Walking With Jesus

What’s the Anchor of Your Soul?

“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 6:19 NLT)

My wife and I were given the privilege and opportunity to go on a few cruises. To me, one of the fascinating things about the ships on which we traveled were the anchors. As a passenger, I didn’t see the anchors, except the chains on which the anchors were connected, but I learned that anchors are generally between 10 and 20 feet long and weigh between 10 and 20 tons.

The purpose of an anchor is primarily to hold the ship in place once it’s docked, but another use, at least in Bible times, is seen in Acts 27:17 where the anchor was used as a means of slowing the ship in a severe storm. But how does an anchor illustrate truth that’s meaningful to us today?

The context of Hebrews 6 is hope in the promises of God. The opening verses of chapter 6 refer to the need of each believer to grow beyond “the basic teachings about Christ,” and learn to trust in God’s promises, holding fast to the confidence that He will always do what He says. The writer uses Abraham as an example of one to whom God not only made a promise but swore an oath that Abraham’s descendants would be “beyond number.” So, what does that mean for us?

There are at least two things that are critical for us to learn from these verses. First, our hope in the trustworthiness of God’s promise is as an anchor for our soul. What does that mean? In much the same way as Noah and his family took refuge in the Ark, we who have placed our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have now taken refuge in Him for the salvation of our souls, and for the fulfillment of His purposes in and through us in this life.

God has repeatedly kept His promises recorded throughout the Bible and they have now become verification of God’s unchangeable nature, and therefore, evidence that when He makes a promise, He keeps it. The promise upon which our soul is anchored is that God made a way for us to experience eternal life, not just after we die, but from the moment we begin our walk with Jesus. Our hope is securely anchored in Jesus and His completed work on our behalf on the Cross.

The second critical lesson we must learn is, as with Abraham, we must patiently wait until the timing of His promise for us is fulfilled. The reality is, God’s promise of eternal life in Christ could be fulfilled today, but it may not be. God alone knows the day and hour. What did Abraham do in the interim? He remained faithful by holding on to the trustworthiness of God’s promise. That’s what we must do, but how?

God’s Word, the Bible, is filled with His promises to which we can cling. For example, His promise to be faithful; to never leave or forsake us; to always provide for us in any area of need we may have. We can count on God’s presence to be with us, as long as we put Him first in our life and decisions (Matthew 6:33). To believe we can depend on God and not anchor our hearts and minds in His Word is like thinking we can cross the ocean in a life raft. The odds aren’t good.

Every morning I renew my strength, both in prayer and in reading God’s Word. Throughout the day we need to maintain a conversation with our Father as He walks with us through every detail of every decision. When difficulties arise, as they surely will, we trust the Lord to guide us through the storm, holding tightly to His hand.

If you’re trusting in anything but the completed work of Christ on the Cross for your eternal life, you’re going to be sorely disappointed the second you open your eyes after you’ve passed from this life to the next.

Some assurances God has given me in this season of my life is that no matter what comes, He is with me. His promises are true. I can trust Him. I am His and He is mine. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Keeping Short Accounts with People and with God

“…settle your differences quickly.” (Matthew 5:25a NLT)

There is a principle that I learned early in my walk with God that has proven helpful across the years. The principle is to keep short accounts with people and with God. What does that mean? It means if you’re having an issue with someone, don’t wait for them to come to you, go to them and get it worked out. The same applies in our walk with the Lord.

Of course, with the Lord, the problem’s going to be with us, so we need to go to Him and confess our need for forgiveness, understanding, guidance, support, or whatever we need to get through whatever is going on in our lives that’s pulling us away from Him.

In terms of Scripture, there are several, but the ones that come immediately to mind are in Matthew 5. First, in verses 23-24 Jesus says: “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”

For our purposes, this might be when you’re at church enjoying corporate worship, or praying at home, it can be anywhere. But the point is – whenever the Lord lays it on your heart that someone has something against you or, you have something against someone else, go and be reconciled.

