generation – Page 2 – Cross Culture Church

August 2017 Article: “The Relay Race of Life”

In the relay race, the fastest starting runner has placed within his hands a baton. His assignment is to run with the swiftest of speed while carrying the baton, but knowing that there will be other runners awaiting his completed assignment to take over what began with him. When he releases the baton to the second runner, his assignment is finished but race is not over. He entrusts into the hands of another runner the stewardship of discipline and drive to win the race while knowing that its completion requires the help of future runners.

In this race of life, the baton has been placed in our hands. Who will be there to pass the baton to the next generation? Are you currently running the quality of race that you would encourage your children to continue after your demise? We are alive to make a difference and for that difference to last for generations to come. “Do you not know that those who run in a race–all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) We must live our lives as if the future depended upon us and our lives depended upon the Lord. If the life of God is to reach future generations, this generation must relay the baton to them.

Cultural shifts do not just happen by chance. They reflect the mood of preceding generations. If the Word of God is established in the hearts of our children, the word will produce righteous seed. When that seed is cultivated and become widespread, a shift in momentum occurs. Rather than a movement away from God’s divine order, there are standard-bearers raised whose voices and lifestyles will serve as the conscience to the nation. Evil can then only go so far since the Holy Spirit within God’s people will hold the barrage of evil in check. It is easy to look at how corrupt this generation has become. But what if the voice of truth was completely removed? There would be nothing to regulate the flow of evil and course of corruption. I applaud those brave mavericks of the past who went against the cultural norms and upheld the standard of righteousness at all cost. Many paid with their lives because they refused to relent on their quest to defend the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Now we stand at the relay point where as another generation must take what we have for many years carried. Not to merely keep in step with us, but as finishers whose spiritual development and skills must prove to be an improvement leading to perfection. “The least in the kingdom are greater than he” speaking of those who would come after John the Baptist.

The triangle of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is committed and fully engaged in the work to which the finishers are assigned. As Charles Wesley said in his song, “To serve God is to serve this present age our calling to fulfill. Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage, to do my Master’s will!” What better gift can be offered to the world but resolute and determined word of correction and rebuke followed with an affirming message of love. Society must first recognize that the world’s way is wrong before it can hear the right message. The triangle of truth touches all angles producing a complete unit; God, other, and self. I am reminded of King David as recorded in the Book of Acts, chapter 13 verse 36. “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors” … New International Version. He served God’s purposes within the context of his generation. That is the only time allotted to us. It is the only God given task assignment to us. Then he could rest with his ancestors knowing that no more could have been done by him. He could then pass the baton to future generations.</p)

22 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 22

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Hebrews 8:5

God gave Moses specific instructions as to how to build the Tabernacle. It was not arbitrary, but rather what God showed Him while he was in His Presence was the design for its construction on the earth. It requires both hearing and seeing from heaven to engage in such a sacred task as leading others in the way of God. We are not here merely to survive, but our lives are to be lived with such exactness as to leave a legacy for those who come after us to follow. They must see Christ in us if they are ever to impact their generation. They are to build upon the foundation that we have laid. The baton is passed from one hand to another. Even though great things are accomplished by those who are mighty in the eyes of the world, none of what they say or do will receive any rewards in heaven. It is only those things shown to us by God and proclaimed in concert with the whole Body of Christ that God will honor as His work. Take heed what we hear and how we hear it. The pattern of God in heaven is to be reflected on the earth.

14 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 14

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith” 1 Thessalonians 3:2

We are encouraged through others who have been well taught and learned the lesson of diligence and persistence in the faith. Timothy had learned much from Paul’s tutorship. His boldness came as result of the encouragement from a seasoned saint who had forsaken all for the cause of Christ. As he imitated his leader he gained a testimony which would do more for a new convert than what might be learned from the Apostle. Much more would be expected from Paul therefore it would more difficult to relate to his experiences. But when young Timothy would stand before a neophyte beginning the long journey from the start, it would be much easier to relate to. We need the testimony of young men and women if we are to reach this generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If they would speak convincingly to their peers, it could turn their generation around. We are praying that God would raise up more youthful and inspiring Timothy’s. We will send them out if they are willing and ready to go.

