Walking With Jesus

The High Cost of Disobedience

“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:5-6 NLT)

Much of Christian music today emphasizes the forgiveness and love of God, which is well and good, but I rarely if ever hear a song about the consequences of disobedience to the Lord. When Jesus sacrificed His body on the Cross in our place, He paid the penalty for our outstanding sin debt. He did not pay for the consequences of those sins. What do I mean?

If I’m a chain smoker, drug addict, alcoholic, have a sexually transmitted disease, am a chronic liar, gossip, murderer, or have any other habitual sin pattern when I come to the Lord, the blood of Jesus spilled on the Cross covers the death penalty that I could never in eternity ever have paid myself, but it doesn’t cover the consequences of years of living in those sinful patterns.

If I’ve destroyed my heart and lungs smoking, fried my brain with drugs, am serving a life sentence for murder or other violent crime, or whatever chronic effects remain after my conversion, the Lord isn’t automatically going to make those things go away. Neither is He going to tolerate my continued practice of those things after my conversion.

There’s a price to pay for following Jesus, but there’s an even greater price for ignoring His claims on our lives. Notice in the verse above Paul writes: “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.” The clear implication of that directive is “YOU” put to death those things. God is not going to take them away without your permission and commitment to make the effort needed to be free of them.

Over the years I’ve seen many people have a “conversion experience,” only to continue living unchanged. Are they going to heaven because they “prayed a prayer?” Jesus said in Matthew 7:19: “So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

According to Paul’s words in Romans 2:5-8: “But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.”

We tend to lean so heavily on the grace of God that we forget He doesn’t ignore or overlook our disobedience. Rob Turner wrote: “Not obeying Jesus is the most dangerous place to be on the planet.” We are judged by our deeds, not our good intentions.

The greater measure of obedience we desire and pursue, the greater measure of joy and fulfillment we’ll experience in our walk with the Lord. Yes, of course, His love for us never changes. He loves each one who enters a Christ-less eternity. Love is not in question. Obedience is the issue.

In what is commonly referred to as “The Great Commission” Jesus said in Matthew 28:20: “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” We continue to walk in disobedience to the Lord’s commands at our peril.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The “Gospel” of Satan

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10a NLT)

Comfort and a false sense of security are two of Satan’s most effective weapons. He played his hand when he was tempting Jesus. “Then the devil took Him (Jesus) up and revealed to Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ‘I will give you the glory of theses kingdoms and authority over them,’ the devil said, ‘because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.’” (Luke 4:5-7 NLT)

That’s what Satan does to us on a much smaller scale. He gives us a glimpse of what our lives on earth could be if we just bowed to his demands. “If only” becomes the insidious cry of our heart. “If only I made more money!” “If only we had a bigger house!” “If only we could take more trips!” “If only I could get this promotion!” And on and on it goes.

The “glory” of this world shines and sparkles and invites us to sell our soul to the highest bidder. We never stop to ask: “What if I had all of that, then what?” Someone asked a very wealthy man how much was enough, to which he responded: “Just a little bit more.”

Our tendency is to build life on what we hope will happen. We buy based on the raise we hope to get or the new job that we just know is going to open up. We spend money on things we don’t need to impress people who don’t care, then wonder why we’re so miserable when we have all this nice stuff.

Arthur Pink wrote: “The gospel of Satan aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat that Christ’s absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed.” Who needs God when you’ve got the world by the tail on a downhill grade? The money’s flowing, the house and cars are new and the trips across the world are icing on the proverbial cake.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

No thought of the next life because all our attention is focused on this one. That’s Satan’s goal. Whatever it costs to make us comfortable or give us more security is a small price to pay. Then death knocks at our door! That’s what my mentor was addressing when he said: “What is all you sold your soul to obtain worth on the day you stand before Jesus?” And the answer of course? “Nothing!” At least to the one who has died.

How can anyone be so blind? Yet, we learn at a very young age that we “deserve” to have anything we want. Our parents teach us that. Many today feel obligated to buy their children the most current fashions, send them to the “best” schools, give them all the latest gadgets and when they can’t, they feel like a failure. How do I know that? Because that’s how I felt about my kids.

