JOSEPH'S APOSTOLIC GIFTS
(c) Morris E. Ruddick
Thank
you for praying for our overseas missions, as we return home from
Indonesia and prepare for another step in our role with the awesome
believers in Vietnam.
Morris
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"Joseph is a fruitful bough by a well; his branches run over the wall." Gen 49:22
An apostle establishes order, God's order.
The
Word of God describes the office of apostle. It also notes the gift of
apostle. Apostles pioneer and pave new ground at national and global
levels. They have a clear, appointed sphere in which they are to
operate; and within that sphere they wield much authority with the
potential to bear much fruit. Apostles flow strongly with complementary
spiritual gifts, augmenting the potency of their apostolic calling
Jacob's
blessing over Joseph yields great insight into the interacting dynamics
of an apostolic mantle. The sequence in the opening scripture begins by
describing Joseph as a fruitful bough. A bough is a main branch of a
tree or vine. As such, it's a conduit for growth for other branches.
"Being by a well" adds to the fruitfulness, as the source of life is
being tapped. "With branches running over the wall" illustrates an
unconstrained influence.
Then
in verse 23 the analogy shifts. It describes Joseph as being persecuted
for what his gift, his life-giving fruitfulness offered. Joseph was
persecuted for righteousness. Despite that, Joseph was steadfast in the
wake of the persecution and because he held steady and trusted God, God
made Joseph even stronger.
"The
archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him. But his
bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by
the hands of the Almighty." Gen 49:23-24
Then
Jacob's blessing on Joseph reveals an even deeper dimension to the
dynamic of his calling. The Lord, who brought Jacob out of serious
dilemmas, is the one who helped and navigated Joseph through
insurmountable challenges and bestowed His blessings on him along the
way.
Within
this context, Jacob describes the blessings that accompany Joseph and
his mantle. The blessings of the heaven above are the blessings from the
Lord; then the blessings of the deep that lie beneath are the blessings
to be yielded from the earth. Then Jacob makes reference to the
blessings of the breast and the womb. The breast and the womb offer an
analogy in the time of one's life when one is totally dependent on their
mother, as their source of life. The blessings of the breast and womb
are blessings of self-sufficiency and protection.
"By
the God of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will
bless you - with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that
lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb." Gen 49:25
The
concluding verse of Jacob's blessing over Joseph notes that Jacob's own
blessings have exceeded those of Isaac and Abraham. Abraham was the
father of many nations; the forebear of lives tied to God whose
influence could not be stopped. Knowing the richness with which God took
care of and blessed Abraham as he reestablished his family in a foreign
land and then Isaac in famine; Jacob indicates that God's blessings on
him had been even greater and that these dynamics of God's hand on his
heritage was being fully transferred to Joseph.
The Complement of Gifts
The
gifts of an apostle are multiple because the apostolic mantle extends
beyond ordinary community expectations. The requirements are more and so
the gifts must complement and augment one another. Paul described
himself to Timothy (2 Tim 1:11) as a preacher, an apostle and a teacher.
The gifts are described on three key levels: individual, community and
national or Body corporate.
Individual (Motivational) Gifts.
Romans 12 outlines the individual gifts available to every believer.
They represent how a person is spiritually motivated and wired. Of these
seven gifts (mercy, service, giving, teaching, exhorting, leadership,
prophetic), most people have a primary and secondary gift, which
describes the way they normally operate.
Community Gifts.
In the first part of 1 Corinthians 12 is a description of gifts of the
Spirit operating within a congregational-community setting. They include
three main categories: revelation, power and discernment.
Body Corporate.
However, the last part of 1 Corinthians 12 describes the dimensions of
the gifts of the Spirit with their application in a broader level, to
the Body corporate. They include apostle, prophet, teacher, miracles,
healing, helps, administration and tongues.
Ephesians
4:11 describes still another dimension. It is the mantle itself in
terms of the primary functions of service, bestowed by the Spirit by
which the Body is to grow and operate. Some refer to these dimensions as
the "office gifts," while others label them as the "five-fold ministry
gifts." They include apostle, prophet, teacher, pastor and evangelist.
Joseph's primary
motivational gift was that of a leader. At the next level, he operated
strongly in the revelation gifts which resulted in him operating as a
prophetic leader. However, when operating beyond the local community,
Joseph proved himself as a very able administrator. While the Old
Covenant heroes of faith are not usually described according to New
Covenant parameters; if they were, then Joseph's big-picture perspective
and ability to establish God's order would have him serving in the
office of Apostle.
Two Historic Comparisons
Two
very different, yet very apostolic leaders of the 19th Century provide
insight into the unique diversity of how the gifts supporting the
apostolic mantle can meld, operate and serve. One was an evangelist, the
other like Joseph, an administrator.
Charles
Finney has been described as the greatest apostle since the Apostle
Paul. A lawyer by training, Finney's strongest motivational gift was
that of an exhorter. At the community gift level, he flowed very
strongly in the discernment gifts. He discerned the heart of each
audience and then shaped his messages to fit the spiritual needs of the
particular audiences. His corporate gift was that of a teacher. He
dissected, analyzed and then imparted truth. His mantle was that of an
apostolic-evangelist.
