Walking With Jesus

What Is the Object of Your Praise?

“For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43 NLT)

One of the clearest pictures of a person who loves Jesus more than they love themselves, is their reaction to praise. That’s something with which I’ve wrestled for many years, and still do on some levels. For example, when I was preaching regularly and someone would compliment me, it was hard for me to know how to respond.

Michael Horton wrote: “Vagueness about the object of our praise inevitably leads to making our own praise the object.”

There’s a story in Acts 12 about a time when King Herod Agrippa began to persecute the church, killing the Apostle James, John’s brother. Then he had Peter arrested, but God miraculously released him from the jail. Later in the chapter Herod is upset with the people of Tyre and Sidon, so they send a delegation to make peace with him

So, Herod gives a speech and the people, who obviously want to get on his good side, gave a great ovation, shouting: “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!” Then the Bible says: “Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.”

Who and why we praise is important, but so is how and why we accept recognition and praise. And please don’t read too much into this, I’m not suggesting that if we get it wrong, the Lord’s going to strike us down. What I’m saying is, to take credit for something that God is doing for, on our behalf, or through us, is treading on very dangerous ground, especially if we’re doing it knowingly.

When someone who is gifted speaks, sings, plays an instrument, launches a successful business, raises children who love and serve Jesus, or anything else that is clearly the work of God in and through them, all credit belongs ultimately to God. But how do we convey that meaningfully without going over the top and sounding like a Pharisee?

Is there a balance that recognizes that we obviously had an important role in the fulfillment of God’s purposes, but that God deserves the credit? I think of Lazarus’ sister Mary who knelt behind Jesus, anointing His feet with expensive perfume, and drying them with her hair (John 12). How do you spell A W K W A R D? Yet, Jesus didn’t seem one bit shaken. Neither did He scold her or try to deny the fact that it was in no way inappropriate for her to be doing what she was doing. Which was?

Worshipping Him as God! Mary recognized that Jesus alone was the One who delivered her heart, mind, body, and soul from destruction. She clearly understood that He alone DESERVED worship, adoration, and praise. What God prompted her to do for Jesus is amazing and stirs my heart, and many others across the centuries, to praise Him.

Yes, of course, there were those present who were critical, not only of her, but of Jesus. But why? Because they didn’t understand who the object of their praise and worship should be. Notice neither Jesus, nor Mary, saw any reason or rationale to apologize for their behavior. Why not? Because it was appropriate and right.

The weight of the influence of our lives should be all the explanation that anyone needs, to declare we’re slaves of the Most High God, doing what He has gifted and equipped us to do. The attitude of our whole being should exude our full confidence in and dependence upon the Spirit’s leadership in our lives, pointing all praise to Jesus, who is alone deserving.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What It Means to Be a Masterpiece

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

We’ve been looking at the sacred nature of our relationship with Jesus that spills over into every area of our lives – not only how we worship, but how we love our families, carry out the duties and responsibilities of our respective jobs or careers, how we spend our “free” time, how we give expression to who we are as a person, our creativity, our uniqueness. It’s all a result of God’s thoughtfulness in creating us to be the person He envisioned we could be.

Here’s the bottom line. Unless and until we respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him and be born again of the Spirit of God, we’re chasing our tail. We’re wasting our life feeding the needs of our own heart and mind. But once we, as an act of our own volition, yield our life and allegiance to Jesus, we become a new creation, and are given a new heart and a new mind that’s capable, not only of hearing God’s voice and living a life that honors and pleases Him, but we’re also able to understand that every avenue and dimension of our being belongs to Him to do with us as He sees fit.

We’re not mindless “robots,” we’re chosen to be the special “masterpieces” designed and created to do what only we can do when filled and empowered by God’s Spirit. God is not a heavenly “dictator” who demands we do whatever He says. “Chosen” doesn’t translate as “mindless peons.” We’re fully engaged, intelligent beings who have a heart and mind of our own and who are given a will to choose God and His rulership in and over our lives or walk away and choose our own outcome.

