AT THE EDGE OF PROMOTION
Each time I ponder on the passion and reactions of some of the old prophets of Israel, one prophet intrigues me so much in a couple of ways. This oracle of God is called Elisha. Elisha was a servant of Prophet Elijah, a great servant of the Most High God. Elisha, the son of Sha’phat of Abel-Meholah was anointed a prophet [1 Kings 19:16, 19bff] by Prophet Elijah to replace him after he must have gone. While Elisha was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him [vs19]. After intimating his parent, he went after Elijah and served God under him [vs21]. Elisha served and in company of Prophet Elijah when he smote the river Jordan with his mantle and the river divided into two; when he twice commanded fire and it consumed the captain of fifties. He must have been with his master when he confronted the 400 Baal prophets and commanded fire from heaven to consume his offering to the Lord [1 King 16]. Elisha witnessed many miracles in the hands of his master the Prophet Elijah.
A time came when Elijah was about to depart from the surface of this earth, that he asked Elisha, tell me what you want me to do for you before I’m taken up into heaven by whirlwind? Elisha answered, “I pray thee, let a double portion of your Spirit be upon me.” Even though Elijah called it a tough or hard request, he reacted, “if you see me when I would be separated from you, it shall be so unto you but if not it shall not happen” [2 Kings 2:9-12]. Thereafter Elisha carefully and painstakingly followed Prophet Elijah, his master. Elisha tarried with Elijah, went everywhere with him until he witnessed Elijah’s sudden departure and grabbed the mantle of Elijah as the chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire wrested him away into heaven. Elisha cried out, my father, my father, mighty defender of Israel! You are gone. Elisha grieved and tore his cloak into two; then picked up Elijah’s apparel and put it on. Elisha persevered until he got his promotion – the double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Elisha headed back to the bank of river Jordan and strokes the water with the mantle of Elijah saying: where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? He struck the water again and it divided into two and he walked over to the other side. The fifty prophets that stood by the river watched him strike and cross the river said, the power of Elijah is on him. This was the beginning of the ministry of Prophet Elisha. At Jericho he healed their bitter water and barren land [2 kings 2:13-14, 19-22].
Elijah had a servant called Gehazi. He served Elisha until Satan came into him and possessed his appetite. Gehazi was with Elisha, his master when he performed many miracles: solved the problem of creditors that came to take two children into slavery through the miracle of vessels with oil in exchange. When he passed by Shaman, he healed the Shunammite woman’s barrenness and raised her child from death, etc [2 Kings 4:1-7, 12-37]. Through the mighty works of miracles that God did in the hands of his master, there was no doubt that Gehazi understood that his master was a vessel of God. Elisha was the last prophet and Gehazi his servant was the next in line to take over the mantle of his master, for triple portion of anointing. Did Gehazi get it? What went wrong? Christian scholars are divided in opinion as regards the outcome of Elisha’s reaction towards his erring servant, Gehazi and how Elisha died with his double portion of anointing.
While Elisha dwelled in Israel, Naaman, the captain of the host of the king of Syria, a great warrior and mighty man of valor who had won numerous battles for the Syrians, but he had dreaded disease, leprosy. This was a great concern not only to him and family but also the king and people of Syria. The reason is because leprosy was an infectious and contagious disease. Naaman must have spent great fortunes to get rid of this deadly and disgracefully disease but to no avail. However through his Israel war captive little girl, his wife learnt that there was a great prophet in Israel who could heal the man. She informed his husband and persuaded him to seek help. Naaman must have felt reluctant to pursue this option because it would involve a diplomatic connection between the two countries. These two were warring nations and relationship between them was not at its best. However, as they shared each other’s burden, the King of Syria learnt and bought into the option. He issued a hand carried letter through Naaman to the King of Israel to help find a cure to Naaman state of health. Naaman took with him thirty thousand of silver, six thousand of gold and ten changes of fine clothes. This letter displeased the king of Israel and he rent his garment in anger wondering, “Am I God that has the power of life and dead, that I should heal Naaman? He may be trying to pick a quarrel or fight with me. However when Prophet Elisha heard the brood and happening, he sent for Naaman through the king. This was an opportunity to prove that there’s a God in Israel and I’m his prophet.
Naaman with his entourage rode his horses and chariots to the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a message to Naaman saying, “go and wash in Jordan River seven times and your flesh shall be restored; you will be healed.” Naaman felt humiliated and furious. He opined at least Elisha could’ve come out to see him and intercede to the God on his behalf. Naaman questioned, “Are Rivers of Damascus not better than all the waters in Israel? Here you could deduce the pride and ego of this military starwort. Do not take it personal; it had to do with nation’s pride. Naaman’s servant persuaded him to adhere to the prophet’s command, even though it appears very simple. Naaman went down to River Jordan and dipped himself seven times and immediately his flesh was restored and healed. Naaman proclaimed, “now indeed I know that there a God in all the earth but in Israel.” Naaman returned to Prophet Elisha and offered him some gifts in gratitude. As Elisha refused the gift, Gehazi listened with discomfort because his soul lust after rewards and comfort.
Something, somewhere overcrowded Gehazi’s sense of reasoning and the spirit of lust, greed and covetousness entered into him. He said in his mind, “My master Elisha [man of God] had healed Naaman, the Syrian and received nothing at his hand but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and fetch some of the presents he brought [vs. 20]. He failed to realize who he was and who he was living with. He was under the covering of God’s servant, a prophet, heavily anointed, had double portion of the anointing of Elijah’s spirit and speaks for God. Gehazi ran after Naaman and lied against his master and God. He said my master sent me to obtain a talent of silver and two changes of garment for the sons of prophet. Naaman gladly gave him Six thousand pieces of silver tied up in two bags and two changes of fine clothes. [vs. 23]. Without fears, Gehazi brought those items into the house where he lived with his master, Elisha and hid them. Elisha then asked Gehazi: where are you coming from? Gehazi laid, nowhere sir. Gehazi hid his illicit possession but God sees the secret things of life. Elisha asked Gehazi, “Did my spirit not go with you when you approached Naaman on his way and obtained gifts from him? Is it the time to accept money, garments, olive yards and vineyards, sheep and oxen or servant? [2 Kings 5:26].
When you are a servant of heaven, it’s the time to be greedy? When you’re a step to becoming the next most powerful prophet, it’s the time to acquire corrupt wealth, land treasures for yourself? [Luke 12:21]. When you’re about to become a prophet with triple portion of anointing, it’s time to mingle with worldliness. When angels are just passing by with greater gifts, it’s time to ask for lesser treasures? In the face of better things to come, is it the time to portray unbelief, unfaithfulness and dishonesty? Is it time to betray your God and Lord, your Church and Pastors as well as crowd of witnesses? Is it time to loose focus; derail and miss your goal and destiny [heaven]? Just minutes to your open doors, you miss the mark; seconds to your breakthrough, you become dissatisfied with God, seek help elsewhere. Just seconds to your uncommon favor, Satan blindfolds and dominates your thought and minds; got you out of your life’s expectation and achievement. In a blink of an eye and saddle of new dawn, you fell in the battle of giants.
How has the mighty fallen? This one single act has reduced you to nothingness. You have failed the mark and devalued your standard. You became sick at heart and made wrong choices. You think you know better than God or God does not see you or know what you do in unfamiliar environment; because you closed your doors or did it in the dark.
Gehazi left Elisha’s presence a leper; because of his action his household shall suffer this deadly disease for ever. What are you doing that shall affect your household and generation for life? Is it secret sin: Fraud, greed, lust, get rich quick, blood covenant, with the evil world? When you do any inglorious act, the shame shall not only be on you but passed on your descendants and generation. You cannot hide for ever. What sins are you committing that can affect your enjoying fulfilled life? Once a man had one time sex with a strange woman and ended up contacting HIV and AIDS. Before He knew it He passed unto the wife and perhaps other suitors. In some part of Africa especially in Igbo tribes, before you get married, they conduct a background check on your character and that of your family. Would your character cause your children tears? What type a person would they say you are: a witch, a thief, 419, lair, supplanter, and murderer, etc?
