Walking With Jesus

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 😊

Only One

“Commit everything you do to the Lord, Trust Him, and He will help you.” (Psalm 37:5 NLT)

Over the three years my wife and I have lived in our current neighborhood I’ve passed out several notes and invitations, rarely, if ever, knowing if they were making any kind of impact. So, for Christmas, as I delivered my note and invitation to our church’s Christmas services, I asked the Lord to give me 24 positive responses from people who would say “yes” to coming to church. 24 was an arbitrary number I chose that has no spiritual significance.

You know where this is going, right? Only one person said they would be coming to church. Failure? Not to me! Why not? Because there were others, not quite 24, but many more than I’ve ever gotten, saying they couldn’t attend, but would in the future. One couple who said “yes” has four children and are part of the Mormon church. I’ve been literally begging God for their salvation.

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But that’s not all. The Lord gave me an affirmation that “no” doesn’t mean “never,” only “not yet!” When I was single and my son was going through treatment for leukemia, my “ex” suggested I should ask my son’s nurse out on a date. Dating was the last thing on earth I needed then, but after a while I got the courage to ask her if I could take her to dinner.

A few days later she handed me a note that said she couldn’t because she was my son’s primary nurse, and it wasn’t allowed. Bummer! So, I went to my car and cried (I was very fragile in those days😊). Then, a few days later she handed me a note with her phone number and asked me to call her. So, I went to the car and cried again. (I told you I was fragile😊). By the way, we celebrated our 30^th anniversary a week before Christmas.

I’m not discouraged by the responses I received from my Christmas note because I know God is at work in the hearts and minds of many of my neighbors. I’m actually thrilled to be a small part of what He’s doing. Remember: Prayer is the work, then God works! His “not yet” is cause for celebration as I envision how He’s already working in the life of the one who came to church with us. She is planning to come again and bring her eleven-year-old son.

There’s more! My faith is strong for you, my struggling friend. Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “you’ve been waiting for God to come through. You want to be married. You’re waiting for Him to answer your prayer about having a child, raising a child. You’re waiting for that job, that heart change, that breakthrough, that answer, and it hasn’t come yet. Don’t panic. Don’t let impatience cost you the perfect will of God.

Premature babies aren’t as healthy as ones that are full-term. Premature solutions aren’t healthy either. Wait until it’s full-term. Remember the principle of Galatians 4:4, ‘In the fullness of time, God will,’ that’s when He’ll bring your answer, when it’s ready. So, stop whimpering, stop whining, stop trying to grab it before it’s ready. If you insist on having it now, you’re not going to like it!”

So, what do we do in the waiting? We pray! We prepare for the answer that’s coming! But how? By nurturing our own faith. By taking steps of faith that will assure we’re ready when the answer comes. What will it look like? I don’t know. I only know that the same God who opened the Red Sea for His children He’d miraculously rescued from Egypt is the same loving Father who will deliver you from whatever you’re facing.

God’s “no” didn’t debilitate me, it actually energized me. But why? Because He gave me the “first fruits” of His “yes” that is coming when He deems the time is right. Trust Him! But how? By moving forward in expectation and anticipation of what He’s going to do in and through you to His honor and fame.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Best of Breakpoint: Why So Many Are Choosing Couches Over Pews (Part 2)

*Dear friends, as we begin a new year, I wanted to share this vital message co-authored by John Stonestreet and Shane Morris. This is Part 2, so if you missed Part 1, please go back and read it before reading Part 2. Please allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read. Blessings, Ed

Like C.S. Lewis’ famous image of making mud pies in the slum when offered a trip to the seashore, we’ve baptized (and watered down) the habits of the world in place of the riches provided in the testimony of Scripture and the God-ordained practices of the Church. Why would our neighbors be drawn to warmed-over versions of the world’s leftovers?

