Obey The Rules

1 John 5:1-3

How hard is it to maintain the appropriate speed limit while driving from place to place? How much effort does it require to yield to pedestrians crossing the street? Following the rules of the road are far from burdensome, but many refuse to adhere to simple laws that were set in place to keep people safe while traversing the highways. One reason some drivers refuse to obey road rules is, they are always in a hurry to get to their destination. In my opinion, it’s better to drive slow and safe, and arrive alive, than to possibly wreck your vehicle and life, from driving recklessly.

There are some who believe, obeying God is a hard task, and His commandments are too grievous, but God’s simple instructions on holy living are easier than many give the Bible credit for. How hard is it to love your enemies, when the very essence of God’s Spirit lives in you? How much effort does it require to lend a helping hand to someone in need? When we love God, we’ll love our brothers and sisters without doubt and hesitation, because God is love, and we have His love residing in our hearts, that keeps us focused on living in a way that pleases Him.

It doesn’t take much effort to follow simple road rules, once we realize that every moment we live in the earth is a blessing, and we’ll learn to appreciate even being in traffic jams, because this gives us moments to reflect on the goodness of the Lord (many will disagree to this lol). Wherever we are in life, and whatever state we find ourselves in, always remember to obey God, and keep His commandments. Only when we submit ourselves to the flesh, will we find it difficult to walk according to holiness, but when we realize who we are in the eyes of the Father, we’ll take great delight in obeying the rules He set in place to keep His children safe.

Lawbreakers

Matthew 12:1-8

In most societies, laws were established to keep order, and control over all who inhabit governed lands. There are laws against driving too fast on the highways, as well as regulations in financial markets. Following the rules will usually keep a person free from unnecessary punishment or judgment, but is there ever a time when laws can be broken, without a person being judged for doing so? Is it lawful for an ambulance carrying an injured passenger to the hospital, to go over the speed limit, so that the wounded person can receive immediate treatment? Or, is it wrong for an anxious husband to run a few red lights and stops signs, so that he can hurriedly get his expecting wife to the hospital? While laws are intended to serve their purpose, there are times when the rules can be bent for the purpose of an individual’s wellbeing.

In our text, Jesus and His disciples were criticized for plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath. I’m almost certain, Jesus knew the annoying Pharisees were spying on Him, and He purposely led the hungry disciples through the corn fields. Sometimes, God will allow things to happen in your life, to prove what’s in the hearts of your haters. The Pharisees told Jesus, “Aren’t you aware of your disciples breaking the law?” In all His wisdom, Jesus reminded the wicked Pharisees of two instances in Scripture where men violated the sabbath, for necessary purposes. David’s need for sustenance was more important than the legal technicalities of the law, and even the priests of the past had once profane the Sabbath, when doing work by performing sacrifices and conducting services for worship.

The Pharisees in our text were so concerned about religious rituals, they missed the whole purpose, which is to bring people to God. Jesus is greater than rituals, and more people can be brought to God through Him, than following laws. The Pharisees had lost the spirit of the law, and only desired that men obey their interpretation of it. Be watchful and prayerful as you dedicate yourself to a ministry. While the doctrine of Christ is enough on its own, men have selfishly implemented their own laws and doctrines, that have caused many to error. Measure your obedience by the Word of God, and not by the flawed doctrines of men.

“The Word of God is enough on its own, there’s no need to add anything else to it.” – Ell

Read The Instructions

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

For the past few weeks, I’ve been helping family and friends assemble furniture, and other items at their request. When you purchase an item, the picture on the cover of the package, shows the item fully assembled properly, but when you open the box and pour everything out, it looks nothing like the finished product. While some try to be macho, and put together things by head knowledge alone, I on the other hand, prefer to follow the step-by-step instructions. There are times when following the instructions can seemingly lead you into temporary binds, but if you go back a few pages, or even turn the paper upside down, 99 percent of the time, you’ll find your mistake. The designer of such products, is fully aware that if he doesn’t include detailed instructions, those who purchase his items will more than likely give negative reports to customer service.

