Walking With Jesus

Memories

“They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and sing of Your righteousness.” (Psalm 145:7 NKJV)

Thinking about my life as a pastor, I’m discovering some of my most cherished memories are of the times I spent with people in the context of their pain and loss. Perhaps because it was in those sacred moments I felt most ill-equipped and least capable, thus demanding I be more dependent upon the Lord. As a result, God’s Spirit did what humanly I couldn’t, and He enabled the one(s) with whom I was seeking to comfort to sense His closeness more personally.

Recently I received a call from a man whose wife had been in a nursing care facility. He explained that in recent months, due to Covid, he was only able to stand at the window of her room and speak with her via his cell phone. The staff would put a phone by her ear so she could hear her husband’s voice. Over the years her ability to communicate had slowly deteriorated, until she was now in a vegetative state.

On what was to be his last visit with his beloved wife of more than fifty years, this precious man of God who had been so diligent in his attentiveness to his bride, was told she may have only four or five days to live. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, he asked if he could see her, and was allowed to come into her room. He spoke gently about his love for her and his confidence the Lord was with her. He laid by her in the narrow bed, put his arms around her and kissed her, and in that moment the Lord came and took her into His arms.

During his last call to me, I prayed with this faithful husband in his pain and hour of loss. I remembered the many times we’d visited and prayed together when I was his pastor, and I felt honored that he would call me and share this beautiful story.

During His ministry, Jesus often stopped what He was doing to pay special attention to someone in need. It was as if He gave no consideration to not going with someone who would summon Him to help them or someone they loved. How grateful I am for those many times in my ministry I had opportunity to intersect with Jesus at the bedsides of hurting people.

In the first church I served, I went to visit a young girl in the hospital and was greeted by her grandmother, who was her caregiver. Though we’d never met I immediately felt a bond of love for this family. Over the years I was called upon to help them in many ways, including walking through a wooded area searching for their son, whom we found had taken his own life.

Walking with them in painful times cemented our relationship and God gave me the opportunity to serve them through weddings, funerals, baptisms, and many other ways, for which I will be eternally grateful.

These are the moments I cherish in my retirement when I consider the fruitfulness of my ministry. I never served a large church or traveled worldwide preaching and teaching. I wasn’t well known or sought after, except by those whom the Lord commissioned me to serve.

Perhaps I’ll share a little more tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does God Send People to Hell (Part 2)

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” (John 12:46 NLT)

Yesterday we looked at the question, does God send people to hell? But, as my wife would attest, sometimes my mind goes in so many directions it’s hard for me to complete one thought without scurrying to another. So, today I’d like to lay a little groundwork, then share another illustration that, hopefully, will help you understand better that God sends no one to hell.

Jesus came to earth for the express purpose of revealing to us who God is and helping us to understand that because of sin, introduced to mankind by our original parents, Adam and Eve, we are all, by nature, sinners. The Bible says in Romans 3:10: “No one is righteous – not even one.” The Bible also says that sin carries a death penalty. Romans 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death…” If we die without having our sin dealt with, we spend an eternity paying the death penalty ourselves.

Because God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us, He saw the only One who could pay the penalty for our sin was Himself. That’s when Jesus volunteered to come to earth, to experience life as a human being and be tempted in every way as we are. He came to live with us as a perfect reflection of God, then sacrifice His life in our place to once and for all, satisfy the penalty for sin. He now offers us forgiveness and new life in Him as a free gift. The rest of Romans 6:23 says: “…but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So, you see, God did everything possible to make a way for us to be in heaven with Him. He literally opened a way where none existed, but the choice is ours! We’re not puppets, we’re living, breathing human beings with a will of our own. God made us that way so that just as He chose us to be in relationship, He gives us the option of accepting His love and forgiveness or rejecting it; of being a child of God or continuing to follow the dictates of our selfish, sinful nature. The choice to receive God’s love and His gift of eternal life is ours to make. We must respond in faith and trust to receive God’s gift of new life in Christ, and go to heaven when we die. To not receive God’s gift of eternal life in Christ is to make the choice of hell and eternal separation from God. To NOT choose, IS our choice. “Yeh, but I don’t want to go to hell!”

