The Nights of Vila Sonia

Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 02/2013

Since this is Valentine´s week,  I thought it appropriate to post some love poems written to my dear sweet wife Mirian, my inspiration and my faitfhful travel companion.
I hope that it will help some of you men to rediscover the romantic bone in you that you might have lost along the way and forgotten that she is "bone of your bones and flesh of your flesh". Any spontaneous, sincere attempt at tickling her funny bone will be appreciated, I am sure. Your  gift  doesn´t have to be expensive, extravagant or outrageous. All she wants is your tender loving attention and appreciation.    
 

My dear love, precious muse

Your tenderness flows over my soul

And keeps me quieted down

In your sweet embrace

My being wrapped in you

Velvety and silky mother of pearl

Consecrated vase

Shared in silence

Prisoner locked without a key

Under the enchanted night

Half mist, half moon

Piercing with its sharp horns

The tenacious diaphanous veil

Challenging the wind

And the unceasing rain

In São Paulo,

City of illusions

Here you are Vila Sonia,

Suburb of dreams

Awoken by the nostalgia

Of a distant anxious melody

Lulling my weariness

With melancholy chords

Suspended by  its rhythms

Benevolent ambassadors

Musical streets vendors

Bring the flowery dawn

Of scarlet glory strewn

On a golden palette

By the indecisive heavenly

Host welcoming

In your unknown world

This exhausted traveler

With all its best efforts

The king of the day could not

Eclipse your inviting glance

And your noble bearing at last

Inviting me to share... breakfast.

Cognitive Dissonance

Reblogged from gracethrufaith.com

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014

Commentary by Jack Kelley
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? (Ezekiel 14:3) The dictionary defines cognitive dissonance as an anxiety that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible attitudes or beliefs. To relieve this anxiety the human mind will strive to diminish the relative importance of one of those beliefs in favor of the other.
Jesus warned us that no man can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24) and James said when we pray we must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind and should not think he will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8).
God was rhetorically asking Ezekiel if He should let people with idols in their hearts even pray to Him, Jesus was warning us about becoming distracted by wealth and James was referring to wavering faith, but the principle is the same in all three instances. A close personal relationship with God requires wholehearted devotion to Him. These are the prayers God is sure to answer. There can be no cognitive dissonance found in us. We love the promise from Romans 8:28, “God is working everything together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” But how many of us know that the word translated “love” in that verse is agape? It’s the highest form of love in the Greek language and it means to be totally given over to the object of one’s love regardless of the outcome. 
Jesus loved us that way. He gave up His life for us, remember?  Romans 12:1 says we should be willing to do the same for Him.   Of course, I’m not talking about our physical life. I’m talking about giving up our version of our future in favor of His. As long as we retain any willfulness or self-determination we’re not offering our whole beings as living sacrifices.  That’s why Paul told us not to conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We’re not to pattern our lives according to the things of this world, but according to His will for us.

Well There’s Your Problem

Let others lament over our deplorable behavior and our weak faith. I’m going to suggest that the area where Christians in the US today are the most vulnerable has to do with the cognitive dissonance we’ve developed between our desire for the Lord’s return for us and our love of the life we enjoy here. The anxiety this creates in our sub-conscious has caused our longing for the next life to be diminished relative to our desire for the Lord to restore this life to its former levels of enjoyment.

To a degree, this is understandable. For the past 65 years or so the US has been the most preferred place to live anywhere on Earth. Even people who hate America have dreamed of living here. The benefits of American life have been as generous as they have been numerous. Average Americans have typically enjoyed a standard of living that’s beyond the reach of even the privileged few in many countries.
By contrast, the benefits of eternal life with the Lord are undefined and don’t seem real to many. For them, the phrase “pie in the sky by and by” defines the extent of their understanding. I see evidence of this in the letters I get from well meaning people who are afraid we’ll be “confined” to the New Jerusalem, as some have put it, and won’t be able to visit the Earth we’ve grown to love. Others are concerned there won’t be enough room for all of us there, and still others can’t imagine how their new life could be as nice as their current one. If they knew what the Bible says they would have no such concerns.

