“But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.” (Acts 27:14)

Ignoring Paul’s warnings the savvy seamen, lured by a seductive south wind, raised anchor and set sail, heading straight into the storm of the century. It rather reminds me of the major financial institutions and political leaders who ignored warnings and stayed the course because the south wind was softly blowing.

They sailed by “Crete” which literally means “fleshly or carnal” and the ship was caught by the wind and they had to let her be driven by the wind wherever it took them.  Notice that the storm finally overwhelmed them. They lost all control and were at the mercy of the storm. As it turns out, the storm they were caught in took them by an island called Clauda which means “a lamentable voice, one that expresses grief”.  My friends, I believe this is a prophetic picture of things to come and some things recently passed.

This was no ordinary storm.  It was a Nor’easter only stronger. It was a “Euro Cyclone”, a hurricane that battered them for 14 days. It was a monster of a storm that destroyed the ship on the rocky shore of Malta. All on board survived but their goods were lost. Malta means “affording honey” and honey is a picture of God’s word. It was on Malta after losing everything that the people finally believed Paul and received God’s word.

There are three different words I believe God has given me concerning 2009. They are… Mine. Wine. Refine. Three different words pointing to the same thing. In Paul’s day the sailors and passengers all ignored his dire warnings but God had a heart for them, even those who would have killed Paul rather than let him go. So God allowed them to eat the fruit of their foolishness and kept them hopelessly at sea for 14 days. They lost everything but their lives. Once safely onshore, they were changed people and welcomed the word of the Lord, the honey of Malta.

Get ready America. I believe God whispered to me “I am coming for Mine in 2009”. To be absolutely clear, this was not a reference to the rapture or the second coming of Christ. He is coming for His, much like He came to the passengers and crew onboard the ship Paul was on. He will shake what can be shaken and those who sail by the flesh (Crete) will lose much goods and lift up a lamentable voice (Clauda). In the end however, they will be driven by the wind to the honey of the Word (Malta), their lives being forever changed for the good.

2009 will be a year of refining. That’s the process where the dross is removed by fire. Whatever is dross in your life will feel the flame, but be of good cheer, He is refining you for a higher purpose. 2009 is a year for making wine. I say this allegorically. There are three harvest festivals celebrated in the old testament. The barley harvest which is Passover. The wheat harvest which is Pentecost. And the grape harvest which is Tabernacles. The grapes produce wine but only by the removal of all flesh. Only the juice survives.

2009 will see the pressure on the flesh like most have never seen that will result in the juice (spirit) being released and gaining potency while the flesh is greatly weakened. We will learn what it means to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We will learn how to sail by the spirit and not by Crete. The sooner we do, the better off we will be, but one way or the other, God will have His way with us.  I have one more major thought to pass on, but this is getting too long so I will pass it on in my next blog.

“And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, raising anchor, they sailed close by Crete.  But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.” Acts 27:13 - 14

On the last day of fall, just five days before Christmas I awoke at 4:00 AM. Sensing that God may have something to speak to me but still being too tired to comprehend much I decided to wake myself up reading email and checking the news. What I read was upsetting indeed and then the power went out. I thought it might be the whole community but it was just 23 homes. Imagine that. I felt rather targeted by the Lord and went into our home library to pray and get a specific word concerning the bleak economic news I was reading.

I heard in my spirit… “Acts 27:13” but immediately dismissed that notion because I figured it was some unimportant, obscure verse. (Forgive me Lord.)  So I waited on the Lord for probably half an hour, occasionally distracted by the now burning candle on the kitchen counter and other wayward thoughts. Finally after receiving nothing more, I said, “Seriously Lord… I NEED a word from you.” He answered with “I already told you… Read Acts 27:13.”

Using my battery powered laptop, I quickly found the passage and as soon as my eyes fell upon the verse, I knew it was important.  “And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, raising anchor, they sailed close by Crete.” Allow me to give you the background. Paul is a prisoner being taken to Rome by ship. They stop at various ports of call along the way. (Think Greyhound Bus) When they were getting ready to set sail again, Paul warned them not to go or the voyage would be met with disaster.

Paul seemed like a decent guy but these were experienced sailors and the south wind was blowing softly, seductively, luring them out to sea. Who could resist? It was a perfect day for sailing so they ignored the annoying, scratchy voice of the apostle. What could he know? He wasn’t a sailor or a weatherman or dare I say, an economist. In person he was not the picture of power.  It was said of him that “his letters are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” (2 Cor 10:10)

That description reminds me of another Paul. Ron Paul. Remember that small framed, squeaky voiced man whom the media shunned and his political opponents mocked?  He began warning America of an impending financial disaster long before it happened. He gave the reasons, gave examples and correctly predicted the outcome. But the south wind was softly blowing and America raised anchor and set sail again. We had no ears to listen. It was 2008 and we were headed for the gate. Those who believed that message were like the apostle Paul, bound on board a ship called America that was headed for shipwreck and we had no way off.

Notice how they sailed… They sailed by Crete. The meaning of the name Crete is “carnal, fleshly”. They sailed by their carnal, fleshly knowledge and it led them directly into a storm of epic proportions. That’s where we are today. In that storm. Tomorrow I will continue to pass on what I see and what it means for us in 2009. Until then, keep seeking Him!

“I would have fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalms 27:13-14

I got up at 4:00 AM on Saturday when I had really hoped to sleep in a bit. I spent some time with the Lord and I believe He spoke something very significant to me about the times we are in and the upcoming year. It is sobering and yet encouraging. I feel to not share that until after Christmas. Watch for it then.

As I write this I am wiping the tears out of my eyes thinking about each one of you. My heart is full of appreciation for your contribution back into my life over the years and I carry you all in my heart wherever I go. As I look to the future, I pray for you all, desiring the very best for you during these times of change.

To put it another way, I simply love you all with the love the Holy Spirit has shed abroad in my heart. (Romans 5:5) If that makes you uncomfortable, please forgive me.  Watch this video and reflect on God’s great gift of grace to you this year. Be sure to have the sound turned up or you will miss the message. Be sure to receive His love as you watch it.

Amazing Grace in Lights

Make this Christmas one to remember, not for the money you spend or the gifts you give, but rather for the love exchanged with those who are close to you. Be extravagant with your love. Create a lasting memory. Things will be different next year. Take some time over the Christmas season to practice Psalm 27:14 and never forget the previous verse either!

I will resume my blogs after Christmas, but will be answering emails concerning the rainforest trip mentioned in Friday’s blogs. (Have already received a good number of responses and will be praying over that selection.)

With love to you all this Christmas

WANTED

Twelve Competent Business Professionals

Who Love Adventure, Want to Change The World,

Have Their Own Business, Explore the Rainforest

And Make Well Above Average Income in the Process

I have spent the last 3 ½ years studying the ways of God in the context of business.

• My text book has been the Word of God.
• My classroom has been the rainforests of the world.
• My research comes furnished by some of the brightest scientists of our time.
• My case studies are furnished by some of the most successful business leaders of our time.

I am turning all of this into what I believe to be the most impactful business coaching program on the planet.  It is based on the rainforest as a business model because it is the most productive, most fruitful, most resilient, most diverse ecosystem on the planet despite having very limited capital (poor, shallow topsoil) to work with.  How God gets abundance from relative scarcity is what every business owner, entrepreneur and professional needs to know.

Top Business for a Down Economy in 2009…
Just this month, Entrepreneur Magazine published their 2009 “Trends to Watch” list. In that article they predict the top 10 businesses for a down economy based on current trends. Discount retailers like Wal-Mart came it at #7. With people being tight on money they predict fewer face lifts will result in more facials, putting beauty salons at #6. Environmental services come in at #4 due to what they call, “the greening of America”. Alternative fuels to cut energy costs came in at #3, but the # 1 business trend that is predicted to succeed in a down economy is business coaching due to the huge entrepreneurial surge coming and those folks will need help to succeed.

I want to find twelve individuals who are serious about building a business, want to make a lasting impact on this generation and leave a legacy that continues for generations.  The twelve professionals I will personally build with will have a successful background in business and / or business coaching / consulting. I will pour everything I know about what I have learned into twelve of you. It will be my mentoring project for 2009.

To help you succeed, we have a strong marketing plan using the Rainforest Strategy book for credibility and national media exposure. We also have a unique business model based on mentoring that allows you to build a long term business with unusual earning capacity.

