God’s wondrous deeds for all people

1 Chronicles 16:19-27

Up to this point on the timeline of life, there’s not much more God needs to do, to prove to the world that His love is unconditional, His grace is sufficient, His mercy is everlasting, and the truth of His Word has yet to be disproven. I can boast in the Lord all day, because He is well-deserving of it! God is so good, until it’s impossible for anyone to count all the good things He has done for them, because He does things for us that we don’t even notice, at times. Whether God grants us a blessing that’s small, or great, all thanks, praise, honor, and glory should be aimed in His direction.

Countless examples of men and women in Scripture rendering thanks to God for His many blessings, were recorded so that we would have more than enough evidence to prove, without God, we can do nothing to advance in His kingdom. Without the wisdom of God, we wouldn’t be able to discern right from wrong. Without God’s love, we would be easy targets for the enemy to influence us to entertain hate, and all the negative attributes that are tagged to it. Without the grace of God, it would be impossible to receive the free gift of salvation. Without mercy…..my oh my….we would get all that we deserve for our participation in sinful activities. Without the Word of God, we would be lost souls wandering through life, like a man journeying through the wilderness without a compass.

God has done, and continues to do great things for His people, but He not only looks out for His own, He also has compassion on many who are lost. God blesses His children, not so they can boast in things, or flaunt as if they’re better than anyone else, instead, He wants us to boast in Him, while declaring His glory to all nations. The world needs God, and many who are lost have no sense of direction how to find Him. This is where the Saints come in; to live as examples of godliness, in the midst of a dying and troubled world. Our lives are to be light, or knowledge, that leads and guides those who lack the knowledge of God, or are in darkness, to the Truth. God desires to do wondrous deeds in the lives of all people, but there must first be a willingness to change, a turn from sin, and acceptance of the true and living God as one’s savior.

Walk in love,

Ell

God’s forever covenant

1 Chronicles 16:14-18

In the book of Genesis, God made multiple promises to Abraham, and established a covenant with him, that continues to this very day. In chapter 12 of Genesis, God promised to make of Abraham a great nation, bless him, make his name great, make him a blessing, bless those that bless him, curse those that curse him, and allow all families of the earth to be blessed through him. Those were some hefty promises placed on the shoulders of God’s chosen vessel. Fast forward to chapter 17 of the same book, and we find where God established His covenant with Abraham. Aside from giving him a name change, God promised to multiply the seed of Abraham exceedingly, and made known that he would be the father of many nations. God also added that He would make Abraham exceedingly fruitful, make nations and kings by him, and give him and his seed the land of Canaan. As long as Abraham was obedient to God, and stayed true to His plan, things always worked in his favor.

God didn’t choose to do great things through Abraham because he was a perfect man, instead, God saw His perfect faith, and that he would be consistent in obeying the voice of the Lord. The same principle applies to all believers today. God has also promised to perform great things in our lives, and He stands at the ready to manifest them, but we must remain aligned to His will and purpose, so that there will be no reason for us to miss our blessings. God’s love is everlasting, and those who remain faithful to Him until the end of this life, will enjoy that same love in the next life, for all eternity!

Walk in love,

Ell

God’s gracious compassion

Psalm 106:40-48

Have you ever heard of the doctrine, “once saved, always saved”? In other words, there are men and women who preach, the moment one gives their heart to God, they are forever joined to Him, and nothing can keep them from seeing the Father in everlasting peace. Does that ring a bell? I’ve heard men speak that phrase since my childhood years, but I never developed an opinion on it, until I matured in godliness.

God loves every man born into this world, especially those who come into the knowledge of His Word, and commit to His ways. The compassion of the Lord has been known to rain on the just, as well as the unjust, because He has no respect of persons. God also devised a predestined plan for every individual to carry out on the earth, but whether those plans are actually carried out, is based on one’s personal choice. When we choose to follow after the things of God, He will direct us in the ways we should go, but when we make a choice to follow our own path, we align ourselves with others who will eventually miss God’s mark, and be judged according to their disobedience.

In our text, God’s chosen people, the Israelites, put Him through an emotional roller coaster, in the same way an undisciplined child does to a loving parent, as they constantly went against His will. Despite all the miraculous and wondrous works God performed for the people, they willingly chose to delve into things He warned them to stay away from. “Many times did He deliver them; but they provoked Him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity” (vs. 43). For their continual disobedience, God allowed many unfortunate circumstances to overtake the people, in an effort to persuade them to turn away from all ungodly behaviors. As long as the people remained in their disobedience, they were never at peace, but when they cried out to God, He “regarded their affliction”. It’s important to note, God never went against the covenant He established with His people, but when they willingly did things contrary to their agreement, all promises were nullified, until repentance was in place.

