Walking With Jesus

An Audience of One

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT)

Have you ever been discouraged? Did you know discouragement is one of Satan’s favorite tools? Why? Because Satan is a liar, and discouragement is a lie posing as the truth, to cause us to believe something, usually about ourselves, that is untrue.

A few days ago I read one of Charles H. Spurgeon’s sermons entitled, The Immutability of God. Immutability means “never changing, never varying, unchangeable.” So even the reference to Jesus in the Hebrews passage is an affirmation of His deity, for only God is Immutable.

Spurgeon gave numerous examples of how Christ’s immutability has meaning and value in our lives. He spoke of God’s unchanging love, power, purpose, and many other attributes. He was comparing things that God has done in the past, and using them as affirmation that He will always do and be those things in the future.

He said, for example: “Was He powerful? Was He the mighty God when He spoke the world out of the womb of non-existence?” Then later Spurgeon said: “He has not become an Almighty tyrant, whereas He was once an Almighty Father; but His strong love stands like a granite rock, unmoved by the hurricanes of our iniquity.”

I’m not sure how you respond to those kinds of statements, but what went through my mind was: “And I think I’M a writer?” Who thinks like that? Who can paint such wonderful pictures with words? Who, by God’s grace can move the hearts of men like Spurgeon? Certainly not me. And my first thought was: “I could never write like that, what’s the use of even pretending to be a writer?” Whine! Whine! Whine! Poor me, all wrapped up in self-pity!

You see what can happen? See how Satan works? The first thought was one of discouragement, but that first thought, thank God, was fleeting. Then the Lord turned my mind to: “Wow! What a mighty God we serve. What a tremendous treasure God gave us through the amazing gifts of C. H. Spurgeon.”

The truth is, if I used words like Spurgeon today, few people would take the time or make the effort to read them. But what was astounding was, in the footnote it said that he was only 20 years old when he preached that sermon to 2,000 people. He came to the Lord when he was 15 and had no formal education. God educated him and taught him, through strenuous self-study, what he needed to know and shaped him into the man he needed him to be, to reach the people to whom God would send him to preach. And, yes, his words still challenge and move the hearts of men and women today. Why? Because they’re God’s words channeled through a human mind.

And here’s the miracle of our unchanging God – He’s still doing the same thing today! Do you want to know where? Are you sitting down? IN YOU! “Yeh, but I’m only a _____________,” And you can fill in the blank.

The truth is, EVERY believer has a commission from the Lord to spread the word of who Jesus is, what He died to accomplish, and that He’s coming soon to call His Bride home to be with Him forever. Don’t let the enemy of your soul lie to you and make you believe for a second that you’re anything but exactly what you need to be to accomplish exactly what He’s called, equipped, and commissioned you to be.

As for me, God alone knows who will read what I write, so He gives me exactly what needs to be said, for exactly the person He knows will read my posts. Am I disappointed I can’t write like Spurgeon? Not at all. Why not? Because I write for an audience of One. His name is Jesus, and if I please Him, I’m good with that.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why So Many Miss Heaven (Part 2)

“But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NLT)

A question I’ve often asked over the years is: “Why would anyone not want to go to heaven?” Or, another way to ask a similar question: “Why would anyone want to go to hell?” Unfortunately, there are many reasons, a few of which I’d like to address today.

The environment in which a person grows up is a leading reason why many have no understanding of or interest in going to heaven. They have no frame of reference. Some, because of the horrible circumstances of their life as a child, and into adulthood, believe hell is what they’ve been living on this earth, and “anything” must be better when you die. Or worse, they come to believe that’s all they deserve, on earth and hereafter.

On the other hand, some children are so pampered and so generously provided for, they see no need for heaven, and have no concept of hell. Everything their heart desires is given to them, so it’s difficult for them to believe anyone, even God, can offer anything better.

Regardless of our upbringing, if the spiritual dimension of our lives is unknown or ignored when we’re young, it becomes increasingly more difficult to formulate correct and healthy views of God, Satan, heaven, and hell as an adult. So many miss the gateway to life because they don’t even know it exists and/or don’t care.

