Walking With Jesus

New Beginnings

“The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. In fact, it was on the last day of the 430^th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land.” (Exodus 12:40 NLT)

God doesn’t provide deliverance from our captivity to sin to leave us the same. He didn’t provide freedom from the Egyptians for the children of Israel so they could continue to live and act like slaves. He had a new destination in mind. He had the “Promised Land” waiting for their taking. It’s no wonder they got bogged down in the desert, they had to learn how to live free. So do we!

As a rule, slaves don’t make good soldiers, so it’s no surprise that the adult generation who left Egypt had to die in the wilderness. If we’re ever going to be effective “soldiers” for Jesus, we’ve got to die to ourselves and learn how to live under the authority of a new King.

Yes, of course, we’re slaves who belong to King Jesus, but the irony is, His plan isn’t to keep us down but to raise us up. He wants to teach us how to live as free men and women, boys and girls who recognize the enemy and know how to defeat him and his devilish emissaries. We’re not staggering in the desert waiting to die, we’re attacking the enemy of our soul, taking new ground every day for Jesus.

As we walk on the fresh soil of this new year, may we believe with every fiber of our being that God has ordained this new beginning. And knowing that, let’s trust Him to bring victories on every level, in every dimension of our lives. But for that to happen we’ve got to change the way we think.

Slaves think sustenance and survival; children of King Jesus think bounty, abundance, and thriving in and through His holy presence working in and through our lives. This is not our home brothers and sisters; this is the war zone that will lead to our final destination.

Think of yourself as a lifeguard and the “pool” is brimming with drowning souls. It may seem hopeless, but what are your options? You can dive in and save a few, but if you enlist other swimmers to help, perhaps everyone in the pool can be saved.

What if each of us who know, and love Jesus adapted a new mindset for 2024? An attitude of dependence upon the Holy Spirit, but also an attitude of confidence that we’re God’s chosen vessel to carry out His holy will with every ounce of energy He provides.

There are 118 houses in my neighborhood. There are a few houses where someone is living alone, but many are families with 6-8 people. Let’s say for sake of illustration that there are 450 people living in my little neighborhood. How many should I plan to win to the Lord? This isn’t a trick question. I know for sure that a small percentage are already serving the Lord, so let’s say there are 400 lost men, women, boys, and girls living in my sphere of influence in the remaining homes.

Since I’m running out of space let me get to the point. I’m praying every person in every house will be ready to meet Jesus when He comes. But how? First, through prayer. Prayer is the work, then God works, so no one will be saved without prayer. But I can also enlist others who are saved to join me in prayer. Then, one by one I’ll invite to church, to a meal, to a conversation about Jesus – basically, whatever it takes to get Jesus on their mind.

Just as the children of Israel inched their way to a new life they couldn’t have imagined, I’m going to follow Jesus one step at a time as long as I have breath seeking with all that is within me to win just one more. How about you? How many will be in heaven because of your prayers and efforts? I pray many!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Gateway of Life

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway of life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)

Though Jesus spoke only of a single, narrow gate we must enter to have eternal life, I tend to believe that life is filled with gates. Think of the “gates” of opportunity that presented themselves throughout your life. That job opportunity that seemed to be a sure thing, but the “gate” closed. Or that relationship that seemed to be going so well, then all of a sudden, the “gate” slammed shut.

But sometimes it’s not someone else who closes those gates, we close them ourselves. The gates of life are often closed and locked by the haunting secrets of the past and guarded carefully by the worries of the present. Many are those whose dreams lie shattered at life’s locked gates, dreams broken by the demands of an empty life.

The truth is, much of the time our dreams have nothing to do with eternity, we’re simply trying to make a bigger splash on the shorelines of this life. As I think of the “dreams” I had as a younger man, if the Lord had let me have them, would it have resulted in my being more like Him? I seriously doubt it. It wasn’t about Him; it was about me.

