Salt & Light Blog

1 Peter 1 God Defines You by a New Name not the Accusations of the Enemy

5/23/2016

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Peter 1:3

Listen to the Audio devotional read by Anna Bonet by clicking the video below.

1 Peter 1
Today, we will begin reading the two epistles (that is letters) written by Peter. Peter is my favorite apostle. Is it weird to have a favorite apostle? I love his exuberance, even when it led him to be embarrassed, he acted first in his passion for Jesus. That exuberance is described in the story of Jesus’ appearing to the disciples after His resurrection. Peter, Thomas, James, John and two other disciples were fishing without any luck. Jesus appeared on the shore and told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The fishermen did not recognize Him at first, but they did as He suggested and pulled in more fish than should have been possible. The story continues in John 21:7.
That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
Peter jumped in first and trusted God for the rest. I tend to that and like Peter sometimes I end up all wet. But Jesus was waiting for him on the shore with a great job and a description of the amazing changes He would make in His friend (John 21:9-19). Peter is often remembered for the mistakes he made, but the legacy he left the church is not his denial of Christ. The legacy he left for us, is in his assertion that Jesus is the Christ.
When Jesus found Peter, he was a lively and hardworking fisherman (Matthew 4:18-22). He was the first to proclaim Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-20). Although eleven of the twelve disciples abandoned Jesus on the night of his arrest, Peter’s denial was most remembered. His highs were soaring and his lows were plummeting. But Peter’s future was not based on the mistakes of his past, it was based on his love, passion, and commitment for Jesus. Peter’s hope was founded on Jesus Christ and the awesome work of the Holy Spirit. Believer, your future isn’t based on the mistakes of your past, but on the hope of Jesus Christ. You are born again, you are new.
This first letter from Peter begins with verses 1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
We are being sanctified, that is made holy like Jesus by the Holy Spirit. God has known from before we were born who we would be and what we would go through. He has never left us, He will never leave us, no matter how great our mistakes, how devastating our sins. He loves us and sticks with us in order to make us into who we were meant to be, who He knows we are.
God does not define us by our mistakes. He did not define Simon Peter by his wavering temperament, He called him Peter, the Rock! God changed him from vacillating boisterous Simon into steadfast passionate Peter. How does God see you? I promise you Believer, He doesn’t see you as the sins, mistakes, and character flaws the enemy wants you to suppose about yourself. He sees you as His righteous child, a new creation. Verses 3-9 read,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Our future is not in question and cannot be taken away from us. Our names, our true identities are written in the Book of Life and cannot be blotted out. Revelation 3:5 reads,
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
We go through some really difficult times on this earth, none of what we go through can take away our eternity or make us back into who we used to be. The enemy will call you names, he’ll accuse you of every sin he can to try and take away your hope, but it is being guarded by The LORD God. God allows all that bad stuff to refine you and make you even more like Jesus. We can even find reasons to celebrate the bad stuff because Jesus.
Throughout the ages, people have suffered for Jesus, even before He was born in Bethlehem. What the prophets went through was for God’s glory and our benefit! We don’t remember them for their shortcomings but for who God made them to be. We remember their identities in Christ, not their identities in the world. When you think of Elisha, do you remember the bald man who unleashed a she-bear to kill a bunch of bullying kids? (2 Kings 2:23-25). I doubt it. Likely you remember the man who did miracle after miracle for the Lord, who had a double portion of God’s Spirit (2 Kings 2:9-14). Our new identities are not for us alone, it is for God’s glory, for the lost to come to know Jesus. Verses 10-12 read,
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets and they told Israel and us about Jesus. He comes into us today too, not to leave us as we were but to change us, sanctify and make us new. Why? So we too can preach the Gospel, not by our own power but by The Holy Spirit. That is not nothing! The angels long know some of what The Holy Spirit says to us.
It is a big deal to be born again. It’s huge to live as our new selves with this unshakable hope. So much of why we can endure the suffering we do is because we know the truth. We know who Jesus is, we know our future, and we know that even in the here and now, we are not like the world. We are citizens of Heaven. In Philippians 3:20-21 Paul said,
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

That is our future and that is how we endure. That is how we point the world to Salvation in Jesus Christ. We were once lost. We were once sinners and slaves to the prince of the world. But that is not who we are anymore. Our lives should show it! Verses 13-19 read,
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

We are here for such a short time when you compare it to eternity. Our childhood, our time on this earth is a flash. People love to say YOLO, “you only live once” as an excuse to do whatever they want. We do only live once, but that life is eternal! Perhaps we should use YOLO to live for Christ and die to ourselves. Perhaps we should love people like Jesus loves them and show them who they can be instead of who they think they are doomed to be. Jesus can be their Redeemer. He has always been the one and only way to salvation. Verses 20-25 read,
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Believer, you only have this one short life to live on earth. Who will you be? Will you be who Satan has accused you of being? Or will you choose to live in the glory of God as who He has made you to be? Will you be the sinner or the saint?

