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Category: Growth (Page 1 of 10)

If We Are Lacking Love, We Are Lacking Everything.

July 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Wesley Mendes

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” –1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Throughout the Bible, God’s Word speaks about the posture of our hearts. Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or are just beginning your walk, it’s important to reflect on the condition of your heart and intentions. We must ask ourselves before we step into our responsibilities or our ministries, if any; before we use our God-given gifts or talents, this one vital question:

Am I walking in love?

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…”

Think about what Paul is saying.

You can preach powerful sermons. You can sing beautifully. You can pray passionately. You can serve faithfully every week. You can even operate in incredible spiritual gifts.

But if love isn’t the foundation…

It’s just noise.

Paul goes even further. He says that you could understand the deepest mysteries of God. You could possess faith strong enough to move mountains. You could give away everything you own to help the poor. You could spend your entire life serving others.

Yet without love…

“I am nothing.”

“I gain nothing.”

Those are very sobering words.

Love isn’t an accessory to the Christian life—it is the very evidence of Christ living within us.

Everything we do should be anchored in the love of God because everything God does flows from who He is. Love Itself. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. “–1 John 4:7-8

God doesn’t simply show love.

God is love.

So if our service isn’t anchored in love, it isn’t anchored in Christ.

Jesus illustrated this beautifully in Matthew 18:23-35 through the parable of the unforgiving servant: “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went to their master to tell him everything. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

A servant owed a debt so enormous he could never repay it. Yet instead of receiving the punishment he deserved, his master forgave the entire debt. Entirely. Freely. But that same servant walked out, found someone who owed him a tiny fraction by comparison, grabbed him by the throat, and demanded repayment without mercy.

Jesus’ point is unmistakable.

How can someone who has received unimaginable mercy refuse to extend mercy?

How can someone who has been loved so extravagantly refuse to love others?

The truth is…

God loved us when we were at our worst.

God forgave a debt we could never repay.

God showed mercy when justice was what we deserved.

Today, He gives us the privilege of representing Him.

What an incredible responsibility.

We must first examine our hearts, asking ourselves: “Are we showing up in life with the same love that Christ first showed us?” Whether it’s at home, at work, or at school, our goal is to reveal Jesus.

Being a Christian was never meant to be a performance. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” –Matthew 15:8-9

As Christians, we’re meant to pour from our overflow; what’s already inside of us.

From the overflow of the grace we’ve received.

The mercy we’ve experienced.

The overflow of love that rescued us.

Your every act of service, in all you do, be rooted in this one simple truth …

You have been loved beyond measure. Now, go love others in the same way.

If this speaks to your heart today and you realize you’ve been lacking the love Christ has called you to live out, don’t let that discourage you—let it draw you closer to Him. Ask God to strengthen your heart. Ask Him to reveal the places where you’ve become impatient, unforgiving, judgmental, or simply indifferent. Invite the Holy Spirit to transform you so that when opportunities arise to show mercy, grace, compassion, and love, your response reflects the very heart of Christ.

Remember, demonstrating the love of Christ isn’t about trying harder in your own strength. It’s about allowing God’s love to change you so deeply that loving others becomes the natural overflow from what Jesus has already done in you.

And if you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, today can be the day that changes everything. The Bible assures us: “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

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived the perfect life we could never live, died on the cross for our sins, and three days later rose from the grave, defeating sin and death so that we could have eternal life.

Today, you can come to Him by faith, praying: “Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died for my sins and rose again on the third day. I repent of my sin, and I ask You to forgive me. Come into my life, be the Lord of my heart, and help me follow You all the days of my life. Thank You for loving me, saving me, and making me new.” If you prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, welcome to the family of God. Your journey with Jesus has just begun, and He will continue to shape you into someone who reflects His love more and more each day.

The Thorn In Your Flesh…

June 27, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“…So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” –2 Corinthians 12:7

So what’s yours? Your thorn, I mean? Have you never examined yourself, asking this question in your own heart?

Sadly, I don’t believe many do, at least not regularly. I know I didn’t, nowhere near as often as I ought to have, until the Holy Spirit showed me that I had a thorn placed in me. After coming to that realization, you can bet I started asking the question far more frequently. “What ‘thorn’ have You given me, Lord, and what is it meant to keep in check in my walk and service to You?”

Funny how we avoid questioning ourselves, isn’t it?

And by funny, I mean sad. Dare I say that our ignoring such introspection is akin to acting like a disobedient child? I’m addressing myself here…

We focus, instead, on those “thorns” we see so clearly in others, rather than on our own. Listen to what Jesus had to say about us behaving in such a manner: “Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye?” –Matthew 7:3-4

It is wrong of us, sin, really, to compare ourselves, our ‘thorns, ‘to anyone else’s.

“Thank God I don’t have that thorn!”

Still, it’s not difficult to see that each of us, to one degree or another, for one purpose or another—God’s purpose, has or will have, at some point in our Christian walk, a thorn put in our flesh. As with Paul, for a reason Scripture leaves unspecified, God uses thorns to humble us, maybe to save us, refine or reshape us, causing us to turn and cling to Christ with utter childlike dependence and to cause us to recognize our desperate need for Jesus.

