Walking With Jesus

Whom Will You Choose?

“Choose today whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15a NLT)

Joshua is one of the men I’m looking forward to meeting in heaven. In my mind’s eye I see him as a weathered, rugged looking man who shows his battle scars, not with pride in himself, but as trophies he’s earned in service to his Master. He knew what was right and sought with everything within him to do it. He was highly opinionated, but always came down on the side of the Lord.

He was one of only two of the ten men sent to check out the Promised Land and returned with bold confidence that the nations who then possessed the land were “ripe” for the pickin’. When he saw the size of the men they would have to fight, he didn’t see giant men, he chose rather to see how powerful his God was.

What do you see when you face the “giants” in your life? Perhaps your “giant” is financial, relational, physical, mental, emotional – whatever it is, God is bigger, stronger, and more than able to help you defeat your “foe.”

What’s interesting in the above verse is that’s what people most often quote, but that’s only part of the verse. The previous verse ends with the words: “Serve the Lord alone.” Then the opening words of verse 15 are: “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.”

As Jesus followers you’d think our minds would already be made up, in terms of whom we’ve chosen to serve, yet, like the Israelites, we’re often very fickle in our service to Christ. Chapter 24 is essentially a history lesson where Joshua outlines many of the things the Lord accomplished on their behalf and warns them to serve Him faithfully.

He asks them: “Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live?”

Intellectually, we respond with the Israelites: “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods.” But, as you know, if you’ve served the Lord any length of time, following Jesus isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. We have the best of intentions, but too often we fall prey to the “daily grind.”

Of course, we read our Bibles and “say our prayers,” but if we’re not attentive to the Spirit’s directives, Satan will lull us into a deep, spiritual sleep, opening our hearts to his relentless tactics. We don’t mean to fall away, it just happens. At first, our friends at church may not even notice, but over time we lose our first love and if we’re not diligent to listen to the Spirit’s voice, our hearts harden over time.

Jesus warned the church in Ephesus: “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to Me and do the works you did at first.” (Revelation 2:5 NLT) What did they do at first? They repented. They turned from their old ways and sought with all their hearts to walk closely with the Lord.

We tend to believe repentance is a one-time process. Yes, depending on what kind of lifestyle we followed before coming to the Lord, our initial change of direction in our lives can be dramatic. But the heart and mind change that enabled us to begin our walk with Jesus, is an ongoing process that will continue as long as we’re on this planet.

There’s a sense in which, in an effort to be healthy and continually walk as close to the Lord as possible, we, like King David, ask the Lord to search our heart often, desiring the Spirit to point out anything in us that’s unlike Jesus. Any wicked ways that may be seeking to infiltrate our heart or mind.

Perhaps we should more frequently begin our day with a declaration made with our whole heart and mind: “Today I choose to follow You, Lord Jesus. You’re my life and my heart’s desire. Spirit cleanse me of anything that’s not of You and fill me with Your Holy Presence. May I, this day, walk faithfully and wholeheartedly to Your honor and fame.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

What “Good Work” Are You Becoming?

“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)

One of the beauties of the Bible is that the Holy Spirit can use the same verse to speak in different ways. I’ve read this verse many times, yet the Lord spoke to me in a different way today. Let’s walk slowly through this important message from the heart of God.

First, notice that the Author and Finisher of any good work in us is God. He’s the One who starts, continues, and finishes any good work within us. Why is that important? Largely because if we aren’t consciously aware of the good that is derived from our lives coming from God, we’ll be tempted to take credit for it ourselves. We want to think more highly of ourselves than we should. Or we’ll discount it, not realizing how much God is doing in us.

Notice, too, Paul says: “good work,” not “good works.” Remember, one of the products (fruit) of our lives that God is developing in us is goodness. “Good works” should emanate naturally and with more frequency the longer we walk with Jesus. His Holy Spirit indwells us, and, ideally, is living His life out though us in constant and sometimes unexpected ways.

We’re designed to be a funnel through whom God can work, giving expression to HIS goodness in and through us. As the Fruit of the Spirit takes root and begins to “sprout” in our life, good words, good deeds, good attitudes, good expressions of love, kindness, etc. will naturally flow from us as evidence of God’s work in us.

Notice, too, that the good work that God has started will continue long after we’re gone. How can that be? The exponential effect of God’s ministry in us will not be complete until Jesus returns. That’s what Paul says in this verse: “God…will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

One of the beautiful things about our life in Christ is that it will never die. Yes, of course, spiritually we live forever, but that’s not what Paul is saying here. He’s confirming something that is so encouraging I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’m serious. Even as I’m typing these words my emotions are moving me to tears.

To think that God loves us and is so invested in us that the life He is living in us continues long after we’re gone is a tribute to His grace, mercy, and kindness. You see, it’s not only the good work that we do, but also the good work – GOD’S good work – that we ARE!

The opening words of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life are: “It’s not about you.” God has far greater plans for the good work that you are becoming than this world can contain. Satan wants us to believe that our impact in and on this world is minimal, but God uses every act of kindness, every thoughtful word, every unselfish expression of love, to every person whose lives our life touches, in ways that we can’t begin to comprehend and won’t fully know until we get to heaven.

In Hebrews 12:1 the writer refers to a “huge crowd of witnesses” that I envision crowding the balconies of heaven waiting to greet us when we arrive. But what if these “witnesses” are the people whom God used us to bless in ways we weren’t even aware. What if the exponential effect of our efforts to bless one person, led to the blessing of hundreds or thousands or millions of people who will one day be in heaven because of the powerful way God is working in and through your life.

Never underestimate the “Good Work” you are.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Can Your Life Make a Difference?

“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b NLT)

A man was walking on the beach when he saw in the distance someone who seemed to be throwing something into the ocean. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young boy throwing starfish back into the water that had washed up on the beach. The man said to the boy – “There are thousands of these starfish that have washed up on the beach as far as the eye can see. What possible difference do you think you can make?”

Without slowing down, he said to the man after tossing each one back into the water – “I made a difference to that one. I made a difference to that one.”

Our world is filled with evil people bent on having their own way, without caring who pays the price for their wickedness. But gratefully, there are still those who, like Mordecai, believe a difference can be made if we’re willing to do what we can, where we are.

In the providence of our Sovereign God there is no such thing as an accident. While He doesn’t cause evil, He does allow it for a season. “Why?” is the resounding cry of those who are suffering because of the sin rampant in our world. It’s a legitimate question.

None of us, as smart as we might think we are, have insight into the mind of God. Sin and evil were not God’s plan for us when He created man, yet, because mankind had a will to seek their own way, we now have to deal with the consequences, not only of our own sin, but the sin of all mankind across the ages.

But God in He wisdom, mercy, kindness, and goodness, sent His Son to make a difference in our plight. By faith in Jesus, we now can make a difference as we join the hearts of Jesus followers worldwide to spread the word that there is still hope, and His name is Jesus!

We may not individually be able to influence thousands of people, but, by God’s grace and under the leadership of His Holy Spirit, we can make a difference to that ONE! “Which one?” you may wonder.

We have no way of knowing with certainty how many of the thousands of people to whom Jesus ministered during His time on earth were genuinely seeking Him. However, the Bible gives us insight into many whom Jesus healed and helped individually whose lives were impacted for eternity. What’s my point?

There are those like the great evangelists across the years, who have been used powerfully by God to reach the thousands, but they’re the exception. Most of us don’t have the giftedness or ability to reach the multitudes. However, the Lord has gifted and equipped each of His children to reach someone.

Do you remember the chorus by Dr. Leon Tucker that says: “Lord lay some soul upon my heart, And love that soul through me; And may I nobly do my part, To win that soul for Thee.”

Esther may have thought she was Queen because of her beauty, but learned that God had made her beautiful so that He could strategically place her in a position of influence to save His people. God has uniquely placed you and me in the circumstances we’re in, in order to reach someone in our spheres of influence. He is preparing their heart to meet us and be open to the words He’s giving us to share.

