By Dr. Tim Hamon, CEO
Christian International Ministries

We are in the middle of a true reformation. Things are being re-formed, and then formed again. They’re being put into new alignment, a new light and we are re-learning things about the kingdom that have been known for over 2000 years. There are things about the army of the Lord that we are re-learning, nothing is new under the sun. Jesus talked about this in the Gospel and today we are experiencing it. We are re-absorbing it in this time, in our lives, in our place, in our situations.

Each year, in early January, we do the usual Word of the Lord cycle here at Christian International. Everybody prays to get what God is saying for the year to come: what He is saying concerning a change of season and/or what’s happening in the world today. It is not the norm for me to participate in this because there are so many other voices in the house, but this year [2017] I shared what God had impressed upon me: A Year of Influence.

In the natural, we already see signs of this influence. And this influence is growing affecting our judicial systems, businesses and the arts. In fact, all sorts of seven mountain things are happening. So, the signs confirm my belief that this is indeed the year of influence. Being the teacher that I am, I therefore had to research what that actually means and started with the one thing I now knew God was speaking: influence.

What does it mean? How do you get it? To me personally God said,

“Be open to new possibilities, to new opportunities, to new outcomes, to new audiences, to new power and to new authority. There is a new anointing coming upon My Church that’s going forward opening new doors, new places, new opportunities. These opportunities are growing are opening. Don’t miss them!”

How many have heard the term the “sphere of influence”? We always bandy these things around, but most of the time we don’t know what they mean. What is this “sphere of influence”? The reason it’s called a sphere of influence is because of the imagery it produces. Take your arm and use it to measure the radius of a sphere. Then stretch it out in front of you and move it from side to side. Everywhere you can touch is your sphere.  If you can touch it, you can influence it. Influence is not about control. It simply means to cause something (or someone) to respond in the way you want it to. This doesn’t imply control. It implies motivation, opportunity, a way of making things possible. True influence is accomplished in such a way that people want to participate, they want to be a part of it, and they want to take the path that you laid out for them. A path that is viewed as their opportunity.

John Maxwell says it best, “leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” A true leader must be able to influence. Some examples of this would be running a business or pastoring a church. If you are the business owner or a pastor you know that you cannot control your employees or congregation. When you start trying to control, you just set yourself up for failure. As a pastor, you influence: you teach, you counsel, you minister, you visit, you eat their chicken. It is doing whatever you can to be an influence in their lives. Control is not a part of the Kingdom plan but influence is.

God is saying that this is your year of influence. If you are going to influence people, you must therefore lead them. That’s sometimes hard to adjust to, because we often think to ourselves, “But I’m not the leader.” I personally have a leadership title. I’m the CEO of the ministry at CI. But being the CEO only means that I have the authority to act. It doesn’t mean I have the power. Power comes from another source. It doesn’t come from your titles. It comes from what God made you to do, what He intended for you to do and that is to influence people, thereby you lead them.

“Leading someone to the Lord” is a terminology often used in the Church. Yet, what does that really mean? Were you the leader? What did you do? Did you force them to confess? No, you influenced them. How did you influence them? By the power of the gospel. That’s the way you influence them.

So far, I’ve only given my thoughts and my ideas, and my thoughts and my ideas are not valuable unless I can back it up in scripture. Everybody knows the story of The Last Supper (Luke, 22). Before I move on, let me give you a little bit of context; it’s not just the last supper.  It is the final discourse. It’s called the final discourse, because it is the last teachable moment that Jesus has with the disciples before He’s arrested and sent to the cross. He will continue to teach them in other ways once He’s gone, but this is His last opportunity to directly teach them one-on-one.

Jesus knew this was His last opportunity and therefore chose the most important thing. The message who wanted to stick with them after He’s gone. Think about it, if you’re a parent and you’re leaving your teenage children alone for the first time, the last thing you say is usually the thing you want them to remember the most.  And it’s usually something like this, “Don’t invite any people over here without my permission or you’re in trouble.” Jesus is also thinking this same way, and so He shares the most important message with them at that supper.  What does He talk about? Leadership!

