Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
Poison in the Water
What if the spiritual decline of a city could be reversed by the faith of just two men? Join us as we journey through the compelling stories of Elijah and Elisha from 2 Kings, peeling back the layers of Bethel's transformation from a beacon of divine presence to a hub of idolatry. Our exploration uncovers the enormous challenges faced by these prophets in a time of skepticism and mockery. Witness how Elisha's heartfelt plea for a double portion of Elijah's spirit reflects his deep yearning for spiritual fortitude, all leading up to the awe-inspiring moment of Elijah's ascension to heaven.
Imagine a world where miracles are not just relics of the past but a present reality. This episode shifts focus to the contemporary significance of Elijah's last mission and Elisha's subsequent journey, underscoring the belief in God's ability to perform wonders today as He did in ancient times. We passionately discuss the necessity of expecting God's miracles in our lives and ministries, emphasizing that each generation is called to greater acts of faith and power. Trust in God's boundless potential and prepare to see His wonders unfold in your everyday experiences.
In our final segment, we delve into the profound symbolism of Elijah passing his mantle to Elisha, a powerful act that represents the transfer of spiritual authority and the continuation of prophetic ministry. We explore the vital role of the Holy Spirit's anointing in confronting modern-day challenges and urge believers to seek a greater manifestation of God's power. Drawing lessons from the decay symbolized by Bethel and Jericho, we highlight the need for spiritual unity and the bold proclamation of God's message. Together, let us anticipate the return of our Lord and commit to sharing His love daily, as we stand united in faith and purpose.
Thank you, jesus. My God will open. He'll open up the windows of heaven and He'll pour you out a blessing. My God will open, he'll open up the windows of heaven, he'll pour you out a blessing, and you will not have the room. And you will not have the room Not because of you, but because he's good, and you will not have the room To receive Him.
Speaker 3:Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church Podcast. We are an independent full gospel church worshiping in spirit and in truth, located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our single mission is to present a message of truth and hope centered on Jesus Christ and him crucified. So let's go into a service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 4:Let's go into a service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church In 2 Kings and that's where our reading is. Christy, let's go to work. We're going to look at two men of God, elijah and Elisha, and please forgive me, it's not disrespectful if I kind of morph into Eli and Sha, because to keep saying Elijah and Elisha and differentiating between the two is is tough, so I may do that, but Elijah and Elisha Bishah are coming to the city of Bethel. Bethel means this is important in the message means house of God. It was a city of powerful spiritual significance. Jacob had offered his sacrifice there. It was the place, if you remember the message a couple of weeks ago, it was the place where Jacob wrestled with the angel and it was the place where his name was changed from Jacob to Israel, from con man to prince. It all happened right there. But over the years the city had changed. Jeroboam had set up a golden calf.
Speaker 4:There in Bethel, the people began a long slide into idolatry. How many of you know that idols aren't confined to statues and images, paintings or pictures, that idols can be anything that we treasure more than God? Amen. And as a result, an entire generation had been lost to skepticism and scoffing and mockery. Children had been robbed of a rich spiritual heritage and you know it's why I'm so excited when I see the little ones here. And I know parents worry about the little ones making noise or running. Don't worry about it, you know, when I look at David O'Neill was in our Sunday school class in our little Pentecostal church in Bracken Ridge and when I see him bring Owen and Ada to this church, we see that spiritual continuity that he is passing on that heritage to his children and it just blesses me that don't care if they make noise, don't care if they run back and forth, doesn't matter, get the kids in the house of God, amen.
Speaker 4:Things were so bad at Bethel that the people mocked Elijah and Elisha when they arrived. Literally, elijah was the elder prophet. He saw Elisha's shock like I can't believe they're doing this, I can't believe they're talking to you like that. He was just. He was blown away at the backslidden condition of these mockers and scoffers. Now we know that Elijah had his own dealings with mockers and scoffers right back at Mount Carmel, but it was different because those people were prophets of Baal, they were a cult, they were outside the norm. What Elisha and Elijah have encountered in Bethel were people who were supposed to know God. They were people who said they worshipped God, but they were hardened in unbelief, even harder than those priests at Mount Carmel.
