Walking With Jesus

Loving God When You’re Not Feeling It

“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37 NLT)

Love is a multi-dimensional process. It’s not simply an emotion, it’s a decision. It involves feelings (heart) but is certainly not dependent upon them. I enjoy playing an old X-Box 360 Golf game, but when I miss a putt the announcer will say, “He’s just not feeling it in his hands.” There are moments, sometimes days, when it comes to loving God well, “I’m just not feeling it in my heart.” It’s on those days I have to rely on my other spiritual tools.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10-11: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Paul understood, as we must, that life is war. John Piper said it well: “You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is war.”

Roman soldiers wore armor to protect them in battle, so Paul carried this metaphor into how we should equip ourselves daily for our battle against the enemy of our soul. In verse 13 in Ephesians 6 he speaks of the purpose of the armor was to enable us to “resist the enemy in the time of evil.” ”Evil,” as used here, is multifaceted, but in this verse likely refers to resisting Satan in whatever way he attacks. Paul writes of “the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.” Then in verse 18 he writes: “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

What’s my point? There’s never an opportunity for us to let our guard down. When we’re not feeling spiritually vibrant and alive, that needs to be a que that will alert us to imminent danger. When our heart isn’t feeling close to the Lord, that’s when our mind and will need to be activated to protect us. That’s where spiritual disciplines like reading and studying the Bible, prayer and fellowship with other believers is critical. Listening to Christ-centered music or reading devotionals from people of God to encourage and inspire us to stand strong, can also be helpful.

What is so important for us to protect? Regardless of how long we’ve journeyed with Jesus, it’s vital that we continually seek to inform our minds, train our emotions, discipline our body, and feed our soul. Our love of God, as our love of our parents, siblings, spouse, and friends, must by based on more than our feelings. What God gives us in Jesus is eternal and must be protected with every fiber of our being.

Early in marriage, emotions run high and physical pleasure is central, but relationships built on sensual satisfaction alone won’t endure the test of time, thus the high divorce rate, even among believers. It’s similar in our relationship with God. It’s not unusual to be highly charged emotionally when we first make the decision to follow Christ. It’s often in a group environment where the atmosphere is electric, and emotions are running high.

I yielded my life to Jesus during a Sunday night service at church. It was an extremely emotional experience for me. Going home was like riding on a cloud. Then Monday morning came. It was a school day and I felt much like I did on other mornings before school, like I wanted to cover my head and sleep the day away. But as I remembered the night before, though I felt very little emotion, my mind decided: “I’m going to believe what happened last night was real, so I’m going to live like I believe it.” Emotions can’t be trusted, so let your mind and will move you to prayer, trust, truth, and righteousness, living consistently for Jesus whether you feel like it or not.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Am I Missing? (Part 2)

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:4-5 NLT)

Everyone is looking for something! Everyone has a desire deep within for more. We may not always understand what that “more” is, but our attitude seems to be: “I’ll recognize it when I see it!”

There was a boy I knew in high school whose nickname was “Frog.” He was in the Auto Mechanics class, and most every time I saw him, he was squatting down, like a frog, working on a car. He was overweight and his jeans never quite covered everything in the back (you get the picture 😊), thus, his nickname.

It’s interesting that guys like “Frog” rarely, if ever, make the covers of magazines or glamour sites on the internet. Why not? Because they’re selling a perfect physique, with perfect skin and hair. That’s essentially what Satan is “selling.” He’s seeking to convey to everyone who will believe him, that if you chase that “more” in the pit of your soul, it will lead to riches, popularity, power, prestige, and perfection. But, if you haven’t already discovered, it’s a lie.

Jesus is the only person who ever lived or will ever live who is perfect in every way. Yet, ironically, He’s not telling anyone they’ll need to be perfect to come to Him. That’s the beauty of Jesus. The Bible says that there wasn’t anything particularly appealing about Him, at least from all outward appearances (Isaiah 53:2). Yet, when He spoke, God showed up and the power of love was put on display.

