gifts, calling and destiny. We are longing to connect with God's plan for the Kingdom and make a difference in our world. Sitting in a pew doesn't do it for Kings.
Where's the local church? - Pastors and local churches are also in a huge transition. The concept of church growth (as opposed to Kingdom growth) has caused the church to become an introverted, preachy, self-perpetuating organization to the point of cultural irrelevance in the US. In the past we joined a the church and signed up for the vision of the house defined by the senior pastor. Ministry was a job that helped the church to run smoothly. Saving souls was the goal, evangelism would grow the church, and revival would reach the world and result in more churches. It's not happening and our approach is failing for basic theological reasons. We were planning to save some souls and go to heaven. We preached a gospel of salvation instead of the gospel of the Kingdom. We forgot about the Kingdom! We abandoned our nation instead of redeeming it. Our job is to disciple nations - that's the gospel of the Kingdom.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations Matt 28:18-19
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations… Matt 24:14
What's Next? - We're not giving up on the local church (although certain aspects of our prior philosophy simply have to die). We need to see the church in the context of the Kingdom. Our goal is to establish His Kingdom on earth; the church is not the end or the goal; she is simply the equipping organ that prepares the saints to take the Kingdom. She should be exporting believers that do exploits in society. Instead of criticizing and abandoning society (Hollywood, the news media, academia, politics, and business) we should be infiltrating them with God's power and anointing. We're called to conquer! We are here to plunder the strong man's house and take back the leadership of these same "mountains" that are currently led by people serving the wrong kingdom.
28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  29 "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. Matt 12:28-29  NASU
What's it look like? - The best recent example of a saint infiltrating an enemy stronghold is Sarah Palin. Regardless of your political views (Republican or Democrat), we all have seen a spirit-filled women upset a national apple cart. She used anointing to touch a nerve in both the politics and the media. It will be a huge firestorm before it's over because she is not submitted to the current strongholds over the media and politics. A modern Deborah was quietly equipped in a local church and is now competing for leadership in a couple of mountains that are currently held by the enemy.
Sarah could have said no to the opportunity. She could have made the same excuses Moses did. But she said "yes we can" and took the leap just like Joshua and Caleb did. God is calling you and I to do the same. Instead of wearing our faith like a bumper sticker, preaching and whining from the sidelines, we are called to get in the fray; to use our anointing to offer better solutions, new ideas, superior creativity, and courageous leadership. We're called to be the head and not the tail. Our destiny is to be at the top of the mountains defining the philosophy that leads every area of society.
Here's the real secret that Sarah has helped us to see. When you allow God to promote you, you are really taking Jesus with you and exalting Him. God get's glory from his Deborah's, David's, Joseph's, and Daniel's. The nations rally to their anointing, the Kingdom of God is expanded, and the Lord Jesus is glorified.
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."       John 12:32-33 NIV
God's plan depends on you becoming "congruent" with your heart's desire and your Kingdom calling. It's an exciting adventure. Your life has more drama than the script of any movie and you are destined to be the hero. Say "Yes Lord!"

APOSTOLIC SAINTS

Apostolic Saints
The Old Wineskin - We've heard a lot recently about seeing apostolic ministries come to the forefront and we've naturally focused on a crop of people that are networking and doing great exploits for the Lord. There are now apostolic conferences and networks breaking new ground. We celebrate those changes and the great vessels God has raised up. However, the guy in the pew often translates or "hears" those exploits and the message into something like this:
"The closest I can come to having a destiny is sending money to someone who really does have one so they can do the work of the ministry."
The New Wineskin - The real Ephesians 4 goal of five-fold pulpit ministries is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. For example, the real measure of an apostle isn't primarily what they have done, but what have their sons done? Have they released any saints into ministry? The Kingdom will be built by saints / Kings and funded from their own prosperity in the market place. Their ministry will be located in the marketplace and the fruit will be seen in the cultural change of cities and nations... not just disciples.
Exhibit A - The best way I make this point is with an example. Duane Smith is a local realtor and friend. He's educated as a civil engineer; soft spoken, thoughtful, conservative, yet willing to follow the Lord where ever. He leads a home group in his church and is occasionally invited to preach in his own church. However, you wouldn't necessarily think of this engineer/realtor as a dynamic speaker or miracle working evangelist. He's really just like you and I. We should admit that he has come under the influence of Howard Ferris; another civil engineer Duane went to college with. They both fund their own missions trips. Neither are sent by a church or an apostle... they just make plans and go! They both work jobs / businesses and use vacations and personal finances to minister. Said another way, they are taking Lakeland to the third world. Although I'm not suggesting we call them apostles, they are both functioning in that anointing complete with the signs following. What's the point?
If they can do it, so can you can you and I. Every willing saint is invited by the Lord to minister at his level. That is the new wineskin.
Duane's story - I (Duane) have received several requests to summarize our recent ministry trip to the Philippines. I will attempt to give a reader digest version, since the volume of what God has done would take several pages. I humbly submit our testimony according to Rom 15:18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through us, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word & deed.
We conducted 3 two-day healing crusade meetings with supernatural results at each meeting. The Philippine people were open and responsive to the gospel and healing faith. There were about 1,000 people who received Christ and hundreds healed. Each night God would back up the simple gospel with attesting miracles to confirm His word. Many deaf received hearing, cataracts & clouded eyes cleared, goiters reduced, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease healed; to name a few. Several testified of being healed in the crowd as the gospel was being presented. Praise God for the simple power of His Word!
One young lady was in the final stages of cervical cancer. She received immediate relief from an oppressive spirit and the pain which was throughout her body. She testified on the second night about being pain free from the cancer and a year of chemo treatments.
One of my favorite miracles was a woman that had given birth 3 months prior, and had not urinated since. Her body was grossly swollen and distorted, skin molted, and eyes clouded. She looked like death warmed over. We prayed and she felt some relief. The following night she returned and testified of urinating last night and having all pain released. We prayed for her eyes and they cleared as we spoke. The interpreter said “her face shown with the glory of God”. This one was snatched from the grave.
The team was awesome, a great mix of gifting, intercession, and ministry. Both Karen & Alison preached the gospel with boldness and clarity. Deann separated the children each night and lead them in the gospel and salvation prayer. Our Philippine host led worship and helped release an environment for expectation and faith.
Prayer time together with the Philippine team was sweet. We prayed and sang together in tongues, worshiped, and broke the powers of darkness each morning for 2-3 hours. The Lord released multiple visions and prophetic direction. The dreams & visions were new to the Philippine pastors. It was a wonderful confirmation of the moving of His Spirit when they began seeing in the Spirit. We all gained an increase of God consciousness and the closeness of the Sprit realm. This was way too much fun!
After the crusades we held meetings at each location with the new believers, teaching them about the Kingdom and the authority of every believer. At the conclusion we had them demonstrate healing to each other with wonderful results. At one meeting I had eight infirmed people come to the front and asked a new believer to pair off with each one. I simply said to the crowd “if the message I have just preached is true, each of these will be healed by the authority of these new believers”. They were instructed to find out the infirmity, lay on their hands, and command the sickness to leave in Jesus' name. All eight testified of healing. One lady had a large goiter that completely disappeared before the peoples eyes. She testified, "I can’t find it any more” as she felt around her neck. (we saw goiters the size of golf balls to volleyballs)     
The Philippine pastors believed that healing was only administered through the clergy, so this was a breakthrough for them also. This again validates the mandate to preach and demonstrate the gospel.
I Cor 2:4-5 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that you faith should not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God.
God is amazing!
The pastor’s conference released the Holy Spirit in demonstration I had not experienced before. We spoke little but focused on worship, repentance, and the release of fears and limitations that keep us bound short of God’s Glory. I am in awe of what God did in breaking the “high ground” of men’s hearts. Their sincere devotion made available an environment for God to work. We had 80-90 pastors and leaders that lay and wept on the rough concrete floor until it was wet with their tears. When joy came, they testified of indescribable visions and presence of the Holy Spirit. Deann danced a prophetic dance that moved us to higher heights. No one left untouched, including each of us.
If you are still with me, I apologize for the lengthy narrative. I have so much in my heart to share. Thank you to those who prayed and help support this outreach. I am deeply thankful for the privilege of sharing life and love with these precious people. Truly Jesus correctly said “the poor in this life are rich in faith”; such treasure in simple packages. Life is good! Blessings Duane, Karen, Alison and Deann.
Duane Smith - Investment Specialist - Realtor®
 