I was pursuing things that would have promoted my dreams and desires, not His; trinkets of this world that may easily have blocked my view of the Treasure He desires to be in my heart and life. Could it be the “narrow” way isn’t intended to be hard to find at all, yet, for some it seems very elusive. But why?

Could it be our view and God’s view of “life” are quite different. Often the picture we try to paint for our kids or grandkids isn’t really our dreams for them, but our spoiled dreams for ourselves. It’s like we think we can get another shot at fulfilling our dreams vicariously through them. If only we’d focus our eyes on God, rather than on ourselves, we would clearly see the plans of God for us are better than anything this world has to offer, better than anything we could have imagined for ourselves.

What do we really want? What were those dreams supposed to give us that we can’t find in a relationship with Jesus? Many professing believers aren’t really looking for a committed walk with Jesus, they want a respectable religious life that allows them to be all they want to be, not all they could be for Him.

Here’s the deal – God doesn’t want to make us religious; He wants to make us righteous! He wants to put you and me in a right relationship with Himself that likely won’t result in us being rich and famous in this life but will prepare us to live life to the fullest now, while preparing us to live forever with Him in heaven.

What might that preparation entail? Submission to His authority over us; a God-centered focus on what He wants for us, not fulfilling the desires of our heart, but His. Sanctifying our outcomes to bless people for His name’s sake in a way that will lead them to heaven, not hell.

The hardest part of the Christian life for me has been to learn to want what God wants for me more than what I want for myself. Gratefully, I’m learning that the Lord knows me better than I know myself, so His choices for me are always much better than my choices for myself.

The narrow gate that leads to life isn’t a destination, it’s a Person. His name is Jesus. When you find Him, you’ll find life.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Pleasure or Pain?

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26 NLT)

As a Jesus follower we are, by virtue of our love for Jesus, a life-long student. Gratefully, we’ve been given the Bible, which we often refer to as the “Word of God,” but the greatest source of knowledge and understanding of what the Bible teaches about Jesus and how to walk faithfully with Him, is the Holy Spirit.

The two most powerful venues through which our learning comes are pleasure and pain. Ironically, for purposes of our walk with God, we learn far more through pain than pleasure. Why do you think that is? Is it because it’s not fun to follow Jesus? It’s a blast, but our most significant adversary is all about pleasure.

Satan is constantly seeking to distort and degrade the pleasurable things God gives us. If I can take off my “spiritual” hat and just speak as a human being, I’ll tell you that sex is the greatest physical pleasure I’ve ever experienced. Notice I said, “physical pleasure.” The most pleasurable sense I’ve ever had as a human being is to be in God’s presence, to live in constant awareness that’s He’s always with me.

So, what does Satan do? He distorts our view of sex by framing it in ways that are dishonoring to God and demeaning to those involved. God’s plan for sex is one man and one woman devoted to Him and to one another in a life-long marriage commitment. Anything less than that is a counterfeit that won’t satisfy long term.

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For me the greatest pain and most long-lasting heartache were because of my divorce. The Lord taught me things about marriage, myself, and Him through that heart-wrenching journey that I couldn’t have learned in any other way. Please, if you’re considering a divorce or know someone who is, it’s highly likely there’s a better way.

“Yeh,” you may be thinking, “you don’t know what I’m going through!” And you’re right, I don’t. And if you’re in an abusive relationship please get help. Unfortunately, because of the world in which we live, divorce is sometimes the only solution. But let it be a last resort. Don’t give up on each other if there’s a thread of hope.

But aside from the pain of divorce, being single can seem like it’s God’s greatest punishment, when in fact it may be His greatest blessing. It may sound like I’m speaking out of both sides of my mouth, but I’m not. Marriage is a gift from God, but so is singleness. The Apostle Paul summed it up like this: “I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”

The bottom line for a believer is “What will be most pleasing to the Lord? What will result in the most glory, honor, and praise to my Master?” If our life in Christ is not an act of worship, it’s of little or no value to God. What does that mean? Worship is an act of devotion; a surrender of our will in favor of His; an effort on our part to clarify and declare our allegiance to Christ alone. It’s putting our “yes” on the table before we even know what we’re agreeing to do or be.

