BUSINESS AND MINISTRY
(c) Morris E. Ruddick
"I have called you to an interlinking between secular business enterprises with overriding Kingdom objectives."
Prophecy given to Morris Ruddick in 1986
The setting was pretty grim. Having been at the helm of successfully orchestrating a major corporate turnaround, I became a casualty due to some unscrupulous corporate politics. In my attempt to understand what was happening to me spiritually, I simply asked the Lord why it seemed the harder I tried to be obedient in following Him, the more trouble I seemed to get into. This wasn't the first instance of the bottom dropping out of something I knew had been ordered by the Lord.
Without hesitation, the answer the Lord gave me was that it was because of the calling on my life, that He had called me to an arena in which secular enterprises would be linked together with objectives that would serve His Kingdom.
While at the time I barely had a glimmer of the depth of what the Lord was telling me, this word brought much peace to my heart and a yearning to better understand what it was the Lord intended for me in the days that were to follow.
A Company of Josephs
My calling and the calling of a global company of others was patterned after the Patriarch Joseph. Little did I realize the significance of the change that would come from this twenty-first mantle and how it would serve to restore principles and ancient secrets the Lord began imparting to his people from the days of Abraham.
Joseph's calling was distinctive. With clarity, he heard from the Lord with a keen understanding of God's heart and attentively acted on it. He broke ranks with religious traditions in his response to the voice of God. In giving testimony to his prophetic dreams, he found life as he had known it taking an abrupt turn, as he lost his freedom, his family and any semblance of status and power.
He became immersed in the world's system in a distant culture. His response was in adapting to being a matchless prophetic steward with both the mundane and as God's emissary. His identity in God combined with the Lord being the source of his exploits, as God's hand upon him was made obvious to all.
"The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man and everyone saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made all that he did to prosper." Genesis 39:2-3
Joseph anticipated the future with prophetic clarity and insight. He mastered his new culture from the bottom-up before being entrusted with the resources and future of the nation. His amassing of grain became not just the means to feed the people, but served as the commodity of value when the money failed. All this was a backdrop to restoring and protecting God's people from the judgment encroached at their door.
Exhibiting prudent discipline, his stewardship anticipated opportunity for the common good. He cornered the livestock market and later took over the land, until when the famine passed he eventually turned the land back to its owners in a modified land-grant program.
Joseph oversaw the greatest wealth transfer the world had ever known.
Unorthodox Change
Apart from a prudent, self-sustaining means for his family to care for themselves in Goshen, not one religious program is mentioned in his activities other than his unswerving commitment to and identity in God -- and him acting on the prophetic insights he got from the Lord.
Yet no hero of faith achieved greater exploits for God in the context of harnessing the world's system than did Joseph.
He clearly linked secular enterprises and resources to establish a Kingdom model designed for the care and redemption of God's people as he gained the trust and allied with the source of these resources during times of great challenge and change. In so doing he demonstrated the sovereignty of God over both the secular and those called by His name. Operating under great prophetic authority, he provided a safe place for ALL those under his authority.
With this snapshot of Joseph's anticipatory response to famine and crisis, the question arises to the role and function of the company of those called as modern-day Josephs. How will today's Josephs serve God's purposes with the potentially unlimited resources they prophetically are destined to manage? More appropriately, do we really understand those purposes from God's long-range perspective outside the parameters of our short-term religious mind-sets?
Understanding the Times
The answers have got to begin with an understanding of the times from a big-picture, God-perspective. Isaiah 60 tells of a time when darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the people. The implications have an amazing parallel to the time of famine anticipated by Joseph.
We also are on the threshold of such a time. Isaiah 60 prophetically paints a portrait of a time in which God is restoring His order to His creation and preparing to fulfill the promises to His people that began with His covenant with Abraham.
"Darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people. But the LORD will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising." Isaiah 60:2-3
The focal point is Israel.
A Shift of Power and Resources
Isaiah went on to prophesy (Isa 60:8) that the abundance of the sea would be directed to Israel and the wealth of the nations would come to them. The ramp-up of turbulence and lawlessness underway today represents the periphery of the birth pangs spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. It will be a time of great restoration, a vast shift of wealth and power.
Unfortunately, the topic of the callings patterned after Joseph and Daniel, as well as that of "the wealth transfer," of strategically tapping the resources of the world's systems, have become a part of distorted, pop-Christian culture. It is appropriate therefore, to begin by stating what the wealth transfer IS NOT.
The wealth transfer is not a means by which super-achievers fulfill their glimmer of the great commission. Nor will the wealth transfer be driven by Western financial institutions and markets. Neither is it a prosperity doctrine. The wealth transfer will not be the result of the efforts of elite networks of ultra-spiritual zealots. Nor will it be linked to mega fund-raising agendas. It will not be an eschatological orchestration of the weird built on the precepts of men. While each may contain elements of truth, individually they simply miss the mark.
For the sake of the zealots and prematurely eager -- and not in anyway to dampen the intentions of those genuinely called, it should be remembered that the calling of Joseph involved serious betrayal of those closest to him, along with a complete loss of his status and freedom. It involved an extremely long waiting period for God's set time, a wait involving some very humble conditions.
Yet, during his wait even as a slave, Joseph exemplified the mantle of his great-grandfather Abraham, whose calling was to be blessed to be a blessing. The wealth transfer will be stewarded by those who not only have paid the cost of the calling, but have been uniquely prepared, a global company of individuals with callings patterned after that of Joseph and Daniel.
