THIS IS THE REVIVAL GENERATION!

THIS IS THE REVIVAL GENERATION!

by Matt Sorger

THEIR PASSION FOR GOD STRUCK ME!

Several years ago while attending a week of revival meetings the Lord moved upon my heart in a profound way for this younger generation. One afternoon I was standing in the foyer of the church when two young people approached me. From outward appearances they looked rough with their spiked blue hair and piercings. But when they opened their mouths they were full of love and had the fire of God burning in their hearts. Their passion for God struck me. After talking with them for a few minutes I turned and walked into the sanctuary and suddenly my heart was rent with the heart of God. All I could do was weep as God’s presence swept over me and as the Holy Spirit spoke to me about His plan for this younger generation.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ARMY

This is a revival generation. There is great destiny about to be unleashed in and through the lives of young people all across the world. This revival will not be limited to one nation. I see God raising up a holy, radical army of young people from among the nations of the world. Recently we were ministering in Mexico with a team of about 65 young people from America and Canada. During the first night of the crusade, the power of God fell on our team of young people in an extraordinary way during the worship time. Many of them were knocked to the floor under the power of God, weeping, laughing, and shaking. It was an extraordinary visitation. One night in the crusade we had our team of young people pray over the Mexican young people and the same anointing and visitation came to them. We even had unsaved teenagers walk in off the street and get saved. God is shaking this younger generation with His presence and power, healing and restoring their hearts, refining them with His holy fire and anointing them to do the works He has destined them to do.

RADICAL FORERUNNERS

God is raising up catalysts who will burn with a holy fire and will ignite a revival of holiness, passion for Jesus and the demonstration power of signs and wonders in the earth. These forerunners will move in the spirit and power of Elijah like John the Baptist of old. They will be used to stir men’s hearts and prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. Whenever God is going to show up on the scene in a significant way He raises up prophetic voices to help prepare the way for His coming. He uses men and women who will co-labor with Him to see the Kingdom of God established on the earth in the hearts of people. One thing I’ve learned is that God uses people. He could choose to fulfill His plan any way He wants to. But in His sovereignty He has chosen to use you and me in the process. He looks for those who will align their hearts and minds with His; humble vessels who seek only to do the will of their Heavenly Father.

Forerunners help prepare the way. They help awaken men’s hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. They carry a deep conviction and are motivated by a pure desire to see God glorified. Joseph was a forerunner like Elijah and John the Baptist. He was sent ahead of his brothers to prepare the way for their provision. I believe prophetically we are living in a season where God is releasing the Josephs who have been hidden away in preparation for their ultimate calling and destiny. Joseph had a vision and dream of greatness when he was only 17 years old. He caught a glimpse into the awesome future God had for him. But because of the jealousy and envy of his brothers, Joseph found himself moving in what looked like the opposite direction to what God had promised. Rather than rising to greatness he was cast into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, his character defamed, put into prison for years until one day he was released by the decree of Pharaoh. Not only was he released from prison but he was exalted into the very promise God had given him so many years before.

POSITIONED FOR PROMOTION

In one moment Joseph went from the bottom to the top as Pharaoh placed him in a position over all the land of Egypt. Joseph’s promotion came at exactly the right time. Promotion was given because of the supernatural grace and favor of God that rested on him (Gen. 41:38). God’s hand and anointing was on Joseph and no matter how hard things got, nothing could stop the plan of God from being fulfilled. In Gen. 41:41-42 it says “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.” Joseph was bestowed with great power, authority and influence. In verse 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph “I am Pharaoh and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” Joseph was 30 years old at the time of his promotion (Gen 41:46). Prophetically this is very significant for us today.

There is an army of young people that God is raising up in this hour to carry on the work of the gospel in the earth. There is a transition taking place in the Body of Christ as older generals are passing off the scene such as Derek Prince, Bill Bright and Kenneth Hagen. Like Moses and Joshua, mantles are being bestowed on the younger generation to equip and empower them to help lead the church in to the next millennium. Through his late teens and 20’s Joseph was being prepared by God to lead his nation. Through his times of testing God was actually positioning him for promotion. God was bringing him to the right place at the right time so that he could step into the very purpose God had for him. And that purpose was to bring a great deliverance to the people of Israel during a time of severe famine. God’s favor promoted Joseph to a position of influence where his life would affect multitudes of other lives. Joseph was 30 when this new season began in his life. Jesus was 30 when he was revealed to the earth as the Messiah. The priests in the Old Testament began their priestly duties at the age of 30. Thirty is a significant year and I believe this age marks a generation who will do mighty exploits for God and like Joseph, help bring a great deliverance.

CATALYSTS FOR REVIVAL

The Joseph’s of this generation have been in a great season of hiddeness and preparation. But they are about to come on the scene. I believe we are going to see young people in their 20’s and 30’s arising and doing great exploits for the Kingdom of God. Evan Robert’s was 27 years old when God used him as a catalyst for one of the greatest revivals in history. The Welsh Revival was ignited 100 years ago in 1904. As we have entered 2004, the time has come again for a new awakening in this land. And not only in Wales but throughout the nations God wants to ignite revival fire. Before revival struck Wales Evan Roberts said “I have reached out my hand and touched the flame. I am waiting for a sign.” Long before the fire of God swept through Wales it was ignited in the hearts of young people like Evan Roberts who became carriers of the flame when revival broke out. There are young people now who have such a heart of desperation for God that they will be carriers of that flame.

There will be several characteristics that will mark this new youth movement. Young people will have a radical passion and zeal for the pure manifested presence and glory of God expressed in a lifestyle of continuous prayer, worship and devotion. They will have an uncompromising spirit that will have no inward toleration for sin. They will forsake the pleasures of this world for the greatest pleasure of knowing God. The standard of purity and holiness will be raised up. There will be an outpouring of signs, wonders and miracles like they experienced in the early church. And they will carry a burden for souls that will mobilize and move the church beyond the four walls of a building out into the highways and byways reaching the lost not just with words, but with the love and real demonstration power of God. I recently had a vision of an underground oil well with “2004” written on it. It also had“Mass Miracles” and “Mass Harvest” written on its side. If we continue to press in through prayer and dig, we will receive a fresh anointing for mass harvest and miracles.

I believe the world’s greatest youth revival is upon us. For several years now in America we have been gathering thousands of both old and young alike for massive gatherings of prayer and fasting all across America. The Call, a revolution of prayer and fasting first gathered 400,000 young people in the mall in Washington, DC, America’s capital. Since then the Call has gathered multiplied thousands more all across America in Boston, New York, California, Kansas City and Texas. We’ve just entered another season of transition where the Lord is NOW releasing a divine commissioning to this generation to begin to move forward in the power of the Spirit to see signs, wonders and miracles for the purpose of mass harvest. Revival is upon us! Hearts are being stirred and an army is rising up. Will you be a part of this revival generation? I pray you will hear the call and respond with fullness of heart