Walking With Jesus

Profession of Faith

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

You’ve likely heard the expression: “The ground is level at the foot of the Cross!” What does that have to do with making a profession of faith? Everything! No profession of the Christian faith is made apart from a visit to the Cross of Christ, because no forgiveness can be had apart from the realization of what happened there. Our forgiveness was made possible by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God whose shed blood washes away our sin. No Jesus, no Cross! No Cross, no forgiveness! That’s why profession of Faith in the Jesus of the Bible is the only way to the heaven of the Bible. Christ alone by faith alone! It’s the clear teaching of Scripture.

“Yeh, but I just want to give my heart to Jesus.” That’s all well and good, but what does that mean? If it doesn’t mean total surrender and commitment to Him and His Kingdom, you may as well keep your heart, because He won’t be able to use it unless it includes your body, mind, and soul. He wants everything, not just part of you. A profession of faith that doesn’t include the surrender of our whole being is pointless and powerless, because it won’t make any difference for eternity.

If our faith doesn’t change us, it certainly won’t lead to anyone else’s positive change. A. W. Tozer made an interesting observation when he wrote: “A Profession of faith that doesn’t make a difference, doesn’t make a difference to God either.” But how do we know if our faith is making a difference? Look in the mirror! Is it making a difference in the way you live, act, think, work, love, drive, speak, spend time and money, raise your kids, treat your spouse, worship, serve, how you think about God?

If you can’t detect any real change in how you think, act, speak, or worship, you’ve probably wasted your breath professing faith in the risen Christ. If someone is holding a gun to your head threatening to kill you unless you renounce your faith in Jesus, does your ”profession” give you the courage to say, “Absolutely, Jesus is my Lord and I’d rather lose my life than deny Him.” Otherwise, what’s the point? Here’s the point, Satan is holding his fake gun to our head every day, trying to convince us our faith isn’t real.

We’re going to live for one of two people, ourselves or someone else, and unless that “someone else” is Jesus, our faith is pointless. We can cry and blubber on and on about how much we love Jesus, but if it doesn’t make any difference in how we order our lives, of what value is it? It takes no effort for me to say: “I’m a vegetarian,” but if I never eat vegetables, something’s wrong with that picture.

I can profess faith in Christ from morning to night, but if His life isn’t evidenced in the practical ways I live, work, and play, who am I trying to kid? The purpose of profession is living it out to the glory of God and for the furtherance of His eternal Kingdom. There is NO life without the Spirit and there’s no Spirit without true confession, repentance, and submission to the Lord’s authority in our lives.

Please, child of God, profession isn’t enough without the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit bearing witness of His presence as He lives His life out in and though us. The Spirit’s presence can’t be counterfeited or faked, so unless He’s living in and through us, we’re fakes and pretenders and there’s far too much of that in the Church today.

We must give credence to our profession of faith through a dedicated and determined life of faith squarely placed in and focused on the Lordship of Jesus. If that doesn’t describe you, please stop pretending and yield your life and allegiance to Jesus before it’s eternally too late.

Tap anewstory.com and let Ron Hutchcraft help you understand how to give your life to Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Dangerously Blind

By: Ron Hutchcraft

*Ron is hitting very close to home with this insightful and moving message. Please read slowly and carefully, as the Lord has more here than we’ll see if we rush through. Blessings, Ed 😊

New York City is a bit of a shock to any first-time visitor. It’s especially jarring for someone who has spent her whole life on an Indian Reservation. Now, Linda was from the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and she was part of our ministry’s Native American Youth Outreach Team that we call “On Eagles’ Wings.” She was able to see New York from a distance at first. There’s the Empire State Building, there’s the skyline, and she said she wanted to see it all up close. Ha! Well, that may have changed now that she has seen it up close. See, she went in with us when I spoke in the city one night and the traffic and the crowds; man, they were all over the place and they made her feel like maybe she was on a battlefield without a helmet. She also found certain aspects of the city exciting and she might go back. But as our team was driving along the Hudson River, we were headed for the George Washington Bridge and Linda must have been reflecting on her life on the reservation for a minute because she just looked up into the Big Apple sky and said two words, “No stars.”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Dangerously Blind.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Corinthians 4:4. It’s a very revealing statement from God’s perspective. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.” Basically, what’s this saying? There is heavenly light that God wants you to see. It’s the Good News of the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ. And what’s the Good News? Jesus loves you very much. He proved it by paying the sin penalty that you deserved when He died on the cross. He demonstrated His unbeatable power when He blew the doors off His grave and rose from the dead, and so Jesus is all the love, and all the meaning, and all the peace you’ve been looking for all these years.

