Walking With Jesus

What Do You Think of Jesus?

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything. For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20 NLT)

Based on Pauls’ words above, it’s safe to say that Jesus is a little more than our “personal” Savior!

He’s master designer, creator, owner, equipper, and sustainer of everything that lives, moves, or has its being on this earth. He gives the oceans their boundaries and the sun permission to shine. He sustains His people who would rather suffer for Him than deny Him, preparing for them an eternal home that will erase whatever thoughts they might have had that they weren’t good enough, smart enough, spiritual enough, strong enough, or any other negative thought that Satan might have tried to use to demean them into believing they were anything other than the favored, honored, and cherished children of God that they were and are. Jesus is our everything!

He’s the air we breathe, the reason our eyes open in the morning and our lungs fill with air. He gives us energy to get out of bed, prepare for the day, and find hope and joy in our love for Him and for His holy service. He’s what motivates our positive and good thoughts and causes us to believe we can do more and be more than we ever dreamed we could.

He’s the reason we love others and grieve at the thought of them dying and being separated from Him for all eternity. He’s what causes our eyes to fill with tears as we watch a new life lowered into their watery “grave” and rise to new life in Him through water Baptism.

He’s the joy behind our efforts to help someone who is struggling get a grasp on life as we explain His love for them and offer them a helping hand. It’s our joy to sacrifice our time, energy, and money to help someone in need, not because we know them well, but because we know HIM well and we want to be like Him.

John MacArthur gives us insight when he writes: “The Christian husband displays what he thinks of Christ by the way he treats his wife”. And, of course, how the Christian wife displays her love for Jesus in the way she treats her husband, and Christian parents treat their children, and Christian employers treat their employees, and Christian employees treat how they do their work and how Christians love their neighbors and seek those in their spheres of influence for Him.

How we think of Jesus IS GOING TO SHOW whether we like it or not! When I love my wife, it’s going to show; when I love my pups, it’s going to show; when I love my brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s going to show; and when I love my neighbors, lost loved ones and friends, it’s going to show! That’s just who Jesus is! He’s not going to hide in or behind someone in whose life He’s been given preeminence, He’s going to shine, and reveal Himself for anyone to see.

Is He shining in and through you? If not, please click this link and let Ron Hutchcraft walk you through a brief, but clear and meaningful presentation as to how and why you can walk with Him, changing forever what you think of Him.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When The World Feels Heavy

*Sylvia Gunter’s daughter, Elizabeth Gunter Powell’s Spirit-filled words again inspire, encourage, and uplift us today. Enjoy! Blessings, Ed 😊

Knowing that this devotional reaches people in over 120 nations, I have struggled with what to share this week. With recent global events, the world feels scary. I am also aware of many who are dealing with pain and grief in their personal lives. Whether globally or personally, we are all feeling the weight of what we cannot control. We feel the ache of what we cannot change. We feel the pull to brace ourselves as though our vigilance will somehow make us safe.

The struggle is not allowing the circumstances to be louder than the character of God.

Beloved, listen to the Word of the Lord for you. “God is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And again, He says to you “If you make the Most High your dwelling even the LORD, who is my refuge then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:9–11).

He is very present. Not distant or distracted. Not waiting for things to calm down before He draws near. He is in the boat with you in the storm. The Most High is your Dwelling Place. The LORD is your Refuge. These are not poetic phrases; they are covenant names of God. He is bound to you by His name.

Let the strength of His name be louder than the circumstances.

He is exalted, omnipotent, supreme in majesty, above all, and in all. He is Commander of the armies of heaven. When the world feels unsteady, it is not because God has left. The Father has never wrung His hands over the nations. So, we can rest in His name.

We will still have trials. Jesus promised that in this world we would face trouble. But He also told us to take heart, for He has overcome the world. The war is already won, even if you find yourself in the toughest battle of your life right now. Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, is victorious.

But what do we do with the very present fear and danger of today? We hold on with hope and faith, not for a change of circumstances, but we hold on to the One who holds us. Faith does not always look like bold declarations. Sometimes it looks like breathing deeply when your chest feels tight. Sometimes it looks like doing the next faithful thing with trembling fingers. If your heart feels heavy today, you are not weak. You are human.

When fear rises, remember you are held by the Most High. Guarded by His command. Covered in His covenant love. You are a covenant son/daughter of God. He is entirely responsible for you. Immanuel walks with you. The LORD is your Refuge who surrounds you.

