Walking With Jesus

Why Saving Private Ryan was Chuck Colson’s Favorite Movie

*Let this moving message by Chuck Colson challenge and inspire you on this Memorial Day when we remember the sacrifices of so many who gave their lives for our freedom. Blessings, Ed 😊

2 Samuel records a lament composed by David for Saul and Jonathan after they died in battle. “How the mighty have fallen!” We share that sentiment on Memorial Day as we remember the sacrifice of more than 1.3 million Americans who have lost their lives in war to keep us safe and free.

Years ago, Chuck Colson expressed his own reflections on Memorial Day and all that it meant to him.

This Memorial Day, reflect with me on how we should respond to the enormous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform.

Memorial Day is when we honor the men and women of our armed services who have made “the supreme sacrifice,” who gave their lives for their country.

Especially these days, when Memorial Day seems nothing more than a time for cookouts and swim parties, we cannot be reminded often enough about how great a debt we owe our war dead.

They gave up their hopes and dreams, families, and friends. They submitted themselves to rigorous discipline—something I understand as a former Marine—24-hour-a-day duty—and placed their lives in great peril. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Their sacrifice should inspire in us a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, bought with a price. And that gratitude should compel us to lives of service as well. Serving Christ, our neighbor, and yes, our nation.

I can’t help but recall the brilliant film Saving Private Ryan. James Ryan, now in his seventies, has returned with his family to the military cemetery in Normandy. He visits the grave of Capt. John Miller, the man who, a half a century before, led the mission to retrieve—to save—Pvt. Ryan. At the end of the mission, Miller was fatally wounded. As he lay dying, his final words to Pvt. Ryan were “James. Earn this … earn it.”

We then see Ryan kneeling at Capt. Miller’s grave, marked by a cross. Ryan, his voice trembling with emotion, says,

“Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I’ve earned what all of you have done for me.”

Red-eyed, Ryan turns to his wife and says, “Tell me I’ve led a good life … tell me I am a good man.” With great dignity, she says, “You are.” With that, James Ryan salutes the grave of Capt. Miller.

You see, Pvt. Ryan, out of gratitude for Capt. Miller’s sacrifice, did all in his power to live a good life.

And Memorial Day is a great time for each of us to look into the mirror … to examine our own lives. Are we living good lives in gratitude for all those who have sacrificed for us—including our men and women in the military, our families, our friends, and most of all Christ?

Are we, like Ryan, kneeling before the cross? Spielberg, a master cinematographer, had to realize the power of this imagery. Are we, out of gratitude, doing our duty for Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ministering to those in prison, in whatever harvest field to which the Lord has called us?

Examine your life.

And this Memorial Day, at the very least, thank those who have sacrificed for you and those you know who have served in our nation’s armed forces. Maybe you’ll do what I do when you see a guy or gal in uniform … at the airport, at the store, wherever … walk up to them, and thank them for their service.

And then go and remember Whom it is you serve.

A Life That Matters

*Please allow this challenging message by Ron Hutchcraft to move you as it did me. Blessings, Ed 😊

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Life That Matters.”

If you do just what comes naturally, you’ll live the kind of life most people do – self-focused, self-centered, self-serving. But a life that’s only as big as you are is too small to live in. And you might be feeling an emotional and spiritual claustrophobia right now. Business as usual just isn’t satisfying that restlessness in your heart is it? Your life is full, but not really fulfilling. Find your own Calcutta. Find some people who need you and start pouring your life out for them. The lid will come off your life.

Jesus gave us an immortal, indelible picture of the two ways to live life in His classic story of the Good Samaritan. It’s in Luke 10, beginning with verse 30, our word for today from the Word of God. “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side” – as, by the way, did another religious leader who came by next.

Jesus goes on: “But a Samaritan…came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds… He put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.” Then Jesus went on to say that the Samaritan paid all the expenses of the beaten man’s recovery; and that this Samaritan was the kind of neighbor He expects all of us to be.

