Walking With Jesus

When a View is Just a View

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now!” (2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT)

As I age my memory just isn’t what it used to be, but I’m finding there are advantages. Now I can hide my own Easter eggs and plan my own surprise parties! There are others, but I can’t remember what they are. 😊 Seriously, there are things about my life I prefer not to remember, especially how I used to think about and act towards those who were “different” than me. How so?

When I was young and knew everything there was to know about everything, I would “pigeon hole” people. It was easier to categorize others than it was to build a friendship with them and discover we were much more alike than different. Now, I’m drawn to people who are different than me. By God’s grace, I’m able to see them through the lens of His love.

While watching an episode of a series I enjoy, I was reminded that time can sometimes distort our vision. One of the main characters reconnects with a girl with whom he’d once been engaged, but he’d broken it off a few days before their wedding because he learned she’d been unfaithful. As a result, she severs contact with, not only him, but with her family.

After many months, her brother asks his sister’s former fiancé if he’ll help him find her. He does, and takes her to a spot by the lake that had been one of their favorite places. She’s still trying to keep her distance emotionally, but he says to her: “You’re the one who said life never looked simpler than it did from right here.” To which she responded: “Sometimes a view is just a view.”

The conversation continues and she says: “And now I see you and I see my family and all I can see is what I lost.” To which he responds: “Sometimes a view is just a view.”

So, what’s my point? Sometimes, when we’re running from ourselves and/or God, we burn a lot of bridges, or at least think we did. So much so that we build this idea in our mind that we’ve run too far and now we’re out of God’s reach. We say and do things we deeply regret, damaging relationships with those we’ve loved, and now think they’re lost to us.

Like the Prodigal son in Luke 15, we build this “conversation” with our “father” based on how we now perceive things, when the truth is, it’s only a “view” we’ve created in our own mind, that most often doesn’t correlate with the facts. Satan will do all within his power to keep us from God and from loving family who have been praying for our return.

The truth is, we do that with a lot of things God tells us to do. For months I’ve procrastinated passing out a note to my neighbors. In my mind’s eye I thought of all the things they would say or do that would make me look and/or feel badly. But a few weeks ago, I prayed through and decided it didn’t matter how they respond to me, I needed to obey God. As of this writing, everything I’ve heard from my neighbors has been positive.

As real as it may seem to you, sometimes a “view” is just something Satan puts in our minds to try to cause us to back down and stay the same. It’s a distortion of the truth because Satan wants us to change for the worse, not the better. He wants to push us ever further away from God and believing family members. But the Lord is persistent in His loving pursuit of us, and will follow us to the gates of hell, if need be, to rescue us.

Whatever your “view” of how things might be; no matter how far you’ve run or how disobedient you’ve been, on the authority of God’s Word, and the compassion of my almighty Savior, His view of you is – “it’s time to for you to come home!”

His love for you is greater, His forgiveness deeper, His desire to set you on a new, satisfying, life-renewing path is stronger and better than anything you’ve ever imagined possible. Bring your sin and shame and lay them at the Savior’s feet. Let Him love you back to wholeness; to the person He’s “seen” you could be since before the foundation of this world.

Sometimes a view is just a view, not reality.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Our Prayers Get Honest! (Part 2)

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and He answered me.” (Jonah 2:2 NLT)

The story of Jonah is interesting on many levels, not the least being his prayer from within the belly of the large fish the Lord sent to rescue him from the ocean. Just to catch you up, in case you’re not familiar with Jonah’s story, the Lord had given him instructions: “to go the great city of Nineveh. Announce My judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

So, what did God’s faithful servant do? “But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.” And apparently, Jonah’s conscience was perfectly good with the whole “run away from God plan,” because the Bible says that he bought a ticket on a boat leaving for Tarshish, then immediately found a quiet spot in the hold of the ship and went into a deep sleep.