It’s to put your name at the bottom of a blank contract, telling the Lord: “Lord, You fill it in however You see fit.” At the end of the day, it’s not whether we experience pain or pleasure, it’s ultimately about what we learned and who was honored and glorified as a result.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When Conventional Means Won’t Work

“They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above His head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’” (Mark 2:4-5 NLT)

Jessica McClure Morales (born March 26, 1986; widely known as “Baby Jessica” in 1987) fell into a well in her aunt’s backyard in Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1987, at the age of 18 months. Over the next 58 hours, rescuers worked to free her from the 8 inch well casing, about 22 ft below grade by digging a parallel shaft big enough for a man to be lowered into, then drilling a hole between the two shafts that enabled him to reach through and free the toddler. The story garnered worldwide attention, which resulted in a 1989 ABC television movie about the events entitled: Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure.

The point for our purpose is that conventional means couldn’t have enabled anyone to rescue the toddler. They had to think outside the proverbial “box” and work quickly or the little girl would have died. Consider what measures were taken to free “Baby Jessica” when you read the verses above. We don’t know the paralyzed man’s name; we only know that some of his friends loved Him enough to do whatever they needed to do to get him to Jesus.

Did you notice that when Jesus pronounced the man’s healing, He didn’t credit the man’s faith as being responsible, but his friends’ faith. “Seeing their faith!” Why is that so important? Two reasons. First, the man couldn’t have gotten to Jesus without help. And, secondly, since we don’t know how old he was or how long he’d been in his crippled condition, we don’t know if he could have ever mustered the faith to believe for himself.

How many people in our spheres of influence fall into one or both of those categories? People who can’t or won’t go to Jesus on their own, and/or they don’t have faith to believe Jesus would or could make any difference in their life’s circumstances. The plot thickens because some whom we know well aren’t “crippled” physically, but spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationally, or __________ and you can fill in the blank.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve tried conventional means and methods to reach loved ones and friends for the Lord, but to no avail. So, for all intent and purpose, we’ve given up. Yes, of course, we continue to pray and believe God will work miraculously, but to date nothing has changed, for them or us as we view their lostness.

During one of my recent walks, I saw one of my neighbors with whom I’ve been nurturing a relationship for many months, but this time when I asked him if he’d be open to attending church with me, without hesitation he said, “Yes!” I’ve shared with Him on several occasions about who Jesus is, what He’s done, and why, but with almost no response. Why the “sudden” interest?

I’m sensing in my spirit that God is going to release an unprecedented outpouring of His Spirit on those who have open hearts and minds to be used of God in unconventional means. The young man I referred to is only in his 40’s, but he’s had a stroke that has made it difficult for him to do anything for himself, but I’m going to do whatever I can to see that He gets to the feet of Jesus.

Like that little girl so many years ago, let’s covenant together to trust the Lord to use us however He desires to be light and love to those who walk in darkness, even if it’s in a way we’d never thought of before.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Living With Eager Expectation

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3 NLT)

Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “In a few places in the world, there is a man who literally embodies a nation. For the Middle Eastern kingdom of Jordan, for many years King Hussein was that kind of man. His stature on the international scene could be measured by a lot of influence he had on the Middle East peace talks and even by the unprecedented coming together of friends and enemies at his funeral. But those who loved him most, of course, were his own countrymen.

He was gone from Jordan for many of what turned out to be the last months of his life – gone for treatment of a deadly cancer. Just weeks before his final trip for treatment before the cancer claimed his life, King Hussein returned to his beloved country – flying his own airplane. It was a dramatic return for a king who had been gone so long, and the welcome he received was pretty amazing. As a display of affection and loyalty, people slaughtered sheep and goats right on the street as his motorcade passed by. One man even sacrificed a camel that was valued then at $10,000. They literally poured out their love for their returning king.”

