Even the embers from the fire of the Holy Ghost can spark new life. I love the story of the man who came back to life just by touching Elisha’s dead bones. He was completely dead – no life in him. Elisha had done 13 miracles at this point. Elijah had done 7. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, and it was granted to him. One more miracle was to come when he died. How can someone do a miracle after he is dead?
This Sunday, I will be preaching at my church, and my direction right now is to preach out of Psalm 88. It is a Psalm of discouragement and talks about someone having a really bad day – really bad. Everything seems to be going wrong, and it is a lamentation over the situation the writer is in. But then along comes verse 10, which asks the question “Shall the Dead Arise to Praise You?” This question caused me to write a poem 4 years ago that rings out with praise. Yes, the dead shall arise to praise God. Here we see that happening.
In Jesus we see that happening. We were all dead in our trespasses and iniquities. But Jesus took upon hHimself all our sins, all our shame. all our guilt, all our wrongs. He stretched His arms out on the cross to die for you and me. He was laid in a borrowed tomb and rose again from the dead on the third day. He arose to praise God. He arose to give us a way to the Father. He arose to be with us forevermore. He arose so that we could all rise from the death of sin we were in, and live to praise God, for His mercy endures forever!
We serve a powerful God. A God that has all authority in heaven and earth. Perhaps today our Spirit lies dormant, barely breathing. Perhaps I have fallen back into some of my sinful ways. Perhaps I feel dead inside me because of the quilt and shame of my recurring sin. I shall not fear. By the power of Almighty God, I can rise from that death and praise Him once again. He will pick me up out of that miry clay, and set my feet on the rock to stay. He is my deliverer and my redeemer. I shall arise again and praise Him!
“I want to serve God my way1” This is the cry of many in the church today. And it was the cry of Naaman the leper. He was asked to do a simple thing, and he did not want to do it. His own way was better. “Why should I have to bathe in the Jordan River? Aren’t the rivers in my own land greater than these?” It doesnl;t matter if the other rivers are better, or clearer, or where they are placed. God gave His instruction, and God expects those instructions to be followed. Plain and simpler. Dip seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman was said to be an honorable and great man. These things had also made him proud. And his pride almost cost him his blessing!
We would do well to always remember the story of Naaman. God is not impressed with anything we do or say. He is only impressed by obedience. Look at the four lepers sitting at the gate. ‘Why sit we here until we die?’ OH, how I love those words. They show four men who were at their weakest, depend on God and bring a great victory.. They did not lift a si ANd the victory was shared not onlyt with them, but with the whole army of Israel.ngle weapon of war in their hands. They merely went by the Holy Spirit and relied on God. Obedience was rewarded with victory and a great spoil. I need to come to the place that, when I come to God, I come humbly , and allow God to show me my salvation. He may bring that victory in a strange way, but will bring it.
Gehazi also went after his pride. He caught up with Naaman and asked for a gift under false pretenses. He just flat out lied. But Naaman believed him because he had seen Gehazi with Nathan. When we are seen as men and women of God, We must make sure we present ourselves in a good and honorable way. Gehazi did not. He lied to Naaman about the reason he wanted the money, and that cost him his life, in a way. The leprosy of Naaman was now on Gehazi, and it would remain there for life. Pride causes us to do things we should not do, but when we repent and do as told, we are restored, just as the leper that came back to Jesus, was made whole. Obedience rather than sacrifice. A broken heart is God’s delight, and we cannot be broken if we maintain our prideful ways. May we each make obedience our sacrifice!
What a site this must have been. A chariot of fire, led by horses of fire, comes roaring out of heaven and comes right in between Elijah and Elisha. Then it seems, by the story, that it turns into a whirlwind and Elijah is gone! He just went away in the whirlwind. There is no other story in the Bible that is like this, except maybe Enoch who was just taken from the earth, never seeing death. No wonder Elisha wanted to stay by him. He had been told three times to stay back, and yet he told him that the Lord was going to take him away that day, but ELisha told them to be quiet. Several people told him the Lord would take him that day and Elisha told them to be silent, and he went with Elijah every step of the way, even across Jordan. Elijah asked him what he wanted, and Elisha asked for his mantle, the one that touched the Jordan and the river parted. That was his way back across the Jordan, spo he needed that. My question is “How did all these men know that God was going to take him that day?” Even Elisha knew something was going on.
It is fascinating to me that this story is so dramatic. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and it will never happen again, I don’t think. This was the day he would leave, but they had no idea how or when, just that it was this day. Is this why Elisha wanted to stay next to him? As his disciple,he wanted to glean everything he could from his master before he left. For them to know this was the day the Lord would take him away is absurd. Yet they did. I think the Holy Spirit had told them he would be leaving them this day. How else could they know? There is no record of Elija saying anything to them, although I am pretty sure he knew it was coming.
