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

Category: Courage (Page 1 of 4)

Believe and Be Confident.

April 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Elda Othello-Wrightington.

Have you ever felt like you were a little fish in a big pond? Sometimes, life can feel that way, especially if you have lived life in a small pond. Truth be told, in order for a small fish to become a big fish, its environment has to change. Change is hard but possible. But what if, due to circumstances, the environment cannot be changed? Well, then, one’s mindset must change. What do I mean? One must work through all their thoughts and feelings of unbelief.

Unbelief has a way of crippling one’s dream and what God might be calling you to do.

When fear sets in, questions start to arise. Can I really do this? Soon, that God-sized dream becomes a man-sized what could have been. Too often, many God-given dreams, visions, and plans end up in the cemetery because they were never walked out by faith. Fear and a lot of second-guessing brought on their early death.

Recently, I realized that had happened to me.

I have been going through a lot of transitions (maybe some midlife—joking!), and it occurred to me that I believed God could do God-sized things for everyone except me. This untruth was allowed to live in my imagination because I allowed fear, doubt, and unbelief to settle in.

You might be reading this and saying to yourself, “That’s me!” Or “But you don’t know what I’ve been through. I prayed, and God didn’t answer.” Or “I’ve been waiting, and it didn’t happen at all the way I expected or anticipated it would.”

Welp! That kind of talk and thinking is unbelief.

I want to share with you the question Holy Spirit asked me. “You say you trust God, but do you really believe God can do it for you?”

Many of you may know the Bible story of the man who brought his son to the disciples to be healed, but the disciples couldn’t heal him (Mark 9 1-29). Interestingly, Jesus identifies them as “you unbelieving generation.” Wow! What a statement. The disciples and even the boy’s father struggled and wondered why this boy couldn’t receive his healing. The father’s statement is a very thought-provoking one. He exclaims, “I believe but help by unbelief.”

Now, that’s a bold statement to tell Jesus.

 It’s also one that most of us struggle to admit. Friends, we must muster up the courage to believe and not doubt. “All things are possible if you believe “—Mark 9:23.

You might not have all the confidence in the world, but as a result of my own struggle, can I encourage you to start with God?

If you haven’t made Jesus your Lord and Savior, I want to encourage you to do so today. The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

 When you put your confidence in God, He will lead you not only to salvation BUT also cause you to grow and thrive.

So, be confident in what He has called you to be and do by simply believing that He who calls you will also qualify you. He will show you the way. And will connect you to the right people. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” –1 Corinthians 1:27-29.

Another encouragement I have for you, if you’re struggling with believing, is to remember the promise found in Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful.”

Joseph had a dream he once shared with his brothers, and all it seemed to get him was sold into slavery and various other troubles. I wonder how often he questioned if he had heard God or asked himself where God was!

Friends, I’ve been there, and I just wanted to share an insight God shared with me about holding on to His promises: Hold on with patience!

Joseph had to learn to be patient before he could be Pharaoh’s second in command, a position that would ultimately save Joseph, his family, and many nations. Joseph didn’t know his dream would require that he be sold into slavery, be accused, and placed in prison, not to mention be forgotten—yet all of this was part of God’s plan for Joseph’s life.

 When we feel God has forgotten us, the truth is we have often underestimated God’s displaying patience toward us. That might sound a little backward. Yes, God is displaying patience towards us. Could it be possible that He is waiting for us to believe so that our growth can begin?

I was sent here today to encourage and remind someone that Jesus is in control and has a plan far bigger than our own. I’ve learned that God sometimes waits for us to believe Him. He is patiently waiting to see if we will grow into what He has called us to be through simple obedience and trust that He controls the process.

Be patient. Remember, the process has its purpose.

God is patient with us, and we must learn to be patient with our journey and wait for our dream or goal—whatever it might be. Believe my sisters and my brothers, and be confident in God. “Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word.” –Hebrews 10:23.

There Were Witnesses, Part 2.

April 13, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” –2 Peter 1:16.

Each Apostle had witnessed Jesus’ life and ministry during the approximate three-plus years He was on earth. And each was so convinced that Jesus was indeed who He’d professed to be while with them, they were willing to die a martyr’s death rather than deny Him—including Matthias, the Apostle chosen by lots to replace Judas’ Iscariot after he’d hung himself. “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.” –Acts 1:21-26.

Historians say only the Apostle John, believed to have been the youngest of Jesus’s twelve Apostles, lived to see old age, having died at Ephesus of natural causes. Tertullian, a historian, wrote that Roman Emperor Domitian intended for John to be martyred by being boiled alive in a pot of oil. But God had a different plan for John’s life, so what had been intended to kill him—failed.