Think of the person you most love in this world. (Do you have that person in mind?) Imagine that person is in a large city, and they see a young person engrossed in their phone screen, not paying any attention to where they’re going, but they’re heading straight into the path of an oncoming bus. So, without hesitation this person you love pushes the young person out of harm’s way, but they are struck and killed by the bus.

Everyone who knows the truth of what happened knows that the only reason that young person is alive is because of your loved one, but in an interview, the person saved from certain death says: “I guess it was just my lucky day. Fortunately, I’m in good shape and at the last possible second I realized I was in trouble and jumped out of the way of the bus.” How would that make you feel? It’s bad enough your loved one gave their life for a stranger, but for them to not even be acknowledged or for the person they saved to not even recognize they were alive because of the sacrifice of your loved one’s life, is like a slap in the face. It’s disgraceful!

Yet, that’s exactly what we’re doing and saying when, after all God has done for us, we live like it doesn’t matter, and Jesus’ death has no bearing on how we live? We say with our behavior: “I’m a good person, I don’t need anyone to forgive my sin or show me a way to heaven. I’m okay the way I am. I don’t need God’s help, I’m good enough on my own.” Arrogance, pride, selfishness, defiance, blatant disregard for and disobedience to the clear directives of God are why people go to hell, not because that’s what God wants. 2 Peter 3:9 helps us understand that it’s not God’s will that anyone perish, but that everyone turn from their sin, be forgiven and find new life in Jesus. If you want to go to heaven, there IS a way. His name is Jesus. God sends no one to hell. That’s a path WE choose for ourselves.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does God Send People to Hell?

“No one is righteous – not even one.” (Romans 3:10 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at why we can’t trust our own goodness to get us into heaven, concluding that Jesus is our only hope, based on what the Bible teaches. Many with whom I speak can’t wrap their minds around why Jesus must be the only way. Why can’t there be some compromise? If I live a good life, obey my government, love my family, and be productive in my work, why isn’t that good enough?

Let me paint a couple of pictures that may help you to understand better why Jesus IS and MUST BE the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN! We looked briefly yesterday at who Jesus is and why He is uniquely qualified to pay the penalty for our sin, thus, opening a way for us to go to heaven. Other world religions offer options, all of which boil down to earning our own way through being good enough. We looked at the folly of that thinking yesterday.

In Joshua chapter 3, Moses has died, and Joshua has become Israel’s leader. The Bible says that God instructed Joshua to have the Levitical priests carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the Israelites. This was the harvest season, so the Jordan river was overflowing its banks, but the only way to get to the Promised land was to cross the river. Now here’s where the plot thickens. God told Joshua that the waters wouldn’t recede until the priests put their feet in the water. So, the moment the priests’ feet touched the water, it began to back up on the left and the rest flowed on to the right until the ground was dry for everyone to cross the river. What’s my point?

Before Jesus there was no way to heaven. The Jews were given the Ten Commandments, but in man’s typical fashion, those ten soon expanded to a few hundred that no one could ever in eternity obey. It’s not enough to believe (understand intellectually) that Jesus is God and is the only way to heaven. That’s a good start, but you have to activate your belief and step into the “river” of faith by placing your complete trust in Jesus. What does that look like? It looks like obedience! Not to a system of beliefs or manmade regulations, but to a Person who loves you and wants only the absolute best for you. That’s why the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in us when we yield our allegiance to Jesus, is so vital. He guides, instructs, teaches, and leads us into what is true, enabling us to understand what is truth and what is not.

People who aren’t acquainted with the Bible or vocabulary associated with being a believer, often do the best they know to do, they live the way they were taught growing up. It’s not that they are anti-God or don’t want to go to heaven, they just follow the dictates of their own heart, believing that’s enough. That’s what I did before I came to understand who Jesus is, what He did in my place and what response He’d like me to give.

