Walking With Jesus

What Jesus’ Death Means for You

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46b NLT)

The nails didn’t hold Jesus on the Cross. Love did!

Jesus experienced our Hell when He took upon Himself our sin, so you and I wouldn’t have to. He paid the penalty for the sin of every person who would ever voluntarily kneel before Him in humble submission, seeking His forgiveness and cleansing. It’s not just about “receiving Christ into your life,” it’s about finally understanding that without Jesus we have no life. He BECOMES our life.

By His Spirit, upon our invitation (John 1:12) Jesus takes up residence in our heart and life. Similarly, as a pilot of an aircraft “controls” the plane, Jesus takes command of our life and walks in our shoes, giving us instruction and direction. A few days ago, we talked about what it might look like to be yoked with Jesus.

When I was first in ministry, I met an elderly woman who told me every Sunday she had the same conversation with her body. She said: “When I wake up, I tell my body, ‘It’s time to get up and get ready for church.’ To which my body responds, ‘You’re going to have to go without me, ‘cause I’m staying in bed.’ She said they’d go back and forth for a while, then she’d say: ‘Look, body, I’m going to church and you’re the only way I have to get there. So, get up and get movin’!’”

In my mind’s eye, I can see a similar conversation between our spirit and God’s Spirit as He’s seeking to give us instruction from day to day. What we fail to understand is, Jesus’ death on the Cross purchased on our behalf a place with Him in Heaven, that even if we had all of eternity, we could never find any other way for ourselves.

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT): “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” The word that Peter uses that’s translated “precious” literally means “priceless.” It means of incalculable worth; you can’t set a value on it.

Because of the Cross, you can be redeemed (bought back) from the death grip satan has on you. You’re invited to become a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ Jesus. The word Paul uses to describe what happens to us when we’re born again of the Spirit, is the word from which comes our English word “metamorphosis,” and it paints the picture of the process of a potentially beautiful butterfly, breaking out of the cocoon. It means “a brand-new species of being, one that has never existed before.”

In light of what Jesus did for us on the Cross, we can’t live in both worlds, the world of sin and death and the world of forgiveness and new life. We must decide: “Am I going to live for Jesus and walk in newness of life?” or “Am I going to ignore what Jesus did for me and keep living the same old life I’ve been living?”

Peter wrote: “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk, so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”

We’ll dig a little deeper into this tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

“…a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!” (Matthew 11:19b)

In the Bible, the word we translate in our English Bibles as “sin,” literally means “to miss the mark.” If you’ve ever played darts, or you go to the shooting range, you know there is a large, often, round target with a series of smaller circles within the larger circle, the center, smallest circle, being the most valuable if you’re able to hit it.

Sin refers to “missing the mark” of Christ’s perfection and is God’s “standard” for goodness. That’s why trying to earn God’s favor by being “good enough,” is a losing battle. In Romans 3 the Apostle Paul writes: “No one is righteous – not even one.” And he goes on to say that every human being who has ever lived or ever will live, except Jesus, lives under the power of sin. Everyone is a sinner, because no one can live up to the standard of perfection that Jesus lived.

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

However, in the period of Jesus’ life on earth, “sinners” were, as Strong’s Concordance defines the word, someone who was: “devoted to sin; pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked. Specifically of men stained with certain vices or crimes.” And the Concordance used for examples: “tax collectors, heathen.” Today we might include murderers, rapists, child molesters, etc. as “sinners.” But the fact remains, EVERYONE who has ever lived was born with a natural inclination to sin. It’s our nature, it’s what we, as human beings, do.

Why am I going into such detail? Because the religious leaders of Jesus’ day “labeled” Jesus as a friend of “sinners.” Not just anyone who sins, but those who have defined themselves by their sinful behavior. The Pharisees, who were the strictest sect of the Jewish faith, asked Jesus’ disciples: “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” (Matthew 9:11b NLT) Who were they talking about? Me! And you!

“Wait a minute! I’m a decent human being! I’ve never murdered anyone. I pay my taxes. I love my children. I resent being referred to as ‘scum.’ I’m actually quite a good person!” Yeh, I get it. That’s how I felt too, until I met Jesus.

