Category: Choice (Page 6 of 7)

Moments.

January 29, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” –Deuteronomy 8:1.

As it was with God’s people in days past, so it is today. Born-again believers continue to make like decisions and choices, operating similarly to those who came before us. We won’t always understand our spiritual seasons unless we continually communicate with the Father. Are we faithfully reading His Word, fellowshipping, and gathering with like-minded brothers and sisters? Scripture teaches that “iron sharpens iron, so we sharpen each other” –Prov. 27:17. Our part in helping usher in the revelation of our unique destinies is by seeking God’s presence daily through His Holy Spirit at work in us. We must be intentional and vigilant to catch this revelation. We must ready ourselves and be careful to follow the commands of the Lord. These revelations will often come when we are at the feet of Jesus, just as Mary, Martha’s sister, once was. “As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message” –Luke 10:38-39.

Wilderness times of testing are inevitable! They will come. And God will humble us that we may come out of this testing refined, polished, and ready for what He has before us.

Typically, these “God moments” we experience happen when something meaningful happens in our lives. Often, our emotions are tied to these moments. Deuteronomy Eight tells us about one such moment in time.

The Israelites had to experience a season of testing before God allowed them to enter their “Promised Land.” This season of anticipation, of inheriting God’s promise, a promise that had been spoken of and handed down for generations, was now before them. The moment of their liberation was in reach. Yet knowing the oppression they had endured in Egypt; the Israelites had never anticipated that God’s promise to give them the Promised Land would be attached to a test. A test of their faithfulness—forty years of preparation, wandering in the wilderness.

As anticipation grew in the Israeli-Camp, they expectantly waited out what they thought would be eleven days of preparation before entering in. They were thrilled that finally, after what felt like forever, they’d be ushered into the fulfillment of God’s promise. Yet it would not be eleven days but forty years before they’d walk into their promised land.

God had warned the Israelites to follow His commands carefully, yet they could not obey even this one command. So, it wasn’t the physical distance between Egypt and The Promised Land that had delayed their taking possession of it. It was their disobedience, their grumbling, which had delayed their access. They thought they knew better than God. Disobedience, pride, grumbling, bitterness is what delayed the Israelites from taking possession of God’s promise. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it, this human condition? Our thinking we know better than God? It is so hard, even impossible, to obey God’s commands on our own, trusting God and not ourselves or our ideas. To be quiet and simply obey God. “Be still and know that I am God” –Psalm 46:10.

Before coming to know the Lord, this concept of simple obedience was foreign to me. It seemed unattainable. I was too busy, and “time was gold.” My prayers were quick, and everything else came first. Now that I’ve aged some, I call this time spent waiting on God a gift from my Father to me. I have learned that it is in the waiting that the Lord prepares me for my “moments.” I have assignments to fulfill. Every child of God does. And often, they’re scattered throughout our mundane, daily lives.

Also hidden within the mundane are many distractions. “The Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:41-42.

While working at a previous job, I remember when the Lord allowed me to share His love with someone, and I totally missed it. For days, I felt guilty for not obeying God. A seemingly small thing, yet it marked my life significantly. It was a missed moment. I was disobedient. I had been saved about five years at that time, yet I was paralyzed still by anxiety and fear; so intimidated, I withdrew. I lived a quiet life, not speaking up or out when I should have.

I was so torn by the fact that I had missed the moment. But I thank the Lord, He set me free from this oppression. From the fear, anxiety, and intimidation that once held me captive. Just as He had for the Israelites before me, instead, that missed moment became a memorial of sorts; it caused me to step out bravely, sharing His love with others instead of being quiet. It was part of my deliverance from these demonic forces that once had a grip on me. I have determined to share my experiences more openly and boldly as the opportunities present themselves. And in making that decision to be bold for Christ, my life was never the same.

Moments can grow, inspire, bless, and transform us as we walk out our faith. Romans Eight assures us of this.

God created us. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:27-28. Because of God’s Agape Love for us –aGreek term used to define a particular aspect of love. Love without condition, sacrificial, gracious, and underserved God is the source of agape love.God will allow what He knows is necessary to touch our lives, bringing about these moments that mark us—Think about God’s servant Job here.

And the key to not missing these moments is to spend quiet time with God in our prayer closets.

There is always a reason for all that God does or allows. But, as I said earlier, we must be ready, tuned in to His voice, prepared to receive so as not to miss our moment. As Scripture makes clear in Ecclesiastes: there is a time for everything under heaven. “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build” –Ecc. 3:2-3.

Let us all pray this prayer throughout our New Year: “Lord, I Trust In You.” Regardless of what may happen, my eyes will stay focused on your promises and the command You gave to follow You. So I say yes, I will trust in You alone!”

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this same thing this way: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Typically, we only want to hear what we want to hear, yet it’s in those quiet moments spent alone with our Father where God whispers the plan He has for our lives, what He is testifying to within our hearts. It’s here too, where we must choose God’s way or our own. I pray, fast, refocus in my wilderness, and my moment appears after pressing, pushing, and standing. It is as though the Lord is saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Here is your reward” –Matthew 5:23. My previous test prepares me for the one to come. And I’ll face it with greater confidence, knowing that what I have seen God do before, He will do again – in more excellent ways. There are no limitations with God.

The mission is spiritual, but the victory is supernatural! Victory typically follows our wilderness experiences. It was no different for the Israelites. We witnessed Joshua lead his people into The Promised Land and conquer Jericho.

So be encouraged. Continue trusting in God alone. Follow and obey His commands.

Remember that His promises become our reality. Being one in Him, we will enter the Promised Land awaiting those that love Him and are called by His name. A Land flowing with milk and honey. “On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” –Joshua 4:19-24.

I encourage us all to make the following our New Year’s prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. I give you my heart and make you Lord of my life. Making this decision for the first time takes a measure of faith. And Jesus strengthens us. He makes us new. He promises never to leave nor forsake you. So, march forward into your Promised Land with confidence. Be assured that Jesus will cause “moments” of revelation, the fullness of joy, peace, and abundant life to follow you! May His Love fill your heart as you embark on this spiritual journey! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Cor 5:17

A very blessed New Year to you!

Fulfilled.

January 8, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

New Year. New hope. New future.

Often, that is the mantra for an ambitious person stepping into a new year. New Year’s resolutions brim over with eager plans for lifestyle changes, new habits, and new goals. Along with completing these resolutions comes the pleasure of feeling brand new! For the believer, however, fulfillment of vision only feels complete when our vision is in line with the will of God. If you are anything like me, you are great at producing ideas and starting things. Whether we want to do something as simple as reading more books or completing house projects, we are great at beginning tasks but not so great at finishing them. My house has plenty of half-finished projects, half-read books, and half-completed meal plans.

So I thank God that although inconsistency may be a part of my human condition, that less-than-stellar trait God is working out in me, my flaws are in no way reflective of God’s character. He is not a halfway God. He always finished what He started. He leaves no page unturned. “The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does” – Psalm 145:13.

As we look forward to this New Year, let us pause for a moment and invite God into our plans. “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps” – Proverbs 16:9. Throughout Scripture, we witness God keeping His promises to His children. And there is no greater satisfaction than living and walking in our God-given purpose. We can set goals in and of ourselves and then complete them certainly. But when we do it with God, He multiplies the return on our efforts.

As I read Joshua and saw the words “fulfilled promise,” two things hit my Spirit. First, a promise fulfilled is a vow that has already come to pass, whether it comes from personal efforts or through a gift we’ve received. Second, fulfillment is a feeling of satisfaction—the pleasure of knowing that what has been achieved is a good thing indeed. “Not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed” –Joshua 23:14

Inviting God to be Lord over our goal-setting opens up a way for us to grow in Him. Asking God for His vision enables us to see what He wants us to accomplish. It is beautiful to live out His vision for our lives because, in His vision, we thrive—growing in passion and vigor. When our vision is void of God, it is only self-serving. But in living out His vision for our lives, we do not just come alive within our hearts, but we help build His kingdom in the process. In part, living out God’s vision for our lives means that it will have both internal and external effects in our here and now.