Whose Fault Is That?

This lack of knowledge is due primarily to the Church’s terrible failure to teach believers about the blessings of the life to come. After all, it is the fulfillment of our life’s purpose. Therefore I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that asking God to save our country is a more popular thing to do than preparing to be taken away to begin our eternal adventure with Him. For many of us, returning to the good old days here seems like a better deal than longing for the bliss that lies ahead. But while the Lord never promised to save the USA, He did promise a reward to all who long for His appearing. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Tim. 4:8)
I often wonder how bad things will have to get before people stop dreaming about the past here and start yearning for our future there. I guess time will tell. To use Ezekiel’s words, The “American way of life” has become an idol we’ve set up in our hearts. We’ve become double minded because of it and if the Lord isn’t already doing so, He’ll soon be wondering if He should even let us pray to Him about it. And remember, no matter how beautiful and desirable something appears to us, if it interferes with our whole-hearted desire to follow God’s will it’s an idol and a wicked stumbling block from His perspective.
Asking Him to extend our time here rather than hasten the day of our departure is a clear sign that we’re not loving Him as He has loved us. It means we haven’t given ourselves completely to Him. When push comes to shove we don’t really want to put aside our plans for the future in favor of His. We’ve enjoyed our time here too much and don’t want to leave just yet.

When Are We Going To Learn? 

Paul said everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4). One lesson we should learn from our study of the Old Testament is that when Israel lined up behind God’s will He blessed them beyond all measure. But when they positioned themselves in opposition, His response was to take away everything they desired more than Him until He was all they had left. It doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to see that happening in the US today. (Maybe the best way to make life easier for ourselves now is to abandon our version of the future and get behind His).

According to Bible Prophecy God’s plan for our times is to completely destroy all the nations to which His people have been scattered (Jeremiah 30:11) and give Israel the Kingdom He promised them. In the process He’ll restore Heaven and Earth to provide them with a life that’s vastly superior to anything they’ve ever experienced. But before He can begin these things, He has promised to take the Church to a place filled with wealth and happiness beyond measure where we can be protected from the wrath that’s coming against the unbelieving world (Isaiah 26:20-21, John 14:2-3).
Saying that we want to be raptured before things get bad on one hand, but praying that He will heal our land so we can enjoy a few more years of the “good life” on the other is as clear a case of cognitive dissonance as I’ve ever seen. It’s a wonder He doesn’t just shake His head in utter amazement and walk away forever.
But He won’t. Ready or not He’ll come one day soon and whisk us all away to our mansions in the sky. He’ll do that, not because we’ve longed for it to happen, but because He promised He would. He is God after all. He can’t do anything else. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 06-23-12

Posted by Jean-Louis at 11:39 PM 1 comment: Links to this post

Israel´s Ambassador Ettinger on Iran´s Intentions

Iranian Intentions: 04/10/14 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.

Preparing the way of the Lord

Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 11/2009

Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, Build up the highway!
Remove the stones.                                                   
Raise a banner for the nations.
The Lord has made proclamation                              
To the ends of the earth:
“Say to the Daughter of Zion,                                             
See, your Savior comes!
See, His reward is with Him,
And His recompense accompanies Him".
Isaiah 62:10,11.

 
John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, the 1st advent, in the power of Elijah, now we Christians have to do our part to prepare the way of the Lord for His glorious appearing, the second advent. Matthew 3:3 declares: “It’s the voice of a man crying in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for Him”. Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1. John the Baptist is the one who would prepare the way, so that the Lord in His mercy would shine His light “on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death to GUIDE OUR FEET in the path of PEACE.
Interestingly enough Elijah performed many miracles, but John performed none.

What are the ways in which we can follow in John footsteps and prepare the way for the Lord’s second coming?
As John was preaching repentance and heralding the first coming of Christ in the flesh, so the main work of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus-Christ through words and deeds in preparation for His second Coming as King and Judge of all the earth.