My blog theme reads, “Life is tough, but it gets easier to understand when we allow God to lead.” Trying to make it through life without proper guidance, is like those who refuse to read and follow the instructions, packaged with furniture items. God inspired men to write the scriptures, so that we could have the basic instructions on how to live, until Christ returns. In the same way God left His people with the choice to either choose life, or death, we too must decide whether or not we will live for God, or die in sin.

The more we read and study Scripture, the better we can keep ourselves together, but living without godly wisdom and knowledge will always lead to errors and mistakes. Read, and follow God’s instructions; this way, all parts of your life will fit together properly.

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

Ell

Godly Representatives

Psalm 50:1-15

Parents (mainly mothers) are keen on making sure their children are well groomed, and pleasant, before leaving the house. Shirts should be tucked in, belts buckled, shoes laced properly, noses wiped, and all crunchies removed from the eyes, so that when the children are presented to the public, they represent their parents well. Throughout the day, children have the tendency to slack from following their parents instructions, especially when they are absent from each other, but when the kids see mom and dad coming, they quickly gather themselves together, and try to look as good as they did, before leaving the house.

God loves His children beyond what words can describe, and He takes delight in making sure they look good to the world. When we pray, study, and live holy before leaving our homes, God allows our lights to shine bright, and illuminate the darkness throughout world. Just as kids sometimes get a little loose when their parents leave their presence for a moment, children of God also have moments when they get a little lax in their Christian duties. In these moments, God allows things to happen, in order to guide us back into good standing with Him. This is important because, if God didn’t care for His people, and allowed them to remain unkempt, in a sense, the enemy would gladly, and easily sift them as wheat. I’m so grateful that God is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. God is our loving Father, and we should strive to represent Him better and better, each day.

Walk in love

Ell

Moses resists God’s proposal

Exodus 32:7-14

How soon we forget all the bountiful blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us, during times of peace and tranquility. In those seasons when our faith and patience is being pushed to the limit, our dependence on God to deliver us is focused and unphased by all distractions. Ironically, the moment when it seems as if all things are going good, is the ideal time to draw nearer to God, because these are the moments when sin can creep in, and cause us to glory in selfishness, while forgetting that God was responsible for our deliverance, and abundant blessings. Monitor your behavior the next time you’re going through a severe storm in your life, then compare your attitude with how you behave after deliverance has come. Hopefully, you’re identical in the way you represent godliness in both instances, just as Job did during his season of suffering.

God watched as the children of Israel consistently struggled to keep His commandments, from the time He delivered them from Egypt, all the way through their wilderness journey. During this time, God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai concerning establishing order amongst the people, and setting up the tabernacle, with all its holy inclusions,. For 40 days, Moses fasted, while receiving all the revelation about the tabernacle, the priesthood, garments, and other things. While on the mountain, God also gave him “two tables of testimony, tables of stone written with the finger of God” (31:18).

Apparently, the stiffnecked people felt that Moses was taking too long to return from the mountain, so rather than pray, or meditate on the goodness of the Lord, they decided that doing things contrary to godliness was a more desirable course of action. It’s one thing to practice sin without knowing the standard you’re expected to live by, but it’s worse to willingly go against what God commanded you to do. I’ll let you read for yourselves, the wicked acts the children of Israel, including Aaron, took part in. “…the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play” (vs. 1-6). I’m speechless……… after all God had done for these ungrateful people, they “turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them” (in God’s own words). Whether they thought Moses was consumed by the fire, or suffered some other death, why resort to rebellion against the God who saved them? Of all people, Aaron should have spoke out, and stopped the wicked intentions of the unthankful crowd, but he rallied right along with them.

Moses may have been enjoying his time with the Lord so much, until he hadn’t thought much about the people, until God told him to go down and see what they were doing. God could have shared all the juicy details with Moses, but He waited to see how far the people would go before telling him all the goings on. God was ready to wipe out all the people who turned against him during Moses’ absence, but Moses interceded on their behalf (not knowing the full extent of what was taking place), and reminded God of the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of multiplying their seed, and giving them an overabundance of resources in Canaan. The Bible reads that the Lord repented of the evil He was about to do to the people, or He put his pistol back in the holster, because of Moses plea to spare their lives. Interesting, isn’t it? Had Moses known what was really going on in the camp, he probably would have had a different prayer.

