Making Disciples – The Blueprint for Network Marketing

Last night I had the privilege of hearing Pastor Leonardo Diaz from Manzanillo, Cuba speak his passion to a small group at a local Church in Tampa.  I knew in advance that his topic would be about church growth and the things of God that fuel increasing revival on the small island of Cuba. What I was not prepared for was the striking resemblance between the process of discipleship he spoke of, and the network marketing industry, when it is done with honesty and integrity.    No wonder so many people are attracted to network marketing… God is the genius who came up with the plan!

I am sure you are wondering just how I made that connection, so I will take it one step at a time.  Pastor Leo began with his own testimony.  In his early years as a pastor he sought God’s direction for his ministry.  He studied the scriptures diligently as he asked for Gods direction, and God answered his prayer with this passage just as He had answered the wise King Solomon.

2 Chronicles 7:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.  ¹³ When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, ¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

It describes a process we must go through in order for our land to be healed.  This is a universal process both for me to heal the land around my house and for us, together, to bring healing to our community, nation, and the world.

That does not sound too tough, until you throw this in the mix.  EVERYTHING YOU DO EITHER GLORIFIES GOD OR GLORIFIES THE ENEMY!  There is no middle ground.  I imagine some of you are tempted to stop reading this right here, right now because clearly this means we are going to have to give up some things we are pretty attached to.  Please stay with me though, because there is some powerful stuff coming.

Pastor Leo then said this.  “God has given each of us a perimeter to bring God’s Spirit into in order to heal that land.  We make difficult the design of God by bringing our human understanding into the equation.”  At this point it still seems like some fuzzy logic going on, what we need is an example… and what better example than Jesus?  Just as so many passages in the Old Testament do,  this passage points right at Jesus.  Throughout His ministry, everywhere that Jesus went the spiritual climate changed.  It changed because He humbled Himself, prayed without ceasing, sought the counsel of His Heavenly Father in all matters, and turned completely away from wickedness.

Now thankfully, we don’t have to be so perfect because Jesus has paid that price for us.  All we have to do is take the steps to get a little closer each day.  Our battles are won not by the sword, but on our knees.  It is up to us to carry revival to the people by changing the spiritual climate within our perimeter.  As we take this revival to others and teach them to use the same formula, they change the spiritual climate within their perimeter, and so on.  It is networking pure and simple!

Now let’s take a quick look at Ezekiel 47:1-9

¹ Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.   ² He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.

³ And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.   ⁴ Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.  ⁵ Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.

⁶ He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the  bank of the river.  ⁷ When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.  ⁸ Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.  ⁹ And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.

According to Ezekiel, in the places that God dominates, the living waters flow.  The depth of the water indicates the depth of dominance the Holy Spirit has in that place.  When we are swimming, every thing that we touch is healed, and this is what the Great Commission is all about, to go and make disciples for the transformation (healing) of the world.

So how is the Cuban church able to reach the Cuban people so effectively?  Why is there revival in their land?  They are following the biblical model of making and training disciples and using those 4 steps we started with.

1. Humble yourself

2. Pray

3. Seek God through study of His Word

4. Turn from wicked ways

A new believer is drawn to the church through the prayers of believers and the agape love they have shown to their community.  The new believer is guided by the elders to follow those 4 steps and to draw those in their perimeter into their homes to share what they are learning about God and how He has changed them and healed their land.  The goal is to have a group of ten people gather together regularly in that house.  An interesting point here is that Jewish law required at least 10 men (a minyan) to be gathered for morning and evening prayers.

From this group of 10, the next disciples will be guided by the elders in their group to reach further into their own perimeter and duplicate… exponentially… the network marketing model!

Pastor Leo summed up the evening with these words of wisdom.  “The keys to the kingdom are in the bible.  Do what the bible says and watch what God will do.  Use the tools of God to do battle for His Glory.”

Whether your perimeter and calling is to win souls for Jesus or to help people get healthier, wealthier, and happier, these simple principles and God’s blueprint will serve you well.  You just can’t argue with results!

Blessings & Adventure,

Lynn “lynnibug” Rios

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