The important of ancestors
Generations… can be defined in several ways. One would be a body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor; or a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously. So many people trace back their family tree for decades, even centuries. My wife, Joanne, is a member of the DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution. She qualifies for it because she is a descendant of Andrew Crockett, her great, great grandfather, an officer during the war. He eventually settled in Middle Tennessee.
And every generation has a name or symbol. Gen X, Millennials, etc.—she and I are Traditionalists or Silent Generation since we were born 1945 or before. Some might label it simply ‘old’. Why am I writing this? Because earthly generations are important in many ways, not all good I might add. We see in the Old and New Testaments genealogies from Adam on, up until Jesus birth. The Pharisees challenged Jesus with their ancestry, that being Abraham’s descendants. One stunning statement that Jesus made back to them was this. “truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (Jn. 8.58 ESV). That really didn’t sit well with them. Some people are just as serious about their genealogy as the Pharisees.
The joy of children
On April 30, another generation was added to our lineage. Clara Louise Ellerman is our great granddaughter, the fourth generation. On my mother’s side I have an aunt who is still living so we have five generations that are alive at this moment. All of you realize what joy it is to be blessed with children, grandchildren, even great grandchildren. Why do you think it’s important and why is it such a joy? Good questions.
The Spirit wrote through the Psalmist—“May you see your children’s children!” (Psa. 128. 6a ESV) God must be pleased to have his people experience this joy. The Scriptures even emphasized the thought with an exclamation point. Seems like it’s important. This ties in so well with the original exhortation to Adam in the garden. He said to procreate, fill the earth, rule and have dominion over it. At that point all of Adam and Eve’s descendants were to live forever in the presence of God as they inhabited the Earth. Well, that got derailed through the sin of disobedience.
All things for His glory
Psalm 78. 1-8 really emphasizes the blessing of generations. To me, clearly it is for one primary purpose. To make disciples of the ensuing generations. “He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments” (vss. 5-7 ESV).
God created us in his image. He is a relational God, and he knows the best way to disciple the next generations is person to person, hands on. He designed us that way. And the primary purpose of discipleship is equipping the generations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Clara Louise’s dad, Luke, has prepared and spoken a blessing over her. I have also prepared one and Luke has read it over her. Luke and Meagan have been discipled well by many people, family and friends, and they are prepared to take up the mantle to go forth and disciple her.
Dads, Abiding Fathers and Padre de Corazon have been formed by the Lord to disciple men for the purposes mentioned above. You would do well to acquire the material set out in From Faith to Faith or Ausentes de Presentes. The book and study guide contain the necessary tools to accomplish this in your own family. And we stand ready to assist you in any way.
We have just celebrated Mother’s Day. And now Father’s Day is coming up in June. It would be a great time to invest in this curriculum for yourself or another dad. If you order it before Father’s Day, we will throw in the highly popular Abiding Fathers coffee mug. Simply make a donation of $20 and give us the mailing address. You may do it online through the Donate icon below.