In reading Joshua 23, I found it interesting that there are reminders throughout the text to “be strong and obey the commands of God.” It starts in verse six and echo’s back to the chapter one. Joshua reminds himself, and his people of all the Lord has promised them.

Moses, that great prophet and father of the faith, is long dead, having never entered the land promised him and his people—instead Joshua is the one God had chosen to step into it, leading the Israelites to take possession of the land. The Lord had to appoint a new servant to lead His people into the land He had promised them years prior. And while Moses did not see Israel’s promise happen, God had not forgotten His promise. This promised land, however, was no move-in-ready situation. There were strong enemies in the land who needed evicting.

In Joshua, Chapter One, we read, “Be strong and courageous… do not be afraid.” My favorite reiteration of this command is Joshua 1:8-9. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Have you ever been let down because someone broke a promise they made but did not keep? Have you ever felt the weight of not being able to carry out what you intended to do?

Be encouraged today that when God makes a promise, He never breaks it. He is always faithful to fulfill what He says. Ask Him what He has for you and trust Him to lead you in His divine purpose for your life.

So, why did God have to remind Joshua to keep the book of the law on his lips? It is because God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows that man will go his own way, deviating from God and His Word at the slightest inkling of success or the moment we think we can do things on our own. God also knows that it is in our wandering where sin creeps in. And sin deprives us of the plans and purpose God intended for us, robbing the fruit that comes along with knowing Him. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”– Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of God working in our lives.

God knows that mans human nature tends to slip into self-serving ambitions rather than maintain a life-giving lifestyle. Be strong, but also remember His word. Remember the way of righteous living that is taught throughout scripture.

As you realize what God has for you in this new year, be it physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally, walk with confidence that He will not fail you. Even if it means you are quivering at the knees a little bit, do what you are called with faith in Him, knowing that He will never let you down. And, if things do not happen according to your plan, do not be discouraged. Keep pressing on, knowing that God has never failed, and He never will. It is not in His nature. Remember also that God’s timing and our own often differ. Trust God’s over your own.

Our God will supply every one of your needs. He is in the smallest of details and will leave no page unturned in your story.

In this time of looking ahead to the new year, be open to wild visions and scary dreams. Do not close the door on things that make you say, “not me.”

Move forward, in things you want to accomplish and those things God wants you to do. In the end, I promise you that you will come away both feeling and being, fulfilled. Having not only the evidence of your dreams realized; you will also have the satisfaction of looking back and knowing that God blessed what He called you to do. This level of satisfaction is not solely for your gratification; it also allows for God’s glory to shine in your life. Your faith will increase as you behold with your own eyes the faithfulness of God at work in your life. Let your faith precede the evidence. As God comes through for you, you will have the surmounting proof that gives you the confidence to know that the Lord has never failed you, and He will not start failing you now.

Today, I invite you to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Let Him be the author and finisher of your faith. Wherever you find yourself today, He is faithful to meet you where you are. He is omnipresent, meaning He can be everywhere at any time. He saw you and knew you before you were born, and He died for you so that you may be saved and live an abundant life. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and help you find a new purpose in this new year.

No More Excuses.

October 2, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

I have found it challenging to rest over the last couple of months if I’m honest. One only needs to open their eyes and look around to see that the world is not okay right now. I mean, maybe it never was, but as days go by, I see the reality of it more and more clearly. While I have personal issues that I am working through, it seems as though the aches and pains of this world overshadow those trivial things that I consider problems. Yet, in all the chaos, I must remind myself to turn my eyes towards Heaven, asking God for His perspective. His vantage point. As I consider all the uncertainty in the world, I am reminded of Romans 8:22. It reads, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” The Apostle Paul, the writer of Romans, was referring to this present hour when he wrote this book.

This tells me that the earth has been groaning for a long time, in fact, for thousands and thousands of years. Long before I became aware of the rapidly decaying state of our world, the earth has been groaning in preparation for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet this passage is oozing with hope when we read it through today’s lens.

God is not surprised by anything. He has been managing crises since the beginning of time. Since the dawn of creation, He has been working things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). We have hope in Jesus that, although the earth is groaning, He is still preparing a place for us in our eternal home, in Heaven. While this hope exists for the believer, my heart aches thinking of the people in the world who choose to reject Christ. I’m sure that’s why my heart has been heavy as I’ve been preparing to share a word with you this week; I have not been able to shake the finality of Romans 1:26 from my mind. “God gave them over to shameful lusts…”

As I tried to digest just this sliver of Romans 1, I asked God what He’d have me to say concerning it. And, as uncomfortable as it may be, I believe the answer is this: It is a warning for mankind.

I feel such a sense of urgency as I sit to write about this. Here is the full context of the passage above: “The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened [they] exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.”

This Book of the Bible was written thousands of years ago, which tells me that the world wasn’t a wonderful place back then either.

When God throws His hands up and says, “have it your way. I’ll give you over to your sinful desires”, that’s never a good thing. The standards set forth in God’s law, the 10 Commandments, exist for a reason. They’re given to us as a safeguard- much like a guard rail on the side of a road. I also see them this way: dietary recommendations that exist to keep us healthy. If we load ourselves with saturated fats, poorly digestible carbohydrates, sugar, processed foods, and the like, we may feel great while we’re indulging, and we certainly satisfy our cravings. However, as a result of our indulgences now, years down the road, we will experience diseases that poorly impact the quality of our lives. Diseases that may have been prevented had we kept to the dietary standards recommended by doctors.

In like fashion, Biblical standards act like spiritual guardrails or like diets for our souls. The Bible gives us crystal clear directions from our Maker on what is required to make us function optimally. Sin is cancer to our souls. It eats away at our very being. And though often unrecognizable at first, in time, it will ultimately kill us. I’m sure when the above passage in Romans was written, it was intended to address what God calls “wickedness.” And, since God doesn’t change, the same wickedness that existed in that day is still considered wickedness in our day.

As I read these verses, I saw patterns emerge throughout history—patterns of evil days, and then times of revival. And where there was a revival, prosperity followed quickly behind. Look at the first Great Awakening; shortly after the Great Awakening of the 1700s came the Industrial Revolution. The Second Great Awakening was in the 1830s, then, in the 1850s, we saw the gold rush followed by a great economy in the US. I believe that where the Spirit of God is alive and well, people prosper. Not just in riches but also spirit.

We look around our world right now, and we see economies are failing. People are desperate for hope. Depression and anxiety are rampant as fear grips the heart of man, a byproduct of Covid-19. This world needs Jesus! We need to repent and turn from godlessness. The answer to our aching world is Jesus. We need revival; where the souls of man wake up from mediocrity’s stupor and turn towards the fear of God once again. Most people worldwide are so removed from the God of the Bible, Elohim, that they are merely existing. My friends, we were not created to merely exist. We were created to live in the family of God: in a state of belonging, fulfillment, and purpose.

So I urge you, now, to turn from godlessness and run to the Father. These verses are not past tense; instead, they accurately describe God’s heart towards wickedness. Yes, God is good, and yes, He is kind and merciful and loving and a gracious provider for His children. The Bible tells us that He does love the world! You’ve heard this verse I’m sure, it’s John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And, “That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” — Romans 5:8. God still sees the world He created, and He loves every person in it. He will forgive the sins of anyone who sincerely repents, but, His greatest blessings are reserved for those who obey Him.

