Walking With Jesus

When We Declare War

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)

Have you ever thought of yourself as a lighthouse? According to Jesus (see above) that’s what we become when we yield our life and allegiance to Him. And just as the purpose of a lighthouse is to warn those facing danger, God’s Spirit in us has equipped us to warn those in danger of hell.

Folks, as much as we don’t like to think or talk about it, hell is real and a great many of the people in our spheres of influence are headed there unless and until we warn them. And here’s the deal, we don’t have to raise a flag and begin to declare war against hell, when we surrender to Jesus, hell declares war against us.

John Piper said it well when he wrote: “We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war.” In war there are casualties, and everyday tens of thousands of unsuspecting people enter eternity not prepared to die. Everyone is living for something, and everyone will die for something. It may be no more than an idea they have about themselves or someone else, but something is causing then to come to Christ or stay away.

When we by faith cast our lot with Jesus, we may not realize it, but we’re declaring war on hell. Corky Calhoun wrote: “Being a light on the hill is a declaration of war against depravity and darkness.” Every person we meet is sizing us up, trying to decide if we’re a friend or enemy, and, often, that decision is reserved until they know whether or not we follow Jesus.

To believe we can casually and “safely” follow Jesus is to misunderstand the clear teaching of Scripture. Jesus didn’t call us to safety, He called us to sacrifice, beginning with our own life. John Piper also wrote: “Prayer is not for the enhancement of our comforts but for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom.” Our concern as a believer isn’t whether we’ll live or die, it’s to whose fame we will live or die, ours or the Lord Jesus?

The purpose of Scripture memorization is to prepare us for battle. If we don’t have it tucked securely away in our heart and mind, how will the Spirit access it to use in Christ’s defense? How can we use it to ponder and savor the sweet truths of our Savior? We think of prayer and reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word as “disciplines” of the Christian Faith, when in reality they are our armor preparing us for battle, not with people, but with darkness and the unseen forces of evil.

Yes, of course, evil lurks hidden in the hearts of mankind, and there are times people can be very confrontational, but my experience has been, most people are open to a quiet, calm, courteous conversation about Jesus. Our goal isn’t to win them to our “brand” of Christianity, to our church, or to a certain belief, it’s to introduce them to a Person.

When I was in college I went to a neighboring town where there was a secular university. I went alone and the only question I asked was: “Would you have a few minutes to talk about Jesus?” Rarely did anyone say “no.” We want to muddy the waters with our ideas about a lot of things, but when we simply share the truth of who Jesus is and what He did, our “battles” can result in many victories.

Food for thought.

Blessings Ed 😊

For What Will You Die?

“But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” (Romans 1:18 NLT)

If we’re honest, there’s not much for which we’d be willing to trade our life. We say a lot of things we don’t mean under pressure or when frightened, but when our heads are clear and we’re thinking straight, as a rule, we’re number one in our heart and mind, and that for which we might choose to die had better be worth a lot.

Recently, in a Ron Hutchcraft devotional, Ron wrote of a mom who spoke before a crowd of 70 thousand people at a Billy Graham Crusade. This came shortly after the end of the first Gulf War, and Dr. Graham had asked her to read a letter she’d received from her son who had served.

He had died in a helicopter crash on the last day of the war. He had written a letter to his mother and given it to a good friend with instructions to mail it only if he was killed. Now she shared his letter with those in that stadium. His letter said, “Mom, if you’re reading this letter, it means I didn’t make it. But that’s OK, Mom. Because now, for the first time, I’m smarter than you are! Because Mom, I’ve seen heaven. I’ve seen Jesus!”

Knowing where you’re going when you die can make all the difference in terms of for whom or what you may be willing to die. Jesus died for sinful mankind, many of whom would never express appreciation, because most of them would never seek His forgiveness. Do you think Jesus ever regretted going to the Cross? In my mind and heart, I’m confident He never did. How can I be so sure? Because my conviction is had you or I been the only people to ever live who needed a Savior, He would have still died for us! That’s the love of God! Sacrificial, unlimited in its effort to reach those without hope of heaven.

Ron wrote in the article referenced above: “There’s something about us that gets all uptight about things that matter a little and largely complacent about things that break and even enrage the heart of God. We can really get up a head of steam about worship music, or liberals, or Christians who are ‘different,’ or the way the culture’s going downhill. But then we can be strangely unmoved by young girls who suddenly disappear into the snake pit of sexual slavery. Or children who cry every night for food that never comes. A woman living with a man she thought loved her, and tonight fearing for her life. Innocent kids, unspeakably twisted and scarred by someone who abuses them for their own gratification.”

