42 Lessons In Leadership From Disney Executive Brian White – Orange Conference

April 24, 2013 1 Comment

For the next few days, I will be attending the Orange Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
This morning I had the privilege of attending a session for senior Christian leaders by Brian White, elder of Discovery Church in Simi Valley, CA and employee of Disney.   I wanted to share his thoughts with you on one of the world’s greatest companies.
After reading these leadership quotes, please check out an amazing FREE offer from The Rocket Company on helping pastors preach better sermons.  You can join Exponential live by clicking here.
Disney Thinks Orange.

• Walt Disney was a man with big ideas.  He noticed most parents were bored and the children did not want to be there.
• He was 50 yrs old when he came up with the big idea of parents and children having fun together.
• EVERY family member should enjoy church.
• Each person who attends church should get something out of it.

Honor The Past Without Living In It

• If Disney made it all about nostalgia, the world would pass them by.
• Walt Disney wasn’t really a nostalgic person.  ”We can ill afford to rest on our laurels, even in times to retrospect.  Times and conditions change so rapidly we must keep our aim constantly on the future.”
• Walt was fine with Mickey Mouse changing his appearance over the years.
• Disney bought Marvel for guys in their 20-somethings.
• We must never forget it was all started by a mouse.
• The decision to go into movies (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) established the next 60 years of the company.
• If the church ignores technology, we will pay a price.
• Our church is 110% interested in reaching the next generation.

Being A Good Brand Steward

• We own one thing – intellectual property.  A white t-shirt costs $10.  Throw a mouse on it and it costs $25.
• A brand is like a bank account.  Everything you do puts value in or takes value out of that brand.
• The cheap and safe model makes money but takes value away from the brand.
• We invented Swampy and the other brands started calling us.  We added value to the bank account by creating a character.
• Jesus Christ, the gospel message, is the most important brand that has ever existed.  Everything I do, every time  I share the gospel, every time I start a ministry I affect the brand.
• Am I cheapening people’s perception of the gospel or am I cheapening the brand?
• Sometimes improving the brand is getting out-of-the-way of the next person with a great idea.

Don’t Even Try To Please Everybody

• We don’t try to please the demanding fan and the hater.  The demanding fan has such a high opinion of your company that they have a narrow view of it.  A hater hates you.  They don’t believe what you believe.  They don’t have the same values.
• We care about making the best products we can make knowing some people will think we lost our way.
• Some people want their FREE back.  How do you please someone like that?
• “Becoming obsessed with what people think is the quickest way to forget what God thinks.” – Craig Groeschel

The Ideation Process Is Critical

• If you have a bad ideation process, you will never have good ideas.
• In Blue Sky Meetings, there are no bad ideas.
• What if we build a theme park where no one knows the name Disney?  Tokyo Disneyland is the most profitable of all the parts.
• Art is a team sport.  There is no way for one person to do a piece of art anymore.
• Any idea that comes forth can be a great idea even if it is not from a person you expect.
• For churches, the visionaries need to be setting direction but you need an ideation process to make the ideas come at.
• Crazy ideas needs to be entertained.

Concentrate On Psychographics, Not Demographics

• Psychographics is getting into the mind of your customer, the person walking through your door.
• Think like a compass – Needs – Wants – Stereoptypes (Positive, Negative) – Emotions
• We want lines to be there (Disneyland).  It’s a sign that things are successful.
• Someone comes to church on a Sunday morning, what is their need?  What is their want?  What are their stereotypes (positive, negative)?  What are the emotions feel as people come in?

Great Staff Members Require Three Yeses

• What do I get to do?
• Who do I get to work with?
• Am I a valued contributor?

Synergy + Focus = Synchronized Energy

• Creativity + Innovation is the #1 thing.
• You might have a lot of siloed ministries.  Is anyone looking at all of it seeing how it connects?
• Scrum is when a whole bunch of people go down the field together hoping to score.  We manage scrum principles to managing projects.
• In my 15 year career at Disney, there is nothing that has made more progress in my career than implementing a Scrum Board.
• No one is an enemy anymore, because everyone is in a scrum together.

32 Leadership Quotes From Michael Lukaszewski – Live Notes From The Orange Conference

April 24, 2013 0 Comments

For the next three days, I will be attending the Orange Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
This afternoon, Michael Lukaszewski of The Rocket Company (and oh by the way my boss) gave a great message on helping pastors and church leaders better connect with their audience.
After reading Michael’s quotes, please check out an amazing FREE offer from The Rocket Company on helping pastors connect with their audience and preach better sermons.

• If you can speak to a room full of teenagers, that takes some skill.  I tell pastors if they want to improve to speak to teenagers.  They won’t put up with stuff.
• I improved my communication by speaking to a room full of people who didn’t want to be there.
• Most presentations fall flat…People endure it.
• The missing ingredient is connectivity.  Connectivity is the art of connecting your message to your audience by capturing their attention in order to engage their hands and hearts.
• Connection, not information, makes a difference.
• When you connect with your congregation, that is when they pay attention.  That is when the Holy Spirit gets through.
• If you can’t answer the question of what is the single most persuasive idea (in your sermon), then know no one in your audience will know either.
• People remember stories.  People remember statements.
• Remembering statements don’t happen because we preach.  They happen because they were crafted.
• At the 10 minute mark, the brain starts wondering when this will be over.
• Steve Jobs comes out with something new and interesting every 10 minutes.
• A great communicator does not give the brain time to get bored.
• Formulas create freedom.
• Turn ideas into word pictures so everyone can understand it.
• We remember things even if they’re wrong because they’re wrong.
• Political writers use echo all the time.  An echo is a word or phrase and repeating it in the 2nd half of your sentence.
• Forgiven people forgive.
• Proverbs is almost all contrast.  The righteous do this.  The wicked do that.  Would you rather die from something or for something.
• A hook is repeating it over and over and over again.
• Information is life-changing but it is how it is packaged that causes the audience to lean in.
• Your sermon preparation should start with the scripture.  I don’t think your sermon should.  You start your sermon with where your congregation is.  Jesus did this.
• The people attending your church on Sunday already believe something about what you’re talking about.
• If you start with where people are, they will lean it and you can take them on a journey.
• Having a topic is not the same as having a point.
• People used to come in with an automatic “I’m going to listen to the pastor.”  They don’t do that anymore.
• If people like you, they will listen to you.
• One of the most important things you can do in the first five minutes of the message, is to do something to make people like you.
• People don’t always like to listen to the experts.  Sometimes they like to listen to a fellow struggler.
• “Likability is the single most important quality of a pastor.” – Vance Havner
• Assume the worst.  Assume that your congregation or audience could care less about what you have to say.  If you do that, you will do the hard work it takes to connect.
• You have to go through the process to get a product.
• What God has called you to is important.

9 Leadership Lessons From Brandon Hatmaker – Live Notes From Exponential ’13

April 24, 2013 0 Comments

Today is Day 2 of my conference experience this week.  I have been having an Inception moment throughout the day.  Representing The Rocket Company, I am sitting at the Orange Conference in Atlanta and also sharing insights from the Exponential from Orlando.  In other words, I’m blogging about a conference from a conference.  Pretty cool!!!
Exponential ’13, whose purpose is to Accelerate Movements, had just a great afternoon session with Brandon Hatmaker, Lead Pastor of Austin New Church, on the subject of true Biblical community.
After reading these leadership quotes, please check out an amazing FREE offer from The Rocket Company on helping pastors preach better sermons.  You can join Exponential live by clicking here.

1. What was once a place built on community (the original Starbucks in Seattle) had become so efficient that people were being herded in and out like cattle.  They gave the people what they wanted.  This is what the church becomes without community.  A tour stop for consumers.
2. Community just didn’t fill a need in their lives to get plugged in.  It gave them purpose.
3. Discipleshift occurs when we as leaders move people from programs to moving them to live on mission.
4. Community without mission is not biblical community.
5. The first a missionary will want to do is engage their culture.
6. They engage culture by identifying their needs and engaging the needs of that culture.
7. Church is what church does.  We are what we do…It organizes what it does.  If we don’t get create the structure that mirrors the vision, we’ll never do it.
8. When people are confused or distracted, the first thing you will lose is mission.
9. If we say we are going to do something (mission) instead of that (another good idea), it communicates the value of the mission.

