Walking With Jesus

What’s the Basis of Your Happiness?

“The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” (Proverbs 10:28 NLT)

Happiness, according to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “a state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable satisfaction.” It’s interesting to me that the word in the verse above that is translated “expectations“ means: “the thing that I long for.” Many today are selling their soul for what they believe will satisfy their longings, only to be disappointed. How do I know that?

Two ways. First, because that’s what God’s Word says: “the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” And second, because ultimately the only thing that offers lasting satisfaction, thus happiness, is Jesus. C.S. Lewis wrote: “Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose.”

A good rule of thumb is: “If you can see it with your physical eyes, you’re going to lose it.” It’s going to wear out, burn out, rust out, or die. Earthly things are all temporary. But that’s not to say that we can’t and/or won’t enjoy or be happy about the good things God provides us while we’re here.

Every day I thank the Lord for my family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ I’ve met across the years. I’m grateful for friendships with men and women whom I’ve met that have for me embodied the Spirit and life of my Savior. I’ve been able to see Jesus more clearly for having spent time in their presence.

The hope of heaven, to finally see Jesus’ face, and to be reunited with family and dear friends who have loved Jesus and have preceded me in death, is the longing of my heart in this season of my life. Solomon wrote: “The hopes of the godly result in happiness…” In my mind hope isn’t simply something for which we long, it’s a present reality affirmed in and through our relationship with Jesus.

For me, He isn’t just a “coming King,” He’s my constant companion and guide in this life. His presence is as real to me today as the voice of my dear wife calling me to dinner. Material things are a blessing to me that make my life so much easier, but if a tornado swept my every earthly possession away, I’d still be happy in Jesus, knowing that everything I have or will ever need is derived from my walk with Him.

He’s my Provider. He may use the government or other sources to provide the money I need to live, but ultimately, it’s from Him. Foundationally, Jesus is the basis of my happiness. How about you? What’s the basis of your happiness? On what are you casting your longings to meet the need of your heart and life?

Are you bitter from the loss of someone or some thing you were counting on to meet your happiness quota? Was your life drastically challenged by a physical illness or injury, so much so you’re concerned that life will never be the same for you?

When I was new to ministry, I visited a young man in the hospital who had been shot in the face. Having very little experience with hospital visits, I asked him how he was doing. He said: “I’ve been shot in the face; how do think I’m doing?” I didn’t know how to respond then, but if I had that visit to do over, I’d say something like: “I’d think you’d be grateful you’re alive. If the bullet had been an inch or so in another direction, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” This life is so fragile.

We have no assurance of the next breath, but it’s like we think God owes us an explanation for everything that happens in our life. If our “happiness cart” is upset, or our “world” is affected by something that changes our routine, we’re livid. Why can’t we see the disruptions to our schedules as an opportunity to see the Lord and our lives from a healthier perspective? We’d sure be a lot happier if we did.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Living As People of Light

“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” (Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT)

Have you ever been where the sun never shines? My son and I toured a massive cave together. The tour guide took us to a huge open area and turned off her light. Total darkness! Though I don’t remember what it was called, the guide told us about a species that lived in the cave that originally had eyes, but after several generations, having never seen light, they began being born without eyes.

It caused me to think of generations of people who live without any knowledge of Jesus, or who willingly choose to be ignorant of Him. It’s as if over time their soul becomes blind to who He is.

“Solstice” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Ray Majoran is a photographer who has taken some breathtaking photos of nature. Each day I receive another photo with a prayer and Scripture that Ray uses as he describes his photo. A few weeks ago, he prayed: “Father God, yesterday in the northern hemisphere, we witnessed the miracle of the winter solstice. For a moment, the earth was tilted at 23.5 degrees so that the sun appeared directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, representing the darkest day in the northern hemisphere. In fact, for those in the Arctic Circle, the sun did not rise.” Then he added: “It’s hard to imagine a day without the sun’s light, but it’s even harder to imagine a day without Jesus — the Light of the World.”

