And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. Genesis 26:18-19
God has been moving on many of His choice anointed servants to dig up again the wells of His truths that had been lost over the years and were a blessing to many. Rod Parsley, pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio, a dynamic mega-church with more than 12,000 in attendance weekly, discussed on a Christian Television talk show why believers must return to the true wells of salvation, the wellsprings of spiritual strength, and shared why prayer is mandatory to please God:
The Bible has much to say about wells. Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (John 4), and it was at a well at the pool of Bethesda where the angel troubled the waters (John 5:2-4). For nations throughout history, wells have brought both blessing and burden. Great cultures have flourished when water was pure and plentiful; others have collapsed when the wells ran dry, became polluted, or were overtaken by an enemy. Wells gave life. Few people today can truly appreciate what these wells meant to whole societies. Genesis chronicles the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as they grew and prospered when well water was plentiful. It shares how envy from the Philistines, Isaac’s enemies (Genesis 26:14-15) caused them to plug up these life-giving wells. The Bible says God’s people were required to walk upon the land if they wanted to possess it. After they walked to claim it, they had to sow seed to possess it. But it is useless to sow seed in an arid land if a well isn't dug first.
The Christian road is strewn with people who sow seed but don’t bother to dig a well to irrigate and sustain the life and growth of that seed. As you steadfastly seek to open new spiritual wells of God in your life, He will perpetually bring fresh waters of joyful rejuvenation to you.
There are 10 spiritual wells dug by our spiritual fathers who went before us – 10 landmarks, or doctrines, that the enemy has patiently worked day and night to clog up. These wells are the teachings as revealed to the Body of Christ. The enemy uses distractions such as financial woes, health concerns, fright over rumors of war, even worry about growing old. The Bible remains the most important book in the world, one with the power to divide or unite people.
When God’s Word is stolen, watered down, explained away, misrepresented, or somehow withheld or isolated from believers, the church will suffer. In 1517 Martin Luther took a stand against the Church’s practice of selling "indulgences" and ignited a reformation when he wrote his "95 Theses." He proclaimed the Scriptures to be the only authority that sinful man could look for God’s will; he proclaimed the priesthood of all believers and proclaimed boldly that "the just shall live by his faith." The Bible is the cornerstone upon which all doctrine rests. Holiness before the Lord is not an option.
"Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). All of the great leaders of the Bible drank at the oldest well of our fathers – the ancient well of effectual and fervent prayer. Abraham prayed that God would spare the wicked cites from His wrath. David spent time in prayer both before and after he became king of Israel. The prophet Daniel made prayer such a daily discipline that his enemies were able to predict the time of day when he would be on his knees (Daniel 6:10-11). Even the King of Glory, Jesus Himself, drank continually from the well of prayer.
Prayer has been the backbone of godly revelation, action, and power since the beginning of time. It will continue to be the foundation even when time is no more and we are ushered into God’s presence to spend eternity there. In Revelation, the heavenly prayers of the saints become fragrant offerings that move the heart of God and signal cataclysmic changes in heaven and earth. Without prayer, the church is lifeless. Why do we think we can live the victorious Christian life without prayer just to go from day to day? Pay the price; seek His face; surrender all to Him. The secret to power in the midst of the stress of your everyday life is to learn to pray and not faint. [i]
God’s people need to get the aggressive attitude of Elisha who was a nobody, an ordinary farmer who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him. And then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him and anointed him to kill the God’s enemies. The bible records:
Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. "It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant. 1 Kings 19:15-21
Yes when Elisha was anointed he gave up all and became Elijah’s servant. He personally learned and understood the difference that an anointing from God did in Elijah’s life including calling down the fire from heaven to destroy twice fifty men who were sent by the king to get him ( 2 Kings 1:9-15) and the need to have a greater anointing. Jesus who was born of the Spirit didn’t minister in miracles, signs and wonders until He received His anointing (Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 20:22-23) Jesus baptized His disciples with the same baptism/anointing that He was baptized with ( Mark 1:8, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15-20, John 1:33) He commanded His disciples 1:4 not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He told them about ‘for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ (Acts 1:4-8, Acts 2:1-4) God’s word is true:
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Luke 4:18-19
"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-31
Yes, it’s the anointing from God that enables His servants to preach the gospel to the poor in the power of God and to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. Yes, it’s the anointing that causes them to speak God’s word with all boldness, to do miracles, to heal and do signs and wonders done through the name of Jesus. So when it came time for Elijah to depart into heaven by a whirlwind Elisha stayed close to him and would not leave him until he received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Elisha was there when Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them could cross over on dry ground. The bible records:
And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."
Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 2 Kings 2:9-15
The anointing that was on Elijah was transferred to Elisha in a double portion. As a result Elisha also took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over on dry ground. Elisha demonstrated the power of his new anointing by healing the waters of the city and cursing his enemies. The bible records:
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren." And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.' " So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 2 Kings 2:10-24
The bible records that Elisha did double the amount of miracles that Elijah did and greater ones including financial miracles. The bible records for our profit and instruction:
A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves."
So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil."
Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few. "And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones."
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another vessel." So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest." 2 Kings 4:1-8
Yes, the anointing of God causes true men of God to say and do unusual things! Many evangelical Christians get very upset at the idea that an anointed man of God can curse people, especially youths, and cause them to be destroyed like Elisha did. They don’t understand or appreciate that down through the ages using His many prophets God cursed, not blessed, the evil and wicked ones who robbed the needy of justice, who robbed the poor of God’s people and who were arrogant, proud, rebellious and blind to the fact that there would be a day of punishment for them. The bible records:
"Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain." For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Isaiah 10:1-4
It is also a fact that Jesus Christ as the Chief Prophet also cursed the evil and wicked ones. He told them they were serpents, brood of vipers who would not escape the condemnation of hell (Matthew 23:33)! The bible records for our profit and instruction:
"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23:13-15
Many of these same religious leaders look to the secular ones as evil and wicked ones and never consider the fact that they themselves are evil and wicked ones in God’s eyes, especially when they reject God’s best in all things including a great anointing to ministry in the power of signs and wonders and accept in their place doctrines of demons and men. As a result they become blind ones who are leading the blinds into the ditch not bearing lasting fruit for the kingdom of God.
Had they humbled themselves before God and allowed Him to open their eyes they would not have been cursed ones but blessed ones who would have not only have gone into the promised land of the Spirit but would have led many others with them. Just like the children of Israel who were delivered out of Egypt and never went into the Promised Land, many religious leaders are living their lives in a spiritual and financial wilderness of their own choosing. The Lord was not pleased with the servant who buried his one talent while He was pleased with the servant who used his five talents to get five more (Matthew 25:24-29)? So there is no glory in accepting from God the bottom of the barrel when God’s richest blessings and anointing were available for the taking by faith? God’s word is unchanging:
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Men judge themselves by themselves and in regards to others, but God judges them by His word and their reaction to His word! He judges them for their failure to be all that they could be and to have all that they could have especially the same anointing that was on Jesus. We have a good example in the life of king Joash who settled for less when he could have had more.
King Joash did evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. He did not depart from them. As a result the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all their days. The bible records:
Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, "O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!" And Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and some arrows." So he took himself a bow and some arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. And he said, "Open the east window"; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot"; and he shot. And he said, "The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them." Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times."
Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet. And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 2 Kings 13:14-22
Elisha was furious that king Joash for no good reason only struck the ground with the arrows three times instead of five or six times. Then he would have struck Syria till he had destroyed it! Similarly many of God’s people don’t press in with God to get all their needed answers and miracles and are satisfied with insignificant victories. They could have had a lot more if they had only believed and asked God for more ( Matthew 7:11, Matthew 12:35, Luke 1:53, Hebrews 6:1-9).
It’s to be noted that even in his death Elisha caused a dead man to revive and come back to life. The bible records that three times Joash defeated the king of Syria and recaptured the cities of Israel:
But the LORD was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence. Now Hazael king of Syria died. Then Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his place. And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel. 2 Kings 13:23-25
[i] The Wells Rod Parsley March 4, 2003
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
https://www.scribd.com/doc/122879429/
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