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

Month: March 2024

There Were Witnesses.

March 30, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay it down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have power to take it back. This command I have received from My Father.” –John 10:18.

We are a step away from Resurrection Sunday, the most glorious, life-affirming miracle this world has ever witnessed. And yes, there were witnesses to Jesus’s Resurrection. God’s Inerrant Word assures us of this. Some would keep silent about all they’d seen and heard early that Sunday morning. While others would run and share the news of that dizzying, inscrutable miracle with their brothers. So, let’s identify the witnesses; first, those who chose silence—the guards. Right before their eyes, God’s angel descended from heaven like lightning and rolled away the stone used to seal Jesus inside the tomb they’d been charged to guard. “And a great earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone [from the opening of the tomb], and sat on it.” –Matthew 28:2

Were these a cohort of Jewish, Temple Guards, Roman soldiers, or both? After reading the Gospel accounts and commentary, I agree that both were present at Jesus’ tomb. “The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.” –Matthew 27:62–66.

After witnessing that awe-inspiring, improbable occurrence, they ran back, not to Pilate, but straight to the chief priest, informing him of all they’d seen firsthand. And, it was the chief priest and elders who schemed, covered for, encouraged them to lie, and ultimately paid them off for their silence. “…some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” –Matthew 28:11-15.

Also, John 18 informs us that the leading priests and Pharisees sent a contingent of Temple Guards and Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “So Judas, having obtained the Roman cohort and some officers from the high priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.” –John 18:3.

Still, I’ll leave the debate on this topic to far more learned minds. Instead, we’ll turn our attention to the heart of today’s teaching…

To help aid and abet those spurious religious leaders in keeping the Truth about Jesus, His miracles, and now, this most unfathomable, sure fact silent, that Jesus must indeed be the Messiah, some if not all of those soldiers, Jews, Romans or both, who witnessed Jesus Resurrection—chose silence over truth.

They opted to shut up, to hide in plain sight. To be paid off, rather than speak up—a woeful decision ripe with eternal consequence if ever there was one. “But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” –Matthew 10:33.

Then there were the women—the other witnesses:” And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.” –Mark 16:1.

Like the guards, these women were afraid and bewildered by the inconceivable miracle they’d just witnessed. An empty tomb! He’s Risen? An Angel! And yet, unlike the guards, something within these women would not be silenced. An unseen, inexplicable force propelled them ever forward.

Upon finding Jesus’ tomb empty, they ran with abandon to where they knew they’d find their brothers. They couldn’t help but share this paradoxical Truth. “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” —Matthew 28: 5-8.

They chose to run toward, not away from, this undeniable Truth—however inexplicable.

One group of witnesses sided with those who sought and thought they’d succeeded in exacting the last drop of hope the people had that Jesus was, in fact, who He claimed to be.

While the other group ran to boldly proclaim the unexplainable, undeniable Truth that Jesus is who He claimed to be—the Messiah.

He is the One True God who has defeated sin and our final foe, death, and the grave!

So sure, of this Truth were His Disciples—all Twelve Apostles willingly died brutal deaths defending the fact that Jesus is the Christ. ” That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” –1 John 1-4.

“Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword”. –Hebrews 11:35-37. “The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison.” Matthew 14:9.

“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.” –Acts 12:1-3. (Killed by the sword here is understood to mean beheading).

Thousands of years have passed since the dawn of that first miraculous, hope-infused Sunday morning.

Yet one thing has stayed the same: only two groups of witnesses exist.

Those who’ve encountered Jesus and been eternally changed—made new, emboldened—unstoppable witnesses for Christ in the here and now—witnesses who will worship Him for eternity.

Then, there are those like the guards.

Exposed to Jesus’ miracles and power, His Words of Life. Words unlike any they’ve ever heard, drenched in power, Love, forgiveness, hope, and Life. And still, they’ll choose to walk away from what they’ve witnessed unchanged, unphased, and life-less—hiding away in plain sight instead. “This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” –John 3:19.

