Unfortunately, it has to be said that most often businesses run by Christians are very little different from businesses run by non-Christians. True, Christian businesses pay their taxes and try not to rip people off - but many businesses run by people who do not attend church do that too.

What is wrong? Christians are supposed to be in touch with the Creator - one would expect them to have some "inside knowledge" that would help them to stand out in some way at what they do. If you ask me, what is wrong is that we do not look at the Bible as a business manual. We do not even think that having a business is anything to do with our spirituality.

Somehow or other, those of us who do not have a pastor's calling are branded as second-class citizens who have to be grateful we are saved by God's grace, and try to keep ourselves out of trouble until we are called to the happy hunting grounds. If somehow we can bring people to our Church, or make financial contributions to the Church's running, we are doing the little bit for God that our second-class citizenship permits us to do. Getting people to Church isn't always easy either - all we can offer is a gloomy view of damnation for the unsaved and a retirement plan for those who accept Jesus as their saviour. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the unsaved who are struggling to make ends meet, manage their families and their relationships, regard this stuff as superfluous to living day-to-day.

If you get the feeling that somewhere something is missing, you are not far off the track. What is missing from this picture is the full understanding of who God is and what His nature and purposes are. It would surprise many people - even Christians - to learn that the Bible (both Testaments, note) is an infallible guidebook not only to living, but also to running businesses that far from just being successful, actually stand out like beacons above the crowd.

In the middle of last year, I purchased a second-hand book from our New Zealand equivalent of Ebay. It is called "Doing Business God's Way" and was written in 1995 by Dennis Peacocke. You can view it on Amazon HERE. Read the Customer Reviews - they are very helpful.

As I progressed in reading this book, I was thrilled at the way it clarified God's purposes in MY life. It actually is more than a book for business-owners: everyone should read it because it holds the keys to what "the rest of us" are doing here on earth. All of us I think tend to look on the Bible as some kind of repository of moral precepts, but it takes a man of anointed perception to lead us to a deeper and more practical and all-encompassing view than that. And that perception has a rock-solid grounding in the whole of scripture, moreover.

Put briefly, the book blew me away: I have read a good many books on aspects of Christianity since I was baptized in October 2006, but none of them affected me as strongly as this one. Now in my 4th reading, I am still amazed at the potential of this book for impact on individual, business, state and nation "lives". I lent the book to my Bible Studies teacher and he is still asking me to find him a copy.

Two days ago, I responded to Jake's inaugural blog posting as Community Partner for the Christian Community, and I drew his attention to this book because of a comment he made about the second class citizenship issue. Wondering what Dennis Peacocke has done with his inspired concepts since he wrote it, I googled his name and found he has a website called Strategic Christian Services, which carries on and develops the teachings of his books, via audio and video.

He has Strategic Life Training courses and Business Leadership courses, to train and empower people in bringing the Father's business principles down to this earth, which is one of the places they are meant to operate, through people like you and me. I have signed up for BLS100, his introductory course in business leadership and I have to say I am REALLY excited at the prospect of delving deeper into these teachings, and being able to help impart them to others.

If this interests you, read the book - you will not be disappointed. If you are sceptical, don't burst into print - read the book. You should learn something.

Note about Dennis Peacocke from his website: He "has carried a concern for social justice for over 35 years. In his college days, this concern was expressed through his involvement in the civil rights and free speech movements. He graduated from Berkeley in political science at the height of the turbulent 60's. Since his conversion in 1968, Dennis has gained international respect as a strategist due to his unique way of applying biblical solutions to the many challenging issues facing families, churches, business, and government.

"A former business owner, Dennis is the founder and president of Strategic Christian Services, a leadership organization dedicated to demonstrating the relevance of Christianity to every area of contemporary life. He has authored three books: Winning the Battle for the Minds of Men, published in 1987 and 2000, Doing Business God's Way, published in 1994 and 2003, and The Emperor Has No Clothes published in 2003. He has also recorded numerous audio and video presentations. Dennis and his wife Jan reside in Santa Rosa, California. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren."

Blessings

Patricia - http://damascus-road.info/