Archive for Biblical Wealth
2010 – A Year of Breakthrough and Recovery
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Some of you may receive the Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin from Bill and Marsha Burns. A few days ago, they had a very encouraging word that I wanted to share with you that speaks to where many of us have been in the body of Christ this past year, and more importantly, where we are headed.
In 2009, many Christians began to exercise a fuller and more complete faith, but our faith began to wane because of hardship of the circumstances we found ourselves in. The intensity and length of the battle had caused us to be worn out and discouraged.
But the Lord of the Breakthrough is coming in this year to lead His people into victory, which will result in the recovery of things lost. The thief has been relentless in this season, and he has stolen from many of God’s children. Nevertheless, the Lord is calling 2010 a year of recovery. He is speaking to us in the same way that He spoke to David in I Samuel 30. While David and his men were away from camp, the enemy came and stole the women, children, and belongings. David was discouraged when his men blamed him and wanted to stone him.
But, like David, we must learn to overcome discouragement by encouraging ourselves in the Lord. Then David PURSUED the enemy and recovered all that had been taken from him and more.
We need to repent for discouragement because it gives birth to doubt, and ask the Lord to restore our faith.
In the next couple of days, be on the lookout for an email where I will be outlining three specific financial strategies that I will be unfolding in the coming days and weeks for 2010 regarding your debt, businesses (including start-ups), investments, and real estate.
To YOUR Breakthrough!
Mark
P.S. Please leave your comments below!
Multiple Streams of Income [Digital Download]
Posted by: | CommentsI hope everyone is doing well today.
I am pleased to announce that we now have a digital mp3 download available of the Multiple Streams of Income for the Christian Entrepreneur Program that you can put directly into your computer or iPod.
Because this doesn’t involve actual CDs that have to be duplicated and shipped, the cost of the digital download format is only $47, while the CD version was $77.
Go here to check it out:
http://epicwealthstrategies.com/multiplestreams/
I know things are tight for many of us right now, so I hope the savings with this new format makes it even more feasible for you to be able to get it and incorporate the powerful concepts you will learn in this series.
Blessings!
Mark
P.S. If you haven’t yet invested in this program and heard these life-changing principles, I urge you to take advantage of this series today!
Was Manna Not a Part of God’s Original Plan?
Posted by: | CommentsI had the privilege of meeting Johnny Enlow a couple of weeks ago, who is the author of “The Seven Mountain Prophecy” that I have been writing about lately on my blog. He clarified even more some of the key points in this message, and I can’t help but to be excited about it.
(Just last night at church, I had two people that I had told about the book approach me to tell me how much it has impacted them, and it was great to see the excitement in their eyes about what the Lord was showing them through it!)
Another thing that stuck out to me as I re-read the book (for the third time) is his discussion about manna not being a part of God’s original plan. Listen to this quote from page 33 of the book:
“Just as the wilderness itself was never Israel’s promised destiny, neither was manna part of God’s ultimate purpose. Though we sing songs about manna from heaven and romanticize the miracle of bread falling from the sky, it’s important to remember that God had always promised something better. He never told Moses or Israel, “I will provide manna from heaven every morning.” No, he promised milk and honey. That’s why the manna stopped on the day after they first ate of the produce of the land (see Joshua 5:12). Manna was a wafer-like substance that had only a hint of honey flavoring to it. The promise was a land that flowed with honey. God provided in the desert a sample of what would be available without measure if they pressed forward. He was only whetting their appetites for what He really wanted to give them. These emergency rations would have been unnecessary if not for Israel’s stubborn unbelief. In His goodness, God provides for us, even when we live below His calling on our lives.”
To me, manna represents survival, just enough to get by, just enough to pay the bills. And while we need to be truly thankful for these testimonies of God’s goodness, it is still far below what God has in mind for us, which is abundance. Many of us are in the wilderness right now, just getting by, but we’re to be looking forward to the promised land, knowing that the wilderness is just a learning season, not the final destination.
I trust this is an encouragement to you in your day!
Blessings!