And there in that simple story is a picture of two lifestyles – you can be all about yourself, ignoring the needs of people in your path… or stopping for people’s needs, bearing the burdens of a bleeding world. I was really touched by a news report about a man whose choice might help you step up to a life that makes a far greater difference.

It actually happened right after September 11th and it said that “David Townsend’s perspective changed profoundly on September 11th.” It says, “From that moment forward, (Here’s what he said.) I realized that we are not going to live forever. I feel an even greater sense of urgency; feel compelled to leave my mark on the world. It has changed my outlook totally and shaken me to the core.” So, apparently, according to the story, Townsend left his job to work in social services with the homeless and with urban churches. Here’s his quote, “September 11th reinforced in me the need to live a life that matters.”

I think that’s the kind of life you want isn’t it? So learn to wake up each morning and ask yourself, “Who needs me today?” not “Who can meet my needs today?” There are people in your personal circle – people in your community – who desperately need someone to care, to be there for them. And remember, there is no greater difference you can make in anyone’s life than to introduce them to Jesus Christ and take them to heaven with you! That’s an eternal difference!

With however many years or few years you have left (who knows?), live to make the greatest possible difference with the rest of your life!

Love Perseveres

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT)

Have you ever wanted to quit, give up, throw in the towel? I sure have and I suspect you have also. Life is tiring, struggle is hard, people are difficult, and circumstances can wear us down. Too many times to remember, especially when I’m feeling sorry for myself, I muse: “Lord, why don’t You just take me home?” And He smiles and says: “Because the work to which I’ve called you isn’t finished!” “Then Lord, please give me patience!”

Then He’ll sometimes ask: “How many times have I quit on you? How many times have I left you?” And I begin to recall times I thought He did, but He assures me He hasn’t and never will. Bob Goff has an interesting way to say things, illustrated by his quote: “Love difficult people. You’re one of them.”

Have you ever thought about how difficult we are with the Lord? How short-sighted, short-tempered, short on faith, trust, hope, and the other fruit of the Spirit? Sometimes, when we’re honest, it’s hard to tell us from the people who don’t even know Him. And that’s sad!

Yes, of course, we get tired, irritable, out of sorts, but the issue isn’t necessarily how we feel, but how little it takes to get us to feel that way. It’s like the devil has us on a yo-yo – up and down, up and down! Again, Bob Goff speaks to us when he writes: “Love perseveres. No map will take us where God wants to lead us.” Have you ever followed directions that led you to the wrong location? You followed every turn exactly as directed, but when you got there it wasn’t the right place? I have, and it’s frustrating, but it can sometimes be frustrating even getting to the right place.

Years ago, a friend asked me to Officiate his wedding, but this was long before GPS and I couldn’t find even a map of the area. My frustration was compounded by a driving snowstorm that prevented me from even seeing signs when one was available, and it was dark. Finally, he told me to come to his house, and I could follow him to the church. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong! The roads were so slick and the snow so heavy it was difficult to even keep sight of his taillights. But I persevered and finally found the church.

That’s how it seems when we’re trying to follow the Lord sometimes. The way gets hard, our vision is blurred or blocked, and it just seems the Lord is a million miles away. “Where are You, Lord?” is the cry of our heart! But it’s in those difficult times I’m given reassurance by the words of my Lord when He said in Hebrews 13:5 (quoting from Deuteronomy 31:6,8) “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

May I remind you faith isn’t blind? Following Jesus is never about not knowing Who we’re following or trusting that He’s leading us somewhere we want to go. There are many times on my life’s journey I haven’t liked the journey, but I’ve loved it when I arrived at my destination. I’m on one of those journeys now. It’s hard being weak physically much of the time, slow mentally when I want and need to be sharp; forgetful of key Scriptures I memorized but can’t remember where to find them.

