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Foundation For Good Leadership
At a period like this, when the nation's leadership is quacked and everybody does what he/ she likes; from politics to socio economics to religion, good leadership traits has been battered by corruption, selfishness and rebellious attitudes of the candidates for leadership born out of haste.
A good quality of our time has not been spent in understudying our good leaders in various fields. Therefore, the half baked leaders of yesterday are busy producing none baked leaders today across our nation, especially in our churches! A nation's failure or success depends and comes through the church. Hence if this nation will succeed, we must look deep and take serious the Church Leadership.
In the Church, many do not realize that although Salvation is free, there is a price to be paid for discipleship: This is a life committed into following closely after the steps of the Master, Jesus Christ. It is a day to day affair of consciously refusing to be patterned with the world.
Job was a tested and trusted leader in his days. He testified of God thus in Chapter 23:
I've followed him closely, my feet in his footprints, not once swerving from his
way. 11 (MSG).
Disciples die to the world and lose their opportunities in the world (the price), but the responsibility and the inheritance of the Firstborn belongs to them, so as to carry on the lineage of their Father.
We can find a parallel between the request of Elisha in the books of II Kings 2:9 and the promise of Jesus in John 14:12. These two lines are based upon the Rights of the Firstborn written in Deuteronomy 21:
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.' 17
The translation of Elijah took place at a time when darkness and heresies prevailed over Israel, as it is today in our nation. After the death of Ahab, with Jezebel being alive and well into Baalism: The request of Elisha at that time is an indication of the fact that there was a precious light reserved in the Mind of God for a day of apostasy like we have today. Let it be known by all that however dark the day may be, God is not distracted! He is up to something and His vessels are like arrows in the Hand of the Mighty Warrior.
Elijah went with Elisha: Elisha's spiritual education is important (II Kings 2), being a solid foundation for a good leadership. It shows us how Christ is to be learnt today. Having a double portion like Elisha, we become competent to represent Him here on earth. As Elisha learned on the way, following his master (Elijah), we are to learn from following Christ, the Head of the Church, before becoming a leader in the Church. Our spiritual education as to know Christ in heaven proceeds on the lines suggested by the four (4) places visited by Elisha as he trailed behind Elijah.
A) Gilgal: - II Kings 2:1 (Gilgal means Roll away')
The first place of our spiritual education as we follow Christ our Master is Gilgal. Under the leadership of Joshua (a type of Jesus) all bona fide sons of Israel were led to Gilgal and there they were circumcised. Joshua 5 says:
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.' 9
Gilgal speaks of a painful separation, the killing of the flesh. Before Elisha would inherit the double portion of his master, he must be liberated from the influence of flesh; otherwise, he will surely abuse the grace, so he came to Gilgal. In the same manner, we must come to Gilgal and mortify the deeds of the flesh before asking for God's anointing.
Take it or leave it, God will not bless and multiply error, that is why we are all call to visit Gilgal first before leading others to Christ or coming into leadership. This is a fact that we must embrace and pick the pieces from there. Apostle Paul wrote a lot regarding this same thing. He wrote in Galatians 5 thus:
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.' 19 21 (MSG)
The Apostle then took the following steps:
Philippians 3:3 He passed a vote of no confidence on the flesh.
Romans 13:14 He placed no budget and no provision for the flesh.
Colossians 2:11 He recommended a divine operation as a way out.
The most dangerous error that permeates the Church today is the true word of God in the hand of a carnal leader, who has never visited Gilgal for once!
If the foundation is destroyed what can the righteous do? Please let us build very well on this place and learn as Elisha did when he visited Gilgal with hiMay the same grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, keep you and establish your work in His Vineyard.
After following his master to Gilgal, Elisha continued with Elijah to another place. Despite Elijah's plea to Elisha to go back after learning all he needed to learn from Gilgal, Elisha refused to be a half baked successor of Elijah; he continued to the next symbolical place;
B) Bethel: - II Kings 2:2 (Bethel means The House of God').
This is the place of Divine communications and Divine faithfulness. God dwells in His House (Bethel) so as to communicate His mind Genesis 28:15 He is active here, and He speaks: Genesis 35:10 15 recorded five (5) times thus, God talked with him' Therefore Bethel has the most important place in relation to know Christ in heaven. What God is pleased to say to us is far more important than what we can say to Him. If we LISTEN to His speaking, we shall be detached from human thought and sentiment: then we shall be filled with what is of God.
After passing through Gilgal where the flesh is circumcised, then we can come to Bethel and listen very well (without the interference from the flesh) to God. This is the source of true worship from us to God. Reading the Bible very diligently has a role to play in your success at Bethel: The more you read His word (Bible), the clearer God talked with you. Bethel is the birthplace of Thus says the LORD'
Although, Bethel may look so fascinating to us, but as Disciples of Christ, we must follow the Master to Jericho.
C) Jericho: - II Kings 2:4 (Jericho means Sweet Smell')
Having circumcised the flesh and convincingly heard from God, we dare not jump out and start our own leadership. Elijah implored Elisha to go on his own having been to Bethel with him. However, Elisha realized that he was not through with the school of the Spirit yet, so he remained with his master.
This is the place where the great power of the enemy was overthrown. Here it was made known to us that the gates of hell shall not and it can not hinder God: Matthew 16:
And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock.
This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.'
- 18 (MSG)
Jericho represents the world on the intellectual side as marked by reasons and high things that raised itself against the knowledge of God. Isaiah 2:
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 11
See Acts 17:18 Paul learnt his lesson never to preach the gospel base on intellectualism (it amounts to nothing).
In Jericho, we prove that the power of God in Christ can overthrow every elements of obstruction to spiritual progress and prosperity. It should be noted that in moving from Bethel to Jericho, the instruction gets deeper. While you learn to hear at Bethel, Jericho teaches you to obey what you have heard.
D) Jordan: - II Kings 2:6 (Jordan means Descender')
Putting every thing together, we see Gilgal being a platform for Bethel and Bethel being a platform for Jericho. However, Elisha knew that the mantle of leadership was not yet on him, so he continued with his master Elijah, until he reached Jordan.
This is the place of decision. The Lord Jesus Christ led his own to Bethany (beyond Jordan). They saw at Jordan the emptiness of the power of death, when compared to the fullness of life upon the resurrected Christ.
Luke 24:
He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them, and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven.
And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes'
50 53 (MSG)
The consciousness of Jesus being alive and in heaven was made real at Jordan. Elisha had the same experience with Elijah (II Kings 2:7 14). See Acts 1: 8 9
The dews that come from Mount Herman flow down into River Jordan (Descender), from here life flows out to the environment. Every committed disciple must follow through to Jordan and earn the unction to function in leadership. At Jordan (death to Self), the mantle of Elijah descended upon Elisha, cloven tongues like as of fire descended and sat upon each one of the disciples, and God's willing our double portion will also descend upon us here at Jordan.
Conclusion:
Apart from the detour to Bethel, the journey of every disciple focuses on places connected with Israel's (disciple's) entry into the Promised Land (leadership).
Elisha was tested at every stage of the journey, and in God's own way we shall be tested as how far we are prepare to go with Christ. As Disciples of Jesus Christ, we should earnestly desire the double portion of the Spirit of Christ, which will distinguish (Anoint) us from what surrounds us (Religions). This will humbly separate and release us into the world, as Spirit filled people that will effectively stop the advance of evil in our nation.
God is still looking for one Elisha that will go all through to Jordan and receive the double portion to function in leadership. This nation is earnestly waiting for a good leader. It could be you!