The question remains, is “once saved, always saved” legit, according to Scripture? No, because if a person accepts Jesus as their savior, then willingly turns away from following after Him, they’ll be left to fend for themselves under their own wisdom, until they wholeheartedly turn back to God, and His gracious compassion. In natural life, it’s difficult to help a man who refuses assistance. In the same sense, God will withhold His hand from those who live outside of His covenant, until the moment they are ready to repent, then He’ll welcome them back to sit at His table.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV).

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 KJV).

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

God’s saving deeds

Psalm 105:1-15

The past few lessons, I’ve expounded on the importance of giving praise to God, but how does one truly render praise, to a God who is beyond amazing? Growing up in a pentecostal background, I’ve been accustomed to seeing men and women praise God with loud, and hyped expressions, but the more I matured in the Word, I realized that praise can be offered in a number of ways. While crying out to God, and reverencing His name with exuberance is in no way shunned by the Father, there are times when praise can be as simple as remembering some of the many things God has delivered us from, and simply bowing our heads.

When thinking back on the goodness of God, some are inclined to sing, others call upon the name of the Lord, and many make known His deeds among fellow believers. How exciting it is, to think on those times when we were stuck between a mountain, and a hard place, then God miraculously delivered us! In the same way the man who was lame from his mother’s womb, was miraculously healed at the hands of Peter, sprung up, and begin walking, leaping and praising God for his healing, it should never be a problem for us to do the same, when God brings a great change in our lives.

There are times when we allow the struggles of life to cloud our thoughts until we forget some of the things God does for us, but the Father never forgets, and watches to see how we respond to His goodness, in the midst of suffering and pain. Do you appreciate what God does for you? Are you overwhelmed with things in your life, that you fail to notice the blessings God has placed right in front of your eyes? Stop swimming in the pool of frustration, and float above all your cares and worries, so you can see all the many blessings God has prepared for you.

Walk in love,

Ell

Response to God’s generosity

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

One of the easiest ways to understand a person’s character is, to monitor their response when something is either added to their life, or taken away. If someone randomly gave you ten million dollars, with no negative attachments, would that gift make you a better individual, or worse? Conversely, if your house got broken into, and all your valuable items stolen, would you become better, or bitter, after the incident? While it’s unfortunate bad things inevitably happen to good people, there’s always an opportunity for an individual to grow from every unfair experience they face in life. I’ve always been a firm believer, if a person is ungrateful without much, they’ll only get worse if they were to stumble upon a financial blessing, while those who are humble, and pure of heart without having much, will more than likely remain in the state of humility, if they were blessed with great increase.

The proper response to any blessing is, to give thanks to God, because He provides for every man on the earth, the necessities of life. While many live consistently, without giving thanks to God for all the many blessings He provides daily, the body of believers should never go a day without offering to God thanks and praise for EVERYTHING! “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Its God’s will that His people never forget that He alone, is their provider, and that they should offer continual praise and thanks for His awesome acts of goodness. Offering praise to God isn’t something that sprang up recently, but it has been practiced since the beginning of creation. There are even beings in Heaven that offer praise and worship to God on a continual basis. “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:8-11). If heavenly beings offer perpetual thanks in response to God’s generosity, why can’t we? Everyone alive today, owes God a “thank you”, for simply allowing them to see another day. With all the plans, goals, ideas, and thoughts running through the minds of men, none of them would ever come into existence, except God first allow them life to bring those plans into fulfillment. Many people are so caught up in themselves, until they neglect the fact that they actually need God for literally everything.

Before you lay your head to rest tonight, count all the blessings that are in your life, then thank God for every one of them. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” (Psalm 68:19)

Walk in love,

Ell

All nations invited to worship God

Isaiah 45:20-25

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). God takes delight in seeing His people working together in harmony. Not only does He take pleasure in seeing the Saints joined together, but He made it a standard for the body of Christ to make a habit of assembling together, as often as necessary. From the children of Israel in ancient times, to the new testament church, unity has always been God’s focal point. We also learn from the apostle Paul, as the end of time draws near, we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. The world is divided, and people have joined themselves to all types of false and unhealthy religions, so it’s essential that the children of God remain in good fellowship with one another, so that the glory of God can continue to be shed abroad through their lives.

God’s love extends far beyond human comprehension, but we are blessed to experience it on various levels in this life. Not only does God want His children to enjoy the benefits of His great love, but “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God desires that all people from every nation surrender their hearts to Him, because life without God, is no life at all.

There’s no one else like God, in heaven, or on earth. He alone holds all power in His hand, and sustains everything that’s been created. Who wouldn’t want to serve a God like Him? Men serve false gods, or idols that can do nothing to save them. They place their trust in the stars and astrology, or even in their money and possessions, but all that is vanity and powerless. God, the creator of all things, is everything good, and then some! Men accept invitations to balls, galas, and other functions the world deems worthwhile, but God invited all men to join His royal family, and place themselves in a position to live an eternity in the greatest event of all time! Have you accepted God’s invitation, or are there other things more important on your list of things to do?