Pray with me

Most High God,

You are our Dwelling Place and our Refuge. When the world feels loud, and our hearts feel fragile, gather us under the shadow of Your wings. Command Your peace over our thoughts. Silence every lie that exalts itself against the knowledge of who You are.

We choose to make You our dwelling today. We choose to trust Your unfailing protection. We choose to stand in our covenant identity as Your sons and daughters.

Guard us in all our ways. Steady us when we feel shaken. Remind us that You are Commander of heaven’s armies and our tender Father who is attentive to our needs.

Teach us to walk in honor, dignity, and quiet authority, not in fear.

We receive Your nearness. We receive Your protection. We receive Your strength for the next faithful step.

In the mighty and gentle name of Jesus,

Amen.

Strength To Equal Your Days: 365 Days of Prayers and Blessings is a year-long journey of encouragement, filled with daily reminders of God’s love, faithfulness, and strength. Each page invites readers to pause, pray, and be refreshed by timeless truth. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who could use a touch of hope and peace: friends, family, coworkers, or even yourself. Give a gift that nourishes the soul and strengthens the spirit: 365 days of hope, faith, and blessings

Going Not Knowing

*Please enjoy this powerful message from Ron Hutchcraft. Blessings, Ed 😊

Mystery rides were part of growing up at our house. Usually it was a Sunday afternoon, and I’d pile our three kids into our car for a ride. I think we explored every corner of our area. And as we did, we discovered over the years, a lot of great things. But I’ve got one son who’s a lot like me. He wants to know the plan before we leave.

“Hey, Dad, where are we going? Where are we going to eat? What are we going to eat? What are we going to do while we’re there? How long will we be there? What time are we going to get home?” He would pump me with more questions; I felt like I was being interrogated by a police sergeant. Sometimes I knew it was better not to explain where we were going. I mean we’ve done things that would have sounded boring if I had told about them, but they turned out to be exciting and I knew they would. Plus surprises are fun anyway. So, my kids got used to hearing two words when we were about to begin a mystery trip, “Trust me.” I don’t think I let them down. It was good training for journeys with their other Father.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Going Not Knowing.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the life of the Apostle Paul. He’s still Saul of Tarsus here. Acts 9 – he’s on his way to wipe out Christians. He missed some in Jerusalem. So he said, “I’ll get them in Damascus. They all went there; I’ll find them in Syria.” We begin in verse 3: “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Well, who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now, get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'”

Now, it’s interesting that Saul’s training for his whole life in Christ began immediately with a mystery trip. Yeah, did you notice that? He has just opened up to Jesus, and the Lord says, “Go into the city and you will be told.” “Lord, what do you want me to do there? Who am I going to meet there? How am I even going to be able to see; I’m blind right now?” The Lord says, “Go and you will be told.” Well, he spent the rest of his life living like that.

In Acts 20, when he was on his way to Jerusalem as the great Apostle Paul and his friends were trying to discourage him, he said, “Compelled by the Spirit, I am going not knowing.” See, you have a heavenly Father who often takes His children on mystery trips. Maybe you’re on one of His mystery trips right now. There’s a good destination He’s got in mind, but right now He’s telling you just the next step. In essence, He’s saying to you as He did to Saul, “Go, and you will be told as you are on the way.”

It may well be that you’re in the middle of one of those times right now, and the tendency is to say, “Now, Lord, if you’ll just give me all the information, give me all the facts, I’ll start going that direction.” And the Lord says, “No, you start moving in that direction I’ve told you to go, and you’ll get more information as you go.”

Now, maybe you’re waiting to have all your questions answered before you move, and right now there are more question marks than there are periods or exclamation points for sure. Can you almost hear your Father saying as He bundles you into His car, “Trust Me, let’s start traveling together.”

Hey, He died for you. Is He ever going to do you wrong? God’s mystery trips always lead to a destination that is selected with you in mind, for your good. So, why not settle back, enjoy the trip, and let Him drive. Trust your Father and don’t be afraid of going not knowing.

Unsure how to do that? Tap on this link.

Feel Like Giving Up?

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT)

Discouraged? Disappointed? Down? Been there! Wanting to quit? I wanted to quit not only ministry, the Christian way, but life itself! Times get hard, Satan oppresses in unimaginable ways and the echo in our spirit is: “Nobody ever told me it would be this hard! That it would hurt this much!” Spiritual pain is perhaps the most severe with which we have to deal in this life. Believing God is with us and for us, that He’s called us, equipped, informed, and is guiding us – then the bottom drops out!

