“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. (1 Peter 1:6 NLT)

Based on what I mentioned in yesterday’s Post, what’s my “take-away,” the “profit” of my faith-building pain? One very valuable benefit of that painful season was that it taught me to never doubt in the darkness what I know to be true in the light.

Though the doctor’s advised my son, because of the chemo and radiation treatments, that he’d likely never become a father, at age thirty-nine he fathered Hannah Christine, now almost seven years old and my only grandchild.

The profit of pain for me is the hope that whatever life sends my way, I have a Savior who loves me and is for me. Nothing catches Him by surprise and every pain is a potential platform upon which the Lord can do what only He can do in my life. He is faithful and true and He always keeps His promises. His Word is reliable and filled with wisdom that will guide and sustain me in every season.  

I’ve learned that there are insights and understandings that can be gleaned from pain that can be learned in no other way. I’ve learned that our circumstances are God’s friends, partnering with Him to help us conform more perfectly to the likeness of our Savior, which is God’s will for all who follow Him (Romans 8:29).

Steven Furtick said, “Some of the reasons you gave up were not because it was hard, but because you didn’t know you were winning.”  Sitting by my bed, sobbing tears of regret and loss, I didn’t feel like a “winner,” but because of Jesus, I was and am!

Peter saw things in his pain and heartache that led him to say in his first letter, chapter 1, verses 6-7: “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead (emphasis mine), even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere  gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (NLB)

I love the oft quoted words of C.S. Lewis: “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” 

If this is a season of pain for you, hear the word of the Lord for you: “Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 (NLB) Find a quiet spot and listen for God’s “megaphone” to speak hope, courage, wisdom and healing into your weakness and fear. Know you are loved and the Lord is with you, for you and He has plans for you that are too incredible for you to comprehend in this moment. Satan is a liar and a deceiver who hates you and will seek to silence the voice of truth. Immerse yourself in God’s Word, worship and fellowship with others who can love you and give you the loving support you need in this hour. You are not alone – never have been – never will be!

Blessings, Ed 🙂

“so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21b NLT)

One of the many things I love (prefer) about Hope Church is the diversity. To me it’s a picture of the New Testament Church. The first century Church saw people from all walks of life – Jews and non-Jews (gentiles), slave and free, religious and heathen, male and female, rich and poor, young and not so young – in short, people who, because of their station in life, had many different preferences (see yesterday’s Post). Yet, because of their newfound love and acceptance in Jesus, they came together, sharing not only their lives, but their possessions and resources to help each other fulfill their common mission of reaching the world for Jesus – “so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21b NLT)

I’ve only been attending Hope Church for less than a year, but from the moment I stepped into the building for the first time, I sensed the presence of the Lord in a powerful way. I came filled with expectation because of my preferences, but I found the presence of the Lord so profoundly evidenced in the lives of those who greeted me, welcomed me, exhibited the “glory” of God so unmistakably that all of a sudden my preferences didn’t matter anymore. Was the worship what I expected? No, but I loved it. Was the Pastor’s message exactly what I expected? No, but the Lord spoke through him right to my heart. Was I uncomfortable as I suspected I’d be in that large setting? Only for a second or two.

The love of Jesus was so richly at work in the lives of those with whom I worshipped, the Lord’s presence so pure and impactful that all my thoughts centered on praise and worship of the only One whose opinion really matters. Suddenly the preferences of all of us present were lost in the joy of worshipping together. The glory of God was put on display through our united expressions of worship. And don’t misunderstand, just because I “prefer” Hope Church, I’m not implying that we’re the only church where the glory of God is on display.

What am I trying to say? Satan is a liar and a deceiver. He’s a defeated foe who is destined to be separated from the grace and goodness of God for all eternity, and his whole focus is to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) the unity of God’s people by causing us to take our focus off of Jesus and put it on our own preferences.

Blessings, Ed 😊

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” (Ephesians 3:18 NLT)

When my then sixteen-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, can you imagine my first response? Unbelief (I couldn’t believe what my ears were hearing), followed shortly thereafter by lots of fear. Why? Where was my faith? I was a pastor, supposedly “filled with faith,” yet in those moments of terror my heart and mind were more focused on the “storm” my son was facing and my fear of his impending death, than the God who has authority over every storm.

I’m grateful He didn’t, but the Lord Jesus could have asked me, as He asked the disciples on that stormy lake, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40 NLT) But had He asked, in my mind’s eye I think I would have responded, “My son’s life is on the line, of course I’m afraid, but what does my faith have to do with that?” And though I may not have been able to see it then, as the disciples in that boat very likely couldn’t make the connection, I can see today with crystal clarity, my faith has EVERYTHING to do with it. Why? How so?

Because every step of progress we make on our journey with Jesus is taken by faith. Our journey begins by faith, develops by faith and will one day end by faith. And every “storm” we face has only one purpose – to build our faith. Why? To enable us to see Jesus more clearly (“Who is this man?”– Mark 4:41 NLT) so that we may follow Him more closely, understanding that when He is present, fear has no place in our heart or mind.

Fear negates faith. When we’re filled with fear we eliminate our capacity to have faith. Does that mean we should never fear? Of course not. Fear can be a legitimate and needed response in certain circumstances. But even then, if we’re paralyzed by fear, it will actually add to, not help us to resolve the problem.

When the disciples had reached the limits of their knowledge and ability; in other words, when they had reached the end of themselves and their ability to save themselves, they turned to Jesus. And regardless of their expectations and in spite of their fear, Jesus responded, the storm subsided and the disciples’ lives were saved.

Do you think the disciples’ faith was stretched that day? I believe it was, just as my faith was stretched through the three plus years my son endured chemo and radiation treatments. To what end was the disciples’ faith stretched? Of those original twelve disciples, with the exception of Judas, who betrayed Jesus and subsequently took his own life, and John, who died in exile because of his faith in Jesus, every other of the original twelve died a martyr’s death.

Do you think they ever feared again? Of course they did, but they didn’t allow their fear to overshadow their faith. And when the day came for each of them, as it will for each of us, to decide who will rule their lives – fear or faith; themselves or Jesus – they chose faith, they chose Jesus. It ultimately cost them their lives, but they deemed their life a small price to pay for their great expectation of an eternity with Him in heaven.

What do you expect? When the storms of life come, and they will, who will you turn to for help? And what will your expectation be? Simply to have the Lord “save” you from the immediate circumstance? Or to allow Him to build life-changing faith in you?

My prayer for myself and for you, is as Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:16-20 (NLT) for the Ephesian believers: “…that from His glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 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. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”  

Blessings, Ed 😊 

“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40 NLT)

The Summer following my college graduation, my wife and I did an internship at the church she had attended growing up. We stayed with her parents, so our expenses were minimal, and we were excited the church was paying us $75 a week.

After we’d served a number of weeks, a couple in the church offered us the use of their condo in North Carolina. We were very appreciative, because with our limited funds we had no expectation of getting any kind of vacation. No one had ever done anything like that for us before, so when we opened the door of the condo we both stood in amazement – it was beautiful! We’d been surprised by grace and the condo was far nicer than we imagined.

In Mark 4:35-41 the writer tells of a time when Jesus and His disciples were crossing a lake, and a fierce storm arose and the waves began to crash over the sides of the small craft, threatening to sink it. Ironically, while the disciples were frantic, literally fearing for their lives, Jesus was fast asleep. The context suggests they were trying their best to bail the water out of their boat to keep it from sinking and not to disturb Jesus, but they soon discovered it was a losing battle. At that point, in desperation, they awakened Him.

 As I read this story it caused me to ponder the question, “What were the disciples expecting when they went to Jesus?” Did they merely want Jesus to lend them a hand bailing? It was early in Jesus’ ministry, and He had only done a few miracles, so were they really expecting Him to rise up and calm the wind and waves?

The Bible says, “The disciples woke him up, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?'” (NLT) It seems their expectation was less focused on the storm and more on their own well being. Implicit in their despairing cries was the attitude, “We’ve done all we can and it’s obviously not enough. Is there anything You can do to assist us?”

