At our recent Nourish The Dream event in Tampa, Gary Keesee shared a powerful nugget from the early ministry of Jesus. In Luke 5, Jesus was teaching a crowd of people and was soon surrounded and pressed. He was backed up to the water where Peter and his partners in their commercial fishing business were cleaning their nets after having toiled all night with nothing to show for it.

Can you identify with that? Working… slaving… tearfully laboring without the results you need?

Jesus called upon Peter to allow Him to use one of Peter’s boats. Peter agreed, so Jesus stepped into the boat and asked Peter to push away from the bank so he could teach the crowds from there. After Jesus finished, he told Peter to let down his nets for a catch. (One translation says, “Let down your nets for a haul.”)

You know the story: They caught so many fish that the nets began to break and the boats began to sink.

Why Did Peter & His Partners Catch So Many Fish?

Let Down Your Nets for a Catch!

It sounds like a nice miracle story—especially when you’re in business and you recognize all those fish for what they represented to the business owners: profit.

But Gary pointed that this wasn’t just an arbitrary miracle that Jesus sovereignly chose to perform. Instead, it was an operation of the laws of the Kingdom of God.

When Peter permitted Jesus to use his boat, he placed his business under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God. The government of God came over the business. That permitted the laws of the Kingdom to operate.

Just like the widow’s jars of oil (see 2 Kings 4) which Elisha commanded to be filled and sold; when the government of God comes over a business enterprise, the business will be filled to capacity.

For Peter and his partners to be blessed financially, they had to take something they had authority over (something under their control) and place it under the government of God. (Have you ever thought about Peter’s partners and how blessed they were that day to have been in partnership with him?)

Here’s What Was Really Amazing

After Gary shared that particular incident with the Nourish the Dream audience, one of our other speakers had an opportunity to reflect on it. You see, he had been the CEO of a public company for a number of years. He had always attributed the success they enjoyed under his leadership to his own relationship with God and to subjecting his decision-making to the Scriptures.

But he experienced an “epiphany” that day. He said he had never understood previously that what he had done was placed that company under the authority and government of the Kingdom of God. This was why they experienced some otherwise-inexplicable successes and pulled out of some difficult places!

What do you have today that you can place under the government of God? Is it a business? Is it a business idea? Perhaps it’s an invention or a product idea. Place it at the service of the King. Lay it at His feet. Ask Him to show you how to place it at His disposal. Then proclaim a blessing over it and watch it produce like never before!

Whenever I teach on “marketplace ministries,” I often ask in my presentation, “Who wants God to get involved in your business?” The vast majority of those present raise their hands expecting me to help them find effective ways to help them further achieve that “divine connection.” To their surprise, I not only don’t help them, I actually shock them by telling them what I am about to tell you. God doesn’t want to get involved in your business.

Let’s talk about why He doesn’t. First, it may be your “ministry,” but if you’re really serious about God’s involvement, we have to begin on the proper foundation. That means we must recognize that in reality, it isn’t “your business”; it’s His gift-opportunity for you which He is letting you steward in order to serve others and release provision for you while He helps grow you up in the process. As we all know, we actually own nothing, but merely steward things on God’s behalf. Unless we are clear on this reality and remain clear—especially if we prosper—our foundation will be insufficient to sustain a working partnership with God’s Spirit. Indeed, this issue of “who controls and gets credit for my success” was addressed by God as He forewarned Israel:

(11 ) “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; (12) otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, (13) and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, (14) then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (17)”Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘my power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’” Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17

