Podcast: Elijah removed by God from this earth and Elisha takes up the work of a prophet of God

 

 

 

God sent Elijah the prophet to call Elisha to the work of a prophet.

I Kings 19

15 And the LORD said unto him (to Elijah), Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

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

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

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

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

💥💥💥

II Kings 2

1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he (Elisha) said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two (Elijah & Elisha) stood by Jordan.

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

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.

10 And he (Elijah) said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

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

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.

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

So Elisha performs even more miracles than Elijah did on this earth.

But all works done are authored by God.

💥💥💥

Works of Elisha the prophet of God:  

* Parting of the waters  (II Kings 2:14)

* Healing the waters  (II Kings 2:19-22)

* Children who mocked Elisha  (II Kings 2:23-24)

* Creation of waters for the armies of Israel who go to battle against Moab  (II Kings 3:6-20)

* Saving the wife and 2 sons from bondage due to debt  (II Kings 4:1-7)

* Shunammite woman given a son  (II Kings 4:8-17)

* Raising from dead the son of Shunammite woman  (II Kings 4:18-36)

* Poison in the cooking pot.  Healing of the food.  (II Kings 4:38-41)

* Multiplying of the bread  (II Kings 4:42-44)

* Naaman healed from leprosy  (II Kings 5:1-27)

* Retrieving the axe head from the waters (II Kings 6:1-7)

* Elisha tells king of Israel plans of warring king of Syria  (II Kings 6:8-12)

* Opens the eyes of his servant to see angels & chariots of God  (II Kings 6:13-17)

* Smite the enemy with blindness (II Kings 6:18-23)

* Saved from famine  (II Kings 6:24-II Kings 7:20)

* Woman sent from appointed famine  (II Kings 8:1-6)

* Benhadad king of Syria falls ill and calls on Elisha  (II Kings 8:7-10)

* Hazael to replace Benhadad  (II Kings 8:11-15)

* Jehu anointed king of Israel so he can destroy the house of Ahab  (II Kings 9)

💥💥💥💥💥

 

Hymn: Praise Him, Praise Him, Jesus our blessed redeemer

(Click forward arrow > to play music:)


1.  Praise Him! praise Him! 
Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!

Sing, ye saints! His wonderful love proclaim!

Hail Him! hail Him! mightiest angels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy name!

Like a shepherd, Jesus will feed His people,
In His WORD He carries them all day long;

O ye saints that live in the light of His presence,
Praise Him! praise Him! 
ever in joyful song!

2.  Praise Him! praise Him! 
Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,

For our sins He suffered and bled and died;

He, our Rock, our Hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! 
Jesus, the Crucified;

Loving Savior, meekly enduring sorrow,
Crowned with thorns that cruelly pierced His brow;
Once for us rejected, despised, and forsaken,
Prince of Glory, ever triumphant now.

3.   Praise Him! praise Him! 
Jesus, our blessed Redeemer,

Heavenly portals, loud with hosannahs ring!
(portal:  doorway, way in, way out)

Jesus, Savior, reigneth for ever and ever;
Crown Him! crown Him! 
Prophet and Priest and King!

Death is vanquished! 
Tell it with joy, ye faithful,
Where is now thy victory, boasting grave?

Jesus lives! 
No longer thy portals are cheerless;
Jesus lives, the mighty and strong to save.


(Click pause symbol,  "  ... at beginning of hymn, to stop music)

*****

Scripture pertaining to this hymn:

Romans 5:5-9     the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth HIS love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

(We didn't shed our blood for our sins, but Jesus shed His blood to pay for our sins ... without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins  Hebrews 9:22 ... we cannot hope to pay for our sins and our wrong actions by our good works ... only by shed blood are we redeemed from sin and cleansed)

***


Revelation 5:1-14   And I saw in the right hand of HIM that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And HE came and took the book out of the right hand of HIM that sat upon the throne.

And when HE had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, THOU art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for THOU wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by THY blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto HIM that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped HIM that liveth for ever and ever.


***

Luke 24:1-8   Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

(The dead human body decays and stinks. They brought spices to cover the odor of death. But God was not going to suffer the body of Jesus to see corruption as other flesh sees corruption.)


And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.


And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

HE is not here, but is risen: remember how HE spake unto you when HE was yet in Galilee,

Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered HIS words,

*****

Podcast: John the Baptist was sent in the spirit of Elijah but John performed no miracles so he didn't look like Elijah to the people

 

 

 

Malachi 4:5-6  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Jesus shows this Elijah the prophet was John the Baptist who came as a prophet of God:

John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah and prepared the people for the coming of Jesus.

💥💥💥

Matthew 17

10 And HIS (Jesus') disciples asked HIM, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

13 Then the disciples understood that HE spake unto them of John the Baptist.

💥💥💥

John the Baptist didn't look like Elijah for John performed no miracles.

Elijah the prophet performed great miracles:

When Elijah was sent to Zarephath, he pronounced to the widow woman that the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil would not fail during the famine ... and he raised her son from the dead.

I Kings 17  (concerning Elijah)

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

Elijah caused the widow's son to be raised from the dead.

17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

💥💥💥

John the Baptist didn't look like Elijah. 