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2 Kings 13:10-25 The Lord Will Never Forsake You

2/3/2016

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Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:12-14

s2 Kings 13:10-25
Today’s passage describes the reign of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. Verses 10-13 read,
“In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.11 He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. 12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.”
It would seem that that is all that will be written about this Jehoash or Joash (the two names are interchangeable, like Michael and Mike refer to the same person). He walked in the way of Jeroboam and led Israel in sin, meaning he not only encouraged Jeroboam’s false religion which displaced true worship in Samaria, he practiced it. But even so, The Lord did not forsake Joash nor did He forget Israel. In fact Joash was a mighty warrior king for Israel because The Lord refused to relinquish His people.
Verse 14 turns from Joash to Elisha.
“Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
Elisha was ill and he was going to die. Joash came to see him and he was distraught over losing this man, the father to the sons of the prophets, father to a nation and better for Israel’s security than an army of chariots and horsemen. When Elijah, Elisha’s mentor was taken to Heaven, Elisha cried out the very same thing as The Lord allowed him to see His army take Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-13). Although Joash did not worship The Lord in the way The Lord had commanded, he still turned to Him, he still trusted The Lord to protect Israel and be their God because of Elisha. God would not abandon His people even when they turned from Him. Verses 15-19 read,
And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”
Elisha was not angry that Joash had only struck the ground three times, he was angry that the people he loved would not completely eradicate their sin and would not completely overcome Syria. Joash would lead his people in victory against Syria three times, but he would not eliminate the threat for future generations. Joash did not give his entire heart to The Lord, only part of it. If he had loved The Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:6), he would have taught the people of Israel to worship The Lord in truth and he would have torn down the false temple. Real faith results in real works which results in real effects. James 2:14-22 explains it this way,
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;”
Even so, The Lord did not desert Joash and Israel, He kept His covenant with them, He is their God and they are His people and they will know He is The Lord (Exodus 6:7). They didn’t keep the covenant, but God did. And He extended that covenant to believers in Jesus Christ who have been grafted into the olive tree of Israel (2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Romans 11:17-23).
After Joash said goodbye to the beloved prophet, Elisha died. Verses 20-21 read,
“So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.”
Even after his death, Elisha’s life was life-giving to people who remembered him, to people who heard and read what was recorded about his life and deeds, and literally to a dead man thrown into the grave with him. Elisha’s legacy continued to glorify The Lord, his legacy saved lives. He spoke the Word of God. He never backed down from that. God was always with Him. The Spirit of God was on Elisha from the moment he put on Elijah’s mantle and never left him.
God used Joash even though he did not worship Him in spirit and truth. But look how much more The Lord used Elisha who was totally ‘sold out’ to Him. Israel and Judah were saved numerous times, countless people came to faith in The Lord, the sons of the prophets learned, and people were raised from the dead even after his death. Consider how much more The Lord will use you and me, Brothers and Sisters, who have the Holy Spirit not just on us but within us! Consider the impact we can make for the Kingdom of God because we love The Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Consider the lives that can be saved, the people snatched from death because we have Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. You and I can make a difference if we let God use us fully. Ephesians 1:15-23 reads,
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
Unlike Joash, Jesus conquered the enemy and made us victors with Him. He completely wiped Satan out, and one day soon Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. But there is more to do. There are people blindly following Satan to Hell, they must be rescued. In Matthew 10:7-8 Jesus commanded his disciples,
“And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.”
He would not tell us to do something and not make it possible for us to do it. Elisha had the Spirit of God on Him and he did all these things for The Lord. We have the spirit of God in us, we can do all the things that Jesus did. Together and the unified body of Christ, the impact we could and should make on this world should be huge! In John 14:11-17 Jesus said,
“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me[ anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
The Lord did not abandon Joash or Israel, His special possession. He did not abandon Elisha, His prophet. He will not abandon us, His sons and daughters. Do not be afraid to glorify The Lord and do the works that prove your faith to the world.

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2 Kings 13:1-9 How Do You Respond to God’s Discipline?

2/2/2016

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My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

2 Kings 13:1-9
It is rarely fun to be disciplined but The Lord’s discipline is good and it has a purpose. He loves us so much. He loves us despite our rebellion, sin, and complete disregard of Him. Consider the most vile or evil person you can think of. God loves that person and He wants a relationship with that person. Consider yourself now, think about how you have at some point sinned horribly or perhaps just walked away from God. What did God do? Did He just forget you? Did He decide He was finished with you because you were finished with Him or because you had committed some grievous act? No, He disciplined you. He taught you better. He called you back to a relationship with Him. It was up to you how you responded. Did you thank Him for the discipline and grow from it? Did you turn back to Him? Did you become angry and self-pitying when He disciplined you? Did you spurn His call and run farther away? None of that made Him love you less. Verses 1-3 reads,
“In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.”
God loved Israel and he loved Jehoahaz and He was not going to just let him lead the people to more sin by leading them in Jeroboam’s false religion. So He disciplined them by continually handing them over to Ben-hadad, the enemy.
God loves the people of Israel, His treasured possession. He told them they would be His people and He would be there God and they would know He was The LORD (Exodus 6:7). He never dropped the ball on His side of that covenant, but the people did. He made the same promise to us. 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 reads,
“What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
God will discipline us because He loves us but it is up to us how we respond to that discipline. Revelation 3:19-20 says,
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Jehoahaz chose to respond in a way that might surprise some of us. Verses 4-5 describe it,
“Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly.”
Jehoahaz sought God’s favor and God listened. God responded by sending them a savior and restoring them to their homes. The savior the Lord sent was probably either Jehoash, Jehoahaz’s son (1 Kings 13:25) or Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:27) or Elisha who counseled all of them with God’s word. I believe it refers to Elisha who throughout his life was a type of Christ (a representation or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ). He continually gave the kings of Judah and Israel the word of The Lord to bring them into God’s will and favor.
When we repent, when we seek God’s favor, we also receive a savior who will and has conquered our enemy for us. Jesus Christ is standing at the door and knocking. We only have to repent to open that door and let Him be the savior He is. Until we do, The Lord will hand us over to the enemy. The Lord will discipline us as long as there is hope that we will answer the invitation and turn from our sin to Him and ask forgiveness. Then we can have the relationship with God that He made us to have.
Verses 6-9 read,
“Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) 7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.”
Jehoahaz repented, but he did not stop sinning. He continued to lead the people of Israel in wrong worship. Jehoahaz partially repented and the Lord partially restored Israel. He saved them. He gave them back their homes, but their army was depleted and weak. They remained at risk of invasion and had to rely on the Lord for protection.
Man of us repent, only to hold onto certain sins. Is that true of you as it is for me? Have you counted on God’s grace and chosen to continue the sin, you say you repented of? God will continue to discipline us. He will continue to work in us and on us so that we can grow more and more into His image. God will not give up on you until you are perfectly restored to His image, the image He created you in (Genesis 1:27). Philippians 1:6 reads,
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Let the Lord do His great work. Respond knowing that the Lord loves you and wants the best for you.

