The title of this blog is actually the subtitle to my book Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, without a doubt one of the most important books I’ve written. Unfortunately, the publisher didn’t use my original title, How Good is God? I Can’t Remember, which I think was a more engaging title and would’ve put the book in more people’s hands, hearts, and minds.
In the book, I have a section “Generation to Generation,” which is what I want to focus on in this blog and here’s what got me to thinking about this topic . . .
Last week, our neighborhood well pump was clogged for several days. We were asked to reduce our water usage: no watering yards and gardens even with temperatures in the 90s, no dishwasher, laundry, even showers. It was a hardship, but we were all in it together, including the board members who are our neighbors.
Periodically, we have water issues, or the power goes out, in our rural mountain community. It makes you realize how much we take for granted when normally we can turn on the faucet and run water or flip a switch and have light. Things we don’t typically thank God for on a regular basis until we don’t have these necessities and we pray to God they’ll be back working soon.
This made me think about how blessed we are with all the things we take for granted. Things that are typically readily available to Americans that aren’t available in other countries. I remember when one of our daughters lived in Italy, the heat in their 4th floor apartment during the winter was regulated. They had no control over it. There was no air conditioning in summer heat. No ice.
Air conditioning, ice, and cold drinks were things visitors to the World Cup marveled at here.
Now there’s a Socialist/Communist mayor in New York City telling New Yorkers to set their A/C units to 78 during a heat wave while the temperature in his office is cool and comfortable. He wants to tax the rich to pay for all the free stuff he offers while he budgets for a raise for himself and his staff. That’s the difference between socialism and a free Republic. In our neighborhood water situation, we all suffered together, even those in charge. Under Socialism, those in charge–the government–and elites never suffer, just their constituents.
So like you, I’ve been wondering why the younger generation is so enamored with a government ideology that wants to take away their individual rights and make government their god? I’ve come to believe it’s because one generation isn’t passing down to the next generation why America is such a blessed country and why they’re so blessed to live here!
We’ve let social media and liberal schools take over the role of parenting. Where are the parents of the weird and freaky young people protesting in the streets and making TikTok videos about tearing down the country that allows them to say and do things that would put them behind bars or worse end up like the 50,000 killed in Iran?!
Were those kids ever taught the Bible?
Did their parents take them to church?
Did they pray at home?
I’ve always said it only takes one generation neglecting to pass down a heritage to the next generation for a way of life or belief system to vanish.
Is this what’s happening to freedom in America? That chilling fact underlines the magnitude of our responsibility to share the goodness of God with our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and for them to do the same: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” (Pr. 22:6).
*The Bible Is the Thread that Ties Generations Together
When we think about what our churches are ‘leaving behind’ for our cities, we shouldn’t be thinking of ministry plans or church buildings, but kids. The children in our church are the first ones that God has given us to win for the Gospel. Because they are the inheritance we are leaving for our city, the single most important task we have as a church is to teach the next generation the Gospel. –Dr. J.D. Greear
The Bible is a resounding call to remember God’s goodness throughout all generations. It’s a recorded history of our Christian faith reminding us why we believe and what we believe.
Thanks to the saints who have gone before us, you and I have the privilege of reading the same Scriptures and biblical accounts our ancestors read. Now it’s our job to ensure that God’s unchanging Word prevails and reigns through future generations. We need to pass on the hope we have in Christ by equipping the next generation to read and understand the Bible and accept Jesus as their personal Savior—not encumber them with rules easily broken, but guide them toward a relationship they wouldn’t forfeit or jeopardize for anything or anyone.
The Bible is a thread that intertwines us with previous generations who didn’t have radios, television, smartphones, computers, Skype, Google Hangout, chatgbt, texting, What’s Up, tablets, FaceTime, or even electricity or running water! They heard Bible stories told to them or read the Bible by the fire or candlelight, the same Bible you and I read today. No other book in history has traversed the centuries, crossed cultures, and enjoyed such worldwide renown—even people who don’t believe in God acknowledge the Bible is a historical book.
Praise God, some states are recognizing this as they bring the Bible back into school curriculum. From the first writings of Moses in Genesis, to the last recordings of John in Revelation—and every prophesy, disciple, and apostle in between—there’s a charge to remember God. Yet, each writer knew we would have a propensity to forget God’s words and forsake His ways unless one generation passed down the biblical truths to the next generation and lived out those truths.
