What Glenn Writes

A young man had been a believer for several years, studying God’s Word and learning all he could about Scripture. He memorized Scripture from the beginning to the end, read commentaries on the Bible, and could quote chapter and verse without hesitation. He was motivated to learn about God’s Kingdom and what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, yet no matter what he did, an understanding of God’s Kingdom and a relationship with Him was always elusive.

He searched out some of the most famous pastors, teaching in some of the largest church congregations, yet the secret of God’s Kingdom and a relationship with Him was not to be found. He searched out the pastors writing the best selling Christian books, or writing the best articles in the Christian magazines, and still the secret was not found. He studied the teachings and writings of some of the ancient teachers, yet none revealed what he was seeking.

When he was almost ready to give up on his quest, he heard a rumor of a pastor in a small church who might be teaching on the concepts he desired to learn. The young man decided to visit this small church, although only on a whim as it clearly was too small to hold any great secrets.

Upon entering the sanctuary of the church, the young man was taken back by how plainly it was decorated. Surely he was making a mistake and this was a waste of his time, as if the church was too poor to decorate the church more elaborately, then there would be no secrets to be found here.

As he was about to leave, several members of the church greeted him with outstretched hands and smiles. By habit and reflex, he reached to return the handshakes, but stopped when he looked up into the smiles of the folks greeting him. He was stunned for just a moment, taken back by something he had not seen in the large churches he had visited on his pursuit. The smiles revealed a genuine emotion he had not encountered before that moment, and although not overpowering, it was enough to cause him to turn back around and find out more.

Others greeted him before and after the service with the same enthusiasm, and in each smile, glance, or gesture, he experienced more of this vague feeling so mysterious and obscure. When the service ended, he began to realize this undefined feeling might be something more than the people interested in a new parishioner… maybe, just maybe… this was the secret for which he had been seeking so desperately.

When he approached the pastor after service, he introduced himself and explained his background, his pursuit for a greater understanding of God’s Kingdom, and how to have this elusive relationship with Jesus Christ.

The pastor stood for a moment before commenting, but then questioned the young man, “Are you really serious about learning the secrets of the Kingdom and God and what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ?”

The young man’s heart leaped in his chest as the question confirmed his suspicions. “Yes, pastor,” he answered. “What I encountered here during this service tells me you may be able to help me in the way you have helped the people of this church.”

The pastor nodded. “I can help you. Meet me tomorrow morning at 5:00am at the beach and I will reveal what you are seeking.”

The young man’s excitement could hardly be contained that night, he barely slept, and kept thinking through why the pastor wanted to meet him at a beach so early. Perhaps it was to set the mood with the early morning sunrise or because there was something about the sunrise he needed to share as part of the teaching. Maybe the pastor liked the walk the beach when he shared this type of knowledge with someone.

With very little sleep, the young man rose early and prepared for his meeting with the pastor. He showered, shaved, and dressed in his finest three-piece suit. He polished his shoes three times and tied them twice, making sure the knot was in the middle of the shoe. This was going to be the moment he had anticipated and sought for years… he wanted to be dressed for it.

When he arrived on the beach and found the pastor wearing sandals, shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt, his expectations about the setting for the momentous occasion wavered slightly. However, he quickly overcame any doubts by realizing this was his moment to learn, not the pastor’s.

“Good morning!” The pastor bellowed, smiling and reaching for the young man’s hand.

Again, the vague feeling of love seemed to sweep over him as they shook hands, yet there was something else in the pastor’s eyes… something hidden in his expression. Was this the secret?

“Are you ready?”

“Oh yes, pastor! I am more than ready!” He answered enthusiastically. The young man felt the words escape him with a hurried breath, forcing himself to calm down. He was about to learn the secret he had pursued for so many years, searching so many books, so many churches, and now at last the secret was mere words away!

“Well then, let’s go,” the pastor said, kicking off his sandals and stepping into the waves.

“Wha… whoa… wait a minute!” The young man exclaimed. “Where are you going?”

The pastor turned. With a grin, he answered, “Do you want to learn what the Kingdom of God is like? Do you want to know the secret to a relationship with God?”

The young man stammered. “Well… yes, but…”

“There’s no buts about it… if you want to know, come on out here.”

