Just A Touch

Luke 8:42-48

Have you ever struggled, dealing with a physical or mental condition for about a week or two? I can only imagine, whatever it was you dealt with brought only misery and headaches, while you prayed fervently for God to relieve you of your condition, and bring healing to your body, and peace to your mind. The moment your issue was fully removed, I’m apt to believe you felt a sense of joy, the likes of which you haven’t felt in a long time. Now, take a moment to revisit that temporary condition, and imagine suffering with it for 12 years! Yeah, 12 looooooong years. This was the case with the woman in our text.

For 12 years, the Bible mentions this woman had an issue of blood, that could not be resolved by conventional means. After spending all her money on medical treatments with multiple physicians, the woman’s condition only grew worse! I can’t even begin to fathom how this woman felt, while going through a seemingly endless season of suffering. After placing all her trust in those who were trained to study and understand the human body, the woman’s faith in physicians had no doubt run out.

One day, the woman who had a suffered a physical ailment for over 4,000 days, heard about Jesus. The Scriptures aren’t descriptive on what she heard, or who she heard it from, but whatever she was told, was enough to move her to seek this Jesus.

Jesus had just returned from casting a legion of devils from a man on the other side of the sea, and was greeted by a great crowd of people, who were awaiting His return. As the crowd continued to swell around Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood arrived, then pressed her way through to get to Jesus. She said, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” That’s what you call faith in action. The woman had no other options to turn to, because everyone and everything she tried failed. But, the instant she touched the border of Jesus’ garment, the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Twelve dreadful years of excruciating pain and suffering, was gone in an instant! Not only was the woman astonished, but the Son of God literally felt virtue leave His body, after the woman’s touch. It was the woman’s faith that made her whole, and Jesus was pleased to see another body and soul healed by the power of God.

While we may not have a similar condition as the woman in our lesson, we too struggle with other things that seem to weigh us down. The power of God is still relevant today, as it was during the time when Jesus walked the earth, but the key to overcoming our struggles is, placing all our faith, trust, and confidence in the power of God, knowing that He alone can deliver us, and free us from all that we may experience in our earthly bodies.

No Doubt

Matthew 11:2-15

Have you ever doubted God? Facing life challenges in the earth are handled differently between the Saint, and sinner. When a Saint prays, it’s not his words that move God, but the faith behind what was spoken is what gets the Father’s attention. God’s Word is indeed truth, and His promises are sure, but there will be moments in the life of the believer, when they will struggle with the human emotion called, doubt.

Doubting isn’t inherently sinful, but wallowing in it for extended periods of time can cause one to lose faith in God, and turn to unreliable sources for assurance. From the babe in Christ, to the very elect, Christians on all spiritual levels must grow their faith, to avoid doubting, and eventually losing their faith in God. One man in Scripture, who was deemed by Jesus Himself, as the greatest prophet who ever lived, had a moment of doubt. While behind prison bars, John the Baptist heard more news about the great works his cousin Jesus had been performing, yet such great events weren’t well received by the prophet.

I’m not sure how John was able to give orders to his disciples from behind bars, but he sent two of his disciples to make certain, Jesus was indeed the Savior he prepared men to receive. Whether John was suffering from the effects of prison isolation, or some other thing, Jesus was sure to ease his doubts. When the disciples arrived and delivered the message from John, Jesus kindly told the men, “Go and show John those things which ye do hear and see” (vs. 4b). Now John had already baptized Jesus a few chapters prior, and had heard of the great miracles He was performing, so I struggle with understanding his reason for doubt. Jesus had healed blind eyes, made the lame walk, cleansed lepers, opened deaf ears, raised the dead, and preached the gospel to the poor. Not only did John’s disciples hear of such great things, but they also saw the power of Jesus manifest before their very eyes.

During these times, the words of scripture were still being written, so men took seriously miraculous events, as signs of God’s amazing power. Today, God still performs miracles in people’s lives, but the greatest miracle, besides salvation, is having access and liberty to study His preserved and inspired book. When we have doubts, and many of us most certainly will, open God’s Word, and read how faith in Him, moves His hand to act on our behalf. Jesus didn’t judge John the Baptist in a negative way (nor did He judge doubting Thomas) for having doubts, instead He eased John’s doubt, by reminding him of the goodness and everlasting mercy that comes from the God of all creation.

ATTEN-TION!

