The Secret To Eternal Life Romans 6:23

What I learned at Sunday School

Learning and teaching others the word of God. Teaching others as Jesus taught us through descipleship.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

2 Kings Chapter 4 Verse 1 - 7

*** Please read the scripture from the Bible first as this is God's good Word!! ***

Elisha was the predecessor of Elijah. A widowed woman had come to Elisha in need of help, for her husband had passed she hadn't a way to support her and her two boys as they owed a creditor. The creditor wanted to take her two sons and sell them into slavery in payment for the debt. Her husband was a servant of Elisha and was faithful to God.


Elisha asked "what can I do for you? What do you have in your house?" The woman replied, I don't have anything except a pot of oil. Elisha then told the woman to go borrow many empty vessels from her neighbors and when she gets the vessels, close the doors to her house and fill the vessels with oil, with her sons help. She did as Elijah told, her sons returned with the vessels and she closed the door. By grace of God she filled every vessel (the vessels that were filled were much more than that of which was in the initial pot of oil) that was borrowed. Then she inquired of Elisha what she was to do with all of the filled vessels of oil. Elisha responded, "Pay off your debt, and take the rest and live off of that with your sons".


There are several principals that we can learn from this. Trouble will arise even for those that are faithful to God. For this is the nature of life and it will be well worth having endured it when we are in heaven. How do we face trouble while still here on Earth? In this passage God Shows us how. Here are 7 principals that we see.


Understand that trials come for faithful people. (It is inevitable that we as Christians will face trouble, even though we are all servants of God.)


Remember that God does protect upon faithfulness of others. ( The widowers husband was servant of Elisha and was faithful to God, in turn God provided what was needed for the widower.)

  1. Ask for help in times of distress. (We always turn to God for help, but also don't be prideful not to ask of help from thy neighbor. The woman and two sons unprideful asked for vessels. For god works through us to help those in need.)

  2. Listen to God's commands carefully. (The woman obeyed that of which Elisha spoke which was God breathed. She could have poured all the oil into the vessels and sold it and kept the remaining, however she filled the vessels and when she had finished she inquired of what God wanted her to do next, which in turn was to sell the oil pay off the debt and live off the rest.)

  3. Obey with an expectant heart. (Obey God, for by his grace He will provide when the time is right. Don't be impatient, God does not break promises.)

  4. Obey with a disregard for personal pride. (As mentioned before, when in need, don't be prideful when asking for help, God works through others to bless those in need.)

  5. Follow through in your obedience. (Never assume you know what God is going to do next, always ask for guidance as he will always lead you down the path of obedience.)

posted by Ben at 10:39 PM
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2 Kings Chapter 5 Verse 1 - 19

Please read the Bible before proceeding for this is the the Word of GOD!


Naaman was the captain of the King of Syria, and by grace of God he was
a honorable. Naaman was also a leper. Now the Syrians had
gone out and brought a captive out of the land of Syria, a young maid
who waited on the wife of Naaman.


The maid knew of Naaman's disease and suggested to Naaman's wife that
she knew of a prophet of God that might be able to heal him. She
spoke of Elisha. The king of Syria heard word of what the maid
had suggested and decided to send a letter to the king of Israel.
Naaman and his servants departed with horses and chariots with gold,
silver, and raiment.


They along with the letter arrived with the king of Israel, and when
the king of Israel read the letter asking for assistance in helping
Naaman recover from leprosy, the king ripped his coat off and exclaimed
"Am I God, to kill and make alive that this man doth send unto me to
recover a man of his leprosy? where fore consider, I pray you and see
how he seeketh a quarrel against me!" ( In other words he thought
that the king of Syria was mocking him, insinuating that he was a god
that could heal the sick, and therefore must be a trick to start a
battle.)


When Elisha heard that the King of Israel was perturbed by this, he
went unto the king and asked why he was so upset. He told the
king that Naaman might seek his healing from God through the prophet of
Israel (Elisha).


Naaman then traveled with his horses and chariots to Elisha's
home. Elisha then sent a messenger down to Naaman and told him to
go wash in the Jordan seven times and that he will be healed.


