Good morning,
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and welcome to 3ABN Camp Meeting
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Spring Version 2007.
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You know, you're
gonna see a bunch of people
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sitting before you
almost automatically
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want to say good
morning and happy Sabbath.
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We're just a
little early for that.
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But it is a good day
to be in Christ Jesus.
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It is a good day
to gather together.
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And we've been
having a wonderful time.
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Can you say that,
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have we been
having a wonderful time?
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We have powerful messages,
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had a little fun
last night on the panel,
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and got a little work
done to praise the Lord.
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So we're here today to join
together again to fellowship.
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How many had breakfast already?
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So your stomach
so nice and full,
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hopefully your mind
is still awake and alert.
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And the biscuits were good.
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I'm not a
biscuit and gravy person.
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That is not a New York dish.
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And from New York,
having come from New York
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biscuits and gravy are
not normal for us in New York,
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I see Dr. Jesse
Bradley from the East Coast.
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That's not an East Coast thing.
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That's more of a Southern thing.
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I've learned to like
grits, and biscuits and gravy,
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and some of the Southern cuisine
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that we're not
quite used to in New York,
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but it's quite good.
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I see how you felt
fatten up on this stuff.
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It's not bad.
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Not bad at all.
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But God is so very, very good.
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And we're glad to
have you here this morning.
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It's gonna be a
good day in Christ Jesus.
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Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Father God, we thank You
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for keeping us
through the night,
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for keeping us
and watching over us
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as we slept.
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We're thankful
for the power of God
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that woke us up this morning
closed in our right minds.
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We thank You
for our eyes to see,
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ears to hear,
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hearts that beat
in tune with Christ,
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and minds that can understand
Your will and Your love for us,
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and go about our
Father's business.
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Now bless us this day,
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through the seminars
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as we approach
the Sabbath hours.
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May our hearts be
in tune with Jesus.
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May we hear from You.
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But more than that
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may we put into practice
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those things that
we know to be right,
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so that we can be
like Christ Jesus.
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And we thank You, dear
Father, in Jesus' name.
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Amen and Amen.
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Wanna take this opportunity
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to introduce our
special music for the day
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and it is indeed special.
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Steve Darmody has been given
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a particular gift from the Lord,
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a smooth dulcet baritone
voice that we all love to hear.
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And so we present to
you now, Steve Darmody.
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Scripture says,
"Eye hath not seen,
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nor ear hath heard,
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the glories that the
Lord has prepared for us
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at heavenly places.
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It's good for us to think about
those things from time to time,
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isn't it?
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As I see the marks of sin
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I feel a sadness
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But there's a thought
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That always
brings a sweet release
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Soon our Savior will appear
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That day is drawing near
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When tears, trials,
heartaches all will cease
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven will be
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To be with Jesus
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Throughout eternity
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No earthly thing can compare
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To what is waiting for us there
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven will be
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Oh, just think of all
the countless joys of heaven
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A better land, a better life
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Than we could know
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We will be forever safe
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Through His forgiving grace
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This gift is ours because
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He loves us so
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven will be
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To be with Jesus
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Throughout eternity
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No earthly thing can compare
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To what is waiting for us there
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven will be
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven will be
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To be with Jesus
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Throughout eternity
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No earthly thing can compare
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To what is waiting for us there
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven will be
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Oh, how wonderful
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Heaven
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Will be
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Well done.
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I beg your indulgence
for this particular sitting.
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I'm going to give you
the digest of some things
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that have been occurring to me.
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And every now and again
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you run across
a little something
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in the Word of God that
just sort of tantalizes you
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and you begin researching
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and you start
off with one mindset
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and as you research
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your
understanding of the subject
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grows and perhaps
changes and evolves.
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So I give you the right
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even now that at the end of this
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if you disagree you can flog me,
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excoriate me,
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do that which seem
as good in your eyes
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because as I said,
this is it's something
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that I'm playing with
that is developing in my mind.
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I'm, have often said
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I don't have
favorite anything's.
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I don't have favorite texts.
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I don't have favorite colors.
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I don't have favorite foods.
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I don't have a
favorite of anything.
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And people say, "What's
your favorite Bible text."
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I don't have one.
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What I have are texts
that are sort of hot for me
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at that point in time.
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You know, I have a
text that is really exciting
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at that point in my life.
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And then maybe a
month later, I get a new,
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exciting text, you know,
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and then that's my
text for a couple of months
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and I find another text.
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So I don't have a
one favorite text.
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I have dozens of texts
which have meant a lot to me
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at a particular point in time.
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Then I move on to another text,
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you know, when I
first started out,
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Joshua 1:9, "Have
I not commanded thee?
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Be strong and of a good courage,
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be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed,
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for the Lord
thy God is with thee
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whithersoever thou goest."
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That was my hot
text for about two years.
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And then I ran into John 16:33,
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"These things I
have spoken unto you,
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that in me ye might have peace.
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In the world ye
shall have tribulation,
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but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world."
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That lasted for
about a month or two.
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Then I ran into Micah
6:8, "He hath showed thee,
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O man, what is good,
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and what doth the
Lord require of thee,
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but to do justly, love mercy,
walk humbly with thy God?"
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That went in and out
for four or five years.
00:10:09.10\00:10:11.04
And right now I don't
really have a favorite text.
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But I do have a passage
that I'm kind of stuck on.
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And that's what I
wanna talk to you about today
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with your indulgence.
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Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:6,
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"That he was
speaking by permission,
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and not commandment."
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So I'm speaking by
permission, not commandment.
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This is just
something that's in my heart
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that we want to talk about.
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I'm gonna ask
you to turn with me
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if you will to
2 Kings Chapter 2.
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We're going to take a
look at the life of really
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one of the individuals
that I am coming to understand
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is one of the greatest of
the Old Testament figures,
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but is a little enigmatic,
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and not really
preached about too much.
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But he is a fantastic guy.
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And his name is Elisha.
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2 Kings 2:9.
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You know, the Lord is so
kind, I forgot my glasses.
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But I did pick up
my big print Bible.
00:11:27.35\00:11:30.25
So I sort of
compensates, you know,
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'cause if I had
my regular Bible,
00:11:32.62\00:11:33.96
we'd be in trouble.
00:11:33.99\00:11:35.32
But I got though
my big print Bible.
00:11:35.36\00:11:38.13
So we praise the Lord.
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Father, God, we just
thank You again for Your Word,
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and ask that You
would feed us with Your Word
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and give us an understanding
of Your will for our lives.
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And help us to walk
in Your will and way.
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And we thank You in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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2 Kings 2:9,
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"And so it was," and
I'm reading from the...
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This is my New King James.
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"And so it was, when
they had crossed over,
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that Elijah said to Elisha,
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'Ask!
00:12:09.22\00:12:10.69
What I may do for you,
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before I am
taken away from you?'
00:12:12.86\00:12:15.73
Elisha said,
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'Please let a double portion
of your spirit be upon me.'"
00:12:17.50\00:12:23.20
We tend to think of
this particular incidents
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as the high point
in the life of Elisha
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and his ministry.
00:12:38.62\00:12:41.62
After all,
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what better could anyone ask for
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than a double
portion of the Holy Spirit?
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If you look at the
multitude of requests
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that could have been asked,
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you'll get much better
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than asking for a double
portion of the Holy Spirit.
00:13:05.01\00:13:07.75
Wouldn't you think?
00:13:07.78\00:13:10.72
Elijah was such a holy man
00:13:10.75\00:13:17.13
that we know he
was taken to heaven.
00:13:17.16\00:13:21.63
Elisha was such a holy man
00:13:21.66\00:13:26.10
that we know he had part
of at least two resurrections.
00:13:26.13\00:13:31.27
Elisha holds the
singular position
00:13:34.78\00:13:39.58
of being the first,
00:13:39.61\00:13:42.75
the last,
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and the only man
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to raise someone from the dead
00:13:47.49\00:13:52.36
after he was dead.
00:13:52.39\00:13:56.43
You find that
nowhere else in the Bible.
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He raised someone from
the dead while he was alive.
00:13:59.60\00:14:04.61
He raised someone from the dead
00:14:04.64\00:14:07.84
after he was dead.
00:14:07.88\00:14:09.44
Let me show you something.
00:14:12.81\00:14:14.15
You're in 2 Kings, back
up to 2 Kings Chapter 4.
00:14:14.18\00:14:16.99
This is part of that
very first resurrection.
00:14:17.02\00:14:20.19
Resurrection, you
remember the story of Elijah
00:14:20.22\00:14:22.82
and the Shunammite woman.
