Covenant Worship Changes the Atmosphere - Paul Wilbur Ministries

HiFriend There are a few times in my life that I would say God tangibly told me to do something, and one of these moments involved July’s First Friday service. Usually, because of July 4th, we cancel our event because it is the lowest attended. But this year I felt a deep sense that the service should continue as planned and I should lead it. My dad was surprised at my enthusiasm to take the reins, and said, “Do it!”  Right after that discussion, my dad received a request to minister in Ecuador. For the first time ever, Paul Wilbur Ministries ministered on two different continents on the same night (7/07/17). That date will forever be etched in my memory, much like when I was married, my son’s birth, and when my son was dedicated to the Lord. Two key themes, worship and covenant, were heavy on my heart for July’s First Friday service. I began intensely praying, reading scripture, and seeing a pattern forming in what God wanted to be shared. My dad told me that he was wanting to start a series entitled “Foundations,” and everything the Lord was giving me appeared to not only fit that focus, but lay a solid beginning point.  Worship is choosing to give over your will to the will of the Father. I believe this is what Yeshua spoke of in John 4:24 to the Samaritan woman at the well. It’s the giving over of your desires, dreams, and will to the one who created all. It’s not that it is a have-to lifestyle, but a get-to life. Since He has given us free will, if we give worship and obedience back to Him, there is so much more we can do for the Kingdom out of a covenantal relationship. Before I get caught up teaching my message again, you can go and see the entire service on Paul Wilbur Ministries YouTube channel. That First Friday evening brought many breakthroughs to people with answers they had been praying about. I think the number one thing any minister should ask when preparing for a message is, “What can I share with people to encourage them and enable them to bring His love to those outside the building?”  I think most messages today have to do more with bringing hope, but not activating believers to go and do good works. How else can the world know we have been sent to them? Yeshua was the ultimate teacher of this principle when He would serve his disciples and instruct them to do the same for each other. I encourage you to share the love of Messiah out in public, which doesn’t necessarily mean you must be an evangelist preaching on a street corner. Sometimes it might be to show the love of Yeshua when someone has given you an opportunity to retaliate against them for their wrong doing. Remember a soft answer turns away wrath, and in a world spinning fast in chaos, it’s time for the Church to stand up as His light. Again, to keep up with our First Friday services and other events, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Shalom,

Nathan Wilbur

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July 27: Jerusalem, Israel July 28-30: Worship and Teaching Wayne, New Jersey August 4: First Friday  Jacksonville, FL  For more information on events, please visit our website.

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FOUNDATIONS - Morris E. Ruddick STRATEGIC INTERCESSION GLOBAL NETWORK (SIGN)

FOUNDATIONS © Morris E. Ruddick Ghandi once commented that the teachings of Jesus are beautiful. His caveat was that if only he could find one real Christian. Ghandi's claim was that he liked Christ, but that the Jesus followers he had met were unlike Him. His observation is a reflection of what the world sees in the faith that believers put in action. Yet, Abraham was viewed as a prince by the sons of Heth, one of the dominant societies in his region The powerful biblical leader Abimelech's response to Isaac, Abraham's son was: "We see that the Lord has been with you. Let us make a covenant that you do us no harm." Pharaoh's discernment of Joseph was: "Can we find such a man as this, one in whom is the spirit of God?" What Jesus imparted was not a philosophy or new religion. It was a dimension of reality bridging the natural and the spiritual. It was a reality, a threshold in God, that impacted everything. From the early days of God's people walking with Him, this reality of God, seen through His people, was recognized and acknowledged with awe as God manifesting. This dimension, this corridor of walking with God incorporated the knowledge of God with His ways, His truth. It was this dimension that Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of God. It is both the gateway and pathway into knowing God. It involves what Jesus referred to as "abiding" or the process of abandoning ourselves to become one with God. Jewish Foundations This truth came from the foundations of what Jesus referred to as the law and prophets, which He noted that He had not come to change. They are foundational. Jesus spoke very clearly to the issue of these foundations, of what we refer to as "our faith." As a Jew, Jesus made the point that He had come to bring completion to what Jews referred to as "the law," or the Torah and the prophets. Yet, what followed digressed into the institutionalization of "the faith." This institutionalizing of the faith resulted in the loss of two key things: the foundations and the power that resulted, the result when what Jesus imparted is truly grasped and set in motion. The Struggle for the Foundations Instead, historically