I recently heard a presentation by a minister who talked about the celebration of Christmas that the world does with giving gifts, and when he said, “Jesus is a gift you won’t outgrow,” I was stirred.”
In our world, some celebrate Christmas December 25 as the day Jesus Christ was born; however, some biblical scholars believe Christ was born in the spring while others believe His birth took place in the fall. For those who believe He is our savior and redeemer, the date of His birth does not matter. What is important to us is that he was born and came to earth with a purpose.
God gave us a great gift by sending his son to earth to be born of a woman, and this son fulfilled the promise He made to the serpent in Genesis 3. Jesus came and defeated the works of our enemy and provided sozo for all that would accept Him. Besides sozo, a few more things that Jesus does for us are: He loves us, forgives us, restores us, helps us, intercedes for us, reconciles us back to the Father, teaches us, and blesses us. This list could go on and on, for Jesus is our complete package.
In this life, we outgrow many things, such as friends, jobs, clothes, shoes, and childhood games, but we can never outgrow Jesus. He meets all our needs at every stage of our life. So, at this time, though some may not recognize the gift they will not outgrow, I do and I am grateful for HIM.
God, our creator, knows us even better than we know ourselves, and He does not accept our excuses. When He calls us to do a job, He knows we can do it, and unlike us, He does not question our ability.
There were three individuals in the Bible who God called that presented excuses in an attempt to disqualify themselves, but it did not work. These individuals were Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah. Let me share a bit of their story with you.
Moses was born into the tribe of Levi; however, he spent his first forty years in the household of Pharoah’s daughter, being raised as her son. After killing an Egyptian, Moses spent the next forty years as a runaway living in the land of Midian. While there, Moses became a shepherd and married Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel.
According to Exodus 3, while attending his father-in-law’s flock on mount Horeb God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush. God informed Moses that He was sending him back to Egypt as a deliverer, and he would speak to Pharoah. Moses responded, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” God shared with him the events that would happen before the children of Israel left Israel and assured him He would be with him. Still not convinced he would be received by his countrymen and Pharoah Moses offered reasons why he felt disqualified. Becoming angry with Moses, God finally told him, “Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.” Finally, having this information, Moses went to Egypt to do God’s bidding.
Judges 6 shares the story of Gideon, the son of Joash the Abiezrite, who, while threshing wheat by the winepress and hiding from the Midianites, was approached by an angel. Addressed as a mighty man of valor, Gideon was told to go and save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Gideon responded, “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” As He did with Moses, the Lord assured Gideon He would be with him and cause him to be victorious. After being given a sign by the angel, Gideon, with three hundred men, defeated the Midianites.
Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, was around seventeen years old when God called him to the office of a prophet to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and other nations. After hearing God’s plan for his life, Jeremiah responded, “Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” In turn, God rebuked him with these words, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Furthermore, God told him he would speak to kings, princes, priests, and fellow countrymen, and they would reject him; however, God would deliver and protect him.
These three examples show that God is not concerned with man’s ability to be articulate, a person of means, or an adult. What God told Jeremiah goes for all of us. Before we were formed in our mother’s belly, He knew us and had an assigned purpose for our lives despite our human frailties. Hence, before we try to offer God excuses for not doing what he has called us to do, we should remember the words of Paul in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Notably, the word strengtheneth in Greek means to empower, enable, and make strong; therefore, we are equipped and have no excuses.
Immeasurable = too large, extensive, or extreme to measure, incalculable, inestimable, innumerable, unfathomable, indeterminable, measureless, limitless, boundless, unlimited, endless.
Versatility = ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities, having many different skills or qualities.
As the year 2022 comes to an end, I was trying to think about what God meant to me this year, and the words that described how I felt about Him were “immeasurable versatility.” Above I included the dictionary meaning for these words so that if you only thought of God in a minuscule manner, you now grasp how complex and wonderful He is.
Throughout this year, many challenges presented themselves, but God came to my rescue and did what only He could. I have learned not to limit Him or try to figure His ways out. I just trust and totally depend on Him to assist me.
I can speak for myself, but as I get older, I realize more and more that I need God’s assistance, even in the minute things. He has directed me to areas that I realized after arriving there that my steps were God orchestrated. He brings back things to my memory that was trying to escape. He exposed swindlers that were trying to deceive me. He kept me sane in this crazy world. He kept me out of debt and provided the money I needed when needed. He favored me and caused others to follow suit. Ha has touched me in every area of my life and continues to do so.
