Sons Who Overcame the Pasts of their Fathers

There seems to have been something seriously wrong with my parent's generation.  Older people like to say that mine and the younger generations are messing up America, but on the contrary, I think something went seriously wrong with America in the 60's, and we are taking a  long time to recover from that.  Who raised my generation?  The generation that was raised in the 60's.  What really happened in America the 60's?  I think a LOT more than we might realize.  Satan greatly entered America through drugs in the 60's and corrupted our culture.  The 60's marked the beginning of the major moral decline of America. 
I seem to run across scandal after scandal relating to the older generations.
 
First obviously there are the stories about my dad that I have talked a lot about on here. 
Secondly there is the case of Hillsong's previous church leader, Frank Houston.  He was the father of the current pastor of Hillsong's church, Brian Houston.  He was accused of molesting a number of children and of course asked to step down.  I'm not sure if he was put in prison for that but he should have been.  It's amazing that the Hillsong church in Australia has carried on though, and that Brian Houston continues to shine for Jesus.  It's amazing that after such a huge scandal and scar on the church it is as successful as it is today.  But praise God, He can make all things new.  Amen. :) Brian's father's major mishap doesn't seem to have affected him really, praise God.
Then I just discovered the case of Kent Hovind.  I first saw a video of his on creation vs. evolution way back in Sunday school in Blain, NE when I was about 12 years old.  It certainly did fascinate me.  I even intended to major in biology in college and do what he was doing, travel the country and speak out about evolution.  But when I came to Chemistry in college, I decided studying science wasn't for me lol. :)  Hovind gave tons of great talks at thousands of churches all over America about Creation vs. Evolution, but about 8 years ago he avoided the IRS on getting building permits for his Dino Adventure Land buildings.  Very bad move.  :(  He not only avoided them, he was very un-submissive and belligerent regarding the IRS; also a very, very bad move.  You don't want to piss of the wrong people. :)  He supposedly even said that he doesn't think he should have to file a tax return.  Talk about extreme pride.  One thing I have noticed in listening to him is, aren't we supposed to love the world, not argue with them?  He talks about pride in one of his videos but he doesn't realize that he himself comes off as very prideful and cocky.  Anyways he seems to have not thought that he needed to submit to the IRS and so was literally thrown in prison for 10 years.  He will get out this summer I think.  But he was not willing to submit to the governing authorities, as the Bible commands us to, and so suffered the consequences for it.  But why?  Could him having grown up in the 60's had something to do with it?  Possibly. Who knows.

Then there is the case of Joel Osteen's father.  Joel Osteen won't admit to it, but I'm pretty sure his dad was having an affair with Dodie, Joel's mother, when he was still married to his first wife.  Joel tells the story that his dad's first marriage mysteriously died and ended and then he pursued Dodie, but I'm thinking Dodie came on the scene first.  So he quite possibly committed adultery, but despite his possible past, Lakewood has grown into the largest church in America and Joel Osteen is listened to by a lot of the world.  Praise God.  I don't agree with everything he says, but he is getting the gospel out there to people who wouldn't listen to anyone else.  I think he is doing a great job overall, despite the past of his family.  To God be the glory. :)

In Kent Hovind's case, his son, Eric, is now carrying on the ministry but in a much more diplomatic way I think.  Despite his father's mess up's, Eric is still shinning brightly for Jesus.  Praise God. 
So there are three amazing examples of sons overcoming the pasts of their fathers and doing a lot for the kingdom of God.  It seems it would be hard to follow in the steps of fathers that greatly messed up, but with God all things are possible.  God can restore all things and work all things together for the good of those who love him.  Amen. :) Praise God for these sons who are doing so much to share the gospel. :)