Walking With Jesus

When We Get Honest

“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.” (Luke 8:15 NLT)

Nothing of eternal value is ever gained dishonestly. Lying to ourselves or others about the things of God, whether it relates to our daily disciplines as a believer, or as basic as to whether we’re even saved. Joe Holland said: “Faith is being honest with ourselves about God. Repentance is being honest with God about ourselves.”

We can fool ourselves into believing we must be okay with God because we have “faith” in Him. We may be living like the devil and think we have everyone at church fooled because we’ve learned to “talk the talk,” but God’s opinion of us is the only one that really matters. If our “faith” isn’t reflected in the way we think, illustrated by the way we live, we need to rethink our relationship with God.

Faith is essential, not only in our coming to the Lord, but as we learn to live day by day in submission to God’s directives. Repentance begins with a change in the way we think. Before we’re forgiven and given a new, clean heart, our thoughts of ourselves can be easily distorted to believe we’re far better than we are. So, the Lord gives us a filter through which we’re able to, not only see ourselves from a much more accurate perspective, but that enables us to see God more clearly.

That clearer vision of ourselves should lead us to a more disciplined and obedient life, which over time becomes more and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus. Ideally, as we grow in closeness to the Lord our life should reflect more accurately, glimpses of Jesus. On some levels it’s like pictures we take on vacation of the beautiful things we see and experience.

There’s just no way to capture everything we saw and felt, but we take snapshots that remind us of the magnificence we experienced. I took a lot of pictures of the Grand Canyon, but even with all the pictures and even movies I took, nothing compares to sitting on a rock so high up people look like specks, watching the sun set.

We can’t ever approximate the likeness of Jesus in this life, but we can give people “snapshots” of Him that can encourage them to experience Him for themselves. But we must continually be honest, not only with ourselves regarding our efforts in living our life for the Lord, but with our expectations of, not only what God expects of us, but of what we expect of God.

J.D. Greear wrote: “There is no ‘and’ in the gospel. There is faith in what Christ has done plus ‘nothing else’ that saves.” There is a sometimes-delicate balance between what God expects us to do for ourselves and what He has done and will continue to do in, through, and on our behalf. Salvation is a gift from God and there’s nothing we can do to earn or deserve it.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9: “God saved you by 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.”

If we’re to be honest with ourselves, we must maintain a healthy balance between faith and repentance. Both are our life-long companions. Faith is the anchor that enables us to grip Jesus with all our might, knowing that apart from Him we are nothing, and apart from Him we can do nothing. Coupled by an attitude of determination that is always listening carefully to our Master’s voice, ready to immediately change our mind and/or direction in order to more fully and completely yield to His desires.

The more closely we walk with Jesus the more honest we’ll be with ourselves and Him, resulting in more fruitfulness to His honor and fame.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Ring of Death

“And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.” (I Thessalonians 3:12 NLT)

In Scripture there are literally dozens of “one another” statements such as the one above. Why is that so important? Because being a follower of Jesus isn’t an individual process. When we come to Jesus in response to His Holy Spirit’s invitation, we become a member of the Body of Christ on earth, commonly referred to as the Church.

Just as when I was born, I became a member of my biological family, when we’re born again of the Spirit, we become a member of God’s Family. In God’s design every child born should become a part of a loving, caring, and nurturing family, biologically and spiritually. Family is the context in and through which we learn the basic skills of living – i.e. how to share, how to get along, not always demanding our own way, how to love, etc.

It’s the same in the church or should be. At our church we often hear: “Before anything else we’re a family.” I love that and though I’ve only been a part of this local fellowship for a couple of years, I’ve developed some 2 a.m. friends who are more family to me than some of my biological family members. I know they have my back and I have theirs. Why is that so important?

I read in a Ron Hutchraft devotional about an island off the coast of South Africa where great white sharks are referred to as “flying sharks.” The area around this island is called the “Ring of Death” because of the number of seals who become prey to the “flying” great white sharks. It must have become apparent to the seals over time that if they stayed together, they were much less likely to become “shark lunch.”

Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Did you catch that? Who is the devil looking for? “SOMEONE!” Yes, of course, our walk with Jesus is very personal, but it was never intended to be private. When we get the idea that we’re doing really well by ourselves as a Jesus follower, that’s when we’re swimming with the “sharks.”

Did you ever notice what happens when the proverbial “road” gets hard to maneuver? Prayer and Bible reading and study get sidetracked; church or small group meetings suddenly become “optional;” even invitations to outings with friends get neglected. Why? Because we’re “tough,” we can handle the devil on our own! “It’s nothing I haven’t been through before” is a common phrase used by “veteran” believers.

What’s happening? The enemy is grooming us for an attack. A distracted believer is an ineffective believer; a Christ-follower who stops following Jesus closely and begins to lag behind the “pack,” becomes prey to wrong thinking that leads to wrong actions. And, unfortunately, we seldom reach out for help when we lose our way. So, what needs to happen?

That’s the value of “one another!” It’s critical that we develop a deep relationship with at least one person with whom we have frequent contact. Someone who will check in with us when we fail to check in with them. A person with whom we can share accountability, so that when we’re down for the proverbial “count,” they’re checking in on us – calling us, texting, and/or stopping by to make sure we’re okay.

Remember Ecclesiastes 4:12: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Please don’t allow yourself or someone you love to become “shark lunch” because you didn’t check on them. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and promptly reach out to those who may be straying from the family. And if you’re the one who has lost your way, PLEASE reach out to someone TODAY!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You an Evangelical?

“But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ‘What is He saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!’” (Mark 2:6-7 NLT)

I read in a recent BreakPoint article by John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander: “Every two years, Ligonier Ministries works with LifeWay Research to evaluate the theological temperature of the American church. This year’s State of Theology study’s results show that not just Americans but evangelicals in particular are increasingly muddy on core truths such as the nature and character of God, the reality of human sin, the role of the Church in the world, and the exclusivity and divinity of Jesus Christ.”

“Evangelical” is generally a reference to Christians who tend to be more conservative and biblically oriented. For purposes of the above study the definition they used was: “that the Bible is the highest authority for what someone believes, that it is important for non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their savior, that Jesus’ death on the cross is the only sacrifice that removes the penalty of humanity’s sin, and that only those who trust in Him alone receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.”

How do you align with those beliefs? The segment of the study that shocked and disappointed me the most was that only 43% of “evangelical” Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus. What does that mean in layman’s terms? It means that Jesus was, as a human being, God in human form.

Over and over in the Bible, yes – Old and New Testaments – prophets foretold, and Jesus Himself, as well as other New Testament authors, verified that the Messiah, the Chosen One of God, was God in human form. He was to be “born of a virgin.” Why? Because He wasn’t to be defiled by human seed but must be conceived by the Spirit of God.

He was sinless. Peter, in explaining the credentials of the One who would pay the ransom for our sin wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19: “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”

The word Peter used that is translated “precious,” means the price is so great you can’t assign a value to it. The worth of one drop of our Savior’s blood is of incalculable worth. Why? Because He was the God-Man – 100% Man and 100% God.

In the familiar verse that many of us have memorized, John 3:16, in the King James Version it says: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…” The Greek word used that is translated “begotten,” is “mon-og-en-ace,” and it means “the only one of its kind.” The value of anything designed or created is measured by the fame and worth of its creator. Jesus is the only One of His kind – the Only Son of God – wholly man and wholly God.

When He stood trial before the elders and teachers of religious law, the high priest asked Jesus: “What do you have to say for yourself?” To which Jesus responded: “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

When God was grooming Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses told the Lord when he went to the people of Israel, they would want to know God’s name. So, God told him: “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.”

Jesus declared with undeniable clarity that He was God’s Son – God in human form! To deny His deity is to deny His sacrifice. To deny His sacrifice is not only to deny the truth of God’s word, but also to deny the character of God Himself. To deny God’s character is to deny we have been born again of the Spirit, forgiven of our sin, and headed to an eternal home in heaven. Jesus is God or we’re still hopelessly lost in our sin.

Are you an Evangelical? Not if you deny that Jesus is God.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is “Free Will” Really Free?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let Me.” (Luke 13:34 NLT)

While the terms “free will” do not appear in the King James Version of the Bible, and only once in the New Living Translation, in reference to the Macedonian believers who gave an offering to the believers who were suffering in Jerusalem, there are dozens of examples of the necessity of having and exercising free will if we’re going to follow Jesus and have eternal life.

There are theological positions that argue against what I will advocate in this post, but I can only write what I understand the Bible to say. As I’ve asked in other articles, please prove me right or prove me wrong, but do your own research and draw your own conclusions.

C. S. Lewis wrote: “Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” In the verse above Jesus is pointing out the dilemma of every human being – to decide whether they will respond to His invitation to have eternal life that is found in Jesus alone or refuse His gift and walk away.

In John 5 Jesus is speaking to the Jewish leaders and in verses 39-40 He says: “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me! Yet you refuse to come to Me to receive this life.” What is refusal but an act of our will?

In John 3:16 Jesus says: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Believing is an act of our will that sets our life on a course designed and led by our Savior, but it’s a course we must choose for ourselves. Of what value would “belief” be if we had no choice? Or if belief is a position I didn’t choose, yet by which I must abide, that’s not freedom, that’s slavery.

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Yet, ironically, once I’ve exercised my will to receive God’s free gift of eternal life, and I, by an act of my own volition, allow Jesus to become the Lord of my life, then I am no longer my own, but His. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20: “You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

There is a very real sense in which freedom from sin, which can only be accomplished by being united with Christ, equals being united with Christ. Our “freedom” to be in bondage to sin is traded for our allegiance to Jesus who has redeemed us through the sacrifice of His own life. Our new life in Christ thrives to the extent we voluntarily yield our will to God’s will, just like Jesus did.

We exercise our will every day in a thousand ways – what we have for breakfast, what we wear, who we spend time with, where we live, what we drive, where we work, who we marry, and on and on it goes. Yet, I’ve found that to the extent I bring all my decisions to Jesus, asking Him to guide, inform, and enable me to make decisions that align with His will and purpose for me, to that extent I find life much more bearable and enjoyable.

Is “free will” really free? Yes, and no! “Yes,” in the sense that I control my own destiny. I can choose Jesus or the world; heaven or hell; life or death. But “No” in the sense that my freedom from sin cost my Savior His life. And because of His sacrifice I willingly align my will with His and pray every moment of every day that I will be guided and enabled by the Holy Spirit to choose His will, not mine.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Will Hell Be Like?

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 NLT)

Think of one of God’s characteristics that means the most to you. God is good, gracious, compassionate, loving, kind, forgiving, tender-hearted, merciful, just, faithful, caring, powerful, wise . . . and the list goes on. Think of all the reasons Jesus means everything to you, or nothing, depending on your frame of reference. Everything that God is, is revealed and reflected in the life of His Son, the Lord Jesus.

One of my favorite ways to think of God, and the Lord Jesus, is the metaphor of Light. What do you think of when you think of light? It illuminates, gives visibility, opens our minds to understanding, gives direction, guidance, insight, and wisdom. Think of a world void of light. That’s hell!

Think of love. When is the first time you experienced love? Hopefully, you experienced the effects of love long before you realized what it was, but, if you know Jesus, at some point in your life you realized the forgiveness, mercy, and selfless acceptance of the love of God through another person.

Who first comes to your mind when you think of selfless love? For me, I think of my grandmother – Mom Eley and her husband, whom I called Papa John. Or my Uncle Ed and Auntie Al, or Uncle Jack and Auntie Demetra. Gratefully, there were others, but these were the people through whom God first showed me His redemptive, kind, and compassionate love.

