A CHRISTIAN CODE OF CONDUCT

… the missing link?

PETER J DANIELS

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STATESMAN

A Christian Code Of Conduct … The Missing Link?
By Peter J Daniels

Text Copyright © 2009 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

Published by:

World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation
International Building
Box 213, Lini Highway, Port Vila,
Vanuatu, South West Pacific
Email: mail@wces.vu
Web: www.wces.vu

Other involvements:

www.havilahbullionbank.ch
www.peterjdaniels.com
www.grahamdaniels.vu
www.gabrielcall.com
www.danel.ch

To contact the author – Peter J Daniels:

peterjdaniels@peterjdaniels.com
www.peterjdaniels.com

Phone: +61 8 8423 3060

EDUCATIONAL BOOKS

authored by

PETER J DANIELS

www.peterjdaniels.com

HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH RICH ©1984 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

HOW TO REACH YOUR LIFE GOALS © 1985 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

HOW TO BE MOTIVATED ALL THE TIME © 1985 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

HOW TO HANDLE A MAJOR CRISIS © 1987 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

HOW TO HAVE THE AWESOME POWER OF PUBLIC SPEAKING © 1988 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

MISS PHILLIPS, YOU WERE WRONG…a formula to handle rejection. © 1989 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

GLOBAL SURVEY INTO MULTI LEVEL MARKETING © 1992 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN DYNAMIC MISSION STATEMENT THAT WORKS © 1994 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

LIVING ON THE EDGE (autobiography of Peter J Daniels) © 2003 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

A CHRISTIAN CODE OF CONDUCT – the missing link © 2009 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

WILLPOWER – the integrity of the soul. © 2010 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

authored by

PETER J DANIELS

www.peterjdaniels.com

DESTINY OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM (major tutorial program with diploma) © 1989 World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies Foundation

authored by

GRAHAM K DANIELS

www.grahamdaniels.vu

THE WAY I SEE IT… “a world view on fortune, family and future” © 2006 Graham Daniels

Peter J. Daniels is a committed Christian and is often referred to as a “merchant of hope” while presenting seminars in many countries on economics, business and family values.

He has a visionary global mindset and a no debt philosophy, and has been honoured by governments, universities and churches throughout the world.

Coming from a disadvantaged background, with perseverance, intense study and innovative business pursuits, Mr Daniels is today Founder and President of the World Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Founder and Co-chairman of “The Gabriel Call” (economic rescue for local churches), and Chairman of the Board of Counsel of Dan El Private Estates, founded by his son Graham K. Daniels (one of the world’s most prestigious niche market international estate planning firms). Mr Daniels is also Chairman of the Board of Governors of Havilah Bullion Bank (the world’s only dedicated full reserve bullion bank since the Bank of Hamburg in 1619).

Foreword

God has a great deal to say about the conduct of His people and how they should behave as citizens of His Kingdom. In this book Dr Peter Daniels poses the question: “Why is it that so many people who have been Christians for ten, twenty and even fifty years appear to be so ineffective as an example in the performance of their everyday lives?”

Could it be that a misunderstanding of grace has lessened the standard, or excused the effort needed to be the victorious overcomers God has called His people to be? Or perhaps it is intimidation caused by the demands for political and religious correctness that has muted the voice of preachers so they no longer have the courage to declare and require a biblical code of behaviour.

Dr Daniels’ book is of immense value; it has been tried and proven. It is not untested or untried theory. Therefore, it comes with the weight of authority, and brings a blessing ready to be imparted to the reader.

I have confidence in its validity as Dr Daniels’ life bears witness to what he writes. He has “disciplined his mind and actions”. He has added action to his faith.

He can therefore, with integrity, recommend to us that we should put together our own Christian Code of Conduct.

When a code is recommended concerning Christian behaviour, shallow and religious minds tend to think of a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts. This book is about the behaviour and actions of God’s people, whose hearts have been touched by God’s amazing grace and love, and thus a desire has been stirred within them that their lives will truly glorify God with “conduct worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).

Pastor Bill Nott
Liberty Family Church
Adelaide, South Australia
email: bnott@libertyfamilychurch.com

Introduction

When I became a Christian nearly 50 years ago, the world was at a pivotal point of change. The economic depression of the thirties was a distant memory, World War II, with its atrocities and human suffering, was in the past. Many of life’s illnesses and inequalities were being addressed. A great wave of migration from distant lands was taking place. Better housing and higher incomes were becoming a reality and some of the disciplines, manners, dress codes and other standards of the past were being quietly challenged. Around that time women gradually stopped wearing hats in church and soon began to adorn themselves with make-up and jewellery. Divorce was rare, and if you had Christian values you were respected and afforded an extra margin of courtesy.

If you were walking down the street and a funeral procession came by you would stand still with respect and take off your hat until it had passed. Seniors were always given titles of “Mr” and “Mrs”, men always gave up their seats for ladies on public transport, and you never went out of your house without first shining your shoes.

Doctors, pastors, bank managers, school teachers and policemen were automatically respected. Commonsense, fairness and justice were not only expected but were required. You could understand the uplifting romantic lyrics of music and you could easily whistle their tunes. It was considered bad taste to play sport or open shops on Sundays, and if you did not go to church, you slept in late and had a lazy day. Often the Salvation Army band would play on your street corner, and they would preach the gospel before they marched off to church.

Evangelists would preach openly and unmolested in parks and on street corners and hold large meetings in tents, and in contrast, boxing matches would be contested every Saturday night, and weekly dances would be held in selected venues throughout the city and suburbs, and occasionally someone would be seen drunk, wobbling home alone along the street. But illegitimacy, illicit drug use and crime were rare.

In the Christian church there were some glaring enigmas. People were often proud to be humble and thought it was an honour to be poor, and the louder and longer you prayed at the prayer meeting on Wednesday nights, the more saintly you were perceived to be. Money was considered evil, except when the need for it arose! Children were made to go to Sunday school and were indoctrinated with Bible verses that they found difficult to comprehend, but we failed to teach them how to apply the Bible in a fast-changing world. We sent ill-equipped missionaries to foreign mission fields, and many of our Bible college students who were being groomed for the ministry were unable to relate well or perform their duties in the real world. We taught our lay people to get a steady job in the post office, the railways, the government, or one of the safe professions. We did not challenge our young people to be the bastions of authority and power, or to be examples of what it means to be giants for Jesus Christ in an ungodly world, and because the people in the pews had become irrelevant to the people in the world, often pastors were not able to have the impact on the world that they would have liked.

We have observed in recent years our sporting heroes shame us, our politicians lie to us, our business leaders cheat us, our banks overcharge us, our criminals laugh at us, and our judges ignore us. Our police cannot protect us, and our hospitals, schools and universities are in desperate need. Our theologians mislead us, the trade union movement threatens us, and our mass media treat us like garbage receptacles. Terrorists are trying to eradicate us and our soldiers are being used for target practice on foreign battlefields. Meanwhile, homosexuals and lesbians appear half naked in mardi-gras parades and make a mockery of the Christian Church.

I am now being asked the question, “Are we on the precipice of entering a new era of biblical irrelevance?” and some pastors are even suggesting that accepting biblical inerrancy is outdated in view of the morally flexible and unrestrained lifestyles of present times!!!

Others believe that the Christian faith is an insufficient basis for life, and that we should try a “fruit salad” mix of many faiths and beliefs to find satisfaction and relevance in the world today.

It has been 2,000 long years since the birth, death and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who founded the Christian church. This event has impacted the march of human progress in a way that no other event - be it military, political, economic, academic, scientific or social - has ever been able to eclipse.

Those who lit that incandescent flame amidst the darkness so long ago did so with the assurance and accuracy of the ancient scrolls that recorded God’s majesty and involvement with people from Genesis to Malachi and with the promise of a star that would shine forever in the hearts and souls of men.

We who are in the third millennium at the dawning of a new age are able to look back through the hourglass of history and to look forward to glimpse the future with the telescope of faith. We stand on the threshold of a great new opportunity. We feel within our souls a deep consciousness of the lateness of the hour, as we watch the sands of time pass quickly by. We also sense the urgent need for a change in our approach without compromising the truth of our holy calling.

So let me take you on a short journey through the past as we examine the history from Archimedes to the cross of Calvary, from the destruction of Rome to the birth of Mohammed and the march of Islam across the Middle East and Africa, to the great Asiatic power of China under the Tang Dynasty, which was followed by holy crusades that burst upon the scene and continued for over a hundred years.

Then history took a giant leap into what was called progress and entered into the beauty of the early classical renaissance era with all of its extravagance and wonder. However, the average family was poor and dominated by the rich and powerful, who exploited and subdued those less fortunate than themselves.

After that, a dreadful dark cloud appeared - the unexpected entrance of the black plague that killed one third of the population of Europe. The march of human misery continued as Mehmet the Conqueror took control of Constantinople and brought Ottoman rule to Europe, and then suddenly the world was awestruck in 1517 when a monk named Martin Luther courageously published a list of ninety-five complaints against the Catholic Church, and the great Reformation was born. As a consequence, Frederick the Great gave Catholics and Protestants equal rights by freeing peasants on his private estates and abolishing the use of torture.

Change continued to take place, and by 1763 Great Britain, which was the ruler of the British Empire, had made a forty-year jump start on the Industrial Revolution, and became the leading world power, which was responsible for two-thirds of Europe’s industrial growth output. By 1860 its energy consumption was five times that of the United States and of Germany, and six times that of Russia, and it was also responsible for twenty percent of the world’s merchant fleet, which sailed under the British flag.

During that period an amazing thing happened. My research has shown quite clearly that the great mission outreach, which started with William Carey on October 2nd 1792 and the Bible Society shortly afterwards, began at the time of the great Industrial Revolution, and was economically stimulated by this. The early Calvinists were devout Christians, who were hard working and generous in their gifts, tithes and offerings. It was largely through them that the Protestant work ethic was created, and the generous giving of Christians enabled global evangelism, as we know it today, and we are all recipients of this great movement.

As we entered the twentieth century, we discarded our trusty friend the horse and we developed and used unimaginable weapons in two world wars and dozens of other conflicts, slaughtering over a hundred million people, while at the same time, we travelled to the moon and sought to reach the galaxies and beyond. During this time, our scientists created medical miracles to extend the lifespan of some, while millions of others died of hunger and disease.

Now, after taking this short historical tour, we are faced with an important question, “What have we achieved?” How do we, as Christians, break out and become relevant in the modern contemporary world?

As a student of biblical, economic, military and social history it appears to me that the Christian church is probably at its lowest point of relevancy in our society for the last 100 years and that never before have our evangelical reports been so exaggerated with respect to information on supposed global Christian converts. When the claims are examined under the bright light of careful scrutiny, it becomes very difficult to point to any measurable change in the national group behaviour of any country, including places with great numbers of professing Christians such as South Korea, China and Africa, and many of the old soviet satellite states. It becomes increasingly difficult to find anything resembling the beginnings of any kind of a revival. It seems to me, as I travel extensively throughout the world and come across enthusiastic and dynamic churches, there is no evidence that Christians have made any real difference in the country or the community in which they live, and even our Christian politicians seem unable to make their voices heard or to develop a plan to get public attention in a way that will create wholesome change.

It would appear that in this modern world Christians have rarely made an impact on their community, or even on their next-door neighbours and work associates, who are often unaware that they are Christians. In the past we hoped that Christian schools would bring about an effective change, but we have had Christian schools for decades now, and we do not see any significant changes occurring in the real world as a result.

Will history continue to repeat itself, or will we as Christians be honest and courageous enough to say that what we are doing is not working? Don’t we understand that we are in danger of losing the battle for the souls of humankind? Must we go from crisis to crisis or will the people of the Christian church rise again and dare to proclaim a message of peace, progress and prosperity!? Or will we continue to live our lives in a vague mystical pacifist dream, while our aspirations remain fossilized by fear, inaction and ignorance? Are we destined to stumble along, singing a song of triumph and exaggerating our feeble achievements? Or are we going to be courageous enough to stop and take stock of our failures and inadequacies, and create a plan for the next one hundred years with clear concise measurements, and with works that follow our words of faith so that we will not be an embarrassment to the saints of old?

We need to action our faith and grasp the challenge - with world-shattering events, we could make the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, and yes, even the race for space merely flickering lamps of the past against the brightness of the testimony of the works of a Christianity stimulated by the hand of God and moving with a good conscience towards a glorious future!!!

We who are Christians are blessed to be the guardians of the truth and living examples of what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. We would do well to look into the mirror of our own lives and see what we have become and what we were meant to be. Are we becoming a paradox, vaguely wanting to be, without the will to become, or is there a missing element that would ignite us to become the giants that according to Scripture we are meant to be?

We must think not only of the present, but also of the near and the distant future in respect to our own safety and that of our families, and the economics and relevance of what we as Christians are doing. We must ask the provocative question, “Is it possible that we Christians can make a difference or a change for the betterment of humankind?”

Throughout this book I want to bring to your attention a subject that I believe should have been dealt with many centuries ago by theologians and Bible teachers, because yet another question needs to be asked, “Why is it that so many people who have been Christians for ten, twenty and even fifty years appear to be so ineffective as an example in the performance of their everyday lives?”

