Second and Third Generation Believers

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Children growing up in a Christian home and being part of the Church is a wonderful thing, but sometimes for those who have grown up in the church the experience of the power of God can seem like a secondhand experience. As second and third generation Christians the exciting journey that the generation before us led often seems distant from what we are living now. Church and living for God is the norm, but it seems to have lost its mystery… lost its pizazz so to speak. It doesn’t have to be like this though. Instead, being a second or third generation Christian can be the basis of a life that is not just exciting, but also more powerful and more effective in its impact for Christ than the first generation’s was. The first generation of Christian believers in our families have broken hard ground, but they have only just started to tap into all that God has for our families. This doesn’t take away from the first generation, instead it adds to the first generation’s honour by pointing out that the generations after them can experience even more of God’s goodness in their lives because of the example the first generation have already set.

It occurred to me that Elijah and the people he anointed are a good example of this in action. In the time of Elijah the main adversary of those seeking to follow the Lord was Jezebel, and the main person who had to deal with the person of Jezebel was Elijah himself. Jezebel specifically came against Elijah because God had given him a prophetic gift that was breaking Jezebel’s power over the kingdom, defeating the false prophets and giving voice to the true Word of God.

Elijah had many victories over Jezebel and the false prophets, but he also had epic failures in his dealings with her, like the time he lost his focus on God and ran away and hid from Jezebel. (Dealing with this murderous queen was a continuous learning experience for Elijah.) While Elijah was hiding God came and reminded Elijah of his anointing, ministry and power (1 Kings 19:9-18). Things that the prophet had because of his relationship with God. At the same time God also told Elijah to anoint two people, one was Jehu who oversaw the killing of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37) and Elisha who would succeed Elijah as prophet after taking on a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. Here we see Elijah lay the foundation for both the ultimate defeat of Jezebel by Jehu, and the fulfilment of Elijah’s prophetic ministry through Elisha. Elisha took up Elijah’s cloak when Elijah was taken up to heaven and under this anointing Elisha walked in an even more miraculous ministry than Elijah had. It is important to remember though that he was able to do this because of the previous breakthroughs that Elijah’s life had already brought about (2 Kings 2:9-14). As a second generation prophet Elisha’s life was not boring, and it certainly wasn’t lacking in experiences of God’s power or mystery.

As second, third, or even further generation believers in Christ we need to remember that we are anointed people of God, like both Elijah and Elisha, we have the anointing to overcome malicious spirits like that of Jezebel. As second and third generation believers we can, like Elisha, walk in more consistent power and authority than the generations before us. This is possible because of the generations before us who have worked hard to remove the barriers and clear the way for us.

Elijah battled Jezebel, Jehu, anointed by Elijah killed Jezebel, while Elisha, also anointed by Elijah, walked in a double anointing of grace and power. As second and third generation believers we can be powerful and effective when we allow ourselves to be led and strengthened by the Lord. We can do this knowing that, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).