KwaZulu-Natal Complimentary copy Not for sale
Encourage • Equip • Inspire • Ignite
The key to
CONTENTMENT: WANTING what you have
YOU ARE
HIS MESSAGE
TIME
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013 ISSUE 22
Will you stare this monster down?
Sustained Productivity
Surrender
Be still and know that HE IS GOD
CONTENTS is available at the following locations: Amanzimtoti Sweetwaters Full Gospel Church Kingsway Church, Life Church Durban North Living Waters Church KingsNet Ministries King Shaka Airport, Mugg and Bean Empangeni Christian Family Church Hillcrest GraceHill Church Focus On The Family Bookshop Christ Church Hillcrest Kloof/Gillitts Kloof Harvest Church Sarepta Church Kloof Baptist Church, St. Agnes Church Kloof Methodist Jooma, Piggly Wiggly Church on the Way Morningside The Olive Tree Musgrave/Glenwood Full Gospel Tabernacle Scripture Union St Olav’s Church His People Church Pinetown/Westmead Highway Christian Community Pinetown Baptist Church Doxa Deo, NG Kerk Fourways Spar The Rock Ministries Pietermaritzburg African Enterprise The Coffeeberry Cafe All Saints Church Bible Centre Umhlanga The Rock, Umhlanga Harvest Umhlanga Christ Church Waterfall Waterfall Baptist Church Westville Church on Route 5 St. Elizabeths Church Westville Methodist Church Westville Baptist Church Westville Presbyterian Church
VOICE OF THE PROPHET
6
Sustained Productivity
HEART OF THE PASTOR Jesus and long-range night vision goggles
10
HAND OF THE HARVESTER 13
What do you need to protect? Times and seasons
16
Will you stare this monster down?
22
You are your message
27
The key to contentment: Wanting what you have
30
IN EVERY ISSUE Where to find CONNECT
3
Letter from the editor
4
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KB Connect magazine is produced by:
Tracey Olivier Editor tracey@connectmagazine.co.za Elaine Young Sub-Editor elaine@copyeditpaste.co.za Ruth Brophy Art Director ruth@housebrophy.co.za
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084 548 4720 • sales@connectmagazine.co.za and printed by: DNA Print (Pty) Ltd. www.kbnconnect.co.za | 3
EDITOR'S WELCOME
A Christmas K.(i).S.S. for you The ‘Silly Season’ is upon us, where the focus seems to have shifted from Jesus Christ arriving on earth to bring peace to all mankind, to how much debt we ‘have’ to get into for the sake of giving our children and family what they want for Christmas. As we race to the end of another year, it is natural for us as business folk to look back and to start planning for the future. Each year at about this time I do a K.S.S. exercise – I ask myself what should I KEEP doing, what should I STOP, and what must I START doing? This is my ‘pruning’ tool, as sometimes things that were relevant are no longer so…and in business we need to be on the top of our game. The hardest part of this exercise is the STOP. Pruning is absolutely necessary for a healthy tree, just as it is for a healthy business. This is especially important in Kingdom work because we place so much value on honouring God with our activities. Even when the pruning is going to make way for new and exciting things, it is always hard to let go to make space for what is to come. Pruning takes place when you take time out to reflect, plan and strategise; and if we skip it out, our tree grows haphazardly and becomes less fruitful. In other words, deciding what to STOP depends on you taking time out to STOP, hear from God and rest in His promises. At Kingdom Business CONNECT we are excited to be entering a new season as we go Digital! We believe that going online is the best way to take CONNECT to the next level – where we can now encourage, equip, inspire and ignite marketplace Christians all over the world, and also give our Advertisers the very best coverage and leverage. It was prophesied over us right in the beginning that we would have a global influence, and as this has started already, we can’t wait to see what God has planned for our next chapter. 4 | www.kbnconnect.co.za
Taking our mandate to this new level has meant that we have made the hard decision to STOP the printed version. So you are holding the last printed copy of KB CONNECT! We are living in an increasingly ‘connected’ age and we believe that focusing on a custom-designed online version that is easy to download and share is the best way to share the amazing wisdom and business connections that its pages hold. We trust that you will continue to support us and grow with us as we go digital. To ensure that you continue to receive your copy of CONNECT, you can do any of the following:
• Follow us on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/connectbizmag1 • Download your copy at our website, www.connectmagazine. co.za • Email me at tracey@ connectmagazine.co.za to subscribe to our mailing list, or • Watch out for posters in your church, or wherever you pick up your magazine, which will give you the web link to download the magazine. We would love to hear from you and I encourage you to email me directly or go to our Facebook page to keep in touch with the latest news. With these new developments, it would be very easy for us to get into a ‘striving and stress’ mode, but we have been committed to entering this process in complete REST, making Jesus the Centre of our focus and devotion. Since nothing is coincidental with God, it’s not surprising that He also put it on my heart to dedicate this issue to the theme
of resting in God. I trust you will hear Him speaking to you through the articles that follow, and that you will indeed ‘be still and know that He is God’. As a team we are so looking forward to the next phase of our journey with you. The more we explore, the more peace and joy we get about the possibilities we will have. Stay blessed!
