Keep On Striving

Matthew 3:13-17

It’s the year 2020, and you’ve had your share of life’s ups and downs over the years. Along your journey, you’ve crossed paths with people who have either inspired you to be better, or made you think twice about being in their company again. As the days progressed, you grew in the knowledge and wisdom of God, and made applying the teachings of Christ habitforming. The path you walked was not always easy, yet you continued to strive to do good, despite inevitable challenges. Up to this point in your life, can you truly say that God is pleased with the way you’ve lived? When your name is mentioned in Heaven, what assessment will God submit of how your life compares to what He expects?

God commissioned the church to love Him, and keep His commandments, and in doing these alone, you’ll develop a more clear understanding of what God expects from you, and how to carry it out. Just as John the Baptist, and Jesus were sent by God to “fulfill all righteousness” (complete what they were sent to do), the body of Christ also bears the responsibility of fulfilling their individual assignments as well. Before an adventurer sets off on any journey, he makes certain to gather the necessary tools and supplies, that’ll assist him throughout his endeavors. Of all the things the adventurer collects, the most important is his compass. Without knowing which direction he’s traveling, the adventurer would no doubt find himself in unfavorable territories, and possibly run out of supplies. When we attempt to navigate through life without God’s Word, we assume the same position as an adventurer, without his compass. Eventually, we’ll get lost, and desire the help of someone to guide us back on track.

It’s been said, there are many paths to God, but the one way to reach that final destination is through Jesus, the Son in whom God is well pleased. We all have a job to do while on this earth, and staying in the will of God, will ensure that job is completed. Just as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs players are preparing mentally, and physically for the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Saints of God should prepare themselves daily, to walk the path of righteousness, and strive to carry out their purpose, despite the distractions that are set to hinder them.

Let the recent death of Kobe Bryant serve as an example that tomorrow is indeed not promised to anyone, and our days are numbered, so spend your precious moments in this life trying to please God, and He’ll ensure that all your labor will not be in vain.

Walk in love,

Ell

Believers depend on one another

1 Corinthians 12:18-26

If you woke up one morning and realized that your entire body had been reconstructed to where your legs were attached to your shoulders, arms joined to your hips, ears flapping from your elbows, and eyeballs resting on the dresser, gazing in amazement at the unusual construct standing before them, do you think you could function the same as you normally do? I highly doubt you could. God formed the human body very uniquely, and in such a way that all members are significant, and contribute to the body effectively from their purposed position. When God made man and woman, He called them good, and was pleased with the finished products He formed. It matters not what size or location a body part is, but all members of the body are necessary to keep it functioning at optimal levels of performance. The uncomely, or less honorable parts of the body, like the feet, are given more honor because without them, the entire body would have great difficulty moving from place to place. From the eyes and ears, to the hands and feet, all members of the human body are important, and need each other to fulfill its purposes. Even in instances when one body part is bruised or injured, the whole body will feel the effects. Try stomping your toe on something, then watch your face cringe, back bend, arms reach, and hands grab the foot on which the “wee wittle” toe was hurt.

In the same way that the human body is joined in such a way that each member is dependent on each other, the members of the body of Christ were set in place by God, as it pleased Him. In other words, every person born again in God, through Christ Jesus, were made to do a specific job, for the purposes of keeping the body of Christ functioning effectively. While it’s true, God made everyone special, and to fulfill His will, it’s only when you’re engrafted into the family of God, do your gifts began to work effectively.

All members of churches or religious groups who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of the living God, and that God the Father created all things, but will soon make a new heaven and earth (among many other truths), make up the body of Christ. God loves all His children the same, but made us different in a good way. Each member joined into the body of Christ is dependent upon each other to function properly. Just as the feet depend on the eyes, and the hands need the shoulders, everyone striving to build God’s kingdom must work together, so that His purpose can be accomplished through them.

Believers must seek to please God from the position where He places them, and not try to prosper from someone else’s position. If members of Christ’s body would stay in their lane, and do as God leads them, there would be less drama, strife, and confusion in the church today. Make sure to play your role in life well, and never hesitate to lend a helping hand to your fellow members of the body of Christ. We all need each other to survive, but trying to function separate from the body can cause all sorts of problems to occur.

Walk in love,

Ell

A life pleasing to God

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Is your life pleasing to God? If so, how can you tell? Do you live in such a way that everything you do lines up with what Christ expects of you? Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself, love and bless your enemies, and abstain from all things unholy and ungodly? God set a standard that was established in the earth through His first created human being, Adam, that was carried on by the children of Israel, then expanded through the lives of the Gentiles, and all other nations welcomed into God’s family by way of the cross. The way of holiness stands in stark contrast to the worlds standard of sinful living. Where God says, “vengeance is mine, I will repay”, the world promotes eye for an eye. Christians are to always seek peace in every situation, no matter how frustrating they may be, without allowing themselves to be carried away into anger, that could lead to rage and retaliation.

As children of God, believers are expected to walk differently from those who are walking in sin. As Paul mentioned to the Thessalonians in our text, we too have been commanded to do those things that please God, and not ourselves. The flesh desires things that are contrary to the Spirit. For example, it’s God’s will that His people abstain from fornication, and those things that war against the Spirit. We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service, so all our dealings are to be done in love, and without partiality or respect of persons.

With every day God blesses you to see, your motivation should be to strive eagerly, and aspire to be more like Christ. Christians are responsible for preparing themselves to be properly equipped to live effectively among the brethren, as well as those not living holy. Our lives should reflect the same love Christ shared with others, so that instead of turning people away from God with unholy loving, we can win them with love, and the truth of God’s Word.

Walk in love,

Ell

Seek peace and pursue it

Psalm 34:1-14

When God abides in you, and you in Him, the decisions you make in life will not only be good ones, but the right ones. We learn in the book of Proverbs to acknowledge God in all our ways, in turn, He’ll direct us in the ways we should go, but the believer still functions in a flesh body, thus are still able to be influenced by sin. It’s only when we trust in ourselves, and lean on the understanding of others, do we sin and fall short of God’s wondrous glory.

King David understood that the more he trusted and depended on God, no matter what he faced in life, God would always come through for him. After every victory, accomplishment, or success, David never allowed a moment to pass without giving praise to God for His love, mercy, and protection. But the great king David had his share of moments when he took his eyes off God, and made moves from fleshly motives. He indeed suffered the consequences of his actions, but didn’t allow his mistakes to cause him to turn away from the source of his life, health, strength, and purpose. Unlike king David who made a few bad choices, but learned from them, many today get caught in cycles of bad decisions, that make it hard for them to break out of. The key to being freed from the cycle of sin and bad choices is to seek the peace that God offers, and diligently search for it. Most of our bad decisions are made when we’re stressed, frustrated, depressed, angry, tired, sad, or any other unfavorable feeling, but when God’s peace resides in our hearts, we’ll then be able to make wise choices with humility and patience.

In the same way that we search intensely for jobs, or pursuing a guy or gal, we should strive with more determination to understand the ways of the Lord. Only through God, can we land that career job that could have been impossible to get otherwise, or meet Mr. or Ms. Right, without having to spend hours on dating sites or apps. God knows all, and understands all, so why not trust Him to help you maneuver through life, rather than damaging your health by stressing over things you can’t change or understand on your own. Seek God, and pursue Him, because living on your own wisdom will lead you in places where you’ll wind up praying for Him to deliver you from anyway.

Walk in love,

Ell