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            The Spirit of Elijah?

The existence of this 'spirit' is one of the great questions of today, and it causes no small controversy in the churches. The debate rages because of the statements in scripture such as:

· Malachi 4v5-6 - Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

· Matthew 11v12-14 - And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
 
· Luke 17v10-12 - And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

The scriptures, and indeed the words of Jesus himself, show a deep connection in the mind of God between Elijah and John the Baptist. These two men lived hundreds of years apart, and in very different social and political circumstances - but God still somehow connects them. Why is this? And does it have any significance for us today?

There are several traits to identify someone claiming to come in this 'spirit of Elijah':

Their behaviour:
those claiming to be coming in this spirit will have 'non-standard lifestyles'. They exhibit no ambition in this world, and give no regard for the positions men claim to hold if those men are acting contrary to the will of God. They recognise a higher authority and only bow to that. When people try to intimidate them they are unmoved in their commitment to God and His will. They are fully dependant on God for all things and see worldly position (if held) as a means only to allow God to do His work. They have no fear of loss of position, for God is their supply. They are totally focussed on their call and their lives are cleared of meaningless distractions. They have no time for the pleasures of this life, and can be rather ascetic in lifestyle - even labelled as fanatics. They are in fact just totally focussed on their call from God. Others confuse this with fanaticism but it is actually devotion, and a demonstration of their love for God.

Their words:
their words are not empty. Their preaching is not sweetened to make believers feel comfortable. Their words are direct, piercing, and powerful to gain a reaction. They expose the truth about the hearers heart, and challenge them to do something about it by acting on the word of God. They can appear to seem rude, and even offensive at times because of the directness of their message. Their words also convey an authority that can be misinterpreted as 'arrogance'. This is not true, however, as they speak in the full authority of the Lord, and are expressing His love for the hearers. Love does not behave rudely (1Cor13v5), but love can, and does address issues that are hurtful to our Fathers heart, and that do not honour Christ - even if they upset the recipient! Just check out what Jesus did, and said at times. These ministers are in fact the mouthpiece of God to a people who have 'drifted' slowly, and subtly into rebellious ways, and who are not hearing God through the normal means;...a clash in their conscience usually occurs as they receive the message. The aim of the minister is always to be redemptive as it is rooted in the love of God, but it can be (and in fact often is) misinterpreted. We as Christians should always be willing to hear, but we can often miss when our lives are full of distractions. The words of these ministers come straight from the heart of God and are intended to cut through the disguise we often wear.Their message is centred in the very reason that He sent Jesus - it is the challenge to conform to Christ in ALL our ways!

Their fruit:

 the true Elijah preacher is anointed by the Holy Spirit and produces a shockwave of both repentance, and also possibly offence. All those who truly seek revival will see the love of God behind the message, and will be moved to strong repentance, even though they could be embarrassed as their sins are put right. Squirming discomfort and a fidgity congregation are 'normal' things that lead to a good outcome. They used to be a feature of most Sunday services in lively churches! The worldly believers, the comfortable, and the compromisers will all hate the appearance of this 'spirit of Elijah' as it exposes what, and who, they are to themselves and to others. Charges of arrogance, and fanaticism are common, and the ministers can find that they are rejected by the ones they are most concerned for. For those who hear them however, the sweetest treasures of Gods revival are reserved.

To clear up this issue it is necessary to examine the meaning of 'the Spirit of Elijah'. In reality the Holy Spirit manifests His work through those whom He both carefully selects, and prepares to reflect what He wants to do. Now Elijah was the first person selected to restore a backslidden nation (notice I say nation) to the worship of the One true God, and as such he became the original version of that kind of minister. All others of this kind who came afterwards, including John the Baptist, are referred to as being like Elijah, or having 'the Spirit of Elijah'. Sometimes they are referred to as Elijah (with total identification - as was John the Baptist in Matt 11v14). I hasten to add that this identification is a practise of God to affirm His servant both to and through others. It is not for a person to take these terms and make out they are a prophet/important. People who do this delude themselves and others.
It is much more than a simple naming process, however, as God is actually talking about those who have this 'name' or 'spirit' as working in the same way, and bringing the same results as Elijah. So how can we recognise this phenomenon when it comes?

Their message:
the message is one of calling back to the 'old paths' - not to the tradition of men, but rather to the Word of God and conformity to its standards. The call speaks to the compromise that is found in the hearts of believers, and insists on a laying down of self - centredness. We all tend to 'settle down' in our lives and forget that we are 'pilgrims and strangers', and we get tainted in our motives with the aims and goals of the system in which we live. As individuals we can easily focus on building 'our future' and look to career/property ownership/advancement as the way forward. These may be good things, but they may also become idols that distract from God's desires for our life, even blotting out His voice. Again even those in ministry can become too much like businessmen, and see 'numerical growth' and 'financial turnover' as the main indicators of success. Because it is a call of the Father's loving heart, and it's goal is for our highest interests, it has no acceptance of excuses, and places directly in front of us the possibility that both 'good lives', and even fully active ministries, carried out by very nice people can actually be done from the wrong motive and be worthless in His sight. We can all get 'lost' and follow a path that seems right, but in fact is displeasing to God. The message demonstrates both a love of truth, and a love of the hearers, and prefers a transparent walk (warts and all) to the deceitfulness of appearing holy when this is far from the truth. It is a call to work out a holy life in any circumstances - even right where you are now! It is a call to allow God to take the lead in directing the christian's life, and to raise the hearer up to be whatever God calls them to be - despite what is happening - so that the power of Christ is demonstrated in their lives, and God is glorified!