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2 Kings 6:24-33- Chapter 7 The Blame Game and The Famine in Samaria

1/26/2016

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2 Kings 6:24-33- Chapter 7
Samaria had stopped raiding Israel. But they were still in a war, so they surrounded Samaria and caused a tremendous famine. Things were really bad in Samaria. Verses 24-25 describe it.
“Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver.”
A Donkey’s head is bad enough to consider as food, but pigeon poo is really awful. It was used as food in desperate times since dove’s dung was plentiful. A kab is just a little under a quart and a half. These unappealing foods were what was available and their scarcity made them precious. The famine was horrible. Money was becoming just as scarce as food. People were starving. Verses 26-31 read,
“Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the Lord will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was passing by on the wall—and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body— 31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”
The woman was desperate, so desperate that she ate her own child and was angry that the second child to be her meal was hidden. She had sacrificed her son and lived up to her end of the bargain but this other woman had not, and she blamed the king. When he heard how terrible the situation had become he was seriously anguished. He tore his clothes in grief and it was apparent that his sorrow was genuine because under his robes he wore sackcloth. But he chose self-pity and depression instead of turning to God for help.
The woman blamed the king but he couldn’t take the blame himself. He threw the blame on Elisha and vowed vengeance. Did his anger and rash oath fix the problem? No, the woman still had no food and no son. The king had not come up with a solution. He had not turned to God. The king should have gone to Elisha and asked him to inquire of the Lord regarding the famine. But instead he chose to blame God and accuse Him of doing nothing. He chose to look at his resources instead of God’s unending supply. Instead of being the king of his people, he joined them and whined and grieved instead of praying.
Elisha was not blaming God, he was as always in fellowship with The Lord and so he knew the king had sent men to kill him. Verses 32-33 read,
“Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?”33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
People are so quick to blame God for troubles. It is easier to blame God and be angry with Him than to take responsibility for poor choices. It is easier to cry foul and wallow in pity than to pray give the problem to the Lord. But Elisha did not blame God. Elisha knew The Lord could, would, and was taking care of them. He trusted God to be God in every circumstance. Chapter 7 verses 1-2 record what happened next.
“But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
A seah is about 7 quarts. The Lord told them that the famine would be turned around completely that good food was going to be so abundant that it would be cheap. He also saved Elisha’s head by it. The king did not send his captain to inquire of The Lord through Elisha, but The Lord chose to give him the message anyway. Before the captain went back to the king to tell him, he scoffed at the idea. It did seem pretty ridiculous. A third of a quart of dove dung was five shekels and Elisha was saying that tomorrow seven quarts of fine flour would be one! That might be like someone saying, tomorrow a gallon of gas will cost you 25 cents. If the message didn’t come from God, you might scoff as well. So the captain sealed his fate. God told him, you’ll see this come to pass but not one taste of the food will pass your lips.
It seems no one but Elisha believed that God would be God. They blamed God for the problem but couldn’t credit Him with the solution. So the Lord set His work into action. Who did he decide to use? Did he choose the self-pitying king, the woman who destroyed her future to save her present, or the farmers who had killed their donkeys for food? No, He chose four unlikely men to save Samaria. Verses 5-10 in The Message read,
“So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder.
9 Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this! This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!”
10 So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: “We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were.”
The LORD had terrified the army and sent them running so quickly that they left everything behind. The four lepers at first did what many of us might do, they took for themselves, but when they realized that letting people die was wrong and when they saw how plentiful the food, livestock and money were they did the right thing and reported it to the king. Verses 11-16 of The Message read,
“The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. Roused in the middle of the night, the king told his servants, “Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that we were starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we’ll capture them alive and take the city.’”
13 One of his advisors answered, “Let some men go and take five of the horses left behind. The worst that can happen is no worse than what could happen to the whole city. Let’s send them and find out what’s happened.”
14 They took two chariots with horses. The king sent them after the army of Aram with the orders, “Scout them out; find out what happened.”
15 They went after them all the way to the Jordan. The whole way was strewn with clothes and equipment that Aram had dumped in their panicked flight. The scouts came back and reported to the king.
16 The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel—God’s word to the letter!”
Now, Samaria was no longer surrounded and could get back to business. They had the abundant supplies of an army to feed them and supply them until their own farms were running well again. God’s word was fulfilled. He kept His promise even though the people had not turned to Him. He provided for them even though they accused and doubted Him. Verses 17-20 continue the narrative.
“Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,”19 the captain had answered the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.”
The same man who had sneered at the idea that The Lord could do as He promised was put in charge of distributing the food. The famished people rushed to the gate to buy food and save their lives and the captain was trampled and killed. The people doubted, but God still cared. This man outright mocked God. The people were angry and God remained compassionate. The captain impugned The Lord. He refused to believe that God would save him from his hunger. The Lord gave him what he expected to get, to die without relief from his situation.
We do face dire situations sometimes. Most of us have not had to face the kind of dearth described in these chapters, but we do go through awful conditions, life and death circumstances, and suffering that threatens to overwhelm. We can get angry with God. Many people do. We can blame Him. Countless people do. God can take our frustration. We can ask, we can cry, we shout. If we charge God for the trouble, shouldn’t we also attribute Him with the solution? But we have to turn to Him. We have to talk to Him. In the listening and receiving we will be calmed. He will show us He is God. We either receive the life He gives or reject it and choose death.

