Sonsofthesea.org

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

You Have My Word On It…

August 8, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.” –Psalm 138:2

Today, we’re going to begin at the end—of this verse, that is. We’ll start with its result, the honor of God’s name, then we’ll move on to its effect, reverencing and worshiping of our Lord. Sometimes, to understand a thing better, you have to take a step back to see it more clearly. Today is one of those times. It was the final twelve Words of this psalm that caught my attention. “For your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.”  

There is no greater assurance a man will ever be given in this life than God’s Word.

If God spoke it, promised it—it’s a done deal. “For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” –Hebrews 6:13-14

I can personally attest to this biblical Truth. Never has there ever been an instance where God has spoken to me, called me to follow Him, assured me He’d lead me or provide for me, and then failed. Not once, ever, in my nearly twenty years of following Him.

Time will surely reveal what God’s Word accomplished in eternity past—regardless of how long it may take any of us to receive it and, if it be God’s will, witness its fruit. What more perfect example of this Truth is there than Jesus’ own final Words, this side of eternity: “It is finished.” –John 19:30.

God’s Living Word accomplishes everything God intended for Jesus to accomplish before Jesus ever left heaven for earth. Let that sink in…

King David understood this.

We witness this truth in the fruit produced throughout David’s life through God’s unwavering protection, provision, and guidance. And today, we’ll read how David white-knuckled clung to this truth in some of the final words he shared before he died.

David’s dynasty and life were ending.

Still, Scripture tells us of David’s indefatigable confidence, even as he faced death, that God would fulfill every Word and promise He had made David—though he himself would not be alive to witness their fulfillment. “Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success.” –2 Samuel 23:5

Daniel also understood this, Truth. “Then the king was greatly pleased and ordered that Daniel be taken out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in and relied on and trusted in his God.” –Daniel 6:23.

We’ll hear from Daniel again soon. He’ll teach us how God alone deserves all our praise, honor, all the glory and our worship…

But for now, let’s stay with David…

David had been chosen by God as the future King of Israel when he was still a young man. Some scholars suggest he was anywhere between 10 and 19 when Samuel chose him from among his brothers and anointed him as king, replacing the reigning king, Saul. At that time, men needed to be 20 years old or older to serve in the army; Samuel had found David tending his father’s sheep. “Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, ‘The LORD has not chosen any of these.'” And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.” –1 Samuel 16:10-12

Now you might be saying, okay, but what does this have to do with David honoring God, like in the last twelve words from today’s verse?

Through faithfully tending his father’s sheep and faithfully serving his father and brothers both, God was shaping David’s heart to one day serve a nation. Through service and obedience, trials and testing, David would learn to trust and defend the Lord His God and His every Promise in all matters, great and small.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” –Zechariah 4:10

David did not despise his “small” beginnings, and God saw how humble and pliable, yet valiant and devout David’s heart was in His Hand. “As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand” –Jeremiah 18:6

Throughout David’s life—every trial, test, every “giant” he’d face—David held fast to God: “David answered, ‘You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he’s handing you to us on a platter!” –1 Samuel 17:45

David, like Moses and Noah, Father Abraham, and God’s prophets, who foretold Christ’s coming, suffering, and salvation—never witnessed it for themselves —yet held fast to God’s leading and guiding. His every Word of hope. His every Promise. Hence, David could come to the end of his life like so many of God’s servants before Him, ready to face the One he had loved and served, fully confident that everything the Lord had promised him would come to pass—not because David would be blessed to see it all; he wouldn’t, he believed, because God said it.

” This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” –1 Peter 10-12

What a blessed assurance for us all, beloved. “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” –1 Peter 10:8-9

I didn’t forget about Daniel.

He’s going to teach us about the first part of today’s verse: bringing us back to the beginning so that we might end up doing what David and Moses, Abraham, the prophets, and Daniel did. What we’re called to do until the Lord returns, or should He tarry, and call us Home. That is to worship Jesus! King of kings and Lord of lords.

To bow before Him in reverence and humility, acknowledging His Lordship over our lives always, in everything we do. “May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. I offer thanks and praise to you, God of my ancestors, because you have given me wisdom and power. And now you have let me know what we asked of you, for you have let us know the king’s mystery.” –Daniel 2:19-23.

Beloved of God, as surely as God has kept His promises to our brothers before us —be encouraged: He’ll do the very same for us—for you.

Hold tight to that Truth, as David and Daniel, Moses and the prophets of old did, as you pray for your prodigal, that parent or friend, yourself, or anyone you’re believing, interceding for. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” –Numbers 23:19

This same Jesus, the God of David and Daniel, Moses, Abraham, and all the prophets, promises you today, new friend, that if you don’t know Him as Lord and Savior, you can: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10

Light Up The Darkness!

August 1, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” –Matthew 5:14

Jesus did not spill His precious Blood, paying the ultimate ransom—His life—for you to live small, hidden, or fearful of the judgment of mere men, beloved. To blend into a world that is not your home. To “hide” your Light, Christ alive in you, out of fear of what men may say or think about you. I can almost hear the Apostle Paul shouting to you across the ages even now, “God forbid!” He is reminding you, through his writings, doing all he could to save you from committing such a sin. “As far as the Law is concerned I may consider that I died on the cross with Christ. And my present life is not that of the old “I,” but the living Christ within me.” –Galatians 2:20.