God specifically and repeatedly tells His people to pass down to future generation all the awesome wonders they saw Him do because the younger generations weren’t there. The same goes for the history of our country. This younger generation didn’t live through the horrors of 9/11 perpetrated by the Islamic terrorist organization al-Qaeda against the United States when nineteen terrorists hijacked four airlines. Then flew one into each of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the one headed for the White House was overtaken by the passengers and crashed into a field. Over 3000 people died in the attacks and rescue efforts.
Yet, because that story isn’t told often enough, New Yorkers have elected an Islamist Democrat Socialists of America (DSA) mayor who is hiring and endorsing members of the DSA that wants to dismantle and destroy America from the inside. This is a dire consequence of one generation not teaching world history to the next generation.
One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. Ps. 145:4
Each generation has become more and more lax in upholding, enforcing, and passing down God’s truths, which have been the foundation of America since its inception. Even though there are those that deny that truth, they’re either uneducated, liars, atheists, Communists, Islamists, or a mixture of all.
When I hear people lament about our corrupt world today, I encourage them to read the Bible. The truth is our world has been steadily deteriorating morally ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Each generation pushes out the boundaries of sin and immorality a little further in the name of a progressive, tolerant culture, which is now progressing to embrace communism with the Trojan Horse of Democrat Socialists of America.
The twentieth century’s sexual revolution has made sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, and abortion “acceptable.”
My state of Idaho was one of the first states to enact the strictest abortion banning law in the country after SCOTUS put the responsibility on the states. Today, we have Prop 1 on the November Idaho ballot that would be one of the most radical pro-abortion baby-murdering laws in the country! Prop 1 is originated and funded by liberals, the abortion lobby, and Planned Parenthood which left Idaho after our abortion law eliminated their baby-killing business.
Satan never stops!!
The Twenty-first century’s norm now becomes casual hookups, unwed pregnancies, transgenderism, gay marriage, attempted gender change, and taking a pill ordered online to flush your baby down the toilet! What one generation does in moderation, the next generation does in excess, and sadly that’s been true since the beginning of time.
There have been periods of revival in our history, usually at times when culture has sunk to an all-time moral low or there’s a national crisis like 9/11. Suddenly, much of the world turns to God and begs His mercy and grace. As people flock to churches, unity and synergy bring communities together seeking God’s peace and comfort. But when the shock deadens over the moral atrocity, or the crisis passes, the church attendance steadily declines and the liberal agenda regains momentum.
As a nation, we said we would never forget 9/11 but as a culture, we did forget. Islamist DSA political candidates can go on media interviews suggesting America deserved that horrific attack, and few people call it what it is: insurrection or even treason!
We’re now in an era of political violence where a young man trying to share the truth through debate with the next generation is assassinated by the very generation he was trying to reach. Instead of universal mourning for the murder of Charlie Kirk, evil liberals and radicals cheered.
But our hope remains that, as bad as it is, God is still on His throne. Even though the world moves farther away from God, there are still people who will seek God, and we need to be ready to share the Gospel with them. The church is NOT dead, but it needs to awaken from its slumber.
As Christians, God calls us to live holy lives separated to God, separated from the world, and separated for God. Our responsibility is to help a generation that thrives on conforming want to conform to God’s standards and not to the secular world!
Don’t think you can’t make a difference. You can. Sure, you can’t transform the whole world, but you can make a difference in your world.
Steve Green wrote a song with the chorus, “Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.” Someday we’ll all just be a memory, but let’s make sure that memory points everyone to Jesus.
In your sphere of influence, starting with your family and church family, tell them everything you’ve seen God do and about His unchanging truths. Influence the next generations to love and obey God with born-again, Holy Spirit-filled hearts, and to remember the goodness of our Great God!
My people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their ancestors—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him. (Ps. 78:1-8)
*A portion of The Bible Is the Thread that Ties Generations Together came from my book, Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.
Please leave a comment here.
Excellent points, Janet. God tells us multiple times to teach his statutes to our children and our children’s children. We can still influence a generation of young people.
Yes, we can Linda, and we must! It starts within our own families. Thank you for your encouragement.