Walking With Jesus

Prayer IS Doing Something (Part 2)

“May Your ways be known throughout the earth, Your saving power among people everywhere.” (Psalm 67:7 NLT)

John Stonestreet of the Colson Center wrote: “Not only is prayer the practice of appealing to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, it is an essential way to align our hearts and minds with His. To have a Christian worldview is to think like God thinks. Prayer accomplishes this.”

In my mind, that summarizes our goal in prayer. I’m so prone to think of prayer as speaking to God, but I learn very little, if anything, when I’m talking. My most effective and fruitful periods of prayer are the times I take the time to listen, not just as I read the Bible, but as I literally stay silent and listen for God’s still, small voice.

Learning that the Almighty God isn’t our proverbial “Genie in the bottle,” is a giant step. Sometimes we’re tempted to treat God like He’s an order taker at a drive-up window: “Hi, I’ll have a raise, a great night with my wife, and a new car. Thanks.” It’s humbling when He answers: “Hmmm, your order isn’t coming through. Could you have come to the wrong drive-through?”

He’s also teaching me to be more grateful. Often, rather than asking Him for something that’s clearly in line with His will, He’s leading me simply to thank Him in advance as an act of faith and worship. For example, I’ve struggled for months with whether or not to sell a car that I dearly love. I took it to the Lord and said: “Father, I love You supremely and I don’t want anything to keep my focus from being fully on You. When the time is right, thank You for letting me know.” I’m not begging for an answer, I’m leaving the decision up to Him.

Recently in a devotion I was reading, a grandfather was speaking with his 5-year-old grandson who was explaining what he wanted to be when he grew up. Then he added, “of course, it’s up to Jesus.” That’s the kind of attitude I want to have when I pray.

There’s a sense in which prayer is opening our heart and mind to see the future from God’s perspective. Our framework is so limited and often so short sighted. We tend to want what we want when we want it and it’s hard for us to see things any other way but our own. Personally, I want what God wants, regardless of the way it may seem to me. God can see through the clouds of doubt and uncertainty into the brilliant light of His will for me (and you 😊). Our thinking may be filled with questions, leading to fear and reservation, but that can simply be as the mist of the morning before the sun breaks through.

When you think of prayer as the “work” that opens the door for God to work, it can have enormous benefit for those willing to learn to pray, not simply learn to “say prayers.” “Now I lay me down to sleep…” is a wonderful prayer for children to learn, but as believers in Jesus we must take the time and make the effort to learn to speak and listen to Him in much the same way we’d speak to anyone else in our life whose friendship, love, and closeness we value.

Sometimes the most profound and uplifting prayer we can offer to the Lord is: “Heavenly Father, my Friend, I need You. I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do or which way to turn. I’m not seeing clearly how to move forward in my life. I don’t even know what to ask You to do for me other than hold me and help me find my way.”

In my life I’ve found this to be true: “You don’t know God is all you need until you discover God is all you’ve got.” When you finally discover the true and living God, prayer will be worth the effort.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Praying IS Doing Something!

“Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell You what He did for me.” (Psalm 66:16 NLT)

Has someone ever shared with you a need? It could have been physical, emotional, relational, financial or any number of other needs people have. As you listened, your mind was racing trying to come up with an answer, but all that could come out of your mouth was: “I suppose I could pray with you about it.”

Like most men, I’m a “fixer.” Often, if you have a problem, I have an answer. It may not be what you need or want, but it’s something you can “do” to address what you’re dealing with. Do you realize the first and most important thing you can ever do is pray?

The question then becomes: “What does that mean?” “What does it mean to ‘pray?’” For some reading those words, it seems a silly question. I can almost hear someone saying: “We just talk about whatever’s on our heart.” That’s good, and it’s an important part of prayer. But I’m finding in my life that the most important beginning point for me when I pray is to listen. How do I do that?

The most consistent means that I’ve found to listen for God’s voice is through His Word, the Bible. I read and study His Word every day. But if I have something specific to pray about, I may research a word or idea to get a sense as to how God views whatever it is I’m praying about.

