Relax, God’s Got You

Psalm 37:1-8

Don’t stress yourself over evil people, and don’t envy those who involve themselves in wicked activities. Because, in time, their evil deeds will cease and they’ll fade away. Instead, trust in the Lord and continue doing good. Only then, will you become more established, and God will provide for all your needs.

Take strong pleasure in fulfilling the will of the Father, and He’ll in turn, give you your heart’s desires. Focus all your plans and ideas on godliness, trust God without wavering, and you’ll see those plans manifest. While serving the Lord diligently, He will make known your righteous deeds to others, so they’ll see the truth of your professed holiness, and understand why you live the way you do.

During difficult times, try your best not to stress, relax your mind, and wait patiently for God to work things out for you. Even when it seems as if wicked people are prospering and living the “good life”, trust and believe that God will deal with them, and take care of you…as long as you keep a level head, and refrain from doing evil during your struggle.

It’s hard to maintain good thoughts and pure intentions when life gets hard, but God sees your struggle, and has a time set to deliver you. So, while you suffer, focus on gaining all the strength, faith, wisdom, and knowledge you can from your situation, and be ready to help the next person who may be lined up to face a similar issue.

“Don’t give up, help is on the way.”

Proper Perspective

James 4:3

I pray for wisdom, but I ignore it. I ask for strength, but I don’t use it. I seek peace, but from all the wrong places. I strive to do good, but give up before the journey begins. I choose my words wisely, but always when it’s too late. I ask, and nothing’s given. I seek, but can’t find. I knock, but no doors open. Then, I change my perspective. I pray for wisdom, then walk according to it. I ask for strength, then face life with boldness. I seek peace, and pursue it. I strive to do good, and diligently commit to it. I choose my words wisely, and use them to build up and edify. I ask, then I receive what I need. I seek, and find the answers to my concerns. I knock, and walk through doors that lead to the path of righteousness.

From Galilee To Jordan

Matthew 3

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an exciting episode of, “From Galilee To Jordan” starring, John the Baptist, and Jesus! I’m your host, “holyell”, and I’ll be bringing you all the details of tonight’s most fascinating scenes!

John the Baptist: Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

(Crowds of people from Jerusalem, Judea, and all the regions of Jordan begin to come and hear John speak.)

John the Baptist: Hear me, and let my words penetrate into your hearts. Confess your sins before the Lord, and be baptized.

(Countless men and women confessed their sins, and were baptized. Note, baptism was an outward sign of inward confession. Although the water didn’t save men, the act showed others that a person made an honest confession to follow God.)

(John’s quick popularity caught the attention of the Pharisees and Saducees; the religious groups who held themselves to a higher standard than what God set in place.)

John the Baptist: Ahhhh, look who’s here. Oh generation of vipers! You must have heard about the coming wrath upon all who oppose righteousness. Make sure your acts are righteous, and that your works are good, because if you have bad thoughts and evil intentions, you will be cut down and destroyed.

(This message obviously didn’t rest well in the hearts of those wicked ones.)

John the Baptist: Surely, I baptize you with water unto repentance, but there’s someone coming after me, who is mightier than I am, and I’m not worthy to even carry his shoes. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.

(The crowds of people wonder in amazement of who this other person could be.)

(“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”)

John the Baptist: It’s you! But, I cannot baptize you. I forbid it! You are…

Jesus: It’s alright. Do it now, because we have a responsibility to fulfill all righteousness.

(“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” I wish I could have witnessed this in person.)

In times when you feel as though you’re unworthy to serve God, remember, you were made to bring glory to His name. So, in all you do, do it as unto the Lord, and He will reward you for all the good fruit you produce in the earth.

This concludes the exciting episode of, “From Galilee To Jordan”. Thanks for tuning in, and have a fantabulous journey!

Deeply Rooted

Ephesians 3

When God created the world, He planted a great variety of trees, plants, and flowers all over the earth. Many tress and other types of flora are good for food, and offer a variety of other beneficial uses, but the most important part of any tree or plant is, it’s roots. According to easytogrowbulbs.com, the roots of a plant have several important functions. The roots anchor the plant in place, resisting the forces of wind and running water or mud flow. The root system takes in oxygen, water and nutrients from the soil, to move them up through the plant to the stems, leaves and blooms. Roots often store the energies created by the plant through photosynthesis, to make them available to the plant as it is needed. Plant roots also stimulate and support microorganisms in the soil that benefit plant life.

