Weekly message: Are you looking for your Elijah? by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly message: Are you looking for your Elijah? 

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music & Pastoral ministry & counseling

 

Introduction  

Jesus is living God, He is real and reality in my life in every present help. I fix my eyes on Jesus and gaze upon His cross, crucifixion and resurrection. Christ Jesus’ divine life manifests in me when I fully lean on Him, trust in Him and dwell in Him by praising and worshiping Him and pray with whole heart devotion to Him, the sense of oneness will come and affirm His anointing, peace inwardly. Affirmation and blessing assurance will come to reality. No doubt!  Your inner being will know that He (Jesus) is real and alive. And indeed, affirm His presence and reality.  

Are you looking for your Elijah?

 When we grow in age, many friends, and families depart from us, some have passed away, and some have had physical limitations, paralyzed on the bed, and no longer have followership with us. Sometimes, we feel lonely, helpless and longing to find a former mental who had been our encouragement as Elijah to Elisha. My friends, are you like me, still seek Elijah in your life? Hope to find some strength, encouragement from him and or her?  Today, this message will awaken you not to look for Elijah any more, but trust in God and put your faith into practice, you will see Jesus Christ, our God Father is reality and He is with you always.

According to 2 Kings Chapter 2 the relationship between Elijah and Elisha, the historical events as follows,

    When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gigal. 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. (vv.1-2). 

               Second time,  Elijah said to Elisha, “ Stay here, Elisha, the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

 Third time 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. Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you!” Elisha replied, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” (v.9) 

Not a request that Elisha have or do twice as much as Elijah, but a plea that he might be the recognized heir of Elijah in the prophetic office (the firstborn received a double portion of his father’s inheritance,Deut.21:17). What Elisha requested was not Elijah’s to bestow. Elijah, like Enoch (Gen.5:22-24), was taken to heaven without dying. This will also be the experience of believers living at the time of Christ’s return (1Cor.15:51;1Thess.4:17).  As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire, and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. (v.10).

           Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” and Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.  Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it.  When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. (vv.12-14). The sons of the prophets did not believe what Elisha apparently had told them had happened to Elijah, and insisted on sending out a search party.(vv.16-18). But they didn’t find Elijah. 

 In our Christina life, each one of us will meet a person like Elijah to us, who encouraged us, and prayed for us as mental. It is not wrong to depend upon Elijah as long as God gives him (or her) to you, but remember the time will come when he (or she) will have to go; when he (or she) stands no more to you as your guide and leader, because God does not intend he (or she) should. In weakness, you may say, “I can’t go on without Elijah.” But God says you must go on.

Oswald Chambers’ viewpoint and expression are notable, 

First, alone at your Jordan (v.14). Jordan is the type of separation where there is no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one can take the responsibility for you. You have to put to the test now what you learned when you were with your Elijah. You have been to Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are up against it alone. It is no use saying you cannot go; this experience has come, and you must go. If you want to know whether God is the God you have faith to believe Him to be, then go through your Jordan alone.

 Second, alone at your Bethel. (v.23). at your Bethel you will find yourself at your wits’ end and at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you get your wits’ end and feel inclined to succumb to panic, don’t; stand true to God and He will bring His truth out in a way that will make your life a sacrament. Put into practice what you learned with your Elijah, use his cloak and pray. Determine to trust in God and do not look for Elijah any more.

I agree and appreciate Oswald Chambers’ thoughts. When our loved one ( parents or  mental) who had passed away, (or have grown in age), he or she is no longer with us, prayed, encouraged us, nor took responsibility for us as Elisha saw him no more. We need to move on, not look back, nor dwell in the loneliness or sadness, but fully trust in God and put the Word of God what we had learned from mental into practice as Elisha stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it.  When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. (2kings2:12-14).

Christians’ faith realization is that we may not have Elijah in our entire life, but we will have Jesus Christ our Lord eternal. Once we fix our eyes on Jesus, lean on Him and trust in Him wholeheartedly by praising, worshiping and praying persistence, we will taste His sweetness, holy presence, anointing and grasp His love and grace in our life journey.

My friends, what you had learned from your Elijah, put into practice by faith, you will experience the Lord Jesus Christ is reality and is alive, For Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.      

 

Bibliography,

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986 

Chambers, Oswald “My utmost for His highest” N.Y: Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc., 1935.