one generation beyond those of the first-century church and those so remarkably touched by this new dimension of the foundations, began seeing the replacement of the power of God with human effort. While retaining some of the essence of the faith, the effect lost the vibrancy of the foundations. The progressively embattled result became something akin to the settling of the wild west in America, which was polluted with lawlessness and corruption. What played out in the next couple of centuries among the followers of Jesus was a serious division over matters foundational to the faith and with that a struggle for power. When the foundations are restored, the Jesus I know and serve will not be misperceived as the son of Mr. and Mrs. Christ or as having His birthplace in the Vatican. Jesus was a good Jewish boy who God sovereignly entrusted to a good Jewish home. He grew up expounding on the "law and the prophets." However, in the early fourth century the struggle that ensued between those who adhered to the foundations and those who were institutionalizing the church converged with an unusual Roman emperor whose mother was reported to be a believer. In response to a battle he won, the emperor Constantine made Christianity the religion of his realm and in the process, he sided with the institutionalizers. In that process, the Jewish foundations of the faith were expunged. The church that resulted started opposing anything related to the Jewishness of the good news, this fullness to the foundations laid out by Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. This shift from the foundations marked the beginning of what some refer to as the dark ages. It resulted in a growing number of church leaders and sects taking a stand against Jews and anything Jewish tied to the "faith." It progressively produced deep rifts in the relationship with any of the Jewish faith with atrocities that created ripples that extend to this day. The Foundations Recovered Yet today, God is not only sovereignly restoring the Jewish roots to Christianity, but the biblical foundations of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the Jewish people. These Jewish roots to the faith represent the foundations to be recovered. They are what was missing and caused Ghandi to say he liked Christ, but did not consider any of the Jesus followers he had met to be like Him. To understand these foundations, how they affect what Jesus referred to as "the Kingdom" and how they impact every aspect of our lives: the mix of the economic, culture and power, we need to begin with the patriarch Abraham. Abraham is considered the father of the Jewish people. But before we talk about Abraham and how this all started, I'd like to outline some of the factors that are pertinent to this culture of business navigated by the people the world has accepted as being a people of business, the Jews. The People of Business Over the millennia the Jewish people not only have succeeded in retaining their cultural identity, but with disproportionate achievement have served as catalysts and influencers to the civilizations that would rise and fall around them, like the Greeks, the Romans, the Assyrians, the Ottomans, the Babylonians and others. Historically, in civilizations without a middle class, the Jewish people have served that function, as merchants and bankers and people of business. They have been advisors to kings, rulers and leaders and financed national agendas in the societies in which they lived. Yet, as a people, Jews have been distinctive. As a people, they have released nuggets of wisdom from the roots of their faith that have impacted the foundations: economically, governmentally, judicially, and morally, for what is now considered as the good and enduring virtues and values within Western civilization. Today, despite being only one-fourth of one percent of the world's population, since 1950, Jews have been the recipients of 27 percent of the Nobel prizes awarded. Studies such as "The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement" and "Startup Nation" attest to their modern-day contributions, which statisticians would view as "beyond chance expectation." In short, Jewish strategies have resulted in them outliving, as a people, the civilizations of which they have been a part. The keys to this remarkable phenomenon lie in the restoration of the foundations and its long-term, enduring model. Pertinent Ancient Foundations Identity. As already noted, at the foundations of Jewish culture is their identity. Jews hold to the belief of being a prophetic people of God whose ways reflect the pattern of their forefather Abraham: to be blessed to be a blessing. This distinction has been both unique and pertinent to their destiny. For the most part, they have resisted assimilation and from age to age they have maintained their unique identity as a culture within a culture. Jews share with many Asian cultures the distinction of having had their share of centuries as a conquered people, yet without losing their foundations culturally that have made them unique and strong. Jewish and Asian diasporas share in both having retained their cultural identities and serving as positive influencers to the cultures of which they have become a part. Community. Jewish beliefs nurture the dynamic of community much more than Western cultures. Historically Jews are an Eastern culture. As a culture within a culture, Jewish communities tend to operate with an approach of being a trust society. They foster entrepreneurship and creativity from within and build incisively from the bottom-up. Self-Sufficiency. Within that context, community-wise, when adhering to their standards, they operate in a self-regulated, self-sufficiency within their communities. Self sufficiency will result from discipline, excellence and dependable stewardship. It is why Jews have succeeded even when the societies around them have made untenable legal requirements and even contained them within ghettos. Even during severe times of persecution, Jews typically have mastered fostering the type of stewardship that serves and reflects excellence, while profiting and overcoming. Gifts.  