We should be careful and watchful, stand firm and be strong. We are in a race and shall pass our batons. Our times are full of trails and temptations. When you profess to be a Christian, your faith shall be tested and tried. Gehazi destined to take over the mantle of his master Elisha, but he missed it, lost the golden opportunity over feeble earthly trash. Was his action predetermined or an accident? This brought to mind an ugly incident that happened in the field during the 2006 World Cup Soccer finals in Germany. A soccer giant from France was given a red card and sent out of the pitch over a head butt. His inglorious exit marks the end of his soccer career. Analysts opined that his exit costs the France side the game. He was a captain, reliable and utility player of his side; a match maker. The vacuum his exit created was felt by his side throughout the match. One head butt that the referee judged as unethical, landed the star a red card, exits the field and reserved bench. A senator alleged to have demanded for sex in public restroom. A football star got involved in a dog fight. There are so many ridiculous happenings and caricaturists in our days and time; most of them attract the question, but why?
Also King David was a powerful and very resourceful king in Israel. His fame went far and wide; mere mention of his name threatened other nations. He won many battles for Israel and was at the height of his fame. But he lust after his subject’s wife – Bathsheba; made love to her and got her with a baby. He connived with his field Captain and killed, Uriah, her husband at the war front. This one act displeased God and it created untold calamity in his life, household and kingdom. Apart from the fact that the child died, it brought domestic tragedies and violence to his family and kingdom; He could not build a temple for God because his hands were stained with blood. But God favored his son, King Solomon that stood in his stead to build a beautiful sanctuary for Him. Adam and Eve had a wonderful relationship with God of all creation, until they listened and believed Satan than they did to God. It caused them expulsion from the beautiful Garden of Eden and God’s presence. The effect of their misdeeds has affected all human race and even generation unborn.
Many people who died and were buried did not fulfill their destinies. They missed their marks and lost their focus; some were brought down half way. Many people do things for three reasons: Leg – love, ego and gain. Our age has witnessed dramatic drifts in values and pursuits. Greed runs our system and destroys our souls. These pursuits have put many into prisons: demarcated by walls of bricks and controlled by rules of consciences. Brethren, what are we doing that could contradict your confession, bring shame and disgrace to you, family and body of Christ as well as your race and nation. What are we being initiated into that would result in denial of faith, make us feel guilty before God and loose our spiritual battle. At the edge of our breakthrough and promotion, we should be watchful and praying because the devil is contending with us. We should stand sentinel and be vigilant not to loose our focus and destiny. We should remain still and be strong because Satan knows how to pose as angel of light and cause destructions with deceit at the last minute. Most mighty people had fallen in the last chances; when they felt they were comfortable and confident, they fell headlong. Many marriages have been blown apart when they thought they had joined the honorable club of successful married people, they went down. Many relationships have been wrought because of what they do or other people that affected them.
In this end time, we must be careful what we do, who we associate with and what we listen to and permit into our minds. The mind becomes a bigger battle field than all the fought earthly battle fields – won and lost put together. Christian sing joyfully as many people around our world get saved, but Satan fashion in weapon to run them down. He becomes more aggressive and subtle; fights from the top and pull down and disgrace faith giants who had thought they have arrived or are unshakeable. Christians seek not yet repose….watch and pray! Watch and pray!! Watch and pray!!! How I wish I could sing it more times than this. Just like Gehazi did not know who his master was; not know God is omnipotent and omnipresent sees and knows all that happen in our world. Many of us do not know the God we worship. We do not know how mighty and powerful He is. He knows what we think and do in secret. He knows our ‘morrow from yesterday. There’s nothing impossible with Him. God is bigger than we know Him. The God of love is the same God of justice and a consuming fire.
We are repeatedly informed that God’s judgment will start in the Church. If we know the effect of the cross of Christ and power of Jesus resurrection, many in the Church playing ‘churchanity’ and religion would think back. It’s easy to think that Elisha was a hard man, perhaps selfish and very unforgiving; he died with his double anointing without passing it on. Yes, indeed he’s human and every human being has some element of jealousy and selfishness; we also hoard. Even though Elisha died with his double anointing but Jesus Christ unlocked all the powers in heaven and on earth and put them at our disposal. What are we complaining about when we have been saved by God’s grace while we were still living in sin and blessed with all heavenly blessings; made co-heirs with Christ. We have been made chosen race, the king’s priests, the holy nation and God’s people and given the Gospel to liberate the world. We have been given a better authority that the seventy disciples and even the old prophets had because of the Christ in us and the Holy Spirit as our companion. Yet we have turned the anointing of God into an instrument of chasing mammon. Throughout the scriptures, God had warned against treasure on earth and serving money rather than God. The same things that the Pharisees did in the temple that provoked Jesus righteous anger have returned to the Church. Today in our Churches money is contending with the Gospel. In the name of the Gospel, we preach and teach, worship and serve money. Even though money answers everything but money is not everything. The love of money has become the order of the day. A man of God once said in a Church gathering, “anointing without money is annoyance.” We should be careful that we do not run this race and end up in shame. God forbid that He tells us at last, “I don’t know you.”
