Walking With Jesus

In or Out? (Part 2)

“So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you – unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Matthew 5:19-20 NLT)

William Barclay in his Commentary on Matthew 5 wrote: “After Dunkirk, in the Second World War, there was a tendency on all hands to look for someone to blame for the disaster which had befallen the British forces, and there were many who wished to enter into bitter recriminations with those who had guided things in the past. At that time Mr. Winston Churchill, as he then was, said a very wise thing: ‘If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future.’”

His point was simply to remind us that we build on what has happened and to do otherwise is to rob ourselves of a better future. Blame is a disease for which there is no cure, it simply imbitters us until we lose all hope of a brighter future.

The verses above compare, not simply one’s view of “law,” but two distinct and differing frames of reference. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees believed if they satisfied the demands of the law they’d make themselves acceptable to God. But Jesus operated and taught on a different plane, from a completely different perspective. Jesus’ frame of reference was the satisfaction of the law of love.

It’s conceivable that someone could keep the letter of the law, but there is never a measure of fulfillment of the demands of love. Can any person ever approach the limits of God’s love in giving His only perfect Son as a sacrifice for the sins of ungrateful and selfish mankind? When Jesus told His audience (and us) that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Jews, He wasn’t suggesting we match them in their adherence to the religious law but refocus our love and devotion to the Law-Giver, the Lord Jesus, loving Him and serving Him rather than the law, but with the Pharisees zeal.

Our efforts must be channeled into the fulfilling of the law of love that doesn’t measure performance, it measures motive. Not so much what we do, but why we do it. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day weren’t making an effort to express love to God, but to attract the respect, admiration, and devotion of the people who knew they could never measure up to their “righteousness.” Ed Welch wrote: “Whatever wins our affections will control our lives.”

There are decisions that we must make as believers that will govern our behavior, not to earn our way or ever in a million years to deserve Heaven, but to honor the One who paid the price for our redemption. John Piper wrote: “Idols have no currency in heaven.” To put anything or anyone above Jesus in our love and affection is to create an idol of that thing or person.

To say words, call it a prayer, then believe we can live anyway we like and still go to heaven is blasphemous. There comes a point where we each must decide if we’re “IN” or “OUT!” Are we going to live in alignment with God’s “laws” of love or our own? Will our lives be offered as a living sacrifice to ourselves and the world, or to Jesus!

Are you IN or OUT! Are you pursuing Jesus or someone or something else. There’s no in between! What’s YOUR choice?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed

In or Out?

“Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21 NLT)

In Mark 12 Jesus had a conversation with one of the teachers of religious law that ended with Jesus telling him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” So? It seems Jesus was implying we can be close, but still not be in His eternal Kingdom. Which begs the question: “How close are you?” “Are you ‘in’ or ‘out?”

Which perhaps raises another question I’ve been asked: “Can I really know I’m ‘IN,’ that I’m going to heaven when I die?” There were those in Scripture that cause me to rub my head in amazement when Jesus tells them they’re not “IN,” they’re not getting into His perfect heaven.

For example, in Mark 16:17 Jesus said: “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons…” Yet, in Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus said: “On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws.’”

What are the implications? For one, we can believe with all our heart we’re going to heaven when in fact we are not. Does that frighten you? It terrifies me! Why? Because I don’t mind missing a lot of things, but I don’t want to miss heaven. But can’t we have assurance that we’re going to heaven? It depends on that upon which your “assurance” is based.

B.J. Thompson wrote: “Beware of any relationship that will not allow you to communicate your boundaries.” I thought about this quote in the context of the boundaries that Jesus sets for us that we want to ignore on our faith journey, that, quite possibly, have us living a lie. We see where the Bible clearly teaches 10 very specific “Commandments:” “You MUST NOT have any other god but Me. You MUST NOT make for yourself an idol of any kind…you MUST NOT bow down to them or worship them, for I the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”

There are other “little things” like not misusing/misrepresenting the Lord’s Name, not observing the Sabbath, not honoring our parents, not murdering (hating) someone, not committing adultery (sexual sin), not stealing, not lying, and not coveting (look it up 😊). And these are in the Old Testament. Jesus magnified these “boundaries,” He didn’t minimize them. Yet, we think we can “bend” the rules because we now live under grace?

