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Alas, we stand firm
And not without grace
Be as it may
In love, in agony
Reciprocating as one
Our youth will never be forgotten

So too stood the common thief
Who stole our souls for pennies
Our exchanges believing heresy
Befitted irreverence
Begotten clandestine empires
Bewilderment of nature itself
The unthinkable

Sound the guns
Thwart the enemies within
Stand firm to affirm
We are one
In love, in agony
Would we have it change?
Would we remain it the same?

Outstanding obscurities unsolvable by death
Or belief in the very thing that you disbelieve?
There is no right or wrong anymore
There never was
Only a line to balance on
We are one
Says the opposing prince
Who would have it no other way

Fear of falling off
Fear of staying put
Fear of losing purpose
Fear of being loved
We are one
Says the armored one on the battlefield
Who would have it no other way

Both have met long ago
And both will meet for ages to come
Will they ever learn?
We hope
Since they are forever one and the same
Ourselves

In love, in agony

© Copyright 2018 MattSpeaks.com
Cook, M. Author
Written Nov 11, 2017, Edited April 16, 2018

It is the tension of my frustrations, which produce greatness.

(Journal entry written by Matt Cook on December of 2013)

I am tied up between a decision of faith and a decision of conventional wisdom. A normal guy, with a normal income trying to build a business that sustains myself and close family. With daydreams bigger than I can handle and passions greater than my sleep cycle, there is nothing I can do to escape myself. I am burdened with anticipation of things that are unannounced and have yet to be prescribed, though I know they are needed for my very basic survival. To do less than great things feels like a rebellion against my responsibility to harvest what I’ve been given.

What am I doing at this present time? There are some options on the table at this point, none of which I have clearly outlined and determined as the best directed probable outcomes. Today is December 1st. I promised myself that this coming New Years Day I would wake up in the Sierra Leone heat, in a continent that I lost my heart to – Africa. It was as if the read earth called me from a child, and waited for my return, though I had never set foot before. I declared the trip to be a spiritual investment and prophetic declaration for the coming year to produce in that region. I first visited Sierra Leone back in April of this year and felt my spirit more at peace with itself and the surroundings than ever before. Africa is a place where secret underworlds battle for spiritual domination and outsiders look to bridge the gaps that surface and manifest into the reality around them. I felt very much connected with this mysterious unknown. I became humbled and greatly empowered at the same time. After being acquainted I simply knew I would return again. What I didn’t know was when, and how much of myself I would bring and allow to give.

Here I am, after a year of growing in California and abroad, back in Edmonton, Canada with the newest vision of $2Million coming through my bank account within 12 months of graduation (Graduated May 2013). This is to come in whichever way necessary to fuel my passions to develop a global organization. There are three main opportunities which I have either partnered on or started on my own within the past 2 years and they are what I see at this point allowing the vision to come into fruition. Idea Vessel, a new marketing and advertising agency that serves small and large businesses alike. Travel by Dart, a television show produced by my partner Sorin and I. And iCan, the development of a sustainable third world foreign investment platform that creates scalable businesses and gives ownership to opportune locals who deserve it… amongst other things under iCan umbrella like better fundraising online for missionaries and divisions of volunteer and attainable ministry experiences globally.

My question herein lays, which of the three to run with? How fast to run with them and for how long of a season? Which can produce the greatest outcome while building my faith the strongest and impacting the world in the best way possible? And how, if at all should I spend time in the initial process of growth focusing on serving others while producing the building of myself financially? Some say treat your self to growth and then treat others. Some say treat others and you will be fine, while other say balance both and find ways to grow each goal simultaneously.
I struggle to find the perfect solution, while prioritizing what truly matters most and never imposing on that very thing. Bill Johnson of Bethel Church says bread is for eating and seeds are for planting. Don’t give away the seeds for your next seasons harvest, because you’ll have nothing and that helps no one.

Like many, I look to the core existence of myself and wonder which of the many reasons I am here on earth. I regularly conclude that it is in my free will to decide my worldly achievements and it is God’s duty to empower them, with the promise of not letting me take too much that I can’t handle. So with such belief, and a soft heart for change or the big stop sign if necessary I plow forwards. As expected things always happen, opportunities arise wherever I go, and it is to no doubt that my faith grows as with those around me during the process. As success remains inevitable in my mind, I wonder to what degree success is pendant on my current life choices.

Sure it is, right? But, to what degree should I think of the here and now affecting the future. One couldn’t stay in the present thinking forever. And one couldn’t possibly have total control, could they? That may be mistaken for self-idolatrous in some modern beliefs if one were to go for that. However, I do wonder if God sits above watching, happy that his people are brash and forward in their attempts to conquer and rule the land he gave them. I think of those who’ve led nations or movements, whether it is for the love of God and humanity or no reason at all other than attaining power and status, how much faith they must have had to get them to the levels that they achieved on earth. The God-less with no moral issues to worry about, only their undivided plan to conquer that which they desire may put them ahead of many others, naturally as there is no limitations to their approach. Pure rectified plowing of the fields with nothing to get in their way. How do they pan up against the spiritually conscious, guiding their movements precisely at each step of the way, carefully not stepping on toes to hurt anyone or cause infractions to the commandments, I wonder? Could faith in God in this social generation be wrongfully taught, with power taken away from the people of God for fear of disloyalty to their king by taking things into their own accord? Historically, whose faith is stronger, the self-questioning righteous or the un-Godly plowing enforcer. And who has done more in a lifetime, regardless of for better for worse? I say the latter of the two.

I ask this to myself only for the simple reason to find more boldness, while taking the best of both worlds and merging them together to produce greatness for the kingdom on earth. There is gold in everything, and to know our future is to know our past, both of the righteous and unjust. I believe every past action is prophetic for every future creation or unlocking of creation. Understanding history is key for breaking spiritual strongholds that passed down from generation to generation. Within the concept of God allowing no more than we can handle, I still believe those who push boundaries and ask God for more will be granted. Every prayer is heard, if not for us then for our future generations. Someone at some point must be granted access to the unlocking of mysteries and world betterment if a prayer has gone out. Our words bring life, and that is a promise of God. Could I be a piece of the lineage that creates a generational impact that lasts both physically and spiritually for hundreds, if not thousands of years to come? Why not? I concur.