In every age, a true and real Christianity finds much to critique as well as to affirm. If we aren’t willing to challenge the sacred cows of our day, if we aren’t up to preaching what Tom Holland called the “weird stuff” of our faith, we will find (and perhaps even now we are finding) that no one is interested in what we have to say because we aren’t saying much worth hearing.

Our embodied and relational nature, which required an embodied and relational salvation, is one of those things. Thus, the author of Hebrews warns his readers not to forsake gathering together “as is the habit of some.” And thus, when the Apostle Paul sought to explain the relationship between Christ and His Church, he invoked marriage. The love between a husband and wife symbolizes the love Jesus has for His Bride. The profound “mystery” to which Paul refers is the total union (body and soul) between the Savior and His saved people.

Our lives in Christ are just as physical as marriage. If you wouldn’t try a purely virtual relationship with your spouse, you shouldn’t try a virtual relationship with Christ or His people. Both require and deeply involve our bodies, and Christ could not have made this any clearer than He did by placing a family meal at the center of Christian worship, commanding us to “take and eat.”

Unless limited by a health issue, attending a house church, or using creative sanctuary furnishings, Christians should always choose pews over couches. And churches should choose the truth-claims and practices of Holy Scripture over market-driven research.

For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to colsoncenter.org.

Best of Breakpoint: Why So Many Are Choosing Couches Over Pews

*Dear friends, as we begin a new year, I wanted to share this vital message co-authored by John Stonestreet and Shane Morris. This is a 2-part series that I will share with you over the next two days. Please read carefully and prayerfully and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Blessings, Ed

Today, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns seems, at least to most of us, like an extended nightmare of yesterday. However, some of the ways that our lives changed have stuck with us. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans working primarily from home has tripled since 2019. Many people will never go back to full-time commuting, nor do they want to (though there are signs of a reset on the horizon).

Another change, one even more consequential for individuals and our society, is the large-scale exodus from in-person church services. According to Pew Research, though nearly all houses of worship had resumed regular, in-person services by this time last year, disappointingly few Christians had actually returned. There’s the church, there’s the steeple, open the door … but where are the people?

Researchers from t he Survey Center on American Life and the University of Chicago found that, last year, one-third of Americans admitted to never attending religious services, up from a quarter of Americans before the pandemic. They also found no lockdown-induced surge in atheism nor drop in religious affiliation. Instead, for the most part, “religious identity remained stable through the pandemic.”

Apparently, large numbers of people who once identified as Christians have decided they no longer need to attend church. While COVID may have been the impetus behind this exodus, the root causes are preexisting and go much deeper. Too many Christians think of church as they would an event, concert, or TED Talk, optional experiences that can just as easily be consumed remotely.

When combined with pastors and leaders who view the core purpose of church as evangelism rather than discipleship or worship and are therefore willing to do whatever seems to “work,” success is just as easily measured by logins and views after the pandemic as it was by attendance numbers and growth size before the pandemic.

Much is behind these shifting numbers. First and foremost, God continues to prune and winnow His Church, seeking the health of His Beloved. The broader cultural shift away from truth-claims and anything that smacks of traditional morality has only intensified in recent years. And, we should at least consider the possibility that the decline in both numbers and influence is, at least in part, a self-inflicted wound.

To be continued in tomorrow’s post. Blessings, Ed

Another Way to Live

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” (Philippians 2:14-15 NLT)

Ron Hutchcraft shared in a recent devotional: “Our ministry was being honored with a gracious award from a Christian foundation, and it was named in honor of a visionary pastor in a major American city. Before his death some years ago, he’d been a powerful spiritual force in that city. But he didn’t start out as a pastor. First, he was known and loved as a news anchorman for a major network station.

On the night that changed his life forever, he went to cover a gang shooting. He reported at the spot where the killing had taken place. The chalk outline of the victim on the street was still behind him. He interviewed a gang member from the neighborhood, and he asked him, ‘Have you ever thought about living another way; getting out of this cycle of violence?’