Someone leaves, dies, or an opportunity we’d counted on falls through. All our dreams seem to be shattered with one letter, call or conversation. How can we go on? How can life ever be the same? And here’s the good news – It can’t be! It won’t be! And that’s good news because? Because God is in control of our lives and outcomes, not us!

Paul understood this as revealed in his words in 2 Corinthians 6:4: “In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.” Then in verses 5-10 he outlines the many ways he has experienced those “hardships and calamities.” But why? Why would the God of love allow His followers to suffer in such cruel ways?

Because it’s the way of the Cross! Jesus said in Matthew 16:24: “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, your will lose it, but if your give up your life for My sake, you will save it.” Does that mean every Jesus follower will suffer like Jesus or Paul?

No, but that’s got to be our attitude if we’re going to survive this life with an ounce of faith left. Suffering and hardship are part of the deal. To believe we’re going to skate through life without any heartache or pain is to misunderstand the purpose of life. Life as a believer in Jesus is hard, but the reward is out of this world! We must persevere, believing the Lord is with us, for us and will sustain us through whatever He allows to enter our life.

It brings me comfort to know that some of the spiritual “giants” of the Bible – Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Job, even Paul got tired, angry with God and wanted to quit. But we read their stories, not because they walked their walk perfectly, but because in the end, they didn’t quit! Toby McKeehan (Toby Mac) gives us insight here when he writes: “Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other tires because you got one flat.”

It’s encouraging to know that the reason we have the stories of the men and women of faith whom God used to change the course of history weren’t perfect, they just chose to “change their flat” and keep moving forward. Billy Graham challenges us when he writes: “The Holy Spirit can rejuvenate a tired Christian, captivate an indifferent believer, and empower a dry church.” This morning, I could hardly lift my head, but this afternoon I have joy in Jesus as He’s enabling me to declare His praise and honor.

Here’s the bottom line: DON’T QUIT! Keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep plodding forward in Jesus. He IS with you! He IS for you! And the end you cannot now see is even better than you’ve ever imagined. You WILL get through this hard chapter, and the Lord WILL make the remaining chapters of your life better than you’ve ever imagined. Please don’t let the enemy of your soul rob, not only you, but those who will grow and benefit from your present experience with the Lord.

By God’s grace keep moving forward to the glory and honor of the One whose holy Name you bear!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Jesus Returns

“We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NLT)

While these verses are very exciting and encouraging, they also raise some questions that deserve consideration. First, as we shared in yesterday’s article, to be absent from our earthly, fleshly body is to be present with the Lord in some spiritual form. Presumably we will be recognizable when we get to heaven, because Moses and Elijah had recognizable forms when they appeared to Jesus, Peter, James, and John on the Mount of transfiguration in Mark 9.

So, why are our ashes or rotting corpses raised from the graves on Resurrection Day? Following Jesus’ ascension, the angel of the Lord told those present: “As they strained to see Him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ‘Men of Galilee, ‘; they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!’”

Notice a few things. First, Jesus rose in a recognizable, bodily form. To the disciples His resurrected body appeared to be an exact likeness of the body in which their Savior was housed when He walked the earth as a man. Are we to assume then that our new, resurrected bodies will look very similar as well? My sense is we will.

Of course, Jesus was only 33 when He died, so His resurrection body looked strong and young. Again, my sense is, at least I’m very hopeful, that my old withered and worn body will look more like I looked when I was in my thirties. Don’t get me wrong, I may not have been “eye candy”, but I looked much better than I do now. Just saying! 😊 Whatever the Lord decides, my point is, we’ll be recognizable just as Jesus was when He ascended.

So, why resurrect the old bodies? We can speculate all day about “why,” but the main reason is, that’s how the Lord planned it (see verses above). Here again, my sense is just as those who are living when the Lord comes will be transformed in the “blink of an eye” (I Corinthians 15:52) into our new, eternal bodies, so will those former bodies of departed loved ones be transformed and reunited with their spirits from heaven instantaneously and without apparent notice. Those living won’t even notice or realize that their transformation is happening simultaneously with the transformations of those who died before us.

All we’ll know is that we’re all being escorted by our Savior to our eternal home, where, for all eternity we will be liberated from all sin and shame and clothed with an eternal peace that can’t be explained with human vocabulary. Just as our initial conversion is invisible to the human eye, but recognizable to the heart of God, so will our final transformation be, an act of God on our behalf.

