He Draws Us to Himself

 

Seek the Lord while he may be found …

—from Isaiah 55:6

As we rise to begin another new day, we likely have many tasks we must undertake this day. Some of those taks will be fraught with difficulty. Others will have a sense of mindlessness about them. Still others may even have a bit of joy woven into the fabric of the task. No matter what we feel about these many tasks we must undertake this day, let us heed these words from Isaiah 55:6-7:

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their waysand the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

In the matter of seeking, we must always remember that, before the foundation of the earth, God chose those of us who belong to Him. He has made Himself available to us. He sent His Holy Spirit to point us toward Himself. And, God always stands ready to be found by us. He has drawn us into His mercy, grace, and love. And, in His great love for us, God provided His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the one and perfect sacrifice for our sins. God made provision for us to become reconciled with Him, through the blood of His Son, Jesus. God gave us His Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us along the pathway of life. Our Savior now sits at the Father’s right hand, making intercession for us.

If we respond to God’s calling and answer by seeking this One who loves us with His unfailing, undying love, He will open His arms and welcome us into His Presence. There we will find true freedom and a great outpouring of His joy, peace, and everlasting love. And, the tasks of the day will gain a proper perspective.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Let Peace Prevail

 

Peace I leave with you …

—from John 14:27

So many people seem to live their lives drenched in turmoil. Slogging through this angry fight and that one leaves people exhausted and filled with despair. In our current situation where, more and more, we seem to be at war with one another over political, cultural, and spiritual issues, it becomes very easy to invite frustration and discouragement into our lives. The confusion caused by the stress of our disagreements introduces chaos and misery into our daily walk. Is it any surprise that many people wonder:

“Is it possible to find peace?”

Here’s a very appropriate thought to begin a new day, taken from the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ, found in John 14:27:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The Prince of Peace offers true and lasting peace to all who belong to Him. So, dear friend, as one who belongs to the Great King Jesus, receive His peace this day. Christ always welcomes us to receive His divine peace. His peace awaits us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Precious Friendship

 

“Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.”

—Isaiah 32:3

Here’s an apt reminder:

If we truly love someone, tell them often that we do. If we appreciate the joy that someone brings into our lives, acknowledge that often. If we feel gratitude for who someone is to us, don’t keep that to ourselves because we think it’s not “cool” to say it out loud.

Our decidedly evil American culture has convinced us that we should cavalierly take for granted far too many relationships. Yet, the reality is that each friendship is precious. We must determine to live our lives in such a way that we will have no regrets because we failed to tell someone how much he or she means to us.

We must understand that, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are loved by Him and He continually intercedes in our behalf with God our Father. This is the kind of love that Christ has for us. That is the kind of love—God’s agape love—that we must have for others. Part of loving others is telling them how much they mean to us. And, we should frequently tell our blessed Savior how much He means to us, as well.

 

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Evil Never Wins

 

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous …

—from 1 Peter 3:12

 

At 2:49 p.m. EST on April 15, 2013, two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street, killing three people and injuring 264 others, many very seriously. The dead included Krystle Marie Campbell, 29, a restaurant manager from Medford, MA; Lu Lingzi, a Chinese national and Boston University graduate student from Shenyang, Liaoning, China; and Martin William Richard, an eight-year-old boy from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, MA.

Certain events that occur during the course of our lives merit our remembering them. This is one such event, for it represents the personification of evil. Nothing can justify the intentional taking of innocent human lives. That this bombing took place in response to a radical perversion of a particular religion makes it all the more tragic.

As believers in the life-transforming power of the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ, we understand that the question we should ask is not: “Why did this happen?” Rather, we should ask: “What can we learn from this terrible event?”

I suggest that one thing we can learn is that evil will never prevail. Said another way: evil will never win.

It is fitting that, as we mark another anniversary of this horrible event, it falls a mere eight days following Holy Week this year. How fitting, for the very death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ set a marker in the sands of time. He conquered sin, and death, and evil. The bonds of Satan were broken at the foot of the cross. Death gave way to victory when Jesus rose from the grave.