God has created us to be His masterpiece so we could join in His activity on this planet if we choose to respond to His invitation, but He’s not going to force us to walk with Him. That’s the beauty of being His child, we’re not walking away from anything of eternal value. We’re walking into a new and vibrant and exciting opportunity to actually be what we were designed and created to be. But when we become God’s child, we must follow His rules.

“Whoa, wait a minute. You mean I can’t ‘do whatever I please?’”

No, not if you want to be God’s child. “God’s” child implies ownership. It implies rulership. It implies a turning away from following the dictates of our own will and desires and adopting God’s will and desires as our own.

Problems arise when we forget who’s in charge of our lives. To try to have one foot in the world and one foot in following Jesus is a little bit like being tied to four horses all going in different direction. It’s not going to end well. If you’re not ready to entrust your life to Jesus, that’s completely up to you. Walk away. Run to the proverbial “far country.” But if that’s your choice I will give you fair warning – it carries an eternal consequence.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t live for yourself and live for Jesus, but understand there’s an expiration date for His invitation. It’s called death. If you go into eternity without Jesus, you’ve sealed your fate. There’s no second chance to get it right. Today is the day of salvation.

This moment is the only moment you or I have to make any decision. All past moments are gone, and no future moments are promised. I implore you to take Jesus at His word. Trust Him. Commit whatever’s left of your life to learn how to love, honor, obey, and serve Him faithfully.

I have, and my life is continually getting better!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Seeing Our Work As Sacred (Part 2)

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we began investigating how our view of work should be very similar to our view of worship. We should do both with a heart to please and honor Jesus, as He’s the same Lord we’re seeking to please and honor on Monday and throughout our week as He is on Sunday.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be singing praises and waving your hands at work, but you’re just as much a child of God through the week as you are on Sunday. Act like it! Live like Jesus matters. Don’t defile His holy name by pretending to be someone on Sunday you know you’re not going to be on Monday.

Your life – your body, mind, and soul – are sacred trusts that you’ve committed to the Spirit to do with as He sees fit. View what you do outside of church and apart from fellowship with your believing friends, with the same degree of purity and sacred commitment.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:7: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Our desire to honor and please the Lord should be just as strong as we’re working, or playing, or dating, or whatever we’re doing throughout the week, as it is on Sunday or on whatever day you participate in corporate worship.

God said to Jeremiah the Prophet: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.” There’s a sense in which that’s true of every person, especially those of us who follow Jesus.

“Whoa, wait a minute. If I’m chosen by God before I was even born, to be set apart for a special work, doesn’t that mean I’m like a robot? What happens to my free-will? Does that mean I can’t have any fun or hang out with my buds?”

There are theological implications to how I answer these questions, but I can only answer as I understand the Scriptures. Search the Bible on your own and draw your own conclusions, I can only tell you what I believe, but NEVER take what I say at face value. Prove me right or prove me wrong but draw your own conclusions.

How I understand Scriptures like the one in Jeremiah has a two-fold application. First, I believe these words were written specifically in reference to Jeremiah the Prophet, but they have implications that can be applied to any of us.

John wrote in John 1:11-13: “He (Jesus) came to His own people (the Jews), and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”

This is too rich to rush. Let’s continue to look at this in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Seeing Our Work As Sacred

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

We’re tempted, especially as a new believer, to view what we do to earn a living as “ours,” and what we do in and through the church as “God’s,” but that is a grave misunderstanding. It’s the difference between being a “servant” and being a “slave.”

In Scripture, the word translated “minister” or “ministry” can also be translated “serve” or “servant.” Our inclination is to see professional, paid clergy as “ministers,” while we view ourselves as volunteers or those who choose to “serve” in some capacity. The truth is, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we’re “bondservants.” What does that mean? The short answer is a “slave.”

A servant negotiates a certain wage for a certain job or responsibility. They may answer an ad or respond to an invitation to work for an individual or family as a servant. They work a given number of hours and have time off to do as they please.