For example, let’s say someone asks me to pray for their 90-year-old grandmother who is suffering from pneumonia. She’s a believer and is ready to meet Jesus. I would pray differently for her than a 27-year-old who was in a motorcycle accident and isn’t a believer. How so? In my mind death for a believer is perfect healing. If I’m sick and the prospects are good that I’m going to die, pray for my perfect healing 😊. I can’t wait to see Jesus.

But when I pray for someone who isn’t saved, my first concern isn’t their physical health, it’s their soul. I can’t quote you a specific verse, but I believe if there’s breath there’s hope. A person may be in a coma, unable to communicate with another person, but I believe the Lord can speak to a person’s spirit. He can communicate love, forgiveness, hope, peace, in short, whatever that person needs to get their soul right with God. And please understand, God won’t make someone open their heart to Him, but will allow the spirit of the person to respond to His Spirit affirming or denying their willingness to respond.

Prayer for me has many levels. Every morning as I walk the pups, I talk with the Lord. I use the Lord’s prayer as a guide. I express praise, adoration, and worship to the one true God who is alone worthy. I seek to position myself in a posture of humility and acceptance of the fact that He is God, and I am not. This is the supreme Commander-in-Chief of everything that has life. I’m not at His throne to make demands or give Him orders. I’m there to listen to His heart and follow His directives.

There are some things I know are His will. I know He loves lost people, so I lift every neighbor to Him every day. If I know their name, I use it, but if I don’t know their name yet, I ask the Lord to open the hearts and minds of whoever lives in each house as I pass it.

All throughout the day, whatever I’m doing, I’m talking with the Lord and/or seeking to listen to what He wants to say to me. One thing He’s teaching me that I’ve been very slow to hear, is going to Him FIRST when I have a need. Regardless of how small it seems; I ask His help. I lost a car key and all I’m hearing Him say is “pocket.” So, if one of you has my car key in your pocket, cough it up. I need it! 😊

Let’s look at this a little more closely tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Too Busy to Care

“Does it mean nothing to you, all you who pass by?” (Lamentations 1:12)

Conservative estimates calculate that there were minimally 750 million people on the earth when God sent the flood. It’s astounding to me that out of all those people God only found one man, according to Genesis 6:9, who “was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time.” An argument could be made that it was miraculous that God found even one.

The Bible doesn’t tell us how long it took Noah to build the Ark, but it does tell us that while he was working on the Ark, he was warning the people of God’s righteous judgment (2 Peter 2:5). Yet, no one, not a single person, believed Noah.

Could it have been that the story Noah was telling was to them unbelievable? After all, it had never rained. Or, perhaps they were just so busy following the dictates of their sinful natures they didn’t care what God was up to. But then it started to sprinkle and suddenly everyone was interested. What will it take to get the attention of the people of our world?

There are a lot of parallels between Noah’s times and ours. Ironically, Jesus said in Matthew 24:37: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.” God pronounced, far in advance, that the judgment was coming, but His message given through Noah was ignored. Yet, the unprecedented wickedness that prevailed when Noah was building the Ark, has literally been superseded by the wickedness and ungodliness of the world in which we now live.

What wasn’t considered to be acceptable behavior a generation ago is now common. What wouldn’t have been tolerated in videos a decade ago is now demanded. Are people today so blind to the consequences of their corporate sin or are they just too busy digging deeper spiritual holes for themselves to care?

My heart aches to see those I love conduct their lives as if there’s no judgment coming. Or be oblivious to the warnings that God has declared through His Word and through His messengers that what happened to humanity in Noah’s day is a foreshadow of things to come.

Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 3:6-7: “Then (in Noah’s day) He used water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.”

There are two avenues of thought as I ponder the soon coming end to life on this planet. Are those too busy to care, who are speeding to an eternity separated from love, joy, peace, and everything they’re striving to attain in this life? Or are those of us who know the Savior and are basking in our confidence that we’re going to heaven, too busy to care about those who are lost?

