Walking With Jesus

What Is Jesus Saying to You from the Cross?

“When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’ And He said to this disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from then on this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-27 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why John was the only one of the remaining original 12 disciples that died of natural causes? Might John’s willingness to care for Jesus’ mom had something to do with that?

Whether it did or not, the fact is Jesus spoke directly to His mother and to John from the Cross. He also spoke to the man on the cross next to Him, but jwhat I’d like for us to consider today is this: What is Jesus saying to you and me from the Cross?

Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “The spikes pounded into the hands that shaped the universe. The ‘God, why have You forsaken Me?’ cry of God’s one and only Son. My heart’s screaming, ‘Why?’ The Bible answers in our word for today from the Word of God in Galatians 2:20. ‘The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me.’

Did you get that? For me – that’s what levels me. Jesus chose to go through that hell for me. And hell it was, because the Bible says, ‘He personally carried our sins in His own body on the cross’ (1 Peter 2:24) – the pain, the guilt, the eternal separation from God for all the sinning of my life. Jesus took my hell so I could go to His heaven.

Yes, my heart has been to His cross. I went there with my sin and I left forgiven. I went there dirty and I came away clean. I went there without Him in my life and I left there with the promise I’ll never be without Him again. Because I got what He died for when those two words captured my heart. ‘For me.’ He did this for me.”

What about you? What is the Savior speaking to you from His Cross? Are you burdened by the weight of your sin? Is conviction of your sin eating you from the inside out? Are you tired of trying to be the lord of your own life? Listen as the Lord speaks your name when He says: “Come to Me, ________ (your name) all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Are you tired of being empty, a shell trying to fill yourself with the trinkets of this world? John Blanchard wrote: “We will never crave to be filled until we are convinced that we are empty.” Hear the words of the Savior as He speaks to you: “I hung on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sins. You were on My mind when life drained from My body. I gave My life in your place so you could miss hell and come to heaven to be with Me. Please don’t wait another second. Let me fill and empower you to live a life you never dreamed possible! All you need to do is see that what I did on that Cross was for you!”

If you’ve not yet yielded your life and allegiance to Jesus, please don’t wait another second. As you look at the Cross, I pray as you see what He did there you’ll be able to understand and say in your own heart: “For ME!”

If you’re not sure how to give your life to the Lord please click the highlighted link and go to Ron Hutchcraft’s Bridge illustration.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Motivating Your Change?

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.” (Philippians 3:21 NLT)

Repentance literally means: “a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done.” (Strong’s) Nothing of substance changes in our thoughts, attitudes, or actions unless and until we change the way we think about whatever it is. For example, let’s say I’m living with my girlfriend out of wedlock. All my friends are doing it so what’s the big deal.

Then I have an encounter with Jesus. I give Him my heart, mind, soul, and body. Suddenly what I’ve been doing becomes repulsive to me. Why? Because the Holy Spirit will not abide in a heart that desires sin more than holiness. So, He convicts us of our sin, but it’s up to us to make the change. All change begins in our mind – how we think about it, and our thoughts motivate us to allow the Lord to change our heart that leads to a change in our behavior.

Lonnie Free wrote: “A change of behavior only glorifies God if it is motivated by a change of heart.” Some have the attitude that they can “fake it ‘til they make it,” but that never works for a believer in Jesus. We may fool ourselves, our friends, and the people at church, but we’ll never succeed at fooling our Savior.

One thing we can easily get confused, especially as a new believer, is what our role as a believer really is. Should we just be the best us as we seek to build our kingdom on earth, or should we forsake all notions of doing anything for ourselves and focus only on building God’s Kingdom?

Matthew 6:33 records the words of our Savior when He said: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” In this season of my life all I want is what God wants for me. I’ve learned to trust His judgment, because in every detail of my life He knows me better than I know myself. He knows better what I need than I know myself.

As I contemplate those words, I must consider what I’m writing. Am I saying that in God’s estimation what I need at this point in my life is to have Alzheimer’s? If I understand Scripture, nothing touches my life or yours, if you’re a believer, except it passes through the filter of God’s permission, and He allows nothing except He intends it to be used for our good and His glory.