00:14:22.86\00:14:25.79
The Bible says she
was a very great woman
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.60
who did a very kind act for him.
00:14:27.63\00:14:29.66
She basically built a
room in her house for him
00:14:29.70\00:14:32.60
so that he could
rest during his travels.
00:14:32.63\00:14:35.44
It's a wonderful story.
00:14:35.47\00:14:37.24
She took care of him.
00:14:37.27\00:14:38.64
She put a
chair, a lamp, a table,
00:14:38.67\00:14:40.94
so that while he was
traveling back and forth,
00:14:40.98\00:14:42.91
he could relax there.
00:14:42.94\00:14:44.41
She, her husband, and
her son, and she was so kind,
00:14:44.45\00:14:47.02
she was childless.
00:14:47.05\00:14:48.38
And we find that
as sort of a reward
00:14:48.42\00:14:50.69
for acts of kindness,
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.32
God allowed her in her
advanced age to have a son.
00:14:52.35\00:14:56.22
It's a beautiful story.
00:14:56.26\00:14:58.26
The son is raised.
00:14:58.29\00:14:59.63
He's a young man, he
goes out to the field
00:14:59.66\00:15:01.63
and evidently suffers
some sort of heat stroke,
00:15:01.66\00:15:04.27
something happens to him.
00:15:04.30\00:15:06.17
He cries about his head,
00:15:06.20\00:15:07.90
he is taken back to the house
00:15:07.94\00:15:09.27
and almost
immediately she sits by aside
00:15:09.30\00:15:11.87
and watches her son die.
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.94
It's a very tragic story.
00:15:14.98\00:15:17.25
What is interesting though,
00:15:17.28\00:15:18.91
is that which is
found in 2 Kings 4:22-23,
00:15:18.95\00:15:25.09
I don't wanna go
there just a moment.
00:15:25.12\00:15:28.49
2 Kings 4:22-23.
00:15:28.52\00:15:31.89
Her son dies.
00:15:35.36\00:15:37.50
And, of course, she's troubled.
00:15:37.53\00:15:39.73
She has the boy taken
upstairs to Elisha's room,
00:15:39.77\00:15:43.44
placed upon the bed.
00:15:43.47\00:15:45.51
Then she calls
the servant and says,
00:15:45.54\00:15:47.64
"Get a donkey ready,
00:15:47.68\00:15:49.01
got to go find the man of God."
00:15:49.04\00:15:50.38
Now here's what the
story is very interesting
00:15:50.41\00:15:51.75
'cause her husband says,
00:15:51.78\00:15:53.11
and if you got
the story in verse 22,
00:15:53.15\00:15:54.62
her husband says,
00:15:54.65\00:15:56.58
"Then she called to
her husband, and said,
00:15:56.62\00:15:57.95
'Please send me
one of the young men
00:15:57.99\00:15:59.55
and one of the donkeys
00:15:59.59\00:16:00.92
that I may run to the man of God
00:16:00.96\00:16:02.42
and come back.'
00:16:02.46\00:16:05.36
So he said," that is
husband, that is her husband,
00:16:05.39\00:16:08.03
"Why are you
going to him today?"
00:16:08.06\00:16:11.13
Why are you gonna
see the prophet for?
00:16:11.17\00:16:13.64
"It is neither the
New Moon nor the Sabbath.'
00:16:13.67\00:16:17.04
"So there's no feasts
going on, no special gathering.
00:16:17.07\00:16:20.21
"And she said, 'It is well.'"
00:16:20.24\00:16:24.35
Now this is a
testament, ladies and gentlemen,
00:16:24.38\00:16:26.82
to the faith of that woman.
00:16:26.85\00:16:29.32
Her son, her only son
is lying upstairs dead.
00:16:29.35\00:16:34.52
Her husband in effect
says, "What's going on?"
00:16:34.56\00:16:37.63
What's her response?
00:16:37.66\00:16:39.86
It's well.
00:16:39.89\00:16:41.53
Everything is okay.
00:16:41.56\00:16:43.67
The boy's upstairs dead.
00:16:43.70\00:16:47.74
But she says,
00:16:47.77\00:16:49.44
"It's okay."
00:16:49.47\00:16:51.54
So either she is in shock
00:16:51.57\00:16:54.54
and has lost her mind.
00:16:54.58\00:16:57.95
Or she knows something...
00:16:57.98\00:16:59.31
or she knows someone.
00:17:02.15\00:17:04.02
It's a powerful statement.
00:17:07.96\00:17:10.99
Your only child,
your child of later years,
00:17:11.03\00:17:15.16
your miracle baby
lies dead in the house.
00:17:15.20\00:17:20.10
And she can say to her husband,
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.27
it is well.
00:17:22.30\00:17:24.27
"When peace like a river,
00:17:27.58\00:17:30.61
attendeth my way,
00:17:30.65\00:17:33.48
when sorrows
like sea billows roll,
00:17:33.52\00:17:39.22
whatever my lot,
thou has taught me to say,
00:17:39.25\00:17:43.96
it is well.
00:17:43.99\00:17:47.00
"That song was
written as you well know
00:17:51.03\00:17:53.13
by Horatio G. Spafford.
00:17:53.17\00:17:57.27
Himself an interesting story.
00:17:57.31\00:18:01.04
In 1871, his son
died mysteriously.
00:18:01.08\00:18:07.35
Teenage boy just died.
00:18:07.38\00:18:10.35
Later that same year,
00:18:10.39\00:18:12.79
his business was
destroyed by the Chicago Fire,
00:18:12.82\00:18:17.89
totally wiped out.
00:18:17.93\00:18:20.93
Two years later,
00:18:20.96\00:18:23.97
he puts his wife
and four girls on a ship
00:18:24.00\00:18:27.90
to go to England.
00:18:27.94\00:18:30.54
He intends to join
them a few weeks later,
00:18:30.57\00:18:33.04
but he sends them on ahead.
00:18:33.07\00:18:36.58
About two days out of England,
00:18:36.61\00:18:38.18
the ship is
struck by another ship.
00:18:38.21\00:18:41.88
His wife sends him
a cable saved alone.
00:18:41.92\00:18:48.42
All four of his girls dead.
00:18:48.46\00:18:52.99
So in two years time,
00:18:53.03\00:18:54.76
he loses his son,
00:18:54.80\00:18:57.17
he loses his business,
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.47
he loses his four daughters.
00:18:59.50\00:19:02.24
And on the way over
to collect his wife,
00:19:02.27\00:19:08.08
he writes this song.
00:19:08.11\00:19:11.05
He pens this on November 22.
00:19:11.08\00:19:15.22
"Though Satan should buffett,
00:19:15.25\00:19:18.42
though trials should come,
00:19:18.45\00:19:22.86
let this blest
00:19:22.89\00:19:25.33
assurance control,
00:19:25.36\00:19:30.07
that Christ has
regarded my helpless estate,
00:19:30.10\00:19:33.44
and has shed His
own blood for my soul,
00:19:33.47\00:19:38.01
it is well."
00:19:38.04\00:19:44.08
Business destroyed,
00:19:44.11\00:19:46.31
five children dead,
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.78
it is well with my soul.
00:19:49.82\00:19:51.15
You see, God's got to
honor faith like that.
00:19:54.02\00:19:59.59
Somewhere in heaven
there is respect for a person
00:19:59.63\00:20:02.40
who will hold on
to the promises of God
00:20:02.43\00:20:04.90
when all seems black,
00:20:04.93\00:20:06.74
and bleak, and
helpless, and hopeless.
00:20:06.77\00:20:10.01
Heavens got to honor your faith.
00:20:10.04\00:20:11.67
So Elisha goes to the
house, closes the door,
00:20:15.14\00:20:17.51
you know the story,
00:20:17.55\00:20:19.28
stretches itself
out upon the little boy.
00:20:19.31\00:20:22.12
The Bible says, eyes touch eyes,
00:20:22.15\00:20:24.19
cheeks touch
cheeks, nose touch his nose,
00:20:24.22\00:20:26.65
chest touch his
chest, arms touch his arm.
00:20:26.69\00:20:29.82
And he lays on that
child and praise to God.
00:20:29.86\00:20:32.89
And the Bible says,
"His flesh gets warm."
00:20:38.43\00:20:40.64
And then Elisha leaves.
00:20:44.44\00:20:47.28
Elisha walks around the house.
