Walking With Jesus

My Contract with God (Part 1)

“So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed…” (Genesis 12:4a NLT)

One of the most faith-filled verses in the Bible to me is Genesis 12:4 (above). In verse 1 of that same chapter, God had announced to Abram that He wanted Abram and his wife to leave their native country. God would later change Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “exalted father,” even though Abram and Sarai, were childless. Then in verse 4 the Bible simply says: “So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed.” Abram was seventy-five years old.

If you’re married, can you even begin to imagine going to your spouse and announcing: “Honey, start packing. We’re moving.” This brief post doesn’t afford enough space to enumerate the list of questions that would ensue from your spouse.

In the verses that follow it becomes clear where God is leading them and why. But the fact Abram made the decision to leave his relatives, all he’d known for his whole life, to follow the Lord’s command without apparent question, is impressive. To me, it sheds a lot of light on why God chose him to be the father of our faith (see Romans 4:16).

As I’ve contemplated Abram’s absolute and total trust in God, it caused me to consider what that kind of faith might look like today. Several years ago, the Lord gave me the idea to formulate a contract with Him.

So, I was thinking: “Okay, Lord, but remember, I’m from West Virginia. I’m a very simple person.” And the Lord said in a very comforting tone, “I know where you’re from, I made you. So, I’m going to make this simple. Get a piece a paper and at the top of the sheet write: ‘My Contract with God,’ and at the bottom sign your name.”

“Okay, Lord, but shouldn’t there be something I need to know or do?” To which He replied: “No, I’ll tell you what to do when you need to know and all you have to do is obey. Is that simple enough.” To which I responded, “Yes, Sir.”

My contract is very similar to what one of my Pastors, Vance Pitman, teaches. He uses the expression: “Put your ‘Yes’ on the table.” The implication being, before God ever asks you to do something, you’ve already put your “yes” on the table.

What is implied by those kinds of convictions? Signing a blank contract or putting your “yes” on the table without knowing what you’re agreeing to, implies total trust in the One giving the directives. It doesn’t matter to me what the Lord asks me to do. All I need is the assurance that it’s Him asking. Because I have full trust in the Lord, I know He’ll never ask me to do anything that won’t ultimately be for my good and His glory.

How can I be assured what I’m sensing as God’s direction is indeed from God? That’s a great question. We’ll look at that tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Love and Relationship (Part 2)

“And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming.” (Luke 15:20b NLT)

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a story about a father who had two sons. Though his younger son took his inheritance and left home with no intention of ever returning, the father, who in the story represents God, never stopped loving him and never stopped watching for him to return. Though their relationship was broken, the father’s love never stopped.

The Bible says: “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20b NLT) That’s how God feels about you. He’s watching from Heaven, lovingly waiting for you to come home. He wants you to have the relationship with Him you’ve been running from.

Yes, of course, our sin separates us from God, in terms of relationship, but not in terms of love. Paul declares in Romans 8:38: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…” Those words are written to believers in Jesus, because nothing in all eternity will separate a person who loves and is committed to Christ, from God’s love. But there is one thing that will separate someone who doesn’t know Jesus from God’s love.

On earth, to not have a relationship with Jesus is to miss the fullness of life that only He can give. But God’s love is still present in the world, and, thus, anyone is a benefactor of His love. However, when we die without having a relationship with Jesus, by virtue of our rejection of or unwillingness to seek His forgiveness and receive new life through Him, we separate ourselves from God for all eternity.

Two things happen when we die without having a relationship with Jesus. We’re separated from His loving presence for all eternity, and we pay the penalty for our sin, the penalty for which Jesus died on the Cross in our place, to pay. What does that mean?

If a person dies without knowing Jesus, the Bible says they will go to hell. Hell, by its very nature, is separation, from the presence of God, who IS LOVE. So, the logical question becomes: “If God loves me so much, why would He separate Himself from me for all eternity?” He doesn’t separate Himself from you, you separate yourself from Him by your unwillingness to accept the only provision for your sin – His Son, the Lord Jesus.