The second foundational issue is closely related to the first one. If God were to join “your business,” who do you think would most likely assume the “senior role,” you or Him? Our fallen nature is not to be trusted as we all should know by now. If God “joins us,” we are in the position of extending an invitation to Him, with us sitting in the position of the resident’s chair. When we do this, God says, “thank you but no thank you.” Obviously, it is absurdly presumptuous for us to even extend Him the invitation. It would be like the pot inviting the potter to the art exhibit where it will be on display! God rejects the proud and exalts the humble. Therefore, a “take your shoes off on this holy ground” attitude is the kind of spiritual posture God will honor. The correct question is not, “will you join me”, but rather, “Lord, could you possibly consider letting me join You in Your business, unworthy as I am?” Joshua experienced a similar situation when he foolishly approached the Angel of the Lord and asked him whose side he was on. The Angel answered, “No”. Wrong question junior. Joshua quickly came to his senses and essentially responded with a recalculated attitude adjustment essentially saying, “since you’re on the Lord’s side, I’m with you!” Fortunately for us, Jesus already extended the invitation for us to join Him in business some 2,000 years ago. Here is His statement:

(28)”Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (29)”Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30)”For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

We take note of this essential truth contained in His kind invitation. It is in Christ’s “yoke” (business) that we, “learn of Him”. Common labor together or partnerships (like marriage) is where the deepest transfer of life takes place. In the common yoke we “apprentice” with God in His vision; passion; perspective; labors; challenges and the fulfillment of His heart. Fellowship is deepest with God when we enter His passion and it begins to become ours.

We now arrive at the second correct question. Exactly what business is God in? From our human vantage, He is in the people-empowering business. Whatever business we think we’re in is now about to shift. Guess what. If we go into the people-empowerment business with Him, that must become the foundation of “our business”, no matter what product or service we apparently offer. Christ died to empower people because truly serving people requires a genuine degree of death-to-self on our part. As we become genuine servants to those we interact with in our marketplace ministry the principle of “your good at my expense” will begin to change us and the people within the circle of our spiritual influence.

At last, we come to the really personal questions. Do you really believe my statement that, “God pays for what He orders” or is that really just a religious cliché or platitude? If we follow Christ’s example as a master-servant and give up our “rights” to think of and expect our “returns-on-investments first, what might be our fate? Well, for starters we have now actually gone into God’s business if we’re truly willing to enter this practical law of God’s Kingdom: whoever serves leads. If we join Father’s business, it’s clear that He will “empty us” on the way to exalting Himself through us:

(5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

Simply put, God pays handsomely for what He orders.

As we have said for years, for a Christian in business, God’s people business that is, profit is a fruit of obedience not a goal or way of ultimately keeping score. In Father’s business, the real profit is knowing Him, growing in Him, and working with Him in the people-loving business. Is this naïve or “religious”? Let me ask another question. Do you know anyone who is building their business ministry like this with God and complaining? Everyone I know who is on this journey and has paid the initial dues of truly aligning their business with God’s principles of stewardship and strategic and relational building is prospering in every way. So let’s rescind our offer to God to join with us in our business and join His instead. What a deal! He makes us an offer only the foolish would refuse.

Editor’s Note: Crystal recently discussed this topic with David G. Johnson on a webinar as a “sneak peek” of what’s to come at the Nourish The Dream event in Tampa March 30th & 31st. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can catch it here.

Are You Functioning at the Place of Convergence?

There is an internal mechanism within each of us that operates similar to a GPS. This navigational tool is designed to provide direction. Unfortunately, many spend their lives listening to this inner voice saying: “recalculating…recalculating.”  They drive lost; second guessing their turns and questioning choices in life. They live in a constant flux of re-evaluation; always searching for the quickest route to somewhere, unable to find the on-ramp to a satisfying life.

In order to successively navigate, you must have a clear understanding of your “somewhere”. There must be clarity in regards to the address you are seeking…you must learn how to find home! Where do you shine? What are your natural tendencies, your interests and your passions? It is this ability to identify your sweet spot that allows you to provide accurate input for your internal compass. Defining this data of purpose and direction will help to pave a path and minimize the U turns and traffic jams of life.

However, knowing your destination is not enough. Life is littered with those who have found themselves and yet sat waiting for circumstances to give them the green light to proceed. The commitment to prepare and develop the required skills impacts the ability to start and finish the journey. A variety of equipping avenues are available such as books, classes, on the job training, coaching and conferences. Each external development provides the opportunity to test drive vehicles and practice for navigating the course.

