THE
SALE OF ROPE
©
Morris Ruddick
Back
in the early eighties, I served on the Political and Public Affairs
Committee of one the most powerful trade associations in the energy
business. In addressing one of our agendas, the Chairman of the
committee and CEO of the Rowan Companies, shared a story. He related
that had the Communist governments of the world at that time announced
plans to begin hanging all the capitalists in the world; what
we could expect --- probably the next day --- would be a Western
rope salesman at their door.
There
is nothing wrong with opportunity. Yet, we have entered a season
in which those who are called by His Name, both in ministry and
in business, need to reevaluate the assumptions. The issue first
relates to the Issachar context --- of understanding the times
and knowing what to do. Understanding the times presumes a perspective
based on a realistic worldview. Otherwise, the presumption of
knowing what to do will be flawed and fall short.
The
issue also has a specific bearing on our priorities and what we
consider as opportunity; as we seek to advance God's Kingdom.
Unfortunately, the priorities of believers in the West, typically,
has little semblance to the priorities of the Body in the two-thirds
of the world with little or no middle class. While the Western
Body has never been short on charity and philanthropy in its response
to the realities faced by those in the rest of the world; yet
strategically, the model for transformation, by and large, has
been a short-sighted, Western model, based on a subtle element
of Western dependency. It has fallen short in establishing non-Western
believers to be the head and not the tail in their own lands.
So, the stark realities of oppression and persecution, that prevails
across the majority of the world, remain.
Priority
and Opportunity
The
Apostle Paul wrote the Galatians about priority and opportunity:
"
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, but especially to those who are of the household of the
faith ." Gal 6:10
Paul
made it very clear, that within the context of taking advantage
of opportunity, our first priority is to build up the household
of faith. That principle is modeled throughout both the Old and
New Covenants.
Over
a decade ago, I penned my first article about a calling of modern-day
Josephs, who like Joseph the Patriarch would play a significant
role in addressing a time of crisis coming upon the earth. However,
the model being embraced by far too many for today's Joseph calling,
with its anticipated role in administrating resources and power
in a time of crisis, is yielding to an outdated, Western-dependent,
ministry wineskin. The fact is that in two-thirds of the world,
the majority of the people are already in crisis and the opportunities
are being blinded by our outmoded mind-sets.
To
start recognizing the opportunities in order to make a difference
where there is crisis, the current move of God in the marketplace
is going to have to begin challenging the precepts of both our
worldview and the standards by which we are ascribing our priorities.
Modern-day Josephs must be at the epicenter in recognizing these
opportunities as the Body awakens to the plight of the brethren
living in crisis, persecution and oppression.
In
a post I wrote about two years ago, I shared that the wealth transfer
is not about money. While it may involve money, the wealth transfer
will be part of the prelude to the clash of all ages. The clash
of all ages will pivot on Israel and extend worldwide - and be
focused around the restoration of God's redemptive dominion and
order.
It
is this restoration of the operation of God's authority that will
unleash societal transformation. Central to the reorientation
will be a shift from the Gospel of Salvation that has prevailed
in the Western mind-set in recent generations, to the Gospel of
the Kingdom.
The
Gospel of the Kingdom
The
Gospel of the Kingdom will by no means overlook the focus on salvation.
In reality, it will enhance it. However, the issue relates to
realigning our approach to what was described in Acts 17 as "turning
the world upside down." The issue relates to change. Central to
the change needed for transformation that builds the Kingdom,
will be the new-wine skin orientation of how we respond to prioritizing
opportunity.
During
the same time frame that my friend from the Rowan Companies was
commenting on misguided opportunism, Apple Computer's founder
Steve Jobs challenged Pepsi's president John Skully (the man who
orchestrated the Pepsi Challenge) with these words: " Do you
want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do
you want to change the world ?" That question strips the
superficialities from our notions of success and really hits the
priority nail on the head. Every modern-day Joseph should be embracing
opportunity within this context and operating as a change-artist,
to actively change the world in the sphere of their calling.
Realities,
Opportunity and Focus
Margaret
Thatcher once commented that Ronald Reagan " ended the cold
war and made the world safer for democracy and capitalism ."
While I agree, my prayer is that the path he paved was for something
more significant than opportunity for the capitalist rope peddlers.
My prayer also, is that those emerging as today's Josephs are
genuinely facing the realities operating outside the sphere of
the West; and that they have enough of a strategic outlook to
see the priority of mobilizing and building up those who are of
the household of faith in these lands.
"
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, but especially to those who are of the household of the
faith ." Gal 6:10
Unfortunately,
many sincere Western Christians, in both ministry and business,
in their old wineskin zeal, unwittingly prop up and perpetuate
the very systems and organizations that persecute and oppress
those of the household of faith in the lands in which they find
opportunity. It may not be selling the rope to hang the capitalists,
but if it doesn't build up the believing community in lands of
oppression and persecution, then it is flawed and falls short.
Jesus
spent a lot of time with His disciples imparting the principles
of faith. Faith is both a relational and an operational thing.
Relationally with God, it first involves moving outside the boundaries
of our sensory levels and into the spiritual realm, which is uniquely
tied to our operating in oneness with the Lord and His priorities.
