A Call for the Ministry of Elijah

The last two verses of the Old Testament say:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5, 6, NKJV, emphasis added).

In other words, the reason God sent Elijah in the last days (before the day of the Lord) is to minister to the fathers and cause them to repent and to reconcile with their children.

Notice that “turn the hearts” suggests the ministry of Elijah is a ministry of repentance, reconciliation and restoration. It is not a coincidence that the ministry of John the Baptist at the beginning of the New Testament was also the ministry of repentance. The angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias and spoke to him that John the Baptist should do the work of Elijah:

“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16, 17, emphasis added).

Notice the two-fold ministry of John the Baptist. He was sent primarily to “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God”. Secondly, with the spirit and power of Elijah, he would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”. The purpose of the ministry of John the Baptist was to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”.

The Old Testament Prophet Elijah

Elijah was sent by God to confront Ahab who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30). Ahab, together with his evil wife, Jezebel committed spiritual adultery. Not only they themselves worshiped Baal and Asherah, but they also led all Israel to commit spiritual adultery with them.

Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20 – 40). Only the true God would answer by fire and consume the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal and Asherah failed in their attempt. Then Elijah called upon his God by saying:

“Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (1 Kings 18:36, 37, NKJV, emphasis added).

The Lord answered Elijah and the people saw the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice. They fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God” (Verses 38 and 39).

As a result of the Mount Carmel encounter Elijah did turned the people’s hearts back to God.

Some Mega-Churches are committing Spiritual Adultery

There is an urgent need for the ministry of Elijah in the last days. Many Churchgoers have been deceived by “big” ministries in mega-churches all over the world. Christians are now committing spiritual adultery with New Age pastors. These pastors are promoting the New Age movement. They are telling gullible and naïve so-called Christians that they must preserve love and unity at all costs, even at the cost of being unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Anyone who does not unite on a global scale for the common good of the world is considered having the anti-Christ spirit. The New Age Movement will usher in the one-world government and one-world money system.

Many New Age ministers and New Age Local Churches are experiencing Satanic “blessings”. They are seeing prosperity; they are seeing growth; they are seeing excitement and happiness. That must be from God – there is so much love and unity and things are going on well.

We are living in the days when the out pouring of Satan’s spirit of deception is much greater than the out pouring of God’s grace, His anointing and His Spirit. Why? Well, the New Age Church is devoid of the truth of God’s Word. They are lukewarm. Jesus is saying to them:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:15 – 17).

We are living in the days when Amos’ prophecy is being fulfilled:

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

It is true that Amos’ prophecy was meant for complacent but rebellious Israel during the reign of Jeroboam, the king of Israel. Nevertheless, the Lord is also speaking the some thing to the Church today because many Local Churches are equally complacent and rebellious. God will cease from speaking to the Local Churches because of their involvement with the New Age movement. He will allow them to do their own things!

Christians should heed Paul’s warning about committing spiritual adultery:

“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it” (2 Cor. 11:2 – 4)!

A Call for Modern Day Elijahs

God is looking for modern day Elijahs; He is looking for people who will have the courage to rise up to oppose spiritual adultery; He is looking overcomers who are willing to go in the spirit of Elijah to oppose false teachings, false doctrine and doctrines of demons.

Look at the courage of Elijah when he confronted Ahab before the Mount Carmel encounter. Elijah was obedient to the Lord when the Lord commanded him:

“Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth” (1 Kings 18:1).

This was what happened when Ahab met Elijah:

“Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:17, 18).

Any true Christian goes in the spirit of Elijah to confront the New Age Church is likely to be named, “The troubler of the Church”! Then he should say to the New Age pastor, “I have not troubled the Church, but you have, in that you have forsaken the truth of God’s Word and have followed the New Age teachings”!

God’s Blessings for those who go in the spirit of Elijah

A careful study on the life and ministry of Elijah will convince us that God blessed Elijah in at least five different ways:

1. His Provision

The Lord provided food and water for Elijah through ravens he proclaimed a drought:

“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kings 17:4).

After the brook had dried up, the Lord provided food and water through a widow at Zarephath by miraculous means (1 Kings 17:9 – 16)!

2. His Protection

After Elijah had executed the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, the Lord protected him from the murderous Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1 – 10).

3. His Peace

In the midst of a severe famine in Samaria and when the Lord commanded Elijah to present himself to Ahab he just obeyed with the peace of the Lord with him (1 Kings 18:1 – 18). Even Obadiah, a servant of Ahab was afraid to inform his master that Elijah wanted to meet him (1 Kings 18:14).

4. His Presence

When Jezebel was running after Elijah with the intention of killing him, the Lord revealed Himself to him in many forms – in strong wind, in earthquake and fire. But the Lord was not in the strong wind, in earthquake and fire (1 Kings 19:11, 12). He was the still small voice that Elijah heard!

5. His Power

The power of God was with Elijah when he proclaimed a drought for three years and six months. The power of God was with him in the Mount Carmel encounter.

The same God who blessed Elijah will also bless the modern days Elijah!

Paul was sent forth in the spirit of Elijah

The apostle Paul was sent in his missionary journeys in the spirit of Elijah. Read Acts 14 about the persecution that Paul endured. For example:

“The Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (Acts 14:19).

This was what Paul said about his ministry:

“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulation, in need, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumult, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:3 – 10).

Clearly, all the five blessings (mentioned above) were with Paul throughout his ministry.

Jesus said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Mark 13:13).

Believe me beloved, he who goes in the spirit of Elijah will be hated by the New Age Pastors and the New Age Church!