Hello welcome to
Engage, I'm David Asscherick and
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we are ecstatic that you
have chosen to join us for
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this half hour program.
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We are going to be looking
at something that many people
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might consider to
be a bit unusual topic.
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To set the topic up we
will be introducing our guest
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here in just a moment.
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I would just like to remind
you of the parable that Jesus
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told in Matthew 25,
the parable of the talents.
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And in the context of the
parable of the talents Jesus
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said that there was a man
that went into a far country.
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When he went into that far
country he took his resources,
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his goods and turned them
over to some of his servants.
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And to one of the servants
he gave five talents, to another
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two talents, and
to another one talent.
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The person that had the five
went and invested the five and
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earned yet another five
for a total of 10 talents.
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The same with the two but
the person who had one just
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took and hid his talent.
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Now when the land owner
returned he saw that the man
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that had five had earned
five more and he said well done
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good and faithful servant
and said the same thing to the
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one had two and earned two more.
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And the one who had just
one and buried it and he was not
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pleased at all, I guess we
could say that the five and
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two talent
individuals were businessmen.
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They were entrepreneurs
they went and invested those
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resources and came back
with even more and the land
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owner was pleased with
their entrepreneurial spirit.
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In our program today we are
going to be taking a look at the
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topic of blessed business.
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Principles of
business and how can we be sure
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we are operating in
harmony with Scripture
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in our business enterprises?
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So with me today of course
is Shandra Ban, and introducing
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a friend of mine and a
friend of yours so Shandra.
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Thank you David, yeah we have
Johnny Suarez with us today.
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I neglected to use his Spanish
name because my accent is
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not good but Juan
Suarez, we go by Johnny.
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It's good to have you
here and you come from Berrien
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Springs Michigan and tell
us a little about yourself.
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I was born in Mexico
but grew up in New York.
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My mother is of Puerto
Rican descent so that makes me
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a Mexico-new-yor-ican.
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A Mexico-new-yor-ican - a
Mexico-new-yor-ican, got a
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little bit of all nationalities
working to my favor hopefully.
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That's great. So like I
said you're from Berrien Springs
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Michigan and
what do you do there?
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I have a business there, a
Christian business where we
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produce resources Spanish,
English, a little bit of
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Portuguese mostly audio and
video material and a little bit
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of books we publish and
distribute to different parts
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of the world.
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I read one of
those books. - really?
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Oh wait sorry, I
wrote one of those books.
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That's right you
did write one of those.
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So Johnny we are having you
on the program today because
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we want to talk about
business from a Christian
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perspective because
there are maybe some misunder-
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standings and even sort of
negative connotations in the
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minds of some about business
as being non-spiritual and
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etc. and we will get
to that in just a moment.
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So talk to us a little
bit about, in your mind
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what is a businessman?
What is somebody who is a
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businessman do? Then we will ask
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what is a Christian businessman?
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Sure a businessman is very
simple, you are taking some
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kind of a product, some
kind of resource, some kind of
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service and you are
providing some value to it and
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your increasing the
price and having some profits.
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Sometimes the profit margins
can be bigger and sometimes
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they are a little smaller.
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Okay, so you provide a
service or product and that is a
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businessman, or an entrepreneur
is another term we use
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for that, I just looked
that word up in the dictionary.
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It just means to
undertake, it literally means
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to just do something.
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So let's be honest here
sometimes we think businessman,
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first thing that comes to
my mind is a shady businessman.
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- the first thing
really the first thing?
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Yeah it is true - okay!
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I don't think that about you.
Not the Mexican-new-yor-ican. No
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So how can you dispel
some of that myth, can there be
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a Christian
businessman? - absolutely.
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I think it all has to do
with the set of principles that
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you are using as your
guiding light so to speak as a
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businessman, it is not
just making money but actually
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following biblical patterns
of individuals who the Bible
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who were successful and
that did their business well.
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At the same time they made
sure they did so ethically,
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made sure they did so
honestly and used much of their
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means to further God's work.
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So the idea of
business and Christian are not
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antithetical, now I had
to be honest that negativity
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doesn't come into my mind
but we could say like with the
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proverbial used car salesman.
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We associate that negative
connotation but the reality is
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that if for an example of
Matthew 25 is to be believed
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that there is not this
contradiction between being
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entrepreneurial or business
minded and also being very
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spiritual, that is what I'm
hearing you say. - Absolutely
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It's really interesting
what you mentioned there.
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God actually pronounces
well done to the one that
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actually makes a profit,
and the one that doesn't make
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a profit he said he's an
evil server, you didn't do what
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you were supposed to do
which was to turn a profit and
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no losses either, so I
think there is an expectation
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that God has from us, also
in the temporal side to make
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sure that we make good use
of our time, of our resources of
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our talents, and yes have
some profits and make a living
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and also make the world
a better place sometimes
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through those products
that we are able to produce.
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Johnny were you trained
in business and did you have
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a formal education in business?
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You know it's interesting,
I have no intention of getting
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into business but since a
little boy I always helped my
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dad out, my dad was one of
those old-school kind of dads.
