THE KINGDOM FOCUS The Kingdom focus begins with the fact that there is a "Kingdom of God" and there is an arena of darkness. The Kingdom of God is a ruling force superior in every way to the principalities of darkness. Likewise when God created man, he gave man dominion over the earth. Adam relinquished man's dominion by disobedience. Redemption and restoration of man's dominion over the earth, as well as his reconciliation with God, was made possible by Jesus. Jesus announced His earthly ministry with the words, "the Kingdom of God is at hand." There is a higher order and way of doing things that comes from an understanding and acceptance into our lives of the Kingdom perspective. A signifcant distinctive of the ICCC is that the Kingdom focus is being brought to the forefront in the marketplace, the place of business, education and governmental decisions. ICCC operates on the premise that there is a unique contrast between one who merely professes Christianity in the marketplace, compared to one who actually brings God's Kingdom rule and reign into his or her business activity. (See ICCC material for further teaching on this subject.) The Kingdom perspective begins with acknowledging that it is possible to operate in God's Kingdom rule on the earth here and now. The Kingdom can be all embracing and can guide every area of our personal and business lives. The Kingdom of God deals with the priorities we set within our everyday activities, business, family and community - based on our obedience to the principles, initiatives, and agendas that come from the throne-room of God. Jesus said we should pray that His Kingdom come and His will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. This requires unrestrained obedience to God's purposes and principles in the operation and decision-making process of our business activities. The Kingdom focus illuminates the Biblical principles that release God's blessing. The Kingdom focus places great signifcance on the role of the Person of the Holy Spirit, as well as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom focus involves a distinct difference in the business executive or business owner's attitudes and utilization of money, people and power. This difference in attitude evolves from spending consistent time in the presence of the Lord. This Kingdom focus - in essence God's perspective - is strategic and becomes the guiding force for daily decisions. Becoming a genuine Kingdom Ambassador requires the obedience needed to receive the authority to actively and consistently direct God's power, and to exercise dominion here on earth, as was God's design for our lives from the beginning. God's word reveals clearly that His Blessing is directly correlated to operating in obedience to His Kingdom principles. A Man and a Vision By J. Gunnar Olson It was in the late seventies and early eighties that the vision was formed and plans were made to lay the foundation of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC). ICCC was registered in Brussels, Belgium in July 1985 as a Non-profit International Association (AISBL). The aim is to put the Kingdom of God as the first priority in our business lives and to teach and train men and women to respond to the biblical challenge of a walk with Christ in the market-place.   ICCC chairman and founder Gunnar Olsonoften speaks about drawing on insights and wisdom from walking with the Lord in his own business life, coupled with the foundational Word of God, he wants to show that, through the redemptive work, there is indeed a freedom from slavery to be experienced also in our professional and business lives. The door into that freedom is accessed through faith. Member Services The services of ICCC aim to assist His purpose for our working lives as we serve our communities and the nations. A network of world-wide contacts enabling national and international ties with  businessmen and women. National and international conferences for fellowship, instruction and inspiration. Teaching and training through conferences and seminars to develop the working out of Kingdom principles in the business world. An ICCC magazine providing news, information and articles on a variety of issues. The support of projects by prayer, the expertise of members one to another, and the identification of available resources.  Christian mediation and arbitration. Advice and counselling to members whose businesses are experiencing crisis. External Services  Support for national and international organisations and institutions engaged in effective service. Co-ordination of assistance to under-developed countries. Assist in the job-creation process in many nations. Subscription and Fees Members are invited to subscribe talents and funds to the objectives of the ICCC as the occasion arises. The international directors will discern priorities for the advancement of the call and will make these opportunities known to the membership for their involvement. The annual subscription is fixed by members, following the submission of a recommendation, at the bi-annual International General Meeting. For information on current subscriptions, please ask the International Office for information about ICCC in your nation. A membership application is available online. The ICCC is a not-for-profit association.    The Purpose As with King David, for whom circumstances made the establishment of his kingdom unlikely, so ICCC calls to Christians to experience a relaese into a new dimension in which corporate goals, strategies and plans become the outward manifestation of an inward walk of faith. ICCC sounds a call to rise victoriously above the encroaching tide to become a blessing for the times in which we are living. The call of ICCC is encapsulated by the words from the prophet Malachi:  "And those, says the Lord, shall I have as my own in that day, when I do my work: and I will spare them as a father spares his son that serves him. And you shall once again see the difference between him that serves the Lord and him that serves him not..."    Malachi 3:17-18 What we believe in One God, maker of all things and in the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead. The Deity of Jesus Christ. His virgin birth. His vicarious and atoning death. His resurrection. His rightful authority. His imminent return. The Bible in its entirety, and the infallible rule of faith and conduct. The regenerative work of the Holy Spirit leading to the healing of the whole man. Prophetic Start At the end of 1984 a conference was held in Örebro, Sweden, with the theme "Big Brother or the Kingdom of God?" This conference, with Intercessors International, became the platform from which Gunnar shared for the first time his vision and dream of an International Christian Chamber of Commerce. "I had carried the vision for several years, but now the Lord showed me that the time had come to take a bold step and dress the vision in words. Close to the time of the conference, and full of fear about making a mistake, I cried out to the Lord for a sign. The Lord answered my heart's cry and encouraged me, through an American businessman who called from Paris and wanted to see me at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm. He would fly in just over lunch-time and return later the same day. When meeting him at the airport he said, "Now is the time to speak what you have in your heart. And this shall be your sign!" When I asked him "what are you talking about?" he answered, "I don't know." As he spoke, he reached into his briefcase and handed over 2,000 lapel pins. This is today the ICCC symbol." This was the first in a series of prophetic confirmations which led to the initiation of the ICCC. "The Bible tells us that we are His workmanship, created for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I experienced the truth of these words; everything was prepared beforehand" Gunnar says.  