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"Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

Wake Up Call.

February 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Matthew Botelho

Every morning at 5:30, my very annoying alarm clock goes off, letting me know it’s time to get up! Now, if you’re anything like me, you hit that snooze button and go back to sleep for another 10 minutes. Yet it feels like no sooner I close my eyes, the alarm is going off again. “Seriously, I say to myself as I stumble over to turn off the alarm. 10 minutes, already!?”

Now I have no choice but to get up because my wife will see to it; there’s trouble ahead if I wake her up again! And to all the men reading this, remember this proverb: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” –Proverbs 18:22.

Still, it’s good that my alarm clock goes off every morning because if it didn’t, I might miss out on what the day would bring. I could always go back to bed and ignore it, but that would mean my kids and I getting a late start—them to school, me to work—not to mention my wife being unhappy with me. My day would quickly unravel before it fully began, leaving us all a bit frayed—and all because I chose to ignore the alarm!

I don’t think anyone wants to start their day that way, yet it happens daily.

Like with life, for instance. It’s easy to hit the snooze button on life. To become complacent and drift off, thinking all is well and that we have time, even when it comes to our salvation and relationship with God. (And for those who are not followers of Jesus, there’s eternal danger involved in their being complacent, drifting back off).

Yet we are not called to serve God or each other half asleep but fully awake and engaged.  

Like that blessed alarm I was talking about, it’s time for us to wake up, friends, to stop hitting the proverbial snooze button on life and allow the Light of Christ to shine on us, waking us from our slumber! Jesus did not call His disciples or us so we might lay around; He called us all laborers; to rise up and take action. “Then Jesus went about the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” –Matthew 9:35-38.

Though Jesus’ disciples were few in number, they were called to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. And so are we. People were waiting for Truth and in need of hope and a purpose. If we lie around, assuming we have all the time in the world, then the work we’ve been assigned will not get accomplished.

Our work lives starts with us getting out of bed to answer the alarm clock.

Our Kingdom work starts with our first step of faith and obedience.

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”  –Romans 10:14-15.

If Jesu has called you, you are His chosen. Called to carry the Light of Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit, into this dark world. “You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:14-16.

Sticking with the alarm clock metaphor, when the Light of Christ, His Holy Spirit, fills you up, it’s time for you to get up and go! “But all things are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” –Ephesians 5:13-14.

If we are abiding in Jesus, we ought to be fully awake, not living in some half-asleep darkness. ”I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” –John 12:46.

We are getting closer and closer to the time of Jesus’ soon return, my brothers and sisters.

As He promised, Jesus is coming back.

No one knows when except the Father in Heaven. And so I pray all of us are awake, alert, and paying attention to what is happening in the world around us. In Peter’s Second Epistle, he writes, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” –2 Peter 3:9.

Let’s shake off our slumbering, roll up our sleeves, and run headlong into the harvest.

The alarm is sounding! It’s time to wake up, plant your feet on the floor, and know the salvation of God, which is found only in Jesus Christ. Come, repent, and ask for Jesus to be Lord over your life, then watch how the Lord of the harvest changes your heart so that you can be used to help change others. The alarm is sounding. Will you get up and start after Christ, or will you be the one who hits the snooze button? The choice is yours. Amen. “For He says, “At the acceptable time (the time of grace) I listened to you, And I helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation” –2 Corinthians 6:2.

God of The 11th Hour?

February 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montvile

MaryEllen Montville

“The people of Israel had lived in Egypt 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all of the Lord’s people left Egypt. It was a night to be remembered for the Lord for having brought them out of the land of Egypt.” –Exodus 12: 40-42.

Many Christians believe they’ve experienced Jesus as God of the 11th hour. I, too, had often thought the same of Him, of Jesus showing up at what certainly felt like the last minute, or dare I say, when I thought the moment had passed me by when all hope appeared little more than a barely there dot on a gray horizon.

Perhaps that’s how the Israelites once felt.

Maybe—that’s how you’re feeling right now.

We, His children, are often guilty of seeing Jesus as the One who comes just in time.

Yet, I encourage you to allow the opening verse of today’s chapter to challenge what you may believe about God’s timing—maybe it’s time for a fresh perspective—more, for a proper Biblical perspective.

Why?

So that you might, we might rightly align our hearts and wills with God’s. Sinking it, like a weighty anchor to the sea floor, to become one with His will, His plan, total submission, and acceptance—come what may. Ceasing your striving, conscious or otherwise, to bend God’s will to meet your own. “Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make” –Proverbs 3:5-6.

Throughout God’s Word, we are assured of one fundamental, unchanging Truth—God is never late as we think of lateness. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” –Ecclesiastes 3:11.

This plain Truth has existed since before time, as man understands it. We witness God exercise this Truth in His plan to deliver His chosen children, the Israelites, as He had foreordained, arranged for the Israelite’s deliverance and the utter eradication of their enemy in His appointed time. “While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron.” –Exodus 12:1.

This one verse challenges our finite understanding of time—God’s time, that is. It uncryptically details that while the Israelites were yet experiencing the tip of the taskmaster’s whip across their sun-scorched backs, God already had their deliverance mapped out. Did you catch that? Before one Israelite had so much as sniffed their impending freedom in the air, God had already made a way out of Egypt. The Israelite’s exodus from under Pharoh’s exacting grip was already mapped out and waiting in the wings to unfold in the form of two lowly servants—Moses and Aaron.

In God’s economy, His children were already free—their liberty a done deal.