So, the question remains: Are YOU ready for that day? If not, please tap this link and let Ron Huchcraft walk you through a simple, straightforward explanation of how you can give your life to the Lord and know with certainty that when the Lord returns or when you close your eyes in death you will open them in the presence of your risen Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Death

“So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NLT)

*Today’s article is unique in the sense I asked a dear friend to guide me in understanding a few things which will become apparent as you read. Joel Cosio is the Connection Director at Hope Church and is preparing for his Ordination as a Pastor in the near future. His insights have been invaluable, and the italicized areas are from his research. I’m so grateful for his friendship and insights. Blessings, Ed 😊

What happens when we die? Perhaps that’s the age-old question, but even among Jesus followers there are differences of opinion, all, presumably, based on the authority of Scripture. In the verses above Paul is clearly instructing that, as believers in Jesus, to be absent from our earthly bodies is to be present with the Lord, not asleep in “limbo” somewhere waiting for His second coming.

The clear implication to me is as long as we are in these bodies of clay, we will be away from our eternal bodies in which we will live for all eternity with the Father. That in no way nullifies that the Holy Spirit, God’s eternal presence, is with us as believers from the moment we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus. My sense is, the clear instruction of Scripture, as believers in Jesus, there is not a second that we are not with the Lord in this life or the next from the moment of our new birth.

My thoughts turn to Luke 23:43 where the Lord Jesus, dying on the Cross, assured the repentant thief who sought Jesus’ remembrance of Him, who was a brand new believer, certainty that he would be with Him that very day in paradise, which is a clear reference to heaven. Also, in Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. It’s interesting here that Jesus didn’t use the term “paradise,” but “the bosom of Abraham.” Why did He do that?

Because in Luke 16 He hadn’t been resurrected, but in Luke 23, though Jesus’ body would be in the grave, His Spirit would be in Paradise with the Father, because, as the Lord revealed to Paul, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Father. Joel adds: “A Clarifying point: The bosom of Abraham was the place where the Old Testament saints (the righteous) were gathered together awaiting the victory of Christ through the resurrection when they would be taken up with Jesus to be with the Father. While the bosom of Abraham (OT) is in opposition of the New Testament understanding of Hades, the bosom of Abraham was within Sheol (Hebrew word for the place of the dead, both righteous and wicked) which is translated as Hades (Greek word for the place of the dead) in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament known as the Septuagint (LXX).” Note that those in the Bosom of Abraham, Hades, and Sheol had awareness of their surroundings, realizing they were with or away from the presence of God, they were not asleep (unaware).

Additionally, 1 Peter 3:19 gives us insight as to what Jesus was doing while His body was in the tomb when he writes: “So He went and preached to the spirits in prison – those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat.” Obviously, Jesus wasn’t asleep, nor were those whom He visited. Joel gives us insight again when he writes: “Sheol as it was understood in the OT no longer exists since only the wicked are awaiting judgment in what is referred to in the NT as hades. While there are many interpretations of 1 Peter 3:19, I would say that what Jesus ‘preached to the spirits’ was His victory over death, hell, the devil, and the grave. Those to whom Jesus preached were already judged and in the wicked portion of sheol, not Abraham’s bosom, and were not offered a second chance but assured of their judgment. Please review the ESV Study Bible explanation at the end of this article.“

“Yeh, but what about those who are alive today who have never heard the name of Jesus?” According to Romans 1:20 people are without excuse for not knowing God; however, my sense is those who are chosen by Him will be given opportunity to know who Jesus is, even if it’s in a dream or a vision. The bottom line is, as Paul writes, we are without excuse as human beings for not opening our heart to Jesus.

Death is the passage from this life to the next, so, the only time we have to prepare for what lies ahead is right now, in this moment. If you haven’t settled your eternal account with God, do it now. Tap this link and let Ron Huchcraft walk you through a simple, straightforward explanation of how you can give your life to the Lord and know with certainty that when you close your eyes in death you will open them in the presence of your risen Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed and Joel 😊

*Additional Resources

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, sheol is considered the grave or place where the dead remained including the wicked as well as the righteous in Abraham’s bosom.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: hades carries a very similar definition as sheol only that it only has the wicked as its inhabitants since believers in Jesus are immediately in the presence of the LORD upon death.