It seems that we receive an abundance of instructions from the pulpit and Bible study classes, and never have there been so many radio, internet and television ministries for us to absorb, and we have an abundance of books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, theological colleges, universities and Bible schools, and yet very few Christians can relate their faith in a successful way to their daily lives to the point of being examples of what we should expect to be - fearless, successful, and highly productive human beings! My office is flooded with questions from Christians who are confused and bewildered - although they study their Bibles and read Christian inspirational material, many of their marriages are in a mess, their children go off the rails, their finances are in chaos, their businesses are in unserviceable debt, and they appear to have no sense of direction, clarity of thought, or confidence about improvement in the future - yet the Word of God provides a clear and accurate compass, pointing to where we need to be and what needs to be done!

We are confident that theological scholars and Bible translators have done their job well in presenting the Word of God to us in our own language, and that they have been careful to provide an accurate account, using appropriate words to express biblical truth (which was surely their objective). But it seems to me that what we have been taught and what has been written about the Old and New Testaments is generally from the point of view of theorists, who seem in almost every case, to have neglected to show us how to live out our faith in the modern workaday world. They have not helped us to see how our faith relates to the needs of a diversity of occupations, social positioning and community standards in the time in which we live.

Great Bible teachers and authors like C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer, who are favourites of mine, are fantastically descriptive in explaining truth but painfully naïve as to how it works in the relationships of the household, family, government and commercial worlds in which we live. However, there is evidence for all of us to see - all you have to do is to go to a local church and count the people in that church who own their own businesses, or who are leaders in their fields, or who are prosperous, respected, generous, outspoken and courageously honest, and who are still with their original spouse, and have the obedience and respect of their children, and you will quickly see what I am talking about.

What is needed is a renaissance of values that are clear, concise and unmistakable so that all who read them will clearly understand that they come from the Word of God. What we have, in fact, is a parroting of chapters and texts, while we overlook the real lives of biblical characters, great and small, who were ordinary men and women with families and responsibilities, but whom we have often portrayed as wandering enthusiasts with plenty of time at their disposal and the financial means to concentrate fully on what we read about in Scriptures. The reality was, for the most part, that these biblical figures were just ordinary people whom God used to do extraordinary things. In many cases we just gloss over their lives and have only a vague understanding of the social, political and economic climate of the times in which they lived, and so we do them an injustice and we are in error about how we need to behave as true followers of Jesus Christ.

Surely, it is obvious that Christians today are primarily used as employment fodder because they work in some of the richest countries in the world only as employees in commerce or industry and in corporations without having any ownership. They continue to scratch out a living under the authority of others, to the point that we have now become some of the most consistent beggars in history. If you disagree with this, turn on your television on any day and you will find that we Christians are asking for money to feed the hungry, heal the sick and shelter the homeless, and expecting others who are not believers, but who have had the courage to earn money and dedicate their lives to building and maintaining their own corporations, to pay for our benevolent projects.

Now let’s reverse it, and look at it from a different point of view. How would we react if, through television, radio and magazines, atheists and Muslims and homosexuals asked Christians to support what they want but cannot pay for - we would have a sense of outrage! And yet persistently we find theological and Christian inspirational writers continue to be selective in their illustrations, as they quote an abundance of Scripture, urging us to do what many of them have never consistently done themselves. In my long experience and involvement with many of them who are alive today, and some others in days gone by, I have found them to be theological and spiritual cowards in their everyday life.

I have been a Christian for a long time, and I have had the responsibility of Christian outreach in many fields throughout the world. I have met with some of those who speak and preach about evangelism, but they rarely win anyone to Christ on a personal basis. Surely there is something wrong here, because they appear to be either fearful or ill-equipped to present the cross of Calvary to the abandoned and the lost on a personal basis, and yet they speak so often about it from the platform and the pulpit and try to shame others for not doing it for them. We have been bombarded with books and lectures from academics on how we should live and behave, without being provided with contemporary practical examples to help us to get the job done.

When I first came to Christ as an illiterate brick-layer and stone-mason at 26 years of age, I felt stirred with the challenges, dreams and aspirations that God had placed before me, and yet I was ill-equipped to do the job. I understood very little of academia and theology in those days. When I look back, I realise this was a blessing in disguise. I had come from a questionable moral background, where ethics, principles and responsibilities were neither taught nor practised, so I decided that with my new-found faith I would try to do what I considered safe and secure. As I thought and prayed about my situation and came to grips with my vocabulary and comprehension, I decided to write out how I was going to live within the boundaries of my new-found faith, and so I created my special “Christian Codes of Conduct”.

As I continued to grow in my Christian walk, I found there were more and more areas in which I needed to be stretched and I required more rules for living, so I persevered and developed more codes.

Over the years, I even found it helpful to write myself a letter at the end of each week to analyse how I had behaved. As time went by, I would read letters I had written to myself 12 months earlier and realise where I had lied. In time, of course, things changed, our family grew up and became strong Christians, our businesses prospered, and my dreams started to be realised to the point that I have now conducted free of charge a thousand seminars in different parts of the world on business, family, finance and faith, all from a Christian perspective. I am continually asked how I did it. What is the secret?

My answer is that I had plans, I studied, I worked hard, and I was prepared to take risks, but I believe there was something more that gave me the edge - it was that I had created “Biblical Codes of Conduct”, and I stayed tightly within the framework of those codes, which were practical, do-able, measurable and sensible.

Where did I get this idea? It came from Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments - God’s code of conduct for humankind. As I searched Roget’s Thesaurus of Synonyms and Antonyms, I found that it called the Ten Commandments a “code”.

I still have many of the codes of conduct that I wrote long ago, and some are over 45 years old. Over the years I have gradually created more, as needs have arisen. Recently my pastor asked me to speak at a men’s breakfast entitled “Men of Honour”, and with his approval, I decided to speak on “A Christian Code of Conduct”. As I spoke to the men on that particular morning, I was reminded that the world has many codes of conduct - people create codes through music, rap, magazines, DVDs, television, or the latest craze or fashion, but they have missed the mark. They don’t seem to want to understand that the only real measure of value is permanence. I strongly believe that we, as Christians, must reinforce our holy mandate with the permanent oracles of God to demonstrate that we are serious about making an impact for good and for God in the 21st Century.

We must pose yet another question, “Why haven’t our theologians and inspirational writers and teachers provided us with a Christian Code of Conduct for daily living before now?” The simple answer is that it would be difficult for them to do so because they do not operate at that level! As a matter of fact, many of them rarely venture away from their protected academic positions. I believe it’s time for us to set our own Christian codes of conduct based on the Word of God that provide relevance, meaning, and measurements for all we do. I have found that my codes of conduct have provided me with the foundation for a sound and secure life, and recently I created a few more that were helpful to me and may be helpful to you, also.

On our country estate I built a large stone garden wall. I wanted something to remain well after I had passed on, so I embedded in the wall, for all to see, two stone tablets expressing no less than “God’s code” called the Ten Commandments, as contained in the 20 Chapter of Exodus, although in my garden wall it is a little more succinct. It reads:

1. Thou shall have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shall not make any graven image, thou shall not bow down thyself to them nor serve them.

3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

5. Honour your father and your mother.

6. Thou shall not kill.

7. Thou shall not commit adultery.

8. Thou shall not steal.

9. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

10. Thou shall not covet.

Surely this is the greatest code that has ever been given to humankind, yet it’s broken every day. In contrast, the world has codes that are corrupt. In the early 1970s we were confronted with what was called The Little Red School Book, which was full of anarchy and perversion, seductively enticing our youth towards corruption and revolution. It was written by two men who wanted to change the teaching institutions of the world according to their hideous ideas on how society should be run. However, from the information I have, it seems that they had never built anything practical in their lives.

It was the same with Karl Marx, who would not work and could not handle his own economics, and so he created the “Communist Manifesto.” I’ve seen ideologies and codes come and go, but I believe we are now in a new era, full of opportunities, and it’s time for Christians to rise up and win again. We must win in the market place, we must win in the universities, we must win in the law courts, we must win in the media, and we must win in our governments. We must defend our faith, our churches, and our families to the last drop of sweat, to the last dollar, to the last argument, to the last word, and if necessary, with life itself.

We ask, “Why are sin and debauchery overwhelming us?” The answer is simple. Our enemy is proactive and uses situation ethics, causing people to continually change their standards. People know what they want to do and where the hot spots for action are, and they also know where our weak points are. People are not like a good institution, which has a permanent unchanging code of conduct as a standard for good behaviour!

While I was preparing for a visit to the United States, I wanted to get more people and churches involved in what I called “The Gabriel Call” [1]. I sought to build a relationship with 50 black and 50 white megachurches, which had the capacity to involve a minimum of 100 people each in The Gabriel Call, and I would send to them, at no cost, some of the best brains in the world, to advise and stimulate their efforts to go into business. But I had a problem, I needed a code of conduct to keep them on track, and so I created one in the form of a gold security badge. It is called “The Conqueror’s Code of Conduct”.

[1] For more information, see www.gabrielcall.com

The Conqueror’s Code of Conduct

1. Fidelity in marriage.

2. Create a family heritage.

3. Support the church you attend.

4. Build financial reserves.

5. Plan ahead.

6. Keep to timeframes.

7. Under commit and over perform.

8. Maintain control.

9. Protect your assets.

10. Build your character.

11. Focus on priorities.

12. Develop a sense of destiny.

Here are some of the biblical references I used:

Ecclesiastes 9:9-10

Enjoy life with the woman you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble.

Deuteronomy 25:13-16

“Do not cheat when you use weights and measures. Use true and honest weights and measures, so that you may live a long time in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord hates people who cheat. ”

I want to share an interesting story. Some years ago, the great Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis required a large parcel of land in a particular location to extend his business interests, so he quietly sent one of his trusted men into the area under the name of one of his less known corporations to purchase a number of small and larger pieces of property for that purpose. Within a relatively short time they were able to obtain some of the sites, but they still needed more, and because he was paying over market value, people saw this unique opportunity and sold their land to him.

Careful early enquiries had already obtained reports on fair market value for the properties, but because of the constraints of his timeframe and the quality of the location, he decided to pay considerably more, and so his project made some people very happy.

However, it wasn’t long before word got out that it was none other than Aristotle Onassis who was purchasing the properties. Sensing the magnitude of the situation, a number of those who had already sold properties, and others who were preparing to sell, demanded more money. The disquiet became so volatile and so intense that Mr Onassis decided to fly into the town to find out what all the fuss was about.

He was concerned by the turbulence that his name had caused and, being anxious to settle things down, made a personal visit to the location to meet the people himself. When he finally arrived at the airport it was crowded with people wanting to see this fabulously rich man, but in the group were quite a number of discontented people who had sold him their properties earlier and at the time of the sale had been delighted with the high price they had received.

Mr Onassis was charming and met with dignitaries and others. All went well, until suddenly a woman in the midst of the crowd called out in a loud voice, “Mr Onassis, Mr Onassis, why do you force people out of their homes with money?” Immediately the huge crowd became quiet, and in a flash Mr Onassis took off his dark sunglasses and with a smile and a clear voice said, “Madam, you do not force with money, you seduce.”

This is what The Gabriel Call’s Code of Conduct is all about. In a sense, the twelve points can be summed up in the words of Aristotle Onassis, “Money is very seductive, and through the seduction some people become trapped” - that is why people need a code of conduct.

Very often, business people’s successes can also lead to their biggest failures. Success begets popularity, power and fame, and these have the ability to make people become deceptive and cover up many things, and truth usually becomes the first casualty.

I believe it is not possible to break the Conqueror’s Code of Conduct until you first permit yourself to be seduced into believing that what you want to do is okay. Self-justification becomes a dominant motive; or you believe that nobody will find out; or you convince yourself, “I will only do it this one time because it is very important for me to gain the advantage.” There are always consequences. Let me tell you a heart-breaking story.

I was speaking at a large church in the United States, and in the introduction, it was mentioned I had been married for over fifty years. At the conclusion of the service, when the church was almost empty, I could hear what seemed to be someone sobbing in the pews. As I followed the sound, I found a man of about forty-five years of age prostrate on the floor. Between his tears and sobs, he uttered these words, “We were so happy, and we had great plans for the future, but I allowed myself to cheat on my wife. I swear it was only once. It took less than ten minutes, and I don’t even remember the girl’s name, but I lost my wife, my children and my future.” He went on and said, “I thought I could get away with it”, and as he continued sobbing, he said, “I only cheated once and I thought I could get away with it.”

At the writing of this book, I am seventy-six years of age, and I have now been married for fiftyfive years. I have enjoyed the love, security, protection and fun of a wonderful close relationship with my wife and all of our children, their spouses, our grandchildren and our wonderful extended family of in-laws. I thought of this poor man who had lost his marriage, his heritage and his character in ten minutes. Is it any wonder why I fearfully and respectfully stick to a personal Christian code of conduct? I have found that cheating others can only occur if you first cheat yourself. While you hold on to thoughts of advantage or disadvantage and the means to cover it up, you begin to think about how you can protect yourself or promote a situation, and soon you will discover that the means will become the master! I have known of people who have trusted their sons and daughters to the Lord for their future but will not trust their money to the same God to whom they trusted their children. You have to wonder about their spiritual family value system.

I have a good friend who invested heavily in the work of God for many years, and then through some unfortunate circumstances during an economic downturn, he lost everything. At the time I asked him how he felt about all the money he had given to the furtherance of the gospel. He leaned backwards, laughed and said, “That was the only money I did not lose, and it is still working for the kingdom of God today.” My friend had the right perspective, because he had financial reserves in heaven. He went on to recover financially.

I believe we need to plan ahead like the wise virgins and also to have earthly reserves. One of the reasons we have been able to experience significant business growth over many years has been our planning program and our insistence on financial reserves.

Another area of importance is time management. To neglect this is to court disaster. How often have you heard people say, “I will have that job done for you in just a couple of minutes,” when you know before they start that it will take at least thirty minutes? We play games with our inability to accurately commit to timeframes and to keep to them. We tend to lose control when we commit our time incorrectly, because we then have to make up the time somewhere else, and in doing so, we let others down, although we have previously made a commitment to complete something for them.

One of the greatest lessons I have learnt in my lifetime is to under commit and over perform. With this philosophy of personal management you can always maintain control, guard your character, make friends, keep others happy, and still remain true to yourself.

The first great law of investment is to remain in control. The greatest investment you can make is in the life God has given you, and yet many people’s lives are out of control. They have no idea how to control their time, their energy or their finances. By not appreciating this simple but profoundly powerful asset, we become very much less effective people than we ought to be.

By not focusing on priorities, you are cheating yourself - you go from one thing to another, leaving much incomplete. In that kind of muddle, you realise, too late, that you had focused on the wrong things, and an irreplaceable part of your life has been wasted. You have wasted your time, and time is the “stuff” life is made up of; it can neither be redeemed nor replaced.

In the conclusion of the Conqueror’s Code of Conduct we face the possibility that within the deep recesses of your heart, you have nourished great thoughts, dreams and aspirations, which have never been revealed in your relationship with others, or if they have, only to a very limited extent.

I still have a precious jewel called a sense of destiny that gets me up when I feel down, challenges me when I become lethargic, provides for me with energy beyond description and a thought capacity that eclipses my own reckoning, and eventually removes all obstacles.

During my long life I have read over six thousand biographies and studied success with intensity. I have sought to delve into the corridors of history and have also examined many facets of economics, all the time seeking to examine everything in the clear bright liberating light of God’s Word.

Now let us look at another Christian Code of Conduct: A Christian Husband’s Code of Conduct.

A Christian Husband’s Code of Conduct

1. My wife is a gift from God.

2. I will never dishonour the gift.

3. I have made a life commitment.

4. I will treat her with love and tenderness.

5. I will be a man of my word.

6. I will bring gifts to my wife.

7. I will never surrender my leadership.

8. I will accept total responsibility.

9. I will respect my wife’s opinion and concerns.

10. I will provide for her comfort and security.

11. I will apologise and forgive.

12. I will pray for her and provide a pleasant lifestyle.

Genesis 2:23

And Adam said:

“This is now bone of my bones

And flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman,

Because she was taken out of Man. “

1 Peter 3:7

In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are the weaker sex. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God’s gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

My wife is a gift from God, but I didn’t have the background to appreciate this until after I came to Christ. When I first saw Robina, I was almost speechless as I caught a glimpse of this beautiful young lady with a complexion like porcelain and a dignity that was well beyond her sixteen years of age. I knew at that moment that we would be together for life.

Some months after we had our first kiss over a wooden picket fence and I didn’t wash my face for two weeks. This wonderful gift that God had given me has stayed with me through the darkest moments and the greatest joys. She has gifted me with two boys and a girl and we now have eight grandchildren. Neither of us have ever doubted our commitment to each other or strayed from our marriage vows. Being married to my wife is the nicest thing that has happened to me in my lifetime.

When I brought out my husband’s old code of conduct recently, I asked my wife to evaluate my behaviour against the twelve principles I had created many years earlier. I was pleasantly relieved when she gave me full marks. There are times, of course, when my wife and I disagree, and it took some years for me to learn to disagree agreeably. When we, as husbands, get angry or say or do anything that is unkind to our wives, in a sense, we are dishonouring the gift that God has given us.

One of the most important things I learnt early in my married life is that I need my wife more than my wife needs me.

I am sure that God understands a man’s need for tender companionship, together with help and closeness, to fill the deep void in his life. Without this, a man is at most times incomplete. It seems to me that God created women to live longer than men, and I often wonder whether that was so they could care for us men as we become older.

With a life commitment to each other, Robina and I appreciate one another’s company. I enjoy waking her up in the morning by bringing coffee and cookies, as I have done for the last thirty years. She certainly appreciates it. Something else that is very important is financial security. We men don’t have to be all that smart to understand that women appreciate and need this. Life experience shows that men are more inclined to be risk-takers than women, although in this modern fast-changing world, women are moving into some of the previously male-dominated professions, and in some cases into quite dangerous occupations, although they generally did not move into them until they became much safer.

Do not ignore your wife’s needs for financial and emotional security. If you provide a sensible foundation of financial security for your wife, you will avoid many challenges and disagreements. Research has shown that financial problems are still one of the greatest challenges in a marriage and this is an area in which the husband must accept some responsibility.

Robina and I have been through some difficult financial challenges on several occasions, and I am sure she must have wondered if things would ever change. But I had made a special commitment that she had long forgotten when I told her, before we were married, that I would one day cover her with diamonds. Robina never brought up that commitment I had made as a much younger man, but one day, twenty years after we were married, I surprised her when I reminded her of it. That day we went shopping, and I did, in fact, buy her diamonds.

I like to give flowers and other gifts and pleasant surprises to my wife often. She never expects these things, but she always shows appreciation.

Having been married for all these years, you would expect me to understand my wife - but I don’t - certainly not in everything - and what’s more we do not always agree or see things in the same way. Disagreement does not necessary mean a lack of respect, but it does very often point out differences in the way a man and a woman look at things. Often a woman’s opinion and concerns are deep, and she needs to be able to express them in order to obtain relief and reassurance. Who better to share them with than her life’s partner, her husband?

It is important to listen not only to what is said, but also to what is not said. At times, your wife may be sheltering you from some of her concerns because she feels these could cause you anxiety.

Some time ago I had to travel interstate for a few days. Because my motorcar was being serviced, my wife was provided with a loan vehicle from the dealership. Around lunchtime I became concerned about a few matters relating to my vehicle, so I called the service department of the dealer to speak to the manager. Before I could say anything, he asked me if I was aware that my wife had had a significant crash in the loan vehicle. He hastened to tell me that she was not hurt.

I immediately phoned my wife, and she told me in a very clear and calm manner what had happened and that she was not hurt and everything was fine. I accepted her explanation, but I was still concerned, and I wanted to go deeper. I said, “Thank God you are not physically hurt, but tell me how you feel.” And with that, she burst into tears. I understood that she was hurt and upset at a different level that had nothing to do with the physical or practical, and so we talked for some time on the phone and, in a sense, over that telephone line I put my arms around her and embraced her and felt with her what she was feeling inside.

My code of conduct also says, “I will apologise and forgive.” For the male species, this can be a hard thing to do, particularly when you believe you are in the right. Because I have thought and prayed this issue through and searched the Scriptures well in respect to my role I believe, as head of the house and spiritual leader of the home, it is important for me to see that harmony is maintained.

There are times when I believe I am absolutely right on an issue, but because I am responsible for the well-being and security of my own household, even though I will not reverse my decision, I would be a fool not to know that my wife may feel totally differently about the decision I have taken. I will always go to her and rebuild the family harmony and tell her I am sorry for any distress I have caused. I believe it is always a man’s duty to be sensitive and not to crush his wife, and always to apologise fully and repeatedly when he is wrong, or uncaring, and even when he has to be immovable in his decision.

Marriage is a long-term commitment, and it should be a relationship of experiencing together highs and lows, joys and sorrows, and sometimes sickness as well as good health. In this binding relationship we are equal in purpose and commitment, with the blessings of oneness and equality before God, but with different roles in creating one indivisible unit.

Part of my role, in consultation with my wife, is to provide a pleasant lifestyle for my wife and family in respect to where we live, how we live, what we do, and what avenues of service to others we seek. How do I do that? I plan ahead and position our family spiritually, physically and economically in an atmosphere of security, within which we have confidence to achieve our God-given aspirations and dreams!

Now let’s take this to a different level.

A Christian Father’s Code of Conduct

1. Be an example and be a good provider.

2. Show a united front (husband and wife in agreement).

3. Clarify boundaries for behaviour and expectations.

4. Develop togetherness. Listen to nuances and what is not being said.

5. Build in responsibilities (benevolence, discipline and economics).

6. Expand your family’s vision and pray for the family members.

7. Verbalise, exercise and emotionalise love.

8. Commit forever.

9. Be a counsellor, friend and confidant.

10. Never drop your guard.

11. Introduce your family members to people who will stretch them.

12. Show your family your courage.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

“Never forget these commands that I am giving you today. Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working. ”

Psalm 127:3-5

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a real blessing.

The sons a man has when he is young are like arrows in a soldier’s hand.

Happy is the man who has many such arrows.

He will never be defeated when he meets his enemies in the place of judgment.

Proverbs 22:6

Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life.

Some years ago I was in Hong Kong speaking to a significant group of business and Christian leaders. My agenda was so full covering the subjects my host wanted me to address that I had no time to open the floor for questions.

I had observed with some discomfort that there was a short but very active Chinese man at the back of the auditorium standing on a chair waving his hand in the air all day. At the conclusion of my last presentation I felt compelled to call out from the platform and ask him if there was something he wanted to say. In a flash he said, “Yes, I have a question.” When I asked him to proceed, he told us a fascinating story of how, as an evangelist, he travels across mainland China preaching the love of Christ, telling people how their lives will be transformed if they follow Jesus and that God wants to prosper them.

Because my time was short and many people with questions had their hands in the air, I thanked him for his story and asked him to proceed with his question. He responded by saying, “I believe in what I am telling people with all my heart, but as I share these things with poor traders, they shake their heads in disbelief because I have no examples!!!” And that is an almost universal problem, yet the Bible urges us to be examples to others so that their life and faith may be strengthened. There is no more effective way to be an example than through your own family.

One way is to provide well for your family. In fact, the Bible says if a person does not look after his own family “he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”.

During my early years of business, everything seemed to go wrong, and although we had food on the table, we did not have much more than that. During those times I felt at my worst, even though my work ethic was high, my life was on track, and my family adored me. Yet there was something gnawing away at my soul and it was this. I was travelling about one thousand miles a week, mainly on unpaved country roads at night, dodging semitrailers and at times facing dust storms, mouse plagues, thunderstorms, wild kangaroos, stray sheep, cattle and wild horses. I was deeply concerned for my family. What would happen to them if I had an accident on one of these outback roads, far away from medical care and without life insurance? How would they cope if I was injured or killed? What sort of an example would I be if I left them destitute? How would my family regard me, having had trusted me to provide for them as an expression of my love? Why would my children want to follow my example as a Christian father?

My first priority, as soon as I had saved $1,200, was to purchase a whole-of-life insurance policy. When I obtained that policy I went into a field, held it up to heaven and called out to God, saying, “I am not an unbeliever because I am looking after my family.”

Our household was always an exciting place to be because our boundaries included fun and excitement, as well as penalties for disobedience. Today some trendy psychologists and behavioural scientists are telling us we can’t discipline our children, and we risk a legal penalty if we do. Let me be clear that we used the wooden jam spoon to great effect, and we found, particularly with the boys, that their hearing aid was located near their rear end. They all turned out well. Our family was often used as an example of togetherness, commitment and fun in our own church, to the point that we had problems with too many people wanting to come to visit us to see it in action.

I believe we must teach our children character, generosity and respect in the home, so we don’t have to leave it to the judiciary or other institutions to do later.

Robina and I have disagreed on many things over the last fifty-five years, but we have never disagreed on how to bring up our children. By taking a united front we have been able to make clear-cut decisions when decisions have had to be made.

I have a very famous Christian friend who told me about a discussion he had with his son when the boy reached twenty-one years of age. This is what he said, “Son now you are twenty-one years of age and you are on your own. Do not ever come to me for money or help of any kind because you are now a man and you must fend for yourself.” I was shocked when he told me that, because our children are our children until the day we die. They can come to us for anything at any time, and when we go, we will leave a good heritage for them.

We trained our children to be self-starters and to have a good work ethic. Well do I remember how Peter Junior, while he was still going to school on his bicycle, was building his own business and dealing with timeframes, inclement weather and costs, as he cut timber paving slabs for the garden stores and made a good profit.

Robina and I learnt, as the children were growing up, never to drop our guard. If we asked them to do something and the tone of their voice dropped as they responded, then it was likely it would not get done. That is why you have to listen for nuances, and also listen carefully for what is not being said. All of our children have grown up now and they have their own grown up families, but we are still their confidants and friends. I cannot think of any anxious moments we had with them, even as teenagers.

