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

Category: Destiny! (Page 1 of 5)

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.

Child of God

October 28, 2023 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” –Jeremiah 29:11.

Jeremiah is a man who suffered profoundly and who speaks from his own experience. He is a man who had a calling from God to reach a rebellious people, his own people. He was ridiculed by the people he was assigned to lead and encouraged to return to their God. Jeremiah’s heart was broken over and over again by his own people. Sometimes, he wished he had never been born; Jeremiah wanted to escape, isolate himself in the desert, and, at times, he even questioned God and himself. In Jeremiah 2: 13:1-2, He speaks of two specific evils done. “They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and They dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.”

The big question Jeremiah asked then is the same one many ask today: “Why is bad stuff happening to me?”

Naturally speaking, this question makes sense and has value. However, looking at it from a biblical/spiritual perspective, we understand it differently as a child of God. Every Blood-bought believer is a child of God, carrying God’s very nature in them, so it is up to each child “how” they’ll answer the question: “Why did God allow bad things happen to such a good man of God?”

Every person has moments of questioning, but from Jeremiah’s perspective, we see that he stood firm on the path God had called him, while these moments appeared eager to steal his calling.

Jerimiah’s example of steadfastness shows us, centuries later, how to handle tough times of discouragement and testing!

Jeremiah felt passionately about Jerusalem’s destruction and his people’s affliction.

In those moments, what do we see him do?

Jeremiah chose to seek God and pray for the people of Judah that they might turn back to their God. Deep in Jeremiah’s being was a knowledge far greater than his own. It spoke to him of God’s heart. What He wanted, what God was like—his Character.

After years of preaching and suffering, even his family turned against him and plotted to kill him. “I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.” –Jeremiah 15:21. Over the years, Jeremiah was whipped and put in the stocks. He was attacked by mobs and threatened by the king. He was ridiculed in many ways, even thrown into cisterns where he sunk into the mud – yet regardless of what tried to come against him, Jeremiah stood firm!

Jeremiah knew deep within himself that God equipped him for these difficult situations, and he didn’t give up or stop whenever he was faced with one. He remained steadfast. Such deep knowledge of who God is, this supernatural knowing, fortifies the soul and body amidst the most difficult of trials a person can encounter.

 In His Sovereignty, our never-changing God is still calling us today—counting on us to stay steadfast to our calling! The question is, will we?

Jeremiah is just one example of how to walk out our faith and walk in the calling God has assigned each of His children.

Looking at Jeremiah’s life, we could reason and say that we don’t measure up or possess what he had, but the Truth is we do. It’s different, yet the same.

God puts inside each of us the calling He wants us to fulfill through us, just like He did with Jeremiah. Our calling is unique and personal. Spend time with the One who prepared your calling before you were born. Hear what He is saying to you specifically through His Word. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” –Jeremiah 1:5.

Jeremiah understood the weight of his call, and we must also understand the weightiness of our own. God Himself prepares us for our calling; we’re simply vessels in His Hands. Yet, we tend to shrink back and give up when things get tough. Yet God expects us to persevere daily, even when that call isn’t exactly how “we” want it to be or how we planned.

We must surrender to the Truth that our calling is being executed God’s Way, according to His plan. We must align with His strategy, not Him with ours.

Our faulty expectations often produce disappointment because we expect things in the natural, but we are Spirit beings and should handle our calling in the Spirit. We are to know that He is God, and we are not. We must accept whichever way God works in and through us to complete this calling; His will not ours be done, just like He did with Jeremiah.

God will also do with us; we must trust Him as Jeremiah did. In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus reminds us: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”

This steadfastness is how Jerimiah demonstrated his faithfulness to God. Let’s be wise and follow Jeremiah’s steadfast obedience to the Lord in our unique callings and faith walk. Just like the men and women of God before us. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” –1 Corinthians 11:1.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I pray every person reading this word is encouraged and renewed of their faith. Bless each, bless their calling, and launch them to the next level in their faith, amen! And those that have yet to know You as we do, I believe You’re calling them here, now. If this is you, please, like Jeremiah, obey God’s calling you into a relationship with Himself. Just say yes and mean it, like Jeremiah did. Then trust God to do what only He can. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” –Psalm 51:10.

Down To The Last Detail.

June 10, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville…

“The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths. He then made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing. He made ten gold lampstands according to the specifications for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.” –2 Chronicles 4: 4-7.

Why such lengthy Scripture verses today? Firstly, faith comes by hearing and receiving the good news.

My hope? Someone read today’s Scriptures and be inspired or made curious, left wanting more of God’s Word. And by this, be saved. Without one audible word having ever been exchanged! This, because only God’s Word, not my own, can ultimately—and with lasting effect, minister His Truth to any man’s heart—believe it or not. “But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” –Romans 10:16-17.

Secondly, these verses embody the crux of today’s teaching. We serve a God with a meticulous plan and purpose for everything He has created.

One look at nature confirms that everything God called “good” is patently interdependent and somehow inextricably linked. The tree to the soil, its roots to the much-needed moisture found within, and its leaves or tops mingle and mix with the air we breathe. It is a known fact: humans breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, while trees breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. –Criswell Davis.

Today’s teaching, however, will focus mainly on God’s attention to detail—his far-reaching plans and our connection to them, not on creation.

For most of 2 Chronicles 4, we witness Solomon adhering to the plans for furnishing God’s temple, just as he did in its construction: plans given him by his late father David, plans given to David by God Himself. “Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan for the porch of the temple, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner rooms, and for the place for the [ark and its] mercy seat. All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the work and details [to be done] according to this plan.” –1 Chronicles 28: 11;19.