Those of us who know Jesus and have learned to build our lives around Him, tend to think the truths of the Bible are intuitive, that everyone should know right from wrong, and understand their need of God. We are prone to think: “If I know these things, everyone should know them,” but it doesn’t work that way.

One huge issue for many is the fact they don’t believe they deserve to be in heaven. While that can be a very healthy first step, because the reality is, NO ONE does deserve heaven, it isn’t always the case.

The dad of one of my friends in high school was an alcoholic. He walked by one day while I was shooting hoops on my driveway. He had obviously been drinking and was crying, so I asked him what was wrong. He began to pour out his heart about his guilt and shame regarding the lives he had taken during WWII. He couldn’t forgive himself, so he found it difficult to believe God would forgive him and allow him to go to heaven.

Our emotions can lie to us and cause us to believe things that aren’t true. Guilt and shame are powerful tools in Satan’s hands and God alone can heal and help us to deal with them. There are things in my life that I deeply regret and for which I carried guilt and shame for many years, but gratefully, God’s Spirit has healed and used those things to draw me ever closer to Himself.

What about you? Where are you as you ponder the mysteries of life and death and where they lead? Regardless of your past, God loves you and desires to have a relationship with you. Satan’s goal is to keep you distracted by the frivolities of this earthly life or regrets from your past, preventing you from coming to terms with your need of God. I once feared death, knowing that I didn’t deserve to be in heaven, yet dreading the possibility of hell. Today, I invite death, because I know that the One who knows me best and loves me most will be waiting with outstretched arms to welcome me home to Him. God loves each of us the same and desires to welcome you home as well.

Heaven and hell are eternal realities. Satan is a liar and a deceiver, and his goal is to keep you blinded to all God has done in and through Jesus to make a way for you to be forgiven and restored to your rightful place as His child. If you haven’t yet yielded your life and allegiance to Jesus, please click on the link below and learn how to make Jesus the Lord of your life before it’s eternally too late. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why So Many Miss Heaven

“The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” (Matthew 7:13b NLT)

When I was in college, I worked part time at the local newspaper, where I met a young man about my age, whose nickname was “Garb.” That seemed a little odd, so one day I asked why he was called that. The person’s response was: “because he’s constantly swearing!” Okay.

One day I needed a ride home and “Garb” offered to take me. We chatted casually, but when we got to my dorm, I asked him if I could talk to him about something. He agreed, so I shared how Jesus had come to earth to live a sinless life and die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. I told him how much God loved him and wanted to forgive him and give him new life in Christ.

After I shared for a few minutes, I asked him if he had any questions. At first, he was quiet, then he asked: “Why hasn’t anyone ever shared this with me before?”

The Lord brought that conversation to mind as I was contemplating this post. We’re so prone to believe that people just don’t want to hear about Jesus, that they’re content to live in their sin. But I believe a major reason so many people are going to miss heaven is because no one ever took the time to tell them what Jesus has done for them.

That’s one of the reasons I often go over the basics of the Gospel in my posts. Ignorance, which simply means a lack of knowledge about a given subject, is keeping people out of heaven.

Another reason that brings delight to Satan and blocks the ears and hearts of those who are without a saving knowledge of Jesus is hypocrisy in the lives of people who are professing to know Jesus but living like the devil. My brother-in-law, who is now in heaven, for years rejected invitations to come to Christ because of a relative who claimed to know Jesus but cheated him in business dealings.

Another very common reason people miss heaven is because we think they have more time than they do. I gave a ride to a boy I knew in high school, more by reputation than through friendship, but after I let him out of the car the Lord laid on my heart to speak to him about Jesus the next opportunity I had. There wasn’t to be another opportunity. He drove his car into the river the next day, taking his own life. He seemed to have everything, but obviously, he didn’t.

That’s a major reason I started this blog. It grieves me to think about people who would literally jump at the chance to know Jesus if they just understood who He is and what He’s done for them.

When I was first in ministry, I visited a family of seven – mom, dad and their five children. Often when I made visits the parents would send the kids to their rooms, but not this time. We sat in a circle, so we were face to face as I shared the words of life about Jesus. When I finished, I asked each one, starting with dad, to the youngest child: “Would you like to receive the gift of eternal life Jesus offers?” And each one, all seven, said “Yes!” They became fruitful servants of the Lord as they lived out their faith.

