1. GOD'S ORIGINAL MANDATE c) FRUITFULNESS OF FAMILY TREES

In Gene3sis 1:11-12 we read how God created the vegetation on the earth, including all the many varieties of trees and "God saw that it was good."

Who would want to live in a treeless world? Just imagine no peach trees, no apple trees, no pear trees or any exotic fruit trees. We agree with God that it is good. But, we have a problem with family trees who have been created in the likeness and image of God. How is it that we agree with God about the fruitfulness of natural trees and yet have no revelation on the eternal worth of family trees? To me, that seems insane.

Family trees are fascinating. One could easily become absorbed in the history of our predecessors. A few years ago my wife and I visited CASTLE CAMPBELL in Scotland, originally owned by Colin Campbell, my namesake. I have always loved castles. Their grandeur, largeness, and strength intrigue me. I find myself contemplating the wealth, dignity, pride, and creativity that belonged to my ancestors of that era. I guess it must still be in the DNA.

Most of us do not have to look very far back into the history of our families to find that many of our forbears had large families compared to today’s 2.1 member families in the USA—the average is 1.3 in European countries. What with wars, vehicle fatalities, infertility, alternative life styles that produce no children, cancer, heart failures, and other diseases that cause death, the west is on the verge of self-destruction. We are told that within the next 40-50 years, much of Europe will cease to be the Europe we have known. It will instead be an Islamic Europe. Most of Europe is beyond the hope of reversing the huge demographic and cultural change that is already taking place.

USA, along with all western nations faces major cultural demographic challenges. We are fast becoming the oldest population in our history with insufficient young people to boost our economy. The youth we have are saddled with insurmountable national debt.

Jesus states in Luke 18:8, "Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?" When it comes to creating family trees as mandated in Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 9:1-7, we have to ask, Where is our faith?"

Be encouraged. Colin