Walking With Jesus

Is It Worth It?

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?” (Luke 9:25 NLT)

Every human being will one day stand before a holy God to give an account of the way we have lived our life. We will then realize that if our choice wasn’t to submit to the authority and leadership of almighty God, we have literally lived our lives in vain. I realize that there are more excuses people use for not following the Lord than I have room to list, but there are a few I’d like to address.

First, the battle we most often lose isn’t with Satan, it’s with ourselves. We want our way before anyone else’s including God’s. John wrote in 1 John 2:15-16: “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

The question Jesus asked in the verse from Luke’s Gospel (above) sums up the questions with which we must wrestle. Obviously, most human beings would like to have all the world offers, never realizing what they’re paying for their pursuit. Imagine for a moment you were the richest, most powerful person on earth. Whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted it was at your disposal 24/7.

You may believe you’re the happiest, most blessed person ever to be born, but Solomon, who was a person like that, summed up his experience like this: “’Everything is meaningless,’ says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless.’” What’s the bottom line? Things – money and all that money can buy, are worthless in comparison to knowing your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Why? Because that’s how God designed us.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” We are designed and created to love and be loved by our Creator. Nothing will satisfy us long term except knowing, loving, and walking in harmony with the Lord Jesus.

Some may wonder why I so often return to this theme of helping every person come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. It’s simple. It’s how the Lord wired me. Part of the satisfaction I have in knowing my sins are forgiven and I’m going to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus in heaven, is realizing that as long as I have breath, I need to try with every ounce of my being to influence everyone I possibly can to seek forgiveness of their sin and to walk in harmony with the Lord Jesus.

Nothing this world offers can ever approximate the peace, joy, satisfaction, and delight of knowing your sins are forgiven and you have a home in heaven. Yes, you can make a home on earth, but you’re still going to die and when you do you’re going to have all eternity to bemoan the fact you were a fool to trust in anything but Jesus.

Please, I implore you, if you haven’t yielded your life and allegiance to Jesus, please don’t wait another second. Get on your knees and hold your hands out in front of you with your palms up and ask the Lord to take your sin, your inability to save yourself; to forgive, cleanse, and free you from the shackles of sin and to fill you with Himself. Feel the weight of the world lifted from your shoulders, then thank Him for His forgiveness, His faithfulness, and the joy of knowing He’ll be with you every step of the way from this moment on.

Then find someone with whom you can share the news of your new birth in Christ alone by faith alone and ask the Lord to direct you to a Christ-honoring church family in which you can grow and learn to walk in faithfulness with the Lord and His people.

If you have questions or if I can help you in your journey, please let me know. My email address is walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Feeling Overwhelmed?

“I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.” (Psalm 142:1-3 NLT)

It’s not hard for me to feel overwhelmed these days, but fortunately, the Lord is never far away. If I let my focus slip from Him to me, I start to feel sorry for myself and quickly lose perspective. Psalm 142 is David’s prayer in a precarious season in his life.

He felt trapped, like his world was getting smaller and smaller, and he was quickly losing his way, not seeing clearly which direction he should go. Wisely, he took his fear, confusion, and uncertainties to the Lord, believing the Lord alone knew the way he should turn.

As I feel time quickly closing in on me, I’m reminded of just how fragile life is and how quickly time passes. If I allow my mind to roam it involuntarily fills with “what if’s” as the enemy of my soul seeks to fill me with fear. Gratefully, my Savior is my Ruler and Keeper, so, as a frightened child I run to my Father’s arms.

It’s ironic that as I age, I tend not to focus on all the ways I wisely invested my time, but on all the ways I wasted it and thwarted opportunities to make my life count for Jesus. My jumbled priorities brought about by desiring to please people rather than the Lord, at times leave me wanting, saddened, alone. Francis Chan spoke to me when he wrote: “Don’t get overwhelmed by how much time you have already wasted, and don’t dwell too long on past mistakes. Just take the next step. And keep the end in view.”

Fortunately, I came to the Lord as a teenager, but nonetheless have wasted more opportunities than I care to admit. Too often Satan leads us to believe we have a lot more time than we do. The truth is, we don’t know if we have another second. A dear friend shared part of a conversation he had with a young man who believed he was going to get into the Kingdom under the proverbial “wire,” on his death bed.