What am I missing if I don’t come to Jesus? As with any subject related to Jesus, volumes have been written, but I can tell you from my perspective as a Jesus lover and follower, what I would be missing.

Hope as an Anchor (Janine Buckles) “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Absolute and Unconditional Love. Jesus loves the unlovable, those society has discarded as worthless; those who, in the eyes of the religious community, are the scum of the earth. The Pharisees asked His disciples in Mark 2:16: “Why does He eat with such scum?” Listen to how Jesus responded: “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know I fit into that latter category. The only merit on which I can stand is the merit of my loving Savior, Jesus.
Present and Future Hope. Have you ever experienced the emptiness and fear of facing life without hope? No hope in the present? Unable to see anything bright ahead? Thinking the world would be better off without you? I’ve been there. It’s a miserable place to be. Whatever friends you thought you had, can’t be found. People see you coming and go the other way. But that’s not true of Jesus – Jesus is the One walking in when everyone else is running out! He doesn’t just give us hope, He IS hope. He’s the One who carries you when you’re out of strength. He’s the One who holds you when life is cruel and you’re out of options. He’s the One you can trust when the world seems filled with false hope and lies. He’s the rock, the anchor you can hold to when the storms of life are roaring all around you.
Meaning and Purpose in this Life and the Life to Come. When your life is bound with love from and for Jesus, He gives meaning you never imagined possible. He opens doors you thought were nailed shut. He opens people’s hearts to you that give you avenues of expression for what you love to do, when all you were finding were dead ends. Forgiveness and cleansing within leads to confidence and joy outwardly. My purpose is to love and honor Jesus on my way to heaven, taking as many with me as possible.

Are you tired of the lies, broken promises, dead ends? Are you ready for the life God has intended for you all along? Are you willing to give up on finding your own way out of the hole you’ve dug for yourself? Come to Jesus. He’s waiting with open arms to give you the life you’ve always wanted, but never dreamed was possible. He loves you with a love that won’t let go.

Please click this link and learn what it means to have a personal, love relationship with the King of Creation. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Am I Missing?

“And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” (Matthew 6:23b NLT)

Often as I’ve spoken to someone about their need of Jesus, their recurring theme is one of uncertainty. It’s like they agree with me. . . BUT! So, as I inquire further, the bottom line becomes: “I’m afraid I’m going to miss out on something!” They’re concerned that a life lived for the Lord will restrict them from something they don’t want to miss.

But having spent hours with people on the other end of those conversations, after they’ve walked for years on the paths they’ve chosen for themselves, it becomes even more clear in my mind and theirs what they’ve missed. The only things we miss by not coming to Christ when we’re young, is a life of regret, heartache, and disappointment.

John writes in 1 John 2:16: “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.” “Craving” refers to a longing for what is forbidden. Lust grows into a driving force that draws us to people or things that are not in our best interest, but seem so desirable they’re impossible to resist, apart from the strength of God’s Spirit. The word translated “pride” in this verse means: “an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). What does that mean?

It essentially means the lies of Satan, made manifest through the manifold outlets of what our eyes can see, and our ears can hear, overshadow the gentle voice of God. Satan is a desperate, defeated foe of God, seeking in any way possible to drag as many as possible to hell with him.

A much-used analogy for living our lives apart from Christ, is darkness. Jesus said: “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NLT)

If that upon which we choose to focus our eyes, and thus, our attention, is primarily of this world, then what to us in that moment seems like light, is actually darkness. Darkness that is shrinking our soul and robbing us of everything Jesus died to give us. The tragedy is, we often don’t realize what’s happening to us until our heart is so numb to truth, we can’t see even a glimmer of light. We’ve believed the lies so long, to us they have become truth.

