Soul Exchange

Matthew 16:26

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Do you value your soul, more than anything this present world can offer? Would you exchange the very essence of your being for money, fame, or any other thing men hold in high regard? In the beginning, God created the world to be inhabited, and enjoyed by man. Unfortunately, things took a major turn in the wrong direction, after the infiltration of sin in the earth. Rather than give due reverence to the one who created all things, men have taken more delight in those created things, over the Creator. The apostle Paul verified this fact when he wrote that men who claimed to be wise, became fools, and served the creature more than the creator. Was the death and resurrection of Jesus enough for you to turn away from the world, and commit your soul to the Father, or have you been drawn away by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, until serving God is nowhere on your list of things to do?

Judgment Is Coming!

2 Peter 2:1-9

God’s divine order of creation was altered, after man entertained sin, thus initiating inevitable judgment upon the earth. God hates sin, because it’s very intent is to perform the opposite of what He designed man to do. Man was created in God’s image, to do those things that please Him, yet sin caused men to desire not God’s will, but their own.

As the one who created and sustains all things, God has every right to execute judgment as He desires. Contrary to those who believe God will save all people, because He is so loving, and kind, and compassionate, God will pour out His wrath on all unrepentant sinners.

In time past, God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, delivered them into chains of darkness, and left them to await their final judgment. In the days of Noah, mankind had become so wicked, to the point God was extremely sorrowful for what the people had done to themselves. In the same way a parent expresses sorrow for a child who rebels, God was sorry that the people chose sin, rather than a relationship with Himself. God said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from off the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenth me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7). God the Father would have showed mercy on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, had He found ten righteous men there. Unfortunately, none except Lot was found righteous in the sight of the Lord.

Today, churches and religious institutions are littered with false teachers, prophets, and other evil agents, who secretly have brought in damnable heresies among the Saints. Unfortunately, many are being deceived by false doctrines, and are falling away from the faith, but judgment is coming to all who deny the truth of the Gospel, and turn men away from following Christ.

“Beware! God spared not the angels that sinned, and you will meet the same fate, if you don’t repent!” – Ell

The Wrath Of God!

Romans 1:18-23

As evil men continue to take part in promoting satan’s wicked campaign throughout the earth, God in His wrath, stands in position, ready to judge and subdue all who are ungodly and unrighteous.

Men were created good, and free from all wickedness, but when the serpent deceived Eve (and Adam took part), the relationship between God and man has never been the same. Fortunately, for all who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, God will save them in the end, but to those who remain unrighteous, immoral, and in sin, their eternity will be spent in an everlasting fire, created for the devil and his angels.

There are some who believe God is unfair, and should not be so hard on wicked men, but the God of Heaven and earth is just. In fact, God is super patient, and allows people ample time and opportunity to turn away from sin, and come to Him. The Bible reads it this way, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).

God is love, and has expressed His multifaceted compassion since the beginning of creation. The God of creation, desires not that any of His wonderful human beings be lost to eternal damnation, nor face His wrath. For this reason, He offers the free gift of salvation daily, so that anyone seeking the right path, can be saved from this present world of corruption.

Blessed Redemption

Galatians 1:20-24

20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:
23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
24 And they glorified God in me.

Everyone deserves a second chance in life, even the man who once persecuted God’s people without hesitation. How do you handle those who were once unruly, but God turned them for good? Do you hold grudges against people whom you once despised, or do you offer a helping hand, to assist them on the path of holy and righteous living?

Googoo Gaga!

1 Corinthians 3:1-11

The more I study and meditate on the Word of God, the more obvious it becomes to see how many churches today are mirror images of the early churches in Scripture. For example, the church at Corinth, would typically find themselves falling into sin, by way of being controlled by their carnal desires. For this reason, the apostle Paul had labeled the Corinthians “babes in Christ”. This fact was proven by their spiritual immaturity and childlike quarrels, through envying, strife, and divisions.