If you know the Lord, please don’t miss an opportunity to speak life and love into the heart of someone you meet or someone you know hasn’t yielded their life to the Lord. We never know when we’ll be seeing them for the last time. We must be about our Father’s business of sharing the life He’s given us with everyone we possibly can.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Jesus, Our Disciplinarian

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2a NLT)

Our faith journey is begun in and by Jesus and will be finished/completed in and by Jesus. That’s what it means that He’s the One “who initiates and perfects our faith.” According to Strong’s Concordance, Jesus is the “One who in His own person, raised faith to its perfection, and so set before us the highest example of faith.” In other words, He perfectly lived the life of faith He calls each of us to follow. But how can we ever measure up to His standard of excellence?

Obviously, we can’t, but we can improve and strive to achieve our absolute best this side of eternity, then be made complete in Him on the other side. In the meantime, by keeping our focus on Jesus, distractions fall away, and I’m free to learn from the Author and Finisher of my faith, how to follow His perfect example more closely. But how?

One way is to offer less resistance when the Lord seeks to discipline us (see Hebrews 12:5-13), because when we’re able to do that, the easier it becomes to recognize His voice when He speaks and to submit to His authority when He gives us a directive.

It helps us to understand why the Lord disciplines us and what He’s trying to accomplish through it. Verses 5-6 are quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12 and have reference to the ways the Lord corrects those whom He loves. His intention is not to hurt us, but to correct our wrong attitude or behavior. In verse 6 in the New Living Translation, the word “discipline” means “to be instructed or taught or to cause one to learn.” But it can also mean “to chastise or castigate with words to correct.” What does that mean?

It means the punishment needs to fit the “crime/sin.” If we need more correction to enable us to make changes that will lead to the righting of severely wrong behavior or attitudes, that’s what the Lord will do. He’s not going to slap us on the wrist for something that we have done that has serious and/or long-range implications for wrong or evil in our lives. What might that look like?

In verses 15-21 the writer gives an example to illustrate the kinds of things God can and will do to give us a “course adjustment.” One of the most disturbing verses in the Bible to me is verse 17: “You know that afterward, when he (Esau) wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

Friends, please hear me. There is coming a time, sooner than any of us can imagine, when it will be too late to repent. A time when bitter tears will not change God’s heart or mind towards us.

Verse 14 helps us to see how we need to live in the meantime: “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” This is a call to what the Bible calls “sanctification.” It doesn’t mean to be without sin or flaw. It means “to be set apart for sacred use by God.” It means our goal as a Jesus follower is to grow in ever-increasing measure in His likeness, that we may be “set apart” from the world, solely for use by and for our Savior.

In verse 15 it speaks of a “poisonous root of bitterness” that can grow up and trouble the person in which the bitterness resides, but can also corrupt many others. Then in verse 16 it urges us to: “…not be immoral or godless like Esau.” Here “Immoral” means “to allow the lust for sex to overpower and/or replace a desire to be pure before the Lord.” And “godless” speaks to those who take “that which is intended to be holy and sacred and treat it as though it were common and ordinary” (i.e. our body, our mind, our spirit, our resources), in short, everything with which the Lord has entrusted us as His children.

How we behave, speak, and live our life, is either a beacon of light to point those who know us closer to Jesus, or a red flag of hypocrisy, driving them further away from Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Keeping Our Focus on Jesus (Part 2)

“…especially the sin that so easily trips us up.” (Hebrews 12:1b NLT)

The battlefield on which a follower of Jesus will live and die, is between our ears. The most dangerous mine field of our existence as a believer is our mind. To keep our thoughts focused on Jesus while pursuing the sinful ways of Satan is an impossibility. You must choose one or the other.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul writes: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Then notice what he says in verse 11: “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Remember, the context of this post is the sin that trips us up in our race to live for the Lord Jesus. Verse 9, when it speaks of “those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God“, Paul is referring to those who are continuing to sin as a habit, a lifestyle choice, a deliberate decision to follow these paths as opposed to living for Jesus. He clearly says in verse 11: “Some of you were once like that.” “WERE once like that!” With the clear implication, BUT YOU ARE NO LONGER!