As I said in my opening, we are a step away—hours really, from Resurrection Sunday.

God’s Inerrant Word has been proclaimed: Jesus Christ has defeated our final enemy, death, and the grave. And on His Cross, just days before, He spoke three final Words that seal the promise of all who believe that Jesus is the Christ—the only way to the Father. “Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” –John 14:6.

There will only ever be two groups of witnesses.

Those who walk away unchanged, unphased, unbelieving still, and make no mistake, life-less.

Or those who will go forward and tell anyone who will listen about Jesus.

Which will you choose?

Friend, Jesus loves you. I’m praying you’ll accept the promise of New Life He offers this Resurrection Sunday. “I, only I, am He who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” –Isaiah 43:25.

A Call To The Light.

March 23, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” –1 Thessalonians 4:7.

Often, as children of God, we are placed under a microscope. The Truth is that a true believer in Christ Jesus does not look at the world through the same lens as those who do not believe in Him. Jesus said that we, His children, are to live in this world but not to be part of it—not to take part in the things of this world. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” –John 15:9. And, in Romans 12:2, Paul reminds us: “…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.”

In John 17:16-19, On the night Jesus was betrayed, He prayed for Himself, His disciples, and for all believers. For you, if you are His, and those that have yet come to Him. “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”

As Jesus prayed for His disciples, He declared, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” Jesus claimed they were separated, new creations the world does not understand. We have also been declared sanctified, justified, and righteous by Jesus’ finished work on the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, the apostle Paul writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

If you belong to Jesus and are one of His children, you have been made new by His death and glorious resurrection. Romans 6:4-5 reminds us all, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

My dear friends, you have been set apart to do your Lord Jesus’s will.

To glorify God in everything you do.

He placed His Spirit within you the very moment you declared Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Just as the disciples before you were sanctified, so too are you. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” –Ephesians 1:13-14.

Someone once shared this analogy: the believer in Jesus Christ looks at the world through “rose-colored glasses.”

Hearing this brought me back to when I was a young kid, say, about ten years old. I remember my grammie wearing these big, giant, bug-eyed sunglasses with rose-colored lenses. When she placed them over my eyes, the color of her surroundings changed to match the tint of her glasses.

This change in our perception of our surroundings happens also, as we read God’s Word and grow in our faith. The world around us starts to change color. Said differently, darkness is exposed when the Light of the Gospel shows up.

Things that once looked normal to us when we were in the world are now exposed for what they truly are now. And the Light of God’s Word also exposes unclean spirits and darkness in people’s hearts. “And have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak those things which are done by them in secret. But all things are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.” –Ephesians 5:12. 

Brothers and sisters, be the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before knowing Jesus as Lord, there was a void within us all that we all tried to fill with earthly idols and addictions, but now you are filled with the Light and Love of Christ. Let His Words speak to your heart and into the inner depths of your soul, and trust that you are armed with the sword of His Spirit, His holy Word; it separates His Truth from the lies and deception of this world. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-sided sword, piercing the even to division of souls and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.” –Hebrews 4:12.

Put on the whole armor of God, weapons fashioned by Almighty God for the believer to wield against the enemy’s attacks. “Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” –Ephesians 6:14-18.

We know that the enemy does not fight fairly. He lives in ambush mode, waiting for you to stumble.

He knows how to get you, and if he can isolate you from the Body of Christ, the brethren, he will destroy you. Satan knows what hurts you; he knows when you are weakest or most tired, it is then he will strike without mercy. “Be sober, be vigilant; becaus your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” –1 Peter 5:8.