I can’t know with certainty, but it seems they had a pretty low level of expectation at that point, especially in light of their response following Jesus’ rebuke of the wind and the calming of the waves when He called out, “Silence! Be still!” After the threat had passed, Jesus asked the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Jesus demonstrated unbelievable, unimaginable and certainly unexpected authority over the wind and waves, so much so the Bible says “the disciples were absolutely terrified. ‘Who is this man?’ they asked each other. ‘Even the wind and waves obey him!'” I believe it’s safe to say how Jesus responded to their need was far greater than their expectation.

While pondering this story I was reminded of our trip to North Carolina and our amazement at how much nicer the condo was than what my wife and I expected. Why? Because like the disciples, our faith hadn’t been stretched enough to realize what a great and powerful Savior we serve. So, my thoughts turned to Jesus’ question, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Does that seem an odd question to you, given the circumstances? Does the disciples fear seem indicative of a lack of faith to you? Wouldn’t you have been just as fearful? I’m quite confident I would have been? Yet Jesus is making an undeniable connection between the disciples’ fear and their lack of faith. Why is that important?

Let’s pick this up in tomorrow’s Post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (John 14:15-16 NLT)

After my divorce, to say I struggled would be an understatement. But among the most glaring evidences of my struggle was my lack of finances. Nearly every month I made my way to the office of the apartment complex where I lived to explain AGAIN why my rent payment would be late. On one such occasion I was stunned and delighted when the young woman in the office said: “Oh, you don’t need to worry about it this month. Your rent has been paid.” Of course, my first thought was – “Who would do this for me?”

It took a while, but I finally figured out who paid my rent and was able to express my gratitude, but I still didn’t make the connection that ultimately led me to the “real” Person behind that kindness – the Holy Spirit!

Of course, in a general sense, we give thanks to God when things like that happen, but it doesn’t always lead us to the third Person of the Godhead. We’re good with our “Good, good Father,” and we’re grateful for the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus, as well we should be. But we sometimes get confused and uncertain about the role of the mysterious third Person of the Trinity. Who is He and why is His ministry SO vital in our lives today?

In the upper room, while Jesus was seeking to explain to His beloved disciples what was about to happen (His death, burial, resurrection and ascension), He assured them that it was actually a very good thing that He was “going away.” In John 14:15-16 (NLT) Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” And in verse 17 Jesus gets very specific: “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.”

Notice a couple of things in these verses. First, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “He,” not “it.” It makes me cringe when I hear, sometimes believers of many years, make reference to the Holy Spirit as “it.” But also notice the word Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit, “Advocate.” In the original language it was the word “Paraclete,” which can also be translated Comforter, Encourager or Counselor. Paraclete literally means, one who will stand by you, and the picture painted is a courtroom where you are on trial, but you’re not alone. The Paraclete, brilliant and informed regarding the law and the details of your specific case, comes to stand by you and defend you.

Where the plot thickens is in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit comes in power. Listen to Luke’s account beginning with verse 1: “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

That’s when we begin to get nervous. Why? What’s the implication? God did, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit something new, something none of them had ever experienced in all their time following Jesus – He took control of them and enabled them to do something none of them believed they could do! In this case, the Holy Spirit enabled those early believers to speak in languages they’d never learned. Why? Because the situation called for this dramatic, yet essential application of the Spirit’s power.

There were thousands of visitors who had come to Jerusalem for the Jewish Festival of Pentecost, many from different parts of the world, who spoke different languages than the common language spoken in Jerusalem at that time. So, what needed to happen? God needed to enable His children to share the good news of who Jesus was and what He did with all of those visitors in a language they could understand – THEIR LANGUAGE! And the only way that was going to happen was through the miraculous intervention of the Paraclete – the One who would come along side those empowered believers, enabling them to do what they could never have done in their own strength or ability.

