A Ministry of Christian Chefs International (CCI)

Friday, August 4, 2017

The Practice of the Presence...Called to Co-create...Entrepreneur



Hello Sistren and Brethren! After seeing and hearing about the entrepreneurial adventure of our graduated student Anna...I was inspired and edified as to the ventures so many of us desire and as the Lord inspires and leads us into...and knowing that ALL things work together... and for His glory as His gifts in us are revealed ...manifested...into the world we are placed in...Wow going into "Business"! Whew! Thats being called to create or rather Co-create with Our Creator.  I was also reminded of our past Brother in Christ and in the kitchen Nicolas Herman AKA Brother Lawrence ( see previous blogs about him). Love this pic...



I too can relate as my wife and I are broken more and following His lead into the work He would have us do in the entrepreneurial spirit of co-creating with Him Our Creator in the Holy Spirit Power of Grace as Jesus manifested for us and gave us Himself for us to role-model and follow The Way...in Spirit and Truth...being real, and being honest...I came upon a like minded Sistren and Brethren who celebrate this aspect of who they are in Christ...As I share the ALL things...Its a Love thing its a God thing! 

Its an ALL thing...  All in? All or nothing?...hmmmm...Its ALL His "business"...Amen?


Brother Lawrence once wrote: 
“Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God. Perhaps all besides is but folly and vanity. ” ( From the Practice of The Presence of God)





"All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need." Acts 4:32-35 (NLT)


For those who are called to create, our faith should impact every aspect of our entrepreneurial endeavors, from our motivations for creating, to the products we choose to create, to how we operate our ventures. As we set out to be an influence in culture through the vehicle of work, we must do so in a manner that captures the heart of God and stitches it together with all of our practices, products, and procedures. Thus, the entirety of our enterprises serve as beacons for a Kingdom that is very different from that of this world.


Obviously, this is both a counter-intuitive and a counter-cultural effort. However, that is what our faith is all about. It’s about living into a reality that is beyond our senses, but is, at the same time, no less real than the air we breathe. As the writer to the Hebrews explains, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith, put into practice in all of our work, brings to life the realities of God’s unseen, but very present, Kingdom.





This is the picture we get of the Church in its infancy from our text above. In these early Christian communities, much was being done that spoke to the realities of God’s Kingdom here on earth. For they believed that God had done something amazing in the person of Jesus Christ. They believed that He was the Messiah—the one whom God was sending to reorder the world and all of history. As such, they began to live out that reality. Their faith informed everything they did. It led them to sell all they had and share it with one another. It led them to give sacrificially and generously. It led them to care for those less fortunate than themselves.





This ought to serve as an example for us today. As our faith is integrated into every aspect of our life, works, and entrepreneurial endeavors, it ought to transform how we work. For it is not enough that we put a Bible verse on our packaging or an ichthus on our website. The integration of our faith must go deeper than that if we are to be His Light to a watching world. We must be willing to enter into the nitty gritty of our organizations and ask tough questions about faith and practice. Questions such as, “Does our belief in justice play a role in how we choose pay, benefits, and even health care options for our employees? Is the compensation we offer in-line with our understanding that ‘those who work deserve their pay’ (Luke 10:7b)? Are we making ethical decisions when it comes to the materials we purchase? Do we truly care for our employees? Do we have their best interest in mind (Philippians 2:4)?”


All this we do for the sake of modeling the Kingdom to a world without faith to see it. In other words, our work makes visible a Kingdom which is otherwise invisible to the naked eye. This cannot happen if our faith is not fully integrated into the entirety of our work. Work to be Salt and His Light for the Kingdom today! 


How have you seen the Lord use your work in the past to reveal the Kingdom to others? 


How might the Lord be calling you to use your creative endeavors today to more clearly reveal the Kingdom to your customers, employees, and partners? 


“God, help me to see the need for all aspects of my life, job, ad-venture to be touched by my faith. Help me to see what I am doing as communicating the reality of who You are and what You are doing in this world. God, strengthen me to ask tough questions of my venture and to respond in faith. Amen.”






Rock and Roll!


Jesus is the Rock...and we Roll!


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