Meeting Elijah’s Criteria For An Elisha Anointing (Part 2)
Artwork and Article by: Linda J. Waiters
Copyright © June 19, 2010
It is resoundingly significant that the first issue Elijah had to confront with his replacement, Elisha, was idolatry.
IMPORTANT POINT
There could not be anything in Elisha’s heart that interfered with his connection with God in order for him to fulfill his purpose, and the same applies to us today!
Elisha would go on to do double the miracles Elijah worked, which reminds me that Jesus said “we” would do greater works than He did (and that’s significant to remember here). But, Elijah had to immediately test Elisha because his work for God would be no tip-toe through the tulips. It was work for a warrior with a one-track mind. Fortunately, Elisha quickly reversed course; killed all ties to his past profession; left family behind; and pursued his destiny. Elisha proved that he valued what was given to him at the cost of all else. And I believe this is the same test before many of us right now.
We must acknowledge the great honor of reigning with The Lord Jesus Christ that God Almighty has set before us and value it above all else.
This is not the only time in the Bible where God forced a choice that would reveal who was seated on His throne in man’s heart. For instance, in Matthew 8:18-23, a man asked to first go bury his Dad before following Jesus as a disciple, and Jesus told him to let the dead bury the dead. Jesus is no joke!
In Matthew 10:37-39, Jesus said:
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Idolatry causes a person to value something or someone in a way that hinders the love and trust that God deserves from us. Rooted in covetousness, idolatry is generally about what “you” want or have a passion for. For instance, Lucifer wanted to be like God (Isaiah 14:12-24). He saw himself seated on God’s throne. So power and position were his idols. A person who is in idolatry usually has more than one idol also. If we look at Baal worship, for example, Baalism included temple prostitution, baby burnings, witchcraft, human sacrifices, and the worship of fertility and nature gods. Interestingly, some Freemasonry rituals today are based on Baalist rituals.
While most Christians are not dealing with such extremes, destruction is still a factor in their lives. They believe they’re doing everything right; living holy; following their “spiritual father” as he follows Christ; but, they still see no results of significance in their lives. It could be that just like the time when the Ark of the Covenant was in the temple of Dagon, God is allowing your words to fall to the ground because idolatry in your life is before His face. See, today you are “the Ark,” so to speak, because you are a vessel in which the Holy Ghost resides.
But let’s look at spiritual fatherhood as a modern day example. In many cases, it has been the priestly garments for many a false prophet. My pastor, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, says “you have to know who your Moses is and who your Pharaoh is in your life.” Meaning, you must discern who God has sent to bring the Word of deliverance to your life as opposed to the bearer of spiritual oppression. He constantly emphasizes that he nurtures us AS a spiritual father, but “he is not our God;” and, he makes clear his position is a matter of order in the church as opposed to lordship over God’s heritage.
The Word teaches us that by two or more witnesses, let every word be established. So I spoke to Pastor Charles W. Quann of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Spring House, Pennsylvania, who was kind enough to grant me an interview to discuss this topic. He shared that he doesn’t use the term “spiritual father” because he chooses not to raise himself above God. He said that “God has called us to be servants, and you must remain humble.” However, he does embrace the importance of mentorship because like many men today he grew up not knowing his father. Therefore, a man of God can be crucial in helping a man gain a clear sense of what God called them to be. Pastor Quann shared that his pastor for example, who he admires but does not idolize, instilled confidence in him that he could succeed through the Word, and that he could do all things through Christ. Nevertheless, motivation is the driving force. Therefore, it does not matter which term is used – be it spiritual father or pastor. He also noted that we are in an era where one’s loyalty is very short; and I’ve personally observed that one’s “loyalty” to a “spiritual father,” in some cases, is really about nothing more than gaining a position. My interview concluded with Pastor Quann’s admonishment that “the Spirit should bear witness with our spirit” regarding the matter.