These will be men and women of God whose prophetic gift and authority, sensitivity to God's heart and stellar obedience to God marks their identity and wisdom to those in non-religious circles. They are people of trust who worldly power brokers will seek to align themselves with. The calling will functionally be diverse. From a human standpoint it will involve an element of compartmentalized enterprises, reflecting numerous divinely-connected, yet self- and mutually-supporting enterprises.
The Joseph-Daniel calling is at the crux of this great time of restoration, of this shift of power and wealth. As has already been noted, Israel is central to it all.
The Issues from God's Perspective
Returning to the questions, when the wealth transfer assignments are given out, what is it that will distinguish the genuine Josephs from his brothers who may consider their family position in the household of faith as being ahead of Joseph? Then to what purposes are the resources to target? To better discern this focus requires a look at three key spheres of influence: culture, economic and power.
The Culture. Culturally, this great shift will divide the sheep from the goats. It will exhibit a sweeping spiritual awakening accompanied by great signs and wonders. This spiritual awakening will be paralleled with merciless persecution. Despite that, this time will reflect innovative alliances between secular institutions that fulfill overriding self-sustaining Kingdom purposes.
The way of the Kingdom will define both the identity and culture of true believers. The Kingdom model is comprehensive in combining the spiritual, entrepreneurial and community, a model familiar to those in touch with the Hebraic roots of the faith.
The result will reorder foundations of culture, power and the economic. The Josephs now coming into position encompass what is termed the marketplace movement. It is the restoration of societal-spiritual leadership that interlinks the Kingdom with the secular -- business with ministry, if you will.
God's Economy. A study in Global Inc. (Gabel, Bruner, 2003, New York), notes that 53 of the world's 100 largest economies are corporations. That's a major twist in outlook. Despite the change that can be expected in the days ahead, in the same way that God sent Joseph to prepare Egypt as a safe place, preparations are already globally underway for the shift that lies before us.
God has forerunners who have been preparing both select corporations and nation-states as safe-places and Kingdom harbingers. They will involve extraordinary alliances with secular enterprises serving Kingdom objectives. They will be self-supporting models of what results when God is dwelling with a people.
With unique ties to Israel, there will be a keen focus on new discoveries, inventions and advanced technologies that serve the purpose of averting the chaos, disasters and persecution in establishing the foundations in which God dwells with His people.
Kingdom Power. Revival attracts. The global spiritual awakening, demonstrating God's power and restoring ancient truths of the faith beginning with God's covenant with Abraham will sweep every sector of society.
Leadership will accompany the anointing of those who unwaveringly have paid the cost, like Joseph in having lost everything personally meaningful to him. They will be ones who within their spheres are graced with unusual trust and favor, but also are targets, initially even with their brethren.
The Book of Revelation describes a time of varying discord and hostility against believers. Those leading the way through the persecution will be those who already bear the brand-marks of the Lord Jesus (2 Cor.)
In this generation, starting with the Cultural Revolution, key segments of the church in Asia have gone through a cleansing of its Western trappings and accoutrements. Those who withstood and survived the purges became a pure church, one with a very humble dependency based solely on God and a genuine prayer-base. From this foundation, God's power was released.
A Time of Great Restoration
The release of Kingdom power will bring restoration of the ancient paths. The restoration will trigger a process. At the core will be Israel. At the climax will be the fulfillment of the Kingdom and every promise uttered by God to His covenant people.
With Israel being the focal point, emphasis will be given to inventions, technologies and potential discoveries that build the foundations for Israel and God's Kingdom intentions. Investments and alliances will have focus on Israel's means of being self-sustaining. The strategic agendas will range from the return of the House of Israel to the land, to mechanisms that enhance the role of genuine friends of Israel (John 15:13-14), to initiatives toward Israel's energy independence, to advanced technologies, to discoveries that bring healing and fertility to the nations.
The Sound of the Kingdom
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is filled with His glory."
Isaiah 6:3
The sound of the Kingdom will conform to the patterns and responses exhibited by Jesus in His earthly ministry. His unveiling of the Kingdom released the harmony by which the natural and the spiritual realms are bridged. John's gospel progressively disclosed the simple secret to Jesus' power: God-in-us and the secret of abiding. It is all about God dwelling with and manifesting Himself through His covenant people.
It involves the simple things that confound the wise. It releases God's most unlikely candidates executing the most unlikely strategies to bring about the most unlikely results. Put simply, the players and strategies ahead will not conform to the way people normally view things. Jesus pointed to the Father being in Him and Jesus being in the Father (John 14:10-11). John quoted Jesus as saying: "On that day you will know that I am in My Father and you in Me, and I in you." (John 14:19-21)
THAT is the simple answer to how you distinguish Joseph from his brothers. Pharaoh saw it clearly and stated: "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" (Gen 41:38) It is the foundation for answering the question of the purpose the modern-day Josephs will serve in this groundswell of restoration.
Just as Joseph served God's purposes in Egypt, today's Josephs are God's advance party. Their apostolic-prophetic role in some very chaotic conditions will be served in very practical terms, in strategies that link secular enterprises with overriding ministry objectives in restoring God's order.
Today's Josephs are the forerunners, the servant-leaders, heeding the sound of the Kingdom, serving as the foundation of the apostles and prophets for the restoration of the ancient purposes being triggered by the anointed description captured by the Apostle Paul.
"God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, is now being built into a holy temple of the Lord in whom you also are being fitted together as a dwelling for God in the Spirit."
Ephesians 2:19-22
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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.apple.com/ibooks and www.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 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 at http://strategicintercession.org/support/
Likewise, email us to schedule a talk or seminar for your congregation on the Joseph-Daniel Calling or on anointing the creative in business.
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
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