Speaker 4:And Elijah asks Elisha to pastor these backslidden people. Pastor these backslidden people. And Elisha realizes what Elijah already knew he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for this. And you know, that was such a revelation in studying this out for me because I realized I don't just pastor Valley Gospel Church, but I pastor the people that I run into on the job. I pastor the people at Sheetz that are getting coffee. It's much bigger than this one meeting every week. Elijah knew, and Elisha just found out, that he needed more. I need more of you, god they sang it this morning. I need more of the Holy. Do a greater work before Elisha could stare down evil, and that's what he was going to do. So the two of them go on a Holy Ghost journey, a Holy Ghost road trip. That's what we're going to study and read about today and that's where our message begins. We're in 2 Kings, 2 Kings 2. 2 Kings 2. How about 6 through 14? I'll ask you to please stand when you're there for the reading of God's word.
Speaker 3:And Elijah said unto him Terry, I pray you here, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And he said as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they too went on and fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, and they too stood by Jordan and Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and so that they too went off over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha Ask what I shall do for you before I be taken away from you. And Elisha said I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. And he said you have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so unto you, but if not, it shall not be so.
Speaker 3:And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder. And Elisha went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof, and he saw him no more and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan. And stood by the bank of Jordan and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and smote the waters and said when is the Lord, god of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and tither and Elisha went over.
Speaker 4:Wow, so much here. So much here, such a message for us today. I know maybe you're thinking I don't really see that. Stay tuned.
Speaker 4:During this journey, god tells Elijah that his ministry is over, that he's done. In fact, he tells him to go and cross Jordan, go to a certain place where a chariot of God is waiting to take you to heaven, raptured alive to his reward. But first he and Elisha need to finish this road trip. They need to finish it. Elisha needs to be prepared and ready to do what he needs to do.
Speaker 4:When they arrive at the River Jordan, elijah takes off his mantle, his prophet's cloak, slaps the water of the river Jordan Water's part. The two of them walk across the Jordan on dry land. When they reach the other side, elijah asks Elijah before I go, at some point in this journey I'm going to leave you. Before I go, what can I do for you? Elisha says let me have a double portion of your spirit on me. Elijah says you ask a hard thing. This is on the trip. If you see the chariots, if you see me taken up, if you can see into God's, if you see me taken up, if you can see into God's kingdom, and I promise I'll clarify all of this. It shall be so. Elisha sees the chariot of God come and take Elijah, but Elijah's mantle, his prophet's gown, drops to the ground. Elisha picks it up, puts it on, returns to the river Jordan and does just as Elijah did and this is just the whole story that Chrissy just read smites the water and they part, just like it did for Elijah. Work just the same. This incredible, awesome outpouring begins Elisha's own incredible journey.
Speaker 4:But this passage gives you and I an unmistakable lesson, with a clear, simple message that God wants to do greater things in each generation. Sam and Beverly, god wants to do more in Amy's life than he's done in yours. He wants to do more in Lily's life than he's done in Amy's. Hallelujah, debbie. He wants to do more in Amber's life than in yours, amber and Jordan. He wants to do more in the Sons of Thunder's life than he's done in yours. That's the way God works in a successive generation, more and more and more. That's what he wants to pour out in each succeeding generation with our own anointing.
Speaker 4:And that's where we're going this morning, our own measure of the Holy Spirit and our own reception of power and I'll use, for a subject maybe, a title that you won't see how it connects there's poison in the water. There's poison in the water. Let's pray, heavenly Father. Thank you, lord. I thank you for this Old Testament glimpse, this trip that you've taken me on this week, lord, to show me your truth, your reality. Lord, I ask you to open it and expose it to your people, your children, lord, that we might better serve you. Let your word be a lamp and a light. It is in the name of your blessed son we pray. Amen and amen, amen. Please be seated.
Speaker 4:As powerful as that is, as miraculous as that might be, this spectacular passage we just read from 2 Kings, as great as that might be when we read in the book of Acts all the miracles, the manifestations, the moves of God, all the wonders, as great as that might be, why do we hesitate to ask God, that big God, god? Why do we hesitate to ask God or expect him to perform wonders in the here and now? Why is it? We've read all of those things why do we hesitate or think something's too hard or too difficult? Or maybe he just doesn't want to for our God? Why don't we expect him to perform wonders in our lives, in our church, in our ministry. You know we talk about his great deeds, All those things he did Rivers opening up, seas opening up but we limit him and call it. Well. That was in Bible times, that was in a bygone age. Yet that is what the Lord desires for us.
