Walking With Jesus

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 😊

Where Are You Eating Dinner?

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NLT)

Life is fragile, not only for preborn and infants, but every human being. The truth is we literally have no idea when we open our eyes to a new day whether we’ll be alive to see another sunrise. For those who are not yet born again of the Spirit, I’m hopeful that will be a wake-up call, but for those whose lives are being held in our Father’s capable hands, we delight at the thought.

Of course, it frightens us when we think of our loved ones and friends who have yet to yield their lives to Jesus, but we pray each day to let them see the Light of life before it’s eternally too late. In a note I wrote my son this morning I said: “I’m praying that sooner than later you’ll realize that what you’re chasing isn’t worth it in the end. It’s just stuff that someone else has to deal with after the real you leaves your body and meets God. It’s a lot better if you meet Him before that inevitable day. I love you and I can’t stand the thought of being in heaven without you.”

You need to know that we have a really good relationship, and I don’t “preach” to him or make that the subject of every conversation. He responded to my text with: “Love you, dad. Thank you for the message.” It’s important that love is foundationally the reason for our notes and words of encouragement, not threats or harassment. But it’s also important they understand the reality of death is a haunting certainty for which we must be prepared.

Edward Panosian wrote: “When a man knows he may breakfast on earth and take supper in heaven, temptations must lose much of their power.” That’s a good way to think for a believer, but the realization that death is coming, and we don’t know for sure when, needs to be something that a nonbeliever remembers often also.

As I understand it, our mission is to help people prepare for meeting Jesus, ideally, on earth before they die, but offering a warning of how that meeting will go if they wait too long. It grieves me someone has the audacity to think that God enjoys “sending people to hell.” That’s wrong on many counts. First, Matthew 18:14 lets us know that it’s not God’s will that anyone should perish. Why would Father God allow His only Son to die for the sins of mankind, then be glad they ignore His sacrifice and go to hell anyway.

But the other picture that comes to mind is Jesus grieving over Jerusalem. My sense is there’s not a lost person who dies that it doesn’t break the heart of our Savior. Dear friend, if you know Jesus, do what He did and lay down your life for your lost loved ones and friends. By that I don’t mean to berate them for their ignorance but love them and give visibility to the love of Christ in the way you treat them.

And if you don’t yet know the Lord personally, please, I implore you, let Him love you and fill you with Himself. His love for you will transform you into the person He’s always known you could become. Please confess your need of Him and invite Him to be the Lord of your life. Knowing Jesus for the last 60+ years has been the greatest decision I’ve ever made. If you’re not sure how to give your life to Him, watch this brief video by Ron Hutchcraft and let him guide you through it.

Blessings, Ed

Why the Leftovers?

“’Tell everyone to sit down,’ Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, ‘Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.’ So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.” (John 6:10-13 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why Jesus made so much? Why all the leftovers? He’s God, He could have made exactly enough for everyone to have their full without all the excess, yet, He had twelve baskets of leftovers. And note, He didn’t want anything wasted.

Having been on three mission’s trips, I don’t waste food. Even if it’s stale, cold, or the bread is hard, I’ll eat it to keep from throwing it away. Why? Because I believe waste is dishonoring to the Lord. But neither do I stuff myself. My wife is careful to only fix what we can eat, so, we eat leftovers. Why is this even worth mentioning? Because Americans waste enough food to feed the worlds hungry, and it’s not only a shame, it’s a sin!

We not only waste food, but energy to heat or cool our residences, water, and other resources that we assume are in limitless supply. But even if they are, does that justify their waste? Not to me, and I believe, not to the Lord.

The Lord prompted me to write this, so I have to believe He has a reason. Two things come to mind. First, He had a plan for where the food was needed. John says that they had crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee. I’m just basing this on the maps of the area, but perhaps there were farms or villages besides the seaside towns where there were hungry people.

Jesus never did anything unless He had purpose in doing it. Often that purpose was only one or a few people, but other times it included thousands, as in the feeding of the 4,000 and 5,000 men, plus their families. My belief is He had the people in mind who needed it most.

But the other consideration reflects a conviction that more specifically applies to you and me. Jesus was all about abundance. Think of the grace He shared in giving His life on the Cross. He alone knew for whom He would be dying, but my conviction is if the only person who would need a Savior was you, He wouldn’t have hesitated. That’s how much He loves you.

His extravagant love was spilled out on the Cross just for you. Not one drop of His priceless blood was wasted. Just as He envisioned every mouth that would be fed by the five barley loaves and two fish of the young boy who unselfishly gave all he had for the good of others, He knew into whose lives He would “feed” His love through you.

