Take a Break

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Suffering is inevitable on the earth, and hard times lay on the path of all men. The wicked perish, and the good die young. We work to make a living, and strive to be consistent in our effort to maintain a balanced lifestyle. The God of Heaven and earth understands that life presents challenges that weigh on the strength of His people, so He doesn’t mind when we take time to enjoy the fruit of our labor.

Men and women work hard for companies who care more about their business, than the total health of those who keep their business producing, so every now and then, it’s alright to schedule moments to bask in the good of your labor. Many people take vacations to escape the routine of their everyday lives, while others find pleasure in staying close to home, to appreciate times of peace, rest, and relaxation.

It’s important for the believer to not only maintain a healthy spiritual balance, but to also keep their natural living in good standing as well. While there’s nothing wrong with taking time to enjoy the blessings of God from your consistent hard work, how you enjoy that time is what matters. God allows us times of peace and rest, but we should never become lax, and forget holy standards during our relaxation. The body of Christ is still obligated to maintain a righteous standard, even during times of rest. Some feel that drinking, smoking, and enjoying other worldly methods are necessary habits of down time, but we are to eat and drink things that are proper, and kept within the bounds of God’s law, and what’s best for our health.

As we enjoy God’s blessings, we are to be temperate, and stay within holy limitations. This way, our lives will remain pleasant to God, and we’ll continue to enjoy a wonderful experience in His divine glory.

Walk in love,

Ell

Fighting Temptations

Matthew 4:1-11

One of the most valuable words of advice I’ve ever received after giving my heart to the Lord was, never underestimate the power of the devil. There’s a misconception that’s been going around for years that satan is powerless, and can do nothing to harm the believer, but if you study the Word carefully, and even look back over your own life, you’ll discover that the devil is more powerful than you can imagine. Satan is the master of deception, and he delights in twisting God’s Word, in order to serve his devilish purposes. Not only is he skilled in his deceptive arts, but He knows the Bible better than many of God’s own children (sad, but true). One of satan’s most successful strategies is, confronting the believer with temptation. If the devil can get the believer to focus on his distractions for only a few moments, that’s long enough to ensnare them in his traps. For this reason, it’s vital that the children of God know the Word for themselves, so that when temptation comes knocking, they’ll be strong enough to resist.

In our text, Jesus gave the perfect example of how to effectively resist temptation. After fasting 40 days, Jesus was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (vs. 1). Why would God purposely lead His Son into a trap? Could it be, because He knew Jesus was strong enough to overcome what lay ahead of Him, and also needed us to see how we are to handle the temptations in our own lives? Yeah, I think that’s about right. God also wanted to prove that His Word was more precious than anything satan could offer, and that even in a weakened physical state (Jesus), the strength of God’s Word was enough to drive evil away.

I mentioned earlier that satan has power, and in our text, we see two instances where the devil took Jesus into the holy city, and set Him high, atop a pinnacle of the temple, then took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. If you ask me, that sounds like more power than the average super hero. In all his desire to see Jesus submit to his own will, satan was disappointed, as Jesus dealt with the scheming serpent by using God’s written Word.

When facing temptation in our own lives, how we approach it can mean the difference between overcoming it, or being overwhelmed by it. If Jesus had given in to His “hangry” pains, He probably would have turned those stones into barbeque ribs, macaroni and cheese, and corn on the cob, but His spiritual hunger far outweighed the natural, and He was able to easily deflect the devils temptation.

Allow this lesson to be strength to you, as you face your daily struggles. Never give in to temptation, no matter how appealing it may seem, because the grass may be greener on the other side, but it might be overrun with serpents, waiting for the right moment to strike you down. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 6:41 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

Keep On Striving

Matthew 3:13-17

It’s the year 2020, and you’ve had your share of life’s ups and downs over the years. Along your journey, you’ve crossed paths with people who have either inspired you to be better, or made you think twice about being in their company again. As the days progressed, you grew in the knowledge and wisdom of God, and made applying the teachings of Christ habitforming. The path you walked was not always easy, yet you continued to strive to do good, despite inevitable challenges. Up to this point in your life, can you truly say that God is pleased with the way you’ve lived? When your name is mentioned in Heaven, what assessment will God submit of how your life compares to what He expects?

