Defining the Issues

December 27, 2012

At the core of our mission is discerning the heart of God, defining issues and then with strategies based on God’s model and mandate, strengthening, equipping and mobilizing leaders, especially among those persecuted and oppressed for their faith. So, as we have traveled the nations to fulfill this mission during this last year, our sights have been lifted in terms of the whole arena of “understanding the times and knowing what to do.” If I had to sum it up in a word, this year has been a sequence of exposures to fresh applications of the model and strategies reflected by the “Joseph-Daniel calling” and wisdom of “God’s economy.” These applications offer pivotal insights into responding to the times we have entered and are key to the mandate of preparing to prepare. At the core of our observations is the Abrahamic model of God-centered, entrepreneurial community. Within totally different contexts, we have seen unexpected demonstrations of the application of this Abrahamic model. We have witnessed it releasing God’s authority to bring influence and positive impact in unlikely secular and corrupt settings. We’ve viewed the release of God’s power resident within remnant communities operating in unity as they have been led by the Spirit to operate beyond the threshold of their natural abilities. We’ve observed the potential exhibited by the establishment of “incubators” to enable opportunity and bring increase in community settings. Incubators are safe places that nurture the growth of an enterprise, be it ministry or business or both. These “unexpecteds” we’ve encountered the past few months have taken place in locales ranging from the African continent, to Asia, to Eastern Europe, as well as within areas in our own nation.

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The Blessing Undefiled

December 18, 2012

This “blessing undefiled” has been and remains a primary battleground. Within the majority of the city-church communities addressed in Revelation was the operation of seductive deceptions, each designed to defile the blessing. The defilement of the blessing began in the garden as the evil one, through beguilement, sought to distort the nature, purpose and goodness of God in His relationship with man. Throughout history, the beguiler has sought to defile God’s people, and the purpose and the purity of the mantle of the blessing extended by God. The book of Acts describes challenges to the power of the blessing that came from both outside and within the community of believers. The sorcerer Elymas came from outside challenging Paul in Acts 13. From within, there is the account of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) and the recently converted sorcerer Simon (Acts 8). In each case, the intention was defilement. Note the fear and spiritual blindness operating with those from without; and the spiritual immaturity operating from those from within. Yet, the more deadly and most subtle of the deceptions are the doctrinal precepts that give such a degree of myopic focus to single-level dimensions of the faith that it creates a blindness to other, more significant dimensions. It has been the stratagem behind the removal of the Jewish roots to the faith; and the overshadowing of the gospel of the Kingdom.

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Bitter Root Alliances

December 12, 2012

The root of bitterness pivots on the antithesis of a truth from Proverbs 16, where it says that “he who rules his own spirit is mightier than he who takes a city.” Far too many are candidates in this seductive spiritual struggle between soul and spirit. They either don’t know the Scriptures, they choose to ignore them, or they override them with their self-justified fleshly passions. In a word, their feelings and passions are allowed to dominate and become obsessions. Judas used his position with Jesus for his personal agendas without ever really having a grasp for what the Lord was doing. It emphasizes the importance of why so many of today’s modern-day Josephs have been through such a long, excruciating preparation period. There’s a cost for those called to be entrusted with Kingdom roles within seats of power. The influence of the bitter root is no small matter. For some, the choice of bitterness sadly creates distorted views of reality that simply begets more bitterness, pain and destruction, as it defiles many. A bitter root does not trust. Its tendency is in finding fault and pointing the finger. It operates self-protectively and surreptitiously. It is at odds with those not sharing the bitterness, with its ultimate fruit self-defeating.

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Division Strongholds

November 30, 2012

The corollary of the fallout of willful immaturity is readily evident within the power structures of the world’s system. Without God, leadership hopelessly digresses into what scripture refers to as the bondage of corruption. The “blessings” come when the obstacles of division become irrelevant and people enter into the God-centered community dynamic intended by God: the enabling others. Just as there are levels to the sowing of division, so there are levels to responding to it. It begins with Paul’s instructions to the Romans, to being wary and avoiding the perpetrators who undermine and create discord and confusion; to the example of Paul confronting and cursing Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13; to the highest level, in which Jesus yielded himself to his betrayers after Gethsemane. As the community dynamic takes root, willful immaturity will be transformed, as the poor in spirit will no longer be subject to soulish delusions; those who mourn will be healed of their woundedness; the meek will have no need to force issues; those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will not be subject to over-spiritualizing; the merciful will release their pent-up anger and become genuine in their gift; the pure in heart will no longer be impulsive; the peacemakers will have no need to manipulate; and the persecuted will rejoice as their frustrated priorities no longer are tied to the world’s system.