HELLO! Isn’t that exactly what the Holy Spirit is longing to do in our lives today? But how? By enabling us to “speak the language” of those in our spheres of influence who don’t yet know our Savior. How do you think it will ever be possible to reach the 92% of our city, who have yet to know our Savior? How will we reach our loved ones, neighbors and friends if we can’t learn to communicate with them in a “language” they can understand?

But there’s a catch. “Okay, I’ll bite, what is it?” You have to be willing to yield the most precious thing you possess. “Oh no, not my iPhone!” Nope, worse than that. “My Beamer?” Nope. “My job? My spouse? My kids? My health?” Nope. The CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE!

Those early believers were in that upper room in Jerusalem, in obedience to a directive the Lord had given them. They chose to submit to the Lord’s authority in their lives, unknowing and uncertain as to what that might mean. Do you think they were scared out of their wits when the wind started howling, the place started shaking and they heard themselves and their friends speaking what seemed to them to be gibberish? Of course, but you know what? It all made perfect sense when 3,000 Jews from all over the then known world yielded their lives and allegiance to Jesus. Being scared was a small price to pay for 3,000 souls.

The Holy Spirit is the Friend we may not have known we had, who will show up at unexpected times (though He actually lives in us and never leaves us) and bless us in unexpected ways to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves, to enable us to bless those we are seeking to reach for Jesus. It’s a win, win, win!

The greatest adventure I’ve ever known is following Jesus and yielding my life completely to His control through the ministry of His Holy Spirit who fills and empowers me. And just as the Holy Spirit led those two men who paid my rent to bless me, He’s led me countless times to bless others to His glory, honor and fame.

Are the souls of our loved ones, neighbors and friends worth yielding control of your life to the vital ministry of the Holy Spirit? I’m not going to lie, I don’t know what that will look like exactly. But I can assure you, based on the authority of God’s Word and nearly 60 years of following my Savior, whatever the cost, it’s worth it. And by the way – you’re not in control anyway!

Blessings, Ed 😊

“But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NLT)

The “deceiver,” as satan is sometimes referred in the Bible, is no respecter of persons and, like David Copperfield (see yesterday’s post), will create illusions believable by anyone, given the right circumstance. Remember, every illusion is based on false belief, causing us to believe something that seems true or, in our minds, should be true, but isn’t. There are many “illusions” related to the church.

The devil would have us believe the Church is only interested in money; that Christians are exclusive and love to judge others; that everyone who attends church is kind, nice, thoughtful, caring, loving, on the one hand, or hateful, hypocritical, uncaring, prejudiced, ______________ (you can fill in the blank) on the other. I wrongly assumed church leaders always put Christ first, that for them His will was supreme. I didn’t understand that church leaders, like everyone else, are human first, then Christian. I didn’t realize, though I should have, if I’d only taken a closer look at my own heart, that church leaders, like every other Christ-follower, struggle with issues of self-worth, value and independence (tempted to follow our sinful nature rather than the will of God).

May I let you in on a secret? There are people who love church and are faithfully devoted to the church, who haven’t yet met Jesus. There “religion” is church, not Christianity, not following Jesus. There are those who have “prayed the prayer” and “received Christ,” but they don’t have a clue as to what that really means. They don’t understand discipleship and devotion to Christ alone. They haven’t come to grips with what it means to love Jesus more than they love their own life. So, what’s the point? No one has arrived. Everyone is on a journey. Make sure Jesus is your focus, not just your involvement in church.

So, what’s the answer? Be cautious, but don’t quit. The Lord has made it clear to me that another person’s life choices are not to be my focus, that’s His department. My mission isn’t to judge another person’s decisions, only to love them as Christ has loved me. How does that translate? If you’ve been hurt by someone who professes to know Jesus, but doesn’t always live like Him, shift your focus. What does that mean? It simply means, focus on Jesus. How do you do that?

Read the Bible regularly, especially in the New Testament, beginning with the Book of John. Become a student of Jesus. Learn how HE lived, what HE taught, what HE expects of you, then follow HIM, one step at a time. But perhaps equally important, find someone you can trust who truly loves Jesus, and ask them to help you understand what it means to follow Jesus. Learn together. Walk with Jesus together. Life in Christ was never meant to be lived alone, but in community. That’s why He gave us the Church.

