Walking With Jesus

A Simple Presence

“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15 NLT)

Leaving church one Sunday morning shortly after my divorce, my pastor asked me how I was doing. He had known me and my wife for many years. Unable to hold it together, without saying a word, I fell into his arms sobbing. He didn’t try to comfort or console me, he simply held me and let me cry. His presence was healing in ways that no words could have ever been.

There’s something about having someone you love and whom you know loves you, to help you carry a burden or share a joy. Sometimes their simple presence can help to heal a deep hurt and make better a deep joy in ways nothing else can.

Early in my ministry I read a book by Joe Bayly entitled “The View From a Hearse.” Three of Joseph Bayly’s seven children died at young ages. He was intimately acquainted with the pain of death and was all too familiar with what he once called this enemy’s “grim violence.” He described how when at the funeral home different ones would come to express their condolences. Some, he said, would come and just keep talking. He couldn’t wait for them to leave.

Then others came and without a word, would sit down and put their arm around him. He said he wished they’d never leave. The presence of someone who cares is healing in ways and on levels that nothing else can. Kelly Needham, who suffered a great loss wrote: “Friendship is an irreplaceable gift in the life of a Christian.”

In our desire to be helpful, we often ask: “Is there anything I can do?’ or we simply state: “If you need anything, just let me know.” These are words I’ve spoken, so I’m not being critical. But when pain is deep and our emotions are fragile, we don’t need a hot meal nearly as much as we need the warm presence of a loving friend who knows when not to speak.

The third verse of the familiar hymn by Joseph M. Scriven, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” says: “Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our Refuge – Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer; In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.”

In this season of my life, there’s nothing more satisfying than sensing my heavenly Father’s presence. Knowing He is with me and for me; that He and I are a majority, and nothing can enter my life except it passes through the filter of His divine permission. Often the Spirit will make Himself known most powerfully in and through the presence of a dear friend or family member who not only loves me, but loves Jesus as well.

I love the story of the little boy who was afraid in his room at night alone. His mom tried to reassure him by letting him know that God was always with him. “Yeh,” he said, “but I need God with skin on.”

Knowing the deepest needs of our lives, God came to us “with skin on” in the person of His only Son, the Lord Jesus, the same powerful God who said to Joshua as he became Moses’ replacement as leader of the children of Israel: “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” (Joshua 1:5)

We have that same assurance today. When you’re troubled, frightened, uncertain, and challenged by the fears of today and the unknowns of tomorrow, remember this: the same almighty God who walked with Joshua has your back. He’s not only behind and with you, but He’s also scouting out every detail of your future and His comforting presence will never leave you. Trust Him!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Happy or Holy?

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NLT)

Happiness is the proverbial carrot at the end of the stick which always seems just out of reach of its pursuer. Yet, happiness is not a word foreign to the Scriptures. The verse above is from a list of “Beatitudes” of Jesus, which list several ways to be “blessed” or “happy.” Things like “those who are poor, those who mourn, those who are humble, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful, those who work for peace, and those who are persecuted and mocked for doing right.”

Unfortunately, the sad reality is, those aren’t typically the things people who want to be happy are seeking. That’s the irony of being a Jesus follower. For the most part we find contentment and satisfaction, not in what the world desires, but in what the Lord knows will build character in us, which ultimately gives us contentment and joy.

Even those of us who are seeking to follow the Lord as closely as possible are still eager for blessings, but, if I’m honest, in this season of my life, I’d much rather be a blessing than receive a blessing. However, some blessings come disguised as trials or troubles.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

There have been times in my life and, I suspect in yours, when some of the greatest blessings, in terms of things that drew us closest to the Lord and enabled us to see His face most clearly, we’re those times we viewed Him through our tears.

Happiness, at least the type of happiness the world offers, has no appeal to me. I have all the trinkets I could ever desire. My goal now is to invest in heaven’s Treasure by being as pliable and useful in the Lord’s hands as possible. It seems on some levels the longer I serve the Lord the more clearly I see how far short I am from His likeness, and how much I need Him.

To live a holy life, separated for and to His service, is the target for which I’m aiming. Being happy isn’t on my radar, except as it results from my submission to the Lord’s authority in my life. I think more in terms of contentment, peace, and satisfaction in being God’s favored child. How do I know I’m favored?

Paul reminds us that God has NO favorites (Colossians 3:25), so that must mean we’re ALL favored as His children. Hallelujah! What a Savior! I’ve learned over the years I’ve walked with Jesus, you can’t outgive God. The more you pour yourself into the carrying out of His plans and purposes, the stronger His love and blessing seem to surround, guide, and bless you.

Corky Calhoun wrote: “I am not sure Jesus’ idea of church was to make us HAPPY, I think it was to help make us HOLY!” I believe I understand what he meant, and I totally agree, but I’ve got to tell you, I get very excited about worshipping together with godly men, women, boys, and girls. To see how powerfully God’s Spirit moves the hearts of His worshippers, moves me. Happiness may not be the best way to describe it. Probably joy comes closer.

And the irony is, the closer we get to Jesus (aka the more we grow in holiness and dependence upon Him), the more joy He pours into our lives. Perhaps John Piper said it best when he wrote: “God created me—and you—to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion—namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life.”

For me, displaying that passion begins in worship, then spills over into every area of my life. Service that honors the Lord issues from a heart bent on living a holy, set apart life, completely committed and yielded to making much of Jesus. Passionate love for Jesus is the context out of which comes our greatest delight, joy, and happiness.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is the Unpardonable Sin?

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” (Mark 3:28-29 NLT)

The context of the above verses is a time early in Jesus’ ministry when He’d been healing people and casting out demons. The teachers of religious law were not happy, so in their brazen disrespect they said in reference to Jesus: “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where He gets the power to cast out demons.” (Mark 3:22)

The bottom line in this accusation was that these teachers were saying that Jesus and the Spirit who resided in Him were evil. In short, they were declaring that God was evil. There is no forgiveness for a person who holds that belief. They likely didn’t understand that was what they were saying, but their ignorance was going to result in grave, eternal consequences, unless by God’s grace, they repented and sought forgiveness.

In an article I posted a month or so ago I outlined the effects of habitual sin and their consequences even after coming to the Lord, but this is a whole different issue. We do and say a lot of things out of ignorance. Ignorance is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a matter of fact.

I’m ignorant about many things, not the least of which is my computer. Yes, of course, I’ve learned some basic functions that enable me to do a lot, but when something doesn’t work right or acts in ways that I’ve not seen before, I have to seek help.

Admittedly, I’m still ignorant of things pertaining to the Lord and His Word. That’s one of the reasons I’m very careful about being dogmatic about what I believe, except on very basic things. The religious teachers who blasphemed the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus were speaking out of their ignorance, but the tragedy is, they didn’t know it.

That’s where we find ourselves in many circumstances. It’s one thing to understand we’re ignorant in some areas, it’s quite another to declare out of the context of our ignorance, what we think we know as fact. Where are those statements derived? From the body of information we think we have, but apply it in ways that are far outside the realm of our knowledge.

It’s in reference to these kinds of circumstances that it’s safe to say a person doesn’t know what they don’t know. Those religious leaders didn’t have a clue who Jesus was, but the tragedy was, they thought they did. And though they were confident in making the blasphemous declaration that they made, they didn’t understand the consequences.

David Starry wrote: “The Devil never shows you the consequences of sin.“ That’s the plight of millions today all across our world, including many who fill the seats of our churches. They’ve placed their faith in their religion or their intellect or their ability to make money or to persuade people or in any number of other things, and in following their own logic they’ve missed the only thing that matters.

If you want to know what matters, look around. Everything you see with your eyes will one day perish. It doesn’t matter! If we can experience it with our senses, it’s going to one day die or be burned up. The only thing that is eternal is invisible to us now. Our souls. Our character. Our love of God. Our investment in eternity through the people we love, serve, and lead to Jesus here and now.

The intangibles of life are eternal, not the things for which we sell our soul. Blasphemy that costs us our soul is failure to see and understand who Jesus is! To declare that He’s anything or anyone other than God in human form, Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, eternal God, Lord of heaven’s armies, will result in our eternal damnation and separation from all that’s holy, righteous, and good.

We MUST be about our Father’s business in declaring with all that is within us that Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! He alone is the Door to heaven. To believe otherwise is blasphemous and renders eternal consequences. Of that much I’m certain!

Blessings, Ed

The Things God Can’t Do

“For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37 NLT)

While it’s difficult to think of something that God is not or cannot do, if we’re not careful we’ll inadvertently blame God for something He can’t possibly do. Our frame of reference is human beings. That’s what we are, that’s who we are, so, naturally, we think and act like humans. The downside of that, as it pertains to how we view God, is that we superimpose human characteristics onto God.

