What the Bible Says About Bridging the Generation Gap

The Bible paints a very interesting picture of the "last days." On one hand we see great tribulation, yet we also see an increased measure of His Spirit being poured out on all flesh. Many end-time biblical scholars will focus on just one side of this spectrum. Yet, God wants us to see and be prepared for the "big picture." The better we can grasp the gloom and the glory of the last days, the better prepared we will be to function successfully in these times, and to disciple the nations according to the full truth of God’s plan.

Power in Generational Unity

Although there are many aspects to the way that the glory and judgements of the Lord will be manifested on the earth in the last days, I want to address one particular issue in this article: God’s plan for restoring the generations. By the time most of you read this, The Call DC will be history. As I understand it, this assembly was first directed only to the youth of the nation to gather in Washington D.C. for a solemn day of prayer and fasting. Later, it was made a multi-generational assembly, calling for children and parents to assemble together at the nation’s capital. I am convinced that calling all the generations together was pleasing to the Spirit. God, I believe, prefers to work within the scheme of many generations interacting with each other, rather than an isolated generation. One of His most revealing titles for Himself is "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." He is the God of many generations.

Throughout His word, the righteous declare that their purpose is to declare the glory of God to the next generation.

"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4 KJV).

From these, and many other scriptures, we can see clearly that each generation is called to build on the foundation left by the previous generation. Therefore, all generations are in great need of each other to complete the work that God has called His corporate Body to fulfill.

Satan’s Plan of Destruction

Because of this, we can expect that there will be great generational warfare at the end of the age. Within the tribulation and chaos of this time, Satan has a plan to cause tremendous disunity and mistrust between the generations. This is already happening in the world in a greater measure than we have ever seen. Nevertheless, Satan will ultimately fail, because the Lord has already ordained that a key movement in the end times will be one of restoration among the generations!

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6 KJV).

Part of the reason this work of restoration will be so glorious, is because of the severe darkness of the times. Even as we see as fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6, we will also the see the fulfillment of 2 Timothy 3:1-4:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (NIV).

Even as Satan is attempting to create outright warfare among the generations, the Lord is restoring unity to them, and He is beginning this work inside the church. Within our families, ministries, churches, jobs, schools, etc., God is knitting together multi-generational teams that will fulfill various purposes for His kingdom.

Restoration Begins on a Personal Level

Let me share some personal experience with you in this area. God called me to serve at Christ Unlimited Ministries several years ago when I was in my early twenties. At that time, there was a full-time staff of three; Bud and Betty Miller and myself. They were in their late 50's and 60's, and many people assumed that we would not be able to relate to each other well because of our age gap. However, the Lord did an amazing thing between us, knitting our hearts together with such a deep love, that we scarcely noticed the age difference. The first year that I worked for Christ Unlimited, all of our differences were swallowed up in Christ’s love.

However, during the years that followed, I began to find myself in a greater struggle. Many of the things that seemed to be obvious problems to Bud and Betty, seemed to be very minor and debatable to me. I particularly did not agree some of the presentation on this website regarding issues that are very dear to my generation, such as tattooing and body piercing. Nevertheless, my love and admiration for Bud and Betty only grew in other areas. Despite my inner turmoil, I knew that I was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be. I saw that He was teaching me valuable lessons, and if I would be willing to humble myself, He would give me great endurance and wisdom.

After all, the Lord could put us in an environment where everyone feels the exact same way that we do! I suppose there are some groups that have this luxury. However, I wonder if it is really a blessing. Most of us desire to see unity within the Body of Christ. Yet, how will this unity come about? It is easy to long for world peace. It is yet another thing to get along with our neighbor and our own family!

Beyond generational differences, the church also faces racial, cultural, and denominational barriers. These are never easy to cross; not if one plans to interact and live with such differences for more than a few months. Perhaps the greatest barrier within the church, is the barrier of differing views on how one should please the Lord. One would think that this would be the uniting factor within the church! For the mature in the Lord, I believe that it is. However, with prideful and immature Christians (and none of us are perfect yet), different opinions about how one should please the Lord become major issues and stumbling blocks.

