WILL THE CHAIN BE BROKEN?

WILL THE CHAIN BE BROKEN?

                A broken chain means that some load has been dropped, or something stuck in the mud is still trapped, or some secured ship is adrift.  A weak link has caused failure.  Imagine a human chain linking hands stretching into the torrent to rescue a poor soul in danger of being swept away and drowning!  If a link is broken then all below that link is lost?!

                Maybe it would be more helpful to compare this inter-generational rescue effort to a tree.  From the roots, through the trunk, into the limbs flow nutrients from the earth.  Every year each tree limb adds three or four new branches.  What fruit will never be realized because a limb was broken off by a wind storm?  What flowers will never be enjoyed because of some diseased branch?  I have known whole families of reprobates because some grandfather took a wrong turn.  And, I have seen families that seemed so tuned to heaven because of a good foundation and network of believers.  Jesus speaks of the vine and the branches.  But, he also speaks of pruning and piling the branches for the fire.  Then, there is the redeeming analogy of grafting.  Much to think about?

                Or, one could view this concern like an irrigation system in a field – not an overhead spray, but a system of canals and berms.  Life giving water flows from the reservoir through the canals, through the ditches, through the channels, until all the field is supplied.  If one ditch is dammed, then a whole section of the field will wither and die.  It is a damnable situation.

                Fathers love their children and pray for them.  To mind comes the Prodigal Son’s father.  How many days did he strain his eyes on the horizon looking for his son?  (Lk.15)  The patriarch Job would regularly intercede sacrificially for his children. (Job 1:5)  John wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3Jn.1:4)

                I pray for my grandchildren’s grandchildren, even though I will never meet them in this life.  I want to meet them in the next life!  Sometimes I go backwards two generations and pray back down the chain and pray for cousins.  Pray for in-laws.  Pray for nephews and nieces.  Pray …

Will the chain be broken?  Satan takes our broken chains and uses them to bind us.  Surely, Jesus has come to release the prisoners and declare freedom.  He breaks those chains.  But, let’s keep the heart chain strong.  May He bind our wandering hearts to Himself.  I have seen double-linked chains, every link connected to two other links, not just one.  (maybe an Uncle as a spiritual mentor, and he has been praying for years for your mom!)  And, I have seen chain nets!  Like a safety net.

                And, know that Jesus is the cosmic Master Link!  He holds it all together in some mysterious way.  ”And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together)”  (Col. 1:17 Amplified Bible)  It is not all up to us, by any means.  But, we are his links to those around us.

Another generation wailed out the mountain song, "O, The Circle Won't Be Broken"  in its hope for an unbroken chain.  Pray.  Pattern.   Plead, if need be!  Will faith die or thrive in their hearts?

                Practicals:  1.  Personal devotion,  2.  Marry a faithful believer,  3.  Teach children,  4.  Share cross-generation – nephews, cousins, …

                Prayer – “Father, bless this family that we, all, may be saved, sincere, solid, spiritual, sold-out, sanctified, seeking-first, surrendering, sober, serious, sharing, single-minded … may this chain be secure and stretch to your strong hand.”

Do you have “B.O.”?

BOLD, BULL-HEADED OBEDIENCE

Do you have “B.O.”?  By this I mean bold obedience!  brash obedience.  belligerent obedience.  even, bull-headed obedience.

I remember times when our kids were young and we trying to teach them to eat healthy foods.  Jeremiah, as a child, would sit for an hour in defiance before he would let a nasty, un-kosher (?!) green vegetable enter his mouth.  Maybe, like Daniel, he was deadly determined to eat only clean foods (Dan.1:8)?!  He was like Simon Peter (Acts 10) refusing to “kill and eat” anything unclean. (It has come back to haunt him; little Samuel will eat very little besides chicken nuggets and rice!)  But, this trait, this rebelling against hell, has a lot of merit, spiritual stubbornness!

In his encouragement for believers to live sanctified lives, the Hebrews’ writer challenges, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb.12:4)  Recall the response of the three Hebrew youths who were told, on pain of death, to bow to the idol – “17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan.3:17-18)  The king went into a rage because of their impudence!  No, they were not disrespectful, but certainly were defiant.  Remember the similar situation with Daniel – “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Dan.6:10)  Daniel, again, was true to his God, regardless of the consequences.  Also, consider the commitment of the Apostles when ordered by the Jewish leaders to stop preaching about Jesus – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”  and then they added, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” (Acts5:29-30) ouch!