It is the combination of internal direction and external preparation that positions individuals to discover the on-ramp of life and merge safely on to their freeway. This critical moment is called Convergence.

Many individuals spend their lives searching for Convergence and yet it is neither mystical nor unattainable. It lies within the grasp of each one of us. It requires the ability to listen…really listen to what makes you tick and sets you apart. It then requires the discipline to take this revelation and apply elbow grease, hard work and intentional tuning of your skill sets. In convergence you operate on a new level and are fueled by a higher octane. It is here, that you experience a deeper satisfaction and enter into a more rewarding life.

Convergence happens in multiple areas of life at varying times. Catalysts can be used to accelerate this process. Our goal is to function as a catalyst for convergence in the lives of individuals, businesses and organizations. We have developed numerous workshops and conferences designed to facilitate the necessary internal and external growth. These include…

CEO DNA Codes ~

It has been said that within every individual lies the seeds of greatness. We identify these seeds as the CEO DNA codes. Everyone has them. However, these codes lie in seed form waiting for recognition and then cultivation. The ability to Administrate, Operate, Market and conduct Finances are the codes that play an essential role in businesses, organizations and even in the lives of individuals. Training is beneficial in the understanding and practical application of these codes.

EQW ~

When it comes to creating wealth, there are three components: Spiritual, Emotional and Mechanical. Unfortunately, most individuals focus on the spiritual and mechanical processes and overlook the connecting factor— EQW.

The Emotional Quotient of Wealth is the fulcrum that weighs the experiences, aspirations and internal thought processes of an individual against the factual data and calculations of finances. It acknowledges the internal belief system and the pragmatic formulas of reason to create a response based upon wisdom without emotional entanglements. It removes reactionary impulses and produces proactive solutions and strategies. A developed EQW provides the ability to create wealth!

Tribal Leadership ~

Tribal leadership focuses on identifying the stages of culture and how individuals, businesses, organizations and communities can transition through these stages successfully. It is not about performance evaluations, project management or even a well structured business plan. Rather, tribal leadership is moving past procedure to identifying the underlying core value and common bond within an environment. This revelation, combined with insight, can shift cultures and transition mindsets from preservation to innovation.

Financial Strategy Team ~

Organizations have depended upon the generosity of donors as the financial foundation for their ministries. This single stream of income is directly connected to the circumstances and faithfulness of individuals and often creates questionable sustainability.

Financial Strategy Team training is designed to broaden the financial platform for organizations through the intentional development of donors. Four strategic components are integrated together to increase financial literacy and transition individuals, as well as the organization, from spenders to savers to wealth creators

Our goal is to be a catalyst that helps people, businesses and organizations discover their point of convergence so they can enter the freeway of life. We realize that on this freeway, they will excel as quickly as their vehicle will allow. Therefore, their vehicle must be prepared and secure, with solid internal wiring that is fine tuned for maximum performance …and enjoyment!

Today we have a guest post from Gary Keesee that I’m sure you’re going to enjoy. If you missed it, be sure to listen to last week’s webinar with Gary and find out how to get a free copy of his book, Fixing the Money Thing.

Now, here’s Gary…

Gary Keesee, Entrepreneur, Pastor, Television Host & Successful Author

When was the last time you failed at something? Was it something small, or something big? Was it fun? Of course not! Failure is never fun. And it’s not a cliché to say we can always learn from it. In fact, having a proper understanding of failure is vital to our success.

Honda has a proper understanding of failure. Their engineers spend 95% of their time studying why the lawnmower wouldn’t start the first time, or why the gas mileage is higher on their new car model than it was on the old one. They know that their success lies in those failures.

We have to look at failures that same way. We’re all going to make mistakes. Most of us come into God’s Kingdom and we don’t know how to live life, so we fail. And the enemy loves to pervert our failures. He wants us to hesitate. He tries to rehearse our failures or paint a picture of the risks. He tells us that they’re permanent and we believe him. We stop. We don’t move forward because we’re afraid we’ll fail again.