Then in verse 25 it talks about if you’re being sued and on your way to court, Jesus said: “settle your differences quickly.” Why is that so important? There are numerous very practical reasons, but the biggest reason for those of us who are Jesus followers is that it interferes with our relationship with God. Issues with another person or entity (i.e. bank, landlord, government, etc.) weighs on our mind and heart and distracts us from our focus on communicating with and/or serving the Lord.

Paul reminds us in Romans 12:18 that we should: “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” The implication here is that we may not be at fault, or we can’t make another person live at peace with us, but inasmuch as our heart is clear before the Lord and we’ve done all we can to live at peace with the other person, that’s all God expects. The point is, we’ve got to keep a clear channel open between us and God, and conflict with another person interferes with that.

But we’re also to keep short accounts with God. How so? The issue in our relationship with God isn’t always and only sin. It can be neglect, indifference, laziness, in short, anything that gets ahead of God in terms of our heart priorities, which can, and often does, lead to sin. Whatever it is, go quickly to the Lord and ask for His help in making things right.

What’s the bottom line? Love. Our constant goal is to love God supremely and others as we love ourselves. Keeping short accounts with people and with God moves us in the direction of fulfilling the law of love in and through our lives.

Whether we like it or not, as Jesus followers we are to be salt and light in this world. To what end? To create a positive “taste” of Jesus in the hearts and minds of those who don’t yet know Him. And to be a beacon of light to show them the way to our Savior.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Does It Mean to Die to Sin?

“Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:2 NLT)

Sin is a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional issue that can easily be misunderstood and/or misrepresented. On some levels it’s very straightforward, but the plot thickens because God alone knows our heart and can know with certainty whether we’ve sinned or not, given the circumstances.

In my mind, as I understand Scripture, we don’t unintentionally or accidentally sin. In the Old Testament there were sins of ignorance or sins of which a person may not even be aware. For example, a person may not know that their shadow passed over the corpse of an animal. So, there were sacrifices that were made to cover all the sin bases.

When Jesus died on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin, He made it possible for anyone willing to place their trust in Him to have their sin account emptied, wiped clean. Because of Jesus, we stand before God the Father in the robes of Christ’s righteousness, not in the rags of our sinfulness and shame.

Yet, the Bible often warns that sin continues to be an issue for believers. Paul asks the question in Romans 6:1: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace?” Then answers in verse 2: “Of course not!” Peter quotes from Isaiah 53, reminding us that: “He (Jesus) personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.” (1 Peter 2:24) John also addresses this theme in 1 John 3:6: “Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is.” What’s my point?

Sin is anything we do that violates God’s law, by doing something He says not to do, or not doing something He clearly says to do. Jesus summarized the Law with two commands: Love God and love others. This obviously can go in a lot of directions, so let me try to pull back the proverbial reigns and make some observations that, hopefully, will be helpful.

Being dead to anything implies being separated from it. Death in a spiritual sense means being separated from God and we know that sin separates us from God. Therefore sin = death! Anyone who goes into eternity without having a relationship with Jesus is going to die in their sin and be eternally separated from Him.

It basically boils down to where our heart is. Who owns our heart? Love is the motivation for good behavior. Indifference or hate moves us away from love, and results in behavior that violates our love for Jesus and dishonors His holy name. I believe the weight of Scripture and my personal experience leads me to believe that while it takes time to allow the Holy Spirit to give us victory over sin or, in other words, put sin to death in us, we should be moving in that direction. Am I saying that I’m sin free? No, but I am saying I’m a lot closer than I was 50+ years ago when I started my journey.

If I’m wrestling with the same sin patterns now that I struggled with five years ago, something’s wrong. We commonly hear the word “sin” in the Bible interpreted as “to miss the mark,” but it can also be translated as “to err or to be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor.” Jesus didn’t die so we could continue to live in sin under the banner of grace.

If our lives aren’t continually moving in the direction of loving God and loving others, we need to do a heart check. The Holy Spirit of the Bible delivers from sin, overpowers evil, gives victory over addictions in whatever form they come. Yes, of course, you may stumble, but to expect we’re going to sin continually and as a matter of habit is to misunderstand the message of the Bible.

