“I Surrender All”

Mark 12:28-34

The first of all the commandments requires total surrender of all aspects of man, to the supremacy and sovereignty of the almighty God. When asked by a scribe, “Which is the first commandment of all?”, Jesus plainly stated, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:” (vs. 30). If a man did just what Jesus mentioned, there would be little, to no room for that man to error, or turn away from God.

There are many who pour all their strength into their jobs or careers, so much until they have little energy to bathe and eat when they get home (maybe I’m included in that bunch, or maybe not…I won’t tell). There are also people who devote their minds to science and research, that takes hours upon hours of their lives away, as they barely even scratch the surface of what they aim to discover. Then, there are those who literally give their souls to a mate, and can do nothing else, except daydream about that person, night and day. The last group of individuals can be found devoting their hearts to special causes and charities, so much that they desire only to meet the needs of those things they support, while neglecting to allocate time for other important things.

Could you imagine, if the church as a whole, loved the Lord with ALL their heart, soul, mind, and strength? What would the body of Christ look like today, if all members were totally committed to kingdom business? What if all preachers preached the unadulterated proclamations of Scripture, without defiling it to please itching ears? What if teachers taught the words of Jesus, so that men could gain a better understanding of their purpose in the earth? What if gossip, lying, cheating, and all other wicked vices were non-existent among those who claim to be followers of Christ? If all God’s people truly obeyed the first of all the commandments, then I’m apt to believe many who are lost today, would surrender their lives to God, because the church would have a much greater impact in the earth, if all members were totally in love with Lord.

It’s okay to ask God for what you want, but don’t be surprised when He gives you what you need.” – Ell

Mindless Paparazzi

Mark 7:1-8

When people deliberately go out of their way to get on your nerves, how do you respond to them? When some of those same people join themselves with others who have nothing better to do than disturb your day, and make attempts to find fault in your life, when their own lives are torn up from the floor up, what method works best to get them to think twice about approaching you ever again? What do you do, when the people who seek to bring you down, confess to be followers of Christ? Believe it or not, Jesus dealt with these same issues more often than He would have liked to, but the way He handled His haters were always priceless moments.

I love Jesus so much! He always knew the perfect words to say to those who often made attempts to set Him up for failure. The scribes and Pharisees would usually follow Jesus and His disciples, in the same way the paparazzi hover around celebrities today. Rather than commit their hearts solely to obeying the commandments of God, they took more delight in holding the traditions of men. Thus, their worship to God was in vain, because their hearts were set on keeping to traditions, instead of sincere worship and obedience to God’s commands.

In our text, the Pharisees were so concerned about the disciples washing their hands before eating, that they failed to see how dirty their own hearts were toward the ways of godliness. Jesus confronted the pesky men with Scriptures, to counter their failed attempt to ensnare Him in their futile trap.

The Word of God is the best defense, against any trick or trap the enemy sets against us. The next time someone boldly accuses you of not following a tradition that means nothing to God, slap them with a few verses of Scripture, showing them that their souls are more important than dove-washed hands, and febreeze fragranced clothing.

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

Ell

Applying the law in new ways

Luke 6:1-11

One thing I admire most about Jesus as He walked the earth was, He always made situations better. Whether or not everyone agreed with His methods, He never hesitated to do the right thing, regardless of who was watching. As the only begotten Son of the true and living God, one would assume Jesus’ greatest foe would be satan, but majority of His confrontations and attempted road blocks came from religious folk. The Pharisees often found themselves the topic of Jesus’ conversations, because He would expose them, and their evil works, in order to reveal to the people the difference between living holy and unholy. Rather than stay away from wherever Jesus went to avoid shame and embarrassment, this wicked group of men couldn’t help but follow Him, in hopes of causing Him to stumble.

