Walking With Jesus

Serving the God Who Strikes!

“God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” (Matthew 26:31 NLT)

Though I’ve read the above verse dozens of times, I “saw” it for the first time this morning. Jesus is quoting this verse from Zechariah 13:7 in the context of telling His disciples that they will all desert Him when He’s arrested. They all swear their allegiance, but when push came to shove, they all tucked tail and ran. But what jumped off the page today was the first word – “GOD!”

It’s just so unexpected, so unlike the character of God to strike His own Son. Yet, the word used here has more than one meaning. In the context of the above verse “strike” means to “strike gently: as a part or a member of the body.” Almost like shooing a fly away that lands on your arm.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry God’s desire was to draw people to Jesus, not chase them away. But in that circumstance, it was necessary to push them away. But why?

First, for their own safety. The crowd that arrested Jesus had “swords and clubs.” Who would have spread the “Good News” if the 11 had been killed? Jesus had just invested three years of His life training them, what a waste to have them eliminated even before Jesus’ sacrificial death. But the more obvious reason is – they had to see for themselves (a) what cowards they were, and (b) how utterly dependent upon Jesus they were and must remain if they were to ever accomplish His mission.

Another factor to consider is that Zechariah is estimated to have been written nearly 600 years before Jesus was born. This was another Messianic prophecy verifying Jesus’ identity as the Christ. But “strike” can also be translated “to smite down, cut down, to kill, slay.” It’s as if this is God’s way of releasing Jesus into His inevitable path to death on the Cross.

To me, the unavoidable conclusion is that God the Father is clearly identifying with every step His beloved Son must take to pay the penalty for our sin. He’s involved and invested, regardless of the pain He suffers in the process. Why would He do that?

Only those selflessly and unconditionally drawn by their love for Jesus are willing to agonize with Him in His final act of suffering. Because only they held strongly to their hope that His death wasn’t leading to defeat, but final victory. He wasn’t dying for His sin, He had none. He was the vicarious sacrifice for our sin; the only suitable sacrifice to free us from the bondage of sin, death, and the grave.

Of all the thousands who followed Him in His life, there were only a handful at the Cross. They were there, as tortuous as it was, for Him.

Amid the mocking of those passing by, and even by those with whom He was crucified, God the Father once again showed up in power. After life was drained from His Holy Son’s body, the Father struck terror in the hearts and minds of the soldiers by the massive earthquake. And the Pharisees and religious leaders were dumbfounded by the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple being torn in two, thus opening access for anyone to come freely into God’s Holy presence.

But God the Father isn’t finished “striking!” Soon Jesus will return in a majestic and terrifying display of power and authority. So much so that God has said: “every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.” (Romans 14:11)

Each of us will one day stand in God’s awesome presence to give account of our lives. It will be too late to beg for forgiveness, though I’m quite sure there will be massive and heartfelt sorrow. We’ll finally see as we’ve been seen. We’ll finally understand why God struck His Son and what horrific implications that has for those who across the centuries have ignored Him.

Please don’t ignore Him today. Come to Jesus while there’s still time.

Blessings, Ed

When Will It End?

“Look, I am coming soon, bringing My reward with Me to repay all people according to their deeds.” (Revelation 22:12 NLT)

Uvalde, Texas is the scene of the tragedy in the U.S. that has filled our news channels, as well as our hearts and minds in recent days. The horrifying reality is, until Jesus returns, these kinds of random, merciless murders will continue. Why? Why doesn’t God stop them? Why doesn’t He DO something? The short answer is – HE HAS!

The tragic loss of life is always magnified, and the grief intensified when children are the victims. Personally, I can’t imagine anything worse for a parent than the loss of a child. I’ve been praying for the parents and siblings of each child who was lost, and for the families of the three adults – yes, I’m including the family of the young man who was the shooter.