Only the floodlight of God’s Spirit can break the stranglehold of the enemy. The great news of the Gospel of Christ is spoken in Luke 1:78-79 through the lips of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

Dear friend, I assure you, on the authority of God’s Word and my nearly 60 years of walking with Jesus, your only hope of eternal life is Jesus! He’s the only One who can penetrate the darkness of our souls with the light of His love. That’s the beauty of Jesus. He, in His wisdom and infinite love, has planted His Church, God’s people, to stand at the gates of hell to pull back those who are on their way to a Christless eternity. Please don’t fall for the lies of Satan for another second. Yield your life and allegiance without reservation to Jesus. You will never regret it. Click on this link to learn why and how to give your life to Jesus. He’s the ONLY path from darkness to light. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

The People We Meet Along the Way

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Go back home. Your son will live!’” (John 4:50a NLT)

In a previous post I mentioned that some of the best and some of the worst people I’ve met, were in the church. The reality is, some of them were the same person. God doesn’t call us to serve perfect people, only sinners like ourselves. Fellow strugglers, saved by grace. People just like me . . . and you!

As I think of my ministry (service for Christ), the years are a blur. What stands out are the times the Lord asked me to faithfully share in the best and worst moments of people’s lives.

There was a police officer in a church I served. We were born on the same day. We became fast friends and did a lot of things together. Our wives and families bonded, and our love was deep. He was a big man, but among the kindest and most gentle men I’ve ever known. He told me about a time he went on a domestic call, where a woman had called the police because her husband was abusing her.

He told me these were his least favorite calls because he never knew what to expect. In this call, it became evident from the start that the man was under the influence of something and was not going to calm down. My friend tried to subdue him, but in the process was attacked by his wife. I see in this scenario a parable of life.

We sometimes do a similar thing with God. We call out to Him to send us help for whatever trouble we have, but when He sends someone, rather than embrace them as an answer to prayer, we “fight” them, resisting the very help we’ve prayed to receive.

Very few people over the years have reminded me of something they heard me say or learned from one of the hundreds of messages I’ve spent many hours preparing. More often it’s been of a time God enabled me to meet them in their hour of heartache and pain. Gratefully, ministry allows times of joy-filled celebration, but those moments aren’t usually with crowds of people. Sometimes a phone conversation or card when someone you’ve served calls or writes to say: “Thank you, pastor, for being there when I really needed someone to care.”

Often, like my police officer friend, I see people at their worst, not just their best. Yet, these, too, are sacred moments that bring tears of gratitude to God for the matchless privilege of being His servant. Because it’s in those moments I realize with humility that the help the folks received in their desperate times of need, didn’t come from me, but from Jesus.

Ministry isn’t about me or you. Never was, never will be. It’s only and always about Him. If we’re ever to be effective in our calling, whether in Pastoral ministry, nursing, education, technology or any other field, that effectiveness will come in direct proportion to our unreserved devotion to our Master and Friend, the Lord Jesus. He alone gave Himself on a shameful Cross, for the love of us. It’s our privilege to allow His love to flow through us.

My heart breaks when I consider the multiplied millions of people who need a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear to hear their story, eyes that will see them and not allow them to be lost in the crowd. I often wonder how these lost and dying people will hear the Good News of Jesus before it’s eternally too late. And the Lord reminds me: “The same way they’ve always come to Me – one prayer at a time!”

Will you consecrate time every day to pray for those in your spheres of influence? Those in your family, work environment, neighborhood, coffee shop, wherever you go from day to day, who are trying to live their life without the hope of Jesus? The Holy Spirit alone can break down the walls of resistance between them and Jesus, the only One who is the answer to their desperation.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Memories

“They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and sing of Your righteousness.” (Psalm 145:7 NKJV)

Thinking about my life as a pastor, I’m discovering some of my most cherished memories are of the times I spent with people in the context of their pain and loss. Perhaps because it was in those sacred moments I felt most ill-equipped and least capable, thus demanding I be more dependent upon the Lord. As a result, God’s Spirit did what humanly I couldn’t, and He enabled the one(s) with whom I was seeking to comfort to sense His closeness more personally.

