Spiritual Message from Fr Jonathan:
All it takes is one generation:
A senior devil whispered in the ear of a less experienced one ‘It just takes one generation of lost faith to vanish the people of God from the world’.
It is of concern that satan is doing well in this plan. Statistics show that congregation who are 80+ represents 90% of the attendees in almost all churches in what used to be Christian countries. That’s why we see an increasing number of churches being sold each year. The reason is that satan was successful in the 70th and 80th to have only 1 generation lose the faith in God due to the absence of a higher degree of alertness and true spirituality from the parents and maybe from the church as well.
As servants, parents, youth and church, let us strive to pass the faith to the next generation. Let us not allow that any of our Coptic churches be sold in the future because all the attendees are 80+. Let it be our ultimate goal so that when we meet Jesus in the last day we can joyfully say “Here am I and the children whom God Has given me” Heb2:13. Assuredly I tell you, you wont be allowed to say ‘here I am only’.
As parents: live a holy life at home and do not compromise in the spiritual matters in your household. Work on the faith of your kids way more than any other thing.
As youth, servants and church: let us pray fervently and offer our best in resources, innovations, Christian education, gentle fatherhood, etc to our little ones to grow in the faith of God.
If we do so, the little devil will whisper back to the senior one “I can’t achieve this 1 generation goal in this Coptic church”.