For example, humans can be spiteful, selfish, rude, arrogant, proud, unkind, unloving, and a thousand other things that God can never be, yet we sometimes are tempted to accuse Him of those kinds of behaviors. Wayne Gruden wrote: “God cannot will or do anything that will deny His character.”

What is character? Character can be defined in many ways, but for our purposes The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines character as: “a distinguishing feature or attribute; the complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person or a group.” What do those things mean?

Essentially, they refer to how someone thinks and behaves. It would be very difficult for us to understand what that means as it relates to God, but He drew us a very clear picture of Himself when He poured Himself into human flesh and became a human being. The Bible says in John 1:10: “He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him.”

And from our perspective, at least those of us who know and love Him, we’re tempted to think: “How blind could they have been not to recognize that Jesus was/is God in human form?” How quickly we forget! There was a time when we didn’t really “see” Him either. Some who grew up attending church and having believing parents may not remember a time when they didn’t understand intellectually that Jesus was God.

But there must come a time of spiritual insight when what the Bible teaches about God and Jesus becomes personal. We can understand intellectually and still miss who He is and why He came. But once we’re “born again,” as Jesus said we must be in John 3:3, our “spiritual eyes” are opened to the Truth, not only of what He said, but of who He is.

That’s when we can begin to understand that though nothing is impossible for God, there are things He restricts Himself from doing. For example, in Psalm 89:35 God says: “I have sworn an oath to David, and in My holiness I cannot lie.” Some other things are revealed in that same Psalm. God will never not punish sin, nor will He ever stop loving. He is light and He will never cease to illuminate what’s wrong in our lives, nor will He ever withhold His Spirit who alone can enable us to correct what’s wrong in us.

When someone refuses to repent and turn from their sin, God will never make them come to Him. Though it breaks His heart, He will allow people to make the choice to defy Him and, against His will and desire, choose to spend eternity in hell.

Nothing is hidden from God’s sight, so He can never not see sin; He cannot deceive, nor will He ever tempt us or cause us to sin. He will never abandon or forsake us, nor will He ever stop loving us. God doesn’t hold grudges, nor will He withhold His grace, mercy, kindness, goodness, and love from anyone who seeks after Him.

He is forgiving, so much so that He casts our sin into the sea of His forgetfulness, never to be remembered against us again. On many levels God is everything we are not and is capable of providing things that we could never in all eternity ever provide for ourselves.

He is trustworthy and good and will go to impossible lengths to prove His love for us, but there are things He will not do that would violate His character.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Needs Does God Supply?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

Have you ever asked God to supply what you considered a desperate need, but He didn’t? What was your takeaway? What did you learn through that experience? There have been many times in my life when I was desperate, but God has never not supplied a need. So, what have I learned?

Fundamentally, I’ve learned that desperation doesn’t equal need. Often my “need” centered on my lack of money or energy or time. But in most cases my “desperation” wasn’t because God wasn’t faithful to provide, but because of my misallocation of the resources He generously provided. If I make the decision I “need” a new TV, but by buying that TV I don’t have enough money to pay rent or buy groceries, that’s not desperation, that’s stupidity.

A few days ago I saw a shirt an elderly man was wearing that said: “Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid.” Unfortunately, as I recounted many very “unwise” (aka “stupid”) decisions over my lifetime, I could relate. The point is, God WILL supply our needs, but He doesn’t promise to meet our wants. To the extent we’re willing to live within our means, to that extent we’ll find that God is always faithful to meet our needs.

Photo by Anastasia Lashkevich on Pexels.com

But what if I’m just not making enough money to meet the demands of my lifestyle? That, of course, is a double-edged sword. If I’ve bought a house I couldn’t afford, then ran up bills buying new things for the house, and now I can’t pay the utilities, that’s painting yourself into a corner that God has no obligation to get you out of.

However, it’s a different issue if I’ve found an affordable apartment, but the continuing increases in my rent are now making it impossible for me to keep up. In cases like that, God will make a way. It may not be a way to stay in that apartment, but He will open doors of opportunity for you to have your needs met.

Elizabeth Elliot wrote: “God has promised to supply all our needs. What we don’t have now, we don’t need now.” One thing I’ve learned about God’s provision. The more I invest in making much of Him in and through my life, the easier I find it is to live within my means. When I was younger, I often spent money for things I didn’t need just because I had the money.