The ship’s captain finally went to wake him when they’d encountered a violent storm that was threatening to sink the ship. The captain said to Jonah: “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.” There’s no indication that Jonah prayed, but the sailors cast lots, and determined that he was the reason for the storm.

One thing led to another and finally, at Jonah’s request, the sailors tossed him overboard and immediately the storm stopped. What was he thinking? Even the pagan sailors recognized that Jonah’s God had sent the storm, and after the sea was calm, the Bible says: “they were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered Him a sacrifice and vowed to serve Him.”

An impressive “mission’s trip,” for Jonah, but what was he thinking to have them throw him overboard? Did he prefer death to obedience? At that point only God knew what was going to happen, but even in the belly of the “great fish,” Jonah wasn’t honest with the Lord. Listen to his prayer: “You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea.” Whoa! Wait a minute. Surely the Lord knew Jonah was going to have the sailors throw him overboard, but who’s idea was that? There’s no indication in the text to indicate that the Lord asked Jonah to do that.

Then in the next verse Jonah says: “The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath Your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O Lord, You have driven me from Your presence.’” Come on, Jonah, give me a break! That was all you, buddy. God told you to go to Nineveh and you hightailed it to Tarshish. Finally, that little “fish ride” through the sea brought Jonah to his senses, and he ultimately did what the Lord asked him to do, but even after the Lord brought revival to Nineveh, Jonah was mad about it.

Okay, so what’s my point? Implicit in all of Jonah’s adventures, at least two things give us insight into the heart of God. First, God has plans that He will accomplish in and through us whether we’re honest with ourselves or not. Through it all, as much of a rascal as Jonah was, he was still God’s prophet, and he, in the end, did what God called him to do.

And the second thing, that gives me great hope as I continue to learn to pray, is God’s amazing heart for lost people. We may not always know or even think about how the Lord desires to use us to reach our lost loved ones and friends, but He is always engineering circumstances in each of our lives to put us in the right place at the right time to speak words of life to those in our spheres of influence who are walking in darkness.

Here’s my takeaway as it relates to getting honest when we pray. Trust God! At least Jonah was honest about one thing: he knew the compassionate God he served would do whatever it took to get His word to the lost city of Nineveh.

That’s His heart for the lost people of my city and yours, but more specifically, the lost people in reach of your influence. If you want to “run” from that assignment, I get it, but more to the point, God gets it. And He will sometimes use you in spite or your rebellion. Just be honest enough to say: “Lord, as scared as I am, use me to Your honor and fame. Help me to be all You desire me to be, say, and do to reach those You love with whom I can share Your loving message.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Our Prayers Get Honest!

“As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to You in Your holy Temple.” (Jonah 2:7 NLT)

My most frightening dream finds me alone in the ocean at night with nothing but a life jacket. My feet dangling below me in the darkness, numb from the cold water, anticipating any second to become shark bait. How might you pray in those moments? “Dear Lord, please bless this day.” Or perhaps, “Oh, Lord, remember me?” Or how about just being honest, “Lord, I’m scared out of my wits. Thank You for making Your presence and protection real. Thank You for making a way for me to be found.”

We don’t always realize it, but prayer, at its core, is always a lifeline to our Father. We never know what the next second holds, as we’re always and only one breath from meeting Him face to face.

When I was in High School, I took a lifesaving course at a local YMCA. I wasn’t a great swimmer, so just knowing how to save myself would have been helpful. One part of the process was learning to deal with someone who was resisting you when you tried to save them. Our instructions were to pair up with someone and to hold them under the water until they stopped fighting.

My understanding was that we would choose a partner and decide who was going to be the “victim,” but before I could even say “would you like to be my partner?” this big guy shoved my head under the water. I’m not sure if he thought I was just playing along, but, having had no time to take a breath, I was drowning and fighting for all I was worth to break his death grip on me. I literally thought I was going to die, and not knowing the Lord then, prayer was the last thing on my mind.