Knowing who you are in Christ Jesus and declaring your King’s authority over every circumstance will bring you victory over darkness. You have been separated from the world to do the good works in Christ Jesus; you are sealed with His Holy Spirit. Jesus says in John 14:12-14 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father and whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

As I close this teaching, I am praying for each of you. I pray that those who do not know Jesus but genuinely want a relationship with Him will take that next step by repenting their sins. I pray you will trust in the power of the sinless Blood of Christ that washes away every sin, past, present, and future. I am believing for supernatural transformations in the hearts of many in this Holiest season of New Life and Hope. “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:5-6.

I am praying for you and all those who will call out to Jesus as Lord—and are saved. Amen

You Are Enough.

March 16, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,” There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number of five thousand.” –John 6:8-10.

I do not think this lad knew what type of day he was about to step into when his feet first hit the floor that morning. In hindsight, I believe that same thing of myself: most mornings, my feet first hit the floor. The thought of waking up to a brand-new day seems so small and ordinary at that point that I don’t even think about it as a blessing given to me by our loving Father in heaven. I got to wake up and rejoice in this brand-new day, and I have been given the choice to do whatever God has planned for me. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” –Lamentations 3:22-23.

The question is: Will I, will we, be obedient to whatever the Lord has given us today, using it to partner with and glorify Him?

I felt led to focus on the boy in today’s Scripture because, to me, this boy represents each one of us.

The Bible says little about this child except that he showed up with five barley loaves and two small fish and gave everything he had to others. Without his knowing it, the lad had stepped out of his house on yet another ordinary morning to become part of something great.

But what obstacles, if any, did he need to overcome to do this?

I genuinely believe they were no different from those you and I face daily.

Let’s reflect for a moment on how God will lead us to where we will end today and how it all started with our taking an ordinary small step out of bed. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” –James 2:26.

I suppose the boy woke up thinking about the day before him—its demands.

He may have felt like, “Well, best get up and get moving.”

He started his day by doing chores around the house, then heard noises in the distance. The sound began to get louder and louder, and as he looked outside to see where the noise was coming from, he saw a crowd of people walking by, excited and talking about someone named Jesus. His heart stirred and filled with excitement at what he was witnessing. He ran to his parents and told them all he had just witnessed. Then, he told them how he wanted to follow those people and see Jesus for himself. His father told him, “I have heard of this Jesus; believe me, you do not need to know him. So the answer is no, go back to your chores now and forget this whole nonsense.”

As it did with this boy, life and others can put demands on us. These things can swallow us up and bog us down, causing us to forget to see the big picture if we allow them.

Now, it could have ended right there. The lad could have just accepted what his father told him, and that was that. But this young boy had a stirring in him. Something was different about seeing people walking around, speaking the name of Jesus. Deep down, he felt he needed to see Him for himself. Psalm 34:4-5 says: “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”

How often have family members or friends told us not to seek Jesus or become part of a church? Saying we are crazy and being misled. The voice of others, of the world, yelling, “I know better! I know what you need!”

But, thank God you did not listen to the crowd; you decided not to obey the voices of others and stay back. And neither did this young man; instead, he followed another voice. That, Still, Small Voice, and he went out searching for Jesus.  He packed a small lunch of five barley loaves and two small fish; it was enough.

The cost of following Jesus is great. Maybe that is why people try to talk you out of going after the only One who gives Life; the name of Jesus has power and authority over the world. Jesus says in Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think I came to bring peace on the 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, and a daughter-in-law cost of following Jesus.”

This lad knew within him that something great was about to happen, and he also knew that if he disobeyed his earthly father, there would be consequences. Yet the young boy does it anyway because he expects to see Jesus and witness something great. There are times when we will have to choose. Follow Jesus, or listen to man.

As the lad walks along with the crowd, finally, they reach their destination. There, he saw a great multitude of people, way too many to count. In John 6:1-14 the Bible calls this the feeding of the five thousand. This moment must have caused the lad to be awe-struck. He is about to become part of a moment, a miracle that will immortalize him in the New Testament. Yet, to him, he is just another body in a sea of people.

When we come to church, we are seemingly just another body in the crowd, but the truth is, our being there has purpose and significance. We are carrying something the Body of Christ needs.