Speaker 4:He's made it very clear, both Old Testament and New Testament. He's made it very clear that he desires for you and I a manifestation of power. That's what he wants Miracles, more of his power, more of his glory, more of his spirit in us, more than anything that we've witnessed in the past, more than apostolic times, more than first century, more than the book of Acts, more than Azusa. You know I rise up in correction when a teacher or a preacher says that's passed away Because it makes no common sense and it certainly doesn't make scriptural sense. How could we not need more of God's power here and now, with the times that we face, with the issues that confront us and the church? He wants to enlarge our faith. He wants faith to move us so, like Elisha, we can glimpse into his kingdom and we can ask for that double portion, that double portion of his glory.
Speaker 4:Understand, in this old testament reading elijah is a type of christ. He is a type of christ ascending into glory, just like jesus did. Uh, received by the Father. And do you remember Jesus' promise to us? I'm going to ask you to see this correlation here Elijah, type of Christ ascending into glory, received by the Father. Jesus' promise to us is greater works than I have done. Shall you do? Why? Us is greater works than I have done. Shall you do? Because? Why? Because I go to the father. Wow, what a snapshot of what's happening here with Elijah.
Speaker 4:He speaks those words to each generation from Pentecost until today, still speaking those words. He hasn't changed. God isn't a God of change. He changes, not Hallelujah. And you say, why is he speaking those words? Why does he want our children to be more empowered than us? Why does he want our grandchildren to be more empowered than us? Why does he want our grandchildren to be more empowered than our children? Why? Because you will need a greater anointing than your fathers. You will need a greater anointing. You will need, the Lord says, more of my power. You'll need more of it now than you did then, and by my spirit you can have all you need, all you want not only to overcome but to be my witness. You know we've been studying a whole lot and it was a great Bible study Wednesday night and there was questions about the Holy Spirit and made it so clear the Holy Spirit isn't his ministry in our life isn't so much about us as it is about others. It's about ministry. It's about enabling us to reach folks with the gospel Amen.
Speaker 4:Let's go back to Bethel. Before Elijah's translation to heaven, he takes Elisha on a training mission to a place where wickedness abounds Bethel. Wickedness had become commonplace, idolatry was the norm. Lust had taken over all of society. You know, we too live among scoffers and mockers in a world on the job, maybe in our families, certainly in our church, and this generation, I believe, wasn't alive then. But I believe this generation is at the very least on par with Elijah and Elisha.
Speaker 4:The debauchery in our world today is, at least I want to say it's worse, but I don't know how bad it was then, but it's at least on par. You know, we look around and we see 10-year-olds raping 5-year-olds, grade schoolers carrying guns to school, cutting down classmates, teachers, parents changing genders without a parental consent or the parents supporting that, and we're just going to yeah, we want a girl. Police are being lured into situations and killed. This generation, I believe, is the generation that the Bible talks about when it says proud, disobedient, unthankful, unholy lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. I believe we live there. Of God, I believe we live there, and this day, this day, demands that God's people receive a double portion. See, that's where it really boggles me that a preacher could say yeah, that was for then, we don't need that now, we have microphones.
