Friday, January 31, 2014

SHARED ANOINTINGS (c) Morris E. Ruddick

                 

SIGN

SHARED ANOINTINGS


(c) Morris E. Ruddick


"Elijah said to Elisha, 'Ask! What may I do for you, 
before I am taken away from you?' Elisha said, 
'Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'" 
2 Kings 2:9

Elijah's God-encounter in the cave which followed his 
exploits against the prophets of Baal and Asherah began 
a transition for Elijah's ministry, as well as for Israel. After 
challenging Elijah's hideaway with the words: "What are you 
doing here;" the Lord then restored him to fulfill his next task. 
Soon afterward, Elijah was connected with Elisha as his 
protege and the process of Elisha's nurturing began. 
(1 Kings 19:16).

The authority of Elijah's anointing shut up the heavens and 
brought judgment on a reprobate Israel. Then his daring 
confrontation with evil changed Israel's spiritual climate. In 
so doing, God's people began coming out of the closet.

So when Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, 
it was no small thing. Elijah bore a disruptive anointing; an 
anointing that short-circuited the inroads of evil. His authority 
in the spirit stopped the sorcery in its tracks. It had no equal 
in that day.

The fulfillment of Elisha's request for a "double-portion" was 
evidenced not only by the startling miracles of his ministry, 
but by the angelic host unveiled around him in his encounter 
with the army of Syria (2 Kings 6:17). 2 Kings 13:21 then tells 
of a burial interrupted by a band of raiders. The dead man was 
abandoned in the tomb of Elisha and scripture indicates that 
when "he was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he 
revived and stood on his feet." So Elisha's double-portion of 
Elijah's anointing not only worked unusual miracles, it commanded 
the authority of a host of angels and carried a presence that 
even transcended his death.

God's highest priorities are always about His people. For 
both Elijah and Elisha, their greatest accomplishments 
involved the impact on the spiritual climate to mobilize God's 
people and impart the prophetic wisdom as advisers to 
protect those known by His Name.

These dynamics raise two very important issues. First is what 
Elisha reached for: a dimension in God beyond the incredible 
spiritual threshold that operated through Elijah. The second 
is the issue of the anointing itself, and with the anointing the 
authority, available for the challenges within the church of 
this day.

The release of the anointing comes at a cost. It involves a 
stewardship. The stewardship is in the reach one makes for 
God's presence; which in turn abides in the place of His glory. 
The operation of the anointing requires a God-perspective, 
which means adjusting our mind-sets, to thinking according 
to God's order and standard. The release of the anointing 
manifests when operating in the Spirit beyond ones human 
capacities. Shared anointings come from mentoring and 
cooperative assignments directed by the Spirit for the 
purpose of the community at large.

Operation of the Anointing

Jesus taught his followers how to apply righteous power in 
corrupt settings. This is the way of the Kingdom. It begins 
with our thinking. "Let this mind be in you which also was 
in Christ Jesus." Phil 2:5

The anointing flows when there is not one vestige of 
variation between God's order and purposes; and our 
actions or words. It is an emptying of ourselves in 
humility to allow the unhindered flow of the Holy Spirit 
through us.

"Who emptied Himself, taking on the form of a 
bondservant." Phil 2:7

Jesus taught His followers to abide. Jesus spent hours 
at night in prayer with the Father. He imparted the 
wisdom that He always did what He saw His father 
doing. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who 
abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for 
apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5-6

Upon His resurrection, a new thing happened. Jesus made
the Holy Spirit available to all believers (John 14:26-27).
The ongoing release of the Spirit follows the pattern of
Jesus in spending time with the Father and abiding. Many
were those who followed after Elijah, but only Elisha
stayed the course to embrace the "double-portion."

The Release of the Anointing

The anointing serves as a catalyst, an igniter of
righteous power. Abiding in the place of His presence,
the place of His glory penetrates the veil. It is the
place where the supernatural power of God to trump
evil is revealed.

Yet the anointing is released when what we see in
the Spirit-realm is put into action. From his place of
abiding Elisha discerned the very words the King of
Syria spoke in the privacy of his bedchamber. From
that he advised the King of Israel. So in 2 Kings 6
when the armies of Syria came by night and surrounded
Elisha's city, he knew exactly what was unfolding and
he knew what he was to do.

