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

Category: God’s Word (Page 3 of 8)

There Were Witnesses.

March 30, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then, there are those like the guards.

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

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

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

There will only ever be two groups of witnesses.

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

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

Which will you choose?

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

A Call To The Light.

March 23, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

To glorify God in everything you do.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Are Enough.

March 16, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God had predestined this moment in time.

He knew how He would feed the people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Living Bridge.

March 9, 2024 /

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus, Our Deliverer.

March 2, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

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

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

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

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

Jesus delivers us from so many things:

• The Evil one (Matthew 6:13)

• Our enemies (Psalm 31:15)

• Death (Psalm 33:19)

• Personal Attacks (Psalm 18:43)

• Fears (Psalm 34:4)

• All our troubles (Psalm 34:17)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Thing…

February 24, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30.

In today’s world, my dear friends, we all need rest. I mean a deep rest. We need to shut out the world around us and focus instead on seeking God. For a long while now, I have felt in my spirit that many of us are battle-worn, tired, and needing replenishment. After all, a vessel cannot pour out if it is empty. Something must fill it first. Then, it can be used to pour out. And from what I see, many today are poured out, dry vessels needing a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. Needing to cry out to Jesus and pray for His fresh wine, His blessings, and His fullness to come in and fill us—quenching and replenishing our thirsty souls—me included.

And yet, as I am sure you know, shutting down the world around us long enough to hear from God can be difficult.

Why? Because it surrounds us. We walk out our doors, and it is our faces. We turn on our television, tablet, or computer, pick up our phones, and multimedia tries to tell us what to believe or listen to. Some of us have jobs that are void of the Light of Christ. We are the only ones working there who may know or share the Gospel of Christ. All this can be tiring and discouraging. But, my dear brothers and sisters, I have come to remind and encourage you today that despite how you may be feeling, you are the Light of Christ Jesus—a glory carrier.

There is so much noise and distraction in our world and minds that it can often make it nearly impossible to remember this Truth. So, I will remind you instead of what Paul writes: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” –Ephesians 6:12.

At our church, we are being reminded and encouraged by Psalm 24:7 by our pastors and elders. “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.”

Friends, you are the gates when you worship the King of Glory!

His Holy Spirit will open wide the gates of your heart to receive the fulness of what Jesus has for you as you worship. Worship is the posture of our hearts as we praise Jesus alone. When you are dry and tired, seek Him. When you need wisdom, seek Him! Come expecting God’s fullness to overtake you, filling you to overflowing whenever you realign your vision and reposition your heart to His—receiving from Him instead of pouring out into others.

In Luke 10, Jesus is at the home of Mary and Martha.

As Jesus is reclining at the table, Martha is preparing and running around getting things organized for dinner. All she wants to be is a good host for her company, which is good, but Martha is very distracted. Her heart is that of a “deliverer.” Being a deliverer means serving with everything in you—giving it your all, but Martha is not taking the time to be replenished. What ends up happening? She gets discouraged.

Her sister Mary, however, is found sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him teach, taking in His every Word. She is having an intimate moment with Jesus. Her heart is far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world around her. All she wants is to be with Jesus. Mary’s heart has taken the posture of a “receiver,” taking in the fullness of what Jesus was teaching and speaking to her, being filled up and readied to pour out.

Friends, if we just stopped and listened, as Mary did, and let God be God. If we would stop and take a knee, I assure you the posture of our hearts will truly change, just as Luke 10 reminds us: “But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone therefore tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:40-42.

Jesus says: “But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen the best part.” Did you catch that?

Jesus requires just one thing from us during our time with Him: To listen and receive. To be intimate and intentional in our time with Him.

Martha got so busy that she may have forgotten who she was serving. Yes, we are to serve in our churches and communities, but we must never forget the One who gave us the gift of servanthood and salvation. Jesus first served us, so we need to follow His example. But we must never forget what Jesus commanded us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33.

Mary realized that she was in the presence of God and showed humility by placing herself in a posture of worship as she gazed upon the King of Glory. I can only imagine what He must have been teaching at that moment and what it must have felt like to see, hear, and feel the fullness of God. 

My dear friends, as I close, do not harden your heart to what was shared here today, to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Your heart is what Jesus requires—service will naturally follow. When you are tired and need to be refreshed, seek Jesus first. When you seek Him, you also receive the fullness of His Kingdom. In Him alone, you will find rest.

Father God, I pray those reading this who have yet to call You Lord will today declare Your son Jesus as Lord over their lives by repenting their sins and asking for their lives to be washed clean by the Blood of our Lord Jesus. Let today be the day of salvation, and heaven rejoice over this one who has come in. Amen. In Jesus, you will find forgiveness and salvation for your souls, and His sinless Blood will wash away your every sin.

