Personal Responsibility

Ezekiel 18

1 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.
10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,
12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,
16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

“What a just, patient, and equitable God we serve!” – Ell

Treat All Men The Same

1 Samuel 30:21-25

Our lesson’s text gives two very good examples of treating all men fairly. I’ve mentioned in the previous lessons, the importance of showing love to everyone, because this is the very nature of Christ. God uses men in different ways, and for various purposes, so it’s important that we always treat men with love and kindness, despite who they are. The first example in our text took place when the Amalekites cruelly left an Egyptian slave in a field to die. The man had taken sick, and was left alone in his state of suffering and misery. Fortunately, David’s men found the slave, brought him to the king, and nursed him back to health. The man was key in assisting David in overcoming the wicked Amalekites. While the slave was left to die, God used him to lead David and his men to victory. David and his men showed kindness to the feeble stranger, and in return, he was kind enough to lead them to their enemy. As I’ve stated earlier, be mindful how you treat those you meet, because you never know how God will use them to help you, or haunt you.

The second example of showing kindness to all men can be found in the latter verses of the same chapter. In this instance, David and his men had returned to their camping spot, with all the spoils from the Amalekites, including their wives and children who had been taken captive. Earlier during the pursuit of the enemy, some of David’s men had grown weary, and couldn’t press on, so they were assigned the duty of holding up by the brook Besor, to guard their supplies and munitions of sort. After returning, “all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David”, felt that those who stayed behind were not worthy to receive any of the spoils. Wait a minute…so David fought with wicked men in his army? That’s what it looks like, doesn’t it? Well, I’ll dive into that in another lesson. Anyhoo, the men who fought against the enemy, disapproved of the men who stayed behind of receiving any of the spoils, but king David made a statute and ordinance for Israel, that all men who participate in any function of battle, whether it be front line, or stay behind, will all share the spoils together.

Fighting a war or battle takes more than armed soldiers, but a good military makes wise use of various support systems. In addition, churches and other organizations couldn’t function without secretaries, trainers, administrators, and other positions that usually go unnoticed. Stop hating on people who get blessed for presumably not putting in as much effort as you may be contributing, because all aspects and functions of any group or organization are important for its overall success.

“He died for me… I’ll live for Him.” – Ell

The Royal Law

James 2:8-13

Do you love yourself? Do you really take note of the way you care for your own well-being? Do you make sure to keep yourself well-groomed, fed properly, healthy, safe from dangerous situations and areas, well-informed of worldly affairs, clothed in decent and clean apparel, distanced from drama, lies, and gossip, and covered in prayer, with fasting? When you love yourself, you’ll be certain to do all that’s necessary to ensure a safe, healthy, and productive lifestyle. In fact, God appreciates when His people keep themselves healthy in their physical bodies, and sound in their mind and soul. While God loves to see us care for ourselves, it pleases Him the more when we show that same love and care for others.

Do you find it easy to love others the same way you love yourself? Can you bless someone with something you could possibly need for yourself, or are you unable to sacrifice, so that someone else can bask in a moment of peace and provision? Loving “thy neighbor as thyself”, should never be a hard task for the children of God, because all their works are motivated by the Holy Spirit. When a believer sees someone with a need, their first instinct is usually to meet that person’s need (if possible). Even if you lack what someone else has need of, rather than give up on them, it’s wise to walk with them to seek resolution elsewhere. When we see others hurting, we are to show sympathy, as if their hurt was our own. Even during this unprecedented season of sickness and death, the church should remain humble, and sensitive to the feelings of all those who have suffered great loss.

Treating others the way we desire to be treated, is counted as well doing, according to Scripture, but showing respect to some, while avoiding others is considered sin. That’s right! It’s a sin to show favor to some, while avoiding others like the plague. In our society, we judge men based on their outer appearance, but God despises having respect of persons, and promotes meekness, kindness, and mercy amongst all who bear His holy name.

As you continue on your journey through life, be mindful of how you treat others. Have you been guilty of showing any degree of partiality or injustice toward others? If so, repent quickly, and strive to love everyone the same way you love yourself.