After my heart had been shattered, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to serve in a church setting again. My temptation was to so focus on the ones who hurt me (deceived me), that I missed the many others who had loved me, prayed for me, sacrificed for me and cared deeply about me and my family. In short, those who genuinely loved Jesus and, though not perfect, sincerely made an effort daily to live as Jesus lived. Finally, by God’s grace and with His help, I was able to forgive those who hurt me and realign my focus on Jesus. Where did that lead me?

Ultimately, the Lord led me to Hope Church here in Las Vegas. My wife and I have been attending Hope Church for 10+ months now and we love it. Is Hope Church perfect? Of course not. As long as I’m attending, it will never be perfect, because, like every other person who attends, serves or leads, we’re all in the same boat – we’re all flawed by sin; we’re all in need of a Savior – EVERY DAY! Will you meet someone at Hope who may hurt you in some way? Possibly. I haven’t meet one yet, but I’m assuming they exist.

What I’ve found are loving, caring, considerate people who love Jesus and are laying their lives on the line every day to serve others. The deeper I look into the “inner workings” of the church, the more there is to appreciate and admire. The structure of the church, the church’s stewardship of money, people and other resources is as Biblical and as functionally correct as any church of which I’ve ever been a part.

Wherever you are on your faith journey – from no faith to a lot of faith – you are welcome at Hope Church. Our mission is: “We exist to connect people to live the life of a Jesus follower.” I’m learning every day, through every message delivered by the Spirit-led, Bible-centered and skilled teaching staff at Hope, through every Small Group meeting and through my daily investment in time alone with my Savior, that there’s only One who is perfect, and it ain’t me!

If you’re not sure you’ve received the gift of eternal life, please check out this brief video of Ron Hutchcraft’s  https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god.

Blessings, Ed 😊       

“But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14 NLT)

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? What enters your mind when you think of that city? Glitter? Glamour? Gambling? Though Vegas itself held very little appeal to us, my wife and I now live there because of our son and daughter-in-law. On a visit, before we moved to Las Vegas, I saw an advertisement for a performance by David Copperfield, who at the time was purported to be among the best magicians who had ever lived. What does he do? He creates illusions. He makes things seem like something they’re actually not. He’s famous for making the Statue of Liberty “disappear.” Did he actually do that? Of course not, but he flawlessly created the illusion. He caused people, if only for a moment, to believe he did.

Do you understand that Satan does the same thing? He’s a master of illusion, of disillusionment. What does that mean? It’s ironic, because the term “disillusion,” according to Mr. Webster, literally means: “to free from illusion or false ideas,” but can also be defined: “to take away the ideals or idealism of and make disappointed, bitter, etc.” Has that ever happened to you? It has to me.

I entered Pastoral Ministry in the mid 1970’s filled with idealism and hope. I believed every believer was virtuous, honest and trustworthy. I believed Elders and leaders of churches always had the Lord’s best interests at heart and selflessly served to promote Jesus’ fame. I was wrong.

In my first role as a Senior Pastor I was greeted warmly and, for the most part, accepted and loved. Things actually went well the first few years. The church grew steadily and it became apparent we needed to add staff. It was a small church and, while the pastor’s choice had weight, the congregation’s vote ultimately determined whether or not the candidate would be selected. The young couple I had chosen came and did a superb job of sharing their gifts and talents. The church responded positively and warmly. It seemed obvious they would be a perfect fit for our growing congregation. Again, I was wrong.

The vote was taken and resulted in only 51% in favor of them coming to serve. I’m still deeply saddened as I bring it to remembrance. I was young and oblivious to the tactics of the “saints.” Unbeknownst to me, the word had been spread to those who weren’t even current attenders to “come and vote,” with the clear implication to vote against the candidating couple. I had asked each board member if they would give the couple their support and every person said “yes.” But following the announcement of the vote, one of the board members came to me, and standing right in my face said: “I just wanted you to know who’s really running this church.”

