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| Sent Forth Ministries Newsletter Volume: 9
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May 27, 2009
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Building Your Future
by Eugene Strite
 1 Cor 2:9-10, "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." In this present season God is shifting people around. He is calling them to move, change jobs, start businesses, sell businesses and some are starting a whole new career path. Transition is the familiar word but at the same time there is a lot of dissatisfaction. This is the time when many people are searching. One of the problems is that people are depending on old ideas of how to begin this new journey in God. In Genesis 30, Jacob was busy tending his father-in-laws sheep, which he had been doing for 14 years, when the Lord spoke to him about a change. During Jacob's stay with Laban he had been blessed with two wives and at this point 11 sons. He had given his best in his job but after awhile, started to see something disturbing. His boss, Laban, increased abundantly as Jacob had been faithful but as in most jobs, there was no future in front of him since Laban had sons of his own. Jacob now has a very large family to provide for and to give an inheritance to. So he decides to move on and begin to create his own wealth system. Laban knows what a blessing Jacob had been to him and asked him to stay. He said that he could name his wages, but Jacob did not want wages. It's hard to create wealth with just wages no matter how much you make. Jacob was looking to do something creative and let the Lord bring the increase. Jacob was smart and did not ask for money which would have put a burden on his employer, but instead he asked for a profit sharing plan and in this case it was some of the animals that Laban possessed.
In Genesis 30:32-36, Jacob presents his fair plan to Laban. And his employer agreed to release some of the inventory in order for Jacob to build his future. As soon as the deal is made, Laban moves the inventory to another warehouse three days journey away. Jacob is left with only the boss's inventory which in reality could never produce a future for him. He was stuck with no seeds for the future. If you had to start with nothing and you didn't have a seed, what would you do to succeed?The Lord gave me two words: Vision and Creativity. VISION: Without a vision people just wander around working at jobs that they dislike, living unfulfilled lives without hope. A vision must start with the harvest in mind. Vision is not about "you" it's about "them." What would you really want to do if money was never the issue? Many people, when they see what God has in mind for them, immediately start looking for donations. Often, people come to me with a vision that God has given them (the thing that they are pregnant with) and ask me to pay for them to have their baby. The church must move from a consumer, to a producer and a distributor.Jacob needs to see himself as a powerful funded nation even though his current situation is "stuck in a job with no future". So the Lord shows him a plan in a dream. When you ask the Lord to get involved it doesn't matter who ripped you off or took advantage of you in the past. Ask Him for His help!! In Gen 31:10-13, the Lord showed Jacob something regarding the herd. Although it didn't look like Jacob could prosper but if he could see beyond the white on the animal and into the DNA, then he could see his prosperity and God's blessing for him. When he sees that, he then does his part with the rod and it wasn't a weak or sick animal but the best and strongest.What Jacob visualized he received - but God had to tell him what to see. Jacob had to believe that God wanted to him to prosper. Then Jacob saw it and brought it into existence- - He simply used some sticks and believed God. He wasn't running around chasing away the weak males or herding the strong together. Sometimes it's just a matter of seeing things that we have never seen before and many times nothing changes but us. Many times the things that hinder sight is in the way our programs are running in our head or from the things that we have been taught. Reason, logic and your five senses reside in the first level. This level can solve very little.This is where our educational side is most focused. For example, if you want to buy a house or start a business or ministry we will try to do it with reason and logic. We will look at income and financial information first to determine whether or not to do something. If the income doesn't meet our expectations we will not move forwards regardless of the opportunity or what God says. I heard it once said that reality is for those who lack imagination. As we begin to meditate, we begin to create a way to bring things to pass.CREATIVITY (The power over revenge)) In order for God's creative power to flow through us, we must be able to set aside our current limitations such as education, finances, past failures /successes, thoughts about ourselves, certain beliefs, friends, natural abilities and talents. We also must rid ourselves of any revenge in our heart.
