“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourself from this corrupt generation.’  Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”  Acts 2:40 & 41 NIV

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil.”  Ephesians 5:15,16  “Take a moment to assess your priorities.  Just like a car needs its wheels aligned on a regular basis in order to drive properly, so might we.”  (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

If you’re a germophobic…close your ears!  If you have 20/20 vision, you’re going to get grossed out!!  This is an ugly story about my shower!  I wear contacts to see, & glasses, when I take my contacts out at night!  So, normally when I’m in my shower…I can’t see!  Everything looks a little blurry to me, so, I happily think everything’s clean!  And, I ignore it!  On rare occasions when I need to get ready, & my contacts are already in…I’m shocked beyond all reason how dirty, disgusting, & full of gunk my shower floor & walls are!  My dog’s cage is in the bathroom, & furry dog hair adds to the gunk…I have to wear shower shoes to protect my feet, but really, the gunk just needs to be cleaned up & washed away…there’s no way to just cover it up, or tip-toe around it!

Why is it so dirty???  It’s not that I love dirty, disgusting gunk…quite the opposite, I hate it!  But, normally, I just can’t see it!  I love my shower, but not the gunk!  When you can’t see gunk, it’s easy to ignore it!

When I finally do see it, what do I do about it?  I call out to my son…he’s my dirty shower scrubber!!  He does a great job!  He uses Tilex to scrub the grout lines on the floor & walls, ‘til it shines!  Then he wipes away the residue with clean, fresh water!  He’s a savior!  He saved me from my dirty, disgusting shower!  Praise God for hard working teens!  Amen!  Want him to help you, too??  Once he saves you from your dirty shower, you’ll want to tell others about him!

Well, our Spiritual eyes are the same way…if something’s corrupt, dirty, & evil…without our Spiritual eyes open, we can’t see it!  It’s not that we love dirty, disgusting sin…but if our Spiritual eyes are closed, it’s just that we can’t see it clearly!  We may love our life, but not the dirty, disgusting sin that plagues us.  This corrupt generation can’t see it…they just don’t know.  (I just heard a sermon the other night preached by a former Hindu, who had never heard the name of Jesus!  How awed he was to realize that all his gods could never do the miracles that Jesus did when he walked the Earth!  Good to see it from that perspective once in a while, right?)  Some people don’t want to live in “gunk,” they just haven’t seen Jesus yet…their eyes are blind.  But we, who are “Born Again” with the new Spiritual eyes God gave us, can see!  We must see!  You need to help them see…point them to Jesus.  Don’t try to cover up, or fix their mess…let Jesus wash it clean!!  He’s their Savior!  He cleaned you up…He can clean them up, too!  Then, they can see clearly & point someone else to Jesus.  Once Jesus saves you from sin, you want to tell others, too!

I was reading Bill Wilson’s “Transformation Station” Lesson Plans that our children’s pastor gave us for our new “Wednesdays Nights at the Warehouse” outreach to our neighborhood kids!!  He founded Metro Ministries in Brooklyn, NY and runs the largest Sunday School in the world.  Pastor Wilson was explaining changes that have taken place in our kids’ conduct in the last 60 years, from 1951 to now.  Everything escalated since 1963:  Births to unwed mothers, sexually transmitted diseases, and the divorce rate, but…SAT scores have declined!  Wow!  He says, “This is the first time in the history of America that a generation of students is graduating knowing less than their parents did!!!!”  Oh, my!

I was listening to Nichole Nordeman’s song “I Am” and someone commented about the words of the song, The writer said, “I’m about to turn 16, and a few days ago, I decided to let Jesus into my life because ‘life is so mean.’”  Wow!  I’ve heard people say “life is hard,” “life is difficult,” or “life is short,” but “mean”???  Life IS really mean in this corrupt generation.

So what happened in 1963???  Pastor Wilson says, “The government of the United States officially removed God from the public school system.  They took mandatory prayer out of our schools-and the rest is history.  We now have a generation of kids who have no Judeo-Christian background taught to them.  Our whole society is without the foundation of the Word of God.  The parents of these kids do not teach them that foundation.  Statistics show that:  Eighty percent of people, who do not accept Christ Jesus by the age of 18, never will!”

Think about that!  Kids at school see it all the time…many in this corrupt generation are clueless when it comes to the things of God!  Pastor Wilson says, “We must help today’s kids to know, trust, & love God.  The church cannot be just another influence for kids.  We have to get to the place where the church is the major influence.  It’s a difference between (Spiritual) life & death!”  At Sidewalk Sunday School, he believes, “It’s easier to build a child than repair an adult!”  Amen!  I agree!