We too often think violent, angry, emotion filled thoughts, wishing to see such people suffer for their sins. God sees those who are lost without His Son; those for whom He has opened a way for forgiveness and new life. We want to believe our sin is somehow “not so bad,” but it was bad enough to nail the innocent Son of God to a cross and IT DOESN’T GET ANY WORSE THAN THAT!

OUR sin isn’t any less vile in the sight of God than anyone else’s. We’re all sinners in need of a Savior; a Savior whose mercy has opened the way for ANYONE willing to confess their sin and seek forgiveness to be forgiven. And here’s the truth – someone’s going to die for your sin and mine. It will either be us or Jesus. He leaves the choice to us.

You have to decide for yourself the price you’re willing to pay for your sin. Jesus is clear in His Word that if you bring your sin to Him, He’ll forgive you, but it will cost you your life! Are you willing to give your life in gratitude for all Jesus did for you on the Cross? I am!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Exalting Jesus

“He (Jesus) has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, but He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but how few believe what He tells them? Anyone who accepts His testimony can affirm that God is true. For He is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves His Son and has put everything into His hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” (John 3:31-36 NLT)

These powerful, impactful words from John the Baptist about Jesus resonated with my spirit this morning as I read them, though I’ve read them many times before, but why? John the Baptist is a very unique man. How so? The Bible says of him: “…for he (John the Baptist) will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before His birth.”

And I’m sensing some of you still thinking, “Ho hum! I already knew this.” Yes, of course you do, just like I did, but here’s how the Lord spoke to me this morning regarding these oft read words. These words were given to John just as Jesus’ ministry was beginning, likely not long after John had baptized Jesus. Yes, they were cousins and would have likely had conversations about their ministries even before either of their ministries began.

It’s also very likely John had heard his mom and dad speak of God’s miraculous workings in their own lives and how Elizabeth had had the privilege of a visit from Mary when she was only days pregnant with Jesus. How John “jumped for joy” within his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s greeting. But the fact of John’s infilling with the Holy Spirit is unique.

While this obviously speaks to the issue of when life is present in the womb following conception, it shouts to me the power of the Holy Spirit to teach us and reveal things to us at every stage of our development. The words John was sharing about Jesus in the verses above may have been revealed to him in a conversation with Jesus, but my sense is they weren’t. My sense is the Holy Spirit revealed these words exalting Jesus to John, and here’s the application – the same way He reveals the truth of Jesus to us!

No one comes to Jesus on the basis of human reasoning or intellect alone. As Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3, new birth is an act of God, a spiritual, not a human transaction, as we’re well aware. But what we too often forget is we don’t simply read and learn the words of the Bible, the words of Scripture fill, empower, equip, and enable us to speak in the authority of God Himself – through the ministry of the Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit who filled John long before the Spirit was given to other Jesus followers.

John’s words didn’t originate with Him, they were the very words of God, spoken through John. THAT is the reason they were so impactful and meaningful. And THAT is the reason it’s so necessary and vitally important that we not only READ the words of Holy Scripture, but we must LISTEN intently!

In much the same way as the Holy Spirit spoke these words of life into and through John, He can and will speak words of life into our lives that we in turn can share with others. And don’t lose sight of the fact that though John’s words are familiar to us, they weren’t familiar to anyone else. Yes, he may have shared that Jesus was the Messiah with his disciples, many of whom then followed Jesus, but these weren’t words he would have heard or read anywhere but from God directly, remembering, of course, that Jesus IS God!

That, my friend, is a miracle of the new birth. People who are born of God hear God’s voice! Are you listening?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Heart of Prayer

“You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22 NLT)

What do you want most? What is your greatest desire? What is it, if it was yours, would cause you to feel content, complete, whole, like you needed nothing more?

A new house? Car? Education? Healing? Citizenship? A spouse? A child? A Grandchild? The perfect job? To own your own company? To travel the world? To fly to the moon? To ___________! Jesus said in the verse above, “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

Call me crazy, but I think Jesus meant exactly what He said. I believe it so much I’m asking Him for what I want more than anything else; that which, when I have it, will satisfy me, not only in time, but throughout all eternity. Yep, you guessed it: Jesus! He’s what I most want! To have Him is the answer to every other prayer we will ever pray.