Scripture promises this: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” –Romans 10:9-10.

And Romans 10:13 makes clear: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

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!

The Ultimate Treasure.

January 27, 2024 /

Kendra Santilli

Reward.

A mechanism so deeply embedded into the fabric of human functioning, reward is what fires off dopamine in our brains to make us move forward. Did you make a good meal? That is the reward for the labor of love that is meal preparation. Did you get a paycheck? That is the reward for the work which you so diligently put your hand to the plow. The relaxation of a clean house is the reward for the effort it took to clean up. A garden’s harvest is the reward for spring sowing. The list can go on, but you get my point. Perhaps this was a psychological system carefully placed within us with great intention by our Creator, God. It is the vehicle that drives us deeper into our pursuit of Him, and this deep dive is only discoverable to those who seek Him.

“… the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them… Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.” – Matthew 13:11, 16.

You see, the more you know in Christ, the more you want to know.

The reward is the privilege of going deeper in Him. In fact, according to this verse, understanding the “secrets of the kingdom” is a gift. God has given them for us to know. In verse 13, Jesus says, “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” – Matthew 13:13. On our own, we can neither see nor hear the things of the spirit. We can certainly try, but without God opening the ears and eyes of our hearts, we cannot understand the things of The Spirit. We cannot see the reward of knowing Him without His blessing of understanding.

I believe that God wanted our relationship to be so rich from creation, knowing that He was our delight and reward. The reward is not merely in what He gives. Rather, it is simply in who He is. The Psalmist, David, is described as “a man after God’s own heart.” – 1 Samuel 13:14. If we look to him as an example of what it means to be after God’s heart, then we know that The Lord was David’s delight. He was David’s reward. “Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing” – Psalm 16:5. David knew that the things of this world are easy distractions from the Kingdom of God. He knew that seeking the Lord took diligence and was worth it.

The key to knowing the blessing of seeking the Lord is repentance.

To live in His blessing is to bear a broken and contrite heart before Him (Psalm 51:17). Consider this beautiful promise found in the book of Job: “If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; you will remove iniquity far from your tents. Then you will lay your gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver; for then you will have your delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.” – Job 22:23-26

If you return to the Almighty…

It is easy to leave all the other parts of this Scripture out and skip to the part where you will be built up. It is clear in Scripture that God works in covenant- contracts of sorts with mankind. Returning to the Almighty requires humility. The condition of the human heart makes it difficult to confess sin. Our pride builds walls between us and God that only humility and the Blood of Jesus can take down. This Scripture makes it clear that redirecting the object of our affection from material wealth to Almighty God moves us into favor with Him.

When we take that step towards returning to the Lord, we begin the journey into discovering more of Him.

The more we seek Him, the more we want to know Him. He simply becomes The Reward. Maturity teaches us that nothing is more satisfying than the joy of knowing Jesus. “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalms 73:26. Our hearts and minds consistently lead us in the wrong direction without the wisdom of God to guide us, but, with pursuing Jesus comes the wisdom to make our every decision.

While we often search for fulfillment in our families, friends, or occupations (although all good things), we fail to realize He is it. Jesus is the Treasure. The treasure lies in the steadfastness of His character. Jesus is constant- He always provides, always protects, always restores, and always fills every need. Jesus is the treasure not necessarily measurable by what we can see with our physical eyes.

If you don’t know Jesus, I have good news for you. He is alive, and He loves you more than you can fathom. Receive Him as your Lord and Savior and begin to discover the treasure that is knowing Him. “But those who embraced him and took hold of his name he gave authority to become the children of God! He was not born by the joining of human parents or from natural means, or by a man’s desire, but he was born of God.” –John 1:12-13.

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.

Expecting.

January 13, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“For while some are saying, “Finally we have peace and security,” sudden destruction will arrive at their doorstep, like labor pains seizing a pregnant woman—and with no chance of escape!” –1Thessalonians 5:3.

Sonsofthesea Family, please forgive the delay in this teaching being sent out. To err is human. I apologize.

Firstly, to my brothers in Christ, please, don’t let the image or title of this teaching cause you to turn away, thinking, “This is a woman’s message.” It’s not. It’s a message for us all. We are all expecting—regardless our gender. At least, we ought to be.

One of the many things I love about Jesus, His Word, is how He used everyday language. Imagery and references the average man could easily recognize. Old, young, man, woman, rich or poor, there was always something woven into His teachings for everyone—except, of course, for those who had zero interest in hearing it. But that is a message for a different day.