It’s easy to allow our hearts and minds to be filled with hatred, anger, and the desire to have someone pay! We’re always looking for someone or something to blame.That’s when we turn to the government, believing somehow, we should be able to legislate morality, forcing would be perpetrators to stop their bad behavior. If only it were that simple.

It’s also, unfortunately, the time many people turn their angry fists heavenward, blaming God for not sparing their child. Could He have saved them? He’s God, He can do whatever He pleases. So, why didn’t it please Him to save those innocent children?

Perhaps the better question is to ask: “Why didn’t He spare His only Son from dying in our place on the Cross? Why did He allow the sins of all would be repentant sinners to be laid on His only, sinless Son?

If anyone knows the grief those parents feel, it’s God. If anyone knows the heartache, the anguish, the suffering caused by the loss of a child, it’s God. Then why in heaven’s name didn’t He stop it? At what cost?

We either have freewill or we don’t? We can’t have it both ways! We can either exercise our will to sin and hurt people, or our freewill to serve God and help people. But it’s not simply the tragedy itself that impacts our lives, it’s the fall-out, the aftermath. It’s how we exercise our freewill to trust God and let Him comfort and guide us through the tragedy, or we stiffen our backs and shake our fist in His face.

God will not make us obey Him anymore than the parents of the 18-year-old who pulled the trigger could have made him get the help he obviously needed. Life isn’t fair and it won’t be until Jesus returns.

So, do we just give up hope that the world will ever get better? If we haven’t, we should because it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse. The only way to make anything better is by becoming better ourselves. How do we do that? There’s only one way – through yielding our lives and allegiance to Jesus. But isn’t that a little bit naïve? Aren’t there any good people who AREN’T serving Jesus?

Just as there are bad people who do good things, there are good people, godly people who sin and fail God and others. But the Bible is clear: “No one is righteous – not even one.” (Romans 3:10) Jesus is the only exception, and those He makes righteous through His sacrifice. Our ONLY HOPE is Jesus. To walk with us through the tragedies of life while on this planet, and, of course, for all eternity with Him in heaven.

When will it end? The moment Jesus returns to bring justice to all the world, to weed out the evil from the good, and to pronounce judgment on all mankind. Are you ready for that day? If not, Jesus is the only One who can prepare you. Put your trust in Him before it’s eternally too late. Click on this link – https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed

When the Well Seems Dry

“Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.” (Genesis 21:19 NLT)

Do you ever get discouraged? If not, you’re certainly the exception. Discouragement, disappointment, emotional ups and downs are a part of life – yes, even life in Christ. Does God cause them? No, but neither does He stop them. Why not? Because they’re part of the ebb and flow of life, and because His intention is to always use them to make us more like Him and more effective for Him.

Before Abram became Abraham, God made a covenant with him. In the closing verses of Genesis 15, God promised Abram that his descendants would be given the land that was then occupied by many other people groups. This was the land that would become known as the “Promised Land.”

There was just one small problem. Abram’s wife, Sarai (not yet Sarah), was getting older and had not been able to bear children. So, Sarai figured God must not know what He’s talking about and decided to take things into her own hands. Her solution? Give her Egyptian servant, Hagar, to Abram as his wife, so he could have children through her. That’s like saying: “Okay, I need a million dollars, but I only have $1,000, so I’ll go to the casino to win my million.” VERY bad idea!

Hagar became pregnant and gave birth to Ishmael, but when God kept His promise, as He always does, and Sarah gave birth to Isaac, trouble intensified between Sarah and Hagar, and Isaac and Ishmael. Finally, Sarah demanded that Abraham “get rid of that slave woman and her son.”

That always happens when we try to fulfill God’s promises without God. When are those kinds of decisions most often made? At times of spiritual or emotional “drought.” When God seems far away, and we believe the only option is to take things into our own hands.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that: “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” If that’s the case, then why do we have times of dryness in our hearts and minds?

