Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: Lessons on Leadership: Moses, Passover and the Call of God. (Thoughts on Exodus 3 & 4.)

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Lessons on Leadership: Moses, Passover and the Call of God. (Thoughts on Exodus 3 & 4.) by joelcrosenberg In late March, as readers of this blog know, Lynn and I had the joy of visiting the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the invitation of King Abdullah II. On our second day, we went up to Mount Nebo. This was Lynn's first trip to Jordan, so what a special thing to do. But this was my seventh, and yet I had never gone up to the mountain where the Lord took Moses to show him the Promised Land. Wow! What a view. It was a beautiful, clear, crisp Spring day. Lynn and I could see the entire range of the Jordan River Valley. We could see Jericho, and Bethlehem, and -- in the distance -- the Judean Hills, the eastern sides of the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus, and the lights of the holy city of Jerusalem. In the weeks that followed, I found myself thinking a great deal about Moses -- about the tremendous miracles the Lord accomplished through him, to be sure; about his great courage before Pharoah, the evil tyrant of the Middle East at that time; and about the powerful prophecies that Moses both proclaimed as God directed him, and those that he fulfilled, as well. At the same time, I also found myself reflecting on the sadness Moses must have felt at not being allowed by God to enter the Promised Land with his people, the nation of Israel. This was Moses' own fault. He had been unable to control his anger, and there were consequences, even for such a great Biblical leader. Fortunately, of course, Moses eventually made it to Israel. In Matthew 17, we read the remarkable account of Moses standing on the Mount of Transfiguration, talking with the Lord Jesus Christ and the prophet Elijah. Amazing. Talk about an exciting first visit to the Holy Land! That said, I also found myself meditating a great deal on the man Moses was when the Lord first called him to this important mission to set His people free. I began studying Exodus chapters three and four day after day, trying to understand God's call on Moses' life, and why Moses resisted it so intensely. Last Friday night, Lynn and the boys and I gathered with dear Israeli friends and celebrated our second Passover here in the Land of Israel since moving to the Land in August 2014. Yet again, like every year, we spent an evening thinking about what God did to rescue and save His people. The following morning, I preached at a congregation not far from Tel Aviv. The message the Lord put on my heart came from Exodus three and four. Here are my sermon notes. Hope you find them helpful and take some time to answer the questions below. God bless you, and Happy Passover from Israel! WHEN GOD CALLED MOSES: Lessons on Leadership from Exodus 3:1-22 and 4:1-17 Today, we think of Moses as a great hero of the faith, and the Passover story as his most dramatic accomplishment. That’s true. But let’s step back and see the man God called into His service. To begin, please read Exodus 3:1-22 and 4:1-17 in full. Then, let's look at a series of excuses Moses made, telling the Lord why he couldn't possibly respond to God's divine call. 1.) Moses asked God, “Who Am I?” Exodus 3:11 – “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” Translation: I am nothing. I am no one special. I have failed many times. I’m not the right one to do this. So, how did God answer Moses? Read here. 2.) Then Moses asked God, “What Shall I Say?” Exodus 3:13 – “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Translation: I don’t know what to say. I don’t know God well enough to speak for Him. I’m not the right one to do this. So, how did God answer Moses? Read here. 3.) Then Moses asked God, “What if they won’t believe me?” Exodus 4:1 – “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say?” Translation: No one is going to listen to me. No one is going to believe me. I’m not the right one to do this. So, how did God answer Moses? Read here. 4.) Then Moses told God, “I’m not eloquent.” Exodus 4:10 – “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Translation: I’m not a good public speaker. I’m slow to form my words. (Note: it is widely believed that Moses stuttered.) I get “tongue-tied.” I’m not the right one to do this. So, how did God answer Moses? 5.) Finally, Moses essentially told God, “No.” Exodus 4:13 – “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” Translation: I’ve heard everything you’ve told me, but it doesn’t persuade me. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to say it. I can’t do this, I won’t do this. I’m not the right person. Find someone else. How did God respond? Read here. In Exodus 4:14, we read: "Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses..." Still, the Lord showed tremendous grace and mercy to Moses. He provided Aaron, the older brother of Moses (by three years), to assist Moses in this vital mission. And despite Moses' lack of faith -- his sinful obsession with his own flaws and faults rather than trusting in the Lord's love and power and greatness -- the Lord redeemed him and used him in spite of himself to save the nation of Israel and bring them out of terror and tyranny and into freedom. God’s Grace Have you ever stopped to consider that all of Moses' excuses were essentially true? He didn't really know the Lord well. He didn't know what to say? Pharoah didn't listen to him or believe him. And after forty years on the backside of the desert, tending sheep, thinking about his worst failure -- murdering an Egyptian and having to flee for his life -- perhaps it's no wonder Moses was not eloquent, and perhaps even someone who stuttered. But have you also ever stopped to consider that maybe all of Moses' weaknesses and failures were precisely why the Lord chose him to be His servant and His spokesman? By choosing a weak and sinful and desperately self-conscious person, the Lord showed Himself great and powerful, loving and wise. This way the Lord -- not Moses -- could receive all the praise and glory and honor, because it wasn't possible for Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt on his own. He wasn't capable. And he knew it. What does the Bible say about the man that Moses eventually became? “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) Moses was included in the “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews chapter 11. Questions For Us Today I was deeply moved by these passages. They contain some tremendous lessons on leadership for all of us. What is God calling you to say? Where is God calling you to go? What excuses are you giving to the Lord? What promises has the Lord made in His Word to those who love Him and want to obey Him? The Bible is clear: the Lord is calling you to serve Him and take His Word -- the special message of the Scriptures -- to people who need rescue and salvation, freedom and redemption. He is calling you and I to "go and make disciples of all nations" and to be His "witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth." Will we be faithful to this high calling? Or will we give God a list of excuses why we're the wrong people for the job? May you study Moses carefully, and learn from the lessons he learned the hard way. ————————– Read The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about ISIS plotting a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — is available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Read THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | April 25, 2016 at 12:09 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4yZ