If I were to ask you, “When did you come to know Jesus?” Some would struggle to remember a specific date, as I would, but the key issue is, “Was there a time you confessed your need of a Savior, repented of you sin, and received God’s gift of eternal life in Jesus?” In some ways it’s like asking me if I’m married. There’s no middle ground. I’m married or I’m not. It’s similar in our relationship with Jesus.

Our life in Christ must have a beginning, and it demands ongoing cooperation with God’s Spirit to grow in our relationship with Jesus. In much the same way, if our marriage is going to be healthy, there must be cooperation and mutual desire to grow together. Additionally, there was very likely a person in your life, as there was in mine, who influenced you to yield your life to Jesus.

My point is this. Am I or are you that person for someone in our spheres of influence who is heading to a Christ-less eternity? I think of the chorus by Dr. Leon Tucker and Ira D. Sankey: “Lord lay some soul upon my heart, And love that soul through me; And may I nobly do my part To win that soul for Thee.”

Can we be so busy seeing the masses that we fail to see the person next door or down the street; the person who cuts our hair, bags our groceries, or serves us lunch? Do they mean nothing to us as we pass them by?

Blessings, Ed 😊

The One True God of the Bible

“But the Lord is the only true God.” (Jeremiah 10:10a NLT)

In the days in which we live you’re in a vast minority to believe there is only one God. And an even greater minority to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Why is that?

I’m certainly no expert in the history of the world, but I know enough to recognize some of the critical periods in history that changed the course of man forever. One was the Dark Ages where those who were supposedly “godly” defiled everything it meant to be a person of God. Then the proverbial pendulum swung the other way to the so-called Age of Enlightenment when anyone and anything of God was despised and discounted. Christians were martyred and churches and Bibles were burned.

The foundational principles upon which the United States of America were originally based were taken from God’s Word. And, while the men who put their lives on the line for a democratic society, including religious freedom, held strongly to Biblical truths and principles, there’s little to show for their efforts today. What’s my point?

God hasn’t changed! He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). So, what’s changed? I have. You have. The issue with which we must wrestle today isn’t what’s happened to the world around us. The world is following a very predictable and expected road to perdition. The most glaring problem in America today isn’t the local or federal government. It isn’t the Colleges, Universities, or lower systems of education. It isn’t even healthcare or the Welfare system. It’s me and you who claim to know and love and serve the God of the Bible – the One true and living God – but our lives look so much like everyone else’s no one can see the difference, at least not enough difference to ask us any questions about why we live the way we do, and for Whom.

And even as I write, the Lord is cautioning me. The truth is, I can’t speak for you. I can only speak for myself. I must do more to make the God of the Bible known. I must live my life in greater and greater submission to the authority of the only true and living God so that those who know me; those who read these posts; those with whom I serve at church; those in my neighborhood and with whom I have contact throughout my day; and especially, those in my own family and circle of close friends, MUST know Whom I serve and why!

I must stop following the ways of the world in my appetites for entertainment, recreation, hobbies, possessions, in short, ANYTHING that is unlike Jesus or pushes me away from His holy standard of conduct in speech, thought, and action. Yet, I don’t want to be seen as the proverbial “holier than thou.”

I want to be more like my wife. Love is her first “language.” Compassion is who she is. Jesus is more evident in her than most anyone I know. She doesn’t have to think about whether the Lord is leading her to give help or show mercy to someone, He’s given her instincts and special senses that enable her to know who He wants her to serve, when, and how. Of course, she’s not perfect, but she’s about as close as anyone I know on this earth.

How will the world ever change? The same way the world changed after Jesus came. One person at a time. Will you allow the Lord to put on your heart ONE PERSON who needs Jesus to whom you can reach out this week? My wife is doing her part. I want to do my part. My precious sister is seeking to do her part. My niece and nephew are seeking to do their part. I know in my spirit that there are many doing their part. Will you do your part?