God commissioned the church to love Him, and keep His commandments, and in doing these alone, you’ll develop a more clear understanding of what God expects from you, and how to carry it out. Just as John the Baptist, and Jesus were sent by God to “fulfill all righteousness” (complete what they were sent to do), the body of Christ also bears the responsibility of fulfilling their individual assignments as well. Before an adventurer sets off on any journey, he makes certain to gather the necessary tools and supplies, that’ll assist him throughout his endeavors. Of all the things the adventurer collects, the most important is his compass. Without knowing which direction he’s traveling, the adventurer would no doubt find himself in unfavorable territories, and possibly run out of supplies. When we attempt to navigate through life without God’s Word, we assume the same position as an adventurer, without his compass. Eventually, we’ll get lost, and desire the help of someone to guide us back on track.

It’s been said, there are many paths to God, but the one way to reach that final destination is through Jesus, the Son in whom God is well pleased. We all have a job to do while on this earth, and staying in the will of God, will ensure that job is completed. Just as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs players are preparing mentally, and physically for the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Saints of God should prepare themselves daily, to walk the path of righteousness, and strive to carry out their purpose, despite the distractions that are set to hinder them.

Let the recent death of Kobe Bryant serve as an example that tomorrow is indeed not promised to anyone, and our days are numbered, so spend your precious moments in this life trying to please God, and He’ll ensure that all your labor will not be in vain.

Walk in love,

Ell

Don’t Get Caught Up

Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Prospering in this life, is what most people strive for. Whether obtaining wealth by way of money, land, or other means, the average person longs to be in a position where suffering and struggling are non-existent. Prosperity is no doubt a blessing from God, that offers benefits all believers can enjoy, but there are two things men must be mindful of while reaping the harvest of God’s blessings. Temptation is a very dangerous thing, and when associated with prosperity, men usually get caught up in pride and self-exaltation, or develop the tendency to forget God in place of “things”. How would you feel, if you blessed someone with everything they desired, and rather than show gratitude, they moved on as if you did nothing for them? They didn’t even consider telling you “thank you”, but took your gifts, and bounced. The average person would have an inkling to snatch all their gifts back, because ungrateful people don’t deserve certain things. How do you think God feels, when He blesses us over and over, then we turn and give our time to all things except Him?

The children of Israel were issued a grave warning in our text. After receiving all good things from the Lord, they were warned not to forget Him. God knows the hearts of men, and their susceptibility to want to take the credit of others for themselves, so He made certain to inform them of the great consequences they would face, if they forgot the Lord, and walked after other gods. Obedience to God is the difference between blessings and curses, prosperity and poverty, and eternal salvation and eternal damnation. God gives us the ability to prosper, and we should always acknowledge Him no matter what season we experience. In times of plenty, God deserves our obedience. In times of trial and testing, we are still commanded to obey the Lord.

Although the warning in our text was given to the children of Israel in ancient times, God will not let the church of today, get by with giving what He deserves, to something or someone else. God promised to destroy Israel for their disobedience, and He’ll be certain to punish us as well.

The more God blesses you, the more humble you should become. The higher God takes you in this life, the lower you should bow before His presence. Walk in humility, to avoid falling into pride, and possibly allowing your blessings to cause you to forget God.

Walk in love,

Ell

The Secret Place

Psalm 91

What does it mean to be saved, and what does salvation protect us from? Throughout my childhood, I would often hear the older saints say, “get saved son, or you’ll spend eternity in hell”. That advice would always spook the bejeezus out of me, because I considered hell a place where you’d sit in a giant hot oven, and burn for eternity, while the devil poked at you with a flaming pitchfork, but the more I matured in godliness, I learned that salvation also guards the people of God against the evils of the present world. While it’s true, Christians strive to live according to God’s will, so they can eventually see Him in peace, the daily struggle to reach that point presents challenges and difficulties that can only be countered with God’s salvation.