Or, he blames the failure on God. That’s one of his favorites. He gets us questioning God. He used it on Joshua. In Joshua 1, Moses had died and God had put Joshua in charge. So, Joshua took off. He led the people to Jericho and the walls came down. Things were working just like God had said…until we get to Chapter 7.

Everyone has a Chapter 7. That’s where failure happened. There was a guy named Achan in Chapter 7. Achan had stolen some of the spoils from battle and Joshua had no clue. Unaware of Achan’s failure to follow God’s instructions, Joshua went ahead and sent men on to the next battle at Ai only to see his men killed.

We’ve all had those moments when we begin to follow Christ and something happens that doesn’t match the picture, or the promise, in the Bible. If we don’t understand how to deal with failure, those moments may make us lose our courage. We might hesitate, or we might set up camp and never try again, or we might just try to run back to Egypt. So, we have to understand failure and how to deal with it.

Joshua had to learn. At first, like we all do, Joshua reacted. The enemy’s plan to have him blaming God worked. Joshua questioned God. Ever done that before? We all have. But God wasn’t having it. He told Joshua to GET UP!

See, people say that they wish Jesus would just show up. Trust me, you DON’T want that. Jesus isn’t going to show up and say, “Let’s have a group hug.” When the disciples freaked out that they were going to drown in the storm at sea, Jesus didn’t get up and comfort them. He said, “Where is your faith?” He’s going to say, “GET UP! Have you not read MY WORD? I already paid the price!” He WILL correct you.

That’s exactly what God did to Joshua. He told him to get up. Then, He told Joshua exactly what had happened. See the failure wasn’t just on Achan’s part; it was also on Joshua’s. Joshua hadn’t sought instruction from God before he engaged Ai. God could have told him about Achan before they went to battle. Instead, Joshua assumed. We can NEVER assume things in the Kingdom. We can’t do anything based on our past victories. The enemy is already wise to them, and he’s already changed strategies.

Like Joshua, we don’t have to fail. If we go to God first, failure doesn’t have to happen. But, if we do fail, there are steps we can take to overcome the failure and move forward:

1. Ask God what happened. If the Word says it, it’s God’s will. There are a lot of variables—things like unbelief and wrong expectations—that mess with the heart and can short circuit faith. If it didn’t happen, you need to ask God why.
2. Pinpoint the short circuit. Know who, what, why, when, where and how so it doesn’t happen again.
3. Ask God how to fix it.
4. Get the plan on how to restore the loss.
5. Stand up and take action.

Sure, you’ll be tempted to be afraid. Ignore your feelings. God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. You will have to be, too. You can feel afraid, but don’t act like it. Remember, if you’re not doing the hardest thing in your life, then you’re not growing.

God has already prepared a way for you to go and succeed in a big way. Be confident to let the Holy Spirit teach you and train you, and reveal unique strategies to you. Keep your vision in front of your face. Write it down! Believe it’s possible; otherwise you’re destined to stay right where you are.

God wants to advance His Kingdom in the earth through you. He’s depending on you to overcome failure and kick butt!

Gary Keesee was the “poster child” for debt and poverty until he discovered how the Kingdom of God works and started his first business more than 25 years ago. His businesses continue to produce millions of dollars each year in gross revenues and he now pastors a church in Columbus, Ohio, hosts a television program and has published several books. Don’t miss what Gary has to say at Nourish The Dream in Tampa, Florida March 30-31, 2012!

Tom Ziglar, Proud Son of Zig Ziglar and CEO of Ziglar, Inc.

During yesterday’s webinar with Tom Ziglar, the conversation took a really powerful turn. Tom is (as you most likely already know) the “Proud Son of Zig Ziglar” and CEO of Ziglar, Inc. After we got an update on his Dad and talked a little about the brand new book from Zig and Tom called Born To Win: Finding Your Success Code, Tom started to talk about something really important.