Our God is a God of precise order and detail. Such things matter to God. Why?

In part, God has a plan, and, He’s made a promise to His children. In speaking to the prophet Jeremiah concerning this Promise, God assured him: “Thus says the Lord, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne” –Jeremiah 33:25-26.

We know God’s promise was not broken because Solomon did build God’s temple. More, Messiah, King Jesus, would be born through King David’s earthly bloodline.

God’s plan for all things existed in Him long before He stood over the dark void and spoke things—our world, stars, sun, moon and galaxies, seas, land and every living creature, plant and seed, as it existed only in His will—until He called each out—into existence. And, just as surely, God’s plan for building and furnishing His Temple was part of His will—down to the last detail.

Being the wisest man who ever lived, I wonder if God allowed Solomon to understand why He’d chosen to use him to help bring the Temple, this shadowy image and likeness of Jesus, to life.

This foreshadowing of God’s only Son—foretold in its furnishings.

Did Solomon know his hand was being used to bring forth types and shadows of the very God who, when His temple was completed, would appear in such a real and powerful way that all worship of Him had to stop? “… They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” –2 Chronicles 5:13-14.

Regardless, I thank my loving Father for having such a far-reaching plan whose every detail was conceived in Pure Love. A precise plan which included you and me if you belong to Christ. A plan conceived somewhere outside of time as we understand it, where Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist, and where God foreknew man would fall—also, knowing they’d need a way to be restored to a right relationship with Him due to their sinful nature. So, in His Sovereignty and perfect Holiness, God alone provided the acceptable, Sinless sacrifice needed to make such restoration possible.

Hence, God’s foretelling of Messiah, our Savior, God’s Perfect Lamb, is made plain in the shadowy images of the temple furnishings:

The Altar: With its four horns, one at each corner, used to hold the blood sacrifice in place, symbolically, these horns represent the need for sacrificial atonement to cover the sins of God’s people; they are a foreshadowing of the Cross of Christ, and the perfect sacrifice that would one day be offered upon it, once for all. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.” –Hebrews 10:4-6.

The Laver: According to the Law, priests must use this wash basin to cleanse themselves before offering their sacrifice to God. Purity is of the utmost importance to our God. This perfect washing away—this complete cleansing, is fulfilled only in Christ’s shed Blood, which thoroughly cleanses His children of their every sin once, for all. “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.

Table of Showbread: 12 fresh loaves of bread were placed here weekly; they signified God’s provision—that He alone provides for His children’s every need; these loaves, a foreshadowing of Jesus, the Bread of Life, who, after tasting, no man will hunger ever again. “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.” –John 6:35.

Lampstand: Made of pure gold (remember, our God loves and desires purity from His children). The Lampstand was to be placed opposite the Table of Showbread. Thus, its pure light drew the eye to itself. In like fashion, it foreshadowed Jesus, True Light of the world. “This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].” –1 John 1:5.

Altar of incense: Was placed in front of the curtain separating the outer Tabernacle from the Holy of Holies. The incense used here represented the prayers of God’s people being offered up to Him, an act of mediation made by the priest on behalf of the people. In this, we see Jesus foreshadowed. A Pure and Holy God who intercedes to the Father on our behalf. “Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?” –Romans 8:34.

Ark of the Covenant: Contained inside the Ark are three articles representing the heart of our loving Father; Ten Commandments—God’s laws-point us to His Holiness, His Holy standard. Aaron’s Staff, God made a dead stick, bud and come to life. Lastly, a jar of Manna, food God provided His people in the wilderness. Each of these foreshadows the character, power, and All-Sufficiency of Jesus.

The Ten Commandments: “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” –Matthew 5:17.

Aarons’ Staff: (Bringing life from death): “The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. 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 10:17-18.

 Manna: “I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior], he will live forever. And the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).” —John 6:51.

The Mercy Seat: The mercy seat of God was placed over the law. God’s mercy has always stood between God’s exacting standards. We first glimpse this truth in the garden when God sheds the blood of innocent animals (Jesus shed Blood, foreshadowed) to cover—make atonement for—the sin committed by Adam and Eve. “Yahweh God made garments of animal skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.” –Genesis 3:21. Again, we see Jesus here; His completed work of the Cross, Jesus’ single, Perfect Sacrifice made once for all men, that their sins might be forgiven. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” –1 John 2:2.

Dear friends, it has always been the heart of God—His perfect plan that no one perishes but has eternal life. And that now, while on earth, we enjoy the fruit of a righteous, loving relationship with Jesus—not a perfect life, but one submitted and surrendered to the will of God. Such a relationship can be yours starting now if you ask Jesus into your heart and life as Lord and Savior. “God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.” –Hebrews 2:10.

Next…

March 18, 2023 /
MaryEllen Montville

“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.” –1 Kings 17:2-3.

As suddenly as summer rain, many of God’s children, myself included, are experiencing a season of change that fell upon us—seemingly unexpected. It’s like we’ve walked into an event already in progress and must catch up somehow—or so it feels. And yet, if truth be told, there were telltale signs that some-thing was coming. A shift in the atmosphere had occurred as with the suddenness of summer rain.

It was getting darker off in the distance if we were paying attention. But perhaps we were just too busy to have noticed? Maybe we were distracted? Or perhaps we thought we’d have more time before the sky opened and we got caught in a sudden downpour…

And yet, even with the rain causing everything to change on a dime, how thankful we are—or ought to be, that our Fixed, Un-Changing, Consistent and Loving God is at the epicenter of our suddenly. We ought to be grateful for God’s Sovereignty—that He reigns over every aspect of our lives. That no-thing is allowed to touch us which does not first pass through Jesus’ Providential Hands. “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” –Job 23:10.

And so it is in this epicenter of flux we find the Prophet Elijah—in God’s Providential will, nevertheless.

God was about to recalibrate Elijah’s trajectory, but He would not leave him directionless. Despite the changes he’ll soon experience, God gave Elijah clear directions for moving forward, pointing him toward provision, protection, rest, and safety. And God will do the same for you and me. Since God sent others, even the most unlikely of choices, to provide for Elijah, He’ll do it for us, Beloved. “You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there. The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he drank from the wadi. –1 Kings 17:4;6.

When God gets ready to transition us, He already has our “next” mapped out, already prepared for us.

The question is, will we trust God and follow the directions He’s giving us?

“Do not remember the former things, Or ponder the things of the past. Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.” –Isaiah 43:18-19.

A famine was about to strike the land. Chapter 17 of 1 Kings opens with Elijah telling King Ahab that it would not rain again until he, Elijah, said it would. “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” –1 Kings 17:1.

What do you do when everything you’ve come to rely on is switched up on you suddenly?

When God shifts your revenue stream, your daily routine? When His Divine Hand of safety or safeguarding your health, your children, parents, or spouses is suddenly removed? Elijah was about to learn the answer.

It wasn’t only those God had sent Elijah to who’d be affected by the coming famine. It would affect Elijah as well. Remember, God never promised to exempt His children from the troubles besetting this world. But He did tell us to remain strong and confident. That despite all that may be whirling around us, despite the changes, sudden or not, despite your pain and doubt, your questioning, God’s got you. All is well. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.” –John 16:33.

Yet before God blessed Elijah, He had to reshape him—ridding him of anything that might take Elijah’s focus and reliance off God. Little did Elijah know he was being prepared for so much more than he could imagine. That God was about to blow his mind!

God was preparing Elijah for his next assignment. And part of his preparation was God’s removing everything Elijah had come to rely on. From his daily bread delivery to the safe haven God had guided him to, all of it was taken away! The Bible doesn’t tell us how long it took for all this to happen, but we can imagine that for Elijah, whether overnight or days later, the world as he’d come to know it felt suddenly upended. But God had a plan! “Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” –1 Kings 17:7-9.

God closed the door behind Elijah so he couldn’t turn to the familiar, to what was. God was doing something new and needed Elijah not to miss it. So He stripped away the route, the comfortable, the familiar, anything that might distract Elijah from where He was leading him. “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” –Psalm 37:23.

God demands our undivided obedience. So when He says go, our only response ought to be, “yes, Abba.”

And Elijah said just that. He was obedient to God. And his obedience was rewarded with favor and provision. The widow did, in fact, supply him with food, just as God said she would. And all three of them ate and were filled. Oh, wait. I forgot to mention the widow had a son—he was the third person.

God used Elijah’s unwavering obedience and the unswerving faith of a widow who did not know Him to usher in the miracle that would save and sustain them each through their shared yet unique “suddenly.”

 “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’ “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.” –1 Kings 17:14-16.

So for those who, like this widow, may not yet know God for themselves, would you consider following her example? Would you trust that as surely as God sent Elijah to her that she might receive her miracle and live, He has led you here today that you might receive yours? 2 Corinthians 6:2 says it this way: “For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

God may change your season suddenly. You go to bed thinking you’ll wake up to life as you lived it yesterday, last week, only to find you are in the middle of an event already in progress and must catch up somehow—or so it feels. Yet how thankful we are—or ought to be, that our Fixed, Un-Changing, Consistent and Loving God is at the epicenter of every suddenly. We ought to be grateful for God’s Sovereignty—that He reigns over every aspect of our lives.

That no-thing is allowed to touch us which does not first pass through Jesus’ Providential Hands. “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” –Job 23:10.

Until Then…

January 28, 2023 /
MaryEllen Montville

“So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” –Matthew 9:38.

God alone knows the hour He will say to Jesus, His Son, “It’s time for You to bring Your Bride home. Now go—the house has been readied to receive her. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. –John 14:2-3.

In Matthew 9:38, Jesus was speaking to His disciples. He asked them to pray for the physical solution to a great spiritual need. We would do well to imitate this principle.

Countless souls from every tribe and tongue, desperate for hope, healing, and deliverance. Lost and wandering, sheep in need of a Shephard. In need of those chosen by God to proclaim the Good News to “whosoever will.” You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. –John 15:16.

Jesus knew many were ready. “Ripe” to believe in Him, in the Good News of the radical Gospel of repentance and salvation He preached. From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” –Matthew 4:17. The problem, if it can be called that, is that there was only one of Him. Only One who could deliver, save, heal and set free. One God-man standing amidst a sea of need.

Within Matthew, Chapter Nine, we read that Jesus healed a man who, some say, had been paralyzed since birth. Jesus also raised a young girl from the dead. Then, He called a new disciple. He restored the sight of not one but two blind men. Jesus healed a woman who, the Bible tells us, had been bleeding for twelve years. And immediately following all of this, and knowing the work ahead, the sheer number of those that will come to believe in Him as a result of the miracles He has and will do. Jesus knows the time is at hand for more “harvesters”  to be deployed. Those He will call, just as He did these disciples, to join them in their labors. And so, Jesus instructs His disciples to pray for those who are coming. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” –Matthew 9:37-38.