04 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 4

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work.” Proverbs 12:24 (MSG)

There is a freedom that allows us to fully cooperate with God in what He is doing. There is a bondage that can hold one back so that they are never able to accomplish or complete anything. It is the mental bondage of procrastination. It is when one thinks too intensely one the amount of work ahead rather than applying the effort necessary to take steps in completing it. The Holy Spirit will assist us but not force us to do anything. He awaits the decision on our part to move in the right direction. Then He supplies the energy and power for us to gain the impetus to continue moving forward. We have been graced to make a difference. Things we not intended to remain as they are. That is why God has allowed us to be born in this generation. What our forefathers completed was foundational for the task lying ahead of us. We must not allow the oppression of laziness to cripple our progress. Speak the truth even when nobody’s listening! Live the life and be the person God has called you to be even when it is not popular! Be steadfast in season and out of season. God will reward diligence because He pays attention to every effort made by those who strain to move in His direction.

01 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

June 2017 Article: “Generations”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

Psalm 145:4 “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”

We have been assigned to make a difference in this generation and leave a legacy for all the generations that come after us. What matters most is not what we may have enjoyed in our lifetime, but what we leave behind for others. Today, we are either reaping the benefits or suffering the consequences of former generations. However, these conditions do not just develop, as there were people who set the stage that we currently occupy. In a sense, they were our fathers, for we are the products of their investments and efforts. Consequently as fathers, there are many things to consider—since we give birth to sons and daughters, what kind of world would we wish for them? Fathers of families, fathers of movements, and fathers of nations share this one thing in common; they all set the pace and rhythm for their generation. As time advances, the objective is for the progression of people commensurate to the progression of time. We are growing older, but we must also grow better.

Although God works within the framework of time, He is not confined to its limitations. He invades time with miracles, signs, and wonders, and His works are from an eternal perspective. They come down from the Father of Lights, where there is no variation or shadow of turning. He establishes His creative order in heaven and descends upon the earth. These works are our gifts from Him to us. If you would just take the time to consider all that God has provided, you would be overwhelmed. The work of creation and of maintaining all things created by Him is worthy of praise, but that praise is not a private and personal expression. It is meant to be proclaimed to all who will hear it. We were not born in this generation by coincidence, for God has brought us and His work together for such a time as this. If this generation is to ever know and understand who fathered all that we presently enjoy, the light of His glory must shine for through us. Much is being lost in this generation, and many people are taking matters into their own hands with the idea that things just appear and circumstances just occur randomly. By God’s design, we are given the privilege of participating in the works of God when we acknowledge what He has already done.

Then comes the declaration where we then declare His mighty acts. The acts of God reference God’s intervention in the affairs of mankind. He can change the climate and reset the atmosphere in an environment where His mighty acts are declared. We are to make the declaration to this generation, and there are words that help us understand its meaning. Ori(gen)—there is a beginning to what was generated. There was a foundation established from its beginning that should be maintained. De(generate)—just as something is generated, if not properly maintained, it will degenerate. Re(generate)—the second chance given to that which has lost its way.

We live in an orphaned society that is a product of a fatherless generation. The criminal element among us is merely symptomatic of what happens when the role of fatherhood is either absent or abandoned. If this generation is to proclaim His praise and declare His mighty works, it requires the father’s heart to be restored to the Father of creation. Then the heart of the fathers restored to the children. Then the glory of the Lord can pass from generation to generation.

14 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 14

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Romans 3:3

God is determined to fulfill every one of His promises. Too much is at stake for Him to fail. Yet there are many who doubt Him and question His authority and abandon their post defecting from the faith. Does unbelief negate God’s faithfulness? He allows the rain to fall on the unjust as well as the righteous. He provides for believers as well as unbelievers. Seasons of the year that change for all to receive the benefits of change. Yet God is determined to raise up a remnant among His people who will obey Him and receive the full benefit of His promises. They will hear His voice and heed to His call. If not the parents, He may reach some of their children. What is rejected by one generation may have been embraced by their successors. God will provide future evidence of His truth. When all else is shaken and crumbles to the earth, His Word will remain. And what was once cast down and rejected will be raised by and through what God has already spoken.

25 Feb 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: February 25

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Think of it! One solitary man when I called him, but once I blessed him, he multiplied.” Isaiah 51:2 (MSG)

Abraham was blessed to be called and called to be blessed. He was one man standing alone but obedient to God. He was awaiting his assignment after having received the promise of blessings. When our future is in His hands, we can rely on His promises regardless of the current circumstances. God calls us alone. He calls us to Himself to personally respond to whatever He commands. Only then are we in the position for increase. Some are waiting for the party to join them before they move beyond their present state. The blessings accompany us along the way even if we have to travel down the lonely road less traveled. He is with us to guide us along the way. Then He will bless with blessings that none can take away. The continual blessings of God will go from generation to generation.

