by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Kings 4-6
What does a double portion of God’s anointing look like? I think that we see it here.
Elisha lives a supernatural life. He is a man, of course, but a man whose faith level is so great that he taps into the power of God for those around him.
When there is famine, he multiplies the oil and meal. When a woman is barren, he opens her womb. When a child dies, he brings him back to life.
Elisha sees and hears in the spirit realm. He knows where the king of Aram is taking his army. He knows who is coming to see him, trying to take him away. And the prophet sees in the spirit realm when armies are around him, so that he sees the angels who are assisting him.
I love what he says during that last incident. “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”(6:16) He says this when an entire army has surrounded the city and his servant is afraid. Yet when the servant’s eyes ae opened, he sees a mountain covered with horses and chariots of fire. The angels are working on Elisha’s behalf.
Remember, it isn’t this man, but God Himself who is doing the work throughout all of these accounts. Elisha is a man who knows God, believes Him, and obeys Him.
His life is entirely consecrated to God. So he operates in a realm known only to a few.
If you will notice, though, the miracles he performs are similar to the miracles that Jesus performs. Elisha multiplies oil; Jesus multiplies loaves and fish. Elisha raises the child from the dead; Jesus raises a lady’s son from the dead. Elisha knows what others are thinking; Jesus knows what they are thinking.
Of course, Jesus accomplishes much more than Elisha, but this prophet is as a foreshadowing of what Jesus will be like.
All of these demonstrations of the supernatural are from the anointing – which is God’s Holy Spirit – working through them.
Today miracles are still happening for those who believe. So many today think they are too sophisticated for such, so they count themselves out. Yet for those who believe, Jesus is still working miracles.
Luke 24:33-53
Can you imagine the joy in that room where the disciples are sharing their encounters with the risen Lord?
Just days before these men and women were in such sorrow and disappointment. They had followed Jesus and believed in Him. They had seen Him overcome every attempt to discredit His ministry. They had also seen His wisdom, authority, and power. When Jesus had been taken and murdered not only had they lost a friend; they had lost a vision – a hope.
Now, here He is standing before them, explaining things just as He had always done. It’s too much for them to comprehend!
I love verse 44. “These are My Words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Do you remember early on in this study when we said, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New testament is the Old Testament revealed?”
That’s what we see here. Jesus is showing His disciples how everything that has happened was fulfillment of the Old Testament Word. He has fulfilled all of the scripture concerning Him.
The scholars of the Word were actually the ones who killed Jesus. They knew what the words said, but they weren’t able to understand it. Their hearts were hard and they held to traditions which denied them the ability to see the spiritual side of the Word.
It’s the same today. There are many scholars who think that they know what the Word says, but they really don’t. They take the supernatural of God and try to interpret it with their natural minds. But they can’t do that. The Word can only be understood by the Spirit of God.
So sometimes these “scholars” strip away the miracles and supernatural walk that is available today. They want everything to be done according to the intellect. Yet God is bigger than our brains. He is our Creator.
The humble will inherit the earth. I want to stay humble!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Kings 1-3
As we read through the history of Israel, every now and then we see times of great evil – almost too much to imagine coming from people who were supposed to know God. Yet during those times, we also see God move in unprecedented ways, demonstrating the reality of who He is.
Such times were those of Elijah and Elisha. They were men who walked in God’s power, and sometimes the outcomes seem strange.
I love the story about Elijah being taken up into heaven.
The kind of close walk these men had with God was not casual. They had to pursue that relationship with their whole hearts. Only someone who was fervent about the call would be able to withstand the alienation and persecution from those around them.
That’s why Elijah kept telling Elisha to stay where he was and not to follow him further. (2:2-6). It was a test to see if Elisha was intent enough on the call. Was he willing to pay the price? He proved himself worthy and he received the blessing he sought: a double portion of the anointing.
One more comment, however. Once he saw Elijah leave and once he saw the mantle being thrown to the ground, Elisha still had to pick it up. The mantle fell for him, but not on him.
That is significant for all of us. There are purposes of God on every believer’s life – some in pulpit ministry; some in marketplace ministry. But everyone has a call.
The call is there, and the mantle gets thrown to us. Yet we have to pick it up and walk with it. Our lives don’t just happen to us; we live them intentionally. We have free will.
Whatever your call, you have a choice. You may pick up the mantle and walk with it, or you may let it stay on the ground at your feet – and never fulfill what your Father has for you.
I want to pick up the mantle that is mine, don’t you? I want to live the life my Father has for me, and I want to fulfill my destiny in Him.
Luke 24:1-35
The Emmaus Road story is awesome. Jesus walks with two men on the road to Jerusalem. “Their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him,”(v. 16) but they begin sharing with Him about all that had happened concerning His death.
