Author: GinoCascieri

       In 2 Kings 4:1-7 is a dramatic incident which has challenged the thinking of every Bible lover from the days of Elisha. In its appeal to life, it is unsurpassed in beauty. In its expression of God’s care for the minute things of one’s life, it is unexcelled in grandeur.

    The story opens with “…a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets…” (verse 1) who was in distressing, heart breaking trouble. Her husband, a prophet of God, had died, leaving her with two boys to care for; and with a debt to a cruel man who demanded pay at the expense of her son’s liberty.

    It would seem that God had let the widow down; that following the cause of righteousness had brought disaster. No day could have been darker. By comparison, your days and mine are flooded with noonday sun.

    The instruction given to this woman is worthy of meditation, “…thou shalt shut the door upon thee…”

    Shut the door to opinion. Had she gone down the street asking for the opinions of the wise ones, those opinions would have been varied and contradictory; but they would have been unanimous, that to follow the prophet’s advice was a foolish thing to do – it would be only a waste of precious time. The good woman would have been advised, “Use what time you have left in trying to refinance your loans.” But she shut the door to opinion.

    You, too, will need to shut the door to the opinions of others if you experience escape from the clutching hold of sin and the starving force carnality.

     Shut the door to fear. How filled our lives are with fear! From morning until night, from the cradle to the grave, fear stalks our pathway. We are afraid the sun will spoil our complexion; we are afraid we will not pass in the high school; we are afraid to attempt college; we are a afraid of…the list is almost endless.

    Shut the door to fear. You may have to die, but only once. You may have to suffer, but only to a point; then comes unconsciousness. You may fail, but there is always another starting line. Close the door to fear, and do it now. Look your problem squarely in the face; take one step toward it; you will discover that the closer you get to it the smaller it becomes.

    Shut the door to unbelief. Unbelief said, “The borrowing of the extra vessels was only lost motion.” Unbelief said, “The whole experience of the race is against expecting a small bottle of oil to fill all those vessels.” The good woman closed the door to unbelief, and filled every cup that faith had brought in.

    Close your door to unbelief. Believe in people. Not everyone is a scoundrel. Endeavour to see in every man the image of God. Believe in yourself. Act as if were impossible to fail. Never allow yourself the luxury of prophesying gloom. Believe in God and God’s son, the Lord Jesus Christ – God transcendent, personal, righteous, compassionate; God, big enough for this day of big things; God, powerful enough for your problems. Enough to get you through life, with honor.

    Shut the door to everything that is little and mean and vile and selfish. There you will find the flowing oil, the manifestations of God, and the glow of a glorious experience of being closer to our Creator.

Genesis 1:14-16: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.”

The sun being the “greater light” and the moon the “lesser light” speaks of Christ and His relationship to the church. As the moon reflects to the earth the greater light of the sun, so the church reflects the greater light of Christ to the world, thus becoming a lesser light herself. So both Christ and the church bear the title “the light of the world”

John 8:12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:14: ^“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

Genesis 1:4: ^“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” God “divided the light from the darkness.”

As soon as Christ the light of world (John 8:12) begins to glow in the heart of a new believer, He begins an inner dividing work, separating the clean from the unclean, spiritual things from carnal things. This naturally leads to an outer division among people.

In fact, Jesus said, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:” (Luke 12:51)

John 7:43 says, “ So there was a division among the people because of him.”

As it was in the very beginning, division follows when true light appears. Rather than be disturbed by it and oppose it, wise Christians will understand this to be the natural course of things and accept it.

Yes, some division is of God.

Always reads her Bible, for daily nourishment.

Believes God’s promises without fear.

Covers each child with diligent prayer.

Disciplines her little ones scripturally.

Enjoys her family to the uttermost.

Forgives her children when they fail repeatedly.

Goes to church out of need and gives faithfully.

Holds her children accountable and truthful.

Isn’t afraid to ask forgiveness of her children.

Just knows when something’s up with her child.

Knows she’s deeply loved by her Jesus.

Loves and respects her husband exceedingly.

Models Christlikeness to her family.

Never calls her children bad names.

Overcomes struggles by calling on Jesus’ name.

Places her children into the Father’s hands.

Quietly smiles with satisfaction and delight.

Refuses to worry and fret over her children.

Sets boundaries for her children’s behavior.

Tries to listen to her children intently.

Understands her limitations and need for rest.

Very often hugs and tenderly touches each child.

Works and labours without complaint.