Perhaps Jesus was alluding to the way Domitian would attempt to kill John when he spoke these words in answer to John and his brother James’ request to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in His Kingdom. “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” –Mark 10:38-40.

Because concerning Peter’s death, Jesus was the first to tell Peter that, like Himself, he would also be crucified. Directly after reinstating Peter within that now famous dialogue found in John 21:15, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Jesus says this: “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

And Peter did follow Jesus—straight to his cross.

Early church historians, such as Eusebius, Clement of Rome, and Tertullian, have each given us extra-Biblical accounts detailing by whose hand and what methods of torture were used to kill all twelve Apostles.

Of Peter, it’s said that when Emperor Nero ordered him to be crucified, he asked his executioners to be crucified upside down, having claimed to be unworthy of being crucified in the same fashion as his Lord. Only God and Peter’s executioners know whether this account of Peter’s final hour is valid.

We do know each Apostle followed their Master’s example as best a sinful man could, including Paul, who, though not an eyewitness of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, was chosen by Jesus Himself to be His Apostle to the Gentiles and who—and chose death over denying His Lord, And in Romans 5, reminds us:– “Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man [one who is noble and selfless and worthy] someone might even dare to die.”  Then, in the next verse, this humbling and incomprehensible Truth is shared: “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Concerning the Apostles, below are some shared accounts of how each man chose death, to be martyred rather than deny their Lord and Savior. Each took to heart more, with a final act of unwavering certainty and a profound demonstration of unmitigated love; each put legs beneath the Words their Lord had spoken concerning the selfless sacrifice both true love and Life require. “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”—Matthew 10:38-39.

  1. James, John’s brother: the first of the twelve to be put to death. His martyrdom is verified in Scripture. King Herod had him killed by the sword in Jerusalem (Acts 12:2).
  2. Like Peter, his brother Andrew is said to have been crucified by a Roman Governor in Patras, Greece. He was scourged, then bound with leather straps to his x-shaped cross, a “crux decussata,” which, when turned on its side, was intended to mock Christ’s Cross and discourage His followers.
  3. Historians share two different accounts of Phillip’s martyrdom. One account has him beheaded while in Hierapolis, Greece, while another has him and two other Christ followers, possibly Nathaniel, being crucified. This account has Phillip preaching the Gospel as he hung on his cross.
  4. As with Phillip, there are two accounts of Nathaniel’s martyrdom. One says he was skinned alive, while another claims he, too, was crucified while preaching in northern India.
  5. Matthew is said to have been martyred in Ethiopia by the sword.
  6. Mark was martyred in Egypt, having been drug through the streets by a team of horses until he was dead.
  7. Historians say Simon, The Zealot, was sawed from head to toe in Northern Africa.
  8. Jude, or Judas Thadeus, aka “the other Judas,” is said to have been martyred somewhere in Lebanon, having been shot by arrows.
  9. Luke, it is said, was hung from an olive tree.
  10. And Matthias was crucified.
  11. John survived, having been boiled in oil and died of old age on the Isle of Patmos.
  12. Lastly, Peter is said to have been crucified upside down.

And though not eyewitness ourselves, if we profess to be believers, to have received Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, acknowledging Him as sole Owner and Master of our lives, then we, like all twelve of our brothers mentioned above, and others, like John the Baptist, who, also chosedeath over denying His Lord and Savior, we too, must do as they did—choosing Christ over our own lives. “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” –1 Peter 1:8.

We’re living in dark days, friends, “perilous times,” as the Bible refers to them—lawless days, where far too many professed believers live in the shadows, running away from taking a bold, fixed stance for Jesus, their faith, and commitment to our Lord.

What about you?

Where do you stand with Jesus?

Do you boldly profess Him as Savior, Lord, and Master of your life?

Like your brothers before you, are you so thoroughly convinced of who Jesus is that you’d lay down your life for Him rather than deny Him?

I pray you will. Because I believe to the very bones of me that if you genuinely believe Jesus is who He said He is, then if asked by Him to face such an hour as our brothers once did, His grace would be sufficient to silence every fear we’d have in the natural.

How can I be so sure of this?

One, my God is not a liar. And two, He has promised us—promised me, it’s meant to be personal.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” –Deuteronomy 31:6.

Since Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the same yesterday, today, and forever, what He promised to Moses, Aaron, and others throughout Scripture is my promise as His child. Yours, too, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

And if you don’t yet know Him as Lord, His Word assures you that you can do so today if you ask Him into your life, acknowledging you are a sinner in need of a Savior. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”—Romans 10:9-10.