Jesus said: “Among those born of women there is none greater than John, yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he". How is it possible? Here the Lord is making a direct connection with the attitude of John (He must increase, I must decrease) and the attitude that should be the distinct characteristic of the servant of God found in Philippians 2:5. In the eyes of the Savior, humility and faithfulness in announcing the Gospel of Salvation and knowing and obeying the Lord is more important than being perceived as a great spiritual leader by performing miracles, signs and wonders.

In chapter 13 of John, Jesus shows His disciples how to serve one another.
With the right attitude of a servant:
• Kneeling is a posture of humility, and readiness for service.
• Taking his clothes off  shows vulnerability (figuratively).
• Acceptance of others, whoever they may be (not acceptance of or participation in their sins or their sinful life style)) : Judas who was not a true believer was not sent away until before Jesus started the teaching on the Holy Spirit which can be shared only with true believers. He not only allowed Judas to partake of the last supper, but He also washed His feet.
• Focus on the work at hand: Jesus who knew that Judas was about to betray Him didn’t rebuke him and send him away. He was focused and refused to be distracted by His knowledge of the heart of man and the terrible next few days leading up to His death.

Jesus told His disciples: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” and “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. It is wonderful to receive instructions from our Lord and to get the understanding from the Holy Spirit, but the blessing comes from applying the teaching of life and truth which results in bearing fruit.

Jesus’ teaching is not only about the spiritual side of life but also about practical preparation. The work of God is done on both levels. Luke 12: 42, 43 tells us that the faithful servant feeds the other workers their portion of food, at the right time. But before that, the table must be set, the floor cleaned, the chairs properly arranged. Is it not the duty of the deacons or the persons in charge in the church to make sure that everything is ready in order for the service to begin and for the pastor to feed the flock with the Word of God? 
In the beginning of the Christian Church, the Apostles were so busy administering the affairs of the growing of the congregations that they had to resort to the same dividing the responsabilities and delegate authority to a group of selected men, the deacons to take care of the practical side of dealing with the people´s needs.

The first deacons are chosen Acts 6:1-7   

6 ^1-4 About this time, when the number of disciples was continually increasing, the Greeks complained that in the daily distribution of food the Hebrew widows were being given preferential treatment. The twelve summoned the whole body of the disciples together and said, “It is not right that we should have to neglect preaching the Word of God in order to look after the accounts. You, our brothers, must look round and pick out from your number seven men of good reputation who are both practical and spiritually-minded and we will put them in charge of this matter. Then we shall devote ourselves whole-heartedly to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”

^5-6 This brief speech met with unanimous approval and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochurus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch who had previously been a convert to the Jewish faith. They brought these men before the apostles, and they, after prayer, laid their hands upon them.
⁷ So the Word of God gained more and more ground. The number of disciples in Jerusalem very greatly increased, while a considerable proportion of the priesthood accepted the faith.

In the Old Testament, we find some examples of preparing the way for others.
When Israel was in the desert, the Angel of the Lord went before the people preparing the way for them. The 12 spies were sent to the land before the Israelites were to go in. The 2 spies went to Jericho before the army marched around and defeated its inhabitants. David prepared the way for Solomon to build the temple by giving to him the instructions and the plans that the Lord had revealed to him.
The prophets prepared the way by proclaiming the word of the Lord before a battle or when instructing the people of Israel.

Some examples are found in the New Testament as well.
Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare the way for the Lord to have the Passover supper with His disciples. In Acts 19:9 the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him not to fear the Corinthians because He had many people in this city. He was preparing the way for Paul to preach, teach and plant churches. And even now the Lord Himself is preparing the way for us to meet Him one day soon and be with Him eternally. He is preparing us a new tabernacle to dwell in, a new glorified body fit for heaven.

Jesus said: “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s kingdom there are many dwelling places, I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am”. What marvelous words of comfort from the very lips of our Lord and Savior!