You may not see or know it, but your heavenly Father has placed whatever it is in you for this exact moment.

“Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” –John 6:5-7.

God had predestined this moment in time.

He knew how He would feed the people.

His question was a test to see if His disciples would act in faith.

In verse seven, Philip answers Jesus: “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” The Bible does not detail how this young lad met the disciples. But, what is incredible to me is the timing of all—how it all works out. How a poor boy’s lunch, which was only enough for him, was multiplied to feed the multitudes.

And, had he listened to his father, he would have missed Jesus—missed having what little he had miraculously used to meet the needs of so many.

He gave what he had—from his first fruits, which was more than enough to bring glory to Jesus.

You may not feel significant or like you have nothing to offer, but in the eyes of God, you are loved.

What He has placed in your hands and your heart, your gifts, talents, and contributions, are significant. When we least expect it, God asks us, “What do you have in your hands, and will you allow Me to multiply it?”

No one knows what happened to this lad after he gave his loaves and fishes, but we know he witnessed the miracle Jesus had performed and likely gained the knowledge that God had chosen to partner with him—and that God alone is more than enough. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.” –Psalm 34:8-9.

I close with this, remember who you are in Christ. You, too, are chosen and loved and have a purpose.

If you are reading this and like the lad, feel the need to know Jesus, to receive His free gift of salvation, come, repent of all your sins, and ask Jesus to be Lord of your life. Ask to be washed clean by His precious Blood and receive new life this day. Believe me, my friend, Jesus is more than enough. “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” –John 6:35;40.

The Living Bridge.

March 9, 2024 /

“And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” –Ezekiel 36:27.

Not all of us are called to be engineers, to build bridges, footbridges, or skywalks, structures that connect two fixed points and enable us to move freely between them. And because this isn’t our calling, we may not fully understand the purpose and intrinsic necessity of each component used in their construction. Not, certainly, to the same level of understanding as the engineer. For instance, do you know the purpose behind an engineer’s use of a cap or girder? What they are? How about a pile, arch, cantilever, or cutwater? What about tensile strength? Neither do I. But what you and I likely have in common with the one who does know the answers to these questions is this: we have driven across a bridge, walked across a footbridge, or skywalk—structures they’ve built to connect one fixed part of something to its other.

The Holy Spirit also pointed out how He uses visible, relatable examples, like bridges, to connect one fixed part of a thing to its other, first to get our attention and then connect it to some spiritual Truth. Much like Jesus did when using parables. He used what people were familiar with to help teach them greater spiritual Truths. “The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.” –Matthew 13:10-12.

Holy Spirit spoke about how no tonnage of adverse pressure heaped upon God’s Living Word has or will ever change or weaken it, causing it to buckle or lose strength. How nothing, no man’s opinion, no commentary or culture, no theologian’s best-intended musings, has, nor can negate the seamless, indestructible connection between the Old Testament and the New.

This made perfect sense to me as pointing to Jesus, God’s Living Word, is Holy Spirit’s primary purpose.

From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is the Immutable Living Bridge, the Master Engineer who connects the two seamlessly. “Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8. And He is the only way for any of us to get back into right relationship with the Father. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” –John 14:6.

According to Great River Greenway, an abatement’s purpose is to connect the deck of a bridge (what we travel across) to the ground beneath it, helping support its weight horizontally and vertically. There’s so much theology lodged in these two simple sentences that it would take a whole other teaching on the Cross or the only way we get to the Father, salvation, and so much more.

But that will have to wait for another day. Right now, I’ll stay focused on today’s assignment instead.

In keeping with the engineering lingo, Jesus is the abutment seen in both the Old and New Testaments—starting in Eden, with the bloody skins God used to cover Adam and Eve, and ending in the Book of Revelation with His assuring the world of His return—He is both Alpha and Omega.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” –1 Corinthians 3:11. Jesus is the Immutable God who connects all happenings outside of time as we understand them to our earthly lives, then loops them and eventually us back into eternity again, completing the circle.