My friend wisely told him: “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” which, of course it was, but he went on to ask this young man: “Do you own a motorcycle?” to which he responded, “Yes.” So, he said, “Do you realize how many people are killed on motorcycles every day? All it takes is for someone in a car to not see you and BAM, you’re off to eternity. Then what’s going to happen?”

My friend is tall and has a great sense of humor, so he can get away with things like that, but he’s right. If you’re waiting until you get old for whatever reason, who gave you the idea you’re ever going to get old? And even if you do, the Bible teaches there is a point when we can wait too long and the Spirit will no longer draw us.

There comes a point when our heart becomes too hard, our mind too seared by sin, our conscience too warped to respond even if the Spirit would draw us. The Spirit of God works on His timetable, not ours. Ideally, the Lord speaks, we listen, and our lives are forever transformed, but our hearts and minds can become so overwhelmed by inattentiveness to God’s Spirit; our hearts become so callous we no longer hear His voice, and our eternity is sealed, not because God is not able or willing to forgive, but because we waited too long.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Life Seems Hopeless

“In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.” (Ephesians 2:12 NLT)

Hopelessness is like looking into the future and seeing only darkness; like being hungry while staring through a glass at an abundance of food; like knowing what you want or where you’d like to go, but every way you turn is a dead end.

There have been times in my life that I’ve read about or seen someone who exemplified who I’d like to become, but that never happened, and for good reason. God didn’t design us to be anyone but ourselves. He uniquely created and equipped us to be US and only Us! If He’d wanted us to be different than He created us to be, He would have made us that way.

The most hopeless season in my life was after my divorce. I had no money, no job, and no real prospects. I was saddled with thousands of dollars of debt and could foresee no possible way to repay it, yet, my conviction was, even though I felt my life was bankrupt, that bankruptcy wasn’t an option. I can smile now, but in those hopeless moments when I felt so alone, the Lord had never left me, not for a single second, but He was waiting for me to stop enjoying my pity party so much and yield myself completely to Him.

Chariots of Fire was an inspiring movie about the life of Eric Liddell who said: “Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.” (See Turning Point A Plan and a Purpose – 03-17-23) In the “ruins” of my life God showed up in miraculous ways. I could have papered my walls with eviction notices, but the Lord always gave me a way to pay my rent. One day my mind was flooded with “what if’s” as I walked to the rental office with no way I would be able to pay my rent. As usual the young woman in the office was smiling, but this time she gave me reason to smile as she said: “Mr. Hager, you don’t have to worry about your rent this month, it’s been paid.”

While nothing I have or will face in this life compares to all Job endured, I sometimes relate to his words in Job 14:14: “Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death.” Whatever you may be facing in this season of your life, please don’t despair! Please don’t give up hope! Because of Jesus whatever we face as His followers, we will never face it alone.

As long as I have breath, I pray I will praise and honor the Lord. I’ve asked the Lord to please allow me to always remember Him. My dad knew no one in the closing chapter of his life and I’d be lying if I told you that doesn’t frighten me. But the presence of the Lord is my hiding place, the rock upon whom I stand, the hope that fills my heart and mind, guiding me through this season of uncertainty.

Unlike Job, we can know with certainty that there is life after death, but even more wonderful to me is knowing we have life BEFORE death as we learn to walk by faith in the Lord Jesus. We all struggle, it’s a part of the fabric of life as a human being, but I pray today that whatever you’re facing, please know that you don’t have to face it alone. Jesus loves you and longs to walk with you, comfort, strengthen, and guide you. Please invite Him to be for you what you can’t be for yourself in this difficult season of your life.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Have You Found Your Calcutta

“He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT)

Many people across our world recognize the name Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic Nun who devoted her life to serving “the poorest of the poor.” Her name was Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu). From an early age the Lord spoke to her regarding working among the poor and severely disadvantaged.

Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “Years ago, a young man wrote to Mother Teresa with a pretty compelling question. This woman who had buried her life in the needs of the most broken in Calcutta’s slums was clearly the one who would know the answer. He asked, ‘What can I do to have a significant life like you have?’ Mother Teresa’s postcard reply was only four words: ‘Find your own Calcutta.’ Or, ‘Find some people who need you and be there for them.’”

