Faith, the Creative and Risk
Within the ranks of those deemed Kingdom leaders is the allure that results in “more of the same, harder.”
Simultaneously, one of the most potent, potentially untapped areas bearing on the efforts of those embracing Joseph-calling and Kingdom entrepreneurship mantles is that of the creative.
On the one hand, especially during times of change, we reach for the stable, the foundational. Indeed, it is as the Psalmist (Ps 11) cried out, “Lord, if the foundations are destroyed, then WHAT can the righteous do?”
However, the dilemma and the context carry a challenge, even when knowing what to do.
“In the LORD I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. Ps 11:1-2
Facing the dilemmas of toxic atmospheres while reaching beyond the contextual challenges of the season requires mindsets and strategies that restore the dynamics incorporated in God’s infrastructure and the ancient operating model of being a society of leaders. The design serves in tipping the scales when operating as a culture within a culture. The key elements combine the dynamics of the spiritual, economic and community.
In unwrapping the dynamic and distinction of the economic, of Kingdom entrepreneurship; it is first a mind-set, a way of thinking before it can become a meaningful, actionable strategy to steward. At its core, this way of thinking comprises a consistently fine balance that must be evident between faith and risk.
Thinking that Builds and Restores
Entrepreneurial thinking at the most foundational level consists of the ability to create, innovate, to build and bring increase. Indeed, Isaiah prophetically saw this unique mode of thinking emerge in the eternal dynamic God had implanted in His people.
“They shall rebuild the old ruins, raise up the former desolations, repair the ruined cities; the desolations of many generations. “ Isa 61: 4
As we face the challenges of the season, these are the factors representing both the strategy and impact that can be expected as the focus and anointing from on-High: that of creating, building, employing innovation ….of bringing increase.
When aligned with the anointing and God’s timing, these dimensions will far exceed the ordinary, although there is merit to the worldly accomplishments that in itself follow a creative path. Yet, there is a higher standard and expectation of impact when employing faith with the creative. It is how the Kingdom is being restored. Employing these dimensions triggers the distinctive that defines the difference of when the apostolic is operating.
Aligning with Times of God’s Favor
Following this theme gleaned by Isaiah, the expectation unveils a time when God arises with His glory overshadowing and restoring the brokenness of the foundations described by the Psalmist’s plight; with a release of a higher level of the Creative.
“In the time of my favor I will answer you, in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be as a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be set free!’ Isaiah 49:8-9
Prioritizing engaging with the Unseen One underscores the amazing sequence of strategies employed by Joseph in conjunction with his alliance with Pharaoh, in preparing for and then navigating the sequential challenges of the famine. Daniel’s authority and influence in resetting the infrastructures within the shifting seats of power of Babylon are no less dramatic.
Yet, there is a falling short when God’s anointed entrepreneurs are satisfied to embrace the world’s exploits as the standard.
In previous writings, I’ve alluded to the wisdom gleaned by John Skully during his tenure as CEO of Apple. John Skully was the mastermind of the Pepsi Challenge, a brilliant cola taste-test in the 80s that captured significant market share from their chief competitor, Coca Cola. It was that type of thinking that caused the board of Apple to hire him as CEO to bring some order to the disarray and losses being experienced by the free-wheeling, albeit very creative Steve Jobs.
The initial culture clash by Skully’s Pepsi corporate forte created a disaster at Apple. Yet Skully was a listener and observer ….and gleaned the potential in harnessing this creative disarray that Steve Jobs had left him to manage.
The Birthing of Culture-Creativity
More of the same harder has its place in the maintenance of growth. But more is required when culture-level birthing is on the horizon. Something unusual was in the wind in the transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua. The “something more” required serious consecration on the part of the community, before the “unprecedented, unusual” took place when Joshua commanded the sun and the moon to hold their place in the heavens, to enable the victory of God’s people over the forces of darkness they were facing.
Paying the cost of community-consecration in reaching beyond the world’s standard for the season now emerging represents the potential parallel of a culture-clash as God’s Creative carries the authority and dimensions that tap that of the sun and the moon yielding to Joshua’s command.
Yet, at the crux of the dynamic that manifests from preparing to “reach beyond” the norm of natural capabilities is in
tapping this dimension of the Creative.
In doing so, it enters a crucible between faith and the boundaries represented by risk. Faith steps outside normal comfort zones, often ignoring the status quo as it gains entrance into the unseen realm. The pathway into and within this realm draws deeply from the ancient model outlined by the Jewish roots to the faith.
The imagination represents the gateway and the soil to be tilled, as the birthing canal that connects and activates the natural mind and the spirit of an individual. It is where the spirit realm is discerned. It is where faith must take its greatest leap of risk ….and take root. Harnessing the imagination in Spirit and Truth enables faith to have its full impact.
This manifestation is exponentially multiplied when operating, as it should, in interacting with other believers, on a community- and cultural-level. It’s more still, than the best the world’s standard can hope to muster.
An Example of Tapping the Ancient Model
The advancement of the ancient model that combines the spiritual, entrepreneurial and community has been evidenced in more subtle ways what has been observed as the “startup nation” dynamic in Israel since the 90s.
In an examination of this phenomenon in Startup Nation, authors Singer and Senor unveil cultural factors in Israel’s adversity-driven society, which tend to flatten hierarchy and elevate informality– all backed up by government support of innovation rather than bureaucratic regulation.
They point to the life-long overshadowing IDF network which bleeds into the realm of business-support. They rightly highlight the IDF leadership cauldron where the ratio of junior officers to senior is 1-9 compared to 1-5 in US Army, a reality that tends to groom serious decision-making.
