Absolutely everything is going to be affected by the concepts outlined in this video. Hat tip to Ron McMenamy for sending this one to me.

A good friend today used terminology like “fault lines” and “tectonic plates” when referring to what’s becoming visible and starting to creak like the timbers of an old ship.

The Church. Business. Work. Life. Language. Nations.

All of these will be impacted. Lord help us to be properly aligned and positioned.

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(If you’re an e-mail subscriber, the details that were missing from your recent message are in this post. Please follow the links to read the full post on the blog.)

God has been opening the doors for me and providing me with opportunities to reach out and teach about the purpose He has for You in the marketplace through business ownership and creating financial independence.

There is an increasing demand and need throughout God’s Kingdom for this instruction, and as such I am teaching a Special Teleseminar tomorrow that I would like to invite you to attend:

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David G. Johnson presents…
“Nourish The Dream: Your Destiny In the Marketplace”

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
9:00 PM (Eastern)

There are 2 ways you can listen to my teleseminar:

Listen in Via Phone:

Dial In Number: 218-486-3693
Guest PIN Number: 5728276# (please hit # after the last number)

Listen in Via Computer:

To view the teleseminar information and/or to listen to the call via Webcast on your computer, please click here:

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=115950

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Jesus said that if you, “…know the truth, the truth will set you free.”

I will teach you how to break out of the “ordinary” and step into the life of your dreams. I want to set you free from hopeless thinking and return to you the Truth that God created You for a powerful purpose, and not only can you find that purpose, You Can Fulfill It!

Specifically, I am going to cover…

• 3 questions God will ask YOU face-to-face
• How to reduce your stress and find fulfillment
• How to position yourself for the largest wealth transfer in history
• How to go beyond the idea of just changing your financial picture
• How to identify and destroy the limitations that are holding you back!

I am looking forward to bringing God’s message to you tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 9:00 PM EST!

I am looking to reach out and teach to as many hearts as possible. If you know of 3 people (or more!) that might benefit from my teleseminar, please forward this information to them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this note.

Blessings,

David G. Johnson
Founder & CEO, Epiphany Consulting, LLC
Associate Pastor, The Living Sanctuary

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Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap. Proverbs 21:6 (NLT)

This passionately stirred me up today.

In business, we as believers have a standard to uphold that goes beyond what others may adhere to. Why? Because we believe that our covenant-keeping God honors those who demonstrate their faith in Him by following His principles.

For example, there is no excuse for deceptive sales practices. This includes blatant lies and partial truths, the latter of which we tend to excuse at times – particularly if we can’t think of a reason why anyone would be hurt by it.

But sometimes we’re not being deceptive when we make commitments. Sometimes we intend to fulfill them, and then we allow circumstances to change in such a way that our words become untrue. Sometimes, circumstances change beyond our control, but at other times, we have the ability to affect the outcomes. How do we handle this as believers?

If we say one thing and something else turns out to be true… do we have the integrity to make it right?

If not, then it’s ultimately no different than having the lying tongue that Solomon was talking about in today’s reading (above). And it doesn’t just happen in sales. Sometimes our marketing efforts are not accurate. Sometimes our customer service functions make promises we either can’t or ultimately don’t keep.

Are you or your business caught in a deadly trap?

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Here in Tampa Bay, we are well-acquainted with the testimony of Tony Dungy. We’ve heard him speak, we’ve watched him pray and struggle, and we’ve mourned some hardships with him. We hated to see him go. Lovie Smith wasn’t quite as well known during his time working with Dungy on the staff of the Tampa Bay Bucs, but his story is also a powerful one.

You can read their stories on the Beyond the Ultimate website, which is operated by Athletes in Action (a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ). They’re the ones responsible for the USA Today ad.

Way to go, guys. And a big slap on the back to Athletes in Action and Campus Crusade for making the most of an opportunity.

Of course… it raises a question: if both of them are praying to win… ?

(Hat tip to Jeff MacFarlane of The Joy FM for drawing my attention to this… and to Tim Nixon…wow!)

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God’s Grand Goal #4: Reproduction/Duplication
Jesus was only round one.  Paul called Him, “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).  Clearly, none of us are worthy nor are we called to sacrifice our lives for the sins of others.  We certainly cannot minimize the value of His redemptive work.  However, God’s purpose is to reproduce the life of His Son in us… in you.  Jesus was the model, the prototype, the forerunner.  The very life of God that empowered Him dwells in us.  The same power that God used when raising Jesus from the dead is quite literally at our disposal.  What results are we getting?

More to come…

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But, before you dismiss this as another trite re-hashing of the same old message, let me challenge you to read these next few lines carefully and thoughtfully. In particular, how does the reason for season affect those of us involved in the marketplace?

I’d like to submit to you a few of God’s “goals” for sending his Son. These are not necessarily in any particular order, I’ve just numbered them for the sake of bringing some order to them.