Speaker 4:We don't need that now. We have microphones. We don't need have mercy, we need God's people, need to receive a double portion of power and authority, because we need a measure of the Holy Spirit like none before Hallelujah. A holy remnant must rise up in times like this and cry out, just like Elisha did, and said I need more Hallelujah. Well, pastor, I don't want to be greedy, don't be stupid, it's not greedy. Asking God for more power and more authority. That's one thing you can be greedy for, because the supply is inexhaustible and, in fact, the more you use, the more there is, the more you receive. The storehouse grows, my, it grows exponentially. It grows when it's cold, it grows when it's hot, it grows when it's windy, when it's shady in the sun, it doesn't matter. It bubbles up from the spiritual river that flows beneath ancient Jerusalem. Hallelujah. From the spiritual river that turns into the Gihon, the angel's fount, that bubbles up within and out of our bellies, shall flow rivers of living water. Glory, glory, hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 4:Elijah and Elisha leave Bethel. They proceed to Jericho. Jericho, jericho. You know what that Jericho means pleasant city, pleasant city. But when they arrive, it's anything but pleasant. Jericho is barren, it's dry, it's lifeless, water supply is poisoned and there's no life, no crops, no fruit, wildlife and cattle all dying because the water's poisoned. Jericho represents a lifeless faith, a lifeless faith, a lifeless Christianity. A lifeless Christianity Jesus actually describes keep a finger in 2 Kings. But I want to show you where Jesus describes this. It's in Revelation 3. Revelation, just three in one, one verse. But he describes this type of Christianity. And unto the angel of the church at Sardis write these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know thy works, that thou hast the name, that thou livest and are dead Wow, so he's pointing to the church says you have a name that says you're alive, but I know you're dead.
Speaker 4:It's in Jericho that Elijah the older prophet establishes, years earlier, what the Bible calls the school of the prophets. He started the Bible school there, a Bible college, maybe better word. Elijah and Elisha visit the school and it's not the same. It's just not the same as Elijah remembered and it was set up and how it was supposed to be. And young preachers ask Elisha if he knew, if he was aware, if it was. Did God tell him that Elijah was going to be taken out? These young Bible college students. Elisha recognizes that, even though these were men, these were students of the word, that there was something wrong. He realizes there's something amiss in this Bible school and he tells them shut up. That's what the preacher told them. Shut up. Now.
Speaker 4:These were preachers that would be sent out across Judah, across the Israel, building schools, preaching the word, but everything that they had was intellectual. Everything that they had learned was in their mind but not in their heart. They lacked the power, they lacked authenticity, they lacked the anointing, they lacked the authority of the Holy Spirit. How do we know that? Because we know that because after Elijah was taken up and they asked Elisha about what happened, and Elisha gave them the details of what happened, the when and where and how, how all this transpired these students wanted to get in a group and go and look in the mountains for Elijah. In case the Holy Ghost dropped him or the chariot wrecked, if the chariot of fire that took him to heaven, in case it hit the top of a mountain. Let's go look for Elijah. We need Elijah. We need Elijah. We don't even know you, elisha, we need Elijah. Elijah.
Speaker 4:They could preach and teach, but were ignorant of God's power. They hadn't. You know why? Because they hadn't experienced it, because they've never tasted a power from heaven, hallelujah. They were trying to be little Elijahs. They were trying to pattern themselves after what Elijah had taught, after what Elijah was saying about his. They listened to his sermons and they said we're going to belittle Elijah's. They lived on miracles of the past. They hoped to recreate Elijah's anointing, his manner of speaking, his style, and they really didn't know that the Holy Spirit wanted to empower and anoint each of them individually. He wanted them to have the same or greater anointing than Elijah had. But they were unaware that God had great things in store for all of them if they would just look to him. Just look to him. They had their own anointing available, if they would just receive it.
Speaker 4:And you know, the church today falls into that same snare. We look to men and women. We try to recreate past revivals and miracles, whether it's through a church or a denomination. We try to duplicate a move of God. But God has for us, god has for you, new wine. He has a fresh anointing. He has fresh oil that he wants to impart to you in vast quantities, quantities that have never been seen before. And you know what the anointing of God is new every morning, it increases every morning.
Speaker 4:See, the power in the anointing of God is like do you remember back in their wilderness experience when God fed them with manna, when he fed the Israelites out on those little honey wafers that fell from the sky? But the interesting part about the honey wafers you can't stack it up. They tried Take it back, put it in the cupboard, it would all rot, all right. They tried to can it in jars, seal it up, can't do it, it would rot. It was for then and now. It was for then and now. Hallelujah Can't preserve it. You can't open a can of Smith Wigglesworth, can't do it, it won't work, hallelujah. Or a can of Holy Ghost power or a bottle of Azusa, it doesn't work. It's new, it's fresh, it's unique.
