Every day we are able to wake up is a blessing and an opportunity for us to have an impact in someone else’s life. We should not take that for granted, but we should maximise the time we have been given.
God gives us time for a reason, we are not just here to fill a space in the universe, but there is a plan and a purpose for our lives: Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Too many people are just surviving, going through life and not fulfilling their true purpose, accepting good instead of experiencing the best. The enemy of our souls wants us the accept mediocrity, because he knows if he can get us to accept this, we will hold ourselves back. However Jesus has something else to say: Joh 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Joh 10:11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Joh 10:12 But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away. And the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. Joh 10:13 The hireling flees, because he is a hireling and does not care for the sheep. Joh 10:14 I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by those who are Mine. The only way a person is truly going to fulfil their potential in this life is if they have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ a person can feel they are accomplishing things and to this world it may look as if that is the case, but from eternity’s prospective they have not achieved anything: Mar 4:18 And these are those being sown among thorns; such as hear the Word, Mar 4:19 and the cares of this world, and the deceit of riches, and the lust about other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful 1Co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 1Co 2:6 But, we speak wisdom among those who are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, that come to nothing. Jesus re-enforced this with the following parable: Luk 12:16 And He spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room in which to store my fruits? Luk 12:18 And he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and I will store all my fruits and my goods there. Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat drink and be merry. Luk 12:20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul shall be required of you, then whose shall be those things which you have prepared? Luk 12:21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. God wants us to achieve in life and strive for excellence, so that the world can see what can happen to a person that operates in the laws and principals of God. However, he does not give us more so that we can build bigger barns and horde more stuff, he gives us more, so that we can be a blessing to others. Many times when people want to be blessed financially, the reason why they are not, outside of the fact that they do not do what it takes to develop wealth, but also they have not developed the character to sustain wealth and God knows if they had it, they would move further away from him. As what is more important to God, is seeing a person prosper in their soul than in their pocket: 3Jn 1:2 Beloved, in regard to all things I pray that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. Parallel Principles In our Reliv businesses we need to maximise the time we are given, because each moment we do this, there is the potential we can be helping more people. Our focus in this business should always be on other people, to see how we can help someone each day. God wants to bless us in our business however our motives must be right and we cannot hide our true motives from God. The business model of Network Marketing truly allow us to maximise our time, because it is not just about our efforts but a group of people working together. God established the wisdom of leverage through Moses when he was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness and he also reinforced it through the Great Commission. By going out and finding people to teach and train, we can have a greater impact, because the sum of the masses is far greater than the sum of the individual. We can have a serious impact on people’s lives through this business if we just do things properly and have the right focus. The lives we can directly and indirectly touch can be immense. Does this mean that the journey is going to be a smooth one? No! However the journey will be a very rewarding one, full of personal growth, the development of people skills, the building of life long friendships and the changing of lifestyle. So have the right motives, trust God, put him first and see what he will do in your business. **************************************************************** Jason Gregory Business Coach & Mentor Reliv ****************************************************************
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Today I want to talk about joy. Joy is often seen as synonymous to happiness but in my experience it is not.
Happiness evokes Christmas parties , opening presents, strolling hand in hand with the one you love, getting away from it all by taking a holiday in a beautiful exotic location. Happiness clearly depends on what happens! But when the toys rust, the loved one dies, the health deteriorates and the money is spent, happiness is over and despair sets in. Happiness is the surface waves that have the power to splash us, but also to capsize us. Joy I suggest is something deeper. It lies beneath the superficial froth of life. It is the current that carries us. It has much less to do with transient feelings of pleasure and more to do with direction and purpose in our lives. For the Christian it is the quiet assurance of God’s love and work in our lives, that he will be there no matter what. It is not about ‘getting away from it’ all but rather bringing Jesus into it all. Philippians is Pauls letter of Joy written from a prison cell to the Macedonian church with whom he had built an obvious relationship. He thanked them for the joy and support they had brought him. Deep friendships like that always foster joy. However he goes on to speak of the joy of the `Christian life The concept of rejoicing and joy appears 16 times in the four short chapters. And the pages radiate this positive message culminating in the exhortation “ rejoice in the lord ALWAYS I say it again rejoice.” What made Paul so full of Joy? Paul clearly had dedicated his life to serving Christ he had faced hardship pain abundance and poverty He had tasted life in all its fullness. As I have said he even wrote this letter from a prison cell and represents the authentic voice of Joy He wrote “I have learnt to be content in every situation whether fed or hungry living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him that give me strength.” He had a personal experience of Christ on the Damascus road that changed him from a mocker and knocker of Jesus to the most powerful advocate of Christ ever and it was the power of that testimony energised him. He found joy in knowing Christ and in obeying him. It was this passion for God that fuelled him “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” HA Williams writes in his book True wilderness that ‘the joy which man finds in his work and which transforms the tears and sweat into happiness and delight is God.” The Bible says that without vision people perish spiritually. They accept what is instead of seeing the world that could be. Wilberforce Shaftesbury Martin Luther king had that vision, and that is what carried them through. That is what gave then the power to swim against the flow , In their mind set they were not swayed by what others thought , by the nay sayers. They lived their life for an audience of one God. They had joy. So what has this got to do with Reliv business. So what was our Damascus road. I have to admit when