We are ambassadors of Christ; our home is not here. We represent the kingdom of heaven. We do not have treasures in the world. We should be careful to abide by the passion and dominion of heaven. May we not be recalled home because we have violated the ordinance of our appointment? May our lives bring no reproach and shame to the master, family and God’s kingdom? Many men and women of God are living in past glory; they may still be speaking in tongue and exhibiting some ministerial gifts but have lost open heaven and ambassadorial immunity because their licenses have been withdrawn. Eli was still on the throne when God bypassed him and revealed what he wanted to do through Samuel; even deeds and dints in his own household. When a child of God looses the dominion of heaven, you are living in a sorrow state and prune to the darts of the enemy. Some Christians are still shouting hallelujah while the axe head had fallen into the water. Whatever they do is mechanical and has no approval of heaven.
Elisha was a prophet of God by no mean evaluation and evidences in the scriptures reveal that God used him to turn around most challenging situations. God is a holy God; Elisha’s zeal and passion was to attend and remain holy. His servant Gehazi should’ve known the type of burning fire his master had. He failed to sense the desire for righteousness in the master’s spirit. Elisha mission was to prove to Naaman and everyone out there that there is a God in Israel that heals without health insurance, without Medicare, without money. That God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who raised Jesus from the dead and took Him to heaven, He’s the Lord, the truth and the revealer of all truth. There are no lies or deceits in Him. Gehazi’s lie was no joke but a serious sin. Whether we call it lapse, error or mistake; politically ‘inappropriate or incorrect’, it’s a lie. We know when we lie. We lie in words, actions and silences. Gehazi knew that He lied to Elisha but what he failed to realize was that it was a lie to the God of Elisha and the Holy Spirit of God in him. When Ananias and his wife, Sapphira lied to the apostles, little did they know they lied to the Holy Spirit [Acts 5:3-11]. John’s Revelations gave astonishing condemnation to what we toy with as fun:”……..perverts, immoralities…….and all liars shall end in lake burning with fire…. nothing that is impure will enter that city or anyone who does shameful things or tell lies …; idolaters, and liars in words and deeds…. stay outside the gate of God [Rev.21:8, 27; 22:15]. We must understand the signs of the times we live in and the games and strategies of Satan. We can’t make God a liar [1 John 1:10]. As the redeemed of the Lord, we know the truth. No liars live in my palace; no hypocrite remains in my presence [Psalm 101:7].
Do not give up before your testimony hour. Most people never know how close they were to the golden crown or Championship cups, before they quit. Some people are at the right place at the right time but do not know it. They know neither any easy path to glory nor a rosy road to fame. We should not allow the spirit of demotion, spying over our lives to bring us down. [Ezekiel 18:20]. Geheza had the world at his finger tips – a colorful and glorious path but I do not think he knew it. While God had a great plan for his destiny, Satan and the gate of hell also had a plan for his demotion. At the tail end, he ended his glorious apprenticeship/ career in shameful and infamous failure. He was not only gripped with leprosy but the whole of his household and generation suffered this deadly disease. When he was expected to become the greatest and most powerful man of God on the surface of the earth, the devil worked him down. We must be careful because one lie could bring untold disaster or misfortune to man or woman of God. It’s good to always feel the passion and pulse of our master. Sin will first fascinate us and then turn around to assassinate us. The same God of love is no doubt the God of justice. It’s amazing to fall into the hand of the mighty God of creation. What time is it? What are we doing to redeem this time? Be extremely careful at the edge of your promotion. Be strong and hold unto God; the stage is set for your celebration.
Reach Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill. at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or Box 720035, Houston, TX, 77272.