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Beyond Your Sphere

November 13, 2012

There is a distinct connection between individuals operating within the boundaries of their sphere of authority and the spiritual climate of the Body. Body maturity and the spiritual climate surrounding the household of faith will draw the attention of the observing world. Whenever the boundaries of authority within the Body are ignored it leads to a distinct symptom of Body immaturity: disorder. When the world sees disorder and division within the Body, it will scoff and turn aside. The world is looking for a people who will demonstrate the reality of God. In short, the bar for those called to lead the way is set much higher than that for the world because the goal is higher: to change the spiritual climate in the midst of the world. That’s the wisdom behind Jesus telling us that the path is narrow and difficult. It gives insight into why the sons of the world can be shrewder than the sons of light (Luke 16:8). We tend to be short-sighted as we major in minors. Reaching for a goal of changing the spiritual climate in the world has to begin within the spheres

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Society of Leaders

August 5, 2012

There’s something more that involves a leadership strategy that defies the wisdom of the world; indeed, the wisdom of the ages. Driven by the spiritual, it joins together community to operate as one with the economic. It is a strategy that merges an identity, a spiritual maturity driven by trust and discipline, along with a unique power to form a leadership; all of which is demonstrated “as a people.” It is a strategy of righteous power in a corrupt world. Righteous power builds and brings increase; it wields influence, and is a catalyst for opportunity that brings blessing to those in its sphere. This leadership strategy begins with a grasp of God’s purpose for His own (Genesis 1): to exercise dominion and subdue the earth. Then with an identity and faith in God, as demonstrated by Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David and many other heroes of faith, the mantle is gleaned from Abraham, to be blessed to be a blessing. The model also is from Abraham: of the God-centered, entrepreneurial community. Within the community of God’s people will operate the progressive stewardship of the gifts of its members. Proverbs 31 describes this community-focused entrepreneurial dynamic. The process was outlined by Moses: with a focus on order, ownership and increase.

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Beyond the Threshold

July 16, 2012

The time following Elijah’s extraordinary standoff with the prophets of Baal and Asherah provides great insight into the realities tied to the demands on those called as agents of transformation. Despite his role in one of the most incredible confrontations between good and evil written about in the Bible, Elijah was left emptied. At that juncture, he had nothing left. The mere thought of just one more encounter was enough to push him over the edge. As we enter a time characterized by evil abounding, the realities operating at this threshold bear closer scrutiny. Serving as a vessel for the Holy Spirit on this plane will leave you spent and vulnerable. It is a reality that results from authority confrontations with the forces of darkness, impartations that release life into Kingdom initiatives and the birthing of venues that change the course of communities and nations. For those uniquely called to take dominion on this level, those called to stretch their spiritual authority to the extreme, as they bestow Life in domains of death, this issue is critical. It involves recognizing and entering that place in God when our best is not enough and it seems there is nothing left.

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Community Building

July 16, 2012

Biblical community is the pinnacle of God’s people operating together with a common purpose. Abraham portrayed the model with the interrelated dimensions of being God-centered, entrepreneurial and community-driven. The Jewish Torah gives keen focus to the operating principles for biblical community. Jesus indicated when the community of God’s people function together as God intends that it demonstrates God’s reality and draws the world to Himself. “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) While the world has come up with many approaches to community; none begin to compare. Biblical community is an expression of both the discipline and maturity of its members. It thrives on a high-level of trust and service, fueled by the community dynamic of tz’dakah, which is charitable righteousness. It grows through a unique use of spiritual power driven by servant leadership. It is a safe place of spiritual nurturing, while simultaneously being an incubator for the encouragement and growth of the giftings of its members. With that will be a common higher purpose that endures beyond its generations.

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Opportunity in Turbulent Times

July 9, 2012

Joseph the Patriarch operated uniquely from within the world’s system. His stewardship and prophetic gift made room for him. Yet, despite adversity arrayed against him, he also demonstrated the reality of God. He stewarded opportunity as a most unlikely candidate, without position, from the bottom-up; to a point to when God intervened and he became a prototype of establishing God’s authority and rule from the top-down. Joseph became a model of harnessing opportunity in turbulent times for God’s purposes, while providing a safe haven for both his benefactors and God’s people in the process. The dynamic of overriding the spiritual storm approaching the world at that time carries a parallel to the times before us and the approach needed in the face of adversity.

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Stewardship in God’s Economy

June 29, 2012

We are not called be or to operate like “everyone else.” As God’s people, we are called to be distinctive, to operate at a higher standard. Scripture tells us that the wisdom of Daniel was ten times better than the best the worldly advisors in the king’s court could offer. Since God has had a people, those known by His Name have been a light to the surrounding societies because of God being with them. Within a fallen world, described by scripture as ruled by the bondage of corruption, the story of God’s people has again and again been one of breaking the constraints of the curse that grips the world; and directs the way it thinks and employs power. Those called by God’s name have a mandate to exercise righteous power, to overcome evil with good, and as the head and not the tail, to rule over the works of His hands. In short, we’re called to steward not only our individual gifts, but as a people to make a difference in the world around us through our active participation in the model that drives God’s economy and the mantle of being blessed to be a blessing.

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