Their shackles and hopelessness, though weighing them down still in the natural, had, in God’s Providence, already been left in the dust of an Egypt that had been bent on robbing His people of the now tattered vestiges of the “sure promise” God had made to their forefathers Abraham, Isacc, and Jacob. All of this was done before one person’s foot took its first step into freedom, already theirs. Again, concerning God’s timing, we must remember it is not our own. Still, the lot of us so long to captains of time. Thinking, foolishly, how we would do it, whatever the “it” may be, so much better, or at least far more expediently than God is!

I can hear the Apostle Paul screaming across time, “How foolish of you, you short-sighted fools! You possess no such vision!”

God alone sees the end from the beginning as a masterful, finished piece of art. While we, short-sighted mortals, see it as some willy-nilly, nonsensical drawing-board scribblings. Is it any wonder that the Lord says to us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” –Isiah 55:8-9.

Much like his descendants, the Israelites, their Father Abraham knew something about this God who provides “a ram in the bush”—an unseen, unknown, yet preplanned way out of afflictions for His own. Unnoticed and unknown until that is, the fullness of time is revealed. But Abraham’s story is for another day.

For today, suffice it to say, if you’re feeling stuck in your own version of Egypt, God has undoubtedly heard your cries, just as He did the Israelites before you. As with them, He has a plan to deliver you. “The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.” –Exodus 3:7.

So If you’re bent low in despair, feeling drained, beaten down—the joy of life and all hope seemingly little more than a memory, or if the enemy—or your seared conscience, is taking the whip to your back, then like the Israelites before you, you too must cry out to your Father—your God.

Trust that Jesus hears you and that He has a good and hope-filled plan for your life that will unfold in His time. How? According to His Word. Listen: “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless [he is forced] by a strong hand. So I will reach out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. And I will grant this people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; therefore, it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. In this way you are to plunder the Egyptians [leaving bondage with great possessions that are rightfully yours].” –Exodus 3:19-20;22.

This God who did not fail the Israelites in their seemingly forsaken wilderness will unquestionably not fail you, chosen and sealed in Christ. By His Spirit at work in you, you will emerge from your “captivity” stronger, more resilient, and better supplied than when your enemy first laid hold of you.

Just as Exodus 3:19-23 assures you of God’s faithfulness to His beloved, chosen Israel, there’s yet another promise from this same God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, made to the Israelites while they were yet in exile in Babylon and through them, ingrafted one, to you, if you are God’s child. It speaks to His yet future plans for them, good plans indeed, again, while they are, in their own eyes at least, still in bondage. “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper– Jeremiah 29: 4-7.

Here it is, beloved, the promise you must white-knuckle cling to come what may, by remembering God makes all things work together for your good and His glory—in His time. “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” –Jeremiah 29:11.

According to Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” So here’s what that means if you have yet to ask Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior. Today can be the day of your exodus from whatever Egypt has been holding you enslaved. Is it drugs? Alcohol? Porn? Adultery?

 Whatever your personal Egypt, Jesus is waiting to set you free if you confess your need for Him and admit that you’ve sinned and need Him as your Savior. Then, according to His Word, Jesus will save and wash you clean. “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].” –1 John 1:9.

His Peace In Rejection.

February 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Matthew Botelho

“When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” –Matthew 13:53-56.

We all want to feel valued and loved by our families and friends, not to mention our brothers and sisters in the church. So let me ask you, have you ever been rejected or laughed at for your belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Have your friends and loved ones ever looked at you in such a way that made you feel like you are an outsider looking in? Or have family and friends just stopped talking to you because your love for the Lord Jesus has superseded the love you have for them?

My dear brothers and sisters, if any of this is the case, you are in good company because Jesus also went through rejection when He was teaching and doing miracles in His hometown of Nazareth. His own people, even His own blood brothers, rejected Him. Can you believe that? Not only the townspeople but His own brothers!

They all, family, and townspeople, remembered Jesus as the son of a carpenter, a mere man. They could not see Him as He truly was, the Son of God, their Messiah. Their focus was on the Jesus they knew or had known. However, the Jesus who stood before them taught and preached with power and authority; He knew His true identity. He was from the Father, and nothing, or no one, would stop Him from doing what He was called to do. Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” –John 12:32

Jesus reminds us that even within households and intimate relationships, division will arise because of Him.

There is always a cost to be paid, my dear friends, when following God’s ways. In Matthew 10, Jesus reminds us of this heavy truth: “I did not come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” –Matthew 10:34-36. Wow.

Think about the life you once lived, your BC life (Before Christ), and how friends and family viewed you.

Maybe you partied a lot with drinking and drugs, etc. Then, one day, your BC self-had an encounter with Jesus, and everything you knew totally changed. Your heart changed, and your mind was renewed. You became a new creation. The apostle Paul writes about this very thing to the church in Corinth, “Therefore, if any is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” –2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul also writes to the Romans, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” –Romans 12:2

My dear friends, some people in the world are uncomfortable with change. They expect people to stay the same, never changing or growing. This can even happen within the church if God calls you to do something specific, become a missionary, write a book, be called to preach, and teach God’s Word or lead a ministry. Some will look at you and say, “Wait, isn’t that… and wasn’t he/she just doing ____________, but now they’re teaching a Bible study? Who do they think they are!” To that, I say let them talk and for you remember what Jesus told Peter, “You follow Me.” –John 21:21. My dear friends, even if the rejection comes from those you serve alongside and love, remember you are first and always in the hands of Jesus—obedient to Him above all others.

Who’s to say that God’s not preparing you for the work of the ministry? Jesus says, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” –Luke 14:11.

Friends you have known for years will eventually see the transformation Jesus has made in you and question, “What happened to you?” Then one of two things will happen: They will either accept the change—the new you or reject you, maybe altogether. But a faithful friend will stick with you no matter what, and a really loyal friend will rejoice with you that God has chosen you to grow into the someone He destined you to be, to fulfill His call and purpose in your life. “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.” –Proverbs 17:17.