The Holy Spirit was sent to us to reveal to us the Lord Jesus, His person, His works in us and through us. The people of Israel were to follow the presence of the Lord in the ark of the covenant. Now under the new covenant of the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer guiding Him, instructing him what to do, where to go, what to say and how to say it just as the Father did with his son Jesus while He was on this earth. We will know where to go and what to do because our Lord Jesus delights in revealing His will to His faithful servants who want to do His will and please Him in everything.

The Lord has given His body various positions in the leadership and various spiritual gifts to help us grow and do the works of service, but it is the responsibility of all the members to be diligent and not only serve others, but prepare the way so each of us might serve more effectively.

Here are some ways in which we can prepare the way to help other people.
For example, a husband not only helps his wife by praying for her and with her, but also anticipates her needs, physical and emotional. He can relieve the burden of a hard day, by helping her with the household chores or taking care of the children. This is not only washing her feet and washing with the water of the word, but preparing the path on which she will walk more safely, surely and securely.

Let's remember that we are sheep and we follow, but also shepherds who go in front of whoever the Lord has given us to watch over and to prepare the way for them to follow the great and good Shepherd more closely. We can also warn the people of the many stumbling blocks and traps from the enemy, remove the stones, so to speak and make their paths smoother.

A neighbor can do the same by praying for a neighbor’s salvation and provides some help and fellowship in order to show them the love of Christ and witness to them and invite them to church.

All this can be done to prepare the way for the Lord coming. This is a way to help all parts of the body of Christ, our brothers and sisters to grow into the fullness that the Lord intended for us.

Someone helped us and prepared the way by showing us kindness and talking to us about the Lord Jesus and how to be saved. May each of us do the same and in this way fulfill the commands of our Lord to reproduce and produce good fruits for His kingdom and His glory.

In closing, here is a quote from the New Testament looking forward to the time in which the Lord will bring down the New Jerusalem from Heaven:

In Revelation, we find the same words of promise spoken in Isaiah by the Savior Himself:
“Behold, I am coming soon!
My reward is with me
And I will give to everyone
According to what he has done…
Blessed are those who wash their robes
That they may have the right to the tree of life
And go through the gates into the city”. Revelation 22:12,14.
Amen, Come Lord Jesus.

Warning - Danger Ahead - Who is writing on the book of your life?

Written and published by Jean-Louis. 04/2013

Going astray spiritually is as easy as not paying attention to the road sign on a freeway interchange, letting oneself get distracted and taking the wrong exit. I know from first hand experience because I did it and took a trip in the wrong direction that lasted 14 years.
 
We should be careful who we let write on the tablets of our hearts.

The Lord Jesus himself in the parable of the sower told his disciples: He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13: 9).
Then in Marc 4:24, talking about His light in us, Jesus warned his disciples: CONSIDER CAREFULLY WHAT you hear (Mk.4:24).

In Matthew´s parable, Jesus also talks about the fourth person who receives the seed, hearing and understanding. This is HOW TO HEAR with the understanding that comes from God and his Word:

  My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;  from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6.

In Luke 8:18,  again talking about the light, Jesus calls his disciples to "consider carefully HOW YOU LISTEN". Then, he adds something that should cause us to look at our hearts and let us be examined by the searchlight of the Spirit in those words: "whoever doesn´t have, EVEN WHAT HE THINKS HE HAS will be taken away from him.

Could Jesus be talking about the light that one thinks he has, maybe because somebody misled us into believing that they had the light and that if we followed them and their teachings, then we would partake of their special spiritual knowledge and revelations? Their light and teachings would spread throughout the world and bring the rule of the Kingdom of God through great revivals and theocratic government? Great boasts are being made these days! Who would not want to be part of such spiritual effort: conquering the world for Christ?

Remember there is one who is the enemy of our souls who disguises himself as an angel of light and so do his demons and false prophets who spread doctrines of demons. 