Here’s the hope we have in Jesus: God will not expose us without providing a remedy.

Living in sin does not have to be your story. If you feel you can identify with the wickedness mentioned in the verses above, I beg you not to fall into the trap of “oh well! I guess I’m just going to hell then” and wrongly accept that lie. You do not have to go to hell! I repeat, you DO NOT have to go to hell. Repent of your sin, ask Jesus into your heart, and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in the way of His salvation. I promise there is more joy and peace in living for Jesus than in the life you’re currently living. In Romans 2:7, the Bible says, “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.” And Ezekiel 18:21 reads, “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

This verse isn’t just talking about our last breath on earth. “He shall not die” refers to eternity. You shall not spend eternity in hell; if you repent and accept Jesus as Lord of your life, you shall spend eternity alive and well with the Father. The hour is now, no more excuses. I pray that this heavy word spoke to you, pushed you even, towards accepting Jesus and living for Him. You’ll have an eternity to not regret that it did.

Face it, Afraid.

August 14, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

I found myself on the shoreline of the most beautiful beach I’d ever seen; one might call it by happy accident. With only one way in and one way out, you’d never know this beautiful beach was even there except fate lead you, as it did me, and, once discovered, it was truly a sight to behold. Encircling the steep shoreline were cliffs that hold back an ocean that seemed to come alive as the wonder of what lies beneath its surface beckons onlookers. Copper sand sifted between my toes while my curiosity led me down the steep coastline that continued to descend rapidly into the water, a swimmer’s dream. With its splintered walls and four decaying posts, a hut stood not too far in front of me. It served as a resting spot for tired surfers and swimmers. “There is no way that thing is safe,” I thought as I observed the veteran swimmers hop up onto its deck. I could sense the power of the ocean as its banks tried their best to hold all that power back just long enough for me to be able to absorb the beauty before me. But the feeble ability of the shoreline proved no match for the powerful might of the ocean. So, its efforts at holding back the more sea didn’t last awfully long.

The receding water was the ocean’s way of communicating that trouble was on the way, or so I thought. I sensed impending doom. A tsunami-type wave was approaching. Panicking, I RAN to try and get everyone to safety. To hurry them out towards the only tiny opening available for everyone to escape through. This once beautiful oasis quickly became my nightmare. And yet, no one else seemed phased by this enormous wave that was mounting up higher now than my eyes could see over. Then, just as that terrifying wave crashed, I woke up, heart pounding, gasping for air!

In my dreams, I found myself on this beach several more times. Each time I wondered what my being there meant. On one such night, I pushed the limits of my fear and feelings of doom and just stood on the shoreline. And this time, like everyone else in the dream, I didn’t move when the wave finally came. Yet the anxiety that stood with me in my dream felt as powerful as that tsunami-wave had looked, and it told me it had come to take me away. And just as I braced for its crash, nothing. Nothing happened to me. The wave crashed, and it didn’t take me out. It didn’t destroy the hut, and everyone else just continued with their day.

The once anxiety-inducing tsunami, which had become a regular occurrence in my dreams, lost its power once I faced it afraid.

I’ve shared this dream in-depth with you because it marked me. Since I was a child, I have found comfort in the Bible stories of Joseph of Samuel. If you read their stories, the former proves that God can speak to us in dreams, and the latter proves that His voice is not partial to adults. Yes, even children can hear His voice, just as young Samuel did in the Old Testament. Like Joseph, I believe God was teaching me something about bravery in my dream.

Anxiety can often feel as real, terrifying, and overwhelming, inescapable, and larger than life, as that wave in my dream felt to me. But alas, God is not surprised by our anxiety or stress. He is aware of this very human condition and gives us guidance on how to handle it—with Him. In Joshua, we find a young man who has suddenly been raised to power in the wake of his predecessor, Moses, death. God is about to lead His people (the Israelites) into the land He promised to them. But before Joshua can get his men ready for battle, the Lord God gives him explicit instructions and a directive: Be “strong and courageous.” In fact, God gives Joshua this same directive three times within Joshua, Chapter One. God knew that this would be a high anxiety situation for him. Any human heading into battle, weighing victory or defeat, would be anxious imagining what lies ahead.

I imagine God knew Joshua’s mental state of mind required one of the greatest pep talks we see in the Old Testament. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” -Joshua 1:7-9.

Culture tells us that we can’t help feeling anxious. We can’t do anything to help with our anxious thoughts. It tells us that we can’t control what we think or feel. But this verse says otherwise. Within it, God instructs Joshua to go against his anxious thoughts and feelings and choose strength and courage instead!

Now, I’m not saying we’ll never have moments of fear or anxiety, but I am saying this: God will always give us the power not to have live-in, stay stuck in our anxiety. Through His Word, He gives us the tools not to allow our emotions to cripple us. Instead, He empowers us to face our fears with courage and strength. It’s as if this passage is our “how-to” on living courageously.

Obedience is at the helm of God’s instruction.

After telling Joshua to be strong and courageous, the next thing God tells Joshua is to “obey all the law Moses gave” (v. 7). Remember, before his death, Moses, one of the most important prophets of all time, was Joshua’s mentor. The laws that Moses passed on were given to him directly from God himself. So when God tells Joshua to obey Moses’ law, God is, in fact, telling Joshua to obey His law. There is order. God didn’t give Joshua a new set of laws; He told him to honor what had already been set before him. Furthermore, God tells Joshua not to “turn to the left or the right” (v. 7), speaking of having a singular focus. If Joshua had allowed the many voices that I’m sure were clamoring for his attention to distract him, he wouldn’t have been able to fix his focus on God and was He was speaking to him. So what is the takeaway? First, we must obey the Word of the Lord. Not looking to the right or left, we must focus solely on Him, honoring His commands.

The next thing outlined in this passage; we find in verse 8. God reiterates His first point: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” In this world riddled with distraction, it is easy to forget what the Truth is. We hear numerous self-affirmations, motivational speakers’ thoughts and ideas, and good vibes sayings, and we almost believe those things to be the truth. Yet so much of what the world says is true does not align with God’s perfect Truth. To give one example, how many times do we hear, “do what makes you feel good?” But the Bible says this regarding the world’s truth: “the heart is deceitful above all things” -Jeremiah 17:9. This Truth is just one of the many such examples found in Scripture concerning our feelings. Yet, in this one verse, we learn that although something may “feel good,” that doesn’t always mean it’s the right thing to do. Truth is found only in God’s Word. So if you are searching for The Truth, not others’ opinions or some feel-good message, spend time learning the Truth found in the Word of God. Listen to Godly podcasts and read books that will help you to grow in your faith.

Spend time in prayer. It is there, and only there, where God promises you will be prosperous and successful.

Finally, God seals this segment by promising Joshua His presence. He’s not giving Joshua an ultimatum in it by saying, “only if you’re not afraid, will I be with you,” or “don’t be afraid, or else I won’t be with you.” I understand this instead to be a comforting saying, “I’m with you; therefore, you have nothing to be afraid of.”

When I was younger, the house I lived in with my parents was located within the woods. I was so afraid of the dark. I would not go outside by myself under any circumstance. Yet, whenever my dad was with me, my story changed. I had nothing to be afraid of if dad were with me because I knew he would take care of anything that might attack or harm me. I think this is the same sense of security that God was trying to instill in Joshua. God gives Joshua his instructions, and then God rewards Joshua’s obedience with His presence. A presence that did not and does not fail—any of us.

Maybe you’re in a place where you feel you can’t face the waves of anxiety that are coming at you in life. Yet if you’d dare to stand on the shore and allow yourself the experience that the wave won’t kill you, after all, you’d find that fear truly doesn’t have to own you. Maybe you’re like Joshua, and you need to be reminded several times over to be strong and courageous in your present circumstance? Whatever it is, the apostle Paul reminds you to “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” -Philippians 4:6.