But there’s a problem with God’s light. It’s the same problem our Navajo friend had seeing those stars in New York City. The earth lights blinded her to the heavenly light. When that happens to people spiritually, they can literally miss Jesus and miss God’s love, and miss heaven forever.

This says that the god of this world, who is the devil, has blinded our minds. We’re surrounded by a lot of earth lights that blind us to the much brighter light of God. We’re blinded by the lights of making money, or having fun, or important relationships, or busy schedules, even our religion. And we just keep ignoring Jesus, or postponing Jesus, or forgetting Jesus. We’re blinded

The devil, whose goal it is to destroy you, will use anything or anyone he can to keep you from seeing and following Jesus. His intention is very simple – to block your view of the real light until you’ve passed the point of no return. But today, maybe right now, the light is breaking through.

This could be your God day. You could tell Him right where you are, “Lord, I have run my life long enough. You are supposed to run my life. You gave it to me, and I’m tired of this sin wall that’s been between us. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ, died to take that wall away to pay for my sin. And beginning this moment, Jesus, I’m Yours.” I hope you’ll take that step so you can be sure you belong to Him and secure your eternity once and for all.

That’s what our website’s there for. It’s ANewStory.com. And it would be a great place to anchor to as you cross over, as the Bible says, “from death to life” today. I hope you’ll go there.

For this moment, God has taken you away from the blinding light of all that earth stuff and all those earth people so you could get one clear look at the light of Jesus Christ. Now in the words of the Bible, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

Natural Disasters and the Will of God

“The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, ‘This man truly was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:54 NLT)

In the last year alone there have been nearly 51,000 earthquakes worldwide. While there are positive effects brought about by the often-catastrophic damage of earthquakes, what catches our attention is what to us is the needless loss of life. In the last 30 days in Venezuela alone there have been at least 12 earthquakes leaving tens of thousands homeless and nearly 70,000 unaccounted for.

Where is God in this? Does He not care? Why does He allow such destruction of property and such, to us, needless loss of life? Is He to blame? Could He not stop or prevent such tragic loss? While I don’t know the specific author of what is to follow, I found it at gotquestions.org and believe it’s good to share with you. I also recommend their site for other Bible-related questions.

“Why does God allow earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, wildfires, and other natural disasters? Tragedies like the 2025 wildfires in California cause many people to question God’s goodness. It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather. God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.

The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17). Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely! Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, as we see in Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17. Numbers 16:30-34 shows us that God sometimes causes natural disasters as a judgment against sin. The book of Revelation describes many events which could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16). Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not.

In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, ‘The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.’ The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit. Everything in creation is subject to ‘frustration’ and ‘decay.’ Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering.

We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur. Why did God allow a tsunami to kill over 225,000 people in Asia? Why does God allow hurricanes to destroy the homes of thousands of people? For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. Churches are usually filled after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are and how life can be taken away in an instant. What we do know is this: God is good! Many amazing miracles occurred during the course of natural disasters that prevented even greater loss of life. Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people who are suffering. Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).”

For Further Study

An Act of God?: Answers to Tough Questions About God’s Role in Natural Disasters by Erwin Lutzer

The Quest Study Bible: Answers to Thousands of Your Questions About the Bible

Related Articles

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

Does Satan have the power to control the weather?

Are there any volcanoes mentioned in the Bible?

Where is God now? Where is God when it hurts?

What does the Bible say about famine?

Is It Possible?

“Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!’ This amazed them. But Jesus said again, ‘Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded. ‘Then who in the world can be saved’ they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.’” (Mark 10:23-27 NLT)

As you look at your life, the activities of your day, how much is impossible for you to do without the Lord? Don’t answer that too quickly because the reality is, you couldn’t lift your eyelids, you couldn’t even take a breath of air without the powerful presence of Almighty God. Some may muse: “Whoa! That can’t be true. I don’t believe that!” Suit yourself, but I tend to take what God’s Word says very literally unless the context dictates otherwise, and when Jesus said in John 15:5: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do NOTHING!” (emphasis mine)

Yes, I realize Jesus was speaking to those who have placed their faith and trust in Him, and so am I, but the reality is, as one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess, that every word that came from the mouth of the Savior was true, we will then understand that EVERY person, believer or not, was and is subject to the authority of the Savior.