The irony for us as believers is that we can walk past people every day who have eyes but are blind to the Truth of who Jesus is and to what He has accomplished for us and for them on the Cross. In some cases, their blindness is self-inflicted because they’ve closed their heart and soul to any consideration of God or a god. Does that make them a “bad” person? Not necessarily, but it does make them lost and without hope for a home in heaven.

On some levels it’s as if their soul has experienced a solstice and their view of the “Son” has been blocked or impaired. Death of a loved one, a severe loss, despair, depression, disappointment, there are many things the enemy uses to cause us to lose sight of the light of the Savior’s love. But the irony is, sometimes it only takes a kind word, a thoughtful gesture, a caring call, or an intentional effort on our part to give them a glimpse of the Light.

Living as a person of light means we must allow the light of God’s loving kindness to shine on more than ourselves. Yes, of course, our lives should reflect the love of God in very practical ways, but we can’t allow ourselves to believe our life alone will show someone the way to Jesus. Kindness must be coupled with thoughtful, helpful words that not only inform, but invite someone to yield their lives to the Savior.

Being a person of the Light of life is a privilege that bears responsibility. We must be students of the Word of God and pursuers of the Lamb of God, for it’s through Jesus and His Word that we are equipped to share the life He’s given us with others.

Paul wrote in the verse above that “So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” We’re so prone to forget that we once walked in darkness and the Lord sent someone to us to show us the way to the Light of life.

“Lord of heavens armies, please enable us, by Your Spirit, to be sensitive to those in our spheres of influence. Help our lives to be a beacon of hope for those who are struggling. Enable us to be You to those who are desperate for a touch from You. Grant that we might not block the light of Your life from healing and helping others to see You clearly. In Jesus holy name I pray.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Changed Life

“Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” (John 3:6 NLT)

What does it mean to have a “changed life?” There are life-changing events and experiences that may have nothing to do with a person meeting Jesus or having a heart-change for God. Someone can win the lottery, get married, have a baby, move to another country, or have a lung transplant and their life will change dramatically, yet they may still be just as carnal as they ever were.

There’s not necessarily anything “spiritual” about a changed life. Change, in and of itself, isn’t good or bad, it’s what that change leads to. One person can go to prison and come out a new creation in Christ Jesus, while another can come out bitter, angry, and hardened against any concept of a god.

There are innumerable events or circumstances that can and often do change our lives, some of which turn people to Christ, while others can experience the same crisis and be turned away from Him. Ironically, some, even within the church, have the mindset that if they can only change for the better or “get their act together,” or get free of their addiction, God will love them and accept them.

Christine Caine said: “Christianity is not about behavior modification it’s about heart transformation.” Turning over the proverbial “new leaf” isn’t what God desires. We are wayward and fickle, unreliable, and sinful beings. We can profess love for God and still swindle our family member in a business deal. What’s my point? Simply this, spiritually speaking, we’re incapable of changing ourselves.

A life of honor, respect for God and others, and dependence upon God in every avenue of our lives isn’t attained through our own goodness or any human ability, it’s a gift from God. We are helpless and hopeless to change ourselves, “to make something of ourselves” in a spiritual sense. A genuinely changed life, at least a life evidenced by a sincere heart for God, can’t be counterfeited or faked long term.

Ultimately, our true colors are going to show, but even if we could fool everyone for our whole life, we still have to stand before the God who knows us better than we know ourselves, so why try? True repentance doesn’t happen except through the intervention of a holy God. We can develop God honoring habits that are empowered and made possible by the Holy Spirit, but we can’t take credit for any life change that results from our efforts. It’s a partnership between us and God.

Tim Keller wrote: “God’s salvation doesn’t come in response to a changed life. A changed life naturally comes in response to salvation.” When we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus, the Holy Spirit moves in and takes over, but only to the extent we allow. At first, it’s cumbersome and it takes time for us to adapt to having Someone else call the shots in our life, but the closer we get to Jesus the more of Himself He’ll reveal to us.

