The men and women that God has used mightily in history had to be trained, tested and approved by Him. This is so because those whom God foreknew, predestinated, saved, and designated to reign over their respective domains must also be trained and appraised by Him. In other words, they must be called, competent, and committed to their God-ordained purpose, Romans 5:1 - 3; Romans 8:29 - 30.

"There are numerous biblical and other historical examples of this truth. For example, Joseph, Moses and David. Their life stories, as recorded in the bible, prove these points. To pass God's tests, one must possess knowledge, understanding, and wisdom imparted throgh revelation by the Spirit of God. These gifts are essentials, because God's testing methods often seem mysterious to natural reason. God's tests, the training and appraising of His chosen ones, are intended to help them comprehend His purpose, which entails developing a Godly character and enhancing God endowed competence. The purpose of these tests, in other words, is to qualify His chosen people to reign in their God-ordained domain." (Taken from Reign in You Domain, by Seaton D. Wilson)

Therefore, anyone who failed to be trained and appraised by God will never be able to reign in their domains that God has ordained for them. Their lives in history will be lived in failure rather than success. NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!

No leader can succeed if their followers put idolatrous trust in them. Since God has pronounced a curse on those who put their faith in man. Jeremiah 17:5 states"... Curse is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength..." 

It has been the practice of man throughtout history to put their trust in leaders rather than God. There is an interesting example in Judges 8:22 - 23 after God used the insignificant Gideon and his 300 hundred men to defeat approximately 135,000 Midianites soldiers and liberated Israel from slavery; the people instead of putting their trust in God, who used Gideon and his men to give them victory, immediately began to focus on Gideon the leader rather than God. Hear what the people said, in verse 22 "Rule over us - you, your son and your grandson- because you have saved us out of the hand of the Midianites." Notice their emphasis, "You have saved us".

This has been the crisis in world politics and all spheres of leadership, including the church. People have been focusing on the leaders that God has given them rather than God Himself. As a result, God's declaration in Jeremiah that "curse is the one that trust in man", has come through in their lives.

The crisis is increased when leaders accept the idolatrous focus given to them by their followers. They even go further, by giving the people more promises than they know they can fulfill. But true authentic leaders turn people away from themselves to God. 

Look how Gideon responded to the idolatrous Israelites in verse 23; "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you." This should be the spirit and attitude of every leader to their followers who  want to put them in the place of God.

Leaders and followers who put their trust in man's ability rather than God's grace will certainly fail, because they are under the curse of God. FOCUS ON GOD, FOR HE IS THE ULTIMATE LEADER  AND HE BLESSES THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM,as Jeremiah 17:7 says, "... Bless is the man who trusts in the Lord ..."

There are many forces at work in human relationships. But love is the most powerful force in all kinds of human relationships. It is the greatest force in wife and husband relationship, parent and children relationship, relatives relationships, community relationships, workplace relationships, school relationships and every other kind of relationship. It can neutralize social evils and then change relationships for good.

Love is the force that one shoud use to fight hatred. When people fight hatred with hatred, both fight on the same level, but when one fights hatred with love he fights on a higher level than his opponent. He wins the fight even if humanly it appears as if he has lost the fight. 

Therefore, fight hatred with love and be the winner. For love is ultimately good.

SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 12:21 (NIV)

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

There are different methods through which leaders have risen to power throughtout history. But despite these different methods, there is only one source through which a leader can come to power. No leader, political or otherewise, can come to power except through the soverign will of God. Even secular rulers, according to the bible, came to power through God, as the book of Romans 13:1 tells us.

God raises up good leaders to bless righteous people and bad leaders to punish the wicked. The is evident in Psalm 125:3 (NIV) where it says, "The secpter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil."  If this is so, and it is, then logically if a leader is wicked they can only rule over a land inhabited by a wicked majority. Under such leaders the righteous are usually a small minority. However, when a nation is righteous or God intends to make it righteous, He raises up righteous leaders to lead. The book of Judges in the blible gives us outstanding historical examples of these principles. 

Since this is so, one cannot dispose a leader, good or bad, until God's purpose is fulfilled and God is ready to replace them. Both kinds of leaders manifest two aspects of God nature: His nature to bless the righetous and His nature to punish the wicked. Since God is the ultimate leader, every leader is a deligate of God. Woe to the leader who does not recognize this, for God will call them into account at the proper time.

Those who live in a democratic country and think that their votes are the final factor should think again, because they are greatly misguided. God is the final decider as Psalm 75:5 - 7 (NIV) states, "Do no lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretch neck. No one from the East or the West or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another."

Faith in God and obedience to His commands make us righteous. If we are righteous, we will live in God's presence, Psalm 140:13 (KJV). If we live in God's presence, we will have fullness of joy, Psalm 16:11 (KJV). Epheasians 5:18 - 20 gives the New Testament view of fullness of joy: "Be filled with the Spirit, speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." (NIV) 

To glorify God and enjoy Him forever should have been the pursuit of man from the beginning, but sadly man disobeyed and instead of enjoying God He was affraid of God and running and hiding from Him. The very opposite of what he was created for. However, despite this, man can enjoy God again. This why Jesus came and died for man sins. When one believes in Jesus as Savior and Lord and repent of his sins he begins to enjoy God again. ARE YOU ENJOYING GOD?

This is the third and final part of the presentation on gambling. (4) Gambling is also wrong from the perspective of reason, in the light of its historical pragmatic results. Even Governments, although many have legalized it and have collected billions of dollars in revenue from it, usually have stringent laws to regulate it, because it attracts the criminal elements of society and all kinds of cheating devices are usually implemented to aid winning and losing. 

The Roman Historian Tacitus, said that the ancient Germans gambled their possessions, families, liberty and ultimately themselves. One Chinese, he noted, gambled his hand and lost it. It was estimated a few years ago that over 98% of all gamblers lost and less than 2% won. Therefore, it benefits the few and hurt the many. It hurts families and society at large and sometimes leads to the revenge of the winner by the loser. Also it undermines legitmate work and ultimately economic production. 

Jewish Rabbis in the Thalmud, say, "Acceptance of gambling winnings is thievery."  Some psychologists consider it a morbid symptom and in Hasting Encyclopida of Religion and Ethics it is refer to as "secularized divination" and "the demonic power of passion."   The Quaran forbids Muslims to gamble and Confucius, the revered Chinese religious leader and philosopher, condemned it. All these persons perceived by reason, the evil of gambling, without any special revelation from heaven, because of the historical realities associates with it. 

I could give you a long list of statistics of the evil of gambling but space does not allow this. The fact is, gambling is evil. God is against it. So have nothing to do with it. If you are in need, work hard, depend on God, and He will supply your needs according to His riches in glory, Philippians 4:19.