The most important word in the English language to describe what God desires from us is RELATIONSHIP! It’s not like God is up in heaven judging our every move, waiting for us to step out of line so He can condemn us to hell. God is our heavenly Father who, like any loving Father would give His life for His child, and that’s exactly what He did. He became a man, in the Person of Jesus. God poured Himself into a human baby, who grew to become the only perfect man who has ever lived or ever will live. Jesus came to earth to be a light in the darkness, to show us the way back to God.

Please check out tomorrow’s post, so I can finish sharing what’s on my heart on this subject.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Guise of Goodness

“God is the One who is good.” (Matthew 19:17a The Message)

Over the years I’ve asked dozens of people this question: “If you were to die and stand before the Lord, and He was to ask you: ‘Why should I let you into My perfect heaven?’ what would you say?” 99% of the answers were: “Because I’m a good person.” What’s behind that response?

Most people tend to think they’re better than they are. When I was a younger, I thought I was a good person, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there is nothing good about me except Jesus. In John 15:5 Jesus says: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” What does that mean?

If you separate a branch from a tree, how fruitful can it be? Not at all, right? It will wither and die. That’s what happens to people apart from God. ANY goodness derived from my life, or anyone who believes in Jesus, is simply evidence of the life of God flowing through them. “But what about people who aren’t followers of Jesus? What is the source of their goodness?”

That’s a fair question. Two ideas come to mind. First, God has planted eternity in every human heart. There is a part of every person that has the capacity, and on some level, the desire to know God. Add to that the reflection of God in nature and, of course, in the lives of His followers, and people will be drawn to what is right and good and begin to reflect that in their own lives. Secondly, God is omnipresent, which means He can be every place at the same time. His presence exudes goodness and, quite naturally, will be sensed and on some level, caught. What does that mean?

It essentially means we are products of our environment. If we choose kind, loving people as friends, over time we will grow to be like them. It’s the same if we choose unkind, inconsiderate, hateful people. Over time we will reflect their influence in our lives. There is a saying that if you want to know what you’re becoming, look at your five closest friends.

The point is, any goodness that we may see evidenced in our lives, can be traced back to the only One who is good, God. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” Offering our good deeds or personal goodness to God as an offering for our sin is like offering a king a basket of filthy rags as a gift.

So, if we can’t expect our goodness to grant us entrance into heaven, on what can we stand? Jesus answered that question in John 14:6: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” What does that mean? It means in order to know that heaven will be our home when we leave this planet, we have to place our full trust in the truth of not only what Jesus said, but in who He is. So, the logical question then becomes: Who is Jesus?

Volumes have been written on who Jesus is, so let me summarize, based on what the Bible teaches. He is God’s only begotten Son. What does that mean? The word translated “begotten” literally means “the only one of its kind,” Jesus is unique in that He is God who became a man. He’s not ½ man and ½ God. He’s 100% man and 100% God. He is the one and only God-Man, and as such, is solely qualified to be the bearer of our sin. He alone chose to come to earth, become a man, live as we live, and to reflect the qualities and characteristics of His Father. He alone lived a perfect and sinless life, and paid the penalty for our sin by submitting Himself to die on the Cross in our place. He is God, thus entirely and completely good, and alone able to provide us a way to go to heaven.

We’ll look at this from another angle tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Breaks God’s Heart?

“So the Lord was sorry He had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart.” (Genesis 6:6 NLT)

Have you ever asked the Lord to let what breaks His heart, break yours? It may sound very “spiritual,” but it’s debilitating. It’s a heaviness of heart and mind that saps your energy and breaks your heart. God’s heart for mankind, His love for us and His vision for what we can become, is crushed in the light of our wickedness and determination to go our own way.

Genesis 6:5 says: “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.” This was in the days of Noah, just before the flood.

