Walking With Jesus

Does God Keep His Promises?

“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.” (Romans 4:20-23 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we began looking at lies that lurk in our heart or mind that either prevent us from coming to faith in Jesus or hinder us in our walk once we come to Him. Today I’d like to look at another lie that Satan plants with the intention of crippling our faith, and that is that God doesn’t keep His promises.

There are basically only two reasons we would believe that lie. First, we misunderstand the nature of His promise(s), or we create a promise we think He should keep, so, when in our mind He doesn’t keep it, we blame Him. God is Truth, thus, doesn’t have the capacity to lie. It would violate His character to say or do anything that was untruthful. It would be like God not loving or acting in an unloving way. It’s literally impossible.

Have you ever made a bargain with God? “Lord, if you’ll do ‘this,’ I’ll do ‘that’?” So, if “this” doesn’t happen, in my mind God hasn’t come through (i.e. keep His “promise”), so I feel justified in being unhappy with Him. Who is hurt in that scenario? Me, right? God is immutable, which means He is unchangeable. So, it’s a lose-lose for me.

When we “bargain” with God, seeking to manipulate or use God to get our way, it never works out very well for us. Yet, Satan will twist truth or deceive us into believing lies about God that will only serve to push us further from the Lord, making our lives more miserable.

It’s estimated that there are nearly 7,500 promises God makes to us in the Bible, yet it seems we don’t pay much attention to them until we get in a “hopeless” situation. When our back is against the proverbial “wall,” that’s when we’re combing the Bible looking for a “promise” from God to heal or help us.

I read an article by Rick Reed that included the backstory for the song “Standing on the Promises” by Robert Carter. Carter came to the Lord at age 15 and was a gifted man who became a coach, ordained minister, doctor, musician, and songwriter. At age 30 he was diagnosed with a heart issue that threatened his life, so, like any of us who know and love the Lord, he prayed. But how he prayed was unique and worthy of sharing.

“Connie Ruth Christiansen, a teacher of college academics, the Bible, drama and music wrote of Carter, ‘He knelt and made a promise that healing or not, his life was finally and forever, consecrated to the service of the Lord.’ She added that Scripture took on new life for Carter. He truly began to lean on the promises that he found in the Bible.”

He didn’t try to bargain with God, he essentially prayed like Jesus in the Garden, “not my will but Yours be done.” The Lord gave him 49 more years and, though he had other physical issues with which he had to deal in his life, he didn’t die of heart problems.

When we stop “bargaining” and start committing all we are to all God is; when the Word of God, including all of God’s promises, becomes our constant companion; then we learn very quickly that God has never made, and will never make, a promise He doesn’t keep.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s the Lie Behind Your Unbelief?

“’Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully.’” (Mark 12:14a NLT)

You can know something is true without following Jesus, but you can’t follow Jesus without knowing Truth. The Pharisee’s had insight into the fact that Jesus taught what was true, but they completely missed the fact that He was the embodiment of all Truth.

In much the same way that unbelievers in Jesus can recognize and even know some things to be true, we, as Jesus followers, can know the Truth, but still harbor pockets of unbelief that can cripple our growth in Christ. How so?

One very common issue is projecting onto God beliefs we have concerning our earthly father. Our first thoughts of God as Father are largely based on our ideas about our earthly father. For example, if my dad was loving, kind, caring, a good provider, etc., I find it very easy to see God in a very positive, loving way. But if my dad was mean, a drunkard, vulgar, unfaithful, and I was afraid and never sought him out or desired to be in his presence, it’s understandable that I would have reservations about trusting God or seeing Him as the loving Father that He is.

We formulate ideas and form opinions based on our experiences as a human being, and it’s common, whether we’re a believer or not, to project those ideas and opinions onto God and Jesus, thus making it harder to fully commit ourselves to that God, we perceive Him to be.

