Look Expectantly, It's Coming Back!

II Kings 6:1-7

And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. ² Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.”

So he answered, “Go.”

³ Then one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.”

And he answered, “I will go.” ⁴ So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”

⁶ So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. ⁷ Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

The Lord woke me this morning for some people who have lost some things. I don’t know who you are, but you’re going to be reading this.  Like the young prophet in this passage you’ve lost something essential.  The Lord told me to tell you, “It’s coming back!”

From all the evidence, it's missing.  You’ve tried to locate it, but you can't see it.  There's a principle here that you need to understand: just because you can't see it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. It may be lost from your sight, you may not be able to touch it, and you may not be able to hear it or feel it, but that does not mean that it’s not there.

Many times I thought that I had lost something, I would look and look, and look and not be able to find it.  When I finally found it, I discovered it was there all the time.  Like grandma used to say, “If it was a snake it would have bit you.” 

In This passage young prophet immediately recognizes his loss, he immediately knows that without the axe head his efforts will be ineffective. He knows that to continue the work without this tool would be a fruitless.

Let me ask a question, how many of God’s children are like Samson?  They’ve lost the power, the anointing is gone, or like the young prophet, the axe head is gone. But like Samson they continue to shake, but it’s all fleshly human effort.

They continue on with their axe handle in hand, still going through the motions, still swinging, still trying this program and that program, still shouting and clapping their hands at the right places, and even speaking in tongues, but there's no presence, no power, no anointing.

Too many in the body of Christ fall into this category. There are many who have lost the axe head, but they keep on swinging.  A lot of effort, a lot of activity and noise, but no power. They fool a lot of people, they even fool themselves, equating action with anointing.

This passage reminds me of the prodigal son.  The lost son fell into a hole, a pig pen.  The parable doesn’t tell us how long he was gone, but we do know how low he went. He went to the bottom, just like this axe head, but then he came to his senses.  The father couldn't see his son, he was out of sight, and in an unseen place something happened.  He got up from the bottom of the pig pen, he came to his senses and he headed home.

And I’m telling some moms and dads right now: You have may have prodigals that are living in the pig pen, but don't quit praying, don't give up, something is happening.  You might not be able to see it, but something is happening. They may be at the bottom of the pit, as low as low can go. But something is happening right now, right where they are in that pit, God is working to bring them to their senses!

Just like the axe head rose up and started coming to the expectant prophet, the prodigal started coming toward an expectant father. We know that's true because he saw him coming from, “A great way off.”

That means he was praying, praying is watching, that means he was expecting.

I don't know what it is that is lost to you today. I don't know what it is that is out of sight in your life.  But the Lord told me to tell to you, “It's coming back!”

Start expecting it!  Pray for it, look for it, believe Him for it and prepare for it because, it’s coming back!

The father already had a calf being fattened for his son’s homecoming.  He already had a ring ready for his finger, shoes ready for his feet, and a robe ready for his back. When you expect something you make preparations for it. 

Prayer gives you the right to expect an answer!

The axe head swam within the reach of the young prophet, but he still had to reach out his hand and take it. The hand of faith must reach out and take it. Faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen. Faith has actions, one of the greatest demonstrations of our faith is to praise God before the manifestation of the blessing.

Anybody can praise God after the victory, that's not faith!  Start saying:  I'm praising God for my healing, there's pain in my body but his words says by his stripes you are healed so I'm praising him for healing me.

I'm praising him for the breakthrough in my finances, I'm in a bind right now, but the Word says my God shall supply all your needs, so I'm going to praise Him!

I praise him for my children coming home!

I praise him for restoring in my marriage!

I praise him for fighting my battles!

Satan get behind me with your lies, I’m praising God for victory over hell!

In the midst of all my trouble I can’t see the things that are lost to me, but I’m going to praise Him for restoring them right here, and right now!

I praise him for a new anointing!

I praise Him for restoring  joy in my life!

I praise Him because my fire is coming back!

Speak it!  Proclaim it! Believe it! Expect it!  It's coming back and it’s already on the way!

I believe something is happening in the body of Christ today, I believe there is an awakening taking place. Just like that axe head, and like that prodigal son, the church has also sunk very low.  We have subjected the Lord to public disgrace!  Sin has found its way into the church and found a comfortable place in the pews. Social drinking, gambling, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, hate, and gossip can all be found in our churches today.

We’ve lost the power we once had with God. Miracles, signs and wonders are relegated to the past.  Many justify our lack of spiritual power by saying those things have passed away and that they were only needed in the beginning to establish the Church in its infant stages.  That is a lie right straight out of hell to cripple God’s people, don’t you dare believe it!

Many of our churches don't even believe in speaking in tongues anymore, much less practice it. The church has become anemic. We're weak blooded, we have a blood deficiency.  In many of our churches it is out of order to talk about the blood, sing about the blood, or preach about the blood.  The life is in the blood!  If you have a bloodless church, you have a lifeless church!

Jesus said: Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you. (John 6:53)  A body without blood is dead, and so is a church.

Revelations 12:11

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

I believe the church has been like the prodigal son, it’s gone a long way the wrong way.

It’s time to come back!

The church needs to come to her senses. It’s time to wake up! It’s time to come back to the father's house. It’s time to come back to holiness, it’s time to return to the cross and the blood, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Somebody right now you're on the verge of your miracle, on the edge of your breakthrough! Now is not the time to give up! It’s not the time to murmur and complain.  It’s not the time to doubt God and His promises. It’s not the time to give up and give in.  Now is the time to break out in praise! It’s time for faith to express itself through action!

Now is the time to put out the hand of faith and take back what the enemy has stolen from you!

God told me to tell you, “It's coming back!”