Here is my process for picking the foundational team…

1. You must have credible experience in the business arena. Previous coaching or consulting experience is a plus.
2. The vision we have must resonate with you. Please click here to read our strategic vision. If that resonates, proceed to step 3.
3. You must have read the Rainforest Strategy book to apply to be on my foundational team. Click here to order either electronic PDF version or the hard cover book. If you aren’t excited by what you read here, there is no point in going to the next step.
4. If the possibility of building a lucrative coaching business while changing lives and mentoring others appeals to you and if our strategic vision resonates with you and you see the power of the rainforest as a business model, then we would like to hear from you. Please email me at admin@RainforestInstitute.org and tell me how you believe God has prepared you to help others using our proven coaching platform in the business arena. Please share your business background and what about this opportunity appeals to you. I genuinely want to know why this resonates with you and what you bring to the table to help me build the most successful coaching business of our time.
5. Every response will be answered and if you have the competence and calling for this endeavor you will be invited to attend our first rainforest certification training arriving in Panama on Friday, February 20^th and concluding on Tuesday, February 24^th 2009. Only qualified professionals will be invited to investigate further and receive training. Your investment is $1,500 for individuals and $1,950 for couples. That covers four nights lodging at the five star Gamboa Rainforest Resort, PLUS all meals on location. It also includes two rainforest excursions… one down the Panama Canal by boat to the Smithsonian World Headquarters for Tropical Research on Barro Colorado Island and the other is an aerial rainforest tram ascending some 280 feet from the shadowy forest floor. (We are not responsible for tours being canceled by tour operator and if that should occur we will find an alternative.) You will be responsible for your own airfare (Spirit Airlines has some of the best deals anywhere.)
6. Once you have experienced the rainforest and seen its incredible potential as a business model and once you have been through the business training and certification process, you will know whether a future as a rainforest certified business coach makes sense for you. If so, you will be ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, making an eternal difference and leaving behind a legacy. If not, you will have had a luxurious educational vacation in the tropics in February at a bargain price. Can’t beat that!

It’s natural you will have questions concerning the coaching business opportunity so we will be explaining all the details in full at the resort during the certification training. Trying to answer the questions in advance out of the context of the bigger picture would do neither of us any service. I will tell you that the financial commitment is not only minimal for my foundational team, but the financial equation is heavily weighted in your favor going forward should you decide to pursue this. If you can attend the meeting, you should be well able to build your own coaching / consultancy using our rainforest model.

Other questions relating to travel, extended stays, proper attire etc we will be glad to accommodate.

Very Important Note…

Our trip is planned during the high season when they are normally at 100% occupancy. We are obligated to guarantee the rooms with a 50% non-refundable deposit no later than January 20^th. We are tentatively reserving the necessary rooms for our guests now, but everything is subject to availability until you confirm your interest. The sooner we receive your confirmation, the sooner we can guarantee your participation. If you know this isn’t for you but know someone who would be perfect for this, feel free to pass on this email to them. (They can bring back some great pictures from the rainforest!)

Next Step

After reading the vision and the book, pray. If you feel this may be right for you, then email me at admin@RainforestInstitute.org with the information I requested in point 4. Time is of the essence.

2009 will be an extraordinary year for our team. I am hoping we can build with some of you! God bless you all!

The second way to get out of fear is with knowledge. Fear flourishes in the darkness of ignorance. If for example you don’t know that what our nation is going through right now is part of a normal cycle that recurs down through the ages, you could be quite frightened. Sure, the details are different but the pattern is constant and therefore it is easier to know what to do in the midst of this current storm.

Think of what our nation is going through at the moment as a financial hurricane. Big businesses are being toppled by the strong winds, the tide of debt is surging and there are many who think this is the end. But not those who’ve been through a previous hurricane or at the very least studied the hurricanes of the past. If your only point of context is the last few decades, it looks scary, but to the veteran hurricane student, they’ve seen this before and know what to expect. With that knowledge, fear is minimized.

When fear is gone, you can make far better decisions. I am not suggesting the hurricane won’t be grievous. It may well turn out to be a category 5. That I don’t know, but what I do know is what to expect when a hurricane makes landfall and what to expect after it’s over. (I well remember the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew and Katrina.) Rest assured, our financial hurricane will come to end but at the moment I am not sure it has even made landfall yet. This is not the time to get the lawn chairs out and watch the storm. This is the time to take action to minimize potential personal damage. That means different things to different people. Let God lead you.