Fast forward to Luke 17:26 where Jesus says: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

When I think of the last days in which we presently find ourselves, and I see my neighbors coming and going; the young woman who cuts my hair; the young man who delivers my mail; the many people who speed by in their vehicles as I walk my pups; and on and on. These are real people, with a real destiny, most of whom, like the people of Noah’s day, don’t have a clue as to what’s about to happen. They will walk into eternity unaware of what God is about to do when He calls a halt to time and every person who has ever lived will stand before Him to give an account of their life.

Are you ready for that day? It will be here more quickly than you can imagine.

Like every other person on planet earth, I’m unable to see things as God sees them. I can’t see into the hearts of people who seem to be really good and my heart breaks to think of them missing heaven. I struggle to see what’s in my own heart, and sometimes I can’t imagine why God would let me into His perfect heaven. But God sees behind the masks that we wear to impress others, and to hide from Him.

It’s at this point I have to rely on trust. How so? I either believe God’s Word, the Bible, or I don’t. There’s no option to believe the parts I like and with which I agree and discard the rest. I either put the full weight of my trust on the promises of God, believing I have no merit before Him, and believing my salvation is by grace alone, activated by faith alone, or I don’t. I must trust God and not myself. I must trust God’s Word and not the reasoning of man. And, I must take seriously my commission to warn those who are living their lives apart from God.

Can you begin to imagine the ridicule Noah suffered while building the Ark? It had never rained, yet here was Noah building a huge boat, warning everyone he could that rain was coming, and it would flood the earth. Everyone was laughing and ridiculing him, then it started to sprinkle. God closed the door to the Ark and everyone on earth died, except those in the Ark.

Friends, it’s starting to sprinkle! We’re running out of time and the only opportunity we have to make things right with God is NOW! The only time to prepare for what’s coming is today, in this minute. We have no promise of another second. Death comes in a heartbeat. One second, you’re alive, the next you’re not. Please don’t wait. Click on the link below and watch a brief video with Ron Hutchcraft.

Yes, of course you have doubts and questions. I have questions. But, of this I’m certain: Once I was blind, but now I see; once I was lost, headed for an eternity separated from God, but now my soul is secure in the hands of my Savior. I know when I close my eyes in death, I will open them in the presence of Jesus. Please click this link – https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Holding You Back?

“Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely My own.” (John 7:17 NLT)

Where is your heart leading you in this new year? BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL! According to Jeremiah the Prophet: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT)

Perhaps a better way to step into this new year would be to do what King David did. He prayed: “Search me , O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

The appeal of the world is real and strong, I’ll not deny that, but if you want to live for God, there is absolutely NOTHING that can keep you from it! John wrote in 1 John 4:4 (AMP): “Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.”

What’s holding you back? Satan can cause you to believe that you are powerless against the forces of evil that have you chained to a life of selfishness and sin, a life that you desperately desire to escape. Somehow you’ve come to believe there is no escape. You feel trapped, defeated, discouraged, and out of energy to believe anything will ever change. Your heart, on rare occasion, seeks refuge in the thought that things can change, but quickly retreats in the face of the insurmountable odds, that in your mind, are stacked against you.

When the angels introduced to the shepherds the good news of Jesus’ birth, they said: “Don’t be afraid…I bring you good news that will bring great joy to ALL people.” (Luke 2:10 NLT) Do you know who is included in that great news? You are! No one is exempt! “But how will I ever break free of these addicitive chains that are holding me so tightly?” Put your full trust in God! You don’t have the strength, the resources, the ability to make your own path straight, but God does!

Shortly after the Hebrew slaves were liberated from their Egyptian masters, the Egyptians decided they’d made a mistake letting the Israelites go. So they sent their whole army after them. The Bible says in Exodus 14:10: “As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them.” Was their panic justified? Absolutely! Did their panic sway or change the plans of God in any way? Of course not! God did what only God could do in their situation, and they walked across the sea on dry ground. The same God who delivered the Israelites will deliver you!

Paul said in Ephesians 3:20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think..” Might it take time to deal with all the baggage you’ve accumulated over the years? Of course. Might you fail in keeping up with what God is seeking to accomplish in and through you? Probably. Does that mean you shouldn’t trust Him and begin the journey to wholeness in Him? Absolutely not!

