The verses in Ephesians 3:16\u201321 are special to me. They\u2019re special because it was a prayer my father prayed over me during the Georgia Conference camp meeting in the middle 1990s.
\nMy friend Bane James had asked me to speak at one of the morning sessions. At the close, Bane asked my father to come and pray for me. Dad laid his hands on me and closed his prayer by quoting Paul\u2019s prayer in Ephesians 3.<\/p>\n
Little did I know that my father would be with the Lord in a few short years. Soon afterward I became superintendent of the Georgia Conference.
\nSince 2001, I have had the privilege of serving the IPHC in various general church leadership roles: Discipleship Ministries, World Missions Ministries and now as the General Superintendent. But I am keenly aware of the twenty-four years of general church service my father provided as the General Treasurer and General Secretary-Treasurer.
\nI am often in meetings in what was his office in Oklahoma City. I often see and touch documents that he signed in his official role for the IPHC.<\/p>\n
The IPHC Core Value related to All Generations, which is our focus this year, has given me the opportunity to reflect on the past, the present and the future.
\nI was a history major at the University of Georgia. The study of history is still keen to me, wherever I am. You\u2019ve seen those historical markers on the side of highways? That\u2019s me slowing down to read them!<\/p>\n
I love reading old newspapers or old documents. My Dad kept excellent records, and at one point we still had personal checkbook registers from the 1940s and 1950s. Not a bad way to see how a family spent money in the past!<\/p>\n
I remember in the middle 1960s, when the IPHC general offices were still in Franklin Springs, Georgia, that the church safe in Dad\u2019s office was stolen. It was found a few days later in a field several miles away. As a teenager, I went with my Dad to meet the sheriff and claim the papers that had been scattered from the safe, which had been broken open.<\/p>\n
The thieves thought there was money in the safe, but they were disappointed! Instead, the thieves found documents that had no value to them. In some instances, the documents were unintelligible, such as the ones I picked up scattered over the field written in strange characters.<\/p>\n
I asked my Dad, \u201cWhat are these?\u201d He replied, \u201cThose are Chinese deeds to IPHC properties in China that were confiscated by the communists after 1949. We\u2019re keeping them for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
All that past, whether personal or not, continues to have an impact on my life. Those experiences with my father helped shape my understanding of the present and future. They remind me that my actions today are part of something that God has been doing in the generations before me. It reminds me that those who will be the action figures of tomorrow will be part of God\u2019s ongoing work in Ephesians 3:20, God \u201cis able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think\u201d (KJV).<\/p>\n
Twice in Ephesians 3 Paul began sentences with, \u201cFor this reason\u2026\u201d (3:1, 14, NKJV). The work of God \u201cto all generations\u201d (3:21) finds its reason in Ephesians 1\u20133. There the eternal purposes of God are revealed in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
The sin that has alienated humanity from God, and us from one another, is reconciled through the cross of Jesus Christ. The destiny of the Jew to bless the alienated Gentile is brought together in what Paul calls the \u201cmystery\u201d (1:9; 3:3, 4, 9), that Jew and Gentile are together in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
I like the older King James Version translation of \u201cFor this cause,\u201d in Ephesians 3:1 and 14. It reminds me of a similar phrase in 1 Samuel 17:29, where the young shepherd David, facing an arrogant, profane, and godless Philistine, calls out this challenge, \u201cIs there not a cause?\u201d<\/p>\n
It is for \u201cthis cause,\u201d expressed in the reconciliation of the world to God in Christ, that each generation carries on its gospel mission. \u201cFor this cause\u2026\u201d:<\/p>\n
1. Each generation is confident of divine strength, \u201caccording to the riches of His glory\u201d (3:16).<\/p>\n
2. Each generation is confident that Christ dwells \u201cin your hearts by faith\u201d (3:17).<\/p>\n
3. Each generation discovers afresh the power of Christ\u2019s love, \u201cwhich passes knowledge\u201d (3:17-19).<\/p>\n
4. Each generation by faith discovers that Christ \u201cis able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think\u201d by and through the Holy Spirit \u201cthat works in us\u201d (3:20).
