Solomon’s request

1 Kings 3:5-14

Before taking on any major task or duty, proper preparation is essential to ensuring one’s success. For example, when firefighters receive a call of a burning building, they must be certain to bring all the necessary equipment to put out the flames. It wouldn’t be wise for the firefighters to bring gallons of ice cream, or butter to dispel the flames, instead, gallons of water would be more appropriate? In another example, teachers are advised to compose lesson plans, that will prove beneficial to their student’s academic success. The right lesson plan can be the difference between a child’s future success, or failure. One thing I’ve learned in life is, “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”, and trusting in the Lord is the basis of all great thoughts, plans, and ideas.

Following the reign of the great king David, his son Solomon was chosen to rule in his stead. The children of Israel were a great people, not only in fame and prestige, but also in number. In Solomon’s own words, he mentioned, “And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude” (vs. 8). Leading people, in general, is no easy assignment, so imagine trying to lead millions.

King David ruled successfully, because he allowed God to guide his hand, and from his example, Solomon learned the importance of submission to God. When presented by God, the opportunity to make any request, and He would grant it, Solomon surprisingly asked for wisdom. A more accurate description of Solomon’s request was, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad:” (vs. 9a). Solomon could have asked for money, fame, slaughter of his enemies, or anything else, and God would have granted it, but his heart was set on doing the work of the Lord, so his desires were in line with God’s will. God was pleased with Solomon’s request, and granted him the wisdom he desired, but also added riches, honor, fame, and conditional long life (if he walked in the ways of the Lord, and kept His statutes and commandments as David did).

If God asked you to make a request for anything, what would it be? Be honest. Would you ask for those things money can’t buy like wisdom, understanding, favor, or knowledge, or would you be so consumed in life’s affairs, until you’d seek pleasures of this would, that eventually fade away? I’ll be honest, I’d consider asking God for super powers like the ability to fly, breath under water, ability to touch people and instantly heal them, or X-ray vision (so I can see who’s responsible for always holding up the elevators at work…gets me so ANGRY!!!), but after pondering for a moment, I’d probably ask for something with a bit more spiritual significance, as Solomon did.

Seek to be wise in God’s eyes, and consider those things that are relevant to His will. As you plan and prepare for your daily duties, acknowledge God in all your ways, and He’ll guide you on the path of success. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7)

Walk in love,

Ell

Don’t give up, help is on the way!

2 Chronicles 29:3-11

Can you recall a time, when life had become so rough for you, until you literally gave up on everyone, including God? During this hard season in your life, it seemed like everything was falling apart, from having problems at work, home, and all other areas. Your money was acting funny, kids acting like power rangers, coworkers keeping up drama, and even your spouse didn’t make things better by adding more pressure to your already complicated situation. All you wanted was relief, but the One you needed most, you turned away from. Anytime we turn away from God, by default, we turn toward ungodliness. This is why most people get caught up in things they never imagined could influence them like doing drugs, drinking, or participating in unholy activities to cope with the stress and pressure they experience.

Unhealthy amounts of stress can even cause the most elite to stop praying, fasting, and trusting in the power of God. Only until we turn away from things set to keep us bound to our worries, and place our faith back in God, will we begin to see the hand of God move on our behalf. God sees our struggles, and knows that life can be uneasy at times, but turning away from Him does nothing except cause Him to withhold His blessings from us. Always remember, God isn’t moved by our tears, but by our faith.

A valuable lesson in reference to returning to God, is found in our text. During the time when the fathers of the children of Israel had turned away from God, the people suffered greatly for their father’s sins. They trespassed and did evil in the sight of God, forsook God, stopped going to church, turned their backs on God, and refused to give sacrifices to God, who had done so many great things for them. What sense does it make to turn away from the very One who provides, supplies, and fulfills all your needs and desires? This is why I don’t understand how children can turn against their parents, who literally give them everything! They’re provided shelter, food, clean clothes, rides to school, programs, and shopping centers, yet they are always ungrateful.

The children of Israel suffered, until Hezekiah began to reign. Unlike those before him, who turned away from God, king Hezekiah “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done” (vs. 2). Instead of following in the footsteps of men who lost God’s favor, the new king obeyed the will of God and did good in His eyes, clinged to God, opened the doors of the church and repaired them, and removed all the filthiness out of the holy place. Restoring oneself back to God requires cleansing of the inner man first, then he can bring forth actions that please God.

