Ready Or Not, Here He Comes!

Matthew 25:1-13

🎵🎶 Be ready when He comes. Be ready when He comes. Be ready when He comes again, He’s coming again so soon. Don’t let Him catch you with your work undone. Don’t let Him catch you with your work undone. Don’t let Him catch you with your work undone, He’s coming again so soon 🎶🎵.

Soon, and very soon, Christ will return to this earth, and His coming will fulfill the prophecy that reads, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev.1:7). Whether you believe in God, or not, doesn’t change the fact that this world will soon be quenched in unbearable flames, then made anew with the new Heaven (Revelation 21:1). Based on this simple fact alone, one would assume all men would strive to do what’s necessary to avoid the coming judgment on the earth, while seeking to be in right standing with the Creator of all things. Unfortunately, many people reject the truth of God’s written Word, and choose to trust in the wisdom of men.

It matters not how much we prosper in material things, because all things will eventually pass away, and not one carnal thing from this earth will be transferred to the next life. Christians should maintain a steady and direct focus on living holy now, in order to live in peace for all eternity. There’s no time to waste wallowing in frivolous matters, gossiping, arguing, fussing, fighting, and bickering over senseless things. Instead, we should be grateful for life, and use every breath proclaiming the goodness of the Gospel.

Of all the things you say and do throughout a day, how much of that is centered on kingdom business? Do you truly live to please God, or are you preparing only to have security on this decaying planet? The Bible teaches us how to live, until Christ returns, so get in the Word, and stay there. Forget those things that are behind you, that only brought you hurt, pain, and shame, and look forward to the life God has prepared for you, in His eternal kingdom.

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

Ell

Play It Again

Psalm 119:97-104

When I hear a song, or watch a movie I really like, I can play either on repeat for weeks, or even months, and not get bored. Knowing every word to the song, or all the lines of each character from a movie, I’ll still find great pleasure from enjoying them, no matter how many times they are played. Call me crazy, or even insane, but when I really like something, it brings me joy everytime I’m entertained by it.

A thought crossed my mind the other day, about how many people literally get bored from reading the pages of Scripture. I can admit, when I began to study the Word of God in my early years, I didn’t find it to be as pleasurable as some portrayed it to be. I would often fall asleep, if I read more than two chapters of a book, because I would lose interest, and prefer to watch the game on ESPN. But, as I matured in godliness, and actually tasted God’s Word, I discovered that it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life!

The Word of God is rich in knowledge, and instruction on how to carry oneself as a child of God, so when I read the Bible nowadays, I hate to put it down, because God continues to reveal things in familiar passages, I had not noticed times before. Even if I’m watching a YouTube sermon from one of my favorite teachers, I can watch and rewatch their videos over and over, while still gleaning from their words of wisdom and inspiration.

It’s obvious to me now, that the more of God we have in us, the less space the world can occupy in our hearts and minds. When we love God more than anything else, we’ll even refrain from taking sides with evil men, because our godly understanding will help us discern what’s good for us, and what we are to separate ourselves from. Taste and see for yourself, that God’s Word is worth more than anything!

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

Ell

Saints vs. Ain’ts

Proverbs 8:8-14, 17-21

Is it possible to tell time, from a clock with a broken display? How could one determine the time of day, if the sun, moon, and stars all refused to give off their light? A clock with a damaged display is rendered useless, because what it is expected to produce, is non-existent. In the same manner, without the light of the sun, moon, and stars, the inhabitants of the earth would be left in a confused state. A Christian who chooses to operate outside of the wisdom of God, will discover that their efforts to please Him will be futile. What’s expected of a child of God, can only be brought forth from a sound mind, and wisdom from above. Just like the clock with no display, a professing believer is unable to produce good works, nor keep the commandments of the Lord, when they lack His wisdom.

According to king Solomon (the wisest man to ever live), wisdom is the principal thing. In other words, Christians should seek first to obtain God’s wisdom, rather than gold, silver, rubies, and all things that the average man desires. Nothing that exists on this planet compares to the value of wisdom. While it’s good to have nice things, without God’s wisdom to show you how to keep those things under subjection, pride, arrogance, and other evil ways can easily creep into our hearts unawares. If you claim to be a child of God, and lack His wisdom, think it not strange when the world gives you confusing looks toward your ungodly behavior. The world is expected to produce corrupt fruit, but when they see a believer, they should only see “fruits meet for repentance.” (Matthew 3:8). Allow your actions and behavior to prove what you truly claim to be.

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

Ell

Love/Hate Relationship

Proverbs 8:32-36

When a man truly loves God, he’ll learn to hate those things offered by the world. This present world is anti-God, and seeks only to promote sinful living, over the righteous living God promotes. The Lord gives wisdom to those who desire to obtain, and understand His life-saving knowledge, and directs their thinking (with His Spirit) to cater to desires that are pleasing to Himself. When we realize the true value of the Word of God, we’ll begin to lose interest in the many distractions and temptations that are set daily before us, by satan and his ungodly servants.

