Save Me!!!

Isaiah 49:1-7

If you were swimming in the ocean, and was caught off guard by an undertow current, would you ignore the help of an experienced lifeguard, swimming to your rescue? If you were severely injured in an automobile accident, and was unable to move, would you tell the ambulance and rescue team, you’ll figure things out on your own? When we’re in trouble, we rarely turn down the opportunity to receive assistance, especially if it’s rendered free of charge. Men and women are in position, in various areas of life, to aid and assist those, who require help. Whether a person was involved in a car accident, work injury, burglarized, or whatever the case, there are always people at the ready, to meet their need.

The world was once drowning in sin, and needed a savior, so God prepared for Himself, a body, by which to come to the earth, and redeem man back to Himself. For various ungodly reasons, many have refused to accept God’s help, and chose to figure things out on their own. These people fail to realize the gravity of the situation they’re in, and can ill afford to die in their sin, yet God offers limited time for them to reach out, and take hold of His hand.

Refusing to accept God’s free gift of salvation, is equivalent to the person rejecting the lifeguard’s help, while being pulled underwater, by an undertow current. Sin is real, and the devil cares nothing for men’s souls. For this reason, he attacks the children of God relentlessly, and won’t stop until his judgment is executed. Snap out of your world of selfishness and pride, and reach out to grab hold of God’s saving hand. Don’t allow the waves of sin to pull you under, into an eternity of sorrow.

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

Ell

Do You Really Believe?

1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-14, 20-23, 42-45

Do you really believe in the resurrection of the dead? Are you totally convinced, the God who created everything, came to the earth in a flesh body, lived sinless among men, was beaten beyond belief for preaching the Gospel, took on the sins of those same men, as He willingly allowed them to nail Him to a wooden cross, and be left to die, so that everyone could be pardoned of all their iniquities?

When you tell others about Jesus, are you certain that the message you render, is mirrored by the way you live? Thinking from a carnal perspective, it would seem senseless, and futile, to believe that a man could live sinless, let alone be resurrected from the grave. But, thinking with the mind of Christ, makes it clear to understand, God has the power to do anything!

It’s hard to convince a man to believe in God, when we have yet to fully believe Him for ourselves, but when our lives are dedicated to pleasing the Father, our witness gains a more solid foundation, on which to boast in the Lord. In our text, the apostle Paul dealt with members of the Corinthian church, who refused to believe in the resurrection of the dead, despite eyewitness accounts of the resurrected Jesus. It’s hard to disprove hard evidence, especially when more than 500 people testify the same message.

Those who refuse to believe that Jesus rose from the grave, with all power, will struggle with facing death for themselves, because they’ll contemplate the fear of not knowing what will happen after they die. But, those who are in God, can rest assured, when they die, there’s a spiritual body awaiting them, as they transition to their new, and glorious home.

Walk in love,

Ell

The Perfect Sacrifice

Leviticus 22:17-25

Rendering offerings to God, was a major part of the ancient Israelite culture. The sacrificial system between God and His chosen people, was set in place as a means of restoring unity, or amending their relationship. When the perfect God required offerings from His imperfect people, He only accepted perfect sacrifices. Some may be led to believe, nothing in life is perfect, so how could God expect something from Israel, that was impossible to accomplish. Well, God’s definition of perfect differs from man’s. According to the text, perfect is defined as, without blemish. Blemishes are small flaws that spoil the appearance of a thing, so God expected the people to thoroughly inspect their offerings, before presenting them to Him. I can picture in my head, Moses and the people inspecting every little detail of a sheep or goat, ensuring that there are no flaws, which could cause God to reject their offering. L

Animal sacrifices have been replaced by the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t let us off the hook. God still demands a perfect sacrifice from our very own lives. While we may not appear perfect in the eyes of men, we have the power of God’s Spirit working within us, to keep us spotless, and free from all blemishes.

Walk in love,

Ell

Light It Up!

Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus is the light of the world! He lived a selfless life on earth, shed His innocent blood to guarantee salvation for all mankind, arose from the grave with all power in His hand, now sits next to the Father, as He intercedes on our behalf daily, and awaits God’s command to return to the earth to claim His people. Have you ever wondered why Jesus did all that for us? I’m all for loving my neighbor, and treating all men with kindness, but to die for people who are arrogant, stiffnecked, hard-hearted, hardheaded, and plain wicked, takes a level of love I’m striving to attain.

The sole purpose of Jesus leaving His place in Heaven, taking on human form, and living among men was, to be light in a world of darkness. In more simple terms, Jesus came to expose the evil revealed to mankind (darkness) with the light of God’s Word (knowledge), and to reestablish the union between God, and His precious creation.

Every breath Christ took while in human form, was dedicated to making others see, and come into the knowledge of His Father’s plan. Christ knew full well that in order to grasp any understanding of the will of God, men were to first repent, turn from their evil ways, then they could freely receive, digest, and properly apply God’s Word in their lives.

When we walk in the light of God’s Word, and live in ways that please Him, people who sit in darkness will see our light, and be forced to make a life-changing decision. Others who are on the verge of giving up, or at the point of spiritual death, can be influenced by our lives, and possibly renew their strength, simply by gleaning from our holy living. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 KJV).

Walk in love,

Ell

The Lord will build David’s house

2 Samuel 7:11-17

🎶🎵 Christmas, Christmas time is here, time for joy, and time for cheer 🎵🎶. That was a song we use to sing many moons ago, when I was in elementary school. I may have mixed the words around a little, but who cares, I was like eight years old 😊😂. This holiday season is one where we acknowledge the birth of Christ, by sharing in the act of giving to others. While I’m fully aware, Jesus’ actual birthday wasn’t December 25th (it was probably around March or April), there’s no harm in choosing a day to commemorate the birth of the savior of the world.

During this season, gifts are bought in abundance, and dispersed amongst family and friends in various places worldwide. While Christmas is intended to bring good vibes to all, there are some who struggle with grasping the true concept of what the day actually represents. God gave His only begotten Son to the world, so that men would not be lost in sin, and suffer its eternal consequences. Therefore, we should willingly show gratitude and appreciation for such a wonderful, and priceless gift in Christ, everyday! It’s sad to witness how children have become spoiled to the point they expect to receive many good things on Christmas, when they should first have an understanding of who the day is set aside for. While there’s nothing wrong with sharing gifts, gift-giving should never supercede how blessed we are, to be given God’s most precious gift.

God is a selfless giver, and when He blesses someone, they never forget it. For example, king David desired to build God a house, but God ironically built one for him, and his seed forever. What an amazing gift, to receive a blessing from God that would last forever! Can you think of all the gifts you received in your lifetime, and how many you still have in your possession? I’m certain, many of what we’ve received from others have either been destroyed with time, or forgotten and placed in storage containers lol (y’all know I’m right, so stop tripping). God revealed that He would build David a house, not of material substances, but of spiritual, living, and eternal substance. This Christmas, try gifting your loved ones with things that have more eternal value like love, peace, hugs, laughter, and good tidings of great joy!

Walk in love,

Ell

Praise the Lord

Psalm 106:1-12, 48

When you say you love God, what do you really mean. Love is learned and developed through experience, and the natural expressions that follow acts of love include, but are not limited to thanks, praise, gratitude, and appreciation. God’s love is revealed through His actions, and He’s consistent in providing that endless love to all who are obedient to His Word. Just as a good parent anticipates blessing a child who exhibits exemplary behavior on a consistent basis, the eyes of the Lord roam the earth, seeking those who are primed and ready to receive all the good things He has in store for them.

