A Great Claim
Subtitle:
Does Your Shirt Need Ironed?
2 Kings 2:8-12
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
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. {Thou hast...: Heb. Thou hast done hard in asking}
11 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 Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 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.
Elisha had just witnessed Elijah using his God-given mantle and parting the Jordon River.
He saw, by the power of God, the Jordan opened.
When they had gone over the Jordan, Elijah said unto Elisha, “Ask what I should do for you before I am taken away from you.”
Elisha said, “I want a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” What he is actually saying is that he wants a double portion of the Spirit of God that was on Elijah.
Verse 10 says, And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing:
The word “hard” in the Hebrew actually means, “You have made a great claim”.
The problem with the modern church is that we make much a lesser claim or maybe no claim at all.
As believers, understanding that we are serving a great God, we should take a great claim.
Elijah goes on to say, “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.”
The great question should be, even to modern believers, “What do you see?”
Do we see the miracle working power of God or do we see other things?
2 Kings 2:11
11 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 Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
In the original Hebrew, it says that Elijah went up in a storm into the Heavens.
There have only been 2, both of the seed of Adam, Enoch and Elijah, that have passed from earth to Heaven without dying.
2 Kings 2:12
12 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.
Elijah had been the strength of Israel, but now it was going to be Elisha.
Elisha was now wearing the Mantle. This represents that he is no longer a student but he is the Prophet.
Elisha had made a great claim, he knew what he wanted and he knew how to get it.
This morning, are we making a great claim and do we know how to receive what we are claiming?
Elisha knew that in order to receive from his master, master means teacher, that he had to keep his eyes on his teacher no matter where it led him.
Jesus is our teacher.
John 3:1-2
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Whatever the greatest teacher of all times speaks, we have to be willing to listen and apply His words to our lives.
Maybe the Lord is telling us to make a great claim; when the Lord speaks you can be sure that He will point things out that He wants you to learn.
Maybe He is telling you that you need to iron your shirt.
Here’s the reason why I preached this message:
Dream 3-27-08
I dreamed that the church was full. My tie did not match my shirt and my shirt needed ironed. I went to the restroom and found another shirt, but it was also wrinkled.
Interpretation
The church was totally full, my tie and shirt did not match and my shirt needed ironed.
A shirt and tie, in my case, go together, if they don’t match they don’t look right.
Shirt means- covering: anointing in this case it might even mean protection.
I went to the restroom to find another shirt that was going to match my tie.
The Lord was letting me know that there was something in my life that needed worked on. (something ironed out)
I now have a shirt and tie that matches, but my shirt still needs ironed.
God has given me a new shirt, covering, anointing maybe even protection, but it still needs ironed.
The gift that God has given me, I have. It is mine, but I still need to work on it with His help.
God wants to perfect the gifts in our lives to make a difference within other people lives.
On 2-11-08 I dreamed that there was an anointing flowing through the hands of the people of this church.
Maybe that anointing is flowing through you this morning.
The Anointing is approval, and power that flows from God’s Throne room.
Maybe, this morning, it is time for us to make a great claim.
God, I want power and approval that comes from you.
God, I will be all that I can be in you, and through it all I will not take my eyes off of you.
In order for Elisha to receive Elijah’s mantle he had to keep his eyes on his master.
In order for us to receive the mantles in our lives we have to keep our eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. {author: or, beginner}
Church, we need to lay down every weight and sin that gets in our ways of receiving our prizes.
Run your race and become a winner in Jesus name.
Maybe you need a new shirt, once you receive it maybe it will need ironed, maybe it needs worked on?
God has a call and a plan for your lives this morning.
That means He has an anointing for your lives.
Don’t you think that it is time to get serious for God?
Do you know that He is serious for you?
There have been many great warriors that have run this race of life before you.
They learned how to look to God for their answers to the problems that they had.
They learned how to be over comers by the Blood of Jesus.
Don’t you think that it is time to make a great claim?
Some of us might not have claimed anything at all; don’t you think that it is time to claim what is already ours?
Some of us have had hard beginnings; some of us have really gone through it but guess what?
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. {common...: or, moderate}
God has made a way to escape what you are going through, but here is the key, keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t quit looking at Him.
He is your help, He is your deliverance.
Sometimes we think that people like Elijah had never messed up, but guess what?
James 5:16-18
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. {subject...: of the same nature, that is, a fellow mortal} {earnestly: or, in his prayer}
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Elijah had the same passions that we have, He was mortal.
The thing about Elijah was that he was righteous and his prayers availed much.
If we are living a righteous life, our prayers avail much.
Elisha wanted what Elijah had, but in order to receive what he had and more, he had to stay focused.
Church, if we want a mantle that God is giving, then we need to stay focused on God and not waiver to the things of the world.
Church it is time to P.U.S.H.
PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS.
What are we praying for and what have the results been?
Are we receiving or are we still in want?
Elisha prayed and followed his Master until the end, are we following Jesus until the end?
When the Prophets prayed to God, there were results.
We live in a Prophetic generation and when we pray there should be results.
Acts 2:
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Church this is that:
Dreams, Visions and Prophecy
God is pouring out an anointing upon this church.
What are you doing with what is in your hands?
Closing
Are you making a great claim?
Does your shirt need ironed?
Does your life need fine tuning this morning?
Maybe you just need dedication in your walks.
Ask God for a dream to reveal to you, what it is that He has for you?
If you are interested in seeing some God given dreams go to:
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/w/windoffaithdrea/
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