I believe the Lord has given me some profound insights to help me and many of you avoid ruin and actually get stronger on every front in 2009 and beyond. As many of you know, God has been revealing some of His ways to me by showing me about His created order and how to cooperate with His laws to prosper even in uncertain or ruinous times. I am looking for 12 people I can invest myself into in 2009 who want to join me on this journey. I will explain more tomorrow, but the prerequisites are that you have read Rainforest Strategy and resonate with it, have a desire and ability to coach or lead other business people and can travel to Panama in February to experience first hand what I want to pass on to you.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

If you don’t know where you are now, directions won’t help. That’s why it’s so important to understand our times. It’s the starting point on the map. It’s the “You are here” place on the map marked with a red circle. Knowing your starting point is therefore necessary to knowing what to do about your current situation. As a nation, we have entered what some have called the fourth turning, a period marked by crisis and preceded by unraveling. I think the unraveling part is in full swing. Have you noticed the vultures circling? A nice little alliance is once again blossoming with Russian warships visiting Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela and now Cuba. No doubt, it’s just to get some sun tanning in before the long hard winter but it does remind one of the Kennedy years. Did I mention that history tends to repeat itself?

While our nation finishes out the unraveling stage there are some things you can do. You are doing the first one which is to take an honest look at what is happening. Denial can be deadly. The next thing is to purpose not to get into fear. Fear is debilitating and can also be deadly. I know of three antidotes to fear. The first is perfect love which casts out fear. For that to have effect, you need to spend some serious time in the Word and in God’s presence. Get to know His love. Go beyond knowledge of the written word into something etched on your heart. It requires knowing Him. That is not a casual, intermittent, hit or miss thing. It is a quest; a pursuit if you will that consumes you and rewards you simultaneously in immeasurable ways.

Admittedly, this is perhaps my biggest struggle… Accepting the truth and the reality and the consequences of His love for me. I know He loves you and can expound on that with great confidence, but it has always been hard for me to accept that He loves me. Anyone else like that? When I need to remind myself of His love, I sometimes watch this video… Get secure in His love and fear will dissipate. Tomorrow I will share the second way I know of to defeat fear.

“And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do;” (1 Chronicles 12:32)

How does one understand the times? It seems to be a prerequisite for knowing what to do. Not that God can’t still guide the ignorant and uniformed but those who fall in that category tend to miss what God is saying or filter it out because it doesn’t fit with their expectations. The sons of Issachar believed what Genesis says that the “lights in the firmament of the heaven” were “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”. According to the Targum, they also “excelled in the words of the law, were endued with wisdom, and were obedient to their command”. They were masters of signs and of Scripture.

We begin to understand the times by understanding like the Issacharians that everything including the planets goes through cycles and seasons, times of change. In the rainforest, it is known as creative destruction. It is an expected phenomenon where the new is constantly working to replace the old. Something new is born, it grows, then matures but finally enters the phase where it unravels and falls into crisis before being replaced by the emerging generation. That last of the four seasons is the one we have entered into I believe. The unraveling always leads to a crisis, out of which a new version of the old emerges, but not without a lot of pain. Watch Fred Thompson’s take on the situation below…

We can also understand the times by understanding our history and learning that history repeats itself over and over again. Read the book of Kings. It’s like a broken record how Israel repeated the cycle of turning to God, gaining prosperity, growing complacent, falling into decadence, being severely thrashed, then turning back to God again. For America, the thrashing is only beginning. I am not prophesying here. I am a student of the Bible and of history and of nature.

It can go no other way, unless their be a wholesale repentance by those who are called by His name. Who us? Repent? It’s those heathens. It’s those sinners. It’s those bankers. It those politicians. NO! God puts it in our court. We are the ones called by His name and it is up to us to humble ourselves, seek His face and turn from OUR wicked ways. If we can’t admit OUR sins and turn from wickedness how can we expect the heathen to repent who have neither His name nor His power to do so?

If you want to know what to do, begin with understanding the times and that begins by gaining a broader perspective. Start with Scripture and look for patterns. Look at history and see the cycles. Look at nature and understand how it works. Look in the heavens and know there are signs put there by God to help us navigate through life. (I am not speaking of astrology) But most of all look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of your faith to give you the Holy Spirit and to lead you into all truth.

“And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do;” (1 Chronicles 12:32)

We will long remember 2008 as the year our nation passed through the gate. This was a word the Lord put on my heart over a year ago and it has come to pass. Presently we are standing in the new field. One that is both familiar and unrecognizable to us. We are gazing reluctantly into 2009 and we collectively know it will be a year like no other - so far. I will give you a hint about 2009. It has something to do with how wine is made and the Holy of Holies, but I will share more of that when we get a little closer.

