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

Category: Identity (Page 3 of 8)

Have You Set Your Face?

August 31, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12:2.

It’s not that Jesus wasn’t aware of or chose to ignore whatever adversity or circumstance in which He found Himself—He is, after all, Omniscient. It’s more that, unlike Peter, Jesus emphatically refused to be distracted by waves of tumultuous feelings or the oft-roaring winds of adversity and descent that swirled about Him, doing their best to deter Him from His sole mission—doing His Father’s will.

Speaking prophetically in his third Servant Song, Isaiah describes the Source of Messiah’s determination and His purpose this way: “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame” –Isaiah 50:7.

And in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9, verse 51, we hear  Isaiah’s words echoed this way: “Now when the time was approaching for Him to be taken up [to heaven], He was determined to go to Jerusalem [to fulfill His purpose].”

No amount of pushback or rejection, no personal loss or tragedy, no hunger, homelessness, opposition, nor any amount of physical or emotional pain, no betrayal at the hands of those He loved, would ever deter Jesus from ushering in the Father’s purpose for His coming: A New Covenant—making way for us to return to the Father. “Now as they were eating Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the [new and better] covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many [as a] substitutionary atonement] for the forgiveness of sins. –Matthew 26:26-28.

No temptation in or of this world did or will ever be strong enough to lure Jesus’s focus away from fulfilling the Father’s will. Remember, beloved. Christ will come again to rule and reign over His world. “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

From the beginning, God’s focus has been singular in its intent—to receive glory from—and have a loving, intimate relationship with—His children. “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” –Revelation 4:9-11.

To fulfill this plan conceived between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in eternity past, Jesus took on flesh, becoming fully human while remaining fully God. So that, when He had finished the work, the Father had given Him, He would return to His rightful place of honor at the Father’s right hand. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” –Hebrews 14:14-15.

Beloved, we have a high priest then—a heavenly Intercessor who fully understands all of what it is like to be human and yet, being fully God, is able to show us that through Him and by Him, we can be washed clean of our sin if we agree to clothe ourselves with the Holy, Blood-stained garments of Jesus’ Sinless Righteousness. “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” –Isaiah 61:10.

From His birth to His death and resurrection, because of the joy set before Him, the hope that you, friend, would one day say yes to His unfathomable gift of salvation, Jesus remained tunnel vision-focused on fulfilling His singular, yet multifaceted task: “I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.” –John 6:38.

What have you set before you, beloved?

 What are you laser-focused on, friend?

Like Jesus, are you determined to do the will of your Father?

Or, as Jesus pointed out to His friend, Peter, have you allowed the raging storms around you to draw your attention away from Him, His plan for your life, losing heart? “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” –Matthew 14:30-31.

Wars and rumors of wars, nation fighting against nation, and people group against people group. Perhaps it’s your siding with this political party or that one that’s distracting you? Is the rising food, gas, and cost of everything why you’ve lost focus?

Friends, I’m here to remind us:  We “get to” choose what we set before us.

I encourage you, then, to make wise use of your choice. To set righteous living before you—living to please God. To choose Jesus, living with a flint-like, sold-out faith, hope, and belief that Jesus is the only Way to the Father, letting nothing in this world distract you from hearing Jesus say to you, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!'” –Matthew 25:23.

Friends, the Father allowed Jesus a set time to accomplish His will. He’s allowed you a set time as well. Be a good steward of the time God has entrusted you and His plan for your life. Not sure what that is? Your finding out begins with you saying yes to Jesus—having a relationship with Him and saying yes to God’s will for your life. Then, set your face to follow Him wherever He made lead you. God is faithful. Trust Him to give you the grace and strength you need to fulfill His will. “He gives power to the faint, and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.” –Isaiah 40:29.

Wear Your Armor

August 24, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, ” I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.” –1 Samuel 17:38-39.

