The Bible speaks of two kinds of generation — a good one and an evil one. Let us look at ourselves today in the mirror of God’s Word and see which of these two generations we belong to, and what generation we ourselves want to be.
A GENERATION WITH A BAD ATTITUDE TOWARD ITS PARENTS
The basic characteristics of the evil generation are given in Proverbs 30:11-14. First of all, the evil generation is disobedient to its parents (v. 11).
11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; (Proverbs 30:11)
Are there such people today? In the New Testament, in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, we read:
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Do we see such people in our own day? If so, then we should not be surprised at the attitude of the young toward their parents; we should simply understand that the embittering of people is one of the marks of the last times. But we must not become like them!
AN UNCLEAN AND SINFUL GENERATION
The second characteristic of the evil generation is that it is an unclean and sinful generation. These are the people who consider themselves clean and find nothing wrong in what they do, and yet at the same time are sunk in sin and impurity (v. 12).
12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; (Proverbs 30:12)
These are people who deceive themselves. Perhaps they set up their own standards of good and evil and reject God’s. But they are mistaken. For though they think themselves clean, in reality they are unclean.
AN ARROGANT AND PROUD GENERATION
The third characteristic of the evil generation is that it is haughty, arrogant, and proud (v. 13).
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; (Proverbs 30:13)
Sadly, self-confidence is very often confused with arrogance. People think, “Yes, I ought to have some self-confidence.” And indeed you should have self-confidence — you should not regard yourself as some “lowly, sinful worm” — but you must not be proud! May God show us where the line lies between self-confidence and pride, and help us to remain humble. For “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6).
A GENERATION OF THE VIOLENT AND THE PLUNDERERS
The fourth characteristic of the evil generation is that it is a violent and predatory generation (v. 14).
14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind. (Proverbs 30:14)
Perhaps you have found yourself in conflict with someone from this generation. When such a person opens his mouth, it is as though there were no teeth and tongue in it, but swords and knives. He simply cuts you down and finishes you off. Eli’s sons were like this. They are spoken of in 1 Samuel 2. Even though they were priests and the sons of the high priest, they had no fear of God and defiled the Lord’s sacrifice (1 Samuel 2:12).
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:12)
Not knowing God — this is the basic characteristic of the evil generation. Although they were priests, these young men performed the rituals but had no relationship with God — they had a form of godliness but not its power.
13 Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. (1 Samuel 2:13-14)
See, this was not right, because God had assigned only certain portions of the sacrifice that the priests were allowed to eat, but there were other portions that belonged to God and were to be offered up as a burnt offering. These priests, however, did not respect what was God’s and what was theirs.
This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” 16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.” (1 Samuel 2:14-16)
See, these priests were actually taking what belonged to God. They had no regard for God’s holiness, they did not honor the name of God, and by their behavior they made people despise the sacrifice, despise worship, despise the things of God.
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt. (1 Samuel 2:17)
Eli’s sons had wonderful names — Hophni and Phinehas. Yet the sin and sacrilege of these young priests did not stop at defiling the sacrifice and practicing violence. They were also adulterers. In verses 22 to 25 of the same chapter it says:
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. (1 Samuel 2:22)
Hophni and Phinehas committed immorality with the women who served there. They were not only bad priests and violent men, but adulterers as well, and this was something utterly detestable in the eyes of God. Their father rebuked them, but his mistake was that he was too soft with them, too weak. He recognized the gravity of the sin, but he gave way before them.
23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” (1 Samuel 2:23-25)
The role of the priests is to pray for others and to be intercessors before God. But when they themselves sin against God, who will intercede for them? So Eli told them, “Be careful in what you do!” Bear in mind that we ourselves believe we are priests of God. For in the New Testament the priests are not only certain select, chosen people; we believe that we are all chosen, because the blood of Christ was shed for all of us. We confess that we are all a “royal priesthood” and a “holy nation.” So we must be very careful about what we do. Eli reproved his sons, but they would not listen to him.
His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. (1 Samuel 2:25)
When we make our bad choice, God also chooses a punishment for us. And we see that God did not act at once; yet He did not remain indifferent to Eli’s weakness and to the hardheartedness of his sons. God gave him the opportunity to deal with his children himself, but after he failed to do so, God sent a man of God to him who pronounced over them a truly heavy sentence (vv. 34-36):
34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. (1 Samuel 2:34-35)
May God keep us from sin! For sin carries within it very grave consequences; it carries punishment, it carries corruption, it carries death, and even eternal separation from God!