Christ in you is your identity now; in case you’ve momentarily forgotten…

You are no longer your own, beloved. You no longer “get to” live hidden away; if indeed you belong to Jesus, that’s impossible. “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.” –Matthew 7:16-17

Hear me now: I haven’t come to condemn you, rather to remind you, and myself, of who we are and of the unfathomable cost our Lord and Savior paid, that we be afforded such a privilege as to be His Light-bearers in this ever-darkening world. “He alone possesses immortality [absolute exemption from death] and lives in unapproachable Light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.” –1 Timothy 6:16

Being offshoots of Jesus’ unapproachable Light, we “get to” shine for all to see, directing men then toward our Father; by following Jesus’ example, who lived His life on earth to draw all men to the Father. “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” –Matthew 5:16

Those who belong to this world, are and will continue to, demand you dim your Light, Christ in you, insisting even that a single Source of Light doesn’t exist, instead, that, there are multiple light sources at work in the world; they do their level best to extinguish the One True Light of Christ altogether—as if they held such power—not wanting their sin or rebellion against the One True God revealed. Like their father, they prefer to hide in the shadows, far from the Light of Christ. “You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.” –John 8:44

But you, child of God, and you whose heart God is tugging on even now, you are, or are being called to carry a Light so Pure, so Holy and alive, it cannot be hidden; you cannot stay hidden.

I believe the Lord sent me to you today to remind you to Whom you belong—and that’s not yourself. You belong to Jesus, and He expects you to do what you were created, in part, to do. And that is to shine His Light into the utter darkness so that in seeing your Light, those in the world will be without excuse, having witnessed its Source. “For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification].” –Romans 1:20

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.” –2 Corinthians 4:6-7

Whatever has been holding you back from letting the Light of Christ in you burn ablaze, or from carrying the Light of Christ within you, I came to encourage you today to turn to, or return to, Christ.

Ask Jesus for the strength to push past the voices of those who call you a Jesus freak.

Those who reject you or who have abandoned you completely because of your devotion to Jesus. That husband, wife, or child, mother or father who has grown cold towards you. The boss who says he’ll fire you if you don’t stop talking to your coworkers about this Jesus, enough already! Stop it! We don’t want to hear about Jesus any more! Don’t you get it! Just go away already…

Take heart, beloved, keep pressing into Christ. He will strengthen you to finish the good works He has called you to do. “We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” –2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Weary soldier, fearful new friend, ask God’s Holy Spirit to fill you, or fill you afresh, if you’ve never asked, with the same fiery Light and power He freely gave those who first prayed in faith believing He would. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” –Acts 2: 1-3

Then, let Jesus’ Light, this same Magnificent, Pure, Holy Light that has been piercing the darkness of men’s hearts for millennia, burst forth out of you, like a bridegroom from his bedchamber, unashamed and undeniable. You are God’s messenger: A Light carrier for the King of Kings. You are partnering with heaven when your Light burns brightly and unashamedly before all men—especially those who reject you for His name’s sake. “I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. / But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” –Luke 12:8-9

Blaze on, beloved! In the power of His Might! “Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” –Daniel 12:3

Friends, you can carry this Magnificent, saving Light of Christ Jesus in you, but first, you must ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life. Won’t you do that right now? Be freed from the darkness and walk in Pure Light… “because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10

What’s In Your Heart?

July 25, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

‘But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the Lord. “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt.’ –Numbers 14:13

The world asks, “What’s in your wallet?” But the Lord asks, “What’s in your heart?”

Character isn’t revealed in times of comfort and ease; instead, it’s revealed in times of trials, testing, persecution, or betrayal. “Even a young man is known by his actions, whether his conduct is pure and right.” –Proverbs 20:11

Once again, the people of God have rebelled against Moses. They’ve hardened their hearts against God’s chosen leader; worse, they’d hardened their hearts against God Himself—even after having been warned by Moses and Aaron not to commit such a sin against the Lord. “That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes.” –Numbers 14:1-6.

We could talk about the people’s hardheartedness and rebellion today—they’ve given us much to talk about. We could also talk about how these same people God had entrusted to Moses’ care turned on him multiple times—including those of his own household. But we won’t be looking at any of that today because the Lord caused something else to stand out instead, as I read Numbers 14. “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.” –Numbers 12:1-2

It wasn’t other people’s actions God was highlighting, however; instead, it was the posture of Moses’ heart.

How Moses had responded to accusations and betrayal, and to the Lord telling him of His intent to destroy these unbelieving, contemptuous people and start afresh, building a new nation through Moses. “The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” –Numbers 14:11-12

If you listen closely to Moses’ plea, you can hear the far-off cry of Jesus’ own heart, interceding before the Father for the forgiveness of those who took part in His betrayal and crucifixion: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” –Luke 23:34

And later, still, as He intercedes for those who will yet repent and believe in Him. “I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message. “ –John17:20

Moses was, after all, created in God’s image and, like Jesus, had, among his other gifts, a shepherd’s heart. Hear the heart of this humble, committed servant of God in Moses’ response to His Lord’s demand for atonement. Listen as he pleads for mercy and forgiveness, not punishment, revenge, or even vindication. Moses cares more for His Lord’s reputation and the lives of those who have betrayed him than he cares for his own.

So he pleads for God to stay His hand of judgment against them, asking instead for mercy for these guilty, rebellious, sinful, lost people entrusted to his care. “If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’” –Numbers 14:15

Like Moses, every Blood-bought believer is charged by our Lord to have this same heart of reverence for His Holy Name; and mercy, intercession, and forgiveness toward all those who have rebelled against, hurt, defamed, discouraged, lied about, or falsely accused us.

How can I say this with all certainty?

Because God’s Word gives me, gives us, that authority when addressing those who have professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior. “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” –Philippians 2:5-8

Moses valued those who persecuted, spitefully spoke against, and betrayed him as having no less value than himself, despite their cruel actions and intentions towards him. So did the Apostle Paul. And so must you and I, if we call Jesus not only Savior, but Lord. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –Mark 10:45

Still, neither Moses nor Paul nor John, nor any Old or New Testament servant ever accomplished such a Divine feat in their own strength. Impossible! “Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.” –1 John 3:16.

So how did these believers accomplish such a seemingly impossible feat? The very same Way you and I, and every other Blood-bought believer, will. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” –Zechariah 4:6

In closing, friends, the Lord saw Moses’ heart, John’s, and Paul’s as well. What’s in your heart? “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” –Psalm 139:23-24

I pray Jesus finds a heart sold-out to Him when He looks into your heart.