As we continue celebrate our triumphant Lord and King each day, among other significant events, let us remember the destruction that evil caused in Boston thirteen years ago. But, let us also recognize that evil is an already-defeated foe. Evil will never win. The love, mercy, and grace of God will always prevail.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of this horrible bombing in Boston, I searched the internet and, to my amazement and to my somber delight, I discovered a poem written a few days after this terrible bombing by a woman who was obviously moved by this event. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the author of the poem was actually a high school classmate of mine.

Now, nearly 61 years have passed since we graduated from high school. During that time our paths had never crossed until that internet search reconnected us twleve years ago. It is really quite amazing how God can use events to reacquaint us with very special people from our distant pasts. Here then is the poem, which perfectly expresses the reality that comes out of a tragedy that occurred at 2:39 p.m., thirteen years ago:

Never Win
You will never win, but you try
For no bounds your ego knows
You take captives
But only those who allow
Because your power is a sham
An illusion, no depth, built on sand
Beauty drives you crazy
It must be marred and made ugly
For beauty and truth belong to your enemy
The one you want to be, but never can
You thrive on lies
Pain and cruelty your sidekicks
You need them, no strength of your own
Truth can’t be destroyed
But you twist and stretch
Making distortion and perversion
It is no use, you will never win
But you don't know
Devoid of wisdom, you keep trying
But you will never win.

—Jackie Nuzzo

Copyright © 2013. Used with Permission.
All Rights Reserved.

 

Let us daily remember that Christ has won the victory. Praise God that evil never wins!

 

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Conversation on a Plane

 

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.;

—2 John 1:6a

Not long ago, we celebrated Holy Week. I remembered a conversation I had on an airplane the week between Palm Sunday and Easter more than twenty-five years ago. It was an early morning Delta flight from Hartford to Atlanta. I sat quietly in my seat with my Bible open to the Psalms.

“Are you a Christian?” my seatmate asked?

“I am,” I replied.

“I’ve never understood what Christianity’s all about,” he continued. “What’s the main thing?”

As I pondered how to answer, I thought of a gospel song I had learned as a teen: “I Surrender All.” ¹ I realized that this song describes what following Jesus is all about—surrendering my will to His will.

As this song played in my head, I had the privilege of very gently and tenderly sharing with my seatmate what following Christ meant to me. He asked a number of questions. I tried to carefully answer each one.

As we landed in Atlanta, he thanked me for sharing with him. Did he eventually become a Christian? I don’t know. But, I felt very honored and grateful that I had the opportunity to talk with him. I hope that I planted a seed in his heart and mind that God would water and bring to bud.

As we, each one, strive to remain faithful to the calling God has given us, may God grant each one of us a soul-enriching week, as we remember each day the sacrifice Christ made for us on the Cross.

_________________

 

Here’s a video of one of my long-time favorite groups, Max Mace and The Heritage Singers, with their rendition of this song. ² I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

______________________

1 The classic hymn “I Surrender All,” written by Judson W. Van DeVenter and composed by Winfield S. Weeden in 1896, is in the Public Domain. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that, in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

2 The Heritage Singers’ version of “I Surrender All” is a performance of a hymn in the Public Domain, written in 1896 by Judson W. Van De Venter and Winfield S. Weeden. The specific 2002 audio recording by the Heritage Singers is copyrighted by Heritage Singers USA, Inc. (Gospel Heritage Foundation), P.O. Box 1358, Placerville, California, 95667, U.S.A. Please note that, in each case, whenever citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Embrace Our New Life!

 

The acts of the flesh are obvious: … hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

—from Galatians 5:19-21

Sometimes, hatred and negativity seem to prosper within certain families. It’s almost as if seeds of hatred and negativity have been passed down from great-grandparents to grandparents to parents to children. Have generations past sown seeds of disharmony and discord in us that flare up to cause breaks in our relationships with family and friends?

