FUTURE GENERATIONS FOR JESUS
Psalms 45:17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
One of the reasons I wrote my commentary and this book of devotions is the desire to help future generations to come to know and love Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Sad to say there have been many generations of wonderful Christians that never saw their children or grandchildren come to know and love Jesus the way they did. It happens in the families of pastors, leaders in the church and laity in general. It certainly is a sad thing, and breaks the heart of any Christian parent and grandparent.
It comes about for many reasons, but the bottom line is that no matter how much a person may try to help their loved one or even friend to become a Christian it has to be received willingly and wantingly.
The saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink is certainly true with Christianity. It has to be a personal relationship with Jesus that is truly heart felt. We can take our children to church, Sunday School, youth camps or other things, but it all ends up with the child. And every child is certainly different and that includes their desire to have Jesus in their life.
Christianity is really one generation away from disappearing. If we ignore the call of Jesus to go and make disciples, soon there will be no new believers. This is not to say that everyone is called to be an evangelist. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit and everyone has different gifts so the church will be complete. Every Christian is asked to be ready to give the reason for their love and trust in Jesus. This doesn’t require a sermon, or a memorized list of salvation verses. It does require a heartfelt witness for the love we have for Jesus. When we do this, our witness will almost always be received with appreciation and respect. It is only when we start preaching condemnation and appearing to look down on people that it will not be received will. The most effective witness for both family and other people will come by the life we live. If our faith is only heard and not seen in a life transforming experience, then even family will not have much use for it. Christianity has to be more than just do as I say and not as I do. People have to see something in our relationship with Jesus something that they desire for themselves. We as parents can’t go to church on Sunday, and live like the devil during the week. If Jesus isn’t real every day in our life, others will pick up on it faster than what we can imagine. And one of the things that Satan and the powers of darkness try to do is rob us of our witness by making us think our Christian witness is in words or works, rather than life lived.
While lives lived for Jesus are very important, this in itself is not enough either. Many children and others have been turned off by a holier than thou lifestyle. Some holiness movements and churches come across as being too good for the world, while not showing any true Christ-like transformation in their heart and life. There is no substitute for a loving personal relationship with Jesus. Anything less will be seen as another civic club with just a lot more don’t do this or don't do that.
There is nothing more wonderful in life than to have a loving, personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. And there is no greater honor and privilege than to help someone have that relationship. It is certainly my heart’s desire to have all my loved ones and descendants love and trust in Jesus with all their heart, soul and mind. Doing this begins and continues with prayer and intercession for them. For every altar call for salvation, I believe possibly hundreds of prayers by parents, grandparent and even friends have went to Jesus first.
What greater legacy could anyone have than to help those they love to have a saving relationship with Jesus. Things we buy for them will last for a short season, but a life lived for Jesus will be remembered for a lifetime.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help us to live a Christ-like life, so those we love most will want to love and trust in Jesus too. Please help our descendants to become Christians too. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