In this season of my life there’s nothing more important or meaningful to me than the presence of God in my life. I’m finally learning that I can literally do nothing apart from Him. James L. Snyder wrote: “Throughout the history of humanity, there have been great discoveries. I am not sure which one we could point to and say, ‘That is the greatest discovery in the world.’ But for the hungry heart, there is but one discovery that satisfies it: the discovery of the manifest, conscious presence of God.”

A changed life is valueless unless and until it reflects the presence of God in how a person thinks, acts, and lives. The words of Paul in Philippians 1:21 resonate with my spirit in this season of my life: “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is Your Theology Defective?

“Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.” (Romans 10:1-3 NLT)

In the above verses the Apostle Paul revealed his heart for his people, the Jews, to be saved. When you read his description of why they’re so reluctant to come to Christ, it sounds a lot like the people I pray for every day. “…misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with Himself.”

Grace is a hard concept for self-righteous people. When someone believes they’re good enough to get to heaven without Jesus, without the grace of God, they’re living a lie. When you boil it all down, our theology is what we believe about God: who He is, what He’s done or not done, how He relates to us as human beings, what He expects of us.

As I think of my own theological position, there are at least three critical elements that must be included. First, a healthy view of grace. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9: “God saved you be His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Being in a right relationship with God is all God and none of us. “Whoa,” you may object, “what about MY belief? Isn’t that my part?” The KJV translates verse 8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Even the faith we need to be saved is a grace gift from God. The only thing we bring to the table is ourselves and an openness to allow God to do what only He can do in cleansing us and filling us with His Spirit.

So, a healthy view of grace realizes salvation is a gift from God, but it also includes a correct view of sin. The goal of salvation is for us to become a new creation in Christ. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Does this mean we’ll never sin again? No, but that’s our goal.

John 2:1 says: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” A theology that believes we can continue to sin as a matter of habit is a defective theology. Sin is our enemy with whom we’ll do battle as long as we’re in these bodies of clay, but the longer we live, the more like Jesus we should become, thus, the less we should be sinning.

The second critical element in my theology is a healthy view of myself. I’m a sinner saved by grace, which means I must constantly, in an ever-increasing degree, rely on God’s Spirit to enable me to walk in newness of life. That means I will always be fully dependent upon the Spirit of God to guide, equip, and enable me to do what pleases God, not me.

If my theology encourages me to follow the dictates of my own heart, that’s a problem. Baptism by immersion illustrates that we die to ourselves and rise to new life in Jesus (Romans 6). To rely on my fickle heart to make spiritually healthy decisions is an oxymoron.

Thirdly, Danny Akin writes: “The bottom line is, if your theology is not breaking your heart for lost souls, you have a bad, defective theology.” To love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and not have a heart for the lost in our spheres of influence is a huge red flag. The more we grow in our likeness of Jesus, the greater our burden should become for those who are lost.

Jesus cared enough for the souls of mankind to die! How much do you care?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You a Gospel Paramedic?

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)

How do you see your life? As you inspect your own heart, what do you see? How about when you view the lives of those around you? Does your heart flow with love, grace, mercy, kindness, gentleness, and compassion? Or does what you see in others result in anger, frustration, impatience, and unkindness?

Our heart is a fickle friend. Sometimes we’re the “Good Samaritan,” but at other times we’re the Pharisee praying at the Temple, outlining how good we are and how despicable everyone else is. Why is that? Why the sometimes drastic, almost opposite responses to others?

On some levels, at least as I look at my own heart, it’s the proverbial “barometer” of where my life is headed. Thankfully I’m not as volatile emotionally as I used to be, but there have been times, even seasons, when I’ve believed everyone was going to heaven, then other times I can’t believe anyone is going to heaven.

Yes, I’m exaggerating to make a point, but the point is this: we can’t trust our hearts, thus the reason we must guard it with all diligence. If we simply follow our heart, it’s like driving 80 mph down a steep, winding road, blindfolded. It may be fun for a minute, until we miss a curve and go sailing over the edge. Regardless of how we feel about it, it’s not going to end well.