Let’s be open to the plans of God who is equipping us to reach that one He’s putting in our path. We CAN make a difference . . . to THAT ONE!

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Wisdom of Worship

“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 34:14 NLT)

Moses was a man of God who had a unique relationship with the Lord. Moses understood the indispensable value of worship, and he was driven to his knees on numbers of occasions. His dependence upon God was enviable as was his ability to cut to the chase when it came to his need of God.

Why do you suppose God was so adamant about worshipping only Him? Yes, of course, He’s a jealous God, but what does that mean? As with many other characteristics and attributes of God, we tend to “humanize” them in an effort to understand them. But to do so in this instance would be a grave error, not from the standpoint of definition, but of application.

Jealousy is defined as: “demanding complete devotion,” and that’s exactly what God requires of us. But why? From a human perspective, jealousy arises because we fear the person we love and from whom we demand devotion will tire of us or find someone who will better fulfill their needs. God has no such concern.

His jealously arises from the fact that He knows with absolute certainty that no other “god” can love us or offer us anything close to the measure of devotion, care, and love that He gives us. He’s never jealous “of” another, He’s only jealous “for” us, because He knows how fickle we are, and He understands the hurt and heartache we’ll experience if we don’t find in Him everything we think we need.

So, what does this have to do with the wisdom of worship? Worship comes from a couple of old English words that mean “worth-ship.” And the picture they paint is of a dog licking his master’s hand. It speaks of devotion, love, honor, respect, and reverence for a divine being, which is a posture only the true and living God of the Bible deserves.

Yet, humans are famous for trivializing worship by exalting created things above their Creator. God knows and understands that what we worship defines us. That to which we give our devotion will rule us. That’s the wisdom of worship.

We can say we love and worship God all day, but whatever defines us is our god. It can be another person, possessions, money, a job, a child – the list is virtually endless of what we can so easily substitute for the position only God deserves. Why is this so vital to understand?

We’re put on this earth for essentially one reason. Jesus summed it up in Matthew 6:33 when He said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Notice He didn’t say “in place of all else.” We have other relationships and responsibilities that demand our time and energy. But God’s intention is for us to allow Him to live in and through us in whatever activities in which we’re involved.

Our priority is Jesus “above all else!” Virtually every circumstance of our lives is designed to give illustration to Whom or what we worship. Worship speaks to priority, that’s why Jesus demands we seek Him above all others. It’s not that He’s insecure and jealous we’ll find greater satisfaction in someone or something else. He understands that if we do, it will be a far inferior substitute that will ultimately disappoint and leave us wanting.

His desire is to give us a fullness of life that will satisfy in ways that human relationships and material things never can. For nearly 60 years I’ve found my wholeness and hope in Jesus. He’s always been more than enough!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Can We Trust the Bible?

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

In light of my last few posts, I thought the question might arise: “If we can’t place our full trust in any man’s understanding of Scripture, can we even trust the men who wrote the Bible?” And the short answer is – with unlimited confidence. How can I be so certain?

The NIV translates the first part of the verse above “God-breathed.” What’s my point? The easiest way for me to think of this is that the Spirit of God “dictated” what He ultimately wanted us to read. Yes, of course He used human instruments, but He gave them words upon which we could build a faith that was based on truth. Yes, I realize that some of the New Testament books hadn’t yet been written, but the same principle applies to both Old and New Testaments. Let’s look more closely at the verse above.

Why did God give us His written Word? First, to use it as the basis of sound teaching. Teaching to what end? So that we would “do what is right.” The purpose of the Bible isn’t simply information, it’s transformation. We can memorize the entire Bible, but if that knowledge doesn’t lead to God’s Spirit having full access to our lives, it’s for all intent and purpose, useless. We have to know what is true, not only in a general sense, but what is true about us.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5::17: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Learning requires more than knowledge. Wisdom is the application of knowledge to how we think and live. Truth defines how we should think and live.

