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Stay in God's Service - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 30, 2023

Many of us are familiar with Prophet Elijah and his successor, Prophet Elisha. Elisha became a son to the prophet, going everywhere with him. However, did you know Elisha was Elijah's second assistant? Someone else held the position before him. While the Bible doesn't tell us this man's name, we know he helped Elijah check the sky for evidence of rain during a prayer to end a three-year drought (1 Kings 18:43-44). And when Elijah ran after learning wicked Queen Jezebel planned to kill him, we are told the prophet dropped his assistant off at Beersheba (1 Kings 19:3).


This man never made another appearance in Elijah's story again. Instead, he was replaced by Elisha who went on to receive an inheritance that was the double portion of Elijah's spirit. Have you ever wondered why? I know I have.


The answer is simple. Elisha did something the first assistant didn't. In 2 Kings 2:2, Elijah told Elisha to remain behind while he went to do something for the LORD. Elisha's refused, saying, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." Unlike the first assistant, Elisha didn't leave Elijah's side. He knew his assignment was to serve the prophet and he took his job seriously. There was no reason he would abandon his post. Even when his boss permitted him to.


How many of us could be so devoted? How many of us have shown such commitment to someone other than ourselves and our personal interests? I freely confess I can't claim to be so dedicated.





And that, ladies and gentlemen is a reason we struggle to reach the finish line on many of the challenges we face. We just give up. And, I'm not saying that doing so isn't understandable. Can you imagine how Elijah's first assistant felt? There he was, serving the great man of God and suddenly, there was a target on his back. Jezebel wasn't just going to stop at killing the prophet, right? Surely, such an evil person would kill his servant as well. I can literally imagine him saying, "Nah man, I didn't sign up for this."


Alas, that's exactly what we all signed up for when we chose to follow GOD. We chose to never leave His side the same way He has never left our side and never will.


As mentioned earlier, Elisha got a double portion of his boss's "spirit." That meant he did double the spiritual signs and miracles Elijah did. All it took was him being steadfast and unwavering in doing the job that the LORD gave him.


What has GOD told you to do? Is it to praise Him more? How about pray more? Don't you want to reap a double portion? Or even more? Elisha teaches us to stay in service to reap the blessings of the LORD. Don't give up. It might not seem like it, but you're doing a good job, so keep it up! God bless you and see you at Noon EST for Praise & Pray (for others).




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For My Own Good? - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) May 26, 2023

For many of us, the roughest seasons of our lives are the times that we rather not think about. We don't want to think about those periods and are happy to act like they never existed. However, how many of us have sat down to look back at the tough moments we experienced? Was there anything you learned? And was it possible to acknowledge that the trial was for your own good?


I've had to look back at some of the saddest times of my life and have learned that those situations contained valuable lessons for my future. Mistakes I could never afford to repeat. Taking the time to think about these things hurt. However, God always held my hand. He also allowed enough time to pass whereby the sting of those memories wasn't too acute. I wish I could have learned the lessons in a less painful way, but I now know that I needed to go through it to get through it, if you know what I mean.


Those experiences, as bitter as they tasted, were for my own good. After all, the Lord has promised that His plans for me are not evil but to bring me into His expected and blessed plan (Jeremiah 29:11). Plus having been through the rough patches, I can declare that affliction will not arise again in accordance with Nahum 1:9. Finally, like King Hezekiah, I can also say, It was for my own good that I had such hard times. But your love protected me from doom in the deep pit, and you turned your eyes away from my sins (Isaiah 38:17 CEV).

Listen, none of us want to go through tough times but God is our Father and He knows best. As much as folks aim for that 'soft life', it is God's responsibility to train us for the non-soft life because it will surely come. Sometimes, the challenge is God's way of preparing His own, other times it arrives because satan's objective is to create difficulties for people. Whatever the case, if we hold God's hand through it all, we would have endured the tough season and become spiritually stronger.


A physical trainer is paid to push a person beyond their perceived limit in order to achieve desired fitness goals. God does the same thing, though we don't pay Him in physical coin. Once we call Him to come into our lives, He has to make sure we have the spiritual conditioning we will need for the trials we will encounter. We don't know what those will be but He does, and we should be grateful He takes the time to prepare us for them. This is why He wakes us up to pray, to praise, and to read our Bible. It is why we have a conviction to fast on issues not only for ourselves but for others. All of this is to build our spiritual muscle.