So, today I’d like us to look at some of the lies we’ve come to believe, whether we realize it or not, and begin to unmask them for what they are. Hopefully, as a result, we can see our gracious, good, loving, kind, and generous Father for who He is, in light of how the Bible paints Him.

A very common lie we often believe, especially if we grew up in a difficult environment, is that God isn’t good. Even as adults when we see how unfair the world is, how evil, how uncaring, and selfish, how violent, and cruel, it’s easy to stand back and judge God for “not doing anything about it!”

Yet, even in the garden, when life was perfect, God put humans in charge of the earth and everything on it. When mankind fell, disobeying God and displacing His priorities in our lives, evil gained a foothold and Satan began his reign of terror upon the earth and her inhabitants. It’s only getting worse in our day, but we can’t lose sight of how our good and gracious God has used His influence in the hearts and minds of His people across the ages to be the caregivers of civilization. Most of the hospitals, Universities, Orphanages, and other centers of provision for human need were established by believers.

We’re still the ones responsible for protecting the lives of the unborn, those being trafficked, low-income and the homeless. These kinds of needs can’t be “fixed” by throwing more money at them. The “cure” isn’t financial alone, it’s emotional, mental, physical, but most importantly, it’s spiritual. Not until we band together as the Body of Christ can we put a dent in the needs of our lost world.

It’s not like God is in heaven wringing His holy hands, uncertain as to what needs to happen. He’s in full control, so much so not a sparrow falls to the ground without His notice. He’s called and equipped people across the ages to step up, and He’s continuing to do that today. But there are so many distractions it’s getting harder and harder to hear His voice above the turmoil of our daily activities. It’s not that God doesn’t care or that He isn’t good, it’s more that we, as His favored creation, have gotten so self-centered, we’ve not only lost sight of Him, but of His creation over which we’ve been given authority.

We’ll continue to look at the lies behind our unbelief in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Be Blessed Beloved Child

“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.” (John 17:23 NLT)

*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. Also, If Sylvia’s material blesses you as it’s blessed me, you are invited to purchase material or give a donation at the bottom of the page. Every penny goes to The Father’s Business ministry. I have no overhead and no ministry other than writing these posts, so I will never ask you for any donations. Used with permission.

Receive God’s Word in John 17:23 NLT. “I in them and you in me… Then the world will know…and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.”

At His baptism and transfiguration, God affirmed His love and pleasure in His Son. He said to Jesus, “You are the Son I love. I am well pleased with You” (Mat. 3:17; 17:5). Because you are in Him, the Father loves you with the same love (John 17:23,26). You are God’s beloved; that is the most intimate truth about you. It has to be true, because Jesus said it. Be blessed to live from the blessing of belovedness, not trying to attain it.

You are precious to your Father. He celebrates your existence. You were infinitely loved before you were wounded. That’s the truth of your life. There is no burden on you to prove you are worthy of being loved, of being heard, of being respected, honored, and given dignity. Your life is an unceasing “yes” to the truth that you are beloved because of God’s great love. In Him you are accepted and valued.

It is your spirit connection with your Father that matters. People do not give you legitimacy. True legitimacy comes from the One who chose you with everlasting love. Your Father says, “I called you by name from the very beginning. You belong to me. I know you as my own, and you know Me as your own true Father. I carved you in the palms of My Son. I hide you in My embrace. You have My infinite tenderness.”

Say “Yes” to your belovedness, your significance, your worth, and your belonging. His “Yes” is engraved on your heart. Rise up to discover how to fulfill your deepest essence of who you are, beloved in God your Father and kept in His Son.

Be blessed in the name of the Beloved Son. Matthew 3:17 NKJV

Taken from Safe In The Father’s Heart: Finding The Love You Have Always Wanted, page 111 © 2014 Sylvia Gunter and Elizabeth Gunter. Click here to learn more and order For archive of past devotionals:www.thefathersbusiness.com

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Why Is Faithfulness So Vital?

“Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NLT)

While travelling with my daughter across some of the western states, we stopped at Yellowstone National Park. I’d heard of “Old Faithful,” but had only seen pictures, so I was looking forward to seeing what all the fuss was about. They had scheduled times when it would erupt, so we gathered with many others at the appointed time.

I’m not going to lie to you, for me it was anticlimactic. Watching water spew into the air isn’t all that exciting to me, but then it dawned on me – it’s not only what it does, it’s what it is, and the predictability of when it does it’s spewing that’s impressive. I wonder if that’s how the Lord views us sometimes?

My life is pretty anticlimactic. Not many people would drive very far to see me, and I’m fine with that. But there is Someone I’d give anything to see one day. His name is Jesus. But as I understand Scripture, one of the requirements to be finally and forever ushered into His eternal presence is faithfulness. What is faithfulness and why is it so important?

Being faithful speaks to consistency and dependability, just like Old Faithful. In the context of the Christian Faith, it speaks to consistently following and reflecting the character of Christ, depending upon the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and equip us to do the work that results in eternal life, not only for us, but for those with whom we consistently share Jesus.

Faith and belief are derived from the same Greek root word, so, in some respects, are two sides of the same coin. A person can be very faithful to wrong beliefs, and it will render no eternal benefit. For example, I can faithfully carry out the duties and responsibilities of my given profession, earning promotions and gaining recognition, but if my only concern in the end is a paycheck and the accolades of others, from an eternal standpoint, it’s a waste of time and effort.

Unless and until Jesus is magnified in and through our faithfulness, we’ve missed the point. Faithfulness is so vital because it illustrates the character of Christ; it points to His faithfulness to us as His followers; it demonstrates to others that we’re trustworthy and reliable, just like Jesus.

Our faithfulness, as Jesus followers, must be centered in and focused upon His promises. We’re not faithful simply for the sake of being faithful, there’s purpose and meaning in our faithfulness because it paints a picture of what our faithfulness is leading to. The underlying foundation upon which our life of faith is based is our confidence in the truthfulness of not only who Jesus is, but on what He said and did to fulfill the requirements of God’s law that we are helpless and hopeless to fulfill ourselves.

Faithfulness shouts dependence upon our trustworthy Father in heaven with whom we can only have access through faith in Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” Our faithfulness should confirm our love for and trust in Jesus’ completed work on Calvary, in our place and to pay the penalty of our sin.

Perhaps the most important implications of our faithfulness are they link us to Life (Jesus), root us in His promises, and equip us to carry on His work until He comes again. Our living has purpose and meaning because everything we are or ever hope to be is anchored in hope in our living Savior. A life lived apart from faithfulness to Jesus is a wasted life because it misses the point of why we’re taking up space on this planet.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Willing to Change?

“He who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!” (1 Samuel 15:29 NLT)

On some levels it seems odd that our unchanging God created us, not only with the capacity to change, but with the necessity of change. When Adam and Eve sinned, they set in motion a destructive cyclone that has literally changed the complexion of creation. No one, not even Jesus, has gone unaffected by sin’s rampage.

While Jesus never yielded to sin’s subversive tactics or control, He nonetheless underwent an amazing and miraculous change in order to become our flesh and blood Savior. John said it this way in John 1:14: “So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

What prompted Jesus’ willingness to leave the splendor and majesty of heaven to come to live with us? What was so urgent, so vital, so demanding, that God Himself would choose to come to earth, not only to live among us, but to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sin? What are so many among us, not only now, but across the centuries, missing?

It occurs to me that only the illumination of Jesus’ perfection can penetrate the barriers of darkness sin has erected in our hearts and minds; only the passion of our Savior can break loose the strongholds Satan has built for the express purpose of preventing the Spirit’s light from breaking through to us; only by grace can we find, not only the desire, but the strength to change.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

The shackles of sin hold us fast, paralyzed by our inability to escape, frozen in our fear, incapable of change that could qualify us for anything good, let alone prepare us for a relationship with the living God and His holy heaven.

