In This Edition
1. Kingdom Business Transformation - Part 1
2. The Coming of the Kingdom - Video
3. Top News Headlines


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1. Kingdom Business Transformation - Part 1 

Part 1 - The Ministry of Business

By Ron McGatlin

Every adult believer is involved in the business/ministry of Kingdom Life.

Business is a primary foundational part of the kingdom of God.

The foundational principles of Babylonian-style business are opposite to the New Jerusalem kingdom of God business principles.

All productive enterprise in the world can be qualified as either business or ministry. Almost every mature adult is involved in business. Some may own businesses, others work at jobs in businesses, others do the business of managing a household or family and everyone manages the business of his own personal life.

In the kingdom of God, both ministry and business have exactly the same basic foundational purpose. What we each do with our lives involves business/ministry. Before we consider how kingdom business is to be done we must consider God's purpose for our involvement in business or ministry. In the kingdom, the primary purpose of business or ministry is to serve God by providing for the needs of mankind and the world around us.

Kingdom business or ministry is caring for God's people and managing the resources of His earth.

God's love is the primary motivational force of all kingdom business and ministry. Through love, people serve one another.

The love of God will cause us to lay down our lives for our brothers. We will seek to provide for our brothers' needs. Jesus' love coming forth in us will cause us to serve one another. We become humble servants and not proud rulers. We keep His commandments to love God and love one another.

Galatians 5:13-14: For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love - serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

In the kingdom both ministry and business exist for the primary purpose of meeting needs. The only distinction between ministry and business is the type of needs met.

Ministry generally seeks to meet spiritual needs of people. Business is focused mostly on meeting physical needs. However, there is much overlap and both may meet mental and emotional needs. All areas of kingdom enterprise are important to God.

The desire to serve stemming from love is the foundation of kingdom enterprise. We serve Jesus as we serve mankind by providing for peoples' needs. We are able to do a good job of providing because love has ordered our lives. Love brings unity and cooperation that enables greater production. We are to do good to all people but especially to the people of God.

Gal 6:10: Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The Sheep and Goats of Business/Ministry

In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the only factor considered by the Lord when dividing the sheep from the goats was whether an individual had provided for the needs of the brethren. Those, who had provided for the needs of the brethren, were told to "come inherit the kingdom" (Matthew 25:31-46).

No one can provide food for the hungry or clothes for the naked unless they first acquire food and clothing. We cannot supply what we do not have. Someone must grow, transport and process food; one must obtain fiber, process it into cloth, and then sew it into clothing. Or, one must, through production of some sort, obtain money to pay others for food and clothing. Obviously, the sheep in the above parable were involved in industry--the production and distribution of goods and services.

The kingdom principle Jesus is teaching here is greater than just giving away some of our surplus to the needy. The principle is that, because of the love of God, we desire to serve and because of the gifts and power of God working with us, our lives become productive. We become highly productive in business activities of manufacturing, farming, building, education, transportation, processing and a myriad of other enterprises providing for the needs of people.

What does my job, business/ministry do to meet the needs of mankind and the world around us?

This concept is hard for most people living in heavily populated areas to grasp. In the modern setting the importance of what our production does for others is sometimes lost because of a disconnect in seeing the end use of what we do and how needs are met by our labors.

For a moment, imagine life in a small, godly, frontier village that has no access to outside provisions. The people of the village would all know one another and care about the well being and the needs of each other. The different people would develop their God-given gifts into various skills to help supply the needs of the people of the village. Someone might be adept at growing certain needed food or animal feed items. Someone else might become good at raising and providing poultry products and others beef or pork products. Someone else might be a dairyman and provide milk products to their neighbors. Someone else may be good at cabin building and woodworking, and another at blacksmithing and so on. When a need in the village arises, someone will seek to meet that need for the people. Working together, they will provide for one another and will be happy to trade the produce of their skills and labor for the produce of others to meet their needs and the needs of the others in the village.

