Generational Faith

I got up this morning with the prophet Zephaniah on my mind.  :)

One of the startling things about this Old Testament prophet (like others) is his family tree.
Zephaniah 1:1

The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

Of all these names, you will probably recognize a couple.  Hezekiah mentioned here is the same King Hezekiah mentioned in several books of the Old Testament.  He was Zephaniah's great-great grandfather.  The kingly line of Hezekiah did not extend down through Zephaniah's ancestors, though.  Instead it went through Zephaniah's great-uncle, Manasseh, Amariah's brother.  And then, you may recognize the name Josiah, another godly, benevolent king of Judah.  Josiah was Zephaniah's cousin.  Let me throw another couple of non-relative names into the mix and then draw some parallels: the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Hezekiah's father was the infamous King Ahaz (not to be confused with Ahab).  His mother was a godly woman, a daughter of the prophet, Zechariah.  Her name was Abijah, often shortened to Abi.

Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, was the most evil king to ever rule over Judah, according to 2 Kings 21:11.  Tradition holds that it was he who murdered the prophet Isaiah, a close friend of King Hezekiah.  Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons on the fiery, pagan altar of the demon god, Molech.

Manasseh 's son was King Amon (who was evil and eventually assassinated), and Manasseh's grandson was King Josiah, another God-fearing king of Judah.

The prophet, Jeremiah, was a contemporary of Zephaniah's.

I guess you are wondering about the point of all this.  Here you go.

Many of us beat ourselves up because our children and/or grand-children and/or great-grandchildren do not embrace the faith in Jesus Christ, whom we dearly love.  We tend to see their wandering or outright idolatry as personal failures on our part.  The Christian community can often be judgmental toward Christian parents similarly.  The lineage I described above, however, points out that God gives no guarantee our offspring will follow Him.

Oh yes, there are general principles in Scripture and these hold true - - namely, that if you raise your children in a loving, God-fearing home, where Jesus Christ is honored the children will eventually embrace the faith.  However, this is not an iron-clad guarantee.  Each of the people mentioned above had the free will to either follow the God of their forefathers, as revealed in the Old Testament writings, or not.  In the sovereignty of God, some chose to do so; others did not.

I have a friend who told me that she prayed for 36 years for her father to come to Jesus Christ.  God answered her prayers and the man did, in old age, accept Christ as Savior.  Hallelujah for that!  Her example is inspirational and should motivate us all to pray for our friends and loved ones who are "giving Jesus the hand" - - - you know, when you hold your vertical palm toward someone as if to say, "Back off!"  These are they who have heard the truth of the gospel, yet have chosen to embrace some version of Satan's lies and deceptions as a poor substitute for the abundant life.

Indeed, prayer, along with living our faith out before them in love, are our only weapons of spiritual warfare in this spiritual battle for the souls of our most beloved.
Yet, there are times where, despite our best efforts and most fervent prayers, our loved ones make the choice to walk away from God's offer of salvation, or to delay it or to ignore it in favor of more enticing pursuits.

So, in a sense, there is no such thing as "generational faith".  Our descendants cannot suck saving faith out of their baby bottles.  Salvation is not automatically conferred, nor can it be assumed.  Parents who lackadaisically make that assumption often awake out of their complacent stupor to find that their children have become mired in deception and/or made the decision (whether overtly or quietly) to reject Jesus Christ.

I don't know what happened in the family line of King Ahaz.  It contains extremes of godliness and ungodliness, which, honestly, I find troubling.  Part of the explanation is that Satan was hell-bent on destroying the Davidic line, God's ordained Messianic line, using whatever evil methods he could employ.  (And, he didn't waste any time.  Have you looked at the sons of King David?!) While the birth of Messiah is not at stake in our family trees, Satan still hates the Christ-honoring family and delights in his attempts to destroy each and every one.

Few really like to read blog posts about intense spiritual warfare.  Yet, such is an indisputable legacy of the committed Christian, along with the rich legacy of God's precious promises.

Father, I can't explain or even discern how or why I was chosen and made the personal choice to follow You.  I was no better or worse a sinner than anyone else.  My parents were good faithful Christians, but they were not paragons of virtue by any stretch.  I am humbly grateful for my salvation because I recognize that You in your sovereignty chose me as much or perhaps even more than I chose You.  And so, I pray that You, in Your perfect will, in Your flawless sovereignty, will draw to Yourself those I love, those whom I long to see made right with You.  Through these prayers of supplication you both humble me and grow my faith in You, as I increasingly recognize that salvation is a work of Your Holy Spirit, not something contrived by the will of any woman or man.  I know this: that I am eternally grateful for Your perfect love for me.  A million thank-yous...In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Zephaniah.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Hezekiah.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zephaniah

Weapons of Light

A week from tomorrow I'm going to a special event at my church.  It is a "women's event" where we will participate in a simulcast of Priscilla Shirer, teaching the Word.  Do you remember her?  She starred a year or so ago in the movie, "War Room".