The air He allows us to breathe, the energy and intelligence to work, to do the things we do from day to day are a gift from Him, largely taken for granted and ignored. But for those of us who know Him, love Him and are seeking to serve Him, we view virtually every detail of our lives as miraculous. It’s in that context I invite you to view whatever the Lord has called you to do, be, say, or think as IMPOSSIBLE without His divine intervention, guidance, and grace.

Just as it’s impossible for someone to have a transformed life except through the power of God’s Spirit, it’s impossible for us as believers to live above sin, to have a holy life, to walk in obedience to the Spirit’s leading, to live, to move, and to even exist without Him. Every detail of our being is impossible for a child of God. That’s why the faithful man of God, George Müller wrote: “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.”

Think of the implications! Listen to what we say: “I’m going to: lead this class! Preach this sermon! Talk to this person about Jesus! Lead this person to Jesus! Go to the store! Eat this meal!” and on and on it goes day after day operating in the energy of the flesh. Yes, of course, when we think about it we realize we can do nothing without the Lord but isn’t that the point! We shouldn’t have to think about it!

Our second nature should be to realize before any activity of any kind whether “spiritual” in nature or not: “Lord, enable me by Your grace to fulfill this responsibility/activity/whatever it is, in your strength and in a manner that renders You glory, honor, and praise.” The Lord Jesus should constantly be in our thoughts and on our mind, leading, guiding, equipping, instructing, empowering, us to be wise in whatever He is leading us to do.

Our most important mission is to help others see Him more clearly, leading them to a saving knowledge of Him in their own lives. And do you know when they’re watching our lives most closely? Not when we’re “presenting the Gospel,” but when the Gospel is presenting itself in and through the way we conduct ourselves in the normal course of our day.

Are we living in utter dependence upon the Lord, realizing nothing is possible for us without Him, or are we still trying to accomplish everything we do in the energy of the flesh?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Parents Afraid

By: Ron Hutchcraft

“This helpful article by Ron Hutchcraft was just too good not to share. Blessings, Ed 😊

My wife and I were staying in this apartment at the Jersey shore for a weekend. We were going to save some money by cooking for ourselves. But, there was one small problem with the kitchen. We discovered it the first morning. We had this English muffin in the toaster. Suddenly I hear this high-pitched alarm in the kitchen. I went running out there. The smoke detector had gone off. Problem: There was no smoke, just a little English muffin cooking. It was just a little heat coming from across the room from the toaster. Oh, we got to hear that smoke alarm again several times while we were there. It was a very sensitive alarm. And the problem is because it would go off so often, guess what? Pretty soon you don’t take it seriously anymore.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Parents Afraid.”

Our word for today from the Word of God is a great verse for anyone, but especially for parents in times like these. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind.” You’re not supposed to have a spirit of fear. See, fear-based decisions usually don’t take us down the right road. Fear-based parenting usually backfires.

If you’re a parent today, there are a lot of things you could be afraid of for your children. They could be physically hurt, they could be spiritually hurt, or they can be infected by the moral pollution that’s everywhere. They could lose their faith, they could rebel, or they could mess up sexually. Our kids can choose the wrong friends; they can make a romantic mistake. They can believe a sophisticated lie.

Raising children in this kind of world, you could find yourself letting fear take over; especially if you see a warning sign in your son or daughter. But God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. He wants you to parent with a spirit of power and love and a sound mind. He wants you to parent positively, not with criticism and nagging and worrying and put downs or being overly possessive or protective. Those approaches usually help produce the very rebellion we were afraid of.

When we parent out of fear, our alarm keeps going off all the time. Every incident, every negative comment from our child becomes a battleground. Maybe you see signs that you’re becoming like that smoke detector; you’re going off on everything. If you do, eventually you won’t be taken seriously anymore, probably at just the point in your child’s life when you really need to be taken seriously. You just can’t afford to have your son or daughter saying, “The alarm, again?”

Parents whose fear or negativism or perfectionism makes them sound off all the time tend to create rebels, because we create an immunity to a parental voice. And a child who is immune to mom or dad’s voice is like an unguided missile. If you sense that your alarm’s been going off too often, it’s time to turn that around.