If our focus is on Jesus and we’re walking closely with Him, our mind isn’t on ways to be separated from Him, they’re going to be on ways to honor, serve, adore, and draw closer to Him.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Imitation of Spirituality

“How can your empty cliches comfort me? All your explanations are lies!” (Job 21:34 NLT)

Have you ever met someone who had an air of spirituality that you soon realized was a mile wide and an inch deep? Job, in the above verse, quickly found that the “counsel” of his “friends” was clearly not helping, it was actually causing him more stress and anguish. Their attempts at pious or spiritually empowered answers to Job’s questions were like the proverbial “leech” sucking Job’s life out of him.

It took me a while, but I eventually learned that truly pious, godly people have a few things in common. Their spirituality is inviting, warm, caring, loving, and real, and it is marked by genuine humility, it’s never artificial. Others have what C. H. Spurgeon characterized as “imitation spirituality.” What’s that? It’s an effort on the part of those who are either trying to “fake it ‘til they make it,” or they’re simply counterfeits seeking to fool others into believing something about themselves that isn’t true. Which, in this case is, they’re not Jesus followers, but they want people to think they are.

Why would anyone do that? Why would anyone ever seek to be something or someone they’re not? It’s called a “scam.” It’s a person who is a “con-artist,” someone who is pretending to be something they’re not for personal gain. What would a person hope to gain through imitating someone who is “spiritual?”

Genuine believers tend to be accepting, willing to help, generous, and sometimes a bit gullible. So, if someone thinks they can take advantage of someone’s gullibility or kindness, either for financial gain or sometimes simply for higher standing within the church community, they’ll use others for their own benefit. I’ve seen churches divided and destroyed by people pretending to be something they’re not. I’ve also seen people make their living by preying on churches and good-hearted people.

I pastored a small congregation that was in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic community. And while I loved the diversity, I learned that not everyone there was coming to the church for spiritual purposes. Many came only for what the church/church people could do for them.

There was a very good and kind young man who worked hard to find housing and jobs for the many homeless people who would come to us. He would be so hopeful when he was able to place someone in a job and/or find them housing, only to learn that as soon as they had some money, they used it to fund their habit, not their housing. It took it’s toll on this young man and, I must say, on me.

Why would I even write an article like this? Because, unfortunately, there are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” the enemy uses to attack and, if possible, destroy a believer’s weak faith in Jesus. They even tear churches apart and seek in every way possible to cripple or hurt the mission of churches in which they can get a foothold. Satan is no respecter of persons, and he doesn’t discriminate when it comes to lives he can destroy.

One way I’ve learned to recognize these people is to watch them when they “win.” What does that mean? When what they’re promoting or advocating gains attention or acceptance. C. H. Spurgeon said: “In the midst of our triumphs, let us cry to God for humility.” Which is a godly person’s response.

The people who are closest to the Lord won’t gloat or seek to draw attention to themselves. They won’t be the ones seeking to point praise to themselves, rather they will be the ones pointing to Jesus and seeking to advance His holy purposes, giving Him all the credit for the good that is happening in the church or in their personal lives.

Just be cautious and use good judgment. Seek the wisdom of God in discerning a person’s motives if there’s even a hint of impropriety. The Holy Spirit will guide you and guard your heart and enable you to make right judgments. Trust Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Let Your Past Be Past

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

What does it mean to belong to Christ? Think of it like this. Let’s say you buy a used car. It’s new to you, but at one point it belonged to someone else. You now own that car. What does that mean? It means you’re the new operator. It goes wherever you want it to go, whenever you want it to go, at the speed you want it to go. It’s no longer under any obligation to its old owner. It does whatever you direct it to do.

As with any illustration, this one has its limitations, but that’s essentially what happens when we become a new person in Christ Jesus. We’re under new management. Like an automobile, or any possession for that matter, we don’t belong to ourselves and we’re no longer under our previous owners’ (satanic) control. We now take our directives from Jesus. We move in new directions; we learn from new sources; we develop new habits; we begin to steward what now belongs to God. Essentially, He “cleans house” and begins to orient us to our new life and new way of living.