How long will your marriage last, or most any relationship for that matter, if you’re constantly lying, defiling, abusing, ignoring, and on it goes in ways we violate the Commandments the Lord has given us. “Yeh, but that was the Old Testament!” Oh, I forgot, does that not count? Are you out of your mind! Do you honestly believe God has changed His mind about those things?

This is too rich. Let’s pick this up in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Another Look at Forgiveness

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences. He told them this because they were saying, ‘He’s possessed by an evil spirit.’” (Mark 3:29-30 NLT)

We blaspheme the Holy Spirit when we deny with our words, actions, or attitudes, that we believe what the Lord has said is true. When Jesus speaks, we should listen.

The only way to ever approach the God of the Bible is through the blood of His Son, my (your?) Savior, who died in my (your?) place, to give me (us?) the right to have an audience with His Father. I deeply regret the times I’ve failed Him and you, if you know me, but that’s just another of the zillion reasons I love Him.

If I went to Him today and asked Him: “Father, do you remember that awful time I disobeyed and disappointed you and my family and friends?” And He would lovingly respond: “No, you asked me to forgive that, it’s forgotten. I cast it in the sea of forgetfulness never to be remembered against you again. I only view you now through the filter of my precious Son’s forgiveness. You’re now free of any and all guilt and condemnation!” (see John 5:24)

Perhaps if you find it hard to forgive me, yourself, or someone else, it’s time to let that go. Why? Because it could cost you your relationship with the Lord. How so? To not forgive someone the Lord Jesus has forgiven (including yourself) is essentially to deny that He’s telling the truth, which is blasphemous. He IS Truth. He’s the embodiment of all that is true and is literally incapable of telling anything but the truth.

Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Confession literally means “to agree with God’s estimation of something,” so, when we agree with Him about our sinful state, and acknowledge Him as Savior, as the only One who can forgive us and put us in a right relationship with the Father, we align ourselves with His will and purpose in allowing Jesus to die in our place, and the Father allows us to become His child.

However, if we ask forgiveness for our sin, but deny His willingness and ability to forgive another (i.e. someone who has sinned against us) we blaspheme the Holy Spirit who affirms the truth of God’s words in Scripture, and we block the free gift of grace He wants to release in our life. It’s a serious offense against God to harbor resentment and unforgiveness for another person, especially if that person is ourself. (see Mark 11:26)

That’s why I believe. God speaks to me through His Word and in many other ways. He’s real. He’s alive. He loves me (and you 😊), He forgives and forgets and He’s coming again! We need to be ready when He does return. So, if you don’t know how to do that, let me know and I will guide you; hopefully, giving you enough information to (a) be saved, forgiven and set right with God, but also (b) to find some godly people who will walk with you and help you grow and mature in your faith. Please don’t ignore such a great opportunity, such a great salvation.

Please don’t blaspheme (call God a liar) by not believing He will forgive you and enable you by His Spirit, to forgive others who have sinned against you, even if that “someone” is you!

Blessings, Ed 😊

*You can reach me at walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Why I Believe (Part 2)

“But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in His goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’” (Acts 27:22-24 NLT)

In the final chapters of Acts the Apostle Paul is onboard a ship to Rome, which would ultimately be the place of his death. But after two weeks in a violent storm that the other 275 men on the ship believed would lead to their death, Paul said to them in Acts 27 (see above), then in verse 25: “So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as He said.”

Two critical considerations that will help you firm up what you can believe, if you so choose. Notice Paul said in the verse above, that “an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve stood beside me.” I don’t believe in a magic force that resides in the universe or someplace else. I believe in the everlasting God of heaven who is ever present, all powerful, all knowing and full of goodness, mercy, kindness, and love.

He is the God to whom I belong, a Person, not simply an idea or ideology to which I ascribe. But He’s also the One who stands beside me. I hear His voice, not audibly, but in some ways it’s clearer than if spoken audibly, as He assures me of His presence, affirms his love for me, teaches me of the ways in which I must walk, and guides me in the ways I have the privilege of serving Him.