In this small village no one tries to get rich at the expense of others and no one seeks to hinder or harm another. Loving concern for one another causes industrious activity (business) producing goods and services to meet needs. The love of God brings order and cooperation. Now, expand the view in your mind from the small village to nations and then the world and God's plan for business in the kingdom begins to come into view.

The more our love leads us to provide for the needs of mankind, the more we will reap. The law of sowing and reaping never fails. The more we provide, the more we will receive. Our needs will be provided for and we will have more to use to provide for the needs of the brethren and the world.

As we grow in the business of producing and providing for the brethren, more people are required to help with the enterprise. This means productive employment for more people. Jobs are created and people join together to work in the enterprise of providing for peoples' needs. All this comes from the root of love that causes a desire to provide for the needs of people and the planet.

The sheep that serve by meeting the needs of the brethren inherit the kingdom of God quality of life (true prosperity). The goats that do not serve by meeting the needs of the brethren have only continuous lack (real poverty).

The thing that divides the sheep from the goats is the love and life of Christ Jesus in the sheep.

The sheep inherited the kingdom of God because they produced. They became productive kingdom servants/rulers as they met the needs of the brethren. Love motivated them to cooperate with and serve the brethren. The goats were motivated by unlove to use what they had only for themselves. The goats do not enter the kingdom. They are separated from God's heavenly blessings in this life.

Life is the presence of God and serving His purposes. The kingdom of God lifestyle is abundant life, eternal life, now and forever. Death is separation from God and His purposes.

The end result of Babylonian business/ministry is death (separation from God and His purposes).

The Babylonian system has perverted the purpose of business in the minds of most people, including Christians. The perverted purpose of business has also infested ministry. Love is not involved in business in the Babylonian-patterned world. Unlove is assumed in all business transactions in the Babylonian world system. Need and greed are the primary motivational forces behind business and work.

The primary purposes of business in Babylon, is to control in order to meet personal needs and gain personal wealth. People, in the Babylonian system, work at a job or business to get money. They normally give little or no thought to what the job they are working at does to serve God by meeting the needs of mankind and the world. Generally, work is a tiresome dread for them because they are doing something that they don't want to do but must do to get their paycheck. They have become as harlots--selling themselves to provide for their needs and wants. For the most part, this is considered normal in Babylonian-style business.

Christians caught in this system may believe it is God's design for them to work at their jobs to get money and that church and church-related things represent their only opportunities to serve God. They also may believe that paying a tithe, plus some offerings, from the produce of their labors satisfies God and makes it all acceptable. Being a good slave and obeying your master is commendable and about the best that can be done in Babylonian captivity. Even in captivity, being a good servant can lead to ruling. God can bless those who remain faithful to Him even in captivity. However, we all need to know that in the kingdom work and business are vital parts of serving God.

God is not leaving His people captive in Babylon. God is delivering us into His marvelous, heavenly kingdom of light and love. We are learning the ways of New Jerusalem in every facet of our lives, including our families and businesses.

The greater principles of kingdom life and business found in the Bible are becoming more ingrained in the hearts of God's people as we continue to move toward the kingdom of God life on earth.

Keep on pursuing Love. Love never fails
and His kingdom never ends.

Ron McGatlin

archive.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

2. The Coming of the Kingdom - Video

This short video blog is the first of a series of teachings Holy Spirit has given me make that lay a foundational understanding of the kingdom of God and His purposes for the church. 

The link for the video is: http://vimeo.com/26516495


In His Love
Kriston Couchey
 

3. Top News Headlines 

Drought in Africa's Horn, getting worse - 7/20/2011
The drought of 2011 is affecting Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, and it's getting worse. Reports suggest up to 11 million people are already affected by the lack of food and water brought on by this disaster. "Over 750,000 people have had to flee from their homes and are now living in refugee camps and in shelters along the borders." Read On:  http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37295&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1 