May I be honest? I’m not sure. So, what do I do when these dry times come? My goal is to never forget in the darkness what I know to be true in the light. What do I know to be true in the light? God is light and in Him is no darkness. He always keeps His promises, such as, He will never leave me nor forsake me. There are many, many more, but suffice it to say, that for me, when I’m physically and/or emotionally dragging, there are things that become my “default” behavior.

For example, I don’t make major decisions when I’m “down.” I don’t trust my judgment. It’s helpful to let my wife know, but most of the time she knows before I do. But here’s the thing, In those times I find it very difficult to give expression to what I’m feeling. I’m cognitively aware that I’m “dragging,” but I’m also aware of God’s presence with me. I pray, thanking Him for what He’s doing in my life, that He’s with me and for me. I trust that He understands exactly why I feel the way I do, but I don’t have words to explain it. I think many times I’m just physically tired or emotionally drained.

What’s my point? I can’t be the only one who gets “down.” And, even as I write, I realize “down” doesn’t necessarily mean discouraged or depressed. It’s like having a “spiritual cold.” I’m just not 100%. The reality is, the proverbial “well of Jesus’ love and life within us” NEVER runs dry. For me, it’s just that I’m not as willing to run to the well. Sometimes I just need a nap!

Blessings, Ed 😊

When It’s Not Okay to Not be Okay

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1-2 NLT)

We’re creatures of habit and the older we get the harder it is to change. However, problems arise when we hold so tightly to our habits, we ignore our hang-ups; we get so comfortable in our sinful attitudes, our behavior becomes destructive to ourselves and others.

Matt Chandler wrote: “Our churches should be environments where it’s okay to not be okay, while simultaneously saying it’s not okay to stay there.” When “who we are” becomes code for “I’m not willing to change,” there’s a problem. When stubbornness becomes habitual sinfulness, that’s not okay.

The above verse is an excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and precedes His discussion of someone wanting to remove a speck from a person’s eye when they have a log in their own eye. What’s He describing?

Sin blurs our vision when it comes to our own sin but magnifies another person’s sin in our eyes. Typically, what we can’t face in ourselves becomes crystal clear when we see it in someone else.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Let’s say for example, that you’re always late. Fifteen to twenty minutes late is your “on time.” But we have lunch scheduled and I arrive a few minutes after you. Of all people you should understand, right? Wrong! You jump down my throat about how valuable your time is and how inconsiderate it is for me to waste your time by being a few minutes late. A bit hypocritical, huh!

These are the folks who are the church’s professional “fruit inspectors!” When you do something that they don’t like, they’re not “judging,” they’re just inspecting your spiritual fruit. What should you do? How should you handle a person like this?

According to Jesus, “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” (Matthew 7:6) So, what should you do?

It’s no accident that immediately following these verses Jesus goes into a discourse on effective praying. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks the door will be opened.” (vss. 7-8)

Often our attitude can be challenged by people who profess one thing but live something else. They’re not okay and will likely never be okay except by a move of God in their lives. Without repentance and persistent dependence upon the Lord, it’s impossible to change. That’s the point of persistent prayer. To pray for those caught in the cycle of hypocrisy, but also for ourselves.

Satan’s plan is to drag us down by causing us to focus on the bad example of people who profess one thing but live another. We’re tempted to inadvertently follow their wrong path by complaining about them to others (gossip). That’s not okay either. Our goal is to pray consistently for them and to persistently pursue the Lord ourselves, seeking to learn what He would teach us through our interactions with them.

Not being okay is okay for new believers but is inexcusable for those of us who have walked with the Lord for many years. Our lives should be lived above reproach. That doesn’t mean we’re perfect, but it should mean we’re quick to admit when we’re not okay and be quick to seek forgiveness and correction from the Lord and others as He leads us.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What are You Waiting for?

“Another of His disciples said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Follow Me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.’” (Matthew 8:21-22 NLT)

We place a lot of priority on our priorities! That’s the nature of man. We tend to believe that what is important to us should be important to everyone else and we’re dumbfounded when someone disagrees with us, when someone has a different set of priorities.

