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

Category: God’s Word (Page 8 of 8)

Don’t Blame The Seed!

MaryEllen Montville

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” –Matthew 13:3-7.

Three distinct conditions. Three types of soil. Let’s start today’s teaching on the same foot by taking a closer look at three conditions described in the “Parable of the Sower.”

Question? Is it the fault of the seed (God’s inerrant Word) these three soils (various conditions of the heart) don’t produce fruit? Answer. Absolutely not! How can I say this with such authority? Easy, I’m quoting God. It’s by His authority that I speak so boldly. Hear the Word of the Lord: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” –Isaiah 55:11.

Our inability to produce good fruit can’t be blamed on God.

He has equipped us with the best of everything we’ll ever need to do the work He’s called us to do. To grow deep and sure roots, bearing much fruit—if we stay connected to Him, The Vine, our Source, and strength. Suppose, with humility; we persevere under any condition. In that case, we’ll find ourselves trusting the God we serve, that this “Sower of Good Seed” has a purpose and plan for every state we find ourselves in. “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” –Hebrews 13:20-21.

Our first step in today’s journey starts with examining the condition of the path. “…some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.” _Matthew 13:3. Anyone who’s walked on a well-worn footpath through the woods knows its hardened earth can often be as planate as blacktop—made solid by years of wear and the pressure exerted by many sets of feet. Thus, anything falling atop it stays exposed—making it easy pickings for some bird of prey to swoop down and take it away. So too, with the sin-hardened hearts of men who hear the Word of God and reject it. It “falls” on them but does not penetrate their sin-hardened hearts, made so by lack of interest and unbelief—impervious.

Next, we have the rocky place. “Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.” –Matthew 13:5-6. Some fertile soil is found here, but not much; thus, whatever roots manage to sprout and take hold quickly give way at the first good gust of wind or slashing rain. The soul this seed represents shows interest in the Gospel, they believe—but only so long as conditions are right. At the first sign of pushback, what had begun to take root in their hearts quickly shrivels and dies. Its roots are far too shallow to endure such pressure.

And the last, thorns, these prickly things. Somehow most everything gets snagged on their barbed spikes—distracting, harmful. “Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.” –Matthew 13:7. These looping spiny tangles cause this tender seed to become smothered. Thorns are exacting. Their suffocating, spiny maze chokes the life out of anything attempting to make its way to the Light. “And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit.” –Matthew 13:22.

Which are you? Are you the path? Sin-hardened and unbelieving. Trusting no one but yourself? Not able to receive correction. Set on doing things your way? If so, I understand. I, too, was once knee-deep in my sin, my life a trainwreck, my thoughts void of God—or my need for Him. But, thankfully, his mercy and choice of us are not based on our behavior, worthiness, or belief in Him. Being Sovereign and our Creator, God gets to enter any life He so chooses, whenever He so chooses, changing it eternally. I pray that you find this out for yourself sooner than later.

Maybe you’re the rocky path instead. You go to church most Sundays, and at least a few days a week, you find yourself reading your Bible. While driving back and forth from work, sometimes in the shower, you pray. You believe there’s a God who hears prayer and answers. Well, He answers most prayers anyway. You’re still not wholly convinced He’s not holding back on you. Perhaps angry over that thing you did, so He’s withholding, not answering all your prayers. If this is you, I can confidently say that many Christians were in your shoes at one time or another. They, too, misbelieved God was mad at them for that thing they had done.

But God is not mad at you. He loves you—unconditionally, madly, deeply, enough to die for you! And here’s a news flash. He loved you while you were doing that thing. Did He like it? Heck no! God can’t abide sin. Never! But you, He loves. So how do you resolve this tension within, this sin issue standing between you and God? You repent. Tell God you’re sorry and really mean it. Press into Him wholeheartedly so that your tiny hair-like roots might grow strong, deep, sustaining you. Lest the first good wind or slashing rain that comes your way take you out, causing you to turn away from God in fear.

