The Marketers’ Senate

The product package and design meeting had been cancelled. The
marketing staff was notified there had been another shooting.
The interstate was a parking lot. Traffic jams and roadblocks
were a daily routine. No one felt safe to travel in or around
the area while the sniper was still free to kill at will. They
promised to do all they could to catch the culprit, but there
was no relief in sight. “What were we going to do?” This
scenario read like a story out of a detective novel that would
have sold a million copies. Unfortunately, this was not a
fantasy. We were experiencing a tragic event.

We lived in a city that was not alien to violence. Domestic
upheaval, drug wars, school vandalism, parent and child
tragediesall of these were all too familiar to our lifestyle.
But random violence from an unknown assailant day after day,
this was new. This was mind blowing. This was fear. How could we
operate with “business as usual” when we were awakened daily
feeling no one was safe, and everyone was the target.

Our employees, families and friends were openly confessing they
were afraid to perform simple “daily living” tasks like going to
the store, mowing the lawn, or catching the bus much less going
to work. The local news media had been inundated with
helplessness, frustration, sorrow and pain. In addition, our
police security had confirmed our worse concerns. They had no
idea how to fight the battle and guarantee our safety. Daily we
faced the question what were we to do now? People expressed
fear. “But God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power and love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We must continue to remind ourselves that we are living in a
time when we must know that we know who we are and whose we are.
The enemy, working through men, has threatened to destroy our
economy and abolish our freedoms. If we continue with “carnal”
thinking, we will continue to respond to tragic situations with
our natural eyes only. We will fall in the enemy’s hands and
become slaves to follow their dictate and commands. We will
continue to close schools, shut down businesses, avoid daily
routines and hide in our homes awaiting the final blow. If we
maintain carnal thinking, we will keep our youth from quality
education, shut libraries, museums and other public facilities.
If we respond to tragedy carnally, we will begin to trade our
freedom for a hostage lifestyle and begin living like captives
in our own land.

Faith is now. It is time for us to address our natural life
challenges using spirit-based guidelines. “For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places”. (Ephesians 6:12
KJV)

We must acknowledge the real enemy when experiencing violence
related battles, and take unto ourselves the “whole armor of
God” so that we may be able to withstand “in the evil day”. And,
after having done all in the natural, stand in prayer
“spiritually.” This is our charge as parents, businesspeople,
law enforcers and politicians.

After all our efforts of closing the highways, arriving on the
scene with guns blazing, pulling over mini vans and trucks, and
shutting down schools and businesses has been exhausted, we must
pray then stand. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness
in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes
from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the
shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming
arrows of the evil one……and pray in the spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:14-18, NIV)

As business people, we tend to get so busy that we forget that
we are “spirit-filled”. Satan’s plan is for us to maintain our
busy state, so that we give little or no time to prayer which is
our most effective, formidable weapon against fear. Prayer, in
faith, is our protection against all manner of evil that may
present itself in any form. Prayer works for those who believe
in their salvation in Christ Jesus, walk in the power of God,
and call out His name in time of trouble.

Now is not the time for doubt. Now is not the time for
hesitation. Now is not the time to succumb to the taunts and
threats of the evil that surrounds us like a roaring lion about
to devour its prey. Faith is now. By seeking the mercy of God in
all we do, we activate the shield of protection against the
warfare that has been waged against us. We can then continue to
run our businesses, plan and attend meetings, vote for our
leaders, supervise our employees, send our children to school,
and enjoy the freedoms of this country provided for us these
many years.

The Christian walk is daily. Sometimes it demands that we
actively and regularly chart the appropriate course of action we
will take. There is no variety of “menu” selections. There is
only one main course of action and that is obedience to God’s
Word. No matter what challenge is presented, our response cannot
be found in the “gray” area of doubt and fear. Our only response
comes from the knowledge that we are actively walking in Faith
now.

“In God We Trust,” is written on the currency we exchange doing
business everyday. Now, more than ever, we need to read and
believe in its message, remove fear from its dwelling place in
our hearts and replace it with faith. We need to step out on
faith, through prayer, and believe in our hearts that on command
by our prayers the evil that has been loosed in the heavenlies
to reign terror upon this land has been bound and banished. We
will, by the power of our faith in the almighty God, continue
our normal business dealings with no fear because we know that
we are the children of the King of kings, Lord of lords, the
Most High God. Our Father, “who art in heaven” will provide
protection for His children. All we need do is seek Him, call
Him by name, and then be still and know that He is God.

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