So, yes, I have to believe the Lord knows exactly what He’s doing, so, while I would never in a million years choose a debilitating disorder of the mind and body for myself, I’m perfectly willing to trust that the Lord knows best. This one thing I know – I exist to do His bidding, so, if this disease will give me a platform to share my Savior with someone that I might never know otherwise, it will have been worth it all. If there’s one person who will be in heaven because of what I’m going to go through, so be it!

Francis Schaeffer wrote: “We are not building God’s kingdom. He is building his kingdom, and we are praying for the privilege of being involved.“ So, here’s the bottom line: If anything but our love and devotion to Jesus is motivating any change in us, it’s a waste of time, energy, and resources. Why? Because if it doesn’t advance the Kingdom of God it’s of no value to us or our Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Pray for America

“Then if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)

An American believer was visiting China and he found a small Christian bookstore tucked away on an upper floor of an old building. As he perused their books he also found a section of miscellaneous things including a refrigerator magnet that said: “Pray for America.”

Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “If you’re an American Christian, you probably think of China as a place we need to pray for – and it is. But in China, apparently, they think they need to pray for us, and indeed they do. Their faith is passionate there; ours is often so casual, so powerless. What for Chinese believers is a passion is for too many of us a profession, a bunch of religious activities or a religious business.

We have so much, and yet in terms of spiritual power and passion, some think we seem to have so little. They have so little and yet, in many ways, they have so much. I’m glad and I’m humbled that they’re praying for us.”

In this election year we’re so prone to believe if we elect the right people our nation will get back on track, but it’s not the politicians who will get our once great land back on track. It’s you and me who love Jesus and are willing to humble ourselves before God and pray, not just “say prayers,” but let our heart ache for our need of God to do what only He can do – in, and on our behalf.

America wasn’t great because of our buildings, businesses, and bustling cities, it was great because we were once dependent upon a great God. We can blame everyone else for prayer and God’s Word, being taken not only out of our schools, but out of our hearts, but we have no one to blame but ourselves. As Americans we no longer have a backbone or the courage to stand for what is right.

We elect politicians whom we believe will make things better for us, give us better healthcare, or secure for us better wages. Our favorite radio station is still WIIFM – “What’s In It For Me!” Until we stop looking out for “me” and start looking out for “US,” it’s only going to get worse. And by “us” I’m not thinking only of our fellow Americans, but our fellow Jesus followers.

Nothing will ever change for the better without prayer, followed by courageous living based not on how we feel about ourselves or anything else, but solely dependent upon a move of God to change us from the inside out. Our nation doesn’t have a chance to be anything but what it is until the Church takes a stand for what is good and right.

Until we’re ready to humble ourselves, pray, seek the face of Almighty God, and turn from our wicked ways, there will be no restoration of our land. Restoration of “lands” follows restoration of God’s people. We can’t have one without the other.

So, where will it begin? First, in my heart and yours, in my family and yours, in my church and yours. Please, we must pray for an unprecedented move of God, for nothing of significance will ever happen without the Lord.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

When the News Isn’t Good

“As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” (Micah 7:7-8 NLT)

Over the course of the last several weeks I have been undergoing a series of tests and procedures including an MRI and PET scan of my brain. A few days ago, my wife and I met with the Neurologist and received the news that I definitely have Alzheimer’s disease. I’m not going to lie; it was and is a frightening diagnosis.

The plan isn’t to give you the proverbial “play-by-play” of my journey with Alzheimer’s, but I do want to keep you abreast of my concerns and help you understand when the time comes to bring my blog to a close. As of today, I feel good, strong, and attentive to the Lord and my goal is to record what the Lord gives me as long as I possibly can.

Today, I’d like to share some thoughts that are guiding me as I begin this journey with Alzheimer’s. First, while it may have been an unwelcome intrusion to how I saw my life going, it didn’t catch the Lord by surprise or off guard. I’m comforted by the knowledge that the Lord has allowed this diagnosis and He never does anything without purpose and for our (my) good.

My “house” is built on the “Rock” of the Lord Jesus Christ; thus, I will still be standing when Alzheimer’s has done it’s worst. As the Lord was with the children of Israel in the fire, He is with me and you, if you’re going through difficult times. Since I have a very low tolerance for pain, I suspect I will agonize with side effects or with reactions to medicine or procedures, but I will trust Him to get me through.

My conviction is that most of us expect God to protect us from these kinds of diagnoses, but the truth is, we’re members of the human family which means any of us is subject to any kind of disease or infirmity. As a child of God I’m not immune to the effects of evil in our world, among the worst evils are the diseases that attack and cripple us in virtually every area of our lives.

I remember well the times I sat by my dad’s bedside as Parkinson’s disease finalized their ravaging effects on his mind and body. He knew no one in his final days, but I’m quite certain there was Someone with him who had not forgotten him. The Lord is with me in this journey and, though it’s frightening on many levels, I refuse to feel sorry for myself or pretend I shouldn’t have to deal with such things.

Because I love Jesus doesn’t make me exempt from anything that affects my human family, but it also assures me that my spiritual family will walk with me through the trials and victories of my journey. I’m sensing the Lord’s closeness in this season and will rely on Him every inch of the road on which He has me travel.

Realizing that there are some of you who are also walking difficult paths, may I encourage you with these words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG): “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!”

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s the Problem?

“To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Matthew 13:12 NLT)

Steven Covey said: “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply.” Often, I hear someone say some version of: “I read the Bible, but I can’t understand it.” Admittedly, there are portions of Scripture that are difficult to understand at a casual reading, but every part of the Bible is understandable to those who are willing to pay the price of praying, listening, studying, researching, and doing some digging.

For years, even as a Pastor, because of what I perceived as not enough hours in the day, I would go to my favorite commentaries and make the assumption that the author did their research, so, I’ll accept their conclusion! Bad idea! Why? Not because they necessarily are wrong in their conclusions, but we rob ourselves of what the Lord has to say to US through that verse or verses.

My approach now is to listen to the Lord and record my thoughts, THEN go to the commentaries. Many times, the Lord says essentially the same thing to me as He did to the authors of the commentaries, but sometimes He will give me an insight into something specific He wants to say to me. For example, I love the story in Mark 5 about the demon possessed man who ran naked and screaming, bowing before the Lord. After the Lord delivers him, gives him clothes and restores his mind, the man, quite understandably, wants to follow Jesus, but in verse 19 Jesus told him “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful He has been.”

We have no timetable, so we don’t know for sure how long the man had been suffering, and at what point his presence in his home became unbearable for his family. What ultimately was the tipping point that sent him into isolation? Perhaps the Lord gave him insight into the potential he had to seriously hurt his wife and/or child(ren) without any intent to do so.

In my mind’s eye, as the Lord is speaking to this man, I see the Lord’s eyes look over the healed man’s shoulder to lock eyes with a desperate, yet very likely, doubting young woman in the now growing audience. As the Lord knows, it’s this man’s wife who has held out hope for only the Lord knows how long, that one day her husband may come home.

I imagine the man’s shock as he turns to walk away, only to come face to face with his bride, whom he feared he’d never see again. As they, hesitantly at first, embrace, he pleads with her to forgive him and allow him to come home. As they weep, I can see them holding each other as if they’d never let go. The years that have been lost, can’t be replaced, but I sense in my spirit that whatever time they had left together would be lived to the Lord’s honor and fame. Obviously, this is all conjecture, but I look forward to meeting this man in heaven and hearing his story.

Here’s the problem – if we don’t take time to use our sanctified imagination the Bible will never come to life for us. We won’t be able to see our pain in the lives of the Biblical characters, but more importantly, we’ll miss the healing and wholeness the compassionate Savior has for us, just like those He healed and made whole in His holy Word.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are We Hiding Behind Our Fear?

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” (James 3:17 NLT)

In the culture in which we now live we’re seeing a huge swing by people and Governments across our world to conform to the demands of groups demanding special treatment and favored recognition. Yet who stand for and live lives that are diametrically opposed to the truth of Scripture. At the same time, we’re seeing a heightened sensitivity to anything “Christian,” demanding believers in Jesus conform or be charged with a crime.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

It’s creating an environment among believers who conclude the safest thing is to just quietly live our lives and avoid any controversy. But is that God’s will? Is that what the Great Commission and other clear instructions of our Master Jesus is compelling us to do?

In the King James Version of the verse above “is always sincere” is translated “without hypocrisy.” It’s unfortunate that we too often hide behind our fear of being labeled a hypocrite or worse, rather than be bold in proclaiming the truth of God’s Word and of who our Savior Jesus is.

I’m encouraged by the words of John Stonestreet from a recent BreakPoint article: “The writer Sheldon Vanauken, author of A Severe Mercy, once wrote, ‘The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians—when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.’

Led to Christ by none other than C.S. Lewis, Vanauken does not suggest here that Christians should retreat from public displays of faith, lest their inevitable public failures lead to additional charges of hypocrisy. Rather, it is the opposite. What the world needs most right now is more Christianity, not less: more people committed to connecting ultimate meaning with everyday life, more minds sharpened by and formed in the truth, more redeemed people open to discussing what matters with their lost and searching neighbors, more hearts alive to both beauty and suffering whose hope is in King Jesus and His kingdom.

The final answer to the charge of Christian hypocrisy is faithfulness, not perfection. What the world needs most is the Church to be the Church, full of Christians who embrace their faith as personal but not private, and as not so much inviting Jesus into our lives as accepting the invitation into His life.”

It’s apparent in every word I read in Jesus’ teachings, He was never motivated by fear. He never backed down when threatened by the religious elite or governmental agents. He not only taught truth, He embodied Truth – He was and is Truth (see John 14:6)!

Truth doesn’t and shouldn’t need to be presented in an argumentative or offensive way, but it does need to be shared in clear and understandable ways. As Jesus followers we cannot be deterred in our efforts to win our loved ones, friends and neighbors to Jesus. Jesus doesn’t call us to quietness, He calls us to obedience.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s Your End Game?

“‘The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”’” (Matthew 25:21 NLT)

Why do you do the things you do for God? What’s your end game? Success? Recognition? Accolades? Profit? Praise? Ultimately, are you hoping for a pleasing outcome for you, or are you serving, giving, sacrificing, and celebrating Jesus simply for the gift He is to you? Honestly, sometimes we can get those things confused.

Yes, of course, I want to go to heaven, but is that ultimately my end game? Am I going through the motions of reading, studying, praying, serving, and so forth, just so one day when I die, I can go to heaven? With all that is within me, I certainly hope not! So, why then?

Photo by Maria Paula Medina on Pexels.com

Maybe another way to look at this would be to ask the question: “What is the end game of love?” Why do we love our spouse? Children? Family? Friends? Fellow believers? Neighbors? Ourselves? Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14: “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

What does that mean? It essentially means to love ourselves as God loves us. The word Paul uses in this verse is “agapao ag-ap-ah-o” It’s the highest and best expression of love. It means “to feel and exhibit esteem and good will to a person, to prize and delight in a thing.” (Strong’s) This is love that is based on an act of will, not driven or motivated by emotion. It’s a decision, not a feeling.

Rudolph Dreikurs wrote in his book Children the Challenge: “If you do the right thing, you’ll feel the right way about it.” In other words, we don’t feel our way to right actions, we act our way to right feelings. As it relates to our command to love one another, when we meet someone for the first time, we may or may not have a natural inclination to love them. They may be very different than us and not exhibit characteristics that are appealing to us.