Some friendships will remain rooted, but the sad reality for the believer in Jesus is that some friends will reject you.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” –John 15:18-20. Just because you are rejected by men, hold tight to the fact that you are always seen and accepted by your All-Loving, Omnipotent, and Ever-Present God who saved and loves you. Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come to that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” –John 10:10-11.

We may lose what is temporary, but we gain what is eternal in Christ Jesus.

If you are experiencing rejection right now, know that Jesus is with you. Rejection is a heartbreaking experience. Jesus, I believe, may have felt that heartbreak when the very ones He loved were offended by Him and His message. “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” –Matthew 13:57.

Sadly, we are not always accepted where we should feel the most comfortable.

I pray this teaching will encourage you to stay strong in your faith even when all others reject you. How? By clinging to the Truth. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” –1 John 4:4

Be renewed this day by receiving Jesus as Lord over your life. Be washed and cleansed by His precious Blood, which was shed for you. “For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” –2 Corinthians 6:2. Let today be that day of salvation. The day you’re made new in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

But Because He Says So, Will you?

January 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Elda Othello

My husband is a jack of all trades. He knows how to do many things. Paint, work on cars, fix a roof, and repair random stuff around the house. Even after all these years, the many things he knows how to do still surprise me. Believe me, I appreciate and love his many trades. That said, the saying goes, “jack of all trades and master of none”-unknown.

Now, you might be a master of a trade, a skill, or a profession. So was Peter (Simon). He was an expert fisherman who one day found himself amid the Master. In Luke chapter 5, we read: “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

As I read this passage, I couldn’t help but wonder if we are first letting Jesus in our boats.

You might be reading this and have never asked Jesus to come into your boat, your heart. As you read this today, I pray this will be the day!

The second thing that spoke to me so profoundly was when Jesus initially got into Simon’s boat. He asked Simon to “pull out a little from shore” –Luke 5:3. Naturally, that makes sense; there were a lot of people gathered, and Jesus needed to be able to project His voice so they’d hear what He was saying. But some questions hit my spirit as I read these scriptures, and they’re the same ones I want to ask you. “Are you still sitting in shallow waters?” And “Are you willing to push your boat away from the shore at Jesus’ command?”

As I continued to read these passages, I became excited when Jesus asked Peter to “put out into deep waters” –Luke 5:4.

Our walk with God is definitely a journey. And sometimes, because we’ve allowed Jesus into our boats and hearts, He will prompt us to do things and to go places that might initially seem unfamiliar to us, requiring us to do things differently.

These scriptures tell us that Jesus wanted Simon to let down his net. This made no sense to him because he had just been fishing and caught nothing!

Point three is that Simon recognized Jesus as His Master. He was willing to do what didn’t make sense because Jesus said do it! When you’re a professional and have been doing something one way for so long, it can be scary to do it differently. It might feel uncomfortable, especially if you are a master of a trade. That’s why I loved Simon’s response, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets” –Luke 5:5.

What are you fishing for this year? What are you believing in God for? I believe in 2025, God might be prompting us to go deeper. To go where He prompts us to go.

What was the outcome of Peter putting down his net? It landed Simon many fish! “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” –Luke 5:6-11.

Are you fishing in shallow waters, or are you willing to follow the guidance of the Master and move into deep waters? Are you willing to surrender to the deep things of God and be submerged into the unknown, the unfamiliar waters of His Word?

God is calling us to go deeper this year.

In Ezekiel 47, verses 4 to 6, Ezekiel has a vision of waters flowing from the temple in which the waters get deeper and deeper. They go from ankle to knee and waist deep, and then we are fully submerged in water. That river symbolizes God’s presence. He is Water, He is Life, and He is the Living Word. He is calling us to go deeper into His presence. Into those deeper places in Him where we have no choice but to trust Him, He wants us to grow and mature. He wants us to go deep.

Are you willing to take Jesus at His Word? Peter was willing to walk away from his “trade” to follow Jesus even after he had caught many fish!

Will you be willing to forget everything you know, just like Simon Peter did, to become fishers of men?

If you haven’t accepted the Lord Jesus in your life, invite him today by saying this prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner, and I invite you into my heart, my boat, this day. I make you my Master over every area of my life. In Jesus Name. Amen. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10.

All, In One.

January 18, 2025 /

MaryEllen Montville

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” –2 Corinthians 5:14.

Reading just one sentence written in a daily devotional and then searching for the Truth of it in God’s inerrant Word can often usher in a whole new level of awe and understanding. It happens the instant His Logos, God’s written Word becomes Rhema, God’s Word made instantly alive and understood. Made personal by His Holy Spirit. If you’ve ever experienced this, you know precisely what I’m talking about.

I quickly recognized I was having an “I prayed, and God answered moment.” 

God responded to my prayer with just one click of His heavenly kaleidoscope, just as He promised us in Jeremiah 33:3.” “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”  You see, just moments before reading an incroyable sentence in my devotional, I had asked God to show me more. More of Him. Deeper things. More of His goodness, character, and heart—supernatural things, all the while knowing such revelation would be far beyond my purblind understanding. Still, I want more of God and fully believe He alone can open our understanding of who He is—His deeper recesses. So I asked. And God answered.

The sentence in the devotional I was reading: “Jesus was all people in one person.”

As I read and reread that one sentence, His Holy Spirit began opening the eyes of my understanding, leading me straight into His Word. “Yet look at you now! Everything is new! Although you were once distant and far away from God, now you have been brought delightfully close to him through the sacred blood of Jesus—you have actually been united to Christ! Our reconciling “Peace” is Jesus! He has made Jew and non-Jew one in Christ. By dying as our sacrifice, he has broken down every wall of prejudice that separated us and has now made us equal through our union with Christ. Ethnic hatred has been dissolved by the crucifixion of his precious body on the cross. The legal code that stood condemning every one of us has now been repealed by his command. His triune essence has made peace between us by starting over—forming one new race of humanity, Jews and non-Jews fused together in himself!” –Ephesians 2:13-15.

