Revolutionary leadership

Who will lead the revolution?

Moses was about to depart. Having liberated 3 millions Israelites from the hands of pharaoh, and successfully navigating them to the precipice of the promised land. He would leave a tremendous legacy that none could erase. Yet his time was up. God clearly revealed to Moses that he could not fulfil the mandate of leading his people to the promised land alone. Elswhere in the Pentateuch, Moses was at his wits end and required aid. God provided leadership through the 70 elders. The message was the same here in Numbers 27:18. God recommended Joshua, as one able to carry on Moses mantle, both in power and authority.
Every movement needs leadership. Over a millenium later, in Acts 6, the Holy Spirit revolution was fiercely raging. Thousands had come to know Christ, Jerusalem had been infiltrated with the gospel, miracles and signs were common, and Christ was glorified. Yet the apostles had a problem. You know what it was? Leadership. Like Moses the required aid and support, for fulfilling God’s mandate was too cumbersome. In fact, it never has been meant for any one human. God desire has always been to fulfill his vision via capable leadership.
As a fellow leader, I know I look for certain leadership qualities in potential leaders. Whether it be communicative, relational or navigational abilities there are natural traits that often reveal leadership potential. Yet this was not what was paramount in God’s school of leaders. For God the prerequisite for leadership was primarily the Spirit. In Acts 6 the apostles looked for men who had the Spirit. In Numbers 27, Moses was required to find a man who possessed a similar spirit. And as Moses delegated leadership to his 70 aides, it was the anointing of the spirit on these men that authenticated their leadership.
Who will lead the revolution today? I believe, men and women who possess God’s spirit. These are revolutionaries who not only desire intimacy with God’s spirit, but who also exhibit fruits of the spirit, while desiring deeper levels of spiritual gifts. These leaders are keenly aware that their natural and gifts though necessary are not essential. They realize that the harvest is too plentiful, and the magnitude of work is humanly impossible. That ultimately the key to breakthrough is their reliance on the Holy Spirit as they invoke spiritual leadership in leading God’s people.