THIS MAY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD OF GOD BETTER

WE BELIEVE THE WHOLE OF THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD
Yet if we are honest, there are many parts of the Old Testament that doesn’t seem relevant or simply cannot be understood clearly..
St, Augustine said “ The New Testament is in the Old Testament  but concealed, the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed”.
SO WHAT MUST WE DO?
For much of the Old Testament we must pass through the Cross and apply New Covenant principles, then it will come alive to us.
We will be looking at the story of Elijah and Elisha and applying this principle.
HERE IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WE MUST RECOGNISE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN  WHAT IS OUR INHERITANCE (OUR POSITION) IN CHRIST AND OUR CURRENT EXPERIENCE
POSITION                                                                                EXPERIENCE

1. 2 Cor.2:14                   Do you always triumph ?
2. Phil. 4.13                     Can you curRently do all things ?
3. Rom.8:37                     Are you MORE than a conqueror ?
4. 1 John 2:20+27            Is the anointing of the Holy Spirit really operating in your life ? THERE IS A TRANSITION BETWEEN WHAT IS OUR POSITION IN CHRIST AND OUR FULLY EXPERIENCING WHAT IS OUR INHERITANCE.THE JOURNEY TO THE ANOINTING (DOUBLE PORTION)In verse 21 He was willing to become a servant.  We must develop a “servant heart”. The Bible is then silent about Elisha as he learnt to be a servant to Elijah until we come to 2 Kings 2:1. Elijah says it is his time to depart, and told Elisha to remain in Gilgal, Elisha said “no way I will NOT leave you”, He was getting desperate.They moved on to Bethel which means the House of God, every believer must be planted and committed to a local church if they want the Holy Spirit working in their life, there must not be any “Lone Rangers” in the Body of Christ.So they came to Jordan which mean descending, it speaks  of water baptism,our dying with Christ and us learning to daily live the “crucified life”.Because of Elisha’s persistence (desperation), Elijah said what do you want ? “Let me have a double portion of your spirit” said Elisha,  Elijah said “you sure ask a hard thing”. Elijah was caught up, and his cape (mantle) remained. Elisha took the cape and struck the water, they parted and again he crossed back on dry ground. He had received the double portion.
5. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ELISHA’S LIFE ?
6. Elijah took his cape (mantle)  and struck the water, and like the Children of Israel they crossed over on dry ground.
7. Again Elijah said “you stay here”, again Elisha said “no way”, so they came to Jericho, which means perfume, it was an oasis town full of palm trees (the sweetest fruit of all)can you see the development from Gilgal to Bethel, and onto Jericho. Jericho was also a place of numerous battles, this is where we must learn to put on “The whole armour of God” and recognise the protection that is available to us to live the victorious life. Again Elijah said stay here, and again Elisha said “no way I want the double portion of what is resting on you”.
8. Gilgal means the rolling away of reproach, it was where Joshua re-instituted circumcision, the first Passover was celebrated here, it speaks of Salvation, through Christ our Passover, the burden of our sin rolled away, because we confessed our sin and we were born again.
9. In 1 Kings 19: 19 Elisha gets a TASTE of the anointing when Elijah throws his cape (MANTLE) on him.

1. He became a man of faith
2. He became a man of swift action
3. He was a man of courage
4. He was a man of deep sympathy
5. He was a man of clear understanding
6. He was hungry and thirsty for God
7. He did twice as many miracles than Elijah
8. WHY DID THIS ALL HAPPEN ?

1. He was desperate  to make the transition
2. He was willing to become a servant
3. He embraced what Gilgal represented
4. He embraced  what Jericho represented
5. He embraced what Jordan represented

In Elisha’s life there had to be a transition from the taste (position) to the experience.
Sadly, we know that there has been some extreme interpretations and practices when it comes to some of the position scriptures. With every promise of God there is the responsibility to fulfil all God requires of us.
Elisha paid the price and received the double portion, will you pay the price too And make the transition from our position in Christ and make it your daily experience.
I do trust this teaching has been a blessing to you, and a challenge to move for position to experience.
Have a blessed weekend.