And you, child of God, what are you doing among the thorns!? “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” –Matthew 13:7. The cares of this world are choking out your faith. Your misdirected, divided attention and loyalty cause you to stray from the narrow path—the straight way. Desiring what you don’t have, you lack contentment with what God has given you. Allowing yourself to be pulled in too many directions, you attempt to please everyone but your audience of One, misguidedly pushing God to the back burner, the last “to do” on today’s list. God comes after everyone else has gotten a piece of you. Scraps are what you offer Him these days, leftovers.

When did you become so consumed with more? How quickly you’ve forgotten that what you currently have was once the very thing you hoped and prayed for. How will you ever grow, thrive, and reach your God-given potential, living choked out? Closed off from seeking God unmolested. How will you get to that green open place beside still waters where the two of you can meet? Where the Vinedresser will cut away everything that has done its best to choke out the Light of His presence.

 But fear not! Take heart, friends. With Jesus, there is always hope! “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear” Matthew 13:9. I pray the Lord finds us all walking, with determination and passion, along this, His most excellent path. As this teaching makes clear, we have choices. Will we choose to accept Jesus into our hearts or reject Him? This is our great and eternal choice; saying yes to Jesus. Accepting, believing in, receiving salvation from sin, He died to afford us—more the relationship He desires to enter into with us.

So, if you don’t have this relationship, haven’t asked Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior. There’s no better time than the present. And there’s no set formula, no right or wrong way to do it. Jesus is drawn to the sincere cry of those who’ll acknowledge their need and desire for Him. Just be real with Him. Ask Jesus into your life as Lord and mean it. Admit that you need Him, that you’ve sinned and are genuinely sorry. Then trust what the Scriptures promise you. “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.

Embers

Kendra Santilli

How do you start a fire with ashes?

Seasons come, and seasons go. And often, it feels like we have nothing left to give. Nothing left to offer on the altar. Our spirit is consumed, burnt out. Our fire has slowly subsided, and we cannot reignite it. Thankfully, we serve a God who makes beauty from ashes. And it is His Spirit that can reignite the embers of our souls. I’m not sure why some seasons are ripe with passion while others feel like a drag, but one thing I know is that Jesus is the one constant through it all. Whether mountain-high or valley-low, our circumstances will quickly begin to inform our perspectives if we’re not diligent about keeping our fire burning.

The fire of the Holy Spirit makes us come alive. It is all-consuming. He is an indicator of our spiritual health. And while He may ignite feelings of passion and vigor, He is not in and of Himself, a feeling. The Holy Spirit is the Living presence of God inside of us. Just as God was the Flame that met Moses at the burning bush, He is also the Flame that meets us within our hearts.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” –Romans 12:9-13.

“Be fervent in spirit.” In Latin, “fervent” comes from the word fervor, meaning “a boiling violent heat.” This language is clear. By the power of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to maintain a living boiling, “violent heat” within our hearts. Keeping our flame alive is not accomplished in ways that come naturally to the self-serving, self-absorbed human heart. It comes from total surrender to the Lord and His will, which is servitude. His heart is that the world may know Him, but it is also that He may have a relationship with His bride, who is His church.

Years ago, I felt myself slipping into laziness. I would have what seemed like an endless list of chores to be completed. I prayed that God would give me the energy to do what needed to be done in the mundane day-to-day tasks. In my prayer, He showed me two things: number one, I was giving in to laziness, and number two, I had the power to overcome laziness before it could overcome me. The word I got from the Lord during that prayer was this: whatever it is you don’t feel like doing, do it. I was expecting God to change my habits in a moment. I wanted Him to make me want to do all the chores and all the tasks. I was ready for Him to grant me my wish of instantly becoming a laundry lover. Instead, He reminded me that I also had a part to play in my prayers. I have never forgotten those words whispered to my spirit that day. I have carried them with me since.

You see, complacency leads to embers, not flames. When you don’t feel like showing up, it is when you need to show up. When you don’t feel like honoring the person you are doing life with, you need to show up and outdo them in showing honor. When you don’t feel like you have a fervent heart, you must go before the Lord and ask for a refill. Romans 12 is clear, serving the Lord will only ever increase your fervor.

find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them… everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” –Ephesians 5:10-11; 13-14.