Doug Addison: "Be Encouraged! A New Wind of Change is Blowing" - The Elijah List

Doug Addison: "Be Encouraged! A New Wind of Change is Blowing"

The Elijah List

Apr 25, 2016

From the desk of Steve Shultz:

Many are saying that a "wind of change" is here...and Doug shares from a previous word he wrote about the winds of change the month of May. Doug shares:

We need to embrace the changes that are coming and not be afraid. We need to fight discouragement, because over the next few months there will be several waves of turnaround. It is time to be encouraged – not discouraged! This wind of change starts in mid-May.

God is doing many new things this year...and you'll read Doug's explanation about some of this below. Get ready for a new wind of change God is releasing in our midst!

By the way friends...our "What is God Saying for 2016?" Elijah List conference set is one of our TOP SELLERS right now! And YOU CAN ORDER THE CDs, DVDs OR MP3 DOWNLOAD just below!

This truly, truly, truly was the best conference yet and I've NEVER EVER heard so many positive words coming forth from God's prophets. Our speakers were: Chuck Pierce, Jane Hamon, Dutch Sheets, and Dr. Alveda King (niece to Martin Luther King, Jr).

Here is the link to purchase this TOP SELLER in DVD, CD, or MP3 audio formats:

http://www.elijahshopper.com/what-is-god-saying-for-2016-conference/

Enjoy! And thanks for forwarding this to your friends! They cansubscribe just below...

Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News 
http://www.elijahlist.com

P.S. – Oh, and a Quick Note to our readers: To have daily, encouraging prophetic emails from The Elijah List sent to your inbox, just CLICK HERE or go to: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe. PLUS: HEY! Please EXPLORE our more than 4,000 Christian Prophetic books, CDs, and gifts at: elijahshopper.com.