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Kingdom Business Networking, Equip and Connect are:
THIS MONTH'S CONTRIBUTORS Andy Mason Redding, California
Andy Mason has over fifteen years’ experience helping individuals and organisations discover and align with their purpose, then develop practical steps to make their dreams a reality. He is the director of Heaven in Business and together with his wife, Janine, leads Dream Culture – a movement catalysing people to discover and live their dreams.
Matthew Fleming Charlotte, NC
As the Chief Solution Officer of Omega proVision, Matthew partners with leaders and organisations globally to develop integral growth strategies. He also heads a group of leaders that design real-world, real-time solutions for the 3M (Marketplace-MunicipalitiesMinistries) Project to advance communities. He and his wife Vanessa live in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jimmy Duguid Sydney, Australia
Jimmy is a former pastor of Highway Christian Community, Pinetown, and now resides in Sydney, Australia. He is as passionate as ever about Jesus and His presence and provision in our lives.
Terry Akal Durban, South Africa
Terry has been married to Joleen for 35 years, and they have four children. They are members of Highway Christian Community and enjoy ministering to and supporting people who are in business, as well as assisting with Leadership Training in the African Churches throughout KZN.
Patrice Tsague Portland, USA
Patrice is author of the Biblical Entrepreneurship Weekly Devotional, Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate Course and Nothing but a Jar of Oil. He is an international speaker, author, business trainer and coach.
Kim White Auckland, New Zealand Kim White comes from a Financial Services background and has run his own business consultancy focusing on strategic planning, project and change management. He is passionate about restoring the business person in God's church and helping churches to release the potential within their business people.
Bradley Schmidt Durban, South Africa Bradley runs a marketing consultancy that aims to help businesspeople turn their ‘nightmare’ clients into ‘dream’ ones by getting their marketing message and target market right. His company, Bradley Schmidt Small Business Marketing Alchemy, offers a series of dynamic workshops that empower people and ultimately companies to succeed against the odds.
www.kbnconnect.co.za | 5
Sustained PRODUCTIVITY
VOICE OF THE PROPHET
I
t came in loud and clear: “Go back, undo everything you have done over the last eight months, go home and SIT DOWN”. There was a heavy emphasis on the “SIT DOWN”. This was an encounter that I had with the Lord in early May 2008 after following the Spirit’s leading out of corporate America and into starting a business/ministry combination of my own. For the months leading up to that moment, I had been ‘running and gunning’ to get the business off the ground and partner with organisations to have a ministry twin to the business. But at His word I retraced my steps, asked for forgiveness, was released from the obligations, sold off the assets and went home to SIT DOWN. In that season I spent a total of three months being still and waiting on the Lord. Many of us have experienced periods in our career that could be labeled ‘pruning’. In my case, I was already experienced in setting time aside daily to be still and listen to His voice; but I could tell this was something different…deeper.
REST IS REQUIRED!
Did you know that? Well I didn’t back then. Even after twelve years of a vibrant relationship with Christ at that point, 6 | www.kbnconnect.co.za
I had no foundation to accept – let alone understand – that rest is a requirement for true and sustained productivity. This rest goes far beyond not over-exerting ourselves or making sure to factor in enough down time in our activity. This rest is more like the programming code of the operating system of what our Lord referred to as the ‘abundant life’. But I had questions… • What does being still have to do with the marketplace? • How does this work… I mean how does our ‘non-activity’ actually produce results in our work? • How do we 'keep up' with the pace of the market and competition if we are ‘being still’? As I enrolled in what I now refer to as Holy Spirit University (HSU – a wireless university where the Teacher is always available) over the months and years following, I dug into the scriptures to glean understanding. Several key verses came alive and as I embraced them, they began to produce sustained results. For example, the most lucrative job opportunity of my life came at the end of the “waiting” season. I noticed that the phone would ring with the largest sales orders when I chose to set time aside and be still. I discovered that the Lord had hand-picked a wife for me and had spoken to her about His plans for us.
