A step to extinction

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - 1 Peter 2:9 Have you ever stopped to think what would happen if people stopped having children? I don't mean a few people in some parts of the world, I mean everyone, everywhere. There would certainly be less joy, laughter, and unselfishness. But the ultimate result, within less than a century, would be the extinction of the human race. And the same is true of the church of Jesus Christ. If we fail to have spiritual children, to lead others to Christ and help them grow, then the Christian church is only one generation away from extinction. During the days of the prophet Joel, a great plague of locusts came on the people of Israel as a judgment from God. It was not meant to destroy them but to bring them back to God. Here is the command Joel gave the people after the plague: "Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation" (1:2-3). Our responsibility toward God is twofold: We are to obey Him today and to teach His truth to the next generation. I'm talking about spiritual great-great-grandchildren. And we don't have to wait seventy or eighty years to see it happen. From the prophet Joel to the apostle Paul, from the Old Testament to the New, we are commanded to be spiritually fruitful. We are to be God's witnesses, to raise up new generations of men and women who will love and follow Him. Prayer Lord, I want to be spiritually fruitful and multiply Your children. Guide me as I share the good news of eternal life with another person today. Amen. To Ponder When we lead just one person to Christ, we've had a part in leading untold future numbers to salvation.