Now, in my gratitude to the Lord for His bountiful provision, I understand He’s given me some surplus money, not to waste it on myself, but to invest in His eternal Kingdom by using it to help others. God is generous and I thank Him everyday for how well He’s taking care of me. But I also stay on the lookout for ways to help others who are genuinely seeking to honor and glorify Him, but just need a “grace” gift from God through me.

Jesus wasn’t exaggerating when He said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Some of the greatest blessings I’ve received are those given by the Lord because of my generosity when I couldn’t “afford” to give it. And I’m not speaking simply of financial gifts or blessings. The most valuable “gift” the Lord has given any of us is the gift of time. To be so tired you can hardly see straight, but still go when someone in need calls you, pays unimaginable “dividends.”

So, what needs does God always supply? All of them!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Some Things Are Worth Waiting For!

“Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death.” (Job 14:14 NLT)

Thinking about something that’s already happened, what comes to mind when I ask you: “For what have you waited with greatest anticipation?” For me, one of the things I looked forward to most was getting my driver’s license. I thought I’d never turn 16. Then, being married, being a parent, serving as a Pastor, having a grandchild, finally retiring.

In this season of your life, what is it that you most anticipate? Of all the things for which you’ve waited in your lifetime, what is it now that you most look forward to?

As a Jesus follower my most highly anticipated event of my life is death! I want to see Jesus, kneel at His nailed-pierced feet, and worship Him. Knowing that when that day comes, I’ll never have an unmet need. I’ll live in absolute confidence that I’ll never get sick, never want for anything, never have to wonder what to do or how to honor my Lord most effectively.

I won’t have an unanswered question or a disappointment of any kind. I’ll never question whether my friends are lost or saved, or how best to express my love for my family and friends. Worship will be genuine and involuntary; prayer will be turned into everlasting praise and adoration of my now visible Savior.

I will finally be perfect, as only the Lord is able to see me now; I will be the new creation the Lord envisioned me to become before the foundation of the world. My new, perfect body will be able to function in ways I can’t even imagine now, carrying out my Father’s will with precision.

Think about it. Can you hear the angels singing? Can you close your eyes and hear the song of the Savior’s Bride as we join in an everlasting chorus of worship, praise, and devotion. View the redeemed from every tongue and tribe living and serving our Beloved in perfect harmony and unity.

Wait! Do you see him? Isn’t that . . . YES! There’s Moses and Isaiah and Joshua and David and Paul and on and on as we spend all eternity getting acquainted with the men and women of the Bible, not to mention the saints of old. We’ll finally be able to know as we are known! We’ll understand without flaw the words of the Sacred Text.

There will be no misunderstanding of theology and we’ll not have to take sides because everyone will believe and understand without question or variance. We’ll live and work and fellowship with absolute, unbridled joy and delight.

The One of whom in this life we’re seeking with all that is within us to make much of, will then make much of us. He’ll reward us in ways we can’t comprehend. Like the saved in the Bible, we’ll wonder: “Lord, when did we ever see You hangry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we see You in prison and visit You?” (Matthew 25:37-39)

With no desire to sin or disobey our Master, we’ll live in freedom and joy and peace, the likes of which we can’t yet imagine.

We’ve planted the proverbial “seeds” of faith. Now we wait, faithfully living with expectation and anticipation of our soon coming Messiah! Wow! What a day that will be? It will be well worth the wait!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Love for Everyone!

“Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:33-34a NLT)

It’s no accident that Peter, as he outlines the “path” to living a holy life, culminates the process with love. Love is the context out of which everything of eternal value is accomplished. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 seeks to paint a picture of love and lists a lot of remarkable things that we can do, but if we do them without love they are “useless.”

Love is the language of heaven, thus, the language of Jesus followers. Love is the evidence that what I say I believe about Jesus is true. Love includes, it doesn’t isolate or divide. As Christ followers our heart is to embrace other believers as family. God loves diversity, so if you can’t open your heart and arms to those in the Body of Christ who are different than you, you probably won’t like heaven.

The children of Israel were a small group whom God chose to be His people. It was through the lineage of King David that the Messiah came, and God’s love for His chosen people was a “shadow” or “type” of the love He had in mind for Christ’s Body, the Church.

God’s design and desire was for the nation of Israel to be unique in the sense that the nations of the world could view the Jewish people and see clearly who He was through the way they lived and treated one another. That’s God’s desire as He views the Church today.

