"A Generational War" by Rusty Richards

It is amazing to see family when they are all together in one room! Recently, my grandma, mom, daughter and I all had a 4 generations photo together taken. The inspiring thing is that everyone in that picture will be reunited in Heaven! My family has done a great job passing our faith to the next generation. But nowadays it is harder than ever to do that. Many youth are falling through the cracks. This generation of youth is labeled, “The Walking Wounded – In search of a family they never had.” One statistic says that fathers only spend about 7 minutes in meaningful communication with their kids. On top of that we are the loneliest nation in the world. In short, our nations family status is a mess!

Youth Ministry and parenting is a war! A battle rages for a generation of young people and the winner owns the future. I am convinced that the forces of darkness are trying to spiritually neutralize this generation of teenagers. If they can capture this generation, they can have all the others that come from it. That generation might be in our schools right now. But the forces of darkness are no match for the force of Jesus Christ: “You...have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).”

Then how come the darkness seems to be winning our young people? The forces of Christ have not shown up for the battle. This is a time for full mobilization of God’s people to rescue dying young people. A battle rages for a generation, and if we do not join this battle, we forfeit a generation. Our call to arms is the cries of lost kids. Calling us to take the risks to rescue them. Calling us to war. Studies by the Barna Research Group show that unless a child comes to Christ by the age of thirteen, he or she probably never will. Anyone who touches the life of a child will be involved in this war. Every one of us ought to join this battle, whether we have children of our own or know any children in our community. It is vital that our church be mobilized for this battle. I know no statement that will unite and ignite a local congregation faster than this: “We are going to fight for the kids in this town.”

The 4:12 Newsletter name idea came from God’s word. In I Timothy 4:12 Paul (in his early sixties) is encouraging Timothy (midteens-midtwenties) to be an example (in all areas of Christian living)to all including his elders. The Message Bible Version of I Tim 4:12 says that young Timothy was to teach believers with his life: by his words, by his demeanor, by his love, by his faith, by his integrity. In Ephesians 4:12 Paul, while writing to the church of Ephesus as well as other churches, reminds us that paid ministers are not to do all of the work for the people, but are responsible to train the people to do the work themselves. Take note that there is no age limit to this command. The Message Version of Eph. 4:12 puts the responsibility of ministers this way, “to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work.”