He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands. Psalm 78:70-72.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
There is really only one way you can live free. Jesus told you, “If you continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32. Free from what? Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:35-36.
There is a deception of the devil that many in political office and positions of authority have received as their own mindset and are living even now in every arena of life, from parenthood, to education, to businesses and corporations, and even in churches. And what is this lie of the devil? “Your position of authority is for your personal glory, power, and gain.”
But My perception of leadership and authority is not that at all. I gave all authority in Heaven and on earth and under the earth to My Son, and He came to serve you and not to be served, to give His life as a ransom for all. And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Even now He lives to forever make intercession for you as your great High Priest, Hebrews 7:24-26 and to lead you, care for you, and protect you as your great good Shepherd.. Hebrews 13:20-21; Revelation 7:17. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
I promote you to positions of leadership to feed and tend My sheep and My lambs not to beat and get fat on My sheep and My lambs.
Thus says the Lord LORD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.” Ezekiel 34:
And what was My conclusion? I would judge those shepherds and remove them and I Myself would come down and shepherd My flock. By sending Jesus. And I would raise up leaders like David. Ezekiel 34:7-23.
Do you remember all I said about David? A man after My own heart who would carry out My every wish.
He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands. Psalm 78:70-72.
A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A good shepherd leads his sheep to prosperity and freedom with justice. A shepherd who only is there for his gain will impoverish the flock and line his own pockets while they are trapped in the slavery of debt and really own nothing for the finance company owns it all.
Herod thought the kingship was for him and he was free to use it for his personal desires and gains. He offered half the kingdom to Salome when she performed her erotic dance and instead of taking him up on that she asked for her mother’s wish of he head of John the Baptist on a platter. And Herod, feeling he owned it all and no one had any say but him without a trial, without justice, without anyone stopping him, he ordered the guards to lop off the head of the man who was greater in My eyes than any man born of woman up to the time of his birth.
And Herod thought he was greater, but he later learned different when he stepped over the line too far by taking praise as being a god and not a man after he had just ordered a number of innocent people killed. I justly executed justice for My Covenant people and My angel took him out of his position so he could harm My people no more. And he died eaten by worms, yes, he went to hell.
And yet when John spoke Herod was attracted to his words and could so easily have repented of his evil ways. I sent Jesus right before him as well and Herod mocked Him to His face. I had offered him the best—John and Jesus—but he went his own way and he is there with his master now, the “god” of this world. And what did he lose all for? Just some worldly fame and lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. And yet he dwelt in the midst of and governed My holy people and he himself was familiar with the Scriptures. I had entrusted him with much and offered him much but he threw it all to the dogs. He saw it as his own power and position that was only to be used as he wished to satisfy his pride and flesh.
Solomon saw his kingship that way late in his life. He no longer was desiring wisdom to govern My people but took the treasury for his personal use as a way to build palaces, gardens, parks, and other things for his enjoyment and personal glory. And he put the people into hard labor as his servants to do this.
These are his own confessions of how he finally was running the Kingdom, at first all was for My glory, but like King Saul, later it changed to his own glory.
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines . . . all that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure. Ecclesiastes 2:4-11.
But I promote you to positions of authority to be a shepherd to My people under your good Shepherd Jesus and the servant of all.
Do you remember what Jesus told Peter when He appointed him to be leader of the brethren?
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17.
And many years and after much growth in the church, Peter wrote to those pastoring the new church plants throughout the area, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4.
The greatest one among you is the one who serves the rest. That sounds strange to most leaders, they think that is a weak position, but it is not. Solomon put a heavy burden on the people he had originally made prosperous and joyful under his reign in the latter years of his reign. And they felt rebellious. When Solomon died and his son Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. But the people first had a question for Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 1 Kings 12:4. But Rehoboam answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:13-14. And that was when the Kingdom of Israel split apart with the tribe of Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites staying under Rehoboam at Jerusalem and Judea, and the remaining tribes starting their own kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam from the tribe of Ephraim. And Ephraim and Dan led the people into the worship of molten gold calves at the high places in the allotted portions of Ephraim and Dan. They never returned to Me. And all those tribes were later taken over by Assyria. In the list of the 144,000 from Israel in the tribulation period who are saved, you will not find the tribes of Ephraim or Dan. You can go too far and lose our place if you are intent to go to another place.
I sent prophets to the rulers of Israel and to the rulers of Judah to turn them from their evil ways of leading My people into idolatry and away from Me for as the kings went so went the people. I sent the kings of Israel Elijah and Elisha, Hosea, Amos and Jonah, but those kings went from bad to worse and they were removed from the land by the invasions of Assyria way before Judah finally was burned down by Babylon. And for both Israel and Judah, the way the people went all depended upon the king. Judah lasted longer because it went back and forth from kings who led all into idol worship and sacrifice even of their children to idols to kings like Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah that followed me fully as David had done. But finally they deserted Me completely and went off into captivity. But due to the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Micah, Haggai, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Malachi, and leaders like Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel, Judah came back to Me again, and so it was at the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Because of My promise to David, I never let Judah be destroyed. One godly man can change it all for everyone. Like Noah, like Abraham, like David, but above all Jesus, for He was the second Adam and last Adam and the only man that perfectly kept My commandments. And He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and your great good Shepherd. I have put the government upon His shoulders and He shall rule from the throne of David and His kingship will be without end.
The great ones among the unbelievers make their importance felt and they lord it over all, but it cannot be like that with you, the greatest one among you is the servant of all.
I am the Most High, El Elyon, I am your King, lawgiver, and judge, but look at My Covenant Names which are My magnificent promises to you who have put yourself under My jurisdiction and joined My everlasting Covenant of love with Jesus in Jesus: I am the LORD your Shepherd, I am he LORD your healer, I am the LORD your righteousness, I am the LORD your provider, I am the LORD your deliverer, I am the LORD your refuge, I am the LORD your fortress, I am the LORD your strength, I am the LORD you helper, I am the LORD your deliverer, I am the LORD your redeemer, I am the LORD who sanctifies you, I am the LORD your peace, I am the LORD of host, I am the LORD of your gladness and exceeding joy. I am your Salvation, I am your everlasting rock, and I am the LORD your maker. And Jesus and My Holy Spirit told you what to call Me, “Father,” “Abba.”
These magnificent promises are all “YES” to you in Jesus, who came to serve you and not to be served. And in seeing Him, you see Me. Yes, I am the one who loves and serves you. All kings and authorities, to be truly kings and authorities I have put in place, should look just like Me. Imitate Me as My dear children and walk in love. I am just and I know how to correct and to remove when needed but I never remove anyone until they have gone too far in abuse and self-glorification so that they are no longer able to govern.
Watch yourself and your thoughts and your words and cut off every evil thing that rears its head against My Word before you are led astray by the deceiver, for many have not only lost their positions of power that way, but also their eternal life in the true kingdom where I will put you in charge of cities to rule and reign with Me forever. No matter how little or how great men think you are, the one who serves out of love looking past the person to Me, for ultimately in all your dealings with men you are dealing with Me.
I love you. Never think your position in your workplace, your home, your church is insignificant for it is really Me whom you serve and it is ultimately only to Me that you must render an account. And not just that, you will have to account for every idle word you speak. Think about that. It is time to renew your mind in My Word and be transformed.
With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. Ephesians 6:7-8.