Speaker 4:I want to go back to the Jordan for just a minute, back to the river. I like the river and examine why Elijah, slapping the water with his mantle, parted the water. And here's the cool part is the Jordan isn't not then, not now. It isn't very big, it isn't very wide, it isn't very deep, it's like a big, I don't know, it's like the upper reaches of the Clarion River. That's probably not a good visual because you haven't been to the upper reach of the Clarion, but it's not very deep, it's not very wide, it's more like a big stream, all right, and there's no evidence in the Bible that it was high at the time of the crossing and it was a raging river. They could have walked across, waded across, probably just about anywhere. That's the Jordan.
Speaker 4:Was Elijah just showing off? Watch this, elisha? I believe he was showing Elisha that the parting of the Red Sea Joshua was when he crossed the Jordan had powerful spiritual significance in their lives. It was a powerful teaching, great historical events and I think he was trying to show and I can't say that this is that. The Lord gave me this directly, it's what I, it's what I gleaned from my study but he was trying to show Elisha that he didn't want him to be limited by Eustace. You know what a Eustace is. I've told you what Eustace is right.
Speaker 4:My pastor in Brackenridge every week talked about the miracles that used to happen. That was every sermon. Everyone morphed into a used to how God used to move, how the Holy Spirit used to move, and I would think at the time I would think, boy, that must have really been something that must have been great, a cool thing to see. God did some great things back then. See, I was being twisted into a Eusta because week after week, that's what we heard. He'd tell about the healings. He'd tell us about how the woman lost 50 pounds from the front of the church to the back of the church. He'd talk about a Sunday night service when two demon dogs showed up inside the church while the door was closed and they were cast out out and the two dogs ran out the door. He would tell us about how his mother, who spoke only Italian, ministered to a Polish woman who spoke only Polish but she ministered to her in tongues and she accepted Jesus Christ over a clothesline in the backyard.
Speaker 4:That used to be, and you know, years later I understood that we cited all those Eustas because we didn't have faith to believe God now. We didn't have the faith to believe God in the here and now. We couldn't believe him for our own miracles, our own moves of God. We spent all our time pouring over or extolling these mighty moves in the past, stolen, these mighty moves in the past, and the Holy Spirit was trying to tell us I have something for you now. I have something for you better. I want to change your life. I want to change your ministry. I want to fix your marriage and restore your family and save your kids and show you the miraculous. You know, we may face deeper waters than the Jordan. You might face wider seas than the Red Sea, and he wants to part those waters for us. That's what his word tells us. Those waters for us. That's what his word tells us.
Speaker 4:Elisha crosses back in the same power that he first crossed over with Elijah, when Elijah asked Elisha, what can I do for you before I go? This is a deep examination. What can I do for you before I go? That wasn't a I'll grant your wish. See, we read that and we think that's how you know. Before I go, I'll grant this to you. That's not what it is at all.
Speaker 4:It was the words of a teacher checking in on a student. It was checking on his prodigy, where he was spiritually. What would he ask? I wanted to hear what he'd ask. Would it be something personal? Let me go with you in the chariot, you can drop me off, just let me go for the ride. Maybe something for himself, seeing the evil of society, the task before him, the enemies that he'd face. You know he had already visited that crazy school where they were off the rails in a bad way and I couldn't blame him if he said just let me go in the chariot with you, let's call this a day, let somebody else deal with this.
Speaker 4:But Elisha knew God wept over Bethel. Elisha knew that he mourned over Jericho and he knew what the Lord wanted, what his desire was in this situation. He had to take on the mantle of facing an evil society and a very dead religious system. He said when you're going to bring this home to us, pastor, I will will. I promise God was calling him to mend the breach. I don't want to.
Speaker 4:This is probably going to sound really wrong, but I'm going to quote Rocky Balboa. It doesn't matter how hard you can hit, it's how hard can you get hit and keep moving forward. That was the question. Hallelujah. Elijah tells Elisha you've asked a hard thing. You've asked a hard thing Hard for who? Hard for God? I don't think You've asked a hard thing Hard for Elijah. I don't think You've asked a hard thing Hard for Elijah. No, that's not what he was saying.
