 The Vice-German Board of Governors from Dima's International Leadership Academy and the Assistant Continental Overseer in Childhood Research and Development of the Redeemed Christian Judge of the Pastoral J.A. in Bolivia. The International Overseer in Childhood Corporate Social Responsibility and Pastoral in Childhood RCCG in 2020, Pastoral in the Whom in New York are named. The Pastoral in Childhood of RCCG Lagos Problems 46 and the Managing Director of the Bank of India, Pastor Kairi Kwita. The Acting Director of the Redeemer's International Leadership Academy, Pastor Ban Ki Ladile, and the Chairman of the Faith Anniversary Conference Planning Committee of the Redeemer's International Leadership Academy, Pastor B. Almona and other members of the committee, presenters and panel discussants, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. I must thank the leadership of the Redeemer's International Leadership Academy, Brayla, and especially our Acting Director Pastor Ban Ki Ladile for the very kind invitation to me to make a few remarks at this commemorating leadership conference. I'm proud alumnus of RILA, having graduated in the 1995 class with the likes of Pastor Kairi Kwita and the late, pioneer head of RILA, Pastor Ben Ewuziel of Pleasant Memory. I've since then served on the faculty of the institution for years. I make this historical detail because I want to establish with some authority that RILA is not a mere Bible school. It is a school where the Bible, not in its letter, but as the revealed word is called, is also used as an instructional manual for leadership training. Because we believe that the revealed word of God is inspired by the Holy Spirit and according to 1 Timothy 3.16 and I paraphrase, it is profitable for the revelation of doctrine on all matters. It is profitable for reproof and for the correction of error in word, in thought or in deed. So we believe that it is the best guide for leaders but there are two crucial points to note. The first is that the leadership principles in our manual, the Bible, are often contrary. They are often contrary and by that I mean that the principles often do not conform with our desires or, for that matter, our flesh. And we will explore this point briefly before I end my remarks. The second point is that the role of Christian leaders is central to God's plan for the world or His plans for a nation or a business or even a family. This is because it is to us and when I say to us, I refer to Christians and in particular Christian leaders, it is to us that God looks. Because according to 1 Timothy 5.13 and 14, again I paraphrase, we are the light of the world and we are the salt of the earth. Not the salt or light of our church or denomination or tribes or even religion, but of the whole earth. We are here to repair the dummy down to different aspects of life, in business, in politics, in entertainment, in education, as well as several other spheres of our lives. Now this is not meant to be an easy task but we are faced with a formidable, even though defeated for, who traverses the earth looking for who to develop. Doing all that is possible to steal our joy, to destroy good testimonies and developments and to kill the destinies of men and nations. The scriptures for us say that the whole earth grows and awaits the revealing of the sons of God. We are the answer that the world is waiting for. Even for repentance of the sins of our communities, of our nations, God expects us to do the repenting. He says that I paraphrase again in 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14. He says it is when His people pray and repent and turn from our evil ways that we will hear the prayers of our communities and heal our lab. There is in times of adversity or difficulty, times of hardship, that leaders are most relevant and are most needed. When all is well there will be no need for guidance, no need for encouragement, no need for instruction. But when there are wars, conflicts, insurgencies, farming, danger and fear is when people look to leadership. We who are instructed by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures are the leaders that these times demand, or that such times demand. So I want us to share a few nuggets from the encounter of Moses and the children of Israel as the armies of Pharaoh chased them to the Red Sea. I want us to share these nuggets because they are nuggets that show what is expected of leaders who are trained according to scripture in times of adversity. And I want us to see what happens at the moment of the greatest threat to the lives of thousands of Jews led by Moses. And this is to be found in Exodus chapter 14 verse 10 all the way to verse 17. Exodus, if we just open our Bible very quickly, so Exodus 14 and we read from verse 10 all the way to verse 17. And when Pharaoh drew near the children of Israel lifted their eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us to bring us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt saying, let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more for ever. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace. Verse 15. And the Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forth. But if they drop your rod and stretch out your hand above the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will hand the hearts of the Egyptians and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I gain honor for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen. So we see here the major challenge that leaders have in a crisis. Especially an existential one that is a matter of life and death for men. The people immediately begin to complain. Old and young. Look at what happened here in the scripture we just read. Old and young were complaining. Even men and women of God joined the army of complainers. So of the Jews who had just left Egypt, there were priests and wise men and women. But they joined also in saying that slavery was better than freedom. They would say, this slavery that we've just been through for 430 years is better than freedom. And they also said that they had told Moses to leave them alone to serve the Egyptians a terrible lie. Because the Bible tells us that they cried out in anguish against the oppression of the Egyptians. And that the Lord got their price. That is why he sent Moses to bring them out of captivity. So some interesting points here is that we are told that they in fact prayed. If you look at verse 14, we are told that they prayed but still they grumbled after praying. So prayers and fasting do not prevent people from grumbling against God. The second issue is that fear drives away the faith of the majority. But the leader cannot afford to lose his core or his focus. He cannot afford to. He must calm himself down and calm the people down as well. He must look up to God for help. Moses looked up to God for help and God spoke to him. But I wanted to note also that Moses first gave the people confidence in the power of God to deliver and fulfill his promises. He had not yet heard from God on this particular problem. But because he knew the God that he served, he was able to say with confidence in Exodus 14 verse 13. He was able to say with confidence, do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will see again no more. And in verse 14 he says, the Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace. It was only thereafter that he went and cried to the Lord for help and gave him and God then gave him the specific instructions for the particular occasion. But I think an important instruction that God gave him was that he should tell the children of Israel to go forward. This is in verse 15 of Exodus 14 verse 15 of Exodus 14. A specific instruction to give them is go forward. Now this is important. This instruction is very important. Because in adversity, especially where the future looks bleak, people want to give up. They want to retreat. They want to go back. They certainly don't want to go forward. And if you look at this particular situation of the children of Israel, the future in front of them was bleak. The future seemed like it was to mix their death inside the Red Sea. So going forward for the children of Israel was like saying, go and enter the Red Sea and die there. But God said, tell them to go forward. Why? Because he is the author of all things. He knows all things. Indeed, a strange thing was that he was even the one hardening the heart of Israel. So God knows all things and we must go there in faith even when we are afraid. This is a very long leadership, especially leadership according to the principles of Scripture. Now so the final point on the contrarian nature of the leadership principles of Scripture. I want to also take a few examples and this is very important for leaders because Christian leaders very often want to sound and be like leaders in the world or like leaders or like secular leaders. So that's why I wanted to take a few examples of the sorts of instruction that God gives us as leaders in the faith. Scripture says for example that to be great you must humble yourself. In 1 Peter 5 and 6, 1 Peter 5 and 6, Scripture says humble yourself therefore. All of God's mighty hand so that in due time he may exalt you. In other words, as far as Scripture is not served, the leader must humble himself or the person must humble himself in order to be exalted. You do not exalt yourself according to the words of Scripture. Again, let's take another example of the contrarian principle. In Matthew 5 verse 44, Matthew 5 verse 44, I will tell you. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Now clearly that is another sort of thing that any one of us wants to hear. That's not the sort of thing that secular leadership is made of. But this is the sort of thing that leadership in the faith calls for. Leadership of men and women who are children of God, that's what it calls for. In Matthew 10 verse 16, Scripture again says, Behold I sent you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, therefore being wise as servants and harmless as dogs. Now clearly being wise as a servant and harmless as a dog is hardly the sort of thing that seems resilient. But that is the very nature of the principles of Scripture. They may not make sense to us. But these are the principles that we are required to follow because the source of this wisdom is the almighty, all-knowing, all-wise God himself. We must know as Scripture says that even in what appears to be His foolishness He is still vastly wiser than us. Which is why the leadership model of Christ is contrary. It is the opposite of what our flesh models were previously. But these are the winning principles, not just in times of adversity but at all times. So let me again congratulate the Board of Governors and the leadership of Ryder on our 25th anniversary. And I pray that as our days so shall our strength be in Jesus' mighty name. Thank you very much. God bless you. God bless Ryder.