As a Christian grows in their relationship with their heavenly Father, their desire to want to please Him will greatly increase, in the same way a child does their best to please their natural father. It does the heart of a father good, to see their child excelling in academics, sports, music, or even exhibiting consistent good behavior. God smiles on His people when they willingly obey His Word, and seek only to mature, and get better at learning His ways.

When we love the wisdom of God, we’ll hate walking after man’s foolishness. When we love the grace of God, we’ll hate missing a moment to thank Him for giving us blessings we don’t deserve. When we love God’s everlasting mercy, we’ll acknowledge daily that He alone is worthy of our praise. When we love God’s presence, we’ll hate when the enemy tries to distract us with unhealthy music, TV, or other media that disturbs our moments with the Father. When we love God’s justice, we’ll hate witnessing social injustice, racism, and police brutality. When we love the truth of God’s unadulterated Word, we’ll hate when men lie, and use deception to take advantage of innocent people, especially those who do it from the pulpit. When we love the salvation that brings everlasting life from God, we’ll hate the fact that in these last days, men will be willingly ignorant of this truth, and set themselves on the path to eternal damnation.

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

Ell

Back To The Basics

Proverbs 8:22-31

According to traditional educational systems, the fundamental foundations of learning are centered around reading, writing, and arithmetic. Although “The Three R’s” expand in depth, different skills in the minds of children, they are all dependent upon each other, yet are better appreciated the more a child develops more understanding of each. Once a child has a good understanding of the concepts of reading, he can then progress more in the areas of writing, and mathematical principles, but without a firm grasp on reading, all other areas of learning will be difficult for the child to grab hold of.

Growing in godliness, is attributed to three important concepts as well. These areas include wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Bible teaches that when we get wisdom and understanding, we are then able to represent God the way He intended us to. Wisdom is not to be forsaken, but promoted, because it will preserve, keep, promote, bring honor to, and deliver a crown of glory to all who are led by it.

The wisdom of God was purposed to keep the children of God functioning properly in the earth. We are taught in the scriptures to walk in the ways of Christ, but in order to do it effectively, wisdom must be present for that to even be possible. The more we operate in wisdom, the more we’ll develop a better understanding of the knowledge of the Word of God.

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding work hand-in-hand to keep the Saints rooted, and grounded in holiness, therefore, “Get wisdom, get understanding: forsake it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5-7 KJV).

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

Ell

G. P. S.

Proverbs 8:1-7

Having a keen sense of direction is very important to those who often traverse different cities, states, or even countries, as well as those sailing on the open seas. Finding your way around your own community can at times become a hassle, so having the right sense of direction always proves useful when searching out a place or thing. In the past, men would use the stars as a means of finding their way from place to place, but today, we use navigation systems in order to make finding places easy, and to avoid getting lost.

Knowing where you’re going, removes doubt and worry, while replacing them with trust and confidence. This is how navigating through life with God’s wisdom as your guide, supports the Christian. Many start out well, trusting and believing in God to direct their paths, but over time they tend to confide in their own abilities to help them make decisions. Would you trust a tour guide to lead you on any nature adventure, when they have no sense of direction? You’d be better off using Google Maps to guide you on your way.

To those who are in God, and God in them, wisdom guides them in all areas of life, from the moment they accept Christ, until they leave the earth. God never wants His children walking blindly in this decaying world, so He gives wisdom to them, so that they’ll be guided along the righteous path.

Not only does wisdom guide men in the ways of holiness, but it also helps them control the words that leave their lips. I’ve heard some say they are Christian, but after hearing some of the words they spoke, I was convinced they were on the same payroll with Samuel Jackson. Wisdom will keep you from speaking perverse things, and fill you with right things. If you squeeze an orange and apple juice comes out, it was never an orange to begin with. In the same manner, if you squeeze a Christian, only words that are pure, lovely  and wholesome should come out.

Wisdom helps us in all things, seeking only to keep us in right standing with the Father. Be sure to allow the wisdom of God to take the reigns of your heart, because only then will you have a sure guide to follow, as you strive to be more like Christ.

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

Ell

The Trials Of Faith

Job 42:10-17

When you suffer in life, do you automatically think it’s the direct result of some hidden act of sin you’ve possibly committed? Although sin does allow for bad things to happen to the believer, there are also moments when God will schedule a season of suffering for His children, as a means of testing the level of faith they have in Him. Serving God is a beautiful thing, but when our hearts are fixed on fulfilling His purpose in the earth, we are sure to ruffle the feathers of those who oppose righteous living.

Job experienced God’s scheduled season of suffering first-hand, yet proved to God, his confused wife, and misguided friends, that no matter what comes against him, nothing has the power or ability to turn him away from the Father. Through all the terrible things Job experienced, including the death of his ten children, losing all his famed wealth, and being stricken with a physical illness seemingly beyond healing, not once did this man sin against God.

One of the iconic verses in the book of Job is, “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (42:10). How often do we cry, moan, and complain to everyone, during hard times, when God only wants to prove to satan, that our faith in Him will remain strong, despite spiritual and physical attacks. Regardless of the occasional hardships we are certain to encounter, we must not forget, we are still beyond blessed! God loads us daily with benefits including, life, health, and the freedom to read and study His Word. When bad things happen, rather than get worked up and full of worry, see your situation as an opportunity to show the enemy his efforts to turn you away from God, will be futile. And, when you stand in the midst of your attacks, while praying for those who misjudge your faith, God will turn your situation around, then bless you with more faith, strength, peace, joy, and love than you had before. Stay blessed Saints.

