JESUS PRINCIPLE OF TAKEOVER – KEY FOR WAGING WAR AGAINST OPPRESSION
This teaching is important script for acting in the face of oppression, cheating and bad leadership. As leaders, we need to be subtle when faced with bad leadership else it will be a suicidal mission.
Think of Jesus Christ facing the Sadducees, Pharisees, the Sanhedrin, Roman empire and the host of Herod: Jesus and 12 disciples and some other non fully committed brethren. Christ’s ministry would have been aborted halfway.
Yoruba adage: Eni ti owo e ko bati te eku ida kii beere iku ti o pa baba oun.
The meaning: You cannot ask from your enemies how your dad died until you’ve the sword with you.
Takeover has principle and it’s process.
Today we are looking at one model… The winning model. There are many models for driving agitations and struggles against injustice and bad governance. There’s none so endearing like that of our Lord Jesus
I met a very good Christian today. Because of the situation in my country he was advocating for revolution. He was recommending fights, bloody struggle… He then quoted Jesus telling his disciples to buy sword.
I told him: Jesus was symbolic about the use of sword and about struggles to gain ground and win the world for Christ.
After this we have Peter misinterpreting Jesus as he brought out sword to cut a servant of the high priest.
Jesus answered him: Not so, those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.
Our weapon isn’t the *sword* but the *word*
Afterward there’s no record of Jesus or his disciples leading a revolution with guns or armament.
Christianity is a life by example. Our example who is Jesus talked about peace and live it throughout.
The only category who holds sword is the king and his authorities. So a Christian can be in the force under constituted authority and handle sword; outside constituted system it becomes illegal.
Jesus model of transformation is nonviolence.
We would be pushed, we would be tormented and we would be cheated; yet we need to learn to go the nonviolent path.
We are not allow to use violence.
This is Christianity in practice. And we are not allowed to support those who use brute or force.
Yoruba: Omo re wo lo wa ni nu ibon.
English translation: which good child proceeds from a gun?
Bullets… Agent of destruction.
For a Christian, we do not expect our salvation to come from the occult world, not from fraudsters or hooligans. By their fruit ye shall know them.
I’m making this day’s thread for leaders, you may need the ideal in driving agitations…
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Continue reading please.
NIGERIA AS A CASE
I am inspired to deliver this leadership lecture due to the state of unrest in my country. I hope somebody out there will find it useful and worthy piece of wisdom when confronted by oppression, corruption and ineptitude.
Recently, the spate of killings and highhandedness of the police unit called SARS has become deadly. Yet the government seem to look away from the repeating injustices.
The same level of highhanded behaviours are replete in our civil service and other sectors. All this further shows the extent of ineptitude and corruption in high places.
Like a wild fire, protest was sparked in every corner of Nigeria tagged #EndSARS. It was indeed a well applauded nonviolent protest. It was a great win for the youths.
Some of us who were older felt the one-week protest was a worthy win to be consolidated upon.
Unfortunately, they stayed longer than their welcome with the fact that they lacked structures. This led to certain missteps here and there and the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, politicians and other interest groups. The uproar and carnage was a sordid experience, and I weep in my heart of hearts.
Assuredly, the youths have tried their mettle and they have won exceedingly, only if they know and could convert this win into useful consequence.
How?
By reason of the civil disobedience and protest they have shown what works to their advantage: population, technology, strength and resilience. This discovery is all they need to take to the bank once they have a formidable structure in place.
Unfortunately, they unadvisedly settle to begin to beg and bargain for what they want. Beggars takes the crumbs. They lists the things they want the government to do for them.
This makes the government feel they retain some power and capacity when nothing is left if only the youths could build their own structure through a strong teamwork.
The youths have won, so they have nothing to beg for. All they need do is to go take over through proper structure and orientation.
Yes, I mean take over.
This I don’t mean through coup d’etat or revolution. The above are shortcuts that only further plunge a nation into the abyss of underdevelopment. The above scenario is what informed and inspired this lecture.
Let’s learn from Jesus
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Jesus principle of takeover:
1. Jesus has content, purpose and mission
Everyone who wants to take over must have the above. An empty barrel will only do well in making noise.
2. Those who want to take over must know better than those who are on ground. Jesus has superior knowledge to tackle world challenges.
I realized many of the agitators in Nigeria’s protest were miscreants, bleeding politicians and fraudsters who took cover under the well intentioned protesters.
3. Don’t allow your camp to be polarised. As some were doing it right, we have people who were there burgling stores and stealing. Jesus team was compact and one in purpose and mission
4. Jesus discipled his followers. He impart into them the same principles and ethics of the kingdom of God
Critical Observations.
1. Jesus raised his own team. If you don’t raise your team, your rank will be broken into
2. Jesus had a structure and hierarchy among his disciples
3. Jesus had a message.
4. Jesus educate his team on what he wants and what he doesn’t.
5. Jesus dream was a marathon. He wasn’t looking for a shortcut. Revolution and bloody process are often our impatient choices.
6. Jesus enlarged his team over time.
7. Jesus message grew within the old until it attain the strength to overthrow the old system.
Etc
The point: If you take over without building men you will lose already won territories.
Alexander the Great also used this method in a way. In every conquered territory, he plant one of his trained men to preside over the village, town, city or nation.
If you’re planning of taking over, please train and plant people who understand your vision and drive. Jesus said: My sheep hear my voice and they follow.
Until you have your men you cannot take over.
On the national and international front, if you don’t raise people you’ll be crushed by the system and government.
Government owns all the apparatus. Find means to raise your own men in the different sectors… This is the way of successfully planting the new ideologies or programs…
Agitation against the authority without a viable structure leads to defeat every time. And if there’s a win, it will be short lived
Jesus had a structure, a message and a team. This is what endured till today. The Sadducees, Pharisees, Sanhedrin, Roman empire and the Herod’s government are all gone today but Jesus empire keep growing.
I hope the leaders have learn something tonight.