The irony to me is, the choice to change isn’t even ours to make unless and until we see ourselves in proper perspective to the only One whose opinion of us matters. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:8-9: “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Seeing our need to repent – to turn from our sinfulness and shame – and embracing the Light of Jesus’ loving forgiveness, isn’t something about which we can brag and pretend it had anything to do with our own goodness. We have none. It’s all and only the gift of our perfect Provider, the Lord Jesus.

Once we see our need to change, the next step is to place ourselves at the feet of Jesus, surrendering our inability, failure, and shame at the altar of His sufficiency, wholeness, and bountiful provision. But even then, it’s critical we understand that we’re entering into a divine partnership. We’re powerless to save ourselves, yet the Spirit of God will not make us change, He’ll only provide us the strength and resource we need to make needed changes.

Ultimately, it’s up to us to submit our will to God’s, inviting and allowing Him to do in and through us what only He can do. Peter Marshall wrote: “Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change.” I’m not going to lie, change is sometimes very hard and with rare exception, easy. But it’s worth whatever it costs us, because only then will we be enabled and allowed to fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Denying ourselves opens avenues of opportunity for us to see and sense God’s presence in and for us in ways that were impossible before we met Jesus. But a willingness to turn from our sinful desires and to change the way we think, and act is the heartbeat of oneness with our Lord.

Yes, you can be whatever God has designed and created you to be, but it will require your willingness to change? Are you willing?

Blessings, Ed 😊

You Are Closer Than You Think

“After them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house. Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner.” (Nehemiah 3:23-24 NLT)

It was a massive undertaking to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, but it got accomplished largely because of the vision of one man and the cooperation of those who dared to share his vision. One very important piece of the process was to challenge the residents to work primarily where they lived. That’s essentially what the Lord has asked us to do in helping to win lost loved ones and friends to Him.

Yes, of course, we can give money to the “professionals,” the missionaries and pastors who have been to school and have been trained to present the Gospel to the lost. We believe we can pray and live godly lives, but leading others to Jesus isn’t in our wheelhouse. Someone wisely said: “Telling others about Jesus is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

What if we used the same principle that Nehemiah used to build the wall around Jerusalem? What if we focused on the lost people in our spheres of influence? The ones in our family, co-workers, neighbors, the ones we enjoy doing social or recreational things with?

And please understand, I’m not the “know-it-all” regarding effective ways to reach these people. I’m just an old man who loves Jesus and I don’t want anyone to miss heaven because I didn’t take the time or make the effort to help them understand who He is and what He’s done for them. But the truth is, there are those in your range of relationships who WILL listen to you, if you’ll prayerfully and carefully love them well.

A Piercing Light “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

What does that mean? It means let the light of your love for them shine brightly. Effective sharing begins with effective praying. I tend to be a better writer than speaker. Especially as I’m aging, I don’t think well “on my feet.” I forget where Bible verses are, and I easily lose my train of thought. So, the Lord has laid on my heart to write notes/letters/emails/texts to those for whom I’m praying.

A good rule of thumb is, the closer relationship you have with someone the more accurately you’ll be able to know how to approach them. For example, when meeting someone for the first time, I try to find something we have in common. I’ll ask them where they grew up, how long they’ve lived where they live, or I ask about their family – are they married? Have kids? Pets? Depending on where I meet them, I often ask if they’ve found a good church since they’ve lived here?

Ultimately, I’m moving in the direction of determining whether we’re a “good fit,” in terms of compatibility. If they’re antagonistic, argumentative, or just not interested, I don’t try to force anything, but If I feel a connection, I’ll often ask them if we can exchange numbers and maybe meet for breakfast or for coffee. As I’ve shared before, the best context out of which to share faith is friendship. If someone doesn’t like you, they likely won’t listen to anything you have to say.

