I salute you readers. It’s with great pleasure that I welcome you to this new edition of The Rabbi. I am persuaded that you are about to encounter certain truths that will change your disposition as you go about your daily business of life.
This piece (although revised) was shared recently with a group of young people that I lead in the city of Abuja where I live. As I spoke with them, I could read from their response and the discussion that ensued during an interactive session that was held after my message, the kind of readiness to indeed live as ambassadors of refreshing in their generation.
I will encourage you open your bible to read along with me certain portions of the scriptures as I will only quote some passages on this page while I allow you to read the remaining in order to economize space.
For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless, God that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted by coming of Titus.
And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me so that I rejoiced the more. II Cor. 7: 5-7
And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour bearer.
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying let David I pray thee, stand before me I pray thee for he hath found favour in my sight.
And it came to pass when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand, so Saul was refreshed and was well and the evil spirit departed from him. (I Sam. 16:21-23)
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. (II Cor. 5: 20)
It is important to put us in a well informed perspective of the background of the scriptures that are quoted above so as to enhance your understanding of our discussion.
In the first scripture (II Cor. 7: 5-7), Paul spoke about the challenges they were facing; complex stuffs I call them. What made their challenges complex was not because they were uncommon but because they can be more devastating. It is easier to stabilise when you are dealing with challenges on a particular area of life. For instance, if someone is having troubles at work, he may find solace at home and his family can support him in prayers, give him hope and courage to go on. But for Paul and his companion, their case is like that of a College student whose father lost his job in the last six months and within the same period, the mother had taken ill and had been admitted in the hospital.
More so, they have been served a quit notice from the house because a bank had taken over the property from the owner. In addition, he had just been issued a probation notice from the Dean’s office that if failed to improve in his academics, he would soon be asked to withdraw from school.
A rumour had also been circulating that he was involved in a rape case that was being investigated on campus so that friends and members of his religious group were no longer willing to associate with him. That is a person that is troubled on all sides and having fears within. Imagine the problem were limited to that of the parents, he may be willing to engage in some jobs in other to make money to assist his parents. But now, any attempts to do that would jeopardise his academics, so he had fears within.
On this matter, I want to submit that if a man is only troubled on all sides and he still has his confidence intact, it’s a matter of time, he would soon overcome. This is because fear has a multiplying crippling effect. In fact, it is one of the greatest challenges a person can face. Fear brings torment. It is a killer, worse still, it kills gradually.
Paul had faced a lot of challenges in his apostolic, work part of which included imprisonment, false accusation and persecution of the brethren in the churches. To worsen these, he had not been able to connect with Titus and was afraid what could have happened to this faithful companion of his.
Titus was one of Paul’s son in the faith. Anytime Paul started a Church and needed someone to strengthen the work or that any of the churches had challenges to resolve, Paul would send one of his sons or associate there. Titus fell in this category. So, we could refer to him as a ministry ambassador. Paul’s pastoral epistle to Titus gives a clearer picture on this;
To Titus, mine own Son after the common faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. (Titus 1: 4-5)
Titus could be likened to a diplomat. He did the work of an ambassador for Paul. He was delegated on many occasions to resolve issues in the Churches.
Incidentally, Paul had earlier received a clear mandate from God to start a work in Macedonia. If you are into ministry, you would understand better that there are places you feel you should go to do God’s work and there are places you are particularly led by the Lord to go. For places you have a strong conviction to go, no room is given to triviality. It is often pursued with all seriousness. If you must delegate the work there, it would be delegated to trusted hands. If it were in our days, it would probably delegated to a very senior pastor in the ministry or one of the young men who have shown evidence of seriousness and have got the energy, zaal, anointing for the work.
Owing to the gravity of the Macedonian call, Titus had been delegated as an Ambassador to work in Macedonia because he was considered a trusted hand by his mentor and father-Paul .
Now when they had gone throughout Phryg-I-a and the region of Ga-la-tia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, they assayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered tem not.
And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man of the Macedonia, and prayed him saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. (Acts 16: 6-9)
From the above passage, we can conclude that the missionary work in Macedonia was not just borne out of godly ambition but was of an express instruction from the Holy-Ghost. That made it such a very important mission to Paul and he needed a faithful and reliable ambassador to strengthen the work there from time to time, hence Titus was delegated.