Here is what John 1: 6-9 says about Jesus and John the Baptist who was to bear witness to Jesus-Christ and whose ministry of preaching repentance and announcing the first coming of Christ our Lord and Savior:    
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 

If Jesus is the true light, then there is a false counterfeit light.

Have we been deceived or allowed ourselves to be deceived? Is it possible that we live in denial even when the truth and the reality of when the false seeds, that have been sown, and the false lights that have been allowed to grow within the church for more than a century are now bearing a rotten fruit causing spiritual blindness except for those who has eyes to see and ears to hear? 

The Book has already been written. The Bible is the Word of God, our only authority to judge everything we hear, see and experience, that is to say our reference, our map, our compass, our anchor. our plumb line, our supreme gold standard. The Holy Spirit who breathed the words written by the writers of the Bible and who now indwells us believers will never contradict himself. 

In John 16:1 Jesus warned his disciples: "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. "

All this refers back to the teaching about the Holy Spirit in chapter 15 who is introduced to us as " the Counselor" who is to be with us forever, the Spirit of Truth.

Later on, in John 18:37, Jesus acknowledging that he was King made this remarkable statement: "In fact for this reason I was born and for this I came into the world: to TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. Everyone who is on the side of the truth listens to me." 

Well, Pilate was not interested in knowing what love is? He asked what is truth" in verse 38. 

Jesus could have talked about love in these terms further condemning Pilate: my Father loves me because I lay down my life .. of my own accord. This command I received from my Father. John 10:17-18.

Everybody talks about "God is love" and then come the lies of not including the whole counsel of God as we are commanded to do.

Truth and love go together to provide balance in our walk with Jesus and when we proclaim the Good News.

Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. Psalm 40:11 KJV
Instead, speaking the truth in love... Ephesians 4:15 NASB

Other examples of the essential balance found in God´s word: 
John 1:17 the law was given through, grace and truth came through Jesus-Christ.

For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth

The Lord Jesus himself who is our Savior, perfect love in his essence and nature, the Way, the Truth, the Life is described in these terms in John 1:14: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now this balance applied to worship:
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” NIV John 4:21-24

Truth is paramount and essential in these days of great delusion, deception and spiritual drought and death from thirst for the truth of the Word of  God. We simply cannot preach only love and grace at the detriment of truth because we want to be more gracious, compassionate, more generous, more merciful than He is. We have to represent Him faithfully as He has identified and revealed Himself to us throughout the pages of the Book He has given us. We have to speak the whole truth rightly dividing the Word of God entrusted to us.

How easy and convenient to rob the words of Jesus of their power and lessen the impact on the heart and the minds of weak and credulous believers! 

How many times have we heard the statement "you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free"? Free from what? Omitting the parts that we don´t like and keeping the ones that tickle our ears and send our heart palpitating, our head banging, our feet jumping and our bodies gyrating? No way!

Jesus was talking about keeping his teaching, thereby showing that they were true disciples, then the rest of the verse follows. 

A half truth is a lie in this case because it is used by people who misquote and distort the Word of God. I have even heard this verse used by New Agers, Western Hindu cultists. Combined with this other verse in 2 Timothy 3:16:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" and the perfect trap is set to deceive the person who is not born again or rooted, established and a regular reader of the Word with Holy Spirit discernment. Of course in quoting the Scripture out of context, they make a case for unqualified worship and service to any deity and any scripture since the verse mentions "God" and "All scripture", to them meaning Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or any in the smorgasbord of religions we are free to choose. 

In Amos 8: the Sovereign Lord declares: "the days are coming when I will send a famine through the land (Israel although I believe it applies to any individual and nation)....a famine OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD.   

If it is fireworks, supernatural manifestations, counterfeit signs and wonders, that you are looking for, searching the world over for the latest falling of gold dust, diamonds, fire moves of  the spirit, Kundalini Hindu yoga power impartation of supernatural power from an apostle or prophet practiced in some charismatic churches, then all you have to do is take your eyes of Jesus and the Bible and you will sure to find what you want.

