Walking With Jesus

How Do I Know If I’m Being Led by the Spirit?

“For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16 NLT)

How do you know that someone loves you? Not simply by what they say, but how they treat you, how they act around you, how they make you feel about yourself and them when you’re in their presence.

I met a young man when I was pastoring in Ohio who was molested when he was a child. It was a relative who violated him, and his sick “rationale” for pleasing himself at this young boy’s expense was: “I love you.” The plot thickens because this young man believed the lie, so much so, he used the same verbiage when violating a young boy himself, which landed him in prison. What’s my point?

Love doesn’t use another person to bring pleasure to themselves. That’s not love, that’s sinful selfishness. But the extension of that principle that makes it so tragic is, it too often perpetuates itself in the life of the innocent one who is violated. This can and often does show up in the legalistic efforts of “religious” people as a means of “controlling” another person’s behavior.

It shows up in “Christian” cults and other religions who use fear and threats to keep their followers in tow. It sometimes rears its ugly head through those who seek to use “love” as the incentive to “follow the rules.” “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t want to go to that (outing, date, event, etc.) because ‘good’ girls/boys don’t participate in those kinds of evil things.” When the truth is, the only evil is someone seeking to manipulate someone else’s behavior, so they don’t have to feel like they’re the only one who is “missing out” on whatever it is.

And granted, as a child of God, there certainly are things we need to avoid, the Bible has some outlined in Scripture, but the purpose of not doing those things is to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, not to prove we’re worthy of His love. Being led by the Spirit isn’t keeping the “rules,” whatever that may mean for you, it’s to walk to the heartbeat of God who has proven His love by dying on the Cross in our place.

John 3:16 reminds us that: “God so loved…He gave!” Love is the overflow of being led by the Spirit, not only because of God’s love for us, but our love for Him and others to His honor and fame. My wife has an alarm in her car that is a “warning” that her car is straying out of its lane. That’s how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. He doesn’t scream: “Are you an idiot? You know better than that. Get a grip before I leave you!”

That’s NEVER God’s strategy. He gives us assurance that “I will never leave you!” The Holy Spirit is our constant companion and reminder that we’re never alone on our journey of faith in Jesus. His very presence is our assurance that we’re loved, accepted in the Beloved, and bound for heaven. We don’t work hard to prove anything to God, He’s already proven Himself on the Cross. All we have to do is receive by faith what He did as our own.

On the Cross, Jesus spread His arms wide saying to you and me: “There’s nothing I’ve withheld from you. I’ve given everything to prove what you mean to Me; see what drastic measures I’m willing to take to allow you to know that when I say I love you and that My love will NEVER be withdrawn from you, I mean it! You can bet your life on my faithfulness to you as I give you My Holy Spirit to be a constant source of assurance to you that you are Mine and I am yours!’

Because of who Jesus is, Truth incarnate, and what He’s given us in the gift of His Spirit to teach us His Word and to guide us in our walk with Him, we can have absolute assurance that if the decisions we make and the paths we follow align with His Word and His Way, we’ll know that we’re being led by His Spirit.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Closer Look at Romans 7 (Part 2)

“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” (Romans 7:25 NLT)

The key words in the above verse to me are: “In my mind…” The real battlefield for each of us is between our ears. Before we see any significant change in our behavior, we must first allow the Lord to help us change our mind. That’s what repentance is all about. We make the decision to allow the Lord to help us change our life’s direction, which leads to the unleashing of His Almighty power to enable us to change our habits, which opens the door to the transformed life of which Paul speaks in 2^nd Corinthians 5:17.

Paul writes in Romans 8:12: “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.” How could he have written those words if he was living a contradiction of them in his statement in chapter 7:25 about being a slave to sin? Every day we renew our commitment to the Lord to allow the Holy Spirit to dictate policy in our lives, which enables us to walk in the newness of life we’ve been given, not in submission to the old life in which we used to walk. We respond just like Jesus did in the wilderness when Satan was riding Him hard to give in to sin.

