Walking With Jesus

Unhealthy Habits (Part 3)

“Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we also live with Him.” (Romans 6:5-8 NLT)

Using Paul’s powerful words above, let’s formulate a simple gameplan to free you from the shackles of sin that may still have you bound. First, if you’re born again of the Spirit of God you are free from the penalty of your sin. You have accepted the sacrifice Jesus made on the Cross as your payment in full for your sin debt to God; however, you are still accountable for the sins you continue to commit.

What does that mean? It means sin has a cost. Sin separates us from God, not in an eternal sense once we’ve been born again, but each time we choose sin over submission to His will, we push ourselves further from Him, in the sense it makes it more difficult to “hear” His voice and to follow His directives.

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As a child of God my goal is to listen to the Lord intently, follow His directives completely, worship and adore Him with every fiber of my being, trust Him without reservation, and to submit to His Lordship over my life without question. It’s taken me many years to understand that and to seek to practice it in my life 24/7. But it started with some simple understanding.

First, Satan doesn’t own me, Jesus does. What does that mean? It means I obey Jesus, not Satan. I have to make a choice. When Satan is drawing me to lustful pleasures in whatever form they may come, just like Jesus when He was being tempted, I say an emphatic “NO!” Then I turn from whatever it is, whether that means turning off a device or literally walking away.

What if I don’t have the strength to do that? You do! He’s the Holy Spirit who lives in you as God’s child. You have the strength, courage, whatever you need, you just need to let yourself believe you can. But how can I recognize His presence? His voice? Initially, the easiest way is to partner with a believing friend. Put their phone number on speed dial and the second you get tempted and are starting to squirm with conviction, call them!

Explain the situation and spend time in prayer, seeking the Lord’s forgiveness for letting your mind wander so far, then confirm your determination to walk obediently with the Lord. You can use the same process whatever spiritual habit you’re seeking to form. It’s much easier to partner with someone who is a little further down the road to maturity than you are, but who will be patient with you and understand when you fail.

Spiritual habits MUST ultimately replace your unhealthy habits. Nature abhors a vacuum, so if you make room by stopping something that’s been hurting you in some way, if you don’t replace it with something good, it will revert back to something unhealthy. Get on a healthy schedule of personal worship – reading, studying Scripture, praying, and spending time with other godly people who will hold you accountable and help keep you on track.

It’s also healthy to know that every second of your day is your “God Time,” in the sense, He’s always with you and wants you to consult Him about every decision you make, and everything you do, whether working, eating a meal or working out at the gym. Every second is an opportunity to either draw closer to the Lord or move further away. It’s up to us whether we let Jesus or Satan win in the decisions we make.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Unhealthy Habits (Part 2)

“You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, ‘Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!’? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” (Colossians 2:20-23 NLT)

While there are some similarities, there are significant differences between physical and spiritual disciplines. For example, In a similar way as increasing weight and reps in weight lifting can increase physical strength, increasing time and focus when reading Scripture and praying can increase spiritual fervor.

However, while the strength gained lifting weights can make some tasks easier, may increase self-confidence, and even make us feel physically more attractive, all those things essentially center on us, how they make me feel about myself. On the other hand, while spiritual disciplines may, and hopefully will, increase our self-confidence in terms of our usefulness to the Lord, the central purpose of reading and studying the Bible, devoting time to prayer, corporate worship, investment of time and resources in the Body of Christ, the Church, making time for growing together with other like-minded men and women in a small group, fasting, spiritual retreats, and other means of spiritual growth are in their essence more others focused.

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In an effort to maintain a strong and healthy body, it demands a balance of effort on many fronts. It’s not enough just to eat right, I must also exercise, get enough rest, stimulate my heart and mind, as well as have times of relaxation and enjoyment. And, as with spiritual disciplines, it’s better and just more fun to do them with others. Yes, of course, devote specific time to being alone with God, but also allow time with likeminded brothers and sisters to grow your faith.

Similarly, when it comes to defeating the unhealthy spiritual habits we have, there are steps to a successful transition. First, we must have a vision or goal. I’ve found it helpful to focus on the positive rather than the negative. How so? If I’m wasting too much time viewing my phone, iPad, computer, TV, magazines, gaming, whatever, to focus on THEM is to defeat the purpose. Focus on what you want to transition into.