Mark
P.S. Yes, I’m reading the book again for the third time, which is very rare for me, but it’s just that good. I really want to get this message in my spirit, and I want you to do the same. That’s why I keep writing about this book. If we all pursue this together, we could have a huge impact on the kingdom!
If you haven’t yet picked up your copy, you can do so here at Amazon:
The Influence of Mammon
Posted by: | CommentsLast week, I talked about the book The Seven Mountain Prophecy by Johnny Enlow. Again, it speaks of the seven mountains of influence that we have been called to take for the Kingdom.
It also speaks of the spiritual battle that we may face in tackling each mountain. Godly influence can only be gained by operating in the opposite spirit from that which rules the world. For instance, (quoting from Enlow’s Introduction on page 11):
“A spirit of Mammon will work to keep Christians from progressing on the Mountain of Economy (Business and Wealth). Therefore, a Christian who is called to great influence on this mountain must be stripped of Mammon’s influence in his own life before he can exercise any spiritual authority there.”
Could this explain what many of us as believers have gone through over the past year? Selah…
As much as I didn’t think I had that kind of negative influence, I can now honestly say that the house, the cars, the finest vacations, and all that “stuff” just don’t have the same meaning to me any more.
But, hey, now that I’ve got that out of the way (hopefully), let’s tackle this mountain of business/wealth with more fervor and enthusiasm than ever before! It’s not time to back down because maybe things haven’t worked out for you financially the way you thought it would. Let’s learn from this and move on with even a bigger vision! God wants it for us as long as our hearts are right and the wealth is used for His glory!
Here is the direct link on Amazon to “The Seven Mountain Prophecy” in case you missed it last week:
Blessings!
Mark
P.S. Please leave your comments below so we can share our thoughts and ideas within the EPIC community!
The Seven Mountain Prophecy, Johnny Enlow
Posted by: | CommentsI just finished reading a book that has greatly impacted my life called “The Seven Mountain Prophecy” by Johnny Enlow. I consider myself a pretty big dreamer - until I read this and realized how small my thinking as a believer has been.
A number of Christian leaders have spoken on these seven mountains, such as Chuck Pierce, Lance Wallnau, Os Hillman, and others. In this book, Pastor Enlow speaks of these seven mountains of influence within today’s society and how we can take these mountains for Christ.
These seven mountains are Media, Government, Education, Economy (Business/Wealth), Religion, Entertainment, and Family. We have been at the base of these mountains trying to influence society on a small scale, but imagine if we can sit at the tops of these mountains and influence millions at one time!
Not everyone is called for every mountain, but as you read the book, one (or some) will resonate in your spirit. EPIC Wealth Strategies is called to influence the mountain of Business/Economy, even though there are a couple of other mountains I have a vision for in ways that I’ve shared with only a very few people.
He doesn’t mention this in the book, but I personally feel that the Business/Economy mountain is perhaps the most important, because if you conquer this mountain, you have the finances available to fund what’s necessary to claim the others!
I’ll be talking about this book for the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, here is a link directly to Amazon where you can check out the book:
I hope this book ministers to you as much as it has me, and confirms the calling in your life that perhaps you feel has been lost or stolen.
Blessings!
Mark
Does Your Financial Vision Seem Dead?
Posted by: | CommentsA few years ago, back when the economy was rolling right along, most Christians seemed to be excited about bringing in wealth and finances to advance the Kingdom. Believers were excited about the prospect of the transfer of wealth.
But, fast forward to the present, and I’ve seen that excitement wane in most Christians. Is the vision dead?
Personally, as with many of you, the Lord has used these times to help us get our priorities in line, as you’ve seen me write about on this blog in the recent past.
But for kingdom-minded believers, is Deuteronomy 8:18 now declared “null and void” just because of this bump in the road of the world economy?
Maybe we’ve seen all the greed on Wall Street and in corporations and we want to be removed from that as far as possible, so we shy away from the very idea of obtaining wealth.
But actually the opposite is true. Because now, more than ever, we need righteous believers sitting in the seats of power on Wall Street and Main Street! Imagine all the major financial decision-makers having the mind of Christ and using that wea.lth for His Glory! We can’t back down now - we need to advance in the area of business and investment, and not retreat.