Have you found your Calcutta? Don’t be confused, serving the Lord Jesus doesn’t mean looking only to work among the poor, but neither should you be overlooking the poor. That’s one of the reasons I enjoyed, but also wrestled with Pastoral ministry. I remember when my wife and I were serving a church doing a summer internship. This was before we had children and we were staying with my wife’s parents, so we didn’t need much to live on. So, we believed the $75 a week the church gave us would be fair.

We could buy gas and help with groceries, but that was about it, so, when a couple in the church asked us if we’d like to use their condo in South Carolina, we hesitated at first, not knowing if we’d have enough money to cover our expenses, but finally took them up on their offer. We lived in a three room apartment when we were at school that cost us $15 a week, so when we opened the door to this condo we thought we’d died and gone to heaven. It was beautiful and close to the beach.

What does that have to do with serving the poor? Two things. First, we were poor, but had a heart to serve, so the Lord laid it on the hearts of people in the church to bless us in practical ways. One man didn’t think $75 was enough, so he gave us another $25 each week that was a huge blessing to us. But the second reason is, even after we got out of school and our income increased, we were drawn to those who were struggling financially because we understood what that felt like.

The Lord will often lead you into an area of ministry out of which your own experience has drawn you. Finding your own “Calcutta” may mean for you to look at your own life, evaluate your own desires, abilities, skills, and inclinations, seeing where they may lead you. More often than not our areas of service will grow out of our own experiences, including where we live or have lived; the people we’ve met who impacted us in some way; our knowledge and abilities; and how the Lord has wired us.

One thing I believe is true – the Lord will never call us to serve in any context in which He hasn’t equipped us to be effective and fruitful. If you’re having a recurring thought, dream, or vision of someplace or someone you should be reaching out to for the Lord, don’t ignore it. Often the Lord’s voice is quiet, but persistent, and He will always let you know what He wants from you and when.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God Has Given You a Voice

“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NLT)

You were born for such a time as this! Nothing about you has been an accident. Everything from your size, weight, eye color, intelligence, family, friendships, the type of work you do or did, the person you married or the reason you chose to stay single, your voice, personality, preferences – everything about you was designed by God to allow you to become the person He designed and desires for you to be.

He even factored in the sins you’d commit, the lies you’d tell, the thoughts you’d ponder, the wrong decisions you’d make, it’s all part of why you are the way you are today. He’s perfectly placed you where you are, with all your “credentials” to be His voice at just such a time as this.

Do you realize there are people who will only hear what you have to say to them? And I’m not speaking of the sound of your voice, I’m referring to the content of your conversation. There are people in your spheres of influence who trust you, love you, respect you, who would listen to you and believe you if you took the time and made the effort to speak the truth of the Gospel to them.

And yes, I can hear you! “But I’ve tried, and they shut me down!” Yes, been there, but this is a new day, perhaps you or they have had an experience, perhaps a medical issue, a divorce, an accident, the loss of a job or a death of someone they loved deeply. Whatever it was it positioned them to be a more careful listener, especially to you – to your voice.

Esther approached the king regarding the plight of her people. He likely didn’t have a clue about the Jews, nor did he care that she was of Jewish descent. All he cared about was that she was beautiful and pleasing to him in many ways. Why did God make her so beautiful? Because He was able to see all of this playing out before the creation of the world.

And just as surely as He designed and created Esther, He designed and created the king to be attracted to and influenced by his queen. Nothing catches God by surprise or off guard, nothing then, nothing now. And the irony is, it’s not only good things that He sees and uses. Mother Theresa was no knockout, actually anything but, but she changed her world because she saw a need, spoke up and did something about it.

Perhaps you’ve been abused, mistreated, taken advantage of and you believe that you’re “used goods” and God could never use you. That’s exactly the reason you’re exactly the person He can use to have a voice among others who have suffered in ways just like you.

The mistake we often make is believing that because we’ve had such a wretched past God wants nothing to do with us. Quite to the contrary, our Holy Father has a special place in His heart, not only for people LIKE you, but specifically FOR YOU! You’re the apple of God’s eye, and yes, He knows every gory detail. He didn’t cause your pain, nor make things happen in your life as they did, but He was nonetheless with you, walking with you, crying with you, preparing you for such a time as this when you could raise your voice to His honor and fame.