I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. –John 14:12. Jesus is not suggesting that anyone He had or, by the power of the Holy Spirit, will call to Himself, ever could or will “outdo what He has done.” No. When Jesus spoke these words, He was speaking of sheer numbers. Quantity, not quality.

In His Sovereignty, God knew there would be an ever-greater need for those who would do what He was doing—had come to do. The will of His Father. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord to the captive—setting people free. The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. –Luke 4:18-19.

Today, Beloved, we are blessed to have been chosen by God to do just that. Join Jesus in doing the will of our Father by proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord to the captive.

We get to spread the Good News of salvation worldwide with the click of our mouse. Via a single podcast or television program. Modern technology enables us to reach more people with the Gospel daily than perhaps Jesus did in His three-year earthly ministry. And, while some today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have been given the power and authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, lay hands on, and deliver a soul from oppressive spirits, not everyone who professes to be a believer will do any of one these. There are spiritual seasons. Seasons of grace in which the Holy Spirit moves in power according to the will of the Father.

God chooses to use us according to His will—think Jesus’s mother, Mary, here. Or Moses, Noah, David, and the Apostle Paul. Or that one God used just today to lay hands on that soul bound by addiction one moment and was freed the next.

The Apostles had power bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit per the season for which they’d been called. Remember, the Church was nascent. And God was moving differently than He did say, in David’s day or ours. Now that is not to say we will not or cannot experience such an anointing or outpouring in our time—that is for God alone to decide. We must watch and wait and be ready should it happen.

Yet even if it should, we will never outdo the One who created and endowed us with His power and authority.

Beloved, only God knows when He will send my Lord to bring us Home, ushering in then, the great and final harvest, the end of this age. How blessed are we to have been chosen to be a part of it at all! An answer to prayer? When Jesus and His disciples prayed to the Father for workers. They weren’t just praying for the one who showed up after the amen; they were also praying for us. That God would send us out to gather in those He had sealed in Christ Jesus from before the foundation of the world—so that not one soul be missed. God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do. –Ephesians 2:10.

 And so, Beloved, when Jesus returns, may He find us doing the will of our Father.

Dear friend, if you’ve read this far and what you’ve read makes no sense to you, please, take a moment, and ask Jesus to reveal its Truth to you. Invite Him into your life as Lord, repenting of your sins, and ask Him to give you new hope, new sight, a new life in Him! We don’t know when Jesus will return, only that He will. Please, be found ready when He does. “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. –Matthew 25:1-13.

All In God’s Timing.

January 7, 2023 /
MaryEllen Montville

In God’s timing, Majesty was born in a manger. Jesus’s Divinity, hidden behind milk rags, revealed now, Emmanuel, God with us. The Pure and Perfect Light of God’s Bright Morning Star has pierced men’s hearts – “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” –Revelation 22:16.

It was God the shepherds beheld, lying in His manger.

A revelation so overwhelming and weighty it created a chasm in their hearts, life-altering. The old seeped away from them as they glanced upon a reality too great for their finite minds to take in fully; Living water was poured in its place, filling them afresh—old things made new! “Do not be afraid!” That’s what the angel Gabriel spoke to those shepherds while they stood in the field—bewildered, transfixed. Wise counsel when you think how an ordinary man might respond when a messenger of the Lord is sent to him with a Word from God. Awe and holy fear—reverence, cementing their feet to the very earth on which they stood.

The Prophet Isaiah describes a similar moment. He once beheld the Bright Morning Star dawning in his own heart while angels at the ready surrounded the Living God. Not in a manger, but in heaven. Isaiah saw God seated on His Throne. And he plainly details the flood of awe and reverence, the overwhelming emotions which overtook him as he beheld the Lord of All Creation, the Great I Am, Majesty, seated on High. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty. –Isaiah 6:5.

The shepherds keeping watch in the fields on the night Christ was born likely experienced comparable emotions. Holy awe and revelation running hand-in-hand through their hearts and minds when the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared to them from behind the night’s black curtain—brilliant, white light! And on his heels, a whole host of equally bright angels singing, Glory to God on high!

Shepherds, a man with a promise, and God’s divine timing. In other circles, this could be the opening line of a not-so-funny joke, but spoken here, it’s anything but. Instead, the shepherds and the man with a promise are recipients—central characters in today’s teaching.

If you open your Bible or bible app to the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Two, it will be far easier for you to follow their story. A story of revelation, of a long-awaited promise, fulfilled each in God’s perfect timing. A story stitched together with watchfulness, obedience, patience, and faithfulness – being at the right place at the right time.

What man calls coincidence are actual circumstances or details determined by God in eternity past being revealed now, in time as we understand it. Moments and events stitched together seamlessly, some needed piece of God’s way too big plan for our lives showing up just as God Himself does—right on time.

That’s how it was with the shepherds in the field the night God’s star appeared.

Those shepherds who tended the sheep and lambs used as living sacrifices and offered up for the people’s sins—the revelation from Gabriel, their having witnessed God’s Spotless Lamb as He lay wrapped in His manger, each, no coincidence. Each determined in eternity past, evidencing itself at the precise moment in time God had intended. And while these lowliest of men were tending these sheep, suddenly, that night sky was torn asunder, and a blazing heavenly light shone around them—the glory of the Lord arrested them. They would never be the same again. Sure, they may have remained lowly shepherds their whole lives, but now, because of this divine revelation. Because of this Babe, they’d leave their livelihoods behind to chase after something so much more valuable than sheep.

