There are a lot of new and wonderful items to post regarding how things are shaping for July, but i need to look back a couple weeks and post first things first.

Randy Questad, a man with a great heart who beautifully lays out his life for God has linked hearts with ChristGate and will be joining me on this trip, along with a few other guys. After our conference and crusade, we will be heding over to the orphange they support in Andra Pradesh.

Joel, Roland and Travis are getting ready, and we have talked about bringing families as well as looking for new ground to start an orphanage in Kanchipuram— or is that just my vision? Well, we’ll see when we get there. I know for sure we have the greatest network of authentic ministry partners in South India, so whatever opportunities we decide to undertake in the Lord will be a great blessing and success.

More updates to come!

After waiting for more partnerships to materialize, I have decided that our first pastors conference will take place in July on the 22, 23 and 24th.

We will begin by organizing a team in the US that can commit to 2 full weeks with 3 weekends in late July. The dates I see working well are the 13th - 31st. Details on how the team will look in size and specialty will emerge as we look at the highlights of the conference focus.

So far, I foresee the need for:

1. 1-2 video / technical people
2. 3+ intercessory prayer warriors
3. 3-5 seasoned pastors / evangelists
4. A worship / concert band for outreaches
5. Childrens ministry leaders, to train childrens ministry leaders at conference.

Just like any minstry effort, heart is the greatest asset. I have great confidence that going with us on this trip will open new doors of burden and an unequaled sense of purpose in any believer who accompanies us.

1-3 different church groups would also be an ideal representation. The ultimate vision of CGI, as you can see when you review the site, is to create a bridge that connects churches in the US to churches in India. If our team includes members from different churches, we’ll create opportunities to spread out into teams going to different churches for the purpose of developing partnerships.

The next post will be an update on how plans are forming with the great new relationships we have at our new church, Living Hope

This giant post will be my collection of notes and insights based on the various speakers during Bob Harrisons Increase Seminar in Kona Hawaii.

As this minisry moves into a new era with the advent of our first conference, the connections are deepening with Bob Harrisons ministry. The teachings in the seminar relate primarily to biblical principles applicable to business and wealth, and are profitale for ministr of every type. I encourage you to read and consider what you see below…

John Mason….

Life and death are in he power of the toungue.

People don always remember what you said or what you did, but they always remember how you made them feel.

God starts with what you have and works on you from that point.

What would your life loo like, if ou spent the next 10 ears being grateful!!!

Marlene Ostrum…

Dealing with the storms in life
Business storms.
– what do you do when you dont know what to do.
1) define and diagnose the problem
— check our heart first… your motives are likely at the root
–> oftentimes, we dont give ourselves permission to succeed.
—- Do you believe God is El Cheapo, or El Shaddai?
— You have to change your core belief system, because God really does desire for us to prosper!!
2) reference your life purpose
Purpose drives you to see beyond your present circumstances
3) Maintain your focus
– when you are focussed, then adversity does not shake you
—- many things will come to challenge your success. tenacity comes from focus and gets noticed!

Getting through todays storms makes us a lighthouse for others who come along later.
We are blessed so we can bless others.

Tim Redmond…

Create wealth while reducing anxiety.

Deut 8:18
Wealth: The power to creative value to serve others.
It is not something that comes in, but rather something that flows out. The creative power of God creates wealth.. though creative process.

1) When he gives you wealth, it is to connect you with him
2) When he gives you wealth, it is for the purpose of building it with others.
— The mindset changes as you understand promoting others is the greatest way to spread wealth.

Wealth will come after a mixture of who you are and wat you have to offer.

Wow th people around you with the creative power that God has given you!

Wealth flows out of the connections you have with others.

John Bevere…

Honor and dishonor.

Where there is honor, there is a quality where great results can come.

You can see this in the life of Christ. Where he was dishonored:
– in Nazareth where they considered Him a local boy
– Amongst Pharisees who questioned his words in their minds
… the results of healing.. the reward was limited

Where he was honored:
– the centurion

God transfers the honor blessing to us, His children
– “If they honored me, they will also honor you”

Jon Oral Nash

Give with end in mind
Release your flesh
Stir up gifts in your life deliberately
prepare for breakthrough

Seeds
1. Coat
2. Instructions
3. energy source

Joseph Ripley…

Godly Counsel

What do you look for in someone to counsel you?
- Creativity
- Loyalty
- Wisdom
- Influence
- Faith
- Integrity
- Has your best interests at heart

Seek times of counsel with Men of God in your life.
- You need thier counsel and impartation
- you have to open yourself up to it, not just tolerate it.
- Be willing to do what you hear, even if your own logic counters
—> There is an annointing factor.