How are you and I pouring out our love for our returning King Jesus? There have been many who thought they’d nailed down the exact time of our Savior’s return, only to be embarrassed at their lack of understanding of Scripture. Jesus clearly taught that “no one knows the day or hour” of His Second Coming, “Only the Father knows.”

Of course, the Scriptures give us clues, which should prompt our awareness that it could be very soon. But the plot thickens when we realize we can die at any time before the Lord returns, ushering us into His presence.

As I write, I’m anticipating the arrival of my only daughter. While she’s not a queen, she is my “Princess” and has been since the moment she was born. My heart stirs with excitement just to spend a few precious hours with her. My wife and I will make sure everything is ready for her visit – we’ll clean and prepare her room, have food she likes, snacks, and drinks she enjoys. We want to be fully prepared for her arrival.

Similarly, as we anticipate our coming King, how should we prepare for His arrival? Shouldn’t we make sure His “house” is clean? His Spirit resides in us, so shouldn’t we make every effort to honor Him with our body, mind, heart, and soul? Shouldn’t we live daily offering Him a “feast” of praise and adoration? And what about the sacrifices of our service given to Him as appreciation for all He does to make our lives so enjoyable, satisfying, and wholesome?

2023 has now passed, in the blink of an eye it seems. One day, sooner than any of us can imagine, our lives will end, or Jesus will return. We must not allow ourselves, as the five foolish bridesmaids in the Bible, to become tired, desiring rest more than making sure we’re ready to meet the Groom.

Folks, there’s nothing or nobody who can compare with Jesus. He’s the Treasure of my life; the joy of my heart, the foundation upon which I stand. Every moment of every day I want my heart to beat at the pace of my love for Him, drawing me ever more closely to Him. Death for those of us who know and love Him won’t be an interruption but cause for a celebration.

That’s what it means to me to live with eager expectation!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What Else Can I Do?

“Then He added, ‘Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.’” (Matthew 13:52 NLT)

The above statement of the Lord Jesus is on the heels of the parable of the fishing net that explains that at the end of time people will be divided into two groups – those going to heaven and those going to hell. The implications to me are two-fold. First, no one knew the Pentateuch like the teachers of religious law, which, unfortunately, increased their likelihood of never following Jesus. But secondly, those who did choose to become His disciple would have a resource that could magnify the Lord and multiply their effectiveness for Him.

On some levels that paints the picture of people who have attended church for many years. They know all the stories, have heard hundreds of sermons, very likely have led classes, and served on boards, perhaps even occupied a pulpit, but sadly, they’ve never made a commitment to have a love relationship with Jesus. It’s all in their head, but not their heart. They’re like a treasure that when filled with the Holy Spirit can multiply their effectiveness for Jesus exponentially.

It begs the question: “What about me?” Each of us has had a unique life filled with drama, heartache, suffering, and pleasure from which we could draw if we opened our heart to Jesus in a fresh way. Are you brave enough to ask yourself: “What else Can I do?”

The Lord lived a conviction that I have adopted, and I pray you will too. That conviction is: Every life counts! God doesn’t make mistakes. If He gives a person life, that life has purpose. That means YOUR life counts and it means that MY life counts.

Realizing we’re created with infinite worth and value, let me suggest three things we can do to make our lives count.

First: SHOW UP! It’s been said that 90% of life is showing up. That doesn’t simply mean our physical presence. It means wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, we should be engaged, attentive, alert to what God might be up to in this moment. It’s your life so show up for it!

Secondly: STEP UP! Be the person God created you uniquely to be. Your life counts, so act like it. Do what others aren’t willing to do in every avenue of your life. Step up for your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, classmates, even strangers. The Lord doesn’t allow someone to cross your path without a reason. Find out what that reason is!

