Get Right With God

Matthew 11:20-24

All the mighty works Jesus performed from city to city during His brief time on the earth, were not done to make a name for Himself (He was already given a name that was greater than every name), instead, His sole purpose was to invoke change in the hearts of men, in hopes that they would repent. It’s important to note, Jesus never allowed pride to get ahead of Him as He ministered, because He was fully aware that God’s business was always priority over all else. If the only begotten Son of God never made attempts to promote Himself, then why are so many church leaders today, trying so hard to puff themselves up amongst their congregations, as well as in the world?

The purpose of pastors and leaders is to rightly divide the Word of truth, so that the members can grow in their understanding of what God expects from them, also to become better equipped, as they go out and win lost souls. It’s sad and unfortunate how many who stand in pulpits, will soon be judged because of their unbelief. Just because a man wears a nice suit, spews a few 50 dollar words, then shouts and sweats until someone in the audience runs up and throws money at his feet, doesn’t mean he’s going to Heaven. The Bible declares, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:11-12).

Judgment is coming to the world, but it’s first stop is at the house of God. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Follow In His Steps

Matthew 11:1-6

Sin left unchecked, can cause a man to commit some of the most damnable, and heinous acts. For this reason, those who have obtained knowledge of God, and are aware of the mysteries of the scriptures, should avoid sin at all costs. Salvation was granted to men, not for the purpose of abusing God’s unmerited favor, but so that mankind could be restored to their rightful place in God’s kingdom, and then have their true potential unlocked, so that God could get the most, and best out of their lives.

In the words of the infamous Earl Carter, “sin makes you stupid”. This is indeed factual. When we give in to the devil’s temptation, he sets us up for failure, then sits back, and watches us make fools of ourselves. I won’t even go into details explaining that, because… you know. All have sinned, and been left looking stupid, falling short of God’s glory. The more we mess up, the less time we have to perform good works. God wants us to make His name glorious in the earth, but only until our lives mirror the life of Christ, can we even begin to impact the kingdom of God in a positive way.

Contrasting the aforementioned results of sin by Earl Carter, walking in obedience to God makes one wise. When a believer acknowledges God in all their ways, then makes decisions based on the wisdom from above, it’s not likely they’ll slip and trip very often. In fact, they’ll probably be hated more than anything, by the world, and those who appear as sheep, but are wolves in disguise.

God guides His people on the paths of most resistance. This isn’t done because He wants to see innocent men suffer, but it’s because satan is anti-God, and will try everything within his power to use the church, to tear down God’s great name. What better way is there to defame the name of a parent, than to taint the names of their children?

The Saints of the most high God, must maintain His holy and righteous standard in these last and evil days. While we may not be able to give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, heal lepers, or restore hearing to the deaf, we can expound on the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the poor. Jesus was able to do all those miraculous things in His own divine power, but we, through His Spirit, can continue His legacy of winning men’s hearts to the Lord, through our bold and unadulterated proclamations.

Let your light shine, by promoting the message of the Gospel to the world. Your life is relevant, and has great purpose, but you must first realize, God allowed you to be in existence, not for your own pleasure, but to bring glory to His name. When our thoughts become subject to God’s authority, and our ways begin to follow after the footsteps of Christ, then we’ll begin to realize the true meaning of life; heaven and earth will soon pass away, but the Word of God will save us from eternal damnation.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

This Is He…

Luke 7:24-28

Are you familiar with the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? As a kid, I preferred to select books that had cool, colorful, and appealing covers. This was because, I expected the contents of the book to be worth reading, if the cover was enticing enough to catch my attention. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case. In essence, this phrase warns of the danger of passing judgment on a person based on their outer appearance, without gaining full knowledge of who they really are.