On the other hand, a slave belongs to whomever has purchased them. They have no rights, no days off, no life except as it’s given by their master. And please don’t misunderstand, I’m not advocating slavery in any way, shape, or form, I’m simply seeking to help us understand the difference to make a point.

The Apostles Peter, Paul, James, and Jude, the Lord’s half-brother, all began their letters by referring to themselves as “slaves” of the Lord. The longer I serve the Lord, the more clearly I see His heart of love for me, the more “enslaved” to His Spirit I long to be.

The only context in which I can possibly view myself as a “masterpiece,” is as a child of God. What does that mean? It essentially means a 24/7 commitment to seek to honor and glorify my Savior with every thought, word, and action. But is that even possible? Jesus did it, and even though I can never achieve it on this planet, that’s my goal.

That’s how we begin to see work, relationships, recreation, parenting, marriage, every area and dimension of our lives as being avenues of opportunity to let Jesus shine and be known through our lives. We can’t be one person at work and another person in our home or at church. We’re one integrated and whole person who belongs to Jesus, under the leadership of His Spirit, all day, every day.

Pastor Rick Warren wrote: “Once you are saved, God intends to use you for his goals. God has a ministry for you in his church and a mission for you in the world.” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

You can’t swindle someone in a business deal, sleep with people outside of marriage, then pretend to be a saint on Sunday in front of your church friends. There’s got to be consistency across the board. Love Jesus, shout His praises, and worship Him enthusiastically on Sunday, but carry that same Spirit into your work environment.

There’s a very real sense in which we must view our work and other activities of our week with the same sense of commitment and as the same sacred trust as we view our life in worship on Sunday.

Let’s dig into this a little deeper in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Everything You Need!

“These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.” (Matthew 6:32 NLT)

When you think about “needs,” what comes first to mind? If you’re a Jesus follower, hopefully, you’ll recognize your overarching need of Jesus. But when it comes to practical, everyday needs, what’s first? Food, clothing, shelter, transportation, safety, competent medical care – the list can be very long. But honestly, these are the things that dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, not children of God.

Notice the verse that follows the one above, verse 33 says, and remember these are the words of Jesus: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Notice He didn’t say “in place of all else.”

It’s not about being religious, serving sacrificially, giving generously, loving everyone well – it’s all and only about seeking Jesus with everything within you. Only then will serving, giving, loving, and all the other facets of our life on earth as a believer begin to make sense, and become, not a burden, but a joy!

Have you ever been white water rafting. I have, and it’s a blast! But it can get scary. I’ve been rafting with both of my sons when they were growing up. You’re all “wired” to get in the raft and get moving, but before they’ll let you begin your exciting journey down the river, you have to gather around and meet a very special person who is going with you on your trip. He or she is your “guide.”

My first trip, there was a part of me that was thinking: “Why do we need a guide? Duh! The rapids only flow one direction. The river will take us where we need to go!” Very dumb! The “guide” is the Pro. They’ve been through what we’re heading into dozens of times. Why is that vital to know? Because your life can literally depend on it.

That’s why it’s so critical to know, trust, and obey Jesus. He’s the One who lives where we want to one day be. He’s the One who can anticipate danger in the next “bend in the river.” He’s the One who can issue commands and directives above the roar of the waters, giving you needed wisdom that can mean the difference between safety and suffering, between life and death.

God has given each of us an assignment. It’s based on our gifts, abilities, frame of mind, disposition, level of maturity – spiritually and otherwise. He’s specifically chosen each of us to carry out the assignment He’s given us because He has designed and created us to carry it out better than anyone else on the planet.

Often, we’re tempted to believe that serving Jesus is just too scary. We’re tempted – yes, tempted by Satan – to believe that someone else, perhaps anyone else, would be a better choice than us. But God knows better than anyone, what needs to be done and who the best choice to do it will be. And because He knows that, He knows exactly how to equip us to fulfill the “mission” on which He’s sending us.