That in turn is the gateway into the second relational dimension,
as we employ our gifts and callings to serve as God's ambassadors
in making a difference for those around us. With that foundation,
operationally, faith is tied to dominion; to redeeming and restoring
God's authority and purposes into the peoples and systems of the
earth.
Catalysts
for Change
What
Jesus prepared His disciples with, were the principles to bring
change; the type of change that would restore God's order and
dominion. It all begins with faith and extends into those wonderful
principles of His Kingdom that so often contradict what we view
as the "natural" order of things. The fact is that spirit controls
matter and is the foundation for the authority to restore God's
Kingdom rule. The words of Jesus, as well as those of Paul call
for a breaking of the mold, both from the worldly standard, as
well as from the religious standard. We need to recapture the
wineskin-for-change that got diverted from the momentum established
by the first century Church.
The
early Church was referred to as those who were turning the world
upside down. Turning the world upside down today is not going
to happen by blindly importing and leveraging Western expertise
and funds into lands of oppression and persecution; or by schmoozing
the local Herod's and Pharisees. It's going to happen strategically,
from within; by mobilizing and equipping local believers as agents
of change who will take dominion in their own lands.
"
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, but especially to those who are of the household of the
faith ." Gal 6:10
Joseph
the Patriarch was totally integrated into Egyptian society, to
the degree that his brothers didn't recognize him until he chose
to reveal himself to them. He was faithful in administrating the
authority entrusted to him, at each operational level, during
his tenure in Egypt. God is not looking for rope peddlers to serve
as benevolent, modern-day Josephs. Like Joseph the Patriarch,
the calling today is completely outside the box of what may have
been previously acceptable operating parameters. Which will bear
significantly on how we approach opportunity for change, based
on our priorities.
The
Seduction of Power
Today's
apostles of change are at the helm in a huge power-shift. It is
a power shift that challenges the combined status quo of the spiritual,
community and economic dimensions that govern entire societies.
Unfortunately, power seduces, blinds and corrupts. If it is not
the seduction of responding to opportunity to selling rope to
those who intend to hang the capitalists; it is the outmoded wine-skin
adages that limit the outlook and keep the Josephs operating passively
in setting the agendas. In reality we are entering a time in which
modern-day Josephs, as catalysts for change, are being called
to the forefront of releasing spiritual, community and economic
initiatives in arenas of crisis.
This
is why the Joseph calling will not operate outside the cloak of
humility. It is a calling that excludes the ministry-circle social
climbers and those who encourage it. It excludes those who actively
or passively abuse their authority; or give place to condescension
and the subtleties of spiritual snobbery. Humility was foundational
for everything that Joseph was called to do. Humility, among those
with this high calling, cannot be achieved outside of recognizing
our complete inability to accomplish God's purposes, aside from
Him. The difference between operating in a mode of "what we can
do for God," and what He is allowed to do through us, is not just
subtle, but of such significance that it will impact the results
for eternity.
The
Gateway to Opportunity: Redirecting Priorities
Joseph
stood alone in his calling. His promotion did not come as a result
of his efforts or righteousness. It was certainly not the result
of Potiphar's prayers. Nor was it the result of the cupbearer
remembering to intervene. Joseph yielded to God's calling at every
step. His promotion came directly from the Lord at a critical
juncture in time when there would be no question of the priorities
penetrating the opportunity with pinpoint precision. God was the
One who put things in order and established the timing with the
dreams He gave Pharaoh.
Joseph's
agendas, when sitting along side of Pharaoh, became the gateway
through which God re-navigated and set the stage for his purposes
for His people Israel for all eternity, while blessing the peoples
around them in the process.
The
reality is that both the crisis and the foundation for the long-awaited
wealth transfer are upon us. The issue is one of dispersing and
dispensing. There is a need to disperse the smokescreens that
enshroud the priorities tied to entering the gateway to mobilize
national believers to become the head and not the tail in lands
of affliction and oppression. With that alignment will come the
opportunities to begin dispensing the wealth.
"
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all
people, but especially to those who are of the household of the
faith ." Gal 6:10
My
question to those in ministry is this: When the fire passes from
the burning of the chaff (Matt 3:12), what is it that will remain
for your efforts? Will you be known as using your gifts and resources
to build up the Body to tangibly impact those parts of the world
where corruption, distress and affliction prevail?
Then
to the modern-day Josephs, the question is: What will your legacy
be? When the Lord separates the sheep and the goats, will eternity
see you as one who provided the rope for those undermining the
causes of God's Kingdom; or will you use your resources to mobilize
and equip the brethren in lands of oppression and persecution.
And
for each of us, the question is what have we done about the apple
of His eye, the Jewish people? May the Lord individually give
us the revelation and grace: to ensure our focus and priorities
are on the opportunities and goals that serve the purposes of
the One who sees in secret; rather than on the recognition and
praise that come from the short-sighted worldviews and perspectives
that gain the approval of men.
"And
He will answer them and say, inasmuch as you did it to the least
of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matthew
25:50
___________________________________________________
Morris
Ruddick is 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
|
