My Testimony
Success in business is a dream of many young people graduating from college, and I was no different. After graduating from college and serving in the military, my plan for a business career began in the corporate world. As I started my climb on the corporate ladder, the weight of future began to press in on me. My understanding of God was that He may be up there somewhere, but He was largely disengaged in the affairs of man. I had no desire for a relationship with God, because it was obvious to me and my superiors that I had what was necessary to “make it”. Outwardly I was up to the task, but inwardly, I wasn’t so sure.
Many of my goals were coming into view when I began to realize what I thought was going to taste like sweet honey, was in fact tasting like dry sand. I was in a personal crisis and there was no one to talk with. One night, while standing by a river, I told God I didn’t think I could carry the burden of my own future much longer. I wasn’t sure if He was there or if He really cared. I said “OK, God, tonight I acknowledge Your existence. From this moment on, I am going to try to know You. But this Jesus, I cannot and will not acknowledge Him!” In desperation and with some reluctance, I gave God my future.
In all my simplicity and skepticism, God somehow honored my quest for Him and six months later, I had an encounter with God’s Son Jesus Christ, that transformed my life completely. Deciding to serve Him was the greatest decision I’ve ever made. From that moment, I knew God had a plan for my life. Discovering His plan, or the next phase of it, and walking it out has been the primary quest of my life. He has a plan for all of us, and our greatest fulfillment comes when we walk in His plan, because we have been divinely equipped for that plan.
During my early years as a believer, I thought it would be impossible to serve God and be in business. I mistakenly thought I had to be a pastor to serve God fully. After some struggle, I realized that God had indeed equipped me to serve Him "full time" in business. I concluded that while others may view my work as "secular", my bible told me in Colossians 2:24 " Do your work heartly, as to the Lord; it is the Lord Christ whom you serve." This revelation is a message I now take around the world.
In the mid 90's, my world began to change when the Lord said there would be two main assignments for the rest of my life. The first assignment was, "You will change the economies of nations...", and the second "I will use you to speak to leaders of nations...". Clearly, I was an unlikely candidate for either task. However, the Lord began showing me that the scripture was filled with economic principles that apply to our daily lives. In fact, we can't succesfully live in the Kingdom unless we operate by the principles of the Kingdom Economy. The Lord opened up my understanding of the bible in these areas. There were verses I had read hundreds of times that suddenly exploded off the page with new meaning and understanding about His economy and that continues even today.
Once my cup was filled, so to speak, God began to put me in a position to teach His people. While I was running a successful business, invitations began to come from other nations. He began to bring strategic alliances to me, so we could encourage and facilitate the call of God on each other. Paul Wilbur (Wilbur Ministries) and Dr. Paul Williams (International HealthCare Network), and Jim Young, of Young Land Group, are just a few.
The second assignment, “…speaking to leaders of nations…” has been for me, a sacred trust. I have been privileged to serve as God’s ambassador to a number of presidential candidates, a sitting president and 1st lady, government and business leaders on the highest level. I discovered that it has very little to do with me, and everything to do with God’s desire to reach these leaders with His unconditional love. God loves the souls of all mankind, even political leaders who don’t belong to our political party! He loves dictators and righteous government leaders equally. He has a plan for the nations and He will use leaders to implement His plan.
In 2005, while coming back from ministry to El Salvador the Lord clearly spoke to me that running my business and fulfilling these two assignments were no longer compatable. The times we were entering globally would require a greater committment to these assignments. After some prayer and fasting, I decided positioning myself to fulfill these two assignments was my destiny. Since that time, I have brought the message of His Kingdom all over the world. God has allowed me to serve Him in this way and it is a testimony to His grace and mercy. As we travel the nations, bringing the message of the Kingdom to leaders, one of our roles is to build bridges of understanding between ministry and the marketplace. It has been such an honor to speak to pastors' groups around the world about the people in their churches on Sunday morning.
We are in critical days. God is marking the nations that will serve Him. He is preparing to make His economic system the dominant system in the earth. It is imperative that God’s people learn how to live and conduct their lives by His principles. MarketPlace Leadership International is an organization dedicated to helping fulfill that mandate.