Part of that process is not only understanding what the right way is to live but understanding what needs to be corrected. We must gain insight into what changes need to be made in our conduct, especially as it relates to how we love God and each other.

Why is it so vital that we learn truth and apply that truth to how we live? Because the ultimate purpose is to equip us to carry out God’s mission on this earth – to point people to Him! To help others to understand the basis of our faith, so they can have faith of their own, not based simply on our ideas, but foundationally on what the Bible teaches.

This is scary on some levels because Scripture taken out of context can easily become a pretext. What does that mean? It means we can essentially use the Bible to “prove” almost anything. So, what do we do?

Paul wrote in Romans 8:16: “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” I know that God’s Spirit indwells me because He bears witness with my spirit that I’m His. I believe the same principle can be applied to what is true – i.e. what is of God. How so?

When I’m reading a book or listening to someone teach/preach, I have at least two avenues to follow to understand whether what I’m reading, or hearing is of God. The first is the Bible. Is what the person is saying consistent with the whole of Scripture? The second is the Spirit’s confirmation. Am I sensing in my spirit affirmation from God or is He raising the proverbial “red flag.”

Ultimately, you must decide whether you want to believe the Bible or not. If you don’t, that will be to your peril. But if you do want to learn and follow the dictates of Scripture, you’ll have to put in the effort to learn what it says by reading and studying it for yourself. To entrust your eternal destiny to someone who seems to know the Bible is very dangerous.

As for me, I trust the Bible without reservation, because I have an intimate and personal love relationship with its Author.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does Truth Divide?

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.” (John 14:1 NLT)

Trusting in the words of God alone can heal, help, and unify. Trusting in the words of men alone can hurt, damage, and divide. How do you know what to believe? It must be measured by what is true.

Chuck Colson wrote: “The task of this generation—as it will be in every generation—is to understand Christianity as a complete view of the world and humankind’s place in it, that is, as the truth. If Christianity is not the truth, it is nothing, and our faith mere sentimentality.”

What’s prompting all this concern to seek out and know the truth? Because in these last days there are numerous people who profess to speak truth, which in fact, is their understanding of truth at best. At worst, it’s the enemy in disguise deliberately seeking to get you to believe a lie.

It doesn’t matter if something sounds good. That’s not the point. Is it true? Does it line up with what the Bible teaches? And yes, of course, that’s subject to opinion, and you ultimately have to decide whose opinion you’re going to trust. But do your own research. Find tools that will enable you to understand what the Bible is saying.

In Matthew 7:22-23 are some of the most frightening words in the Bible. Jesus said: “On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied (preached) in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws.’”

To which “laws” is He referring? Jesus said in Mark 12:29-30: “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all you mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

My goal as a believer in Jesus is to fulfill these commands to the best of my ability and understanding. The plot thickens when God’s heart is for His family, the Body of Christ, the Church, to dwell in unity and love, but when we love our beliefs, our doctrines more than we love our brothers and sisters, there’s a problem. What do I mean?

If I’m so busy seeking to “correct” my brother or sister because they don’t believe like me, I’m not going to embrace them, I’m going to push them away. Why? What are we making the basis of our unity? Our beliefs, not Jesus.

Photo by Rodolfo Quiru00f3s on Pexels.com

Friends, please hear my heart. We can’t build our oneness on doctrine – on the sinking sand of what we believe is true. We must build our unity on Truth alone – on JESUS, the Rock! How do we do that? By focusing on what we know to be true about Him. He is God! He came to live a perfect, sinless life on earth in order to be a suitable sacrifice for our sin, because sin demands a payment.

He died on the Cross, not because He deserved to be there, but because His love demanded a sacrifice for our sin to be paid. He arose from the tomb to give us victory over sin and death. We can have our sins forgiven and be given a new life in Him. We walk with Him by faith and grow in our faith as we invest ourselves in His eternal Kingdom. There are others, but hopefully you get the point.