God’s Grand Goal #1: Transformation
On every level – personal, local, regional, societal, cultural, etc, God is in the business of transformation. Jesus was, in His arrival, His life, His business, His “ministry”, and certainly in His death, burial, and resurrection, an agent of change. He constantly brought people into relationship with the Father and demonstrated God’s power for true transformation. As his “disciples” (read: “trainees”), this is now our inherited task. What transformation are you bringing to your life, your family, your business, your city?

God’s Grand Goal #2: The Incarnation of Truth
Jesus was the embodiment of the Word. He was “the living Word.” He was the, “express image of the invisible God.” He gave unseen Truth visible and tangible expression. He did so without legalism, without religious weirdness, without judgment and wrath. In fact, the only targets of His anger were those who placed undue religious burdens on the seeking. How are you bringing eternal truth to bear in your spheres of influence?

God’s Grand Goal #3: Government
Perhaps one of the most powerful passages we quote when talking about the birth of Jesus is Isaiah’s prophecy contained in chapter 9, verses 6-7 (quoted here from the Amplified):

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Jesus came to establish a true Kingdom — one with authority, with rulers, with subjects, with dominion, with might, and with peace. Some believers are, like the Jews, still awaiting the arrival of this Kingdom, but it’s been here for 20 centuries. Time and space do not permit a thorough examination of this prophecy from Isaiah, but I would challenge you to study it out and meditate on its meaning for us today. One interesting place to start: take a look at the Hebrew word for “government” used in these verses. Why would God choose this word for Isaiah to use? Why would it only occur in these two verses? Why would it be related to the word used to describe Jacob’s “struggle” when he wrestled with God?

We’ll continue this discussion later in the week. Please feel free to comment and participate!

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And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Luke 19:15 (NKJV)

Isn’t it interesting that the first question the master asked when he returned was, “What have you gained?”

Friends, God is expecting us to produce increase. He has invested valuable resources… not just the precious blood of His Son, but also giftings, abilities, knowledge and skills… in you. One question that God is asking us is… what have you gained with what I have entrusted to you?

This isn’t intended to be a guilt trip… but it is intended to provoke a little bit of thought. Here’s a question for you:

What is it about what you’re doing with your working life that is worthwhile?

Is it just a way to feed your family? Are you trying to climb the corporate ladder? Or, as my friend Eric Beck likes to ask, “Are you just trading 5 days of one thing for 2 days of another?”
Or… is there some element of calling in what you’re doing? Are you spending your days doing what you were created to do? Have you ever asked the question about what God may be doing through you? How do you fit into His plan?

Friends, I want to challenge you to spend some time answering these questions.

And, I want to let you know that some friends of mine (Michael Pink, Carlos Ramirez, Justin DeStoppelaire) and I will be discussing these questions and more like them at an event in Sarasota, Florida called Nourish The Dream on November 17th and 18th. The even is for anyone interested in pursuing God’s purpose for their lives. I hope to see you there!

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Many a man proclaims his own loving-kindness and goodness, but a faithful man who can find? Proverbs 20:6 (AMP)

This one has always scared me a bit. Okay… maybe a lot. It’s easy for any of us to talk about how good we are – especially when it comes to business. We’re all inclined to talk up our reliability, our good service, our integrity. But Solomon’s question here is: who can find someone who actually follows through? Where are the people who are actually faithful and reliable and trustworthy?

Even a child is known by his acts, whether [or not] what he does is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11 (AMP)

Walking in integrity has nothing to do with what you say. It comes down to what you do. Period.

Is what you’re doing reflecting who you claim to be?

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Mr. Dvorak also points out some of the typical pitfalls that believers can run into when operating as a “Christian” business, including ulterior motives (feigning genuine faith to advance one’s own agenda) and religious discrimination.

What is truly fabulous about what this article points out, but even more so about Tampa Bay Steel (one of the companies covered in the story) and C12 and so many other companies and organizations . . . is that Biblical principles, when properly applied, always produce fruitfulness and profitability. May we all demonstrate this in our daily work.

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One of my favorite sections of this passage is in verse 7:

The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7 (NASB)

At first glance, Solomon seems a bit redundant:  the beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom!  But in fact, what Solomon is saying is that the first step toward becoming wise is that you set your trajectory toward acquiring wisdom.  Becoming wise is not something you do casually or accidentally.  It is a lifestyle of learning to learn.  It involves a commitment to receiving instruction, seeing things differently, listening and observing.

As leaders, developing a habit of becoming wise is contagious.  It will also help you to win the trust of those you lead.  We respect those whom we trust, and we trust those who are willing to be vulnerable enough to show us that they are in the habit of seeing their own mistakes and learning and correcting as they go.  How different would your organization, business or team be if this were a habit practiced by all?

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