Look at verse 25, Jesus said to His disciples, “One of you is going to betray me.”  Concerned, and maybe a little frightened, the disciples start talking to each other, “Who do you think it is? Is it that guy? I never liked that guy much, it must be him. Who is this terrible person?” And then they immediately segue into, “Well if there’s a terrible person among us, there must be a great person among us. So, who’s the greatest?” Jesus finally interrupts them and says, “Hey listen guys, the kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors’” (Benefactors in quotes, because it’s kind of irony. Even Nero is called a benefactor, and that’s obviously not true). Jesus continues, “But not so among you. On the contrary, he who is greatest among you let him be the younger and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater? He who sits at the table or he who serves?” (A rhetorical question everyone knows the answer.) Is it not he who sits at the table?” Yet Jesus says, “I’ve come to be the server.” And He goes on in verse 29 to say, “And I bestow upon you a kingdom just as my father bestowed one upon me.” Here He connects kingdom to leadership. He defines leadership as service. He says, “Look. Let’s talk about it, you guys want to know who’s the greatest? The greatest is the one who serves the most.”  In the book of Matthew, Jesus teaches them the same thing, but it’s in a different setting.  He says, “And He came to serve and not to be served.” He is telling us here that He’s going to serve us in the ultimate way. Soon He will lay down His life to ransom us. That’s the ultimate service. We even say this about the military. Those who have given the ultimate service to their country. Those who laid down their lives. Jesus not only laid down His life, He gave His life. Think about that for minute. He didn’t just lay it down, He gave it to us. We are not only saved because He died and rose again, but we have His life. He gave it to us.

Probably the best illustration of this is in John. We see the same idea, it’s the last supper (or the Passover supper), and Jesus is with the disciples. John chapter 13:4 says, “and having finished the supper He rose and laid aside His garments and took a towel and girded himself.” And after that He poured out water into a basin and began to wash the disciple’s feet. He then wiped their feet with the same towel He had girded himself with. This is not normal! It is not “normal behavior” for someone of His status. Washing of the feet was a normal, daily occurrence for the culture, because the people lived on unpaved roads with animal powered vehicles and open sewage systems. They walked in open toe sandals or bare feet, and their feet got extremely dirty. It was a dirty job, usually given to the person who could not defer it. In other words, the person who had no one left to pass the job down to did the washing. It was the lowest kind of job available to servants in the house, not just a dirty job, not just a menial job, but it’s the lowest job available. Therefore, when Jesus chose to wash the feet of His disciples, He took on (or put upon himself) the aspects of the lowliest of servants.

In verse 12 we read, “So when He had washed their feet He took His garments and sat back down.” Wait a minute! Where were His garments? Remember He took them off. He took off His ‘mantle’ and left His seat. Where was He sitting? He was sitting at the head of the table, because they were having Passover and whoever’s the elder or Lord oversees the meal and presides at the head. Jesus is in charge of the meal. He’s running it. He leaves His seat of authority, takes off His mantle of leadership, bows down at their feet and serves them. And then when He’s done? He gets up, puts the same mantle back on and sits in the same seat. Do you see what happened?

What did it diminish in Jesus to put Him in the lowly servant role? Nothing! It didn’t cost His authority, it didn’t change His position. In fact, Jesus affirms this verbally. It’s not just the picture here. He says it out loud, “Do you know what I’ve done for you? You call me teacher and Lord and you say well so I am. If then your Lord and teacher can wash your feet you also ought to be able to wash each other’s feet. For I’ve given you an example that you should so do as I have done to you. Most assuredly I say to you the servant is not greater than the master or he who is sent greater than he who has sent him. If you know these things blessed are you who do them” (verses 12-13).

He’s saying, ‘Look, I’m the master and the Lord. I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m saying that’s true; and because it’s true, I am able to take off that mantle, get up from that chair and offer this simple every day service to you. I can take care of you without diminishing my role as your master, your teacher, your Lord. If I can do this, so can you. It doesn’t diminish you to serve people in a humble way. In fact, according to Jesus, it’s those acts of service that are making you the leader (Luke, Matthew, Mark). But that is not the way society today thinks. Even today we read these passages, but we don’t think this way. If I’m going to be the leader, what should I do? I should be the most outspoken. I should be in the front. I should have a title. I should have the biggest office.

What makes you the leader? Well according to Jesus, it is your willingness to serve. Okay, then what does it mean to serve? What do we do? Obviously, we’re not going to actually wash each other’s feet, although that’s happened a few times in the Church today as a symbolic act. We don’t need to wash each other’s feet because it’s a different world that we live in.  Yet we are called to serve one another.