The point is, God has put you in the spheres of influence you’re in for a reason. Prayerfully consider two or three people you know or with whom you’d like to get better acquainted and begin to pray about the best ways to connect with them. People tend to share what’s most important to them, and often the best time to connect is in a crisis.

When someone is hurting and you’re able to express concern and genuine empathy, it can go a long way in opening a pathway over which you can share love for them and the Lord with them. Leading someone to Jesus begins with loving them enough to care that they’re lost, but you’ll never know that with certainty until you get close enough to find out.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When You Can’t See Through the Fog

“For the Lord God is our sun and shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in You.” (Psalm 84:11-12 NLT)

One of the most difficult and scary environments in which to drive is in heavy snow or dense fog. When you can barely see the front of your car, let alone another car; when your own light’s glare, as they shine off the snow/fog, preventing you from seeing where you are, not to mention where you want to go.

That can happen to us in our walk with Jesus. It can happen when we lose a loved one, at the loss of a job or opportunity, when our health fails, or when life just seems to close in on us. It happened to me when my wife left.

Another way to think of this is when we lose hope, when the light of Christ’s life and love are dimmed due to heartache or loss. These are, admittedly, the darkest and most difficult chapters of our lives. But here’s the good news – they come to pass, not to stay!

Perhaps you or someone close to you is experiencing one of those foggy seasons. No matter what you say or do, it doesn’t seem to matter. It’s as though they’ve become a different person. Words just bounce off of them, your efforts to help just go unnoticed and unacknowledged. Or if it’s you that’s struggling, it’s like you’re numb to the world around you.

What we hear when others are trying to speak “truth” or “sense” to us, is “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” We hear the words, but it’s like they just don’t make any sense to us. We’re so numb and the darkness is so blinding, we can’t hear even if we wanted to. So, what needs to happen?

We need time to heal; time to reorient any sense of logic that prevents us from “seeing” or understanding what we’re going through. The popular saying is “time heals all wounds,” but that’s a lie. Time doesn’t heal anything. Only God can ultimately heal our sickness, whether physical, spiritual, emotional, or otherwise.

Yes, of course, it takes time, but our dependence needs to be on the Healer, not simply marking the calendar in anticipation of something “magical” happening after the passage of time. Our confidence is in the fact that God NEVER leaves or forsakes us, regardless of how we feel. The fact is, if we could sort through the lies we believe about whatever happened, beginning with the ones that place us at the center of the blame, at that point healing can begin.

Blame is the killer of a lot of people’s hope. We blame ourselves for another’s or our own death, whether literal or figuratively. We begin the tortuous “if only’s” – if only I’d seen that other car! If only I’d been a better spouse, mother, father, sibling, or friend! If only ____________, and you can fill in the blank. I blamed myself for years for the breakup of my marriage and the waywardness of my children from the Lord.

It’s a horrible place in which to live. But ultimately, as the “fog” clears and we begin to see what happened for what it is, not for what we’ve created it to have been in our memory, we understand that God is still on His throne; He’s still the Sovereign over all creation, and He can still cause “everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)

I love how Ron Hutchcraft describes it: “Yes, the fog’s been billowing up. Yes, it’s been filling your view and maybe even making you forget the sun sometimes. But the fog can never ultimately win. Don’t lose hope now. Don’t stop trusting now. Don’t stop doing what you know is right just because the fog has rolled in. The light may have been delayed, but there’s no way it can be canceled. The sun’s coming up, and the fog doesn’t stand a chance!”

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who Are You Waiting For?

“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress where I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1-2 NLT)

Among the most frustrating occurrences in a person’s life is to wait for someone who doesn’t show up. A few years ago I went to a doctor’s appointment, checked in, then sat down to wait. There was no one else in the waiting room, so I wondered what was taking him so long to see me. Finally, I went back up to the window, to the same young woman who had checked me in, and asked her if she had any idea how much longer the doctor would be.