Sheol. In the OT, sheol refers to the grave (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; Num. 16:30, 33; 1 Sam. 2:6), the depths (Ps. 139:8; Amos 9:2; Job 11:8; Is. 7:11), death (Deut. 32:22; Job 26:6), or the place where the dead are (Ps. 9:17; 31:17; Ezek. 31:15; 32:21, 27; Isa. 57:9). While all went to sheol (both the righteous and unrighteous), the righteous were not to stay in sheol but were to be rescued by the Messiah (Ps. 16:10; 49:15).

Hades. The Gk. hádēs (Lit. means dark, obscure or invisible) is where the disembodied spirits of the lost currently remain in the immediate state (Lk. 16:23) until the eternal state is ushered in when they will be judged and tossed into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). Though Hades is the New Testament reference of the Old Testament Sheol (the place of the dead or grave; where both the disembodied righteous and unrighteous awaited the eternal state), the death and resurrection of Christ has transformed hades into a place where the unrighteous alone await their judgment (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 1 Cor. 15:55; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14) since now the righteous await the eternal state with Jesus (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7; see Acts 2:27, 31’s usage of Ps 16:10).

Gehenna. The underlying Greek word was Gehenna (γέεννα) which is translated as Hell (meaning the place of eternal torment for the lost and condemned; (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mk. 9:43, 45, 47; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6) is derived from the Heb. gā-Hinnom, Valley of Hinnom (Josh. 15:8; Neh. 11:30; also the “valley of the son of Hinnom” 2 Kgs. 23:10; 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; Josh. 18:16; Jer. 7:31, 32; 19:2, 6). Though the usage of Gehenna is mostly found in the Synoptic Gospels (11 out of 12) with Jesus making reference to it every time, Gehenna is described throughout the NT. Gehenna is referred to as a place of punishment (Matt. 25:46) and destruction (Phil. 3:19; 2 Thess. 1:9) “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” (Mk. 9:48), a “furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:42), a place of darkness (2 Pet. 2:17; Jude 1:13), of “outer darkness” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30), and a “lake of fire” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:8). In the OT, the place that would be called Gehenna became known for its evil, idolatrous, religious practices such as the offering up of children to “pass through the fire” for the worship of Molech (1 Kgs. 16:3; 2 Kgs. 21:6; 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6). Gehenna, later known as “the valley” (Jer. 2:23; 31:40) would be filled with human bones by King Josiah who tried to end the pagan worship and would remain a place of abomination (2 Kgs. 23:10, 13, 14). Gehenna is what we would refer to as “hell,” the place of eternal torment for the lost, condemned, and wicked.

ESV STUDY BIBLE NOTES ON 1 PETER 3:19:

3:19 spirits in prison. There is much debate about the identity of these spirits. The Greek term pneuma (“spirit”), in either singular or plural, can mean either human spirits or angels, depending on the context (cf. Num. 16:22; 27:16; Acts 7:59; Heb. 12:23; etc.). Among the three most common interpretations, the first two fit best with the rest of Scripture and with historic orthodox Christian doctrine. These are:

(1) The first interpretation understands “spirits” (Gk. pneumasin, plural) as referring to the unsaved (human spirits) of Noah’s day. Christ, “in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18), proclaimed the gospel “in the days of Noah” (v. 20) through Noah. The unbelievers who heard Christ’s preaching “did not obey . . . in the days of Noah” (v. 20) and are now suffering judgment (they are “spirits in prison,” v. 19). Several reasons support this view: (a) Peter calls Noah a “herald of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5), where “herald” represents Greek kēryx, “preacher,” which corresponds to the noun kēryssō, “proclaim,” in 1 Pet. 3:19. (b) Peter says the “Spirit of Christ” was speaking through the OT prophets (1:11); thus Christ could have been speaking through Noah as an OT prophet. (c) The context indicates that Christ was preaching through Noah, who was in a persecuted minority, and God saved Noah, which is similar to the situation in Peter’s time: Christ is now preaching the gospel through Peter and his readers (v. 15) to a persecuted minority, and God will save them.