Joseph the Patriarch, a slave without position, brought
blessing to the household of Potiphar. Genesis 39
indicates that everyone saw that the Lord was with
Joseph and made all that he did to prosper. Joseph
knew what it meant to abide in God's presence, but
as a faithful steward Joseph put in action what God
showed him. He carried the mantle of his great-grandfather
Abraham, as a catalyst of blessing to those around him,
indeed to the nations.

Shared Anointings

Individual anointings are multiplied exponentially
when combined and released with the anointings
of others. The scope of Elisha's mantle expanded
as Elijah mentored, nurtured and prepared him. It
is the reason why biblical community represents a
safe-place to foster the diversity of gifts and
anointings; where they are allowed to incubate
and work together. However, since Jesus' resurrection
and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, shared
anointings have taken on an even greater potential.

The charismatic revival of the late sixties and
early 70s began when believers hungry for more
of God, began gathering to seek Him more diligently.
What resulted was shared and passed on by the
laying on of hands. Ripples went out that became
a torrent of revival as the anointing was imparted
and the presence of God manifested to satisfy
the growing hunger of those not satisfied with
the status quo.

Over the years, within my calling in the marketplace,
I have been given opportunity to apply my gift and
impart my anointing as a consultant to a number of
respected ministries, ranging from CBN to Oral Roberts,
to Morris Cerullo to Marilyn Hickey. In each of these
cases not only did result come from the application
of my gift; but I emerged with a dimension of the
anointing from these ministries I had served.

When anointings merge to serve God's purposes,
new dimensions are released on each side.

Many years ago, I received a prophetic word from
a minister I had never met before who had no
awareness of my situation or background. His
words to me simply were: "You sir, have a spirit
of prosperity on you. Financially, you may be
broke or you may be a millionaire. It doesn't
matter. Prosperity is not about money; but comes
from within to bring blessing and increase to others."
That word came not long after I had lost my position
with a firm I had been working for. My financial
situation at the time was not good.

Yet, the words of truth this man of God spoke
penetrated the darkness trying to enshroud me
at that time. It bore significantly on assignments
I had had in the past bearing on opportunity and
increase for my clients; as it has become foundational
to the role I now serve with the persecuted church
within God's purposes in making them the head
and not the tail.

Yet, what has resulted, as a consultant, a board-member
and a teacher-mobilizer comes from shared anointings,
which combine the dimensions of my own anointing
being blended with the unique dimensions of those
I have served and am serving.

As a young Christian, I was greatly influenced and
mentored by two incredible men of God. Both might
be described as world-class prayer warriors; men of
faith. Yet one also had a unique anointing for
developing strategy; while the other's distinctive
anointing was tied to being a catalyst for revival.
Now over forty years later, prayer, developing
strategy and revival are still by-words of the way
my anointing operates.

The more you impart to apply and give your anointing
away, the more it grows. It is a dynamic of the Kingdom.

The Cost and Application

The issue comes down to two factors. The first is the
cost of the anointing. The second is in applying the
anointing. The anointing of an Elijah or Elisha does not
come passively. It is developed and nurtured. It flows
with ones gifts and calling.

Every believer has a sphere (2 Cor 10:13), an area of
influence of their anointing. Within the boundary of
that area of influence is the authority to break asunder
what Paul refers to as the bondage of corruption.
Presumption in operating outside that sphere is
asking for trouble. The bottom line ties to changing
the spiritual climate.

Daniel excelled professionally and spiritually in a
culture of sorcery to the level that he was described
as ten times better than ALL the sorcerers within the
king's realm. From that juncture and standard, there
came stages of challenge: the king's dream; walking
in the fire; and the lion's den. Changing the spiritual
climate will not generally go unchallenged. However,
there comes a point in prevailing when one's spiritual
authority becomes established.

So it was, later in Daniel's tenure as advisor to the
court. It was in that context that the handwriting
on the wall manifested. It was a major shift from
the lion's den and walking in the fire. The handwriting
on the wall parallels Joseph's promotion alongside
Pharaoh, when the anointing prevails and has established
God's authority in a domain. When it does,
everything changes.

Yet, the mantle bearing the anointing will require
a cost. Many years ago, a great man of God I studied
under told the story of a young man who came to him
and audaciously told him he "wanted" his anointing.
Very few in that generation had an anointing to equal
the authority this man of God wielded. His response
to the young man very simply was: "Are you willing
to pay the cost?"

