Teaching, Training and Sermon Manual for Pastors, Church Ministers, Christian Educators and Outreach Leaders

By Gabriel Oluwasegun

Biblical method for the training of Church workers can be called modeling. Jesus was a model for His disciples. He showed them how to do ministry. The Pastor is to be a model for the members of his church congregation. He is to show them "the how?" The Pastor is like a playing coach, he does ministry works himself, but his primary responsibility is to train Christians to do their assignments in the Body of Christ. He is to carry his church members along with him, to show them the strategy for soul winning, how to visit the sick and the elderly, how to live a successful Christian life, etc. He is to demonstrate how to counsel and witness to others. He is to be a model for his church members.

The materials in this book had been used to train church workers in various churches both within and outside Nigeria. They are designed for use in the New Believers Class and for the training of church workers to educate them about the demands of their new responsibility in Christ and to enhance the quality of their service delivery in the church of God. The Christian nurture materials in this book are specially packaged as a teaching and training guide for the use of Church Leaders. It is my belief that the use of the materials in this book will be of immense help to the contemporary ministers of God in their bid to train and equip new converts and church workers "for the work of the ministry, and for edifying the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12).

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098344290

Book preview

UNFORGIVENESS

SECTION ONE

1:1 HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

The Christian life was meant and designed to be a colorful and celebrated life. Because of the discipline and obligations attached to it, some think of it as dry and

undesirable. Let it be clearly declared to all and sundry that Christianity has commandments and promises, obligations and remunerations. What we stand to gain in Christian life outweighs our limitations and constraints.

The very day we start the Christian journey, we started our onward journey to our land of destiny and fulfillment. At every junction, there is a blessing awaiting us. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18). Every progressive move on the Christian journey attracts a blessing and a reward.

The Christian life is not meant to remain the same, day in, day out! Every day is meant to bring blessings and transformation into our lives. Let us read, ruminate and enjoy these scriptural verses in preparation for prayers.

Starting the Christian life is a good and great thing, finishing well is another thing entirely. Every serious Christian must be concerned about the future than the present. God did not save us primarily and purposely for temporary benefits, but for us to have a place in our eternal glorious home. The best favor that a believer can do to him or herself is to give priority to the life hereafter. What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt. 16:26). The end of a thing is better than the beginning, says the Bible.

When one becomes a Christian, he stands to obtain a good and purposeful life from Jesus, but the best life is reserved in heaven for us. If a person dies and he/she is raised from the dead, he would still die again. A sick person who is healed of his sickness may still fall sick again. A rich person would die and leave the riches behind one day!

Whatever development and social amenities in our communities, they cannot in any way be compared with the glorious home and city being prepared in heaven for us. We must come to the full realization and conclusion that heaven is our permanent place of abode.

Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, rightly admonished us: If you have risen up with Christ, seek ye those things that are above (Col. 3:1).

It is not everything on earth that is sinful, many things are legitimate, but all of them are temporal. No earthly things will remain with us forever. The builders of many of the houses being admired died when they least expected.

Hear the wise words of Jesus: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matt. 6:19-20).

1:2 ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL PREPARATIONS FOR A PERSON THAT GOD WILL USE

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work (2 Tim. 2:20-210)

As a Christian you should realize that you are just a clay in the potter’s hand (Jer. 18:1-6), and that you must be a yielded vessel if you want to make your destiny in Christ and your election sure (Isaiah 29:13-16). You should know that a life style that is anti-God will end up in humiliation. In Isaiah 52:11, we are warned to Depart ye, depart ye go ye, out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

For a person to be used of God in life and Ministry, such a vessel should be: -

-A separated person, (Gen. 13:14-17; 2 Cor. 6:14-17). This is because until when Abraham separated himself from Lot, he never heard the voice of God, again.

-A consecrated person: To be consecrated is to be set apart to God, and be sacred like Samuel. A consecrated life is essential for every vessel that is to be used of God (Heb. 7:28, 10:20; Rom. 12:1-2)

-A sanctified person: one that is set apart, and made holy, sanctified through the truth of God, which is obedience to His word (Jn. 17:17) Sanctified like Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5) and Jesus who said; And for their sakes I sanctified myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (Jn. 17:19); and like Paul (Acts. 26:18)

-A determined person like Stephen, (Acts. 6:8, 7L:60 ), and Ruth (Ruth 2:7,23)

-An industrious person like Paul, Nehemiah, Ruth. Everyone that God lifted and used in the Bible were doing something before they were called into Ministry.