The training season is undoubtedly tough and while in it, we struggle to see past the pain and discomfort. Yet, a 'trophy' awaits. That trophy is the victory over situations that would have previously broken us. That victory gives us the capacity to use our experience to encourage someone else in a similar position. We might think the training is so tough that we won't make it through but King Hezzy said, "your love protected me." God's love will keep us going when we want to give up because He's right by our side through it all. And, those who wait on Him shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).


You will get through the turbulent waters of life, for they will not sweep you away. You will pass through rivers and they will not overcome you. You will walk through fire itself and it will not set you ablaze (Isaiah 43:2). At the end of it all, you will not look like what you've been through, IJMN, Amen.



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The Accuser vs The Advocate - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 23, 2023

How many of us have watched those dramatic television shows about lawyers 'duking' it out in the courtroom? Tension builds when one of the lawyers points a finger at the defendant, sitting on the stand. The lawyer squints her eyes and raises her voice, having asked the death knell question - one the defendant can't wiggle their way out of. The lawyer has asked something that no matter what the defendant says and no matter the reality, she will look bad. "Yes, or no!" the lawyer says as the defendant squirms, unsure what to say. The damage is soon done and the lawyer flips her hair. Heels clicking against the tiled floors as she returns to her seat, a look of accomplishment on her face.


Then the defendant's lawyer rises and approaches his client. He says a few words to calm her down and she takes a deep breath, before he also proceeds with questions. However, these questions allow the defendant to provide more context to the answer she gave while being grilled by the other attorney. Once over, the jury is nodding as they take their notes, even the judge looks less hostile. The other lawyer though? There are deep frown lines on her forehead and her lips have turned down at the corners. She is far from pleased that her strategy didn't go as planned.


Many of us don't yet realize that there is an Accuser and an Advocate in our lives. On a day-to-day basis, they are invisible to us, yet, their impact is very real. Both of these 'lawyers' stand before God and we are the topic of discussion, or rather, litigation. What happens during these moments can make the difference between a person experiencing favor or disaster in any given situation. The Accuser points a finger, suggesting we are irredeemable, that we should be punished for our sins. It wants the curses outlined in the Bible to be the norm for those accused. The Advocate, on the other hand, outlines the reasons why we deserve mercy, even when we did wrong. He enforces God's covenant with us (Hebrews 7:22).

The Accuser is like Jezebel, who used her knowledge of God's law to have Naboth accused of a crime he didn't commit and thus killed unjustly. Jezebel knew that as long as two scoundrels accused Naboth of having insulted the king and blasphemed against God, she could quickly get him out of the way and her husband could possess the dead man's vineyard. The devil schemes against us in just the same way. Knowing God's word, it conspires to put people in situations where it can accuse them of sin. It will even go as far as encouraging an individual to sin, only to then run and snitch on them, trying to get God to remove His hand of protection from the person. It is a legalist and seeks to strictly use God's word against people. It hates that God affords His people grace, forgiveness and vindication.


Fortunately, the Advocate stands at the right hand of God to counter satan's accusations. His name is Jesus Christ and we are told in 1 John 2:1 - My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. It is His job to defend those who have claimed Him as their Lord and Savior each and every time satan points a finger. Through Jesus, believers can condemn the accusations the devil has made, no matter which ones (Isaiah 54:17).


God is so gracious that not only does Jesus act as our lawyer, but, the Holy Spirit also serves as an attorney for those that the devil seeks to destroy. John 14:26 - But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you (AMP). Look at the words used to describe the Holy Spirit! We need Him in addition to Jesus fighting for us in the heavenly court of law to silence our enemy.


When we are aware that the Accuser wants to steal from us, kill us and destroy our lives, we start to live in a way that deprives it of opportunities. We stop lying, stealing, gossiping, fornicating and doing other things that God commanded us to refrain from. We will also be more aware of the need to live a life that gives our Advocate what He needs to defend us. To that end, we'll study God's word more, praise Him more, praying for others and doing the things God has asked us to do. As none of us is perfect, we will make mistakes. Nevertheless, learning to confess and repent of our sins, choosing to live righteously and in the fear of the Lord, limits what the Accuser can use or say against us. Praise God for giving His people a more than adequate defense team! And as long as we don't break the hedge of protection around us through covered-up sin, satan is powerless in its accusations and we are justified by the blood of Christ, just as if we never sinned. Glory to God!

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