As this year closes, I can genuinely say I am ecstatic that God is in my life, operating with immeasurable versatility, and I also pray that He is in yours doing the same.
Jesus knew that it was in the plan of God that His disciples be separated from him for a time, but in the future, they would be reunited, and from that time, they would forever be with Him. So knowing His earthly ministry was coming to an end and He was going to leave them, Jesus sought to give a word of comfort about their future. In John 12:26b Jesus said, “Where I am, there shall also my servant be, “and in John 14:3, He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may also be.” In these verses, Jesus was alluding to the events that would occur after the rapture when believers are caught up to meet Him in the air and taken to heaven as Paul reiterates in1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
While believers are in heaven on earth, the tribulation will take place. And at the conclusion of it, Jesus will return to the earth for Jude 1:14 recorded, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,” and John in Revelation19:14 saw believers as an army clothed in fine clean white linen following the Faithful and True Jesus back to earth to establish His millennial kingdom.
After the millennial reign, the battle of Gog and Magog, and the White Throne Judgment, this earth with its’ heaven will pass away, and there will be a new heaven and earth. John in Revelation 21:2 recorded, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” It is in this new city on the new earth that Jesus will continue to rule as Lord and King and believers will be there with Him forever as He promised.
In closing, according to Isaiah 45:18, God created the earth with a purpose: to inhabit it with His kingdom citizens. As stated in Psalm 115:16, the heavens are His domain, but the earth He gave to the children of men. Finally, Jesus, as ordained before the earth’s foundation, will rule on a pure, lasting earth with all of His citizens fulfilling his words, “Where I Am.”
The late Reverend Myles Munroe gave this definition for the kingdom, “Kingdom is the sovereign rulership and governing influence of a king over his territory impacting it with his will, intent, power, principles, laws, and values producing a community of citizens that reflect the culture and lifestyle of the king.” Unquestionably, we know one thing about God and His kingdom: He is always working for He never slumbers nor sleeps. So, if believers who are His kingdom citizens reflect Him, they are to be workers.
From the beginning of time, God designed man with the ability to be employed. As seen in Genesis 2, when God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden before He gave him a wife, He gave him employment (Genesis 2;15). After Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instructions and ate of the tree of knowledge, they were expelled from the garden and were told work would no longer be easy for henceforth, the ground would be cursed, and they would sweat as they worked. Work did not cease with the fall; it just became back-breaking.
Notably, throughout the Bible, except for sick individuals, those highlighted people were usually working. When Jesus chose his disciples, they were all employed. Additionally, many of the parables that Jesus shared center around the theme of working and the rewards for doing so. Such is the parable quoted in Matthew 25 of the man traveling to a far country that gave his servants talents. When the man returned home, these servants had to give an account of how they worked their talents. The reward for multiplying what they received was not to go and rest but to receive a promotion with greater responsibility and employment. And yes, this parable reveals the plan of God for our future, where all believers will be involved in kingdom employment.
Understanding that our time in heaven can be viewed as a honeymoon with our Lord and Savior, it may be the only time believers are not required to work. However, like every honeymoon, it ends, and the participants must return home and return to work. Thusly, after returning to earth with Jesus, all capable believers will have kingdom employment.
Last week we celebrated our annual day of Thanksgiving, which is usually when family and friends gather to eat and fellowship with each other. This day also causes people to take time to think and talk about the things for which they are thankful. I, like most, was grateful to be alive, healthy, and have the opportunity to spend time with my loved ones.
However, today I was reading Revelation 16:8-11, and these verses made me stop and ponder over that which I am most thankful. They read as, “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”
The book of Revelation basically shares information concerning events that will occur after the rapture of the church. It reveals to the readers the twenty-one judgments that will happen on earth. In the past, the world experienced local tragic events; however, catastrophic events will occur globally during the tribulation.
Revelation sixteen explicitly addresses those things that happen during the last seven series of judgments, and they are known as “the bowl judgments.” In verse eight, the sun causes the earth’s inhabitants to be scorched with fire; in verse ten, darkness, pain, and sores plague the individuals in the kingdom of the Antichrist. What struck me most was that despite the sufferings that the people experienced, they refused to repent and acknowledge God. These people were so deceived, haughty and stubborn that they rather suffer than submit to God. Their actions made me know that I am most thankful for my relationship with God. I recognize Him as my Sovereign God, and He chose me and adopted me into His royal family; I will live eternally in His kingdom in the future, and for this, I am thankful.