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To profess faith in Christ, and to believe you can continue to live like the devil is to believe a lie from the pit of hell. Acts 3:19 records the words of Peter when he said: “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” To repent means to change your mind. It’s a military term that pictures a soldier doing an about face. We’re walking in one direction, but deliberately make the decision to turn around and go in a new direction. The word implies that what motivates the decision of our mind to change directions is an abhorrence of the things in which we were once involved.

To believe we can run the race of faith while habitually engaging in things that displease and dishonor God, is to spurn God’s grace and make a mockery of what it means to be His child. Jesus clearly said: “No man (person) can serve two masters.” (Matthew 6:24)

Am I saying we will never sin. No, of course not. But it’s our goal. Sin must become the exception, not the rule. John writes: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.” (1 John 2:1 NLT) We must hate our sin and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to cleanse our heart and mind, enabling us to choose to obey God, rather than the ruler of our sin nature. Sin is a willful decision to do what God has clearly instructed us not to do, or to not do something He has clearly instructed us to do. This is why it’s so vitally important to stay rooted in the Word of God.

We don’t accidentally climb into the sack with a person to whom we’re not married. We don’t accidentally cheat someone in a business transaction or steal something that isn’t ours. Sin is a choice we make, the consequence for which we will pay an eternal price. OR, we can allow the Lord Jesus, our Advocate (1 John 2:2), to pay the penalty for our sin and in the strength of the Holy Spirit, walk away from a lifestyle of sin and evil into a life of holiness and purity in Jesus.

There will still be consequences in this life for your sin, as there have been for mine, but your eternal destiny can be changed. The choice is yours, but please don’t believe you can live on the proverbial fence, loving sin and loving Jesus. THAT’S NOT AN OPTION!

Trying to live for Jesus while walking in an ungodly lifestyle is like driving your car forward while staying focused on the rearview mirror. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Keeping Our Focus on Jesus (Part 1)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down…” (Hebrews 12:1a NLT)

The writer of the Hebrew letter opens chapter twelve with a reference to the “huge crowd of witnesses” that have run the race of faith before us. We are surrounded by the effects of their influence as we train and run our race. With desire to be the best we can possibly be, we are encouraged to: “…strip off every weight that slows us down…” What are the weights that slow you down?

Have you ever run in or watched a Marathon? My daughter has run in a few, and while I’ve seen some funny things that runners wear, I’ve yet to see anyone run a Marathon in a snow suit. Why not? The weight, if for no other reason. Distractions, regardless of their cause, are like extra weight for a runner, that at best will slow us down, and, at worst, disqualify or disable us from finishing.

As we think of our “faith” race, what are some common “weights” (distractions) that hinder us?

Age and/or physical condition can be factors. How so? I’m 74, so I tend to run out of energy more quickly. I find my mind will wander if I’m not well rested and it takes me longer to accomplish even the things I enjoy, such as reading and studying the Bible, praying or writing. When I was younger, I often found other things more pressing, believing I’d get to my reading/studying later. Later rarely came. It can be very helpful over time to find a place you consistently go to read, study, pray, and meditate. The familiarity of that setting (room, chair, desk, nature) can automatically turn your thoughts to God.

Realizing as a husband/wife, parent, employee, etc., there are going to be legitimate time constraints over which you have little or no control. Setting a certain time to meet with the Lord can be especially challenging for parents of small children or for those who are working odd hours. It takes creativity and lots of desire, but it’s possible and will pay rich dividends over time.

When I was first in ministry someone told me: “God gives us all the time we need to accomplish the complete will of God if we use our time efficiently.” Life, in all its mess, is ministry waiting to happen. Nothing can prevent you from praying, singing, reciting scripture, even if those things need to be done only in your mind. When I walk my pups, work around the house, do projects in the garage, whatever I’m doing, I’m talking with the Lord.

I’m reminded of the book by Charles Hummel, The Tyranny of the Urgent. We allow things that are relatively insignificant, yet urgent, to overshadow what deserves to be a priority.