John 10:41  And many resorted unto HIM (to Jesus), and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man (Jesus) were true.

Luke 7  (Jesus speaks of John the Baptist)

24 And when the messengers of John were departed, HE (Jesus) began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send MY messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before THEE.

28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

💥💥💥

John the Baptist came speaking words such as these to get the people ready for the coming of Jesus.

Luke 3

3 And he  (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make HIS paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: HE shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

17 Whose fan is in HIS hand, and HE will throughly purge HIS floor, and will gather the wheat into HIS garner; but the chaff HE will burn with fire unquenchable.

18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

John preached:  Make yourselves ready for the coming of the Lord.

Clean up your lives.  Do that which is right in the sight of God concerning the issues of this life.

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

💥💥💥💥💥

Hymn: On Christ the solid Rock I stand

(Click forward arrow > to play music:)


  1.  My hope is built on nothing less 
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Chorus:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. 

2.  When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

3.   His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

4.  When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.


(Click pause symbol,  "  ... at beginning of hymn, to stop music)

***** 

Scripture pertaining to this hymn:

v. 1   But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Jesus' name:  the  Word of God ... I wholly lean on that Word given me by God ... That Word which comes down to me from heaven pertaining to the issue with which I am currently dealing.

***

v.2   I rest on His unchanging grace;

Every morning there is light from the sun.  This is unchanging until the end of this present world.

Genesis 8:22   While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

***

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,  

 

Christ, the solid Rock, is the WORD that is revealed by God to us in the issue at hand. 

 

Jesus says: 

 

Matthew 7:24-27   whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 

 

And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

 

 
Jesus says: 

 

John 14:6   I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME.

The WORD given us by the Holy Spirit is the way to go.  The WORD is truth and life.  The WORD is Jesus.

John 1:1-4   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him (The Word); and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him (The Word) was life; and the life (The Word) was the light  of men. 


***

John 6:33    For the bread of God is HE which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

³⁵  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to ME shall never hunger; and he that believeth on ME shall never thirst.

⁴⁸  I am that bread of life.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is MY flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.

We eat the flesh of Jesus and drink HIS blood as we live in the Word of God given to us by the Holy Spirit and as we do those things instructed in the Bible.  The Word is the Lord's supper.

54 Whoso eateth MY flesh, and drinketh MY blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 

55 For MY flesh is meat indeed, and MY blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth MY flesh, and drinketh MY blood, dwelleth in ME, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent ME, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth ME, even he shall live by ME.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

***

John 1:14   And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld HIS glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

*****

A few of many things THE WORD says to us, the children of God:

* I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  (Joshua 1:5 & Hebrews 13:5)

The Word spoken to our minds by Jesus' Holy Spirit will always come to pass.

* No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.  (Isaiah 54:17)

* Jesus, The Word says ... lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  (Matthew 28:20)

* my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (THE WORD). (Philippians 4:19)

* 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.  (James 1:5)

* Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  (James 1:17)

*****

Matthew 16:13-18  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build MY church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Peter was blessed because God revealed The Word to him. The Word revealed by God by HIS Spirit to us is the rock. The gates of hell will not prevail against that Word revealed to us by God.


***

v. 4  When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18    But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

***

The apostle Peter tells us how to live and how to be found  "in HIM" when HE comes.

II Peter 3:10-14    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

Nevertheless we, according to HIS promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

The only way we can live continually "in peace, without spot, and blameless", is to pray over every issue that touches our lives this day and every day, one problem at a time.  And to be cleansed by God that day by hearing what God would bring to us in the trouble.

***

Our trust must be at all times in the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sins.

Hebrews 9:22  without shedding of blood is no remission.

God showed it to me this way:

I have shed no blood to pay for my sins. Jesus shed HIS blood to pay for my sins. Therefore my sins are paid for by Jesus' blood.

When thoughts of sins I did in past come to my mind, I must refuse to dwell on them. Instead I must reflect on the truth that all those past sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus. There is nothing I can do of myself to make up for past acts which I now regret. I must trust my salvation in all things to have been bought by the blood of Jesus. I must keep myself in this truth at all times. 

*****

Podcast: Prophets of God given in both the Old and New Testaments

 

 

 

Prophets of God are always sent to the people of God, not to the world.

God said to Ezekiel:  

Ezekiel 3

And HE (God) said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with MY words unto them.

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto ME: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

10 Moreover HE said unto me, Son of man, all MY words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

💥💥💥

The New Testament church:  prophets of God

Ephesians 4  (From heaven, Jesus places prophets in today's church)    8 When HE (Jesus) ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

11-12  And HE 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:

Acts 11:27-29  And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.  And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

Acts 15:32  And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

I Corinthians 12:28   And God hath set some in the church (to care for the NT church), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

I Corinthians 14:29  (Concerning the gathering of the NT church, the apostle Paul instructs)  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

Acts 13:11  Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

💥💥💥

A primary work of prophets is the delivering of messages from God to the ministers and to the congregation and to individuals in the congregations.  Often these concern sins that are being committed.  Sometimes the prophet will bring a judgment from God concerning the sin.

