http://biggybrand.blogspot.com/2011/06/calling-and-election.html

GROWING IN THE CHURCH THROUGH SACRIFICIAL LIVING (Acts 2:42-43)

If we are experiencing outstanding breakthrough in the church of God, we need to care for the people of God. The Lord Jesus during His ministry here on earth fed the people with both spiritual and physical food. For example in Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus fed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. Also in Matthew 15:32-39, He fed 4,000 men with 7 loaves of bread and a few fishes beside women and children.

Growing the church through fellowship:

This is very important in Acts 2:41-45 the early church of God grew and waxed stronger because the Christians devoted themselves to communication and unity with God with each other. The only way the church could survive persecution was to care for one another. The people of God in the church were in one accord, they had things in common, they fellowshipped together in prayers and in sharing; that should be the attitude of the church today.

The church is built on the foundation of love so God expects Christians to show love to one another so that His church can grow. What are you doing on your comfortable seat in the church when people are swimming in ignorance of the word of God, God desires increase; show your love to your neighbour and be prayerful to bring soul to God.

Preaching the gospel and winning souls is God business. Do not be slothful in this business. Jesus has given you the command in Matthew 28:19-20. Be awake from your slumber and go ahead to bring people into God’s kingdom. Do not let down this kingdom progress, the greatest achievement you can make on earth is to win souls.

What it shall profit a man if he gains the whole world and looses his soul, you are ordained to win souls, prosperity or progress will amount to nothing in life if you fail to win souls to God’s kingdom.

Growing the church through caring and giving

Having preached the word and brought them to the church, what follows is love, show them love; whatever God has blessed you with, use it to encourage the less privileged brethren in the church. The money, property or strength that you have is not your own, use it to worship the one who gave it to you. It takes the love of God to bear one another burden. Do not live to please yourself alone, live to make others happy too (Rom 15:1 and 1 John 3:17-19)

Growing the church through fellowship

Learn to be warm to your brethren; after the church service, greet one another, visit your brother or sister that has not been in the church; visit the sick, encourage the discouraged, help the helpless. If you are rich, visit the poor and share what you have with them, sacrifice your pleasure and visit the hospitalized and needy, there is reward for it. Let your case not be like those who will be caste away because they did not show love and care to the helpless. When you show love to one another the church of God will grow and many souls will be won to God’s kingdom through others.

DEVINE STABILITY BY SEEING THE INVISIBLE

DEVINE STABILITY BY SEEING THE INVISIBLE (Heb 11:1-3, 17-19, 23-27, Heb 12:1-2)

What you see and how you see it goes a long way to affect your stability in God. If you must go a long way, you need to see the invisible, seeing the invisible entails seeing the uncommon and unusual.

In Hebrew 11, God’s people did not give up, they were determine, Abraham waited to see that city with foundation whose builder and maker is God (Hebrew 11:10)

Therefore, God blessed His people. Seeing the unusual is not common. When you are stable, you are able to maintain focus and operate in an uncommon level. In Matthew 11:7-9 Jesus said to the multitude concerning John the Baptist: “what did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see. A prophet? Yes i say to you and more than a prophet

What you see affects your life. What you see and how you see it even in Christendom determines your status.es 1:7-8 says let an unstable man not get anything from God

Four things that can help us to see the invisible

1.       Confidence of provision (Hebrew 11:1-3)

When you know God, faith will make you to see beyond what you see around and so you will have the confidence of provision. The understanding and belief that God created all things and can still create anything and you’re seeing beyond your situation makes you confident and stand tall to serve your God.

2.       Commitment to obedience

When you understand the unseen it will help you to obey God. Faith is like designing the unseen. Looking at the life of Abraham the bible say he  saw ahead; he believed God (faith) and it was accounted unto him for righteousness (Rom 4:3) seeing the invisible removes the fear of the unknown and brings in obedience, it also removes the fear of not having enough

3.       Overcoming the worldly standard

When you see far, you will be able to overcome the worldly standard. Moses confronted his comfort zone in Egypt (Hebrew 11:25-27) fear of not having comfort when we serve God can remove God’s promises upon your life, Matthew 11; 28 say ‘come to me all ye who labour and are heavenly laden and i will give you rest..... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light

4.       Living victoriously in Christ (Hebrew 11:39 – Hebrew 12)

When you leave this world, will your departure be a statement that has been left behind for people to follow? Living victoriously in Christ means that your life must be in the hands of the author and finisher of your faith. Do you want to live that victorious life? Then surrender to Jesus today and make Him the author of your life. Seeing the invisible is fundamental, you will live above any challenge confronting you and you will live the God standard and principles in Jesus Name.