"Be Encouraged! A New Wind of Change is Blowing"

Doug Addison, Los Angeles, CA

Four years ago I released a prophetic word, on May 17, 2012, called Wind of Change Starts in Mid-May. This particular prophetic word got more feedback than any of the others at that time. It was the start of a powerful release that has been coming every year around this time.

I wanted to re-release portions of this prophetic word because they are applicable to what we are going through right now.

Prophetic Dream: The Wind of Change is Starting to Blow

I had a dream this month of a strong wind of change – not winds of change – that started blowing from the ocean onto land. As it approached, it blew up debris so strongly that it was nearly blinding. I watched from a place of safety, but was concerned for people nearby. Then, a huge battleship crashed into the land, hitting buildings along the shore. Again, I was concerned for the people. In the dream I knew the wind was spiritual not literal, and it was from God. (Photo via Doug Addison)

There is a massive wind of change that is finally coming. This spiritual climate shift is happening in order to blow away the things in our lives that have held us back. It will remove things we have battled with in the past. As long as we are in the place that God has called us to, we will be safe. God is blowing away debris and preparing us now for a dramatic change.

We need to embrace the changes that are coming and not be afraid. We need to fight discouragement, because over the next few months there will be several waves of turnaround. It is time to be encouraged – not discouraged! This wind of change starts in mid-May.

Wounded Warriors Being Revived

As the wind of change begins to blow, it will revive many people who have been wounded by negative Christians and church experiences. Many wounded warriors have been taken out of action in the Kingdom of God by friendly fire or attacks from other Christians. These wounded warriors will play a strong role in this next move of God.

I saw many wounded warriors lying on the Kingdom battlefield with no one to attend to their wounds, then the wind of change blew life into them. They were strengthened and began to rise up with new vision.

Ten Years of Blessing Coming Now

Last year I talked about how God is repaying us for things that have been stolen over the past nine years. Well, not only are stolen things being returned to you, but also God is blessing people right now for all the good they have done for others.

This is a time to reap what you have sown...and not in a bad way. God is blessing people, allowing us to harvest right now for all the good things that we have done for others over the past ten years. (Photo via Wikipedia)

This is similar to Newton's Third Law of Motion, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." When you give or do something positive for someone else, it creates an equal reaction in your own life.

Watch for things like: unexpected checks in the mail, phone calls from people in your past bringing new connections, smiles on children you have touched, maybe even new clothes for the emptied space in your closet, etc.

Get Ready for May 2016

This last thing was not in the original prophetic word, but I want to encourage you to take steps right now, as we are going to "pass over" into a new season just after Passover, April 22-30, 2016. Watch as the wind of change from God blows you into the new alignment needed to break through.

Doug Addison
InLight Connection
Email: respond@dougaddison.com
Website: www.DougAddison.com

Doug Addison is a prophetic dream interpreter, speaker, writer, Life Coach, and stand-up comedian. Doug travels the world bringing a message of love, hope, and having fun! His unique style helps people discover their destiny and experience God's supernatural love and power. Doug releases Daily Prophetic Words online and is the author of several books, including 2016 Prophetic Forecast, Understand Your Dreams Now: Spiritual Dream Interpretation andPersonal Development God's Way. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California.

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe

SPIRIT PLANNING - Morris E. Ruddick (SIGN)