Compared to Jesus, we’re all “notorious sinners.” Sin is sin. Here’s the point – Regardless of how far we’ve strayed. Irrespective of the “degree” of sin into which we’ve delved, from the least to the most horrific of sinners, Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin, so we, too, could be called His “friend.” How could that even be possible?

From the Cross, when darkness fell across the whole land, Jesus cried out with a loud voice: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” It’s easy for us to read that verse and assume that Jesus was complaining to God, asking Him to “Explain Yourself! Why are you making me suffer like this?” But to think that is to miss the point. Jesus needed no explanation. He knew before He made the choice to leave Heaven EXACTLY why He was coming to earth. He knew what it would entail – every horrifying, agonizing, torturous second.

That’s why Jesus was in such agony of Spirit while praying in the Garden before He was arrested. He wasn’t asking His Father for an explanation. Jesus was asking Him to make it clear to all who would witness or later learn of His execution, then, and for as long as time would allow, what His sacrifice means to others. YOU and ME, and every other sinner who would ever be born on this planet. So, what did Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross mean?

Volumes have been written to explain in infinite detail, but let me give you the proverbial “Cliff Notes.” We’ll pick it up here tomorrow 😊.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Would You Die for a Lie?

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.” (Matthew 16:25a NLT)

A popular church marquis asked a sobering question: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

One of the strongest arguments to me, that Jesus’ words recorded in the Bible are true, is the fate of His original Disciples. The Bible itself reveals the deaths of only two of the original twelve – James, John’s brother, who died by the sword (see Acts 12:1-2) and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and hung himself (Matthew 27:5). All the others, except John, who died of natural causes, were murdered for their faith.

If you professed belief in a cause and were threatened to be killed if you didn’t recant, what would you do? I realize that’s a tricky question on some levels, but if you knew for a fact that the whole story behind what you believed was a lie, would you die to protect it? I can tell you what I’d do. You could color me gone! No way would I die to protect a lie.

I will concede that there, no doubt, have been people throughout history who have been brainwashed and under the delusion that something was true, that in fact wasn’t, have died for a lie. But I cannot believe that ten men who walked with Jesus and lived with Him for three years, would willingly lay down their lives if they had a shred of doubt that Jesus was anyone except God’s Son, their Savior.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) says: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it…’” In light of Jesus’ words, consider the fate of the remaining ten disciples:

christian-man-reading-bible-prayer-hands

Peter – was crucified upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord
Andrew – was crucified with ropes, not nails, so he hung alive for two days, continuing to preach Jesus to those who passed by
John – the only one of Jesus’ original disciples to die of natural causes. He was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Revelation. Some accounts say he was released after many years and continued to preach until his death at age 100
Bartholomew (Nathaniel) – some accounts say he was skinned alive, then beheaded; others say he was whipped until the flesh was torn from his body, then beheaded
Philip – crucified
Thomas – stabbed with a spear
Matthew (tax collector) – impaled to the earth with spears, then beheaded
James (not John’s brother) – murdered then his body was sawed in pieces
Jude (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot) – crucified and shot with arrows
Simon (not Peter) – crucified

*The source of much of this information was https://www.csmedia1.com/thexenaproject.org/week-01-how-the-disciples-died.pdf It also includes the deaths of some of the other New Testament writers.

Do you understand, the criteria for following Jesus haven’t changed? The words of Jesus to His original twelve are still the words He speaks to you and me. Will following Jesus cost us our lives? Yes, it will! In life or in death, Jesus demands all of us, all the time.

There are more people dying for their faith in Jesus today than any other time in history, and the truth is, it’s likely going to get a whole lot worse for believers in Jesus, before it gets better. Whether I live or die is immaterial, I belong to Jesus. I almost wrote: “’til death do us part,” but even death can’t separate me from my Savior. Can I hear a HALLELUJAH!

The only thing that can keep you from Jesus is unbelief. That, in a nutshell, is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – failure to believe He has the power to deliver you from your sin, so you never ask.

Please open your mind and heart to Jesus today. Don’t believe the lies of satan that Jesus isn’t the Savior, the Only way to heaven. Trust Jesus today. Time is literally running out.