Take a moment to think back over your life, and consider those whom you prematurely passed judgment on, then found them to be pretty cool characters. One such character in the Bible who was prejudged because of his appearance was, John the Baptist. Unlike men who “preach” or “prophecy”, while choosing to dress in the finest apparel, eat choice meals, and make themselves known for self gratification and status, John chose rather to adorn himself in the most modest of garments (camel’s hair and a leather belt), eat rustic food (locust and wild honey), and preferred to preach and prophesy in the wilderness, rather than from the pulpit. Jesus, Himself was recorded as quoting, “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist:” (vs. 28a). This comparison of greatness is not absolute, but relative to certain aspects of the parties involved. In other words, there were other prophets who’s ministries were great as well, but Jesus was referring to the simple fact that John’s privilege and position to represent the Messiah made him greater than all the other prophets.

You and I may not have been called to be great prophets or the like, but we were commanded to be great in our duties as representatives of Christ. In this life, men may not recognize you for moral character, holy living, or obedience to God, but rest assured, God has read all the pages from the book of your life, and He knows how great your end will be!

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Soon, The Sighs Will Cease

Isaiah 35:3-10

Soon, and very soon, all our troubles in this life will be over. The long days and nights of struggling to make ends meet, will forever be changed, when Christ comes to receive His church. On that day, there will be no more stressing, worrying, wondering, contemplating, pondering, wishing, hoping, doubting, disbelieving, crying, moaning, hurting, yelling, screaming, shaking, kicking, running, hiding, or blocking out anything and everything that could potentially push us over the edge.

Soon, and very soon, the things we thought mattered in this world, will mean absolutely nothing. We concern ourselves with all the distractions the enemy floods in media streams, and cause ourselves to lose focus on the simple fact that God is still in control, while Bible prophecy fulfills itself. We lose hope in the power of God, when we make life’s problems bigger than He is, but His mercy is everlasting, and He knows that we are only human, and can only take so much. But, there’s no excuse to lose heart, even in a world of unyielding wickedness, because many before us endured worse situations than we’ll ever face.

Soon, and very soon, we won’t have to sigh anymore, because, “…God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev 21:4). Soon, the sighs will cease, then the rest of our days will be lived enjoying the presence of the almighty, all-powerful, and all-knowing God of all creation!

Don’t give up! Don’t give in! Do not quit! You’ve ran the race well this long, so trust God to give you strength to finish.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

The Unpopular Gospel

Matthew 10:16-23

Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ has never been popular in the world. Since the days of the disciples, even now, men have chosen to go after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, rather than submit themselves to the authority of God. Knowing that the world will always reject the Word of God, presents problems for those who make attempts to deliver it. Jesus warned His disciples, as they went out to preach, they’d no doubt suffer persecution, because those who were actually supposed to support them, were only using religion to gain status, and relevance among men. The message of the Gospel goes against the selfish doctrines men set as the authority during the time of Christ. But, Christ knew it would not be easy for His disciples to be accepted, and forewarned them of their inevitable opposition.

Majority of biblical events happened for a certain people, and a particular time, but this text can be applied to our day, as there are stark similarities in how Jesus described the people back then, to how men are today. Men who preached the Bible according to God’s command, were never accepted by the wolves who lurked in assemblies, seeking only to make profit off the people of God. Despite how impactful the Spirit of God works through a man, it’ll never penetrate the heart of someone unwilling to repent. The message of the Gospel also caused divisions in families, because while some had a heart to follow after righteousness, others loved darkness, rather than light. Jesus continued to warn His disciples how they would be hated by the world, but for His name’s sake, and if they endured to the end, they would be saved.

A true messenger of God will not deliver words to make a person feel good. Instead, they’ll try hard to convince all who are gathered in their midst, that the Word of God is true, sin separates men from God, and salvation is mandatory, in order to see the Lord in peace. Out of all the words that spew from a man’s lips, if his intentions are focused more on profit and prosperity, rather than soul salvation, then he’s more likely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Contrasting Lives

Proverbs 9

Saints and sinners live contrasting lives. On the one hand, sinners strive for long life in the earth, to accumulate large amounts of material resources, while aiming to live their best lives now. Conversely, Saints are blessed with long life, as they operate in wisdom, while preparing to live their best lives in the next life. The wisdom of God is the most essential element that guides the children of God, as they are led along the righteous path. It’s by God’s wisdom, believers are able to leave the ways of the simple, in favor of the truth. Many have died, even in God, for making foolish mistakes, because foolishness has the power to cause men to fall into sin. In addition, just one error, can open the door for all types of sinful habits.