A heart willing to love as He loves—valuing others, their needs, before your own. “No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.” –John 15:13

No man, save Jesus, was, is, or ever will be, perfect, friend. Nor does Jesus expect you to be. Moses wasn’t. Neither was Paul nor John. But one thing Jesus saw in each of them was a heart fully surrendered to Him: willing to go anywhere, to do anything He asked of them—including to lay down their very lives, for Him.

I pray Jesus finds this heart in you and me. “Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility.” –Philippians 2:5

Are you willing to humble yourself before Him? Put others before self? Serve Jesus, whenever and wherever He calls you?

Are you willing to forgive more, plead for the forgiveness of those who have betrayed, despised, slandered, hurt, or tried to harm you?

Moses did. John did. Paul did.

How about you, friend? What’s in your heart?

So I pray that you do know Jesus, new friend, prodigal son; the same Jesus who gave His life in exchange for yours. The Innocent in place of the guilty—His heart is Love incomprehensible. I too pray, as Moses did: that God demonstrate this Love, forgiveness, and power in your life this very day. “Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing Love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty.” –Numbers 14:17-18

Walk This Way…

July 18, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.” –Mark 8:25-26

Some are sensing a stirring in their spirits. They’re believing God is calling them to a “new thing, a new season, their next.” Maybe God has revealed to some of you what, exactly, that new thing is, making it plain, or plain enough at least, that you have a fairly firm grip on your next assignment. While others sense it, see it — just not quite as clearly as you, yet — for those, it’s more like seeing men as trees— just there, before them, that much is certain, …But I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” –Mark 8:24

The Word of God tells us that Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes twice in today’s Scripture before the man could see clearly. “Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.” –Mark 8:25

So does your not seeing everything clearly straightaway mean that you haven’t truly received a Word, a new assignment, a “touch” from the Lord? I don’t believe that’s true, personally. Moreover, today’s Scripture seems to refute any misconception about this way of thinking. That said, Scripture does, however, caution the believer to test every spirit, because not everything we believe we’ve heard from God, or a word from God so-called, spoken over us, is truly from God. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world.” –1 John 4:1

Above all, does what you believe to be from the Lord align with His Word? “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” –2 Timothy 3:16-17

Secondly, if it does, are you seeking Jesus’ timing rather than stepping out on your own? “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1

Beloved, if you genuinely believe God has placed a new assignment on your heart, that He’s calling you to a new location, into a new ministry, or maybe a marriage, then, before you take one step toward it, you must first ask Jesus to confirm it’s from Him. Then, wait on Him for His answer to each of these fundamental questions before you act—lest you fall. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” –Proverbs 19:21

Holy Spirit will never go against God’s Word or timing—He can’t.

Circling back then, we definitely know Jesus had already touched this blind man once, so why wasn’t he healed instantly? His vision was made whole the first time? Surely, Jesus had healed others instantly; why not this blind man? “Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” –Mark 8:23-24

What’s the reason behind Jesus having touched this man’s eyes twice?

To gain a fuller understanding, we have to take a few steps back—for context’s sake.

A few verses earlier, friends of this blind man had led him to Jesus. Soon after, Jesus had rebuked His own disciples for their lack of sight. Nothing was physically wrong with their eyes, mind you, yet in certain ways, they were just as blind as this man who was physically blind. “You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?” Mark 8:18.

The issue with Jesus’ disciples wasn’t physical; it was spiritual: forgetfulness had rendered them spiritually blind.

Scholars tend to agree the story of the blind man needing to be touched twice by Jesus is a metaphor used in Scripture to help demonstrate how Jesus’ disciples’ spiritual sight took time to develop: become “clear,” if you will, even after their having lived, eaten, slept, walked besides, and witnessed many of Jesus’ miracles by the time they’d encountered this blind man. One such miracle was the feeding of four thousand with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish they’d found, after which Jesus rebuked them for their lack of “sight.”

“At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

Perhaps many of us don’t yet fully understand, either?

How thankful then we ought to be to serve such a patient, loving Father. A Father who understands our weaknesses and does not condemn us for them; rather, like the much-loved children we are, Jesus corrects our blind spots, bringing clarity and realignment so that we will see clearly.

So could seeing clearly be part of your “next”? Maybe Jesus wants to clear up your vision? Remember, unlike the Pharisees, who chose not to place their faith in Jesus despite all they’d heard and “saw” for themselves, if you’re His, you did.

Still, Jesus loves you too much to leave you seeing “men like trees.”

In His lovingkindness, perhaps part of your new includes Jesus touching your eyes yet again, as he did with that blind man. After all, His desire is for you to see clearly, so He must rid your ‘sight’ of whatever “yeast of the Pharisees or Herod” is affecting your ability to see clearly—compromise, desire for worldly comfort, lack of faith, stubbornness, or self-reliance; none of which we’ll be completely free of until we are with Jesus. “As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” –Mark 8:15

So for now, we must keep going back to the One who first gave us our sight, asking that He touch our eyes again and again, repenting of the “yeast of the Pharisees” we’ve allowed to dim our vision. Jesus doesn’t want us to take the sins of the past—those things that, to date, have blinded us—into this new thing, new season, assignment, He’s leading you into. “As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” –Mark 8:15

Friend, God wants you to see clearly, too. To see Him clearly more than anything else, so that you can follow where He wants you to go. Won’t you ask God to give you eyes to see Him and His will, clearly? “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” –Jeremiah 29:11; 13

 Why didn’t he see clearly straightaway?

What’s the reason Jesus touched this man’s eyes twice?

Could seeing clearly be part of your “next”?

If We Are Lacking Love, We Are Lacking Everything.

July 11, 2026 /

Wesley Mendes

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” –1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Throughout the Bible, God’s Word speaks about the posture of our hearts. Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or are just beginning your walk, it’s important to reflect on the condition of your heart and intentions. We must ask ourselves before we step into our responsibilities or our ministries, if any; before we use our God-given gifts or talents, this one vital question:

Am I walking in love?

