Archive for Christian Entrepreneur
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 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
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
Can bad things actually happen to good people?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen my wife and I first started thinking about entrepreneurial ideas while I was still in the corporate world before launching out on my own, we read a lot of books about entrepreneurs and starting your own businesses.
And in almost every book we read, it seemed like the author (entrepreneur) went through periods of business failures, huge setbacks, even bankruptcies. They all were saying that it took them to go through such deep struggle and failure for them to really learn about running businesses and becoming largely successful.
Some had millions, lost it all, and then regained it back and learned through the process so they didn’t lose it the second time around. It was uncanny at the common theme of failure and then comebacks that ran through all these lives.
I remember my wife reading one of these books, and with uncertainty in her voice, she looked up and asked me, “Are we going to have to go through this kind of failure in order for us to succeed?”
You want to know what my answer was?
Being a man of faith, I said, “Of course not, we’re believers. We’re children of God, we’re not of the world, so we don’t have to go through that.”
I then went on for probably fifteen minutes about the favor of God and how He is on our side. Now, of course, all of what I said was true (except for the part that we wouldn’t have to go through any struggles).
I’m saying I was being a man of faith, but in reality, I was being presumptuous. I was thinking that just because we were Christians, we wouldn’t have to go through the same things that people of the world do. The Lord loves us too much to make us go through such things, right?
Don’t get me wrong. God wants to bless us, but if He has to use circumstances in our lives to get our attention, then He has the prerogative to do so! I didn’t say God causes the situations, but He can certainly use them.
Remember, bad things can happen to believers. Jesus himself told us (believers) in John 16:33, “In the world, you will have tribulation.”
But just like all the entrepreneurs with the failure/success stories, the setbacks and the failures teach us and better qualify us to really achieve God’s best in our financial lives. These situations build character, prepare and equip us for the blessings to come, and allows us to share with others so they don’t make the same mistakes.
So as hard as it may be, we should be giving thanks for all of the preparation many of us are going through so that we may get to where He wants us to go!
Let this be an encouragement to many of you reading this today.
As always, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below…
Blessings!
Mark
Finding Balance in the “Prosperity Movement”
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever noticed that the moves of God come in cycles? And any move can be taken to the extreme.
Let me explain…
Look at the Faith “movement” as an example. We know what faith is by looking at Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is calling the things that are NOT as though they ARE.
The Lord knew the Church needed an increase of faith, so the recent re-emphasis on faith teaching that began to take place was greatly needed. But many took this movement to the extreme, becoming the “name it and claim it” gospel, and the belief that any amount of suffering is due to a lack of faith.
I believe that God desires for us to walk in divine health and wealth, but bad things DO happen to good people sometimes.
So, even though there are extremes on both ends, you can’t throw the whole faith movement out the window! We should have a balanced, biblical faith.
The same goes for prosperity. Back in the ‘80’s, we began to hear more teachings on wealth and prosperity in the church. I believe the Lord wanted to show us that it really is okay for us to have wealth, and there are plenty of Scriptures to confirm that belief that I don’t have time to get into right now. If you haven’t already, you can download the free report on the website and it will give you a sampling of these Scriptures.
But here’s the balance. Now that God has shown us that it’s okay to have wealth, our next lesson is to get our priorities right so that we know what to do with our wealth once we actually have it!
Could this be why we as believers for the most part have not been immune to some of the recent economic challenges? Could a great “shaking” be taking place to shake ourselves of any idolatry?
Maybe – just maybe – some of our beliefs in the past regarding prosperity has been self-centered rather than kingdom-centered. Maybe it has taken us going through some financial struggles to really understand and appreciate the true purpose of wealth, and to not take any blessings from the Lord for granted.
I hope we’re getting this lesson. I thought I understood these principles years ago, but I can honestly say that, after going through some “stuff” this past year, I am a completely different person and my attitude toward wealth and money is completely different. I have a whole different outlook on money (and even LIFE) than I did just a year ago. More on this later…
As always, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below…
Blessings!
Mark
Seeking the Lord in all business matters
Posted by: | CommentsThe title of this post sounds simple enough, like a no-brainer, but let me explain…
A few years ago, a well-respected Christian leader spoke at my church, and he shared this story…
He was seeking the Lord on a certain decision he needed to make, but he was not receiving an answer from the Lord. He said, “Lord, I’ve been praying and fasting and seeking You, and you’re not giving me an answer as to which way I need to go.”
Then God clearly told him that He loved him and trusted him, and that he could make the decision himself, and He (the Lord) would back him on it and bless that decision, whichever direction he took.
This message had a huge impact on me, but I took it to the extreme. For a period of time, every opportunity that came along, I would jump on it, thinking that God would bless my efforts. Rather than seeking Him on whether I was to get involved or not, I assumed that He was okay with it and would follow me rather than the other way around.
Well, this got me in trouble on more than one occasion…
I’m still recovering from some of my presumptions – to the point where I even questioned this speaker’s credibility over the years, even though it was hard to imagine that this person missed the mark.
But recently, the Lord showed me – it was ME that had missed the mark!
This speaker had indeed sought the Lord through prayer and fasting, and in this particular instance, God gave him the green light to make the decision himself. I believe he was right on when he said he heard directly from the Lord that way. It’s one thing for God to specifically tell you it’s okay to make a decision yourself on a particular matter you are seeking Him on.
But I built an entire doctrine around that one incident, and tried to apply that to everything in my businesses and my real estate, and it backfired!
Please seek the Lord on EACH and EVERY individual business decision you need to make and on every business opportunity that comes your way, whether this particular idea is something you should get involved in or not.
Remember, however, as you’ve heard me say in the past, don’t hide behind prayer as an excuse not to do anything. Don’t use “seeking the Lord” as a cover-up for fear!
I hope and pray that I’m FINALLY starting to get the balance. God really does know best!
Stay tuned…
As always, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below…
Blessings!
Mark