Their purpose:
to cause revival to occur by provoking an action on the part of the hearers. Elijah provoked a reaction, and the outcome of this was the reformation under Elisha and Jehu.The principle was set here - first Elijah, then the Lord is honoured. Because God has placed a love of His people in the heart of the 'Elijah Preacher' and also a love of Truth, the minister cannot but challenge that which leads the people of God away from their place in Christ. Like the disciples who were with Jesus, the 'Spirit of Elijah' is often misinterpreted by His people. The disciples wanted to call down fire, and destroy, and Jesus rebuked them. In reality Elijah actually called down fire to consume a sacrifice, and so the ministers in this 'Spirit' call upon God to send fire upon the living sacrifices of consecrated hearts. The fire is not the main issue - the consecration of the heart is! The aspect of fiery judgement always focusses on that which opposes God, and the Elijah minister will quickly gain respect - because of the anointing. God will vindicate His servants where necessary! (None of this 'touch not my anointed' that is so prominent among top speakers of today - the Elijah preacher will pattern the great saints of the bible and suffer at times. The 'modern' view is full of error, and is often used as a 'fear control' to prevent examination, or any challenge of their own wrong doctrines).

The 'spirit of Elijah' appeared in John the Baptist who preached repentance prior to Jesus coming in his first appearance. The 'old fashioned' revivals we all seek today also followed this pattern, in that the preachers who promoted revival were repentance preachers - and these called the people back to the old ways with a subsequent 'showing up' of God in revival power. They spoke in words that made people tremble, and provoked a reaction both within the congregations, and within the 'establishment' or organised clergy. They also caused reaction in political circles. Think for one moment about where you saw that before! Oh yes..... Jesus did that! Without these preachers and their message there would have been NO REVIVALS in history!

Today we can confidently assert that without the 'Spirit of Elijah' coming first there will be NO revival. More important even than this is that the second coming of Jesus is about to break upon us, and 'Elijah' must come first to call the people to choose where they stand. Whatever your views on the 'end-time Elijah' scenario - and I don't claim to be one of 'the witnesses' of revelation (as the current fashionable trend seems to be - you will know them when they arrive...without introductions) the pattern of revival needs to be repeated prior to the return, and this means that the Elijah ministers must come. The current 'alleged' revival did not follow the appearance of the 'spirit of Elijah'. Despite many taking that name for their ministry, the 'new thing' that they have promoted has led many believers away from the practices established in and by scripture. The 'new thing' is not the 'old paths' that God calls us to return to.

"The nature of Christ's salvation is woefully misrepresented by the
present-day evangelist. He announces a Saviour from hell rather
than a Saviour from sin. And that is why so many are fatally
deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of
fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and
worldliness." - A. W. Pink

God has been active in this modern move - (He is always active where the name of Jesus is held up), but much of what has been done in His name is not 'good', and has led the people away from a biblical basis for the supernatural. The new ideas have actually introduced an openness to deception by false signs and wonders, and many 'strange' practises are now commonplace in churches. The true 'spirit of Elijah' is diametrically opposed to false revival, and boldly proclaims that ANY revival not preceded by the calling from those in 'the spirit of Elijah' back to the old paths, is a false revival and is a mixture of gimmick, hype, and over-emotionalism.

Today's 'Elijah preachers' will not find the welcome in churches as it was, for today's congregations are filled with those who are used to 'nice' sermons (2Tim4v3-4), and who have been told they are special to God 'as they are' - (The book - 'Your best life now' is a first class example of this teaching!). Many like the new ways that 'hype up' and focus on a feel good experience, and seek 'power displays' rather than the true way of  the cross which is by challenge and repentance. The goal of the Christian life is to transform us from what we are into the likeness of Christ, and this path does not always offer us an option of a comfortable life experience. This is the heart of God. Even though we are in Christ and given the benefits of that fact, we need to keep sight of the fact that we CANNOT stay as we are - because we are not perfect. Being 'In Christ' is not the same as being 'as Christ' in character. God is happy to see us placed in Christ, but He is NOT happy with our state if it is less than the perfection of Christ. That is why we face a life of trials, and the discipline of a Father, and are moulded by God through these things into the image of His Son, who was also made 'perfect' by this path - He experienced trial, and suffering, and in His humanity overcame (Heb 2v10). Should we be any different? The cross cures the problems of sin and our position outside of Christ - we are brought near by His blood, and made righteous in Him. The tests of life reveal our needs/weaknesses and bring change to us experientially. These challenges to our faith are the means to test it and stimulate it's growth. They reveal our places of weakness and cast us upon Him who is more than able to supply our need, or to change our heart to one that no longer serves wrongdoing. This is a lifelong process to which we submit willingly - if we are really following the way of the cross - for the cross was not a place of comfort, and worldly success! It did not bring those things. It was a place of suffering and a place of rejection by the world. It was a place of dying to the world. If we carry our cross (Matt 16v24-27) and bear its marks in our life, we too have to live a life that is marked by rejection of this world, and suffering for Christ, if we are to be truly His.

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