BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP                 by John Walton

• 1. Leaders are capable, but vary in their level of responsibility. Exd 18:25 (KJV)  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
• 2. Have a revelation of God. Exo 24:11 (KJV) And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.  
• 3. Must have an accountable life. (Lev 4: 22 (KJV) When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;23  Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:
• 4. Appointed from within. (Num 1: 16 (KJV) These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel. 
• 5. Appointment and recognition important. (Num 3: 32 (NIV) The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.  
• 6. Dedication before the Lord important. (Num 7:11 NIV For the LORD had said to Moses, "Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar." 
• 7. Leaders are to be presented and are known. (Num 11:16 NIV) The LORD said to Moses: "Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. v17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone. 
• 8. Leaders lead forward, never back. (Num 14:4 NIV And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
• 9. Must have staff of authority. (Num 17:2 NIV "Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. (Num 17:6 NIV) So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. v7 Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.
• 10. Anointing through laying on of hands. (1 Sam 10:1 NIV) Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?
• 11. Leaders after the Lord's heart. (1 Sam 13:14 NIV ) Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?
• 12. A leader is a gatherer of people. Cares about and serves them. (1 Sam 22:2 NIV) All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
• 13. Leaders have many tears and fervent prayers. (2 Ki 20:5 NIV) "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.
• 14. Outstanding leaders are brave, choice men/women. (1 Chr 7:40 NIV) All these were descendants of Asher--heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders.
• 15. Leadership gifting often runs in families. (1 Chr 24:4 NIV) A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar's descendants than among Ithamar's, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar's descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar's descendants.
• 16. Leaders are wholehearted and generous, then the people rejoice. (1 Chr 29:9 NIV) The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
• 17. Leaders lead in humbling themselves. (2 Chr 12:6 NIV) The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is just." V7 When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves,
• 18. Leaders must be separated from world. (Ezra 9:1 NIV) After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.
• 19. Need to know God's principles. (Neh 9:34 NI After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.
• 20. They have intuitive reasoning from God. (Job 12:24 NIV) He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste. v25 They grope in darkness with no light;
• 21. Leadership appointment must proceed revival. (Psa 109:8 NIV May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. (Acts 1:20 NIV) "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, "'May another take his place of leadership.'
• 22. Leaders are committed to be close to God. (Jer 30:21 NIV) Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?' declares the LORD.
• 23. Must be without partiality and don't assume God approves. (Micah 3:11) Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."
• 24. Lead with diligence. (Rom 12:8 NIV) if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
• 25. Leaders are being watched for their lifestyle and faith. (Heb 13:7 NIV) Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
• 26. Leaders are watchmen and give account to God for their followers. (Heb 13:17 NIV) Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to youv18  Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way.

Blessings from,  John

  It is crucial to understand that being deceived by Satan, the Evil One, does not end when a person becomes a Christian and receives the regenerating life of God. Satan’s ability to blind our minds is frustrated only to the degree that his deceptive lies are driven away by the light of truth.  Even though a believer’s heart is renewed and his will has turned to God, the deeply ingrained tendency toward self-deception and, in some measure, the presence of the blinding power of the Deceiver on his mind, still manifest themselved in many forms, as the folowing statements from Scripture show:

1. A person is deceived if he is a “hearer…and not a doer” of the Word of God

(James 1:23) Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass;

2. He is deceived if he says he has no sin

(1 John 1:8)  If we say that we have no sin, we are false to ourselves and there is nothing true in us.

3. He is deceived when he thinks he is “something, when he is nothing”

(Galatians 6:3) For if a man has an idea that he is something when he is nothing, he is tricked by himself.

4. He is deceived when he thinks he is wise with the wisdom of this world

(1 Corinthians 3:18) Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise.

5. He is deceived by seeming to be religious, when an unbridled tongue reveals his true condition

(James 1:26) If a man seems to have religion and has no control over his tongue but lets himself be tricked by what is false, this man's religion is of no value.

6. He is deceived if he thinks he will sow and not reap what he sows

(Galatians 6:7) Be not tricked; God is not made sport of: for whatever seed a man puts in, that will he get back as grain.

7. He is deceived if he thinks the unrighteous will inherit the kingdom of God

(1 Corinthians 6:9) Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

8. He is deceived if he thinks that contact with sin will not have its effect on him

(1 Corinthians 15:33) Do not be tricked by false words: evil company does damage to good behaviour.

Bible

B – Born

Deu 9:10  And the Lord gave me the two stones with writing on them done by the finger of God: on them were recorded all the words which the Lord said to you on the mountain out of the heart of the fire, on the day of the great meeting.

I – Immortal

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart.

B – Believe

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the sign that the things not seen are true.

L – Learn

Hos 4:6  Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge; because you have given up knowledge, I will give you up, so that you will be no priest to me, because you have not kept in mind the law of your God, I will not keep your children in my memory.

E – Example

Eph 5:1  Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children;

The Armor of God