life in christ

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

partnership 1

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

selfish 2

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

Sin Stinks

Dr. Mike Life in Christ , , ,
“You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have given us over to our sins.” Isaiah 64:5-7 NIV

sin 1

Being a student of God’s grace, I marvel at how the Holy Spirit transforms us through the everyday occurrences of life.

Though God works with His children in different ways, he also works with us in a similar fashion. Take Sin. A concept that is becoming outdated in today’s modern world of humanistic faith. Yet it prevails and is more real today than ever before.

When a newly converted child of God first learns about the Truth, his internal spiritual light bulb starts flashing. It is a refreshing joy to witness their first love. They can’t find enough time to study the Bible. They want to inform everyone they meet what is happening in their life. They can’t seem to express the love and joy that emulates within them. For us longtime disciples, it brings back memories of our first encounter with God.

Yet after the “first love phase” begins to slowly dissipate, a new season of life appears. I call this the “sin stink’s phase.” It is when the Holy Spirit begins to convict a person of attitudes or behavior that is unbecoming of a child of God. All of a sudden, a person begins to recognize in depth what is wrong in the world. They begin to associate the sin with the evil. They begin to see the problem not just around them but more so within them. They begin to acknowledge that they are part of the problem. That their pride, selfishness, and independent thinking adds fuel to the problems in their surrounding world.

Then the Holy Spirit begins to illuminate the gospel message into everyday routine. Grace becomes real. Love becomes meaningful. Truth becomes personified. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ takes on a greater role than just a personal savior. His victory over Satan, death, and sin begins to have a greater influence in their life.

Now instead of focusing on sin and its ramifications, one understands the importance of living within the Triune God circle. Instead of beating a dead horse (sin), one begins to ride in the victory parade of the King (grace). Instead of participating in the problem, one begins to share the good news of Jesus Christ as the permanent solution.

Yes sin stinks. But Christ dismantled sin’s dominance and we now participate with Him in his victory march.

The Triune God wants humanity to recognize that sin stinks. That life at its highest level is living within the divine order of Father, Son, and Spirit God. Otherwise, why do you think God allows sin to hang around as long as it has?

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