Speaker 4:It would be hard for Elisha because he would have to receive it on his own. He would have to receive, he would have to put himself in a position to receive this abundance, this double portion of power that he would need moving forward, hallelujah, elisha would have to seek and receive more authority, more power, more of God's spirit. Elijah couldn't give it to him, elijah couldn't impart it. You know I get so mad at impartation doctrine that people say you go to this preacher, you go to that one, and they can impart. I can't impart anything to you, just a man, hallelujah. The very idea that a human can impart divine power to another human is blasphemy. And if you talk to, if you see or listen to a prophet or a pastor that said he can run, run away, only God can impart his spirit to man. All right, we're still in Kings.
Speaker 4:I want to reread verse 10. This is powerful. This is so revealing. This is an. This is so revealing. This is an incredible verse. It's 2 and 10. And he said Thou hast asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so. Alright, good stuff here. Okay, nevertheless, when and am are not in the original Hebrew text. All right, those three words aren't in the text. They were added in the King James for clarity, for continuity, so you would have an idea what was going on here. Let me read it to you without those. And he said Thou hast asked a hard thing. If thou see me taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee, but if not, it shall not be so. If you look at your text, if you have a King James, you'll see those words are italicized. It means they weren't there. They were added so you could understand a little better what the translators thought you needed to understand. But when you read it in context of what it really is, that's not what it's saying at all.
Speaker 4:Elijah said to Elisha if you see this event as me being taken away from you, if you see this event as I'm gone and you needed me here, if you're relying on me, if you're looking to anything that I've done or anything that I can do, if you're looking for me to impart anything, then you will not receive the double portion. You can't. Elisha, don't look to me. I'm gone, I'm out of here. I'm on a chariot, I'm on a beach in heaven. Don't look to me. You no longer need me. You're ready? You're ready. Look to the Lord. He'll answer you, he'll fulfill it, he'll fill you. That's why we need to be careful. That's why I'm so careful and I know that it's interpreted that sometimes I'm not so personal or all up in your business and you misread that as that I'm impersonal. You're ready? You're ready. That relationship is between you and God. I don't have a part in that. I can't have a part in that.
Speaker 4:When Elisha saw his teacher whisked away in a heavenly chariot, he knew that it was passed to him. He knew. He knew that this, wow, what Elijah had was now his. He knew that his teacher was gone and he cried from the banks of the Jordan River I seek the God of Elijah. He didn't say I'm looking for Elijah. He said I'm looking for the God of Elijah Glory.
Speaker 4:And Elisha crosses the Jordan River the same way that Elijah crossed. This time, just him and the Holy Ghost. Oh my, just him and the Holy Ghost. That pleasant place that is dead and buried. 19. Just flip over. Look at that paper clip. Huh, isn't that a nice one? That's a monster.
Speaker 4:19, and the men of the city said unto Elisha Behold, I pray thee. The situation of this city is pleasant and my Lord seeth, but the water is not and the ground barren. Poison in the water. Poison in the water. Poison in the water. What is water in Bible type? The water of the word Amen. The water in Bible type is the word of God.
Speaker 4:The word was polluted, the water was polluted. The word was polluted, the water was polluted, the word was polluted, it was compromised. It was being compromised from the school of the prophets, from pulpits, from people trying to teach the word, and it was causing spiritual death. It was causing lifeless, self-serving, fleshly sermons by preachers trying to empower themselves that produce no life but causes spiritual death. A young man told me this past Wednesday that he had gone from church to church and after hearing dead sermon after dead sermon, it had drained him of all the spiritual life within him, said he grew up in the church but he was so drained and you know that's so accurate, because it's what dead pastors in dead churches do. That's what they do. Show me a preacher that doesn't believe God's word is infallible, a pulpit that rejects his virgin birth, a minister that doesn't rely solely on the blood of Jesus and a church that turns its back on the ministry of the Holy Spirit and I will show you a ministry that is dead, dead. Dead Because poison in the water, poison in the water, has infiltrated the pleasant city.
Speaker 4:So what do we do with that pollution? We do exactly what Elijah did, what Elisha did Put salt in the water supply. We put salt in the water supply, poured it in with clean vessels. Salt represents the purity of the gospel, the purity of truth Sanctified by truth, glory Cleansed by the blood, men and women unafraid To present the full counsel of God, prepared to preach a pure, uncompromised gospel that says truth is truth, sin is sin. Deal with it. That is the only thing, the only thing that will stop the pollution Pure vessels preaching a pure gospel under a fresh anointing.