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Like I'm not going to give
you money, I'll make you work
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for it and that
whole kind of thing.
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Yeah one of those dads.
Its like I'm not going to give
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you the fish, I will teach
you how to fish and that whole
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concept, even when I was going
through high school I covered
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some of my expenses because
my dad said okay I'm going to
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show you how to work.
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So did your dad own a
business? - no he didn't.
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We started doing some
recordings at camp meetings.
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- just a minute
what is a camp meeting?
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Camp meeting is basically event
where a lot of people, sometimes
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Christians and sometime
non-Christians come together
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and listen to inspiring
presentations from a variety of
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speakers, sometimes good
music, sometimes stories or
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testimonials and
they all gather together.
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- so you are recording
these? - We were recording these
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- exactly - and
selling them? - exactly.
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So I was a little kid
like eight or nine years old,
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all the other ones got to
play basketball but I had to be
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duplicating cassettes for
my dad and put on the labels.
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Really - I sense a little
bitterness there, a little
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frustration? - no
bitterness, it's interesting my
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sister. - my friends
are playing basketball.
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Okay sometimes I'll confess,
there were times I wanted to
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play basketball but I was able
to get over it because my dad
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would pay me $.25 for every
cassette that I duplicated and
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put the label on.
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So I realized quickly that
if I worked hard I'd be able to
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save a little money. - So
a bit of a meritocracy there,
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you work hard to
get paid, I like that.
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I grew to like it, my sister
never liked it when people
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come over to the table
to buy some of her products,
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she confessed later on
that she actually prayed to the
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Lord that people would not
come to the table to buy our
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products, I was always
wondered why there weren't more
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people that were coming.
- why was she praying that?
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Because she was a little girls
that doesn't like the stress
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of having 50 people coming
at you and asking for some
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products, she liked the peace
and quiet and to play with dolls
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so she was like Lord please
let them go away, there is too
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many of them. - and you
are praying Lord let them come,
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because then I
get to make money.
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I was hoping to be able
to help my dad to make money.
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So that is not your
background and terms of your
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educational background, your
educational background is in?
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Theology, I studied Pastor
Evangelism, I studied to be a
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Pastor had worked for five
years as an associate Pastor,
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a youth Pastor in
California and then in New York.
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So then you've been in
ministry? - that's right.
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- how many years were
you in pastoral ministry?
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Five years total
between the youth Pastor and the
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associate Pastor and did
some missionary work before
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that when I was in school and
right after I finished school.
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So I guess that would
make Johnny the perfect person
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to say is it possible to
be a Christian businessman,
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because you have come
from the Christian perspective,
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and now we are also
talking about business.
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We are going to get into
some principles here in just
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a moment, but I thought it
would be well for us to maybe
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ground this idea that there
is not incompatibility here,
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in the text of Scripture and a
passage that I am going to bring
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to the table here
is Deuteronomy 8:18.
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And it says, "you shall
remember the Lord your God for
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"it is He," and this is the
interesting part, "who gives you
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"power to get wealth, that He
may establish His covenant which
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"He swore to your
fathers as it is this day."
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So that is a passage there,
it's God who gives you power,
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and that doesn't have to
mean just the physical power,
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but gives you the ingenuity
and the skill set to be able
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to earn a living. -
well we can even think of the
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biblical stories, the
story of Joseph where he ends up
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taking over the whole
grain production when they were
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going to the famine
and selling the grain.
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That is not unbiblical, in
fact it saved many people's
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lives during that famine.
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I think there is a key
principle there and that is the
00:09:21.83\00:09:25.10
issue of stewardship, and
recognizing and realizing that
00:09:25.13\00:09:29.03
you don't own anything.
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Our bodies belong to God,
our dreams and aspirations all
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belong to God, everything
we have and everything we own,
00:09:34.42\00:09:37.12
our talents are all gifts
that God has bestowed upon us.
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When we realize that, as
the text says, it's Him that
00:09:40.17\00:09:43.65
gives us the wealth, the
problem is not the wealth the
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problem is sometimes we rely
on what we have accomplished
00:09:46.52\00:09:48.52
by our own efforts solely.
00:09:48.55\00:09:50.47
So how do you move
from pastoral ministry into
00:09:50.50\00:09:53.81
the business world?
00:09:53.84\00:09:55.62
You know it is interesting,
I actually was saving some
00:09:55.65\00:09:58.42
money, trying to save some
money to finish up my graduate
00:09:58.45\00:10:01.64
studies and I decided to
dedicate a few months full-time
00:10:01.67\00:10:06.89
to be able to get some
means to get through school.
00:10:06.92\00:10:10.33
So I started to produce
some of the resources on a more
00:10:10.36\00:10:13.68
full-time scale. - your
own resources? Yeah these
00:10:13.71\00:10:17.56
were recording so we
would work with speakers and say
00:10:17.59\00:10:20.16
we'd like to issue your
materials and we want a setup
00:10:20.19\00:10:22.69
that works well for all of
us and we approach them and
00:10:22.72\00:10:25.20
they said yeah,
let's go ahead and do it.
00:10:25.23\00:10:26.95
So we have agreements with
them and from there we started
00:10:26.98\00:10:29.52
to produce the resources and
00:10:29.55\00:10:31.41
it's interesting because
on getting on the subject of
00:10:31.44\00:10:33.94
Christian principles I
would make these deals with God.
00:10:33.97\00:10:37.59
I will come and say okay
Lord, I would wake up two,
00:10:37.62\00:10:40.51
three o'clock in the morning
and I would be thinking and
00:10:40.54\00:10:42.19
my mind would be racing
and I had a little book, it was
00:10:42.22\00:10:45.04
an empty book and
didn't have any pages and it.
00:10:45.07\00:10:46.92
- pages but no writing?
00:10:46.95\00:10:49.29
Yep pages but
no writing exactly.
00:10:49.32\00:10:50.44
So I would write down my
goals were and then I would say
00:10:50.47\00:10:54.22
Lord if you bless me I'm
going to remember you did this
00:10:54.25\00:10:57.80
and I thought to myself and
say why don't I go ahead and
00:10:57.83\00:11:00.68
give God a certain amount
of tithe in anticipation that
00:11:00.71\00:11:04.30
He is going to bless me.
00:11:04.33\00:11:05.30
So you are tithing on
money that you are not making in
00:11:05.31\00:11:08.45
hopes, in faith that God
is going to provide that money
00:11:08.48\00:11:13.12
you are tithing on. -
that's right, that's right.
00:11:13.15\00:11:14.42
I had all these little deals
and would write them down and
00:11:14.45\00:11:16.73
then I would take my
little book and put it aside for
00:11:16.76\00:11:19.98
several months. It was
comforting because I would go
00:11:20.01\00:11:23.01
back to my little book and I
would see all these goals and
00:11:23.04\00:11:25.39
I would look at the
distribution we were doing and
00:11:25.42\00:11:27.35
we met all of those goals,
the Lord had been faithful.
00:11:27.38\00:11:30.31
We had even surpassed
many of those goals and so the
00:11:30.34\00:11:32.55
business began to grow and grow.
00:11:32.58\00:11:34.17
Really it was because God was
blessing it and of course there
00:11:34.20\00:11:37.41
was human effort and
there was a part that we played,
00:11:37.44\00:11:39.64
but ultimately we were
saying Lord this is yours and
00:11:39.67\00:11:42.95
if you bless it I will
make sure to give you the glory
00:11:42.98\00:11:46.15
and the honor for that.
00:11:46.18\00:11:47.15
That reminds me so much of my
father-in-law, my wife's family
00:11:47.16\00:11:50.29
is Romanian, and my
father in law, you have met him.
00:11:50.32\00:11:53.45
You both met him and he
is one of the most godly,
00:11:53.48\00:11:55.68
he's the salt of the
earth, he and his wife are just
00:11:55.71\00:11:59.69
the salt of the earth.
00:11:59.73\00:12:00.70
He does a similar kind of
thing, he is a painter but
00:12:00.71\00:12:03.89
he also will purchase
a house and fix it up.
00:12:03.92\00:12:06.43
I tell him Zacky
this is the gospel.
00:12:06.46\00:12:08.62
You are buying these
dilapidated old homes and
00:12:08.65\00:12:11.50
you are fixing them up
and they are new creatures.
00:12:11.53\00:12:13.66
Haddam and Duchy right?
00:12:13.69\00:12:15.78
So what he did was he went
into a business relationship
00:12:15.81\00:12:18.98
with God, very similar
to what you are describing.
00:12:19.01\00:12:20.92
He said okay, in addition
to tithe and in addition to
00:12:20.95\00:12:24.89
offering, you are 25% partner,
00:12:24.92\00:12:27.01
and everything goes straight
into mission and God just
00:12:27.04\00:12:30.37
starts prospering him
because that is the story.
00:12:30.40\00:12:33.17
That's the five talents,
and he has the skills set,
00:12:33.20\00:12:36.00
he has the ingenuity to
be able to make that happen
00:12:36.03\00:12:39.38
and that is what I'm
hearing you say as well.
00:12:39.41\00:12:40.94
Absolutely, absolutely and
I think it is just realizing
00:12:40.97\00:12:43.96
when its God's, it really can't
fail because it's the Lords.
00:12:43.99\00:12:48.67
If it does fail, or seems
to fail it is because the Lord
00:12:48.70\00:12:51.58
is perhaps allowing you to
learn some lessons of dependency
00:12:51.61\00:12:54.88
or He has
something better for you.
00:12:54.91\00:12:56.49
Right, and I'm thinking to
about the story in the Bible
00:12:56.52\00:12:58.89
where the people are
selling in the temple courts and
00:12:58.92\00:13:01.63
Jesus comes in and throws
the tables over because it is
00:13:01.66\00:13:04.00
not a business He is endorsing.
00:13:04.03\00:13:05.35
Are there businesses that
Christians should not be a part
00:13:05.38\00:13:08.08
of? - Absolutely, definitely
you have things that are
00:13:08.11\00:13:11.79
antithetical to what we
believe as Christians and any
00:13:11.82\00:13:15.26
time you have to violate
God's commandments whether
00:13:15.29\00:13:17.71
you have to steal or
cheat or something that causes
00:13:17.74\00:13:20.92
other people to sin, you
know that is not a type of
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.62
business enterprise that
you want to be a part of.
00:13:23.66\00:13:26.25
So you take it and compare it
with Scripture and if they are
00:13:26.29\00:13:30.88
opposites you stay away
from those kind of businesses.
00:13:30.92\00:13:34.35
Some of the principles it
is that what ever, getting back
00:13:34.38\00:13:37.44
to the definition businessman,
product or service, it cannot
00:13:37.48\00:13:40.50
be out of harmony with
what Scripture teaches us.
00:13:40.54\00:13:43.01
That is right. - now you
touched on something earlier
00:13:43.05\00:13:45.90
Johnny, you used the word
there that I know and you know,
00:13:45.93\00:13:48.57
and one that Shandra knows,
and maybe many of our viewers
00:13:48.60\00:13:51.20
don't know and that
is the word stewardship.
00:13:51.24\00:13:54.12
So unpack that a little
bit, what does that word mean?
00:13:54.16\00:13:57.37
That is not a word that
comes up in common conversation.
00:13:57.40\00:14:00.58
So what do we mean
when we say stewardship?
00:14:00.61\00:14:03.23
Stewardship basically
means someone who is to be
00:14:03.26\00:14:06.48
a caretaker, someone that
doesn't really own the place,
00:14:06.52\00:14:09.64
or owns the store, or owns
the car, but he has to make
00:14:09.67\00:14:12.56
sure that he maintains it
and he will give an account to
00:14:12.59\00:14:15.94
whatever happens to that thing
or place or whatever it is.
00:14:15.98\00:14:19.93
So there is a certain sense
of responsibility, but at the
00:14:19.97\00:14:23.28
same time you are not
saying I own this, this is mine.
00:14:23.32\00:14:26.46
It is more of it belongs
to someone else so I will take
00:14:26.50\00:14:29.32
the best care. - so it could
almost be like what you read in
00:14:29.36\00:14:32.26
the opening there about the
talent, the people that owned
00:14:32.30\00:14:35.13
or took care of the talents were
stewards of their masters talent
00:14:35.16\00:14:37.82
But they did not own
that money? - that is right.
00:14:37.86\00:14:40.67
So we sometimes hear
people say in the Garden of Eden
00:14:40.70\00:14:44.43
there were two pre-sin
institutions, right I hear
00:14:44.47\00:14:48.12
people say that? They say
the Sabbath was before sin and
00:14:48.16\00:14:50.88
marriage was before sin.
00:14:50.91\00:14:52.04
When you read Genesis 1 and
2 carefully, there is a third
00:14:52.07\00:14:54.40
Pre-sin
institution its stewardship.
00:14:54.43\00:14:58.11
Its stewardship because
he says, you read in Genesis
00:14:58.15\00:15:00.93
chapter 1 and he says over
and over again the man will
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.54
keep it, you will have
dominion, tend to the Garden,
00:15:03.57\00:15:06.69
protect it, and so basically
God did not give the Garden
00:15:06.72\00:15:10.23
to Adam or Eve. The Garden,
the earth belongs to God.
00:15:10.27\00:15:13.74
He says you take
care of it for Me.
00:15:13.78\00:15:15.69
So this is something
that is rooted very deeply in
00:15:15.72\00:15:18.68
Scripture that God has
entrusted us with material means
00:15:18.72\00:15:22.33
and it is our responsibility
not so much to own but to
00:15:22.36\00:15:25.94
be a good steward and
give God a return on those
00:15:25.98\00:15:28.93
resources that He
has entrusted to us.
00:15:28.97\00:15:30.94
- right! - and I think
it's really essential because
00:15:30.98\00:15:34.20
we live in a temporal
world and even Christ Himself
00:15:34.23\00:15:37.42
said occupy until I come.
00:15:37.46\00:15:39.28
So sometimes we fall on
two extremes. One is this is
00:15:39.31\00:15:42.58
my Father's world so I'm
going to sit around and wait
00:15:42.61\00:15:45.58
for things to happen
around the world and if the Lord
00:15:45.61\00:15:48.28
wants to bless me He will
bless me and if it He doesn't
00:15:48.32\00:15:51.76
and it almost eliminates
the part of thriftiness and
00:15:51.79\00:15:55.16
hard work -industriousness. -
and all those kinds of things.
00:15:55.20\00:15:58.02
We can have the other
extreme which we can talk about,
00:15:58.05\00:16:00.93
and that is individuals who
just focus on wealth and the
00:16:00.96\00:16:03.80
whole prosperity
gospel about making money.
00:16:03.84\00:16:05.80
God wants to make you rich
and if you buy this one thing
00:16:05.84\00:16:08.38
and you bless my ministry
you'll get this, and you'll get
00:16:08.42\00:16:10.93
that and people are
constantly thinking man how can
00:16:10.96\00:16:13.17
I make more money, how
can I accumulate more wealth,
00:16:13.21\00:16:15.70
how can I have more riches?
Of course God is not wanting
00:16:15.73\00:16:18.19
any to go to those extremes.
00:16:18.23\00:16:20.27
There is a way to do
it that glorifies Him.
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.50
Keeps us out of the ditch
of okay so Paul says, he that
00:16:22.53\00:16:25.76
doesn't eat, rather he
that doesn't work shouldn't eat.
00:16:25.79\00:16:28.84
And the one that doesn't
provide for his family is worse
00:16:28.88\00:16:31.89
then a non-believer.
00:16:31.93\00:16:32.97
So we have that extreme
of the person as you say lays
00:16:33.01\00:16:35.17
around, but the other extreme
is sort of name it and claim
00:16:35.21\00:16:38.04
it and God is going to prosper
me and I will be rich and
00:16:38.07\00:16:40.87
God wants me to be rich.
00:16:40.91\00:16:41.88
So what is the middle
ground? - For me at least I find
00:16:41.89\00:16:44.81
that the middle ground is
first and foremost making God
00:16:44.85\00:16:48.00
the center of all that you
do and recognize and realize
00:16:48.04\00:16:51.15
it is not yours.
00:16:51.19\00:16:53.15
But second to that realizing
that you are a steward and
00:16:53.18\00:16:55.75
at some point He is going
to come back and say what did
00:16:55.79\00:16:58.32
you do with the
talents that I gave you?
00:16:58.36\00:16:59.79
What did you do with
the ability that I gave you,
00:16:59.82\00:17:02.18
the wisdom I gave
you? Did you use it wisely?
00:17:02.21\00:17:04.50
When I find those two there,
I do find that middle ground
00:17:04.53\00:17:08.33
and ultimately I think
it also has to do with how
00:17:08.36\00:17:10.48
you use those
resources that God gives you.
00:17:10.52\00:17:12.12
Sometimes it can be a
danger to make a lot of money
00:17:12.15\00:17:15.12
really quickly, especially
if you are using it just
00:17:15.15\00:17:18.08
for your own
showiness or so to speak.
00:17:18.12\00:17:20.64
When you can take some
of those means and give it
00:17:20.68\00:17:23.39
to God's work I think it
speaks greatly of the powerful
00:17:23.43\00:17:28.08
God that we serve.
00:17:28.12\00:17:29.16
And what you are touching
on there is just not true for
00:17:29.19\00:17:30.48
businessmen, that
would be true for anybody.
00:17:30.51\00:17:32.44
It would be true for
Shandra and me or a Doctor.
00:17:32.47\00:17:34.33
It would be true for an
engineer, the resources how are
00:17:34.36\00:17:37.09
we using the resources
that God has put into our trust?
00:17:37.13\00:17:40.60
Jesus tells the parable there
in Luke 16 about the steward
00:17:40.63\00:17:44.07
who is being
unfaithful, remember that?
00:17:44.10\00:17:46.14
He is being unfaithful and
as soon as he finds out that
00:17:46.17\00:17:48.07
there is going to be an
audit, an investigation of his
00:17:48.11\00:17:50.07
unfaithfulness, he starts
cutting all these deals and
00:17:50.11\00:17:52.04
making all these bargains.
00:17:52.08\00:17:53.07
What Jesus said it is very
interesting, He says the sons,
00:17:53.11\00:17:55.65
the children of this
generation are wiser in this
00:17:55.69\00:17:59.83
generation than
the sons of light.
00:17:59.86\00:18:01.31
He basically says businessman,
He's using businessmen
00:18:01.35\00:18:04.49
as an example, He's using
businessmen as an example and
00:18:04.53\00:18:07.64
saying hey go out,
Jesus spoke a lot about money.
00:18:07.67\00:18:11.08
- He did, you know I
read somewhere that one out of
00:18:11.11\00:18:14.44
every six verses in the
first three Gospels of Matthew,
00:18:14.48\00:18:17.26
Mark, and Luke have to do
with possessions or with money.
00:18:17.29\00:18:19.90
Christ keeps talking about
money, He's talking about money,
00:18:19.93\00:18:22.85
I read another part that
said that second only to the
00:18:22.89\00:18:25.96
the loving character of
His Father Jesus spoke mostly
00:18:25.99\00:18:28.78
about money, it wasn't that
He was infatuated with money.
00:18:28.82\00:18:31.94
People worry a lot about
that and I think it has to do
00:18:31.98\00:18:35.50
with the fact that God wants
us to be industrious in this
00:18:35.53\00:18:38.06
world, He doesn't want us
to just sit around and say well
00:18:38.09\00:18:40.82
this is not the world we
live in so let's sit around and
00:18:40.85\00:18:43.54
hope for
something great to happen.
00:18:43.58\00:18:44.94
But rather to say okay
Lord what do you want me to do
00:18:44.97\00:18:47.26
with what You have given me?
00:18:47.30\00:18:48.64
I think the problem is that
there is this verse the Bible
00:18:48.68\00:18:51.92
in 1 Timothy that says the
money is the root of all evil so
00:18:51.96\00:18:55.17
that is what everybody
thinks but it actually says for
00:18:55.21\00:18:57.24
the love of money is
the root of all evil.
00:18:57.28\00:18:59.84
And even more precisely is
the love of money is the root
00:18:59.88\00:19:03.20
of all kinds of evil, so
it is not the money itself.
00:19:03.24\00:19:06.53
It's our
relationship to the money.
00:19:06.56\00:19:09.74
So Johnny you have mentioned
several different biblical
00:19:09.77\00:19:12.90
principles of business but maybe
you can just put them in a neat
00:19:12.93\00:19:15.86
little package, kind of
a list of different things
00:19:15.90\00:19:18.38
you've mentioned.
00:19:18.41\00:19:19.38
First one again I don't think
you could hear this enough.
00:19:19.39\00:19:22.62
It is making God first
and last and best in all that
00:19:22.65\00:19:26.50
you do, you
really can't go wrong.
00:19:26.54\00:19:29.05
Asking God in the morning, for
us we have worship every time
00:19:29.09\00:19:33.11
with our group. - at
your business. - that's right.
00:19:33.14\00:19:36.10
So just because it is a
business you don't come into the
00:19:36.14\00:19:38.97
office and say go ahead and
get them, make the sales call,
00:19:39.01\00:19:43.32
no, no, it's hey, before we
do this if the Lord does not
00:19:43.35\00:19:47.62
build this business,
this house the text says,
00:19:47.66\00:19:49.90
they labor in vain who built it.
00:19:49.93\00:19:52.34
For us we constantly have
to remind ourselves that this
00:19:52.37\00:19:55.47
is God's, this is God's
and so we have to act on that.
00:19:55.50\00:19:58.56
In the morning
when we start off.
00:19:58.60\00:20:00.17
Another principle we mentioned
is willing to work hard.
00:20:00.21\00:20:03.39
I think sometimes when we
talk about entrepreneurs there
00:20:03.43\00:20:06.88
is this connotation.com boom
where I will just invent this
00:20:06.91\00:20:10.33
little product and
become a multibillionaire and
00:20:10.37\00:20:12.67
make it and that's it.
00:20:12.71\00:20:14.67
I don't really find that
in Scripture, I find that God
00:20:14.70\00:20:18.48
says okay you do your
part, you do your effort but you
00:20:18.51\00:20:21.89
seek Me first and as you
are doing that and you combine
00:20:21.92\00:20:25.26
those two things, and human
effort with the divine help
00:20:25.29\00:20:29.12
and Divine guidance, God
will and He does bless you.
00:20:29.15\00:20:32.95
And you can be a
blessing to other people,
00:20:32.98\00:20:36.31
when people ask you
how did you make this?
00:20:36.34\00:20:39.63
The Lord was the
One who provided.
00:20:39.67\00:20:41.71
That has come up twice
now been a blessing to other
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.75
people and let's get back
to the negative connotation
00:20:44.78\00:20:47.75
that some may have.
00:20:47.79\00:20:48.87
The reality is if somebody
says I want to be a Doctor,
00:20:48.90\00:20:51.93
or want to be a nurse, or
want to be an engineer that
00:20:51.96\00:20:54.97
would be encouraged that
you should do that because
00:20:55.00\00:20:57.98
those people have influence.
00:20:58.01\00:20:59.98
Praise Lord for godly
doctors and nurses and etc.,
00:21:00.02\00:21:03.10
but shouldn't we be seeing
more godly young industrious
00:21:03.13\00:21:07.95
and entrepreneurial Christians?
00:21:07.98\00:21:10.39
Absolutely, absolutely and
I want to encourage any young
00:21:10.42\00:21:12.86
person who's thinking
about entering into business and
00:21:12.89\00:21:15.29
sometimes thinking maybe
this is not a very spiritual
00:21:15.32\00:21:18.30
thing, God can use you
in a mighty way and we have
00:21:18.33\00:21:20.54
mentioned a couple of
verses of where you think of
00:21:20.57\00:21:22.75
individuals like
Abraham and Job who had
00:21:22.78\00:21:25.65
great amounts of wealth.
00:21:25.68\00:21:27.44
I think even in the New
Testament Nicodemus who used
00:21:27.48\00:21:30.92
his riches and his wealth
for the early Christian church
00:21:30.96\00:21:34.18
and Ellen White says he
died with very little resources
00:21:34.21\00:21:37.40
but he has treasures in
heaven and used even the
00:21:37.44\00:21:40.52
temporal treasures that
he had for the Lords cause.
00:21:40.56\00:21:43.62
I think other organizations
such as this network and
00:21:43.65\00:21:46.68
others have been blessed by
00:21:46.71\00:21:48.81
individuals who have made
their businesses prosper by
00:21:48.85\00:21:51.31
God's grace I have been
able to use those means to
00:21:51.35\00:21:53.83
further God's gospel and
so there is no shame in that.
00:21:53.87\00:21:56.88
I think it should be encouraged
and I think as we do so
00:21:56.92\00:21:59.90
we will find that we
are able to impact so many
00:21:59.93\00:22:02.12
more lives for Jesus.
00:22:02.15\00:22:03.18
Thank you so much,
that was well communicated.
00:22:03.21\00:22:05.91
I know that for me when I
hear about a good business
00:22:05.95\00:22:10.33
that is really making an impact
in the world, I could name
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.71
some names here but when I
hear about a business that is
00:22:13.74\00:22:16.89
owned by a Christian, I don't
know I feel good about that.
00:22:16.93\00:22:20.05
I will even say to people
such and such a business is
00:22:20.08\00:22:23.00
owned by a Christian,
and they will say oh really.
00:22:23.03\00:22:25.88
It is a positive thing and
somebody might say oh such and
00:22:25.91\00:22:29.02
such a Doctor, he's a Christian.
00:22:29.06\00:22:31.20
If they are a good positive
influence in their community,
00:22:31.24\00:22:35.18
in their sphere that is great.
00:22:35.21\00:22:37.26
And businessmen because
they are providing a service,
00:22:37.30\00:22:40.75
or providing a product they
can influence others for the
00:22:40.79\00:22:44.20
Gospel and that's the
guts of this thing isn't it?
00:22:44.24\00:22:46.57
Introducing
people to Jesus Christ.
00:22:46.61\00:22:48.78
So let's ask this question,
what kind of specific things
00:22:48.81\00:22:51.86
Johnny are you doing in
your business, or could other
00:22:51.89\00:22:54.99
people who are already in
business, or who maybe are
00:22:55.02\00:22:57.58
considering getting into
business, we are talking about
00:22:57.62\00:23:00.09
these younger people, what
kinds of specific things could
00:23:00.13\00:23:03.10
they do to be not just
driven by the bottom line so to
00:23:03.14\00:23:06.05
speak to be driven by influence
and the gospel and taking it
00:23:06.08\00:23:10.09
to that spiritual level.
00:23:10.12\00:23:11.92
That's a good question? -
yeah I was saying figure out
00:23:11.95\00:23:15.47
a way that your business
ultimately lets the Gospel be
00:23:15.51\00:23:18.96
known in a wider way, for us it
is a little bit easier because
00:23:19.00\00:23:23.09
that is our whole goal to create
resources whether it is audio
00:23:23.13\00:23:27.19
or video or whether it be
books that can impact people's
00:23:27.22\00:23:30.49
way of thinking, but
for some organizations their
00:23:30.52\00:23:33.33
business may not be that.
00:23:33.37\00:23:34.37
It may peace selling shoes,
or sneakers, or bubblegum and
00:23:34.41\00:23:37.59
there is nothing unspiritual
about that but ask God to
00:23:37.63\00:23:40.90
figure out a way, maybe
take a percentage of the revenue
00:23:40.94\00:23:44.22
that you have specifically
for a project that you as
00:23:44.26\00:23:47.51
an organization or
company you can do.
00:23:47.54\00:23:49.93
We have done that in our
organization, churches we have
00:23:49.97\00:23:52.52
sponsored, missionaries
that we have sponsored to go on
00:23:52.56\00:23:55.36
mission trips and it is
very rewarding to see how as
00:23:55.40\00:23:59.30
a business coming together
we are able to further God's
00:23:59.33\00:24:03.20
Gospel directly,
so I would encourage
00:24:03.23\00:24:04.87
the young people to do that.
00:24:04.90\00:24:05.99
Not just in terms of the
resources you have but even in
00:24:06.03\00:24:09.67
the way you
conduct your business?
00:24:09.71\00:24:11.64
Can you be in the
business world and say hey
00:24:11.68\00:24:14.58
I'm a Christian, I'm a believer
and we can do that yeah?
00:24:14.62\00:24:17.97
Absolutely, and that
is a very important point.
00:24:18.01\00:24:20.98
I once heard someone say
that the Gospel doesn't need so
00:24:21.01\00:24:24.74
much to be defended as
it needs to be displayed.
00:24:24.77\00:24:26.97
I think you display the
Gospel in the way that you run
00:24:27.00\00:24:30.04
your business where people
can say that's interesting
00:24:30.08\00:24:32.45
how they do this, it's
interesting how they do that.
00:24:32.49\00:24:35.06
Then they start asking
questions, why do you do those
00:24:35.10\00:24:37.63
things that way, it seems
like that is a lot of trouble
00:24:37.66\00:24:40.16
to go through just to
be able to get a little
00:24:40.20\00:24:42.89
bit of a profit margin?
00:24:42.92\00:24:44.49
Then when you start
telling them about your God and
00:24:44.53\00:24:46.54
you tell them about Scripture
and tell them about the
00:24:46.57\00:24:49.18
principles that are the
foundation of what you do and
00:24:49.22\00:24:52.31
how you do it in their mind
begins to think wow, if this
00:24:52.35\00:24:55.57
person is able to be
successful even following those
00:24:55.60\00:24:58.13
principles then maybe
there is some truth to that.
00:24:58.17\00:25:00.66
I think that is a way
of communicating that.