Let me just show you what I think he means when he says serve. This is out of 1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s very Grace.” Now here’s the interesting part for me, He just said, “be good stewards of God’s gifts that he’s given you,” but look at what he says next, “Whoever speaks, speak as one as an oracle of God. And whoever serves as one who serves with the strength that God supplied” (verse 11).

He sets up two archetypes, He says whatever gift you have use it to serve one another or be a steward of the Grace. And here’s the grace that God gives: Speak. Serve. These are the two kinds of things you can do: use the voice of God, that’s speaking, (It says literally speak as the oracle of God, as the voice of God.) and serve by the power of God. Whether that power is manifested in supernatural ways or natural ways, we are called to serve.

Matthew 25 shows us natural ways; comforting those that mourn or delivering people from a Spirit of mourning. Either one of those is service. One is the voice of God. The other is the strength of God. Everything we do as service to one another is by the gifts that God has given us. Those gifts are both super and natural. Super in the sense of the voice of God Natural in the sense of Him strengthening us to do what we need to do. Whatever those gifts are, according to Peter, your ultimate act of service is to use the gifts God’s given you to help others.

I always struggle a little bit with this, how I can serve people. I can’t really go wash people’s feet, that’s not going to work. Should I wash their cars? What constitutes acts of service? The story of Peter helped me understand that Acts of service are constituted by me using the gifts God has given me through the power of His voice. Through His strength in me, I am equipped to serve others through whatever gifts He’s given me. In that sense, every act of service is going to be unique because it depends on my gifts.

How does this affect us? I believe Jesus wants us to expand our sphere of influence. How are we going to expand our sphere of influence? The most obvious answer, which is also noted in Scripture, is to take our gifts and serve people. When we take our gifts and serve people, we gain a platform from which we can speak into their life. That platform is influence. When we serve our community, in what sometimes may appear as mundane, every day ways, needs are met. Pretty soon we are recognized as one who serves and that opens the door for more.  They might ask, “Can you help us in this area” or “We like that you serve, by the way, we’re struggling in this area. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?” And then you influence.

When we don’t get too spiritual and we just look at ways to serve, it is easy to use our gifts.  Whether prophecy, preaching, visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, or simply taking someone to coffee and lending a listening ear, whatever gifts you have, God has equipped you with His strength and His voice to get the job done. If you steward that toward service, you will gain influence and your influence will grow.

This is leadership and leadership is influence. It’s not some crazy idea or position or paygrade, it’s about influencing. Influence comes from two things: Service and the Voice of God. Jeremiah was told “I’m going to give you influence over the whole kingdom, over nations and kingdoms.” How was Jeremiah going to influence them? Because God said, “I am going to put my words in your mouth.” That’s one form of influence. Jesus said if you really want to lead, then serve. That’s the other form of influence. That’s what Peters is telling us. These two elements are why we’re the army of the Lord and nobody influences people like the army.

Personally, I believe we need our own motto. The Army Rangers have “Rangers lead the way,” ours should be “Prophets lead the way.” If leadership is defined as influence, that means you’re influencing people to go in the way. People know this intuitively when you talk about the things like salvation and discipleship.  This is our culture. Our sphere grows as we serve and as we speak. Be the voice of God and the strength of God, so that you transform lives and transform situations.

“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.” (I Corinthians 7:17)

Our work and vocations are the primary focus where we expend our time and energy.  They are also the platforms that shape the 7 Mountains of society. It’s no surprise then that these areas are where God’s purpose and plan will come to pass for our lives, our communities, and our nations.  Our work can become Kingdom Influence in the 7 Mountains!

A vocation (Latin: vocātiō “a call, summons”) is an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which she/he is suited, trained, or qualified.

Each vocation falls somewhere within the 7 Mountains, the seven areas of society that shape our culture: Business, Entertainment, Education, Government, Media, Church and Family.

A career, vocation or job is the place from which Christians can transform their world for God’s glory.  The largest need of service to the Lord is not in traditional ministry.  In fact, local Church leadership makes up only 2% of Christians. The rest are politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, scientists and more. Church leaders alone cannot fulfill God’s purpose for our generation.  Instead, they empower the other 98% of Christians to impact their sphere of influence with God’s Kingdom.

