I don’t know who I’m talking to right now, but I feel a prophetic unction to tell you, that something is getting ready to change in your life, somebody is going to get a revelation that is going to shift them into a greater anointing than they’ve ever had.
Somebody is getting ready to discover the secret of dynamic mountain moving power and faith.
Why don’t you touch 3 people and tell them: He’s talking to me.
I can’t speak for everyone, so I’ll just speak for myself when I say this: I don’t want to waste any more time.
My time here on earth is running out and I want to know how to be as effective as possible.
If there’s more power I want it.
If there’s a better way I want to find it.
If there’s something missing I want to add it.
If I’m doing it wrong, I want to get it right.
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I just feel a sense of urgency pressing me to get the job done, and I know that my time is limited.
David said:
Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
In our text: We find a school of prophets being led, or instructed by the Prophet Elisha.
We find that these young prophets or disciples feel that they have outgrown their present facilities.
NOW: We don’t know how long they had been in those facilities but they reached a place in time where the walls were closing in on them, they were feeling pressured, uncomfortable, They felt it was time for expansion.
In other words: They out grew their environment.
It is perfectly normal that in the process, of growth and maturity that as we grow into some things we also grow out of others.
I don’t wear the same size shoes I did when I was 5 years old.
I don’t read the same material I read when I was 5 or 10 years old.
I don’t think like I thought when I was 5 years old.
I out grew something’s.
In the process of growing into, sometimes we have to outgrow some things.
Some of you are stuck in an environment that is too small for you because you refuse to change, you refuse to let go of what you are familiar with and comfortable with even though it’s causing you grief and pain.
Some of you need to reevaluate your friendship circle; because God is trying to take you somewhere but shortsighted, low living, lukewarm people are holding you back.
I made up my mind a long time ago, that if you can’t handle where I’m going I have to cut you loose, I love you but I can’t let you hold me back.
Abraham knew when he was headed up the mountain with Isaac, every body couldn’t handle what he was getting ready to do, so he left the young men at the bottom of the mountain with the ass.
Ge 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
It doesn’t make you any better than anybody else, it just means you are more determined to fulfill your destiny.
Every man took a beam:
This means each man must carry his share of the load. It means that each person must be personally involved and committed to the work, and each person must make a personal investment. (Every man, and woman must have their own personal testimony).
Elisha said: Go ye, (or we could say Grow ye) he recognizes their need for growth.
One said: Be content I pray thee and go with thy servants.
One had enough spiritual sense and discernment and perception to realize their success was depend-ant upon moving in the divine will and purpose and power of God.
In other words: One said, we can’t do this without God.
Too many people have chosen to do it their own way, on their own, and they’ve left God out.
If you do not give him an invitation he will not come.
That’s why I love the songs that welcome the Spirit of the Lord:
*Welcome Holy Spirit
*Holy Spirit thou art welcome in this place
*Come Holy Spirit I need thee.
If he does not come then you and I are left with a flesh operation.
They cut down wood: (They went to work).
It’s amazing how many people want something for nothing.
They want a great church but they want the Pastor to build it
They want a great marriage, but they don’t want to take time to cultivate and nurture that relationship.
They want a big ministry but they don’t want to take the time to lay the foundation through prayer and fasting, and studying the word.
They want prosperity but they don’t want to have to work for it.
The door to success is marked PUSH.
That means if you want something in life, you have to work for it.
Tell your neighbor: Go to work
While they are busy working one of the young prophets looses his axe head.
He immediately recognizes he has lost his power; his actions were not producing any results.
(I could park there for a while)
But he acknowledges something else as well;
He acknowledges that the axe head was borrowed, the power was borrowed, he did not own it.
It was the property of another.
He recognizes that his ability and his power to work effectively came from some one else.
How many know tonight, that the same thing is true for you and I?
The power is not yours, the power came from another.
I know you’re a wonder, but you didn’t take 39 stripes on your back, die a cruel death on a cross, descend into the belly hell and rip the keys of death and hell out of Satans hands and then rise from the dead after 3 days and ascend into heaven on a cloud.