YOUR CHOICES (DEISION) DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY

YOUR CHOICES (DEISION) DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY

There are three things about choices:

1.       You are free to choose

2.       Its not possible for you not to choose

3.       You are not in control of the result of your choices – ie you cannot choose it

You are free to choose:

a.       The quality of your life today is the sum total of the choices you have made sometimes back. Life is made of different time of decision taken. Everyone has to take decision at one time or the other.

Life itself presents options of decision all the times (Deut 30:19, Joshua 24:15, Phil.1:15-18)

b.      Since the above is true: it is impossible not take decision. Taking no decision is decision taken Matt.12:30

c.       You are no longer in control of the result of your decision. Gen 8:22

d.      About decision, big choice takes care of little choices – so sit down and count the cost and evaluate because you take the choice or decision alone – Luke 14:28

Problem of bad choices

The choice of Elimelech was wrong and bad in the sense that he got himself out of the will of God – he decided to take a quick shotcut to moab and never came back

Wrong motives: He was motivated primarily by the physical not the spiritual (Matt 6:33) look at Bethlehem and Moab

Wrong method: operating by sight and not by faith compare the meaning of his name and his decision for moab

Wrong master: he ended up serving the wrong master (Moab) He left the covenant blessing of Israel

Results of bad choices are:

1.       Death

2.       Deprivation

3.       Disappointment

Power of right choices

Ruth among all made the right choice (decision) and her life was transformed. She was delivered from the curse, shame, condemnation and she got a new life

Seven ways of taking right choices

1.       A new determination

2.       A new direction

3.       A new dependence

4.       A new desire

5.       A new devotion

6.       A new dedication

7.       A new destiny

Right choices are like the right investment in the right business which will definitely give good returns. But it is in your hand to take decisions not someone else. http://biggybrand.blogspot.com/

THE KEY MISTAKES IN BUSINESS

Key Mistakes That Start-Up Entrepreneurs Make

When it comes to starting a successful business, there's no surefire playbook that contains the winning game plan.

On the other hand, there are about as many mistakes to be made as there are entrepreneurs to make them.

Recently, after a work-out at the gym with my trainer -- an attractive young woman who's also a dancer/actor -- she told me about a web series that she's producing and starring in together with a few friends. While the series has gained a large following online, she and her friends have not yet incorporated their venture, drafted an operating agreement, trademarked the show's name or done any of the other things that businesses typically do to protect their intellectual property and divvy up the owners' share of the company. While none of this may be a problem now, I told her, just wait until the show hits it big and everybody hires a lawyer.

Here, in my experience, are the top 10 mistakes that entrepreneurs make when starting a company:
1. Going it alone. It's difficult to build a scalable business if you're the only person involved. True, a solo public relations, web design or consulting firm may require little capital to start, and the price of hiring even one administrative assistant, sales representative or entry-level employee can eat up a big chunk of your profits. The solution: Make sure there's enough margin in your pricing to enable you to bring in other people. Clients generally don't mind outsourcing as long as they can still get face time with you, the skilled professional who's managing the project.
2. Asking too many people for advice. It's always good to get input from experts, especially experienced entrepreneurs who've built and sold successful companies in your industry. But getting too many people's opinions can delay your decision so long that your company never gets out of the starting gate. The answer: Assemble a solid advisory board that you can tap on a regular basis but run the day-to-day yourself. Says Elyissia Wassung, chief executive of 2 Chicks With Chocolate Inc., a Matawan, N.J., chocolate company, "Pull in your [advisory] team for bi-weekly or, at the very least, monthly conference calls. You'll wish you did it sooner!"
3. Spending too much time on product development, not enough on sales. While it's hard to build a great company without a great product, entrepreneurs who spend too much time tinkering may lose customers to a competitor with a stronger sales organization. "I call [this misstep] the 'Field of Dreams' of entrepreneurship. If you build it, they will buy it," says Sanjyot Dunung, CEO of Atma Global, Inc., a New York software publisher, who has made this mistake in her own business. "If you don't keep one eye firmly focused on sales, you'll likely run out of money and energy before you can successfully get your product to market."
4. Targeting too small a market. It's tempting to try to corner a niche, but your company's growth will quickly hit a wall if the market you're targeting is too tiny. Think about all the high school basketball stars who dream of playing in the NBA. Because there are only 30 teams and each team employs only a handful of players, the chances that your son will become the next Michael Jordan are pretty slim. The solution: Pick a bigger market that gives you the chance to grab a slice of the pie even if your company remains a smaller player.
5. Entering a market with no distribution partner. It's easier to break into a market if there's already a network of agents, brokers, manufacturers' reps and other third-party resellers ready, willing and able to sell your product into existing distribution channels. Fashion, food, media and other major industries work this way; others are not so lucky. That's why service businesses like public relations firms, yoga studios and pet-grooming companies often struggle to survive, alternating between feast and famine. The solution: Make a list of potential referral sources before you start your business and ask them if they'd be willing to send business your way.
6. Overpaying for customers. Spending big on advertising may bring in lots of customers, but it's a money-losing strategy if your company can't turn those dollars into lifetime customer value. A magazine or website that spends $500 worth of advertising to acquire a customer who pays $20 a month and cancels his or her subscription at the end of the year is simply pouring money down the drain. The solution: Test, measure, then test again. Once you've done enough testing to figure out how to make more money selling products and services to your customers than you spend acquiring those customers in the first place, roll out a major marketing campaign.
7. Raising too little capital. Many start-ups assume that all they need is enough money to rent space, buy equipment, stock inventory and drive customers through the door. What they often forget is that they also need capital to pay for salaries, utilities, insurance and other overhead expenses until their company starts turning a profit. Unless you're running the kind of business where everybody's working for sweat equity and deferring compensation, you'll need to raise enough money to tide you over until your revenues can cover your expenses and generate positive cash flow. The solution: Calculate your start-up costs before you open your doors, not afterwards.
8. Raising too much capital. Believe it or not, raising too much money can be a problem, too. Over-funded companies tend to get big and bloated, hiring too many people too soon and wasting valuable resources on trade show booths, parties, image ads and other frills. When the money runs out and investors lose patience (which is what happened 10 years ago when the dot-com market melted down), start-ups that frittered away their cash will have to close their doors. No matter how much money you raise at the outset, remember to bank some for a rainy day.
9. Not having a business plan. While not every company needs a formal business plan, a start-up that requires significant capital to grow and more than a year to turn a profit should map out how much time and money it's going to take to get to its destination. This means thinking through the key metrics that make your business tick and building a model to spin off three years of sales, profits and cash-flow projections. "I wasted 10 years [fooling around] thinking like an artist and not a business person," says Louis Piscione, president of Avanti Media Group, a New Jersey company that produces videos for corporate and private events. "I learned that you have to put some of your creative genius toward a business plan that forecasts and sets goals for growth and success."