Kingdom Influencers are Christians who use their area of work and influence to establish God’s Kingdom.  “Kingdom” refers to the establishment of God’s rule in the earth. “Influencer” is one who brings transformational impact in the workplace and community. Kingdom Influencers are vital to transforming the 7 Mountains into God’s Kingdom!

As Kingdom Influencers, our desk, workbench, operating room, courthouse, or platform is anointed by God to transform our communities. Unfortunately, Christians have not always understood their call, or how their vocation fits into God’s plan for mankind and for their generation.  Churches have not always had provision for people who devote their time and effort to their profession.  But that is changing! The Church is reinforcing that God appoints Christian business people, politicians, educators, entertainers and artists, scientists and doctors, and societal leaders to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, to permeate the culture with Godly principles, causing their sphere of influence to reflect God’s Kingdom.

The idea of work, vocation and career comes from God. Genesis tells us that Adam worked and kept the garden before the fall.  One of the first things God had Adam do in the garden was to keep it and guard it.  God chose and authorized Adam to rule over the earth with authority, protecting it, brining order, and causing it to prosper. The definition of the word “work” found in Genesis translates “ministry or service.”  Adam’s work to oversee the Garden was a ministry ordained by God.  Similarly, Christians today are chosen and authorized by God to keep, oversee, protect, bring order, and cause prosperity in all the 7 Mountains!

Your work is anointed:

• Your work provides the opportunity to demonstrate Christ – I Thes. 4:11-12.
• Your work glorifies God – I Cor. 10:31.
• Your work prepares you to rule and reign with Christ in eternity – Rev. 5:10.
• Your work can be used by God to help transform a nation into a “sheep” nation.
• Your work keeps or tends to one or more of the 7 Mountains.
• Your work is how God can establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.

Biblical examples God’s people using their vocation to impact their world

• Joseph excelled in every job or situation regardless of the circumstances. As Joseph applied Godly principles to his work, he was promoted until he was the second in command of all of Egypt.  As a result, he delivered the nation of Israel out of famine and destruction.

• Daniel followed the principles of God uncompromisingly. He was recognized as the wisest of all counselors of the greatest king on the earth at that time. In Daniel 6:3 it says he distinguished himself above the other governors because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.

• Jesus the Carpenter, Peter the fisherman, Luke the doctor, and Paul the tentmaker were all professionals who were skilled craftsmen and workers. The apostles were also all business people.

Succeeding in your workplace while operating under Biblical principles to effect transformation around you is a concept we refer to as a “7 Mountain Kingdom Influencer.” Today you are joining Christian International and equipping to become a successful “Kingdom Influencer” in your mountain of society!

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of a leader.”
– John Maxwell

The principles that create success in the Kingdom of God sometimes look opposite of the principles taught for natural success.  Leading in God’s Kingdom has unique requirements—rules that resist our human nature and challenge our mindsets. A primary example of this is the principle of servant leadership.

Servant leadership is simply to serve first,^[i] as a primary motive for action.  Service is meeting a need. Leadership is influence. Servant leadership means acting to meet the needs of our respective influence within the 7 Mountains. Servant leadership will cause our area of influence to become the Kingdom of our Lord.

Jesus showed and taught servant leadership.  He was God walking on earth, meaning he could have had the greatest show of power and strength, but he made himself small in the eyes of man:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. (Phil: 2:5-9 KJV)

Jesus said it best in His own words: “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44 ESV).

 
Start with the Heart

Servant leadership starts in the heart before it is demonstrated in actions.  Motives are the foundation of Godly servant leadership. Becoming servant leaders will require us to test our motives and let our heart be changed first.  It will trade our selfishness for love, our pride for humility, our greed for sacrifice. Love as a motive will naturally create servant leadership in our lives: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13 NKJV).