At first, we may rebel and complain about how our new Owner is leading us. It’s not unlike starting a diet or a workout program. At first, it’s hard and even though we know it’s in our best interest, it still doesn’t feel very good. It makes us “sore” and cramps our previous “style.” But over time, as we get to know our new Owner better, we understand He doesn’t do or say anything except it’s in the context of His great love for us.

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Some reading this may not like the reference to Jesus as our new Owner, but Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” Another way to say what Paul wrote is, you are under new management.

As we submit our body, mind, soul, and strength to the Lord’s control, we find that the old ways aren’t satisfying anymore. And over time we begin to understand and enjoy being God’s “property,” God’s child. We also discover that some things in our past are difficult to release, not necessarily because of our grip on them, but because of their grip on us.

Some sins die hard, especially habits that seek to pull us away from what the Holy Spirit is working to do in and through us. The only antidote is to form new, God-honoring habits to take their place. Our minds are designed to only focus on one thing at a time. So as you think about the times you’re tempted to take drugs or over indulge in alcohol, watch pornography, post inappropriate material or comments on social media, spend time with the wrong people who are pulling you away from the Lord, or anything else you know you need to leave in your past, you’ve got to allow the Lord to “train” you to fill that time with things that will bless you and honor Him.

For example, in order to change the negative thought patterns that previously ruled our minds, we’ve got to learn to fill our minds with things that are positive, uplifting, encouraging, things that will point us to Jesus, not pull us away. Reading and studying the Bible is a must. Yet, some very common objections I hear when I make this suggestion is: “I hate to read” or “it’s boring” or “I’m not a good reader” or “it makes me sleepy.” There are others, but hopefully you get the point. You’ve got to move your focus from what you don’t like to what this new discipline will do for you. What do you want your life to look like? Find someone to mentor you who models what you want to become and let them walk with you through the things you find difficult to do on your own.

Join a small group of people who are also new to following Jesus and support each other, holding one another accountable to do, at least at first, minimal Bible reading and study, as well as attending corporate worship together. Then talk with people you respect who have walked with the Lord longer and get their input.

For the nearly sixty years I’ve been reading the Bible I still marvel at the new things the Lord is teaching me nearly every day. I so appreciate how the Lord will speak to me, lead me, love me, direct me, counsel me, implore me, discipline me, correct me, and encourage me through His holy Word.

The only way you can learn to let your past be past, is allowing your new Owner to help you see and long for your new, bright, and eternal future.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?

“Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.” (Proverbs 11:3 NLT)

“Honest” Abe Lincoln believed “Honesty is the best policy,” but is it? Couple that with Proverbs 12:22 that says: “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in those who tell the truth.” I’ve heard people say things like: “This is the honest truth.” Is there another kind of truth? Or make reference to someone who has “twisted” the truth. Am I suggesting that we should deliberately be dishonest or hide the truth? Absolutely not! However, I do believe there are times to keep our mouths shut, or if we must speak, be honest with grace.

A friend, whom I believe to be a godly man, shared that when his wife came home after getting her hair cut, he was compelled to tell her it made her look five years older. In his words, “It was my honest opinion.” She hadn’t asked his opinion, he just volunteered it, but his “honesty” cost him a night in the guest room! That story had a happy ending, because his wife is forgiving and understanding, and, yes, he gave me permission to share it. But it illustrates something I believe happens too often in the Body of Christ.

Sometimes it’s just better to keep our “honest” opinions to ourselves, because, unfortunately, far too often we end up sharing them with the wrong people or at the wrong time. That, my friend, becomes a rabbit hole called “gossip,” and it’s an abomination to our Father in heaven.

Paul writes in Romans 1:28-29: “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” The verses continue to list other abominations, but, hopefully, these will suffice to help us get a context for what God thinks of gossip.

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The plot thickens because there are times when technically the words are truthful. For example, let’s say Bill and Helen, who are both married to other people, are seen at a restaurant together. Someone could see them and assume they’re having an affair and feel “led” to share what they saw with someone else on a social media platform. One thing leads to another and before long some “loving” person goes to Bill and Helen’s spouses to deliver the “bad” news.