There Were Witnesses.

March 30, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then, there are those like the guards.

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

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

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

There will only ever be two groups of witnesses.

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

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

Which will you choose?

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

You Are Enough.

March 16, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The cost of following Jesus is great. Maybe that is why people try to talk you out of going after the only One who gives Life; the name of Jesus has power and authority over the world. Jesus says in Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth, I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law cost of following Jesus.”

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

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

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

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

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

God had predestined this moment in time.

He knew how He would feed the people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Know.

February 17, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Still, I know that God lives – the One who gives me back my life – and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth.” –Job 19:25.

How will you respond when, from seemingly nowhere, tragedy strikes? When you’re fired unexpectedly or a stroke, heart attack, or some dreaded diagnosis strikes? When your spouse leaves, or your child, parent, or beloved friend dies? Some will say that question can’t be answered until we face it. And yet, Job knew his answer well in advance. And so ought we. As Christians, we must determine in advance to cleave to Jesus when the familiar, everyday rhythm of our lives becomes abruptly unrecognizable, just as Job once did. Long before his world was ripped from beneath him, Job had decided never to turn away from the God He loved and served. Did Job have questions? Absolutely. Was he heartbroken and devastated? You bet. Yet Job had decided there’d never be a turning back to life before Jesus. A decision each of us must determine in our own heart.

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.” –Job 13:15.

God has every right to take anything back to fulfill His will in our lives, including the health, people, possessions, and prosperity He’s afforded us. His doing this will require us to “come up higher.” To operate in the Spirit, not the flesh. Our flesh is far too selfish and constantly warring with our Spirit. To remain steadfast in our faith and commitment to Christ, we must tether ourselves to unwavering trust in God. Be unswervingly committed to following, clinging to, honoring, obeying, running to Jesus long before adversity, loss, pain, suffering, or the unfathomable occurs. “Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” –Psalm 108:12-13.

Jesus never promised that our following Him would be easy.

All too often, we forget that—I know I have.

As followers of Christ Jesus, by faith, we believe what God says is Truth because we know we serve a God who cannot lie. Who foreknew how each of His children would act, react, or respond to every situation and circumstance He knit into His plan for their lives—just as He foreknew how Job would respond to His extending Satan the invitation to sift him. Remember, God drew Satan’s attention to a man scripture makes clear, loved, and followed Him. It wasn’t sin that had opened the door to Satan—God Himself did that. “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” –Job 1:1.

In those moments and seasons when, like Job, we feel confused, afraid, targeted, even forsaken or forgotten by God, it’s then that the surety of what we know of God’s character and heart toward us must be our only lifeline. All else but God must fall away, lest we fall. “I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” –Psalm 63:8.

We trust Jesus because we have tasted and seen that our God is a Good Father, even in the worst of times.

And because of who God is, His unfathomable love for us—for you, beloved, I’m here to remind you that surely, soon and very soon, you too will heal, live, and breathe again, restored with even greater levels of trust—looking more like Jesus not despite, but because of your trial. Like Job, you will emerge more unshakable. Your faith is more deeply rooted because you’ve walked through the refiner’s fire with the Lord, and something far greater than silver or gold was deposited in you.

So allow God’s sure promises to speak to your feelings, Beloved. Reminding them they are fleeting and untrustworthy, emotional responses that are all too often slaves to your circumstances.

Please understand me. Assuredly, there are moments in life, seasons even, when these feelings are valid—we’re not robots. The loss of a loved one, a life turned suddenly upside down by the words, “We’re going to have to let you go.”  “There’s been an accident, or we’re sorry to inform you that your husband, son, or daughter did not survive.” “I have your test results. You have cancer.”

Still, more than ever, especially in such moments, we must grab hold of God’s promises and become so one with His Truth; we allow nothing, no loss, trial, or pain, to separate us from our loving Father. “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”‘ –Romans 8:35-39.

The one sure thing I know, having experienced such desperate moments, is this: Everything must pass through God’s Sovereign Hand—Period. Are those things painful? Absolutely. They’re rip your heart out painful. You’ll never be the same again. As with Job’s losses, these sudden rippingaways are meant to leave us different than they found us—changed because they were allowed to touch us.

“Job answered God: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.” –Job 42:5 MSG.

Compared to the agony Jesus endured for you and me on His Cross, who are we to complain?

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” –2 Corinthians 4:17.