It’s important that the children of God allow His wisdom to spearhead every decision they make. This is key to avoid veering too far off the path of the righteous, as well as having a greater possibility of an extended life. Many desire to live long, but why would God grant a person long life, if they have no intentions of living it to please Him? Without wisdom, we have no clue of what God expects from us, and this could cause us to develop unhealthy lifestyles. The text mentions how even foolish women are known to be clamorous (loud), simple, and lack knowledge (vs. 13). Not only does foolishness affect women, but foolish men are well-known for exhibiting acts of cruelty, shame, and dishonor as well. I often mention, these types of behaviors are expected from sinners, but Saints ought not be seen doing unseemly things.

God is real, and His wisdom is extremely effective, but we must be willing to receive it, and apply it in our lives accordingly. “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:7)

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Because I’m Happy!

Psalm 1

Some people consider happiness to be a temporary state everyone experiences throughout their life, but I’ve learned that some temporal moments of happiness can actually last an eternity. While that may sound oxymoronic, allow me a brief moment to indulge you with an explanation.

Our text actually begins with the term, “happy”, as the original definition of “Blessed” is happiness (according to Strong’s Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon). So, rather than read, “Blessed is the man…”, we can read, “Happy” is the man…”. That’s rather interesting, as this supposed temporal state of being can be enjoyed and appreciated every day. When we develop a desire to yearn for, and appreciate the Word of God, we’ll gain a greater understanding of the value of His written Word. When a man values a thing, he literally gets joy and jitters whenever he’s exposed to, or thinks on it. This is similar to a man who falls for a woman, and the more he learns of her, the more excited he becomes to desire her even more.

God’s Word is the richest, and most relevant source of knowledge on the planet, but I fail to understand how men can know what’s in the Word, and willingly reject it. I’m happy every day, because God offered me His free gift of salvation. I’m happy every day, because all my sins (past, present, future) were washed away, by the blood of Jesus (this doesn’t give us a right to sin willfully, and abuse God’s grace). I’m happy every day, because I can freely read, and study the Bible, without being persecuted, as many are in other countries, even to this very day.

It’s because of my happiness in the law of the Lord, that I willingly choose not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scornful men. Instead, I prefer to meditate daily on God’s inspiring and fulfilling Scriptures, so that I can always be positioned to produce good fruit, the works of my hands will prosper, and I’ll forever operate in the favor of our heavenly Father.

Are you happy, knowing that you have been made the righteousness of God, through Christ Jesus? If so, appreciate that state of being forever.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Through The Storm

Matthew 7:24-27

Seasons of hard times and struggles are guaranteed in life, besides death and taxes. Many who fail to accept this fact, and plan their lives accordingly, will no doubt fall victim to the consequences hard times bring. In a natural sense, the key to surviving any major storm is, having a solid foundation upon which a building intended to offer safety is constructed. If you were waiting out a storm in a building built on an established and proven foundation, the likelyhood of your survival would be great. But, if you waited out that same storm in a building founded on pretzel sticks, you’d probably soon be buried under everything that’ll undoubtedly fall on your head.

Enduring the storms of life is never an easy thing to do, especially when we place our hope in human efforts alone, but when our faith and trust rests in the hand of God, we’ll not only endure life’s struggles, but we’ll grow stronger from them. Hearing, and doing what God commanded in His Word, will solidify the grounds on which we stand, and the longer we stay true to God, the stronger and more solid our foundation will become. In the same way the proper mix of cement and water hardens over time, is how the faith of a Christian can become firm and unbreakable, the more time they spend doing the works of the Lord.

