the seed of the alabaster box 07-01-2001

8/9/2019 The Seed of the Alabaster Box 07-01-2001

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Sunday, July 1, 2001

Has your church been mantleized?

HAS YOUR CHURCH BEEN MANTLEIZED?One of the most interesting passages of scriptures is found inthe 2 Book of Kings as it relates to transference of themantle of Elijah to Elisha. If one is careful and the grace of revelation is given from the Lord to our eyes, one can seethat there are great lessons from the Spirit of Truth that thechurch can learn from Elisha being mantleized by Elijah. Inlooking at Elishas life as it relates to Elijah, he was under adeep burden of proximity.

PROXIMITY, AN OPEN DOOR TOMANTLEIZATION

When Elisha realized that Elijah would be taken by fire intothe heavens, he immediately pressed into a nearness thatbecame the ground and soil where the prophetic seed wouldbe planted. He stayed close to Elijah as he journeyed fromGilgal, which means the place where reproaches come off.This is most certainly a shadow of the cross. Out of thatdivine purpose he traveled with Elijah to Bethel, whichmeans the house of God. This is a shadow of the house andchurch that Jesus is a High Priest over. The tragedy of todays modern evangelical church is that there has been twogreat failures which has allowed a Babylonian spirit toinvade. The removal of the cross that destroys the wisdomof man and establishes the power of God, and the wateringdown and removal of the divinely inspired Word of Godwhich is less frequently borne, and more often cast to thepavement in many circles. Elisha refused to let go of nearness to Elijah when traveling through Bethel. In ashadow, he refused to surrender the purpose of the church.As Elisha traveled on with Elijah in proximity to him, theytouched Jericho, the home of the Girgashites, which was thefirst of the seven nations that blocked the way to Israel being

joined to Jerusalem. From there he traveled with Elijah untothe Jordan where he sought a double portion of Gods Spirit.Although it had been a hard thing to stay close to Elijah, andalthough the school of the prophets followed Elijah from adistance, when Elijah told Elisha that it was a hard thing toreceive a double portion from him, he continued to pressinto proximity and responded to Elijahs proclamation, If


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thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so untothee. When the fiery chariots came, Elisha fixed his eyesupon the prophet Elijah, and he became mantleized. It ismost interesting to note that there are 16 recorded miracleswith the ministry of Elijah. When Elisha picked up themantle of Elijah, he went and divided the River Jordan,which was the first of 32 miracles that are recorded in thescripture. A double portion of miracles. What was the 32ndand last? A dead man falling upon Elishas bones as he layin his grave, and the dead man being resurrected. GodsWord always starts in the baptism unto death at Jordan, andalways ends with the resurrection of that which is dead untoglory.

JOHN, MANTLEIZED IN NEW TESTAMENT

PROXIMITYElijah had a school of the prophets, and Jesus had Hisversion as well. Elijah had those who followed him from afar who he could not mantleize, and so it was with Jesus inthe New Testament church. Have you ever considered this?It is recorded that 500 saw him after He rose from the dead?There was 120 at the Day of Pentecost, there was 70disciples that went forth doing miracles. There were 12Apostles who ran from Him. Likewise, there was 3 that Hetook up on the Mount of Transfiguration. But there was onewho was present in the 500, 120, 70, 12, and 3, who pressedin by proximity to rest his head on Jesus bosom and beprofoundly affected as he watched Jesus die on the cross.His name was John. His mantleization was the Book of Revelation, when he became the personal recorder of theRevelation of Jesus Christ given to him by his Father. Theconsummating Book of the Scripture came by Jesus Christto John in a mantleization that this world would see as theend of the age. Oh the privilege of remaining close to theLord Jesus and letting nothing, no offense or personalinterest keep us from that proximity. May the Lord raise anuncompromised church to be mantleized with a doubleportion of His Spirit.

DO YOU WANT TO BE JOINED TO THE

PROPHETIC CHURCH?DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE BLESSED INGODS ECONOMY?

Have you ever noticed the church of today how it definesprophetic ministry? I do want to say that I believe we mayall prophecy one by one in the church, and I do believe thatthere are times when personal prophecy can be a means bywhich God confirms what He has already shown us.However, I have seen much soulical prophetic activity thatis closer to soothe-saying and fortune telling than it is to themind of God. True prophetic ministry is when the thought of God that has been lost to Gods people is again restored.


