Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for THE LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As surely as THE LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together. II Kings 2:6 NLT
PASSING THE BATON… Funerals are both challenging and rewarding parts of a pastor’s ministry. When a dear friend departs and leaves us behind, it’s hard for all of us. However, sharing all the wonderful ways that friend helped us become the man or woman of GOD we are today is a great joy! Far too often, we’ve had the sheer delight and the heart-breaking pain of both of these experiences. Michael W. Smith sings those lyrics so well…
And friends are friends forever, If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never, ‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go, In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long, To live as friends
By now, you’re thinking of someone. That person or those people who invested in you long before you ever knew how important that investment was. Elisha would soon be leading without the voice of Elijah to guide him and assure him that GOD was clearly speaking. Isn’t it comforting to have someone in our lives whom we can trust will always point to JESUS? Invest all the time you can with this trusted friend. We all wish we had more time!
Let’s rethink this for just a moment. How many people do you think would picture you when they are asked these questions? Are you intentionally leading others to draw closer to CHRIST? You may be thinking, “but I’m not a pastor or priest.” Well, my friend, one of the godliest men I know was never called to ministry, nor did he go to Bible College or Seminary. Nevertheless, all of the memories I have of this man are of his consistent love for JESUS and his incredible words of biblical wisdom. I learned more from him than many of the preachers we all know. Bottom line! You have to be running the race to PASS THE BATON. So, why not get off the bench and run? 😊
Living in THE SHADOW of the CROSS
Blessings in CHRIST
Pastor Wes
I Peter 3:15
readyforafreshstart 