The only question is: will you?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Messages From the Cross

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’” (Luke 23:34a NLT)

Have you ever thought about what kind of person forgives the people who are murdering them? I wrestle with forgiving the people I love over silly things. Only God can forgive that way, and, by His grace and with His strength, those who are filled and empowered by His Spirit.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many divorces, even among professing believers? I’m one of them, so I can assure you it’s selfishness, brought about by losing focus on our faith, and caring more about ourselves than anyone else. Please read carefully these words by Lisa Lakey (See Family Life I Do Every Day: This Has Nothing to Do With Jellybeans and Rabbits – 2022)

“Here are three things I’ve learned about marriage from the Easter story. 1. Marriage takes forgiveness. Even through the pain of the cross, Jesus called out on behalf of those who crucified Him. ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34). A good marriage involves a lot of asking for, giving, and receiving forgiveness. Even in the midst of pain.

2. Marriage takes faith. When Thomas heard about Jesus’ appearance after His death, he was skeptical. ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails … I will never believe.’ A week later, Thomas found himself face-to-face with Jesus, who offered him His hands. ‘”Believe,” Jesus told him.’ (John 20:24-29). There’ve been times I wanted proof my marriage could get better. Holding on when you want to let go takes faith. But Jesus is holding out His hands to us. Believe in His power to save.

3. Marriage needs a Savior. (And it’s not you.) Marriage is a gift, but make no mistake, it’s hard. You can’t do it on your own strength and determination.

Not long after our honeymoon, we realized our marriage needed something bigger than both of us. Stronger. Like the criminal hanging next to Jesus who said, ‘Remember me when you come into your kingdom’ (Luke 23:42). The only One who can resurrect your marriage? A Savior.”

The reality is these truths apply to everyone because we all need a Savior. Life is too hard to navigate on our own. And yes, of course, we’re all capable of going from point A to point B if we don’t care where point B leads us. Billions of people go through life and some die with a lot of money, fame, and material possessions, none of which can help them one iota after they close their eyes in death.

If this life was all there was, sure, “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” But Jesus changed all of that. He gives us a purpose we never had, a mission in which we never dreamed we could share, a partnership with Him and our brothers and sisters whose lives He’s transformed – and that’s all in THIS life! That’s not to mention an eternity with Him and our “blood-bought” family of God.

Jesus’ messages from the Cross supersede time and space to speak to us and bring us to our knees with the realization that there’s more to life than what this world offers. Forgiveness, hope, peace, purpose, a goal to live for and life in Him that’s worth dying for.

If you haven’t yet met this wonderful Savior who took your place on the Cross, please go to Ron Hutchcraft’s Bridge to God video and discover for yourself what it means to be forgiven and freed to live as you never dreamed possible.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Renewing Your Mind

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

The result of a renewed mind is holiness or the opposite of what the world offers. As John writes in 1 John 2:16: “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

Why do we do what we don’t want to do? The simple answer is, we habitually follow the pathways to pleasure defined by the world. In short, we just do what everyone else is doing. Jesus calls us to live and walk on a higher plane, one that is the result of a disciplined mind and heart, tuned and controlled by the Spirit of God. How is that possible? It’s not, humanly speaking, it’s an act of mercy that God’s Spirit performs in us by His grace.

Does that mean I just sit back and let God do all the work? Nope, it means we learn to train our mind to do God’s will rather than our own. How can we do that? Do you understand the only way to stop a bad habit is to replace it with a good one?

How do habits begin? We’re wired to travel the path of least resistance, so we do, say, think, and act in ways we see lived out before us. Our families of origin train us in our early years, then peer pressure will push us to act in ways that help us get accepted into the social groups of which we desire to be a part. That meant, when I gave my life to Jesus I had to find a new group of friends, friends who loved and desired to walk with the Lord.

Was that an easy transition? Yes and no. Some things like attending church and hanging out with the kids in the youth group were easy because many of the popular kids at school were believers. Where I struggled was developing my own personal disciplines. And the irony was, what I needed to change wasn’t bad in and of itself. I liked to play basketball from the time school was out until it got dark, then I got something to eat, maybe did some homework for school and went to bed.