-An obedient vessel like Jesus Christ (Phil 2:9)

-A meek person like the donkey that Jesus rode to Jerusalem, like Moses (Num 12:3,7)

1:3 THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT GOD MAY NEVER USE

A disobedient person is a misnomer in Ministry. Saul an unknown ass-seeker found himself enthroned as a king over Israel by destiny, but he flunked the first assignment given to him by God on the altar of disobedience, and God immediately by-passed him to find an immediate replacement for him in David.

It was God’s word that enthroned Saul as a king over Israel, It was God’s word that Saul disobeyed and it was God’s word that rejected Saul as a king over Israel. Samuel said to him; Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king (I Sam. 15:23).

Disobedience drove man out of Eden, obedience will bring him back. When we talk of obedience, we are talking of total obedience, if you are to go far in God. Nearly does not kill birds. Jesus obeyed to the point of death showing you and I example. God has promised to be in readiness to avenge all disobedience against us when our obedience is perfect to Him.

A complaining person will not go far with God in Ministry. Moses lost out on the altar of complaints even though the Bible referred to Moses as a very meek servant of God (Num. 12:3, 7) yet he complained a lot of the burden he had to carry because of his people. He complained that; I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me. If And If Thou deal thus with me kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness. And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle that they may stand there with thee (Num. 11:14-16).

One of the sins of Moses was complaining (Num. 11:10-14; 20:8-12) and the Bible recorded that Moses said that:

Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither (Deut 1: 37).

But the Lord was wrath with me for your sakes and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee, speak no more unto me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and behold it with thine eyes, for thou shalt not go over this Jordan (Deut. 3:26-27).

A self-willed person like Samson will miss out of the grace of God. Samson, a child of destiny, whose birth and purpose was foretold by an angel (Judges 13:5, 24-25) could not maintain and retain the grace of God upon his life, because of self and his fleshy lusts. (Judges 14:1-2, 14:45, 15-16) and thus destroyed his destiny in God.

An indolent person: Everyone that God used in the Bible were busy people before God called them into Ministry. David was a Shepherd, Peter and Andrew were fishermen, Paul was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin and a tent maker, Matthew was a tax collector, Luke was a Physician, Aquila and Priscilla were tent makers, Abraham was a Shepherd etc.

An indolent person has no business in Ministry. He is a gate-crasher, and as he crashed in, he will crash out. The Ministry work of today is not for lazy dub ox, who are victims of a catalogue of failures in their life’s pursuits. Nowadays God is set to use His best, who had made a commitment to Him.

An arrogant vessel is a misnomer in Ministry; he will lose out like Lucifer before God. A vessel that is to be used of God must be humble. The bible says; … before honor is humility (Prov. 15:33) and must be meek like Moses (Numb. 12:3), for Jesus said in Mt. 11:29; "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart…"

A greedy person like Gehazi and Judas Iscariot will miss out of God’s plans for him in life and Ministry. A dishonest person is a disgrace to God and a grabber like Gehazi will always look for reward. A man who runs after gold at the expense of God in Ministry will miss gold and miss God

A discouraged person like Elijah will be replaced in Ministry. God doesn’t use a discouraged vessel. The moment Elijah got discouraged, God did everything to encourage him to no avail, (I Kings 19:4-8) thus God instructed him to anoint a replacement for himself in Elisha (I Kings 19:18-21)

God doesn’t want us to be discouraged in our service to Him. We should always remember what the Lord told Zerubbabel in Zachariah 4:6 that; "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts because It is not of him that willeth, nor him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy" (Rom. 9:16).

A fellow Minister who was a friend of mine died in April 2000 and I was to perform the burial ceremony. I was troubled at the death of this young man who was in his late thirties. I began to pray to God as regards the cause of his death. Then the Lord spoke thus; When my servant was discouraged, I called him home. Keep pressing on like Paul and press towards the mark of your high calling (Phil. 3:14). He had said that; "If any one draws back, I have no pleasure in such one" (Hebrew 10:38-39).

The Bible warned us of the dangers of operating as a vessel of wrath in Ministry (Rom. 9:22). Paul in 2 Tim 2: 20-21, enumerated the types of vessels in a great house (house of God, house of glory). Which type of vessel are you? A vessel of honor or a vessel of damnation (Rom. 9:22)? A vessel in which God has no pleasure (Jer. 22:28) or a vessel in sanctification and honor? (I Thes. 4:4).