I met Reliv for the first time I was a mocker and knocker not just of nutrition but also of the personal referral marketing method we use.. My mind had been soured by stories of fraudulent pyramids and fraudulent health products. My introduction to relive happened at a “chance meeting with a friend 100 miles from where we lived. That very week we had been praying and fasting for direction and provision . However I knew my friend was a born again Christian of great person of integrity. I had a sick wife and needed a purpose in life and an income after the paid prison work I had been doing came to an end. Despite my prejudices and opinions I decided to take a further look. I asked myself could this be what I had been looking for . Had our faithful God answered my prayer. I decided to open my mind before I made it up. I am so glad I did. Within two months Gipsy health had been restored. It was in experiencing the benefits that my belief grew enough to get me to a meeting. There I saw an 81 year old lady who had been crippled by arthritis and a mother od an autistic child whose family and church life had been turned around I weeks These stories touched my heart I also found in the room quality people who despite their struggles witnessed a joy caused by purposeful living in the service of others. The Bible says in the end times young men will dream dreams and old men will have vision. God has called me into Prison ministry. He has given me a vision to work in prison bringing hope that comes from a knowledge of Jesus Christ to the men who have know pain , inflicted pain and lived lives of despair. But we do not have to be behind bars to be in prison. There is the prison of poverty, the prison of depression the prison of debilitating conditions like ME Fibro myalgia and MS. There is the prison of the autistic child and the prison of arthritic pain to name a few.. And God has given me the key to ameliorate these conditions in a radical way. That is my joy. This is not my business. It is His business. The outcomes are not always the obvious ones that I, the patient and their family are seeking. I arrived too late to sufficiently impact one of my clients ,who died last month of cancer after a week on the product. He was a lapsed Christian. Before I was involved with Reliv I had never met him but because of Reliv I was with him in his last days and had the opportunity to pray with him. I believe my presence in being able to speak with him of Jesus’ love was why I was there. He wept and I believe God knew his heart. He died peacefully two days later. His widow has gained comfort that we had prayed together before he died, as his lack of expressed faith had been a huge concern for her. In the exercising of this ministry that God has gifted me I have, like Paul, tasted rejection, disappointment and had my motives misconstrued. But what is new? It does not ,I hope, detract from my joy. Jesus had the most hopeful message ever and he too was rejected, not just those with a vested interest in the status quo and by the religious leaders of the time but most painfully, by those closest to him. Should we expect any less. But if we have the vision we will push through. I pray I will get better at what I do, handling the objections of those I speak to, be it about Jesus, Christianity or Reliv so that Gods kingdom can grow, Like Paul I know this is not something I do alone, so today I honour not the Macedonian church but the team of people from Luton and London who have loved me and supported me in the work. I pray that I will be the able to offer the support needed to those new in the business, “comforting those in the way I have been comforted”. I have found Joy in my work, and I pray that you have found similar joy. God never promised that life would be easy but he did promise that if we walk with integrity and honour him in all we do, we will be “overcomers”, be “the head and not the tail” and will be “victorious, “ But we need to understand that in facing opposition our weapons must not be earthly logic but heavenly love. As we start the week can we join Paul and say together “let us rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again rejoice” . Meanwhile my prayer for all of you is that wherever your ministries and life takes you “you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” Have a wonderful week. Richard Stephens Excelling when your back is against the wall In order to do the impossible, you first have to see the invisible. God is not held back by our perceived limitations, he is however hindered in what he can do in our lives by our lack of faith. This is why the enemy uses fear to paralyze our faith. Psa 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psa 27:2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Psa 27:3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Psa 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. Psa 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Psa 27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. Psa 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psa 27:9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. Psa 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Psa 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. Psa 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psa 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. The Lord wants to do exploits in our life but we first have to put fear aside. It does not matter what we are going through, it has not taken God by surprise and even during this time of discomfort, God can do the impossible. The devil wants to overwhelm you but God is saying talk to me: Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. Psa 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. In tough situations when we know it is impossible for us to get through on our own strength, this is where God can get ALL of the glory and our faith can develop through the roof. God will never give us more than what we can bare and he will ALWAYS come through for us. There are many times when the children of Israel faced impossible situations and God came through for them. So much so, that the fame of Israel or more importantly the God of Israel spread to all of the surrounding nations. This is what God wants to happen to you, that the people around you will know that you are blessed because you serve the true and living God. Parallel Principals You cannot separate God from any aspect of your life, this means that if you put him first, he wants to bless you in your business. Even when you feel that your back is against the wall in your business and things seem impossible, this is when God wants to shine, so that you can give him ALL the glory. He wants you to stop complaining and start working. Stop fearing and start praying Stop looking at others and start looking at him Stop just praying for a harvest but also start sowing towards the harvest. Stop seeing the impossible but focus on the invisible God. Just as long as we do our part God will honour his part. ******************************************************************** Jason Grgeory Business Mentor & Coach Reliv ******************************************************************** |
Click Image below to see an opportunity to work with a group of believers, passionate about helping people with their health and their finances. Click image Now!Me and Aneela with the European Chairman of Reliv International Click below to watch some powerful Christian videos KINGDOM PEOPLE AuthorFor the past Eight years, I have been hosting a weekly prayer call for the believers in the offline company that i work alongside. Looking at biblical principals and seeing how we can apply them into our businesses. Archives
May 2018
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