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8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,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

Remember Me?

Deuteronomy 8:1-11

What is prayer? Prayer is rendering to God sincere words of worship, praise, thanks, or petition. Why do men pray? Men pray for various reasons, but most importantly, to God in their hearts and minds. How can a person forget God, who is the great “I AM”, and creator of all things? To forget is to fail to remember, inadvertently neglect to do, bring, or mention something, and to put out of one’s mind, or cease to think of or consider. In this lesson, I’d like to focus on the latter description of the aforementioned term.

When God blesses His people, it’s only fitting that they return praise and thanks to Him for all He does, but history has its share of instances, when men allowed their success to supercede the source of their blessings. God loves to bless, and He is ready and willing to bestow good things to those who obey His commands. Unfortunately, men are susceptible to allowing all their good, to cloud their focus on the purpose for being blessed, which causes them to develop a bad habit of putting God out of their minds. For example, after God miraculously brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea, and on dry land, they were soon after found murmuring and complaining. Even after wandering through the wilderness 40 years, while God kept them fed, protected, and their clothes never got worn, the people were still found being ungrateful.

Men ought to always pray, not only because of how great God is, but so that we can keep Him first in our hearts. Be mindful to always keep consistent communication with the Father. Thank Him for waking you up, bless His name for giving you salvation, praise Him for the strength He gives to move as you do, and honor Him for every breath you breath, and wholesome thought you think. When you find yourself getting close to brink of complaining, consider all the things God has done, is doing, and will do for you, then let praise and thanks flow from your lips in humble submission to His unmatched love.

A Right Spirit

Genesis 44:1-13

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23 KJV). Every person who has ever lived (with the exception of Jesus Christ), has done something that required God’s gift of salvation. In fact, simply being born of man’s sinful seed, makes a person sinful by default, and primed for iniquity. But, thanks be to God, for His grace, mercy, and righteousness, we can all be redeemed, and forgiven from our faults.

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, and showing consistent signs of repentance through one’s lifestyle proves to others, that one indeed has received a right spirit. Many make mistakes, then verbally admit they have changed from the error of their ways, but the real proof of one’s changed heart can be witnessed through how they live on a consistent basis.

God cares for all men, more so for those who diligently seek Him, but He will present opportunities for His people to prove that what they profess is actually truth. An example of this can be seen in the way Joseph tried and tested the hearts of his brethren. While he could have simply greeted his brothers, and told them all that he had gone through, Joseph decided to first make sure his kin folk weren’t still up to evil deeds. God desires to bless all His children greatly, but He will never spoil His gifts on those who will abuse, misuse, or defile His great blessings.

Joseph’s plan was very successful in revealing that the hearts of his brothers were indeed changed, and this was proven by the renting of their clothes, which was the ultimate sign of genuine honesty, sincerity, and deep mourning. Sin has the ability to cause years of hurt, pain, and shame, but forgiveness, coupled with a changed lifestyle, can bring about restoration that can reunite even the most difficult relationships.

We live this life for purpose and reason, but not too long, for only a season.

Ell

The Prayer Of Faith

James 5:13-20

One of the most sound words of advice acknowledged by Luke in the New Testament says “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” These words were mentioned right before Jesus began to teach the parable of the “Unjust Judge”. If you’re not familiar with this story, it can be found in Luke 18:1-8. Christ understood, keeping in constant communication with the Father, was essential to maintaining the right balance of natural, and holy living. God knows all, created all, and understands all, so the more we come to Him with whatever issue, the better we’ll understand His purpose for allowing it, and how to handle it.

Our text also gives a powerful word of wise counsel, as it states, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (vs. 16b). While prayer involves communicating with God, in order for God to hear, or even acknowledge your words, a couple of things must first be dealt with. First of all, we should always approach God with a pure heart, and good intentions. If there is any sin in our hearts, we should confess our faults, and the Lord will save us. Second, when we pray, it must be done in faith. Praying without faith is, praying amiss, and God doesn’t acknowledge unfaithful requests. Many times, people come before God with doubt, fear, unbelief, or discouragement, but these things must be put aside, so that one won’t lose heart when seeking to receive an answer from the Father.

Because of Christ, we have a right to approach God, despite with the enemy says or does to convince us otherwise. Prayer is powerful and super effective, and when it becomes a customary pattern, the life of those who pray will become increasingly focused, and appealing in the eyes of God.

Why does the living man complain?

Ell

The Untamed Member

James 3:1-12

When God created man, He made him with very unique attributes and abilities, no other created being has. Of those unique abilities, man has been able to tame every kind of beast, bird, serpent, and things in the deep blue sea. Consider how great and massive some of the animals are on land, and in the oceans, and how incredible it is for man, in his stature, to tame something more massive than himself.

Man in his wisdom, has the ability to manipulate and control animals, and even influence them to do as he commands, but with all his wisdom, knowledge, and power of influence over birds and beasts, man lacks the ability to tame his own tongue. Yes, that little “pink tornado”, is capable of stirring up all manner of trouble. Lions, tigers, bears, and whales are all more massive than man, yet he is able to tame them, but that little member, nestled in his mouth, boasts great things, kindles fires, and is a world of iniquity.

Those who bear the name of Christ, have the responsibility of using the tongue to bless God, and hold only good conversations. The words that proceed from the mouths of the Saints, should only offer strength, encouragement, and edification to all who would hear them. God shuns those who maintain improper use of the tongue, while defiling themselves with ungodly conversations. There are some who seemingly bless God one minute, then curse their brother twenty minutes later. This ought not be the case among those who are born-again believers. Can you find apples hanging from an orange tree, or pick grapes from a tomato vine? I highly doubt you will, and you should not hear ungodly speech coming from the mouths of godly people. On human strength alone, the tongue cannot be tamed, but when a vessel is under the influence of the Holy Ghost, the tongue will be restricted to speak those things that are pleasing to the Father.

If you ever find yourself holding conversations that aren’t true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, check to see whether or not you’ve strayed away from the Spirit. Only in God, do we have the power to overcome our flesh, and walk after the Spirit. The tongue indeed, is little member, but if left uncontrolled, it can set the whole world on fire!

Why does the living man complain?

Ell

The Hearts Of Men

Mark 7:17-23

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. And doth thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one” (Job 14:1-4). These were words spoken by Job, who was struggling to understand his extremely uncomfortable circumstances, but he also realized the importance of trusting God, even when life seems to be unfair.

At the start of the gate, we are born into this world at a disadvantage. Because of sin, men are born unclean, and Job recognized that it’s impossible to bring something clean, from an unclean thing. Knowing this fact should provoke the church to cling tight to God, because it’s easy to veer off into the path of unrighteousness, and attemp to walk without God’s leading.

By default, men are carnal in their thinking. In fact, the very heart of a man, without being filled with the Spirit of God, will eventually entertain areas of ungodliness that will defile their very essence. Such areas include, but are not limited to, evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye (sometimes, just the way you look at a person can come off as pure evil), blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. The text continues to read, “All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (vs. 23).

It’s impossible to live a good life, or the popular “your best life now”, without God, because the flesh will never be satisfied, until it’s evil urges and desires have been fulfilled. Guard your heart against all things evil, and trust God to keep your heart filled with His love and grace. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 KJV).

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

Ell

God sends the rain to everyone

Matthew 5:43-48

This lesson text has been introduced in a more recent lesson, but it’s always good to go back and re-read familiar passages, because you never know how much more revelation God can reveal during your studies. The more silver that continues to invade my beard, the more I try to get a better understanding of the concept of God’s love. In this technologically advanced age, many have began to fall away from the hand of God. For example, going to church has been replaced with going to the game, getting our hair or nails done, or mowing the lawn. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24, “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” People have found countless reasons not to give God the time and glory He deserves. Despite whether or not people do the things that are pleasing to God, He still allows the rain to fall on the just, and the unjust.

Why is God so good, even to those who fail to reverence Him? Well, in the beginning God created, and what He created He called it good. Although sin caused separation between God and man, He still loves them unconditionally. As a loving parent, God teaches, disciplines, corrects, monitors change, then rewards. Growing up, I despised spankings (especially arm pinches), so I tried my best to always do my chores and do well in school. But there were times when my parents would have to discipline me for various reasons, but their chastisement was only done out of love. No matter how many times I fell out of line, they never stopped providing for me. This is how God handles people. There are no favorites in the family of God, so He treats us all the same, but unbelievers also enjoy the benefits of God’s creation.

We all need rain for various reasons. Water is essential to human survival. The plants we grow, the animals we raise, and the requirements of the human body to stay hydrated are all dependent on water…clean water. Rainwater fills streams, rivers, and lakes. It carries with it not only the potential for life but also a history of its own past. (modernsteader.com)

God set things in order so that we can live long enough to not only enjoy the fruit of our labor, but to eventually give our hearts to Him. What sense would it make for God to only provide for those who are saved, while neglecting everyone else. Imagine if only believers enjoyed the benefits of clean water, fresh air, and good crops. That doesn’t sound fair at all. But God loves everyone, including His enemies, so He’ll continue to allow His rain fall on them, while giving them time to turn from their sinful ways.

God commanded His children to love, because He is love. When we love the right way, it creates an opportunity for others to receive the Word, and pique their interest to learning more about God. Follow God’s example on how to love, because His way always proves positive outcomes.

Seek peace,

Ell