Put your “YES” on the table! Just tell the Lord: “Whatever You want, whenever You want it, I’m in!” Let’s start, by God’s grace and with His help, to chip away, one person at a time, at the degrading results of sin in our families, neighborhoods, communities, and cities to the glory and fame of the One True God of the Bible.

Let’s live with such conviction and determination to love and honor Jesus that others want to know, love and serve Him too. It starts with prayer!

Blessings, Ed 😊

God’s School of Faith

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (Romans 5:1 NLT)

When you think about it, we start at ground zero in the faith department as a new believer in Christ. How do I know that? Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8: “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”

Our salvation isn’t dependent upon us, but on grace alone, by faith alone. But even the faith of which Paul speaks, when we first yield our lives to Christ, is not our own – “it is a gift from God.” Think of faith as the activation of belief. It’s as if the Holy Spirit “jump starts” whatever measure of belief we had as we came to Christ, then begins to build on that.

Couple that with Hebrews 11:6: “And it is impossible to please God without faith.” The Bible is clear that we must allow the Lord to grow our faith if we’re going to please God, but how? Jesus used parables that give us insight into how our faith grows. The story of the seed planted on different kinds of surfaces helps us to see that faith that isn’t given a healthy and open heart can get choked out before it has opportunity to grow at all. However, an open and submissive spirit can become very fruitful over time.

Jesus said very clearly in John 16:33 that in this world we will have troubles. These trials can take many shapes, but they all have at least two things in common: they create pressure in our hearts and minds, squeezing us, causing us distress, and, secondly, they are the greatest means through which our faith can grow. How so?

Like temptation, trials put us at a crossroad. The Lord working in and through us will either defeat Satan, overcome the temptation and help us grow, or we will yield to the temptation and experience a setback. The same is true with trials, but trials often come in relatively benign disguises. You get caught in traffic when you’re running late for an appointment. You see a gift on the table when you come home from work and realize it’s your anniversary. A loved one is in an accident or is diagnosed with an illness.

In any of these scenarios and a thousand more the issue isn’t the trial, trouble, or tribulation, it’s how we respond. Our faith grows through taking whatever it is immediately to the Lord; otherwise, it becomes “our” problem, which, as a believer, we were never equipped to handle alone.

Some of the toughest things with which we wrestle in our faith journey are chronic issues – physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational, even spiritual. On the one hand, the trial just doesn’t go away, it compounds and grows. Or, on the other hand, it develops over time and ends, but it doesn’t have the outcome we expected and for which we prayed.

How we learn to deal with the loss of a loved one, especially a child, takes grace beyond my comprehension. I’ve experienced a lot of loss in my lifetime, but one thing with which I wrestle is why my dad had to suffer so long. He had Parkinson’s Disease, and he slowly drifted, over years, from the loving, hard working man I’d so admired, to someone who didn’t recognize anyone and was dependent on someone else for even the slightest need. I have to conclude that his suffering wasn’t solely for him – i.e. for his faith to grow – but for mine.

Does anyone want to die that way? When I think of lingering in a vegetative state, I say to myself: “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.” But is that the heart of the issue? Might it be, if we’re totally honest, “I don’t want anyone to be a burden to me?” God alone knows our heart, and God alone gives us trials to teach us faith in specific and personal ways.

The truth is, if we want to be like Jesus, which is our goal, we’re going to suffer at some point, and very likely, repeatedly as our lives draw closer to our faith finish line. How can faith most effectively be grown in those circumstances? In community! In literal families that are in it for the long haul, who, through thick and thin, stand by one another and do whatever it takes to get through the crisis together.

The same is true of our spiritual families. The family of God, our eternal family, is designed to create friendships that are as close or closer than our biological families. Families with whom we’d walk through fire and lay down our lives for their sake. I’ve found brothers and sisters in Christ like that. I pray you have also. That’s the only way to thrive in God’s School of faith.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Being Who God Designed You to Be

“That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” (Colossians 1:29 NLT)

The ONLY thing that is preventing you from being everything that God designed and ordained you to be is YOU.

