The Methuselah
Project 
It has been said that amazing things could be accomplished
if people cared less about who gets the credit. Too many of us seem
to be preoccupied with the thirst for recognition. This is why we chose
the name of Methuselah for this mission. Methuselah is one of the best
biblical examples of someone that made such a difference without the
privilege of recognition or documentation. On the surface it appears
as if all he did was grow old, but when we look closer and read between
the lines we will see how much he potrays what God is about to do on
earth.
In spite of the current trend towards globalization
and the tremendous advances made by technology, it is still obvious
that world is a deeply divided place. Racial differences, cultural differences,
age groupings, philosophical and ideological differences are only some
of the many excuses we present in order to remain divided. People seem
to delight in divisions. This is because we are more comfortable with
the familiar. There is an unconsious commitment to the unstated law
that: 'people have to be like us to be with us'. This is relational
immaturity.
Even In The House
The church(the body of Christ on earth) is not exonerated from this
tendency towards division. In fact in most countries, the most racially
divided hours of the week are 9:00am till 12:00noon on Sunday mornings.
As much as London, England is said to be the most cosmopolitan city
on earth, these divisions become glaring when one visit's the city's
churches on a Sunday morning. Most are racially and culturally divided.
There is A Reason
This, however, is not a reason to crucify the church or write her off.
The church is gradually coming on age. According to the bible, the workings
of God are in stages. He lays precept upon precept and line upon line.
Maturity does not happen all at once.History shows us how the church
has been coming to maturity in different aspects of faith and life,
one after another. It began with the 'coming of age' in our understanding
of grace and salvation through faith. Then came our understanding of
service and missions. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and manifestations
soon followed. The church then flowed into a revelation of how to receive
from God. This could not be perfected until the understanding of purpose
came to provide a balance.
In recent times, we have now seen a movement towards
the prophetic and apostolic dimensions of ministry. This, however, will
not attain its intended status or hit the mark if the church does not
begin to embrace the next phase of maturity that God is leading His
body into. That is 'Relational Maturity'.
God is calling His bride to work in relational maturity.
NoNo particular group is going to be able to achieve God's will alone.
The Kingdom will not come through 'white churches' or 'black churches'
or through 'youth churches' or even through denominations. These barriers
must be broken. It is only as we begin to walk together in love and
unity that we can touch the world making an uncommon impact. The time
to come together is now. We are the ones that can show the world what
racial equality and integration really means.
The world speaks about racial equality but at best
practices only racial tolerance. Maturity in relationships is attained
when we can appreciatethe preferences, gifts and callings of others
without feeling that ours are in any way more valid or superioir. Relational
maturity enables us to walk in unity not in uniformity. It will usher
the whole body of Christ to a higher level of operation, the like of
which was last experienced at the church in Antionch.
In the book of 'The Acts of the Apostles' we can see
in the Antioch church a high level of relational maturity and racial
integration. Leadership included the aristocrat and the common man,
the rich as well as the poor. It also had the black, white and coloured
people working together to achieve the kingdom purposes for their generation.
This was made possible because the church embraced the 'Methuselah'
spirit.
Another good illustration of the 'Methuselah' spirit
is Deborah. In her victory song (Judges 5:6) she said:
~In the days of Shamgar son of Anath
in the days of Jael, the roads
were abandoned;
Travelers took to dwindling paths.
Village life in Israel ceased,
ceased until I, Deborah, arose,
arose a mother in Israel."~
Shamgar was not a weak Israelite. He was a strong and
gifted leader who killed Phillistines in his lifetime. As a matter of
fact the bible recorded him to have struck down six hundred of them
with only one Ox goad of weapon. The unfortunate thing about his style
of leadership was that he was a 'Do It Yourself' expert. He did so much
by and for himself, but was a failure at helping others achieve their
own ministry. Deborah, on the other hand, never lifted a sword nor did
she ride a chariot or kill anyone in battle. She motivated a chosen
people and enabled them to rise to their destiny.
Why Call It 'Methuselah'
A flood of revival and reformation is about to fill the earth as a prelude
to the coming of the Lord. God has chosen to use people of African descent
as a catalyst or trigger in this movement. It is quite visible that
the centre of gravity of the Kingdom of God is shifting. The time is
now to encourage and enable our brethren of African descent to rise
up and embrace their prophetic identity as a finishing generation, so
that they can release the flood upon the whole earth.
Methuselah was born into a revival. As the son of Enoch,
he was named 'Methuselah' because of the revelation or warning that
his father received from God that an event was coming that would destroy
evil or unrighteousness in the earth. His name can be translated "it
is coming". A simple mathematical computationof his lineage will
reveal that he died in the same year that the flood came. The spirit
of expectation and preparation upon him caused him to live longer than
everyone on earth until he saw the flood begin.
Noah, Methuselah's grandson was not alone in his project.
He had the encouragement of a wise grandfather who was not ready to
die until he saw the move of God begin. People get ready. Something
is about to happen. This project is 'the voice of one crying in the
wilderness'....prepare the flood is coming!
Bob & Teju Alonge