Servant leadership is not insecurity, inferiority, or weakness. Jesus proved servant leadership to be the highest display of strength possible. Only secure leaders are able to be servants.[ii] Cultivating this heart of love in God will make us great achievers and leaders. “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32b NKJV)

Serving in Action

Servant leadership is often called the “upside down management pyramid.” In our culture, systems, groups and organizations are often built on a “pyramid,” where a leader is at the top. This leader—a business owner, politician or entertainer—began with his or her vision, and employed others to help carry it out. In the case of a business, for example, the CEO has a vision which middle management helps to organize and oversee while workers execute the vision and/or interact with the customer. Therefore, customers must come to the workers, so the workers can account to the management, so the management can report to the CEO, so the CEO can gain his or her vision. In this case, the energy, effort and focus all flow from the “bottom” to the “top.”

The servant leadership model reverses that flow.  In the example of a business based on servant leadership, the very vision of the business begins with its customers’ needs. The worker’s priority is to serve the needs of the customer; the management’s priority is to serve the needs of the worker, and the CEO’s priority is to serve the needs of the management.  In the end, the customer is the recipient of the greatest force of effort.

The servant leadership model applies in areas other than business.  Government, family, education and science are all good examples of that. In fact, all of society, as it is transformed to the Kingdom of God, will be built on servant leadership.

At Christian International, our greatest example of servant leadership is Dr. Bill Hamon, who built 60 years of ministry on the foundation of being a servant.  When he enters a building, he holds the door open for others. If he sees trash on the floor, he picks it up. He respects others’ time by arriving to appointments and meetings early; he expects no special treatment.

Once, Dr. Bill Hamon went to a church to speak and brought two young men with him as support. But during the ministry time, he instructed the young men that he would prophesy one brief word to each attendee, and that the young men would then be the ones to minister in great detail and anointing over the attendees. Later, the young men thanked Dr. Bill Hamon for the opportunity, and his response sums up the heart of a servant leader: he said “you are equal ministers and co-laborers with me.” That heart to see others as equal is what continues to open the door for his greatest influence, and it will open the door for your greatest influence as well.

What Our Success Looks Like

As a servant leader, our success will show up as the success of those we lead.  Instead of a personal platform for our opinions, values or goals, true success will be a platform we create for others to advance in their purpose, and ultimately the platform we create to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth.

Becoming a servant leader is paramount in becoming Kingdom Influencers. Servant leadership is rare in the 7 Mountains of society, but servant leadership is the only true leadership in the Kingdom of God.

[i] What Is Servant Leadership? (2013, February 1). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

[ii] Maxwell, J. (1999). Quality 19. In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader (p. 156). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

The Origin of 7MKI at Christian International

Many years ago, Dr. Bill Hamon desired to empower the people who influence the arenas of culture outside the four walls of a church. Those individuals needed the same impartation of God’s Spirit and the ability to hear His Voice that five-fold ministers have. That is the purpose for Christian International’s newest network, 7 Mountain Kingdom Influencers or 7MKI. This network is for those called to the 7 mountains of society: Business, Government, Education, Media, Arts and Entertainment, Religion, and Family. This network empowers members, by the Spirit of the Lord, to succeed in their calling to impact these mountains of culture. We believe that God has reserved an Apostolic-Prophetic anointing for Kingdom Influencers as part of the Third Reformation of the Church. The Lord will also cause His light to shine in the darkness of worldly kingdoms, and cause the kingdoms of the world to become the Kingdom of the Lord and of His Christ. These Kingdom Influencers will have the ability to cause the one True Light, Jesus Christ, to be known in the 7 Mountains today.

Commissioning

One significant part of the 7MKI network is the “Commissioning Service,” which is a special time of Holy Spirit impartation.  Key leaders of Christian International will lay hands on the members of 7MKI and release an impartation to be successful in the mountains of society. The Christian International Apostolic Network (CIAN) 7 Mountain Kingdom Influencers network is not a typical association interested only in providing relationship and covering. We also provide equipping needed to influence any area of culture. We provide oversight, relationship and empowerment to these individuals in order to accomplish God’s purposes in their arenas of influence. The prophetic anointing of the Lord will cause breakthrough for destiny.

The History of the “7 Mountains” Terminology

In 1975, two Christian leaders, Dr. Bill Bright and Loren Cunningham, got together to give each other a message from God.  To their amazement, each had the same message, independently given to them by God, to give to the other.

Bill Bright was the founder of the world’s largest ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ, a worldwide ministry with 26,000 full-time employees and missionaries in 191 countries.  Loren Cunningham was the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a ministry with 20,000 full-time staff of more than 150 nationalities. Both of these individuals brought the gospel to millions around the world.