So, since I have Jesus, do I no longer have any need to eat, drink, pray, and do all the other things Jesus followers do in the course of our day? Of course I do, but Jesus is the answer to every prayer. Do I need food? Check! Shelter? Check! Transportation? Check! Healing or anything else on my list? Check! If He doesn’t provide it, I don’t need it. HE IS my sufficiency.

Paul understood this as evidenced by what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” When I was scratching out an existence and didn’t have a penny to share, the Lord wasn’t foremost in my thoughts – I was. It was all about me! What I needed, wanted, had to have!

In this season, as the Lord has enabled me to right the proverbial “ship” of my life, I have more than I need, and plenty left to share. Why? Not because I have a lot of money. I’ve never made very much money. It’s because I’ve learned to live below my means and trust God for what I don’t have. But it’s also because my “want list” is very short – Jesus!

He’s who I long for day and night. He’s on my mind when I’m awake and in my thoughts as I get up in the night. Sometimes weird dreams awaken me, and I ask Him where they came from and to please not allow them to turn my thoughts from Him. David Mathis had it right when he wrote: “The heart of prayer is not getting things from God but getting God.”

If you’re struggling to make ends meet, working long, hard hours, believing there’s just not enough hours in the day, will you please pause long enough to ask the Lord to give you more of Himself. Does that sound silly? “What’s He gonna do, get me a new job with fewer hours? Get me a raise so I don’t have to work as long or as hard?”

Maybe! Or He might just make a new you that learns to trust Him with every detail of your life so work comes easier and is actually more relaxing because the outcome isn’t dependent upon you, but Him working in and through you.

The heart of prayer isn’t us spending our day on our knees, it’s us spending our day in His holy presence, whatever we’re doing. He never leaves us, we just have to train our mind and heart to never leave Him. That’s when we reach the heart of what prayer is and why it’s so vital to EVERY believer.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Cross

“’He saved others,’ they scoffed, ‘but He can’t save Himself! So He is the King of the Israel, is He? Let Him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in Him. He trusted God, so let God rescue Him now if He wants Him! For He said, “I am the Son of God.”’” (Matthew 27:41-43 NLT)

Close your eyes and envision the Cross. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? What is everything in you crying out for you to do?

As I understand it, there are only two legitimate responses to the Cross of Christ: embrace it or run from it. We kneel at the Savior’s feet in worship and submission to who He is and what He did for us, or we ignore Him and seek to find our own way. In my mind there are no other options.

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

Listen to the idiocy of those who mocked Him. “’He saved others,’ they scoffed, ‘but He can’t save Himself!’” He’s the only human being who has ever lived or ever will live who didn’t need saving, yet there He died because He knew if He didn’t, we would have no hope of heaven. No one EVER suffered more than Jesus, not only from the agony and torture of the cross itself, but from the weight of our sin whose burden would have been unbearable. Thus, no one can understand our suffering with more compassion than He.

Paul David Tripp reminds us: “The cross guarantees that even in your darkest moment God will never turn in disgust and walk away. There is no rebellion, no weakness, no foolishness, no evil of heart that the cross can’t defeat and grace can’t transform.” The Cross answers a lot of questions many of us fear to ask. Questions like: “Have I strayed too far?” “Have I waited too long?” “Is my pain too deep?” “Is my heartache ever going to stop?” “If only I’d __________!” And a thousand more!

The heart of God was literally displayed on the Cross. The love that drove Him there, the determination of Spirit that kept Him there, there’s nothing in the human vocabulary to describe what lengths, breadths, heights, and depths God was willing to go to prove His commitment and devotion to us. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US! PERIOD! END OF STORY!

There’s nothing we could ever do that would prevent Him from receiving our repentant, contrite heart, when bowed in humble submission to His loving kindness, seeking His forgiveness and restoration. Even as I write these words, I think of those who are responsible for the enslavement and trafficking of children; those who torture and murder them for their vile and satanic pleasure.

In my flesh I’d like to see them tortured and defiled and made to suffer for their sins, but even as those thoughts arise the Lord assures me – they will, if they don’t repent and turn away from their wickedness. “BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO PAY FOR WHAT THEY DID!” my raging heart cries!

“Somebody already has!” comes the quiet, reassuring voice of my Savior. “That’s what I accomplished on the Cross! So, whosoever will may come!”

As the Lord senses my still troubled heart He reminds me: “You and that person you so abhor aren’t so different you know! Just different circumstances and different opportunities. Had you been in their shoes you may well have done exactly what they did.” Then the clincher: “Is your sin less vile than there’s?”