Blessings, Ed 😊

It Gets Better As We Go

“For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:30 NLT)

Realizing the articles I’ve posted the last few days have been a little heavy, let me shift my focus to something that will, hopefully, lighten your load as a believer. As I’ve shared with you before, I’ve walked with the Lord for a long time, but I’m finding in my later years, there’s a sweetness in my communion with God that is peaceful, restful, and quite enjoyable.

There’s a sense in which the longer we walk with Jesus, the more child-like we should become. Now, notice I didn’t say “childish,” but “child-like.” What might that look like? When my daughter was small, she would sometimes get tired on our family walks. She would make her way around so she could be in front of me. She’d focus her beautiful eyes right into mine, and say: “Carry me, daddy.” Of course, I’d scoop her up and set her on my shoulders without hesitation.

She never gave me “20-questions” about – Are you strong enough to lift me? Are you going to stumble and drop me? Do you really exist? Etc. She fully trusted me to do what she asked me to do, without fear of any kind. Why would she do that? Because I was her daddy, and she knew I loved her and wouldn’t intentionally hurt her in any way. I hated it when my kids were in pain (still do ☹) and would do anything in my power to help them feel better.

That’s essentially the attitude behind Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT): “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

If you’re weary or burdened, please pay special attention to what Jesus is inviting you to do. Notice, first, He says: “Come to Me, ALL of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,” Aren’t you glad Jesus has no favorites! Jesus loves each of us equally, as though we were the only one on the planet for Him to love. Jesus alone knows the depths of your weariness, sorrows, pains. He alone has exactly the kind of rest and relief you need for exactly what you’re feeling and experiencing.

Next, notice He invites you to “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Yokes in Jesus’ day were specifically fitted for the two animals who would be wearing it. If you’ve ever looked carefully at a yoke, each side of it is designed with the specific ox or animal by whom it would be worn. God’s heart can “see” your heart and knows how tiring what you’re going through has been. He has a “yoke” specifically fitted for you that, when you’re partnered with Jesus, will fit you perfectly and will allow you to be restored.

Jesus wants to teach you how to relax and let Him pull the weight of your burden. That’s why He said: “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” If you’ve ever been in a three-legged race, when one of your legs is tied to the leg of the person with whom you’re partnered, the harder you “fight” your partner, the more likely it will be that you’ll fall. But when you’re walking in sync with your partner, it’s not hard at all, it’s quite fun.

Being yoked with Jesus is liberating, rather than restrictive; it’s enjoyable, rather than being a burden; it’s instructive, rather than demanding, because the One who knows you best, and loves you most, wants to see you thrive in this difficult season you’re experiencing, not simply survive.

In this final season of my life, I have “burdens.” I’ve lost a significant amount of hearing in my left ear. I have a very good memory, it’s just not very long 😊. My get up and go seems to have gotten up and gone. I’m having increased difficulty driving at night, due to the brightness of the lights of oncoming cars. But my spirit, being yoked with my Savior and Friend, the Lord Jesus Christ, is light, free, and unencumbered. I’m able to sense the Lord’s presence nearly every moment of my day, feeling His strong arms undergirding me and often carrying me. I’m learning in this season that my life is actually getting better and better.

Whatever your burden today, bring it to Jesus. He loves you! He’s for you! He sees you and He’s inviting you to be “yoked” (partnered) with Him, in order that you might enjoy life in ways you never imagined possible. He’s done all the “work,” you just need to come to Him and let Him give you the soul rest you’ve been trying to find in all the wrong places.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Are the Odds?

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet.” (Matthew1:22 NLT)

Let’s say you and I were having a conversation and you mentioned that you’d never been to the Grand Canyon. If I said, “Wow! You’ll be amazed. I’ve been there a couple of times and it’s well worth the trip.” Depending on our level of friendship, you may or may not go.

But what if I told you, “If you’ll go to the Grand Canyon on September 7, 2023, and follow a certain trail down into the canyon, you’ll see two men who have built a fire and they’re cooking a large fish they just caught out of the river that runs through the canyon.” And on and on I’d go with details. And then you made the trip and discovered everything I told you was exactly right, down to the smallest detail. Would you then conclude I told you the truth?