That’s what keeps a lot of people from Jesus. In the verses above Jesus sounds impatient, even cruel, to believe someone shouldn’t go to their father’s funeral, but should just drop EVERYTHING and follow Him NOW!” But the context suggests the person’s father hadn’t died. He likely wasn’t even sick. What the man was asking was to stick around until his father died, not knowing how long that would be.

In other words, the man’s priority was his family. He was postponing following Jesus until he felt he could, based on the dictates of his other commitments. How like so many today. “When I get married!” “When I have kids!” “When I get older!” “When I get more financially set!” “When I __________!” And you can fill in the blank. What’s my point?

If we’re not prepared to accept Jesus’ priorities when we first come to Him, then when? Jesus said to the man in the verses above: “Follow Me now!” Why the urgency? Because this moment is the only moment we have in which to make a decision about anything. Can you fix your flat tire yesterday? Can we plan a vacation tomorrow? And you’re thinking: “Duh, yeh. I can do whatever I want tomorrow!”

Jesus told a story about a rich man in Luke 12 whose very fertile fields yielded an abundant crop. So he said to himself: “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?”

We have no promise of the next breath. To think we can accomplish anything, then come to Jesus is arrogant and foolish. And the irony is, there’s nothing, literally NOTHING this world can offer that even comes close to what walking with Jesus can offer. My concern for people’s souls isn’t simply that they’ll miss heaven. The issue isn’t heaven or hell, it’s Jesus. To miss Jesus is hell, whether we’re living or dead.

We live near (not in 😊) a very wealthy community. I’ll sometimes drive by some of these houses and think about the priorities of those who live there. No doubt some think they’ve “arrived,” that they have it all! They may have all that money can buy, but most don’t have a clue what they’re missing.

Money can’t buy what Jesus offers. Forgiveness, hope, meaning, purpose, value, a sense of wholeness and contentment, a mission on this earth and a forever home in heaven.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:52: “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown.” There will be no time to prepare or beg for forgiveness. It will be eternally too late. This verse refers to Christ’s second coming, but the truth is, that’s how we die. One second we’re here, the next second we’re not.

If you have any hope for life in Jesus, THIS moment is the only moment you have in which for you to choose Him. What are you waiting for? Open your heart to Him now, while there’s time. Please click the link below to watch a brief video explaining how you can be ready to meet Jesus when He comes for you. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

Contract or Commitment?

“Then He said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NLT)

It’s interesting to me that during Jesus’ earthly ministry He couldn’t go into villages or towns because there were too many people who wanted to see Him. Those who were sick, demon-possessed, or bringing sick people comprised such a large group that Jesus and His disciples had to stay in more remote places. Yet, after His crucifixion, where did all those people go? Did people no longer need Him?

In Acts chapter 1 it says, in reference to the eleven Disciples: “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.” It’s commonly believed that there were 120 believers who were meeting together on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given, but in fact, we don’t know the exact number. All we know for sure is that there weren’t thousands, like the crowds who followed Jesus before His death. Why was that?

On any given weekend, other than Christmas, Easter or Mother’s Day, the church I attend will range in attendance somewhere between 3,000-4,000 including children, youth, volunteers, etc. But at a recent prayer gathering we only had a few hundred. I want to be careful and not read too much into that, so what’s my point?

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It’s very easy to create a mindset where Jesus = church; thus, our worship attendance, volunteer service, giving money, and other church related activities = our relationship with Jesus. There’s little or no thought given as to how the Spirit enables us to live moment by moment in His presence or equips us to be available for Christ’s service 24/7. It’s more of a contract than a commitment.

In other words, we want Jesus on our terms, not His. We’ll serve, give money, raise our hands, and be energized by the moving music and Bible-based messages (if we’re VERY fortunate), but our time is still just that – OUR time! OUR money! OUR schedule! OUR life!

