Bible references:
Judges 3:7-11; 6:23-24; 14:5-6,19; 15 :14-19 ; 1 Samuel 10:5-6, 9-11; 11:6; 16:11-13; Exodus 31:1-6
Having taken us on a journey detailing the critical importance of leadership and various facets of what leadership entails (Leadership is Responsibility and Responsibility demands Wealth; Spiritual Leadership requires Spiritual Resources), On Day 10 of the PPFC, our leader Brother Theodore Andoseh brought us to a very important high point by expounding what constitutes the greatest spiritual wealth by which spiritual leaders emerge: The infilling of the Holy Spirit.
How Leaders Emerge
Leaders emerge when the Holy Spirit of God comes down upon them. Thus, it is the infilling of the Holy Spirit that makes leaders emerge.
As a ministry, one burden we are crying out to the Lord for in this fast is that some very ordinary people, whose names mean nothing at this point in time, shall be filled and emerge such that we have leaders and ministers of the gospel in one second. And that is possible by the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Biblical Exemplars
The book of Judges is replete with examples of how the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon an ordinary man produces an instant transformation resulting in the emergence of a spiritual leader to respond to the needs of the hour.
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- OTHNIEL: (Judges 3:7-11)
- GIDEON: (Judges 6-8)
- JEPHTAH: (Judges 11-12)
- SAMSON: (Judges 13-16)
All the above were ordinary men, unknown to the people/nation, and in possession of very little to no knowledge of God. In addition, they battled with varying personal deficiencies including an inferiority complex, being born out of wedlock, a background of hooliganism/gangsterism, etc. But when the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, Israel had LEADERS!
In the case of Gideon, the Holy Spirit came upon him and there emerged a man who persevered despite extreme exhaustion (Judges 8:4). The Holy Spirit is not a spirit of laziness – when He comes upon men, they work hard ! it is unscriptural to think that the coming of the Holy Spirit means everything would be easy and there would be no need to think, work hard, or make an effort. For Gideon, when the Holy Spirit came, he worked despite his tiredness.
All these leaders emerged, not on the basis of any formal training at some Bible College, favouritism, or the conferment of titles. Only one factor made the difference – the coming of the Spirit of God upon them.
In Samson’s case, three levels of the infilling of the Holy Spirit are reported. At level one, he killed a lion (Judges 14:5-5); at level two, he killed in tens (30 men) (Judges 14:19); and at level three, he became a killer of thousands (Judges 15:14-16). The jump from one level of anointing to another was not an arithmetic progression – those were leaps and bounds! THE HOLY SPIRIT CHANGES A MAN!
However, just like Samson, many believers do not maintain the infilling of the Holy Spirit due to sin, backsliding, and unbelief.
The Anointing Changes a Man, not Appointments
For the rapid emergence of leaders, the Holy Spirit is the one crucial factor, not appointment to an office or position.
In the case of Saul, although he had been appointed king by the Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 10:1), it was only when the Holy Spirit came upon him that he became a different man and a leader emerged, giving Israel a king (1 Samuel 10:9-11). Thus, the selection, designation, and anointing were not enough to make Saul a leader; he needed the Holy Spirit upon him.
Leadership does not come by Appointment, Elections or Plebiscite! Leadership emerges by the Spirit of God coming upon a man. Beware of seeking, having, or being satisfied with a position or an appointment without (actual) leadership. Leadership emerges when the Spirit of God comes upon a man. Many have not been filled with the Holy Spirit in power because they are satisfied with their position and they are busy protecting it.
It is interesting to note that King Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit multiple times (1 Samuel 11:6). Thus, the thinking that once you have been filled and have had some experience, there is no need for further infilling is neither rooted in the Bible nor in experience.
The Anointing is Transformation, not Manifestations
In the case of David – in contrast to King Saul – the Spirit of the Lord also came upon him in power when he was anointed and stayed upon him from that day on (1 Samuel 16:11-13). Further, when the Spirit of God came upon David in power, there was no agitation, tumbling, falling over, or other ‘exciting’ physical manifestation. Saul experienced rage, prophecy, ecstasy, and other physical manifestations (1 Samuel 10:2-7, 9-11).