When the children were almost teenagers I was to challenge the pornographers, the sex shops and the libertines in our country. They were trying to shock everyone with an obscene stage play called “Oh Calcutta”. Because I was involved in the Supreme Court action that had the stage play banned, I was often in the newspapers, on television talk shows, radio and debates concerning morality. My premise was very simple. It was simply that “good morals are good economics”, because if a society has good morals it won’t need to pay for so many policemen, and if people have good morals, insurance fees will go down because they will not cheat. Good morals are good economics. Furthermore, I wanted to see womanhood uplifted and respected, and not to see women treated as sex objects.

I also challenged unnecessary trade union strikes that always seemed to hurt the vulnerable. During those days I became a very public figure, with some people supporting me, and some opposing me.

My family saw the courage I exhibited against all odds and how I would not be put down or silenced. I won some battles and I lost others, but I was never neutral, and I was always vocal about what I believed in. When required, I put my money and my reputation where my mouth was. The upshot was that it gave our children an example of courage to stand up for what they believe in.

At that time I was deeply involved in national and international Christian outreach and politics, as well as having to manage my national and international business interests. On occasions, I came into contact and associated with some very famous people from many countries and all areas of society. Because I wanted to strengthen and stimulate my family, I would expose my children to some of the most dynamic people of our time by inviting them to our home or taking our children to visit with them in their hotel suites. I even took our children overseas to meet some of these people so they could see their examples and relate to them personally, which would in turn stretch them mentally, spiritually and financially, and expand their dreams.

Not long ago, I was riding horses with my son Graham and we were moving along at a nice pace. When we reached the top of a ridge, I said to my son, “I can’t believe that I am still riding horses at my age and still travelling the world trying desperately to make a change for good and for God.” Graham’s response was, “We find it hard to believe that too Dad, but you are doing well.” So I recommend to everyone who is reading this book, take this code of conduct for yourself, or create your own code based on God’s absolutes, including compassion and courage, and expand your own manhood. Be the kind of man your daughter would want to marry!

And now let’s move again to a different level.

A Christian Grandfather’s Code of Conduct

1. Build a heritage of character and finance.

2. Be transparent.

3. Get involved before the birth of each grandchild and stay involved for life.

4. Bring gifts continually.

5. Nurture and expect, love and respect.

6. Share your experiences with your grandchildren and teach them life’s principles.

7. Be the second court of appeal for your grandchildren, but affirm their parents.

8. Make your grandchildren aware of their spiritual and financial heritage.

9. Whisper encouraging thoughts to your grandchildren when they are asleep.

10. Be available at all times to offer advice and encouragement.

Proverbs 17:6

Old men are proud of their grandchildren, just as boys are proud of their fathers.

Proverbs 13:22

A good man will have wealth to leave to his grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to righteous men.

To be a grandparent, some have said, is the reward of being a father or mother. How many times have I heard from grandfathers about their grandchildren and sat through hours of photographs and stories about their achievements? When grandchildren are young they look at us adoringly with great approval, and it is so impactful. I have often said you have no idea what a perfectly good human being you are until you have grandchildren. The saying, “With every benefit there is usually an obligation or responsibility,” is true. However, in being a grandparent, you always receive more love from your grandchildren than you are trying to give to them!

We all know that our grandchildren can see right through us with a kind of sixth sense that we tend to lose later in life. They know when they look into our eyes, they will see love and benevolence, and at that moment, you are the focus of all they want to transmit to you. At the same time, you see something of yourself in them and the future of your dynasty.

It is easy to be fooled by a comfortable satisfaction when young ones come on the scene at a time when you can come and go as you please. But always remember that your children have provided you with an awesome gift, and with that gift, inseparably and inescapably, has come the opportunity to provide your grandchildren with your time, your love, your wisdom and your gifts, all of which they will eagerly receive.

At an early stage you will become their second court of appeal because, if mum and dad don’t give them what they want, they will appeal to their grandparents. To keep the scales balanced, we must always endorse the parents after listening to the grandchildren’s appeals, sometimes for hours and sometimes for many days.

Some years ago when we were at my son’s house for a meal, Graham said something to his son, and immediately my grandson turned around to me and asked, “Is that right, Poppy?”

To each one of our grandchildren I delivered a special gift that could be signed by all who visited him or her just after birth. The grandchildren still have these gifts as keepsakes today. I have heard some grandparents say, “I love to see my grandchildren come, and I love to see them go.” Our experience is somewhat different. We love to see our grandchildren come, and we love to see them stay. One day one of my grandchildren called Isaac phoned me and said, “Poppy, can I come and live with you for a while.” My prompt and clear answer was, “I will be around to pick you up in ten minutes, but have you cleared it with your mother and father?” He said, “Yes Poppy.” I responded by saying, “Aren’t they treating you right?” He said, “Of course they are Poppy, but not as good as I get when I am with you! ! !”

Most of our eight grandchildren are young adults now, but we were very close to them as they were growing up, and we are still close to them. It has been this way right from the time they were born. They come and stay with us, we take them on holidays with us, and in a sense, we are totally transparent with them. They know how we would react in almost every circumstance.

Sometimes my grandchildren would sit around and listen to stories about my experiences and how I was able to learn. I would bring them gifts whenever I saw them because I wanted them to understand generosity and to practise it themselves.

When our grandchildren were quite young and they came to stay with us, I would get up to check on them, usually in the middle of the night, and make sure they were comfortable and covered up. While they were sound asleep, I would whisper great thoughts to them and embrace and encourage their futures. I would tell them that God is committed to their development and assure them of my love and their security for the future.

Sometimes it seemed as if they heard what I said because a small smile would appear across their faces as they slept. My advice to you is to never stop giving your grandchildren encouragement in the right direction and to assure them continually of your love and respect.

All our grandchildren, even those over twenty-one years of age, still hug and kiss me. It does not matter who is around. Even at senior high school, they used to tell some of the other boys when their parents dropped them off at school to go back to their mother or father and give them a hug.

Because we are Christians we believe in providing a financial heritage for our children’s children (and that is not to the exclusion of their parents). We also want them to develop their own character and explore their own possibilities as young adults entering a challenging world.

We have before us today more and more economic uncertainty year by year. For the first time in over a hundred years, the predictions are that children born in this century will be poorer than their parents and grandparents.

As grandparents, wherever and whenever possible, we advise fiscal care and avoidance of debt. On occasions, we supply gifts for our grandchildren, and sometimes, small portions of gold to help them appreciate the value of real financial security. But what speaks louder than anything else is, I believe, the way they see us behave and live, the affection that we as husband and wife have, and the way we relate to them and to their mums and dads. This is part of the glue that holds all this grandfather business together in a wonderful way. Read and re-read the Christian Grandfather’s Code of Conduct. Make it your business to have your grandchildren adore and admire you, and also their parents, and you will see a bright gleam in the eyes of a justly proud grandmother.

Before I close these comments, I would like to leave you with a challenge to increase the sense of unity and wonder in your family.

From time to time we would have a wonderful occasion with all our family at a small farm we had some years ago. It was one of my dreams to create a close-knit family, but for many years I nurtured a much bigger dream, and that was to take the whole family from Australia to Disneyland, all expenses paid. I told everyone, “You can bring anything but money.” And we did it. The grandchildren were in their element, and we even booked almost a full floor in the hotel.

During that time I took them to Dr Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral, which I helped to build as a member of his international board. As it happened, the Glory of Christmas was playing at that time, and they were all enthralled. We laughed and holidayed together, enjoying two weeks of fun as a family, which cemented even further the bond that we already had. The photos we took are still being displayed in their homes many years later.

Why not, as the patriarch of your family, come up with a family plan that is out of the ordinary - something they would never forget? You may be able to think of something that won’t break the bank.

Of course, our grandchildren are much older now, and their visits are spontaneous. Sometimes they come to eat with us, show us their new motorcars, bring their friends and show them our house, swim in our pool, or just sit around and talk. They tell us of their exploits, their current experiences, and their hopes for the future. Whenever they come, they understand our home is as much theirs as it is ours. They show this as they open the refrigerator or go to the pantry to get what they want, or stay for a few days in the rooms we have provided especially for them.

Now we will combine all this together with the next code of conduct, which is A Christian Code of Conduct for Building a Family.

A Christian Code of Conduct for Building a Family

1. Count the cost.

2. Prepare well and understand how to build maturity as well as the principle of cause and effect.

3. Build a living structure at the outset.

4. Have a reward program.

5. Identify, emphasise, repeat and monitor sound principles.

6. Always measure progress by the envisioned end results.

7. Bind all members into a unified and caring unit.

8. Look for examples that produce measurable results.

9. Define your objectives clearly and precisely.

10. Emphasise and re-emphasise your commitment by your words, expectations and actions.

11. Never default on your responsibilities or leave them to anyone else.

12. Set the tone and expectations by your own attitude and adherence to the principles of your code.

Deuteronomy 5:16

“Respect your father and your mother, as I, the Lord your God, command you, so that all may go well with you and so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you. “

Psalm 16:5-6

You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.

How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are!

Proverbs 4:11, 12-13

I have taught you wisdom and the right way to live. Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run.

Always remember what you have learnt. Your education is your life - guard it well.

Ask any politician, historian or behavioural scientist, or speak to any economist, and they will tell you that the family is the backbone of a nation. Without the family unit, a country will lack defence and protection because none will be prepared to risk their lives without the blood ties of family. Like many others today, I came from a broken home of divorce and struggle. This scenario was not all that prevalent sixty years ago, but today it is almost fashionable.

Our family today is united by blood, love, commitment, honour, wisdom and a generous spirit, which provides the glue that binds it together. All these things are necessary for the long-term functioning of this God-given unit, and much effort is required to make the family unified and strong, which you will need to do, if you want to ensure a continuous and positive flow on to the generations to come.

Surveys and economic data tell us that the financial cost of caring for a family is forever increasing because more is required and expected by children and parents to live what is considered to be an abundant and financially fulfilled life. As Christians, we know the cost of building a Christian family includes an additional factor called heritage, which requires in-depth thought, careful planning and protective measures. Permanence is the only real security for a family and building a heritage undergirded with prosperity is a grand achievement.

As a young man, after coming to Christ through the goodness of God, I developed a magnificent obsession to build a family unit that would last for seven generations, each with godly knowledge, awareness and wisdom to enlarge its own life and to help the next generation to do the same. I had a strong sense of where our family had come from and the deep roots of poverty and despair that had haunted its very existence for hundreds of years.

Naturally, we have prepared, and are still preparing, the financial heritage to make my magnificent obsession a reality. A Christian Code of Conduct for Building a Family offers a simple and effective outline of what to do, but it does not provide the details of how it can be done, so let me explain my experience in simple truthful factual terms, which you will find easy to grasp.

First, I had to get my own life in order spiritually and in its practical everyday expression. Secondly, I had to provide (with the help of my wife) a Christian code of conduct, and we and our children had to live that code out in our public and private lives. While all this was taking place, I had to cover increasing living expenses and build my own character in a way that would be worthy of transmitting to my family. It was a wonderful thing that as our children were growing up they were able to witness first hand the struggle that I endured in failure and also the exuberance of success and, in the process, to learn something of the quality and character of their father and mother.

In this, they were able to appreciate by observation and experience the strength of our work ethic, our dedication and the dignity in the way it was carried out. I often say to people, “If you want to impress me do not show me your degrees, your wealth, or your house or tell me how often you go to church, but show me your family,” because the family was created before the church and the way that we bring up our children, and the way they perform in the outside world shows honour or dishonour to their parents.

Our lives have changed dramatically over our many years. Our country estate is available at all times for our family. We have set special rooms aside for them, and furthermore, we have artifacts and heritage material throughout the home to leave to each one of them when we go home to heaven.

We have a special family crest which displays what we stand for, with Ephesians 6 as our mantel. We have had three large major works of art on canvas commissioned, one showing the landing of our forebears in Australia on Christmas Day in 1853 on the ship “Epaminondas”. They came from Cornwall, England, and we have on file our family history extending back hundreds of years. The second oil painting is called “Inspiration” and depicts the faces of the men who have inspired me looking down through the clouds (the face of my Bible teacher is included) and I am sitting pensively in the left-hand corner. The third large painting is of my lovely, dedicated wife in her wedding dress at twenty years of age; I gave her this painting as a gift at a special sixtieth birthday party.

One of these three magnificent large oil paintings will be given to each of our children to impress upon them their family roots to remind them continually of how they fit into a much larger unit in a historical sense.

Our eldest son, Peter Junior, some time ago presented me with a copy of “Rules for Peaceful Co-existence” which hung in our family room during the time our children were growing up. It was a constant reminder of what was expected of each one of them.

We also have a silver baton with a lion’s head at the top in gold, which is to be handed down from generation to generation. There is an engraved crest depicted on it and four words that govern our family conduct, which are faith, truth, discipline and kindness. Under our family crest we have Psalm 16:5-6 (New King James Version):

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

The baton has a hollow shaft, which can be opened and inside the shaft is a parchment relating to our family history. The parchment bears our Hebrew name, which is “Danel”, our family creed, and the crest with the four words to express our conduct, together with the names, birth dates and marriages of our children, with room for additions for many years to come.