The Pharisees held true to their religious traditions, even though they weren’t mandatory for salvation. The traditional sabbath prohibited any activity that “creates” or that exercises control or dominion over one’s environment. Some of these activities included weaving, sowing, grinding, sifting, and reaping. When the Pharisees saw the disciples of Jesus plucking and eating ears of corn on the sabbath, they immediately judged them for doing what was supposedly unlawful. Jesus kindly reminded the shallow-minded men of the time when king David was hungry, and ate what was set aside only for priests. He then brought to their attention that He was Lord of the sabbath, or the one that gave it to Israel to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. What Jesus was trying to get the men to understand was revealed on another sabbath, when He was presented the opportunity to heal a man’s withered hand. Those same Pharisees, along with a few scribes, were waiting and hoping Jesus would make a mistake so they could accuse Him of breaking the law a second time. One thing man could never do was fool Jesus, because He is God in the flesh, and knows their thoughts. Because He knew the intentions of the wicked men, Jesus threw a perfect curve ball He knew they couldn’t hit when He said to them, “I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To save a life, or to destroy it? As the sound of crickets filled the room, and no response was given, Jesus proceeded to heal the man’s hand. This made the vile men so upset until they were literally filled with madness, and thought of ways to do away with Jesus. Even today, the good deeds of some irk the nerves of those who are still stuck in tradition, and don’t allow God’s love to flow freely. In modern religion, breaking a church law could even cause you to lose your membership. What has the church become? Believers are to walk in love, not in tradition. Although some traditions are good, if they hinder the works of the Lord, then they should be placed to the side, so that God’s will can be done.

As you live daily, let God’s love go before you, and never allow anything or anyone to block you from doing what God has placed in your heart to accomplish. The world needs to see real love, and with God’s help, we’ll deliver it to them without conditions attached.

Walk in love,

Ell

Jesus betrayed and arrested

Mark 14:43-50

Have you ever been arrested for a false accusation? I’m certain most of us haven’t, but the mere thought of being accused, arrested, and punished for a crime you didn’t commit can cause all sorts of feelings and emotions to run through the mind, from fear and confusion, to anger and rage. Living outside of the standards of holiness, can cause men to act in ways that are unpleasant, and exhibit inhumane behavior to innocent people. In the words of Bishop Earl Carter, “sin makes you stupid.” This is 100 percent accurate, as the purpose of sin is to turn men away from God, and follow paths of evil and wickedness.

Judas, one of the original 12 disciples, was never fully sold on Jesus and His ministry. This is true based on his pattern of selfish behavior and motives as he and the eleven apostles followed Jesus during His ministry. Although Judas was continuously doing things undercover that may have been hidden from his brethren, Jesus was fully aware of all his wicked actions, no matter how cunning he was. I often wonder why Jesus didn’t replace Judas from the beginning, or even leave him out of the original selection process when gathering disciples altogether, but in the words of Jesus Himself, “but the scriptures must be fulfilled” (vs. 49). God has His reasons for doing things certain ways, and it’s unwise to question His authority, but there are many lessons that can be learned from the lives of Jesus and the disciples, even though one betrayed Him.

In this lesson’s text, the final chapter of the life of our Savior had began to unfold, as the betrayal of Judas was brought into full manifestation. After an agonizing moment in the garden of Gethsemane, and being left to find strength in the only One He could trust, because His disciples were too sleepy to offer any sense of encouragement, Jesus woke up the heavy-eyed disciples and exchanged words with them. As He spoke, Judas, along with a gang of men composed of chief priests, scribes, and elders, surrounded Jesus and His disciples, carrying swords and staves (wooden clubs and other weapons). One thing that’s interesting to note is, the men who sought to kill Jesus didn’t even know what He looked like. How can you seek to murder someone whom you can’t even recognize? Judas told the men that the one he kisses, “the same is he; take him, and lead him away safely” (vs. 44). Had they known who they had come to take, there would be no need for a sign of identification. As I mentioned, sin makes you stupid. In any case, after the kiss of betrayal, the men took hold of Jesus and attempted to take Him away, but He presented them with a thought-provoking question, as He often does. Jesus asked the men, “Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves to take me?” (vs. 48). Jesus continued to remind them how He would teach daily in the temple with them, but they didn’t take him then. I guess they felt better doing their dirt outside the sacred walls, than within them…smh. The level of humility Jesus portrayed was unlike any other, in that He could have easily called down legions of angels to rid Him of all those who opposed His ministry, but because of His unending love for you and I, He endured unimaginable torture, pain, and persecution, so that we could be saved from the judgment of sin, and one day live in eternal glory with the Father, and the Son.

Walk in love,

Ell