Walking With Jesus

A Simple Question

“Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked. ‘My rabbi,’ the blind man said, ‘I want to see!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go, for your faith has healed you.’ Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.” (Mark 10:50-52 NLT)

Three things jump to the forefront of my heart and mind as I ponder this conversation between Jesus and the blind man. First, what do you not have in this season of your life that you’d really like to have, but have never asked Jesus to give you? Perhaps you have a serious physical issue, a financial need, a family or relational crisis, an issue at work. Whatever it is, do you not realize that it’s at the center of Christ’s heart and mind when He thinks of you?

Yet, even as I write these words it occurs to me that there are often deeper, more pertinent needs that exist that are being overshadowed by the obvious or apparent. The blind man’s most prominent need was, at least from all outward appearances, his blindness, but the reality was, it was only symptomatic of his deeper, spiritual need to know and love Jesus. That’s our most prominent need as well.

Regardless of what demands our attention, unless and until Jesus is Lord of our life, our circumstances will always overshadow our real need.

That’s what leads to the second observation from this passage: notice Jesus’ words to Bartimaeus: ‘Go, for your faith has healed you.’ Obviously, Jesus healed Him, but Bart’s faith unlocked the avenue to his healing. It’s apparent to me, in my life and in many others, trusting Jesus isn’t the issue, our faith is what stands between us and healing.

Bartimaeus was healed because he knew in his heart, mind, soul, and body that if he could only get to Jesus, he’d be healed. That illustrates faith at a much deeper level than most of us possess, even after walking with Jesus for many years. Yes, of course, Jesus has the power to heal us, but are we willing to risk everything to prove our faith?

This crazy blind man disrupted the sensibilities of every respectable Jew when he began to scream the Name above every name. He realized Jesus was not only his last hope, He was his only hope. As I implied in yesterday’s post, we not only have various sicknesses and diseases, they have us. So much so that while we may strongly believe in the power of Jesus to heal us, our real faith is in the doctor(s) we see and the medicine(s) they prescribe.

And I realize that I’m treading on thin ice here, so, please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I believe the Lord has given us doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to help and serve us; as well as medicine that can help us in “miraculous” ways. But in much the same way as Bartimaeus’ faith was the trigger that resulted in the Lord healing him, we have to believe whatever course of treatment the Lord has opened to us is leading to a healing result.

That leads to the third piece of this process. It’s interesting that Jesus said to Bart “Go…” while in many previous conversations He said “Come to Me.” Yet, my sense is it never occurred to Bart to go anywhere but to be as close to Jesus as he could possibly be. Could that be why we know Bart’s name? Because he became a “fixture” in the family of God at that point? Everyone knew the name Bartimaeus.

I believe there’s more here, let’s look at it more closely in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Has You?

“But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” (Matthew 19:22 NLT)

What’s holding you back? I’m reminded of Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Why do you think the writer mentions “the sin that so easily trips us up.”

Each of us wrestles daily, sometimes moment by moment, with things we have or, perhaps, wished we had. We have health, but the fear of losing it restricts us and prevents us from risking anything that may threaten our health. We have money but are tormented by “what ifs.” What if I lose my job? What if the market dries up?

We have a house we dearly love but can’t have anyone over for fear someone will damage something or in some way mess it up or destroy the “perfection” we’ve worked so hard to achieve. Perhaps it’s a hobby or sport in which we’ve so deeply invested ourselves, the thought of not being able to do it nearly cripples us with fear.

Even our walk with Jesus can sometimes cause us such angst that rather than engage our family, friends, neighbors and others in conversation about our faith in Christ, the fear of doing or saying something “wrong” cripples us from sharing Jesus with anyone.

There are many other examples we could use, but the point is, we don’t have those things, they have us and the common denominator is fear. We so quickly forget John’s helpful words in chapter 4:16-18 in his first letter where he wrote: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.”

In the verse at the top of the page from Matthew 19, it became evident very quickly that the “young man” didn’t have riches, they had him. Even though intellectually and spiritually he was able to see his great need of Jesus, he was crippled by the fear of having to give up what held him so tightly.