He doesn’t very often fill me in on the assignments of others, but He makes crystal clear what He wants me to do. What’s interesting in this season of my life, I “hear” Him loud and clear, but then I procrastinate. I’m thinking, “Okay, Lord, I’m in…just not right now!” But He lovingly persists, and when I get it done it renders honor and glory to Him and a deep, fulfilling sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to me.

Whatever He’s telling you to do – DO IT! You’re equipped with everything you need to accomplish everything He’s asking you to do. Just DO IT! He is with you and will guide you every step of the way. If the “river” gets rough and you’re tossed out of the proverbial boat, crawl back in the raft and keep on rowing. He’ll guide you safely to your destination.

Jesus gives us everything we need to be everything He’s called us to be. Trust Him! He NEVER fails!

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Exponential Effects of Your Witness

“When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NLT)

To me the most vital characteristic a Jesus follower must have in order to influence others for Him, is compassion. We fret and make excuse for not reaching out to our neighbors, friends, and even our family, because we put so much emphasis on ourselves. “What should I say?” “What if they get upset with me?” and on and on we go.

We’re asking the wrong questions. What if we asked things like: “Could that little rascal that let’s his dog do its business in my yard be the next Billy Graham?” “Could God be grooming that shaggy haired little girl to be a spokesperson for the homeless?” “Could that crotchety old man down the street be a channel through whom God could fund ministries to help people in my city?”

Our responsibility isn’t to determine if someone “deserves” to be invited to Jesus, but simply to be obedient to Jesus and invite!

“The story of Billy Graham’s conversion is well known. In the fall of 1934, Mordecai Ham, a Kentucky-born Baptist revivalist, came to Charlotte and preached a powerful sermon. The revival stretched over weeks, and for the first week or so, the Grahams didn’t attend. Billy was persuaded to check out Ham by Albert McKain, one of his father’s most trusted employees. There, in response to Ham’s powerful teachings about sin, Billy famously made a decision for Christ.”

You very likely haven’t heard of Albert McKain, but God used him to help one person to find Jesus. And because of Albert’s faithfulness it’s estimated that 2.2 Billion people heard Billy Graham preach the Gospel. Untold millions have yielded their lives to Jesus because of Albert McKain’s willingness to be persistent in inviting a young farmer’s son named Billy, to church.

We berate ourselves because we’re not a “Billy Graham,” leading thousands to Jesus, but the truth is, few and far between are the caliber of men of God like him. Yet, we’re also reluctant to see ourselves as an “Albert McKain.” But, you’ve got to wonder, had there not been an Albert McKain, would there have been a Billy Graham?

My college roommate was a Golden Gloves champ. He was only about 5’7” but he was fast as lightening. We had many conversations about the Lord, but he was resistant. It wasn’t unusual for him to come in all hours of the night, but one morning about 2 a.m. I was awakened by a knock on the door. I didn’t think it was Dale because he had a key.

But when I opened the door, he literally fell into my arms. It was evident he’d been drinking, and based on how he looked, he’d been fighting. But he said: “I’ve got to change. Please pray for me.” We knelt and I prayed, and he gave his heart and life to Jesus. I’m not going to lie; I had my doubts anything would come of it. Given his condition, and based on our previous conversations, I wasn’t optimistic.

It was near graduation, and though I tried to stay in touch, I lost track of him. Years later I met someone who knew him and his family, so naturally I asked about him. It so happened that our miracle working God turned this drunken, fighting, “wild man” into a preacher who served for many years to the praise and honor of our wonderful Savior.

Rather than beat ourselves up because we’re not a “Billy Graham,” let’s rejoice because we can be an “Albert McKain.” We just have to get over ourselves, submit to the Lord’s directives, obediently reach out to the people He puts in front of us, and leave the results to Him.

Think of all the people who will line the balconies of heaven in your honor because you chose to share with one person, who shared with another person, who shared with another person, and on and on it goes.