Perhaps this barrier is most evident within differing generational mindsets (after all, even denominations are composed by rules and precepts drawn by previous generations). We argue over how involved Christians should be within everything from politics to punk bands. What are the limits one should keep, as they reach out to a lost and dying world? What is mere legalism masquerading as holiness? And what about true holiness that is misconstrued as legalism? How tolerant is the Lord of our cultural blind spots? What are His greatest hates? What are His greatest loves? I truly want to know the answers to these questions and I know that you do too. I know that the answers, in part, can only be found within a mix of varying generations who are willing to listen to each other. The very thing that rubs us the wrong way, is destined to separate the wheat from the chaff in our own hearts.

The other day I was praying a rather desperate prayer born out of this confusion. As I was pacing back and forth, I cried out, "O Lord, show us the way! Show us the truth!" At that moment, the words of Jesus echoed so clearly in my ears, that I stopped pacing and actually began to laugh. "I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life" (John 14:6).

As long as our goal is to know and love Jesus above all, we will grow in the simplicity of the Gospel. As the world becomes increasingly complicated, we must never forget that simplicity. He is the answer to every question. In fact, He faced these very same issues every day, and we must follow in His steps. What was His greatest example? I don’t think it was that He spent time with sinners, or upset the Pharisees. It is too easy to follow that "example" only as an outlet for our rebellion, imagining that everyone who corrects us is a modern-day Pharisee.  No, the greatest example that Jesus left us, was that He was wholly dependant upon the Father to guide Him in every situation. He spoke only what He was told to speak. He did only what He was told to do. He lived in perfect obedience, not to outward rules but to the inward guidance of the Holy Spirit that rested continually upon Him and the word of God that dwelled richly within Him. In Jesus, the letter of the law and spirit of the law kissed each other. The beauty of that union has dazzled our spirits ever since.

Restoration Involves Death to Old Loyalties

As I stated earlier, I believe that this restoration of the generations is part of God’s end time plan that will play a major role in silencing the Foe. We cannot arrive at this state of unity without some blood (dying to ourselves and applying the blood of Christ to our minds), sweat (it will take true effort on our part), and tears (repentance, prayer and seeking God’s face). If you are in a situation of generational conflict, take heart. If you respond correctly, you will find that God is working His character within you. He will give you power to bring reconciliation that is like nothing like the world has ever seen. This wisdom will bring healing to the nations and exalt the name of the Lord across the entire earth.

Within the confines of the church today, God is raising up many peacemakers. We all have the opportunity to be a part of this group, but the only way to do so is to die to our old loyalties. I’m talking about our cultural loyalties. Are we willing to lose who we are, so that Christ may be formed in us? Most of us want just enough of Christ within us to get by, while we hold on to as much of our old identity as possible. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of that. I want to die, so that His life might flow through me unhindered and untainted.

Despite my personal convictions, I must also ask myself this question:  Am I willing to give others the grace to arrive at this place without immediately judging them for an appearance or lifestyle that is unacceptable to me? I did not gain my desire for death to my old ways merely because someone showed me a bunch of rules that I failed to keep. If that did not work for me, how can I expect it to work for others? I would rather die than to lead others to mere religion. I want to awaken within them a passionate love for the Lord, that they will guard as their greatest treasure.