51 Leadership Quotes From Carey Nieuwhof – Live Notes From The Orange Conference

April 25, 2013 0 Comments

For the next few days, I will be attending the Orange Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
This morning I had the privilege of attending a session for senior Christian leaders by my friend Carey Nieuwhof, Senior Pastor of Connexus Community Church in Toronto on the subject of change.  I wanted to share his thoughts with you.
In my opinion, Carey has the best leadership blog on the internet.  To get additional thoughts from this incredible leader, you can check it out his blog by clicking here.
After reading these leadership quotes, please check out an amazing FREE offer from The Rocket Company on helping pastors preach better sermons.  You can join Exponential live by clicking here.

1. Leadership can sometimes be lonely.
2. If you look at where the church is going, change is going to be on the agenda.
3. The longer I lead the less I trust myself.
4. There is a difference between whether you are doing something or are you doing it well.
5. Change is exhausting.
6. I will be letting a younger generation make more and more calls as I move into my 50s.  They have a better pulse on today’s culture.
7. Many churches have frozen into a particular year.  Some are in the 50′s.  Some are in the 60′s.  Some contemporary churches are frozen in the 90′s.  They aren’t contemporary anymore.
8. Sometimes you have to say, “You’re a praying person.  I’m a praying person.  We both love Jesus.  Now let’s talk about strategy.”
9. Spiritual leadership can become a mask for conflict.

5 Shifts That Help Create An Appetite For Change
Shift One – Understand Why People Resist Change

1. People crave what they already like.
2. Our cravings form behavioral patterns.  People who attend your church love it the way it is.  That is why they are there.  The people who don’t attend your church don’t.
3. People change when the pain associated with the status quo is greater than the pain associated with change.
4. Leaders have a greater appetite for change than those who follow.  This creates tension in your church.  You behave one way as a leader and another way as a follower.

Shift Two – Plot Trajectory To Determine What’s At Stake

1. Unimplemented change eventually becomes relief or regret.
2. As a leader you must decide if you want your story to be about relief or regret.
3. Incremental change ushers in incremental results.
4. 60% of those who attend Connexus have no church background.
5. The Kingdom of God really, really demands our best.
6. Radical change has the potential power to usher in radical results.
7. (Regarding change) the last 10% is the hardest.  Because the people who resist change still have something to hold on to and now you’re taking that away.
8. Change can happen in five years.  Transformation takes seven.
9. Four Sundays a month is disappearing.  Regular attendance in now 2-3 Sundays a month.
10. Plot out where you will be if you don’t change.  Plot out where you could be if you do change.
11. Your job as a leader is paint a picture of the future and call people to it.
12. The greatest enemy of our future success is your current success.

Shift Three – Raise The Level Of Discontent

1. Create discontent in a good way.
2. Out of discontent great things get birthed.
3. Create discontent out of the potential of your mission, the progress of your mission, the gap in your mission of what is and what could be, the urgency of your mission.
4. As leaders, you are dreamers.  You see great things of what could be.
5. Transfer the tension that comes with the appetite for change from the leader to the community.
6. When you cast vision, focus twice as much as why you do what do rather than what and how.  Why unites, while what and how divide.
7. The only leadership question that unites people is “Why?”.
8. Only the most selfish people say “I don’t care about the rest of the world.  They can go to hell.”
9. Communicate the need for change in concentric circles.  Dialogue with the core.  Get input from committed people.  Give information to the congregation.  Give vision to the crowd.  And finally, give an invitation to the community.
10. Getting input from 100s and 1000s of people in your church can kill change.
11. Don’t look for consensus.  Consensus kills courage.  Change never happens when everyone has a say.
12. You will never get consensus.
13. You are a leader because you will do things other people don’t do.
14. Reserve decisions exclusively for the body that must make decisions.

 Shift Four – Prepare For Drama

1. We are attracted to the drama in other people’s lives but resist it in our own.
2. We pay for drama.
3. Most Christians would forbid their children to participate in the Bible stories we read to them.
4. Most Christians pray for a changed outcome and then pray against any drama necessary to bring the outcome about.
5. There is no story without drama.  You want the  right kind of drama in your drama.
6. To lead effectively introduces the drama necessary for the outcomes to change.

Shift Five – Never Arrive

1. Focus on where you are going, not when you’ll arrive.
2. When you stop changing, you die.
3. Value experimentation.
4. I don’t know where the church is going the next 10 years, but it is going to require a lot of experimentation.
5. Embrace failure as a step toward progress.
6. Celebrate the progress you make.
7. A lasting appetite for change develops naturally in people and organizations who truly embrace their mission.

41 Leadership Quotes From Andy Stanley – Live Notes From Orange Conference ’13

April 25, 2013 0 Comments

I am so glad I work for The Rocket Company!  Our organization has a deep passion to help churches succeed.  Therefore, they have dispatched me to the Orange Conference in Atlanta, Ga to gather leadership lessons and insights to pass on to you.
In this morning’s main session, Andy Stanley destroyed many of our assumptions about how to effectively communicate to students and young people.
After reading these leadership quotes along with others from Reggie Joiner and Ken Coleman, please check out an amazing FREE offer from The Rocket Company on helping pastors preach better sermons.
Reggie Joiner

• Words matter and what you do every week matters.

Ken Coleman

• Words are strategically used in questions.
• Good questions inform.  Great questions transform.
• By the time we reach the 8^th grade, the average person is only asking 2-3 questions a day.
• Our education system is driving out curiosity.  We’re training them to answer questions.
• Great leaders are always asking questions.
• The most successful people are continually asking questions.
• We can become so obsessed with what’s next that we miss the now.  And by missing the now, we often miss what’s next.
• At some point life happens.

Andy Stanley

• We have for generations, Evangelicals perceived ourselves as being the majority.  Anytime that happens, they speak with an element of authority whether they have that authority or not.
• We’re not the majority anymore…We keep talking like we’re the majority and we look foolish.
• In the first century they knew they weren’t the majority.  They were lion food.
• Once upon a time a handful of people believe Jesus raised from the dead.  2000 years later a third of world believes that.  It’s going to be OK.
• Whenever you’re in the majority, you outreach your authority.
• Approach determines people’s response to what we have to say.
• We must adapt our approaches to connect with our target audiences.
• How do you win as many as people as possible?  I change my approach.
• My goal isn’t to be right.  My goal isn’t to make a point.  My goal is to win those under the law.
• My goal isn’t for people who agree with me to agree with me.
• I adjust my approach depending on my audience.
• There is a goal and an approach.  When you prioritize the approach over the goal, you’re out of business.
• You have inherited an approach that assumes consensus among biblical authority.
• Engaging people with the text has more to do with your approach than the scripture.
• We live in a world that does not view the scriptures and Bible the same way you do.
• Anytime you choose a passage and stay there, this is a win in a biblically illiterate culture.
• A Bible “story” is a terrible word.  It’s better than a story.  We think it actually happened.  It’s not a story.  It’s history.
• Bring your energy to the text.
• Nobody reads anything because it’s inspired.  You read things because you want to read it and discover it’s true.
• Give people permission not to believe or obey the scriptures.  I Cor 5:12-13  When you give the permission not to believe or obey, they are more likely to believe or obey.
•  When you give non-Christians an out, they begin to lean in.
• The attraction of the church is looking at all of those one-anothers one-anothering one-another.  They will want to be a part of that.
• The attraction of the early church was looking at how they love one another.
• We don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God because the Scripture is inerrant.  We believe Jesus is the Son of God because Jesus rose from the dead.
• The foundation of our faith is not the Bible.  The foundation of our faith is an event in history.
• We’ve got to teach in a way that always ties things back to Jesus.
• Our approach that we’ve used has set our children up for disaster in college.
• The foundation of your faith is historical Adam and Eve.  The foundation of your faith is that people who expected to find a body did not find a body.
• Don’t refer to the Bible as a book.  The Bible’s not a book.  It’s way better than a book.
• Cite authors, not the Bible.
• Every single you say something about the author you tie that author to history.
• We shouldn’t expect rationale people to think Jesus raised from the dead because the Bible says so.
• Don’t ever use the phrase biblical marriage again ever.  Can you even think of a good biblical marriage?  Use the term Christian marriage…Just go home for a day, you don’t even need to believe this, and submit to one another.
• I submit to Sandra out of reverence of what Jesus did for me.
• Acknowledge the odd as odd.  There are some odd things in the Bible.  Don’t be afraid of that.
• You believe the Old Testament is true because Jesus believed the Old Testament is true.
• Don’t create the impression that one must choose between faith and science.
• Science is the search for natural explanations.
• Just say, “Oh, so that’s how God did it.”
• We want people to find natural causes.  We want people to find out the reasons why things work the way they work.
• It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. – Acts 15:18 NIV

Planning Your Breakthrough

Planning Your Breakthrough

Personal note: God has allowed me to experience a level of breakthrough that is exciting. I’m also seeing other Kings achieve amazing levels of favor in anointing, creativity, finances and opportunity for ministry. Some of those exploits are stunning. Most of us labor faithfully to see our dreams realized over the years without too many headlines. Let this newsletter be an encouragement; doors are opening wide in the Kingdom right now. Financial breakthrough and new ideas are key ingredients.