However, God shown both of them that many areas of modern culture still needed the Gospel.  The Lord showed them seven major areas of society, or “mountains” as they called them, which needed godly people to influence them, thereby influencing untold millions who were engaged in those seven mountains of society.  About a month later, Francis Schaeffer, leader of L’Brai Fellowship, heard the same thing from God.

These seven mountains are business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, family and religion.  God was showing them, in 1975, that His Kingdom would win back our culture through these fronts.  God wanted these men to equip people to go into these seven mountains of culture and to change them: to begin reconciling culture back to God.

This “7 Mountains” idea matched exactly what the Lord put in Dr. Bill Hamon’s heart about the need to empower and equip leaders outside the four walls of the church. Thus began the pursuit to develop an empowering network that would truly bring the Heart of God to the 7 Mountains of Culture. The result of that pursuit is the 7 Mountain Kingdom Influencer Network (7MKI).

God’s Original Plan

From the beginning of mankind, God intended his followers to have dominion over all the Earth.

Genesis 1:26 says “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

However, over many centuries, followers of God eventually no longer had dominion over all the earth.  In many cases, they had chosen not to be leaders in society, or at least not to represent God’s Kingdom in their leadership, not attempting to bring His dominion into their jobs and businesses.  Christians lost sight of their purpose on earth, not just to receive Salvation but to bring God’s purposes into our world. The revelation of “all being made able ministers”[1] was lost until recent history. Many Christians even thought that being a full-time minister was a higher spiritual calling than having a job in society.  Some assumed that since full-time ministers received full-time paychecks or offerings, they were the only ones intended to do God’s work, or perhaps God’s work only consisted of Church work.  The result of this belief system was that Christians abdicated the leadership of society to ungodly people.  This resulted in entire areas of society becoming God-absent zones.  Leadership by ungodly people allowed the new and young people coming into these areas to be taught philosophies totally independent of any sense of the presence of God in their society.  New people, especially new young people, were easily influenced and indoctrinated by these leaders, partly because they had attained a level of success in their careers and fields.  Therefore, new generations learned to accept a sense of godlessness in careers and culture.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 says “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Today, the spheres of society need godly principles and godly leaders to return.

Restoration of God’s Vision for Mankind

To counter this godless foundation in society, Christians needed enlightenment, education, training and discipleship.  Someone had to reveal what happened and motivate Christians to believe that they can make a difference. Then they needed training to fulfill their God-given ministry in their own surroundings, environment, culture or “mountain” of society.

But who would enlighten them, and who could train them?  The Christian return to culture could only begin with Christian leaders teaching and empowering everyday Saints to fulfill God’s purpose through their lives. God has a plan for a Great Revival that will touch every arena of society. As God pours out His Spirit on all flesh, Christians can prepare for harvest by positioning themselves to serve God powerfully within the 7 Mountains of Culture:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Examples of the Christian Return to Culture

In 1955, Francis Schaeffer and his wife, Edith, moved to Switzerland and founded the L’Brai Fellowships, a community for young people and people interested in philosophy.  Today, at least one L’Brai family staffs each branch, and they lead discussions, conferences, and the routine of daily meals, chores, etc.  Long discussions take place at many familial meals.  Schaeffer was interested in both philosophy and Christian values.  He believed that society should rest upon Christian values.  Schaeffer hated secular humanism, which discarded the Christian faith as the basis of society. “Why has our society changed?” he asked. “The answer is clear—the consensus of our society no longer rests upon a Christian basis, but upon a humanistic one. Humanism is man putting himself at the center of all things, rather than the creator God.”[2] Schaeffer said the result was “a society that had lost its moral foundation and threatened to shipwreck itself.”  Schaeffer went on to write many books, give speeches and seminars, and influence powerful politicians, church leaders and evangelical Christians, including the likes of Jerry Falwell, who established the Moral Majority, based on many of the teachings of Schaeffer.[3]

In 1977, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) leased a hotel in Kona, Hawaii to turn it into a campus, called the training center Pacific and Asia Christian University.  In 1979, the first ship in a fleet of ships to become known as Mercy Ships was commissioned, which provide healthcare to the needy in port cities around the world.  In 1980, YWAM became involved in the Cambodian refugee crisis in Thailand.  In 1987, their publishing expanded to release over 150 titles. It now distributes hundreds of books, videos, and CDs.  In 1992, Frontier Missions was established.