After watching that excellent movie, I went onto Twitter to "follow" (Twitter-ese for those of you who don't tweet!) Priscilla.  Her bio-tag line on Twitter?  "Just a girl....with a sword".

What is she talking about?

Our scripture passage for today is Romans 13:11-14, and with it we finish this chapter.

11And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers. 12The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. 13Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.

In order to "get" the context of these verses we must remember the ones that went before, the ones I blogged on yesterday, the ones concerning loving our neighbors.  When Paul says "and do this", he is talking about loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those who have yet to claim Christ as Savior.  So, actually, he is expanding upon how we love our fellow man.

Specifically, he talks about putting on "weapons of light".  (The underlining in the passage above is my editing.)  This is what Priscilla is alluding to when she refers to herself as bearing a sword.  I have a friend who refers to putting on these weapons as "armoring up".

But...what are the Christian's "weapons of light"?

Out of curiosity, I googled the phrase and the results were all these links to discussion boards about weapons upgrades in a video game called Destiny.  Interesting how fantasy mimics reality...

Biblically speaking, we find Paul describing these weapons of light elsewhere ... in his letter to the Ephesians.  (Ephesians 6:12-20) In my first month or so of blogging here at RDM, I elaborated on them in the posts below:

http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2014/07/marching-marching-marching.html

http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2014/07/battle-gear.html

http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2014/07/and-more-weapons.html

In the 3rd link, you can learn more about the sword Priscilla loves so very much....her love for a sword so great that it is part of how she describes herself.

These posts can be a great start in understanding this life-and-death struggle in which we find ourselves.  Life or death?  Surely, Gena, you exaggerate!  No, and Ephesians 6:12 concurs.  In The Message version the daily spiritual battle is described as "a life-and-death struggle", an ongoing cosmic battle for the souls of men and women.

Look, Paul is saying in Romans 13 that if we TRULY believe that people who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior, who do not worship Him, are destined for an eternity in Hell, then we need to
a) WAKE UP (vs. 11) and
b) ARMOR UP (vs. 12).
Both of these actions require daily, deliberate decisions on our part.
If we, instead, either "sleep on", oblivious to the battle around us or live as though we do not even know Christ, then we are not "loving our neighbor", nor are we advancing the cause of Jesus Christ.

Father, we never have to ponder "what we should wear" spiritually, as we start each new day.  You have provided for us and told us how we should dress and arm ourselves.  From the moment we rise from our beds, our spirits are in Satan's cross-hairs.  How we prepare for battle will determine whether we advance the kingdom of Your Son, our Savior, or not.  May we choose well, dress well, live well, for Your glory!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Peru, In Retrospect

Good morning,

Before beginning this post-Peru post, I re-read my last one.  The Scripture the Holy Spirit laid on my heart that day was one that was needed more than I even knew at that time.  We went to Peru with our agenda laid out, as best we could.  But, God had His own agenda.

As we were preparing to go, I was puzzled by the make-up of the team.  There were five fine and godly men...and then this one, solitary woman: me.  We prayed for others to go, especially for other women to go.  It was not to be.  When we got to Peru and began to minister to the people there, it became clear why those who went were truly chosen.  God did a mighty work there through our team, and I give Him all the glory for that.  There were times we laughed and rejoiced.  There were times our hearts were so broken that we sat, speechless.  There were times that drove us to our knees in prayer over the darkness that confronted us.

That battle is still being fought, though these soldiers had to leave the battlefield.  The chief weapon of this team will be prayer, until we can be present with our Peruvian brothers and sisters in person once again.  The spiritual darkness in Peru is great, and the laborers are few in number.  I now have a clearer understanding of the magnitude of the need there and of the scarcity of resources.  The disparity is appalling.  It is in these situations, when you realize that only God can save.  Only the power of God can bring the light which dispels spiritual darkness.

There were also times of outpouring of God's blessing, times of victory, encouragement, uplifting of hearts and hands.  I believe that God allowed us to experience the former in order to endure and to battle what lay ahead.  He did a mighty work in Peru these past few days, and to Him belongs all the glory.

These are the Scriptures that are in my heart as I look back and look ahead.

No weapon that is formed against you will prosper, and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from me, says the LORD.

Isaiah 54:17  NASB

2And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4“Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6“If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7“Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8“Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 

Luke 10:2-9

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NASB

God willing, I long to return to Peru next year, to teach and minister in whatever way God calls me back.

Cesar, Gabi, Fio, Vale, Matteo, Rollans, Friene, Deisy, David, Marilia and Luis - - - - you will all be in my prayers, until we meet again.