Now, in addition to whatever else they may have done or become, they’d spend their lives under the watchful care of the Great Shepherd Himself—Jesus, the Christ.

The shepherds are behind us now, their story told. Next in line is the man with a promise. His name, Simeon. Scripture gives us no historical details concerning Simeon—not his tribe, age, vocation, or marital status. But it does plainly inform us that the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple courts on the exact day of Jesus’s circumcision—just in time to see the Babe in the arms of His mother as she and her husband were leaving the temple. The simple fact that the Holy Spirit led Simeon there tells us that Simeon had a close relationship with God. He’d been watching, waiting, looking out for, desiring the arrival of Israel’s Messiah. We would do well to follow Simeon’s lead—watching, anticipating, longing for Jesus to return.

That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” –Matthew 24:40-42.

Scripture also tells us that Simeon was a righteous and devout man. He longed for the Lord, and he lived to please him. And God promised him he would not die before he saw—laid eyes on “the consolation of Israel” –its long-awaited Messiah. Scripture also suggests that Simeon was an old man when he’d finally laid eyes on Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—indicating that Simeon had been watching and waiting for most, if not all, of his life for his Messiah. So again, we would be wise to follow Simeon’s example of faithfulness, perseverance, patient endurance, and watchfulness. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. –Galatians 6:9.

And as far as we know, Simeon didn’t live long enough to hear Jesus speak prophetically of His second coming. Still, the Lord had fulfilled the promise He’d made Simeon. God ensured he was among the privileged few who, at Jesus’ first coming, recognized Him as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” –Luke 2:27-32.

Not only did Simeon hear from the Lord more, Simeon was compliant with His leading. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple court. Many Christians profess to hear from the Lord. God has given them a specific Word or promise, yet if it does not happen within a particular time frame—theirs, not God’s, unlike Simeon, they give up on it. Tarrying, watching, waiting, believing God despite the wait—taking God at His Word—trusting Him, regardless. Simeon did this. So did David, Joseph, Mary, Moses, and Abraham. Paul and Peter as well. How about you, friend? How long will you watch and wait for the Lord?

Before I close, in addition to all Simeon’s faithfulness teaches us, I would be remiss if I did not highlight his unwavering obedience. Simeon trusted God, taking Him at His Word. He believed he’d see the Messiah in the land of the living—just as God promised. Coupled with his obedience, Simeon was also sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit. Thus, he was in the right place at the exact time he needed to be to experience the fulfillment of the promise God had made him—Simeon did see Jesus, the Messiah, more; he held Jesus in his arms.

A promise fulfilled in God’s timing, one that originated in eternity past. What man calls coincidence are actual circumstances or details determined by God in eternity past being revealed now, in time as we understand it. Moments and events stitched together seamlessly, some needed piece of God’s way too big plan for our lives showing up just as God Himself does—right on time.

Dear friend, this Truth applies to you as well. It’s no coincidence you’re here. It’s been ordained by God, mind-blowing, right? Still, it’s true. Perhaps you’ve been questioning God? Whether He’s real? Does He hear you, know or care about you? Yes, yes, yes, and absolutely! God loves you. So much that He sent Jesus, that Babe in the manger, the One the shepherds worshiped, the One Simeon waited and prayed for, the same Jesus who will return, soon and very soon. But will you be ready when He does? Have you invited Jesus into your life as Lord? I promise if you do and you mean it, He’ll come. God always keeps His promises—Simeon is living proof. And so am I.

Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. 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. –Revelation 3:20.

But That’s Impossible.

December 31, 2022 /
MaryEllen Montville

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin. –Luke 1:35.

Christmas has passed. And as we prepare to walk into 2023, many of us will do so with expectations, doubts, with wondering. “What will this year bring? Will I have peace? Will my faith grow stronger, my service to God more steadfast? Will I lay aside, even for a season, what I know God is telling me to step away from, that I might pick up, make room for, what He’s calling me to take up? My obedience in exchange for my comfort—the familiar, the rote. The good even.

Many of us will come face to face with the seemingly impossible in this new season.

We’ll find ourselves asking the same question Mary asked. “How, Lord?” You know God is leading you in a new direction, asking something of you He’s not yet fully disclosed—and may never. And you know that only by faith and reliance on Jesus, trusting the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit, will what God is asking of you be accomplished. So turn away from rebellion, put on discipline, and allow God to cut away the fat from around your heart—hardening it. Whatever the state you find yourself in these final hours of 2022, Beloved, repent if sin is present. Refocus, and follow hard after Jesus. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” –Isaiah 30:21.

The Holy Spirit has already brought some of you face-to-face with your Mary moment, whether good or seemingly bad. Your reading this is confirmation. As with Mary, the only question remaining is how you’ll respond to what you’ve been told. Will it be with a simple, humble, heartfelt, “Thy Will be done,” or will you proffer a litany of reasons why whatever God has or will ask of you is impossible? “How can this be, Lord? I don’t have the education, know-how, resources, the connections. I’m not gifted in that area. I haven’t the intelligence. I’m single, financially challenged, I can’t have children.”

Take heart, Beloved. You are not alone in your questioning. Others have also questioned how it is God accomplishes the seemingly impossible.

And as only God could arrange it, their question was directly connected to a seemingly impossible birth, the re-birth of man. His salvation. Being born again. That instantaneous regeneration occurring the very second Holy Spirit comes and makes His home in the life of the one God has called out of darkness into His glorious Light. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” –Mark 10:27.

