MILESTONE WORDS - PART 1 (c) Morris E. Ruddick

MILESTONE WORDS - PART 1 (c) Morris E. Ruddick    Note: About a month ago, I was uniquely led to go  back and review milestone words the Lord has  imparted to me over the years. I found it a riveting  experience. Our natural tendency is to be either  overwhelmed or side-tracked with short-sighted  minutiae, rather than keeping our eyes on God's  big-picture goals.  Those at the forefront need to overcompensate  for the seductive traps, whether personal, cultural  or doctrinal. The bar has been raised. Imparting  righteous power in corrupt, defiled settings is not  possible without God. We've entered a season in  which the Western hop-skip-halleluiah model will  fall short. May these words from my journey stir  you in yours.  Morris________________________________ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, and  like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"  Jer 23:29   The heroes of faith operated in oneness with  the priorities and issues of God's heart, without  any vestige of variation between Truth and what  they heard from the Spirit.  Their impact on history was defined by their view  of things from a big-picture God perspective. They heard  from God and they embraced His word, regardless  the cost. That's commitment that requires  discipline. It's also the foundation for maturity. While intimately concerned with the details  impacting the lives of individuals, the Lord's  priorities are strategic. He orchestrates things  from the stance of generations and the  community of His people within a generation.  As I look back over four decades of walking  with the Lord; that walk has been shaped by  a series of milestone words God has imparted  that have raised the bar with a long-term,  big-picture perspective. My walk with the Lord began in the early  70s with a dramatic encounter as I was  seeking to know Him, to really know Him.  I was serious and understood the realities.  At that juncture, I had spent over two years  of my life in heavy combat as a US Marine.  I understood what it meant to believe in  something bigger than myself and I understood  the importance of the dynamics of discipline  and commitment. With the years that have passed since my  salvation experience, I recently was prompted  to outline key words the Lord has spoken to me  over the years; personal milestone words shaping  my calling, my priorities and who I am.  As one of my mentors during those days once shared  with me; if we can just get the door open sufficiently  to capture a glimmer spiritually from God's perspective,  it will be enough.   The Priority That first encounter; the first time I ever heard  the voice of the Lord came from a time of spiritual  seeking. Having been brought up in the church,  I understood basic precepts of faith, but while I  knew about Him, I really didn't know God.  Having met people who did, I was hungry for that reality.  An old combat friend, Ted Gatchel, wisely just  stuffed a New Testament in my shirt pocket,  telling me that I'd find what I was looking for in God's word of truth. My spiritual hunger increased. Finally, I began  plowing through Matthew, then Mark, Luke  and John. After starting the book of Acts, I f ound myself pausing as I read the story of Stephen.  Stephen was facing a life and death situation  without hesitation or waffling. It was a commitment  I could relate to. He knew what he believed in. The combat encounters I had had in which I didn't  know whether I would come out of them alive  probably numbered more than three dozen. As I  reflected on Stephen's story, one of a man willing  to die for what he believed in, I began reflecting  on what I believed in; what I had been willing to  die for: my country, my Marine Corps, to be  remembered for being able to face the ultimate  test with honor. At that point, I heard the voice of the Lord for  the first time. In light of what had been going  through my mind at the time, He simply asked  me: "Would you be willing to do that for Me?"  With that question, I understood who Jesus  was and what was being asked of me; was I  willing to make the Lord the priority I had made  as a US Marine. Knowing the cost and commitment,  my response was immediate: "Yes Sir!" The Mission My encounter with the Lord had taken place on  a training mission in the Caribbean. Upon arriving  home, I found that remarkably my wife Carol  had had a similar personal, life-changing encounter  with the Lord. Spiritually, we were like sponges.  Then, having found an active Bible-believing church,  we read great swaths of the Word of God, attended  Bible studies, participated in fellowship gatherings  and counseled with our pastor. At that juncture, I came in contact with a simple  phrase that became like a fire in my soul: "God has  a perfect plan for your life." I had chosen a good plan,  one that I'd been excelling in with my military career;  but what God began holding out before me was t he prospect of a higher purpose, a plan for my life  that would redirect my mission to one that served  Him directly. I really didn't know what God had in store for me,  other than the fact that I would be serving Him.  I suspected my future and my calling might involve  a role within what was at the time becoming known  as the "para-church ministry," but the reality is that  when I resigned my Marine Corps commission, what  Carol and I stepped into was something akin to an  Abrahamic journey. Knowing the importance of preparing, although I  already had a college degree, I enrolled in  Oral Roberts University where I could dig deeper  into God's word and be immersed in a Christian culture.  In the interim, we served as full-time trainee-ministers  for a small AG ministry, participated in intense Bible  training and helped start a coffee-house ministry. The time at Oral Roberts University was filled with studies, activities and relationships that laid the foundation.  