| |
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also. Seated on His marvelous throne of grace the Lord set his eyes on Satan and asked, “From where have you come?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it.”
And the Lord said, “Have you considered my servants Obadiah Damerae Shepherd and Isaac Judah Walker Jr., that there is none like them in the earth. They are perfect and upright men, who fear God and hate evil?”
But Satan answered the Lord, “Do they fear God for nothing? Haven’t You blessed the works of their hands and protected them on every turn? I almost caused Isaac to spiral into depression after he lost his parents, but you sent angels to defeat the imps I had assigned to him.”
“Touch not my anointed and do my profits no harm.”
“As you command, but that just proves my point,” Satan reiterated.
“The revival Obadiah and Isaac are working on will bring many souls into My kingdom. You’ve been working hard to stop the revival, and I will not stand in your way. Do what you will, and My servants will find a way to do My will.”
Satan gleefully asked, “I can do anything I want, and You won’t stop me?”
“My servants will stop you... As I said, do what you will only do not touch one hair on their head.”
Satan bowed to the Lord. “I won't have to touch them. But I promise, when I’m done they will curse You to Your face.”
~~~
Dam and Isaac met for coffee. After getting scolded by Amarrea and his father, Dam realized that he needed to be a part of this revival. God was up to something, and for some reason he wanted Dam to be a part of it. So maybe there was some way he could help Isaac out that wouldn’t get him fired.
“I’m glad you called, man. Things are falling apart on this revival, I'm hoping we can find a way to pull it back together,” Isaac said as the waitress sat a coffee mug and crumb cake in front of both of them.
“Amarrea practically beat me over the head when she found out that I backed out.” Dam took a sip of his coffee. “I want to partner with you on this revival, I really do. But, I need to keep my job for my family. So, I’m kind of stuck.”
“Totally understand where you’re at. I just wish I had taken your news better. I’ve been a complete bear to deal with all week. Amarrea might have wanted to fight you, but my wife isn’t even speaking to me.”
Dam took a sip of his coffee, then put it down. “I hate to hear that. We are trying to do good work for the Lord. It shouldn’t be this hard.”
Isaac shook his head. “I was just talking with my uncle the other day. He and my father used to handle these revivals, and he told me all kinds of stories about the obstacles they ran up against. So, nothing much has changed, we just have to figure our way around these issues just like my dad and uncle Keith did.”
“I should have never accepted the youth pastor position at Bishop Thomas’ church. Every day I’m there I wonder how I could have missed God on this assignment.” Dam prided himself on following the lead of God. He wanted his life to be a living testimony and to always be in the will of God. So, how he found himself working for a man like Bishop Thomas, Dam just couldn’t explain it.
“What if you didn’t miss God,” Isaac suggested. “What if God put you in that position just so millions of people could see you deliver those two sermons that was not only seen on a cable Christian television station but was also posted on YouTube. Last I checked those two messages had about fifty million views. Which is the reason we received so much interest from several networks wanting to televise our revival.”
Dam looked doubtful. “Or Minister Vicki could have just made a mistake.”
“Two Sundays in a row?” Isaac shook his head. “That’s not a mistake, that’s a God-ordained intervention.”
“Okay, let’s say you’re right, then tell me why Bishop Thomas now wants to fire me if I continue working on the revival? Tell me why my wife is on bedrest and needs me to earn money to pay the bills rather than do the will of God? We may have coverage from the networks, but I won’t be there.”
“And if you’re not there, most of the networks will probably cancel,” Isaac finished the thought for Dam. “But I have an idea that just may salvage the revival and our mission for reaching a hurting world.”
“I’m all ears.”
Isaac leaned forward, put an elbow on the table. “When I was talking to my uncle the other day, he mentioned that he and my father dealt with an ego-driven bishop years ago. And as he laid out for me some of their exploits, an idea struck.”
“I hope it’s a good one,” Dam looked as if he didn’t have faith in anything changing Bishop Thomas’ mind.
“You just bring your lunch to work with you tomorrow. Be in your office around noon, and I will show you how we are going to deal with the good bishop.”
~~~
“I knew you would come to your senses and get with the program,” Bishop Thomas said as he playfully smacked Minister Vicki on her behind and then got out of her bed.
“You know I can’t resist you. I want you here with me all the time. I can’t wait until you get that divorce like you’ve been promising me.” Vicki sat up in bed and pulled the sheet up to cover her naked body.
Bishop rolled his eyes heavenward like he was asking the Lord’s help to deal with this wayward saint. “You’re expecting too much from me, Vicki. My wife loves me, and she is beloved by our church members. I can’t just break her heart like that.”
“Then why did you come over here today?” Vicki’s lip stuck out as she pouted.
“Because you called. I thought you were finally ready to accept your place. Plus, I haven’t had much fun lately. I needed to be with you. Why can’t you just be happy with what we have? You knew I was married when you laid down with me in the first place.”
“Yeah, but you kept talking about how unhappy you were and how First Lady Jade doesn’t care about you. Now you tell me that she loves you.” Tears strolled down her face as she asked, “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Take it for what it’s worth. You and I had a good time. But maybe our relationship has run its course.”
“So, just like that, I’m being dismissed. Do you really think I’m going to just take this and do nothing about it?”
“You can’t hurt my ministry anymore if that’s what you’re threatening. I already had you thrown off the media team. So, Dam’s messages won’t be, he did quote marks in the air, ‘accidentally’ uploaded on any of the networks again.”
“I can tell First Lady what you’ve been doing behind her back. You won’t divorce her, but that doesn’t mean she won’t divorce you... because baby, I’ve got a serious story to tell.”
“That is why I told Jade to get herself another armor bearer. I’m not about to let no devil in hell tear down what God has put together.” Bishop snatched his clothes off the floor and headed for the bathroom.
“So, now I’m the devil? Just remember, you’ve been laying up with the devil if that’s what I am.”
“You’re trying to bring down a man of God who has been anointed by the Almighty. God’s word says touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm. Now if you're bad enough to go against God, then like I said, you are a devil.”
“Don’t mess with me, Daniel.” Vicki flung the sheet off and strutted over to him with a menacing look on her face as she put her full glory on display. “I’m the one you want. I’m the one you keep coming back to. But I’m telling you now if you don’t make things right, I’m going to turn your life upside down. By the time I’m finished you’re going to wish I was just the devil.”
Grabbing hold of her bare shoulders, Bishop Thomas shook her. “It’s over between us, Vicki. Go find some man to marry and leave me alone.”
“I’ll never leave you alone. You belong to me, and I belong to you.”
“I belong to God.”
Vicki laughed at him. He smacked her. Vicki stepped back, wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, then smacked him back with her other hand. After smacking him, she lunged at his face, claws at him like an angry tiger.
He knocked her down, but not before she put a long gash on his left cheek. “You crazy. I’m getting out of here.” Bishop Thomas quickly put his clothes on and left without showering.