At first glance, I got it. Kind of—in part. We were all inside of Christ as He hung on His Cross—before really, in eternity past, while He was waiting to be born and die for us, in our place—so that we might one day live for or reject Him; Jew and Gentile alike, no division between us “For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.”  –Romans 8:29.

In the truest sense, Christ hung on His Cross, the Sinless substitute for every guilty man who was, is, or is yet to come; for you, me, Abraham, Moses, and that one who wants nothing to do with Him.

His sacrifice—the innocent in place of the guilty—is world-inclusive.

It’s Jesus’ “I’ll die so that every single one of them will have the opportunity to choose Me—to choose Life,” demonstration of love. According to John 19:30, every soul, saved and unsaved alike, has been caught in God’s eternal “It Is Finished” net.

That we, the guilty, should be offered such a choice as to accept or reject our Creator, our Pure and Sin-less Savior, is mind-boggling to me.

Jesus is the only atonement God would accept for every man’s sins—past, present, and future; His willingness to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world meant Jesus would be brutally beaten, crucified, and die, even for those He foreknew would reject, deny, and despise Him and His offer to experience new life in Him.

This part of the “Jesus was all people in one person.” I understood.

After all, Christ’s substitutionary atonement is a pillar of—a massive chunk of the very bedrock upon which our faith—my faith, is built. The other chunks? The fact that He was born of a Virgin, Fathered by God’s Holy Spirit, born fully God and fully man—sinless. And this same Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, defeated death and the grave, resurrecting on the third day, are some of the other massive chunks of the bedrock of our faith.

Transfixed, feeling more was yet to come, I sat meditating on that one sentence: “Jesus was all people in one person.”

Then, suddenly, the Holy Spirit opened it up a bit more.

Those seven words put parentheses around the Gospel message. Around those, Jesus foreknew would accept Him and those who never would. It put parentheses around God’s justice and His Love—His judgment and forgiveness.

Being fully God, Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. Yes, the tiny babe the angel Gabriel once proclaimed as the world’s Savior to some shepherds; being one in nature with God—being God, was all men in one man in the sense that Jesus knew those the Father had given Him before the foundation of the world. From eternity past, it has always been about far more than Jews and Gentiles, about there being no division between us. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” –Colossians 1:15-18.

The “all people” has always been about every man. “All men.” Period. Regardless. All men include the pedophile, the murderer, and rapist, the abortion doctor, the thief, the drug-addicted mom, the sloppy drunk dad, and that homeless guy begging for change on the corner—those “surely not that one, Lord!”

Those the sanctimonious have labeled unworthy and shady; Jesus foreknew each of them in heaven as they awaited their birth, just as He foreknew you.

Jesus foreknew those who would accept Him as Lord and Savior and live—and those who, like Satan, Judas, and countless others, would rebel against Him and die because, like their father, they have chosen to harden their hearts. Refusing to believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father—the only way back to where they came from. “You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel” –Isaiah 48:8.

Just as surely as God foreknew every lash His only Begotten Son would take upon His sinless body, He also foreknew every soul who would despise and reject Him. He foreknew the very men He was sending Jesus into the world to save would savagely and quite literally beat the flesh off His sinless Body, maliciously press a crown of thorns into His head, spit on him, strike Him with their fist, and then taunt and demean Him. And at any time, God could have stopped it, but He didn’t.

Jesus, at any time, could have said, “Enough,” but He didn’t. Instead, He endured death on His Cross. Why? Because in the truest sense of the word, hanging on His Cross, Jesus was all people in one Person—knowing who will be with Him always and those who would choose to live apart from Him now and forever. And had God loved us so and decided to let the cup of suffering pass Jesus by, Had Jesus not drank that bitter cup down to its dregs, all men would die in their sin, having no righteousness of their own, no Way back to the Father. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:6.

What will Jesus say of you, friend? “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” or “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  Concerning these choices, God Himself says this to you: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” –Deuteronomy 30:19. Jesus loves you enough to have left heaven, been born as a man, lived, died, and conquered the grave, the firstborn of the dead so that you might choose Him, belong to Him, and live.

 “What does it matter, Follow Me!”

January 11, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” – John 21:22.

Blessings and happy 2025 to our Sonsofthesea family! I pray the lessons we learned in 2024 were used to help us grow and will be put to use in the new season God has blessed us with. I pray you encounter new opportunities to share the Gospel, dive deeper into God’s Word, learning more of God’s will for your lives. In case you’ve forgotten, You are all very special to God. Let me remind you of Jesus’ finished work on that cross. How He paid your sin debt with His life. How He shed His precious Blood for you, for each of us; your salvation, our salvation, is a gift, and what an amazing gift it is to be set free from sins icy, cold grip. “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” –1 Corinthians 15:55.

“The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” –1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Last year I posted a teaching here entitled “Follow Me.” Today, I felt a need to revisit it.

I love this small bit of scripture in John 21:21-23. There is so much going on in it. “When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

To give you context for the heart of today’s teaching, let’s briefly revisit John 21:15-19:

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Jesus restores Peter during this beautiful conversation. It is a reminder that even if you fall short, Jesus is there to restore you. Jesus knew Peter’s heart. That Peter was sorrowful and repentant after having denied Him. In verse 19, Jesus looks at Peter and says, “Follow Me.” After forgiving and restoring Peter,  Jesus and Peter continue talking when John suddenly walks up behind them.

