Read Time: 58 Minutes, 48 Seconds
Our understanding continues to be enlightened concerning the remarkable call upon marketplace saints and their ability to establish the Kingdom in their spheres of influence. I believe it, preach it, and am walking through open doors through my corporate training and executive coaching.
In the midst of the excitement for God’s plan for the marketplace leader, we cannot neglect the importance of the local church. Many are recognizing their calling to the marketplace but forget the vision they once had within the local church. I’ve preached that we must break out of the four walls of the church to be a relevant voice to the community, but we must guard against the temptation to neglect the local church. I have grieved that many got on board to be trained in proven Biblical principles because they knew that their “bottom line” would increase; however, they have demonstrated an apparent deficit concerning the Kingdom’s increase!
One aspect of reformation is to partner the prophetic and apostolic equipping within the local church and within the marketplace for one purpose only – the expansion of the Kingdom of God! The Kingdom is the “rule and reign of Jesus Christ.” Whoever we are, wherever God has called us, we are to submit to His governing rule thus seeing His purposes established in our spheres of influence.
I experienced a defining moment in my life many years ago when Dr. Sharon Stone and I went on a pilgrimage to Edinburgh, Scotland. We visited the castle there and saw the beautiful crown jewels. I was confused when I saw a large ordinary-looking rock sharing an honored place adjacent to the crown jewels behind the bulletproof encased glass. It looked so out of place! As I read the plaques, I discovered it was the “Destiny Stone.” It was upon this rock that the Kings and Queens would sit to be coroneted. At that moment, it was no longer about them, but their kingdom, their people, and their very land. To the people of Scotland, the Destiny Stone’s wealth far exceeds money or prosperity. Without true understanding, we would throw away that stone of destiny for the more obvious beauty of the crown jewels. We cannot ignore our most valuable inheritance, though appearing common, to exchange it for temporal wealth.
Tears began to run down my face when I recognized that to embrace destiny, I had to understand from the heart that it was not about me, but FIRST the Kingdom—God’s rule and reign. Secondly, it was about people. Do I have a heart to see people redeemed, or just the land? Charles Finney embraced destiny, submitting to the ultimate reign of God. He saw whole cities (people) come to Jesus, THEN the resulting effect to that was city transformation. Marketplace saints’ core values cannot be about us personally, our business prospering, or the revitalization of our towns and cities (though that is a by-product when the people in those cities are redeemed). We cannot be caught up in the “American Gospel” of comfort, goods, and possessions, but recognize that they are an offshoot of our absolute surrender to God’s core values. Matthew 6:33 makes this principle so simple: “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
As I have begun to invest my life as a consultant within the corporate world and governmental arenas, my heart’s cry is for the salvation of the executives or the politicians sitting around that table. I want them to know Jesus! Yes, I want to see righteousness come to the city and witness principles of truth change their sphere of influence, but only as seeds of redemption impact each individual life.
Though we may not evangelize in the traditional religious sense, we are facing an open door in this season that we might bring in the harvest! We teach Biblical principles using the terminology they can understand, speaking their language; nevertheless our motives, goals, purpose, and destiny is the Kingdom of God to be made manifested in their lives.
In Proverbs 13:22 we read that, “…the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” But to qualify for that wealth, we must fulfill the first part of that scripture. “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” Children are those we have parented, those with whom we have trained, discipled, and brought to maturity. We know that the hearts of our generation must be turned to a generation so the curse—the empowerment to fail—is reversed. We are talking about both our natural as well as our spiritual children. It’s to all generations! It’s talking about leaving a Kingdom legacy in the lives of others!
Yes, God gives us power to get wealth. (Deut. 8:18) Wealth is much more than money; it simply is having everything I need to accomplish the purposes of Jesus Christ in my life. It’s not about our destiny, it’s about His destination! We can gain the whole world and miss the very opportunity to be ministers of reconciliation. We can see our cities change for good, we can see our economy prosper, we can see our ability to get riches increase, but my concern has been “we cannot forget our God!” As marketplace ministers, we have been entrusted with a crucial part of Jesus’ ministry.
As the message of reformation increases and we break off the small thinking mindsets of poverty and pulpit elitism, we cannot allow the pendulum to swing so far that we hear the warning of the Lord say, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich…” (Revelation 3:17-18) Our God has given us the “nations for His inheritance!” He has surrounded us with people to be living epistles read of all men! With a Kingdom mindset and a passion to reach the people He so desperately loves, it is then that we will see the very land redeemed, wealth released, and a true demonstration of a marketplace minister!
Bring Charisma magazine home with a subscription today!
Dr. Melodye Hilton is the co-host of the Life Exchange Podcast. Melodye works with individuals and workgroups around the globe as a leadership consultant, behavioral analyst, and executive coach. (www.drmelodye.com) For over 38 years, she and her husband, Steven, have served as the founders and co-leaders of Giving Light, a local church and global resource center located in the heart of central Pennsylvania. In addition, Dr. Melodye has founded the #StopDevaluation movement in an effort to see hearts and cultures healed through love and validation.
Marilyn Hickey Ministries 
Charisma Staff 