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…”

Think about what Paul is saying.

You can preach powerful sermons. You can sing beautifully. You can pray passionately. You can serve faithfully every week. You can even operate in incredible spiritual gifts.

But if love isn’t the foundation…

It’s just noise.

Paul goes even further. He says that you could understand the deepest mysteries of God. You could possess faith strong enough to move mountains. You could give away everything you own to help the poor. You could spend your entire life serving others.

Yet without love…

“I am nothing.”

“I gain nothing.”

Those are very sobering words.

Love isn’t an accessory to the Christian life—it is the very evidence of Christ living within us.

Everything we do should be anchored in the love of God because everything God does flows from who He is. Love Itself. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. “–1 John 4:7-8

God doesn’t simply show love.

God is love.

So if our service isn’t anchored in love, it isn’t anchored in Christ.

Jesus illustrated this beautifully in Matthew 18:23-35 through the parable of the unforgiving servant: “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went to their master to tell him everything. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

A servant owed a debt so enormous he could never repay it. Yet instead of receiving the punishment he deserved, his master forgave the entire debt. Entirely. Freely. But that same servant walked out, found someone who owed him a tiny fraction by comparison, grabbed him by the throat, and demanded repayment without mercy.

Jesus’ point is unmistakable.

How can someone who has received unimaginable mercy refuse to extend mercy?

How can someone who has been loved so extravagantly refuse to love others?

The truth is…

God loved us when we were at our worst.

God forgave a debt we could never repay.

God showed mercy when justice was what we deserved.

Today, He gives us the privilege of representing Him.

What an incredible responsibility.

We must first examine our hearts, asking ourselves: “Are we showing up in life with the same love that Christ first showed us?” Whether it’s at home, at work, or at school, our goal is to reveal Jesus.

Being a Christian was never meant to be a performance. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” –Matthew 15:8-9

As Christians, we’re meant to pour from our overflow; what’s already inside of us.

From the overflow of the grace we’ve received.

The mercy we’ve experienced.

The overflow of love that rescued us.

Your every act of service, in all you do, be rooted in this one simple truth …

You have been loved beyond measure. Now, go love others in the same way.

If this speaks to your heart today and you realize you’ve been lacking the love Christ has called you to live out, don’t let that discourage you—let it draw you closer to Him. Ask God to strengthen your heart. Ask Him to reveal the places where you’ve become impatient, unforgiving, judgmental, or simply indifferent. Invite the Holy Spirit to transform you so that when opportunities arise to show mercy, grace, compassion, and love, your response reflects the very heart of Christ.

Remember, demonstrating the love of Christ isn’t about trying harder in your own strength. It’s about allowing God’s love to change you so deeply that loving others becomes the natural overflow from what Jesus has already done in you.

And if you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, today can be the day that changes everything. The Bible assures us: “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

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived the perfect life we could never live, died on the cross for our sins, and three days later rose from the grave, defeating sin and death so that we could have eternal life.

Today, you can come to Him by faith, praying: “Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died for my sins and rose again on the third day. I repent of my sin, and I ask You to forgive me. Come into my life, be the Lord of my heart, and help me follow You all the days of my life. Thank You for loving me, saving me, and making me new.” If you prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, welcome to the family of God. Your journey with Jesus has just begun, and He will continue to shape you into someone who reflects His love more and more each day.

Wait! You Want Me To Love That Guy?

July 4, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

“The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” –Acts 9:11-14.

Warning! Today’s message will not be warm and fuzzy—hopeful, yes, always, but challenging. Yet so long as there is breath in the lungs, there is hope, to change, to grow in obedience, to repent…

I felt led today to speak to the “Ananias” in you and me, beloved of God. Spiritually speaking, of course. To the visceral repulsion, that inner alarm which sounds when fear arises in us the moment, we encounter man’s hatred toward man. Sadly, we’re reading about such hatred on a near-daily basis these days, witnessing its byproduct: bruised and bloody fist-to-cuffs, on our television screens. We hear about man’s hatred toward man on radio broadcasts or podcasts. Then, there’s the visceral hatred and persecution God’s people are experiencing personally, around the globe, simply because of who they are, and the fear associated with them—that, sadly, will never change until Jesus comes. I speak of the Jewish communities and of us, Christians.

Still, not all of what we see and hear about is evil.

Some of what we interpret as evil or hatred in men is them being “Sauls unawares.” People who, unknowingly, are waiting on the Lord’s timing to become who He, not our enemy, has destined them to be: “a Paul.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name. “But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.” –Acts 9:15 –Acts 9:13-15.

You want me to love him, Lord? Her? That one? He’s covered in tattoos! She’s confessed to having been a prostitute! Have you seen how they act? Heard how filthy their mouths are. They hate me—us, Your own children, and you want me to pray for them? Love them as a brother?

I felt led to speak to the “Ananias” living inside every Blood-bought believer—starting with me. To remind us, those who love Jesus, serve and obey Him, that apart from the love we know began when He first loved us—loving those who appear to be our enemy, who look different, dress, talk, live differently than we do—can feel impossible. Ananias teaches us that. Only by loving others as Jesus loves us does this become possible. “We love because he first loved us.” –1 John 4:19.

The very instant we forget that just a moment ago we, too, looked, dressed, talked, and lived differently, the door to our experiencing fear and hatred opens.

We live in a world that has seen many life-changing, life-saving advancements. Sadly, however, men’s hearts have remained much the same. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil” –Jeremiah 13:23.

How I’d love to tell you, assure myself of the fact, that Jeremiah wrote such ineludible words to convict an unbelieving world, but he didn’t; Jeremiah was addressing God’s chosen people—us, Christians included, having been grafted into His people, Israel; we’re the bullseye Jeremiah was aiming such pointed words toward, our hearts the target such conviction was intended to pierce. Since time immemorial, man has been incapable of changing his own heart with any true and lasting effect; Ananias couldn’t, neither can you and me.

It is said, “The very best of men are just men at best.”

