Making Disciples – The Blueprint for Network Marketing
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!
Along the Road
So what exactly is this road? When speaking of our experience as believers, we often refer to our Christian walk, or as I prefer to express it, our journey. The believer’s life is truly a process, with seasons of growth followed by seasons of rest and renewal. We are challenged and tempted, we fall down and we get back up, but the larger framework of this process is defined by two pivotal events that define the journey and reveal to us our God given purpose.
Awesome Video from Dare2Share.org
The Aaronic Blessing
It is found in the book of Numbers, the law that God gave to Moses. It follows the passages that detail how one takes the vow of a Nazirite to separate himself to the Lord. The Nazirite vows were specific and sacrificial, and according to the law, “…until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy.” Numbers 6:5 (NKJV)
That should give us a clue about just how serious this portion of scripture is, and just as the law concerning the Nazirite vows ends, God gives instruction on how the people are to be blessed by the priesthood.
A Jewish Perspective on Mathew 23
A friend of mine challenged me to write about Matthew 23:1-15 as she thought I might have a uniquely Jewish perspective on the subject. As I began to research the passage, it became apparent that she had found one of those never ending spirals, and this was going to be a lot of fun for me. In the end, a fine blue thread unraveled the mystery. Read on and you will see what I mean.
A Legacy of Gluttony
Those of you who are old enough (children of the 50’s and 60’s) will probably remember your parents telling you to clean your plate because “children in China were starving.” It never made sense the way they said it. Wouldn’t it be impractical to gather up the brussel sprouts that my sister and the dog and I didn’t want, and ship them over to China to help those kids? And how would my consumption of those disgusting green balls help those Chinese kids anyway? Obviously, we missed the point entirely, but so did our parents!
Temptation
In the Gospel of Matthew 4:11, it ends there with angels coming to minister to a tired and hungry Jesus, but in the Gospel of Luke 4:13 it is not so final. “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” You see it wasn’t over for Jesus, and likewise we will ever be tempted in this earthly life.
Small Victories Matter
Sometimes all we can see is the mountain, when the summit is truly the goal. What I have learned through marketing, is that the summit is reached when we scale the mountain a few steps at a time, recognizing the benchmarks, and celebrating the small victories.
Prevenient Grace
Many envision God as a god of wrath who punishes those who believe the wrong things and rewards those who believe the right things. They would have you place more emphasis on doctrine than on works, and more emphasis on works that on relationship. I do not know their god. What I do know is that we will never be holy, never have a perfect understanding of the scriptures, and never accomplish enough good works to be worthy of the love, forgiveness, and eternal life He has promised to His children.
French Toast – Just Enough To Get To Heaven
There has been an interesting discussion going on in recent weeks about what exactly will qualify a person to inherit eternal life. I have come across as much watered down doctrine as I have over the top legalistic doctrine, which has left me asking why so many people seem to be set on doing “just enough” to get to heaven? While the over the top doctrine pushers would have you believe that you must believe exactly as they do, the watered down faction seems to be seeking the quickest, easiest, cheapest ticket that will be accepted at the pearly gates.