Initiative - Kings who achieve a breakthrough in their dreams and experience the favor of God have a different mentality than servants. Servants are content to do what they are told and take what they can get. They feel entitled to more and are prone to complain about their lot in life, but they will not take the initiative to change it themselves. Servants are often trapped in passive theology; believing God will sovereignly take care of them. Christians in poverty are prone to expect a miracle that never comes. The same thinking waits for revival that never comes. My favorite revivalist is Charles Finney (1792-1875). When he decided to bring revival to a city, he sent an intercessor a month ahead of time to check into a hotel and pray. When Charles arrived, they started a revival and God was with them. They didn’t wait for anything. They brought the presence of God and revival with them wherever they went.

One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the Lord at their head. Mic 2:13 NIV

Planning for something better – Kings achieve breakthroughs because they plan for them at several different levels. Here’s the progression

Theology – Kings believe that God’s favor is on their lives, and they expect doors to open and good things to happen. Even through failures, they set their hearts on the goodness of God and refuse to be discouraged or to blame others. They will learn from mistakes to redirect the future, but they will never get caught focusing on the past and becoming bitter or resentful. They leverage their setbacks into resurrections. They know God is not the author of failure, but he can work “all things for good.”

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28-29 NIV

Dreams – People who have the favor of God are passionate about their own dream. “Religion” is an attempt to wear passion for the perceived purpose of God (an attempt to eliminate our own will so we can do God’s will.) Real Christianity is the liberty that comes with having God’s plan written in our hearts. The things we desire are amazingly connected with God’s own heart. We’re truly excited about our own dream and role in the Kingdom. Kings are not afraid of their intellect or their will. They search for the will of God in their own heart’s desires. They can hear the Father’s intent to grant the desires of their heart; they understand that is how the Kingdom is built. They know how to celebrate victories.

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Ps 20:4-5 NIV

Kingdom Synergism – Kings see the connection between their role in the marketplace and what God is doing to build the Kingdom. We have personal desires that ride the wave of God’s larger kingdom purposes. We know God is building His Kingdom and will not fail. We also know some piece of that responsibility to build the Kingdom and bless the nations belongs to us… and we will not fail. We feel the wind of the Holy Spirit at our backs and a cloud of witnesses cheering us on. Pretty exciting!!!

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. Dan 2:44-45

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace… Isa 9:7 NASU

There is another aspect of Kingdom synergism; the larger plan is much bigger than just us. The Lord is faithful to show us other Kings working in the same vein and we often overlap assignments. The fellowship around working together on the same marketplace or Kingdom dream is particularly rich… and powerful. Our anointing is multiplied by finding these brothers and sisters.

How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? Deut 32:30 KJV

Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. Lev 26:8 NIV

Have a plan - All of this translates to a very simple concept: Kings have a plan for their breakthrough. They dream about how to make it happen and they take the steps to implement that plan. God does do miracles; He gives revelation. But our plans are premised on wisdom and personal initiative. God can intervene and accelerate the plan whenever he desires. But we have a dream and a plan to get there that we hold in our hearts.

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. 2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. 3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Prov 16:1-3 NIV

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Prov 16:9 NIV

Learn to celebrate - When we achieve a milestone toward that plan, we can’t help but get excited. We can sense the applause of heaven and the Father’s smile as he says, “well done.” The sense of peace and satisfaction that wells up in our hearts brings tears of gratitude and dancing at the same time.

Specifics – “But I don’t have a plan!” So get off your ____ and make one, now! Here’s how.

1. Write down your dreams. I dream in five categories: my relationship with God, Sue, our ministry to Release Kings, our income through trading, and play. I set goals and write them down for each category in the past tense (as though I’ve already achieved them) for 2010. I read those goals out loud daily and update them as necessary. Here’s one example from each category:

a. God - I loved prayer and picking up on prophetic themes from the Holy Spirit

b. Sue - Sue and I went to Israel and Rome in March

c. Releasing Kings - I developed a network of mentors available to help grasshoppers in their area of need

d. Trading - My small group of traders averaged over 10% a week trading currency

e. Play - I helped Jim and Sam gather cattle in the mountains Oct 10-31

2. Write a simple business plan and develop a monthly cash flow for your personal finances and your business finances. See Write Your Business Plan.

3. Be part of a Kingly small group of people you respect… people who can help you and you can help them. Just meet once a month for starters. Share your dreams and pray for one another. Here’s template for the meeting: Start Your Own Group.

4. Hang around people who are already successful and find yourself a mentor who can show you how from his own success in the same field. See Relational Mentoring.

We're Dancing



John and Sue www.Releasing-kings.com

GLIMMERS

GLIMMERS

PREVIEW OF "THE HEART OF A KING"
--The Leadership Measure of the Joseph-Daniel Calling--

(c) Morris E. Ruddick


Note: Mark your calendars and please join us for the third annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS) http://www.kingdomeconomicsummit.com. It will be held in Denver between February 3-6.

I will be speaking on the topic of my new book "The Heart of a King," along with a host of respected marketplace leaders including Lance Wallnau, Rick Joyner, Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Pat Francis, Os Hillman, Shaun Bolz, Bruce Cook and more. Join us and tell your friends! We are entering an era of incredible change and this gathering will be extremely timely with the theme: "Fathering Marketplace Leaders."

This issue of SIGN is a preview of this new book: "The Heart of a King." The subtitle is "The Leadership Measure of the Joseph-Daniel Calling." We hope to see it available some time in February, so be sure to keep an eye on popular outlets such as Amazon.com. One of our friends previewing the manuscript commented: "My progress in reading it was a bit slow, as I had to stop frequently to praise God, repent, pray, or just express joy or soberness with the content of the pages."

Again please join us for the next KEYS conference in early February and I trust the message and anointing from the Preface of this upcoming sequel to my "Joseph-Daniel Calling" will bear the glimmers needed, as you reach for that "something more" to take you over the top in the calling you steward.

Morris

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In extraordinary times, knowing-what-to-do takes something more. That something more is what distinguishes true leadership. If we can just get the door sufficiently open to get a glimmer from God, it will be enough. It will be that "something more" that makes a difference. The following chapters are a collection of "glimmers" that I've drawn from my time of prayer, of seeking the Lord for answers to the times.

This book targets a select audience of men and women of God called to be the movers and shakers for the times upon us. Much like Joseph and Daniel, their destinies come with a high cost. Likewise, the pathway is narrow. The calling is one that follows the description of Jesus' followers in Acts 17 of "turning the world upside down."

This volume is a sequel to my two previous books about this calling. Reading "The Joseph-Daniel Calling" and "God's Economy, Israel and the Nations" is strongly recommended before savoring the "glimmers" contained in this book.

The defining dimension to this calling is the heart of a king. With the need to grasp the setting and face the realities, what follows provides a glimpse into what incorporates the heart of a king in God's kingdom. The heart of a king is not patterned after the ways of the world. There are realities to the calling and the cost it upholds. There are realities to the times.

The Keys of Release

Having recently arrived back from an agenda in Southeast Asia, spiritually I was depleted and spent. A key part of our effort targets lands of persecution. We had been on the go, almost non-stop for over four months; encountering a vast array of spiritual hurdles and challenges, along with almost 60,000 miles traveled during that time frame. So with our return, all I wanted to do was veg out and recover. Yet hardly out of jet lag, I received an unexpected and incredibly difficult intercessory assignment.

As I embraced this mission, in the spirit I found myself being led into a deep, dark place with the keys to unlock shackles and lead out ones who had been immobilized in their quests to reach their high-callings. Night after night the Lord showed me ones I have been acquainted with, who bear high callings, who spiritually had been stymied along their pathways. Not due to any fault of their own, in one way or another, each had faced seemingly insurmountable barriers or become casualties in the spiritual battles raging.

One example was my dear friend David Works. In December of 2007, the Works family became victims of a tragedy-beyond-words that took place in their church parking lot. Attacked by a deranged young man firing an assault rifle, two of his teenage daughters were killed and David seriously wounded.