Soon and very soon, Jesus will return, wedding ring in hand, oh, glorious day when we’ll be forever One with Him, just as He promised His disciples as they watched Him ascend back to the Father, having conquered sin, death and the grave for you and me. Job believed it. Jesus’s disciples knew it. And so do we, those who have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb and are eagerly watching and waiting for His soon return. And so, I fix my eyes on Jesus, pain, and all.

Like Job, I know my Redeemer lives. And any moment now, I will meet Him.

How about you? Do you know Jesus? More importantly, does Jesus know you? If you’re uncertain, call out to Him now. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Give Him your pain. He’ll carry what you were never meant to. He loves you. You’re the one He gave His life for. Grab hold of Jesus’s promise to you: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” –Revelation 3:20.

Beauty From Ashes

February 10, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife bares him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah and went out with him.” –Judges 11:1-3.

We don’t hear much of this story, but for me, it is one of the Bible’s most intriguing stories, capturing 100% of my attention each time I read it. It is one of the most genuine pieces of a life lived in consecration to the plan of God—the life of Jephthah.

 In the 7th book of the Bible, the book of Judges, we learn the story of this man called Jephthah. A unique man, a leader a bit different than all the others Israel had. The son of a harlot who was thrown out of his family and home by his half-brothers. Jephthah came from this low position of being rejected by his own family to be used by God to deliver Israel from its enemies. Jephthah had great faith in God, and God credited him for his faith. The forsaking of idols is a big deal in God’s eyes, and Jephthah was the type of loyal servant who forsook idols to serve his God wholeheartedly.

Each lesson in this story points us to the understanding that when the Spirit of God is upon a person, that person might go through all kinds of troubles, but God will equip the saint to endure and come out shining in the end. Hardships never feel good, but when we persevere, God sustains us and allows us to one day feast in the presence of our enemies at a table He sets before us. “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” –Psalm 23:5.

The key for the believer is to trust that God is working all things together for His servant’s good. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” –Romans 8:28.

Like Jephthah, many of us have experienced rejection and abandonment, but by faith, we believe these valleys before us are trials and circumstances meant to go through, not live in.

By faith, In the depths of our hearts, we must know that Jesus is carrying us through these pain-filled valleys to grow us.

I know when I lost my mother, I felt like the grief and sorrow were an unending valley of agony. The pain of going to visit my mom’s house and not seeing her there was so deep it caused a sense of sadness in me unlike any sadness I had ever experienced prior; amidst that intense emotion, all I could think was: “Why did my mother go home so early?” She was only 69!

The worst fear I ever had as a child was to lose my beloved best friend, my momma. The thoughts that would cross my mind were sombre. My mother’s death, in a sense, made me feel like an orphan and somewhat abandoned, too, because I could no longer see her or touch her, just as Jephthah could no longer see his stepbrothers and family. I was loved by my family and not abandoned like Jephthah, but pain is pain. And every person’s experience is different.

Yet despite this heartache, Jephthah was a brave warrior and an excellent God-appointed leader over Israel.

Jephthah’s father’s name was Gilead. It’s thought that after Gilead’s first son was born, he married and had other sons. Gilead’s other sons didn’t like the idea that Jephthah wasn’t born from their mother but, instead, from a prostitute. “Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” –Judges 11: 2.

Jephthah comes from Joseph’s lineage and had one daughter, his only child.

In Judges 11:30-31,  Jephthah made a vow unto the Lord that cost him his daughter’s life. “And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

Many individuals have the warrior spirit within them, but for various reasons or life circumstances, they stop believing who they truly are. Often, words spoken over a person contradict God’s plan for them! In our humanity, we forget and must be reminded of what God says about us. The Word of God declares over us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” –Jeremiah 29:11.

How beautiful and hopeful life is when our faith in God holds onto these promises!

However, to have such words declared over us, we must be surrounded by those who share our faith and are like-minded. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” –Ephesians 4:29.

Jephthah had this faith deep inside him, and even in discouraging times, he stood, fought, and believed the Word of His God without wavering.

Jephthah was so loyal to his God that he answered the call and fought as a warrior, regardless of his circumstances. He even offered as a sacrifice whatever came first out of his house upon his victorious return from this war. His only daughter walked out; now what?

Remaining faithful to his vow, Jephthah offered God his daughter as a sacrifice. “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed.” –Judges 11:36-39.

Vows are powerful, and Jephthah stuck to his vow regardless of the outcome. This kind of courage is commendable in the life of the believer.

