The Elijah Generation July 2010

A VISION FOR OUR YOUTH The Elijah Generation and the Gold Revolution Background This message is entitled the Elijah Generation and the Gold Revolution. I feel so very privileged to share this message with you and yet I feel a tremendous weight of responsibility. God is doing something very exciting today. He is calling out a very special 'generatin'. He is declaring prophetically a message which will be either received or rejected by those who hear it. Their response will have eternal significance for themseves, the Church itself and for their own generation. I want to motivate you and inspire you but I also want sound a real challenge. I believe that God is challenging this generation like no other generation in history. If you are of the younger generation then He is asking much more of you than those in previous generations. The stakes are rising, His expectations of you are higher than ever before, His demands greater. The challenge is awesome! Firstly we need to realise that we are in the last days and maybe the latter of the last days. Time is short. The day of the Lord's return is approaching even if, depending on your understanding of endtime events, it is just for those being raptured for the wedding of the Lamb. Do you understand how privileged you are to be alive as a 'saint', a believer, today? Can you understand the 'times and seasons'? Never before in history has there been so much prayer and intercession rising up to the Throne of God from planet Earth. Never has there been so much praise filling heaven, pouring out from the hearts of men, women, youth and children on earth. Did you know that in India for example, in one State alone there is a Children's Prayer Network supported by a week TV programme and run by the children, of over 200,000 members? In China today they estimate that over 40,000 new converts are added to the Chinese Church daily. God is on the move and the 'Days of the Gentiles' is fast coming to an end and the 'Day of My People Israel' will have arrived. The Messianic Jewish movement is accelerating. The Prophetic Word is being fulfilled. Jesus will have His Church complete both in number (size) and in character (maturity). Then He will come for us, His Bride, as the Bridegroom King and take us to heaven for the Wedding Feast. These days are fast approaching but first there are many more to be saved and discipled and the Great Harvest must take place to complete this. A generation of dedicated warriors is required and He is calling them forth. A. Introduction and explanation The Elijah Generation: Throughout biblical history the 'coming of the Messiah' has always been preceded by the appearance of Elijah or a type of Elijah This 'appearance' is prophesied in scripture. Mal 3 v 1 'Behold I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come' and Mal 4 v 5 'Behold I will send you Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord'. So it was in the time of Jesus when John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah to herald and announce His first coming. In fact John in quoting Isaiah 40 v 3-5 referred to himself as that ..'voice crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for Him' (Matt 3 v 3). In these latter days, as the sense of expectation of Christ's second coming increases, the expectation of another 'Elijah' appearing to herald in these events, is also increasing. However this time I do not believe this 'Elijah' will be one person but a whole generation, since the Spirit of God seems to be raising a generation of Elijah's who will be totally dedicated to heralding in His appearance. This is not somethig so new in that many have been sensing this movement of God and have been seeking to raise an army of young Elijah's for several years now. These young men and women will be a youthful generation of highly motivated young people, a generation of Levites who will position themselves to be the priests committed to serve the Lord in righteousness that Malachi referred to in Mal 2 v but who failed in their generation to fulfill their destiny. God willing this one will press through and fulfill the purposes of God. You may be one of those called for 'such a time as this' and to join this special Elijah Generation by enlisting in the Gold Revolution that's about to take place. The Gold Revolution: This revolution will be led by the Lord Himself but carried out through this generation, the Elijah Generation. They are those 'priests and kings unto God (1 Pet 2 v 9... 'a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation) who desire nothing else but the fulfilment of the purposes of God in their generation. Gold in scripture always represents royalty. In Ps 45 v 9 and 13 we see the royal bride, the Church, the Bride of Christ, in clothes embroidered in gold. 'Gold of Ophir'. This revolution will be a Royal Revolution executed by the true Kings of the Kingdom who as the Elijah Generation serve the King of Kings in total submission and loyalty. This generation will be the 'shakers and movers' of society, who will move in the power of His Spirit to usher in the Great Harvest of Souls that proceeds the Rapture and so prepare the 'Way of the King'. B. The Marks of this Generation What are the marks or characteristics of those who the Lord considers to be a part of this special generation. Now a generation can refer to all those living at certain time in history of whatever age. Or it can refer to those living for a set period of time usually considered about forty years. Or as in this case it can refer to a special calling of God upon a generation of young people who qualify by their positive response to that call and dedication to the cause. Not all believers who are living today will qualify and not all of the younger generation of Christians will qualify. It is always a case of all are called but few are chosen. The qualification for being called 'the chosen' resides in the correct response of the individual. So......what are those characteristics that will qualify or disqualify? Generally: They will be those who are totally dedicated to Jesus and His cause.They will express unswerving loyalty to Him , willing to 'lay down their lives for Him. What is good for the Master is good for the servant as Jesus said in Jn 15 v 20. What is good for the mentor is good for the mentored....just as Jesus laid down His live or us..'obedient unto death' (Phil 2v 8). Jn 10 v 14...'I am the Good Shepherd and I lay down My live for the sheep' They will have purity in heart and life. Matt 5 v 8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God'. Ps 24 v 4 ...'Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord. He who has a clean hands and a pure heart'. Rev 'Come out from among them and be different'. 'Touch no unclean thing!' Proverbs 8 v 13 'the fear of the Lord is to hate evil'. Rom 12 v 9...'Abhor (hate) evil. Cling or cleave to what is good' Note the word 'cleave'. It is used of a marriage relationship (See Gen 2 v 24 ...'eave his mother and father and cleave to his wife') This could be seen as a reference to our relationship to Jesus as His pure bride. They will be single minded, unwavering in their focus. 'A double minded man is unstable in all he does' James 1 v 8 Singularly focused people will be able to fulfill Gods purposes because clear focus: -produces clarity of vision -generates impetus and motivation -gives stability -instills confidence in others and in self -feeds perseverance and faithfulness -positions for blessing -attracts God's favour -breeds humility -deepens dependency -develops intimacy (NB dependency leads to intimacy) SS 8 v 5 'Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her lover' . i.e.The new Bride, the Church, the company of believers, in dependent intimacy with Jesus. Now let us look specifically at those characteristics that God is looking for. We will do this through an in depth study of the life and character of Elijah: 1) Elijah the non-conformist. Elijah was a man who was the complete non conformist when it came to choosing between God's purposes and the pressures and expectations of the world. a) He rejected the status quo, the accepted norms of the day if in any way they conflicted with those of his God. This is key issue and a key requirement. Everyone who wants to qualify for this 'generation' must settle this issue once and for all...Which Kingdom do I belong to? The Kingdom of this world or the Kingdom of God. Jesus said so clearly in Jn 15 that we are not of this world and that the world would hate us. We really are from another place born in heaven in the heart of the Father before the foundation of the earth and in the fullness of time 'downloaded' onto planet Earth. We are of a different kingdom, having been translated 'from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light'..Col 1 v 13 If we want to be of this special generation then we must 'reckon ourselves dead to self, the world and all its deception, its values and standards'. Rom 6 v 11 and this will be uncomfortable especially when it comes to issues of fashion conformity, of media, of national culture or social/family customs which conflict with the kingdom. The issue is ....there is only one culture that in the end we belong to and that's the culture of the Kingdom. This will effect the way we allow the culture of the world to affect both our decisions and our behaviour. It will affect the way we dress and the entertainment we enjoy, the life-partners we chose both in friendship and in marriage. Sexual purity and co-habiting before marriage is not a Kingdom practice. b) He also challenged the status quo. Not only did he reject the immorality and idolatry of his day but actively confronted both the issues and the perpetrators. This generation will also challenge the unrighteous and idolatrous issues of their day. They will have their Mt. Carmels and will see the Glory of God prevail in a demonstration of the same supernatural power. The God who saves by fire! They will be the 'shakers and movers' of this generation. c) Like Elijah they will be ruthless in their exposure and dealing with sin and sinner. Just as Elijah destroyed all the priests of Baal so this generation will deal ruthlessly firstly with their own sin and ungodliness and then expose the unrighteousness in the Church. Its the 'little foxes that devour the grapes' Song of Songs 2 v 15. 2) Elijah, a man who lived by faith, prophetic action and prayer. a) By faith and by the supernatural: The Scriptural record is full of examples We first meet Elijah in ! Kings 17 when completely unannounced he confronts King Ahab with a warning and prophetic declaration of the coming drought. The fulfillment of this prophecy puts him in a desperate state too and he has no food or drink himself. But as a man of faith he is feed supernaturally by the ravens which God commanded to meet his need and watered by the brook. (1 Kings 17 v 6) Then when the brook itself dries up he is fed by a widow at Zarapheth, who obeys his instructions even though she has very little supply and another miracle occurs. (1 Kings 17 v 7 -16) Later when her son dies unexpectedly, Elijah responds by raising him to life (1 Kings 17 v 17 - 24) The Mt Carmel incident is perhaps the best known in the OT. (1 Kings 17 v 20 - 40). Here Elijah demonstrates his faith in the God that 'answers by fire' and exercises tremendous authority in God. He humiliates the priests of Baal exposing their falsehood and utterly defeats the ruling spirits that control them. Throughout this