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2 Kings 6:8-23 Elisha lived by Faith not Sight

1/25/2016

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as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

2 Kings 6:8-23
Your faith or your fear depend on your perspective and in turn your perspective depends on your faith or your fear. This story of Elisha and the King of Syria is an illustration of that point. Verses 8-10 read,
“Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.”
Elisha’s perspective was one in which God was El Shaddai, All-Sufficient Mighty Lord. He had a close relationship to God and his ears and heart were always open ready to receive a word or command. Because Elisha’s perception of the world was through faith, the King of Israel was blessed along with Israel herself. Elisha’s natural vision did not dictate what he knew to be true, his supernatural vision buoyed him. Like Moses before him, Elisha kept his eyes on the Lord, who is unseen to the world (Hebrews 11:27).
The king of Syria was becoming paranoid. It was clear to him that someone was telling Israel’s army their secret plans. He was sure he had a mole. Verses 11-14 read,
“And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.”
It was the king’s servant who explained that Israel had The LORD who knows what is said in secret (Matthew 6:4), and it was Elisha, the man of God who was telling the king their plans. The Syrian king could only see the world in terms of his power and pride. So he devised a secret plan to capture Elisha and to do so with great intimidation. He sent a great army to capture God’s prophet.
Of course The Lord told Elisha and of course Elisha didn’t give in to fear. What is a great army against The Lord of angel armies? Romans 8:31-35 reminds us,
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
So the Syrian army headed to capture Elisha. Verses 15-16 read,
“When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Elisha’s servant walked out in the morning and his natural eyes showed him a fearsome sight. He reacted to those terrifying circumstances. He turned to Elisha and said, “What should we do?” But Elisha assured his servant that those who were with them were greater than those who were against them. I wonder if the servant looked around and thought Elisha had lost it. He could only see the two of them. Elisha though had The Spirit of God on him just like Timothy, the eventual successor to his title (1 Timothy 6:11). He knew there was nothing to fear. He remained calm because he saw his circumstances through the Spirit’s eyes and not his own. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 reads,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Not everyone is at the same place as you are in there walk with Christ. Some are less mature, others are more mature. Some have no problem looking at the world through the Spirit’s eyes, others need help. Paul laid his hands on Timothy to impart the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Elisha prayed for his servant to see through God’s eyes. Verses 17-19 read,
“Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.”
Elisha never gave in to fear because he chose to see, hear, and think in the Spirit. He calmly and logically ask the Lord to fight for him. If his deeper vision had saved him, the army that wanted to capture him would lose because they were made blind. God made the army ignorant of where they were and who they sought. Elisha then only had to lead them to the king of Israel. Verses 20-23 read,
“As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.”
Imagine the army’s shock when their eyes were opened and realized where they were. The king of Israel was ready to slaughter them. But once again Elisha’s Spirit perspective pointed out the wiser choice. Rather than kill them and have more troops sent to avenge them and try and capture Elisha and the king, they opened their eyes showed them the greatness of God and even fed them. They saw that Israel had nothing to fear because The Lord is Great. They went home and reported that to their king and he did not dare send more troops against The LORD. They certainly were not going to go again. They could have been killed or held captive, but instead they were shown mercy, given a great feast, and sent home. Elisha showed the men the nature of God.
Elisha revealed God to his servant, to the king of Israel, to the Syrian army, and through them to the Syrian king. We have the onus of revealing The Lord God, Jesus Christ to everyone we can as well. We see The Truth, but they are blind to it. We can ask the Lord to open their eyes. We can demonstrate God’s love and nature to the world, so they can see Jesus.
We see the world through eyes of faith. Hebrews 11:1-3 defines faith this way,
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Faith, seeing through God’s eyes moves us to act. It is a way of living. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 in The Message says,
“That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.”
Verses 11-14 of that same chapter read,
“That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.”
Believer, you see the world through supernatural Godly eyes, do not keep that vision to yourself. Pray that God opens the eyes of the people you meet. Live in such a way that they will see Jesus when they look at you.

