Elisha

We find solace in the stories of biblical prophets like Elisha. Their ancient narratives of faith and obedience strike a chord with our modern-day musings. These stories aren't just about the past; they're about seeing ourselves in the steadfastness of those who answer a higher call. Cheri and I navigate these tales, finding encouragement for anyone on a journey of deep conviction.

And then, there's the darker side of our nature, illuminated by the missteps of King David and the grim fate of John the Baptist. These biblical accounts are stark reminders of the pitfalls of selfish desires, but also of the redemption that follows sincere repentance. We juxtapose these ancient lessons with the challenges faced by today's leaders, emphasizing the timeless importance of upholding Biblical principles. Join us as we seek wisdom in the scriptures and confront the complexities of human character with a mix of introspection, historical parallels, and a dash of Midwest charm.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:19

Hi and welcome to the Sure Up Podcast. I am your host, Kara R Hunt, and with me is the lovely and amazing Sherri Swalwell. How are you doing today, Sherri?

Speaker 2: 0:33

I am doing so good. We have been talking the last couple of weeks about blueberry coffee and my amazing husband got me some, so I could enjoy it today while we had the podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:46

Oh, that is see. Isn't it awesome to have awesome hubbies, it really is.

Speaker 2: 0:53

You know, we talked about the fact I was telling him too, about how we had talked on the podcast and I felt so bad telling Kik Sal that their coffee was a little too strong for me. But the Blueberry Coffee I'm drinking black. So see, I can drink some coffee black. It just has to be the right mellow blend, and this is just a mellow enough blend. It's not too strong for me. I don't know why I have to have it not strong but I do or else I have to douse it in creamer and or sugar, and this one I can drink black and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I figure, with the costal lingering I should um, I should limit my dairy until I have that under control. But you know, it's the summer allergies or spring allergies, I don't know what they are, but I, I'm. I'm like sneezing today, I'm coughing today, so something's going on. I was at the allergist yesterday and he's like what is wrong with you? I'm like duh.

Speaker 2: 1:58

You tell me Exactly.

Speaker 1: 2:04

You're, you're you uh, suffering with the coughing. And I just realized this morning, when I had a sneezing sneeze attack, I'm like, wait, this has been three days in a row. I usually don't sneeze this much, you know. So it's, it's the midwest, it's something in the air, you know, and everything else it's just like. You know, either you're sneezing, coughing, or sometimes you're sniffling, you know.

Speaker 2: 2:32

You and I are so much alike because I don't sneeze that often. Usually either, no, I don't, and I can't stop lately. I'm like what is my problem?

Speaker 1: 2:42

Yeah, it's like the past three days and I'm going wait. I am not a sneezer right.

Speaker 1: 2:48

It's like that's just not typically me, but like the last three days, but you know it's been really stormy here. The weather has been crazy, actually. You know we had the storms and you know and things like that. So it's just a lot. It's just the weather right and everything you know.

Speaker 1: 3:11

The most interesting thing is that I was watching there's this particular area in Missouri that my hubby and I love to visit and there was this lady. She had a video, a YouTube video, and she was like if you like to visit this part of Missouri, then you don't move here. She was a realtor and she was saying I have a lot of people move to Missouri and they're just like oh my gosh, what is going on? What is wrong with me? And one of the things she listed is like if you don't want to deal with allergies, don't come to Missouri.

Speaker 1: 3:47

She's like because a lot of people will come here from other states. And they're like, oh my gosh, what is wrong? Like all of a sudden, my eyes are swollen. All of a sudden, this is going on, you know. She said some other things, like if you don't like this, then you know you probably don't want to move to Missouri. Some of them were funny, you know, and then some of them were the truth, like allergies. She's like it has to do with all the pollen we have around here and she says something else and she's like yeah, but if you want to deal with that, then Missouri is probably not the best place for you to move to.

Speaker 2: 4:21

Well, that is so funny. You would say that because my sister she never dealt with allergies the whole time we were growing up.

Speaker 2: 4:29

I've lived with her or lived in the same area as her, and by area I mean we've moved around for like until gosh, until 10, 15 years ago, 10 years ago and then she moved out West and she now has allergies in a place that is so much more dry than any place we've ever lived in the past, and I just find that so interesting too. So I have major allergies in the humidity and the wetness, and she has allergies in the dry.

