Looking into the Future
When God called us to begin the ABBA youth ministry in Peru, He first showed us churches we were working with through the Children of Jesus ministry that were filled with children and yet had a nearly nonexistent presence of youth and young adults. As we prayed about why this was, God opened our eyes to see how they were getting lost in the world, falling into the temptation of easy money as they entered into adolescence through things like prostitution and drug dealing. Through this revelation, God showed us that He wanted to use us to share His heart, the heart of ABBA Father, with them – that nothing in the world could ever satisfy them like His love for them and that He had a great plan and purpose He wanted to fulfill in each and every one of their lives. So, we prayed and asked God, “How can the youth of Peru come to know your heart towards them, Father?” And as always, He answered.
A couple of years following the start of ABBA ministry, Holy Spirit inspired us to develop a devotional that would help the next generation encounter the living God. The truth of who He is and what His heart contains, which would help them stand firm in the midst of the world’s never-ending attempts of allurement, could only be personally revealed to them as they spend time in His living Word.
Thus, the name of the devotional came to be titled “Encuentro con Abba Padre-ECAP” or “Encounter with Abba Father”. The ABBA ECAP is an amalgamation of the time and effort of writers, editors, and designers from all across North and South America. The beautifully-made devotional book contains well-written and profound insights into the Word of God that fosters great spiritual growth in all of its readers. It is interlaced with monthly Bible reading schedules and special colored pages spread throughout that are dedicated towards the designated theme for each edition. In recent years, Holy Spirit has led us to focus on themes about standing firm on the truth: putting on the Armor of God and differentiating between the lies of this world and the truth found in God’s promises. For 2022, our prayer and aim is that they are reminded that despite the ways the world presents to finding fulfillment in this life, Jesus is the only way to true purpose in this life and in eternity. ECAP is a tool God has been using to help establish their identity in Him and come to know Him in an intimate and real way, so they become transformed into mighty men and women of God.
But God is now pressing on our hearts that this is a need for not just the Peruvian youth, but the youth in our very own country. Though the temptations and struggles come in different forms, God’s heart towards the next generation remains the same. God is showing us that He desires to and has already started working in the next generation here in our own backyard. We are invited by Abba Father to join Him in His work to raise the next generation. Will you join us in crying-out for the next generation to become mighty men and women of God’s army who will expand His fire to all nations until He returns? Let’s look forward to a future where the next generation will go against all odds and stand firm in the truth.
