THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH

The Old Testament closes out with this glorious prophecy: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6).

Jesus said of John, "If you will receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come" (Matthew 11:14). What Christ was saying is, "John the Baptist has the spirit and power of Elijah upon him—if you could just see it." We are told the angel of the Lord prophesied to Zachariah that his son John would "go forth before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

I believe Malachi's prophecy is for today also. I believe that once again God is going to put upon many of his chosen servants the spirit and power of Elijah. And these men and women of God are going to be mightily used to bring about a restoration of families. Divorces will be canceled! Children will be convicted of their rebellion and be restored in love to their parents.

This prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes—right now. In a Texas town, an unassuming young pastor began to pray for the salvation of the youth in the local schools. God anointed him with the dynamic spirit and power of Elijah and not only have hundreds in his local school been saved, but the restoration is spreading to schools wherever he goes. Not hundreds but thousands of high school students are being convicted of their drugs, alcohol, sex and rebellion. Young people are hurrying home from outreaches to make up with their parents. They have been confessing deep hatred, but now they weep and repent! This will spread all through the land because God has promised to restore parents and children.

Because of what I see coming, I am so excited I can hardly write these words. Unknown, unassuming, humble young men and women of God are being miraculously touched and anointed. They have been given a supernatural mission to "Go forth—and restore! For the day of the Lord has come. The cankerworms of drugs and alcohol are no longer permitted to eat away at the life of the youth. God will destroy the cankerworms."