My heart was broken. I’d been deceived and it almost cost me my ministry. I served the church a few more years, but my heart wasn’t in it and I finally resigned and took a secular job. I was disillusioned, broken, spent. My idealism was evaporated and I felt like an empty shell. Questions flooded my mind, but I learned a lot in that season about the frailties of man and the Adamic-nature with which each of us wrestles, not only as I viewed it in others, but as I experienced it in my own life.

How easy it was for me to see the “gnat” in another’s eye and miss the “plank” in my own. How easy it was to be so focused on the sins of others, that I overlooked my own sinful attitudes and actions, to the peril of my own walk with the Lord. Have you ever let that happen to you?

More on this subject in tomorrow’s blog.

Blessings, Ed 😊

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!” (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

Recently I heard a friend say: “You’re never in a moment God hasn’t designed.” Think about that. I remember some moments when it seemed God was a million miles away. Like the moment my wife told me she was more committed to another man than to me. When the doctor told me my son had leukemia. When I sat at my dad’s bedside while the life drained from him. There are others, but you get the point, as I’m confident you’ve had such moments. Did God design THOSE moments?

What was my friend’s intent? Think about it. We serve a God who is omniscient and omnipresent. What does that mean? It means He sees the moment of your death as clearly as He sees the moment of your birth and every moment in between. It means He sees those moments when your heart is breaking and nothing makes sense, but He not only “sees” them, in a similar way as we view the scenes of a movie or a play, He is living them with you – HE’S THERE IN THAT MOMENT WITH YOU! And knowing these moments were coming, He’s been preparing, behind the scenes, in ways we never see, how He’s going to walk us (or carry us) beyond these crippling moments. In other words, He’s designing the moments we’ll need to heal and to mature and to grow more and more like Him.

Jesus understands, like no other human being, what it’s like to be truly human, in love with the only true and living God. How does He know? Because He was God in human flesh, but that same true and living God that was embodied in our Savior, Jesus, that created in Him the desire to know His Father intimately, fills and empowers you and me when we invite Him to be our Life and Guide. He’s not only watching our lives, He’s experiencing every second of it with us. And because He knows us so intimately, He knows exactly what we’ll need to build us up and not tear us down when the storms of life attack us.

While, as Jesus-followers, we believe God is the Divine Benefactor, the “cause” behind every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), are we to also believe that God’s design causes the bad things that happen in our life? Absolutely not! But He can and will work through every circumstance to bring us good and to use, even the horrific times in our lives, to mold us ever more closely into His holy likeness (Romans 8:28-29).

How do we better understand how all of this works? Bask in His presence. Allow His majesty to envelop us, enabling us to not only “see” Him or “feel” Him, but to experience His presence in much the same way as we experience the sheer joy of diving into cool water on a hot, summer day. Just as the water surrounds us, commands us, refreshes us, exhilarates us, enables us to experience our aliveness in unique and joy-filled ways, such is the Spirit’s desire to awaken us to His life in us as our hearts are filled with His praise. But His majesty isn’t experienced like the immediacy of a microwave. NO! Sensing His Holy presence is more like something simmering in a crock pot, slowly emitting the inviting aroma of His love, His life, His joy in being with us and being the center of our attention.

Like a husband and wife enjoying  the warmth of an embrace, wishing the moment will never end, so the Lord longs for those moments when, in our hearts and minds, nothing matters more than being with Him – enjoying Him, listening to Him, embracing His heart and longing for our hearts to be one with His.

Just know that in your busyness, when the Lord isn’t even on your radar – you’re on His. He’s with you and for you and He’s engineering circumstances in your life in ways that will allow your heart and His to intersect. But be careful, He’s sometimes easy to miss. He’s not a bully, demanding your time or attention. He’s more like a child, wanting to get the attention of their parent, not so much with their voice, but with their eyes, their countenance; their presence. Ever seeking to convey to the one they most love on earth how much it means to them simply to be recognized, affirmed and loved by them.

Similarly, God wants us to understand and respond to the longing of His heart just to be with us, not because He “needs” us, but to help us realize how much we need Him.