At first, I didn’t grasp the essential nature of reading, studying, and memorizing Scripture, learning to pray, learning to share my faith, and basically learning to treat others in an acceptable way. As a teenager I didn’t like my mom to touch me or hug me. It wasn’t that she was ever inappropriate, but often it was when she was drinking, and it just bothered me.

After I got saved, I remember coming into the kitchen when my mom was washing dishes. I came up behind her and put my arms around her waist and told her I loved her. I can’t know with certainty, but I’m confident that that, at least in part, led to my mom’s surrendering her life to Jesus. Old habits die hard, but when we allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to form new, godly habits it helps us grow in closeness to the Lord, which is the purpose of holiness.

Everything we do is governed by our mind, so in order to walk faithfully with Jesus we must allow Him to renew our mind as we replace old habits with new ones, stretching our mind to think God’s thoughts and training the “ears” of our heart to hear God’s voice.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Transmit or Translate?

“Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.” (Colossians 4:3-4 NLT)

If you’ve ever traveled to a part of the world that didn’t speak the same language as you it can be very difficult to communicate ANY message, but especially one that is of eternal consequence. While in Mexico on a mission’s trip I sat down with my English to Spanish dictionary and tried to have a conversation with three young girls. We were doing Bible School for children, and I very much wanted to learn to interact with them, but it was disastrous. All the girls could do was laugh at my efforts.

That’s how I’ve felt at times trying to communicate the Gospel message to someone who has little or no understanding of the Bible or Biblical truth. There are times I feel like I’m simply transmitting information rather than translating the Good News into an understandable lifeline for someone who is lost.

Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com

If we don’t speak with words our audience can understand, we’re not communicating truth that will change their lives, we’re merely transmitting noise that becomes unintelligible to them. We must speak the language of our audience, whether that’s through an interpreter in a foreign country or in our neighborhood with someone who has never been in a Chrisitan setting, thus doesn’t speak the language of the salvation in Christ alone by faith alone. How do we do that?

In the verses following the ones above Paul, who was in prison, wrote: “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

There is a wife and daughter of a man who committed suicide who are my neighbors. As a Pastor I had to conduct the funeral of a man who took his own life. I struggle with what to say, but often a person who has lost a loved one doesn’t need words, they need compassion, hope, peace, assurance, in short, they need someone to speak their language.

Something that has been helpful for me to understand is that we don’t have to have answers as much as we need the Spirit of Jesus. Someone who is hurting doesn’t need our words, they need our presence to give them quiet assurance that they’re not alone, but also to realize that God is with them and will walk with them through whatever tragedy they’re experiencing.

Who are you seeking to reach for Jesus? What do you most need to equip you to take the initiative to reach out to them? The two greatest, most useful “tools” we need is prayer and the willingness to learn their “language.” The Lord will teach you what to say and how to say it, but you have to be willing to ask Him and listen to His instructions. Paul cautioned us to “live wisely.” In this context I believe that means to understand our audience. With what pressures, pains, or particular circumstances are they dealing?

Hurting people need to be able to hear your heart before they’ll listen to your words. Show compassion in your actions before you try to tell them how to respond to what they’re experiencing. Most of the time we don’t have a clue what they’re feeling or thinking and may never unless we ask them how we can pray for them. We can’t simply transmit words, we must translate our compassion into caring.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Where’s Your Identity?

“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10 NLT)

Identity is a very precarious topic these days, and it’s not only related to sexual identity. A friend in another state told me about a young man who identifies as a Cactus. How do you see yourself? Not only in terms of male or female (or plant), but as a human being, especially someone who is being transformed daily by God’s Spirit who indwells you?

J. D. Greear wrote: “We no longer labor to gain an identity, because we’ve been given one through Christ.” Our relationship with Jesus should supersede any other means of identifying ourselves. In Ephesians 2:12-13 Paul talks about our “exclusion from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without Hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.”

We often try to see our identity in Christ as our secret, an identity we’d prefer to keep undisclosed; however, being born again of the Spirit is very similar to being born as an infant, if it happened it’s very difficult to deny. I remember when my daughter was born. She was our first born and my parents had given me a movie camera for my graduation from Seminary.