What has you? What is it in your life that’s restricting you, holding you back from being all the Lord would have you be? In this season of my life the Lord is giving me insight into why someone with a debilitating disease can be so entangled by fear of what might happen in the future, they miss what God has for them in this moment.

The reality is, each of us, from newborn to senior, has only this moment in which to live. The last moment is gone, and we have no promise of the next, yet we fret and fear by borrowing troubles from the future that only cause us anguish in the only moment we have to live faithfully and fruitfully for our Savior.

Please focus your thoughts on Jesus and His will and desire for you IN THIS MOMENT! Let Him take care of whatever the future may hold. Whatever has you in this season of your life, surrender it to Jesus while you can.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Does It Really Matter?

“He (Jesus) answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?” (Matthew 20:13-15 NLT)

Why does it bother us when we work side by side with someone, yet they get recognized for their good work and we don’t? Or we’re in a room with our friends, but the new guy seems to be getting all the attention? When I was pastoring, early in my ministry I didn’t like going to the minister’s meetings because the first question out of another pastor’s mouth was usually: “How many did you have on Sunday?”

Often, I was serving one of the smaller churches in the state and, inevitably, someone with a larger church would be asking the question. As I wrestled with the Lord about why it bothered me so much, He ultimately showed me it wasn’t my insecurity that was being put on display, but the other pastor’s. I was exactly where God placed me, and the size of my congregation was an issue between me and the Lord.

It’s similar when we’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle, rather than compare ourselves with ourselves, we want to somehow believe we’re doing better if we lose more weight or gain more muscle than someone else. The problem is magnified when we compare our spiritual “growth” with someone else. Jesus alone is the One who can accurately calculate where we are in our closeness to Him.

To compare ourselves with others in terms of how long we pray, how many chapters a day we read the Bible, how many verses we memorize, or how many people we’ve led to the Lord is pharisaic and hurts the heart of God. The only person I care about knowing about my walk with Jesus is Jesus. His is the only opinion of me that matters. Others are likely to overestimate our “walk” if they like us or underestimate it if they don’t.

Being egotistical or bragging about our spiritual maturity is one of the greatest types of evidence of our spiritual immaturity, and being jealous of another’s growth is satanic and displeasing to the Lord. Rick Warren wrote: “The Bible tells you to ‘rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’ (Romans 12:15 ESV). Have you noticed that the second part of that sentence is easy, but the first part can be really tough?

When somebody’s having a hard time, it’s easy to be sympathetic. It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But what about when someone in your circle gets a promotion? That can be hard to handle! Rather than rejoicing in someone else’s success, you may resent it. You may even wish bad things would happen to people, because somehow you think that if you can blow out their candle, yours will shine brighter.

Envy is insidious. It devalues others, it destroys relationships, and it makes you miserable. It’s hidden, but it’s destructive. And it causes you to miss out on so much joy.” (See Daily Hope Love Celebrates God’s Goodness to Others – 02-18-23)

If the Lord wants to bless another person in a more extravagant manner than it seems He’s blessing you, does that really matter? Isn’t that completely His business? The truth is, if you’re a child of God, there’s no greater blessing that God could ever give you than Himself. So, if you’re whining because someone got a better position at work or was asked to assume a role at church for which you believe you’re more qualified, suck it up and be glad for them. Perhaps the Lord has something better in mind for you, but even if He doesn’t, thank Him for His kindness to your brother or sister. It will make you feel better.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Holiness Issue

“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 NLT)

Holiness isn’t something we accomplish or achieve, it’s more like a pathway on which the Lord leads us when we confess our sin and express our desire to be His child. It’s not something we do as much as something God does with us and for us. Holiness and Sanctification come from the same Greek word that basically means to be set apart for sacred purpose.

The tools used in sacrificing animals to the Lord in the Old Testament were sanctified or holy because they were used exclusively for the sacred purpose of preparing the sacrifices that were to be offered to the Lord. In much the same way our lives are made holy by the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives in us as God’s children.

The life-long process of sanctification is the presence of the Holy Spirit alive in us and actively seeking to conform us to the likeness of Jesus. That process is two-fold, first cleansing our heart and filling us with Himself, then teaching us what that looks like in practical ways. Brian Dye gives us insight into that process as he writes: “How you use your time is a holiness issue.” How we speak, work, love, serve, treat others, virtually everything we do, say, or think is a holiness issue.

