10 August 2008 8AM
Apostle Aje Pelser
2 Kin 2:1… – Elisha knew that Elijah was about to be taken by God, but he wanted the power of God in his life. There are many prophets that know and see prophetically that are going to miss the power of God in their lives – just like these prophets that missed it by telling Elisha something that he already knew.

There are always people looking from a distance at what God is doing. They understand it and they speak about it, but there are few people that are willing to take a step through the Jordan and enter into the power of the Lord. There are many people that watch the revivals around the world and see the healing, but there are few of them who step into the healing and are healed. One of the responsibilities of an apostle is to see to it that people enter into the power of God, and not just spectate from a distance.

God is challenging us, just like Elisha was challenged by Elijah to stay behind, but Elisha refused and went along wherever Elijah went. Sometimes He challenges us out of our comfort zones and makes us uncomfortable. That is where the miracle is.

Elijah was moving around and telling Elisha to stay behind. It was almost rude. Jesus told a man that had never walked before in his life to stand up. Some people would get angry if it were them, but then there are some that move past the anger and take the miracle. If we react in the flesh and not in the Spirit, we miss our miracle. Sometimes God will offend our minds to change our hearts.
After Elijah and Elisha had crossed the Jordan, Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit / anointing/ power of God upon Elijah. This was a hard thing because Elijah was known to be taken from one place to the other without having to walk there; God transported him.

So Elisha requested a double portion of Elijah's anointing.

If you saw a chariot of fire with horses of fire, wouldn't that be impressive? But did Elijah go up into heaven in an impressive chariot of fire? No. He went up in a whirlwind. Sometimes spiritual things and signs and wonders will try and distract you from the focus God wants you to have. Remember that we are not following signs and wonders; signs and wonders follow us. If you just look at what is impressive in the world and what is impressive in ministries, then you are going to miss it, because you're going to run after outward experiences. God wants you to focus. That is what Elijah was teaching Elisha – to focus on what is important and not on what is impressive.

Sometimes, as christians, we run after this or that “Jesus is here, or Jesus is there”, “we must go to see the miracles”. No. The miracle Worker is inside of you. God has placed miracles in the church – 1 Cor 12:28.
Desiring the best gifts :1 Cor 12:31 – the best is what that person needs in that specific time. We always want to compare and compete, but if a person needs a word of wisdom, then that is the best gift for them right then. If a person needs a miracle, don't give them a word of wisdom! The Holy Spirit knows the best gift for the person.

When Elijah was taken up, Elisha took his own clothes and tore them and put on the mantle that fell from Elijah. What does this represent? It represents calling the old obsolete. What we need to do as a christian world today is call the old ways obsolete. Stop going to a tent meeting for miracles. This is a word for Africa, because we think – in Africa, that miracles happen in tents, but God is lifting us beyond that. Praise God for the tents, it was necessary and Africa is getting saved! But if you think that that is where miracles happen, then you are mistaken. We are tearing our old garments and our old ways of thinking. We put God in a tent and think that that is where He works miracles. We are tearing those clothes and saying 'no'. 

Elisha took up the mantle, struck the river with it and walked back over it on dry ground, then he wore it. Now the problem with christians are that we would now go and worship the mantle. The apostolic perspective on this is that the anointing is not in the mantle. The Spirit of God is spread out over all of us as believers, and it's no longer just one of us that gets 'a mantle'. Each person has their own anointing. We're not looking for another person's anointing anymore. That was the Old Covenant. Remember that in the Old Covenant, the Spirit of God was not poured out on all flesh. It was just Elijah and a few other prophets that had a relationship with God on that level.

Now, in the New Covenant, His Spirit is poured out on all flesh. The good news today is, that you don't have to be 'the one'. God can use you mightily and His power can flow through your life, and you can believe God for miracles in your own life, because you are part of a church now! The mantle has fallen on His body – the church, and the church is now saying: “where is the God of Elijah”, and we open the rivers and walk through as the people of God. There are no longer idols that we follow around to witness a miracle.

Praise God that we are a many membered body of believers representing Christ. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He also gave gifts to men – Eph 4. These gifts were given to equip the saints in the body. Now the devil doesn't know who to kill because God can use people that one disregards in a church to work amazing miracles. God does a miracle through whom He wishes, and is not a respecter of persons. God is not impressed by our ministries or the idols that christians make. He looks to ordinary people who will obey Him, serve Him and have a relationship with Him.

We need to get to know the Giver of the gifts, not just seek the gifts.

The word says that we should earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that we can prophesy, but the next level is faith, hope and love – this is the more excellent way.
Praise God, the church is moving away from just looking at who has gifts, and who performs the best miracles. We are not competing. This takes so much pressure of us and gives glory to God. God can do things the way that He likes. It's not about you or me, it's about what that person needs. Take your eyes off your faith, and put it one the Lord. Sometimes we put our eyes on our faith and on what we think we can do for God. What we can do cannot even compare to what a life surrendered to the Lord can do. So, don't try and produce it, let the Holy Spirit do it as He wills, and you will walk in miracle land and in the land of healing. You will experience the God of Elijah in your life everyday.

This is what Christ paid for: that you are all not looking to see who can catch the mantle!

Trust God for a miracle in your life! See the God of Elijah active in your life!