And here’s how I define desperate: you’re drowning, water is beginning to spill into your lungs, when suddenly a hand pulls you up and out, and air begins to take the place of water. Do you push away the hand that saved you, or, in desperation, grab hold of it for dear life?

Paul is telling us that every believer needs this level of desperate need for Jesus, just as he did.

There’s a reason Jesus tells us that, apart from Him, we can do nothing.

If Jesus did nothing on His own, how much more you and me? Are we so prideful as to admit we are “poor in spirit” as often, perhaps, as we are not? And what we do and can accomplish for God is done, as Jesus makes clear, in His strength, not ours. “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” –John 5:30

Some challenge this statement of fact by arguing that many things can and have been done without invoking Jesus’ Presence or His aid. While some may say they can do many things independently of God, in fact, they cannot. Their thinking that a thing is so does not make it so. And their self-aggrandizing attempts to exist independently of their Maker can be likened to opening one’s mouth underwater, thinking that air will somehow fill one’s lungs—useless at best, deadly overall. And while they’d be correct in their statement of fact, they’d be exposing the depth of their ignorance of God, of His Sovereignty, Omniscience and Omnipresence, of His inseparable Hand at work in the lives of men—whether said men acknowledge Him, or not. “…He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].” –Matthew 5:45

So I guess, in the very broadest sense, any of us, even Jesus’ most devout child, can, if he chooses to, act independently of Christ, and rely on his own strength, instead of leaning on Jesus, though, as His children, we’re instructed not to.

Not to use our own wits and grit, so-called, rather than posturing ourselves in humble dependence and reliance on the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit at work in us, because that’s the very definition of pride itself. Of shaking one’s fist at God in defiance and rebellious self-reliance. Man’s woeful ignorance on display, like a peacock strutting, plumes fanned out for all to admire, shrieking, “Look at me, look at me!”

“But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD and HAUGHTY, BUT [continually] GIVES [the gift of] GRACE TO THE HUMBLE [who turn away from self-righteousness].” –James 4:6

So instead of slapping lipstick on a pig, let’s call such pride what it is: the condition at the heart of the point Paul is making to the Corinthians—to us, through his sharing with us of why God allowed this thorn, this severe mercy to touch Paul’s life. There are times in our walk with Jesus when what may feel to us like punishment is, in fact, the Love of God, dressed in a way only hindsight will recognize. “Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” –2 Corinthians 12:7

For some of us, our thorn is or will be a physical malady: cancer, a stroke, traumatic brain injury, autoimmune disease, epilepsy, crippling bone or muscular diseases, a severe speech impediment, or some physical abnormality; the list goes on. For others, their thorn is emotional: depression, anxiety, and all forms of mental health struggles.

I experienced God’s severe mercy back in 2008 when I had a massive stroke that left the left side of my body paralyzed. My brain had been so severely damaged that I needed my 79-year-old mother to care for my most basic needs: dressing, bathing, and caring for me. I had lost my ability to care for myself. According to my doctors and neurological specialists, based on the extent of brain damage I had incurred, I should have ended up never having fully recovered and in need of full-time care. But God, in His mercy, had another plan.

What certainly felt like severe mercy at the time, God used not only to restore my body and mind to what they are today, allowing me to live independently and fully functioning, but, more importantly, to lead me to Him through the “thorn” He’d allowed to touch my life. To receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. So I can say, in hindsight, with a joy-filled heart today, that God’s allowing that stroke to touch my life was one of the best things that ever happened to me, because God used it to lead me to His Son and to experientially understand His mercy and grace, His Love, and the new life and relationship I have with Him, in Christ Jesus, my Lord.

And to answer your question, yes, there have been many times I have cried out to God. I still do, “take this thorn from me,” as profoundly grateful as I am for having experienced what it has, and does, afford me—my life in Christ. Still, truth be told, in my flesh, when experiencing the lingering after-effects, the mental struggle at times, the fatigue, and brain glitches that often accompany traumatic brain injuries of various kinds, I can understand why Paul continued to ask God to take his thorn away from him, and why so many of you do as well. But here God’s answer to Paul, to me, and to you, beloved of God: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” –2 Corinthians 12:9.

And His grace is sufficient in your life as well, friend, believe it or not. So won’t you ask Jesus into your life today? Let Him help give you the strength and grace to endure your “thorn.”

Who? Me, Lord…? Yes, You!

June 20, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

“And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.” –Judges 6:16-17

Before Gideon had offered up a single word of protest to God, one single, “I’m not qualified,” in God’s Divine Providence, the Midianites were defeated foes; still, God used Gideon to accomplish this. Likewise, God uses you and me today to do the same, fulfill His will. “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” —Isaiah 55:11

Have you ever had a Gideonesque conversation with God?