John the Baptist carries a message to Herod:

Matthew 14:3-4  For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.  For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.  (message concerning adultery)

💥💥💥

Elijah sent to king Ahab with judgments from God against both Ahab and Jezebel, Ahab's wife:

I Kings 21:17-19  And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,  Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.  And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

21-23  Behold, I will bring evil upon thee (God says to Ahab), and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,  And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked ME to anger, and made Israel to sin.

23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

💥💥💥

II Kings 1  (God sends Elijah the prophet to deliver a message to king Ahaziah of Israel)

1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 

And Elijah departed.

17 So he (Ahaziah) died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.

💥💥💥

In 1982, God said to me:  "The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God."

A few days after this, God called my attention to specific sins being committed by several "big time" radio/TV preachers and I had to get messages to them as a prophet of God.

The story of some of these are recorded on this Podcast.

💥💥💥💥💥

Hymn: I'm pressing on the upward way

(Click forward arrow > to play music:)


1.  I’m pressing on the upward way, 
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Chorus:

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand

By faith on Heaven's tableland;

A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.


2.  My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground. 

3.  I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

4.   I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till rest I’ve found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground.


(Click pause symbol,  "  ... at beginning of hymn, to stop music)

*****

Scripture pertaining to this hymn:

v. 3.  I want to live above the world,

Matthew 7:24-27    Jesus says    whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

We live above the world by doing that Word given us by God by HIS Spirit.  We press on to higher ground each time we hear the Word of God and do the Word of God.  We build our house on the Word of God by doing the Word of God and when we live that way, our house will never fall!

And we are recreated in the image of Christ each time we do the Word of God.

***

v. 4   But still I’ll pray till rest I’ve found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground. 

James 4:7   Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Pray:  Pour your heart out to God if anything concerns you.

Then use that scripture or concept to build yourself in the faith, thereby resisting the thoughts sent by the devil with that which God has brought to your attention by His Spirit.

Keep focused on that which God has given you in the matter at hand and every time a memory comes that would pull  you  down, make your mind return to thinking about that which God has given you in the issue. 

II Corinthians 10:3-5    For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

  

*****

Podcast: Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, does good in the sight of God

 

 

 

I Kings 22

41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

46 And the remnant of the sodomites (homosexuals), which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

💥💥💥

God had said the following concerning the sodomites:

Deuteronomy 23:17  There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

The kings who removed the sodomites and would not allow them to live with the children of Israel did right in the sight of God.

I Kings 22:46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

I Kings 15:12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

II Kings 23:7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

I Kings 14:24  And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

💥💥💥

Genesis 19

1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot (Abraham's nephew) sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

(Angels do not have wings.  They look like regular men.)

2 And he (Lot) said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:  

(Men came from every part of the city of Sodom to have sex with the two men who were angels but not known as being angels.)

5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.  (have sex with them)

6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

10 But the men (the angels) put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

(Angels have great power.)

12 And the men (the angels) said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

💥💥💥

Jesus says:  

Luke 17

28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

💥💥💥

New Testament Bible: Concerning homosexuals and lesbians:

Romans 1

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Before the return of Jesus, homosexuals will be "in every quarter" of the land as in the days of Lot in Sodom.  

One of the signs of the end times, and the return of Jesus, is  homosexuals throughout the land.

💥💥💥

II Chronicles 17

3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;

4 But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in HIS commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

5 Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.

6 And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

10 And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

💥💥💥💥💥

Podcast: Jehosphat: Continued ...

 

 

 

But Jehoshaphat joined Ahab in battle:

II Chronicles 19

And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

(James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.)

3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers.

5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.

9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

10 And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the LORD, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass.

11 ... also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD shall be with the good.

💥💥💥

II Chronicles 20

1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

(I John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.)

(New Testament Church:  Jesus says:  John 4:21;23-24   Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.)

10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of THY possession, which THOU hast given us to inherit.

12 O our God, wilt THOU not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon THEE.

13 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

💥💥💥

14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, 

Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

💥💥💥

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; 

Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe HIS prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for HIS mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

(But God caused the enemy armies to turn on each other and kill each other.)

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

(So Judah did not have to fight in this battle as God had spoken to them before hand ... for the enemy armies killed each other.)

25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

💥💥💥

God had warned Jehoshaphat not to join himself to the wicked but he returned to this sin again and joined himself to wicked Ahaziah king of Israel, "who did very wickedly."  (II Chronicles 20:35)

Then Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying: 

"Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish."

💥💥💥

If we join ourselves to those persons who do wrong in the sight of God: homosexuals, adulterers, extortioners, railers, covetous and such, we will not prosper and we cannot please God when we take the side of those who hate the Word of God and God HIMSELF.

Concerning homosexuals and lesbians:

Romans 1

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Concerning adulterers:

Matthew 5:32  Jesus said:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

- If the divorced woman remarries, she commits adultery.

- The husband who divorced a faithful wife will be the cause of her adultery.

- The man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

Mark 10  Jesus says:

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Romans 7

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

💥💥💥

Paul says those who continue in sins will not inherit the kingdom of God:

I Corinthians 6

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

💥💥💥💥💥