Orissa's New Homeowners Speak - 7/20/2011
During the horrific rampage of attacks targeting Christians in 2008, thousands of homes, churches and businesses of Christians were burned to the ground. Hundreds of people were attacked, beaten and even set on fire. Dozens were killed and hundreds still bear the scars on their bodies. To date, more than 1,000 new homes have been built for survivors. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37296&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Military Chaplains Facing New Kind of Fire - 7/20/2011
Chaplains have been a key part of the U.S. military for hundreds of years, even before American won independence from Great Britain. Their ministries follow the call of duty and their church is often a battlefield. But now many Christian chaplains fear the recent acceptance of homosexuality may silence their biblically held beliefs. Watch Video. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37294&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Campaign Aims to Expose Darkness of Islam in Honor of 9/11 - 7/20/2011
In the week preceding the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Christians across the country will be strategically positioned outside high schools near mosques with known terrorism links. They will hand out literature that tells students “the truth about Isalm and Mohammad and their violent, oppressive policies towards non-Muslims." Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37289&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Campus Crusade for Christ Makes Name Change - 7/20/2011
Campus Crusade for Christ in the U.S. is changing its name to Cru. The new name will be adopted in early 2012. The U.S. ministry hopes the new name will overcome existing barriers and perceptions inherent in the original name. "From the beginning, Bill (Bright) was open to changing our name. He never felt it was set in stone. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37288&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


South Sudan Seated at the UN: Troubles Ahead? - 7/18/2011
After its big Independence Day celebration last weekend, the world’s newest nation was officially seated at the United Nations General Assembly Thursday. Now that all the pomp and circumstance has ended in Juba and New York City, the hard work resumes. South Sudan and its northern neighbor have yet to work out many difficult details of their future relationship. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37275&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


C.J. Mahaney Takes Leave Over Charges of Pride and Hypocrisy - 7/15/2011
It's not the usual kind of thing that gets you removed from ministry. In fact, there are plenty of big names who live in pride and hypocrisy without any correction. C.J. Mahaney, of Sovereign Grace Ministries, says he's grieved by charges from former pastors and leaders, and by his own behavior. The author and speaker plans to examine his heart and get help. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37256&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Thousands Back Tulsa Officer Ordered to Muslim Worship - 7/15/2011
If a Muslim's employer tried to force him to attend a Christian evangelistic event, he might speak up. Police Captain Paul Fields is speaking up, but for the opposite reason. He's a Christian police officer ordered to attend what he feels is an Islamic proselytizing event. After refusing, the sixteen-year veteran was suspended and removed from consideration for promotion. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37255&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Long Island Bishop Cracks Down on Gay Sex Priests, They Have Nine Months to Get Married - 7/15/2011
In World War II, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer resisted the immoral government of Germany, and was executed. Recently, Bishop Larry Provenzano took a different approach — adjusting his diocese to New York's version of morality. The Bishop says gay clergy can legitimize their partnerships through same sex weddings. It's kind of like an indulgence, except nobody gets paid. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37254&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Don’t Join the Cult of the Backslider - 7/20/2011
Since the Wild Goose Festival was held in North Carolina’s mountains, you might be tempted to think it was a typical bluegrass festival. Think again. The organizers of this event, which attracted 1,500 people in late June, say their quasi-Christian conference “is going to grow into the largest, best run, most dynamic religious happening in the U.S.” Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37287&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Data Shows Belief in the Bible Climbed as Employment Declined - 7/15/2011
You don't usually think of the US government as a promoter of the Bible. And it technically isn't this time. But when you compare US Department of Labor statistics with the results of a couple of Gallup polls, you notice an interesting pattern. As unemployment increased from 5.4 to 9 percent over the last three years, the skepticism rate fell from 22 to 17 percent. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37252&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


Leaders Afraid Church of England May be Dead in 20 Years - 7/15/2011
It was a big topic at the denomination's General Synod in York. In the past 40 years, the number of adult churchgoers has dropped 50 percent, while the number of children attending regular worship has declined 80 percent. The average age of members is now 61. Talk at the Synod compared the church to a company “impeccably” managing itself into failure. Read On: http://archive.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=37251&a mp;a mp;a mp;a mp;PN=1&TPN=1


For More Top News Headlines, Go Here: http://archive.openheaven.com/news/headlines/