Love,
 
John & Sue  

ANSWERING THE CALL IN BUSINESS

Answering the Call in Business
by Doug Hunter www.fcci.org

Answering the Call, by trusting God, no matter the circumstances.
This is an amazing time to be in business – especially to be a Christian in business. Watching the stock market tumble, feeling the credit squeeze, the back-and-forth of a political campaign where the candidates have dramatically different approaches to the needs of the nation’s economy, on-going global tensions on so many fronts … on and on. You don’t have to look far to find uncertainty…apprehension…anxiety…yes, and fear.

In addition, as a reminder that we are all in this together, David Smick has written a new book entitled The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy. In an obvious play on Thomas Freidman’s The World is Flat, which generally looks at the upside of globalization, Mr. Smick reminds us that there are ramifications to that globalization that we may not always be able to see – because they are beyond the horizon, out of sight – around the curve. Ramifications even now being felt by people, businesses and governments half way around the world following the unexpected failure of one or two major financial institutions here in the U.S.

So why does that make it such an amazing time for us as Christians in business? I would suggest it is because these kinds of global tremors, including those that have not yet come over the curve, that cause all of us – Christians and non-Christians alike – to take a hard look at what we really believe. At the foundation upon which we have been building our lives…and our businesses. Are we going to find biblically based solid rock, or have we been lured onto the same unstable sand that has been so in evidence throughout the business world lately?

At this point, let me assume you are finding rock. Does that mean you and your company aren’t being impacted by challenging economic circumstances? Of course, not. Even buildings constructed on the most solid foundation can suffer damage in a storm, but having confidence in that foundation should have an impact on how you and I view the storm…and even the damage.

For Christians in the marketplace, now is a great time for us to be living in the reality of I Peter 3:15: “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
If you and I are looking for God in our circumstances, trusting in His character as we expect Him to be “working all things together for good” (Romans 8:28), “rejoicing in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4), confident that “He is able to meet all of our needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19), and expecting that “these momentary light afflictions are working in us an eternal weight of glory” (II Cor. 4:17) …not blind to challenging circumstances, but not overwhelmed by them either…not just sitting and waiting for God to do something, but moving ahead and looking for God’s Word to be “a lamp for your feet and a light for your path” (Psalm 119:105) …people WILL ask. They ARE asking. Are we ready to answer? ...strong...of good courage...not afraid...not dismayed...and ready to give the answer so many are needing to hear. May your week be filled with hope - and with questions!
 
Have you and I set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts – and are we trusting Him as Lord in our companies?
 
This is a great time to remind each other that we serve a God who says to us:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:8-9)
 
This truly is an amazing time to be a Christian in the business world

FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

Financial Meltdown: Sin Amok
by Gerald Chester www.strategieswork.com

For the second time in my business career, the government is stepping in to execute a major cleanup of the financial industry.

The first time was in the 1980s. The problem was overdevelopment of commercial real estate funded with loans largely from savings and loans whose deposits were insured by the FSLIC (the savings and loan equivalent of the FDIC). Many times these loans were made for 100 percent or more of the value of the property. This enabled real estate developers and investors to build commercial buildings with virtually no down payment. With little to no requirement for a down payment, many investors without deep pockets were able to obtain loans. After a few years of reckless lending, the commercial market was overbuilt, leading to a glut of vacancies. This meant that the income from most of the properties was inadequate to cover the mortgages. Because many of the investors did not have deep pockets, they were unable to pay the mortgages. The result was a rapid drop in property values and a glut of foreclosures.

This time the problem is residential real estate. During the past decade the financial industry made mortgages using a concept known as an “adjustable rate mortgage,” also known as an ARM. An ARM starts with an interest rate below market. In a few years, the rate is adjusted up to market or, in some cases, above market. It is this adjustment that caused dramatic increases in mortgage payments that many borrowers could not pay. Since many sought to sell their homes to escape the escalating mortgage, the residential real estate market was flooded with houses for sale. As a result it became a buyers market, which drove down the values of the homes causing many people to be unable to sell their homes for enough money to pay off their mortgages. The result was a glut of foreclosures.

For more than a year, the mortgage crisis has impacted the financial markets. Financial institutions participate in the mortgage industry in a variety of ways including securitizing mortgages, buying and selling these securities, and insuring mortgage payments for borrowers with marginal credit. Furthermore, many financial service companies invested in mortgage-backed securities. As a result of these various activities, the financial industry was exposed to the risks of the mortgage industry, which until the summer of 2007 was not deemed to be significant. Today we know differently.

During the past fifteen months, the problems in the mortgage industry have become increasingly evident. For the past year, financial institutions have frequently stated that they did not know the full extent of the impact of the mortgage meltdown. In recent days the picture has become clearer. Three of the top five investment banking firms have failed. The largest mortgage company was barely saved from failure by an acquisition. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, quasi-government agencies, whose charter is to facilitate an orderly secondary market for mortgage paper, were nationalized. And most recently, a leading insurer of mortgages was bailed out by the taxpayers through a loan from the federal government.

The financial crisis is so dire that many people are in a state of near panic. For example, some recent headlines from FastCompany’s daily e-mails were: "China could easily end up owning the lion's share of the US and UK's financial systems" and "We are in the most serious crisis since World War II."

As I am writing this, Congress is debating whether or not to approve new legislation to buy impaired mortgage-backed assets from financial institutions. The effect of this would be to move bad loans from the private sector to the public sector. To allow for this expenditure, the ceiling on the public debt would be raised to more than 11.3 trillion dollars. Also, undoubtedly part of this new legislation would be more regulation of the financial industry.

