Double Blessing Conclusion

7. A time for action

After Elijah’s translation Elisha wasted no time wondering if the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He took Elijah’s fallen mantle and walked to the Jordan River. He said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah’ and he struck the water with the mantle. Elisha’s first miracle was the same as Elijah’s final one. Elisha knew that not only had the physical mantle of Elijah been give to him but also the mantle of the prophet was upon him.

Double Blessing Part 7

6. Preparing a successor

Can we pray that our successor will have a greater ministry than we had? Can we accept that when it happens? Sometimes it is hard to see our successor have a more successful ministry that we had. It was Joshua and not Moses that led the people into the Promised Land. Can we be like Samuel who said, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.” 1 Samuel 12:23 (NIV) As much as it hurt Samuel to see the people reject him and his family he knew it was God’s leading and he promised to pray for the people. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and see the picture as God paints it. If He chooses to use our successor in a greater ministry than we were used by Him then we should be thankful. Can we thank God when He uses our successors? Can we thank God when He uses our rivals? Elijah knew that Elisha’s ministry would be successful and yet he was not threatened. He knew it was not about him but it was about God. Where is the spirit of Elijah today?

Double Blessing Part 6

5. A double blessing

Elijah had tested Elisha four times showing him that to continue in the role of a prophet would be a difficult task. Elisha knew it was more important to do the will of God than to be comfortable. When Elijah saw Elisha’s persistence he asked him what he desired. Elisha then asked for a double blessing. In asking for the double blessing he was asking to be the rightful heir to Elijah. The double blessing was always reserved for the first born son. Elisha wanted the prophetic office that had been Elijah’s.

I wonder what went through Elijah’s mind when Elisha asked for the double blessing. I am sure that he was thrilled that his disciple wanted to be a prophet but I also think that there were some concerns. Did Elisha have what it would take to be a prophet? Would he be able to stand before kings and false religious leaders? Elijah had one more test for his disciple. If he would be with him when God took him from this earth then he would received the blessing. Elisha could not go part way, he had to go all the way with Elijah.

It is recorded that Elisha’s ministry was twice as long as Elijah’s and that he did twice as many miracles. Some people have pointed out that this was the fulfillment of the double blessing in Elisha’s live. However, this misses the point of the double blessing. As we have already pointed out that the double blessing went to the heir and Elisha proved to be Elijah’s rightful heir and successor.

Double Blessing Part 5

4. A place of division

Finally they came to the Jordan River. Once again Elijah asked Elisha to remain behind and once again Elisha refused. The Jordan was the great divide. It had originally separated the Israelites under Moses from the Promised Land. Now it was going to separate Elijah from the land. Elisha knew that God’s blessing was on Elijah and he did not want to be separated from that that blessing. As they came to the river Elijah took his mantel and struck the water. Just as in Joshua’s day the water was divided allowing the two men to cross over on dry ground. I wonder if they crossed where Joshua had crossed. I wonder if the pile of stones was still on the river bank. I wonder if there was a pile of stones in the river bed.

Double Blessing Part 4

3. A time of victory

Jericho was the place of the Israelites first victory when they entered the land. When Elijah asked Elisha to stay there Elisha may have thought about remembering all of the victories that God had given them. It is a good thing to remember all that God has done for us but we cannot stay there. Past victories should just give us the motivation to move on to great victories. Elisha was not content to remember what God had done in the passed. He lived in anticipation of what God would do in the future. However, there are two dangers. Either we forget the past or else we live in the past. The first gives us fear to move forward, the second makes us complacent and we fail to move forward.

Double Blessing Part 3

2. The Word of God

Bethel was known as the House of God. It was there that Jacob had set up a monument as he was fleeing from his brother. It was at Bethel that the covenant to Abraham was reconfirmed to his grandson Jacob. As Elijah and Elisha passed through Bethel Elijah again asked his companion to remain behind. It was as if he was saying to him to remain and the house of God and remember all the good things that God had done form them. But once again Elisha was not content to just stay and remember what God had done. Elijah was continuing his ministry and Elisha wanted to be with him. How often we are distracted bow often we are distracted b the good things that God has done that we forget He has called us to continue until He calls us home.

