MY FATHER! MY FATHER! (From Apostolic Teaching Fathers)

2 Kings 2:9-12- And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you (if you see me ‘eye to eye’), it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”

Then in happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “MY FATHER, my FATHER, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more…

2 Kings 13:14- Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my FATHER, my FATHER; the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”

Without going into detail, I’m sure that most of your are aware of “Elijah-Elisha” ‘father to son’ calling and when Elijah is about to be caught up, Elisha did NOT say, “O MY PROPHET, MY PROPHET!” He did not proclaim that Elijah was the mightiest prophet in the Land, He declared “MY FATHER, MY FATHER!” Not ministry title, but father/son relationship.

Then, in 2 Kings 13, Elisha is about to die and Joash king of Israel is being oppressed by Hazael, king of Syria! Joash also declared over Elisha the prophet, “O MY FATHER, MY FATHER..” not my prophet my prophet!

Many in our day and even here on ATF believe that it is their “ministry gift” or office, that gives them their “right to ministry!” They are “anointed” but not necessarily “blessed!” They have CHARISMA but not necessarily CHARACTER! What Elisha wanted was a “double portion” of Elijah’s ‘spirit’, not his calling. Elisha had his own calling, because He was a ‘son’ to Elijah and had been anointed the prophet to replace him. (I. Ki. 19:19)

The “double portion” is not just a double anointing for gifting, but it is the “spirit of sonship” and because he walked with Elijah, Elisha was “eye to eye” with him and therefore received the double portion of his spirit. The others, the “50” men of the sons of the prophets were facing them from a distance, while Elijah-Elisha crossed over the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:7) As Dr. Kelley Varner used to say, “Fifty is half a hundred” so they’re stuck in the middle.”

Many today are standing at “Pentecost” (which means, fiftieth, 50 days after Passover to Pentecost) and therefore will NOT cross over into receive the inheritance and blessing of their fathers! Many have Vision, purpose and even Identity (they know what to do and somewhat “who they are”) but they do not honor their fathers by completing the process of sonship. We are ‘born’ into the kingdom by faith and are saved by grace through faith, but you are not ‘placed’ into sonship until you become “full-grown” by the spirit of adoption or sonship, whereby we cry, “Abba, father.” You are no longer a servant but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Gal. 4:6,7)

Then, back in 2 Ki. 13:14, Joash king of Israel is following the same principle that Elisha had done, He proclaimed him, “My FATHER, My FATHER!” I believe because of that relationship Elisha, even while about to die, instructed the king to take a bow and some arrows and shoot the arrows out the east window and said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance (victory) and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.”

My point is tonight, we at Apostolic Teaching FATHERS (ATF), are at a “crossing over” as well. Many are standing back looking, to see where we are going. Many are looking for opportunities to show their gifting, or to impress with head knowledge. Many may have wondered why some speak out so strong, well, I have asked them to, because they are seasoned apostles and prophets! We are just over a year and a half old, and with much going on and having over 1400 on the forum, I do not have the time to personally oversee all the posts, etc.

Let me say, that I believe that most everyone in the group are here because they belong here and want to learn and grow together as a group. Some still look at as a place to post daily scriptures and ministry ads but for the most part the Fathers are speaking and the sons are seeking answers! Many I believe are learning and even the fathers are being challenged to continue to grow. None of us have it all, that is why we emphasize a “corporate” sonship that Christ is bringing in His sons! I pray now that we will “SHIFT” and if need be, have a “swift sift”, so that motives and counsels of hearts can be examined.

We are NOT here to judge everything or leave no room for dialogue of fathers to sons, and vice verse, but we need to stay in place to “honor our elders” and learn to give and receive. It is easy to just be recognized by your GIFT and what you can do and even honor apostles and prophets as long as they are moving in their anointing and gifting. But the true CALLING is RELATIONAL and is passed down from “FATHER to SON” until all the generations of Jesus Christ are fulfilled and we reach MATURITY!

It takes a lot of HUMILITY to HONOR someone as a Father and even a Son, regardless of their ability to do or minister. In HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING….(Acts 17:28) Anyone can and will honor the gift because it moves the people and will bring growth and increase. But a TRUE SON, no matter how strong their ministry gifting or anointing, will always honor the father in ministry until it is passed generationally from father to son.

There comes a time when the father must release his calling to a son and then settle in to be there for the son. But that is an UNTIL TIME… UNTIL the TIME APPOINTED OF THE FATHER… You may be ANOINTED, but have you been APPOINTED… Divine appointment comes because of “divine connections” and divine relationships. Then, you can come into your “divine destiny” because “how can two walk together, unless they be agreed?” ( or, have an appointment…)

I know this is a lengthy discourse and I pray you will take the time to read and study the heart and vision of what we have laid out here. We must go across and enter into the land and then, we must inherit the land by invading our enemies! That is the only way we can see increase, and that is by INHERITANCE! Let us be willing to honor our fathers by shouting out our love for them and honoring them as being fathers, because many are them are ready to enter a new realm and a new dimension!

Once again, we can all honor and use the gift, but can you honor and maintain the relationship of the “fathers and sons”, the “hearts of the fathers being turned to the children, and the hearts of the children being turned to ‘their’ fathers”, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse…

Thank you for your kind attention and we welcome all sincere and hungry comments that will lead to proper answers and sons and daughters to wise and seasoned parents….

Will you cry out, O APOSTLE, APOSTLE? or O PROPHET, PROPHET?, or will you cry out, “O FATHER, FATHER…?”

Thanks and God bless!!!

JB.