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2 Kings 6:1-7 Elisha, The Good Teacher

1/24/2016

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For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7

2 Kings 6:1-7
Elisha was considered a father to the prophets of Israel. He travelled often and they gathered to him when he was near, to hear what it was God had to teach them. Many also came to his home and stayed with him there so they could learn from him. As a prophet, The Holy Spirit was upon Elisha and he spoke the Word of God to people, including the other prophets who turned around and did the same. Glorifying the Lord has two effects. People seeking God, seeking goodness or betterment will be drawn to the light and so make it possible for them to find God and His righteousness. The people who practice wickedness and seek themselves will be repulsed by the light and try to stay in the darkness. In Luke 8:16-18 Jesus explained it this way,
“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
Believer, whether you have been gifted with prophecy, with teaching, or with pastoring you have the Holy Spirit. You have the Word of God and you are charged with being a light and sharing it. You have to shine that light so that those seeking God will find Him. The more you share, the more you use the gifts God gave you in sharing Jesus, the more He will grow you and your gifts. If you have been gifted with hospitality, yet you do not use that gift to show the world who Jesus is, then that gift will dwindle to non-existence.
You are also charged with learning God’s Word. Acts 2:42-47 describes the believers’ devotion to learning and teaching and the effect that had.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, tothe breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
The more you receive the Word, the more you give the Word to others. This was the case with Elisha, the father of the prophets and the sons of the prophets who sought to learn from him in order to better glorify the Lord. In fact so many were coming to learn from him that his guest house needed expanding. Verses 1-3 read,
“Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.”
They were not building a permanent place to live, they were building a place that would make the temporary place, the “college dorm” more comfortable. And they all participated. They put effort into their pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. They each went out and got a sturdy log from the banks of the Jordan. Learning is important. It is necessary. But we do not learn and do nothing with the degree. We take what we learn and we teach others. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 reads,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God”
Teaching others what we have learned, speaking the Word God gives us is a natural part of maturation in Christ. Paul exhorted the believers not remain stagnant perpetual students in Hebrews 5:11-14.
“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Notice too, that we are to continue learning. We do not keep learning the basics of ‘A is for apple.’ We move on to reading and then comprehension and writing. We keep going and we do not stop learning. We use what we have learned.
Elisha was very aware of his role as a teacher and mentor to the sons of the prophets. When his students asked him to come with them, he didn’t hesitate. And when a “teachable moment” came along, he used it to teach. Verses 4-7 read,
“So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.”
The circumstance made the man panic. The lost axe head was not his. It had fallen into the deep river and he had no idea how to get it back. He would have to repay a debt and he had no idea how to do it. The same circumstance allowed Elisha to show the awesome power of the Lord. The student was not as spiritually mature as Elisha. Though he had faith, it was not as strong as the father of the prophets yet. Elisha didn’t glorify himself by making a big show. He cut of a stick and threw it in the water and the axe head floated up as if it were now somehow buoyant rather than iron. The student was able to pick it up.
Elisha did not scold the man for not knowing that nothing is impossible with God. He showed him that nothing is impossible with God. He spoke gently and compassionately. He did not only speak, in fact he only asked one question. He acted. He demonstrated God’s loving power and gave the man back the borrowed axe head.
Teaching does not have to be with eloquent words. Leading does not happen with speeches. Elisha went with the men, he led by example, he taught by doing. Let him be an example to us. Believer, are you a student? Are you learning more of the same or more of the mystery? Are you speaking and living what you have learned? Or are you the perpetual student afraid to use the degree you have earned? I encourage you as Paul encouraged Timothy,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

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2 Kings 5:15-27 Gehazi's Greed

1/22/2016

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But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

2 Kings 5:15-27
Perhaps you remember yesterday’s devotional about Naaman being healed of leprosy. He was ecstatic to be free of that awful disease. Everything he had gone through and all that had brought him from Syria to Israel to Elisha’s doorstep had culminated in his professing his faith in The One True God, the God of Israel. That new love and commitment inspired him to respond. The best way he knew how was to give money to Elisha in order to pay him for being a prophet. Verses 15-18 read,
“Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. 18 In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.”
Naaman was so grateful he wanted to pay Elisha but Elisha refused. He would not take money for what God had done. Taking money from Naaman would have been like Naaman buying his healing. It would sullied God’s gift to Naaman by making it a transaction. Elisha understood that when a faithful person gave to God his firstfruits, that God would give that to Him for his provision. He had no need for more. The faithful take care of the faithful in service to God. Naaman was not offering the money as a tithe to the LORD, he was offering to purchase the healing. So Elisha refused it and kept the act the gift from God it was meant to be.
Jesus explained it to the disciples as he sent them out to spread the Gospel in Matthew 10:7-11,
“And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.”
Love for money and possessions can eat their way into the soul, especially if one’s faith is weakened or if a person is less mature in his walk with the LORD. The desire for money is a sign that he doesn’t trust God to be God. That desire is the basis for all kinds of sin. Paul said it like this in 1 Timothy 6:6-12,
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
We have to be deliberate about pursuing the kingdom of God. We have to be intentional about seeking the fruit of the Spirit and staying free from the pursuit of the material. Elisha’s servant Gehazi heard Naaman’s offer of money and he wanted it. Elisha only wanted to glorify God and sent Naaman home with his gift of peace with God. Verses 19-24 describe what happened,
“He said to him, “Go in peace.”
But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” 23 And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed.”
Gehazi chased Naaman down and told him an elaborate lie to get money from him. Naaman was happy to comply and give the man what he asked for. As Gehazi returned home, I wonder what went through his mind. He had to come up with more lies to explain his whereabouts. He probably imagined how he would spend his ill-gotten gains. I seriously wonder how he thought he might spend that money. He was Elisha’s servant, with him most of the day, every day. He wasn’t going to get a day off and meet his friends at the mall. He wasn’t going to be able to buy himself a new donkey, an iPhone 6s, or anything else without giving away his secret sin. He certainly was not thinking about how awesome God is and how God knew his sin and how close Elisha was to The Lord. He wasn’t thinking that God had already told Elisha what he had done. You cannot lie to The Holy Spirit. Verses 25-27 read,
“He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.”26 But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow.”
Gehazi took payment for Naaman’s healing, so The Lord gave Gehazi Naaman’s leprosy. Gehazi disregarded God’s will over his own. He cheapened the beautiful gift of salvation by making it a business deal. Gehazi gained two talents of silver and four changes of clothing, he was rich. But he lost honor, health, and position.
Gehazi was with Elisha every day year after year. He heard God’s word spoken. He saw the greatness of God manifested repeatedly. He saw a hundred men fed on just a small amount of food, he saw a boy raised from the dead, poisoned stew purified, toxic water cleansed, and dry land flood all at God’s word. But the desire for money slipped in and took over. He chased Naaman’s riches instead of God’s glory. He got the money he sought and lost the kingdom of Heaven. If the love of money could infect his heart in can infect anyone’s heart.
Believer, be careful, be diligent. Fight the good fight and seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Let God be God for you. He is El Shaddai, All Sufficient LORD.