My biography Living on the Edge provides an accurate account of our life as a family and can be used for instruction, information and encouragement by family members for at least a hundred years to come. My many other books, programs and lectures will provide instruction and understanding which will allow family members to take a quantum leap forward in life with a firm and a sure knowledge of what works and what they need to avoid, together with an understanding of the importance of good relationships and behaviour and exercising a sense of responsibility.

Christian values do not dominate or subdue people, but rather, provide solidarity and a highway of experience, open doors of opportunity, and a framework for love, which future generations can enjoy, and then in turn, pass on to the generations after them.

Now in my senior years, I can look back with thankfulness to God and with personal satisfaction, knowing that our family was not dragged up but lovingly and skilfully brought up under the shadow of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It demonstrates what can happen in a Christian family.

It is not too late for you to create, build or even rebuild your family - by the grace of God, it can be rebuilt, renovated and redeemed. If you believe this and act on it, then future generations will once again see the example that a Christian family provides to the world.

In addition, I would like to open up your thought process to understanding just how powerful a family unit can be, if directed with plans set within timeframes. Imagine, if you will, that your grandparents left a financial heritage to you, which carried with it the heritage their grandparents had left to them, and to which they had continually added. Consider how few generations would have to do this to come to the point where their great, great, great grandchildren could own half your city. In simple terms, this is how a heritage works.

I believe I know what you are probably thinking as you read this. It is simply this, “Where in the world am I going to find the money to start that kind of process for my future grandchildren?” The answer is quite simple. It is to take out a whole-of-life insurance policy with the proceeds to be equally divided between each family member, remembering of course to leave 10% of your total assets to your local church so that you do not deny in death what you have affirmed in life. Get busy and write out your will clearly, designating certain keepsakes for each of your grandchildren because this will mean a great deal to them. Finally, write out in simple form, or dictate into a recorder with your own voice, the story of your life, beginning with where you came from. Share some of your life stories, including your misfortunes as well as your successes, and also include anecdotes to help the family better appreciate the family journey.

A Christian Code of Conduct for Friendship

1. Select possible friends slowly and carefully.

2. Observe their character, desires and habits.

3. Make a limited and measured commitment first.

4. Ensure that the commitment is not one sided.

5. Set boundaries that are comfortable.

6. Support and encourage the dreams of your friends.

7. Strengthen them when they are down.

8. Do some things for them that they cannot do for themselves.

9. Don’t expect them to be perfect.

10. Enjoy confidentiality and companionship.

Proverbs 19:4

Rich people are always finding new friends, but the poor cannot keep the few they have.

Proverbs 27:17

People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.

A famous Australian cowboy and businessman, R. M. Williams, once said, “If you can count the number of your close friends on the fingers of one hand in a lifetime, you are a fortunate man.” Another person said, “A friend is one who knows all about you and likes you just the same.”

I have very few close friends, although I have lots of acquaintances. I wonder sometimes why we are so suspicious of others and so fragile that we protect ourselves from gaining more friends. There is, of course, a big difference between having friends and just being friendly. I suppose we tend to protect ourselves because we don’t want to be too vulnerable. I have had a number of disappointments from those I call friends, but it has not stopped me from being friendly towards them. My wife tells me that I am kind and friendly to people I don’t like, but I have no problem being kind to people, no matter how they react towards me, even if they say unkind words. Being friendly is an expression of manners, whereas our close friendships are an expression of our hearts. For many years I have adopted a formula for friendship, and I and adhere to it faithfully.

To some it may seem cold and calculating to choose friends on a profile selection basis, but on closer examination and thought you will recognise the wisdom of the process.

Why not prepare a profile of qualities for friendship? I do this. Let me share it with you.

1. Choose people who are honest in all areas.

I’m not for a moment suggesting perfection, but I do expect honesty in dealings and relationships. There is no room for a “friend” who tells you untruths or half truths. By honesty I mean having open and frank discussions, but with sensitivity to the other person’s situation and point of view. I have real problems with people who cheat on their spouses. I consider that if so close a relationship as marriage can be broken - for whatever reason - it may be difficult for those involved to keep a commitment to anyone else.

The type of true friends I am talking about are those whose handshake or quiet “yes” or “no” over the telephone means exactly what it says. There is no need for embellishment.

2. Choose people with a sense of humour.

I like to think that I can see the funny side of a situation and that those with whom I associate as friends can have a good genuine laugh at me and also sometimes at themselves. To look at everything with a furrowed brow and to look on life with deadly seriousness does little for the imaginative juices that allow us to enjoy living. It seems to me that it is one thing to be successful and highly motivated, but there is so much more to life if you can enjoy it as well.

Many times I have had my back to the wall with apparently no way out. Suddenly, someone pointed out the funny side and we all collapsed with laughter, and in the process, we were revived to fight another day. Good humour also looks for the good in others. It seems as if these two qualities are indispensable, and those you can laugh with are much easier to reason and work with.

3. Choose highflyers.

Here, I am talking about people who have empires in their minds. They desire not so much to conquer and possess, as to master, endure and overcome so that, somehow in the process, others might be helped and inspired by their accomplishments and challenged to reach their own potential.

Highflyers are always talking up, always climbing, forever thinking of ways in which goals can be accomplished, and always seeing goals that others cannot see. Highflyers are dreamers, yet they have the knack of relating their dreams to the realities of the here and now.

They are usually hard drivers - more to themselves than others - intolerant of laziness and small dreams. But they produce, they perform, and they persevere.

Having highflyers for friends helps you keep the edge on your own life. They challenge you to avoid slackness and unmotivated behaviour.

4. Choose generous people.

I know many wealthy people around the world who have gained their wealth by honest hard work and good thinking, but who find it almost impossible to give to others. They may lend a car, a boat, a beach home, or any number of things provided that they can call them back and retain them. But giving in the sense of actually giving away money or wealth eludes them.

It is these individuals who have a poverty of the spirit because they have not learned the truth that giving produces joy and blessing. Giving seems to have an effect on our inner selves, allowing us to enjoy life and its pursuits to a greater extent.

I have never met a truly successful wealthy person, in any field, who is happy and has the respect and admiration of friends, but who does not give.

To sum up, my criteria for choosing friends are simple but effective: (1) honesty, (2) humour, (3) highflying, and (4) generosity.

If you have these qualities, you will attract friendships and be a great friend to others. Spread your friendships through as many areas of society as you can and be enriched by the diversity of vocations and personalities you will encounter.

Sometimes I go into the outback areas of Australia by aeroplane, motor vehicle or horseback, or even riding a camel to savour some of the differences in people’s experiences. As yet, I have never found that I couldn’t fit in. It was Paul the Apostle who said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). Being able to move about in the social register, takes us into areas where we can see things differently and learn to appreciate and understand the struggles of others.

In a recent visit to the outback with a few friends it was interesting to see these “men of stature” sleeping on the ground, grinding through the incredible heat, and eating with one hand while brushing away flies with the other. To me, the real measure of a person in relation to others is the dignity he or she shows in responding to difficult situations. Select your friends carefully, and they will sharpen your edge in life.

Boundaries are very important in friendships, and it makes good sense to prevent them from being violated. I have a very good friend of forty years. Never has a cross word passed between us. My friend knows I have to be alone at times because I become “people tired” with all my commitments at major conferences, and he will never violate that need. Other friends of mine know that if we make an appointment for a particular time, I will always arrive before or at the appointed time. Some of my friends set boundaries on certain subjects they do not wish to discuss, and I honour their privacy, but if any need arises I will respond to them quickly, and they will do the same for me.

Create new friendships slowly. People may make a good impression in the first meeting, but you need to see them in other contexts and also to meet their family to observe how they relate to you and you to them. Beware of people who are quick to anger, even though they apologise later, because you will soon find out that the fuse may detonate at the most inopportune moment. Many years ago, I helped a friend in overseas opportunities and I met nearly all his requests. When he was desperately ill and fighting for his life, I was always available to offer help and comfort.

Sometime later, I became seriously ill and during the recovery process I was walking down the street below my penthouse. My friend’s wife was walking towards me. She recognised me immediately and said, “Peter, it is so good to see you up and around, my husband and I were very concerned for you.” Then, after a few pleasantries, she moved on. I was somewhat shocked at her casual manner, particularly since I had done so much for her family.

As a result, when I returned to my penthouse, I sat down at my desk and reviewed all the help, gifts, visits and good wishes I had given to many people over the preceding five years. I noted those who had never reciprocated with any kind of benevolence or assistance. I wrote down their names, and there were seventy on the list. I removed all those people from my life because my relationship with them was one-sided. I never made contact with them again but sought genuine friends instead, the kind who appreciate real friendship and reciprocate to others, and I felt relieved and free.

If you are my friend, you will never out-give me, because I will bless and protect you continually, and I will do for you some things that you could never do for yourself. What I am saying is that I do not expect perfection, but I do expect good manners and honesty. When tragedy or sickness strike, reversals occur, or bad news comes, stick close to your friends.

Well I remember a long-time friend who phoned in the middle of the night when his wife passed away with a bad asthma attack. I rushed to his home and stayed all night with him, and for weeks afterwards I would take him prepared meals and spend time with him. The minutes seemed to drag like hours and the hours like days, until after some time, he started to recover. He explained to me later that it was my constant, quiet presence that got him through and helped the healing process. Some considerable time later, he remarried and I was best man. He then continued for another twenty years before he sadly passed away. We were friends right up to the end and were as close as a telephone call. I was able to assist with the official burial ceremony when he went to be with his heavenly Father. I still have his endorsement in his own hand in my Bible. Christian friends are the best friends, and you can relate more easily to long-term friends because you come from the same vintage.

The title of the next code may appear to be strange, at first, but I have found that some Christians can be very unchristian in their own churches. For my sake and to guide my own behaviour, I have created the following code.

A Church Attender’s Code of Conduct

1. Attend church regularly for worship.

2. Support your church financially.

3. Protect and endorse the pastor.

4. Commit to serve your church with your special gift(s).

5. Encourage the brethren.

6. Pray for the pastoral team.

7. Set an example by your own life.

8. Point out opportunities.

9. If you are dissatisfied, try another church!

10. Leave 10% of your total net worth to your church in your will.

Ephesians 4:3

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (NIV)

Colossians 1:18

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence. (NKJV)

Haggai 1:2-5

The Lord Almighty said to Haggai, “These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple.” The Lord then gave this message to the people through the prophet Haggai: “My people, why should you be living in well built-houses while my Temple lies in ruins? Don’t you see what is happening to you? ”

Hebrew 7:9

And, so to speak, when Abraham paid the tenth, Levi (whose descendants collect the tenth) also paid it.

One of the most important things we do as Christians is to go to church to be with others of like mind and heart, to hear the gospel preached and to receive instruction and be strengthened, and above all to worship.

To be a committed Christian is to attend church regularly. This is a discipline that we undertake, but it is biblical and vital for all believers. To stay away from your regular place of corporate worship is, in a sense, denying its importance. We must demonstrate our love for Christ and be an example to others. Television ministries, important as they are, provide primarily for evangelism and ministry to the sick and others who are unable to attend their own place of worship regularly. I must admit that from time to time I sit and enjoy some television ministries outside of the regular times I attend church, but this can never and will never take the place of participating in the life of my local church.

It is not possible to benefit from the intimacy, nurture and authority of a pastor without continued direct contact. Although financial gifts to other ministries and deserving causes are a natural part of individual Christian expression, I believe that it is my responsibility to tithe and give other gifts to the church I attend, because that is where I receive my spiritual and biblical nourishment, and it is also my spiritual home.

To be effective in our local church we should always support and protect our pastor, as we believe pastors are called of God and have been divinely set apart to care for us. If at any time you disagree with your pastor, search your thoughts and reasons privately. If you still have concerns, make an appointment with the pastor and explain your concerns, with a view to finding a solution. You should never seek support from others for such concerns, because they must be dealt with directly between you and your pastor, always remembering that Jesus is the Head of the church.

If you should have a complaint or a concern that cannot be resolved with your pastor, and you are not prepared to accept the pastor’s authority, you should quietly leave and seek another church which may be more suited to your needs.

One of the simple things I try to do, as often as I am able, is to look around the church after the service and find someone we could bless and encourage, and we then take them out to lunch. I know of no better way to get to know people than over a meal.

Many years ago, we were in a large church with many young families. On Sunday mornings after the service we would seek out a family with several children and would ask the parents if we could take them all out for lunch. At first, because of the number of children, they would be reluctant to accept our invitation, but I would assure them that it would be our pleasure, and they always agreed. When we were ready to go, I would fit as many children as I could into my Rolls Royce automobile, and we would meet with the parents at McDonald’s a short time later. On arrival I would ask the parents if they would allow me to take charge of their children during our lunch. They always agreed, although they had no idea of what would take place.