Recently I received a call from a man whose wife had been in a nursing care facility. He explained that in recent months, due to Covid, he was only able to stand at the window of her room and speak with her via his cell phone. The staff would put a phone by her ear so she could hear her husband’s voice. Over the years her ability to communicate had slowly deteriorated, until she was now in a vegetative state.

On what was to be his last visit with his beloved wife of more than fifty years, this precious man of God who had been so diligent in his attentiveness to his bride, was told she may have only four or five days to live. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, he asked if he could see her, and was allowed to come into her room. He spoke gently about his love for her and his confidence the Lord was with her. He laid by her in the narrow bed, put his arms around her and kissed her, and in that moment the Lord came and took her into His arms.

During his last call to me, I prayed with this faithful husband in his pain and hour of loss. I remembered the many times we’d visited and prayed together when I was his pastor, and I felt honored that he would call me and share this beautiful story.

During His ministry, Jesus often stopped what He was doing to pay special attention to someone in need. It was as if He gave no consideration to not going with someone who would summon Him to help them or someone they loved. How grateful I am for those many times in my ministry I had opportunity to intersect with Jesus at the bedsides of hurting people.

In the first church I served, I went to visit a young girl in the hospital and was greeted by her grandmother, who was her caregiver. Though we’d never met I immediately felt a bond of love for this family. Over the years I was called upon to help them in many ways, including walking through a wooded area searching for their son, whom we found had taken his own life.

Walking with them in painful times cemented our relationship and God gave me the opportunity to serve them through weddings, funerals, baptisms, and many other ways, for which I will be eternally grateful.

These are the moments I cherish in my retirement when I consider the fruitfulness of my ministry. I never served a large church or traveled worldwide preaching and teaching. I wasn’t well known or sought after, except by those whom the Lord commissioned me to serve.

Perhaps I’ll share a little more tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does God Send People to Hell (Part 2)

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” (John 12:46 NLT)

Yesterday we looked at the question, does God send people to hell? But, as my wife would attest, sometimes my mind goes in so many directions it’s hard for me to complete one thought without scurrying to another. So, today I’d like to lay a little groundwork, then share another illustration that, hopefully, will help you understand better that God sends no one to hell.

Jesus came to earth for the express purpose of revealing to us who God is and helping us to understand that because of sin, introduced to mankind by our original parents, Adam and Eve, we are all, by nature, sinners. The Bible says in Romans 3:10: “No one is righteous – not even one.” The Bible also says that sin carries a death penalty. Romans 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death…” If we die without having our sin dealt with, we spend an eternity paying the death penalty ourselves.

Because God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us, He saw the only One who could pay the penalty for our sin was Himself. That’s when Jesus volunteered to come to earth, to experience life as a human being and be tempted in every way as we are. He came to live with us as a perfect reflection of God, then sacrifice His life in our place to once and for all, satisfy the penalty for sin. He now offers us forgiveness and new life in Him as a free gift. The rest of Romans 6:23 says: “…but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So, you see, God did everything possible to make a way for us to be in heaven with Him. He literally opened a way where none existed, but the choice is ours! We’re not puppets, we’re living, breathing human beings with a will of our own. God made us that way so that just as He chose us to be in relationship, He gives us the option of accepting His love and forgiveness or rejecting it; of being a child of God or continuing to follow the dictates of our selfish, sinful nature. The choice to receive God’s love and His gift of eternal life is ours to make. We must respond in faith and trust to receive God’s gift of new life in Christ, and go to heaven when we die. To not receive God’s gift of eternal life in Christ is to make the choice of hell and eternal separation from God. To NOT choose, IS our choice. “Yeh, but I don’t want to go to hell!”

Think of the person you most love in this world. (Do you have that person in mind?) Imagine that person is in a large city, and they see a young person engrossed in their phone screen, not paying any attention to where they’re going, but they’re heading straight into the path of an oncoming bus. So, without hesitation this person you love pushes the young person out of harm’s way, but they are struck and killed by the bus.