Back to the cause of my writing: The decision of what to do with my current pallet of options. I like to wait for Sundays to decide bigger things, as I feel spiritually connected with God during my day of rest. Whether I sleep in for rest or get up early, eager to learn and grow, it is the expectation of Sunday that defines the special increase in revelation for one full day every week. I trust that Sunday is a good time to make critical choices, so here I am searching for deeper meanings of truth.

The current situation at hand is this:

I have a 46 day itinerary coming up in 4 days: Flights have been booked for the following – Edmonton to California Dec4 – 14th, and Africa December 14-Jan 20th

Ican: I had originally intended to go to Redding, CA to pray and seek revelation for 9 days, then leave empowered to Africa for 36 days and establish a foundation and growth plan for my planned organization called iCan. The plan was not to go and spend a bunch of money, but rather to go and find every opportunity possible for foreign investment during my stay, while filming and documenting my journey, to help better create multiple project portfolios for seeking out investors to give to the new business opportunities. I would set out to interview may of the top people of the country, including the president and take video proof of them supporting the iCan movement, which I could use to empower trust and faster built relationships with potential investors around the globe at a later time. I would create the ability to sell off private ownership of each individual opportunity (or project portfolio) until each reaches a profitable stage, then once a promised rate of return on investment has been reached all ownership would go to the locals. iCan would then take it’s percentage of profits from the back end to grow and function moving forwards to grow in size and better empower each end of the spectrum. With more cash flow, more Leoneans will have access to education and tools for success. I would use a portion of all profits to take on charity tasks and create even more businesses to boost economy.

There would be little to no risk, great management of each project, on-the-ground video diligence during each project’s progress, and creating a world of change and opportunity for the locals, while preserving their cultural heritage and giving aid to them in areas they most need (health care, benefits packages, employment at good wages, fairness and gender equality, and kingdom teachings and principles). All of this would be consistently built within a holdings company, and eventually an epicenter for all workings and aid to go in and out of would be built. Libraries, medical treatments, daycares, schools, food shops, distribution centers, water treatment facilities… we would start small and plan for large scale growth right from the beginning.

Idea Vessel Inc. was created October 1st to fuel my family’s future and mine financially, as well as to create the personal investment and wealth that would be needed to build iCan if nobody bought into what I was doing. This business is designed to broadcast creativity and positivity into businesses through marketing and design and campaign creation. This is my passion and best skillset that I bring to the table as a working-class individual. It is my one thing that separates me from the rest in terms of producing excellence. When I work, it gives me energy rather than taking, which is a must-need and key to success in any workplace. Everything from rebranding to website builds, copywriting, video production, social media, and connecting brands to the world in the best and most original ways possible is what Idea Vessel is all about.

I started the business originally anticipating to bring on a partner and brother to better empower his future by leaving his job, while aiming to increase the company skillsets and ability to sell to our local Edmonton markets, all the while hoping to lessen my absurd initial workloads. I now see the growth potential of this company, and a much anticipated heightened increase for work and diligence in the opening months is prevalent. The company has produced more than twenty thousand dollars in it’s first month and while away for 2-3 weeks in it’s second month in Russia it continued to grow and now has potential for much more revenues, upward of the $100,000 mark in the coming month if I play my cards right. Meetings are set from Dec6-14th to bring on some very large potential clients, all of which will prove to be time consuming if I take them on. This is a great opportunity to grow, but the system needs to be in place to handle the workload if I am to achieve my personal endeavors and convictions to set up iCan in Africa, which from a very rooted standpoint was a major reason for starting Idea Vessel in the first place. All things seem to be going according to plan, though there seems to be much more work than one can handle. I have yet to bring on my partner into the business, and I am struggling to fulfill the client workload as of now, let alone bringing on more. A change will need to take place. I am feeling the stretch! Exciting times… mixed with decisions, decisions.

Parents need: I have discovered my parents need for financial restoration and need of new jobs to produce an easier and much deserved life for them. I recently found out my parents were struggling with taxes on the purchase of their new home 5 or 6 months ago, and that their job earnings weren’t sufficient for the bills coming in, as they had to drive 200kms per day and were stuck at a rate of roughly $3000/monthly loss. They will soon lose their house, and even worse, potentially lose faith as this house was purchased with the notion that God wanted them to move out to the country and live simpler lives with freedom and beauty as the kids, myself and sister are “all grown up” (hardly the case) and out of the house. I will passionately now look to employ my mom full time with Idea Vessel and aim to give her the life she and my father deserve. Even at the very least provide a sustainable income over and above her job at a rate that allows her to pay the bills and empower my business at the same time. I have always envisioned my mother working with me on business, as she is a stunning employee and a creative genius. Only in recent months has things became a reality, and they will be soon ironed out with a systematic approach that will become fail-proof. Time and attention to need in this area is of the essence. This brings me to yet again a cross-roads for priority of time in the coming months.

New love: I met a woman who I believe may become my future wife and mother of my children. I met her on a train in Moscow while filming an episode of Travel by Dart. She became our translator and flew across the country in good faith to come and aid us in travelling out to bring gifts and inspiration to a Russian children’s foster home. Olga, pronounced “Olya”, currently lives in Russia and to see her requires an investment of time and finances to meet with her and have the time to experiment with each other and bring us closer together. As for the degree that my feelings are for her, and as serious and crazy as it is, on the first date I felt so compelled to tell her that I loved her that I just blurted it out and from that point on my entire life seemed to have shifted course. I thank God daily for bringing her into my world, and at the same time beg that I won’t be teased by my daily dreaming that now feels as if it is heavily dosed with steroids.

She is willing to partner on my projects and help empower me to achieve great things. As selfish as this sounds, this excites me very much because for the first time in my existence I feel bringing a woman that I’ve met into my life in this way will actually empower me and not take away from my lifetime of insane goals and visions. As her dreams are very similar to mine, I can now empower her dreams and shift to make many of hers my own. The value in this is unprecedented, as many other women before me were turn or burn mentality. It was always about my business or them, my dreams or theirs, my time for me or my time for them. I see marrying Olga as an amazing opportunity, for the both of us to work within the seasons of our lives and empower each other in amazing ways to get to the level we each desire, spiritually, physically and mentally.

