And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
(2 Kings 5:10-14)
Today's Morsel: A few months ago, everyone was getting involved in the cold water challenge to raise money for Sheave For Christ. Great idea, and for a great cause. Sometimes as Christian we need to have fun with these kind of things for the young and not so young alike. Naaman was not only challenged by Elisha to take a cold water challenge, he challenged him to take a dirty water challenge. And he challenged him to dip seven times while he was in there. At first, Naaman didn't want to take the dirty water challenge, but some of his soldiers called him chicken if he didn't (my words). And Naaman would have to pay by remaining a leper for the rest of his life if he didn't. W hat about you? Have you taken the water challenge? "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39). "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:20-21). You can't enter heaven without completing this water challenge.
Sing: Are you washed, in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb.
Thought for Today: Baptism is still a requirement to enter heaven. (Parker)
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