The young man thought about it for only a moment. He had come this far, he wasn’t going to let getting wet become an obstacle to reaching his goal. After glancing both ways down the beach, he stripped off his highly polished shoes, argyle socks, suit coat, vest, and dress pants. Standing in only his boxers and dress shirt, he loosened the tie and placed it on top of his neatly folded clothes.

Stepping into the water, he felt a release come over him… there was something to taking off the weight of the dress clothes and stepping closer to the prize he had studied so long to learn. Again, he found himself mere words away as he met the pastor in the knee-deep waves. 

“Ok, let’s go,” the pastor said, stepping deeper into the approaching waves.

The young man again made a quick decision to follow; after all… he came this far, why would he stop now?

The pastor stopped when he was standing shoulder deep in the rolling waves, turning toward the young man. “Are you ready?”

The young man shrugged, not meaning so much to be nonchalant as to answer an obvious question. Would he travel across the country, wake early in the morning, strip down to his boxers, wade out into the water, and then want to extend his anticipation even longer? “Yes, I’m ready, pastor… I’ve been ready for this moment for years, waiting to learn this secret. Yes, I would have to say…”

Before he could finish his statement, the pastor jumped on his head, pushing it under water. As the young man tried to push up, the pastor balanced himself on his shoulders and used his weight to keep him under the water. The young man struggled, twisting one way, then the other, but each time the pastor seemed to predict his move and met it with a counter measure.

Just as the young man started to think he was going to have a face-to-face encounter with Jesus, as his lungs were burning, he heart pounding in his chest, he felt the pastor’s weight lift off him and hands helping him to the surface.

He gulped in air, spinning toward the pastor who was already backing away with a careful eye on the young man. “Are you crazy? I could have drowned!”

“You are still alive.”

“What were you doing holding me under the water like that?!”

“I was teaching you the secret you requested.”

“What?!?”

The pastor paused before answering, “When you were under the water, what were you feeling?”

The young man searched his thoughts, trying to comprehend what he was being asked and draw some form of a correlation to the experience under the water. “My lungs were burning, you were on my back, and all I wanted to do was to get out from under you and breath.”

“There you have it.” The pastor turned and started toward the shore.

The young man shook his head, trying to clear away the insanity of what seemed like a flippant answer. This was the secret? Almost drowning and needing air? No way! He started after the pastor, “Hey! Just wait a minute here… I think I need a little more explanation than that.”

The pastor reached the beach and was drying off with the towel by the time the young man reached him. “Hey, come on now… I’m just not getting it. What do you mean, ‘there you have it’? I don’t have anything.”

The pastor smiled. “Sure you do. You want to know what is the Kingdom of God like and what is the secret of having a relationship with God. The secret is in what you experienced under the water. You see, when you were under that water, your lungs burned for air. All you wanted to do was to get me off your back and fill your lungs with air. You craved it, like a ravaging hunger. When your heart burns for God in the same way, you will find the Kingdom of God in your life. When you crave or hunger for God, and all you want to do is throw off the weight of this world and be with God, you have found the secret of having a relationship with Him. You will no longer seek the approval of man – which is a huge weight to carry around, but instead you will seek the approval of God. You will hunger for His attention, for His time, and you will look for Him all around you, no matter where you go. Then, and only then, will you know the secret to a flourishing relationship with God.”

And now, so do you.

My apologies for an extended article in today’s blog, but this parable is one I shared this past Sunday at church as part of our teaching and I thought it would be good to share with you. There is truth in this story… no, this did not happen to me, as I was asked a few times on Sunday. Although I will share with you how the Lord has answered my prayers in increasing my hunger for Him, and my relationship with Him has only improved.

I encourage you to ask the Lord for this same kind of hunger. Go ahead, seek Him out in prayer, and ask Him to give you a burning desire to know Him, a craving to learn about who He is, and a hunger for a relationship with Him. Be consistent, and your prayer will be answered.

Contact me if you need help with this one.

Glenn Sasscer

www.glennsasscer.com
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There was a beautiful woman in my house this past weekend, besides my wife. I know what you are thinking: Glenn is in trouble now. I believe you are right – I’m in deep trouble.

I was amazed when this remarkable lady appeared, decked out in an elegant blue dress. From where did she come? How did she get here? Her eyes were stunning; her hair curling softly to frame her pretty face. When she smiled, I felt my heart stop and all the memories of my little girl merged into the image of this graceful woman getting ready for her Homecoming Dance.