Leaders have an indispensable need for godly counsel
–

Tom Anderson

Investment
Without investment, there can be no increase.

Educationally, America is suffereing as fifth in the world, as the emphasis has shifted over to memorization, vs creative problem solving.
– you have to use both sides of your brain, which means ur analytical and emotional faculties to see through to success.
— we have to invest into our minds and character

When Jesus became a curse for us, He broke the curse stated in Genesis, so that the ground should now work for us, rather than us toiling for it.

“Be fruitful” means to own business.

We have
In order to work for God, you have to make money work for you…

What is it that hinders you from investing in general and particularly in people?
— is your attitude toward needs around you appropriate?

John Mason

It is time to get through what we have been going through.

what makes us get stuck?
1) sometimes it is more important what you dont do, than what you do do.
– say no to many good ideas.
— we can get spread so thin, we are good at a few things, but excellent in none.
– trying to please everybody is a recipe for failure.
– the more you grow, the more you say no.

2) Other peoples words
- critical words spoken into our lives, if we let them take root, they will stop us.
– it is better to be alone, than in the wrong company
— negative people will certainly suck life out of you.
– Not everyone has a right to speak into you life.
- It is much easier to criticize, than to create.

3) Unforgiveness
- in every area of a failing ministry or business, there is a cancer of unforgiveness.
– forgive your enemies
— you cant get ahead if you are trying to get even.
—-> It is a terrible misuse of God’s gift of creative imagination.

Jack hayford:
“Two marks to a believer.. Giving and Forgiving”

Brian Klemmer

Super Achiever training expert
1) Prov 23:7 As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
– The conscious mind can know, but be ineffectual
— The heart, or subconcious mind is what drives our actions and determines our destiny
2) Rom 12:2 Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind
— we make sure circumsancial results fit our beliefs. Many believe you have to be poor in order to
3) Matt 7:1-3 Why do you obsess over the mote in our brothers eye, and ignore beam in your own? First remove …
– we judge ourselves… What do ou judge yourself for? When you judge ourself, you call God a liar, because He already removed judgement from you.

Sandra Harrison Redmond

Marriage

Since God is the God of relationship, not religion, we need to have the greatest marriage relationships of all.
The Bible has many examples of dysfunctional families.. starting with Adam and Eve… blame.. murder of Abel.. etc.
— how we deal with or differences makes all the difference in how well you succeed in relationships.

Tips:
- Make deposits into each others emotional bank accounts.
- Dont let the worries of the world, choke out the word that can make you your spouses critic instead of cheerleader.
- make a list of all the things about the greatness of your spouse
— it will break something in you.. dont worry about logic and the issues that stress you out, there is a spiritual dnamic you have to contend for that drives everything else you feel.

Bob Harrison

Big background in business is remarkable records in Chrysler Dealerships.
Biggest background achievment is the investment made into his children.

Moving out with what you have at hand now.
– many ideas are sitting where they hav been
“Even if you are on the right track, ou will get run over if you just sit there”
– Will Rogers

Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they will always come out ahead

Life is like a taxi. Whether or not you are moving, the meter is running.

Creating motion is one of the things you HAVE to do to turn around a dead or dying situation.
Dealership examples:
– changed appearance of place.
– Put new cars in front to look like volume dealership
– converted lookers into buyers by creating motion with demo cars

Your future is not based on where you are, it is based on where you decide to go.

You cannot stay where you are and move with God at the same time.