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

Ell

Rich And Righteous

Job 1:1-5

In times of plenty, it’s easy to get caught up in the abundance of our wealth and possessions, to the point where we forget who’s ultimately responsible for giving us increase. God is the source of all our needs and supplies, so when He blesses us, it’s only right that we humble ourselves, and seek Him the more. Not only does the world take issue with those who are wealthy and righteous, but satan also keeps a very close eye on those who serve God faithfully, while not allowing their wealth to change them.

Our text introduces Job, a man from the land of Uz (which was located south of Edom and west of Arabia), who was considered perfect and upright, and was known as the greatest of all the men of the east. Job was the ideal example of how to remain humble, while living with wealth. Job never allowed his possessions to possess him, as he continued to do those things that pleased God. Job was also blessed to have ten children, who gathered often to enjoy each other’s presence. As a good father should, Job kept his children covered in prayer, and would often make sacrifices to God, on their behalf, in case they may have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Although salvation must be received according to God’s standard, there’s nothing wrong with a parent bringing their children to God, in prayer, knowing He’ll keep them covered and safe, long enough for them to eventually give their hearts to Him.

Many of those who are familiar with the story of Job are aware of the events that occur in the upcoming verses, but it’s good to know that God can still be praised above all, no matter how blessed you are with material wealth.

If God were to bless you abundantly, would you allow your increase to change the way you serve Him? Would you get so consumed in buying things you couldn’t afford before, or spend your days traveling to different countries, while forgetting that God blesses you, so that you can bless others? Well, some may actually get the opportunity to live in this life with abundant increase, but be warned, the more God blesses you, the more humble you should become. As Job was obedient to God while being rich and righteous, make sure you keep yourself submitted to the will of God, when He trusts you with more than enough.

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

ELL

Foolish Gospel

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Men who refuse to believe in God, consider the Gospel message foolishness. Also, what these same men believe in, will determine their overall perspective on life. A fool is incapable of retaining the knowledge of God in their hearts, because they lack the desire to understand the reality of God’s sovereignty, and prefer to remain free of holy standards. Men reject God, because they enjoy the mental freedom to live as they please, but their ignorance will inevitably be their demise (if they die in their sinful state).

Jesus commissioned His disciples to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15-16). God often gets blamed for man’s downfall, but when people willingly reject His free gift of salvation, they set themselves up for a life of shame and misery.

In our text, the apostle Paul expounded on the fact that God’s foolishness is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. In other words, the message of the death of Christ for man’s sins sounds foolish to all who don’t believe, but Jesus arose from the grave, and His resurrection revealed His power over death, and that same power will save those who believe, from eternal death. The simplicity of this fact causes many to refuse to accept God, but if they come out of their state of pride and rebellion, God will allow for them to receive His wisdom, that will enable them to grow in knowledge and understanding of His wonderful, powerful, and saving Word!

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

Ell

How Bad Do You Want It?

Proverbs 2:1-11

When we desire something, like we really really want it, we’ll go through great lengths to obtain it. A man who yearns to be with a specific woman, will do all he can to study her, so that he can do all the things she likes, in hopes of winning her favor. Men have been known for buying women cars, expensive clothing, and even jewelry, hoping they’ll eventually fall for them. Real women desire things that are more fulfilling, rather than material things, but men still try nonetheless. Another example is, how college scouts go over and beyond, to try and convince high school student-athletes to enroll in their school, and athletic program. They sacrifice time and money, to schedule visits to meet and greet with the child, and their family. Some have even been fined and put in jail, from taking risks like buying homes and cars, in order to convince the family that their university is worth attending. People have done strange things, to prove that what they desire, is worth fighting for. Unfortunately, most of those things offered little to no eternal value. If men sought diligently to learn the knowledge of God, more than they do worldly things, their lives would produce entirely different outcomes.

Many who claim to be Christians, struggle with understanding their purpose in life. One reason this happens is, they neglect to handle the first steps in growing, and maturing in God. The Bible teaches that we are to incline our ears unto wisdom, hide the commandments of God in our hearts, and seek after knowledge and understanding wholeheartedly. When it comes to understanding things like the stock market, politics, and other worldly interests, men go all out to understand all the juicy details, so they can gain an advantage in obtaining benefits for themselves. But, when it comes to pondering through verses of scripture, to gain a better understanding of what God expects from us, we automatically become lax, and prefer to hear sermons from televangelists, or YouTube. Why is it, when some people read the Bible, they always get sleepy? Hmm… in any case, it’s imperative that we obtain, and utilize the wisdom God gives, so that our souls can be kept, and our bodies preserved.

Do you desire God enough to spend at least an hour per day, meditating on His Word? If not, what is currently taking the place of the time God deserves? Always remember, only what you do for Christ, can impact your eternity in a positive way, but lacking a desire to grow in godliness, proves that the love you should have for God, is being invested in something else.

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

Ell