Also, I learned to walk continuously into the engagements He preset for me, which have thus far developed into deep relationships with partners from all over the United States and in three African nations. Hebrews 3 and 4 served as the initial HSU course to help me understand that the works I was looking to accomplish were “finished from the foundation of the world” and that the Lord desired to “release” them into my life. I learned that living a lifestyle of rest is a function of my real belief and trust in the Lord. It became apparent that the only striving the Lord encourages us into is to labour to ‘enter His rest’. Still I wondered about the mechanics behind the rest and how it works. Along the way the Lord would speak to me key phrases like “waiting is working in the Spirit”, “the less you do, the more I can do for you”, and “I want you to leverage Me”. As I found scriptural support for these enlightenments throughout the Old and New Testaments, I slowly began to embrace the possibilities of what could be accomplished if I “leveraged” my Heavenly Father’s efforts and assets to work on my behalf to accomplish His will in the earth. Understanding from all over the word of God flooded my life to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Eventually I was led to the place where the “how” would be addressed. It started with a verse most of us know well… “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). But it was the words immediately following this well-known line that caught my attention… “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The correlation resonated within me and I accepted that somehow our stillness produces the greatest results in the earth – the nations coming to know Him. As my eyes followed the verses on down the page into Psalm 47, I read the following words…
“For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. HE WILL SUBDUE the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. HE WILL CHOOSE OUR INHERITANCE FOR US, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves.” We see here that the Lord has “provisioned” or “prepared beforehand” our identity, our works, our inheritance and He is also the One who releases and reveals them to us. It pleased Him to take responsibility for accomplishing His best for us if we would choose to rest in Him and His finished works. The reason for this becomes clear: He is glorified when our lifestyle delivers regular results in the marketplace that only He could accomplish. This is what will reveal the Creator to His creation and call the nations, their people and their resources home where they belong. To close out 2013, let’s choose to be still, know the depth of His goodness toward us, and let the results speak for themselves to the world…now that is an inspired marketing plan. ! Matthew Fleming CSO at Omega proVision Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
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TIME TO STOP: We often fill our lives with so much busyness and so many unnecessary
things that we miss the important ones. We fill our work time with e-mails, meetings and business things that we don't really need to be involved with. We clutter our personal lives with other things that just don't need to be done, thriving on the feeling of busyness...but leaving no time to find that peaceful place where we can see what's really going on around us. Just like a beautiful rose in bloom, or a stunning sunset that lasts only a few moments, we miss out on truly meaningful experiences because we are so preoccupied with staying on top of things. Ironic, isn’t it? Look at your life today, business-wise and personally. Are there things that you're doing that you shouldn't really be doing? Are there things that are just cluttering your life and creating more busyness and stress than you actually need? De-clutter your life. Streamline today so that you can enjoy the wonderful things around you and celebrate life.
HEART OF THE PASTOR
Jesus AND
LONG-RANGE NIGHT VISION GOGGLES
I
used to hear the story of Jesus walking it was dark (v48) and secondly, John 6:19 tells on the water, with the disciples full of us that the disciples were three to four miles fear and anxiety in the midst of a storm, away. Now Jesus did not have long-range and get this picture in my mind: Jesus would night vision goggles back then. That he could slowly appear, almost frowning His way see them at all is incredible – through the wind and spray. He would be I wouldn’t mind a bit of that supernatural so focused on getting to the power! But what’s even more other side that if the disciples amazing is this: Jesus’ eyes You see, if we got the had not called out to Him, had never left the disciples smallest glimpse of and disturbed Him from in the first place! From when His determined mission, He they left His company, to the how much God loves wouldn’t even have noticed point when he was walking up us, our anxieties and they were there and would to them in the middle of the fears would not just have walked right past storm, His blazing eyes were (Mark 6:48). lovingly fixed on them. calm down, they My original perception When the disciples saw would cease to exist. changed last week. It turns that love, their fear left (He out that it couldn’t have wasn’t a ghost after all) and been further from the truth. Let’s go back to Peter called out to Him to let him walk on the the story. Mark 6:48 reports that Jesus was water (Matthew 14:28-29). It wasn’t because watching the disciples battling in the middle Peter became bold, but rather because he saw of the sea. Two things stand out here: firstly, how much Jesus loved him. After all, perfect 10 | www.kbnconnect.co.za