For example, let’s say the Lord has let you know you must make spending time in the Bible a priority. If you have a day-planner, whether on your phone or otherwise, block out however much time you decide and make that time sacred. My experience has been you should start small. It’s a lofty goal to set aside an hour, but when you’re first starting out it’s too much.

Now 3-4 hours pass like 10 minutes, but when it’s fresh 10 minutes can seem like an hour. Set a goal of 10-15 minutes, which is about the time it will take you to read 1 or 2 chapters in the Bible if you read slowly and pay attention to what you’re reading. Start in the Gospel of John in the New Testament and when you finish John, go back to Matthew and read straight through the New Testament. The Old Testament is great and needed but stay in the New Testament until your new habit is formed.

Celebrate your victories. After you reach one week of reading every day, reward yourself. An ice cream cone or a steak at your favorite restaurant. Whatever will be a treat for you. Incrementally, increase your time so that after a month or so it’s fifteen to twenty minutes and so forth until you’re finding it disappointing if you have to miss.

There’s a lot more here. Let’s continue this tomorrow.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Unhealthy Habits

“A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.” (Proverbs 22:15 NLT)

Habits form our lives and, far too often, interrupt or even block our progress as children of God. Why is that? One reason is we’re too quick to believe we can’t change negative or harmful habits. We grow comfortable with our habits, as destructive as they may be, because we learn to rationalize their existence. We can even dupe ourselves into believing that God is somehow okay with them, when He clearly is not. There comes a point where we begin to believe we just don’t have what it takes to change.

And the truth is, we don’t! I have a friend who is an alcoholic. They are literally killing themselves, but they’ve come to believe they have made some kind of agreement with the Lord that it’s okay. It’s not, but Satan has them believing they no longer have to struggle with their inevitable fate. And the truth is, that’s the lie Satan’s using to cripple and kill the lives of millions of believers.

Lust, greed, gossip, pornography, all manner of immorality and debauchery is being carried on by those who profess the name of Jesus, which is horrifying, but the greater tragedy is, they like their sin too much to stop it. For most it’s not a question of can’t but won’t! We sing in church on Sunday: “OUR GOD CAN!” But nullify the truth of those powerful words by not even giving our sin a second notice.

Am I somehow suggesting sinful, destructive habits are easy to break? No, but I am saying it is certainly possible to break them! But how? Dr. Robert Schuller was fond of saying: “Inch by inch anything’s a cinch.” As much as someone may love steak, or salad, or lobster, or whatever it is, it’s more satisfying and better for your digestive system if you eat it one small bite at a time.

To believe we’re going to stop a lust or gossip problem we’ve had for 25 years in a day may not be realistic, but I can assure you it will never stop until we take the first step. But how do we do that?

By God’s grace and with His help you can do anything. My mom and dad both smoked and drank for years. One day my dad decided to stop, and he did. He was done with both immediately. My mom, on the other hand, struggled for years. What’s my point? Different people, different results. However, there came a point even in my mom’s life when she’d had enough.

The heart surgeon told her that if she didn’t have the surgery, she would die. But then he said: “Even if I do the surgery, if you don’t stop smoking, you’ll still die. You must decide whether you want to live or die!” That’s ultimately the decision we must make. Do we want to live or die spiritually? Do we want to be someone who merely professes a relationship with Jesus or someone who demonstrates His life and love through our very beings?

Talk is cheap. We can know the right answers to all the right questions and still miss heaven. May I be honest? Who or what owns your heart? If you love your sin more than your Savior, you’re not heading to heaven. The Lord demands first place. To believe we can “love Jesus,” yet live anyway we choose is to believe a lie from the pit of hell.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23: “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life (your sinful habits), you will lose it. But if you give up your life (your sinful habits) for My sake, your will save it.”

We’ll look at this more closely in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

You Are Designed By God

*As I do on the 15^th of each month, I’m sharing another beautiful and powerful devotion from Sylvia Gunter. Please allow Syvia’s words to challenge you as the Holy Spirit forms you into your Savior’s image. Enjoy! Blessings, Ed 😊

Spirit, listen to God’s Word in Ephesians 2:10. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…” Accept and receive this truth deeply in your being. Your Father had His eye on you long before you loved Him. He intended you and wanted you. He planned you; you were not an accident. You are a product of His love. You were not mass-produced. We live in a disposable age, but you are not a throw-away. You are one of His best ideas, the result of His fine craftsmanship. His wisdom creatively designed you for Himself. You are “a keeper,” a treasure, valuable and valued. You are carrying a huge reservoir of treasure of generational blessings because He is generous. He is a just and extravagant God. He celebrates everything that He planned and deposited in the gold mine that is you, everything that He intended for you and pledged to you, and He cannot lie. In Him, you know who you are and what you are living for. Be blessed to live in the freedom of maximum fulfillment as you accept, approve, and receive your design, how God made you to be.

