September 2019
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: …Ex 18:21
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. Act 6:3
God Always Wanted His People Led through Love
Not only is God love but His leadership over us is in love. Tough love is sometimes dispensed because of disobedience in children but it is still love nevertheless. Everything in the Garden of Eden was pronounced good and God, Himself, was Lord and Master over His children while they enjoyed the provision and comfort of the Garden. They had guidelines, choices and direct contact with their Creator. What else could they have desired? They picked their food from the trees without concern, had no threat from any animal in the garden, enjoyed perfect climate and fellowship with each other and God. They were employed where they had appropriate skills and their work was appreciated and rewarded accordingly. There was no sickness, no house payment and the crime rate was nonexistent.
Sin Brought Corrupt Men as Leaders
When Adam and Eve were obedient they had loving leadership but their disobedience to God put them under an evil taskmaster. Accordingly, we are dealing with the same consequence today. God had instructed Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because doing so would cause them to die. They could eat of any other tree in the Garden. They had choice. When they decided to do that which was forbidden their whole world changed for the worst. They were kicked out of the comfort of their home, lost fellowship with God and had to work in hardship and danger for their food, home and protection. Instead of Creator God ruling over them with love, help and protection; now they had an evil overlord named Satan who constantly challenged their faith and corrupted every aspect of their world.
We have had extreme violence in the land at times because of the voice man chooses to listen to. The mercy of God continuously rises up good leadership over people to suit His purpose or because someone cried out for His help. When godly people do not take charge through God’s power, evil forces by the devil’s influence can take over any place to ravage our communities and cause murder, rape, plunder to terrorize people. There is a common expression “Let the buyer beware”. Unfortunately our daily lives consist of buying transactions from when we receive our morning donuts to the job we do, to the home we live in and the government where we submit. We often get services, rights or goods from some entity that is greater than we and that entity has already worked out the terms for their greater benefit and advantage over the recipient. That is how they prevail and prosper. From businesses to churches to government that were established to provide equitable services for citizens, we now see them holding the recipient of their services at their mercy.
In this year of 2019, we see a federal government organized and stacked with overlords who answer to leadership for personal gain of the leader and those aligned with him. Leadership has flipped from protection as Moses outlined it into an authoritarian overlord demanding his bounty like Caesar. What we must realize is that Moses’ guidelines are patterned after a caring God, while Caesar and such overlords are patterned after the liar and thief we call Satan. The difference is the power of a giver and the power of a taker; and our experiences and sense of well being should send off alarms as to which we are experiencing. Are we winning or losing is another measure to distinguish which lord we are under.
Jesus Came to Restore God’s Leadership
From the obedience of Abraham to Moses to David; God raised up leaders to restore justice and peace in the land. Under the law given by Moses, man had a way of knowing what was good or evil and the consequence of his sin. The law did not make man better but man was aware again that he had choices and the consequence of those choices. The law was also given to rule people’s actions and to correct or remove the disobedient from harming the innocence. God has always made a place of rest for those that walked in his obedience and gave protection from evil overlords. The Old Testaments prophets were ministers of God intervening between good and evil. When laws failed to make our communities peaceful God initiated another way to restore man through a new heart that would be made from love. Jesus’ coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament through prophets in the millenniums before it actually occurred and it gave hope to people for relief from oppression.
In both the Old and New Testaments, God provided a way that leaders could be selected from among the people to rule or administer to the people under God’s loving care. They were to be leaders who honored God first of all and then who displayed truth and honestly before the people. We saw this type of leadership in King David whom God reigned over with loving guidance and help to rule God’s people with justice and protection. Even though David committed sin as king, he repented and returned to God who meted out his punishment, but did not abandon him. David was declared to be a man after God’s own heart because he loved God and confessed his sin when confronted. That is also what God expects of us. God prefers leadership that is wise, honest, walking in integrity and who would model righteousness before the people they lead. Leaders should inspire the people under their authority to imitate them. For a number of years biblical Israel had good leaders like Moses who led them in the right way even when they wanted to defect and follow wrong ways. God depended on his leaders to keep the people on track so they could enjoy the blessings God had for them. Moses was a good leader though not perfect. He led the Israelites from Egypt, delivered to them God’s Law and brought them to the entrance of the Promise Land where he died and was replaced by Joshua.
We Have Choice Again for Whom to Serve and Appoint As Leaders
Jesus was the best model for good leadership and He appointed good leaders to follow Him. We see Peter and the church elders again stating that leaders should be: “…of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.” This first century commandment was part of the doctrine of European rule where they fought off Muslim attempts to destroy Christian rule. Christianity and its principles were the standard for European rule over nations, even when they did not obey them, and that guidance has lasted from the Crusades to the present. Even when wicked authoritarian kings took office, they still claimed Christianity. King James authorized the English printing of the bible to make it accessible to English speaking commoners. The guidance of Christian principles and laws were available for all the people and they still remained in place in Europe when the pilgrims brought those principles to America where they are reflected in our three branches of government and Christian faith. America has a host of Christian churches from where appropriate candidates can be pulled for sincere and compassionate government service to its people.
Bully Leadership – Our Present Situation is Based on Our Choice
The coming of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us puts us back in a place similar to that of Adam and Eve. God is willing to protect, provide for and fellowship with His children again if we choose Him as our God. If we make no choice at all or choose wrong, the devil will be the overlord over us and our world. What we are experiencing today is a result of our choices. We choose who lords over us. Where we make no choice for God, the devil will lord over people. The devil is evil and he is a bully. We can see his spirit in people who lord over people with cruelty and hatred. Corrosion of Christian values in American churches and its people have brought us all the way to where we are today…being ruled by bullies as church overlords, government overlords and corporate overlords. They tell us what we had better do or else! Having well established systems in our nation, it has facilitated leaders who exploit them for personal wealth; and many people do not realize it was their choice through their chosen leader.