Neil Schober

Developing Great Faith
Gen 12-25 These chapters are great faith developers for business.. especially when it is going tough.
Ask God…
“Show me the plan for my life in detail”
– activate your faith toward the vision that God gives you for your life.
— you have to take a shot at breaking through the sound barrier, like Chuck Yeager.
Head, Heart, Feet
- Get vision in our head
- Drill it into your heart
- Walk it out with your feet

5 Principles
1) take time to discover the desitny that God
2) Commit to developing great faith
3) Commit to get wisdom
4) Understanding that giving unlocks prosperity
5) 1 Cor 13 - Love

Ashley Schmierer

Pioneers dont conform to the staus quo
Numbers 14:24
Pioneers can be of any personality type
Pioneers can be any age bracket
Pioneers understand teamwork
Pioneers make their dream into a reality
Pioneers set things in motion for others to enjoy
Pioneers influence their environment
Pioneers see their vision through
Pioneers stay wtith their vision and pay whatever the cost
Pioneers first see it in their spirit
Pioneers are people of passion
Pioneers are people that think!
Pioneers are people that work
Pioneers break the status quo
Pioneers are people that pray

Gen 4:17-22
– Lots of guys who were the starters of specialties of professions

What is worth dying for? answer that, and you will know what is worth living for

Bob Harrison

Story of travel plan that opened doors for missions
– early days of American Airlines frequesnt flyer program gave big awards.
– generated over 2 million in flight coupons

How to be creative for God.

Dream: A stongly desired goal or purpose.
When you have a dream, you are never alone

A dream is only effective if you allow it to pull you out of a stagnant state
Dreams have to be fed…. just like children.
How do you feed a dream?
– Surround yourself with pictures that represent the results fulfilled.
– Start associating with people that have been where your dream is heading
– - Take on thier attitudes, let them impart to you.
–

Big things happen to those who take care of the little things.
– Mediocrity is so prevalent in the service industry.
— there is great reward in being the most responsive and loyal to customers needs.

Someone who is careless in the small things cannot be trusted with the big things.
– Albert Einstein

Make changes that make a diffrence. Sometimes you make a small change to make a big difference.
– Guliani wanted to make big changes in crime stats in NYC. He made squegee washers leave the streets. It was a small change, but the visibility was hi, and got everybody talking and believing the bigger changes were coming.

Put things in motion.

Move with other people. You are called to work with others to truly increase in great blessing.

Christ Gate is a ministry based on a vision. A vision to build a bridge of love and support from the US to India.

My family and I have been attending Bob Harrisons Increase Seminar this week with my family.

My heart is so full of joy as i see great breaktrough coming as we approach our first conference. I have met so many amazing people:
Pastor Dominic Russo
Paul Brown
Tim Redmond
Aaron Lewis
Brian Klemmer
Pastor Tom Anderson
Mike Rovner
Victor Blanco
Devin Burke
and many others.

Some may come to India with us this conference, and if this happens, we are going to have an unbelievably wonerful time!

Either way, the time here is wonderful.. please come back tomorrow, as all my notes from the seminar will be posted here as well

I received this great letter and report from Pastor Joel…

From: arputha raj
Subject: greetings from india
To: andrew@lighthouseindia.org

dear pastor lovings .WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A VERY
BLESSED NEW YEAR 2006.MAY THE ALL MIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU
ALL AND GRANT ALL YOUR DESIRES.MAY THE ALL MIGHTY GOD
USE YOU MIGHTLY WITH DOUBLE PORTION OF ANOINTING
ANDGIFTS.LET YOUR MINISTRIES BE BLESSED TO
THOUSANDS.HOPE GOD WILL DO GREAT THINGS THRU IN THIS
YEAR.KINDLY GIVE MY REGARDS TO TO ALL YOUR FAMILY.

I AM HAPPY TO HEAR ALL YOUR MINISTRIES PLAN THRU PASTOR JOSHUA.
REALLY IT IS GREAT.BY NEXT WEEK WE ARE GOING
SIT AND PRAY AND DISCUSS ABOUT ALL YOUR GIVEN PLANS.
I CAN REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN INDIA IN 2004 AND IN
2005 THRU YOU. IN BOTH THE CRUSADES KANCHIPURAM
DISTRICT WAS SHACKED. GLORY TO GOD.

HOPE IN THIS YEAR ALSO GOD WILL DO GREAT THINGS. PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR
MINISTRIES. GOD IS DOING GREAT THINGS IN OUR MINISTRIS.
LOT OF NEW SOULS ARE COMING. IN LAST
TWO MONTHS NEARLY 8 PEOPLE TOOK BAPTISM.

KINDLY PRAY FOR US. HOPE YO SEE YOU SOON IN INDIA.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL…

WITH PRAYER….

REV.JOEL

We are really enjoying the wrapping up of the year. Christmas is awesome.

Praying for more breakthrough and planning out 2006 with India as a centerpiece!

