Humility To Maturity

1 Peter 5:6, 2 Peter 3:18

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

The purpose of living is not to accumulate loads of wealth, nor strive to become famous in the eyes of men. The purpose of living is not to bask in the pleasures of life, while ignoring what real living is all about. There’s a theme preached by many today that centers around “living your best life” now, but the best life in God’s eye may not be what many carnal minded individuals would imagine. Living the godly life consists of humility, that sets one on the path of spiritual maturity. The more we learn about God and His word, the more we’ll grow in understanding of His purpose for us. Unfortunately, the “best life” isn’t a pretty picture. In the Bible, the apostles suffered horrendous deaths while living their “best life”. Even today, those who walk after righteousness, are suffering persecution, that could eventually lead to their deaths also. Knowing that our days are numbered, and life is short, it’s vital for all who live for God to humble themselves, and focus on being mature, as the inevitable suffering awaits us all.

Take a Break

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Suffering is inevitable on the earth, and hard times lay on the path of all men. The wicked perish, and the good die young. We work to make a living, and strive to be consistent in our effort to maintain a balanced lifestyle. The God of Heaven and earth understands that life presents challenges that weigh on the strength of His people, so He doesn’t mind when we take time to enjoy the fruit of our labor.

Men and women work hard for companies who care more about their business, than the total health of those who keep their business producing, so every now and then, it’s alright to schedule moments to bask in the good of your labor. Many people take vacations to escape the routine of their everyday lives, while others find pleasure in staying close to home, to appreciate times of peace, rest, and relaxation.

It’s important for the believer to not only maintain a healthy spiritual balance, but to also keep their natural living in good standing as well. While there’s nothing wrong with taking time to enjoy the blessings of God from your consistent hard work, how you enjoy that time is what matters. God allows us times of peace and rest, but we should never become lax, and forget holy standards during our relaxation. The body of Christ is still obligated to maintain a righteous standard, even during times of rest. Some feel that drinking, smoking, and enjoying other worldly methods are necessary habits of down time, but we are to eat and drink things that are proper, and kept within the bounds of God’s law, and what’s best for our health.

As we enjoy God’s blessings, we are to be temperate, and stay within holy limitations. This way, our lives will remain pleasant to God, and we’ll continue to enjoy a wonderful experience in His divine glory.

Walk in love,

Ell

As the Wind Blows

Ecclesiastes 5:1-6

Have you ever rode past a car lot, or saw on a TV commercial, one of those inflatable wacky tube men flipping, flopping, and flapping in every direction? Those things literally crack me up, and if you stare at one long enough, you’ll momentarily forget about your worries. Although they’re stationed in one position, their movements are beyond wild, and uncharacteristic. On the other hand, when you look at a statue, you notice it firmly planted, solid, and erected to portray the sculptor’s desired vision. Unlike the wacky tube man, who’s blown in all directions by the air from its base, and the winds that blow by, the statue stands strong, and is sustained in all situations and seasons.

There are many today who bear the title, “Christian”, yet are as unstable as the inflatable wacky tube man. Their righteous claim is accompanied by undisciplined behavior, including speaking rashly, showing no respect for the House of God, and breaking vows. These persons are easily caught up in every wind of doctrine presented to them, and find it hard to differentiate between the truth, and lies. Then, there are those who are true to their confession, as a statute is true to its form. Men who are grounded in God, aren’t easily beguiled by deception, and have a tendency to actually change the hearts of those who intend to distract them. Their faith is strong, hearts pure, motives good, and can stand firm in all situations and seasons. Those who follow after righteousness, carry themselves with the utmost integrity. In addition, they have a sure reverence for God, control their tongue, and always keep their word.

Are you more aligned with the inflatable wacky tube man, or are you solid and strong, like a well-built statue?

Walk in love,

Ell

Fighting Temptations

Matthew 4:1-11

One of the most valuable words of advice I’ve ever received after giving my heart to the Lord was, never underestimate the power of the devil. There’s a misconception that’s been going around for years that satan is powerless, and can do nothing to harm the believer, but if you study the Word carefully, and even look back over your own life, you’ll discover that the devil is more powerful than you can imagine. Satan is the master of deception, and he delights in twisting God’s Word, in order to serve his devilish purposes. Not only is he skilled in his deceptive arts, but He knows the Bible better than many of God’s own children (sad, but true). One of satan’s most successful strategies is, confronting the believer with temptation. If the devil can get the believer to focus on his distractions for only a few moments, that’s long enough to ensnare them in his traps. For this reason, it’s vital that the children of God know the Word for themselves, so that when temptation comes knocking, they’ll be strong enough to resist.