As I remember that scenario it causes me to wonder what goes through someone’s mind in critical circumstances who doesn’t know the Lord. I tend to think that anyone would call out to God, but if they haven’t been exposed to an environment where people they knew prayed, why would they? I’m confident there are those who don’t believe God exists or feel that even if there was a God, why would He listen to them?

What do you believe about prayer? In an emergency or frightening situation, would prayer be your first thought? In the movies often the first words out of someone’s mouth in a difficult circumstance is “Oh, God!” But what does that mean?

J.D. Greear wrote: “Until we are fully open and honest with Jesus about our problems, we can’t get help for them.” But, here again, what does that mean? Sometimes we pray like God doesn’t already know every detail about what we’re going to ask Him. It’s like we’re trying to spare Him the gory details, or like He doesn’t already know our every thought before we open our mouth.

So, what might it look like to be “fully open and honest with Jesus?” I believe it has to begin with being fully open and honest with ourselves. In our heart and mind, what is the ideal outcome? What do we want God to do? How do we want Him to intervene? And, yes, I know, prayer isn’t an opportunity for us to give God instructions, but if we don’t have an idea of what we want Him to do, how will we recognize His answer?

My wife and I like to watch series on TV. We enjoyed the movie “The Lincoln Lawyer,” so we checked out a series by that same title. In one of the episodes the main character hired a young woman who was a recovering addict to be his driver. She said to him, who was also a recovering addict: “You can’t recover until you know what you’re recovering from.”

I believe being “open and honest” with the Lord essentially means we need to understand why we’re praying in the first place. Then ask in faith believing the Lord will respond, not only to our words, but to the attitude of our heart.

Let’s look at this further in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Making Honey?

“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)

The opening words of the first Psalm say: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

Billionaire Dan Pena said: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” He also said: “You really are the average of the 5 people, or 10 people that you’re surrounded by.” He likely has reference to a person’s potential for wealth, but the same principle applies to those of us who are following Jesus. Making honey is the collective effort of hundreds of bees. What’s my point?

As a believer in Jesus, we are, by virtue of our oneness with Jesus, a member of His collective Body on earth, commonly referred to as the Church. It astounds me when I hear someone profess faith in Jesus who has no affiliation with a local body of believers. To become a believer in Jesus and not have a fellowship of godly people to surround you and help you grow is like putting a newborn baby out on the curb, hoping someone really nice picks them up.

Ministry and mission are designed by God to be carried out in the context of a fellowship of like-minded people who love Jesus and each other. Jesus commissioned us to “make disciples,” not let them flounder alone trying to find their way to maturity. We can’t “make ourselves” grow spiritually anymore than we can feed and clothe ourselves as infants.

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Another vital factor in growing in Christ is learning how to read and study God’s Word, the Bible. Just because you know how to read doesn’t necessarily, in and of itself, mean you can understand the Bible. Yes, of course, you can recognize most of the words and maybe even pronounce them correctly but reading words and understanding meaning are two very different things.

You need some basic tools, such as a Bible dictionary, Concordance, and a multi-translation Bible. But there’s no substitute for having someone to walk with you as you learn. Someone who is more mature spiritually and who has some years of experience in reading, studying, and applying the truths of Scripture. But you also need to develop some godly disciplines related to your reading and study of God’s Word.

Bruce Waltke wrote: “Reading Scripture is like collecting pollen. Meditating on it is like making honey.” Reading is generally a solitary process, and even meditation is something best done alone. But the things upon which you meditate and the insights you gain from your thoughtful consideration of verses is something valuable to share with others. Pollen makes me sneeze, but honey is sweet and enjoyable.

