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Genesis 1:26-31

In the beginning, man was made in God’s own image, after His likeness. In the beginning, God gave man dominion over the fish of the sea, fowl of the air, cattle, and all the earth, including every creeping thing upon the earth. In the beginning, God blessed man and woman, and told them to fill the earth with offspring. In the beginning, man ate only herbs, fruit, and seed. In the beginning, things were radically different from today.

Today, men have taken on the image and likeness of carnality. Rather than desire the things of God, they yearn for worldly pleasures and lusts of the flesh. Today, men are afraid of nearly every animal in the animal kingdom that has not been thoroughly domesticated, including mice and cockroaches. Today, having multiple children is shunned by the modern self-centered society. In the past, large families were deemed a blessing from the Lord, but those days seem to be long gone. Today, men will eat anything that moves (or doesn’t move). While we have been granted permission by God to consume meat (according to Genesis 9:3, and Matthew 15:11), many around the globe enjoy some very unusual delicacies.

From the beginning of time until now, the world has become nearly unrecognizable from God’s original creation. But, in a moment, all will be restored from chaos and wickedness, to unity and perpetual holiness.

Light It Up!

Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus is the light of the world! He lived a selfless life on earth, shed His innocent blood to guarantee salvation for all mankind, arose from the grave with all power in His hand, now sits next to the Father, as He intercedes on our behalf daily, and awaits God’s command to return to the earth to claim His people. Have you ever wondered why Jesus did all that for us? I’m all for loving my neighbor, and treating all men with kindness, but to die for people who are arrogant, stiffnecked, hard-hearted, hardheaded, and plain wicked, takes a level of love I’m striving to attain.

The sole purpose of Jesus leaving His place in Heaven, taking on human form, and living among men was, to be light in a world of darkness. In more simple terms, Jesus came to expose the evil revealed to mankind (darkness) with the light of God’s Word (knowledge), and to reestablish the union between God, and His precious creation.

Every breath Christ took while in human form, was dedicated to making others see, and come into the knowledge of His Father’s plan. Christ knew full well that in order to grasp any understanding of the will of God, men were to first repent, turn from their evil ways, then they could freely receive, digest, and properly apply God’s Word in their lives.

When we walk in the light of God’s Word, and live in ways that please Him, people who sit in darkness will see our light, and be forced to make a life-changing decision. Others who are on the verge of giving up, or at the point of spiritual death, can be influenced by our lives, and possibly renew their strength, simply by gleaning from our holy living. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 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

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

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

David’s prayer of praise and thanksgiving

1 Chronicles 17:16-27

What are you thankful for, and how do you express your gratitude? Out of all the things you’ve been through in life, have you finally realized that your life actually has a purpose, or are you still confused whether or not your existence has any relevance in the earth. Believe it, or not, when God made you, He had intentions for you to do great things in this life. You were carefully constructed with gifts, talents, and special abilities, that would be revealed as you grow and mature in godliness. The closer you get to God, the easier it’ll become for you to recognize exactly what you were created to do. Take the life of David, for instance. As a boy, he was left to watch over his father’s sheep. Notice though, being a shepherd was no easy task, as there were many things to tend to, in order to keep the flock safe. From guarding against wild beasts, to feeding and caring for the needs of the flock, being a shepherd required courage, humility, patience, and a very strong will. David took pride in caring for his father’s sheep, but was unaware that God was only preparing him to become the shepherd of His chosen people, Israel.

In all that David did for God, he never allowed a moment to pass, without giving God praise, and thanks. Even in times of fear and great distress, David was confident that God was well able to deliver him from all his troubles, and was grateful for every answered prayer. Sharing like passions and desires as the Creator, David was deemed a man after God’s own heart. Although the great king David was far from perfect, he had mature faith that always kept him conscious of the fact that when God is first, all else will fall in place.

The body of Christ strives daily to fulfill God’s will on a consistent basis. Each individual effort is key in maintaining a healthy unit of believers, especially during these evil times. Whatever your calling is, take pride in doing it well, and thank God daily, for giving you the strength, and wisdom you need to stand strong in the faith. Give God continual praise for daily loading you with benefits as well. Everyday you wake up, inhale, then exhale, open your sleepy eyes, sit up gracefully, turn and place your feet on the floor, then arise on your own strength, is more than enough blessing to give God thanks and praise for.

Try to spend more time acknowledging what God is doing in your life, rather than focusing on the problems that cause you to worry and stress. Follow the example of king David, and reverence Him, because “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (1 Chronicles 16:25-34)

Walk in love,

Ell

No God like our God

2 Samuel 7:18-22

What’s your natural response to a blessing? When someone shows you favor, or bestows a gift to you, how do you acknowledge their generous gesture? Are you appreciative of all the things you were granted from others (many of which you had nothing to do with, except receive), and are you truly grateful for all those blessings, and benefits God allowed to come into your life? Count with your fingers, all the blessings God has graced you with throughout your lifetime. By now, you should be nearing the thousands lol. God is good, and His mercy endures forever! He has done remarkable, incredible, and amazing things in the lives of His people! He has kept us safe this entire year from hurt and harm, danger seen and unseen, and even the hands of death. God has supplied an endless abundance of peace, in those moments we were close to going overboard. He has given us joy, when the enemy tried hard to keep us wallowing in sadness. In times when we were afraid to face certain challenges and situations, God gave us strength and courage to tackle all obstacles that were in our path.

There’s no God like Jehovah! He continues to sustain us, and provide our daily bread. Of all the gods and idols men serve, not one can do what our God can. Men place their hope and trust in carved statues, money, and even themselves, but none have the power to do, what the God of all creation has proven, time and time again in the lives of His people. When king David received word from the prophet Nathan, how God would establish his house, and kingdom forever, he didn’t hesitate to humble himself before the Lord and say, “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou are great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (vs. 21-22).

How incredible has God been in your life? Are you grateful for all He’s done for you this year alone? We’re a week away from beginning a new year, so end this one by first, establishing a solid relationship with God, then begin to walk in your purpose. By this time next year, you’ll have endless reasons to praise, thank, and glorify the name of the Lord, for all He’ll do in your life, in 2020.

Walk in love,

Ell