Protect Your Business...

Hope you are enjoying the week!  Just wanted to share something with you from the International Faith Conference!  It's been exciting and enlightening!  Yesterday morning, Brother Kenneth Copeland and Bishop Tudor Bismark taught again.  Awesome!  Last night Dr. Jesse Duplantis ministered.

Dr. Jesse Duplantis' message was entitled, "How to Protect the Success of Your Business or Ministry".  1 Timothy 1:18-19 says, "Now, Timothy, my son, here is my command to you: Fight well in the Lord’s battles, just as the Lord told us through his prophets that you would.  Cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right. For some people have disobeyed their consciences and have deliberately done what they knew was wrong. It isn’t surprising that soon they lost their faith in Christ after defying God like that."(LIving Bible).  Christianity is not just about church!  Our love for Christ should be evident in the way we work and do business!  Jesus said it this way, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."(KJV).  Another translation of that same scripture says, "In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."(Easy-to-Read Version).

Seven ways to Protect the Success of Your Business or Ministry...

1)       Protect Your Mission from the Un-Committed!   -  2 Timothy 3 describes the people we should stay away from!  Hanging around these types of people can prolong the answer to your prayer or the change you need to see in your business.  In 2 Timothy 3:5, the Apostle Paul tells him, "from such turn away."(KJV).  Food for thought: Olympians practice with other Olympians.  

2)       Protect Your Principles from the Undisciplined   -  Love in it's purest form is discipline!  Hebrews 12:6 says, "For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child."(Living Bible).   

3)       Protect Your Morals from those driven by Appetite -   Proverbs 25:28 says, "A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls."(Living Bible).   Integrity is born out of your character.  

4)       Protect the Truth from Man-Pleasers  - Jesus told us to be childlike not childish!  Your ultimate goal should be to please God!  Hebrews 11:6 says, "You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him."(Living Bible).

5)       Protect Your Vision from the opinions of the Complacent  -   Complacent is defined as being pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.  Grace is sometimes defined as God's Riches At Christ Expense, or unmerited favor.  Great definitions.  Brother Kenneth Copeland defined it like this, "God's overwhelming desire to treat you like sin never happened!  Protect you vision from those that think they did all on their own.

6)       Protect Your Liberty from Contollers and Manipulators -  No one's view of Christ is a complete one.  It's only when we come together around the Word of God that we can see more clearly.  Galatians 5:16-18 says, "My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?"(Message).

7)       Protect and Empower your Mission by surrounding yourself with Proven and Committed people -  1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "But don’t be so naïve—there’s another saying you know well—Bad company corrupts good habits."(Voice).   Another translation of this scripture says, "Don’t be fooled by those who say such things. If you listen to them you will start acting like them."(Living Bible).  Did you see that?  You will start acting like the people you hang around!  Beware!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

The services can be viewed online...(http://www.livingwd.org/).