Similarly, while an insight into a truth you’ve learned in Scripture is helpful to you, sharing it with others gives the benefit of letting it bless and help them as well. Reading and studying the Bible isn’t simply for the purpose of gaining information. Ultimately, when our knowledge is infused with the power of God’s Spirit, it becomes the stimulus for our transformation into the new creation about which Paul speaks in 2 Corinthian 5:17. Don’t be content to collect “pollen.” Make “honey.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

Warfare with Hell

“We are humans, but we don’t wage war as humans do. (2 Corinthians 10:3 NLT)

The biggest difference that I can discern between human warfare and spiritual warfare is this: Rather than seeking to defeat and destroy another person, we’re focusing our weapons on the true enemy, Satan himself and his devilish emissaries. But make no mistake, we’re at war, and to think otherwise is to be naïve or ignorant of reality.

John Piper wrote: “God intends that part of our preparation for heaven be a life of warfare with hell.” What might that look like? Foundationally, war is typically waged because of greed. We want what we don’t have, so we use force to take what isn’t ours. Satan is a defeated foe who desires to take as many as possible to hell with him, and more and more people are falling into his trap.

The sad truth is, many professing Jesus followers aren’t only unaware they’re at war, they’re oblivious to the deceitful lies they’re believing that are sucking the life out of them. John Piper wrote: “I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth ‘home.’ Before you know it, I am calling luxuries ‘needs’ and using my money just the way unbelievers do. I begin to forget the war. I don’t think much about people perishing. Missions and unreached people drop out of my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mind-set that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do. It is a terrible sickness. And I thank God for those who have forced me again and again toward a wartime mind-set.”

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How can we know we’re in the battle? The greatest evidence is the value of prayer in our life. John Piper wrote: “You’ll never know what prayer is for until you know that life is war.” What’s your first instinct in times of trouble? Prayer, right? What’s your first instinct when things are going well? My desire is that the first thought that enters my mind when I awaken every day is God, and that He prepare me for the battles I will face in that day.

His will must be foremost in our hearts and minds. What is foremost on the heart of God? What was the last thing on Jesus’ mind before His ascension? “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Why is it so vital to understand that Jesus has all authority? Otherwise, we’ll be tempted to believe we have no authority over Satan. We’ll believe his lies and be sucked into the cycle of doubt and unbelief that will render us useless in the battle for lost souls. If we aren’t convinced that life is war, we’ll not make prayer for our lost loved ones, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others the priority it must be. And if we think we’re alone, we’ll freeze.

But prayer, as vital as it is, isn’t the whole story. Prayer is the work, then God works. But how? Through me and you. We are the “army” of God on earth. We’re God’s mouthpiece through whom He speaks to those in our spheres of influence. We’re His hands and feet to go to those who need Him and to love them into His holy arms.

It has become apparent to me in this season of my life that our fear of sharing our faith isn’t about anything but us. Why? Because we wrongly think it’s about us. “What if I don’t say the right thing?” “What if they get mad at me?” “What if I embarrass myself?” And on and on it goes. And my answer is simple: Who cares? If I have to be embarrassed to see a soul redirected from hell to heaven, I’ll be embarrassed all day long. It’s not about us! It’s only and always about Jesus. If we, as His followers won’t share what He’s done for us, who will? And if not now, when?

We must be about our Father’s business. War has casualties and they’re mounting every day we’re silent. “Lord help us to see this world through Your eyes and respond with the courage only You can give us.”

Blessings, Ed

What Is the Basis of Healing?

“Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed every kind of disease and illness.” (Matthew 4:23 NLT)

Why do you think Jesus put so much emphasis on physical healing while He shared the Good News of the Kingdom of God? On the other hand, why do you think there is so little emphasis on divine, God-provided and Spirit directed physical healing today in America? Perhaps a major reason was that the life expectancy was much less in Jesus’ lifetime, as it still is in many parts of our world where hospitals and medical facilities and personnel are limited.

The priority of physical health is revealed in many ways, not the least of which is how we commonly greet one another: “How are you doing?” Which often has reference to how we’re feeling physically. If we’re not well physically it can impact every area of our lives. What we’re able to accomplish, how we interact with other people, how we think, how we process information, etc.