In other words, we may not “feel” love for them; however, our command isn’t to feel love for them, it’s to love them period! What’s my point? In Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, He gives three servants different amounts of silver with the expectation that they would invest it for his benefit. It doesn’t say how the servants felt about their assignment or even how they felt about their master, only that they were given their assignment “in proportion to their abilities.”

God’s end game for us is that we would love Him as He loves us – voluntarily and without coercion. That we would decide to love Him, not based on how we feel in any given moment, but based on a decision we would make because of all He has done for us. Iain H. Murray wrote: “It is not ‘well done, good, and successful servant’ but ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’”

Ideally, we don’t love to get something, we love to give of ourselves so that God gets something – glory, honor, praise, and eternal worship. If you’re trying to barter with God – “I’ll do good things, if You’ll let me into heaven” – you’re not going to like the outcome. Our endgame must be God’s eternal glory, not just our eternal good.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Gloves of God

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” (John 12:3 NLT)

Have you ever longed for the courage of Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet? I’m quite confident that the expensive perfume was mixed with her tears as she dried Jesus’ feet with her hair. Can you begin to sense how awkward and uncomfortable the participants of the Passover celebration were? How uncomfortable might you or I have been? Yet, Mary’s boldness, not caring what anyone thought but Jesus, inspires me to be and do more than I ever thought I could for Jesus.

Can you smell the fragrance of her sacrifice? Close your eyes and ask the Lord to enable you to sense, not only the aroma of unrestricted love, but what that kind of sacrificial devotion might look like in your life and mine. The only way anyone can offer such an unselfish act of worship like Mary’s is to have no concern for what people think of them, except Jesus.

In some ways it’s like being willing to become a glove. Think of the jobs we do that we’d dare not do with bare hands. Cleaning the drains in our sinks or shower; cleaning up after our sick child or animal; working on the car; lifting or carrying a bulky or slippery item. There are dozens of examples, but it causes me to think of things that believers have done over the centuries as they’ve become the “gloves of God.”

Think of Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, David, and on and on up to and including men and women alive and allowing God to fill and empower them for service today that they can’t do without Him. And the most exciting part of all of that to me is – it includes me and YOU!

Carefully read these words of Dr. David Jeremiah: “We are the gloves of God in this world, but we’re useless unless we are filled with Him. We don’t even have the strength to lift ourselves up. But when we are pervaded and permeated with His Spirit, we operate in His power, not our own.

When we try to serve the Lord in our own strength, we struggle and end up failing. We must yield ourselves to Him, surrender to His total occupancy of our personalities, and let His power sustain and strengthen us as we serve Him. Rely on your all-powerful God to empower your Christian life and labor. His love fits into your soul like hands in a glove.”

What impossible adventure is the Lord inviting you into? What is it in your life that is literally impossible unless and until God’s all powerful Spirit fills and enables you? For me it’s reaching my lost loved ones. I’ve spoken, written, and reasoned until my wife said the other day that maybe it’s time for me to back off. At first, I was taken aback, but the Lord quickly assured me He was speaking through her.

It concerned me as I wondered: “But Lord, if I don’t seek to speak life into their lives, who will?” To which He promptly responded: “I will!” And, of course, He could have said: “And believe Me, I can do it way more effectively than you!” But in His loving kindness He left that part out.

And yes, there are times it’s appropriate to let God do what only He can do, but it also raises the question: “What’s He calling me and you to become His glove to do that only we can do?”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

How Desperate Are You for His Power?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why some Jesus followers have no fear and allow the Lord’s mighty power to flow through them seemingly unhindered, while most of us cower behind our excuses wondering why God rarely, if ever, uses us? God’s power is God’s power, so why the difference?

If you’ve ever watched those long, skinny dragsters race, you may wonder how they can go so fast. I’m sure there are many components, but one factor is their fuel. Their engines can’t burn regular gasoline like gas powered autos that drive on our highways, or even race gas. They require a special kind of fuel called nitromethane, which is how they got their name – Top Fuel Dragsters.