The point is, if we want to keep the Lord in view, the Lord will enable us to find a way. Will it take discipline? Of course! Will it take time? Definitely! Is it worth making the effort? Without a doubt!

Notice the things to this point aren’t deliberate efforts on our part to not do what the Lord wants for us. They aren’t sin. Sin separates us from God. We’ll look at this tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Praise God for My Addiction!

“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” (Ephesians 1:22 NLT)

We’ve grown so accustomed to seeing the word “addiction” used in reference to drugs, alcohol, sex, and dozens of other life-destroying tools of Satan, we’ve forgotten that it also means: “to give oneself up to some strong habit; an ardent supporter, devotee.” I’ve given myself up to reading and studying the Bible every day. The older I get the more often I turn my thoughts to God in gratitude and thanksgiving through prayer. I rarely miss church unless I’m sick or out of town, and even then, if I can’t be in worship, I’ll watch it online. I’m an ardent supporter and devotee of the Lord Jesus and I give Him ALL glory, honor, and praise for what He’s doing in my life. Am I bragging? No, I’m throwing you a lifeline! How so?

Addiction is another word for “habit.” Habits rule your life. Tell me what you do habitually, and I’ll tell you who your master is. You only have two choices: Jesus or yourself (the devil). That’s why Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. 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.”

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What you think about comes about! Think “world” all day and your life will reflect your thoughts. Think “Jesus” all day and your life will reflect your thoughts. Your body is the vehicle of your mind. The word Paul uses that is translated “plead,” means “to beg, to earnestly warn,” and carries a sense of urgency. Why is he so eager to warn us?

Notice he pleads that we first give our bodies to God, then, in verse 2 he lets us know that if we let God transform the way we use our bodies, He will change the way we think. Hmm! Doesn’t that seem backwards? Let’s look more closely. Where are our eyes? Where are our ears? Body parts, right? Our eyes are the windows of our soul. What we look at (focus our eyes upon) will become the force that drives our thoughts. (i.e. pornography or the Word of God; videos that point us to Jesus or the world?)

Our ears are also key receptors for our mind, heart, and soul. What do you listen to in the car? At the house? At work? I’m not just referring to the kind of music you like, but what is the predominant theme of what you allow your ears to hear, or of your casual conversations? Work conversations? Church conversations? Etc. What we allow our eyes and ears to “teach” our mind will drive the habits of our bodies, which drives the way we view the world, and paints the picture of us the world sees.

That’s why in verse 3 Paul gives a warning: “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves (DON’T MISS THIS!) by the faith God has given us;” Another way to say that is: “by the standard of our God-given faith.” What does that mean? It essentially means by a Biblical standard, not by the standards of the world.

If you’re not living up to Biblical standards by the way you treat and/or use your body, your mind will reflect that. And, if you’re not living up to a Biblical standard in the things that occupy your thoughts, your body will reflect that upon which your mind is feeding. BUT, if you feed your mind on Biblical truth, and discipline your body to follow Biblical patterns/habits of behavior, you will reflect the glory, honor, and fame of Jesus. Your choice. Which will it be for you? As for me, I’m praising God for my addiction to Him!

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Is Loving Others Supposed to Look Like?

“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?” (Matthew 5:46a NLT)

Whether we realize it or not, a lot of our values, in terms of what we believe, including how we treat others who are different from ourselves, is “caught” more than taught. What does that mean? It means that we tend to follow what is modeled before us, growing up. If our parents liked a certain kind of car, food, political party, church/religion, whatever, we tend to follow their example, at least initially, rather than think it through and make up our own minds.

That often includes how we view people who are different from us. Growing up I didn’t think about prejudice that much because everyone around me was white. I went to school with a few black kids, but they would stay together, and I stayed with my white friends. I didn’t have a friend that wasn’t white until college, but this was in the 60’s and there was a lot of friction between the races.

Having come to Christ in high school, I was trying to learn what loving others looked like, but for the most part, everyone I loved looked like me. Then one summer I learned a college singing group was coming to our church, and, with my mom’s permission, I volunteered to invite one of the singers to stay with us. Little did we know the young man who would be staying with us was black. Oh, my 😊!