Thirdly: SPEAK UP! Speak up with your life! Let your life declare the glory of God. Take care of yourself – physically, mentally, spiritually, relationally, financially – in every way! Why? Because you’re God’s child. He loves you as if you were His only child. Make Him proud! Declare His goodness by exuding goodness in and through your life.

Speak up with your limits! There are things a Christ follower can and will do, and things we can do, but won’t. We have God-ordained boundaries we dare not cross – in our morals, our work ethic, in how we love, how we care for others, how we speak.

We speak up with our lips! Unless we SHOW UP, and STEP UP, we have no right to SPEAK UP with our lips. Be someone who makes your words count. Let those in your spheres of influence hear words of love, compassion, affirmation, joy, peace, declaration of the goodness and grace of your Master.

What else can we do? Be the best man of God or woman of God you can possibly be. All in, no reservations!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

No Regrets

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow.” (2 Corinthians 7:10a NLT)

As you view your life, what do you most regret? Was it something you did that you now wish you hadn’t done? Or was it something you didn’t do that you now wish you had? Personally, two things jump to the forefront of my mind. First, when I was in college, I was invited to a party that a very beautiful girl I’d been wanting to meet was going to be. I chose not to go because I had no confidence that she would ever be interested in me. I still wish I’d gone.

The second scenario involves something I did that I knew even then I should never have done, and I will likely never know the damage I did to my life and others. Though I know the Lord has forgiven me, I live with the knowledge that I chose to do something that was clearly wrong. Thankfully, through the Lord’s forgiveness, I’ve moved beyond that regret.

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Godly sorrow doesn’t bemoan the fact we’ve sinned, we allow it to lead us to repentance that, by God’s grace, will help us to avoid that sin and any other sin of that type in the future. Sin not only separates us from God, but others who are affected by our disobedience. Regrets aren’t typically neutral as we ponder them.

They’re either toxic, moving us more closely to their evil draw, or they so repulse us we can almost literally throw up. Do you hate your sin? I’m learning to. What does that mean? It means I find it much easier to hate the sin in someone else than in myself. It’s hard when the person looking back at you in the mirror is the cause of your sin’s disgust.

However, the more closely I walk with the Lord the easier it is to hate my sin, not only for what it does to and in me, but because it grieves my Master. When I was young, I never wanted to disappoint my dad. Much of the time I felt I could never please my mom, but my dad was much easier to love and like. I enjoyed being with him and many of the patterns I now have in my life I learned from my dad.

He taught me to pay attention to detail when cleaning a car, my shoes, in living my life in general. That’s been helpful in my walk with the Lord as I’ve sought to navigate what it means to be a man of God. I’m less prone to let sin slide, keeping short accounts with God, in terms of my need to seek forgiveness and to turn from my sin.

I’ve spent a lot of hours over the years sitting by the bedsides of dying people. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for someone I perceived as living very close to God, being tormented with fear and doubt on their deathbed. It’s as if they feel they have unfinished business they wished they’d taken care of.

Often it centered on their uncertainty as to whether they’d done enough to deserve to go to heaven. That’s a fear I don’t have. You know why? Because I know I haven’t! But the good news is, I know who has! The songwriter said it well when she penned the words to the well-known hymn: “Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

Whatever your regrets, bring them to the Cross. Lay them at the Savior’s feet and allow Him to show you how to live a clean, wholesome, and fruitful life to His honor and fame. I love the words of Jacob Knapp: “No one regrets, at the hour of death, that he had felt too much, given too much, or done too much for Christ, or to save souls.”

Any regrets? Take them to the only One who can heal and turn them into triumph.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You the Reason?

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” (Hebrews 13:17 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why you are the way you are? If someone were to ask you: “Why are you the way you are?” Would it depend on who’s asking? Or perhaps why they are asking? What if you’ve just had a heated argument with your spouse and in their anger, they shout that question? Or perhaps a friend or neighbor asks you in casual conversation: “You’re always so kind and thoughtful. I’ve often wondered why you’re so nice.” Often context can explain better than words what the intent of a question is.