The only safe and reliable guide in finding our way is to yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading, trusting Him without reservation, being anchored in God’s Word. Jim Thomas wrote: “May we Bible believing Christians act less like moral policemen, more like Gospel paramedics, and never at all like we’re the final judge.”

Our mission as Jesus followers is to love God and to love others as ourselves. A paramedic is defined as “a person trained to give emergency medical care to people who are injured or ill, typically in a setting outside of a hospital.” How might that translate for us as believers in Jesus? In my understanding, paramedics aren’t typically physicians or surgeons, they’re role is to keep people alive long enough to get them to someone who can more fully address their concerns.

What if we saw our role more like that? Not to “fix” people, but to offer them loving support as they find their way to the Lord, who is the “Healer.” Like us, they don’t need to “clean up their lives” before they can come to Him, they only need to be willing to open their heart and mind to Him and let Him do the cleaning.

We don’t have to “police” others for Jesus. We only need to pray and direct them to the Lord. None of us have it all together and we never will this side of eternity. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it frustrates me to see someone who professes to love Jesus, speak, and act like the devil. But unless and until the Lord appoints me to work on His holy Police Force, I have my hands full dealing with the guy looking back at me from the mirror.

By God’s grace, let’s be a part of the solution, not add to the problem. Let’s be sensitive to those around us who need a touch from the Lord or a kind word that might encourage them on their way to finding newness of life in Jesus. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do for someone is to listen to them. We almost always learn more by listening than we do when we’re talking. I know that’s true when I’m talking.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Can You Trust the Bible?

“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” (2 Peter 2:20-21 NLT)

C.S. Lewis wrote: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else.”

When I was a teen, newly saved and new to the Bible, my youth Pastor asked me to share during a Wednesday evening service what the Bible meant to me. Today I could bore you to death, but then I was petrified, and my mind literally was blank. All I could think of was an idea he gave me when he asked me to speak: “The Bible is like a roadmap that shows me the paths my life should take.” I repeated that about ten times until he finally realized I was in way over my head.

What does the Bible mean to you? Have you made reading and studying the Bible a regular part of your day? If not, why not? If you profess faith in Christ, why wouldn’t you want to read everything you can get your hands on to learn more about Him and what it means to be His follower. But beyond that, why wouldn’t you want to read the Book He authored?

What does that mean? It means His inspiration, the leadership of His Spirit, guided the human authors in writing what we can now hold in our hands and read for ourselves. The single theme of the Bible is Jesus. Jesus is the living Word of God who was the Author of creation. He is the Light of the world that the darkness can never extinguish (John 1:1-5).

And the most amazing part of the Bible to me is that it’s still being written, in my life and yours. The Bible is alive and active. That’s why you can read it over and over and continue to see things you’ve missed, because the Spirit is alive in us, speaking, teaching, encouraging, uplifting, challenging, guiding, blessing, informing, and on and on!

Voltaire, the French philosopher, was a brilliant atheist who made a statement about the Bible. He said: “One hundred years from today, the Bible will be a forgotten book.” Today the Bible is still the best selling book in the world, having sold more than 5 billion copies.

The Bible has been criticized for not being “scientific,” which, of course, it isn’t. But I love what Pastor Rick Warren wrote in a recent devotional: “The Bible wasn’t meant to be a scientific textbook. You don’t study the Bible to build a rocket. And the Bible doesn’t use scientific language. But the Bible never gives bad science! In fact, it’s always ahead of science.

For example:

For thousands of years, people believed that the Earth was flat. But God said 2,600 years ago in Isaiah 40:22 that God is enthroned above the sphere of the Earth.
For thousands of years, people believed something held the Earth up. Hindus believed huge elephants did it. The Greeks believed Atlas did it. The Egyptians believed five columns held the Earth up. But the Bible never says that anything is holding the planet up.
For thousands of years, people believed that the number of stars were finite. But Jeremiah 33:22 says the number of stars can’t be counted.