Speaker 1: 5:02

Isn't that just weird? Yes, and I think it just depends on which environment we're in, because my allergies were so bad this is funny, but it's not. But it's okay because it's gotten a lot better. When I had allergy testing done, maybe 10, 15 years ago, and that's when they prick you, you know, on your back, and because she's like we just need to just pretty much target what's going on with you, right? And so she put everything food allergies was like on the right side of my back, and then all the other allergens known allergens in the state were like on the other.

Speaker 1: 5:47

And your dust, your mites, your pollen, your this, your this, your that, your grasses, your ragweeds, all that jazz, um, and they're like so they put the little pricks in your back and then she's like okay, we'll come back. She's like well, you know, it takes a minute for them to take effect. Whichever side comes back red, whichever ones come back like really red or something, um, we'll know which one it is. And they left the room and I'm like okay, you know, for about the first minute I was fine. Then the left side of my back started just itching like crazy. I'm like whoa, where are they? It was like it was on fire the side that had the food allergies on it. There was nothing but the one that had the Missouri allergens on them. It was like on fire Every tree or whatever that they had, you know, and by the time they came back in she's like oh my goodness look at your back and I'm like right, I'm like ready to scream.

Speaker 1: 6:44

Where were you guys?

Speaker 2: 6:46

Right.

Speaker 1: 6:48

And she's like, oh, don't worry. And she took like some type of cream.

Speaker 1: 6:53

It looked like she had a wooden spatula. She dipped it into a jar and it looked like it just looked like a white cream, but it was thicker than a cream, almost like frosting. That's what. It was thick like frosting, and, but it was thicker than a cream, almost like frosting. That's what. It was thick like frosting, and she just slabbed it all across my back really really quick, really really fast, and it was like within a couple of seconds, all of that stopped and I'm going. Well then, why don't you guys just prescribe this to people, right, right, you know? And she's like, oh, my gosh, like you're like very red, and so she just used a wooden spatula and she just put it all over my back and everything and it was cool and it was like all of that just kind of ceased and, um, and my doctor was like, hmm, have you ever considered moving to Alaska?

Speaker 2: 7:38

I was like actually, yes, my hubby has family there.

Speaker 1: 7:42

I was like, but actually, yes, my hubby has family there. I was like, but she's like yeah, because you're like allergic to everything here, Every tree every dandelion, every grass, every this, every that. And I'm like, oh my word, no wonder my back was on fire. And she was just like have you ever considered going to a lab? I just like you know what?

Speaker 1: 8:06

at this point it's an option because we have been battling it at that time for so long, no matter what prescription allergy med she gave me. However, um, we ended up taking a different tactic and just building up my immune system.

Speaker 2: 8:21

Oh right.

Speaker 1: 8:22

Yeah, Because it's an auto immune disease of pretty much. You know, related allergies and stuff. So, um, and just started working on building up my immune system. So, oh my gosh, now, like 12 to 15 years later, I have no ordinary reaction that I do to the and the trees are still here, the grasses and stuff are still here, Um, and you know and everything else, and but the reactions, I can actually walk in a park now and not like I have to be rushed to the hospital for a breathing treatment or something.

Speaker 1: 8:56

Um, so it's, it's, it's, and I, you know, like now I still will get those belts. Like I said, I'm not even a sneezer anymore right for the longest, and so it's like the past couple of days I've been sneezing, but, yeah, it's nowhere near as bad as it did in the past. So for those of you out there, there's hope. If you live in the Midwest or Missouri, I should say there's hope out there for severe allergy sufferers and everything. So there's hope. There's hope, because I'm like way better than I was before. I think I can actually stay here now. Maybe I don't have to go to Alaska.

Speaker 2: 9:36

You know, I'm glad, I would love to.

