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??Intro：What do you want to be when you grow up？Maybe some of you girls said, "I want to be a teacher." Or maybe you said, "a doctor." And boys, I'm sure some of you said, "an engineer" or "astronaut."
??Do you think God cares what you want to do when you grow up？Oh yes! God cares because He already has a wonderful and wise plan for your life, the very best plan. If you know the Lord Jesus already, you can be sure God wants you to serve Him. Perhaps some of you will serve the Lord as you are a teacher or engineer or doctor. But some of you God will call to serve Him in full time ministry, just like He did Elijah.
??Elijah had no other job than to be a prophet of God, and for many years Elijah had faithfully done his job. But now he is old. Do you remember the name of the helper God had sent to Elijah？Their names are very much alike! Elisha had been a farmer working with his father before God called him to follow Elijah.
??Main Truth：It must've been a very big decision for Elisha to decide to give up his job and family and the home he'd always known to serve the Lord full-time. Do you know, God still calls people today to leave their jobs and homeland to go and serve Him full-time as pastors and missionaries？Others, like secretaries, policemen, school teachers, engineers, serve God while they do other kinds of jobs. If you are God's child, would you be willing to one day say goodbye as Elisha did to his family, and go and serve the Lord fulltime？Even now as a child, you can begin to serve the Lord. How can a child serve the Lord？By obeying your parents, and telling others about Jesus. Also, when you are reading and memorizing God's Word and spending time in prayer you are not only serving God now, but making the best preparation to serve Him when you grow up! God wants you even as a child to serve Him.
??It must've been a very big decision for Elisha, but he chose to serve God by becoming a helper for Elijah. The younger man Elisha learned so many things about trusting God from old Elijah. Perhaps Elisha even helped Elijah train the young men in the schools of the prophets that were in different cities.
??But the years have gone by now, and Elijah is old. II Kings chapter 2 begins this way："And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven？" Yes, the day had come when Elijah was going to heaven. Do you think he was afraid to leave this life and go on to Heaven？No, Elijah was not afraid, he was ready!
??Gospel：Are you ready to go to Heaven？No one is born ready to go to Heaven. In fact we are born with a sin nature that cannot be in Heaven, since Heaven is a perfect place, free from sin. Pouting, not honoring our parents, being lazy and selfish are some of the ways we sin. But sin is something we can't just wish away, or even wash away. God's Word says the only thing that can take away our sin and make us ready to go to Heaven is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who paid for our sin with His precious life and blood. In Luke 24：46-47 Jesus Himself said, ？" it is written？(for) Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day：And that？remission (or taking away) of sins should be preached in his name among all nations？" Jesus knew it was necessary for Him to suffer great pain, shame, even wicked men spitting on Him, so that He could take the punishment we deserved for sin. After Jesus died, He rose on the third day and later went to Heaven. God our Creator loves the world, and He wants all to be with Him in His beautiful home in Heaven. God provided one name and one way, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can be ready to go to Heaven. Have you believed on Him so you can be ready to go to Heaven？??Elijah believed God and he was ready to go to Heaven! As Elijah traveled with Elisha to Gilgal, Elijah said, "Elisha, wait here please, for the Lord is sending me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." Boys and girls, do you think Elisha knew God was going to take Elijah home to Heaven？Yes, he knew, and he did not plan to leave Elijah until God did take him home.
??When the two prophets reached Bethel, they were met by the sons of the prophets. No doubt these were some of the men that Elijah and Elisha had trained. The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "Do you not know that the Lord will take away your master today？" Elisha quickly answered, "Yes, I know it, don't say anything else about it." Perhaps he quietly shushed them so Elijah did not hear their talking. Elijah then came to Elisha and said, "Elisha, wait here please, for the Lord is sending me to Jericho." What do you think Elisha said？You're right if you guessed that Elisha said he would not leave Elijah. So they both went to Jericho. Again, the sons of the prophets in the city of Jericho came to meet Elisha. "Do you not know that the Lord will take away your master today？" Again Elisha shushed the prophets by saying, "Yes, I know it, don't say anything else about it."
??There in Jericho, Elijah said to Elisha, "Elisha, wait here please, for the Lord is sending me to the Jordan River." But as before Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as you live, Elijah, I will not leave you." As they came to the Jordan River, the Bible says that fifty sons of the prophets followed from a distance to see what would happen. Elijah took his mantle, wrapped it together, hit the water and suddenly the waters were divided, and the two prophets walked through the Jordan River on dry ground! What a miracle! That probably had not happened since the time God caused the waters of the Jordan to part for Joshua and the people of Israel! This was just one of the great miracles God did through Elijah. I'm sure the sons of the prophets saw this happen from where they were watching, and then they saw the two men walk across. Elijah and Elisha were walking along on the other side of the river when Elijah turned to Elisha and asked, "What do you want me to do for you before I am taken from you？" Elisha was ready with his request! "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." Elisha knew if he were going to take Elijah's place, he would need God's power and strength in his life!
??Main Truth：If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, God is calling you to serve Him, but you cannot serve Him in your own power and strength. Be sure to spend time in God's Word and pray for His Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, power and strength to serve Him! Jesus said, " ..for without me ye can do nothing." Never think you are smart enough or strong enough to do God's work with your own plans and power! Elisha knew he needed that same Holy Spirit that had worked through Elijah, so he asked for a double portion of it!
??Elijah answered, "You have asked a hard thing：however, if you see me when I am taken from you, you shall have your request; but if you do not see me, then you will not receive it."
??The two men went on walking and talking when suddenly there appeared a chariot & horses of fire that ran between the two prophets, parting them. Then immediately Elijah was whisked away in a whirlwind, up into Heaven. Although it all happened so fast, Elisha did see it, and cried excitedly, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen!" Elisha was so struck by this unbelievable sight, that he took hold of his clothes and ripped them in two pieces. In Bible times people sometimes did that to show their extreme emotion about something that had happened, and surely this would be a shocking experience for anyone!
??Elisha probably stood for a while staring up into the heavens after Elijah had disappeared. When he looked down, there on the ground he saw the mantle of Elijah that had fallen as Elijah was taken up. Elisha picked up the mantle and walked to the edge of the Jordan River. Had God granted Elisha's request for a double portion of Elijah's spirit？Look what happened next and I think you will know the answer! Elisha took the mantle as Elijah had done, and hit the waters of the river. "Where is the Lord God of Elijah？" asked Elisha. Immediately the waters parted, just as they had for Elijah. Elisha walked through the river on dry ground! Yes, God had given Elisha his request!
??II Kings 2：15 says, "And when the sons of the prophets (which were watching from a distance) saw him, they said, 'The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha.' And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him." Yes, Elisha would go on serving the Lord, with the power and strength of the Lord!
??If you know the Lord Jesus, are you willing to tell God that you want to serve Him in any way God chooses？Perhaps He will call you to serve Him full-time some day as a pastor or missionary, but even if God wants you to do another work, you can still serve Him while you do your job. You can serve Him even as child by reading and obeying His Word, by spending time in prayer; by obeying your parents and telling others about Jesus. If you are God's child, will you begin this week to serve Him？Think of all the Lord Jesus has done for you, and it should fill your heart with a great desire to serve Him!
??If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus, you cannot serve Him because you don't even know Him. But Jesus knows YOU and He loves you. Today Jesus wants to save you from the everlasting punishment of sin and make you His child. Will you let Him？??Find out how by going now to "How to Be a Child of God."