Have you ever told the Creator of the universe—the One Scripture says, formed you in your mother’s womb and knows your every thought before you even think it, what it is you are or are not, capable of doing, being, or becoming? Shamefully, I have! Yet I now recognize the futility of ever having had such a conversation after its being held up to the Truth of God’s Word: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” –Psalm 139:1-4

Yet that’s precisely what had happened with Gideon…

God had appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a wine press; threshing wheat where grapes, typically, are pressed to make wine because one: Gideon was hiding, and two: Gideon was afraid. From whom and of what? Gideon was hiding from the Midianites, who were attacking Israel at that time and stealing their food stores.

Gideon hid in the winepress to thresh wheat out of fear he’d be seen threshing by the Midianites, and they would come to steal his remaining wheat. These few details are a whole teaching in themselves, but they’re for another day, maybe a part two to this teaching?

What we’ll focus on today is that part of Gideon’s story where God appears to him, calling Gideon what he did not—could not—see in himself.

Only God knew who Gideon would become, because God Himself had foreordained Gideon’s life, imbuing it with a perfect purpose and plan—and that wasn’t to hide out in some winepress. It’s this part of Gideon’s story I felt led to focus on today. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” –Judges 6:11

Like Gideon, I believe some of you have heard God calling you by a name you also don’t yet recognize. “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” –Judges 6:12

Who? Me, Lord…? Yes, you!

God is asking you to step out in faith, beloved, into a new season you feel woefully unprepared for—totally ill-equipped and wholly unqualified to take on, if you’re being honest. Like Gideon, you keep asking God for a sign that it’s really Him who is asking this of you. Him who’s put this desire in your heart. “Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” –Judges 6:36-37

Despite all your questioning, beloved, hear this: it’s already here. Remember, in God’s Providence, the Midianites were defeated before God called Gideon to do battle with them, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:10

So this new name is commensurate with the calling God has placed on you—remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and, so as He did with Gideon, God calls each of us according to how He sees us, which, typically, is not how we see ourselves. “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” –Ephesians 2:10

Before you know it, you too will be walking into God’s next for your life, whether that’s a brand-new relationship with Jesus or into the new thing Jesus has placed on your heart to do. Then, I pray, your questioning and self-doubt will become little more than a memory. Because if God planted that God-sized vision, desire, or calling on your life, then God will bring it to pass.

Remember, friend, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?” –Numbers 23:19.

What God has predestined for your life and mine, beloved, what He calls us—who we are, right now, but can’t yet see in ourselves, will come to pass. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” –Psalm 43:19

Still, you hand God every excuse for why He’s gotten it all wrong, how what He is calling you to do is simply impossible; you’re not alone, Gideon made that same mistake. Maybe you’re thinking, “Surely God’s forgotten my past! What I’ve done, who I’ve been—how I’ve failed Him?”

Maybe you feel weak as water, in character or faith?

So, out of fear or shame, you make excuses—you hide, but God will always find you out, beloved! “Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” –Judges 6:11-15

Friends, God’s Word is filled with stories such as Gideon’s.

Accounts of people much like you and me, ordinary people doing ordinary things, and then God showed up and transformed their ordinary into the extraordinary; events and the feats we read about throughout His Inerrant Word. Think of Noah, Father Abraham, Elijah, Esther, or the Apostle Paul. So it’s here then, I’ll remind you, the one hiding out today, or you, who’s feeling inept, inadequate, the very least of His children—that nowhere in God’s Word do we witness God call a person to do anything He did not fully equip them to do. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” –Philippians 2:13

You’re right to feel the way you do, beloved, because the Truth is, apart from God, you and I are indeed woefully inept, completely ill-equipped. But with God, in the power of His Might, you and I can and will do all that He has foreordained us to do. “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].” –Ephesians 6:10

Have you asked Jesus, this same God who once called Gideon, a man who felt unworthy of the call God had on his life, to come into yours? To give you a new beginning in Him. If you will, and you mean it sincerely, Jesus will come and make you a new creation; old ways will pass away, and Jesus will make all things in your life new again. God promises: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

But I Didn’t Mean To…

May 16, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.” –1 Chronicles 13:10

What had Uzzah done so wrong that God would kill him on the spot? At first read, it’s hard to understand why God would have done this. More so, I believe, if you have an intimate relationship with Jesus, whom you know to be Love itself. Hard, that is, if you’ve let slip your mind the fact that this same, Loving Jesus hates sin and is just. That He is to be revered as the Majestic Glory He is. Exalted as Creator of all things, seen and unseen. Awed, being the only Person who ever said, “Let there be,” and there was; from solar systems to ants to acorns, each was birthed into existence simply because Jesus willed it. Jesus is Lovingkindness Itself, and He’s just; they’re inseparable.

Thus, God has the inherent right to do whatsoever He will with His children and His creations.” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” –Romans 9:20-21

Yes, Jesus freely lavishes grace upon us; still, He abhors sin.

We’ve all fallen short, friends. We sin.

We’re guilty of forgetting how worthy Jesus is of our utmost respect, obedience, and reverence. Do we forget intentionally?

I certainly hope not—otherwise, we ought to question if we’re truly saved…

But what if unintentionality and familiarity are what make us and Uzzah akin in our sin of forgetfulness?