00:20:47.31\00:20:52.55
This is outer scene
never seen in the Bible,
00:20:52.58\00:20:54.42
walks around the
house, goes back upstairs,
00:20:54.45\00:20:56.55
lays on the child again.
00:20:56.58\00:20:59.52
Praise,
00:20:59.55\00:21:02.26
and then the Bible says,
"The boy sneezes seven times."
00:21:02.29\00:21:07.80
Elisha says, "Go
call your mother,
00:21:07.83\00:21:09.50
he's fine."
00:21:09.53\00:21:10.87
Later on in Chapter 13,
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.31
a band of Moabites are
raiding a Jewish funeral.
00:21:18.34\00:21:23.35
And the funeral
is thrown into panic
00:21:23.38\00:21:26.11
because the Moabites are coming.
00:21:26.15\00:21:30.15
And Elisha is dead.
00:21:30.19\00:21:31.79
And they've got this body.
00:21:35.12\00:21:37.86
And they don't know
what to do with the body
00:21:37.89\00:21:39.39
because they want to
get away from the Moabites.
00:21:39.43\00:21:43.83
And so they see a
hole in the ground
00:21:43.87\00:21:45.73
and they say you know what,
00:21:45.77\00:21:47.10
let's just throw
this body in this hole
00:21:47.14\00:21:48.54
and run for our lives.
00:21:48.57\00:21:51.67
And that's
precisely what they do.
00:21:51.71\00:21:53.31
But they don't know
00:21:53.34\00:21:54.68
that the hole is the
open grave of Elisha.
00:21:54.71\00:22:01.25
So they tossed
the body in the hole
00:22:01.28\00:22:04.29
and head for the hills.
00:22:04.32\00:22:08.12
And the Bible says,
00:22:08.16\00:22:09.49
"When the body comes in contact
with the bones of Elisha,
00:22:09.52\00:22:15.76
the dead man stands up."
00:22:15.80\00:22:18.97
It's a
resurrection of a dead man
00:22:25.24\00:22:28.68
resurrecting a dead man.
00:22:28.71\00:22:32.15
Now I don't know about you.
00:22:32.18\00:22:36.05
But if I throw a body in a hole,
00:22:36.08\00:22:39.22
and he stands up...
00:22:39.25\00:22:40.59
it's time to either pray or run.
00:22:46.53\00:22:50.10
Yeah.
00:22:50.13\00:22:52.03
Or maybe pray and run.
00:22:52.07\00:22:53.40
But Elisha holds that
singular state distinction
00:22:58.57\00:23:02.51
of raising people from the dead
00:23:02.54\00:23:04.31
before and after
he himself was dead.
00:23:04.35\00:23:06.25
If you want to read
a powerful ministry,
00:23:09.28\00:23:12.12
it is the ministry of Elisha.
00:23:12.15\00:23:13.96
But I beg your indulgence
00:23:17.36\00:23:18.69
because none of
this is my real burden.
00:23:18.73\00:23:22.36
My burden comes
from 1 Kings 19:19.
00:23:22.40\00:23:26.47
And this is what got me started
on this whole study of Elisha.
00:23:26.50\00:23:29.67
1 Kings 19:19.
00:23:29.70\00:23:32.17
The Bible says this.
00:23:38.61\00:23:40.65
"So he departed from there,
00:23:40.68\00:23:43.05
and found Elisha,"
00:23:43.08\00:23:44.59
this he, of course, is Elijah,
00:23:44.62\00:23:46.92
"the son of Shaphat,
00:23:46.96\00:23:48.66
who was plowing
with twelve yoke of oxen
00:23:48.69\00:23:51.23
before him,
00:23:51.26\00:23:53.60
and he was with the twelfth.
00:23:53.63\00:23:56.90
Then Elijah passed by him
00:23:56.93\00:23:59.43
and threw his mantle on him."
00:23:59.47\00:24:04.37
There is an
interesting hermeneutical device
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.47
that students of the Bible know.
00:24:06.51\00:24:09.34
It is called the
theology of the first mentioned.
00:24:09.38\00:24:14.72
Simply means that
00:24:14.75\00:24:16.89
when the Bible
first mentions a person,
00:24:16.92\00:24:20.26
take note of that first mention
00:24:20.29\00:24:22.99
because usually the
Bible will give you clues
00:24:23.02\00:24:26.03
to his character
00:24:26.06\00:24:28.40
that will shape his entire life.
00:24:28.43\00:24:31.83
So whenever you
first are introduced
00:24:31.87\00:24:33.74
to a Bible character,
take note of the first time
00:24:33.77\00:24:35.90
you run into that person
00:24:35.94\00:24:37.87
because the Bible
tells you something about him
00:24:37.91\00:24:39.41
that will stick with
him throughout his life.
00:24:39.44\00:24:43.41
Elisha came from a
very wealthy family.
00:24:43.45\00:24:49.12
He came in a time
00:24:49.15\00:24:51.85
when Israel was in the
grips of rampant apostasy.
00:24:51.89\00:24:57.86
We know the story of Elijah,
00:24:57.89\00:25:00.66
and how God said
00:25:00.70\00:25:02.10
there are still 7000
who are faithful to me,
00:25:02.13\00:25:05.53
and who have not
bowed their knee to Baal.
00:25:05.57\00:25:08.30
Elisha's family
was one of those 7000.
00:25:08.34\00:25:12.24
He was a godly son
from a godly father,
00:25:12.27\00:25:17.38
who lived in a godless age
00:25:17.41\00:25:20.35
in the days of Ahab and Jezebel.
00:25:20.38\00:25:24.82
Which says to me that, you know,
00:25:24.85\00:25:26.19
we can indeed be in the
world, but not of the world.
00:25:26.22\00:25:29.69
Just because it's
happening out there
00:25:29.72\00:25:32.09
doesn't have to happen in here.
00:25:32.13\00:25:34.76
We can still be salt
and light in a godless age.
00:25:34.80\00:25:38.20
And that's what
Shaphat, Elisha's dad was.
00:25:38.23\00:25:42.77
His heart, his
mind was fixed on God
00:25:42.80\00:25:45.64
and he had passed
these things on to his son.
00:25:45.67\00:25:48.34
But let's look at
this rather odd little text
00:25:48.38\00:25:50.05
because it tells
us a lot about Elisha.
00:25:50.08\00:25:52.91
The Bible says,
00:25:52.95\00:25:54.58
"He was plowing with
twelve yoke of oxen."
00:25:54.62\00:25:57.82
Now yoke of
oxen, of course, is 2
00:25:57.85\00:25:59.52
so we're talking
about 24 oxen on the yoke.
00:25:59.55\00:26:03.06
That's impressive of itself.
00:26:03.09\00:26:05.73
Because if you look
at most of the pictures
00:26:05.76\00:26:07.13
of the ancient near east,
00:26:07.16\00:26:08.86
you see a
person plowing usually,
00:26:08.90\00:26:10.90
they're lucky to have one ox,
00:26:10.93\00:26:13.74
let alone a yoke of oxen.
00:26:13.77\00:26:15.70
He's got 12 yoke of
oxen, which means 24 oxen,
00:26:15.74\00:26:19.44
so that bespeaks
a wealthy family.
00:26:19.47\00:26:21.78
If you have a plough
00:26:21.81\00:26:23.14
and got 24
animals in front of you,
00:26:23.18\00:26:26.31
you got money.
00:26:26.35\00:26:29.75
But the key to Elisha's mindset
00:26:29.78\00:26:32.79
is found at the
end of that verse,
00:26:32.82\00:26:34.69
the Bible says, "And
he was with the twelfth."
00:26:34.72\00:26:39.03
It's a very important line.
00:26:39.06\00:26:41.13
In other words,
00:26:41.16\00:26:44.17
Elisha was on the
oxen side of the yoke
00:26:44.20\00:26:47.87
pulling with the oxen.
00:26:47.90\00:26:50.97
Now did he have to do that?
00:26:51.01\00:26:53.34
No.
00:26:53.38\00:26:54.71
The fact that
he's got 24 oxen means
00:26:54.74\00:26:56.95
he's a wealthy young man.
00:26:56.98\00:26:59.11
He probably you
could have hired,
00:26:59.15\00:27:00.58
in fact, Ellen White says,
00:27:00.62\00:27:02.02
"He could have hired
a servant to do this."
00:27:02.05\00:27:04.85
If you got enough
money to afford 24 oxen,
00:27:04.89\00:27:08.69
that's like, you know,
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.06
now that I've come
to Southern Illinois,
00:27:10.09\00:27:11.43
I understand what a
John Deere tractor is.
00:27:11.46\00:27:15.83
I didn't know
who John Deere was,
00:27:15.86\00:27:17.20
I thought he is an evangelist.
00:27:17.23\00:27:18.57
I don't know John Deere was.
00:27:18.60\00:27:21.17
But I've come to understand
that a John Deere tractor
00:27:21.20\00:27:23.61
is a top of the line tractor.
00:27:23.64\00:27:25.97
They're green and yellow,
you can always identify them.
00:27:26.01\00:27:29.08
And if you've got
a John Deere tractor,
00:27:29.11\00:27:31.01
you've got an excellent tractor.
00:27:31.05\00:27:33.98
Well, having 24 oxen is like
having a John Deere tractor.
00:27:34.02\00:27:38.59
But Elisha is on the oxen side,
00:27:38.62\00:27:42.46
he was with the twelfth.
00:27:42.49\00:27:45.39
He could have been behind,
00:27:45.43\00:27:47.16
or he could have
been in the house
00:27:47.20\00:27:49.06
but he's on the
oxen side of the load.
00:27:49.10\00:27:51.53
He's pulling the
load with the oxen.
00:27:51.57\00:27:56.10
That shows the
kind of young man he is.
00:27:56.14\00:27:57.51
One, he's faithful.
00:27:57.54\00:28:00.88
Two, he's attentive.
00:28:00.91\00:28:04.71
Three, he does
what needs to be done.
00:28:04.75\00:28:09.98
And all of that is in
couch in that one little verse,
00:28:10.02\00:28:12.35
"He was with the twelfth."
00:28:12.39\00:28:15.42
And it's those characteristics,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:28:15.46\00:28:17.73
that stayed with
Elisha throughout his life
00:28:17.76\00:28:20.53
and made him worthy
00:28:20.56\00:28:23.37
to be a disciple of God.
00:28:23.40\00:28:25.90
And to be a
follower of the great Elijah.
00:28:25.93\00:28:31.11
"He was with the twelfth."
00:28:31.14\00:28:32.74
It is a
statement of his character.
00:28:32.77\00:28:34.64
Ellen White says,
Spirit of Prophecy,
00:28:34.68\00:28:36.34
I'm reading Patriarchs
and Prophets, page 222.
00:28:36.38\00:28:39.88
"It was no great work
00:28:39.91\00:28:41.25
that was at first
required of Elisha,
00:28:41.28\00:28:45.12
commonplace duties still
constituted his discipline.
00:28:45.15\00:28:49.06
He is spoken of
00:28:49.09\00:28:50.63
as pouring water on
the hands of Elijah,
00:28:50.66\00:28:52.86
his master."
00:28:52.89\00:28:54.23
Menial task.
00:28:54.26\00:28:55.60
"He was willing to do
anything that the Lord directed,
00:28:55.63\00:28:59.30
and at every step he
learned the lessons of humility
00:28:59.33\00:29:03.67
and service."
00:29:03.71\00:29:05.17
You see, my thesis is,
00:29:05.21\00:29:08.14
it's not your ability
00:29:08.18\00:29:09.71
that makes you
great in the eyes of God,
00:29:09.74\00:29:12.71
it's your humility.
00:29:12.75\00:29:14.98
And ability without
humility is of no use
00:29:15.02\00:29:19.82
to the kingdom of God.
00:29:19.85\00:29:22.19
But humility,
00:29:22.22\00:29:24.03
combined with ability
makes you a powerful tool
00:29:24.06\00:29:27.80
in the hand of God.
00:29:27.83\00:29:29.86
"As the prophet's
personal attendant,
00:29:29.90\00:29:32.80
he continued to prove
faithful in the little things,
00:29:32.83\00:29:38.01
with daily strengthening purpose
00:29:38.04\00:29:40.38
he devoted
himself to the mission
00:29:40.41\00:29:42.34
God had appointed him."
00:29:42.38\00:29:43.71
He didn't become a
healer of the dead overnight.
00:29:43.75\00:29:46.45
He started with
the little things.
00:29:46.48\00:29:47.82
Elijah said, "Get me
some water to wash my hands."
00:29:47.85\00:29:49.58
He did it.
00:29:49.62\00:29:51.35
Little things.
00:29:51.39\00:29:52.75
So many times, we're
waiting for big things
00:29:52.79\00:29:54.49
to do for the Lord,
00:29:54.52\00:29:55.86
waiting for big
missions to come along.
00:29:55.89\00:29:57.73
And God says do
what's right in front of you,
00:29:57.76\00:30:01.06
do what's right at your hand.
00:30:01.10\00:30:02.53
You're worried about the
people over in Asia and Africa.
00:30:02.56\00:30:05.53
And there's
somebody right next door
00:30:05.57\00:30:06.90
who needs to know about Jesus.
00:30:06.94\00:30:09.74
Do what's right in front of you.
00:30:09.77\00:30:11.94
The ministry of
Elisha was a type of Christ.
00:30:11.97\00:30:16.04
Look at the record
of his walk with God.
00:30:16.08\00:30:19.48
You've got the boys
and a two she bears,
00:30:19.51\00:30:21.35
remember that story?
00:30:21.38\00:30:22.82
Where they were teasing him
evidently as a very young man
00:30:22.85\00:30:25.12
he was bald.
00:30:25.15\00:30:27.39
Bless his heart.
00:30:27.42\00:30:30.79
And they teased him,
00:30:30.83\00:30:32.16
42 young men came
out and teased him.
00:30:32.19\00:30:34.16
And the Bible says,
00:30:34.20\00:30:35.53
"Two she bears came out
00:30:35.56\00:30:37.00
and destroyed
those 42 young men."
00:30:37.03\00:30:40.34
Then he had the
school of the prophets.
00:30:40.37\00:30:42.84
Then at Gilgo, he cured,
00:30:42.87\00:30:44.77
you know, they had this
story about this porridge.
00:30:44.81\00:30:47.94
And life was kind of tough.
00:30:47.98\00:30:50.71
So somebody went out
and grabbed a lot of herbs
00:30:50.75\00:30:52.51
and threw them in
a pot and made a stew
00:30:52.55\00:30:54.08
didn't realize he put
some poison stuff in there
00:30:54.12\00:30:56.08
they're just about
halfway finished eating
00:30:56.12\00:30:58.32
and they realized
this stuff is poison.
00:30:58.35\00:31:01.86
And they went to
Elisha and he cured them all.
00:31:01.89\00:31:05.73
Then, of course, you got
the famous story with Naaman
00:31:05.76\00:31:08.73
that is Elisha.
00:31:08.76\00:31:11.53
Then he faced down at Jezebel
00:31:11.57\00:31:14.94
and Ben-Hadad.
00:31:14.97\00:31:18.44
Blindness on the
army of Ben-Hadad,
00:31:18.47\00:31:20.88
remember that story?
00:31:20.91\00:31:22.24
The Syrians came in.
00:31:22.28\00:31:24.61
Elisha played
00:31:24.65\00:31:27.08
the Lord blind them all.
00:31:27.12\00:31:29.95
Elisha went out and
said, "Listen, follow me.
00:31:29.98\00:31:31.65
You're blind. Just follow me.
00:31:31.69\00:31:33.02
I'll take you where
you supposed to be."
00:31:33.05\00:31:35.86
So they followed him right
into the middle of the city.
00:31:35.89\00:31:39.79
And, of course,
the king is saying,
00:31:39.83\00:31:41.16
"Can I kill them now?
00:31:41.20\00:31:42.53
Can I kill them
now? Can I kill them now?
00:31:42.56\00:31:43.90
Can I kill them now?"
00:31:43.93\00:31:45.27
And Elisha says, "We're
not gonna kill these men,
00:31:45.30\00:31:46.63
we're gonna feed them,
00:31:46.67\00:31:48.00
pray for them, and
send them back home."
00:31:48.04\00:31:51.97
Then story of
the floating ax head.
00:31:52.01\00:31:54.44
Just a little
story tucked in there,
00:31:54.48\00:31:56.14
fellow borrows an ax
head from a neighbor.
00:31:56.18\00:31:58.11
He's chopping down wood.
00:31:58.15\00:31:59.55
The ax head
breaks off of the stick,
00:31:59.58\00:32:01.98
sinks to the bottom of the well.
00:32:02.02\00:32:03.35
And the guy
says, "Oh, my goodness,
00:32:03.39\00:32:04.72
it's not mine, I borrow this."
00:32:04.75\00:32:07.66
Elisha throws in a
stick, a piece of iron,
00:32:07.69\00:32:10.09
the iron ax head floats
to the top of the surface.