Jewish communities are known for nurturing and mentoring emerging generations to excel as individuals, yet for the benefit of community. Everyone has a gift. First defining one's gift and then developing it to where what is being done stands out in excellence among others represents something that can be successfully commercialized. It is also the foundation of true leadership. Leadership. The Jewish brand of leadership has the distinction of operating best through influence and service. Jesus described this brand of influence as being the salt of the earth, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. As a people, Jews are disciplined and are willing to pay the cost to live according to a higher standard, as well as to sacrifice for the future of their people. Moral Standards. With many similarities to the ancient roots of some key Asian peoples, Jews are a moral society. Their distinctive identity upholds the standards of community, entrepreneurship, innovation, excellence and industriousness. While not exempt from corruption, Jewish standards in business, community and seats of power do tend to be higher, with corrupt practices less tolerated. However, these moral standards are significant. They form a part of knowing God's ways. They explain why certain Asian cultures have excelled in business without knowing the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, moral standards are only a part of God's ways. That's the point of taking a closer look at the foundations embraced by Jews. These observations provide the practical keys to opportunity. A recent Wall Street Journal article (Vietnamese Lessons for Burma, Chin and Collazo, 20 Nov 2013) has challenged whether Vietnam's doi moi economic reforms have lost their momentum and Vietnam, Asia's shining star for foreign investment, its advantage. The answer lies within. Foreign investment will stir the economy, but building an enduring economy will follow the wisdom from the Jews, from within. That brings us back to the issue of the foundations and business. Jews have mastered the way they merge the economic with community and the spiritual. Bottom-Up Foundations Long-term economic growth that helps society as a whole requires bottom-up economic foundations. This doesn't discount either the opportunity or importance of leveraged development from top-down investment activity or business accelerator strategies. Nevertheless, while the term "start-ups" and "small business" in the West has tended to embrace a threshold of anything under 20 million USD annually; the threshold tied to the foundations that has evolved from the people of business needs to be lower. Healthy economic structures need to foster family-owned businesses that employ a handful of employees and serve a local neighborhood. In places like Vietnam, the reality is that a healthy ratio of Vietnam's GDP (roughly a fourth) comes from what has begun being referred to as the "sidewalk economy." Historically in the West, some of the current, longest-lasting, more stable, larger organizations have grown from very humble beginnings. Ford Motor Company began in a garage. Again, this premise reflects the centuries-old approach employed by the people whose renown has been as a people of business and finance: the Jews. What is most pertinent and warrants examination is the Jewish model which merges the spiritual, economic and community. From age to age, this model has operated with consistent success despite adversities and the very different, but dominant cultures of which Jews have been a part. Cultural Compatibility and Entrepreneurship A highly respected social economist has uncovered some unique insights into these issues in his examination of economies and cultures in "Trust: Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity." Francis Fukuyama contends that social capital may be as important as physical capital. Dr. Fukuyama holds that only societies with a high degree of social trust will create the foundations needed for the large-scale business organizations that compete in today's global economy. Nevertheless, large-scale organizations are only a part of the equation. Former Cambridge University entrepreneurial expert and author, Bill Bolton, stresses the importance of the creative and innovative dimensions which drive economic opportunity and the dynamic of entrepreneurship. The challenge lies in the foundation of the economic structure. While the West has repeatedly gone through a process of reinventing the venture capital and "accelerator" investment models for fast-growth organizations; investment trends can be fickle and at times, abruptly cyclic. The reality is that without a firm foundation of entrepreneurship with community-level businesses; the economic structure will eventually soften and