God is holy and perfect and can’t even look upon sin. That’s the whole reason Jesus came to earth and gave Himself as a ransom (substitute) for us – to pay the penalty for our sin and to bridge the gap between us and God that no amount of good works can bridge.

We could never have been able to go to God, so He came to us in the Person of His Son, the Lord, Jesus, who did for us what we could never in eternity have done for ourselves. And He offers us eternal life with Him, if we’ll believe what He did when He died on the Cross, was for us and in our place, receive His sacrifice as a gift of grace, and begin to live for Him.

Whether or not you profess faith in Jesus and have a relationship with Him, you ARE LOVED period. But God’s love alone will not secure you a place in heaven. One of the most often quoted verses in Scripture says: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

Please know that God loves you and has made provision for you to have a relationship with Him that will last forever. But as with virtually any gift, you must receive it to benefit from it. I can open an account with a million dollars in your name and give you a debit card to enable you to access it, but if you don’t believe what I’m telling you is true and use the card to withdraw the money, it’s of no value to you.

God’s love for you, as valuable as that is, if ignored or rejected, will be of no eternal value unless and until you begin a relationship with Him through Jesus. PLEASE click on the link below and watch a brief video that will help you understand what it means to begin a relationship with Jesus. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

Love and Relationship (Part 1)

“Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9 NLT)

A verse like the one above can raise some theological questions that are beyond the focus of this post. Whether someone who “wanders away” loses their salvation is not the issue I want to address today. What troubles me is the misunderstanding of the terms themselves – “love” and “relationship.”

God is love! What does that mean? It means He is the embodiment of everything that is good, right, and wholesome. Every kindness, every smile that is the result of something you see, hear or experience, is an act of love from God. God cannot not love.

In a recent post I shared a verse from John 17:23 where Jesus, in His prayer says: “..that You (God, the Father) love them (believers) as much as You love Me (Jesus).” When I first read that it was nearly impossible for me to process. How can God love a mess like me (and you 😊) the same as He loves His perfect, sinless Son?

As I’ve wrestled with that question, the Lord reminded me in Matthew 5:45, that God’s love is like the sunshine and rain. The sun shines and the rain falls on EVERYONE without discrimination. It’s the same with God’s love. God loves everyone the same, regardless of character or belief. How that love is received is a whole different issue.

A “relationship” with God through Jesus is essentially a positive response to His love. It begins when we say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, receive Him into our life by faith, and pledge our allegiance to Him. In much the same way as we learn to trust any other person, we place our trust in Jesus, and begin a lifelong journey of walking in relationship with Him.

Like with any relationship, there are ebbs and flows, times of intimacy and closeness, and times of doubt and, as the verse above mentions, wandering. The implication of the verse above suggests walking away and/or rejecting the teaching of Scripture that was foundational in one’s relationship with Jesus. When that happens, it is evidence that no relationship with God exists. Whether or not the relationship EVER existed is another question.

My point is simply this. No “relationship” does not mean no “love.” God doesn’t stop loving us no matter what. He loves the worst sinner who ever lived as much as He loves Jesus. He takes no delight in those who perish without Jesus. He loves each of us regardless of whether we’re faithful to Him or not. Love isn’t the issue with God. Relationship IS.

My concern centers on understanding, whether we have a relationship with Jesus or not, God always loves us. Perhaps you once had a meaningful relationship with the Lord, but due to difficult circumstances, you lost your way. Now, though you once felt close to God and dearly loved, God seems far away, and you fear He no longer loves you. On the authority of Scripture, I assure you, that is not the case. He loves you in this moment just as much as He ever did.

We’ll look at this further tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Grappling With Grief (Part 3)

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)

Two lessons I’ve learned and will pass on for your consideration. First, the truth upon which I’m seeking to build my life, which enables me to hold life and all that entails with open hands, is this: I believe God’s Word, the Bible, is true. The Bible teaches that God loves me unconditionally, allowing me to have full confidence that He is good, and I can trust Him.