\nWhenever I\u2019m with a group of young adults, whether at a local congregation, YouthQuest, Accelerant, March for Life or with my own grown children and young grandchildren, I often hear my father\u2019s voice praying Ephesians 3 over me and over them. I feel his hand on my shoulder and my head. I sense from his spirit one generation intentionally, and literally, handing \u201cthis cause\u201d to another generation.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s our cause and our time beckoning us to renewed faith and love in Christ, \u201cto all generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By Doug Beacham<\/strong><\/p>\n This article was published in\u00a0the February 2018 issue of Encourage<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1],"tags":[510,45,134,46,39,290],"class_list":{"0":"post-1953","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bishops-blog","8":"category-general","9":"tag-510","10":"tag-bishop","11":"tag-bishops-blog","12":"tag-doug-beacham","13":"tag-february","14":"tag-iphc-general-superintendent","15":"entry"},"title_es":"Nuestro tiempo ha llegado para pasar el testigo","content_es":"El quinto valor central de IPHC es: \"Valoramos con oraci\u00f3n a todas las generaciones\". Bas\u00e1ndonos en el Salmo 100: 5, a lo largo de este a\u00f1o descubriremos lo que la Palabra de Dios nos dice sobre nuestras relaciones a trav\u00e9s de las generaciones. Los Ministerios de Discipulado de IPHC, dirigidos por el Obispo Tommy McGhee, nos guiar\u00e1n en este viaje de la vida. A partir de 2018, la generaci\u00f3n que Tom Brokaw llam\u00f3 \"la generaci\u00f3n m\u00e1s grande\" se est\u00e1 moviendo r\u00e1pidamente hacia el ocaso de la historia. Esta es la generaci\u00f3n que sobrevivi\u00f3 a la Gran Depresi\u00f3n y luch\u00f3 en la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la Guerra de Corea. La generaci\u00f3n Baby Boomer, nacida entre 1946 y 1964, est\u00e1 alcanzando la edad de jubilaci\u00f3n al ritmo de diez mil por d\u00eda. Las tensiones que esto est\u00e1 poniendo en la atenci\u00f3n de la salud y la Seguridad Social tendr\u00e1n profundas consecuencias presupuestarias en las pr\u00f3ximas d\u00e9cadas. Las generaciones m\u00e1s j\u00f3venes, su n\u00famero en los EE. UU. Diezmadas en al menos 60 millones a trav\u00e9s del aborto a pedido, adem\u00e1s de guerras y muertes naturales, enfrentar\u00e1n impuestos m\u00e1s altos para atender a nuestra poblaci\u00f3n que envejece. Si no fuera por la inmigraci\u00f3n, la crisis de la poblaci\u00f3n en los Estados Unidos ser\u00eda a\u00fan m\u00e1s severa. Dentro de veinte a\u00f1os, cuando las generaciones m\u00e1s j\u00f3venes controlen las instituciones pol\u00edticas estatales y nacionales, podr\u00e1n decidir que sus mayores no valen los costos. Hoy apenas se puede examinar una revista, blog o podcast sin escuchar a los millennials y Generation Z. Intentamos febrilmente encontrar formas de entendernos a trav\u00e9s de m\u00faltiples l\u00edneas divisorias de generaci\u00f3n, raza, cultura, m\u00fasica, idioma e incluso g\u00e9nero. Este a\u00f1o es una oportunidad para que la iglesia exprese la verdad, la gracia y el amor a nuestra sociedad acerca de las generaciones. Dios siempre est\u00e1 trabajando en cada generaci\u00f3n. \u00c9l es el Dios de Abraham, Isaac y Jacob (G\u00e9nesis 28:13; 31:24; 35:12). Recientemente estuve en Barranquilla, Col\u00f3mbia, por el trig\u00e9simo quinto aniversario de Way, Truth y Life Church. Era el trig\u00e9simo aniversario de la iglesia que se convirti\u00f3 en parte de la IPHC. El pastor fundador, \u00c1lvaro Castro, muri\u00f3 en julio de 2017. Su hijo, egresado del Emmanuel College Sergio Castro, ha asumido el liderazgo de la iglesia local y actualmente dirige las once congregaciones que conforman el IPHC en el noreste de Col\u00f3mbia. En la cena de aniversario de celebraci\u00f3n a la que asistieron m\u00e1s de doscientas personas, observ\u00e9 a los