Dear Friend,
If you want to see the direction of a society and culture, look at its youngest generation – its ‘future.’
A MATHEMATICAL GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE
Word for the Month & for Monday, June 1
Scripture: Isa. 7:9See
Message: Days of Elijah
Recent studies of the youngest generation, the millennials present a very revealing picture of what the future will hold – if present trends are uninterrupted.The first thing the studies reveal concerns marriage. As late as 1990, 91 percent of women were married by the age of 40. Twenty five years later, the number has dropped to 69%. If this trend continues, we can expect a future where less than half the population is married. While marriage has been delayed or abandoned, sexual relations have not been. What this points to is a great increase in sex outside of marriage, promiscuity, cohabitation, and pornography. The percentage of marriages of millennials preceded by living together has now been tracked at over 65%. Thus almost 7 out of 10 millennials are living together before marriage. This points to a continuing devaluation of marriage. If one can live together without marriage, marriage becomes less likely and certainly less of a necessity.This leads to another startling statistic. The number of children born to millennials outside of marriage is now at 57%. Thus, we are looking at a future where most children will be born without knowing what marriage is, a father and mother, etc. The effects of such a radical transformation of such a basic foundation of civilization and life will be far-reaching. This points to a coming cultural transformation unprecedented in world history.What about faith? Where does the millennial generation stand regarding it? The statistics show that the youngest generation is the least religious of all modern generations. They are the least likely to pray daily, to read the Bible, or to attend worship services. The percentage of those who would describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular is now 1 out of 4, the highest ever recorded since polling has begun. They are more likely to be most opposed to the idea of prayer or Bible reading in school. If these trends continue, a very large and unprecedented segment of the American population may be completely without faith – or anti-faith. As for other issues: Millennials are most likely to favor gay marriage. They are most opposed to the idea of prayer or Bible reading in school. They are most in favor of abortion. And they are the strongest in support of big government.Unless these trends are reversed they point to a future where marriage is less and less relevant, even in the minority, where fewer and fewer children know what it is to have a father. It points to an America where atheism is more in the mainstream, where the majority support homosexuality and oppose traditional morality, and in general, which is increasingly alien to the Word of God.What can we do? Pray for the future generation. Share and minister to the young. And be strong in both truth and love, and not compromise in the things of God. This month be strong in God and share your faith. And may the Lord greatly bless you as you do.
Your brother and co-laborer in His love and service,
Jonathan