The conversations begin something like this: “I hate to be the one to tell you, but did you know…?” To which the spouses respond, “Of course we knew, Helen wanted to speak with Bill about a job opportunity she knew was opening at her company. Both of their schedules are crazy and their lunch meeting at the restaurant was all that made sense. We were invited but thought it would be better if they had privacy to discuss the job together. And by the way, of what concern is that to you?”

The truth is, they met at a restaurant. What someone saw became gossip when they didn’t bother to get the facts before publishing what they “thought” they saw. To me, and I believe to God, the sickest and saddest is when these morsels of gossip become couched in the form of a “prayer request.”

“We’ve got to pray for Bill and Helen and their dear spouses. Why I saw them together…” In God’s sight that’s a wickedness that rivals greed, hate, envy, and murder. The right thing to do, especially if it’s someone you know well and know their character, is to give them the benefit of the doubt, and keep your thoughts to yourself. But if it’s questionable and your genuine interest is their wellbeing and reputation, always go to the person(s) involved first. And while it may not be any of your business, give them an opportunity for you to tell them what it looked like and allow them to give an explanation if they deem one is necessary.

Just understand that there are times when you can be 100% truthful and 100% honest and still be 100% wrong. The best thing in EVERY situation is go to the Lord FIRST, then follow His directives cautiously and with much grace.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Our Past Can Flavor Our Future

“Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” (Mark 9:22 NLT)

My wife is an excellent cook. Perhaps that had something to do with her son majoring in the culinary arts. It’s fun to watch her when she’s cooking something, to put a dab of this and a sprinkle of that, then taste it or bring me some in a spoon to test. “What’s it missing?” she might ask. Of course, I never know. 😊

It’s not unusual for people to ask a similar question regarding their life. “What am I missing? Why can’t I ever seem to get it right?” Sometimes our lives just don’t “taste” right, but we don’t understand why.

I attended a seminar years ago and the speaker’s contention was that each of us is fitted with a set of lenses designed for us, based on our specific set of life’s circumstances. Everything that we experience in our lives is filtered through these “life” lenses. Every new experience, opportunity, or idea is interpreted in light of the collective information stored in these “lenses.”

For example, let’s say that you were told as a child that you were a burden, worthless, stupid, dumb, clumsy, you should never have been born. Or, on the other hand, you were told your possibilities were endless, you were brilliant, loved, beautiful, talented, etc., the list is virtually endless. Over time, if we hear something often enough, we begin to believe it, then internalize it. For us, it becomes “truth” and, thus, is imprinted on the lenses of our life.

The speaker’s conclusion was, in order to change, you have to replace the filters through which you view your life. That’s essentially why Jesus died. He wants to give you new “lenses” through which you can see life in general, but also your specific life in particular.

Too many times we’re crippled by something that was said or done to us, or which we experienced that so traumatized us, it’s as if it was branded into our memory. And please understand, I realize that some things may take professional help in learning how to allow us to believe differently about ourselves, thus opening the door of opportunity for us to move in new directions. But I also understand the power of the Holy Spirit to defeat the enemy of our souls and enable us to stop believing lies and begin to believe the truth of which Jesus speaks and is. God can enable us to be and do anything He says we can be and do. How do I know that?

In Mark chapter 9 Jesus is introduced to a man who brought his son to Him who was demon-possessed. The man says to Jesus: “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” (vs 22) Jesus responded: “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’…Anything is possible if a person believes.’” (vs 23) To which the father cried out: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.” (vs 24)

Is that where you find yourself today? You want with all your heart, like a father with a demon-possessed son, to believe you can change. You’ve begged God to stop the “tracks” that repeat in your head over and over every time you try to move in a new direction, but seemingly to no avail. You’ve been victimized by past experiences, and it’s crippled you to the new possibilities that God is inviting you into. Bring your pain, heartache, crippling memories, and unbelief to the only One who can deliver you from the satanic grip that is holding you powerless.

Jesus doesn’t remake, remodel, or redesign our old selves. He scraps the old and gives us a brand-new life. Today you can become a new creation in Christ Jesus, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, the Lord will give you wings to “fly” above the lies of the past into the promises of a new future. But you’re going to need people to help you learn to walk in this new life. You need a family of Jesus followers to help you, to stabilize, and support you as you learn what it means to know and love Jesus, and as He directs your steps in a whole new direction.