I would quickly gather the children around me and tell them that their mother and father had given me permission to look after them while we were having lunch, and they would immediately cast an eye towards their parents, who would nod approvingly. I then explained to them, “I am looking after you for this lunch time, and I want to tell you to go and order anything you like - you can order any flavour of ice-cream, any hamburgers or nuggets or drinks, and if you don’t like the one you order, put it aside and try something else. By the way, there are no limits.” The parents at first were aghast, and I would often have to remind them of their commitment for me to look after the children. It wasn’t long before the children were into everything, and the parents were enjoying the fun as well.

So what took place at McDonald’s? Simply this. We spent an enjoyable couple of hours getting to know the parents who appreciated our love for their children, and everyone had a wonderful time. Many years later, when I was walking down the street in our capital city, a very nice young lady came up to me and said, “Aren’t you Mr Daniels?” When I responded in the affirmative, she said, “You don’t remember me do you, but I will never forget you, because when I was a little girl you took all our family out to lunch at McDonald’s, and we had the happiest time. We still talk about it.” What happened to that little girl and her family was simply that they had met someone who showed them generosity and friendship and encouraged them to have fun. If they or we hadn’t gone to church that day, we wouldn’t have had that privilege.

We have people in the church that I attend who greet people when they arrive and others who sing or play instruments or keep all the facilities in good order. The hospitality group takes care of special functions and meals, and so the list goes on. It is important to seek out where your gifting is and where you can be most useful in your church. Don’t wait to be asked, just volunteer and be assured that a place will be found for you. Whatever happens, don’t think that any task is too menial for you, even if it is cleaning the church, because this is still a service you can perform to the glory of God. I have a friend who has a very large financially successful business and whose annual tithe for many years represented almost 80% of the church’s revenue. He asked the pastor not to give him any position of authority in the church and not to put him on any committees, because it would not be right after he had provided so much money. Instead, he asked if he could teach Sunday school and attend to the grounds and maintenance. Today that church is large and my friend still attends.

Very often there are opportunities that a pastor may be unaware of but would appreciate having someone point out and become involved in. We can all be antennae on behalf of our church, looking for opportunities to bless others and expand our influence for God’s glory, and at times, we may be able to acquaint our pastor with what is taking place.

In closing my short explanation of this code of conduct in relation to the church you attend, I want to raise something that is often overlooked, namely your Last Will and Testament. Most committed Christians tithe to their local church, but the thought of leaving a tithe of their total life assets to their church when they die never occurs to them. Consider the following principle: “Do not deny in death that which you have affirmed in life.” My wife and I have already made such an arrangement. Why don’t you?

This leads us into the next code of conduct: A Christian Code of Conduct for Handling Finance.

A Christian Code of Conduct for Handling Finance

1. Earn as much as you can.

2. Give of your time, gifts and offerings regularly.

3. Budget carefully, buy quality, and minimise debt.

4. Keep expanding sensible reserves.

5. Do not allow anyone to control your finances.

6. Maintain control in any personal or business agreements.

7. Avoid legal confrontations.

8. Spend money on your brains.

9. Create a legally binding and protective family trust.

10. Build a long-term economic, spiritual and wisdom heritage.

Proverbs 18:19

Help your brother and he will protect you like a strong city wall, but if you quarrel with him, he will close his doors to you.

Proverbs 20:4

A farmer who is too lazy to plough his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.

Luke 19:15-23

“The man was made king and came back. At once he ordered his servants to appear before him, in order to find out how much they had earned.

The first one came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me. ’

‘Well done, ’ he said, ‘you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will put you in charge of ten cities. ’

The second servant came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me. ’ To this one he said, ‘You will be in charge of five cities.’

Another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take what is not yours and reap what you did not sow.’

He said to him, ‘You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not sown. Well, then, why didn’t you put my money in the bank? Then I would have received it back with interest when I returned.

Proverbs 12: 24

Hard work will give you power; being lazy will make you a slave.

Matthew 5:25

“If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute with him while there is time, before you get to court. Once you are there, he will hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will be put in jail. ”

Proverbs 22:26

Don’t promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts.

Proverbs 1:5

These proverbs can even add to the knowledge of wise men and give guidance to the educated.

Exodus 27:21

“Aaron and his sons are to set up the lamp in the Tent of my presence outside the curtain which is in front of the Covenant Box. There in my presence it is to burn from evening until morning. This command is to be kept forever by the Israelites and their descendants. ”

From time to time I hear Christians assert, “I’m not interested in money,” and yet they lock their motor vehicles and their houses, and seek any financial benefits they can get from the government or from their bosses, which of course, negates their assertion. As Christians, I believe that we should earn as much as we can by working hard and smart, and by investing wisely. We should provide for our families the best we can, and of course, be generous in gifts, tithes and offerings.

God has put us in a unique position in a free country with an abundance of opportunities, and how we respond to this great gift is a reflection of our faith in Him and our respect for Him.

In our dealings with money, we should think carefully about making major purchases. When paying cash we should, wherever possible, negotiate the price, because “money saved is money earned”. For items that you need for the long term, always purchase quality, and enquire before purchasing whether there is a new or better model coming out, because it may be wise for you to wait for the improvement.

Even for a family, it is important to keep financial reserves because negative things do happen and crises do occasionally occur. Your provision is a testimony to your family and your community, demonstrating your love, care and protection for your family.

If at any time you need financial advice, choose someone who already has a successful longterm track record, but do not make a judgement by outward appearances or possessions, which can be acquired on credit. Rather, request the names of several individuals who are the person’s clients, and even take it further by meeting with them personally rather than just making a quick phone call. I have seen more money lost in my lifetime through honest fools than I have by capable crooks.

The first law of investment is to maintain control. When you pass over the control of your cash or goods to someone else you have broken that law.

Wherever I go throughout the world I am asked the following question, “Where can I obtain a good investment.” My answer is always, “Invest in yourself and spend money on your own brains or start your own business, because in the end, you are the most trustworthy investment that you can make. If you make a mistake, you will learn that pain is a good teacher.”

While travelling in the United States of America some years ago, a pastor in Dallas Texas asked me this very direct question, “How do you make money?” I told him it was simple, in the sense that you make money by negotiations. Then I gave him the twenty-one principles contained in our “Destiny Program” [2].

During fifty years of business I have never had a major court case or legal challenge. That is because we are very careful in all of our dealings, and we never want to bring our reputation in Christ into the courtroom. If you are in difficulty, always seek to meet alone face-to-face with the people you are dealing with, and work out a compromise, even if it hurts financially, because you never know how long or how expensive a court action could become, or how far it might go.

When I was much younger I asked an old man, “How can I build a solid business that will last long term?” I have never forgotten his response, “You build a business like you would put up a tent in a storm. When you hammer in the first peg, make sure it is so solid that when you put in the second peg and the storm is still raging, the first one is so secure that it does not become unstuck.”

I found that to be good advice, not only for building a business but also for building a family so that after all your hard work and planning you don’t lose everything when something goes wrong. To secure your family assets for the next generation, you might be wise to create a family trust. In creating a family trust you need an expert in the field and you need to be prepared to pay well, because a loosely drawn up trust can cause more problems than it solves. So let me emphasise, go to an expert who has proven ability and protect your family for generations to come. At the risk of being somewhat repetitive, let me emphasise again the importance of spending money on your brains, and specifically, spend money on that which will help you improve your financial position. Let me explain what I mean.

Some time ago, a young man came to me and told me he was going to university over the next few years to learn to become an entrepreneur because he wanted to become wealthy so that he could help his family and his church. He asked for some advice and I enquired about his tutor, whom he had already met. I asked, “Is the professor that is teaching you rich?” He laughed and said, “I don’t think so.” I responded by saying, “If he cannot make himself rich, how in the world is he going to make you rich?” It seems a simple question, but so many people want to study and get a degree, thinking that this will be the panacea to establish their economic future. Yet, I often meet these people years later, and they are still trying to pay back their student loans.

I have had tens of thousands of people come to my seminars and say that they learnt more in a weekend with me than they learnt in the five years of university studies on business.

I’m not saying, “Don’t go to university, or don’t go to school.” You do need a good basic education. I think, however, that sometimes people make the mistake of believing that something written in a textbook is going to last forever, whereas business principles and opportunities change almost monthly. If you are planning to further your education, check around and speak to people who graduated some time ago from the program you are considering. Ask some hard questions, such as, “Are you financially debt free and successful because of your five years of study, and have you made up for the lost time?”

As a Bible believing Christian, you should pay your bills promptly and regularly, but do not pay bills if they are incorrect. If you cannot get satisfaction, do not deal with that person or corporation again. At all costs, avoid the debt trap because once you are in this trap, it is difficult to get out. If you are in that situation now, cut up all your credit cards and begin afresh. Start saving 10% every week after your giving program, and let it build up as a security for the future. If you cannot or will not save, the seeds of success are not in you. The only way your children will learn to be financially wise is to learn from you. If you are unwilling to endure the pain and become what you should be, you are going to leave a pattern perpetuating want and poverty for future generations.

As a young boy, I came from an irresponsible way of life. However, because of my commitment to Christ, and because God opened my eyes to many things, today economics has become my strength. We do not have debts and we have provided a secured and solid financial heritage for our present family and future generations.

Why not write out or record for your family the challenges you have had during your lifetime? Be honest and tell of the mistakes you have made, and the good and bad consequences of the decisions or lack of decisions you have made. Encourage them to learn lessons from your life and to apply these in their own lives in the contemporary world.

Now, I will share another of my codes of conduct: A Christian Entrepreneur’s Code of Conduct.

[2] For more information and to order Destiny of the Third Millennium, visit www.danel.ch

A Christian Entrepreneur’s Code of Conduct

1. Identify your moral standards.

2. Prepare your own life first.

3. Choose a suitable vehicle to start with.

4. Look for role models.

5. Adjust… modify… innovate… persist.

6. Watch for exit options.

7. Provide opportunities for others.

8. Stimulate and expand.

9. Check for financial security.

10. Be generous.

11. Guard your reputation.

12. Be alert to opportunities.

13. Continually expand your mind.

14. Do not retire.

Deuteronomy 8:18

“Remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich. He does this because He is still faithful today to the covenant that He made with your ancestors. ”

Leviticus 19:35

“Do not cheat anyone by using false measures of length, weight, or quantity. “

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to win full approval in God’s sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God’s truth.

1 Thessalonians 4:11

Make it your aim to live a quiet life, to mind you own business, and to earn your own living, just as we told you before.

Philippians 3:12

I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.

Money, it has been said, does not change people, it actually brings out who people really are, and so it is in the field of business. Justification is not a good moral barometer, and yet good Christians who would normally be respectful and honest in daily life may change when they go into business if their livelihood is on the line and creditors are banging on the door - then suddenly justification becomes their barometer.

That is why you should strengthen your moral barricades and clarify your boundaries before you go into business. What I am asking you to do is to prepare yourself in all areas of your life and be sure you have the courage and the emotional equipment that is necessary to get the job done, because when you go into business, it all depends on you.

In preparing to go into business, choose an area that suits your experience, training, gifting and finances. Even at the beginning, consider your exit options because, if things don’t go according to plan, you want to be able to exit without losing everything. Thus, you will need to be careful with taking on leases, contracts and debts.

Obviously if you intend to start a business, there will be other types of businesses that are the same as or similar to what you envisage, and sometimes a franchise can provide the assistance you need to get started. On the other hand, you may be familiar with a business type that you could modify or adjust to make suitable for you.

One of the wonderful things about owning your own business is that you can provide employment for other people and establish a position of respect and influence in your community. Do not expand your new business quickly just because opportunities come along, but allow time for an adjustment period to establish a routine and cash flow. It is important in the early days to protect your reputation carefully so that it will not be destroyed right at the beginning by some small issue.

Insist on current, accurate, truthful and solid financial and sales information. A bad move, or even an over-optimistic forecast, can close down your business very quickly. Once your business is established, it is time to seek out opportunities for growth which you can pursue without breaking the bank. I have found that many businesses say they need more money to expand when, in fact, if they had twice as many sales, the income gained would often solve the problem.

Marketing is the backbone of any business and, generally speaking, in all the planning to create a business, marketing is placed second or third on the agenda. However, in today’s economy you can produce almost anything, but it is what you can sell that counts.

When starting a business try to select the type of business that you feel comfortable in. One type we call the “wheelbarrow business”, which means as soon as you stop pushing the wheelbarrow, the money stops coming in. Businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants or services that operate all hours of the day, and sometimes well into the night, and require your hands-on skill at all times come into this category. Many of these are hard to sell when you wish to move on. They do not allow you to take holidays, and the long hours mean you lose contact with your family and friends, unless you can get suitable staff to relieve, and even when you can, you will still need to demand a very high and safe financial reward for your efforts in that kind of business.

A type of business that I particularly like is one that has few staff, where you can choose your own working hours and the return can be significantly higher than in some other sorts of business. Here, you look for exclusivity in a product or a service so that you have no competition. I do not believe that we have to work sixteen hours a day and seven days a week to run a successful business. To me, that would not be a happy or fulfilling occupation. I like to be able to pick my grandchildren up from school when I want to and spend time with my wife on our property, so I fit my business, finances and work around that.

