Acceptable Worship

 A Better System of Worship

Book of Hebrews Chapter 12 Verses 18 through 29

What is true worship? We could say that worship is the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The term "God" is such a generic term that sometimes I hate to use it and use the term Lord or Lord God.

It seems that everyone who has ever lived has a god that they worship!

Even the Atheist has a god! They put their own selves in the position of being god and they think they can tell all others what to do. 

This is acting somewhat like a god.

Some people have many gods.

As Christians we are to reverence our Lord God! In the Old Testament He says His name is Jehovah.

He says He is the "I AM” because He is self-existing, and He is.

It is our Lord God who is the Giver and the Taker of life!

We could say our reverence is the fear that is within us, that is acceptable to the Lord God Jehovah.

You see if our worship is not acceptable to the One True God then it is not worship!

We also know Him as the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!

We also know Him as God the Holy Spirit!

We are to acknowledge His perfection.

We should be unwilling to offend Him.

We should have that admiration of someone so great He is unfathomable.

We are to respect Him.

We are to respect everything that He says.

We are to respect everything that He does because everything the Lord does is the right thing to do.

We are to love Him and show that love to Him.

We are to talk to Him just like He is with us at all times because He is!

True worship must be of a spiritual nature, and it must be in accordance with the truth of God as revealed to us in the Bible.

Remember the Scriptures recorded in the Bible are the words that our God chose to use to teach us about Him.

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

He did not have to reveal Himself to us! Think about that for a moment.

Worship involves presenting all we have in our heart, our body, our soul, and our entire being, to our Lord God!

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

As Christians, we are to be devoted to our Lord God Almighty!

What is true worship?

Act 24:14  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, "believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets": 

Act 24:15  And have "hope toward God", which they themselves also allow, that "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust". 

Act 24:16  And herein do I exercise myself, "to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men". 

This is the Apostle Paul describing to us true worship.

True worship is an expressed service of thought, speech, or action that ascribes glory to the One True God!

Let us begin:

*****Heb 12:18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 

Heb 12:19  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 

We must be clear, "no one" can approach God and be acceptable to God who is imperfect, "no one"!

No human being can become perfect without the Lord Jesus Christ, who says we must be "Born Again"!

Imperfect beings can never become perfect beings!

It is a simple law of creation; imperfection can never be made perfection!

Once a thing is imperfect, it can never become perfect, it is impossible!

These things are true upon this earth, but God can do the impossible!

So, what can be done?

We could say that life is a race to perfection, but a race that cannot be won without the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must still understand it is God who will first call! 

No one can approach God who has not been called by Him!

Once called, we must decide if we are going to approach God or not.

There is where the "gift of choice" becomes so important!

It is the call of God that enables a person to believe!

"It is then a human responsibility to answer the call of God"!

We must clearly understand that God will not just wait around to see if we will answer His call!

God is not governed by situations outside of Himself! 

God's purpose will be achieved with us or without us!

Again, we must understand that God took it upon Himself to reveal Himself when He did not have to, so everything God now does is according to His own purpose!

In reality, God has sent out an invitation to join Him in His realm!

His realm is not upon this earth!

The first approach to God was the Old Covenant.

The second approach to God was the New Covenant.

The approach of the Old Covenant was an external, material approach to God.

People had to approach God to receive His Word and His Law.

The people approached God at Mount Sinai an earthly place, not Spiritual nor Heavenly, just a physical place upon this earth.

When we approach God with material and physical things, these things will not last, this approach will never last long because all material things never last.

A Christian must approach God with a Spiritual approach!

When we try to approach God through the Old Covenant of the Law, we will stand before God condemned!

When we stand before God according to His "Grace", we will be justified.

Just as if we had never sinned!

Mat_20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Mat_22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

The children of Israel stood before God at the base of an erupting volcano, yet when God spoke His voice was so full of authority and so sure, it drowned out the noise of these things and the people became more frightened of God than the noise of Mount Sinai.

This is when the children of Israel decided they had a need of a mediator and Moses was God's man chosen for this position.

These people were so frightened of God, they did not want to hear from Him anymore!

We cannot be saved unless we hear for God in a personal way.

We cannot worship God unless we have a personal relationship with His Son Jesus!

*****Heb 12:20  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 

Heb 12:21  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 

Why could not God deal with Israel as He deals with the Church?