SPIRIT PLANNING   (c) Morris E. Ruddick     Making God your Senior Partner is a lot more than lip-service. It entails proactive planning with the Holy Spirit. That means input and guidance from the Lord on decisions. That requires consciously hearing from God.   One of the distinctive characteristics of the heroes of faith has been hearing from God. Yet, from the days Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the people were inclined to be terrified to hear His voice. They asked Moses to leave the camp when talking with God. However, when Moses returned they wanted him to let them know what God had said.   This same reluctance in hearing God's voice was reflected in later generations when the Lord appeared to Gideon. It is revealing that the Lord's first words to Gideon were: "Peace be with you. Do not fear. You will not die."   So it is today, that among God's people there continues to be this hesitation in proactively bridging that gap between the seen world and the unseen world by consciously discerning revelation from God. Sometimes this is because of doctrinal precepts that have no foundations. Sometimes it is due to the fear of risk or simply of getting it wrong.   Foundations to Spirit Planning Yet, it is written: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the days of the wilderness."   Planning together with the Holy Spirit requires prudence and practice. It calls for mastering planning. It is written that David gave his son Solomon the plans for all that David had gotten by the Spirit. "All this," said David, "the Lord made me to understand in writing, by His hand being upon me, for all the works of these plans."   David planned together with the Spirit of God. He captured these plans in writing.    As a prelude to discussing these steps, two things need to be noted. First, those who seek Him will find Him. Second, not every thought that comes into our minds is from God. We need to approach this process with an expectation, but also wisdom.   We live in a time when we have available a treasure trove of the principles of God's truth along with scriptural models of a history of interactions of God with His people. Getting revelation from God needs to be approached with reverence. Spirit and Truth will always agree. So it is important to immerse ourselves in His written Truth so that we have a plumb-line with which to judge His spoken word.   It is written that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word will be established. Early in my walk with the Lord, when I heard something I believed was God, I would ask him to show me at least two scripture in support of it. He always did. Over time, we gain confidence in our hearing, yet it should always be tempered by this reverence and awe of knowing He is the creator of all things.   The story of Abraham is the unfolding of the mapping out of the destiny of not only Abraham, but of his descendants. It is foundational to our discussion of Jewish business secrets. It highlights certain milestone communications that God had with Abraham. In some of those interactions, Abraham reached hard, seeking "something more" from God. An example is the time preceding the covenant that God made with him. At that time, he was still known as Abram. Scripture describes how in this instance the Lord appeared to Abram in a vision saying: "Do not fear Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." However, Abram responded with: "But Lord, what will you give me, seeing that I go childless."   God had already told Abram to leave his family and country and go to a land God would show him and that God would make him to be a great nation. The point is that what God spoke to Abram/ Abraham was progressive. It took place over time, as Abram/ Abraham responded in faith and obedience and took steps of action based on what God had said.   In doing so, Abraham was bridging the seen world with the unseen world. His response was in considering that which was not as though it were because God told him so. That is the basis in which faith must take the risk to bridge the seen and unseen worlds.   God as Senior Partner and Planner Planning is a systematic means of outlining goals and strategies. Such plans can be done for mapping out an individual's destiny, to determine a course of steps for a business, or to crystallize the focus and pathway unfolding for a community. Inviting the Spirit of God to be our Senior Partner and participate in our planning will often uncover things we could not have seen or anticipated in the natural   My friend Eric Morey in Israel was the founder of a retail store called the Galilee Experience. Situated on the boardwalk of the Sea of Galilee, the Galilee Experience carries an array of quality Israeli products. It has been a favorite stop for tourists from all over the world for years.   Eric told me that one morning, during one particularly busy season that the Lord spoke to him: "Start a catalog business with your products." Eric was so busy that he couldn't even think of when he could find the time. He made a note to start looking into the mail-order business when he wasn't so busy. However, a couple of days later, he again heard the Lord to tell him: "Start a catalog business with your products, now!" Eric hesitated and began praying about this guidance more seriously. The next day, the Lord spoke to him again: "Do it now, Eric."   So Eric shifted his priorities and began the mail-order business. It quickly became successful and started growing.   One year later, an Intifada hit Israel. Because of the uncertainty of the increased terrorist threats, the tourism industry in Israel began rapidly declining. Eventually, tourism was down, by some estimates, 95 percent. Some excellent businesses closed. Eric's storefront business was almost vacant of customers. However, his catalog business was thriving and paying the bills for his entire operation.   