Today follows the greatest day man was ever given–the day Christ arose. With this tremendous miracle of God for us, came freedom. For the disciples, Christ reappeared numerous times in the following days to help them realize the impact this freedom had for them and for the world. He also promised them the Gift of The Holy Spirit which came upon them only a couple months later.

As I’ve reflected this morning on “the day after” I am examining my own interpretation of the freedom offered to us today. It is not a different freedom for God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit are the same yesterday, today and forever. The freedom most importantly that Christ offers to us is first and foremost the freedom to know Him and to accept Him and to serve Him. Man keeps wanting to make this an assignment, a job, an action we take to show we are Christ followers. Somehow, I believe the greatest freedom Christ offered each one of us is the freedom to choose Him! I don’t care what bondage we live with. It can be bondage of our past, present, government, job, environment, culture or anything else–we have the choice to allow Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord. No one can take this from us!

The day after Easter, I rejoice and weep with joy at this personal opportunity to live for Him–Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord!

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!! This dynamic statement has been proclaimed each Easter since the actual time Jesus Christ did ARISE from the grave. The beautiful thing about the fact that we still celebrate this time in Christ’s life is because it is still just as true for us today as it was for the followers so long ago. The work of the Cross hasn’t changed and will never change for mankind as long as sinful earth exists. It is so good to relive this glorious event so we never lose sight of Christ’s miraculous work for each one of us.

The small group of men I’m meeting with each Saturday morning is going through a study called Conquer Series. It specifically addresses the topic of sexual sinfulness. The video we watched yesterday was a beautiful one explaining the difference between knowing and believing. It is not enough to know that Christ died for our sins–we can never break a habit until we believe this is true for me. When we know something, we see the something we know (the sin). When we believe something, we begin to see the reason (person) causing the belief to take root. Our eyes are no longer only on the sin, they turn to Jesus Christ who conquered the sin once and for all! I had told the guys at the end of the session that this one was a perfect lesson for Easter time.

When Christ died for each of us and when we ask Him into our lives accepting Him as our Savior, God no longer sees the sin in us–He sees His Son Jesus in us, replacing the sinfulness. This we have known for a good length of time. Now, it is a belief too! Today I believe God sees Jesus living in me. Not so long ago I would not have written this for myself hearing my dad’s voice saying you are so arrogant. Today I hear dad say, “No son, it is not arrogant to believe what God did for you and me. It is why He came in the first place. BELIEVE!”

There is something about growing older and working with younger folks. The determination of man that “I can do this” is strong. The need to see that I can do this on my own has not been bruised enough to know that “no, I cannot do this on our own”. Even when we are working on this reality in our sessions, one quickly returns to one’s own determination as one’s “go to” for help

Even at my age I find myself needing to address this weakness of man/me. Turning this determination into the strength that it is will look more like, “I will keep working on turning my struggles over to God confessing them one to another so God’s miraculous strength is put into power in our lives.” This is determination being used as God wants it to be.

Allowing ourselves to “be weak” so we can “be strong” is an oxymoron that has tremendous Spiritual Meaning. Keeping this reality alive in our daily living and helping others do the same is critical. This is a major focus of this morning’s session with the group of men. To God be the Glory for great things He has done and wants to do with each one coming. Learning to surrender is not a one time lesson.

Today is Good Friday. It is hard to see the Good when one knows the price Christ paid to have it called Good. Regardless of the price, He did it for you and me. What a glorious reality this is! Yes, Sunday is coming and He will arise from the grave and forever reign with Father God gifting us The Holy Spirit. But, for today, I want to not lose sight of the price He paid for my freedom and for your freedom.

Yesterday I went to see my prayer warrior. I wanted to catch her up with the ones seeking counsel and progress being made for the ones she’d been keeping in prayer. I have a couple of people I wanted her specific prayer and also prayer for how to counsel them. Before I left she prayed mightily for God to provide His Divine Wisdom. The amazing results should never surprise me, yet I am always taken back a step when I experience God’s handiwork. The session yesterday afternoon seemed to be exceptionally enlightening for the gentleman. Afterwards, when I went to Celebrate Recovery, I found that God had also answered the prayer I had for the other gentleman.

What man cannot and should not do, God is right here waiting for us to bring Him directly into the picture. Oh, how much I need to learn about daily surrendering and keeping our Heavenly Team: Father God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit at the forefront of all I do.

There are moments in time when one wants to stop the clock and just relish in the moment. I had one of those last night. There is a small group of men that were seeing me individually and I felt as though I should take them through a step study from our Celebrate Recovery program. They agreed to this so we just did lesson 3 last night which is the lesson on HOPE. One of the questions each one responds to identifies what their relationship with their Heavenly Father is like. A young man in his early 20’s who struggles with autism and I have been working with for 6 months now, responded that he really didn’t have a relationship with God and that was all he said. This wasn’t news to me for he had expressed this a few times over the months we’ve been meeting.