Until we come to terms with the fact that ANYONE is capable of ANYTHING given the right set of circumstances; that we, you and I, are capable of being the vilest of the vile, we’ll not grasp the value and efficacy of the Cross!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed

Are You for Real?

“Large crowds followed Him wherever He went – people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.” (Matthew 4:25 NLT)

One of the things that non-believers dislike and criticize the most about Christians is our tendency to “label” people. They also hate that we struggle with agreement on so many topics, one of which is a heartbreaker for me. And that is who is a “real” Christian.

Having written a lot about this subject, today I’d like to clarify a few things to better explain my position on who is a Jesus follower and who isn’t, in the sense, who is going to heaven because of their relationship with Him and who only thinks they’re going to heaven, but have no relationship with the Lord?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

My heart is for those who may believe they are a Jesus follower, but who in fact are not. I realize there are those who are trying to “scam” their Christian Family by pretending to be something they are not, but they know their game going in. They are hypocrites and they know it, they just enjoy trying to fool anyone they can. I’m not sure what anyone hopes to gain by doing that, but that’s between them and the Lord.

My concern is for those who just haven’t learned any better. They haven’t yet had an encounter with the living God and have settled instead for something far inferior. Perhaps their frame of reference is those who are hypocrites, but these fragile ones haven’t yet learned they are “faking” and are following them believing they are genuine. These folks have pure hearts and pure intentions and believe, based on their experience that they are genuinely “born again,” and, honestly, they may be.

But unless and until they get connected with someone who genuinely walks with the Lord, whose total dependence is based on their faith in the living Christ and isn’t seeking to make a mockery of it, they may not ever realize how lost they still are.

I think of the mobs of people (see verse above) who followed Jesus. Multiplied thousands of them, yet only 120 gathered in the upper room to await the coming Holy Spirit. Then on the day of Pentecost immediately upon hearing the Truth of the resurrected Jesus three thousand yielded their allegiance to Jesus and the Church was born.

THOSE are the ones for whom I pray! The ones who have a genuine desire to know the living Christ, but because of the “crowds” they’ve never fully seen or realized who He is and what they need to do about it. My sense is not many are in evangelical churches, but in Denominational settings where learning about Jesus is more structured and “factual,” but doesn’t touch their heart or help them understand how to be saved.

They’re good, “religiously compliant” people, but, like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and religious Teachers of Jesus’ day, they’ve never truly yielded their lives to the Lordship of Jesus. They like to be in religious settings and they’re truly nice people to hang with, but they have no understanding as to what’s involved in walking in intimacy with the living God.

I hate labels and I hate the things Satan uses to divide God’s people. My heart is to share a simple Gospel message that helps anyone who sincerely wants to seek the Jesus of the Bible and learn to walk humbly and faithfully with Him, FIND Him, KNOW Him, LOVE Him, and FOLLOW Him!

If you’re not certain that when you close your eyes in death, you’re going to open them in the presence of your Savior, PLEASE let me know so I can guide you in how to know with certainty. Email me directly at walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Content?

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT)

Do you realize there’s a sense in which the stronger, more capable you are as a child of God, the less credibility you have. Why is that? Because our tendency is, the greater measure of ability the Lord gives us, the lesser degree of dependence we often have on Him. If there’s a thread of confidence in ourselves, we risk forfeiting dependence upon the Lord.

That’s one of the reasons discipline is so vital in our walk with the Lord. And here’s the irony: the greater the measure of confidence we have in ourselves, the lesser measure of contentment we’ll have in our walk with the Lord. Why is that?

Largely because our relationship is too often built on performance. To the extent we feel we’re performing well for God, the less dependence we have upon His Spirit, thus denying Him the glory which is His due. When we’re so busy magnifying ourselves, we have little left with which to magnify Him. Is this honoring to the Savior? Of course not, and that’s exactly what robs us of contentment in our walk with Him.

We may be very content in our own ability, but therein lies the problem. Our strength and fortress is the Lord’s presence with us. I believe that’s one of the reasons the Lord sent the twelve out with nothing but a walking stick (Mark 6:8). Contentment grows out of a secure relationship that’s based not on our adequacy but His.

Do you remember how fired up the Disciples were when they returned? Their joy flowed out of His adequacy, not theirs; out of His power to heal the sick and cast out demons, not theirs. It’s no different today. We love, serve, grow, lead – whatever we do, out of the overflow of His goodness, kindness, and grace. My contentment, and yours, must grow out of the depth and breadth of our relationship with our Master.

