You don't encounter too many successors in the world of comic book superheroes. Superman had his Superboy and Scooby Doo had his Scrappy Doo, but for most Superheroes passing on the cape was not on the agenda. For the Christian household, following our Superhero Jesus, having successors is not only a good idea it is part of God's will and plan.
"Future historians will see best the multiple factors, that led to the decline of America. But I suggest one of the major factors will be the failure to replace ourselves with enough stable children born to families with the ability to raise successful children." Richard Lamm
Starting in 1677: genealogy of an immoral man who married a prostitute. 1,900 descendants resulted from that union. Of these, 771 were criminals, 250 were arrested for various offenses, 60 were thieves, and 39 were convicted murderers. These people spent a total of 1300 years behind bars. They cost the state nearly $3 million.
"The first thing a man should do if he would succeed in life is to pick a good mother and father to be born of." Henry Ward Beecher
Edwards family: Christian man and woman who wed in the late 1600’s. Three generations later Jonathan Edwards was born to become a revival preacher and president of Princeton University. There are 1344 descendants in the Edwards legacy. Of them, 186 were ministers. Dozens were college professors, 86 were state senators. And there have been 3 congressmen, 30 judges and one vice-president of the United States. All this, and there is not one record of prison, divorce or public welfare.
"Though one cannot do anything about the heritage handed down to him, one can do everything about the heritage he hands down to others." Stephen Crotts
David’s Final Words to Solomon: When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: "I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, ‘If your descendants watch their step and live faithfully in my presence with all their heart and being, then,’ he promised, ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 1 Kings 2:1-13
God's promise and warning to the Israelites: And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:6-8
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." Deuteronomy 4:9-10
The Psalmist writes:
O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their forefathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.
Psalms78:1-8
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their forefathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.
Psalms78:1-8
Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. Joel 1:2-4
Planning for a Godly Heritage
- Keep record and celebrate what God has and is doing
- Disciple reproducibly (can your children take what you are doing with them and do it with their children, who can do it with theirs, who can do...)
- Make family traditions (that reinforce your beliefs)
- Leave a tangible legacy (in writing, on video, on audio, etc.)
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