They could never overcome their true fear of God in order to approach Him in a Spiritual manner!

They could not make themselves believe they could have of a higher understanding of God.

Even Moses got caught up in this fear, as we all would have on this day.

Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 

They were as little children, who wanted to see past His voice in order to believe!

Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 

We could say that God was preaching that day to the congregation of these Hebrews, who were so afraid they could understand the message.

When people approach God according to the Law, they must approach God cautiously, because each broken Law will see the wrath of God.

This is the fear that God intended for them to realize. 

This is the fear that God wants us all to realize, we absolutely do not want to see the wrath of our Heavenly Father.

We just do not want to see the wrath of God!

God has shown us a way to avoid His wrath by His Son Jesus!

The second approach, the New Covenant removes the wrath of God!

*****Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

The New Covenant is a Covenant of "Grace"!

The true approach to God today is by this New Covenant!

The Old Covenant, the Law is our "schoolmaster" to teach us about sin not about salvation!

Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

This new approach to God is Spiritual and it is Heavenly!

It is by the cross of Christ Jesus that a doorway is opened for us to enter into Heaven, which is where our Lord is located right now.

This Mount Zion that is the place of the city of the New Jerusalem.

Mount Sinai is earthly and physical!

Mount Zion is both Spiritual and Heavenly!

What does the Church say?

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

We should know that  there are angels around every child of God to help and protect us, but there are still more angels in Heaven than can be counted.

These angels are perfect and when we get to Heaven we will have been perfected.

Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 

Rev 5:12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

In fact, we will join them singing this same song!

It is by this New Covenant, that the Church will enter into Heaven and there is no other path but by the Church!

That One, who is the Firstborn, is of course the Lord Jesus Christ!

He is also God and the Judge of all things, but we can be assured He will only judge according to the Word of God!

The Lord Jesus is First Born of the Church, but He is also the Founder of the Church, the Author of Salvation, the Beginning of the Truth, and Savior of the Church.

Those who are part of the true Church, are the same ones whose names are written in Heaven in the Lamb's Book of Life.

We get to Heaven, we will join not only the angels, but also to those who have gone on before us who have already reached that state of perfection.

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 

Those that can reach Heaven's gates are the same ones who have been judged by God and are then "justified".

Each believer has been judged while in this body of flesh and justified to enter in Heaven!

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 

It is also important that it is this same Judge who will judge the unbeliever!

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

Heaven is the place where all the Saints of God will come together to rejoice in the Lord!

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  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 be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

We can only be received into Heaven if, we know the Mediator and He knows us!

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 

1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

Then comes the warning to all those who reject the Lord Jesus.

*****Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 

Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

If we remember when we started in this great book, the first thing we read was that we had better listen to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb 1:1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 

Heb 1:2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 

Here in this Scripture the Holy Spirit states that we had better not refuse the Lord Jesus Christ, who is speaking to us in this New Covenant!

There is no one who will escape the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and then get to Heaven!

There is God's warning about a great shaking and judgment of the entire universe not too far into our future.

There is a new unshakeable kingdom that must be received by all!

It was Moses who spoke on this earth and gave us the Law of God.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who speaks from Heaven who speaks as He is God, because He is!

Because the Lord Jesus is speaking from Heaven, the New Heaven, we will be held more accountable than the Old Covenant Saints and will face a much greater judgment if we reject our Redeemer.

Mar_6:11  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

There will be no escape whatsoever for any person who refuses to hear the words of "Mercy" and "Grace", which are the words that the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims.

It is only by the Blood of Jesus Christ we will ever enter into Heaven!

*****Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 

There is coming a great shaking of this earth! 

In the time of Moses when God spoke, the early Hebrews became so afraid, they just told Moses that he could talk to God. 

They did not want to hear the voice of God again because of their great fear.

There is another great shaking coming again when God will decide to speak to this earth, and this is a promise and God does not ever break His promises!

Hag 2:6  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; 

Hag 2:7  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Have you ever seen the damage caused by earthquakes today and some are major, but we have seen nothing compared to the day God will shake this entire planet called earth and there will be no place to hide then and there is no place to hide now because the Lord put us in the places where we are located, he knows where we are at all times.

It will be only those things that cannot be shaken that will remain!

God's New World will be eternal and more alive than anything we can see upon this earth!

