Bold And Brave

Isaiah 50:4-11

Earlier this morning, I received a call from one of my favorite cousins, who was weary and distraught, concerning the way evil men appear to be living far better than those who strive to live right, and how they seem to be escaping the judgment they deserve, for their consistent disobedient behavior. Hearing her express those thoughts touched my heart, because her words actually seem truthful. Wicked men and women do seem to have certain advantages in this life, than those who actually deserve better, but I tried hard to help her understand, this present world is temporary, and all those who remain in sin, will surely receive the judgment of God, in due time.

It’s expected for all members of the body of Christ to suffer while doing the works of the Lord, because our Savior, Christ Jesus, set the example we would need to follow, after He ascended back to His Father. The prophet Isaiah was inspired to write how the Son of God would indeed suffer greatly, on behalf of the people of God. Not only did Jesus suffer, but He did it willingly. Can you imagine willingly presenting yourself to men who seek only to see you fall, and do great harm to your physical body? The average person (not fully delivered lol) would be quick to defend themselves against any and all who step to them the wrong way. But, Christians are taught that suffering for Christ’s sake is counted as joy, according to the Bible.

Carnal minded men are unable to see the value in suffering in the name of God, but all will be revealed in that great day. While it does seem that good people only see suffering, and evil ones enjoy good, the real rewards of each person’s labor will be given by God, on the day of judgment.

To all those who may get weary while doing well, strive to keep moving forward, and don’t give up. Yes, this world doesn’t favor those who love God, and sin has caused men to act in ways that are unseemly toward the church, God can still bless us, even during these disheartening times.

Be careful not to judge those who hate and persecute you, but pray for them, and show them that God’s love is way more powerful than their hate. If Jesus didn’t turn His back on God during the most mind-blowing suffering in the history of history, then never allow your struggles and hard times to cause you to turn yours either.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold… don’t become one of them.

Ell

Be an example of faith

1 Thessalonians 2:1-10

When you walk in a room of fellow believers, or join in the presence of any group of people who are familiar with you, what’s the impression they get when they see you coming? Do the words you profess concerning holiness and righteousness, align with the works you perform on a daily basis? Or, do you say one thing with your lips, but act differently in the absence of those who can rebuke you, and bring you back into right standing with God? Everyone who claims to be born-again of the Spirit, are required to be examples of what godliness is. Every thought, idea, imagination, or spoken word, should all be brought under the subjection of the Holy Ghost. Although we may have made a confession to follow after Christ, we are unable to do it effectively without being led of His Spirit. Even when we pray to God, we require the assistance of His Spirit, to help make sense of the words we attempt to deliver to Him. “Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).

Seasoned Christians are to be model servants, or examples of how to conduct themselves in a world full of sin, so that others can see what’s expected of them from God as well. In addition, the world needs to see real Saints, especially in such a time as this, because perilous times are already here, and will be amplified as the days go by. Just as the apostles in Scripture were bold, honest, pure, and unaffected by the intense contention they faced, we must also stand firm on God’s Word, knowing that if many before us were faithful until the end, we can endure the conflict that will soon come against us as well.

A proven way to remain stable in your walk with God is, to treat all men as if they were Christ. Also, change the perception you have of people, even though some may be hard to understand, and allow God’s Spirit to guide your thoughts and actions, as you interact with others. Like Paul and the other apostles, we should acknowledge God in all our ways, whether the matter seem small, or great. We too can be bold in the face of contention, true and honest in our exhortation, submissive to God who trusted us with the Gospel, gentle with others, as a mother who nurses a child, and affectionate to others who also labor endlessly in the works of the Lord. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Walk in love,

Ell

Don’t doubt; Trust God’s promises

Numbers 13:1-2, 17, 25-28; 14:1-2, 5-10

Knowing God the way I do today, allows me to see things in Scripture differently than I did when I first began to meditate on the Word. When I use to read about the children of Israel, I had a slight case of envy for them, being that they were God’s chosen nation, set apart to establish His kingdom in the earth, and to be the line by which Christ was to come through. Unfortunately, the more you read about the ancient Israelites, the more disgust I’m certain you’ll develop for their consistent disobedient behavior, as I have as well.

God literally proved Himself, His amazing power, and sufficient grace and mercy to His people on multiple occasions, yet those miraculous acts weren’t enough to convince the privileged Israelites to commit their trust totally to Him. When they complained about being in bondage, and suffering persecution, God delivered them with a mighty hand. When they cried as they stood facing the Red Sea, while being pursued by a bloodthirsty Pharoah and his army, God parted the sea, allowed His people to cross over on dry land, then closed the waters to drown Israel’s pursuers. As the people roamed the wilderness, following God’s path to the Promise Land, their complaints reached elevated heights, as they assumed God brought them out of Egypt, only to kill them in the wilderness. So, God miraculously provided food for them, day and night. God provided top-notch protection for the people as He allowed pillars of cloud and fire to go ahead of them by day, and night as well. Out of all these things the Lord did for the children of Israel, they were nowhere close to being sold on His promise of Canaan, especially following the evil report of Giants and fortified buildings in the land.