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2 Kings 5:1-15 Naaman and Leprosy

1/21/2016

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2 Kings 5:1-15
The chapter begins by describing Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army. Verse 1 reads,
“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.”
Naaman was a leper but he was still a great commander who was highly favored with the king. He did not let his leprosy stop him. He was also a good master to the slaves and servants of his household. They cared about him. This was the case with an Israeli girl who had been taken from her home and was now a slave for Naaman’s wife. Verses 2-5 read,
“Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.”
Everyone wanted to see Naaman healed. His leprosy had not deterred him from being a mighty man of valor but that didn’t mean he had to like it. His slave wanted him healed, his king wanted him healed, and he wanted himself healed. Whatever problems or difficulties we have in life to not have to stop us from being all God made us to be, but that does not mean we have to say we are okay with the illness, disability or weakness we have. Accepting God as our All in All does not have to mean that we do not seek healing or pass up opportunities for healing when they come our way. Yes, we suffer for Christ’s sake, but that does not mean we refuse relief when the time comes for it to end. God wants to use our suffering for our good, but He also wants to use our healing for our good (Romans 8:28).
So the letter was sent to the King of Israel. Verses 6-7 read,
“And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
As far as we know this is still Jerhoram, who did not worship idols per se but who refused to worship The Lord as The Lord had prescribed. He read the letter and his reaction was not, “My God can do anything.” His reaction was, “I can’t heal this guy!” Turning to the Lord, just didn’t occur to the prideful king. He assumed the Syrian king was looking for an excuse for war and went into a royal snit over it.
When God wants to do something, He will do it. It was God who put the little girl into Naaman’s household so she could tell him about Elisha. It was the Lord who moved the Syrian king’s heart to let Naaman go. So the Lord also made sure Elisha knew about Naaman. Verses 8-10 read,
“But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
What do you suppose Naaman’s reaction was? What would your reaction be if you had suffered from a debilitating illness for years, you went to see a healer and his assistant came in and said, “The healer said, go take a shower in the hotel next door and you will be healed?” Would you be overjoyed at the simplicity? Would you go and obey? Would you doubt that such a simple act would cure you? Would you think, “I’ve come all this way to see the healer, he could at least look at me! He could at least pour the water on me himself! Am I so unimportant that he has to send his assistant to me? Heck, I could stay home and take a shower in my luxurious comfortable shower.” Well, Naaman was mad. Verses 11-12 describe it,
“But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.”
Naaman wanted Elisha to make a show of it, to wave his hands and cry out to the Lord. He wanted drama. Some healers today elevate themselves by acting as if it is they doing the healing rather than God. The people who go to them want the drama. They want to elevate themselves a bit too by seeing how much energy must be put forth for them.
But God is God. Nothing is too difficult for Him, nothing is impossible for Him. Didn’t Naaman even take note that God cared so much, Elisha already knew about, prayed about, and received the answer he sought or that God gave Him an answer at all? But Naaman’s servants calmed the commander down and reasoned with him. Verses 13-14 describe it.
“But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
God loved Naaman so much that he had given him a great word. Naaman was too prideful to recognize it, but his servants were not. They cared enough about their master to point out that profound truth to him. They could have been punished or even killed for it, but they loved him and wanted him to be whole again. They had to speak the truth to him. Do you love people enough to tell them about the Word that God sent for them because of His love for them? Do you care enough to want tell them that “by His stripes they are healed” and they can have eternal life?
Naaman listened and he obeyed. He was healed, his flesh was not just clean it was brand new! God’s healing like His salvation is not just wiping away the surface, taking away the problems or the curing an illness. It is complete. It makes us brand new, innocent and righteous. Naaman was no longer a leper, his skin didn’t even show scars from the disease or from the decades of his life. It was like a newborn’s skin which had never been affected by the sun, dirt, time, or leprosy. Jesus heals us from our sin the same way. He doesn’t just forgive our sins and take them away. He makes us new, He makes us righteous. He changes us from sinners to saints.
Naaman was so completely changed that he no longer wanted to follow any other God but The LORD. Verse 15 reads,
“Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.”
We will find out the rest of the story tomorrow. But for now let’s reflect on all that this part of the story taught us. God does use the difficulties we suffer. God used Naaman’s leprosy as the instrument to bring him into a relationship with Him. He used a kidnapped child slave to speak His word. He even used the power of the Syrian king to move Naaman to faith.
What are you suffering? What have you suffered? Maybe the reason is so that He can make you and the people around you more like Him. Maybe He wants to reveal Himself to people. That is most often the good He wants to bring out of the circumstances of our lives. Romans 8:28 is often quoted to comfort a suffering brother. To me, it is much more comforting put back into context. Romans 8:26-30 reads,
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
We are not alone in our struggles. The Holy Spirit is not only with us, He speaks to the Father for us not with words but with the groanings which encompass our pain and our needs. And God works it for our good according to His will. But that good is not so much earthly good as eternal. He uses it to conform us to Christ’s image so that He and we can be glorified. Christ is glorified on the earth since he is already glorified in Heaven. As we look more like Him on earth, we will be glorified perfectly in Heaven.
But our pride, our desire to exalt ourselves and be exalted by others often stands in the way of glorifying Jesus. Naaman’s pride nearly kept him from healing salvation. It was those who easily humbled themselves that could show Him that submitting to God’s word would give him what he needed. Pride stops us from too much. It obstructs us from receiving Christ. It hinders us from walking and maturing in Christ. It stops us from glorifying Him and bring people into the Kingdom. Pride says, “I am god, I do not need The Lord. I can do it.” God doesn’t heal people who refuse to admit they need healing. He doesn’t save people who refuse to admit they need saving. In Mark 2:15-17 Jesus said,
“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I encourage you today, not to let your struggles overcome you but to let God use them as He chooses to bring you and others to Him. I encourage you to let go of your pride and submit to God. Let Him heal you. Let Him make you completely new, like a newborn. Admit your need, ask for help, and receive the Word He gives you in response. He is God, we are not.