Speaker 1: 9:39

Yeah, you know, but thank you all for listening, thank you all for chiming in again today, thank you all for being a part of Cheered Nation and tuning in every week to listen to the Cheer Up podcast. We are so glad that you are here and if you're new, welcome. All our listeners we refer to as part of Cheered Nation, all our listeners we refer to as part of Cheered Nation, and you know, part of this podcast is to just, you know, for us to just come alongside you on your journey to joy, and so we're hoping that just some of the that you find this podcast uplifting, that you find it joyful, that you find it cheerful, but most of all, that it brings you closer to God and or introduce you to God. So again, welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast and if you're listening on any particular platform, please like, subscribe and download. It really helps us a whole lot in the algorithms of the different platforms, social media platforms that are out there, and if you've been blessed by the podcast, please share it If you know someone who would love to listen to uplifting content once a week, or just something joyful, something to make them laugh, something to make them smile, something that they maybe learn a little bit. Then please just share our podcast and or tell them about it. We would greatly appreciate it and we hope that it will bless them as much as it has blessed you. Okay, sherry?

Speaker 1: 11:15

Well, obviously today I could not get my word straight. I seem to be butchering them, you know, sometimes along the way. But today we are continuing our overviews of biblical characters and biblical figures in the Bible. We have covered quite a few already, from Adam and Eve to Samson and Goliath, to Boaz and Ruth, to David and Bathsheba, to Abraham and Noah. We've just covered so many and we're just covering some of these biblical figures.

Speaker 1: 11:55

Right now we're in the Old Testament but we're getting to the New Testament Just stay tuned, you know, in the coming weeks. But we're just pulling out some of these biblical figures in the Bible, some that are well-known, some that are not, and it's just a reminder of what an amazing God we serve, that, even though these characters lived a very long time ago, some of the situations and circumstances they found themselves in, we essentially can find ourselves in the same way today, and we can learn a lot from the way how they handled them and how we should handle them today, and today we're going to continue our discussion on Elisha E-L-I-S-H-A, and I wanted to spell that because there's also another prophet in the Bible, in the Old Testament, with a very similar name, elijah E-L-I-J-A-H, and Elijah is the older one. Am I correct in saying Elijah was older than Elisha? Am I right, correct, or does it even say Okay, I saying Elijah was older than Elisha? Am I right, correct, or does it even say Okay, I thought he was older.

Speaker 2: 13:07

Well, I'm not sure if it says, but he did his ministry first and I get the impression that he was more of like a mentor, father figure, but he just had to be older.

Speaker 1: 13:18

See, that's what I kind of got from it too right that he was just much more of a yes, because now I think about Elisha referred to him as father, like a father figure, okay. So yes, it doesn't explicitly say, but I'm positive at least in King James Version he refers to him as or the New King James Version is one of them he refers to Elijah as father. So, yes, I do believe Elijah was older, and if you want to find out more or get an introduction to Elisha because we talked about Elijah last week and that was a very, very interesting conversation and podcast so, yeah, you definitely want to go back and listen to that one and some of the others as well. But Elisha is first introduced in 1 Kings, chapter 19, verses 19 through 21. And it talks about 1 Kings in the Old Testament. Again, it's 1 Kings 19, 19, verses 19 through 21. And you know, it first just shows.

Speaker 1: 14:29

And well, before I get into this part about Elisha, I just want to clarify with our listeners, who may sometimes get the prophets mixed up because their names are so similar that not only are their names similar, but their ministries are as well A lot of the things that Elijah the elder. I'm just going to go ahead and say he's that Elijah and Elisha performed some of the exact same miracles during their ministries during the time that they were active in the Old Testament. So they performed the same type. So in 1 Kings 19, you see Elijah the older come and plant his mantle, which I'm almost Sherry. In my mind it's like a scarf right, or like a very long scarf, I think so, yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:42

Yeah, I think so, now you guys email us if we're wrong. If I think so, yeah, yeah, that they. I think so. Now you guys email us if we're wrong, if I'm wrong, but it was like a like a man, you know, almost like a scarf. It wasn't a scarf, but it was like a um, and I'm I'm I'm at a loss for words now, but I think a lot of bishops sometimes wear them and, um, you know, pastors of a certainers of a certain rank and stuff, but were something similar, but anyway, it talks about how he placed his mantle on Elisha and all Elisha was doing at the time was plowing his parents' field.

