Walking With Jesus

What Is a Disciple?

“Jesus came and told His disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this. I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

Did you notice I left out a couple of words in Jesus’ command? “To obey!” “to obey all the commands I have given you.” A disciple is a learner and a follower to be sure, but it’s all for nought if they aren’t also taught to obey. I can know the Roman Road like the back of my hand, but if I’m not obedient to the Lord to Whom it directs me, it may lead me down a road that doesn’t end in heaven.

Why is obedience so critical? Because obedience is the example our Master set. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:7-8: “Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

It doesn’t matter how important you think you are, how vital you believe your existence is to mankind, when you come to Jesus you’re stepping into the presence of royalty and one day, with every other knee, you will bow in humble recognition that He is everything and you are nothing. A disciple is one who recognizes that Jesus has earned and deserves our allegiance, including, but not limited to, our life.

Nothing is more important than He is; nothing deserves our devotion more than Him. To put ANYTHING above our love for and devotion to the Lord Jesus is to misunderstand the purpose and meaning of discipleship. “But what about my spouse and children?” Behind Jesus. “What about my job? My friends? My hobbies?” Behind Jesus. “What about anything else, any other thing I can think of as an excuse not to give myself fully to the Lord?” Behind Jesus.

There’s a sense in which it’s all or nothing with the Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.” Please don’t read that too quickly. Did you notice the Lord followed up “the Kingdom of God” with a very helpful and descriptive word – “He!” “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and HE will give you everything you need.” The Kingdom of God isn’t an organization which we join or to which we belong, it’s a Person, a Savior whom we follow and to Whom we owe devotion.

We owe our allegiance to Jesus because we owe our life to Him. He purchased our salvation, our eternal life, on the Cross with His priceless blood. How do I know His blood is priceless? Because Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19: “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 Peter used that comes into our English language as “precious,” is a word that means of incalculable worth. You can’t set a measure of value for it because its value is beyond measurement.

As people of God we’re not following an ideology, system of belief, or religious organization. We’re following the Son of God, God who became Man in the Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ! He deserves our best, “our utmost for His highest,” as Brother Oswald Chambers would say, for He doesn’t call us to be our best selves or a better version of ourselves, He calls us to become like Him. That’s Who we’re called to obey! Wanna be His disciple? Submit your will to His and learn to walk in obedience to His directives.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Loving What Lasts

“Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but My salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!” (Isaiah 51:6 NLT)

Why do we sell our souls for what doesn’t last? It doesn’t even satisfy long term, yet we ignore the only real, lasting, relationship that can heal and make us whole, not just in time, but for all eternity. We treat Jesus as a used tissue or a wrapper we no longer need or in which we see no value.

It’s called spiritual blindness and it’s a disease caused by sin. Every human being has it, and the only cure is Jesus. We can’t learn to love what lasts unless and until we meet and learn to love the One who created that which lasts. Eternal life is a gift from the One who IS eternal life; the One who traded His life for ours in order to give us access to His forgiveness and life that only He possesses.

To seek life in any other person or thing is to seek futility. It’s like trying to swim up Niagara Falls. The power against us is just too great to overcome in our own strength. But here’s the real question: Why even try? We kill ourselves, literally, trying to find peace, fulfillment, hope, help, joy, contentment and every other human emotion in things and in people who are just as broken as we are.

We wrongly believe jobs, careers, opportunities, relationships, hobbies, exercise, or a thousand other things can somehow remove the veil that covers our soul and blinds our eyes to the truth we’re lost and in need of a Savior. Nothing satisfies a hungry soul like a Savior. Nothing erases the longings of a wayfarer like finding their way home.

Loving what lasts begins the moment we meet Jesus and begin the lifelong journey home to heaven with Him. In this season of my life, as my body weakens, my spirit soars as I think of seeing my Savior face to face. My soul longs to be home, not because I don’t love my life here. My wife, family, pups, my church family, the neighbors I’ve come to love and appreciate. My life is filled with good things here on earth, but my soul longs for more than this earth can ever provide.

That’s what we’re all searching for; what we’re all clawing and scratching to find, failing to realize nothing material can satisfy the eternal piece of us that the Lord implanted in our heart when we were born. Pastor Allen Jackson said it well when he wrote: “Our inheritance is unfading. Our treasure is secure—it will not diminish. Our role is pivotal. Our faithfulness is required.”

Our life in Christ is worth the investment required to find its richness and enjoy its reward. Yes, it’s costly, yes it requires effort, and yes, of course it must take precedent over everything else, but it’s well worth whatever cost or effort that’s required. Jesus never promised following Him would be easy. He promised the very opposite.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any of you wants to by 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. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

Perhaps the British Missionary C.T. Studd said it best: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Online Church?