j\u00f3venes y a los ancianos que adoraban, com\u00edan y compart\u00edan juntos. Le pregunt\u00e9 a Sergio sobre la diversidad generacional y \u00e9l respondi\u00f3: \"Somos intencionales acerca de ser diferentes. Somos una iglesia multi-generacional; es lo que hacemos \". Ten\u00eda raz\u00f3n, y se pod\u00eda ver en la multitud. El fallecimiento de su padre y el nombramiento de Sergio como pastor de la congregaci\u00f3n local y como l\u00edder del movimiento reflejan algo que escuch\u00e9 recientemente en una reuni\u00f3n de l\u00edderes denominacionales evang\u00e9licos y pentecostales en Chicago: \"El viejo modelo es que el ministerio es un marat\u00f3n. Corres hasta que te caigas. El nuevo modelo es que el ministerio es una carrera de relevos. Corres lo m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido que puedas y le pasas el bast\u00f3n a la siguiente persona que tambi\u00e9n corre tan r\u00e1pido como puede \". En la misma reuni\u00f3n, otro l\u00edder coment\u00f3 que cuando Joshua muri\u00f3 a los 110 a\u00f1os, dej\u00f3 el triste legado declarado en Jueces 2:10: \"Cuando toda aquella generaci\u00f3n hab\u00eda sido juntada a sus padres, otra generaci\u00f3n se levant\u00f3 despu\u00e9s de ellos que no conoc\u00edan a Jehov\u00e1 ni la obra que \u00e9l hab\u00eda hecho por Israel\". Esto contrasta fuertemente con la muerte de Mois\u00e9s en Deuteronomio 34. Mois\u00e9s pas\u00f3 cuidadosamente la batuta a Josu\u00e9 y su generaci\u00f3n. La Tierra Prometida estaba ante ellos. Mois\u00e9s lo vio, ten\u00eda la visi\u00f3n para eso, pero no pod\u00eda llevarlos all\u00ed. Sin embargo, entreg\u00f3 con \u00e9xito el bast\u00f3n a la siguiente generaci\u00f3n para la asignaci\u00f3n divina de su tiempo. Lo que se suma al impacto de estas dos muertes es la edad de Mois\u00e9s. Ten\u00eda 120 a\u00f1os cuando muri\u00f3. El IPHC recordar\u00e1 que tenemos 120 a\u00f1os este a\u00f1o, el a\u00f1o 2018. Nacimos en los avivamientos de santidad de finales del siglo XIX que condujeron a la formaci\u00f3n en 1898 de la Iglesia de Santidad Bautizada con Fuego y la Iglesia de Santidad Pentecostal del Norte Carolina. Los dos grupos se fusionaron en 1911 para formar el IPHC tal como lo conocemos ahora. Pero fue hace 120 a\u00f1os que nuestro ADN espiritual tom\u00f3 su forma primaria a trav\u00e9s de esos dos movimientos. Entonces, aqu\u00ed tenemos 120 a\u00f1os, hablando de generaciones, de pasar el testigo de una generaci\u00f3n a otra, de la fidelidad, de la visi\u00f3n, del honor y de la preparaci\u00f3n. Pero no puedo evitar tener en cuenta a Joshua a los 110 y la falla en pasar el testigo, la p\u00e9rdida de la memoria de lo que Dios hab\u00eda hecho, la p\u00e9rdida de la obediencia al llamado divino. De alguna manera, la fe din\u00e1mica de una generaci\u00f3n no pas\u00f3 a la siguiente. Es un triste comentario cuyo ciclo se repite de una manera mucho peor que la agonizante pel\u00edcula Groundhog Day. \u00bfQu\u00e9 a\u00f1o nos marcar\u00e1 como IPHC? \u00bfEstaremos en el lado regocijante de 120, pasando el bast\u00f3n como lo hizo Mois\u00e9s? \u00bfO estaremos en el lado descendente de 110, fallando la pr\u00f3xima generaci\u00f3n? S\u00e9 cu\u00e1l es el deseo de mi coraz\u00f3n. Oro para que en este nuevo a\u00f1o descubramos el viento fresco del Esp\u00edritu que nos permite ser una iglesia multigeneracional que permite a nuestros hijos y nietos heredar las promesas buenas, misericordiosas y veraces de Dios expresadas en el Salmo 100: 5: \"Porque el Se\u00f1or es bueno; Su misericordia es eterna y su fidelidad a todas las generaciones \". Por Doug Beacham<\/strong> Este art\u00edculo fue publicado en el n\u00famero de enero de 2018 de Encourage<\/a> .<\/em>","author_name":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/Blog-Post-Featured-Image-Februaury-2018-e1518560124156.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb62Bx-vv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}