February/06/ 2022
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Part 5
Small things Big Difference
2 Kings 5:1 “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a GREAT MAN in the sight of his master and HIGHLY REGARDED, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a VALIANT SOLDIER, BUT he had leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:2 “A YOUNG GIRL from Israel…who served Naaman’s wife. 3 said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:9 "So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
2 Kings 5:11-13 “But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not… the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some GREAT THING, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”
Two things from the story today...
1. What looks BIG can become SMALL if we BELIEVE.
Matthew 17:20 “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
James 2:17 “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
2. What seems SMALL can become BIG if we OBEY.
2 Kings 5:11 “I thought he would come and stand and wave his hand…”
2 Kings 5:13 “Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you,Wash and be cleansed!
January/30/ 2022
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Death In the Pot
Part 4
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
2 Kings 4:38-41 “Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40 The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life”
4 things that tend to poison our hearts.
1. UNFULFILLED expectations.
Proverbs 13:12 “HOPE DEFERRED makes the HEART SICK, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
2. UNTREATED pain.
Jeremiah 6:14 “They dress the wound of my people AS THOUGH IT WERE NOT SERIOUS. ʻPeace, peace,ʼ they say, when there is no peace.”
3. UNRESOLVED conflict.
Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin: DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN WHILE YOU ARE STILL ANGRY, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
4. UNREPENTED sin.
Psalm 32:3-4 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah”
2 Kings 4:40 ““Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 Elisha said, “GET SOME FLOUR” HE PUT IT IN THE POT and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.”
So how do we find healing?
1. Unmet expectations can poison our hearts, but JESUS NEVER DISAPPOINTS
Romans 10:11 GNT “Whoever believes in him WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
2. Untreated pain can poison our hearts but JESUS IS OUR HEALER
Psalm 147:3 speaking of Jesus says “He HEALS THE BROKENHEARTED and binds up their wounds”
3. Unresolved conflict can poison our hearts but JESUS IS OUR PEACE
Ephesians 2:14 “For he himself is OUR PEACE, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,”
4. Unrepented sins can poison our hearts but JESUS IS OUR FORGIVENESS
Romans 3:22-26 NLT “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness”
January/16/ 2022
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Part 2
MORE in STORE
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
2 Kings 4:8 (NLT) “One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.”
2 Kings 4:9-10 (NKJV) “And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”
1. MORE is not an ADDITION
Romans 6:13b (NLT) "Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God."
2 Kings 4:11-16 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, 13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’” “No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.” 14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.” 15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
2 Kings 4:16b "do not get my hopes up like that."
2. MORE sometimes brings COMPLICATIONS
2 Kings 4:17 "But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant, and that time the following year she had a son."
2 Kings 4:18-20 “One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. 19 Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!” His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.”
20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died”
3. MORE sometimes requires a RESURRECTION
2 Kings 4:20 “So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. 22 She sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back.” 23 “Why go today?” he asked. “It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath.” But she said, “It will be all right.” 24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down unless I tell you to.”25 As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, “Look, the woman from Shunem is coming. 26 Run out to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?’” “Yes,” the woman told Gehazi, “everything is fine.”
2 Kings 4:32-36 “When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. 33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes! 36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” 37 She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.”
January/09/ 2022
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Part 1
More for you
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
2 Kings 2:9 “Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a DOUBLE PORTION of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
2 Kings 2:10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
What does it take to experience this MORE type life in our own lives? Three things…
1. More might require you to BURN SOME PLOWS
I Kings 19:19-21 “So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
2. More might require you to WALK A PATH
2 Kings 2:1-6 “When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” 4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.”
Galatians 6:9 “Let us not grow weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we DO NOT GIVE UP”
3. More might require you to DIG SOME DITCHES
2 Kings 3:15 GWT “get me someone to play some music.”
2 Kings 3:15b-16 GWT “While the musician was playing, the Lord’s power came over Elisha. He said, “This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches.”
James 2:14
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?
James 2:17-18 “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”