It begins with an apology – asking your child to forgive you because of the nagging and the negative. Be honest with them about some of your fears for them. Tell them how much you believe in their potential and in their gifts and that you hate anything that might keep them from becoming all they were created to be. Be willing to be vulnerable with them. Be willing to need forgiving. You might be amazed how many walls that can bring down.

Then choose your battlegrounds. Learn to analyze a conflict or a concern, and put them in one of two categories: major battle or minor battle. And then save your ammunition for the battles that really matter. Bite your tongue on the others. Before you talk to your child, talk to God about your child. Bring your fear and your anger and your frustration to God so you don’t always have to dump it on your son or daughter. Give God time to work it out, and then jump in only as He prompts you to.

Because of Christ in your life, you can parent with confidence, with authority and restraint. And then when your parent alarm goes off, your kids will respond. Just wait until there’s real smoke from a real fire.

How Free Is “Free” Will?

“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, ‘You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden- except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.’” (Genesis 2:15-17 NLT)

It’s interesting to me that the expression “free will” isn’t found in the Hebrew or Greek manuscripts of the Bible, yet the Bible is filled with examples of the need to take responsibility for our actions. From the very beginning, as revealed in the verses above, the Lord called Adam to accountability in regard to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Having now had access to the carnage of man’s decision to break that commandment, is it any wonder we still wrestle so violently with our will? Can anyone legitimately question whether we are, in many unmistakable ways, the master of our own destiny? Yet, how many times do we hear and likely have said, “Things just didn’t work out like I expected.”

We want things to go well, but “things” are too often governed by the desires of our heart that long for personal fulfillment. We want things done our way in our time with results in our favor. When the center of our universe is ourselves, it’s hard to reckon with the commands of someone who desires to rule our life. But here’s the critical issue with which we must come to terms: This Person isn’t a dictator; He’s a loving Father who only has our best interests at heart.

On many levels our relationship with God is like a child to their father. As a rule, young children want to obey their parents; they want to be loved, cherished, treasured as important, not treated like a thing, a possession, a piece of furniture. They believe their obedience should and will be rewarded with love, and that’s exactly as it should be. But in the world in which we now live, because too many parents aren’t emotionally equipped to deal with children, they seek to rule them in unhealthy ways, resulting in adults who have distorted and very unhealthy attitudes and impressions of what a father should be.

The development of our will begins in our formative years and is largely shaped by the environment in which we grow up. If our mother and father were loving, kind, generous, provided well for our needs and seemed genuinely interested in our wellbeing, it’s easy for us to trust, to see good in people and to open our heart to a loving God. But if, on the other hand, they were angry, unpredictable, violent, uncaring, didn’t provide well and generally made us feel we were never wanted, were in the way, didn’t belong, our will is driven inward and it becomes very difficult to trust anyone, even a loving God.

So, what’s my point? Choosing to love and serve God is a step of faith that is rewarded with an eternal security, such that we never have to doubt that the God who made a promise to “never leave or forsake us” is a God of His Word. We can know with certainty that what Jesus said is true because His life verifies that everything about Him is genuine, pure, holy, and 100% believable.

That’s why when I put my “yes” on the proverbial table, I laid my “free” will right beside it. When I opened my heart to Jesus and received His forgiveness and eternal life as a gift of grace, I traded my will for His, my heart for His, my desires for His, my hopes, dreams aspirations for His. Whatever He wants is what I want because He knows me best and loves me most – even more than I love myself.

I can’t and won’t lose my salvation because I’ve entrusted it’s safe keeping to the only One who ever loved me enough to die in my place, pouring out His life’s blood on my behalf. And here’s the really great news! He did that for you also. Here’s the truth – If you’d been the only person on earth who needed a Savior, He would have still died, just for you. You can trust that Person to rule your life. I have for more than 60 years, and He’s never lied, hurt me, or done anything that hasn’t been in my best interests.

Please stop running from Him, trying to rule your own life. It’s hopeless. Please tap anewstory.com and let Him know you’re ready to give Him your will and submit to Him your life and allegiance for all eternity. You will literally NEVER regret it! The Lord Jesus paid a dear price to purchase your freedom; you can trust Him to guard it with His life. Let Him break the shackles of selfishness that have imprisoned you and free you to finally be all He created you to become.

How free is “free” will? It’s free for you to give to whomever you choose. Please choose wisely!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Destroying Our Love of Sin

“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’” John 8:10-11 NLT)

It’s interesting to me though the Lord didn’t say to the woman some version of: “Come, follow Me!” my sense is she never let Him far out of her sight. Her life was changed forever and she knew the source of that change.