I’m talking about Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, (Somebody say his Name, JESUS)
He’s the one was that was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a selfless death, and conquered sin and hell.
And he is the one that baptizes with the Holy Ghost and Fire.
John said: I baptize you with water, but there is one coming after me and he will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
The Power source is the Holy Ghost: It’s the anointing of the Holy Ghost that destroys the yoke.
It’s the anointing that heals sick bodies.
It’s the anointing that restores marriages, and broken families.
It’s the anointing that drives out devils.
It’s the anointing that sets the captives free.
It’s the anointing that causes the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the blind to see.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.
I have to say bravo for this young man who immediately realizes he’s lost the power.
He immediately recognizes the axe head is gone, his power is gone, and he realizes “ I can’t do a thing without it”
I feel something stirring in my spirit right now.
I feel something moving in this place.
How much better off would we be in the church today if we had as much intelligence and integrity as this young man had?
*He knew he lost the power
*He knew he couldn’t do a thing without it
*He quit swinging and went to the prophet
We’ve got too many people in the church today that have lost the power somewhere along the way, but they won’t admit it, and they just keep swinging, “ a dead lifeless handle”
Going through the motions, keeping up appearances. Putting on a good show, looking the part.
Shouting when it’s time to shout, clapping when it’s time to clap, laughing when it’s time to laugh, even speaking in tongues when it’s time to speak in tongues.
“But no Power”
The bible says of Samson: After he revealed the secret of his covenant vow and his hair was cut and his strength went from him, that Delilah stood and called to him as at other times, and said; (Samson the Philistines be upon thee).
Samson awoke, and said: I will go out as at other times.
In other words Samson was saying: I know how to do this, I know how it works, I can work it.
And the bible says: He shook himself as at other times, but he wist not that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him.
He went through the same motions as he had at other times, but the anointing was gone.
It’s a great tragedy to lose the touch of God, the anointing, the power of God in your life.
But the greater tragedy is to lose that sweet anointing; that glorious touch of heaven and not know it (or worse, to know it but not admit it).
This young man said by his actions:
*I lost it
*I know I lost it
*I can’t do a thing without it
*I want it back
I don’t know who I’m talking to right now, but somebody has lost that sweet touch of God upon your life, the anointing isn’t there, the fire has gone out, and you’re just going through the motions.
I’m not here to condemn you, I’ve been in the very same place, but one day I came to the painful realization that it was gone.
I finally admitted to myself, that I was just going through the motions, the anointing was gone.
It was just words, just noise.
I came to the conclusion: I can’t do a thing without it.
I can’t sing without the anointing
I can’t teach without the anointing
I can’t preach without the anointing
I can’t pray without the anointing
I can’t worship without the anointing
In fact I agree with the songwriter who said: I can’t walk without him, I can’t talk without him.
As a matter of fact I can’t even breath without him.
In him we live we move and we have our being.
I reached the place, and you must reach the place this young man reached where he refused to carry on without it.
Tell your neighbor: I refuse to carry on without it.
I would rather hear one single anointed man or woman of God sing, than a thousand voice choir, without the anointing.
Because that one anointed man or woman singing under the anointing carries the touch of heaven, and bodies are healed, and yokes are destroyed and captives are set free, and lives are changed for eternity.
But you can take a thousand voices, blend them together in perfect harmony, but it will not deliver one oppressed soul, or set one captive free, or make one soul ready for heaven.
Come on somebody: Lift your hands in the house right now, and tell God, I want the anointing.
I feel something happening in this atmosphere, I feel an anointing rising up in this house.
I feel some people reaching for the anointing.
Show me the place: Where did you lose it?
When did you start just going through the motions?
When did church become dull and boring?
When did prayer become just a duty?
Show me the place: was it when somebody lied on you?
Was it when you worked so hard, and somebody overlooked you?
Somebody criticized you?
Or was it you just got too busy with personal matters, (the job, the kids, all their activities?)
You deserted your devotional time, got too busy to pray, too busy to read the bible.
Or was it sitting at the computer, letting the Internet steal your life away?
It’s a question you have to answer for yourself.
We can’t get it back till we admit where we lost it.