That’s how we got buried in debt that took more than 10 years to pay back after my divorce. Was it worth it? Absolutely not! But it still took years to learn to be content with what I had and live below my means. Finally, by God’s grace, I’m seeing the proverbial light.

Satan’s goal is to steal our attention, redirect our energy, kill our thoughts of God, and destroy any hope of anything better than what this world offers. Gratefully, Jesus knew what we must learn. All the glory of this world can never give us what knowing Jesus can. We must realize that our energy and effort need to be invested in heaven, in preparation for our homecoming one day when this life ends. But how?

By following Jesus’ example – by serving the needs of others before our own. By sacrificing our needs in favor of helping others. In short, by seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and by prioritizing our efforts to honor and glorify Jesus instead of ourselves.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Head Knowledge Isn’t Discipleship

“Then He (Jesus) added, ‘Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.’” (Matthew 13:52 NLT)

There is, in the teaching of the Christian Faith, a delicate balance between what we know to be true and what motivates our actions as human beings. The goal of Discipleship, as I understand it, is the development of a Christian worldview where everything we know is applied and tested on the battlefields of life. If my knowledge doesn’t make Jesus more “visible” in and through my life, it has little if any real value.

As it relates to our walk with Jesus, knowledge must feed our ability to live more in line with, not only what Jesus taught, but with who He is. Our faith must inform and effect every area and dimension of our being. Jesus followers should be better – better parents, better servants, better workers, better employers, better employees, better citizens, better friends – better people.

The scribes to whom Jesus referred in the above verse, were experts in interpretation and instruction of the intricacies of the Jewish religious law. When they became devoted to Jesus, they had a platform of understanding from which they could draw that would illuminate their understanding and enable them to make application in ways that few could.

For example, they could see more clearly than most, the connection between prophecies that pertained to Jesus and His fulfillment of them. Their faith could be deepened, giving them greater insight into how to instruct others in their faith.

Today we have massive amounts of information that is available at the click of a button, that can lure us into a false sense of security in terms of our faith in Jesus. We can wrongly believe that more knowledge means a closer walk with the Lord. And don’t misunderstand – it can and should, but it’s not automatic.

At my installation reception after becoming the new pastor of the last church I served; a guy came up to me and for several minutes unloaded all this information about insights that he’d gained in his study. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t have a clue as to what he was talking about. I’d never heard any of it before, but the tragedy to me was, it had no practical application to anything remotely related to being a better servant of Christ.

It seemed obvious that he wanted to dump on anyone who would listen, but why? To what end? If we’re going to ask someone to listen to us, let’s at least have the courtesy to share something meaningful and helpful. Virtually everything I read or to which I listen needs to equip me to be a better servant of Christ. If it doesn’t help me understand how to reach more hurting or lost people, or be a better husband, father, or friend, I don’t have time to listen.

So, am I just dumping on you today? I hope not. So, what’s my takeaway? Read, study, dig deep into God’s Word, but don’t get stuck there. Let the Holy Spirit inform your heart how to take what He’s teaching you and apply it to areas of your life where you need to grow. Let what you know make you a more effective Jesus follower. Let it give greater and greater visibility to His life being lived out through you.

If that in which we invest our time doesn’t enable us to be more like Jesus, enabling us to speak into another’s life more meaningfully and effectively, for all intent and purpose, it’s a waste of time. Discipleship is essentially saying with Paul: “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) That must be the goal of our study – that as we’re walking more closely to Jesus we’re becoming someone worthy of being followed. Not that others would be conformed to our likeness, but to His.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s in Charge?

“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 NLT)

These words spoken by God to Eve after the fall reminds me that control is an issue with which we still wrestle. Not just in marriage, but in virtually every area of our lives. “Who’s in charge?” is a question that often needs to be asked and answered, whether in a workplace, church, or family setting. But the most important setting in which knowing who’s in control is essential is our own heart.

Saying Jesus is in control and leading our life is easy. Letting Him lead is often another story. Regardless of our daily routine and responsibilities, as a Jesus follower Lordship is critical for us to get right. As in parenting, just because we “do what He says,” doesn’t necessarily mean we’re submitted to His Lordship and yielding to His control.