We did it. We committed the sin; we’re definitely guilty, but we didn’t mean to.

To even begin to wrap our heads around why God killed Uzzah for what some earthly parents may have forgiven, we must be open to witnessing God’s Love for us through the lens of His Holiness—which is inextricably linked to His justice; they’re inseparable—we cannot pull them apart.

We can’t choose one but not the other as though it belongs in the enemy camp.

God’s Holiness and His justice are kin—

Scripture proves it to us…

Hand in hand with John 3:16, God’s Love and justice, His Holiness, are perfectly displayed in Romans 5:8-9. “But God demonstrates his own Love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

God’s Love and justice are foundational elements of His salvation:

His justice demands that sin be punished, atonement be made, and moral order be kept—punishment is a judicial requirement. While His Love is beneficent: Love spares, forgives, defends, covers, protects, blesses, goes to bat for, if you will. And nowhere in Scripture do we witness a greater example of the conjunctivity between God’s justice, Holiness, and Love than at the Cross of Christ.

There, the jurisdictional requirements God demands be kept that justice be served, and moral order maintained were met when Jesus’ Perfect Love willingly offered His sinless life in exchange for our sin-filled lives; satisfying God’s demand for justice, all the while sparing humanity through His perfect atonement. Hence, protecting us from the wrath of God, which our sins so justly deserve. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” –Romans 6:23

Now you might be saying, okay, with you so far, but how does all of what you laid out connect to God killing Uzzah?

Regarding Uzzah specifically, he and his clan had been chosen by God to carry the Ark of God using specified carrying poles—the Ark should never have been placed on a common cart. In addition, Uzzah was not a priest; he was a Levite, meaning he had no business touching Holy things. This included his reaching out to steady the Ark of God—however well-intentioned he was. God had forewarned His people that anyone who did such a thing would die. “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all its furniture, as the camp sets out, after all that [is done, but not before], the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them [using the poles], so that they do not touch the holy things, and die. These are the things in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) which the sons of Kohath are to carry.” –Numbers 4:15

The Levites (Uzzah’s tribe) had hosted the Ark of God for two years. Had Uzzah’s proximity to God’s Presence inadvertently allowed him to become too comfortable being around God? Had he forgotten the great honor which had been bestowed upon him—forgetting then God’s Holiness? Maybe, his sheer proximity to the very Presence of God had bred a certain irreverence in Uzzah unawares?

Here, brothers and sisters, is where you and I have far more in common with Uzzah than we’d care to admit.

We, too, forget—however unintentionally—that we serve a Holy God, and that His Commandments, those “guardrails” He’s lovingly put in place to protect us, aren’t suggestions, they’re commands that, when broken, bring consequences.

Perhaps, like Uzzah, we’ve gotten so “familiar” with Jesus that we’ve forgotten—I forget, because God knows, ashamedly, I’m guilty—just how Holy our God is.

Maybe because we live within a culture—even some church cultures, sadly—that stresses “God is Love” and He is, but fails to teach and remind us that, because God is Love Itself, it doesn’t mean He’s quit being just and moral. God hates sin.

The fact that Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother doesn’t change that.

Will we see Uzzah in eternity? I believe so.

God seemingly used Uzzah, as He did Pharaoh, as He can with anyone He so chooses, as a vessel through which He displayed Divine retribution and instilled Godly fear in His people. “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills”. –Romans 9:18. God reminds us to keep Holy what is Holy —God also, according to His Word, knows the heart and secret thoughts of all men—Uzzah’s included. “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.’ So then God’s choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses—it is His sovereign gift]. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “I raised you up for this very purpose, to display My power in [dealing with] you, and so that My name would be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then, He has mercy on whom He wills (chooses), and He hardens [the heart of] whom He wills.” –Romans 9:15-18

Uzzah stood on the very ground God used to teach His people the ultimate lesson on the importance of obedience and keeping Holy things—Holy; of not forgetting His Word or the laws He had already given them—those guardrails given to protect them from His judgment and His wrath.

So, is it possible that the ground where God struck Uzzah dead was a place of foreshadowing, pointing us towards that place where Jesus’s finished work would, one day, appease God’s wrath—that ground where heaven met earth, where every Blood-bought believer is grateful exists—I know I certainly am. “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” –Galatians 4:4-5

Some may find this teaching hard, perhaps questioning why I didn’t just skip to the part where God’s love for Uzzah saves him.

My reply is simply this: I must be obedient to share with you what God places on my heart, to not shrink back because it may be hard for some to take in—I leave God to touch your minds and hearts as only He can. As for me, I will say as Paul did: “For I never shrank or kept back or fell short from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan and counsel of God.”

God loves you, friend, and He wants a relationship with you. He’s made a way to have that with you through His Son, Jesus. Have you accepted Jesus ‘ unfathomable free gift of salvation? If not, ask Him to come into your heart today—mean it, and He will. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” –Romans 5:8-9

Holy Spirit Boldness.