At the core of this setting was the mantle to " Train up young people who hear God's voice to go to  where God's light is dim." Additionally, the value of  my time at ORU was punctuated by two mentors,  Paul McClendon and Harold Fisher. These incredible  men of the Spirit had prayer lives, a strategic outlook  and a spiritual maturity that set the standard for what  lay ahead. Toward the end of the year we spent  at ORU, the Lord led me to enroll in a graduate program  at a local secular university. Not long into this program,  I began to realize I may have bitten off more than  I could chew. The Gift The program I was in had required courses in statistics,  which I had no background in. Somehow the school had  overlooked this with my entrance into the program. I  soon found myself scrambling and going to the professor  for extra help. Then in the midst of what seemed as sinking sands I was  encountering with this required course work in research  designs and statistics, the Lord spoke a clear word to me  from Psalm 119. That word was: "I'll make you wiser  than your teachers." Yet, my efforts didn't begin to approach what this  word suggested. Despite rapt attention during classes,  fervent study, getting extra help and praying, I was not  grasping the subject matter. Then far too quickly, we were  facing a mid-term exam.   My faith shaken, I began to think that somehow I had  misfired with what I thought I had heard from God to  enroll in this program. The night before the exam, having  done all I knew to do, I repented for my presumption.  The next day I felt no better as I walked into the exam.  I placed my name on the exam paper and read the first  question. The only way I can describe what happened  was that it was like curtains were pulled back and I had  complete understanding of what the question asked. I went through the entire exam that way. As I read  each question, not the answer but understanding was  imparted. I was pretty excited as I turned in my paper  and left the room. Outside were some of the better  students in the class, complaining about how hard the  exam was. The star pupil stated he thought it was the  hardest test in the subject he had ever had. Doubt  encroached at my door and my faith went through the floor. A week later the professor, with a scowl on his face,  entered the classroom with our graded papers in hand.  He growled that the median grade was a 62 and he  then proceeded to call out the name of each student  along with their grade, as he handed the graded exams out.   One doctoral candidate had a 29. The class star had a 73.  Finally he called my name and stopped. He looked down  again at the paper and then at me and back at the paper. I  had a 98. Clearly something supernatural had taken place.  Fulfilling the word from Psalm 119 I had to take independent  studies in multivariate statistics and psychometric designs to  complete the task I had embraced for my thesis. God had  given me a gift that would become foundational in the work I was  to do. The Gateway During this time, we had developed a unique relationship  with a man who was a partner in a media ministry in  South Africa. Our friend Peter Church had been visiting  the US to gather information to help with his plans for a  Christian media production and entertainment center.  I had been invited to become General Manager of this  operation upon completion of my graduate program  coursework. Then with a matter of weeks before our  intended departure, Peter's plans changed. He and his  partner had a falling out and Peter and his family had  decided to immigrate to the land of milk and money (the US). So, here I was having left a stable career in which I was excelling;  approaching the end of my time of retooling, without any  prospects whatsoever before me. While in prayer, I asked  the Lord for an answer to what I should be expecting. He  gave me one. With clarity, I heard Him say that I was going  to be a consultant. Without even a realistic idea of what that  meant and without any formal background in business,  this word strangely gave me great peace. Then, having put this "word" on a shelf, I found myself  becoming very practical with the need to obtain  employment to support my family. Following up on an interest  in the advertising world, I learned from one executive  I spoke with of an opening that existed within a firm that  he seemed convinced that I'd be perfect for. His conclusion  was based on the "gift" God had given me with research designs.   So, without really understanding what I was pursuing,  I followed up on his suggestion. What unfolded was  something of a whirlwind that resulted in my being hired  by this firm. What I didn't realize during this process was  that I had just been hired by a research-based consulting firm. The Calling During those early days in my new "career," again I was in prayer  trying to grasp how this all fit together on this pathway, this  adventure that was unfolding with the Lord at the helm.  At that juncture, the Lord spoke a word to me that riveted  me and subsequently defined the path of my calling.  The words the Lord spoke to me were: "Just as in the days of Joseph and Daniel, I am going to  bring out mighty works at your hand. As you are led into  the midst of the world, kings, rulers and leaders will be  converted and humbled. You'll work beside them and  your counsel will be heeded for their good." Once again, I had received a word that I didn't fully  understand. However, I knew that I had heard from  the Lord and it brought great peace. The Spiritual Gift Then came another unexpected word that has  complemented the natural gift the Lord had given me.  While on a business trip for my employer, I checked  into my hotel. As I went into the room to drop my bags,  I noticed an open Gideon Bible on a table across the room.  The thought passed through my mind: "I wonder if the  Lord has a word for me." So I went over to this open  Bible and my eyes fell upon Jeremiah 51:20: "You are My battle-ax and weapon of war; for with  you I will break nations in pieces; with you I will destroy kingdoms and  strongholds." I was gripped by this word, but couldn't seem to see  its application in what the Lord had been telling me  that I was to do. I left for the meetings I had set up.  That evening, I opened my own Bible to read and it  just happened to fall open to Jeremiah 51:20. I pondered  it and prayed. The next morning as I opened my Bible;  to spend some time in the word to start my day, it again  opened to Jeremiah 51:20. I knew God was telling me  something, but I just wasn't sure what it was. Upon returning from this business trip, we met with  some friends who we prayed with who were older  and much wiser in the things of God than we were.  