In our lives as a Jesus follower the reality is, we’re giving the people we influence a reason to move closer to the Lord or move further away. Too often our attitude seems to be: “I don’t care what people think of me. I’m going to live the way I want to live and if they don’t like it, they can lump it!”

Have you ever considered you’re the way you are for a reason? As human beings we are, to a large extent, the sum of all the experiences we’ve had, with all the people who have influenced us, coupled with all the ways we’ve responded to those experiences and circumstances. And don’t neglect the people whose words have affected you through the things they wrote or spoke.

We’re challenged by stories we hear, movies we watch, Pastors to whom we listen, social media input we view, in addition to all the conversations we have or personal relationships we enjoy or dread. Ron Hutchcraft made an interesting observation when he wrote: “I wonder how many people are living the way they are because they’ve never seen another way to live. Everyone they know is living the same way, so how could they think about another way?”

In the technological age in which we live, we tend to be more influenced by people we don’t know well than those we do. How so? Teens and young people especially tend to love to “document” every event in their lives, taking pictures that are photoshopped to make them look better than they actually are. Then some young girl sees what she can’t conceive of herself ever becoming, so, she begins to believe her life has no meaning, thus no reason for her to be alive.

John Stonestreet noted: “An article in The New York Times summarized, ‘Nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021 … and one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide.’ Jonathan Haidt, author of The Coddling of the American Mind, painted an even starker picture: ‘We are now 11 years into the largest epidemic of adolescent mental illness ever recorded.’

It’s never been more important to love and live Jesus in our homes, churches, neighborhoods, workplaces, wherever life takes us, than it is today. Why? Because as Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “either your life is a reason to come to Jesus or a reason to reject Him.” Through our professed “righteous indignation” and condemnation of another’s lifestyle, we push them away even with the best of intentions.

Were you “condemned” into turning to Jesus? I highly doubt it. I was loved to Jesus by friends and relatives who allowed the love of Jesus to create in me a desire to be like them and learn to love the Lord they loved. We can’t just speak the right words; we have to allow the Lord to live His life out through us in such an inviting way that those in our spheres of influence can begin to understand how they can live a life with and for Jesus. The reality is, without you, they may not ever see any hope of a better way.

We must, in ever greater measure, seek to become the reason for those in our spheres of influence to come to Jesus.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

God’s Kingdom

“May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 NLT)

What comes to mind when you think of a kingdom? It stands to reason that if you have a kingdom, you’d have a king. Having a king implies rulership, authority, subjection, dominance, and laws. Kings have subjects who are obedient or punished, compelled to be compliant, under judgment and restrictive rules. A kingdom is built on the backs of its subjects, but all honor, fame, and recognition go only to the king, not to those who did the work of building said kingdom.

Aren’t you glad King Jesus views Himself and His Kingdom much differently? His idea of what His Kingdom should look like is diametrically opposed to traditional views. Francis Schaeffer said it well when he wrote: “We are not building God’s kingdom. He is building his kingdom, and we are praying for the privilege of being involved.”

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In Matthew 6 Jesus taught us a prayer in which He helps us understand His Kingdom is past, present, and future. He is an eternal King whose reign has no beginning and will have no end. The coming Kingdom is one that has always existed in a spiritual sense and one in which we share once we yield our life and allegiance to Jesus.

The plot thickens when we recognize that there is another eternal kingdom whose lord is Satan, but while he gives his subjects the trinkets of the earth, what awaits them is only darkness and misery. To those of us who have chosen King Jesus it’s a no-brainer. Jesus always tells the truth, indeed is the embodiment of all Truth, but His adversary is unable to tell any truth, as he only knows how to lie.