Soon after seeing John, Peter asks Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” I love Jesus’ answer to Peter, and I pray that this hits home with you as well because it sure hit home with me, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” –John 21:23.

Jesus told Peter not to worry about what He had planned for John. All Peter needed to do was follow Jesus and do all Jesus had for him to do. In other words, don’t focus on who is around you and their actions. Stay in your own lane. Do the work Jesus has given you to do.

I pray YOU will follow Jesus the way He has called YOU to go this year.

I believe we are all looking for significance in our walk with Jesus. We are made for more than just sitting and waiting for Jesus to return. In John 6, the people asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” –John 6:28-29

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:33 of what is most important in our daily walk with Him: To Seek first the kingdom of God. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

I pray fulfilling Jesus’ command to seek God’s Kingdom first will become your heart’s anthem throughout 2025. God wants you to follow Him as He has instructed you. Forget about what others are doing. Focus instead on what Jesus calls you to do. We can get so lost in our wants and desires, thinking, “I would love to teach like that one…” or “I would love to pray like they do…” yet that may not be the path God has chosen for you; God never called anyone ever, to walk in someone else’s anointing.

Yet you have no idea what it costs that brother or sister to walk in their anointing.

Jesus said, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it. Lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.” – Luke 14:27-30.

Remember Jesus’ Words, my friends; carry your cross and count the cost of what it means to follow Him. Yes, there will be moments where you feel alone, but you are not alone. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:20.

You may feel like what the Lord has asked of you is too much for you, and it is. Remember, it is Jesus who is doing the work through you. “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” –Philippians 2:13.

The work is finished.

In John 19:30, Jesus assured us of this Truth before He gave up His Spirit to the Father, “It is finished!” Jesus is faithful in bringing you through hard times. Remember, “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” –Philippines 1:6.  

The above Scriptures are only a few of the promises Jesus has given us to cling to in times of trials or weakness; there are so many more.

Friends, don’t let 2025 be filled with comparison. If we are Blood-bought believers in Jesus Christ, then we’re not competing with each other; we are One Body—His Body. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all.” –Ephesians 4:4-6.

Let 2025 be the year we walk in unity as we follow God’s path for our lives.

With all that said, the bottom line is this, will you follow Jesus into 2025?

The Good Samaritan: Loving Beyond Boundaries

January 1, 2025 /

Pastor Samuel Cordeiro

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” –Luke 10:25-37.

In this passage of scripture, we encounter a profound and challenging parable that reveals the heart of God’s kingdom—a call to love beyond boundaries. An expert in the law approaches Jesus with a pivotal question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus, in His wisdom, redirects the question: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The expert in the law rightly recites the law: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” But then comes the follow-up: “And who is my neighbor?”

The man correctly understood that the law demanded total devotion to God and love for one’s neighbor. But the religious leader’s understanding of “neighbor” was missing. This question, meant to justify himself, sets the stage for one of the most powerful stories Jesus ever told—the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Radical Love of the Kingdom

The Good Samaritan’s story isn’t just about helping someone in need. It’s a call to break down barriers, love beyond boundaries, and risk our comfort for the sake of Christ-like compassion. Through this parable, Jesus challenges us to redefine who our “neighbor” is and what it means to love them.

Who Is My Neighbor?

The Samaritan’s story begins on a dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho, notorious for its robbers. When a man is attacked, left beaten, and half-dead, two individuals—respected in society—walk past him: a priest and a Levite. Both choose to avoid him, prioritizing their own status or safety. But then, a Samaritan—despised by Jews—steps in. Despite centuries of prejudice and hatred between Jews and Samaritans, he chooses compassion.

So, who is our neighbor?

Is it someone who doesn’t look, think, or worship like us?

Is it someone we’ve written off because of their past?

Is it the person who has hurt us or holds different political views? Who have we, perhaps unintentionally, labeled as unworthy of our time, attention, or mercy? The answer is clear:

My neighbor is everyone Jesus valued worth dying for on the cross at Calvary.

EVERYONE, NO EXCLUSIONS. That includes those we may find challenging tolove.

1 John 4: 19-21 19 “We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

While we don’t deserve God’s forgiveness, His grace supersedes our sins.

 Compassion Over Status and Self-Preservation

The priest and Levite’s failure to help the wounded man reminds us how easy it is to let status or fear hold us back. The priest likely feared becoming ceremonially unclean. The law required priests to remain ceremonially clean, especially if they were on their way to performing temple duties. In this context, touching a potentially dead body would have made the priest unclean, requiring a lengthy purification process. So, to maintain his religious “purity,” he chose to walk by.

Like the priest, this Levite may have been concerned with ritual cleanliness. Still, perhaps even more so, he might have been worried about his safety or social repercussions. In a sense, his decision to “pass by” may have been rational, but it showed a lack of trust in God’s calling to love others boldly.

Both missed the point of God’s law, which places mercy and justice above ritual or convenience. God emphasized this truth when He said, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6).

Compassion often costs us something—time, comfort, or resources.

But God calls us to move past our excuses and trust Him to work through our acts of love.

The Aroma of Christ

As followers of Jesus, our lives carry an aroma—a spiritual fragrance that points others to Christ. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NLT), Paul writes, “But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now, he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance

rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?”

When you walk into a room, the atmosphere changes.

Not because of you or anything special about you personally, but because the living God, the Holy Spirit, decided to take residence in you; we must remember the authority and privilege we have as believers of Christ Jesus that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us! And through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we can speak life to a dead situation, encourage a depressed soul, and be used to bring healing to a hurting body! God calls us to be the hands and feet of Jesus today in our generation.

What aroma are you spreading?