A REBELLIOUS AND UNBELIEVING GENERATION
The fifth characteristic of the evil generation is that it is stubborn, rebellious, unbelieving, and wavering. Such a generation is spoken of in Psalm 78:8:
8 They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. (Psalm 78:8)
Such a wavering, unbelieving, stubborn, and rebellious generation was the generation of Moses — the very generation that came out of Egypt and passed through the Red Sea, but died in the wilderness and could not enter the Promised Land. That generation wandered forty years in the wilderness. In Psalm 78:10-37 we read:
10 they did not keep God’s covenant (Psalm 78:10)
Our attitude toward God and our covenant with God is very important. We are in a covenant with God, a covenant established by our Lord Jesus Christ. But can we live however we please? No. Since we have been redeemed, we belong to God, and we must act, speak, and behave as God’s people.
and refused to live by his law. 11 They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. 12 He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. 14 He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. 15 He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; 16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. (Psalm 78:10-16)
God worked so many miracles for this generation, more than for any other. He showed them so much love. They were witnesses of those ten plagues that God brought upon the gods of Egypt. He divided the Red Sea and led them through it. He gave them that wondrous pillar of cloud and fire that guided them on their journeys. It was something incredible. The glory of God was there. When they had no water, God split the rock to give them drink.
17 But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High. 18 They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. 19 They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? 20 True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?” (Psalm 78:17-20)
For God gave them manna, which tasted like cakes baked with oil and honey. But they did not want the manna; they wanted quail, they wanted meat… Always discontented, always grumbling, always rebels against God. They took no notice of God’s mercy, no notice of His miracles. No gratitude! This is the wicked and evil and unbelieving, wavering generation — forever on the point of turning back to Egypt.
Are we not often like this ourselves? God has given us so much, He has cared and continues to care for us with such immense love. And yet we are always discontented, always wanting more and more. We murmur, we grumble, we complain. And still God goes on bearing with us. But He takes no pleasure in our unbelief.
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, 22 for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. (Psalm 78:21-22)
Our faith matters to God — our faith in the covenant, our faith in God’s power, our faith in God’s promises, our faith in God’s guidance!
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; 24 he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. 25 Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. 26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow. 27 He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore. 28 He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. 29 They ate till they were gorged— he had given them what they craved. 30 But before they turned from what they craved, even while the food was still in their mouths, 31 God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. (Psalm 78:23-31)
You see, God punishes those who are wavering, those who put Him to the test, those who grumble. And God punishes us because He loves us! The purpose of punishment is to change us, to correct us. And if we let ourselves be corrected, then we are not of the wicked and evil generation. The wicked and evil generation, however, refuses to be corrected.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe. (Psalm 78:32)
“In spite of all this” — in spite of all the miracles and the glory of God and the revelations, and all that they had witnessed, and all of God’s care, and the bread from heaven, and the water from the rock, and everything else… and even the meat that He gave them, and the punishment that He sent them — in spite of all this they kept on sinning; there was no restraining them. And still they would not believe…
33 So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror. (Psalm 78:33)
And that whole generation went on wandering through the wilderness until it died there.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. 35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. (Psalm 78:34-35)
Do you see? When death comes, so does the turning to God. Sadly, though, even then this turning is not from the heart, but hypocritical. For it is not willing, but forced.
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; 37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. (Psalm 78:36-37)
Notice that this passage begins with a statement about the evil generation’s unfaithfulness to God’s covenant and ends again with unfaithfulness to the covenant. May God keep us from being an evil generation.
Such is the evil generation. It is:
- Disobedient and badly disposed toward its parents;
- Unclean and sinful;
- Haughty and arrogant;
- Violent and predatory;
- Unbelieving, rebellious, and wavering.
But what is the end of this generation? Its end is destruction and death. For we see that the fate of Moses’ generation was that “God made them die in the wilderness,” and in their place He raised up a new generation. In Psalm 95:10-11 we read:
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (Psalm 95:10-11)
See, God’s plan will never be thwarted. God always has people He will use. For that wicked generation perished, but God raised up a new generation. The question, however, is which generation we will belong to. Of the old generation, only two entered the Promised Land — Joshua and Caleb. Your age does not matter! Your surroundings do not matter! What matters is your heart and your walk with God. For the unbelieving generation did not enter God’s rest. And this is meant to serve as a warning to us. This is what the author of the Letter to the Hebrews says in chapter 4, verse 1:
1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)
For us it is now no longer a matter of Canaan, but of the heavenly rest, of God’s rest, of heaven. We are placed before the same choice as the generation that came out of Egypt. Only for them the choice concerned the Promised Land, while the choice before us concerns heaven. That is why we must be especially careful. Where we will spend eternity depends on it!