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47 NLT)

Fellowship implies physical closeness; dare I use the word intimacy? Intimacy is a good word for what happens in fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters, but more importantly, is what we seek in our oneness with our Savior.

A vital reason the Lord gave us His church is to provide a seedbed for growth as a child of God. We grow best in community, where we can rub shoulders with others who are wrestling with the same issues with which we wrestle. Yes, of course, in our technologically advanced world the internet affords us opportunities to stay in touch with others from whom we’re separated by great distances, but to depend on electronic means to have fellowship and find intimacy is like reading a book and thinking you know the author. It’s artificial at best and can be very disappointing.

Believing the internet can be your church is like having a video of a dog and believing it’s your pet. It may make you feel better, but it’s artificial, fake, misleading, non-fulfilling. It’s not enriching, invigorating, stimulating like human contact can be. When my pain was deepest and words didn’t heal, being held in the arms of someone who loved me and cared deeply for me provided a healing balm that pictures and sounds cannot provide. As Dr. Michael J. Svigel wrote: “Theology 101: An online church makes as much sense as an online family.”

Yes, of course, if you’re out of town or unable to attend, participate in worship with your family online, but don’t mistake that “program” for Biblical fellowship. The early church “worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people.” None of that can happen on the internet.

Their contact was personal, consistent, inspiring, encouraging, and it resulted in a multitude of their friends and families coming to know the Lord as a result. Reaching our lost loved ones and friends begins in prayer, but it most often materializes as a result of personal and persistent contact. People need to “see” Jesus, sense His presence, hear “His” voice and sense His warmth before they realize just how real He is.

In some ways an online “church” is like test driving a car online. You may see its features and gain an understanding of its capabilities, but you can’t feel it, smell it, sense how it’s going to meet the needs of your family or how you’ll feel when you’re behind the wheel. It may be fun to see, but it’s not going to transport you or your family anywhere.

Online “church” isn’t church in the best sense of the word. It’s at best a salve that sooths our conscience and makes us feel better as we continue to wither spiritually. Yes, it’s a blessing to shut-ins or those who aren’t physically capable of attending, but can never take the place of rich, personal fellowship with other Jesus lovers.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

We Shall Behold Him

“Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him- even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!” (Revelation 1:7 NLT)

One day, sooner than any of us can possibly imagine, we will stand face to face with the God of the universe. What will we be feeling in that moment? Delight? Joy? Peace? Rejoicing? Release? The realization of a life’s longing? Or fear? Foreboding? Anguish? Frustration? Anger? Shame? The Lord alone knows how we’ll feel, but this much I know with certainty – that day is coming!

We’re naïve and blind to the truth to deny the Bible’s Words are true. As surely as the Bible’s words that foretold Jesus’ first coming were true and fulfilled, the words that declare His return are just as certain. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s only a matter of “when!”

Are you ready? What does that mean? How do we get ready for such a cataclysmic event? By simply placing our trust in the truth that Jesus is God’s Son. God poured Himself into human flesh, to die in our place and to pay the penalty for our sin, a debt we could never in eternity pay ourselves. But the wonderful, good news is, by faith we can accept the payment Jesus has already made in our place.

The Bible says in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” Wages are what we earn by what we give our life to. A wage is what you deserve for the work you’ve done. Sin earns us a “wage,” but that wage is death. Our determination to live like we want to live (i.e. our own way), results in a separation between us and God. That’s what “death” is, a separation between us and the God who loves us and gave Himself for us.

The good news is, Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin, to bridge the gap that our sin has created between us and God, and give us the privilege of being united with God through the sacrifice of His only Son, the Lord Jesus. By inviting the Lord Jesus to forgive us and to live within us in the Person of His Holy Spirit, we can be, as the Bible teaches, “born again” into a new love relationship with the living God. We initiate that relationship through prayer, by inviting the Lord to come into our heart and life.

Through that relationship we grow to know God and to understand our great need of Him. Our desire to know, love, and serve Him grows until the longing of our heart becomes to actually one day see Him face to face. The Bible tells us that day is coming.

In some sense that day has already come for those who have preceded us in death and may come for us in that way as well. But for sure, the world is winding down and one day soon the Lord will call a halt to it all. Ready or not, the Lord is coming. Please don’t wait another second to make sure your life is securely in His keeping. Go to Ron Hutchcraft’s website and get things settled while there’s still time.

