Walking With Jesus

How God Works

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s Leading Your Worship? (Part 2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join me as we worship our risen Savior:

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

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

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

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

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who’s Leading Your Worship?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings, Ed 😊

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.

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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 😊