Everyone who knows the truth of what happened knows that the only reason that young person is alive is because of your loved one, but in an interview, the person saved from certain death says: “I guess it was just my lucky day. Fortunately, I’m in good shape and at the last possible second I realized I was in trouble and jumped out of the way of the bus.” How would that make you feel? It’s bad enough your loved one gave their life for a stranger, but for them to not even be acknowledged or for the person they saved to not even recognize they were alive because of the sacrifice of your loved one’s life, is like a slap in the face. It’s disgraceful!

Yet, that’s exactly what we’re doing and saying when, after all God has done for us, we live like it doesn’t matter, and Jesus’ death has no bearing on how we live? We say with our behavior: “I’m a good person, I don’t need anyone to forgive my sin or show me a way to heaven. I’m okay the way I am. I don’t need God’s help, I’m good enough on my own.” Arrogance, pride, selfishness, defiance, blatant disregard for and disobedience to the clear directives of God are why people go to hell, not because that’s what God wants. 2 Peter 3:9 helps us understand that it’s not God’s will that anyone perish, but that everyone turn from their sin, be forgiven and find new life in Jesus. If you want to go to heaven, there IS a way. His name is Jesus. God sends no one to hell. That’s a path WE choose for ourselves.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does God Send People to Hell?

“No one is righteous – not even one.” (Romans 3:10 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at why we can’t trust our own goodness to get us into heaven, concluding that Jesus is our only hope, based on what the Bible teaches. Many with whom I speak can’t wrap their minds around why Jesus must be the only way. Why can’t there be some compromise? If I live a good life, obey my government, love my family, and be productive in my work, why isn’t that good enough?

Let me paint a couple of pictures that may help you to understand better why Jesus IS and MUST BE the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN! We looked briefly yesterday at who Jesus is and why He is uniquely qualified to pay the penalty for our sin, thus, opening a way for us to go to heaven. Other world religions offer options, all of which boil down to earning our own way through being good enough. We looked at the folly of that thinking yesterday.

In Joshua chapter 3, Moses has died, and Joshua has become Israel’s leader. The Bible says that God instructed Joshua to have the Levitical priests carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the Israelites. This was the harvest season, so the Jordan river was overflowing its banks, but the only way to get to the Promised land was to cross the river. Now here’s where the plot thickens. God told Joshua that the waters wouldn’t recede until the priests put their feet in the water. So, the moment the priests’ feet touched the water, it began to back up on the left and the rest flowed on to the right until the ground was dry for everyone to cross the river. What’s my point?

Before Jesus there was no way to heaven. The Jews were given the Ten Commandments, but in man’s typical fashion, those ten soon expanded to a few hundred that no one could ever in eternity obey. It’s not enough to believe (understand intellectually) that Jesus is God and is the only way to heaven. That’s a good start, but you have to activate your belief and step into the “river” of faith by placing your complete trust in Jesus. What does that look like? It looks like obedience! Not to a system of beliefs or manmade regulations, but to a Person who loves you and wants only the absolute best for you. That’s why the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in us when we yield our allegiance to Jesus, is so vital. He guides, instructs, teaches, and leads us into what is true, enabling us to understand what is truth and what is not.

People who aren’t acquainted with the Bible or vocabulary associated with being a believer, often do the best they know to do, they live the way they were taught growing up. It’s not that they are anti-God or don’t want to go to heaven, they just follow the dictates of their own heart, believing that’s enough. That’s what I did before I came to understand who Jesus is, what He did in my place and what response He’d like me to give.

The most important word in the English language to describe what God desires from us is RELATIONSHIP! It’s not like God is up in heaven judging our every move, waiting for us to step out of line so He can condemn us to hell. God is our heavenly Father who, like any loving Father would give His life for His child, and that’s exactly what He did. He became a man, in the Person of Jesus. God poured Himself into a human baby, who grew to become the only perfect man who has ever lived or ever will live. Jesus came to earth to be a light in the darkness, to show us the way back to God.