I wanted to grab my baseball bat and go ahead of her, fending off any boy with nefarious thoughts about my daughter. I wanted to turn her around and lock her in her room until she agreed not to grow up. I wanted to dig a moat around the house. Why didn’t we buy a house with a moat, anyway? I didn’t think this purchase all the way though, and maybe we should have found something with a tower and an overprotective dragon? › Continue reading

While I was in Atlanta last week training at a customer conference, I reprinted some previous articles regarding anchoring your family (a three part series 1, 2, and 3). Yesterday, I spoke about anchoring your faith . The whole concept of anchoring yourself and those around you is preparing to face the storms or trials coming and not waiting until they arrive.

If you live anywhere near the Gulf or southern east coast, you probably have sheets of plywood in your basement, garage, shed, or in storage. You learned not to wait until the hurricane is coming as the stores either jack up the price or run out. Even though the storm is not currently brewing, you know it will eventually come - you will be ready to pull out those sheets of plywood and protect your house. This same concept applies to our faith – we should anchor our faith so we are prepared for the storm, even though we don’t see one coming right now.

One of the best ways to fortify or anchor our faith is to remember what the Lord has done. With the clutter of life and the high pace we often race, we sometimes forget how generous the Lord is to us, or times when He truly blessed us. Our testimony is one of our most powerful tools in battling the enemy or facing a storm. Unlike plywood, which will only protect a house from a storm, our testimony not only protects us – it changes the course of the storm! › Continue reading

Contentment seems to be the theme the Lord would have me writing about this week. I rarely set out to determine the topics of the blog, although I sometimes think I will steer this dialog in one direction or another. Silly me. I thought yesterday’s article would be the last on the subject of contentment, that is… until I sat down this morning and opened the Word session.

You can read the first word typed for yourself.

There is another vital aspect of contentment we should review in relation to our faith. We have a form of contentment when God provides for us exactly what we need when we need it, another form of contentment when we recognize we are accepted by God exactly as we are right now, and a form of contentment when we learn to forgive ourselves, but each of these levels of contentment find their basis in the foundation of our faith. Our faith is the catalyst, without which contentment on any level with the Lord is impossible.

I know some very solid believers encountering a crisis of faith. These are friends I have prayed along side, praying with and for their families, and enjoying the laughter of their children playing with mine. These are close friends who ran into a wall or obstacle in their faith. I watch them and their families looking for contentment outside of their faith instead of working through their struggles in their relationship with God. › Continue reading

On Monday, we reviewed a form of contentment we receive when the Lord provides for us exactly what we need at the moment we need it.

On Tuesday, we reviewed a form of contentment we receive when we know the Lord accepts us in our current condition.

Yet there is a form of contentment elusive to many of us in forgiving ourselves. This may be one of the most difficult aspects of forgiveness. As believers, we recognize our role and the necessity to forgive others, as difficult as that may be at times, but offer forgiveness to ourselves in rare quantities.

We become our own burden in receiving the joy and contentment the Lord intends for us, an obstacle we can rarely get around easily. › Continue reading

I spoke yesterday about the conference I worked last week and how great it was to experience the contentment of the Lord providing that which was needed, namely the strength and endurance to complete the exhausting days of training. There is also contentment in just knowing the Lord is accepting us as we are right now.

Have you ever been accepted anywhere just as you are right then and there? You don’t have to get cleaned up, you don’t have to straighten your hair, and you don’t have to brush your teeth. You don’t have to go through rehab, you don’t have to quit smoking, and you don’t have to attend AA. You don’t have to clean your house, straighten up a bit, or put on clean clothes. There is nothing you have to do, and more importantly to understand, there is nothing you can do to earn this acceptance. You are accepted just as you are right now. This is a privileged honor, freely given to us by Jesus Christ, and referenced in Ephesians 1:6, where it states: › Continue reading

I attended a business conference last week where I conducted training classes each day over the course of the three-day event (four days if you count preparation and travel). With early mornings and evening activities planned, the days were full with our customers and exhausting physically. This was my eighth year for the training conference and, like previous years, this year seemed like the “ON” button never got turned off until I fell into my own bed Saturday night (that pillow never felt so good!).

While part of me thoroughly enjoys the experience – the high-energy training, sharing of information, meeting and talking with customers, and helping them through different challenges – there is another part of me dreading the whole thing up to the point it begins to happen. I think the whole experience is on the same level of a multi-day, continuous metaphysical workout (draining me physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and professionally – if that is possible). Just as I rarely look forward to a physical workout until it actually begins, I tend to approach this annual conference in the same way. Fortunately, just like a physical workout, I am also glad I was part of the conference by the time it ends.

In addition to being wiped out by the conference, I am also apart from my family. With this event scheduled the same time every year, I have missed my son’s birthday for the past eight years.

The conference is hardly suffering on any level – just challenging. There is rarely any difference from one year to the next as far as the time, physical investment, or exhausting results, and this year was no different in the way I looked forward to the conference – dreading it until it begins, just like any workout on my weight bench. The one thing I did do different this year was to look for God in the experience.

I know, I know… your first question should be, “But Glenn, why didn’t you look for God in the experience over the past seven years? You should already know this…”

Good question. I’m glad you asked it.

To answer it, I have to admit there are some doors I have not opened to the Lord. If you are fortunate to have always welcomed God in every aspect of your life since you were born, then you may not be able to relate very well to what I am laying out here. If you are like me, you may still be finding closed doors or areas in your life where you forget to consider the Lord.

This really takes a paradigm shift in our thinking, as we have grown too accustomed to living out our lives with our focus on ourselves. We look for what we want out of life, we handle our priorities in our own ways, and we set the course of our days, so finding God in the mix is not always easy… or natural.

This year, I went to the conference with the mental plan to find God each day and in each thing I did while I was there. I was looking for Him. I was looking for His plan. Amazingly, I found Him in each and every step I took, in each and every word I spoke, and throughout my time at the conference.

My approach was so different this year, one regular attendee even commented, “There is something different about you this year. You seem more healthy and vibrant, like there is a glow or something coming off of you…”  To really appreciate the words, you would have to hear it said in her unique Southern twang.

In actuality, I am less healthy than in previous years – I am fatter and haven’t worked out in the past four months (we moved four month’s ago, and I haven’t unpacked the weight bench… reread the part above how I don’t look forward to the workout and that may explain my lack of motivation). I doubt the difference she saw in me was of my doing, other than finding God throughout my day. The real difference had everything to do with Him.

You know, I was still exhausted sitting on the plane on the way home Saturday night, but it was a good feeling of accomplishment. How can we know we have done something if we are never tired? Yet, as I look back on the experience, I wasn’t dragging myself around on the last day like I had done previous years, forcing each step forward with sheer willpower. Instead, I had an abundant amount of strength and energy to give whenever it was required.

I truly experienced what Paul stated in Philippians 4:13:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

When I looked for God in my experience, He was faithful to be there and to provide everything I required. I had merely a challenging week, but Paul experienced real suffering in his life. When I look at what Paul had to endure in his travels, including multiple shipwrecks, jail time, beatings, and eventually death, I can only assume Paul’s secret was finding God in everything he did. This is confirmed in his first letter to Timothy where he writes (1 Timothy 6:6-8):

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Content. This word probably comes closest to describing my experience at the conference. I was content. This does not mean I was sitting around while people pealed and fed me grapes, fanning me, and massaging my feet. This means I was content to accomplish what was set before me to accomplish, to complete what was assigned to me to complete, and to finish what was required. I was content in that I had what I needed – God’s strength, God’s grace, and most importantly, God’s presence.

I think this is what Paul was trying to convey to Timothy. I think this is what I experienced at the conference. I think this is what I will be looking for in the days to come, as I so desperately want this contentment in every aspect of my life – a thirst, a hunger, a desire to find God in everything I am doing. I want this to become my daily habit, my way of life, my experience with God.

Contact me if you want a taste of this in your prayer.

Glenn Sasscer

www.glennsasscer.com
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In the first post of this series, we reviewed how the Lord directs us to establish symbols in our lives to remind our children of our faith and the second post talked about the consequences of our actions for the generations following us.  This is a legacy we leave for our children and descendants to inherit, a spiritual legacy or spiritual inheritance. 

The question is whether we will leave a curse or a blessing.  Even if we could live perfect lives and do nothing wrong, which we cannot, the curse of the generations is still passed down to us, then to our descendants.  There is only one singular way to break the chain: Jesus Christ.