Click the link to this brief video, then click on “yes, I prayed the prayer” at the end. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Things We Don’t Yet Understand

“You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.” (Matthew 13:11 NLT)

In the above verse, the word “secrets” can also be translated “mysteries.” And Jesus further explains in the verses following: “To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (vss 11-12)

There were many things I didn’t understand when I first began my journey with Jesus, but over the years the Lord has given me insight into most of them. There are still mysteries, especially related to end times, but for the most part I have clarity in the direction the Lord desires my life to go. One thing I discovered that has made a big difference, is the Lord has corrected things I thought I understood, when in fact I didn’t have a clue.

For example, as a relatively new believer and novice student of the Bible, I didn’t realize that what I was being taught in Seminary was the Professor’s “brand” of truth. It wasn’t that it was necessarily wrong, but it was more indoctrination into their “brand,” rather than strictly instruction in what the Bible taught. What does that mean?

It means, for example, if I’m studying at an institution that is predominantly training students in a Calvinistic theology, training them to lead churches who follow that persuasion, they’re going to teach me to understand the Bible in that light. The same is true if I attend a school who trains Pastors and leaders for Wesleyan-Arminian traditions. Is that wrong? Not necessarily, it’s just the way it is.

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Problems arise in today’s churches because you have many from varying denominational and theological backgrounds, all of whom are thinking they want to hear the “truth” of what the Bible teaches. A Pastor can only preach and teach the truth as he or she has come to understand it. And the plot thickens because many people, especially those who have been believers for a long time, aren’t really interested in the Truth of the Bible, they want a church and preacher who reinforces that in which they’ve already been indoctrinated – i.e. their “brand.”

So, what’s a person to do? Personally, I lean heavily on three things. First, the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in John 14:26: “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” The second thing that is critical to me is what have the Church Fathers historically held as the central tenets of the Christian Faith? And, thirdly, I pay attention to the spirit of the one who is speaking/teaching.

In Romans 8:16 Paul writes: “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” In other words, I can know that I’m living for the Lord because His Spirit, residing in me, will bear witness with my spirit that I’m a child of God. I believe a similar thing happens when I meet another person who professes to know, love, and teach the truths of my Savior, Jesus. Unless the Spirit of Jesus within me bears witness with the Spirit of Jesus in this other person that we’re of the same Spirit, I don’t put much credence in what they’re saying.

Honestly, I’m not concerned about a lot of peripheral things that people believe and teach. My concern is what they teach about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Gifts of the Spirit, and Salvation, which to me are core truths we need to hold in common. People of a kindred spirit can walk together, learn from one another, and celebrate and serve Jesus together, even if they don’t agree on every point of doctrine. We may also begin to understand why we differ on some things and realize we’re not as far apart as we first thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God Still Has Secrets

“The Lord our God has secrets known to no one.” (Deuteronomy 29:29a NLT)

There are things that God covers or conceals from us. Why would He do that?

The verse continues by saying: “We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that He has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.” (Deuteronomy 29:29b NLT)

One reference to secrets that always amuses me is “secret sins.” The reality is everyone has secrets, but none of them are hidden from God. God knows the down and dirty about all of us. We may conceal things from one another, but never from God.

Also, just in passing, let me say there is no such thing as an unsolved crime. A person may evade legal accountability, but will one day stand before the Lord, in whose presence every detail of their lives will be laid bare. Then they will bear the consequences of God’s “legal” system and justice will prevail.

In Luke 10 we’re given insight into a conversation between Jesus and 72 of His followers whom He sent to surrounding villages and towns to preach and teach about Him. When they returned, the Bible says: “they joyfully reported to Him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!’” We may use the word “ecstatic.” They were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. At that point Jesus shared something that puts a lot of things in proper perspective, for them and us. He said: “…don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.’” (vs. 20)

The Bible then says: “At the same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and He said, ‘O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”

A very important secret was shared with Jesus’ 72 and with us, that if we grasp its significance can change our lives. What’s the secret? Too often we get excited about the wrong things. We tend to get fired up about things that matter to us, rather than those things that matter to God. We like things that make us look good – “even the demons obey us…” – rather than the things that exalt Jesus and make Him the focal point of whatever we do – “rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” Even Satan can perform miracles, but only God can register someone’s name in heaven.