(2) In the second interpretation, the spirits are the fallen angels who were cast into hell to await the final judgment. Reasons supporting this view include: (a) Some interpreters say that the “sons of God” in Gen. 6:2–4 are angels (see note on Gen. 6:1–2) who sinned by cohabiting with human women “when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah” (1 Pet. 3:20). (b) Almost without exception in the NT, “spirits” (plural) refers to supernatural beings rather than people (e.g., Matt. 8:16; 10:1; Mark 1:27; 5:13; 6:7; Luke 4:36; 6:18; 7:21; 8:2; 10:20; 11:26; Acts 5:16; 8:7; 19:12, 13; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 John 4:1; Rev. 16:13–14; cf. Heb. 1:7). (c) The word “prison” is not used elsewhere in Scripture as a place of punishment after death for human beings, while it is used for Satan (Rev. 20:7) and other fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). In this case the message that Christ proclaimed is almost certainly one of triumph, after having been “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18).

(3) In a third view, some have advocated the idea that Christ offered a second chance of salvation to those in hell. This interpretation, however, is in direct contradiction with other Scripture (cf. Luke 16:26; Heb. 9:27) and with the rest of 1 Peter and therefore must be rejected on biblical and theological grounds, leaving either of the first two views as the most likely interpretation.

Left Alone

“But the time is coming – indeed it’s here now – when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me.” (John 16:32 NLT)

Recently my wife and I watched a TV series called “Alone” which chronicles the lives of 10 individuals left alone somewhere in the world where living conditions would be impossible for the average person to survive. In a recent season contestants were dropped miles above the Arctic Circle where temperatures plunge to 40 below zero with limited hours of daylight, heavy snow and dangerous wildlife. Why would anyone expose themselves to those kinds of conditions? The winner takes home $500,000.

Each one of the ten contestants was well trained, prepared for the weather and surroundings, but, ironically, what most of them couldn’t stand was being alone. Thinking the money would be enough incentive to sustain them they quickly learned that the least setback caused them to think of those they left behind, their families, whom they desperately missed. It’s no surprise to me, that the two men who lasted the longest were regularly thanking God for their sustenance, protection, and provision.

It’s not uncommon in Scripture to see Jesus alone, but, as He notes in the verse above, He was in fact never alone but always accompanied by His heavenly Father.

Loneliness is epidemic in our world today which can give rise to grief, guilt, shame, and a myriad of other emotions that can often be camouflaged in a crowd but quickly rise to the surface when we’re by ourselves. Yet, for others being alone means rest, relaxation, enjoyment, a taste of heaven.

The key difference is what Jesus knew and sought to teach His disciples – spend time alone with the Father! In Matthew 6:6 Jesus said: “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” There is an intimacy with the Lord that cannot be discovered in the noise and activity of the world. Is it any wonder the spiritual “giants” of the Christian Faith have been men and women devoted to prayer? To be alone without God is hell, but to be alone with Him is a slice of heaven.

It’s no accident the Lord told Moses in Exodus 34:2: “Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to Me on the top of the mountain. No one else may come with you. In fact, no one is to appear anywhere on the mountain. Do not even let the flocks or herds graze near the mountain.” When God has something to say to us, it’s best we’re not distracted even by the sounds of the animals. He desires and deserves our full attention.

Might there be more spiritual “giants” in our world if we would purpose in their heart to rise earlier and linger longer with the Father? The Lord speaks most clearly in the quietness when our minds are freshest. We owe it to the Lord to give Him the time of day when we’re at our best, not our worst; when we’re freshest, not giving Him our leftover energy and attention. He gave us His best in the Person of His only Son to live as an example for us and to die in our place.

And when the Lord ascended back to the Father, He left us His best in the Person of His Holy Spirit who indwells and enables us to hear His voice, obey His directives, and find strength in His presence. Here’s the bottom line: the only reason we don’t spend quality time with the Lord is because we choose not to! Life will offer us times of aloneness, whether or not we choose them, but it’s our choice and responsibility to choose to spend quality time (not leftover time) with the Lord. The richest dividends are paid to those who pay the highest price to spend time with Jesus. Are you willing to pay that price?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Hope: What It is and Why It Matters

By: John Stonestreet and Andrew Carico

*Without hope we are crippled on levels that can leave us debilitated and helpless. I found this article particularly insightful, practical and helpful. May it bless and help you as it did me. Blessings, Ed 😊

How long can a civilization endure when detached from its roots, most importantly, from truth itself? That question is at the heart of the recent documentary Truth Rising, produced by Focus on the Family and The Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

Os Guinness, one of the world’s leading apologists and my co-host in the documentary, often refers to the West as a “cut flower civilization.” Detached from the essential truths that rooted and nourished it, the West cannot survive. When an entire civilization abandons the ideals that nourish it, there are consequences.