For me, the Lord’s coming is the greatest news I could ever consider. There’s no one I long to see more than Him. Please take a few moments to listen to this beautiful affirmation of that day by Sandy Patty that will stir your soul and encourage your spirit: We Shall Behold Him!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Leadership

“If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (Romans 12:8 NLT)

Leadership is a gift that is given to some and not to others, and for good reason. Some people do not deserve to be followed. Unfortunately, that’s not always how it works. Some very bad people have gained a very large following resulting in the detriment, not only of many people’s lives, but even of the course of our world.

With all his faults, Satan can be very persuasive. It occurs to me that Satan may well have the “gift” of leadership, but when he chose to use his gifts, talents, and abilities for his own exaltation and seek to work against the Lord, the fruit of his gifts have been channeled into evil rather than good. That can happen to us as well.

Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

The gifts of God aren’t given to us fully developed. The “seeds” of those gifts are planted in our heart with the intention that we would rely on the Lord to grow them to full development. There is a sense in which every believer in Jesus is given the “seeds” of every gift. Because I may not have the gift of kindness, generosity, love, etc. doesn’t exempt me from bearing the fruit of those seeds in and through my life as a believer in Jesus.

Leadership, like any other gift, is a work in progress. Often, at least initially, our gift may not be recognized in our own life but pointed out by someone close to us. It may not occur to us that our ability to influence others is something extraordinary until we’ve had time to demonstrate our gift over time. Ed Stetzer was onto something important when he noted: “Leadership is something you learn, not something you step into.”

Yes, of course, learning is a lifelong process and leadership is no exception, but to assume a leadership role without having some foundational understanding of what that means can be disastrous. I think of Paul’s concern, as the Gospel was spreading so rapidly, that competent Pastors/leaders be assigned to give guidance to the fledgling congregations.

Yet, to me, an even graver concern is the leadership we allow to govern our own lives. To what or whom do we give the most credence in our day-to-day lives. The morning news? Our favorite internet outlets? Our friends? What about God’s Word? Should we not allow the Spirit to inform, instruct, and lead us in every effort to walk in submission to the Lord’s directives?

Yes, of course, we can pick up practical tips and guidance in many things from books and articles, but they must always be weighed in light of the clear instruction of Scripture. Books on leadership can be helpful, but only to the extent they concur with the truth of Scripture. We can only lead to the extent we’re willing to be led.

If the Holy Spirit is not our moment-by-moment governor and guide, we’re in no way prepared to lead anyone, anywhere. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it well when he wrote: “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” We must make certain those to whom we give our willingness to follow are on the right train.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

My Fading Memory

“We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NLT)

In these opening words of his letter, Paul is remembering with fondness his relationship with his friends in Thessalonica. He’s reminding them that the essence of what keeps their relationship alive and fresh is the connection they have through prayer. Miles and time may separate them, but the Lord is as close to them as He is to Paul, so, their connection with the Lord binds them together.

On many levels that’s how I feel about you, those of you who faithfully read the words the Lord gives me. Though my body and mind are weakening, my spirit remains strong and assured that the Lord is with me and for me and will continue to walk patiently and persistently with me every step of my journey. My energy is on short supply these days, so I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to write, but as long as the Lord is speaking and I’m able to type, I’ll continue to keep the articles coming.

In the meantime, thank you for your prayers. Prayer is our lifeline, not only to the Lord, but to each other. Realizing my physical issues pale in comparison to those with which some of you are having to deal, I’m not seeking pity, only prayer. Pity is for those who don’t yet know Jesus, so we pity and pray for them.

The words of John Newton resonate with me when he wrote: “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” It’s ironic in some ways that the closer I seek to walk with the Lord, the more clearly I see my sin, shame, and unfitness to be His servant.

It’s all by grace. As Paul wrote: “your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ,” is all because of the grace and mercy of God. We’re not followers of Jesus because we’re anything, we’re clearly not. It’s all because of who Jesus is, what He did, it’s the price of our redemption He was willing to pay, that gives us opportunity and hope for a new beginning, a new life, and a new eternal hope of heaven.

Thank you for your faithfulness, your faithful efforts to forward the work of Christ Jesus, your strong desire to love well and to live well, and for your enduring hope given to you by Christ Himself. Your life and your efforts are not in vain. The Lord hears your prayers, loves your heart, and will respond in ways that will change hearts and lives to His glory forever.

As I scan the corridors of my memories, I see many things that bring deep regret and sadness. I’ve failed the Lord in so many regrettable ways, ways that have weighed on me in this season of my life. No doubt Paul encountered remembrances of his own failures as he recounted in 1 Timothy 1:15: “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ – and I am the worst of them all.”