Said Scripturally: “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.” –Jeremiah 17:9

Just as we have no idea the depths of darkness and deceit in our own hearts, conversely, because of Who lives inside of us, neither can we fathom the unplumbed levels of love, compassion, or obedience, even, which exist within us; only God knows. It’s His, all of it; of Him, entrusted to us for a time.

And, thanks be to God that it is because Jesus causes what’s been entrusted to us to be poured out on others to bring about their salvation, realignment, correction, calling, or redirection, all for the sake of His Kingdom plans and purpose. “However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.” –2 Corinthians 4:7

Jesus did this with Ananias, using what He had placed in him to bring about Paul’s salvation long before Ananias was filled with apprehension, confusion, and perhaps fear of Paul, when Jesus tasked him with finding and praying for the very man who was hunting Jesus’ followers like prey. “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.” –Acts 9:1-2

But here, beloved, is where hope, the sugar in the salt of today’s message, is found—in Jesus—in Whom every man’s hope is found. Hope conceived in the womb of faith and birthed when Jesus’ strength and our remembering of His faithfulness in times past, partner. Jesus imparts His will into us, using our hands and feet to ensure His will is done. Never our own. Never in our own strength or ability, remember, friends, it won’t last! Even those things we claim as ours: faith, obedience, perseverance, endurance, etc., are all gifts from God used to accomplish His plans and Kingdom purpose. But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.” –Acts 9:15

Hear me, friends: this is not a message intended to condemn anyone, God forbid!

No, the Holy Spirit placed this on my heart as a mirror of sorts, held up to me first, then to all who call themselves followers of Jesus, or who will be, soon. Why? As a reminder not to react in our flesh, instead, to respond in the Spirit when, not if, we encounter man’s hatred of man on display, as Ananias did.

We cannot, must not, respond in kind with fear or hatred.

Was Ananias frightened? doubtless.

Was he apprehensive about approaching Saul? Scripture makes it pretty clear he was.

Did any of that stop him from obeying God, finding Saul, and praying for him? Absolutely not!

The very same man whom Ananias once feared, he ended up calling brother. “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” –Acts 9:17

That, beloved, is the power of this Treasure we carry in these earthen vessels on irrefutable display!

I pray when you and I encounter our “Saul,” and we will, we’ll follow Ananias’s example of unwavering faith in the face of our fear and we’ll pray for those who hate, persecute and deceitfully use us by remembering these two things, one: “our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” –Ephesians 6:10

And two: Jesus commands those He calls His own to: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” –Matthew 22:37-40

Do you know Jesus, friend? His power to overcome fear and hatred? If not, you can today. Invite Jesus into your life, offer Him your weakness in exchange for His strength. Ask Him to forgive your sins, He will, if you’re sincere. Paul did! And look at how the Lord used him! “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10

The Thorn In Your Flesh…

June 27, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

“…So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” –2 Corinthians 12:7

So what’s yours? Your thorn, I mean? Have you never examined yourself, asking this question in your own heart?

Sadly, I don’t believe many do, at least not regularly. I know I didn’t, nowhere near as often as I ought to have, until the Holy Spirit showed me that I had a thorn placed in me. After coming to that realization, you can bet I started asking the question far more frequently. “What ‘thorn’ have You given me, Lord, and what is it meant to keep in check in my walk and service to You?”

Funny how we avoid questioning ourselves, isn’t it?

And by funny, I mean sad. Dare I say that our ignoring such introspection is akin to acting like a disobedient child? I’m addressing myself here…

We focus, instead, on those “thorns” we see so clearly in others, rather than on our own. Listen to what Jesus had to say about us behaving in such a manner: “Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?” –Matthew 7:3-4

It is wrong of us, sin, really, to compare ourselves, our ‘thorns, ‘to anyone else’s.

“Thank God I don’t have that thorn!”

Still, it’s not difficult to see that each of us, to one degree or another, for one purpose or another—God’s purpose, has or will have, at some point in our Christian walk, a thorn put in our flesh. As with Paul, for a reason Scripture leaves unspecified, God uses thorns to humble us, maybe to save us, refine or reshape us, causing us to turn and cling to Christ with utter childlike dependence and to cause us to recognize our desperate need for Jesus.

And here’s how I define desperate: you’re drowning, water is beginning to spill into your lungs, when suddenly a hand pulls you up and out, and air begins to take the place of water. Do you push away the hand that saved you, or, in desperation, grab hold of it for dear life?

Paul is telling us that every believer needs this level of desperate need for Jesus, just as he did.

There’s a reason Jesus tells us that, apart from Him, we can do nothing.

If Jesus did nothing on His own, how much more you and me? Are we so prideful as to admit we are “poor in spirit” as often, perhaps, as we are not? And what we do and can accomplish for God is done, as Jesus makes clear, in His strength, not ours. “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” –John 5:30

Some challenge this statement of fact by arguing that many things can and have been done without invoking Jesus’ Presence or His aid. While some may say they can do many things independently of God, in fact, they cannot. Their thinking that a thing is so does not make it so. And their self-aggrandizing attempts to exist independently of their Maker can be likened to opening one’s mouth underwater, thinking that air will somehow fill one’s lungs—useless at best, deadly overall. And while they’d be correct in their statement of fact, they’d be exposing the depth of their ignorance of God, of His Sovereignty, Omniscience and Omnipresence, of His inseparable Hand at work in the lives of men—whether said men acknowledge Him, or not. “…He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].” –Matthew 5:45

So I guess, in the very broadest sense, any of us, even Jesus’ most devout child, can, if he chooses to, act independently of Christ, and rely on his own strength, instead of leaning on Jesus, though, as His children, we’re instructed not to.

Not to use our own wits and grit, so-called, rather than posturing ourselves in humble dependence and reliance on the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit at work in us, because that’s the very definition of pride itself. Of shaking one’s fist at God in defiance and rebellious self-reliance. Man’s woeful ignorance on display, like a peacock strutting, plumes fanned out for all to admire, shrieking, “Look at me, look at me!”