Listen to the Word of God for you in Matthew 15:13. Jesus said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” Be blessed to receive the restoration of God’s original intent for you. Receive the hand of your Father removing everything that He didn’t install in you, everything you got from ungodly generations, in the womb, and since then from unholy sources. Be blessed with seeing the hand of your Father plucking up by the roots what He did not plant in you. Receive God’s restoration of what needs to be restored to its rightful formation and place. He put some special things in you when He created you, and you may have tried to remove them, hide them, or change them. Others may have tried to squelch you or change you all your life. Be released from the soulish plans, prayers, and manipulations of others to make you other than who God intended you to be.

Hear God’s Word for you in Romans 12:2 NLT. “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, and you will know how pleased God is with his will for you and what God wants you to do.” He has designs on you for glorious living in His purposes, to set you in the fullness of Christ in everything in every way. He is actively working out His purposes that are beyond your comprehension. Paul said that no man has heard, seen, or even imagined what wonderful things God has for those who love Him. The power of the Holy Spirit in you is renewing your mind and soul, to give you a new attitude of heart. Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, is helping you to trust God completely and believe that He knows what is best for your life.

Let God confirm to you those facets of yourself that He designed to be revealed. Jesus lives in you to shine out of you. Be blessed to grow in all the character, skills, potential, and magnificence that is in your true spiritual DNA. Be blessed to be you. Be blessed in the name of the Spirit of God who made you, the breath of the Almighty who gives you life (Job 33:4).

Taken from You Are Blessed In The Names of God, pg. 27.Sylvia Gunter. For archive of past devotionals:www.thefathersbusiness.com

Bitterness and Worry

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT)

When bitterness is coupled with rage, as in the above verse, it means “extreme wickedness” with ongoing negative implications. It speaks of an anger that won’t go away; that becomes as if it were a boiling rage that demands a destructive response. That’s what happened to the Jewish religious leaders in Mark 3 when Jesus healed the man with the deformed hand.

Their anger wouldn’t subside because, in their minds, Jesus had disrespected and disregarded what they understood as their Sabbath demands, an anger that would become a bitter root of rage until they ultimately had Jesus nailed to the Cross. That’s why it’s so critical to handle anger quickly and effectively, we literally can’t know where it might lead.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:32: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” (KJV) Tim Keller made an interesting observation when he said: “Worry is not believing God will get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong.” Worry is like a spiritual ulcer that eats away at our faith, while bitterness becomes as a raging storm bent on destroying everything in its path, including our faith.

Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-27 (NLT): “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

David Jeremiah gives us sound guidance when he writes: “But we can minimize anxiety. One of the greatest techniques of peaceful people is learning to go about today’s business while leaving tomorrow in God’s hands. As you focus on what God has placed in front of you today, the giant of worry about the future will fade! God will take care of today and tomorrow.” (See Turning Point Horrors! – 02-07-23)

Did you notice the word Dr. Jeremiah used? “One of the greatest techniques of peaceful people.” A person at peace with Jesus, themselves and others will not be bitter and is far less prone to worry. The place to start in dealing with bitterness and worry is at the feet of the Savior. He is the “Prince of Peace” and will enable us by His grace and through the powerful ministry of His Holy Spirit to conquer worry and bitterness before they conquer us.

Some wrongly assume worry isn’t a problem, but worry is a sin that robs God of glory and us from the peace that only faith can give. Each moment we have a choice. We can borrow problems from the future through worry, or we can trust the Lord for today’s provision and trust Him with tomorrow when it comes.