Does your life reflect the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control? Or does it reflect the world’s tendencies—bitterness, division, and self-interest? Jesus says it this way in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I have heard it said this way… a plum tree doesn’t eat its own plums. A pear tree doesn’t eat its own pears. All it gets is water and sunlight. Because the fruit isn’t for themselves; they are for people who pass by (our neighbors). Why? Because your gifts aren’t for us or our pleasure –they’re for God to use to bless others.

What we need are rivers of Living Water (the Holy Spirit), Sunlight (Christ Jesus, the Son of God), and wisdom!

Be the Neighbor

Jesus ends the parable with a challenge: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replies, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus’ response is simple but profound: “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus calls us to not only identify our neighbor but to be a neighbor.

The focus shifts from “Who am I required to love?” to “How can I show God’s love to others?

The Samaritan’s actions went beyond a random act of kindness. He took the wounded man to an inn, paid for his care, and promised to return. His compassion was sacrificial, costing him time, money, and effort.

What does it look like for us to “be the neighbor”?

Helping those in need—from coworkers to strangers on the street.

Serving with humility—whether in our homes, communities, or churches.

Loving sacrificially—even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable.

We have the incredible honor of being the hands and feet of Jesus and carrying Christ’s aroma everywhere we go. Let’s be bold enough and humble enough to serve our neighbors around us with Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion.

The Challenge for Us

Confronting the needs of others reveals our attitudes:

 The priest and Levite saw the wounded man as a problem to avoid.

The Samaritan saw him as a person worth loving.

And Jesus? He saw them all—and us—as worth dying for.

This new year, let’s ask God to soften our hearts and open our eyes to the neighbors around us.

Let’s be bold enough to step into uncomfortable places and humble enough to serve with the love, mercy, and compassion of Christ. Because in the end, loving our neighbor isn’t just a command—it’s a reflection of the One who loved us first.

As we reflect on the parable of the Good Samaritan, we see a clear picture of Christ’s love for us—His selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love for us when we were beaten, broken, and left for dead in our sin, Jesus didn’t pass us by.

He stepped down from heaven, took on the weight of our sin, and paid the ultimate price with His life so that we could be restored and made whole.

But just as the Samaritan’s compassion required a response, so does Christ’s love for us. The Bible says in Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Perhaps you’ve been walking on the road of life, feeling beaten down by mistakes, guilt, or the weight of the past. Maybe you feel abandoned like no one cares or sees you. Let me assure you today:

Jesus sees you. He loves you. And He’s reaching out to you right now.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

December 21, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“When they saw the Star, they were filled with Joy!” –Matthew 2:10.

The Bible tells us how the wise men were filled with Joy when they saw the Star. These men were waiting for this great event to take place; they were looking until they saw the sign (Star) announcing the coming of Messiah. What a moment this was! A moment all creation had been waiting for. After thousands of years, the fulfillment of prophecy would appear. They knew God had walked with Adam and Eve, but God’s abiding Presence had been missing, and creation had to hold its breath until the Star appeared! “The watchmen shout and sing for Joy; before their eyes, they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.” –Isaiah 52:8.

The anticipation of this moment was monumental.

The earth was about to receive her King, not just a king, but the King of kings! The arrival of King Jesus was an occasion like no other. As we read in Luke 2:10-11 “Don’t be afraid, I bring you Good News that will bring great Joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, The Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

A Superbowl party is a great feast, but this event was much more significant than a Superbowl! An event that, for centuries, God’s creation had been awaiting—looking to the heavens for. The promise was given to Mary, and people of faith held it in their hearts until it was fulfilled—recognized by those who understood and believed.

The day this Star appeared was a day of Joy and Light.

Those who know the story understand that in Jesus’s Presence, there was always great joy while He walked the earth. Those who believe in Jesus today still get to celebrate that great joy at Christmas time and every day! The Father also said His Son (Jesus) brought Him great joy several times through Scripture.

Jesus walked this earth for thirty-three years, and some had the privilege of getting to know Him, walking side-by-side with Him! For the first thirty years, Jesus lived a life much like ours, except He never sinned, and we do. We witness much of Jesus’ public ministry in the last three years of His life; the Cross of Calvary was His aim, His focal point! At the Cross, His Presence was taken from us, and once again, the earth experienced the void of God’s Physical Presence. There is never Joy in the absence of God!

But His story doesn’t end there! There is so much to the story of Joy because He is an eternal story!

Jesus’ friends had no idea of what lay ahead—the crucifixion of Jesus. They got to witness and endure this excruciating time of seeing their friend, the promised Messiah, the One they had waited for, being treated so unfairly and so torturously.

I can only imagine the angst they felt!

But, because Jesus is Hope, they had hope.

A new Joy was on its way. As the story continues, another joy takes place soon after the cross: the Joy of Jesus’ Resurrection. Here again, we learn that Jesus rises from the dead and lives! The Joy of the Resurrection! His friends were perplexed by all these wonder-full things they were experiencing. Things that were different indeed, supernatural, and far beyond their human expectation.

How marvelous are the ways of the Lord! I sometimes say: “God is the God of the midnight hour; when we are ready to give up, He shows up!” There’s much truth to that statement!

As I write these words, I am reminded that Jesus is always with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Today, we still say/sing: “Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King!” Our Joy is Jesus, and His Joy is our strength. John 20:20 says: “As He spoke, he showed His friends the wounds in His hands and His side. They were filled with Joy when they saw the Lord!”

I can only imagine how they felt because in Luke 24:41: “Still, they stood there in disbelief, filled with Joy and wonder.”

His plan is yet finished. Much more is still to be done; many still need to come into His Presence and know Him as their personal Lord and Savior. There is still more Joy (Jesus) to come.