That’s when we’ll begin to understand we’re never in a moment God hasn’t designed.

Blessings, Ed 🙂

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why things have happened in your life as they have?

It was the Fall of 1967 when I arrived on campus of the small Christian College in Indiana to begin my Junior year. My roommate was a young man from California whom I’d never met, so arriving on campus a few days before classes began afforded us time to get acquainted. I was a bashful introvert, but he was outgoing, energetic and always looking for ways to have fun.

Old Main was a large Administration building that served many needs for the college, but for two young boys with time on their hands, it became an intriguing challenge. There was a long, enclosed metal fire escape that ran from the roof to the ground, spanning the three floors of the aging structure. It was designed, of course, to give occupants an avenue of escape in case of fire, but what we envisioned was more of a midnight thrill ride.

Our plan was to find the opening of the fire escape, slide down, then run for our lives, very likely laughing our heads off. It all seemed so simple, but, as in life, things didn’t go as planned. We got in the building, making our way to the slide without a hitch, but then discovered the large padlock on the gate that covered the opening. Okay, plan B!

Being the budding scholars we were, we concluded there must be another way into the slide. To this day I can’t begin to imagine what must have been going through our minds to lead us to this conclusion, but we decided to go out onto the steep, tile roof to see if we could access the slide. The plot thickened as we discovered the tiles were wet, making them extremely slippery. Not to be deterred, we ever so cautiously made our way to the outside of the slide, but no access was visible, presenting to us yet another decision – give up and go back or press on.

My wife will tell you, when I hit a snag while working on a project, I’m not one to give up easily. I like to see things to completion. Apparently that trait existed when I was young, because my choice on the roof that night was to take that final peek, which was for me, almost literally my FINAL peek. As I slowly inched my way to the corner of the housing of the slide, I felt my feet beginning to lose their grip on the slick tile and I began to slide towards the edge of the roof. Fearing the worst, my heart was pounding furiously, but as I came to within inches of the edge, I felt a hand grab mine, preventing me from falling. My new roommate had saved my life!

I would like to say that was the end of my lapses in judgment, but the reality is, I’ve had many, some with severe consequences. And the sad reality is, I’m not alone. Each of us, even as Christ-followers, struggles with staying on the path of obedience to the Lord, but fortunately, our omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Savior never falters in His care of us. As Rick Warren said, “God never wastes a problem,” and God’s Word affirms He is constantly, meticulously, unerringly working behind the scenes, putting people in our lives at just the right time, in just the right way to guide us back onto the path.

In Romans 8:28-30 Paul writes: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.” NLT

People make mistakes, we do stupid things (like me on that roof), we sin and disobey the God we profess to love. But God, who sees our day of death as clearly as He sees our day of birth and sees every detail of our life before we’re conceived, engineers EVERY circumstance in our lives for our good and His glory. Why would He do that? Because He loves us and He has chosen us as His instruments to declare His praise and glory before a lost and fallen world.

For those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus, the details of our lives are not “chance.” God brings purpose out of every circumstance in order to redeem them for His honor and glory. By His grace He is able to use every heartache, every pain, every loss, every gain, every negative, every positive, to enable us to mature and ultimately, to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, our Savior. And please don’t hear what I’m not saying. God doesn’t CAUSE everything, but He does work THROUGH every circumstance of our lives.

God chose my parents, as He chose my roommate. He hand-picked the people of my life to help me on the path that would lead me to who I am today. We are all products of our choices. God doesn’t make us obey Him, nor does He make our choices for us, but He does, in unmistakable ways, guide us to an intersection of opportunity where we’ll either choose to follow Him or choose to reject Him. And, in my understanding, that isn’t a once and for all choice. I choose EVERY moment of ever day to follow Jesus or reject Him, just as I choose every day to accept the privileges of marriage or reject them.