I encourage you today to stand firm and believe that your life is not by chance – but ordained by the Creator of the universe, who planned all your steps, regardless of who your parents are or your background. During our time here, we are to trust and obey the Lord, to have faith, and to know He is faithful to complete the work He starts in each of us.

God will raise you by His power to bring glory to His mighty name.

Father, help us be humble and meek servants; help us always lift those suffering. Please help us come closer to you each day while here on earth. Let Your will be done in our life and strengthen our faith to stand firm in difficult times. In Jesus name, Amen. And to those who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus, I invite you to ask Him into your heart and life today. Allow His power and love to transform you, just as He did for Jephthah.

But As For Us.

February 3, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves]; for we, on our part, cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard.” –Acts 4:19-20.

As I read chapter four, my spirit leapt when Holy Spirit shone His Light on today’s verses. I recognized that, like Peter and John, we, His Church, are standing on the precipice of this same type of insidious spiritual oppression. And, like them, we, too, must choose who we will obey. God or man? “How dare you speak that name!” “How dare you tell us that your Jesus is the only way to heaven? I’m a good person, and love is love!” Brothers, we are now being faced with, or soon will be, being silenced. “Deny Jesus!” “Cancel Him!” You’re one of those radical Jesus freaks! Go too far, and we’ll cancel you too!

The world will do its best to silence anyone who professes Jesus, His teachings, and the stabilizing Truth found only in His Inerrant Word. Jesus is the only way to the Father. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” –John 14:6.

Yes, we love all men, just as Jesus commands us to. But loving the yet saved ought to propel, not prevent, us from speaking the Truth in love, lest they not hear Truth and remain lost. “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” –Matthew 15:10-14.

Beloved, we’re teetering on the crumbling edge of a world many have known and grown-up in.

A world that once felt seemingly firm beneath our feet is now giving way beneath us because, as it was then, so too today. Nothing will ever be the same. It can’t be. There is no going back. That’s not what Jesus intended—how He planned it, and He did plan it.

That’s hard for some to hear or accept; I get it.

Truth often is, but thankfully, our inability to reconcile Truth doesn’t stop it from being true.

Why? Because God’s Truth is fixed, not fluid. It will not be altered, weakened, or changed in any way by any man’s inability to make peace with it. “So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” –Isaiah 55:11. Remember what Jesus told His disciples when they, like many today, experienced a shifting of the ground beneath them, when relative predictability was replaced by a sure knowledge that at any moment, once reliable things, will quickly turn unreliable—unrecognizable. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” –Matthew 10:34-36.

Use a sword against their Roman oppressors, yes, absolutely!

The disciples were expecting a King David moment from Jesus—planning, in fact, for its imminent arrival. But a man’s enemy being a beloved family member? That was hard for these men whose family and community were a large and stabilizing part of their culture and identity, the unifying backbone of their everyday lives.

Our brothers had no New Testament pages to turn to for hope—no Holy Spirit yet living within them, providing them with a peace that truly does surpass all understanding. No, these followers of Jesus were pioneering the faith. Yes, they walked with Jesus, but in many ways, what He was teaching them, this new Kingdom He was ushering in, was as foreign to them as the idea of His loving the Gentiles!

These New Testament believers had said yes to Jesus without knowing what would come from their following this not-quite-King David, Messiah.

Still, God had chosen them purposefully. He had called them to partner with Him to help create the map we’d one day use to follow Jesus as they did, one faith-filled step at a time.

So what do we do with this Truth, the sure knowledge we possess that persecution will come?

I ask this because, I’d say, and Scripture points towards our being at this same place of no return as our brothers once were —or a hairsbreadth away, at best. We, too, are standing upon some same precarious edge of a world many of us have known and grown up in, one whose once firm precipice is about to give way beneath us because, as it was then, so too, today. Nothing will ever be the same. We know what’s coming and what’s expected of us when it does. We are blessed to have the Holy Spirit and our Bible as our guide. Thankfully for us, our Father has given us a step-by-step detailed guide to follow. Jesus, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, placed it on the hearts of those who have gone before us, pioneers of the faith, stalwarts, each.

As for me, by God’s grace and in His strength, I have decided to follow Jesus. “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 3:13.

As the old hymn says, “No turning backing, no turning back.”

When asked by Jesus if he would turn away like so many others, Peter has the best answer I’ve heard concerning the decision we each must make. Do we follow Jesus, no matter what happens, or do we fall away?

” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope]. We have believed and confidently trusted, and [even more] we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ, the Son of the living God].” –John 6:68-69.

Jesus assures those who follow Him that trials and persecution will come.