The second lesson the Lord has taught me is that I am NEVER alone. Nothing enters my life except it passes through the filter of God’s permission. He guards my heart and life, so when something I don’t understand or don’t like enters my life – i.e. loss in whatever form, I know foundationally that God is good, and I can trust Him. While that doesn’t mean He has caused these things, it does mean that He allowed them, ultimately for my good and His glory. As a result, I can echo the words of David in Psalm 23:4: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” (NLT)

He Will Not Leave You “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Because God, by His grace, is allowing me to surrender to Him, He is enabling me to grow closer to Him through the many battles I face in this life. The Psalmist, in reference to the Lord, writes in Psalm 56:8 (NLT): “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” Sometimes I’m tempted to believe that God uses the tears of humanity to fill the oceans of the world. But I also believe He uses our tears to soothe our pain and “water” our futures.

If this is a difficult season for you – give up! Surrender yourself to God in ways you’ve never been willing before. Let Him wrap you in His arms and love you. Allow Him to release His healing virtue into your life. Embrace your pain by confronting it with the loving support of others the Lord has placed in your life for just such a time as this.

Believe in His goodness, trust His love and know He is with you in your heartache. Have confidence that He is working even in and through the difficult season you’re experiencing to bring good that is beyond anything you can presently imagine. There is morning after night, light after darkness, resurrection, and restoration after death for those who are willing to trust Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Grappling With Grief (Part 2)

“The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21b NLT)

In some ways, life is like driving a car. I may have trained for years and believe I have full knowledge and confidence that my vehicle is under my complete control, and on many levels, it may well be and should be. But think of all the variables over which I have little or no control – i.e. other drivers. But what if they, or I, get distracted, have a mechanical malfunction or a physical trauma that suddenly robs me of “my” control, resulting in a collision.

Grief is the arduous journey of dealing with life’s “collisions” (the reality of our inability to prevent death, disease, and many other forms of loss). Often the process begins with the “If onlys.” If only I’d been there. If only I’d known. If only I had or hadn’t _______________, and you can fill in the blank. But this path usually leads to the understanding that it wouldn’t have mattered, it was likely out of our control anyway.

Grief is our heartbreaking effort to deal with our own inadequacies when it comes to healing ourselves, and half the battle is our willingness to recognize and admit we need help to get through it. I readily confess I continue to struggle with loss in my life, but by God’s grace and with His help I’m learning to let Him, and others walk with me on my healing journey.

Learning to live with open hands is a lesson the Lord taught me through grief. In Job 1:21b, after experiencing the loss of his possessions, family and later even his health, Job said: “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” (NLT).

Theologically we may wrestle with the implications of Job’s words, but the truth is, God is in control and we are not. The people and pets we love will get sick and die. Careers/jobs, opportunities, relationships, hopes, dreams, health and yes, life on earth, will ebb and flow, come and one day go.

Holding this fragile existence with open hands means to me that I recognize God gives and God takes away. Does that imply God causes all the catastrophes of life on earth? Of course not, but since the Fall of man the perfect life that was enjoyed in the Garden of Eden has been lost, and not until the return of Jesus will it be restored. In the meantime, while I don’t have to like or enjoy the losses I have to endure, they are a fact of life.

Tomorrow we’ll look at a couple of lessons the Lord has taught me that have helped.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Grappling With Grief (Part 1)

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NLT)

Let me say at the outset that the next few posts aren’t intended to be a discourse on how anyone should or shouldn’t grieve or even another explanation of the stages of grief. Rather this is my effort to share how God has walked with me through many valleys of sorrow.

In my more than seventy years on this planet I’ve experienced the literal deaths of family members and beloved pets, rejection, including the death of a marriage through divorce. I’ve lost jobs, failed miserably to fulfill dreams, had a child with cancer, struggled with a mountain of debt and at times begged God to let me die.

As I recount those experiences, in some ways I’m surprised to realize that though I’m the same person experiencing those losses, I grieved them in different ways. As I should have expected, the impact of loss is affected by many factors – i.e. age, station in life, connection with God, etc.

