Philippians 4.4-9: We start a series on Paul's instruction to 'Think on such things.' The spiritual battle is often within the mind, of having our minds transformed to the patterns of Christ rather than the patterns of this world. The call is to maturity, to allow our minds and souls to live up to the resurrected body that is promised to us in eternity.

In the monotonous pattern of the rise and fall of the kings, the stories of Elijah and Elisha offer a change of pace - a pace of hope against worldly decay. As we consider the last stories of Elisha today, we see that even in death, Elisha speaks a word of power, a word of resurrection that is anticipated in Jesus Christ.

II Kings 6.24-7.2: This is Part 1 in this quite disturbing yet fascinating story of the Aramean siege of Samaria. The story presents a story of seemingly complete hopelessness and the darkest despair that might be experienced here on earth. And yet from it, a word of hope emerges - a miracle of unbelievable proportions.

II Kings 5: The story of Naaman's healing is a flippening story, of the high becoming low and the low are seen as those most wise and true. Naaman, the Gentile, is healed through a humbling and finds life on the other side. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, though so close to glory, allows his eyes to be deceived by false glory, by a covetousness heart that seeks the riches of this world. But the path up is the path through the valley of gaining humility. It is by way of the valley of vision.

II Kings 4.42-44: This short vignette speaks to Elisha's role in being the vessel for God's life-bearing word. As we cling to the LORD as our source of blessing, our dedication to him becomes life-giving to others as well as God magnifies the affect. Jesus is the fulfillment of all these things as he says in John 6 that he is the bread of life.