There’s a very subtle process Satan uses to move us into ineffectiveness as a believer. Ron Hutchcraft wrote in a recent devotional: “There are a lot of people who walk into church Sunday after Sunday, looking all Christian but without Jesus. And they walk out the same way they came in, without Jesus, because they’re only going through the motions. It’s all too easy to do. You go through all the motions of belonging to Him, believing all the right beliefs, doing all the right things, saying all the right words like a person who knows Jesus for real. But you’re missing Him.”

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:23: “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.” God alone knows our heart. He alone can do a thorough and correct evaluation of what’s there.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:22-23: “On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied 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.’”

The bottom line is this: It doesn’t matter how good we think we are or how much we know God loves us, it’s only how Jesus sees us and what HE thinks of us. His judgment is final and is all that matters when we stand before Him. If your love for Him doesn’t extend to your obedience to Him and your fruitfulness for Him, you may need to rethink who’s really ruling your life.

Blessings, Ed 😊

If Only He’d Waited! (Part 2)

“’Tonight all of you will desert Me. For the Scriptures say, “God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”’” (Matthew 26:31 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at Judas’ betrayal, considering that in each of us resides the potential of being a betrayer. The fact is, “… everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23 NLT) We’re designed differently, so we may lean toward one avenue of sin more than another, but we’re all capable of anything given the right set of circumstances.

The very instant we say: “I would NEVER do that!” watch out (See Matthew 26:33). We’ve just sent a signal to the enemy to put us in his devilish sights. Here’s the truth, Judas wasn’t different than the other disciples, except his devotion, which over time, proved to be more to himself than to Jesus.

Two things send up red flags about Judas. First, he allowed his sin to separate him from Jesus. There are those who believe Judas couldn’t have ever had a relationship with Jesus, but I’m not so sure. Of course, theologically it’s cleaner if we don’t go there, but that’s a discussion for another day. My point here is Judas followed Jesus for three years.

He went with the others to share the Good News in surrounding villages and when they returned to report what had happened, they were thrilled that the demons were subject to them when they used Jesus’ name. Do you remember what Jesus said? “…don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” (Luke 10:20 NLT)

What’s my point? We’re susceptible to the same temptations that proved to be Judas’ downfall. But because we’re living on this side of the empty grave, we have clear options that Judas didn’t believe he had. I said yesterday that I believe if Judas had only waited until Jesus defeated death and the grave, perhaps he would have had a different outcome.

But the second red flag is this: my concern today isn’t Judas, it’s you, and me, and the thousands in our spheres of influence who are subject to the same failures as anyone else. We’re no better or no worse. Perhaps largely due to the Covid Virus, loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression are epidemic. More people are taking their own lives. Like Judas, they’re ignoring even the possibility that there could be another option for them. In their mind, because THEY see no option, there must not be one.

But you and I KNOW WITH CERTAINTY there’s HOPE IN JESUS! He’s the Way Maker! He’s the One who can open the sea and allow us to walk across on dry ground! He’s the One who walks with us in the fires of adversity! He’s the One who stands up to the enemy of our soul and sends him packin’! He’s the Shepherd of the sheep who carries the one who is lost, back to the flock.

Here’s the truth: There’s NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that you have done or can do for which you can’t be forgiven, if you’ll bring it to Jesus. If you or someone you know is depressed, perhaps considering taking their own life – PLEASE! I’M LITERALLY BEGGING YOU! COME TO JESUS! BRING WHATEVER IS TROUBLING YOU TO THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! The only unpardonable sin is the sin for which no forgiveness is asked.

Having suffered with depression for many years, I understand how easy it is to turn our anger, hatred, anxiety, in short, all the garbage we’ve carried for years, inwardly, assuming, or trying to assume, responsibility for it all. We think somehow, we can find a way to deal with it, but discovering that we can’t, we believe the only answer is to end our life. THAT’S A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL!