I was never the sharpest pencil in the box, but there are some things I do know. I know Jesus loves me, that He’s with me, that He will never leave or forsake me, and that I can trust Him to get me to my final home with Him in heaven. All the rest is fluff. And because of those things, my love for Him will persevere. I won’t quit because it gets hard and, I pray, I won’t complain when things get so difficult I can no longer do them for myself. Life is hard, but God is good and He’s all the reason I need to keep going!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God’s Friends

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:13-14 NLT)

Are you God’s friend? Before you jump to answer that, please review your schedule and your checkbook or records of your recent month’s expenditures. What we say we are and what our life illustrates we are can be two very different things. I can say I’m a great athlete when in fact I only enjoy watching great athletes in action while I sit on my couch and dream about being like them, and eating ice cream, of course.

Our view of ourselves often pales in comparison to the view the Lord has of us as He evaluates our lives on His love scale. How do you believe the Lord evaluates us? Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:34-36 when He said: “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.”

Of course, these aren’t the only measures of our friendship with the Lord, but they’re obviously important to Him. For us to ignore them or simply prefer not to bother ourselves with people like that is to block a real avenue of building our friendship with the Lord. Why would we do that? Why would we intentionally block a very valid and real way to help someone while at the same time growing in our intimacy with the Lord.

As a Pastor I made many visits to hospitals, Nursing Homes, Hospice facilities, jails, prisons, homes, motels/hotels, and anyplace else the Lord prompted me to go to speak with someone in need. Ironically, while I always had the sense that He was sending me, I didn’t always make the connection that I was visiting Him in those circumstances.

It’s not a stretch to realize when we pass a person in the grocery store, or other shopping environment, a restaurant, park, or place of amusement or entertainment that looks distraught, down, crying, angry, or in any other way seems out of sorts, perhaps, at the Lord’s nudging, we should simply ask, “You seem upset, is there any way I can be of help?”

Please don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, but if the Lord gives you clear instructions, just do what He tells you to do. Kindness can go a long way in breaking down barriers. Sometimes I will tell someone the Lord prompted me to reach out to them or other times they might ask: “Why did you help me?” to which I am happy to respond.

The point is, the Lord Jesus lives in us by His Spirit, and our goal is to grow in our likeness of Him, so, why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of every opportunity to bless and honor Him by our well treatment of those He puts in our path. If we’re truly God’s friend, shouldn’t we act like it in our interactions with those we meet from day to day?

It baffles me when so called “godly” people demand the best service at restaurants but are the lousiest tippers. When at a restaurant it just makes sense to me to be kind, considerate, thoughtful, and leave a large tip, especially when I leave an invite card to my church with my paid bill. Please don’t leave an invite card to your church if you’re rude, demanding, or leave a lousy tip (below 20%). Save the Lord and yourself the embarrassment. After all, it is their livelihood. How would you want people to treat you if you were in their shoes, especially if you’d been treated in an unkind way?

And some may wonder, what if the server is rude or inattentive to me? All the more reason to be kind and generous with them. If we’re truly a friend of God, we need to act like it in every situation and circumstance, in our home and elsewhere.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Leadership

“Then the disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?’ Jesus replied, ‘Every plant not planted by My heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.’” (Matthew 15:12-14 NLT)

The term “leadership” isn’t used in the King James Version of the Bible but is illustrated in many ways in and through the teachings and actions of the Lord Jesus and many other men and women of His choosing. I think of men like Abraham, the “father of our faith,” Samuel and the many other Prophets who led nations, Esther, King David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and many more. What’s my point?

In the verses above Jesus clearly taught that those who profess to be leaders, who assume leadership because of education, ethnicity, or any other position of human origin by any means can be blind guides and to follow them is to put ourselves at risk.

Leadership is a quality Jesus possessed and freely shares with those who seek Him. Even the Great Commission is an example: “Go and make disciples of all the nations…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” To me the clear implication of that command is: “Go in faith and I will guide you every step of the way.” Or another way to think about it: “Lead only as you are led by Me!” Fruit grows through those who stay connected to the Vine.