Brother, sister, as surely as God unconcealed His will and plan to Mary and His disciple, He’ll do the same with you—in His own time and timing. Still, as it was with them, so too with us; God does not need to comply with our desire to know the ABCs of a thing before He brings it about. We must trust Him. Exercise faith in Him—in His Word—just as Mary and the disciples did. We must believe and have faith that whatever it is, God is birthing, salvation, a new ministry, marriage, a move, a book, or business, you having a child. However seemingly impossible, the thing may appear. If it is truly from God, He will bring it about. Hebrews 11:6 says this: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

So how will you respond to the Holy Spirit when He presents you with your “how will I ever take on such an undertaking” moment?

Mary asked, “How can this be” because she’d never known a man. Yet, for many of us, this same question will be asked in moments steeped in a lack of faith or fear of man, from coming face-to-face with our finite limitations or paralyzing unbelief. We will forget that the One who has overshadowed us, just as He did Mary—is calling into being that which has been in our belly from eternity past. Like so many before us, we’ll temporarily forget that the Sovereign Creator of this world is Omnipotent—He spoke, and it was finished. The world in a seed—perpetual. An orchard inside an apple—complete. We’ll fail to realize God is doing little more than manifesting an already-finished piece of His plan for our lives, some seed. That life-giving piece of the puzzle needed to make us complete in Christ Jesus is being birthed—bringing God glory. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. –John1:3.

How will you respond in your Mary moment, Beloved? Will you display belief and humility, knowing anything is possible with God, or question the same plans and purposes God Himself implanted within you, seed-like, in eternity past? In essence, saying there’s no way. Just look at me! That’s impossible!

We’re in a new season of, no, a new era of birthing.

Holy Spirit is about to overshadow many who are reading this—and some who are not—pulling from their depths the seemingly impossible. Those seeds, gifts, talents, ministries, marriages, a new level of boldness, and hunger for the things of God. It’s already begun. If you still yourself before the Lord, you may already feel the tiny flutters, the shifting of sorts that has already taken place within you—making room for the new—stretching you, making you Holy uncomfortable. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ –Isaiah 46:10.

You innately know this thing that’s about to happen—is happening, is going to cause you great discomfort, disrupting your status quo Christian walk in ways you would not have imagined just one short month ago. Welcome to the Mary club. The Apostles Peter, James, John, Paul, and even Gideon were members of the Mary club. The question walking into 2023 is, are you? Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” –Luke 1:38.

Friend, I can think of no more perfect way to ensure that you, like Mary, are open and welcoming of all that God has for you in 2023 and beyond than by asking God’s Son, Jesus, into your heart as your Lord and Savior. God has done His part. John 3:16 assures us of that. For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. And Mary did her part in partnering with God, scary as it may have been, by saying yes to God’s plan for her life. Won’t you ask Jesus into your heart today, now? Won’t you partner with God, allowing Him to birth all He has for you beginning in 2023?

The Promise Of Christmas

December 24, 2022 /
Maria Braga

Way back in (Genesis 3:15,) we learn the origin of God’s promise. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. At the fall of Adam and Eve, God announced the need for a Savior. Being Omniscient, God knew that a Deliverer was the only way to redeem humanity, a perfect Lamb, Jesus, His only begotten Son. For to us, a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. –Isaiah 9:6.

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14.

Isaiah wrote of the promise of a coming King the Israelites would know of hundreds of years before that promise came to pass. For centuries, there was anticipation among the people of God. They were looking for the royal arrival of this great King, the Son of God. Everyone imagined and expected Him to be much like the kings they had known. A powerful and possessive ruler, not a lowly baby found in a manger. 

Everyone knew that some young Israelite virgin would deliver the world’s Savior. I can only imagine living during that time! The questions, the anticipation, and even the competition among these young girls wondering who is the chosen one! Who will deliver this King? Is it me? Mary was a young Jewish girl. Many scholars believe she was around fifteen years old. She was not formally educated but most likely well-instructed in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible.) Her parents, grandparents, and family who attended the Synagogue had likely taught her the Scriptures. They all almost certainly followed the religious laws of that day. Every Jewish girl knew about the prophecies. They knew the books of the law, the Pentateuch.

History tells us that Mary lived a simple life in a small home with no running water, toilets, heat, electricity, or any of the modern-day conveniences we have today. She lived an everyday life as all the other girls her age. 

God had already given His promise, the stage was set, and the time came for the significant historical event. The people of Israel awaited a triumphant king on a mighty horse. A king who possessed all the trappings of royalty. But God had a different plan. He chose to do it another way. And so, He sent the angel to deliver the message to Mary.

The angel Gabriel shows up and speaks to Mary, a young girl who had never known a man. The angel came to her and said; You are honored very much. You are a favored woman. The Lord is with you. *You are chosen from among many women. When she saw the angel, she was troubled by his words. She thought about what had been said. The angel said to her; Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. See, you are to become a mother and have a Son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the place where His early Father David sat. 33 He will be King over the family of Jacob forever and His nation will have no end. Mary said to the angel, How will this happen? I have never had a man. The angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come on you. The power of the Most High will cover you. The holy Child you give birth to will be called the Son of God. –Luke 1: 28-35.

