Friday: Further Thought ~ Crisis of Leadership
Further Study:
“Iniquitous practices had become so prevalent among all classes that the few who remained true to God were often tempted to lose heart and to give way to discouragement and despair. It seemed as if God’s purpose for Israel were about to fail and that the rebellious nation was to suffer a fate similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
In the face of such conditions it is not surprising that when, during the last year of Uzziah’s reign, Isaiah was called to bear to Judah God’s messages of warning and reproof, he shrank from the responsibility. He well knew that he would encounter obstinate resistance. As he realized his own inability to meet the situation and thought of the stubbornness and unbelief of the people for whom he was to labor, his task seemed hopeless. Should he in despair relinquish his mission and leave Judah undisturbed to their idolatry? Were the gods of Nineveh to rule the earth in defiance of the God of heaven?” — Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pages 306, 307.
Discussion Questions:
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Summary:
At a time of insecurity, when the weakness of human leadership was painfully obvious, Isaiah was given a grand vision of the supreme Leader of the universe. Petrified by inadequacy but purified and empowered by mercy, Isaiah was ready to go forth as God’s ambassador into a hostile world.
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This week we have had a fair bit of discussion about the requirement for holiness on the part of leadership, but what is holiness? It is a lot more than being able to quote Bible texts and speak in lofty old English. True holiness has a much more earthy tone about it; a willingness to get your hands dirty in the work of the Lord.
We come back to that well-known quote:
If we go back to Isaiah 1 we find the same theme at the very beginning of Isaiah's prophecy:
The holiness of God is not found in some sort of introspective isolation of holiness contemplation. It is a practical down-to-earth unselfish concern and help for the needy in our community.
Paul also makes it very clear:
Holiness is much more than just high sounding words. It has a sense of where we are and what is needed.
The LORD Jesus Christ is Holy. Holiness is God. The Blood of Jesus Christ is Holy.
It is important to this conversation to recognise our responsibility:
God's plan for us is to be holy.
What is my take away from this week's study guide?
Rebellion - people refusing to accept the LORD as their Leader
Fallibility - of human leaders (49-3 yrs)
Separation - of authority and duties between King and High Priest, human and spiritual wisdom, state and church.
Holy, Holy, Holy - links to Rev 4:8, The Triune Godhead who was and is and is to come, 3 x Holy as opposed to 3 x Woe, the Divine Partnership as opposed to the counterfeit threesome.
Putting the burning coal in every day language - using activated charcoal to purify or remove toxins from the body.
These are my thoughts what are your take always from this week?
This week’s lesson reminded me of God’s involvement in human affairs. Human leadership is full of sinful activities, weakness and failure, but God doesn’t withdraw or separate Himself from us without appealing to us. He offers options that will bring us security and peace. We must be willing to trust Him and His way above all.
Eventhough we call ourselves christians, we are not perfect. We also continue to live in this fallen planet, thus we are not free from suffering too. But a life of focus in the love of God can be a choice to overcome pain. When the horrors of this world strike the believers, God is always there to rescue the soul, until the ultimate solution comes, which is the return of our Saviour and loving Jesus!
"28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works" (Psalm 73:28).
This lesson was very encouraging to me today considering all that is going on in America right now. I wonder if Isaiah's calling would be any easier today, I do not think so. The description of Israel at that time reminds me of us today. My only hope in this hopeless world is in my God.
I have been reflecting on the question of "How can you show that your God is in charge?". I don't think it is our responsibility to show that our God is in charge. If there was a demonstration of God's omnipotence I think it should come in how Christians live their lives in the presence of unbelievers, and those who do not know Christ. As Christians, I believe we accept that God is in charge by faith. Also, we can read about many stories in the bible where God has demonstrated that he is all-powerful. For me, it comes down to walking by faith because based upon what we can see it's not always apparent that God is in control.
Speaking as an American citizen as well as a Heavenly one - wow, could this week's lesson be any more appropriate?!
