"The Promise - One Man's Journey To See God's Word Revealed" - Steve Martin

Yeah God! 

Almost here...after 10 years.

Steve

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PROPHETIC STEWARDSHIP - (c) Morris E. Ruddick

Morris Ruddick

PROPHETIC STEWARDSHIP (c) Morris E. Ruddick "Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword. Divide the living child  in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.' Then the  woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned  with compassion for her son; and she said, 'O my lord, give her  the living child, and by no means kill him!' But the other said,  'Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.'"  1 Kings 3:24-26 Solomon's wisdom in discerning the true mother is also a key to  discerning true leaders. True leaders have the compassion that  is willing to face personal sacrifice. It's the mark of stewardship.  The perspective of the wannabees and unseasoned will tend  toward being inwardly focused and driven by personal,  wrong reasons. True biblical stewardship is just the opposite. Prophetic  stewardship bears an even higher standard. Kingdom  leadership pivots on stewardship that seeks the community  good. That may require a decisiveness that is neither  popular nor comfortable. It demands a basis that  understands the true heart of God and the long-term  prophetic implications. Joseph's service to Pharaoh began with a time of preparation.  Scripture indicates that these years of preparation were  a fruitful time, a time of abundance. Yet, what was  required to gather and store the grain demanded discipline.  It no doubt involved some belt-tightening for everyone.  The tough standards and decisions required were not for  the feint of heart or those with the need to be accepted. Yet, when the years of abundance were over and famine  came, then both the decisions and the discipline became  even harder. Joseph's stewardship involved a balance  between maintaining order, adjusting to the widespread  famine, while establishing Egypt as solution-provider.  It required a level of administration that not only  was gifted, but drew from God's wisdom for the decisions  being made. Egypt, under Joseph, became the safe-place, the place of God's  order when everything else was falling into disorder. That took  tough-minded decision-making to set up and no doubt even tougher  decisions to maintain and administrate. Genesis 45 reveals that as  the famine proceeded, that the money failed. Prophetically God had  shown Joseph the need to gather and store the grain. Because the  staple with value was grain, Joseph was in the driver's seat. Clearly  Joseph heard from God. With the abundance of grain, Joseph cornered the livestock market.  The people of Egypt remained fed, as Egypt's influence with those  around them increased as a prepared-provider and a refuge during  the turbulence. As things deteriorated, the people sold their land to  Joseph for the food needed to feed their families. The famine was  severe. No doubt the value of land had also dropped. Yet, Joseph  the good steward, the prophetic steward, brought the people into  the cities to live. "When the money failed, Joseph bought the livestock;  then the land; then brought the people into the cities."  Gen 47:15-25 The suggestion is that there was safety and community order,  again a refuge, within the boundaries of the cities. Joseph maintained  the order needed during a severely difficult time, kept the people fed  and kept them safe. Following the famine, Joseph restored the people  to their lands requiring only a fifth on their produce in return. The Prophetic Dimension Operating in the prophetic means there are often times when we  "see" or perceive things that we want to act on. However, the  prophetic calling requires a lot more by way of self-control than  the ordinary. It's too important. The mature prophetic response  is from those who rule their own spirits. The prophetic is first hearing from God. However, when we hear  from God another key required layer is the issue of alignment and  seeing things from the stance of what God is doing. It's becoming  a participator in His destiny-shaping purposes and agendas. It's  entering a dimension of God's big-picture beyond ourselves. Yet, we can sometimes get the big-picture without seeing how God  is getting us there. So, operating in the prophetic requires a continual  checking-in with Him for the "interims." That's because none of us are  at the place to where we nail it at each step, despite our best and  most valiant efforts to do so. One of the hardest things to learn is to NOT force issues.  The flip side of that is holding steady when you don't yet  see the change in the natural. Yet, faith and faithfulness  are determined by those who grasp what is underway  in the unseen world. When we are in a place where there is something that  God is doing that we haven't fully or even partially  discerned, it represents a place of vulnerability.  Well intentioned people unwittingly walk into cross-fires  of judgment by yielding to the soulish in these interims. Judgment can also be triggered because of ones who,  being convinced of their "rightness" regarding something,  don't have the big-picture quite right. They lack a full  discernment of what God is doing or their place in it.  What results is creating a short-circuiting or backlash by  which they and others are hurt. Prophetic stewardship  requires keeping one's spiritual antennas high and at  the times one is provoked over something, to back  off until they hear specifically what the Lord has to  say about it. Cost of the Mantle The dreams Joseph received from God as a young man  came at a high cost. They cost Joseph everything that  had been dear to him, including his freedom. Yet, Joseph r ose to the standard that God had set for him. THAT took  decisions that refused to give in to the soulish. It took serious  discipline, humility and maturity. Not only did Joseph demonstrate a right spirit; but as a  good steward, he took it a step further in assuming  the mantle of his great-grandfather Abraham: to be  blessed to be a blessing. Long before his promotion to sit  alongside of Pharaoh, with nothing to go on in terms of  position, Joseph distinguished himself with Potiphar and  then the jailer with both his influence and the stewardship  of the mantle he bore. The result came from a right spirit that stewarded the  blessings of God in such a way that everyone around  Joseph saw that God was real, through the demonstration  of that reality through Joseph. Yet, it came at a cost;  a very high cost. In the face of losing everything; in the face  of slavery; in the face of unrighteous spiritual backlash; Joseph  maintained his faithfulness as God's servant-steward. Gravity of the Mantle Leaders, who truly understand the times and know  what to do, demonstrate a maturity that is above the  soulish. They don't quibble or second guess when tough  decisions are required. They guard their own hearts  diligently and do not give in to soulish machinations.  