Steps to Hear Spiritually Another insight into hearing God accurately, especially in the process of planning, involves keeping a written record of what you discern in your "hearing" together with questions that arise from what you've heard. This process begins with the revelation of what you hear. A very natural tendency is to act too fast on what you hear. However, just as it is written that the naive believe everything, but the prudent takes his time and considers the steps and the alternatives. So, when you get a revelation from God, make a record of it. More importantly, keep praying and ask the Lord questions about what you've heard. In other words, pray about the revelation until you get the illumination on the revelation.   When you've considered the alternatives and gotten sufficient answers to the questions and you feel satisfied you've gotten sufficient illumination on the revelation, it is time to start asking the Lord about the instructions or steps required. Continue praying about the instructions. Keep in mind that we're talking about unfolding revelation for your planning. This is proactively making the Lord your Senior Partner. At the point you feel satisfied that you have obtained enough to map out your steps, you now can start praying about the timing.   Too often we get a preliminary revelation and try to jump immediately into the timing on things, when we need to be praying more and investigating and connecting the dots on a number of matters. If we take the time to get sufficient illumination and instruction on what is being planned, then the timing will be much more accurate.   I'd like to illustrate this process with the story of a famous writer. James Michener wrote a book titled "Hawaii" that sold millions of copies around the world. It was translated into many other languages. When Michener was interviewed by a famous magazine he made an incredible statement about his writing abilities. He said he considered himself to be only an average writer.   Then he told his secret. Although just an average writer, he was a world-class re-writer. For any who are professional writers, they understand that it is not the first thing you write that gets the attention of the publishers. You edit your work. You go over it again and again and then again. You continually improve on what you intended to say with your first draft. You learn the art of re-writing.   This secret of good writing is also the secret of good planning. It is not the first plan you put together that aids the most in achieving your goals. You go back and you look at the assumptions again. You refine your goals and you improve your strategies. Planning is a process. It is continuous. The secret to good planning is in re-planning.   This also is the secret to good praying. Praying like planning should be continuous. We should always be in communication with God, depending on Him, reaching for more of Him and asking for His wisdom. The secret of good praying is in re-praying.   God's Guidance for the Future Many years ago, I began walking the pathway of a pioneer in the marketplace. I left a military career in mid-stream to follow God's leading in my desire to be obedient and to serve Him. I was very surprised when the Lord told me He had called me into business. At that time, business people were not considered spiritual leaders, but those who made it possible for pastors, missionaries and para-church ministries to do the work of the ministry. Yet, I had learned to discern the voice of God and I was obedient to do what God had told me.   So I became a consultant, then a business owner. As I was traversing this pathway, I took some time alone with the Lord to pray. I had given up a career in the military and frankly didn't fully understand my role, as a Christian, in business. Then the Lord spoke to me: "I've called you into an interlinking of secular business enterprises with overriding Kingdom objectives."   God's Purposes for Business An example of this interlinking of business and ministry is the story of Jesus going to Peter and asking if he could use his fishing boat. Peter said of course. So Jesus sat in Peter's boat and taught the people. When he concluded his teaching, he told Peter to throw the fishing net over the right side of the boat. Peter hesitated, telling the Lord that he had been fishing there all night and had not caught anything. Then he went ahead and did what Jesus told him. The scripture says that the nets became so full of fish that they began to tear.   Peter let Jesus use his fishing boat for ministry. When Peter next did what he had been doing in the natural, the supernatural was released and Peter was abundantly blessed as a result.   We've talked in a previous session about stewardship and generosity. This foundation in learning God's heart and learning His ways will culminate with our purpose for our planning and our business: to become community builders. We'll talk more about community builders in a future session, but for now, business leaders are called to build the community around them, to build both the resources and the people who are a part of the community. This reflects the type of leadership that Jesus described as leadership by serving.   Proactive Spirit Planning Planning with the Spirit requires your best. Give the Lord your best and you can expect His best. Giving God your best will involve spending time with Him planning, when our presence of mind is maximized. If you are a morning person, if that is the time of day when your energy level is the highest, then that should be the time you plan with the Lord. If you are an evening person, then that should be the time you select to spend with God on planning issues. Some people's days don't become fully activated until the evening. These are evening people. Again, give God your best and you can expect the same in return.   