When God manifests answers to our prayers, or simply reveals His love to us, it’s only fitting that we respond in praise and thankfulness. How good does it make you feel when you observe your children living according to the standard you raised them to abide by? I’m certain it makes you all warm and fuzzy on the inside, which motivates you to find ways to do nice things for them. On the other hand, you’re never too quick to extend extra goodies to those children who are determined to walk in disobedience to your words. Oftentimes, disobedient children hardly ever render thanks for all the good things their parents do for them. The same can be said about ungrateful “Christians”, who consistently receive from God, but offer inconsistent praise to Him for His blessings.

When God proved to the children of Israel that His love for them was true, and that He alone was their deliverer, they believed His words and sang praise to His name, but how much better is it when we praise God, and glorify His name before the blessings and deliverance come? Don’t wait to show God how much you love and appreciate Him only after receiving His blessings, instead, take time every day to thank Him for what He’s already done, what He’s currently doing, and what He’s preparing to do in your life.

Walk in love,

Ell

Remember Lot’s wife

Luke 17:22, 26-37

Have you ever forgiven someone more than once, but for the same thing? How does it make you feel when the person you love, constantly hurts you, but your love for them extends beyond your pain, and you willingly forgive them for every mistake? It’s unfair how we’re treated, at times, by those we were commanded to love, but the power of love is so potent, until it gives one the ability to forgive, and forget.

Have you ever considered how many times you’ve hurt God, by constantly falling short of His glory, yet He continues to forgive you? For God so loved the world, He gave us Christ. There’s no greater gift one can receive, than the gift of salvation. Since the beginning of time, until now, the world has become more and more wicked, but God is still in the forgiving business. It matters not how many times we slip or mess up, God’s love never runs out, and is available to cover our mountain of mistakes. I’ve made countless mistakes in life, some of which were even repetitive, but God forgave me of them all, after I confessed, then turned away from those unfruitful activities.

God is truly merciful, and His grace is sufficient, but the day is coming when His love will close up shop, and relocate to a new, and better territory. The end-time prophecies are nearing their completion, and Christ is soon to return to the earth, so it’s time for us to prepare ourselves to soon leave this troubled, and sin-sick world. I know some people dislike discussing the revelations of Scripture, because it tends to frighten them, but the end of this heaven and earth is inevitable, and the only way to see God in peace is, to ensure that you’re engrafted into the body of Christ.

History is soon to repeat itself, just like during the time of Noah, when God sent a great flood to destroy all the wicked people who refused to turn their hearts to Him, and in the time of Lot, when God destroyed the irreparable Sodom and Gomorrah, after he and his family (except his wife) had fled safely away from those wicked lands. Similar to these historic events, Christ will return and destroy multitudes, leaving some to go into the Millennium. My mind often wonders, what was so important that Lot’s wife couldn’t let go of, to receive her salvation. Her simple command was to run, and don’t look back, but there must have been something in her heart that wasn’t godly, that she couldn’t release. Such a sad position to be in, thinking that your wife, your heart, your rib is in sync with your walk with God, but turns out she was keeping secrets that caused her to miss her deliverance.

Is there anything on this earth, worth you missing eternity with God? It hurts to know that there are people who will look back when Christ comes, and will miss their deliverance. Just like the rich ruler who found it rather difficult to give up his wealth to follow after Christ, many in the last days will become so in love with their material possessions, that they’ll miss the opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior. Many have yet to taste, and see how good the Lord is, so they are left believing that their possessions hold more value than Christ’s salvation. On the contrary, being rich in Jesus is worth more than silver and gold, and is the only way to truly live a life that’s purposeful and meaningful on this earth.

If you stop and think for a moment, you’ll notice the subtle, yet effective strategy of satan in this time. He allows distractions, including politics, wars and rumors of wars, and the like, to keep our attention long enough to distract us from focusing on preparing ourselves to meet God. Even our careers are set up to keep us overwhelmed to the point we can’t wait to take a vacation, and relax. The devil is very cunning, and knows what it takes to get us off guard, but we must be cunning as well, yet humble; recognizing that time is nearing its end, and we will all face God for ourselves. What will He say when you finally see Him face to face? Will you hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”, or will God’s final words to you be, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”? The choice is up to you. Either choose Christ and accept His free gift of salvation, or hold fast to the things of this world, and suffer the consequences that come with it.

