Know Your Identity – Are You a Worshipper Or an Entertainer in the Body of Christ?
Are we experiencing an identity crisis within the Body of Christ? Are we true worshippers of God or are we entertainers for the world? Is it okay to entertain people in order to get their attention about the Word of God? Before I address these questions, I would like to give a definition of worship and entertainment. This will enable us to be able to identify ourselves. Worship is an expression of love and devotion toward our heavenly Father. Entertainment is an activity designed to give people pleasure or relaxation. Entertainment is anything that causes enjoyment. According to both definitions, worship is clearly God-centered and entertainment is man-centered. When we worship, our main focus should be to praise, honor, exalt, and please God. Entertainment is basically an avenue used to amuse or give pleasure to our own flesh and others. Worship and entertainment are direct opponents within the Body of Christ. The worshipper wants to praise and honor God; but, the entertainer wants to be exalted and please others. Which one are you?A true worshipper is a child of God who strives to live a lifestyle of obedience according to the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God is the center of our worship and also orchestrates our worship (1 Corinthians 14:40). Through His Word, we have been given clear instructions on how we should worship Him. A worshipper knows that he or she must be a believer in Christ in order to worship God. A worshipper knows that God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). All worshippers’ hearts should be focused on pleasing God in their thoughts and their actions. Every worship experience is for the pleasure of God, not for man. Please do not misunderstand; worshipping God should be a joyous occasion for the believer. We can worship Him through musical instruments, song, and prayer. We must learn that emotions are not the main focus or incentive to worship; but God is the center of attention. A true worshipper praises and honors God because He is worthy of all that we have to offer and it is a commandment for His people (Exodus 20:3). True worship keeps us focus on the sovereignty of God and our eternal gratitude for His perfect expression of love for us through Jesus Christ.An entertainer in the Body of Christ is someone who does not understand or does not care that God is the main focus of worship. They have the impression that in order to get people to listen to the gospel; you have to provide entertainment to keep them coming back to church services. An entertainer thinks that they are to “get something out” of worship and feel good during and after the process. The first mistake with this mindset is thinking that worship is about you. The Spirit of the Lord is the author, leader and center of our faith and worship, not the flesh (Colossians 1:16-17). The Word of God does not need the aid of gimmicks or theatrics. Jesus stated that His people will hear His voice and follow His instructions (John 10:27). Entertainment will attract great numbers concerning people in worship services; but, will take the focus off God. When people come to worship services for entertainment, they will always seek the next big gimmick or show. Once they are no longer amused, they will go elsewhere to seek entertainment. Fun and games in worship service will never reach or sustain anyone. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit changes people’ lives (Proverbs 3:5). Entertainment is an event that stimulates our emotions; but, the Spirit of the Lord will sustain and cultivate us in our Christian walk.We have taken a look at the man in the mirror concerning worship and entertainment. Can you see yourself? Are you are worshipper or an entertainer? Hopefully, we have arrived at a truthful answer. Worship is not an entertainment event; but a long-term commitment. The entire life of the believer is a worship experience. We should live our lives as a “light” to a lost world that will continually bring praise and honor to our heavenly Father. Remember, worship is not a short-term event to entertain man; but, a lifetime commitment to the glory of God (Isaiah 26:4).
Investing for Cash Income With Promissory Notes – Investing Valuation and Appraisal
Cash Is KingIn today’s economy cash income is king. If you need some additional income monthly to cover living expenses—cash is king; if you need to save for a special future event, such as college expenses, or replacing an old car—cash is king; if you need to save for your retirement—cash is king.Using Promissory NotesInvesting in notes for high-yielding, secured income is an excellent choice.Before commercial banking was invented, dealing in notes was the primary investment vehicle for the individual investor. Note investing has been in constant use for several thousand years by farmers, manufacturers, house and land sellers, and private investors.What Are The Advantages of Promissory Note Investing?• You can invest in notes that are current and paying positive cash-flow yields.
• You can invest in the type of note that fits your needs and understanding.
• You can invest an amount that fits your budget.
• You can invest in notes located near your residence or within your state.
• You can invest in conservative or speculative notes.
• You can invest in low yielding or high yielding notes.
• You can invest in short-term or long-term notes.
• You can partner with another investor or with multiple investors.
• You can sell your investment position or sell part of it.How Popular Is Note Investing?Today, note investing is not a widely known or widely used investing strategy. Because Wall Street does earn commissions from it, there is no national Promissory Note Market. Note investing today is an “under the radar” investing strategy.Yet, on a daily basis, many thousands of private investors buy, sell, and invest in promissory notes, locally and nationally. In order to do these transactions they use personal contacts, attorneys, real estate agents and mortgage brokers to facilitate transactions.How to Build a High-Yielding Cash MachineYour goal should be to develop a dependable stream of income that does not require constant, time consuming effort. Ideally, it should provide you with a yield that is above the typical bank and stock market returns and yields that are below that of speculative, risky investments. In today’s financial world a safe, secured 7.5% to 9.5% yield would be a reasonable income range to seek.As an investor, the first step toward building your income stream is to evaluate your own financial situation, and your own emotional situation. Do this before you invest so that you are able to identify suitable promissory note investments that fit your comfort-level, capabilities and needs. In order to help you do the self-evaluation, here are some key steps. Clearly define and understand the following:• How much do you plan to invest now?