What is true holiness? We arrive at this place one step at a time. It begins when Jesus lets us catch just enough of a glimpse of His beauty, that we become dissatisfied until we know Him face-to-face and heart-to-heart! I can now see that He is all I have ever wanted or needed. He truly is my source of joy. Because of that, I hate anything that comes between us. I watch over my conscience, being careful to let none of my actions disturb it, because when my conscience is troubled, I find a separation between myself and my God. This eventually becomes so painful that I will do anything to be close with Him again, even if it means "cutting off my hand" or "gouging out my eye."  Until we see that the pleasures of knowing Him are greater than anything else, we will inevitably fall back into the same old sins. Only when we are consumed in unbroken communion and passionate love for Him, we will be truly holy. And there is no way to this place, but through the death of our old self. It is impossible to know Jesus except through the cross. When we are dead to our old loyalties, all that matters to us is loving Christ, and leading others into that love.

Admonitions For Us All

If you are of the younger generation, it is crucial to remember these admonitions in Scripture:

"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee" (Deuteronomy 32:7 KJV).

There is wisdom in the older generation that can only be received by those whose hunger for truth has forged humility within their hearts. If all you want to do is defend your views, you are robbing yourself of great wisdom and understanding. Much of what the older generation says is for our protection and good. Let me also point out that holding to the standards of ages past does not necessarily equate with a "religious spirit." Almost always, there are very good reasons for their standards, and those who are seeking wisdom will listen with an open mind. There is nothing more foolish than a youth who thinks they have seen it all, trying to correct an elder! Like Elihu in the book of Job it is better to keep your mouth shut until it is appropriate to speak.

Those who are older must also consider that expecting instant maturity from a young Christian is contrary to the illustration that we gain from watching a human body mature in the natural.  Even so, we should diligently work to see that Christ is being formed within those the Lord has entrusted to us. Like good doctors, however, we must be certain that we are offering the right cure to those who are ailing. Similar symptoms do not always point to the same disease, and the wrong medicine can kill, rather than heal a person. We must remember that some traditions are neither good nor bad–and enforcing them in a legalistic way can be a stumbling block to children, who need the right balance between freedom and law.

"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" (Matthew 15:3KJV).

One Holy Generation

In conclusion, let us be reminded that there is actually one holy generation that God is extracting from all the ages of human history. It is clear from Scripture that the entire overcoming Body of Christ is actually the same generation, no matter what age they live in! Consider the following verse, written two thousand years ago (emphasis mine).

Psalm 24 also speaks of this same generation (emphasis mine):

"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord Almighty–He is the King of glory" (NIV).

From these verses we can see that there is a spiritual generation that has nothing to do with our date of birth. It is the generation of God’s overcomers, who have been on the earth throughout human history. This generation transcends 20, 50, 500 or 3,000 years difference in natural age.

We also see from Psalm 24, that it is this spiritual generation that ushers in the "King of glory." He is being ushered in through a holy generation that has existed throughout all the ages of man. The year of our birth does not qualify or disqualify us from being a part of this generation. Rather it is the attitude of the heart. The famous verse from Joel that was quoted by Peter in Acts is specifically for both old and young people:

Acts 2:17-18 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy (KJV).

The Apostle Peter, who applied the above verse to his generation, is part of the same generation that you and I belong to. We are the generation that seeks His face.

Therefore, let us make up our minds to not view each other after the flesh, but after the life and calling of the Spirit within us. Let us deliberately mingle with other generations, yielding to the Holy Spirit as He works out the rough edges within us through this interaction. We need each other, not only to complete the Great Commission, but to complete that holy work of the Spirit that will make us humble and pliable, keeping to the straight and narrow and yet flowing with the new moves of the Spirit.

The Call

As the rest of the world experiences greater alienation with each other, and becomes more unrestrained, we must reach out in compassion, demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit. O, that this work of restoration would begin within the church! The world is literally dying to see this love manifested anywhere! Once they see it, they will run to Him who is the restorer of us all.

I hope you made it to The Call DC, but if you didn’t, you have not missed the sacred opportunity to live out this call right where you are. It is a truly a call for this hour, and will be manifested in the day-to-day lives of a people who want to see a sweeping move of the glory of God more than anything in the world.

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in (KJV).

Written by a young girl you loves the Lord.

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