Walk in love,

Ell

Live as children of light

Ephesians 5:6-20

When given the opportunity to minister to a new believer, what advice do you usually give them? Do your words motivate them to build up a desire to run hard for the Lord, or do you spook them with your version of how life is, and cause them to cringe in fear? The apostle Paul cared little for the feelings of those he taught, and more about strengthening their faith and trust in God. Although he was sensitive to their thoughts and curiosities, he never wavered from delivering the God-honest truth.

To the Ephesians, Paul gave some of the best advice any Christian could ever receive. Recognizing the times, Paul thought it necessary that the people remain guarded against deceivers, and those who practiced disobedience. During those days, men would try hard to turn people away from following after godliness by presenting false doctrines, and teachings that appeared legit on the surface, but their intentions were evil, and motives set on manipulating the minds of those who hungered after righteousness. As the children of God, we are not to be partakers of, nor participate in the habits of those who have no fear and reverence for God. Only with the mind of Christ, can the body be in sync, and function as a single, purposeful unit. Mixing your godliness with worldliness creates unstable character, and causes you to do things contrary to what you believe.

Paul admonished his audience to not even get involved with those who’s aim is to deceive, distract, and destroy the believer’s faith in God. He continued to teach, although the people were to refrain from joining themselves with those who worked in darkness, they too were once lost in their sins at one point in time, so it’s never good to judge, rather pray that God change evil men’s hearts from wicked to pure. Walking as children of light is a sure way to expose those who operate in darkness. Just as a light that’s turned on in the wee hours of the night exposes all the cockroaches holding meetings in your kitchen, the life of the believer will no doubt cause evil men to feel conviction, simply from the way they live. There are times when you’ll have an opportunity to witness to others with your words, but sometimes your life can speak louder than your words ever could.

Every day a Christian is granted the breath of life, and health, he or she should always be alert, and carry themselves in such a way, that their conduct and character mirrors that of Jesus Christ. We are to remain sober, so that our thoughts are pure, and our actions always please God. Paul touched on a subject that’s sensitive even today. Many Christians believe that drinking a little wine is good for one’s health, and that there’s no sin in doing so, but Paul commanded that the people keep themselves from getting drunk, and entering into all kinds of immoral acts. The Bible teaches that “wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). God has given us the spirit of a sound mind, so that we can make decisions motivated by the Holy Ghost, and not by ungodly influences. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, and we must guard against allowing evil entities to invade, and take residence in our thoughts too long, and potentially cause us to fall into snares of sin.

God is holy, and those who bear His name have a responsibility to live holy as well. The world needs to see a difference between themselves, and those who claim to be in God, because when they finally tire out from running in circles of sin and cycles of iniquity, they’ll look to us to guide them to the Light of the world.

Walk in love,

Ell

The time has come

Hebrews 9:1-10

Believers today are living in the time of reformation. The days of the law of Moses and its faults are long gone, and have been substituted with a perfect covenant that meets every need where the law failed. Just as the blood of bulls and goats sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, the blood of Jesus allowed for our conscience to be purged from sin, and make us inwardly holy and righteous before God. God the Father doesn’t use up His unlimited resources, because He’s the source of their supply, but we who have been redeemed can benefit tremendously from the treasures stored in Heaven for those who believe.