become top-heavy. So, in wrapping up this brief introduction to Jewish business secrets, I want you to view this as a journey that we're taking together. We're going to look at foundations that fit into three categories: the spiritual, the entrepreneurial and the community and how they relate together. What I'm outlining is a way of thinking. It taps the creative. It bears on your gifts, which we'll also talk more about. But more importantly it significantly impacts what we each call our destinies. In this series, some of the highlights we will be addressing include both very practical and foundational issues like: The Model: The God-Centered, Entrepreneurial, Community Matrix Your Destiny Gifts: Developing your natural, spiritual and entrepreneurial gifts Entrepreneurship and God's Economy: Create, innovate, build, multiply Anointed Planning:  Learning to plan with God's guidance Financial Stewardship:  The pathway to mastering financial cycles and growth The Dynamic of Increase: Community responsibility and generosity The Creative Advantage: Practical application of harnessing the spiritual Opportunity in Crisis: Entering God's economy and succeeding in tough times Understanding the Times: Prophetic insights into these times of change The Power Factor: The reality of God and how good overcomes adversity Success Groups:  A Jewish strategy for business success and opportunity Community Building:  Understanding God's purposes for business Jewish Strategies of Leadership: Keys to becoming agents of change The Kingdom Factor: The paradox that restores the power and foundations. What we're going to be covering was what was missing in the lives of the Christians that Ghandi had encountered, yet remains the essence of who Jesus is and the teachings He imparted. As has been written by the prophet Jeremiah: "Stand at the crossroads and look. Then ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies. Then walk in it and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16 ___________________________________________________ Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the higher dimensions of business leadership 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 to be blessed to be a blessing where God's light is dim in diverse regions around the globe. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" "Leadership by Anointing;" and "Mantle of Fire," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders with destinies to impact their communities.  They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.com, www.apple.com/ibooks andwww.BarnesandNoble.com. 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 economic community builders imparting influence and the blessings of God. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card at http://strategicintercession.org/support/ Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your group's gathering on the Joseph-Daniel Calling or on anointing the creative in business. 2016 Copyright Morris Ruddick -- sign@strategicintercession.org Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since early 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 Initiative Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org Global Initiatives is 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization

DOING GOOD - SIGN by Morris Ruddick

DOING GOOD (c) Morris Ruddick    "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Gal 6:10 As a Body, we tend to get myopic. That's not something new. It's a plague that has been grappled with since there has been a household of faith. It's why there are so many groupings and divides within those who bear His Name. This myopia has made its mark following every biblical and post-biblical revival over the centuries. Genuine spiritual renewals have life-cycles in the dynamic of God's manifested presence displacing evil. The reality-of-God imparted is so far beyond human grasp that anything short of the anointing, designed to prolong its potency, just tends to weaken and diminish the results. So over time, the progressive, imperfect blending of the natural and impure short-circuits the supernatural. Revivals are times when God's manifest presence expands and illuminates our horizons. Revivals create movements that change things. Historically though, movements have digressed into becoming institutionalized. In that process the fire and power fade. This is by no means a swipe at institutions, but rather a call to give focus to what is truly important in this process: knowing Him and being a light to those around us. It's the reason why we need to overcompensate with listening hearts as different segments of the Body interact. No one group has a pure grasp, not to speak of the capacity, for the total picture. In further illustrating this myopia, doctrine is the means rather than the end. When we stand before the Lord on that final day, we're not going to be examined on the basis of doctrine, but rather our heart responses to God and those around us and the difference our lives have made. That also is not a swipe against sound doctrine. Rather, it's to recognize the reality of the myopia -- which has a long track record of missing the forest for the trees -- in order to give focus to reaching for what's most important. Sound doctrine serves the purpose of establishing our identity in Him and the character to walk out the purpose of a life of faith: doing good. That's not the premise of salvation, but rather the result of it. Jesus punctuated this significant distinction, based not on our limited perceptions of righteousness, but instead on the evidence reflected by the consistency of our practices, as demonstrators of the truth we claim to believe. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed. But he who DOES THE TRUTH comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." John 3:19-21 All of which brings us to the point made by Paul in the opening scripture. In the mandate to "do good," first priority is to be given to the household of faith. Raising the Bar Jesus came to raise the bar. Some within the Body have concluded that Jesus came to establish a new religion. Others have digressed into the same trap of elitism that snared the Pharisees, only with a Christian spin to it. Each is equally myopic. Jesus made it very clear that He came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to bring fulfillment to that foundation. He went to the degree of saying that whoever broke one of the lesser parts of the law AND taught others to do likewise, that they would be deemed least in the Kingdom. He didn't say they would be expelled, He said their impact would be diminished to where they would be considered among the least. There's something about these foundations that Jesus never intended to be excluded. It's because truth can be overshadowed by short-sighted precepts. Watering down dilutes. Jesus said: "He who is faithful in what is least, is faithful also in much." That's why we need to extract ourselves from the myopia and start reaching for the big-picture. Jesus always clarified and gave focus to central issues and the strategic. His response to the Pharisee who asked Him what was most important (Matt 22:39) was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as your self." To the rich young ruler's query, Jesus first advised him (Matt 19:17-21) not to murder, commit adultery, steal, or bear false witness -- and to honor his parents and love his neighbors as himself. Self-righteously, the rich young man then asked what he lacked, since he met each of these criteria. Jesus' response, "if he truly wanted to be perfect," was to divest his assets and give it to the poor and then follow Him. Jesus raised the bar. For each one Jesus called, it involved a step beyond themselves. Doctrines and followings have resulted from focus given to the uniqueness of the criterion for different callings. Yet, it wasn't the same for each. The calling of Peter was very different from the calling of Nathaniel, as it was from the calling of Levi. For each, it was very personal. The key was in the reorientation, in response to truth. and with that, in the walk that followed. The significance is in the walk, not the criteria of the calling. For some, like Peter, it took longer than others. But then, perhaps it was because the bar was higher for his calling. Consistently, since His earthly ministry, Jesus has pulled people out of their short-sighted muck and set them on a big-picture course to make a difference. It is a course of "doing good" with a process that has as much significance as the ends. "If you are presenting your offering at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, then go, be reconciled to your brother, before presenting your gift." Matt 5:23, 24 The Challenge Carol and I came to faith during a time of God-birthed revival. We were drawn and greatly impacted by what we saw operating in the walk of certain believers. We saw the reality of God being demonstrated. It was beyond the ordinary. It tied back to a leader who was nurturing God's blueprint for a group of spiritually hungry pilgrims. Over time, the growth of this man's effort resulted in new leaders being brought in. Their approach was not as far-sighted and innovative as what the founder had established. Division resulted that ultimately scattered the foundational work. The confusion and disarray resulted in many casualties among those who had been in the process of being helped. Another example took place in a completely different time frame in another part of the world. The founder of a far-sighted work brought much benefit to the entire household of faith in this area. However, a member of his board became offended. Despite public overtures, the result was the offense becoming a seedbed taken up by others in the leadership. Deceit ran rampant and eventually the founder was squeezed out. The short story is that the "ousters" failed in their attempt to replicate what had been established and the entire effort floundered and was shut down. Many other examples of misuses of authority, presumption, blind-spots and misguided tongues mark short-sighted spiritual conditions that create fleshly responses to and within otherwise God-birthed agendas and movements. Peter advised us to be wary of our adversary the devil. We indeed live in a fallen world. Misguided Influence On the other hand, James warned that teachers would be held to a higher standard and judged more strictly. So it is with those in leadership. The tripping point bearing myopic ripples underscoring this warning is with the factor of community influence. The tendency is to bypass the standard for biblical community and God's blueprint for His followers, by myopically making an idol of the community/ ministry effort rather than it being the platform for nurturing and serving. God's design for biblical community is as a safe place. It's a place where the diversity of gifts and mantles within its