Speaker 1: 16:17

I believe he was a plow boy, he was working a plow and he was doing that. And one of the interesting things that I find out about that because he, at this time Elijah, is a very well-known prophet. At the time, elijah and Elijah, who and who ended up becoming a prophet as well, is doing the time they're trying to bring Israel closer to the return, israel back to the one true God, because at the time that Elijah and Elisha ministries and things that they're doing and miracles and everything is happening up under some very, very wicked, wicked kings, and again we cover one of those kings, or maybe more than one, actually, in some of the previous episodes. So if you guys, you know, if you're like, just want to scroll through our Tira podcast page and just see which ones we may have covered, but they were under the time of Elijah and Elisha. They were under the time of some very wicked kings who were doing some very wicked things in Israel and they were pulling because of idol worship, amongst other things. They were bringing a lot, they were turning a lot of people away from the one true God, and Elijah and Elisha had pretty much been assigned by God to bring them, to help turn the people back to the one true God, and they did that in numerous miracles. One is a really big, magnificent miracle that Sherry talked about last week that Elijah did when he came to the Almighty God versus Baal B-A-A-L and how he was like, okay, you guys think your God is better than my God, then let's put it to the test. So and if you want to hear more about that again, just tune into last week's podcast but so they're under these wicked, wicked kings who are all this idol worship and they're killing prophets by the hundreds, right, sherry, you know, and they're just, they're killing them, and a lot of the prophets are in caves and things like that, because the queen of one of the kings has like handed out for the prophets of God and she has like sent out a hit on all of them, you know. So some of them have been hidden, you know, by some of the queen's staff who didn't want that to happen, someone on the queen's staff, and then others have just have either been killed or they were in hiding. So they were under a lot of, let's just say, stress, you know, at this time, because Elijah himself is even in hiding for a while.

Speaker 1: 19:05

But at this point in 1 Kings, when he puts the mantle on Elisha, the one thing I always find interesting, because they both, as you read on, and Elisha, his story goes on into 2 Kings. So 1 Kings 19 is just the um, the starting point, um to where he follows Elijah and Elijah puts his mantle on him and he's, like you know, pretty much like, follow me. And Elisha is like, okay, he just drops the plow. He's like can I kiss my mother and father goodbye? And he does, and I think they have like a little going away celebration. You can read that in the Bible that you know where there was oxen served and and everything like that. And he does, and I think they have like a little going away celebration. You can read that in the Bible that you know where there was oxen served and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 19:49

And then he went and so he knew he was never going to see his community and our family again and he just went. He didn't ask any questions. Well, he obviously knew who Elijah was because, like we said, he was the older one, he had already performed many miracles and those true God-fearing people still there in Israel knew who Elijah was. But still he just obeyed quickly. He's like, just let me say goodbye, which was proper, you know. He didn't want his family to think that, you know, he'd gone missing, you know, or was injured, somewhere lying in a ditch needing help. And even Elijah allowed him to go and to be able to say goodbye to his family and his friends and his community.

Speaker 1: 20:41

But then he disobeyed. He didn't say where are you taking me? Where are we going? What are we doing? What do I need? Or should I even go? Why are you? Why did you give me the mantle? There's other prophets not too far from here in the school of prophets where you could give one of them. Why me? You know, he just, he didn't ask any questions, he just followed, which showed one, his respect for the Lord, the Lord, god Almighty but then two, and his respect for Elijah, but also his faith. You know, he just like dropped everything essentially and left and left.

Speaker 1: 21:29

And you know, I guess the question I want to ask here is how many of us have felt like the Lord has told us to do something and we obeyed that quick or we just dropped everything, say goodbye to mom and dad, sisters, brothers, cousins, family, cities, jobs, hobbies. You know families, cities, jobs, hobbies, you know food, anything right, and just did it immediately and it's just like, okay, I'm just following what the Lord is telling me to do and or is leading me to do. And because of Elisha's obedience, the more you read through his journey, through the Bible, you'll see that he ended up getting a double portion of the prophet Elijah, of his mentor's anointing that God had given him because of his obedience. And I just wonder how much of that anointing is still out there for us if we just obey immediately, you know, if we don't ask a bunch of questions if we just step forward in faith, even when it don't make sense to us, right? For instance, god could say you need to leave your job, like now, and you're like, okay, so what's next?