Today, in this moment, I choose Jesus! Why is that important? Because it’s the only moment in which I have the privilege of choice. Every decision we make is in THIS moment. And the beauty and majesty that surrounds that choice for those of us who are on God’s path is this: WE ARE CHOSEN! We’re not accidents or after thoughts in God’s mind. As Pastor Rick Warren says: “There may be illegitimate parents, but there’s no such thing as an illegitimate child.” We are purposely given life and uniquely chosen to display God’s glory!

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Blessings, Ed 🙂 

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” (John 13:35 NLT)

One day, sooner than any of us can imagine, we’ll stand at the threshold of eternity. Looking back across the years of our lives, what will fill our mind as we quickly review every detail? JESUS! In that moment He’s the only thing that will matter.

Too often we get enmeshed in minutiae. We’re distracted from what will be by what might be, but likely what will never be. May I ask you? When will Jesus be first in your life? When will the Kingdom of God be pre-eminent in your thinking and planning? When will your “treasure” be funneled into your heavenly account? When will your family know they matter more than anything on earth to you? When will the people in your sphere of influence see Jesus mirrored in your life?

All of these questions, and many more, can heap shame, guilt, frustration, even anger, resulting in inactivity and/or ineffectiveness as a Christ-follower. Why? Because Jesus IS our goal! Jesus IS our heart’s desire! Jesus IS the center of our universe! So what’s the problem? LIFE!

Too often we fall prey to what Charles E. Hummel referred to as “The Tyranny of the Urgent.” Our minds get so locked onto future events – the next meeting, the next assignment, the next call, the next mortgage payment – that THIS MOMENT is lost. At what cost? We miss the Jesus we’re most desiring to know, love and serve. How do we miss Him? Where is He? Our eternally present Savior is always and only in THIS MOMENT!

A young Pastor asked in his message, “What do you want people to say at your memorial service? … Don’t make them lie!”

My mind raced, but ultimately came to rest on one thought: I want people to say on the occasion of my death: “When I was in Ed’s presence I sensed the presence of Jesus. Jesus is more real to me for having spent time with Ed Hager.”

Okay, so if that’s my “end view,” how then should I live? What decisions will I make? With whom will I spend my time? How will I invest the money and other resources with which the Lord blesses me? In short, how will I allow my ever-present Lord to reveal and magnify His holy presence in and through my life in THIS MOMENT!

Another way to think of this whole process is to ask the question: How can I discipline myself to be aware and intentional about allowing Jesus to be the focus of my every thought? But even as I ask that question, my heart is shouting – “I CAN’T” And my heart is right, I can’t. But what if we gave the Holy Spirit access and permission, regardless of the circumstance, to assume pre-eminence in our thoughts? What might THAT look like? It’s impossible to even imagine all the scenarios of all of our lives and attempt to explain what each of our thoughts should “look” like. Perhaps an illustration will help.

I read a story a number of years ago about a group of salesmen who went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Christmas night’s dinner. In their rush through the airport, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane, just in time. All but one. He told the others to go on without him and went back to where the apples were all over the floor. He was glad he did.

The young girl, in charge of the apple stand, was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks, as she groped for her spilled produce, the crowd swirling about her, rushing to their flights.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped reorganize her display. He set aside the bruised and battered apples in a separate basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?” She nodded through her tears.

He continued, “I hope we didn’t spoil your day too badly.”

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered girl called out to him, “Mister….” He paused and turned to look back.

“Are you Jesus?”

He couldn’t get that question out of his head for days. It was such a simple, small-scale event, but it made him see clearly what following Christ was really all about. “Love one another as I have loved you” Jesus said. To be a Christ-follower is to exhibit His loving presence in every circumstance, even if we’re never fully able to grasp what the result may be.

Living with the end in view forces us to focus on the only moment we have. The previous moment is gone. The next moment isn’t promised. Does that mean we don’t plan? Set goals? Prepare for the future? Absolutely, yes! Plan, prepare, set goals, but not at the expense of being denied full presence in this moment.

What’s the point? If Jesus is going to be pre-eminent in our thoughts in the final seconds of our life, why not allow Him to be pre-eminent in THIS MOMENT, regardless of what that entails?

Blessings, Ed 🙂