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A Challenge From God
The next thing the Lord said to me was something I really liked: "Buddy, I want to challenge you. I want you to crack open the pool of anointing and spread it out all over the Body of Christ, because my people need it."

"How am I ever going to do that?" I asked.

He said, "I gave you a 'crowbar' more than three and a half years ago. I want you to take that crowbar and crack open the pool of the anointing for the ministry of helps."

After the Lord said that, I stood there for a moment with a blank expression on my face that reflected a blank mind.

I thought, "Crowbar? Crowbar? Here I am having this great spiritual experience with the Lord, and He says 'crowbar.' Couldn't He give me some nice Hebrew or Greek word? Or something more spiritual sounding than crowbar?"

I grew up on a farm, and I knew all about crowbars. Every farmer that I ever knew had one particular crowbar that he liked to use. On our farm, we had one that you apparently could use for about anything.

Our corn dump was stuck once, and I yelled, "Hey, Grandpa! The corn dump's stuck!"

He yelled back, "Well, get the crowbar."

So I would run and get that old crowbar, knowing it would get the job done. There were times when I would think that crowbar would snap in two, but I would pry with it until whatever was jammed came unjammed. Our crowbar could do anything - even pull up rocks many times its own weight.

The Lord was speaking my language when He said "crowbar," but I did not know what that represented. What had God given me that was supposed to be His crowbar? Finally, I had to just ask Him, and He began to explain.

Although I had experienced such a wonderful spiritual revelation, I still did not want to teach about the anointing for the ministry of helps.

I said, "Lord, okay, I know what You are saying. But I don't want to teach about myself. I don't want to teach about Buddy Bell."

He said, "That is all right. You don't have to teach about yourself. There is someone in the Bible who had a crowbar like yours."

"Oh, yeah?" I asked. "Who?"

"Elisha," He replied.

Why do we get so excited when Elisha is mentioned? Could it be we get so excited about the supernatural things that happened in his ministry because we think life was all "peaches and cream" for him? Do we think it was some kind of "easy street" for him to follow Elijah, the mighty man of God?

We need to go to the Bible and look at the lives of Elijah and Elisha to understand the "crowbar" that Elisha used. Such "crowbars," as spoken of in these scripture texts, are "personal" in nature, and they are there for you to grab. Begin to use your crowbar as soon as you find it. The crowbar will keep you under the anointing for the ministry of helps. You will be blessed, and the Word of the Lord will begin to be accomplished.

Elijah, the Man of God
Before we can understand Elisha and the "crowbar of God," we will have to get a good look at the man he followed - Elijah. He is first mentioned in 1 Kings, chapter 17.

Elijah, the Tishbite, the prophet of God, appeared on the scene with the declaration that there would be no more rain, not even dew on the ground, until he said so. That is exactly what happened.

As you read the story of Elijah, you will find that, during the ensuing drought, he remained for a time by the brook of Cherith. There ravens brought him meat and bread each morning and evening until the brook dried up.

Later, Elijah was sent by God to a widow's house in a town in Zidon, totally out of Israelite territory. He told the widow that if she gave him the last of her food, she would not run out of food again. She obeyed, and the prophet's words came true. When her only son died, Elijah raised him from the dead. Are you beginning to see what sort of man Elisha followed?

About three years later, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to prove whose god was God. (1 Kings 18). The god who consumed the sacrifice by fire would be acknowledged to be the true God, and all would follow Him.

Before he challenged the prophets of Baal, he challenged the people. Men of God always challenge the people of God before they deal with things of Satan or with the world. Elijah said: "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21).

You cannot get any plainer than that. The people did not answer Elijah. They did not say a word - until after they saw signs and wonders. When they did not answer, Elijah pointed out that he was the only prophet remaining of the true God (a little later, however, the Lord told him there actually were 7,000 people in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal).

But at the time, Elijah really believed he was the only one left. He was ready to stand against 450 false prophets, because he knew whose God was real.

Source: How to be Totally Effective Serving in the Ministry of Helps by Buddy Bell
Excerpt permission granted by Ministry of Helps International

Author Biography

Dr. Buddy Bell
Web site: Ministry of Helps International
 
"A Pastor's Friend" Since 1977, Dr. Buddy Bell has been serving pastors and families in the local church. Because of his faithfulness and commitment to serve, God has anointed him to teach on the Ministry of Helps.
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