Speaker 1: 22:34

God? And he's like silence, right, because I think he's just waiting for us to just step out in faith and like, okay, well, how am I going to pay our bills? What are we going to do? What about my kids, you know, and everything else. And I think a lot of times he speaks to us that way and doesn't give us the next steps. Because we need to have that faith, we just need to trust and step out and have that faith that he said, if he told us to do it, that he's going to lead us through it. What are your thoughts, sherry?

Speaker 2: 23:06

I completely agree with every single thing you're saying. I'm sitting here thinking about. I've read quite a few books and then also I had the same experience when I was a adoption worker, that I would have couples that would come and they would be like we think that God wants us to adopt some kids, and they'd have kids of their own already and they, like one in particular, ended up adopting a I want to say four sibling group, and they already had three kids of their own that they had adopted previously, and so they were becoming a family of well, seven kids, nine people, and they would talk about the fact that their in-laws and their relatives and so forth weren't necessarily approving or supported, and they're like but we know that this is what God's calling us to do, and so this is what we're going to do, and not that their family wouldn't come around, and not that their family didn't love the kids um, because they came from loving families, but it was just, uh, you know, parents protect their kids, type of a thing, and they're like oh my goodness, you really think you can have seven kids, type of a thing. And, um, and it turns out, when God's in the mix, it might be difficult, but he's going to. When God's in the mix, it might be difficult, but he's going to bless you. Actually, to tell you the truth, kara, I feel like in my own opinion, or my own circumstances too, I feel like God sometimes, or most of the time, allows difficulties in the decisions that he tells us to do, simply because he wants to teach us faith and simply because he wants to teach us to trust him even more.

Speaker 2: 24:50

I remember for myself, um, I, um, for whatever reason, I think it was just a faith test and it was something that was incredibly fun, so I enjoyed it. But God was very clear with me. There's there's been very few times in my life when God has been this clear, and I wish he was this clear all the time for me. I really do, but then it wouldn't require as much faith because then I would know the whole, the whole story. But at one point I I felt like God was telling me to volunteer, to reach out and volunteer to be a part of the book club network, and I prayed about it for two weeks because I'm like there isn't even a volunteer position available. So I'm going to act like, I'm going to feel like such an idiot if I go up to this guy and say, hey, I'm volunteering for a job that's not even posted, you know, do you want my help or whatever? And so I prayed for two weeks about it. God still was very clear this is what you need to do. And I'm like, well, I don't think I'm necessarily hearing you, lord, so I'm going to pray two more weeks and the whole time he's going, would you just do what I asked you to do? And so I remember I was. I knew that, I knew that, I knew. So I reached out and I'm like you know, no is a great answer. You know, feel free to say no, I know that I'm asking for something that's not even there. And the response of the man was oh, my goodness, you have no idea what a blessing you are. Yes, yes, yes to do this. Everything's going to be great.

Speaker 2: 26:22

Oh no, the very first month that I was working and he, he trained me in stages, which I was so grateful for. I love when my new bosses train me in stages so that I can get the hang of one part and then excuse me add on another part and then add on another part, instead of throwing it all at me at the same time. But I remember I had a a three year old and I had a nine year old and they both got the stomach flu and the three year old was throwing up literally every 10 minutes, every 10 minutes. And I remember thinking, okay, lord, did I hear you right? And was I really supposed to add more to my plate, because you not see that I need to be a mother right now as they're puking and I'm having to clean this up off the floor, like what is going on?

Speaker 2: 27:08

And so ever since then, after that, I just always learned or just realized that you know, obedience usually comes with trials, and it's not that we didn't hear right, and it's not that we're not obeying, and it's not that we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing, but the enemy is not going to be happy when we sit there and do what we're supposed to do, or God will use those opportunities to grow our faith to let us really realize okay, are you doing this because you think it's going to be easy peasy, lemon squeezy, or are you doing this because I asked you to and you're simply obeying me? And a lot of times it can still be fun too, like I absolutely positively love that job. I loved that volunteer experience. I love the people I worked for. I loved working um because it was all centered around Christian books. Like I love opportunity, I still look back on it with fond fond memories and so I think that God gives us those opportunities and I think he did the same with Elijah and Elisha, because, you know, it wasn't all peaches and cream for him, but he did a much, much, much better job than I did by obeying immediately instead of.

