Keep It Simple

1 Corinthians 14:13-19

Doing ministry and works for the kingdom of God, are very noteworthy opportunities. God is the creator of all things, and working to fulfill His purpose is a great thing! I can remember as a child, I always wanted to go out on Saturday mornings, to help my dad and brothers mow lawns. I was always denied that privilege, because I was too small, and would probably hurt myself, or someone else. But, when the opportunity came to assist my dad with his side business, I jumped at the chance to finally contribute to bringing funds to our home. When we do works for the kingdom, it’s so that all members of the body of Christ can be blessed. There’s no secret to what Christians do, and all things are done for edification, and encouragement. For this reason, there should never be a time, when a preacher, teacher, prophet, or anyone who exercises their gift in the body, do so for self gain. Paul mentioned in our text, he can speak with tongues (multiple human languages) more than all of the Corinthian church members, but he would rather speak only five words the people could grasp and understand, rather than 10,000 words that would leave them beyond confused.

Never get so caught up in your spiritual gift, talent, or ability, until you lose focus on God’s purpose to help others, and not hinder them. Take pride in all the great things God has placed inside of you, and be careful not to abuse, misuse, or not use His gifts, but operate in them as they were purposed to be used.

“Let your light shine so bright, until someone can see it in their valley moment.” – Ell

Be Healed!

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Of the many gifts given by God, and the diversities thereof, one that is desired by most people is, the gift of healing. Sickness and pain, and all other unfortunate bodily ailments, invade the lives of many, but healing is desired by all, in order to enjoy the benefits of healthy living. I believe, no man in his right mind desires to suffer sickness, and make attempts to avoid things that cause it. But, God in His never-changing state, can still manifest divine healing to anyone He desires to bless.

The ways of the Lord are far beyond what my 3 pound brain can fathom, so I have limited understanding why so many good people suffer, and deal with sickness and disease, but I’m also fully aware, God takes no pleasure in seeing His children suffer either. There’s reason and purpose behind all things taking place in the earth, and God is fully aware of them all, but if I could operate in the gift of healing, I would make wise use of the gift, and bring change to many hurting individuals. Not only would I heal bodily hurts and pains, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual pains. Around the world, many suffer from inward pains, and other forms of hurt that come through the heart. Physical pain hurts, but emotional suffering can at times, hurt a lot more. While there are no medicines that can heal the pains of the heart, only through the love of God, and His grace and mercy, can healing of the heart truly begin.

Take time today, to pray for those who you know are suffering any kind of sickness, disease, hurt, pain, or shame, and ask God to manifest healing in their lives. We may not operate in the gift of healing, but our fervent prayers can provoke God to send His healing manifestation to those we love and care about, all over the world.

“He died for me… I’ll live for Him.” – Ell

Have Mercy On Me!

Matthew 18:23-35

The body of Christ is, by default, subject to the authority of the almighty God. The God who created the heaven and the earth, is the supreme ruler, and all who are under His supremacy, have been tasked with maintaining certain duties and standards that befit His expectations. For instance, the Bible teaches that God is love, so those who claim to be His children should find it comely to walk according to the standard of God’s love also. The God of all creation is also patient, kind, and full of mercy, and these same character traits should be consistently seen amongst those who serve under Him.

It’s interesting to note, God not only expects His people to align themselves with His Word, but He continually monitors how each and every believer conducts themselves, in every situation and circumstance they face. It’s amazing how we soon forget the mercy that was shown unto us, when we are met with the challenge to be merciful to someone else. Our text displays this instance vividly in the parable Jesus presented to those following after Him. Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a king, who takes account of how his servants handle the talents he bestows to them. Apparently, those who served the king were expected to use what they were given, and multiply it, to prove their loyalty and dedication to his cause. One servant obviously mishandled what he was given, and owed a great debt to the king. Thankfully, the king had mercy on the servant, and removed his judgment to have him and all his family sold, and he was not expected to pay the debt. Wow! If you owed someone a whole lot of money, and faced years in prison, how would you conduct yourself, after finding out all charges were dropped, and you didn’t have to pay back anything?

You’d think anyone granted a blessing of that magnitude would forever be grateful, and use caution when dealing with others, but some people never learn. Moments after being relieved of his great debt, the servant ran into someone who owed him a few dollars. Now, from what was mentioned previously, it would seem obvious how this situation should turn out, but I’ve learned that the obvious isn’t always obvious lol. Rather than extend mercy toward the one who owed only a few dollars, the delusional servant ironically took the man by the throat, and demanded payment immediately! Be careful how you treat others, because in those moments you don’t think anyone’s watching you… there’s someone watching you lol. Someone close to the two servants saw the uncomfortable scene take place, then reported the story to the king. The servant who was granted mercy beyond measure, failed to render that same mercy to someone else who desired it. Thus, judgment was returned to him, but worse than before.

Be careful how you treat those who seek mercy from you, because if you think back long and hard enough, you’ll remember those moments when you needed mercy too.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold… don’t become one of them.

Ell

Genuine love for each other

Romans 12:9-15

The human body is a unique composition of systems and parts that all act independently of one another, but are unified to accomplish the same goal. From heads, shoulders, knees and toes, to arteries and cells, God created an amazing thing when He formed man from the dust and clay of the earth. Our brain alone makes the most advanced computers look like mere childsplay. Although the human body is capable of doing many things like self-healing, processing loads of information in moments, and exhibiting exceptional physical ability, none of those awesome things can work without the presence of blood. Blood is the single most important component of the body. Blood has a number of functions that are central to survival, including supplying oxygen to cells and tissues, providing essential nutrients to cells, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose, removing waste materials, such as carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid, protecting the body from infection and foreign bodies through the white blood cells, transporting hormones from one part of the body to another, and transmitting messages, and completing important processes. Another important function of the blood is, its protective action against disease. White blood cells defend the body against infections, foreign materials, and abnormal cells. Without blood keeping the body primed and functioning, we would all be a big pile of lifeless bodies.

Just as the natural body is 100 percent dependent upon blood to function, the body of Christ would be useless and ineffective if love is absent from its members. The body of Christ is fitly joined together with countless members, all having unique gifts, talents, and abilities granted by God. Some are profound and impactful teachers, while others make an impact with their helps or healing. No matter what gift a believer has been blessed with, he can only function properly in it when operating in love. We’ve been commanded to love our neighbors, our enemies, and those who treat us unfairly, but we must not forget to always extend genuine love to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, believers make up the body, and it’s critical to the effectiveness of our faith and profession that we treat each other with the love of God. It’s evident that we are living in the last and evil days, and wickedness is spreading even in churches, but that doesn’t excuse Christians from continuing to love each other.

As children of God, we are to let love be without dissimulation. That simply means we are to never mask or disguise our love toward others, but should always present the real thing. There are people who actually cover ill motives and intentions with the word, love. For example, a young boy will tell a gullible girl he loves her, and all that mushy gushy stuff, but only for the chance to take advantage of her sexually. Or, how many modern-day preachers will convince an audience the only way to prove their love for God is in how much money they put in the offering basket. That’s not love at all, but deception.

Saints are to be kindly affectioned to one another, and be sensitive so as not to pass judgment on men, but to help them when necessary. When we love others, we are rendering our due service to the Lord, and God honors our deeds because we do them to give glory to His name, and not to our own. It matters not who lacks the true understanding of what love really is, but what does matter is how you live in such a way that love is seen by others through your deeds and actions.

Walk in love,

Ell