There’s so much we have to agree on, we don’t have to argue and separate because we don’t agree on every single issue. I don’t expect everyone to believe like me. God gave me an insight a long time ago that has guided me as I’ve learned to walk more closely with my Savior. He told me that it’s no accident that there are people who are a lot smarter than me who believe differently than I do. He told me to listen to what they say, see if it is consistent with Scripture, then decide if I might need to shift what I believe about Him.

It’s not simply a matter of who’s right or who’s wrong. It’s more a matter of who’s understanding is most in line with what the Bible teaches. And, honestly, we won’t get that exactly right until Jesus returns or calls us home.

Here’s my takeaway. I’m going to love you as a brother or sister in Christ, not based on that upon which we disagree, but upon that about which we do agree – JESUS! He’s the focal point. If we miss Him, we’ve missed everything.

Does Truth divide? No. People do when we think what we believe is the only way to see the Truth.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who Is Truth?

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NLT)

God’s heart is that we know Him. His love is so great that He devised a strategy to make Himself known to us that would be undeniable. God poured Himself into a human body in order that we might see a living, breathing example of what the embodiment of Truth would look like. Yet, we’re so divided, even in the Body of Christ, we struggle even to identify who Jesus is.

Today’s post is an effort to share my heart and thoughts regarding Truth. I capitalize that word because Truth is a Person. His name is Jesus. How do I know that? Because that’s what He said about Himself, and He doesn’t lie.

Tim Keller said of Jesus: “Jesus is one of the following: Lord, Lunatic, Liar, or a Legend. Only four possibilities.” What you decide about Jesus has enormous potential for good or bad, but that’s the topic of another post. Foundationally, I believe Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be – God in human flesh.

My point is two-fold. First, we can never, this side of eternity, know the whole Truth, in the sense that we can know everything there is to know about Jesus. John Wesley said: “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and I will show you a man that can comprehend the Triune God.”

But secondly, we each formulate a flawed system of belief that will guide us through this life. No one, living or dead, can know everything about God, thus, to follow the findings of a mere man in our search for understanding God is going to lead to frustration and futility. So, am I apposed to studying the ideas of godly men across the years? No, of course not, but they are fallible men, just like me.

The Reason for My Hope “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Where am I going with this. The term “Theology,” literally means “words about God.” The premier book that God has given us to help us in our understanding of who He is, is the Bible. Millions of books have been written across the centuries seeking to give expression to the understanding that men have as to what the Bible says and means. And that’s a wonderful thing.

Problems arise when we take the ideas of men and make them dogma, or a term we may better recognize – doctrine. Men have built their theology on a system of beliefs that made sense to them, and, unfortunately, to many others. Why is it unfortunate? Because rather than creating an avenue to more unity and harmony in the Church, it’s served as the basis of much division. We don’t simply follow Jesus, we follow the ideas of men about Jesus.

Our unity MUST be in Jesus, not in doctrine. My Mentor said: “We let the tail wag the dog when we put doctrine ahead of Christ.”

So, what is the alternative? Read, study, pray, meditate upon, contemplate, discuss with others, but draw your own conclusions, based on your own study. Don’t take what ANYONE says at face value, except Jesus.

Chuck Colson said: “Why does truth matter so much? Because the Church simply can’t be the Church without being on the side of truth. Jesus came as the champion of the truth and of those on the side of the truth. Without understanding this, the Church cannot even present the Gospel. Without truth, it resorts to therapy and has patients, not disciples.”

Let’s continue to look at this vital subject in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Closer Look at Self-Control

“By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT)

Self-control, or lack thereof, is at the root of a lot of wrong that is done in the name of Jesus. The word that is translated “self-control” in the New Living Translation is translated “temperance” in the King James Version. Temperance is defined as “habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions; moderation in or abstinence from the use of intoxicating drink.”

Think about what you just read. What’s the first word? “Habitual.” One of the primary ways God enables us to control our behavior is through the development of godly habits. If you became a Christ follower as an adult, think of all the habits you had that were negative or distracted you from your efforts to be a person of God.

