Dr. Bruce Cook is an apostolic and prophetic entrepreneur, business consultant, professor, author, and networker who has empowered many in the Body of Christ to pursue and fulfill their dreams.
He is passionate to see the Spirit of God move and for the Kingdom of God to advance. He has hosted many round-tables, forums and summits, bringing leaders of significant influence together. I have sought his wisdom and counsel on Kingdom projects and have known him to be amiable, supportive, humble, and always helpful. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Dr. Bruce Cook, Seattle, WA
The Kingdom of God is an inside-out Kingdom in contrast to the nature and structure of most worldly systems and governments. Luke 17:21 (NKJV) says, "...the Kingdom of God is within you." John 7:37-38 (NIV) says, "On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'"
Inside-Out Versus Outside-In
Inside out involves processes, systems and/or outcomes which are organic and fruitful, and have divine origin and order. Organic here is defined as "developing in a manner analogous to the natural growth and evolution characteristic of living organisms; arising as a natural outgrowth". In contrast, outside in involves processes, systems and/or outcomes which are artificial and forced, controlled, or manipulated and have human origin and order.
| "In our work relationships, God wants right attitudes. He cares about behaviors, and right behavior is important, but right attitude is far more important in God's eyes." |
Romans 12:2 (MSG) says, "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
There is a clear progression of growth from the inside out, from children to sons to fathers. It requires managing an "inside life". The two key influencers are our heavenly Father, and the inward or the outward focus from the world systems and structures. What we choose to love, and how well we love, will determine the outcomes and what flows from us individually and corporately (see 1 John 2:12-17).
Babies are formed on the inside, in the womb, and birth is from the inside out. This is true not only in humans, but in all species. This is God's design for reproduction and for repopulating the earth and all species. The world's way of life is from the outside in. Organization charts and board committees are outside in efforts to try to bring structure, order and process to entities of various types. Marketing and sales and advertising, billboards, social media, television and radio, newspaper and magazines—these are outside-in methods and media, respectively, involving processes, networks and programs to get your attention and persuade you to buy something or take some specific action. Effective marketing is realized when core values and needs on the inside are tapped into.
Education processes are from the outside in, from academic institutions, professional societies and/or regulatory agencies. These are competent and quality standards and guidelines or requirements to ensure professionalism, but are not the mission or assignment of the practitioner, nor the service provided by them. The social currency of these credentials is also important, and is not always indicative of learned core values that are often realized in authentic cultures.
Influencing Cultures from the Inside-Out
For organizations, the corporate culture is the inside out and reflects the core values of senior leadership and shareholders or stakeholders, depending on organizational type and mission. Mars Inc., for example, a privately-held, multi-national, multi-billion-dollar corporation, has five core values: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom. Culture helps define, undergird, frame and drive corporate identity, mission, goals, policies and behaviors. Culture influences how employees, clients or customers, and other constituents are variously treated, trained, and compensated or rewarded. Essentially, culture empowers the life of the organization, especially if it has its roots in Kingdom principles.
We must be born again of...(continue reading)
Intro from Patricia King:
