THE TIMES AND STRATEGIES (c) Morris E. Ruddick

THE TIMES AND STRATEGIES (c) Morris E. Ruddick "That which has been is what will be, for there is nothing new under the sun." Eccl 1:9 Despite Solomon's prescient grasp of the cycles of the times, he lost his focus. His priorities became muddled. Under his reign, the seeds were sown that undermined Israel's season of unity, peace and prosperity engineered by his father. From the beginning, the age-old struggle of evil's intent against good rears its head at unexpected and subtle junctures. The foundations shift as the times change with new generations. While God has provided the wisdom to build from one generation to another, new generations cannot simply ride the momentum. Again and again over the centuries, during times of spiritual slippage, evil has enveloped God's people, seeking to destroy them. On the other hand, the Lord has always had His Davids, His champions, who would risk everything to stand against evil and prevail. "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." Acts 13:22 NKJV During this last generation, there has been an incredible dismantling of the assaults of evil against God's people; ranging from the fall of Nazism, to a standoff of the onslaughts against God's people in Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia. Many champions have stood and resisted, some at the cost of their lives. "A Song in Siberia," by Anita and Peter Deyneka (1977, out-of-print) is one of the most gripping accounts of the severe persecution against believers in Russia during the 1960s. Many excellent accounts have described the plight of the church in China during the Cultural Revolution. The spiritual struggle of God's people, as cultures within cultures, has again and again reemerged in this recurring struggle between good and evil. Alongside those resisting the onslaughts of persecution, God has raised up outsiders, even King Cyruses, championing the cause of those directly impacted. In this last generation, these champions have wielded God's mantle and strategy and undertaken the risks and the burdens of the brethren walking through the fire. They are ones who have heeded the heart of God to walk into the heart of darkness and destabilize and thwart the intents of evil. They have wielded God-strategies to pierce the darkness resulting in many miraculous shifts in the spiritual climates. The Simple Things In God's way of doing things, it has always been the simple things that confound the "wise." In the early 1970s, a gospel singing group and band known as the Living Sound accepted an invitation to conduct a concert in Poland. What they and their founders, Terry Law and Larry Dalton, didn't realize was that the invitation had come from the Communist Youth Party and that their performance was at the organization's headquarters. When they arrived, their hosts realized the group's spiritual foundations. Serious flashpoints followed, which included its leaders being interrogated and threats given to try to prevent their "witness." Still, with an overflow crowd already seated, the concert took place. The anointing and God's presence pierced the atmosphere. Hearts were deeply touched. Members of the audience lingered long beyond the concert, until after 3 a.m., as the team prayed for and led great numbers to the Lord. What followed from that concert was a chance meeting with a Catholic Cardinal (Karol Yozef Wojtyla) who subsequently opened the doors to Living Sound for another concert in Eastern Europe, this one with over 100,000 in attendance. This Cardinal went on to become Pope John Paul II. Strategy in the Face of Darkness These events were strategic. They were a part of the change of seasons underway at that time. They were a part of God's strategy to break the stranglehold of the brutal persecution against His people. The spiritual climate change that resulted became a part of the spiritual reverberations and strategies that has since changed nations. Subsequently, within another time-frame, as the iron curtain was falling, a similar and parallel strategy emerged. This strategy targeted the "lost sheep of the House of Israel." Jonathan Bernis, along with the Messianic Jewish praise group, Kol Simcha (Joyful Noise), began identifying key strongholds in Eastern Europe, the Former Soviet Union and other lands, in which to hold stadium-sized festivals to attract the persecuted Jews of these areas. Our first God's economy workshop was for a vibrant Messianic Jewish congregation that was birthed following one of these festivals in Eastern Europe. What began with our first God's economy workshop has been a part of God's strategies. These efforts taken to targeted groups of the persecuted and oppressed have exceeded chance expectations in the way they have taken root. That's because they have been a part of these initiatives, birthed by God, to restore His people in lands of persecution. Diverse but Parallel Streams A wide range of brethren from diverse segments of the Body responded to God's heart during those days with effective and parallel strategies to assist the persecuted. I spent many years on the board of a ministry, in which one of its founders, during the days of the Iron and Bamboo Curtains, made many dangerous, yet timely, undercover trips into "closed-access" nations to impart words of wisdom, to pray with, and to encourage the leaders among the persecuted brethren. In instance after instance, I recall how within months, that reports of changes came, that exceeded human capabilities, which only could have been the result of the Hand of God. These divinely ordained connections with those who many had forgottten, like the efforts of Living Sound and Kol Simcha, were matters very close to God's heart and as such, an important part of His strategies being released. These initiatives were birthed during as well as following, days of revival. The Shift Change results when God's people, as a whole, fervently seek Him. When that fervency wanes, darkness finds subtle inroads. Historically, the seedbed for revival is either a time of deep moral darkness, national depression or severe persecution. While evil's seeds of destruction provoke these factors, when amassed and combined with God's people truly seeking Him, they trigger God's judgment. "While following the way of your judgments, we have eagerly waited for You. At night my soul longs for You. Indeed my spirit seeks you diligently. For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."   