Father, thank you for the privilege of spreading the Gospel here at home and to the "ends of the earth". Please bless the work of Zona Zegura and Village of the Children and keep my friends in your tender care. Guide them, direct them, empower them in their efforts to reach Cachora, Cusco and ll of Peru for Jesus Christ.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Hats of Humility

Good morning,

When I was a child I attended a small, country church, called Harmony Baptist.  In fact, one of the men who pastored that church in my teens was at my church's dramatic production this past Saturday. He is 85 and, although no longer the pastor, still loves on his former "sheep".  He traveled for over an hour each way today to come see me in the play.  And, he and his wife gave me a great big hug. What a blessing!

At any rate, the point I was getting to was that, when I attended this little church as a child, there was a hat rack on both sides of the wall, in the tiny vestibule.  There was also an old water fountain.  (I used to love to drink water out of that fountain, although it tasted pretty awful.)  The older men of that day (in the early 1960s) would wear their hats to church.  But, they would take them off when they entered the sanctuary, and hang them on those pegs on the wall.  A few women still wore hats to church, and they would leave theirs on.  (I'm describing the older members of the congregation of that day - - my grandparents' generation.  Neither my mother nor my dad wore a hat to church at all.)

Back then, I never thought about these customs being based in scripture.  It was just the way things were done.  It is plain to see, though, when you read the first part of 1 Corinthians 11 that Paul's instructions there underlaid the societal customs I just described.  Let's take a look at the passage in The Message version, verses 1-16:

 1-2 It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ.

3-9 In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their “heads” to the Head: God.

10-12 Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her “head,” her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let’s quit going through these “who’s first” routines.

13-16 Don’t you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism—a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission? I hope you’re not going to be argumentative about this. All God’s churches see it this way; I don’t want you standing out as an exception.

{We are going to skip over verses 1-2 for the moment.  And, in my next post, I'll come back to those.}

Apparently, in Paul's day, it was customary in the early churches for women to attend worship wearing head coverings of some sort (vs. 16).  I don't know if these coverings were veils or hats or a cloth of some sort worn over the head.  It really does not matter, because it was a cultural thing.  The wearing of a head cloth, or the type of covering it was, is largely irrelevant.  At the moment in America , it is not a cultural custom for women to cover their heads when they go to worship. Customs are not doctrine; and, when we try to make them so, we veer off into legalism.

Paul is using this illustration, however, to remind the Corinthians about spiritual authority, something he writes about a lot.   Christ is the Head of all His children, male or female.  Neither men nor women were meant to "go it alone".  Christ in our hearts means that we are never "going it alone".  Beyond that, God created male and female such that together they make a complete unit, a glorious reflection together of the nature of God Himself.  Both men and women are designed to be complementary and mutually interdependent.  So, although the man is the head of the family, receiving that authority from and through Jesus Christ, all men must of necessity be born from women (their biological mothers).  Spiritual authority transcends custom and is not open for debate.  "Superiority" routines are a distraction and a waste of time, as Paul points out in verse 15. While there is a clear, God-ordained chain of authority, no one can claim superiority, or should, anyway.

When I think deeply about it, all sin is a rebellion against the spiritual authority that God established for us.  Sin began when Satan bucked God's authority in Heaven.  Sin began in humankind when Adam and Eve rebelled against God's authority over them in the Garden of Eden.  When we sin, we are rebelling against God's ways and playing right into the Enemy's hands.  So, we must be "edumacated", as my friend Ali says, about how God means for authority to flow, and submit to that. In godly submission is freedom, peace and joy.

Right now, in our country, peace is becoming increasingly scarce.  Just this weekend, someone shot a law enforcement officer, apparently merely because he was a law enforcement officer!  It was a move that flew in the face of societal authority, not to mention being a "hate crime".

As Christians we need to be very careful about issues and people against which/whom we choose to rebel.  We are to fight and rebel against ungodliness, for sure; but, whenever possible, we are to battle sin within God's established order - - - for the family, for government, for the Body of Christ.  And, we are to make sure we are clothed in robes of righteousness ourselves before we go forth to do battle.  Only a clean heart can the Lord fully use.

James 4:7 says this:

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The key to spiritual victory is to submit to God.  Some Bible versions say, "humble yourself before God".  Hats of Humility, so to speak.  We must do this necessary step before we begin to resist the Devil.  In Jesus Christ, God the Father has crowned us with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:7).  We should then add humility, submission to our heads.  When we submit to God, HE gives us the strength and power we need to be victorious against Satan.  This is the type of supernatural warfare that makes the enemy flee.

On a lighter note, we women of God can enjoy having "hair reminiscent of angels".  Verse 16 says that our hair is of glorious beauty to us!  Amen!

Good morning, Father.  I am grateful for the spiritual authority that you set down and ordained for us. You did this in the physical as well as in the spiritual realms.  I am convinced that very few of us (especially me) have a full understanding of the extensive warfare that goes on in the spiritual realm, all around us.  But, I do trust in Your Word, Lord, which will stand forever.  And, I choose to put on humility today, Lord Jesus, to submit myself to You, in loving service.  In Your Holy Name, amen.