Yielding to the soulish is what opens the door  for the demonic. The contrast is demonstrated in Isaiah 22 with the  story of two leaders, one whose decisions were  short-sighted and driven by personal, soulish  matters and another whose stewardship embraced  the long-term opportunity resident in the heart of God. "Go to Shebna, who is over the house, and say:  Indeed, the LORD will throw you away violently;  there you shall die. Then it shall be in that day,  that I will call My servant Eliakim; I will clothe  him with your robe and strengthen him with  your belt; I will commit your responsibility  into his hand. He shall be a father to the  inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of  Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay  on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one  shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.  I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and  he will become a glorious throne to  his father's house." Isaiah 22:15-23 Authority of the Prophetic The authority of God for change is released through  the prophetic. The story of Joseph reflects a progression  of episodes in his life tied to how he heard and obeyed  the voice of the Lord. This simple foundation in many  untenable situations became the catalyst for a owner  and an authority that was recognized as being from God  by a whole range of non-believers, including those in  authority. That prophetic authority was the means by which God  used Joseph to shift the spiritual climate within Egypt's  power infrastructure. It set the stage for the prophetic  alignment needed for Joseph's apostolic gifts to harness,  redirect and then steward the resources of Egypt to  accomplish God's purposes for the future of His people. Discernment and Prophetic Alignment Joseph's tenure in Egypt is laced with examples of  Joseph's significant prophetic gifts. Prophetic stewardship  will unmask the intentions of the hearts of those who  serve a role, whether for good or for evil, in the initiatives  being stewarded. The story of the baker and the wine-taster exemplifies how,  during Joseph's weakest hour in the natural, that God  used him prophetically to judge and establish the removal  of one key man from Pharaoh's court; and to restore and  set up another, who became instrumental at the right  time in aligning things for Joseph's promotion. Similarly, Joseph's scrutiny of his brothers was not retribution,  but the need to see the repentance that was needed for  Joseph to establish parameters with those who once  betrayed him. By the time his brothers came back on the  scene, Joseph was in the full flow of his very considerable  calling. He did not need the old issues and patterns of behavior  demonstrated by his betrayers to manifest and disrupt in any  way his role as God's servant-steward. Still, the discernment of Joseph was not an end in itself,  but the means of aligning things first spiritually and then  in the natural, for God's purposes. Stewarding the will of  God begins with resetting the spiritual climate. When the  spiritual climate is properly aligned, it allows God's order  to be established. Only then, will the stable flow come  needed to counteract the forces of judgment and the  tentacles of evil. The Prophetic Steward The prophetic steward is the one who maps out, builds  up and brings increase in the face of the enemy's schemes  to divide, confuse and destroy. I have previously noted an organization I was a part of  many years ago. The standard for entry was high.  The standard to be maintained was even higher.  Members of this organization became known by the axiom  of "when the going gets tough, the tough get going."  It is unfortunate within the Body that many confuse  soft standards of the world with the level in which,  we as a Body are expected to operate. Our standard, like  that of Joseph's is higher. It's much, much higher. I have had the joy of working with two men of God who  operate with this higher standard. They each are very  different in their leadership styles, yet very similar in anointing.  Each reaches hard for God's heart and God's will on the  issues before them. Both are unusual in their roles as  prophetic stewards. One is incredibly gifted in discerning the gifts and will of  God operating in people, with the ability to draw forth  and put those gifts into operation. The other is a very  high-level administrator, whose ability to discern the  big-picture and then mobilize leaders to address it, is  timely and strategic. One is a model for the Body locally;  the other globally. Both are incredible peacemakers, a very high standard in  the progressive maturity unveiled by Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  They each have a gift for tapping and aligning things spiritually  to establish God's order and to release the supernatural for change.  We need more of that standard. We've entered a time that Jesus spoke of as when even the  very elect would be deceived. It is a time when the  convergence of good and evil will trigger both judgment  and change. Prophetic stewardship sees the alignments  and change in the spirit from God's perspective. It then  navigates and anticipates the responses needed to shape  and release God's purposes. The Lord Jesus also told us that many are called, but  few are chosen. The criterion for leadership, established by  Solomon's wisdom, begins with sacrifice and compassion. It is evidenced by those who not only face, but traverse and  emerge whole from the fires. It pivots on an unpolluted  prophetic stewardship that pays the cost to unswervingly  maintain the steps needed to change the spiritual climate  and to establish God's order. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may  see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven."  Matthew 5:16 ___________________________________________________ Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for  the call of God in the marketplace since the mid-90s.  As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation and designer  of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program,  Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and equips economic community  builders where God's light is dim in both the Western and  non-Western world. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "God's Economy,  Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;"  and "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World," which address the  mobilization of business and governmental leaders called to  impact their communities with God's blessings. They are available  in print and e-versions from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com  and other popular outlets.   Mr. Ruddick is also a contributor in the just released five-volume  "Aligning with the Apostolic," edited by Bruce Cook with Forwards  by Peter Wagner and Bill Hamon. It is available through  www.KingdomHouse.net. Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is  a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled  by the generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors  whose vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize the least of  these our brethren. Checks on US banks should be made out  to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237  or email us at sign@strategicintercession.org for access  information on our secure web-site. 2013 Copyright Morris Ruddick - sign@strategicintercession.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 www.strategicintercession.org

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The Land Your God Seeks Out

It is a Land that the Lord your God seeks out; the eyes of the Lord  your God, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. DEUTERONOMY (11:12) אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָהדברים יא:יב (Here is how to pronounce the verse in Hebrew:) eh-retz ah-sher ah-do-NIE eh-loe-he-kha doe-resh oh-TA ta-MEED ay-NAY ah-do-NIE eh-lo-he-kha bah may-ray-SHEET ha-sha-NA ve-AD ah-kha-REET sha-NA

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Ezekiel 36 - shared by a Jerusalem resident of 40 years - Shmuel Suran

Shmuel (Samuel) Suran from Jerusalem

YouTube link: 

Shmuel (Samuel) Suran Shares on Israel & Jerusalem

Cathy Hargett, Founder of Highway To Zion ministry, invited Israeli Messianic Jewish speaker Shmuel (Samuel) Suran from Jerusalem to speak at the assembly meeting in Charlotte, NC on Aug. 23, 2013. He has been a resident of the capital city of Israel for 40 years now. 

In the first segment of his talk (see earlier video) Shmuel shared his testimony of how he met Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) in a very powerful way, after realizing that Jesus was (is) a Jew, and is The Messiah (HaMashiach). The Lord (Adonai) then had him move to Jerusalem with only a backpack and $100, in 1974.

In this video segment he shares on Ezekiel 36, and how the Lord Yeshua has, and continues to, bring the Jewish people back to their Promised Land of Israel.

Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.

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Ahava Love Letter - "They Are Loved Also" (Steve Martin)

“They Are Loved Also”    “…who desires all men to be saved and to come  to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4, NAS)

Dear family of friends,

On my regular, early morning drive to my 7 am - 4 pm accounting job on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013, I was listening as usual to a Paul Wilbur CD. His latest is entitled “Your Great Name”, and the song “Who Can Compare” was coming almost full volume out of the auto speakers. I am so grateful to Paul and his Messianic music shared over these past decades. (Our Ahava Love Band really enjoys playing his music.) What a gift from the Lord he is to so many!

When I turned onto the College Street exit in uptown Charlotte, the Lord spoke to me to drive on Tryon Street, the site of the weekend’s LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite) festival. According to the Charlotte Observer’s news story on Aug. 24, 2013, at least 55,000 were expected. It had been 19 years since something like this took place in Charlotte. Honestly, my heart’s cry was that it would not have been at all.

For that Saturday night I had bought two tickets in May for the Lion King play uptown, as a Mother’s Day gift for my good wife Laurie, not knowing at the time that this event was scheduled to go on then also.

With an hour to kill before the play, after our Irish restaurant dinner, I walked her around the blocks that I normally do during lunch, showing her the sights of the beautiful city. I pointed out the new ballpark under construction, the church park where I found Little Orphan Chuckie a few days earlier (see my Ahava Love Letter  “Little Orphan Chuckie”) and some of my prayer locations along the way – the fountains, the eating establishments, the gathering places of people.

When the need for a bathroom came up, I tried to determine the best way around the festival, which was a few blocks away from our walk location. But the nearest one was right through the activity. “OK Lord, this should be interesting” was my thought.

As a married couple now for 36 years, we still on occasion hold hands as we walk. So we did thus on this little adventure also. We weren’t the only ones holding hands.

My heart was silently praying for these whom the Lord Jesus Christ loves too, and died for also. As I see it, we have to go where they are, because they aren’t coming to our nice, comfortable church pews. Isn’t that what our Savior and Messiah Yeshua did, our Prime Example of expressing the Father’s love? To go where the people are? Yes it is.

As Steve Green sang, “People Need The Love.” Yes they do. All shapes, kinds, and genders. They need the Lord as much as we do in our daily lives. Who will share His love with them, if not those who already know Him? As so we walked amongst them.

Charlotte, NC skyline (Photo by Steve Martin)

When I drove that next Monday morning, I purposely turned then onto Tryon Street, heading north on the same blocks where the pride of ungodliness had occurred just a day earlier. I put down the windows and played really loud Paul Wilbur’s song, “Who Is Like You O Lord.” The lyrics “All creation declares, none can compare to the greatness of our God” holds true for those who know Him now, and for those who will, if we just have the love and courage the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, puts in our hearts. I wanted to declare His love and rulership into the air that morning, where other spirits have tried to rule. We can take that authority as believers in the King of kings and Lord of lords.

It still holds true today, as the Jewish believer Johanan (the Apostle John) wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, centuries before,

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him.” (John 3:16-18 The Message Bible)

They need to hear this, in a loving way, even as we were presented the Gospel, when we lived in sin. My prayer is that some of us will be brave enough to share His love, so that they come to know Him too, and not remain in their lifestyle. There is certainly a life worth living, but it is found only in Him.

Ahava (love in Hebrew) to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

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Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.

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Ahava Love Letter #72   “They Are Loved Also”  ©2013 Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (08/26/13 Monday at 7:35 am in Charlotte, NC)

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog:

 http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com   

Here are the last few:

Oskars Needed Again? (#71)

Little Orphan Chuckie (#70)

Demons & Fire Trucks (#69)

I Like Mike (#68)

Disappointed with Small Beginnings? (#67)

Rise Again (#66)

The Cities (#65)

How can You Mend A Broken Heart (#64)

Anxious (#63)

Hidden (#62)

Get Back in the Boat (#61)

Need Money? (#60)

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I AM

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Thank you Lord!

Beautiful day Lord! Thank You for all of Your creation. Indeed - new every morning.



- Steve Martin. Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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