Once you commit to following Jesus without excuse or reservation, will it be easy? It will be the hardest thing you’ll ever do in your life. It will demand every bit of strength, creativity, and determination that you can muster. Will it be worth it? Words cannot describe how elated you will be when you kneel face down at the feet of your Creator at your journeys’ end!

But how do I know what God designed me to do? That’s easy. He created and designed us to have a love relationship with Him. He’s a loving, compassionate Father who loves each of His children as if they were His only child, but He formed us uniquely to fulfill a specific mission on this earth. Our mission is to love Him supremely, be loved by Him passionately, and to point as many people as possible to Him before it’s eternally too late.

Paul writes in Colossians 1:28: ”So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.” This verse leads into the verse at the top of the page that describes Paul’s work to carry out his calling.

There’s nothing a person can ever do that comes close to the value of loving and living for Jesus. But just because it’s right and good, doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a struggle. According to commentator William Hendricksen, the literal Greek translation of Colossians 1:29 is: “By means of his energy energizing within me with power.” Dr. David Jeremiah writes in reference to that verse: “The Lord’s power is bottomless, boundless, and immeasurable.”

As a follower of Jesus, every contact we have with another person is going to do one of two things: draw them to Jesus or push them further away. How does that happen? Often without saying a word, our countenance shouts a message. The messages can range from – “You’re attractive and pleasant, so I’ll smile at you.” to “Your appearance disgusts me, so I’ll avoid you at all costs.”

Many times, our countenance has nothing to do with anyone but ourselves – our thoughts, the activities of the day, or we may just be tired and inattentive to others. The point is, we’re ALWAYS on mission for the Lord. We don’t have the luxury of pushing someone away from Jesus for any reason.

Meditate, contemplate, and prayerfully consider how God has wired you. What are your strengths as a person? Do you love being with people or prefer to be and/or work alone? Do you like being indoors or in nature? Whatever you discover, ask yourself: “Being the person God has made me and knowing He doesn’t make mistakes, what role is He asking me to fill in the Body of Christ that will maximize my effectiveness and fruitfulness for Christ’s honor and fame?”

The Holy Spirit will lead you. I’ve learned over the years that I write much more effectively than I speak. How ironic that the Lord called me to be a Pastor for more than thirty years. I’ve learned He has a very good sense of humor! The point is to be submissive to His authority in your life, look around you – literally. What do you see? For the bulk of your day, are you alone or with people? Do you communicate best in person or electronically? How do you best build friendships with others? Knowing your mission is to point people to Jesus, in what role do you see yourself serving at your local church? In the community? Personally, in your own neighborhood or circle of friends or acquaintances?

In whatever direction the Spirit leads you, create a plan. Speak with someone you trust about what you’re thinking. Let family and/or friends who know you well give you feedback and listen carefully to their insights. God has a mission for you to point others to Him and He will give you everything you need to be everything He’s asking you to be.

Buckle up. Get ready for the greatest adventure of your life – obeying Jesus and living courageously for Him!

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Blinds You to Jesus?

“We had hoped…” (Luke 24:21a NLT)

Have circumstances in your life been so chaotic or your heartache so severe that you’ve missed God’s presence when He showed up?

Luke records the story of two of Jesus’ followers who were walking home, to the village of Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked, they were discussing the things that had happened in Jerusalem over the course of the previous three days. How Jesus had been betrayed, then murdered because of the Jewish priests and religious leaders, then rose from the dead.

As they discussed these things, the Bible says that Jesus suddenly began to walk with them. Jesus asked them what they were talking about, and with a very sad countenance, one of them whose name was Cleopas, began to tell Jesus all the things that had happened regarding Jesus’ death. It was in that context that he said: “We had hoped He was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel.”