But to those who persevere, who’ll not deny Him, who’ll stand and fight, lifting His Banner of Righteousness, Love and Truth high above whatever tides of opinion or rejection may ebb and flow around us, to them, to us, He says: “But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.” –Matthew 24:13.

Friends, listen to what Joshua shared with those who, like us, were facing the same spiritual battles we are. “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” –Joshua 24:14-15.

Who will you fear? And by fear, I mean respect, reverence, serve, honor, and obey friends.

Who will you serve? You not choosing is your choice. So, if you’re still wavering between serving the world or the Lord, may I encourage you to cease delaying now and choose Jesus!

Natural vs. Supernatural: Faith, Hope & Love.

January 20, 2024 /

Elda Othello Wrightington

Do you like to journal? I have always kept a yearly journal. My most recent entry reflected on the last three years of my life. Over the previous three years, I’ve had my faith tested in 2021 and experienced hopelessness in 2022. Last year, the sincerity of love was questioned due to hurt and disappointments in 2023. As I journaled and poured out my heart to the Lord about love, the last and greatest of the three things, I realized something. Faith, hope, and love can be seen with either the natural eye or with supernatural eyes. “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” —1 Corinthians 13:13.

Let me explain.

Faith can be portrayed and publicized in the natural world on clothing, bumper stickers, jewelry, etc.; hope is often used loosely and casually.

For example, “I hope I win… (You fill in the blank).”

And, for the most part, in the natural, the word love is also often used by many like any other four-letter word.

“I love my car; I love these shoes; I love this song.”

Love is literally used to describe just about everything and any experience one can think of that brings pleasure. However, God helped me see that faith, hope and love are undeniably different in the supernatural. The Bible’s definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things Hope for and the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is bold, brave and has substance.

It’s daring to believe in God no matter what, “even if,” because the truth is, in the Spirit, there is nothing too hard for God. Faith makes everything possible when we’re operating in the Spirit! Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” However, trying to walk by faith in your flesh is contradictory and impossible because you’re trying to do something supernatural in your own strength.

You might be going through a season where your faith is being tested, and you’re trying to encourage yourself in your own strength.

Maybe you’re using some method of motivation or positive self-help talk, i.e. “I can do this… this is the plan. Follow it.” And though you might start out with desired goals in mind, even some good ideas, to move forward in these goals, the truth is, in the natural, your perceived notion of having faith really has no substance. It’s just your futile efforts greasing the wheel that will only get you so far. I found that the more I tried to exercise faith in my natural strength and abilities, the more I took my eyes off of God. The more I did that, the more it affected how I thought.

I didn’t know what to believe because my eyes were reaching for everything except God.

However, when I remember faith comes by hearing the Word, everything changes. “Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.” –Galatians 3:2.

And hope sprung up within me when I remembered God’s Word is Truth. “Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth.” –John 17:17.

And when I remembered that God is Good, I remembered His love for me. “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!” –Ps. 107.1.

I can depend on God’s Word. His Word is the only sure place to find faith and hope. It’s there I found substance.

Faith and hope really do go together.

God’s Word is dependable. His Word has substance. God’s Word never lies. His Word gives hope and helps cultivate faith. But loving someone or something can honestly try your faith when that love is being tested—when love tests your hope.

I realized loving in the natural, eros-romantic love is very different from agape love, God’s unconditional love.

You may be struggling with a relationship issue with your partner, spouse, brother, or sibling. Maybe it’s with your children or friend (philia love). I have noticed that when we struggle with the natural forms of love, we question God’s Love. That is what happened to me. Sometimes, the enemy will try to use these natural forms of love to taint God’s agape love.

Agape love is constantly demonstrating itself. We see the ultimate evidence of this at the Cross. “For God demonstrated His love towards us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” –Romans 5:8.

“Us” entails everyone. You, me, and even that person who has caused your hurt or pain. It’s so easy to confuse and get hurt by natural love because it’s so easy for us to lose ourselves in it. Carnal love is tangible and attainable; it can be touched and felt, unlike God’s love, which can surely be felt, only differently. So I found myself asking the Lord to forgive me for confusing eros and philia with agape love. For expecting from others what only God can give me.

The truth is, agape love, God’s love, is what remains after Philia and Eros leave. God’s Love is consistent. It doesn’t change. No matter what we have done. God’s love is quick to forgive and longs for reconciliation.

When my eyes were again opened to agape love, when I welcomed and embraced God’s love, only then could I walk in forgiveness. When hurt settles in the heart after experiencing rejection, upset and or trauma, agape love can heal, restore and help you believe in the goodness of God’s love again.