So if you’re anxious or fearful today, I encourage you to respond to your fear with prayer. Respond by reading and meditating on the Word of God. Start by surrendering your heart, whether for the first or the hundredth time and humble yourself before God. Repent of your sins. Ask God for His forgiveness and that He leads you in His ways. Pray these verses to God. And as you dedicate time to learn His Word and commands, He will bless and prosper your faith. I pray your heart’s desire is for God to be with you all the days of your life. I pray that you find the courage to face your wave and fulfill the God-given purpose you were created to, even if it means you do it afraid.

And, if you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart and life as Lord and Savior, please “be strong and courageous ” and do it now. The same promises God made Joshua can be yours today. Why wait another day?

Living In The End Times.

July 3, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” –Matthew 24:6.

Are we living in the end times? Have current events signaled a push closer to the second coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ?

Worldwide, and within the Christian community, surely, these questions are being asked now, more than at any other time in recent history. One cause: the swiftness with which global events are moving, causing even some of those who are not followers of Jesus Christ to question their lingering unbelief and skepticism. Questions once thought unrealistic seem somehow less farfetched, worthy of a closer look. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many unanticipated shifts in life as we knew it, especially within our workplaces, homes, and our connections to friends and loved ones. Sadly, church attendance declined due to many churches having closed their doors—social gathering restrictions having played some part in this. Yet, one positive that did emerge is how many people bought a bible. Several news outlets shared that Bible publishers noticed a spike in Bible sales during the pandemic. They attributed this is to people seeking comfort—searching for peace, hope, and healing, in a Savior that is close to the suffering and broken-hearted; amid chaos and uncertainty, they longed to find meaning and experience a connection with God.

Unquestionably, this past year was a season plagued by spirits of fear, division, confusion, distrust, and lawlessness. Added to this were the unprecedented political tensions; it was evident something within our world had shifted; indeed, an awakening of some sorts, felt by almost everyone.

Circling back to the original question – are we living in the end times? My opinion? Yes, we are. Scripturally speaking, we have been since Jesus ascended back to the Father. And, yet, while we certainly shouldn’t attempt to predict the day of His return nor interpret every earthquake or other natural disaster as signs of the end, physical and political evidence nevertheless continues to point towards the fulfillment of many of the end-time prophecies. For instance, one that jumps to mind tells us this: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” –2 Timothy 3:1-5.

We’re there, people! We’re living in that age where being “lovers of self” is witnessed daily in the barrage of self-portraits, coined “selfies,” being splashed across most social media platforms. Their purpose? Self-validation perhaps? Empowerment? Insecurity assuaged by/ grounded in likes and followers, maybe? We’re indeed living in an age where those who “blaspheme” what God calls holy and seemingly take pride in or promote the very pleasures that mock and grieve the heart of God. We’re living in that age where the objective, solid, immovable Truth of the Word of God has become subjective somehow, second to how a person feels, their perspectives, and opinions. The Bible clearly foretold of this generation, listen: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” –2 Timothy 4:3-4.

In one sense, we see these things arise due to New Age followers—those who promote many gods and the paths to them, themselves included. In a considerable number of people rebelling against God. Evidenced in a society that has all but thrown God, and His commandments, out of the public square. It’s challenging for some of us to grapple with the notion that we live in such a critical time in history, more so as the days grow darker and evil seemingly prevails. Yet the question I continue to ask myself is this:

“As a Christian, how does Jesus command me to live my life in the face of those who so vehemently oppose my Christian values?”

I ask this question with great seriousness as many in the world continue to voice their dislike/dare I say, disdain of Christians and Christian values. Values such as marriage being solely between one man and one woman. The sanctity of the unborn human life, or sexual purity before marriage, to mention but a few. Or that God created us male and female, period. In such a world, then, is it any wonder that God’s transformative, powerful Word, His Truth, is somehow heard or wrongly carries with it the sting of hate speech? Yet concerning our remaining faithful to God’s Word, regardless of the social climate in which we might find ourselves, the Bible reminds us of this powerful Truth. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they would persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they would obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.” –John 15: 18-21.

Jesus makes it starkly plain that as His followers, we’ll be hated. Equally, however, the Bible also makes clear how we are to live while we wait. How we must respond to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And the signs we must watch for that will signal Jesus’ return for His Church.

Over the past two years, I’ve experienced some uncomfortable and tense conversations with close friends, family, and work colleagues who have either questioned or attacked my Christian faith. I reminded them that while Christian values may seem countercultural to those who don’t share them, the Word of God is nevertheless solid, unchanging, and Truth-full regarding these values. I also reminded them of another Truth found in Scripture, my Truth: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” –Galatians 2:20. Moreover, while my faith demands that I defend and live out the Truth of Christ, my Savior, I’m also called to model Jesus—how He loved, lived, and served others.

That said, I’ll share two biblical Truths that may help us as believers live with and respond to those who may not believe or live their lives as we do: Firstly, we must Love the unbeliever. When I was an unbeliever, I didn’t see much of an issue with fornicating, getting drunk, and cursing here and there. I was once lost in the crowds, helpless without a shepherd, and it was Jesus that saved me from my distress, brought me out of darkness, and broke me free from the chains that had me bound. I, too, falsely believed that I would be right with God if I treated others well. After all, I was a good person, yet the Bible says, “There is none good but One, that is, God” –Mark 10:18. And after accepting Jesus Christ into my life, I soon discovered that one of the devil’s biggest lies is that following Christ is synonymous with missing out on what others are doing “out in the world.” When in fact, it was indeed my encounter and experience of God’s Love for me that had awakened my heart and opened my eyes to see that I was being deceived.

Therefore, we must…

1). Pray for those who have yet to accept Jesus into their hearts. On the cross, “Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” –Luke 23:34. Similarly, Jesus prayed for those who persecuted Him; as followers of Jesus Christ, we must do the same. Again, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” –Matthew 5: 43-48. Praying for someone you’d instead retaliate against is easier said than done, yet the Holy Spirit reminds us of and empowers us to love them. Why Love? Because only God’s Love is powerful enough to transform the hearts and minds of those who hate us.

2). We must be mindful that unbelievers need a Pure Love only Jesus can offer; God uses us certainly, but only His Love rescues a soul from sin and death. It should never surprise us, then, that sinners will sin. We need only remember how we lived before Christ came into our lives. Remember that the Bible reminds us: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” –2 Corinthians 4:4. Their hearts have yet to be softened to the things of God. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” –Romans 3:18. They are blind. As followers of Christ, we ought to pray that they begin to have a distaste for the things of this world. Pray that they start to see their need for a Savior. That, as it says in Ezekiel 36:26, “their hearts of stone are replaced with a heart of flesh.” Yet being ever mindful of the Truth found in Ephesians 6:12. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood because it’s against spiritual forces and the power of evil.”

Friends, the Bible says, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” –Matthew 24:12.

The spiritual temperature of many has grown cold. As believers, however, we ought to be burning hot. “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” –Luke 24:32. We should be burning hot for the things of Jesus, interceding for others, overcoming evil with good, and sharing the good news with the lost; John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will remain under the Lord’s wrath.” As Christians, regardless of how the world grows in their distaste or hostility concerning biblical values, we ought to be the most hope-filled and joyous people around because we know how the story ends – God wins! Rather than living in fear or outrage, we ought to love others with all we have in us and seek every opportunity to be kind. The Apostle Paul shares this reminder: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience… encourage one another and build each other up… Be kind to one another” –Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ephesians 4:32.

The end is swiftly advancing. Yet the fantastic news is that you still have time to choose eternal life, to choose Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You can do nothing to earn His grace; Jesus has paid the price for you. “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” –Romans 3:24.