love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). You see, if we got the smallest glimpse of how much God loves us, our anxieties and fears would not just calm down, they would cease to exist. When Peter sank, Jesus asked why he had doubted. In Mark 9:24 a man yelled out to Jesus, “Lord, I do believe, help me with my unbelief!” The real problem here is our unbelief. The words “I do believe” come to all of us. We say, “I believe You are”, “I believe You are able”, “I believe You will do this for others”... BUT our unbelief comes in when we don’t see how much He loves us personally. “Help me with my unbelief” is just like saying, “I don’t know why you would want to do it for me”. Unbelief is what kept the Israelites out of the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:19). So how do I rid myself of unbelief? God is love. Which means that God is not so much omniscient, as He is love. God is not so much omnipresent, as He is love. God is not so much omnipotent, as He is love. God is not
so much Glorious, as He is love. God is not so much patient, kind and joyous, as He is love. Yes He is all those things, but the Bible says that above all, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). If you look at the context of that passage, it says, “We have known and believed the love that God has for us”. Do you feel alone, need breakthrough... healing...a miracle? Abide in Him and He will abide in you (1 John 4:16), and let Him love on you, to the point where you are utterly convinced of how much He loves you. Unbelief will leave and you will catch yourself saying, “What recession?” “What disease?” “What demon?” Why? Because you are convinced that nothing can separate you from the love of God. ! Jimmy Duguid Sydney Australia jimmyduguid@gmail.com www.kbnconnect.co.za | 11
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HAND OF THE HARVESTER
What do you need to
PROTECT?
T
his morning I woke from a dream at Any time I’m feeling anxious or troubled, it 3am, then my brain decided to get is an indication I have left His Presence and going. I started to think about all the I need to reassess and realign. events we were planning for 2013 and all the One of my mentors tells the story of details required to make them happen. I was driving home from a meeting one day and being overly occupied and getting distracted feeling overwhelmed with all the tasks he with my serving – and it was robbing me had to accomplish. He was crying out to of what was more important at 3am in the God for help. In that moment he heard the morning! voice of God say, “Who told you to do that?” I was reminded of the story of Mary The shock of hearing God speak so directly and Martha in Luke 10:38. almost caused him to drive Mary seated herself at the off the road. He suddenly feet of Jesus and heard realised he was doing all these Any time my His word but Martha was ‘things’ that were really not activity takes ‘distracted with much serving’ that important. He was living away from my and missed what was most other people’s priorities rather important in that moment. than his own. He had allowed awareness of Him I didn’t realise how easily himself to be distracted with I need to refocus something good (serving) much serving and was missing my attention on can separate me from what is the most important thing – what this life is best, causing me to miss the being still and listening to very purpose for which I am God’s voice. really about. serving…. His Presence, His Last week I asked my six Voice, His Peace. year old daughter, “What do Bill Johnson in his book you want to be when you Face to Face with God writes, “I wasn’t called grow up?” “I don’t know,” she replied. “Do you to ministry or to accomplish some great feat want to be the President?” “No.” “What about in His Name, I was called to God Himself.” an Ambassador?” “No.” “Do you want to be Any time my activity takes away from my the Governor General?” “No.” “So what do you awareness of Him I need to refocus my want to be?” I asked. She replied, “I just want attention on what this life is really about. I was to be with you, Dad.” born for relationship with my Father. I was We were born to be with the Father. When born to live from His Presence – His Peace, that we live from that relationship as priority, makes everything a joy rather than a labour. everything flows. Anxiety is evidence of an www.kbnconnect.co.za | 13
inferior kingdom. Our Father’s kingdom is which surpasses all understanding, will guard love, joy and peace. Where do you need to your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” realign your life and priorities so that you live (Philippians 4:6,7). from His Presence and Peace? Write down your Who told you to do what you priorities are doing? What things can Where do you need What is most important to you delegate, defer or just you? What can you not live to realign your life stop doing? What things need without? Why did you get out to be protected? and priorities so of bed this morning? Ten years that you live from Take time to from now, what would you intentionally seat look back at and want to have His Presence and yourself at the feet of Jesus known that you stewarded Peace? Who told Be still and know Him (Psalm well? you to do what you 46:10). Cease from your activity Protect your are doing? What and striving and turn your priorities heart and affection on Him. things can you How will you look after what delegate, defer Hear what is best? If you don’t know He has to say and protect your priorities, or just stop doing? He knows you better than you you will live someone else’s. What things need do. If you don’t know what What one thing will you do to be protected? is going on in your heart, ask today to protect what is Him. most important? ! “Be anxious for nothing, Andy Mason but in everything by prayer and Redding, California supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests Reproduced with permission from http:// be made known to God; and the peace of God, idreamculture.com/who-told-you-to-do-that/.