Jesus wants to take you into His loving, capable, strong arms – as a mother takes her crying infant into her arms – and give you the comfort, strength, and help for which you so long! Please allow Him to help you become the person He designed you to become.

You can live again! You can love and be loved! You can love your life and find meaning and purpose in serving the King of kings. He’s not out to get you, He’s out to love you and give you opportunities you never dared dream existed. He wants to heal you and give you wholeness in Him. I know, because He’s done that for me.

Please trust Him!

Blessings, Ed

If Only He’d Waited!

“When Judas, who had betrayed Him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse.” (Matthew 27:3a NLT)

Not many who come to Christ identify with Judas. Judas’ name is synonymous with “betrayer,” which, of course, he was. The troubling consideration for me is, so was Peter . . . and so am I! “What if?”

How many times have we looked back and wished we’d done something differently? Or not done something that turned out to be such a huge mistake?

Years ago, I watched a movie, whose title escapes me, about a person who came out of a large downtown building. In one scenario she caught a cab and went about her life. But in the second scenario, she missed the cab and was delayed. That one simple event sent her life on a whole different trajectory. It causes me to think about the seeming simple decisions we make each day that have the potential to affect our lives in profound ways.

At the Last Supper Jesus said these haunting words in reference to Judas: “For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays Him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” Was that God’s plan for Judas from the beginning? Was Judas so different from the other disciples that he was chosen for that specific reason?

I believe a case could be made that Judas loved Jesus and served Him gladly and even faithfully…for a time! For whatever reason, like us, he became enamored with things of the world. Like many would be fruitful believers, Satan tempts them, first with something simple – “Just a little from the treasury. No one will miss it!” Then it becomes habit, that leads to betrayal.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

It’s so like many followers of Jesus. It’s not generally the major failures that kill our closeness with Jesus and others, it’s the thousand and one little “slips.” A painting I saw featured a man crossing the desert. The caption read, “It’s not the mounds of sand in front of us that wear us down, it’s the grain of sand in our shoe.”

What’s the grain of sand in your shoe today? What small thing in your life are you allowing that you know is wrong, but you’re not willing to do anything about it?

The terrifying thing about Judas is that he represents a vast number of Jesus followers that get sidetracked by seeming insignificant, but selfish desires that, over time, mushroom out of control and leave us vulnerable to do things that we’ll regret for all eternity. I choose to believe if Judas had only waited for three days, like Peter, Judas could have found forgiveness and a second chance. I can’t believe Jesus would have called Him simply to let him perish.

It had to have broken Jesus’ heart to know what Judas was going to do. But even after the fact, I know my Savior, and I know with certainty that had Judas repented and humbled himself before his Master, there’d have been a different outcome.

Why even consider these things?

Because there’s a “Judas” in all of us. We still have trouble wrapping our mind around this, but sin is sin. There are no “big” sins and “little” sins. Lying and betrayal are both sins that will separate us from our Savior, but we want to view them differently.

Peter lied, Judas betrayed, both tragic responses to their Master and Friend. Peter waited, Judas did not. Peter allowed Jesus to decide his fate, Judas took things into his own hands.

We’ll look at this more closely tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Relevancy of Relationship (Part 2)

“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 9 NLT)

Some people have never experienced a truly inspired and Spirit led relationship with God or even with another human being. I was blessed to have a family that I knew loved me growing up. It was easy for me to turn to Jesus because I’d had a taste of what family was supposed to be.

Many believe sex is the answer to intimacy. Perhaps physically, when you’re wholly committed to your partner in marriage, but not true “koinonia.” Intimacy with God and others creates in our hearts a desire to serve others and be more for them than they can be for themselves, not only physically, but emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

The relationship between two people who both love Jesus and are seeking to invest their lives in His Kingdom are what I think of as “lay down your life for one another” friends. The kind of love Jesus demonstrated when He laid down His life on the Cross for all who would believe, repent, and follow Him without reservation. The kind of love my wife demonstrates in the care she extends to others in need.