When I was in youth ministry, I set up chairs, tables, anything I could find to create an obstacle course across a large room. Then I asked for a volunteer to navigate the room – in the dark and with a blindfold on. I would be their guide; all they had to do was listen carefully to my voice. The plot thickens because all the other kids would be screaming directions to them at the same time. The volunteer was ultimately able to make it across the room because I stayed close to them and made sure my voice was clear and loud enough for them to follow.

It’s not unlike that in the world in which we now live. The “voices” of the world are loud and distracting for anyone who is seeking to hear the voice of their Lord. We can allow our spirit to be in a constant state of discontent, confusion, and frustration, or, by God’s grace and with His guiding presence to help us, we can navigate the pathways of this earth triumphantly as we learn to discern His clear, calm voice in the midst of the storms of life.

Are you content in this season of your life? My contentment in Jesus is growing the closer I get to Him. Jesus said: “My sheep listen to My voice: I know them and they follow Me.” Intimacy yields clarity to His voice and closeness to His side.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Footprints of Jesus

“Another of His disciples said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, ‘Follow Me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.’” (Matthew 8:21-22 NLT)

Questions often arise when we read these verses. Is Jesus being callous and uncaring? Is He asking us to ignore our love of family? What did that disciple do? These and other troublesome questions can cause us concern, yet, if we simply look a little more closely, we’ll understand what Jesus was saying and why.

As a rule, we are procrastinators and “waiters.” Even if the time and circumstances are perfect, we want to make excuses for what we’re not certain we want to do. Why? Because our number one concern in any situation is ourselves. We are the center of our own universe, and our world revolves around “ME!”We’re always desiring and expecting a better offer, whether that’s for a washing machine, a new house, or a new life.

We’re so skeptical and suspicious of something that sounds “too good to be true,” because we’ve been taught – “it usually is!” But here’s the truth: there’s no way to over-sell the Gospel! It’s better than we can ever explain it; the Lord is more and offers more than we can possibly imagine even at the very beginning of our walk with Him!

To postpone or turn away from an invitation to follow Jesus is to break His heart and deny ourselves the greatest gift ever known to mankind. Eternal life in heaven is no small gift, and neither is the privilege of walking step by step with the Lord of Creation.

I’ve lived long enough to walk through some very dark seasons. The season in which I’m now walking isn’t a pathway I would have ever chosen for myself, but, as the Psalmist said: “I will not be afraid!” Why not? “…for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.”

There is nothing to fear when the all-powerful God of Creation is leading the way and walking with you as you take each step. The words of Charles Stanley encourage me when he wrote: “As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you.”

There are friends and family for whom I pray and have prayed every day for years. Each step I take as a believer in the Lord Jesus confirms their ignorance to what they’re missing as they continue to walk alone, in darkness. Like the man in the verse at the top of the page, we use our lost loved ones to hold us back. The man’s father in the scene in that verse hadn’t yet died, but he wanted to hang around until he did.

Was he concerned he’d miss out on his inheritance? Was he just too comfortable to leave “just yet?” Whatever the basis of his excuse, at its core it was no different than the millions today who “postpone” their salvation for a better time.

Friend, if that’s you, stop making excuses and start walking in the footsteps of your Savior. He’s better than anything this world can offer. Knowing you’re loved without measure, accepted without exception, forgiven without limit, freed beyond belief, and reborn into the family of God forever is a gift that cannot be counterfeited and must not be forfeited.

Please, come to Him today! Stop thinking about it and just DO IT!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Waiting Is Never Wasted

“May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT)

Growing takes time. I remember thinking I was never going to turn 16 so I could begin to drive legally. Then I blinked and I was 32, then 48, etc. Time is relative based largely on that for which we’re waiting. What are you waiting for in this season of your life? A job? A spouse? A “break” of some sort? An apology? A healing? What about for “a full understanding and expression of the love of God?”

Realizing Paul took great advantage of the insights the Lord gave Him as He gave expression to His grasp of God’s love in ways that now reverberate in and through our hearts and minds, how do we get there? How do we make those connections in our own walk with the Lord? Here’s the deal – we have the same access to the Savior and to His Father that Paul had. So, the question becomes: “Are WE accessing that vast resource while we’re waiting? Are we tapping the same Holy Spirit resource that Paul used?”

