Increase

Today Andrew Shearman preached at MKCC about "generations" or more specifically how each generation spends its inheritance received from God.

He made the comment that if an inheritance is nor spent it goes into exile. It is not lost to history but passed on. It made me think about the stories that Jesus told about "talents" that were given out to people and how some people used them and increased and others did not use them and stagnated.

I was reminded of my own village in Scotland, Inverallochy, that experience a huge revival earlier in this century where the majority of the people in the village followed Jesus. Now it seems that the churches are either dead or dying on their feet. Where is the increase? Why does the next generation have to build on ruins?

I think of my own life and how I left home to follow Jesus at the age of 19 to take on the world. Now 46 I ask where is the increase?

Yes I am a little more like Jesus (On a good day)
Yes I am part of a church that is growing and seeing a few people come to know Jesus.
Yes I have been able to introduce a few people to Jesus.

But it isn't exactly what I signed up for.
At times I've been distracted from my mission.
At times I've been afraid.
At times I've just been lazy.
At times I've been locked by my own sin.
and at times I have been to busy.

But today I am determined to invest my inheritance to ensure the next generation receive increase and the opportunity not to have to build on ruins.