08.02.06 thequest UPdate

thequest family,

Last week, I shared with you about 4 points of emphasis for our logo. Well yesterday I was talking with Jesus and it sure seemed like He wants me to add a 5th point.

I had a time of deep conviction and giving back thequest family to the Lord after one of the sessions here at our National Celebration. It was so clear that I was trying to control things on my own. I needed to stop. I needed to be reminded by our Jesus that it is His Church.

In the middle of that dialogue, the Spirit pointed me back to the thoughts about our paper chain. I began to muse less and less about the paper, and more and more about the chain. I was flashing through Scripture thinking of where chains show up. Thinking about what chains were used for. They are used for binding things.

Prisoners are in chains. The Apostle Paul was in chains. He was a prisoner, but that didn't stop him from sharing the Gospel. Chains were on all sorts of people in the New Testament. Peter was in them until an angel led him out of prison. They couldn't keep the demonized man in chains.

Chains bind people. Paul closes out his letter to the Colossians by saying...Remember my chains. Paul earlier in that letter describes two other men as being bound. Epaphras (1:7) and Tychicus (4:7) are "bond-servants." They are bound to Jesus. They are no longer their own. They are bound to someone else. They are chained to Jesus.

This bond was not in a brutal prisoner relationship, but as a willing servant who willingly wrapped the chains around his wrists. Then gave the end of the chain to Jesus to allow and submit to His guidance.

We in thequest family are bound to Jesus. He is our Savior, Lord, Leader, Friend, Comfort and Messiah. As we remember our paper chain, may it remind us--It's all about Jesus. We are chained to Him. And we delight to go with Him because He has what is best in mind for us.

It's not about inviting Jesus into your heart. It's about chaining yourself to Jesus. It's about losing my life for His sake. I can refuse and I could gain the whole world yet still lose my soul. Let's live bound to Jesus.

Your fellow bond-servant,

Mike



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