Month: August 2024

⁵ ‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ SO NAAMAN LEFT, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 2 Kings 5

It’s one thing to hear a message or a word from the Lord but another thing to ENGAGE AND ACT UPON IT! The New Testament teaching on this is found in the Book of James,

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1

THE BLESSING IS IN THE DOING OR OBEYING.

Naaman LEFT HIS HOUSE and went to Israel to seek his healing, but God had much more for him. We may be drawn to God one way, but He wants to change us in far more important ways. Naaman had to leave the familiar and move. WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE OUR STANCE OR VIEWPOINT ON SOMETHING TO ALIGN WITH GOD’S UNDERSTANDING. We have all been brought up in an imperfect world and exposed to its influences far more than most of us realise. God may be trying to shift our mindsets today and the first step may be ‘TO LEAVE OUR HOUSE’ and step into something new and unfamiliar.

I think it may have been Graham Cooke who said, ‘What we think about God is the most important thing in our lives’. Since we’ve been born into this world and lived with it’s people we all have baggage that needs to be dumped.

⁵ ‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 2 Kings 5

Naaman brought some of the riches he’d accumulated as a gift to the servant of the Lord, but on this occasion it wasn’t received. Many times we think that the things we treasure in our old nature will be of value to the Lord and the Church, but often the opposite is true. This is often a powerful mindset in religious people, we’re bringing something of value from ourselves into the things of God, but they don’t mix. They say the only thing we’ll take with us after this life is our name, nothing else.

We have to get rid of earthly thinking concerning matters of the Kingdom and many of us are being called to step out of those mindsets, that’s LIKE LEAVING OUR HOUSE. Stepping out of what we’ve constructed to cope with life here and moving on to Kingdom thinking and living during our brief sojourn here.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because THROUGH HIM the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Kings 5

Naaman (In Hebrew verb naem means ‘to be pleasant’) was an army commander who had found FAVOUR WITH GOD and God gave him victory. He was a valiant soldier and the initial Bible account speaks well of Naaman. In Old Testament times God was working with people in the nations beyond Israel. He’s still working out His purposes throughout the whole world today, even among people who don’t know Him. However, the Bible records that despite favour with his King, Naaman had a skin disease, which must have been very embarrassing for a great leader.

² Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive A YOUNG CAPTIVE GIRL FROM ISRAEL, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’  2 Kings 5

It seems that the young girl from Israel actually cared for her master’s wellbeing and she told her mistress how he might receive his healing. Of course she talked about the things she’d known back in her home nation. God often brings the most unlikely people to speak into our lives and they can bless us if we have ‘ears to hear’. This young girl must have been convincing, or we might say her words carried the anointing. The army commander decided to go and seek the prophet Elisha for healing. Sometimes we may have to take strange paths to find what God has for us, His solutions to our problems.

⁴ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ⁵ ‘BY ALL MEANS, GO,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’

The King agreed that Naaman should GO to Israel to seek healing. If we’re seeking God’s will in a situation and the circumstances become favourable it may indicate that we’re on the right track, although we should continue to seek God’s leading AS WE GO.

God was able to give Naaman military victories, that’s where he functioned. He also used a young Jewish captive to help bring healing to this powerful leader. We live in days when God is going to move in great power, it’s a time when God wants to activate and reactivate callings on people’s lives. God’s people are called to be a blessing and represent Him on this earth, just as this young Jewish girl did.

Lord, use us to represent You in our situation in these days. Hallelujah

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁴¹ Elisha said, ‘Get some flour.’ He put it into the pot and said, ‘SERVE IT TO THE PEOPLE TO EAT.’ And there was nothing harmful in the pot. 2 Kings 4

But Elisha answered, ‘GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE TO EAT. For this is what the Lord says: “They will eat and have some left over.”’ 2 Kings 4

The prophet Elisha worked two miracles so that others who were hungry could enjoy some food. 2 Kings 4:38 says there was famine in the region of Gilgal where he met with the prophets. God used a prophet to overcome the natural circumstances and feed the people around him. Twice in the ministry of the Lord He worked miracles to feed thousands of hungry people who were with Him in the wilderness. He spoke to edify the souls of men (how fantastic to listen to the Lord directly) and then had compassion on those who’d been with Him a long time and fed them.

We saw yesterday that the Shunammite woman and her son had to leave her land for seven years because of famine and lack. Naomi and her husband left Bethlehem with their two boys to live in Moab, because of food shortages. God eventually brought both back and blessed them, despite all the difficulties they’d lived through.