In the midst of the panic, the blame game is in full swing. Who is to blame? Is it President Bush, lawmakers, government regulators, borrowers, Wall Street, management of the financial companies, or the mortgage industry?

Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson said that the root issue is the irresponsible lending practices of the mortgage industry. Lawmakers blame the president, the mortgage industry, and the regulators. One of the presidential candidates blames everyone. The finger pointing is ubiquitous.

Whoever is to blame, there is plenty of blame to go around. But we need to go deeper than blame. All blame does is identify a scapegoat, which frequently impairs our ability to see the root issue. We need to understand the real root issue. Why did this mortgage meltdown happen?

May I suggest that the root issue is sin? Sin is anything inconsistent with the character and nature of God. Furthermore, the Scripture makes it abundantly clear that sin has economic consequences. For example, note the following:

“Ill-gotten gain . . . takes away the lives of those who get it.” Proverbs 1:19 (NIV)

“The wicked man earns deceptive wages.” Proverbs 11:18 (NIV)

“Ill-gotten treasures are of no value.” Proverbs 10:2 (NIV)

It may seem strange that economics is coupled to sin, but it is. Just read the Old Testament. The nation of Israel was told that if they worshipped God alone, they would be blessed economically and politically; but if they turned from God and worshipped idols, they would be judged with economic and political calamity (see Deuteronomy 28). The Israelites turned away from God and suffered economic and political judgment.

The experience of the Israelites illustrates that sin brings economic calamity. Despite the testimony of Scripture, we wrongly assume that economics has nothing to do with God, but this is a false assumption. Remember that God created everything, including the laws of business and economics. And God has chosen to respond to sin by withholding economic blessings and, in some cases, bringing calamity and judgment. Note the Scripture below:

“The income of the wicked brings them punishment.” Proverbs 10:16 (NIV)

“A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.” Proverbs 17:20 (NIV)

“Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.” Proverbs 20:17 (NIV)

At the root of the mortgage meltdown is sin and sin leads to economic crisis. The sin of the financial industry, the government, and, yes, the American public is great. At the very least, there is greed on the part of the lenders and investors, lust on the part of borrowers, and laziness by regulators.

So what is the solution? Congress will offer sin management as the solution. Sin management seeks to put boundaries on how far sin can go, but does not address the real issue. The real issue is sin in the hearts of people. The solution for sin is Christ.

Therefore the first step is to call everyone to repent and turn to Christ. Repentance means to change the way you think, that is, to change your worldview. All of us need to reject worldly thinking and turn to the Lord. We need to accept the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Then as we grow in Christ, we will increasingly think and act like Christ. As we do this, sin in us, in any form, is progressively and continually eliminated.

Imagine a financial industry managed and operated by people who are Christ-like. These people would be growing in Christ, which means that sin would not have a foothold in them. Such people would be wise, responsible, and prudent about their business practices. Their primary concern would not be their money, but seeking to do what is right before God. Because of their integrity, they would need little regulatory oversight. They would be like the workers mentioned in Second Kings 12:15 of whom it was said, “They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty” (NIV).

The real solution to the current crisis is Christ, because sin does not work. Sin creates economic calamity and poverty. It costs enormous amounts of money to manage and the management of sin is woefully ineffective in the end. Only Christ can free us from sin enough to enjoy long-term success, blessings, and prosperity in God’s universe.

The workplace needs godly men and women doing what they were called by God to do and doing it according to God’s values and principles. We need men and women in America who are being discipled in the biblical philosophy, values, and principles of business.

Imagine if the workplace was filled with spiritual fathers discipling men and women in the ways of God for business. We would find an unprecedented level of success, blessings, and prosperity—all because people rejected the worldly ways of business and repented, turning to God for wisdom and discernment.

Such people would need little sin management, that is, regulatory oversight. We could save the cost of this sin management. But more importantly, disciples of Jesus Christ are the only real lasting solution for the problems of the financial industry and, indeed, for every industry.

And may I add that if our government’s solution to the current financial crisis is simply more sin management, this will fail. Remember that twenty years ago we had a similar problem. The solution that we enacted then was sin management and now twenty years later we are in a very similar financial crisis. So if we repeat our mistake and assume that sin management is the solution, then we can expect another financial crisis in the future.

Let’s spare ourselves another financial crisis by approaching this financial meltdown biblically. Consider the following action items as steps toward a solution, which, I believe, are consistent with a biblical approach:

Call the people of the United States to a day of prayer and repentance.
Strongly urge all organizations (i.e. churches, schools, businesses, etc.) to begin teaching a biblical worldview of business and finance.

Encourage all participants in this crisis to repent and make restitution for ill-gotten gain.

Set up a fund to receive restitution payments and use the fund to help those in genuine need (for example, distressed homeowners who want to align with biblical principles).

Don’t bail out any companies, rather call them to repentance (some will probably fail, this is the short-term pain that we must endure for long-term stability).

Elect public servants who embrace a biblical worldview. and
Require the federal government to be fiscally responsible, including balancing the budget each year and eliminating the national debt.

This approach may seem radical to you, but it is what we need if we want to build a future of success, blessings, and prosperity for our heirs. The reality is that we must embrace God’s ways to prosper in His universe; after all, the only principles that work long-term are His principles.