Then He talks: sharing with them how all of the scriptures from Moses onward had spoken of Jesus, the Messiah. He reveals to them the truth locked up in the Old Testament scriptures.
Later, after their eyes are opened and they recognize Jesus, He disappears. They say, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scripture to us?”(32)
The Word was being revealed by God’s Spirit to their inner man – the hidden person of the heart. That’s why they felt it so deeply. I have had a similar experience when the Lord was speaking to me about the Word. There have been times when I would literally feel it within my being.
God’s Word is deeper than our natural minds. Our spirits – and not our minds – are equipped to communicate with our Father, and our understanding goes beyond the realm of reasoning.
That’s why, when people don’t have spirits to understand, they think that Christianity is foolishness. They are trying to understand with their minds, and that’s impossible.
When I turned my life to the Lord and became born again, the Bible came alive to me in a miraculous way. Up until that time, I had read the Bible, but had never understood it.
If you are reading the Bible and feel that you are not understanding, ask God to reveal it to you. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you through Jesus. Ask Him to take the blinders off of your spiritual eyes wo that you might see the truth.
He is ready and willing to do it, if we just ask.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I Kings 21-22
Should we say, “Corruption in government?” When we see lies, cover-ups, and greed in our modern government, we sometimes think that it’s a new thing. It isn’t.
Jezebel and her entourage were masters of corruption. When the honorable Naboth wouldn’t sell his land to King Ahab, Jezebel flippantly devised a plan to have people give false testimony and have Naboth murdered. To her, it was just a matter of course – and her followers were so very willing to comply. Such evil!
Elijah had gone up on Mount Carmel and had confronted the priests of Baal. So all of Israel had a demonstration of the one true God, but Jezebel wasn’t moved. The Word says, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him.”(21:25)
Jezebel controlled her husband through and through.
Then here come the false prophets. When evil leaders are in power, they definitely have an influence over those around them. There are some who will do anything to gain the praise of these leaders.
It’s worth noticing that Ahab says, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”(22:8) Imagine that! A true prophet. The majority are dishonorable “yes men.”
The king is warned that when he goes into battle he will not prevail, but he locks up the true prophet in a dungeon and goes anyway, disguising himself, thinking that he can outsmart God.
But, no! He can’t outsmart God, and the evil king is killed in battle, just as was prophesied. His evil son, Ahaziah, takes over the reigns of Israel.
In the meantime, Jehoshaphat is king in Judah, and he is more honorable. In fact, he is considered to be a “good” king in the sight of the Lord.
As I go through these books of the Bible and these times in history, I often see our modern era. I’m sure that you do also.
When prosperity and sophistication come to a nation, there is always a tendency to start changing God’s message. The culture gets mixed with the gospel, and a hybrid gospel appears.
For any generation to remain true to God’s plan the plumb line has to remain in place. The plumb line of God’s Word.
When the building doesn’t look straight, move the building, not the standard.
Luke 23:26-56
As Jesus is taken to the cross, He makes a poignant remark. The women are crying and mourning over Him, but He tells them to stop.
He says, “For behold, the days are coming when they will say…to the mountains, ‘fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘cover us.’ For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?”(v.30-31)
Jesus is speaking of the judgment which is coming on the Jewish nation. They are the green tree, and should know when the Savior finally arrives. After all, the underlying reason for God’s covenant with this nation over these many centuries was to bring forth an understanding of God and to bring forth the Messiah.
Here He is: the Savior, and they are killing Him. There is no way that the blessing will be remaining on this generation. They will be dry, and no telling what will happen.
Jesus is saying to the women who are crying, “Mourn for yourselves and your nation. Hard times are coming.”
There may be times when God seems to be quiet and His Word seems to be far away. However, His Word is true, whether we believe it or not. All that He says will come to pass.
Just thinking about that makes me want to stick close to Him!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I Kings 16-18
The kings of Israel get worse and worse, until we come to the abominable Ahab, who marries Jezebel, daughter of the Sidonian king. She slaughters all of God’s prophets and has Ahab build altars to Baal throughout the land.
Thankfully, the Lord raises up a prophet in the land – and not just any prophet. Elijah is one of the greatest prophets of all times. He knows his God and he believes Him.
Elijah speaks the Word of the Lord and calls for a drought on the land – and it happens. Of course, without rain, the brooks dry up and the crops can’t survive. Thus there is famine.
In the midst of the famine, however, God protects Elijah and miraculously saves the widow who helps the prophet.
After three years of drought, it’s time for a showdown, and Elijah meets 450 prophets of Baal up on Mt. Carmel. As they prepare their sacrifices, the true God is to answer by fire and consume His sacrifice. The 450 priests of Baal jump around, cut themselves, and yell loudly, but nothing happens. Then Elijah ups the ante by pouring water all over his wood.
It must have been a dramatic moment when all of the people see fire come from heaven and burn up Elijah’s sacrifice – even licking up the water he had poured. What a display of God’s might. The people turn back to God … and the rains come.
It seems sometimes that our world is in the place of Israel. The prevailing voices in the land seem to say that there is another god besides the true One. These voices want to proclaim their own laws and reasonings which go against God’s wisdom.
Yet there is only One true God and He is the One we should heed.
My prayer is that in the days to come, He will show Himself strong to our society. I pray that there will be a mighty breath of His Spirit across our land, causing hearts to turn back to Him – to realize that He is the One and the only One.
Luke 22:47-71
Do you sometimes wonder how Judas could have betrayed Jesus? I do.
To think that he walked with Jesus, listening to the teaching and seeing the miracles. He partook of His love, just like the others. Yet he betrayed the Lord and led the chief priests and temple officers to Him by night, so that they could take Him away for crucifixion.
It’s reminiscent of Lucifer, the beautiful archangel who rebelled against God and turned into Satan. Even in the midst of heaven itself, there was betrayal. Judas seems to have fallen into the same vein.
In contrast, we see Peter. He too falls away – out of fear. Yet when he hears the cock crow, just as Jesus said it would, he goes away and weeps bitterly. He can’t believe that he has denied his Savior.
Judas will not recover from his betrayal, but Peter will from his denial. Peter is repentant, and later will become one of the Lord’s strongest apostles.
It’s all about the heart. It’s always about the heart.
Peter denied Jesus because of a weak moment during his time of temptation, but his heart wanted to stick with the Lord. Judas, out of a cold heart, betrayed Jesus because he wanted some money. He was cold, calculating, and deceitful – as he kissed Jesus on the cheek.
There was no hope for Judas.
As the many voices of our generation try to deny our Lord and his Word, we should stay girded up. We want to continue as a strong voice of redemption in the land. There are many who have been sidetracked by false doctrines and phony “believers.” They need to hear our voices of the pure gospel.
I want to be one of those voices, and I know that you do also.
Forever upward!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
I Kings 12-13
So the kingdom is split. Sad, sad, sad. To think that just a generation ago Israel was the greatest nation of all time so that people would come from afar to see the wealth and wisdom. Now look at it.
Solomon’s sin causes God’s favor to wane and Jeroboam rises up to take most of the nation to himself.
Now we have two nations. Judah and Israel. Judah remains with Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, and Israel is ruled by Jeroboam.
If the division isn’t enough, Jeroboam wants his people to have a place to worship, so he has two golden calves installed in his territory. The inhabitants are encouraged to worship the calves instead of Jehovah God.
The fires of revival have to be tended. That is true today as well as in these Biblical times. When one generation gets lukewarm, the next generation could be totally cold. That’s what seems to be happening in Israel and that is what is threatening to happen in our world today.
I pray that the bellows of the Holy Spirit will blow on the coals of awakening in our land. We need a fresh fire from God – to wake us up to the truths of His Word.
Blow, Holy Spirit, blow!
Luke 22: 1-20
Jesus and His disciples partake of the “covenant meal” before His crucifixion.
He is introducing a new concept to them; He is introducing a new covenant. These Jews have known for many centuries that they were in covenant with God through their father, Abraham. God and Abraham made a covenant, and all of Abraham’s descendants would be blessed if they would keep their part of the covenant. (The laws and principles laid down by God through the Law of Moses).
This is different. I wonder what’s going on in the minds of these disciples as they drink the wine and take the bread with Jesus. This is a new covenant.
Jesus is saying that when we eat the bread and drink of the wine (or grape juice), we are ceremoniously agreeing to the covenant He is making.
See, the covenant Jesus is making is not like the one that Abraham made. Abraham made a covenant that required bulls and goats to be sacrificed every year for remission of sins. Once was not enough. During those years, our Father was pointing to the day when He would make His own sacrifice for our sins.
That day is here, as Jesus lifts His cup and drinks with His disciples. I’m sure that it’s difficult for the disciples to understand this new concept.
Jesus is going to the cross to make a final sacrifice for all time. The final sacrifice for our sins. He is God’s lamb, and all of the animals which were slain over the centuries were pointing to this one moment – the final sacrifice.
The revelation of what is happening cannot come through someone’s mind. You can hear about it and talk about it, but only someone who has received the new birth can actually begin to understand. It’s understood only by the Spirit of God.
I pray that my spiritual eyes, and yours, will be opened more and more so that we can come to know Him better. The tremendous gift given to us through Jesus is more than a human mind can comprehend. Only God can show us glimpses of what He has for us.
I pray that you and I will be some of those who truly walk with Him and comprehend all that He wants to share with us. It’s amazing.