Have you ever tried to wear something that did not fit? Let’s say a pair of jeans that look good on the rack at your favorite department store (yep, I have gone and aged myself). Sure, they’re not your size, but that doesn’t stop you. You grab them and go to the dressing room. And if you’re a guy, or me, you skip the dressing room altogether, purchase them, and walk out the door. You take them home, try them on, and, sure enough, they don’t fit. So, what to do? Suck in your gut. Jump up and down, yelling, “Come ooonn! Fit!” But after panting and sweating because you’re trying to jam yourself into jeans that have now cut off circulation to your lower extremities, finally, you admit you cannot wear something that simply wasn’t made for you.

Just as you cannot walk in jeans that don’t fit, you also cannot walk in an anointing that is not yours.

Like buying jeans we know won’t fit, many of us have tried
to walk into something not meant for us. Only then do we realize that this
“armor,” this mantle of authority, doesn’t fit. It wasn’t made for us.
It’s a waste of our time, like those too-tight jeans we tried to squeeze into.
There’s no room for us to grow into what God has ordained for us. In all
things, physical and spiritual, Wisdom must be applied, my friends.
“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

Saul had given David his armor to wear, but it did not fit David, so wisely, he took it off.

David knew what was meant for Saul would not fit him.

David had never tested it, never tried it on for size. In fact, David had never worn armor. He was the shepherd of his father’s sheep. His armor was his staff and sling. David had faced lions and bears in the field defending the sheep, alone and without armor. God had protected and delivered David from every trial that came at him. David knew his armor was the Lord and that everything he needed was already in his hands to defeat the giant, Goliath. “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” – 1 Samuel 17:37

Scripture tells us that after David took off Saul’s armor, he went to the wadi. “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” –1 Samuel 17:40.

By this time, the Prophet Samuel had anointed David. David would one day replace Saul. So David was walking in his God-given authority. He was no counterfeit. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t David’s time yet. And in the Kingdom of God, timing is everything. Get it too soon; you may lose it. Try to walk in what is meant for someone else; you’ll never fulfill all God has for you. You must pay attention to what you’re trying to grab off the rack. Take a lesson from the too-tight, wrong-sized jeans.

What has God put in your hands? What ministry or gift has God connected you to, giving you the privilege of serving? Ask yourself: “Am I flowing and growing in what God has called me to do?”  Wear whatever you’ve been given well and with pride. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” –Zechariah 4:10.

Don’t be hasty to throw away something that seems insignificant in your eyes.

You can’t see what is ahead of you. God has precisely placed whatever anointing, gift, or talent He’s given you inside you for such a time as this. Rather than tossing it aside, embrace it. Grow in it. Here is an example: I serve in the cleaning ministry at my home church and am charged with keeping the temple of God neat and tidy. What an incredible responsibility this is. God’s house is no ordinary. The house of God is the place where people come to have an encounter with God and start a relationship with Him.

Can you imagine if there was garbage on the floor or stains on the wall and the carpets? People will notice and see there is no regard for God in this house. “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong in the household of faith.” –Galatians 6:9-10

There is always a beginning of a story, and there is an end. But what happens in the middle is where the growth happens.

David started as a lowly shepherd boy tending sheep. Years later, he became king of all Israel. What has been placed inside of you is specific, and it will bring glory to God because if it is from God. “Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.” –1 Timothy 4:14

Lastly, my friends, discern the Lord’s timing.

Do not let anyone tell you that you must put on someone else’s armor or try to operate in an anointing not your own. And, if you’re asked to serve outside of where God has planted you, remember to first be obedient to what and where God has called you. Remember, too, that God will exalt you at the proper time. Serve with all humility and remember that though the Holy Spirit directs you, God, who is always first, has also placed Shepherds over you as guardrails to help guide, correct, and encourage you. “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” –1 John 2:27.

My brothers and sisters, the day Jesus knocked on the door of your heart and you let Him in is undoubtedly the best day any one of us will ever have.

Nothing will ever “fit” like that again.

That day was perfect.

No marriage, promotion, or anything else this world has to offer will ever come close to what Jesus has done for us. We were brought from death into life; no longer in darkness, now we see and walk in the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” –Ephesians 5:8-10.

Having read this, I invite you to give up your plans. All of your, “this is how I want it to be” to Jesus, and let God take over. But first, I invite you to know Jesus and His perfect plan for you. Repent of your sins this day and ask Him for His forgiveness. Be washed in His Blood, made clean of your every sin. Amen.