Understandably following this tragic event, David and his family had found a safe place in their coming to terms with its impact. However, having known and spent years praying with David prior to this tragedy, I knew this safe place lacked the vision of his calling as a modern-day Joseph. So I recently challenged him on reclaiming his significant calling.

David began doing just that. Then midway through my intense prayer initiative, David dropped by with some news. The day prior was the second anniversary of the tragedy. His church had held a special memorial service. What David eagerly shared was a newspaper article about the memorial service. In big headline print were the words: "Our Dream is Coming Back." Indeed, his dream and high calling are coming back.

There were other friends and associates the Lord showed me to target during this unusual time of prayer; who spiritually experienced set-backs from the mark of the high calling on their lives. In each case, they have been leaders. In each case, they were at a critical threshold in terms of embracing a new and key dimension to their callings. Some bore the callings to release still others; such as the leaders we've worked with in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The Realities of the Spiritual Environment

As I progressed through these extremely intense encounters in prayer, I became keenly aware of the environment those being released would be reentering.

The best way I can describe this spiritual atmosphere is that it is filled with danger, duplicity and intrigue; not unlike the era during 16th century England in the years following Henry VIII's death, when there was a vicious and deadly quest for power from within the Tudor Court. It was a time when the lust for power capitalized on and perverted otherwise genuine leadership efforts. It was a time when it took great courage to put your hand to the plow and keep it there.

Similarly, in today's spiritual atmosphere, in keeping with the unusual developments underway in global seats of power; I became very conscious of a jockeying for power taking place within circles of believers. The generation now assuming their mantles face a toxic spiritual setting perhaps summed up best by a book title I recently came across: "Hemlock at Vespers."

The Courage to Come Forth

Like the understandable response of my friend David, there is a safe place, which is sometimes needed to regroup and heal. However, while it may be safe from certain levels of the dangers, it also maintains the enticements and protective machinations of the soul response, hindering what had begun in the Spirit as the pathway of the high calling.

The issue involves looking back rather than forward; of being immobilized from facing the realities and embracing the high calling. The message of this book is for those reaching for the mark, whose aim is nothing short of completing in the Spirit what was begun in the Spirit.

The Heart of a King

There indeed is a great battle taking place within the Body today. It reflects a transfer of the mantle between generations. With that transfer is a struggle reflecting the fine line between the good and the perfect will of God; between the soul and the spirit; the measures defining kingdom success; and the venturing forth from the safe places into the places of risk that carry the potential of impacting eternity. It is a calling of leadership for those with a heart of a king.

What's key in the parallel of the Tudor Court power-struggle to today's spiritual turbulence was what followed, when England became united under the leadership of Queen Elizabeth I. Then came a time when Philip II of Spain, saw his empire as the worldly arm of the Roman Catholic Church. Seeing himself as the sword to undo the Reformation and reunite Europe in a single faith, Philip became obsessed with conquering England. Henry VIII had led England out of the church. Now his daughter Elizabeth was defending her father's reformation. Philip, honing his blade in 1581, was at their shores with his 'invincible Armada.'

England's greatest weapon, however, was the selfless leadership of its queen. Now in her mid-fifties, she had ruled England for thirty years and was skilled in the use of power. She knew how to use the crown, and, in that hour of national peril, how to mobilize her people. Unlike the divisions created by the ambitions of unworthy aspirants to the power of the throne during the interim after her father's death, Elizabeth united her people to stand against the Spanish invasion.

While the Armada was still off England, dramatically riding up on a white horse, Queen Elizabeth, known among the people as "Good Queen Bess," reviewed the army and addressed them with these stirring words:

"Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, resolved, in the midst of the heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you, to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honor and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonor shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field." (Source: Winston Churchill, "Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples," Barnes & Noble, 1995)

Good Queen Bess' words exude the true heart of a king. Indeed, let tyrants fear, along with the misguided and the lawless interlopers whose human efforts impede the true work of the Spirit. A line has been crossed. The stakes are far higher than in the days of Elizabeth. The clash of all ages is before us. These are times of monumental change.

These are times that cry out for true leadership in the Body; the type that unites and mobilizes. It comes from a calling not to be treated lightly or with presumption. It is a leadership of sacrifice, but one that is not reckless. The goal of the high calling involves lethal realities and demands a wisdom that avoids the entrapments and diversions.

Those bearing this mantle have been prepared by God. They are unwilling to acquiesce to the safe places that fall short; or be seduced by the rule of power or the rule of profit that lures those called by His Name into the intrigues and games played by the world.

They are a remnant whose calling is directly from God; not presumption, ambition or any other quest emerging from the heart of man. It is a calling that excludes the pretenders, wannabes, interlopers and tyrants. The heart and identity defining this remnant is inexorably tied to God.

These are the ones with the leadership mantle of Joseph and Daniel, who are facing the realities, paying the cost and faithfully stewarding their callings of bringing forth God's Kingdom. These are the ones who will themselves receive the keys to release His Kingdom in their domains. These are the ones with the heart of a King. These are the ones for whom this book has been written.

GLIMMERS
...of Kingdom insights for the times

In extraordinary times, there are no ordinary answers
...and sacrifice will mark the pathway

When freedom flounders; truth stabilizes
When tyranny undermines; liberty unmasks
When self-interest entices; commitment perseveres
When disorder advances; wisdom redirects
When fear invades; courage takes its stand
When destiny calls; true leaders arise.

_________________________________________

Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the call of God in the marketplace. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling" and "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders called to impact their communities with God's blessings. They are available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.

Mr. Ruddick is also the founder of the Global Equippers Entrepreneurial Program, which imparts hope and equips economic community builders where God's light is dim in both the Western and non-Western world. To schedule a speaking engagement, sponsor a workshop, make a donation or to get more information on how you can help, contact Global Initiatives at 303.741.9000.

2009 Copyright Morris Ruddick - response@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 previous posts or more information on SIGN, check: http://www.strategicintercession.org

Morris Ruddick
Global Initiatives Foundation
www.strategic-initiatives.org

Breaking Poverty - Releasing Prosperity

Breaking Poverty - Releasing Prosperity
A Wealthy Soul - I believe we are in a season where doors of prosperity are opening for the sake of the Kingdom. Let's talk about why money flows toward some people and flees from others.
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2 NASU
People who are already wealthy in soul and spirit tend to prosper financially as well. Money doesn't really make us wealthy. We can be rich before money begins to flow. A prosperous soul is the first ingredient for breaking poverty. There are a few simple principles for growing financially that must be added to a prosperous soul and spirit before finances begin to flow. Let's cover as many as we can and I'll give you some recommended reading at the end of this newsletter.
Why Wealth? - The first issue is motives. What would you buy if you had plenty of money? There are two common responses and I want to suggest that both are very wrong.
1) Most of us have a list of things we would like to purchase if we had a few more dollars. If we had the money, we would buy them.
2) Many believers would say, "I am basically content and I don't need to be wealthy - my needs are covered and I don't want to be encumbered worrying about how to make more money."
In response to #2 - 50,000 people die each and every day due to poverty related causes and you're telling me you don't need any more money? Can you see how selfish that attitude is? It's true, as long as you think only about yourself and your immediate family, you may not need more money.
In response to #1 - People who have wealth give to needs and make purchases for themselves out of their profits; they give and buy from the overflow of a full cup. The first thing they do differently with their "seed" is buy income generating assets. Poverty will give away seed or use it to buy liabilities; prosperity is a good steward of seed and they know how to multiply it. If you ask a prosperous person what they would like to do with their money, they will talk about their next investment or business expansion (income generating assets). Poverty will answer the same question by talking about the house, car, or computer they would like to purchase.
How to Give - One of the great tragedies in the church is that people are taught the way to prosperity is giving away your seed and believing God for a miracle. That works if you're a televangelist with your own TV show because everyone sends you money. People who are taught to give away their seed remain in poverty all their lives. We taught the church how to remain poor and stay out of marketplace ministry! Isn't that totally amazing? One more thing - there is no such thing as an end-time wealth transfer that will wash away all the sins of bad stewardship.
I'm not suggesting we stop giving. We can budget for both tithes/offerings and savings and investing. My real point is that good investments that multiply our seed are just as important as regular giving.
Money is spiritual - Each of us were created by God with unique gifts and talents that minister to other people. As Christians we naturally enjoy blessing other people including the nations (Gen 12:2-3). It's in our spiritual DNA. What we each need to realize is that the things we enjoy doing have value for others that can be converted to wealth and multiplied to create even more value. You were not designed to waste away in a job you don't enjoy just for the sake of a paycheck. You were designed to love working to see your heart's desire come to fruition. Work really is an expression of your ministry. That's the genius of being entrepreneurial. The process of finding your destiny and learning to convert your talents to wealth so they can be multiplied is one of the most spiritual things you can do.
"Ministry" - What you have to offer the world that will bless them so much that they will gladly pay for it in exchange for the benefit they receive "value"... and thus enable you to minister to even more people.
Money flows toward vision - Have a good answer to the question, "What would you do if you had more money." You see, money is just a tool that can be multiplied and converted to ministry. Make no mistake, it's very spiritual to know how to multiply finances. If, in your own heart, you know that you and God are on the same page with financial priorities, you will be entrepreneurial, take initiatives and prosper. If your priorities are fuzzy you will gravitate toward passivity and poverty.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt 6:33 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:11-13 NIV