Trust Societies, Adversity and Creative Building
But there is more. Respected social economist Francis Fukiyama’s analysis highlights TRUST societies as being an entrepreneurial societal wealth creator. Strangely Israel, one of the higher-level trust societies was not a part of his analysis.
Underlying these significant drivers is the adversity-reality, the Golda Meier “secret to Israeli success” of having no other options but to survive; being the shared response to anti-Semitism, to the internal terrorism and Intifadas that have fomented traits of resiliency and chutzpah ….that bear on this factor of the faith-risk equation.
Yet, there is still more. It involves the untold story that goes back to the 90s when a very successful and recently retired 60 year old Israeli-Russian woman, Rina Pridor, had sold her business network and was looking for her next challenge. The result was the birth of Israel’s Technology Incubator program, for which her efforts and investments were significant, but for which she also garnered underlying government support from the Office of the Chief Scientist.
Beyond all THAT is what the world views as “the Jewish thing.” And that is where we begin closing in on this manner of thinking, that begins to tap the Creative in its balance between faith and risk.
It is the underlying dynamic that Stephen Pease has documented in his brilliant “Golden Age of Jewish Achievement” about the disproportionate achievement of this minute ratio of roughly .1 percent of the world’s population and the Nobel prizes and significant contributions of medical and technological inventions just since WWII.
Enhancing Jewish Thinking
Underlying the Jewish thing is this ancient model and the foundation for Jewish community, a factor influencing both spiritual and non-spiritual Jewish thinking. As Paul has written, how much more will result, but Life from the dead, when these people, drawing from this amazing heritage come full circle spiritually as a people. Even the dramatic results documented in Startup Nation and Stephen Pease’ analysis of disproportionate Jewish achievement are but glimmers of the expectations when God’s people and the Creative find their full alignment.
Advancing the Jewish thing draws much from the Jewish foundation-for-community …. known as a minyan.
In Jewish tradition, whenever 10 Jews live within a reasonable distance from one another, they form a regular gathering known as a minyan. This gathering serves two primary purposes: first to pray and seek God together and then to help one another become successful. Minyans multiply as they grow, but then when their numbers reach 100, it is time to form a congregation. Simple, but incredibly profound in its impact.
This is the foundation reflected in Jewish tradition comprising the most basic operation of community. It also
represents the means to enhance this Creative-building means of thinking, historically demonstrated so dramatically by the Jewish people.
We use a simple variation of the minyan as our model with small-group prayer-business support gatherings with our God’s economy entrepreneurial program. Even in toxic spiritual environments we have seen new businesses birthed and existing businesses to grow, despite adversity and challenging market conditions in persecuted environs.
The mix of prayer, mentoring and meaningful counsel of like-minded entrepreneurs carries unspeakable value and potential.
In today’s toxic spiritual environments, faith for the supernatural requires risk, and getting outside the boundaries of the status quo, of standardized operating procedures that fit the mold of “more of the same harder.”
While it represents the unknown and higher levels of risk, it is where innovation resides; not to speak of how community is built and grows together, both spiritually and economically.
At the same time, risk is minimized when the anointing is maximized. This is what Paul was explaining to the Corinthians when describing the result when the different gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12) interact and are blended with the unique dimensions of service and activities.
Pivotal to these interactions is the tangible anointing, the tangible Presence shared by those engaging with their gifts in their service and strategic activities. It is the dynamic to manifest and be released in receiving the Creative with interactive impartations in these gatherings.
Mindsets and Strategies of Restoration
As the times become more complicated and intense, there is a call for more. But the “more” must capture the higher dimensions that give birth and restore. And so it behooves those whose identities are in God, who embrace the Kingdom as their prime citizenship to reach higher. To become standard-bearers in restoring not just the values, but the realities commensurate with risks that “reach beyond,” when touching the spiritual realm.
Reaching for the higher dimensions with mindsets and strategies that wisely restore the foundations requires excellence. Yet there is a double-edged blade to excellence. Excellence cannot be allowed to be overshadowed with or impacted by arrogance.
The leadership of the forerunners of intense times must be immersed in serving. The boundaries of serving must be selfless, in humility. So, as the momentum builds with the array of today’s unfolding prophetic dimensions, the chief point of stumbling is not as much that from the dark forces, although their voices and machinations continue to clamor and manifest.
The most serious hurdles and challenges will be tied to accomplished, anointed game-changers employing the age-old approach of “more of the same harder,” what might be deemed the blindness and arrogance of excellence. The force of the Creative needed for this hour cannot begin to be matched by the creative.
Underlying the secret, subtle pathway into this realm is in embracing the full potential of the dynamic of community. Community that builds as it depends on and finds its growth and wisdom by functioning and seeking the Lord together.
As it has been from the beginning, so it is designed to operate even more so during tenuous times. It’s the trigger from what results from the simplicity and humility of the interactive anointing operating when together those known by His Name reach for and seek the Lord …..in ferreting out and bypassing the stumbling points …. to make way for the release of the impossible that resides within the force of the Creative.
“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairers of the breach, the restorers of the streets in which to dwell.” Isaiah 58:12
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Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner of the Joseph-calling and God’s economy message, being an international voice for the higher dimensions of spiritual game-changers and intercessors since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation, the Strategic Intercession Global Network [SIGN] and designer of the God’s Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program and the Jewish Business Secrets YouTube series, Mr. Ruddick’s messages equip leaders and economic community builders with strategy 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/ibooks and www.BarnesandNoble.com.
Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts 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 3838 South Wabash Street, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card at https://strategic-initiatives.org/donate/
2025 Copyright Morris Ruddick — info@strategic-initiatives.org
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 more information go to https://strategic-initiatives.org