In a very “matter-of-fact” way she said: “Oh, he won’t be coming into the office today.” Why couldn’t she have called me so I wouldn’t have had to make the trip to his office? Or, at least, tell me when I first came in, so I didn’t waste time waiting for someone who wasn’t coming?

Human beings aren’t born with the gift of “waiting.” As a rule, our patience quota is very small, yet uncharacteristically, we seem very willing to wait to make things right with the Lord. I’ve often spoken with people whose life was a mess, a mess only the Lord could enable them to resolve, but rather than joyfully embrace the clear answer, and open themselves to the Lordship of Jesus, they chose to remain miserably unchanged.

They seem bent on waiting until things in their life improve, seeming oblivious to the fact that apart from Jesus any improvement will only be temporary. Like me in the doctor’s office, they’re waiting for someone who isn’t coming.

Who are you waiting for to make your life better? Someone to offer you a dream job? A person to fulfill your dreams of marriage? A child? A family member or friend who has hurt you, to apologize? Whomever you’re waiting for, even if they show up, and even if that piece of your life is made whole in your mind, at best, it’s temporary.

Nothing this world can give us has the capacity to satisfy our deepest longings. Everything we can see, hear, taste, touch, or smell is temporary and will one day be gone. Only Jesus offers forgiveness and freedom from the penalty of sin we deserve; only Jesus offers us eternal life that begins the moment we yield our life and allegiance to Him; only Jesus opens the doorway to heaven where we’ll finally find everything we’ve ever hoped for and more. Only Jesus!

Sometimes, even as believers, we’re frustrated and disappointed by the Lord’s “slowness” in answering prayer or resolving an issue with which we wrestle. Rarely, if ever, do we stop to consider the issue we’re having is a gift from God allowed by Him to conform us more perfectly to His Son’s righteous image.

The longer I live and love Jesus, the better I’m understanding Paul’s dilemma with which he shared in Philippians 1: “I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.” Serving soothes the “pain” of waiting for Jesus’ return.

So, for me, and I trust for you, the troubles and trials of life are made more bearable in light of the presence of God’s Spirit as He walks with us through them, and the hope of eternal life with Jesus when this life comes to an end. Either way, Jesus is Who I’m waiting for! How about you?

Blessings, Ed 😊

This Present Evil Age

“May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave His life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why you were chosen to live in this present age when darkness and evil are so prevalent?

When my kids were small, we did a lot of camping. At night when someone needed to go to the bathroom, fortunately, it wasn’t hard to find. Why not? If was the area where there was a light. The darker the night, the less light you need to make a difference. A small flashlight can make all the difference when you’re trying to find your way in the dark.

In this present evil age, the darkness at times seems debilitating. That’s Satan’s plan. The harder he can make it to find the “Light,” the better chance he has to trip us up. The term “evil,” as used in the above verses can also be translated “wicked, wicked one, or evil things.” It means: “full of labors, annoyances, hardships.”

One of the pictures this word paints is of something, or someone being pressed and harassed by labors, bringing toils, annoyances, perils. It speaks to a time in a believer’s life when just being a believer sets you up to be ridiculed, attacked, or to become the target of pain and trouble. In this specific context it very likely has reference to “the evil one,” who is Satan himself.

When I was in elementary school, my best friend lived on a street that required me to ride past an older boy’s house who was in junior high. I’m not sure what I did to make him angry with me, but every time I rode by his house, he would run after me, trying to push me off my bike. I dreaded going that way, but it was the only way to get to my friend’s house.

Sometimes that’s what Satan desires to do to us. God sets us on a path to a destination that will bless and help us, but the path often leads us past danger and possible harm. For example, my wife and I have gotten acquainted with a young couple in our neighborhood whom we love and with whom we enjoy spending time.

We’ve had them over to our house and have been to theirs. I’ve often spoken with the husband about the Lord and how vital it is to become part of a healthy church family if he desires to follow Jesus. He’s told me numerous times they’re going to start coming, but it’s been almost two years and they have yet to make it. Why not? Because their life as young parents is “full of labors, annoyances, hardships.”