It was this young man’s answer that rocked him: ‘How can you think about another way to live when you’ve never seen another way to live?’ It was a question that ultimately caused that anchorman to change the whole direction of his life. 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?”

Does that remind you of anyone in your spheres of influence? A neighbor? Co-worker? Family member? Classmate? I think of the direction my life was headed before I met a friend who introduced me to his Friend who became my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you’re a believer today, you may have a similar story. Have you shared your story with anyone other than to someone who already knows the Lord?

You very likely noticed, but our world isn’t getting better on its own. Satan knows he’s a defeated foe, but that only inspires him to lie to and deceive anyone who will listen, and you and I know well, he has a lot of listeners. Are you aware that you’re the only Bible some people read? Your life may well be the difference between life and death for someone you know.

The reality is our life is either pointing people to Jesus or steering them away from Him. It’s easy for us to condemn people who are different than us, but our condemnation of them can push them further from the Lord to whom we want to lead them. What if we took our Savior’s directive and made an effort to speak with them, learn about them, love them rather than reject them?

Here’s the deal – you may be the best picture of another way of life they will ever see. You may be their only hope of finding wholeness, peace, and fulfillment in Jesus. Without you they may never find a better way to live.

Jacob Knapp was a fearless American preacher in the 1800’s who said: “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.”

My prayer for you, as it is for me, is that when we’re lying on our death bed, we won’t be tormented by thoughts of what we didn’t do; rather, we’d be blessed by remembrances of people whose lives we pointed to Jesus. The faces of the people we loved to Jesus will be passing across our remembrance as we await our angel transport into the presence of our beloved Savior.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Are You Prepared to Die?

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him. (Hebrews 10:27-28 NLT)

A question the Lord has laid on my heart that was recently confirmed by a brother who reached out to me after reading one of my articles, asks: “What do you think happens after you die?” Have you ever seriously thought about that? It’s interesting to me to realize how many people prepare financially for their death so their family will be taken care of but fail to make preparation for themselves spiritually.

Realizing millions, most likely billions of people have no clue what happens after they die, it becomes incumbent upon those of us who know Jesus to get the word out. Will everyone believe us? Likely not, but those who do will be eternally grateful. So, may I ask you: “Are you prepared to die?”

The implications of that one question are staggering when you give it serious thought. Joseph Addison Alexander wrote: “If men are prepared to die they are ready for anything.” Let’s look at that more closely.

Because I know where I’m going when I die, that I’m ready to face the Lord knowing my judgment has already been reckoned with on the Cross of Christ, there’s a very real sense in which my life no longer belongs to me, but to Him.

Baptism paints the picture of dying to self and rising to new life in Christ alone, by faith alone. So, if I’m already “dead,” of what do I have to fear? You can’t kill a dead man! So, if my ventures for the Lord Jesus demand my life be sacrificed in His service, as so many of His children have been and are being called to do, why should I even hesitate?

And on that note, I hope you’re joining me in prayer every day for our brothers and sisters all over the world who are literally laying their lives down in sacrifice for the King of kings and Lord of lords. The way things are going in our world currently, it may not be long before we’re called to join them, which heightens our need to come to terms with the question under consideration.

The reality is, as a Jesus follower we’re not ready to live until we’re ready to die. Our tendency as human beings is to protect ourselves from danger and certainly from anything that may threaten our life, and in many circumstances that makes perfect sense. But when the Lord calls on us to share our faith with someone and we’re more afraid that our reputation may be affected or our Facebook audience may criticize us, then there’s a problem.

Movie makers want to protect our sensibilities, but when Jesus hung on the Cross, He was naked and exposed in literally every way. He held nothing back as the soldiers gambled for His clothes. How dare we not risk everything for the sake of our Savior! What possible good does it do anyone for us to protect our reputation at the risk of someone going to hell?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must remove ourselves from the throne of our life and give Jesus full access to every detail of our being. Loved ones, friends, co-workers, and neighbors in our spheres of influence are dying every day unprepared to face the judgment due largely to our negligence. We MUST make a greater effort to help them understand what’s at stake.

