The Market

Welcome to The Market.

Unlike any other method of online discipleship, this Navitent is designed to meet you right where you are at, step for step, in your walk with Jesus Christ.

Whether you currently feel light years away from the Lord or are moving closely with Him, over the next year these steps will serve as your personal 'GPS', a navigational system to guide you into a more intimate relationship with Christ, Jesus.

Are you ready to take your first step?

Regarding your spiritual life, how aware are you of your status, needs and goals?

Take a moment to read Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Very simply, this verse informs us that when we are experiencing intimacy with Christ, it is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit through our behaviors, dispositions, how we treat others, etc.

Do you agree?

While financial advisors can tell us how to increase our status in the financial markets, there are very few advisors who can tell us specifically how to increase our status in the spiritual realm; advisors who can give us specific advise of how to experience and sustain more of the fruit of the Spirt.

For instance, how often do you find yourself wanting to feel closer to Jesus, but are not sure how to make that happen?

The market on Wall Street allows us to invest our funds and receive returns.

Now, would you be interested in learning about a market where you can invest your time and gain more genuine intimacy with Jesus and, as a result, experience more fruit of the Spirit?

First, you need to know that this is a very real market. It exists in the 'The Economy of the Kingdom of God' and in it you can invest and receive the:

Love that you always wanted to experience and the ability to love others more fully.
Peace and Joy that you have worked so hard for, but could not find or sustain.
Goodness, Kindness and Gentleness that you have hoped to develop toward others and yourself.
Faithfulness required to overcome the nagging fears and doubts that are preventing you from turning your visions into realities.
Patience and Self Control you need to deal with life's difficulties and the people who deliver them!

Pause a moment to imagine your life rich in the fruit of the Spirit. Take as much time as you need to establish that picture in your mind.

Now ask yourself, isn't that what you have always been looking for?

Given your current interests and needs, how important is it to you to learn how to enter the market of 'The Economy of the Kingdom of God' and increase your investment in the fruit of the Spirit?

The second thing you will need to know about this market is, unlike our financial economy, 'The Economy of the Kingdom of God' is not visible. It is an economy that exists in what is unseen. (2 Corinthians 4: 18)

However, while we cannot see this economy, through our emotions, reactions, dispositions, moods, behaviors and the quality of our relationships we are receiving constant reports of our status.

For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate you current status in the economy of the Kingdom of God? (Note: '10' indicating that you are moving in your highest possible expression of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.)

In order to raise that number and then maintain that increase, we must gain entrance into the market of 'The Economy of the Kingdom of God' by accessing what is unseen.

Are you willing to use your imagination to help you enter the market?

After reading this step, close your eyes and do the following:

See yourself standing outside an entrance of a stock market. But this is not an ordinary financial market. In this market the "companies" you can invest in are the nine fruits of the Spirit.

Select 'Successful' when you can begin to 'see' this visual.

At the entrance of the market is a sign giving two clear instructions. These instructions state the requirements for gaining access to the market.

The first instruction reads: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).

Regarding this first instruction, the theologian Oswald Chambers said:

"As long as we have a self-righteous, conceited notion that we can carry out Our Lord's teaching, God will allow us to go on until we break our ignorance over some obstacle, then we are willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. "Blessed are the paupers in spirit," that is the first principle in the Kingdom of God. The bedrock in Jesus Christ's kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility - I cannot begin to do it. Then Jesus says - Blessed are you. That is the entrance..."

How fully do you understand this instruction?

The second instructions reads: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3).

If you want to enter the market, you must set aside your needs, desires, plans, goals and ambitions that serve your purposes, but do not come from God. (Note: to read more on this instruction, go to 'DOCUMENTS'.)

How fully do you believe you understand this instruction?

You can now appreciate just how difficult it is to enter this market and why so few ever gain admittance! (Matthew 7:13-14)

Without help, how difficult do you imagine it will be to successfully follow the two instructions on a day-by-day basis?

The truth is, most of us require a great deal of assistance to be among the few who will successfully follow the two instructions.

For this reason, we highly recommend that you do this course with other members of the Mustard Seed community and/or team. You can join a community or team by going to the Store and choosing from the Mustard Seed communities and teams listed there.

In addition, you can use the box located at the bottom of this page to share directly with a Mustard Seed publisher.

If you have a friend you want to do this course with, but desire to keep your communication private, use the Share feature.

Working with other like-minded disciples is the number one way you can ensure your ability to follow the two rules of investing and gain admittance into the Market.

When you are ready, proceed to the next Navitent in your 'Day Plan' titled: 'Your Investment Tool'.