Now, in light of all the positive things you thought of in the context of light and love, try to imagine a place void of either. The closest I can come is remembering a time when my son and I visited a large cave. The guide took us through the damp, dark rocks until, at one point she asked us to stand completely still. Then she turned off her light. Complete and utter darkness. We couldn’t see our hand in front of our face.

Now think of being alone in that darkness, not just for a few seconds, but for all eternity. Hell is the absence of God, thus, the absence of love and light. But compound that with the agony and torment of physical pain that is relentless and never ending. Then the added torture of realizing that there’s no one with whom you can share your pain and suffering, and even if you could, they wouldn’t listen or care.

It’s not unusual in movies for someone to comment to another “macho” man – “See you in hell!” – as if there will be a camaraderie of evil people who can sit around drinking beer and exchanging stories. In hell the only thing you’ll hear besides your own groans of agony, are the pain-filled groans of others whom you can’t see, nor have any contact with them.

Studies reveal the worst punishment any one can receive is solitary confinement. Think of hell as solitary on steroids. All you’ll have is your own regrets and the realization that you missed thousands of opportunities to know and love Jesus, but you thought they were foolishness or that you had plenty of time for that later.

Those are lies from the pit of hell! The only moment in which you can make ANY decision about ANYTHING is in THIS MOMENT! Death is sudden – one breath you’re alive, the next second you’re not. One second your heart is beating, the next it stops. Please understand, I’m not trying to scare anyone, I just want to be an instrument of truth to help people awaken from their devilish slumber before it’s eternally too late.

And do you want to know the key weapon Satan uses to keep people distracted and deaf to the Holy Spirit – BUSYNESS! Slow down long enough to hear God’s voice and respond to Him while you can! Reach out to Jesus in your own words and with a heart that longs to be saved from what is surely coming to those who refuse to recognize their need of Him. He’s done everything to make it possible to be forgiven and have eternal life, but it’s time to get off the fence and yield your life and allegiance to Jesus.

Blessings, Ed

A Reason to Be Grateful

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

Today in America is Thanksgiving Day. As is the case every seven years, it’s also my birthday. I’m turning 75 today, so I have thousands of reasons to be grateful, but supreme in my mind and heart is my gratitude to God for His mercies and kindness in allowing me to be His child.

Notice the verse above instructs us to “Be thankful in ALL circumstances.” How can anyone do that, especially if they’re experiencing challenging circumstances? Many today will be gathering with family and close friends. Is this the first Thanksgiving someone is missing? Perhaps because of death or travel restrictions they won’t be joining you, so, there’s an emptiness because of their absence.

Perhaps your health is declining, making it difficult or impossible for you to be able to participate in your normal family festivities. Or your child is away because of work or school and unable to come home on this important family holiday. Maybe you’ve had a falling out with someone in your family, so even if you do get together, things will be strained.

Whatever the circumstances of your life today, you have many things for which you can joyfully give thanks. How can I say that? The verse above gives us two very important reasons to rejoice today. First, because it’s God’s will. And, secondly, because we “belong to Christ Jesus.”

Knowing and doing God’s will are sometimes two very different things. I’m reminded of the story Jesus told in Matthew 21:28-31, about a father with two sons. He told the older son to go and work in the vineyard, but the son said, “No, I won’t go.” But later he changed his mind and went. The father told his younger son the same thing, to which the younger son said, “Yes, I will,” but didn’t go. Then Jesus asked the question: “Which of the two obeyed his father?” Obviously, the one who went and worked in the vineyard.

What does this story have to do with gratitude? Often, our ability to be thankful is contingent upon our obedience. We reason that if we’ve been faithful and have done what our heavenly Father has asked of us, then we’re good to go, we can be grateful that we have, at least in our mind, a right standing with God, thus, grounds for gratitude and celebration.

What if we’ve been the proverbial “younger son,” and we’ve not been submissive to our Father’s authority? God’s love for us is never contingent upon our obedience. Nothing we do or don’t do can cause God to love us any differently. He IS love and His love for us never changes. That alone is always reason to be grateful.