Another “secret” that frightens me is when I do, say, or write things with the intention of making people think more of me, rather than more of Jesus. If you ever sense that’s what’s happening, would you please call me on it? I want to be childlike, in the sense that everything I do is to please and honor my Father.

When my kids were small, to them I was a giant who knew everything. Now, well, you know the rest. The older they got, the bigger they got in their own eyes, thus, the smaller I became, and, I might add, rightfully so. God never intended us to be the proverbial “giants” in our kid’s eyes, but to make Him huge to them through the way we loved and “lived” Him before them.

God conceals things from us, not to hurt us or cause us harm, but to protect us. He guards our hearts and minds, preventing us from thinking too highly of ourselves, seeking to enable us to always maintain a healthy and right view of Him.

May I let you in on a “secret?” God’s crazy about you! His love for you is mind-boggling and powerful enough to change the course of your life forever if you’ll let Him. Please let Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Making Time to Pray

“Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” (Revelation 5:8b NLT)

God listens to and cares about the prayers of His people.

Years ago, I heard a story about a person who went to heaven. They were given a tour and shown all the wonders that heaven alone possessed. While walking with the angel who was giving the tour, the person noticed numerous warehouses. Being curious, they asked the angel what was inside. “Those hold all the treasures for which God’s people never asked.”

Prayer takes time, and time is the one thing most people don’t think they have. We tend to invest our time in a couple of ways: Doing the things we love or being with the people we love. That doesn’t count work, school, or other responsibilities that we may or may not enjoy. But we rarely prioritize talking with God and seeking His face for more than a few minutes. Oh, the treasures we forfeit that God would be pleased for us to have.

Each day has 96 15-minute segments. Every person has the same number of minutes in a 24-hour period, irrespective of who they are or what they choose to do with them. One hour is less than 5% of your day, yet to think of spending 60 minutes with God is nearly unthinkable to many professing believers.

I love having conversations with my wife. I don’t call it prayer, but it’s really, at its core, no different on many levels than having a conversation with God. How healthy do you think a marriage would be if you spent less than 5% of your time together? This isn’t about guilt, it’s about reality.

It’s taken many years, but in this season of my life there’s hardly a minute I’m not conscious of God’s presence in my life. I may not be “praying,” but I’m desiring His input into whatever I’m doing. And I’m not just referring to “spiritual” things, although when you think about it, everything we do, say, or think effects our relationship with God.

If you love someone, you desire to be with them. Even if we’re not in the same room, there’s a comfort in knowing that the person I most love in this world is close by. When my wife and I are separated I’m constantly checking my watch, almost counting the minutes until we’ll be together again. It’s as if a part of me is missing when we’re separated.

That’s how I feel about the Lord. Yes, I realize He never leaves me, but if I’m not intentional about remembering He’s with me, I can get sidetracked and try to do things on my own. It doesn’t matter if I’m working on something in the garage, doing dishes, or working in the yard, I depend on the Lord’s help to work in and through me.

Some will think that’s silly, because in their minds they do virtually everything on their own. That’s called the grace of God and ignorance. If God wasn’t extending to us His grace, we could literally do nothing. There are those who mistakenly believe they don’t need God for anything. “I can take care of myself!” they will say or think.

What if God decided to refuse to allow you to breathe His air or restricted the use of the muscles and mind He gave you as a gift? I’ve spent many hours visiting people in the hospital or other treatment facilities. For years they’ve taken God’s gift of health for granted, treating their bodies as though they’d last forever. There will come a day when God has our full attention, because all the ways He’s extended to us His grace will cease. Then we’ll be begging God to give us back what we’ve destroyed through our negligence and carelessness. One day all we’ll long for is one more minute to talk with God.

Please don’t wait until it’s too late. Make the Lord the priority He desires and deserves to be in your life. Just click the link below to discover how you can have a relationship with the only true and living God.

https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