Here they were, in the presence of God, but they didn’t recognize Him. Why? Was it because of their sadness? Perhaps, but as they recounted what had happened over the previous three days, they ended with these words: “Then some women from our group of His followers were at His tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said His body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, His body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Whoa! Wait a minute. Then why are you so sad? It’s not sadness that’s blinding you, it’s lack of faith! It’s unbelief! It was at that point Jesus began to tell them what the Scriptures had predicted hundreds of years before the actual event, finally bringing them to a point of recognizing who He was.

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

While I’m troubled by those who professed allegiance to Jesus, yet due to their unbelief were unable to recognize Him two thousand years ago, what bothers me more is when I see those same things in myself and others in the Body of Christ today. There are times in my life and yours when the weight of the circumstances of our lives crushes our spirit and blinds us to the presence of our Savior. And the irony is, the reason behind our failure to see Jesus is the same as the two men on the road to Emmaus – unbelief! What do I mean?

The opening words of Luke 24:21 tell the story of lack of faith or unbelief in the hearts of the two men: “We had hoped!” Might they have been able to recognize Jesus if their heart’s cry had been: “But we’re still hopeful!” or “Even though we have unanswered questions, our belief He’s alive is still strong!”

Sometimes the reality is, the trials of life don’t destroy our faith, they reveal our lack of faith. You can’t draw on that which you don’t possess. Our trust in God must extend beyond the borders of our own achievements. We may read the Bible regularly, pray with the fervor of Elijah, attend every meeting the church offers, teach classes, and even share our faith with others, yet not have faith to recognize Jesus when He shows up in a crisis. Or worse, Jesus won’t recognize us when we show up at the entrance to heaven.

“How can that be?” you may ask. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! Will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter.” Obviously, the issue isn’t only what we do, it’s why we do it.

Could it be the two on the road to Emmaus were more “fans,” than followers? Perhaps they, like many today, got so caught up in the work of the Lord, they forgot the Lord of the work. We can get so focused on what we’re doing, we lose focus on why we’re doing it. Until, over time, it becomes more about us and less and less about Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 11, in the context of The Lord’s Supper, Paul urges us to examine ourselves. Lack of faith can easily blur our vision of Jesus, so much so, we may miss Him when we most need Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Where Were You On 9/11?

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Matthew 24:44 NLT)

On September 11, 2001, all I remember is frantically trying to reach my daughter who lived in New York City, then being glued to the TV with a sense of unbelief once I knew she was safe. “How could this be happening?”

It’s almost surreal to think about it now, but I was visiting my daughter on September 10^th. We had dined in a restaurant near the top of one of the Towers. We were sitting by a window, and I remember how small the people looked walking below. I was getting dizzy as the building swayed back and forth.

Later, as I stood on her tiny balcony, looking around, I asked her: “Honey, where is the Statue of Liberty?” and she responded: “It’s just over there, but you can’t see it because of the Towers.” It would literally have been unbelievable if someone had told me: “If you’ll just wait until tomorrow, the Towers will be a heap of rubble, sending nearly 3,000 people to their death.”

Stories have been told by family members, describing the kinds of mornings some killed in the attacks had had. Most were much the same as every other morning, yet I doubt that any of them suspected that it would be their last day on planet earth? Would they have done anything differently had they known?

Casting Crowns sings a beautiful song entitled “Scars in Heaven.” The words of the first verse say: “If I’d only known the last time would be the last time, I would have put off all the things I had to do. I would have stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter. Now what I’d give for one more day with you.” (you can click the link below to listen to this song)

The truth is, none of us know when that day will be. All we can do is ask the Lord to enable us to be sensitive to those we love on every occasion. We can’t let pettiness or pride keep us from saying or doing whatever we can to make sure those we love the most know it! It doesn’t matter your age, none of us know the day or time of Jesus’ arrival, whether He’s coming for everyone, or just for me or you. Next time you leave, give hugs and kisses. “Stay a little longer. Hold on a little tighter.”