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

By the way, God does not make empty threats!

*****Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire. 

How do we receive God's New Kingdom?

1) Make sure we have received the "Grace of God".

Grace is that unspeakable gift and favor of God that comes by His "Grace".

2) Make sure after we have received God's Grace, and that we serve Him with a godly fear.

This fear describes our reverence to Him and His formidable power.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 

Psa 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 

We must serve God according to His Word because God is a consuming fire.

A consuming fire will not go out until all things that fuel it are consumed!

Let us pay attention and worship God, the Lord Jesus Christ with the reverence that He deserves!

This way we will be in practice when we join Him in His Father's House.

Amen

Elisha, Called of God

Elisha God's Prophet Of Miracles

1 Kings 19 – 2 Kings 2-6


Before we begin with Elisha we need to consider a few more things of Elijah.

Elijah had one main mission as he saw it.

The name Elijah means: "whose God is Jehovah" and as his name implied, Elijah felt it was his mission to bring Israel to confess that Jehovah, He is God.

Elijah had only partially fulfilled that mission on Mount Carmel and Elijah felt that he was a failure but Elijah also felt that he was the last of the true believers left in all of Israel.

Elijah felt that history would show that he had failed just as those prophets that had come before him had failed in bringing Israel to the point of repentance.

1Ki 19:4  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; "for I am not better than my fathers".

First: God informed Elijah that his thoughts were wrong:

1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

We must never feel that we are the only ones serving the true God!

We must never feel as though we are the only ones serving God as He wishes because all of us can do better, I know I can!

Second: God allowed Elijah to anoint his successor who was one of those 7000:

1Ki 19:16  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

The mission of Elisha would be according to his own name which means "my God is salvation"!

Actually our job is to be more like that of Elisha than that of Elijah but we are to learn from all God's prophets!

God continued to send other prophets to be such as Elijah was but none could replace him because his work was not complete and he will return himself one day before the Second Coming of Christ Jesus to complete the work God has for him.

Elijah had lived his life much as a nomad, but Elisha lived within the society of that time but was not a part of that society.

Elijah was a poor man but though Elisha may not have been rich by many standards, his family owned at least 12 yoke of oxen and enough land to keep that amount of animals working.

It is said that an "acre" is the amount of land that a yoke of oxen could plow in one day, and we can be sure that the family of Elisha had much more than 12 acres of land and would surely have had to market their products from so much land.

Elijah was God's prophet of "judgment" but Elisha was God's prophet of "salvation"!

Elisha and Elijah were totally opposites in most all ways but they did have one certain thing in common.

They both knew the true God of our universe!

They both trusted in the salvation of the Lord!

So God sent Elijah to meet his successor.

As we observe Elisha we will see that Elisha was content in serving the Lord and was complete in his willingness to humble himself and fulfill his duties as a man of God!

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Proper worship in spirit and truth is required of the Lord but so is being a servant to the work of the Lord!

Even the Lord Jesus came to us as a servant!

Mat 20:27  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Elisha was already such a servant of the Lord even before he met Elijah.

*****1Ki 19:19  So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

We already know that to own 12 yoke of oxen and enough land for them to work, was a sign of wealth but the first thing we see is that Elisha was not to good work himself.

We can also be sure that the reputation of Elijah was well known because of what had happened on Mount Carmel and everyone would have known that Jezebel had put a price on the head of Elijah.

Elijah was a wanted man at this time, by his own government just because he served Jehovah and not the false god Baal as his government had demanded!

The mantle that Elijah wore was a sign of God's prophets in that day:

1Sa 28:14  And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and "he is covered with a mantle". And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

Samuel was known for the mantle that he wore and Elijah was also known for the mantle that he wore.

Elijah knew his days were numbered but Elijah also knew his death would not come by the hands of Jezebel!

We all know our days are numbered but a Christian knows his or her death will not come by the hands of Satan!

Elijah knowing his days on this earth were numbered, cast his mantle upon the shoulders of Elisha which signified the passing of prophetic responsibility and God's accompanying power to him.

Notice Elijah continued on his way.

What are some things that we see here, when God calls his ministers:

**First: They must always be ready to receive the call of God!

Notice another important thing.

Elisha was involved in his daily work routine and was not called while he was in any act of worship not even in the act of prayer.

