Elisha's House

In God's book, names in the Old Testament had meaning; Abraham, father of a multitude – Elisha, Oath of God.

Elisha of the Bible was a farmer, minding his own business, plowing in a field with oxen. The prophet Elijah laid his mantle on him and he immediately left his farm, killed his oxen, burned his plow. For 11 years he was a servant of Elijah until Elijah made his fiery chariot departure. It is a matter of biblical record that more miracles were attributed to Elisha than Elijah. God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

On my grandfather-great grandfather’s farm, their was an old house, one room with ancient chimney, house mostly built of rough logs, no glass, just shuddered windows. It was called Elisha's house. My ancestors did not own slaves but after the civil war, one black man, Elisha, continued to live and work on the farm until his death. He was buried in the family cemetery with my other ancestors. His faithfulness to the family, genuineness of Christian spirit, was remembered long after his death. His house was some distance from the main house and never used for anything else. My grandmother remembered that owning absolutely nothing, depending entirely on the goodness of the family, his life was a relationship with them and God. Just enough home schooling to read scripture, as one theologian has said, “the the Bible understanding by a four year old or illiterate person, is sufficient.”

Our enemies, Christ's enemies, do not understand where we get our strength. In this day of electronics, air conditioned-foxholes and Big Tent-philosophy (God wants everyone in heaven, false religions as well as the real) while the Obama faction in America wants you to forget about God, the thought comes, how did we get this far and will we give everything up so easily?

Every time I look at the fireplace cooking pot here in my house, one brought over by my ancestors from England when they landed on the shore in NJ, founding Morristown, in a wilderness, living in a house with none of the features of civilization, cooking food in one large pot, hanging in a fireplace. Having spent months crossing the Atlantic, sick and depressed, so tight in the small ship that they could barely move, all for just one thing, freedom of worship. Do we dare forsake their memory, their sacrifices?

From the building of this remarkable republic, just 230 years, to a today's onlooker, was anything happening in the ancient city of Sodom, one of the cities of the plains, (Genesis 19) not happening at this present time, in America? Whether ancient Sodom or present day America our ancestors who built this nation into the world's greatest superpower, everything they believed was based on the authority of God... the Sovereignty of God.

Abraham wanted to save his nephew lot, a face to face meeting with God. From that great sin city, only two saved, lot and his wife. Of course, she, even after being saved, so in love with the city, she had to turn and look back. Forever, her remembrance in God's book, a verse of warning, completely to itself, for those having been saved, looking lovingly back and God's opinion as He turned her into a pillar of salt. “Remember lot's wife.” (Luke 17:32)

Who do we think we are fooling? The public, your fellow man, even your own family, judges you from the exterior, God knows the heart. He knows the intent of the politician, the preacher, even the parent who uses the often worn expression, “God bless.” He knows the sincerity of, “I am praying for you.”

The worst memory of Bolshevism, Stalin's takeover of Russia, when 26 million of his fellow Russians were killed, forcing captives to dig their own graves. Do Americans actually realize that present day Marxists are forcing them to build their own prison? That, knowing truth they compromise and join with evil, which is the greatest of sin. In my lifetime, I have seen the abandonment of life and living instead of the abundant life. (John 10:10) Satanic thieves have robbed family, church, country, of the promises of this republic. Tares, taking over the churches, have made a beggar of God... begging those who profess Christ (note, I said profess not possess) to beg for attendance, financial support, and other ways to make a testimony in the community. “If every church member were just like me, what kind of church would my church be?” Just a remnant, just a few, honoring Jesus with remembrance at His table, His mid-week prayer service, His activities for teaching children. A friend of mine moved to another city, along with her church membership, to a Baptist church in that city. (Wilmington to Raleigh) Returning to her former home and neighbors for a weekend, she attended the church which she had long left. A member of the Sunday School committee, whom she did not know, and who did not know her, went up to her and asked her if she would start teaching a class... she a visitor in the church, the person asking her, knowing nothing whatsoever about her.

“God's Word is forever settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89) One of my assistants trains dogs, with treats, can get the same results every time. “God wants living epistles,” (2 Corinthians 3:2) those will deny self, (Matthew 16:24) transformed. (Romans 12) You may be in a wheelchair, blind, suffering from some disease. You keep trusting. God is aware of your faith.

Long before Cyrus, ruler of Persia was born, the prophet Isaiah named him. (Isaiah 45) His parents thought they named him, but just as John the baptist's parents were given a name, God is in total control of everything. Ours is to trust.