Last night I had a dream that a dangerous criminal organization was moving into town and they were quietly recruiting people, especially young people. At first, they were subtle. They were gaining power and influence by giving favors to leaders. Later they were bribing people. Eventually, they used blackmail, force, and even kidnapping and trafficking. It was a terrifying dream.
It seemed to me the Lord was warning me that we who are loyal to King Jesus and his Kingdom must not let down our guard. We know the enemy is infiltrating every place and would like to influence every young mind.
This is not a time to flee those who do not know and love God. God wants us to be salt and light in the world. He wants us to live among those who are not yet his friends. He wants us to be “…in the world, but not of the world…”
There is a balance to this truth, as in all truth. We are to “…keep ourselves unspotted from the world…” We are not to “…walk in the counsel of the ungodly…”
Because we have the indwelling Spirit, because we have the church of Christ, and because we have the Word of God, we have the means to live lives that are distinct and holy. We can honor God with our lives. A really Christian home can be a very powerful thing.
If we do not pursue holiness, train our children, and influence our grandchildren to know and love God and pursue holy lives, they will be devoured by the evil system that is the world.
Even if they are genuine believers, they can still be harmed in deep and lasting ways if they are not trained and influenced to have a completely different way of seeing life. What Satan cannot have and drag into hell, he and his team will still labor to destroy. His hatred is deep and his power is great.
We must know God deeply. We must learn to love and worship God. We must learn to serve God and to love the service of God. We cannot be mere church attenders and assume our families are safe from the devastating dangers that surround us now.
There are serious dangers all around us and yet God is powerfully at work in beautiful ways and he wants us and our loved ones to be agents in his powerful and eternal work.
Will the little ones you love grow up to know and love God and live for God? Will they live to overcome the spiritual dangers around them?
If we don’t faithfully, diligently disciple and train our children they are already being influenced, trained, and even brain-washed by those who serve a different lord.
But if we will cultivate a deep and sincere affection for Christ, if we will pursue holiness, if we will hate evil and train our children in these things, we will for all eternity enjoy the reward of living for God.
We must have serious godly mothers and dads. We must have prayerful and creative grandparents. We must have churches that are consistent and intentional about teaching and warning and giving unmistakable direction. We live in dangerous times in a spiritual war zone.
God help us.
