He Being Dead Still Speaks!

Verse 14-Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”

He recognized that God had used Elisha to protect Israel.

The same words that Elisha had said about Elijah.

Verse 15-17And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows.

Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.”

We can probably come to the conclusion because Elisha is sick, they are in his bedroom, when this takes place, they are not on a battlefield!

Why is that important to know that, because the battles that we fight against Satan every day can be won or lost in our prayer time!

In our time alone with God!

You see in our quiet time with God in the morning, is when we pick up our weapons to fight what is ahead of us for today!!!

So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

You notice he could do it for the king, but he could support or encourage the king, just like I can’t fight your battles for you but I can pray for, support you, encourage you and you can do the same for me!

Verse 18-19-Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped.

And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

He would win some battles, but he wouldn’t win the war.

Is that how do we do things?

Do we stop short of receiving God’s best.

Do we pray two or three times and think that is good enough or because it doesn’t seem like anything is happening, so we quit!

Or do we pray till we receive an answer!

If we are going to serve the Lord we must never give up, or give in or be sidetracked, distracted, or do it halfhearted, or stay discouraged.

John Wesley's diary: Sunday moming, May 5, preached in St. Ann's, was asked not to come back anymore. Sunday pm, May 5, preached at St John’s, deacons said, "Get out and stay out."

Sunday am, May 12, preached at St George's, kicked out again. Sunday am, May 19, preached at St. somebody else's, deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return. Sunday pm, May 19, preached on street, kicked off the street. Sunday am, May 26, preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as a bull was turned loose during service. Sunday am, June 2, preached out at the edge of town, kicked off the highway. Sunday pm, June 2, afternoon service, preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to the service.

There are preachers, teachers, deacons, youth director ..... who due their job but only half way and our nation is paying for it.

Settling for less that God has planned for you-Your choice.

Verse 20-21-Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year.

So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

We should live such a life, that even after we are dead, we are still impacting people's lives!

Two guys were talking about their on funerals, the first one said, “I want them to say that I was a good provider, good husband, good father!” the second guy said, “I want them to say, Hey, I think he’s moving!”

What a legacy! `

James Henry Smith's friends and family will always remember him as a true Pittsburgh Steelers fan. During his life, Smith spent Fall Sunday in front of the television watching his favorite team. Recently Smith died of cancer, but his passing did not keep him from his favorite spot: in a recliner, in front of a television.