As the session continued and we got to the last question, it askes, “What things are you ready to change in your life? Where can you get the power to change them?” This young man said when it was his turn, “I think I’m ready to have a relationship with Jesus.” There was more he said here about the power to change, but I was so touched to hear him say what he did at first, I can’t recall the rest. I simply got teary and wanted to stay in that moment. I get teary now writing this.

This young man lost his mom when he was 13. She died during a surgery which wasn’t a life-threatening one. He’s been reared by a very kind father, but distant one. He’s been hurt many times by kids and adults due to his autism (his lack of social skills). He just hasn’t known what to do with God when those who hurt him were often church folks. This got more complicated when he spent two years at a Christian college. However, God knows how to reach all of His children and for this–I give thanks!

Someone I’ve known for almost 50 years came to see me yesterday afternoon for a counseling appointment. This person has carried a burden almost 40 years and now they felt they must face it. There are circumstances that have surfaced it and this was most troubling to them. It was amazing to see God working in a person’s life that one mostly sees God working through them. Instead of an hour session, it was over two hours, but ones well spent in getting the issue out in the open.

I found myself rejoicing that this friend was able to verbalize this troubling time that had been buried for so long. They were wondering, “why now?” But, it was easy to see why now when we processed the timing of now with God’s timing in their life.

God was so patient with me when I needed to face the trauma of my past and the people involved in it. I so easily see how this is now true when I see how God’s timing is used in helping others face their own secrets/bondage. God is faithful and true to His Word! What a reward it is to help someone find God’s faithfulness rather than His absence (which is what I had believed for so long about God in my own story).

There is a sense of calm this morning which I rarely have. I don’t have any particular reason for it–it is just present. The day has nothing too pressing in it, a couple of counseling sessions this afternoon. My yard work is mostly caught up. But, these circumstances are often what is in the day. The sense of calm I have is that sense of peace. All is OK for the moment. I can simply enjoy it and thank God for a moment in time when this can be known. So, thank You God!

My devotional this morning was bringing to light something I’ve never examined or had God bring to my mind in such a direct way. It was addressing God’s passion He has given to each of us and the jobs we have to sustain us/our family. The author of the devotional was equating Paul’s message when he was bringing the Good News to the Gentile nations. Paul was a tent maker by trade and he would continue to practice this trade during his ministry. He never expected to have a salary for his ministry work, this was the passion God had placed within him and he fulfilled that passion without expectation of salary.

Paul’s relationship with God/Jesus was built on trust. He knew his material/flesh needs would be met. If he had a struggle with this topic, he doesn’t say so. His words in I Corinthians 9:18 say, “So then, where is my reward? It is found in continually depositing the good news into people’s hearts, without obligation, free of charge, and not insisting on my rights to be financially supported.”

I must admit that I have struggled with the passion God has given me wondering “will I be a good provider” if I put the passion into action? Over my lifetime I’ve only found that God is faithful. I have never been in a place of “want”. God is so faithful and true. I want to live fully trusting Him!

No matter how hard one tries, the flesh is going to be with us. In fact, trying seems to complicate the matter rather than help it. Surrender seems to be a much better term to use when battling the flesh. Isolation is another key word of the flesh. When a struggle of the flesh is kept in isolation it will only flourish. Struggles of the flesh are like an ugly bacteria that will only grow in the darkness of a closet. Opening the closet door and exposing the LIGHT kills the disease.

As I am going through the 6-week series with the group on Saturday mornings, this truth about the flesh is tremendously exposed. We men are not good at letting our struggles be known. However, when we do and we begin to bring accountability into our daily living, the Light of Jesus shines into our lives like it never has before. What a loving Savior and Lord Jesus is!

As I live out each day in the world of counseling I find that in every case we are dealing with one’s flesh and the problems of the flesh. I hear the issues each one brings to the table and often I can see myself in the problem. If I don’t see myself, I can easily still see the problem. It is always of the flesh. As I was reflecting on this with Jesus this morning I was reminded that God is Spirit and He gives us The Holy Spirit to live within us. My request to God was helping me to separate my own self from my flesh and better access His Spirit. To live by the Spirit daily is no easy task when our flesh screams for attention.

I have never liked being of the flesh. Up until recent years, living by the flesh made me think I was just like dad. Then this morning Jesus reminded me that I am fully of the flesh and I am Earnie. The desire I have to live by the Spirit of God will always be present and the more I access God’s Spirit the more I will learn to live by His leadership. The flesh is where sin is rooted and I sure don’t want this dominating how I live. Helping others see this too is a daily goal.