As we go about our lives, it is impossible to never be around nonbelievers. That is why it is of utmost importance to the believer that they stay close to the body of Christ. Our flame is kept alive there by the flame of the brother beside us. When we come to Jesus, His light exposes our wickedness. It makes us uncomfortable and causes us to live differently. Romans 12 doesn’t say to leave the people of God. It doesn’t say to stay around people who hate God. It instructs us that serving the saints (other believers) gives us life! Ask God for His Birdseye view when your circumstance seems to be guiding your perspective. If you feel hopeless, rejoice, knowing that you have hope even when you can’t feel it. If you’re suffering or facing tribulation, choose patience instead of complaining. Seek out the good instead of pointing out the bad. If you don’t feel like praying, pray anyway. If you don’t feel like serving, serve regardless. If you don’t feel like being hospitable, do it despite your feelings. Our faith is not based on emotions. It is to be laid down, an offering on the altar of our hearts for the Lord and others.

Of course, mentally, we must take time to reset and find our bearings, but we cannot live there. Complacency is a detrimental dwelling place for our souls. Reset and then press on!

Today, I pray that you are encouraged to find the flame that burns bright within your heart. If you feel down, I will echo the words in Ephesians 5:14. “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” I pray you find your zeal as you serve the Lord and His people and grow in generosity.

And if you read this today and said, this is me! I can relate to this. But have not asked Jesus to be Lord of your life. Then that is your starting block. The surest and only lasting way for the fire in your heart to begin burning brightly! “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” –John 14:6.

Awaken; Part Two.

Matthew Botelho

“I assure you An hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has Life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son to have Life in Himself” –John 5:25-26.

Hello to all my brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus. Since the last time you and I came together, there has been such an awesome move of God in our church! I can say with the utmost confidence the Holy Spirit is moving within our sanctuary, changing many people’s hearts. I have witnessed people coming to the Lord with a growing hunger within our church. Lives are being changed at the altar during times of prayer. The messages from the pulpit have been hitting their mark. People are awakening to the voice of our Lord Jesus! I will confess to you, my dear friends, that this has been something I have been praying for, and after years of asking God to be part of such a move, I am witnessing Him answer! I am seeing it come to pass here and now. What a blessing it is to witness these moments and share them with all of you.

As we open up part two of “Awaken,” let me ask you. Have you ever been reading a section of scripture you’ve read many times before, when suddenly the Holy Spirit grabs hold of you and says, “this, this right here. This is what I am doing”.

Holy Spirit did that very thing to me with today’s scripture. And that has me stirred up. I see people enter the sanctuary beaten down, saddened, depressed, and anxious. To see these strongholds on my brothers and sisters has brought me to tears. Being stuck in those dark places has made it difficult for them to see the Light of Christ and cry out to Him to direct their steps. But God, so rich in mercy, has sent His Son, our Lord Jesus, to be their Light. To awaken those who are dead in their sins. You can literally see the burdens of their week being lifted. Those having walked in downcast now raise holy hands in praise as joy fills their hearts.

This transformation is no mere coincidence. Only God can bring about such change. Our Lord says, “Come to Me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30.

Do you want what Christ is offering?

Then let us not harden our hearts or ignore His voice. Instead, as you read this, I am praying that you desire this freedom and that a new hunger for God’s Word is being stirred up within you. “Come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep under His care. Today if you hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts as at Massah in the wilderness where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen what I did” –Psalm 95: 7-9

This change first happens when Christ awakens His Spirit within us. The Light of Life dawning in our hearts.

When Light enters a dark room, the darkness leaves. When Light comes in the morning, we are awakened by it. In the same way, Jesus has come into your life as Light. His Spirit in you has made you aware that you no longer need to walk the way you once did. Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness” -–John 12:44-46.

The Light of our Lord Jesus will always overcome the darkness. You are set free of your sins; they have no hold on you. This change starts when we are born again.

In John’s gospel, Jesus is having an engaging conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Nicodemus has witnessed signs and wonders that no man could do unless God were with him. Nicodemus knows that there is something different about Jesus. Nicodemus is awed by Jesus and wants desperately to understand how this, all he has heard about and witnessed firsthand, is possible.