Be careful that your business does not become your life or this will exclude you from many wonderful things you can do with your family and limit the use of your time, expertise and finance to propagate the gospel. Wouldn’t it be sad if you missed all those precious years of involvement with your family and the excitement of pursing God’s plan for your life because you were entangled with business and its problems all the time?

To establish a business, in the beginning, may take a lot of hours and a great deal of time but don’t make it a life-long endurance race.

I believe we need to be careful that we don’t build our business for our children to take over. Sometimes it works, but history has proven that most times it doesn’t, because our children often have their own dreams and aspirations. Build your business so that your family can be involved if they want to, but don’t obligate them to do so.

Develop your business so that you can work in it more or less, whenever you want to, and so time doesn’t become an issue. When I owned a large real estate company in three countries, we noted that when people sold their large homes and retired to smaller properties, and no longer continued to work or have interests outside the home, it was not many years before they died. Then we had to sell their properties so the proceeds could be divided among their family members.

Try to build your business so that it remains viable, profitable and useful, with few complications, even when you are semi-retired.

Finally, a word of warning for those of you who may be going into the manufacturing business. Beware of producing component parts and technologies that might soon go out of date, because the rapid development of “technology obsolescence” could wipe you out very quickly. The manufacturing business today, and for many years to come, is going to be a very fluid and high risk area. You will need to have the capacity to adjust several times, unless you make a finished product that is unique, exclusive and doesn’t become obsolete, and preferably for which there is no competition.

A Christian Employer’s Code of Conduct

1. Establish what your requirements are.

2. Create an employment process.

3. Explain verbally and document what is expected.

4. Detail all financial payments and benefits in amounts and timeframes.

5. Make clear the penalties for non-compliance.

6. Do not suggest anything you are not prepared to put in writing.

7. Be generous, courteous and understanding in all considerations.

8. Hire slowly and carefully, but dismiss promptly and with clear reasons.

9. Do not make promises during a market upturn or reversal that you may find difficult to keep later.

10. Encourage the pursuit of excellence by word and example.

Deuteronomy 24:15

“Each day before sunset pay him for that day’s work; he needs the money and has counted on getting it. If you do not pay him, he will cry out against you to the Lord, and you will be guilty of sin. “

Colossians 4:1

Masters, be fair and just in the way you treat your slaves. Remember that you too have a Master in Heaven.

Malachi 3:5

The LORD Almighty says, “I will appear among you to judge, and I will testify at once against those who practise magic, against adulterers, against those who give false testimony, those who cheat employees out of their wages, and those who take advantage of widows, orphans, and foreigners - against all who do not respect me. ”

Job 7:1

Human life is like forced army service, like a life of hard manual labour.

Think carefully before you start employing because it may not solve your problems but may create a bigger problem that becomes difficult to terminate. Employing others is a huge responsibility in that the people you employ will trust you to provide the income they need to have a good and comfortable life and for the security that is expected with employment. In addition, they will look for such things as opportunities to advance in their careers, earn higher incomes, gain work satisfaction, and benefit from other special incentives and conditions. You have responsibilities to fulfil in these areas, even if you do not make a profit, and in the early stages, you could find yourself having to work hard to pay for someone else’s wages.

There are several keys to employing good people, and there are two unbreakable laws that are worth remembering. These are: “Hire slowly, and fire promptly.” You hire slowly, because it takes time to interview and check out somebody who is going to represent your company, and people always present themselves well when you first meet them. Secondly, it is important to understand that all of an applicant’s references must read well. You also need to contact those writing the references directly to get a complete picture.

If you are not sure about the suitability of new staff, put them on a two to three month probationary period, which you can extend later, before you make a final commitment.

Make out a list of questions and requirements for the ideal person, keeping in mind that a positive mental attitude, honesty and a good work ethic can sometimes be of more value than experience and ability.

Document all benefits and amounts with timeframes and have the document initialled and dated at the beginning. Create a Mission Statement [3] in two forms so that the culture and the mechanics of your overall expectations are clear. One of the forms of the Mission Statement should outline how your organisation works to produce a profit, the chain of command, and the attitudes required. The other should be a sloganised version that states what the organisation stands for and the quality of what it produces.

Whatever happens, never surrender your leadership, although you may find this hard at times when smart people come up with incredible ideas and suggestions. In the final analysis, you have to provide the finance and wear the loss if the business is not productive.

When you are in a crisis or a boom period, the temptation in the despair or elation is to make some kind of commitment to obtain a further increase in production or sales. Be careful - it could be more than you can handle when things get back to normal. So be clear on what you are prepared to tolerate, and always initiate clear penalties for noncompliance, as far as behaviour and the work ethic are concerned.

Because we are Christians, we may find it difficult to fire people, particularly if they are basically nice, but then we have a problem. If a staff member is not producing the amount or the quality that you expect, then you need to give only one warning with a specified timeframe, outlining in clear terms what is expected, and if this is not forthcoming, then you fire the staff member. Although this sounds harsh, in business you have to look at the big picture and examine it in some detail.

If you do not fire that person then you have unwittingly lowered your standard of expectation, and it won’t be long before your production drops, your costs accelerate, and competition crushes you, sends you broke or buys you out. Then all your other employees, who have worked faithfully and well, are out of a job. If you think that sounds harsh and business is cold hearted, go into a supermarket and watch the smart housewives read the labels and look at the weights, contents and prices, and watch them purchase the one that is going to give them the greatest return for the lowest cost. There you will witness the tough end of the market. In any field, customers set the tone and parameters for all businesses. If you do not produce what customers want at a price they are prepared to pay, then someone else will. If others can do it better, customers will immediately go to them, and your business will go broke.

In fifty years of business, I can’t remember any of my employees leaving the business because they were unhappy with the way they were treated.

I believe it is important that as Christian employers we train our people better, pay them better, and treat them with courtesy and care because this is an expression of what Bible-believing Christians stand for. When a staff member suffers from sickness or bereavement, show genuine sympathy and concern, and do some out-of-the-ordinary acts of kindness. Be careful, however, that with your benevolent attitude, you do not to show favourtism in the workplace, because this will destroy morale very quickly.

Encourage and reward excellence and special effort, and lead by example in your attitude and presentation.

Once you notice a particularly gifted staff member who is committed and innovative to the point of being interested in quality and profit, and who has demonstrated this continually for a reasonable period of time, you will need to make a serious assessment and decision. You could lose that person to a competitor who will offer a better deal, or alternatively you could offer the person a gradual share of your own business, making an agreement with a clause to protect you against competition in case the person resigns. But if you do nothing and the person decides to leave, you could suddenly find that very person is your next competitor, with knowledge of your business inside and out.

In running a business, you have to attack problems quickly. As problems reveal themselves by their results, you must look behind the results to find the underlying reasons so that you can solve the problems.

Try to grow your business on a basis of minimal debt, and chase up bad debts and delayed account payments promptly. If you have done work or provided merchandise or services, you deserve to be paid in a timely manner.

When you make a mistake or miss a deadline in business, apologise quickly, cover all the losses that your client has incurred, and send a nice gift. The only way you are going to be able to keep your staff, is to pay them good wages and to treat them in the way you would like to be treated. Treat your clients with the same level of commitment that you show to your staff.

Do not allow staff to cover up mistakes made by suppliers with whom they may have become friendly. The clear rule is that the supplier or carrier who makes the mistake pays the bill. Unfortunately it is not as easy as that with staff. If they make a mistake, they may expect a reprimand, but if you expected them to pay for it themselves, you would certainly have a problem on your hands. If you did that, you would be destroying one of their main reasons for working for you, which is the expectation that as the employer you will accept the uncertainties of losses and continue to provide them with job security.

Employers and employees are different types of people. One tends to thrive more on opportunity with risk, the other prefers more uniformity with security, and we need each other.

Now let’s look at it from the other side.

[3] For more information and to order How to Create Your Own Dynamic Mission Statement that Works, visit www.danel.ch

A Christian Employee’s Code of Conduct

1. Be sure you want the job.

2. Clarify what is expected.

3. Carefully analyse the wages and other benefits.

4. Keep to times and deadlines.

5. Maintain an upbeat attitude.

6. Resist any abuse of your private time.

7. Maintain quality, quantity and dedication to your job.

8. If you cannot maintain loyalty or you are dissatisfied, leave!

9. Prepare for opportunities and advancement.

10. Speak out about anything that would compromise your faith.

Matthew 22:21

“The Emperor’s, ” they answered. So Jesus said to them, “Well, then, pay the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay God what belongs to God. ”

Matthew 5:16

“In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven. ”

Hebrews 13:16

Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.

1 Timothy 5:8

But if anyone does not take care of his relatives, especially the members of his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Before you apply for a job, ask yourself, “Why do I want this particular employment?” This is going to be reflected in how well you apply yourself to it and how long you will want to stay in it. Most people want a job for one or more of the following reasons:

(1) a secure income,

(2) satisfaction,

(3) possible advancement, or

(4) as a fill in until something better comes along.

Although you may be particularly interested in security of income, you should negotiate not only the wages but also the conditions and benefits, including job satisfaction, if you are really interested in the job for the long term.

When you apply, don’t be embarrassed to ask questions about the possibility of advancement or learning some specialised skills that may provide you with future possibilities elsewhere and obtain some clarity on what will happen if you are overloaded and have to work back late or arrive early.

Sometimes, bad habits can develop in relation to the hours you are supposed to be working. You may find yourself compelled to work longer and more often than you were originally hired to do, without the compensation of the income to cover it. You must resist any abuse of your private time or come to an arrangement with your employer.

If you make a habit of arriving at your job a few minutes before the starting time and continue to work back a little later to clean up at the end of the day, this is always appreciated by a reasonable boss and often rewarded sometime in the future.

Always maintain an upbeat attitude to your work and associates, and look for opportunities of increasing production, sales and profits. Make written and signed recommendations, with dates, which may avoid future disputes or conflicts.

One of the things that always made me popular when I was working for other people was that I always kept to deadlines. Even better than that, I usually under committed and over performed, which meant that my reliability level was very high. Nothing pleases an employer as much as having an employee with that kind of commitment.

Dedication to your employment must express itself in the quality as well as the quantity of your output, in terms of what you are employed to do. If you want to impress the truth of the gospel on your employer and those you work with, first impress them by how well you perform in the workplace.

Many years ago, when I was in my late twenties, I was hired as a salesman for a national timber company, only to find out later my employment was questioned because my employers were concerned that I carried a visible Bible in my motorcar. However, over a two-year period, I sold more of their product, opened more new accounts, and made more profits for the company in the whole of Australia than did the whole large sales’ team, and I did it with the lowest expense account.

From that point on I was paid more than any other salesman in the company and was no longer required to work under supervision. I was given the added advantage of total freedom to start and finish work at my own leisure.

Not long after, I was approached by and joined an entirely different type of national company. I became the company’s National Sales Manager and my salary was doubled. Because of my work ethic and increasing ability I doubled the company’s annual turnover within five months.

Most importantly, because of the continuous high standard of my performance, everyone I worked for wanted to know about my faith, and this provided many opportunities to witness for Jesus Christ.

Never be involved in complaining or criticising your supervisor or employer. If a matter is of such consequence that you need to complain, carefully prepare your facts and present them at the appropriate level. When satisfaction for a serious complaint is not forthcoming, if it relates to something that you cannot or should not tolerate and which makes it difficult for you to maintain loyalty to the company, you should provide your reasons in writing and terminate your employment. It is not worth compromising your character or subjugating your person for money or position.

Good staff members are difficult to find, so if you treasure your job and want to maintain permanence, do your job well. Go the extra mile, and if your employer has character, you will be shown appreciation by either an advance in your position or your salary, or maybe both.

If you are using your present job as preparation for starting your own business, pay special attention to management, profit and loss, and especially marketing, which is usually overlooked. Always be sure that what you have to offer is valuable, saleable and negotiable, and if you are not being paid a salary commensurate with the work you are doing, prepare your facts, give comparisons, and ask for a specific amount of increase from a set date.

Should your employer refuse your request or explain that because of the economic position of the company you may have to wait until the situation improves, ask your employer for permission to raise and review this matter again at a specific later date.

If your own economic circumstances do not allow you the time to wait or you feel as if you have just been put off or unjustly refused, you should make a prompt move to leave, but first find another position. Should your present employer respond after you have given notice by offering you the increase you requested or better, consider the commitment you have made to your possible new employer and why it is that your present employer can now meet your request, after refusing previously.

I have always taken the view that if you have been a good employee and the only time your employers show appreciation is when they are faced with the loss of your service, I would not work for them because sometime later another problem will surface.

If you want to be a real leader, study the next code of practice with intensity.

A Christian Leader’s Code of Conduct

1. Develop an iron will and increase your ability to perform.

2. Establish your cause.

3. Create a plan to obtain results.

4. Prioritise decision making.

5. Understand the elements of power.

6. Develop your people skills and always be fair and just.

7. Develop your ability to predict the flow of future events.

8. Avoid people when you are tired or sick.

9. Spend time alone.

10. Admit mistakes and move on.

11. Study the lives of great leaders.

12. Beware of the seductive power of fame, wealth, popularity and illicit sex.

Acts 9:15

The Lord said to him, “Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel. ”

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger? ” I answered, “I will go! Send me!”