00:32:10.13\00:32:12.06
There is this long and
impressive series of acts
00:32:16.16\00:32:20.44
that Elisha did
00:32:20.47\00:32:22.50
that accrue from the
fact that as a child,
00:32:22.54\00:32:25.77
he was faithful to God.
00:32:25.81\00:32:28.48
Now this is very important
00:32:28.51\00:32:29.98
because Ellen
White says of Elisha,
00:32:30.01\00:32:34.15
"That he got a
double portion of the spirit
00:32:34.18\00:32:37.72
that rested on Elijah.
00:32:37.75\00:32:40.19
Now to realize what that meant."
00:32:40.22\00:32:44.39
We are also told
00:32:44.43\00:32:46.19
that from the days of Moses,
00:32:46.23\00:32:49.06
there was no
prophet greater then Elijah.
00:32:49.10\00:32:54.57
Elijah was the
greatest thing since Moses.
00:32:54.60\00:32:59.57
Ellen White says of Moses,
00:32:59.61\00:33:02.01
"As philosopher, statesmen,
00:33:02.04\00:33:04.48
general, legislator, poet,
00:33:04.51\00:33:07.92
and intellectual,
00:33:07.95\00:33:09.28
Moses was without fear."
00:33:09.32\00:33:12.42
There was nobody in the
history of the Israeli economy
00:33:12.45\00:33:16.96
who was greater than Moses.
00:33:16.99\00:33:20.96
Elijah was equal to Moses.
00:33:21.00\00:33:25.10
Elisha was twice Elijah.
00:33:25.13\00:33:29.87
You follow that?
00:33:29.90\00:33:32.11
Moses, the greatest.
00:33:32.14\00:33:33.68
Elijah equal, Elisha twice
00:33:33.71\00:33:38.01
the greatest.
00:33:38.05\00:33:40.28
Now this is important
00:33:40.32\00:33:41.92
because Moses is in heaven.
00:33:41.95\00:33:47.42
Elijah is in heaven.
00:33:47.46\00:33:51.23
And yet Moses and
Elijah as great as they were
00:33:51.26\00:33:55.10
both had major lapses in
their relationship with God.
00:33:55.13\00:33:59.83
I want you to follow me.
00:33:59.87\00:34:02.97
Numbers 20:8,
00:34:03.00\00:34:05.37
"Moses is instructed
to speak to the rock."
00:34:05.41\00:34:10.28
Why?
00:34:10.31\00:34:11.65
Because the rock
represented Christ.
00:34:11.68\00:34:14.25
The symbolism is,
00:34:17.99\00:34:19.75
when you want
something from Jesus,
00:34:19.79\00:34:22.42
you don't have to cut yourself.
00:34:22.46\00:34:24.59
You don't have to bleed.
00:34:24.63\00:34:26.19
You don't have to suffer.
00:34:26.23\00:34:27.63
You'll just ask.
00:34:27.66\00:34:29.90
Amen.
00:34:29.93\00:34:32.50
He is more willing
to give you good gifts
00:34:32.53\00:34:34.50
than your earthly parents.
00:34:34.54\00:34:36.27
So if you want
something from him,
00:34:36.30\00:34:38.54
ask him.
00:34:38.57\00:34:40.08
But Moses in anger did what?
00:34:40.11\00:34:43.28
Struck the rock
00:34:43.31\00:34:45.85
and from that act, God
said, "You can't go over
00:34:45.88\00:34:50.49
because you misrepresented Me."
00:34:50.52\00:34:52.69
Seems like a little
thing but it was a big thing,
00:34:52.72\00:34:55.39
big enough to keep Moses
out of the Promised Land.
00:34:55.42\00:34:58.26
But praise God not big enough
to keep him out of heaven.
00:34:58.29\00:35:02.30
So Moses has this major lapse.
00:35:02.33\00:35:06.20
Elijah, as great as he is
00:35:06.23\00:35:09.60
also had a major lapse.
00:35:09.64\00:35:12.87
Stares down, faces down,
00:35:12.91\00:35:15.58
250 men...
00:35:15.61\00:35:17.15
and one little woman.
00:35:21.48\00:35:23.52
All day fighting
250 men, no problem.
00:35:29.32\00:35:33.13
One woman bless his heart,
00:35:33.16\00:35:38.23
wrote him hastily scrawled note.
00:35:38.27\00:35:40.37
She said, "You
killed 250 of my men,
00:35:40.40\00:35:43.61
by the end of the day,
00:35:43.64\00:35:45.07
one of us is gonna
be like those 250 men,
00:35:45.11\00:35:47.44
and it's not gonna be me."
00:35:47.48\00:35:51.98
And the Bible says
he turned tail and ran
00:35:52.01\00:35:55.45
and hid in the cave.
00:35:55.48\00:35:57.19
And God had to
track him down and say,
00:35:57.22\00:35:58.92
"What doest thou here?"
00:35:58.95\00:36:04.49
So Moses and Elijah
both had major lapses
00:36:04.53\00:36:09.83
in their relationship with God.
00:36:09.86\00:36:15.37
But Ellen White says,
00:36:15.40\00:36:16.74
"Elisha proved
himself a faithful steward
00:36:16.77\00:36:19.71
as a young man.
00:36:19.74\00:36:21.21
And those habits served
him throughout his entire life.
00:36:21.24\00:36:26.95
And he never ever lost
00:36:26.98\00:36:31.25
his faith in God."
00:36:31.29\00:36:35.22
Did you hear me?
00:36:35.26\00:36:37.23
Throughout his entire ministry,
00:36:37.26\00:36:40.80
you never see a lapse in faith,
00:36:40.83\00:36:43.93
never.
00:36:43.97\00:36:46.94
Not one.
00:36:46.97\00:36:48.94
There was never a
time when he stepped back,
00:36:48.97\00:36:53.74
when he should
have been going forward.
00:36:53.78\00:36:56.34
When his faith lapsed,
00:36:56.38\00:36:59.35
when he should
have had strong faith.
00:36:59.38\00:37:01.75
You see, ladies and
gentlemen, Luke 16:10 says,
00:37:01.78\00:37:04.12
"He that is
faithful in little things
00:37:04.15\00:37:06.96
will be faithful in much."
00:37:06.99\00:37:12.19
So why did the Lord give him
00:37:12.23\00:37:13.56
a double portion
of the Holy Spirit?
00:37:13.60\00:37:16.43
Because God could trust him
00:37:16.46\00:37:19.33
with a double
portion of the Holy Spirit.
00:37:19.37\00:37:22.47
If God couldn't trust him,
00:37:22.50\00:37:24.74
he'd never got it.
00:37:24.77\00:37:27.08
Now I'm heading somewhere,
I want you to stick with me
00:37:27.11\00:37:28.61
in these last 19 minutes.
00:37:28.64\00:37:30.08
There are only two times
00:37:33.95\00:37:35.35
that I can recall
in the Old Testament
00:37:35.38\00:37:36.79
when God either directly
or through someone else said,
00:37:36.82\00:37:41.06
"Anything you
want, you can have."
00:37:41.09\00:37:46.36
That's impressive.
00:37:46.39\00:37:48.33
It's also kind of frightening.
00:37:48.36\00:37:51.70
God came to you and
said, "Anything you want.
00:37:51.73\00:37:54.40
Name it, you got it."
00:37:54.44\00:37:57.11
What would you ask for?
00:37:57.14\00:38:00.08
The first time it
happened was in 1 Kings 3:9-13.
00:38:00.11\00:38:04.71
We better turn
there, 1 Kings 3:9-13.
00:38:04.75\00:38:07.18
God came to Solomon and said,
00:38:07.22\00:38:11.19
"Solomon, tell me what you want?
00:38:11.22\00:38:13.99
Get it for you.
00:38:14.02\00:38:15.36
I'll give it to you."
00:38:15.39\00:38:16.73
1 Kings 3:9. 1 Kings 3:9.
00:38:16.76\00:38:21.23
Let me get that
real fast. 1 Kings 3:9.
00:38:21.26\00:38:25.83
1 Kings 3:9.
00:38:30.44\00:38:31.87
"Therefore give Your servant
00:38:36.08\00:38:38.51
an understanding
heart to judge Your people,
00:38:38.55\00:38:41.68
that I may discern
between good and evil.
00:38:41.72\00:38:43.99
For who is able to judge
this great people of Yours?"
00:38:44.02\00:38:48.66
Solomon, ask God for wisdom.
