Fire in the Bones
Bible tells us about a prophet of God named Elisha. Elisha was called to take over the prophetic office after the departure of his predecessor Elijah.
Elisha was a farmer who lived with his parents at Abel-meholah. When Elijah met him he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen, which suggests that his father was a wealthy landowner. Elisha was bald and carried a staff, which was common to rural residents and aided travel in the rugged hills of Palestine. However, unlike Elijah who lived in caves in the desert, Elisha stayed in the cities.
Elisha was noted for having a servants heart. From the moment that Elijah threw his mantle on him and called him to the ministry, he served Elijah. Bible says folks recognized him as “the one who poured water on the hands of Elijah”.
Stay at Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, Jordan.. “Hard thing..”
Suddenly, a chariot of fire with horses of fire came and swept Elijah up and he departed. While he was going up, he dropped his mantle down, and Elisha grabbed it. *Something supernatural took place that very second: he received the double portion blessing. And it was proven in the fact he smote the Jordan and the river parted, the dead were raised, and miracles were performed double the amount that Elijah did.
This double portion meant he received the blessing of the first born. It was not a spirit of humanity, but a spirit of power and anointing. And in the text we read, it was so powerful that even in death the anointing was still flowing/the fire was still burning. And the dead was raised because of the power shut up inside him.
You need to understand, Elisha did not receive this gift because he was a somebody. He didn’t get it because of some family member who was a special something in a church. He was just a farmhand plowing oxen working for his daddy when God called him. But for 10 years he walked in perfect humility and servitude, knowing what he wanted from God and refusing to give up until he got it.
Let me tell you, God is still looking to put a fire in our bones. He is looking to stir us up, and anoint us like never before. This is the hour when God is raising up folks that do not want to settle for ordinary religious lifestyles, but are hungry to do something great for God. This is the day when God is looking to baptize people in a fresh wind of Pentecostal power. And I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see a fire start burning inside these bones!
If you are going to reach this place, you gotta want it. You gotta want it more than life itself. There has to be a hunger inside you that says you want more than you’ve ever had before. And God will give it! Elisha wouldn’t leave the side of Elijah until he got what he wanted, and you must be willing to pursue him with all your might until you’re blessed the same.
Let me take you to another character in the Bible named Jeremiah. From his mother’s womb he was called to be a prophet to the nations. But his ministry was not one of glitz/glamour. He didn’t have a massive flock of followers or people sowing into his ministry. In fact, in chptr. 20 he is found to be beaten and put in stocks for prophesying the wrath of God on the people. He even prophesies the impending death of the temple priest. He became angry/frustrated at his plight. He didn’t understand why it was God was making him say all this. Finally, in V.9 he declares that didn’t want to say anything else of the Lords’ word any more. But, it was like “fire shut up in my bones, and I couldn’t contain it”.
The fire of God inside Jeremiah was so powerful, that he couldn’t hold it in. It was an alive fire; one that couldn’t be contained! *I can’t help but believe that when you get it deep down inside you, even in the most trying of times it will be in you/moving inside and through you.
Let me remind you of something: John said the Jesus would baptize people in the HG and with fire. That fire will cleanse/purge, it will bring power, it will bring change, it will bring breakthrough. It will cause you to worship in the spirit, pray in the spirit, serve in the spirit, etc. The church needs to be on fire. I need to be on fire. We all need to be on fire. HG fire needs to be much more than a memory; it needs to be a right now reality. Let’s all seek him tonight praying: “SEND THE FIRE, SEND THE FIRE, SEND THE FIRE!!”
Now, let me show you another place. In Ezekiel 37 there is the infamous story of the valley of dry bones. Bible says the bones were ‘very’ dry. In other words, they hadn’t seen life in a very long time. Ezekiel was taken up and placed in this valley. *Imagine walking through this valley and seeing all these signs of death everywhere. It was real.
Bible says Ezekiel was approached with this question: “Son of man, can these bones live?” Notice his response: “Lord, thou knowest”. In other words, “you alone know”. Let’s face it: the reality is, when you see that much death around it’s hard to have faith that life can come again.
But Ezekiel was told to prophesy to the bones saying ‘here the word of the Lord’. And when Ez. Began to prophesy life to the bones, suddenly there was a shaking and bones started to come together, skin/muscles came on them, the dead came to life and formed into an army.
If you feel like you are spiritually dead, have no fire any longer, no anointing, start prophesying to yourself right now that life is coming back again. Start prophesying that your sickness is healed, lonliness is filled, home is restored, spirit is revived…
GET READY CHURCH: THERE’S FIRE IN THE BONES!!