Xpects her reward from God, not others.

Yearns to help her children succeed in life.

Zealously sees to her family’s health and welfare.

Genesis 1:1 – “ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Christ is the Creator Who created the heaven and the earth, according to:

John 1:1-3, 14 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Colossians 1:16 – “ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

Hebrews 1:2 – “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

To foretell Christ’s coming, Isaiah exclaimed, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come…” (Isaiah 60:1). Jesus identified Himself as “…the light of the world…” (John 8:12), and His disciples are called the “…children of light” (Ephesians 5:8), in contrast to the children of darkness. The world in the first century was described prophetically as in “…gross darkness…” (Isaiah 60:2). Jesus himself said, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:15). Rome ruled blindly, having abandoned the judgment of statesmen and just men, while bureaucrats lived luxuriously as they taxed the middle class out of existence. Violence was in the streets and lustful immorality was the fashion of the day.

Even Israel, the privileged nation of God’s revelation and law, had exchanged God’s doctrine for the tradition of men (Mark 7:8). Under these conditions, Christ was introduced by John as the “…light of men” (John 1:4) and the light that “…shineth in darkness…” (John 1:5). “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9).

Darkness was not limited to the generation that nailed Jesus to the cross. What of our own attitude toward God and His Word? Has not our generation done all within its power to thwart God’s law and raise up an army of rebels in high-handed sin? Do we not laugh at the adulterous flaunting of sex on every side and bring it into our living rooms for family viewing? Has not our society trampled almost to death the God-ordained home? Few couples take seriously the meaning of their vows. Children, if allowed to live at birth, are seen not as blessings from God to be nourished in the bread of His Word, but are seen as burdens and hindrances to pleasure, to be farmed out to day-care centers.

The truth of Christ openly contradicts the philosophy of man, which at the moment, is subjective irrationalism. In everyday words, this means that men follow trends as they appeal to their emotions. They see nothing as absolute truth. Every new idea that is flashed across the horizon of man’s emotionally charged perspective is judged on the basis of how he “feels” about it, and his feelings are influenced by how popular the idea is with his peers. There is no certainty. Nothing holds him to a firm cause through adversity and conflict, for he has no bed-rock upon which to stand. He is carried about by every wind of doctrine. Jesus is popular at Christmas because a “good feeling” is created by the commercial world; but, of course, the same is true of Santa Claus.

Nowhere is the subjective irrationalism more evident than in the churches. They compete for new “ideas” of how to appeal to the mindless masses. They must continually change the format of worship and recreation because the masses are fickle and cannot follow any ad very long. Instead of letting the light of Christ shine forth to reveal the eternal truth, modern churches advertise the latest popular illusion. The darkness is not simply black; it comes in various shades.

Acceptability in such a society requires the sacrifice of Scriptural doctrine. It is okay to be religious, but disgraceful to hold to a definite Scriptural doctrine. Doctrine is belittled. To believe is permitted, just don’t believe anything in particular. Your doctrine is not important, but your sincerity is! But how can one be sincere if he has nothing absolute and in particular about which to be sincere? The sincerity simply amounts to a deep feeling, belief based not upon reality but upon subjective irrationalism. We call a man insane if he sincerely thinks that he is Napoleon, but it is normal and highly religious and acceptable for one to sincerely think he is a Christian when he has not given even the slightest indication that he has met God on the terms of the Gospel, to repent and believe and live in obedience to God’s Word.

Such a philosophy leads to frustration and helplessness, insecurity, and, of course, eternal damnation. Christ is the light that reveals the bed-rock of truth; where one may get off the merry-go-round of irrational relativism and stand on divine revelation.

Christ is the light of reality, which produces faith; not faith that is a product of feeling, which may change with the weather, but faith based upon facts revealed. Deep feelings of peace and joy are results of the faith, not the cause of it. Jesus did not begin His ministry with a jovial “Ho, Ho,” but with a solemn “…repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Those who reject Him to follow their own ambitions, fear and despise the Light; and they raise up the substitutes of religious fantasy and legend.

To all who love God and desire His purpose and will, the Light is a joy to behold. The desire of every true Christian is to draw nearer and nearer to Him. “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21)

“Arise, shine; for they light is come…”

In 1967, Louis Washkansky, a South African grocer; received the first human heart transplant. In 1982, Dr. Barney Clark, a retired dentist from Seattle, became the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.

