A MAN TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN ALIVE

Prophet Elijah  said to Israel King  Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

Then the Lord said to Elijah: “Go and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

So he went and stayed there.  The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.

Later the brook dried up as there had been no rain in the land.

 Then the Lord said to him:  “Go to Zarephath and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 

So he went to Zarephath and met a widow and asked, “bring me a little water in a jar and a piece of bread.”

She replied, “I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug to take make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

Elijah said, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. The Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

She did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.  For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry.

Some time later the son of the woman became ill and finally stopped breathing. 

She said to Elijah, “Did you come to kill my son?”

Then Elijah prayed to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned. Elijah gave him to his mother. Then the woman said, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.” (1 Kings 17)

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” 

So Elijah went to Ahab. At that time the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator.(Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord.  While Jezebel( the Queen) was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, and had supplied them with food and water.)  

And when Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.  Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. Bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

So Ahab assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah said to the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire —he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.  He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham,Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried,

“The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

“There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18)

Elijah Flees to Horeb

Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”  Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.  Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19)

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

  When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho. ”

And he replied, “I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that theLord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”

And he replied, “I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dryground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind

Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it.

“Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of theLord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” (2 Kings 2)

Famous story of a father with his two sons

There was a man who had two sons. 

1.Younger son : The younger one said to his father,

 ”Father, give me my share of the estate.”

So he (the father) divided his property between them (two sons).

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.”

 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him,

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15: 11-24) This parable was told by Jesus.

2. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

^“‘Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father,

“Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15: 25-32)

In the first place, the younger son is the picture of a lost child or non-Christian. God created us to be with Him. But sin makes man living far away from God and life without God is miserable. In the second place, the younger son is the picture of a lost or backsliding Christian, lost in sin but returned to God by realizing the grave condition and consequences of sin. When one realized the difficulties of life without God and return to Him, God is very please and bless the him/her abundantly.

The second or elder brother is a carnal Christian. He is living in Christian society with the church. But he is lost in understanding that He is the child of God. He did not recognize that his father God is with him, helping him and everything his father God has belongs to him. Therefore, he can not live in peace and his spiritual life is not growing because of his ignorance. He body is at home but his spirit is lost and is farther away than his younger brother. So, he could not realize his grave condition; he did not know that he is lost.

EVERY CHRISTIAN IS A MISSIONARY

Every Christian is a missionary. We become missionary since we have surrendered our life to Christ and actively following Jesus. We are on a mission every single day of our life, wherever we are, wherever we go and live.

God has made you exactly who you are. You have talents and abilities that are uniquely your own. You have interests and hobbies, friends and co-workers. You have interaction with all kinds of people every single day. Where do you work and live? Who are your neighbors and co-workers? That is your mission field.

What do you enjoy doing? Who has God made you to be?

That is all you need to worry about. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, wherever you are going, that is exactly where your personal mission takes place.

We are called to relate to other human beings as a human being, to love people, wherever we are and whoever is in our way. That is our mission.

Conversion is not in our job. The main thing that Jesus commanded his followers to do was to love people, to serve people and to communicate the good news of the Kingdom of God to anyone we meet along the way.

Conversion is entirely God’s job, not ours. This means we are free to surrender ourselves to His perfect plan and focus on being the people of God every single day of our lives. This is far from easy, but God promises to help us along the way.

The most important thing to remember is that God loves people far more than you or I do. He will help us to love them as He does, if we will daily surrender ourselves to His perfect will. All we have to do is to say “Yes” to God and begin to learn from Jesus what it means to love people as He does.

We are on the mission field now. We can send Gospel messages every day through internet and tell others about God’s Love for all anywhere we go, work and live.

CHRISTIANS ARE AMBASSADOR OF GOD

The best love we can show to others is to tell them the Love of God. God loves all and want to bless them. It is the best help one can extend to others, because, we can not help others as much as they need. But God can help them, more than they require. God bless those who follow His instruction and become His children.

God had chosen Israelite to be His ambassador, to tell His Love and plan of Salvation from sin and its consequence (eternal condemnation in hell). But Israelite kept it as their sacred possession. They consider themselves the only God's children, God as the God of Israel only. God sent Jesus to save all. Even after the death of Jesus, the Israelite called themselves 'Jew' and other tribes 'Gentiles' and try to disturb them to join the earthly family of God, the Church. They tried to circumcise (as if to make them Jew) even if they are allowed.

