October 03, 2010
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One of my
favorite passages for Releasing Kings is sandwiched between two
admonitions to “love
each other.” Kings are creative and entrepreneurial and able to create
wealth.
But the secret behind their fruitfulness is a motivation to bless
others out of
a heart for people. My
command is this: Love each
other as I
have loved you. 13 Greater
love has no one than this, that he lay down his
life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's
business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I
learned
from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but
I chose
you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then
the
Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my
command: Love each other. John
15:12-17 NIV Family – the foundation of
life is loving
people unconditionally. Even if our family members are imperfect, we
still love
them because they are part of our heritage. Our parents, wives, and
children
are as imperfect as we are, yet the bond of “family” keeps us
connected. That
kind of unconditional love works in any relationship. It isn’t always
received,
but like Jesus, we can still extend it. Forgiveness is a fact of life
in any
relationship and it’s the lifeline to our own supply of grace. Family
is just
the first place to apply this truth. For
if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will
also
forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father
will not
forgive your sins. Matt 6:14-15 NIV Love makes a
difference – It’s good to
bless people with our
words, but helping them materially to take the next step is often what
God is
doing. Those kinds of actions usually cost time and money. Kings can
create
both! If
one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well
fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In
the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is
dead. James
2:16-17 NIV Real leadership - In the Kingly
sense, leadership is
serving other people by helping them to become successful in pursuit of
their
own goals (not ours). We are not just giving to needs. Our primary goal
is to
help others “help themselves” out of poverty by inspiring their ability
to hope
and dream and work. Money always follows purpose. Our hearts have to
have a
great reason to receive the blessing God has in store for us. The first
step is
connecting people with the redemption in Jesus and the guiding voice of
the
Holy Spirit. The second step is helping them connect with their unique
Kingdom
purpose. Kings who are
successful in a particular field, delight to share their insights with
those
called in a similar vein. For example, those influential in business
always
work through a fraternity of contacts, friends and networks to reach
their
goals. Those still in poverty are often independent (just me and God)
and have
yet to connect with their tribe or family of co-laborers. The oppressor /
victim poverty
mentality – Real love
sets the captive free. Few realize that the chains that bind us are
primarily
in our heads. Christian love breaks the poverty of oppression where is
thrives
best – in our excuses! The tendency to expend emotional energy to find
the
reasons why we have not succeeded and divert the “blame” is an epidemic
in our
culture and national politics right now. It is childish and
self-defeating. "It's George Bush's fault." Sounds funny when you think
about it. Kings think
and pray in terms of “how we do succeed.” Their emotional and spiritual
energy
is entirely spent on finding real answers and accepting responsibility.
The
most loving and enduring solution to poverty is helping people help
themselves.
Afformations
are a great devotional exercise to adjust your thinking from serf to
King. Learn
to ask your mind and your maker the right question: “Why will I
succeed” with
the desires of your heart. It
is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the
glory of
kings. Prov 25:2 NIV PS: You may
also enjoy the video
version of this newsletter.
Desire to Destiny is available now at our store along with reviews. Not sure what your dream is? This book will help you pull the curtain back on your future. Newsletter - If your newsletter comes incomplete (filtered), you can always catch the latest version in our archive along with 200 others. 1800+ people from around the world get Kingly encouragement from our weekly newsletter. Invite a friend to subscribe - they will be blessed. How to Start a Small Group - Kings are increasingly getting involved in Bible study or mentoring groups to facilitate their "Release." Here are some helpful suggestions www.Releasing-Kings.com/Starting-a-Group.html. We've also updated our Vision Brochure with graphics to show how to become a King and how you can help Release Kings. Lastly we've created a guideline to help you take your dream to the next level by considering the elements of a business plan. See Write Your Business Plan. French Translation - Releasing Kings is now available in French thanks to the efforts of Cees Bakker and Support Ministries in the Netherlands. In France, copies can be obtained from Editions Menor or Librairie Chretienne CLC. The Title in French is “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail”. Cees is also the guy who made the Dutch translation possible - available through his website. He can be contacted for Releasing Kings conferences in France and throughout Europe. Facebook - I'm posting more information on Face book at http://www.facebook.com/john.garfield1
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