Luke 6:20-26

Fret not, because of those who appear to be living life a little (or a lot) better than you. Worry not, about men who seemingly have the upper hand concerning matters of finances and other resources. Mind not those things which the world considers as “fancy”, or “flashy”. Don’t lose heart, when your life is full of sadness and pain, while those around you are filled with laughter. Stand strong, even when men hate you, and literally defame your good name. Walk with your head held high, in the midst of snakes, fakes, and ravenous wolves. Be strong, and very courageous, while facing trials and temptations. Get excited, in those moments when you get rejected from the crowd, and appear to be left all alone. While the world makes attempts to keep you in the fog negativity, God will give you strength to endure all of their ploys and distractions. Not only will God keep you in perfect peace during hard times, but He will reward you greatly in Heaven.

Those who seem to be living the “good life” here on the earth, and willfully reject God, will only enjoy good until their death. After this life, comes the judgment, and every man and woman who rejected God, will mourn and weep throughout all eternity, as they spend their next life in that horrible, bottomless pit.

Saints, be encouraged, and continue fighting the good fight. The battle belongs to God, and He’s already won the victory! Soon, and very soon, all our troubles, worries, and struggles will be over, but until then… fight well!

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Protect Your Purpose

Matthew 2:13-15

Have you ever had a thought or idea, that seemed right in your own mind, but when you shared it with others, they made you lose interest in making your objective a reality? While God may not write our plans for life on stone walls or tablets, nor speak to us in the same way He did with Moses through a burning bush, the Spirit of God can plant seeds of purpose in our minds, that when properly protected and cultivated, can change our lives forever.

I ran across the term, “dream killers”, many moons ago, and understood it as a way to describe those who find pleasure in destroying the purpose of men and women, rather than support their dreams. The devil can do no more to us, than what God permits, but we are responsible for limiting negative speech which he uses against us, in efforts to put our visions to rest. It’s vital that we guard and protect the purpose the Lord sets in our hearts, so that we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, in this life.

Not only is guarding our own purpose a priority, but protecting the purposes of others is also of great importance in the body of Christ. This was proven true in our text, as Joseph was tasked with keeping baby Jesus safe from the evil king Herod, who sought to destroy Christ, before His purpose was set in motion. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream (as it did once before), to warn him of the king’s plan to destroy the young child, and to give him instruction on where to find a place of refuge. Joseph’s obedience to God was essential in keeping the dream killer from destroying a purpose that eventually changed life forever.

Has God placed you in the life of someone who is at the point of giving up on their dream? If so, be their strength, and support them in their purpose, because what God has placed in them, could possibly change our world forever.

Keep your chin up… it’s easier to see Heaven that way,

Ell

Horrible Halloween

2 Timothy 1:7

Halloween comes to promote the spirit of fear. The movies, the celebrations, the costumes, etc. all represent the devil’s spirit of fear. Being fearful opens us up to the enemy’s playground and allows him access to our thoughts and feelings. This is why the Halloween season is so wicked and demonic. It is a time where the things that scare us are celebrated and enjoyed as if they are just entertaining us. But the devil knows that if he can birth fear in us, he can have control over our minds and thoughts so that we are fearful of our own future. We will begin to doubt our own plans for our families, our careers and aspirations, and our abilities. Once we start doubting ourselves, we will begin to be discontent and fearful of other’s perception of us. Doubt causes us to mask our fears and cover up our true selves, which makes it very hard for us to be helped or encouraged! Fear produces all of this!

Many today suffer from anxiety, depression, and hopelessness because of the Spirit of fear. Many turn to sin and substance abuse to mask their feelings of doubt and fear. The devil is able to manipulate us and take us off God’s course through the spirit of fear. So many have fallen away from the faith because fear took their faith away. We must never give place to fear. When we are fearful, we must pray and ask God, by faith, to rebuke this spirit from our lives and keep us believing and receiving from Him. Pray for His power, His love, and a sound mind! When we have these, the spirit of fear has no place in us.

-G. Craig Lewis

Elijah restores life to a widow’s son

1 Kings 17:17-24

During our seasons of testing and suffering, God will always sustain His people, as long as they remain committed to His agenda. As the inhabitants of Israel continued to suffer from famine, God continued to provide for His prophet, Elijah. When the first place God sent Elijah to rest had ceased from providing water, God prepared the heart of a widow to receive the prophet, and care for his needs for a season. God has a very unique way of bringing people together, in order to fulfill His will. Elijah had no idea the woman wasn’t in a good position to provide for anyone, but God knew that she needed divine intervention, and Elijah was capable of interceding, to bring that to pass. God places people in our lives for seasons, so that they can help take us to the next level, because there will be times when we won’t be capable of getting there on our own.

While the widow woman was gathering sticks one day to prepare the last meal for herself and her son, Elijah approached her, then asked for water to drink. As she left to get water, Elijah also asked if she could bring him something to eat as well. Take a brief moment, and put yourself in the shoes of the woman. God had already told you He was sending a man who needed your help, and in turn, you’d be blessed beyond measure (I’m uncertain how God relayed that message to the woman, but she got it somehow). Would you follow through with the man’s requests, without hesitation, or would your faith waver at the thought of not having enough supplies to care for you and your son? Faith tests aren’t always easy, but the benefits of following through are usually amazing!