Jesus gives Nicodemus the answer that will forever change how we approach God.

Listening in on Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus, we hear Jesus make plain this new way we must all come to God. Jesus said, “I assure you: unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” –John 3:3. It never has and will never be about how “good” we are or about the “good” works we do. We are awakened in our spirit man by our Lord Jesus. For God is spirit, and to have a relationship with God, it must be through our Lord Jesus; and that starts within the heart. Let’s repeat that; change begins in the heart! Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord how is it you’re going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” –John 14:22-23.

As we end, my dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you to seek God’s will daily. I pray you will seek Him earnestly and for a fresh revelation and infilling of His Holy Spirit. May God illuminate His Word as you take it in. “Life was in Him, and that Life was the Light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it” –John 1:4-5.

And friend, if you don’t yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior yet feel God tugging on your heart, don’t walk away from Him. Today is your day for salvation. Please, do not let Him pass you by. Hear God’s promise to you. “Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies” –John 11:25.

Trust, Me.

Maryellen Montville

“The Lord All-Powerful says, “Try this test. Bring one-tenth of your things to me. Put them in the treasury. Bring food to my house. Test me! If you do these things, I will surely bless you. Good things will come to you like rain falling from the sky. You will have more than enough of everything” –Malachi 3:10

If you’ve been attending church for any length of time, you’re likely familiar with today’s verse. It’s generally used in relation to tithes and offerings. And though we’ll touch on tithing today, there’s something else I’d like to share with you from this verse. A principle the Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit this morning as I was praying over this teaching concerning trust. He put His finger on two words from this familiar passage, “test Me.” And what God dropped in my spirit concerning those Words had little to do with money.

Let’s explore what He gave me, shall we?

Tithing involves obedience. It demands you meet God smack dab in the middle of His “test Me.” It means laying your tithe at His feet, walking away, and trusting God to keep His Word. Blessing you however He sees fit.

Having that level of confidence, of faith, that joy of giving back, the thrill of “I get to” is born from having experienced God’s faithfulness in the past. It springs up from a deep well of trust fed by an ever-deeper well of intimacy. An intimacy developed within your relationship with Jesus. And it’s sustained there. It’s fed, made fat by a steady diet of God loving you and your wanting, chasing after the Giver far more than His gifts. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” –Matthew 6:33.

I just spoke of a relationship with Jesus. Do you have one? If not, friend, before you read on, I ask that you stop and pray. I assure you; asking Jesus into your life as Lord of all is a choice with eternal consequence. There is no more important message in the world than this. Jesus loves you. He died in your place, making way for you to be restored into right relationship with the Father. A relationship broken in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for fall men” –Romans 5:17-18.

And If you don’t know how to pray, talk to Jesus; it’s really quite simple. Just ask Jesus to come into your heart as your Lord and Savior, tell Him you’re sorry for your sins, and mean it. I’m adding His Word to help guide you. “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.

Now, we can continue…

When you choose to believe God will do what He says He’d do, believe in the surety of His “test Me,” your measure of faith will be stretched. And over time, your faith in God as Promise Keeper will become rock solid, like that faith spoken of in the old hymn, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Though none go with me, I still will follow, no turning back, no turning back.

And yes, friend, you have the choice to obey God, to follow Him, or not.

Why? Because you have free will. Your salvation and free will are a gift from God; He has granted you the freedom, the weighty privilege, of choosing or denying Him. Life, or death.

Earlier, I spoke of the Holy Spirit, causing two Words in Malachi to stand out. I alluded the blessings you receive from God for the faithful, heartfelt surrender of your tithe aren’t invariably attached to some financial reward. And this is the truth. Because often, your blessing comes in the form of good health. It comes from having a warm, safe home or apartment or getting a new job. It’s God bringing that future husband or wife into your life. The blessings that flow from God’s “put Me to the test now in this” involves your eyes having opened this morning, Kissing your kids, your husband, wife, or parents, one more time. You can see and speak. You’re in your right mind.

Moving your limbs and having anything in your pocket to offer back to God is a blessing.