In our text, Jesus gave the perfect example of how to effectively resist temptation. After fasting 40 days, Jesus was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (vs. 1). Why would God purposely lead His Son into a trap? Could it be, because He knew Jesus was strong enough to overcome what lay ahead of Him, and also needed us to see how we are to handle the temptations in our own lives? Yeah, I think that’s about right. God also wanted to prove that His Word was more precious than anything satan could offer, and that even in a weakened physical state (Jesus), the strength of God’s Word was enough to drive evil away.

I mentioned earlier that satan has power, and in our text, we see two instances where the devil took Jesus into the holy city, and set Him high, atop a pinnacle of the temple, then took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. If you ask me, that sounds like more power than the average super hero. In all his desire to see Jesus submit to his own will, satan was disappointed, as Jesus dealt with the scheming serpent by using God’s written Word.

When facing temptation in our own lives, how we approach it can mean the difference between overcoming it, or being overwhelmed by it. If Jesus had given in to His “hangry” pains, He probably would have turned those stones into barbeque ribs, macaroni and cheese, and corn on the cob, but His spiritual hunger far outweighed the natural, and He was able to easily deflect the devils temptation.

Allow this lesson to be strength to you, as you face your daily struggles. Never give in to temptation, no matter how appealing it may seem, because the grass may be greener on the other side, but it might be overrun with serpents, waiting for the right moment to strike you down. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 6:41 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

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

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

A house of prayer for all people

Isaiah 56:3-8

The earth is filled with people of varying beliefs, customs, and religious backgrounds. According to a few reliable sources I researched online, there are more than 4,000 religions worldwide! It’s amazing to see, how of the two original religions (Abel – service to God, and Cain – service to satan), such a great number have been established in the earth. The problem with having too many religions is, while only one is right (James 1:27), the others were undoubtedly birthed out of rebellion, disobedience, pride, and other negative reasons. God is always right, and His Word has withstood the times from the beginning, until now. Even as the people in ancient times struggled to resist the temptations of false doctrines and religions, we today must also guard against all teachings that are contrary to godliness.

Unlike most man-made religions where works alone (not always good works) validate one’s right standing in such beliefs, God desires first, that men submit to His righteous will, then good works will prove each man’s confession. Regardless of what a person believes willingly, or by force, the Lord is always ready to receive any man who seeks to follow His way. Just as God accepted strangers, eunuchs, and all who were outside of His chosen people, in our text, God awaits to bless anyone who freely surrenders their own will, for His. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

Walk in love,

Ell

Pray for all secular leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-6

When was the last time you sincerely prayed for an enemy? Better yet, have you ever prayed for someone you strongly dislike? To those who become Saints, it’s natural to care for those who fight “the good fight” alongside them, but it’s even more important to “…love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 KJV). Not all men live in obedience to God, and their lifestyles are usually contrary to holiness, but that doesn’t give the children of God the right to judge, nor treat them any different than they would a fellow believer. The reason Paul instructed Timothy to pray for all men, including sinners, was because God desires for “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (vs. 4). Every man and woman, at some point in life, had to make the decision to give up the world, for God’s salvation, so how can we willingly treat sinners as if they weren’t deserving of the same opportunity God provided to us? After sin tainted the earth, all of mankind was unfit and unworthy to be in the presence of God, but because of Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for everyone, we now have a mediator between God and ourselves. The next time you get the urge to judge someone in sin, look back on your life, and remember, you were once the same person you’re attempting to judge. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

Forgive and restore broken relationships

2 Chronicles 6:22-25

When worldly men sin, there’s little for the church to get overexcited about, because this is expected behavior of anyone who lives outside of God’s will, but when members of the body of Christ sin against each other, different measures are to be taken. In the same way parents handle sibling rivalry much different than siblings fighting against the neighbors kids, church members (first of all, shouldn’t fight against each other) are to handle such matters by taking them before God. God is righteous, and judges all men accordingly, but when sin is left unchecked, or unforgiven, all guilty parties will face punishment. Imagine for a second, if your arms were jealous of your legs, then tried to injure them, so that they could receive more attention on the body. Or, if the hands were jealous of the eyes, and attempted to poke them out. That would be a dysfunctional body altogether, so imagine how God feels when the members of the church body fight and bicker amongst each other. For one thing, this sets an extremely bad example to the children, as well as embarrasses the church as a whole, to the world. God wants unity among the Saints, because we can accomplish more together, than we can divided. If we treat all men as if they were Christ, then our approach would always to be to edify, and not tear down. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).

Walk in love,

Ell