Knowing what God had commanded her to do, the woman still felt the need to inform the prophet of her lack of resources. Elijah’s faith in God’s power of provision had already grown stronger after his experience at the brook of Cherith, so he knew that if the woman took care of his need, God would definitely take care of hers. So, the woman did as she was commanded, and was blessed with more than she could ever imagine. Ironically, this miracle wasn’t enough to fully convince the woman that Elijah was a true man of God, and that his words were complete truth. That’s odd, because she had seen the plan of God play out accordingly, but still held doubts. Many of us today are the same way, because God can do something super duper amazing for us, but when something more challenging comes along, we cringe in fear.

Following many days of miraculous increase, the woman’s son got sick, and died. Rather than approach the man of God in humility, and request his assistance for intercession, the woman question whether or not Elijah came to kill her son. Oh how frail we humans become, when times of blessing become moments of sorrow. Elijah took the boy, laid him on his bed, cried to God and asked the same question the widow woman posed to him. Interesting. Elijah stretched himself over the child three times, then asked God to bring life back into the boy. God granted his request. This miracle was more than enough to convince the woman that God lived through Elijah.

Are you fully persuaded in the power of God to take care of you, or do you live in fear that someday you’ll be left broke and destitute. The Bible is filled with examples of God’s grace and mercy on those who are committed to Him, and obey His simple commands. Trust God wholeheartedly, and never doubt that He is able to sustain you, no matter what condition you find yourself in.

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

Nathanael will see greater things

John 1:47-51

Have you ever misjudged someone because of where they came from, or those they associated with? It was a humbling experience, the moment you finally realized that the person you judged falsely, was in fact the very person you needed in your life. I’ve made plenty mistakes by listening to what others told me about people I never knew, without finding out who they were for myself. It’s possible that I may have lost potential friendships, or business associations that could have changed my life for the better. But because I allowed the opinions of some to change the way I viewed others, I’ll never get those opportunities again.

Before he became a great disciple, Nathanael heard from Philip that he, along with Andrew and Peter had found Jesus of Nazareth, the One of whom Moses wrote of in the law, and also did the prophets. One would think that Nathanael would have given a more celebratory response, but he was skeptical upon hearing this news, and replied, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Let’s pause for a moment and examine his words. Not much is known about Nazareth in Jesus’ day, so it’s possible that Nathanael’s skepticism was birthed from information that proved where Jesus lived could have been poor and impoverished, when compared to the surrounding areas. His response was almost like saying the Miami Dolphins would win the Super Bowl this year. It kinda leaves that “yeeeaaahhh…riiiiight” look on your face. But Philip advised Nathanael to come and see for himself.

There are times when people will refuse to believe your message of the Gospel, without seeing any apparent evidence up front. But these situations present the perfect opportunity for God to work through you, and manifest a miracle that no one can deny was done by the hand of the Lord. Our mission is to spread the Gospel of Christ, back up our profession with consistent holy living, and let God do the rest. There are some who try too hard to prove that God is the only way, when they’re only required to deliver the message, so God can then develop the seed planted in their lives. Be not discouraged when people aren’t so easily convinced that salvation comes through Christ. Continue to share the goodness of God’s Word in spite of who rejects you, but pay close attention, because sometimes some of the people who rejected you, may need you to build them up, once converted.

Jesus was 100 percent God, in a flesh body, so I’m fully convinced that He could see through the flesh of men, and discover their true thoughts and intentions. As Nathanael approached Jesus, His first words to him were, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Now that’s interesting. A man with not one ounce of guile in him? Guile is to be sly, or have cunning intelligence. It’s also to be crafty, or deceitful. Jesus knew the justified doubts in Nathanael’s heart, so His approach had to be one that would instantly grab his attention. Nathanael asked Jesus, “how do you know me?” Little did they know, Jesus operated under a different authority than men. The Holy Spirit’s gift of knowledge inspired Jesus to perceive the character of Nathanael. Jesus revealed that He saw Nathanael, even before Philip called him to meet Christ. This was all it took to erase the doubts that were lurking in Nathanael’s heart, but Jesus also revealed to Nathanael that he ain’t seen nothing yet!

This lesson could be classified as one of the “don’t judge a book by its cover” themes, as Jesus disproved the doubts that were associated with the town He resided in. Avoid making the mistake Nathanael did, by judging someone based on where they came from. Allow the Holy Ghost to guide you, as you discern between who is sent from God to bless you, or be a blessing to, and those hired by satan to knock you off track.

Seek peace,

Ell