How about when your blessing is holding the child every doctor said you’d never be able to carry? Is that where God’s “test me on this” showed up in your life? Or was it in God’s answering that midnight prayer? When salvation was visited on your wild child, mom, or dad. Let’s talk about God’s greatest blessing. His having afforded you a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.

Beloved, God’s “test me” really equates to His asking, “Do you indeed trust Me? Trust Me enough to accept that I know what is and isn’t best for you. Trust that I know when you need whatever you think you need right now.” Do you trust God’s character? That’s the real question here. That’s what the Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit. Because when God says, “test Me,” you can bet your life He’ll deliver. “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” – Numbers 23:19.

Friends, nowhere in the Bible do you read God telling anyone to test Him—outside of Malachi. Actually, the very opposite is true.

Yet concerning your giving back to God a portion, a mere tenth of all you’ve been blessed to earn, here God instructs you to test Him. Actually, it’s a command; to give Him back a tenth of your earnings and watch how He’ll bless your life. In Malachi 3:10, God explicitly references money, yours, by which I mean whatever money He has afforded you. “You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” But you shall remember [with profound respect] the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore (solemnly promised) to your fathers, as it is this day” –Deuteronomy 8:17-18.

A humble heart recognizes that had God not blessed you, be it with one dollar or one hundred thousand dollars, you’d have nothing. Go ahead and reread Deuteronomy 8:17-18 if you doubt that.

So let me ask you this? Do you trust God? Are you willing to lay down that dollar in your pocket, the one He afforded you, and do what He asked of you? Test Him and see that if done with a joyful, loving heart, He won’t throw open the windows of heaven and bless you—however He sees fit. I have tested God on this, and I can assure you, friend, that God has been faithful to me in ways that have both blown my mind and humbled me to my core. And neither had little to do with money. The fact that Jesus died for me, has forgiven my every sin; if His blessings had ended there, I’d have been given what I did not deserve. And yet, Love continues to give and give.

Before I close, I must clarify that I am not suggesting that if you tithe a tenth of your income, God will bless you with some significant monetary windfall. Is it possible? Indeed, it is. He is God and can bless you however He chooses. But don’t get it twisted. God is God—He’s Holy. God is not the Lotto—lay down a dollar to win back one hundred. Nor is God an investment banker. Tithing is not about; I give God a tenth and He doubles my investment. God’s “test Me” is not tied to money. It’s bound to your trust in Him.

“That religion which costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing.”― Charles H. Spurgeon.

HARVESTING HOPE: That Your Joy Maybe Fulfilled.

Elda Othello-Wrightington

There is time and a season for everything. The most challenging seasons bring a lot of weight, pain, and questions. Yet they also bring unforgettable moments of God’s Faithfulness. Psalm 126:5-6 reminds us, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

This has been a challenging season for me. In August, I had a miscarriage. Words cannot explain the utter emptiness I felt due to it. I actually felt numb. What made matters worse was how hard it was for me to worship. Anyone who knows me knows I love to worship and praise the Lord. Well, that first Sunday, when the worship team started playing, my hands went up, yet I felt absolutely nothing. For the very first time in my life, I couldn’t feel God. What I felt instead was numb and disconnected from my Daddy God.

Feeling disconnected from God scared me. It brought even more tears on top of that shed due to the trauma of my miscarriage. Hopelessness settled in my mind and slowly made its way into my broken heart. “Yet this I call to mind and there I have hope” –Lamentations 3:21. So one morning, I grabbed my bible, not really expecting anything but secretly hoping that maybe, just maybe, this would help me connect with God. And let me tell you, God spoke!

The Lord took me to the Book of Lamentations, Chapter Three. And did not my soul lament as the prophet Jerimiah’s did? It sure did. But the Truth of God’s faithfulness in this passage, for me, began the process of healing and gleaning. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” As believers, even during the most challenging moments in our lives, we can pull from God’s faithfulness, His Living Word, to help us cultivate hope. The passage goes on to say. “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his love” –Lamentations 3:31-32.

