Jesus teaches about transforming love

Matthew 5:38-48

When an athlete joins a team, they become a part of the system by which the team operates. The rules and standards set by the team must be followed by all players, in order for them to keep a position within the organization. Everywhere the player goes, each is expected to represent what their uniform stands for. All things players learned before joining their new team must be transformed, in favor of what they’ve now become engrafted into. In this same manner, when a man joins the body of Christ, he is no longer tied to his old way of living. He now wears a new uniform, lives by a new and better standard, and is expected to follow the rules set by God’s organization. The things he use to do, that may have been contrary to God’s way, are now replaced with a new attitude, that will render results based from love, and not selfishness.

In our text, Jesus continued His sermon on the mount, as He expounded on the dangers of negative retaliation. Many were taught that if someone wronged them, they were to avenge themselves, but Christ said rather than retaliate out of anger and vengeance, believers are to show love, in place of hate. It’s so easy to get back at those who do us wrong, but as children of God, we are to operate under a different set of actions. Just as God willingly gave His best to a world that rejected Him, we are to willingly render our best attitudes and actions to those same heartless people who reject our love as well. If we say we love God with our lips, but our actions aren’t aligned with what we profess, is that love real?

When we become born-again, we are to then live a perfect life, as God in Heaven is perfect. Perfection, in this sense, isn’t living flawless every day, instead, it’s living in complete conformity to God’s laws. Christians are to be mature in all their ways, and prove their maturity in how they treat their brethren, enemies, and even persecutors. How do you love an enemy, or someone who strives to make your life hell on earth? Well, look at Jesus’ example as He was being nailed to a wooden cross. While He was being beaten, spit on, mocked, scorned, and utterly humiliated, He prayed to His Father that the men be forgiven, because they had no understanding of their actions. Many were brought up a certain way all their lives, and were simply following orders. I’m not letting these men off the hook for what they did to Jesus, but when a man’s mind is consumed with rage and hate, only the love of God can transform his hardened heart.

The love we show to those who fight the good fight of faith with us, is the same love we are to show to those who walk in darkness. No one is to be held to a different standard than another, because God loves all men the same. We have the responsibility to represent the love of God to those who lack understanding of what real love is. God’s love goes far beyond mere feelings and emotions, and is expressed in deeds and actions. You can “feel” for someone until the cow jumps over the moon, but until those feelings are transformed into positive actions, they are worth little to the Kingdom of God. Let your love be without dissimulation, or undisguised. Prove to the world that God’s love is the real thing, and once they taste and see how good it is, they’ll never want to let it go.

Walk in love,

Ell

The greatest commandments

Matthew 22:34-40

“What part of ‘thou shalt not’ don’t you understand?” For the life of me, I can’t remember where I read that line, but it always makes me smile and think for a moment when it comes to mind. God gave commandments to His people during the time of Moses. Those rules were given so that the people of God would have a standard to live by, that was first true to God, and opposite of the world. The children of Israel were judged by the standard of the ten commandments, and were either blessed for obeying them, or punished if they disobeyed.

After Jesus died to fulfill the law, that included hundreds of laws and commands, the same standard the law set, was, and still is expected to be upheld. Of all the commandments, there are two that are held to a higher degree over all the others. While that may seem contradictory to how some view God’s way, obeying these two commands will ensure that all others won’t be hard to follow.

Aside from the hypocritical Pharisees who were known to challenge the authority and knowledge of Jesus without ceasing, the Sadducees would be placed second on the list of those who made it their business to try and tempt the Son of God. These unwise and disrespectful men approached Jesus with another plot to try and throw Him off His game. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, yet asked Jesus a question concerning marriage after resurrection. In response to their phony question, Jesus made it clear that they were deceived in their thinking that there will be marriage in the next life, as in the present one, also in not believing there will be an actual resurrection. They didn’t know the Scriptures, nor the power of God to resurrect men. In the resurrection, men and women will not marry (Did you know that? If not, now you do. Enjoy your marriage as best you can while on this earth, because the purpose of marriage is to replenish the earth, and keep the race going. Resurrected Saints, as well as angels do not die, and don’t need to marry to keep their kind in existence).

After Jesus made the Sadducees feel like stale mashed potatoes with His truths, all the people who heard were astonished at His doctrine, including those pesky Pharisees. After they heard how their buddies, the Sadducees, got their butts handed to them, they also made an attempt to tempt Jesus by asking, “Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus wisely responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” When a man truly understands what love is, and surrenders all of himself (heart, soul, mind) to the will of God, he will ONLY do those things that directly correlate to what godliness represents. The Holy Ghost is all things God is, so when we receive God’s Spirit in us, we move as He moves. Even in times when things get rough, we are to never deviate from God’s standard.

