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?

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.

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.

Husbands and wives, joint heirs

1 Peter 3:1-9

Christians are commanded by God to submit themselves to every ordinance of man, as well as to every person who has any authority in government, who cooperate in efforts to promote righteousness, over lawlessness. This is important, because there are some who are under the impression that they are not to abide by laws and rules set by men who are ungodly. On the contrary, God supports justice, because human government is of His own doing, and if any man or woman seeks to do that which is right, we are to support them, just as His people did in ancient times. In addition, our cooperation also puts to silence those who shun Christianity, and proves that believers aren’t as haughty as they are falsely accused to be.

Following the previous example, servants are commanded to be subject to their masters; showing respect to those who are good, and to those who are hard to please. It’s difficult, at times, to submit to bosses who are stubborn, pig-headed, arrogant, disgusting, displeasing, high-minded, haughty, disrespectful, discourteous, rude, impolite, uncivil, ill-mannered, ungracious, irreverent, inconsiderate, insolent, impudent, impertinent, cheeky, flippant, insubordinate, churlish, contemptuous, disdainful, derisive, scornful, disparaging, insulting, and abusive (did I miss anything lol). We earn God’s acceptance as heirs to His kingdom, and joint-heirs with Christ, when we uphold His righteous standard in the midst of our suffering and injustice, because persecution and hard times come as a package deal when we submit our lives to God.

Submission is not limited to governments, authorities, and bosses, but it extends even into our homes. According to Scripture (and contrary to societal belief), wives are to submit themselves to their own husbands. I can hear all the wives murmuring, “I ain’t nobody’s slave”, lol. Well, the Bible’s definition of submission does not involve one being used, abused, nor taken advantage of. Instead, submitting as God commands is the greatest sign of true commitment. Women have to first separate the idea of slavery, from the word submit, in order to understand how in-depth their role is, as a wife. Wives are to be “discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). Wives are to understand, and reverence their husbands as the head, just as Christ is the head of the church. The problem some women face in marriage is, they get hooked on the “new age” equality teachings, that alter their understanding of what God expects from them. Yes, the husband and wife are one in body, soul, mind, and spirit, but there’s an order in the family that has been ignored for ages, that has caused all kinds of issues between married couples.

Another issue plaguing women submitting is, the need to focus more on their outward appearance, hoping that their looks will keep their husband’s interest high. While looks play a part in any relationship, it shouldn’t be the focal point. Women of old adorned themselves with the Word of God; making sure that their inward man was right in the eyes of God, so that they would be properly positioned to assist their husbands as God saw fit. The Bible mentions that obtaining a meek and quiet spirit holds more value than anything a woman could do to enhance her physical appearance, so rather than spend unnecessary funds on expensive clothes, makeup, and jewelry, the wife should spend more time keeping her heart pure, and right with God.

To the wife who’s joined to an unbelieving husband, her obedience in all things is based upon him loving his wife, as Christ loves the church. In other words, if she’s ordered to do something outside of the will of God, then she’s not obligated to follow that order. Is this grounds for a divorce? According to the text, no, because even though the unsaved husband refuses to hear preaching of the gospel, he will be exposed to the chaste behavior of his born-again wife. For this reason, it’s vital that the believing wife strive to conduct herself in charity and chastity, showing reverence to the husband, in hopes that he would be won over by her godly example.

Submissive wives are beautiful in the eyes of God, and essential to the success and wellbeing of their husbands. Never feel that you are of lesser value based on your role as a wife, because when God made you from the man’s rib, He constructed the perfect creature, capable of doing amazing things!

Walk in love,

Ell

One teacher, many students

Matthew 23:1-11

Pride sucks! I couldn’t think of a better way to express my feelings of that word, so ummm…yeah. Pride can be defined in a number of ways, but at its root, it means to exalt oneself, to be arrogant, or to have an excessively high opinion of oneself. Scripture warns against being prideful for a number of reasons. For one thing, a proud heart contradicts Christ’s command to love others as themselves.

Arrogant people often forget that their crap stinks too, and while they are judging others, there’s a lot more that they should first correct in themselves. Proud people use the terms “I”, “my”, and “me” more often than those who walk in humility. In our text, the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day were the epitome of those with prideful hearts. These men appeared beautiful, and righteous on the outside, but inwardly they were unclean, and full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Jesus was extremely critical of their behavior, not only because they lived prideful lives, but they were leading others astray with their false teachings. The Pharisees were honored to be called Rabbi, or master, but Christ taught to call no one master, because He is the only Master, and everyone else should be considered brethren. Have you ever met individuals who would flip tables and chairs if you failed to acknowledge them by their title? It’s so sad how men and women can allow a simple title to make them feel relevant, when we are all relevant to God by the redemptive blood of Christ.

Never allow yourself to get so caught up in wanting to be relevant to men, until you lose, or forfeit your relevance to God. Let the teachings of Christ encourage you to walk in humility, and avoid entertaining those self-righteous persons who do things for outward gratification, rather than spiritual edification.

Walk in love,

Ell