Do we always succeed? Unfortunately, not, but by God’s grace, as we walk longer with the Lord our successes begin to far outweigh our defeats. That’s why intimacy with Jesus is so very critical. To the extent I allow my mind to remain focused on Jesus and not on the entertainment of my selfish lusts, to that extent I’ll enjoy victory in my quest for closeness to the Lord.

It’s not unlike my faithfulness to my wife. To the extent I keep my heart and mind focused on my devotion to her, to that extent I will avoid allowing my mind to wander into lustful thoughts that, if not curbed, can easily lead to lustful actions that can not only destroy our marriage, but my life.

Perhaps the key to understanding Paul’s heart in his words in Romans 7 is to see into his mind. The battlefield for our soul is in our mind. If we allow our mind to become the devil’s playground, our heart will stray, as it seeks to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, not the desires of our Savior. I’m close to the Lord in this season of my life, but that closeness must be desired and worked at maintaining every day, sometimes every minute of every day.

That’s why prayer can’t be a one-time activity each day. Yes, of course, begin your day with pouring your heart out to the Lord and seeking His guidance, confessing your need of Him, thanking Him for all the ways He’s making Himself known to you, and lifting to Him those in your spheres of influence who need Him. But that’s just the beginning. Speak with Him each second of the day, regardless of what else you’re doing. “But I need to focus on what I’m doing?” you may be thinking.

Yes, of course you do, but Who do you think is providing everything you need, not only for DOING whatever you’re doing, but the focus to do it in a manner that’s honoring to Him? If the goal of whatever you’re doing isn’t to glorify and honor Jesus you need to stop doing it and do something that is.

If we get stuck in Romans 7 believing we’re just Satan-bait that has no power or ability to live above the tentacles of sin, we’re defeated before we begin. Or, if we “celebrate” our unwillingness to live without sin because we’ve prayed some kind of “sinner’s prayer” that leads us to wrongly believe it frees us to live the way we used to and still go to heaven, we’re also subjecting ourselves to defeat.

If we’re tempted to believe these lies, we need to memorize and post on the inside of our forehead Romans 8:13: “For if you live by its (your sinful nature) dictates, YOU WILL DIE. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, YOU WILL LIVE. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” With the clear implication: If you aren’t being consistently led by the Spirit, you very well may not be a child of God.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Closer Look at Romans 7

“I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” (Romans 7:21-24 NLT)

Discussion and debate have led to wrestling with the above verses and the whole of Romans 7 for centuries, so, let me give you my disclaimer right up front: I will not answer all of your questions regarding these challenging verses; however, I will share with you some things the Lord has shared with me that have helped me navigate what can be some troubling waters.

The question I’ve heard over the years, to which I’ve come to terms in my own life is: “Is Paul speaking about his life before Christ or his new life IN Christ?” I have no doubt he’s speaking of his life IN Christ, but here’s why I believe that.

The closer I get to Jesus the more wretched I seem in my own eyes; yet, on the other hand, the more carefully and closely I’m seeking to walk with Him. There’s a sense in which we can’t really see clearly the beauty of Jesus until we face the disgusting, and foul “aroma” of our own lives, especially what we’ve been, what we were before and, to some extent, what we’ve allowed ourselves to do and be even after our decision to follow Jesus.

The closer I get to Jesus the more I regret what I’ve done in my life to violate everything from which He died to spare me. The cry of Paul’s heart throughout Romans 7 isn’t speaking of present tense devotion to sin, except inasmuch as it will always be a threat to us regardless of how closely we walk with the Lord. He’s painting a picture of how terrible sin, and its devilish affects can be, holding it in juxtaposition with the beauty of Jesus and the life-saving power He gives us to live above the tentacles of Satan.

My sense is that many who are seeking Jesus have succumbed to the lie of Satan that there is no deliverance from sin, especially addictions to specific avenues of sin. So, they come to Christ “hoping” to find deliverance, falsely believing all they have to do is “trust Jesus,” with the clear implication: “Okay, Lord, it’s all Yours!” And they sit back and wait for healing that will never come without their partnership in that deliverance.