On the other hand, when we feel good physically, it impacts virtually every avenue of our lives. It takes discipline and determination to continue to function in a semi-normal pattern when plagued by chronic pain, fatigue, and other physical issues with which we commonly wrestle.

Do you understand that health – how we feel physically – is often the result of how we think. You’ve likely heard the term “psychosomatic” which means “of, relating to, involving, or concerned with bodily symptoms caused by mental or emotional disturbance.” (Merriam-Webster) What we think about comes about.

It’s interesting to me that the word used in the Bible, which we translate “to heal,” is the word from which comes our English word “therapy.”

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Jesus understood, as we must, that when we’re focused on how badly we feel, or pondering all the implications of the doctor’s diagnosis, whatever that may be, our body is going to take its cues from our mind. If we think sickness, we’re going to be sick. Likewise, the more we can focus on wellness, or more to the point – wholeness – the better able we are to respond meaningfully and positively to the Lord.

Does that mean if I have a chronic illness, all I have to do is think “happy” thoughts and I’ll be all better? Not necessarily, but if we can position our mind to focus on Jesus and the good that He is bringing to our life even in the midst of our pain and suffering, we’re far more apt to heal more quickly and be more spiritually attentive.

The critical ingredient, or basis, of health – mental, emotional, physical, financial, relational – every area of our lives, is trust. Mark Driscoll wrote: “We are to trust the Lord. We are not to test the Lord.” There’s rarely a more pronounced opportunity for us to exhibit our lack of trust in God than in crisis. We “test” the Lord with our doubt, fear and lack of trust.

We set our mind on a journey of “what if’s” that only force our mind to travel away from the peace, confidence, and dependence that should be focused on God’s intervention and the fulfillment of His purposes in the crisis. There’s no such thing as an accident and nothing ever catches God by surprise. If He allows it, He has a plan to use it for our good and His glory.

The words “faith, belief, and trust” are all from the same “family,” and mean confidence in God’s ability and willingness to always do good and what is ultimately in our best interest. He’s a loving Father and will never do anything to or for His children that will be motivated by anything but His love.

Only trust Him!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Loving Without an Agenda

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (I Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)

When I was younger and, on some levels even today, I’ve wondered how the biblical writers gained such tremendous insight into the heart and mind of God. Paul’s words in the verse above, defining love, in some regards, transcends human understanding. How so? Who can love that way? What human being who has ever lived, other than Jesus, do you think of when you read those words? Not many, right?

Yet, isn’t that our aspiration as a Jesus follower? Isn’t that the way we’d love to love and be loved? What if we could deny ourselves long enough to love like that? What if we could set ourselves aside, remove ourselves from the proverbial equation, and just love others without an agenda? What might that look like?

Think of the last 24 hours. Was there an instant you loved someone without thinking? Without consideration of your own feelings? Without checking your schedule or considering whether or not you had time or energy or whatever?

Think of those we consider and often label “hero.” What elevated them to that level in our thinking? Was it that they acted on impulse? They moved without thought to what it would mean to themselves. How many police officers and firefighters give of themselves selflessly in order to save a life, often at the cost of their own?

What if we could be more spontaneous in our love of and for Jesus? His plan from before the foundation of the world was to give His life in our place, to save us from ourselves and our sin. But every moment of His life was lived in complete surrendered devotion to His Father. “Not My will, but Yours be done” was His attitude, not only in the garden before His betrayal, but in every avenue of His life, every second He lived.

That’s quite interesting to me. Yes, of course, He had an agenda when He poured Himself into an embryo in the womb of a peasant girl named Mary. But His “agenda,” His purpose, was solely to honor God by making a way for us humans to see God more clearly and to be drawn to Him. He wanted us to be able to enjoy a relationship with God the Father like He had enjoyed and cherished since before the beginning of time.

