GENERATIONAL BLESSING

[Albert Finch]

We must not perceive things the way they are in the natural.

The Body of Christ is entering a time of transition and God is about to raise up a new breed – a Jonah Generation.

Sometimes, the Western Church can look more like an institution; maintaining an appearance of having its act together when the reality is that many are backslidden in their hearts. Many others are caught up in a merry-go-round of being slaves to the system rather than being heirs of the Kingdom.

This Jonah Generation will rise from among those who once had a life-changing mandate from God – a word, a prophecy, an encounter – but who walked away from it because of the religiosity in the Church. These people have not necessarily hardened their hearts, or intentionally gone off the rails, but they, nevertheless, have walked away from their mandate and gone back to trading.

God is calling back these "Jonahs" who have walked away from their original CALLING and mandate and have instead gone into business. God uses business and finance for the Kingdom, but not if you're running from your true CALLING and mandate.

This is precisely what Jonah did. He had a calling to declare the word of God to Nineveh, but in fear of its great wickedness he walked away from his mandate. He fled to Tarshish, an ancient city famous for its trading in silver and gold. This Old Testament story is very much a prophetic message for today.

On his way to Tarshish, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. In a dream, a big fish may be a metaphor for a Believer, but it is also a metaphor for revelation.

THROW YOUR NET ON THE RIGHT-SIDE

The disciples had a three-year encounter with Jesus, witnessed the resurrection, and had a clear mandate to "Go into all the world," but John 21 shows us that they didn't see that as a way of life.

When Peter announced he was going back to his fishing business, some of his fellow disciples went with him. Jesus on the shore called out, "Have you caught anything?" When they told Him they'd caught nothing, Jesus told them to throw their nets on the right side.

Walking away from our mandate and going back to trading makes it easy to forget the Lord and become dull and numb to the revelation of Jesus Christ. When the Lord told the disciples to let down the net on the right side, the nets were completely filled but without breaking.
This is a metaphor for the new wineskin and the big catch is a metaphor for the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The disciples said, "It's the Lord!" and Peter immediately swam for the shore to be with Him. The disciples gathered around the fire that Jesus had made to cook the fish they caught, and they had communion with Him. They ate, they had revelation, and they were restored to their heavenly positions, especially Peter.

JONAHS WILL HAVE THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

When Jonah was swallowed by the big fish it was as though he was enveloped by the revelation of the heart of the Father. Remember, the fish took Jonah to the deep heart of the ocean. This is a picture mirrored in Psalm 42:7, "Deep calls to deep." Jonah went to the deep heart of God, and following that revelation of who the eternal God is, the fish spewed Jonah onto the shore.

Jonah was spat out and released into the natural realm as one prepared to deal with the dark evil of Nineveh. But Jonah was a sign and a wonder, who walked into Nineveh, opened his mouth, and saw that whole atmosphere of darkness changed. He could do that because he was not a slave to the system anymore, but exercising spiritual dominion over it. The result was that Nineveh's leaders bowed the knee and repented.

In raising a Jonah Generation, God will restore people who have been perceived as "backslidden."
They will have revelation of God's PURPOSE for their life and come into the intimacy that activates the Kingdom of God. They will be people who walk in signs and wonders that change the whole atmosphere of their environment.

DARKNESS INSPIRES BELIEVERS

At the present time there's a lot of darkness covering the earth, but it's the dark before the dawn, and we need to see it with hope and excitement. This darkness is to inspire followers of Christ to rise up to be instruments of the Kingdom in their divine CALLING. For many, this will be Joel's "valley of decision" (Joel 3:14) to bring in the greatest harvest ever seen on planet Earth.

We need to be encouraged and fasten our seat belts. Jesus Himself said in Luke 21:28, "When you see these things happen, lift up your head, because your redemption is near."

Psalm 24 tells us to "lift up your heads you gates and allow the King of Glory to come in." The new breed of the Jonah Generation are the gates.

Who will let in the King of Glory?

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