“Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.” 2 Kings 2:6-14
Elisha had to cross over to the other side of the Jordan River to recieve a double portion of Elijah’s prophetic power. The whole adventure wasn’t an easy journey. It won’t be easy for us to get to the other side either.
‘The other side’ is hard to get to but so worth it in the end. On that day there were other prophets present watching from a distance, but only two crossed over the Jordan. Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah’s spirit and Elijah told Elisha that it was a hard thing that he was asking for. Elijah tried to get him to stop at Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and then at the Jordan, but he refused. He wanted this blessing with all his heart and was prepared to go all the way and pay any price in order to get it. His request was granted. There is always a romance, a mystery about being on the other side. Long ago it stirred explorers to cross oceans, continents and mountains to find out what was on the other side.
Ancient peoples believed the world was flat, and it was dangerous to go exploring too far from home, especially on the ocean. On ancient maps, they had pictures of dragons, which were warnings to sailors not to go beyond this point. “There be Dragons,” was the catch phrase. For centuries, it was believed that it couldn’t be done, but fearless men like Columbus got out of their comfort zone and crossed over. It wasn’t easy but it was very rewarding. Often you’ll find that on the other side, things are a lot better than where you are now; the grass can in fact be greener; there is victory there, but there’s always opposition in getting there.
In Spain sailors feared the horizon for 500 years, for they thought they would fall off the edge of the world so they didn’t venture too far from the shore in their ships. There was a monument erected at the Strait of Gibraltar saying “Ne plus ultra” which means “no more beyond.” In 1492 Columbus went beyond the horizon and discovered a new world. He sailed back again and it changed everyone’s minds. The Spanish then minted a coin that said “Plus Ultra” which means “more beyond.” Yes there is more beyond.
I can see how God birthed in me from an early age the desire to find out what was on the other side. There was more beyond where I am now. We had a house next to the Te Henui River and there weren’t too many bridges across it back then. I would have had to go right down to the Girl’s High School to get across the closest bridge.
Often I would sit on my side of the river and look across to the other wondering what was over there. I soon crossed over, went exploring there, and found caves in the thick bush. It was exciting.
There was a bigger river called the Waiwhakaiho in my town which had no bridge across it near it’s mouth, but today there is the ‘Rewa Rewa Bridge’ and every man and his dog goes to the other side.
Back in the day the other side used to be an isolated lonely place and in my youth I would explore there by coming down from the Ngamotu Golf Course. I would find all sorts of things washed up on the beach, and even met a seal there once. This ‘other side’ was my ‘special place.’
There was a bigger river, called the Awakino River where Dad used to take me fishing. There was no bridge near that mouth either and we had to row across it in a boat. Again, it was an isolated lonely place where I would then go exploring in the sand hills and find all sorts of things, like Maori artefacts. It was a very different place.
The Mighty Mokau River was even bigger still and I always wanted to swim across to the other side where no one was. When I felt that I was ready, I took the plunge and swam across to the other side, and stood on the sand where no other footprints were seen, and looked back at all those poor people on the far shore. I was getting more adventurous.
My next adventure was to cross the ‘ditch,’ the Tasman Sea and go to Australia where I had lots of adventures and nearly destroyed my life, but for the grace of God.
Then there was an even bigger ditch, across the Indian Ocean, that I wanted to cross and see what was in darkest Africa. I am glad I took the plunge; for it was there that I got saved and gave my life to Jesus. God wanted to get me out of my comfort zone so that I might find Him on the other side.
The journey beginning of my journey was me crossing over the Te Henui River as a child, to see what was on the other side. God has built into all of us a sense of eternity, that this is not all there is, there is more on the other side. In the big picture we will all finally cross over the river of death into eternity. What happens next depends on whether we surrender our lives to Jesus here.
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years and it was a horrible place, with them being slaves. They were told of Canaan land on the other side of the Red Sea, beyond the howling wilderness and across the River Jordan. It was promised to be a better place than where they were now.
“The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” (Deuteronomy 11:10-12)
This other place you could only get to with the help of God. It couldn’t be done in your own strength. You needed miracles to get there. When the Israelites finally got to their promised land they were not disappointed, in fact it was far better than they had imagined. Indeed, it was a land flowing with milk and honey.
I don’t believe that where you are today is your final place of rest, there is a better place for you in God this side of eternity. God wants you to cross over to the other side, to this place of healing, prosperity, victory and fulfilment. You may have heard about it from others and read about it in the Bible, but you can have it for yourself. Deep within you there is a sense of destiny and a longing for change. This place can’t be got to in your own efforts. It’s not gained by trying harder, or willpower, but only by a miracle from God? When we do things in our own strength, we end up taking our problems with us. All those places that I crossed over too in my youth, I did in my own strength I’m sure God was guiding me, but when I got saved, it was a miracle. Only God could get me across that barrier of sin and be in Christ ‘the’ Promised Land.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
The Israelites got into Canaan with the help of God. They would not have been able to cross the Red Sea even if they made boats, for the Egyptians would have caught them and killed them. There was no food in the wilderness either, but God caused bread to fall from heaven. When they got to the Jordan River it was in flood, but God parted the waters for them so they could cross over. Look at this story in the ministry of Jesus and His disciples.
“One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22
Jesus said to the disciples ‘Let us cross over to the other side’ but even though Jesus had endorsed this, it wasn’t going to be plain sailing. A storm came up and nearly drowned them all. It shows that there is always opposition whenever we want to get to the other side.
Elisha said to Elijah ‘You’ve asked a hard thing,’ because it’s hard to get to the other side. The Devil doesn’t want us to get there. He doesn’t want us to get to our destiny and will always appose us.
The children of Israel found that Canaan land was guarded by giants and high-walled cities, even though God had promised to give it to them. Jesus told His Disciples to cross to the other side of the lake, but there was a storm.
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” Matthew 11:12
This tells us that there is a ring of opposition surrounding the kingdom of God and we need to come against that. Only the violent can take it down. You can’t be passive you have to fight the good fight of faith.
“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4
It’s your faith that overcomes the world. We can’t get to the blessing without faith, and our faith is expressed through our words and actions. It’s having a confidence in our God. We have to first see it and then speak it out.
“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:8-11
When Moses came to the Red Sea, the children of Israel could not go any further until Moses lifted up the rod. The rod speaks of the word of God in scripture. The word opened the way for them to cross miraculously over to the other side. I want to encourage you today that there is a better place for you and it’s on the other side. Don’t be afraid to take the plunge. Just as surely as there was a Canaan Land for the Children of Israel, so is there a place for you, and not just in heaven one day, but here on earth. The Canaan Land of old had giants in it, so it wasn’t talking about heaven, for heaven has no evil in it. This other side is down here on earth.
As a child, I was encouraged by God to cross over that little river at the back of my place and it trained me for greater blessings that lay ahead. I had to conquer fear and get out of my comfort zone.
Once we are saved God wants us to keep going, using our faith to cross over to other blessings that are available. God’s plan is for us to keep going and not be afraid.
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.” Hebrews 6:1
I will close with this thought. Maybe you're afraid to dream too big. You don't want to leave where you are in case you fail. Nobody does.
But "safe living" leads to regret. Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
What's the worst thing that could happen if you pursue your dream and don't achieve it? You could end up where you are now. And what's the best thing that could happen? You could find yourself on the other side in new territory, enjoying new blessings, living the life God meant for you to live!
Be like Elisha who dreamed big and went all the way to receive what was on the other side. He ended up doing twice as much as his predecessor. Do not be like the other Prophets who stood afar off.