The Bible says, “Praise Him, you highest heaven and the water above the sky. Let them praise the name of the LORD because they were created by His command. He set them in their places forever and ever. He made it a law that no one can break” (Psalm 148:4-6 GW).

The laws of science don’t work one day and then stop working the next. Each and every one of them always works—because they are true and made by God. And truth doesn’t change.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Humanity’s Instruction Manual

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

There are so many issues with which we struggle, the answers for which can be found in the Bible. When we need an attorney, accountant, repairman for any number of problems, we often take the word of a loved one or friend who recommends someone they have used and whom they trust. Why can’t we follow the same principle when it comes to the Bible?

Pastor Rick Warren wrote: “When Jesus talked about the Bible, he would often base his argument about the truth of the Bible on a single sentence or even a single word from the Bible. He believed every single sentence, every single word of Scripture. So if you trust Jesus, why wouldn’t you trust the Bible?” Pastor Rick goes on to say: “Jesus believed in some of the most disputed stories in the Bible, particularly Noah, Adam and Eve, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah. People who think that the Bible is mostly good stories that didn’t really happen always point to those four stories. If Jesus really believed in Jonah, then you should too. I don’t know how God created a fish that could swallow a guy, but it’s in the Bible, so he did. I trust in the Bible because Jesus trusted in it. You should too.”

In my experience some of the fiercest critics of the Bible have never read it, or at most have picked out “proof texts” to seek to discredit its message. One of my Seminary Professors said: “A text taken out of context becomes a pretext.” That basically means we can make the Bible say most anything we want it to say if we remove it from its original context.

For example, in Matthew 27:5 the Bible says Judas “went out and hanged himself.” And in Luke 10:37 Jesus said: “Yes, now go and do the same.” That’s what the Bible says in two separate and distinct contexts, but to pull them out of their original contexts and put them together, you get something the Bible never said. False prophets have done a similar thing in pulling texts out of their original context to lead many very good people down some very wrong paths.

Recently, I was introduced to a wonderful resource written by Greg Stier, tying love and the truth of God’s Word together to address a very current issue. Please click on his name and check it out, especially if you have a child or grandchild in your life.

Greg wrote: “The Bible is His (God’s) primary way of explaining to His creation—to all humanity—who He is, who we are, and how the world works. Since the whole universe can be considered God’s ‘house,’ His rules—as outlined in the Bible—apply to everyone. In other words, the Bible is humanity’s instruction manual. And it’s clear on issues of identity and sexuality. We’re all born as slaves to our flesh—which encompasses our genetics, hormones, natural instincts, and sinful desires—and into a sinful, fallen environment—which includes abuse, unbiblical ideologies, and more. But the amazing news of the Gospel is that when we trust Christ, His Spirit frees us from that slavery and enables us to live in God’s ways—no matter what caused our sin to begin with.”

If you profess to be a child of God and haven’t yet begun to read and study the Bible regularly and in earnest, how do you ever expect to grow into a mature believer? The Bible is nourishment for your soul as food is for your body. To profess faith in Christ and not love His Word is a contradiction. The Bible is our primary instruction manual in learning who Jesus is, why He came to earth, and what plans He has for us as His followers.

To discard the Bible as outdated or unimportant is to miss our most valuable resource for Christian health and living.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does God Interfere With Our Lives?

“They began screaming at Him, ‘Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?’” (Matthew 8:29 NLT)

Do you believe God interferes with your life? Do you believe the pain or torment you experience is His fault? The Greek word translated “interfering” in the verse above means “torment, pain, toss, vex, toil” and describes how the ancients “tested metals by the touchstone, which is a black silicious stone used to test the purity of gold and silver by the color of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal.” (Strong’s) The word can also mean “to question by applying torture; to vex with grievous pains (of body or mind), to torment.”