The call of God can come at any time and anywhere and comes more often when we are doing normal things rather than in a worship service!

**Second: They are to remain busy until that call of God comes!

Then when God calls they must drop what they are doing and get busy for the Lord!

**Third: The work that God has for us requires some special training.

And God's servants will all be somewhat different from each other!

God knows our differences and takes advantage of our skills.

1Co 12:4  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

**Fourth: God will make a use for our distinct individuality.

If we would look in our own Church we would see that if someone is going through certain things, God will have already placed someone else in position to help them who has gone through similar things and survived.

**Fifth: We must be determined!

Let's learn from Elisha.

*****1Ki 19:20  And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

What is willingness?

Willingness is the free choice we must make to serve the Lord.

Some would say to be willing to serve the Lord and to answer a special calling takes a "leap of faith".

Elisha totally understood what had happened!

When Elijah dropped his mantle around Elisha it meant only one thing.

Elijah was saying "when I pass away you Elisha, must take my mantle and be my successor".

These things took place during that period when Elijah had informed Ahab that the drought would continue for 3 more years but Jezebel had already began to kill many of God's prophets.

Elisha made only one request.

Elisha requested just enough time to say good by to his parents.

Many will ask what was the difference in what Elisha requested and that certain one at the time of Jesus.

Luk 9:61  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Elisha already had his hand on the plow and already was a true believer.

Elisha was also to replace Elijah at his death, a special calling!

When Elisha went to see his parents, he was saying good bye forever for he knew not whether he would ever see them again this side of Heaven!

To follow the Lord Jesus Christ is to deny one's own self!

Elisha needed a moment in time to set his family affairs in order for he knew he might not never return to them because he would also be a wanted man.

The Lord Jesus looked into the heart of this man in His day and saw a man who only wanted to say goodbye thinking he could return at any time to his family.

Jesus also said these words to another rich man such as Elisha.

Mar 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

This rich man in the time of Jesus could not give up his worldly riches.

Elisha had no problem giving up his family inheritance or his riches!

How did Elijah respond to this request?

Elijah said go ahead but remember it is not me that called you!

Elijah said to Elisha, "you are not accountable to me but you are accountable to God"!

You see when we allow the things of this world to come between us the Lord, we have in affect become idol worshipers and this was the same problem the nation of Israel was already having in the day of Elijah!

So Elisha took care of his family business.

*****1Ki 19:21  And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

Elisha called all his family together to announce to them that God, not Elijah, had called him to a work so life fulfilling that he would have to give up his life that had been devoted to his family and totally devote himself to this higher calling of God!

Elisha burnt all his bridges behind him and stepped out on "faith" to minister to Elijah!

What is a minister?

A minister by the Word of God, is a servant to one higher than yourself!

We should also know that it is only God who knows who He will call to be a Pastor or a Preacher.

Being a preacher or a pastor is not just mama called and daddy sent!

Elisha was a farmer.

Amos was a fruit-picker.

Matthew was a tax collector.

Peter, James, and John and others were fishermen.

Luke was a doctor a physician.

What did the Apostle Paul say who was once a hated Pharisee.

Act 20:24  But none of these things move me, "neither count I my life dear unto myself", so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

God had special plans for Elijah.

And God had special plans for Elisha!

And God has special plans for all those He calls!

We don't have time to cover all the things of Elisha and the miracles that he did in the power of God who by the way was second only to Jesus in the miracles of the Bible.

*****2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2Ki 2:12  And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

As Elisha was the minister to Elijah, then Elijah was also the spiritual father of Elisha.

We should be very clear God does not and never will have any spiritual grandchildren!

We only have one Master and He is not of this Earth!

Elijah was a prophet of God for at least 55 years but his time on this Earth had come to an end.

The false truth of the Atheists, is that we live our life on this Earth and then we die and live no more.

The real truth of the Bible is that our souls are immortal and this picture of Elijah's return to Heaven is proof of that fact!

Elijah was not the only one in the Bible who went to Heaven without dyeing.

The truth of Enoch is that we know one day Enoch was walking with the Lord and they just walked right on up into Heaven.

Gen 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

This happened because of his great faith!

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

We know that Enoch was also a prophet of God's choosing.

Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, "prophesied" of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Enoch knew of the Coming of the Messiah even in his day!

BUT, this prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.