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

Ell

God Brings Balance

Leviticus 25:8-17

The Year of Jubile, was an exciting season, ordained by God, so that all Hebrews could receive a fresh start in their way of living. During this hallowed year, people were required to live off their increase, so that the land could rest, and lie untended, for a season. Not only was the land given room to breath, but the people were also commanded to rest from work. God knew the importance of balance and fairness, so He made certain that during this year, business was to get a fresh start as well. This was a time when all mortgages were canceled, servants released back to there families, all debts forgiven, and all lands were reverted to the original owners. Jubile was set aside to be holy, and a time where liberty was proclaimed throughout the lands, and unto all the people there. God also stressed, that when conducting business, men were to be fair, and not oppress one another, during this time.

How I wish America feared God in such a way, that His standards ruled the government. Some say this country was founded on godly principles, but its obvious men have long pushed those standards aside, in place of their own ideals. Rather than proclaim liberty, fairness, and respect for our fellow man, this country is divided by parties, social classes, and the color of a man’s skin. Could you imagine how incredible it would be, if a year was set aside, where the government canceled everyone’s debt, including mortgage, credit card bills, student loans, and more? Although that’s only a fairytale, it would allow an opportunity for all things to return to balance.

Well, I guess I’ll snap out of my daydream, and focus back on reality. While we try to maintain balance in this world of unjust leaders, be certain to treat your fellow brothers and sisters with godly love, and respect. Always be honest, and keep God first in all your dealings. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

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

Ell

God is faithful

Romans 3:1-8

One of the things so absolutely amazing about God is, He’s always faithful in keeping His word. Not only is He faithful to His word, but His faithfulness extends to His love, grace, mercy, and provision. God promised to bless those adopted into His family abundantly, but there are conditions that must first be met, in order to enjoy the full benefits God offers to those who live for Him. Another amazing fact about the wonderful God we serve is, there is no respect of persons with Him. It matters not whether a person is a Jew, Grecian, American, or whatever, God loves all men the same, and treats them respectively, according to their obedience. Not one man or woman holds and advantage over another in the kingdom of God due to their race or nationality, because God sees no difference, and He’s rich unto all that call upon Him. Even when some refuse to believe in the power of God, it doesn’t stop Him from beautifying the world with all His creation and splendor. There are others who are under the assumption that God needs sin in order to magnify His glory. On the contrary, sin is not necessary to magnify God. If this were true, then God would be unjust Himself and could not rightly be justified in judging the world. In a similar sense, many preach that God is using President Donald Trump to evoke the church to tighten up and pray more, but the church should already be praying without ceasing, according to Scripture. God doesn’t need to use an unjust man to motivate His children to live better, because we should be doing that regardless of who holds a seat in office. God will never fail us, nor go back on His word. No man can ever say that God failed to keep His word, because if they examine themselves and all their ways, there’ll find where they failed to meet the conditions God set, so He could fulfill the promise He made.

Walk in love,

Ell

God’s righteous, impartial judgment

Romans 2:1-12

Throughout life, I’ve often heard people blame God for their misfortunes. When things seem to be going well, they seldom give God the credit for blessing them with good things. But in those moments when times get rough, they tend to put the blame on God, without first examining themselves to see whether or not they were the cause of those unfavorable situations.

God is just, and His judgments are fair. Just as a parent disciplines their children in times when they act out, and reward them when they do well, God treats everyone the same, and doesn’t hold anyone at a higher standard than the other. All believers are His children, and He wants us to obey His words, so that when He judges men for their works, we’ll have nothing to fear.

There are many who have passed on from this life, trusting and believing in the God of all creation. Many today are strong in faith because of those pioneers who laid solid foundations in the lives of those they loved. Although it may seem that our suffering and consistent holy lifestyle may not render us much on this earth, Paul told the Roman church that all those who were patient, and continued in well doing will live in glory, honor, and immortality, when they receive eternal life with God. But to those who are disobedient and refuse to obey the truth of the Gospel, they will receive indignation and wrath. Seek to do good, and avoid the sentence that was originally set for satan and his fallen angels. Align your lives with the will of God and look forward to an eternity of glory, honor, and peace as you continue in good works and obedience to the word of God.

Seek peace,

Ell