The main job of the prophet is to speak the Rhema Word of God to the people, but God will also use His prophets to bless and meet people’s needs. 

‘Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.’ 2 Chronicles 20:20

There’s an old saying, ‘That where there are no prophets (Profits) there are losses’! The prophetic is something that cannot be controlled by men, in fact religious people often oppose it for this very reason. Another saying is that, ‘God will insult our minds to reveal our hearts’. In the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis the great lion Aslan is mentioned in all seven books as the King (a type of Christ). Aslan is said to be, ‘GOOD, BUT NOT TAME’. Aslan had the lion’s roar. I believe that we’re living in a time when prophets and the prophetic are about to become much more prevalent again. The Church has been lacking in power for a long time and for the billion soul harvest to be brought in, the Church will be moving in a new level of power, such as when the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 disciples in the Upper Room.

Johnny Enlow said last night on Elijahstreams that the Prophets are, ‘GOD’S WILD CARDS OF THE HOUR’. God will use prophets to help win the battles in coming days. We the Church, need to be open to the prophetic and God’s Spirit moving in much greater measure than before. Many Christians may try and oppose this new era, but there will be much blessing in the days ahead.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, ‘Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.’ 2 Kings 8

Judgement was coming upon Israel and it wasn’t going to be a minor event, seven years of famine had been decreed. However, God spoke through the prophet Elisha to tell the woman to leave her land and go and live somewhere else until the famine had passed. The woman’s faithfulness to the man of God, the Lord’s prophet, was still being acknowledged in the courts of heaven. We should take note, that of all the many people in Israel, this woman and her family, her miracle son, may have been the only ones who were warned to leave and escape the coming shortages. We shouldn’t underestimate the benefits of serving God and His servants when we have opportunities to do so.

¹ Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS –
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ WHO SATISFIES YOUR DESIRES WITH GOOD THINGS
    SO THAT YOUR YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S. Psalm 103, by David 

THERE IS STILL MUCH BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO SERVE THE LORD!

The scene changes to the King’s palace where Gehazi, Elisha’s servant is telling the King about the miracles Elisha did, including raising the dead. At that precise moment the widow arrived with her son to petition the King for the return of her land. Like King David she’d gone to live with the Philistines throughout the time of the famine. We may not always want to be where we find ourselves in this life but God is responsible to watch over and keep us as we follow His leading and He’s very good at it. Israel were protected for 400 years in Egypt before God came and brought them out.

Gehazi said, ‘This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.’ ⁶ The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. 2 Kings 8

Gehazi, the one person who could identify the woman and her son, told the King this is the very woman I’m talking to you about and her resurrected son. Even a king doesn’t meet somebody who has been raised from the dead every day. God’s Favour and timing, perfect as always.

Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, ‘Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.’ 2 Kings 8

The Shunammite and her son had everything restored by the word of the King. She lost nothing during the time she spent out of her inheritance, because she’d obeyed God. We live in days of restoration and God’s people are going to see restitution, getting back more than was stolen from them, in the days ahead. May it come soon Lord.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

³² When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. ³³ He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 2 Kings 4

The Shunammite woman had travelled some twenty miles to Mount Carmel to bring Elisha to pray for her dead son. Gehazi had run ahead to touch the boy with Elisha’s staff but he hadn’t responded. Now, Elisha was alone with her son in the room where he’d stayed many times. I’m surmising a bit, but that room must have been filled with the prophet’s prayers and at times the very presence of the Lord Himself. The Shunammite had left her son in the one place in her house flooded with the presence of God. In times of crisis we need to seek the Lord’s presence and not just religious ritual.

³⁴ Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. ³⁵ Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 2 Kings 4

There’s something very significant about close identification with those we’re trying to help. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM), eventually adopted Chinese dress and customs so that the people could relate with him more easily and eventually all the other missionaries in CIM followed him. This practice gave both the men and women of the mission great favour with the people they sought to serve and win to Christ.

John G Lake was praying and ministering to a woman dying of cancer and he’d left her room for a short time to freshen up. As he returned to her house he heard her crying out in pain and ran to comfort her. He embraced her body in his arms and cried out to God for mercy for her. The Lord heard their cries and the lady was spontaneously healed as he pleaded for her.

In the case of the Shunammite’s son, God also accepted the prayers of the prophet and no doubt the mother, for the life of her child. Elisha had to fully invest himself to save the child he’d prophesied would be born to her and an older husband.

