Double mint gum

It is spread by person to person contact

It has spread quickly in China

It has spread world wide

North Korea has no reported cases of having it.

People that don’t have it, don’t seem to want it.

If you get it, you are likely to pray a-lot.

It is most affective on the very young, the very old and the sick.

If you spray someone in the face with lysol, your chances of sharing it with them go way down.

Once you get it, you just have to let it do it’s thing.

There are many people that have it, but you can’t tell by looking at them.

Elijah’s farewell tour

2 Kings 2:1 NASB95

1 And it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 Kings 2:1

Elijah was afraid of girls. He went up and was crying to God.

1 Kings 19:15–16 NASB95

15 The Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

1 Kings 19:15-16

2 Kings 2:2–6 NASB95

2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; be still.” 4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be still.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

2 Kings 2:2-

Why did Elijah not want Elisha to go with him?

It was to test Elisha’s commitment to God.

Jesus asking the disciples to stay awake with him

Peter denying Christ three times.

Jesus asking Peter if you loved him.

Elijah didn’t want anyone there that God didn’t want there.

He didn’t want Elisha to worship him and not God.

2 Kings 2:7–10 NASB95

7 Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”

2 Kings 2:7-

Comparison to Moses

Elisha wasn’t being greedy

Deuteronomy 21:17 NASB95

17 “But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn.

The first born son was to carry on the father’s name, he was responsible for carrying on the father’s work. It was both a blessing and a big responsibility.

By asking for a double portion, Elisha was acknowledging Elijah as his spiritual father. He was the one that raised him in the knowledge of God and was ready to take the responsibility of the first born.

Asked a hard thing......It was not Elijah’s to give. It would have to be a gift from God. The test was weather Elisha had spiritual eyes to see what God wanted him to see.

2 Kings 2:11–14 NASB95

11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.

2 Kings 2:11-

Elisha saw Elijah ascent and the Chariots and the horseman. (presumably the 50 didn’t)

My father, my father....Acknowledging Elijah as his spiritual father.

I think we get morning wrong.

Tore his clothes. act of morning Elijah departure. Morning isn’t for the person that died, it is because we have to live without them.

Where is the Lord? An acknowledgement that the power comes from God, not Elijah or his mantle (cloak)

Please God not people

Not saying to be a jerk to people.

Romans 12:18 NASB95

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Not saying do take advise from wise people

Proverbs 12:15 NASB95

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

What I am saying is that you should be more concerned of what God thinks of you rather than what people think of you.

Galatians 1:10 NASB95

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 NASB95

4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

We will disobey God by lying in order that people wont think bad of us.

We are scared to death that someone will think us weak or strange. They won’t think of me as a real man and so we hide and lie so that people will like us, the whole wile being disobedient to God. For the believer, that is trampling on grace spitting in the face of God.

Matthew 10:28 NASB95

28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Elisha wasn’t worried about disobeying Elijah or hurting his feelings or worried that Elijah would think less of him. He was on mission and being obedient to what God had given him to do.

Matthew 10

When Peter was jailed and threatened and told not to preach in the name of Jesus:

Acts 5:29 NASB95

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

Acts 5:

Many times that person you are trying to please most of all is yourself.

Matthew 16:24–26 NASB95

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24

Matthew 10:38 NASB95

38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

But we would rather feed our own flesh with gossip and backbiting, with no regard of what our Father thinks of that.

We are often times verbally Christian put spiritually atheist.

We say that we believe in God, but live like we’ve never seen him.

Those that knew Jesus best called themselves Bond Servant. Willing slaves of the Lord Jesus. Completely and utterly obedient to whatever the Lord requires of them.

Where are you?