10. Over-thinking your business plan. While many entrepreneurs I've met engage in seat-of-the-pants decision-making and fail to do their homework, other entrepreneurs are afraid to pull the trigger until they're 100% certain that their plan will succeed. One lawyer I worked with several years ago was so skittish about leaving his six-figure job to launch his business that he never met with a single bank or investor who might have funded his company. The truth is that a business plan is not a crystal ball that can predict the future. At a certain point, you have to close your eyes and take the leap of faith.

Despite the many books and articles that have been written about entrepreneurship, it's just not possible to start a company without making a few mistakes along the way. Just try to avoid making any mistake so large that your company can't get back on its feet to fight another day. http://mirages-mirages.blogspot.com

COVENANT LIFE

COVENANT LIFE WAY UNTO DOMINION (Ezekiel 34:25-27)

I will make a covenant of peace with them and cause wild beasts to cease from the land and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods…. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them (Ezekiel 34:25-27)

The moment you give your life to God, you have entered into a covenant relationship with Him. God has always initiated a covenant and that man should walk in. God has promised to make a covnant of peace with His chosen ones. You ought to maintain a relationship that is unreserved (unbroken) with God. Anywhere you go, you should shine forth the light and glory of God (Matt5:14)

God wants you to be faithful in your covenant with Him, no matter the circumstances. This means that even in times of delay or difficulties you must resolve to walk with Him. Do not compromise your faith or joke with your walk with God. Make a covenant of obedience with Him. When you have come to a point of making an everlasting resolve to serve God then Heaven will back you up and every disappointment storm your face becomes a preparation for higher lifting or mega blessing.

You need to sit down and have a retrospect of your life. Are you truly obeying God to the letter? You must not lose the secret place of your communion with God in the place of prayer. Stop playing church, it is time to mean business with God.

Maintaining A covenant of Wealth with God

When your job or business is no more, God can still make a way if you are a covenant keeper. It is good to pray but covenant works without obedience.

Therefore you must obey God’s instructions diligently. If God’s word says pay your tithe or give to the poor and help the needy etc you must do just that. There are blessings attached to obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

Not obeying God’s instructions can lead to poverty and shame (Proverb 13:18., Jeremiah 11:1-4)’ though your beginning was small, your later end shall greatly increase (Job 8:7) This verse of the scripture will only work for you when you obey the terms of the covenant which you have entered into with God. How regular are you in tithing? How many times have you located a relation, needy in church or in your neighbourhood to help him or her?

God is looking for a Joseph who He can raise up to change the destiny of this generation. You can be that Joseph Jer. 11:2-7

No matter what it will cost you, determine to obey the words of the covenant, walk by it, trust and obey His words and God will protect, preserve and bless you beyond your dream.