God desires to have a relationship with you, personally. All you must do is accept, by faith, the gift of God’s grace. I hope and pray that together, we’ll be ready for the Lord’s return, which will come soon and very soon! “But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect” –Matthew 24:43-44.

Tag, Your It.

May 29, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” –Acts 10:34-35.

Everything was about to be upended for Peter—yet again. By this point in his walk with the Lord, I have to wonder if Peter had begun to figure out that the only thing that will ever remain the same for as long as he walks with the Lord, the only thing guaranteed to stay the same, is the Lord, Himself?

If biblical chronology is correct, some seven or eight months had passed since the Lord ascended back to the Father. Six or seven months since the Holy Spirit had been poured out on those gathered together in the Upper Room and since Peter had preached his first sermon and Christ’s Church was born. We can read all about these things in the Book of Acts, Chapters One through Five.

By this point in Peter’s walk, by the time Peter meets Cornelius in Acts Chapter 10 that is, God has already commissioned Peter as a leader over his brothers and sisters and His Church. He’s also been told to elect another to fill Judas Iscariot’s place among them. God has used Peter to heal a man who’d been lame since birth; and along with the Apostle John, Peter has also been taken into custody and forbidden by the Sadducees to teach using the name of Jesus. And, Peter has confronted Ananias and Saphira about their lying to the Holy Spirit, which resulted in their deaths. He and John were sent to Samaria to spread and teach God’s Word. Additionally, in Acts nine, Peter visits fellow believers in Lydda. The Lord uses him there to heal Aeneas, who’d been bedridden for eight years due to paralysis, and raise a young girl named Dorcas; some say, Tabitha, from the dead. You can read each of these accounts in the following Scriptures: Acts 1:16-26; 2:14-36; 3:6-8; 4:3-18; 5:3-9;8:14;9:32-40.

We catch up with Peter in Acts 10. We’ll find him in Joppa, a seaport town about 40 some miles south of Caesarea, at the home of Simon, the tanner. Being a devout Jew, I found it noteworthy that Peter would have chosen to stay with someone who would have been considered unclean, due to his chosen profession. After all, in a minute, we’ll read how Peter decries God’s instruction to kill and eat what the law teaches is unclean. A law Peter had painstakingly followed his entire life! “Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” –Acts 10:9-15.

So to find Peter staying in the home of someone who handles dead animal carcasses, a person another devout Jew would shun Peter for even associating with, is nothing short of unconscionable for this out-front, chosen leader of the Way. “The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean. And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening. Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you” –Leviticus 11:26-28. But God was on the move. And everything was about to change—forever.

As I said earlier, everything in Peter’s life was about to be upended, yet again. Very soon, Peter would face having to choose to place the full weight of the knowledge, faith, and trust he had on his Lord’s leading, regardless of it being unconventional, controversial, and undoubtedly unorthodox. Or, he’d have to turn away from His Master’s prompting, clinging instead to the law and teachings that had guided him since his youth. Because in a short twenty-four hours, all those traditions and rules, the religious rites and rituals that Peter had clung to so fiercely would all be upended.

Peter’s unraveling had begun on the rooftop of a tanner in Joppa, and it would reach its climax inside the home of yet another unlikely soul in Caesarea. Now, as Peter was in prayer on the rooftop of Simon’s house, the Lord, as only He can, broke through time and space with a message that challenged Peter to his very core. God needed Peter to shift, to move with Him and His plan for the future of His Church and all His people. There are times God will use the unorthodox, the unconventional, the new, and different to shake up the religiosity that has taken hold of us. All the “familiar” that we’ve allowed to enshroud us, blind us, stunting our growth. Stopping us from remembering that we can not, must not ever, put God in a box or attach some succinct, precise formula to how He will or does move or decide to show up. Jesus Himself is our most perfect example of this Truth.

“The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth” –Acts 10:9-11. On this great sheet was every kind of unclean animal. Peter saw all those repugnant animals that the law forbade and was instantly repelled by them. So when the Lord commands him to kill and eat, Peter barks back and tells God no. “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean” –Acts10:14.

Saying no to God is never a good idea. He is God, and we are not. And, as we’ll see, God had His way with Peter in the end.

Scripture indeed points towards Peter’s staying in the house of an unclean, gentile tanner to be no mere accident; more, it appears to be a herald, a preparation of sorts for Peter. Because soon, three men would appear and ask him to follow them. One commentary sums things up this way: The Jews already considered gentiles to be unclean. By drawing Peter into the home of a gentile tanner – the dirtiest of the dirty – God was breaking down barriers and preparing Peter as a vessel to pour out His blessing onto the gentiles.

Enter Cornelious.

While Peter was still atop Simon’s roof trying to sort out what he was to glean from God’s dropping that sheet before him, three men sent by a Roman Centurion named Cornelius to locate Peter show up to escort him to Caesarea. They’d been dispatched to accompany him to the home of yet another gentile. “Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate” –Acts 10:17.

Skipping ahead for time’s sake, these men tell Peter who they are and why they’ve come. “And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him” –Acts 10:22-23. Yet their news was only confirmation for Peter as the Holy Spirit had already revealed to him that He wanted Peter to go with these men when they arrived. “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” –Acts 10:19-20.

Again, skipping ahead, Cornelius has assembled his close friends and family in anticipation of Peter’s arrival. Before leaving Joppa, the men sent to accompany him tell Peter that an angel had visited Cornelius and told him to send for him. Upon arriving in Caesarea, Peter goes into Cornelius’ house, but not before making him aware that it is against the law for a Jew to be doing what he is doing. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” –Acts 10:28-29.

One last skip, I promise, and we’ll arrive at our destination:

In answer to Peter’s question, Cornelius outlines all that the angel had shared with him: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us” Acts 10:30-33.

And in that nanosecond, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, Peter gets it. The Light has shone inside of him, illuminating Truth and God’s glorious plan for His Church. A Truth and plan Peter never would have been able to grasp, outside of God doing something so unconventional. “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” –Acts 10:34.

Tag. Your It! And just like that, we, each gentile believer, from Cornelius and those gathered in his household, were grafted into the Body of Christ. Jew and Gentile now, one in Messiah. As Peter shared the Gospel message with this group of gentiles, salvation became there’s! Yet this plan for the grafting in of the gentiles isn’t new, however. We caught our first glimpse of it back in the garden. It’s just now being unfolded, revealed afresh to Peter that he might ensure that God’s intended plan for His Church be carried out to the letter. But more on that next week. Remember, friends; God has set precise times and seasons for all things.

The Apostle Paul’s teaching on why this has occurred ought to lead us towards living our lives with great humility and boldness for the Lord. And for the things of the Lord, yet tenderly and with reverence for the grace and mercy shown us by such a loving Father. “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” –Romans 11:13-18.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you in the Lord to seek Him afresh in this season, to purify your hearts. Shaking off any spiritual slumber that has hampered you, all fear, and any confusion that has troubled the Body of Christ over this past year, instead, seek the Lord for what it is He’ll have you do now, while it is still day. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:6-9.

And dear friend, if you have yet to meet our unconventional and Loving Lord, Jesus the Christ, I hope that you’ll pause wherever you are right now and ask Him to make Himself as real and tangible to you as He did for Peter as he prayed on Simons rooftop.