Whose heart might God be preparing to receive an invitation from you? The next Billy Graham? Or, perhaps, the next Albert McCain? Both are vitally important in accomplishing God’s Kingdom business.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why We Often Miss the “Harvest” Window

“He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.’” (Matthew 9:37-38 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at a scene from Jesus’ life when He had a conversation with a Samaritan woman that began with a simple request, but led to the salvation of many from her village. Today I’d like for us to consider those the Lord has placed in our “Mission field,” and how we might reach them to His honor and fame.

As we begin, I have a word from the Lord: He will never ask you or me to do anything He’s not willing and able to equip us to do. When it comes to helping others it’s essential that we shift our thinking from what we think we can’t do, to what, with the Lord’s help, we can do.

As we learned from the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus obviously has insight and understanding that we don’t have, but that He will gladly give us if we’re open to receive them. Let’s draw a few crucial truths from the verses above that I pray will help us be more vigilant when it comes to speaking freely with the people the Lord puts in our path.

First, notice to whom Jesus is speaking: “to His disciples.” We can’t give “living water” to someone if we don’t possess it ourselves. If you have any doubt about your own connection with the Lord, have a conversation with Him and ask Him to search your heart and point out any wickedness in you. If you have anything hindering your walk with Him, seek His forgiveness and let Him cleanse and purify your heart and especially your motives for sharing Him with others.

Next, ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes to the greatness of the “harvest” all around you. I realize that some reading this post may have serious issues with which you’re wrestling. Here’s some good news for you – when you allow the Lord to help you focus your attention and prayers on others, often your concerns with yourself are lessened

We can’t harvest a “crop” we don’t know exists. Until you begin to grieve for the people in your spheres of influence who don’t yet know Jesus, allowing Him to break your heart because of all the people you see every day who are headed to a Christ-less eternity, you won’t see any need to do anything about it.

As believers our tendency is to pour ourselves into those who are already saved, which is all well and good, but we can’t expend all our energy there. Yes, of course, be faithful in serving in your local fellowship, but not to the exclusion of reaching those who are lost. To a large degree that’s why there are so few “workers” to harvest.

That’s why we must “pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” The Lord alone can equip you to reach those in your spheres of influence, but as a rule, the most effective way to reach someone is to develop a friendship.

Patience, kindness, and thoughtfulness are very important “tools” for someone who wants to see their friends and loved ones come to Jesus. It’s critical that we stay in prayer, not only praying in general for lost people, but praying specifically that our eyes and ears will be tuned to the Holy Spirit as He brings different ones into our spheres of influence. Pray for them by name!

We often feel like we’re not being effective if we don’t lead a lot of people to Jesus, but did you notice what happened when Jesus shared with just one woman? That ONE helped many in her community come to Him.

There’s a story I want to share, but I’ll wait until tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Harvest Is Urgent Business

“Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’” (John 4:31 NLT)

While I have very little experience with farming and literal crops, other than flowers and a few plants we had in a small garden, I know enough to realize that harvesting in a timely manner is critical. To pick the ripening fruit or vegetables before they’re ready can be just as bad as picking them too late.

There’s a “window” of opportunity for harvesting that when forfeited or ignored can lead to eternal consequences. Yes, I’m speaking of the “harvest” of lost men and women in our spheres of influence.

Ron was a neighbor when I was a teenager growing up in West Virginia. I came to the Lord at 15 and as any teenager, I wanted to be liked and accepted. But I found that when I received Christ and began to make an effort to live in a way that was pleasing to Him, it put me at odds with some of the guys I’d been hanging with.

My friend Ron, while a professing “atheist,” became an unlikely advocate as he defended me in the presence of ridicule and badgering of the other teens. He was very intelligent and, honestly, I was intimidated to speak with him very much about the Lord.

We graduated from high school and went our separate ways. I went to college in Indiana, and he commuted on his small motorcycle to a school closer to his home. While home on a break I learned that Ron had been killed on his motorcycle, apparently in a hit and run accident. It saddens me to this day that I didn’t make more effort to help him find Jesus. I didn’t understand that harvest time has an expiration date, and we never know when that is, when it comes to someone who needs Jesus.