00:38:51.69\00:38:55.30
It's not bad.
00:38:55.33\00:38:57.07
Amen.
00:38:57.10\00:39:00.44
And then verse 10 says,
00:39:00.47\00:39:02.47
"The speech pleased the Lord."
00:39:02.50\00:39:07.01
God was impressed with that.
00:39:07.04\00:39:09.78
"That Solomon
had asked this thing.
00:39:09.81\00:39:11.35
Then God said to him,
00:39:11.38\00:39:12.71
'Because you
have asked this thing,
00:39:12.75\00:39:14.68
and have not asked for
long life for yourself,
00:39:14.72\00:39:18.59
or riches for yourself,
00:39:18.62\00:39:21.09
or the life of your enemies,
00:39:21.12\00:39:23.53
but have asked
for understanding,
00:39:23.56\00:39:25.53
behold, I've done
according to your words."
00:39:25.56\00:39:27.63
And if you read the
rest of the text, it says,
00:39:27.66\00:39:29.00
best I'm gonna give
you all you didn't ask for.
00:39:29.03\00:39:31.93
You ask for wisdom,
you didn't ask for money,
00:39:31.97\00:39:34.07
gonna give you that.
00:39:34.10\00:39:35.44
You didn't ask for a long life.
00:39:35.47\00:39:36.81
I'll give you
that just as a bonus
00:39:36.84\00:39:38.21
because I liked
what you said here.
00:39:38.24\00:39:41.08
Now I'd hope if
God would come to me
00:39:41.11\00:39:43.78
that would be that discerning
00:39:43.81\00:39:46.18
'cause I have months
00:39:46.21\00:39:47.55
when I've got
more months than bills,
00:39:47.58\00:39:49.92
you know,
00:39:49.95\00:39:51.29
and this month you get a penny,
00:39:51.32\00:39:52.99
this month you get a penny,
this month you get nothing,
00:39:53.02\00:39:55.39
I hold due to next
month, I have that.
00:39:55.42\00:39:57.63
And I hope that I
have enough God in me
00:39:57.66\00:39:59.76
to say, Lord, even
though my money is short,
00:39:59.79\00:40:02.50
and I'm really short on things,
00:40:02.53\00:40:05.07
give me wisdom
00:40:05.10\00:40:09.17
to live for you
00:40:09.20\00:40:12.47
because that pleased God.
00:40:12.51\00:40:16.44
Now let's look
at Elijah's response
00:40:16.48\00:40:20.92
to Elisha's request.
00:40:20.95\00:40:22.68
If asking for wisdom,
00:40:22.72\00:40:24.95
please God,
00:40:24.99\00:40:26.52
then certainly asking
00:40:26.55\00:40:28.02
for a double
portion of the Holy Spirit
00:40:28.06\00:40:29.96
ought to be a good thing.
00:40:29.99\00:40:31.69
Wouldn't you think?
00:40:31.73\00:40:33.06
So let's go back to 2 Kings
00:40:33.09\00:40:34.46
2:9.
00:40:37.83\00:40:41.84
2 Kings 2:9.
00:40:41.87\00:40:45.04
Okay.
00:40:50.08\00:40:52.21
"And so it was,
00:40:52.25\00:40:53.88
when they had crossed over,
00:40:53.92\00:40:55.58
that Elijah
said to Elisha, 'Ask!
00:40:55.62\00:40:57.69
What I may do for you,
00:40:57.72\00:40:59.05
before I'm taken away from you?'
00:40:59.09\00:41:00.59
Elisha said,
00:41:00.62\00:41:01.96
'Please let a double portion
of your spirit be upon me.'"
00:41:01.99\00:41:06.03
Now look at the response.
00:41:06.06\00:41:08.36
"And so he said,
00:41:08.40\00:41:10.37
You have asked a hard thing."
00:41:10.40\00:41:15.94
Excuse me.
00:41:15.97\00:41:17.31
What kind of response is that?
00:41:20.24\00:41:21.58
Solomon asked for wisdom.
00:41:25.08\00:41:29.45
And God was happy.
00:41:29.48\00:41:32.25
Elijah asked for a double
portion of the Holy Spirit
00:41:32.29\00:41:36.49
and his response
is, that's a hard thing.
00:41:36.52\00:41:41.70
What kind of response is that?
00:41:41.73\00:41:45.83
Hard on who?
00:41:45.87\00:41:48.20
Do you think it's hard for God
00:41:52.57\00:41:53.91
to give a double
portion of the Holy Spirit?
00:41:53.94\00:41:58.11
Jeremiah 32:17,
00:41:58.15\00:42:00.38
this was one of my
former favorite text,
00:42:00.42\00:42:02.95
where it basically says,
00:42:02.98\00:42:04.89
"Our Lord God, you
are in the heavens,
00:42:04.92\00:42:07.52
and we are here on the earth.
00:42:07.56\00:42:09.36
And the operative line is,
00:42:09.39\00:42:10.73
and there is
nothing too hard for Thee."
00:42:10.76\00:42:15.80
So is it hard for God
00:42:15.83\00:42:17.17
to give a double
portion of the Holy Spirit?
00:42:17.20\00:42:20.24
Of course, not.
00:42:20.27\00:42:22.17
God can do what He wishes.
00:42:22.20\00:42:24.21
The same God who
made him can remake him.
00:42:29.21\00:42:33.68
So it's not hard for God.
00:42:33.72\00:42:36.35
Was it hard for Elijah
00:42:36.38\00:42:38.55
to give a double
portion of Holy Spirit?
00:42:38.59\00:42:42.72
No, 'cause it
wasn't his to give.
00:42:42.76\00:42:47.03
John 3:8 talks about the
spirit goes where it wills,
00:42:47.06\00:42:50.17
you know, the wind
blows where it wills
00:42:50.20\00:42:52.47
and you can
hear the sound of it,
00:42:52.50\00:42:54.60
but you cannot
tell where it's coming
00:42:54.64\00:42:55.97
or where it's going.
00:42:56.00\00:42:57.67
The spirit is God.
00:42:57.71\00:42:59.61
If the spirit wants to go
to a person in double measure,
00:42:59.64\00:43:02.41
is that an issue?
00:43:02.44\00:43:03.78
Is that a problem?
00:43:03.81\00:43:05.15
No.
00:43:05.18\00:43:07.05
So it wasn't Elijah's to give,
00:43:07.08\00:43:10.12
the spirit would move in
answer to Elijah's request.
00:43:10.15\00:43:15.02
And if the spirit
didn't want to go,
00:43:15.06\00:43:17.99
there is nothing
Elijah could do to make it go.
00:43:18.03\00:43:20.83
The Holy Spirit is gone.
00:43:23.87\00:43:25.37
We don't control the spirit,
00:43:29.57\00:43:31.77
Spirit controls us.
00:43:31.81\00:43:35.48
So Elisha couldn't
make the spirit go,
00:43:35.51\00:43:37.88
unless Elijah was
willing to accept it.
00:43:37.91\00:43:42.78
So it wasn't hard on God,
00:43:42.82\00:43:45.09
wasn't hard on Elijah,
00:43:45.12\00:43:48.59
who was it hard on?
00:43:48.62\00:43:50.79
The recipient.
00:43:50.83\00:43:52.16
It was gonna be hard on Elisha.
00:43:54.93\00:43:58.77
You see, brothers and sisters,
00:43:58.80\00:44:00.14
sometimes you
ought to be careful
00:44:00.17\00:44:01.50
what you ask for.
00:44:01.54\00:44:02.87
If you ask for a double
portion of the Holy Spirit,
00:44:07.58\00:44:10.81
you are asking for
double accountability,
00:44:10.85\00:44:14.62
double responsibility,
00:44:14.65\00:44:17.59
double weight,
00:44:17.62\00:44:20.16
double watching,
00:44:20.19\00:44:22.52
double waiting,
00:44:22.56\00:44:24.89
and double working.
00:44:24.93\00:44:27.40
All of that comes with a double
portion of the Holy Spirit.
00:44:27.43\00:44:32.87
You don't get the spirit
to just say I got the spirit.
00:44:32.90\00:44:35.84
You get the spirit,
00:44:39.11\00:44:40.54
so that you can be
a more effective tool
00:44:40.58\00:44:43.78
in the hands of God
00:44:43.81\00:44:45.58
for the salvation
of the souls of men.
00:44:45.61\00:44:49.35
God expects more
of those who got more,
00:44:49.38\00:44:54.16
if God gives you more,
00:44:54.19\00:44:56.12
He's gonna require more.
