Double Portion
This month we are going to go back one chapter in 2 Kings to chapter 5. Before we do I would like to share some pertinent information in regard to the great prophet Elisha. After a lot of study I certified to my-self that Elisha got what he asked for from Elijah his mentor and even received a little more.
Listen to this conversation between these two powerful men of God.
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 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.
Elisha wanted twice that which Elijah had. A noble desire but not easily attained. It required a close proximity to the man of God and the catching of his mantle.
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.
He tore away his own garment and took hold of the anointed apparel of the disappeared prophet. Out with the old in with the new. That is not just a New Year’s resolution. That is a New You transaction.
Immediately Elisha went to work. He believed he had it!
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.
The God of Elijah is where you exercise faith and act upon it in agreement with the word of the Lord.
And Elisha went over. He did what he had seen Elijah do.
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.
Elijah’s last miracle was Elisha’s first miracle. Good place to start. Now he had proof that he got what he wanted.
God is ready to divide the waters. It is time for us to act in faith.
The best I can figure out through study is that there are eleven supernatural events in the life of Elijah. That includes miracles and fulfilled prophetic utterances. Elisha has twenty four to his record. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. I believe, as I said before, that Elisha got what he asked for from Elijah his mentor and even received a little more. Ask and ye shall receive.
As a matter of fact, under the new covenant we have access to so much more than a double portion. The kings of old promised to those that found favor with them up to half the kingdom. See Ahasuerus with Esther, (Esther 5:3, 5:6, 7:2) and Herod with Herodias’ daughter that danced before him, (Mark 6:23). With God it is different. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32). Through Christ we have obtained so much more. Ephesians 1:3 declares,
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 3:19,20 affirms,
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Moreover, listen to Jesus talk about our portion through him:
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14.
Elisha received a double portion of Elijah. And he did more than Elijah. Jesus said we get all of him, filled with all the fulness of God, and can exceed his works. Me thinks there is a discrepancy in the church. Read on:
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 14.
I can hear the “Yeah buts.” Some folks prefer the ‘yeah but’ level. It requires very little. The spiritual recliner is comfortable. The seventy five inch TV on the wall is the new worship center. All our furniture is pointed at it. Sports are so life like on it. It’s like we are in the stadiums and arenas shouting and raising our hands in admiration of the athletic prowess of the million dollar heroes. Let me stop.
10 And he 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.
The good things of God are hard to get. They can only be obtained if we see HIM, talking about Jesus. I do not want to add the last part but the conditions were laid out. “But if not, it shall not be so.” That is the ‘but’ so many are living in today. Last month we talked about the seers. We need some of those today. Elisha saw and continued to see and fulfilled the double portion anointing.
I conclude. I have challenged myself. Maybe I have challenged you a little bit. Mediocrity is the currency of hell. The lazy church will accomplish nothing.
As you may have noted I started out to write about Chapter Five. I was only going to cover briefly the double portion aspect of Elisha’s ministry. I was carried away in a different direction. It happens when I preach sometimes. I have learned there is purpose in that. The Holy Spirit wants to discuss something with us different than what we had planned. The wind bloweth where it listeth. We must follow.
Friends and family who receive this newsletter, be encouraged today. There is still time to seek the Lord and receive all that he has for us. Don’t settle. -PJF-
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Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 23, 2023
1 O come, let us sing unto the Lord:
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psalm 95:1-3
________________________________________
ז Zain
49 Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.
52 I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself.
53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.
55 I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law.
56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts.
Psalm 119
And now a word from our Pastor…
7:30
Recently my husband preached on the word Holy. When he started he prefaced his message with how this message came about. A bit of instruction for those who might want to preach someday.
I want to piggie back on that and reveal how I got a recent message that I preached. One Saturday morning my husband told me that I was preaching the next day. I didn’t have anything prepared and I didn’t have anything that I was thinking about.
Then I remembered every morning that week I woke up at 7:30am. My alarm was not set, I just woke up. If this happens to me once or twice, its not a big deal, but when it happens 4 or more times, then it means something. So, I went to the Bible and I looked up every scripture reference that had a chapter 7 and verse 30. This is what I found:
Leviticus 7:30 His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the Lord.
Numbers 7:30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer:
1 Kings 7:30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
1 Chronicles 7:30 The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.
Nehemiah 7:30 The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
*Jeremiah 7:30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
*Mark 7:30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
*Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
John 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
1 Corinthians 7:30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
I read each one and the surrounding verses for context. The ones with stars are the ones that stood out to me. I stopped and said, Ok Lord, what are you trying to tell me. I looked at the verses again and I knew to preach on the story from Mark 7:30. As I continued, the Lord gave me the words to say.
I thank God that he is always communicating with us. -SAF-
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.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Home Skies, Polk Co., FL. Photo by PJ Flores ©2023 All rights reserved.
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Pastors PJ and Shirley Flores
Purpose! Ministries
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