“But I need to prepare!” we tell ourselves. But faithful prayer and trust in our Savior IS preparation. Without trusting the Lord, we nullify whatever profession of faith we make and essentially destroy whatever positive witness we might be seeking to make. The logical question then becomes: “Can I trust Jesus for eternal salvation and heaven, but not trust Him for today’s provision?”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

After Testing Comes Blessing

“Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.” (Matthew 4:11 NLT)

Tests are gifts of God to strengthen our faith and to prepare us for our next assignment. We sometimes wrongly assume a test is a punishment or reprimand for something we’ve done wrong, but that’s not what the Bible teaches. Jesus walked perfectly, flawlessly for 30 years before being tested in the wilderness by Satan. It wasn’t punishment, it was preparation. The very next verses in Matthew describe the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

Rick Warren wrote: “God is going to test you before he blesses you. And in that test, you’re going to learn a lot about yourself. If you give up praying, you’re never going to learn the lessons that help you become more like Jesus. Keep praying with persistence each day. And remember that after the testing, the blessing will come.”(See Daily Hope Testing Comes Before Blessing – 02-03-23)

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Tests and temptations, while similar, are not the same. Temptation is of Satanic origin and is always something that, if given into, will result in sin. Tests, on the other hand, originate with God and are basically anything that can cause you to doubt God or turn you from the path He’s planned for you. But when overcome will lead to greater fruitfulness and usefulness in God’s Kingdom. Things like unanswered prayer, a difficult habit that seems impossible to break (habitual sin), unfaithfulness (something that tests your faithfulness to your spouse, your job, the people in your family or spheres of influence who look to you as a positive example of Christlikeness).

Perhaps the Lord gives you a clear instruction to do something that’s frightening or challenging, but instead of immediately proceeding on the path of obedience, you begin to question God or yourself. Tests and temptations come throughout our life as a Jesus follower and are not, in and of themselves sin. They may lead to sin, but like with Jesus, they certainly don’t have to.

God’s plan is that tests lead to deepening faith and stronger commitment, which leads to greater levels of fruitfulness and usefulness to the Lord. But please don’t miss the point. The true “blessing” isn’t overcoming the temptation or gaining the victory, it’s putting a smile on your Father’s face. It’s the joy it brings to your heavenly Father as He affirms you and expresses to you His pleasure.

Rewards come and go and may or may not be remembered. What will build your faith and sustain your spirit is the confidence you gain, not in yourself, but in the powerful Spirit who resides in you. Recognizing you are not your own, you were bought with the high price of the blood of your Savior, will enable you to find strength in the knowledge you are never alone to face ANYTHING!

Tests sometimes seem to come “out of nowhere,” but they haven’t. They’re like the sun, rising right on God’s schedule. God’s perfect time doesn’t always coincide with our schedule, but if we’ll learn to go with His “flow,” we’ll face tests and temptations in stride, realizing they aren’t there to make us bitter, but to make us better.

There’s a very real sense in which we are the cumulative result of our tests. Some we’ve failed, but others, by God’s grace, we’ve passed with flying colors. On some levels our tests define us. How we handle them will largely define the kind of person we are and are to become. Trials that lead to trust strengthen and stabilize us, enabling us to hear God’s voice more clearly and follow Him more nearly.

Regardless of what’s happening in your life right now, hold on to Jesus with unwavering faith and the blessings He will bring to you will humble, encourage, and enlighten your soul. He is always good.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Hungry Heart?

“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT)

Have you ever been hungry? No, I’m not speaking about having an early breakfast and by lunch you’re starving. Personally, I’ve missed a few meals I hadn’t planned to miss, but having seen some of the suffering in our world, I’ve never really known hunger, with one exception. My heart aches like the gnawing pangs of hunger to know my Savior more intimately, to sense His presence more closely, and to hear His heartbeat as though it were my own. These are the longings of my heart in this season.

Nothing satisfies the human heart and soul like intimacy with Jesus. Jesus longed for closeness with His Father. That’s why the agony of the Cross was so hard for Him. Having to be separated from the Father, if only for seconds, was like an eternity for Jesus. How can we walk with the Lord and not long for His presence in every second?

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James L. Snyder wrote: “Throughout the history of humanity, there have been great discoveries. I am not sure which one we could point to and say, ‘That is the greatest discovery in the world.’ But for the hungry heart, there is but one discovery that satisfies it: the discovery of the manifest, conscious presence of God.” (A. W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, ed. James L. Snyder – Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014)

I wish I could tell you it’s always been that way for me, but it hasn’t. It’s a growing process, but once we finally make the connection between the nagging ache of our heart for “something more,” and the thirst-quenching, life-sustaining presence of the Lord, our lives will never be the same. As I understand the process, pain is the pathway that leads to the heart of God.

It may be physical, emotional, financial, relational, even spiritual pain, but too often our hearts are not willing to be postured to hear God’s voice until our pain is deepened to the point the voice of the enemy is stilled. It’s in the quiet agony of our brokenness that the voice of God becomes crystal clear.

Beloved, it’s a journey, but to bask in His presence is heaven! To sense the affirming, loving, inviting presence of His Spirit, healing your heart, informing your spirit, and soothing your soul is something no one or nothing of this earth can accomplish.

I’ve shared before how I’ve wrestled with regret regarding my first marriage, but especially my failure to love my kids well in critical times in their lives. My failure has led to their walking without Jesus as their best friend, which is my deepest regret. Recently, the Lord has freed me of my regret.

He’s shown me that to focus on what wasn’t done in the past has blocked what He’s wanted to do in the present. To fill my mind with “what if’s” is to block the path to His “what will be’s.” Anytime we choose the past over the present, we choose death over life; sorrow over hope; defeat over victory. Our God has no limits. Prayer is our lifeline. What belief in a living God can do is literally unimaginable. He alone satisfies the hunger of our aching heart.

How will it all turn out? God alone knows. But I know this! It will be good, better than anything I or you can imagine. How do I know that? Because I’ve sat in His presence, and He whispered it to my heart.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Living As Children of Light

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:6-10 ESV)

What does it mean to be darkness? Yes, you read that right. I’m not asking what it means to be IN darkness. Most of us know what that’s like. I’m asking what it means to BE darkness. Jesus touches on this in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6:22-23 He said: “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”

While He uses the literal eye as an analogy, what He’s addressing is far more tragic than literal blindness, as horrifying as that is. I think of my friends trapped in the bondage of Mormonism who wrongly believe the god and jesus they love and serve is the same as the God and Jesus of the Bible. Yet, when you show them Scriptures like John 1:1 that clearly says: “In the beginning the Word (Jesus) already existed,” it’s as if the meaning escapes them. This verse verifies that God the Father and God the Son are two separate entities, yet, are co-equal and exist in unity with the Holy Spirit – the holy Trinity.

But the verse continues: The Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD!” (emphasis mine). There are literally dozens of verses that verify the deity of Christ in unmistakable ways, yet, those who walk in darkness cannot see the truth. Why not? It has nothing to do with intellect, it has everything to do with spiritual darkness.

If Satan, the father of darkness, owns a person’s heart and mind, they literally CANNOT see the Truth. The only power great enough to illuminate a darkened mind and heart is the power of the Holy Spirit released through believing prayer. That’s why we cannot become partners with those who walk in darkness.

The word used in verse 6 above literally means: “of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell.” What does that mean? It means people are so blinded by the lie they cannot see the truth, but while they may believe with all their heart that their lie is true, because of the darkness it brings to their soul, though they may not be “immoral” in the popular sense of the word, their “immorality” is born and grows out of their evangelization of their lie, thus damning immortal souls to hell for their “unbelief” in the God of the Bible.

Why is this darkness so blinding? And why does it bear such a vile punishment? Paul challenged the Corinthians, as he challenges us, when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.” If the Spirit of God doesn’t illuminate the life of Jesus in and through the way we speak, live, and behave, we’re blind to the Truth and living in spiritual darkness.

If the light of Christ’s life isn’t being evidenced through the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit (that cannot be faked), then the Spirit of Christ is not alive in us and we’re walking in spiritual darkness. However, the greatest evidence is the test of Romans 8:16: “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Agreement

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16a NLT)

Have you ever agreed to something, then, almost immediately you knew you shouldn’t have? Yet, at that point you felt obligated not to back out. What did you do? What did you learn? It’s tempting, based on a negative experience, never to agree to anything, but that isn’t right either.

The verses above have reference to not aligning ourselves with those who are unbelievers in key relationships like marriage but can also be applicable to other relationships. Paul touches on another aspect of this in Romans 12:18 when he writes: “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” On some levels these are like two extremes of the same issue of agreement.

As Jesus followers were called to be agreeable, but sometimes there’s a thin line that we dare not cross. It’s like our obligation to love the sinner but hate their sin. That’s easier, because it’s the same battle we fight each day within ourselves. We’re commanded to love ourselves, but we certainly need to form a healthy hatred toward our own sin; otherwise, we’ll not feel any inclination to be rid of it, as Paul writes in Romans 8 we certainly should.