Think of the differences from which we choose. Our choice is between Light and darkness; love and hate; Truth and lies; being cherished and being used; eternal life that begins the moment we receive Christ’s gift of new life in Him and eternal death; a Savior that walks every step with us while on this earth and a demonic adversary who seeks to trip us up and cause us to fall.

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah the prophet these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Why are these prophetic words, written hundreds of years before the Lord was born on earth, so vitally important?

There are many reasons, but the two most obvious are first, Jesus is declaring and identifying Himself as the long-awaited Messiah. But implicit in that declaration is the answer to the question: “Why were we poor, in captivity, blind, and oppressed?” Primarily because the only option prior to Jesus’ coming was religion or Satan, both of which left the responsibility of getting to God or having a relationship with Him on our shoulders.

Jesus came not only to show us the way, but to literally BE THE WAY! The Kingdom of God is now available to all who will open their heart and mind to King Jesus, not to keep us in bondage, but to give us freedom from sin, death, and the grave.

My purpose is never to be critical, but if people only knew who Jesus is and what He accomplished on our behalf we would never ask: “What’s in it for me?” That’s the wrong question. The right question is: “How can I be a part of what King Jesus is doing on earth?” Jesus has started a liberation movement that frees people who will place their trust in Him, to be all they were created to be.

So, my only question for you is: “To whose kingdom do you belong? And if it’s not the Kingdom of God, what are you waiting for?”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Race of Faith

“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.” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)

There is a truism in competition that says essentially: “You can’t compete unless you enter; and you can’t win unless you finish the race.” Implicit in the idea of staying the course as a believer in Jesus is your willingness to enter the race of faith, and with determination, conviction, and trust to see it through to completion – to finish your course.

One of my favorite movies is Chariots of Fire, which chronicles the story of Eric Liddell who loved Jesus, but who also loved to run. On one occasion he was deliberately knocked down but rose again to win the race. It’s an inspiring story of a young man who had strong convictions that enabled him to be used mightily by God.

What’s slowing you down in your race? Is there a specific sin that “so easily trips (you) up?” Perhaps it’s a person who consistently becomes your “thorn in the flesh?” Someone who, by their attitude, words, or even their presence, tears you down or discourages you, resulting in slowing you down in your race for the Lord.

Two issues that have helped me stay the course for Jesus. First, I’m not seeking to please anyone but Him. He’s the reason I’m in the race, He’s my partner as I race, and the One who waits for me at the end of my race. But the other key factor that helps me in my life’s race is keeping my focus on MY race, not being distracted by anyone else’s race.

Ironically, in the race of faith in which we run as a child of God, our efforts to win the prize God has for us isn’t between us and any other human being. We’re not in competition with any other believer. Our race is to be the best we can be, not better than anyone else. What are the implications?

Since we have no compulsion to beat another believer, we can freely help them, as they help us. Our battle is to be the best we can be in our efforts to defeat the enemy of our soul, thus, freeing us to support a fellow runner who may be struggling.

When I was younger, I was much more competitive, thereby robbing me of opportunities to be of help or support to others whom I may have seen as my competition. On some levels I believed if I helped someone else accomplish something that resulted in their receiving recognition, it set me back or robbed me of my rightful place in the spotlight.

Gratefully, the Lord has helped me to see that He’s my audience and the only recognition I desire is His smile. As a result, I can freely and often encourage others in their race. The Lord has given me the opportunity and privilege of writing notes of encouragement to different ones He lays on my heart, especially my Pastors.

Where are you in your race? What is the Lord teaching you? Who in your spheres of influence needs a word of encouragement? One of the most effective ways to be encouraged is by encouraging someone else. Often in our efforts to push our kids or close friends to do better in some way, we end up missing opportunities to let them know how far they’ve come.

As you focus on Jesus in the pursuit of your finish line of faith, please don’t miss those along your way who need a helping hand, a kind word, or a pat on the back. We’re in this race together, and the more we give – praise, encouragement, affirmation, the more we receive those things from the Lord.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