Now Naaman thought that Elisha was going to come down and greet Naaman,
and perform a glorious healing by placing his hand on him and calling
on the name of the Lord. Then Naaman asked "Why must I wash in the
Jordan, aren't there other rivers that are more beautiful and better
than the Jordan?" as he left in a rage. Naaman's servants
asked him, "If Elisha asked you to do something great wouldn't you do
it? Then why don't you simply wash and be clean?"


Naaman then went down to the Jordan and dipped seven times and he was
healed. He then returned to Elisha and claimed that he now believe in
only one God the God of Israel, and not upon any other gods. He
offered Elisha gold, silver, and raiment, but Elisha refused the
offering.


Naaman proclaimed that when he returns and he goes with his master to
worship other gods in the house of Rimmon that God pardon him for he
may be going through the motions of worshiping these gods, but that in
his heart he only worships God of all.


Do you want a positive change in your life? Do you want to be
delivered from your wicked habits, addictions, and sinful
conditions? Do you really? Lets follow the principals that
God has presented in this scripture.


Lets take a look at 7 principals.

  1. Recognize your desperate need.


    • Some are sick and don't know
      it. (Some individuals have no clue that they are sick or
      don't really see their sin.)


    • Some are sick and won't admit it. (Some people refuse to
      acknowledge that they are sick or sinful and like to live
      in their sin and don't want to know the fact that it is bad. A
      good explanation of this is people who get 3rd and 4th opinions
      from doctors until the 5th doctor says, you are okay, nothing is
      wrong with you. )


    • Some are sick and think that they can cure themselves.
      (Some people think that they can cure themselves of illnesses,
      sicknesses, addictions or bad habits. One of the purposes
      of the 10 commandments is to show us that by human nature we can
      NOT abide by them no matter how hard we try. There is
      nothing we can do as human beings that can deliver us from
      sin. Even if you lead a "somewhat" good life, and pay taxes and
      pick up litter, and hold the door open for little old ladies, we
      are all prone to sin.)


    • Some are sick and have no hope. (This is my favorite. This is
      the point of your life when God brings you to your knees, "the
      bottom of the barrel", not to chastise you, but to show you that
      you need something in your life not of this world. You need to
      accept Christ as your savior for one and we need to surrender and
      submit our lives unto God, we need to place all our trust and
      dependence on God and ONLY God.


  2. Be willing to accept guidance from anywhere God chooses to give
    it. (In the story of Naaman the suggestion had come from the
    little maid. It is so divine how God has arranged the incidents
    in our lives to happen for blessings unto others.)

    Keep these in mind.


    • He will often send someone you
      don't respect.


    • He will often send someone you don't like.


    • He will often say what you don't want to hear.


    • But when your heart is prepared you will listen to anyone that
      God sends and accept what is told. (If you don't listen, he will
      make you more desperate, so that you will listen.)


  3. Abandon your public illusion of perfection. ( We need to let
    go of our public image, and illusion that we all lead a life of
    perfection. This means release your PRIDE. Naaman was upset
    that Elisha didn't come down to meet him to perform a glorious healing
    ceremony, but that Elish told him to go wash in the Jordan.
    Naaman was prideful and wanted to wash in a more beautiful river, but
    it wasn't until he put his pride aside and simply washed in the Jordan
    by obeying God, then was healed.


  4. Understand that God is teaching lessons to others through your
    trouble. (God used Naaman's illness to teach everyone from
    Naaman's wife, to the king of Israel, to Naaman's servants, including
    Naaman. God works through you to bless others, sometimes bad things
    happen but we need to put aside the thinking of "why me?" and look at
    the big picture, God is trying to get your attention, and we need to
    listen.


  5. Quit thinking of yourself as deserving of some special
    privilege. ( Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of
    the Glory of God. Some people ask why do bad things happen to
    good people, and the answer is "there are no good people".)


  6. Accept God's terms unconditionally. (We need to abandon our personal
    ideas and expectations and listen to what God wants us to do on His
    terms.)


  7. Follow God for life.


    • Worship Him forever.


    • Worship Him only.

posted by Ben at 4:51 PM
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