What might that look like? How about rich and rewarding insights into who Jesus is and why He came? He’s the embodiment of love. He voluntarily laid down His life for no other reason than His love for us. How does that awesome reality apply to me and you?

Are we waiting before the Lord? Pondering? Agonizing over our desire to know Him better? Listening to Him more carefully? Walking with Him more closely? Loving Him more intimately? The reality is, the Lord will never be closer to me or you than He is in this moment! He’s as close as we allow Him to be. If we want His Holy presence to be real, alive, meaningful, productive, it will be. We’re the hindrance, not the Lord.

If we long for and desire “the patient endurance that comes from Christ,” it’s ours for the asking. It’s comforting and, on some levels, more than we can comprehend, that the God of creation will sit with us, abide with us, teach, guide, inform, empower, and invest us in His Holy endeavors if/when we’re willing to stop playing “religion” and start kneeling at His holy feet and seeking HIM, not simply seeking information about Him or seeking with all that is within us to get Him to do what we want Him to do for us.

The passion of my heart in this season of my life is to have intimacy and oneness with my Savior. Some days that’s easier than others, but overall He’s drawing me, teaching me, revealing Himself to me, allowing me to catch glimpses of His heart and how His sharing those things with me needs to be translated into action on my part.

As the Lord is giving us a greater measure of “a full understanding and expression of (His love),” let us reveal that through our “patient endurance that comes from Christ.” Patience not only as we await His return, whether for us or for everyone, but patience in our interactions with others throughout our days.

Tolerance for other’s opinions that are so different than ours, patience with those who, like us, are still in progress. None of us has “arrived” and won’t until the Lord comes. Ideally, the closer we get to the Lord, the better understanding we have of who He is and of His limitless love for us, the greater measure of patience we will illustrate in our love, forgiveness, and forbearance of others.

Waiting is never the issue. We ARE waiting, like it or not. It’s what we do IN THAT waiting that can make all the difference.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

First Class or Coach? (Part 2)

“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways! Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice? And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back? For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36 NLT)

A scene in Matthew 16 challenges me today as I ponder our need to walk humbly, yet triumphantly as God’s children. Peter has a mountain top experience as Jesus applauds him for recognizing Him as the Messiah. You can read about it in Matthew 16:17-19. Two verses later Jesus tells the Disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, that He would be killed, but on the third day rise from the dead.

Then the same Peter that hours before had had a revelation from God and was praised by Jesus, blurts out in Matthew 16:22: “’Heaven forbid, Lord,’ he said, ‘This thing will never happen to you!’” So, the Lord says to him, “Get away from Me, Satan!”

Sometimes we’re dragged kicking and screaming from “First Class” to “Coach” because we struggle to discern between God’s Spirit speaking to us and our own desires. We want more than anything to know the Lord and to walk closely with Him, yet the longings of our own desires blind us to what God has for us. The painful trials we must endure, as Peter did, to get a fresh, vibrant, and eternal perspective on the Master’s plans.

In some ways we love “Coach” living. Sure, we don’t have as many options, but neither do we have anyone constantly hovering over us wanting to “serve” us. Living “First Class” has demands. It costs more because it offers so much more.

We love that we can recognize that Jesus is the Messiah, that He comes to forgive, save, and deliver us, but when He starts talking about denying ourselves and picking up our cross, we cringe because He’s beginning to infringe on our “rights.” But here’s the deal – salvation isn’t simply about us, it’s mostly about Him.

Why did He come to die in the first place? For much the same reason He chose Abraham and set aside the people of Israel – that He might have a people unto Himself. People who would walk with Him, submit to His authority, listen to His voice, obey His commands, enjoy His fellowship. Just as the children of Israel enjoyed peace, and tranquility as they walked faithfully with Him, they also suffered and were enslaved by others when they didn’t.

We want to “buy our ticket,” then set it aside and continue living as we have, but that’s not God’s plan. We “buy our ticket,” then commit to walking in His ways and operating under His guidelines. The analogy fails because we don’t “buy” anything in our walk with the Lord. He’s paid the price and offers us the “ticket” at no cost to us except the commitment of our total beings being lived under His rulership.

The “perks” are amazing, but they are not without “cost.” We fail to experience our “First Class” benefits when we fail, like Peter, to see things from God’s perspective. Intimacy with God is a gift that He gives freely to those who will open their hearts and minds to Him without reservation. As long as we continue to have “strings” attached, conditions to our obedience, we will rob ourselves of the privileges He longs to share.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