May we always trust God that He is able to keep what He’s given to us, in Jesus Name. Hallelujah

²⁷ ‘So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ Numbers 6

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁹ For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. (For those whose heart is completely His) 2 Chronicles 16 AMPC/AMP

The God of Heaven and Earth is looking for people to show Himself strong on behalf of, what a fantastic God we serve.

I was reading about one of the miracles of Elisha this morning, (Remember he asked for the DOUBLE PORTION OF ELIJAH’S ANOINTING), where God did just this for a poor widow and her two sons. The widow was in debt and had no way of repaying her husband’s creditor, who was coming to take her two sons as payment. She’d lost her husband and now she could lose her boys as well.

² Elisha replied to her, ‘How can I help you? TELL ME, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?’

‘Your servant has nothing there at all,’ she said, ‘except a small jar of olive oil.’ 2 Kings 4

God asked Moses a very similar question when he first met him in the desert, ‘what’s in your hand Moses?’. Just my shepherd’s rod and for this lady, just some oil. The issue is not the little we have but what is God going to do with it! Moses’ rod eventually closed the Red Sea over Pharaoh and all his chariots, the end of a great army of the day.

Elisha told the woman what to do with her small jar of oil and the way her miracle would take place.

³ Elisha said, ‘Go round and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. DON’T ASK FOR JUST A FEW. ⁴ Then go inside and SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND YOU AND YOUR SONS. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.’

This woman had to step out in Faith, THE AMOUNT SHE ASKED FOR WOULD DETERMINE THE SIZE OF HER PROVISION! THE PROPHET TOLD HER NOT TO ASK SMALL BUT TO ASK FOR A LOT OF JARS and she followed his instructions. We can limit God’s provision by our small faith, but this lady must have asked everyone she could. The next step is interesting in light of her going from house to house pleading for empty jars.

⁵ She left him and SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND HER AND HER SONS. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another one.’

But he replied, ‘There is not a jar left.’ THEN THE OIL STOPPED FLOWING.

The widow had to ask publicly for the jars (HER PART) and I’m sure people wanted to know why she needed them, but now the miracle Elisha pronounced happened behind closed doors. She’d done her part and now the oil multiplied before her and her sons, the ones who desperately needed the miracle – God showed Himself strong to those in need.

⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.’ 2 Kings 4

God’s supply would meet their future needs as well as paying off their debt. God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf today, take courage and ask Him for help in your crisis. He cares for you!

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹⁷ But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. 2 Kings 4

GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE TO KEEP WHATEVER HE GIVES US! The enemy wants to rob us of God’s blessings in our lives and get us to blame God, but the Shunammite woman rose up to fight for her son’s life.

³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’

³⁶ Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ Mark 5

Many years later Jesus encouraged Jairus, the synagogue ruler, not to give way to fear when he was told his daughter was dead.

²⁰ After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. ²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, THEN SHUT THE DOOR AND WENT OUT. 2 Kings 4

The Shunammite woman stared death in the face but rose up with urgency and set out to find Elisha, the prophet she knew so well. The relationships we build today may be the means of our deliverance in times of trouble; don’t leave it too late to find Jesus and walk with those who know Him.

The distance from Shunem to Mount Carmel was at least twenty miles and the last bit was uphill, but the woman never flagged until she found Elisha. She pushed through every obstacle to get to the one person who could help her, holding fast to her faith throughout.

²⁷ When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

²⁸ “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” 2 Kings 4

Elisha sent his servant to run ahead and touch the boy with his staff, but ‘the boy did not awaken’. The woman never told anyone what had happened her son and Elisha instructed Gehazi not to talk with anyone on the way, to just ignore anyone who spoke to him. Casual talk may often expose us to others’ lack of faith, better to keep some personal situations between us and the Lord.  Elisha came along behind with the mother and went into the room where the child lay. Jesus shut out the crowd when He went into the room with Jairus’ daughter and on both occasions the children were restored to their parents. Hallelujah

GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE TO KEEP WHATEVER HE GIVES US!

The same God who gives us blessings can restore them, don’t let the devil steal your blessings, rise up like the Shunammite and seek God for His answer.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

⁴¹ WHOEVER (Universal Promise given by the Lord Himself) WELCOMES A PROPHET WILL RECEIVE A PROPHET’S REWARD, AND WHOEVER WELCOMES A RIGHTEOUS PERSON WILL RECEIVE A RIGHTEOUS PERSON’S REWARD. Matthew 10

We were looking yesterday at how a wealthy Shunammite woman invited the prophet Elisha to stop at her home for something to eat and then, with her husband’s approval, she built the prophet a room on the roof of their house. This happened over a period of time and I felt that we need to use wisdom and be cautious about people we invite into our homes and lives.