What they do with the knowledge we give them is certainly up to them, but we’ve got to make every effort to warn them of the consequence of their neglect when they’re not prepared to die.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed

Are You Trying to Atone for Your Own Sin?

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:10-11 KJV)

Friendship with God isn’t something we earn or deserve, it’s a gift purchased for us by the blood of our Savior. The wages of sin is death, so in order for us to be alive to God someone had to die, and because of the Father’s great love for us, His only Son was sacrificed in our place to allow us to be one with Him. That’s “at-one-ment” in a nutshell.

The word translated “atonement” in the verse in Romans above means “reconciliation.” Think of a bank teller who at the end of each shift must reconcile the amount of money in their drawer with the amount of money that came in and went out. The word paints the picture of an exchange and literally means “adjustment of a difference.”

So, in much the same way as the bank needs to reconcile their intake and output of cash, and if it doesn’t equal, someone needs to make up the difference, so it is with our “balance owed” to the Lord for our sin debt. That’s why it’s always funny to me when someone thinks their personal goodness will be enough to earn them a place in heaven.

It took the shed blood of the only perfect human being who has ever lived to pay the penalty for my sin and yours. There’s no possible way that anyone, ever, could pay the penalty for their own sin. How do I know that? Because the Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Yet, amazingly, there are still those who want to try to be good enough to please God; they want to subsidize their “heaven” account with good deeds. Rob Turner gave an interesting analogy when he wrote: “Trying to atone for your sin is like scooping out the ocean with a teaspoon. Which do you want to hear? ‘Get to work’ or ‘it’s already done’”?

The miracle of new life in Christ is only possible by faith in His completed work on Calvary. Apart from the blood of Jesus there is no hope for anyone to make it to heaven. How do I know that? Because Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

Perhaps the simplicity of the process of becoming a child of God has people confused. Could it be we think it should be harder? More dependent upon us? Salvation from our sin is as easy as confessing our sin and placing our trust in Jesus, but walking with Him is anything but easy. Think of the original 12 disciples. Other than Judas who betrayed the Lord and hanged himself, 10 of the remaining original disciples were martyred. Only John died a natural death.

The truth is, following Jesus will cost you your life. Hear His words in Mark 8:34-35: “Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.’”

So, what will it be for you? Trust Jesus and give your life in His sacred service, or try to earn your own way to heaven? As for me – don’t cry when I die – I’ll be with Jesus!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Shaped or Shaken?

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11 NLT)

What do you believe “a life worthy of His call” should look like? We may not know everything Paul meant by these words, but there are a few things we know for sure. First, it’s God enabled. It’s a life dependent upon the God of heaven to enable us “to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” Which begs the question: “What is your faith prompting you to do?”

Again, Paul’s words give us clues. We know they’re going to be good things prompted by faith. That rules out anything the devil desires of us. It also rules out anything not prompted by faith. What does that mean? It means a lot of things we end up doing with our life aren’t motivated by God, but by selfish desire. How can we know for sure what we’re doing isn’t driven by selfish motives?

Largely by who benefits most from our good works, but also by how it affects us. All of life is a creative tension between bitter and sweet, pleasure and pain, joy and misery. Obviously, we’d prefer only positive things to enter our lives, but that’s not how life on this planet works. On some levels it’s like only wanting sunshine. I love the sunshine, but sunshine without rain makes for an environment where only very hardy plants survive.

The challenges and trials of life create moments that will either shape us or shake us, and which one we choose depends on our focus. And yes, it is a choice! We can focus with fear and trembling on the pain, death, violence, crime, hatred, and all the other negative things that fill our world. Or we can focus on the goodness of our Father in heaven who is making all things new and beautiful.

Admittedly, allowing the Lord to shape us isn’t simply a one-time choice, it’s more like a moment-by-moment series of choices. Loss is one of Satan’s most usable tools for it catches us in our most vulnerable moments. Without question, loss shakes us, but by God’s grace it can also shape us.

