PREVAILING
©
Morris Ruddick
"And
I will make you to these people as a fortified wall of bronze;
they may fight against you, but they will not prevail over you,
for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord." Jer
5:22
Prevailing,
as one called by God, is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it
represents the adversary's aim when oppressing us. It is the intent
of the evil arrayed against us to defeat and destroy what God
has called us to do. On the other hand, it is the place of overcoming,
of breaking through and gaining genuine ascendancy over the forces
coming against us --- and of establishing God's authority and
rule in our individual spheres.
The
realities and response to operating in Egypt and Babylon, with
the Chaldean wellspring of sorcery in the wings, were incorporated
in the lives of Joseph and Daniel who, against all odds and opposition,
changed the course of world events in their day. Joseph and Daniel
were each models of people-of-God who had every temptation to
"be like everyone else" thrown at them. Then, having prevailing
to the point of their promotions, they easily could have been
enticed to resign themselves to the "comforts" and conclude the
blessings were designed as a "reward" for them.
Yet,
neither Joseph nor Daniel diverted from the progressive purposes
that God had for their lives. Why? It was because they had conditioned
themselves to listen and hear His voice. They each operated at
very high levels of prophetic wisdom in their assignments in the
midst of the world. Their callings were recognized as being from
God by the people of Egypt and Babylon; while simultaneously reflecting
the personal standard in Proverbs 16 indicating: " that he
who rules his own spirit is mightier than he who takes a city
."
There
likewise is no question that dominion --- the authority they needed
to operate in as faithful ambassadors of the Lord AND to overcome---
involved strong confrontations with the forces of darkness. They
refused to back off or compromise. The result was that each prevailed
and saw God's authority established in the midst of the most unlikely
domains of Egypt and Babylon.
The
extremely subtle bottom line of this dynamic of prevailing, for
those called as modern-day Josephs and Daniels; those called as
facilitators in the infrastructures of what we tend to view as
the "world's" systems, is that it is not what we can do for God;
but rather what we allow Him to do through us.
The
Lord Jesus said: that " many are called, but few are chosen
." The distinction of being counted among those who are chosen
is not according to our standards of achievement and success,
but rather to our response to the progressive revelation of operating
in obedience as genuine instruments of God's purpose. It is a
distinction marked by those who prevail.
As
we are poised at His throne and extend ourselves as living sacrifices
before Him, let us glean from the wisdom needed to prevail: from
the gateway, to the process, while traversing the pathway, to
embracing the principles and strategies while understanding the
purpose --- so that we might enter the place that results from
prevailing.
The
Gateway to Prevailing
"The
Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his
Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does."
John 5:19-20
The
gateway to prevailing is twofold. It involves a spiritual walk
in which our lives are in such oneness with Him that there is
not one vestige of variation between our will and His. As that
dynamic becomes the mode, we begin gaining entrance into a dimension
described by the Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians,
as being "beyond human effort."
The
gateway passage punctuates the point already made that it is not
what we can do for God; but rather what we allow Him to do through
us. It serves as the starting point for those called into transformational
roles through business and government. It is the combination of
those Kingdom paradoxes that reflect strength by yielding; leadership
by serving; and authority through humility.
The
Process of Prevailing
"He
who rules his own spirit is mightier than he who takes a city."
Prov 16:32
As
a former military man, I have an appreciation for and have always
been amazed at what this proverb implies. Taking a city involves
a significant undertaking. It has to be strategically planned
out, with an acute awareness of the obstacles to be encountered
at each stage of the assault. It involves operating with an overcoming
force that successfully penetrates the defenses of the domain
to be surmounted. It entails a unity of effort and concentration
of forces that is focused and alert to contingencies in need of
tactical response. It also involves a steadfast resolve that doesn't
quit until the mission is accomplished.
In
light of all that, this proverb says that the one who rules his
own spirit is mightier than the one who orchestrates taking a
city. Yet again, it is not what we can do for God; but rather
what we allow Him to do through us that will be the mark of the
process of the one who prevails.
The
Pathway to Prevailing
"
A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great
men ." Prov 18:16
Scripture
indicates that God gives gifts to men. The Apostle Paul notes:
first the natural, then the spiritual. Identifying the natural
gift we are each endowed with, but not stopping before identifying
and melding it to our unique spiritual gift will become the basis
for a community dynamic that is extremely powerful in terms of
our roles in advancing the Kingdom of God.
Advancing
His Kingdom and operating as community builders are two significant
functions that, like the natural and spiritual gifts that operate
together, must function in concert with each other. So the pathway
to prevailing will involve combining our natural and spiritual
gifts so that we begin breaking out of the mold of our old wineskins
and worldviews, while embracing the mind-sets that bear on enhancing
our unique roles in advancing His Kingdom as community builders.
The
new mind-sets that bear most significantly on advancing God's
Kingdom are a God-centered, Kingdom mindset; a Hebraic mind-set;
an entrepreneurial mind-set; and a community-centered mind-set.
The
application of the Kingdom principles imparted by Jesus to the
operation of community will bring transformation. Likewise, embracing
a biblical, Hebraic orientation is not simply a step in this process,
but is foundational to overcoming the points of stumbling that
have plagued the Church for centuries. Similarly, applying entrepreneurial
principles rather the Western institutional ones to not only economic
community development, but to relationships and management styles
will fuel revival and be the catalyst for transformation. Then,
release will come as we put into action the dynamic activated
by community representing the repository of gifts that combine
to create the synergies that multiply our individual efforts.
