Kingdom Paradigms

Financially Interdependent

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , ,
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” 1 Peter 4:10 ESV

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One of the most challenging business decisions to make is accepting God’s offer of joining Him in his work. Until then, we operate under the illusion of self-sufficiency. Especially those of us who are wired with specific talents and abilities to capture the economic opportunities in the marketplace.

This is generally why a person is not satisfied with his first million or billion; or the person seeking intimacy through more sexual conquests; or the parent that feeds their internal self-image through the accomplishments of their children manipulating them for his or her personal desires rather than what is best for them.

Generally because of an internal motivation usually caused by some traumatic event early in life, we are driven to pursue a course thinking that the outcome will satisfy our inner hunger. However after we arrive, we find our self still hungry or hurting. Then in our blindness we continue for more, thinking it is because we don’t have enough that we still hunger and hurt.

Only after a person comes to the realization that God owns it all and only lends us resources for our good AND for the good of others, will we appreciate the vastness of His domain and influence in our life. The Bible reiterates that God owns it all. That as children working in the family business under His domain, we acknowledge his authority in our life. We gladly provide the hands and feet in joint partnership with his resources to serve, to grow, and to flourish with others under the domain that he has given us.

That domain may just be one person. Or that domain may be a family; or an organization, community, or national chair. No matter the size of our responsibility, when the realization we are in a joint venture working with the King of Kings to restore this planet to His original intent, accountability takes on a greater meaning than just satisfying ourselves.

When money comes before God, Houston has a problem (as NASA would state). When God is there only to serve your money dilemmas, Houston has a problem. However, when we accept our role in the Kingdom of God as a bond-servant to the Lord, we are glad to offer our services to further His purposes. We are thankful for the opportunity to express the talents and abilities He has bestowed upon us for His glory.

At the end of day, we acknowledge that all the wealth, treasures, and bank accounts are his. We are only his stewards. We provide the hands and feet, he provides the resources. Together we share a life experience. We of course get the best side of the deal as He gladly bestows His grace upon us for his namesake.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married

Selfishness or Self-Interest?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms, Life in Christ , ,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31 ESV

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Somewhere we may have forgotten the difference between selfishness and self-interest.

Jesus stated that we are to love our neighbors as our selves. Yet we are told not to be self-centered. How can one be interested in the self without being self-centered?

Simply defined: self-interest is recognizing that the self is a person, made in the image of God, and is important in God’s domain.

Selfishness on the other hand, is when we only recognize our own personal desires and needs without taking into account the interest of others.

Without the protection of self-interest, we become pawns manipulated by others. Even Jesus said that we are to be harmless as doves but as wise as serpents when dealing with the world.

Without the Spirit of God, a person generally behaves with their personal agenda the center of life. With the Spirit of God one begins to view life from the others perspective. That includes God’s view and the people around us.

We begin to realize that all have been justified through the life and death of Jesus. That we can be a witness for others. We can work with the Spirit for the sake of others as they learn to accept Jesus as their Boss. Until then and thereafter, we are to be concern with our brothers and sisters. We are to take care of them as we want others to take care of us.

As children of God’s Kingdom, we are to follow the lead of the Spirit in our life. We are to include God and others in our decisions. And when push comes to shove, we deny ourselves for God’s glory and for the sake of others. It is not all about me. It is about God, others, and me.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married

Idols

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , ,
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 ESV

idols 1

What makes something an idol? Why is an idol so destructive in your life? Or is God simply on an ego trip?

Setting aside any religious understanding you may have on idols, let’s look at it from a practical point of view.

What was the first idol that appeared on the world scene? Would you believe it involved an archangel. The Bible states that God created Lucifer more beautiful than any other angel. However, rather than show gratitude to God and walk humbly with Him, Lucifer began to look at himself. He basically began to look at himself as superior to God. His pride turned himself into an idol. The result was a failed coup of heaven and banishment from authority within God’s domain.

What was Adam’s and Eve’s sin? Didn’t Eve make the forbidden fruit an idol? Rather than spend more time with God or Adam in developing their relationship, her focus became the fruit. Upon the Serpent’s temptation, she allowed the idol to supplant her relationship with The Lord. Like Satan before her, she wasn’t satisfied in keeping the relationship between her and The Lord in place. She was created to be like God, but limited in her physical attributes. She wanted more. She wanted to be more like God and took circumstances into her own hands to make it happen. She wasn’t going to wait for God to bring it about in his way and schedule. Her idol became her Achilles heel.

An idol is simply anything that comes before God. Generally speaking, idols really don’t exist anywhere but in our hearts and mind. Whatever takes the place of God in our worship, love, and passion is a candidate to become an idol. Money, power, sex, food, friends, family, country, religion, science, are some of the candidates that we convert into idols. By themselves, they are usually neutral and generally very good for our well-being. However, whenever they become more important in our life than the Triune God, we have crossed over into idol worship.

The result of idol worship is generally a kick in the pants. Idols are false strongholds that empower us away from God and reality. God has designed a divine order in how life works. When we build our life outside of his order, holes and craters will appear. The result is usually pain and sorrow and maybe even premature death.

God created us. He made us to worship him. He designed us to walk with Jesus Christ. He encased us to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Like any healthy marriage relationship, a third-party (mistress) takes away the intimacy between the two. The same is true when an idol comes between our Heavenly God and ourselves.

You may not recognize the idols in your life. God does. He knows your spiritual condition. That is why I am most grateful for Jesus Christ. His act of justification on our behalf and the outpouring of his grace only demonstrates his awesome love for us. I for one am thankful that he cares enough for us that he takes the time to help destroy the idols in our lives. We may not like the process, but the fruit at the end of the day is most scrumptious.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Chair, Consultant, Encourager
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married