Avoid building your life on weak foundations, like two of the three little piggies, and imitate the third piggie, who built his house with a strong, solid, and durable foundation.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Family Matters

1 Corinthians 6:1-6

Every family has issues, and that’s a well-known fact. Whether a household is conventional (father, mother, kids, pets, bills paid), unconventional (single mother/father, struggling, little rascals), or from another planet (kidding), trouble will always find a way to rear its ugly head in some form or fashion. The key to effective problem-solving is, dealing with them as soon as possible, and keeping it all in the family (no pun intended – Archie Bunker). Problems within families should be handled head on, so that the source of each issue can be discovered, dealt with, and avoided in future situations. Life is tough by default, so eliminating issues in your own family is a great way to keep unnecessary stress and drama from disturbing your long-term peace and happiness.

Believe it, or not, problems even arise among the children of God. Say what?! You mean to tell me, church folk fight, argue, and bicker amongst each other? Sure nuff! The modern church has issues just as the churches of the past did. The difference is, the church was commanded to judge all matters amongst themselves, and not seek counsel from unjust world systems. The apostle Paul was in disbelief at the fact that the church in Corinth had members taking church matters to the unjust, and not the saints. Judging matters outside of the realm of godly wisdom would hardly go in favor of the purpose of the believer, so taking church business to worldly systems is shunned upon, and unwise.

If there’s no one in your church wise enough to handle even the most simplest of matters between believers, then I would advise you to find another church. God is forgiving, so seeking peaceful resolution should be our aim in resolving any, and every matter between our brothers and sisters.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

What Are You Preaching?

Ephesians 3:7-13

The purpose of proclaiming the Word of God is, to edify and build the faith of those who are in Christ Jesus. When the believer’s faith is strong enough to understand God’s will for their lives, they can then put their faith to work, by compelling others to come, and become partakers and fellow-heirs of the body of Christ. If faith comes by hearing the Word of God, then all who preach God’s Word, should seek only to strengthen the faith of those who receive their words.

The church was established to continue the representation of God’s holy way, from the time of the disciples, until now. It’s unfortunate how many churches have conformed more to worldly standards, rather than holding fast to the standards set by the early church. The original disciples, along with those who were commissioned to go out and preach the Gospel, were keen on delivering pure, and unadulterated words inspired by God. They were bold, effectual, and most important, they were humble.

Early church leaders suffered greatly for delivering the Gospel message, but the more they were persecuted, the harder they worked to win souls. The same can hardly be said about modern churches, as the preaching of the Gospel message has been altered to satisfy itching ears, instead of building the faith of believers. The apostle Paul set a prime example of how leaders should carry themselves among the body, and of all the things he was accused of in his past, Paul never allowed them to distract him from his purpose. The great apostle went so far as to consider himself “less than the least of all saints” (vs. 8). This was an expression of extreme humility, which kept Paul safe from allowing pride to settle in his heart.

Leaders today should live in such a way, that God gets all the glory from their lives, and they should seek none for themselves. The average preacher you see on TV nowadays, dresses better than movie stars, drives the most expensive vehicles, print their names and faces on all the material they sell, while preaching messages that are 2 percent God, and 98 percent hot garbage. God desires that all men come to repentance, but men who refuse to preach the truth, make it hard for those who are sincere in seeking a better life.

Judgment is coming to the house of God, but it saddens me to witness many being deceived, because of men and their lust for fame and fortune. To those who remain true to God’s Word, be encouraged, and don’t allow anything to keep you from falling short of God’s glory. Continue to preach the Word in season, and out of season. Be bold in your proclamations whether people want to hear it, or not. Always remember, God will hold you accountable for how you influence the minds and hearts of others. So, if your aim is to use the Bible to deceive for selfish gain, rather than edify the body of Christ, then you’re in line to receive very harsh judgment, from God Himself. “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23)

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell