The Business World

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The business world is made up of the financial institutions; banks, corporate and merchandising organisations. Part of what makes up the business world is the stock exchange and government regulatory bodies.

MAMMON

What is Mammon?

Mammon is a spirit that rests on money and controls people through money.

Matt 6:24 “No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

1 Tim 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Matt 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

God is Spirit and we are called to love and serve God with all our hearts.

Mammon is a demonic spirit which desire to take the heart of men.

Mammon is the spirit that gives the desire for wealth (assets, possessions, earnings).

Henceforth resulting to greed (coveting, desiring more, idolatry).

Col 3:5 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"

Covetousness which is idolatry.

Money has no power – the spirit of mammon has power – demonic power.

The spirit of mammon brings bondage.

How Does the Spirit of Mammon Operate?

Matt 6:24 “No man can serve two masters!”

Mammon’s intention – control your heart and loyalty

• Demonic Spirits all work to turn your heart away from God.
• Mammon desires to have you love, serve and be loyal to him.
• Mammon is:
• Opposed to God (Antichrist).
• Seeking to take the place of God in your life.
• Looking for servants - slaves. 

Mammon’s operation – Deception

• Mammon is a spirit – it talks to you. If you listen and believe, you will serve it.

            "You won’t have enough!" 
            "You need this!"
            "If I had more money I could help more people."

• Mammon promises what only God can give: Security, freedom, respect, purpose, identity, happiness.

• Mammon entices you to place great value (honour) on money.
• 
  

PRAYER [self, family, business world]

• Lord, help me love You with all my heart and not allow the love of money into my heart.
• Lord, help me to serve You with all my heart and not Mammon.
• Let my heart seek after Your kingdom.
• Lord, turn the heart of the business world back to you.
• We break the stronghold of Mammon over the lives of men (Jam 5:1-6).
• Lord, open their heart to the message of the cross.

MATERIALISM

A tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than

spiritual values.

Matt 6:19-34             

Definition of Need: when you require something that is essential rather than just desire.

Definition of Want: have a desire to possess or acquire something i.e wish for it.

Materialism comes from the heart desiring more of this world goods than the kingdom of God.

What leads to materialism?

• Lack of contentment
• Greed
• Competition
• Envy, Jealousy, Pride etc (1 John 2:16;Eccl 5:10; Heb 13:5)

How does the world promote it?

• Through loans
• Debts
• Sales      

PRAYER

1 Tim 6:6-9

• Lord, give me a heart of contentment.
• Lord, help my heart not to desire this world's goods.
• Lord, deliver me from the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
• Declutter me from any trace of covetousness and greed (Luk 12:15).
• Help me, Lord not to be anxious for this world’s goods (Matt 6:25).        

FULL GOSPEL MEN BUSINESS FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL

FGBMFI, the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, is best described by reading their name backwards. An International Fellowship of Men doing the Business of the Gospel, Fully. Their main aim is to use their resources to spread the gospel.

PRAYER [for FGMBFI]

• Lord, let the foundation of the fellowship built on the message of the cross be sustained.
• Father, keep their hearts in the doctrine of our Lord (Acts 2:42).
• Let, them seek the kingdom of God and not Mammon.
• Lord, open the door to discipleship in this ministry.
• Lord, raise kingdom labourers - rekindle the fire of revival.
• Let there be unity of purpose as to propagate the gospel. 
• May the torch of the message of the gospel burn.
• Pray for Demos Shakarian (current President)

Join this HeartCry Prayer- Every Friday 11.30am-6.30pm (UK time)

Worldviews

Join this HeartCry Prayer- Every Friday 11.30am-6.30pm (UK time)

Ephesians 4:17 - 24

Everyone has a worldview, whether it is realised or not. Your worldview is how you see the world you live in. How you see the world you live in, is determined by so many factors - mainly biological and sociological factors. Depending on experience, these factors have great impact on individuals' perception of themselves and their world.

Worldviews attempt to represent and describe reality.

Scholastic Assumptions on Worldviews

•  As set of beliefs used to make sense out of a "chaotic reality", based on perception, experience and learning.

•  As an outlook for the existence of the world of predictions for the future

•  Testing and redefining sets of beliefs takes the lifetime

•  Development of individual belief as the source of their goals and desires

•  These goals and desires form individual behaviours and values.

Worldview Themes - beliefs are linked with behaviour, orientation and values. These themes are made up of all the views of scholars such as:

•  Epistemology - theory of human knowledge

•  Metaphysics - nature of reality

•  Cosmology - development of the universe

•  Teleology - everything has a special purpose

•  Theology - nature of God and religious belief

•  Axiology - nature of values and value judgement

•  Sociology - humans' past and present

  

Worldview Literacy - mastery gained by incorporating one's worldview with many others.

Reality - totality of all things (observable and non-observable)

Reality Marketplace - an imaginary place where ideas, beliefs, values and worldview themes are bought and sold. The shops in the marketplace are worldview themes. It is a place assumed to have answers to:

•  Why am I here?

•  How should I live?

• How can I find God?

•  How does nature work?

Standpoint:

1. Concepts can change due to new experiences and new insights - Romans 12:2

2. Human beings are "joining and doing creatures" - James 1:22

3. Emotional Armour (protecting our feelings as we grow) - Ephesians 6:10-19

 TWO MAJOR WORLDVIEWS:

•  Biblical Worldview - viewing everything in the world through God's eyes.

•  Atheistic Worldview - God is not part of the world.

         *Until a person knows the truth, anything sounds good and reasonable*

PRAYER:

Psalm 86:11(NLT) - “Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to Your truth. Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honour You”.

•  Lord, teach all the philosophers, scientists, atheists, etc Your ways. Let the CROSS reveal the path and life of Jesus to them. Lord, perform a divine heart surgery on them and visit them by the way of true salvation. Send true labourers of the CROSS to them, and raise Calvary labourers among them.

•  Let them live according to Your truth so as to experience the real freedom in You. Rid them of the human rationales that form the basis of their scientific beliefs. Fill them with the TRUTH that delivers completely. Grant them the amazing grace to believe in You.

•  Lord, cleanse their hearts from all impurities of their assumptions, themes and values. Let them begin to think, feel, perceive and act like candidates of heaven. Deliver them from every mindset that is against the will and purpose of God for their lives. Grant them the divine understanding of their standpoint - to be Kingdom hearers and doers.

•  Lord, let Your power collide with their "Reality Marketplace" and let divine occurrences take over the place. Exchange all the ideas, beliefs, values and all the worldview themes that are bought and sold there with the mystery of the gospel. Let Your heart meet with their hearts and begin to give them divine answers to all the questions they raise at the "Reality Marketplace". 

Join this HeartCry Prayer- Every Friday 11.30am-6.30pm (UK time)