By Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos. (The End Time Church)
Part 1
Main Texts: 1 Samuel 12: 1-25, Romans 11:33-36
Every chance in life is an opportunity to choose. However, the consequences of those choices automatically follow. Nobody can have everything in the world; choice is the only thing that is left for all. But if someone thinks he or she is unable to make a choice, he or she has already made one – “indecision is already a decision”.
The emergence of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), at the just concluded 2015 Presidential Election was a choice that Nigerians made as a nation. Therefore, it is very important that the President-elect understand that he has been chosen to lead the nation and to contribute to her development and the people thereof.
It is equally important that he does not leave any agency of government and its parastatals ill-equipped like Saul did when he was King in Israel (1Samuel 13:22). People that will be chosen to work with the incoming administration should be men and women of integrity. They must be trained and tested in order to deliver the dividend of good governance to the entire nation. The President-elect must not base his leadership on propaganda and/or presumptuous battle. Patience and strategic thinking should be the hallmark of his government.
In addition, the President-elect, being a man of integrity, must also be skillful and be accountable to all in the dissemination of power throughout the nook and cranny of Nigeria.
We pray that the Lord will frustrate all activities of occults and “marabouts” that hang in corridors of power to confuse the leadership and draw their minds to the negative biddings that will not benefit this nation.
Related scriptures: 1Samuel 10:1-8, 1Samuel 8:7-18, 1Samuel 9:1-2, 1Samuel 10:20-25, 1Samuel 13:1-23, 1Samuel 11:1-8.
Part 2
Main text: Deuteronomy 32: 1-4
There is a palpable trepidation pervading the atmosphere within the country. The trepidation is based on the Preacher’s understanding of the fact that our God is a just God. The period we are at present is comparable to what happened when Moses prepared his handover notes to Joshua in (Deuteronomy 32: 1-4).
A pertinent question that arises from the scripture is – “who can make a just God rubberstamp injustice? Why would God present choices of life and death, good and evil, and urge His people to choose life that they may live?” (Deuteronomy 30: 15-29). It is because they have the power of choice to choose what they like. And he who chooses the beginning of a road has chosen the end of that road. (Deuteronomy 31: 24-29). And it would have been awesome if we had the freedom to choose what we like in life without consequences. But it is not so.
Moses warned the children of Israel on the consequences of not obeying God after his death. Similarly, Joshua warned them not to have any other god apart from Jehovah. (Joshua 24: 13-28).
Despite the earlier warning by Moses, years after he died, the children of Israel perpetrated all kinds of atrocities of their own choices. The consequences came and out of 600,000 able bodied men that left Egypt, only two made it to the Promised land.
We must understand the nature of God before toying with His justice. The foundations of His throne are justice and judgement. There is no destructive means that can bring about a constructive end.
Why do we keep quiet and maintain silence in the face of oppression, injustice and other atrocities being committed in our land? It is because if we say anything it will have repercussions.
Read Also:
Every time chances presented themselves in life, it is an opportunity to choose. But once a choice is made, consequences will automatically follow.
Was the choice of Saul as king, that of God or man? God gave them what they wanted. When you pursue things that are not in consonance with your destiny, it will sabotage and short circuit your destiny. (1 Samuel 9:15).
When the Israelites demanded for a king and God gave them what they wanted, they did not contemplate the consequences of what would happen thereafter. They never expected their king would become insane. They never knew that a distressing spirit from the Lord would torment him. What Saul did eventually plunged the nation into three years of terrible famine. He became a covenant-breaker that killed the Gideonites in his zeal without knowledge. The whole nation under the leadership of David paid dearly for it later.
Part 3
Main Text: Ecclesiastes 9: 11-17; John 7; 1-8
In the main text, the Bible declares that “the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise and riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill. But time and chance happens to them all.”
Why is the race not to the swift and the battle not to the strong? Many valiant men die in battles they had no business fighting and many swift people run ahead of God and outside of His direction into untimely death (2 Sam 2: 12-23).
The race is not to the swift because God can take flight out of the fast. Amos 2; 10-16. If the battle were to the strong, Goliath would have killed David. In Zion it is the lame that takes the prey. Similarly, riches are not to men of understanding because the fact that one is wise does not equate to riches or else professors should be the richest in the world.
Words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard rather than a shout of a ruler of fools. No matter how wise you are, if your word do not translate into what men will respect, they will despise you.
As reflected in Esther 2: 1-9, Esther obtained favour from the eunuch in charge of the beauty pageant to choose a queen for the king. An ounce of favour is greater than 10 years of labour. It was the same favour that led to her being chosen as queen. That is why favour is not to men of skill.
Whether you are strong in battle, swift of feet, wise and full of understanding, you still require time and chance. Every time there is a chance, an opportunity presents itself to make a choice. Once a choice is made, consequences must follow. You are where you are today because of the choices you made. (Deuteronomy 17: 14-29).
The clamour for a king by Israel was not the issue that displeased God but the fact that the timing was wrong (1 Samuel 16: 7-19). The difference between Saul and David was that Saul was not prepared for the assignment that was given to him but David was. It was a question of time and chance (Acts 13: 19-22).
Part of the problem of Nigeria is that men are not properly raised before they are released into leadership. Saul was looking for asses but he found a kingdom. He was bound to abuse the kingship of the kingdom because once a purpose is unknown, abuse becomes inevitable. Saul was given to Israel as king while David was raised as king.
In addition, what compounded the matter was not the choice of King Saul but the poor choices he made Saul, with each opportunity that presented itself. He was self-driven, self-centred, impatient and rebellious. Every time he was given an opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty to God, he blew it. He was supposed to wait for Samuel at Gilgal for 7 days, he didn’t. He was instructed to wipe out the Amalekites, yet he spared the king and fat cattle.
