God’s Unusual Ones!
Trying to understand God’s election or promotion of leaders is not without mystery!
“Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated.”
I am fascinated how God raises up leaders of whom I would consider on the surface at least of unworthy character!
Some of them don’t seem to have the qualification to become leaders of nations, peoples, churches or congregations.
A couple of years ago Donald Trump became President of the United States of America and in essence the free world.
Who would have thought it possible given his brash nature and seemingly questionable character.
A few weeks ago Boris Johnson became the leader of the British people.
Unbelievable by my criteria of what a Prime Minister should be!
But God sees the big picture and He knows what it will take to bring a nation back to greatness or to its knees in prayer.
It may be that Boris Johnson’s election to office is a transient aberration!
Or as I am currently wondering if God is using him to frustrate the timing of a One World government?
In the Bible we have a number of examples of people God has chosen that are seemingly unworthy of Office.
The Biblical David for example was not only an adulterer but a murderer.
Yet God called him “a man after mine own heart”. Acts 13:22 ESV
Esau was another, the first born and entitled to a noble standing.
By definition he was born with the privilege of leadership & class to be elevated to high office.
But God chose Jacob and made him the leader instead!
God chose Pharaoh to bring about His purposes on earth that the name of Jehovah God might be declared throughout the whole earth.
So I beg the question, could it be that the Donald Trumps and Boris Johnsons of this world are perhaps chosen by God to realign the world systems of government?
I think the same sort of thing happens in Church circles.
Take for example how radically church music has changed in the last thirty or so years.
Hillsong music & lyrics has changed the sound of church worship world wide, resulting in amazing church growth.
Here is a classic written by Geoff Bullock during Hillsong’s formative years.
It was given world wide exposure via the BBC’s TV broadcast ‘Songs of Praise’ during the Olympic Games in the year 2000
Even at a local church level it is often unusual events or people that God uses to bring about His purposes.
Who would have thought a leader by the name of Russell Evans would be used by God to start a movement with the unusual name of Planetshakers?
I’m not sure who inspired Russell to come up with that name?
It sounds very unreligious to some.
Perhaps that is the very idea to appeal to non believers and the young.
I certainly was surprised because I know him, he is my nephew!
An ‘unlikely one’ yes because he may not have a PHD or Master of Theology degree but he does have a Godly wife and depends on the Holy Spirit for personal and church guidance.
You see, God does what He likes, to bring about change.
There is no point in trying to work it out or comparing one against another or one leader against another.
Life is not an even playing field and only God knows the end from the beginning and who will best bring about His purposes.
God chooses who He wants and more often than not, they are ‘Unusual Ones’, so that no one can boast.
I remember when I was pastoring one of Australia’s largest rural churches that had a long history dating back to 1927 and was fixed in a mode of operation that was very limiting in its growth.
I felt the Holy Spirit suggest to me to release “My Unusual Ones”!
You see it is the ‘unusual ones’ that are often more open to the purposes of God.
I have found that the ‘unusual ones’ as I call them are often people who think outside the box.
They are often people who don’t fit the ‘committee’ mould.
They are the radical ones!
Some call them ‘activists’!
Sometimes they annoy me with their aggression and rhetoric!
They are the ones who have the faith to see souls saved, governments changed, cultures recalibrated and God’s ultimate purposes achieved.
On the other hand God sometimes uses ‘Unusual Ones’ to bring about change in the person themselves.
I have seen men aspire to the office of a Pastor and are not called.
They are called “hirelings” in the Bible.
They have a pretence of being a Pastor but are more interested in themselves than the flock of God.
They ‘worm’ their way into office without having any experience.
Through political manouvering and flattery they gain the title!
Yet despite that, God seems to allow them to take office to teach them a personal lesson or two!
In our political scene here in Australia of recent times we have seen what I believe is a God appointment in unusual circumstances.
Who would have dreamed that Australia for example, would have elected to office a Pentecostal Prime Minister?
An unusual choice don’t you think in this secular society?
The alternative could have been a disaster and God only knows how our culture could have changed for the worse!
I maybe simplistic in my evaluations of how God works but I beg your consideration to not be critical of what I call “ God’s Unusual Ones”, “God’s Unusual Leaders”, “God’s Unusual Church Music” and “God’s Unusual Ways to get the Message out”.
Next time you are tempted to be critical of the ‘Unusual Ones’ that seem to get into office, take a deep breath and ask yourself the question.
Could this man or woman be one of God’s chosen ones that He is using to bring about change?
After all doesn’t the Bible say in Romans 13 “………the powers that be are ordained of God.”
In conclusion.
Let me remind you what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are.
Now take a listen to this ‘unusual’ video.
It may not sound like “Pentecostal Fire is Falling”, but believe me it sounds much better…. just saying!
August 17th, 2019 at 6:07 AM
Oh God – show us your glory! This song reminded me of the hour long pre-service prayer meetings at Sutherland AOG when I was 18. Ps Ted Irish would encourage us to call on the Lord to send His Fire and everyone in the prayer room would cry out together. If the volume faded, he would say “push through, push through in prayer, cry out with all that is in you”.
In one of the Wednesday night prayer meetings, (which were attended by about 80 of the 100 church members), Ps Irish was away (I think at a Conference) and the meeting was led by one of the congregation, who asked for song requests.
Someone suggested a song “Full surrender, full surrender, 100% for Christ”, and the power of God fell upon us. Revival broke out in the church and many souls were being saved every week. A group of us were involved in street preaching, and we used to walk down the streets of Jannali handing out tracts and speaking to people about eternity.
We loaded up our cars with people to bring them to the night service, where they made a decision for Christ. After the service, about a dozen teenagers would gather for supper in a family home, and for sure someone would say, “let’s pray”…which ended in a three hour prayer meeting, from which we didn’t want to open our eyes and leave for home.
Tonight I am asking, “do it again Lord, do it again”. We need a might move of God in Australia today, to awaken the drowsy church. We love you Lord and we want You to have the harvest you deserve.