Yet, the truth is, even when we obey to the best of our ability and our love for God never waivers, there are still times “bad things” happen that affect us. Can we still give thanks in those circumstances? Yes, but not necessarily for the circumstances themselves, but for the God who works through all circumstances to bring good to those who love Him.

Today, regardless of whether this, in your mind, is a great day or the worst day of your life – GIVE THANKS! Be thankful you have a Savior who is Christ the Lord! You have an eternal Friend who has overcome the world and has your back. He will never leave you or forsake you. Whether you’re sitting down to a feast or you’re so broke you can’t afford a candy bar – GIVE THANKS! God is with you and brighter days are ahead.

Sometime today, find a quiet spot and pray this simple prayer: “Father, regardless of the circumstances of my life today, I confess my love for You and my need of You. You are my everything and I trust You based on who You are, not on who I am or what I have. I love You and I want only and always what You want for me. Please accept my gratitude for who You are and who You’re allowing me to become. Whoever I am or whomever I may one day become is all because of You. If I’m alive You’re not finished with me. Allow me to honor You in my attitude and actions, not allowing my circumstances to dictate my emotions. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

I’m praying you’re experiencing a joy-filled and thanks-filled day.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Whose Blood Was Shed for Your Sin?

“In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT)

When we’re speaking to someone about the Lord, we don’t always focus our conversation on His shed blood, but implicit in every person’s forgiveness is the sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It doesn’t matter who it is or whether or not they have a religious frame of reference, no one, Jew or Gentile, finds forgiveness of sin apart from Jesus. No Jesus = no forgiveness.

A dear Christian brother of mine was speaking with a friend of his who is Jewish. His friend was resistant to speaking with him about Jesus, believing His being a Jew was all that He needed to have forgiveness of sin and to go to heaven. So, my friend reminded him that according to the law of Moses, apart from the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Then he asked him, “What blood has been shed for your sin?” That’s a fair question for anyone. Why?

Jesus said, in Matthew 26:27-28: “And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them (the disciples) and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’”

If the blood of Jesus is the only payment for the sin of mankind, how can anyone find forgiveness of their sin and have a place in heaven without Jesus? They can’t! Isn’t that very narrow to think that Jesus is the only way to heaven?

Actually, it’s very generous. You see, before Jesus there was no way to be forgiven except through the sacrifice of animals. But it didn’t last. It was like putting a Band-Aid on cancer. The sacrifices had to be made over and over and over again. Hebrews 10:10 says: “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”

Imagine you’re hiking in a mountain area where you’ve never been before. It’s a beautiful day and you’re enjoying being in nature. Alone in the grandeur and beauty, then suddenly you take a step, but rather than solid ground, the path gives way, and you find yourself falling. You’re bouncing and rolling until you finally come to a stop. When you awaken it’s so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Your leg is broken and there’s blood coming from your head. What provisions you had were lost in the fall. You’re hopelessly trapped and unable to find a way out without assistance.

In your desperation and despair, you see a light. You don’t know exactly where it’s coming from or who it might be, but all you can think to do is scream as loudly as you can and hope whoever it is hears you. Miraculously, they do hear you and with much effort, they lower themselves to where you are. The young man explains that there’s only one way out and it’s going to be painful.

But rather than exclaiming with gratitude your appreciation for him making his way to you and offering to get you out, you say: “Whoa, I don’t like the sounds of that. ‘Painful?’ And only ‘one way out?’ I think I’ll pass and just wait for someone else to find me. Surely, there’s got to be another, less painful way.”

As absurd as that sounds, that’s essentially what people are saying to Jesus every day. Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” How was that one way made possible? Through the shedding of His priceless blood! The miracle is that there IS now a way where before no way existed.