“But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD and HAUGHTY, BUT [continually] GIVES [the gift of] GRACE TO THE HUMBLE [who turn away from self-righteousness].” –James 4:6

So instead of slapping lipstick on a pig, let’s call such pride what it is: the condition at the heart of the point Paul is making to the Corinthians—to us, through his sharing with us of why God allowed this thorn, this severe mercy to touch Paul’s life. There are times in our walk with Jesus when what may feel to us like punishment is, in fact, the Love of God, dressed in a way only hindsight will recognize. “Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” –2 Corinthians 12:7

For some of us, our thorn is or will be a physical malady: cancer, a stroke, traumatic brain injury, autoimmune disease, epilepsy, crippling bone or muscular diseases, a severe speech impediment, or some physical abnormality; the list goes on. For others, their thorn is emotional: depression, anxiety, and all forms of mental health struggles.

I experienced God’s severe mercy back in 2008 when I had a massive stroke that left the left side of my body paralyzed. My brain had been so severely damaged that I needed my 79-year-old mother to care for my most basic needs: dressing, bathing, and caring for me. I had lost my ability to care for myself. According to my doctors and neurological specialists, based on the extent of brain damage I had incurred, I should have ended up never having fully recovered and in need of full-time care. But God, in His mercy, had another plan.

What certainly felt like severe mercy at the time, God used not only to restore my body and mind to what they are today, allowing me to live independently and fully functioning, but, more importantly, to lead me to Him through the “thorn” He’d allowed to touch my life. To receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. So I can say, in hindsight, with a joy-filled heart today, that God’s allowing that stroke to touch my life was one of the best things that ever happened to me, because God used it to lead me to His Son and to experientially understand His mercy and grace, His Love, and the new life and relationship I have with Him, in Christ Jesus, my Lord.

And to answer your question, yes, there have been many times I have cried out to God. I still do, “take this thorn from me,” as profoundly grateful as I am for having experienced what it has, and does, afford me—my life in Christ. Still, truth be told, in my flesh, when experiencing the lingering after-effects, the mental struggle at times, the fatigue, and brain glitches that often accompany traumatic brain injuries of various kinds, I can understand why Paul continued to ask God to take his thorn away from him, and why so many of you do as well. But here God’s answer to Paul, to me, and to you, beloved of God: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” –2 Corinthians 12:9.

And His grace is sufficient in your life as well, friend, believe it or not. So won’t you ask Jesus into your life today? Let Him help give you the strength and grace to endure your “thorn.”

Who? Me, Lord…? Yes, You!

June 20, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

“And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.” –Judges 6:16-17

Before Gideon had offered up a single word of protest to God, one single, “I’m not qualified,” in God’s Divine Providence, the Midianites were defeated foes; still, God used Gideon to accomplish this. Likewise, God uses you and me today to do the same, fulfill His will. “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:11

Have you ever had a Gideonesque conversation with God?

Have you ever told the Creator of the universe—the One Scripture says, formed you in your mother’s womb and knows your every thought before you even think it, what it is you are or are not, capable of doing, being, or becoming? Shamefully, I have! Yet I now recognize the futility of ever having had such a conversation after its being held up to the Truth of God’s Word: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” –Psalm 139:1-4

Yet that’s precisely what had happened with Gideon…

God had appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a wine press; threshing wheat where grapes, typically, are pressed to make wine because one: Gideon was hiding, and two: Gideon was afraid. From whom and of what? Gideon was hiding from the Midianites, who were attacking Israel at that time and stealing their food stores.

Gideon hid in the winepress to thresh wheat out of fear he’d be seen threshing by the Midianites, and they would come to steal his remaining wheat. These few details are a whole teaching in themselves, but they’re for another day, maybe a part two to this teaching?

What we’ll focus on today is that part of Gideon’s story where God appears to him, calling Gideon what he did not—could not—see in himself.

Only God knew who Gideon would become, because God Himself had foreordained Gideon’s life, imbuing it with a perfect purpose and plan—and that wasn’t to hide out in some winepress. It’s this part of Gideon’s story I felt led to focus on today. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” –Judges 6:11

Like Gideon, I believe some of you have heard God calling you by a name you also don’t yet recognize. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” –Judges 6:12

Who? Me, Lord…? Yes, you!

God is asking you to step out in faith, beloved, into a new season you feel woefully unprepared for—totally ill-equipped and wholly unqualified to take on, if you’re being honest. Like Gideon, you keep asking God for a sign that it’s really Him who is asking this of you. Him who’s put this desire in your heart. “Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” –Judges 6:36-37

Despite all your questioning, beloved, hear this: it’s already here. Remember, in God’s Providence, the Midianites were defeated before God called Gideon to do battle with them, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:10

So this new name is commensurate with the calling God has placed on you—remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and, so as He did with Gideon, God calls each of us according to how He sees us, which, typically, is not how we see ourselves. “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” –Ephesians 2:10

Before you know it, you too will be walking into God’s next for your life, whether that’s a brand-new relationship with Jesus or into the new thing Jesus has placed on your heart to do. Then, I pray, your questioning and self-doubt will become little more than a memory. Because if God planted that God-sized vision, desire, or calling on your life, then God will bring it to pass.

Remember, friend, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?” –Numbers 23:19.

What God has predestined for your life and mine, beloved, what He calls us—who we are, right now, but can’t yet see in ourselves, will come to pass. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” –Psalm 43:19

Still, you hand God every excuse for why He’s gotten it all wrong, how what He is calling you to do is simply impossible; you’re not alone, Gideon made that same mistake. Maybe you’re thinking, “Surely God’s forgotten my past! What I’ve done, who I’ve been—how I’ve failed Him?”

Maybe you feel weak as water, in character or faith?

So, out of fear or shame, you make excuses—you hide, but God will always find you out, beloved! “Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” –Judges 6:11-15

Friends, God’s Word is filled with stories such as Gideon’s.