Be sure to return next week for the conclusion of “Tag. You’re It…”

The Art Of Waiting…

May 15, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

She sat at her windowsill, wide-eyed and waiting for her first guest to appear down the driveway for the celebration. Her mother was in the kitchen preparing for the festivities, pleading with her to help get the house to look presentable for the party. Still, the anticipation of having her favorite people in one place with gifts just for her was too much! How could she just set the table or sweep the floor? She needed to watch and wait patiently, wondering if anything she had hoped for would be in one of their presents? Her heart skipped a beat with every car that passed the house. Between the mundane preparations and her wandering eyes, she dreamt of the endless opportunities that awaited her in adolescence and adulthood. And there was not a single limitation on her imagination! She would never be in the single digits again after today. For some reason, the thought of crossing that threshold of single, into double digits made her think she was grown-up somehow. Unbeknownst to her, life would be filled with uncertainty and waiting. The possibilities she dreamt up on the day of her 10th birthday would not come with as much clarity as she had hoped. She grew to learn that who she would become would be molded in the waiting. Through the years, she came to realize that the more she learned, the less she knew.

The concept of waiting seems to have gotten away from us as a society.

From accessing information with the mere flick of a finger to the satisfaction of receiving a “like” within seconds on our social media accounts, we live in an era of instant gratification. The ability to wait seems like it’s getting further and further away from us as our instantaneous access to everything gets closer and closer. A rare commodity, patience has become valued less and less with each passing generation.

That said, today, I’d like to look at two types of waiting: the kind born from endurance and hard work and the type that exists just beyond our capabilities.

If we don’t have firsthand experience, we can imagine what waiting for a seed to grow into a flower might feel like? We can understand what becoming proficient at a task through arduous work and patience is? We know the feeling of waiting for guests to arrive who said they’d be there 10 minutes ago or waiting for a cake to finish baking in the oven? In this type of waiting, we know in advance what the final result will be; therefore, our waiting produces a reward. However, in Romans 8:24, the Bible says, “hope that is seen is no hope at all.” We cannot hope for our cake mixture to turn into a cake if we already know that’s what it is. It’s not like a pan of vegetables went into the oven, and somehow, we hope that what will come out is a cake. No, we already know what the final product will be. There’s no hope in that, just certainty.

Hope can only exist when uncertainty is factored into the equation.

The second kind of waiting is seen interchangeably across different Bible translations with the term “hope.” This form of waiting goes beyond our ability to produce something. It’s the kind of patience that requires hope. In Kingdom culture, hope and waiting go hand in hand; you can’t have one without the other. The Bible usually refers to this waiting as “waiting on the Lord.” Isaiah 40:31 tells us that: “those who wait on (hope in) the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Wait on the Lord.

This phrase makes me feel helpless in a way, but in the end, it reminds me of the truth that assures me His strength is made perfect in my weakness. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” –2 Corinthians 12:9.

It’s countercultural to say that rest will produce a product other than, well, rest. But Biblical principles are often paradoxical. That is, they typically don’t make sense. Waiting on the Lord requires a certain confidence in God that can only grow over time. Experientially, one that knows that although the outcome is uncertain, the hands of the One who holds you are good. His plans for you are not to harm you [but plans to] give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That is the hope that trusts that good things are coming even when there’s no end in sight. This hope comes from experience with repeated faithfulness of God. When you’ve seen the goodness of God, you can’t help but expect that He will come through yet again, even when it doesn’t make sense!

One of my favorite things to do in the face of uncertainty is to sit still in complete silence. For me, these times are reminiscent of what I’ve read in Mark 4:35-41. Within these verses, we read that Jesus is on a boat with His disciples in the middle of a storm. A furious storm suddenly came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so much so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

So, when I’m going through periods of chaos in life, I like to imagine that I’m sitting still with Jesus on that boat. I close my eyes and allow my mind to see the chaos all around me. I can almost hear the howling wind, and I allow myself to feel the fear of the unknown. The smell of the ocean becomes ripe in my olfactory receptors. Then I look up to notice that the One who commands the seas to be still is the One who’s keeping me safe, my firm foundation, Jesus. At that moment, I begin to realize that the howl of the fierce ocean storm that surrounds me is much louder than its actual bite. I realize, too, that so long as I hold fast to Jesus, He will take care of the uncertainties and turn them around for my good, just as He promises in His word. That doesn’t mean I have no problems, and it certainly doesn’t mean relinquishing control is easy, but it does mean that waiting is a rewarding discipline.

Those moments of chaos and confusion, of fear, require us to cling ever more closely to the Lord, sharpening our faith with each passing wave.

Waiting on the Lord produces peace, not pride. It helps us to look at our many blessings with eyes of gratitude rather than entitlement. Jesus then becomes the object of our affection as we grow stronger in Him. “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” –Psalm 27:14. Culture tries to convince us that we can’t control our emotions, but the word of God says contrary. It doesn’t say, “try to be of good courage.” It says, “Be of good courage.”

To do this requires that we renew our minds daily in His Word. And live with the mindset of courageously trusting in the Lord.

I want to leave you with these encouraging words found in 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is patient on His timetable, not ours. He wants to see your character built and strengthened before He can add the weight of His blessings to you.

Our trust in Him builds patience and steadfastness. As this verse indicates, His heart desires to see each one of us come to repentance. Abiding in Him produces more than you could ever produce on your own. Would you repent today and ask the Lord to help you trust in Him? My prayer is that as you repent and make Him your rock, the Holy Spirit will walk beside you, reminding you to surrender your anxieties to Him. I pray that the Holy Spirit teaches you how to trust in Him more deeply every day.

What Do You Want?

April 10, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Although the Easter holiday is behind us, I’ve still been reflecting on its significance this past week. As believers, we set aside Easter Sunday as a day to honor and celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ’s, resurrection. Yet, for us, celebrating His resurrection moves beyond Easter Sunday; celebrating Jesus’ resurrection is really an everyday occurrence for Christians. Our salvation has led us to come alive in Him—that new life in us the result of, evidence of, His resurrection power. And, we’re made whole as we grow in our understanding of the significance of Jesus’ empty Cross and His empty tomb. The coming of the Messiah, who Scripture assures us is Jesus, changed everything. Literally. His appearing on earth, Jesus’ life and death, His resurrection means that access to God the Father is now possible once again for anyone who will genuinely believe in Jesus. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” – 2 Corinthians 5:21.

In part, Jesus’ leaving heaven and coming to earth as a God-man means that we can access the kingdom of God and help bring His kingdom into this world. We can witness the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, and the deaf able to hear because of Him because He defeated sin, death, and the grave. “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do these same mighty miracles that I do – even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name” – John 14:12-13.

That Truth can mean only one thing: the miracles Jesus performed while He walked among us, are still accessible to us today! Because Jesus defeated death through His resurrection, He is still very much alive today. Not even death could withstand His mighty power! Through Him, because His Spirit lives within us, we have the power to overcome sickness and disease in the body, mind, and spirit. That’s great news, my friends! Why? Because throughout the Gospels, we see many instances where Jesus healed the sick. And we are assured in Scripture that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!” –Hebrews 13:8.

And whether people were tormented in their minds by an evil spirit or dealing with a physical ailment, Jesus sets the example for what fearless ministry looks like.

There are multiple instances in Scripture where Jesus took the initiative to heal those who came to Him for miracles—regardless of their intentions. Yet there are also several instances where Jesus asks those who sought Him out if physical healing is what they genuinely wanted. Let’s dive into what the Bible tells us within those particular accounts. “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored – Matthew 9:27-30a.

We see a comparable situation in Luke: ‘As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God’ – Luke 18:35-42.

We’ll find the final passage I’d like us to look at in the Book of John: ‘…there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five porches. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. and they waited for the moving of the waters. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked’ – John 5:2-9.

In each of these instances, we witness Jesus’ humility firsthand. Knowing that He is God, and fully capable of healing these people, Jesus nevertheless asks them, “Do you want to get well?” Jesus doesn’t just force His power onto them.