The question in the verse above was asked by demons from within a man they controlled. Think about that for a second. What do demons do? They torment, vex, cause pain, destroy people’s lives. Does it seem odd to you that demons, who have no choice but to submit to the authority of the Savior, immediately assumed Jesus would do to them what they’d been doing to the man they possessed? And just so we’re clear, they were headed to an eternity of torment and pain, but that wasn’t Jesus’ reason for “interfering” in the demon’s lives in this specific instance.

How like us when we’re in pain, heartache, torment of mind, body, or soul, to immediately assume God is the cause. And don’t lose sight of the fact that while the demon possessed man ran to meet Jesus, the sole reason for Jesus being in that place at that time was to heal that man. He was the initiator of the man’s healing, not the man himself.

That’s true for us as well. Jesus is always the Initiator, not us. We may go about our lives as if He didn’t exist. For all intent and purpose, we’re “practical atheists” until something happens to get our attention and turn us back to God. It’s as if, even as professing believers, we assume God has caused this problem to get our attention, so we turn to Him with an attitude that essentially says: “Okay, You have my attention. What do you want from Me? Just fix this so I can go on with my life the way I want to live it.”

We may not use those words, but for all practical purposes, that’s too often our attitude. Yet, think of why Jesus was in the presence of the demons in the first place. He wasn’t there to criticize, condemn (even the demons), or correct bad behavior, He was there to heal, restore, deliver, bring life and health in measures that man had never known in all his life.

Jesus wasn’t “interfering” in the man’s life, He was rescuing him in ways that man was helpless to save himself. Like a drowning person clings to their rescuer, that man was holding on to Jesus as his last resort. If Jesus failed, there was no plan “B.” Do you not yet understand Jesus is your only hope? He alone can do for you what you can never in eternity ever do for yourself.

What is the “demon” in your life that’s holding you back? What habit, hangup, or hurt has you so entangled in your own issues you’re too blind to see who Jesus is and what only He can do for you? And the irony is, He’s standing right in front of you. You don’t need to find your way to Him, He’s already made His way to you. He’s always and only a prayer away.

God’s Word makes it clear that God is not the initiator or cause of your difficulties (see Romans 8:28), but He is definitely the solution. He can do what only He can do, but you must do what only you can do. Like the man who was controlled by demons, you must submit whatever’s keeping you from giving your life to Jesus and let Him free you to be all He died to enable you to become.

Please let Him deliver you from your torment. Click on this link to see how you can finally be free. Ron Hutchcraft’s Bridge Illustration.

Blessings, Ed 😊

No Ordinary Things

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4 NLT)

When I was in elementary school, my best friend lived across the street. His yard had a slope on which we would lay at night and look at the star-filled sky. We’d imagine what it would be like to travel in space, to experience its vastness firsthand.

We tend to discount what we don’t understand, so, if we fail to recognize the fingerprints of God on something, even as believers, we too often devalue or disregard it. Everything that God made has purpose. If it had no purpose God wouldn’t have created it.

Living in Florida for a few years caused me to question God’s purpose for mosquitos, but I learned they had much ecological value. It didn’t make it any easier to like them when they bit me, but at least I could see God created them to have their own special place, just as He did for you and me.

John Calvin wrote: “There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” Having driven across the northern states in the U.S. I saw a picture of my homeland that I’d not seen before and was in awe of its vastness.

John Stonestreet wrote: “What we mean is that creation, itself, is alive and infused with meaning. Just as human beings are not merely the dust we’re made of but images of our Creator, every star, every flower, and every grain of sand is also charged with divine truth. None of it is there by accident but exists to instruct us and to impel us to worship! Every earthly beauty is a reflection of a heavenly reality.”

The biggest takeaway for me as I ponder God’s creation, especially as it relates to us as human beings, is every one of us is an image bearer of almighty God. Some of us have distorted and damaged His image in us so much it’s nearly unrecognizable, but every person deserves to be treated with respect, even, perhaps especially, if they don’t deserve it or, in our mind, haven’t earned it.