His ”agenda” WAS love! Not only to give expression to what love is and means in very practical ways, but to teach us, through His life, what love should look like. Wasn’t that what was on His mind in the moments before His betrayal, when He poured out His heart to His disciples and when He prayed for them? Listen to His heart: “I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began!” (John 17:22-24)

So, how do WE love like Jesus, letting love be OUR agenda? Intimacy with the Father through His Spirit is the only way of which I’m aware. Love bathed in prayer and lived out in humility, just like Jesus, must become our agenda if we’re ever to love like Him.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How God Works

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

The term “work,” as used in this verse and as generally used in the Bible, means much the same as it means today. It’s essentially anything in which we engage with the express intent of accomplishing something meaningful and that has purpose. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something for which we are paid. Much of the work we do daily has little or nothing to do with our vocation.

It was always amusing to me, especially when we had small children, when someone would ask what my wife did. The implication was “what kind of work did she do for which she got paid.” And when I said she didn’t “work,” they often said something like: “Oh, so she’s just a housewife and mother.” In my mind there’s no greater calling for a woman than to be a godly wife and mother. The work is tireless, but the “pay” is rewarding and generates eternal dividends.

That speaks directly to how God works in us. It may not be visible, at least at first, but it is nonetheless fruitful and filled with purpose. His goal, of course, is for us to be as much like Jesus as we can possibly be, working toward the day we find wholeness and completeness in Him when we are given access to our heavenly home.

One way of thinking of God’s work in us is that it’s “behind the scenes.” So, what’s He seeking to accomplish? His goal is to develop godly character, enabling others to see Jesus when they see us. How does He do that? Primarily through trials and difficult seasons in our lives.

Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-4: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Not giving up is a key to the completion of the good work the Lord is building within us.

Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Anything worth doing is tiring and, especially as we’re learning to be good at whatever it is, can be difficult. Often our perspective of how we’re doing is more discouraging than the work itself.

Recently I did a small wallpapering job for my daughter. I hadn’t wallpapered for years, but she asked me, and I decided to give it a try. Who was my biggest critic? I was. Why? Because I could see most clearly where I’d messed up. Several times I asked her if she’d like me just to tear down what I’d done and start over, to which she’d say: “It looks fine, dad!”

In those times of self-inspection, which the Lord directs us to do on occasion, who is our biggest critic? We are, right? Why? Because we see our flaws and failures first, and the longer we look at them the bigger they seem. But how does God see them?

Like the loving Father that He is. He’s our greatest cheerleader and advocate. He’s with us each step of the way, and when we fall, His hand is the first to stretch out in our direction to help us up. I love what Hudson Taylor wrote: “I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking God to do His work through me.”

That’s all He wants to do in us. All He asks is that we be willing to let Him do what only He can do, as He directs us to do what only we can do. It’s a cooperative effort. That’s just how He chooses to work.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s Leading Your Worship? (Part 2)

“Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:13-14 NLT)

The real question behind the question of who’s leading our worship is, who’s leading our life? Who or what is setting the direction and pace of our daily activities? Who or what is governing our mind and motivating our decisions from day to day?

The above verses are some of God’s instructions to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter their promised land. The pagan people who then possessed the land, worshipped a lot of idols, and the Lord knew the appeal they would hold to His chosen people. It causes me to think, if God was leading His people into America today, He’d very likely need to level everything and start over.

As Americans, we’ve made “idols” of almost everything we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell, so we battle Satan on many fronts when it comes to personal and even corporate worship. It’s no accident that in many, probably most churches in America we need 20-30 minutes of singing and praying to prepare our wayward hearts to hear God’s Word.

And the tragedy is that in a very high percentage of “churches,” God’s Word isn’t even reverenced and used as the basis, not only for preaching, but even for singing. “Worship” has become little more than “religious entertainment” to help us feel better as we face the beginning of another week of pursuing our own lustful pleasures.