God is asking for brokenness in our service-ship with Him (Ps. 31:12). He has asked that our offering should be brought to Him in a clean vessel (Isaiah 66:20), and we ourselves are the living sacrifice we are to present to Him (Rom. 12:1). He had given us His injunction that: Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the midst of her: be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord Isaiah 52:11

God will use only a holy vessel (Isaiah 52:1), who is separated like Abraham (Gen. 12:1), consecrated like Samuel, honorable (2 Tim. 2:19-20), sanctified (I Thess. 4:4), obedient and disciplined, both in life and in Ministry.

1:4 THE EMBLEM OF A GOOD CHRISTIAN

You are a Christian not because you bear a Christian name or your parents are, but because you have accepted Christ as your Lord and personal savior. You are a Christian because of your personal relationship with God through Christ. Apostle Paul used some metaphors to illustrate what a good Christian should look like. Many a time, we forget who we are or who God made us to be. As a result, we leave many things undone and many people do not have values.

What is value?

Value is something that controls your behaviors, conduct and manner. Apostle Paul gave us some snapshots of who a good Christian should look like. He described a good Christian with the following metaphors:

•A teacher (II Tim 2:1-2).

•A soldier (II Tim 2:3-4).

•An athlete (II Tim 2:5).

•A farmer (II Tim 2: 6-8).

•A worker (II Tim 2:15).

•A vessel (II Tim 2:20 - 22).

•A servant (II Tim 2:24).

Here, however, I need to examine the Christian as a soldier.

Called to be a soldier

A good Christian is supposed to be a good soldier. We need to note the following things;

1. A Christian needs to be a good soldier because the Christian life is one of constant conflict (Job 14: 1, John 16:33; Psalm 34:19).

2. Our master Jesus was in a constant conflict with his enemies throughout his life time on earth. Therefore, His followers are not exonerated from these battles.

3. Being in conflict is discouraging to many Christians and that is why the enemy takes advantage of many people (II Cor 2:11).

4. Some people have this belief that once you are saved everything will be rosy. However, the Bible says, You will work your salvation with fear and trembling. The just shall live by faith and fight the good fight of faith.

5. Whether you want to fight or not, the enemy will want to fight with you. Hence the need to prepare all time.

6. It is rare privilege that God has chosen you to be a soldier.

7. We became enlisted for battle when we gave our lives to Christ hence, we need to endure hardship.

8. We are in constant battle with the enemy.

9. This spiritual battle rages throughout a Christian’s life.

10. We are soldiers of Christ and we should act like one.

Who is a soldier?

A soldier is a person in an army who wears uniform and fights especially when there is war. A soldier therefore is a warrior, a brave and fighting man. He is a resistant fighter. He is a warrior, protector and defender.

Characteristics of a soldier

The following are characteristics of soldiers;

•Soldiers are disciplined people.

•They are very loyal to their master.

•They are dedicated to fighting.

•They are highly committed people.

•They are always battle ready.

•They are courageous.

•They are obedient to command.

•They are physically fit.

•They are naturally forceful.

•They are no nonsense people.

•They have team spirit. They cooperate with other soldiers.

•They are hardworking.

•They are skillful in act of fighting.

•They endure hardness.

•They are not quitters

Who are we to fight?

We are not to fight flesh and blood (2Cor 10:3, Eph 6:12). The fight is against principalities, powers, rulers against darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. We are to fight the flesh and its lusts. We are to fight the world by not loving the world (2John 2:15).

There is a fight to your faith to continually live by faith and please God by it. Jesus overcame Satan, the world and the flesh. Let us enforce the victory of Jesus over Satan and his cohorts. We must endure hardship. Victory is ours in Jesus name.

SECTION TWO

2:1 DOING EXPLOIT WITH YOUR FAITH

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word (Kings 17:1 KJV).

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3 KJV).

An exploit is a striking, or a noble or heroic deed. It has to do with making use of and deriving benefit from being the ordinary Christian through whom God can display His extraordinary nature. This is because the battle says about you that:

•You are God’s battle axe: Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms (Jeremiah 51:20).

•You are on God’s assignment here on earth: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant (Jer 1:10 KJV).