Double Blessing Part 2

1. A place to remember

Gilgal was the place of remember. When Joshua led the people into the land they set up camp at Gilgal. During the time of conquest they kept returning to Gilgal to remind themselves of what God had done for them. There had been build a monument of stones. Elijah told Elisha to stay there and remember what God has done for His people. Maybe he was thinking about Azariah and how quickly the people had forgotten about the victory at Carmel. However, Elisha wasn’t satisfied just to remember but he wanted to experience God’s blessings and power. Sometimes when a revival happens in a church or a community the people will build a monument. Now the monument may be important but it is not just to look at and say, “Remember when God visited us.” Our monuments must look forward as well as backward. Samuel set up a rock as a monument and called it Ebenezer saying, “thus far has God helped us.” The implication was that God had helped them in the past and He will continue to help us in the future.

Double Blessing Part 1

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not." 2 Kings 2:9 – 10
The final stage of Elijah’s life can be divided into two parts. First there is the remarkable translation that he had and second, the double portion of God’s blessing upon Elisha.

As Elijah was walking along the road with his companion Elisha the Lord sent His chariot to gather up Elijah and to take him home. It will be the same for the believers when the Lord calls His church home. We will be going about our daily work and suddenly the trumpet of the Lord will signal the coming home of His people. Some people have felt that they need to prepare themselves for the Lord’s coming by withdrawing from the world. That was not the picture with Elijah. They were continuing to do the ordinary things of life. A preacher one time preached a powerful sermon on the second coming of Christ so that the hearers in his congregation believed it would happen that very night. The next morning the pastor planted an apple tree that would take years to mature. Did he not believe his own message? He did but also knew the command of the King of kings who said, “Occupy until I come.”

As they walked along together Elijah tested the loyalty of his companion. This was done four times; first at Gilgal, then at Bethel, Jericho and finally the Jordan River.

Facebook

This past week I decided to start using my facebook account. Mainly I was interested in the pictures that our children posted but I must confess I like to wander around on the site at times.
It disturbs me what is often shared on a social network. Things that people would not necessarily share anywhere else. I guess it gives them a sense of power for whatever reason.
However, I got to thinking about what happened to some of the people that I knew. There are a number that have gone on with the Lord and it is great to read about their work, their life, their ministry. On the other hand there are a number who have turned their back on what they believed and now are denying the faith they once held or are confusing what they believe with a mixture of beliefs from all over. What happened? Who is to blame? Sometimes churches offer new converts what it is not able to deliver because it is unbiblical. They offer health, wealth or even just fulfillment and when the person does not receive that they think that Christianity is a fraud. No it is not Christianity that is a fraud but what the churches have sold you. Sometimes families have unbiblical expectations for their children. Families have to take some of the responsibility. Education becomes more important than a relationship with the Lord or a spouse or... Ultimately though the person himself/herself is responsible. You cannot blame the church for your incorrect beliefs or blame your family. They might have contributed to it but you yourself were seeking for an utilitarian God and not the God of glory, His glory, not yours.

Come Down Conclusion

3. What about us today?
What is the application to prayer for us today? Some people think that prayer is only positive thinking. I have a friend who is an agnostic and when I was facing surgery he told me that he would pray for me. I couldn’t help but wonder who he was praying to since he questioned the existence of God. Sometimes when we pray we are concerned with our own comfort or the comfort of those that we are praying for at the time. Elijah’s concern was different. He was more concerned with the glory of God. John tells us in his gospel that prayer is to bring honour and glory to God. When we come to God in prayer, either for our own needs or for the needs of others, we need to remember that our first and primary concern is that God receives the glory. He will not share His glory with others.

Come Down Part 3

2. Elijah was faithful
When Azariah set for Elijah he was alone with his God on the mountain top. We often find Elijah in prayer on the mountain so it is more than likely that Elijah was in prayer when Azariah’s men found him. Elijah was concerned with his relationship with God while the king was concerned with his own comfort.
Azariah was in need and since he was the king he set for Elijah to come immediately. I can imagine that he scoffed at Elijah spending time on the mountain alone with God. To Azariah his comfort was more important than Elijah’s fellowship with God.
Scripture doesn’t tell us why the first two troops of soldiers were destroyed by fire while the third troop was spared. The only indication we have is that the captain of the third troop did not come mocking Elijah or his God but came with a serious request. One of the results of Elijah’s prayer life was that he was a man of discernment. He knew that the first two companies of soldiers were only interested in mocking him and his God but he knew that the third company was led by a man with a different spirit.
When Jesus was asked by James and John to call down fire from heaven to destroy those that mocked Jesus, He rebuked them. I am sure that James and John were thinking about Elijah calling down the fire and they were probably surprised by the response of the Lord. Some people today say that is because the God of the New Testament is different than the God of the Old Testament. However, God is not different. Because He does not judge people or sin immediately isn’t because He has changed the way He looks upon us but it is because of His great mercy.