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2 Kings 4:38-44 Faith Enough to Sit at Jesus’ feet

1/20/2016

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The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3

2 Kings 4:38-44
Elisha was in Gilgal to teach the prophets. There was a famine, but that did not stop the men from gathering to hear the Word of God. Because Elisha was compassionate and trusted the Lord to provide, he had a stew prepared for his students. Verses 38-40 read,
“And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.”
The men were probably very hungry and happy that Elisha and his servants had gone through the trouble to make them stew. But no one knew that the gourds gathered for it were poison. I guess that everyone had to be very disappointed. But they didn’t complain and Elisha still trusted God to provide. This was just a time when he could teach them and demonstrate God’s great power. Verse 41 tells us what Elisha did.
“He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.”
Elisha’s faith in God purified the poisoned stew. Now the hungry men once again had food. I can imagine God looking down on His servants and being pleased with them. The men didn’t whine, they had not expected food and were thankful to receive it. Even when tested when what they thought they had been given was taken away, the men remained faithful. They were hungry for food, but they were hungrier for God’s word. God blesses our choices not to chase after provision and instead pursue Him. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6). That describes these men. They made the better choice. They could have been out busy trying to find food, but they chose to sit at Elisha’s feet and learn. When a very busy and hardworking Martha complained that her sister Mary could have been helping her, Jesus commended Mary for her choice to sit at His feet (Luke 10:38-42). God commended the prophets for their choice to trust Him rather than chase provision. Verse 42 reads,
“A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.”
What kind of faith was this! There was a famine, yet this man still brought Elisha an offering of his firstfruits. This man’s faithful generous obedience would bless Elisha and the prophets. Isn’t it wonderful how God uses us to bless each other? Elisha didn’t think twice, He said, “give it to the men.” But the servant had to point out the circumstances to Elisha. Verses 43-44 read,
“But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.”
Twenty little barley cakes and some fresh ears of grain fed 100 men and they had leftovers. The men could bring food home to their families. Had they chosen to not sit at Elisha’s feet, they would have gone home empty handed. They chose not to worry and let God be God. They chose to pursue the Kingdom of God and God satisfied their desire for righteousness and took care of their needs too. Proverbs 10:3 says it this way,
“The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.”
We can choose to worry. We can choose to pursue our needs. Or we can choose the good portion, sit at Jesus’ feet and pursue the Kingdom of God. We can have faith and let God be God.

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2 Kings 4:18-37 The Shunammite Woman: The Picture of Contentment and Faith.

1/19/2016

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Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13