Young children typically want to please their parents, so, for the most part, they’re a joy to have and they love to listen to our directives. But as our children age and become more independent, there’s what I like to call a “creative tension” between their listening skills and our instructions. They begin to question, or perhaps they like for us to begin to question “who’s really in charge.”

Unfortunately, that also happens in our relationship with Jesus. We like to pick the things we like to do, then, because they’re not “sinful,” we believe the Lord will be okay with them. Lordship can be a misunderstood process that, if we’re not careful, can point us down paths that can actually lead us away from the Lord. How so?

A key word that I believe is critical for us to adopt as God’s children is “balance.” Too much of even a good thing, like church, can be harmful to our walk with the Lord. For example. Because I’m retired, I have a lot of time, right? Actually, I have the same 24 hours that I’ve always had, I’m just responsible to appropriate them differently.

That’s where Lordship and knowing who’s in control can be critical. In my “freedom,” because I had an open slot on my calendar, I felt responsible to “fill” it with another meeting with someone I’m discipling or go to another training or another new ministry meeting. Before long I was planning things for nearly every day that centered on church-related activity. Okay, so what was the problem?

The problem was I was being motivated by selfish ambition and not the Holy Spirit. I would never have admitted it, but I wanted to fit in, to be liked – needed even. The more activities I could be involved in, the more people might think: “Oh, there’s Ed, he never misses anything.” But the truth was, I was missing a lot.

My wife and I were like ships passing in the night. We rarely had time to eat a meal together. I’m a Jesus follower before anything else, but right under that comes family. My kids aren’t serving the Lord today largely because of my busyness when they were growing up – never being home, always “serving others.” I’m sorry friends, but that’s not right and does not please the Lord.

I wasn’t allowing Him to exercise His control in my life and I now deeply regret it. I was enmeshed in “religious” activities that felt good and, I pray, did some good. But they also robbed me of precious time with those I love the most. There’s got to be balance between family time, working, and serving, and only Jesus can give us clarity in planning that.

He’s got to be in charge, regardless of whether we’re a Pastor, CEO, housewife, or homeless. And the two best ways to verify that are still our calendar and our checkbook.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Entitled?

“Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve.” (Psalm 94:2 NLT)

In our weaker moments we’re tempted to believe God has been unfair in giving us the “hand” we’ve been dealt. That’s usually when we begin the “blame game” or the “what about them” rant. I’ve been there and it hurts to remember.

Remember when James and John asked Jesus to give them seats on either side of Him in heaven? How did the others respond? Mark records it this way: “When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.”

That’s when Jesus reminded them: “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

The other ten got really angry, but do you know why? Because they wanted those seats! Isn’t that the way we are? We may not be as bold as James and John, but we nonetheless think if anyone deserves special treatment it’s us.

“Majesty (Sunder Krishman) “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Thom Rainer wrote: “Anyone who believes they are entitled to something from God, know the adversary has put that thought in you, not the Holy Spirit.” You see this displayed in all walks of life, but none more pronounced than in the church.

In my first position as a Senior Pastor, a Staff Pastor who had been there longer than me resigned. It was messy. Because of that, in what I believed to be the best interest of the church, I asked each member of the search committee individually to declare their personal approval of any candidate we would invite to fill the vacated position. It made sense to me that we should be in 100% agreement. They agreed.

A candidate was called on whom each person had agreed. It was a young couple with small children. When they came the church’s response was gracious. In my heart I believed they would be a perfect fit for our growing church. But when the vote was taken, they only received 51% of the votes in favor of them coming. I was crushed.

It became apparent that someone had made an effort to get as many people as possible to vote against them. While I was still staggering emotionally from the decision, a member of the committee got right in my face and said: “I just wanted you to know who’s really running this church!”

It was a hard lesson, but in hindsight what hurts me most was the sad misunderstanding that I “deserved” better than that. I didn’t say that, I don’t even remember thinking it, but as I think back, that’s why I was so badly hurt.

Was it disappointing? Of course. But I had no more right to feel entitled to another outcome than James and John deserved to be granted seats of honor by Jesus. I’m a slave and slaves have no rights. Slaves serve, they don’t demand special treatment.

Jesus said in Luke 17:7: “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me?’ No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey Me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

That may be a hard pill to swallow, but that’s what we signed up for when we knelt at our Master’s feet. We’re not entitled to anything in this life or the next. We’re underserving slaves at the mercy of our Master. Personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Has God Fallen Off His Throne?