Therefore, Paul says, "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, or, of the Gentiles also." (Romans 3:29)

God is the Creator of the universe and man. Man sin against God and live far away from God. The result is, every problems of life on earth and eternal condemnation in hell after death. God loves us all and sent His Son Jesus Christ so that all who believe and accept Him as Lord and Saviour may be saved from the power of sin and its ungodly suppernatural power inflicting the people with miseries in this world and eternal condemnation in hell after life. When one receive Jesus, God accept him as His child and protect him, thus, give him the Holy Spirit to protect, help and guide him live 'a blessed life'.

Therefore, every Christian is an ambassador of God in Jesus Christ. We have to tell the Love of God as reveals in Jesus Christ. We have to tell all people, irrespective of caste and creed about ‘Salvation in Jesus Christ’. Believing and acceptance is up to them. No one preach the Gospel by force. It is sharing God’s Love for all. Our duty is to tell them. The rest is in the hand of God. Whether to accept or not is the responsibility of the hearer or the audience.

In short, The best love we can show to others is to tell them the Love of God. It is the best help one can extend to others. God loves all and want to bless them if they follow is plan. It is the best help because, we can not help others as much as they need. But God can help them, more than they require. God bless those who follows His instruction and become His children. They may accept and become God’s children as you tell them ‘ how to become God’s child’.

It is the duty of every Christian to tell others about God’s love for them and His plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ. To respond or not is up to them.  Our duty is to let them know.

Jesus Christ commanded all believers saying “,“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”(Matthew 28:18-20)

THE BIBLE HAS SPECIAL POWER 5.BIBLE STUDY FOR THE CHOSEN

 ”For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

 ”For the Word of God is living and active .  .”:

 01) The Bible is having dividing power as a sword (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible will separate man from sin (Psalm 119:11), or sin will separate man from the Bible (Isaiah 59:2).

 02) The Bible claims reflecting power as a mirror (James 1:22-25). In the Bible we see ourselves as God sees us - as sinners (Romans 3:23).

03) The Bible claims cleansing power as water (Ephesians 5:26). David prayed that God would wash him from iniquity and cleanse him from sin (Psalm 51:2).

04) The Bible claims reproductive power as seed (1 Peter 1:23). We are children of God, because we have been born into the family of God by the imperishable seed of God. This is the new birth (John 3:1-7).

 05) The Bible claims nourishing power as food (1 Peter 2:2). The Bible is spiritual food for the soul. No Christian can remain strong in the Lord and not study the Word of God.”

GOOD NEWS IN ROMANS 1. BELIEVERS ARE TO WITNESS JESUS CHRIST:

 “ Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1)

As Paul said, all the believers of Jesus Christ, having saved by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour are called (ordained / appointed) to be His witness (His servant), to tell ‘Salvation in Jesus Christ.

But, you must first received His Salvation to preach the Gospel successfully. Preaching without having Salvation in Jesus Christ are not effective. Because, to be effective, it must be the voice of God. God gives the Holy Spirit to all believers after they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Therefore, God speaks through the Holy Spirit  and bless when the indweller of  the Holy Spirit preach the Gospel.

GOD WORKS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8)

God reveals Himself and works through the Holy Spirit. “Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2)

“the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him(Samson) while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol”. (Judges 13:25) 

“The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done” (Judges 14:6) 

 “Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home. …” (Judges 14:19)

 “As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.” (Judges 15:14-15)

When Samson disobeyed God and shaved off the seven braids of his hair, his strength (the Spirit of the Lord) left him and so his enemies subdued him. They seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. But Samson prayed again and God helped and he killed many enemies and he also died.(Judges16.)

After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came on Him and was with Jesus till the end. Jesus lived a sinless life and taught the words of God and performed many miracles. At last, He died on the cross on behalf of all the people of the world and rouse again. Everyone who believe in Him and accept Him as Lord and Saviour will become the children of God, saved from eternal condemnation in Hell.

God forgive the sin of every believer and give them the Holy Spirit – to help them live a good life, to be like Christ. All who receive the Holy Spirit have the power and blessings of God through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, let us always pray and ask God to give us the Holy Spirit with His power and blessing.

4: THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF ONENESS 4.BIBLE STUDY FOR THE CHOSEN

 ”For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:21)

 ”The oneness or unity of the Bible is a miracle. It is a library of 66 books, written by over 35 different authors, in a period of approximately 1,500 years. Represented in the authors is a cross section of humanity: educated and uneducated, including kings, fishermen, public officials, farmers, teachers, and physicians. Included in the subjects, are religion, history, science, poetry, drama, biography, and prophecy.

 For 35 authors, with such varied backgrounds, to write on so many subjects over a period of approximately 1,500 years in absolute harmony, is a mathematical impossibility. It could not happen! Then how do we account for the Bible? The only adequate explanation is: “ . . . men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21).”