There is a sense in which until we can see ourselves in a right perspective in our relationship with the Lord, we’ll never fully appreciate, not only who Jesus is, but what He did to save a sinner such as me (us). In whatever time we have left. Let us labor as unto the Lord for the souls of those whose lives we can influence positively for Him. As our memories fade, may our influence for Jesus continue to thrive.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Light Momentary Affliction

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT)

Sometimes the grind of life can wear us down and discourage us, forcing us to view things simply from a human perspective. As I’m experiencing a weakening of my body the Lord is enabling me to see things in Scripture more clearly, perhaps more personally.

Paul’s words above really spoke to me when he wrote: “So we do not lose heart!” How easy it can be in the weariness of daily existence to give in to the whispers of the enemy that we’re losing ground, when in fact we are making great strides in our forward progress with the Lord. We’re so prone to focus simply on the physical we can easily lose sight of the more vital spiritual dimension of our life.

“Eternal Light, Momentary Night” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

It seems the less physical strength I have the more insight and intimacy the Lord affords me with Himself. The picture that comes to mind is the small child seeking to hold on to their rising kite as it seeks to find strength in the wind that calls it ever upward.

God is calling us ever upward, child of God. This earth is not our home. And while it seems all that is within us is seeking to ground us in humanity, God is calling us to Himself, to a life of which we can only dream, but must continually pursue.

Our dear brother Ray Majoran gives us insight when he prays: “Glorious God, You fill the heavens with light and the quiet places of our lives with mercy. Day by day, You renew what the world tries to wear down. You are present in the middle of our trials, shaping something far greater than we can yet understand (Romans 8:18). What we count as heavy, You are using to prepare a weight of glory that will outlast every trouble. We praise You for not wasting a single moment.

Please help us to hold fast when our strength fades and our hopes feel thin. Remind us that though our bodies weaken and our plans sometimes fall apart, You are working within us something deeper, more lasting, and more alive (Isaiah 40:29–31). Give us eyes to see what is unseen — not as an escape, but as the promise of what’s ahead (Hebrews 11:1). Train our hearts to value what You value, and to trust that even when the night stretches long, the light is never lost.

By the power of Your Word and Spirit, renew us again today. Make us people who do not lose heart because we know what You are building cannot be compared to what we are facing. To You be all glory.”

Realizing how discouraging a long-term illness or other difficulty can be, may I assure you that the Lord is with you every second and, as hard as it is for us to believe at times, He is working every detail for our good and for His glory.

On my bad days, when it’s hard to even get out of bed, I’m praising the Lord for the gift of prayer, the gift of silence, the gift of stillness, the gift of His voice, His touch, His love, mercy, kindness, grace…and for YOU!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why We Change

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.” (Philippians 4:21 NLT)

There are many avenues of incentive when it comes to change for a human being. Some come naturally as the result of aging, some good, some not so good. Many come as a result of neglect. We get in a pattern of eating what is destructive to our body, but we too often ignore the clear signals until permanent damage is done. The pounds begin to mount up, but we dismiss them until we have a heart attack or stroke.

We do the same thing spiritually. We like to run on the energy of the flesh until there’s a crisis we can’t handle, then we beg God to help us, pledging to do better, and we do, until we don’t. We so easily slide back into old patterns, our proverbial “blind eye” never seeming to “see” our spiritual life isn’t designed to coast any more than our physical life.

They’re called spiritual disciplines for a reason – they demand ongoing discipline. Yet, discipline must be a choice, a change in the pattern of our daily process that we invite, embrace, and allow to inspire us to be better, more effective as a child of God, living a life that honors God and glorifies our Savior. True, Spirit-directed change must come from within, motivated and prompted by the Holy Spirit, not simply by a human desire to improve.

Lonnie Free writes: “A change of behavior only glorifies God if it is motivated by a change of heart.” Repentance sets us on a course to life change that is prompted, fueled, and driven by the Holy Spirit. It is a change of mind that leads to a change of heart and life that is Spirt-directed and God honoring. If we’re not sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, what began as a very good intention can quickly become simply another fad we soon forget and from which we fail to benefit.

Motivation for change can too often be merely a means to impress others, rather than an opportunity to honor our Savior. Adam Ramsey reminds us: “We hide weaknesses because of a desire to impress. And we desire to impress because we fear weakness. So, how can we know what change is needed and that the change we desire is for the right reasons?

Mo Isom gives us a clue when she writes: “When we invite the Holy Spirit to censor our lives and make sensitive our eyes, His response changes our vision.” True, lasting, spiritually beneficial change must be motivated and led by the Holy Spirit in order to effect lasting change.