On many levels my relationship with Jesus isn’t any different than having a relationship with any other family member or friend. He speaks, He loves, He laughs, He comforts, consoles, corrects, and cries with me. He feels my pain and enjoys my humor, and I His. He walks with me through the unknown territory in which I now find myself. But, arguably the best reason for me to walk with Him is because when I close my eyes in death, when I open them I have full assurance that He’ll still be where He’s always been – standing with me, guiding me, instructing me, and introducing me to my new forever family.

There’s one other dimension of my relationship with the Lord, He’s asking me to share with you. Many who read these words know me. Some of you have known me for more years than you care to remember. You know my life is “stained” with things of which I not only regret, but of which I’m ashamed.

Some of you may wonder what right I have to speak these words of knowledge of and closeness to the perfect God of heaven when I’ve been, and continue to be but for His grace, far from perfect. And I’m the first to admit, I have no right even to speak His Name except for His forgiveness, grace, mercy, and kindness. See, here’s the deal, I’m no different than you. I hate to break it to you, but you’re not perfect either, but even if you were, your “perfection” wouldn’t earn you an audience with the God of Heaven. Only Jesus can do that.

That brings rise to one other dimension of why I believe that I’ll share with you in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why I Believe

“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.” (John 20:30-31 NLT)

It may be true that life is the best teacher, but problems arise when we misinterpret or misunderstand the lessons we’re being taught. God will use the things we experience in our lives to give us insight, not only into who He is, but who, at our core, we are. But if we miss what He’s trying to teach us, we’ll likely miss why He so desires us to learn the lessons He wants us to learn through the experiences He allows.

Faith isn’t a hard sell to a child, not because they’re gullible or not able to understand, it’s because their soul is unstained, and their heart is open to learning. Are they not able to sin? Of course, and they do, but their conscience is tender, and they quickly and eagerly gravitate to a God who is a loving Father, kind, caring, and forgiving.

Much of what we learn about how life works and how we should respond to life isn’t taught as much as it’s “caught.” Our parents, whether believers in Christ or not, teach us with their lifestyles what they’ve learned, and we have a front row seat to how that’s working out for them. The problem is, too often our heart is hardened before we learn there is a God, or the “god” we learn about through our parents and their life’s experiences, isn’t the God of the Bible, thus making it more difficult for us to make an educated choice to love and follow Him.

What does this have to do with why I believe? Quite a lot actually. When I was first introduced to the God of the Bible, I didn’t read of Him in His Book as much as I “read of Him” on the pages of the lives of those who were telling me about Him. Why is that important? Because we can only teach what we’ve been taught.

As I’ve mentioned in some of my earlier blog articles, with rare exception, we aren’t simply taught “the Bible,” we’re taught someone’s understanding of the Bible, with the result we’re not “taught,” we’re indoctrinated into their “brand” of what the Bible teaches. That’s not necessarily bad unless your parents, pastors, or other significant adults or peers haven’t been instructed in the true, Biblical version of the Christian Faith.

So, here’s the bottom line as to why I believe that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be – the Son of God, God in human form, sent to earth to be our Savior, who was murdered on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin and to free us to become all God created us to be. Then His resurrection defeated death, hell, and the grave, forever freeing us to find in Him what no one in all eternity has or will ever be able to offer us except Jesus – forgiveness of sin and a forever home in heaven.

Over the years, I’ve read and re-read the Bible many times. I’ve studied difficult passages and researched for myself what critics have said about Jesus and the Bible. I strongly urge you to do that also. However, I have and will continue to tell you, do not take my word or anyone else’s word when it comes to what you should or must believe, that’s between you and the Lord. The only unalterable criterion is that it must align with what the Bible clearly teaches. But what if different “scholars” disagree on a particular word or passage?

We’ll pick this up in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?

“Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)” (Acts 11:25-26 NLT)

We’ve grown so accustomed to hearing the now familiar word (“Christian”) we rarely, if ever, stop to consider why we are referred to as Christian or what it means. Not so much now, but when I was growing up, you’d often hear the United States of America referred to as a “Christian” nation. Then, most Americans attended church and sought to be decent, moral people. Not so much now.

Originally, “Christian” was used in a derogatory way to refer to what people believed to be very different kinds of behavior that bucked the norm and brought to question the sinful actions of those who didn’t believe. However, over time, as more and more people joined the “weird” people who genuinely loved each other and openly cared for those in need, the church grew, and the term came to be used in a much more positive way.