In working through our 3 years goals, I have a feeling that although we are moving closer to the goals being realized, the intensity of forces and reasons to put things off and lose focus also gains strength. I have been in meetings where people talk about needing to get more organized and try to figure out how to get more people involved… I simply need help. I think the fact that we have goals is really only going to get things moving after i see people read and understand them. Then we can get on to the business of reaching them.

anyway.. this is just a personal slug of an entry… nothing too profound tonight!

A friend and former client of mine, Jim, has been debating with me for some time about Bush, politics, the war and partisan perceptions. I enjoy dialoging with Jim when things remain civil. It has been a real builder in both patience and reason for both of us who care deeply about humanity, but have very different takes on the state of the world. I find that dialog really can break down barriers and bring parties to agree where labels and camps tend to divide.

Jim asked me this question after finally getting the point that I was never all that excited about us invading Iraq, but still supported our current efforts there now. i thought it would be an interesting blog post, as although my reply was a shot from the hip, it may be helpful to those who come along and read it.

here goes:

At 06:30 PM 11/11/2005, JIM wrote:
>Okay, fine. In your opinion, would Jesus support the
> war?

This really seems like a totally no-win to answer question.
let me try, but you might have to venture a bit into theology and history with me here…

Jesus is and will be the ultimate dispenser of justice, but he also is the prototype for establishing a new culture of mercy and reform to the way the world works. Gandhi credits the teachings of Christ as his inspiration for his passive resistance movement, which was a great model for how I feel many problems today should be addressed (and sometimes resolved). However, no one talks about the 1 million tragic deaths that took place from the partition shortly after Gandhi’s victory, which also showed forth signs of shortcomings in his idealism.

Our founding fathers exhausted every peaceful means possible in asserting their free rights before declaring independence, as they were very conscious of following the model of Christ.

It is clear that Jesus refused to get caught up in the politics of His day. He had a zealot or 2 within the 12, but He never advocated rebellion from Rome, but rather a transcendence of being that provides an internal freedom from tyranny and through love, has proven the ultimate way to transform culture.

One of the biggest themes of the Bible is the promise of God to provide justice in situations where there is tyranny. Justice is meted out through various examples, including through the mechanism of nations that bring it through war.

So in the end, for lack of time to elaborate further, I believe one of the greatest gifts we have from God is transcendent wisdom to decide which courses of action will work toward the best ends of justice, the ultimate prevention of the suffering of the victims of tyranny (isn’t that a primary justification for our entering into WWII?) and the security of our own nation. Wisdom has to be exercised, yet while we appeal to Christs example and principles, we remain flawed in character and in intention on a collective level.

So, looking back, was it wise to invade Iraq and free people both currently and potentially under extreme tyranny? It can be debated endlessly. The fact is that in 2002-03, we, as a nation, DID decide that it was. Now, we have to be responsible for what WE have to finish against the backdrop of the fact that the enemy of progress and freedom in Iraq has only one effective weapon against us.. the erosion of our will to establish freedom and justice in place of tyranny. Messy business? Yes, but mainly because we have such an injured self flaggelating conscience in America these days that undermines the win-win scenario that I am convinced Bush is genuinely trying to achieve.

To take a Gandhian approach now in the current paradigm where religious fanatics only see it as weakness and are sending suicide bombers into any city they can to bring civilization to it’s knees is ludicrous, dont you agree?

So with all that being said Jim, let me ask you this since you supported the invasion of Afghanistan… Was Jesus egging you on? Did Jesus shrug his shoulders when he saw the collateral damage created at the routing of the Taliban?

Back in your court bro.

For years I have dreamed about the possibilities of ministry within the unnecesary boundaries of a single church or denomination.

Although I have read of many evangelists and leaders who worked among many groups, I have been limiting my own vision with a pair of sunglasses I didn’t even realize I had on.

Readers of this blog will have to bear with me if i am being repetitious, but it really is taking me a while to feel the freedom to take the “Bridge Vision” on the road so to speak to other churches in the area. I realized it is not that I dont have the courage to ask pastors and leaders to join in the vision, but rather that the paradigm of missions operating under the banner of one church group here in America is so strong.

One thing that will help is that i volunteered for my company to rebuild the Common Ground website. Mike Miller and I are becoming allies and co-builders.

Gods greater kingdom is more than just realizing there are more churches out there than your own… for me, it is the active pursuit of ways to really bring the stregths of ministries together to do “greater exploits” for our king!