Mercy Ships in 2003 become a separate ministry and uses a hospital ship and land-based programs to bring medical assistance and long-term sustainable development to some of the world’s poorest regions. After the departure of Mercy Ships, YWAM’s ship ministry continued. Marine Reach, a YWAM ministry, had already been operating ships across the Pacific for 13 years, offering medical care, transportation for evangelism teams, ground-based training of local care workers, mobile mission training, and cataract and dental surgeries. In 2010, YWAM celebrated its 50-year anniversary. With more than 18,000 staff and over 1,200 ministry locations, it is now one of the world’s largest missionary training and sending organizations.[4]

The International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) was established in 1985 based on a dream to see people’s businesses and working lives increasingly become an outward manifestation of an inward walk of faith, motivated by God’s love.  ICCC has spread around the world, including local chambers on every continent. Work has expanded past just sharing the Gospel, and has now expanded to bring the presence and power of God to the workplace as well.[5]

In 1996, Dr. Bill Bright, who had founded of Campus Crusade for Christ International, went on to found the Pinnacle Forum.  Their vision is “to see God at the center of our culture.”  Their mission is to “to build a network of leaders committed to personal and cultural transformation centered on the values of Jesus.”[6]

Bob Buford founded the Halftime institute.  He showed that formerly, a person’s life slowed down at about 45 years, marking the beginning of the end of that person’s life.  However, with increased longevity, that age is now closer to mid-life, and can mean a time of reflection of personal values and goals, a “Halftime,” like in a sports game.  It can be a time not only of reflection, but a time to re-evaluate how you want to “spend” the second half of your lifetime.  Their mission is “teaching, coaching, and connecting marketplace leaders to discover God’s calling on their lives and engage in the issues Jesus cares about.”[7]

Os Hillman, after becoming very successful in the business world, experienced 7 years of extreme personal and financial adversity.  Gunnar Olson, founder of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce, enlightened him about the process that he had experienced. At the end of the 7 years of adversity, Os Hillman recovered both financially and personally.  Oz Hillman founded the ministry “Marketplace Leaders” in 1996: “Marketplace Leaders is a voice and agent to create tools that inspire, teach, and connect Christian believers to resources and relationships in order to manifest the life of Christ in their workplace call.”  A key strategy is “To identify, train, equip and mobilize leaders in the 7 cultural mountains for cultural influence and restoration of biblical foundations in our nation” and “To convene and host events designed to teach and train.”[8]

Ed Silvoso founded Harvest Evangelism.  “It is an inter-denominational ministry committed to the fulfillment of the Great Commission…dedicated to serving the entire Body of Christ around the globe while instilling vision for city, regional and nation-wide transformation.” [9] A part of that is The International Transformation Network, which was formed as marketplace and ministry individuals working together to transform our world for the better.  Examples of their work and interest include:

• Uprooting Corruption
• Eradicating Hunger
• Transforming Cities
• Eliminating Systemic Poverty
• Rebuilding Communities
• Promoting Justice
• Restoring Hope
• Expecting Miracles

ITN is a strategic global alliance of marketplace and pulpit ministers focused on developing transformational solutions to the systemic social, economic, educational and governmental ills facing the nations of the world.

Dr. Lance Wallnau is founder and Director of Lance Wallnau Ministries and the Lance Learning Group, a unique teaching institute that combines Scripture and cutting edge learning technology.  He held forums at universities, including Harvard, and with the United Nations, providing training on how the Church and individuals can influence society.  Lance has brought into this generation the teaching of those who went before him, with relevance to the new generation of leaders wrestling with the complexity of societal transformation. His network and involvement spans many nations and spheres of influence including artists, business leaders, government officials and universities.  Dr. Wallnau currently travels and gives many conferences carrying the torch to this generation and encouraging thousands.[10]

Role of Christian International and 7MKI

Christian International (CI) agrees with the men and women, the ministries, and the efforts mentioned above and that continue today.  CI fully endorses the concept that we should try to bring the influences of the Kingdom of God into the kingdoms of this world:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Mat 28:19)

And that one eventual goal of Jesus in the future is this:

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15).