Please check out tomorrow’s post, so I can finish sharing what’s on my heart on this subject.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Guise of Goodness

“God is the One who is good.” (Matthew 19:17a The Message)

Over the years I’ve asked dozens of people this question: “If you were to die and stand before the Lord, and He was to ask you: ‘Why should I let you into My perfect heaven?’ what would you say?” 99% of the answers were: “Because I’m a good person.” What’s behind that response?

Most people tend to think they’re better than they are. When I was a younger, I thought I was a good person, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there is nothing good about me except Jesus. In John 15:5 Jesus says: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” What does that mean?

If you separate a branch from a tree, how fruitful can it be? Not at all, right? It will wither and die. That’s what happens to people apart from God. ANY goodness derived from my life, or anyone who believes in Jesus, is simply evidence of the life of God flowing through them. “But what about people who aren’t followers of Jesus? What is the source of their goodness?”

That’s a fair question. Two ideas come to mind. First, God has planted eternity in every human heart. There is a part of every person that has the capacity, and on some level, the desire to know God. Add to that the reflection of God in nature and, of course, in the lives of His followers, and people will be drawn to what is right and good and begin to reflect that in their own lives. Secondly, God is omnipresent, which means He can be every place at the same time. His presence exudes goodness and, quite naturally, will be sensed and on some level, caught. What does that mean?

It essentially means we are products of our environment. If we choose kind, loving people as friends, over time we will grow to be like them. It’s the same if we choose unkind, inconsiderate, hateful people. Over time we will reflect their influence in our lives. There is a saying that if you want to know what you’re becoming, look at your five closest friends.

The point is, any goodness that we may see evidenced in our lives, can be traced back to the only One who is good, God. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” Offering our good deeds or personal goodness to God as an offering for our sin is like offering a king a basket of filthy rags as a gift.

So, if we can’t expect our goodness to grant us entrance into heaven, on what can we stand? Jesus answered that question in John 14:6: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” What does that mean? It means in order to know that heaven will be our home when we leave this planet, we have to place our full trust in the truth of not only what Jesus said, but in who He is. So, the logical question then becomes: Who is Jesus?

Volumes have been written on who Jesus is, so let me summarize, based on what the Bible teaches. He is God’s only begotten Son. What does that mean? The word translated “begotten” literally means “the only one of its kind,” Jesus is unique in that He is God who became a man. He’s not ½ man and ½ God. He’s 100% man and 100% God. He is the one and only God-Man, and as such, is solely qualified to be the bearer of our sin. He alone chose to come to earth, become a man, live as we live, and to reflect the qualities and characteristics of His Father. He alone lived a perfect and sinless life, and paid the penalty for our sin by submitting Himself to die on the Cross in our place. He is God, thus entirely and completely good, and alone able to provide us a way to go to heaven.

We’ll look at this from another angle tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Breaks God’s Heart?

“So the Lord was sorry He had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart.” (Genesis 6:6 NLT)

Have you ever asked the Lord to let what breaks His heart, break yours? It may sound very “spiritual,” but it’s debilitating. It’s a heaviness of heart and mind that saps your energy and breaks your heart. God’s heart for mankind, His love for us and His vision for what we can become, is crushed in the light of our wickedness and determination to go our own way.

Genesis 6:5 says: “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.” This was in the days of Noah, just before the flood.

Fast forward to Luke 17:26 where Jesus says: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

When I think of the last days in which we presently find ourselves, and I see my neighbors coming and going; the young woman who cuts my hair; the young man who delivers my mail; the many people who speed by in their vehicles as I walk my pups; and on and on. These are real people, with a real destiny, most of whom, like the people of Noah’s day, don’t have a clue as to what’s about to happen. They will walk into eternity unaware of what God is about to do when He calls a halt to time and every person who has ever lived will stand before Him to give an account of their life.

Are you ready for that day? It will be here more quickly than you can imagine.

Like every other person on planet earth, I’m unable to see things as God sees them. I can’t see into the hearts of people who seem to be really good and my heart breaks to think of them missing heaven. I struggle to see what’s in my own heart, and sometimes I can’t imagine why God would let me into His perfect heaven. But God sees behind the masks that we wear to impress others, and to hide from Him.

