14/11/10

Dual Citizenship

2 Kings 4:23 - And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.


The testimony of Elisha and the Shunammite woman is a very important lesson for all people of God, especially the anointed Men of God. We learn how Elisha moved by the generosity of the Shunammite woman wanted to bless her in some or another way. And when he came to know of her been not able to bear a child, he blessed her with one. He did not realize that it was the favor of God which was on him and not because of the woman due to which he was enjoying the given facilities.

The woman respected the God and the beliefs of Elisha but also believed in the gods of the heathens. In today's message we can clearly see this, as she acknowledges the Sabbath and the new moon together.

Elisha learned his lesson and he literately fought with the Lord to keep his respect. He offered his life for the life of the boy by sleeping on his dead body of the boy, hand to hand, leg to leg, mouth to mouth not once but twice.

For today's message the Lord wants us to learn from this incident not what Elisha learned but as to why the woman did not receive her blessing of a child even though she was a good person in society. History tells us that this woman was well respected in the town she lived in. She was not only a good wife but she was also a good business woman, an important person in the city council but also a very charitable woman.

There are many among us who like the Shunammite woman are 'good' persons; 'good' to society and 'good' inside, but still losing on our blessings.

I was really blessed to be able to spent time with Dr. Ron Charles during the Blazing Youth Revival trip hearing from him the tremendous knowledge and understanding the Lord has blessed him with. In these few days he had given an amazing teaching on salt with the historic background, this I will share with you in a nutshell.

It was long before Jesus, during the times of Alexandra that one of his army persons found the preservation property of salt by accident. They found that they could keep meat fresh for a long time and this was very critical for his army since they were always on the move. During the time of Jesus / the Roman Empire, salt had become very important by then, like oil is today; so battles were fought across kingdoms for this commodity.

Judah was blessed with abundant salt so the Romans took a part of the taxes from the Jews in salt. This salt was all collected in a ship and many such ships were filled before they all left to Rome together.

During that time a group of Jewish rebellions (Zealots) who hated the Romans, use to mix dirt into the salt in the darkness of the night. The Romans could not know of this because these salt piles were covered with a protective cover from the rain and wind. By the time the salt reached Roman the dirt spread throughout the salt making it inedible for the Romans. Then the problem came of discarding it because there was too much dirt in the salt to consume it and too much salt in the dirt to just throw it away.

The Caesar of that time though of a solution and used it as a thick layer below the stone tiles for building of the roads in Roman, this helped maintain the roads for a very long period of time. Even today these very roads are in good condition although more than 2000 years have passed.

If we are salt mixed with dirt of this world we will not be usable by God nor will be acceptable by man. We will have too much of this world in us for God and too much of God in us for man and thus we will be like the salt trampled under the feet of man and rejected of God.

The Lord says 'be holy for I AM Holy, be righteous for I AM Righteous, be full of love for I AM Love, do not compromise Me for this world for if you are lukewarm I will spit you out of My mouth'.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, forgive us for the times we have compromised You for the love, attention, material and respect of this world. Lord by your Spirit open these areas to us that we may overcome them by your grace. For You nothing is impossible and with You in us and with us, we too can overcome...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
2 Kings 4:27-35
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.

Matthew 5:13
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Revelation 3:15-16
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

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