A GOOD GENERATION
And so we have seen that the Bible speaks of the existence of an evil generation. We have also considered its basic characteristics. But just as it speaks of an evil generation, the Bible also speaks of a good generation. What is it like?
A WORSHIPING GENERATION
First of all, the good generation is the worshiping generation. This generation does not cut itself off from God’s house; it stands in God’s presence and has a strong bond with God. It seeks God’s power and worships before God’s face. In Psalm 24:3-6 we read:
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. (Psalm 24:3-4)
(To surrender one’s soul to vanity means to give it over to idolatry.)
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. (Psalm 24:5-6)
Notice, here it speaks of a generation that seeks God, a generation that seeks His face. They are the true people of God. They are “Jacob.” What set Jacob apart was that, even though by name and by character he was at first a deceiver and a sinner, unlike his brother Esau, he understood his fathers’ covenant with the Lord and he valued it. God is looking for people who value the covenant. It is remarkable that the first place where God appeared to him he called “Bethel” — the house of God (Genesis 28:19) — and the second, “Peniel” — the face of God (Genesis 32:30). The house of God and the face of God — these are the two most important things for the worshiping generation.
A PURE AND HOLY GENERATION
Second, the good generation is a pure and holy generation. In 1 Peter 2:9 it says:
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Glory to God for God’s mercy! In Romans 12:1 the apostle Paul says:
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)
Notice that here the apostle Paul presents God’s very mercies to us as the strongest motive for our sanctification. Because of God’s mercies we ought to be holy; because of the calling we have, we ought to be holy. As God’s people, we are to shine with God’s light and to declare His “praises” to the people of this world. In Philippians 2:15-16 the apostle Paul says:
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:15-16)
Do you see? The two generations — the evil and the good — live together, at one and the same time. Just as Joshua and Caleb lived together with the generation of Moses, yet were not of that wicked and unbelieving generation which died in the wilderness. In spirit they were people of the new generation that God raised up, the one that entered the Promised Land. Here and now we live in the midst of a “warped and crooked generation” — that is the evil, unclean generation. But in the midst of this “warped and crooked generation” there also lives a good generation, and that is the generation of the pure and blameless children of God, who shine “like stars in the sky as they hold firmly to the word of life.”
When we were considering the violent and predatory generation, we dwelt on Eli’s sons as an example of people from the evil generation. Now, as we speak of purity and holiness, we can take Samuel as an example. He was a man asked of God and wholly dedicated to God from his very birth (1 Samuel 1:24). In chapter 2 of 1 Samuel, verse 18, it says of him that he was “a boy wearing a linen ephod.” Unlike Eli’s sons, Samuel grew in holiness and purity and “grew in favor with the Lord and with people” (v. 26). May God help us not to be of the evil generation, but of the good — the worshiping, pure, and holy generation.
AN OBEDIENT GENERATION
Third, the good generation is an obedient generation — a generation that does God’s will and serves not only God, but also the people for whom He gave His only begotten Son. As an example of service and obedience to God’s will we can take David. It is said of him that he was a man after God’s own heart. In Acts 13:36-37 the apostle Paul explains Psalm 16:10, which says:
nor will you let your faithful one see decay. (Psalm 16:10)
In the apostle Paul’s understanding, this verse refers not to David but to Jesus, because after his death David did see decay, whereas the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. (Acts 13:36-37)
What I would like to draw your attention to here, however, is that it is said of David that “he served God’s purpose in his own generation.” What an exceptionally high commendation of obedience and the fulfillment of a calling. May God help us too, in our generation, to serve God’s purpose. And what is God’s purpose for us in our generation? To reach the unreached with God’s gospel. To carry this gospel to the people who have not yet heard it. For “the gospel of Christ is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). And when Jesus rose, He gave His disciples this command: Go and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15)! Therefore, let us not be ashamed of the gospel, but share it with the people around us at every opportunity, and so fulfill God’s purpose for our lives!
A BELIEVING GENERATION
Fourth, the good generation is a believing generation — a generation that has faith, that pursues the vision and receives the promises. In the book of Numbers and the book of Joshua, Caleb is spoken of. Of the eleven other spies who had explored the land, Caleb was the only one who supported Joshua in favor of attacking the land, rather than turning back to Egypt. And when, after forty years, Joshua together with the new generation entered the Promised Land, Caleb — though he was already advanced in years — went and fought for that portion of the land which the Lord had appointed for him. In Joshua 14:6-14 we read of his boldness and faith.