Not knowing how my mom would react, I thought it best to let her know before bringing the young man to our house but was pleasantly surprised when she was agreeable to him staying with us. We became fast friends and I learned to love him as a brother, which, of course, he was. That experience helped a lot to move me in the direction of opening my mind and heart to others who were different than me.

Fast forward a lot of years. Now I had lots of friends who were different, but there was still one group with whom I struggled. Gays! We called gays by lots of other names when I was growing up and though my heart could expand to embrace a lot of different kinds of people, much to God’s displeasure, it didn’t include “them!”

A few years ago, my son and his fiancée asked me if I’d officiate their wedding, which I was delighted to do. At that time, we lived in different states, so whatever details we had to work out were either over the phone or via text or email. A few days before the wedding I learned that his fiancée’s “Maid of Honor,” wasn’t a “Maid,” but a man. A man who was married to another man! Whoa! I didn’t see that one coming! What should I do?

My first instinct was to tell them I couldn’t marry them, but having learned to not make decisions of that magnitude without first praying, I asked the Lord: “Lord, what should I do?” None of my preconceived ideas of how He would respond came close to what He told me. He said, “I want you to do the wedding, and this is what I want you to do about the “Man” of Honor – love him and enjoy him!”

It was liberating! Brian and his partner were an absolute delight. Two of the finest human beings I’ve ever met. Brian made a toast to the bride and groom that was touching and humorous, and I could see immediately why Steph loved him so much. We’ve since had other opportunities to spend time together and my love for them has continued to grow. Neither of them professes faith in Christ (yet), largely, I believe, because of the way they’ve been treated by “Christian” people like me before my conversation with the Lord. How can we expect anyone to desire our Savior when we’re not treating them like Jesus would? Who are the “THEM’S” in your life? Who is it that you struggle to love?

The Lord made it clear that my responsibility, regardless of the lifestyles of the people I meet, is to love them as though I were Jesus, allowing Him to love them through me, and leave their lifestyles to Him.

When you think about it, isn’t that exactly the way we want to be treated when we are learning about Jesus or coming to church for the first time? Do we want people getting in our face about what “brand” of sin we prefer? Last time I checked, the Bible affirms we’re all sinners. When I decide that I have a right to criticize or reject a person because I don’t like their lifestyle, I’d better speak with the Master Surgeon, Jesus, and ask Him to remove the log from my eye, so I can help get the speck out of another person’s eye. “Father, help me (us)!”

Blessings, Ed 😊

Whatever Became of Honor?

“I praise Your name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness; for Your promises are backed by all the honor of Your name.” (Psalm 138:2b NLT)

In the film entitled The Last Samurai Tom Cruise is an American Captain in the late 1800’s. He has distinguished himself by his valor in battle, and his wisdom as a strategist. He accepts an opportunity to go to Japan and train their army to do battle against the last remaining Samurai, whose soul purpose for centuries has been to protect the interests of their Emperor.

As the story unfolds, Katsumoto, the leader of the Samurai, and the Captain become friends and learn from one another. The Captain learns the ways of the Samurai and becomes a comrade who helps defend the Samarai from their enemies, including the new Japanese army trained and led by an American Lieutenant Colonel. The Samurai are no match for the canons and machine guns of the new army, and all the Samurai are killed and the Captain is severely wounded, but lives to present Katsumoto’s sword to the young Emperor.

As he presents the sword, the young Emperor begins to understand what a tremendous sacrifice the Samurai’s have made, and is noticeably moved. While it violated ancient protocol, the Emperor knelt to receive the sword and asked the Captain: “Were you with him when he died?” To which the Captain said he was. Then the Emperor asked: “Will you tell me how he died?” To which the Captain replied: “I will tell you how he lived!”

Katsumoto’s honorable death was the perfect ending for the life of honor that he lived. Watching that film again reminded me of how soft, undisciplined, and selfish most of us are in 21^st Century America. We’ve largely forgotten what it means to be a man of honor. We live for ourselves and for whatever makes us feel good.

Even as professing believers in Jesus, while we may be grateful for His discipline, and willingness to die in our place, it apparently doesn’t give us the incentive most of us need to live a life of disciplined obedience to His honor and fame. The more I study the life of my Savior, the more convicted I am that I must do whatever it takes to live in uncompromising submission to His Lordship over my life.