Come Down Part 2

1. The people were fickle.
A few years earlier Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The end result was that the prophets of Baal had been destroyed and the people had confirmed their faith in the living God. Now it would seem that what had happened on Mount Carmel did not have a lasting result. The king rejected the Lord and had put his confidence in Baal. However, when Baal did not bring about the desired results he reluctantly sent for Elijah. The Lord was gracious to Azariah in that he did not die and gave him time to repent. Even though Azariah was confronted with the judgment of God he still would not yield his will or bow the knee to the Almighty God. The influence of this ungodly king caused over one hundred men to die an untimely death. Because he would not repent or bow the knee others would suffer. The Lord has told us that He is not willing that any should perish but that everyone should be saved. If God withholds His judgment it is not because of His inability to judge sin but because of His mercy.
When Elijah appeared before the widow of Zarephath she knew that she had met a man of God. However, she was hesitant to acknowledge that fact because Elijah’s holiness showed up her sinfulness. After her son was raised from the dead she saw Elijah as a savor of life unto life. Azariah only saw Elijah as one who condemned his life style and he had no desire to change. To Azariah Elijah reminded him he was a man under judgment so he came to him a savor of death unto death.

Come Down Part 1

Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!' Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. 2 Kings 1:9 – 10
Many people find themselves uncomfortable when they read this incident in the life of Elijah. I think it is because many people do not want to believe in the God that brings judgment upon people. They are quick to give their opinions about God and in so doing they create a god to their liking. However, God is not a God that can be defined by human creativity or intellect. God is not safe but He is good. When Elijah was confronted by the captain and his fifty men he called down fire that consumed them. To our thinking this does not seem like the actions of a man of God. Elijah knew the heart of Azariah and that he had no respect for either God or His prophet. Elijah knew it was a dangerous act to ridicule God. If the king and his men would do it and get away with it then the people would follow.

Cart before the horse

I have been studying the book of Hebrews in preparation for the fall program at our church and there is one thing I found from many writers that frustrated me. Many writers try to make the Scriptures fit their doctrine rather than their doctrine fit the scriptures. Maybe our doctrine needs to change. Maybe their is conflict in human reasoning and the divine. Remember God said that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Sometimes doctrines must be held in tension and we cannot explain what God has not revealed.

Confrontation Conclusion

3. Let God set the agenda.

When we come to God in prayer God may direct us to things around us that we need to speak against. We may find it uncomfortable to do this but if God has directed us then we cannot be silent. We need to remember that we called to a ministry of restoration and reconciliation. Our call is not to make people comfortable but to be holy. “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” 1 John 5:16-17 (NIV)

There are many illustrations in Scripture that show us that men of prayer were often called to confront sin in other believers. Nathan was told by God to go to David and confront him of his sin against God. Paul had to speak against Peter when he separated himself from the gentile Christians. Peter spoke the word of judgment from the Lord to Annanias and Saphira.

When God reveals sin to us whether it is within or outside the church we need to respond. However, we must examine our own heart and then go to speak the word. Our goal should always be reconciliation of the brother or sister and ultimately we are to seek restoration for the glory of God.

Confrontation Part 3

2. The World does not understand the Church.

The world doesn’t understand the church's stand and the people of the world think that the church is being unreasonable. When the church says “no” to homosexual unions the world sees the church as being intolerant and biased toward other people who do not agree with them. The world sees the church as irrelevant and that the principles of Scripture as outdated. To the world society is evolving and there is no absolute standard. When the church takes a stand based upon God’s Word it is seen as been backward. However, God laid a standard in Scripture to keep His people pure and to keep society pure. Some churches have bowed to the pressure that the world has put upon them and justify their actions as Ahab justified his action. They see themselves as doing something better for the world than what God has proclaimed in His Word.

