God or Mammon

Dr. Mike Business & Faith, Life in Christ
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matt. 6:24 KJV

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The majority of today’s world systems operate under the spirit of Mammon. Some scholars believe that Mammon refers to a Syrian and Chaldean god of wealth, riches, and money. When Jesus spoke about the god of Mammon, he was referring to a spirit of greed, covetousness, and indulgence. So, when He spoke about the impossibility of serving two masters faithfully, most likely he compared the Supreme God with this pagan idol.

Both have a core set of values. You will either lean towards the one or the other. Since they both hold opposing sides of life, one cannot have both. He is not referring to the ownership of wealth or money. Otherwise, every believer would be living untruthfully. Instead, he is speaking about the motive and spirit behind wealth.

When we become aware of God’s ownership of everything, that Jesus is King and rightful heir of everything, that is when a believer surrenders everything under his authority. With everything under the authority of Jesus, then the Spirit begins freeing a person from the spirit of ownership. Instead of wanting more, the Spirit leads the person to experience contentment. Instead of using the power of money, the believer learns about the power of prayer. Instead of seeking to indulge oneself, one learns to live in the freedom of Christ.

Money, wealth, and riches simply become tools to glorify God and better serve others. We become its master. Instead of bowing down to it, we acknowledge what it is and live life accordingly. No longer are we a slave to Mammon; instead, we are a free people in Christ.

If you are challenged by the spirit of Mammon, then take time out and do business with our High Priest. Ask Him for his help to change your thinking. Ask him to show you His family business – The Kingdom of God. You can’t do it alone. Instead, surrender to the King of Kings and learn about the abundant life he taught. As you do, you will come under his Domain and his Spirit. You will never be the same.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
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

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Management By Feelings

Dr. Mike Business & Faith , ,
“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.” Leviticus 19:35 ESV

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One of the principles that I learned early in business was to lead people and manage systems.

As a CFO Consultant for organizations, we spend as much time educating leaders as with developing management systems. The one destructive behavior that seems common to novice supervisors, executives, and entrepreneurs is operating under the model of managing people like they do systems. The challenge is that systems don’t think, react, and grow. People do. When we expect people to operate like a system, we have than DE-humanized them. People want to lead and be led. People are not systems. When these same executives see the difference and begin leading people like they want to be led, the results are easily measurable. The outcomes are very noticeable.

Another challenge with many leaders is their approach of managing processes and systems by feelings rather than objective data. How many times have you asked specific questions on the details only to receive a person’s opinion based on their feelings rather than on objective truth? (If you received a dollar for each person’s emotional insight, you would probably have extra income for an expensive, weekly date night).

If one is not objectively measuring the outcome of the process, than one is not managing. One is simply acting upon their feelings. And feelings are very subjective.

What does this mean for you and I? Simply this: if you want to accomplish something that is very important to you in a timely and effective manner, then you need to have an objective measurement. An objective measurement means something that is universally accepted. It means a standard that doesn’t change. If one hundred different people applied the same standard, you would receive the same answer by the same one hundred people. There may be one hundred different opinions based on feelings, which may cloud the issue or provide information that may require further study, but the real, factual truth of the matter is based on an agreed standard.

So the next time you manage the process or system and ask for a person’s feelings on the matter, expect an answer that is clouded, bias, and most likely inaccurate. The real answer lies in the unbiased facts. Bottom-line: lead people, manage systems.

 

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
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

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A Blessed Life

Dr. Mike Life in Christ ,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”…Ephesians 1:3 ESV

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Whenever you hear or read the word blessed, how do you understand it?

Some like to think it means happy. Others think it means prosperous. Than others think it means holy. But how does Jesus define it?

For starters, the Greek word translated into the English “blessed” is “makarios.” The word means more than just happy or blissful. It literally means to have a self-contained happiness.
As a believer, a child of God, and a physical temple for the Holy Spirit who resides in us, it takes on more meaning than many people realize.

To be blessed is to be covered by the divine, unmerited grace of God.

Blessed is a state of being. A condition of eternal bliss. A mind and heart that experiences the fruit of God’s revelation and divine nature. One doesn’t work or earn to taste the blessed life. One simply yields in God’s presence and allow Him to express Himself through you.

The blessed life is acting and believing in a state of surrender to King Jesus. It seeks actions and behavior that are godlike. Why? Because to walk with God who lives in you, one needs to practice mutually submittal with each other. As we submit to God’s divine character, He openly shares His attributes with us. The two of us learn to walk together. He is the master; we are the student.

The blessed life is God bestowing upon us His divine unmerited favor. He showers us with His riches. He places His love, joy, and peace within us. He tests us. He challenges us. He renews us. We walk with confidence in Him because of the trust he has built with us over the years.

The blessed life is not about me. What I do or not do. The blessed life is what He does. He showers us with His riches. At the end of day, one enjoys His presence more than His gifts. When one comes to intimately know Him, than one comes to the place where one truly appreciates and lives a blessed life.

So if you want to experience the blessed life, simply let God’s Spirit fully express himself in you!

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
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

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!