And Elijah, who was promised a death at the hands of Jezebel, God had also decided would not die at all, at least at this time for we are all appointed to a time of death.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Elijah had gone to Heaven by a whirlwind or some would say a tempest storm.

But the truth is that just as the Lord was taken up by Angels:

Luk 24:51  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Elijah was also carried up to Heaven in slightly a more dramatic way before only the eyes of Elisha because Elisha was an eyewitness to the rapture of Elijah.

If we study the Bible we will see that the ministry of Elijah was much like that of John the Baptist while the ministry of Elisha will be much more like that of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was in His physical body was up0n this Earth.

Elijah did not live in the public’s sight.

Elisha spent all his days in public life!

Elijah had ministry of "Judgment".

Elisha will have a ministry of "Mercy".

Thank goodness God has much more "mercy" than He has "judgment"!

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Most of the time we do not understand when our loved ones seem to leave here so early in life but there is one thing that is very seldom considered when a saint of God goes home to be with the Lord.

Most of the saints go home to be with the Lord if not all, it is God that has decided that we have seen enough of this evil world that drags us down so much!

Isa 57:1  The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, "none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come".
Isa 57:2  He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

When Elisha rent his clothes it was not a sign of mourning for his brother Elijah, it was for the terrible loss of such a mighty man of God to this world.

Our world suffers a loss when any man of God goes home to be with the Lord!

Only then did Elisha know that it was his time.

*****2Ki 2:13  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

Elijah had no more need for his mantle so it became Elisha's mantle.

Remember that mantle had been a sign to all that saw him, that Elijah was God's man.

It was Elisha who was now God's man!

Elisha had received a double portion of the same Spirit of God that Elijah had and it was now time to use it!

There are many in our world today that proclaim that receiving the Spiritual power of God will be immediately felt in our bodies but the truth is that the receiving of the Holy Spirit is mostly a quiet and a secret act and is known only to God and then to that saved soul!

When Elisha walked back to the River Jordan, he was not sure if he had received that double portion that he had been promised.

That mantle of Elijah was a sign to those who now saw Elisha, but the power of God was not in that mantle, the power of God was inside Elisha out of view to those that saw him now.

Elisha had one more thing to do.

During all the years that Elisha had been with Elijah it had been this mantle that had caught his eye.

But, the power of Elijah was not in his mantle, the power of Elijah was in his God!

Elisha had not requested any power of that mantle, Elisha had requested the power of the God of Elijah!

*****2Ki 2:14  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Elisha wore the mantle of Elijah as a token of God's calling.

We know that Elisha had requested a double portion of the same Spirit that had energized Elijah and the Word of God said that it was granted to him.

The Bible records more miracles under the ministry of Elisha than it does of Elijah.

The fact remains that during days of Israel's darkest days of the apostasy, and of idol worship, God had given Israel two of His greatest prophets for some 85 years.

We can also be sure that in the darkest days of this world we live in, God will show His strength in ways that we have not yet seen but are prophesied, but most of the world will still continue on it's path to destruction.

When Elisha struck the waters of Jordan with the mantle of Elijah, he was just saying it's time to get started.

BUT, God also had another reason for this incident with that mantle of Elijah.

All the disciples of Elijah were watching Elisha to see if he was worthy to be followed.

Many people keep their eyes on Christians to see if they can find any faults.

SO, What is the lesson to the child of God?

Jesus said it best!

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

*****2Ki 2:15  And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Now these were not the actual sons of the prophets to Israel but they were actually part of those 7000 who had refused to bow down to false gods.

There many schools of the prophets in those days located in the area of these ten tribes of Israel.

The Bible mentions one in Jericho, and one in Bethel and another one in Gilgal of Ephraim but there was also one on Mount Carmel after the victory of Elijah over those false prophets.

It could be said that these could be considered to be theological seminaries dedicated to the teaching of the Word of God!

Before Elijah left this earth he had taken Elisha to visit all these places and the greatest work of Elisha was not the miracles that he performed in the power of God, Elisha's greatest work was "in the teaching and the education of these disciples in the Word of God".

What is the greatest work of the Church?

To make disciples of all those that God calls to salvation!

What kind of men did God use in His work during this time of the divided kingdom of Israel?

Amo 2:11  And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.

Notice these were not Nazarites who had made certain vows but men who would become Nazarites.