Never get upset when people change after you leave their company. We all have to work out our own soul salvation, and many will be drawn away into the pleasures of sin, no matter how much we preach to them. As saints, we must continue in holiness, despite who turns away, because we are responsible for keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, and can’t blame others if we drift away.

Walk in love,

Ell

Status of divorced women in Israel

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

Ancient laws and rules were implemented for the children of Israel to follow, in order to keep a sense of peace and uniformity amongst the people as a whole, and that they remain pure in the eyes of a holy God. Although those laws were tied specifically to the people during olden times, some may still be applicable to society today. I expounded a bit on the laws concerning divorce and remarriage the people of God were to abide by in the past, and in this lesson, I’ll add a few more details in reference to this topic, as food for thought.

A man who took a woman to be his wife had the option to write a bill of divorce, put it in her hand, and send her out of his house, if he found some uncleanness in her. This was typically in reference to him finding out she was impure before they got married. Some women apparently claimed to be virgins, but were proven to be false claims after they married. It was God’s intention that when a man and woman marry, they remain together forever. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case in a number of situations. The woman who was put out of the man’s home, was then free to be another man’s wife. Even if the second husband loses favor in the woman, he too can issue the same bill of divorce. If perhaps the second husband dies, the woman would not be allowed to go back to her first husband, as she would be considered defiled.

Marriage was never intended to be a simple walk in the park, rather an opportunity for a man and woman to unite, becoming one flesh, while fulfilling the will of God as one heart, one mind, one soul, and one spirit. God hates divorce, because it proves that what He instituted, wasn’t worth fighting for. The pain of a failing marriage cuts deep in human lives, and the hearts of men, women, and children are broken when divorce occurs. The impact of a divorce can even go on for many years, especially when children are involved. When promises and covenants are broken, entire communities feel the effects. This is part of what God hates about divorce.

I strongly believe that every marriage can work, and withstand the times, but only if pursued with godly intentions, and between people who have a desire to live according to God’s Word. Couples break up for many reasons, including lack of commitment, infidelity, conflict/arguing, money, unrealistic expectations, and many more, but all can be overcome with patience, love, and effective communication. God instituted marriage, so why don’t more people turn to Him for advice, rather than waste time and money on men and women who typically give their own biased opinions, without Scripture background? When problems occur in marriage, I don’t recommend we write bills of divorce, but that we come together in prayer, bringing the issue before God, while remaining calm as He guides us in His Word where to find strength and advice for the problems we face. Many problems between couples can be avoided simply by listening to one another, and being nice. It’s amazing what a simple smile and hug can do to appease a hot situation. The devil wants relationships to fail, and he tries extremely hard to make this happen, but God can give us what we need to make marriage worth experiencing.

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband”
(Ephesians 5:25-33).

Walk in love,

Ell

Jesus teaches about transforming love

Matthew 5:38-48

When an athlete joins a team, they become a part of the system by which the team operates. The rules and standards set by the team must be followed by all players, in order for them to keep a position within the organization. Everywhere the player goes, each is expected to represent what their uniform stands for. All things players learned before joining their new team must be transformed, in favor of what they’ve now become engrafted into. In this same manner, when a man joins the body of Christ, he is no longer tied to his old way of living. He now wears a new uniform, lives by a new and better standard, and is expected to follow the rules set by God’s organization. The things he use to do, that may have been contrary to God’s way, are now replaced with a new attitude, that will render results based from love, and not selfishness.

In our text, Jesus continued His sermon on the mount, as He expounded on the dangers of negative retaliation. Many were taught that if someone wronged them, they were to avenge themselves, but Christ said rather than retaliate out of anger and vengeance, believers are to show love, in place of hate. It’s so easy to get back at those who do us wrong, but as children of God, we are to operate under a different set of actions. Just as God willingly gave His best to a world that rejected Him, we are to willingly render our best attitudes and actions to those same heartless people who reject our love as well. If we say we love God with our lips, but our actions aren’t aligned with what we profess, is that love real?

When we become born-again, we are to then live a perfect life, as God in Heaven is perfect. Perfection, in this sense, isn’t living flawless every day, instead, it’s living in complete conformity to God’s laws. Christians are to be mature in all their ways, and prove their maturity in how they treat their brethren, enemies, and even persecutors. How do you love an enemy, or someone who strives to make your life hell on earth? Well, look at Jesus’ example as He was being nailed to a wooden cross. While He was being beaten, spit on, mocked, scorned, and utterly humiliated, He prayed to His Father that the men be forgiven, because they had no understanding of their actions. Many were brought up a certain way all their lives, and were simply following orders. I’m not letting these men off the hook for what they did to Jesus, but when a man’s mind is consumed with rage and hate, only the love of God can transform his hardened heart.

The love we show to those who fight the good fight of faith with us, is the same love we are to show to those who walk in darkness. No one is to be held to a different standard than another, because God loves all men the same. We have the responsibility to represent the love of God to those who lack understanding of what real love is. God’s love goes far beyond mere feelings and emotions, and is expressed in deeds and actions. You can “feel” for someone until the cow jumps over the moon, but until those feelings are transformed into positive actions, they are worth little to the Kingdom of God. Let your love be without dissimulation, or undisguised. Prove to the world that God’s love is the real thing, and once they taste and see how good it is, they’ll never want to let it go.

Walk in love,

Ell

The greatest commandments

Matthew 22:34-40

“What part of ‘thou shalt not’ don’t you understand?” For the life of me, I can’t remember where I read that line, but it always makes me smile and think for a moment when it comes to mind. God gave commandments to His people during the time of Moses. Those rules were given so that the people of God would have a standard to live by, that was first true to God, and opposite of the world. The children of Israel were judged by the standard of the ten commandments, and were either blessed for obeying them, or punished if they disobeyed.

After Jesus died to fulfill the law, that included hundreds of laws and commands, the same standard the law set, was, and still is expected to be upheld. Of all the commandments, there are two that are held to a higher degree over all the others. While that may seem contradictory to how some view God’s way, obeying these two commands will ensure that all others won’t be hard to follow.

Aside from the hypocritical Pharisees who were known to challenge the authority and knowledge of Jesus without ceasing, the Sadducees would be placed second on the list of those who made it their business to try and tempt the Son of God. These unwise and disrespectful men approached Jesus with another plot to try and throw Him off His game. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, yet asked Jesus a question concerning marriage after resurrection. In response to their phony question, Jesus made it clear that they were deceived in their thinking that there will be marriage in the next life, as in the present one, also in not believing there will be an actual resurrection. They didn’t know the Scriptures, nor the power of God to resurrect men. In the resurrection, men and women will not marry (Did you know that? If not, now you do. Enjoy your marriage as best you can while on this earth, because the purpose of marriage is to replenish the earth, and keep the race going. Resurrected Saints, as well as angels do not die, and don’t need to marry to keep their kind in existence).

After Jesus made the Sadducees feel like stale mashed potatoes with His truths, all the people who heard were astonished at His doctrine, including those pesky Pharisees. After they heard how their buddies, the Sadducees, got their butts handed to them, they also made an attempt to tempt Jesus by asking, “Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus wisely responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” When a man truly understands what love is, and surrenders all of himself (heart, soul, mind) to the will of God, he will ONLY do those things that directly correlate to what godliness represents. The Holy Ghost is all things God is, so when we receive God’s Spirit in us, we move as He moves. Even in times when things get rough, we are to never deviate from God’s standard.

God is love, and when He abides in us, our words, actions, and deeds will be birthed from the genuine love that flows from the heart of the Creator. In order to love people the right way, we must first establish God’s definition of love in our hearts. According to God, love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and gives wholeheartedly. Is the love you represent found in God’s definition?

Walk in love,

Ell

Living with neighbors

Leviticus 19:11-18

In the Old Testament, God usually laid down strict rules for His people to abide by, in order that they remain holy, righteous, and separate from the world. Our text presents a list of do’s and don’ts that were very effective in keeping the righteous right, and identifying the children of God with their Father, which could also be applied today to yield positive results as well. I wrote concerning how believers are to live amongst other Christians a few lessons ago, and this lesson will be more of the same.

The 22 social, and religious commands mentioned in our text includes; do not steal, do not deal falsely, do not lie, do not swear falsely by God’s name, do not profane the Lord’s name, do not defraud your neighbor, do not rob your neighbor, pay wages respectfully at the end of every day, do not curse the deaf, do not cause the blind to stumble, fear God, do no unrighteousness in judgment, do not dishonor nor disrespect the poor, do not honor a man because he is mighty, judge your neighbor righteously, do not gossip, do not endanger the life of your neighbor or interfere with justice if he or she is guilty, do not hate your brother in your heart, do not allow your neighbor to sin if a rebuke will keep him from committing it, do not seek revenge, do not hold grudges against your people, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. The vibe I’m getting is, this is one of those “need I say more” situations, because the Word spoke for itself, but I’ll elaborate on a few of those commands.

Loving others as we love ourselves should be an easy task for the believer, because as I often mention, love is their motivation. So lying, gossiping, and causing others to fall would only be possible if love is replaced with selfishness. When God is in us, and we in Him, we are no longer in control, but we move at His command. This is why it’s important to set aside time daily to pray, and listen to God as He speaks to us through His Spirit. Put your trust in the God who knows all, sees all, was from the beginning, and is eternal. Let His Word guide you on the path of righteousness, and continue to walk in love as you show that same love to your neighbors.

Walk in love,

Ell

The value of the Law

Romans 7:7-12

The purpose of laws is to set boundaries and limits in place, in order to uphold, or keep certain standards set by the law giver. Man makes laws to govern how towns, cities, states, and countries should function and what to abide by. There are thousands of laws the U.S. Congress has set in place, that Americans are to adhere to. As times change, laws are changed and updated as well. There are about 20,000 laws just governing the use and ownership of guns. Can you imagine attempting to learn and remember the gun laws alone? You’d wreck your brain. Laws in themselves aren’t bad, but their intent is to expose, and reveal unjust and unruly acts that should be avoided to maintain a certain code of behavior or ethics.

Before Jesus fulfilled His earthly assignment, God set laws in place for His people to follow. Back then, men were living in sin, and weren’t aware of it until the law revealed God’s perspective on their behavior and actions. The apostle Paul added that he never knew sin, until the law made it known to him. In his own words, Paul stated, “for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet”. (vs. 7). When Jesus died, and fulfilled the law, we were delivered from it as well, and were then able to serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. In other words, the law reflected the Gospel, and could only be fulfilled by the Gospel, but we now serve God alone, and not a looooooong list of rules in the old literal sense of forms and rituals. We now live in the true spiritual meaning of love and obedience.

Living for God, under the law, was like going to school and trying to remember all the lessons you studied before the exam was presented. This wasn’t living, but merely surviving. Under the New Covenant, Jesus did what man was unable to do; fulfill all the law. Instead of trying to learn and remember a whole list of rules and laws, we need only to operate in love, and God will always give us what we need to pass our exams. When we live and allow God’s Spirit to direct our paths, we will automatically be equipped to properly handle ourselves in any and every situation we face. God will not tempt, nor lead us to sin, but He’ll make us aware of its presence, and show us how to avoid it. Sin has the power to control and manipulate us into doing all sorts of evil things, but through the power of God, we can expose evil, and overcome every obstacle the enemy places in our path.

Don’t allow yourselves to become slaves to sin, but yield yourselves to God, and let His love guide you along the path that leads to life everlasting. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:1-2). “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Walk in love,

Ell