Today, I’ve been assigned the task of sharing with you what  Holy Spirit shared with me.

Words like “expecting, labor, timing, pain, sacrifice, suffering and such will be used.” As you can imagine, there was little surprise for me when Holy Spirit started using the imagery and language of birth to get His point across. God is nothing if not consistent.

So we’ll jump in here, and I’ll share with you what He shared with me:

When a woman is expecting, ready to deliver her child, what initiates her labor?

What thing or things must happen before her labor can begin?

According to an article submitted by Johns Hopkins, science doesn’t really have an exact answer to this question. They can’t articulate precisely why the onset of labor pains happens when they do. They can tell us about statistics, variables, studies, and parameters. They can share their guidelines and methods used in determining when a woman’s labor will likely occur—some window of sorts based on age-old and irrefutable facts. Years and centuries worth of compiled, detailed accounts and studies. This data has enabled science and doctors to narrow a woman’s due date to within a two-week window.

So, somewhere between here and there, things will start progressing quickly, speeding up and bringing the expecting woman’s body to the very brink of birth.

Maybe here is where my brothers say, “I thought you said this wasn’t a woman’s message. So far, it’s been all about what happens to women!” But wait, hang on, please. We’re about to pivot. You’re about to start to see where you fit into this message.

Interestingly, the Bible compares the rapture of the Church to the onset of a woman’s labor pains.

In fact, It’s so specific in its comparison of the two that God’s Word assures us Jesus has no more idea when this blessed event will occur than a woman knows the day or hour her labor will begin. “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” –Matthew 24:36.

Imagine, Jesus, the One who was born, crucified, died, and resurrected on the third day to save us, has no idea the day or hour in which He’ll rapture His Bride. And a woman, though pregnant and able to calculate her approximate due date, has no clue, really, when her actual labor will start.

The reason for them both not knowing? In a word, God. “He answered, “The Father is the one who sets the fixed dates and the times of their fulfillment. You are not permitted to know the timing of all that he has prepared by his own authority.” –Acts 1:7.

No one, not even His Beloved Son, Jesus, can move outside God’s expressed will, plan or Divine time. In the same way, nothing can live, move, or have its being outside of God’s expressed will. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” –John 5:30.

Only God in His Sovereignty, holds all time and times in His hands.

Jesus has no idea the day or hour He’ll first meet the Bride He’s given His Life for, gone and prepared a place for her. This Bride He loves passionately—fed and nurtured, loved and sacrificed and was willing to endure much suffering for. The Bride Jesus gave up His Body to protect all that she might be with Him and the Father always. And yet, not even He knows the day or hour He’ll first be able to hold her in His arms. Those same arms once nailed to His Cross.  

As I pivot here one last time, let me say this:  this teaching, with its comparisons and conclusions, is intended to point us toward God and His Sovereign control over all things.

It’s to land us squarely on the Truth that, contrary to who we are, what we may be seeing happening around us. Whatever imminent brand of darkness is looming ever closer, something more ominous and pervasive than ever before. Despite all that we see—and may feel, as Christians, such things ought not move us. We must rely on God alone. His Word alone. We must keep our eyes fixed on things above, not the swirling chaos at our feet, barking at us like some ratcheted-up junkyard dog hellbent on frightening us.

In closing, Jesus told His disciples it was best for them if He went otherwise; He could not send them the Comforter—one who would come and take up residence within them. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.” –John 14:16-17.

Though neither knows the exact hour, Jesus and the woman know their hour is upon them.

That some gossamer-thin veil of time is about to tear, ending the preparations, anticipation, and expecting, ushering in their reward for having endured the fullness of time. For one, a baby. For the other, a Bride. Each starts as a seed within the other. “For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love.” –Ephesians 1:4.

Jesus, the Ultimate Sacrifice, will soon be made eternally One with His Beloved. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.” –Mark 13:7.

If you’re a Christian, you’re also expecting. At least, you ought to be waiting, watching, making ready, preparing yourself and those in your family, workplace, classroom, at the market or gas station—for Jesus’ soon arrival. “Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” –Ephesians 5:16.

And you, friend, if you have yet to meet the One who is patiently waiting for you to call out—”Jesus, save me!” Now is the time. These are perilous times. And no man is promised tomorrow. I don’t say this to frighten you; watch the news for confirmation. But, if my telling you moves you to cry out to Jesus, I’ve done what I was sent to do. Point everyone who will listen toward Jesus, the Savior. “For while some are saying, “Finally we have peace and security,” sudden destruction will arrive at their doorstep, like labor pains seizing a pregnant woman—and with no chance of escape!” –1Thessalonians 5:3.

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