Nothing had appeal to her like Jesus after that life-changing encounter with Him. All her longings were centered and focused on pleasing Him, following His instructions, learning what it meant to be a lover of Truth. John Newton grasped the reason for her response when he wrote: “Wonderful are the effects when a crucified, glorious Savior is presented to the eye of Faith. This sight destroys the love of sin.”

No, He hadn’t been crucified yet, but my sense is she was there when He was and she mourned likely more than the other disciples. Why? Because few had come from where she’d been, and few had come so far in their love and devotion to Him. This may well have been the woman who poured the expensive ointment over His head as recorded in Mark 14, but we won’t know for sure until we get to heaven.

The point is, when Jesus is our first love the things we value become gifts to give expression to our love for Him. He’s the focus of our desire, no longer the things that once brought us pleasure. We wrestle with sin because we haven’t yet come to terms with who we love the most – ourselves or Jesus? Our sin or our freedom to love and serve our Lord? When we love ourselves, we want to please ourselves and there’s really no limit to the ways or means by which we’ll seek to accomplish that.

Sex, drugs, lying, cheating, immorality on whatever level, even religiosity is no problem until we meet Jesus and we realize He doesn’t tolerate habitual sin in our lives. What does that mean? It means we do the same sin over and over and over and believe it won’t matter in our walk with the Lord. Sin is what separates us from the Lord, so, if our goal is to please and honor ourselves, it’s a pretty good indicator that we haven’t had a true encounter with the living God.

A religious experience can be very emotional and make us feel really good, but unless and until it causes our heart to break at the thought of what our sin cost our Savior, it’s just another religious hoop we jumped through to soothe our conscious or to check a religious box. If our behavior isn’t governed by our love for and devotion to our Savior, our sin won’t make us sick and cause us to rush to our Savior for forgiveness.

When we ignore sin or believe it isn’t a big deal, it’s simply evidence of who we’re trying to please and why. When our motivation is to make it to heaven or to miss hell and not to magnify, please, and honor our eternal Savior, we’re wearing a costume that may prevent others from seeing who we really are but can never fool the Lord. Not until we love the Lord more than we love our sin will we ever be free of sin’s shackles. The closer we get to the Lord the looser sin’s grip is on our lives.

Yes, of course, as long as we’re in these bodies of clay, we’ll always have the capacity to sin, but we’ll also, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have the ability to live without habitual sin in our life.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Early Contributions of African Americans to Independence

By: Debbie Wuthnow

*While I’ve been familiar with Debbie Wuthnow’s vital ministry as President of iVoterGuide, I just came across this article by her and thought it fitting as Americans to read as we focus on our Independence Day celebration. Blessings, Ed 😊

On June 19, 1865, news of the Union victory finally reached Galveston Bay. Freedom had arrived for 250,000 slaves in Texas!

As this milestone event has come to the forefront, I appreciate how remarkably it aligns with the timing of Independence Day. American ideals set the stage for our nation’s long-awaited abolition of slavery.

But no American milestone exceeds the importance of July 4. We love to draw inspiration from those who paved the way for freedom and examine how their stories line up with God’s design for human flourishing. Why? Because we want to continue their legacy as stewards of our national heritage for the sake of God’s glory. We also want to ensure that the next generation understands and appreciates the cost of the freedoms we enjoy. In the coming year, we’ll have even more opportunities for reflection and growth as we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s birth on July 4, 2026. I can hardly wait!

While many picture our founding fathers as predominantly white Europeans, there were also many African Americans who served the cause of freedom. These men not only played important roles in our nation’s birth, but they also led the way for racial equality.

Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Banneker was born a freeman on November 9, 1731, to former slave Robert Bannaky and his wife, Mary. His grandmother was a white indentured servant from England who taught young Benjamin how to read. Largely self-educated, Banneker farmed the 100-acre family property outside Baltimore for most of his life, but he also became a preeminent mathematician and astronomer. Banneker’s industry and intellect earned the respect of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other prominent figures of the Federalist Era.

