If God had cut him off while in sin, he would have surely perished. This is the testimony of a man who asked his church leader for prayer, and was left dangling in the wind. Before the man could receive prayer from the church leader, a gratuity of money was insisted upon first.
It was revealed to the man in a dream, there were entities crouched down seeking to do him harm. A spiritual man, he sought a divine covering of prayer from his church leadership. The man wrote and asked for prayer from his church. Assuming he would receive prayer, he carried on with his task, in a dangerous line of work. While facing an unusual level of opposition from all sides, prayer was needed more than ever.
His church leader told the man that whatever line of work he was in, it wasn’t bearing any fruit. The man’s failure to obligate himself to pay the required fee resulted in there being no prayer for the man by the elder. The man became heated, aiming his misguided anger at the church, and not the pastor over the church. It was as if the man blamed God for the actions of the false prophet. Becoming bitter at the church, the man spoke irreverent things, desiring to change religions, instead of just changing his church. If he had only known then, that speaking against the church was like speaking against God. It would have been better for him to curse the pastor in private, than to publically speak irreverently about the house of God.
He wasn’t learning anything from the false profit anyway, deception has been happening since the garden; “did God really say” is what the serpent used to entice Eve. What happened next would shape mankind forever, so it was written.
The photos used in this illustration are actual X-Rays from the man giving this testimony. “You meant evil against me, but God used it for good.” Seconds before being shot at close range in the head, the man cried out for God’s forgiveness! The images show the fragmented bullet that entered his skin but never penetrated his skull and brain. They are flat pieces of a lead bullet, meant to kill him, but only strengthened his faith in God. He realized the false prophet could do nothing, and his refusal to pray for the man only strengthened his resolve to directly entreat the source of blessing and healing, God. The right on time God showed up and averted the projectile intended to kill the man. The man’s bones shook, and spirit passed before his face.
To the true preachers of God’s Word, when prayer is requested of the church, as the leader, grant that prayer request immediately, do not forget. It is best to deprive your distractions and cater to your focus, so that no one dies in their sin. Sometimes the one requesting prayer may have been shown closeness with death, in a dream. Never place a price tag on prayer. Make all decisions for destiny, not worldly desires. You might succeed in leaving a man out in the cold, or even worse, in the snare of the evil fowler! Get to know your congregation, because you cannot miss someone that you never knew.
To the true church of God, we cannot make false prophets love us by giving them more of what they already have no appreciation for. Life is short, spend it with people who make us laugh and feel loved. Come out from among the wicked false prophets before it is too late.
Job 4
New International Version
Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “ “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?
3 Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
6 Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?
7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?
8 As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.
9 At the breath of God they perish; at the blast of his anger they are no more.
10 The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on people,
14 fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end.
16 It stopped, but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice:
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?
18 If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error,
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth!
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever.
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’ ”
Job 4
King James Version
4 “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
9 By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.
12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.
13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:
16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.”
Job 4
Living Bible
4 “A reply to Job from Eliphaz the Temanite:
2 “Will you let me say a word? For who could keep from speaking out? 3-4 In the past[a] you have told many a troubled soul to trust in God* and have encouraged those who are weak or falling, or lie crushed upon the ground or are tempted to despair. 5 But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken.
6 “At such a time as this should not trust in God still be your confidence? Shouldn’t you believe that God will care for those who are good?[b] 7-8 Stop and think! Have you ever known a truly good and innocent person who was punished? Experience teaches that it is those who sow sin and trouble who harvest the same. 9 They die beneath the hand of God. 10 Though they are fierce as young lions, they shall all be broken and destroyed. 11 Like aged, helpless lions they shall starve, and all their children shall be scattered.
12 “This truth was given me in secret, as though whispered in my ear. 13 It came in a nighttime vision as others slept. 14 Suddenly, fear gripped me; I trembled and shook with terror, 15 as a spirit passed before my face—my hair stood up on end. 16 I felt the spirit’s presence, but couldn’t see it standing there. Then out of the dreadful silence came this voice:
17 “‘Is mere man more just than God? More pure than his Creator?’
18-19 “If God cannot trust his own messengers (for even angels make mistakes), how much less men made of dust, who are crushed to death as easily as moths! 20 They are alive in the morning, but by evening they are dead, gone forever with hardly a thought from anyone. 21 Their candle of life is snuffed out. They die and no one cares.”