Christians are called to confront sin both in the church and in the world and both inside and outside the church the Christian will often be misunderstood. Many will say that we are being judgmental and they will even quote scripture to justify that position. If we speak out against sin in the world then we are told that judgment must begin at the household of God. If we speak out against sin within the church we are told that people have “soul-liberty” and that each person is responsible for his or her own actions before God.

If you speak out against abortion then you are judged as being against choice, if you speak out against homosexual behaviour you are intolerant. What would our world be like today if men or women like Wilberforce or Martin Luther King Jr. did not speak out against the injustices of slavery and discrimination?

Confrontation Part 2

1. Ahab did not understand Elijah

Ahab may have believed that he had done nothing wrong. After all he did not do anything. He had only mentioned to his wife that he wanted the vineyard for a vegetable garden and he justified his desire by offering Naboth a better vineyard in place of the one he wanted. When Jezebel had Naboth killed Ahab said to himself that he had nothing to do with his death and he remained silent when he learned of his wife’s crime. Many people have justified themselves by taking a similar stand to Ahab. However, the Bible makes it clear that if we do not speak out when sin is exposed then we to are guilty.

Ahab couldn’t understand Naboth’s stand. Here he was offering Naboth a much better vineyard in place of the one that he wanted. In his mind Naboth was being unreasonable. Naboth had taken his stand based upon the Biblical principle that was given by God to Moses that the land was not to be sold but it was to be kept in the family forever. Naboth felt that God’s law was unreasonable and his plan was a better plan.

Confrontation Part 1

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'this is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'this is what the LORD says:’ I 1 Kings 21:17 – 19 (NIV)

When we read the story of Elijah we have the tendency to think of him as a spiritual giant and when the Lord spoke to him about Naboth Elijah immediately responded and went to confront the King. However, I know that Elijah suffered many of the same fears that we do and I am sure he wrestled in prayer about the confrontation. However, Elijah was convinced that God had called him to bring Israel back to God so he went to meet the king.

Thanks Ryan

Last Sunday Pastor Ryan preached an excellent sermon on suffering. He used 1 Peter 1 as his text and he made excellent points based upon Scripture. The first two points were: 1. God is merciful. 2. Keep eternity in view. It was a sermon that many needed to hear but it also showed the heart of our youth pastor. Thanks again Ryan.
Because I had a rotten cough I needed to sit at the very back. When you sit at the back you get to observe everyone. I find it sad that so few people feel the necessity of bringing their Bibles with them to church. I would like to start a campaign to bring the Word of God back to church.

Safely Home

I have just finished reading (again) the novel Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. Now I am not a fan of religious fiction as it as they often give a distorted view of both Christianity and the world. However, this is one novel I would recommend. You cannot read this novel and not have a burning in your heart for the persecuted church, a desire to see the Word of God in the hands of all peoples and a desire for the things that are eternal. At our local Bibles for Missions store our primary field as we raise money for the Bible League of Canada is China. Every one of us should read this book. When you go into a store and pick up an item check to see if it is made in China and then pray for those people who made that item. Very likely they are people of the underground church who are being persecuted for their faith. If you have any ideas of how to support the underground church in China I would like to hear from you. Let us pray for the persecuted Christians in China today.

The Still Small Voice conclusion

3. Go back.

God’s first instruction to Elijah was that he had to go back the way he had come. When we have failed God He calls us to go back. In tenderness our Lord gave these instructions to the church at Ephesus: Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2:5. The instructions to the church at Ephesus are the way that God deals with His fallen children. He calls us to remember, repent and return. He asked Elijah what he was doing there. He wanted Elijah to remember. God then spoke to Elijah in the gentle voice calling him to repent. Then He told him that he had to go back the way he had come. God had a new work for Elijah but before he could do that work he had to go back.

We should note that Elijah obeyed immediately. There was a fresh ministry for him. He had to anoint Hazael king over Aram, Jehu king over Israel and Elisha as his successor. God was not finished with Israel and these three men were to bring God’s judgment upon the nation of Israel. Elijah saw that another would take his place but God still had a ministry for him.

The Still Small Voice Part 3

2. Where is God?

How often people have looked for God in movements but have missed God because He was gently speaking to their heart. We have looked for God in signs and wonders but have missed Him because we were seeking His power more than we desired Him. Often we have missed the blessing because we have sought the blessing rather than the Giver of the blessing. A. B. Simpson wrote, “Once it was the blessing now it is the Lord.” Are we desperate for God or are we desperate for His blessings? God wants us to desire Him more than anything else. John Piper has said, “God is most pleased with us when we are most pleased with Him.” Are we delighting in God or in His blessings? If God didn’t give us the healing we desired or the ministry we long for, would we still delight in Him? Until our desire is for Him alone then all these things are just things.

Simon the Sorcerer was the power of God at work in the disciples and he wanted that power for himself. He saw the power but he missed God. He attempted to buy the power so that he, like the disciples, could perform signs and wonders but his desire for power only brought the wrath and judgment of God.

When God met Elijah in the still small voice it was then that God gave him his instructions. God had met Elijah on Mount Horeb or Sinai but He desired to show Elijah that He was going to do a new work, a work that was not based upon the Old Covenant of the Law but a ministry based upon grace. Mount Horeb spoke of the Law, the gentle breeze spoke of grace.

The Still Small Voice Part 2

1. The Lord is gracious.

After Elijah had fallen the Lord gently ministered to him. First he needed food and rest. How often do we suffer spiritually because we do not take care of ourselves physically?

Elijah was hungry for God. He had traveled to Mount Horeb the mountain of God and there he spent the night. Mount Horeb was significant to Israel because there the Lord had met with Moses and had given him the Law. During the time when Moses was on the mountain it was alive with wind, thunder and lightning. Elijah encountered much the same as he was on that sacred mountain.

First there was the wind but we are told that God was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake but once again we are told that God was not in the earthquake. Next came fire but again God was not in the fire. Finally there was a gentle voice, a gentle breeze and God spoke to Elijah in the quietness of that moment.

It would have been easy for Elijah to expect that God would be in the wind, earthquake or fire. He knew that God had come to this mountain before in the wind. God had spoken on Mount Carmel by fire. Nature expresses the presence and power of God. However, God was not in those things. Elijah was the prophet of fire and power but when God revealed Himself to him it wasn’t in the things that made Elijah strong but it was in the gentle breeze of God’s grace.

The Still Small Voice Part 1

One summer when my second son was thirteen years old I took him and his two younger brothers on a canoe trip in a remote park in Northwestern Ontario. After a long and difficult portage we arrived at a beautiful pristine lake. We canoed all afternoon and finally we found a spot to cook our supper. We knew that it was not a place where we should set up camp to we continued down the lake. Around eight o’clock that evening we still had not found a suitable camping spot. We had been warned that there were bears in the area so it was important that our camping spot would be safe. As dusk was beginning to settle a man on an island we were passing by called to us and invited us to set up camp by him and his son.

We set up our tent and then put the food that we had brought with us on a rope between two trees, high up out of the way of the bears, or so we thought. We had settled in for the night and at midnight the other man called to me that there was a bear in the camp. He and I went out with our flashlights and found the bear up a tree trying to reach his food. We threw stones at the bear to get him down and chase him away. When he left we went back to bed and about thirty minutes later the bear returned. This time he was after our food and he had managed to knock the containers out of the trees. We gather up the food and other camping supplies and brought them up to our campsite. I lit a fire and sat by the fire to keep it burning. I sat there for the entire night until the other man got up at about sunrise the next morning. At that point I went to bed.

During the night as I sat there alone by the fire I listened to the sounds of the remote area. I heard owls and coyotes but otherwise it was extremely quiet. I wondered if this is what it was like as Elijah sat in the mouth of the cave on Mount Horeb. In the stillness of the moment you could hear the voice of God.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:12 -13

"Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Adopted for Life

Our son gave us the following book. I am looking forward to reading it as soon as possible. It is especially relevant today as it was 21 years ago today that our daughter came to live with us. As I listened to Dr. Moore talk about his book I realized that I had never thought that Christians often don't know the significance of adoption in their lives. We are all adopted into the family of God. Once we were outsiders and then we were part of the family. We often talk about being born again and new birth but adoption in many ways is the best picture of how we come into the family of God. Notice that Dr. Moore autographed the book for us. Thanks Russel Moore.

Back to Basics

Last Sunday Peter Ralph preached about the beginning of the Gospel. The Gospel is about a person, Jesus Christ. The Gospel begins before he shows up, it begins with John the Baptist but when I read the Scriptures I see that it is all about Him and the Gospel. Edmund Clowney and Tim Keller do a wonderful series on the centrality of Jesus Christ to all Scripture. It is all about Him.