“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” (Proverbs 14:12 NLT)
By God’s grace I was able to spend about four and a half hours with my mentor last week. Yesterday I shared some of his thoughts that spoke to me, and today I’d like to share a few more.
He said: “Don’t get on the wrong horse, you don’t know where it might lead you.” In this world, it’s ironic, but we often “mount horses” or follow “paths” that to us “seem” right but end up leading us into heartbreak and tragedy. Jesus said, “follow Me!” He will never lead you astray. He is always a pathway to life.
Closely related to what he said above: “Not every conductor is God’s. Make sure you’re on the right train.” Couple that with: “You can’t go wrong as long as you’re listening to His voice.”
Jim asked a question: “What is all you sold your soul to obtain worth on the day you stand before Jesus?” That’s a question that has staggering implications for many people in America today. We sell ourselves for what will perish, while ignoring our only opportunity to build treasure in heaven. It’s mind-boggling, but we “buy” Satan’s lies hook, line, and sinker. God’s Spirit alone can draw us away from the temptations of this world into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus.
Then we spent several minutes considering something that the Lord whispered: “Take a pause.” Traffic in my city is scary. A couple of guys were traveling over 100 mph on a city street when they plowed into a minivan, killing a family of six. Everyone’s in a hurry, but why? The mind-numbing reality is – that used to be me!
God’s message to my mentor spoke to me, not only in terms of my driving, but my living. It caused me to think of the many times when Jesus was “interrupted” in the course of His day by people who needed Him for an emergency in their lives. And you know what? He always had time! Maybe it’s time we “took a pause!” Slowed down and paid attention to who and what is going on around us.
Some of Jim’s words were “musings” as he pondered the fact that his life was nearing completion. He said, for example: “The love of God is greater than all the things of the world.” If we know Jesus, the closer we get to heaven, the less appealing are the things of this world.
He said: “‘God so loved the world’ is just as powerful today to the one who is listening as it’s ever been.” Couple that with: “The things we want to hide are often the very things God can use most powerfully if we’ll let Him.” I thought of how ashamed and broken I was because of my divorce, which caused me to have to resign my position as Associate Pastor with Brother Jim. Yet, there have been multiple times God has used my failure to bless and help others.
He said: “Stay with Christ.” He said this in the context of our conversation regarding how many people leave the church, and stray from the Lord, because of the teaching of wrong doctrine. He said: “We’re letting the tail wag the dog when we put doctrines ahead of Christ.” When people get red faced, with the veins in their neck bulging, trying to win an argument about a doctrine, that’s not honoring to Christ, and it’s certainly not going to win anyone to Jesus.
One more: “Sin is sin – there aren’t big sins and little sins – and sin separates us from God.” We want to tell a little “white” lie, whatever that is. A lie is a lie. Lust is lust. Gossip is gossip, etc. Let’s call sin what it is and forsake it for Christ’s sake – and ours!
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 