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take that step right now. With everything that is within you say, “Yes, Lord! Do in and through and on my behalf what I could never in eternity ever do for myself. Help me to walk in the light You give me, one step at a time, trusting You to lead me into healing, wholeness and fruitfulness to Your honor and praise.”

You CAN take the first step towards Him and He WILL guide you every step of the way. No One loves you more. No One has more power and resources to get you where you and He want you to be. To follow Jesus is, by far, the best decision I’ve ever made in my 74 years!

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Way to Heaven

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6a NLT)

The quote above from John 14 was spoken to Thomas, one of the twelve disciples, shortly before Jesus was betrayed. Jesus was explaining to His disciples that He was going back to His Father, and in a matter-of-fact manner said in verse 4: “And you know the way to where I am going.” To which Thomas responded in verse 5: “’No, we don’t know, Lord,’ Thomas said, ‘We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?’” The truth is, they DID know the way, they just didn’t realize it.

There are many in our world today in the same boat as Thomas. They’ve heard of Jesus, they may attend church or read the Bible, they may even have a relationship with Him, but they, like Thomas, have never connected the proverbial “dots.” The reality is – to know Jesus IS to know the WAY! He IS “the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE! No one can come to the Father except through Me (Jesus).” (John 14:6b NLT) What does that mean?

Jesus, as the Baby in the manger and as the adult who was crucified on the Cross, rose from the dead and ascended back to His Father in heaven, was and is GOD in human flesh/form. What it means that He is the way, the truth, and the life, is He is the embodiment of all of what those terms mean. He, the Person of Jesus, IS the way. That means that if we are IN Christ, we ARE already on our way to heaven.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17: “At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view.” In other words, simply as a man, like any other human being. “How differently we know Him now!” Now that we know Him as God in human form. “This means that anyone who belongs to (is IN) Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Another way to think of it is, as a believer in Jesus we are now a member of His Body (the Body of Christ worldwide), which means, whatever HE is doing, that becomes our mission; wherever HE goes, we go with Him. He IS our WAY to wherever He is going, as His Spirit resides and works in and through our physical body. He IS truth, the embodiment of all that is true. He IS life, the embodiment of all life was intended to be.

We as human beings are made to be loved by God and have an eternal relationship with Him that begins in this life, but never ends. We tend to think of a “relationship with Jesus” as simply being forgiven, going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc., and all those things are good and important. But He’s so much more than the things we do, even the good, “religious” things. He IS our life! Apart from Him we are dead, we have no life.

We may exist, like Adam and Eve after the Fall, but only Jesus is the Author and giver of life. Only Jesus can become our life and give us an understanding of what life lived to its fullest is intended to look like. The same is true of Jesus being Truth. He alone can lead us into what is true and show us what is not, because He alone is the embodiment of all that is true. It’s not, as I often hear: “Your ‘truth’ or my ‘truth.'” In other words, “truth is relative, what is true for you may not be true for me.” That’s a lie from the pit of hell. Truth is always measured by what Jesus says is true. If it’s not consistent with what Jesus says is true, it’s a lie! Remember who Satan is? The father of lies! Jesus cannot lie. Satan cannot tell the truth.

We don’t have to “search” for the way to heaven or for what is true or for what life is supposed to be. The miracle of God’s grace, His free, unmerited gift of Himself in the Person of His only Son Jesus, is as close as your willingness to believe Jesus is who He claims to be, and to receive Him as your life.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Key to Heaven

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing.” (John 6:3a NLT)

A hymn written in 1956 by Robert Sande and Samuel T. Scott says: “Prayer is the key to heaven; faith unlocks the door.” Prayer, conversation with God, is the avenue that leads to Jesus, and the exercising of faith is responding to God’s invitation to receive Jesus as your life. He doesn’t desire to be part of your life; He desires to be the focus and intent of your whole life. He’s not a “slice” of the proverbial “pie” of your life, He’s the “whole” pie.

