Scripture reading: Isaiah 26:2-3
Have you ever thought about the distraction that comes upon this nation, upon this generation, upon your children? It is something greater, much greater than we have ever seen before. I never suffered the kind of distraction that the children suffer today. Even some of you parents, you never suffered what they suffer, what they are under. Therefore, it is our duty to protect them, to help them to be concentrated upon God. When you read the story about Elijah being taken up into heaven, you find something very interesting. Elijah knew that there was going to be a distraction. But Elijah did not warn Elisha, “Watch out now, remember now, there is going to be a chariot of fire, you must keep your eyes on me.” Nothing of the kind. The man had to pass the test upon his own merits. He had to pass the test according to the godly calling that he had, for he was not worthy to receive a double portion of Elijah if he could not pass that test of distraction.
Brethren, I am talking to you about the distraction that we are undergoing and how you must keep your eyes on Jesus, for everything in this world at this time is designed to take your eyes off Jesus! Hallelujah. Your poverty is a distraction. Your affluence is a distraction. Whether you have money or you have it not is a distraction. You cannot get away from it; anywhere you turn it is a distraction. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Elisha heard the chariot of fire. The scriptures tell us that it was a chariot, horses of fire, chariot of fire. Who saw it? It had to be Elisha that saw it. It had to be Elisha that told the story. So, he had to see it, and quickly take his mind off it, take his heart off it, and pinpoint Elijah. And then, he saw him taken up. You know, I always preached that Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire. But he was taken up in a whirlwind. You see what I am saying? On top of the chariot of fire, there was a whirlwind. He was taken up by the whirlwind, not the chariot of fire! So, you can see how much distraction that there was. I don’t think it was all silent. It must have been an uproar, everything that was necessary to get the man’s mind off the concentration on Elijah. The truth is, I don’t see Elijah taking off the coat and waiting for the wind and then throwing the coat to him. I see him shedding the coat when he put on his heavenly garment. He put on a heavenly garment as he shed off the earthly one. I think Elisha caught it. I don’t think it dropped on the ground. The man was on the ball. He caught it. Do you remember the scripture which says that He will keep him in perfect peace? Isaiah 26:2-3, “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” God wants us to be concentrated, to be focused on Him at this time.
The time is now so short that you are going to have to drop off all the unnecessary things. Drop all the unnecessary things and look towards God. In other words, we are on the home stretch, brethren. We are on the home stretch. God is saying to divest yourself of every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run, strip down to a minimum, because God wants you to run the race and to win at this time (Hebrews 12:1). It is a short time that we have. I believe that we should lay down everything that we have and concentrate absolutely upon God and upon the things of God. It is not everybody who is doing that. It is not every Christian who can do that. If God gives us the privilege and the ability, let us use it! Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us (Hebrews 12:1), because I tell you something: the sin that easily besets you is one of the heaviest weights that you carry! When the Bible talks about your besetting sin, it is talking about ancestral sin. I know some people who cannot get away from it. Every time you talk to them they say, “I am so and so and I have to do so and so because I am so and so.” Well, I would like to see you get to be nothing. We don’t want any German, any Jamaican, any American, any whatever you are! We just want to see people say, “I am a son of God, therefore I cannot bow to this. No matter how my grandfather used to do it, I cannot bow to it! No matter how much I have of them in my veins, I cannot bow to it! I can only do what God wants me to do, because I am a son of God.” God bless you.
(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 12, 2004)
Thought for today: Drop all the unnecessary things and look towards God. In other words, we are on the home stretch.
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