But first, let me recap the situation. Stocks have lost about 50% of their value, but even if they rose today back to their highest levels, it would still be a net loss because of the loss of purchasing power of the dollar. (In 2007 it took $1.20 to buy what you could have purchased for just $1.00 in 2000.) I’m sure you heard about the big banks failing, AIG, most states on the verge of running out of funds to pay unemployment insurance benefits, other states and cities on the verge of bankruptcy, entire malls going out of business, massive layoffs, yada, yada, yada. I can certainly lay out a far more comprehensive review, but suffice it to say, America has come through the gate in 2008 and the field ahead is at best unfamiliar to most of us.

The subprime mess mostly behind us, we now face the Alt-A’s and ARM’s resetting. These were balloon loans or adjustable rate mortgages offered at teaser rates to lure folks in. Both of these mortgage types are beginning to reset now building in a crescendo effect through 2011 and about twice the financial weight of the subprime mess alone. We are at the beginning of the second wave having not yet fully measured the damage from the first wave. But here’s the scary part, those mortgages are already defaulting at record rates despite their low interest rates. When they reset at higher rates, they expect a 50 - 70% default rate based on current default rates. Furthermore 8,000,000 Americans are expected to lose their homes in the next four years. We truly have come through the gate in 2008!

Believe it or not, I have no interest in scaring anyone or causing fear. The sons of Issachar had understanding of the times and they knew what to do. If you want to make wise decisions going forward it helps a lot to rightly discern the times in which you live. Burying our heads in the sand or covering our ears will not help.  I am more optimistic about 2009 than ever before because God is helping me understand the times and to know what to do. In the remaining blogs we have this year, I will do my best to share with you the glimpse He has given me in the hopes it may help you. I am as one peering through a crack in the fence or as Paul said, seeing through a glass darkly. I do not by any means have the full picture and gladly welcome your view from whatever crack in the fence you are peering through. To be continued…

Hi folks… I am so looking forward to begin sharing with you next week the insights the Lord is giving me concerning the times in which we live. After today, our Christmas rush is over. No more sales for a long time. No more books, CD’s etc being offered at ridiculous pricing. No more materials at or even below cost. It’s over today, though orders will be accepted all weekend. On Monday, we’re changing course and everything goes back to pre-sale pricing. This is not hype. This is fact.

I have many very serious things to begin sharing with you concerning our economy and how we can not just survive, but thrive. Join me next week for that dialog. In the meantime, if you want to do some last minute Christmas shopping, click here to enter the discount store. It will be closed next week because after that we cannot get items to you in time for Christmas. If you missed yesterday’s Bible Incorporated sale, click here for details.

God bless you all!

It was twenty years ago this month. Our very first self published book, The Bible Incorporated in Your Life, Job and Business was introduced to the world on national television. Within months it exceeded all expectations and was a best seller. Over the years, letters poured in from every continent but Antarctica of coworkers being saved, hopelessly lost family members coming to Christ and businesses turning around. Soon business owners were buying them by the case and using them to share their faith.

But when the idea for this book first came, we were in terrible financial straits. One night we heard our pastor preach, “Instead of trying to get God to bless your efforts, why don’t you find out what God is blessing and do that!”  That was a rhema word for us and when we sought the Lord about it, He answered “blessed are those who publish the gospel.”

We knew nothing about publishing. There was no internet or websites and we had no distribution channels whatsoever. We certainly had no way of paying for the 25,000 books we ordered in our first print run. What we did have was a word from God. And that was enough! Of course, faith without works is dead and we did our part stepping out on the water, but God kept us afloat, met our needs and the story is nothing short of amazing. And many of you helped make it that way.

One example among many is Jim Crenshaw. He travels the state of Florida in his chosen profession of sales. Along the way, he carries a case of Bible Incorporated with him to share with prospects, clients and others he meets along life’s journey. Jim has been ordering these books by the case for as long as anyone can remember. The stories he shares of the lives affected from his outreach lift everyone’s spirits and makes our work worth the effort. (If you have a story about the Bible Incorporated, please share it with us on the blog. It will encourage many.)

This week as we celebrate twenty years of God’s faithfulness to us, we thought you might want to get some for gifts or just to touch someone in need. With that in mind, we are offering this classic, pocket sized book to you at 1988 pricing. You can even get a case of 60 for under $3 each. Our inventory is low and we won’t be reprinting until next summer so take advantage of our offer now if you’re interested. Our sale ends tomorrow.