In early 2007, we conducted one of our programs in a city 800 miles east of Moscow. It was an amazing congregation. Over 300 Russian believers traveled over icy roads to attend. During one of the sessions we had everyone to pray a prayer of cleansing to help them hear from God more clearly. One of the men in the group had been planning and working on his new business for almost a year. It had been very frustrating for him because of the technology he used for his business. He just bumped along and couldn't seem to get everything to come together.   When I told the group about a prayer that would help them to hear God more clearly, he was frankly skeptical. After almost a year, he was discouraged at being unable to get the strategies needed for his business to come together. But then he concluded he had nothing to lose, so he went ahead and prayed the prayer. At 3:00 a.m. that morning, the Lord work him up and in one hour gave him the answers he had been seeking which allowed him to complete his plan and get on with the next steps in his business.   For a family-sized business, the plan should be practical. It should outline the goals and strategies and monthly budget requirements for the next twelve months. The business plan should include a statement that defines the market and future opportunity, as well as who the main customers are and the advantage that the company's product or service has over the competition.   There should be a goal that suggests the financial growth of the company based on how many products are sold each month. There should be a goal that targets a secondary customer base. There should also be a goal that reflects what the profit ratio of overall sales will be, along with the amount of sales expected. There should be a goal that describes the primary means of advertising or marketing. Finally, there should be a goal that outlines the distribution of the product or service and how growth is expected to take place. Each of these goals should have at least two strategies that describe steps on how they will be accomplished.   Planning anticipates the alternatives. Planning prepares for future eventualities. I've often commented that an important aspect of business is managing change. Change is best managed when you have prepared for it. When God is your Senior Partner, God will not only provide insight into the change, he'll provide the strategy for the change.   The story of Joseph is one that many feel is pertinent to this hour. We live in a time when turbulence and crisis is everywhere. Joseph was prepared by God for a time of great crisis. His placement in Egypt was strategic from God's purposes. God gave him the plan and the strategy for the time of crisis. So today, there will be men and women of God, prepared like Joseph, who hear God's voice who have been or will soon be positioned in safe-places, places God will use to advance His purposes for His people globally and for Israel. In a study outlined in Global, Inc., 53 of the largest 100 economies in the world are corporations (Gabel, Bruner, Global Inc. 2003, New York). It should be no surprise that God is raising up modern-day Josephs with the spiritual capital to serve His purposes in both corporate and nation-state refuges.   Approaching God as your Senior Partner has to be done with a right heart. In doing so, it is important to prepare your heart, just as I had the Russian Christians to do. The following is the prayer of cleansing that helps in this process. It is a prayer that I pray on a regular basis. As a writer, it releases me from "writer's block." It is the means by which I prepare both to write and to pray. When you've prayed this prayer, wait quietly before the Lord. Keep your notebook handy. As the revelation begins, then start capturing it in writing. Ask the Lord questions, but most importantly listen, as you enter this process. Lord God, in the Name of Your Son Jesus, I come boldly before your throne. Cleanse my heart O God. Thank You that I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus and I have invited the Holy Spirit to live within me. I bring every thought of my mind and every impression in my heart into captivity to the obedience of Jesus. Lord, I want to hear what You have to say. I trust You to communicate to me. And in the Name of Jesus, I take authority over every stronghold along with every demonic and interfering spirit. I forbid any enemy activity to operate in my mind or soul. I open my heart to the Holy Spirit -- to inspire, to guide, to illuminate and reveal to me truth, insights and perspectives that will anoint my efforts in planning for my business .I take authority over fear, anxiety, doubt and unbelief in the name of Jesus. I bind any negative, critical or condemning spirits in the Name of Jesus and forbid you to interfere with or in any way to imitate God's voice to me. Lord, I thank you for being in charge of every aspect of my being and for all that will unfold in this process. I look forward to growing in this new dimension with you and for what You have planned for me through it. In the Name of Jesus.  Amen. ___________________________________________________   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/ibooksand 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 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 Initiatives Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org Global Initiatives is a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization

Global Initiatives Foundation, PO Box 370291, Denver, CO 80237

In 1 Out Of Every 5 American Families, Nobody Has A Job - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

In 1 Out Of Every 5 American Families, Nobody Has A Job Posted: 24 Apr 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG If nobody is working in one out of every five U.S. families, then how in the world can the unemployment rate be close to 5 percent as the Obama administration keeps insisting? The truth, of course, is that the U.S. economy is in far worse condition than we are being told.  Last week, I discussed the fact that the Federal Reserve has found that 47 percent of all Americans would not be able to come up with $400 for an unexpected visit to the emergency room without borrowing it or selling something. But Barack Obama and his minions never bring up that number. Nor do they ever bring up the fact that 20 percent of all families in America are completely unemployed. The following comes directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics… In 2015, the share of families with an employed member was 80.3 percent, up by 0.2 percentage point from 2014. The likelihood of having an employed family member rose in 2015 for Black families (from 76.4 percent to 77.7 percent) and for Hispanic families (from 85.9 percent to 86.4 percent). The likelihood for White and Asian families showed little or no change (80.1 percent and 88.6 percent, respectively). For purposes of this study, families “are classified either as married-couple families or as families maintained by women or men without spouses present” and they include households without children as well as children under the age of 18. Digging into the numbers, we find that there were a total of 81,410,000 families in America during the 2015 calendar year. Of that total, 16,060,000 families did not have a single member employed. So that means that in 19.7 percent of all families in the United States, nobody has a job. And of course there are lots more families that are “partially employed”. In other words, maybe the wife has a job but the husband does not. So based on these numbers, it would appear to me that the true rate of unemployment in this country is vastly higher than 5 percent, and John Williams of shadowstats.com agrees with me. According to his calculations, the broadest measure of unemployment in the U.S. would actually be sitting at 22.9 percent if honest numbers were being used. But let’s not just focus on where we are. Let’s take a look at where we are going. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, job cut announcements by big companies in the United States were up 32 percent during the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015, and it appears that the job losses are going to continue to mount as we roll into the second quarter. For instance, late last week Intel announced that it is going to be laying off 12,000 workers… As it navigates its path into the future, Intel, the 47-year-old corporation best known for making microprocessor chips that power personal computers, has announced significant changes to its business. On Tuesday, Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich said in a letter to employees that the company over the next year will cut its 107,300-person global workforce by 12,000 people, or 11 percent. Those are good middle class jobs, and they are exactly the kind of jobs that we cannot afford to be losing. Meanwhile, the “retail apocalypse” appears to be accelerating once again. Bloomberg is reporting that teen clothing chain Aeropostale is preparing to file for bankruptcy.  Aeropostale currently operates more than 800 stores across the nation, and it is unclear if any of them will be able to stay open as this process plays out. But of course it isn’t just Aeropostale that has gone bankrupt lately. Here are a few more examples of major retailers that have recently filed for bankruptcy… April 16, 2016: Vestis Retail Group, the operator of sporting goods retailers Eastern Mountain Sports (camping, hiking, skiing, adventure sports), Bob’s Stores (family clothing and shoes), and Sport Chalet (general sporting goods), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It will close all 56 stores and stop online sales. In the filing, it blamed the going-out-of-business sales at “certain Sports Authority locations,” plus the weather, which had been too warm, and trouble with switching to a new software platform. It’s owned by private equity firm Versa Capital Management LLC. April 7, 2016: Pacific Sunwear of California, clothing retailer with nearly 600 stores and derailed ambitions of skate-and-surf cool, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. PE firm Golden Gate Capital, a lender to the company, agreed to convert over 65% of its loan into equity of the reorganized company and add another $20 million in financing. Wells Fargo agreed to provide $100 million of debtor-in-possession financing. March 2, 2016: Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It said it would close 140 of its 450 stores, including all stores in Texas. Just because the stock market has been doing well in recent weeks does not mean that the crisis has passed. In fact, many experts believe that the crisis of 2016 is just getting started.  Albert Edwards of Societe Generale is one of them… But what I do know is when in the last few weeks I have heard that Janet Yellen sees no bubble in the US, when Ben Bernanke hones and restates his helicopter money speech, and when Mario Draghi says that the ECB’s policy of printing money and negative interest rates was working, I feel utterly depressed (I could also quote similar nonsense from Japan, the UK and China). I have not one scintilla of doubt that these central bankers will destroy the enfeebled world economy with their clumsy interventions and that political chaos will be the ugly result. The only people who will benefit are not investors, but anarchists who will embrace with delight the resulting chaos these policies will bring! All over the world, the underlying economic fundamentals continue to deteriorate. Here in the U.S., retail sales have been extremely disappointing, total business sales have been steadily falling, corporate revenues and corporate profits continue to plunge, and corporate debt defaults have soared to their highest level since the last financial crisis. All of these numbers are screaming that a major economic downturn is here, and with each passing week things look even more ominous for the second half of 2016. *About the author: Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog. Michael’s controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled “The Rapture Verdict” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.*