Speaker 4:23. And he went up from thence unto Bethel, and as he was going up, by the way, there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him go up thou bald head, go up thou bald head. And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. There came forth two she-bears out of the woods and tear forty and two children of them. My sweet Lord, my sweet Lord Elisha, goes back to Bethel, the young men, young kids, children come out to mock him. They called him a bald head and, if you know it, they've actually committed the unpardonable sin here. You know we talk a lot in Bible study about the unpardonable sin. They actually did commit the unpardonable sin, and without getting too deeply into the unpardonable sin. But they attributed an act of the Holy Ghost to the devil, elijah and the chariot by telling Elisha to go up with him. They were asking Elisha to perform some magic, to do some dark magic that he could also ride around in this chariot of fire and bears come out of the woods and killed 42 children. It was an act of mockery and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. You know, god was patient with the fallen, with the fleshly church at Bethel, giving them chance after chance, sending them prophet after prophet, finally sending Elisha with a double portion of the Holy Ghost. But Elisha came to pronounce judgment. It's happening again. This very thing is happening again.
Speaker 4:Church leaders are polling among unbelievers. What do you want to see in a church? What do you want? We'll set it up just to keep you coming. We'll set it up the way you want. You don't want to hear about sin? Okay, we want to talk about sin. You don't want to hear about hell. We want to talk about hell. You don't want to hear about the Holy Ghost. You want to talk about the Holy Ghost. What do you want? And you think I'm not exaggerating it's exactly what Rick Warren is doing now. What do you want?
Speaker 4:And if you've read the Purpose Driven Church, then you know I'm telling you the truth. They've adapted the polling results of unbelievers. Now, instead of worship, they offer entertainment. Instead of ministry, we offer mentors and counseling. We offer mentors and counseling. Trust me, christian or not, that person's going through the same thing you are. Instead of the word of God, they're offering new age philosophy and purpose how to grow and prosper.
Speaker 4:But I thank my God. I thank him for a remnant. I thank him for this remnant that, in a day of sin, we're going on with the Lord. We're going on with him Interceding, weeping over sin, gr, grieving over wickedness in the world, and the church pursuing a greater anointing of God. And have you noticed that the remnant is all preaching the same message? When I listen to pastors and ministries that I trust, they're all preaching the same thing, every one of them. They aren't lost on hallelujah.
Speaker 4:Judgment is at the door and we have to take up the mantle of Elijah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah. And we are prepared to see the Lord. We are prepared to meet him. Hope, it's today. Prepared to meet him. Glory, there's still time. The message is there's still time, but it's now. It's now. Tomorrow may be too late, still time, but it's now. His train fills the temple. Glory, glory. Have you noticed that men and women of God are coming together in spirit and in truth? God are coming together in spirit and in truth. It doesn't matter what the name is on the door, but you can sense that gathering together of true believers, even though the water's been polluted. True believers are carrying salt to the water, carrying salt to the water, carrying salt, not draining the pool, just carrying salt, put it in the water. God's gathering. Preachers, brothers and sisters, long-time preachers, short-time preachers, future preachers, whether it's at Valley Gospel or elsewhere, and they are being trained and fortified to bring the truth, regardless of response or reaction.
Speaker 3:We pray. This message is a blessing and encouragement to you. Most of all, that it fortifies your faith as the return of our Lord draws near. We encourage you to share the love of Jesus this week and invite you to listen to next week's podcast.
Speaker 1:Have thine own way, lord. Have thine own way, lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still. Have thine own way, lord. Have thine own way. Search me and try me, master today wider than snow.
Speaker 1:Lord, watch me just now, as in Thy presence, humbly I bow. Have thine own way, lord. Have thine own way, wounded and weary. Help me. I pray. Power, all power, surely is thine. Touch me and heal me. Savior divine, have thine own way, lord. Have thine own way. Hold o'er my being absolute sway. Fill with thy spirit Till all. Shall see Christ only always Living in me.