Calling to Salvation

Luke 19:1-10

All of Jesus’ encounters with certain men and women in Scripture was never an accident, but an appointment. Christ’s mission was solely to seek, and save those who were lost, so He made it His business to be in the right place, at the appointed time, to reach those specific persons on His agenda. Some men and women were the objects of faith tests, whereas others were assigned to be examples of Christ’s healing and manifestation, intended to build the faith and belief of others. A few examples include blind Bartimaeus, the woman at the well, and the man in our text, Zacchaaeus. He was the chief among the publicans, and no doubt earned his riches by dishonest gain. Publicans were considered the worst of sinners, because of their oppression of the poor, lack of faith in God, pride in their own success, and trust in their riches and sinful pleasures.

While Jesus was still passing through Jericho, word was being spread how He had healed the blind beggar who sat by the way side. News of this event caught the attention of the rich, and ever unpopular Zacchaeus. For some reason, this man was eager to see this Jesus everyone raved about, so as Christ neared his location, he tried hard to get His attention. The Bible tells us that Zacchaeus was unable to see over the crowds surrounding Jesus because he was too short, so he ran ahead of them, climbed up a tree, and waited patiently for Jesus to pass by. Have you ever sought after the Lord with such passion and diligence? Can you recall a time when you needed God so, until you wouldn’t allow anyone, nor anything to get in your way? Christ approached the tree from which Zacchaeus clung from, looked up, and told the man, “make haste, for to day I must abide at thy house” (vs. 5). Jesus was pleased to commune with the publican, not because he was rich in wealth, but because his faith was strong, and he had a repentant heart. As usual, the “peanut gallery” who saw Jesus leave with Zacchaeus murmured amongst themselves, wondering why Jesus would choose to eat with a sinner. In my most humble opinion, those people operated under the “spirit of dumb”. Their logic is equivalent to someone being angry at a fireman for saving a child from a burning building, or a doctor healing a sick patient. Jesus was only doing what God sent Him to do, save the lost, despite how others perceived and judged His actions.

Unlike the rich young ruler a few lessons prior to this one, Zacchaeus had a readied mind to give half of his goods to the poor, and to restore what he had taken by false accusation. This was a rare act, because many who had riches were usually unwilling to easily part ways with them. Because of the faith and change of heart from Zacchaeus, Christ offered him and his house the gift of salvation.

Let this lesson encourage you to push past those things that would keep you from coming to God. Whether it be family, friends, or even your haters, don’t allow anyone to hinder you from receiving what God has for you. Even if you have to climb a tree to reach Christ, strive to stay in the will of the Father, and let nothing stop your drive and purpose.

Walk in love,

Ell

Finding the lost sheep and coin

Luke 15:1-10

One of the worst things in the world to lose, or misplace is money. You work so hard to gain so little of it, so losing it leaves a gut-wrenching feeling deep inside of you that doesn’t go away easily. If perhaps you’re fortunate enough to find what you lost from searching diligently for it, it makes you want to scream in excitement, and spread the good news to others. In our text, Jesus entertained His audience of publicans, sinners, Pharisees, and scribes with the parables of the lost sheep, and the lost coin. The Pharisees and scribes murmured amongst themselves, and criticized Jesus for receiving sinners, and eating with them. If they weren’t so stubborn and pig-headed, they’d remember Christ’s words in chapter five when He said to them, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). These religious men were utterly ignorant of Jesus’ mission, and failed to see the truth, even in His simple teachings. If Heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents, why couldn’t the men who studied the scriptures do the same? Instead, they were more concerned with trying to find fault in Christ’s dealings, rather than join Him in winning souls. Even today, many churches have focused more on keeping an image, while ignoring the souls that need to be saved. We have become ignorant, just as the Pharisees and scribes of the past, and allowed our pride and arrogance to cloud our judgment. It’s time for the church to shift their focus back to what makes Heaven rejoice, and that’s repentant souls. The almighty God, and the heavenly host, celebrate every time one person repents of their sins. Seeing it from that perspective should motivate us to take soul-winning more serious.

Walk in love,

Ell

Calling sinners to repentance

Luke 3:12-13; 5:27-32

The role Christ played while on earth was to make man aware of their sins, and take on the law which man could in no way live up to, being born in sin, and shaped in iniquity. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). Being born a sinner puts all men at a disadvantage, and makes it impossible for them to save themselves from the judgment of sin. A sinner is one who actively participates in sinful acts, and are required to repent, so that the grace of God can transform them into the man or woman He intended for them to be, before sin tainted the earth. All we see going on in the world, men doing all they can for the mighty dollar, women devaluing themselves by selling their bodies for sex, and a host of other things, and children showing no respect to those in authority, is the by-product of how sin, and its power, can alter something beautiful, and make it corrupt. God wants our lives to shine as lights, exposing the darkness in this evil world. This is precisely the example Jesus left for us to follow. It’s unfortunate that the supposed righteous folk are unable to win souls to the kingdom of God, because they are too busy filling their pockets with filthy lucre, or are too afraid to expose the evil in their presence.

Believers were called to be holy, and in doing so we are expected to show the same concern for the lost as Christ did. We should always be fair to others, and never take advantage of anyone, no matter the situation. In order for the Christian to have any affect on the world, he must also be trusted. We are to carry ourselves in humility, and be honest in all conversation. The number one thing that causes a person to lose trust in you, is when you lie to them. This is because lying is the root of the character of satan, and when you lie once, it’s hard to gain a person’s trust after. Those who are the righteousness of God, are primed and ready to spread the Good News of the Gospel. The world indeed is lost, and it’s our duty to show them the light of God’s salvation. Never forget that you were once lost, and someone came and rescued you from the jaws of sin and death. Let the love of God lead your life, and make better efforts to share with others how good God has been in your life.

Walk in love,

Ell

Forgiveness and healing of the land

2 Chronicles 7:12-16

Every second that passes by, the world we live in slowly decays. Natural disasters run rampant in various countries that leave countless fatalities on a daily basis. There are hurricanes that plague the U.S., winter and frost damage in Europe, landslides and typhoons in China, and earthquakes in Mexico. The hot summers in Florida and California, give way to forest fires and possibilities of droughts that can devastate farmlands. Although these disasters are inevitable, God can still bring forth good from these lands, but it’s based on conditions.

Solomon experienced this personally when God visited him and told him that He was ready to bless the people, and the lands, but they must first adhere to His demands.

God’s people were to first humble themselves. This implies that they must have become arrogant or unruly. Second, they were to pray. Submitting requests to God without proper prayer posture can cause your prayers to be unheard. We must come to God boldly, but with the right attitude. The third condition was that in prayer, the people were to seek God, and not things. Praying to God for things is equivalent to praying amiss. If you desire things over the God who created them, then you should reconsider your request. God’s final condition for His children was that they turn from their wicked ways. Words associated with the Biblical definition of wicked include bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, evil, displeasing, hurtful, and unkind.

These people are just as we are today, but God still had plans to bless them, if they change their behavior. God told Solomon, that if the people obeyed His words, then He would hear from Heaven, forgive their sins, then heal their land.

If this world would give their hearts to God, humble themselves, pray, seek to know God more, and give up sinful living, I can say with boldness that God would heal these lands. I know that prophecies will fulfill themselves in the last days, but God never runs out of blessings. He is ready and willing to pour out His best over all His people.

Seek peace,

Ell