We’re also commanded to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 19:19) without regard to whether or not our neighbor is saved. Implicit in that loving is some measure of agreement; otherwise, we’ll be in constant friction with them. That speaks to something Russell Moore wrote: “I’ve never been humiliated into agreement. I have, however, been loved, served, and patiently convinced into agreement.”

What’s my point? Regardless of where we live, work, or serve, we’re called to be agreeable. To be a servant of the Lord and be cantankerous, argumentative, and uninviting in our outlook and demeanor towards others is an insult to the Savior we love and serve. Jesus loved the men who nailed Him to the Cross, and it was that love that prompted the words of the Centurion in Mark 15:39: “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Our loving kindness, cooperative spirit, accepting demeanor will open doors our trying to cram Scripture down someone’s throat never will. Is that to say there’s never a time or place to use Scripture? Of course not. The use of Scripture is crucial in helping someone come to the Lord, but how and when we use it must be guided by the Holy Spirit and flow from a heart of love and desire to see someone come to the Lord to meet their need, not ours.

But here’s the truth. There is no agreement between light and dark; right and wrong; good and evil. There are certainly opportunities for compromise, but not on core issues. I understand if someone continues to struggle with a sin or sins with which they wrestled when they first came to the Lord. But to still be “wrestling” with the same sin after 10 or more years is another story.

Our goal as a Jesus follower is to walk in the light of our new life and to lovingly seek to win the lost to the Lord Jesus and His holy way. My personal goal when I speak with someone about the Lord, if they aren’t open to beginning a relationship with the Lord in that moment, is to keep the door open so the next person with whom they speak will, hopefully, be able to lead them home. Or perhaps they’ll be more open in our next conversation.

But if I’m ugly, in their face, and turn them off to anything about the Christian life, I could ruin mine or someone else’s opportunity to ever help them see Jesus in a different light. We must be agreeable, even in our disagreement.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Believer’s Greatest Desire

“Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”” (Hebrews 6:11-12 NLT)

Desires, even for believers, range somewhat due to our level of spiritual maturity, age, stage in life, and many other factors. What I desired at 17 when I first gave my life to the Lord looks a lot different than the things I most desire today. Yet, on the other hand, there are still similarities.

What drew me to the Lord then and holds me on course today, was and is a desire to be free of sin and to be in a right relationship with Jesus. My greatest desire is to please God and walk in harmony with His will for me, but therein lies the question: What does that look like? What does it mean to please God and to walk in harmony with His will?

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Granted, there are similarities for each of us who bear His name. Obedience. Submission to His authority in and over our lives. Willingness to love Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and body, and to love others as we love ourselves. But realistically, that can look different in the life of a new believer and a veteran saint; a young unmarried and a middle-aged married person; a retiree and someone just starting their career.

Stages of life can shift how desires manifest themselves, but at their core, our desires should always focus on what pleases and honors God, not just ourselves. Intimacy with the Lord is certainly among my strongest desires in this season of my life, but true intimacy flows out of obedient surrender, doing what pleases and honors the Lord regardless of how I might feel about it.

What’s important to the Lord must be important to me; thus, dictating policy in my life to conform to what pleases Him. We must consider the basics to see what’s most important to the Lord. From the beginning of time God chose to create beauty and order. Everything had a purpose; nothing was random or haphazard. Oceans flowed within their set boundaries, the sun, moon, and stars all follow the course of their Creator. Animals and wildlife operate within the guidelines of their instincts and abilities.

Only man was given freedom of choice, but why? Because love is meaningless without the option to receive or deny it, and the greatest gift God gave us as human beings is the gift of relationship – with each other and with Him. The Bible says in John 15:13: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” But how? What does “Laying down our life” look like in 2025?

It looks the same as it did when the words were written, denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him (Matthew 16:24). The reason Jesus died wasn’t so we could stay the same, but in order that we might be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). When did that begin? When someone introduced us to Jesus!

J. C. Ryle wrote: “Happy indeed is that Church whose members not only desire to reach heaven themselves, but desire also to take others with them.” As great as it is to be secure in our salvation, it pales in comparison to helping others find their salvation. When our intimacy with and joy in Jesus translates into brokenness over the lostness of our loved ones, neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates, and others in our spheres of influence, our desire for God will increase exponentially with our desire to see others come to know Him. To know Jesus and not want to share Him is an oxymoron.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