Nazarite's true meaning is to be separate from the world, and consecrated to the work of the Lord!

What does God say to the Church?

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We should be able to see that the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament and just like Elisha we need to get busy in the things God has called us to do!

Let's look at some things that Elisha did.

*****2Ki 6:8  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

The Bible records some 11 miracles performed by Elisha even before we get to this Scripture.

The King of Syria was using guerrilla warfare tactics in order to weaken the defenses of Israel. These are some of the same tactics used by ISIS today.

Guerrilla warfare will cause any nation to spread it's military strength across it's entire region therefore making it suspect to a major assault when the proper time arrives.

These were the tactics of this king as he planned a future assault on Israel.

God was not going to allow this to happen at this time, so whenever the King of Syria had a new plan no matter how secret he tried to keep it, God informed Elisha of that plan who then would tell the King of Israel.

What is the truth of God?

Job 5:12  He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
Job 5:13  He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

There is absolutely nothing that goes on in this world that God is not aware of!

Things only happen because God has allowed them to happen!

God knows all things that exist.
God knows all the variables concerning those things.
God knows all future events.
AND, God's knowledge is immediate!

There is nothing that God has to wait on to see the outcome of or how it will work according to how certain events will transpire!

God already knows the end before the beginning and God intervenes whenever it is necessary for things to happen according to the Scriptures!

There is nothing that happens in this world we live in that is not according to the Word of God!

Even today as we live in this Age of the Church and this Age of God's Grace, this world we live in is moving along according to the Scriptures!

God will always adhere to the Words that He has already given to us, because God does not ever change and God does not never have too!

In fact, it is impossible for God to lie to any of us and God in no way will ever lead this world astray!

Heb 6:17  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

God must tell the truth or He would not be God!

A warning from God is a sure future happening!

*****2Ki 6:9  And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
2Ki 6:10  And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

It is also obvious to us that the King of Syria was trying his best to assassinate the King of Israel which was King Jehoram at this time.

Even as we have learned from the past, the king of Syria of today, is seeing his once great nation destroyed because he placed himself above the Laws of God and his personal god Allah does not have it in his power to do anything about it because he simply is not real!

The traps and ambushes that were prepared for the King of Israel were known to God's prophet Elisha.

No matter what this king thought of, even in council with his spies, Elisha knew it by the time he had that thought!

King Jehoram had no respect for God's man Elisha so he still sent his own spies to see if the words of Elisha were true.

What he found to be the truth, was that it was only by Jehovah God that his life had been saved not once and not twice but every time, he had been able to escape the snares of this King of Syria because of the words of Elisha.

The lesson we can learn here is, that not only does God see everything that we do at any moment of time and hear every word that we say, but God also knows our thoughts even before we think them!

Psa 94:11  The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

The first thing that the King of Syria did was to assume that he had a traitor in his own royal court.

*****2Ki 6:11  Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?

As we can see, those who do not know God are blind to the truth of God!

What the world has the most trouble with, is when there are no worldly reasons for things that happen then they need to realize that God plays by His own rules and not by the rules of man!

Things that happen in our world, that cannot be explained by the worlds standards, can only be explained by the Word of God!

This King of Syria could only believe that there was a spy within his own servants and he set them against each other.

This created turmoil in the government of Syria!

The King of Syria also worshiped the false god Rimmon who was the Sun god of Syria and the god of the wind, the rain and the storm, but Rimmon was just like Baal and was powerless to help this king.

This king did not know Jehovah, but Jehovah had placed a man amongst these servants of this king who had the answer.

Jeremiah wrote these inspired words of God:

Jer 23:23  Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
Jer 23:24  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

God is always the answer to any problem that arises!

*****2Ki 6:12  And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

Notice that of all the men of Syria, and of all the men of Israel, it was pointed out that it could only be Elisha the prophet of God who could have done such a thing.

The world may seek it's own answers but in the end the world will look toward those that know the true God!

Here again we also see that anytime there is a problem in this world, the world immediately blames it on the Christian!

The next thing we should clearly understand is that the little nation of Israel can never be attacked by a foreign government unless God allows it to happen and for His own reasons!

Zec 2:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

We are fools to not believe that God will not fulfill every promise He made to Israel and no foreign power has the ability to overcome the power of God.

The King of Syria needed to find the location of Elisha and he again sent out his own spies.