At the hospital they started calling me “camera man” because I wanted to record every move she made. In my mind’s eye I believe that’s how the Lord feels about each of His children. Perhaps that’s why there’s such a celebration in heaven at the re-birth of every one of us. We’re not given a new identity in Jesus to keep it hidden, but to share it with everyone we know.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones made a declaration with which I identify when he said: “How divinely supreme is our Lord above all others!” The reality is I have nowhere close to the reasons to celebrate my daughter as I do to celebrate my Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus! There’s a very special place in my heart for my daughter and sons, but there’s a place reserved that no one else can fill but Jesus.

If you’re born again of the Spirit of God yet are seeking to hide the hope He’s planted in you, get over yourself and let people know you now have a new identity as a follower of Jesus. There are more people dying in the world in this generation because of their love for and devotion to Jesus than ever before. If our brothers and sisters in Christ are willing to die for Jesus, can’t you and I muster the courage to live for Him?

Some may fear being shunned or ostracized, but I assure you, on the authority of the Bible and my own experience, you will never walk alone! Dr. Charles Stanley reminds us: “As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you.” But the other piece of that is what Jesus said in Matthew 10:33: “But everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.”

There’s no higher calling than to find our identity in Jesus!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s the Fuss?

“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’” (Luke 2:13-14 NLT)

As my health deteriorates and the day of my departure from earth comes closer, my heart rejoices in my Savior for His willingness to bring heaven to earth. My spirit rejoices in the hope I have that I’m going to spend eternity with the Lord and with others who have loved Him in their lifetimes, but the celebration of my heart today is the fact that Jesus brought heaven to earth to give us a taste of what’s coming.

Have you ever taken time to ponder just how wonderful heaven will be? Think of all the things you fear, perhaps dread, as you think of your life on earth. Gratefully, none of those things will be an issue in heaven.

Additionally, for many of us, the Lord has given us opportunities to visit state and national parks, ponder the vastness of the oceans, marvel at the stars on a dark night, and in other ways experience the grandeur and majesty of all the Lord has created for our pleasure.

It causes me to seek to stretch my mind to catch a glimpse of just how wonderful life in heaven will be, but the thought today that arrests my spirit is the realization that none of that would even be on our radar had the Lord Jesus not come to earth. On many levels He is heaven to me – to know Him makes heaven appealing.

Jesus is the Treasure, the draw for me to want to go to heaven. My desperate desire to go to heaven is to continue my walk with Jesus. If heaven had no Jesus it wouldn’t be heaven; it wouldn’t be worth the trip, but because He came to earth and ignited our heart and mind with thoughts of Him and what life could be because of who He is and what He did – as the Gaither’s wrote: “Life is worth the living, just because He lives!”

When Jesus came, the angels weren’t celebrating the earth, the shepherds, or any of the other things the Lord had created – they were ecstatic about the beauty, majesty, glory, and honor God was bestowing upon the earth in allowing His only Son to be born in order that He might take away the sin of those who would recognize Him and give their lives to Him.

N.T. Wright wrote: “Our culture is so fixated on dying and going to heaven when the whole Scripture is about heaven coming to earth.” We make a big fuss over our going to heaven, which well we should, but the real celebration should center on heaven coming to earth in the Person of God’s Son. My sense is that once we’re able to see our Savior, thoughts of earth will be rare if indeed they will exist at all.

The beautiful house we worked endless hours to afford won’t be on our mind, nor will any other material possession. I’ve often wondered how we could enjoy heaven if we have awareness of our loved ones who didn’t make it, but there’s a part of me that believes we’ll not even give consideration to those who didn’t make it, they’ll be erased from our memories. That’s conjecture and I can’t show you a verse to support that, I’m just musing.

Having read about and viewed pictures and videos regarding the Grand Canyon, it caught me by surprise when my eyes finally viewed the hugeness of what my mind was struggling to comprehend. It was like the things I’d read or seen were wiped from my mind as it filled with the reality of what I had been unable to imagine before being there and seeing it for myself. Heaven will be like that – on steroids!

When we get to heaven the fuss won’t be what has been, it will be what IS – in all His majesty and glory!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