In Philippians 1:7 Paul writes to the brethren: "..I have you in my heart." In II Corinthians 7:3 Paul writes, "..that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you." As we fellowship together, as we pray and worship together, as we go through difficult times together, as we minister in the Holy Spirit together, as we suffer together, as we rejoice together, we begin to carry one another in our hearts. Our hearts become enlarged. Our capacity to love grows. His presence increases. We experience His compassion, His tenderness, His mercy and grace. We are enriched as we carry one another in our hearts.
As our LORD, who is our shepherd, would have it -"our cup runneth over." Our cup overflows and we experience His compassion, His love, His mercy flowing out to someone we never met before. Before we know it, before we can defend ourselves, somebody new is "in our heart" and we experience His brokenness for someone we never met but now cannot forget. How does this happen? We do not know, but we know that we will never be the same again.
We are living in a prophetic time. Jerusalem is "a cup of trembling unto all the people round about." Jerusalem is becoming "a burdensome stone for all people." (Zechariah 12:2,3) Jesus said: "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24, 31,32) Most of the young people in their twenties and below are not aware that Jerusalem was liberated from Gentile control in the "Six Day War" of 1967. Jerusalem was to be under control of the United Nations (Gentiles) by the agreements of 1948 when Israel was established as an independent nation - it was a divided city and not directly a part of Israel. But the "Six Day War" changed all that and, for the first time in over 2500 years, Jerusalem is now proclaimed as the "eternal capitol of Israel." All those born since June,1967 are a part of a special generation, a generation "which will not pass away 'till all is fulfilled" - a Joshua Generation. "The times of the Gentiles are being fulfilled" as a mighty awakening and harvest is taking place amongst the peoples of all the earth. The revealing of "the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand" for this generation and so few in the church in U.S. seem to be ready. These things are coming upon this special generation which many, in the church, are now calling the "Joshua Generation."
Have you heard the names given to this generation? Post Boomers. The Baby Busters. MTV Generation. The Lost Generation II. Generation X or GEN X - Generation X (those under 30) and Generation Y (17 and below). The Survivors, the twenty-somethings, Slackers. The Xers. The "fatherless" generation. The list goes on. Even though the world gives this generation such negative labels, we who know our LORD, will be strong and do exploits and our call is to reach and disciple this generation.
We, who know Jesus, have a strong positive prophetic outlook on these days and on this present generation. The people of the world system call the youth "Generation X" and tell them that the end of the world is coming, that everything is falling apart. We, in the church, have a far better message. Even though the world system "reels to and fro like a drunkard," we speak of the coming Kingdom and the Messiah and of "a people who have been created which shall praise their LORD." (See Psalm 102.) We speak of a generation which enters into the times of the return of our LORD just as Joshua entered into the promised land. This Joshua (Y'shua) Generation lives in the midst of chaos and violence and overcomes by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives, even unto death.
It is amazing to note some of the cultural pressures on this generation? Most come from broken homes; most have experienced divorce (or violence, even war) in their immediate families. Many do not see or know their fathers; some do not even know who their fathers are! These broken homes produce broken hearts, broken minds and broken lives. As they grow up with a distant or absent father, they come to believe that God, too, is distant or non-existent. This has caused this generation to sometimes be called the "fatherless generation." But we know that they have a Father who loves them and is calling them to Himself with His perfect love. Most we meet hunger for relationships and personal interaction.
Their own observations coupled with a negative outlook convinces many that almost everything is "broken" - the government, the society, families, culture. the church, the environment, etc. Many feel guilty and/or angry about the environment. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), AIDS and HIV are among friends and families. Most believe there is a population problem. Some even believe that homosexuality is an evolutionary response in the human race to population pressures. Most have experienced some form of abuse - emotional, mental, physical, sexual, or ritual.
Technology has isolated and alienated many. Nothing seems to move at "the speed of life." Instead it moves with fiber optic "speed of light," with laser beamed, electronic, and computer driven harshness and indifference. We live in a technology which can produce a missing generation by taking the eggs from an aborted female fetus, fertilize them, and place them in another woman's womb. There is a grandmother and a grandchild, but the mother was never born! She never saw life. "Generation X?"
