"The New Generation!"

By: Steve Hill

One of the recurring words of the prophetic movement is that of a new generation arising which will really do the stuff and rise above the sins and failures of the old. Aside from the fact that the prophets love the word "new" just as much as the advertisers because of its power to grab our lust for the next, biggest, brightest and best, this theme carries some heavy baggage!

It implies that simply because we are a part of this new generation, we are better than our fathers! That is hardly a way to honor our fathers! It was said that this generation had a different attitude towards money, power and fame and would not fail as leaders have in the past! Yet those among us who have failed in the recent past have all been identified as belonging to this new generation!

The truth is that there is one new generation and that is the generation of Jesus Christ. There is one new man. There is not a newer version of the new man coming in this generation or in any generation to come. Those who failed in the past failed for the same reason that one of us fails today. Wearing an open necked shirt rather than a suit and tie does not change the nature of man!

The new generation word implies that we are part of some kind of a new dispensation which does not need John's command, "Do not love the world!". A dispensation where the the world, the flesh and the devil have less power to seduce. If we believe that we have already been seduced!

The truth is that our enemies are still the same and always will be. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life wait to bring forth death in any man who will feed them. As John Wimber used to say, "Watch out for the three 'Gs'- the glory, the gold and the girls!"

Believing that you will do better simply because you are a new generation is an arrogance that carries the seeds of its own downfall. No leader in the past set out to deceive or to fail but when was the last time you heard a message about the danger of pride? Talking about pride seems to old fashioned in our culture of success but success is a hotter test of our character than failure!

We love this new generation word because it implies that we can lead significant lives without the discipline of consistent moral choices. It appeals to the arrogance of our moral and spiritual laziness.

James 1:14, is still true! Each of us "is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed."

James 1:22 is still true! All deception begins as self deception when we hear the word but do not do it.

There is a new generation.

It was birthed two thousand years ago on the day of Pentecost!

It is the generation of Jesus Christ!

Let us declare that generation!

 

Every blessing

Steve & Marilyn