Bethel Church LJ Podcast shadyoaks

Elisha received the prophetic mantle of Elijah as the primary prophet to the nation. What we learned through the scriptures today is, even though he had received and was also actively moving in the anointing, Elisha has to learn how to grow in it and with it.
Through the revelation of what Elisha did, we learned some things that he did right, and my contention is that we also learned from some things he did wrong. Just as Elisha had to learn how to flow in the prophetic anointing so that it would benefit God’s people, so must we learn to do the same.
In short, even though he was walking in greater power, Elisha was learning that he hadn’t stopped being a servant to become a prophet. He was a prophet, it’s just that in this prophetic role, he he had to learn how to serve not just one man, but how to serve his gifting to the nation.

(5/8/2024)
The Word of God is truth. It draws a dividing line between what is right and wrong in the eyes of God. We cannot redefine truth based on what is acceptable or not in culture, or what we feel should be right and wrong. It is God’s prerogative alone to do so. In the end, God’s Word will be the final judge over our lives and how we live in conformity to it.

We found that both Elijah and Elisha knew that the end of Elijah’s ministry and life was near. Elijah’s departure would necessitate someone to take over what Elijah had developed. Elisha, although the likely successor, would be put through a series of “tests” to see whether he would indeed be the person to receive the mantle that was on his mentor. In the end, he did receive the mantle and became the next major prophet in Israel as he fulfilled his divine purpose and call in the service of God on behalf of the people of God.

What we learned today is that the Word of the Lord is given to not only inspire, and to instruct, but also given to inform. It shows us God’s perspective on the circumstances we find ourselves in. This dynamic is called prophetic insight, and it is God’s revelation to us of how He sees the situation. God’s Word is still going out and informing us of His will today. How about you? Will you believe the report of the Lord?

What does the God’s love look like? Jesus was and is God’s nature made visible. But what He said, and by how He lived, He demonstrated God’s love to us. What we saw today is that in stark opposition to the world which is always wanting to use others that they may go up, true love willingly goes down in service to others that others may go up.
Why did He demonstrate this principle to us so definitively? Because, once again, we become what we behold. It’s so that we would become like Him and in doing so, truly be a reflection of Him so that we might reveal His love and His glory to the world around us.

The Kingdom of God literally means the rule and reign of God. God is King whether we recognize it or not. When we recognize it and submit to it, we find that the benefits and the privileges of the Kingdom, the promises that God has made to His people then begin to flow into their lives.