09/01/14

The children of Elijah

2 Kings 4:35 - Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.


In the Bible there are few who did miracles like Elisha. Bible says he had double the anointing of Elijah yet we see not once in the Gospels Jesus refers to Elisha.

In today's message we see when the Shunammite woman's son died Elisha did what he saw Elijah do when the son of the widow had died. Understand Elisha had received his anointing from Elijah and not from the Lord, but on the other hand Elijah had received his anointing from the Lord.

When Samuel anointed David, he did on behalf of the Lord so the anointing that fell on David although came through Samuel, yet it was from the Lord. In the case of Elisha when Elijah was been taken up, he desired not the anointing from the Lord but from Elijah so Elijah out of obligation of serving him did pass double of his anointing unto Elisha. We see Elisha before lying on the child like Elijah did, had laid his staff (which represents authority) on the child but it did not work for his authority did not come from the Lord to bless the Shunammite woman with a child, for this woman did not know the Lord of Elisha but had reverence for Elisha as a Man of God, a man having power.

Just a few days back a young evangelist was preaching with fire (great aggression) on a topic and a brother who attended it did not agree with something what the evangelist said during his preaching but after some time another brother removed his mobile and played a video of TD Jakes which was on that topic and the brother was surprised to hear word to word preaching of TD Jakes was preached by the young preacher, even the mistakes of TD Jakes were reiterated word to word.

It is sad to see young men called by the Lord being led astray by their idolization of other preachers that they desire not the anointing of God but the anointing of the preacher. These people do not know all the work that they do in the Lord will not bear good fruit. They may bring many people to the Lord and even make many believers but sadly they will not make disciples for the Lord. They may make many disciples for themselves but none for the Lord that is why we see many being led astray and being consumed.

In countries like USA we find this problem has deep infection like AIDS and has spread throughout the Churches there and now this same problem is spreading here in India. For these people the word of their idol holds greater value than the Word of God. You try correcting them and they will turn a deaf ear unto you and react at you as someone just born yesterday and trying to teach them who have been believers since many years.

The young preacher I referred to previously, some years back did impress me a lot and was asking me questions on scriptures about the hidden things of the Kingdom of God, but surprising the Lord instructed me not to waste my time behind him so I stopped answering him. It was only after some months I realized why.

In today's message we see these people are not messengers of God but messenger of their idols, they follow the steps of their idols. They may be famous by the miracles or healings they do. The Lord for His Name sake does miracles and healings through them but yet these deeds may not glorify God as much they glorify the person. They are the people who build houses on sand and not on the Rock for they are far from the Truth. The person who they were impressed by may be rooted on the Rock and blameless like Elijah, was but since these people followed not the God in the Man of God but the man in the Man of God, they are consumed by vanity.

Bible says they will be saved for their faith in God but their works will be like ash consumed by the fire of God on Judgment Day.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord we pray for all those who welcome the Prophet and reap the Prophet's reward that they turn their eye's unto You who sent the Prophet and welcome You and thus reap your reward. Lord we pray the bondages that hold these people be broken and they be set free. That the only bonds that hold them are the bonds of love of the Lord Jesus Christ that bring us unto You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
1 Kings 17:17-24
17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

2 Kings 4:25-37
25 So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
28 Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
30 And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

2 Kings 4:8-17
8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

Matthew 10:41 - "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)