Investing in us right now could a) be the best move of a lifetime or b) turn out to be a massive re-directing decision and dividing of my current passions, ultimately taking away from everything I’ve been thriving for and change my course of direction completely. For a man as passionate as myself about achieving what he has set out to do… this is a very scary and unpredictable thing to think about. I write to conclude many yesses in my life to be yes, and no’s to be no’s. There is much value in being 100%, fully reconciled in all areas, in faith and ability to accept a loss if need be, for the sake of potential gain and ultimately greatness. I know that none of these decisions can lead to disaster, and all of these decisions will grow me indefinitely, but nonetheless they are still scary and have deemed me many sleepless nights!

Family: The question of family constantly lingers on the mind of a man. At what age and season of a man’s life is he to bring a queen into the picture? Truly the best king is the most faithful servant, and much preparation is needed to become so. I believe ultimately love is a choice, and so is faith; both of which require utmost of preparation and care. I am left to wonder. Do the thoughts of creating a lifelong family place a higher value and importance than setting out to grow a business and create change in a distant country?

Rabbit trail: If asking God for opinion or influence, I believe the reality is that we would have the choice, and our faith in any choice made should not be divided regardless. A decision must be made out of free will and in my experience God likes to suddenly empower a decision, only for fun after it has already been made. This portion of the journey and unanswered questions at hand seem both cruel and fun, and can be so burdening at times. After each season comes to pass, the question remains, do I love myself enough to believe that everything will work in my favor and I am deserving of success on all levels? Or is the word ‘deserving’ in and of itself contradictory to the ideology that everything in life is comprised of inheritance? Some say you can only ever work hard to deal with what you’ve been given, and that amount is predetermined and out of your control. I teeter on all three sides of the coin and pray for more wisdom and understanding in the matter. Surely, I will uncover the truth and gold in this and be able to share with others.

My purpose of writing today and question to myself is this: Do I forgo Africa to a later date, while focusing on the betterment of my business and family life and hope to maintain passions for returning to Africa later? Or do I remain strong in faith and continue the journey that I already prayed into and planned for 6 months, while believing that all things work together for our good and that the natural course of outcome while in the midst of faith will take its rightful position?

The choice of Africa – Am I wise to cancel, or faithful to press onward? Is it simply better to go on with Africa and trust in confidence that my business will thrive not on my own accord but on God’s in the first place? It is my job to prepare the horse for battle and God will win it, but what horse am I to prepare?

The choice of Idea Vessel – Am I faithful if I sacrifice all other things for this? Will I reveal greater opportunities in the near future because of my early sacrifice and investment by not going to Africa, which is pulling on my heart? Or am I overall operating based on the sole faith of money to provide, and that is why Idea Vessel is considered a more lucrative and/or calculated safe choice?

I have been taught that to work from rest is better than strife, and that if one gives God the room for a miracle it can be expected to come. If things are too attainable by human standards and goals are such that we see how to complete them, perhaps they are not big enough for God to work within. A story comes to mind where God fills containers with unlimited flow of oil, but only to the capacity in which the people provided containers. He forewarns the people to bring as many containers as they wish, and to what degree people choose to accept and bring forth is the amount they receive. It’s like we all have the choice of how much we will receive. How great we will become. How much we will love ourselves and be able to grow. If we give God more room, he will fill us up.

Ending note: Forgetting what has been said to anyone about my plans, and the roller coaster that comes along with placing one’s vision on the line publicly, what is my true heart in the matter? What will make me happy and determine my own faith to bridge new gaps and empower me more in the future? What cannot fail? What is God’s heart in the matter? How can I remain loyal to all of those around me, while increasing faith in others and producing great testimony to spread God’s love inadvertently? I hope that it is in my actions, not my words that I speak loudly and I pray that the actions I chose are the best possible. The language I chose to speak will be one with love and care and attention to detail.

Though time is running short and I am merely days away, time will tell.

Matt Cook
December 1, 2013

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I will attempt to do two things in this post: Provide an overview of our company, KVCF (Kingdom Venture Capital Fund), as well as explain what exactly what “Kingdom” means to us, as the first and primary letter/name/motivation of our business. Since I’ve been a part of so many theological conversations over the years through starting this business in 2013, I’ve been ever the more compelled to deepen the lengths at which I share some of the conversations and revelations publicly. I think most will find value if seeking it in the spaces of spirituality and business; so hang in there as you read and try to keep the mind open! In our day and age, spirituality is as wishy washy as ever, but that is only because the ecosystem in which it thrives is weak, and… well, therefor it just doesn’t thrive.

Relationships with pure people:

Since 2013 we have remained unrelenting in our pursuit and quest to seek people that show purity of heart over purity of skill.  Just as the ‘body’ (church) needs to collaborate in unity to progress, the forming of pure relationships are quintessential to bringing ‘kingdom’ into the marketplace through our endeavors as a company. I will touch more on what I mean by this further below. Since 2013, we’ve remained on dry land, prepping our ship and crew, if you will, to forage through to a new world. And do it with purpose.

Through our company, KVCF, and the various subsidiaries and projects that we’ve started [such as an idea factory (Idea Vessel) and quasi fair-tech SaaS development company (Tech Vessel); a cocoa exporting business in Africa; a religious TV show (Christian Beer Network); writing projects and more] we represent a youthful generation that is both intellectual and spirit-led, who desires to create global impact through social economic development-based businesses, backed by theologically sound Christian belief systems and decision making that is spirit-led (or Kingdom-minded) first and foremost.

