From the Pastor's Desk

There is a reference to the Holy Spirit in 2 Kings 2:15, "the spirit of Elijah," and in 2 Kings 2:9, "Please let a double portion of your Spirit be upon me." Here Elisha is seeking to receive the same empowerment Elijah had in order to carry on Elijah's prophetic ministry. The energizing Spirit or power that enabled Elijah to prophesy was the Spirit of God. The entire passage of 2 Kings 2 provides an interesting Old Testament parallel to Acts 1:4-9 and Acts 2:1-4. Elijah went into Heaven, Elisha sought the promise of empowerment to carry on his master's ministry, and he received it. In a similar way, Jesus ascended, the disciples awaited the promise, and the Holy Spirit descended to empower them to carry on the work that their Lord began.

Elisha knew that he required the same Spirit that Elijah had in order to do the works that Elijah had done. The disciples knew that they required the Holy Spirit in order to do the works that Jesus had done. It is no different today. The Holy Spirit is not optional. While the Bible teaches a heavenly prayer language and exuberant worship, the Holy Spirit is more than only that. We must have power in order to do what Jesus did! You may be ready for Heaven, but have you received your personal empowerment from God? Today is your day!

Pastors Mark and Jennifer