There’s a sense in which Jesus followers are “Top Fuel Humans” because we’re powered by the Holy Spirit of the all-powerful God. I love what Dr. David Jeremiah wrote: “You serve a God who can speak a syllable and bring stars into being. He can touch a leper and make his skin like a baby’s. With a word, He can calm a sea or summon a legion of angels. He can send fire from the sky, food from heaven, water from a rock, and frogs into Egypt. He can part the seas, stop the sun in the sky, make ax heads float, make a virgin conceive, and raise dead men to life. He can put coins in the mouths of fish and cast demons into the bodies of swine.”

It’s ironic that the same powerful Holy Spirit resides in each believer, but not every person who is filled with God’s power lives like it. My sense is there are lots of reasons that’s true, but the one that comes first to my mind is desperation. Many believers just aren’t desperate enough to allow the Spirit to be active in their lives.

Often, we’re not desperate for God’s power until we reach the end of ourselves. The phone rings and the news of our recent test isn’t good; there’s the screeching of tires and breaking of glass; a loved one dies unexpectedly; or your spouse says they’re leaving. There are as many things that happen as there are people, but the bottom line is, life is fragile.

David Platt wrote: “[God] puts people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.” On some levels it’s sad that we have to wait until we’re in a desperate situation before we get serious about our faith. It makes me wonder just how important the Lord is in our daily lives.

George Whitefield wrote: “Christ is worth all, or he is worth nothing.” If the Lord Jesus rarely if ever comes to your mind in the course of a normal day, may it be He’s worth nothing to you? Could it be your “commitment” to Christ is a mile wide and an inch deep? Perhaps you haven’t noticed that the daily news isn’t getting better?

Whatever the reason, if God’s power isn’t being evidenced in our life every day, we need to get on our knees and get desperate for Him to manifest His power in and through us to His honor and fame. We don’t need his power to live mediocre lives, we need His power to help those in our spheres of influence understand that time is running out, and they have a greater need for Jesus than they can even imagine.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Opposite of Joy

“What sorrow awaits you who say, ‘If only the day of the Lord were here!’ You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion – only to meet a bear. Escaping the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house – and he’s bitten by a snake. Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope.” (Amos 5:18-20 NLT)

Many today celebrate what grieves the heart of God. We express what we think is joy thinking we’re honoring God, when we’re only exalting ourselves and our wrong and distorted beliefs. These verses from Amos are not written to unbelievers, they were written to those whose twisted minds believed they were living for God.

In verses 21-24 Amos wrote under the inspiration of God: “I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”

As the late Tim Keller wrote: “The opposite of joy is not sadness. It’s hopelessness.” It’s like someone saying: “I wish I were dead!” Without Jesus, to die is to forfeit all hope and to cast your soul into a sea of darkness and hopelessness.

Joy isn’t the celebration of ourselves, it’s a byproduct of having the Spirit of God indwell us and living His life out through us. The only way to know if joy is alive in us is to give it away by living in a manner that renders glory and honor to Jesus. To know Jesus and to not share His life with those who are bound for hell is to hoard joy, and according to John Piper, “Hoarded joy rots.”

To rejoice in Jesus’ life alive in us without giving it away to those who are bound for hell is not only selfish, it’s hypocritical, with the result it dishonors the Lord. Joy isn’t an outward celebration of what’s happened to or for me, that’s gratitude. Joy is celebrating with the angels in heaven over one lost soul who finds their hope in Jesus’ forgiveness and new life (Luke 15:10).

Living for Jesus’ honor and fame isn’t about us, it’s all and only about Jesus. If we’re receiving praise and honor it’s misplaced, we don’t deserve it. Our honor will come from the lips of our Savior when we get home to heaven. Until then our goal is to so exalt Jesus that the very thought of us points people to the Cross.

Our joy will be complete when we’re walking the streets of heaven meeting the people who are there because of Christ’s life being lived out through us. We are conformed to the likeness of Jesus, not through our good works, but by faith alone in Christ alone. We are children of God by virtue of the faith we’re given, not by the faith we muster in and of ourselves.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9: “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Jesus is our Treasure! He’s the source of all joy!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