12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Deut 28:12-13 NIV
Be a mentor - If you are prosperous, make it your goal to mentor others to go beyond your level. People are always the best investments. You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. God has designed the Kingdom to bless others through you. It's important that your cup runs over; the world is waiting and so is God.
Recommended reading - My favorite books are Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny. However, I try to read new material on marketplace ministry. Sunday Adelaja is a Pastor in Ukraine who has written an excellent book on this topic, Money Won't Make You Rich. Worth reading because it's contemporary, filled with insights, and very balanced.

We're Dancing

John and Sue www.Releasing-kings.com

All things in Christ

All Things in Christ
by Chip Brogden
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:36).”
In my written and spoken messages I make frequent reference to the preeminence of Christ. Just what do we mean by Christ having the preeminence? What do we mean by giving Christ the preeminence in all things?
“Preeminence” literally means having the first, highest, chief, and best place in a position of ascendancy over everything else. It is an ultimacy, a glory, an honor, a distinction, a prestige, an illustriousness, a renown, a notability, and a nobility that surpasses all others. Paul simply says that the aim of God is for JESUS CHRIST to have THAT kind of position in - all things. That explains everything God has done, is doing and will do. But what does he mean by “all things”?
Whenever I teach from a passage that includes the phrase “all things” I usually stop and ask, “Now how many things does ‘all things’ include?” And the people always respond, “Everything!” That word “all” is a very large word, a very encompassing word. There is nothing outside of “all”! How casually and easily we allow our eyes to glance past these words. We have not comprehended them. If we comprehended them we could not read them with a yawn, but we would read them with a shout!
If we intend to make some exception to “all” we might say something like, “everything but” or “everything except” in order to qualify what we mean as something less than “all”. But “all things” is without qualification. “All” is “all”, and “all things” is everything. Nothing is left out, nothing is excluded. It is not necessary for us to list every single thing that “all” includes, because “all” is all-inclusive. But what about this, you ask? It is among the All. And what of this, you say? That, too, is included in the All. And what about this thing, or that thing? Oh yes, they are in the All as well. You cannot come up with a single thing that is not included in All.
So in Romans 11:36 Paul sums up the preeminence of Christ into three expressions: “Of Him… through Him… to Him… are ALL THINGS.” “OF HIM” says that everything which exists - things in heaven, things in earth, everything that was created, everything that has come into being, everything that will come into being - is created by, and because of, CHRIST. “THROUGH HIM” says that everything which lives, moves, breathes, operates, exists, or functions in this universe, whether animate or inanimate, whether biological, chemical, spiritual, natural, or cosmotological - does so THROUGH CHRIST, Who sovereignly upholds all these things, determines their place, and keeps them in order. “TO HIM” says that everything, no matter how far from God’s Thought it may be, no matter how chaotic things may appear, is being directed, summed up, and gathered together INTO CHRIST. As the Alpha, all things flow FROM Him; as the Omega, all things flow TO Him.
That is quite a paragraph. A paragraph like that cannot be grasped in one reading. But that paragraph is, in essence, what Paul means, and what we mean, by Christ having the preeminence in all things. We are talking about Jesus as Lord over us individually, over the Church corporately, and over all creation collectively. We are talking about a preeminent Christ Who is exalted above every principality and power, rule and dominion; things visible, things invisible; things past, things present, things future; things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth: all things are OF Him, all things are THROUGH Him, and all things are TO Him. That is preeminence.
Let us go through the Scriptures and bring out a few gems from the storehouse of tremendous wealth and riches in Christ. Our criteria for selecting these particular Scriptures was very simple. We wanted to look at every reference that mentions Christ in connection with His preeminence over “all things”. We found quite a number. There are dozens more references that support our study, but we have included only the ones which contain the phrase “all things”. Once we gathered the references together, we sorted them according to Romans 11:36 - those that are OF Him, those that are THROUGH Him, and those that are TO Him.
The result of that study is the basis of this writing. I pray these will not be mere verses of Scripture to us, but will be the very means through which the Father gives us greater illumination and revelation into His Son. We ought to meditate on this daily and ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the height, depth, width, length, and breadth of this JESUS Whom we say we serve. May God deliver us from our own idea, concept, perception, and illusion of a small Christ and give us revelation into the preeminence of His Son.
I promise that if you will read through these verses once or twice a day, every day, it will be impossible for you to remain unaffected by the Truth they present! I am affected just in the preparation of this material, and how much more in the application and apprehending of it! When we see Christ as All in All then it will be impossible for us to ever again be reduced to the small, the trivial, the petty things which occupy us and waste so much of our time. Our only hope is seeing a Christ that fills us, a Christ that is greater than us, a Christ that is larger than we can fathom, an indescribable Christ that overshadows, overwhelms, and consumes us through and through!
OF HIM ARE ALL THINGS
“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:3).”
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9).”
“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16).”
“For Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things (Hebrews 2:10ff).”
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him (I Corinthians 8:6).”
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Revelation 4:11).”
The Father declares the preeminence of His Son by involving Him in the process of creating all things. As a result, nothing was created apart from Christ. Of Him are all things - things in heaven, in earth, visible, invisible, spiritual, and physical. Scientists believe there may be as many as twenty-four dimensions in this universe, of which we only know five. However many there may be, He is preeminent over them all. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Alpha, the Beginning, the First, the Source. This establishes Him as preeminent over all creation.
All things were created by Him, and everything was created for Him. For Him! Why this earth, the moon, the stars, the galaxies? Why the animals, the birds, the fish, the insects? Why men and women, angels, cherubim, and seraphim? For Him! All for Him! God’s original thought is for Christ to fill every created thing with His Life, Love, and Glory. A design implies a Designer, a plan implies a Planner, and a creation implies a Creator. We are not drifting along aimlessly, and we did not come into being by accident. We were created by Him, and we were created for Him. We were created to love Him, and to be loved by Him.
Of the three spheres - of Him, through Him, and to Him - “of Him” is probably the easiest to grasp. It is easier for us to look backwards and see Christ in retrospect than it is for us to perceive the present and to discern the future. But He is All of these at once. It is not that in times past He was the Alpha, and after a lengthy period of time He become the Omega. No, “I AM Alpha AND Omega, the Beginning AND the Ending, says the Lord: which was AND which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8).” And, “They rest not day and night saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, AND is, AND is to come (Revelation 4:8b).” He always has been AND He always is AND He always will be; hence three “Holies” are necessary. What a mighty God!
So we progress forward and see that…
THROUGH HIM ARE ALL THINGS
First, all things are in His hands:
“All things are delivered unto Me of My Father (Matthew 11:27).”
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand (John 3:35).”
“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God (John 13:3).”
“All things that the Father hath are Mine (John 16:15a).”
“[God] hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed Heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2a).”
His hands speak of His Ownership, His Authority, His Possessing of all things. The Father gave all things to the Son. Then, because all things are in His hands, all things are under His feet. His feet speak of His Dominion, His Rule, His subjecting of all things to the authority that is in His hands.
“Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; thou has put all things under His feet (Psalms 8:6).”
“And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church (Ephesians 1:22).”
“And He is the Head of the Body, the Church: Who is the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).”
“Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. (Hebrews 2:8a)
This possession and subjection of all things to Christ is not a passive, disinterested, distant, absentee ownership, like a clock that was once wound and now ticks all by itself long after the watchmaker has left it. Make no mistake: at the core of this spiritual and physical universe is a living, powerful, proactive Personality at work to bring fallen creation back to its original state, back into line with God’s Purpose, Heart, Mind, Desire, and Plan, which is CHRIST FILLING ALL THINGS, CHRIST UPHOLDING ALL THINGS, CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF ALL THINGS! Come quickly Lord Jesus! May Your Kingdom be manifest!
“And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [Greek: find their being, take their place] (Colossians 1:17).”
“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).”
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).”
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13).”
“For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:10).”
Everything is upheld by His power, and all things are working together according to His Purpose. The Spirit searches all things and reveals them for what they are. Before Him everything is manifest, and there is nothing hidden from Him. There is no darkness that He does not penetrate, no deception that He cannot illuminate, no evil that He will not eradicate.
“He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).” Christ is ever increasing in order to fill all things, conforming them to His image, so that His glory is manifest in every corner of Creation - and He begins with individual disciples. The increasing of Christ and the decreasing of Self in every individual disciple is but a fragment of an ultimate Plan which extends from each disciple, to “two or three gathered together”, to the Church, and finally to all Creation. We should be able to look at each disciple and see a demonstration of Christ filling All in All: “Look, this is what I intend to do with all Creation.” He will continue to increase, and everything outside of Him will continue to decrease, until there will remain nothing outside of Him. He is Lord!
TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself (Philippians 3:21).”
“And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be All in All (I Corinthians 15:28).”
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him (Ephesians 1:10).”
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven (Colossians 1:20).”
“He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4:10).”
Everything is moving back TOWARDS a Christocentric universe, so that as it was in the beginning, so it will be in the ending. Just as all things have their source and beginning in Christ, so all things will have their ending in Christ. He subdues all things, in order to gather together and reconcile all things, that He may fill all things. What a task that is! How can that be? How can all things ever be subdued, gathered together into one, reconciled, and filled by Christ? We cannot say how, but we know that “He is able”. Praise God, how can we doubt Him? How can we question this Man? Do we not yet know that He is the Preeminent One? Let us bow down and thank and praise God that He is able!
When we pray, “May Your Name be hallowed, may Your Kingdom come, may Your Will be done: as in heaven, so in earth”, this is the End we have in mind: “all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, even in Him.” This reconciliation and marriage of heaven and earth is a tremendous thing. In heaven, His Word is settled forever (Psalms 119:89); but on earth, things are very unsettled. In heaven, we see Jesus seated at the right hand of God, exalted above all principality and power, name and dominion; but on earth, “we see not yet all things put under Him (Hebrews 2:8b).” We see that “the heavens are the Lord’s: but the earth has He given to the children of men (Psalms 115:16).”
One day that discrepancy and unceasing conflict, that great chasm between Heaven and Earth, will be healed.
“And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new (Revelation 21:5a).”
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and He shall be my son (Revelation 21:7).”
“How shall He not, with Him, freely give us all things (Romans 8:32b)?”
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37).”
“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; Christ is God’s (I Corinthians 3:21-23).”
How glorious! How tremendous! He is doing all of this for us! Everything He has is freely given to us, and through Him we possess all that He possesses. When He has all that we have, then we have all that He has. When we give Him all that we are, He gives us all that He is. Oh, the depth of this love! Oh, the depth of the richness of His grace to us! Who can understand it? Who can know it?
The chorus to a song comes to mind, that says
How could you not love Him back?
How could you hold out your heart
For even another day?
How could you not love Him back
When you’ve learned every loving fact?
How could you not love Him back?
Oh Jesus, may You have the preeminence henceforth and forever!