In the same supernatural way God led Gunnar to each of the five other founding members of the ICCC. Among these was Dr Willard Cantelon of Washington DC, who was chairman that year of the Congressional Prayer Breakfast in the USA.  "What you have initiated has much greater dimensions than you can now appreciate and understand..." Dr. Willard Cantelon spoke thorugh the phone from Washington; Gunnar had only met him once before at a luncheon for several hundred businessmen in Brussels two years earlier. In spite of the fact that the two did not know each other, Dr Cantelon had at that time, shocked Gunnar by saying, "We will have much to do with each other in the future." After that luncheon they had no other contact until the telephone conversation during the dinner with Dr Ladenius. "To this day I cannot understand what happened in any other way than that my steps were directed in detail in a supernatural way" Gunnar says. The Marketplace Today, over three decades later, ICCC is represented in all continents of the world with members in over 100 nations. As International Directors travel extensively, new national ICCC chambers are constantly being established: ICCC currently continues to expand at a very healthy rate.   "When looking back on the short history of ICCC, I feel as if I have had to run as fast as I could in front of a big train, so as not to be run over" says Gunnar. "I am deeply touched and humbled when thinking of all the loving work performed by the members of the International Board and members in individual countries." The members of the ICCC are individuals with a calling to the market-place in businesses and corporations.  "We are a world-wide network with contacts enabling national and international ties with businessmen and women, and providing channels for the distribution of products and services. But our calling is like that of Joseph: for our time and for the time to come." "It is wonderful to see how the Lord is raising up businesspeople carrying the message of truth into the Marketplace. And yet we have only seen the humble beginning of what I believe will be a great manifestation in this area." What about ethics? During the initial period some principles have been crystallised. They could be expressed as: Excellence, Stewardship and Righteousness. It is evident that old concepts relating to work and professional life, leadership and the economy are being filled with new and fresh biblical revelation. "It is just like a walk into the unknown, full of new discoveries." Gunnar talks about a walk of faith in obedience to the Word of God without losing sight of professional excellence. "The experience of this walk is as dramatic as it must have been for those in slavery in ancient times. They were to walk out of slavery into a new Land.  We find that the hardest part of this walk is to get the 'slavery mentality' out of us. But also to discover that the freedom is real, not just religious jargon." From a biblical perspective there are no real ethical standards unless they demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit resulting from our walk in obedience to God's Word. "This is key, unless we are satisfied with our own good works, which amounts to nothing before the Lord" Gunnar responds. But there is a great need for in-depth teaching in this area and today ICCC can offer a full programme of seminars inspiring executives and others to develop their companies with a totally new understanding from the Word of God, leading to the glorious experience of the presence of God manifest in the Marketplace. There are also many national and international conferences organised for instruction, edification and inspiration within the ICCC. Focusing on the network Often our business life is locally oriented, but our calling is most definitely to the nations.  Therefore we need to be known and recognised not only by God, but also by each other in order to function as members of God's Kingdom." One way of accomplishing this has been the encouragement of trade delegations visiting other nations and opening new markets.  Similar Trade exhibitions have been held in Moscow, Romania, Poland, Sweden, Ghana, Sri Lanka, UK and Germany, Egypt and Israel resulting in very interesting business ventures, investments, etc. The ICCC International Office serves the organisation and its members as a clearing house for recording and distribution of information about member products and services. Until 1994, the Office had only volunteers. Believing the time had come to employ full-time staff in order to serve more effectively, the Office was moved to Örebro, Sweden.  Most of ICCC's work both internationally and nationally is still carried out by business people giving of their time and resources. Looking toward the future As we are projecting into the future it is becoming evident that the world is undoubtedly shaking like never before. Everywhere you look the evidence of shaking is there: the former Soviet Union, the Balkan Peninsula, former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Africa, South America and the European Union. Think of the fall of Barings Bank, 911, Enron, etc. But this is just the small beginning. The whole world will experience an economic shock treatment in the future. The prophet Isaiah says in Chapter 24:19-20 "....the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut...." "We live in serious times," Gunnar continues, "but we saw this coming years ago and that is one of the reasons why we exist and certainly why we wrote these words in our brochure: "ICCC sounds a call to fall in line with God's plan for these times as the key to blessing and development and in order to rise victoriously above the encroaching tide." "Yes, there is a tidal wave coming and that is why the Lord is calling us out into a walk with Him, where we will experience His power and His salvation. I believe God wants to show the world the glorious thing He has done through destroying the power of Satan. I want to cry out to the world: there is a way through all of this!  Religion itself will not help us to walk through the coming times. But knowing the Lord and walking together with Him is to overcome. It requires a believing people with a personal relationship with God, a creative, professional and bold people who know their calling and their position as sons and daughters. "Then you shall once again see the difference between him that serves the Lord and him that serves Him not ...." Malachi 3:18 Top