Isaiah 55:4

“I made him a leader and commander of nations, and through him I showed them my power. ”

2 Samuel 23:3-4

The God of Israel has spoken; the protector of Israel said to me: “The king who rules with justice, who rules in obedience to God, is like the sun shining on a cloudless dawn, the sun that makes the grass sparkle after rain. ”

The Christian Church does not teach true leadership, it teaches self-serving management! Examine the validity of this statement, and I think you will find it difficult to discover any real leadership teaching in churches. If people learn about real leadership, it is not from what is being taught but from what they have discovered. Productive, political or commercial leadership in the church is virtually non-existent.

Honest self-examination, if you are aspiring to the position of real leadership, includes ensuring that you can determine the plans, pay the price, create projections, and provide the charisma, drive and daring to get the job done.

To be a leader is to understand that the will reflects the integrity of the soul [4]. Your will is what enables you to keep going when there is nothing left to keep going for and everybody leaves you. It is at that point a leader must rise again and win the day.

Study the lives of great achievers and you will create for yourself a leadership vocabulary drawn from other people’s experiences, which will assist you in being adaptive and inspire you to greater heights.

The first obstacle you will have to overcome is the expectation that someone will help you. In fact, leaders help themselves and drive themselves harder than they drive anyone else. All potential leaders must have a knowledge of history, which will condition their thinking towards better choices and alert them to possible consequences. A futuristic view of the unfolding of events has two aspects: it must be both instructive and reasoned. Recognising this is very important because the future is where you are going and that is where all the action will take place, including any catastrophes and victories that are waiting for you.

The first thing a leader needs to do is to establish a cause. It could be something you seek because you see injustice, or something that needs to be done that is burning inside you, or something that is thrust upon you. Whatever the cause you must be prepared to exchange a large part of your life for it, bearing in mind that permanence is the only real value. Causes can come and go like fashion. That is why commitment, resources and character are too big a price to pay for mere obsolescence. A plan to obtain results must have distinctives as well as variables - some things are immovable and others may be adjustable.

The final plan to obtain must have measurements that are clear and results that are real and achievable. It must be accompanied by the sort of energy that only comes through the inspirational persuasion that is essential to the whole quest.

The first requirement of a leader is to earn respect early and never lose that respect. Generally, you need people who will admire what you are endeavouring to do, or admire your past achievements, though sometimes the strong persona you exude may be enough, provided it is real. A leader needs to have a “commanding presence with a common touch”. Or as one person put it, “Visionaries are possessed creatures, men and women in the thrall of a belief so powerful that they ignore all else - even reason - to ensure that reality catches up with their dreams.”

It is important that you present yourself well. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and very often you can only reveal limited aspects of your personality to the people you meet. I will never dress down for any occasion, which means that I will dress appropriately, but I will not demean who I am or what I stand for, and I will not behave foolishly in public or private but will always be agreeable. Because I am a leader, I will lead in showing good manners and kindness and daring to do what needs to be done to gain measurable results. A word of warning: be careful when you are having your photograph taken, particularly if you are doing something that can be taken two ways. If you are photographed with a woman other than your wife, make sure that your wife or someone else is between you. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a magazine standing next to a beautiful model, without your wife.

As a leader, you obviously have power and the greater the cause and the better the plan, the more powerful your position becomes [5]. With power usually comes popularity and sometimes fame, which when mixed together can become an overwhelming force. Many leaders have been at or near the pinnacle of their achievement when the combustible mix of power, money, popularity and fame has reached the point where the leaders started to think more of themselves than was warranted under God’s authority. Then, within a very short time impropriety, vulnerability and mistakes have come to the forefront, destroying the leader, and fracturing or destroying the cause as well.

The Bible makes it clear that you can be bold before men if you are humble before God. A leader needs to spend quality time alone with an open Bible under the guiding light of God’s Holy Spirit to be reminded of his or her responsibilities and humanity.

In the flow of events, large and small mistakes will be made, and some things will inevitably be overlooked. Unfortunately, some people are going to misunderstand, and you will, at times, feel lonely in a crowd because of the separation between leaders and followers. This can be called the “separation of the magnificence of a vision”, and it is part of the price of obtaining your goal. Admit your mistakes quietly and humbly, making a note that you will never commit the same mistake again, and move quickly on.

There will be times when you are exhausted or even sick. At these times you need to be on your guard because you may yield too readily to suggestions and allow your strong hand to slip so that you agree to requests or submit to terms or conditions which under normal circumstances you would never accept.

Always relate to the people following you, and do not take them for granted. Recognise special efforts and, even during activities, remember and repeat the following words from John Milton’s Sonnet: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” If you want people to serve you, avoid accepting credit for yourself, whatever the circumstances may be. Always acknowledge and pay tribute to your followers, without whom you would be nothing and would have achieved nothing. Sharpen your people skills at every opportunity. Practise giving encouragement and praise, and show good manners. Always remember that followers have limits which must not be abused.

[4] Will Power by Peter J. Daniels.

[5] Leadership Power by Peter J. Daniels.

A Christian Follower’s Code of Conduct

1. You must have a general knowledge of the cause you are serving and its possible future developments.

2. You need to have a clear understanding and agreement about the chain of command.

3. You must have confidence in your leaders and their ability to perform.

4. You must be able to make a commitment to loyalty, obedience, flexibility, and the time needed to fulfil the task.

5. You will need to encourage belief in the leader and the cause, and discourage discontent among the followers.

6. You must identify and clarify where you fit into the scheme of things.

7. You must stimulate cooperation and action.

8. Don’t expect your leader to be perfect.

Matthew 8:9

“I, too, am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me. I order this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and I order that one, ‘Come! ’ and he comes; and I order my slave, ‘Do this! ’ and he does it. ”

2 Timothy 2:1-4

As for you, my son, be strong through the grace that is ours in union with Christ Jesus. Take the teachings that you heard me proclaim in the presence of many witnesses, and entrust them to reliable people, who will be able to teach others also. Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. A soldier on active service wants to please his commanding officer and so does not get mixed up in the affairs of civilian life.

Hebrews 6:12

We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.

1 Peter 3:13

Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?

Many years ago, when I was involved in a major cause under the leadership of a famous older and more experienced man, there came a time when we had a very difficult situation and the whole process had come to a halt. Fortunately, I came up with an idea that I believed would break the deadlock. Unfortunately, there was a down side, as it could put the leader’s reputation at risk if it failed. During the process of discussing what was happening, it seemed that all would be lost, until I came up with this idea. Being sure of my facts and of my strong commitment, I asked for the opportunity to personally move ahead with the process and said that I would accept full responsibility for failure or a bad response. When I talked to this great leader, I said, “Sir I am prepared to lose my reputation to save yours,” and with that comment I was permitted to get the job done the way I saw it needed to be done. The end result was that the process moved speedily ahead and was an outstanding success. I quietly slipped into the background again, and many years after the event, we still remain friends. He never forgot what he described as unusual and gallant behaviour to get things done. Really, all I did was to behave as a good follower, believing in the cause.

As a follower, you must look at what you are following and what end results are supposed to be achieved before you evaluate the leader and the means being used to achieve the results. There are many aspects of being a good follower, such as understanding the chain of command, which in the beginning may place you in the lower echelons of the organisation. Soon, however, you will learn the nuts and bolts and see how the structure works and the means being used to achieve results. You will also better appreciate the responsibilities of those involved in the decision-making process.

Your position when you begin to be a follower may seem vague and unimportant, but without those in the lower echelons being committed and doing all the chasing up and preparatory work, the machinery of the organisation will quickly falter.

One of the many important things I did in my early days was to keep a diary of events, and I continue to do this today. My diary serves as a teaching and advisory tool. Also, as I stated earlier in this book, I used to write myself a letter almost every week reviewing my thoughts, opinions and progress. As I later look back on those early years, I see my glaring misconceptions and mistakes.

Being a follower, if you are serious about your future intent to become a leader, is the best training you can obtain. Those who jump into events or are chosen to become instant leaders usually end up making disastrous mistakes, which they would have avoided if they had first been good followers. I receive requests from younger men from many parts of the world who want to be my assistant, usually at no financial cost to me. However, in every case, when I examine their journey in life, I find them sadly lacking in follower experience.

Many years ago when I needed something done, I came in contact with a young couple who had recently been married. They asked me to allow them to do a significant task under my direction, even though I previously warned them that if they started they must complete the job. Nevertheless, bright-eyed and eager to do the task, little did they realise what lay ahead of them. Some months later, after many disappointments and some sleepless nights, they came to me almost exhausted and said they did not think they could continue and that I was pushing them too hard. I refused to let them off the hook. I appealed to their character, their strong earlier commitment, and the fact that they sought me out and almost begged for an opportunity to show me how committed they would be.

Four months passed, and the wife started blaming the husband for getting them involved, and he blamed her. Then, to top it all off, these fine Christians started yelling and screaming at me, and at times hanging the telephone up on me. But I kept pushing them and insisting that they perform.

Nearly two years later this young couple became confident in what they were doing and were performing their duties with grace and decorum. They had smoothed out the difficulties and risen above each challenge. In other words, they became expert followers and were, in fact, preparing themselves for leadership.

In a private conversation later they told me I got more out of them than they thought they had the capacity for, and consequently their lives had become permanently changed. They were very thankful that I pushed them and that I would only accept excellence and never let them quit.

One of the roles of a follower is to remain loyal to the cause and to the leader. This includes putting out fires of discontent, dealing with concerns, and helping others fit into the process by assisting them and keeping an upbeat attitude.

There may come a time when you do not like your leader’s behaviour or decisions, which may affect you or others. However, remember that unless you are in the higher echelons of the decision-making process, and even if you are, the leader generally has complete veto on all matters. If a matter has to be taken before a committee, the leader’s charisma has been lost.

A leader needs to listen to those who are followers, and whenever possible, move down the ranks and get information and sense the mood of the followers. Because of their position, leaders must avoid showing over familiarity or favourtism towards followers, or their authority to command and persuade will be significantly reduced.

Leaders are not perfect because they are human, and some allowance must be made for the pressure and responsibility they carry at all times. But this does not mean that dishonesty or a lack of moral courage should be tolerated. This is why leaders always need some outstanding advisors who are fearless, balanced and totally committed.

Spare a thought and a prayer for your leaders, knowing that unless you have had the burden of being responsible for the totality of a cause, together with the responsibility for the means to achieve the results, the overall outcomes, and the people involved, it is impossible to fully appreciate the demands on those who have such responsibilities.

I salute those of you who are followers, because after the battle has been fought, and while the leaders may still be in the limelight, we need to remember that you are the foundation of the whole enterprise.

A Christian Code of Conduct for Life

As I come to the end of this book, I would like to suggest that you put together your own Christian Code of Conduct for Life. The areas that could be covered are many, so let me suggest a few starting points for you.

Consider the following: ambition, relationships, faith, family, finance and temperament. Include measurements and timeframes and biblical distinctives. Pay particular attention to quality as well as to quantity. Print out your code so you can carry it in your wallet or purse, and above all, avoid self-justification when you slip up on your commitments. You will be amazed how your life will change when you accept both growth opportunities and boundaries, and enjoy the comfort and challenge of living daily by your own personal Christian Code of Conduct.

To take your Christian Code of Conduct further and increase your confidence in its validity, why not share it with your pastor for endorsement or correction? This could add to the clarity of the code and encourage you in following it.

Start with one code and allow time to work it out in everyday life. Discipline your mind and your actions before you recommend anything to others. Always keep in mind that God is committed to your development and that the Holy Spirit will check you when you miss the mark. The word “sin” is an old Anglo-Saxon word that was used in archery contests in England in competitions to assess the quality of bowmen. As they tested themselves against each other, they would select a winner who would finally compete in other contests, seeking the honour of being the greatest bowman in England. The contests were fierce and required a high level of accuracy, which was assessed, quantified and recorded.

As the men with their longbows took up their positions for the contest, the scorekeepers would hide in a deep earth trench a short distance in front of the target to protect themselves from the arrows aimed at the target behind them. On occasions, a bowman would miss the target altogether and, when that happened, a man in the trench would wave a flag and call in a loud voice, “Sin!” This meant that the bowman had missed the mark. This word is found in the English Bible translations used throughout the world today and warns us of the danger of missing the mark in our high calling before God.

You might like to clarify what you have just read. Why not ask your pastor or Bible teacher about the meaning of the word “sin”. You will find that they will confirm its meaning and may even explain it at a deeper level.

I trust that this book has been helpful to you and that together we can look forward to a future when our evangelical leaders and pastors will lead Christendom in keeping a single and effective Christian Code of Conduct based on the Word of God so that we can be a light to the whole world by our God-guided example.

Two thousand years is too long to wait … this could be the missing link.

May God continue to expand your life until your destiny is fulfilled!

OTHER INVOLVEMENTS

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OTHER INVOLVEMENTS

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