2 Peter chapter 2 speaks loudly to the crisis of leadership ..... prayers of gratitude for God's ruling Hand.....
Crisis of Leadership is all around us - at the home, in the educational system, the civic leadership, the governmental offices and last but not least, the leadership throughout the religious organizations. The crisis is brought on by corruption. The mind, its choices and related behavior can only reflect the condition of the heart.
What has changed from the days of Isaiah? The one, but extraordinary, real change which the world and the believer benefit from is that God has placed His Law into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Our hearts know what is right and wrong, our mind knows what is right behavior and was is not - we know what is the *Will of God*. We are not required to observe rituals any longer, do not have to come to a temple to sacrifice and do not have to contend with corrupted religious leadership establishing their own laws and so stand between us and God. God has done away with the old Covenant and provided the new one – the Covenant through Faith. Righteousness is now available through Faith.
All the responsibility for our salvation is now squarely resting in our faith efforts. Isaiah’s responsibility was to God not to the people. He was given a task to fulfill, a mandate - to educate the people about God's Will, His Thoughts and the Consequences should they be ignored.
The lesson writer states: “As he realized his own inability to meet the situation and thought of the stubbornness and unbelief of the people *for whom he was to labor*, his task seemed hopeless.”
I want to point out that our task is to only labor for our Heavenly Father, for no one else; not ourselves, the church or the people - we are called to do God's Will! If we take on authority-related responsibilities not assigned to us, we will fail; we will work based on our own strength.
But we are *responsible* for ourselves – our choices, actions, thoughts and feelings. All God calls us to, is to share with our fellow man *good works* motivated by His Love which He has placed into our hearts. This love is expressed in the choices we make regarding our own well-being and the well-being of our fellow man when we meet him in our daily lives.
Sharing our Heavenly Father's Way of Love and Light is to be a personal choice, it is not a coercion tactic by which the Father gets us to work for Him or for us to gain entrance into heaven. Sharing His Love with others is based entirely on our choice and desire to build a love-relationship with the Father and our Savior Christ Jesus.
The world seems to be in a mess. How would I prove that God is in control? By pointing to His word. He allows everyone free will to disobey His law - and yet He says 'Thus far and no farther'. I'd point to the prophecies of world dominion and how they've been fulfilled, to the image of Daniel 2 and how we're living in the toenail period, to the words of Daniel and those of Jesus, telling us what the last days will be like, before the 'great and terrible day of the Lord'. I see us living in the last days, and although everything seems chaotic I know He's allowing freedom of choice. I believe He's waiting for more of us sinners to come to Him and then, when He knows the harvest will yield no more (as He did with Jerusalem, Sodom and Gomorrah), He will 'destroy the city'. He's waiting now, through love. When debauched mankind under control of Satan have filled their cup and no more will come to Him, He will fulfil the prophecy of His coming.
I gather that, as in the days of Isaiah; and, as in the days of the Pharaoh, our hearts may be hardened and our ears spiritually deafened [1 Timothy 4: 1-12], if we fail to respond to the guiding spirit of truth. In my leadership, there is need for me to guard and preserve my gift of discernment and acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit's guiding.
My prayer is that we acknowledge, not grieve the Holy Spirit today; so that, when we have walked all the way with our Lord, we will be part of that great victorious number, "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!" [Revelation 5: 12]
May we intentionally choose eternal life, today.
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly: and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:11-12.
Crisis of Leadership
Do I as a leader know the words of Jesus enough to prevent myself from falling into Satan trap?
Last night I was speaking to my spouse who had a family member who died, his response was- all of us will die someday. I corrected him because the bible did not say that all of us
(whether Christians or non Christians) will die because according to the bible. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. Those who remains and are alive will be caught up together with those who died in Christ.
Many SDA also says no one is holy, righteous and perfect while living on this earth. My bible says- Job was perfect and upright. Job 1:1
Righteous- Noah was righteous Gen 6:9; 7:1. Luke 1:5-6.
Holy- the High Priest entering the Most Holy place on the day of atonement had to be Holy.
Could it be that we SDA do not understand what the terms and meaning of righteous, holy and perfect means?
Many will doubt the above text at Christ coming because he says when he returns he is not coming to change our characters but to give us our reward.