2 Kings 4:8-37
As we continue reading 2 Kings we get to learn more about Elisha and how the Lord used him in Israel. He used the office of prophet to encourage and edify the people he met. The relationships he formed with people changed their lives and drew them closer to The Lord. This was the case with the woman from Shunem. Verses 8-10 read,
“One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.”
It was apparent to everyone who met Elisha that he was a man of God, called apart for something extraordinary. Because of that people showed him favor. The Shunammite woman was so eager to show Elisha hospitality that she built him a room just for him to rest anytime he passed through Shunem.
Christians today are quick to point out that people will hate us for our testimony, but did you know people are supposed to think well of us? We have a responsibility to behave like Jesus and express the Holy Spirit. When we do that, people will have favor on us. It is not until the prideful are confronted with the gospel that they will hate us. Before we just make everyone and their neighbor hate us, we are supposed to be loving people, forming relationships and modeling the love of Jesus Christ. Acts 2:42-47 says,
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
It was through walking like Jesus, expressing the fruit of the Spirit, and praising God that brought favor. And it was favor which caused people to be added daily. We do not cause anyone to want to come to Jesus with antagonism, belittling, or finger wagging. The people who hate us (and they will and they do) are to hate us for Christ’s sake not because we’re jerks. John 15:12-21 says it like this,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”
Elisha had favor with people, they could clearly see he was not like the world, he was an anointed man of God. He was moved by the Shunammite woman’s kindness and wanted to return the favor. Verses 11-13 read,
“One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
When Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her; could he make her known to the king and bring her honor, could he let the commander of the army know who she was and offer her protection, she said, “I dwell among my own people.” She was saying she was content, she needed no honor, no extra protection, and all was well with her. This was an added reason for Elisha to want to do something kind for her. Being content does not mean that we have everything we need or want, it means trusting God and letting Him be sovereign of our lives. Paul spoke about contentment in any situation, abundance or scarcity. It is through Christ that we are able to trust God regardless of how much or how little we have. He said it this way in Philippians 4:11-13
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Content does not mean happy, it means satisfied. It takes strength to let God be God and trust that the situation is under control. It takes strength to let God be our All in All. The Shunammite was content but she did not have all she desired, she purposely chose not to complain and not to curse God or be envious. Verses 14-17 read,
“And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” 17 But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.”
Have you ever received such wonderful news, you almost didn’t want to believe it? You respond with, ‘you’re kidding!’ or ‘tell me you are not joking!’ That was the reaction the Shunammite woman had. She wanted a child but was content with the situation as it was. To hear such wonderful news was almost too good to be true. The Lord gave her this wonderful gift because she so faithfully gave to Elisha, because she lived so contentedly and meekly. She didn’t require honor or trumpets. She didn’t announce to the king or anyone that she had given Elisha the gift of the room. She just did it.
As the years passed Elisha continued to use the room the woman had built for him and so continued his friendship with her and her family. Verses 18-26 say,
“When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.” 23 And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” 24 Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.”
Can you imagine your child suddenly in such pain that he had to be carried into the house? Can you imagine him dying in your arms while you tried to comfort him? I cannot. I have no idea how terrible that would feel. But the Shunammite woman had tremendous faith. Look at her reaction when her husband asked her why she had to go find Elisha in such a hurry, “All is well.” She wasn’t lying. She trusted God. He gave her this son. The boy like everything else belonged to God. She also trusted that God would heal him, even though he was dead on Elisha’s bed. She didn’t complain to her servant, not to Gehazi. When asked if anything was wrong, she said, “All is well.”
There was no need to complain or cry to anyone unless he could do something about it. She knew The Lord could and would and the only person to tell was Elisha. She didn’t lie to her husband or Gehazi. She stated what she knew, “All is well,” “I trust God.” She was not happy to have her son dead. She was not apathetic to the loss. She simply had deep faith that allowed her to trust God, regardless of her circumstances. Job had that kind of faith, even when he was broken, mourning, and in anguish his faith shone through. He lost all his children and all his wealth in one morning, his reaction was to worship God. Job 1:20-22 reads,
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
That is contentment. That is trusting God to be your All in All. That is the kind of faith the Shunammite woman possessed. Verses 27-31 read,
“And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” 29 He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.” 30 Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.”
The mother’s faith made her persistent about bringing Elisha back to heal and raise her son. She didn’t give up when he said, ‘take my staff.’ She said, ‘I’m staying with you Elisha.’ So Elisha went. And when Gehazi was not able to raise her son with Elisha’s staff, neither the mother nor Elisha threw in the towel. Verses 32-37 read,
“When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.”
The woman’s faith and Elisha’s faith didn’t let them pray once and say, ‘well God didn’t do it, He must not want this boy to live.’ They kept going. God had told Elisha He would do it or else the prophet would not have come. Elisha had sent his staff but to no avail. He prayed. Then, in a foreshadow of Jesus covering us with Himself in order to bring us life, Elisha laid on top of child. He covered him with himself and gave life to the child’s flesh. But the child was still not awake, his spirit was not back. Elisha stretched, inferring that it had been a long time that he laid on top of the boy. Then he diligently returned to bring the boy back to life and once again covered the boy with his own body. Finally the boy’s spirit returned to him and he was truly alive. Elisha figuratively laid down his life for the boy and the boy was resurrected. Jesus literally laid down His life for us so that we could be resurrected. He gave us eternal life.
How willing are we to do whatever it takes, to be persistent and keep going regardless of the circumstances. The woman could have given up at her son’s death. Yet she had faith that God could bring him back. She doggedly pursued Elisha and brought him to her house. Elisha just as resolutely did what the Lord commanded him to do. He did not stop half way through. He didn’t stop at the boy’s breathing, he kept going until both flesh and spirit had been revived.
Believer, you can be content in any situation because Jesus is All-Sufficient. He is El Shaddai, The LORD, I Am who I Am. That contentment gives and stems from faith. The more faith you have the more content you will be. The more content you are, the more faith you will have. With contentment comes blessings, with blessings come faith.

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1 Peter 1 God Defines You by a New Name not the Accusations of the Enemy

2 Kings 13:10-25 The Lord Will Never Forsake You

2 Kings 13:1-9 How Do You Respond to God’s Discipline?

2 Kings 6:24-33- Chapter 7 The Blame Game and The Famine in Samaria

2 Kings 6:8-23 Elisha lived by Faith not Sight

2 Kings 6:1-7 Elisha, The Good Teacher

2 Kings 5:15-27 Gehazi's Greed

2 Kings 5:1-15 Naaman and Leprosy

2 Kings 4:38-44 Faith Enough to Sit at Jesus’ feet

2 Kings 4:18-37 The Shunammite Woman: The Picture of Contentment and Faith.

Donna Campbell

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