Along the line, there was a loss of communication between Paul and Titus, so he resorted to go to Macedonia to look for Titus. On getting to Macedonia, Titus could not be found. He had gone on a missionary assignment to Corinth. Paul was coming with some challenges to meet challenges in Macedonia and worse still the Ambassador in Macedonia was not available. He thought to himself that Titus would not have left the sheep in Macedonia to go to Corinth if there were no serious troubles that perhaps needed Titus’ attention. Mind you, there were no modern communication means like GSM in those days. So, fear held the bold Apostle on the inside. As he attempted to attend to the challenges on ground, he could not tell the brethren of what was going on in his mind. Think of yourself in Paul’s shoes.
As the troubles around lingered and the fear within persisted, Titus walked in. This happened perhaps during one of the fellowship meetings. I could imagine it were a prayer meeting. Titus probably entered quietly to avoid causing any distraction. During an interlude, he was probably noticed. That could have been the end of prayers that day because the answer to their prayers had arrived.
The coming of Titus brought comfort. They were refreshed. His coming was like a cold breeze on a hot sunny day. It was like bringing electric light to a city that the inhabitants have lived in darkness for a decade. There was joy! The first thing that I believed happened was that fear disappeared. And when fear is taken away from a man’s heart, a great share of his problems is solved. Paul was refreshed. And when a leader is refreshed, the people are refreshed because a leaders’ burden is a people’s burden. So also, a leader’s joy brings joy to the followers.
Titus became an ambassador of refreshing. His coming did not just bring refreshing, he brought news of refreshing. By seeing him and the report he brought from the Corinthian Church, there was complete refreshing. May the Lord make you and I, His ambassadors of refreshing in Jesus Name.
David is another person who had the ministry of refreshing. Before I go further, I urge you to open your Bible to I Sam 16: 14-23. If you take a closer look at the passage, you would understand that the coincidence that occurred was orchestrated by God to usher in David into the palace. Saul was Israel’s first King although he was not God’s originally intended King. David was God’s originally planned King. Saul was a test-run. Nevertheless, God would not abandon his plan. That is why whatever happens; God’s eyes are not closed. He watches over His plan on your life and mine to fulfil it. In the midst of what looks like an error, God will still have His way.
David had been anointed in verse 13. With the anointing upon him, he would play music and certain miracles would happen. Mind you, when the anointing comes upon a man’s gift, he ceases from being a gifted, he becomes the gift himself. While doing this in obscurity, some guys that work with Saul in the palace had noticed him. One day, God put it in the heart of one of Saul’s servant to mention to Saul about David; the newly anointed Psalmist and destined King. The guy did not want to mention it directly so that he would not be mistaken for having a personal interest. He just coined an idea to Saul on how he could be refreshed from his demonic obsession. Saul was quick to buy into the idea and made a request for a person with such ability to do his perhaps favourite hobby and still get him refreshed. The servant did not hesitate to mention David. He said I know a young man who would not just make you well, but he has desirable characteristics that make him suitable for the palace. So Saul sent for David. That was the beginning of David’s journey to the throne.
By these divine manipulations, David would live in the palace. He would then find an example for his learning. He would learn the royal life. He would be close to the King to know how to behave and how not to behave in the palace. He would see some of the things he would need to change by the time he gets to the seat of power. This brings us to the understanding that whenever God plans a man for greatness, He programmes him to process him for it. The path you are currently following is leading you to His destined place for your life. His everlasting arms are underneath, working invisibly to put you in the place. All you need is to be sure that you are at the centre of His will always.
On David’s first appearance before Saul, he liked David. The anointing granted him favour in the sight of the “Chief executive and the boss” of the whole nation. He was picked instantly. By the same anointing for favour, David would soon get an accelerated promotion to the post of an ambassador and Chief of Defence Staff.
And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
And Saul said to him, whose son art thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehe-mite
And Saul took him that day and would not let him go no more home to his father’s house.