Roots are vital to the survival and overall wellbeing of plant life, but what the roots are planted in, is the major benefactor in what it can bring forth. Jesus spoke a parable in Matthew 13 that reads, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”

When roots are planted in good ground, the probability of the tree bringing forth fruit is extremely high, but when tress are planted in unfavorable areas, they’ll bring forth little to no increase. When those who claim to be sons and daughters of God have their hearts rooted and grounded in love, they’ll undoubtedly bring forth much fruit for the kingdom of God. But, to those who have set their affections on things below, including money, power, wealth, careers, cars, or celebrity, they’ll never be fit for God’s kingdom. Although many aren’t rooted in God’s love, they have been blessed with limited time to get their hearts right with the Father. Are you deeply rooted in love, or are you planted in unfavorable, and unprofitable ground?

Old Vs. New

Hebrews 10:1-18

OLD
——-
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

NEW
——–
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, there’s no need for any other substitute to atone for man’s sins. Jesus’ offering was effective for all past, present, and future sins, but salvation is conditional, and determined on an individual’s proper confession of sin, and a dedicated life of submission to the will of the Lord.

Hallowed Be Thy Name…

Psalm 33:4-8

The Lord our God, the creator of heaven and earth, is worthy of all praise and glory of men and angels! The text tells us, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (vs. 6). God literally spoke, and the world came into existence! What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him, Heaven and earth adore Him, but do you give reverence and show respect for the Lord, as you should? How often during the day, do you simply acknowledge the very presence of God? When you take time to pray, are your words centered more on your problems, or the grace and mercy God gives us daily? What are you living for? What motivates you to get out of bed everyday? God made everyone special, and loaded them with benefits, but oftentimes, we take for granted, how good the Lord has been to us. God is good, and His mercy endures forever, yet millions are walking the streets this very evening, dressed in costumes, honoring a day that was set aside for evil purposes (many unknowingly). Rather than focus on loading baskets with candy and treats, we should make the name of the Lord great today! I understand that man has set specific days and times to celebrate, but everyday should be centered on giving reverence and honor to the name of the Lord.

Live A Little

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Life is short, and the time we’re blessed with on the earth is finite, so rather than carry a ball-n-chain of errors and mistakes of the past, we should instead, try to live a little, before we pass on from death, to life. God gives us strength to work and earn an honest living, and while we’re bound to be tied to some type of bill or expense, we should try to use some of our earnings to enjoy some of this beautiful planet God created.

I’ve never been one to live lavish, or spend too much in order to have a “good time”, but there are things to do, that don’t require much money at all. For instance, a great place to enjoy, any time of day (I prefer nights) is, the beach. Sitting on the sand while enjoying the sound of waves beating upon the beach, is a breathtaking experience. Other places I’ve yet to visit are zoos, to see all the amazing animals God created, and national parks, where families can go to enjoy reunions and great food.

The time we are living in today is far from peachy. In fact, there are many things brewing that will soon be manifested, and will change the way we live forever. But, until that time comes, let’s do all we can to love God, love others, and find something in this life to enjoy, and be thankful for.

Blind Shame

Jeremiah 3:1-5

Sin brings drastic consequences once it gains a foothold in our lives. Lies lead to more lies, and hatred to more hatred. In spite of their great sin, the people of Israel continued to talk like they were God’s children. The only way they could do this was to minimize their sin. When we know we’ve done something wrong, we want to downplay the error and relieve some of the guilt we feel. As we minimize our sinfulness, we naturally shy away from making changes, and so we keep on sinning. But if we view every wrong attitude and action as a serious offense against God, we will begin to understand what living for God is all about. Is there any sin in your life that you’ve written off as too small to worry about? God says that we must confess and turn from every sin. (Excerpt from the Life Application Study Bible)

Altered Image

Genesis 1:26-31

In the beginning, man was made in God’s own image, after His likeness. In the beginning, God gave man dominion over the fish of the sea, fowl of the air, cattle, and all the earth, including every creeping thing upon the earth. In the beginning, God blessed man and woman, and told them to fill the earth with offspring. In the beginning, man ate only herbs, fruit, and seed. In the beginning, things were radically different from today.

Today, men have taken on the image and likeness of carnality. Rather than desire the things of God, they yearn for worldly pleasures and lusts of the flesh. Today, men are afraid of nearly every animal in the animal kingdom that has not been thoroughly domesticated, including mice and cockroaches. Today, having multiple children is shunned by the modern self-centered society. In the past, large families were deemed a blessing from the Lord, but those days seem to be long gone. Today, men will eat anything that moves (or doesn’t move). While we have been granted permission by God to consume meat (according to Genesis 9:3, and Matthew 15:11), many around the globe enjoy some very unusual delicacies.

From the beginning of time until now, the world has become nearly unrecognizable from God’s original creation. But, in a moment, all will be restored from chaos and wickedness, to unity and perpetual holiness.

David’s Song

2 Samuel 22

1 And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
4 I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
7 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
47 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.