No matter how tough life gets for you, NEVER turn away from God. Seasons of trial and testing will come, but they’re only scheduled in your life to prove your level of faith in God, build character, and encourage those around you (if you remain strong throughout). “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”
(Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

Keep your house clean

1 Kings 8:22-30, 52-53

The time of year when many people put forth great effort to tidy up their homes is during springtime. Throughout the year, we find ourselves accumulating and storing up things that tend to pile up in our closets, garages, or under our beds. Most of what we store could either be given away to someone in need, or thrown in the garbage. A clean house, is a healthy one, and makes a home worth inhabiting. Not only do we benefit from keeping our houses clean, but they become attractive to those who desire to visit our homes. Can you recall a time when you received a last minute notice that you would be having company, but you knew your house was like a jungle inside? No matter how much you tried to clean and put things away, there wasn’t enough time to set things in proper order. To avoid being caught off guard by unexpected guests, or just to keep a healthy home, scheduling regular deep cleanings is always the wise choice.

When God knocks on the door of your heart, what will He find inside? Do you keep your heart clean daily, and avoid storing up things that can cause harm to your spiritual house? How often do you perform deep cleanings of your heart, mind, and soul? Maintaining a clean heart is essential in walking effectively in godliness. Even when we pray, God hears the petitions of those who’s hearts are pure, and motives set on pleasing Him. When you interact with others, you’ll have more positive experiences when your words and actions flow from a clean heart. On the contrary, when we harbor negative vibes on the inside, our behavior may tend to offend, or make others uneasy, while in their presence.

God stands at the ready to answer our prayers, but until our hearts are clean, He’ll turn a deaf ear to our requests. When king Solomon prayed to God for continued blessings over Israel, His requests were granted, because he came to God in the right posture, and position. When we approach God, we must also come correct, if we expect to have our desires granted as well. Don’t allow things that are unhealthy to your spirituality to accumulate in your heart. Instead, take time daily, and ask God to purge you of anything in your heart and mind, that would keep you from obtaining your blessings. “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”. (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)

Walk in love,

Ell

No room for pride

Ephesians 4:1-8, 11-16

As I often write concerning the importance of unity amongst the body of believers, I find it necessary to always reference the similarities of the human body as well. Every part of the physical body, from the smallest detail, to the most prominent, is important. Without feet, the body would experience great difficulty moving from place to place. Without hands and arms, we would have issues working diligently to earn our keep. Our eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, were all uniquely designed to make God’s most wonderful creation a masterpiece! Even eyelashes were designed to protect the eyes from small particles such as dust, sand, or debris from entering and harming the eye. Contrary to the belief of evolutionists, every part of the human body, was, and is necessary, in order to perform as God designed it to.

The church of the living God, consists of one body with many members, that operate under the leading of one Spirit. Every person born again into the body of Christ, is important. It matters not one’s age, ethnicity, our background, because when a person gives their heart to God, they instantly become a shining light in Christ’s body.

When we become followers of God, He bestows gifts to us, that we are expected to make wise use of, as we edify each other, and build up His kingdom. Although gifts vary in their operation, all are intended to be used solely for the purposes of godliness. God is wise beyond any imagination of man, and He desires that we grow in wisdom as well. He also gave some certain positions, from which the body could be perfected, and the work of ministry increased.

The purpose of church meetings, Bible study, and all the things men do to promote the Gospel is, to help believers reach a level of maturity, where they grow to the point where men can’t deceive them with “every wind of doctrine”. This is why unity is so vital, and the church should always be on one accord in their beliefs. In the same way we feed our natural bodies, and exercise to develop strong muscles, we are to also build our spiritual muscles as well, by meditating on God’s Word, praying without ceasing, and taking time to fast, so that we can tune out our natural desires, and focus solely on spiritual ones.

Each member of the body of Christ, must take pride in what God has called them to do. Whether you were called to teach, preach, or simply be a supporter of a ministry, “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (vs. 1). Walk in humility, and learn to appreciate the diversity of God’s gifts in others, so that you’ll never get jealous, or grow envious of how God works through your brothers and sisters. You are special to God, and unique in your own way, so learn to love yourself, and who God made you to be, and continue maturing in all things that are pleasing to the Father.

