Equipping For Leadership

• If not, what are you doing about it?

It is imperative that we know the giftings and capabilities of those who are standing with us. We must be sure they have caught the vision, then own that vision. We cannot fulfil our mandate without others being given the opportunity to become a part of the same anointing, same mantle, etc., so the ministry is not built around one man, but will carry on even greater through those who have been equipped or "brought to full potential." To place a vulnerable person in the wrong place in the heat of battle is a sure cause of defeat. That’s why we all need to discover our own strengths and weaknesses and be equipped to win the battle rather than lose it!

David:

When it comes to equipping, David had God-given abilities to bring the best out in people. He knew how to turn failures into Leaders! Let us learn from him as we look at how he trained and equipped those who came and submitted themselves to him and his Leadership (even though hewas in hiding in the wilderness).

"David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress, or in debt and discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him" (1 Samuel 22:1-2, NIV).

David had been called, chosen and anointed by God to become the king of Israel. However, the present ruling king was Saul. Saul had been anointed to lead Israel (1 Samuel 10:1) and set out on a course of seeking to improve the strength of the army of Israel. Whenever Saul "saw any strong man, or any valiant ("strength, might, valour" - Wilson’s) man, he took him unto him" (1 Samuel 14:52, KJV).

The NIV says: " . . . whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service."

The AMP. says: " . . . whenever Saul saw any mighty or [outstandingly] courageous man, he attached him to himself."

Saul went for the best!

But Saul himself could not live-up to the expectations of an anointed Leader and man of God. In 1 Samuel 15 he falls into disobedience. When challenged by the Prophet Samuel, he makes out he has obeyed God, thus revealing self-deception. When exposed by the "bleating of the sheep" (verse 14), Saul confessed his disobedience was because he feared the people!

By the time we get to 1 Samuel 17 we discover that the fear that was in the Leader’s heart had now permeated through the whole army of Israel! Those mighty and brave fighting men had been reduced to frightened and broken men! They had become influenced by a negative Leader. The best in Israel were turned into "shattered and disillusioned wrecks"!

On the other hand, David, because of Saul’s disobedience, had now been anointed to be king over Israel. But Saul was still physically on the throne. The more David’s Leadership strengthsbecame known, the more threatened and insecure Saul became . . . to the point that Saul actively set out to destroy David. David was forced to flee to the wilderness, living in caves and on the mountains (1 Samuel Chapters 18 to 31).

Yet, more and more, people began seeing "hope" of a better future under David’s Leadership.In spite of David being "on the run" and being hunted by the ruling king (Saul), men everywhere were making decisions about where, and to whom, their allegiance lay! Because the anointing of God was on David he was growing stronger and stronger, and because the anointing of God had left Saul he was becoming weaker and weaker in his Leadership. Saul’s Leadership was not producing good results!

Many of Saul’s men began defecting from Saul’s Leadership to David’s Leadership!(This scenario continues to this day in the lives of many Christians and churches). 1 Samuel 22:1-2 tells us 400 distressed, in debt and discontented men sought David out in the wilderness to be their Leader!! (That reveals how important they felt it was to be under the right Leader!)

Those 400 men were:

• "in distress": meaning "anguish, distress, straitness" (Strong’s); "to distress by oppression" (Wilson’s); "1. to cause mental  pain to; upset badly" (Collins).

• "in debt": meaning "to lend on interest" (Strong’s); "to lend on usury, to loan" (Wilson’s); "1. something that is owed, such as money, goods, or services. 2. bad debt; a debt that has little or no prospect of being paid. 3. an obligation to pay or perform something; liability. 4.the state of owing something" (Collins).

• "discontented": meaning "bitter of soul" (Wilson’s); "not satisfied with one’s condition, or lot in life" (Source Unknown).

Those 400 men made a major decision. They could have stayed on in the "security" of a job in the army of Israel (under Saul’s Leadership), but become increasingly more unhappy and unfulfilled. Or . . . they could defect and join themselves to the persecuted David who was living in a cave!

They made the decision to change! They were sick of being failures under King Saul! So . . . they came to David and asked him to take them in. They submitted to him . . . and he accepted them as they were: distressed, in debt and discontented.

Submission meant they gave David permission to "speak into their lives," to make changes, to discipline, to bring correction . . . whatever was necessary to get them from where they were to where they were meant to be. They knew David could help them to succeed in life as men of God. They did not know how to change from failure to success (of themselves) otherwise they would have already done it! But David did! (And they knew that). So they submitted themselves toDavid’s Leadership, saying (in effect): "Please help us! . . . change us! . . . we want to be successful! . . . "

• David addressed their problems.

• He changed their attitudes.

• He trained them . . . and many others who also came to him.

• He trained and equipped them to be experts in war!