How fulfilling would it be if you, and your entire family lived a full life of pleasing God? What if after your confession and conversion, you spent every day striving to maintain a level of faith and righteousness in all your dealings? Not only are we living in the time of reformation, but we are currently living in the age of distraction as well, where men and women are constantly shuffling time between God, and those things that seem so entertaining in the world (TV, movies, clubs, sporting events, etc.). Jesus didn’t die so that we could live our best life now, as many prosperity preachers proclaim to the masses. Instead, His death made it possible for the believer to utilize the power of God, in its fullness, on the earth, as well as allow for men to regain access to eternity in the presence of the living God. If the purpose of the body of Christ was to be rich and wealthy on the earth, then Paul and the other apostles lived their lives without purpose. The men and women of old faced persecution and rejection to the highest degree, and hardly found moments to take vacations (as many of us strive for), or kick their feet up and enjoy the sunrise. In my most honest opinion, the body of believers have become soft as cotton, and have not portrayed the life Christ taught us to live.

As Jesus hung on that rugged cross, I can imagine all the good thoughts that ran through His mind of how on fire we would be for God in 2019. While there is a remnant of those who continue their fervent drive toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, it would be a sad sight for Christ to see how many have actually fallen away from the faith, and given in to the influences of the son of perdition. I think the problem with many Christians is, they don’t realize how much power they have access to in God, and find other things to latch on to that gives them a sense of assurance. The Spirit of God lives within us, and helps us understand what the will of God is for our lives, but it’s hard to hear and understand what the Spirit tries to say when our focus is broken, and we are investing too much time into the wrong things.

I admonish all my readers once again to take full advantage of the new covenant made possible by Jesus Christ, and make use of all the benefits available to you. God loads us with benefits daily, and expects that we take advantage of every opportunity to use them effectively. Make sure you show your appreciation for what Christ did by living the life you were predestined to carry out. The time has come for believers to stand up, get right, and live according to the doctrine of Jesus Christ. I’ll close out this lesson by leaving you with wise counsel from the apostle Paul. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12).

Walk in love,

Ell

Jesus crucified before friends and enemies

Mark 15:16-24

Have you ever been humiliated? Have you ever been humiliated for something you didn’t do? Have you ever been humiliated beyond belief for something you didn’t do, while on your way to being crucified? Humiliation is something that’s rarely welcomed without reproach. To humiliate someone means to reduce them to a lower position in one’s own eyes or the eyes of others, and to make them feel ashamed or embarrassed. In our society, children of lower income families who are unable to appreciate the finer things in life, are often humiliated by those in school who are privileged to enjoy nice things. In other cases, unappreciative husbands tend to devalue their wives, and find pleasure in humiliating them in the company of their friends and family. No one deserves to be humiliated, despite the cards they were dealt in life, but there will always be those who will find pleasure in seeing others brought to shame.

After being judged the sentence of crucifixion, and being severely beaten, Jesus was led away to receive His unjust ruling. On the way to Golgotha, where Jesus would be crucified, He was led into the hall called Praetorium, and surrounded by nearly 600 men, all lying in wait to mock the Son of God. It’s one thing to be sentenced to death, then beaten unmercifully, but the additional mocking, beatings, and humiliation was totally uncalled for. The disrespectful and heartless pagan Romans stripped the clothes off Jesus, clothed Him in purple to mock His claim to kingship, crowned Him with thorns since He claimed to be a king, saluted Him in mockery as King of the Jews (not realizing that someday they will have to bow to this same man in all sincerity), struck Him with firm blows to the head with a reed, which was to represent His kingly power, spit on Him (which is the universal sign of disrespect), then led Him to be crucified. Invision for a moment what Jesus would have looked like after experiencing all this shame and persecution from nearly 600 men. Yeah, I almost vomited as well. If ever there was a time I wanted to fight, and kick the living patootie out of someone, this would be the moment. Even in all this, Jesus kept His composure, knowing that at any moment He could call for backup, and have all those wicked men dealt with. But, since He taught us to love our enemies, He certainly set the best example.

All that Jesus endured was necessary, so that we could have the privilege and opportunity to one day reign with Him in glory. I’m grateful that Christ carried out His mission flawlessly, so that I could be strengthened, and encouraged to carry out mine as well. Suffering will come, and times may get hard, but knowing that Jesus endured all His suffering without complaint, helps me stand strong in all that comes my way.

Walk in love,

Ell