Today “Christian” can often refer to individuals or groups of “religious” people who participate in practices that may not be totally based on Biblical teachings, as those in earlier generations were very careful to do. It seems anyone can be “Christian” today if they know the lingo and can find a few people to agree with them.

C.S. Lewis paints a different picture when he writes: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” One test that challenges us is forgiving the one(s) who have sinned against us. We want to be justified in our anger and unforgiveness, when in reality there’s nothing anyone could do to us or take from us that compares with the price God paid for our redemption.

It’s always a moving experience for me to remember when, after 12 years, Mary Johnson forgave her 16-year-old son’s killer, Oshea Israel (click on Mary’s name to read or listen to their story). The first thing that often enters our thoughts, even as a believer, is retribution. Things fill our mind like “prison’s too good for them, even death.” Or “Why, Lord, why would you allow this horrible atrocity to occur? Haven’t I been faithful? What did I ever do to deserve this tragedy?”

These and a thousand other questions fill our mind, but nothing that life could ever do to us compares with the price God the Father and Jesus, His only Son, paid to give us the privilege of being forgiven and becoming a child of God. If you want a snapshot of your closeness to God, record your response when someone hurts your feelings, short-changes you in a business transaction, or cuts you off in traffic.

You may wrongly believe you’re above those kinds of responses, but you can lie to the person in the mirror. It scares me sometimes, spiritual “giant” that I am (yeh, right!) how quickly I allow myself to get upset with my wife over nothing. She’s the gentlest, kindest, most caring and compassionate person I’ve ever known, yet, in a millisecond I can snap at her like she’s my worst enemy.

Trust me when I say, we never arrive this side of heaven. We will wrestle with wrong attitudes and actions until the day we die, but, by God’s wonderful grace, we can get better, not only at holding our tongue and temper, but at forgiving and accepting forgiveness much more quickly.

That’s not the whole story as to what it means to be a Christian, but it’s certainly an important part.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Close Are You to God?

“When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” (Genesis 5:21-24 NLT)

“Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.” These convicting words of A.W. Tozer challenge me as I hope they challenge you. We can argue with them, ignore them, or let them speak life and spiritual health into our soul, but we only have this life in which to come to terms with them.

If you profess faith in Christ but are still living for the devil, your words won’t hold up in the courtroom of the most high God. Your good intentions won’t move the heart of God when your heart stops. Anything you plan to do for God or anyone else, you only have today to do it. And I “hear” you: “What do you mean? I can’t buy a house today, I just started a new job?” “I can’t have all the money I need for my child’s education, it takes time to save that much money.” “I can’t memorize all those Bible verses, my brain doesn’t work like that!” “I can’t …” and you can finish the sentence based on whatever’s going through your mind.

But the truth remains, whatever you’re planning, including how close to God you want to be, begins right now, in this moment! Guess what? You don’t have any other moment in which to do anything. This is it. The last moment is gone, the next moment may never come. This is it! What’s your choice? You want to be close to God? You’d better get started.

The Bible says that when Enoch was 65 years old, he had his first child, Methuselah, but it goes on to say that, apparently influenced by his new son’s birth, he lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years. Everything we do has a beginning and will have an end. We just completed renovations on the bathrooms in our house. And I realize this may seem weird, but the first time I used our new shower I thought to myself: “There will be a last time I’ll use this shower.” I told you it was weird. 😊

But as weird as it is, it’s true. We took our first breath, and we’ll take our last. It’s the order of life – beginnings and endings. So, again, if you’re going to live faithfully, close to God, it’s got to have a beginning. When will that be for you? Before you stress your brain trying to figure out a reasonable plan, let me just say – it must begin in THIS moment! Whenever you decide it will be in THIS moment.

Moments wait for no one, they just keep clicking onward, and they will continue to click onward until the Author of time says: “ENOUGH!” Then they’ll stop. Tozer also wrote: “Always, everywhere God is present, and always He seeks to discover Himself to each one.” God is always the grand Initiator! You can’t make a move toward Him without Him having already made a move toward you.

When will you wake up? When will you see that your procrastination is the devil’s workshop. Satan doesn’t say: “Don’t follow God!” He only says: “Not now!” You’re as close to God as you choose to be in this moment. Stop waiting for a more convenient “season,” it will never come. You’re 20 now, but when you blink, you’ll be 50, then … your life will be over, and you will have never been as close to God as you wanted to be.