You may have heard this a gazillion times before reading these words and have reason to reject these statements; I know I did the same thing a gazillion times before taking the time to examine the truth and make a decision for myself and for my family.  Do not make the same mistake I made in rejecting Jesus because of religion, church, or false preachers.

The truth is simple. The generational chain of sin is a curse upon us going back through each and every generation all the way back to Adam.  We find the basis of Adam’s curse on all mankind and the freedom given through Jesus Christ explained in Romans 5:19:

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made righteous.

This is the anchor of truth we must establish in our families. This is our obligation to our children and to our descendents.  As His Word promises, He will show love to “a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”  There is one person who is a key influence for your entire family and descendents:  You.

So what can you do?  At the end of my previous post, I suggested you follow me in a prayer.  This prayer is two-fold in acknowledging Jesus and seeking His guidance in this process.  As you think of ways to influence your family, consider what the Lord would have you establish for your family.  Each person is different, each family is different, and each anchor is different. 

Allow me to suggest a few I am using and believe to be effective:

1. I am establishing my own relationship with Jesus Christ that lasts throughout the week.  I believe it is important our children see our faith in action seven days a week, not just Sunday.
2. I am sharing the truth of salvation and God’s love with my family at every possible opportunity.  This is not always easy, nor is it convenient, yet it is obedient.  As I shared with you at the beginning, we are instructed in Deuteronomy 6:5-9:

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

3. I am praying for my children.  Prayer is powerful and effective, as we are told in James 5:16:

 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

4. I am providing a symbol for my children through different heirlooms or actions, such as my cross.  This is a reminder of my faith and encouraging for them in times of trials (see the first post, here). A symbol is nothing by itself, although with these other steps, a symbol becomes a powerful force in the face of adversity by sheer recognition and remembrance.  This is explained well in Deuteronomy 6:5-9 shown above. 

By these four steps, I am providing an anchor for my children in Jesus Christ.  While their relationship with Jesus will be their own and ultimately up to them, I am establishing a firm foundation for their beginnings.  For this investment of my time and effort, I am confident I will see the fruit of my labor in their lives.  Yet my obligation extends beyond them.  For this purpose, to confirm my own children and to release the blessings of God for a thousand generations, I have set aside one day a month for fasting, prayer, and journaling for my descendents.

One day a month, I fast for my children and descendents.  I believe this is putting aside my selfish and physical desires and becoming focused on my prayers.  During this one day fast, each time I feel a craving for food, I say a prayer for all of my descendents.  I have found the more strict I become in this fast, the greater my physical cravings become, and the more prayer is offered on behalf of my family. 

At the end of the day, I set aside time to pray for my family – that is, my children and their generations unceasing.  I have no set prayer, nor do I prepare in any way other than fasting throughout the day.  I begin by submitting to the Holy Spirit to guide me in my prayer for my family, my children, and my descendents. 

Following this prayer, I write in a set of journals specifically for the purpose to record any impressions given to me during the day or during my prayer.  My intent for these journals is to be record for my children and descendents.  These special journals are set-aside for this purpose, as an encouragement for my family generations to come.  

I encourage you to consider the methods of influence you may use to anchor your family in Jesus Christ.  This will take a decision on your part.  You must be purposeful in this decision. This is where your role of responsibility becomes pivotal for generations beyond your children.  As the world attempts to redefine the term “FAMILY”, we find the Lord’s definition begins with you, follows you, and is unceasing. 

I believe the Lord wanted me to share this teaching.  Please share this with those the Lord puts on your heart for this purpose.  Copy/paste.  Print and copy.  Whatever works best for you, please share this gift freely.

Hebrews 6:19-20:

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever…

I believe the same prayer we prayed in the second post is good for the ending of this series.  Would you join me?  Just read the prayer, say it to yourself, or say it verbally: 

“Lord Jesus, I may not understand all the concepts about generations and curses and blessings, and I may not understand all this stuff about sin, but I do understand freedom.  I don’t want to be chained to sin and I don’t want my children to be chained to sin.  I don’t want to be chained to a curse and I don’t want my children chained to a curse.  I don’t want to be part of a generational curse and I don’t want to pass any generational curse to my children.  Instead, I want freedom.  Help me to understand what this means, for me and for my family.  Lord, I have sinned; I ask You to forgive me, break the generational chain of sin in my life, and deliver me from the curse.  I ask You to show me how to anchor my family so they may see a blessing instead of a curse in their lives.  I ask this in Your name, Jesus.  Amen”

Are you tough enough to stand for your family?  Are you tough enough to be a Christian?  Are you tough enough to stand for your faith?   

