SPIRIT OF ELIJAH

1. SPIRIT OF ELIJAH is the ministry of angels standing in God’s presence to prepare His WAY. When Elijah said, “… As the LORD God of Israel liveth, BEFORE WHOM I STAND, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word”, he spoke with authority of holy angels to precipitate a REVIVAL in Israel [1 Kings 17:1] Even so, he was a man; though the  SPIRIT was willing, the FLESH was weak, “… and HE REQUESTED for himself that HE MIGHT DIE; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers” [1 Kings 19:4] John, the Baptist, came in the SPIRIT and POWER of Elijah: he kindled a REVIVAL, set Israel on the path of REFORMATION and turned “… 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 1:17] John turned the HEARTS of the “FATHERS” to the SON, but it was not for him to RESTORE. This is the generation to be RESTORED by the SPIRIT OF ELIJAH, the HEARTS of the CHILDREN shall be RESTORED to their Apostolic FATHERS, as foretold “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” [Malachi 4:5-6]

2. There is no doubt the Church increased in numbers over the years, but fell asleep in the SPIRIT, and “While the bridegroom tarried, they ALL SLUMBERED and SLEPT” [Matthew 25:5] We are the SLUMBERING generation whose HEARTS must be REVIVED by the SPIRIT and POWER of ELIJAH “Wherefore he saith, AWAKE thou that SLEEPEST, and ARISE from the DEAD, and CHRIST SHALL GIVE THEE LIGHT” [Ephesians 5:14] Those who heard the VOICE of John came to the WILDERNESS with one thing in mind, REPENTANCE, “Then WENT OUT TO HIM JERUSALEM, and all JUDAEA, and all the region round about JORDAN, And were baptized of him in Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS” [Matthew 3:5-6] The same SPIRIT, like a mighty rushing wind is blowing through the Church and “HEDGES” to REVIVE the BRIDE and usher the appearance of the Lord. It is the same SPIRIT but many VOICES, CRYING in the WILDERNESS, “REPENT ye therefore, and be converted, that your SINS may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” [Acts 3:19] Though the VOICES be many and in diverse languages, the MESSAGE is the same, as foretold, “…  I WILL COME again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” [John 14:1-3] Beloved, it is MIDNIGHT HOUR, “GO YE OUT” with REPENTANCE to meet the Lord in the WILDERNESS, And at MIDNIGHT there was a CRY made, Behold, the BRIDEBROOM COMETH; GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM” [Matthew 25:5-6]
 
3. Jews who came to John in the WILDERNESS saw neither ALTAR nor TABLES to receive offerings, but a PROPHET armed with sharp knife of the WORD to circumcise their HEARTS, “… with the CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ“ [Colossians 2:11] They came from among Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians, so are we; Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholics, Anglicans, etc., drawn to the PROMISE of His Coming by the SPIRIT OF ELIJAH to be “BROKEN”, CONVERTED and REFORMED “That he might present it to himself a glorious CHURCH, not having SPOT, or WRINKLE, or any such thing; but that it should be HOLY and without BLEMISH” [Ephesians 5:27] We are all BRETHREN in the WILDERNESS, there are no overbearing MASTERS; the WORD is Lord over all, burning and breaking down walls of sectarian DOCTRINES, as it is written: “Is not my word like as a FIRE? saith the LORD; and like a HAMMER that BREAKETH the ROCK in pieces?” [Jeremiah 23:29] When we submit to the WORD of TRUTH, we are BROKEN, our parochial prejudices are purged and we are CONVERTED into one BODY, “For we being MANY ARE ONE BREAD, and ONE BREAD: for we are all partakers of that ONE BREAD” [1 Corinthians 10:17] We, who were once marred by DECEIT and HYPOCRISIES of man-made doctrines are REFORMED by the POTTER who formed us for His own purpose, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the POTTER:. so HE MADE IT AGAIN ANOTHER VESSEL, AS IT SEEMED GOOD to the potter to make it” [Jeremiah 18:4]

4. The end of our SALVATION is RESTORATION in the likeness of Jesus Christ.  First, we are REVIVED and GATHERED by the SPIRIT OF ELIJAH, then BROKEN and REFORMED into the true BODY of Christ, “And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the BODY is, thither will the EAGLES be gathered together” [ Luke 17:37] We are as Israel in the WILDERNESS, EAGLES that should be raised in the likeness of the GREAT EAGLE, “Till we all come in the unity of the FAITH, and of the KNOWLEDGE of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the FULNES of Christ” [Ephesians 4:13] When we come of age in FAITH and KNOWLEDGE of Him, the Lord shall pour His SPIRIT on us; the CHILDREN shall be RESTORED to the mandate of their Apostolic FATHERS, “Until the SPIRIT POURED UPON US from on high, and the WILDERNESS be a FRUITFUL FIELD, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest” [Isaiah 32:15] We are the FRUITFUL FIELD, the HARVEST of EAGLES that shall be TRANSLATED at the appearance of Jesus Christ. HEAR His VOICE today, and “…  COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” [Revelation 18:4]