Jesus left this world physically, but He gave us the third person of the Trinity; the Mighty Holy Spirit of God!

 Through His Spirit, salvation is ongoing. Every man, woman, boy, and girl who repents and chooses to live for Jesus – is still welcome to experience Joy in His Presence. Joy to the world! Salvation is here. In Acts 13:52, we learn that the believers were filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit! “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

There are many other biblical verses about Joy. I’ll close with this one: Zephaniah 3:17. He, the Living God, our Mighty Savior, delights in us with gladness. With His love, He will calm all our fears. He will rejoice over us with JOYFUL songs.

Each of us must first know Jesus as Lord and Savior to experience an infilling of His Holy Spirit.

Everyone sings the very familiar song “Joy to the World.” Yet, only some understand the true Joy the Holy Spirit offers. If more people would open their hearts to Jesus, the world would be filled with His Joy! “Joy to the World, The Lord has come” is more than a song. It is a promise.

A promise to those who know Him—those who get to experience His Joy!

James 1:2-4 reminds all those who call Jesus Lord that even in our trials, we can experience Joy when Jesus is in the trial with us. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

There are many other biblical verses about Joy. Still, I’ll close with this one: Zephaniah 3:17. “He, the Living God, our Mighty Savior, delights in us with gladness. With His love, He will calm all our fears. He will rejoice over us with JOYFUL songs.” Today, if you are ready to receive His Joy, open the door of your heart and say, Jesus, come in, fill me with this Joy I am reading about. Infill me with your Holy Spirit and teach me how to trust you. Help me to keep my Joy even when I don’t understand my circumstances; when things look hopeless, be my Hope. I need faith to believe. I invite Your Joy to rule from the throne of my heart, and I rest assured, You, oh, Lord, will take care of me. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” –Matthew 7:7-8.

As I Have Loved You.

December 14, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“John answered them, “I am an urgent, thunderous voice crying out in the desert—clear the way and prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord Yahweh!” –John 1:23.

Approximately 400 miles south of Canada, in the frigid, icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, another John, John Harper, lesser known than John the Baptist for sure, was, nevertheless, much like his namesake in his passionate love for Christ and His people. John Harper possessed the Baptist’s same kind of inextinguishable white-hot desire to point “whosoever” to the Lord Jesus. Harper’s all-consuming desire was for Christ and to reach lost souls. To this end, he gave his whole life, much like the One he adored unto death. John Harper gave up his life—and life jacket—so that George Henry Cavell could live. Fulfilling in spirit and deed Jesus’ command to all those called by His name concerning our Christian duty. “This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.” –John 15:12-13.

A fitting reminder at Advent. Needed to help realign our hearts to what is profoundly important.

Our sold-out determination to fervidly follow after the Savior we claim to be our Lord—wherever He may lead us.

Decidedly making straight, by the strength and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit, every crooked path onto which we’ve strayed.

Keeping alive, with burning brilliance, Jesus’ Words to us as our guides: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” –John 15:4-5.

The only way any of us, you, and I or either John referenced in today’s teaching do these good works prepared for us before the foundation of the world, is in God’s strength. By imitating Jesus. His desire, that not one should perish. “For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” –Ephesians 2:10.

John Harper most certainly did.

Believing he was about to die; this widower first ensured his only daughter and sister made it safely onto a lifeboat. They both lived to tell of John’s bravery and self-sacrifice. How they watched as he ran back and forth along the length of the deck of that sinking ship proclaiming Jesus as Lord, beseeching those about to meet their watery deaths to receive Him as Lord and Savior.

Eyewitness and other documented reports indicate John Harper remained laser-focused and determined to do all he could to ensure no one was lost. He was seen floating in those icy North Atlantic waters where he came across the man George Henry Cavell, pictured in today’s image, adrift and clinging for dear life to some broken-off piece of the Titanic.

Cavell himself reported that John Harper asked him, not once but twice, if he was saved.

Cavell responded he was not. At which time, Harper pulled off his own lifejacket and, tossing it to Cavell, told him: “Put this on. You need it more than I do.”  Knowing for sure he would soon meet his Lord and Savior, John Harper laid down his life for Cavell—following His Savior’s example to the very end. It was Harper’s dying hope that this one man would not perish but, much like the thief on the cross, in the last moments on earth, receive the blessed assurance of eternal life. Having survived his life-changing ordeal, picked up in a lifeboat by the crew of the RMS Carpathia, Cavell later reported John Harper had yelled out to him not once but twice: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!” And he did. And he was to the glory of God.

Salvation is personal friends, a decision each man must make for himself. Accept the lifejacket being thrown your way today, or don’t. Jesus has afforded you the extraordinary privilege of making such an eternal decision.

Jesus has done His part to ensure you’re free to choose Him—or not.

Born the Babe we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus died fully God and fully man on Calvary’s Cross. He rose again on the third day, King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus alone has defeated death and the grave—you can, too, if you accept His offer of salvation. “I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” –Deuteronomy 30:19.

Friends, we must not be distracted by all that glitters this holy season, lest we forget about its true meaning and purpose: Lest we forget God’s Son, beautiful, innocent Jesus, born of a virgin—having agreed in eternity past to be born in eternity future, all that He might live and die fully  God and fully man, experiencing ALL that we have yet sinned not. The Sinless One who laid down His life for the sin full. The Guiltless for the guilty; you and me.

It’s easy to lose sight of that Truth as we sing, Joy to the World!

Forgetting entirely the cost of such joy.

