Walking With Jesus

Refined By Fire

“And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.” (Daniel 3:22 NLT)

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the kind of unbelievable, impossible tale as to only be believed by fools or people who know and love Jesus. It’s a literal occurrence that changed the heart of a heathen king and emblazons itself into our heart and mind. What can we learn from this amazing incident in these faithful men’s lives?

First, when God promised never to leave us, He meant that quite literally. In Daniel 3:24-25 the Bible says: “But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors, ‘Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,’ they replied. ‘I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

When God is for us and with us, enabling us to be obedient and submissive to His authority in the face of severe, life-threatening consequences, we can trust Him to be with us and protect us. And I can almost hear the skeptics saying: “Yeh, but what about all of those in Hebrews 11, and even the Apostles who were closest to Jesus? Where was Jesus when they faced death?”

“Walk the Path” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Perhaps a better question would be: “Where are they now?” They’re with the same Jesus who walked with them through their brutal murders. And He’s the same Jesus who walks with us every step of our journey.

God obviously had other plans for the three Hebrew men, not the least of which was their influence on the pagan King’s life. Listen to Nebuchadnezzar’s words: “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel to rescue His servants who trust in Him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

He promoted the three Hebrew men and ultimately gave his life to the God above all gods. In Daniel 4:37 he said: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All His acts are just and true, and He is able to humble the proud.”

Three takeaways for me from this story. First, as hot as the “fire” of our trials become, we are never alone. Jesus is always walking with us, even unto death. We may think dying for Christ is for “heroes” of the faith, but the day is fast approaching when each of us will need to decide just how much our faith in Jesus is worth to us.

And secondly, our faithfulness in walking humbly in and through the “fires” of our lives can result in untold numbers of people coming to know the Lord, often beginning with those who are most defiant when it comes to believing in and following Him.

Thirdly, we never know who is watching our lives, so walking in and through the “fires” of life triumphantly and without grumbling and complaining, not only blesses others and helps them see Jesus more clearly, but it also helps us to grow closer to the Lord. We gain insight and understanding of spiritual truths in the midst of pain and suffering that we can learn in no other way.

Do you have any doubt that the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego grew monumentally after the experience in the furnace? Can you not “see” with your eye of faith how God wants to stretch, grow and refine you and me in and through the trials and tribulations of life?

That’s why James was able to write in James 1:2: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Greater Work

“But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.” (Nehemiah 4:9 NLT)

Most often, it seems we’re tempted to see prayer as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. When we pray, like Nehemiah, our expectation focuses on what we want God to do for us, but immediately begin taking measures to answer our own prayer.

Nehemiah prayed that God would intervene and stop those who opposed the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, then he set guards at strategic points around the half-finished wall. I understand their rationale, but at some point, we need to stop viewing God as our proverbial “genie in a bottle,” and view Him as the majestic and holy Creator and Sustainer that He is.

Oswald Chambers showed great insight into this process when he wrote: “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” Prayer isn’t simply asking God for what He can do for us or even through us. Foundationally, prayer is the means God uses to build us into the men and women of God He chose us to become.

The “end” of prayer isn’t receiving the answer we seek, it’s becoming the person God envisioned we could be when He created us. Prayer is the avenue across which we travel to become more like Jesus. Jesus didn’t pray to receive power, He prayed because He HAD power and He wanted to appropriate what God had given Him in a manner that magnified and exalted His Father, not Himself.

Prayer IS the work, then God works. To the extent we’re willing to spend time in God’s presence – basking, sitting, listening, rejoicing, worshipping – to that extent we’ll become more like Jesus. To “say” a prayer – “Lord, help me be more like Jesus.” – then run off into our day never giving it another thought, is to miss the point of prayer.

When my wife and I first began to date, she was all I could think about. I wanted to be with her 24/7. If we weren’t together, I wanted to be speaking to her on the phone, but obviously, we couldn’t do that. So, who filled my thoughts when we weren’t together? Guess who? Right? Then we got married! Then the real work began!

Our relationship with God is a lot like marriage. Before we’re married, we tend to focus on all that will mean for us, not always thinking about what it will mean for our spouse. Similarly, when we respond to the Lord’s invitation to follow Him, we tend to think of all that will mean for us – forgiveness, new life, a 24/7 hotline to heaven, and a forever life of bliss. We don’t tend to think about what happens to all the “baggage” we bring into the relationship.

The Lord allows a problem to come to us and immediately we’re begging Him to take it away, rather than spending time with Him seeking the reason He allowed it in the first place. Answers are good, and He gives them faithfully, but answers won’t necessarily make us better or make it easier for people to see Jesus when they look at us.

Ultimately, Nehemiah led his people in the completion of the wall, which led to times of celebration, as well as confession and submission to the Lord’s leadership in their lives. The work of building the wall, as important as that was, was not God’s objective. He wanted a people set apart through whom He could put on display His grandeur, power, love, and life, which meant extended times of worship and praise.

Our conversations with the Lord about how we’d like for Him to intervene in our lives, as important as those things are, aren’t nearly as important as the discipline we choose when we’re satisfied just to sit in His presence, allowing Him to be enough. Not demanding His gifts, just being satisfied with the Giver. That’s the greater work!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why All the Angst?

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

The thought of being in heaven without my kids is unbearable. To see them walking without an intimate relationship with Jesus breaks my heart. Everyday as I have conversations with the Lord, their names pass through His holy ears. I know He loves them more than I do, but sometimes my patience is tried as I seek to trust that the Lord is working in their lives, drawing them to Himself.

In a recent conversation with my daughter, I was trying to convey to her my concern, when almost with a shout she said to me: “Why all the angst?” I’m not typically an anxious person, but knowing the fleeting nature of our lives, I just want to make sure I do all I can to help her see the Jesus I know and love.

Couple that with the daily tragedies that fill our world’s headlines that scream “You never know when you walk out that door if you’ll be returning. There are no guarantees!”

Though I’ve never met him in person, I love Ron Hutchcraft. I love his heart for those who are without a saving knowledge of Christ. Regarding how he responded to the horrors of 9-11-01, he conveyed in one of his recent devotionals: “And I prayed. I was groping for what to say and what to pray. And I found myself praying, ‘Lord, would You please help me see this through Your eyes? What are You seeing in this tragedy that’s just too big for our hearts to handle?’ And in the hours that followed, I believe He answered my prayer. And what I saw – beyond the unspeakable events that raked our souls – has stuck with me for over a decade. Every year, watching those deeply moving remembrances of the events at “Ground Zero,” the echoes reverberate again in my heart. ‘Make every day count with the people you love.’”

“Prayer of Protection” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

How can we “make every day count?” First, by allowing prayer to become the priority that it is. Remember, “prayer is the work, then God works,” and no one loves our children and loved ones more than Jesus. How do I know that? Because He voluntarily laid down His sinless life to pay the penalty for our sin debt. Not just our individual sins, but to give us grace, mercy, and guidance by His Spirit to tame and disarm our sin nature. Does that mean one day we’ll be perfect? Not in this life, but absolutely YES in the next life.

In this life we’re in a constant battle with the enemy of our soul, seeking victory, healing, and hope on every front. My friendship with Jesus, knowing He is with me and for me, and recognizing there are ways and means He has of reaching my loved ones that I can’t employ, gives me peace and confidence that one day my kids – and yours – will find their way home to Jesus.

When I was first saved, the Lord laid on my heart to pray for my parents. I grew up in an environment of constant uncertainty, never knowing if mom’s drinking was going to lead her to be nice or mean. My dad was very passive and seemed to tolerate it, but there was a part of me that wondered if one, or both of them would just one day walkout and never come back.

There was a man in my church named Les Moore. He worked with my dad, and every Sunday when I went to the altar to pray for my parents, he would come down from the choir and pray with me. It was a glorious day the morning my parents came to church with me and as the invitation was given, they both knelt to yield their lives to Jesus. They were baptized together and from that point forward I never wondered if they were going anywhere. I KNEW they were, and I look forward to joining them one day soon – in heaven.

Blessings, Ed 😊

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 😊