Aside from being delivered and set free from sin, salvation also grants the believer access to God’s divine protection, and life-changing spiritual blessings. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, satan has worked diligently to turn men away from God, and his methods and tactics have proven successful for centuries. The reason men are influenced by the devil, and eventually give in to his wicked devices is, they refuse to abide in God’s “secret place”. Attempting to navigate through this world of unyielding wickedness on human strength alone, will prove fatal in the long run. In addition, spiritual attacks can only be countered with spiritual forces, and God is the source of the believer’s salvation, so when the enemy attacks, God covers us with His divine protection.

God blesses us when we trust Him. He provides for us when our faith is planted firmly in His power. When we make the Lord our dwelling place, or refuge, He will keep us from falling prey to the enemy’s devices, keep us in good health, allow His angels to assist us whenever necessary, and keep us standing when others around us are falling by the wayside. We prove our love to God by how we live, and He reciprocates the same in blessing us with the necessities of life, but God takes His love to another level when we willingly choose to trust, and abide in His salvation daily.

Walk in love,

Ell

God’s Divine Love

1 Kings 8:54-61

How would you respond, if God decided to abandon you, and leave you to fend for yourself the rest of your life? Could you maintain the lifestyle you’ve grown accustomed to, while God guided your every move, or would you find it difficult to keep your life in order, while making decisions based on your own wisdom and judgment? Before fully submitting yourselves to God, you may have had some success in life, where good things happened here and there, but only when your life is ordered by the Lord, will your good have natural, and spiritual implications as well.

Just as God kept His promises to those who served Him before we were even in existence, He will keep His word toward us also. When we trust in God, delight in Him, commit to His way, He’ll in turn, supply our needs, give us the desires of our heart, and answer all our prayers, according to His will. We were created by God to enjoy the full benefits of His divine love, but we must first surrender our hearts to Him, then walk in all His ways, by keeping His commandments, statutes, and judgments.

Serving God isn’t hard at all, but resisting temptation is where the struggle is. I often wonder, why men cheat on good women, because if the woman has everything he wants and needs, then why would he even consider giving attention to someone else? In the same sense, if God has literally everything we want and need, why entertain thoughts and ideas the enemy presents to distract us? God operates in love, but the lust of the eyes and flesh, offers things that seem more appealing than what God offers. Satan is the master of deception, and knows what it takes to turn our eyes away from God, so he tries hard to break our focus, by setting traps that don’t seem harmful, nor threatening at first glance. But, the longer we entertain temptation, the tougher it’ll be to escape its sinful grasp. This is why it’s extremely important to incline our hearts to God, as Solomon did, so that He will never leave, nor forsake us. “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day”. (1 Kings 8:61 KJV)

Walk in love,

Ell

I.O.U.

2 Chronicles 7:1-6

When rendering to God sacrifices of praise, offering, or thanksgiving, how much is enough? After considering all the things God has done, and is yet doing in your life, do you think it’s even possible to repay what He’s done for you? Is there any amount of money, burnt offering, or other gift you can offer to God, in exchange for one simple breath? By now, I’m certain you have a good idea of the answer to those questions. God is beyond awesome, and He does things for us, that no one else can do, so limiting our gratitude to Him is very unwise.

Scheduling time to pray, and reverence God, is essential to the body of Christ, and helps the believer maintain focused faith in God, and not on things of the world. In the same way unborn babies are connected to their mother’s placenta by an umbilical cord, where oxygenated blood and nutrients can be transferred to the baby, believers are tied to God through salvation (redemption), and prayer, with thanksgiving, are means by which God supplies the needs of His children.

When we pray, in faith, and not wavering or doubting, God hears us, and schedules our answer according to His timing. When king Solomon “had made an end of praying”, God responded instantly! Fire came down from Heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifice he had placed before the Lord. This was a sign that God was pleased with Solomon’s prayer and sacrifice, and deemed it acceptable. Solomon had done well in leading the construction of the Temple of God, and all the materials used to build the house of God calculated to an estimation of a few BILLION dollars! How much have you freely given in offerings during your lifetime? I doubt my contributions come close to what Solomon gave, but when you give from the heart, God accepts it, no matter the amount.