God is love, and when He abides in us, our words, actions, and deeds will be birthed from the genuine love that flows from the heart of the Creator. In order to love people the right way, we must first establish God’s definition of love in our hearts. According to God, love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and gives wholeheartedly. Is the love you represent found in God’s definition?

Walk in love,

Ell

Love your neighbors

Romans 13:1-10

The one thing that binds all men and women together is, love. Everyone created by God shares the same likeness and image as Himself. Although some choose to live according to the original standards set in place by God, many have veered off track, and taken a liking to ungodly living. Regardless of who refuses to abide by the principles of conduct God demands, Christians are required to continue in love, and extend it to all who cross their path.

There’s no other way to escape this world of evil and wickedness, except by death, or Christ’s return, so while we remain in this finite realm, God expects His people to maintain a holy balance in all areas of their lives. Whether we’re required to subject ourselves to “higher powers” in governments or other arenas, or show love to simple strangers, our mission is to live in such a way, that we keep peace with all men, while not disobeying God’s commands at the same time. Not all men will reciprocate kindness toward us during this life, but there are times when our ways can please God to the point He’ll make even our enemies be at peace with us.

When a man has a full understanding of what love truly is, there are things he just won’t do. Real love will never cause a man to transgress the moral law, deprive any man of his wife, take another man’s life, rob a woman of her virtue, hate anyone, take someone’s property without permission, defame a man’s name, live selfishly, or execute malicious intent toward anyone. Treat others the way you would want to be treated, and love them how you’d expect them to love you, because showing sincere love is the fulfilling of the law.

Walk in love,

Ell

The Lord honors patience

Lamentations 3:25-33

“They that wait upon the Lord…” After reading those few words, I’m almost certain the average Bible scholar can finish the rest of that verse without needing the actual text. Waiting on God to move on our behalf isn’t always an easy thing to do. The Bible tells us to love God, keep His commandments, pray always, ask, seek, and knock, then blessings will come, but what are we to do when it seems as though God misplaced our prayer requests? I, along with the average earthling, dread waiting. I strongly dislike waiting in line at the grocery store, pumping gas in the car, sitting in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic, waiting at restaurants for my food to arrive, and waiting for pimples to leave my face. I simply don’t like waiting, but don’t judge me, because I’m sure everyone has their little dark secrets. It takes a certain level of faith and trust in God, to wait for His plan to fully develop in our lives. God knows all, and sees all that we go through, so it’s obvious He’s well aware of our situations, no matter how rough or challenging they may be. The key to waiting on God is, staying focused and continuing in good works while we wait. The problem many Christians face is, while they wait for God to bless them, they sit idle, in hopes that their answer will fall from the sky. On the contrary, we are to continue walking in love, and performing acts of kindness daily, no matter what state our lives are in. God oftentimes delays His response to our prayers in order to prove what’s in our hearts, to allow time for wicked people to remove themselves from our lives, or so that just when the devil thinks we’re through, He can come through with amazing results. God is good, and His mercy endures forever, so while you’re waiting for an answer to your requests, keep doing good, while giving glory and honor to His name.

Walk in love,

Ell

Transformed giving and praying

Matthew 6:1-6

Since the beginning of man’s existence, giving has been a major part of society. While there are many who have been privileged to have an abundance of supplies and resources, there are always those who live in lack, and require assistance from others to get by. Jesus Himself reminded us, “For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always” (Mark 14:7). Governments offer programs that provide food, shelter, and clothing for those who are less fortunate, but such programs are limited in supplies, and render services only in certain areas. While it’s good there are services provided by governments to assist those who are unable to provide for themselves, this burden should be handled by the church. That may seem to be a biased opinion, but if the body of Christ was unified as it was when the early church was established, then providing for the poor and needy would be a simple and fulfilling task. The problem with many people who extend services to the poor is, they do it to be seen of men, and seek only to bring glory to themselves.

Back in the day, alms were acts of charity, that were only solicited by the less fortunate. Those who were able to help were commanded by Jesus to do their alms in secret, so that their reward could be personally delivered by God Himself. Many hypocrites were literally sounding trumpets and gaining attention from men, under the false grounds of calling the poor, yet with no other intention than to gratify themselves by giving alms in public, but Jesus said that’ll be their only reward, the praise of men. Christians are to walk in humility, and not seek the glory of men, because all glory belongs to the God who gives us power to get wealth, and in return, bless others.

This same approach should be applied to our prayer lives as well. Those hypocrites who did their alms in public, were also guilty of praying only to be seen of men as well. Prayer is how the believer communicates with God the Father to gain spiritual insight, strength, direction, encouragement, faith, wisdom, and all other necessary resources required to live a godly life. Prayer is misused, abused, and ineffective when done for selfish and unprofitable reasons. The effects of prayer are only seen when God responds, so praying amiss, or outside of God’s will is a sure way not to get God’s attention. Jesus said when the believer prays, they should go into a place where there is privacy, then pray to the Father in secret, then He will in turn reward His children openly.