The people of the world who don’t know Jesus should be able to view our lives as His followers, individually and collectively, and catch glimpses of who Jesus is. That’s the value of living a holy life. The more closely our lives can resemble the life of our Savior, the easier it will be for those who don’t yet know Him, to recognize their need of Him.

But when professing believers live like the devil, treating each other with hatred and disdain, it not only breaks the heart of God, but it also defiles the blood spilled for our salvation. John writes in 1 John 3:14-15: “If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.”

Love can be hard. It’s not automatic. It doesn’t flow out of filthy vessels, that’s why our longing and heart’s greatest desire must be to magnify God’s glory through our love for others. Love gives and forgives; it seeks to make much of Jesus and less of ourselves, by putting others’ needs ahead of our own.

There’s a line in a Christian song I hear on The Message that says something to the effect: “We’re supposed to love our enemies, but we don’t even love our friends.” That’s a sad commentary on the state of the Church in America.

Years ago, I read a headline that gave a man’s name and said: “’He was elected Husband and Father of the Year.’ His wife and children were the judges.” I want more than anything else to please my Father in heaven, but if in my urgency to please Him I lose my family, I’ve failed miserably to love like Jesus.

Our pursuit of God and determination to live a holy, separated life, should cement us to our brothers and sisters in Christ, so that together we can magnify the glory of our Savior. Not by pretending we’re better than those who don’t yet believe, but by offering such an inviting and inclusive love for everyone, that they find it easy to see and love Jesus. That is my prayer.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is Brotherly Affection?

“One day David asked, ‘Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive – anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” (2 Samuel 9:1 NLT)

Saul, who was Israel’s first king, had a son named Jonathan. Jonathan was in line to become king upon his father’s death, but he recognized that he was not God’s choice. David was. Still, he and David became friends, in much the same way as what Peter was seeking to illustrate in his 2^nd letter. David and Jonathan became a picture of what brotherly affection should look like.

The word that Peter used in 2 Peter 1:7 is the Greek word “fil-ad-el-fee’-ah” (Philadelphia), which is often translated “love” or “brotherly love.” It’s far more than a mere acquaintance or even a deep friendship, it’s a relationship characterized by deep trust and commitment. It’s the kind of relationship that developed among the original disciples and those who became part of the early church.

Fueled by the Holy Spirit’s infilling, they became selfless and Christ-centered. Their concern wasn’t simply for themselves, but for their new eternal family and for those they were commissioned to reach. We see what this kind of love looked like in Acts 2: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Later in the chapter it speaks to some practical implications of their love for one another, and the environment that resulted.

“Reverence and Awe” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

“A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)

What can we learn from these first century believers? First, they were devoted – to Jesus, the Apostles, and to each other. There’s a lesson here for us. If our devotion to Jesus stops with us, we have no real devotion to Jesus. A closed, selfish heart does not a Christ follower make! So, lesson one – love within the Body of Christ must be Christ-centered and selfless. Devotion to Christ equals devotion to His Body, the Church.

To claim allegiance to Christ and yet close yourself off from His eternal family is a contradiction. Say it with me – Body of – whom? Body of random people? Body of friendly, really nice people? No, it’s not about the people themselves. So, who’s it about? The Body of CHRIST! On some levels the presence of God on earth is no less significant as He’s seen in His Body, the Church, as it was as seen in His Son’s body when He walked the pathways of this earth.

There’s a sense in which Christ = His Church! At least that’s how it should be and, I believe still is in many parts of our world. We, as His children on earth, exist to do His bidding. We exist to love each other within His eternal family. Why is that so critical? Because, according to Jesus, our love and devotion to one another is designed to paint a picture of the unity that exists in the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

A family that prays together stays together. But another way to think of it is a family who serves together sticks together! What’s my point? A fighting, malicious, venomous family isn’t giving the light of Christ, but the darkness of the enemy, and should repent or close their doors. They’re doing more harm than good.

To the extent we pray and “stick” together as members of His Body, the Church, to that extent we’ll see His Kingdom expanded. And by “together” I’m not just referring to people in a local church, though that’s a good start. I’m referring to reaching across racial, ethnic, denominational barriers and theological differences to work together to serve our cities and communities with the love of Christ.

There’s so much more we can do together than any of us can do as a single church body. The key is, we can’t care who gets the credit, except Jesus! That’s what the Bible means by “brotherly affection.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

Godliness Can’t Be Counterfeited!