Usually, one of the first things with which God must deal is our bad habits. What is the most effective way to break an unhealthy habit? By forming new, godly habits to take their place. Nature abhors a vacuum. To stop one habit without replacing it with a better one is a formula for disaster.

On some levels this whole conversation about “self” control, is misleading. Yes, of course, over time, as the Holy Spirit enables us to formulate godly habits, they become a great means of “self-control,” but we can’t lose sight of the fact that apart from Jesus we can do nothing, and apart from Jesus we are nothing.

Jesus IS our life, so to the extent we yield ourselves to Him, to that extent our life will come under control – His control. That’s why Paul urges us in Romans 12:1: “to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable.”

Taming the body is the pathway to taming our soul. Without getting the outward manifestations of our “indulgence of the appetites or passions,” under control, we’ll be fighting a losing battle trying to tame our thoughts. We’re so prone to follow our feelings – i.e. “if it feels good, do it!” But if we learn to DO the right thing – i.e. stop whatever we’re struggling with – we’ll FEEL the right way about it.

Honestly, thoughts and behavior, on many levels, go hand in hand. Our thoughts feed our behavior and our behavior feeds our thoughts. It’s a vicious cycle. It’s almost like trying to figure out “which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

Obviously, as a child of God, we nurture and train our thoughts through prayer, meditation, and contemplation of the truths of God found in Scripture. But right thinking alone won’t release us from the captivity of our “appetites and passions.” It’s like learning to drive. You can memorize the manual, but until you get behind the wheel, you will never know how to drive.

Lust, in whatever form it entangles us – from porn to possessions – demands repentance. A spiritual change of mind, realizing a change is required, and a dynamic change of direction from our way to God’s way. But it’s not simply a rugged self-determination that brings about the needed change. It’s a cooperative effort between us and God.

It’s what Jesus was alluding to when He said in Matthew 11:29: “Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Another way to think of that is – what’s impossible for us, is possible with God. He can do in, and on our behalf what we can never do for ourselves.

The most effective means of learning self-control is by giving the Holy Spirit permission to exercise His control. And the straightest course to follow in the development of a godly life is to follow Jesus.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Closer Look at Gentleness

“Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow His commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you – protect you from His anger on that day of destruction.” (Zephaniah 2:3 NLT)

What picture comes to mind when you hear the word “gentleness?” This word is translated “meekness” in the KJV. The picture that comes to my mind is Jesus in the purple robe when the soldiers were mocking Him. The Bible says: “They (the soldiers) dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on His head. Then they saluted Him and taunted, ‘Hail! King of the Jews!’ And they struck Him on the head with a reed stick, spit on Him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship.”

It makes me ashamed to be a human being when I read those awful words. It breaks my heart Jesus had to suffer those things in my place. That should have been me, not the spotless, sinless Lamb of God. Think of the millions of angels standing by, just waiting for any indication that Jesus was reaching out for them to rescue Him.

But think, too, of the authority of the One who withstood that torture. The One who spoke everything that is into existence, including the soldiers who now spit in His holy face. If only the thought had crossed His mind, those soldiers could have been incinerated in an instant. Earth would have quickly and expeditiously opened her massive jaws and swallowed them without so much as a burp.

What prevented Jesus from protecting Himself and calling for the forces of heaven and earth to come to His rescue? His gentleness. One way to think of what this means is “harnessed energy.” It’s power under control. It is atomic energy held in check.

How does any of this apply to us? Think of the driver who cuts you off. Or the person who thoughtlessly releases the door you’re about to walk through, forcing you to catch it to keep from walking into it. Or the less qualified employee who is chosen instead of you. Or the bully who makes your child’s life a living hell. These and a million other examples characterize what it means to allow the fruit of gentleness to fill your heart and mind.

How often in the course of our daily lives the temptation to exercise our “authority,” or “defend” our integrity, or intercede on behalf of our child or family, puts us on the threshold of destroying everything we’ve worked so hard to gain as a faithful follower of the Lord.