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HAND OF THE HARVESTER
TIMESAND SEASONS Be still & know that HE IS GOD
A
re you in a winter season right now? Then you need to “Be still and know that He is God”. This may sound like a strange question because most of us are largely unaware of the spiritual times and seasons in our lives. Yet all our lives are profoundly affected in some way by the four physical seasons which God has set in place. If we could choose, most of us would rather remain in one season permanently, probably spring or summer as they are the easiest to cope with. It also works the same way spiritually: we always want to stay where it’s most ‘comfortable’. Irrespective of what God is doing, we decide that we will stay in the ‘summertime’ because this is where we like it, even though in God we might actually be in a ‘winter season’. Just as there is a continuous change in the physical seasons around us, so there is a continuous change in our spiritual seasons too. When we take time to carefully observe the overwhelming number of similarities and parallels between the physical and
spiritual seasons, it’s obvious that God is giving us clear, visible, technicolour pictures in the natural that relate to the invisible, but profoundly real, spiritual contexts in our own lives. In certain countries, if you go running around outside in a T-shirt and shorts for long enough in the height of winter when the snow is 1.8m deep, it will probably kill you. It’s very similar spiritually. Pushing ahead with your plans in the winter can actually kill your calling, your ministry, your business, your faith – AND it can do the same to the people that you are leading. If we want to lead ourselves and others well, we need to be able to “interpret the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:1-3) so that we can “prepare for the seasons” in our own lives and those we are leading (2 Titus 4:2). It’s really important that we know what season we’re in right now and the next season that God is taking us into, so that we can work together with Him in this season to prepare well for the next.
THE QUESTION IS: WHAT SEASON ARE YOU IN RIGHT NOW?
WINTER:
Winter is a time when God deals with issues, excess baggage and character defects; a time of transformation, preparation and pruning. God uses the winter to prepare us for the things that He has called or commissioned us to. This is not a time for us to be running around outside, exploring our boundaries. The place to be is at home in the lounge around a warm fire. This is a confined but safe place. It looks like nothing at all is happening and it seems like we’re sowing and sowing, but we don’t see any fruit or harvest – just tears and more tears. In this situation we often become It’s really important impatient; we want to deliver that we know what ourselves and propel ourselves back season we’re in into summer. But God wants us to find His amazing grace and strength until right now and the He brings us through in due course. next season that We clearly hear Him saying, “My Child, God is taking us just be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). into, so that we can When we look back on this work together with difficult season, we are absolutely Him in this season astounded at the huge growth in to prepare well for every area of our lives, and we can also clearly see God’s amazing love the next. and faithfulness.
SPRING:
“In the Spring, at the time when Kings go out to war, Joab led out the armed forces” (1 Chronicles 20:1). Spring is a time of new beginnings when God releases us into the new things that He has called us into. He is confident that we are fully prepared and equipped to take on any enemy – fighting together with God, breaking new territory, pioneering. We will face opposition but God will give us the victory; we are brave, courageous, renowned warriors because He is with us. Joshua 3 tells us of how God parted the Jordan to take the Israelites into the promised land. This springtime of theirs followed a long winter in the wilderness, and it heralded an exciting and challenging season in Israel’s history. www.kbnconnect.co.za | 17
In the same way, God separates us from the past so that we can move into the future – we’re free to move forward with Him; there’s no going back across the Jordan to Egypt. The manna stops and we have to forage and live off the land. What worked in the previous season will not work for the new season. God gives us fresh food and provision for this new spring season that we’re going into.
SUMMER:
THE NEXT QUESTION IS: WHAT SEASON ARE YOU GOING INTO?
This question is not that easy to peg down as spiritual seasons can, but do not necessarily, follow one another. We can go from winter into spring and back to winter again; and we can also shorten, lengthen or bring on new seasons in God. The answer to this question lies largely in how well we have worked with God in this present season to prepare for the next. End your present season well. The way that we end this season is important as it is the seed for the new season that God will lead us into!