Walk in love,

Ell

Rejoice in God’s faithfulness

1 Chronicles 15:1-3, 14-16, 25-29

In times past, God would reveal Himself to men in various forms, whether it was through a burning bush, a cloud, or even the form of a human. God is omnipresent, and is in all places, at all times, but there are moments in Scripture when God would inhabit particular places, for specific reasons. The text this week, revealed that the presence of God was housed in the ark of the covenant, which king David was responsible for overseeing. Wherever the ark was taken, God’s very presence was there.

Since the beginning of time, God only did good things for those who abided in His will, and in return for His acts of kindness, He asked for simple things in return, like praise and thanks. Giving thanks to God for the things He’s done for us, should be a natural thing. Similar to how some show appreciation to teachers and parents for providing guidance and support, God gives us breath to live; that alone is enough to praise and thank Him until the end of time! King David understood, and respected the very presence of God, until he established policies that required men to offer praise around the ark daily. God provided for them, kept them safe, and ordered their steps, so He was deserving of their continual praise.

Today, God rests in the hearts of men, so wherever they go, He goes with them. Knowing this, we should be mindful of every thought and action we entertain, as well as reverence the presence of God within us. There should ALWAYS be a song of praise in the hearts of all who are the children of God, because He never stops loving and providing for them. How would you feel if your children never said thanks, for what you do for them. You’d no doubt feel some type of way. Imagine how God feels when we go through a 24 hour day, without saying one positive word to Him.

Walk in love,

Ell

Engaging in spiritual worship

Romans 12:1-8

God is a spirit, and when we come to Him in any fashion, our motives must be centered around spiritual things. Whether we come to the Father with a request, praise, worship, song, or any other reason, all must be rendered with His best interest in mind. God loves His people, and cares enough for them until He sent His only Son to bring them back into right standing with Himself, so when we come unto Him, we should not allow flesh, or carnal thinking to guide our actions. This world, and its treasures, are futile in comparison to the things God has prepared for those who love Him, so it’s only right that we bless God with our whole hearts, for going above, and beyond for His children.

Even as the members of the body of Christ express their gifts to God, they are to put their all into what they do, because it means much when we sing, praise, worship, minister, or teach with all the effort we have abiding in us. God made every man fearfully and wonderfully, so as we present our bodies back to Him, He will get all the glory from our good deeds. What makes it difficult for some to give their all to God is, they are still conformed in some way to the world. Our past can sometimes cause us to fall back into things we once let go of, which can then hinder our reasonable service to God. Fortunately, we have been blessed with the Holy Ghost, who will nudge us whenever we begin to sway into those things which can easily beset us.

The power of God is real, and works in us to make us better, so the next time you offer God a praise, prayer, or exercise your gift, be certain to allow His Spirit to lead you, as you present your service.

Walk in love,

Ell

Regular worship services resumed

1 Chronicles 16:37-43

Now that tummies have been filled, hugs given in plenty, and many have enjoyed the opportunity to meet and greet family and friends, the real test of Thanksgiving begins after the celebrated day has passed. It’s easy to show acts of kindness, and appreciation on a given day, but doing it consistently proves that a person’s heart is truly behind their actions. Even in service to God, going to church, or attending a religious gathering, where you possibly contribute in service by using gifts and talents, mean very little, if that same attitude of love and humility isn’t carried over into one’s personal life. God doesn’t judge us by one single act, but by the consistent actions and behavior we exhibit on a daily basis. After Thanksgiving, the food you ate and shared, people you met and entertained, and football games you watched, will all be brief moments in history, but the life you live the day after, and beyond, will test whether your love was only for a day, or a lifetime.

Walk in love,

Ell

Ark placed in tent in Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 16:1-6

The season of giving is nearing its most celebrated day, Thanksgiving, and people all over the world are preparing their hearts, and appetites, to make that day one to remember. Just as king David distributed bread, good meat, and wine to everyone in Israel, there are ministries and organizations worldwide that provide meals, clothing, and even shelter for those who are unable to care for themselves throughout the year, but Thanksgiving is a day recognized as one where giving should be promoted all day long, and by everyone.

Mothers, grandmothers, and even some fathers put their coveted recipes on full display, while seeking to satisfy warm hearts and yearning appetites, companies generously provide turkeys for their employees, and most businesses allow their workers to take time away from work, to enjoy moments with their families. Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving season isn’t observed the same way by everyone. While some are fortunate to spend time with many family members and friends, others may be experiencing their first Thanksgiving without their mother, father, sister, brother, or grandparent. Many houses are full of food, wine, and laughter, while others are filled with sadness and gloom. For this very reason, the true purpose of Thanksgiving shouldn’t be all about turkeys and football, instead, we should be thankful to God, for all the days He blessed us to experience, thus far in our lives. Without God, we would be nonexistent, so celebrating a day of thanks, without giving thanks to God seems rather contradicting.

Whether you spend the holiday in the company of hundreds, or just one, be sure to show reverence and appreciation to God, because He already gave us countless reasons to be thankful. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name”. (Psalm 100:4)

Walk in love,

Ell