He began by sharing this quote:

“Your business exists for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to provide a vehicle for you to achieve your life’s goals.” – Howard Partridge

At first glance, this might seem a little simplistic. I guess some might even say it’s somewhat misguided. After all, many of us have goals for our lives that don’t revolve around business or money. And hopefully that’s really true. The most important things in life, after all, can’t be bought. And if we spend our lives pursuing business success we could end up sacrificing our families or other important elements of life.

But like most profound statements, this one is deceptively simple. I appreciated very much what Tom shared next about how this plays out. In fact, I liked it so much that I really want you to hear it. So, I decided to share it with all of our readers and subscribers. Another great bonus: Tom made a very generous offer on the webinar, and he gave me permission to share it with everyone. Watch the replay now to learn how you can get a free copy of Born To Win by Zig Ziglar & Tom Ziglar shipped to you at no charge!

As you probably know, the webinar series we’re running right now is a “Preview” of what’s to come at Nourish The Dream in Tampa March 30th & 31st, where you can hear Tom LIVE and in person along with a hand-picked lineup of top Kingdom business leaders and experts. When you register for the event, you’ll get access to all the remaining live preview webinars! There will be one webinar each week between now and the end of March, so this is a fantastic value!

You won’t want to miss what to has to say—both in this webinar and live in Tampa—so go watch it as soon as possible. And don’t forget, the special offer to receive a free copy of Born To Win expires tonight (Friday) at midnight!

Bezalel is my hero. Well… one of them. Aholiab, too.

You may not remember their names. Chances are, you’ve never heard a sermon preached on them or even a Sunday School lesson that does anything more than mention them casually (if at all) when plowing through the Old Testament.

But what God says about these two guys is amazing. It’s one of the most fascinating, inspiring moments in all of Scripture:

“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you….” (Exodus 31:2-6 NKJV)

There are only a handful of instances in the Old Testament where someone is described as being “filled with the Spirit of God.” Off the top of my head, I can only think of 3 or 4. There are lots of occasions where the Spirit of God comes upon someone. But we usually think of the Spirit of God within someone as being a New Covenant benefit — only available to us after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

But here sits Bezalel. He’s completely unknown. All we know about him is that God filled Bezalel with Himself. And He also gave him wisdom, understanding and knowledge… and for what? Was it to lead the nation? Was it to fight the enemies of Israel? Was it to be a prophet? Was it to teach God’s people amazing hidden truths?

Nope.

It was to work. God anointed Bezalel (and Aholiab and some other unnamed artisans) for workmanship.

My friend, if you’ve ever thought that God only empowers and enables preachers, missionaries or influential leaders with supernatural ability, it’s time to look at Bezalel.

God had a plan. He gave Moses the blueprint and detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle. God wanted it a certain way and He let Moses know that He had already prepared the right people for the job. It was going to require specific skills — in metalworking, sculpting, carving, etc. But more importantly, for it to turn out the way God wanted… it was going to require someone who had the ability to let God breathe upon their work.

Out of hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of Jewish people under Moses’ leadership at that time, how many of them must have acquired skills of this type in Egypt? We know the Egyptian culture was filled with gold, jewelry, elaborate sculptures and carvings.

But one person caught God’s attention. In fact, God was so pleased that he dropped Bezalel’s name to Moses and Joshua there on the mountain as He laid out His plans.

My friend… today I want you to realize that you were created by God for this very hour. You weren’t born by accident. You are alive at this very moment because God has a plan. He has never stopped working. All of your life experiences — the training, schooling, education (or lack thereof), successes, failures, all of it — have led up to this very moment.

Allow God to breathe on you today. Let His Spirit fill you with power and ability to do what you do. It doesn’t need to be in the pulpit, on the mission field or in any form of what we call “ministry.” Let God take your efforts today and turn them into “workmanship.” Be excellent. Be the best… not out of your own ability, but out of His strength. Reach out to Him today. He wants to use you!

For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…. May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. Ephesians 3:14, 16 AMP

Photo: David Monniaux.

The past decade has been full of change. Marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11 really provided an opportunity to look back and see just how much things have changed… and how much faster they continue to change.