It’s interesting that Andrew’s words were included in this passage, when he commented on the lunch the young boy offered: “But what good is that with this huge crowd?” By God’s grace take you eyes off the limited provision you have to meet your need and instead, with your eye of faith, focus on the unlimited resources He’s going to bring to bear on your problem that will literally cause you to gasp with joy!

The point of this story, as I understand it, isn’t to focus on the largeness of the need, whatever that looks like in your life, but the abundance of the Savior who has more than enough to meet your every need. All you need to do is place whatever you have in His capable hands, then trust Him to do what only He can. I believe you’ll like the abundance of His answer. I always have.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Expressing Love Without an Agenda

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT)

As a follower of Jesus, what we do must always be balanced by why we do it. Motive is often the real measure of the worth of what we do in the sight of God. We can do right things for wrong reasons and God isn’t honored. Similarly, we can also do things without any expectation of thanks or praise for ourselves, which helps someone and honors the Lord.

Ryan Guinee wrote in a Family Life devotional: “I knew exactly what she was referring to. It felt good to be appreciated, but the greater joy was found in expressing my love for her without an agenda. Just by noticing her load could be lightened and doing something about it, I gave her butterflies she hasn’t felt since we dated. I felt invincible.

Here’s the catch: If I was expecting her to make me feel whole through her praise, our marriage would be in serious trouble. She won’t always notice or appreciate my acts of kindness. So, I’ve drawn a line in the sand in my heart. Rather than manipulating her through my service when I need affection or appreciation, we talk about it—and I save my acts of service to love her rather than myself.”

Jesus didn’t die to get “atta boy’s” from His heavenly Father. Every act of kindness, every sacrifice, every miracle, every word He spoke and every action He took was always and only for the glory of God and/or the help of another person. He essentially removed Himself from the equation with the result being total submission to the will of the Father.

To the extent we trade our will for God’s, to that extent our efforts to be more like Him will be multiplied and His Holy Name will be glorified. But how do we do that? It begins with thinking of others first. Think of the average “disagreement” with your spouse, a co-worker, or a friend.

“Why’d you go behind my back to take that account from me?” “Why’d you use money I had set aside for our tithe for tickets to the ballet?” “Why don’t you ever help around the house?” And on and on they go. What’s our first thought? We go into defense mode, and when that happens the person foremost in our mind is ME! Usually resulting in one of the first words out of our mouth being “I…”

“I didn’t know…!” “I didn’t realize…!” “I do help…!” What if we could learn how to short circuit this whole process by learning to think of ourselves last, like Jesus did? What if instead of always looking for ways to defend ourselves, we focused more on the other person’s needs before ours? What if we became proactive in anticipating how to serve others more effectively rather than feeling the need for others to recognize our needs and to serve us?

I’m convinced this process begins in our submission to the will of God; our preeminent desire to put God first in our lives and allow Him to order our priorities. Here’s my disclaimer – I’m not there yet, but I’m learning. If I see dishes in the sink, I wash them. If I see a door left open, I close it. If I see my wife’s car needs gas, I go get it filled. The ways we can express love without an agenda are too numerous to list.

My wife and I joke that between us we have about half a memory. Usually, we don’t remember who did or didn’t do what, but what we’re learning is – it doesn’t matter. It’s not worth getting upset over. Love forgives and forgets (the forget part is getting easier for me 😊).

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

So, What God Do You Not Believe In?

*Please note that this is an unaltered BreakPoint article by John Stonestreet and Shane Morris. My purpose in sharing this article is to give you access to their ministry and to inform you on a topic not enough Jesus followers realize they have. Please check out the ministry of breakpoint.org. and avail yourself of the rich contribution they make to our faith. Blessings, Ed

New Atheist icon and Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins recently asked a surprising question on X. Referring to his most famous book published 18 years ago, Dawkins wrote: “What do religious people think I got wrong in The God Delusion?”

The replies were insightful. One person pointed out that Dawkins depended on methodological naturalism, the belief that only material explanations are valid, but which is, itself, a belief that can’t be proven by material explanations. Another pointed out: “[You] spent the majority of the book making a moral case against religion; [but] you state in other works that there isn’t objective morality.”

In fact, Dawkins’ “moral case against religion” is central to The God Delusion. He wrote:

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a … capriciously malevolent bully.”

These are strange words from a man who wrote elsewhere that:

“The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”

So, which is it? Is the God of the Bible not worth believing in because He’s evil, or is evil an illusion? Dawkins seems to have wanted to have his moral indignation and eat it too.

Still, a more fundamental mistake in his bestselling book is one which virtually every prominent New Atheist copied. As Susannah Roberts pointed out in her reply to Dawkins, the main thing he got wrong was the meaning of the word “God.” Dawkins wrote as if God is just a bigger and stronger human, a being like the rest of us who merely happens to be very powerful. The god he described was like the polytheistic gods worshipped by the Greeks, Norse, and Egyptians. Dawkins confirmed this was his view in a famous line from the book: “We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”

Years ago, I met a woman on a plane who challenged me to prove that God exists. I asked, “Well, what do you mean by ‘God?’” She replied, “A grumpy old man with a beard in the sky who can’t wait for you to do something wrong so he can strike you with a lightning bolt.”

“I don’t believe in that god, either” I said. Her definition of God was far more like Zeus than the Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and Father of Jesus Christ.

The God of Scripture isn’t a bigger and stronger human, a petty and selfish being like the pagan gods, nor even like a really powerful angel. God is a category by Himself. He is the ground of being, the “unmoved mover,” timeless, spaceless, omniscient, unchangeable, not subject to passions or tantrums, and not fully describable with human language. His character is not answerable to a higher moral law, but is itself the source of that moral law. He is, as James put it, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” and as Daniel wrote, “none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

When Dawkins condemned God as a “petty, unjust, unforgiving” bully, he was suggesting God doesn’t live up to a moral standard of fairness and mercy. But where did he get that standard to begin with, if not from God?

As C.S. Lewis put it in Mere Christianity:

“[T]here is a difficulty about disagreeing with God. He is the source from which all your reasoning power comes: you could not be right and He wrong any more than a stream can rise higher than its own source. When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on.”

It’s refreshing and encouraging to see Richard Dawkins ask a question like this, with this much apparent humility. After all, in the last year or so, he has called himself a “cultural Christian,” rebuked unscientific gender ideology, admitted he really likes Christmas carols, and showed genuine curiosity about why his friend and former atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali converted to Christianity. Perhaps, God willing, Dawkins, is on the verge of a similar change. We can and should pray as much.

Still, it’s worth noting that the straw-man god that Dawkins and his fellow New Atheists spent two decades denying and denouncing looks nothing like the God of the Christian worldview. Atheist authors could and should realize this, but like philosopher Thomas Nagle famously admitted, a major motivation is the hope that there is no God. So much so, in fact, that Nagle also admitted how unsettling it was that some of the most well-informed and intelligent people he knew believed in God.

For both atheists and believers, it’s important to make sure our understanding of God is correct. Thank God for those willing to correct their bad theology.

This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. If you’re a fan of Breakpoint, leave a review on your favorite podcast app. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.

Who Do You Hate?

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:43-44 NLT)

In our current cultural climate hate is much more prevalent than we’d like to think. As a white person in America persecution is someone jumping ahead of us to take a prime parking spot. We have no real concept of what life is like for our brothers and sisters who face the threat of loss of property and life daily. We feel shorted if we have to wait for 2 or 3 people ahead of us in a Starbucks line.

With our entitlement mentality we struggle to understand why anyone would hate us, yet anger and disgust rise quickly when we feel unrecognized for our privileged and superior spot in society. The plot thickens when we profess faith in Jesus, yet continue to hold, if only in our mind, our deserved place of privilege. We see Jesus as our spiritual “genie in a bottle” who jumps out at our command to do our bidding.

For far too many churchgoers it’s a matter of perspective. We don’t mind going to church, as long as it’s in the “right” kind of neighborhood and we’re treated with the respect we “deserve.” The last church I served had been comprised mostly of white people who drove in from other neighborhoods. As the neighborhood where the church was located began to transition to a “less desirable” element, when I arrived there were only about 50 people left with a large building that was aging and needed a lot of repairs.

My role was to help them decide if they wanted to stay and try to reach the people who were now their neighbors or sell out and relocate someplace “more suitable.” To their credit they chose to stay, hire a young black Pastor and make some much-needed changes to seek to reach out, but the reality is, they’re still struggling to stay alive, not financially, but spiritually.

Unfortunately, that’s not an unusual story. Thousands of churches are closing their doors every year, more than are being established, partly because of the lessoning numbers of people of faith. Covid 19 took its toll, but we still have to ask the question – “Why?” Why are generations of people pulling away from the church? That’s a question for another day.

What I’d challenge us to consider is what are those of us who are still involved in the church doing to reach the many in our spheres of influence for Jesus? Consider this question from Penn Jillette, an avowed Atheist: “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”

We in the church have wrongly assumed “Nobody wants to hear the Gospel!” But here’s the reality: EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HEAR IT! That’s our commission that to deny, avoid, or ignore is a sin. On many levels it’s not unlike someone who has many times over the food they need, but refuse to share with those who have none. Honestly, how can we profess love for Jesus, yet refuse to share Him with lost family members, neighbors, co-workers, and anyone else we can seek to reach before it’s eternally too late.

What are we afraid of? In ever increasing measure Prophetic signs are signaling the end is near. How can we sit by and wait for Jesus to come for us while His heart is breaking for those He’s sent us to reach? Do we really hate them that much?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed

What Do You Need?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

Have you noticed how often we confuse wants with needs? We have a flat tire and we “need” a new car. Styles change so we “need” new flooring or a new wardrobe. The list is virtually endless of things we want that we think of as needs. We don’t need nearly as much as we think, especially when it comes to doing God’s will.

For example, we use lots of excuses for not sharing our faith. Things like: “I don’t know the Bible well enough.” Or “They might ask me a question that I can’t answer.” Or “I don’t think well on my feet.” Or “What if they get mad and start yelling at me?” Our list of excuses is endless, and the sad part is, we sometimes actually believe them.

We too often forget God’s promise to never leave us and that we share in the power of HIS might, not our own. The Lord never gives us an assignment of any kind that He doesn’t equip us to carry out. Failure isn’t lacking in Biblical knowledge, stumbling with our words, having to admit we don’t have an answer, or getting yelled at, it’s not trying in the first place. It’s putting our trust in our own ability, not God’s.

Many times, in my life I’ve wrongly assumed the Lord would fully equip me for the task before I start, but I’ve learned that He often provides along the way. Think of the times the Lord fed the 5,000 and 4,000 men, plus their families. He didn’t give the disciples the proverbial “heads up,” He just asked them how they were going to handle the problem. The lesson grew out of their inadequacy, not out of their abundance.

We often learn more by failing than we do by succeeding. Each time I share my faith, whether it’s sharing the Gospel, or inviting someone to church, it’s an opportunity to learn and become better. Something that’s helped me be bolder is realizing I’m not responsible for the outcome. I’m responsible for obeying the Lord’s directive, but the result, how the person responds and what they do with what I’ve shared, is between them and the Lord.

We can’t make someone want a relationship with Jesus any more than we can force an addict to walk away from their “drug” of choice. What we can do is be the proverbial “starving” person showing another starving person where to find bread. Whether they want to live, or die, is up to them, but we have to help them understand following Jesus is a lifelong process, that like everything else we do in life, requires a first step, then another, and another as long as we live.

We don’t begin a relationship with Jesus, then coast until we die. It’s like marriage inasmuch as the honeymoon may be amazing, but what happens after that is largely up to us. We choose each day to invest in our marriage by being present, active, and investing ourselves in being a better husband or wife, or we let things slide until there’s nothing left worth fighting for.

Knowing, loving, serving, and growing in our walk with Jesus involves learning, listening, submitting our will to His, and carrying out His directives without regard to what it costs us. Elisabeth Elliott wrote: “God has promised to supply all our needs, what we don’t have now, we don’t need now.”

When the Lord gives us a directive, regardless of how ill-equipped we may feel we are, our only response must be: “Yes, Lord!” Whatever we need to carry it out He’ll provide.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Wise?

“Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.” (Psalm 107:43 NLT)

Making decisions without consideration of past events and experiences is almost like crossing a busy highway without first looking both ways for approaching traffic, it’s a recipe for disaster.

One of the clearest examples of a need for wise counsel is couples who came to me asking me to marry them, but when I let them know that I required minimally six sessions with them before I would marry them, they responded with the proverbial “deer in the headlight” look, then said: “Oh, we don’t need that, we’ve been married before!” And while I never did this, my temptation was to scream: “AND YOU FAILED! IF ANYONE NEEDS COUNSELING IT’S YOU!”

Yet, it’s our temptation to think exactly in the same vein about many other decisions we make without giving thought to our past mistakes and failures. Wisdom isn’t given by a magic wand or by drinking a magic potion, it’s learned at the school of “hard knocks,” and maintained by continually seeking the Lord’s wisdom at every opportunity.

