Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Elisha has a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah who has been taken into heaven by a whirlwind!
II Kings 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
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Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church today:
I Corinthians 12:4-11 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
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I Corinthians 14:27-30 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And God hath set some in the church (to care for the church), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
Paul is showing us that "some" in the church have these gifts by the will of God. We don't develop and learn, as humans learn to be an English or history teacher. These are spiritual gifts given by God to individuals for the purpose of benefiting the church, given by the will of God to whom God wills.
God shows us how we are to operate in the gifts which HE appoints us, but we can't make these things happen because we want to do such. They are gifts from God.
In the Old Testament, the prophet frequently performed miracles, but not of themselves.
In the New Testament, all who are born again are given the Holy Spirit, but God set up the ministry offices of God, and gave spiritual gifts to individuals according to HIS own will to help the church.
While Elijah did miracles, John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah but performed no miracles. (John 10:41) Yet Jesus said of John there was none greater among men than John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:11)
The body of Christ is made up of many individuals doing different functions, likened to the human body. The eye is not the hand yet both do important things for the body. So it is with the body of Christ. The individuals function as parts belonging to a whole. To one is given the gift of prophecy. To another the discerning of spirits. Both are needful to the body of Christ. And as we do that part to which we have been assigned by God, the body functions properly as the church.
No one person does it all that I know of.
If we do that which God calls us to do that is enough!
So when we read about these various miracles which are done by Elisha, we should never feel intimidated or think that we do not do enough.
I'm certain if the time came that God needed one of us to do these things, God would enable us to do such.
Here are the miracles God performed through HIS prophet, Elisha.
No one person does it all that I know of.
If we do that which God calls us to do that is enough!
So when we read about these various miracles which are done by Elisha, we should never feel intimidated or think that we do not do enough.
I'm certain if the time came that God needed one of us to do these things, God would enable us to do such.
Here are the miracles God performed through HIS prophet, Elisha.
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* Miracle # 1: Parting of the river Jordan
II Kings 2:13-14 He (Elisha) took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
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* Miracle #2: Healing of the waters
And he (Elisha) said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
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* Miracle #3: Dealing with the mocking children
And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
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* Miracle # 4: Water for the men and their cattle ... and dealing with the Moabites:
II Kings 3:1-10 Now Jehoram (king of Israel) the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father (king Ahab), and like his mother (Jezebel): for he (Jehoram) put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
Nevertheless he (Jehoram) cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?
And he (Jehoshaphat king of Judah) said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
16 And he (Elisha) said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father (king Ahab), and like his mother (Jezebel): for he (Jehoram) put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
Nevertheless he (Jehoram) cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?
And he (Jehoshaphat king of Judah) said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
But Jehoshaphat (king of Judah) said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?
Remember how Jehoshaphat asked the same thing of Ahab, when Ahab was king of Israel. Jehoshaphat asked Ahab, "Isn't there a prophet of the Lord?" Ahab had all these false prophets of other gods around him prophesing and Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from God. Ahab replied: "There is one, but he never speaks good of me. I hate him." Jehoshaphat said, "Say it not so."
In those days, they, who were of God, went to the prophet of God to see what God would have them do. Jehoshaphat was one of those kings who did right in the sight of God. In those kings, of those days, of Israel and Judah, there were only 2 kings who did right in the sight of God, Asa and Jehoshaphat the son of Asa did right in the sight of God. All the other kings were evil.
II Kings 3:11-12 And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him (to the prophet of God, Elisha).
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II Kings 3:13-14 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.
And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
Elisha knew well of the sins of Ahab and Jezebel ... and of the sins of their son who is now king of Israel.
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But for the sake of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, Elisha takes actions.
II Kings 3:15-19 Elisha the prophet of God says: But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
(Many times this happened to me. During their singing of songs in the Bible class at church, God would give me words of knowledge which I would later deliver to the Bible class. The teacher would always say, "Does anyone have a word from the Lord?" and then I would speak what I had heard from God ... But at the 11 o'clock service at church, pastor never asked this, so no opportunity was made at that service to give a word from God, so I never received one at that service.)
16 And he (Elisha) said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: HE will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
II Kings 3:20-27 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: HE will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
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II Kings 3:20-27 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
(But they saw incorrectly!)
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.
And they (Israel & Judah) beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.
And they (Israel & Judah) beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men (700) that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.
(You can try something, but unless it is of God, it may fail.)
Then he (the king of Moab) took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall.
And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
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