From a business perspective, failure to adapt is deadly. This places tremendous demands on each of us personally as well. Change can be exciting to those of us who are wired to enjoy it… but even then, it is incredibly stretching. That process can be painful enough that we avoid and delay things that need to change.

The Key to Success is Breaking Out

But with all the “transition” going on,  we can find ourselves struggling to maintain a personal sense of  identity. Our understanding of our calling — both personally and corporately in business — is vulnerable to being rocked. And if we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves changing things that shouldn’t change.

How can we stay anchored to the things that shouldn’t change while at the same time freely adapting in other areas?

Guy Kawasaki tells a story* that we frequently use when training entrepreneurs & business leaders in the principles of 21st-century marketing.

From the 1830s to 1890s ice harvesting (cutting up frozen ponds and selling the ice) was a huge industry in New England.  In 1886, the biggest ice harvest that ever occurred amounted to 25 million tons.

By the 1920s, almost all the ice-harvesting companies were out of business.  Ice harvesting had been made obsolete by ice-making plants that could operate in any part of the country during every season.  Later, these ice-making plants were themselves made obsolete with the advent of refrigerators in people’s homes

Before I read about it, I’d never even imagined that someone would have at one time made their living cutting up frozen ponds. It’s easy now, though, to imagine why changes in technology (refrigeration) put the ice-harvesting companies out of business.

But what if there had been an ice-harvesting company that understood its real calling? What if they had realized that they existed not to cut up frozen ponds, but to “create & deliver cold?” Had such a business existed, they could have seen the changes coming. They could have constantly been working to discover better ways to get the end product to the buyer. And perhaps they would’ve invested in refrigeration technology.

A business like that might have even lasted until the modern day, had they truly understood their purpose and calling. You see, it’s easy to confuse mechanisms with purpose.

In your life & work… you must be willing to let go of methods that are outdated & outmoded, but you must be unshakable about the calling God has given you. In our own business, we’ve had to do a lot of re-evaluating. In some cases, we’ve had to go back and fix things that we allowed to “change with the times” that were central to our calling. It’s painful to change things back after enduring a painful change to begin with… but I’d rather have egg on my face than miss God’s purpose.

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21 AMP

How closely connected are you to your God-given purpose today?

*In How to Drive Your Competition Crazy: Creating Disruption for Fun and Profit

Is God in the “concealing” and “hiding” business?

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.” (Proverbs 25:2 AMP)

I’ll admit, I’ve read this verse as often as once a month for many years as part of my regular journey through the book of Proverbs. And it’s always been a mystery to me. Every time I think I have it figured out, there’s some new twist.

My first idea (as far as I can recall) was that this was one of those verses that demonstrates the character of God by contrasting it against something else. I have no idea why, but my first thought was that it must have something to do with scandal — that God would receive glory when the sins of a repentant person are concealed (so as not to bring hurt or injury to others), but that earthly kings or people who seek glory for themselves would hunt down every detail and bring it into the public eye.

In other words — seeking something out would show that you’re a gloryhound and not interested in bringing glory to God.

Then I heard someone — a friend of mine, actually — refer to this verse when exposing what he considered the “sins” of another person. He felt it was his right to do so, because as part of the family of God he considered himself a “king.” In his mind, this verse authorized him to make sure everyone knew what was going on in the other person’s life.

This injured my conscience — after all, why would you do the opposite of what God seemed to want to do? It didn’t make sense to me.

It wasn’t until several years later that it dawned on me that this verse could be talking about a “thing” other than something that people might want to conceal. Honestly, it seems so obvious to me now that it’s almost embarrassing. But it reminds me that we bring our own presuppositions to the Word of God more than we know… and we desperately need the Holy Spirit to help us as we read.

As with much of Scripture, I’m sure that there are multiple layers of meaning here. But within this passage is this concept:

God Enjoys Hiding Things From You… For You

What's Waiting for You?