But remember there is a price to pay at the end and also in this life. 

Is it not enough for us to be in the process of being made conformed to the image of Christ?

Here are the words of warning from Paul to the Corinthians:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. 2 Cor 11:3,4.

Finally, here is a scripture from Isaiah 50:10-11. that encapsulates what I have been writing. 

These are the words of the instructed, obedient servant our Lord Jesus-Christ through the lips and the pen of the prophet: a clear contrast between 2 groups, those who fear the Lord, obey His word, trust in His name and rely on Him and the other group who trust and walk in their own false lights, their own "strange fires" so to speak and the ones who spark movements for other people to follow. 

 Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God.
¹¹ But now, all you who light fires
    and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
    You will lie down in torment. Isaiah 50:10-11 (New International Version)

If I were in these peoples´s shoes, I would pay attention to the warning and tremble at those words. Fortunately, in his mercy, the Lord has provided the way of repentance and restoration even to the worst sinner among us (Psalm 51) and Isaiah 66 which reads:

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. KJV

Who is writing on the book of your life?

Jean-Louis 

To read more about the New Age Teachings and how to combat its lies:The New Age Movement - Beginning in the Garden of Eden  To learn more about false teachings in the church, click Here
For a personal testimony and prayer: click Here  and Here

The Seasons in the Life of a Christian- Brokenness - Grinding the grains - Chapter IV and Conclusion

 

Written and posted by Jean-Louis Mondon. http://thelightseed.blogspot.com (To read the preceding and following chapters, click on the right lateral bar on the numbered chapters under the title "The Seasons in the Life of a Christian" - Brokenness.)

 IV. GRINDING (Lord, It hurts)
Up until now, we had individual grains of wheat from individual stalks that require still a further process before there can be any bread making as such. Verse 28 of Isaiah 28 tells us that: “grain must be ground to make bread”. It is impossible to make bread that stays in one piece with individual kernels. The gluten, sticky substance that holds the loaf together is inherent to the wheat, but the individual grains of wheat have to be ground in order to provide the right consistency and the (glue-like), binding quality that causes the bread to hold together. The flour, ground product, still has everything that was contained in the individual separate grains of wheat, now unrecognizable as kernels because of the transformation process into a workable substance. In the same way, the loaf of bread baked from the flour contains every grain of wheat (minus the chaff) that has been submitted to the processes of grinding, mixing, kneading, rising and finally baking.

I believe this binding substance, the gluten, illustrates very well the passage in Colossians 3: 12-15 that reads: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
 

Another insight from Oswald Chambers is that “Personality is the characteristic of the spiritual man as individuality is the characteristic of the natural man. Our Lord can never be defined in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of personality. “I and my Father are one”. Personality merges and you only reach your identity when you are merged with another person”. (See Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest. Dec. 12th. On Personality).
 

 Paul in I Corinthians 10:16 speaks of the loaf of bread as a symbol for the body of Christ that was broken for us, but also of the Church, His body on earth in these terms, “the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread”.

As Christians we are called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily and follow our Lord Jesus and be the servant of all. As out of His great love for us, He laid down His life we, in turn lay our lives down as an expression of love for the benefit of the body of Christ, so that individually and corporately, we will reflect the life and the glory of Christ for the praise of the Father. 

In all four examples of breaking, plowing the ground, threshing the wheat and grinding the flour, the farmer doing the breaking is using the help of an implement like the sharp edge of the plowshare, or an instrument such as a rod or a grinding wheel. In like manner God, will allow into our lives a specific tool of His own choosing, a particular circumstance or person fit for the job.

When it happens we have a tendency to look at the instrument and not beyond at our Master-Teacher who is using the instrument for our benefit. Are we able to say at this point, “ not my will, but thine be done”?

This is what Peter says about fiery trials¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,^[e] which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.^{[f] 15} But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. ¹⁶ Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.   Check alsoin I Peter 1:7; I Peter 2:21; and what James says in James 1:2 about trials and testing as they relate to faith, perseverance and maturity.