To mature ourselves in the ways of seeking divinity, pursuing God and his will, and aligning His will with our own (we can classify this as ‘being renewed by the transformation of the mind’ -Romans 12:2), having merging the two wills together, we believe the formation of a constitution by which we can rely on in all of our business endeavors is feasible, and sets precedence for scale, in our businesses and lives to onset a better ecosystem for our following generations to come. Spirituality, in a way, is  only as powerful as the forefathers who plant the trees that oxygenate the environment for the future inhabitants of the land. Since my feeling is that we’ve been depleted of this oxygen, and for no good reason (I’ll be glad to elaborate on another post from my numerous journal entries on the matter, if it is something of general interest), the aim with KVCF is to essentially uproot, replant and rebuild; from baroness to bountiful harvests.

What exactly is a harvest? Well, aside from the standard Christian evangelistic mindset of “saving” souls (which we approve of, conceptually, but often don’t like the religiousness or terminology used many who pursue it), we aren’t really in that direct of a stream. We’re not pastors, preachers or evangelists. We’re entrepreneurs, investors and spiritual capitalists. So in the sense of business, our stream, what we aim to harvest is righteous capital, or “spiritual capital” (to expand on the coin-phrase above) that can be used for kingdom purposes (God’s will) on earth.

This is what our company, KVCF, values as a core operating principal. It is the treasure we seek, daily, and is what we believe harnesses the power to change the world. Our faith for it is strong, we pursue it at great lengths (often times it proves not to be the most logical path to finance), and with great purpose and steadfastness. As we reflect with our company slogan, “Righteous Investing”, our belief is that it is imperative to share our methods of business with those we invest in, seek to invest in, and with the rest of the world, so that others can become spiritual capitalists and learn how to properly fertilize new businesses; in turn sowing into new spiritual value chains within every sector, market and industry around the world.

Behind the scenes, in our imaginations as we’ve explored the realms of possibilities, we’ve continued to discover new thoughts, ideas, strategies and revelations, from businesses to government to church and beyond, I have been overwhelmed with convictions to pursue a lifetime of pattern seeking and puzzle completion. I recall speaking at a government level, which, though was briefly done and on two separate occasions, even having been so momentarily, it excited me the most as I began to think just how radical of change we can create if from the top down. As our business grows legs, and our financial capacity increases to the point of being competitive in the crown-corporate landscape, I believe it is righteous-led deals that will prevail in many economic development arenas and frontier markets (such as our efforts have led us to India, Sierra Leone, Liberia and as of recent the rebuilding ex-USSR country of Georgia) to create a new world of opportunity for citizens with bottom-up focus. In the middle we will meet, having provided a new ecosystem to thrive within, as mentioned above.

I’d like to make a quick and valuable note to prove the grandeur and possibilities of change: The US constitution was written 232 years ago (approximately 9 generations ago, if counting one female generation average as 25.5 years standard ‘lifetime’ before giving birth to another) in 1787 from May 25 to September 17, a mere 17 weeks (or so), and signed on the last day. There were 55 delegates sent from 13 colonies to meet, 39 of which signed it upon completion, and a small handful of whom are notable figures that the world can remember. Typically, those who we first recall (Thomas Jefferson for writing the first ten amendments and the Bill of Rights; Alexander Hamilton and John Adams for their bits) were likely positioned due to their leadership strengths, bloodlines that came with great positions of power, due to the inherited ownership of land and influence amongst their colonies. Due to this combination of wealth and generational authority, these men partnered with their convictions, whether in divine or impurity (I will not argue either side here, for now), to  create a document by which could unify and regulate a large body of people, that would, over the years, become the global powerhouse phenomenon that is today known as the United States of America. I find it very interesting that, with all things considered, within 120 days or less of these delegates meeting, an entire country would soon be built to rest on the core foundation of their writing, beliefs and philosophies (and some would argue, their connectivity with God). It is this kind of treasure, in magnitude, authority and lasting of time that I seek to create. And I do believe, just as the US has now gone on 9 generations since this document, that we too can achieve a much similar result, by consolidating a few lifetimes worth of pursuit of revelation to seek God’s will and kingdom practices (our current and future ‘partners’ at KVCF); and to re-write a spiritual and practical constitution that can be used as a righteous framework for the next 14 generations to build upon, in good faith. If there are good roots, there will be fruits. The only question is, who are the ones that will begin planting them?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Right now, our target is set on developing private sector influence. This entails the creation of a number of larger, more capitalistic minded corporate businesses; only in our efforts can be designed to operate the right way. At the moment, I am drafting a simpler framework for our fund by which we can get started on a few orders of magnitude larger than what we’ve previously done in the past. Since our first attempts between 2013-2016 were unsuccessful in many ways, mostly financially, we have taken many data points since (it is now the beginning of 2019, having recovered from much of our loss) and revisited the ways in which we conduct ourselves, both professionally and spiritually. The need for a constitutional framework is evident, to anchor our methods of business and provide a non-variable approach and consistency to our decision-making. In prayer, in prophecy, in financial strategies, partnerships, processes of diligence, selection of investments, investors, people and trusted industries; local and international efforts and focuses, etc. In the sense of traditional business development and planning, there is, of course, much to do. But moreover, the theological and fundamental principals of how we operate and for whom we operate (God) there begs the undeterminable and infinitely variable, by many people’s standards, conclusion on just how deep relationship with God can be, and just how direct of a path can the interpretation of God’s word be from spirit to flesh; from vision to practice; from crazy and whimsical to real and validated. Are we to bridge such things as miraculous to obvious; prophetic to observation; and faith to knowledge backed by practicality? These are, perhaps, the end point visions, but at some place the process has to start. So here we are now. Considerate of falling, but only willing to fall forwards.

It is evident that to most, what we do and offer is outrageous, and tough to understand. At best, generally, it’s been conclusions that we are silly, our zeal outweighs our wisdom and the risk to partner with us is irrefutable, so any such outcome has been impossible for most to create a valuation for. We could be seen in various ways as dreamers, who’ve lost a few million dollars and fallen in our first pursuits, so the world should be careful. Or worse, we could be thought as scammers, leveraging the church and Christianity for the evil-will of our greed and desires, which are masked by our ignorance of self, distorted beliefs and spiritual conclusions demonically thwarted. We have been told many things, and felt many pressures, but all of which I believe necessary to properly sharpen us and create a sword worthy of cutting through the toughest of enemies.