Christians should avoid becoming haughty or high-minded, and strive to remain free from hypocrisy, broken in spirit, burdened for others, meek, humble, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, wise, obedient, patient, and loving. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

Walk in love,

Ell

Filled with grace

Acts 6:8-15

When a man knows who he is on the inside, it matters not what others do to try and defame his reputation, because his works will always defend his character. Aside from the twelve apostles who were chosen by Jesus, one of the most notable, and awe-inspiring men in Scripture is Stephen. Of the seven men chosen by the twelve apostles in the early church to attend to the tables where collections were received, and distributions to the people were rendered, Stephen was recorded as having contributed to the edification of the church body in major ways. He was a man full of faith, full of the Holy Ghost and power, and did great wonders and miracles among the people. This is interesting in that it reveals and confirms the truth of the promises and signs for all believers, not only apostles.

The more organized the early church became, the more the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied. What’s surprising is, even the priests were obedient to the faith. Many of these men were bitter enemies of Christ, yet they were also converted. This proved how powerful the gathering of the Saints was, and what a great miracle it was as well.

In all the good the early church brought forth, it wasn’t a surprise to discover that there were some who were motivated to stir up controversy. During the days of the early church’s prosperity and unhindered influence, there arose different groups of heretics, who sought only to silence the voices of God’s chosen vessels. These men even made attempts to hinder Stephen, as he continued to prosper in the works of the Lord, but they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Being full of the Holy Ghost, Stephen no doubt spoke truths that pricked the hearts of those who intended to block his purpose, thus causing them to falsely accuse him of speaking blasphemy against God. How low can you go, to lie and attempt to bring down a man who only does things good in the sight of God, and men? I’m convinced, along with sin, money has the power to make people stupid. These wicked men suborned others (make false charges; swear to do underhand work for money) and set up false witnesses to lie against Stephen, but no matter how far they went to falsely accuse him of wrongdoing, he yet appeared before the people as an angel, because God’s glory shined through his face to convince them that the words he spoke were true.

Being filled with God’s grace, believers today have the same power as Stephen did, to stand strong in the midst of persecution. Oftentimes we shy away from situations that could present potential conflict toward others, but when we spread God’s Word, it doesn’t matter who gets offended, as long as we do as God wills us to. When we stand firm on God’s Word, it’s then His duty to take care of us. Never fear the threats or other hostile actions men bring against you. Instead, trust that the God in you will show up and show out before all those who seek to bring you down.

Walk in love,

Ell

Restrain your anger

Leviticus 24:16-22

Anger, in itself, is a natural human emotion, but many have died, or suffered great losses from the results of its aftermath. In some cases anger is actually a favored response, depending on the situation or circumstance. For example, being angry toward injustice or seeing someone taken advantage of is normal. We even learn in Scripture that we are allowed to be angry at times, but if left unchecked and uncontrolled, anger can lead to other unhealthy emotions that could trigger regrettable actions.

I mentioned in the previous lesson that humans are frail and finite. We get mad over some of the most ridiculous things including sporting events, politics, and even things the Bible prophesied would take place in these end times. What sense is it to lose sleep over carnal things that have no eternal spiritual value? I’ve read stories of men being killed over soccer games, because the fan of the losing team didn’t appreciate the opposing fans celebration. What could cause a man to get so angry over a sporting event they’re not getting paid to enjoy, to kill another man? I came to my senses a few years ago, when I realized that all those millionaire athletes care nothing about me, so why should I invest my emotions in whether or not they succeed? God doesn’t care about sports, or all the things men get riled up over, because He’s more concerned with our souls, and where we’ll spend eternity.

The love of God dwells in the hearts of all who believe in His name, and live according to His Word. Although there will be times when God’s people will experience moments of anger, the fruit of the Spirit (temperance, or self-control) will always keep the believer’s anger in check. Problems arise when we take the helm, and try to deal with troubling issues on our own strength.

Times of trial and testing are inevitable, and every believer will have their patience tested at some point during their journey, but there’s a major difference between how the saved and the lost deal with anger. God gave His people the power to control their anger, while continuing to act in love, whereas those who are lost, allow anger to consume them, thus causing them to act in ways that could render negative consequences. “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” (Ephesians 4:26-32).

Walk in love,

Ell

Jesus teaches us to love one another

Matthew 5:21-32

What kind of world would this be, if God behaved like you and me? Such a frightening thought should motivate men to love more and hate less. Humans are very interesting beings; similar to the Creator, we too are three-part beings; spirit, soul, body. While God is holy and all things good, men were born in sin, and shaped in iniquity. Every man or woman who ever lived was guilty of committing sin, whether knowingly or unknowingly. We are fragile and finite beings who were created in God’s image and after His likeness, but also given the ability to choose between right and wrong, good and evil. God is love, and the scriptures tell of His great love on every page, but many unwisely choose to deviate from God’s command to love, and entertain acts of sin and evil.