We see Banneker’s most memorable act for freedom in a letter he wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1791, urging the then Secretary of State to advocate for the freedom of slaves. Firmly, but respectfully, Banneker called out Jefferson for holding slaves himself and used the founder’s own words to make a case for racial equality—words you and I learned to recite as children: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal … ”

James Armistead Lafayette

Born into slavery around 1760, James Armistead persuaded his master to let him enlist in the Continental Army, serving under Marquis de Lafayette. He went on to infiltrate British intelligence by pretending to be a runaway slave. Because the Brits valued Armistead’s vast knowledge of the Virginia terrain, he became a double agent, managing to deceive his superiors, General Charles Cornwallis and infamous American turncoat, Benedict Arnold.

In 1781 Armistead provided pivotal information to help secure the major American victory at Yorktown that won the war. But despite his contributions, Armistead was forced to return to a life of slavery. In 1784 Lafayette advocated for Armistead’s freedom, and he finally became a free man in 1787. Out of respect and gratitude for Lafayette, Armistead added the Frenchman’s name to his own. Though born a slave, Armistead never stopped aspiring to freedom. He showed tremendous resourcefulness, courage, and persistence as he fought for America’s freedom, as well as his own personal freedom.

Jack “Prince” Sisson

Prince Sisson, who also entered the Revolutionary War as an enslaved man, is best known for his service in a risky mission to capture British General Richard Prescott. The Continental Army needed the high-ranking British prisoner to make an even exchange in the recovery of General Charles Henry Lee. According to reports, Prince Sisson used his stout frame—with his head as a battering ram—to force open the door to Gen. Prescott’s sleeping quarters. Because of the successful mission, the American general was rescued in the trade that took place nine months later on April 21, 1778. Sisson also fought at the battles of Rhode Island and Yorktown and was given his freedom at the end of the war.

Despite those days of rampant African oppression worldwide, these remarkable black Americans caught the vision of a nation aspiring to freedom for all. Using the resources and influence available to them, they fought for liberties not fully realized during their lifetime. We follow their example when we use our gifts (including our right to vote!) to fight for freedom and justice, though we may never see the fruits of our labor.

May our resolve be refreshed by Benjamin Banneker’s words to Thomas Jefferson: “I hope you cannot but acknowledge, that it is the indispensable duty of those who … profess the obligations of Christianity, to extend their power and influence to the relief of every part of the human race, from whatever burthen or oppression they may unjustly labour under …”

For our future,

Debbie

Debbie Wuthnow
President, iVoterGuide

When You Pray

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 NLT)

Our faith in Jesus, while very personal, should never be private. Prayer on the other hand, while it certainly can and should be shared with others, should be birthed in private. What does that mean? It means we grow in our understanding of what prayer is, why and how it works, and develop our love for and devotion to our heavenly Father when we commune with Him in private. It’s also where we develop our “ear” to hear His voice and understand His commands, not just generally, but specifically for us.

In the context of a recent conversation the Lord and I were having, He asked me to share the following with you. He has taught me a lot in and about prayer, so, today, I’d like to pass on some of what He’s shared with me.

Prayer is Private. That obviously doesn’t mean we only pray alone, what it means is the words and language of our prayers are God originated. We’re not simply reciting our own or someone else’s words, but relying on the Holy Spirit’s leadership to give us an ear to the Lord’s heart, enabling us to hear from Him what He would be pleased for us to speak with Him about, whether in public or private.
Pray out loud. Yes, even in private, pray out loud, but why? Primarily to help you keep your focus. I’ve learned even if I pray in a whisper, it enables me to keep better focus and stay on track with my pattern of prayerful thought. The greatest spiritual battlefield is our mind, so, Satan rarely works harder than when we’re in thoughtful, meaningful, Christ-focused prayer. Unbelief, illustrated by questions like – “Is God even listening? Can He, WILL He do what I’m asking?” These and a thousand other issues crowd our mind, so we need all the help we can get to keep our focus on the Lord.
Write your prayer list. At least initially and when someone gives you a new request, write them down. When I first got serious about prayer, I wrote everything down, even the countries of the world. I would prayer around the world every month. There are roughly 200 countries, so that’s about 7 a day. Today my primary focus is on countries that are suffering the greatest persecution. I pray for each country by name and if I know specific people in those countries, I pray for them by name. The more specific you can be, the more easily you’ll recognize answers.
Pray Categorically. That just means, stay on the same topic. For example, I begin my prayer time with personal worship, thanking the Lord for who He is, what He’s doing in my life, for His bountiful provision, for health, strength to carry out His will for this day. Whatever He lays on my heart to share with Him. Then I move to Family: my wife, children and their spouses and families, grandchild, nieces, nephews and their families. My extended family around the world, especially those who are without a saving-knowledge of the Lord. I pray the Lord will put someone in their lives who knows and loves Him and to whom my lost family member would relate and would listen.