You see, sometimes people can get so comfortable with their sickness and the attention that it brings them they honestly don’t want to be healed. Sounds crazy, right, not the norm surely, this desire is certainly not born from a sound mind, but it’s true, nevertheless. Of course, these same people may say that they want to be healed, yet in their hearts, what they often desire most, is the gaze of man. To be noticed, to receive the attention their illness affords them. Perhaps they’ve become addicted to the attention it gives them, and they fear that in getting well, they may somehow fade into society, into the background, no longer standing out. No longer being noticed. Jesus knows this, and so He asked, “Do you want to be healed?”

As a healthcare worker, I’ve witnessed and treated those who seem to love being patients.

Don’t get me wrong, most patients are genuinely sick and rightfully in need of treatment, but others do come into the hospital because they desire the attention being a patient affords them. Their gaining attention can range from wanting to stay in the hospital so badly that they’ll refuse to get off the treatments only available in the hospital to feigning symptoms that might cause them to remain in or be admitted to the hospital. I’m referring to people capable of caring for themselves, yet they like the attention and ease of someone else doing things for them. I will reiterate that this is not the majority, but I sometimes do see patients who seem like they don’t want to get well. And as I was driving home from work one day, frustrated by a similar situation, I asked the Lord, “why are people like this, Lord?!” And it’s almost as if I heard Him say, so people haven’t changed, huh?

Maybe that’s why I was intrigued by these people as I read over their accounts in Scripture? They caused me to have a new understanding of why Jesus asked the question, “Do you want to be healed?” At first glance, it seemed counterintuitive to me for Jesus to ask a sick person if they wanted to be made well. It seemed odd to me for Jesus to confer with a blind man about his truly believing that Jesus could do what He said He could do. It seemed silly to me for Jesus not to assume that these people each wanted to be well. I believe the default assumption for most people reading the above accounts would agree that it’s just common sense for people to want to be well? Yet Jesus, being God, knows differently. He understands—He sees a man’s heart—his intentions.

This led me to wonder: Just how many people did Jesus ask if they wanted to be healed, but they turned Him away—choosing their illness and the attention it afforded them instead?

I wonder if Jesus asked anyone if they wanted to be healed, and they suddenly realized that it would be easier to sit on the street and continue to beg, instead of accepting the healing Jesus was offering? To have to work then, and perhaps lose the attention their illness had afforded them? I also wonder if Jesus asked them this question to help them truly see? Not just with their physical eyes, but deeper and broader instead, with the eyes of their heart. I wonder if Jesus wanted to help give those we’ve read about not just their physical healing but a fresh perspective as well? Was Jesus attempting to lead them towards an awareness that it is He alone who heals? Or, was Jesus prompting them—encouraging them to examine their motives? To come to that place within themselves where they could honestly say that they wanted to receive all that Jesus was offering them.

There are so many rich and unspoken nuances—so many possibilities, within these passages; we will never realize their fullness this side of eternity. Yet there is this one thing Scripture makes crystal clear: sin causes spiritual blindness. “I will bring distress on mankind so that they will walk like those who are blind because they have sinned against the LORD” – Zephaniah 1:17.

I can’t help but think that Jesus was, in part, pointing those we read of in today’s Scriptures towards this one simple, yet profound Truth. That though they may receive healing in their body, if the deeper wounds in their souls weren’t healed, they would continue to walk around spiritually blind. “Jesus came to bring heaven to earth by preaching The Good News to the poor, [healing] broken hearts and [proclaiming] liberty to captives, vision to the blind, and to restore the crushed with forgiveness” – Luke 4:18.

Jesus completed what His Father bid Him do in eternity past by taking our sins upon Himself when He came and walked among us as a man. By offering His sinless Life on the Cross and rising again three days later so that we might have eternal life in Him one day and live our lives to the fullest now. His resurrection afforded those who have made Jesus Lord of their life the same power He demonstrated while He walked the earth—The power of God’s Holy Spirit alive and at work in us.

So, in closing, I’ll ask you the same question today that Jesus asked those He healed. “Do you want to be well?”

Know this, friend: complete healing is available to you today in no other than Jesus Christ. And If you don’t know this Jesus, I invite you to do so now. Just confess your sins to Him and proclaim Him as your Savior. He will lead you into a life of forgiveness, love, and healing. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9.

Who of You by Worrying?

January 9, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” –Luke 12:25

Amid the world’s chaos, with its many “clanging cymbals,” sadly, so many souls live in a state of heightened fear. Anxiety, depression, frustration, and unrest have left them adrift with no sure place of refuge. For many, the holidays’ joyful spirit has been lost, and many loved ones have died, wedding plans have been postponed, physical touch is all but absent for some, and division within men’s hearts has intensified. While these realities experienced in the natural realm have caused disappointment and great anxiety to grow in so many hearts, we have instruction from our heavenly Father to not worry as Christians. In fact, throughout Scripture, this directive to “fear not” has been expressed multiple times. God knows our frame. He knew how we would react to bad or unexpected situations if we allowed ourselves to focus on our flesh—hence perhaps, His many reminders to “fear not.”

Jesus Christ gives us instruction because He is fully aware of the human heart and its temptations. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” –Hebrews 4:15.

Worry can happen quickly if our minds and spirits aren’t unwaveringly fixed on the One who holds our every answer, Jesus Christ.

Have you ever considered that worry is the exact opposite of faith! Worry doesn’t stimulate us because it is a depressant. It doesn’t provide joy; it robs our peace. Because fear causes us to trust and rely on our abilities, it drains us, leaving us feeling heavy. This because we were never meant to carry such things, instead to put them in the hands of the One whose burden is light and whose yoke is easy. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” –Matthew 28:28-30.

Worry robs our rest, and it tears us apart. Do you know what “worry” means? According to Merriam Webster, worry is defined as a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.. Fear of the unknown, aka worry, steals our ability to live and enjoy the present moment by dragging us back into a past that has expired or forward into a future that remains unknown. Anxiety hinders our intimacy and ability to trust in the Lord. Rather than resting on the sure foundation of God’s Sovereignty and faithfulness, we rely instead upon our skills and limited understanding.

As believers, my brothers, and sisters in Christ, though challenging at times undoubtedly, worry has no place in the kingdom of God; if we truly have faith, what then is the use of our worrying?

Listen to the surety given us by God: “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?'” –Luke 12:22-26; Matthew 6:25-34 NIV. Jesus is both profound and all-encompassing. Knowing us as only He can, He gives us clear examples of those things He knows we as humans are prone to worry about: “what we would eat or what we would wear.” Yet, in His lovingkindness, Jesus prompts us to look beyond these simple daily cares. He reminds us that our life is far more important than those concerns of the body; if He can provide for the ravens, who have no storeroom, why should you and I not trust Him? After all, who better to know what we need than He who fashioned us! If He has provided the birds a place to lay their head, why would the creator of the universe not supply your needs? He assures us, after all, that we are more valuable to Him than birds!

Knowing all of this, why would we allow worries to steal our breath or rob our peace? Have we forgotten that we serve the same faithful, powerful God that oceans, seasons, and life itself both yield and respond to, at His command? Worry is synonymous with unbelief. The Lord knows what we need before we ask. So, for Christians, worry ought to be a spiritual wake-up call, alerting us to the fact that we have lost sight of God’s power and ability, His faithfulness, and His Sovereignty.

I hope I do not sound as though I am above the fray of human emotions or the need to beat back the fears that chase after me? I, too, wrestle with that seemingly ever-present foe known as worry. Recently, I was struggling with fear regarding my future. I bought into the enemy’s lie that the Lord had passed me over, forgotten about me. But God, in His lovingkindness, directed me to the above passages in Luke and Matthew, assuring me not to worry, instead to place my full hope in Him, now and forever. This same assurance was given to me when, again, recently, I also struggled with worry over whether we would ever see unity in the United States? Would order ever be restored from out of this current dis-order? Again, the Lord faithfully assured me through His Word. He redirected my anxiety back to His peace and Sovereignty by leading me to Psalm 20:7. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord.”

