subscribe to this Newsletter  and  Get the Book How Do I Become a Marketplace Ministry? Last week we talked about how a pastor could start a Marketplace Ministry in his church. This week we want to view this topic at a grassroots level. I don't want to leave you with the impression your pastor is responsible to find your ministry - you are. Most of us just wish somebody would help us down the path toward prosperity, creativity, ministry and finding our work week an adventure in God. In short, God is moving people toward being Kingly and here are a few suggestions on how to get started. 1. What God is doing - Step one is understanding what God is doing now and why it's what he's been doing since the beginning. Christians finding their ministry in the Marketplace is not a new idea from a Biblical standpoint; it clearly started in Genesis and appears everywhere from there to Revelation. The best thing you can do to lay the foundation in your own heart is read Releasing Kings. This is not a cheesy sales pitch. It's a life line that is being thrown to you by God. 2. Why Would God Favor You? - You have to have an answer to this question and it can't be some spiritual pabulum. Your answer has to have some substance. You have to know that it is fully God's intention to bless you far beyond your own abilities and you have to know how and why he does that. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb 11:6 NIV So I'm going to give you some typical answers. a. "He'll bless me because he loves me" - Not good enough. He loves everyone, but not everyone is equally blessed. Do you really believe he doesn't love other Christians enough to bless them? Keep trying. b. "He'll bless me because I have faith for it" - Guess again. All the demons in Hell believe in God... and tremble (James 2:19). It takes more that faith... without works it's dead (James 2:18,20, 26) and so is your ministry. c. "He'll bless me because I obey him, serve him, and I'm faithful" - Guess again. This was the hardest one for me to give up. You can go to church for a million years, never miss a devotional, and serve better than Mother Teresa... and you'll still won't qualify for the blessing of God. So why does God bless some and not others? Two reasons: People that are blessed work harder - God blesses initiative. You can be as spiritual as you want to... speak in tongues, prophecy, understand mysteries and possess all knowledge. It doesn't matter. God blesses people that do things (aka work). Why are some blessed and others aren't? Some work and some sit! Some aren't even in the game... they are busy trying to be spiritual instead of building the Kingdom. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. Prov 6:10-11 KJV A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Prov 24:33-34 NIV This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Eph 5:13-14 NIV People are blessed that work smarter - Working hard is the first ingredient. The second is you have to do the right things. For example, if you've worked hard at your job for a couple of decades and stayed ahead of the bills you can continue to work hard for a couple more decades and you may get the same results; slightly ahead of your bills. Working smarter means finding the wisdom and leading of God and making some changes. Most of us think in terms of "obedience." If I obey the Holy Spirit and follow His leading, I'll be blessed." That's the language of a servant that never inherits the Kingdom on earth. Going to Heaven? - yes; blessed abundantly in this life - no. Use the language and the initiative of a friend that knows the inside plans. 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 15:14-17  NIV 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Prov 25:2  NIV   Multiplication - Working harder and working smarter has this effect on Christians; They start to multiply in every area... creativity, finances, ministry, fruit, fun, family. Once you tap this stream in God, you'll automatically attract disciples because everyone wants to be Kingly - they just don't know how. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... and David and Solomon... all people that inherited life and life more abundantly both in this life and the life to come. Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.  Gen 26:12-14  NIV So Get Started - I think we have to live life as though our eternal life has already begun. We're walking and talking with God, we're with him in heavenly places, and He's asking us to co-labor with him to create, invent, multiply, and spread life. Now let's make it practical. Start with the desire of your heart. What is it you really want to do? That's the first hint of where to find the will of God. Face it, "You won't work hard at something you don't enjoy - especially for eternity." Graduating from servant to King means you found something that's fun. Now it could be politics, the arts, education... but let's assume it has a business bent for simplicity (everything does). The first question is, "How can you multiply?" We have an interview page with stories on all four of these kinds of opportunities. Your J-o-b - I hear people deride a 40 hour week quite often. However that's where most of us live. Your can be entrepreneurial in your current position and your manager will love you for it. Volunteer to carry out the company vision in some area where you can take full responsibility. That's the definition of a good employee... responsible, creative, initiative that takes part of the managers load off - he'll love you for it. he'll also promote you for it. The only down side is they will add raises to your salary, but you'll