Systems that were set up to provide services to and for the American people have now switched over to bully demands. Our government exploits Americans through unfair taxation laws and corrupt leaders in churches and businesses that operate for their highest profit rather than for any advantage of the people. We have a lack of leaders of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom today. Americans are being exploited on every side and God said “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof (Jer 5:31)? From unhealthy foods and medicines full of unsafe chemical fillers to exorbitant prices of housing and fraudulent financial services, American citizens are paying through the nose to businesses that are not being blocked by our legislators because many of them are receiving their part of the bounty through kickbacks. When we look at the mandate given to us by God through scripture and then we look at where we are now, our decline cannot be denied. The problem is though whether or not we will use wisdom to return from our rapid decline to safer grounds or will we go into full decline like so many other nations before us.
What was once being done silently or incognito in past years are now being conducted out in the open with pride and boldness because Satan is receiving his glory. Leaders are now demanding their profit without shame. God said through Jeremiah: “Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this” (Jer 5:29)? We have legal bullies who have free rein to continue because proper authority has been cast aside for profit. How did we get here? Lobbyists created rendezvous between business and government where coalitions were being made to profit all involved. Unfortunately, a seduction ensued for the devotion of church leaders who felt left out of the wealth. Once they were on board, the people were easily silenced by their leaders. We got here because from the Christians to businesses to government, responsible people stop blowing the whistle on sin and corruption. They were told to “be a team player” and everybody thought to speak up was treacherous to the group, never mind the treachery to God. Leaders in churches, government and businesses went unchecked in power for too long. Even though God told the people to select righteous leaders to rule over them, celebrity leaders had already sprinkled stardust in the eyes of the people. Honestly and integrity was substituted for glitter and fanfare. America learned to put star power above God’s power. It became established tradition in our churches as Christians learned to hear and follow those religious leaders who came with fame and demands for high monetary benefits…”bring me a thousand…$500 line up over here.” Exaltation of fleshly leaders turned the tide of respect from anointed leaders to those that tickled our fancy. Hear the prophecy from millenniums ago:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2Ti 4:3-4
Our preachers were to be stewards over these words and had a responsibility to keep the people in remembrance of what God said but they too pursued their lusts for monetary gains and fame like their worldly idols. Once the church compromised, there was no framework in place to keep other institutions honest. It was the churches that originally called America to righteousness from slavery, saloons, whorehouses, many past gambling holes, public lewdness and other kinds of lawlessness. If you take away those original preachers who steered America in the right direction, we would have been destroyed a long time ago through corruption, lawlessness or civil unrest. God was at every point trying to remind our nation of His first instruction.
I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. Jer 5:5
I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me. Jer 35:15
When Aaron gave in to the temptation to make the people an idol god to serve, they were wholly corrupted and set for God’s destruction until their Moses returned and pleaded for God to spare them. It is God who raised up Himself a prophet for the people to provide a place of mercy for them in times of evil. But when a people will not hear that prophet, what hope could possibly be left. Jonah was the last hope to prevent Nineveh’s destruction.
When we see bullies leading us freely, we should all know that we are all in eminent peril. God is not the God of bullies. Bullies are an evil force ruling and leading us to oppression and destruction. Satan is the supreme bully and he sets up people like himself to lead people into hardship and destruction. That bully spirit is referred to as goats or wolves among sheep in the bible and God curses and denounces that spirit.
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Mt 25:32-33
Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle. Zec 10:3
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. Ezek 22:26-27
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Mt 7:15
People have always had some kind of god that they wanted to serve. When Israel did not want to serve the True God, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were happy to rule them and lead them in service to idol gods. Only Elijah’s service to God saved the people. Elijah was instructed to cut off idol worship so their leaders had to be destroyed. Not one was to remain in place to again pollute the people.
We Can Still Make the Right Choice
Once I made the decision for Christ and received His Holy Spirit I wondered why I was still dealing with that bully spirit wrecking my life. I searched God’s word to find out where I was missing what God promised. God began to show me little by little where the devil was eating my lunch. The devil was still lording over areas in my life through personal decisions I had made. I had to learn what wrong decisions I had made and cancel Satan’s permit. Lot chose to live in a notorious city called Sodom. His choice was based on selfishness toward his uncle, Abraham. The consequences he and his family experienced were based on his wrong decision. Children do experience the consequences of their parent’s deed. God reveals in the New Testament that we should consult Him in every decision. We should preference our words with “if it be the will of the Lord.” God’s deliverance defeats evil spirits and overlords who have taken illegal places of authority in their lives. Children of God have a right to be free and enjoy their liberty in Christ but the devil is a thief, using evil overlords of rob God’s people of their rights and privileges. Jesus told us so: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (Jo 10:10).”
What is new in our time of Christian faith is a God who will partner with any believer to cleanse his house and life of Satan’s intrusions. Overlords lurk everywhere to oppress the believer but God has promised to the believer life and that more abundantly. Our nation can overthrow Satan’s rule through evil and wicked men if we have faith in God and work with Him. God is a very present help in a time of trouble but we must call upon Him and work with Him. Our leaders should fight against overlords in our communities, state and nation; but if they will not, Christ has invested the power for an individual to run a thousand and for two to run ten thousand. Let’s utilize the power of Christ in unity to kick the bullies out!
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 Jn 4:4
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 