It is interesting that the literal translation of this scripture is that the “Rule of the Cosmos” is going to change. Ephesians states that we are in a battle against “World forces of Darkness” or in the Greek,”Kosmokrators,” until this change occurs.

There have been many major movements in God’s Kingdom to bring us to today. Christian International has pioneered many of those major movements. From the Prophetic Movement to the Apostolic Movement to the Saints Movement, and now heading into the Army of the Lord Movement, CI has been at the heart of their development. Those movements included the restoration of every five-fold ministry office to the Church at large. It has also brought awakening in the hearts of believers to know that they are empowered with the Holy Spirit, just as are five-fold ministers, to “minister” for God wherever they are. We are entering into an Army of the Lord Movement, when believers will confront the forces of darkness on every level.

One of the foundational mandates that the Lord has given Bishop Hamon and Christian International is to equip people to hear the Voice of God to bring transformation. Many nations consider Bishop Hamon the “Father of the Modern Prophetic Movement.” Christian International has 5000 ministers worldwide and on every continent on the Earth. CI conducts teaching, training and empowering conferences as well. The 7MKI Network will empower individuals to hear the Voice of the Lord in their spheres of influence, so they can use Holy Spirit’s empowerment to transform culture through their sphere.

With a ministry of over 60 years, CI has an established a worldwide record of teaching over 250,000 people to personally hear God for themselves, their family, their jobs, their churches, and for others.  CI developed multiple training manuals, college courses, seminars, DVDs and more.

Two words from the Greek have been translated into our English language Bible as “word.”  Logos is one of those words and is commonly understood to be the “written word,” or the Old and New Testaments.  Rhema is the other Greek word that has been translated into English as “word.” Rhema means an “utterance” or “thing said.”

When God reveals something to us now, today, whether through reading scriptures or making it known to us in any one of many different ways, we refer to that as God speaking (making known) to us, or a “Rhema” word of God to, for, or through us.  This “now” word of God, called a Rhema or “spoken word,” has an inherent or creative power in itself.  It is God speaking now.  Hearing what God is saying to you now, about your current circumstance, providing guidance and strategy for you, can save you and others immeasurable problems, time, effort, money, and resources.  The ability to speak the words of God into a situation or strategy is priceless.  It can actually effect a change.

“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Mt 8:8).

A Rhema word from God has the ability to bring hope and earnest expectation into a situation.  It can provide a strategy to overcome the devices and plans of our enemies.  Elisha provided strategies for the King of Israel:

“And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber” (2 Kings 6:10-11).

Also remember the strategies given Joseph about a famine, Joshua about Jericho, Gideon about the Midianites, and Jehoshaphat about the Ammonites and Moabites.  God is willing to guide and direct the people who will hear and follow Him:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Hearing God’s Voice will be your key to fulfilling the Destiny that the Lord has for you. CI will stand with you and prophesy the Word of the Lord into your life, family, and destiny. We will also equip you to hear God’s Voice yourself to bring transformation.

7MKI Membership

The goal of the Christian International 7MKI network is to develop relationships within our network of ministers (CIAN), where members receive relationship and impartation of the Apostolic and the Prophetic anointing to successfully transform their mountain as a part of their calling in the Lord. Membership is free for 2016 with unlimited access to the resources available. Beginning in 2017 this 7MKI Network will transition into a membership network with annual fees. Therefore, this is now your opportunity to experience the 7MKI network during this “Jubilee Year” of 2016!

To receive resources in 2016, you don’t need to do anything further. However, to continue your membership beyond 2016, click here to complete an application. You can complete that application any time.

[1] 2 Corinthians 3:6

[2] http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/francis-schaeffer.html

[3] http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/francis-schaeffer.html

[4] http://www.ywam.org/about-us/history/

[5] http://iccc.net/about-iccc/

[6] http://pinnacleforum.com/about/

[7] http://halftimeinstitute.org/about/mission-vision

[8] http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/about-us/

[9] http://www.transformourworld.org/en/about/distinctives , and http://www.harvestevan.org/the-mission-of-harvest-evangelism

[10] http://keysnetwork.org/index.php/joomla/contentall-comcontent-views/category-list/11-partners-bio/47-lance-wallnau-bio-4 , and http://www.theoakinitiative.org/lance-wallnau#.VfCIsm-FPDc