The fact is, the historicity of Jesus can easily be confirmed through non-Biblical sources, but what boggles my mind and gives assurance to me that Jesus is absolutely without question exactly who He claims to be is the more than 450 prophecies (predictions) related to Him that were given hundreds of years before He was born, and happened exactly as they were described. If you want to dig a little deeper into this subject, go to https://empower.global/the-mathematical-probability-that-jesus-is-the-christ/

Let me share a few lines from that site: “The reason why prophecy is an indication of the divine authorship of the Scriptures, and hence a testimony to the trustworthiness of the Message of the Scriptures, is because of the minute probability of fulfillment.

This is the result from considering a mere 48 prophecies. Obviously, the probability that 456 prophecies would be fulfilled in one man by chance is vastly smaller. Once one goes past one chance 10^50 (10 with 50 0’s after it), the probabilities are so small that it is impossible to think that they will ever occur.

As the professor concludes, ‘Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world.’”

My experience is that, not all, but by far, most people who claim the Bible is just a book of fairy tales or fictional stories have never actually read and studied the Bible in its entirety. Most people who dismiss the Bible don’t do so on religious or even a “truth” basis, but their conclusions are drawn based on their chosen lifestyle. People typically want to make the Bible line up with the lifestyle they’re living, or want to live, as opposed to lining up their life with what the Bible clearly teaches.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT) You may have issues with the Bible, but you need to be mindful of the credentials of the Bible’s Author (see above 😊).

It’s getting close to time, according to Biblical Prophecy, for this world to come to an end. I urgently hope and sincerely pray that if you haven’t followed the guidance of the Scriptures and yielded your life and allegiance to Jesus, who is the ONLY way to heaven (to the Father), please make that decision now, while there’s still time.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Do We Know What Is True?

“You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.” (2 Timothy 3:14b NLT)

What do you believe about truth? What do you believe is true?

When I was in college I made several trips from Indiana, where I went to school, to West Virginia, where my parents lived. I always followed the same route. Why? Because I believed it was the fastest way. On one occasion, I saw a very large sign telling me to STOP! Why? Because there was water covering the road ahead.

I didn’t want to stop! I didn’t want to turn around! Why? Because I knew it would take more time to go an alternate route. So, what did I do? I verified the truth of that sign. I kept going on my route and, sure enough, a short way further, it looked like a river was flowing over the road. It was very dark, so I got out the car and walked to the edge of the water, hoping, maybe it wasn’t as bad as the people who put up the sign thought. Maybe if I went slow enough I could get through. I decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

Many in our world today have built their lives on lies, never taking the time or making the effort to verify the truth.

There is a lengthy definition of “truth” in Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, but it begins by saying: “truth suggests conformity with the facts or with reality…” What does that mean? It essentially means – see if what you believe is true, accurate, verifiable with the facts and/or reality.

Relativism is rampant in today’s culture. What is “true” for you, may not be or doesn’t have to be true for me. It’s ALL relative! I get that on some levels, but I believe there are still truths that are absolute. What does that mean? It means it’s true for every person, in every era of time, under every circumstance. And even as I write these words, I can “hear” someone saying, “but I DON’T believe that!”

A high school friend I’d not seen in several years, and I, were talking, catching up on people we’d both known. At one point he asked: “Did you hear about Karen?” Under the influence of drugs, she’d jumped from a building, believing she could fly. The lie she believed cost her her life. Whether or not someone chooses to believe it, because of the law of gravity, and the construction of the human body, people can’t fly without assistance (i.e. an airplane, parasailing, etc.).

In the passage I referenced at the top of the page, Paul was saying to Timothy, who was like a son to him, that he could verify the truth of what he’d been taught by viewing the life of the one who taught him. But beyond that, he could verify its truth by the impact it had on Timothy’s own life. What had Timothy been taught? “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:5 NLT)

Much of what we “believe” as an adult, was “taught” us by significant role models in our childhood. That’s why those who understand the process, for good or ill (i.e. Hitler, “educators” in our day, etc.), want to command the process by which children learn. For example, my generation (Boomers) were taught (encouraged) to go to college, “get an education,” and that would be the pathway to success.

