| God or greed, Profit or the prophet? 2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. ( yeah you can be a man of great influence and power, and still have something wrong with you, still be unclean, still be lost ) 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. ( What a testimony! the other nations and leaders knew of the power and ability of the God of the Jews would be something if we could have such a testimony of our God, that others would come to us seeking our God regarding their needs ) 9 So Naaman came with horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. ( He thought? that’s just it to many times we try to figure out how it should be done, how it better be done and if it doesn’t get done our way we get mad! The nerve that we should complain or question how he should choose to do it when what we really need is a healing no matter how it comes, talk about arrogance!) 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. (Some people we question the blessing, the vessel, the person, the man of God, etc they always want it their way, always have a better way God can or should do it, ) 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. 21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? ( Notice: He followed after Naaman not Elisha; why? because Naaman represented wealth, power, prestige and opportunity, the easy way, riches without labor, a free ride, where he should have been following the man of God, even the Lord Jesus! the way of sacrifice yet he chose to follow after riches and illicit gain ) 22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. ( some people always like to prostitute the ministry for their own personal gain.. remember he said Elisha spared Naaman in other words he got a free blessing and why shouldn’t he pay for it besides I need this and I could use that, after all I’m in this for the profit not the prophet? his god was greed not God ) 23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no where ( What a liar just like some of us when we get caught? oh that we would confess and repent instead. 26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? ( Went not my heart with thee? Ah if we could but get to the place where our heart would be knit with our fellow workers in Christ, with our God, to the point that his heartbeat would be our heartbeat, that when they are in danger we would weep and be concerned, alarmed and moved to prayer, Is it time to receive? You see there is a time to give and to take, but it must be motivated and persuaded by love, compassion and need not lust, self or greed ) 27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. Reflections: God or greed? profit or prophet? Its a simple question, an easy choice, but who really do I choose to follow? what do I prefer to have? the word of profit or the word from the prophet? Have I been called to seek the ministry yet seek money? Have I sat under the instruction and anointing of the man of God and the Lord Jesus himself and looked for what I could get out of it rather than what I could put into it? have I too moved on behalf of him or self? have I tried too, to speak healing or to pray for the sick and the lost only to come up empty? Have I tried to cast out any demons only to be beaten back? Peter and Paul they know and Jesus they know but who am I? Do I remember that freely I have been given and freely I should give or do I choose to prostitute the ministry, the gifts, and my God Jesus? Do I dislike and despise when others receive at no cost what may have cost me much? Or what may have cost me nothing? Do I walk powerless and prayerless before this world and its demon forces, before those who are sick, broken and in bondage to demon forces, could it be due to the fact that I am prayerless? Not powerless? Where is my heart? Does it not go with thee? Is it yet time to take it by force! or is it time to give in faith? time to live or time to die? time to cast or time to gather? time to laugh or to mourn? time to pray or to play? to have fun or to have faith? Do I have authority minus reverence? for the people whom I have authority over, for the God who gave me authority? Do I have the spirit of life or the spirit of leprosy? will I be willing to wash in the dirty pool of humility or will I choose the seemingly clean and pure facade of self righteousness and sin, thinking it is the better way? So many questions, so many thoughts, but prayerfully and sincerely we must find the answer and make the right choices! Indeed it is time to choose us this day who we will serve! It is time to die to self and to flesh and to live unto Christ! time to indeed weep over lost mankind, to mourn and repent over our sins, to be sorry for our sins, to seek reconciliation! to seek the Lord of Glory! the divine and not the demon. PRAYER: My Lord and my God! I declare you Lord of all! I declare my dependence is upon you, Please help me no to seek fame and fortune but rather to give in faith and fortitude. forgive me father for the times when I choose to follow man or profit over you, for the times when I walk having a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof. Oh my God please help me to keep the right priorities, to make wise decisions, and compassionate choices, keep me from prostituting the ministry, let me see that there are others who are unable to afford to pay the cost, let me step in on their behalf, let me give not to receive but rather to glorify thee, never let me question how you choose to operate or work in my mist, in my family, my friends or in my life for that matter. I worship you, I adore you! blessed be the name of my Lord Jesus! No daddy I may not be one of honor and power or prestige but I am thy servant nonetheless and I willingly accept that their are others who are more authoritive and honorable than I. I humbly submit to that authority, I delight in sitting at your feet but grant me to find a place where I can fall at your feet in worship and adoration continually, help me Jesus.. Cover me, protect me, show me thy grace and mercy that I may know to show to others not out of obligation but out of compassion! Remind daily that your compassions are ever new and your mercies fail not, that you are Lord not I, not others but you! keep me, guide me, above all forgive me, thank you daddy! For your promises ! for your truth! for your gift of life! for your sacrifice! for your suffering for me! for giving your life that I might have life! Wonderful you are, Holy and righteous are you, glory be to God! And last father I pray that I to would be willing to make the same sacrifices for others, share the same burden, give the same gift? Have the same faith, demonstrate the same unconditional love! I am yours.... AMEN Prepared by : George R. Nava 2170 E. Market St. Stockton, Ca phone - 46-59731 My web page: http:// www.oocities.org/some1caresforu/index.html |