“There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men (Proverbs 30:11-14).”

During the time of Judges, God’s Word states Joshua and the elders led Israel into the Promised Land. After they died, a generation grew up that “knew not” the Lord. This generation (along with several others in Israel’s history) exemplified the statement, “There was no king in Israel and every one did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).” Situational ethics was the rage.

Due to this deplorable condition, a tragic pattern developed amongst God’s people. They would start with faith in God and obedience to His Word, and then devolve into idolatry. Though Israel never completely renounced the Lord, they assimilated the Spirit of the Age and the idols of surrounding lands, which poisoned the true worship of Jehovah. They became in essence, what Jesus warned, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me (Matthew 15:8).”

This pattern of idolatry produced unavoidable consequences. God lifted His hand of protection, knocked down the wall of His covering, and allowed his enemies to judge His people for their disobedience. In this oppressive state, God’s people raised a cry of repentance. Their prayers were graciously heard. God answered by establishing righteous judges who were, in fact, military commanders. These godly champions drove out the oppressive enemies and reestablished righteousness in the land. This Biblical pattern helped to inspire our first book submitted for publication. It is called the Kingdom Leadership Institute Teaching Manual, Volume 1. According to God’s Word, the demand for righteous, godly leaders is not optional if our nation is to thrive once again under the blessing of God, but I digress.

Though I have met wonderful exceptions in this generation (mainly in the homseschool movement), Proverbs 30 reveals the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior of a generation that grows up not knowing the Lord. I know it is hard to imagine that with all our churches, “positive and encouraging” Christian radio, TV, and assorted “youth ministries” that a generation of Americans could grow up without really knowing the God of the Bible. Nevertheless, as one observes the moral and spiritual condition of America, what other conclusion can be reached?

As it stands, 85 percent of Christian children, reared in Christian homes, and attend Christian churches will renounce their faith by their first year in college. Their bodies may be in the pews, but their hearts and minds belong to the Spirit of the Age. At colleges and high schools throughout America, many Christian young are walking in goose-step with the enemies of the cross. For the most part, there is not a dimes worth of difference between them and their pagan counterparts. Humanism and not the Scriptures have framed their worldview. In light of this spiritual treason against God, notice the first sign of a generation in rebellion against God is disdain for their parents. In America, this is not a coincidence, it is by design.

Beginning with G. Stanley Hall who first coined the phrase adolescence, rebellion against parents not only commenced, but was legitimized. Mr. Hall was a Darwinist. According to his worldview, each generation is to move from an inferior state to a superior one. Based upon this premise, children must be challenged, inspired, or even forced to break ties with their parents in order for them to progress up the evolutionary chain. Thus, the age of the teenager emerged. Tragically, this new “science,” fully endorsed by our public schools, helped to establish the war zone between parents and their children that many suffer from today.

The homosexual agenda and the abortion industry (riding the coattails of evolution) also have a stake in separating children from their parents and their faith values. Obviously, homosexuals cannot reproduce based upon their perversions and unnatural acts. In order for their sugarcoated poisonous agenda to gain the ascendency, they must of necessity capture our children.

Is their plan working? Peek at Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California to help answer this probing question. Statistically, the older generation, though not willing to fight to uphold traditional marriage, still believe in it. The younger generation, however, views homosexuality as the new civil rights struggle or the latest rebellion against the status quo.

In our public schools, parents need to be notified if their child requires an aspirin. This same school, however, can take the child to their local abortion mill and have that parent’s grandchild slaughtered without notifying them. Of course, if the child is injured, the parents will be gladly notified and held accountable. The damage done between parents and children based upon this dirty little secret is beyond comprehension. Many children suffer in silence as parents wonder what snuffed the life out of their little girls.

The next sign of a generation that knows not the Lord is they are “pure in their own eyes, and yet not washed from their filthiness.” If that does not describe the youth culture that oppresses America today, I do not know what does (Isaiah 3:12). Every warning from the book of Proverbs that concerns foolishness in children is on full display in our culture. Many of today’s youth refuse instruction, reproof, correction, discipline, and training. As a result, the military, colleges, and corporate America spend millions of dollars to reeducate young people in the basic responsibilities of life. Although they may underperform in every category, they at least feel good about their self-esteem. Much of the blame falls to permissive parents that equate love with self-indulgence and pampering. Regardless, today’s youth are masters at excusing and justifying in their minds whatever their sinful hearts crave.

Peter Marshall, the famous Senate Chaplain, warned of this generation. He stated, “Let us not fool ourselves-without Christianity, without Christian education, without the principles of Christ inculcated into young life, we are simply rearing pagans. Physically, they will be perfect. Intellectually, they will be brilliant. But spiritually, they will be pagan.” Smart, beautiful, handsome, but still not washed from their filthiness.

This leads to the next manifestation, PRIDE. A generation that knows not the Lord sports “lofty eyes.” They are arrogant, boastful, and unteachable. They are surrounded north, south, east, and west by themselves. They truly believe that life is all about them. The world revolves around their very existence. The Apostle Paul commenting on this wretched condition states, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:2-4).”

I find it quite interesting that the moniker of the homosexual agenda is GAY PRIDE! Anyone who has ever confronted this movement with the love of Christ and the truth of His word has been met with these manifestations. To them, good is evil and evil is good. Truth is hate to those who hate the truth. I remember confronting some young homosexuals in California who were lying in the streets drawing murder scenes around their bodies. They were screaming at the top of their lungs and frothing at the mouth. “Shame, Shame on you! Stop killing us, stop killing us!” In their reprobate minds, Christians who love them enough to tell them the truth are responsible for their perverted behavior that is destroying their souls and killing their bodies. It is not their thoughts and actions that are leading to their demise. No, it is the thoughts and actions of Christians seeking to rescue them from their self-imposed madness that is responsible for their deaths, mental torment, drug and alcohol addictions, STDs, dysfunction, and domestic violence that runs rampant in the homosexual communities. If we will only accept their rebellion and treasure their pride, all their ill affects will magically disappear. Proverbs 16:18 addresses this folly. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

The last manifestation of a generation that knows not the Lord is their sayings and doings devour the poor and needy from the earth. Our nation of young people has been reared by the altars of Molech and Baal. These demonic idols have convinced an entire generation to sacrifice children made in the image of God. Their innocent blood has been shed and cries out to God for vengeance. It has led to the pollution and defilement of our land. Their lying voices through the abortion industry seduce many. The message goes something like this, “You are too young! You cannot afford a baby! You must think about your schooling or career! It will leave stretch marks, ad nauseam! Give your child to us and all will be well with you!” 50 million children in America alone have been devoured, along with those who are complicit and complacent in this national crime and sin.

Jesus stated in His generation, “This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here (Luke 11:29-32).”

What can we glean from our Lord’s warning? Generations, in and of themselves, are entities that will be judged. It distinguishes between generations that are ignorant (lack of knowledge) and willfully ignorant (reject knowledge). Apparently, pagan nations will fare better in God’s judgments than nations that have been privy to God’s truth, visitation, and blessing and turn from their godly heritage.

Jesus further warned, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city (Matthew 10:14, 15).” Sodom did not have Bibles, Churches, Christian radio, TV, tracts, missionaries, etc. as America. According to Jesus, who will fare better when generations, nations, and cities give an account, Sodom or this generation of Americans? Choose wisely, my friend, for future generations hang in the balance.

Lastly, Psalm 112:1, 2 grants instructions that can change the plight of generations. It states, “Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.” The word upright in the Hebrew, according to Strong’s Concordance, means “yashar pronunciation: yaw-shawr' from 3474; straight (literally or figuratively): -convenient, equity, Jasher, just, meet(-est), + pleased well right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness).”

The generation of the upright are those who deal faithfully in their relationship with God and by extension their fellow man. They are those who not only look to the promises of God, but love His precepts as well. They take serious the admonishment of King Solomon who stated, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).”

Due to many factors, the vast majority of Americans have lost the fear of God and thus redefined sin. We have raised a generation of pagans in the shadow of the American Church. True to God’s warning, woe has visited our nation. Jesus stated, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves (Matthew 23:15).”

Will America and the Church recover our Biblical moorings for the sake of future generations? Will we continue to glory in our shame? Will we persist in raising children filled with sinful pride prone to parading their sin like Sodom and yet not washed from their filthiness and rebellion? Will an upright generation arise that will give God a reason to show mercy to our beleaguered nation or will generations that know not the Lord continue to lead our nation to perdition? Regardless of how we answer in this generation, we can never escape the reality that “there is a generation!”

IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,

Rusty, Kendra, and the Thomas Nation

Elijah Ministries

P.O. Box 3126

Waco, TX 76707

Email: rusty@elijahmin.com

Website: www.elijahmin.com