Walk in love,

Ell

A house of prayer for all people

Isaiah 56:3-8

The earth is filled with people of varying beliefs, customs, and religious backgrounds. According to a few reliable sources I researched online, there are more than 4,000 religions worldwide! It’s amazing to see, how of the two original religions (Abel – service to God, and Cain – service to satan), such a great number have been established in the earth. The problem with having too many religions is, while only one is right (James 1:27), the others were undoubtedly birthed out of rebellion, disobedience, pride, and other negative reasons. God is always right, and His Word has withstood the times from the beginning, until now. Even as the people in ancient times struggled to resist the temptations of false doctrines and religions, we today must also guard against all teachings that are contrary to godliness.

Unlike most man-made religions where works alone (not always good works) validate one’s right standing in such beliefs, God desires first, that men submit to His righteous will, then good works will prove each man’s confession. Regardless of what a person believes willingly, or by force, the Lord is always ready to receive any man who seeks to follow His way. Just as God accepted strangers, eunuchs, and all who were outside of His chosen people, in our text, God awaits to bless anyone who freely surrenders their own will, for His. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

Walk in love,

Ell

Serve with a smile

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Those who labor under the umbrella of hospitality, are required to always work with a smile, because good customer service is a valued element that can make a major difference in a guest’s time away from home. Whether the work day is easy breezy, or hectic beyond belief, hotels and other hospitality businesses aim to give high quality service to all who enter their doors. Many who leave their homes to travel, or simply get away for a moment, expect to be treated better than where they left, so it’s imperative that all who render services to guests, maintain a healthy level of humility, to avoid causing travelers to regret leaving their homes in the first place.

Two things I admire most concerning the apostle Paul are, his boldness in proclaiming the Gospel, and his humility in his service to others. From being transformed from the head persecutor of the church, to the hardest working apostle of God, Paul never allowed his position, nor the pressure of men to cause him to forget his humbled beginnings. There are many who convert from sinner to Saint, then forget that humility is priority in godliness. These persons usually allow pride to take over their minds, and end up hurting themselves, and others. But, Paul was indeed grateful for the sacrifice of Christ, that allowed him the opportunity to change from a life of service to the enemy, to standing on the front line for God.

Being eternally linked to his past (in memory), Paul considered himself “the least of the apostles”, because he knew the seriousness of his past crimes. Nevertheless, he chose not to wallow in his mistakes, but to use his past as fuel to work diligently, and in humility, as he represented the God of Heaven and earth.

As you work day-to-day on your job, seeking to please those who are in authority over you, do you put forth the same effort in service to God, toward others? In the same way good customer service is expected of literally every hotel or resort employee, God expects all who call Him Lord, to walk in humility consistently. It’s in our humility, where soul-winning begins. As the old saying goes, “you’ll catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar”. In the same sense, you’ll win more people to God by being nice, than being rude. So, put a smile on, and let the peace of God rule in your heart today.

Walk in love,

Ell

Forgive each other generously

Colossians 3:8-13

📢 WILL THE REAL CHILDREN OF GOD, PLEASE STAND UP!!! It’s hard these days to discern what a true Christian is, because many who claim the title aren’t fully convinced of what it truly represents. In my opinion, it would be better for the world to label a person a Christian, based on the lifestyle they represent, rather than proclaiming oneself to be a Christian, while living contrary to godly standards. To be a Christian is simply, to be like Christ. That’s it! It’s not too hard to comprehend, is it? Well, let’s examine what Paul describes a follower of Christ to be. In our text, it’s mentioned that before a man comes into the knowledge, and acceptance of godliness, he is living as the “old man”, and this man operates in ungodly deeds. But, when conversion is made, the “old man” is put off, and the “new man” is put on. With the “new man” comes new, and holy deeds, that are based on the knowledge of God Himself.

The best way to tell whether a person is serious about their Christianity is, to examine their attitude and behavior. Just as a tree is known by the fruit it bears, a man is defined by the character he portrays. The “old man” produces fruit of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, lying, and many other vices. Have you met anyone who claims to be a Christian, yet produces such vile fruit? There are millions who walk the earth, proclaiming to be followers of Christ, yet their behavior is nothing close to what He represented on the earth.

The church was commanded to be holy, and live in such a way, that those who are lost can see the light of God’s glory, shining in their lives. When a man truly loves God, the Holy Ghost makes it easier for him to do those things that seem hard. For example, forgiving those who wronged you, isn’t always an easy thing to do on human strength alone, but when your motivations are aimed on pleasing God, He’ll give you strength to make those hard decisions easier to handle.