Please stop waiting!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Things I Know for Sure

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13 NLT)

There are many things that vie for our attention each moment of every day. There’s no shortage of things we can allow to crowd our mind and heart, sometimes to the exclusion of what God is seeking to say to us. We can fret about the reality of hell or heaven; how did God populate the earth with only a few people; why are there so many different religions; is the Bible really true; and on and on it goes, but at some point, we just need to stop speculating and allow our heart to focus on what we know is true.

John Newton wrote: “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” In my fading mind my focus is on the things I know, beginning with my certainty that I’m a great sinner and Jesus is a great Savior. Hmmm, seems like I heard that somewhere? 😊

Seriously, when Christ is our firm foundation there’s no experience or piece of information that can shake us. Through the tragedies and triumphs of my life Jesus has been the one solid, certain, and ever abiding presence in my life. Because of my absolute confidence in my relationship with Jesus, I know without question that the Bible is true, sin is a reality in every person’s life, that if not dealt with will result in an eternal separation, thus an eternity of lostness, apart from and without the hope of eternal life in Christ alone by faith alone.

Realizing that, I know that heaven and hell are not only real, but a present reality of every person who dies. Every person will, upon closing their eyes in death, either be in heaven or hell. We are ever-existing beings, which means our soul will exist on earth, in heaven or in hell, but the only opportunity we have to find forgiveness and new life in Jesus is while we’re alive on earth. There are no second chances once we die.

“That’s not fair!” is the cry of many across the sands of time. Actually, it is. You know why? Because that’s the rule the Commander and Chief of the Universe established, and what He says goes – period! I know that because I know Him and He doesn’t waver in differing opinions and He’s absolutely fair and just. There is no one who will love you more, forgive you more quickly, fight for you more fiercely, or grieve more deeply when you ignore Him.

When you question if sin, death, and hell are real all you need to do is look at the Cross. That’s the price God was willing to pay for your redemption, so that you wouldn’t have to ever be without Him. If people who ignore Jesus’ death believe hell is too harsh a penalty for their unwillingness to accept His cure for their sin, what if the man on the cross had been your son. Do you think it would then be okay to ignore his sacrifice?

Nothing becomes real unless and until it becomes personal. It was easy for me to hear of friends and family with dementia and yawn while saying, “Oh, that’s too bad, I’ll pray for them!” Ho hum! But when the diagnosis is for the guy in the mirror, it’s a little more frightening. It’s easy to look at those in our families and spheres of influence going into a Christless eternity everyday without being gripped by the reality of what that means for them.

But one day it’s not going to be “them,” it’s going to be “me” and “you!” One thing I know for sure is that one day, sooner than I can imagine, I’m going to die. And you know what? So are you! Are you ready? You’d better think seriously about your answer while you still have time. I know that for sure!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed

God’s Will

“We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:4 NLT)

Have you ever had someone prophesy over you? How did it affect you? Did what they said in their prophecy happen?

Recently, as I was reading through the Book of Acts, I came across some verses that I’ve likely read dozens, if not hundreds of times, yet, what I saw had escaped me on every other reading. So, what did I see? As Paul was on his way back to what would prove to be his last visit to Jerusalem, he visited some of the churches he’d helped to establish. On two separate occasions different ones prophesied that Paul should not go to Jerusalem – that God had made it clear to them that he should not go to Jerusalem.

The first stop was at Tyre, then when they stopped at Ptolemais, a prophet named Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet, then said: “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”

Pretty impressive reasons not to go to Jerusalem, right? Not for Paul! Acts 21:15 says: “After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem.” What’s my point? Sometimes God will speak to us with such certainty that even when dear friends who pray on our behalf and God makes it clear to them that something they perceive as harmful to us is coming if we maintain our course, if God has made His will clear to us, even the angels of heaven should not be able to dissuade us from carrying it out.

It reminded me of how quick we are to “rethink” what God has told us when the sands of people’s opinions shift around us. The Lord will make His will known to us, and when He does, we can’t allow the enemy to use even very good-intentioned, believing friends to prevent us from carrying out God’s will.