“They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

Godliness, like character, cannot be taught. It must be learned through association with godly people who love Jesus more than they love themselves. I was told early in my walk with the Lord that Christianity is more “caught” than taught. The power and effectiveness of the original disciples wasn’t because of what Jesus taught; it was what they became because they persevered in His presence.

Judas exemplifies many in our churches today; people who “hang out” with Jesus, but never commit to love and serve Him. They want the “fruit” of a relationship with Him, without the commitment. They want to be respected and held in high esteem for their contributions or positions, but their commitment to live a godly life is an inch deep and a mile wide. They can “talk the talk,” but they don’t “walk the walk.” Paul refers to these people as having “depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.”

In the verse at the top of the page, Paul is warning young Timothy that in the last days, the days in which we’re now living, “people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.”

To whom is Paul referring? Professing believers who were a part of the church. They learned how to look and act like the real thing, but their heart was empty and their faith shallow. They wanted to be accepted and recognized as “faithful,” but had ulterior motives and desires. They desired to win people’s attention and affection for what they could get out of them. Enough of that. You get the picture.

“Holy in our conduct” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

What is “godliness,” and why is it so essential in our lives as a Jesus follower? It’s reverence, respect, and piety towards God. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “reverence” as “honor and respect mixed with love and awe.” It’s how Jesus taught us to pray when addressing our Father: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…”

These are attributes of a godly person that can’t be taught. We’re empowered by God’s Spirit to have insight into who God is and why we should honor and revere His holy name. It’s how we recognize that Jesus is God in human flesh. It wasn’t because He looked any different than any other Jewish man. It was and is God’s Spirit that draws us to Him and what creates in us the conviction that we’d rather die than deny Him or live without Him.

“Patient endurance” is supplemented by “godliness,” because there are some things that can only be learned through pain and suffering. Troubles and trials don’t create godliness, they reveal it. The pressures of life will either push us away from the Lord or cement us to Him. When we’re forced into the proverbial “corners,” of life, seeing no way out, and having nothing left but Jesus, that’s when we learn He’s all we need.

Godliness is desiring Jesus plus nothing. He’s all we want! He’s all we need! Now and forever! There’s no counterfeiting that conviction! It’s who we are…in HIM!

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is Spiritual Rest?

“Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” (Psalm 121:4-5 NLT)

In Genesis chapter 2 the Bible says: “So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when He rested from all His work of creation.”

What do you envision when you read those words? Is God just chilling in His heavenly hammock, catching a few winks? Another translation for “rested” is “cease” or “desist.” The verse from Psalm 121 let’s us know that God never sleeps or slumbers, so what are the implications? If God didn’t slumber or sleep, what did He do, and why?

God was establishing for us a precedent that He knew we would need in this life. The Jewish teachers of their religious law took God’s words to extremes I don’t believe He ever intended. Obviously, Jesus healed often on the Sabbath or “shabath,” which was against the Jewish laws they’d made, but didn’t violate God’s intention.

Perhaps 2 Chronicles 32 gives us a better understanding of God’s desire. King Hezekiah was a godly king who sought to be faithful to God in his leadership of Judah. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had a vast army against which Judah was no match. But King Hezekiah said to his people: “’Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!’ Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.” Another translation says: “the people rested themselves.”

For us today, the Sabbath isn’t only a time of literal rest from our week of labor, whatever that may look like for you, but a day of worship and contemplation of the power and might of our God. On many levels the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s fear. Like the children of Israel, fear can cause us to lose hope, which limits our ability to hear from God and/or to follow Him.

Spiritual rest, to me, speaks of placing our full confidence in our Savior. It paints the picture of relaxing by a bubbling stream as it meanders down it’s chosen path. It’s not being frightened by the week to come, knowing the Lord is with us and for us.

In thinking of this it reminded me of how I envision heaven. Think of driving on crowded highways with never a thought of an accident. Or leaving your home with no locks on your doors because there’s never a thought of someone breaking in. Or letting your small child ride their bike with friends without a concern that someone will harm them in any way. Or having someone say they’ll do something for you and you don’t give it another thought, never doubting that they’ll do exactly as they said they would.

You see, that’s how we can “rest” in God, because He’s all those things and a million more. The Sabbath is a day of rest to contemplate and become more and more grounded in the beautiful Savior to whom we’ve pledged our lives. We’re never alone and we never need to be afraid – “for His rod and His staff protect and comfort me.” Why? Because they’ll never be used against me, only for me against my enemies.

I can rest in that thought! Nap anyone?

Blessings, Ed 😊