To the extent we lead out of our own wisdom, strength, ingenuity, or knowledge, to that extent we’ll fall flat on our faces, at least in terms of leading others to become more like Jesus. The only way to become more like Jesus is to be led by His Spirit. We cannot lead others in a God-honoring way unless and until we’re being led by the Spirit.

Seeking to lead out of the energy of the flesh is not only wrong, but also sinful. We can only effectively lead others to see Jesus more clearly, follow Him more nearly, and love Him more dearly if we ourselves are deeply committed to those things in our own life. We cannot lead others to places we haven’t been led by the Lord ourselves.

Yes, of course, He uses other godly men and women to show us the way, but ultimately everything we’re told to do in terms of our leadership, will first begin in prayer. Prayer opens avenues of learning that will come first from the Words of God in Holy Scripture, but also through the words of godly men and women, living and dead, who have heard His voice, and followed His commands.

George Müller was such a man, about whom I read when I was young in the Lord, a man so focused on the Lord he obeyed without question, trusting Him to do what He said He would do. The Lord prompted George to start an orphanage, though he had no money and no place to house children. The Lord provided everything he needed.

His only resource was the Lord Jesus and His only means of provision was prayer. He prayed in millions of dollars (in today’s currency) for the orphans and never asked anyone directly for money. He never took a salary in the last 68 years of his ministry, but trusted God to put in people’s hearts to send him what he needed. He never took out a loan or went into debt. And neither he nor the orphans were ever hungry. By God’s grace he was able to feed more than 10,000 orphans during his lifetime.

His leadership in love inspires and gives me hope that I can be more for Jesus than I ever imagined I could be. Are you a leader? Only if you’re being led by the Spirit to obey the commands of Jesus. How will you know if He wants you to lead? Ask Him!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Shock at the End of Our Voyage

*Please allow these powerful words of Ron Hutchcraft to motivate you to know with certainty that you have a right relationship with the Lord, but also, if you are certain that you’re going to heaven, to be more diligent in reaching those in your spheres of influence for the Lord before it’s eternally too late. Blessings, Ed 😊

For a long time, I have been fascinated with the story of the Titanic. The sinking of that seemingly “unsinkable” ship after a collision with an iceberg is filled with so much human drama that has inspired endless movies, books, and documentaries. Finding the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic fueled even greater information than ever before. Some of the drama of those discoveries has been within our reach as the Titanic artifacts exhibit went across the country in some of America’s leading museums. You could see many personal items recovered from the Titanic’s debris field along with displays that recreated the feeling of being a passenger on that doomed ship. And now there’s at least one permanent Titanic museum in the country. When I went into this one on the early tour, I was given a boarding pass with the name of a real person who’d been aboard that awful night. At the end of the exhibit, there’s this big wall with the names of everyone aboard – first class, second class, third class, crew. Every person is either on the list that says “saved” or “lost.” I looked hard for my name, and I discovered that I was one of the few crewmen who was “saved.”

A pastor I know, who I had told about my experience there, well, he went to see the exhibit for himself. But he told me about it. He looked me in the eye and he said very soberly, “Except I was lost.”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Shock at the End of Our Voyage.”

One of the most sobering truths in the Bible is this: God has two lists. Each of us is on one of those lists. Everyone we know, everyone we care about, is on one of these two lists. In 1 John 5:11-12, God plainly says, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” There it is – the “saved” and the “lost.” And it all depends on one thing – whether or not you have Jesus in your heart.

It doesn’t say, “Whoever has religion has life” or “whoever lives a good life has life.” No, it’s all about Jesus and whether or not you’ve ever begun a personal relationship with Him. That life-saving relationship begins when you realize that Jesus’ dying on that cross was the only thing that can pay the death penalty that you deserve for running your own life, for hijacking your life from your Creator. And that means you know now that you’ve got to put all your trust in Him to save you, because you can’t do a thing to save yourself.