Forgive me if this sounds a little preachy, but this has been on my heart for a few weeks now, and I have to get this message out. Consider this the beginning of a new series over the next few weeks, where I will share what the Lord has been showing me lately in this area of business and investment.
Stay tuned!
Mark
Doing business God’s way
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever noticed that sometimes God’s way doesn’t make sense when you look at it in the natural?
A few months back, I had the honor of personally sitting down with Truett Cathy, the founder of the remarkably successful Chick-Fil-A chain. We had an incredible thirty minutes or so together, and for those who don’t know, Mr. Cathy is an extremely dedicated Christian who still teaches Sunday School in his church (he has been for over 50 years).
Chick-Fil-A continues to remain closed for business on Sundays because Mr. Cathy chose to honor God’s laws rather than typical business. He said, “Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business. If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. Through the years, I have never wavered from that position.”
Many “experts” said that the business would never make it when they were just starting out because of that decision. Many shopping malls refused to let them in back in the late 60’s because of that decision.
However, 40 years later, they have over 1,400 stores and are approaching $3 billion in annual sales. And to top it off, they’re still a private, family-owned company.
God’s laws or directions do supersede natural laws and what sometimes makes business sense to us.
There were times that I bought properties because they may have made business sense to do so. I bought them just because I could, but was it what I was supposed to do? I found out later that this wasn’t always the case.
It made business sense for me to retire as an architect, and I was proud to be able to say I did. But what I later realized is that God had a calling on my life as an architect, especially helping pastors build their churches and bringing their God-given visions to reality. I had neglected and even abandoned that call, and I had to repent for doing so.
And sometimes it’s just a matter of the right timing. How many times have we heard a Word from the Lord, and we rush out to make it happen on our own because we automatically think that He means right away?
Did that strike a chord with someone else besides me?
Blessings!
Mark
Are you relying on one income source?
Posted by: | CommentsIn a three-year period, I bought millions of dollars in residential real estate. I still believe that real estate is one of the best vehicles to create wealth, and that everyone should invest in real estate whether it’s your main income or you’re just buying a couple of houses a year to add to your retirement portfolio.
But some things happened in my real estate business that caused my monthly cash flow to go down significantly. I will follow up in the future about some of the lessons learned during this time specifically regarding real estate, but the point right now is…
The income from the residential real estate business was all I had at the time – income that I had come to rely on as a sole source.
God used the situation to teach me more than ever the importance of multiple streams of income. I had always believed in it, but thought I didn’t have to concern myself with it, since real estate was MY business, and I would NEVER need anything else, right?
Even if you have a steady job, I recommend that you have your own business of some kind on the side instead of relying on that one income source for obvious reasons. Don’t have fear of losing your job, but be wise and prepare in case things don’t go as planned.
If you are diverse in your businesses, investments, and real estate, then you won’t be affected as greatly as markets change in various areas. If there is a bump in the road with one of your markets (or the loss of a job), you have the others that continue to flow. In the current economy, this is not just a good idea, but could be essential for the future.
This situation in my life is what birthed the Multiple Streams of Income for the Christian Entrepreneur 7-CD Audio Program. If you haven’t picked up a copy, you can click here to learn more about the program and the whole idea of multiple streams.
Now I have three main streams of income that I am currently building with some others in the works. I want real estate (commercial and residential) to be just one of many sources for me. This time, I hope I’m building wealth much smarter and wiser.
Thank you for listening!
Mark
Where are you on the investment risk scale?
Posted by: | CommentsBack in my corporate days, if you were to ask me what my risk level was on a scale from 1 to 10, I would have said a “2″. I was really conservative with my investments.
If you would have asked me that same question just a couple of years ago, I would have answered with a resounding “10″ and would have been quite proud of that.
But where should we be? Knowing that God is balanced in all things, maybe we should follow His lead and be in the middle – maybe a “5″. But what does that mean?
Being on the low end of the risk scale would be like the “wicked servant” in Luke 19, who buried his talent because he was so afraid to take any risks.