Like the disciples in the verse above, we get so enthralled by the task at hand, we lose sight of the “big picture” unfolding before our eyes. Jesus had had a conversation with a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water, that was life changing for her. She ran back into her village telling everyone she saw: “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He possibly be the Messiah?”

As a result, the Bible says: “the people came streaming from the village to see Him.” Unsaved people who otherwise would have been unlikely candidates for salvation, like my friend Ron, were eagerly seeking an audience with the King of kings, but all the disciples could see was Jesus ignoring His lunch.

How like us when we go through our day with such “tunnel vision,” seeing only what we want to see, ignoring those around us who are desperately in need of the Savior we’re taking for granted.

Harvest is urgent business, especially when we’re talking about someone’s eternal destiny. We literally never know if the person sitting next to us on a plane or a bus or in a coffee shop is moments from walking into eternity. “But what should I say?” seems to be the reverberating question on our minds.

Jesus asked a woman to whom, culturally, He should never have addressed: “Please give Me a drink.” What if you took a few seconds and asked the Lord: “Lord, open my eyes to the opportunity you’ve put before me; open their heart to receive what you’ll give me to say; and open my mouth to be your voice to this specific person.” Then just be obedient.

What you say to open a conversation doesn’t have to be earth shattering. I’ve said to someone, “You look sad, is there something I could pray with you about?” Or on a plane I’ve asked – and you may want to write this down, it’s DEEP – “Is __________ (wherever the plane is headed) your home or are you just visiting?”

Let’s look at this more closely tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Price of Love

“So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to Him but a few days.” (Genesis 29:20 NLT)

Love, like faith, is in many ways an intangible. It becomes visible only when acted upon. How many times a day do we tell someone that we love them? How about Jesus? Do we “love” Him? What is the “proof” of that love?

In my humble opinion, I believe love carries a very high price. For example, in John 15:13, Jesus said: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Few have opportunity to do that literally, but we all have numerous opportunities every day to illustrate love by laying down our lives for someone. How so?

The Apostle Paul defined “love” on a grand scale in 1 Corinthians 13, but I believe we can boil down what he wrote in a few words – put others before ourselves! How do we do that in practical ways. One definition of love I read a long time ago simply said “Love = Time.”

I’ve seen people work 12-16 hours a day for years, and if you asked them why? They would say some variation of: “Because I love my family and I want to provide well for them.” I’m sorry folks, but that’s not love. “Love = Time” doesn’t mean time at work, it means time with the person you love. Absent fathers have contributed to the creation of a whole generation of men who have lost their way.

In a recent BreakPoint article John Stonestreet wrote: “As NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway mentioned recently on Bill Maher’s show Real Time, ‘The most unstable nations in the world have one thing in common — and that is that they have too many lonely, broke, and alone men.’ And yet that’s exactly the type of person modern culture is producing.”

There’s a tremendous price to pay for giving love, just look at the Cross of Christ, but there’s also a great price to pay if we haven’t received love. What’s the answer? Jesus! “Whoa, isn’t that a little simplistic?” you may be thinking. Not if we take our walk with Jesus seriously. How so? How can we possibly reach a whole generation of “lonely, broke, and alone men?” The same way more than 2 billion people in our world have been reached for Jesus – one man at a time!

I love my church. In my nearly sixty years of walking with Jesus, it’s the best church I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of. Are they perfect? They might have been before I showed up, but certainly not now, but they do a lot right. I love their transparency, especially from the Pastors and leaders. They’re not afraid to share their flaws and challenges, but they’re also not afraid or ashamed to declare their dependency upon Christ and each other. We’re a family above all else, and we love each other and are determined to love others to Jesus.