Let’s praise the Lord for sacrificing His blood on our behalf and share that Good News with anyone who will listen.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Choice Is Yours

“The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness . . . and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry He had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart” (Genesis 6:5-6 NLT)

What breaks your heart? There are lots of things that hurt me. I’ve battled with depression much of my adult life, so it sometimes doesn’t take much to cause me to “tip” into an emotional low. There have been times I’ve had to be on medication to help me deal with life – when my wife left, when my son had leukemia.

Those were hard and emotionally trying times, yes, heartbreaking times, but not so much, at least for me, as the thought of my kids, and others I love deeply, not being in heaven. But it’s also heartbreaking to see the darkness in my own life that hinders me from sharing my Savior with those in my spheres of influence. It breaks my heart to see my callousness when it comes to those in need of Jesus.

When I think of the sacrifice God the Father made to allow Jesus to voluntarily leave an environment of complete love, peace, contentment, light, and joy, to the darkness, sadness, debilitating hopelessness, sin, and shame of our world – with the express purpose of giving His life for us – I can’t keep from crying. Compounded by the stark reality that He didn’t come just for “them!” He came for me!

My sin, just as much as anyone else’s, nailed Jesus to the Cross. My disregard for His holiness, righteousness, sinless perfection, and matchless love broke His heart as much as those I tend to think of as much worse than me. Here’s the truth – I’m no better than anyone else who has ever lived or ever will live – and neither are you!

We’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious and holy standard – not by an inch, but by light years of miles! The gap from us to heaven is so great it’s literally impossible to bridge. Only a perfect man could ever attain the privilege of entrance into the presence of God’s holiness. And only One, God’s Son, the only One of His kind – that’s what “begotten” means – made the choice to pay the penalty for our sin. But why? What would motivate God to make such a sacrifice? Love!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18 NIV).

The heartbreaking truth is that once we find forgiveness and new life in Jesus, we too often turn so much of our time and attention to learning what it means to be “saved,” we nearly forget what it meant to be “lost.” But I believe there is a sense in which the closer we grow in our likeness of Jesus and the greater our desire to be tender to the heart of God, the more our heart breaks for those who don’t yet know Him.

I’m much closer to the end of my race than the beginning. Whatever time I have left I want it to be poured into helping those without a saving knowledge of Jesus to find their way home to Him. Like my beloved mentor often said: “I want to wear out, I don’t want to burn out!”

Folks, we’ve got to be bold, yet compassionate and caring, as we share what Jesus has done for us, before it’s eternally too late for those we love the most. As Pastor Rick Warren often says: “Hell is real. So is heaven. Choose Christ, and there is no condemnation. The choice is yours!”

Please don’t let anything stand in the way of your loving witness and words to those who haven’t yet met our Savior!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Worship (Part 2)

“For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we began looking at worship as we gather with others, but I closed with a question I’d like for us to pursue today. I asked: “Does my life really ‘look’ any different than a person’s life who doesn’t know Jesus?”

I’m not sure if you noticed, but both Scriptures I used at the top of the page in yesterday’s post and in today’s, included the word “must.” More specifically, “must worship.” Why is worship so vital?

It’s ironic, but the worship God requires of us, the display of our love for and dependence upon Him, isn’t what we do, sing, or say in a corporate setting, it’s what our heart and mind are focused upon in the quiet moments of worship in our life when it’s just me and Jesus.

Why do you think Jesus’ ministry was so effective? Yes, of course, He was God’s only Son, but He, as a human being, had a choice that He confirmed when He was being tempted by the devil. Remember Matthew 4:8-10? “Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, ‘I will give it all to you,’ he said, ‘if you will kneel down and worship me.’ ‘Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him, ’For the Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”’”

Worship is the distinguishing characteristic of every human being. What we worship is what we serve, and who or what we serve is what we worship. It’s the focal point of our lives. It’s the clarion call of our life that announces to the world and to God what is first in our life. That’s why worship is so vital.

Corporate worship is inviting and enjoyable, but it’s not what set’s us apart as believers. Anybody can come to a corporate worship gathering and sing and shout and dance and cry – and it’s all good! But it’s the person on their face before God, alone, in private, that steadies our heart and steers our life.