BAGAIMANA MEMBANTU ANAK-ANAK KELAPARAN

BAGAIMANA MEMBANTU ANAK-ANAK YANG KELAPARAN

Untunglah hanya sedikit orang Kristen yang memiliki prasangka buruk
bahwa orang yang lapar adalah orang yang terlalu malas bekerja. Yang
masih belum jelas dan perlu kita pikirkan adalah apa penyebab
kelaparan itu.

Penyebab kelaparan tidak berdiri sendiri. Kelaparan bukan keadaan
yang terjadi satu kali, misalnya akibat dari kurangnya hujan
(kekeringan) atau gagalnya panen (paceklik) saja. Lebih dari itu,
kelaparan berhubungan dengan beberapa faktor yang saling berkaitan,
meliputi perang, buta aksara, sakit penyakit, air kotor, tekanan
pemerintah, penyalahgunaan narkoba, kerusakan lingkungan, perumahan
kumuh, keterbelakangan pendidikan, dan kriminalitas -- ini hanyalah
beberapa contoh kecil.

Ironisnya, angka statistik terbesar penyebab kelaparan berkaitan
dengan anak-anak yang terabaikan. Jeff Sellers, dalam majalah "World
Vision", meringkas fakta memilukan tersebut seperti di bawah ini.

* Anak-anak selalu menjadi korban perang. Namun pada dekade terakhir
ini, terjadi peningkatan jumlah anak-anak, sebagian masih berusia
delapan tahun, yang diberdayakan untuk ikut berperang seperti
layaknya tentara di tengah banyak konflik.

* Obat-obatan dan minuman keras telah memberi dampak buruk terhadap
kehidupan anak-anak di pedesaan, pinggiran kota, bahkan
kota-kota di seluruh dunia. Obat-obat terlarang adalah penyebab
utama timbulnya penyakit pada bayi-bayi, anak-anak, dan
orang-orang dewasa yang hidup di kota-kota di Amerika Serikat,
menurut Steve Joseph, Komisaris Departemen Kesehatan Kota New York
(New York City Health).

* Jutaan anak kehilangan kesempatan untuk memeroleh pendidikan yang
layak karena mereka harus bekerja membantu menghidupi keluarga.
Mereka sering dieksploitasi dan dipaksa bekerja dalam situasi yang
kurang aman dengan upah kecil. Di beberapa negara, anak-anak lebih
banyak dicari untuk dipekerjakan ketimbang orang dewasa yang tidak
punya ketrampilan. Alasannya, orang dewasa lebih sulit
diintimidasi dan cenderung menuntut kondisi yang lebih baik.

* Sebanyak seratus juta anak mungkin hidup di jalan-jalan di
perkotaan di seluruh dunia. Sebagian besar tidak memiliki
keluarga. Beberapa anak ditelantarkan begitu saja; lainnya lari
dari rumah karena dianiaya dan diabaikan.

* Enam penyakit yang dapat dicegah -- cacar air, batuk akut,
difteri, TBC, polio, dan tetanus -- menjadi penyebab kematian
jutaan anak setiap tahun. Banyak juga anak-anak yang meninggal
karena dehidrasi (padahal mudah diobati dengan gula dan air).

* Di beberapa negara, hanya segelintir anak yang mengenyam
pendidikan selama beberapa tahun. Anak perempuan dan anak-anak
cacat bahkan hampir tidak mendapat kesempatan memeroleh
pendidikan. Hal inilah yang menutup kesempatan bagi mereka untuk
menjadi orang dewasa dan memenuhi kebutuhannya sendiri.

Kini, kebutuhan untuk merawat mereka sangatlah mendesak dan penting
untuk dilakukan. Anak-anak yang menderita kekurangan gizi akan
tergantung pada perawatan orang lain selama hidupnya karena
kerusakan otak yang terjadi akibat absennya nutrisi utama selama
masa-masa penting pertumbuhan mereka.

Setiap hari, lebih dari 40.000 orang meninggal akibat
masalah-masalah yang berkaitan dengan kelaparan. Saat ini, negara
Afrika menjadi tempat yang paling memprihatinkan karena 20 juta
orang di sana, di Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambik, dan Angola, terancam
kelaparan. Namun, kemiskinan juga ada di dekat kita. Lebih dari 32
juta orang Amerika hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan -- 40% di
antaranya adalah anak-anak -- dan sebanyak 4 juta orang Amerika
tinggal di jalanan. Beberapa angka statistik menggambarkan
kemiskinan di Amerika.

Pada tahun 1989, para wanita yang kecanduan obat-obatan melahirkan
375.000 bayi; 470.000 bayi dilahirkan oleh ibu usia remaja yang
belum bekerja dan tanpa ayah. Dua puluh lima persen dari seluruh
wanita hamil tidak mendapat perawatan menjelang proses persalinan,
sementara Amerika Serikat menduduki peringkat ke-18 sedunia dalam
hal kematian bayi. Dua puluh lima persen murid SMU putus sekolah
sebelum lulus dan 75%-nya tidak mampu menulis surat lamaran
pekerjaan. (Gordon Aeschlimamn, GlobalTrends, Downers Grove, Ill.:
Intervarsity Press, 1990).