Accounts of people much like you and me, ordinary people doing ordinary things, and then God showed up and transformed their ordinary into the extraordinary; events and the feats we read about throughout His Inerrant Word. Think of Noah, Father Abraham, Elijah, Esther, or the Apostle Paul. So it’s here then, I’ll remind you, the one hiding out today, or you, who’s feeling inept, inadequate, the very least of His children—that nowhere in God’s Word do we witness God call a person to do anything He did not fully equip them to do. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” –Philippians 2:13

You’re right to feel the way you do, beloved, because the Truth is, apart from God, you and I are indeed woefully inept, completely ill-equipped. But with God, in the power of His Might, you and I can and will do all that He has foreordained us to do. “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].” –Ephesians 6:10

Have you asked Jesus, this same God who once called Gideon, a man who felt unworthy of the call God had on his life, to come into yours? To give you a new beginning in Him. If you will, and you mean it sincerely, Jesus will come and make you a new creation; old ways will pass away, and Jesus will make all things in your life new again. God promises: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

Condemnation vs. Conviction: Is the Cross Really Enough?

June 13, 2026 /

Wesley Mendes

“There is therefore now condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1

Many believers faithfully attend church, worship passionately, serve consistently, and genuinely love Jesus, yet still carry a weight Christ never intended them to bear; living under a cloud of guilt, shame, and condemnation. Every time they stumble, every time they battle the same temptation, every time they fall short, they begin to believe the lies of Satan:

“God must be disappointed in me.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“Maybe I’ve failed too many times.”

“Maybe I’m too broken for God to use.”

If we’re honest, most of us Christians have wrestled with these thoughts at some point in our walk. The problem is, these thoughts do not come from Jesus…

Jesus’ Gospel is not built upon your perfection. It is built upon His perfection.

The Cross is enough.

Jesus’ Blood is enough.

Jesus was and is more than enough.

This does not mean sin is acceptable. By no means!!! It does not mean we stop pursuing holiness, but it does mean that our failures do not have the final word because Jesus already has. One of the greatest tricks of the enemy is convincing believers that conviction and condemnation are the same thing. Which they are not. Condemnation says:

“You failed, so you are worthless.”

“God is finished with you.”

“Hide from God.”

“You’ll never change.”

“You are your sin.”

Condemnation drives people away from God. It produces shame, fear, and hopelessness.

Conviction, however, sounds different. Conviction says:

“This path is hurting you.”

“Come back to Me.”

“Repent because I love you.”

“You are called higher.”

“Your identity is still Mine.”

Conviction draws us closer to God. It reveals sin while simultaneously reminding us that God’s grace is available.

The enemy wants us trapped in shame. The Holy Spirit wants us restored in love. When Jesus went to the Cross, He didn’t partially forgive sin, leaving some for us to carry. He didn’t say, “I’ll cover everything except the mistakes you keep repeating.” Jesus forgave our every sin: past, present, and future. All of them. Scripture tells us in Colossians 2:14, “Christ canceled the record of debt that stood against us and nailed it to the cross.”

Think about that…

The accusations, failures, guilt, regrets, and shame that once stood against us were nailed to the Cross with Jesus. So why do so many believers continue carrying what Christ already carried?

Many Christians repent but continue punishing themselves. They ask God for forgiveness but continue living condemned. They worship on Sunday while secretly believing God is angry with them. But if the Blood of Jesus is powerful enough to save you, it is powerful enough to restore you.

Peter’s Failure Didn’t Disqualify Him

Peter provides one of the clearest examples of God’s restoring grace. Peter loved Jesus deeply. Yet he repeatedly struggled with fear and inconsistency. He stepped out of the boat in faith but, afraid, began to sink. He boldly declared that he would never abandon Jesus, only to deny Him three times before the crucifixion. Peter’s failure was public, painful, and undeniable.

Yet after the resurrection, Jesus did not condemn Peter.

Jesus didn’t ask him:

“Why did you fail Me?”

“How could you betray Me?”

“What makes you think I can trust you again?”

Instead, Jesus asked a different question:

“Do you love Me?” Jesus restored what shame tried to destroy.

Even before Peter failed, Jesus told him, in Luke 22:32, “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Notice Jesus didn’t say “if.” He said, “When.” Jesus knew Peter would fail, yet He still chose him. That’s grace.

God’s pattern of patience:

Peter wasn’t the only person in Scripture who struggled repeatedly. Moses battled anger and frustration. Samson repeatedly compromised and gave in to temptation. Jonah continually resisted God’s calling. The Israelites complained, doubted, and rebelled, even after witnessing God’s miracles.

Yet throughout Scripture, we see the same pattern.

God corrected them.

God disciplined them.

God taught them.

But God did not abandon them!

These stories do not excuse sin. They reveal the incredible patience and mercy of God. God does not say, “Keep sinning, it doesn’t matter.” But neither does He say, “One more failure and I’m done with you.” A loving Father convicts, corrects, restores, and continues calling His children forward. One of the greatest battles believers face is identity. Many people define themselves by their struggles. They say:

“I’m an addict.”

“I’m an angry person.”

“I’m a failure.”

“I’m damaged.”

“I’m too far gone.”

But Scripture says something different. Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Your struggle is not your identity. Your worst moment is not your identity. Your past is not your identity.

Your identity is found in Christ.

Our enemy constantly reminds us of who we were. God continually reminds you of whose you are. When you understand your identity as a redeemed child of God, you begin to fight from a place of victory rather than for acceptance. Some people become uncomfortable when grace is emphasized because they fear it will encourage people to sin.

But TRUE grace does just the opposite.

Grace does not say, “Sin doesn’t matter.” Grace says, “You no longer have to remain enslaved to sin.” Real grace changes the heart. Love transforms a person from the inside out. People who understand grace don’t want to run toward sin. They want to run toward Jesus.

The more we understand His mercy, the more we desire to honor Jesus with our lives.