Jesus had a practice of teaching profound truths by hiding them just below the surface of a parable. Why? The valuable gems are not available to just any and everyone for the grabbing. Instead, they are for the hungry — those who are searching. There are, of course, lessons to be learned on the surface as well. But those who take the time to peel back the wrapping are the ones who discover that the juiciest, most valuable parts are enshrouded deep within.

Likewise, when we face some tangible need in our lives, God has already made provision for us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3 NKJV)

Every blessing already belongs to us… and is contained within the Kingdom!

“Well that’s all fine and good, but I don’t need a spiritual blessing… I need a natural one,” you may be thinking. “I can’t pay the bills with a spiritual blessing — they expect actual money!”

It’s true that we must take the blessings contained within the Kingdom and translate them into the natural realm. But that is our part. God cannot invade this natural realm and simply place Himself in the midst of your difficult circumstance and fix everything for you! To do so would violate the very principles of the Kingdom and of the Earth!

But what He can do is show you where He has hidden the treasures you need. Much of the time when we talk to God about a financial need, for example, He responds by revealing something to us: an unmet need in the marketplace, an innovation, an idea, or even an invention.

Made In His Image

When God began to think about His prized creation — the one He hadn’t yet made — He knew that Adam would need certain things. And God produced those things by doing the work of Creation. He spoke light into existence. Next came water, land, the earth, plants, animals, etc. Where did those things come from? Within Himself. He imagined them first, and then engaged in the work of bringing them into existence.

We, as His sons and daughters, are intended to work just like He does. The ideas, innovations and insights that He gives us are not just for our amusement. He wants us to engage in the Work of bringing those things into existence. Doing so will translate into income and influence for us so that we can continue to expand His Kingdom.

But the entire process begins by seeking out the things He has hidden from us. If everything were obvious, or if Had left them out in the open, anyone could discover them and capitalize on them. It wouldn’t take any effort — anyone could just walk by and spot them… and thereby steal the blessing that God intended for you.

This is why, my friend, there’s a struggle involved in receiving from God. There’s a hunt… a chase… some digging and effort involved. It’s not the same as sweating and toiling and receiving nothing but thorns. Quite the opposite: we pursue Him and He shows us where His hidden treasures can be found.

If you’re challenged by a need in your life today, it’s time to pursue Him and His Kingdom. That’s where your answers are hidden!

If you follow the path of least resistance — as we are so prone to do — it’s easy to slide down the slippery slope of negativity while being bombarded by all the bad news about the economy. Perhaps you’ve lost a job or experienced a downturn in your business. Maybe your local environment is getting tough… you might be surrounded by foreclosures or businesses boarding up or people in dire circumstances.

Never Waste a Good Crisis!

Regardless of what’s happening around us, though, we are in one of the greatest moments of opportunity in our lifetimes.

Why?

Because in times of change, opportunities get created. In times of great change, more opportunity exists than at any other time. And now is without doubt a time of significant change.

John F. Kennedy once related that the Chinese character for “crisis” is a conglomeration of two other characters: “danger” and “opportunity.” This means that in any crisis — including a major one — you have a choice about what you will see. On the face of it — the portion that is obvious to anyone — is the danger. And in fact that facet of any crisis will be the most oft-repeated. It’s simply a matter of human nature.

But as people inhabited by the Spirit of Almighty God, the Creator Himself, we have the ability to look beyond what we are bombarded with in our 5 senses. We can, instead, view the situation from an entirely different perspective. Yes, there are needs; perhaps even great needs. But to a creative person who is diligently looking through the lens of opportunity, needs represent the occasion for solutions.

I firmly believe that hidden within the Kingdom of God are all answers to life’s situations. We as believers are the very dwelling place of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Ephesians 1:17). Like Joseph confronted with the news of impending disaster in the nation of Egypt, we have the ability to access the Wisdom of God to understand how to bring solutions.

And here’s the interesting thing: the world pays for solutions. The marketplace rewards problem solvers.

Friend, this is our moment to shine. Perhaps you have a dream of moving out of the system of wage slavery that dominates our society. Maybe you’ve been considering starting a business. Perhaps you’ve been questioning God about your purpose, your calling, your destiny.