In 2 Kings 13, after ministering for approximately sixty-five years, performing miracles, and prophesying, Elisha’s time on earth and ministry was coming to a close. For the last forty-five years of his life, the scriptures did not record any events; however, as a prophet and head of the school of prophets, we can assume he was actively teaching, mentoring, and functioning in his prophetic office.
Notably, as recorded in the scripture, he successfully served as a prophet during the reign of four kings of Israel, and the last king whom he gave a Word was Israel’s, King Joash. This happened when out of respect, King Joash came to visit the ill prophet, and during this visit, Elisha shared a word concerning the future of Israel.
Upon arrival at Elisha’s home, King Joash became emotional and wept over the prophet. However, ill Elisha continued to minister in his prophetic office. He placed his hand on the king’s hand and had the king shoot an arrow eastward through an open window. He told the king, “Shoot, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.” Furthermore, he instructed the king to take the other arrows and strike the ground to which the king struck it three times. The king’s action made Elisha angry and he said to the king, “Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” Apparently, these two acts were symbolic and reflected the future of Israel’s success and limited victories over the Syrians.
Shortly after that, Elisha died and was buried in a sepulcher. Within that year, a man who also died was cast into Elisha’s sepulcher, and when his body touched Elisha’s bones, he returned to life and stood on his feet. In this last mention of Elisha, we see Elisha, who was anointed and powerful in life, remained powerful in death.
This is the last blog in the Elisha Series. I blogged events from his initial meeting with Elijah until his death. It is said that he did twice as many supernatural acts as Elijah, and just in case you think this is all he did, there may have been acts that he did that were not recorded in the scripture.
At the conclusion of each blog in this series, I ended with my thoughts and nuggets, so I conclude this series with the following:
Reach out to those that are sick.
Paying your respects to a person is an honorable deed.
There will be times in ministry when the world will know you are active, and then there are times you are active behind the scene of which the world is unaware.
Being active in ministry even when you are sick displays commitment and dedication.
Serve others respectfully.
When fighting the enemy, perseverance is always needed.
Live a life that is anointed and powerful so that even after your death, you are affecting the lives of others.
This blog will share three events that transpired in the life of Elisha. In the first event, his shared prophetic insight allowed a family to survive during a famine. In the second and third events, Elisha’s shared prophetic insight, unfortunately, revealed death and destruction.
In 2 Kings 4, we learned the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman who extended continuous hospitality to him and whose son Elisha had restored to life. Now in 2 Kings 8, Elisha is once again helping the family by revealing a famine would occur in Samaria, and he instructed the woman to take her family to another country for the duration of the famine. For seven years, the family stayed in Philistia, and when the famine ended, they returned home to find their land confiscated. The Shunammite woman went to the king to plea for her land, and as fate would have it, she did it at a time Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, was speaking to the king about the miraculous acts of Elisha. Upon meeting the woman and hearing about her interaction with Elisha, the king restored her property and retroactively paid profits gained from it during the seven years of famine.
Elisha had traveled to Damascus, and the sick King Benhadad sent Hazael with gifts loaded on forty camels to ask the man of God if he would recover from his illness. Elisha said to Hazael, “Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.” Elisha continued looking at Hazael until he became uncomfortable, and Elisha started weeping. Hazael questioned Elisha’s action, to which Elisha responded, “Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.” Indignantly Hazael protested, but Elisha said, “The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.”
Upon returning to King Benhadad, Hazael told the king what Elisha said about his recovery but then, on the next day, he treacherously smothered the king by taking a thick wet cloth and spreading it on his face until he died. With the king’s death, Elisha’s words were actualized, for Hazael became the king.
Additionally, in 2 Kings 9, Elisha completes the assignment given to his mentor Elijah by sending a young prophet to Ramothgilead to privately meet with Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, a military commander and to anoint him with oil to be the next king of Israel. Furthermore, he gave Jehu instructions to destroy the house of King Ahab, and after completing this task, the prophet was not to tarry but flee the area.
Also shared in chapter eight are the historical reign of King Joram of Israel and Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah. I did not include details of their history in this blog because it did not pertain to Elisha.