Each of us has to deal with sin in some form every day, but dependence on Jesus doesn’t free us of responsibility to do our part. For example, if I’m “trusting Jesus to deliver me from porn” while I’m continuing to watch it without setting any boundaries, sharing with my wife or Christian brothers what I’m going through so they can hold me accountable, I’m trying to swim that ocean without as much as a life vest. It’s spiritual “suicide!”

It’s almost as if we’re sitting, waiting for Jesus to do His part, while the Lord is waiting for us to do ours. He CAN and WILL deliver us, but not without cooperating effort on our part. As Paul implied in Chapter 8, we wrongly believe we can continue with sin as our master without fear of the Lord’s discipline or judgment, to our demise.

The crucial question becomes: “Whose nature are we allowing to dominate us? Are we being controlled by our sinful, lust-filled nature, or by the Holy Spirit” Let’s continue this discussion in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who Are You Playing For?

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1 NLT)

Sometimes there’s a thin line between pointing praise to God and seeking to lavish praise upon ourselves. There are times when athletes point to heaven, kneel in the endzone, or in other ways direct praise for their accomplishments to the Lord. For example, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world records during the recent Olympics, but never failed to give glory to God. Or, I recently read about Jeremy Lin, the pro NBA player who wore a bracelet that said: “For Jesus’ Name I play.”

Are these, and many other, athletes/celebrities who reference their Christian faith seeking to win points with God, man, or both? Sometimes we may not know for sure, but that doesn’t really matter. What we think is irrelevant, is only and always what God knows. He’s the ultimate Rewarder, not us or anyone else.

That’s why the bottom line for each of us is to ask ourselves: “For whom am I playing this game of life? In my heart and mind, who am I really ‘playing’ for? Who am I seeking to impress?” To say there’s a little vanity in each of us is almost like saying, “There’s a little water in every ocean.” It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

God can hold the waters of the oceans in the palm of His hand, but for us to swim more than a few miles in the ocean is an impossible task for most humans. Sometimes there’s a thin line between bragging on God and our own desire for recognition and reward. Why is that even an issue? Why do any of us feel that’s even necessary?

Could it be our insecurities arise when we compare ourselves with others? Might it be we’re jealous of another’s accomplishments when we compare them to our own? Even as believers we engage in pettiness when we make known how long we pray or how many times we’ve read the Bible, or “We know Greek and Hebrew!” So, what, I know Mattie and Jeff at the coffee shop! It’s childish, immature, and unnecessary in the family of God.

We all, every single one of us, whoever we are, wherever we live “play” to an audience of ONE! It doesn’t matter what anyone, including ourselves, thinks, it only matters what “Daddy, God thinks.” I love this story from Ron Hutchcraft about a moment in his life when this point hit home for him.

Ron writes: “I’ll never forget the lesson I learned the day that my young son was helping me with yard work. I was mowing, and he was doing the clipping after me. And at one point, I kind of flashed a smile his way. And a few minutes later, he came over and he shouted above all the mower noise, ‘Daddy, could you please do that again?’ I turned down the mower and I said, ‘Do what again, son?’ ‘Could you just smile at me again, Daddy? It’s your smile that keeps me going. ’That’s what I want. I want to live for one thing – my Father’s smile.” (See A Word With You Playing for Jesus – 08-20-24)

Is that what you want? I pray it is. For me, I’m not just looking for my Father’s smile when I die, I long to see it every day, because I’ve learned I can do nothing without His help and enabling.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Looking Past the Irritations

“You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.” (1 Peter 1:22 NLT)

Living as forgiven, as a new creation in Christ Jesus, is a learned behavior. It doesn’t come without effort. It often seems easy when we’re new to the faith, our new, clean heart is so full of love for Jesus, loving others seems like the proverbial “piece of cake,” but, unfortunately, that doesn’t last.

Understand, it’s not like love gets hard for everyone, but mostly for those who should be the focus of our love anyway: family, close friends, brothers and sisters at church. So, why is it sometimes so hard? Largely because we lose focus. We too quickly forget how hard we are to love at times. We let little things, often things we do ourselves, stand between us and our love for others.