I shared my Jeremiah 51:20 experience. Connie  replied that "Maybe the Lord is leading you into some  type of intercession ministry." My off-the-cuff response  was "I know, but there's something more to it than that."  Actually I hadn't "known" that, but the process was  serving as a catalyst to unveiling a prophetic and authority dimension to my calling as a consultant that would become very key in the days ahead. During the next three years, I began learning the tools of the  trade; the trade of being a consultant.  Faith and Risk I then had a most unique encounter that I describe  in the last chapter of my "God's Economy" book. The Lord  told me I was to start my own business. That first year of  business I felt like Peter who had stepped out of the  boat to walk on the water and had started sinking.  Again, I was taking on something that was far beyond  my experience level. I began realizing that faith involves  risk and risk carries a cost. I traveled the country, gave presentations and attended  conferences. Yet, during that first year of being in  business for myself, very little of what I did seemed to  take root. I managed to sell one (underpriced) assignment  during that time, along with compiling sufficient debt to  seriously wonder if we were going to lose our home.   Then in a week in time came a most remarkable breakthrough.  It began a time of favor and growth. The next several  years the greatest challenge was in keeping up with the  growth. We grew to have offices in three cities and  27 full-time employees. I was also beginning to realize  the fulfillment of the words God had spoken to me  before entering the consulting world about being  called like Joseph and the influence I would have on my clientele. I was doing assignments for Fortune 100 companies,  as well as a number of respected media ministries.  My firm was like a David amidst a group of Goliaths in  terms of our competitors, consulting firms like  Arthur D. Little and Booze Allen Hamilton. My role  as the head of my firm resulted in exploits far  beyond my natural abilities. For example, in work I did for Xerox during the early 80s,  I recommended that they enter the facsimile business.  It proved to be their most profitable division. Feedback  from clients included statements such as: "It's like your  recommendations were prophetic." Such were the words  that God had spoken to me years prior: "Your counsel will  be heeded for their good." Such is the calling of a  modern-day Joseph. The Shaking There was a wonderful season of an upward spiral of  opportunity and fast growth. But then came a sudden  turn and the bottom dropped out of the primary market we served. We didn't seem able to back-pedal and  downsize fast enough. Sadly we eventually shut down  this amazing God-birthed phenomenon. We shut down  honorably, but not without much pain in the process. Simultaneously one of my clients in the banking industry  took over as President of a statewide financial institution  with 34 branch locations that had just undergone serious  losses the year before he joined them. He reached out to  me to join him as his SVP of Marketing and Planning in his  as chief architect of a corporate turnaround. I'm still not  sure which was the frying pan and which was the fire;  between what I had left behind and this new "opportunity."  Details on that stage in my career are also found in my  "God's Economy" book. We completed a successful corporate turnaround,  putting the organization back in touch with the marketplace  and restoring profitability. Then came the subtlety of  corporate politics; the games people at my peer level  had played that had brought this firm to the place where  they needed the corporate turnaround in the first place.  So it was that the man, who had recruited me and corporately  had become my mentor, became the victim of the ambitions  of a dog-eat-dog culture. Being on the wrong side of this  political infighting, I also found myself without a job. Note: Part 2 will describe New Horizons; Raising the Bar;  Applications for Change; Set Times; Convergence and  Preparedness; and The Discipline: Actively Hearing God and  Obeying. Part 2 will be posted to the SIGN list in roughly two  weeks; or can be finished by picking up at the New Horizons  section at http://strategicintercession.org/2013/04/milestone-words/  where the full piece is already published.___________________________________________________   Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the  call of God in the marketplace since the mid-90s. As founder of  Global Initiatives Foundation and designer of the God's Economy  Entrepreneurial Equippers Program, Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and  equips economic community builders where God's light is dim  in both the Western and non-Western world. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;"  "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;"  "Something More;" and "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World,"  which address the mobilization of business and governmental  leaders called to impact their communities with God's blessings.  They are available in print and e-versions from Amazon.com,  BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.   Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a  tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled by the  generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors whose  vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize the least of these our  brethren. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives  and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or email us at  sign@strategicintercession.org for access information on our secure  web-site. 2013 Copyright Morris Ruddick - sign@strategicintercession.org Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor.  Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized  prophetic intercessors committed to targeting strategic-level issues  impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more i nformation on SIGN, check:http://www.strategicintercession.org

Morris Ruddick Global Initiatives Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org