The Bible is a book of the heart. Just as we have doctors that tell us about our physical heart, so the Word of God is the “doctor” that diagnosis our spiritual condition. A careful examination of every human heart reveals a sinful state. In Genesis 6:5, we read, “And God saw that…every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Jeremiah recognized the symptoms, for he wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our Lord confirmed the prophets diagnosis when He said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19).

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said, “…thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men” (2 Chronicles 6:30). God knows your heart, and He is concerned about you.

Just as there are various degrees of physical heart needs, so it is with spiritual. Hardening of the heart is one of the most serious conditions possible. But there is a remedy for all spiritual heart trouble. God knew about transplants long before doctors started to experiment with them. He gives a new heart to all who repent of sin and receive Christ as their personal Saviour. Along with a new heart, He gives an entirely new life. “…if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). How is your heart?

1. Keep Your Heart – Proverbs 4:23 The word “keep” means “to walk guard” around. Don’t let any type of sin conquer your heart. Keep them out. Some examples are found in Mark 7:21-23.

2. Watch For Your Soul – Hebrews 13:17 The soul of a righteous man can be vexed (worn down) by worldliness. 2 Peter 2:8. We need to watch out for the world, or it will get to us and wear it down. Other scriptures to study: 1 Peter 2:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

3. Rule Your Spirit – Proverbs 25:28, 16:32 The spirit of man is their emotion and will. Emotions like rage, temper, anger, depression, etc. can ruin you if they control you. With God’s help, control your emotions, don’t let them control you.

4. Captivate Your Mind – 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 “Bring into captivity every thought.” The human mind can only think about one thing at a time. Thus is not impossible for God to control your mind, Yield your mind to the Holy Spirit each moment. Ask Him to take control.

5. Bring Your Body Into Subjection – 1 Corinthians 9:27 The appetites of the body are called “the flesh” in the scriptures. You can control you appetites, or they can control you. Appetites include: eating, drinking, sleeping, sexuality, nervous system (often triggers urges to smoke, drink, use drugs, etc.) The Lord can help you with this if you’ll surrender your all to Christ. – Galatians 5:16, 24-25.

6. Tame the Tongue – James 3:8 It is a sign of perfection if we can tame the tongue. (James 3:2) The tongues needs to be bridled. Its power for good or evil is awesome: James 3:5-6, Proverbs 18:21.

7. Commune With the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 13:14 The Holy Spirit is a real person. He is God. He lives inside of us as believers. Talk to Him. Have fellowship with Him. Get to know Him as real as you know God the Father and God the son.

Proverbs 10:7

According to this verse, the way you are remembered after your death has everything to do with how you live your life now. 

The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot.

Let’s see if that is true. Compare the memories associated with these following names and tell me which are blessed and which are rotten.

1^st col.     2^nd col.

Cain and Abel

Pharaoh and Moses

Saul and David

Jezebel and Abigail

Judas and Peter

Pilate and Cornelius

Satan and Jesus

You don’t hear of anyone named after someone in the first column but you hear a number of people named after those in the second column – that’s because the memories associated with the names in the second column are blessed memories and the memories associated with the names in the first column have rotted!!

You see, how these folks lived their lives in their lifetimes affected the memories associated with their names for eternity – Abel was righteous – Moses was meek and a friend of God – David was a man after God’s own heart – Abigail was of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance – Peter loved Jesus – Cornelius feared God – and Jesus did always those things that pleased God

On the other hand, the folks with the rotten names had rotten lives – Cain’s works were evil – Pharaoh was hard hearted [he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy] – Saul was stubborn and rebellious and rejected the word of the Lord – Jezebel was an idolater and a murderer – Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ – Pilate condemned an innocent man – and Satan is a deceiver who is full of pride – all of them rotten names!!

How will they remember you?  It all depends on how you live your life –

The deciding factors are based on the decisions you make and the actions you take in the following areas

The Righteousness of God – like Cain or Abel – is it right?

The Pleasure of God – like Pharaoh or Moses – does it please God?

The Word of God – like Saul or David – is it according to the word of God?

The Worship of God – like Jezebel or Abigail – does it honor God?

The Love of God – like Judas or Peter – is it out of love for God?

The Fear of God – like Pilate or Cornelius – is it in the fear of God?

The Will of God – like Satan or Jesus – is it the will of God?

Ask those 7 questions of anything you do before you do it – your answer will determine how you are remembered in eternity!!!

“Taking it easy is often the prelude to backsliding. Comfort precedes collapse.”  -Vance Havner