13 Wisdom Principles For Prosperity in Economic Crisis

13 Wisdom Principles For Prosperity in Economic Crisis
by Joseph Mattera www.josephmattera.org

Introduction
First and foremost, before we even get into the wisdom principles, I want to establish the fact that it is definitely God’s will for Christians to prosper. This does not mean that saints automatically prosper, or that every Christian should become a multimillionaire. But Scripture does teach that we should aim to be in a position financially in which we have more than enough to meet our needs so that we can be generous and aid other people (read Deuteronomy 28:12-13 and the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10).
I. Scripture shows it is God’s will for Christians to prosper
1. 3 John 2: “The Elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” There are some who disregard this passage because they say it is not doctrinal but just a greeting. It is humorous to me how people pick and choose what passages they want to believe and exclude. If we are to exclude this passage because it is a greeting then:
A. We do not believe that all Scripture is inspired of God and reflects God’s will for us.
B. Then the greetings in the New Testament epistles should not be counted as inspired either. For example: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” in Galatians 1:3.
C. If the greetings in the New Testament epistles are to be excluded, then we must say that God does not want to dispense His grace and peace to His people.
2. 1 Timothy 6:5 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
A. Many misinterpret this verse and teach that the Bible says “the love of money is the root of all of evil” but that is not what this teaches. What this verse teaches is that when we put money before God it releases all kinds of evil, as we have seen in the past week, when unbridled capitalism does not work unless it is built upon integrity and ethics between the lender and borrower of mortgages.
B. Loving money has nothing to do with being either rich or poor. I have seen more poor people love and covet money than I have rich people! Many poor people I was with growing up were constantly speaking about how they coveted material things; the rich people that I presently network with are the least covetous of all people I know because they know better than anyone else that money does not satisfy! They are longing for true relationships and purpose in life which alone will satisfy them.
3. 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
A. There are many who teach that this passage is referring to how Jesus died so that we could be spiritually rich.
B. If this passage is referring to Jesus taking our place and redeeming us by making us spiritually rich, then the redemption process had to include Jesus being spiritually poor because redemption was done by Jesus vicariously taking our place. I don’t know about you but the Bible I read never hints that Jesus was ever spiritually poor. He was never in bondage to sin, depressed, fearful, or backslidden. Even when the Father forsook Him on the cross, He kept His integrity and refused to sin with His mouth, mind, and heart!
C. This passage is obviously referring to the fact that Jesus became materially poor. That is not to say that Jesus was in poverty on the earth; He still had a business as a carpenter, had His own house with His parents, and when He launched His ministry He had wealthy people following Him as benefactors (Luke 8:3) and He had so much money He needed a treasurer to keep the money (John 12:29). When He became materially poor it was because He left His glory in heaven and came to the earth, which would be a step down in wealth and material things because even Solomon in all his glory had nothing in comparison to the riches Jesus had in heaven!
4. 2 Corinthians 9:11 says “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.”
A. In other words, God is looking for generous people so he can put wealth in their hands, enabling them to make a difference in this world!
B. There isn’t any less money in this world; it is just being concentrated in the hands of the few who know how to seize an opportunity.
5. The Rich Young Ruler: Mark 10:17-22: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
A. Some misinterpret these verses to mean that Jesus wants us all to sell everything we own and give the money to the poor.
B. Jesus told him to sell everything because he loved money more than he love God, thus violating the first four of the Ten Commandments which Jesus purposely didn’t quote to him in this conversation when He was analyzing his life.
C. Jesus knew that he would be better off without any money because it was an idol in his life.
D. Jesus said it was difficult for a rich person but not impossible.
E. Mark 10:29-30 actually teaches that it’s easier for a Christian to be wealthy than for a wealthy person to be a Christian. Why would He tell us it’s impossible to be a rich Christian if He says in 2 Corinthians 9:11 that He will make us rich to be generous?
F. The disciples were astonished when Jesus said it was hard for rich people to enter heaven, and they even wondered “who can be saved” because of the simple reason most if not all of the Twelve Apostles were already rich and had their own businesses when Jesus called them to follow Him!
G. Mark 10:24-27: “Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.’”
H. According Mark 10:28-30 God’s motive toward the Rich Young Ruler was to make him richer if he would just learn to trust God by faith: “Then Peter began to say to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You.’ So Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”’
6. Do you want to be a Good Samaritan? (Luke 10:30-37)
A. It’s impossible to be a Good Samaritan as told in this story without either using your credit card or having a lot of cash on you.
B. The Good Samaritan put the helpless man up in a hotel for a week, left the inn keeper not just money for the room but for three meals a day, and for medicinal elements to be applied to him (a bill that could run in the thousands today).
C. This shows us that if you are just content to have enough to pay your bills then you are selfish! It’s the rich Christian who can afford to be a blessing!
Broke people can’t help poor people!
7. Is God materialistic? I will go on record as saying that I am very materialistic! I have a house, a bike, cars, jewelry, watches, a washing machine, refrigerator, electricity, a boiler for heat, air conditioners, a back yard to relax in, etc. But, I am materialistic because I take after God, because as the Creator of the universe He is the most materialistic person in the whole cosmos! He is responsible for gold, silver, platinum, all precious stones, etc. He says in Psalm 50 that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and all the earth is His! Not only that, but let’s see what Scripture teaches regarding God’s personal abode:
A. Heaven is paved with streets of gold, walls of jasper, gates of pearl and everyone lives in mansions.
B. Revelation 21:7-21 “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
C. John 14:1-2: God has many mansions in heaven: “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. But I go to prepare a place for you.”
II. Using our money properly
1. 2 Corinthians 9:11: Does not say that we will be made rich so that we can give it all away.
2. 2 Corinthians 9:10: God gives the sower two things:
A. Bread for food: It is with the bread that we need to learn how to use wisdom; some think that we just have to be faithful to God with 10% of our finances, but God has called us to be His stewards for 100% of our money.
B. Seed to sow: know the difference between seed and bread. You shouldn’t sow it all and you shouldn’t eat it all. For example, if you plant a whole apple instead of eating the apple and planting only the seed, you would receive no extra benefit.
C. How do you know what to give if it’s an offering and not a tithe? Eating the apple tastes good but eating the seed tastes weird.
III. Thirteen wisdom principles needed to prosper in economic chaos
Luke 16:8-9; Proverbs 3:13-16
Even though Scripture is clear that God has called His children to prosper, it takes more than just being a Christian for this to happen. It takes much wisdom and obedience to biblical principles. This is especially needed in this day and age of economic instability and chaos.
This past week the focus has been on the economy with many major financial institutions going out of business. This is because of the greed exhibited when banks began peddling sub-prime mortgages--mortgages that were sold to people without checking out their ability to afford their homes.
Years ago, when I got my first house, I had to visit a bank branch that had a person interview me and look at my financials. Nowadays, because the lending institutions sell my mortgage to other institutions, that personal care is gone because the original bank that sold you the mortgage is no longer involved. This lack of scrutiny and integrity, both on the part of the lender and purchaser, has resulted in millions of foreclosures and banks getting stuck with bad debt. The result has been that people are now operating with a spirit of fear when it comes to their future. The following message deals with how Christians should approach this economic crisis.
1. Don’t operate in fear (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:16-18)
A. We can’t adequately hear from God or operate in faith when we are in fear.
B. We can’t properly process things and make correct decisions when we operate in fear.
C. God curses those who trust in man’s economic systems (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
D. Also, in reality much of the fear has been media driven. On drudgereport.com on Saturday September 20 it said: “Dow up 40 points in past month, up 18% past 5 years, up 44% past 10 years.” In other words, when viewing the stock market you have to view its health by looking at the whole picture over a number of years to properly gauge the health and behavior of the system as a whole.
2. Don’t attempt to purchase a house or any other item if you can’t afford it, no matter what your lender tells you and no matter how many credit card deals come your way!
3. Have your money in a bank that has at least an AA rating from Moody’s or Standard and Poor’s. Go online and see what it is rated. Banks that have not been affected by the sub-prime market are still in good shape.
4. If you have more than $100,000, diversify banks so your money is covered under the FDIC.
5. Diversify! This point is based on advice I received from my dear friend Rich Mahler, who serves as one of my financial advisors.
A. Diversify your money unless you are an expert and watch your money every day. Ask the questions, Who are we and what are our goals? Do we need the money for the short term or long term? Diversification is putting at least 10% of your money in real estate, oil, gold, venture capital, futures, rentals, and other alternative investments like these.
B. Also regarding diversification, there are 16 sectors in the market; (technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, etc.). Mimic the Standard and Poor’s 500 as to how they are diversified in the various sectors.
C. Invest in other areas by looking at everything as a whole. We need to have the correct percentages in each area. Stock, bond, and retirement investments should compliment each other based on your risk temperament. Diversify your stock and bond portfolio; in stock portfolio there should be a 3 to 1 ratio between growth funds like Fortune 500 companies and mid-sized companies. Look for a mix between stocks and bonds with 50% in stocks and 50% in bonds. But the bond portfolio should be diversified between A and B rated bonds and long-term, mid-term and short term bonds, and high-yield bonds. Stocks should be balanced in two different categories: regular stocks and those that give dividends.
6. You should have enough in your savings account for emergencies like paying your rent or mortgage.
7. Lower your taxable income by maxing out your 401k, IRA and all retirement plans. You can reduce your annual gross income which reduces your income tax.
8. Never gamble! Never take a chance with money you depend on for your future with high-risk accounts. Be conservative with retirement money but more risky with extra money.
9. Have a life insurance policy that will cover all your debt and leave your family and church money when you pass on. (I am planning on leaving the church at least a quarter of a million dollars in one life insurance policy when I pass on so that after I am dead I am still blessing the church!)
10. Have your houses and assets in a trust fund so that your children can have an inheritance tax free or so that you do not lose your house if you have to go into a nursing home.
A. Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”
B. The inheritance in this context is financial wealth not spiritual wealth because the wealth of the sinner is not godliness but cash!
C. We should have enough so that we can save for our great grandchildren.
11. Practice due diligence! When investing in a house or other asset, get more than one expert opinion and read all the fine print before you sign anything.
12. Budget your money properly.
A. Learn to budget your money and not spend more than you take in.
B. Learn to pay on your credit card as a minimum what you charged to it the past month. Pay a little more than that and then you are just beginning to pay down your debt.
13. Live by faith and entrust God with at least 10% of your money. Read Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” You can be wise in all these other points but if you miss it in tithing you are an unwise person because He controls all the financial markets.
IV. In Conclusion
1. God has called us to be faithful with our finances (Luke 16:10-13).
2. If you are not faithful with small amounts of money God can’t trust you with a lot of money.
3. If you are not faithful with another person’s money then neither will God give you your own.
4. If you are not faithful with other people’s business or property then God can’t give you your own.
5. Treat every apartment like it was your own; treat every place of business as if it was your own. Work with a spirit of excellence as if you were a partner in the company. Have the spirit of an owner, not an employee For example, would you give yourself a raise if you were your boss? Many are constantly making phone calls, sending emails, surfing the internet and playing games when their boss isn’t looking. Highly successful financial companies don’t allow personal communications such as cell phone use, text messaging or emails during work hours.
6. If you are not faithful with money God can’t entrust you with spiritual riches.
A. God promises incredible blessings for those who are faithful in tithes and offerings. Read Malachi 3:8-12; 2 Corinthians 9:7-8.
7. If you are disobedient in regards to finances then you are serving mammon more than God.
A. Psalm 50 teaches that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and all the earth is His. He will never go bankrupt. He has the only economic system that is fail proof. This is why a wise person will always put God first in their financial planning.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR MONDAY