I remember the movie “Chariots of Fire” about Eric Liddle. He was a missionary and a sprinter, and he was in the 1924 Olympics and took home a bronze medal in the 200 meter and a gold medal in the 400 meter. First, he refused to race in the 100 meter race because it was running on a Sunday. Most thought this was the end of his Olympics, because sprinters always did the three races. When he only got Bronze in the 200, most thought he didn’t have a chance in the 400. But Liddle knew that God would use his running for God’s glory, and he ran the race. The scene where he lifts up his mouth and eyes to the Lord, and runs fast in front of all the crowds in the stands, and right past all the other runners, is incredible. He knew he would win that race, and gave God the glory while he was running! The title of the movie came from a book by William Blake. But the thought of the book came from Elisha. who also knew this was his day!
When will it be my turn, and how will I go? Would I want God to tell me this? It seems He told Elijah and some of those around him, And he took it well! He was ready to go, and he willingly passed on his ministry to his young friend Elisha. He passed the mantle to him. We still use this term today as a symbol of the passing of one to the next. Elisha had run his race, just as Eric Liddle did. He ran it with all he had, and in the end he had a young man ready to take the mantle from him. Paul had Timothy and others take the manele from him. Are we discipling anyone in the Lord? Do we stand as a mentor to someone else and discipline them for their future? I think often we forget that this is a part of our calling – to make disciples of all men not just to lead them to salvation and a love and knowledge of Jesus, but to actually discipline them so they can effectively run their race? We are thrilled when someone gets saved, but then how often do we invest the time to help them learn the tenants of that faith. I have to admit that I have not had many disciples in my life, although I was discipled by every Pastor I had, and several other great men of God. I am so thankful for them
I would rather not know the day I was going to be taken from this earth. I want to boldly declare the love of God, just as Eric Liddle did. He was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Elijah gave God glory right up until the time he was taken away. He never stopped working for the Lord. There’s an old song that says “We’ll Work ‘Til Jesus Comes.” Just like Elisha, and Paul and Etic Liddle, let us do that. Lord, give me a disciple! One who will follow me as I follow you, Lord. And let me be the one who shows them that Joy and Peace that can only come from knowing you! And help me run my race and finish the course strong.
The stories of Elijah have always intrigued me. How could such amazing miracles happen in Israel and they still disregarded God? I have to wonder how many of the Israelites were aware that Elijah had done these things. They knew about the fire coming down from heaven to burn up the altar and the offering because they were all there. But did they know it was Elijah that said there would be three years of famine? I am sure they did not know about the woman of Zarephath and the miracles done for her. They certainly did not know about the still small voice. It also intrigues me that so many events were recorded in Kings and Chronicles, yet Chronicles says nothing about a great man like Elijah.
It makes me wonder how much we are paying attentio\n to what God is doing in our midst today. There was an incredible move of God at Asbury College in Kentucky, and many of us heard about that. But how about the move of God that is taking place today in Iran, Thailand, Myanmar, Algeria, India and Africa? If I look up modern day miracles, there are all kinds of stories about miracles happening around the world. I don;t even have to go that far, as I have witnessed several miracles in my own life. Cancer healed, storms moved,finances met. There are stories all around us that the world discounts, but we as believers know are true.
It is time that we took a step back and listened for that still small voice. Elijhah travelled about 250 miles to hear from God, then returned that 250 miles. We should not have to go any further than our prayers closet to hear from God. We need to still ourselves so that we know it is the voice of God. All that Elihah did, He did because he was hearing from God. How often am I taking the time to hear from God, and how often am I quiet enough that I can hear His voice? AMong all the chaos and noise of this world, God is still doing miracles and He is still wanting to talk with us. He wants us to figure out what we are DOING here, and what we are doing HERE. God has placed us where we are, and He has a plan for our lives. Am I listening close enough to hear that plan? And am I moving out, once I have heard from God and doing what He has asked not to,
Take time today to get still before God and listen for that still, small voice. He is calling you and asking you to make Himself known among your neighbors and friends. The field is ripe for harvest, and He has sent each one of us to be that miracle for someone else. There are no greater miracles than that of a life transformed by Jesus Christ. Share your miracle with others today because you are a walking miracle.
It seems these shingles just do not want to go away. One day things seem better and then the next, they are back to the same state. I think I am just learning to cope with it better most of the time. I covet your continued prayers.
God's Maintenance Man 