That’s why most civilizations are subjects of history books, and their artifacts stock the shelves of museums. History can tell us that a civilization died, and sociology might even tell us why, but neither can help us know how to live in a civilization’s most pivotal time. But that is where we are, and thus we must choose: renewal or decline?

For followers of Christ, this is not a strategic choice. Rather, it is an issue of obedience. We were called to this time and place, not by accident, but by God’s design. Every Christian must decide: Will I obey the call of Christ in this moment, or will I shrink back?

In Truth Rising, and the accompanying Truth Rising: The Study, which is now available at colsoncenter.org/study, God’s game plan for this civilizational moment is summarized in four essential concepts: hope, truth, identity, and calling. The first lesson of The Study, and the first of these essential concepts is “hope.”

When the Bible speaks of hope, it is never in the sense of wishful thinking. The Bible never speaks of hoping for something to change. Biblical hope, both for this moment and for the future, is securely based on what Jesus Christ has already accomplished. Hope is eternal because Christ defeated death, sin, hell, and the grave. Christians believe that the most important truth about this (or any) civilizational moment is what Christ has done.

The four pillars of Christian hope revealed in the Bible must be recognized in this cultural moment. First, Christ is risen. The Resurrection is the central moment in human history and the most important truth of this cultural moment. Second, Christ is Lord. As the Sovereign over all things, the Lord Jesus Christ sits on the throne of heaven and earth. This is true whether people personally recognize it or not. Third, Christ is making all things new. The world is moving toward renewal within God’s redemptive plan. Finally, God has made us for this time and place. We are not in this moment by accident; God chose us to live in this time and place.

As Christians, even amidst the significant cultural challenges we face today, we are people of hope, made for such a time as this, and providentially placed in this moment of God’s unfolding story. As Peter writes, we are “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

We must not despair nor wish we lived in different times. God has placed each of us at this precise moment in history for His own sovereign purposes. Our calling is to step into the moment we’ve been given with hope-inspired courage, knowing who is reigning over all things: our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are here to do so much more than exist or survive. We’re called by God for His purposes in His world. Get the game plan for this civilizational moment with Truth Rising: The Study. Access it for free today at colsoncenter.org/study.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Western civilization is in crisis. Belief in God has been cut-off. The substitute god of radical individualism has failed.

Crisis calls for courage. Courage is formed when we love Truth. Be inspired by stories of ordinary people who chose faith over fear. Join the movement: truthrising.com/colson

Privilege and Pleasure

“He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalm 147:10-11 NLT)

What brings you the greatest pleasure? Whatever it is, that’s what owns your heart; that’s what you’ll gravitate toward when you have opportunity. We must be careful as lovers of God because pleasure is a many splendored thing. It can be as simple as our favorite dessert or as evil as sex with someone who isn’t our spouse. It’s shiny and attractive and full of promise, but can lead to darkness the likes of which we can’t imagine ever escaping.

Privilege can also lead to similar experiences if allowed to be unmanaged or uncontrolled. Life in Christ offers both privilege and pleasure but can easily be taken out of context and made to look or feel like what God never intended. How we choose to allow ourselves to experience pleasure and what we consider as privilege can speak volumes about who we are as a person, but especially as a child of God.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Privilege, according to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “a right or immunity granted as an advantage or favor esp. to some and not others.” While pleasure is defined as “desire, inclination (await your); a state of gratification; enjoyment; a source of delight of joy.” Set your mind free to ponder those things for a few minutes and it may very well not lead you closer to the Lord. But, on the other hand, it may lead you right to His Holy presence. But why?

Rick Warren understood this when he wrote: “Knowing and loving God is humanity’s greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is our greatest pleasure.” When our whole life’s orientation centers and focuses on knowing and being known and loved by the Lord Jesus and yielding our life to His Lordship, pleasure grows out of time with Him and privilege is highlighted as we recognize our standing with the Lord isn’t earned or deserved but given as a gift of His holy grace. Being loved bears great pleasure for those who are forgiven.

If knowing and loving God is indeed our greatest privilege, what does that mean and why is it such a privilege? It’s ironic on some levels that privilege, according to the dictionary is “an advantage or favor esp. to some and not to others”, God’s great love, however, while very personal for each one who sees and accepts it, is open to everyone. As Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 3:9 , it’s not God’s desire for anyone to die in their sins but He wants everyone to repent and enjoy the privilege of knowing and loving Him.

