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Healing of Flesh and Heart

II Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30 The great man and commander of Aram’s army, Naaman, could conquer anything except his skin disease. When he hears from a young girl captive that the prophet in Israel could heal him he sends money to the king of Israel with the message that he might cure him. But alas the king tears his clothes knowing he can’t do it, scared this might cause a quarrel between the countries. But when Elisha hears of this he sends a message to the king saying, “Let him come to me so that he can learn there is a prophet in Israel.” So, he goes to him with great fanfare – horses and chariots but Elisha doesn’t bother to greet him but sends a messenger with directions of what he must do to be healed. Naaman becomes angry at Elisha for not greeting him and performing what he was expecting. Instead, he gives strange but simple instructions. Naaman goes away in a rage but the servants again come to his rescue. If he was asked to do something difficult wouldn’t he have done it, how...
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The Mantle of Living by the Spirit

II Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Galatians 5:1,13-25 Few people realize that our expression of “passing down the mantle” comes from this story in II Kings about Elijah passing on his prophetic role to Elisha. An insecure Elisha asks for a double share of Elijah’s spirit – perhaps his power which isn’t up to Elijah but to God. Elijah is lifted to heaven in a chariot – thus he never dies. So, he appears again at the Transfiguration and Jewish tradition leaves an empty chair at Passover for Elijah. By picking up the mantle Elijah has dropped, Elisha has the power with it to part the Jordan like Elijah did. Many think this mantle merely brought power to do the miraculous, yet I believe it brought a share of the spirit of Elijah that Elisha had wished for. Hopefully, the Spirit brought love shown in the fruits of the Spirit told of in our Galatians passage. Our passage in Galatians tells us we are no longer slaves to the law but are called to freedom. This shouldn’t be used for self-indulgence, ...
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Disquieted Souls

  I Kings 19:1-15, Psalm 42 Elijah has had his life threatened, so he runs for his life. He feels like a failure as a prophet. The Israelites have forsaken God’s covenant, thrown down the altars, and has killed God’s prophets. This failure is felt so deep that he asks the Lord to take his life. The Lord’s answer? God sends an angel to feed the fatigued Elijah. Talk about super food! After he eats and rests two times he has enough energy to last a forty-day journey to Horeb where he comes to a cave to rest. It is then the word of the Lord comes to him asking him, “What are you doing here?” To which Elijah voices his complaint, basically: “I’m the only faithful one left and they are seeking my life.” In response God tells him to stand on the mountain before the Lord since God will pass by. Then comes the wonderful passage of where Elijah finds God. It is not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the sheer silence. In this silence God directs him to return to the wild...
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God’s Love Poured into our Hearts

  John 16:12-15, Romans 5:1-5 In John 16 Jesus tells his disciples about the Holy Spirit who is to come. The Spirit is referred here as the Spirit of Truth since it will guide them into all truth. The Spirit will glorify Jesus since it will take what Jesus is and declare it to them. Where did Jesus get this truth? He got it from the Father. So, in a roundabout way Jesus receives it from the Father, the Holy Spirit receives it from Jesus, and we receive it from the Holy Spirit. Romans 5 goes on to tell us another wonderous thing the Holy Spirit does. The Spirit will pour God’s love into our hearts. It tells us also what we have received through Christ. We have peace with God due to Christ’s work on the cross and our faith which has justified us. We have also obtained access to grace. This is what Paul stood firm in so he could boast in his afflictions. He has been guided into this truth by the Holy Spirit. He basically reframes the sufferings he is enduring by telling of the b...
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The Father Shown

John 14: 8-14, John 17:20-26 In John 14, Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father then they will be satisfied. Jesus answered somewhat flustered basically saying haven’t you witnessed the Father in me? Jesus explains to him that the Father dwells in him thus all the words and works he does are from the Father. “If you don’t believe me,” he goes on, “believe in the works alone.” He then tells him that those who believe in him, of God in him, will not only do the works that he does but even greater works. He will do whatever you ask in his name. Why? So that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Here Jesus is making it clear to them and others who have witnessed his words and his works have seen that the Father is in him. Further in the passage Jesus will promise to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to them to bring them to all truth. As we go on to John 17 we see Jesus praying not only for the earthly disciples, those who have witnessed him but for those who believe through thei...
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Opened Minds/Enlightened Hearts

Luke 24:44-53, Ephesians 1:15-23 Luke 24 tells of Christ’s Ascension into heaven but before he departs Jesus opens the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures. He says that all the words written about him in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled and it was done so by the words Christ spoke to them while they were not only witnesses of his actions but also to his words. Christ opened their minds to understand how salvation had to be accomplished and how they need to go out and proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins. The CEV translates repentance calling it “a change of heart and life.” He then tells them to stay in the city until the Father’s promise of being clothed with power from on high happens. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus leads them to Bethany and while blessing them he was carried off into heaven. They return to Jerusalem with great joy continually in the temple returning Christ’s blessing to them to God. The author of Ephesi...
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Eagerly Listening

John 14:23-29, Acts 16: 9-5 Jesus talks about how those who love him keep his word. Jesus clarifies about this word that we hear saying it is not his but from the Father. The other part of the Trinity will be involved when Jesus leaves -it is the Holy Spirit. Called the Advocate, the Holy Spirit will teach them everything and remind them of all the words of the Father that Jesus has said to them. This Advocate will also remind them of the peace Jesus left them with, not peace as the world gives, so they are not to be afraid. Eagerly listening to the Spirit is the apostle Paul who in our Acts passage has a vision of a Macedonian man pleading him to come and help the people there. So doing and keeping God’s word, Paul sets sail for Macedonia. He finds there a group of women at a place of prayer. He speaks the gospel to them and one woman, Lydia opened her heart to listen eagerly to what Paul said. In response she and her household were baptized and she lets Paul and his traveling com...
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