•You are a walking tabernacle and a carrier of His presence with divine authority to demonstrate the potency of the power of God (1John 4:4; Lk 10:19).

2:2 WHAT IS FAITH?

Faith is the currency of the kingdom of God. The word ‘faith’ is a Greek word pistelino. Its present tense is ‘pistis’. It is translated 248 times as; belief, confidence and a true pledge. Richard Usenu defines faith as acting to be so, when it is not so to be so

Faith is the eye that can see the invisible, the ear that hears the inaudible, and the hand that feels the intangible. Faith is the power that creates and brings into being what is humanly impossible. No scholar or philosopher ever spoke the total words, relative to faith. No person has ever claimed to possess the total definition of faith. There is no set pattern to obtain faith or retain it and there are degrees of faith.

Faith has to do with all the vital issues of Christianity. God gives each born again person a measure of faith. All Christians have a certain amount of faith because it takes faith to come to the saving grace that is in Jesus Christ and be saved. Faith has to do with growing in God.

Your knowledge of God is the foundation stone on which your faith rests. Faith is the factor that propels you through this life to great victories. Your faith has relationship to your knowledge of God and His work.

Our faith is the sixth sense. The five other senses are: ear, nose, mouth, eye and feeling (touch, hand). It takes the application of the sixth sense to walk from the realm of the natural to that of supernatural and the hyper natural.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rm. 10:17). Faith comes by hearing, listening, trusting and obeying the Word of God. Faith is developed through hearing and receiving the Word of God. Only God’s word creates faith. The Word of God; the Bible; is known to be our sole source of receiving this divine faith. Divine faith is the Word of God abiding in you.

Faith is the greatest power generated on planet earth. Faith is the number one source of energy yet discovered by man. Faith is the greatest unused power in the planet earth.

Faith is an act; faith is not just an idea, emotion or impulse. Faith has been called the eye that sees the invisible. Faith is the ear that hears the inaudible. We hear things that the natural man does not hear by faith.

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the giver and protector of our faith. It takes faith to walk in prophecy (Heb. 11:22). Faith knows that God always performs what He promises.

God puts no limitation on faith; faith puts no limitation on God. Faith has no limitation. If you can believe, all things are possible with God (Jer. 32:17, 27; Gen. 18:14).

Faith is confidence in the integrity of God. Faith works by the law of progression. As a plant grows gradually and as a baby has to grow to mature, so faith rises higher and higher as a Christian grows. Faith can be increased.

You are justified by faith (Rm. 5:1) and you are kept by faith (I Pet. 1:5). To develop the muscle in your arm, you must use it. Therefore, to develop your faith in God you must use it. This is because if you aren’t living by faith, you can’t please God, for without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6). You live by faith or you don’t live at all.

2:3 BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO DID EXPLOITS IN FAITH

i. Prophet Elijah

a). And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" (Kings 17:1 KJV).

b). Elijah was a man of like [a]passions with us, and he prayed [b]fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit (James 5: 17-18 ASV).

c). The raising of the dead son of widow of Zarephath

"17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

¹⁸ And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?¹⁹ And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

²⁰ And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

²¹ And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.

²² And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

²³ And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the chamber into the house and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

²⁴ And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth" (1 Kings 17: 17-24 KJV)

ii. Prophet Elisha

a). The parting of River Jordan

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over (2 Kings 2:14KJV).

b). Son for a barren Shunammite woman

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

⁹ And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

¹⁰ Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

¹¹ And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

¹² And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

¹³ And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

¹⁴ And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

¹⁵ And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

¹⁶ And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

¹⁷ And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life" (2Kings 4:8-17 KJV).

c). Raising of the dead son of the Shunammite woman

"¹⁸ And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

¹⁹ And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

²⁰ And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died….

²⁵ So she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:

²⁶ Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:

²⁷ And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

²⁸ Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

²⁹ Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

³⁰ And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

³¹ And Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

³² And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

³³ He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

³⁴ And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

³⁵ Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

³⁶ And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

³⁷ Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out" (2Kings 4:18-20, 25-37 KJV).

d). Debt relief for the widow of deceased Prophet Obadiah

"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

² And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.

³ Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

⁴ And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

⁵ So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

⁶ And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest" (2Kings 4:1-7KJV).

e). The cure of Naaman's leprosy

"1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy. 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel. 5 Then the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore, please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me. 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean. 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the