Mary’s response is phenomenal! She didn’t run, and she didn’t pass out before this powerful being. She was filled with faith, a little troubled sure, but without fright. She stood tall before the angel and took in the message the angel had brought her from God. Her servant’s heart amazes me! How will this happen? I have never had a man. Could this pivotal moment have been the very second Mary conceived? As the angel spoke the Word, did the Word instantly become flesh inside her womb? Mary’s faith moved heaven and earth when she said: Let it be done unto me according to your will.Luke 1:38 Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be it unto me according to thy Word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary was blessed among women, chosen, and filled with faith.

Mary lived a life that was pleasing to God. She focused on God’s promise when the battle began to rage around her. Those days were not easy for a woman. Her culture did not accept this kind of situation. It was considered disgraceful. And a young unmarried girl or woman in this condition would be stoned to death. Mary knew all about the troubles that lay before her. She knew her culture well! So Mary decided to visit her older cousin Elizabeth who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist! Upon her arrival at Elizabeth’s house, Mary greeted her cousin, and the baby leaped inside Elizabeth’s womb.

Perhaps, this was the first praise service!

Elizabeth blessed her cousin, saying, You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said He’d do. – Luke 1:45.

What an example for us to follow. As believers, we live assured that God will do what He promises. He never changes. When we face the impossible, like Mary, we might ask, “How can this happen?” But like Mary, we must believe, and trust that God is still fulfilling His promises. We must remember that what is impossible for man is possible for God. Mary was chosen to fulfill a promise given some 4000 years prior. We, too, must ready ourselves to have our faith stretched big enough to believe and trust the One who never fails to complete what He begins!

You and I are still chosen today to accomplish whatever God calls us to do.

Mary faced separate groups of people in her process. Some totally missed Jesus, like the innkeeper. Because of the census, business was booming. So he had no room for the King of kings to be born in his inn. Another was Herod, who represented King and government, and the others were the high priests of the day, meaning the religious sect. 

Mary also experienced the love, warmth, and care of other groups, like, the shepherds and the Maggi. There were also the animals, who kept them warm! Jesus, the Promised One, arrived unexpectedly because His ways are not like ours. From the beginning, God planned to save His creation, all humanity! The purpose of the coming of Jesus is to open the Way back into a right relationship with the Father. Everyone who receives Jesus as Lord and Savior become a child of God.

Becoming a new creation is called the miracle of salvation. 

The Promise of salvation born at Christmas is for every person living on the face of the earth. Mary clearly shows us how to have this kind of faith. She demonstrates servanthood. “Here I am. May it be done unto me according to your will.” 

This is a spiritual concept. The Holy Spirit comes into us upon receiving salvation, living within, and He begins to change us. We experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit and begin to understand spiritual things and grow and serve as Mary did. We must believe and trust what God says He will do!

If you have not asked Jesus to become your Lord and Savior, what better time than now, at Christmas? Please pray this simple prayer with a sincere heart, and you will be saved. “Father, in the name of Jesus, fill my heart. Change me and make me new. I repent of my sins; forgive me. Guide me in this new way of life and surround me with a spiritual family that will help me grow and advance in my new spiritual walk. In the name of Jesus, amen.

” 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.

Awaken!

October 15, 2022 /
Matthew Bothelo

Blessings, my brothers, and sisters in the Lord; I pray God’s peace continues to pour over everyone who takes the time to read this teaching. May we all grow in His knowledge, and may His Holy Spirit bring wisdom to all who cry out for it. God is so worthy of all our praise!

So, before we get into this week’s teaching, permit me to share what has been stirring in my heart for a few months.    

Awaken oh my soul, awaken

The Lord helps me to be steadfast and ready

Awaken all these dormant gifts

Resurrect my soul for You

Awaken oh my soul, awaken

Refill my heart with only You

Refill my heart with new wine

Strengthen my bones

Strengthen my soul

Awaken oh my soul, awaken

For my Lord will save me in times of trouble

He is always for me. He alone goes before me

He shows me the path to take. He anoints my eyes and allows me to see

For He is victorious overall, He has laid waste the enemy

He alone reigns. I fall to my knees

For He is holy and righteous, our Lord will never fail

My soul cries out to the one I love

He has awakened me from the dead. He has resurrected me by His blood

He has strengthened my bones. He has saved my soul

He has awakened me. My soul is awakened

My Jesus has awakened me!

This word “awaken” has been stirring in my belly for many months. The Church that once was asleep is coming alive now. And the Light of the gospel will be preached in its sanctuaries. Those men of God Christ have appointed will not shrink back but will boldly preach in the name of our Lord, Jesus!

Indeed, friends, times are dark. And it can be hard to see clearly. Yet remember the reminder our Lord shared with the people during His Sermon on the Mount. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. “In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” –Matthew 5:14-16. As Christians, we have been set apart from the world. We are that light in our homes, in our places of work, and in our schools.

Our Lord Jesus has given us the great commission. He gave it to His disciples then, and He reminds us of it today! From the greatest to the least, we are appointed. “Then He said to them, “Go into the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes; If they should drink anything deadly, it will never harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well” –Mark 16:15b-18.

If you have a relationship with Jesus, know Him as your Lord and Savior; You are a new creation. Your sins have been forgiven. And you ought to be walking in a manner the world is not used to seeing.

We may live in this world, but we do not have to think the way this world would have us think. The Apostle Paul writes, “For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims” –Romans 6:5-7.

Many right now are walking into churches searching for answers, seeing if there really is hope, a Light that will shine bright. Their lives are seemingly endless, void of any light. Yet Jesus calls us to be that Light. This world is dark, my brothers and sisters, and it will only get darker. But God’s Word will remain—shining evermore brightly! Jesus has come for those who are blind and roaming around in the darkness. And as they place their faith in Him, they will see clearly!

