"A Spirit-LESS Generation" by Nathan Culver
We are facing a major epidemic in the body of Christ. With millennial leaders moving into positions of influence in the body of Christ. We are seeing an increased emphasis on gifts, callings, and intellectualism. In this generation we have more access to information than we ever have in the history of humanity. However, this access to information has caused us to become less sensitive to Holy Spirit. We have reduced Holy Spirit to being the assistant that helps only in relation to our ability to perform our ministry tasks and responsibilities. We only seem to need the presence of Holy Spirit when we preach, prophesy, speak in tongues, etc. Even in most of the aforementioned cases we rely on our charisma and giftedness. There is way too much reliance on being gifted. We promote people who are intelligent, gifted, and charismatic, but don’t have character that has been developed with the help of Holy Spirit. The bible says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “…there is nothing new under the sun”
Paul the apostle addresses a church that had this same dynamic in its congregation. The Corinthian church was one of the most gifted and charismatic churches of its time. However, this church also had an issue with morality. Highly gifted but highly immoral as well. We’ve cultivated a generation of leaders that have watched the ministry of some of the major voices of our time. It has led many of us to believe that we just simply need to get a seminary education, or improve our speaking ability, or perhaps become more theatrical in our presentation of the gospel. The reality is we have gravitated toward everything but Holy Spirit. If we operated led by Holy Spirit and His infilling we would actually see true revival. Holy Spirit was given to us as a gift to enable us to not only operate effectively in our spiritual gifts but also to help us live upright before God.
The question becomes, how do we get back to being a Spirit led generation? I will offer a few suggestions for your review:
Create more gatherings that are focused on prayer and communion with Holy Spirit.
There should be more teaching and preaching on prayer and intimate time with God.
Teaching and preaching on Holy Spirit and his role in the life of the believer.
Leaders who emphasize Holy Spirit led leadership over giftedness.
Sound biblical teaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Sharing the need for dependence on Holy Spirit.
The above are some very basic things that we can do to cultivate a generation that is more dependent on Holy Spirit and his work in the life of the believer. We can’t do anything for the Kingdom of God without the presence of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who enables and helps us to become who God desires for us to be, and fulfill our purpose in the earth.