Jelas, dunia yang kelaparan ini memerlukan respons yang utuh dan
cerdas dari orang-orang Kristen. Kita beruntung karena Tuhan tidak
hanya memberi kita hati yang penuh belas kasihan, namun juga kepala
yang dapat berpikir dan kemampuan yang mampu mengimbangi
tantangan-tangangan tersulit dalam memerangi kelaparan.

1. "Mensponsori" Anak

Mensponsori anak mungkin merupakan respons paling lazim yang
telah kita pahami dalam menghadapi kelaparan. Dengan sangat ahli,
beberapa organisasi dikelola untuk memenuhi kebutuhan orang-orang
yang tiba-tiba terjebak dalam tragedi kelaparan, banjir, gempa
bumi, atau perang. Organisasi-organisasi yang sama itu juga
melaksanakan proyek pengembangan jangka panjang yang dikerjakan
bersama-sama dengan masyarakat yang membutuhkan. Dengan 18 -- 30
dolar, Anda dapat membantu memberikan segala nutrisi, pendidikan,
dan perawatan kepada seorang anak di Afrika, Asia, atau Amerika
Latin, yang tentu saja dibutuhkan mereka di kemudian hari.

Hanya sedikit dari kita yang mengenali anak yang kelaparan secara
pribadi. Kelaparan merupakan tragedi tak dikenal yang nampaknya
jauh dari lingkungan di sekitar kita. Bahkan, kita tidak dapat
membayangkan anak tetangga kita sekarat karena kelaparan. Program
sponsor anak dapat membantu kita melontarkan pertanyaan mendasar,
Apakah saya mengetahui nama orang yang kelaparan? Hal ini
merupakan sesuatu yang sangat pribadi. Keuntungan paling besar
dari program sponsor anak (selain kebutuhan anak yang jelas dan
mendesak) adalah bahwa sang sponsor menerima foto anak, lengkap
dengan nama dan asal usulnya. Mengenali anak yang kelaparan
secara pribadi membuat kita menyadari dengan lebih serius dampak
yang ditimbulkan oleh kelaparan bagi dunia. Jika Anda tidak
mengetahui nama-nama orang yang kelaparan, pertimbangkan untuk
bergabung dalam program sponsor anak.

2. Anak Asuh

Terdapat sekitar 325.000 anak asuh di Amerika sekarang ini.
Sebagian besar dari mereka adalah korban kekerasan, baik
pelecehan seksual maupun kekerasan emosional, kehilangan orang
tua karena meninggal, atau kemiskinan yang membuat orang tua
tidak mampu lagi merawat anak-anaknya. Beberapa dari anak itu
dilahirkan oleh para remaja yang hamil dan menolak untuk aborsi.

Kita harus bertanya, "Ke mana perginya anak-anak itu?" Seorang
anak asuh berada di bawah perwalian pengadilan, maksudnya anak
tersebut secara hukum dipelihara oleh negara. Pengadilan akan
memutuskan ke mana anak-anak tersebut akan pergi, dan sayangnya,
hanya ada 125.000 keluarga di Amerika yang mau membuka pintu
rumah mereka. Seharusnya tidak demikian. Ada satu gereja di
Amerika bagi setiap anak asuh. Orang-orang Kristen bisa
menjangkau dan melayani "orang-orang yang terabaikan itu".

Memelihara anak asuh jelas lebih menyita waktu dan energi
dibandingkan program sponsor. Namun jika orang-orang Kristen
mengatasi kebutuhan ini bersama-sama, anak-anak itu bisa
mendapatkan keluarga yang menyenangkan. Lakukan pendekatan
terhadap badan penggembalaan gereja Anda dan ungkapkan gagasan
mengenai anak asuh ini sehingga gereja menyetujuinya dan memberi
kesempatan untuk mengasuh paling tidak satu anak. Karena
pengasuhan anak merupakan suatu keputusan penting yang harus
diambil oleh sebuah keluarga, maka gereja bisa saja membentuk
komite yang dianggotai oleh orang-orang yang tertarik dengan
masalah pengasuhan anak. Tugas komite tersebut termasuk
menyediakan bantuan nyata bagi keluarga yang mengasuh anak
tersebut. Anggota komite bisa juga mengajukan diri untuk mengasuh
anak.

Cari informasi di kantor pemerintah lokal di daerah Anda, pusat
terapi, atau gereja mengenai pengasuhan anak. Masing-masing
negara memiliki aturan dan prosedur sendiri-sendiri.

3. Adopsi

Mengadopsi anak merupakan bentuk bantuan paling tinggi yang bisa
diberikan bagi anak, tapi jelas memberikan tuntutan yang paling
besar bagi keluarga yang bersangkutan. Contohnya, ribuan anak
Amerika Utara tidak akan pernah memiliki ayah atau ibu. Mereka
hanya akan berpindah-pindah dari satu keluarga asuh ke keluarga
asuh yang lain sesuai persyaratan yang ditentukan pengadilan
sampai mereka berusia delapan belas tahun. Pada dasarnya, mereka
adalah yatim piatu. Rasul Yakobus mengatakan bahwa memelihara
yatim piatu adalah ibadah yang murni. Bentuk pelayanan kepada
sesama ini mencerminkan agungnya kelemahlembutan dan belas
kasihan hati Allah bagi manusia. Bapa Surgawi kita begitu peduli
dengan kondisi anak yatim piatu yang memprihatinkan.

Mungkin Tuhan menggerakkan Anda untuk mengadopsi anak. Jika Anda
terdorong mengikuti tuntunan Allah itu, ada beberapa hal yang
bisa Anda lakukan untuk memulainya. Bertanyalah dengan orang tua
yang sudah pernah mengadopsi anak. Anda akan mendengar banyak
kisah sukses yang membahagiakan serta kesulitan dan kegagalan.
Baca kisah-kisah tersebut di perpustakaan di daerah Anda, minta
kepada kantor departemen sosial di daerah Anda untuk mengatur
pertemuan dengan staf yang bertanggung jawab dalam bidang adopsi
di bawah pengawasan negara. Adakan tanya jawab dengan badan
pengadopsian anak dan berbicaralah dengan anak yang akan Anda
adopsi. Bertanyalah kepada Allah, semampu Anda, untuk mengerti
apakah Anda dan pasangan Anda memang terpanggil untuk mengadopsi
anak. Keputusan Anda ini penting dan harus datang dari lubuk hati
yang paling dalam karena keputusan ini harus lebih banyak
menguntungkan pihak anak. Mintalah keterangan juga tentang
beragam pengeluaran yang berkaitan dengan pengadopsian anak.

Jika Anda merasa ini adalah pimpinan Tuhan bagi Anda, bertanyalah
kepada pegawai pemerintah mengenai aturan-aturan mengadopsi anak
di daerah Anda. Mereka, dan mungkin beberapa gereja di daerah
Anda dapat memberi informasi tentang organisasi pengadopsian anak
yang memiliki reputasi yang baik. Pertimbangkan apakah Anda
bersedia mengadopsi anak keturunan campuran atau anak yang
memiliki sedikit cacat tubuh. Seperti yang kami sarankan dalam
pembahasan tentang anak angkat, cari tahulah apakah gereja lokal
Anda akan bersedia membentuk kelompok pendukung yang dikhususkan
untuk membantu Anda dan pasangan Anda saat melakukan keputusan
penting ini. (t/Setyo)

Diterjemahkan dari:
Judul Buku: 50 Ways You Can Feed a Hungry World
Penulis: Tony Campolo dan Gordon Aeschliman
Penerbit: Intervarsity Press, Illinois 1991
Halaman: 9 -- 11 dan 45 -- 50