Too often, we project onto others the very things we can’t stand about ourselves but can’t overcome. In my own life, when I tell someone something, especially my wife, I (a) expect her to remember word for word and (b) remind me what I said when I forget. No problem, right? Of course, until she expects the same thing of me, then it becomes irritating.

Then, the plot thickens when someone we don’t know well, or a stranger, irritates us with the way they drive, speak, walk, think – it can literally be anything about them that just “rubs us the wrong way!” Then automatically, we don’t even stop to think about it (big mistake), we voice our opinion: “Look at that gaudy outfit! Who would EVER wear their hair like that to church? Where’d that guy get that piece of junk to drive? How did that couple think they belonged in ‘THIS’ restaurant/church/business/etc.?”

Our contributions vary with context, but all to the same end: we don’t love well. We end up revealing our own insecurities about how we see and feel about ourselves, but it’s so much easier to see it in “them” than in ourselves. Why does any of this stuff even matter? Because how we think about and treat another person reflects not only how we see ourselves but can often be a measure of our love for Jesus.

Pastor Rick Warren wrote: “When you’re dealing with people who are offensive or irritating, you need to look past the behavior to the pain. Everything we do is motivated by something. When people hurt others, it’s because they’re hurting on the inside. Hurt people hurt other people. The more you understand about someone’s background, the more grace you’ll show them.

Think of a person you find to be difficult or irritating. You probably know nothing about their background, so you don’t cut them any slack. You don’t know that maybe they lost their parents at a young age. You don’t know that maybe they were molested. You don’t know that maybe they’ve gone through two marriages and their spouse just walked out on them. You don’t know their story, and that’s part of why you’re not showing them any grace.

The Bible says in Proverbs 19:11, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (NIV). It’s easy to take offense from people you find difficult. But when you’re wise, you don’t get offended easily. Why? Because wisdom gives you patience. (See Daily Hope Love Overlooks Offenses – 08-10-24)

These and many other reasons are why it’s so important to learn to look past people’s irritations.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Where Prayer Begins

“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night.” Luke 6:12 NLT)

It could be argued that the most important words in the above verse are “to God.” We’re so prone to believe the catalyst for prayer is our need. The car breaks down, the news from the doctor isn’t good, the money runs out, a job is lost, the list is virtually endless of things that happen in our life that cause us to turn to prayer.

The sad fact in all of that is that God actually becomes a secondary consideration in the process. Our thoughts seem only to turn to God after our resources are spent or we realize the issue is too big for us to tackle alone. Why is that? Part of it stems from our selfish nature. We’re geared to think “I” can fix this! But the sad reality is, it often takes a long time for that gut reflex to change.

That’s why it takes an intentional decision (likely a series of decisions) to turn that kind of thinking around. So, where do we begin? Ironically, in prayer. Conversation with Jesus is the best and only place we’ll find an answer to what must be a God-oriented question. Trying to “fix” a spiritual problem by human means is similar to jumping in the deep end of a pool to learn to swim, it can be disastrous.

Prayer is a learned behavior, but one that must be learned in the right environment; otherwise, we’ll continue to struggle with how it works. Prayer is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. It’s essentially a conversation with God, not in an effort to get something from Him, but to give something to Him. It’s too often like someone going to their spouse, not because they love them and want to give something to them, but to get something from them.

God is a loving Father who always desires to spend time with us. We ALWAYS have His undivided attention, but that’s something we must learn to give Him. That’s why it catches me by surprise when someone I know loves the Lord, speaks about their “God time,” as if it’s a specific time set aside to spend with God, which, of course, it is, but with the implication that it has a specific beginning and ending.

My time with the Lord begins with worship, thanksgiving, and recognition that I have no right to speak His name except with His permission. Then, among the first things I share with Him are the numerous family members, loved ones, friends, neighbors and others who need to be saved. Certainly, that is sacred “God Time,” but that’s only the beginning, not the end. For me, and I’m quite sure many others, our conversation continues on some level every waking moment.