Who of us deserves the grace of God? Who are we to cast judgment on another human being? Something that’s been a guiding light for much of my life is this: There’s nothing anyone has ever done or will ever do that I’m not capable of doing given the right set of circumstances. To believe otherwise is to be blind to the power of sin and the evil that exists in our world and lurks within each of us.

Perhaps my greatest disappointment is my seeming never ending infatuation with me. The more desire to put Jesus first in my life, the harder Satan works to push me into His rightful place. How do I most frequently allow that? In my relationships with those I love the most! I treat those closest as though they are an “ordinary thing.”

Taking someone I love for granted is among the grossest sins I can commit against them. To treat my wife without respect or to place my desires ahead of hers; to believe I’m “owed” anything from her, my kids, or anyone else I hold dear, is to remove Jesus from the throne of my life and put myself there instead.

There are no ordinary things, but especially there are no ordinary people. To profess love for Jesus and treat someone like we wouldn’t treat Him is to misrepresent our Savior and miss an opportunity to be Him to someone else.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s Your Wingman?

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too.” (Ephesians 6:18-19a NLT)

There’s a line in the movie “Devotion” that really spoke to me. The young Lieutenant said: “The real battle in all of life is being someone that people can count on.” In aerial combat, as the movie portrayed, you must be able to count on your wingman, the pilot in the plane beside you.

As believers in Jesus, our lives are a constant battle. Everyday we’re faced with circumstances that can cause us to crash and burn. The loss of a loved one; the illness of a child or someone we love; the loss of a job or opportunity on which we’d counted; a falling out with a friend; a debilitating illness or diagnosis.

Satan is constantly inspecting our lives seeking to determine where we’re weakest in order that he may launch an attack. The Bible is clear that there’s no such thing as a “Lone Ranger” believer. One of the most powerful scenes in the Scriptures to me is when Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to accompany Him a short distance from the rest of the disciples to undergird Him in prayer.

Jesus said to them: “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” Jesus was sensing the weight of the burden He must bear was going to crush the life out of Him if His friends didn’t support Him with prayer. Think of the implications if Satan had been able to kill Jesus before He could lay down His life on the Cross.

How many plans are foiled by Satan because we don’t have anyone supporting us in prayer? We talk about putting on the “full armor of God,” but we too often dismiss the reality of spiritual warfare, to our demise. We give lip service to prayer, rarely giving it the priority it deserves until we face a crisis.

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Every morning I receive a text from a dear friend who has moved to another state but continues to pray for me and my family. Often, he’ll ask: “How are you doing? Anything special I can pray for you about today?” He’s my “wingman,” and I am his. I know I can count on him to pray for me regardless of what’s going on in my life, as I pray for him.

Do you have someone like that in your life? Are you that person in someone else’s life? The truth is, we both have many more people for whom we pray every day, including family, friends, our Pastors, those who are lost, and those who are saved. I literally pray around the world every day. Why do I do that? First, because it’s Biblical, but mostly it frightens me to consider that I might be the only person praying for someone who needs Jesus.

Dick Eastman, a great proponent of prayer, said: “Behind the saving grace of every person is someone praying.” What does that mean? It means to me that people aren’t being saved because no one is praying for them. Which begs the question – For whom are you praying? Who will be in heaven because of your prayers?

Think of the many marriages that could be saved if each of us would become our spouses “wingman?” Think of the children who could become giants for God if only we’d be more persistent and serious in lifting them to the Lord in prayer. Think of those obnoxious co-workers, neighbors, relatives, or _________, whose lives could be transformed if we’d persevere in prayer on their behalf.

Do you realize that if you’re saved, the only reason you are is because someone took the time to pray for you? Who are you taking time to pray for every day who is lost? As Jesus followers we have a lifeline to the Father. Let’s use it! Let’s bombard the throne of God with people’s names and needs that can change the trajectory of their lives forever.

In Romans 8 Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus are constantly bearing intercession for us. If you desire to be closer to God, snuggle up to Him as you lift your needs and the needs of others to Him in prayer. The Lord never seems closer to me than when I’m speaking with Him about the needs of others.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