Principles To Live By August, 1999 JESUS INC



Principles To Live By August, 1999 JESUS INC

This is the second newsletter of JESUS, INC, a private non-profit Christian corporation. Our mission is to help businesses and communities learn more about applying Biblical Principles to their day-to-day operations. We‘re now in the second half of 1999. Time really does fly. The Bible says we are to redeem the time. We understand that to mean that one needs to be diligent to know and obey Jesus. In this issue we will again attempt to convey more of God’s Word (Biblical Principles) as it relates to you, your business and your community.

What is the Difference between Biblical and non-Biblical Principles?

The dictionary defines Principles as fundamental truths, laws, doctrines or motivating forces, upon which others are based.

Biblical Principles are:

* God-centered rather than man-centered

* Implemented by faith in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

* Require God’s grace to consistently carry out.

* Always lead away from the self, toward taking on the character of Jesus Christ.

* Have power to change people and circumstances.

* Lead to a life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Are There Any Business Resources That Promote Biblical Principles?

Yes, in the United States the following are just a few of the groups that have been formed to help business people apply Biblical Principles:

* Christian Businessman’s Committee

* Life@Work Ministry

* Fellowship of Companies for Christ, International

What is the True Cost and Benefit of Applying Biblical Principles?

It will cost you your life. That is, everything you are, what you have and hold on to, must be something you are willing to give up, if necessary, to obey God and His word. We should always have a loose hold on the things of this world so they won’t get in the way of our allegiance to God and His plan for our lives. From an eternal perspective, our life and our business is but a vanishing vapor. It’s better to build up our rewards in heaven where there is everlasting peace and joy.

Where does one start on this road to operate by Biblical Principles?

You can learn about Biblical Principles on your own by studying the Bible and by talking with those who have been applying the Bible in their life and business. Or you can participate in a workshop on Biblical Principles and network with others seeking to do the same. Also, there are several good Christian business publications available.

If you have not already done so, humble yourself before God, repent of your sins, and ask Jesus to come in and be Lord of your life. Then commit to spending time with the Lord each day, reading the Bible, praying, and being silent to listen to what He puts on your heart.

No other decision, no other training is more important than becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus. For He said: “ I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Don’t wait, make this decision today.

Some Biblical Principles for you to use:

* The Ten Commandments.

* The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. ( Psalms 111:10)

* A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. (Psalms 112:2)

* The simple believes every word, but the prudent man considers well his steps. (Proverbs 14:15)

* Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

* Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. (Proverbs 27: 23-24)

* The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him. (Proverbs 20:7)

* Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (Psalms 119:11)

* Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

* Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

* Bring all your tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me in this, says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3:10-11)

* But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33-34)

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

The national restaurant chain of Chick-Fil-A’s is closed on Sundays. Approximately $354 billion in sales in U.S. restaurants is predicted by the National Restaurant Association in 1999. Sunday historically is the third-most active day for restaurants sales during the week and generates 14.2 percent of the business. This means roughly $50 billion in restaurant sales is generated on Sundays.

There’s no way to know how opening on Sunday would have impacted Chick-Fil-A’s financials in the past. But if closing on Sunday hurts sales, no one in the corporate office has noticed. They just point to the balance sheet.

In 1998 Chick-fil-A’s 820 restaurants generated more than $798 million in sales, and the company expects to top $1 billion in 1999. And the chain’s sales for 1998 increased 18.8 % over 1997, compared to a projected growth of 5.1% for the entire fast-food industry.

Taking a day off each week and taking periodic respites to think and reflect are Biblical Principles, said Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A. As their business grows more companies ask them what their secret is. The management of Chick-fil-A’s says: “It’s really simple: They have access to the same guidebook (Bible) that we’re using. Source: “Off the Fence” by Stephen Caldwell in the July/August Life@Work magazine.

Signs that your relationship with God may need attention

A foolish old farmer concluded one day that the oats he had fed his mule for years was simply costing him too much. He decided to mix a little sawdust in with the oats. As the days went by, the farmer gradually reduced the oats content in the feed. The mule didn’t seem to notice the change. But weeks later, on the day he finally fed the mule nothing but sawdust, the mule finished the meal and fell over dead. This story serves as a parable of the backslider – the Christian who slips further and further away from God through unrepented sin or neglect. The following list describes the basic components of the deterioration process:

1) Loss of Love for God

- Loss of Joy

- Aversion to prayer and God’s Word

- Aversion to Christian Fellowship

- Misplaced Treasure

2) Loss of Fear of God

- Covering up sin

- Denying responsibility

- Procrastinating over repentance

- Justifying sin

3) Loss of Faith in God

Unrepented sin can eventually lead to unbelief and rejection of God. Gradually one loses their love of God and their fear of God. In the end, they no longer believe even the essentials of faith. Finally, they declare themselves Christians no more.

Prayer, mediating on God’s Word, and fellowship with other believers, feed our faith. When we avoid these spiritual disciplines, we starve our faith. The old mule needs its oats; sawdust in the feed bag is deadly.

God commands, “Be holy, because I am holy”. The Apostle Paul said: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves”. If we have failed, God stands ready to help us find the way back to Him. Prayer, Bible study and Fellowship with other believers can serve to rekindle our love and fear of the Lord. They also bring us to repentance and to a renewed relationship with God. Once again Jude’s prayer of hope becomes real to us:

To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence with out fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Source: “Danger Zone” by Paul Thigpen in Issue 112 of the Discipleship Journal

Why great leaders make forgiveness an essential part of the job.

Compassion, grace and mercy are tough commodities to find in the marketplace. But they always have been essential elements for the Christ-centered leader in the workplace. Abraham Lincoln was a compassionate leader. As President he was always quick to pardon. Whenever he had doubts, he fell back on the foundations of his personality: honesty, integrity, compassion and mercy. He seemed to have little or no feelings of hate, vindictiveness or malice.

Most people of Lincoln’s day thought his tendency toward leniency was overdone. Lincoln granted more pardons than any president before or after him. Another name for Lincoln’s activity is “grace”. Grace is unmerited favor. God does for us what we do not deserve and cannot repay. We serve the King of Kings, the author of Grace. To whom can you show compassion and grace today? Source: “Extending Grace” by D. M. Cecil in the July/August issue of Life@Work.

Thank you for allowing us to make contact with you. We pray that the Lord will continue to make Himself known to you. Call or write us. Let us know how we can help you in your walk with the Lord.

Stan & Sandy Wieber

JESUS INC

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download