SN – 5 March 2022
On 19 February,
…we looked into *leadership challenges and the testing* one may encounter as a leader
… Testing vs Temptation
…so as to be weighed as to whether one is suitable to be elevated by the Lord to the next level
… the context being 1 Samuel 15, King Saul
… contrasted with Jesus Temptation in the wilderness & David, a man after God’s heart
… basically summarized as overcoming lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes & the pride of life.
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The basic idea from last week (26 Feb), was…
…. we shall reap from what we sow as a nation ( in our politics & leadership)
… as we cannot continuously sow bad things and miraculously expect to reap good things.
Example…
Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
… where we are encouraged to sow the fruit of the Spirit (of love) in our leadership and political endeavors
… as opposed to sowing to please our flesh ( indulging in and excited by abominations that please the masses but grieve the Lord)
… so that we can harvest the fullness of the good that the Lord has for us as a nation
But it all starts with repentance… such as…
2 Chronicles 7:14
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Today we continue to look into
Leadership lessons ..
… gleaned from 1 Samuel 16
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Saul was..
… chosen to be king by the Lord… 1 Samuel 9
… and anointed king over Israel…1 Samuel 10
… having even the Spirit of the Lord working through him
But it was not God’s will for Israel to have a king…
…but nevertheless God grants the request, but warns of the consequences … 1 Samuel 8
And we see the amazing love, mercy and grace of God
… in trying to keep a rebellious people to be still under His blessing
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1 Samuel 12
13 All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.
20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him.
21 Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless!
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The chosen and anointed king Saul is rejected by the Lord…1 Samuel 15
And we see David, a leader that the Lord has chosen in his place… 1 Samuel 16
>> For many are called, few are chosen… Matthew 22:14
Therefore…
>> We should strive to make our calling and election sure … 2 Peter 1:10
We may also compare and contrast the same in the Kenyan scenario…
… on how we choose or should be choosing our leaders
*Do we seek a Saul or a David for our leadership?*
…One who we think fits the bill, from outward appearances of wealth, power, influence, charisma….
… or one who is after God’s heart
The choice is ours…
… God has given us free will to choose
… but choices have consequences!!
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Leadership insights & protocols from 1 Samuel 16
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# *The Lord chooses and anoints His leaders, but they have a choice*
Both Saul and David were chosen and anointed by the Lord…
…but each chose their different paths ( bore different fruit)
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>> You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you…. John 15:16
>> Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”… John 6:70
The gifts and calling of God may be irrevocable… Romans 11:29
But choices have consequences…
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With Romans 8 giving an example of the context…
28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
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I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,…Ephesians 4:1
… Indeed conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ…Philippians 1:27
… bearing fruit worthy of repentance …Matthew 3:8
>> For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life…Ephesians 2:10
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Our prayer therefore being, especially for our leaders…Colossians 1:9-10
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
AMEN!!
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# There should be consecration before sacrifice
Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice… 1 Samuel 16:5b
God is pleased with and accepts sacrifices offered in righteousness
– Psalms 51
– Isaiah 59
– Isaiah 58
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>> Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
>> Genesis 4:3-4
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
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# The Lord considers the heart over the outward appearance
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”…1 Samuel 16:7
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Interesting to note that David…
Was tending the sheep while being sought to be anointed by Samuel
…speaks to being diligent and faithful in our appointed business
… and the calling and anointing will look for us as opposed to us seeking it out
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>> Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much…Luke 16:10
>> His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’… Matthew 25:21
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Growing in wisdom, favour and stature with God and man. .. Luke 2:52
David described as
dark, handsome and with beautiful eyes… vs 12
… eyes are windows to the soul??
>> Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness… Luke 11:34
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… vs 18
Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,
…who is skillful in playing,
… a mighty man of valor,
… a man of war,
… prudent in speech,
… and a handsome person;
… and the Lord is with him.”
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>> Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men …. Proverbs 22:29
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>> A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men…. Proverbs 18:16
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*David was anointed in the midst of his brothers* …
>> Psalm 23
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over…vs 5
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Anointing comes with the Spirit of the Lord … vs 13
>> “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To… Luke 4:18
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_*Anointing as well confers power, authority or both??*_
– wait and you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…Acts 1:8
– And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them…Acts 2:4
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_*One can loose their anointing (power, authority?? favour with God & man) when they loose the Spirit of God??*_
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him….vs 14
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_*When the Spirit of God departs, one becomes the devils playground?!*_
The spirit, just like nature, abhors a vacuum!!
A house swept clean and unoccupied attracts even more wicked spirits… Matthew 12:43-45
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>> Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:…1 Peter 5:8
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>> 1 Kings 22:20-23 (BSB)
And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
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1 Samuel 16…
23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
In the presence of God there is fullness of joy… Psalms 16:11
God inhabits the praises of His people… Psalms 22:3
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*Indeed, darkness cannot be (present, comfortable…) in the presence of light* …. John 1:5
– And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…(KJV)
– The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…. (NIV)
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There are also elements of *Honour, favour, humility & authority* exhibited…
20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”
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Matthew 10:41 (NKJV)
He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
_*The honor that comes from humble submission (coming under authority)…*_
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Matthew 8:8 (NKJV)
The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
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1 Peter 3:12 (NKJV)
For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
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2 Chronicles 16:9b (NKJV)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
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1 Peter 5:5-6 (BSB)
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
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My prayer for Kenya …
… be governed by God
… and under someone in pursuit of God
Still remembering to pray for all leaders…
1Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV)
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Standing as a …
… a people called by the name of the Lord
… humbling ourselves and praying
… seeking the Face of God while turned from our wicked ways
Believing and claiming the promise that
… God is indeed faithful and just to forgive our sins
… hear us from heaven
… and heal our land
*AMEN!!*
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 