Throughout the Scriptures God raised up people at a certain time to minister to a specific generation. He did that with Yeshua (Jesus). Paul wrote, “When the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son” (Galatians 4:4).[1] And God sent forth every one of us to live in this day. That needs to be very real to us. Paul spoke that David “served the purpose of God in his own generation” (Acts 13:36). And we believe to be those anointed to minister in this generation. So we have a huge job to do.
Yet often when you talk to Christians, you find a belief that God is here merely to bless us. The Church in the United States has become kind of a “me generation” in a “me country.” Everything is very much about us, and we are disconnected in a lot of ways from the global picture of the world’s needs. Even the idea of moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is seemingly all about what God wants to do for you, and soon God becomes this idea of a big Santa Claus. Of course, God loves us and wants to bless us, but He is looking for a relationship. God sent Yeshua to reconcile us to Himself, so salvation is about bringing us into a relationship with God.
In 2 Corinthians Paul writes, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15). I love that explanation. When we talk to people about salvation, we should say, “Christ died on the cross to redirect your life into something new.” Remember, in the early Church people feared to associate with the believers because their lives were deeply changed and taken in directions they had never thought of before. No one had planned to go sell all his belongs and lay them at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:35). You also are to be a new creation directed by the Lordship of Yeshua our Messiah—and you better know what that means and open your heart to it.
A true revelation of God will put you on your face. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! … For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Part of Isaiah’s salvation experience was not just a revelation of God; it was not just salvation and the cleansing of sin. But it was the commitment of his life to live in response to what had just happened to him. Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). From that moment Isaiah’s life changed, and he became a prophet with a Word from God to his generation. Isaiah became God’s instrument. And God is looking for instruments today so He can have His voice in this generation.
Something must bring you to your knees and change you in a way you have never been changed. Cry out to God saying, “Father, get rid of my personal plans for my life. Let my eyes behold You in all Your glory, power, and majesty. Let me have a meeting with God that puts me on my face before You.” You can have a touch with God like Isaiah that changes the course of your life to serve God under the Lordship of Christ rather than being led by your own will.
[1] All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).