Where did you lose your hunger for God?
Where did you lose your passion?
Where did you lose your zeal, your love for the things of God?
Where did you cool off.
You used to be red hot, but now you’re luke warm.
The bible says: He showed him the place.
Every experience in life is connected with a place.
I can take you to the place I was born
I can take you to the place where I proposed to my wife, and where we got married.
I can take you to the place where I was saved, (the house may not be there, but I can take you to the spot).
I can take you to the place where I was baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire at 4:00 a.m. in the morning.
I can also take you to the place where the devil started whispering in my ear, and I began to quench the Spirit in my life.
I can take you to the place where the Holy Spirit told me, you don’t need a C.B. radio in your life, and I argued with God and bought it anyway.
Then I can take you to the place where I wrestled with the Spirit of God all night long making a choice between a C.B. radio and my destiny.
I can take you to the place where I repented, and God said I love you and I forgive you, but I’m going to chasten you for your stubbornness and rebellion.
Then I can take you to the place where almost exactly one year later, God said to me (tonight I’m lifting my hand of chastening off of your life, because I believe I can trust you.)
He showed him the place:
Your mind has a storehouse of all the significant things that have happened in your life, good or bad.
And they are all connected with a place.
He showed him the place: and the prophet cut down a stick and threw it in the water, at the place.
At the place where he had lost it.
That stick represents Jesus who was cut down in the midst of his years, but through his sacrifice, he opened the door for our redemption and for us to receive the power of the Holy Ghost.
And the bible says: The Iron did swim.
That axe head that was laying down there on the bottom, got up and started swimming toward that young prophet.
That means that axe head started moving quickly toward that young man.
I just came to tell somebody tonight there’s some stuff that you thought was gone forever, that is getting ready to come back into your life.
There’s some things that you have said to yourself, there is no way I can see that ever happening, (I came to prophesy to you, you’re getting ready to see it) In fact it’s just about ready to break the surface right now I can see some faith ripples in the water.
*There’s a marriage restoration that is coming to the surface.
*There’s a ministry that looked like it was dead that is coming to the surface right now.
*There are some business transactions that looked like they bombed, but there’s a turn around coming.
*There’s some money that somebody lost, through no fault of your own (you were cheated out of it) but God said to tell you, look in the water it’s coming back.
*I see somebody’s son, and somebody’s daughter they’re coming back, they’ve been out in the world; it looked like the devil was going to take them out, ( but God said: Look with the eye of faith, look in the water of the word and see them, saved delivered and on fire for God.
The bible says: Elisha told the young man to (put forth thy hand and take it up to thee).
And he reached forth his hand and took it.
Somebody tonight I came to tell you: It’s within reach, you can have it if you want it, you can have it if you’re willing to reach for it.
You have got to take it
The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.
Come on it’s time to take your joy back
Take your peace back
Take your Marriage back, take your children back
Take your ministry back,
Take your anointing back.
I don’t care how bad you’ve messed up, (God said to tell you, he’s here to restore it to you tonight, if you’ll just admit that you need him and that you can’t do a thing without it.
Everything you need is in the Anointing, and it’s within reach if you’ll just stretch out and take it.
I know the Spirit of God is dealing with you tonight:
If you know in you're heart, you have lost something, you don't have that fire you used to have.
The anointing is not operating in your life like it used to.
You don't have that Joy, that peace you used to have.
You're prayers are dull and dry, and empty.
You're worship has become a ceremony rather than a celebration.
You need to get to the front of this building: the anointing is moving here, there is a restoration anointing flowing right now.
Or maybe I'm talking to someone right now, who is saved you've been washed in the blood of Jesus and you're ready for heaven, but you've never received this precious gift, this power from on high, this anointing.
The bible says: The promise is unto you and unto your children and all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
It's within reach tonight, God wants to baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, He wants to give you power over the devil and power to be a witness.
Maybe you haven't really lost that unction all together,and you still have that anointing in your life, but if you would be honest, you know you need a fresh touch of heaven.
He's here right now to fill you up to over flowing.
Just lift you're hands right now and ask him to fill you with his Spirit.