Paul had certainty, not only of what the Lord had revealed, but that the prophecies that were given about his future were exactly right, but it didn’t change his mind or cause him to divert his course. I believe there are at least two lessons here for us.

First, we have to take the time and make the effort to hear from God for ourselves. There’s no doubt in my mind that Paul labored over days, weeks, perhaps years before he had a clear word from the Lord. It wasn’t a hasty decision for him to go to Jerusalem, but he had certainty, not only WHAT he must do, but WHY he must go, and he was willing to pay whatever price to carry out the will of God.

If you think about it, it’s not like Paul hadn’t already suffered, beatings, stoning, harsh treatments of many kinds, but they were just the precursors of what was to come. He was happy to preach to whomever would listen, but the Lord had let him know early on that he would have an audience with kings and royalty who also needed to hear the Truth of who Jesus is and what He accomplished on the Cross.

That’s the second truth with which we must wrestle. Who’s MY audience? Who are the ones with whom the Lord has appointed me to share the Truth? I love Ray Comfort and he has an impressive ministry. I’ve learned from him and admire him, but I’m not him. God didn’t call me to be Ray Comfort, but to be Ed Hager. Likewise, God didn’t call you to be anyone but YOU and to follow the demands of God on YOUR life, no one else’s.

God’s will for you is for YOU. The path He’s chosen for you is yours to walk, not anyone else’s. Regardless of what anyone tells you regarding what God told them to tell you to do, believe what the Lord tells you Himself. Therein lies the certainty for which you can give your life.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who Cares?

“How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith, I was facing death, and He saved me.” (Psalm 116:5-6 NLT)

There are times in each of our lives when we wonder if anyone “sees” us, recognizes us as a valuable person or even cares that we exist. Driving home a few days ago I signaled and slowed my car to make the turn into our development. As I glanced in my passenger side mirror I noticed a car inches from the side of my car, maintaining that distance and pace as I slowed for my turn. As I was turning, they sped away as the guy lifted his arm out the driver’s window and flipped me the international sign of displeasure. Why?

I have a dash cam, so, I reviewed it to see if I’d cut him off or did anything I shouldn’t have been doing. I asked my wife if she noticed anything I’d done to offend them, but neither revealed anything out of the ordinary. Why do we, as human beings, do things like that to each other? And, honestly, that was nothing, having no long-range effects; however, it causes me to think of times that I inadvertently, without thought or notice, ignore or mistreat someone without even being aware I’ve done it?

Loneliness is an epidemic in our culture. With so many people filling our sidewalks and streets; so many ideas vying for recognition and attention in our mind and heart, how easy it is to get lost and feel alone. It’s ironic that we have more and faster means of communicating now than ever in history, yet more people feel lost and alone than ever before.

How about you? Even as a believer in Jesus, do you feel alone? Do you know you’re loved, cherished, appreciated, needed? It’s extremely easy to become so self-focused we miss the efforts of others who are trying to recognize us or get our attention, but, sadly, we can get so self-centered, our focus is so much on how ignored or unloved we are, we miss the opportunities we have, even in our own household, to recognize those who are just as needy as we are.

I’m reminded of the time when my daughter was maybe 4 or 5 years old. I was engrossed in something on TV when I heard this little voice from her upstairs bedroom saying “daddy.” Like any loving, caring father, I ignored it for a while, but when it persisted, at the first commercial ☹, I bolted up the steps and said to her in a not so loving voice: “Heather, what do you need?”

To my shame she responded: “When you’re here daddy, I don’t need nothin’” I’m convinced many times people don’t need something, they need someone. Like the little boy who was frightened and couldn’t go to sleep. His mom sought to assure him that Jesus was with him, but he said to his mom, “I need Jesus with skin on!”

That’s what we all need at times and, fortunately, having Jesus alive in our heart and life allows us the privilege to be for someone else “Jesus with skin on.” Who in your family, among your friends, classmates, co-workers, small group members, neighbors, strangers you encounter, need “Jesus with skin on” to notice them, listen to them, care for them?

There are times when the most precious gift we can give someone is our time. I never ceased to be amazed the many times people would come to my office when I was a Pastor, seeking my “counsel,” but after an hour listening to them, they’d rise from their seat singing my praises for how much I helped them. I didn’t say ten words, but they felt helped. They felt cared for!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