“But to the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice.’” (Hebrews 1:8 NLT)

When we’re in the midst of a “storm” it seems it will never end. A mountain of debt, physical issues that seem only to worsen, relational strain that continues to intensify, and a thousand other problems drive us to the edge of breaking. In those difficult times we’re tempted to believe God must have fallen off His throne.

Ron Hutchcraft wrote in a recent devotional: “A calm captain who has been through these fearful storms before, who knows everything will be okay at the end of the day and has brought so many others safely through. Now, that’s what makes the difference when it feels like the storm is going to sink you. If you belong to Jesus Christ, you have a Captain like that! That’s why the writer of ‘Amazing Grace’ could write: ‘Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. ‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.’”

Walking with Jesus doesn’t necessarily make life easier, but it absolutely makes it better. I’ve learned a sure-fire way of confirming the Lord hasn’t vacated His throne – I visit it multiple times a day, and He’s always there!

What storm are you facing? There are a couple of things you need to remember. Write them down or memorize them to defeat the enemy’s lies head on. First, nothing touches your life except it passes through the filter of God’s permission, and you never walk alone. If God has allowed it, He has a reason, and He will walk with you every step of the way.

God will never tempt you to do evil. The Lord’s prayer says: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Some translations say: “…but deliver us from the evil one.” Why is that important? The tempter, Satan, will use anything possible to distract you from listening to and following Jesus. But the only power Satan has over a Jesus-follower’s life is the power we allow him to have.

The closer we walk with Jesus the more clearly, we hear His voice and the more closely we can follow His commands. That includes His command to go into daily battle with the enemy of our soul. Because God is sovereign, no power in heaven or on earth can do anything except He grant His permission. That, of course, gives rise to a lot of misunderstanding and “blame.”

When a loved one dies in a tragic accident or suffers because of a disease that has robbed them of their ability to function, it can give rise to the temptation to blame God and shake our fist in His holy face because we believe He was behind all the pain, fear, anger, and suffering we experience. Could God stop it? Of course, but why doesn’t He?

The simple answer is – because of sin’s rampage on all of humanity. But the same God who allowed His only sinless, perfect Son to suffer unjustly to pay the penalty for our sin, frees us from our obligation to follow in our ancestor’s steps, liberating our spirit and delivering us from the tentacles of satanic influence. He fills us with His holy presence and promises that from the moment we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus, we will never take a single step or a single breath apart from His presence with us.

Sin demands death and suffering, and because we’re a part of the human family, we’re subject to all the implications of that horrible sentence. But because our Savior sits on His throne, He promises that whatever storms we must face on this planet, we’ll never face alone. But even beyond that wonderful promise, He has gone before us to prepare for us a place of perfection and bliss the likes of which we can’t begin to imagine. And it’s all because of His amazing grace.

One day, sooner than we can imagine, all the “storms” of this life will pass, and we’ll spend an eternity free of pain and suffering of any kind. Not because we deserve it, but because our King and Lord of heaven’s armies is on our side, and because He’s never left His throne – and never will!

“So let the lion roar, let the bear threaten, let the leopard pursue. There is a throne with authority over every beast, every storm, every disease, every enemy, every tragedy, and your awesome Lord sits on that throne.” (Ron Hutchcraft)

Blessings, Ed 😊

An Obligation to Care

“This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26 NLT)

Have you ever stubbed you toe? Of course, you have. But I’m not talking about a little wimpy bump that gets your attention, then you move on. I’m talking about “falling on the floor screaming when no one is there and you know intellectually that it’s not helping anything, but you’ve just got to do it” kind of stub!

It’s the kind of pain that radiates through your whole body and just doesn’t want to stop hurting. Your response is involuntary. You can’t help but feel it. It stops you in your tracks and demands your attention.

That’s what Paul is talking about in the verses above. He’s using the analogy of the human body to describe how we’re to care for one another in the Body of Christ. It’s not an “obligation” in a negative sense, but in a compassionate sense.

On some levels it’s like telling a new husband he has an obligation to have sex with his new bride. Of course, they each have a Biblical responsibility to meet one another’s sexual needs, but it’s not so much a “have to,” as a “get to.” At least that’s God’s design.