Have you had an argument with someone who is dear? Make it right without delay. Call them! Let them know how much they mean to you. The tragedy is, often we fail to tell our husband or wife; mom or dad; dear friend or relative, how much we love them because of some petty disagreement we had over nothing. Even if they were clearly at fault, tell them it doesn’t matter. Clear the air. Don’t risk going into eternity without them knowing how much they mean to you.

Our family had planned a Thanksgiving gathering at my oldest sister’s house many years ago. My dad had already passed. Mom was all we had left. I called her to make sure she was coming, but there was hesitancy. I told her I’d come to pick her up (about a four-hour drive), but she insisted I not come. With the clarity of hindsight, I now know I should have gone anyway, but I didn’t. That was the last time we spoke. We’re not sure when, but she must have literally dropped dead. Her heart gave out as she was apparently reaching for something in her medicine cabinet.

Some reading these words have put off coming to Jesus. You’ve made excuses for years, thinking you have lots of time. That’s a lie Satan loves for us to believe. Tens of thousands of people go into eternity everyday, very likely thinking the same thing. This moment is the only time in which you can decide about anything. We’re not promised another second. That’s why Jesus urged us to be ready. He said He would come “when least expected.”

There’s nothing – NOTHING! – more important than knowing Jesus and knowing you’re going to heaven when you die. John wrote in 1 John 5:13: “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” Please! Please! Don’t wait another second. Yield you life and allegiance to Jesus, then go make things right with anyone with whom you have an issue of any kind. Life it too short. Love is too precious. Eternity is too long!

click link to listen to “Scars in Heaven” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiJUE9Eii0Q)

Blessings, Ed 😊

So, How Are Things Going?

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!” (Hebrews 10:35 NLT)

In yesterday’s post I asked if it was time to call an “audible.” Essentially, what I was asking was, “Is it time to consider another option,” not simply for your life as a whole, but each element of your life.

We are complicated beings. We have many roles as a follower of Jesus. You may be a parent, grandparent, child, sibling, spouse, employee, employer, friend, brother or sister in Christ, neighbor, and on and on. And what often happens is, we become pulled in so many directions, we end up doing poorly in the areas in which we desire to do our best. What is most important to you?

In my life my highest goal and aspiration is to be an obedient and fruitful child of God. I want to please God above all others. Yet, the Lord has helped me to understand that in being the best I can be for Him, I need to love those in my spheres of influence as I love Him. Why is that so vital? Because my life is not my own. I’ve been bought at the high price of the shed blood of my Savior. (1 Corinthians 6:20) Everything I/we do has the potential of influencing someone else either positively or negatively for Jesus.

So, how are things going? When I ask someone about their life in Christ – their daily disciplines, loving well, sharing their faith, etc., often I hear some version of: “But I’m so busy!” Jackie Hill Perry wrote: “Our busy schedules aren’t keeping us from prayer, our hearts are.” That puts us back to my question at the beginning: “What is most important to you?”

When I was first in ministry, especially in the small churches I served, the pastor was the “go-to” person for virtually everything that happened in the church. It wasn’t right, and I eventually learned to make some vital changes, but, unfortunately, that’s the way it was in the beginning. If someone was in the hospital, the pastor went to see them. If someone had a crisis, they called the pastor. If there was a meeting, the pastor was expected to be there. PLUS, I had a Sunday morning and Sunday night service to prepare for, as well as a Wednesday night gathering. Yeh, I know, “Boo-hoo!” for me. The point is, I was busy. So, I understand busyness.

Vance Pitman, our Senior Pastor at the church of which my wife and I are now members, wrote a book entitled “The Stressless Life.” It’s a great book and a very interesting study that I highly recommend. In his book he asks a very pointed question: “Does your schedule include time with Jesus, or is it ordered around time with Jesus.?” Think of Mary and Martha (John 10).

The point is every person has 24 hours a day. We can make time with God a priority and allow Him to order our lives from there or keep a frantic pace trying to juggle all the proverbial “balls” ourselves. Your marriage, work, health, relationships, recreation, hobbies, rest – everything in your life can be ordered around your time with God, if you’ll put Him first and ask for His help.