So, needless to say, I didn’t want to be there, so, hallelujah, let’s move to a “10″!
This is exactly what I did. I would sign my life away on the dotted line on just about anything that came across my desk that looked like it might make money, believing I was quite unlike that wicked servant.
Let me make this clear. It’s not the asset itself that’s too risky; it’s HOW you invest in that asset that makes it more or less risky.
Let me give you an example. One of my biggest mistakes is the purchase of two luxury homes right before the real estate market had its biggest downturn. Because I signed for these personally and I couldn’t sell them, they became huge financial burdens on us (they were $1 million plus each).
Was it the luxury homes themselves that was risky? No, it was the way I bought them. I could have put these two homes under option with no risk at all! Why didn’t I do that? Well, I trusted the people who brought the deal to me, and as I’ve said before, I didn’t seek the Lord for wisdom in these deals, or even inquire if I was supposed to be involved with them in the first place. So any particular investment can be a “5″ just by being wise at finding ways to minimize the risks involved.
After going through certain financial struggles (some due to these two homes and some due to other mistakes made, but perhaps that’s another post), it would be tempting to run back to the safety of the “1″ or the “2″ on the risk scale. But are you getting anywhere? Not even according to Jesus himself, as evidenced in Luke 19.
Ecclesiastes 11 talks about taking risks with your investments, all the while knowing that some of them will have a return and others won’t. But you do it anyway!
Yes, we need to take risks, but as a recurring theme you’re hearing from me over and over in this series, there must be a balance to it.
Stay tuned…
Blessings!
Mark
P.S. Please leave your comments below!
FEAR and GREED: The two cancers to any Christian Entrepreneur
Posted by: | CommentsI heard a friend of mine recently say that the two cancers to any investing portfolio are fear and greed. I will be introducing my friend to you soon because of his investing insights, but his words struck home with me. Here’s why…
Over the years, I have focused many teachings on fear, but not on greed.
I have hit fear head on by constantly telling people to act even when they’re afraid. Fear is what caused the wicked servant in Luke 19 to bury his talent rather than invest it so it could multiply. I believe one of the biggest mistakes we as believers make is waiting for all fear to disappear before we are willing to act. In the first CD of the Multiple Streams of Income for the Christian Entrepreneur Audio Program, I talk about combating fear in detail so I won’t repeat the discussion here.
But I have avoided talking about greed, even though my intentions of not doing so may have been justified. If I talked about greed, then perhaps the perception would be that being wealthy is being greedy. I didn’t want to come across that way since too many Christians have wrongly felt that money is a dirty word.
Perhaps another reason I didn’t talk about greed is because I didn’t think I personally had any struggles with greed, and therefore, most other Christians didn’t, either.
But now I’m not so sure…
In looking back over the past number of years, I can see how I made certain financial decisions based on the notion that everything (financially and economically) would get better and better.
I wasn’t smart with the excess money from my businesses and my real estate. Giving our tithes and offerings to the church and various ministries wasn’t a problem – we did that consistently and frankly were able to increase our giving substantially.
That’s why I thought I didn’t have a problem with greed. But it was what was left over after giving and expenses that wasn’t invested wisely, maybe even wasted.
Yes, I bought a nicer bigger house and nicer cars, but isn’t that okay since I was giving tithes and offerings? Maybe – maybe not. There’s nothing wrong with material things, but that’s between you and God to decide whether you have the green light to do that or not.
Could some of us be deceived in thinking that we’ve licked this thing called GREED? Can it be so subtle that it’s hard to detect? No, not me, right?
For us to move to the next level in our businesses and our investments, we have to be honest with ourselves and ask this question. That’s what I’m doing right now, and I just may not like the answer. Is this about the Kingdom or has it become about ME and my fleshly desires?
If we realize that greed has slithered in without us even seeing it coming, it’s not until we confess and repent that can we move on to what God would have for each of us. And with renewed vigor, let’s go out and be blessed so that we can be a blessing!
Thank you for allowing me to be so honest with you. I hope this ministers to you as it has to me. As always, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below…
Mark