6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. (Joshua 14:6)
See, this was a promise God had given Caleb forty years earlier. But Caleb had not forgotten it. He kept recalling it and kept it alive in his mind. And he reminded Joshua of it:
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’ (Joshua 14:7-9)
Did you know that the name “Caleb” means “dog”? Perhaps you have seen some of those dogs with an underbite that, when they seize something with their teeth, grip it all the tighter the harder you pull. Caleb was exactly like such a stubborn dog when it came to God’s promises. God wants us to be like this in the Spirit — to take hold of God’s promises and not let go until we see them fulfilled.
10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. (Joshua 14:10-14)
Do you see? God wants us to be people of the generation of Joshua and Caleb — people of faith; people who take God’s promises and run with them; people who remember God’s words and hold on to them; people who receive what was promised and enter into their inheritance.
A GENERATION TRAINED FOR BATTLE
Fifth, the good generation is a fighting generation, a generation trained for battle. It is not a generation that has grown slack and flabby. It is not an army that has disbanded and let itself go. It is a disciplined and mobilized generation. In Job 7:1 it says:
1 “Do not mortals have hard service on earth? Are not their days like those of hired laborers? (Job 7:1)
We must realize that, whether we like it or not, we are at war. For we did not attack Satan; Satan attacked us. Is that not so? He went to Eve and deceived her. And from then on God said: “I will put enmity between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the serpent.” And He said: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel!” (Genesis 3:15). Glory to God, we will be victors! But the serpent wars against us, Satan wars against us, and he has his demons who war against us. So do not be surprised that you have troubles, do not be surprised that you are under attack. Imagine a soldier who has gone off to war and asks in astonishment, “Hey, why are these people shooting at me, why are they shooting?” Well, they are shooting because you are at war and they want to kill you! “But what am I to do, what am I to do?” Well, do you have a rifle? Then shoot back! Amen! Do we have spiritual weapons? So, brothers and sisters, take up your spiritual weapons and shoot, take the sword of the Spirit and fight! Read Ephesians 6. There it tells us what our weapons in the Lord are. As one of our hymns says:
This life of ours is a ceaseless fight
Against Satan and the flesh and sin;
For often our enemy is not Satan, but our own selves. I will never forget brother Dimitar Kavrakov, who once preached in our church and said: “Brothers and sisters, do you know who my greatest enemy is? I am my own greatest enemy — the flesh, my old nature. Because it drags me down.” For our struggle is not only against Satan, but also against the flesh, against sin. And Paul said in Romans 7:18-19:
18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:18-19)
But, he says, the victory is through the Spirit (Romans 8:13).
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)
May God help us in our struggle against Satan, against the flesh, and against sin. It is remarkable that in Ephesians 6:12 the apostle Paul calls the Christian’s battle with the dark powers “our struggle.”
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
In the book of Judges we find an interesting verse concerning God’s people’s readiness for war. For after Israel entered the Promised Land, a new, third generation arose that had not been trained for battle. They were the children of those who had conquered the land, and they no longer had anything to fight for. They lived in peace and quiet and enjoyed the fruits of the land, but they lost their fighting spirit. And it was precisely this generation that began to worship the gods of the Philistines. When there is no struggle, when there is idleness, then sin comes. When David was resting, that is when temptation came. This is why God deliberately left some of the nations in the Promised Land, to serve as military training for that generation which had not been trained for battle. In Judges 3:1-2 it says:
1 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): (Judges 3:1-2)
This shows that it is God’s will for His people to be strong and able to fight and to win battles for the glory of God.
WHAT GENERATION WILL WE BE?
And so, today we have seen five of the characteristics of the evil generation and of the good. The evil generation:
- Has a bad attitude toward its parents;
- Is wicked and sinful;
- Haughty and proud;
- A generation of the violent and the plunderers;
- A wavering, rebellious, unbelieving generation — a generation with no good attitude toward God and His covenant.
The good generation, for its part, is:
- A generation of God’s worshipers, a generation that keeps its fellowship with God alive — a generation of Jacobs;
- A pure and holy generation, a generation that grows in purity and sanctification — a generation of Samuels;
- An obedient generation, a generation that carries out God’s command — the command to preach the gospel throughout the whole world — a generation of Davids — people after God’s own heart;
- A believing generation — a generation of Calebs;
- A generation trained for battle, knowing how to use God’s full armor and how to win spiritual battles, a generation that grows strong “in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10) — the generation of Joshua.
Now that we know the truth, we must choose. What generation will we be — evil or good? Decide in your hearts! Do not be hasty, for we stand before God. And with your will, fix your decision firmly. Decide for a lifetime! For what we will be depends on us. And on what we will be depends also our end — whether we will be rejected and destroyed, or whether we will glorify God with our lives and live with Him throughout eternity. This depends on us! Amen!