There’s not a single second I don’t want to be aware of His presence and, regardless of what I’m doing, be sensitive that He’s not only with me, I’m with Him. Even as I type these words, He’s on my mind and I sense my dependence upon Him. The reality of the fact that “apart from Him I am nothing and can do nothing” is engravened on my consciousness. To lose our focus on Jesus is to wander in darkness and to become ineffective in whatever we’re doing.

Prayer on some levels is a constant communication. I may not be on my knees with my eyes closed, but my spirit is longing to be one with Him, not only communicating my need of Him, but being ever aware of His love for and devotion to me. To not be “in prayer” is to lose focus and to become distracted from the “real” task at hand, whatever else we may be doing.

I won’t lie, it’s taken me years to even begin to learn this vital aspect of prayer, but my point in sharing isn’t to berate you or brag on myself, but to encourage you and me to understand that it’s a process. That we are continually learning to train our heart and mind to long for such oneness with the Lord that it becomes a constant consideration in every circumstance of our lives. When we know He’s always with us, the One with whom we’re in constant conversation, we don’t have to grope in the darkness when the proverbial “lights” go out.

Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “Prayer begins by recognizing who you’re talking to, not what you’re asking for.” (See A Word for You No Garbage in God’s Throne Room – 08-12-24)

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Ready For God To Move?

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” (James 4:1-2 NLT)

*Please read these words of Sylvia Gunter with an ear to God’s heart. Let them move and challenge you as they have me. Used with permission. Blessings, Ed

Before every major new thing God did in the Bible God would tell His people “Consecrate yourself, purify yourself, repent.” Over and over, God showed new revelations of Himself or a new unfolding of His glory to those who prepared the way by purification. Study for yourself and see how many times God said, “Consecrate yourself, for tomorrow I will (or you will).”

• Before leaving Egypt—Exodus 12:15, Luke 12:1, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

• Before God met Moses in holy glory on the mountain—Exodus 19:10

• Before crossing the Jordan—Joshua 3:5

• Before God revealed sin in the camp—Joshua 7:13

• Before God’s new king was anointed to bear the lineage of Jesus—1 Samuel 16:5

• Before bringing the ark of the presence of the Lord to the place He prepared for it—1 Chronicles 15:12

• Before Hezekiah’s revival—2 Chronicles 29:5

• Before God pours out His Spirit—Joel 1:14, 2:15

• Before the entrance of Jesus into the world the message was “Repent to prepare the way of the Lord”—Matthew 3:2-3

• Before Jesus went to the cross—John 17:19

• Before the King of kings and Lord of lords reveals His omnipotence—Revelation 2-3

We all long to love God from a pure heart, but we are easily distracted and give our love to other things. Sometimes we don’t even realize it. God knows our weakness and loves us anyway. His constant encouragement to consecrate and purify ourselves is an act of a loving Father that knows what is best for us. God is jealous for the spirit He has put in us (James 4:1-5). He wants us to partner with Him in the things He is doing.

Consecration should begin with us. It is so easy to point the finger at other people who “need to get right with God.” Before praying for others, our church, community or nation, first we need to pray for ourselves. Titus 2:13-14 says, “We wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Are you willing to pray, “Jesus, thank You for redeeming me. Work in me Your redemption from all wickedness and purify me for Yourself for Your own possession, eager to do what is good.”

Movements of God are birthed in prayer and holiness as God’s people humble themselves to seek God’s face. The primary purpose is to seek God. To know Him and align all of who we are with who His is. Seek God’s face with humility and repentance, because God is the only answer to the urgent needs of our personal lives, our families, His church, the nation, and the world. Ask God how you are to seek Him.

Based on Seeking God’s Heart With Prayer And Fasting 40 Day Calendar from Prayer Essentials For Living In His Presence Volume 1 © 2008 by Sylvia Gunter. This 40-day calendar is taken from Prayer Essentials For Living In His Presence Volume 1. It is not date specific so you can start it anytime God leads you to seek Him in prayer for 40 days. The front has specific topics and verses to pray each day. The back includes a biblical foundation for praying and fasting. This is a great tool for prayer groups to use. Click here to learn more and order. Past devotionals are available at www.thefathersbusiness.com.