• When will the funds be available for investing?
• In the future will you have additional funds to invest?
• How much of your time do you plan to spend doing hands-on investing?
• How qualified are you now to do promissory note investing on your own?
• Do you need a mentor, or a guide, or an advisor to protect your investments?Final Thoughts• Don’t invest in hope. Do your homework, or pay someone to do it for you.
• Don’t try to run before you have learned to walk.
• Don’t try to become an “overnight expert”.
• Do smaller, safer, lower yielding deals as learning experiences.
• Use experienced professional help as insurance against big losses.
What Is Incentive Travel?
Incentive programs provide organizations and businesses with a way to reward individuals for notable achievements like meeting goals. Companies sometimes offer travel plans when staff members complete an action over a specified timeframe. They are often applied as a motivational approach in business management to attain new customers or boost sales. Program requirements vary based on the approach an organization wants to take. Motivation, recognition, a defined goal, and performance measurement are necessary for these programs to be a success. Rewards may be given in various other scenarios besides meeting sales goals. A company can use an incentive travel program to encourage better behavior, increase staff participation, gain improved performance, or to positively enforce management expectations.Companies using reward approaches typically want the result of improved staff performance. This could be in situations where employees are missing too many days, not arriving on time, turnover is high, or morale is less than desirable. Reward programs are also used in dealer environments to increase total market shares by acquiring more customers. Trips have a long lasting memorable effect not offered from any other type of compensation. They create greater enticement to employees because the supplied experience may not be conceivable unless it is given as a reward. Incentive travel services specialize in setting up compensation programs where those who meet goals get to spend time at a worthwhile destination.Incentive Travel Professionals: Exceptional Service Increases Program ValueIncentive travel professionals supply fitting reward programs geared toward motivating a group to succeed. A company must be selective when choosing who will manage the reward portion of their program. The wrong provider can create excessive overhead which takes the value away from this effective approach and makes these successful motivational tools less appealing. When a provider focuses on properly managing their operating costs an organization receives memorable rewards, great value, and everyone benefits including the outsourcing service. Competitive pricing along with exceptional customer service is a good sign of a dependable outsourcing decision. Great providers supply fascinating destinations, onsite travel assistance, and easy registration processes.Incentive travel professionals offer a comprehensive plan with an upfront budget projection. This makes it easy for any organization to estimate the total cost of this management approach. Participants are encouraged to succeed because a unique location is coupled with a one of a kind itinerary designed to provide an incomparable experience. The events and locations reinforce why the trip was received without turning it into a business oriented stay. Winning participants work harder each year to receive this same type of reward and their word of mouth increases the interest of others. Incentive travel experts work closely with the hiring company to learn about why individuals are being motivated, what they enjoy, and the organization to ensure the reward accomplishes the desired purpose. Travel plans require a lot of work to be effectively carried out and may become very expensive when not handled correctly. Professionals have the ability to negotiate pricing, obtain exclusive locations, and are able to keep the program within a reasonable budget.
4 Reasons The Study Of Organizational Behavior Is Imperative
The managers or entrepreneurs are the leaders who can shape the success of their organization. For a successful run, a leader needs to ensure that the business carries out its internal and core operations Organizational Behavior plays a vital role in any enterprise’s success. It outlines the system in which the company will run, where it’ll fit in the industry and it also decides the future of the company. It defines the vision, mission, and goals of the company and outlines a way in which the members of the company will interact with each other. Thus, every manager or entrepreneur should learn the core principles of Organizational Behavior for the success of the business. Here are a few more reasons that exemplify the significance of the study of organizational behavior:
1. It helps in understanding the mission of the enterprise
Every organization has its quintessence or its purpose of carrying out the intended operations. Organizational behavior aids the entrepreneurs in defining the task of the organization- what a company will do and how it’ll do it. It defines an infrastructure that will be followed by the company throughout its run. It also emphasizes on establishing a mission statement that the company wants to achieve through its operations. The mission is not only monetary but it speaks of the company’s culture and aims at bringing a change in the lives of the customers, stakeholders and all the people involved with the company. The mission statement tells everyone about the goals of the organization and can be used to gauge the effectiveness of its operations.
2. It aids in establishing clear expectations
The organizational behavior not only helps in establishing a mission, but it also helps the managers or entrepreneurs in setting expectations for the employees, stakeholders as well as the customers. It helps in formulating the chain of command performed by each employee and also decides the kinds of vendors and customers the company should expect.
3. It helps in better decision making
The organizational behavior paves way for uniformity in the company and its core values. The establishment of the uniform mission, actions and messages facilitate the managers to make better decisions that are fruitful for the company. Organizational Behavior entails an identity to the organization so the managers can make their decision aligning with the nature of operations of the organization.
4. It ensures that managers hire the right person
The employees are the main pillars of organizational behavior. The people that bring new ideas and passion to the organization are considered as the perfect employees for the organization. If the organizational behavior is clearly defined, the newly employed candidates can easily understand their duties and it also makes easy for the managers to hire the right people and communicate with them effectively.