As we begin to build momentum with the right people, and a deep understanding of God’s unlimited power and love, many new opportunities will begin to show, and KVCF will begin to achieve the unthinkable. These outcomes, or actions, if you will, are what will win hearts and minds of many over time. The questions will begin to change and increase in numbers as the new spiritual capitalist emerges from nowhere onto the scene.

Maturity of Christians and especially in Business:

There are too many ‘Christians’ in business who seek finances before God, and put on a front amidst their operation, claiming to be wholly and irrevocably serving the body of Christ (or ‘the church’) through their endeavours. All too often I find people either misled by the term Christianity and what it means to be a follower of Christ (having true relationship), and/or find people that are straight up shady about who they are and what they are really after when amidst a group of likeminded people. There is a serious hedging of identities as Christian believers in lieu of receiving a sort of trust or grace or acceptance within a body of people, and frankly the world is catching on — and it’s ruining it for the pure ones. I see this at Christian conferences and churches all the time, people gloating about their charitable ventures, their righteous doings and how important their causes or financial needs to sustain a cause are. And unless one has either prayed for or been given a solid gift of discernment, there is likely no way to filter through the true hearts of too many people. It happens with grown men, even pastors, and though I understand the realities of the ‘flesh’, I suspect we as a 21st century Christian community can hold ourselves to a higher degree of maturity and spiritual intellect.

Christians and success:

Secondly, I find it very rare to meet people who understand that not only putting their finances second before Christ, but surrendering their entire lives, is ultimately the single greatest way to be successful. There are many opinions and teachings around success and money, to name just a few popular at the moment, in my own words: the prosperity gospel, the ultra-charismatic pray for checks in the mail, the wealthy/super elite on stewardship, the be bold give-it-all-away messages, and of course the parable of the talents messages to receive either more money or nations to rule over. Many of these messages come flying out at audiences with pure intentions to speak to the church body and genuinely help it out, but unfortunately these messages are received through tainted lenses and misunderstood realities of who God is and what he has empowered us to be capable of. Our backgrounds of varied work ethics come into play, with some people over-zealous to receive freebies from Heaven, to others wrought with striving to earn money and win God’s love through status or societal accolades. The interesting thing is, outside of the Christian communities the very nature of capitalism and wealth-creation is a free for all with minimal restraints, with the only convictions being to MAKE MONEY and do simply whatever it takes to get it. Hard work + consistency = success. There is no miracles necessary, and anyone from anywhere in the world can do it, regardless of background, ethnicity or tribe. Quite frankly, the church body today, and arguably for centuries, has been tainted with a stark inability to produce wealth and influence over the world — since there are simply too many convictions for pastoral leaders to rake through scripture and ‘find the way’ to success, rather than just getting it. My keep-it-simple-stupid thinking on this is why pray for something you’ve already been given access to?

Empires and the storage of wealth:

The greatest empirical success to date is said to be the Roman Empire, and it lasted 1,480 years. To some this is a stretch since the very meaning of the word ’empire’ is subject to opinion, but for the sake of making one of my important points early on and making it very clear, it is quite evident that WHATEVER WE HAVE BUILT on this planet has risen, and has fallen. There is nothing, and I mean nothing [to date], that our flesh has created which has sustained to last against the tests of time. This includes money, power, and infrastructure, and a whole lot of other things. Man made creations, in large-scale capacity which have typically derived from accumulated wealth has always decomposed after some amount of time. Many a times the creations have been graced to continue onward through the forms of a reset button being hit, a re-construction or revitalization in terms of leadership or servitude from the body which maintained strong convictions for one reason or another to keep the system going. Why do I say this? — well, of course it is to say that wealth cannot be taken with us when we go — so why do we care so much about how to accumulate it?!

Some may say this is a stupid question, but I argue that for a church body that is supposed to be deep in revelation; deep in relationship with God; and deep in maturity toward the understanding of God’s perfect love being the single most important thing to acquire while on this planet… why are we preaching and putting so much energy, and ultimately pressure on ourselves around the topics of money? 2000 years ago a farmer with a handful of seeds back in the day would teach his son, “put these into the ground, be diligent with caring for it all the way until the seed grows and a harvest comes, plough the fields so that you will sustain yourself plus even have enough for the neighbours and savings in case of a drought”. Wealth in and of itself was simple. There was no intricate theoretical belief systems of how the seed would grow or how people would make money. I can’t imagine it was necessary to create an entire spiritual thing of it. Work hard, have faith, of course, but create your own success. You work harder than your neighbour, you will have more. Reap what you sow. The sluggard sleeps while the diligent hand is rewarded. Biblical theology was simple, as was in my opinion the ability to thrive irregardless of your spiritual background.

The sin of man:

To speak about things and just call them out for what they are, today the sins of man have essentially compounded to the point where entire people groups, bloodlines of families, and entire countries have deprecated themselves of opportunity and potential, and people are left wondering, “why me?”. If you think about it, as ugly as it may seem (and I make these points to find solutions not just to call them out), a broken home of generational alcoholic fathers would pass on various traits of abuse along the children, in which the children would be stuck having to overcompensate for the father’s sin to either survive or break the cycle. Some cycles are more atmospheric extremes than others, whereas the physical or mental capacity of the following offspring simply may not be enough to overcome (such as a disease, or an de-habilitating circumstance). That circumstance would have been caused by the sin, and therefor the sin of man created a poorer future than God had otherwise intended.

The sin of a collective body:

Now in the same way but on a cumulative and national level, the decisions of a body, or government, to the same degree may sin in ways that create an atmospheric tension for future generations. The offspring of a nation will be empowered or disempowered based on the decisions of the forefathers. The US constitution and debt crisis is arguably the largest debate and challenge on the plate of americans today, which has essentially been caused by the sin of man, whereas the purity of leadership has been outweighed by the unrighteous. For examples sake, too many capitalist lobbyists with better interests for themselves as opposed to the general population have deterred growth in areas that suffering and inequality now exists. One cannot ultimately blame the future generation for it’s shortcomings, or entering into of war, but just as the child may have to overcompensate for his father’s alcoholism to break the cycle, we as a generation must overcome our past generations of sin and misunderstanding of how the Kingdom works, to re-set and re-focus efforts to re-construct righteously.