“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6). In the summer, explore your boundaries and SOME THINGS THAT WILL HELP the new territory that you have won in God, US TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT bask in the Son’s Light and make hay while the sun shines. It’s harvest SEASON time and the orchards are End your present Be prepared in laden with fruit, so take your season well. The season and out pick! This is a broad and of season (2 Titus 4:2) way that we end spacious place where there’s Don’t think that things just this season is life, abundance and success happen haphazardly. God is in everything that you put important as it is always intentional and purposeful your hand to. the seed for the new in all that He does, and our Summer is a very success, fruitfulness and release season that God pleasant season to stay are directly related to our will lead us into! in, but this period of preparation. The “suddenlies” of abundance and fruitfulness God happen because we have is generally the season with worked with God to prepare, equip and position the least spiritual growth! ourselves to be released into the next season. Autumn When we are out of season we are preparing is a season for the next season so that we can bear good of completion, closure and refreshment. fruit. A good tree will be known by its fruit but it Maybe it’s the end of a pilgrimage, maybe doesn’t bear fruit all year round, it has its season. we’ve come through a dry place to a place of We prepare through: commitment, availability, springs and pools (Psalm 84:5-7). God wants obedience, accountability, pruning (excess us to rest and be refreshed, and He restores baggage), fertilising (prayer and intimacy) and our souls (Psalm 23:1-3). We find it easy to watering (word and spirit led). connect with and encounter His presence in the autumn. In this quiet period He whispers My times are in your to us about new things, He re-commissions hands (Psalm 31:5) us and gives us a glimpse of what’s in store for us in the next season. We trust and submit to our loving Dad by
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AUTUMN:
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EQUIP + PREPARE +
accepting and working with Him in the season that we’re in right now, even if it is a hard place. If we are patient and persevere, He will bring us through victoriously in due course. However, if we decide to take things into our own hands and attempt to propel ourselves into summer because we don’t like winter, we’ll simply end up prolonging a difficult season in a place that’s devoid of His empowering Grace. Jesus submitted to the Father by allowing Himself to be led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tested. It wasn’t fun but He would not have emerged in the Power of the Spirit if He had refused to work with His Dad to overcome the enemy there.
God tests us so that we might stand, and we will know when we are passing the tests He sends our way: we will experience a peace and a knowing in our heart. If we are unsure, then we simply ask God and He will give us confirmation.
SO - PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
As a prophetic people we are able to understand and interpret the times and seasons in our lives, working with God to prepare and become the future. We are also able to speak into the lives of the people we are leading, telling them what we see God doing in their lives and helping them to prepare for where God is taking them. How committed God is always intentional are we to our and purposeful and He has The wise heart will amazing plans for us which future? Are we able know the proper He wants to bring to fruition. to acknowledge time (Ecclesiastes 8:5) That’s why He’s constantly the things in our When we hear God speak to working behind the scenes us about the future, it doesn’t of our lives. RIGHT NOW God own lives that are mean that He is releasing us into is arranging, preparing and hindering us, and a new season immediately. It orchestrating our lives for are we prepared to generally means that He wants maximum success in the NOW bring them before us to get excited and passionate and assuring us of an amazing, about our future and to begin fruitful and glorious future our loving Dad so to work with Him to adequately inheritance with Him. that He can help us prepare and equip ourselves What season are you to deal with them? for what He has in store for us. I in right now? What is the have personally had a number next season that God wants of painful experiences by to take you into? How can you work together with Him to prepare precipitating a season. If a tree buds too early and become the future? Consider this: the wind comes and blows the buds off and EQUIP + PREPARE + POSITION = RELEASE then there’s no fruit. As a loving Father who is Our Dad is loving and strong, and we’ll totally committed to our success, God will not always find an abundance of Grace for every release us into a new season until we have dealt season of the soul. with those things that will cause us to fail. How Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for committed are we to our future? Are we able to acknowledge the things in our own lives that are you says The Lord, plans to prosper you and not to hindering us, and are we prepared to bring them harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. ! before our loving Dad so that He can help us to deal with them? Terry Akal terry@akal.co.za How will our heart know the proper time?
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tarting your small business is filled with hope and excitement. You dream of great things; doing what you love when you want to, being your own boss, financial freedom. Then time passes. The reality of this statistic, “70% of South African businesses fail in the first year”, starts to bite. The reasons for these failures are many, but the one I want to discuss today is exceptionally real to us all. This monster is stealing from you 24/7/365. It’s an insidious monster, a merciless thief. It steals your money right out of your bank account, This monster cleans out your savings. is stealing from you It steals your home. 24/7/365. It's an insidious It steals your car. monster, a merciless thief. It empties out the It steals your money right pantry and carries your furniture out of your bank account, out the door. cleans out your Its appetite savings. is endless, ravenous.