Some trust in political parties, some in offices, but our faith must rest squarely in the Lord as Christians.

As I was preparing to write this, I had an epiphany. The Holy Spirit reminded me that this same type of evil, these wicked, unpredictable, volatile, antichrist spirits we see in operation today, were present when Jesus entered our world as a Godman. And they will continue to exist until the day God Himself puts an end to them, once-for-all. Only God can restore the wicked heart of man, washing away his sin. As Christians, we have something the world so desperately needs friends – and they’ll continue to need it until the very day of His Coming; His Living, glowing, peaceful, loving, the infallible, inerrant, Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Sadly, while the world may feel as though it’s catching the brunt of some never-ending hurricane, those who put their faith in Jesus will always find shelter in our Strong Tower, in the shelter of the Most High God. “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.” –2Peter 3:9.

In closing, friends, when worry tries to enter through your front door, remind it where you keep your hope. Remind it that you “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” –Proverbs 3:5-6. Tell worry that God’s Holy Spirit helps you in your time of weakness and that, “…in all things God works for the good for those who love Him” –Romans 8:26-28. Our worry reveals that we have not yet fully cast all our cares, sudden fear, and anxiety into God’s capable hands. We must pray, present our requests with Thanksgiving unto God, and ultimately surrender every care to Him – It’s not surrendering if we continue to pick it up!

Pray, “Lord Jesus, I transfer _____ to you. Your word says come to me those who are weary and burdened, and you shall provide rest for our souls. I yield ____ to you and trust that you will take care of it as you will. Have your way, Father God. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Friends, take heart. Be at ease. Find rest. Jesus has overcome the world! Seek His guidance, then step out of the way that the Lord may work on your behalf. And if you haven’t yet decided to follow Jesus yet sincerely want Him in your life—ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to enter your heart. And if worries burden you, call out to the name of Jesus to grant you peace of mind. He is so faithful to answer.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” –Philippians 4:6-7.

The Rain Is Coming.

November 14, 2020 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then God shut the door behind him.” –Genesis 7:16.

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the phrase “the calm before the storm”? I sense in my spirit that this is where we are in this season. I believe we are in that place of seemingly blue skies, still. And yet, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve surely seen the storm clouds looming on the horizon. The Apostle Paul warned us about this season when He spoke to believers about the hope of our resurrection and the dark days to come upon the Church in 1 Thessalonians. He encouraged us not to despair over this coming storm, rather have hope. Though he was speaking specifically about the rapture of the Church in his preceding verses, Paul makes it clear to his reader exactly how the events of this future time will unfold. Keeping in mind that Israel is God’s world clock. “When people say, “Everything is quiet and safe,” then suddenly destruction will hit them! It will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape” –1 Thessalonians 5:3.

When we lay Paul’s account of the last day’s side by side with the biblical account of Noah and the flood, the similarities are striking. In the Genesis account, we’re told that up until the time the Lord sealed Noah and his family safely in the Ark, life outside of the Ark was a day like any other—seemingly blue skies above. People went on about their everyday lives—only Noah and his family obeyed God. Then suddenly God told Noah to put down his bucket of pitch. The time had come for them to get inside the Ark. Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation” –Genesis 7:1.

I’ve heard it said, “sometimes faith will make you look stupid until it starts to rain.”

Some theologians say it took between 55 to 75 years for Noah to build the ark—while still others say it was more like 120. The time it took, however, pales in comparison to Noah’s unswerving obedience to God’s command to build this boat despite the fact no one had ever seen the rain. 2 Peter 2:5 acquaints us with the fact that our Noah was far more than just the builder of the Ark of God, however. Noah was God’s herald, he was one who announces the heart of God to the world, listen: “And God did not spare the ancient world–except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.” We may liken Noah to John the Baptist in this respect—each God’s herald. The Bible isn’t specific concerning whether or not Noah was ever a “voice that cried out” to those around him to repent, but we do know the work he did on the Ark itself would have been a sure and certain witness nevertheless. Hebrews 11:7 surely attests to this fact. Just picture it, this mammoth boat a conspicuous herald in itself—a portent. And yet, everyone continued to go on about their business, ignoring somehow, this proverbial “elephant in the room.”

Sound familiar?

So, what of all this? What does Noah’s Ark have to do with anything going on today? And why am I telling you about it? Allow me to answer those questions by pointing you to the Ark’s door. Yes, that’s right—its door. This massive Ark, designed in the mind of God and crafted by Noah and his sons, was able to hold far more than eight people and a glut of animals. That Ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high according to Scripture, or approximately 440×72×43 ft. The Titanic measured 850 x 92 x 64 ft. and at the time it sank had a total of 3,300 human souls on board. The Ark held only eight human souls onboard when God sealed Noah and his family inside—let that sink in for a moment. Additionally, on such a massive-sized vessel as this Ark, Scripture also informs us there was only one entrance, only one door. Only one way to get inside, one way to be saved from the rain that would soon flood the entire world. And God Himself stood as the sentinel at that door. Remember, our Scripture tells us that it was God alone who sealed an obedient Noah and his family safely inside the Ark—no amount of pitch or tar did that, and anyone else that may have was far too busy “living their best life” elsewhere. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” –John 10:9.

Friends, just as Jesus abhorred the rampant sin He witnessed in the days of Noah, the very same holds true of Him today. God, after all, is immutable. “But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to sever their memory from the earth”—Psalm34:16. Yet just as Jesus had made a way for Noah and his family to enter into the Ark, He offered this same way to anyone else who would have repented of their sin that they may enter in as well. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” –Romans 10:13.

Noah had found favor in the eyes of God because God knew Noah’s heart was for Him—Noah’s good works didn’t bring about his salvation, God’s mercy, and His election of Noah did that. God knew Noah had an obedient and contrite heart—and it was counted unto him as righteousness, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith”—Hebrews 11:7. We’ll see this same salvation by grace through faith evinced in the life of Father Abraham in Genesis 15:6. And in Ephesians 2:8-9, it’s the Apostle Paul who assures us that it is by God’s grace alone, through faith, and not by works, that we are saved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”’

Now back to this door I spoke of earlier. This Only Way into the Ark, the Only Way that any one of them might have been saved from the rain that would soon flood the entire world...

Just as there was only one door that led into the Ark then, Jesus is that only door through which man can enter into eternal life—be restored to a right relationship with the Father. Listen to how Jesus Himself says this in John 10:8-11. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The rain is coming, friends. If you’ve been paying attention then you’ve seen those storm clouds looming on the horizon. It may not come tomorrow, or next week, or even next year—but as sure as the rain came in the days of Noah—storm clouds are heading our way. But the good news is—there’s more than enough room to enter into safety right now—today! Jesus Christ is the Ark of your salvation, and He will open the door and bid you come in, to anyone who knocks—sincerely seeking after Him. Just as Noah was saved by grace through faith from the destruction of the Flood, we can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus, when we repent and turn to Him. –Paul F. Taylor

Friend, my great hope is that if you didn’t have this personal relationship with Jesus when you started reading today, you’ll sincerely cry out to Him now. I pray you’ll ask Him into your life—your heart, as Lord and Savior. I promise you, that if you’ll earnestly knock, He’ll surely answer. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” –John 10:9-11.

Category: Choice (Page 6 of 7)

Moments.

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Fulfilled.

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No More Excuses.

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Face it, Afraid.

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Living In The End Times.

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Tag, Your It.

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The Art Of Waiting…

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What Do You Want?

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Who of You by Worrying?

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The Rain Is Coming.

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