Matthew Botelho

His Blessings on you all, and praise the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, my dear brothers, and sisters. We have just finished celebrating our Lord’s glorious resurrection, and though Sunday has passed, we should not stop celebrating. Jesus alone conquered the grave for you and me. He alone bankrupts’ heaven so that we may have eternal life in Him. You were slaves to your sins, but by the Blood of Jesus, YOU, my dear friend, have been set free, set apart from a world falling deeper into its darkness.

The eyes of this world are growing very dim, and soon they may never see again. But Jesus has come to be the Light of the world! If you have received Him as Lord and Savior, He has placed His Light in you so that you, too, may be a light that shines in these darkest of days.

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot of men. 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 lampstand, 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.”

I remember reading that scripture for the first time, thinking, “How does salt lose its flavor? “It’s only salt, so why is this significant?”

 Little did I know God would reveal this through His Spirit. Salt purifies; it keeps things from spoiling. It’s used to preserve meats, butter, and cheese. And here in New England, we use it to keep our roads from freezing during the cold, icy winter months. Believe me, if you drove on any stretch of road not plowed and treated with salt, you would likely find yourself in a ditch!

So too, if you get sidetracked by the cares of this world. Harmful things will try to grow in you, such as fear and depression.

But remember, my friends, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” –2 Timothy 1:7. If we allow the things of this world to be our only concern, we will lose flavor. Remember, Jesus has set you apart to teach and spread the good news! Our mission, as long as we are here, is to tell others what Jesus has done for us. Remember also that if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are no longer a slave to sin because the precious Blood of Jesus has ransomed you. Amen, Amen!

Romans 5:8-9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, We shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

Did you know that blood is not made up of just water? True story! The “watery” portion of blood, called plasma, has a salt concentration. How amazing is our God who created you and gave you life! His design is flawless; to say anything else is a lie straight from the pits of hell!

Jesus came in the likeness of a man to forgive us of our sins. God took on flesh that He might die for us! His Blood is pure and holy! As salt prevents harmful things from spoiling the good, so does God’s Living Word. All Life is in the Blood of Jesus!

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, you have the Word living in you.

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Made new when you received Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Blood of Jesus has washed away those wicked sins that once ruled over you. Jesus’ Blood purifies you. Christ has forgiven you! Isaiah 56:4-6 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” 

John 1:4-5 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

If you have a relationship with Jesus, then His Holy Spirit has made His abode in you; You are a light bearer, dear friends. The Holy Spirit burns within you, yet you need to keep this fire burning. How? You must be “all in” for that to happen. Just visiting a church on Sundays and then being off and running doing your own thing, existing to please man during the week. Keeping a basket over your light so it is dim to others won’t work. We cannot afford doublemindedness. Either you are fully in, serving Christ, or out in the world.

And if you’re on the fence, “Get off!” The fence is a dangerous place to be.

Jesus told the Apostle John this about the lukewarm church: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” –Revelation 3:15-16. My dear brothers and sisters, we are the Church, Jesus’ Bride. Yet here, God warns us that He will expel us if our relationship with Him is lukewarm.

The words we should fear hearing from the Lord are “Away from Me; I do not know you.”

And if the chance of hearing those Words doesn’t put you on your face, then your fire is smoldering. You’ve become lukewarm. And I pray you will ask the Holy Spirit to check if you feel lukewarm. I say this to keep you accountable because I love you with brotherly love in Christ Jesus.

As I close know this: the Word of God is living in each of you—if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. His Word purifies you, and His Spirit burns within you. You belong to Christ Jesus, who has forgiven you of all your sins.

And for those who yet know Jesus, please understand that you are not “too far gone.” The thief on the cross repented of His sins and was on the threshold of death. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. So, if you are joining us for the first time and don’t have a relationship with Jesus, I invite you, by faith, to repent of your sins, ask Jesus to forgive you, and receive the free gift of salvation.

I pray God’s goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. Amen.