First Love - Bill & Melinda Gates

Revelation 2:4 “You have left your first love.” Today I read that Bill and Melinda Gates will be divorcing after 27 years of marriage. I’ve never met them personally, but am a big fan of the philanthropic work they’ve done through the years. I know countless people look up to them, so I’m saddened by the news. It reminded me of a discussion I had recently with someone from our church. This brother is an incredible man of God, and I can honestly say that Solomon’s Porch Singapore might not be around if he hadn’t been involved from day 1. I sensed a tinge of dissatisfaction about Sunday service in one of his comments, so we had a bit of a conversation about it. “Bro, there are moments when I share the same sentiment, but in some recent conversations I realized that it’s actually the older members who have most of the issues. We’ve been around longer, so we are more likely to lose the freshness of it all. Our church is growing, so it’s clear that something is working and newer members are getting a lot of value from our service. To me that’s an indication that it’s not the church, it’s the condition of our hearts that we must examine.” I relayed that the same is true of any fast growing startup. Members of the original gang who manage to stay on can become incredible culture carriers for the org. But the majority of them struggle to find their place, spending more time reminiscing on “the good ol’ days” and eventually departing for what they hope to be greener pastures. Keeping that first love with your spouse, with your company, with your church, and even with your God requires intentional effort. But I’ve found that when I fight for that first love with Jesus, my first love with everything else falls in line. When I’m close to God, I move in peace despite the most threatening of work circumstances. When I’m close to God, I cry for joy in the most basic of church services. When I’m close to God, I’m overwhelmed with thanksgiving no matter how unreasonable my wife is. (She’s never unreasonable. That’s just a hypothetical situation.) Lord, when my heart pursues you, you pursue me 1000 times more. And when you pursue me, I am overcome with passion for everything and everyone around me. I desire that first love today, and invite you to bring me back into that place. I also pray covering over Bill and Melinda Gates in what must be a difficult time for them. May you use these circumstances to somehow let them experience a deeper revelation of your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What Goes Around...

Psalm 37:1 “Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.” A few weeks back I joined a Clubhouse room about investing at the intersection of purpose and profit. The general consensus was that it is indeed possible to make financial returns while having a positive impact on the world. But one friend conveyed that we must be aware that there is often a cost associated with doing the right thing. There will be times where helping the world comes at the expense of helping ourselves. I replied “well I think that is true in the short term, but it depends on what you believe about the world in the long term. In my faith we’re taught to have an eternal view, so I believe that doing the right thing will benefit others AND myself over time. My experience has very much supported this perspective.”

As they say, "what goes around, comes around." In Psalm 37, King David reminds listeners that the wicked may prosper in the short term, but “like spring flowers, they soon wither.” Since starting Amasia I have seen other VC firms sprout and get more traction than us in a shorter period of time. To be completely honest, at times that has brought out feelings of envy in me. But each time, I took it back to God and He reminded me that I just need to focus on doing the right thing, on helping others and putting Him first. If I get that right, then He always provides. It feels like we’re hitting an inflection point at Amasia, and some of those firms have experienced catastrophic and very visible downfalls. While their founders didn’t seem the most Christ-like at times, I wouldn’t say they are evil people. I also need to check my heart because schadenfreude doesn’t come from a Christ-like place either. So I’ve prayed for restoration for these folks, and I will do what I can to help them return to the industry. But all this to say, by this point I’ve learned that I just need to trust in God and have an eternal perspective. Doing the right thing benefits God, others and in the long term… myself as well.

Lord, I just want to see things as you see them. Yes we are to count the cost in following you. But over the long term, the benefits far outweigh the costs. There is no comparison. Thank you for building a solid foundation in my company, in my family, and in my ministry. I’m so excited to be a part of the work you are already doing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Power Evangelism

John 2:23 “Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name."

Today I finished a book called Power Evangelism by John Wimbur, founder of the Vineyard Church movement. His basic thesis is that evangelism is most effective when accompanied by signs and wonders. Jesus preached, but he also healed the sick, cast out demons, prophesied and raised the dead. The demonstration of the power of God often draws people into a deeper desire for relationship with Him, so we should also look to leverage these gifts in our walk with God. Once, a Methodist pastor enrolled in Wimbur’s class at Fuller Seminary. “On the verge of retirement, he had initially enrolled in the course to gain credits that would improve his denominational pension. But by the end of the term, his life was changed – he had been empowered with the Holy Spirit, and it had radically changed his outlook toward the ministry.” The pastor wrote to Wimbur, “I serve on countless committees and do an endless amount of administration. I want to minister in the power of God, but how can I if I’m always going to district meetings, financial committees, and other sorts of bureaucratic gatherings?” Wimbur’s advice was simple: “It does not matter where you are but what you are. Like Jesus, we are called to do the Father’s bidding wherever He has placed us. Instead of looking to change things outwardly, we should let God change us inwardly.” This pastor took Wimbur’s advice, and wrote back. “Now I go to the committee meetings and ask God to lead me to meet people’s needs, to show me what He wants me to say and do. Rarely does a session go by where I do not pray over another pastoral leader or committee member.” The pastor explained how when he asked people how they were and they told him their problems, he prayed over them, with excellent results. So many of us in marketplace also feel bogged down by the constraints of our work. We long for that day, somewhere on the horizon, when we can shed these restrictions and truly get down to doing God’s work. Wimbur writes, “it is important that we are where God wants us to be. Yet I am convinced that Christians frequently use their situation in life as an excuse for not being used by God right now; that they too often think that if only they were in the “right place” they could do the types of things I have described in this book.” Lord, I want more of you. I don’t need to retire from my work to win souls. I need to retire my mindset and shed lies of the enemy. I can demonstrate your power exactly where I am. I commit to pray for one new person today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.