John Harper never lost sight of his Savior or the great privilege of joining Him in laying down his life for a friend. Multiple times, across the Gospels, Jesus tells His disciples—tells us, told John Harper, to follow Him. Our following Jesus has always been God’s plan. And we, like John the Baptist and John Harper, and that great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us, can do this only through the power of God’s Holy Spirit at work in us, willing and enabling us, as Philippians remind us, to do His pleasing and perfect will. “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.” –Philippians 2:13.

That’s precisely what John Harper did on that fateful morning in April 1912.

As we prepare our hearts to receive Him afresh this Advent—making room for Him by removing any false notion that our lives as Christians ought to be comfortable, stable, and free of suffering, though not popular, I’m sure, I will remind us all, starting with myself, of our need, privilege and calling to lay down our lives before the God-man we sing about having been born in a manger, remembering He is coming again as promised, soon and very soon now.

Is your heart prepared to receive Him if He comes this very night?

Had God not given John Harper His strength and the grace needed to meet his watery death in the icy waters of the North Atlantic Sea, who is to say if another would have been sent to George Henry Cavell saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!” There are no icy waters today—no sinking ship. However, an SOS is being sent to you directly. Its message? Romans 10:9-10. John Harper’s last words to George Henry Cavell.

Simply put, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!”

Grab the lifejacket being thrown to you now, friend. Slip it on and be saved. Jesus is coming back for you. Believe it or not. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10.

The Season of Giving.

December 7, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“We then who are stronger ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” –Romans 15:1-2.

Greetings, SonsoftheSea family! I am humbled and thankful to be back with you and sharing this teaching our Lord Jesus has placed in my heart. As I read today’s scripture, it reminded me of the season we are in, the Christmas season. People who look at this season through worldly eyes see a holiday full of presents, decorations, and traditions. But for the believer, it is a time for us to celebrate the greatest Gift anyone could ever have given us, salvation in our Lord Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” –John 3:16-17.

I am “whosoever.” I will continue to be so until that glorious day when Jesus splits the sky and takes us home. Remember, my dear brothers and sisters, the Lord Himself reminds those who will not perish but have eternal life are the “whosoever believes.” To believe, we need to know the One—have a relationship with Jesus, sent to us by Almighty God. God gave us the greatest Gift, His only Son, Jesus.

My friends, we have entered the season of giving, but giving doesn’t always have to be done with our wallets.

I can think of other ways we can give of ourselves this season:

With time

With talents

And yes, with money

I placed money last because, in my opinion, cash is the most straightforward, common gift people give each other. It’s a tried-and-true go-to when it comes to giving. However, our time and talents are far more valuable than money.

Time is a precious gift, and how we spend it truly counts in the Kingdom of our God. Jesus points to the valuable use of time in the Gospel of John. “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not with him.” –John 11:9-10. Jesus is talking with His disciples about the time He has remaining on earth and about making precious use of the time afforded us.

If you know someone who needs your time, help with a project maybe, or to talk and pray, give them that time without hesitation. Start by first sharing time with your family.

Our kids need our time. As does that aunt or grandparent who has no one to talk to, that sister or brother who is having a rough time. Take the time out of your day and give it to the one in need.

As for your talents, given to you by Almighty God, use them in a way that honors the Giver.

They weren’t given to you to bless you alone but to bless the Kingdom of God and all those you meet. “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” –1 Peter 4:9-10.

I have heard people say, ” I don’t have any talents.” My answer is this: that dear friend is a lie from the pit of hell! You absolutely have talents. The truth is, maybe you don’t recognize them—ask God to reveal them to you. Do you like to talk with people? How about playing an instrument? Do you enjoy reading or writing? The list goes on and on. We have many untapped talents just waiting to be put to use to reach people—help others. But sometimes, we have to get out of our comfort zones to use them effectively. Remember the words of Solomon, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” –Proverbs 18:16.

Lastly, let’s look at how we use the finances God has blessed us with.

We understand money is a much-needed tool in this world—a resource. A seed that will multiply when it’s planted in good soil. All wealth belongs to God, so what we do with it matters. Let the attitude of our heart be then, “I have money, but money doesn’t have me.” If God places it on your heart to pay for the person’s groceries while standing in line, do it. Do it if God tells you to pay a person’s gas or electric bill. The Apostle Paul writes the Corinthian church saying this about our resources, “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

Giving your time, talents, and money is connected to your heart, dear friend.

Giving out of love for Jesus, not to be seen by men, is giving from a heart of Christ-like love. I have watched YouTube videos of people “helping” homeless people or “helping” random people in the streets, and it makes me sad. Why? Because their giving appears boastful. These people might think they are doing something good, but I question their motives personally. Did they do it to get new subscribers? If so, that’s selfish, not selfless. Jesus speaks about this type of giving in Matthew’s Gospel: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” –Matthew 6:1-2.

My friends, be genuine in your giving. Giving our time, talents, and, yes, even money can be so powerful. I have seen people come to the Lord when these gifts were shared with others from a pure heart. Giving freely also opens doors for us to share the Gospel. In the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul says this when talking to the people in Ephesus, “I have shown you in everyway, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” –Acts 20:35.

Paul says he has given his life and labor to the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was not only preaching about Jesus, but he also showed the Ephesians how to walk as Jesus walked and love as Jesus did. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes this Truth plain, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” –John 15:13-14. Though it may not be easy, even inconvenient at times, we are called to forget about ourselves and help our neighbor or just help out where we see the need. That is the point Jesus makes in John 15:13.

In the end, if we are faithful, we shall see the reward of our labor in heaven and hear those Words we all long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter in!”

We at Sonsofthesea are praying for you. To the one reading this, know that Jesus loves you. If you desire to encounter Jesus this season, I invite you to come to Him in full repentance of your sins, asking Him to be the Lord and Savior of your life. He is knocking. Will you open the door of your heart to Him? “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” –Revelation 3:20.

Amen.

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