Richard Ellis Talks

There's no denying it: we're constantly in the middle of a spiritual battle. Satan is relentless. But we have the choice to get beaten down, or to stand and fight the enemy with our worship and our prayer. God gives us the strength to overcome anything the devil can throw at us!

Some people are so poor, all they've got is money! It's easy to compare our lifestyle with others, especially when they seem to have "everything" -- cars, houses, financial stability, and the list goes on. But no matter how good a person's life appears on the outside, we all need Jesus dwelling inside us. Through His gift of salvation to us, Christ offers the only life that's truly worth living.

We've all got sin in our lives that we try to convince ourselves is secret, but just like the black box in an airplane reveals what really happens in the cockpit, our "secrets" will eventually be made known. Instead of trying to hide our sin, what if we repent and allow God to work in us and through us? He doesn't want to just fix our behavior -- He wants us to grow in relationship with Him so that we're changed from the inside out!

 

Here's a thought for you: you'll never look into the eyes of someone God doesn't love. Most of us have experienced rejection in some form or another. Jesus shows us by example what it means to not only be an outcast, but to reach out to those who have also been cast aside. And even though we might get rejected by others, God not only accepts us, but He chooses us to be His!

We have a tendency to think we're in charge of ourselves, our decisions, and our circumstances. But the bottom line is this: we serve a living God who's always in control, no matter the state of the world we live in! Unlike any material thing, God hears, sees and understand our problems. It's Him who calls the shots, and it's His plan that will always prevail.

Scripture describes us as sheep, and the Lord as our Shepherd. He cares for us and provides for all our needs. But as believers, we need to stick together like a flock and be on the lookout for those who enter the fold with the intent to steal, kill and destroy from the inside out.

You know you've started taking something for granted when you stop being thankful for it. God's blessed us abundantly with life and salvation, not to mention any gifts on top of that like family, friends, health, employment, and the list goes on. Instead of taking it for granted, let's make a conscious effort to look at all that He's given us, and then verbalize our gratitude to Him!

We're all born as slaves to sin -- but God offers us the chance to be free. When we accept His forgiveness and His gift of salvation, we choose to hand ourselves over to His care and direction. We can do what He tells us to and submit to His will, because we know He's got our best interests in mind.

Babies have to be weaned off milk in order to chew solid food. In the same way, God calls us to mature as believers by weaning us off spiritual "milk", so we can dig our teeth into a deeper relationship with Him. Immature attitudes try to do everything alone, but God calls us to seek maturity by being part of a community of believers who help each other grow.

 

It's one thing to feel shame when we sin, because that shame ideally leads us to repentance, and it's when we repent that we make room for the Lord to change our hearts. But the one thing we should never be ashamed of is the amazing name of God! As believers, we need to have the courage to stand up and proclaim His goodness to the world around us!