Then I extend my “family” to my Spiritual family. That’s when I begin to pray especially for my brothers and sisters in other countries. Then I pray locally, beginning with my local church family. I pray specifically, by name for each of my Pastors and their family members, if I know their names. I pray for the leaders of our church and their families, each child, each teen, young adult, middle adult, and senior adult. Obviously, in a church of 5,000 people I don’t know everyone’s names, but I do pray by name for many with whom I serve and have or do share in groups. Then I close my time in prayer by praying for my neighbors, including the surrounding four neighborhoods. Again, I don’t know many of their names, but I do pray specifically for those who are lost and those who do know Him that they would live like it and share His love fruitfully and effectively.

I’m hopeful that’s helpful in guiding you, especially if prayer is a new adventure for you. I’m happy for you to reach out to me at walkingwithjesus@gmail.com. I also pray for YOU each day, thanking the Lord for allowing me the privilege of being a very small part of your life.

Blessings, Ed 😃

P. S. I typically spend an hour to an hour and a half in the morning, but pray throughout the day as the Lord prompts me. If prayer is new to you, begin with 15-20 minutes, then work in more time as you can.

Prayer must never be seen as an obligation, but a privilege. To that end our hearts will overflow with joy in Jesus.

Victory or Defeat?

“’Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?’ Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. ‘Let me go over and cut off his head!’ ‘No!’ the king said. ‘Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?’” (2 Samuel 16:9-10 NLT)

Following King David’s son Absalom’s rebellion, David went into hiding. The above verses illustrate a couple of things. First, the deep resentment the relatives of David’s predecessor, King Saul, felt against David, but more importantly, the context in which David viewed his son’s rebellion and subsequent consequences.

David, with all his faults, was, after all, a man after God’s own heart. He wanted above all else to do what God wanted done, even if it cost him. What was an apparent defeat for David was now being seen in the context of what God was allowing, so, the issue wasn’t “should I have this man’s head cut off because he criticized and threw rocks at me?” but “I must see it as an opportunity to honor the Lord and wait patiently for His guidance?”

What’s our takeaway? Victory or defeat is relative to the context in which we view it. How so? We can have a major “mountain top” spiritual experience and conclude: “Wow! The Lord must really think I’m hot stuff!” when in reality He was testing us to see if we had the good sense to handle it with humility. Every experience we have is in some way a life lesson that will ultimately make us better or make us bitter; it will hone our skills in learning humility or rub our nose in our pride and self-confidence.

On the other hand, we may fall flat on our spiritual face and conclude: “I’m a loser! What kind of miserable failure am I to allow that to happen? The Lord will never forgive me for such a sin!” That’s not humility, that’s pride in disguise. That’s a blatant attempt to once again turn the focus of attention on us, rather than take the Lord at His Word, believe He sees and understands every detail of our lives and will forgive us, cleanse and restore us upon our humble confession.

Unfortunately, even as sincere, Spirit-filled, Jesus-seeking believers we can fail and fall, doing things we never dared dream we would. We can stay down, wallowing in self-pity and regret, or get up, dust ourselves off, own our sin, confess it and turn from it. We can, as David did, choose to see it as part of our spiritual growth process. The only sinless person who ever lived was nailed to a Cross where we deserved to be. But by God’s grace He took our place and every time we fall, He has made a way for us to be forgiven, learn from it and be better because of it.

Jerry Vines wrote: “A defeat that leaves you humble is better than a victory that leaves you proud.” David was better for having handled a very difficult situation with grace and mercy and the Lord rewarded him for it. Our posture of humility will be fueled by our patience under pressure. When the fires of opposition and turmoil are turned up, our focus must be kept on the Lord, made possible by continued prayer and humility before Him.

Perhaps this is no more powerfully illustrated than in family dynamics. As a spouse or parent, to be corrected or reminded of something we’ve said or done that turned out to be quite contrary to what we’d professed, is difficult, yet how we handle it has, literally, eternal implications. Some of the most meaningful times I’ve ever had with my wife or children were when I could admit I was wrong and sincerely apologize and seek their forgiveness. Often, I’ve seen the Lord turn a very negative family situation into a very healing and helpful time where He is honored and we as family members are blessed and drawn closer.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