members can flow, grow, give benefit to one another and be a blessing to all exposed to it. Instead, it too often can be a war zone. Far too often, that is how the world sees us as a people of God: for the differences, emnities and division. Jesus said we would know "them" by their fruits. The fruits from the founders of these two examples above fit the criteria Jesus spoke of in being a light on a hill that could not be hidden. However, the fruit for those whose efforts brought down these works -- are the casualties and those who never got helped by the imperfect, although anointed efforts of the founders. Whenever the fruit involves a history of casualties created by those whose ends seem to justify short-sighted means, if correction is not prompt, the result will be judgment. It bears on the myopia, the maturity and the maintenance required for those wielding the mantles of leadership. Within the crucible, even among the elite in Jewish circles, is Jacob's corner-cutting iniquity and Ephraim's enmity. "Ephraim was called as a watchman and prophet to the surrounding nations; but has become a fowler's snare in all his ways. There is enmity, hostility, and persecution in the house of his God." Hos 9:8 Similarly, throughout the household of faith, are the misguided crusaders who would tear down established works for flaws and premature judgments, driven by myopic blind spots, which overshadow the good. Hypocrisy defiles the standard and the process. Defining the Focus Jesus said (Mark 9:49): "Everyone will be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." This statement follows Jesus' comment (v 42) that whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better if a millstone was hung around his neck and he was cast into the sea. That's pretty strong. Matthew has a parallel reference to this truth (Matt 18:6,7). It highlights the OFFENSES of causing ones less mature, under one's influence, to stumble. Jesus' reference to offenses wasn't about hurt feelings. He was talking about short-sighted applications of power and truth. Jesus was pointing to those whose blind-spots or immaturity result in misguided use of their authority and influence, which creates casualties among those under their authority. The answer is in the application of the truth, in the salting, which preserves and gives flavor and life to the walk and to the work. Jesus' solution doesn't pamper. He says if your hand causes you to sin, then cut it off. If it's your eye, then pluck it out. He was drawing from Isaiah 33:15, a truth which illustrates a standard in which one keeps his hands from taking bribes and his eyes from considering evil. It's about relationships. It emphasizes the importance and assurance of a trustworthy relational foundation that reflects the seasoning needed to operate in peace toward one another. "Have salt in yourselves and peace with one another." Mark 9:50 One of the most profound doctrinal statements I've yet to hear is: "God is a good God and the devil is a bad devil." Trust is a mark in the dividing line between good and evil. Jesus raised the bar so that the household of faith would uphold that standard and become that "city set on a hill that cannot be hidden." The Apostle James strongly emphasizes holding to the standard as DOERS of the word. The admonition is to make it a lifestyle. "Prove yourselves to be doers of the word and not merely hearers, who deceive themselves." James 1:22 Jesus points to the big-picture with the priority He calls on to be given to the stewardship of preparation and doing. "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so DOING when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But the one who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Luke 12:42-45 The big picture purpose will become clearer as we get our interim priorities aligned. Then God's judgment against evil will trigger the gates to His glory being manifested within the household of faith. "Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, You are the King of glory." Psalm 24:6-10. The world sees beyond the press releases and promotional spins given by the household of faith. The world is looking for the reality of God. The process, as a people -- not the end -- is our witness. That's why revival is so significant. God's presence is a consuming fire. It's the irresistible draw that cuts past the superficial and phony and gives focus to what matters and what is real. For those awash in the evil and turbulence taking place in the world today, we -- the household of faith -- are the signposts and lifeboats. People will be drawn by what they see operating within our ranks. When we get the "doing good" right, THEN the reality of God is demonstrated, which draws the world like a magnet. The big picture is in doing good, but getting it right first within the household of faith. "So, let your light shine before men, that they may see your GOOD WORKS and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matt 5:16 ___________________________________________________ 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;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" and "Leadership by Anointing," 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 by credit card atsign@strategicintercession.org Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your congregation on the wisdom the persecuted church has for the times emerging in the West. 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