In the U.S., this generation has about 25 to 30 million missing brothers and sisters because of legalized abortion since 1973. This is a generation of survivors of "choice" - a generation whose parents were able to legalize the killing of their own offspring. Members of the Joshua Generation are survivors of one the largest blood baths ever known to have occurred on this planet. Some of them have been so infected with the previous generation's lack of values that they, too, have killed their own children through abortion. Now their parents are working to legalize the killing of their own aging parents. What message does this send this present generation about the value of life? We see a relationship between the slaughter of the Joshua Generation and the slaughter of babies during the times of the birth of Moses and Jesus. Could there be a reason for the world-wide slaughter of children in their own mothers' wombs that relates to the coming of Messiah Jesus (Y'shua)? Do we not have a responsibility to stand against this slaughter and the reasons for it? We believe that the answers to both questions are "Yes!" "Yes, LORD, Yes!"
Racism and tribalism are fracturing this generation. Just think of the increasing racial conflicts which are striking fear into the youth of all nations. Violence is increasing and is becoming more random. Remember Rwanda, Somalia, Bosnia, China, Northern Ireland, and the inner cities of our own nation. There are the various gangs (tribes?) and the pressures to join. Do we even have any idea how many different "tribes" or groups or gangs young people feel pressured to identify with (or not identify with)? Many have friends or family members who have been shot at or who have done the shooting. Some fear being shot themselves. More and more young people are carrying guns and pulling them out to deal with their conflicts. Hopelessness, powerlessness, uselessness, senselessness, and violence are feelings expressed by the art, dress, and music of this generation. Some of the music (such as RAP) is explicitly racist and sexist, suggesting violence against people as a form of pleasure and fulfillment. The "alternatives" have music and dress (multi-colored hair with rings in many pierced areas of their bodies) that communicates a variety of negative feelings about themselves and their culture. The western nations are experiencing a barbarian invasion from within by means of their own offspring.
Those of this generation want to be listened to and they try to form relationships. Here is an example. We met a young man at Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square filled with anger. He was yelling and shaking his fist: "I was born gay and I'm damned proud of it!" A crowd gathered. People came running as he spouted off his anger with filth spewing out of his mouth and he got people pretty riled up. Then he said that he was 22 years old and was HIV positive from shooting up drugs. The event was a catalyst for a good half hour of witnessing and discussion. We then spoke privately with the angry young man and he told us, with tears, that he had been raped as a boy and had been introduced to homosexuality before puberty. As he came into puberty he had already had homosexual experiences and so he believed he was born "gay." He said he wanted help and we referred him to a Christian group of "ex-gays." He ended up shaking our hands and thanking us for listening to him. He, too, is now "in our hearts." Are you carrying someone from this generation, the Joshua Generation, "in your heart?" Remember Paul's words in II Corinthians 7:3 where he writes, "..that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you." Some of us have already carried someone "in our hearts" through the pain and death of AIDS. Have you experienced this yet? You probably will.
Such hopelessness fills so much of this present generation that many will be easily led by false prophets and teachers. They will be vulnerable to crafty politicians, false messiahs, and "end of the world" cult leaders as we approach the year 2000. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 21:31: "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." We, who follow Jesus, are expecting the Kingdom of God and the return of the Messiah. We have a "blessed hope" while the world has a "cursed hopelessness."
We have difficult days ahead of us. Jesus said that it would be like the days of Noah when He returns and His Kingdom comes. In Genesis 6 we can read about the days of Noah: Men's hearts were given to wickedness and violence, their hearts were filled with evil continually. But what will be filling the hearts of the brothers and sisters in these last days? What will be filling your heart? We believe our Father will be filling our hearts with His love for each other and for His lost children. He will be enlarging our hearts with mercy, grace, and compassion for our lost young brothers and sisters who are harassed and helpless and without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36-38). Pray for laborers for His harvest.
All of this is especially challenging to those of us who are older. Traditional ways of the church seem "old" and "worn" compared to the energy and needs of the Joshua Generation. Most of us may have no idea of how to care for, disciple, and nurture this harvest but that should not stop us from "holding them in our hearts" as Y'shua (Jesus) pours out His love upon them.
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