Christian Living

ARE YOU JEALOUS FOR MY SAKE?

by Chi Onwuchekwa
12/03/18
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“But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” Numbers 11:29

Welcome to this edition of the REVIVE Journal.

Sadly and frequently are noted incidents of God’s servants or leaders who by speech or action show that they do not expect anyone under their care and leadership to exhibit or show signs of being anointed or Spirit filled to the same extent as they are.

In Numbers 11 is an account of how Moses took his concerns on the overwhelming pressure of caring for God’s people to God. In verse 14, he said:

“I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.”

God’s response to this can be found in verses 16-17. The Lord said to Moses:

“”Gather to Me seventy men of the elders … I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.”

Moses did gather the seventy; sixty-eight showed up and two remained in the camp. And the Spirit also rested on the two but when they began to prophesy, Joshua, one of Moses’ choice men said to him:

            “Moses my lord, forbid them.”

Moses’ response? I love the way the Contemporary English Version of the Bible expresses Moses’ response in Numbers 11:29. It states:

“But Moses replied, "Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the LORD would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet."

God’s kingdom is groaning under the weight of a great harvest but with few laborers. Yes, many are coming into the kingdom on a daily basis, but if we do not allow them to be filled with God’s Spirit and anointed for the work, it would be near impossible to fulfill all of God’s agenda for the end time church.

Moses had hundreds of thousands of men with him but they were of little or no use to him except and until he took them to the Lord that they might also receive and carry the same anointing as he did.

Personally, I have heard and seen Pastors and leaders who feel threatened when they observe members who show signs that they carry God’s presence and power. I have observed leaders in ministry try to ‘bench’ them so their gifts and anointing are not a threat to theirs. This is wrong.

Those with genuine Kingdom interest in their heart will celebrate those who carry God’s anointing and power, even if they are children and teenagers. God gives His Spirit to those under our care for the same reason He gave His Spirit to the seventy elders under Moses’ care – to raise equipped helpers for those who lead so they would not bear the burden for the Vision and the People alone!

I believe that if we would align our thoughts and reasons with those of God, then we would see them as helpers and not threats.

I also know that sometimes we find those who consider themselves more worthy of being the leaders rather than their spiritual parents. This is the Absalom spirit (2 Samuel 15) and though anointed, they are not really ‘fit’ for kingdom roles and assignment until properly discipled and weaned of the ‘ambitious and proud spirit’.

I am referring rather to those who, though presumably imperfect (as we all are) but who show great potentials of becoming battle-axes in God’s hand. We acknowledge them as our spiritual children and they acknowledge us as their spiritual parents. Accordingly as it is in the hearts of every parent, our yearning and prayer is that our children (spiritual or biological) will be greater than us. And when they show signs of that greatness, we must encourage and nurture them and their gifts until they become a source of eternal praise to God the Father. Afterall, it is said that one of the signs of successful leadership is the ability to reproduce self and raise successors.

I beseech us by the mercies of God that we resist and reject the spirit that births the thought that the leader alone must be and be seen as the only qualified person to walk in God’s anointing.  The spirit that spoke through Joshua, nudging Moses to forbid those who were walking in his anointing is not of God. How could that spirit be of God when it was God Himself who came up with the idea of anointing the seventy elders with the same anointing as Moses’?

Rather, like Moses we must long to see the people under our spiritual care anointed and filled with God’s Spirit, we must long to see them built up and equipped to do greater works that we do; we must mentor them, encourage them, celebrate the grace of God on their lives and give them every opportunity and platform to minister and grow in their gifts. And as we do so, we greatly multiply the laborers on the harvest field and give God’s end-time agenda the chance of being fulfilled.

This is the heart and will of God for His people.

Shalom!

Chinwe Onwuchekwa

www.thereturnoftheking.wordpress.com