Conviction changes behavior through our relationship with Jesus. Condemnation attempts to change behavior through fear. Only one leads to lasting transformation. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” He meant exactly what He said.

Your salvation was not left unfinished.

Your freedom was not left incomplete.

Your forgiveness was not left partial.

The Cross settled it.

You do not earn God’s love.

You do not earn grace.

You do not earn salvation.

You receive them by faith in Jesus Christ.

Because of the Cross:

You are loved.

Mercy is available.

Grace is greater.

Your failure is not final.

The enemy wants believers trapped in shame because shame keeps people hiding. But God calls His children into the light. There is a difference between conviction and condemnation. One brings you back to the Father. The other drives you away from Him. So if you belong to Christ, stop carrying what Jesus already carried. Stop living as though the Cross wasn’t enough. Stop allowing shame to speak louder than God’s promises. Romans 8:1 still stands today: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Notice it doesn’t say there’s less condemnation; it says no condemnation.

If you’re struggling with feelings of condemnation, invite Jesus into your heart as your Savior. Jesus promises to take that burden from you. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed.” –Luke 4:18

Remember Me, Too.

June 6, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

 “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.” –Genesis 8:1

After God commanded Noah to build the Ark, instructing him precisely how to build it and providing him with every material needed, God then instructed him on how to stock the Ark: what to put in it and whom. Only then did Noah’s “new beginning” begin; only after God Himself had sealed Noah inside. Yet it had taken Noah between 55 and 100 years, scholars say, to build the Ark. Then, once God had sealed him in and the rains started in earnest, it took nearly another year, more, some say, before Noah’s feet touched dry ground again. In all that time, much like Father Abraham, Noah’s faith didn’t waver. He just kept building and waiting for God’s next…

So, did God’s “remembering” Noah imply somehow that God had forgotten him and those He’d entrusted Noah to care for—help save, all those months adrift atop the waters? Was Noah left out there, forgotten by God, floating along, upon something that, ’til then, neither the world nor Noah had ever seen?

As the Apostle Paul might say, “God forbid!”

And yet, when you’re out there, bobbing around in the proverbial floodwaters, if you will, “waiting on God,” it can, at times, feel as though God has forgotten you. Wouldn’t you agree?

Are you able to imagine how even righteous Noah may have felt had he dropped his guard and let his flesh speak?

I can. I’ve done it.

How I thank Jesus that, because of Him, because of a Love so merciful and complete, we get to choose to live by the faith Christ has afforded us, and not by feelings as tumultuous often, as the sea itself, tossing these fleshly vessels of ours this way and that, still…

But here’s the thing, my seafaring friend, God could never forget you! Never!

As with Noah, God is simply shifting you from what was: that time of trial and hardship, loss, times of testing, to a season of restoration—of new beginnings, literally!

So stay put until the one Who sealed you in opens the door to your fresh start, once again…

God hasn’t forgotten what He’s promised you, beloved…even if the waters seem to be taking forever to dry up, even if you feel as though you’ll never again feel dry ground beneath your feet. Even if what God is calling you to looks so big, so “out-there,” even your dearest friends—most beloved family members—just won’t get it. Truth be told, it’s taking all the faith you have to hold onto such a God-sized vision. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” –Matthew 9:23-24

Remain faithful. Keep bobbing. Keep sending out the Dove, beloved—God’s Perfect timing will have the final say, certainly, not you. God will indeed bring to fruition the fullness of what feels to you like a too-big plan. When the Dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the Dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.” –Genesis 8:11-12

I’ll remind you here, disheartened one: you did not build the Ark on your own; God built it with you, for you, to save you, help restore what’s been lost—help bring about your new beginning—yet again. Every ounce of strength you needed—every supply necessary, even the opposition you’ve incurred, “the seemingly endless bobbing,” all of it, brought about by the Hand of God to strengthen you, deepen your spiritual roots, causing your faith in Him,  your knowledge of His faithfulness to you, to grow to a level that will support your next season. “And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:19

A level which, minus the flood, the waiting and bobbing, you’d never have reached—all this so that you might be drawn closer to Jesus—made to look more like Him, all the while being used by God to fulfill His good plan and purpose, for your own life, sure, but equally, even more perhaps, the lives of all those you’ll touch in Jesus name. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].” –Romans 8:37

So no, beloved, God had not forgotten Noah, nor the covenant promise He’d made to him.

Within just a few short verses of today’s Scripture, we read of God’s fulfilling it. “Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,’ I establish my covenant with you’: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” –Genesis 9:11;15-16

And since God is not a man that He can lie, beloved, and His Inerrant Word assures us He doesn’t play favorites, you can quite literally rest assured, if the seemingly “too-big” impossible plan, ministry, move, you fill in the blank, was in fact given to you by God, then God alone will bring it to fruition. “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” –Philippians 1:6

Your job, beloved? Keep the faith. Keep trusting God—sending out the Dove until God opens the “Ark” and your feet touch the first-fruit soil of your new beginnings. I pray you won’t forget to praise Jesus for His unending faithfulness to you once He does that “too big,” impossible thing in your life. “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” –Genesis 8:20

Do you know Jesus, friend? The Only True God, Jesus, who does what no other god, so-called, certainly no man, could ever do—save you, making you a new creation in Him. Jesus, who can make what looks impossible to man—not only possible—but make it actually happen! Sounds too big, right? Impossible almost. That God could take a jacked-up life and make it new? Not like new, but actually new. Yet Jesus does. I can promise you that because it’s His Word, and it’s what Jesus did with mine. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].” –2 Corinthians 5:17

God doesn’t play favorites, friend. He saved Noah, He saved me, and Jesus will save you, too, if, by faith, you sincerely ask Him. Invite Jesus into your life today and watch what He alone will do for you—and through you.

Because your salvation isn’t about you alone, it’s about those God has placed in your “Ark” with you, before you ever thought to answer His call on your life—and yes, it is God Who is calling you today. “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” –Ephesians 2:10

« Older posts

© 2026 Sonsofthesea.org

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