The Shunammite woman had tapped into a Kingdom Principle that would later be confirmed by the Messiah Himself, ‘Blessing God’s servants releases the blessing of God into our own lives’. She blessed Elisha and his servant by meeting their temporal needs, food and lodging, but God’s blessings were to come back to her in different ways and the same may be true for us today.

²² The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
    and He adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10

Elisha decided it was time to repay this woman for her service to him and he called her to ask what he could do for her and although he offered to intercede for her with the king, she didn’t claim that right. Even though the prophet offered her something it wasn’t what she needed at the time. God has placed hidden desires in our hearts which we may not be aware of, but He can reveal them and bless in ways we never expected. Selah – pause and consider! What are the desires of our hearts and is it time for God to begin to reveal and answer these?

¹⁴ ‘What can be done for her?’ Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, ‘She has no son, and her husband is old.’

¹⁵ Then Elisha said, ‘Call her.’ So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶ ‘About this time next year,’ Elisha said, ‘you will hold a son in your arms.’

‘No, my lord!’ she objected. ‘Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!’ 2 Kings 4

The woman was shocked by the words of the prophet, she may have given up all hope of ever having a son, but all her kindness was about to be repaid by the birth of a boy. The prophet had spoken of something that was deep inside her and a blessing that she’d not dared to hope for soon came to pass. Sometimes faithfully serving the work of the Lord that comes to us can eventually result in great benefits in our own lives. The Shunammite continued to bless Elisha whenever he called at her home and the room she made was for him alone, no one else stayed there.

May the Lord bless you and give you the deepest longings of your heart today. Immanuel, God is with us.

The Shunammite’s son restored to life

⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he passed by, he stopped there to eat. (Stopover became a regular habit) 2 Kings 4 

Shunem can mean, two resting places, double supports. Seems a fitting name in this context.

The wealthy woman offered Elisha the hospitality of her home. She was in a position to bless the travelling prophet and she did. We should BE CAREFUL especially whom we invite into our homes and lives, because IT MAY OPEN US TO FUTURE INFLUENCES, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD. This is a simple and maybe very obvious statement, but I actually feel the weight of the Spirit as I’m writing this! So again, be careful to whom you open your house and your life.

⁹ She said to her husband, ‘I know that this man WHO OFTEN COMES OUR WAY IS A HOLY MAN OF GOD. ¹⁰ Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then HE CAN STAY THERE whenever he comes to us.’

No doubt the Lord’s Hand was in all of this, but the Shunammite lady had observed Elisha for some time before concluding that he was a genuine man of God. God’s people are always on view and open to judgment and there is wisdom in taking time to get to know people better before inviting them into closer relationships. Dare I say that this is wise even in the Church today. The Shunammite took time to observe and get to know this visitor to her home, even though he was the national prophet in Israel.

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully, (are cautious in friendship)
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12

There’s a big difference between someone visiting our home and someone staying, or living, in it. When we allow the wrong people to become too familiar they may well seek to dominate and control our lives. It’s interesting that the Shunammite, though caring and kind, put Elisha up on the roof and not in the main part of the house. There was still a little distance between the man of God and the household and this may have suited both parties.

There was now AN OPEN DOOR to the prophet whenever he came that way and he determined when he would visit and stay. The woman and her husband may have felt honoured that the prophet Elisha came and stayed in their home and certainly future blessings would flow from this close relationship. In order for any close relationship to work there must be mutual honour and respect on both sides. One party cannot dominate the other, that’s only control and there’s a lot of it in this world and in the Body of Believers, so be cautious who you invite in.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

The Beatitudes

He said:

I was made aware last night of a tragic death within my family circle, so today I’m praying for God’s comfort for those most deeply affected by this sudden passing. It’s noteworthy that God puts on record His compassion and sympathy for those who have been bereaved, their pain is taken into account and not just quickly dismissed. God cares for those of His children who are suffering, the broken hearted among us. He promises to comfort us in our time of suffering, to help restore us and walk with us through life again. That’s a very distinct mark of His Kindness and Gentleness to His people.

In the song, Irish Heartbeat, by Van Morrison, a couple of lines repeated several times,

Cause the world is so cold
Don’t care nothing ’bout your soul
That you share with your own ones

Thanks to our God that He is so caring at times when people need understanding the most, so different from this, ‘cold, uncaring world’. May all those who mourn be surrounded by the Father’s love and compassion.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.