*****2Ki 6:13  And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

Elisha was not hiding from anyone because Elisha was at his home in Dothan and was very easy to find.

We first learned of the city of Dothan in the time of Joseph just before his brothers sold him into slavery.

Dothan was 12 miles from the capitol city of Samaria.

Here in this verse we see the foolishness of the world.

If Elisha was able to know all the thoughts of the King of Syria because of the Lord, then it would seem foolish of this King to believe he could just sneak up on Elisha and just fetch him away to do him harm.

Elisha knew these things before this King gave his instructions to those spies and Elisha remained at home unconcerned at what the world could do to him.

God teaches us these things:

Luk 12:4  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

We should also notice something else here.

When a foreign power can send it's army within 12 miles of a capitol city of any nation without being confronted, it shows the weakness of that nation.

The government of Israel was very weak militarily at this time!

It would be easy to compare these things to what is happening in Iraq today!

When ISIS can send it's troops so close to the major cities in Iraq and cause harm then Iraq is a very weak nation no matter what our own government says!

BUT, Elisha had no fear of the government of Israel nor the government of Syria at this time, and just went about doing the work God had given him to do!

*****2Ki 6:14  Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

This was no small army that surrounded the city of Dothan that day.

This was no small army that was sent to take possession of just one wise man of God.

Solomon lived a long time before the days of Elisha but Solomon could have been writing about Elisha when he wrote these words.

Ecc 9:13  This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Ecc 9:14  There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Ecc 9:15  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Ecc 9:16  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 9:17  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

God says that the "fear of the Lord, that is wisdom"!

Elisha was such a man this day!

*****2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

Elisha was not caught off guard at the arrival of this army but his new servant did not understand the power of God nor the double portion of the Holy Spirit that made Elisha a true man of God.

When we show our lack of faith, this world we live in will overwhelm us!

When we show our lack of faith, we are suggesting that our Lord can be defeated!

When we show our lack of faith, we are rejecting the Word of God as the truth!

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

It is the knowledge of the truth of God where our strength lies!

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

And there is a reason for everything that happens to us and these things can make us better but only if we learn from them!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God can protect His people from any army if we open our eyes to the truth of the "Gospel"!

*****2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

It is a fact that there are things of the spirit world going on around us that we cannot see.

We know that angels are ministering spirits:

Heb 1:14  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

AND, Part of the ministry of Angels is the physical protection of God's people!

Angels can protect God's people from physical harm!

Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Psa 91:13  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Angels can frustrate the plans of the enemies of God's people!

Psa 35:4  Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
Psa 35:5  Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

We know that the Angels are innumerable so there are always more of them than there are mankind who can be numbered!

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Those chariots of fire can take us home just as they did Elijah or they can simply be that wall of protection in our hour of greatest need!

These things are up to the Lord, as God will not allow this world to frustrate His plan of salvation at any time!

We should also pray for God to open our own eyes to the truth of His Word!

Psa 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

And once again we will see that "Prayer Changes Things"!

The Christian on his knees is still the most powerful force on this Earth!

*****2Ki 6:18  And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

The truth is that the governments of this world are so afraid of the Christian that they will do everything in their power to stop the spread of the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

They will continue to send their armies to crush God's people but they will fail every time!

Elisha was just a man just as we all are, but at this point in Elisha's life, he had not completed the work God had given him to do and until God's says that work is complete and God takes us home there is no power on Earth that can stop that man of God!

We should know that it is not courage that drive evil men to do evil things!

It is blindness to the Word of God and in that blindness, evil men can be led to do terrible things that cause harm not only to the Christian, and not only to the world, but most of all to themselves!

We are not to fear what this world is trying to do to us, in fact to have this kind of fear is being disobedient to the Word of God!

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

As far as this army was concerned, they had been defeated by one man, God's man Elisha!

Elisha led this army right into the hands of the King of Israel and gave orders for them to sent back home with enough bread and water for them to get there.

That day, it was more important to show the government of Syria just how futile is was to defy God rather than allow for the government of Israel to claim some great military victory when Elisha had singlehandedly delivered this foreign army to them.

Our primary job is not to cause the death of our enemies!

Our enemies are sentencing themselves to death!

Our primary job is simply to share the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" with the world along with our testimony of what God has already done for us!

Questions?

Let's Pray because prayer still changes things!