Richard Ellis Talks

The Israelites wasted 20 long years because they chose not to repent and follow the Lord. They only brought more consequence on themselves in the end. Often, we're like the Israelites: we procrastinate on our repentance, and God allows consequences to come our way in order to draw us back to Him.

How amazing is it that God wants to use you and me to reach people?! But in order to do that, we have to be willing to see past the "impossible" and believe in Him to make all things possible. There's no better time and no greater opportunity than Christmas to step out in obedience and boldly proclaim the Gospel - let's trust God to give us the words and the courage we need.

God gave up His one and only Son so that we could be offered the gift of eternal life. All He asks is that we offer ourselves to Him in return. Scripture teaches us to surrender our whole lives to the Lord, and then to stand back and watch the amazing things He can do with us.

In a time when people have never owned more stuff, we've never been more owned by our stuff. So we tend to get uncomfortable when we read Jesus' charge to us to care for the poor, particularly when it requires self-sacrifice. It might not sound appealing to part with our things, but things should always take a backseat to people -- especially when those people have the potential to become brothers or sisters in Christ as a consequence of the love, compassion, and generosity we extend to them.

God called Mary to bear His Son -- a task so monumental and "impossible" that there's no way she could have followed through unless she had faith. She trusted God to do what He said, and to equip her with everything she'd need to fulfill His purpose for her. God calls us to that same kind of obedience -- the kind that requires our dependence on Him -- and when we rely on Him, our faith not only grows, but we become a living, breathing showcase to the amazing things that only He can do.

God literally worked out the impossible in order for Mary, a virgin, to conceive and give birth to His own Son. So why do we doubt that He can work out the seemingly "impossible" things in our own lives? When His Spirit lives within us and we walk in obedience, He fills us with the power to accomplish His plan and purpose.

God told four different people about His plan to send His Son to this earth in order to save all those who believe in Him from their sins. And in doing that, He gave hope to humanity. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, we now have the responsibility and the privilege of telling the world what He's done for us and for them.

Mary was chosen to carry the Son of God, to give birth to the Savior who would come in the flesh to save us from our sins. She trusted God's promises, and because she allowed the Holy Spirit to work through her, He fulfilled them. As Christians, the same Holy Spirit dwells in each of us -- and when we trust God for His promises, it impacts not only our own lives, but the world around us.

God answered Zechariah and Elizabeth's prayers to have a baby -- but He did it within His perfect timing. He had a plan for that baby far beyond what anybody could see: John the Baptist would grow up to pave the way for God's own Son. Our prayers might seem repetitive, and it might even feel like they're falling on deaf ears. But God not only hears, He answers, and our only job is to wait on Him and trust Him in the process.

When we're disconnected from God, we're prone to spiritual attack. We have to connect with Him on a daily basis in order to prevent attacks on our hearts by the enemy. To do that, it's crucial to remain in God's Word and to be in regular fellowship with other believers.

When we invite Jesus into our lives, the transformation that happens within us should be reflected to the world outside us as we become instruments of His workmanship. Everywhere we go, there should be a noticeable difference between the light that's in us and a world that lives in darkness -- and we're not meant to keep that light to ourselves.

God used John the Baptist for the sole purpose of preparing people for the coming of Jesus. When we're fulfilling our purpose in life -- not seeking our 15 minutes of fame, but looking for ways to direct others' attention to Him -- we won't receive the glory for our actions, but He will.

In this world, it's hard to wrap our brains around the fact that God is good in the midst of so much bad. We struggle to reconcile the immense suffering we face with what we hear and read about a loving and almighty God. But that same God who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us will not abandon us to suffer needlessly -- we just have to trust in His plan.

The easiest and most accurate way to find out what your heart is truly devoted to is to look at your finances and see where they're going. God promises to take care of us in all of our needs, but we have to trust Him and let Him be Lord over our whole lives, including our money and the ways we use it.

We look to everything this world has to offer -- including food -- to fill us. And if we're not careful, trying to fill ourselves with too much of anything can turn to an act of sin. We overindulge out of a desire to fill the emptiness we feel inside, but Jesus is the only One who can do that. When we allow Him in, change starts happening from the inside out.

When you point a finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at you. We're often guilty of pointing fingers at others for their "obvious" sins while hiding sins that nobody likes to talk about because they make us uncomfortable. Gluttony is addressed specifically in the Bible as a sin, but we forget this when we sit down at a table full of food. Some of us need to spend less time judging others and more time seeking accountability from someone we trust to help us clean out our own cupboards.

Just like the delicious food we enjoy at a holiday meal with family and friends, God's Word is full of all the "fixins" for our walk with Him. His table is set and there's a place for us. Come, taste and see that He is good! 

What has God put in your life to protect you, that you're hardheadedly and stubbornly trying to destroy? He can use seemingly obscure things to get our attention, just like He did with Balaam and his donkey. If we're so focused on getting that "thing" out of our lives, we'll fail to see how it's protecting us.

There are basic -- but essential -- concepts to which the Church needs to hold fast in order for it to stay healthy and continue to grow. Discipleship, servant leadership, worship, community, and evangelism are just some of the key tenets of church health. Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God by spreading the Gospel and increasing His Church.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "comparison is the thief of joy." God made us for His work, to be molded and shaped into whatever vessel He wants to use. Instead of comparing ourselves to other people and being jealous of how God's using them, let's focus on allowing Him to work in us and through us in order to bring Him all the glory.