Glenn Sasscer

www.glennsasscer.com
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Anchoring Your Family
Part 2 of 3

In part 1 of this series, we reviewed how the Lord establishes symbols to remind us (and our children) of our faith.  The key is understanding how the symbol is established.  You cannot establish a symbol without the foundation.

This is very similar to how a company establishes a logo or a brand.  The logo or brand name is nothing more than a symbol for the company.  If the company does not produce quality products, the symbol is meaningless.  A symbol of our faith without the faith working in our lives is also meaningless.  Our faith becomes the foundation for teaching our children about a relationship with God.  This is our responsibility as parents, whether our children are just a plan, newborn, or with children of their own.

The Lord does not limit our responsibilities to our children, nor can we.  In the Scripture, Deuteronomy 4:9, tells us our responsibility is,

“…to your children and to their children after them.” 

There is no generational barrier to relieve us from our accountability for our children, grandchildren, and other descendents.  What we do now has a great influence on our children, on their children, their grandchildren, and the countless generations beyond them.  The Spiritual Principles at work in this involve the generational chain, whereas we may pass to our descendents either a generational blessing or a generational curse.  These are serious principles. 

The Bible shows this in Exodus 20:5-6, when referring to pagan idols:

“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Can you imagine being the anchor to stir up God’s love in your descendents for a thousand generations?  This persuasion does not stop with your great-grandchildren’s great-grandchildren, which is only six generations, but extends to a thousand beyond your own.  Or, can you imagine bringing the curse of punishment to your grandchildren?

Ok, some of you are pooh-poohing this concept as Old Testament, outdated, or something that does not apply to you.  Like you, I find it very easy to reject something old fashion, especially if it seems outdated or not having a bearing in my life.  So, let’s take a look at a modern example of how this whole curse business works.

An example (and warning) is Joseph Kennedy, a man who influenced a nation while alive and was notorious in his business dealings.  He made his fortunes as a bootlegger with connections to organized crime, the government, and newspaper tycoons.  He had many affairs and left mysterious deaths surrounding his activities.  He played a critical role in his daughter Rosemary’s failed lobotomy, and used people for his purposes, which can be conpared to selfishness and greed.  This provided a great amount of wealth for his family, yet did his actions touch their lives in other ways? 

During World War II, Joseph Kennedy junior died in a plane crash, age 29.  Rosemary Kennedy was institutionalized from 1941 until her death in 2005 because of retardation and the effects of a failed lobotomy.  Kathleen Kennedy married William John Robert Cavendish, who was killed in World War II. She later died in a plane crash, age 28.  President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, age 46.  President Kennedy’s son Patrick was born prematurely in 1963 and died two days later, his daughter Arabella was stillborn in 1956.   Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June 1968, age 43.  Robert Kennedy’s son, Robert Jr. was found in possession of marijuana while a juvenile and heroin as an adult.  Robert Kennedy’s son, David died in 1984 of a drug overdose.  Robert Kennedy’s son, Joseph was involved in a 1973 car accident that left a female passenger paralyzed for life.  In 1969, Ted Kennedy drove a car off the Chappaquiddick Island bridge in Massachusetts, killing Mary Jo Kopechne. Edward Kennedy’s son, Edward Jr. had his right leg amputated in 1973 because of cancer.  Edward Kennedy’s nephew, William Kennedy Smith was accused of committing rape in 1991.   Michael Kennedy, son of the late Robert Kennedy, died in a skiing accident in 1998.  John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash with his wife and her sister in 1999.

The Kennedy Curse is a well-known, well-documented theory many people consider mysterious or supernatural, and others discard as coincidence.  Even Ted Kennedy referred to the curse seven days after his accident at the Chappaquiddick Island bridge, when he made a televised statement saying, “I wonder if some awful curse hangs over all the Kennedys.” When you consider our God is very mysterious and supernatural, that His very existence is beyond our comprehension, and such a punishment as the Kennedy Curse holds Biblical accuracy, we begin to see this as something more than coincidence, and quite possibly an example of a generational chain with implications in our lives. We can no longer reject this theory as outdated or not applicable.

