Prophesy Again

PROPHESY AGAIN The Spirit of Elijah, the Two Fires, and the Reconciliation of YAHWEH with Man A sermon by Rev. John Shane VaughnThe Apostolic Assemblies — First Harvest Ministries International "And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." — Revelation 10:11 OPENING FHaMIly, people love to say it. You hear it in sermons, you read it in the comments, you see it in the titles of a thousand videos: "The spirit of Elijah is upon this generation." But I want to ask you a question this morning that very few people stop long enough to answer. What IS the spirit of Elijah? Because if you cannot define it, you cannot recognize it. And if you cannot recognize it, you will either reject the true work when it comes to your door — or you will follow a false one right off a cliff. Today I am going to show you from the Scriptures what the spirit of Elijah is, what command it carries, how to tell the true fire from the false fire, and what the end of all of it is — the reconciliation of YAHWEH with man. And I am going to tell you plainly: The Apostolic Assemblies is obeying this command. We are prophesying AGAIN. I. WHAT THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH IS NOT Let us clear the ground first. The spirit of Elijah is not reincarnation. Elijah's soul did not float out of heaven and climb into another man's body. That is the doctrine of the heathen, not the doctrine of Israel. When the priests and Levites came to John the Baptist and asked him directly, he answered directly: "And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not." — John 1:21 John was not literally Elijah. He said so with his own mouth. And yet YAHSHUA said of that same John: "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." — Matthew 11:14 How can both be true? How can John say "I am not" and YAHSHUA say "this is Elias"? The angel Gabriel answers it for us before John was even born. II. WHAT THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH IS "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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 YAHWEH." — Luke 1:17 There it is. The spirit and power of Elijah. Not the person of Elijah. The spirit — the attitude, the mind, the drive. And the power — the energy, the force, the strength to carry it out. What did Elijah do? He stood alone on Mount Carmel when all Israel had gone after Baal. Everything looked dead. The prophets of YAHWEH had been slain or hidden in caves. The altar of YAHWEH was broken down. And Elijah did not quit. He rebuilt the altar and called the nation back. "And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of YAHWEH came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of YAHWEH." — 1 Kings 18:31-32 FHaMIly, look at that. Twelve stones. All twelve tribes. Not just Judah — the whole house of Israel. Elijah was standing in the northern kingdom, the house of Ephraim, and he built an altar for the whole family, scattered tribes and all. That is the spirit of Elijah: An immense energy to preach repentance when everything looks dead. Rebuilding the broken altar of YAHWEH's commandments. Calling all twelve tribes back to the covenant. Making ready a people prepared for the coming of Messiah. The spirit of Elijah is the power to preach AGAIN. III. THE COMMAND: PROPHESY AGAIN Now turn with me to Revelation 10. John is given a little book. He is told to eat it — sweet in the mouth, bitter in the belly. And then he receives a command: "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." — Revelation 10:11 Again. You do not say again about something that has never been done. You say again about something that was done once, then stopped, and must now be done a second time. What stopped it? YAHSHUA told us: "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." — Matthew 25:5 All of them. Wise and foolish alike. The church fell asleep. The work was scattered. Men died, organizations split, the voice that once went out to the nations went quiet. Those of us who came out of the Armstrong era watched it happen with our own eyes. The great work went silent and the sheep were scattered on every hill. And what does YAHWEH do when His people fall asleep? He raises up a work to prophesy AGAIN. Hear me carefully. Not a new doctrine. Not a new gospel. Not some fresh revelation that contradicts what was already given. Paul said if an angel from heaven preaches another gospel, let him be accursed. It is the same truth — with power — again. The same Sabbath. The same Feasts. The same commandments. The same Kingdom. The same call to the Lost Tribes of Israel. Preached again, before many peoples, nations, tongues and kings. That is the spirit and power of Elijah. And that, FHaMIly, is what The Apostolic Assemblies is doing. IV. THE PROOF: A GENERATION THAT WAS NEVER TAUGHT Somebody will say, "Pastor, that's a big claim. How do you know?" I will tell you how I know. By the fruit. YAHSHUA said, "By their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:20) Look at who is listening. Young people born in 2003. In 2005. In 2006. In 2008. They were not alive when the old work was thundering across the airwaves. They never sat under those broadcasts. They never read those magazines. Their parents may have never heard the word Sabbath. And yet they are hungry. They are finding these teachings. They are watching. They are commenting. They are liking and sharing. They are asking questions. And they are writing to us saying, "I never knew this. Nobody ever told me this. Where has this been my whole life?" How does that happen? It is not because of a man. I want to be absolutely clear about that. It is not because of John Shane Vaughn. It is not because of clever videos or marketing. If it were a man, it would die with the man. It is YAHWEH fulfilling Revelation 10:11. He is using the tools of this age — the internet, videos, groups, broadcasts — to put His word in front of many peoples, nations, tongues and kings. And His word does exactly what He said it would do: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." — Isaiah 55:11 Those comments are fruit. Those young hearts turning are fruit. YAHWEH is showing them the path. He is bringing them to repentance. He is reconciling them to His commandments. That is the spirit of Elijah — turning the hearts. V. THE TWO FIRES Now, wherever the spirit of Elijah goes, there is talk of fire. Elijah called fire down from heaven on Carmel. And people today are hungry for fire. But I have to warn you, FHaMIly. There are two fires in the book of Revelation. And one of them will send you to destruction. The True Fire "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies." — Revelation 11:5 Where does the fire of the two witnesses come from? Out of their mouth. The true fire is the Word of YAHWEH going forth in judgment. "Is not my word like as a fire? saith YAHWEH; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" — Jeremiah 23:29 The true fire burns away lies. It breaks hard hearts. It exposes sin. It consumes false doctrine. It is the Word — spoken with power. The False Fire "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." — Revelation 13:13 Did you catch that? The false prophet ALSO brings fire from heaven. Visible. Spectacular. In the sight of men. "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." — 2 Thessalonians 2:9 So the false fire is real power — but it is power to deceive. How Do You Tell the Difference? Not by the miracle. If you judge by the miracle, you will be deceived, because both sides bring fire. The magicians of Egypt turned their rods into serpents too. You judge by the Law. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." — Isaiah 8:20 Write this down on the tablet of your heart: If someone brings fire but teaches you to break the commandments of YAHWEH — that fire is from Satan. I don't care how loud it is. I don't care how many fall down. I don't care how many are healed. If it tells you the Sabbath is done away, if it tells you the Law was nailed to the cross, if it tells you to eat what YAHWEH called unclean and to keep the feasts of Rome instead of the Feasts of YAHWEH — there is no light in it. The true fire always drives you toward the commandments. The false fire always drives you away from them. VI. THE GREATEST RECONCILIATION: YAHWEH WITH MAN Now we come to the heart of this message. This is the most important thing I will say today. What is the goal of the spirit of Elijah? What is all this preaching, all this fire, all this energy for? Reconciliation. "And all things are of Elohim, who hath reconciled us to himself by YAHSHUA Messiah, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that Elohim was in Messiah, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." — 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Look at what we were when He called us: "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." — Ephesians 2:3 Children of wrath. Rebellious by nature. Every one of us. We were apart from Him. We were in the mud. We were in darkness. And when He called us, we did not even understand what was happening. We were full of rancor, full of resentment, full of bitterness toward the people who hurt us and toward YAHWEH Himself. And He called us anyway. Malachi 4:6 Begins With the Father "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 4:6 Most preachers read that verse and go straight to family counseling — fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, patching things up around the dinner table. And yes, that fruit will come. But that is not where it begins. Where does every turning start? Who moved first? Remember the prodigal son. While he was still a great way off, who ran? The father ran. (Luke 15:20) The first Father whose heart turns toward His children is YAHWEH. And the first children whose hearts must turn back are us — His rebellious sons and daughters lying in the mud. Malachi 4:6 is first and foremost YAHWEH with man. When that reconciliation takes place — when you repent and come back under His commandments — then the human reconciliations can flow out of it. You cannot be truly reconciled to your brother while you remain at war with your Maker. And when you are reconciled to YAHWEH by repentance and keeping His commandments, the rancor is removed. VII. NO RANCOR — BUT NOT NO WISDOM Now listen to me very carefully, because the enemy twists this point to destroy people. The Scripture says to put away bitterness: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice." — Ephesians 4:31 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." — Mark 11:25 You must forgive from the heart. You must not carry that root of bitterness deep down inside you. It is difficult — I will not pretend it is easy. But it must be done, because that forgiveness frees YOU before YAHWEH. Bitterness is a prison, and you are the one sitting in it. BUT. Having no rancor does NOT mean you accept physical abuse. It does NOT mean you accept psychological abuse. From anyone. Forgiveness is not a doormat. Forgiveness is not a license for someone to keep destroying you. "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished." — Proverbs 22:3 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." — Matthew 10:16 Harmless as doves — that is the forgiveness. Wise as serpents — that is the distance. Even YAHSHUA did not stand still and let the mob in Nazareth throw Him off the cliff. Scripture says "he passing through the midst of them went his way." (Luke 4:30) He did not curse them. He did not hate them. He left. You can forgive a man and still lock your door. You can forgive a woman and still refuse to be alone with her. You can release the bitterness and still put distance between you and the one who would harm you. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." — Romans 12:18 As much as lieth in you. Some of it does not lie in you. Some of it lies in them. YAHWEH Guards the Clay YAHWEH sees you as delicate clay in His hands. He made man and woman, father and child. He loves them equally — but He has given them different responsibilities. And He watches over the weak one. You do not have to take vengeance. You do not have to carry the case. He will. "For Elohim shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." — Ecclesiastes 12:14 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith YAHWEH." — Romans 12:19 He will require an account from the one who hurts. Your job is to let go of the poison. His job is to bring the judgment. True Reconciliation So here it is, in one sentence: True reconciliation is YOU without rancor, keeping His Law, and YAHWEH protecting you. CLOSING CHARGE FHaMIly, the altar has been broken down long enough. The church has slept long enough. The voice has been silent long enough. The command has gone out from the throne: PROPHESY AGAIN. And YAHWEH has heard. He is sending His word through every open door — across oceans, into phones and screens, into the hearts of young men and women who were never taught and are now hungry for the truth. That is the spirit and power of Elijah. Not a ghost. Not a reincarnation. Not a man. The immense energy of YAHWEH to preach repentance when everything looked dead. So let me charge you this morning: Test every fire by the Law. If it does not speak according to the Law and the testimony, there is no light in it. Be reconciled to YAHWEH first. Repent, come under His commandments, and let Him remove the rancor. Forgive from the heart — and walk in wisdom. Harmless as a dove, wise as a serpent. Lift your voice. You are not a spectator to this work. You are a prophet, priest and king in training. Share the word. Speak the truth. Prophesy again. "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." The Apostolic Assemblies has heard the command — and we are obeying it. In the name of YAHSHUA, our High Priest and coming King. Amen. Rev. John Shane VaughnFounding Apostolic OverseerFirst Harvest Ministries International / The Apostolic Assemblies