Creating balance:

I find much interest in the understanding of history to both predict and prophesy the future. Creativity and passion of an organization comprised of a varied people group, whether small or large (a company such as ours for example with multiple backgrounds and world views) are essential to overcoming a global economy that is so complex and intertwined with sin. Now don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t care to spend my time dwelling or judging past sins, or have any negative or hopeless beliefs like “all of man is sinful”, or “the world is going to hell in a hand basket”, but I do cater to the importance of reality when I look in the mirror and see a flaw that needs fixing. We can choose to ignorantly view the world and hope for the best, or we can make direct odes to changing and seeking revelation from God on how to counter-balance the sin of man with the purity of love and righteousness.

Our company, KVCF was founded on the principles that Kingdom comes first, and through the economic pillar of society we can seek transformation and discover that the realities of pure governments, people groups, and reconstructions of nations are in fact possible in our lifetime. At the very least, we can massively create impact for the generations to come. If my grandfather build a road that I can drive on, how much easier should it be for me to build an empire when I can transport materials on the roads that I didn’t have to spend energy thinking about or creating. Despite the sin, there are all kinds of little secret advantages and mindsets that can propel us forwards. We just have to reach out and take hold.

Kingdom Venture Capital Fund – What is it?:

Since I am living with conviction to grow a company and organization that focuses on the above kinds of things all the time, while reaching out to the world and sharing in my own form of ministry (when someone is called to business I consider ‘work’ to be ‘worship’), I’d love to share about our company’s heart and mission.

At KVCF we have a few strong core values, but one of them always comes first. It’s the first letter of our name and everything we do should release this very word. “Kingdom”. So many ask me, “what does the Kingdom in your name mean?” Well, the answer is as simple as it is complex. If you could picture the kingdom as being heaven and all things in it, and it was as wonderful as it’s made out to sound — and it’s actually to one day be able to descend and come down on this earth — what would that be like? It is a very valid question, and one that many have prayed for ages. You know that verse, “..thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Many call it ‘The Lord’s prayer’, written by Paul in the bible as the official response to asking Jesus how we should pray. This one quote has been around for ages. Yet many people don’t really understand the deepness of what it actually means. Just like being blessed by giving when you actually want to give, rather than when you have to give; when one not only prays this prayer but seeks to see it in reality, the outcome is much better. Furthermore, our take on ‘kingdom theology’ is, if the world actually took heed of the importance of this prayer, as a promise from God that heaven can really come to earth when you pray, and an entire body of people actually dedicated their lives to seeing this happen… the unimaginable would happen and world would actually be a way better place.

Heaven on earth?

Spirituality aside and forgetting all the religious stuff… Just imagine this reality: A real heaven, and it’s on earth. It is likely to emulate all the story book things like freedom, love, prosperity, equality, and would bring so many people together to solve many of the planets problems. This is the very philosophy that we place first and foremost at our Venture Capital Fund, and it’s not just a philosophy, it is a way of life and integrated into every decision we ever make. It is the greatest single important thing needed for humanity to thrive righteously. It’s simply, “Kingdom”.

To go deeper (please stay with me here this will be good I promise), the first and most sustainable priority we at KVCF believe that can make a difference, is the position of our hearts. The position of our hearts can be placed directly into receiving God’s love, and being received in such a way that can literally shine in us and through us. You know when you meet someone and feel they’re just an amazing spirit, or they are super positive and or have peace or joy in their life as opposed to stress and drama? It is contagious, right! Hard to find those kind of people, but when you find them you’d do anything to keep getting near them and keep them around.

Spirituality within the Venture Capital arena? A crazy thought:

For us, the art of dealmaking in the venture capital world is full of sharks, business savvy entrepreneurs, statistical, majority left brain people who commonly could care less about love, peace, or designing a deal that serves others. The position of their hearts is a foreign concept to them, since it was never taught and to them serves no real relevance. For us, and ultimately why I think we are commented on as ‘so different’ in our approach, is that when we meet these kind of people and show that we are successful and bring quality to the table on their level, we are that pure person who is full of joy and peace that they can’t figure out and want to be around! It is like a breath of fresh air for them, since suffocating in their shells for so long, succumbing to the realities of their industry and competitive natures. To perform is to win, and to win is to achieve, and to achieve is to be paid. Avoiding judgement and shame are their motivators amongst their peers, and status is at the core of their identity. If their status ever deteriorates, or they are challenged in this area their identity is subject to deteriorate or be challenged along with it. This manifests all kinds of stress and anxiety, which bleeds into the rest of their lives outside of the work place. If they are not careful the work and the things they consume end up consuming them.

Purity of the spirit:

So when people like this have a chance to meet with KVCF, whether it is Grant or myself, or one our core advisors or staff, or the small-ish niche group of people that have kind of all magnetically found each other in this tight-knit industry of private equity and venture capital finance, they fall in love with us. But really they are falling in love with the God that shines through us, and ultimately the ideal of what they could be in that same image, because they know they are already powerful people.

One of the best and most scariest things is that when shining a light, the darkness is forced to leave, and typically/historically speaking that process can be quite uncomfortable. Some people discover that their foundations were built on cracks and it is very difficult for them to tear down, restructure and rebuild effectively, to the point of ‘why bother, it’s too late and I don’t have the energy, faith or time’… and others with their deep-rooted entrepreneurial tendencies seem to apply their never-say-die attitudes and ‘have to make it work no matter what’ mentalities toward spirituality and become some of the most forward-crushing, momentum driven believers on the planet. This is what excites me the most, since Jesus didn’t focus on the righteous to become powerful leaders, he focused on people like serial killers, the heretic, prostitutes and the sinners.