May I challenge you, “men of God,” to be men of honor for His name’s sake? A high percentage of men who profess faith in Christ are addicted to pornography and think nothing of sleeping with, and even living with their girlfriends out of wedlock or being unfaithful to their wife or unethical in their business practices. May I ask you: “Where is the honor in that? How is that different than any other unsaved man in America today? Do you think Jesus is okay with being on the proverbial ‘sidelines’ of your life, while you live like the devil all week, then cry and praise Him on Sunday?” Sorry, guys, that’s not how it works.

Please, for Christ’s sake, start living like Jesus is Lord, or stop making a mockery of His death for your sin, and call your life what it is – a sacrilege! Do you not understand the Holy Spirit will give you power to overcome sin in your life? But you’ve got to want it, and be willing to submit to His Lordship. Let the Lord help you grow a backbone, put on your big boy pants, and stand up to the devil and in Jesus’ Name, tell him to go to hell where he belongs. Will it be easy? Certainly not! But that’s how you become a man of honor.

You’re either a man of God or you’re not! If you are, then live like it! But if you’re not, but you want to be, click on the link below and learn what it means to give your life to Christ. He’s coming soon and when He comes back, He’s not coming to take sides. He’s coming to take over. Whose side do you want to be on then? https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed

Keeping Our Eyes on the One Who Is Invisible

“He (Moses) kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27b NLT)

What we think about comes about. What we choose as the subject of our focused attention, whether with our eyes, mind and/or heart, becomes, over time, the driving force of our lives. Problems arise when the focus of our lives becomes distorted, when we lose focus or discover we’re focusing on the wrong object. There are so many tempting targets designed to redirect our attention.

Faith in God is interesting on many levels but can become confusing when we begin to realize the Person who is to be the focus of our life, is invisible . . . or is He? That’s one of the primary reasons Jesus was born. The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:8-9 wrote: “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” What does that mean?

Jesus was God in human form. He came to illustrate, give visibility to, and instruction regarding, not only who God is, but how His life should be lived out by those who profess to follow Him. What can we learn from the great examples of faith highlighted in Hebrews 11?

The writer begins in verse 1: “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Faith gives us sight/vision/insight into that for which we hope and assurance/conviction that what we’re hoping for will come to pass. What did the people esteemed for their faith in Hebrews 11 have confidence and assurance would happen?

Foundationally, that the God of their faith was the Master Designer, Creator, and Sustainer of all that is now visible, which, ironically, derived it’s form from nothingness. God spoke life into existence in all it’s glorious forms. That’s why Paul spoke in Romans 1:20: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature.”

Photo by Evgeny Tchebotarev on Pexels.com

In like manner, those who professed faith in this invisible God, gave evidence of His presence through the way they lived and the things they accomplished for Him. Over and over the verses of chapter 11 begin by saying: “It was by faith that…” But what was it that guided the hearts and minds of those who for centuries walked be faith? Their confidence was in the God who always keeps His promises. God’s kept promises gave visibility to and built confidence in His reliable character. They weren’t following an idea, they were following a Person.

Yet, verses 39-40 say: “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.” Perfection here means completeness or fulfillment that came about in Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus had a “round trip” ticket, from heaven to earth and back to heaven. That’s why He was able to say from the Cross: “It is finished!”

What He said literally means: “the debt was paid in full.” What debt? The sin debt that is impossible to be paid by man. Christ satisfied God’s justice by dying in our place to pay the penalty for the sins of everyone who will ever come to Him. What is essential for us to understand is Christ alone can offer forgiveness for the debt He paid on our behalf. Why is that? Because sins can only be punished once, either by a God-appointed Substitute (Jesus) or by ourselves. That’s what hell is – our eternal effort to pay the sin debt we owe, that can never in all eternity ever be paid in full by us. The only sin that can’t be forgiven is the one for which forgiveness is never asked.

That’s the promise of God that people across the centuries were holding out by faith would be fulfilled in Christ alone. That’s how much Jesus loves you. He gave His life for your sin and mine, so we’d never have to be separated from Him again. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Blessings, Ed 😊