The
other man is John D. Rockefeller. Although vilified through
unsubstantiated books published about him, a respected, secular
historian has thoroughly researched his life and discounted claims other
than the supportable facts (Ron Chernow; Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.,
2004, Random House, New York). Rockefeller's strong commitment to the
Lord during his lifetime never wavered. Although clearly a leader, his
strongest motivational gift was that of giving. His excellence in
stewardship operated uniquely in the revelation gifts as the means by
which he discerned the timing on opportunity. He was a prophetic
steward. His corporate gift was, like Joseph, that of a high-level
administrator.
Rockefeller
was famous for saying "Make as much money as you can and then give away
as much as you can." This tenet was evidenced during the course of his
life on many levels, not the least of which was the programs he set up
to train former slaves for the ministry. The University of Chicago was
originally birthed by Rockefeller as an institution of higher learning
for Christians. Living frugally compared to the huge fortunes he
amassed, he redefined and reshaped the way philanthropy is approached
and conducted.
God's Order
Within
any move of God or spiritual organizational setting, God's order is the
framework through which the work is conducted. One of the amazing
results of the impact from the societal standards outlined in the Jewish
Torah is the influence these truths have had on civilizations over the
centuries. It's much more than just a better mousetrap. It is the
collateral fruit of operating according to God's order. A work will
always be judged by the fruit of its standard.
Without
God's order, efforts to accomplish God's purposes will fall short or
fall into results described by scripture, on one level, as the arm of
the flesh. Compromise is a deceptively subtle foundation which in
reality is the gateway into a seedbed from which Babylon or Chaldea (Jer
51:23); mammon or sorcery can take root.
The
apostolic mantle and its complementary gifts meld in such a way to
uphold the standard of God's order; provide the discernment and
authority to recognize and bypass judgment; and to serve as a catalyst
for prophetic influence and spiritual climate change.
Upholds the Standard.
Deuteronomy 17 describes the role of a leader in establishing, modeling
and upholding God's standard for order. It says that the one who sits
on the throne as king must keep a copy of God's word with him and read
it daily as long as he lives. This "daily" practice will prevent him
from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his people. It will
also prevent him from falling away from God's truth in even the smallest
way.
God
does not intend His people to be like everyone else. Ours is a higher
standard, not only spiritually and morally, but in terms of our
stewardship and leadership. An apostle raises the bar and sets the
standard according to God's purposes. It is a standard that releases
destiny for a people and anticipates the turns in the times and the
seasons. An apostle is one who prepares and sets the pace for the
preparation.
Authority to Bypass Judgment.
The famine during the time of Joseph was triggered by the deceitful,
self-righteous justice administered by Joseph's brothers in response to
Sherchem taking Dinah for his wife (Gen 34:13). God, who sees the end
from the beginning, sent Joseph ahead to prepare and to execute a bypass
strategy for the impending judgment. It was Joseph's sphere (his
people) and his authority to bypass the judgment (Psalm 105).
The
authority to bypass judgment is also the authority to impact nations
and beyond. Such an authority cannot be assumed. It comes at a cost.
Soulish, misguided attempts to wield this authority without the mantle
will open the doors to the demonic and compound the hurdles against
well-intended, but misguided goals.
Prophetic Influence and Spiritual Climate Change.
Joseph penetrated the veil and gained the trust of non-believers, first
by the way he served; and then by the prophetic wisdom he imparted from
God. The angel of the Lord is very close to those who fear Him, who
uphold God's standard of righteousness (tz'dakah).
The
life of Joseph exhibits a process. His was a disciplined life; a
spiritual response to the status quo. The process was in Joseph's role
to progressively face the hurdles (such as the spiritual backlash of his
righteous response to Potiphar's wife) and change the spiritual climate
of a pagan society. The reality of God was demonstrated by Joseph from
the time he lost his freedom, serving as a slave. Joseph's faithfulness,
step by step, overcame the pagan culture and calmed the spiritual
storm, and established the spiritual alignment needed for God's short-
and long-term purposes.
This progressive spiritual shift set the stage for change with the disruptive anointing and mantle of the apostle.
Disruptive Anointings and Mantles
My
friend Mike Jacobs has long waxed eloquent on the topic of "disruptive
technologies." Disruptive technologies are those that upon entrance into
the marketplace stagger the status quo and change the course of the
broader market by their impact.
Disruptive
anointings and mantles, in like fashion, stagger the spiritual status
quo. Through the apostolic gifts employed, they release the blessing
Jacob bestowed on Joseph of a life-giving fruitfulness and influence
that cannot be stopped. The apostolic gifts bring prophetic impact
arising at set times which redirects the course of things spiritually.
They restore God's order and align with God's prophetic and redemptive
purposes.
Apostles
have a unique role in building up the wall and standing in the gap for
the land according to Ezekiel 22:30. It is the mantle that captures the
essence of God's heart described in Isaiah 58 of "removing the yoke of
oppression; of malicious talk and of pointing the finger in scorn." With
the focus of reaching out and giving a hand to the poor and needy, this
mantle for change carries the highest of God's order, when His people
become repairers and restorers of the broken, counterfeit systems being
orchestrated by a lost and dying world.
"Then
your light shall dawn in the darkness and your darkness shall be as the
noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in
drought, and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden,
and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among
you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations
of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the
Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In." Isaiah 58:10-12
___________________________________________________
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;" "Gods 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.
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.
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
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