Merry Christmas Hungry Generation Family! The reason for this season is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Family Under Attack

The family is under attack in our day and generation. According to the American Survey Centre, in the USA today:

Four out of ten marriages end in divorce.

Marriage is on a decline in general but 52% of adults ranging from the age of 24-25 are not married.

When it comes to providing personal and emotional support, no person in a person’s formative lives is as important as the mother.

41% of Americans report that when growing up the person they would turn to first if they had a problem, was their mother.

One in five children grow up with a single mother as their parent.

I believe that the plan of the enemy is to steal the next generation by attacking the family, particularly striking the mothers and women.

Our vision for salvation is to reach thousands locally and millions globally. The breakthrough needs to start at home. Family has to come first.

Genesis 2:18, “And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

The breakthrough needs to start at home. Family has to come first.

Many think that this is a degrading Bible verse, calling a woman a helper for man. But when I read Jesus’ word to His disciples in John 14, and He used the same word for the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16, “And I will pray the Gather, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

Nurture Family Discipleship Culture

Let’s discuss three ways in which we children of God can nurture discipleship in our families at home. This is also how to put your family first- first the spiritual family, then physical family.

Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

In this chapter, you see three different ways in which Apostle Paul admonishes us as Christians to walk. The first step is to walk in love. The second step is to walk in light and the third step is to walk in wisdom. When you apply these three ways in your family, not only does the family nucleus get reinforced as you welcome the Holy Spirit into your family but your family members will also grow in the Spirit of God.

Walk In Love

Walking in love talks about living a life of purity and holiness. Ephesians 5:1-7 talks about watching your eyes and watching your mouth. I believe as a godly family, these are the two most important things we need to watch.

Luke 11:34, “The light of the body is the eye.”

William Shakespeare once said the eyes are the windows to the soul.

If you guard your eyes and if you guard your mouth, you walk in love.

Taking us back to Ephesians 5, this chapter gives instructions for a husband and wife, although it is not exclusively one for the other, how to walk in love. For the husband, watch your eyes and there shall be peace in the home. For the wife, watch your mouth and there shall be peace at home. Of course husband’s need to watch their mouths and wives need to watch their eyes as well but this is the way the Bible addresses this. Try it for yourself this Christmas season and see what it means to walk in love.

Walk In Light

Ephesians 5:8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

Walking in the light means to walk in goodness, righteousness and truth. As children of God, we are called to seek God and find His will for every situation. We must expose the works of darkness. As walking in love speaks of seeking holiness in your personal life and watching yourself, walking in light applies outwardly.

I believe many Christians have a wrong mentality when it comes to the presence of God in our lives. People believe when they are born again, they are clothed in white garments, which the Bible does talk about. But when you view your Christianity like a white garment, as soon as you leave the comfort of your home, church or cell group, you begin to act as if you don’t want to stain your white garment. If anything happens to you, you begin to feel like your Christianity has been stained. This is a wrong mindset.

Walk in light. Your mindset should not be that the world can stain you. The right mindset is not only are you wearing a white pure garment but that there is a garment of light over you as well. Reflect on this for a moment: Can darkness stain light? It cannot. Dirt can stain something white but darkness cannot stain light.

As we go about our life as Christians, we need to walk in light with authority and confidence, knowing that this world is not going to stain us. You are a child of God and need to walk in light as a family unit.

Walking in love talks about looking inwards to make sure that you journey aligns with the Word of God. Walking in light is walking about your outside journey, making sure that you are not scared of this world. Jesus Christ has given you the power and authority to walk and expose the works of darkness; to be a light and a salt. A salt that will stop the corruption and decay of this world. You have to be the light. I encourage you not only to walk in love but walk in light as well.

Walk In Wisdom

Ephesians 5:15-6 AMP, “Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage, shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people] making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence] because the days are [filled with] evil.”

You don’t know when your time is up. It is not enough just to walk in love or light; we need to walk in wisdom as the people of God. Walking in wisdom is understanding that tomorrow is not promised. When that sinks into your heart, the passion to win souls, make disciples, protect your family unit, guide your children creates a sense of urgency like never before.

Hold this word in your heart. This day in my life will never come again. I will never see the people I am looking at again or experience such a sunrise or sunset as I do today. I may never feel that love again or see the person having breakfast with me again or ever celebrate Christmas with these people again. This moment right here will never come again. Nothing in my life will ever be like this exact moment again.

If you develop this prayer and mindset alone, I believe this has the power through the Holy Spirit to break down any bitterness in your heart. It will shape the life around you with such a grace and such beauty. You will want to live only in the present with great gratitude and love. This is what it means to walk in wisdom.

Understand that nobody knows when their time is up so make the most of what God has given you today. Make sure that you treasure the people God has given you to take care of, lead and protect. As a family unity, I believe if fathers and mothers begin to walk in love, light and wisdom that no weapon fashioned against them will prosper in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

I would like to pray for you as we go into this next season to be able to truly follow the plan of God for your family, marriage and by extension, the spiritual family around you. You can win souls but are you making disciples? It starts at home and it starts today.

Prayer

Lord Jesus give us the urgency in our hearts to understand that the days are evil and we do now know how many more we have. We must live each day as if it was our last. Help us Lord to live and walk in love, to guard ourselves to make sure we align ourselves with Your will and Word. Help us to walk in light today and in this next season Lord so we may be lights in this world which are not scared of the darkness and don’t flee from darkness but expose it and stand up for what is right. Give us the grace to walk in wisdom to treasure every moment that you have given us, not to push things till tomorrow but to focus on what You have given us today, Lord.

Sermon by Rikhard Hartikainen; Blog By Edward Gardiner

Watch The Full Sermon Here: