Two weeks ago, I wrote these words: “There is a job to do. It is time for the full presentation of the gospel. It is time to represent Jesus well and properly. Time to take His presence and power with us wherever we go. Time for healings, miracles, deliverances , setting people free – and it will come more easily out of our church buildings than it ever did inside them. This stuff is meant to be commonplace in the world of those around us. Jesus wants to meet people where they are, so that is where we need to learn to carry Him and His annointing. That’s normal.
That might sound as if it’s something a thousand miles away from where church is now, but there is an old Chinese proverb; “a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”. At some point we need to take the first step, or take the next step. If we don’t, nothing will change.
I was reading again the account of Elijah and Elisha. (You can read it all in The First Book of Kings Ch 18 through to the Second Book Of Kings Ch 13). Elijah was a man whose heart was entirely for God. He was a prophet and a man who did some astounding miracles as he partnered in faith with God. He stopped all rain in the land of Israel for three and a half years. He raised a boy from the dead. He called fire down from heaven – three times. He parted the waters of the River Jordan and walked through on dry land. He made some astoundingly accurate prophecies and to cap it all, he did not die but was whisked up to heaven. If that was not enough he reappeared nearly a thousand years later with Moses, talking to Jesus in front of the somewhat shocked disciples. (Well wouldn’t you be shocked too?)
Elijah had a disciple called Elisha who followed him and watched everything that Elijah did. When it was close to the time for Elijah to leave this planet (remember, he didn’t die of old age, God took him) they walked together towards the River Jordan. When they got to the bank, Elijah hit the water with his coat (as you do), the water divided and they walked across on dry land. After Elijah had been snatched up to heaven by God, Elisha now armed with the promise that he would have twice the anointing of Elijah on his life and ministry, returned the same way back to the River Jordan.
Remember, he was being watched all the time from the opposite bank by 50 other prophets who were waiting for him to return. That’s 50 opportunities to look stupid in front of highly respected men. Elisha could have said to himself, “Well, I have the promise of having twice as powerful a ministry as Elijah. When I get home I’ll test that promise out quietly somewhere to see if it really works. For now, I’ll just look for a crossing point on this river”.
What did he do though? He hit the water with Elijah’s coat which he’d left behind (obviously Elijah was going to be warm enough without it in heaven!) Elisha hit the water with the old coat, with 50 pairs of eyes fixed on him. And nothing happened – until he opened his mouth and declared “Where now is the God of Elijah?” At that precise moment, God shows up in power, the waters part, Elisha walks casually through on dry ground thinking to himself, “Ha, this stuff works”.
Elisha did exactly twice as many miracles as Elijah, and correctly prophesied twice as many events as Elijah. A double anointing. The disciple did the same things that his master did, and even greater things too. We are back to what Jesus said in John 14 v 12……
…..”whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater than these….”
So, the first practical step is to be prepared to strike the water, be prepared to open our mouths and speak out, in front of the onlooker, or the not-yet-believer, and call into being what God has planned. “Be healed, in the name of Jesus”. “All pain go now, in Jesus name”. “Torn muscles, I tell you to be repaired now, in the name of Jesus” “You evil spirit, I command you to leave this person now….”
When we move, He will move. It’s no use praying for revival and for God to move powerfully and for healings and deliverances and miracles to lead the lost to Jesus, and then sit back and watch and wait.
We don’t wait for revival to start. We start revival. We don’t wait until we see signs of a great outpouring of the power of God all around us – and then get in on the act. We release an outpouring of the power of God through us the moment we hit that water, open our mouth and take that risk. It’s the same risk Elisha took with 50 pairs of eyes fixed on him. The journey of a thousand miles begins with …….
Church is out there 