00:44:56.16\00:44:59.03
So when you ask for a double
portion of the Holy Spirit,
00:44:59.06\00:45:02.70
you are covenanting with God,
00:45:02.73\00:45:05.27
I'm gonna work harder.
00:45:05.30\00:45:08.24
I'm gonna live
dare I say, writer.
00:45:08.27\00:45:13.64
I'm going to do more.
00:45:13.68\00:45:16.58
I am not going to waste
the Spirit of God in my life.
00:45:16.61\00:45:20.82
So with a double portion
comes double responsibility.
00:45:20.85\00:45:26.72
God's gonna judge
you a little harder,
00:45:26.76\00:45:28.29
you know, God's
gonna look at those of us
00:45:28.32\00:45:31.09
who claim to be
Seventh-day Adventist
00:45:31.13\00:45:32.53
with a little
finer tooth comb...
00:45:32.56\00:45:34.36
than those who are not
00:45:38.47\00:45:41.57
because you know more.
00:45:41.60\00:45:44.21
And when you know more,
00:45:44.24\00:45:45.87
you ought to be better.
00:45:45.91\00:45:48.04
Amen.
00:45:48.08\00:45:50.25
Used to aggravate my soul.
00:45:50.28\00:45:51.71
My mother always said to me,
00:45:51.75\00:45:53.08
your brother's younger than you,
00:45:53.11\00:45:54.45
he doesn't know
but you know better.
00:45:54.48\00:45:55.82
And that was her rationale
for taken off the bill,
00:45:58.62\00:46:00.69
you know, I'm going
through all those changes
00:46:00.72\00:46:02.19
we had to go through.
00:46:02.22\00:46:03.56
You're older you know more.
00:46:03.59\00:46:04.93
Well, you know more
because you got more.
00:46:04.96\00:46:09.76
Elisha proved long before
he got that double portion,
00:46:09.80\00:46:15.14
when he was out
there with those oxen
00:46:15.17\00:46:17.84
pulling that plough,
00:46:17.87\00:46:19.77
that he was humble,
00:46:19.81\00:46:21.78
and that he could be trusted
with the weight of having
00:46:21.81\00:46:25.05
a double portion
of the Spirit of God.
00:46:25.08\00:46:26.68
But listen to what
he said about Elijah.
00:46:30.59\00:46:33.66
"He upon whom had fallen
in full measure the spirit
00:46:33.69\00:46:36.79
resting upon Elijah,
00:46:36.83\00:46:38.16
had proved faithful to the end.
00:46:38.19\00:46:41.40
Never had he wavered.
00:46:41.43\00:46:43.00
Never had he lost his trust,
00:46:43.03\00:46:44.90
never had he lost
his power in omnipotence.
00:46:44.93\00:46:47.64
Always, when the way before
him seemed utterly closed,
00:46:47.67\00:46:51.11
he had still advanced by faith,
00:46:51.14\00:46:53.34
and God had
honored his confidence
00:46:53.38\00:46:55.68
and opened the way before him."
00:46:55.71\00:46:57.51
Elijah never lost
00:46:57.55\00:46:59.81
his faith in God.
00:46:59.85\00:47:04.65
Moses was a great man.
00:47:04.69\00:47:06.89
Elijah was a great man.
00:47:06.92\00:47:09.36
But Elisha,
00:47:09.39\00:47:11.19
a great man who made no retreat.
00:47:11.23\00:47:17.80
In 2 Kings 13:14...
00:47:17.83\00:47:20.17
we are given just a
glimpse into his later life.
00:47:23.34\00:47:26.37
Moses, great man, great leader,
00:47:30.78\00:47:33.38
one mistake, heaven.
00:47:33.42\00:47:36.08
Elijah, great man, great leader,
00:47:36.12\00:47:39.15
one mistake, heaven.
00:47:39.19\00:47:42.86
Elisha, great man, great leader,
00:47:42.89\00:47:46.13
no mistakes, heaven.
00:47:46.16\00:47:49.83
No.
00:47:49.86\00:47:51.20
The text that I just
alluded to says simply,
00:47:56.50\00:47:59.71
"He became sick of the illness
00:47:59.74\00:48:02.61
of which he eventually died."
00:48:02.64\00:48:05.61
We have to go to
the Spirit of Prophecy
00:48:05.65\00:48:06.98
to find out what
that actually means.
00:48:07.02\00:48:10.79
This great man of God
00:48:10.82\00:48:13.56
suffered a long
00:48:13.59\00:48:17.33
and protracted illness.
00:48:17.36\00:48:18.89
He wasn't whisked away to
heaven in a fiery chariot.
00:48:21.90\00:48:25.73
He wasn't
called to sleep quietly
00:48:25.77\00:48:27.10
and then escorted
to heaven as Moses was.
00:48:27.14\00:48:30.67
He suffered a lingering,
00:48:30.71\00:48:33.27
Ellen White says, death.
00:48:33.31\00:48:37.68
Now the question you
may ask yourself is why?
00:48:37.71\00:48:39.51
Why would God do that to him?
00:48:39.55\00:48:43.45
Moses made a big mistake.
00:48:43.49\00:48:46.79
He made it.
00:48:46.82\00:48:48.82
Elijah, let Jezebel,
00:48:48.86\00:48:52.39
turn his knees to jelly.
00:48:52.43\00:48:54.93
He made it.
00:48:54.96\00:48:56.87
Elisha never
lost his faith in God.
00:48:56.90\00:48:59.93
Why didn't he make it?
00:48:59.97\00:49:02.30
And why a long
00:49:02.34\00:49:05.44
suffering
illness before he died?
00:49:05.47\00:49:09.88
Now this is my thesis.
00:49:09.91\00:49:12.08
This is where we
step into out of command
00:49:12.11\00:49:16.18
and go into just being allowed
00:49:16.22\00:49:18.99
to say something
'cause it's on my heart.
00:49:19.02\00:49:22.89
It occurs to me,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:49:22.92\00:49:26.29
that in this last day,
00:49:26.33\00:49:30.83
there are going to be those
00:49:30.87\00:49:33.97
who are called
to suffer for Jesus.
00:49:34.00\00:49:37.57
And that call
will only come to those
00:49:40.94\00:49:45.45
who have enough
00:49:45.48\00:49:47.68
Holy Spirit
00:49:47.72\00:49:51.15
to hold on to Jesus
00:49:51.19\00:49:53.66
and glorify Him in suffering.
00:49:53.69\00:49:58.13
I want to say that again
00:49:58.16\00:50:00.00
because it's not something
that hits the air correct.
00:50:00.03\00:50:04.03
I think in these last days,
00:50:04.07\00:50:06.50
that there will be a very few
00:50:06.53\00:50:09.04
who God will trust
00:50:09.07\00:50:11.21
and I use that
term with suffering,
00:50:11.24\00:50:16.08
for their salvation,
00:50:16.11\00:50:18.08
and for His glory.
00:50:18.11\00:50:20.75
And God will give
to that faithful few,
00:50:20.78\00:50:24.22
the Holy Spirit in measure
00:50:24.25\00:50:27.22
to allow them to
glorify Him in suffering.
00:50:27.26\00:50:33.06
And if you look at the lives
00:50:33.09\00:50:34.90
of all the truly
great men in the Bible,
00:50:34.93\00:50:39.97
all of them had times
00:50:40.00\00:50:42.04
when their faith was
tested through suffering.
00:50:42.07\00:50:47.28
Elijah, we are told
was a type of Christ.
00:50:47.31\00:50:52.18
And he suffered as the Christ.
00:50:52.21\00:50:54.42
My very first hospital visit
00:50:57.85\00:51:00.92
at the Ephesus Church was a lady
00:51:00.96\00:51:02.29
by the name of Kathleen Downs.
00:51:02.32\00:51:05.23
She was in Calvary
Hospital in the Bronx, New York.
00:51:05.26\00:51:08.53
She's 5'6" about 140 pounds
00:51:08.56\00:51:11.53
when she went into the hospital.
00:51:11.57\00:51:12.90
By the time I got to see
her, she was 5'6", 87 pounds.
00:51:12.93\00:51:17.37
Dying with cancer.
00:51:20.44\00:51:22.74
Her doctor told me this
woman is in excruciating pain.
00:51:22.78\00:51:28.18
But she refuses
to take medication.
00:51:28.22\00:51:31.59
And she spends her
days singing about Jesus.
00:51:31.62\00:51:36.39
She was the talk of
the entire hospital.