I Can't Wait for Monday
by David Oliver

I don't know who you are this morning. Maybe you are a visitor wondering what on earth is going on, maybe you are feeling great, poised and ready for action. You might be a mum in the home wondering how to make sense and put spiritual value on what you do. Perhaps you are a student at school, college, or university, wondering if there is any point wasting your time on education that seems so far sometimes from Godly purpose and Godly meaning. Perhaps you are a working man or woman frustrated or complacent or longing for something, almost anything, but not sure what. Maybe - and most likely - you are aware that a new sound is coming from heaven and it's a sound that will break the charismatic caste system wide open, a sound for every man, woman, and child in the kingdom of God, and it sounds such that if we have ears to hear, it is getting louder and closer. Wherever you are, with God's help I believe this is for you this morning.

We are asking the question: Where is the River of God? I don't know, but I think it is fairly safe to say it isn't where it was. I don't know exactly where it is but I think I have a reasonable idea, biblically, of where it is going. (Ezekiel 47-- dream etc). I want to say clearly this morning I believe the new wineskin is going to take us to the sea to the unchurched world. Church meetings and gatherings will not be the primary focus of this wineskin. The church all over the world right now is undergoing a new millennium change or reformation. And that reformation will - if we will receive it - turn us inside out so that we become the church, the called out ones, the gathered ones in the workplace - whatever and wherever that workplace is, paid and unpaid homes, colleges, schools, or offices. So this new wineskin is not about defining how we meet, it's about being the church in the place of work. It's about the way we think, think about God, think about what He calls church and think about His world of work. As one person put it recently, it's about 'churching it' in every area of life that we represent here this morning.

Could we repeat three lines together this morning:
• God loves work.
• Work is spiritual.
• God wants me to find Him at work. And in doing so, to un-tether this elusive thing we so often call destiny.
Where are our wings?
Last time I preached here on work we laid a few foundations. Let me please recap on two:
1) Work is not secular. We discovered that there is a stronghold in Western Christianity which views church work as spiritual or sacred and other work as secular. This serpentine deception is a heavy chain and, of course, there is no such distinction biblically. Call it secular long enough (which we have) and that is what it will become (which it has). Work is Godly, spiritual, eternal - if you want more depth or substance the book is here.
2) The charismatic caste system has taught us that staff paid by the church are full time, the rest of us by inference are not. How many here work full time for God? Listen, I love these brothers - they are amongst my closest friends and I honour their sacrificial response to following the leading of the Spirit, but they will tell you if you ask them - and please do - that they are not more full time than every one of us in this auditorium should be. It's you and me I'm after, not them. This heresy puts a horrible burden on them, which we can easily compound, but it puts a paralyzing framework of belief on the rest of us in the church. The phrase full time is used once in scripture in Romans 13:6. It describes a taxman who is said to work full time and who incidentally is described as God's servant. SAY IT PLEASE-----I AM FULL TIME.

The last words of a dying man

When my father died I remember the experience vividly, and I will never forget the things we talked about in those last days. In the same way in the New Testament the last words of the first martyr, Stephen, would have a profound impact. Stephen was almost certainly some kind of business administrator, and just before he died the Holy Spirit anointed him to preach a message summarizing God's dealings with our world.

The early church would never forget those words, and it is one of the few messages we have recorded in full in scripture. It is in these anointed last words of the first martyr that God shows us for all time - how He sees history and shows how much He loves, values and works through men and women in the world of work. He also shows, beyond doubt, that work is Godly, work is significant, work is spiritual, work carries destiny, and working men and women in God change history. Putting it in the terms of our introduction - God's river hits the sea in the place of work

In this message Stephen focuses on three main characters. I wonder if you can remember who they are: Abraham, Joseph, and Moses.