never multiply. Start a business - That's the process of creating and multiplying good and services that other people value enough to buy. You're creating something other people want and are blessed by. It's a ministry that blesses customers and reproduces employees in a way that promotes them to Kings. Real Estate - We all have to live somewhere. Leverage your finances so that somewhere multiplies and let your finances work for you. Take nothing and turn it into something special - make a run down house look better than those around it. I was in Las Vegas last weekend (our son Ben goes to school at UNLV). A 24-hour a day city of several million people was created out of worthless desert. It's an amazing transformation. Duane Smith is a good example of a King in real estate that is finding ministry as well. Investing - If you don't have time for a business, put your money to work in someone else's business or real estate. Do your homework, check out the people your investing in, get some recommendations, and find something that returns at least 50% annually. They're out there. Here's one example. Network Marketing - If money is too tight for the above 3, then consider starting a small business in direct sales. They are inexpensive to start and most have great training opportunities to build your people skills. Some are deceptive and manipulative, so you have to be careful and find a credible Christian that has years of experience to give you a recommendation (Dan Gaub). Sales is hard for every one; but so is evangelism. I decided the two were connected and got involved in one so you can read John and Sue's story as well. God created you to multiply. If you work harder and smarter you will inherit the the part of the Kingdom God has for you... and you'll become a marketplace ministry.   Life is an adventure. People are a blessing. God is amazing. We're winning.   Love, John & Harold     (are dancing - Join us) New Book - Our goal in Releasing Kings was to articulate a theological basis for marketplace ministry such that people naturally mature toward being more entrepreneurial and more generous. Harold has continued that theme in a new book that I really enjoyed. This book is a brief explanation of Resurrection-based Christianity entitled Jesus Came Out of the Tomb, So Can You. It also appears on our Recommendations Page. There are four other books that tie closely to the chapters in Part 2 of Releasing Kings that are all worth while. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.  Isa 62:4-5 www.releasing-kings.com Conferences - The Last trip to the Netherlands was a real eye-opener! I greatly underestimated the value of our book, the impact of the message on individual lives, and the value of live conferences. I witnessed the power of God being unleashed in the hearts of men and women by simply explaining the theology and experience behind releasing their heart's desire to expand the Kingdom. Seeing the lights come up in the hearts of God's people feels like sponsoring a jailbreak. One of my goals is to equip others to help us share the message in conference formats before we get overwhelmed with the momentum of what God is about to do. If your church or organization is ready, we can help you start a fire... a big one! Send us your feedback! johnsue@clearwire.com We get blessed by your emails at "You Wrote Back"  Past newsletters are now Indexed to Chapters in Releasing Kings!      _____________________________________________________________________ Interested in your own WEB? We've posted information on the software we use to create this web site. If you survive the learning curve without losing your sanctification (mine is barely intact), it really is easy to use and the cost is $299 a year - much less expensive than hiring someone. The primary benefit is the ease of making your own changes. Additional info is at: http://www.releasing-kings.com/releasing-websites.html     Progress - Kingly Bio's are Up We've completed the first round of interviews with Kings.  These are real people that have been blessed by God in the Market Place and have hearts for ministry.  Check it out at http://www.releasing-kings.com/Interviewing-Kings.html.  If you have a success story, we'd like to post it by giving you a web page on our site.     Progress - A Teacher's Guide We've completed the first version of a study guide that targets those teaching the material in Releasing Kings.  It includes a page of notes on each chapter, all the graphics suitable to make overheads, and a PDF file of the book with the key points highlighted that includes marginal notes, comments, and questions.  This material is available for purchase on the teacher's guide page of the web. johnsue@clearwire.com 509-308-6873     Friends Tell Friends God has given us a great tool to communicate a message that sets people free in an amazing, contagious, life-changing way.  If you haven't read it - get it.  If you have read it - give it.  http://www.releasing-kings.com/Ordernow.html   We've gotten a ton of positive feedback on the newsletter too... get it, give it.  Reloading Seniors was powerful.  Pass the link on. http://www.releasing-kings.com/Newsletter.html   PS: don't forget to look at the free reports - show your pastor the article on marketplace ministry from the pastor's perspective.  You can simply email him this link or print a copy to give him. http://releasing-kings.com/pastors-perspective.html     ____________________________________________________________________ You can get your copy of Releasing Kings for Ministry in the Marketplace at 1-800-308-5837 (or) http://www.releasing-kings.com/Ordernow.html