Working at KVCF:

The best thing about working at KVCF is that we have the ability to not only start building an empire that can make change globally, but we also get to share our story and meet other people who can also be impacted to do the same. Often the people we interact with are much older or further down the line than we are, financially, and the empires of their own that are already built can be reconstructed to create massive impact globally. Together, there is no limits to what we can achieve. Billions of dollars worth of new kingdom minded global influencers are already right here at our doorstep, and we’ve only just begun. How big is God? He is much bigger than simply striving to make money, I can tell you that.

The presence of God:

Since the beginning of time, the presence of God has in some way, shape or form has been felt by humanity. Arguably this conviction, if you will, mixed with our own personal free will to learn and grow is what has guided civilizations throughout the ages. The presence of God to date has been the single one, most sustainable or empirical force that has ever lived. It is everlasting, and it’s because it lives inside our spirits and hearts, which can’t easily be taken from us — in most cases only if given or sold by choice. That is the very reason why we at KVCF has placed ‘Kingdom’ in the beginning of our name. It is not about the “Venture” or the “Capital”, or even the pat on the back efforts of our charitable aims, or the ‘righteous investing’ slogan, which would all be considered the “Fund”. It’s about building and spreading the Kingdom first and foremost in all that we do.

We have made a decision to invest our lives, our energy, our mental power as individuals; come together as a body while seeking others that want to collaborate with us and aim to bring Kingdom to earth in so many ways. We strive to represent what a true relationship with God actually looks like and to become a representative of this very initiative to nations around the world. For us this looks like using our skills and personal passions to create, and it comes in the forms of making new businesses that create impact. We believe one of the greatest current needs on this planet is for “Kingdom” to be injected into the private sector, becoming a great influencer to the leading and controlling of seemingly every nook and cranny of infrastructure within the developing and emerging nations around the globe.

The desire for more Kingdom and authenticity in business:

There are many Kingdom-focused approaches, philosophies and strategies that we feel God has been providing through the answering of prayers, and there are deep revelations which will help KVCF bring to the table a fresh new look on the mixture of what exactly it takes to create and/or turn an empire that is falling to one that can rise again, and become sustainable… and it all stems from the heart. There are things we think about on a daily basis such as biblical teachings on governments and power, the resetting, re-constructing and revitalizing of entire people groups and economies (as mentioned above), and ways that deal structures can happen on a global scale to compete with powers that simply aim to take advantage of the weak. To aim for becoming rich is to be weak, but to aim for collective wealth is to be strong. We believe in the sharing of wealth amongst the nations. We don’t believe fully in the socialistic kinds of equality, since different parts of the body have different purposes and functions, but we push for rather the equality of opportunity, to be free to capitalize with no such thing as slavery, un-necessary in-debtness, poor monopolizing deals with no alternative ways out and most of all the majority of the impoverished people groups who have the hearts (and skill-sets) of giants which aren’t being utilized.

While we constantly learn, move and discover — as leaders, servants and a company / organization / movement as a whole — it is this message we have to remain focused on and drive home to our audience. More kingdom. More heaven. As religious as it may sound to try and put everything into words, we feel our audience is more mature than that, and we are all seeking the trueness of love. For God said, “if you love your neighbour, you love me. If you don’t love your neighbour, you don’t love me”. It is really that simple.

Closing, in prayer

We pray for continual relationships to sprout with more like-minded people, who are open to receiving God’s love, but equally share the understanding that religion is never the answer. As Jesus himself rebuked the Pharisees for their perfect and religious ways of life and lacking of relationship, we aim to showcase the realities of how relationship can be attained, and how others can experience the trueness of this God-driven perfect love.

Lastly, to any of those who have found themselves hurt along the way in their personal paths, whether it be financially or relationally, or through entrepreneurship or through seeing vision come to life… it is not a path that was said to be easy! Since we are all made of the same flesh, and are largely considered emotional beings, we need to work together as a body (a “church” in it’s true definition), and learn to understand each other’s short comings; to fix them and to chime in whenever necessary to uplift each other in faith and in good spirit.

Thank you all for reading and may God bless you as you enter into this next season of your lives, as we do the same.

Follow Matt Cook on instagram, Facebook, or Linkedin | View, connect or become a part of Matt’s global projects at www.mattspeaks.com

Stab*…. That’s the gut-wrenching thrust of yet another entrepreneurial endeavor being challenged by the world around you, trying to force you to your knees. You look down at your red-lined bank account oozing out of your body through your torn Armani shirt. The safe people watch from a distance, and the close see you falling to the ground in pain. A criminal act just took place, but nobody around helps you because they are all too afraid of the blood. You lay there on the ground victimized. The world around you just watches, yet somehow nobody else but you knows what to do.

Stab, Stab*…  These are the consistent and uncontrollable punctures to your wallet while you are already down; your accounts crippling with cash wounds so deep you could bankrupt and die right there on the spot. People who can’t fathom your pain scramble to call 911, but for some reason the bank loan operators won’t answer the call.

Sirens* – The unsettling sound of your visa card swiping to pay for bills that keep coming while you remain crippled. The relief is somewhat endearing, though you come to the realization that even while your wallet and body is laying in a ditch, emergency help is available and you may just have the fortunate chance of making it through to survival before your employees turn and burn, or worse, the investor mafia comes after you.

Clasp* – You make it to the hospital, wake up and hear the hydraulic ICU compression chamber of free petty cash. Your parents life support. Your hot nurses consist of a free room, an epic couch angle-positioned toward an old 37″ beastly dusty tube tv, slow speed wifi (free, so who’s complaing) and your old Sega Genesis. Though your couch groove is perfectly broken in and you reminisce of many childhood memories; trying to play sonic the hedgehog while in massive debt just kills the whole experience. That adolescent, new-found Christianity since the last time you can remember being back at ‘home’ has grown and evolved, enough to the point of cultivating a natural conviction that offsets any thoughts of uncovering your old secret porno stash. You sheepishly feel this step of the journey is going to be a long one — and one that won’t be an easy rescue from boredom any time soon.