For my pastor friend, it was a shock to get to the end and find out he was “lost.” That’s the shock that for real so many are going to experience when they meet God. My friend didn’t know until the end. But we can know right now which list we’re on – depending on whether or not we’ve given ourselves to Jesus. If you know you’ve done that, you are among God’s rescued.

But now it’s up to you to rescue those around you who are still on the “lost” list. The” saved” and “lost” list from the Titanic can never be changed. But there’s still time for people you know to be moved from God’s “lost” list to His list of those who are “saved.” But you’ve got to do something about their lostness. You’ll have to step up to tell them about Jesus, to be their rescuer.

The devil – who wants as many lost as possible – is working hard to keep people on both lists preoccupied with something other than eternity. If you’re lost, he’s trying desperately to keep you from Jesus, even right now, until time runs out. If you’re saved, he’s trying desperately to keep you from reaching out to rescue the people around you until time runs out.

If you’ve never reached out to Jesus to rescue you, grab the hand of the Rescuer who came all the way from heaven to come and die so He could rescue you. If you want to go to sleep tonight knowing you belong to Jesus, tell Him now, “Jesus, I’m Yours. The battle’s over. I’m Yours!”

Get over to our website as soon as you can today, ANewStory.com, because I think you will find there everything you need to know about how to be sure you belong to Jesus.

When you’ve taken your last breath, lost is forever; but not yet. This very day, you can move from death to life, and from lost to saved.

Is Our Soul Immortal?

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 NLT)

Obviously, our soul is not preexistent, in the sense it was present before God created humankind, so, the real question becomes, does our soul have an end? The verse above states clearly that God has the capacity to destroy our soul in hell, but what does that mean? Does it mean it ceases to exist?

The Lord has shown me at least two ways to gain a clearer understanding of Scripture. First, the best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture. If you find a confusing or hard to understand verse(s) or teaching, keep reading. The worst enemy of a clear understanding of Scripture is taking it out of context. Proof-texting is the enemy of the Church and has been an issue as long as there has been Scripture.

The second tool that has proven invaluable is an exhaustive Concordance. Few people, including many Pastors, have a command of the Biblical languages. A Concordance defines the words used in the Bible, seeking to give you an understanding of what the word meant in its original context.

So, let’s look first at Matthew 25:46 where Jesus says: “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Who are “they” who will go away into eternal punishment? And who are “the righteous”? “They” are those who will be refused entrance into God’s eternal Kingdom because they refused to submit to the Lord’s authority in their lives, were not attentive to the needs of those He placed on their paths and because they didn’t place their trust in Jesus as Savior.

On the other hand, “the righteous” are those who prioritized their devotion to the Lord and made Him visible through their efforts to help those in their spheres of influence see Jesus more clearly through their loving kindness and service to them. The issue is Lordship: who owns our heart, mind, soul, and body? To whom or what have we given our allegiance?

The truth is, the Lord can do with us as He pleases whether we serve Him or not, and He will prove that at the end of time, but the issue in front of us is does “death” extinguish our existence or does it lead to eternal life somewhere? My contention, based on the clear teaching of God’s Word, is that God plants eternity in our heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11) at birth and never extinguishes it. “Yeh, but what about the verse above where Jesus said God “can destroy both soul and body in hell”?

The word Jesus used that is translated “destroy” in many English translations is “apollumi” (ap-ol’-loo-mee) and it means “to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, ruin; render useless; to kill; to declare that one must be put to death; metaphor meaning to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell; to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed.”

Jesus used many illustrations (parables), stories and expressions that were metaphors or pictures of things to help people understand what they had little or no frames of reference to understand. Throughout the Bible death is illustrated as separation from life, existence in life in our earthly bodies without Jesus, but not separation from consciousness and awareness of our surroundings, not even after leaving this life.

As sin separates us from God in this life, death separates us from Him in the next. That’s why Jesus’ victory on the Cross is so critical, as through His death He paid the penalty for our sin, overcame death, and the grave by His blood, purchasing for us the gift of life with Him for all eternity.