It’s at this point I have to rely on trust. How so? I either believe God’s Word, the Bible, or I don’t. There’s no option to believe the parts I like and with which I agree and discard the rest. I either put the full weight of my trust on the promises of God, believing I have no merit before Him, and believing my salvation is by grace alone, activated by faith alone, or I don’t. I must trust God and not myself. I must trust God’s Word and not the reasoning of man. And, I must take seriously my commission to warn those who are living their lives apart from God.

Can you begin to imagine the ridicule Noah suffered while building the Ark? It had never rained, yet here was Noah building a huge boat, warning everyone he could that rain was coming, and it would flood the earth. Everyone was laughing and ridiculing him, then it started to sprinkle. God closed the door to the Ark and everyone on earth died, except those in the Ark.

Friends, it’s starting to sprinkle! We’re running out of time and the only opportunity we have to make things right with God is NOW! The only time to prepare for what’s coming is today, in this minute. We have no promise of another second. Death comes in a heartbeat. One second, you’re alive, the next you’re not. Please don’t wait. Click on the link below and watch a brief video with Ron Hutchcraft.

Yes, of course you have doubts and questions. I have questions. But, of this I’m certain: Once I was blind, but now I see; once I was lost, headed for an eternity separated from God, but now my soul is secure in the hands of my Savior. I know when I close my eyes in death, I will open them in the presence of Jesus. Please click this link – https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Holding You Back?

“Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely My own.” (John 7:17 NLT)

Where is your heart leading you in this new year? BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL! According to Jeremiah the Prophet: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT)

Perhaps a better way to step into this new year would be to do what King David did. He prayed: “Search me , O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

The appeal of the world is real and strong, I’ll not deny that, but if you want to live for God, there is absolutely NOTHING that can keep you from it! John wrote in 1 John 4:4 (AMP): “Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.”

What’s holding you back? Satan can cause you to believe that you are powerless against the forces of evil that have you chained to a life of selfishness and sin, a life that you desperately desire to escape. Somehow you’ve come to believe there is no escape. You feel trapped, defeated, discouraged, and out of energy to believe anything will ever change. Your heart, on rare occasion, seeks refuge in the thought that things can change, but quickly retreats in the face of the insurmountable odds, that in your mind, are stacked against you.

When the angels introduced to the shepherds the good news of Jesus’ birth, they said: “Don’t be afraid…I bring you good news that will bring great joy to ALL people.” (Luke 2:10 NLT) Do you know who is included in that great news? You are! No one is exempt! “But how will I ever break free of these addicitive chains that are holding me so tightly?” Put your full trust in God! You don’t have the strength, the resources, the ability to make your own path straight, but God does!

Shortly after the Hebrew slaves were liberated from their Egyptian masters, the Egyptians decided they’d made a mistake letting the Israelites go. So they sent their whole army after them. The Bible says in Exodus 14:10: “As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them.” Was their panic justified? Absolutely! Did their panic sway or change the plans of God in any way? Of course not! God did what only God could do in their situation, and they walked across the sea on dry ground. The same God who delivered the Israelites will deliver you!

Paul said in Ephesians 3:20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think..” Might it take time to deal with all the baggage you’ve accumulated over the years? Of course. Might you fail in keeping up with what God is seeking to accomplish in and through you? Probably. Does that mean you shouldn’t trust Him and begin the journey to wholeness in Him? Absolutely not!

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take that step right now. With everything that is within you say, “Yes, Lord! Do in and through and on my behalf what I could never in eternity ever do for myself. Help me to walk in the light You give me, one step at a time, trusting You to lead me into healing, wholeness and fruitfulness to Your honor and praise.”

You CAN take the first step towards Him and He WILL guide you every step of the way. No One loves you more. No One has more power and resources to get you where you and He want you to be. To follow Jesus is, by far, the best decision I’ve ever made in my 74 years!

Blessings, Ed 😊