If so, we need to embrace the new life God gives us, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul reminded us in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

If we have acknowledged that the Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, we must now embrace our new life. We must put aside our hurts and grudges. We must say “No!” to the discord that has separated us from friends and family. Instead, we must let the agape love of Christ flow out from us to touch the life of everyone who crosses our pathway.

Let us determine to turn our backs on those seeds of negativity that were sown in us so many generations ago. Instead, let us embrace our new life in Christ. Otherwise, we will never change what we continue to tolerate.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Warning to the Church - Part 8

 

20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

—The Book of Jude

We ended the last blog post wondering what to do if we discover that the kind of people Jude describes have wormed their way into the leadership of our churches and have set about pushing true believers out of leadership roles and out of the church. These evil people, who bring corruption to the church—that is the rupture of the core—diminish the effectiveness of the ministry of the church. They profoundly damage the people of that church, especially the young people. In fact, they do such damage to the young people of the church that the effect of their corruption lasts for at least two or three generations.

Faced with such an overwhelming challenge to the cause of Christ, the Apostle Jude hastens to end his short letter with clear instructions to the true believers, who want to turn this damage around and heal the wounds inflicted on the church. Specifically, Jude suggests the following:

• Build yourselves up in the most holy faith. Take the steps necessary to increase our own faith. Spend time in God’s written Word. Implant the Truth of God’s written Word deep within our hearts and minds. Build a point of reference against which we can measure every action, to make certain it aligns with God’s revealed instructions.
  
  
• Pray in the Holy Spirit. Such a prayer is not a weak, pleading, selfish prayer. This is warfare praying. This is pounding on the gates of heaven. This is significant time spent—both alone and with other believers—beseeching God to act decisively to protect the church, restore wounded believers, and uproot those with evil intent.
  
  
• Keep yourself in God’s agape love. In some ways, this is one of the hardest instructions of all. In the midst of a soul-wrenching battle against the forces of evil, maintain a protective barrier around ourselves with God’s unfailing, undying love. This goes against every fiber of our natural beings. When we’re attacked, diminished, disrespected, and forced out, our natural inclination is to rise up in great anger and utterly destroy those who have wounded us. But, this is not God’s way. And, Jude reminds us that we must face our attackers wrapped in a protective cocoon of God’s agape love.
  
  
• Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wait? Wow! But, we don’t want to wait! We want action, now! We want to overthrow our enemies. We want to haul them out into the streets and stone them. We want to beat them with the clubs of righteousness, until they scream for mercy, sob in asking for forgiveness, wail in repentance, leap to make restitution, and humbly beg for restoration. (Frankly, I can’t even write these words without laughing at our foolishness!)
  
  No! Instead, we must wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. He, and He alone, will be the One to bring justice.
  
  So, we who have jumped to our feet and drawn our swords, must put those swords back in their scabbards and sit down. Now is not a time for such action. It is a time to wait for the mercies of the Lord to overtake those who have ruptured the core—those who have perpetrated evil in our midst.
  
  And, it may not happen in our lifetime here on earth. Some matters may never become settled this side of heaven. Some evil will not be overcome until Christ returns. We may step from this life into eternal life without ever seeing the resolution of the horrible deeds that have been done to us and to our churches.
  
  
• Be merciful to those who doubt. Keep proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, with love and with honesty. Make every effort to build up those who doubt or are weak. Stand in the gap for those who are not strong enough to stand for themselves. At every turn, give glory to God, by sharing with others the power that comes from the Holy Spirit.
  
  
• Snatch others from the fire and save them. Remain watchful for those who have strayed too far from the fold. Go after them in God’s agape love, and gently restore those who have strayed away.
  
  
• Show mercy, but don’t become corrupted by their sin. Stand firm on the Truth of God’s written Word. Extend mercy to those who do not deserve mercy. But, we must guard ourselves, so that we will not become stained by the evil that has driven them to sin.
  
  
• Receive a closing benediction. Receive from God a blessing on our lives, and rest in the security of knowing that we belong to God through Christ.

This brings our examination of the Book of Jude to an close. I sincerely hope that the lessons of this short, but amazing, Book will remain with each one of us throughout the days, weeks, and months ahead.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}