That’s the privilege we have as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ – and no, I’m not talking about having sex with each other. I’m talking about having the privilege of caring for and loving one another like we love our own body. Caring is a privilege, but it’s also a responsibility.

Photo by SHVETS production on Pexels.com

My precious wife has gifts of mercy and compassion. She takes caring for others very seriously. She goes far beyond the norm and sacrifices for the good of others. We have a Care Ministry through our local church that seeks to put people together, in much the same way as you pair a need with a solution in any other area of life.

For example, if I need to remodel my bathroom, there are people who specialize in that. Similarly, because my wife is a retired nurse, if someone has a medical issue that is sometimes complex and they may not be able to understand what’s going on with their own body, Kathy will go with them to doctor’s appointments to help them navigate their care process.

Our church has an expression I find very appealing. They say: “Before anything else, we’re family!” We have a group app that helps us communicate needs quickly and easily. We share prayer needs – anything from a Mission’s trip or family vacation, to serious medical issues, surgeries, and death. We take prayer very seriously.

Another way we give expression to our care for one another is: “Prayer is the work. Then God works.” Care, like prayer, isn’t an obligatory “chore” we do so we can check it off our “to do” list, but a privilege the Lord has given us to not only nurture our relationship with Him but give tangible evidence of our care for one another.

We must be attentive to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ, not because we “have to,” but because we “get to.” It’s a very practical way to illustrate our love, not only for one another, but for God. Remember what Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!” (Matthew 25:40)

Blessings, Ed 😊

Right Time To Be About Your Father’s Business

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

*Please read carefully and be attentive to the Holy Spirit as you read this devotional by Sylvia Gunter. This was just too good not to share. Blessings, Ed 😊 Used with permission.

Listen to God’s Word for you in Psalm 139:16. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” And in Luke 2:49. (Jesus speaking) He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Listen with your spirit. There are things which God knows are yet to unfold in your life. Be blessed with being in God’s time, aligned with His timing and His purposes, not running ahead and not lagging behind. Be blessed with knowing His will and doing His will in the right time, the right place, and the right way, with the right people alongside you. Be in the right timing of the call of God on your life.

Be blessed with waiting at seemingly closed doors, for Jesus holds the key. What He opens no man can shut, and what He shuts no man can open. Be blessed with open doors to go forward in God’s time and timing, so you may experience the fulfillment of being everything He has called you to be at the right time and in the right place.

Be blessed with some closed doors that keep you from doing things that God did not intend for you to do…good things, maybe, but not His best for you because they are out of sync with the sound, rhythm, and light of heaven for you. Be blessed with waiting and looking in the face of God to see where He wants you. It is disobedience to do what He did not purpose you to do or to be where He has not called you to be.

God makes His way known to his friends. Look into His face and find out from Him what is your piece of kingdom business for today. There you will be fulfilled. Be blessed with His fulfillment as you live in the timing of what He has already written in His book for you.

Be blessed in the name of the one who is Author and Finisher and who is always right on time (Heb. 12:2 NKJV).

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Who’s “Broken” in Your life (Part 2)

“Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.” (1 Corinthians 15:43-44 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we began looking at how to reach those we love who are lost. We looked at three ways we could begin to pray and respond with faith to their need of Jesus. Today we’ll look at three more ways we can submit to the Lord’s authority in our lives that can make an eternal difference to those who don’t yet know Jesus.

Fourth, we must love those for whom we’re praying in practical ways. Reach out to them often. If they live close, invite them into your life. Share meals, game nights, go to movies or sporting events. In short, stay as actively involved in their lives as they’ll allow. A word of caution: don’t “ambush” them. If you invite them to a meal, don’t let that be an opportunity to begin your “gospel presentation,” unless you let them know in advance that’s what you plan to do. Just enjoy their company and let them enjoy yours.

Fifth, share your heart with believing friends with whom you can pray. No doubt they will have those for whom they are praying, for whom you can join them in prayer. The fellowship in prayer builds our bond of love and friendship in ways that will encourage and inspire us to continue the journey to seeing our loved ones come to know, love, and serve our Savior.

Then, as often as we can and in as nonthreatening ways as we can, we must share our heart with those for whom we’re praying. However, we must ALWAYS ASK PERMISSION TO SHARE! It may take months, even years before the Lord gives us the go ahead to share, but we must be patient and not give in to the risk of sharing without the Lord’s go ahead.

One exception is if they live far away and the Lord clearly prompts you to write them or call them. But even then, don’t just “pounce” on them. Trust the Lord’s Spirit to lead you very carefully.

Foundationally, we know something they don’t know, or at least they haven’t yet connected the proverbial dots. And what is that? This life is not all there is!

One way that Ray Comfort begins a conversation with someone who is lost is by asking: “What do you think happens when you die?” Depending on a lot of variables, you may get different answers, but it will give you a starting point. I would encourage you to read Ray’s e-book: www.freewonderfulbook.com. Just click on the link and you can download it for free.

Please hear my heart – our loved ones and friends who don’t yet know Jesus are reading the pages of our lives. They don’t need a canned “gospel presentation” that we hope works. They need a loving, caring heart that is breaking because of their lostness.

We’re not going to convince them to respond to anything the Spirit of God hasn’t prepared them to respond to. Remember, every conversation we have with anyone is going to accomplish one of three things: planting the seed, watering the seed, or harvesting the seed. If we dig up the seed too early, it will defeat the purpose of planting it in the first place.

Ultimately, it’s our loved one’s choice to live or die without Jesus. I base my confidence that God will do what only He can do in their heart to draw them to Himself on Scriptures like 1 Timothy 2:6 where Paul writes: “He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.” Or 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Please don’t lose heart but continue to pray faithfully for the salvation of your lost loved ones. God will do His part, but we must do ours.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s “Broken” in Your Life?

“I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.” (Psalm 31:12 NLT)

Realizing there are lots of ways to think about brokenness, let me try to give a clearer understanding of what I mean, at least for purposes of this post. But before I do that, just to make sure you didn’t miss it, the title is “Who’s ‘Broken,’” not “What’s Broken.” Also, David’s words in the verse above give expression to something I often miss.

There are people who seem, at least from the standpoint of the casual observer, to have everything together. They’re happy, confident, and seem to be living the proverbial “dream” life, but they don’t know Jesus. It’s sometimes difficult to know how to approach them because too often in our minds, people who don’t know Jesus aren’t supposed to be happy and content.

My goal in this post is to help us sharpen our vision and to understand that ANYONE without Jesus, regardless of their socio-economic position, religious bias, or contentment with the things of this world, is spiritually broken. Yet, too often, we fail to see through their seeming togetherness and are too afraid or unsure how to speak with them about their need of Jesus.

As Jesus followers, it’s sometimes hard to wrap our minds around the fact that someone can be happy, content, and on many levels, satisfied with their life. It’s easier for us to think of someone without Jesus being desperate or at least more clearly “broken.” We’re almost tempted to pray they’ll have some problem so we can rush in with Jesus.

My guess is that’s what prompted King David to write the words above. Based on what he wrote in Psalm 31 he had many needs, yet it’s as if no one noticed or seemed to care. He was “invisible,” yet longed to be seen. My position in this post is that too often we let that happen with those in our spheres of influence.

In my mind there’s no greater brokenness than being lost, and too often those who aren’t walking with Jesus are on a collision course with disaster, but just don’t know it. So, how do we address that, especially in the lives of those for whom we carry a deep burden? They seem oblivious to the danger they’re in, living as if this life is going to last forever. It’s like they’re driving in a dense fog at 100 mph. They don’t know what they don’t know.

It kills me to think of being in heaven without my kids or those relatives and friends I love and for whom I carry a deep burden. We can’t make them change their mind, so what can we do? There are at least six things.

First and foremost, we must pray. Prayer taps the only resource we have – our Heavenly Father – who knows and loves those for whom we pray more than we do. He has 24/7 access to their heart and His Spirit can work in ways we never can. We must bare our heart before Him, seeking ways to be His voice, His hands, His feet, His heart to and for those we want to see come to Jesus.

Secondly, we must listen carefully to what He instructs us to do or not do.

Thirdly, we must obey quickly and with attention to detail. We may only have one shot at sharing Jesus, we need to get it right.

We’ll look at the other three in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