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… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him… that you may know… what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places… Ephesians 1:17-20
God intends to exercise His mighty power toward those that believe. Think about that for a minute. We are talking about the same power that He exercised in raising Jesus Christ from the dead! Who in their right mind would ignore such an offer – the exceeding great power of God in their personal, family and work life?
This leads us to a couple of important questions: Why aren’t we seeing more of God’s power in the Workplace? What can we do as Leaders in the Workplace to experience that power in our spheres of influence?
In this lesson, we will explore two sources of God’s power for ministry in the Workplace: Unity and prayer. Both are particularly important in our efforts to make disciples God’s way. Both may be familiar topics. My prayer is that you will not allow your familiarity to get in the way of God’s encouragement to you for the power that can be found in them.
It is the desire of His heart for you to walk in His power for ministry in the Workplace. He has put that desire in your heart, as well. Let’s go find it! Read the rest of this entry »
Every Christian should be grateful for, and be willing to share, their testimony of God’s mercy, grace and faithfulness. I like the idea of developing our testimony in a form that can be shared in the workplace (e.g., brochure, post card, and video). I believe God will multiply our investment in such a kingdom offering.
As you are developing your testimony, I want to encourage you to consider something more than the testimony of your past. Consider that the promises of God for your future are as real and true as anything He has done in your past. Much of what God has done for you is still being worked out in your life. You are a work in progress.
This may sound strange to you. It may be different to the point of uncomfortable. I encourage you; allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you in this. I believe you will find that the promises of your “future testimony” will be even greater than the ones of your past – as powerful as that testimony has been. Here are a few verses for your consideration and meditation:
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Corinthians 3:18
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:5-6
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1Corinthians 2:9
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
The promises of God are the destiny of those that believe; and that is the first key. Faith (believing) comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. God has many words for you; words of destiny and promise. Are you hearing? Are you investing the time necessary to know His voice?
Once the promise of God is heard, faith will rise up in your heart. At that point, the faith must be worked out; because faith without works is dead. This is the second key. This means living in the truth of the word you have heard. It means doing what the Master has said. Are you a bondservant of Jesus Christ? Are you willing to do whatever He would say to you? Have you committed your time to His will for His kingdom?
God bless you with the grace to invest your time wisely; that you would hear and do the sayings of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob Streetman – President, inLight Consulting, Inc.
The following are my (rather raw) notes from a meeting that was organized to hear from God on the question, “How do we spiritually prepare for the coming storm?” I strongly encourage you to read them prayerfully; with spiritual determination and discipline to hear what God would say to you (not every word is for every person). Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; but faith without works is dead. You are responsible for your response to what you hear the Lord say in this exercise. Please let me know what you are hearing; it may be something that we all need to hear. Read the rest of this entry »
A search for “disciple-making” on ChristianBook.com returns 311 resources. Just imagine, if you read one “disciple-making” book a week, it would take you six years to complete your research. At the end of those six years, you would likely discover that ten or twelve more had been written… and you might decide to write one yourself.
We do not lack for resources when it comes to the Great Commission. So what’s gone wrong? Why is it taking so long for us to complete the primary task that Jesus Christ gave to us – over 2000 years ago?
We are failing in Jesus Christ’s Commission because we are going about our assignment in a most unproductive way. It is by grace that we are given a part in God’s story. To play a part, we must see His plan from His perspective; and realize that He has His own way for getting things done. His ways, though sometimes uncomfortable, are the best ways. His ways produce supernatural results.
Similarly, discipleship without Christ will not produce a Christian. Jesus will only involve Himself in the ways of His Father. He called twelve men to follow – that He might make them into disciple makers. During the three and a half years He spent with them, He was used of His Father to do the very thing that He would commission them to go and do.
Some call it mentoring; others, coaching. The Bible calls it “making disciples”. It is the process God has prescribed for our participation in the work He is doing.
This lesson prepares the disciples of Jesus Christ to make disciples in the most impactful way – the way Jesus did it. In this lesson, we will discover just how involved Christ is when we surrender and sacrifice ourselves to disciple making God’s way. Read the rest of this entry »
If you had your head in the sand, would you know it? We are such busy people these days. We are bombarded with information, whether we want it or not.
I find it way too easy to cruise through my day without really noticing what is important. Am I the only one?
I have a strong suspicion that many of us, and many more in our spheres of influence, are distracted by the world; so much so, that we are missing much that God has given us eyes to see and ears to hear. Most of the time, this is a subconscious action to avoid bad news. Sometimes, it is intentional.
Most don’t want to see the picture or hear the story about the persecuted young girl. Most don’t want to think about the decline of society. Most would say that they have enough to worry about.
Let me share the truth with you – in love. What I have just described to you is a form of deception. The problem with deception: When you are deceived, you don’t know it. That is the nature of deception. Consequently, it is best to assume – or at least be suspicious – that we are being deceived in some way or another. It is one reason why we need to find true Christian community.
On the other hand, the Body of Jesus Christ has the ability to discern the times; and the responsibility to share the truth with others. People in your spheres of influence may not be able to hear, or understand, what you have been given to say; but, they will remember – when the time is right – that you knew something that they did not. They will want to know more.
Sharing the revelation we have been given is our responsibility as ambassadors of Jesus and agents of His reconciliation. It is being salt and light to a needy world. It is being instruments and weapons of righteousness for God’s kingdom. It is loving people with the truth.
