The Merging of Generations – By Bart Hadaway
God’s Spirit Poured Out:
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls. Joel 2:28-32
The nameless and faceless army of Believers that God is raising up in these days is truly reflecting the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 that was quoted by Peter in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost. Men, women, young and old alike, are all linking arms to form the greatest army of end-time harvesters the world has ever seen.
Quickly disappearing are the days when the “first son” mentality (see 1 Samuel 16:6-7) of choosing by outward appearance dominates the thinking of Believers. God is opening our spiritual eyes to recognize the hearts of those who are passionate lovers of their King, and they are being released to do the greater works that Jesus promised in John 14:12.
Restoring the Family
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
During the decade of the 1990s, the prophetic promise of Malachi 4:5-6 was often declared to wage war on the rapid decline of the family unit, and rightfully so. While we still have much progress to make in that area, God is raising up a company of young parents who are truly passionate about restoring the family. But today, God is revealing that this Scripture has a much deeper meaning.
During the sixties and seventies, rebellion amongst the youth of the day was running rampant. A common phrase during that time was, “The generation gap.” That terminology reflected the poor relationships that existed between adults and youth. On the side of the adults, a wrong mindset did not recognize that there was a passion in the youth that the enemy was directing in the wrong way. Instead of fighting for them, they began to fight against them because they did not know how to properly respond. The generation gap quickly widened.
But over the last ten plus years, I have watched with joy the younger generation. God is raising them up, turning their hearts back toward the “hearts of the fathers.” While passionately pursuing the things of the Kingdom, at the same time they are looking for true fathers who will lead them. God is raising up true shepherds (see Jeremiah 23:2-4) with the heart of the Father that sees the Davids in this youthful generation. Truly, young and old alike are locking arms in these last days.
Recently I went on a hike through the woods with my son, two sons-in-law, and three of my grandsons. It did not take long for these young fathers to look for the steepest and most challenging way to navigate through the wooded area. They were being admired and closely followed by the grandsons, who eagerly desired to be like them. At the same time, I was looking for the path to the top that was a little more “simple.” I reminded myself that wisdom is better than strength (see Ecclesiastes 9:16).
As I joyfully watched their youthful zeal and adventurous spirits, I was reminded of a powerful quote that says, “Older men are primarily moved by contribution and younger men are primarily moved by significance.”
While we had the same goal of reaching the top, we also had differing perspectives on getting there. In the end, we all laughed and celebrated together upon reaching our goal. My heart was flooded with joy and praise to God as I meditated on this merging of the generations and the way He is raising up this end time army.
I began to think of many events over the last several years, such as conferences, mission trips, and evangelism schools, where I have watched the generations serving side by side to share and demonstrate the love and power of God to a hurting world. From children to great-grandparents, God is truly knitting our hearts together in love and appreciation for one another and the necessary gifts and strengths that each generation possesses. Youthful zeal and wisdom from experience, combined, are a powerful force in the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
Without a doubt, there is a battle for this next generation. Our enemy is pulling out all the stops to destroy them. But God is calling His Church to join our hearts with His and to stand strong in faith, believing His prophetic promises. He is turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. He is raising up an end-time army of harvesters to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