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True prophetic ministry restores Gods thought to Godspeople. A perfect example is the revival under Josiah thattook place shortly before the Babylonian captivity. The tentribes of Israel had been carried away to Assyria, and theland of Israel, where they dwelt, had been replaced withBabylonians. Benjamin and Judah, where Josiah reigned asking, was the remnant of Israel that was left, and Josiah as aprophetic king, made all the people to read and obey all of the Word of God. How we need a Josiah revival before themystery Babylon and commercial Babylon, as found in thebook of Revelation, completely sweeps this world away intoits final rebellion. What we define as prophetic ministrytoday is often erroneous. Likewise, what we define asblessing can be erroneous. I deeply appreciate all thetemporal blessing that God gives. He has abundantly blessedme above and beyond all that I could ask or think, and myheart is very grateful. However, the Divine view of blessingis much different than our natural view.GODS SPECIAL BLESSINGS ON THE PROPHETIC

CHURCHIn Luke 6:22 you can read something that is so contrary toour thought and what we define as blessing. Let me sharewith you by grace what Jesus defines as blessing. He said,Blessed are you when men shall hate you. Blessing #1,you will be hated of men, most especially religious men.Blessing #2, men shall separate themselves from you, for Hesaid, Blessed are you when men shall separate from youand separate you from their company. For John to bemantleized, there was a continuous work of separation, acalling to a deeper death and a deeper love for Jesus. TheScripture records that John was banished from the church hehad founded by a man by the name of Diotrephes, who evenforbade people to fellowship with John. How would you likethat blessing? Blessing #3, men shall reproach you, Blessing#4, men shall cast your name out as evil. Have youexperienced a total character assassination without any basisof truth to even the remotest iota? Then you are beginning toexperience the blessing of God as defined by Jesus. Whenmen completely assassinate your character unjustly, youhave received Gods most special blessing. When menbetray you and turn their back on you, you have entered intoGods high calling. Jesus said that at such a time rejoice andleap for joy, for this is how they treated the prophets.

CARNAL MAN AND THE MANTLECarnal man will do one thing with the mantle. He will makeit man-centered so that he doesnt die, he will make itnatural so he is not resurrected to live, he will formcommittees, write up doctrinal code books that will look soappealing. He will orchestrate great social events, and hewill manifest the fruit of being at a distance from Jesus by


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hypocrisy, favoring those with money. He will buildpolitical structures that will lie, teach others to lie, and abidein lies. He will endeavor to own the work of God which wasnever his nor ever will be because the battle and the work isthe Lords. In order to maintain that which is man-centered,the carnal man will preach messages of no depth and coverthe lack with flattery. He will drag the mantle through thedirt and make decisions based upon the purposes of man, allwhile adding the name of Jesus. Know this, he will never bemantleized or submitted. Gods most peculiar treasure, Hischurch and ministry in eternal purpose, will never be ownedby man

THE SIGN OF THE FALSE PROPHET THATSHREDS THE MANTLE

May every prosperity minister and every minister andpeople that boast of Gods supplying riches to them takenote the words of Jesus. Woe unto you that are rich for youhave received your consolation. Woe unto you that are fullfor you shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now for youshall mourn and weep. Woe unto you when men shall speak well of you FOR SO DID THEIR FATHERS TO THEFALSE PROPHETS. What are we to be aware of? Beingrich and full, being well spoken of, for these are the signs of the false prophets. What are we to rejoice in? The joy of utter slander and lies, for this is a part of the mantleizationof the prophetic church that God will restore before the spiritof the assyrian sweeps this world away.

FINAL EXHORTATION TO THE PROPHETICCHURCH

To walk close to Jesus and be mantleized, there are fivethings that we must be willing to abide in. We must bewilling to be beaten, whether by tongues or fists. We mustbe willing to be stolen from, whether by tongues or cunninghands. We must be willing to give and not expect back asJesus instructs us in Luke 6:30. We must be willing to loveour enemies who beat, steal, and betray . And we must belikewise willing to be kind to the evil and unthankful. For itis in these realms that we learn the real meaning of the

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the seed of the alabaster box 07-01-2001

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