We impart and share the anointing generously.
However, to fully embrace the anointing of others,
a cost will be paid.

Sometimes the cost already has been paid at the
point of impartation and reflects a "next step" for
what the Lord has planned. That very much has
been the case with the persecuted segment of the
church we have been honored to be working with.
They have been through and have been purified by
fire. Elisha had been prepared by the best and was
ready for the double-portion.

Yet for others, the impartation will result in having to
face and then walk into the fire. It has never been
about man's glory, but God's; and His alone. The Word
of God tells us that God is a consuming fire. His presence
does not "abide" with the soulish. It disrupts and then
consumes it.

God's anointing applied will bring change and the
restoration of the order required to establish His
purposes. The key for the Elijah-Elisha impact, the
"double-portion" in today's time of turbulence, is to
be found in exercising the anointing through community.

We need the authority of Elijah's anointing to shut
up the heavens and bring judgment. We need God's
people to come out of the closet. We need those
who are either aligned with or overwhelmed by the
world to arise and take their place among the remnant
of the faithful, who have been applying their anointings.

It is time for the spiritual climate to be challenged
with the explosive power of shared anointings from
God's chosen.

The release of the anointing 
involves stewardship. 

Shared anointings ignite one another and bring 
enlargement. This type of prophetic stewardship 
requires a consistent priority of spending time with 
Him so that our perspective is a God-perspective. It 
means defining our gifts and like Daniel, becoming 
the best in the sphere we've been given. That means 
operating in the Spirit beyond our human capacities.

Entering this dimension requires focus given to mentoring
and cooperative assignments directed by the Spirit that
provide opportunity for shared anointings to manifest at
the community level. This premise will evoke what will
manifest as revival, as the fullness of His presence takes
root.

"I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. 
And I will cause showers to come down in their season; 
they will be showers of blessing. Also the tree of the field 
will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and 
they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that 
I am the LORD." Ezek 34:26-27
___________________________________________________

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 persecuted 
church to be the head and not the tail. 

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.

Likewise, email us to schedule a briefing for your congregation 
on the state of the persecuted church and how you can more 
effectively pray for them.  

2014 Copyright Morris Ruddick - sign@strategicintercession.org

Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a 
SIGN adviser. Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) 
has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting
 strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous 
posts or more information on SIGN, 

check: http://www.strategicintercession.org



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

7 Ways a Husband Injures a Wife Without Even Knowing It


Angry couple
Husbands, do you injure your wives without even knowing it? (Stock Free Images)
It’s been a popular post. Thankfully, I’ve not seemed to make a lot of women mad—a few, but not many that I have heard from yet. We will see how the men respond with this post.
As I committed, a companion post is warranted. Guys, we injure our wives. All of us do. We are different, and the way we respond to our wives often causes injury. And most of the time, it’s unintentional. We didn’t even know we were doing it.
I’m not making excuses for us. We should strive to learn our spouses and do better at understanding our differences, communicating better and injuring less. That’s what this post is about. Awareness. Understanding.
I ran this post by my wife, so it’s Cheryl-approved, although it wasn’t hard to write. As a counselor and pastor, I’ve worked with hundreds of couples and have seen this countless times. I wish I could say I never did any of these, but that would be a lie. This post is written with one finger pointed forward and four more pointed my way.
Here are seven ways a husband injures a wife without even knowing it:
1. Cuts her out of the discussion. When you act as if she isn’t even there or wouldn’t understand what you’re talking about, she feels a part of her is detached. She sees the marriage as a partnership in every part of life—even the parts she may never fully understand.
2. Fails to notice the difference she makes. A woman doesn’t want to be appreciated for only what she does. She wants you to appreciate who she is, but you can admit it—she does a lot. Whether it’s decorating the house or making sure the clothes are clean or that you have your favorite soap, a woman wants to know what she does is valued by you.
3. Underestimates the small stuff. You only said “this” but it was “THIS” to her. And it hurts. You may even think it’s funny. She may even laugh. But it is often building a wall of protection around her heart each time you do. The key here is that you can’t talk to her like you might talk to another guy. She hears and feels deeper than you do. Words can and do hurt.
4. Speaks with curtness. When you talk down to her, as if she’s somehow less than you, you bruise her spirit. Deeply. You know she’s not less than you—you don’t even think she is—but she just can’t tell that sometimes based on your tone and the way you talk to her.
5. Corrects her as she’s talking. This could be finishing her sentences or speaking for her in the company of others. She feels demeaned and devalued when you present her to others as if she can’t compete with you in original thought, which you know isn’t true. (My wife is much smarter than me.)
6. Acts suspicious. Don’t misunderstand or misapply this one. When you hide information, even when you think you’re protecting her, you cause her to question your motive. When you protect your calendar or act like you are upset at the question “What did you do today?” or “What did you talk about?” or “Who was that?” when someone calls, it gives her an eerie feeling something is wrong. And that hurts.
7. Admires other women over her. She sees you looking. She may even understand your highly visual makeup. It hurts her, however, when a glance becomes a stare, especially when it happens everywhere you go, all the time.
A wife’s heart, no matter how independent or strong she is, is tender in places—lots of places. She can bruise easily in some areas of her life, especially the places that involve the people she loves the most—like you. A husband who understands this is more careful in how he speaks and responds to her.
Most husbands I know would never injure their wife knowingly. They want to be her protector. Men, when we don’t realize the damage we are doing to our wives' emotions, we invalidate every desire we have to be her defender. I always like to use this thought as a reminder: Would I ever allow another man to speak to or treat my wife like I am doing?
She’s a precious gift, guys. Let’s treat her well.
What other ways do husbands injure their wives without even knowing it?
Ron Edmondson is a church planter and pastor with a heart for strategy, leadership and marketing, especially geared toward developing churches and growing and improving the kingdom of God.
 For the original article, visit ronedmondson.com.

7 Ways a Wife Injures a Husband Without Even Knowing It



Couple arguing
Do you often injure your spouse without knowing it? (Stock Free Images)
I was talking to a man the other day. He’s injured. Not severely. He will survive. Hopefully. The wounds aren’t deep. Right now. But, he is injured.
It’s an emotional injury. Sometimes those are the worst kind of hurts.
The person doing the injuring: His wife. And she, most likely, doesn’t even know she’s doing it.
Surprised?
I’m not. It happens all the time. She’s probably injured too. And, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it to her. Marriages are made of two very different, imperfect people. Plus, we often injure most those we love the most.
My friend is newly married. Over the course of the last few months he’s began to realize how many things his wife is saying and doing that are causing him to pull away from her. He even recognizes his reaction as a defense mechanism. Rather than start a fight, he withdraws. And, he’s withdrawn to the point that he was willing to admit his hurt, which is difficult for any man to do. I was proud of him for being humble enough to ask if this was normal in a marriage.
It didn’t take long before I realized, however, this marriage is heading for disaster if they don’t address their issues soon. There’s a great chance she has questions about the relationship also. Thankfully, they’re in a great season to ask hard questions, learn valuable lessons and strengthen the marriage.
I should be clear. This is not a counseling blog. And, this couple needs counseling. Even though I have a degree in counseling, this is simply a blog where I want to help people. Mostly that’s by addressing leadership issues, but sometimes I address the issues dealing with relationships—families, marriage and children—because, those issues impact us and also our leadership.
Which lead me to this post—addressing the ways wives injure their husbands without even knowing it. It’s a little sarcastically written, partially because that was easier, partially because I can tend to be that way, but mostly because it hopefully illustrates harsher realities in a gentler way. (Again, I realize this works both ways. As a man, I feel most prepared to address this side of the issue. I’ll consider a companion post after I consult my wife.)
Here are 7 ways a wife injures her husband (without even knowing it):
1. Put him down in front of other people. Most men will not counter this type of humiliation in public…if ever. They will simply take it…and hurt. If they do eventually address it will be out of stored up resentment…maybe anger…and it won’t be pretty.
2. Go behind him when he tries to do something at home. Always show him how much better you can do things than he can do them. He will appreciate that. When he fixes the bed, make sure you show him the “correct way” immediately after he finishes. He will be reminded he doesn’t measure up to your standards.
3. Constantly badger him. If he doesn’t do what you want him to do …remind him. Again and again (Because that accomplishes what you want it to do).
4. Use the “you always” phrase … excessively. Because he “always” does and, best news yet, it helps build him into a man that always will.
5. Hold him responsible for your emotional wellbeing. He’s the reason you feel bad today and every other day you feel bad. So, make sure he knows it’s his fault. And, you don’t have to tell him. Subtly, just be in a bad mood towards him, without releasing him from guilt. He’ll take the hint and own the responsibility. He will think it’s his fault even if it’s not.
6. Complain about what you don’t have or get to do. He has a desire to fix things. He wants to be a provider. Every man does. Some attempt to live it out and some don’t. But, when he’s trying, doing the best he can and yet he feels he isn’t measuring up, he’s crushed. When you are always commenting on what other women have that you don’t, he carries the blame, even if you’re not intending it to be his.
7. Don’t appreciate his efforts. Want to injure a man? Refuse to appreciate the things he feels he does well. It could be work, a hobby or a trait, but he feels part of his identity in the things he does. When you don’t find them as “valuable” as he does, his ego is bruised.
The reality is a man’s ego—his self-confidence and sense of worth—is greatly tied to his wife, just as a woman’s is to her husband. We can be fragile people, some more than others.
Understanding these issues and addressing them—with a third party if necessary—will help build healthier, stronger and happier people and marriages.
I understand some women, especially the equally or more wounded women, are going to take offense to this post. I get that. I’m prepared for that … I think. All I can say is that you can’t measure my heart or my intention. As I said, I aim to help. You can’t address what you do not know. If you are guilty of any of these, the response is up to you. If not, well, thanks for reading to this point in the post anyway.
I’m praying this lands on ears that need to hear.
Click here for my follow-up, the "7 Ways a Husband Injures a Wife Without even knowing it."
Ron Edmondson is a church planter and pastor with a heart for strategy, leadership and marketing, especially geared toward developing churches and growing and improving the kingdom of God.
For the original article, visit ronedmondson.com.

Messianic Hebrew Bible - ready after 20 year project

A Modern Messianic Hebrew Bible

Friday, January 31, 2014 |  David Lazarus  ISRAEL TODAY
There are many reasons for the discrepancy between what people say they believe and what they do with their beliefs. But the Messianic Jews in Israel are working to bridge that gap with a new project aimed at getting people in the Land of the Bible to read their own book.
For the first time, the ancient Masoretic text of the entire Hebrew Bible has been translated into modern Hebrew. The Messianic publishing company Hagefen (The Vine) finally completed the project, a painstaking effort that took over 20 years.
The full article appears in the February issue of Israel Today Magazine.
SUBSCRIBE NOW to read it all!
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SodaStream Plans on Bringing Scarlett Johansson to Israel this Year - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

SodaStream Plans on Bringing Scarlett Johansson to Israel this Year

“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse…” (Genesis 12:3)
(Photo: Facebook)
(Photo: Facebook)
Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has been making waves in the news lately for not bowing to pressure to boycott Israel. Johansson, a spokesman for the Israeli based SodaStream company, has been criticized by anti-Israel advocates as supporting an apartheid state and the oppression of Palestinians in Israel.
More specifically, the humanitarian group Oxfam International, of which Johansson is affiliate with, has been pressuring Johansson to leave SodaStream since Oxfam opposes all trade from Israeli settlement. It was announced late this week that the 29 year old actress has decided to split with Oxfam citing a “fundamental difference of opinion.”
“Scarlett Johansson has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years,” the statement said. “She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestments and sanctions movement. She is very proud of her accomplishments and fundraising efforts during her tenure with Oxfam.”
Oxfam released a statement upon Johansson’s departure from the organization, saying it was “grateful for her many contributions.”
“While Oxfam respects the independence of our ambassadors, Ms. Johansson’s role promting the company SodaStream is incompatible with her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador,” the statement said. “Oxfam believes that businesses, such as SodaStream, that operate in settlements further the ongoing poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinian communities that we work to support.”
What is apparent from this whole controversy is that Scarlett Johansson is a friend of Israel. SodaStream announced on Thursday that it is planning on bringing its global ambassador to Israel this year.
SodaStream president Yonah Lloyd told The Jerusalem Post: “She [Johansson] has never been to Israel before. We look forward to hosting her later in the year.”
Johansson last week responded to critics saying she was a “supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine.” She added that SodaStream is “not only committed to the environment but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights. That is what is happening in their Ma’ale Adumim factory every working day.”

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/sodastream-plans-bringing-scarlett-johansson-israel-year/#1RR0dp1rtuKoyiqL.99