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GOOD MORNING! [GOOD MORNING!]
HOW ARE YOU GUYS THIS
MORNING? [GOOD] WHO WANTS TO
LOOK IN THE PURPLE BAG
THIS MORNING? I WARN YOU IT'S
GONNA BE A DISAPPOINTMENT.
[LAUGHTER]
YOU STILL WANNA LOOK IN IT?
[YEAH.] ALL RIGHT,
THERE YOU GO! NOW YOU CAN
TELL US WHAT'S IN THERE.
[NOTHING]
NOTHING. THAT'S RIGHT.
OH! SO DISAPPOINTING. YOU KNOW
LIFE IS FULL OF
DISAPPOINTMENTS AND I'M GONNA
SHARE
BOTH A DISAPPOINTMENT
AND A GREAT HOPE
FROM OUR OLD TESTAMENT TODAY.
THIS IS THE ACCOUNT OF WHEN
ELIJAH WAS TAKEN UP TO
HEAVEN. [2 KINGS 2: 1-14]
WHEN THE LORD WAS ABOUT TO
TAKE ELIJAH UP TO HEAVEN IN A
WHIRLWIND, ELIJAH AND ELISHA
(ELISHA WAS HIS STUDENT) WERE
ON THEIR WAY FROM GILGAL.
ELIJAH SAID TO ELISHA, "STAY
HERE;
THE LORD HAS SENT ME TO
BETHEL." BUT ELISHA SAID,
AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES
AND AS YOU LIVE, I WILL NOT
LEAVE YOU." SO THEY WENT DOWN
TO BETHEL.
THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHETS AT
BETHEL CAME OUT TO ELISHA AND
ASKED, "DO YOU KNOW THAT THE
LORD IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR
MASTER FROM YOU TODAY?" "YES,
I KNOW," ELISHA REPLIED, BUT
DO NOT SPEAK OF IT." THEN
ELIJAH SAID TO HIM, "STAY
HERE, ELISHA; THE LORD HAS
SENT ME TO JERICHO."
AND HE REPLIED, "AS SURELY AS
THE LORD LIVES AND AS YOU
LIVE, I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU."
SO THEY WENT TO JERICHO.
[TOGETHER] THE COMPANY OF THE
PROPHETS AT JERICHO WENT UP TO
ELISHA AND ASKED HIM, "DO YOU
KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOING TO
TAKE YOUR MASTER FROM YOU
TODAY?" "YES, I KNOW," HE
REPLIED, "BUT DO NOT SPEAK OF
IT."
THEN ELIJAH SAID TO HIM, "STAY
HERE; THE LORD HAS SENT ME TO
THE JORDAN." AND HE REPLIED,
"AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES
AND AS YOU LIVE, I WILL NOT
LEAVE YOU." SO THE TWO OF THEM
WALKED ON.
FIFTY MEN OF THE COMPANY OF
THE PROPHETS -- (THAT WAS LIKE
THEIR SEMINARY SCHOOL BACK
THEN) FIFTY MEN OF THE COMPANY
OF THE PROPHETS WENT AND STOOD
AT A DISTANCE, FACING THE
PLACE WHERE ELIJAH AND ELISHA
HAD STOPPED AT THE JORDAN.
ELIJAH TOOK HIS CLOAK, ROLLED
IT UP AND STRUCK THE WATER
WITH IT. THE WATER DIVIDED TO
THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT,
AND THE TWO OF THEM CROSSED
OVER ON DRY GROUND.
WHEN THEY HAD CROSSED, ELIJAH
SAID TO ELISHA, "TELL ME, WHAT
I CAN DO FOR YOU BEFORE I AM
TAKEN FROM YOU?"
"LET ME INHERIT A DOUBLE
PORTION OF YOUR SPIRIT,"
ELISHA REPLIED. "YOU HAVE
ASKED A DIFFICULT THING,"
ELIJAH SAID, "YET IF YOU SEE
ME WHEN I AM TAKEN FROM YOU,
IT WILL BE YOURS -- OTHERWISE
NOT." AS THEY WERE WALKING
ALONG AND TALKING TOGETHER,
SUDDENLY
A CHARIOT OF FIRE AND HORSES
OF FIRE APPEARED
AND SEPARATED THE TWO OF THEM,
(THOSE WERE ANGELS) AND ELIJAH
WENT UP TO HEAVEN IN A
WHIRLWIND.
ELISHA SAW THIS AND CRIED OUT,
"MY FATHER! MY FATHER!
THE CHARIOTS AND HORSEMEN OF
ISRAEL!"
AND ELISHA SAW HIM NO MORE.
THEN HE TOOK HOLD OF HIS OWN
CLOTHES AND TORE THEM APART.
(THAT WAS A SIGN OF DEEP
GRIEF) HE PICKED UP THE CLOAK
THAT HAD FALLEN FROM ELIJAH
AND WENT BACK AND STOOD ON THE
BANK OF THE JORDAN. THEN HE
TOOK THE CLOAK THAT HAD FALLEN
FROM HIM AND STRUCK THE WATER
WITH IT. "WHERE NOW IS THE
LORD, THE GOD OF ELIJAH?" HE
ASKED. WHEN HE STRUCK THE
WATER, IT DIVIDED TO THE RIGHT
AND TO THE LEFT, AND HE
CROSSED OVER. [2 KINGS 2:1-14]
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN
LIFE WE COME UP EMPTY.
JUST LIKE
THAT EMPTY BAG. THERE ARE
TIMES OF DEEP
GRIEF IN OUR LIFE. WHEN PEOPLE
ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM US.
AND SOMETIMES WE SAY: LORD,
WHY? WHY NOW? WHY DID YOU
TAKE MY SON,
MY DAUGHTER, MY HUSBAND, MY
FATHER?
AND ELISHA
MIGHT HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TO
QUESTION GOD'S
WISDOM. AFTER ALL, ELIJAH
LOOKED HEALTHY.
WE DON'T SEE THAT HE WAS
SICK, DO WE?
AND YET, THE LORD IN HIS
TIMING AND HIS WISDOM,
KNEW WHAT WAS BEST FOR US,
AND FOR ELIJAH. AND HE ...
THAT GAVE THE PEOPLE WHO
WERE LIVING THEN
A REMEMBRANCE OF HOW ENOCH
WALKED WITH GOD
AND THEN HE WAS NO MORE,
BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM AWAY.
SO IT JUST SHOWED THEM THE
RESURRECTION.
RIGHT? VERY FEW PEOPLE DON'T
DIE.
BUT WE'LL ALL RISE. OKAY?
JESUS SAID: BECAUSE I LIVE,
YOU ALSO WILL LIVE. AND
THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE
FORGIVEN AND GOD DIED FOR US
ON THE CROSS: JESUS GAVE UP
HIS LIFE TO PAY FOR OUR SINS.
AND THEN HE ROSE AGAIN AND HE
SAID: BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU ALSO
WILL LIVE. SO WE DON'T HAVE
TO FEAR DEATH.
AND THE ANGELS WILL COME AND
GET US JUST LIKE THEY DID
ELIJAH. NOT IN A WHIRLWIND
OF FIRE, BUT
THAT'S HOW GOD PROMISES THAT
WE'LL
GO TO HEAVEN. HIS ANGELS WILL
GATHER US TOGETHER. AND
WE'LL BE WITH THE LORD
FOREVER. OKAY YOU CAN CONTINUE
TO YOUR SEATS, AND WE'LL
CONTINUE WITH THE SINGING OF
THE NEXT HYMN.