Pete Scazzero wrote: “Jesus was not up all night preparing a sermon. He was up all night communing with the Father. Out of that came a sermon.” What does that mean? It essentially means that if we put spending time with Jesus first, He’ll enable us to do the other things we have to do, better and more efficiently. What I’m suggesting is that if you’ll make God the number one priority in your schedule, He will enable you to order your life differently, and enable you to be more fruitful for Him.

We are so tyrannized by the urgent, we miss the important. Stop robbing yourself of the richness that life in Christ is intended to be and start seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness and let Jesus add everything else you NEED (not want). Life was never designed by God to be a frantic pursuit of the material, but a meaningful and personal friendship with the Lover of our Soul, resulting in peace, contentment and fruitfulness in everything He leads us into.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Is It Time to Call An Audible?

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

Earl Nightingale said: “A rut is a grave with the ends kicked out.” Sometimes that’s a picture of our lives, doing the same things over and over and over again, with no hope of change and nothing to look forward to but death. But thank God, that’s not the way He designed us to live, and He has a plan to pull us out of our rut. Having walked with the Lord for many years, I’ve seen firsthand how He’s engineered circumstances in my life and the lives of many others, to move us in directions we never dreamed possible.

Is it time for a change in your life?

Though I’m not a sports fan, I do occasionally watch a game. There’s an expression used in some sports scenarios where the coach will call “an audible.” It essentially means that rather than run the play prescribed for a given situation, the coach will instead, on the spur of the moment, substitute another play. It’s done to confuse the defense and/or as a last effort to win the game.

There are times in our lives when it becomes necessary to “call an audible.” A time to try something new, different, perhaps unprecedented, something we’ve never done before that seems impossible, but holds the potential of moving us in a fresh, new direction. If you don’t know Jesus, that’s what He wants to do for you today.

Transformation, as used in the above verse, doesn’t necessarily have reference to our outward circumstances, but to the way we think. By God’s grace and with the help of His powerful Spirit living within us, WE can be different, WE can call the proverbial “audible” in our life, even if our outward circumstances never change.

There are lifestyles people today are following that are leading them straight to the grave. By their own or another’s decisions, they are on a proverbial “treadmill” existence, reliving the same day over and over again. STOP!

Even as I type that bold word, STOP, the Lord is reminding me that many who would love to stop, literally can’t. Either because they’re being forced to live the way they are, or because they’ve become so entrenched in the rut of their life, they’ve lost all perspective and hope of ever changing.

Many of the old Negro Spirituals grew out of the circumstances of slavery. A college choir I heard when I was in high school sang a song that said: “Soon I will be over with the troubles of this world…going home to be with God!” And the chorus said: “I’m going to meet my Jesus! I’m going to meet my Jesus! I’m going to meet my Jesus! I’m going home to be with God!”

Am I suggesting that people who are enslaved, literally by those who are evil, or figuratively by lifestyles they’ve chosen for themselves, should just sing a simple song and all would be well? Of course not. What I am saying is knowing Jesus is liberating to our soul. Regardless of our present circumstances, we can realize this earth is not our home. Whether we’re living with much or little, our present life is temporary and has no comparison with the liberating joy of being in heaven with Jesus.

Even if changing your outward circumstances is out of your control, take control of your mind and give yourself to Jesus. Even if you’re being forced to act in ways that are very ungodly, you are precious in God’s sight and loved with an everlasting love. You may be trapped in a lifestyle you would never have chosen for yourself, but there is freedom in Jesus that will liberate your soul and spirit and enable you to have hope in a life to come. A world awaits you that will be perfect in every way. A world that you can cherish and enjoy, but perhaps much more important, a world in which you will be cherished, loved, and liberated to be all God created and intended for you to be . . . for all eternity!

God is with you, even in your misery, and will one day deliver you into His loving, protective arms forever. Just say “yes” to Jesus. Trust Him and leave the rest to Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