confrontation Elijah really puts his faith on the line. Defeat for him would have certainly resulted in his own execution. In 1 Kings 18 v 12 -14 we see the respect that Obadiah, the manager of Ahab's palace, had for Elijah as a man of the supernatural. He was frightened to go to tell Ahab that Elijah wanted audience with him in case Elijah was translated away by the Spirit of the Lord and he appeared both time waster and liar. After the announcement of the end of the drought Elijah outruns Ahab's chariot all the way to Jezreel and breaks the land speed record. (1 Kings 18 v 46) In 1 Kings 19 v 5 he is fed by an angel and in 2 kings 2 v 1 - 11 he strikes the River Jordan and parts the water. This was no ordinary fleshly man but a mighty 'Man of God'! This Elijah Generation likewise will be a generation of mighty young men and women of faith who do mighty exploits for the Lord b) By prophetic action Our first meeting with Elijah is where, as a prophet, he announces to king Ahab that a few years of drought is to come (1 Kings 17 v 1) Then in 1 Kings 18 v 1 Elijah announces its end even though there were no signs of it abating and in 1 Kings 18 v 41 he even declares that to the king. He heard the rain falling in his spirit and declared...'for there is the sound of heavy rain'. In 1 Kings 17 v 14 he prophetically declared to the .widow that her 'oil would not run out' until after the drought. Then in 1 Kings 18 v 43 - 45 Elijah confidently send his servant to see the approaching rain even tough the skies were cloudless In Chapter 21 he condemns King Ahab over the murder of Naboth the Jezreelite and pronounces Jezebel's death and the eventual end of Ahab's family line. Perhaps the greatest and most famous of his prophetic actions are seen in the whole of the My Carmel incident recorded in 1 Kings 18. He certainly didn't make it easy to burn his own sacrifice by the dowsing of it and the altar with so much water prior to his invitation prayer. NB the shortness of his prayer v 35 and the request that God would vindicate His Name and give glory to Himself. Finally, notice how Elijah acted out the birthing of his own prophecy regarding the coming of the rain, when he took up the Hebrew birthing position as he 'travailed' in prayer on Mt Carmel. The Birthing of Prophecy It was revealed to me that most if not all prophesies have to be 'birthed' into being. They do not happen automatically. God announces his will through his prophet but it is the intercessor who releases or births that into being. Prophecy does not just come to pass unless there are those intercessor who will birth it by prayer. We describe the birth process for a women as the travailing process. We also describe intercession as 'travailing'. To intercede sometimes is to 'travail in prayer'. Elijah birthed the rain, Hannah birthed the miraculous conception of her son Eli, Simeon and Anna released the prophecy regarding the birth of Jesus. This emphasises the important significant role of the intercessor. This Elijah Generation, this Royal Golden priesthood must be made up of courageous, daring, brave, young people who are prepared to say 'Thus says the Lord' even though it will cost them everything and cause them to risk their lives Prophetic Gifts and their operation: The gifts of the Spirit were given for ministry to the world and the building up of the Body. Most of Jesus miracles of healing were not done in 'church' but in the market place. Example of church and a miracle in the supermarket. Outside the box mentality. Church without walls. Similarly, prophecy can be a powerful tool for evangelism. Example of students prophesying in the school dinner line. c) By Prayer and Intercession So Elijah was a great man of prayer. The Elijah generation must be a mighty army of 'Prayer Warriors' who know what it is to travail in prayer and to accompany it with fasting. Although we have only three records of Elijah's prayers they are obviously examples of a lifestyle of prayer. No one could have authority with God like Elijah had nor an anointing like his unless he walked and talked prayer. All this comes out of relationship and relationship with God is developed by a prayerful life. These records are found in: 1 Kings 17 v 20 -21 where he implores God to raise the dead son of the widow of Zarapheth. Although the story is brief Elijah no doubt was desperate in His intercession. His action of laying upon the child three times was not a passive move. 1 Kings 18 v 36 and 37 where he invited God to destroy the Sacrifice on Mt Carmel and 1 Kings18 v 42 where he travails and births his own prophetic word about the rain into being Such authority is received only in the Throne Room of heaven. Authority speaks of anointing and that anointing flows out from beneath the throne. What is anointing? One day I was seeking God about 'anointing. I was asking Him what anointing was. So many books written on anointing. So many sermons preached on anointing. I wanted to know His definition and to have it clearly and precisely. After a while of seeking His face He spoke "Anointing, Howard, is having authority with me. You preach it....I'll bring conviction You teach it. I'll bring revelation You command it. I'll do it....that' having authority with me!" This comes out of relationship with Him alone and through constant prayer fellowsip. The Elijah Generation will be marked by the quality of their prayer life. 3) Elijah the man who was just like us. In James 5 v 17 we read these telling words 'Elijah a man just like us'. Despite all the authority that he had he was also a man of vulnerability and weakness. In 1 Kings 19 after the success of Mt Carmel and the threats of Queen Jezebel, we see Elijah reduced to a frightened whimpering mess having a 'pity party'. But that's encouraging