Creativity starts when we commit to the fulfillment of the vision. You never look at what you have, to determine what you are to do, but you find what you are to do and start with what you have. It's the ability to let God use you beyond your ability. These are the times we are living in. God wants us to think outside the box and use our creative power through dependency on Him.NOTE ABOUT GUEST ARTICLE: I would like to introduce to you a very special friend who I met through the Kingdom Business Association (KBA) in Charlotte N.C. I love her enthusiasm and passion for the next generation of young business leaders. Elizabeth Braswell is the President of Ebraswell & Company, an organization designed to empower, equip, and engage entrepreneurs. Elizabeth has built several businesses including real estate, an international relocation company, and most recently, a large direct sales organization responsible for distributing over $2 million per year. She reached the top 2 % of the company within 16 months. As a wife, mother, and business owner, Elizabeth brings a unique perspective to the issues that home-based businesses and entrepreneurs are facing in today's economic environment. She also carries a powerful prophetic message and burden for people to recognize the bigness that is inside of them and to see their God sized dreams unlocked and ignited.
Eugene Strite,
President Sent Forth Ministries |
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Living on Less and Loving it!
by Elizabeth Braswell
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Simplify. Sort out. Start Fresh ... A tagline from a gap advertisement that I cut out of a magazine over ten years ago. It spoke to me. Jumped off of the page. Made me long for more of just that! It didn't make me go out and buy more Gap clothes, but it sent me on a journey that I believe is worth all of us taking.
I'd like to tell you that from that day on I began to live a life on less. A more simple existence. Less stuff. But yes, as with all things, change takes time. There were seasons where we seemed to be adhering to this philosophy, but you know what happens, you start making more money, you start seeing more things that you just have to have. You buy them. You work harder to maintain all of them, and you are on the wheel again.
A year ago, we were in a very prosperous time in our lives. We had a beautiful horse farm, nice cars, a lake home, a lovely boat, feeling very blessed and loving the Lord in the midst of all of it. We had to be in the will of God if we were prospering, right? Not necessarily. I have found that there is a fine line between what is good and what is God's best. And I have found that many times, what is God's best for us looks completely different than we ever thought.
Last May we heard the voice of the Lord. It was hard to miss it. It came as a thundering clap this time. I think He knew I needed it that way! We knew we were to pick up and move. Leave it all behind. Simplify. Sort out. Start fresh. We heard His voice, and this time, without hesitation, we said "Yes, Lord...whatever it looks like, whatever you want, we trust you." Many of my "yeses" during the years seemed obedient, but they were conditional. Yes, but. Yes, but don't touch that. Yes, but I can't really go that deep. Yes, but let me keep my hand on this so I feel in control. Not this time.
Our farm that we were told would take 12 to 18 months to sell sold in 2 1/2 weeks. Our lake house sold in three days despite a down turn in the second home market. We left friends, family, jobs, all of it behind to pursue the greatest pursuit of all... a life fully devoted and fully on fire for Him. The things of the world seemed to just fall away as we put one step in front of the other towards Him. We suffered great financial loss and in the natural it seemed as if we were taking backwards steps. We knew, however, that in the spirit we were taking giant leaps forward.
Today, I am sitting in my modest home, in a modest neighborhood, in a town I had not even heard of a year ago. I am typing this article at my kitchen table with my coffee, my bible, my favorite things all around me. I feel lighter, more fully alive, more awake, more fulfilled, more full than I ever have. It is a season for all of us to feel that way, even in the midst of this shaking.
The things of this world tie us down. They keep us encumbered. They can skew our priorities at times without us even realizing it is happening. Am I suggesting we sell everything and go live in a cabin in the woods...not necessarily! I, too, still love a good pair of shoes and a fun new outfit. I am simply saying that living on less can free us up in so many ways. Getting back to the basics and eliminating all of the "stuff" that just takes up space leaves room for so many things to come into our lives.
So, I challenge you. Clean out that closet. Take those clothes you haven't worn and give them to someone who needs them more. Look around you...what is in your life that is keeping you on the wheel of business, of striving, of work, work,=2 0work. What is falling away that feels painful. What are you praying to hold on to that perhaps the Lord wants to remove to free you?
Simplify. Sort out. Start Fresh. Let the shaking come. Let it shake free and out of your life everything that tethers you to this world. Everything that has somehow become part of our identity. Everything that can rust and decay. Everything that takes our eyes off of Jesus and puts them on ourselves. Everything that has become an idol. Everything that has kept us from walking in the fullness of His purpose for us on earth. Let us set our eyes on Him and our heavenly inheritance and let others look at us and see the joy, the indescribable joy, in the midst of the shaking.
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PLEASE NOTE: Every Tuesday morning there is an open Intercession Prayer meeting from 6AM to 8AM at World Harvest Outreach, 1090 Wayne Avenue in Chambersburg. Everyone is welcome to attend. The focus is on business and the economy.
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