We can’t afford to walk around bind, or blindfolded!  Souls are at risk of going to hell without Jesus!  Are we too lazy to put on our Spiritual glasses?? How can we participate, or lead, if we’re blind?  Who can we help?  Don’t just ignore it!  See sin, & turn from it!

Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'”  ”Your service toward those in need is your service unto God Himself.  Don’t endeavor to preach the Gospel; be the Gospel!  (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

What should we do?  Call out to Jesus…He’s our “Clean-Up The Corrupt Generation Scrubber.”  He does a fantastic job…To those who repent…He uses His blood to wash away all our sins & stains, ‘til we shine!

Awhile ago, Joel Osteen (a leading Pastor in Texas) & his wife Victoria, were guests on CNN’s Piers Morgan‘s Show.  It was interesting to me, that Piers Morgan mentioned Joel’s “squeaky-clean” reputation…like it was somehow strange, or not normal.  Wow, that goes to show what this corrupt generation is really used to…corruption, evil, & darkness everywhere…that “squeaky-clean” is so foreign to them!!  He didn’t understand, of course, that when we have Jesus open our Spiritual eyes, we don’t desire the foul things of this world.  If we can’t take Jesus with us, we don’t go there!

I Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived:  Bad company ruins good morals.”  “It is wise to take regular assessment of the people with whom you choose to spend the majority of your time.  Are they pointing you toward the ways of God and life and choices that edify you?  If not, seriously consider being more intentional about surrounding yourself with those who are going to be a part of cheering you onward in your journey toward freedom and the fulfillment of your calling.” (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

The teens, I work with are great.  I see all of them as clean, pure, & fresh examples of teens hungry for more of God; teens who have learned to stay close to Jesus, so they can serve Him!  Their parents & churches have realized that they’re like “sponges,” & they’ve poured into them Spiritual truths, & not filth!  I thank them for that!  When they’re with friends, they can follow that example.  Especially when they’re parents, too, in the future!

Always ask, “What do people see that’s different about me?  Do they see Christ???

Turn your back on sin!  What exactly does that mean to you?  Watch carefully what you say, what you see, what you hear, what you do!  Stay close to the heart of Jesus!!

Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”  “Having our minds set on material things could be part of our inherent human resistance to intimacy with God.  Let us be reminded, first and foremost, to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.  From that will come blessings more valuable than anything for which our flesh can long.”  (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

There’s a popular phrase you’ve all heard…”What Would Jesus Do?”  And now, there’s a TV show, I like, called, “What Would You Do?”  Boy, does that live out the love of Christ?  It shows people who will stand up for right, & speak out against the wrong (& it also shows people who won’t!).  Love the people, but hate the sin!  When a life is a mess…only God can clean it up, & Jesus’ blood will wash away the gunk!  Point everyone to Jesus…all those that have messy lives…They need to see Jesus.  Whatever the question…Jesus is always the answer!

Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…”  “It’s not always easy to display a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  Then again, we’re not called to have it easy, we’re called to love God & love each other.  It might not be the inclination your emotions drive you toward, but you have the choice & the ability to act like one of God’s chosen ones.  Do that, and be a vessel for others experiencing the kind of unconditional love that God shows you.”   (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

He takes a messy life, scrubs it clean, & washes away all the residue.  Their attitudes & situations change…’til the life is new & “squeaky-clean!”  Jesus can do that!  Pray for your friends…I know you can see that Jesus needs to clean up some messes, some gunk in their lives!  Put on your Spiritual glasses to see what Jesus sees…love them…share God’s love, & let Him wash their dirt down the drain, like He did for you.

I John 2:5B, 6 “By this we may know that we are in Him:  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way he walked.”  “Actions speak louder than words.  Take an assessment of your behavior today and intentionally consider your response.  If your talk says more about Christ than your walk, make an adjustment so that you can be a more effective witness of Him, who lives in you.”  (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

Close your eyes for a moment!  Think about your life…your habits, your likes, your dislikes.  You don’t need to beg God to take over your mind & heart…just DECIDE to give all you are to Him.  If He’s speaking to you about something…obey!  It might be giving up something that displeases Him, or it might be adding something that would please Him!  The blessings are always in obeying God.  Then you’ll be in a position to point others to Jesus!

John 13:5 “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with a towel that was wrapped around him.”  “Think of the people in your life who follow you, look up to you, and hang on to your every word.  Do you treat them like they are beneath you, or do you serve them?  Do you wash their feet, as Jesus did?  You can learn & teach just as much by following as you can by leading.  Give it a try today.  (“The Daily Verse” by Kat Davis)

Save yourself from this corrupt generation by having your Spiritual eyes open & focused on Jesus!