22 | www.kbnconnect.co.za
HAND OF THE HARVESTER
It steals your dreams, hope, health, relationships. Do you know what it is? When you started your business, it’s unlikely that you realised that you’d have to fight such a determined enemy. It is literally, the enemy of your very soul. It didn’t take too long for you to first feel the tendrils of this vicious beast. For me, it started with the phone ringing. Always a good thing to be happening in one’s business. Especially if it’s potential clients calling. But each time I put down the phone, I sensed a new “feeling” mixed in with the gratefulness for a new opportunity. As time passed and the tasks in my inbox mounted, each screaming for my immediate attention, I started to put a name to this “feeling”. Overwhelmed! With each phone call came more tasks to do. More e-mails to respond to. More demands than I had time in any day to complete. Before I knew it, the work days were getting longer. Getting out of bed harder. Know who this monster is yet? It’s the time demon. It steals your time. And with your God is never time it steals your future, your dreams, your hope, your resources. overwhelmed. He All the things that should have been, invites you to share but you simply never had the time. His yoke, for it is To each man is appointed a time. Rare is it light and it is that God grants one extra life. So when your time is spent, it’s gone – forever. easy.
OVERWHELMED? WHAT TO DO?
There are a number of things that you can do to redeem the time, but I’ll only highlight the most important one. The one upon which all the others stand. It’s this: “Let be and be still, and know (recognise and understand) that I am God” Psalm 46:10 (AMP). God is never overwhelmed. He invites you to share His yoke, for it is light and it is easy. Stay engaged with Him and seize each new day He mercifully grants you. Carpe Diem! !
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HAND OF THE HARVESTER
You are your message T
his may sound a strange title, but goes to the heart of the stress and anxiety many marketplace Christians experience. A few weeks ago I was strategising on my whiteboard about my marketplace ministry. I wrote down the messages I carried... the possible audiences, I had been so busy churches, and websites...and strategising on how reflected with a small degree of frustration on how hard to do more that God it is to establish a successful had to take me by marketplace ministry in the the hand and remind “church” at the moment. me that "I am His This frustration was causing me to look harder at what I was message". doing, how to do it differently, how to get more opportunities to speak and write articles and ultimately get paid for it. I AM a business and a ministry so I’m not doing this for free! As the whiteboard session progressed and I reached the edges of the board with ideas and strategies, God whispered something in my ear that caused me to rethink my whole situation. “You are my message!” www.kbnconnect.co.za | 27
I’ve written on this idea in parts of other articles before, but God really shook me this time. I had been so busy strategising on how to do more that God had to take me by the hand and remind me that “I am His message”. He doesn’t want me to over-focus on doing more; rather He is interested in me being more of who He called me to be. Now I know all the business people amongst us will say, “Yes great, but what about sales, appointments, costs, growth, staffing?” These are real issues to us all. And they are best addressed from “who we are” rather that “what we do”!
But now I understand; I have a revelation that we are ALL seated with Christ in heaven and He is seated in us! When I recognise that I am “seated in heavenly places with him” (Ephesians 2:6), then even in the most stressful situations I can be at peace – because in heaven there is unlimited grace, peace, resources, healing, fun, love, wisdom and revelation. And if I’m seated there, then I already have them! And because my focus has changed to “being the message”, I can be at peace and make a difference in this world – even if I don’t close this or that deal. God made each one of us to be amazing. Before time He BEING OURSELVES thought of us, determined When I refocus my – IN HIM what we would have to deal We cannot find rest in motive on being the with in life, and then made constant work. We will not us perfect for the task. message (purpose), be peaceful with more When you are “you”, then then I can rest in the sales, more staff, greater you transform the world influence. We all want fact that in every around you! When your those things – and good situation I can "be motive is to “be you” then businesses should have you can be at rest in every me" and that is them as their goals – but situation. enough! I am not they don’t bring peace. And It is only when “you” are it’s peace we need in order measured by what defined by the sale or the to handle the stresses we all I achieve, but rather negotiation or completion face from running or being of the task that “anxiety empowered by in business. and fear” sneak in. The what I release. When I refocus my inability to rest and be at motive on being the peace comes from fear of message (purpose), then I our inadequacy and our can rest in the fact that in every situation insecurity in who we are. I can “be me” and that is enough! I am not Peace comes from our position as Sons measured by what I achieve, but rather and Daughters in God’s family. Our doubts empowered by what I release. of inadequacy are removed when we I used to have a great prophetic friend understand that we are “wonderfully and who once told me, “When I step out of bed fearfully made” (Psalm 139:13) by our Daddy each morning I step into heaven and say in heaven. You want peace? Reach out and Hello Holy Spirit!” I never really understood take it – it’s yours already. ! that principle until recently. I had reserved that particular experience for the “spiritual leaders” and resigned myself to the fact that my job was to battle away in the world and get refreshed on Sundays when the anointed leaders took me to heaven for a brief visit. 28 | www.kbnconnect.co.za
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HAND OF THE HARVESTER
THE KEY TO CONTENTMENT:
Wanting What You Have “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” —Philippians 4:11
are full of images that are designed to make us discontented with our current circumstances and want more. Contentment is not something we are re you in pursuit of more? Can you born with, nor does it come automatically find satisfaction in God alone? How with salvation. It is a learned behaviour. I do you achieve godly contentment? read a story about a Quaker who put a sign Contentment is an interesting concept on his house that read, “I will give this house in the world of entrepreneurs, since to any man who can prove to me that he all entrepreneurs are looking for more is content”. Shortly afterwards, someone business, more customers and more came knocking at the door and wanted to money. How do I remain claim the house. He said content in a world that he was perfectly content. rewards the pursuit of The Quaker asked what It is impossible for more, and views being he meant. He said, “I me to be content and content with less as defeat have everything I want, maintain the world’s and failure? We also find all the money I need, approach toward ourselves in a marketplace everything in life that environment that not could satisfy me. I am business, because the only rewards the pursuit perfectly content.” The worldly approach of more but does not care Quaker said, “Friend, if uses discontentment about the methods of thee is so content what that pursuit. The reality does thee want with my as a tool for is that in order for me house?” Many of us are motivating people to understand godly like this man; we claim to to be innovative contentment I must first be content, but we do so and productive. change my paradigm of while seeking more. business. It is impossible What does it really for me to be content and mean to be content? maintain the world’s approach toward Contentment is the spirit-led ability to business, because the worldly approach accept God’s will for my life no matter what uses discontentment as a tool for motivating my circumstances. It is a learned behaviour people to be innovative and productive. that allows me to achieve great gain in A new Biblical Entrepreneur Certified Christ. I love Ray C. Stedman’s definition teacher once told me a story about for contentment: “only wanting what you a company he worked for where his have”. The beauty of this definition is that supervisor took him to a dealership to it forces us to reverse our perspective and finance a brand new car. The supervisor’s focus on what we have, rather than what purpose in doing this was to motivate we want. If you’re not content with what his employee to increase his sales. TV ads you have, you will not appreciate it; if you
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do not appreciate what you have, you will Put your trust in Christ and not in your resources (Matthew 6:33, not take care of it; and if you do not take care of it, then you may eventually lose 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Colossians 3:1-11). it. On the other hand, if you want what you Guard against the love of money have, you will appreciate it, and, as a result, (1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 12:15-21). will also take care of it and may eventually Realise that implementing these things have more. The key then to getting more is cannot be done by might, but must be done wanting what you have. by the Spirit. You cannot will yourself to be So, how do you achieve godly content; Christ must empower you and give contentment? How do you get to the you the grace to achieve contentment. The point where you only want what you have dangers of ignoring this virtue are and no longer focus on trying to keep up great. 1Timothy 6:9-10 explains it best: “But with the Joneses or the those who desire to be rich Gateses, especially as an fall into temptation and a entrepreneur? We claim to be snare, and into many foolish To achieve godly and harmful lusts which content, but we do so contentment you must drown men in destruction while seeking more. keep the following seven and perdition. For the love of points in mind: money is a root of all kinds Recognise that you of evil, for which some have The key to getting have brought nothing strayed from the faith in into this world, and you more is wanting what their greediness, and pierced will carry nothing out themselves through with you have. (1Timothy 6:7, Job 1:21). many sorrows.”
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Recognise that both riches and poverty are from God (1 Samuel 2:7, Proverbs 22:2).
Learn the lessons God is teaching you when you are lacking (James 1:2-4). Master the art of stewardship (1 Corinthians 4:2, Luke 16:1-13).
Learn to appreciate every blessing, no matter how great or small (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Therefore pursue contentment and godliness, and you are sure to avoid great failure and attain great gain in Christ. My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to be satisfied with Him alone and that you will appreciate His many blessings. !
Copyright © 2013 Patrice Tsague All Rights Reserved
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