When my divorce was final, I lost much more than a relationship with someone with whom I expected to spend the rest of my life. Yet, in the aftermath of that loss came my greatest gain. I finally realized that God was not only my source of healing from the devastation I was experiencing emotionally and financially, but my Guide and Friend in ways I’d never imagined.

In an article I posted in October (Holding Life With Open Hands), I shared how painful it was for my wife and I to put down our Puggle, Lola. The pain of that sudden loss rocked my world and the emptiness I felt was tormenting. Yet, the assurance I had that God was near helped me turn my focus from what I’d lost, to what I had left. My grief was softened and became bearable by my almost overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for His presence with me and the reminder of the eleven+ happy years of memories Lola left us.

As I understand it, grief isn’t governed by how much I know, how disciplined or determined I am in controlling my life or emotions due to my loss, real or perceived. Grief is our personal response to the realization that much of life is beyond our control.

We’ll look at this more closely tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Loving One Another Well

“This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NLT)

If, in the closing hours of Jesus’ life, He commanded us to love each other, we must conclude it was foremost on His mind. He even told us how to do it: “in the same way I have loved you.” So, the logical question then becomes – How did Jesus love us?

Prayerfully, the Spirit will take these words and use them to light a fire in our hearts that will enable us to love each other, as the Body of Christ, more effectively. So, let’s look at a few ways Jesus loves us.

Photo by Andreas Wohlfahrt on Pexels.com

Jesus loves us FREELY! What does that mean? He doesn’t force us to follow Him. His love for us isn’t contingent upon whether we continue to follow Him. In John 6 Jesus was teaching some very hard things to understand, and, as a result, many of His followers turned away. In verse 67 Jesus turned to the Twelve, His closest companions in ministry, and asked them: “Are you also going to leave?” implying they could leave if they chose. To which Peter wisely responded: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” What’s my point? Love doesn’t demand its own way. Love doesn’t coerce or force allegiance. Love draws and lays down its life for others without any strings attached. Jesus didn’t love us “if” or “when.” He loves us period! That’s how we’re to love each other as His faithful followers.
Jesus loves us FULLY! He loves us without reservation. He holds nothing back in His love for us. He gave His life. Then after He conquered the grave, He gave us His Spirit to dwell within us, giving us full access to everything Jesus is, and empowering us to do whatsoever He commands us to do (i.e. – “Love each other…”). We love each other only in the strength of the Spirit that indwells us. The Spirit gives us discernment to know when a brother or sister is genuinely born again (of the Spirit), thus inviting us to trust one another and give ourselves fully to one another.
Jesus loves us FAITHFULLY! There were those who quit on Him, but He never quit on others, including you and me! Faithful means “trustworthy,” “reliable,” someone who’s word matters and is believable – just like the words of Jesus! Faithful love is “full-time” love. It isn’t on-and-off, it’s dependable. One of my Pastors likes to say we need to be “2 a.m.” friends, meaning, we can know that if someone I’m seeking to love like Jesus calls me at 2 a.m. and needs my help, I’m there. That’s one of the many ways loving faithfully can look.
Jesus loves us FRUITFULLY! In John 15:5 Jesus said: “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.” Then in verse 8 He says: “When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.” The “fruit” of our love for one another will bring much glory to the Father. How so? “Fruit” in this context is speaking to the effectiveness of our collective obedience to the directives of the Spirit. It’s putting into action the gifts and abilities with which we’ve been given, to the honor and fame of our Savior. Spiritual gifts are never given for our personal edification or glory, but to be blended with the gifts of other believers so that collectively we can paint with our lives a picture of our living, loving Savior.

Just as Jesus revealed to His disciples, and us, the glory of the Father – He painted for us a “picture” of the Father. He WAS on earth the embodiment of the Father. Paul wrote in Colossians 1:19: “For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ.” That’s what He’s asking us to be for Him. In John 17:22-23: “I have given them (us) the glory you gave Me (WHY?), so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and You are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.”

