The Doubling Effect

Reading for the day: 2 Kings 2:1-18

Growing up as a kid there were many types of chewing gum and bubble gum on the market. Two of my favorites as a youngster was double mint chewing gum and double bubble, bubble gum.
For some reason the makers of these gums sold me on the idea that there was a double dose of goodness in each piece that I chewed. I bought it and believed in all the hype! Lets talk about the doubling effect this morning. Get your bible out and reference what I'm saying to see if it's true (2 Kings 2:1-18).

"The total amount of human knowledge doubled once between 4000 BC and the birth of Christ. Then from the birth of Christ to 1750, it doubled again. From 1900 to 1950, it doubled again. Notice how time frames get shorter and shorter from 4000 years, to 1700 years, to 150 years, to 50 years. Then from 1950 to 1960, it double again, and now in this generation, the rate has become exponential. The prominent believe now is that the rate of doubling is less than two years. Every two years, the sum total of all our human knowledge doubles! Never before in history has the near future seemed so intimidating!" _Larry Stockstill is pastor of Bethney Church in Baker LA

In light of what pastor Stockstill says, check out what God says to Daniel in Daniel 12:4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

There's good knowledge and there is bad knowledge. As you continue reading this passage you will see that God is revealing both the good and bad knowledge to those who are able to discern the truth of the times. In seeing of the days that are ahead, we don't need to seek more knowledge, we really don't need more information as there is pleanty of that floating around. What we need to be seeking is more anointing and presence of God!

I have found that many people want a revelation of the knowledge of God more than a fresh impartation of Gods anointing for their lives! Before he was taken away, Elijah said to Elisha; "Ask, what may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha's response was "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." to which Elijah responded; "you have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."

What was Elijah really saying to his son in the faith? Elijah was saying to Elisha, if you want the anointing that I have on me, then your going to have to walk in step with me and see things as I see them before I leave here. In other words we're going to have to walk in unison and see things eye to eye before this can happen. Amos 3:3 tells us "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?" Elijah was very honest and forthright with his young Protégé as he told him; if you want twice as much as I've got, then the first thing your going to have to do is get into alignment with the direction that I'm going in. The anointing that's in me will be Imparted on top of the anointing that's already in you and so therefore you will end up with a double portion of my spirit upon you! The Hebrew word for "spirit" can refer to the human spirit, the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit, a prophetic gift, or even the wind. Most scholars believe that this scripture in 2 Kings 2:9 is referring to the Holy Spirit. Regardless of how you see it, what ever was on, or in Elijah, it was most precious to Elisha and his walk with God. Of all of the things that Elisha could have asked for, he responded by asking for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Not money, not more knowledge, not status, not copyrights on all of Elijah's books or writings, but a doubling of the anointing for his own life!

Anyone can impart information to you but the anointing has to rub off from someone elses spirit! The anointing is transferable and can only be obtained by receiving it directly from someone who has what you don't possess right now. My aunt Vera used to tell us kids that "if you fly with the geese your counted as one of them." She used this statement to keep us from running with the wrong crowd. So let me ask you, who are you flying with today? Who are you seeing eye to eye with this morning? If God posed the question; ask what you will and I will give it, what would be your response to the question? Line up with the right people and ask for the right things and recieve what God has for you.




_Written by pastor Randy Burton