I’m having trouble understanding the logic and reasoning of the people, because they saw God’s handiwork before their very eyes, yet when facing giants, they cowered in fear. God told them time and time again, the land was theirs, even though someone else attended to it until they arrived (which was actually a good thing). They were also promised God’s personal protection to aid them in taking what was rightfully theirs. But……some people…..no matter what you say, or do to convince them that their victory is indeed assured, they’ll prefer to hold on to their own fear, rather than confide in someone who’s already proven they can take care of them.

Things got even worse when the people threatened to stone the very men who led them, and had faith in God to deliver the land into their hands. While Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the people, no doubt as a sign of “what do I do now, these people are hopeless”, Joshua and Caleb became angry, tore their clothes, then reminded the people that with God, there is nothing to fear. If God hadn’t stepped in to protect His men, that mob of cowards would have probably stoned them to death.

Fear can cause us to make unwise decisions. The next time you’re faced with a challenging situation, rather than doubt God and react out of fear, pray to Him, and ask for wisdom to make the right choices, and courage to see the process through. God wants the best for you, but you must trust that His word is true, despite what comes against you.

Walk in love,

Ell

The Lord’s call and family conflict

Matthew 10:34-39

One of the biggest challenges new believers face is, maintaining their new found love for God, while learning to adjust in the same environments they once operated in before they met Christ. There are many who find difficulty in trying to balance holy living, while still dealing with their troubled past. Wives who commit their lives to Christ, but are joined with unsaved husbands, tend to struggle loving them, as the men consistently reject what God is doing in their wives. Children who dedicate their hearts to God at early ages struggle with obeying unsaved and unruly parents. When we accept the call of God on our lives, there’s no doubt we’ll run into issues during our encounters with our unsaved loved ones, but no matter who rejects our commitment to serving God, we must stand firm on what we believe.

Christ told His disciples He came not to bring peace, but a sword. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Because men love and embrace darkness, they’ll never accept, nor appreciate the light of God that shines through our lives, until they realize that the end of darkness is death. Many families are divided, because some have decided to serve God, whereas others choose to abide in sin. No matter how much you love and care for your family members, Jesus said that whoever loves them more than they love Him, aren’t worthy of Him. Well, tell us how you really feel Jesus. Knowing that every man must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, Jesus wants all our focus on Him, so that we can become all He desires us to be. Rather than compromise our faith by giving in to the pressures of our family, we should strive to live holy, so that those we hold dear can see the hand of God ordering our steps, and hopefully submit to Him as well.

Walk in love,

Ell

Trust God, no need to fear

Psalm 121

The United States of America is one of the most prosperous countries on the planet. From big businesses and large banks, to multi-million dollar sport franchises, this country thrives financially among most around the world. One thing that is necessary to keep business owner’s assets safe is, by utilizing security. Many businesses make use of security cameras, as well as, armed and unarmed manpower to monitor their properties in the event someone attempts to steal, vandalize, or damage their product. There’s even cyber security available to monitor online threats, and prevent hackers from breaking into their systems. The problem with man-controlled security is, no matter how many cameras there are monitoring a place, the large quantities of men and women guarding buildings and assets, or the hundreds of technicians guarding computer systems, banks still get robbed, stores have to account for millions lost from theft, and even our own government suffers at the hands of modern-day computer nerds.

The fear men hold inside of losing all they worked hard to gain, creates all types of paranoia that eventually causes them to offer more protection to carnal things, more than the peace and security desired by their own family. The safest place in all the world, is abiding in the will of God the Father, and Creator of all things. While men offer security in intervals, because their bodies require rest, our God never sleeps, and keeps watch over His people every second of the day. When banks are robbed, and department stores looted for items, their security is limited to apprehension and questioning, while they await for the more serious authorities to arrive. Oftentimes what they lost is never fully recovered, and the wicked act leaves a tainted stain on the establishment for some time. The Lord, our God, keeps us safe from seen and unseen dangers. I often wonder if God ever revealed to us everything He protected us from our entire lives, we would be left eyes wide open, and jaw to the ground.

There’s no need for believers to fear anything, because “God Security” is everlasting, always on-time, trustworthy, and dependable. The psalmist in this text helps us learn that God not only protects us from physical dangers, be He also guards and preservers our souls. The devil is very deceptive, dishonest and manipulative, and he not only attacks our flesh, but he tries more to infiltrate our hearts and minds. Notice how every source of media is prevalent in promoting sex, drugs, money, and literally all things contrary to holiness. Television, internet, radio, billboards, and even schools, all have one agenda, to promote the demonic agenda. The enemy knows that to deceive a believer, he must be very cunning to accomplish this. He gets in the minds of men, and inspire them to make music sound lovely, movies appeal to the senses, and television shows get you hooked so that you can slowly, but surely, be detained while his ideals enter you. That’s the true definition of entertainment; to be detained, so something else can enter you.

It’s time for us to guard our hearts and minds against evil, with God’s holy Word. When we open ourselves up to receive God’s Spirit, we automatically receive power to do some amazing things! Trust God with all your heart, and never fear what man tries to do to you. God is all-powerful, and man was made by Him, so never give a man more power than what God has given you. “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Walk in love,

Ell