I conclude this blog with the following thoughts and nuggets:
- Hard times come to the just as well as the unjust.
- When you believe the prophet, you will follow his instructions.
- Some instructions cause you to move into unknown territory.
- As you fed others in the past, God will feed you in your time of need.
- Sometimes leaving your comfortable home is necessary for your survival.
- Knowing the right people can prove to be profitable.
- God will order your steps to be in the right place at the right time.
- When you trust God, He will give you favor wherever needed.
- High-ranking individuals also recognize they need the Word.
- When in trouble, people recognize those who function in the supernatural.
- Wealth and royalty do not hinder disease from attacking the body. Illnesses do not discriminate.
- When your words are trustworthy and respected, people will honor you.
- Compassion for your nation will cause you to weep when you know hard times are about to befall it.
- God knows the intent of man’s heart
- God reveals both evil and good.
- When you have not completed your assignment, God will use someone else to complete your unfinished task
- When instructed to move and not tarry, do so.
The scriptures revealed Israel had disobeyed God’s statutes, laws, and commandments for years, and God had been long-suffering and merciful toward them. However, in chapters six and seven of 2 Kings, they experienced His judgment and punishment for their actions. He told them in Leviticus 26:27-29, “And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. God permitted Israel to experience a dreadful famine to the point they became cannibals, and then in His mercy, He brought about a miraculous change, and they enjoyed a feast.
In 2 Kings 5, Elisha came to the aid of Joram, king of Israel, when the king of Syria sent Naaman, the leper, to him to be healed. In Kings 6, Elisha helped save Israel numerous times from the attack of the Syrian army by revealing to the king of Israel the enemy’s plans of attack. Despite Elisha’s continuous benevolence to the king and Israel, as seen in these chapters, the king of Israel sought to execute Elisha when Israel experienced a famine caused by the Syrians. Thankfully, when the executioner arrived at Elisha’s home under Elisha’s direction, the elders in the house with him kept the executioner from entering.
Exasperated, the king followed the executioner to Elisha’s home, and while the king and executioner remained outside, Elisha gave a prophetic word about the famine ending the next day. He said, “Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.” In response, the king’s captain voiced his doubts about this event occurring, and Elisha told him he would see it but would not partake of the food.
Four hungry leprous men outside the city gate said, “If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.” To this end, at twilight, they went to the camp of the Syrians and found it deserted. God had allowed the Syrian soldiers to become scared when they heard the sound of chariots, horses, and a massive coalition army. Thinking they were about to be slaughtered, the army fled, leaving all their belongings behind.
After eating and drinking several times, the lepers carried silver, gold, and clothes and hid them. Then they said to one another, “We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household,” so they went to the porter of the city and told him of there findings and he, in turn, told the king’s servants.
When the king heard the report, he thought the Syrians schemed to deceive them, making them leave the city and go to the Syrian camp, which would allow the Syrians to get into Samaria unharmed. A servant persuaded the king to send some men to the Syrian camp to investigate. The men found the lepers’ information was true, and they sent and told the king. The king appointed the captain, who doubted Elisha’s word, to be in charge of the city gate as the people went to the Syrian camp. Consequently, he died in the stampede of the people running to get the Syrians’ spoils, fulfilling Elisha’s words.
Since I am only summarizing 2 Kings 7, I recommend you read the chapter to get the details. As I’ve done in the past, I conclude this blog with my thoughts and nuggets on this chapter, and they are:
- People often forget how you assisted them in their time of need.
- People seek to blame others for their problems.
- Stressful conditions can cause someone to make poor decisions.
- Unbelievers have difficulty believing a Word from God.
- Just because you can’t see a way being made does not mean it won’t happen.
- Don’t limit God to what you can see.
- When necessary, God can make men hear that which does not exist.
- Fright can lead to flight.
- God can use the most unlikely persons to bring about deliverance.
- Self-preservation can push you beyond your fears.
- People who don’t want to be seen will travel in the dark.
- Be willing to share the good news with those that need to hear it.
- When you are untrustworthy, it is difficult to trust others.
- God can make your enemy’s fortune yours.
- Your demise may be the result of your unbelief
- God is continually merciful to the undeserving.
- God supplies all of our needs.
- With Divine intervention, you can go from a famine to a feast within twenty-four hours.
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