April 11, 2026 /

Wesley Mendes

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.” –Acts 4:13-22

As you read this scripture, you might just think, “Wow, these guys were really courageous and so bold to go out in front of the Sanhedrin, who hated them and opposed Jesus,” which is true. That’s what really stood out to me, too. The disciples’ boldness and courage led me to think about some things I’d like to share with you.

Acts 4 begins by saying the Sanhedrin saw the disciples’ courage and noted that these men had been with Jesus. Notice, that’s where their courage came from; where their boldness came from, too, from Jesus.

These men, bold in that moment, were once seen cowering in an upper room, fearful that what had happened to Jesus would also happen to them. But then, all of a sudden, scripture says, the Holy Spirit came over them. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” —Acts 2:1-4

God’s Holy Spirit empowered them with such boldness that they no longer cared what happened to them. That is why they were so bold when they stood before the Sanhedrin. Are you bold? Will you stand and face those who oppose Jesus?

Then, the same Peter who had denied Jesus three times, the one who had been named the rock among his brothers, who had said he’d die for Jesus, and who had walked alongside him, was filled with boldness by the Holy Spirit’s power and began telling others about Jesus. “Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel.” –Acts 2:14-16.

There are going to be threats.

There will be risky situations in your life.

You might be warned of the consequences and repercussions you’ll face if you keep on about Jesus. “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” –Acts 4:1-2

Family or friends may already be asking you to stop with all this Jesus talk. That happened to the disciples, too. But it didn’t stop them. “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” –Acts 4:18

Like these brothers, like Peter, you have to be bold and lean on God, regardless of what people say; boldness says, “I hear you, but I obey God.”

“But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” –Acts 4”19-20

Be bold, be faithful, but not in your strength, which will never work. Be bold in the power that is from God’s Holy Spirit. People need to hear about Jesus.

Will you use what God has put in your hand to tell others about Jesus?

“ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” –Acts 4:29-31

You can have the same power of Jesus’ Holy Spirit in you as the disciples did, but not on your own; you must belong to Jesus. Do you want to? Here’s how you can: Surrender your heart to Jesus. He’ll give you the grace to do it if you really want to. I encourage you to be bold, ask Jesus to save you. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10

Go!

October 4, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:18-20

One of my favorite books is J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic, The Hobbit, that famous prequel to The Lord of the Rings. My dad introduced it to me when I was a freshman in high school. It was such a fantastic story. The fact that I had an in-school suspension that day, though certainly not my finest hour, did allow me to finish half of the book. That day, I came across a quote from Gandalf. He tells Bilbo Baggins, “The world isn’t in your books or maps, it’s out there.”

As a young man, reading that quote resonated with me because I had fears and doubts that held me back from pursuing specific dreams. I would do all this research and planning, but the end result was that nothing ever came from it. I was too afraid to go forward.

My friends, if you are in Christ Jesus, then, like me, you no longer have to let fear stop you from moving forward in what God is calling you to do, in fulfilling the dreams He has given you. God told Joshua three times to be strong and courageous as he led the nation of Israel into the promised land. “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:6-7

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”–Joshua 1:9

If God says it once, it’s essential. If He says it more than once, it’s crucial; God wants to ensure that you truly get it. The question becomes, like Joshua, are you going to take God at His Word and obey what He’s telling you to do?

Concerning obedience, Jesus shares a parable of two sons with the chief priests and elders of the temple: “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” –Matthew 21:28-30

Have you ever been at the point where God asked you to move in faith and you felt afraid or just didn’t want to do it?

Maybe it was something as simple as joining a specific ministry in church or even talking with your neighbor about Jesus. Perhaps you just felt afraid that you wouldn’t do it right. I have too. Yet it’s in those moments when the Holy Spirit reminds me of God’s Word, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.” –2 Timothy 1:7

The Holy Spirit will give you the peace and power to declare the Truth in love to those you may feel fearful to share God’s Word with. And He’ll also give you the strength to move when everything in you is saying “don’t go,” even though you know going is the right thing to do.

On the daily, I have to remind not just myself but my sons that life is not lived in front of a computer screen or on a phone. But that it ought to be spent in prayer, worship, and studying the Word of God, and in fellowship with our family and other believers. I am accountable for raising the next generation of Godly men. If I don’t do it, someone else will. They’ll step in and fill the void I’m neglecting by pouring false, worldly ideals into my sons. “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” –Ephesians 6:4

Life is meant to be lived and experienced. Whether in joy or sadness, peace or doubt, Jesus said that He is with us always. The apostle Paul tells the Philippian church, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching toward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”- Philippines 3:13-14

We have been commanded to “Go”.

There is so much more to our walk with Jesus than simply reading His word. We must apply it, living it out in every part of our lives. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in the mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” –James 1:22-24

We are to put God’s teachings into action. Not live in fear or sit around on our hands and wait for Jesus’ return. There is work that needs to be done, lives to be spoken into, and prayers that need to be prayed.

Jesus’ final Words in Matthew’s Gospel are a call to arms; they are Jesus telling His disciples to Go!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if you have not shared your faith in Jesus with someone because fear has been holding you back, perhaps it is time for you to take to heart the same Words Jesus spoke to encourage Joshua. “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 People are living in this dark world who need to know who the Light of the world is. Jesus declared to the people, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” –John 8:12

Are you that person, friend? Are you afraid to turn to Jesus? Is fear of what you think you might have to give up to have Jesus in your life keeping you away from Him? If so, this is your sign to step out in faith instead of living in fear and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. “He appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” –Hebrews 4:7.

Amen.

Canceling Unbelief.

September 20, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nail, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” –John 20:24-25

After Jesus’ resurrection, He spent time with His disciples. He reminded them that all things spoken of Him by the Prophets and about His death had to be fulfilled. “Then He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything which is written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” –Luke 24:44.

All of Jesus’s disciples, except one, Thomas, believed Jesus had been resurrected. Thomas was the only disciple who seemed to struggle to believe someone could come back from death.

Jesus’ disciples had witnessed an unthinkable event: Jesus, their Messiah, their friend, had been betrayed and arrested. Some ran off into the darkness, while others stayed. The Bible doesn’t name names; we know only this: “they all forsook Him and fled.” Fear has a way of making us run, forgetting we have faith on our side. Scripture makes indirect mention of one disciple who actually stood with Jesus and witnessed Him be crucified, John, the Apostle. W“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” –John 19:26-27.

We know from other Gospel accounts that John referred to himself as “the disciple whom he loved (Jn. 13:23; 19:26; 20:2).

During their last meal with His disciples, Jesus quoted the prophet Zechariah, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: “I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” –Matthew 26:31

Fear was the driving force that separated them. When we go through hardships, we can forget “faith first” and allow doubt to take first place.

Thomas is a realist. He sees things for what they are, but also has faith in Jesus. It’s not easy for someone like Thomas to believe Jesus came back after knowing Jesus had been crucified. His realistic mind needed to catch up with his faith. He was dealing with double-mindedness, and it was taking a toll on him. In the book of James, the author writes, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.” –James 1:6-8

I can relate to Thomas, though. I’ve been there.

In my humanity, when certain circumstances came up, I admit, I doubted. I have had those double-minded moments thinking, “How can I make this situation work,” when the fact of the matter is, I needed to trust God, let go, and hand it over to Him. Instead, I acted as though God would not be able to help me. I relied too much on what I was thinking and left little room for God to move. King Solomon writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” –Proverbs 3:5-6

When something unexpected happens in our faith walk, it can cause us to question or doubt. To ask ourselves, “Does God really love me?” or “What if I do step out in faith and I fail. Will God forgive me for that?” The answer to both, by the way, is a big fat yes!

We can be our own worst enemies. We need to be reminded that the Spirit of God that dwells in us is greater than our circumstances. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” –1 John 4:4.

God tells the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the thoughts that I think of you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11 God thinks this about you. His plan for those who believe in Him is to have life in abundance. Not to stay living in fear or doubt. We’re to have a mindset of victory, believing our battles are truly overcome in Christ Jesus. Remember what Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33.

Will God ever leave us in this place of doubt or fear? Never!

Let’s read what happened next, after some of Jesus’ disciples first experienced witnessing Him alive, again: “And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, “Peace to you!” –John 20:26

Every issue you were facing, every doubt, was silenced because Jesus entered the room. “Then He says to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and My God!” –John 20:27-28.

Jesus shows up in ways no one expected.

Isn’t that the nature of God, though? To show up suddenly? When you least expect it, He suddenly appears and says, “Peace to you.”

Jesus came to put Thomas’ doubt to an end.

He shows Thomas the nail prints in His hands and the wound in His side from the spear. It really is Jesus!

Every doubt melts away. Peace takes its place when Jesus shows Thomas His wounds. The only words Thomas can say are, “My Lord and My God!”

It’s like nothing could come between them at this moment. Thomas’s faith has been rekindled and galvanized. He now knows who Jesus truly is; He is God, in the flesh, risen and alive. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” –John 1:1-2.

Our circumstances, fears, and doubts do not get to dictate their own outcomes. The enemy will always think he has the final say. But didn’t Jesus say that “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” –Matthew 28:18.

So, if we abide in Jesus, doesn’t that mean that through Jesus’ power and position, we have authority over whatever situations fear and doubt are trying to make themselves lord over?

Shouldn’t the love of God at work in us give us the boldness to face those giants head-on? “Love has been perfected among us in this; that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world.” –1 John 4:17

God’s love is so powerful.

Brother, know that you are not alone when you face moments of doubt. God will never leave you alone in that spot, ever! Jesus said, “I will never leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” –John 14:18. Child of God, rest assured that no matter the circumstance, Jesus is for you.

The greatest gift God ever gave us is His Son, Jesus.

All who repent of their sins, confess Jesus as Lord, are saved. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”–Romans 10:9-10.

I invite you today to call on Jesus and ask for His forgiveness of your sins. “For the scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” –Romans 10:11

Call on Jesus in your doubt. He will always answer you.

Amen.

Jireh Shalom; God of Peace.

August 16, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

“And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide, as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided’ –Genesis 22:14

Jesus is Omnipresent. He’s in tomorrow, just as He is today. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning, and the end. What comfort that brings as we go through different seasons throughout our lives, knowing God is always with us; in those seasons meant to grow us, times of refreshing, and our “be still and know” seasons.

During these times, if we find ourselves asking God, “I just need a Word from You,” that is when we need to open up our Bible more than ever. It is during those uncertain times that we need God to lead us and turn to Him. Jesus reminds us to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33.

The answers you’re in search of will come as you seek God’s will.

It was this scripture that helped me and my family during our “season”. I pray that sharing a bit of my testimony will help edify and bring comfort to those going through a time of uncertainty.

Here’s what God has been doing in our lives:

In May of this year, I tore a tendon in my ankle outside of my workplace; it caused me a whole lot of pain and discomfort. So much so, I needed to take medical leave. The only problem was that the accident had happened outside of my workplace, so I wasn’t able to collect workers’ compensation. I had, however, accumulated vacation and sick time. After using up that option, I was able to take on subcontract work from home while waiting to hear from a doctor.

A few weeks later, I was scheduled for surgery to repair my tendon.

The doctor assured me that it would feel better in the end, but I would need to trust the healing process, which I am still going through. As of this writing, that subcontract work has dried up, but not my faith in God.

Why?

Because of God’s faithfulness.

You see, during all this time, my family and I lost nothing.

Our rent was paid, our bills were paid on time, and we had groceries in the fridge.

Nothing was lost. God has ensured ongoing provision for me and my family so that we have not lacked anything. “I have been young and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging for bread. He is merciful and lends; And his descendants are blessed “–Psalm 37:25-26

God alone sustains us, friends, not our jobs. Your career may be a vessel He uses, but He alone is your Supplier. There may well come a time when you’re laid off, fired, or retire from your job. The harsh reality is that someone else might, or one day will, take over where you left off.

The question then is, can you be at peace with this thought, or does losing your position, career identity, or salary stir up fear in you? In Ecclesiastes 2:18, King Solomon writes: “Then I hated all my labor which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.”

In our humanity, we fear the unknown.

Our faith in Christ overcomes the unknown.

The word of God says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” –Hebrews 11:6

Jobs will come and go.

Life will throw us curveballs.

It’s what we do in those moments that reveals our character.

My prayer today is that you will turn to the One who brings all peace and provision during times of uncertainty. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; Not as the world gives to do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” –John 14:27.

This same Jesus, the Giver of grace, peace, and mercy, announced to all, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28.

And if you don’t know Jesus yet, turn to Him now, during these uncertain times, and allow Him to minister to you, restoring you to a renewed relationship with the Father. As I said at the beginning of this teaching, the greatest gift that we will ever receive is the salvation God has given us through His son, Christ Jesus. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” –1 Timothy 2:1;3-6.

Amen

Lay Down Your Stones.

August 2, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” –Ephesians 2:8-9.

My friends, if you are a believer in Christ, I caution you to remember where we came from. Remember when you were lost, blind, and deaf to the Word of God. Having no direction except to follow what everyone else was saying and doing, whatever was acceptable to the world. We can easily forget where God has brought us from, that we are spiritual beings, yes, living in a vessel of fallen flesh, often far too quick to judge others’ sin.

Have we forgotten where we were when Christ Jesus came and pulled us out of our pit? Forgotten how others may have pointed fingers at us and said, “Well, you messed up again! Let judgment and the casting of stones begin!”

Have we forgotten somehow the very same grace we ought to be extending to others in the Body who are struggling or being accused is the same grace that was once, and is still, extended to us by Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul tells the church in Rome, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” –Romans 8:1

There is an example of this very thing in the Gospel of John. The scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. This scripture highlights how quickly we can be to bring accusations against someone who has sinned. “Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?” –John 8:2-5

Here is Jesus at the temple. He came to worship God and teach the people, when the Scribes and Pharisees, those who know the law, dragged a woman caught “in the very act of adultery” before Him.

When we are at our places of worship, ought we not be there for God and Him alone? Have we made God’s House a place of sin sniffing? It ought not become a place of backbiting or to gossip about so and so; our purpose in being there is to draw closer to Jesus, closer to the Father, and to learn how to love like Jesus loves us. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” –John 13:34-35

There is not one person in your church or mine, except for Jesus, who is a perfect person.

How disgusting of those scribes and Pharisees to spy on this woman, all in the hopes that they would catch her in her sin and make a public spectacle of her. Their actions reveal where their hearts truly lie. Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving others undone.” –Matthew 23:23

How does the attack on this woman caught in adultery end? As these Scribes and Pharisees are asking Jesus what should be done to the woman, “Jesus stoops down and starts writing on the ground with His finger as though He did not hear them”. –John 8:6 Scripture doesn’t tell us what was written. Still, some theologians think that Jesus was writing the sins of all the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus says to the mob that’s gathered, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” –John 8:7-9

What happens after they all walk away is a beautiful exchange in which Jesus asks the woman, “Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” She says, “no one my Lord.” And Jesus says to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” –John 8:10-11

We ought not be self-righteous and think ourselves better or holier than others.

It wasn’t anything that we did, but only Jesus’ death on the Cross, His Blood shed for our sin, which freed us and washed us clean, making a way for us to be restored into a right relationship with God the Father. Jesus said to His disciples, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” –Matthew 26:28

Without Jesus’ atoning work, His perfect sacrifice, brother, and sisters, you and I would still be found “guilty” of our sins. But Jesus says to us the same thing He once told the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Follow Jesus’s example when confronting a brother or sister caught in their sin. Go speak to them in private, pray for them, and cry with them. “If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” —Matthew 18:15.

Nikoa: Continously…

July 19, 2025 /

MaryEllen Montville

“For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].” –1 John 5:4.

What’s with the title of this teaching, MaryEllen? What is Nikoa, and what does it mean? Glad you asked. Nikoa is a present-tense Greek Word that John was led to use in today’s verse. It denotes continuous, ongoing action rather than a one-off event. Now, if you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll have figured out that I’m no English major. I’m sure some of you may have even cringed from time to time while reading some of my blatant linguistic blunders; thank you for your grace and for continuing to follow us despite my glaring grammatical deficiencies.

So, since I have not yet mastered basic English, what’s with my stab at Greek all about?

That’s a question only the Holy Spirit can answer, as it is He who caused today’s Scripture to jump off the page and Him who caused me to ask: “How does this Scripture apply to believers today, Lord. Help me understand better so that I might share your heart.”  

Then, in true Holy Spirit fashion, He used what I do know—to do research—to then lead me to what I did not know: tense usage in the Greek language; hence, Nikoa; the epitome of 1 Corinthians 1:27 on unabashed display, “God uses the foolish things to confound the wise.”

But it wasn’t for a lesson in Greek tense usage that the Holy Spirit chose today’s verse; no, He chose it to encourage you specifically with its life-giving promise and real-time Truth—a solid foundation on which you personally can stand, unmovable. Holy Spirit picked it because He knew that with all the uncertainty swirling around you like some ominous, doom-soaked, dark cloud, you need (present-tense) to be re-minded that God is continually empowering you to overcome this world; re-minding you that you’re in, not of it. “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” –John 15:19.

All that you might overcome your enemy, by taking your God-given authority over every dark, demonic thing that is trying to distract, derail, and discourage you, via God’s Holy Spirit at work in you, right now. Equally, the Holy Spirit lets you know that He’ll do the same again tomorrow and the next day, Nikoa, continually. Jesus will empower you to overcome this world until He returns or takes you home. The rest of today’s verse assures you of this, child of God, listen: “and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].”

You can and will be victorious, but not because you are a super-Christian. Not because you’re sinless or perfect or because you’ve gotten it all right; you never could. That’s why God sent Jesus into the world—and why Jesus came willingly. He alone is Perfect, and He alone is victorious over sin, death, and the grave. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” –1 Corinthians 15:57.

Your victory over whatever may be trying to overtake you, rob, distract, or cause you to give up—is assured, beloved—it is yours, now, Nokia, because of Jesus. Because Jesus has secured it for you—has promised it to you. And God cannot lie. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” –Numbers 23:19.

The same powerful Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave now lives within you if you are God’s child. “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” –Romans 8:11.

Satan knows if you truly belong to God, have confessed and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and Savior; he cannot rob you of your salvation. “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.

Satan also knows that if he can get in your head and cause you to believe, somehow, that God’s Word isn’t True, that your receiving salvation couldn’t possibly be as straightforward as believing God—taking Him at His Word—that He is who He says He is and that He can and will do all that He has promised—then Satan has succeeded in the greatest heist known to mankind, to rob you of salvation; the eternal security and safety Jesus gave His very life to afford you. Jesus paid the ultimate price to ensure your victory over your enemy, beloved.

Your faith in Jesus is a personal, precious, and costly gift.

So don’t you dare give up. Don’t you dare say that you can’t walk this Christian Walk any longer. Don’t you dare be deceived by Satan—that liar and thief who is making one last massive attempt to break into your house, and mine—into the home of any believer he can, with only one thing in mind. To rob us.

You are never alone, never unprotected, beloved. God is always with you, whatever your circumstances. Whether you’re standing beneath swirling, doom-soaked clouds or under the brightest rays of mountain-top sunlight, you are assured victory in every circumstance in this life because of Jesus. Because He has overcome the world (completed action). “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33.

That doesn’t mean you should leave your doors unlocked; this world is still under Satan’s influence, so be wise. Partner with God, regardless of the season you’re in, doing your part to protect this mind-blowing victory Jesus has afforded you. “But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” –Matthew 24:43.

Your victory is assured because of Jesus, beloved. But your hope, your joy, the peace you have as a believer, those things Satan can and will rob you of—if you allow him. How? By leaving your house unguarded. “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” –1 Peter 5:8-11.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” –Mark 1:15

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