The
Catalyst for Prevailing
"
That we might know the hope of His calling and the riches
of His glory ." Ephesians 1:18
Within
the pathway are catalysts to the prevailing process. The application
of servant leadership and t z'dakah are
key catalysts that will bring balance to and fuel the integration
of the spiritual, community and economic riches outlined in God's
Word. Each has its foundation in humility, the result of which
will yield the hope of our callings. We lead by serving and gain
by giving. Again, being drawn from Kingdom principles, to the
natural man they come across as paradoxes.
Jesus
admonished us not to be like the Gentile rulers who like to wield
their authority and lord over people. He said that those who are
greatest among us should become the least and the leader as a
servant.
Tz'dakah
is a potent Hebrew word that is the basis of the form of community
charity that insures no one is ever left behind or overlooked.
It involves giving, but doing so with purpose and dignity. In
Jewish tradition, the highest form of tz'dakah is helping someone
to start a business. Yet, tz'dakah is also the Hebrew word used
in Proverbs that in English is translated: " righteousness
(tz'dakah) exalts a nation ." Righteousness and charity are
inexorably intertwined.
The
Strategy of Prevailing
"We
have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the
power may be of God and not us ." 2 Corinthians 4:7
The
strategy of prevailing involves an out-of-the-box orientation
that is marked by operating beyond human effort. It is that dependency
on the supernatural as both the equalizer and the expectation
of our callings and efforts tied to our roles as community builders.
It has been said that believers ought to be natural in the supernatural
and supernatural in the natural. That balance between the natural
and supernatural reflects the mode that both Joseph and Daniel
operated in.
Prevailing
involves a need to break the mold in terms of embracing the opportunities
to bring the Lord into the equation---not in terms of precepts,
but from the stance of "demonstrating the reality of the Lord
operating in our midst." Genesis 39 tells us that " everyone
" saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made all that he
did to prosper. Likewise, it was seen of Daniel that he reflected
ten times the level of wisdom than that of the others serving
in the King's court.
The
Result of Prevailing
"What
is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You
care for him? Yet, You have made him a little lower than God,
and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule
over the works of Your hands ." Ps 8:4-6
The
result from prevailing is dominion. Dominion is the establishment
of God's Kingdom rule. It is simultaneously an individual and
a community dynamic that evolve when God's Kingdom rule prevails
in us and in our domains. It is the economic, community and spiritual
penetration of society that draws others to God by the impartation
of Life.
In
a word, it is the demonstration of the reality of God operating
in our midst that will be recognized by those outside the community
of believers.
The
result is foundational to societal transformation. While the dynamic
of prevailing operates on an individual basis, much greater significance
will result when it manifests to operate in community, as a Body.
The
God-centered, entrepreneurial communities, modeled by Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, give us a snapshot of this dynamic. The Moravians
followed it after their renewal during the 1700s. Then several
years ago, I became acquainted with two believers, one being a
successful entrepreneur and the other a seasoned community builder,
who had formed an alliance to embrace this biblical pattern.
They
had banded together to mobilize a handful of Christians in an
impoverished Buddhist village in rural Southeast Asia. Local gardening
was retarded due to the high clay content of the soil and work
was scarce. The majority in this village had barely enough to
feed their families one meal a day. These pioneers recognized
that this was not God's design. The scriptural result from the
merging of the spiritual, economic and community dimensions of
God's blessings has always been to make God's people to be the
head and not the tail.
So,
it was after praying about the dilemma faced by this village,
that an idea crystallized. With an ample supply of clay from the
surrounding soil, this remnant of believers turned the curse into
a blessing by launching a simple business that created decorative
clay pots, designed as wall-hangers. Distribution was found through
Western gift shops.
The
demand for these clay pots began increasing and soon this handful
of Southeast Asian Christians began hiring others from their village
as their business expanded. As this enterprise grew, more families
were eating two and then three meals a day, as the owners shared
with their workers the truths of God's love and His Word. Over
time the result was that as hunger was alleviated, the entire
village saw the reality of God operating in their midst and fully
embraced the goodness and joy of the Lord.
Prevailing
as Pioneers
"
Let us press on toward the mark of the high call that is in
Christ Jesus ." Phil 3:14
Many
are called, but few are chosen. Prevailing is far more than refusing
to give up, although steadfastness is certainly involved. Prevailing
has a central focus of entering by the narrow gate spoken of by
Jesus, but also of maintaining the pathway that conforms to the
higher dimensions of His purposes. Not withstanding the tactical
interim battles in the face-off of oppression, prevailing is the
long-term, strategic pioneering spirit that comes from God that
causes us to operate outside the box of our comfort zones and
worldviews.
It
is the orientation that is driven, not by the approval of men
and the limitations of our conceptual perceptions of reality,
but rather that ongoing quest that thirsts for that "something
more" that can only come from flowing in oneness with Him. It
is the basis of that high call that has as its prime motivation,
the reception and clarity of purpose and goals that comes only
from the time being spent with Him. It is the alignment of our
hearts with His as we reach out and serve others within the framework
of God's heart; the result of which is having our lives come together
with the meaning and purpose God intended from the beginning.
Morris
Ruddick is the founder of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Program,
which imparts hope and equips believers in lands of oppression
and persecution as economic community builders. He is also the
author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling" and "God's Economy, Israel
and the Nations," each of which address God's mobilization of
the economic and community dimensions of His Word. They are available
from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.
2007
Copyright Morris Ruddick - info@strategic-initiatives.org
Reproduction
is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since
1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized
prophetic intercessors committed to targeting strategic-level
issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For more information
on SIGN, check: www.strategicintercession.org
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