Friends, I encourage and remind you of Romans 8:28: “All things work together for the Good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”

There is purpose amid pain. Pain is a natural, tangible feeling that is hard to shake. It requires you to pursue faith, hope and love to help heal it because these three things, when chased after and seen through God’s lens of the supernatural, will bring healing, peace, and so much more! God has a plan and purpose for your pain, but unless you choose to align with His plan by agreeing with the healing power of faith, hope, and love, then the struggle in the natural will continue to be difficult and daunting. Friends, if you have not accepted Christ, today is the day. I invite you to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He will lead you in the ways of Faith, Hope and Love.

Let’s Talk About Faith.

November 25, 2023 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” –Hebrews 11:16.

Sometimes, as horrible as it sounds, cancer can be a gift from God to change us from the inside out and teach us how to relate to others who will come after us and need our encouragement.

Back in February, I received horrible news about my health.

I heard those words people are terrified to hear: “You have breast cancer.”

When we hear these words, our hearts can sink, our hope can fade, and our flesh quickly kicks in to create discouragement. And with all the terms thrown around in the world’s culture—words like odds, chemo, radiation, and only a percentage of those…

When bad things happen, we are to trust that the God I spoke of in my last teaching, The One True God Jeremiah followed and obeyed, is working all the “bad things” together for our good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” –Romans 8:28.

How can we obtain such faith?

We ask for faith, and God gives it as a free gift. “For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith.” —Romans 12:3.

Faith to know that the Dunamis power of the Holy Spirit, which lives inside us, strengthens us to live powerful lives of faith, just as Jeremiah and the great cloud of witnesses which have gone before us did – We must believe this is true! “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” –Hebrews 11:1.

As I said back in October. It’s incredible to me how we can have this same faith to obey today as Jeremiah did back then. We are not Jeremiah or Paul, David or Esther. We don’t have the same call as Jeremiah or any of those before us, but we can learn how to walk out our calling by paying attention to their testimonies. We can look at Jeremiah’s testimony and how he did it and be inspired and encouraged to follow God as he followed God.

Our faith stands tall when we are on top of the mountain, and everything is going well, yet our confidence must remain when we are at the bottom of the valley and things are falling apart.

We must know that our identity is in Christ, and our culture is based on Christ’s Word so we might not give into fear and be overcomers. Yes, regardless of our deep faith, we can still shake a little when bad news strikes, but we know the promises God makes to us, and we must hold onto them, knowing that: “Not one hair will fall off my head. He is unaware of.” –Luke 21:18.

If God is aware of just one hair falling off my head, how much more aware is He of my entire being?

Those moments of suffering that follow the bad news are excruciating at times, but we call on Jesus through it all, and, like Jeremiah, Paul, and those who have suffered bad news before us, something inside us, something bigger than us, knows that somehow God is at work! I remember calling out to Him in agony all night and day. His answer to me was: “I AM.” He was not specific, but something deep inside me knew “I AM” was at work. I didn’t see or feel anything, but I knew My Daddy was working something out for me in the Spirit, and sure enough, He was.

That faith carried me through the moments after the chemotherapy and the injections I had to take. Later, my oncologist noted that my painful experience was a good sign; my body responded well to the treatment. As I reminded us last time I was with you, we are unique and are called to experience God and His purpose and calling on our lives differently. So, my experience was not precisely like Jeremiah’s experience or any of those who have gone before me. Still, it certainly was a stern test to endure, a test that is becoming a testimony in this season of my life.

Regardless of what happens in time, we live for eternity in heaven with our Creator King.

Jeremiah teaches us in chapter 1:5, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

This Scripture speaks to us individually. Our calling can look different than everyone else’s, but we must embrace it, knowing that God specifically and strategically designed it according to our makeup and mission here and now. Only He who holds tomorrow knows what tomorrow holds, and He is already in tomorrow and waiting to say to us: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I pray every person reading this word is encouraged and renewed in their faith. Bless each one. Bless their calling, and launch them into the next level in their faith, amen! And those that have yet to know You as I do, I believe You’ve called them here today that they might. If this is you, please, like all those who have gone before you and me, obey God’s calling you into a relationship with Himself. Just say yes and mean it, like we all did. Then trust God to do what He can—free you from the world’s grip. “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” –2 Corinthians 6:18.

Choosing Sides.

November 18, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” –Philippians 4:4.