“If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Eph. 4:21-32 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

Forgiveness of sins against another

1 Kings 8:31-32, 41-44

One of the worst things an injured person can do is, leave an open wound unattended to. When we get cut, or wounded, it’s important to care for the injury immediately, before matters turn for the worse. According to advancedtissue.com, when it comes to wound care, there are a variety of mistakes people make that worsen their injury. Whether it’s using the wrong dressing, forgetting to check for debris or ignoring a cut, omissions of at-home wound care steps are bound to happen. One of the more serious side effects of failing to efficiently treat an injury is wound infection, which can eventually lead to grave ailments such as skin disease, cell mutation, or even disability.

The seriousness of caring for an open wound, is equivalent to the severity of forgiving those who have sinned. Just as injuries left unchecked can develop into more severe conditions later, refusing to forgive others, can cause all types of mental and spiritual problems, which could be difficult to remedy later on.

An injured body part affects the entire body, yet all members must continue to commit to maintaining their duties, despite apparent setbacks. In the same sense, when a fellow believer falls short of God’s glory, it’s imperative that we continue to do our part in God’s kingdom, and not allow minor setbacks to cause us to falter as well. In those dreadful moments when my shoulder would dislocate, I still had to walk, see, hear, and function, despite dealing with that painful circumstance.

The body of Christ must remain strong, even in times when our brothers and sisters fall. For this reason, forgiveness is key to keeping unity amongst the Saints, because no man or woman is better than the other, and we are all precious in the sight of the Lord. Knowing this, we should never hesitate to forgive those who sincerely seek it, or we could be responsible for causing more damage in the long run, than good.

Walk in love,

Ell

Pray for all secular leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-6

When was the last time you sincerely prayed for an enemy? Better yet, have you ever prayed for someone you strongly dislike? To those who become Saints, it’s natural to care for those who fight “the good fight” alongside them, but it’s even more important to “…love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 KJV). Not all men live in obedience to God, and their lifestyles are usually contrary to holiness, but that doesn’t give the children of God the right to judge, nor treat them any different than they would a fellow believer. The reason Paul instructed Timothy to pray for all men, including sinners, was because God desires for “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (vs. 4). Every man and woman, at some point in life, had to make the decision to give up the world, for God’s salvation, so how can we willingly treat sinners as if they weren’t deserving of the same opportunity God provided to us? After sin tainted the earth, all of mankind was unfit and unworthy to be in the presence of God, but because of Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for everyone, we now have a mediator between God and ourselves. The next time you get the urge to judge someone in sin, look back on your life, and remember, you were once the same person you’re attempting to judge. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

Solomon reviews temple developments

1 Kings 8:14-21

🎵🎶 When I think of the goodness of Jesus, and all He’s done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah, I thank God for saving me 🎶🎵. Sometimes in life, the perfect antidote for stress, worry, doubt, unbelief, or anything that tends to weigh us down is, taking thought of all the good things God has done for us. Seriously consider how blessed you truly are, and you’ll gain a greater appreciation for simply being in existence. Life may get tough, at times, but as the saying goes, “tough times don’t last, but tough people do”.

God made everyone unique, and with a purpose to fulfill. The more we grow in the knowledge of God, the more clear our purpose becomes. The more we understand our purpose in God’s plan, the more we can contribute to kingdom business. The more contributions we make in God’s kingdom, the stronger our witness becomes, which in turn, builds faith and hope in others. Can you think of a few contributions you’ve made recently in the kingdom of God? As a child, I desired to someday, build shelters to house the homeless and destitute. It’s always sad to see people on the streets, with no food, clean clothes, or shelter, so I would often close my eyes, and wish I could zap every homeless person I saw with my magic finger, and make them wealthy and healthy in an instant. Although I was never in a position to fulfill that desire, I’m certain God honored the very thought of my little heart.

Even when king David desired to build God a temple, and was denied permission, God said to him, “Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart” (vs. 18b). All our thoughts and desires should be set on doing things that please God, and bring glory to His name alone. Oftentimes we find ourselves in unfavorable situations, because we make attempts to build up our own names, instead of God’s. But, when we seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, He’ll make certain to supply all our needs, according to His riches in glory. Continue to trust God in all things, and keep your thoughts pure, holy, and invested in doing good things for others.

Walk in love,

Ell