That’s why it’s so critical to allow the Holy Spirit access to every avenue and dimension of our life. The Psalmist guided us in the pursuit of holiness when he wrote Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Sin begins in our heart/mind, thus, the reason we must often ask the Lord to compare our thoughts and motivations to what His will and desire is for us. Too often we fly by the seat of our pants, not stopping to balance what we are saying or doing with the affect our behavior is having on another person, especially those closest to us.

For some unknown reason we tend to have the attitude that it doesn’t matter how we speak to or treat our spouse or kids, after all, we wrongly reason, they love us and will understand our moods. As a rule, our greatest ministry is in our home, with our spouse and children. To fail there is to fail everywhere. It doesn’t matter if the people at work, school, church, or anyplace else think we’re the greatest thing since flush toilets, if we’re not thought of highly and respectfully in our homes, we need to seek the Lord’s and our family’s forgiveness.

Holiness is an all-encompassing process made visible in our relationships with others, but is developed most effectively when we’re alone, when no one sees what we’re doing or thinking but Jesus. In a similar way as what we do in practice is what we do in the game, what we think and how we behave when no one is watching gives the greatest revelation of who we are as a person and in Christ.

There is no one I want more to be in heaven with than members of my family, especially my kids, yet they are the ones who seem to be running fastest away from Him in this season of their lives. That to me reflects my need to live and love more intentionally, listen to the Lord and them more carefully, and be more alert to the right time and place to speak life into their lives without pushing them further away. For me it is definitely a holiness issue.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Object of Our Worship

“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:14 NLT)

We, as human beings, are worshippers at heart. The Hebrew word from which comes our word “worship” literally means “to bow down.” That’s why you will often find altars in our worship centers. One of the best postures for worship is kneeling, because it vividly illustrates our helplessness and dependence upon the One in whose presence we are bowing. The picture painted by the Hebrew word is that of a dog licking its master’s hand, and can also be translated “worth-ship,” that signifies the value or worth of the One whom we worship.

The problem with which we must come to terms is the fact that too often what we worship isn’t deserving and is far inferior to the God of the Bible. We worship ourselves, our possessions, our worth, not only in terms of dollars and cents, but value in terms of our accomplishments or our “position” in society or even in our own eyes. We get so full or ourselves there’s no room for anyone else, even God.

Photo by Mental Health America (MHA) on Pexels.com

The tragedy is that our pursuit of self-esteem, our worship of ourselves, doesn’t end when we surrender our life to Jesus. On some levels we simply transfer our love affair with ourselves from the secular to the sacred. We mistakenly perceive that we’re simply enlisting the Savior to do our bidding; thus, seeing Jesus in a position of subservience to us. “Prayer” becomes our new means of getting the things we need, be it healing, prosperity, position, or anything else that will elevate us in the eyes of others.

Even worship, including the type of music “we” like, or the spiritual “nourishment” we derive from the Pastor’s message, and God forbid someone sit in our special seat in the auditorium. Micah Fries wrote: “If you judge your church’s worship based on how well you’ve been ‘fed’ you have made yourself the object of your worship.”

Worship is never intended to be about us or for us, it’s only and always an avenue of contrition, posturing ourselves in the presence of almighty God for the purpose of elevating, exalting, and honoring Him. When worship becomes anything less than that it becomes meaningless and purposeless except to exploit something sacred in an effort to make much of us, rather than making much of Jesus.

John in Revelation 15:3-4 wrote: “And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

If we get the object of our worship wrong, we’ll get everything else wrong as well. When anyone or anything else takes the rightful position of the Lord God Almighty, our only means of hearing accurately from God is shut off. We must hold our life, including everything that entails – family, possessions, position, prestige, and all the rest – with open hands before the Lord.

We are nothing without Jesus and unless and until we understand that and seek to live that out daily, the channels of communication with Him will be clogged, thus we will not and cannot be effective in influencing others positively for Him. Please, if that’s you, kneel before Him in repentance and worship.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Do You Treat People Better Than They Deserve?