Scriptures do not suggest we can align every particular sin and its consequences in such a neat order.  In our fallen nature, we have neither the wisdom nor capacity to understand God’s actions.  Yet as an example, the Kennedy Curse bears resemblance to the curse we all bear by the sin of Adam, which is the curse of death.  As we are descendents of one man, whether we are a Kennedy or not, we bear the curse of our forefather, Adam.  The curse is a penalty of sin and a penalty to be paid.  We see this further explained in Exodus 34:6-7:

And He [the Lord] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

 This verse repeats the warning of the generational curse, and clarifies “He does not leave the guilty unpunished.”  While these verses may appear to limit the curse to the third and fourth generation, we know Adam’s curse is a penalty for all mankind, compounded by our own guilt and disobedience.  This penalty is death. 

With this knowledge, we find ourselves in a position where we bear the curse of Adam, any generational curses of our ancestors, and the penalties of our own sin.  This is passed to our children, with the sins of another generation added to our own.  This chain of guilt will continue until broken.

Our responsibility as parents, and specifically as individuals, is to break that chain of guilt and to anchor our families in Jesus Christ.  The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:5-6:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men– the testimony given in its proper time.

 As the above warning tells us “He does not leave the guilty unpunished”, God also provides the Promised One as ”… a ransom for all men.”  Jesus Christ paid the penalty of death for all of our sins.  Our guilt is paid through His death and resurrection, our bondage to the curse of our forefathers is broken, and we are redeemed. 

This means we will live forever; we will have immortality.  This means I can say, “I will not die.”  Oh, this chubby, scarred, and aching body will die away, but I will go on in some other form, and will live eternally.  How well do you know this? 

Ok, let’s look at this straightforward:

• Without Jesus Christ, we bear the sins and punishment of Adam, ancestral sin, and our own sin.
• Without Jesus Christ, we pass this sin onto our children and our children’s children for three or four generations.
• With Jesus Christ, the chain is broken and the door is opened for blessings for our children and our children’s children for a thousand generations.

The whole concept of Jesus Christ paying the price for our guilt is what we hear preached over and over again in churches all around the world.  In some places, this message is delivered with condemnation and judgment without the mercy and grace God intended, which leaves us inoculated to the truth behind the message.  Sometimes, hypocrites at the pulpit may preach the “do as I say and not as I do” sermon so many times, we get inoculated to their message, and as such, we miss the truth.   I know – I was inoculated to the point where the message had no bearing in my life.  I didn’t quite reject it, but I wouldn’t accept it.  If you fall into this line of thinking, then please know I was there along with plenty of others and understand your cynicism.  

I am also here to tell you it is worth another look.  Even if your motivation is to just break a generational chain of pain and anguish, this message is worth another look.  There are many reasons to look at Jesus Christ and the message of salvation – the livelihood and freedom of your children and grandchildren are most likely near the top of the list and excellent incentive.

I stated this three times already in this series: Whether your children are planned, newborn, or with children of their own, this is applicable to you.  It is never too early and it is not too late, at least not yet, to anchor your children and your family.  Even if you have been inoculated to the message or are already a believer, I invite you to pray with me.

Just read the prayer, say it to yourself, or say it verbally:  “Lord Jesus, I may not understand all the concepts about generations and curses and blessings, and I may not understand all this stuff about sin, but I do understand freedom.  I don’t want to be chained to sin and I don’t want my children to be chained to sin.  I don’t want to be chained to a curse and I don’t want my children chained to a curse.  I don’t want to be part of a generational curse and I don’t want to pass any generational curse to my children.  Instead, I want freedom.  Help me to understand what this means, for me and for my family.  Lord, I have sinned; I ask You to forgive me, break the generational chain of sin in my life, and deliver me from the curse.  I ask You to show me how to anchor my family so they may see a blessing instead of a curse in their lives.  I ask this in Your name, Jesus.  Amen”

The last part of this series should tomorrow.  Will you continue with me and see what steps you may do to firmly anchor your family?

