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Holding onto dreams past the expiration date
When Hezekiah cleaned out the temple, one of the things cleaned out was the bronze serpent used by Moses in the Book of Numbers. When the serpents were attacking the Israelites, Moses was instructed to make a bronze serpent and hold it up. When the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent, they would be saved from the snake bites. One…
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This is an EASY Thing for God
2 Kings 3:14-19 Elisha prophesied for Joram, not out of any love for the man, but out of respect for Jehoshaphat. The trouble was Moab and Joram wanted to know if they were going to be okay. The thought that stands out for me is this: “This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.” (v. 18, NIV)…
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The COST of Revival
I talked earlier about why we don’t want a move of God. It’s about the JUNK. Josiah wanted a move of God again. He wanted the favor of God, and that meant clearing out the temple, then repairing the temple. It meant getting rid of the shrines all over the country, and the priests attached to those shrines. The longer you wait to deal with junk,…
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Great Followers of God Still Get It Wrong
Hezekiah was one who followed God to a greater degree than most kings before him. His story begins in 2 Kings 18. He not only follows God and does what is right, but he tears down the high places. He finally got rid of the bronze serpent Moses had used in the wilderness. There is this great tribute to his…
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The Divine Math
OA+DA=GV One of my heroes in ministry spoke at our church yesterday and he gave us this formula from 2 Kings 4, the story of the widow and Elisha. She was in debt and the creditors were going to take her children as slaves. Elisha had her take the little oil she had and begin pouring it into every vessel…
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Conviction Wasn’t Always a Bad Word
2 Kings 22 Josiah heard the Book of the Law read and then tore his clothes. He was broken. He allowed the words of the Lord to tear into his heart. He didn’t sit stroking his chin and contemplating the words. “Well, should I obey or not?” His heart was shredded. We work so hard to make sure we don’t…
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Sometimes You Just Need to Get Fed Up
Good kings were rare in Judah. They were non-existent in the northern kingdom of Israel. 2 Kings 18 begins the story of Hezekiah. He is not the first righteous king, but he takes serving the Lord to another level. When good kings followed God, they usually left the “high places.” They didn’t tear down everything that didn’t point Judah to the…
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Keeping Track of the Kings in Kings
Reading 2 Kings after the stories of Elisha could get a bit confusing. Who was in Israel? Who was in Judah? What is Samaria? One way to at least try and stay on task that has been helpful for me is to notice when a new king comes in the picture. I look for a few things that get mentioned…
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Living in the Current Anointing of God
In reading through the story of Elisha I am struck by the ease with which Elisha moves in each situation. The miraculous pours from him. He has not looked back since he struck the Jordan River with Elijah’s cloak. There is almost the mundane situation of having the stew taste funny and he knew what to do. Then there is…
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Where is the God of Elijah?
Elisha asks this question as he comes back to the Jordan after witnessing Elijah being taken to heaven. He has the mantle of Elijah and he has asked for the firstborn’s inheritance: a double portion. He cries out, “Where is the God of Elijah?” and strikes the water. The Jordan parts again. As I read this passage and look through…
Tag: 2 Kings
