Jewish Roots and Israel

The Culture

March 26, 2016

The Jewish cultural foundations that were set in motion by Abraham, were brilliantly anointed and written out for future generations in the books of Moses. Very few cultures have the level of a systematic record of their heritage like the Jews. At the core of their identity is that of being a prophetic people of God. These things align Jews in the way that they think and view the world around them. All this goes relates to how the spiritual and economic can progressively make community not only a safe-place, but a place that nurtures opportunity for its members. It begins and has a focus of the simple things, of the most basic family-owned enterprises that become the heart of a society that takes care of its own. Larger enterprises within this cultural setting retain the responsibility and community focus. The history of the Rothschild banking empire is one of a network of institutions, which had very simple beginnings. It has been run by a single family that supported one another and had an overriding commitment for the good and safety of the Jewish community. So, what clearly exudes from the many facets of Jewish culture is captured in the writings of Moses, that if the conditions of the House of Israel’s identity and obedience to God’s principles and instructions are met, then the Lord would make them to excel above all the other societies on the earth. That premise explains not only their many amazing historical exploits, but more recent Jewish accomplishments detailed in studies such as “The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement,” authored by Steven Pease. In a word, it is disproportionate achievement and the mark of the leadership mantle that has influenced the societies of which Jews have been a part over the millennia. At the core of these exploits are the foundations impacting the way they think. Jews view things with a different perspective than most other peoples of the world. We’ll look closer at these things, such as the creative thinking that comes from these foundations, but for now we’re setting the stage to be able to better understand God’s economy and the form of entrepreneurship that comprises our focus of Jewish business secrets.

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The Gifts

March 20, 2016

Everybody can do something better than a lot of other people. That is what we refer to as a person’s natural gift. However, when that gift is unmistakably identified and developed to the level that the person can excel in that gift, more so than most other people, then they have the basis with which to start a business and commercialize the gift, the talent. This premise is at the heart of the entrepreneurial spirit that once was the pride of the American Jewish middle class. Entrepreneurship has at its core creativity. God is the creator and being made in His image, developing our gift will tap the creativity that resides in each of us. Excelling in a natural gift triggers the release of creativity in the gift. A person’s gift will be something they have mastery of, something they have a passion doing. God’s nature also is to bring increase. That is the Jewish wisdom behind Jesus’ parable of the talents. In this parable there were three stewards who were entrusted with some of the assets belonging to their boss. The steward who leveraged the assets to bring the most increase not only made his boss very pleased with him, but he was given promotion and entrusted with more. However the steward who was timid and risk-adverse and only gave his boss back what he had first given him was rebuked and actually deemed worthless, even though he had not lost anything. The point is that each person is endowed with a gift and is expected to develop it. It becomes the basis of being blessed to be a blessing. In addition to the natural gift, those who become believers are given spiritual gifts. These are the gifts reflecting how God has wired us spiritually. They reflect our deepest motivations and become the basis of the passion behind what we excel in. These motivational gifts range from teaching, exhorting, leading, giving, mercy, service and the prophetic.

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The Model

March 12, 2016

So in summarizing the focus on the model for Jewish secrets, we have two levels. The first is that Abraham operated the model that is at the core of Jewish business secrets. Abraham ran a God-centered entrepreneurial community. However, the other dimension of the model is how Abraham walked out his life. His life was a journey with God. He had no greater priority than knowing God and His ways. He reverenced God with an undivided heart. The result was that God was his shield and God blessed and multiplied Abraham far beyond what he might have accomplished through his own efforts. Through God, Abraham bridged the realm between the natural and the spiritual. Abraham had a destiny and he was wise enough to know that his destiny was only going to be fulfilled and exceeded, through God. In conclusion, the degree to which this ancient model is followed is critical to an economy’s ability to withstand the rigors of change over time. It forms the basis of the strategy of an entrepreneurial-based middle class; the economic independence that nurtures the good and the growth of the society. This premise is the thread that begins forming the economic tapestry that endures. The model that combines the spiritual, the entrepreneurial and community is the pathway that gives entrance to new dimensions, higher dimensions. As I’ve previously noted, what I’m outlining is a way of thinking. It enhances the creative and taps deeply the true nature of our gifts. True entrepreneurship is based on the development of a gift that becomes commercialized. Ancient Jewish writings uphold that “a man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”

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Foundations

March 6, 2016

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.

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Business and Ministry

October 10, 2015

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, to initiatives toward Israel’s energy independence, to advanced technologies, to discoveries that bring healing and fertility to the nations.

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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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Entering God’s Economy

June 12, 2012

God’s economy is not some new dimension of Western Christian pop-culture. It is the dimension of those “secret things” that has been an integral part of the model explaining why the Jewish people have not only survived the civilizations that have come and gone over the centuries, but have been disproportionate contributors to the advancement of those societies. The model for these secret things came from Abraham, who operated a God-centered, entrepreneurial community. The mantle also came from Abraham: “to be blessed to be a blessing.” Moses then recorded the principles comprehensively for the operation of the model and mandate in the Books of Moses. Entrepreneurship is the spark that both ignites and fuels this dynamic encompassing the model and mandate that we refer to as God’s economy.

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The Gifts, Anointing and Calling

May 19, 2012

The mix of natural, spiritual and entrepreneurial gifts is stirred and released through the anointing and become the foundation for what we call one’s destiny or calling. The sowing of the gifts will yield enlargement. The impact of the gifts multiplies when applied with the community dynamic of tz’dakah or “righteous charity.” The long-term benefit of the gifts rightly applied extends ripples of blessings to both the one bestowing and the recipients.
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29

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Strategy of Alliances (Part 2)

May 5, 2012

According to Psalm 105:17, the Lord sent Joseph to Egypt before the others to prepare the way for God’s purposes for His people. Joseph was the forerunner God used, not only to circumvent the coming disruptions, but to bring about the change needed to position God’s people to inherit His covenant promises. Yet over the centuries, the struggle has again and again been centered on God’s people being enticed and beguiled by the flavor of Chaldea; of finding it easier to believe the supernatural that comes from the evil one than to believe in the God of miracles. The flavor of Chaldea was represented by prophets of Baal and Asherah and was established by unholy alliances. Its impact was cycles of unbelief and disobedience resulting in bondage for God’s people. However, God has a company of modern-day Josephs and Daniels prepared with strategies and authority to reverse the bondage and open the gates for His purposes.

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The Mandate, Model and Mantle

April 16, 2012

The world is searching for a people who will demonstrate the reality of God operating in their midst. Establishing God’s Kingdom authority goes beyond ethics, obeying His Word and being nice people. It goes beyond interim stratagems fueled by pop-Christian culture. It typically runs in the face of what is embraced as the status quo. It involves the application of the mandate, model and mantle drawn from the Jewish roots to our faith and is the foundation for what Jesus imparted as the Kingdom of God. In short, we are not called to be or operate like everyone else. We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. We’re called to make a difference that transforms.

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