It’s Time to Stand Up! (and literally “be counted’)

“Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

*Please Note: “Though this article is specifically directed to Americans in the United States regarding the upcoming Presidential Election, the above verse is not. Our love for country and our desire to honor God in the decisions we make applies to each of us as children of God, regardless of nationality. Thank you for your understanding. Blessings, Ed😊

Ron Hutchcraft writes a devotional “A Word with You,” which I read regularly. In a recent article he wrote about seven POW’s captured during the Iraqi war. U. S. soldiers attacked the facility where they were being held, burst into the area and shouted: “Everyone on the ground!” Then they said: “If you’re an American please stand! You’re now free!” And the seven POW’s all stood!

We can only begin to understand the emotion that surrounded those moments for those who had been held captive. But it also inspired and encouraged me, especially in light of our upcoming election, now less than two months away. What I’m hearing on the streets is discouraging, because neither candidate is ideal, but there’s too much at stake to not vote.

There’s a sense in which my heart is crying out to anyone who will listen: “If you’re an American, stand up…and vote!” And please hear me, I’m not concerned about your political preference, my concern centers more on whether or not you love and appreciate the freedoms we enjoy in America, that we’ve been incrementally giving away over the last few decades. But more vital, do you love Jesus and believe His Holy Word?

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you have to know I don’t speak out on political issues on this platform, but the Lord has prompted me to literally beg you to listen to a message Kathy and I just watched by Pastor Gary Hamrick, Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia. His emphasis isn’t to promote a candidate, but to guide us through our God given responsibility to exercise, not only our right as a citizen, but our duty as a Christian, to vote.

Please take the few minutes to watch this message, that could literally change the course of your life and of our nation. Then pass on the link and/or the things you will learn to everyone you know. Just click this link: https://cornerstonechapel.net/vote.

And if you’re like me, you may be thinking: “What’s the point? I’m going to vote for ________, and someone else is going to vote for ________, and we’re just going to cancel out each other’s vote, why bother.” Or “I can’t stand either candidate, so how can I decide?” These kinds of questions and many more will be answered in Pastor Hamrick’s message.

He’s not a political fanatic trying to stir up our emotions, he’s a man of God who has researched historical documents, but more importantly, the Word of God, to give us a sound Biblical foundation upon which to stand as we go to the polls this November 5^th.

Please, for your sake and for the sake of the Nation we love and our Lord whom we love and serve, watch this message and go to the polls understanding, not only why you’re there, but for whom you will vote and why.h

Remember the words of Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (and women) to do nothing.” It’s not only a matter of rights, but of what’s right in God’s sight.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why Can’t We Understand?

“As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous – not even one. No one is truly wise; not one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.’” Romans 3:10-12 NLT)

Have you ever tried to explain something to someone and you’re thinking: “I might as well be talking to a tree?” Can we even begin to understand how difficult it is for God to communicate with us before we’re saved? It’s hard enough, especially early on, for Him to communicate with us as His child, but once we have the Holy Spirit residing in us, it makes it so much easier.

As believers in Jesus, part of the reason it’s so hard sometimes for us to understand what God is saying is due to the hardness of our heart. Even as a professing Jesus follower, we wrestle with sin and its deadly implications. There’s a constant battle raging in our heart and mind as the Holy Spirit pulls us to God, while our sinful nature seeks with relentless effort to pull us away.

Paul describes the battle perfectly when he writes in Romans 7:24: “Oh, what a miserable person I am? Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” Then he answers in verse 25: “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” With the clear implication, “I don’t have any choice!”

This is an easy passage to misunderstand, as, on the one hand it seems to say life in Christ is confusing, tiring, trying, and to some extent, not worth the effort, yet, as he explains in chapter 8, what he’s describing in chapter 7 is primarily our plight when we’re seeking in our flesh to be good enough to be acceptable to God, which, of course, is humanly impossible.