The difference between both of them was in the level of heart preparation. When people prepare, the coming of the Holy Spirit does not necessarily come with a ‘show’ or with numerous physical ‘displays’. Many agitations and manifestations are the result of the Holy Spirit encountering that which is foreign or contrary to Himself when He comes.
In David, the Holy Spirit came in power and simultaneously with Samuel’s anointing. In Saul, even after Samuel’s anointing, he still needed the ministry of praise and prophets in order for his being to be opened for infilling.
So, the infilling of the Holy Spirit is not the manifestations that accompany it, even though that is what most people who talk about the Holy Spirit talk about – manifestations. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is more than just manifestations; it is TRANSFORMATION; it is EMERGENCE – becoming another man.
This is what can happen to CMFI. This is what is lacking, and we must be honest enough to face this truth.
The Anointing in Practical Service
Even in practical things or ‘ordinary’ service, the infilling with the Holy Spirit is the critical factor in the emergence of leaders. The example of Bezalel in Exodus 31:1-5 is a clear demonstration of this truth. The Spirit of God came upon Bezalel with a broad spectrum of leadership capacitation. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, filled with wisdom and understanding, filled with knowledge, and filled with all kinds of skills (craftsmanship). What a full life!
Going further to Exodus 31:6, we are presented with three categories of divine enabling: The infilling with the Holy Spirit; Appointment; and Gifts/Skills. Here, God clearly distinguishes the infilling with the Holy Spirit from Appointment, and from Skills. While Bezalel was filled with the Holy Spirit, Oholiab was appointed to help him, and other workers were given skills to contribute to the work. Thus, the Holy Spirit is not a skill or an appointment. Where leadership is concerned, it is the Holy Spirit who makes leaders emerge.
Leading by the Holy Spirit
Leadership is wealth, spiritual leadership demands spiritual wealth, and the spiritual wealth we need for spiritual leadership are the gifts and ministries given by the Holy Spirit when He fills us. The spiritual wealth we need for spiritual leadership comes from the fullness of the Spirit. We lead with spiritual gifts and ministries that the Holy Spirit gives, not with our own ideas or much learning.
Timothy was very gifted yet Paul warned him against ‘foolish and stupid arguments’ (speculations and controversies) (2 Timothy 2:23). Rather, he was charged to ‘fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands’ (2 Timothy 1:6). ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Simply put, you have spiritual gifts, stir them up and use them.
Moses had a lot of learning and was mighty in marshall training, in word, in deed, and in social standing, among others. He was exceptional in every way, yet when he tried to lead on the basis of all these, he was an utter failure (Exodus 2:11-15). But when he met the Lord and received spiritual gifts from Him, everything changed (Exodus 3&4).
The Holy Spirit does not ‘improve’ a man, the Holy Spirit transforms a man completely such that he becomes a different man in who he is and in what he is able to accomplish.
The Goal of the Fast: A Reminder
The goal of the fast is not about being filled with the Holy Spirit. The goal of this fast is to raise a large army of leaders for the rapid accomplishment of our goal. We need the infilling of the Holy Spirit because that is how God raises a large number of leaders in a short time.
We desperately need many leaders to contain the growth we already have and to be able to move ahead to have more growth because God puts people in the hearts of leaders, just like He places children in families. We need a large number of leaders who will carry the people that God has given to us, and we need a large number of leaders so that God may give us more people.
And how shall we have those leaders? Through an encounter with the Holy Spirit; it is the Holy Spirit that gives what it takes to be a leader in a short time – spiritual gifts, spiritual fullness, spiritual ministries, and all that is needed to be a spiritual leader.
Thus, we are not saying that we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit just so that we may have the power of the Holy Spirit because it is not about ‘using’ the Holy Spirit. In other words, our goal for the fast is not the infilling of the Holy Spirit in and of itself, rather, it is for God to meet our need to raise a large number of spiritual leaders, and the fastest way for this to happen is by THE INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Amen!
