Peaceful Protest

Psalm 34:11-18

Whether being done peacefully, or with aggressive intent, protests have become the way by which free men exercise their 1st amendment right, expressing the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and petition the government for a redress of grievances. When unexplainable occurrences take place within our cities and states, the only power citizens have is their voice. While not much has been gained in favor of those who have assembled in protests throughout history, those who rule in seats of authority, are fully aware of the people’s feelings toward injustice.

The Bible teaches that believers are allowed to be angry, but are to refrain from turning that anger into sinful practices. While I’m unaware of whether or not those who are presently protesting for the cause of the late George Floyd are Christians, I do know that those who are acting out in violent behavior, are either babes in Christ, or not converted at all. My reasons for expressing such concern is based on the lesson’s text. King David gave a descriptive account of the behaviors of a mature disciple of Christ. This man, after God’s own heart, mentioned that Saints keep their tongues from evil communication, and their lips from speaking guile, or words of deceit. The ancient king went on to express that children of God remove themselves from ungodly situations, and focus their attention on doing good things, seeking peace in all situations, and making it their business to continue this pattern regularly.

The body of Christ must always remain conscious of their behavior, knowing that the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, and He yearns to remove them from the earth. The text also mentions how the eyes of the Lord are upon those who walk in righteousness, and He’s attentive to their prayers and requests. God is in full support of those who express themselves, but with His motives in mind, but to men who willingly allow their anger to cause them to commit insensitive acts of violence, God has judgment awaiting them, in due time.

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

Ell

Trust The Process

Psalm 130

Pray – Wait – Receive. This is the typical process the children of God experience when seeking answers from the Father. Before coming to God with any request, we must first determine if what we desire is aligned with God’s will for us. Children ask their parents for everything, and most of what they whine for, are things they don’t need. A good parent knows how to ignore futile requests, for the ones that are actually relevant. Although God may hear all our prayers, He will only answer the ones that will make our lives better, but for His purposes. Selfish prayers are never answered, and God is too wise to give us things that would draw us away from Himself. When we pray, let’s be certain that what we ask for, will not only benefit ourselves, but also have an impact on the kingdom of God.

The “waiting game” is the second part of the prayer process. In my most honest opinion, I HATE WAITING! I don’t consider myself a millennial, nor do I openly confess to be amongst the microwave generation, but, I do not enjoy waiting. Waiting for God to answer our prayers is very important, because during these moments, God monitors how we behave, until He decides to respond. I have failed many tests of waiting, and found myself complaining that God was taking too long to assist me, on multiple occasions. Little did I know, God had my answer, before I even prayed, but waited to see if I would wait patiently for His response. Well, I’m grateful for second chances, because from those experiences, I learned to wait on God, no matter what.

The rewards that come from waiting on God are absolutely amazing (ask Joseph, Job, and Daniel, if you don’t believe me)! God knows what we need before we even ask, but He demands constant communication between He and His children, so that healthy rapport can be established, and we will always know His voice, from the enemy’s. God doesn’t need blessings, but we do. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24 KJV).

After we pray to God, we are to live as if those prayers are already answered. We should continue living and loving, as God commanded, rather than put our lives on hold, waiting to see if God will answer us. Prayer does work, and although the devil attacks us spiritually, trying to hinder our blessings, God will always answer the prayers of the righteous. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16b KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

Bartimaeus healed by faith

Mark 10:46-52

If Jesus was here today, walking, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the goodness of God, how would this new generation receive Him? I strongly believe Christ would be rejected the same today, if not worse, than He was during the days of old. Technology has caused men to become lazy, and distracted from staying focused on the things of God, and people have turned away from following after righteousness, to clinging more to things of the world.

Jesus was all God, wrapped in human flesh, so everything He did was only to draw men unto Himself, in hopes of changing their hearts. Some followed and believed the message of Christ, others were healed by His power, while a large number opposed His message, because of selfish and wicked reasons. Despite being rejected by some, even those from His hometown, Jesus had no issue tending to the needs of those who came to Him, but He had moments where His attention was directed solely on certain individuals who exhibited unprecedented faith. For example, the woman who had a blood issue for twelve years, pressed her way through pain, shame, embarrassment, and crowds of people, just to touch the clothes Jesus wore, because her faith led her to believe, the healing power of Jesus could flow even through His garments. The centurion had enough faith to believe that Jesus could pray from a distance, and his servant would be healed. These are just a few examples of Bible characters who had enough faith to make Jesus marvel.

Our text introduces blind Bartimaeus, who heard Jesus was passing by, as he sat on the side of the road begging. It’s not hard to imagine how those who are destitute, and left to suffer, dream of miracles night and day, because most people pass by them often, seeing them holding “help me” signs, and asking for spare change. I often wish I could simply touch each one of them, and rid them of their sickness, disease, and poverty, but I do what I can to help some of them get through the day. Jesus heard the blind man cry loud to Him, then wondered who it was. After being shushed by those in the crowd (I HATE being shushed; I’m a grown man), Bartimaeus cried even louder lol. I love that guy. Never allow anyone to keep you from getting to Jesus, even of it annoys them. Trying to keep the man quiet while he reached out for a blessing proved that the people didn’t mind him being left in his condition. Once Jesus connects with your faith, there’s nothing anyone can do to sever that connection. Jesus called for the blind man, asked for his request, granted that request, then acknowledged that his faith was responsible for his healing.

I often express that faith is what moves God to act on our behalf, so it’s important to grasp this concept, and implement it in our daily lives, so that we can begin to enjoy the full benefits of being a child of the God of all creation.

Walk in love,

Ell