Gentleness enables us to hold our temper, keep our mouths shut, walk away, congratulate the one who took “our” job, pray for the one who is rude to us or seeks to cheat or belittle us, or anyone who in any way demeans us and seeks to make us feel small, insignificant, or unimportant.

Please understand, I’m not suggesting we, as Jesus never was, a mat for anyone to walk on. We, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, constrain ourselves, keeping ourselves under control, not because we aren’t strong enough or capable enough, but because we ARE. Christ’s loving strength shines most brightly in and through our gentle response to cruelty, thoughtlessness, unkindness, and the like. We can respond, but not in anger or revenge.

The same Jesus who spoke this world into existence, walked out of His tomb, proving to the world and to all who would one day believe, that He is the Almighty God. One day soon that harnessed energy of our gentle Savior will become the unleashed power of the Lion of Judah as He returns to planet Earth. He’s not coming back to take sides. He’s coming back to take over. We’d best know with certainty whose side we’re on when that day comes.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Closer Look at Faithfulness

“I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of Your faithfulness.” (Psalm 89:1 NLT)

It’s interesting to me that the word “faithfulness” doesn’t appear in the King James Version of the New Testament, and only 19 times in the Old Testament, mostly in the Psalms. The word used in the Old Testament means: “firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness.” (Strong’s)

It’s also noteworthy that faithfulness isn’t a uniquely Christian term. You can find faithfulness among other religious groups, cults, athletes, soldiers, businesspersons, parents, even atheists. What’s my point? Faithfulness is an attractive attribute shared by many who have no interest in following Jesus yet share a fundamental component of what it means to be a Jesus follower. You can be faithful to a lot of things and not follow Jesus, but you cannot be a Jesus follower and not be faithful.

Remember, we’re looking at the Fruit of the Spirit, asking the Lord to use the floodlight of His Holy Word, to enable us to examine our hearts and minds to see if there are pockets of wickedness or disobedience lurking in the corners and crevices of our inner man/person. Why is that so important?

Faithfulness to anything is developed over time and the most visible, distinguishing characteristic is habit. What we faithfully commit to, in time, becomes a habit. For example, reading the Bible, attending church, prayer, being a faithful spouse, parent, employee, employer, and on and on it goes.

We are creatures of habit, and become faithful to the things we deem important, whether that’s eating healthy or being a couch potato. The habit to which we’re so faithful, in and of itself is amoral. In other words, the habit doesn’t care if it draws us closer to Jesus or pushes us further away, but once it’s got it’s claws in us, it can be very difficult to change.

Faithfulness as used in the Bible, speaks to conviction or belief that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that He alone is the Author of our eternal salvation. Faithfulness to anything, but especially as it relates to our relationship with God, begins with belief. As I’ve shared in other posts, belief, and faith(fulness) are two sides of the same coin.

Belief is the intellectual assent or agreement that something deserves our effort to do it habitually; faith is putting that belief into action. Belief says: “Jesus is Lord.” Faith says: “My life will now reflect that belief in and through the way I live – what I think, say, and do in every avenue of my being. In short, in and through the habits that I develop and allow to rule my life.”

Faithfulness not only requires and reflects discipline but gives visibility to the life of Christ living in us. How so? In the development of the Fruit of the Spirit. We submit the authority of our lives to the Lord, which is illustrated by the extent we’re able to love well; express joy appropriately; have peace under pressure; patience while under attack; kindness to those who don’t deserve it; goodness when it’s hard; faithfulness when it hurts; gentleness when we want to say or do something inappropriate; and self-control when we’re about to lose it.

Faithfulness reveals allegiance, inasmuch as we’re able to give visibility to the Ruler of our heart and the Lord of our life. If His lordship matters and His likeness is our goal, faithfulness to developing and following godly habits will reveal more quickly than anything else, who’s really in control of our lives.

By God’s grace and with His Spirit’s help, may we model faithfulness to Him as He models faithfulness to us. We’re the only “Bible” our lost loved ones and friends are reading. Let’s give them an accurate account of our faithful God through our faithfulness to Him and to them.

Blessings, Ed 😊