1 Chronicles 12 tells us about David’s army.

• They were trained to use both hands . . . right and left (1 Chronicles 12:2). This speaks of addressing areas of both strengths and weaknesses.

• They separated themselves unto David (1 Chronicles 12:8). This speaks of commitment to the man, the cause, the sorting out of their priorities as to what was really important to them for their future. They saw David as maybe their "last opportunity" to do something worthwhile with their lives (which had been previously wrecked by Saul’s fear and poor Leadership).

• They were disciplined to be physically fit . . . "they were as swift as gazelles ("small,graceful antelope" - Collins) in the mountains" (1 Chronicles 12:8, NIV). They had to be able to endure hardship, to "last the distance," to not be defeated by the laziness of the flesh.

• They were sure-footed (1 Chronicles 12:8). David trained them to know how to quicklytraverse difficult terrain, without spraining or breaking their ankles (which would render themtotally useless in warfare and life-threatening situations). This also speaks of being confident in the strategies that you have learned through the training methods of the Leader.

• David made them into captains over 100’s and 1,000’s! (1 Chronicles 12:14-18). They were so changed by David’s methods that they not only could do the above things, theycould also be trusted with the responsibility of other men’s lives!

• They could cross the Jordan River in flood (1 Chronicles 12:15). This was no easy task. If it was, why did not someone dive in and retrieve the ax head in Elisha’s day? (2 Kings 6:1-7).

• Their hearts had to be knitted ("joined in heart and affection") with David’s (1 Chronicles 12:17). To be effectively trained and equipped on a personal basis means that there has to be the forming of close, personal relationships. Each had to know they could trust and rely upon the other. There could be no room for "letting the Leader and/or side down" when the pressure was on, when the going got tough. David had to know his men, their calibre, character, resilience, what each could and could not do in given circumstances. That’s what training and equipping is all about. The process of equipping for Leadership could not effectively begin until David had that commitment from those who came to him that they were there to "help him" fulfil the purpose of God for his (David’s) life! When they were committed to his vision and purpose, he was committed to getting them where they needed to be. That process is a "knitting of heart" one to the other. David warned them that if they came with a wrong motivation or purpose to undermine his calling in God, then God Himself would deal with them. Once that commitment was given, "the Spirit came upon Amasai" to bring the confirmation of the peace of God through such a knitting of hearts. It was then that David "received them and made them captains." (See 1 Chronicles12:16-18).

In 1 Chronicles 12:33, 35-36 we are told three times they (David’s men) were "expert in war."

• "expert": meaning "to arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications)"(Strong’s); "to set in order" (Wilson’s); "set in order, array ("made ready by training andexperience of being put to the test") - one who has learned knowledge and skill" (Source Unknown); "a person who has extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field" (Collins).

David worked on those discontents . . . turned their lives around and made them into experts!

David trained and equipped his men in such a way that they knew and understood what to do . . . what had to be done (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Those men could "keep rank" (1 Chronicles 12:33):

• "rank": meaning "to arrange, as a battle, a vineyard (to hoe); hence to muster" (Strong’s);"to set the battle in array" (Wilson’s).

• "muster": meaning "1. to call together (numbers of men) for duty, inspection, etc." (Collins).

• "rank" (1 Chronicles 12:38): meaning "to prepare and set in order a military array" (Strong’s).

• They were not of double-heart (1 Chronicles 12:33). Divided loyalties are a real curse in Christianity. David made sure his men were of a single heart and mind. "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8, KJV).

FOUR YEARS?

It seems that it was approximately four years between 1 Samuel 22:1-2 and 1 Chronicles 12. In those four years David made expert fighting men out of a bunch of failures.

Those "failures" needed a Leader like David to address their problems and weaknesses . . . to get them out of debt . . . to get their systems cleansed of the bad experiences of the past . . . to change them into men who were committed to making David king over Israel. They needed David to help them become valiant Leaders! David needed them to help make him king! They became of "one heart" (1 Chronicles 12:38) to make David king.

And they did it! They did it in four years!

WHAT CAN WE ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS?

Regardless of how we see ourselves right now, if we apply ourselves, seek out a Leader (or Leaders) who can "speak into our lives" to bring about positive change, etc., then there is no reason why any of us cannot become good Christian Leaders . . . experts . . . in this next period of time. The need worldwide, right now, is for the raising up of LEADERS . . . men and women who are IMPACTED BY GOD, TRAINED and EQUIPPED BY GOD’S LEADERS to be of one heart to make Jesus Lord and King as together we gather in the end-time harvest.

WE MUST GUARD AGAINST FALLING AS A RESULT OF OUR BEINGSUCCESSFULLY TRAINED AND EQUIPPED!!