for us because it reminds us that it is only by grace that any of us has any credibility. How did Elijah fall so quickly from his position of authority and confidence? Firstly, beware of 'spiritual success'. Dwelling on it can promote pride, distort our self image and cause us to BE DEFLECTED FROM SEEING AND FOCUSING ON JESUS. It can lead to all kinds of deception and temptation. Spiritual experiences are good but have their dangers attached to them. It is after such experiences of God that we are at our most vulnerable.They tell us that most young people are more likely to get into sexual immorality immediately after they have been at prayer or praise meetings which have lifted them both spiritually and emotionally, especially if the experience has been a shared one between boy and girl friend. Secondly, success is a worldly thing anyway. What is success? How do we evaluate it? Is there such a thing as 'success' in the things of God? Example1. A pastor walks everywhere. Then he owns a bicycle. He then appears with a motorbike, then an old car. Everyone considers that he is obviously successful in ministry. The class of car improves as time passes and eventually arrives at church in his own Mercedes Benz. Now he has 'arrived'. BUT....we have evaluated his 'fruitfullness', his 'success', by worldly criteria. Example 2 . The Numbers Game: I often illustrate this point by asking various Pastors who may be present how many people they have regularly attending their Sunday services. Those present applaud increasingly according to the increasing numbers. It becomes obvious that we all equate the greter the number with a greater essure of success. We have entered 'Babylon' and followed the value systems of the world. There is no place in the Elijah Generation for this sort of behaviour or mindset. In fact we do not use the word 'success' in the Kingdom context any more. I don't want to be successful but I DO WANT TO BE ETERNALLY SIGNIFICANT! Elijah feared 1 Kings 19 v 3 He took his eyes off the Lord and onto himself and his circumstances. In Song of Songs 2 v 14 Solomon, a picture of Jesus describes, His precious Bride to be, as a dove. Why? Well yes they are pure and gentle but more so they are the only bird that has only peripheral vision. They can only see things directly in front of them. They must always focus on the thing they want to see. Like the dove we too must only have one thing. one person in view. That's Jesus. The Shunamite girl only had 'eyes for the King' and so must we too! Looking at the circumstances and not at Him can lead to disaster. Compare Peter walking on the water story. Elijah ran 1 Kings 19 v 3 Elijah ran away from the place of his calling....the place where the provision and anointing was. Elijah organised a 'pity party' for himself until firstly the angel turned up uninvited and sent him to Horeb, where the Lord also turned up to listen to Elijah's feeble excuses and complaints. Self pity and complaining is unbelief since it questions the goodness and faithfulness of God. For Elijah it deteriorated into suicidal thoughts, the worst of all deceptions. The Elijah Generation must be wary of this trap. However......although we see Elijah's weakness in the story, vulnerability has a positive side to it. We are reminded that 'in my flesh there is no good thing', as St Paul said. We see so clearly that the 'flesh profits nothing'. Only God can produce God successes. Eternal things can only be achieved by eternal means. At the best it is 'Christ in us the hope of Glory' Col 1 v 27 that enables us to see any victory or gain. 'Our strength is made perfect in weakness' 2 Cor 12 v 9 ETERNAL ASSIGNMENTS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY ETERNAL RESOURCES. It is arrogance to think otherwise. So this throws us onto the Lord and humbles us. The Elijah Generation will be a company of those who are totally dependent of the Lord. 4) Elijah the man of humility Certainly Elijah was humbled by the Lord. Humbled but not humiliated. Was he a better person for it? I'm sure he was but scripture doesn't tell us. He just picked up from that defeat and continued in his obedience, going as instructed to anoint Hazael King of Aram, Jehu King of Israel and Elisha as his successor. However John the Baptist who is said to have come in the spirit of Elijah, said about himself in relation to the Lord Jesus..'I must decrease but He must increase. I am not worthy even to unstrap his sandals'. He was the most humble of men...a true Elijah Generation for-runner. And finally, 5) Elijah the man of intimacy After all the noise and the drama of his life, we meet Elijah on Mt Horeb. He had to learn that God was not in the 'earthquake, wind or fire' but in the still small voice of calm which could only be heard as he quietened himself humbly before his God. Intimacy with Him can only be developed in the humbling of ourselves and in the stillness of our souls as we wait upon Him. It begins as we recognise our own vulnerability since vulnerability produces a dependency upon Jesus which causes us to continually 'seek His face'. Then the consequent result of that will be 'intimacy with Him'....and this is what He prizes more than anything. We will also have discovered the key to 'spiritual significance' and the fulfillment of our personal and collective destiny. 'Find me a man' called the Lord God through the OT prophet. Today He is calling again but this time its...'Find me a generation'. A generation of true 'sons' who will be totally dedicated and single minded. These are they who are miracle working, devil destroying, kingdom taking, God glorifying, humbly bowing, interceding, praising, mankind serving, righteousness championing and corruption fighting. WILL YOU BE THAT GENERATION? Howard Barnes Co-Director