Blah, blah blah* … The innovation of your parents next-steps advice, fortuitously tag teamed with sympathetic undertones and home made free dinner/desert combos that you have to physically attend also doesn’t help. You’re still a great person, right? But just through your unrelenting hardships and inability to share with common practiced individuals has you becoming a seasonally embittered negativity troll. There is no gas in the car to hobble into the car and leave the house, no cash in your wallet to call up a date, it’s cold outside and 6pm in the wintertime. The compound effects of vitamin E bodily lack and seasonal effective disorder all have you dismayed and feeling like your just on entrepreneurial lockdown. The sky is literally falling, and you are chicken little.

Stumble* – You struggle to stand up against the pains of credit card interest. Your parents and close friend crutches of understanding become conditional, and do not adjust to the proper height so your armpits get soar and using them gets old, fast. You kick back and watch some routine business documentaries, read an Elon Musk and Richard Branson biography and remain hopeful of your next finest opportunity to escape the situation and exchange hardships for testimonies. You think of 25 online business ideas and then remember MTV’s JayZ documentary is about to start so you forget about everything and are now AMPED.

Swish* – The sound of Iverson draining another three. Wait, what? You’ve reverted to NBA documentaries circa 2001. The quest for sports bios, highlights and entertainment has now clouded all motivation to succeed. You were once watching motivational Tedx speeches, doing train your brain excersizes and listening to Swartzeneggar’s podcasts on success. You’ve been taking prideful amounts of notes on how to be a boss in your next endeavour, and yet now you are convincing yourself that 5 seasons of studying Donald Draper on Madmen is going to be the answer to all of life’s problems. Matter of fact, you actually now feel like you ARE Donald Draper. You even experiment with a slick-back for the first time and look pretty darn good. The old suit and tie closet comes out and you dare to take your first selfie and actually publish it to social media because you feel invincible again and that’s been a hard commodity for a guy in the desert to come by. 

Ring* – Your confidence synchronizes with 1-800 numbers calling, from commissioned bill collectors assaulting your peace of mind. You double down on fortune cookies. Fake-happy wealthy people trigger you like crazy. You buy into society end up giving in to your devil of all devils… you buy a scratch and win ticket that you promised you’d never buy, with a heart position that actually thinks row 4, third ticket from the glass may just be the God-send ticket that gives you the perfect out to your misery. You contemplate for a second if the devil will steal your $2, but you justify it with the soon to be entertainment value of scratching. It ends up saying “sorry, try again” and you die a small death.

Crunch / Revelation*…. During a big bite of Reese Peanut Butter Puffs, while reading a CS Lewis book that you hardly understand, you finally strike a well of revelation. You are graced with newly revived thoughts that you are powerful, and in control. The rollercoaster of life begins to level itself out and your IQ, EQ and SQ all align like stimulated chakras after a hatha flow yoga class, hot stone massage and a pot of honey lemon oolong tea. Life is happening and the Loch Ness monster equivalent of clarity has been sighted. Introspection becomes easy, you begin to see faults and realities, your look down at your stab-wounds and the scars are becoming vague. You logically calculate the steps it takes to eradicate debts and service relationships. Timelines are drawn with multiple scenarios and you begin to understand and remember why you began entrepreneurship in the first place.

Walking*… Once getting up off your childhood couch, you remove the cobwebs of defeat and begin to lace up your new identity. You stretch out your entrepreneurial muscles by reading the most recent notes from back when you were on top. You warm up with prophetic thoughts and put on your underarmour of against the grain opposition mentality. You grab a bottle of awesomeness from the fridge and you turn off your phone, shut off the emails and check out all together from your current life situation. You begin to apologize to self for the sponging from others, while stroking your pride and speaking life to your next round of successes. Only your heart sends an sms to your brain with new understanding that you only sat on the couch for 2 weeks; you only consumed 12 free dinners; and you were birthed into this world by a promise of unconditional love from a father that no man on earth could replicate.

Jogging* … You pick up momentum by realizing you never had to work for your natural skills and abilities. Deep in your bloodline you discover that there are skills which you can compound, and a history that you can uncover which will largely depict your future. You have a certain agility within your process, and this renewal of your mind since hardship can somehow now understand more that nobody else can even get close to. Your playing field becomes as wide as it is long, and you pick up speed. Headphones in, Arnold comes on and says to forget all the naysayers. He is right, and was right all along, but you realize you didn’t ever need him to tell you that. You are the machine that creates freedom; the passionate soul that reaps what you sow, and sows more than anyone else.

Running* … Blast off. In this amount of time you’ve managed to win, lose it all, recover and rebuild. You’ve been put through the meat grinder and have trimmed every bit of fat humanly possible. If there was a fire breathing dragon hunting you down and all of your friends and family were the flames that kept attacking, you now know the beasts movements and how to slaughter it. You are now running and feeling absolutely unstoppable. Muscle memory has kicked in and your road to recovery is far greater and faster than you had imagined back on the couch in your glimpse of hope. You laugh inside, thinking how easy it is to be back on top, and how silly you feel for being defenceless before, with open ears to all of the the collective negativity and doubt. The emotional highs of entrepreneurship have nestled back into your bloodstream like a drug, and you are completely and utterly incapable of receiving anything but greatness

Silence*… Your heart rate slows back down to a comfortable ease. For a moment you contemplate the reasonings for where you are in life. As you the rat gain understanding the race loses it’s meaning. You think of the purposes for what you are doing, and why you have the innate ability to bounce back mentally, physically and spiritually from such oppressive and challenging positioning. Despite what the world has claimed to be wrong and right in your lifetime, you know that your ideas and philosophies are contagious, but they are only possible to become absorbed through the validation and societal lenses of approval. People cannot simply see for themselves, as they need someone to help slightly adjust them and show them. You see that there is a curve of understanding in the system, where your entrepreneurial abilities fit in perfectly to add value. The effects of your new understanding of self are tremendous. And all the while you may say that you have been wounded, hurt and left to die in a ditch, but you can also attest to these new personal discoveries from having been in a lowly place, able to look up toward the sky and see yourself for who you really are. An overcomer, a warrior, an entrepreneur. You are worthy of greatness.

Entrepreneurship has wounded me for good… and I have learned to love every minute of it.

Follow Matt Cook on instagram, Facebook, or Linkedin  |  View, connect or become a part of Matt’s global projects at www.mattspeaks.com