Isaiah 26:8-9 So, at the change of a generation, which has so incredibly rolled back the tentacles of persecution in lands defying religious freedom, has come a creeping evil. Its target is the foundations of religious freedom in these free societies. The right response of God's people in times of both persecution and creeping evil is a fervent focus on God's ancient standards of seeking Him. When that takes place with broad consistency, God releases strategies for change. God's strategies spark miracles. God's strategies penetrate darkness with tangible spiritual climate change. However, with the waning, has come a shift in the spiritual tempo of our times. With that shift in the spiritual tempo, has come a shift in strategies. The message for "free societies" now comes from brethren in lands of persecution, who have paid high costs for their religious freedoms. The message taps the shift in strategy for lands of "freedom," where evil subtly, but systematically has been eroding religious freedoms. Responding to the Shift Responding strategically to the tempo of the times requires a war-time mind-set. It demands the courage of Elijah to confront evil and a willingness to risk all. It calls for repentant, forgiving hearts with an acceptance of the diversity represented in the various streams comprising the Body. These factors carry the need for a maturity that reflects the discipline to diligently seek God and His priorities, with a revelation of our identity in God, that we are who God says we are, and as such, a light shining on a hill that cannot be hidden. A War-Time Mind-Set. Far too many within the Western Church have become complacent to the systematic erosion of both righteous standards and the freedoms at the foundation of our society. It is time to draw a line in the sand. There is a war underway that is both spiritual and cultural. There is a critical need to embrace a way of thinking, a war-time mind-set that responds in a manner parallel to the days of WWII, when our freedom was seriously brought into question. Elijah-Level of Courage to Confront Evil. Elijah put his life on the line in confronting the prophets of baal and asherah. Yet, it wasn't done arbitrarily. It was God's strategy and Elijah was God's champion to draw the line in the sand. Elijah not only brought judgment upon the perpetrators of the spiritual erosion evident among God's people, but he demonstrated the reality of God to bring restoration to those who were being subjected to the seductions. Sacrificial Hearts Poised to Quickly Repent and Forgive. During war-time, the expectation is for everyone to be sacrificially operating with and moving toward the same objectives. That requires hearts to be right before God and those we live and work with. We cannot afford the luxury of being offended. We need one another. One of the primary indicators of this type of heart is the readiness to repent when wrong, along with a heart that quickly forgives. Maturity to Grasp the Essentials of Common Ground. Maturity and being of one accord go hand-in-hand. We work on doing that with those we consider kindred spirits, those with whom we choose to worship. However, there are many streams within the Body with many significant, yet diverse functions. None have the full picture. Yet, we need to understand the essentials, the primary things, representing the common ground of our faith and to embrace a respectful acceptance of the functional and even doctrinal diversity that is comprised within the Body. Discipline to Diligently Seek God and His Heart Priorities. War-time requires great discipline and sacrifice on the part of all. That begins with giving our first priority to our time spent with the Lord. Seeking God should always be our first priority, but the reality is that there is a tendency toward slippage that comes during the comforts of peace-time settings. The discipline required to diligently seek God's heart and align ourselves with it is critical for this change in seasons. Unequivocal Identity in God. It takes an unequivocal revelation of one's identity in God to survive the brutalities of persecution. That means understanding what God's word says about who we are and what our role is in this world. That viewpoint should define our priorities. The root of our standing strong in the fire of adversity begins with our identity in Him. That requires a proactive renewing of our minds with His truth and an interactive prayer life that has a foundation in Psalm 15, of speaking truth within our own hearts. The story unveiled in "A Song in Siberia" gives evidence of how congregation after congregation, at great personal cost, embraced the essentials of Kingdom priorities with one accord. Leaders were jailed. Some were martyred. Despite that, new leaders came to the plate. Against all odds, they prevailed. The fire of persecution not only melded them together, but became a demonstration, a witness, of the reality of God that shouted at their neighbors. Great numbers came to the Lord because of the faithful response of the believers, to God and to each other, despite the harshness of the persecution. Strategies for the Times Jesus gave a strong admonition to be alert to the signs of the times and the change in seasons (Luke 12:54-56). The US is divided. Russia is advancing its territories. Rogue states are thumbing their noses at the West. Terrorism and lawlessness abound. Alliances of totalitarians and Muslims threaten advances in Africa. In the face of these developments, those now emerging from years of severe religious persecution are a model for us, in lands where freedom and culture are at-risk. Jesus came to refocus things, to restore the true foundations for those whose identities are in God. He came to raise the bar. So it is today, that the bar needs to be raised. Jesus came to give us the tactical means to pierce the veil and establish God's domain, His Kingdom, in what the Apostle Paul referred to as "the bondage of corruption" and what Pope John Paul II famously referred to as "the culture of death." So it is today, that there is nothing new under the sun. Centuries ago, God spoke to Abraham and told him to leave his family and his nation. What he left was the land of the Chaldeans, the heart of sorcery and the occult. Today, we need to draw the same line in the sand. We need to call the culture of death for what it is: the occult seedbed for activities of Satan. We need to recognize that our lives have been bought with a price and that our citizenship is first, as God's people. The core message from those emerging from the fire is one of stewardship: to prepare and make the decisions of life, as if our freedom might be lost, but to pray fervently to preserve those freedoms, and to live our lives with a faithfulness to God and to the brethren, so that those around us will recognize the difference. "The servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Luke 12:47 ___________________________________________________ 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 www.Amazon.com, www.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 atsign@strategicintercession.org for access information on our secure web-site. Likewise, email us to schedule a briefing for your congregation on the current state of the persecuted church and the strategies gleaned to counteract the challenge to and erosion of religious freedom manifesting across the globe.   2014 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 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