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 NLT)

Just to be clear, even after we’re born again, we still have the capacity to sin, thus, in that sense, we’re still sinners. What Paul addresses in the verse above is that the sinless, blameless, perfect Son of God died for us when we didn’t even have the option to decide whether we would follow Him. He was willing to do for us what we would never in eternity have ever had the option of doing for ourselves.

In short, He died for us when we were at our absolute worst. And I can “hear” some of you thinking: “Duh, we weren’t even born yet!” And yes, that’s true, but the Lord knew us before the world was spoken into existence. He has all knowledge, so He knew even before we were born, who would put their faith and trust in Him and who wouldn’t, who would need a Savior and who would discard their option to know Him.

“A Broad Path” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

The point Paul makes is still valid and applies to each of us. Think about it, if you know Jesus it’s only because of His foresight in making a way for you when you had no knowledge that you even needed a way to God, thus, a life devoted to sin and shame; being driven by the only thing you knew, your sinful, carnal nature.

That’s the same “boat” each person is still in without Jesus – lost, undone, filled with regret and unable to do anything about it until someone shares the Good News of a Savior who has made a way for them. How is the proverbial “stage” set for that to happen? How did it happen for you, if you are walking with Jesus? I obviously can’t speak for you, but for me someone began to treat me in a way I didn’t deserve to be treated.

They were kind, caring, respectful, pleasant, and enjoyable to be around. Before I learned to love Jesus, I learned to love them. I didn’t understand it then, but I have come to understand that my affection for them grew out of the fact Jesus resided in them in the Person of His Holy Spirit. My sense is, under most circumstances, before anyone will come to Christ, they have to be open to coming to one or more of His children.

If someone is trying to force something on me, whether it’s something material that I might really need – a new house, car, washer/dryer or whatever, I’m not going to buy from them. Having been in sales for much of my adult life, I was trained to understand in order for me to sell whatever product I represented, I had to first “sell” myself. Personally, and I don’t think I’m alone, I won’t buy something from someone I don’t like. My boss when I worked for AFLAC, had a test that any prospective recruit had to pass. It was the “DIL” test – “Do I Like.” If he didn’t like them, he wouldn’t hire them no matter how qualified they were.

We may not understand it intellectually, but emotionally we respond to people who are genuine, real, authentic, believable. We “buy” a person before we “buy” what they’re “selling,” even Jesus. That’s why it’s so critical we treat people, not how they deserve to be treated, but how we’d want to be treated if we were in their shoes, because the reality is, we were.

If the Lord Jesus isn’t “visible” in us, we’ll likely be wasting our time trying to help another person want Him to come into their life. When you think about it, isn’t that exactly what grace does, prepares them to receive our message through the ministry of the Holy Spirit?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Do We Guard Our Heart?

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)

One of the first verses I memorized is Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” As I’ve said before, “heart” as used in Scripture doesn’t have reference to the physical organ that pumps the blood through our body; rather, it’s like the control center of our being, similar to the “cockpit” in an airplane.

The heart is what gives direction to our life. Where our heart goes, so goes our life. So, problems occur when our heart strays or gets infatuated with the things of the world. Our heart is very fickle and is easily distracted, that’s why it’s so vital we keep it on a short leash.

Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.com

What I’ve found in my own life is to the extent we maintain our godly disciplines – prayer, reading and studying the Scriptures, reading or listening to instruction through the writings of godly men and women of faith, walking faithfully with other men/women in small groups who inspire and help us guard our path, serving in some capacity in or through the church, faithful church attendance and developing a positive witness for Christ – to that extent we keep our eyes on Jesus and our feet on the right path.

Perhaps you think that it takes a lot of time to do all of those things, but it’s time well spent. I like to think of like this. The Lord gives us 24 hours a day. That translates to 96 15-minute segments. Are you willing to give Him 4 or those 96 15-minute segments for devotion to a quiet time reading His Word and prayer?

He gives us 672 15-minute segments in a week. What if we disciplined ourselves to give just 20 of those (5 hours) back to the Lord in corporate worship, service, and small group attendance? What it boils down to is 2 of 24 hours a day on average. In this season of my life I give many more than that, but Jesus is the highest priority of my life.

In one of his recent “Prayer for Today” Ray Majoran asked the Lord: “Help us to live our lives by faith and not by sight. In your perfect wisdom, melt our hearts with Your transformative power. Help us to grow into men and women who are persistent in prayer and fervent in our love for others. Draw us to your presence, O God.”

At its core there is basically only one thing that governs how we spend our time and energy: desire! We make time for what is important to us. And, yes, I understand, especially if you have a young family, time and energy are in short supply. So, realistically, you have to get creative, but by joining forces with other young families, you can make it happen if your desire is strong enough. That’s the value of a small group.

Watch one another’s kids to free up time for a “date night,” even if it’s only once a month. Have small group meetings that include the kids or pool your resources and “hire” one or two of your older kids to watch the smaller ones. The point is, we do the things that need to be done, and your walk with the Lord needs to be worth the investment.

Guarding our heart is a “family” matter, just as walking with Jesus is a family effort. We have one another’s backs; we guard one another’s hearts; we make the effort to support one another in times of celebration and times of crisis. God designed the Church to be His Family on earth where everyone belongs, loves, sacrifices, and celebrates our love for Jesus and each other.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Proper Perspective

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now!” (2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT)

Ideally, perspective changes with new knowledge. It happens with appliances, cars, houses, shoes, many things, not the least of which is Jesus. In the verse above Paul reminds us of how drastically his view of Christ changed after he’d walked with Him for many years. How about you? What’s your perspective, not only of Jesus, but His Church, His teaching?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.” In this season of my life, I see virtually everything in and about my life with a fresh perspective. The material things that once seemed so valuable have taken a backseat to the people the Lord has placed in my life. The privilege of breath, energy, a mind that treasures friendship and allows me the privilege of knowing Jesus is more vital to me today than ever before.

Perspective can heighten awareness, that deepens commitment, that enables us to have meaning and value as a person that we never dared dream possible. B.J. Thompson said: “It’s not until you come to the end of yourself that you’ll discover the ugliness of your brokenness and the beauty of God’s grace.”

Not until we see Jesus from the perspective of our brokenness can we see His beauty and majesty as our only way to heaven. Proper perspective is vital in coming to the Lord. As long as we see ourselves as capable and “in charge” of our lives, we likely won’t come to the realization that apart from the Lord Jesus we are hopeless and helpless.

When we’re believing the lies of the enemy of our soul, we won’t see the truth, not only of who Jesus is, but of who we are without Him. Jon Bloom reminds us “The devil has no authority over any Christian, except the authority we grant him by believing him.” It astounds me sometimes how easy it is to believe a lie over the truth.

The Bible assures us of our new identity in Jesus, how precious we are to our Savior, how valuable we are to Him, but the devil tempts us to believe “nothing’s changed, you’re still the same slimeball you’ve always been,” but it’s a lie. Sometimes a big part of maintaining proper perspective is refusing to believe what you know to be a lie.

We must maintain a godly view, not only of sin, but of our right standing in the sight of the Lord. The very next verse following the one above says: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” The Lord doesn’t “remodel” us, making us a little better here and a little better there. No, He starts from scratch and builds a brand-new person, one that has never existed before. Have you allowed Him to do that for you?

When we stand before the Lord at the end of time, it doesn’t matter how we see ourselves, it only matters how God sees us. We can believe we’ve lived a good life, that God would be doing Himself a favor to let us into heaven, but unless when He opens the book He finds our name, assuring Him that our sin-debt has been cancelled, we’ll be hopelessly lost for all eternity.

The only thing that changes God’s perspective of us is Jesus. Do you know Him?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Love Letter From Your Father

“All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

*Please read these words of Sylvia Gunter slowly, deliberately allowing the Holy Spirit to use them to stir your heart and mind, drawing you ever closer to your Father. Blessings, Ed 😊

Take a few moments with this love letter from your Father’s heart to yours. Read it, receive it, celebrate it, and delight in this awesome revelation from His Word. Be still, quiet your busy mind, and rest in your Abba Father.

