Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Uniting the Generations Part 2




The flat out truth is that we (the younger generation) desperately NEED the older generation if we hope to see sustained revival. Sure, they won’t be on the everyday battlefields as we are, but their role is just as vital. I have found that if I align my heart with my Spiritual Fathers then I receive what they have. The Lord set it up this way.

Proverbs 24:6 “For by wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (NASB)

Isn’t it in all of us to go further that those who have gone before? OR do we want to fight the same battles they have fought just to reach the same place? No way. By submitting ourselves to and honoring our Spiritual Fathers we now start where they finished. All of their lifetime experiences, their wisdom, their mistakes, their accomplishments, their insights, and their guidance that took a lifetime to reach can be ours. This could save someone from 20 years of ministry mistakes and replace it with blessings! Think of it as a spiritual inheritance from a father to a son. EVERYTHING thing they have is now joyfully yours, and their ceiling becomes your floor.  Now we can take their torch and do things they never even DREAMED of for the Kingdom of God!

So as the large trees in a forest protect the growing saplings below, and as Moses is raising the Rod of the Lord, we, as a generation can go out fully protected and fully covered in prayer to fight the new battles and to take the new ground. And this ground could very well be the heart and mind of America to be humbled and “repent… and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19 NIV).

Pray to the Lord and ask him to bring you fathers and mothers, and position yourself to receive and honor them.

-Zach Duke

Monday, July 12, 2010

Uniting the Generations Part 1

We all want to see revival—REAL revival. We all want to see this nation turn its gaze and affection back to Jesus Christ. To dwell in a nation that worships in Spirit and in Truth. This very well could be the generation that sees this come to pass, but whether we do or not, one thing is certain: we will NOT do it independently.

There have been several revivals in the last hundred years, but in the end they have all faded away. Why? Because it was only ONE generation! I truly believe our generation has been set apart to do and see mighty things for God, but if we think we can do it alone; we are only repeating history. It’s time to be dependant on God and on the generations that have gone before us. We must align and unify the generations for the purpose of the Gospel. For deep in the heart of independence lies a nasty thing called, pride.

Let me explain. In Exodus 17:8-16 we see a story of Joshua and Moses going into battle against the Amalekites. Moses tells Joshua to choose certain men to take into battle, and he himself would go to the top of the hill, overlooking the battle. Moses took the rod of God and stretched it out, and as long as his hands were raised, Joshua was victorious. After some time, however, Moses grew tired and began to let down his arms. As he did this, Joshua’s army began to be defeated, so several surrounded Moses to lift up his arms until the battle was won.

It is the same story for us today. If we try to fight this battle only with the younger generation, we will eventually be defeated, but if we align ourselves with the generation before us, we will indeed win. Moses could not have won the battle without Joshua, and Joshua could not have won the battle without Moses.

So what does this look like? Simple. We must seek out and find Spiritual Fathers and Mothers. Maybe you have them already, maybe you don’t, but ALWAYS seek for more. Sure, we are trying to do something new here, but we are not blazing our own trail, we are building onto what has been laid out by the generations that have gone before. And Jesus is the cornerstone.