An unknown author wrote: “Jesus is the way; He knows where to go; He is the truth; He knows what to say; He is the life; He knows who He is—the One who gives us life both abundant and eternal.” The Lord is wise partly because He’s all-knowing. Regardless of which road we take, in terms of our decisions, He sees the outcome. We can’t see the outcome, so, doesn’t it just make good sense to ask the One who does?

But knowledge alone doesn’t make God or anyone else “wise.” It must be flavored with love and mercy. Rick Warren wrote: “The Bible says wisdom ‘is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds’ (James 3:17 NLT). In other words—even when people mess up, sin, fumble, and fail—it’s wise to show grace.

God is both the wisest and most merciful being in the universe. Everything you have in life—even your next breath—is a gift from him. If we got what we deserved, we wouldn’t be alive. Yet God gives us exactly what we need, not what we deserve. He’s full of mercy.”

Wisdom, especially as it relates to our relationships, demands grace, kindness, understanding and hindsight. Why? Because if we’re not careful we’ll tend to treat others, especially if we’ve been treated badly, like we’ve been treated. It’s almost as if we’re trying to get back at the person(s) who mistreated us, by being unkind to someone else, but that’s never how God treats us.

I’m reminded of the woman “caught in the act of adultery” in John 8. There’s no indication that she said a word in her defense, she had none. My sense is she was still, quietly waiting, perhaps inwardly desiring, for it to be over – the shame, the sense of worthlessness, guilt, being treated like a piece of dirt rather than a human being – but the rocks never came.

Finally, she looks up to see the most beautiful face she’d ever seen and to hear the kindest words she’d ever heard: “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” Then the clincher: “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Wisdom liberates, forgives, and invites us to be what we never believed we could be. Wisdom allows us to do for others what Jesus has done and continues to do for us – loving, forgiving, releasing, calling, equipping.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed :😊

To or From? (Part 2)

“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand?” (Matthew 11:15 NLT)

Having served the church for more than seven years, and having been hurt in ways I wouldn’t have imagined, it felt “right” that I should leave when I got another offer. To me it was opportunity knocking, but it turned out that it was Satan, but I didn’t realize it until it was too late.

Whether you’re in a season of leaving or pursuing a new “opportunity,” my word of caution would be, seek the Lord with your whole heart, mind, soul, and body. If you’re leaving something ask yourself WHY? “Am I running to something or running from something? Have I been hurt and the thought of staying is tormenting or is this new opportunity just too good to pass up?”

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May I share a word from the Lord? If you’re running “from” something, whatever you’re running from will follow you. Your best option is to settle whatever you’re running from, wait for the Lord’s release, then move forward with the Lord’s blessing. To move forward without a clear word from the Lord and/or without His express permission, is to invite trouble, often the same trouble compounded that you’re seeking to escape.

And, if you’re running “to” something, whether a new position, job, or person, weigh carefully, thoughtfully, and with an open heart and mind whether you have completed your assignment where you are, and whether what/who you’re running to will lead you closer to the Lord or push you further away.

Most often it’s not either or, but both and. We’re leaving something to go to something else, the issue isn’t what we’re doing as much as why we’re doing it. A rule of thumb is, if you’re following your heart, i.e. letting your emotions lead you, you’re probably heading toward disaster and disappointment. If you’ve had a clear word from the Lord, confirm it in a couple of ways.

First, the Lord will never prompt you to do something that’s not confirmed in His Word. If you’re trying to decide which car to steal or which person to swindle, that’s not the Lord. If you’re seeking with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, to find and do God’s will, share your opportunity with at least three trusted friends who know you and the Lord well.

Moving to Las Vegas wasn’t a quick decision. We had a church we loved and many godly friends with whom we shared our thoughts about moving. We weighed the proverbial “pros” and “cons” and decided we were probably idiots for leaving Texas, but the Lord cleared the way and we’ve found nothing but positive results since being here.

When we visited, we thought it would be the last place on earth we’d want to live, but almost from day one – a day in September and the temperature was 115 degrees – we’ve loved living here. The Lord has planted us in a neighborhood full of people we’ve learned to love and appreciate, many of whom desperately need Jesus, but best of all, He’s planted us in a church that is sometimes a lot like heaven on earth. The people are genuine, loving, kind, caring, and a whole lot like Jesus in many respects.

The Pastors are real men with real needs, but with real faith that not only makes them believable, but lovable. They help us navigate the real roads of life and prepare us for knowing when we should be going to or running from, teaching us not from things they’ve learned in books, but from Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