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and in the sight of Saul’s servants. I Sam 17:57-58; 18:2,5
Soon after the slaughter of Goliath, the feat that announced David to his world, Abner introduced him to Saul perhaps at Saul’s invitation. The anointing finally paved way for him. He was no longer the instrumentalist that comes and goes, he became a permanent staff. His status changed from that of a temporary and obscured staff. He was moved to a position of permanence and prominence. Notice that the day he appeared before Saul, he went with Goliath’s head. That was his trophy. It was the newest qualification that has just boosted his curriculum vitae. May the anointing give you a trophy that will boost you CV.
Let me take you back to our focus. The scripture in verse 23 of I Samuel was the summary of David’s special assignment to Saul. Although he later became an ambassador but it was an ambassador with a difference. It so happened that anytime David had gone on his assignment and Saul was troubled, he would send for David. While on his assignment, David was serving as ambassador of refreshing and that was why he was accepted by all the people. Whenever he came to Saul and played the harp, the King would be refreshed. Remember what we said earlier that a leader’s trouble is the people’s trouble. Anytime Saul was obsessed, everyone around him was obsessed. It took only the man with the anointing to break the yoke and restore refreshing. So, David was bringing refreshing all over.
This is where God is taking us to. I think God wants to raise men and women who are not just gifted but they themselves have become gifts to their generations because of the anointing. God wants to raise choir leaders and preachers who would not just sing or preach and get the people excited and scream, He wants to raise men that when they hold microphones, demons will start to flee.
He wants to raise men like Titus whose appearance in every place will lift burdens, whose coming at all times, would dissolve fear and replace it with joy and hope.
Although, I have not been able to tie what I am about to say to any scripture about Titus but I believe this is true about these two exemplary men we have looked at.
Think of David when the first mention was made about him to the king in I Sam 16:18, certain characteristics were mentioned about him. He was qualified as cunning (skilful), mighty valiant man (strong and bold), man of war (qualified to be a soldier), prudent (wise) and comely (handsome) and the Lord is with him. I consider most of these qualifications as common except that the one fact that he carried God’s presence. God’s presence which was mentioned as the last was the most important. However, this description is still not pointing out the secrets of David. It is like an attempt to describe Coca-Cola. You may say many things about Coca-Cola which other similar drinks share, and may even say the distinguishing taste, if you do not know the trade secret of Coca-Cola, you have not said anything.
In the same vein, David had his trade secrets. Men could see certain characteristics at the surface but could not see the trade secrets. We cannot exhaust all the secrets of David but let me mention two things I believe made him stood out.
1. David had a heart after God. It was a heart of service, integrity and that of a leader. Psalm 78:71-72. This is a secret that only God can decipher. No man can know the heart of another man except revealed to him by God. You may see the face, but you cannot see the heart. That is why if a man wants to matter in God’s sight, he must pay attention to his heart. David had character.
A wise man once said, character is not what you but who you are. In my own words, it is the inner man of the heart. That is why if he man makes a mistake, he falls back to his character. David’s character was not the mistake he made but the man of a broken and contrite heart. It was his character that rescued him in the days of his mess. General Norman said, leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character, if you must do without one, do without strategy.
The most important plea we should keep on our lips each time we appear before God is that He may work on our heart. If a man would fail, he fails from the heart. I pray that the Lord would hold your heart fixed on His will. May He do a permanent work your heart so you and I can be qualified to be His ambassadors of refreshing in Jesus Name.
2. He was a pursuer of divine presence and God’s spirit (Psalm 42:1-2, 84: 2). He placed much value on the presence of God and the Holy- Spirit that he could afford to lose anything but not these things. This combination is what translates to the anointing. It means David had resorted that He would not go anywhere without the anointing. He would not say anything without the anointing. He allowed the anointing to lead him. The anointing was strong upon him. It was the main factor of His life. He ensured that he fellowshipped with God constantly to carry the anointing. David had practically become like Paul who was so anointed that his handkerchiefs and aprons were transporting the anointing to heal people in faraway places. The implication of this is that, if David were to write a letter, his letter would carry the anointing. If he were to wax an album, his music would have been transporting the anointing from place to place.
Let us therefore emulate these ways of David. Make God’s kind of heart and the pursuit of His presence your daily desire and you will be amazed how greatly your life would bring refreshing all over the world.
If this message has refreshed you, please send an e-mail to ayowise2000@yahoo.com. Keep the fire burning!
