Find your spiritual children
In the well known chapter 1 Kings 19 we find the account of what happened after fire fell on Mt Carmel in chapter 18. After calling down fire and seeing God’s power demonstrated Elijah ( אֵלִיָּה meaning my God is Jehovah) started complain to the Lord as Jezebel was after him (1 Kings 19:14).
The Lord then told Elijah to get up and go v15-16 and anoint a couple of Kings (as you do) and also call Elisha ( אֱלִישָׁע meaning God is salvation) as his successor. The Lord also told Elijah in v18 that he was not alone as there were 7,000 who had not compromised and bowed to Baal.
In Australia at this time there has been significant compromise on moral issues by the people and sadly many Christians as well. But the Lord has a significant number who have not compromised to the modern day Baals. We need to be encouraged by this fact.
It is time for this generation Fathers and Mothers to find their Elisha(s); that is their spiritual sons and daughters.
This current Elijah generation is aging. It is time to go and find our Elishas. That is our spiritual sons and daughters.
There is a generation that God is raising up, an Elisha generation that carries a double anointing, a double mantle, and a double impact. This is anyone under 40, it is time to start connecting into the Fathers and Mothers in the faith. This is turning the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and Children to the Fathers. Be that Father and Mother to empower the younger ones, love them, build them, release them … RELEASE them!
You will need to invest time, not just a prayer in a meeting, but real time, sharing meals, talking, and doing things together. Encouraging them, hearing their stories, empowering and releasing this next generation, this Elisha generation.
To the under 40’s you are the Elisha generation. You will come into a double anointing, a double portion; find your Fathers and Mothers in the faith. 1 Corinthians 4:15 says you have 10,000 instructors but not many Fathers. Find your Fathers and Mothers in the faith, be released by them. Find those that will love you, support you, build you, and release you in your gifts and service.
As a family we should walk together, encourage and build each other, particularly this next generation, that 7,000 that have not bowed to baal. This next generation will reach out to many, many, many others.
The Lord is wanting us to genuinely connect and build, and build, and build. Because He is building His Church, but this is how He is doing it.
1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?‘
14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’
15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’
And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?’
21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.