Death ends (destroys) our physical life on earth, but not the life of our soul, the essence of who we are. Our soul is eternal, but if we don’t submit our life to the Lord while there’s time, we will forever be separated from life’s Author, the Lord Jesus. If you don’t know for sure when you close your eyes in death they will open in the presence of the Lord Jesus, please tap anewstory.com and allow Ron Hutchcraft to help you know you have eternal life.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Great Commandment

“Jesus came and told His disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

Recently I asked someone a question that I believe is important for each believer in Jesus to ask. This is the question: “If every believer in Jesus was just like me, how effectively would the Great Commandment (Commission) be fulfilled?”

A more personal way to ask the same question might be: “If everyone’s efforts to reach the lost were just like mine, how quickly would the world be won to Jesus?” Contextually, the Lord was speaking to His disciples; thus, the implication was to them individually and collectively. Which raises some questions. First, are you connected to a church body that is committed to reaching the lost? And, if so, what is their strategy? And especially if you are not connected to an active body of believers, what is YOUR strategy to reach the lost?

As a rule, evangelical churches do some form of evangelism during their normal services. They invite people to come to Christ during the course of a worship service; however, that in and of itself doesn’t help reach the vast majority of people who never darken the doors of a church or the ones who do attend a church that doesn’t even preach the Gospel.

Ultimately, if we as individual believers don’t take it upon ourselves to learn a relevant, meaningful, and simple way to present our faith to our lost friends and loved ones, the very real possibility is, they will never learn who Jesus is, at least not in a way that would encourage them to open their heart and life to Him. What’s commonly referred to as “the Roman Road” is a firm foundation for understanding the basic steps to helping someone understand their need of a Savior.

But we must understand that our words, no matter how well rehearsed, will not lead anyone to Jesus. If our heart isn’t focused on Jesus and our words flowing from a heart of love for Him, we’re wasting our time. I’ve learned the most important way to prepare to share my faith is to spend time with the Lord allowing Him to build my faith to the point I can’t help but share it.

Understanding that tools can be very helpful, please tap the link to go to Ray Comfort’s website livingwaters.com and peruse the many resources he has available to help you learn different ways to help people come to the Lord. The bottom line is, we are accountable to the Lord for our obedience to His direct command to share His story with those who are lost.

Please understand, this isn’t about guilt or shame, it’s about our responsibility to the Lord to do what He’s asked us to do. Don’t you want to obey Him? If not, why are you professing to follow Him. Obedience is a qualification of discipleship. To profess faith in Jesus without any intention of obeying His directives is blasphemous. He called us to follow Him, to become like Him, to share His life and love with others. Those, like the Great Commission, aren’t suggestions to be pondered, they are commands to be obeyed.

Perhaps the weakness of the modern church is in direct correlation with the weakness of our personal faith, based on our misunderstanding of who we are in Christ. Yes, of course, we’re His beloved child, blood bought and redeemed, but we’re also His servant, His slave, subject to His directives.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Where’s Your Confidence?

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.” (1 John 5:13-15 NLT)

There is never any reason to have confidence in ourselves when it comes to spiritual progress or success, especially when praying. To grow in grace is to depend entirely on the ministry of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. Any progress we make in living, loving, praying, serving, worshiping, witnessing or in any other way is only and always by the grace of God engineered and accomplished through the Spirit of God.

Yes, of course, the Spirit always works in cooperation with us, but there would be no work in or through us without the Spirit. We’re the vessel, He is the source, resource and power. There would be no growth and development without the seed of faith planted in our heart by the Spirit of God. Our confidence must always and only be centered and focused on the Lord Jesus and the invaluable work He has done on the Cross and is doing in and through us by His Spirit.

R. C. Sproul said it well when he wrote: “We rest on confidence in the efficacy of the prayers of Jesus, not our own consistency as Christians.” Efficacy essentially means effectiveness, value, or fruitfulness of something. So, in reference to the efficacy of Jesus’ prayers, we have full confidence that every prayer He ever prayed was heard and answered in absolute accordance with the will of God the Father. EVERY prayer of Jesus WAS answered in a manner that pleased Him and honored His heavenly Father.