Speaker 2: 28:27

I was more of a Gideon. We've talked about Gideon in the past, so if you missed one of those episodes, then you can go back and see the episode about Gideon. I, unfortunately, was more of a Gideon. I needed more reassurance, I needed the fleece, I needed all of those things. I tested and asked and I was afraid and I'm not advocating for that at all, not that God did not use Gideon in a mighty way, and God loves us regardless, and God is so merciful and so patient.

Speaker 2: 28:58

But I think that, like Kara said, one of the reasons why Elisha got the double anointing was because he didn't mess around. God said do it. He said okay, can I please go tell my parents goodbye. Can I tell my friends goodbye and I'm out of here, and I just think that there's such a positive, wonderful message that we can learn from that. And one of the things this is kind of a little bit off the subject, but I myself have a horrible time remembering the difference between Elijah and Elisha, and so here's a little tip that if I could just remember it myself, it would make life that much easier Elijah J comes before S in the alphabet. Elijah comes before Elisha in the chronological order in our history and in the biblical history. And then the other thing is that a lot of the miracles not all of them, but a lot of the miracles that Elijah did and maybe it was because of E Jha's double anointing I don't want to say that for sure because I'm not positive, that's just a Sherry guess but a lot of those miracles that Eli Jha performs.

Speaker 2: 30:16

Eli Jha performs, and I have I have a cheat sheet in the form of a book and it. It was a book that was given to my youngest and I'll tell you what I think. I love it as much or more than he does. It's called the ultimate Bible character guide and it deals with both villains and heroes in the Bible and it gives you where they're found in the Bible. So it gives you the reference so that you can go and read the stories yourselves, which Sarah and I highly recommend. It gives the name and it gives them an alphabetical order. It tells who they were a description you know, like a small, brief description of them. It tells you a lot about them, like who they're married to, what their job was, what their name means, people who were, like they call them contemporary. So you know, like people who were similar to them, their claim to fame, why they're known about and what they're known about in the Bible.

Speaker 2: 31:14

And then it gives a brief paragraph description about the person, and I just find this book so helpful. It's not a substitute for the Bible for me, but it is a reference for me. And yes, it's a kid's book, but I'll tell you what. Whoever made this? Well, let's see Gina Dittweiler. Kudos to Gina Dittweiler, because it is jam-packed full of biblical truth and it gets me even more excited about reading the Bible and studying these people. So again, it's called the Ultimate Bible Character Guide by Gina Detweiler.

Speaker 2: 31:52

D-e-t-w-i-l-e-r. Amazing reference, amazing book, and I just wanted to share that with people because it helps me keep people and different things straight that I otherwise necessarily or wouldn't necessarily do or I would get confused by it. But the other thing I wanted to touch on, kara, before I see if you have anything else you want to add before we wrap it up is you were talking about the different kings. You want to add before we wrap it up is you were talking about the different kings and you were talking about um. You were referencing that some of them were incredibly evil and they just had it out for the prophets and you know we can.

Speaker 2: 32:37

I think that there are some similarities to that in today's world as well, like people who are not living for God and people who do not have a reverence or a love or an honor for God are going to be angry, are going to be mad.

Speaker 2: 32:57

It kind of reminds me of little kids having temper tantrums, or teenagers, because teenagers I've always heard the phrase that whatever your child is like at the age of two, that's what they're going to be like as a teenager. So if you have a child or a person who knows they're wrong but doesn't want to be called out or doesn't want to admit that they're wrong, of course they're going to be angry. Or is this something that's completely against what they want to do or what you know if? If they're being okay. So let's go back to David. Um, david, we talked about how he um uh uh, committed adultery with Bathsheba and then he murdered Uriah, bathsheba's husband whom she loved, by the way, which I still find that unfathomable that she could marry David and have a great life with him when she was mourning the death of her husband that David killed.

Speaker 1: 33:56

I don't think she had a choice.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Right, I was going to say times back then were so different that she she might have had to mourn silently, but oh, I just can't even imagine. But anyway, um. So then nathan the prophet came to david and said hey, you know, he told him the story about um, this rich guy who um had everything that he wanted, and then he stole the um other poor farmers, only sheep that he loved dearly. And David was like off with his head. You know, shame on him, this is terrible. And he said David, that's you. And David didn't realize how awful he was being, because he was, he was giving into a selfish desires, and so I kind of think that when you don't have God, it's a lot easier one to give into your selfish desires. But you get angry because people are telling you you can't do it.