APOSTOLIC SAINTS

Apostolic Saints
The Old Wineskin - We've heard a lot recently about seeing apostolic ministries come to the forefront and we've naturally focused on a crop of people that are networking and doing great exploits for the Lord. There are now apostolic conferences and networks breaking new ground. We celebrate those changes and the great vessels God has raised up. However, the guy in the pew often translates or "hears" those exploits and the message into something like this:
"The closest I can come to having a destiny is sending money to someone who really does have one so they can do the work of the ministry."
The New Wineskin - The real Ephesians 4 goal of five-fold pulpit ministries is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. For example, the real measure of an apostle isn't primarily what they have done, but what have their sons done? Have they released any saints into ministry? The Kingdom will be built by saints / Kings and funded from their own prosperity in the market place. Their ministry will be located in the marketplace and the fruit will be seen in the cultural change of cities and nations... not just disciples.
Exhibit A - The best way I make this point is with an example. Duane Smith is a local realtor and friend. He's educated as a civil engineer; soft spoken, thoughtful, conservative, yet willing to follow the Lord where ever. He leads a home group in his church and is occasionally invited to preach in his own church. However, you wouldn't necessarily think of this engineer/realtor as a dynamic speaker or miracle working evangelist. He's really just like you and I. We should admit that he has come under the influence of Howard Ferris; another civil engineer Duane went to college with. They both fund their own missions trips. Neither are sent by a church or an apostle... they just make plans and go! They both work jobs / businesses and use vacations and personal finances to minister. Said another way, they are taking Lakeland to the third world. Although I'm not suggesting we call them apostles, they are both functioning in that anointing complete with the signs following. What's the point?
If they can do it, so can you can you and I. Every willing saint is invited by the Lord to minister at his level. That is the new wineskin.
Duane's story - I (Duane) have received several requests to summarize our recent ministry trip to the Philippines. I will attempt to give a reader digest version, since the volume of what God has done would take several pages. I humbly submit our testimony according to Rom 15:18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through us, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word & deed.
We conducted 3 two-day healing crusade meetings with supernatural results at each meeting. The Philippine people were open and responsive to the gospel and healing faith. There were about 1,000 people who received Christ and hundreds healed. Each night God would back up the simple gospel with attesting miracles to confirm His word. Many deaf received hearing, cataracts & clouded eyes cleared, goiters reduced, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease healed; to name a few. Several testified of being healed in the crowd as the gospel was being presented. Praise God for the simple power of His Word!
One young lady was in the final stages of cervical cancer. She received immediate relief from an oppressive spirit and the pain which was throughout her body. She testified on the second night about being pain free from the cancer and a year of chemo treatments.
One of my favorite miracles was a woman that had given birth 3 months prior, and had not urinated since. Her body was grossly swollen and distorted, skin molted, and eyes clouded. She looked like death warmed over. We prayed and she felt some relief. The following night she returned and testified of urinating last night and having all pain released. We prayed for her eyes and they cleared as we spoke. The interpreter said “her face shown with the glory of God”. This one was snatched from the grave.
The team was awesome, a great mix of gifting, intercession, and ministry. Both Karen & Alison preached the gospel with boldness and clarity. Deann separated the children each night and lead them in the gospel and salvation prayer. Our Philippine host led worship and helped release an environment for expectation and faith.
Prayer time together with the Philippine team was sweet. We prayed and sang together in tongues, worshiped, and broke the powers of darkness each morning for 2-3 hours. The Lord released multiple visions and prophetic direction. The dreams & visions were new to the Philippine pastors. It was a wonderful confirmation of the moving of His Spirit when they began seeing in the Spirit. We all gained an increase of God consciousness and the closeness of the Sprit realm. This was way too much fun!
After the crusades we held meetings at each location with the new believers, teaching them about the Kingdom and the authority of every believer. At the conclusion we had them demonstrate healing to each other with wonderful results. At one meeting I had eight infirmed people come to the front and asked a new believer to pair off with each one. I simply said to the crowd “if the message I have just preached is true, each of these will be healed by the authority of these new believers”. They were instructed to find out the infirmity, lay on their hands, and command the sickness to leave in Jesus' name. All eight testified of healing. One lady had a large goiter that completely disappeared before the peoples eyes. She testified, "I can’t find it any more” as she felt around her neck. (we saw goiters the size of golf balls to volleyballs)     
The Philippine pastors believed that healing was only administered through the clergy, so this was a breakthrough for them also. This again validates the mandate to preach and demonstrate the gospel.
I Cor 2:4-5 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that you faith should not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God.
God is amazing!
The pastor’s conference released the Holy Spirit in demonstration I had not experienced before. We spoke little but focused on worship, repentance, and the release of fears and limitations that keep us bound short of God’s Glory. I am in awe of what God did in breaking the “high ground” of men’s hearts. Their sincere devotion made available an environment for God to work. We had 80-90 pastors and leaders that lay and wept on the rough concrete floor until it was wet with their tears. When joy came, they testified of indescribable visions and presence of the Holy Spirit. Deann danced a prophetic dance that moved us to higher heights. No one left untouched, including each of us.
If you are still with me, I apologize for the lengthy narrative. I have so much in my heart to share. Thank you to those who prayed and help support this outreach. I am deeply thankful for the privilege of sharing life and love with these precious people. Truly Jesus correctly said “the poor in this life are rich in faith”; such treasure in simple packages. Life is good! Blessings Duane, Karen, Alison and Deann.
Duane Smith - Investment Specialist - Realtor®
 
Love,
 
John & Sue  

Leadership Lessons from a Coffee Tasting

Leadership Lessons from a Coffee Tasting

Four years ago, the only way I could drink coffee was by loading it up with sugar and cream, essentially turning it into a hot milkshake. They say coffee is an acquired taste, but I would only drink it if I acquired two Splendas, half and half and a shot of vanilla. My typical drink order at Starbucks had quite a few words in it.

My father had to think it was ridiculous, since he only drank black instant coffee--you know, the kind of coffee that was sold in a metal can that had a side benefit of being reused to hold nuts and bolts.

That changed a few years ago when I went to something called a CUPPING.

A cupping is like wine tasting. Only it's far more acceptable at ten in the morning. This particular cupping happened at the training center for Counter Culture Coffee. There were three different coffees and we went throughout he process of smelling beans, smelling brewed coffee, and tasting coffee. Each step of the way, we made notes on a sheet of paper and talked about what we experienced.

Some people said things like, "I smelled dried kiwi." One guy said he smelled canned ham. (Pretty sure he was in college, since that's really the only time in life you would smell canned ham).

After notes from the group were written on a big board, the coffee was revealed. We were taught why we smelled and tasted certain things, and educated on the origin of that particular bean or blend.

1. There is power in the creation story.

"Where are you from," is one of the first questions people ask when they meet new people. When you meet a new couple, it's often "how did you two meet?" If you read the Bible, you'll start in the book of Genesis, which describes how humanity became humanity.

When you tell the story of how anything began, especially a church, you create a connection.

Will Mancini, a church strategist asks it this way: "What are the circumstances--passions, problems, and people--surrounding how the church got started to begin with?

When I learned the reason the coffee tasted a little bit like blueberry because it was grown in a certain region at a specific altitude, it gave me a new appreciation for what I was drinking. Learning the creation story made me care more about the final product. Understanding all that went into the process made me appreciate it a little more.

When we talk about the genesis of a church or the birth of a ministry, people lean in. I bet people in your church would love to hear about how you became the pastor or why you moved to town. I bet new people to an old church would love to hear the history of its birth if it was told in a compelling way.

2. The more you know about the internal working of something, the more you care.

On more than one weekend, I've tweeted something sarcastic about NASCAR. Maybe something like, "I'd rather watch a Golden Girls marathon on TV LAND than watch a NASCAR race."

And nearly every time I say something like that, a NASCAR apologist speaks up in defense of the "sport." They tell me my attitude towards the race would change dramatically if I attended an event. The sound of the cars, the energy of the race, or maybe the drunkenness of the fans would change my viewpoint.

And while I'll never put a #3 sticker on the back of my Honda, I will concede the point. I'd care more if I participated. I'd pay more attention if I new more about it.

Inside information makes someone feel important, and people love to be in the know. With all the talk these days about building a tribe or creating community, don't neglect the simple fact that knowledge is key to any community. A tribe is a group of people that share the same insider information.

Don't underestimate the value of the currency of information. Show people how stuff works and watch their level of care increase.

3. Experts bring comfort.

I'll never be a coffee expert, but it makes me glad to know other people are. As a consumer, it's comforting to know that the place I buy my coffee has a training center. I'm happy to know baristas are trained and compete in the World Latte Art Competition.

I want someone on that wall. I need someone on that wall. And I don't want it to be me.

I need to know someone is evaluating new technologies, studying the latest techniques, and reading up on the new products. And my guess is people in your circles want to know the same about you.

They need to know what you are reading, studying, and learning. They need to know you're staying current.

If you're a preacher, I bet people in your congregation would respect you more for knowing you were going through a coaching program to become a better preacher.

Today, I drink coffee black. And I'm hooked on high quality, freshly roasted, single-origin coffee. I know, that might make me a bit of a coffee snob.

I blame it all on a cupping.

Michael
TheRocketCompany.com

P.S. If you haven't registered for next week's Preach Better Sermons event - click here. It's a FREE four-hour online event with some of the nation's greatest communicators.