Let God Be True - Proverbs 16:9

"A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Click here to listen to Commentary

Men have intelligence. They set goals and plan the means to achieve them. Irrational creatures cannot do this; they only react by instincts to stimulus. But the sovereign God manages the details of men’s plans, so that you are dependent upon Him, for He may bless the good man with a favorable outcome and turn the evil man’s plans upside down.

This proverb of Solomon is important. God rules your life. Man proposes; God disposes. Man freely devises; God powerfully directs. Man creatively plans; God masterfully dictates. Man acts as he pleases; God is pleased by how He uses man’s actions. God is the LORD! Your life and its plans are in His hands. Learn how to utilize this knowledge.

Many wander and wonder through life, wishing they knew God’s will for them. But His will is not a mystery, and much of the answer is in this proverb. Commit your works to the LORD (Pr 16:3; Ps 37:4-5); devise a way to achieve your desired godly objectives (Pr 16:1; 15:22;20:18); believe that He will take care of the details (Ps 37:23; 84:11).

Obedient Christian reader, these words are for you: the LORD gave you a heart, so follow your affections for what you prefer. He gave you a mind, so think of how you might achieve your goals. Once you commit it to God and follow the rules of Scriptural wisdom, go for it! No matter what it is! Simply submit it to God’s will (James 4:13-15).

There is no “perfect” anything, so do not look for it. You live in a sinful world; everything is imperfect. God has not revealed perfect choices. You cannot see even the outcome of the next five minutes. You will waste your life searching, and you will always be frustrated. Most any job will do, if the Lord directs your steps. And this is the same with marriage, house hunting, business deals, family size, and so forth and so on.

Ruth was a poor widow in a foreign land. She devised in her heart to glean fields – pick up scraps after the reapers – a lowly job with little future potential (Ruth 2:2). But the LORD directed her steps to the field of Boaz, a rich, single man who ended up marrying her, and they had David as their great-grandson (Ruth 2:3; 4:17). Give God the glory!

The Jews were condemned by the Persian Empire to genocide! Esther devised in her heart to have King Ahasuerus and Haman to lunch, though she feared for her life to even ask for the meeting (Esth 4:16-17). But the LORD turned the king’s heart toward her with great affection and responsiveness. After she told him of Haman’s evil plans, the King found Haman begging on her bed, and that was that (Esth 7:7-8)! Give God the glory!

Abraham devised a way to find a wife for Isaac, and the servant met Rebekah first. Jacob devised a way to flee from Esau, and the Lord blessed him to become rich with a large family. Joseph chose to be righteous, and the Lord directed his steps to Egypt’s throne. Jesse devised a way to send food to his sons in the army by his youngest son David, not knowing that God was directing David’s steps for a showdown with Goliath.