Isn’t that what we want when we pray? Our confidence can never be in how spiritual we are, how close we believe we are to God, how refined we’ve become in formulating our prayers, how well-versed we are in the Scriptures, how long or often we pray, how well practiced we are in our prayer language, or in any other man-oriented means of measuring success or evaluating our effectiveness in prayer.

Our confidence in prayer must always and only be focused on the One who answers prayer, not on the one who offers it. Human effort, while certainly required, is never the sole factor in not only whether a prayer is answered, but whether a prayer is even heard. A prayer offered with pride and self-confidence will never reach the ear of God, only those that are offered from a contrite heart and spirit that is aligned with God’s heart and mind.

Growth in prayer is a gift from God that is derived from a heart that longs to please and honor Him, not simply to use Him to get answers that would satisfy or edify us. When I pray, I ask in full confidence that the Lord is hearing and will answer as I’ve asked. If He doesn’t, He often lets me know why. If I’m being selfish, asking awry or in an inappropriate way, He corrects me and helps me understand a better way to ask.

Once we get to the place we believe we have “this prayer thing down pat,” is when we’re allowing the enemy to gain too much ground in our heart and mind. Prayer is conversation with the Lord that issues from a heart that seeks to be in tune with the heart of God. How is that possible? It’s possible as we learn to love Jesus more than we love our sin; when we learn to desire God’s will more than our own will. Then it becomes easier to pray in line with God’s heart because all we want is for Him to gain glory in and through us and to do that which pleases Him the most.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Makes a Person Good?

“As Jesus was starting out on His way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him, knelt down, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call Me good’ Jesus asked. ‘Only God is truly good.’” (Mark 10:17-18 NLT)

This is the story of the rich man who wanted to justify himself by acknowledging “factual” things, but avoiding what was separating him from the Lord. There is reason given in the text to believe the young man recognized Jesus’ deity, that Jesus truly was God in human form; he also said he knew the Commandments and kept them, which is questionable, but his bondage to his wealth was completely hidden from him. How like so many of us today who come to church every Sunday, without a clue we are miles from the God we supposedly love and serve.

Is that judgmental? More an observation than a judgment. We’re to be “fruit inspectors,” primarily of ourselves, but when someone who professes faith in Jesus is clearly not living like Jesus, it becomes apparent that something isn’t right. Should we simply ignore it and go about our business? Perhaps, it depends on how closely we’re walking with the Lord and to them. If the Lord says to ignore it, we ignore it; otherwise, we do whatever He directs us to do.

Jesus obviously had insights into this man’s heart that others who knew him didn’t have. On the outside he was the kind of man every Pastor would want on his Board and in leadership. He has money, influence, lives a decent life, has so much going for him, Jesus just isn’t his first love. A person isn’t good because of what they do or don’t do, they’re good because of who owns their heart.

In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote: “You cannot make men good by law: and without good men you cannot have a good society.” If that’s true in society, and I believe it is, how much truer is it in the Church. I’ve seen firsthand how “good” people worm their way into leadership of a small church, only to commandeer the direction the Pastor believes the Lord was leading them to go. For that reason, and many more, I believe hell will be full of very good people whose god was money, power, or some other ungodly source.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in an address at Western Michigan University in the 60’s, after acknowledging that law cannot make someone good, said: “But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated…It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless…It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So, there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees.”

So, what does make a person good? Jesus said in Matthew 12:33-37: “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Do you love Jesus? Does His Spirit live in your heart? How do you know? What’s coming out of your mouth? How are you investing your time and money? Are you consistently praying for and speaking with the lost about salvation and hope in Jesus? Have you established a meaningful and ongoing relationship with a Christ-centered, Bible teaching, Gospel proclaiming Church? Are you serving in and through that church? Our goodness can only be reflected in and through our commitment to the King and to His Kingdom.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