How can the world possibly know that God the Father sent Jesus? When we begin to grasp the fact that God the Father loves us (YOU and ME) AS MUCH AS HE LOVES JESUS! To the extent we understand how much we’re loved, to that extent we’ll love one another well!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Willingly!

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 NLT)

Damaras Carbaugh, sang a song entitled “Willingly” on her 1996 album, Giving My Life Away. It was written by Phil and Marie Armenia. You can listen to the song on You Tube. The lyrics are:

Verse 1:“No one takes My life; I give it willingly. Holy Lamb, beaten and abused; His disciples, fearful and confused. Never understanding, things were meant to end this way; so in His pain and suffering, He turned with love to say, (Chorus) No one takes My life; I give it willingly. For I can see the glory past the cross. So dry your eyes, My friends, and please don’t weep for Me. No one takes My life; I give it willingly.

Verse 2: His Holy life shines in my heart; and its brilliance sets my life apart. Friends who live in darkness say they weep for me. They say my dreams have changed since Jesus took my life from me. (Chorus) No one takes my life, I give it willingly. For I can see the glory in the cross. So dry your eyes, my friends, and please don’t weep for me. No one takes my life; I give it willingly. No one takes my life; Jesus gives me life. Lord Jesus, use my life; I give it willingly, willingly, willingly.”

Is there anything for which you’re willing to lay down your life? You only have one shot at this life and it will pass more quickly than you can imagine. And, whether you realize it or not, you ARE laying your life down for that in which you invest your time and money. How do I know that? Because Jesus said in Matthew 6:21: “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Notice He DIDN’T say: “Wherever the desires of your heart are, there your treasure will be also.” Your heart will follow the money!

For many years I chased after wealth and material things. I had “noble” ideas like: “It will enable me to give more to the church.” “I’ll be able to help more people.” Etc. But at the root of my pursuits was always the big “I” – me, me, me – “Show me da money!” What changed? I finally began to believe what I was preaching to other people. I took a long, hard look at the Cross and finally understood the two words that changed the direction of my life – “For Me!”

Jesus didn’t have to come to earth as a babe in a manger. He didn’t suffer the abuse, humiliation and pain for anything He did wrong. He didn’t deserve to hang, nailed to a cross, suspended between heaven and earth. He willingly laid down His life for no other reason than He knew we, me and you, and every other person who would ever live, were hopelessly lost and destined for an eternity of suffering and torment, unless He voluntarily stepped in to pay the sin-debt we could never pay.

In light of the Cross, selling ourselves for “earth-stuff” is like trying to swim the ocean for a candy bar. What’s the point? Jesus didn’t die simply for us to be forgiven, so we could continue to live in bondage to the sin-debt that He willingly paid. He died to give us a quality of life that would give us a sense of worth, well-being and purpose that would outlive this world. He died so that we might live free of our bondage to sin.

He purchased our freedom from sin, death and the grave to enable us to invest ourselves in His eternal Kingdom. He gave His life for us, in order that we might give our lives back to Him as a gift of gratitude, not begrudgingly, but willingly.

In John 15:13 Jesus said: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We’re quick to immediately apply that to what Jesus did for us, and it is. But that’s not the point of what He’s saying here. He’s speaking these words to His disciples hours before He would be betrayed, beaten, spit upon and brutally murdered on a cross – yes, for His “friends.” But who are His friends? Verse 14 tells us: “You are my friends if you do what I command.” What does He command? In verse 17 He gives us the answer: “This is My command: Love each other.”

We’ll look more closely at what that might look like tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed

My Way or His HIGH Way?

“So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.’” (Judges 16:6 NLT)

Lust is a powerful, seductive, and addictive force. Satan uses the demonic pull of inappropriate desire to lead us in ways God never intended for us to go, yet masks it in such attractive and appealing ways it seems so right it’s nearly impossible to say no.

Think of the people in the Bible who yielded to their lustful desires, with such devastating results. Do you think Eve fell to Satan’s temptation because she loved fruit and there were no other trees from which to choose? Did David’s lust for Bathsheba result from his lack of available wives and concubines? Did Samson’s strong desire for Delilah stem from his determination to obey God and fulfill His purposes?