V. CONCLUSION

Acceptance, willingness and obedience

What is most important is the spirit with which we receive the trials the Lord gives us, and our reaction to the suffering they bring. Let us have the same attitude as David who said in Psalm 16:5,6 “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage”.

We want to live in the blessed presence of our Lord, don’t we? David poses a pertinent question when he asks in Psalm 15: “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? (v.1), He who keeps his oath even when it hurts”(v.4b).

We, as disciples, have promised to follow Jesus no matter what happens, no matter where He takes us. Well, in John 12:26 Jesus says: “Whoever serves me must follow me and wherever I am, my servant will be also”.

Is our Lord grieving over the condition of His church and that of the lost people in the world He so dearly loves and died for? If so, we will be grieving with Him and be moved to obedient action directed by the Holy Spirit.

However, my brothers and sisters rejoice, for He also said to His disciples: “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve but your grief will turn to joy”. And then, we can say like David:

“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever”. (Psalm 30:11,12).

 Remember also that Psalm 126: 3 declares:
“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” . Amen

“All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom”. (Isaiah 28:29).

Brother Jean-Louis. Thanksgiving day 1998.

Revised and corrected June 2007.
Revised and Illustrated January 2013

Related  essay:Tempering our weapons

The Seasons in the Life of a Christian- Brokenness - Planting & Threshing - Chapters II and III

Written and posted by Jean-Louis Mondon. http://thelightseed.blogspot.com (To read the preceding and following chapters, click on the right lateral bar on the numbered chapters under the title "The Seasons in the Life of a Christian" - Brokenness.)

II.  PLANTING

After the ground was ready, the farmer planted wheat in its place (there is a particular soil and a different planting pattern that is best for certain seeds): wheat seeds were planted in lined furrows, apart to insure larger and fuller ears. (v.25) All this knowledge must come from God, the only one capable of teaching men to properly understand the world which He created and the ways in which His creation must work together to bring about His desired purpose. (v.26).

Taken from the Christian perspective, it is our Lord who plants us where He wants us. We must grow (toward God) and die (to ourselves) wherever He plants us to produce in the end a fruitful harvest for His purpose and His glory.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12:24,25).

III. THRESHING (The natural self)

Threshing occurs to separate the wheat from the chaff. The grain has already been planted, harvested, and now is being prepared in this separation process for yet another necessary step in the life of the grain of wheat. It must be threshed in order to, later on, be ground into flour so that the baker can use it to bake the loaf of bread. The threshing requires a specific instrument for a specific type of grain. Not all grains are threshed in the same manner. “For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cumin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cumin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised”. (King James). 

  In the olden days, wheat used to be beaten manually to separate it from the chaff and then tossed up in the air so that the wind would carry it away. Nowadays we use mechanical or electric threshers.

Oswald Chambers insightfully perceives that “Individuality is the husk of the personal life… It separates and isolates. The shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering for the protection of the personal life; but individuality must go in order that the personal life may come out and be brought into fellowship with God. The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-assertiveness. The thing in you that will not be reconciled to your brother is your individuality. God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself He cannot.” (See Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Dec. 11th. On individuality.)

God uses circumstances and people to show us what needs to be taken out of our lives as chaff, so He can blow it off and use the kernel of wheat, the good nutritious part to be food for others. But according to Isaiah 28:28, God who is as gracious as He is practical says that “one does not go on threshing it forever”. Thank God, “his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor last a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”. (Psalm 30:5).

However, the next step in the process of being broken is also painful, though different. There is an increase in the intensity of the breaking. As an example, compare the two stages in the sorrow of Abraham, first when he had to let go of his son Ishmael with his mother Hagar, and later on when God asked him to sacrifice the son of the promise, Isaac. Anyway, nothing in this world can compare to the grief the Father felt when He had to abandon His beloved son Jesus as He offered Himself as a sacrifice to take our place on the cross as a ransom for our salvation.

To be continued.