There are those whose primary desire in accepting Jesus’ invitation, is to avoid hell and go to heaven, but that is to miss the point of our union with Him. Yes, heaven will be amazing, and hell will be indescribable torment, but to focus on those is to miss the point of our life altogether.

We were created for intimacy with God. Every detail of creation screams life and health and relationship. Jesus said in John 10:10: “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them (us – everyone who will come to Him) a rich and satisfying life.” The life Jesus gives, is full, complete, satisfying on every level.

Think of the Garden of Eden. Perfect in every respect. Every dimension of existence living in perfect harmony. No fear, no sickness, no guilt, no sin, no shame – nothing but perfect love and acceptance. Then sin entered the picture, and everything changed. No longer was there harmony, but discord, and separation between God and mankind, resulting in sickness, death, wars, and everything else negative that you can imagine.

What we sometimes fail to realize is that there are two kingdoms vying for our attention, the devotion of our life. The kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God. Satan offers wealth, prosperity, riches, fame, position, power – in short, everything our human nature craves and will kill to have.

God’s Kingdom requires humility, sacrifice, and devotion to God. Putting God’s will above our own, realizing that we own nothing, and we are nothing, apart from Jesus, who is our everything. Does that mean we have no material possessions or provisions? Of course not, but they’re not the focus and purpose of our existence.

On the surface it seems like a no-brainer. Why should I become a living sacrifice for God when I can have all this world affords? Jesus understood perfectly what He was asking of us, because He alone knows the full value of intimacy with Him compared to intimacy with the world. Hear His words in Matthew 16:24-26: “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

The word Jesus uses that’s translated “soul,” is the word from which comes our English word “psyche.” It’s the seat of our emotions, desires, affections, aversions. The human soul is the only thing in all of creation that when coupled with the Spirit of God, can attain its maximum potential, resulting in a full and meaningful life on earth, then eternal life in heaven with God. So, for me, it’s an absolute “no-brainer.” There is nothing this world could ever offer me that compares with life everlasting with the Master Designer, Creator, Ruler, Sustainer and Lover of my soul.

When our life on earth ends, if our heart is aligned with the heart of God, we’ll awaken into life eternal, just as life was originally planned to be in the Garden of Eden. Our hope is translated into sight and our eyes will behold the majesty of our Savior – FOREVER! Remember: “Prayer is the key; faith unlocks the door.”

Blessings, Ed 😊

Caring for Our Body

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you.” (Romans 12:1a NLT)

The beginning of a new year gives a perfect opportunity to prayerfully formulate plans and set goals to maximize our physical, mental, and emotional health. For the last few days, we’ve looked at avenues to improving our spiritual and relational health, and today we’ll look at caring for our physical body.

OUR BODY

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” What does that mean for us as we begin a new year? It means, if we are a Jesus follower, that ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that concerns us, concerns the Lord who bought us and loves us immeasurably. So, how does that translate as we consider goals to maximize, not only the health of our body, but our fruitfulness for the Lord?

The verses above were written in the context of avoiding sexual sin, but God’s concern for us is far more comprehensive than sex, as important as that is to us and Him. The purpose of these posts isn’t to judge or condemn. We answer to the Lord alone at the end of our lives. What you do with your body, life, and health is ultimately between you and the Lord. However, if I can help you better understand God’s desires for you and the rich rewards you will receive in submitting to God’s authority in your life, then so be it. The bottom line is, we are managers of our body, not owners. How we care for our body, as well as other things with which the Lord has entrusted us, is a reflection of our love for and devotion to our Savior. We’re accountable to Him.

If you’re a Jesus follower, your body is the dwelling place of the most-high God, and as such, deserves proper care. What might that look like?