Each of us experiences tragedy, heartache, pain, frustration, anger, death of a loved one, friend, someone close to us, or in another form such as the loss of a job, relationship, income, and on and on it goes. And the irony is, each loss catches us by surprise. It’s like “Whoa! Where did this come from?” And it knocks us for a loop. But why?

Peter spoke to this in 1 Peter 4:12-13 when he wrote: “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.”

One thing I’m learning is that as Jesus followers it’s not only our responsibility, but our privilege to experience suffering and loss. Why? Because we grow exponentially in our pain when we accept it and embrace it as Jesus did. The Lord uses our trials to shape us and mold us into His likeness because there are things we learn in pain and suffering that can be learned in no other way.

Don’t allow the enemy to rattle you when you’re faced with challenges you have no resources to meet. Instead, turn with open hands to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and trust Him to meet your need and to bring good out of every attack the devil launches against you. The Lord didn’t make it out of this life alive, what makes us think we should?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Natural Instinct

“Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.’” (Luke 19:9-10 NLT)

Our natural instinct, our “knee jerk” response to losing something is to go into panic mode, then to begin an extensive search until what we have lost is found or hopelessly lost. Think of a lost key to your house or car; a lost pet; a lost wallet; credit card; job; or child. Obviously, some things we lose are a much higher priority than others, but I believe we get a glimpse into the heart of our heavenly Father when we allow ourselves to consider our state of mind, heart, and soul if we lose a child, not in death, but by carelessness.

What are often the first words out of someone’s mouth, irrespective of whether they believe in God: “O God!” Why is it that our thoughts automatically turn to God when something happens in our life that is out of our control? Is it simply a subliminal thought that surfaces when we feel helpless?

What if someone takes our child, not because we were careless, but because of something beyond our control? Where does our mind go then? Or what if they go out to play or out with friends and get lost, due to no one’s fault? Then you have a whole new set of scenarios!

Now consider how God feels when a person He created, and loves chooses a path that separates that child from Him. And yes, of course, there’s no way anyone can escape from God’s attention. God is ever-present, so He knows where every person on earth is in every second, but what if the “child” chooses to separate themselves from God’s intended purpose and desire for them?

Think of the prodigal son in Luke 15. One day he decides he’s finished with his father’s orders and demands and makes his own demand: “I want my share of your estate now before you die.” While it may be a demand most fathers today would flat out refuse, in the culture of Jesus’ day it wasn’t that unusual and would have been a very real scenario for His listeners of wealth.

If you’re familiar with the story you know that there was no apparent effort made to talk the son out of leaving or to locate him once he was gone. Somehow the prodigal’s brother seemed to know he squandered his newfound wealth on women and wild living, but the point isn’t what he did while he was “lost,” but what changed in his heart and mind to point him back in a direction of his father.

Enter you and me! Why isn’t our natural instinct as a Christ follower to pursue those who are “lost,” those who are wandering or who have wandered far from God? Isn’t our desire to have the heart of the Father? Shouldn’t “seeking…those who are lost” be in our DNA?

Sadly, it’s not for most professing Jesus followers, but why not? Do we not understand it’s not our responsibility to bring them home? If you think about it, we’re not going to change anyone’s mind anyway. That’s the Holy Spirit’s role. So, what’s OUR role?

Sometimes I wonder how the prodigal would have responded if his older brother had found him and showed genuine love for him, inviting him home? No one knows for sure, but this much I know – no prodigal will come home unless and until someone gives them a valid reason. If you’re a believer, what was it for you? Why did you decide to come home to the Father? Very likely the same reason the prodigal did – you ran out of options.

Who in your spheres of influence is out of options? Who is it that you love who might just listen to you if you’d show some genuine, God-inspired interest? Think about it. Pray about it. I believe the Lord will bring that person to your remembrance and will also give you direction in how to find and reach them.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