"You have given me the heritage 

of those who fear Your name."

Psalm 61:5

 

When Joe Tarakjian’s surgery left him in a wheelchair, 

he kept occupied by exploring his family tree. He studied 

genealogical sites, found relatives online, and he followed 

every lead. He learned that his great-grandparents had fled 

genocide by traveling from Armenia to Syria, then to France

 and America. “It was so gratifying to meet a 90-plus-year-old 

relative who you never spoke to before and you hear them

 light up when talking about your own mother,” he said.

 

Those who know Christ have another family tree, the lineage of 

people who led us to faith. We are spiritual descendants of the

 message of the apostles and of the Pentecost converts in the

 book of Acts. The testimony of Jesus has crossed the 

generations to reach us.

 

Perhaps we can’t trace this spiritual lineage very far until we can

 inspect the archives in heaven, but maybe you know who led you

 to Christ. Maybe you can find out who led that person and the one

 before. We have two thousand years of martyrs, heroes, servants

 behind us and future generations before us. What a heritage and 

what a blessing! Let’s rejoice in that today.

 

"I am deeply indebted for the godly heritage 

I receive, and I pray that it will be passed on."

James Draper