Stars shine together. When the law of relationship is broken, it is difficult to have anything else because things flow from life. By clinging, a man is given a spiritual touch that he may not have on his own. There is always something that God cannot give you except through another man.
A classic example is Saul of Tarsus. On the road to Damascus he asked – what will you have me do? But God told him to go to Damascus and he would be told what to do – why? So that he may not be independent afterwards. He was sent to an unknown Ananias, so that through him God may speak to Paul.
Tragically, in the pride of human hearts, men would build all other relationship except the one that God wants them to build. Let us walk by our hearts and not by our heads. If God moves you to do something, do it. It may not always be intelligible in the beginning. Dare to be true. The person who responds spontaneously will have more and more openings. Be spontaneous in the expressions of your heart, don’t keep them.
These sweet things that flow from the heart may later on be like wine that has fermented. They may loose their flavour. Lay hold on what may not be there afterwards.
One thing that is known is – The men of glory are not mathematicians. We were meant to move by the heart and not by the head. Great men are those who, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit responded spontaneously.
The people around Watchman Nee were pretty independent, each one of them did not want to be called a follower of Watchman Nee. Each one wanted to prove original. Because of this, there was no one who put on (imitated) Watchman Nee. They did not get close enough to have put him on, so as to continue the work in glory after Watchman Nee.
China has a pitiable record of Christian leadership today, and there is no Watchman Nee type around there. Joshua was besides Moses unlike these Chinese besides brother Watchman Nee.
Only Moses was invited to the mountain. Joshua, by rank and merit was not named among those who were to go up to the mountain. But he was Moses’ servant and went with him as a nobody (not called by God, but as a servant ).
While Moses was preparing for six days to go up to God, Joshua was with him and did the same. While God showed Moses the heavenly model, Joshua saw it. When Moses was in his supernatural 40-day fast ( no food, no water) Joshua also took part.
Joshua did not contest to be successor. He had qualification that others did not have. By the time that he came back from the mountain, it was clear that if ever God wanted a successor, it would be Joshua.
Joshua and Caleb were all men of faith, courage and war, but Joshua was in addition to these, a servant. It was so, and it will always be so. The winning mark will be acquired through association with another. We will never get it on our own. Examine your heart in this matter and confront the distortions.
Physically, king Saul was a shoulder higher than every one else. He was to, by radical obedience to Samuel build spiritual height, a shoulder high above all the others too. He was God’s king but had to be under the authority of a man. Instead, he was caught up by the preliminary promotion of God.
The first promotions of God are into a position of test. If at the preliminary promotions a man humbles himself, God will give him a greater promotion. If he is proudly mad about it, God demotes him.. God’s preliminary promotions are a test of qualification for the greater posts.
ZT Fomum in ” The Character And Personality Of The Leader ” (coming soon)