Deception equals darkness. And today, one such deception leading many astray says being a “good person” somehow equals salvation. But Jesus asked, “Who is good?”

Firstly, salvation is found only in God’s Son. Every good work, then, is the fruit of your salvation. “I am the vine; you are the branches, the one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me” –John 15:5. Just because you do good does not mean that you are good. Even an evil person can be nice to their own. But when it comes to someone else, they can be devious; their heart is not in the right place. God knows the heart, brothers, and sisters. The Holy Spirit is reminding many today that salvation does not come through their works. Instead, they must be awakened in their spirit and be firmly rooted in God’s Word. Without seeking God and knowing Him, they are still in darkness. To do God’s work, you must seek His will. We are called to partner and be in a relationship with our Lord.

Friends, the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of John 15:5, and so I’m reminding you. You have been called out, set apart to be God’s Light.

To remain where there is no light and life will only bring you spiritual stagnation and death. Do not let the ways of the world back you into a corner, intimidating you. Persecution will always be there for the believer. Jesus said, “Remember the word I spoke to you: a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy whispering and trying to remind you on who you once were. Jesus said, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” –John 10:10.

God also gives us the peace and assurance to know that no matter how bad things may get, He is always with us. “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” –John 10:10.

As I close dear friends, the Holy Spirit is revealing many other scriptures on this topic. If I were to continue, many of you would go cross-eyed, and my editor would have a thing or two to say to me later!

So instead, may God’s peace blanket your every negative thought, and His Word be sealed in your hearts. I look forward to our next meeting, God willing. And, if you’ve read this far, I pray this teaching is the confirmation you have been praying for.

And if you don’t know Jesus, have a real relationship with Him. Let this be the day our Lord Jesus calls you out of death into life. Declare that your sins are washed away by His precious blood. Do not harden your heart but be renewed in your mind and your spirit. Awaken to the freshness that is found in Jesus Christ alone. Amen. “Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life” –John 8:12.

Crossroads

August 27, 2022 /
Matthew Botelho

Crossroads- A point at which a crucial decision must be made, having far-reaching consequences.

Think of all the faith heroes who lived ordinary lives. Many were farmers, shepherds, and fishermen. Every day people like you and me. Many had families to provide for, and most of them faced the same problems we face today. In Ecclesiastes, the teacher says there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 3:5 “Whatever is has already been, and whatever will be, already is, God repeats what has passed.”

Same problems. Same issues of righteousness and unrighteousness; the only difference being the sets of eyes seeing these same problems—they were from a different generation. As we all stand closer and closer to the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, I cannot help but think about what was going through their minds and hearts when God called them and spoke the words, “Follow Me?”

For example, take Moses. Exodus 2:11-15 says, “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.”

At one time, Moses was a prince of Egypt. Then a severe circumstance occurred in his life, forcing him to ignore his station and act upon who he truly was. When his crossroads moment came, Moses chose to act. And as a result of that choice, Moses was exiled to the land of Midian. Yet all was not lost. God brought Moses to Jethro’s family. He was the priest of Midian. There, Moses ends up marrying Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah. “Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage” –Exodus 2:21.

Now, during his years in the wilderness, Moses cared for his father-in-law’s sheep; he was pretty content with the life he was living. Moses also had a family, a son named Gershom; Moses considered his life to be in order. Until the appointed day, God called him, setting him on a path that took him away from order and comfort and towards the extraordinary.

Instead of caring for sheep, God will now have Moses care for a different flock, His chosen people.

God was ready to deliver His people from 4oo years of oppression. And He’d chosen Moses for the job. “Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. “I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.” Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” –Exodus 3:7-10.

God had now led Moses to yet another crossroads moment. Moses had two paths before him. That’s part of the beauty and love of God; He’s given us free will. Yet, God knew the path Moses would take. Yes, Moses had doubts and fear. We see that in Exodus 3:11. “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” And we read more about those doubts and fears in Exodus 4:10. “But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”

How quickly we disqualify ourselves, focusing on our bad qualities, what disqualifies us, instead of seeing what God has already given us—sees in us. God sees the heart. And God knew Moses’s heart.

In one way or another, every child of God has experienced their own crossroads moment in life—or soon will. These moments of decision will not stop until we see Jesus face to face.

Now, I could have mentioned many others in the Bible who’d also faced their crossroads, but we’ll save some of them for the next time we meet, so don’t forget to look for part two of this teaching on Saturday, September 17!

But for now, how you face your crossroads moments in life is what determines how things will work out in your life. As I stated earlier, God loves us and gave us free will. So, it all comes down to what you will or will not do when you stand at your own crossroads. Jesus said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I have chosen you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask in My name, He will give you.” God already knew your heart, just like He knew Moses’ heart. And He knew which way you’d go when faced with such a choice. Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “He made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from the beginning to the end.”

My prayer is this: when you come to those crossroad moments, may God give you, His wisdom. May He speak clearly to your hearts and minds. May you walk in the patience and the love of Jesus Christ. May He reveal all these deep things you are searching for. And, when you hear Him, you do not harden your heart but be pliable, trusting God has appointed a specific time to meet with you. Amen.

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For He says: I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.” I pray you felt the tug of our Lord Jesus as you were reading this. If you are at that crossroad moment, I pray that you heed His call over you. He is ready to lead you to that defining moment that will bring you out of the wilderness and into the promise. Call out to Him and declare that Jesus is Lord in your heart and every circumstance. Ask Him to wash you clean of your every sin by the precious Blood of our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

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