For younger generations, they’re discovering alternative pathways, without college. Which one is “right?” There’s “truth” in either avenue. But the real issue isn’t equating a successful life with how much money you make or how much “stuff” you accumulate (i.e. possessions, position, power, or prestige), it’s how you effectively and purposefully build a life? What’s the “truth?”

Why do so many, young, and old, choose to end their lives after they’re at the “peak” of “success?” Because they verify, through their life’s experiences that all the world offers can’t satisfy their soul. It was never designed to.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT): “He (God) has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Something temporal can never satisfy what God created to be eternal.

It’s no secret that I believe the Bible is true, because I’ve lived long enough to validate the Bible’s claims and understand they are trustworthy. But what “sealed the deal” for me, was getting to know the central Character of the Bible, Jesus.

I will share with you tomorrow something that helped me, and may help you, to see more clearly just how trustworthy the Scriptures are.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Being Free from Whatever Has You Bound

“Some of you were once like that…” (1 Corinthians 6:11)

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

Yes, you’re tempted! Yes, there are times you fail! Yes, you used to be controlled by the evil that filled your life and overpowered your will, but YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY THAT WAY! Give your life to your only hope of deliverance, the Lord Jesus Christ! Start professing what only the Holy Spirit can live out in and through you. Stop making excuses for what you can’t do and start believing and sharing what you’re discovering that only HE CAN do!

As a teen and into my young adult years, I was plagued by lustful thoughts. Even after I was married, I continued, in my mind, to “compare” my wife with nearly every attractive woman I saw. My mind was continually fantasizing what it would be like to be with that other woman. I begged God to deliver me. I was filled with shame and guilt, but nothing I did was ever enough to make it stop. Today, on rare occasion, I still have a lustful thought, but God, by His powerful Spirit delivered me. Do you know how He did it?

One day my (first) wife came to me and told me she wanted a divorce. She told me she was more committed to another man than she was to me. Suddenly, there was not a more beautiful woman on the planet than my wife. What changed? My focus! I finally realized what God had given me, to which I’d been blind until it was too late. Satan had me believing I was the only one who ever dealt with such evil and inappropriate thoughts. I feared if I dared to reveal my hidden secret, I would be shunned and alone.

Sin is our mortal enemy and unless and until we muster the courage to call our sinful, habitual behaviors what they are and fall at the feet of Jesus, asking for His Spirit to fill, empower, and enable us to do what in our own strength we can NEVER do, we’re fighting a losing battle. How do we do that? One way is to find another, godly man/woman (man to man/woman to woman) you can trust and confess your sin to him/her. Then together, allow the power of God’s Spirit to deliver you both. How so? Don’t think for a moment the other person isn’t also dealing with sin issues, with which you can help them.

These are perilous times, and our lives must be lived in purity, honor and worship of our living, loving King. Those in our spheres of influence must be able to see a clear difference in our lives as we’re living them for Jesus; otherwise, what are we inviting them to become? Just perpetual strugglers who can’t muster the courage to allow the powerful Spirit of God to enable them to overcome sin in their lives? Or courageous warriors, bearing the armor of God as they face and win the daily battles against sin and the devil.

The Holy Spirit is our Advocate, the One who pleads our case with our Father. He WILL give you victory, but you must let Him win the battle in your heart and mind first before He will enable you to win in your life from day to day. As a Christ-follower, that’s the only way to be free from whatever has you bound.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Powerful Advocate

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” (Acts 1:8 a NLT)

Yesterday, we looked briefly at the issue of sin. We used an example from the Bible of a woman who had committed adultery and was brought to Jesus, whose final words to her were “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11b NLT) Do you understand that’s essentially what the Lord says to each of us upon our confession of faith and the beginning of our walk with Him?

Yet, I’ve seen across the years an increasing reliance upon the doctrine of grace to deliver us from what the Bible clearly says is sin. What are we really talking about here? Habitual sin. We too often convey to new believers: “Just do the best you can, but if you can’t control your urges, don’t worry about it, we’re all human. God will forgive you.” Yes, of course, God forgives the cry of a repentant heart, but therein lies the issue. If there’s little or no desire to turn from the sin in our life, we’re living a lie to believe God will tolerate a life of sin under the guise of a profession of faith.

In 1 John 2:6 says: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (NLT) Can any of us do that? No, but that’s no excuse for not striving to live more and more like Jesus every minute of every day. That’s our goal, but if our mindset is: “Well, I know I can’t help but sin, so I guess it’s okay. I’ll just ask for forgiveness, and everything will be fine.” What you think about comes about!

If all we can think about is our next fix, or our next view of pornography or our next sexual affair, etc. then that’s the road we’re on and it’s not the road that will lead to life. The Bible says: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9 NLT)

Am I suggesting we have to be perfect? Of course not. What I’m suggesting is we stop depending on our own willpower or discipline to do in our lives what only the Holy Spirit can do. After overcoming death and the grave, Jesus told His followers: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” (Acts 1:8 a NLT)

That word “power” is the word from which comes our English word, “dynamite.” I can’t discipline myself in my own strength to avoid sinful habits, but I can, with Paul, declare: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NLT) The battle with sin is a battle that is fought and won in our mind, in what we choose to use as our point of focus. Focus on sin = defeat! Focus on God’s Word, and the promises He gives us to live a victorious life = VICTORY!

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3: “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning, and to destroy false arguments.” (NLT) This is not only how we pray for others, it’s how we defeat the enemy in our own heart and mind. Our goal is to grow in our likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29) and we can’t grow in Him and be positive influences to reach others for Him, if we can’t get our own minds out of the gutters of sin.

That’s one of the many reasons we really do need each other – to pray for one another, to love one another, to walk closely with one another in the strength of Christ Jesus. When one of us is weak, we can reach out to a stronger brother (if you’re a man) or sister (if you’re a woman) in the faith to support and help us through the rough times. We need never be alone in our walk with Jesus.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Issue of Sin

“And Jesus said, ‘…Go and sin no more.” (John 811b NLT)

A group of men came to Jesus and declared: “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?’” Actually, the law of Moses stated that the woman AND the man should be put to death (Leviticus 20:10), so it was evident from the outset that this wasn’t so much about the adulterous woman as it was about trying to trap Jesus. However, this passage highlights an important theme that runs throughout the Bible but takes on a whole new meaning in Jesus’ ministry. The issue of sin.

In the above referenced passage, Jesus “rescues” the woman from her would be assassins, and when no one is left to accuse her, Jesus says to her: “Neither do I, Go and sin no more.” The likelihood is that the woman in question was a prostitute whose livelihood was derived from illicit and indiscriminate sex. So, what Jesus said to her is like saying to a drug addict, alcoholic or any other sinner struggling with an addictive behavior: “Go and sin no more.” What does that mean? It essentially means to turn from whatever sin habits are holding us captive and by the power of the Holy Spirit, walk in a life of purity that then identifies us as a child of God, not a child of the devil.

We sometimes have the mistaken notion that because of grace we can essentially live any way we choose and God’s going to be okay with it. But to believe that is to negate nearly everything Jesus taught on sin. Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Was Jesus “light” on sin? By no means! He not only said it was sin to commit adultery, He said: “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28 NLT) Or see what Paul said in Romans 6:1: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (NLT)

Where did we ever get this idea that we have no choice but to sin? Certainly not from the Bible. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:6: “We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.” (NLT) Does this lifestyle happen overnight? Yes, and no. Yes, it BEGINS (or should begin) the moment we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus, but NO, we don’t immediately bear mature fruit, any more than a new plant or tree does.

Did the woman caught in adultery ever commit another sin? I have no Biblical evidence that she did, but it’s likely she struggled like every other human being. But did her life take a new direction? Will I meet her in heaven and hear her story? I believe I will.

I can’t “prove” this, but I strongly suspect that this woman is Martha and Lazarus’ sister, Mary. I do know from John 11:2 that Mary was the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. That account is found in Luke 7, where the woman isn’t named, but referred to as “a certain immoral woman.” (Luke 7:37 NLT) I believe her encounter with Jesus so impacted her life that she was literally never the same.