Pleasure, “a state of gratification,” is also open to everyone, with the clear implication, it can come from many other sources other than God. The Lord actually has many rivals when it comes to pleasure, so, for someone to choose to find their pleasure in Him is very unusual and the privileged few who discover it are truly unique and blessed. Which begs the question: Have you found your greatest pleasure in Jesus?

In this season of my life, I view pleasure quite differently than when I was younger. Growing up and into my young adult life, pleasure was that which was focused on my satisfaction; what made me happy, that which was geared at satisfying my desires. Today, in the closing season of my life, my greatest pleasure is putting a smile on my Father’s face and making my wife’s life a little easier. I’d be lying if I didn’t also include my time praying, reading, worshipping, spending time with my pups and playing my video golf game, attending church, my Men’s Group, fellowshipping with my brothers in Christ and writing for this blog and in many other ways the Lord allows me to derive pleasure in this life.

But here’s the truth: on earth we can only catch a glimpse of what true, eternal pleasure and privilege will look like. That hope is what drives me to the Father in humble surrender and hope-filled anticipation of what He has in store for us when we leave these bodies of clay.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Sin’s Deadly Secret

*Please allow the Lord to open your eyes to the reality of the threat of Satan’s tricks and deceptions in your life as your read this powerful article by Ron Hutchcraft. Blessings, Ed 😃

You may have seen an actor named Iron Eyes Cody in a lot of roles as an Indian. He used to tell an old legend about a young Indian brave, going through the rites of manhood. As he hiked solo into this beautiful valley, he decided to test himself against that rugged, snow-capped mountain that dominated the valley. When he reached the top, he felt like he was standing on the rim of the world. Then he heard this rustle at his feet. It was a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke. He said, “I am about to die. It’s too cold for me up here and there’s no food. Would you put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley?” The young brave refused. He said, “I know your kind! You’re a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you’ll bite me and you’ll kill me.” But the snake said, “No, I promise to treat you differently. If you do this for me, I will not harm you.”

Finally, the young man was persuaded, so he tucked the snake under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. But as soon as he laid it on the ground, the snake suddenly coiled, rattled, leaped and bit him on the leg. The young brave could only cry out, “But you promised!” As the snake slithered away, he hissed back his answer, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “Sin’s Deadly Secret.”

The story is a legend. But the Indian brave’s mistake has been repeated in real life over and over again. God wants you to be sure you know exactly what that snake is – and what it will do to you – before you’re fatally bitten.

Which takes us to our word for today from the Word of God in James 1:15 – it’s an anatomy of how sin gets us to pick it up and what the inevitable outcome will be. “After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.” Looks good…looks harmless – or at least I think it’s worth the risk. First, I want it, then I do it, then I pay for it. It goes on to say, “And sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

See, sin always works the same way – first it fascinates, then it assassinates. Always. The killer snake will always be a killer snake, no matter how harmless it appears or how likely it looks that you’ll get away with it. Not a chance. Sin always kills. It kills your self-respect, it kills your reputation, your closeness to God. You’re not going to get away with it. God says, “Be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

You might be entertaining thoughts right now that you should have never let in, flirting with something you should be fleeing, making compromises that have brought you to the edge of a spiritual disaster, getting close to someone that you should be getting away from, or you could be harboring hard feelings that you really should have let go of by now.

Down in your soul, you know what it is. It’s sin that killed your Savior, sin that always bites the one who handles it. And just because you can’t see any consequences now, don’t be fooled. Satan will be sure you’re hooked and in a position where your fall will do the most damage – then you’ll feel his fangs. This is God’s loving warning, “Drop it now, while you can, before the inevitable deadly consequences come.”

My friend, this is why Jesus is called Savior. Because we need to be saved from the killer of Sin. It kills everything, it will take us one day to a Christless eternity. It will take us out of His Heaven to his Hell. We’ll never make it to His Heaven. But that’s why Christ died, He took the sting of the serpent, He did the dying. And today He offers you eternal life in exchange for your sin and your death penalty. Would you tell Him today, “Jesus, I want to be forgiven, I need to be forgiven.” He will come into your life and change what you could never change.

Listen, if you want this relationship with Him, go to our website and we’ll help you get started with Him. It’s ANewStory.com.

You can’t afford to hold the snake of sin close one day longer. You know what it is when you pick it up. And you know what it will do. And Jesus has come to rescue you.