00:25:00.70\00:25:03.42
Another question I have
for you Johnny is not only what
00:25:03.46\00:25:05.65
you can do outside of
your business, but what about
00:25:05.69\00:25:07.84
internally with your staff?
00:25:07.88\00:25:09.41
Are you able to witness
to any of your staff members
00:25:09.44\00:25:12.42
in the way you
run your business?
00:25:12.46\00:25:13.87
Yeah that is essential,
each business is a little bit
00:25:13.90\00:25:16.30
different, but ours we
are blessed that everyone is a
00:25:16.34\00:25:19.00
Christian but I have many
friends, several friends of
00:25:19.03\00:25:21.66
mine who have staff
that are not Christian.
00:25:21.70\00:25:24.11
I was just at a men's conference
in California this past
00:25:24.14\00:25:27.13
weekend and sitting down
with a gentleman asked him how
00:25:27.16\00:25:30.11
he became a
Christian? He said oh my boss.
00:25:30.15\00:25:32.85
I said what? He said yeah
I work for a company and we
00:25:32.89\00:25:35.85
produce I don't remember if
it was flowers or something,
00:25:35.88\00:25:39.96
and I got really sick one
day and my boss came over and
00:25:40.00\00:25:43.35
I thought this was amazing
my boss came over to my house.
00:25:43.39\00:25:46.71
He prayed for me and my
sickness and I got well.
00:25:46.75\00:25:49.78
So he said I wanted to
know more about his God because
00:25:49.82\00:25:53.47
his God obviously
answered that prayer and he said
00:25:53.50\00:25:56.25
I started going to church
and here I am at this men's
00:25:56.28\00:25:59.21
conference and I have
been baptized for nine months.
00:25:59.25\00:26:02.08
He was from France and
telling me an amazing story of
00:26:02.12\00:26:04.93
how he used to be into
drinking, a lot of alcohol
00:26:04.96\00:26:07.97
he was an alcoholic but
it was all because he had
00:26:08.00\00:26:11.06
a godly businessman
that had started a company.
00:26:11.10\00:26:14.09
He hired non-Adventist
people, non-Christian people but
00:26:14.12\00:26:17.40
yet through his
witness, and through the way
00:26:17.43\00:26:20.33
he communicated the Gospel
by praying for him when he was
00:26:20.37\00:26:23.41
sick, that man said hey I
want to know about your God.
00:26:23.45\00:26:26.06
What an encouragement for
business owners who do have
00:26:26.10\00:26:28.68
non-Christians
working for their business.
00:26:28.71\00:26:30.73
Absolutely, I was speaking
in England last year and
00:26:30.76\00:26:33.35
I had this really nice
gentleman come up to me and
00:26:33.38\00:26:36.03
he was a financial investor
and you could tell by the
00:26:36.07\00:26:38.44
way he carried himself that
he was a financial investor.
00:26:38.47\00:26:40.81
I said have you
always been a believer?
00:26:40.85\00:26:43.00
He said no I just
became a believer last year.
00:26:43.04\00:26:44.92
And I said how did that happen?
00:26:44.95\00:26:46.46
He said oh my secretary.
00:26:46.50\00:26:48.11
Sometimes you think okay
the boss wins the employee,
00:26:48.15\00:26:52.69
but this was a case of
the employee winning the head
00:26:52.73\00:26:57.03
of the whole company and
now he is a Bible believing,
00:26:57.06\00:27:01.33
Spirit filled Christian man.
00:27:01.36\00:27:03.19
So we can bring these
principles into all of our
00:27:03.23\00:27:05.81
interactions, whether they
are interactions with family,
00:27:05.85\00:27:08.38
interactions with friends
or in your case and a case of
00:27:08.42\00:27:10.92
some of our viewers
watching today is business.
00:27:10.95\00:27:15.59
Thank you so much Johnny
for being with us and I feel
00:27:15.62\00:27:19.14
like we have taken away
a lot from this program.
00:27:19.18\00:27:21.29
- praise God! And if
you would like to contact us
00:27:21.33\00:27:23.41
please e-mail us at:
00:27:23.45\00:27:24.65
or look us up on Face Book.
00:27:27.03\00:27:28.44
Thank you so much for
coming and I want to make sure
00:27:28.47\00:27:32.55
I say this right, -
yeah get this one right.
00:27:32.58\00:27:35.35
Mexico-new-yor-ican.
- Mexico-new-yor-ican.
00:27:35.39\00:27:38.08
- businessman. - businessman
and so thank you Johnny
00:27:38.12\00:27:41.08
for joining us and
it has been a blessing.
00:27:41.12\00:27:42.93
For those of you who have
been paying attention to the
00:27:42.97\00:27:45.92
program today there has
been a great deal of information
00:27:45.96\00:27:48.88
that you can take away.
00:27:48.91\00:27:49.88
You are a steward of the
resources that God has given to
00:27:49.90\00:27:53.05
you, be industrious, be a
go getter, be an entrepreneur
00:27:53.08\00:27:56.20
and what's ever
sphere you are in.
00:27:56.23\00:27:57.65
Do what you can do
for the glory of God.
00:27:57.68\00:28:01.30