When considering needed change we must ask the Lord to sensitize our understanding, illuminate our spirit, and inform our mind. The questions to ask are: Why? “Lord, why are you leading me to change in this way at this time?” Then consider what’s going on in your life that may be motivating the necessity of this change in this season, making sure it’s the Lord leading the change.

Then ask: “What change(s) are You seeking to make in and through me?” Is it a change personally? Diet, exercise, schedule, routine, study, leadership, etc. or is it more global, in the sense You’re asking me to relocate? Consider foreign missions? Vocational change? Etc.

Change is rarely easy, but needs to be prayerfully evaluated, considered, weighed in light of what else the Lord is showing or teaching you, then pursued with full intent to carry out the Lord’s will in the matter.

Ultimately, we change to more effectively honor and glorify our Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Whose Kingdom? And Who’s Building It?

“Jesus also said, ‘The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed spouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.’” (Mark 4:26-29 NLT)

If you are born again of the Spirit of God, you are a member of the Kingdom of God. Church membership and Kingdom of God membership are two completely different things. You can be a member in good standing of a very active, alive, and anointed fellowship, but if you haven’t yielded your heart and life to Jesus, you’re not a member of God’s eternal Kingdom.

We sometimes wrongly assume that doing work in and through the church is Kingdom work, but that’s not necessarily the case. I can live, eat, sleep, and work in my garage, but that will never make me a car. Humans and cars are two completely different entities.

I can attend worship, serve, and even be employed by the church; I can know all the doctrine, recite all the creeds and catchy phrases and give sacrificially of my finances; I can teach and even preach powerful sermons, yet still not be a member of God’s Kingdom. According to Jesus in Matthew 7:22 we can even prophesy in His name and cast out demons and perform many miracles in His name and still not be a member of His eternal Kingdom.

So, who IS a member of God’s Kingdom? Jesus said in John 3:3: “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” WHOA! What does that mean? As Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3, it means to be born of the Spirit of God. It’s a spiritual process initiated and accomplished by God alone.

Our only part is being available and willing to receive the gift of God’s presence into our lives. The Kingdom of God isn’t a building or organization, it’s a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ and His eternal Family. When we, by faith, accept the Lord’s invitation to receive His Holy presence into our life we are, as the Bible describes it, born again.

It’s a spiritual process accomplished through prayer and illustrated by water Baptism. In Romans 6:4 Paul writes: “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” Please understand, Baptism doesn’t save us, it simply illustrates in an outward, visible form what transpires between us and God by faith when we voluntarily choose to “die” to our sin and become “alive” spiritually in Christ alone by faith alone.

We do not create or build God’s Kingdom, He does, we just pray for the honor and opportunity to be a small part of what He is doing. Francis Schaeffer says it well when he writes: “We are not building God’s kingdom. He is building his kingdom, and we are praying for the privilege of being involved.”

There is so much pettiness in the Church today, largely because we fail to realize whose Kingdom it is and Who’s building it. The Church is the compilation of all those born again of the Spirit, but it’s GOD’S Church it’s GOD’S Kingdom, we just have the privilege of being a part of what He has done and what He is doing.

Let’s please live like we understand that; like we’re a member, not the owner!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Blessing of Psalm 84

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!” (Psalm 84:1 ESV)

*On the 15^th of each month I feature a devotional by Sylvia Gunter. Please read with more than your eyes and listen with more than your ears. The Lord is speaking. Are you listening? Blessings, Ed 😊

May you be blessed with the deep longing and desire for the presence of the Lord Almighty, as the psalmist declares, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!” (v. 1). May your soul yearn and faint for the courts of the Lord, your heart and flesh crying out for the living God, drawing near to Him in every moment.

May you find your true home and place of rest near the altar of the Lord, just as the sparrow and swallow have found their nests (v. 3). Be blessed as you dwell in His house, continually praising Him, for “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” (v. 4).

May you be strengthened in the Lord as your heart is set on pilgrimage, journeying toward His presence with steadfast purpose. As you pass through the valleys of life, may they become places of refreshing springs, where the rains of God’s grace cover your path with pools of blessing (v. 5-6). May you go from strength to strength, growing ever closer to God until you stand before Him in Zion (v. 7).

May the Lord hear your prayers and look upon you with favor, as the psalmist prays, “Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob” (v. 8). May He be your sun and shield, bestowing upon you favor and honor, withholding no good thing from you as you walk blamelessly before Him (v. 11).

Finally, may you be blessed with the assurance that those who trust in the Lord are truly blessed, for “O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you” (v. 12). May your trust in Him grow deeper and your walk with Him grow stronger, as you experience His unfailing goodness and love. Amen.