Speaker 2: 34:52

There's another Bible or another story, a biblical account in the New Testament where John the Baptist gets beheaded because Herodites or something like that. The queen of that time is so angry with him because he's telling her and the king, essentially, that they aren't allowed to have an affair because it goes against God's will, and the king got drunk or was in high spirits or whatever at this party that they were having, and the parties back then lasted for like days and weeks and stuff, like they weren't just a couple hours, and then you go home and he said, anything that she wants she can have. And she said she wanted John the Baptist's head, and he really didn't want to give John the Baptist's head because he had a healthy respect for John the Baptist. But back then, if you gave your word, you didn't go back on it.

Speaker 2: 35:49

So I say all that to say that those things seem to happen quite a bit in the Bible, where you know sin is sin and people, um, who don't want to listen and who don't want to to follow God's ways, are going to get angry and so, therefore, they're going to do things that they wouldn't necessarily otherwise do. So, um, so yeah, I think there was a lot of that going on back then. Um, I'm not sure if I'm making complete sense with what I'm trying to say, but say but hopefully you're getting the gist of it it was really evil back then. They really had it out for the prophet, simply because they didn't want to be told what to do and they didn't want to be told that what they were doing was wrong. They had no regards to God, none.

Speaker 1: 36:54

No, they didn't. And if you were like some of the prophets and other Jewish people at the time in Israel and you were, like, refused to worship any of those idols, you were like a marked person, right? So they don't want. It was like you know, either you worship them or die the kind of thing, but it wasn't so much about just your everyday person.

Speaker 1: 37:22

They had major issues with those who were proclaiming the one true God, and the foundation of our podcast talks about that. You know the scriptural foundation of our podcast John 16, 33. In this world, you will have tribulations, you will have trials, but be of good cheer. Why are we to be of good cheer? Because just look around the world now. Honestly, no matter what country, there's very few countries that don't have something going on, whether it's within their governmental structure or their national structure. I mean almost everyone. I mean here we have, like, we elect president. In other countries there's parliament. In other countries there's still kingdoms and things like that, but it doesn't seem to matter. We still have wicked kings in other countries. We still have really bad members of parliament in other countries and other nations in various nations right, who elect presidents, those nations that elect presidents.

Speaker 1: 38:35

And sometimes you just look at the world and you're just like, oh my gosh, these people are just so wicked. They're just you know, they're trying to do this and they're doing that, and sometimes I'm just like you know, when I see them do things that are just blatantly against God or against Christ, I'm like you know what, thank you Lord. They're exposing themselves. They're no longer hiding who they really are. The masks are coming off, the pretense is coming off and they're showing the world who exactly they are. And to me that just. It's like the horns are being shown, so to speak.

Speaker 1: 39:14

And there are a lot of people who follow these people religiously, or they're a parliamentary figure, they're a king, they're president. Nothing can do nothing wrong. And when they see these things, they're like okay, wait a minute, I think you've gone just a tad bit too far. You know, and I think that's when those who are, you know the Bible talks about not being lukewarm in certain things, and I think that's where a lot of those who have been swaddling the line a little bit just kind of be like okay, I was, I rooted for you, I rooted for you, I rooted for you as my king, I rooted for you as my prime minister, I rooted for you as my president, and now you do this. This just seems off and I just cannot, in my spirit or my soul, continue to support this. And so, you know, the scripture tells us to give thanks in all things. So when I look at those things, I'm like thank you, lord, because those people who were just holding on with their fingertips and was just trying to say, you know, fighting the good fight for that particular person, now they're just like their eyes have been opened, like they are who people have been saying that they are, they are showing their true colors. Now you have to decide am I still going to follow them? Am I still going to elect them? Am I still going to support them?