Abraham is the father of the faith for both Jews and Gentiles. You don't get much more spiritual or significant than that. But he accomplished that role as a traveling farmer, a businessman, a landowner, a cattle rancher, and an investor in silver and gold. Every tribe, tongue, and nation will one day stand before the throne of God - every tribe and tongue on the planet, and it will be because of God's promise to a working man.

Joseph's prophetic ministry began in animal husbandry, took him into service in prison management and finally into the highest government office - from which he managed global food supplies at a time of global shortage. His supernatural gifting in the workplace was a key ingredient in the outcome.

Moses was an academic, a nomadic farmer, managing his father-in-law's flocks before finally becoming a national political leader.

LET'S NOTICE A FEW THINGS IN PASSING
• These men were not official priests, Levites or pastors or church staff
• They were not paid by the church of the day
• God used these three working men to change the course of world history for the Jews, the Gentiles & the church
• In each case God used their working environment to shape them and through them - in their place of work - He opened up doors of function and destiny in the Kingdom of God.

God loves work - God loves me at work - God wants to be working with me at work.

Does God still use the world of work to extend the kingdom?

In the book [published by this speaker] we look at 24 of God's heroes or models from scripture who were working men or women. We look at at least 12 authors or contributors of scripture, who were working men and women.

In Hebrews 11, which is the chapter on the heroes of the faith, sixteen people out of the seventeen mentioned, were working men and women. That, brothers and sisters, should inspire us, liberate us, and encourage us.

In the past two decades much of our focus, our measure of value, and most of our resources have centered on church gatherings and church activity. But the Bible is not a book centered on the church in gatherings - it includes that and so should we. The Bible is a book about men and women at work, written in part by men and women at work, and written for men and women at work. Let me illustrate, over Christmas Gill pointed out to me something fascinating about the birth of Jesus. Where did Almighty God choose to reveal His Son's birth? He chose working men and women from both ends of the working system. He sent angels to lowest income agricultural workers, the shepherds. He also sent supernatural revelation to high-income flexi-time consultants in the form of the wise men.

In the book of Acts alone, God uses a value added retailer, a paid soldier, a high end fashion dealer, an international finance minister, a prison warden, and two people in manufacturing together with five apostles who worked a mixture of part and full time in paid employment. This was given to us as the New Testament model for church planting. As we move as Salt and Light into Europe, we would do well to remember this model as nations like France treat our kind of approach as a cult, and resist the cultural upheaval that history has taught them they are likely to encounter.

Having said all that, I have some questions to ask you this morning in relation to five well known scriptures.
1) Habakkuk 2:14--- For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. How many believe that? Let me ask you how will that be done? Will it be done through church meetings? There is only one way that can be done, and that is through working men and women.
2) Ephesians 1:23 - The church is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all . How will His body fill all in all? Is it possible to fill all in all in church gatherings? So then stay with me, how are we going to fill all in all? In the place of work.
3) If Ephesians 4:4, 11-12 fold ministries are to equip the saints for works / service - where will those works of service be?
4) If Ephesians 2:10 is right and God has good works which He prepared in advance for us to do - where will those good works be done?
5) In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says, 'let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and so glorify my Father in heaven’ - where will those good works be?
Brothers and sisters, I want us to see clearly today those good works, those good deeds, those works of service, filling all in all, God's glory covering the earth - cannot possibly be in church meetings. They can only possibly take shape in one place and that, ladies and gentlemen, is our place of work wherever that may be. Paid or unpaid - servant or free, ladies in the home, young people in school, college or university, the rest of us in our market, our factory, our office, our hospital, our court room. Wherever God has placed us on his earth, His plan and His will is for us is to fill that place with His presence and glory. And in that place, God has works of service, and good works already prepared for us to do. Like the lover in Song of Solomon, Father is waiting with His Spirit at our workplaces on Monday morning - longing for a loving intimacy that will engage the workplace whatever that is for you. As faith begins to rise in us, as our eyes open to the longing in God's heart to put value in our work place, to put significance for everyone of us in the work place - we may just begin to see our work as God sees it created for us from the beginning, and the most spiritual activity we can engage in if it's done for Him, with Him, through Him and for Him. Work is wonderful, Godly, and eternal.


Daniel, a real example for us in a real world.

Read Daniel 1:5-20

The first thing we learn from Daniel's life is that he wasn't in the ideal environment. It wasn't his choice, and in many ways it was a sad start. Daniel was taken captive in his teenage years and sent to a foreign land, with a foreign language, foreign culture, foreign food and even a foreign name, which I suspect he was not keen on! I want to say to us all today, rich or poor, man or lady, slave or free, our upbringing, our background or our status doesn't have to be a barrier to God moving through us. The same is true of our parents' treatment of us, or our business success or failure.

Some of us today have missed God's destiny in our lives because we have ruled out His work in us on account of our background, our marriage, our history, our family. Maybe some of you are in a situation - work, home, cultural, or a location which is not your choice. Some of you ladies have ruled yourselves out because of your gender.

In the dark and lonely moments which I am sure Daniel had, he lost his parents - probably forever - and he could so easily have questioned the will of God. He could have blamed his parents; he could have blamed God, and become angry or bitter. He could have chosen despair and helplessness. He could so easily have questioned his ability to fulfill his destiny. ' God, how can I fulfill your destiny for my life in this place - in this circumstance?'

But not Daniel, he knew that his circumstance was not a hindrance to the kingdom of God, but that rather this was the very place in which the kingdom was going to be fulfilled and expressed. Daniel was not looking for somewhere else for his full time ministry. Daniel was not looking for the way out of his family, location, work or cultural circumstances - he was actively believing that the Kingdom of God was going to be extended by His God.

Daniel believed, and acted on the belief, that God was big enough to extend the Kingdom through him right there. Daniel understood God's value on his place of work - even though he had no choice. Whatever our circumstances we have the same choice. One film used this phrase, ' they saw themselves as victims and thus they became the victims'. Whatever your circumstances, family, parents, spouse, children, cultural, health - are we seeing ourselves as victims? Because if you and I are, that is what you and I will become.

If we settle the issue that our home, our study, or our place of work is the calling of God, we can reach out positively in faith for the anointing. If we see work as spiritual, as our prime place of function and destiny - then let us call on the Holy Spirit and believe that His power, His gifts, His anointing will fill us and our work supernaturally.

What can we learn from Daniel?

Daniel 1:8 tells us that Daniel resolved not to defile himself. That was his starting point, not his conclusion. His beginning and not the sum total. But it serves as an important starting point. I have no doubt God wants His disciples in the workplace, and the starting point is I will not defile myself.

What does that mean for you? I don't know, perhaps it has to do with money. Perhaps it has to do with friendships or relationships - perhaps it has to do with stealing or cheating from our employers. Perhaps employers or friends want us to do something that is not right. Some shady deal, and that Godly resolve needs to be our starting point.

For ladies in the home - what is your godly resolve? Attitude, the gender issue, settling the victim issue. Maybe it's none of these but it is settling the issue of God's value and the true spirituality of what you do. Do you see your work as pointless, or do you see and feel it as high service to Him? How you see it is what it will become.