Worship isn’t always visible, except as it becomes visible through the “fruit” of our life. If we want to know what we truly “worship,” we must allow the Lord to sit us on the precipice of our life and reveal to us all the kingdoms to which we bow from day to day.

What is the “fruit” which reveals my worship? And here again, it’s not only and always the material things we desire or the attention from others we crave or the prestigious position to which we aspire. The “fruit” which sets us apart and defines the object of our affection (worship) is how invested we are, not in the religious aspects of our “commitment,” but in the devotion we show to Jesus when no one is watching.

Is private and continual communion with our Savior what we long to have in the course of our day? Do we crave His closeness? Do we desire above all things to sense His heart and to hear His voice? When no one sees us but Him, are we dodging His glances, or embracing His invitation to sit with Him in quietness and stillness?

Why do you think Jesus made it a habit of spending time alone with His Father? It wasn’t to impress anyone. It was to prepare His heart and mind for battle with the enemy of His soul. After hearing Jesus preach and after watching Him heal and deliver multiple people, why did His disciples ask Him: “Lord, teach us to pray?” They understood, as we must understand, that activity for Jesus, if it’s going to be effective and meaningful from an eternal perspective, must be derived from time alone with Him.

C. T. Studd, the British Missionary wrote: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” If you’re selling your soul for anything but Jesus, you’re worshipping at the altar of the wrong god.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Worship

“Jesus replied, ‘The Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”’” (Luke 4:8 NLT)

Having pastored for many years, I love listening to a good sermon. Yep, you heard correctly, I don’t enjoy listening to a bad sermon. What do I consider a “bad” sermon? Primarily, a sermon not based on Scripture or given in the spirit and light of the Holy Spirit’s presence. It has more to do with being true to the Bible than it does delivery. While delivery may entertain, solid, Biblical instruction feeds my soul. That’s one of the main reasons I love my church, because whomever speaks in any given service or on any given day, I can know with certainty I’m going to hear from the Lord.

But preaching is only part of what I love about public or corporate worship. I’m not sure how this will come across, but I love watching others worship. I sit in the same spot every week, and apparently many others do as well, because I see the same people every week. I know the ones who raise their hands and sing enthusiastically.

We have more than 50 language groups represented in our church, so different cultures bring their own “style” to worship, and I love it! One of our black Pastors dances and sways and exudes energy I only wish I still had – and I love to watch him. Others are quiet and still, but I can “see” that they’re fully engaged. Some shout and clap, while others stand quietly weeping with the joy of God’s holy presence. Some, of course, could care less what is happening, they’re just counting the minutes until it’s over.

I’ll be turning 75 this month, so I’ve been in thousands of gatherings and have experienced worship in many ways and on many levels. I still love the old hymns like this one written by Robert Grant:

O worship the King, all glorious above, And gratefully sing His wonderful love; Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavillioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Then the chorus that says:

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail, to Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail: Thy mercies, firm to the end, Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. Amen.

Corporate worship is truly a joy for me. But I also love the “sermons” and songs of praise I hear every morning on my walk. I watch the sun rise and listen to the beautiful choruses sung by the birds and even the cars whizzing by on their way to who knows where. The sounds of morning in the city remind me that life is unpredictable, and on many levels, inexpressible.

God is so multi-dimensional, as evidenced in the manifold ways He gives expression to His creativity. Through nature and, of course, through human beings. Life is an act of worship. If you want to discover what someone believes, discover what they worship.

Is it their body? Their home and possessions? Their family? Their job? Their money? Whatever their “god” is, it will reveal itself through how they live, how they spend their time and money. Which causes me to wonder – do people in my spheres of influence concur with me that I worship the only True and Living God? Does Jesus “seep” out of my pores as I love my wife and serve my community? Does my life really “look” any different than a person’s life who doesn’t know Jesus? I want it to, but how will I know for sure?

Let’s pick this up in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