Think about it. How many women in that culture would have an alabaster jar filled with expensive, rare perfume? My hunch is, after she met Jesus, she didn’t need it anymore for her profession, so, as an act of worship, that took on far more significance to Jesus than she realized, she poured out her life at His feet, and without regard to what anyone thought of her, she pledged all she would ever hope to be to Him. She likely committed sin after that, but I believe she was done with prostitution.

John writes in 1 John 2:1: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.” (NLT) Sin in this context has reference to sin as a habit, living in habitual sin patterns. Then in verse 3: “And we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.” (NLT) Devotion to Jesus is a heart matter that results in every area of our lives being lived under submission to His authority. It’s a conscious, moment by moment awareness that my life is not my own, it’s been bought at the price of the incalculable worth of my Savior’s blood. I cannot take that lightly.

The Lord willing, I will share more on this subject tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Am I Really Going to a Better Place When I Die?

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27 NLT)

If I was the proverbial “man on the street” with a microphone, and I asked you: “What do you think happens after you die? Do you think you’ll go to a better place or a worse place?”

Depending on your frame of reference, that question could take you in a lot of directions. But the truth is, most people don’t like to think of death at all, and when they do, they perceive death leading to “a better place,” irrespective of their lifestyle.

Proverbs 14:12 (NLT) says: “There is a path before each person that seems right (seems to be leading to a better place), but it ends in death.”

What does that mean? Death in this verse means exactly what we would think – DEATH! It means separation from life as we’ve known it. Is that good? Or bad? And my answer would be “YES!”

“But, hey, wait a minute. You can’t have it both ways, right? Isn’t it either good or bad?” And again, my answer would be “YES!” Okay, what’s my point?

Some, because of the circumstances in which they find themselves are tempted to believe ANYTHING would be better than where they are in their life right now. But the reality is, that may not be true. To die without knowing Jesus as Savior results in an eternity of misery, loneliness, suffering, and anguish the likes of which no human being, apart from Jesus, has ever experienced.

And some may ask: “Why would God send me to hell? I’m living the best I know how to live.” See, here’s the deal. God doesn’t send anyone to hell! It’s not God’s will that anyone go to hell, but that everyone would repent, turn to Him and receive the gift of eternal life (2 Peter 3:9). That’s exactly why Jesus died on the Cross – to pay the penalty for our sin (mine and yours) and allow everyone who puts their trust in Him alone for their eternal life, to live with Him forever in Heaven. Which, of course, IS a much better place, not only in death, but in life.

Eternal life in Jesus doesn’t begin when you die, it begins the moment you lay down your life in humble surrender to His way and His plans for your life. By inviting Jesus to be the Lord (leader, guide) of your life, He will steer you in a way that will be satisfying, enriching, purposeful and meaningful. I think it was D. L. Moody who said: “I gave my life to Christ because I knew He could do a much better job with it than I could.”

That’s true! God’s love for you is greater than any good thing you can imagine for yourself. Knowing my life is being directed by a loving, kind, compassionate and generous Heavenly Father, gives me confidence to trust Him in every circumstance. Does that mean nothing bad will ever happen in my life? Of course not. But what it does mean is that nothing enters my life unless and until it passes through the filter of God’s permission. What does that mean?

It means NOTHING touches my life, good or bad, unless, in God’s infinite estimation, it will result in my good. It’s my choice to follow God or my own way, just as it’s your choice, but once we make that choice, God leads us on a good path that will lead us to heaven.

In Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) it says: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life…”

PLEASE! I implore you to choose life today! Open you heart and life to Jesus. Allow Him to forgive you, cleanse you of anything you’ve ever done wrong, and empower you to deal with anything you may have going on in your life today.

Click on the link below to watch a brief video from Ron Hutchcraft that will help you understand better what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. This may be the moment you’ve been waiting for your whole life. You can pillow your head this evening knowing when you leave this life, you definitely WILL be going to a better place! *Click here: https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god

Blessings, Ed 😊