But the problem for Christians is that that is where it stops. We might have a calendar, with a text on our desk - we don't laugh at dirty jokes, and people have learned not to blaspheme around us, and we occasionally get to share the gospel. But there is more and I want to say prophetically this morning God has more.

Daniel's resolve was not a case of hanging on till he found something spiritual. He wasn't holding on in the so called secular world, waiting to do something in the church.

Something wonderful was being released. His godly resolve was like the ignition key in the car turning. It was necessary to start the motor, but his faith in the God of work starts to press down on the throttle, and his expectation puts the gear stick in drive, and Daniel is away on a high speed drive with destiny which was going to impact every area of his working life and produce scripture in our hands this morning, 2600 years later.

Brothers and sisters, the God of Daniel is the same yesterday, today and forever. That same God loves you and loves you in your place of work. That same God wants you and I - everyone of us here - to walk in his ways, walking in His good deeds and discovering his works of service everyday in the places where we work. It doesn't matter where you and I work.

God is saying to us today - let the chains fall off, let the clutch go down, let the throttle engage, let the gears click in and let's ride the vehicle of my love, my destiny, my deeds, my works of service - whatever your place of work. Amen!
• Where is God when we are at work?
• What is he doing?
a) Loving
b) Organizing
c) Processing

Oh may God open our eyes to the wonder of his presence at work. Let me ask another question, is God more real in this meeting this morning, or at work on Monday? The answer depends totally on what we believe. But you know what Daniel believed! 'I will never leave you...' means never. 'Be constantly being filled with the Spirit' means first thing Monday morning and the rest of the week - not just in a one-off Sunday evening encounter.

My prayer today is that God will open our eyes to the wonder, the joy, the liberation of His presence in our place of work. If we can see it together, brothers and sisters, faith will start to burn in you and me and we will be desperate to get stuck in on Monday mornings! God loves Monday mornings.

We can even discover a new intimacy with God at work. Where did Adam have his richest place of fellowship with God?----The garden. What was the garden? It was his place of work. God loves work and loves us at work so much he wants to have intimacy with us and meet with us in the work place.

Ladies in the home - I believe God wants to change your name. Proverbs 31 calls you household managers, so feel free to give yourself a business card with your new title on it. Maureen & Jeanette with Rose working in twos and threes in each other's homes. The church at work in the home.

During your day, you can find intimacy with God. He's there and He wants you to know it. Let's reach out and meet Him, shall we, in our places of work?

Now God caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel. (Daniel 1:9)

Notice it says God caused it to happen! At work as in life, there are seasons. It's a struggle and a strain to keep asking God, 'what is my destiny, what is my calling?' It's a lot easier to say: what is God doing where I am? And then we can work with God at what he is doing. As we work in partnership with God let's expect God to cause things to happen and let's be on the look out for them.

Later on in the book of Daniel it's clear that he wasn't always in favor. Seasons change. It helps to keep an eye open for what God is doing and line up with that!!

To these four young men, God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning and wisdom: and Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. (Daniel 1:17)

Notice the wonderful blend here of human knowledge and learning, and supernatural gifting and manifestation. In your college unit or work place God is interested and committed to helping us with research, reading, and study. And if we will believe it today and reach out for it today - as we apply ourselves to literature and learning - God will give us knowledge and understanding. Whatever your job today, models of best practice, strategies and insights move at a rapid pace, for example:
• It used to take 108 men five days to unload a ship, today it takes 8 men 1 day • It is believed that within 10 years 90% of white collar jobs will be destroyed or reconfigured beyond recognition. •

Business strategies used to be revised every 2-3 years, now every 2-3 months. God's people - if they would only see it - are incredibly well equipped for such a task. We have been taught the Word of God and its principles are firmly rooted in us. We have within us an eternal source of wisdom and understanding - and as we apply ourselves to literature and learning in our fields - God will give us knowledge and understanding. He will open our minds and help our memories. In England we have crash troops called the SAS. It takes 120 armed soldiers to take out 4 of our SAS troops, and it costs around £1 million to train each troop.

All the changes exploding around us in the world of work are calling for the crack troops of this generation. I believe we, the church, hold the people and hold the answers, hold the way forward and hold hope - just as Daniel and his friends did. We really could be the SAS of the working world, if we could see and believe in the training we already have. We are the prepared ones. We understand Biblical truths - which incidentally work in the world of work, and of all the people on the planet we are probably the best at it. Where is the new generation of men and women young and old, who will serve the kingdom of God in our state schools? Where is the new generation of nurses and doctors?

A manager from KPMG recently said to me - 'What we really want is your knowledge.' Brothers and sisters, God is interested in what you read and learn, and is very likely to supernaturally increase your knowledge and understanding. Chris Lever 15 years ago was a PR teacher in this hall. He heard heaven's sound and dared to believe in the favour of God. Dared to believe God could give knowledge and understanding. Today much to his surprise, he is programmer director at Europe's leading management school, Cranfield.

Ladies in the home - home may be your only place of work. I know lots of ladies who say they can't really read - but watch what happens when God gives you knowledge and understanding.

Of course it wasn't just wisdom and knowledge, it was also visions and dreams. The supernatural at work. It will not be visions and dreams for all of you. It will be whatever spiritual gifts God has given you for working in the work place. You have heard us say before: Jesus operated in these gifts and for every one time He operated in the church meeting context, he operated 5-10 times in other areas of life. Whatever your gifts God has given you and me, use those gifts wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

THE END RESULTS

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the others.

Could we dare to believe this morning that God would make us ten times better than all the others?

Back to the book of Daniel, for something powerful, releasing, hope inspiring, relevant is being recorded here for us some 2600 years later. A pregnant word for our generation of working men and women. That is that the God of heaven invests his working men with a righteous destiny wherever they are, whatever their working environment. The God of the kingdom within us can stir up and release knowledge, understanding, learning of all kinds, and blend that with a supernatural dimension - in Daniel's case dreams and visions of all kinds - for you and me this morning it may be something else.

This active faith filled believing spirit in Daniel had incredible impact on him, his colleagues, on the nation, on its kings and leaders, and on the international scene. It had cosmic implications and ultimately eternal implications. There are many here right now for whom those words or the concepts behind them resonate in your hearts today. We know this is how it should be, and deep down in the last few years a few have dared to dream that it really could be like that for me.

There is a sense in which every one of us in this room has more than Daniel and his pals had. If Daniel could do it with his pagan and probably Masonic boss, with occult practitioners as peers and managers, and without worldwide move of the Holy Spirit, then maybe just maybe we could.