The Corinthian church had split into two halves; one side claimed to be of Paul, and the other of Apollos. Making claims of being rooted from a man is carnality, and the apostle Paul took great displeasure in the church for doing so. The only solid foundation men are to build upon and grow from is, the Son of God. Verse 11 of chapter 3 reads, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the true foundation of the church, and all those who believe. The apostle Paul, like all ministers are commanded to do, laid the foundation with Word of God, and Apollos continued in the Word, to help the church grow and mature.

The work of God’s ministry involves many different people, with diverse gifts and abilities, but it’s vital to acknowledge, there are no superstars in God’s kingdom, only team players. While we are to give honor to those who are deserving of it, we are not to place any man above the Son of God, because all praise belongs to God, not a man.

Many churches today suffer from the “babes in Christ” syndrome, but if the people replace their carnal desires with those of the Father, only then can the focus of the church be shifted back into the right perspective, and the people can begin to grow from babes, to mature sons and daughters of God.

Separated From Society

Luke 17:11-19

During the days when Jesus walked the earth, many people suffered from various illnesses and diseases, most of which kept them bedridden or unable to carry out daily duties. The worst of those diseases (in my opinion) had to be leprosy, because this illness kept men and women separated from society. Those who were leprous, were required to stand afar off from people considered clean. Aside from facing bitter social rejection, and being treated as outcasts, lepers were required to leave their homes and families, and join with others infected with leprosy, on the outskirts of town. In addition, They were forbidden from having contact with people who did not have the disease, and they had to ring a bell and shout “unclean” if anyone approached them. They couldn’t even go to the market place, and were also forbidden from taking part in worship. The worst fact concerning leprosy was, there was no cure for the diseases back then, so all who suffered from it, could only look forward to a slow, painful, and shameful death.

Living with the horrible condition of leprosy, could not have been a pleasant experience, but our lesson’s text reveals ten who were lepers, and had a life-changing experience, after an encounter with Jesus. While passing through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, Jesus entered a certain village, and was met by ten men, suffering from leprosy. Isn’t it interesting, how Jesus often found Himself among those who were sick or ill? I’m totally convinced, the Son of God knew to place Himself among the sick, so that the glory of the Father could be revealed to the suffering, and onlookers.

In a joint effort, the ten lepers cried with a loud voice and said, “Master, have mercy on us.” Rather than say, “Be healed”, or something of that nature, Jesus gave the men a simple command, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” If you’ve studied a little on the history of leprosy, you’ll know that the priests were ordained by God to consider someone to be clean or unclean, based on specifications mentioned in Leviticus chapter 13. But, Jesus told the men to show themselves to the priest, while they were yet leprous… an interesting command. Fortunately, as the men went, they were immediately cleansed. Although only one turned back to thank Jesus for his healing, all ten men, would no longer be labeled an outcast to society, but a welcomed citizen instead.

Unclean!

Leviticus 13:1-8

Leprosy, a name applied to several different diseases, was greatly feared in Bible times. Some of these diseases, unlike the disease we call leprosy or Hansen’s disease today, were highly contagious. The worst of them slowly ruined the body, and in most cases, were fatal. Lepers were separated from family and friends, and confined outside the camp. Since priests were responsible for the health of the camp, it was their duty to expel and readmit lepers. If someone’s leprosy appeared to go away, only the priest could decide if he was truly cured. Leprosy is often used in Bible times as an illustration of sin, because sin is contagious and destructive, and leads to separation.

(Life Application Study Bible pg. 198)

Walking Through The Impossible

Matthew 14:22-33

If you had the opportunity to switch places with the apostle Peter, on the night he walked on the water to meet Jesus, would you accept? Imagine being the only person in history to do the impossible, and live to tell others about it!

When the men on the ship saw a figure walking on the sea, they became terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost. But, Jesus told them, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” The men undoubtedly knew the voice of Jesus, as they had been following Him for quite some time, but of all who were on the ship, Peter alone acted on faith, and asked to join Jesus on the water. After accepting Jesus’ invitation, Peter stepped down out of the ship, and began walking on the water. As I sit and write this lesson, I’m looking at the water as boats sail by, and wonder what thoughts ran through Peter’s mind as he took his first steps on water. Well, the Bible mentions, Peter gave more attention to the boisterous winds rather than Jesus, and he began to sink because of fear. Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand and caught Peter, to save him from drowning.

While focusing on Jesus, Peter was able to do the impossible, but the moment he placed his focus on his problems, his faith wavered, and he began to sink. Although we may not walk on water, we will face tough situations in life, but if we keep our focus on Jesus, we’ll walk through all that we face, and come out on the other side. On the other hand, if we focus on the wind and waves, we’ll sink in all our problems and difficult situations. Don’t allow your inadequacies to take precedence over the awesome power of Christ.

Just A Touch 2

Matthew 14:34-36

Throughout His ministry, Jesus was constantly on the move, traveling from place to place, doing the works of His Father. His purpose was to reach and teach as many as He could, during the time He would spend on the earth.

After revealing another dimension of His power by way of walking on water, and being acknowledged a second time as the Son of God, Jesus and those who followed Him, went to a land called Gennesaret. This fertile land was north of the shore of Galilee, and was known for producing both temperate and tropical fruits. This particular area was also brimming with people who suffered sickness and disease. So, when the men of the land recognized the man among them was Jesus, they quickly spread word to all the country, to bring all who were diseased to Jesus.

The most interesting point in this story seems to relate to the woman who had the issue of blood. I’m not 100 percent certain there’s a relation with the woman and the people of Gennesaret, but all who came to Jesus, sought only to touch the hem of His garment for their healing, so word of the woman’s story may have spread to this land as well. These sick folk had enough faith to believe, only a touch of Jesus’ clothes, would bring their healing. Mercifully, their faith was in the right place, for all who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment were made perfectly whole. Jesus didn’t perform half healings, but His manifestations were total and permanent.

Jesus healed according to the faith of those who came to Him, so all who desired healing, sought total deliverance and restoration. When you come to God, do you seek partial deliverance, or do you want God to give you a total and complete manifestation of those things your heart desires? Reach out in faith, and touch Jesus, so He can make you whole again.

Solitude On Hold

Matthew 14:1-21

Losing someone you love, is never an easy thing to handle. In fact, many who’ve lost loved ones have given in to sadness and depression, so much to the point they’ve allowed idleness and stagnation to dominate their days. While there are numerous ways people cope with death, nothing is ever certain to bring joy to a heavy heart. Personally, when dealing with losing someone close, I often try to keep myself busy with work, or other things that occupy the time. This is because, the longer I sit idle, the more my thoughts will run rampant over things I wish I had said or done differently, while my loved one still lived.

After reading the lesson text, I was brought to tears while recognizing how Jesus dealt with losing someone, just as many of us do today. When the disciples brought word to Jesus, that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed, He sought the quickest way to get away from everyone. Jesus, the Son of the true and living God, sought solitude after the news of John. Being all powerful, and the creator of all things, how was Jesus subject to like passions as we are? This is proof, our Savior understands our hurts, pains, and struggles. He feels what we feel, and copes in ways we seek as well.

Unfortunately, when trying to distance Himself from people, many heard where He had fled, then followed Him on foot, out of many cities. Jesus was hurting, and needed time to heal, but after seeing the great multitude that followed, He was moved with compassion toward them. Have you ever been in a situation, when your heart was beyond heavy, yet you had compassion on someone else? Jesus was truly God in the flesh, and didn’t allow His present suffering, to forfeit blessing those who diligently sought Him.

As the story continues, Jesus fed over 5,000 people from two fish, and five loaves of bread. When we go through seasons of hurt, pain, and shame, we must be strong, and keep our focus, because God may decide to use us, to help someone else get through their hard season. Jesus is a loving and caring person, so remember, when you’re suffering, He’s moved with compassion for you too.