Leading Israeli Rabbis: Time for Messiah to Come - Israel Today Staff

Leading Israeli Rabbis: Time for Messiah to Come

Monday, April 25, 2016 |  Israel Today Staff

RELATED STORIES

• Ben Kinchlow Exposes Truth About Israel
• IDF Commander: Hamas Blasphemes the God of Israel
• Locusts, the Bible and International Double Standards

Topics:

Bible

Just a day before the start of Passover last week, two of Israel’s most prominent rabbis got together to discuss the delayed coming of the Messiah.

Rabbi Moishe Sternbuch is head of the Rabbinical Court and a leader of one of Israel’s largest and most influential ultra-Orthodox communities.

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky is considered a leading authority in ultra-Orthodox Jewish society.

The Orthodox news portal Kikar Hashabbat recorded their conversation:

Sternbuch: This is a difficult generation. Not a day goes by without someone cursing his friend. You deal with one situation, and immediately someone starts something else.

During the campaign on behalf of the Bnei Israel from India I worked with your father, and then we spoke of an abundance of Jews (to bring to Israel). But today they want to bring to the Land those who hold to the Christian faith, the so-called “Jewish Christians.”

Kanievsky: Foreshadowing of the Messiah.

Sternbuch: Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin interpreted what is said at the end of the Mishnah in Sotah (‘We will have no one upon whom to rely other than our Father in Heaven’ - Sotah 9:15) as a curse in and of itself, that in the generation of the foreshadowing of Messiah those who fear God will become tired and give up the fight against sinners. …We need to bring Messiah.

Kanievsky: The seventh (period of blessing) is not yet finished. ‘At the conclusion of the seventh the son of David will come.’ (Babylonian Talmud - Megilah 17:22)

Sternbuch: ‘The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.’ (Jeremiah 8:20)

Kanievsky: According to the signs recorded in the Gemara (rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah), the Messiah should already have come.

Sternbuch (reading from the Gemara): ‘The generation during which the Son of David comes will accuse the scholars.’ Rambam wrote that before the coming of Messiah, Christians and Ishmaelites would come to the Land of Israel.

Kanievsky: When Messiah comes everyone will repent, and those who were ‘barren trees’ will bear fruit and become scholars.

Sternbuch: It would seem that we are now in the ‘Generation of Messiah,’ and God willing will meet again at the coming of Messiah, may He come quickly. Then we will see the fulfillment of the verse, ‘When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.’ (Psalm126:1) It will seem like the world in which we lived until the coming of Messiah was but a dream.

Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates from Israel Today.