I get it. I really do. They have two kids under 4 years of age, and both parents are working. Yes, of course, it’s hard, but unless and until they work through the “hard” things that stand in their way, they’ll one day be retired, with grown kids who are now going through the same things they went through, never making time to have a relationship with the Lord.

The words of Jesus ring in my heart and mind: “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

So many are blinded by the darkness of this world, and we’re the only light that can show them the way to Jesus. It’s frustrating, painful, but critical that we continue to shine the light of love on Jesus, illuminating the pathway to life that can only be found in Him.

Yes, of course, we live in a very evil world, but we serve a Savior who has overcome the world. We’ve been chosen to be His light, and for as long as this body of clay has breath, we must not stop helping others until they finally see His light and find rest and peace in Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Boundaries (Part 2)

“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.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at some boundaries we need to set in terms of the people with whom we have contact whose negativity or gossip or other inappropriate comments about us or others drain and defile us and/or the Lord.

Today I’d like for us to look at the boundaries we put in place to protect ourselves physically, whether from a dating situation, extramarital relationship, or general safety as we face the potential for problems every day in the world in which we live.

The purpose of setting boundaries isn’t to be prudish or project a “holier than thou” kind of attitude, but to heighten our awareness that we must honor the Lord in EVERY area of our life. In a conversation I had with a young man who is in his late 30’s, he mentioned to me that he’d developed a relationship with a young woman online, that seemed to be going well. But when they met in person, she wanted to have sex with him, but he refused. His conviction as a believer demanded he wait until marriage to have sex, but that was so offensive to his “Christian” girlfriend, that she ended the relationship.

I applaud his conviction and wish it was shared more widely among believers, but the sad reality is, not having sex before marriage seems archaic in many people’s minds, and seems to be something “outdated” even among professing Christians. But the Bible leaves no doubt as to God’s view of sex, as illustrated by the verses above.

One problem seems to be a confusion between virginity and purity. As I’ve stated many times in these posts, virginity doesn’t equal purity, and vice versa. It’s God’s plan that we wait until marriage to have sex, but many haven’t followed that plan and find themselves in a difficult spot when they find out after the fact that they didn’t follow God’s desire in maintaining their virginity until marriage.

As a result, many assume since they’ve already lost their virginity, then it must be okay to continue to have sex outside of marriage. That’s where an understanding of purity comes in. Purity speaks, not only to our physical restraint from sex outside of marriage, it speaks to our heart’s desire to maintain purity of heart, mind, soul, and body.

How we behave (i.e. whether we have sex outside of marriage) issues from how we think. If we see no reason not to violate God’s will to engage in any behavior unbecoming to a person of God, we obviously see no reason to set boundaries in those areas. But if my heart beats with desire and determination to walk in holiness and purity before the Lord, then ANYTHING in my life that’s offensive to Jesus needs to become offensive to me.

That’s why we need to set boundaries in terms of what we view, what we listen to, and how we conduct our lives, inside and outside of marriage. Does what I allow my eyes to see cause me to desire closeness to the Lord, or does it lead my heart and mind away from Him? Similarly, does what I listen to (i.e. radio, internet, conversations, etc) lift my thoughts heavenward or shift them to darkness and wrong desires?

Every action we take is motivated by a thought or desire created by what we see or hear. Our eyes and ears are windows and doors to our mind, which governs every avenue of our behavior. What you think about comes about, so if you want your life to reflect the majesty and beauty of Jesus, you have to set boundaries on that to which you allow your eyes and ears to be exposed. That’s why reading and memorizing God’s Word, listening to godly music and teaching, and engaging regularly in conversations with godly people are invaluable in becoming more like Jesus.

Our boundaries shouldn’t be designed to make us unapproachable, but enable us to calculate the degree of exposure we allow in “dangerous” circumstances.

Blessings, Ed 😊