20 Feb 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: February 20

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” Luke 24:5

The pronouncement of the two angels at the empty tomb is the challenge to this generation. We need answers. This is a desperate time for so many in searching for real answers. People are getting tired of pacifying words that merely delay the imminent failures that they have grown so accustomed to. Some are wishfully thinking that some semblance of life may yet remain among the tombs of yesterday’s shattered dreams. They have dug their stakes and set up their tents in graveyards rather than in the place where new life is blossoming. Jesus was once there but only for a little while. He was carried there because no life was within His body. Now it is as empty as those who attempt to live their lives without Him. But now as being resurrected, He has moved beyond where men were able to place Him. He is where He has decided to be. Now is the time to meet Him where He chooses to reside. He is among the living. Those who have spirit-life within them and a will to do His Father’s will, their life takes on its truest meaning. Only there one can find true joy and peace within their souls.

01 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

November 2016 Article: “Your Call and Your Election”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

The collective choices of a generation clearly reflect its sentiments. The way that people think at any given time is expressed through their voice by vote. If there are pockets of resistance or individuals who disagree with society’s direction, it serves only as an indication to the level of desperation that influences our need for change. The loss and lack of influence by those who possess the right position create a vacuum to be filled by opposing views that challenge their stance and contradict their position. When personal preferences are not questioned in the light of spiritual authority and absolute truth, every position taken can be justified in one’s own eyes. The spin on the argument in defense of the decision to go the wrong way, even though it may be convincing, only widens the gap away from civility and points towards barbarism. When intellectualism is added to the mix, the result is a sophisticated way of saying nothing well and becoming so broadminded that life itself has lost its meaning.

Thank God for the availability of choices. We are forced to make choices every day, and each momentary choice leads to our final destiny. The question is, where are we headed? How do we expect to get there? Who can tell us if we are on the right track? Throughout the Scriptures, we read of individuals and people groups choosing between two or more options. The consequences of their decisions are clearly revealed as an example and warning to this generation. Yet so many treat life as if historical facts are meaningless and the only thing that matters is how they presently feel. Choices either lead to an open door of opportunities or a closed prison door of slavery.

You have been given the privilege to choose because you were chosen for a purpose and a cause that extends beyond what you currently see. The initial call is Jesus Christ calling you to Himself. Then, out of your entering into right relationship with Him, you are enabled to see and understand life from an altogether different perspective. His everlasting Kingdom becomes your priority, and in time, every decision is measured from the basis of its eternal worth.

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; (11) for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11

You have been called to elect or choose what God has chosen for you. He has placed before you the options of life and death. It is not death immediate but rather the paths that either lead to life or lead to death. Your children and preceding generations will follow the path that you pave for them. The trends and values of our day will eventually become legalized and institutionalized so that our children will grow up in an environment based upon the pace that you have set. You are voting for more than a president, a congressman, or a senator. You are voting, even before you visit the polling place, by the decisions you are making right now. Who are you voting for with your life? Things can turn around and be different but it requires individuals who will first listen to the call of God. To elect is to choose or to make a choice. Neutrality is also a choice—more specifically, it is a choice not to choose. Then it leaves choices to others to make for us. Your destiny is then guided by chance and not choice. Today, ask God to reveal to you the things that He has chosen for your life, and allow His choice for you to become your choice for yourself.

13 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: September 13

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” Songs of Solomon 2:15

The tender grapes are the daily benefits provided to us by God. It is the knowledge of God’s love producing within us a confidence that is not easily shaken. When we are confident that we are loved, then we are empowered to love others without pretense. True friendships can be forged to last a lifetime and the expectation of a future hope of eternity burns brightly within our hearts. How delicate the balance is between our faith and our love. We can now love because we by faith can see beyond the shortcoming and limitations of the misguided and the misinformed. We can see good intentions even when bad habits inhibit positive action. We can also see the possibility of change among those whose lives appear to be hopeless and they may be blind to the true remedy of their souls. But when careless and immature foxes enter into a well cultivated vineyard, they have the tendency of destroying the very vines on which the fruit is being developed. One mishap can raise such doubt as to cause one to abandon all of the beauty once experienced. One unkind word may throw out of balance the intricate details of a well ordered life. We must be aware of those little things that can make such a devastating difference. It is not always the most dynamic or earth-shattering experiences that destroy the lives of many and leave them shipwrecked. It is those little things that appear to be so benign. We must be on guard and guard the entrance of little foxes. They destroy all that is in their path merely to feast upon immediate gain. Catch them before they invade more prohibited territories. Our Beloved will produce within our lives precious fruit that is reserved for those who wish to grow in grace and knowledge and not those whose will is to take advantage of others. Catch the foxes in order for a future harvest to be made ready for the forthcoming generation.

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