Word for the day "The Toxicant Water"

II Kings 2:15 (NKJV) 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. 16 Then they said to him, “Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send anyone.” 17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send them!” Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” 19 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.”After receiving a touch from God, Elisha went forward with his own faith, and his first stop was Jericho (2 Kings 2:15). The college of fifty prophets meeting there immediately recognized God’s touch on him, saying, “The same spirit that was on Elijah is now on Elisha.” It was obvious to all that this hidden servant was moving in a deeper power and authority of the Spirit. Are you growing in your relationship with God?The young prophets told Elisha, “The situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is [bad], and the ground barren” (2:19). They were saying, “There’s toxicants in the water, and it’s killing everything.” Yet, apparently these fifty men of God were powerless to stop the poison from bringing death to Jericho.According to Isaiah, this “pleasant place” represents the ministry: “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant” (Isaiah 5:7). Also, water here represents the word of God.Point to Consider: Do you see the picture? The toxicant waters of Jericho signify the polluted word being preached from the town’s pulpits. These men of God had never dealt with their own sins, so their sermons were full of toxicants from corrupted hearts. And their lifeless, flesh-oriented lectures were causing spiritual death among the people. What does message mean to you?What was the cure for the toxicants in Jericho? It was to purify the water supply, and that is just what Elisha did. He took a clean vessel, filled it full of salt, and poured it into the fountainhead of the city’s water. Soon all the waters were cleansed, and life sprang up all around. With God it only takes one person to make it happen people of God!Of course, the salt Elisha used represents the gospel of purity and holiness. And the clean vessel he used represents ministers who have been cleansed by Christ's blood and sanctified by the Spirit’s purifying fire, prepared to preach a pure gospel. Beloved, clean, pure vessels who walk in holiness and preach a pure word with fresh anointing can redirect the evil tide in God’s house. Today’s message speaks to those in the Kingdom, and challenges us in accountability and responsibility in serving God and each other!Kingdom Blessings,Pastor James Baker, Jr.