As I started typing, I began to understand where Holy Spirit was leading us today, straight to the seamless joining of the tenable Truth connecting today’s Old Testament Word to its New Testament other, Jesus. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” – Philippians 2:13.

Within two verses, we witness one seamless connection—a unifying footbridge affording us a panoramic view encompassing both perspectives. From Zechariah, found in the Old Testament, to Philippians, seen in the New, we witness the masterful merging of the whole counsel of God—just one of the many unifying connections spanning God’s Inerrant Word. From beginning to end, everything directs us towards Jesus.

Everything as we understand it, from our world to our faith, is found and held together in Him and by Him. “And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]” –Colossians 1:17.

As witnessed in today’s verse, Holy Spirit allowed the prophet a hint of His power and authority, an innate knowing that something more was yet to come. Unbeknownst to Zechariah, God was constructing a massive bridge that would begin with Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and then reach the ends of the world, wherever that is.

How? By the same power that enabled twelve ordinary men to take all Jesus shared with them and use it to continue to build a bridge that would allow countless many back to Him all that they too may have new life. “But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” –Acts 1:8.

These men were the first to receive and carry the full weight of what the Trinity had conceived and agreed upon somewhere outside of time as we understand it. Dead men being given new Life. “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” –Matthew 13:16-17.

And, thanks be to God because He ensured they would be bastions of strength and tenable ability. Countless people still today are using the foundation they, following the example of their Master, laid down their lives to afford us—the ability to choose life in Christ Jesus. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will.” –Ephesians 1:4.

Friend, if you have yet to cross the bridge that leads to Life—Jesus, I urge you to do it today. He is the only Way to the Father and life eternal. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:6.

Jesus, Our Deliverer.

March 2, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” –Psalm 50:15.

We’ve all heard the word deliverance. Deliverance can be interpreted in so many ways nowadays. But Jesus is the only True Deliverer. One of God’s names, Jehovah Mephalti, means “The Lord, my deliverer.” We live in a time when many Christians should be more focused and learn to trust the Lord with all their hearts instead of chasing after signs and wonders. According to today’s Scripture and others, apart from Jesus, there is no deliverance. But thanks be to God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord! “Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will [rescue me and] set me free from this body of death [this corrupt, mortal existence]? Thanks be to God [for my deliverance] through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness, my sinful capacity—I serve] the law of sin.” –Romans 7:25.

Once Jesus Delivers a person, that person is free indeed.

When we need deliverance, we are to call on Jesus, “Jehovah Maphalti,” our Deliverer, the only One who has the power to deliver each of us when we face oppression, disappointment, depression, anxiety, fear, and any other adjective that describes our situation.

Jesus delivers us from so many things:

• The Evil one (Matthew 6:13)

• Our enemies (Psalm 31:15)

• Death (Psalm 33:19)

• Personal Attacks (Psalm 18:43)

• Fears (Psalm 34:4)

• All our troubles (Psalm 34:17)

A deliverer is someone who rescues us from harm or danger. Our Savior, Jesus, came to save us from sin, bondage, and death.

Since the day we gave our hearts to Jesus (and if you have not, consider this your invitation to do so right now), we started journeying with Him on this intimate walk of faith. Being the only One who died for us, He is the only One who can provide the Dunamis power to deliver us.

According to her article in Bible Study Tools.com, Contributing Writer Annette Griffin helps us define God’s dunamis power: Dunamis is used 117 times in the New Testament. Dunamis represents the kind of power that is an inherent force. It flows from a person to give them the ability to do supernatural things, like miracles or morally excellent acts.