This is your hour to allow God’s Spirit to reveal to you how to share the giftings and talents that He has put in you… and to share them in a way that provides solutions to the problems of others while providing a reward for you and your family.

The key is found in 2 distinct, but connected elements:

1. Pursue relationship with God at all cost.
2. Take action on what He reveals to you.

We must first seek after Him with all of our hearts. Clear up your relationship with Him. If you’re angry, resentful or frustrated with God as a result of your difficult circumstances (or those of people around you), then tell Him. Allow His Spirit to address the issues. Plow into His Word. Allow Him to speak to you. Cultivate a listening heart.

Secondly, we must take action. God has “right now” Wisdom available to us. We may never see a season of such incredible opportunity again in our lives. Simply hearing from God will not be sufficient. We must act. This is the hallmark of the life of faith: it is a life of action. Sieze the moment. Grab the opportunities in front of you… and take territory for the Kingdom of God by force.

Will it be easy? No. But valuable doings rarely are. This doesn’t mean it will be complicated, but it will require that you reach down into the depths of your internal fortitude and latch on to the supernatural power of God residing within you.

You can do it!

“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.”
(Leviticus 16:29)

This particular turn of phrase is truly fascinating. It occurs throughout the Old Testament, turning up in interesting places. At first glance, it doesn’t make much sense to the Western reader of English translations.

“›aÌ‚naÌ‚h nephesh

In the Hebrew, the word “›aÌ‚naÌ‚h means “to humble, afflict, be humiliated, weaken oneself.” Nephesh is the word for “soul” or “living being” used frequently in the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis as God created the living beings and eventually breathed the breath of life into the clay he formed. It resulted in a “living soul” that God named “Adam.”

Used together, these two words form a Hebrew idiom or euphemism of sorts meaning, “to fast.”

If you’ve ever explored the connection between the body and the soul, you’ll know that there are lots of fascinating questions. Can the body live apart from the soul? What is the difference between the brain and the mind? Are our memories actually stored in cells?

Regardless, however, of where the lines between the two get drawn, one thing is clear: they are connected. And nothing illustrates this more perfectly than the principles of fasting. By denying oneself in one area (in this case: food), one is actually afflicting or humbling his entire person. If you apply this phrase to the more Greek concept of the soul as the “mind, will, & emotions,” it becomes even more interesting. What, if anything, competes more with the human spirit (not to mention the Holy Spirit) for clarity in our lives than our “soul?”

A Time to Fast

Given the current economic situation, the rapidly-changing business environment, and the general uncertainty that pervades much of what is familiar in this season, it is perhaps more obvious than usual just how desperately we need to actively listen to the Source of all Wisdom.

I typically like to start out the year by setting vision, striving for clarity and focus, and re-evaulating almost everything. But since the soul can be such a cluttered place — full of plans, regrets, desires, dreams, wishes and wants — this process can prove to be difficult. This year more than ever, I really don’t want to follow the leading of my own thoughts and desires. I want God’s thoughts and desires.

I knew it was going to require some additional effort. So imagine my delight when my good friend called a fast for all those associated with the congregation he pastors. And he evidently wasn’t playing games either — he called a 21-day fast. He’s using some wisdom — giving people options regarding specifically how they intend to carry it out, breaking it up into phases (liquids only, a “Daniel” fast, etc.), and even distributing some information regarding medical risks and so forth. Nevertheless, it’s a 3-week period of “afflicting the soul.”

I don’t know about you, but my soul can use some “afflicting.” I want to demote my own thinking, reasoning, and ill-informed perspective (at least relative to the viewpoint that my Father holds). I want to weaken the grip that my dysfunctions and personal ambitions have on my present and future.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.
(Proverbs 3:5-8 AMP)

After all, He knows what’s coming… how to be prepared… and what to do better than anyone. And He is not silent. I just tend to have too much interfering with my “reception.” I’m determined to clear the air so I can hear from Him accurately.

Care to join me?