Please understand, my heart isn’t to be critical of others, but to exalt the Name above all names. Worship, even in the presence of others, must maintain a singular focus. The design of worship isn’t to entertain, but to point the gathered body to Jesus. It’s no different when I do my prayer walks. To the extent I’m able to focus on Jesus and rely on the Spirit to lead me, to that extent I’ve worshipped.

Dan Cruver wrote: “We have the most wonderful worship leader you can imagine. Our Heavenly Intercessor is our Worship Leader. All our worship goes through Him to the Father by the Spirit.”

Join me as we worship our risen Savior:

“O worship the King, all glorious above, And gratefully sing His wonderful love; Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail: Thy mercies, firm to the end, Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.” (Text by Robert Grant)

The songs we sing, whether individually or corporately, should exalt Jesus and stir our hearts to worship, adoration, and praise. A firm foundation in the discipline of prayer and singing to the Lord, is the “rock” upon which a godly life is built. Devotion to God is illustrated in the time, effort, and energy we put forth in worship.

I’m so grateful for the family of God. The gift of worshipping together, loving one another, and doing life together is a glimpse of heaven on earth. Those who haven’t yet yielded their life and allegiance to Jesus aren’t only missing heaven, they’re missing life!

I so appreciate each one of you who read these posts. I pray the Lord will use them to lift, encourage, and bless you in your pilgrimage of faith. Thank you.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s Leading Your Worship?

“But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.” (Exodus 8:19 NLT)

Worship is a very serious issue, because worship gives visibility to who and what we are allowing to rule our hearts and lives.

As a Jesus follower worship isn’t only what we do when we’re gathered with our brothers and sisters in Christ at a gathering place on Sunday or whatever other times they might meet. Worship isn’t simply a posture of our body, it’s a posture of our heart and life.

Worship for a believer in Jesus is a lifestyle, a pattern of behavior that reflects the intent of a person’s heart. You can tell me all day long how much you love Jesus, but frankly, I don’t pay much attention to your words, unless and until they’re matched by the attitude of your heart, evidenced by how you conduct the affairs of your life; how you treat your spouse and kids; how you serve; your work ethic; how you invest your time and money; how you love.

R.C. Sproul wrote: “We should be careful about the words of the music we sing and ensure that those words communicate truth.” New Testament scholar Gordon Fee agreed when he said, “Show me a church’s songs and I’ll show you their theology.” Those thoughts convey a consideration that applies not only to our corporate worship, but our individual worship as well.

A fundamental truth that guides my personal worship is two-fold. First, the Bible is my rule of faith. What does that mean? It essentially means what the Psalmist David said in Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” There is a very real sense in which our lives are an act of worship.

So pleasing words extend far beyond our times of personal and/or corporate worship or prayer, into how we speak to those in our spheres of influence. Are we “short” with our spouse or children? Use angry words in an encounter with a coworker or friend? Swear at the person who cuts us off on the freeway? In any circumstance of our day are we pulled from our devotion to and worship of our Savior?

But secondly, the words I sing must not only be in harmony with Scripture, but tune my heart to listen more closely to the Lord’s still, small voice. Music often gives rise to emotion in me. I enjoy singing and I sometimes find myself expecting certain songs to “speak” to me in expected ways. But there are times when I’m “flat,” unmoved in my spirit.

It’s in those times I appreciate the words of Elizabeth Elliot: “Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship in spirit and in truth. Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them.”

Regrettably, there are those who prefer singing, to hearing the spoken Word. Perhaps that’s what Augustine was addressing when he wrote: “I am inclined — though I pronounce no irrevocable opinion on the subject — to approve of the use of singing in the church, so that by the delights of the ear the weaker minds may be stimulated to a devotional mood. Yet when it happens that I am more moved by the singing than by what is sung, I confess myself to have sinned wickedly, and then I would rather not have heard the singing.” (Augustine, Confessions, XXXIII.50)

Let’s continue looking at this subject in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