Workplace Ministry Tip: So, I encourage you – for God’s sake – to force open your ears and eyes, to bravely search out the signs of the times, and to boldly share what you are hearing and seeing. Do so with everyone in your spheres of influence. I commit to do the same.
Let me know how I can help you be a Watchman for the LORD, and His people.
Humbly yours and forever His,
In America, we have grown up with the philosophies of a “democratic republic”. It has been a great political experiment. Regrettably, it has created a cultural mindset that makes it difficult to live in a healthy relationship with God.
In God’s kingdom, there is no “of the people, by the people, for the people”. The King has the only and final vote. He is the one that determines and executes mercy and justice. Our rights are what He determines them to be.
For the rebellious, this is an unacceptable situation. And that is exactly what got us into this mess. The first sin was not disobedience, it was outright rebellion. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they decided that they should determine what was best for themselves. They decided that they would become the captains of their ship. They mutinied, and all was lost (for a time).
Then God sent Jesus Christ to the earth. Why would He do such a thing? Why would He subject His Son to the humiliation, persecution and pain? What was His primary mission?
Most in the Western church have been taught to believe that He was sent to save mankind from hell. We call it, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ” – the good news of man’s salvation.
Man’s salvation is good news; but it is not the gospel that Jesus came to preach.
Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” Luke 4:42-43
Notice that Jesus was not sent to preach the gospel of man’s salvation. The salvation of man is the smaller part of God’s eternal plan; something of a necessary sidetrack. First, there is the kingdom.
Now is a good time to remind ourselves that His story is more about Him than it is about us. Believe it or not, God had a much bigger mission for His Son: The plan to take back the throne of mankind’s heart; to take back His kingdom. Read the rest of this entry »
If the Lord has encouraged you to start a ministry to the Marketplace Leaders in your fellowship, workplace or community, then the following letter is for you. It was sent to Felipe Bernal, a business owner and leader of Marketplace Ministry at his church in Bogota, Colombia. Felipe is using The Map Maker to encourage, edify and equip the church staff and a core group of business leaders in disciple making and community transformation.
My hope is that you will use the following to explore, with God, the plan He has for you to lead leaders into a great adventure. I can assure you that the end of the journey is joyful, Spirit-filled ministry. Please let me know if you desire my help; and please allow me a few clarifying points before you begin the letter:
- Marketplace Ministry is more than ministry in the business arena. The Marketplace is defined as the place where people work;
- Leaders in the Marketplace include everyone that has a sphere of influence: From School Superintendents to Teachers, from Business Owners to Frontline Managers, from Sheriffs to Deputies, etc.
- There are a number of different approaches to Marketplace Ministry. Let the Lord lead you to the right one; let me know if I can help.
Now for the letter.
It is ironic that the most obvious thing can be the very thing we get wrong. If someone were to say, “The story is about Him”, we would all nod our heads. Of course the story is about Him; it’s His story. But is that the way we live our lives here in the Western church?
No one would say, “The story is about me.” Right?
What about, “The story is about us?”
Now we are getting a little closer to the truth; I mean the truth about ourselves. Think about it.
Why did we pray that first prayer? Why do we continue praying? Is it for God, or is it for us? Be honest with yourself. What is our motivation for reaching the lost, and serving those in need? Is it for Him, or is it for them? Who is it about?
I think you understand where I am going with this, but let me say it clearly: The church in the West has become self-centered. Consciously or subconsciously, with intent or not, we have come to think, believe and act like the story is about us. It is time we shook off this deception and began living like the story is about Him. Read the rest of this entry »
Business is built and sustain on relationships. Good hires, synergistic partnerships, mutually beneficial deals/sales. Discernment is needed – from two perspectives. The most commonly understood is our discernment of the other person’s façade. We all have them – consciously or subconsciously. Few are totally transparent.
Less understood is affect of our own paradigms: The way we view the world and the people in it. Upbringing, fears (real and false), preferences, personality and a dozen other factors affect our initial impressions of other people. Failure to correct faults in our filter make understanding the value (or danger) of someone else more difficult.
Here’s a good place to start:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24
Marketplace Ministry Tip: The end of the year is a good time to assess your business plan, your resources, etc. How about your relationship filter? Could you use a little adjustment in the way to view other people? Ask God for an in depth yearend review.
Share the truth; it will make someone free.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Those that find the will of God in good works walk in the empowering grace of God – the supernatural power and resources of the kingdom of heaven. They experience the God glorifying work of Matthew 5:16; and the “more than” works of John 14:12. In good works, the signs and wonders of the kingdom bear witness to the gospel of His grace (Acts 14:3).
This is the normal Christian life; for every child of God, and for those called to lead them. It is a tragedy that so many have chosen to settle for less. The purpose of this series is to encourage, edify and equip Marketplace Leaders (and those in their spheres of influence) to search out, discover and walk in such an adventure.
In Part 1, we learned that the “good” of good works is far more important that the “works” themselves. In Part 2, we began searching out the Scriptures that describe good works and the challenges we face in our attempts to walk in them. Here in Part 3, we will conclude with an exploration of God’s provision, our preparation, and His ultimate intention for good works.
God’s Provision for Good Works
Have you ever considered that Jesus could have died, been buried and rose again in less than a week? That is all the time it would have taken for Him to accomplish what many believe to be His only mission. So why was He about the Father’s business for more than three years? It is simple: Because death, burial and resurrection was not His only mission. Read the rest of this entry »
inLight Adventure 