God is a promise keeper. Despite the Israelite’s faithlessness and obedience, God still had a plan.

Someone reading this may be experiencing some level of grief. You’ve lost someone. Maybe something you were a part of for an awfully long time has ended. Things are changing, and you, too, find yourself lamenting. If you’re that person and haven’t accepted Jesus into your heart, I want to invite you to do so now. How? As always, your help, direction, the surety of every promise God has given you is found in His Living Word.

Romans 10:9-10 are the Words you’ll need to start your walk with the Lord today. They assure you of this simple Truth: “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.” I encourage you to open your mouth and declare Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Believe in your heart; honestly believe, with child-like faith, that if what you just prayed was sincere, you have been saved, freed from sin and eternal death. Galatians 3:22 reads, “But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”

We have to have faith to have access to the promises of God. And that faith allows us to cultivate hope (and I’m not talking about faith in ourselves because, let’s be honest, sometimes faith in ourselves or others is not enough).

We must be connected to Jesus, for he is the author and finisher of our faith. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” –Hebrews 12:2.

If you just decided to accept Jesus as your personal Savior, I’ll let you in on more good news!

You are now carrying something inside of you. And that something is God’s seed, His Living Word. It lives inside of you now! “Galatians 3:22 reads, “But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.” Hold on to God’s faithfulness. It will help you have hope, even in your tears and waiting. How? By remembering what God has done for you in the past. Remembering what His Word says about you.

There is hope, even if it is as small as a mustard seed, for the Word of God says, “Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches” –Matthew 13:32.

You might wonder, how can I continue cultivating hope for the harvest? To me, sowing in tears means never giving up on God, even when you want to give up on yourself, your future, or others. God’s plans are better than we can imagine simply because He is. He knows our beginning from our end, and His plan for us is good. “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope” –Jeremiah 29:11.

So, one of the first ways to cultivate hope is to sow God’s Word into your heart.

May your heart be the tender ground where Its seeds are sown. Then, as a result, I hope you become grounded in God’s Word and His promises.

Even in our weeping, it is possible to harvest hope. We can weep and read the Word. We can weep and trust his promises. We can weep and know that every tear will reap joy in its season.Seed time and harvest are inevitable. However, what we produce results from how much hope we have and how we choose to respond to God.

So I leave you with this love note written to me from God. I’ll share it as a word of encouragement to you all.

I’m here. Stop doubting me. I know how much you care for me, and I know so many things don’t make sense. I am working in you, and I am not punishing you for anything. No one can understand the mystery of my ways because it’s designed that way. Giving up is never the answer. There is no death in my world. Your loss is not a loss to me. I am touching you with my love even if you don’t feel my touch. Be anxious for nothing. You can’t feel me because you need to relax. I can, and I will do what is best for you. Stop doubting if I am with you or if I hear you. Things are not always what they seem. —God.

John 15:11 NLT “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

Foreshadowing.

MaryEllen Montville

“And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” –Nehemiah 8:10.

In Chapter Eight of Nehemiah, while reading from the Book of the Law of Moses, Ezra, the priest, reminds God’s people of the festival known as Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths. A feast God commanded the Israelites to observe. A feast of which those Israelites who’d recently returned from Babylonian captivity had long forgotten.

Sukkot is over now, but just. It ended at sundown, October 16th. God’s divine will and timing caused this verse in Nehemiah to leap off its page as I read it. Why? Perhaps God wanted to remind us, Jew and gentile alike, to “remember and rejoice.” And if you have a personal relationship with Jesus, that’s all the reason you’ll ever need to do both!

Now is the time to remember—to reflect. To re-consider how your loving, merciful, patient God delivered you from your “Egypt.”

And then, dear brothers and sisters, rejoice, thanking God afresh, this day, for His election of you. Sincerely repent of having drifted away, certainly. Then let your tired hands take a fresh grip on your faith and press on—despite your past sins. “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees” –Hebrews 12:12. Wipe your eyes, rejoice that God has restored you like the prodigal and Israelites before you. Remember, too, that God’s hands continue to rest above and below you, hemming you in, Beloved. The Spotless Blood shed for you, protecting you now; you are loved with an unquenchable love. “You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” –Psalm 139:5-6.

Sukkot is a yearly feast God commanded all Israel to observe. It’s one of three “pilgrim feasts” Jewish people are commanded to celebrate, bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you” –Deuteronomy 16:16.

Sukkot follows the Day of Atonement. A day when every observant Jewish person rests from their labors and all pleasurable activities. Instead, they wholeheartedly fast and pray, repenting of their sins before the Lord. It begins at sundown and concludes at sunset the following day. We read of its origin in Leviticus 16. And it’s in this same chapter that we learn of the term “scapegoat.” “Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat” –Leviticus 16:7-10.

No, this isn’t a lesson in Judaism or its feast days. And yes, I am going somewhere with this.

We’re headed straight to the foot of the Cross, to Jesus, that Spotless Lamb of God. Jesus, our Advocate, seated at the Right Hand of the Father. God’s own Son, who put an end, once, for all, to any further need for scapegoats, animal sacrifices, and feast days. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” –1 John 2:1-2.

Jesus has always been. From the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation, we see Jesus. The Alpha and the Omega, beginning and the end.

The foreshadowing of Jesus’ death, the shedding of His innocent, atoning Blood, understood in the imagery of the animal’s God slew in the garden. Innocent blood, shed—their bodies broken, stripped to cover Adam and Eve after they’d sinned. “The LORD God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them” –Genesis 3:21. God has always had a plan. From the time of man’s fall, before, really, somewhere in eternity past, Jesus was at the ready.

And as “way too big as that is for our limited, finite minds to fully take in,” God surely foreknew every detail of every life that ever has or ever will exist. He knows our every sin, thought, the decisions we’ll make, every word we’ll speak, well before we speak them!

My point? I have a couple.

Firstly, as one who has felt the weight of their sin, been convicted by God’s Holy Spirit for allowing myself to stray from my Father.  I empathize with why those Israelites began to weep when Ezra read from God’s Word. The reality of their desperate state had seeped into their hearts and minds; God’s Word ought to cause true repentance to pierce the heart of those who hear it. Remember, the Israelites knew God. They’d once walked in His ways, obeyed His commandments. Yet they’d drifted from Him. Instead of clinging to God, holding fast to His commands, they’d instead taken on the world’s ways—the pagan practices of their captors. They’d become almost indistinguishable from them. God’s people had become so immersed in the culture and comforts of Babylon that many decided to stay put—leaving God and Israel far behind them. Why?

Because leaving behind the world and all it had come to mean to them would have required sacrifice—and sacrificing their comfort, what had become familiar, was a price they simply weren’t willing to pay.

Secondly, I understand why those Israelites began to weep when Ezra read from God’s Word. They had been restored, forgiven, were home now, returned to the land God had promised their ancestor, Abraham. Covenant had been restored. Not that God had or could ever break it. Man alone does the breaking; God alone restores. Those Israelites gathered before Ezra had repented of their sins, and God, merciful Father He is, had washed them white as snow—a foreshadowing. I, too, have experienced this with God, at least partly—the washing as white as snow. Like so many of you, my brothers, and sisters, I’m still waiting. I’m hoping, looking forward to walking into my promised land. An eternity spent worshiping Jesus, that Spotless Lamb of God I spoke of earlier. Soon and very soon, like the Israelites before me, I will once again and forever be at home with my Lord, my Savior, my Great Love.

Dear reader, I understand that for one who does not yet know and love Jesus in the way I’ve spoken, asking you to ask Him into your heart as Lord and Savior might seem a strange request. But I’ll ask it of you, nevertheless. Why? Because I know Jesus loves you. Not like people you’ve known, who’ve loved and hurt you. Jesus’s love is pure and good. It restores and washes clean. Jesus’s love gives you hope and joy, and freedom. I know this not because I write about it but because I experience it, daily.

Jesus loves you. He wants to have a relationship with you. I pray you’d want that, too. Don’t stay stuck in the ways of the world. Come home to Jesus instead. How? By being born again. “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, 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. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” –Romans 10:8-11.

Awaken!

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.

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