* Elisha takes up the mantle of Elijah, doing the work of prophet of God.

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Elisha is ordained by God to do the work of a prophet of God.

When God removed the prophet Elijah, he asked Elisha what he could do for him.

Elisha answers:  "I pray thee.  Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me."

After Elijah was taken into heaven by God in a whirlwind, Elisha wrapped himself in the mantle of Elijah and began immediately to perform miracles.  

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

Immediately there was another confirmation:

When Elisha met the group of prophets, they said:  The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.  II Kings 2:15

When we have a call of God on our lives in the New Testament church, other church people recognize that call of God by the gifts of the Holy Spirit which God gives us to enable us to fulfill the assignment given us by God.

Proverbs 18:16   A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

Ministries in the New Testament church today:

After Jesus arose, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, HE gave to the church the following ministries:

Ephesians 4:11-12   And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;   For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The gifts of the Holy Spirit begin to surface through us in prayer groups or Bible classes and the church confirms those gifts as those gifts operate in us, so we are recognized by all.

I've had the gifts of the Holy Spirit function even in such places as the Church of Christ.

A few years ago, I visited a small Church of Christ group.  It was the Sunday school class.  The pastor (whom they call minister) asked the following: "Did Noah really condemn the world?"

I spoke up immediately, answering his question.

I replied, "Yes ... Noah condemned the world because Noah obeyed God and the others did not."

Everyone was shocked at what I said.  And after I spoke no one wanted anything to do with me.

Hebrews 7:11    By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

All I did was to quote Bible to them.

***

The surfacing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit:

Shortly after I was born again in 1975, I attended a prayer group that met in a neighbor's home.

One day as the women were praying, I heard, "Look up!"

When I looked, I could see the outline of a body part on the solid wall.  I told God I knew that was some part of the body.  The following gentle thought came into my mind.  "Stomach."

I became very excited, remembering the TV commercials showing the shape of a stomach on Pepto Bismol commercials and I said to God:  "That's it!  Stomach!"

After the women quit praying, I asked, "Is someone having a stomach problem?"

One woman excitedly said, "I am!"

I'm sure everyone would have begun praying for this woman, but all I could focus on at that time is what God was teaching me.

After that, I frequently had a word of knowledge when I attended Bible class or prayer group or even in places where I would be with one or two people.

I had a friend who had the disease ALS.  David had become totally paralyzed.   One day I was given an open vision of David.  I saw him on the golf course.  He was jumping up and down excitedly and waving his arms, signaling for the rest of us to come on and join him.  He was very happy.

A few days later, a friend from David's church group was visiting me.  Of course they had been praying for David to be healed as had I also been praying, before having this vision.

Clay said, "Don't you think this means David will be healed?"

I replied, "David is dying.  But he is okay spiritually."

(God had given me a word of knowledge concerning David.  He died shortly after that vision, but I could rejoice for I also believed David was all right spiritually.  And that is what really matters.)

I sent a written copy of this vision to David's wife and to his two teenaged children,  and  I asked her to have it read at David's funeral for the purpose of comforting and assuring others in the congregation.

***

Spiritual gift of "word of knowledge" and other gifts of the Holy Spirit:

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.

***

Church people often said to me they knew the hand of God was upon me.

They could see this by that which I said and by that which I did when I was among them, as I shared that which God showed me.

I also had a gift of exhortation, whereby I warned the church and brought godly concepts.

spiritual gift of exhortation:  

Romans 12:5-8    So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

***

God began teaching me the work of a prophet of God by taking me to the Old Testament and by having me focus on these many examples of the prophets.

And I also saw there were New Testament prophets by the Bible examples of Agabus, a prophet, and I saw that Paul often traveled with a prophet, Silas.  (Acts 11, 10, and 15:40)

At church, one Sunday morning, our pastor said before all:  "Joan is not called to be a teacher.  She is a prophetess."

And God also revealed to me that I am called as "an apostle".  I was very shocked when I had this word was given to me for I had no idea what an apostle did today in the NT church.

I never told anyone at church that I was called to this office.  I really never mentioned the prophet office either, although many at our church group recognized this calling in me.

I just went about doing the work.

In season, apple trees produce apples.  Therefore we call them apple trees.

Apostles deal with scripture and church doctrine.

I do this constantly as I speak about divorce and remarriage and other doctrines of the Bible, many of which have been removed by today's churches.

Something else happened to me shortly after I was born again:  I was asleep in the night.  I was transported into heaven where I was with God, with Christ and with the Holy Spirit.  (no images just spirit)  At that time I was "merged" into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, while God and the Holy Spirit witnessed.

A few nights later, the exact same thing happened a second time.

I believe I was ordained by God then into the two ministry offices to which I am called:  apostle/prophet

***

So if you are called to a ministry office, just do the work the way God shows you.

(We should never try to copy anyone else.  Just trust God.  If God has called you, HE will also teach you and raise you up to do the work for which HE has called you.)

In my case, God put me in public view of the churches the following way.

On January 10, 1982, I was asleep in the night when I very loud trumpet-like voice sounded three words in my ear:  "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS"

I jumped out of bed and wrote "KWJS" on a note pad.  I found it to be call letters to a radio station.  I asked God:  

"Are YOU showing me to go on radio?  I wouldn't know how to do that.  I'm a writer, not a speaker."

A very gentle thought came to my mind after I said this.  I heard:  "Call the radio station manager."

I did this that same morning, calling KWJS.  I told the manager that God might be showing me to go on radio and I asked the station manager, "How would you do that?"

He told me to make an audition tape, 29 1/2 minutes long, and send it to them and if I fit their broadcasting they would offer me a contract.

I recorded a tape that same day and mailed it to the radio station.

Within less than 5 days, I was broadcasting exhortations for the church on radio station KWJS.

God makes a way and tells us what that way is.  All we have to do is take the steps.

***

II Kings 3:1-12   Now Jehoram 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 (Ahab), and like his mother (Jezebel): for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.  Nevertheless he 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)
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 said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?  

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.

***

In the New Testament church:  All who are born again have the Holy Spirit of God so we no longer go to a prophet or another person to learn the will of God.  We go directly to God, asking HIS will for us.

And we have this promise of God:

James 1:5   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

***

Elisha knew the great evil of Ahab, and Jezebel, and the evil of their son, Jehoram, who is king of Israel now in the place of his father Ahab. 

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.

***

So for the sake of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, the prophet Elisha agrees to see them.

II Kings 2:15-19    But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him (upon the prophet Elisha). 

I found this same thing in my life.  During the singing of songs by the Sunday school class, I would often receive multiple word-of-knowledge truths from God. 

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. 

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.

***

The king of Moah misjudges the situation: 

II Kings 3:20-23    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 that was not the case.

***

II Kings 3:24-27   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 (Isarel and 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 that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.

Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall.  (a tough religion!)   And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. 

*****