It is always a great tragedy when a good man or woman, successful in the Christian Ministry (andespecially a Leader) crashes out of things because pride enters in and clouds their judgment. Uzziah was such a tragedy. Let us look briefly at that man’s life:

King Uzziah or Azariah (2 Kings 14:21; 2 Chronicles 26): "Uzziah" means "my strength is Jehovah" or "Jah is strong"; "Azariah" means "helped of Jah" or "Jah is keeper." (Having the right meaning name does not stop one from falling!)

Uzziah became king of Judah at only 16 years of age. He came into great responsibility at an early age. He served God, doing what was right in His sight: "As long as he sought after God, God made him to prosper" (2 Chronicles 26:5, KJV).

• He was a builder . . . of places, cities, things and men.

• He was a destroyer of the enemy’s walls (2 Chronicles 26:6), breaking down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod.

• He established himself, with God’s help, as a conqueror of nations, namely the Philistines and the Arabians. He obviously subdued the Ammonites in such a way as to get them to give "gifts" unto him (2 Chronicles 26:7-8). His reputation as a "winning warrior" spread far and wide . . . even to Egypt.

Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, in the desert and dug out many wells, owned much cattle and loved husbandry. His building of towers and digging of many wells was a well-executed strategy in giving him the advantage over the enemies of his day. The towers gave him the advantage of being able to see further into the distance and so be earlier warned of an approaching enemy army. The towers also were built close to the wells in order to govern who used them. Water is an absolute must in every person’s life. None of us live too long without water, especially in those hot, dry climates of the Middle East. And Uzziah controlled the water supplies! He also had afighting army of 307,500 men serving under 2,600 Leaders (that’s an average of 118.27 men perLeader!). Uzziah had everything going for him, even God helping him because of his heart to seek after God.

He was a very creative Leader:

" . . . he made in Jerusalem engines ("inventions, thoughtful works"), invented by cunning("skilful") men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks ("a corner, a battlement in a wall" - Wilson’s), to shoot arrows and great stones withal . . . " (2 Chronicles 26:15, KJV).

" . . . he produced engines of war manufactured in Jerusalem, invented by brilliant men to shoot arrows and huge stones from the towers and battlements. So he became very famous, for the Lord helped him wonderfully until he was very powerful" (TLB).

Uzziah’s creativity kept him ahead of all the other Leaders of the surrounding nations. This gave him a huge advantage in his being able to defend his kingdom, as well as to be able to dictate the strategies in warfare. He controlled the water and the weaponry, and used the towers to watch and guard his territory. A smart Leader! 

BUT!

There came a change. Pride entered into his heart. Uzziah started to trust in his own success, his own strength . . . the more it went on, the more invincible he felt. Pride, then arrogance, took over. Then he violated against God’s plan, became unteachable and unmanageable, even to the point of offering incense in the temple unto God. That was the ministry of the priests, not of Uzziah. Judgment fell and Uzziah became a leper to the day of his death. That meant he became ostracised and had to carry the stigma of being a leper from then on. Not a very nice situation to be in.

• 52 years of ministry was spoiled!! (verse 3).

What a tragedy!

"How are the mighty fallen . . . !" (2 Samuel 1:25).

And he was such a good commander of men! Then he became a "has-been," a hindrance to the purposes of God. Uzziah’s negative influence became a blockage to the ongoing revelation from the heart of God. Instead of his expertise being used to train and equip others for Leadership responsibility, the very opposite happened. Uzziah became the problem and the training, equipping and releasing of others stopped. He would never again be restored. He remained a leper to the day of his death.

Isaiah 6:1 records: "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up . . . "

In a year where death was experienced, God broke through! (Out of death comes a new release, a new vision, a new understanding of the ways of God, a new arising of a Leader, or Leaders.) On Uzziah’s removal from this earth (and only then) did a fresh revelation come to the Prophet Isaiah of the call of God for service:

"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me" (Isaiah 6:8).

When Abram’s father (Terah) died, God spoke to Abram about his life’s missions call (Genesis 11:32 to Genesis 12:1-4). On that word from God, Abram and Sarai went out in faith into a new place, new experience, new lifestyle, new ministry. His father’s death released him to go.

Like as when King Saul died and David ascended to the throne, so when Uzziah died it opened a new day of opportunity for people to respond to God’s call for Leadership and service.

Just as success as a result of being EQUIPPED FOR LEADERSHIP causes people to rise and become experts, so does failure in the lives of Leaders cause people to decline and become "has-beens," . . . failures, even despising those who they had trusted to lead them. It is always a great tragedy when a Christian Leader goes the way Uzziah did in his latter years.

Let each of us be very sure that we know a present tense anointing of God in our lives . . . and not be trusting in something we had "back there."

This is a day for Leaders to be trained and equipped with the skills necessary for us to reap a tremendous harvest for Jesus . . . and retain it, because we have the confidence and competence to lead others, and make right decisions along the way.

God bless you.

Ask yourself . . .