It is time to settle the issue. Time is short and our lives are short. Why do I do what I do? Am I in it because it is easy? Am I in it because of the money it makes? Am I in it because years ago God took me there? Am I in it for myself, adding God to what I want to do? Or am I in it because I am confident it is where God has placed me for now? It is time to settle the fact. My work is not an accident, it is where God has called me, and it is where He has placed me. Lady working hard in the home, student factory worker, office worker, medical worker, entrepreneur. Are we doing whatever we are doing because we are disciples and this is where he has led us? If that is our primary motivation above all the others then we will bring pleasure to God and release His power. If we have settled the issue, if we know we are called of God, if our motives are pure, then we can legitimately expect God to anoint us, expect Him to move and our faith and expectation levels can grow.

I want to encourage us to find a place of faith - faith for our jobs, our homes, our study and our projects. I want to encourage us to see work as God sees it - a high calling, valid, valuable, and highly spiritual.

I want us to have the peace and joy that come with knowing that we are in the center of God's will - not just as a stop gap. I want to urge, encourage, and stir us to find faith at work. Daily faith, long term faith now. We have heard it said so many times, without faith it is impossible to please God. Can we find it? Can we feel the fresh wind of God blowing hope, anticipation and faith once more?
Faith to believe that this current outpouring of His Spirit wants to flow as the Ezekiel river into our homes, our hospitals, our classrooms, our offices, our factories, our shops, armed forces and consultancies. Faith for you teachers and medics. Faith for you students and household managers. Faith to believe that God can and, in fact has, planned to use me in the process. Faith to believe that I am where He has placed me. Faith to break out of my self-imposed prison and see work as God really sees it - a high calling and a pleasure to the heart of God. Faith to be the church at work.

Like Daniel - whatever my circumstances, whatever my past or present pain.

AFFIRM, COMMISSION, ENCOURAGE

Daniel three times a day got down on his knees and prayed giving thanks, praying and asking God for his help.

How many would like to pray an extra hour each day? It's easy. Find four areas each day and pray for 5 minutes in each, and do it like Daniel three times, e.g. ladies brushing hair, washing dishes, sweeping, making dinner, or over tea or coffee, in the bus, or car, over lunch, or snacks, or in the bathroom.

Remember God in everything you do
David is the author of Work, Prison or Place of Destiny? (Word Publishing & Authentic Publishing, UK), and is the associate director of the Marketing Guild in Great Britain and senior partner of 'Insight Marketing'.

MANAGING FINANCIAL STRESS

Managing Financial Stress
by Gerald Chester www.strategieswork.com

Between the escalation in the cost of energy and the meltdown of the mortgage industry, the economy is under substantial pressure. Consequences of this type of economic situation are predictable. Layoffs and bankruptcies increase. Sometimes stronger companies acquire weaker ones. And cash flow becomes more challenging as companies struggle to hold on to their people and financial resources, hoping for better times.
One of the major symptoms of cash flow problems is slow pay. Most companies that extend credit to customers specify payment terms, such as “net 30.” This means that the full amount of the invoice is due in 30 days. Companies that extend credit are generally capitalized to carry receivables in accordance with their terms. When the collection of receivables goes beyond the standard terms, the company holding those receivables normally experiences financial stress.
As the economy slows, companies tend to be slow in adjusting because they don’t know how severely they will be impacted. To use an engineering metaphor, companies tend to get behind the power curve. And as engineers know, once you are behind the power curve, it is very difficult to get ahead of the curve. This reality is true in the financial world as well.
Companies tend to fall into cash flow problems and linger in that state. Delaying vendor payments is a common way to deal with this stress. Delay in payments creates cash flow stress for the vendors, which causes the vendors to slow pay their vendors. As a result, financial stress is propagated throughout the economy.
Issuing credit to customers is an established business practice, particularly in North America. This practice works best during stable economic times and in cultures that embrace biblical values. When the economy or the values fail—or both—the practice becomes problematic, particularly for small companies that tend to be thinly capitalized.
In recent years, the credit industry has grown and become more organized. Credit card companies have expanded beyond consumer credit to business credit. Consequently, in many cases companies can ask customers to pay via credit card, which puts the credit risk on the credit card companies. Clearly, this is a wise move, particularly for small businesses.
But many companies are already exposed to credit risk, so what should a company do that experiences financial stress associated with slow pay? May I offer a biblical worldview on this issue? Consider five key points.
First, the management team should gather together for a time of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord for all of His goodness and grace in both their personal lives and toward the company. Meditate on Scripture, such as Psalm 100. Reflection on the goodness of God is a wonderful way to get re-focused and re-centered on the Lord.
Second, the management team should engage in a time of prayer. Reflect on a text such as Philippians 4:6–7:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
Ask the Lord to give the management team a revelation of the reality of this text—to set aside anxiety and pray with a thankful heart. Then let peace be an indicator that you are aligned with God.
Third, remember that in God’s universe spiritual reality and physical reality (i.e., money and other physical resources) are coupled. For example, when Israel disobeyed God, one of the consequences was economic calamity (Deut. 28:47–48). The reverse is also true, namely, obedience to God leads to economic blessing (Deut. 5:33). Therefore, physical reality, such as cash flow challenges, is coupled to spiritual reality. So what spiritual reality is driving the cash flow problem? Ask the Lord to reveal to you why there is a cash flow problem. You can break this question down into a number of more specific questions to ask the Lord, for example:
Do we properly understand the Kingdom of God in the context of business? (Matt 6:33)
Do we operate the business righteously? (Matt. 6:33)
Do we recognize God’s provision? (Matt. 6:33)
Is there sin in the business? (Remember Achan in Joshua 7.)
Do we need to repent of some sin? (Acts 2:38)
Have we sown bad seeds in any of our business practices? (Gal. 6:7)
Could this be judgment on our community or nation for rejecting God? (Deut. 28:47–48)
Is this an enemy attack? (Eph. 6:10ff)
As you pray, you may discern that there is a confluence of factors impacting your situation. Ask the Lord for wisdom to respond to each of these factors.
Fourth, remember that God is always sovereignly working everything together for good for His people. The word good is a divine attribute (Matt. 19:16–17), which means that God is always working to bring everything in alignment with Himself. This is the apostle’s teaching in Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)
No matter how challenging the situation gets, God is still at work accomplishing His purposes, even in the direst of situations, such as, in Job’s testing. Job lost his children, his worldly assets, and his health. But in spite of the calamity, God was working all things together for good. In the end Job realized that God was using difficult circumstances to take him to a deeper level of revelation about God. Job articulates this lesson in Job 42:5:
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. (NIV)
Given the sovereignty of God, we must learn to recognize that all things are working together for good. In this we can and should rejoice.
And fifth, ask the Lord for the grace of contentment regardless of what happens. Note what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11–13:
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 . (NIV)
Contentment is a wonderful gift. It enables us to endure hardship, difficulty, and challenge without undue distress and frustration.
Managing financial stress is a spiritual activity requiring fervent prayer, honest self-reflection, and a biblical perspective.
Clearly, it is wise to avoid credit risk if at all possible. But if you have credit risk and are experiencing cash flow problems, turn to the Lord. Apply the suggestions in this article seeking to understand and respond appropriately to the underlying spiritual reality. And may the Lord give you peace and contentment to know that He is working through the situation for your good