We have no capacity to hear and understand the voice of God without the help of His Holy Spirit. On some levels it’s like trying to teach Algebra to an infant. They may “hear” our voice, but they have no capacity to implement into their lives what we’re trying to teach them. Lost people, like we were before we met Jesus, are “deaf” to God’s voice unless and until the “ears” of their heart are quickened by God’s Spirit.

How does that happen? Prayer is the simple answer, but it’s more involved. Paul explains in Romans 10:14-15: “But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say; ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Human beings don’t have the capacity to understand the things of God, not even about salvation, unless and until they are instructed. First, given awareness of God’s presence through the ministry of God’s Spirit, then engaged in conversation with someone, in person or in writing, who can give them understanding and guidance in the things of God. Rowland Hill wrote: “Unless you live in Christ, you are dead to God,” which is reflected in Paul’s words in Romans 6:11.

So, here’s the bottom line, if you’re struggling to understand even the simplest things regarding the Lord Jesus, the Bible, things you hear in a sermon or read in a book, you may need to start by going before the Lord, confessing your sin, then getting in touch with someone you know and trust to help you be certain you’re saved. If you don’t have anyone like that in your life, email me at walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Hero in Each of Us

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT)

Recently I heard about Samuel Whittemore, so I looked him up on Wikipedia. It’s a fascinating story that challenged and inspired me, so, I want to share it with you.

“Samuel Whittemore Jr.(July 27, 1696 – February 2, 1793)^[1]^[2] was an American farmer and soldier. He was 78 years old^[3] when he became the oldest known colonial combatant in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).^[4]

On April 19, 1775, British forces were returning to Boston from the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the opening engagements of the war. On their march they were continually shot at by American militiamen.

Whittemore was in his fields when he spotted an approaching British relief brigade under Earl Percy, sent to assist the retreat. Whittemore loaded his musket and ambushed the British grenadiers of the 47th Regiment of Foot from behind a nearby stone wall, killing one soldier. He then drew his dueling pistols, killed a second grenadier and mortally wounded a third. By the time Whittemore had fired his third shot, a British detachment had reached his position; Whittemore drew his sword and attacked.^[7] He was subsequently shot in the face, bayoneted numerous times, and left for dead in a pool of blood.

He was found by colonial forces, trying to load his musket to resume the fight. He was taken to Dr. Cotton Tufts of Medford, who perceived no hope for his survival. However, Whittemore recovered and lived another 18 years until dying of natural causes at the age of 96.^[2]^[9]”

There’s an old saying I heard many years ago that says: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog!” How much fight’s in you, dear brother or sister in Christ? Aren’t you sick and tired of being told that since you’re “old” you might as well get out of the way and let the younger people do it.

If you believe that, shame on you. There are things the Lord has taught and is still teaching us that those younger people need to hear. Sure, they’re going to make their own mistakes and learn their own lessons just like we did, but if on occasion one of them will take a moment to listen to us, maybe they’ll learn something.

For example, not many younger people will take the time or make the effort to learn to listen to the Savior’s strong, clear voice. We can teach them how! Not many will spend hours pouring over one verse or sometimes one word, we can help them learn why that’s so important. Not many younger people understand the value of standing up for what’s really right, not just what political wannabee’s say is right.

For example, it’s not right to mutilate children in the name of personal or sexual “rights,” expecting them to make decisions about their own bodies they aren’t equipped to make without their parents’ support and input, then realize when it’s too late they made the wrong decision. It’s not right that the government tries to legislate behavior that laws can never change. It’s not right that we as Jesus followers ignore the signs of the times and flow along like a leaf on the stream while our country goes to hell. There are obviously many other things that deserve our concern, that’s just what came first to mind.

When will we get some courage, like old brother Whittemore, and without regard to what happens to us, stand up for Jesus and tell whoever will listen it’s time to stand for what is right. How will we know what that is? Read your Bible and the newsfeeds and let the Lord liberate your heart and mind to see clearly what’s true and what isn’t.

Listen to Him, He’ll make it clear what you need to do! I still believe there’s a hero in each of us. The Hero in me is named Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