00:51:36.42\00:51:40.50
At her funeral,
00:51:40.53\00:51:43.26
the entire floor
except for the nurse
00:51:43.30\00:51:46.40
that had to be on
station came to that funeral.
00:51:46.43\00:51:50.67
They said we've never
met a woman like that.
00:51:50.71\00:51:55.31
And we have to be in the church
00:51:55.34\00:51:57.95
that teaches whatever she's got
00:51:57.98\00:52:01.22
'cause she has got
something that we want.
00:52:01.25\00:52:06.96
My first three baptisms
00:52:06.99\00:52:10.23
at the Ephesus
Church were two nurses,
00:52:10.26\00:52:15.16
and an orderly that had
attended Kathleen Downs.
00:52:15.20\00:52:20.14
Now here's my point,
00:52:20.17\00:52:21.70
could they have
been brought to God
00:52:21.74\00:52:23.51
without her being sick?
00:52:23.54\00:52:25.37
Of course, they could.
00:52:25.41\00:52:27.64
But she was sick.
00:52:27.68\00:52:29.58
And she did have a
relationship with God.
00:52:29.61\00:52:31.88
And God use that circumstance
to bring three people to Jesus,
00:52:31.91\00:52:37.35
who may not have come otherwise.
00:52:37.39\00:52:40.62
And I am saying
there are certain people
00:52:40.66\00:52:43.16
who God can
trust with suffering.
00:52:43.19\00:52:48.26
God can't trust
everybody with suffering
00:52:48.30\00:52:51.23
because some of
you when you suffer,
00:52:51.27\00:52:52.83
you gonna curse God.
00:52:52.87\00:52:54.20
And some will bless God
00:52:57.31\00:52:59.71
and will say,
"Though He slay me,
00:52:59.74\00:53:03.91
yet will I trust Him."
00:53:03.95\00:53:06.25
Not an easy thing.
00:53:09.58\00:53:12.42
But with great gifts
come great responsibility.
00:53:12.45\00:53:16.12
If you want a double
portion of the spirit,
00:53:16.16\00:53:17.56
then you better be ready
and able to suffer for God.
00:53:17.59\00:53:23.03
Because the day you
give your heart to Jesus,
00:53:23.06\00:53:24.47
you gonna pick up one enemy.
00:53:24.50\00:53:27.44
And he's gonna stay
with you to the day you die.
00:53:27.47\00:53:30.57
You know, Ellen White,
and my time is running out.
00:53:30.61\00:53:33.17
I'm in Testimonies, volume 1.
00:53:36.21\00:53:37.88
And if you get a
chance, you need to read this.
00:53:37.91\00:53:39.25
This is very interesting.
00:53:39.28\00:53:40.98
When the Lord gave her mission,
00:53:41.02\00:53:43.15
and said, "You're
gonna stand before kings,
00:53:43.18\00:53:44.95
you're gonna be the leader
00:53:44.99\00:53:46.59
of one of the
co-founders of a movement
00:53:46.62\00:53:49.06
that is gonna usher in
the Second Coming of Christ."
00:53:49.09\00:53:51.39
And she said,
00:53:51.43\00:53:52.76
"One of the great
fears I'm in Testimonies,
00:53:52.79\00:53:54.83
first volume,
Testimonies, pages 64 and 65.
00:53:54.86\00:53:59.03
"One of the great
fears that oppressed me was
00:53:59.07\00:54:02.34
that if I obeyed
the call of duty,
00:54:02.37\00:54:04.37
and went out declaring
myself as one favored of God,
00:54:04.41\00:54:08.51
one favored of the
Most High with visions
00:54:08.54\00:54:10.88
and revelations for the people,
00:54:10.91\00:54:12.68
I might yield to sinful,
00:54:12.71\00:54:14.65
to the sin of exaltation
00:54:14.68\00:54:17.12
and be lifted
above the station."
00:54:17.15\00:54:19.72
Bet she's saying,
00:54:19.75\00:54:21.09
"My fear was
00:54:21.12\00:54:22.46
that I'm gonna get
big headed and proud."
00:54:22.49\00:54:25.79
"I now entreated
that if I must go
00:54:25.83\00:54:28.80
and relate what
the Lord had shown me,
00:54:28.83\00:54:31.57
I should be preserved
from undue exaltation."
00:54:31.60\00:54:36.27
Lord, I don't
wanna be puffed up.
00:54:36.30\00:54:38.74
I don't wanna get a big head on.
00:54:38.77\00:54:40.94
Think a lot of myself, Lord,
you got to keep me from this.
00:54:40.98\00:54:44.61
"Said the angel,
00:54:44.65\00:54:47.22
'Your prayers are heard
00:54:47.25\00:54:49.58
and shall be answered.
00:54:49.62\00:54:51.65
If this evil that
you dread threatens you,
00:54:51.69\00:54:56.69
the hand of God will be
stretched out to save you,
00:54:56.73\00:55:02.80
by affliction."
00:55:02.83\00:55:05.03
Did you hear me?
00:55:05.07\00:55:06.63
"The hand of God
will be stretched out
00:55:06.67\00:55:08.97
to save you by affliction,
00:55:09.00\00:55:12.01
He will draw Himself,
00:55:12.04\00:55:15.04
He will draw you
rather to Himself
00:55:15.08\00:55:17.51
and preserve your humility.
00:55:17.55\00:55:22.08
Deliver the message faithfully.
00:55:22.12\00:55:23.92
Endure unto the end,
00:55:23.95\00:55:25.49
and you shall eat the
fruit of the tree of life
00:55:25.52\00:55:28.59
and drink the water of life.'"
00:55:28.62\00:55:31.69
So it was affliction.
00:55:31.73\00:55:34.16
Ellen White said, "Lord,
I don't wanna get puffed up.
00:55:34.20\00:55:37.00
How we gonna keep me humble?"
00:55:37.03\00:55:38.93
And God said,
"I'll take care of that.
00:55:38.97\00:55:43.74
I'll keep you humble."
00:55:43.77\00:55:45.11
If you look at her malady
00:55:45.14\00:55:46.47
she was hit in
the face with a rock.
00:55:46.51\00:55:49.58
And if you look at the maladies
00:55:49.61\00:55:51.58
that are crude
from that one hit,
00:55:51.61\00:55:53.42
its way above
00:55:53.45\00:55:54.78
what a little pop
in the nose with a rock
00:55:54.82\00:55:56.69
when she came home.
00:55:56.72\00:55:58.05
When her dad came
home two months later,
00:55:58.09\00:55:59.79
he didn't even recognize her.
00:55:59.82\00:56:01.26
She said, "Every
feature had been changed."
00:56:01.29\00:56:03.86
Her own father
didn't recognize her.
00:56:03.89\00:56:05.56
And throughout her
life, there were times
00:56:05.59\00:56:07.30
that Ellen White could not
move her body totally frozen,
00:56:07.33\00:56:09.83
except for her fingers.
00:56:09.86\00:56:11.20
They alone could move so
she could write the Word of God.
00:56:11.23\00:56:13.74
There were times for
weeks, she couldn't talk.
00:56:13.77\00:56:15.87
She stood in the pulpit
00:56:15.90\00:56:17.24
God gave her clarity of
speech as she left the death.
00:56:17.27\00:56:21.71
Couldn't speak anymore.
00:56:21.74\00:56:24.55
God said, "Don't worry about it.
00:56:24.58\00:56:26.35
I'm gonna keep you
humble through affliction."
00:56:26.38\00:56:30.75
You see, there
are only certain ones
00:56:30.79\00:56:32.12
who God can
trust with suffering.
00:56:32.15\00:56:35.29
So that He can get the glory.
00:56:35.32\00:56:37.13
Now that say God commends
you to a life of suffering.
00:56:37.16\00:56:39.53
I don't think so.
00:56:39.56\00:56:42.16
I think it does say
00:56:42.20\00:56:43.83
and affirm what Paul said.
00:56:43.87\00:56:47.77
In every condition,
00:56:47.80\00:56:50.04
stick with Christ,
00:56:50.07\00:56:51.67
be content,
00:56:51.71\00:56:54.01
know that the
Lord is your helper,
00:56:54.04\00:56:56.51
man cannot hurt you,
00:56:56.54\00:56:58.35
and you'll never ever be alone.
00:56:58.38\00:57:03.05
Elisha is worth emulating
00:57:03.08\00:57:04.92
because he never
lost his faith in God
00:57:04.95\00:57:07.16
may that be said of
each of us this day.
00:57:07.19\00:57:09.39