Do these images resemble our response to sin and Satan?!  Or, does “wimpy-wavering” more accurately describe us?  Maybe even “rebellious returning”?  Scripture talks about a dog returning to its vomit, a washed hog to the mud. (2Pet.2:22) Ugh!  (disgusting  visual image?!) But, does that resemble your response?  Instead of retorting, “get behind me, Satan”  (Mt.16:23), are we more likely to respond like Peter, “I do not know the Man” (Mt.26:74)?!

From where does this B.O. come?  A clue can be seen in the way Jesus responded to temptation from Satan – “…it is written …”  (Mt.4) Putting on “the full armor of God” (Eph.6:11) will go a long ways in this spiritual combat.  The psalmist, wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart  that I might not sin against you.” (Ps.119:11)  Surely, the heroic stories of such stalwart saints can stir our hearts to bold obedience!  Also, Paul tells us the very grace of God is key – “¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2)  But, such resolve and strength generates from above.  “greater is he in us…” (1Jn.4:4) reveals the source.  And,  the fact that “I can do all through Him, who strengthens me” (Phil.4:13) should embolden me.    Yes, even the archangels call on the Name when confronting evil forces.  (Jude 9)  “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” (Jas.4:7)  Indeed, our B.O. is a sweet aroma to our Lord.  Let’s say “No” to Satan, and “Yes, sir” to Jesus!     

 

Are 

you 

a 

“little stinker”?!

FAT SECTION IN HEAVEN?

FAT SECTION IN HEAVEN?

                I once upon a time was in a cult.  They used the name “Jesus”  often.  But after awhile, I began to seriously wonder about them.  When they had weight scales at discipleship meetings, the warning signals began to get deafeningly loud!  I strained to remember Jesus adding rule #11, “thou shalt not be fat.”  Really!  Where is GRACE in all this?  (there were a lot of issues; this one is only illustrative) 

                The point of this diet-diatribe is not obesity.  But, seriously, in some cultures and times fatness has been seen as a sign of success and health!  (think Samoan or German?!)  And, for crying out loud, they do make caskets in XL.  Feasting can be seen as gluttony or as good times.  Sure, the Beijing Olympics Stadium architects had to broaden the seat sizes for non-Chinese guests, but …

                My point is this -- being patient with shortcomings and failings.  I am reminded of David’s comments in Ps.103,

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

Do we recognize that “we are dust”?!  Are we patient with others, and even oneself? With their shortcomings and even failures?  Maybe it is somebody’s speech? (I work in a paper mill!) maybe it is their dress-code? (drooping pants laws?! Come on, now!) 

I am reminded of our Savior’s prayer on the Cross – “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”  (Lk.23:34) Contrast that with the attitude of the Twelve – “Lord, do you want us to bring down fire?!”  (Lk.9:54)  Jesus rebuked, “… you do not know what of spirit you are…” (forgotten they were of the Holy Spirit? Or, following the spirit of this age?! Or both? Hmm?)  Jesus looked out over the crowd, later to reject him, and sighed, with compassion, “…they are like sheep without a shepherd…” (Mt.9:36)

In striving for holiness, do not become a Pharisee!  In a word, “judgmental”.  I remember a deep conversation I once had with a struggling saint.  She confessed that her greatest sin was “judging others”.  Before me was a person sold out for Jesus.  She took seriously God’s charge for his people to be sanctified and holy.  And, she had difficulty dealing with other believers who had a divided allegiance.  And, she was right.  We ARE called upward.  Wallowing in weakness for years is NOT good.  But, neither is a merciless ministry.

From a personal vantage, one must lie – you have to lie to others and keep them at arm’s length, and you have to lie to yourself!  That is how penitents distort into Pharisees – they lie to themselves and others.  The truth is this -- I am “like other men”!  (Lk.18:11)  I just need to admit it to myself, and others.  I am a sinner.  The first step in the 12-step process is what?!

Another time we will grapple with the balance between excellence and acceptance.  Neither Troy nor Athens was balanced.  The Stoics and Epicureans both were eccentric.  Ascetics and Antinomians need to work out their differences, for sure.  An “accountability group/partner” is not so somebody can have the dirt on others.  It is because "we are but dust". But, for now, loosen up a little bit?! Your belt and your bias.