We are accustomed to only think of the work of the Holy Spirit as power for ministry within the church. However, the Scripture is abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit empowers people to walk with Christ everywhere. Perhaps one of the most unique signs of a movement of the Spirit of God is found in Malachi 4:5-6:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
When the Holy Spirit gets a hold of a man, he changes his passions and desires. The man will not longer pursue careers, money, hobbies, and sports. Instead, he will be consumed with ensuring his children walk with Jesus.
Many men seek greatness for themselves. We read of great men and desire to emulate them and attain to their greatness. However, there is a regular yet unseen pattern in Scripture and church history. Before God uses a man mightily, He more often than not gets ahold of his father.
We all know who Samson was, but most of us have never heard of his dad. Manoah was greatly concerned to know how he was to raise his son and what God’s mission for his life was to be (Judges 13.) Manoah raised Samson to keep his Nazarite vow before Samson even knew what it was. Solomon is known for his wisdom and building the temple of God. Who drew up the plans, purchased the site, and gathered all the materials for the temple? Solomon’s dad, David. God refused to allow Moses to lead until he made his children part of the covenant people of God through circumcision.
This pattern is repeated in the New Testament. A man is not qualified to serve as an elder if his children are not living for the Lord (1 Timothy 3.) Even the great John the Baptist’s life began with God preparing his dad to raise him. God approached Zechariah with instructions of how to raise John even though John was going to be filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb. These are just a few examples. Church history is filled with many, many more.
This is something that we often miss as it relates to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Men are called to do the hard work of prayer, repentance, fasting, and reform, yet the promises concerning the outpouring of the Spirit constantly speak of Him being poured out on their children. Any man who has been touched by the Spirit of God wants nothing else!
We are called to do the hard work so that our children might receive God’s blessings! We are called to fight so that our children might live in peace. We are called to labor for Christ to form a great local church so that our children might reap the blessings. We plow and sow so that they might reap.
This is God’s promise. The actions of a father can have negative consequences for three to four generations. However, God’s grace in a man’s life promises blessings to a thousand generations to come! It is our calling by God to turn our hearts to our children. We must do the hard work now so that they might see the blessings of God in their lives. This is what the Spirit does in a man’s life. He calls him to die to self, fight for the truth, strive for a healthy local church, and give his life so that his kids might know the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. May it be so in my life!
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