Our heart is to reach this generation of men and women with the love of Jesus. Not exclusively, of course, but we’re seeking not to let young men and women fall through the proverbial “cracks.” The Pastors have asked older men and women who are determined to make much of Jesus, to seek out younger men and women and pour ourselves into them. One of our younger Pastors has initiated a ministry to young people 18-25, and the response has been really positive.

Folks, we’ve got to let Jesus not only love us, but love others through us. What might that look like? Kindness, courtesy, thoughtfulness, unselfishness, but most of all – TIME!

By devoting time to writing notes, extending invitations through whatever means you have available, inviting young people into your life. We can begin with our own kids, grandkids, neighbor kids, who are speeding aimlessly through life headed for a Christ-less eternity. We must do all we possibly can to show them what love looks like by willingly pouring ourselves into them and out for them, to the honor and fame of our Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Former Ignorance

“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” (Ephesians 4:30-31 NLT)

Ignorance, as I’ve often said, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Think of looking for a coin when it is pitch black, so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. No one is going to shame you for not being able to find it.

That’s how ignorance works. Yet, when the light of Christ’s life and love fill our lives, the things we couldn’t see before, because of the darkness of our heart and soul, now become crystal clear in the light of the Spirit’s instruction. And even as we walk with the Lord, there are ways of thinking and acting that are caused by our ignorance of the words and ways of the Lord.

It takes time to learn, not only what the Bible teaches, but how to apply what we’re learning to our new life in Christ. There are things of which each of us will remain ignorant as long as we’re in this life, and there’s no shame in that, it’s simply a fact of life. Problems occur when we ridicule or judge others for not knowing something that we didn’t know either when we first began our walk with Jesus.

That’s when we bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit – when we forget our former ignorance and, instead, criticize a brother or sister who is new to the faith, rather than encouraging them by letting them know we had to deal with the same issues when we were just starting our faith journey.

A website I’ve discovered that I really enjoy and appreciate is called Glimpses of Infinity by Ray Majoran. (GlimpseOfInfinity.com). Ray features a photo each day and share’s a brief prayer. I’ve come to look forward, not only to the beautiful photographs, but his thoughtful and challenging prayers. His prayer was the inspiration for this post when he prayed: “As obedient children, may we not be conformed to the passions of our former ignorance, but as You who called us is holy, we also must be holy in all our conduct (1 Peter 1:14-15). Thank you for being so gracious as we work to do this.”

Any progress we’ve made as a child of God is by grace alone. God, in His mercy and kindness, walks with us each step of our journey as His child, thus, we never – ever – have an excuse for not being patient, kind, loving, and helpful to our brothers and sisters who are struggling to find their way. Our attitude must always be, “there but for the grace of God go I.”

I readily admit that I’m ignorant of a lot of things that the Lord teaches in His Word. I read, study and pray, but it seems the revelation of His Spirit is silent. Yes, of course, I listen to or read other’s insights, but I rarely assume their position as my own until the Spirit confirms the truth of what they teach, in my own heart and mind.

The Lord continues to encourage me to walk in the light He has given me, realizing He will guide, equip, provide, and instruct me and you, as His followers, at every juncture of our journey. It’s critical that we understand that He has a very good reason for walking with us step by step, not mile by mile. For one, it would overwhelm us. He tends to point out one thing at a time for us to “conquer” before He has us move to the next step.

A young man, new in His walk with Jesus, came to me one day almost in tears. He was frustrated with himself because he couldn’t seem to stop using inappropriate language. I said to him, “Praise the Lord!” A little taken aback, he said: “What do you mean ‘Praise the Lord?’ I shouldn’t be using this kind of language.” To which I respond, “When you weren’t walking with the Lord, did it ever bother you.” “No.” he said. Then I told him, “I’m not excited about your language, I’m excited that the Lord has finally enabled you to recognize your need to do something about it.”

Our former ignorance often blinds us to our need for change in our walk with the Lord until He turns on the light of His Spirit’s willingness to enable us to do something positive about it. That’s always worthy of praise for our strong and understanding Savior.

Blessings, Ed 😊