Speaker 1: 40:38

Now, in situations where there's kings and monarchs, that's a different story, right. But where there's prime ministers and presidents, you know you sometimes have to make that decision as Christians. So it's like, lord, thank you. They're being exposed, they're no longer ashamed of what they do or whatever, and they're just making moves to just let people see the evil behind the veil. And I'm just glad because a lot of people's eyes, I think, open at times like that and they start to realize what in the world am I doing?

Speaker 1: 41:11

So, when those type of trials and tribulations come up on us nationally, globally, worldwide, what globally means the same thing, you know. We just have to be of good cheer Because in the end, god has promised that he has overcome the world and that we are winning. And it may look like we're losing, but we're not. It's actually more souls and more people opening their eyes and coming to the other side. So I just encourage people not to despair, not to bite your fingernails, not to start shaking in your boots, but just be like thank you Lord. Thank you Lord, because they are now locating themselves, they're letting us know exactly where they are.

Speaker 1: 41:54

You know, and for those who say, I just don't think you should be supporting that person and you know, it's like confirmation when they do stuff like that and things you know, and I'm pretty sure it was the same thing in biblical days where Elijah and Elisha and the other prophets the other prophets that managed to survive were like don't do it, don't bow the knee to Baal, you don't want to do it, it's going to lead you down a path you can't even imagine are in the terror that's going to come with that. And some people ignored it and then others listened to it, and so I just, you know, back then they had the prophets. Today we have the Word of God and to me that is better than any and all the prophets in the Old Testament, because the Bible tells us what we should do and what we shouldn't do, what we should support and what we shouldn't support. And when it becomes blatantly obvious and they're no longer hiding it, that's when we have to decide. Become an Elisha and just kind of decide you know what we're going to do. We have to become an Elijah and be like you know.

Speaker 1: 43:02

No, you know, and in his case he was able to perform miracles, you know, but in our case the miracle has already been done. It started and ended at Calvary. It ended at Calvary and it was blessed. We were all blessed when the stone was rolled away and the grave was open. And so, like I said, we have the Word of God to be able to decipher, because sometimes it can be so, so hard, because Satan is so good at trying to mask things. But then when he gets really bold, he starts unmasking them. And then that's when we have to start seeing things with our spiritual eyes and our spiritual ears and start making decisions, for on what side, you know, you're going to stand, because it's really all that stuff that happened back there with the idols. It is so, so consistent with what is going on in our world today. Is there anything you want to add to that, sherry?

Speaker 2: 44:08

No, I think you did an amazing job. I think that you hit it right on the head. The only thing I want to add is if, if anybody has any prayer needs or if they want encouragement, email the cheer up podcast at gmailcom or head over to the Facebook group Cheer Up Podcast and start a conversation with us over there, because I know Kara and I both love when community gets involved and when we have discussions, because there's nothing like hearing other people's experiences and hearing what the Holy Spirit is speaking to other people as well. It just builds up the body of Christ and builds up that encouragement. And Kara is so right.

Speaker 2: 44:57

John 16, 33 says these things. I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace, regardless of what's happening in the world, and we can say thank you, lord, for exposing people's true hearts and thank you that he gives us a different opportunity and a different way for us to pray. And you have overcome the world. You say that right there in John 15, 33. In this world we will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. I, yeah, I mean God says it's so much better than anything that I could say. You can head over to KaraRHuntcom and visit her website and all the wonderful things she has going on there, or you can head over to SherrySwalwellcom. I have a monthly membership that helps people grow their relationship with God. Feel free to check that out. There's a sweet senior and a young adult discount for that.

Speaker 2: 45:54

But everything that Kara and I do is to point people back to the one and only savior, the one and only one and only Jesus Christ, because we know that without him there is no peace and without him we can't have cheer. We would be sucked into a spiral of depression and hopelessness and despair. And yet God says no, that's not the way that I want you to live. I have given you life, and life abundantly, and we won't have that without growing our relationship with Christ. So come back next week.

Speaker 2: 46:35

I hope that we made things a little more clear about Elijah and Elisha. Come back next week. We're going to switch back over and continue the story of David, and we're going to talk about his son, solomon and the wonderful thing. There's so much to unpack about all of the biblical figures that we've been talking about. All we're able to do is just give a little brief overview and then we want you to delve into them yourselves as well. So have a great rest of your day, a great rest of your week, and we will talk to you next week.