Think of Jesus in the wilderness, literally starving and physically spent, facing the enemy of our soul at His weakest point, yet able, by God’s grace to say “NO” to the greatest temptations any of us will EVER face. How did He do it? How can we follow His example, and not the dictates of our sinful nature?

Samson, like all of mankind, loved himself more than anything or anyone else. At it’s core, Samson’s fall, as Adam and Eve’s and yours and mine, resulted from his life-long love affair with himself. The real battle Samson faced wasn’t simply his strong sexual urges, it was his inability to deny his inexhaustible desire to please himself.

Why do you think Jesus, when seeking to help us understand what it’s going to cost us to follow Him, said: “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it, but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39 NLT)

In this context, to “take up your cross,” essentially speaks to our willingness to accept and carry out God’s will above and before our own will and desires. It means to put obedience to God before the fulfillment of the lusts of our flesh. And to “give up your life for me…” means in life as well as in death.

Like Samson, we are powerless to see the folly of our own way apart from the revealing presence of God’s Spirit. We will confuse lust and love, right and wrong, our will for God’s will EVERY TIME unless and until we face the demon of our own desire. By the revelation of God’s Spirit alive and at work in our hearts and minds we are able to accept the fact that our old self, our sinful, lust-filled desires, were crucified on Christ’s cross and we are now free to choose His will and way over our own. We can learn to prefer His High Way over our earth bound way.

Samson lost his way, as we surely will without moment by moment dependence upon God’s Holy presence alive in our heart and mind. By God’s grace we, just like Jesus, can say no to Satan and yes to God. It’s literally our choice.

Blessings, Ed

Sharing the Good News of Jesus (Part 3)

“And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.” (Mark 5:17 NLT)

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 5, when Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. The man lived in a cemetery and the demons had made him so powerful that even shackles couldn’t hold him. He would shriek and scream, terrifying anyone who would come near him. Oh, and did I mention he was naked. But he didn’t frighten Jesus!

It’s interesting to me that Jesus’ first words to this crazed lunatic were addressed to the demons: “What is your name?” (Mark 5:8a NLT) to which they responded: “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Jesus then commands them to leave the man, and gave them permission to enter a nearby herd of pigs, which, as you can imagine, didn’t set well with the town’s people. When the word spread about what had happened, that’s when the crowd pleaded with Jesus to leave them alone.

The healed man is now “sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.” (vs. 15). We don’t know how long he’d been possessed by demons, but in my minds eye, I can see family members and friends who, across the months or years, would try to reason with him, but to no avail.

Is there someone in your family or sphere of influence with whom you’ve sought repeatedly to share your faith, but they just want you to leave them alone]? Even the mention of Jesus’ Name sets them off? Please don’t hear what I’m not saying – I’m not saying they are demon possessed, but what I am saying is, there are times the work that needs to be done in a person’s life can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Whatever satan is using to keep them away from the Lord, and antagonistic towards you, the Lord will know exactly what needs to be done and who is best suited to do it.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT): “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.”

There are people I love dearly who, from all outward appearances, are far from God. While they may not be “demon possessed,” they are surely under satanic influence to be so focused on gaining the things of the world, they have no time or interest in the things of God. What can we do?

We must hold them with open hands and heart. Extend your hands in front of you, palms up. Imagine you are holding that person in your hands, raising them up to God. “Giving them up to Him!” Relinquishing any hold on them, asking the Lord to do in and for them what only He can do.

The former demon possessed man in Mark 5, begged Jesus to let him go with Him, but Jesus said to him: “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been.” (vs. 19) That’s the place to start, but if you’ve shared, or tried to share, what the Lord has done for you, but have been shut down, lift them up to God and let Him do what only He can do.

Pray often and specifically for those who need the Lord, by name. Pray, if you’re not the one to whom they’ll listen, that the Lord will send them someone to whom they will listen. Your prayers make a difference! Then be prepared to share if/when the Lord opens a door of opportunity. I feel your pain.

Blessings, Ed