How much is enough when giving to God? Well, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” In other words, God looks not on the amount of what you offer Him, but at the heart in which it’s given. We can’t pay God back for what He does for us with things, but we can offer holy and acceptable lifestyles to Him, which is our reasonable service.

Walk in love,

Ell

Yes, He cares

Matthew 6:25-30

In the beginning, God created so many amazing things, including birds that fly in the air, fish to swim in the seas, trees, plants, and all types of flora and fauna that inhabit the entire planet! There are millions of different trees and animals that exist in the earth, that all rely on God’s sustaining hand, to keep them fed. He gives sunlight and rain, so that plants and trees can receive nourishment, and makes certain that all the animals get their daily nutrition as well. God made everything good in the beginning, and still provides for His creation today, from the tiny little bumblebee, to the great oak tree. It’s amazing to even fathom how God pays attention to the smallest details of everything He created! This not only applies to plants and animals, but to you and I as well. To all who feel that God doesn’t, or has stopped caring for them, I strongly advise you to think again. Yes, God looks after things that may last mere moments, but He certainly cares for His people the more. God didn’t create man for jest or nought, but we were fashioned in His own likeness, to inhabit the earth, and spread goodness throughout. If God thinks enough to care for birds and trees, do you have faith enough to believe that He’ll take care of you too?

Walk in love,

Ell

Conditional love

1 Kings 9:1-9

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of, “Conditional Love”! Starring, the wisest man ever created, king Solomon, and the creator of all things, God the Father, Himself! I’m your host, “holyell”, and I’ll be bringing you all the details of tonight’s most fascinating scenes!

Solomon: (speaking to his workers) Alright men, you’ve done exceptionally well. After 20 long years, we finally finished building the house of the Lord, my house, and all the other things we thought would be pleasing to the Lord. All your hard work will not go in vain, and expect for God to work wonders in your lives, for how you dedicated yourselves to doing His work.

(Men return to their homes, and Solomon goes to his home to rest)

God: (speaking to him in a dream) Solomon.

Solomon: Hello Father. It’s nice of you to visit me again. Have you noticed that we finally finished building the temple, in honor of your name? It took a while, but I wanted it to be the most wonderful place in the world, just as my dad had envisioned it would be.

God: Yes I noticed, and I love it!

Solomon: I knew you would be pleased!

God: I also heard your prayers and supplications that you made before me. This house you built for me, I place my stamp of approval on it, and deem it holy.

Solomon: I am honored Father, and I submit myself the more to your will.

God: It is my desire to put my name forever in the temple, but there are certain conditions that must first be met.

Solomon: Conditions? What do you mean Father? Have I not already proven myself worthy to be called your son, as my father David before me?

God: You’re indeed an obedient one, but many have started out well, then fell short in the end. Fear not, I have all the confidence in you to uphold my standard throughout your reign.

Solomon: Coming from you, that means everything to me.

God: If you walk before me, as your father David walked, with integrity, and uprightness, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and also keep my statutes and judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Israel forever, as I had also promised to your father David.

Solomon: You have my word. I will be obedient to your commands, and walk in integrity, as my father David did.

God: (nods His head)

God: But, if you, or your children turn from following me, and refuse to keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and go to serve and worship other gods, then all the “happy happy joy joy” will turn to cries of sorrow, because I will remove Israel from the land I have given them, cast this house you built for me out of my sight, and make Israel the talk of the town, for their disobedience.

Solomon: Father, I do not want that to come upon your people. I promise to do my best to keep your name holy, throughout the land.

God: We shall see Solomon. But, if the people forsake me, then all these things shall come upon them. I love you, and my people, but they must obey me, in order to receive the benefits of my unconditional love.

(Solomon continues to dream peacefully, after his visit from the Lord)

This concludes another episode of, “Conditional Love”! Thanks for tuning in.

Walk in love,

Ell

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