But look carefully at Esther in reverse. Haman devised a way in his heart to annihilate the Jews, and he manipulated King Ahasuerus into signing the decree (Esth 3:1-15). But the Lord directed him to total humility and ruin by building a gallows, meeting the king at a time that resulted in honoring Mordecai, and falling on Esther’s bed (Esth 5:1 – 7:10)!

Consider Joseph in reverse. His brothers devised a way to get rid of “the dreamer,” who tormented them by his divine revelations, but the Lord directed their steps to sell him into Egypt, where he saved them all from starvation some years later (Gen 45:4-8; 50:19-21). They eventually fulfilled every dream Joseph had about them bowing low before him.

The Jews devised in their hearts to rid themselves of Jesus of Nazareth, but the glorious LORD turned their devices upside down. His crucifixion was God’s choice for the salvation of the very people they hated and hoped to ruin, and He returned in holy revenge to destroy their temple, city, and nation. Every step they took in this most heinous crime was according to God’s eternal purpose (Acts 2:23; 3:18;4:28; 15:18).

When hearing about plans of wicked men, do not worry. They can bring nothing to pass that God has not already planned from eternity to overrule for His own glory, purposes, and people. The wicked are His pawns or puppets – His sword and His hand (Ps 17:13-14). Remember, He may even allow prosperity to deceive them (Pr 1:32). Remember, He may allow them to be successful for a while to heap up riches for you (Pr 13:22).

When facing a decision and not knowing what to do, here is wisdom. Submit your life and works to the LORD, choose that course that pleases you best within the limits of godly wisdom, obtain the approval of many wise counselors, and move ahead trusting the Lord to take care of the details out of your control. Do not fret about perfect goals or strategies, for you are not capable of picking them. Your Heavenly Father cares for you, and He can more than compensate for any “mistake” you make with an inferior choice.

Learn the additional wisdom of Psalm 127:1-2, where David explained that your best efforts are vain without God’s blessing. Though God expects you to apply yourself diligently to achieve your goals, the outcome truly depends on His favor, not your ability or genius in planning or executing your desire. He wants you to back off unreasonable worries or effort and go to sleep, because He loves you and will provide what you need.

Love For His People Editor's Note: This came through an e-mail I received from another. It is from: 

Let God Be True

Steve Martin 

Did David, Solomon Exist? Dig Refutes Naysayers

CBNNEWS.com, Friday, June 07, 2013

Did David, Solomon Exist? Dig Refutes Naysayers

By Erin Zimmerman

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Did characters like David and Solomon really exists? Many historians today are divided over this question. But CBN News met with two archaeologists who are digging up parts of David's life, and what they've found supports the biblical accounts down to the smallest details.

David is the most famous king in Israel's history, but some say he wasn't the great ruler described in the Bible. One Israeli archaelogists said, "David and Solomon did not rule over a big territory. It was a small chiefdom, very poor."

"This is a great chief. If you want to call King David a chief or King Solomon a chief, and this is a huge tribe," archeologist Eilat Mazar said.

Others say David never existed at all. Even a professor of biblical studies insisted that he is not the only scholar "who suspects that the figure of Kind David is about as historical as King Arthur."

What Does the Bible Say?

But archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel believes otherwise and has set out to prove the validity of the biblical accounts and its most famous historical figures.

"These guys said, 'We didn't have any archaeological memories, so David and Solomon are mythological figures," Garfinkel said. Yet one by one, those "archaeological memories" are being uncovered and all over Israel excavators are confirming the biblical story of Israel's greatest king.

The Bible records David's story in great detail from his days as a shepherd boy to his death in the royal palace in Jerusalem. Today, you can walk in the same places where David walked and they still have the same names as they did 3,000 years ago.

There's Bethlehem, the place where he was born and where he was anointed the king of Israel at just 15 years old. Then there is Ein Gedi, the desert oasis where David hid from King Saul in caves. And Hebron is where he spent seven years as the King of Judah.

For centuries the Bible was the only written evidence that David even existed. There was no archaeological record of his reign until about 150 years ago.

New Evidence Unearthed

In 1868, a stone tablet was discovered in Jordan. It was written by a Moabite king named Mesha, an enemy of Israel.

The stone dates to around 840 BC, less than 200 years after David and it provides the first known reference to the "House of David" outside the Bible.