Relationship – real, true, vibrant, the kind of life you want to share and daily celebrate – can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus. He is the Way to God, the Truth about what works, and the Life that every person needs and ultimately desires.

It’s far too easy to lose your way seeking things that have no lasting satisfaction and no eternal value. In Matthew 16 Jesus asked a very pertinent question when He asked: “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

It’s a rhetorical question. The answer is clearly NO!

Jesus’ alternative to losing your soul is found in the verses just preceding the one above. “Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, ‘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 and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.’”

For many years I thought I understood what that meant, but only in recent months have I begun to grasp, at least in part, what beauty and majesty reside in close communion with Jesus. Life in Him, with Him, and for Him, is life worth living. Sensing His closeness, allowing Him to dictate direction, without concern for provision, is like heaven on earth.

All I want in this season of my life is to have all He wants for me. To bask in the glory of His Holy presence, to know the security of His Spirit’s embrace, and to never fear what the future holds, because I know who holds my future.

Regardless of who you are, where you are, not only geographically, but spiritually, emotionally, financially, relationally, physically – none of those things matter. The only thing that’s pertinent is your willingness to turn from your selfish ways and entrust your life and your future to the capable hands of almighty God by placing your faith in Jesus and trusting Him.

Please watch the brief video by clicking the link below. Learn how you can begin again by having a relationship with the Lord who loves you more than you can possibly imagine. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed

The Relevancy of Relationship

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:21 NLT)

The word “relationship,” as defined by The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, simply means “the state of being related or interrelated.” Many today have relatives without relationships. And a growing number of people are living together out of wedlock, or, in other words, seeking a relationship without being legally related. Add to that the number of children who are born with virtually no identity. Yes, of course, most have names, but they have no real, loving parental relationship.

Often, for varying reasons, young people have ambition to attain wealth, fame, power, and position that will net them financial security and acclaim. Unfortunately, often the cost of that “fast track” is no long-term relationships. Burning the proverbial “bridges” often means leaving behind any semblance of “roots” or family and little or no time to build new relationships.

In the above verse, Jesus is not saying that having earthly wealth and having a rich relationship with God are mutually exclusive. He’s saying to seek wealth without having a rich relationship with God is foolish. Why? Because to treat the brief time we have on this earth as though that is all there is, ignores the incalculable numbers of years we’ll be living after we leave this earth. Yet, the Bible clearly teaches that how and why we live this life determines to a very large degree where we’ll spend eternity.

Relationship in Scripture equals partnership – bound to another through mutually agreeable desires, attitudes, and commitment. That’s what can make the Church so attractive. Unfortunately, not all churches and/or church gatherings reflect God’s desire for us to be that.

Paul’s closing verse in 2 Corinthians 13 says: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” This verse is a picture of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the different roles each Person of the Godhead plays in our lives.

There would be no relationship with God if the Father didn’t love us and desire that for us. That’s why He planted eternity in our hearts, to give us a longing for something that will long outlast the few years we spend struggling on this earth.

The Mediator “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

But God’s love alone isn’t enough to repair the gap created by our sin and waywardness. Jesus bridged that gap between us and the Father by offering His own body on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin and make it possible for us to not only have an eternal relationship with God, but with each other.

Then the Holy Spirit makes “koinonia” – fellowship with God possible by taking up residence in the hearts and lives of each one who opens themselves to a relationship with God through Christ alone, by faith alone. But “koinonia” is far more than meals and good times. It means “community, joint participation, intimacy, communication.” In short, it was God’s idea to enable His family, His Body on earth, to exhibit the kind of relationship that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The relevancy of relationship exists when the Body of Christ actually illustrates what a family is supposed to be. My precious wife has been gone all day, sitting with her friend who is dying. She’s not there because she has to be, she’s there because the prompting of God compels her to love like Jesus and be His hands and feet in service to those who are no longer able to care for themselves.

We’ll pick this up tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