Eat as healthy as your budget will allow. I’ve literally been penniless, so I understand “cheap.” At times a meal might consist of a candy bar or a bag of chips. I didn’t have the luxury of eating “healthy.” My concern wasn’t health, it was survival. Now, my wife was a nurse for 40 years, so she guides me in what is healthy. If you don’t know what to look for or what kind of food would be best for your situation (i.e. – overweight, diabetic, etc.) ask your doctor (and take notes 😊).
Exercise to the best of your ability. This, too, is a very personal issue. Depending on your age and general physical condition you may be limited, but, very likely, you can do something. Stretch, do sit ups or push-ups, or walk. I know a lady who lost more than a hundred pounds walking. She was walking 10 miles a day when I met her. Maybe you could start with ¼ mile, then add as you’re able. Exercise is critical and when combined with healthy, moderately sized portions, can do wonders for how you feel and look.
Sleep eight hours a night. I suspect some will read that and think, “Yeh, in my dreams!” Demands on your schedule may dictate a lesser amount of sleep, but as you are able, rest. Lack of sleep is a factor in a lot of negative things in our bodies and lives.
The common denominator of each of these areas is discipline. Learn to tell yourself “NO!” Whether it’s spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, relational, or otherwise, developing discipline to do what’s right and not do what is wrong will help you develop health in virtually every area of your life. The Lord will give you strength to do what He places on your heart to do or not do.

Jeremiah wrote: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT) By God’s grace and with His guidance and help, you can do anything. Seek to be your best self in this new year to the Lord’s honor and fame.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Developing God-Honoring Relationships

“…our goal is to please Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:9b NLT)

Yesterday we focused on the most important area of our lives, our walk with the Lord Jesus. We looked at setting realistic, attainable goals in the development of the basic disciplines of our journey with Jesus. Today we’ll look at another category of our lives where goals are needed.

MY RELATIONSHIPS

Think of a target with concentric circles. Focus on the “Bullseye” (the smallest circle) as being most important. Begin there with your relationship with God (see yesterday’s post for ideas). Then, in the next circle, your family, close friends, school, or work-related relationships, then neighbors and others with whom you have casual contact, would be in the outer circles.

If you are blessed to have a family, honor God by loving them well. Your mom and dad, spouse, children, etc. Do you need to seek healing of a relationship with a member of your family? Is there tension or discord in your relationship with a friend? Let the Lord lead you in determining the steps you need to take to allow Him to love your family and friends more effectively through you, and to receive love from them.

Next, consider relationships you have through work or school. These are often areas that Satan works the hardest to disrupt. Inappropriate relationships with co-workers or classmates can lead to disruption and/or ineffectiveness in your walk with the Lord. Pray and listen carefully to how the Lord would have you to nurture or back away from relationships you have at work or school that aren’t healthy. Your goal it to please the Lord, not bring delight to the devil.

Christ has commissioned us to reach the lost in our spheres of influence. Be the kind of example that will draw people to Jesus, not push them further away. That includes family, neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and others with whom you have contact from day to day.

Establish goals that will be Christ-honoring and promote purity of speech and conduct. What do you “hear” when you read the word purity? I’m prompted to clarify a few things before we continue. Purity of speech isn’t just using four letter words. Gossip, lying, saying anything that is slanderous or hurtful to or about another person, that could hurt them and/or damage their reputation are the kinds of things that corrupt us and kill our witness for the Lord.

Also, virginity and purity are not one and the same. You can be a virgin and still not be living pure before the Lord. True purity ONLY comes from the Lord. Does that mean virginity until marriage isn’t God’s plan and desire for you? Yes, of course it is. But there are circumstances in life where someone may have been “robbed” of their virginity, but they can still be pure before the Lord. Purity is a heart issue, not strictly a physical reality. Think of the “woman caught in the very act of adultery” in John 8:3. She was a prostitute, certainly not a virgin, but after her encounter with Jesus, she was pure of heart. It’s Jesus living in and through us that defines our purity, not our history.

So, as you walk in forgiveness and new life in Jesus, could you begin a prayer group or Bible study with co-workers or classmates? Perhaps you could organize a community service project that would help those in your community, while at the same time give you an avenue of drawing closer to your co-workers or with those you know from school. I hope this is helpful to you.

Blessings, Ed 😊