While in prison, Paul wrote to the church in Phillipi. Within His letter, he reminds them—and us—to rejoice. Did you catch that? While in prison himself, Paul reminds his brothers and sisters to rejoice.While in prison? Yes.

While going through our own trials? Yes. Every Blood-bought believer will one day face having to choose sides. Faith or fear?

Even at the bedside of your ailing child? When you lose your job, husband, wife, or home? When the doctor’s report is less than favorable? Yes, yes, emphatically, yes! As Christians, we can rejoice always, and, like Paul, we can do it despite the circumstances we find ourselves.

How?

Let’s start with the Truth—it’s not easy. We must be determined. But it is possible because God’s Holy Spirit at work in us affords us the ability to choose rejoicing over sadness or despair, allowing God to dress us in garments of praise rather than our walking alone, clothed in rags of sorrow. Contrary to how we may feel, choosing to rejoice at all times, in every circumstance, will anchor us to God and bolster our trust in Him as we walk by faith. “For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].” –1 John 5:4.

1 John 5:4 and Philippians 4:4, along with countless other scriptures found throughout the Bible, point us to the Source of our ability to “rejoice in the Lord always.” As with anything of eternal value, Jesus, by the power of His Holy Spirit at work in us, gives us the ability we do not possess apart from Him to overcome, to choose to rise above our trials.

Like love and forgiveness—right and wrong, following the narrow or wide paths, character over comfort—we must intentionally choose to rejoice. Each of the above is a by-product of our will, forged by our obedience to God, His will, and Word.

Do you remember pick-up? When you and your friends would choose teams to play some schoolyard game? Two captains would be selected while everyone else lined up and waited for their names to be called. “I choose John.” “I choose Sarah.” On and on it went until everyone had been picked. Regardless of the game, those chosen to play knew there’d only be one winner, yet that knowledge never stopped them from hoping they’d win and giving it their all.

Friends, we are both team captains and those waiting to be chosen. Each is afforded the free will to choose who and what we will serve daily. Fear or faith? The Spirit or the flesh? Like those waiting to be picked, we who stand in line know that one day, perhaps two, our names will be called. Eventually, we’ll hear:

“I’m so sorry to inform you that your mom, dad, husband, wife, childhood friend has just passed away.”

“I’m going to have to let you go. I’m so sorry this comes at such a bad time.”

“Your test results didn’t come back quite as we’d hoped.”

Jesus never promised our lives would be easy—free from heartache, loss, pain, or difficult choices—quite the opposite. He assures us that if we are His, if we smell like sheep, then, like our Shephard, our name will eventually be called to come pick up some cross whose weight we’d fall under, if not for the One helping us to shoulder it—the One, in Truth, who carries its weighty load for us. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” –2 Corinthians 12:9.

Notice how the above Scripture assures us of God’s help “each time” He chooses us to carry such a cross.

It reminds us, too, that we have a choice to make. We’re free to go it alone—kicking the dirt, head down, focusing on everything that’s gone awry—or we can look up! At any moment, we can decide to accept God’s Truth and the sure hope that weeping over our loss of anyone or anything—any circumstance or “suddenly” allowed to touch us, may endure for a night, but joy will come again.

In this knowledge, we take comfort in and are kept afloat by the fact that nothing can touch our lives without first having passed through the hand of our Sovereign God. “Then he broke through and transformed all my wailing into a whirling dance of ecstatic praise! He has torn the veil and lifted from me the sad heaviness of mourning. He wrapped me in the glory-garments of gladness.” –Psalm 30:11. This knowing—coupled with our understanding that our God is good, loving, kind, merciful, ever-present and will always bring good from even the darkest, most difficult of days, weeks, months, out of every trail, whose intended end is to refine us—causing us to look more like Jesus.

Still, Jesus will not allow evil, injustice, or any trial we might face—those He sends or allows to strengthen and refine us—to overcome us. “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” –Ezekiel 34:13;16-17.

As captains, or those waiting to be chosen, we must decide how we’ll respond one day when our “suddenly” shows up. Will we walk in the flesh—kicking the dirt, looking ever downward? Or look up by faith, daring to believe God. Daring to be transparent and with a trembling humble, voice cry aloud, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,”

So here it is, friends, the how-to and the why of it. “Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.” –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Dear friend, if you’re here today, doing your best to keep your head above water without Jesus, I would encourage you to invite Him into your heart and circumstances. Even if you need to be sure He’s listening or cares. He is, and He does. Jesus is big enough to handle your doubts and fears. Just pray, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” If you sincerely seek Him, I assure you He will answer you. “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.” –Matthew 7:7.

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