TLS 4 - The transformational Leadership of David

Pastor Dr. Daniel Ho, 13/11/2010
1Sa 17:1-11 ,45:51 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.  (2)  And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines.  (3)  And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.  (4)  And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.  (5)  He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.  (6)  And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.  (7)  The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.  (8)  He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.  (9)  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us."  (10)  And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together."  (11)  When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. …(45) Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  (46)  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,  (47)  and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand."  (48)  When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.  (49)  And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.  (50)  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.  (51)  Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
Everyone one of us is a leader. Leadership is simply influence.  Everyone has influence, either positive (a good leader) or negative (a bad leader.) Christians ought to be good leaders as Jesus calls us the salt (cleanses)  and light (dispels darkness) of the world. Every Christian is called to be a good leader. We need to evaluate what difference we have made in the place God put us.
The Bible is the best book on leadership we can get. The Bible has remained the best sellers because it continues to remain relevant.

Christian dynasty loses rising star

Original post here.

November 23, 2006

BEIRUT: Assassinated cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel was a rising star in one of Lebanon's leading political dynasties.

Gemayel's grandfather, Pierre, founded the Falange party, at one time the leading Christian political body. His uncle, Bashir, was assassinated in a bomb blast in September 1982, days before being sworn in as president.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, a shocked Amin Gemayel, Pierre's father and former Lebanese president, called on supporters not to react to the killing with violence.
"I would like to ask those who loved Pierre to preserve the cause. We don't want to do anything instinctively," he said. "He was serving the cause and he died for Lebanon, for freedom and humanity and we should not tarnish his memory by any irresponsible acts."

The Falangists fielded the largest Christian militia during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war between Christians and Muslims, allying themselves first with Syria, and then with Israel during that country's invasion and occupation of the country.

The Gemayel family has been enmeshed in the past three decades of bloodshed between Lebanon's divided communities.

A 1975 assassination attempt against Mr Gemayel's grandfather prompted the Falangists to attack a busload of Palestinian refugees in a slaughter that sparked a 15-year sectarian war.
After Bashir Gemayel was killed in 1982, militiamen stormed Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, killing hundreds of civilians.

Several years earlier, an 18-month-old daughter of Bashir was killed in an attack targeting him. Two nephews of Bashir and Amin were also killed during fighting in the 1980s.
The younger Pierre Gemayel was elected to parliament in 2000, and again in the 2005 elections that brought an anti-Syrian majority to the legislature.

AP