"And 'House of David,' it means 'dynasty of David.' So we know that there was a guy called David, and he had a dynasty," Garfinkel said. "Okay, so now this is absolutely clear that David is not a mythological figure. So the mythological paradigm collapsed in one moment."

More than a hundred years later the same phrase, "House of David," turned up on another stone, this time in northern Israel.

It was written about 200 years after David's rule -- again, by one of Israel's enemies, Hazel, the king of Damascus. "He said, I killed 70 kings. I killed a king from Israel and a king from the House of David," Garfinkel explained.

One of David's greatest victories took place in the valley of Elah. This is where the young shepherd boy killed the giant Goliath, and it's one of the few places where you can still catch a glimpse of the Israel that David knew.

Nearby are the ruins of the Philistine city of Gath, the hometown of Goliath and the remains of the brook where David found the stone that killed him.

And high above the valley is a fortress that's thousands of years old to the local Bedouin. This place is still known as "Khirbet Daoud" or "David's Ruin." It's the only iron age city in Israel that's perfectly preserved and almost frozen in time.

"For us as archaeologists, this is one of the richest sites in Israel. This is like a biblical Pompeii," Garfinkel said.

The Hebrew name is "Khirbet Qeiyafa" or "Fortress of Elah." Garfinkel first uncovered the city in 2007. He recovered some burnt olive pits from the site and sent them to Oxford University for carbon-dating. The results surprised even Garfinkel himself. "It turns out that this beautiful city and all the finds is from about 1020 to 980 BC, and this is exactly the time of King David," he said.

In David's day, the Valley of Elah served as a neutral zone between the Israelites and the Philistines. In Qeiyafa, which was right on the frontlines, excavators discovered a large cache of weapons.

"We are shedding some light on the story of David and Goliath. We are in the same location, in the same time the city is heavily fortified. We have all these weapons, so I'm telling you that this indeed was an area of conflict between two political units," Garfinkel said.

In the Bible, this fortress is mentioned with a diferent name, Sha'Araym, "The city of two gates." In 1 Samuel 17, Sha'Araym is the place where the Philistines fled after David killed Goliath.

"Sha'Arayim means in Hebrew "two gates." In KQ, we have two gates. So if you take the biblical tradition, the location, the chronology, the meaning of the name -- all these aspects fit Qeiyafa perfectly," Garfinkel said.

A Philistine or Jewish City?

Just 10 days after Qeiyafa was discovered, critics argued it was a Philistine city, not a Jewish one, so Garfinkel went to work proving them wrong.

"What is the ethnic component of the city? I think that the city is Judean based on four arguments," Garfinkel said.

His first argument is the city's design.

"It has a big casement city wall and houses abutting the city wall," he said. "This is known from four other sites, so now we have five sites. All these five cities are in Judah. None of them is in Philistia. This is really typical Judean urban planning."

His second argument is the animal bones found in the city, all of them strictly kosher.

"We have sheep, goat, cattle, but we have no pigs and no dogs. On the Philistine side, they consume pigs and also dogs. Up to 20 percent of the animal bones at Philistine sites are pigs. But here nothing," Garfinkel said.

And he argues that the pottery shard, also known as a ostracon, is the earliest example of Hebrew writing ever unearthed. On it are written commandments to worship the Lord and to help widows, orphans, and slaves.

"It started with the word al-ta'as, which means "Don't do." And "ta'as," to do, is only in Hebrew. It's not Canaanite and not Philistine," Garfinkel explained.

Garfinkel also argues that the absence of idols, which would have been in abundance, points to a Jewish city. "If you go to Canaanite temples of the Late Bronze, you will find a lot of human and animal figures, but not in KQ. So the people here really obeyed the biblical taboo on graven images," he said.

The esteemed archeaologist points out that in the absence of idols there were religious shrines. And the models predate Solomon's temple by about 40 years. Yet they match the Bible's description of the temple down to the triple framed doors. They're the first phyisical evidence of Jewish worship in the time of King David.
.
Garfinkel humbly admits that "it was not [his] mission to prove the historical authenticity of the biblical tradition." He claims he "had no idea" of what he would find. It is proof beyond his imagination that the Bible is more accurate than many critics would like to admit.

Yet, as he pointed to his collection of evidence he told CBN News, "These are the animal bones, these are the radiocarbon dating, this is the inscription, these are the fortifications, and then you have the biblical tradition. And what do you know -- they just happen to fit nicely with each other."