LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY 1

25 YOUR PRINCES PLOT CONSPIRACIES JUST AS LIONS STALK THEIR PREY. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.
26 YOUR PRIESTS HAVE VIOLATED MY INSTRUCTIONS and DEFILED MY HOLY THINGS. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. AND THEY DO NOT TEACH MY PEOPLE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS CEREMONIALLY CLEAN AND UNCLEAN. THEY DISREGARD MY SABBATH DAYS SO THAT I AM DISHONOURED AMONG THEM.
27 YOUR LEADERS ARE LIKE WOLVES WHO TEAR APART THEIR VICTIMS. THEY ACTUALLY DESTROY PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR MONEY!
28 AND YOUR PROPHETS COVER UP FOR THEM BY ANNOUNCING FALSE VISIONS AND MAKING LYING PREDICTIONS. THEY SAY, ‘MY MESSAGE IS FROM THE SOVEREIGN LORD,’ WHEN THE LORD HASN'T SPOKEN A SINGLE WORD TO THEM.
29 Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice."
Ezekiel 22:25–29 (NLT)

• Leadership is a responsibility. If the people failed, It is because their leader has failed.

• Leaders are pathfinders. Leaders give directions to the people they are leading. If a leader misses it, those who are following him or her would do also:
  "FOR THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE HAVE MISLED THEM. THEY HAVE LED THEM DOWN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION" (Isaiah 9:16 NLT).
• If you are in the position of leadership, you need to work on yourself, that you might not lead the people under your leadership astray.
• In our text, the priests who supposed to stand before God, on behalf of the people, and present their matters to Him, were violating the laws of God and defiling the holy things. They could not differentiate between what is holy and what is unholy.
• They also failed to teach the people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean.
• In the passage, we could see that the leaders of the people of God failed in their responsibilities:
  a. They did not set a good standard for the people to follow. Those who supposed to be a good example for the people they are leading, they were the ones violating God's laws, and defiling the holy things.
  b. The priests also failed to teach the people about the percepts of God—the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean (Ezekiel 22:26).

• Levels of leadership.

• Whatever level of leadership you may find yourself, you are not there accidentally, God puts you there:
  "LET EVERY SOUL BE SUBJECT TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES. FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, AND THE AUTHORITIES THAT EXIST ARE APPOINTED BY GOD" (Romans 13:1 NKJV).
• Leadership in the country, that is, political leadership, and the leadership in the church of God, and the family leadership, are all ordained by God (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13,14).
• Whoever is leading should not do it to lord it over the people, or oppress them, but to make them be whatever God wanted them to be—especially the ministry leadership (1 Peter 5:2,3).
• If you are a public office holder, do not use your office, position of power, to oppress the people you are leading (Ezekiel 22:25). The truth is, every wicked leader would be judged.
• A number of those who are political office holders do not know that they are accountable to God.

• Strategic role of a leader.

• God knows the strategic importance of a leader.
• If you are a bad leader, you would influence the people under your leadership negatively or badly.
• God detests bad leadership. Because you are a role model, you cannot afford to live a carefree life—irresponsible and unconcerned life.
• Are you oppressing the people under your leadership or you are leading them into fulfillment? (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2,3).
• A political office holder might think they are not responsible to anyone because such got to that office through the rigging of election and bribery; but they would have questions to answer before God.
• Likewise, a ministry leader who runs the ministry as he or she likes would one day give an account of their stewardship before God (2 Corinthians 5:10).
• You are mismanaging the ministry's resources because you think you are not accountable to anyone. In fact, no one can talk to you or call you to order the way you run the church or ministry. You would give an account to God one day.
• A family leader who oppresses the spouse and the children should also know that he would stand before God to give an account.
• As the head of the family, you also have Jesus as your Head, and He would not be happy If you mistreated your spouse and children (Ephesians 5:23).

• What type of ministry leader are you?

• Can people follow you and make heaven?
• What are you teaching the people under your leadership?
• Remember, leadership is a responsibility. You have a duty or a responsibility, as a ministry leader, to do things as God wanted you to do them; and not as you do want.
• If you had missed it, in the way you lead in your ministry, repent and change, and allow God to lead you and work through you in the leading of His people.

• Some of the things to note, in order to be a good ministry leader.

• Endeavour to build a strong relationship and fellowship with God.
• Submit to God's discipline or chastisement, when you erred (Hebrews 12:5-8).
• Cooperate with God through the Holy Spirit on the inside of you, and let Him work on your character. Usually this would task you, because you might be taken through some challenges. Godly character or approved character is built in the midst of challenges or tribulations of life:
  3 AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS, KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE; 4 AND PERSEVERANCE [endurance], CHARACTER [approved character]; AND CHARACTER, HOPE" (Romans 5:3,4 NKJV).
• Always seek to know His Will on every matter (Proverbs 3:5,6).
• Be a bendy believer, and be flexible in the hand of God.
• Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray on every thing you wanted to embark upon.

• If those who agitated or clamoured for leadership position knew the responsibility of the office, they would not want to take it without fear and trembling.

• God will judge every unfaithful leader:
  14 THEREFORE, IN A SINGLE DAY THE LORD WILL DESTROY BOTH THE HEAD AND THE TAIL, THE NOBLE PALM BRANCH AND THE LOWLY REED. 15 THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL ARE THE HEAD, AND THE LYING PROPHETS ARE THE TAIL.
  16 FOR THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE HAVE MISLED THEM. THEY HAVE LED THEM DOWN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION" (Isaiah 9:14-16 NLT).

• It is my prayer that you will not see the other side of God, His side of Anger, in Jesus' name.

• If you are sick in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!

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