Our text reveals where Jesus continued teaching His sermon on the mount, and the topics of discussion included transcending the law of Moses, restitution and prayer, civil suits, adultry, divorce, and remarriage. In all His teachings, Jesus’ goal was to help His listeners gain a better understanding of how to operate in God’s love in all situations. In my opinion, the best way for a believer to avoid falling into states of extreme anger, hate, violence, or any other act outside of God’s approval is to daily align their character with the fruit of the Spirit. You can’t have one attribute, without the others, so saying you have love, but also have an uncontrollable temper, voids your claim to be full of God’s Spirit. Christians are to also go over and beyond to avoid conflict and dissention amongst the brethren. We are to love, and not hate. Even before bringing an offering or sacrifice to God, He prefers that you deal with your disagreements with your brother or sister, then bring your gift after conflicts are resolved. One of the biggest problems plaguing the church today is, church folk’s behavior seems identical, if not worse, than people of the world. Men and women adorned in their finest suits and dresses, treat each other opposite of how Christ taught them to. Jesus said to love our enemies, but Christians ignore their enemies while hating their own people. What if God behaved like us, and either turned His face from us when we disrespected Him, or zapped us into oblivion if we refused to obey Him. Even when we do wrong, God still loves us the same, but why do we turn against our own people when we don’t agree on things all the time?

We are the light of the world, and the world needs us to shine, so that they can see the right path to take. When we refuse to love one another, we purposely dim our light, which could cause problems not only amongst ourselves, but those who are lost could become discouraged as well. Everything we do, positively or negatively, will have an effect on someone’s life, so strive to live in love daily, so that you’ll fulfill Christ’s command to love, and store treasures in Heaven that can never be corrupted.

Walk in love,

Ell

Let yes be yes; no, no

From monitoring other people’s experiences, I’ve learned that parenting can be the best of times, as well as not so good times. Training children isn’t an easy task, but with proper skills and techniques, getting them to understand and meet their parent’s expectations can be a rewarding experience. One key element in effective parenting is communication. What parents want most from their children is simple obedience. When a child is given an order, the parent expects them to carry it out without hesitation. The phrase that was often reiterated in my community by parents was, “I mean what I say!” It was then the child’s duty to listen, follow instruction, and avoid punishment by adhering to their parent’s words.

Children quickly learn the power in their parent’s words from experiences that may involve them being disciplined. Whenever I wanted something my parents previously told me I couldn’t have, I knew that asking a second or third time was futile, because their no, meant no. But, whenever they gave me their word that something good was coming my way, I could bank on it coming to pass, because their yes meant yes. Trust is earned, and a man is known more by his actions, than his words, but words carry weight and should be kept simple, yet true in all communication amongst believers.

As representatives of the true and living God, Christians should be extra careful of the words that leave their lips. While it’s true we are judged by our works, the words we speak should be aligned with holiness at all times. “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” (Ephesians 4:29).

Walk in love,

Ell

The unbreakable marital bond

Mark 10:2-9

Being married can be a beautiful experience, because it allows the chance for a man and woman to be joined by God as one flesh, and one union. In the beginning, God instituted marriage between a man and woman, so that the man would not suffer being alone, the couple could replenish the earth with little rascals, and many other reasons I’ll one day experience for myself. The union between male and female was intended to be permanent, and each partner was expected to love, honor, and respect one another without conditions. When partners take seriously their vows and roles in marriage, there’s absolutely nothing that can sever their connection. Unfortunately, many marriages have ended in divorce for reasons including infidelity, money, lack of communication, unrealistic expectations, lack of intimacy, lack of equality, and many more. I’m beginning to sound like a marriage counselor, hmm…

In our text we find where the Pharisees were still up to no good, as they made another attempt to try and tempt Jesus. They asked, with ill intentions, whether it was lawful for a man to “put away” his wife. During this time, there was a great controversy about divorce and remarriage. It was known as, the Hillel-Shammai dispute. Hillel taught that a man could divorce his wife for any cause whatsoever. Shammai believed that a man could not divorce for every cause, except for fornication and adultry. The question posed to Jesus was not the right to remarry, but only the right to divorce. The simple-minded Pharisees wanted to know which side of the controversy Jesus was on, and their strategy was to make Jesus unpopular to the masses, or even be killed by Herod, like his cousin John the Baptist. Typical of Jesus, He threw a curve ball, or provided an unexpected response the men could not speak against, when He brought to their attention Moses’ thoughts on divorce. Jesus didn’t say that Moses was out of the divine will in making a law of divorce, but that it was because of the hardness of their hearts, that such a law was permitted by God, although it wasn’t His will from the beginning.

“But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (vs. 6-9).

Walk in love,

Ell