Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Genealogies and spiritual heritage

The Apostle Paul admonishes us in 1 Timothy 1:4 not to "pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith." Again in Titus 3:9, "But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless." On the other hand the genealogy of Christ serves a purpose in the Scripture. At the very least we must not presume to rely in any way upon the righteousness of our ancestors to accord any merit to us in our walk. However I think it is proper to understand that we stand on the shoulders of giants and if we do we have a godly heritage that CAN inform how we walk as well.Recently I have bee doing a study of five pastors from the past hundred years of my ancestry who played a major role in the shaping of the spiritual landscape I now find myself in, as well as the upbringing I had in the Church. I have found that five local churches were founded and supported by family members, and five pastors of those churches were related to me as well. Then I ask myself- what have I been doing, or will I do, to continue that Kingdom impetus in my generation in this community? Is that a part of my calling from the Most High? These are not easy questions, but ones I must ask as I move forward with seeking the Lord's will.

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