To my beloved child,

Before I wove you in your mother’s womb, I knew you. I formed your inward parts. Before you were born, I set you apart. You are fearfully and wonderfully made in My likeness. I breathed the breath of My life into you. I have carried you to this day.

I am your Father, and you are the apple of My eye. With My strong hand and outstretched arm, I have poured out My everlasting love, kindness, and grace on you. My face shines constantly on you. I hold your hand. I will never leave you or forsake you.

I have seen your tears, and I have carefully saved each one. Be still and know Me. Cast every burden, every worry, on Me. I will sustain you. Let your spirit take refuge in Me. You are secure in the shadow of My wings.

No weapon formed against you will prosper, for I am your shield and your defense. I give My angels the charge to guard you in all your ways. I am the Shelter of your life.

I am near you right now. Listen carefully and quietly as I sing a song of love over you. Rest now as I renew My love in you. How beautiful you are to Me! O how you delight Me!

Come and walk with Me beside quiet waters. Let Me gently restore your weary soul. Taste and see my goodness. Delight yourself in Me, My beloved.

I will give you a new name and the crown of life. You will eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of My presence. I will clothe you in pure white garments. You will sit one day with Me on My throne.

Today, seek Me with all your heart. I am not hiding. I want you to find Me. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it! I will satisfy you. Watch and see!

I love you without measure,

Abba Father

Taken From Safe In The Father’s Heart: Finding The Love You Have Always Wanted, page 93 © 2014, Sylvia Gunter. Click here to learn more and order. Past devotionals are available at www.thefathersbusiness.com.

To Be Right With God

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. ‘Let me have this power, too,’ he exclaimed, ‘so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!’” (Acts 8:18-19 NLT)

What Simon the sorcerer thought could be bought for his gain is, at its core, no different than what many pulpits across America today are peddling for personal gain. They’re goal isn’t to point people to Jesus, but to themselves, not for spiritual help, but for allegiance to themselves for popularity and monetary gain.

Many years ago, I was asked to attend “church” with someone I cared about and whom I respected. Within minutes of the “pastor’s” message, my heart grew cold, and my spirit was troubled. There wasn’t even any attempt to cover his motivation, Jesus wasn’t honored, He was being used as a means to a much different end, an end that had nothing to do with loving Jesus but loving the “pastor.” And the sad reality was, his hearers loved him and were blinded to his blasphemous intentions.

Their concern didn’t center on getting right with God but being right with their “pastor.” George MacDonald wrote: “To be right with God is to be right with the universe: one with the power, the love, the will of the mighty father, the cherisher of Joy, the Lord of laughter, whose are all glories, all hopes, who loves everything and hates nothing but selfishness.”

Selfishness is a disease that not only robs us of intimacy with other humans, it barricades any hope of seeing Jesus for who He is. It’s no accident the center letter in sin is “I.” Sin isn’t only the sickness that blinds us to the hope of eternal life through Christ alone, it so drives us to self-satisfaction we can hardly see another person except with selfish motives.

At the heart of virtually every sin is “give me more!” More sex, more drugs, alcohol, money, prestige, possessions, pleasure in whatever form it may come. Except for maybe Robin Hood, every crime is for someone’s self-advancement.

See the clear contrast in what Jesus calls us to in Matthew 16:24: “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.” What does it mean to “take up our cross?” It means the same thing for us it meant for Jesus, death! What Jesus accomplished through His death is on many levels much different than what it means for us, but the point is the same – death to self opens the only pathway to life in Christ.

To pretend we can hold the banner of self as we cling to the Cross of Christ is to fool ourselves and blaspheme the Holy Name of Jesus. There was never an ounce of selfishness in Jesus’ heart when He chose to come to earth as a human being. We have no frame of reference to understand what He sacrificed to become a man on planet earth, especially knowing the only reason for His visit was to die in our place.

And please don’t misunderstand, death for us isn’t literal, physical death, though following Jesus may lead us to that, “death” is dying to anything that would exalt us above Him; anything that would detract from our full allegiance and attentiveness to the King of kings and Lord of lords; anything that would tempt us to believe we have any part in our eternal life in Christ alone by faith alone. To be right with God is fully Jesus and nothing of us.

We make no contribution to our salvation, to being right with God, except the faith He provides.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