Glenn Sasscer

www.glennsasscer.com
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Anchoring Your Family
Part 1 of 3

I am praying for guidance and direction for specific people in my life and how I am to serve others.  I want to be a good steward.  I want to be a good steward with all the Lord has provided for my family, yet also want to give that which the Lord would have me give away.  I don’t want to keep anything I shouldn’t be keeping.  In my attempt to be a good steward, I want to follow the Lord’s will for all He has provided.  

I believe there is a gift He would have me share with you, although this is unique in that as I give this gift away, I am able to keep it and learn a deeper meaning in sharing it.  This gift is a revelation the Lord gave me over eight years ago.  This is the revelation of anchoring your family, whether your children are a future plan, newborn, or grown with children of their own.

I am sharing this gift with you because I believe the Lord wants you to anchor your family.  I believe this is a commitment and responsibility the Lord gives us when He entrusts us with children – His children.  This is a gift for you, yet also for your children, for their children, and for their children, passing on through the generations.  You may be wondering how?  Let’s take a look:

This philosophy is not new, as it is well grounded in Scripture and Spiritual Principles.  The application of the philosophy may be different from family to family.  Just as there are various kinds of anchors for diverse applications (the anchor for a canoe is not the same as the one used for a battleship), there are numerous methods to effectively safeguard your family in the years beyond your abilities. 

I wear a silver cross I plan to pass on to my son.  I have other heirlooms to give to my daughters.  The cross itself holds no powers beyond the structural abilities and properties of the silver.  It is inanimate and can do nothing other than stay where I put it.  As a symbol of my faith, however, this cross can move mountains.  My hope for this symbol is my son and daughters will know it as a reminder of my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ, and through this symbol, it would encourage them when they are challenged, tempted, or in doubt.  They must stand on their own in their relationship with Jesus, and wherever I can, I want to prepare them and give them the strength and ability to stand strong.  

I believe symbols of this nature are important and encouraged by the Lord.  We see this in many places in the Bible, specifically in Joshua 22:25-27, where it is written:

“The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you– you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the LORD.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.  That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar– but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’  On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the LORD at His sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD.’” 

The purpose of the altar here was not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, instead it was a symbol to serve as a witness to the following generations.  The symbol stood for the faith and relationship the previous generations had with the Lord, “…so no one would be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’”  The altar is a symbol, a symbol that is part of an anchor to children and descendents.  The cross I wear is only a portion of an anchor for my children, but it will function as a symbol for them and possibly their children and their descendents, so no one may say to them, “You have no share in the Lord.” 

A symbol by itself is meaningless; therefore it becomes our responsibility as parents to establish a purpose and significance to firmly anchor our family in the Lord.  This is the process where we fully establish the anchor – whether or not there is a symbol involved does not matter, it is the process that accomplishes the anchoring.  As we are parents, the Lord gives us this responsibility in Deuteronomy 4:7-9 where it is written:

“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?  And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?  Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” 

Here we are reminded of the blessing it is to be able to pray to our Lord, to have Him with us, to know righteousness in the Law, and to have a relationship with God.  We are told to be careful and to never forget, keeping our hearts turned toward the Lord.  Then we are told to teach these ways to our children and to their children after them.

The Bible further instructs in the methods we are to teach our children, and confirms the validity of symbols as a reminder for them in Deuteronomy 6:5-9 with:

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

These are responsibilities given to the parents or guardians of the children.  Our obligation for our families exceeds providing for their physical needs; we must furnish and contribute to their emotional and spiritual needs, equip them mentally, and promote their relationship with God.  My personal belief is these are the bare minimums, as there is so much more the Lord wants to give our children through us.

Where are we blocking His efforts? 

Where are we getting in the way of His blessings? 

Where are we lacking or not stepping up to affirm our children in the Lord? 

Whether your children are a plan, newborn, or with children of their own, would you join me in a simple prayer for our children: “Lord Jesus, we come before You with a simple prayer to ask You to give us wisdom and understanding to be good stewards with these precious gifts, our children.  Reveal what and how we should serve them, and ultimately serve You in raising our children.  Teach us, that we may teach them; lead us, that we may lead them; and bless us, that we may be a blessing to them. We pray this in hte name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

My next blog will take a closer look at the ripple effect our actions have in the lives of our children and the generations following them.  Whether good or bad, what we do influences their lives in ways we hardly understand now.  Join me?

Glenn Sasscer

www.glennsasscer.com
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