Jesus knows your pain, sadness, cries, and joys. He understands what it takes to be delivered. As you cry out to Him, Jesus feels your pain and agony because He is a person who has experienced everything we have experienced, yet He is without sin. He holds you up when you are too weak to walk. God holds your hand when you feel like fainting; Jesus picks us up when we hit bottom. Only He can deliver you. When you call out to “Jehovah Maphalti,” He responds and delivers us. No one else but Jesus can save you! “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” –Acts 16:31

The first deliverance we experience in our lives is the miracle of salvation.

When we accept Jesus into our hearts, Luke 15:10 tells us that angels in heaven rejoice. “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents [that is, changes his inner self—his old way of thinking, regrets past sins, lives his life in a way that proves repentance; and seeks God’s purpose for his life].”

They rejoice not because they are surprised but because of a great victory.

Salvation is where everything begins for those who put faith in Jesus.

After their initial deliverance from sin and death takes place through faith in Jesus, each day that passes holds a new deliverance.

But deliverance from what? Romans 12:2 teaches us to renew our minds and be transformed daily, discerning God’s will for us. “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”

We grow daily by reading the Scripture, attending a local Bible-teaching church, having an active prayer life, and thinking the right thoughts. This is how we start to bear fruit.

Now we know that Satan is real, demons are real, and curses are real, but we also know we have deliverance by walking in sync with Jesus, who is far more Real than all these. We no longer “lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways, we acknowledge Him, and He directs our path.” –Psalm 3:5-6.

Jesus took every one of our sins, any curse spoken over us, to His Cross so we could live free. Jesus carried our sins, so we no longer have to.

Jesus is our strong tower, One who will not be taken down.

We fear not – because He covers and protects us under the shadow of His wings. “Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me, For my soul finds shelter and safety in You, And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secure Until destruction passes by.” –Psalm 57:1.

Once delivered, each person has the privilege of living free instead of living in mental or emotional oppression.

Jesus took upon Himself our sorrows, our sadness, our depression.

We no longer need to live confused or under a curse.

By growing in God’s Word, we grow in freedom, faith, wisdom, and the understanding of who God is.

We don’t need to run here and there looking for what is already inside us. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is alive and well and living within us. We must only step into our deliverance daily by receiving God’s forgiveness, forgiving others, and going on about the Father’s business.

Our pastor declared 2024 as the “year of growth.”

As we develop and grow in 2024, we increasingly understand that we “wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” –Ephesians 6:12.

Growing in the Truths found in God’s Word takes effort and commitment.

Taking the time to get to know our Deliverer is essential for our faith walk. The more we read God’s Word, the more revelation we receive from the Spirit of God. Still, it all begins with our decision to accept God’s free gift of salvation and our desire to get to know our Deliverer, Jesus, Jehovah Maphalti.

Psalm 34:17 says: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” How beautiful are these promises from His Word? God hears and answers according to His will for our lives. He doesn’t only deliver us from some things but from “all things.” The thing is, He doesn’t respond when we demand; He answers according to His timing and will. “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” –Psalm 50:15.

Many times, we want it now! When God says: wait, no, yes—just not yet. Why? Only God foresees what we can’t. We must grow to understand that He is Omnipotent—All-Knowing and trust that Jesus always knows better.

Will we believe what He says and wait on Him? Will we honor His answer? What if His answer is not what we want to hear?

I remember when I surrendered my life to Jesus, crying out to Him to deliver me from my thoughts, my old ways, and my habits. One day, I cried bitterly for hours, fearing He wouldn’t change me. I wanted to change, be more like Him and less like who I had always been. Over the years, I have changed and learned that His faithfulness never fails me. He is faithful to complete the work He begins in each of us. Each day that goes by, I want to live in this freedom I have in Him. I pray that He renews my mind daily and helps me live free. Accepting the deliverance and freedom in Jesus’ Last Words on the Cross: “It is finished.”

Jesus, please help me to experience this freedom today. Please allow me to trust You more, to lean entirely on You. Please teach me how to surrender to You all my days and help me grow and become more like You each day. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” –Ephesians 2:8-10.

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