Lifter of My Head.

May 25, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her; “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” – Luke 13:10-13

I pray this is a timely word for someone out there because it hit me right between the eyes when I read this Scripture. Why? It is the All-Powerful Word of God. It’s not just another bunch of writings or some book you may pick up off the shelf. It is God’s Living Word! You may have read the above passage many times and not thought about it much. But then, one day, as you read it, the Holy Spirit will make it come alive, and you can’t help but see it afresh. That is what happened to me.

As I was reading this passage of Scripture, Holy Spirit started to reveal things we go through in this life, as this poor woman did. She had spent eighteen years hunched over, bent under the weight of the spirit of infirmity. Some weakness, whether physical or mental, the Bible doesn’t specify which, had caused the ground around her feet to become her view daily. She was missing the beauty of life surrounding her—God’s beautiful creations.

Infirmity is not always the result of some physical illness.

It can also manifest by way of emotional trauma. Sometimes, when we are hurting or battling depression, anxiety, or anger, our bodies will suffer physically as a result of our emotional experiences. Let me explain.

We do not know this woman’s exact age, but we do know she was not born with this “infirmity.” However, Scripture does say, “She could in no way raise herself up.” Perhaps being in this state for so long had caused her to live in a mindset of defeat. Gradually becoming incapable of raising herself physically and, maybe equally, of speaking life into herself.

Maybe something unexpected had happened to her, and it left behind the weight of so much doubt and sadness that she could not even bring herself to praise God.

Or perhaps she just gave up. One day, she decided to stop fighting and allowed her body to give in to the weight of her infirmity, and before she knew it, the ground became the only thing she could see.

Had her heart been so broken and her confidence so shaken, she could only mutter, “What is the point, God?”

I really do wonder what happened to this poor woman. What caused this to happen to her? Her downcast spirit reminds me of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 42:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”

Friends, the Scriptures remind us that our worship of God is our weapon during our times of difficulties. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” –Hebrews 4:16

As believers, we hope in God. We praise God. We cry out to Jesus, yet in our trials, how often do we forget to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” focusing instead on our problems?

Are we only to seek Jesus when the wind and the waves threaten us? Shouldn’t our worship and adoration of His mercy and goodness be our default lifestyle?

I can speak from the experiences I have had where I had no strength in me to worship or pray. I have felt defeated and lost, not knowing what else to do. Be real with me here. Surely, I am not the only one here admitting to this. 

I need a Big God. A Father who will lovingly remind me when I am weak, He is strong and able to do exceedingly above anything  I could ever do without Him. When troubles come, I need Jesus to remind me that He is right there with me, going before me and leading me and my family out of whatever storm we are facing.

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, the Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I pray when distress comes, and it will, that you will stand knowing God is for you, child of God, and if He is for you, then who can be against you? 

My dear friends, all hope is not lost, for we have a loving God who will move mountains for His kids. He will not leave us to see only the ground beneath our feet. Scripture tells us, “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him.” Get that into your hearts, my friends. El Roi saw her, and He sees you and is calling you to Himself, just as He did with this poor woman.

I can picture her as she heard Jesus’ voice, slowly following, hunched over, and looking at the ground. Only this time, when she heard Jesus’ voice, her faith was stirred up. This wounded sheep now followed her Shepards voice. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they know Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” –John 10:27-30

You are His Beloved sheep if you have placed your faith in Jesus. And you shall never perish, nor can anything hold you back from Him reaching you. Jesus is Greater than the sadness that keeps you up at night. He is far stronger than that fear causing you to walk, head down.

As this poor woman finally reached Jesus, laying His hands on her, He said, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” –Luke 13:12. “… And immediately she straightened up and praised God.” –Luke 13:13.

Can you see the picture? I can see her looking at the ground, and then Jesus places His hand under her chin, and she looks up to Him. “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.” –Psalm 3:3-4

No more is she focused on her bondage or the ground beneath her; now she is eye to eye with God, and as He lays His hand on her shoulders, she starts to feel strength where there was weakness. The weight is removed from her as she stands up straight.

What an image of victory over the enemy! She stands glorifying God in His Presence, knowing her life will never be the same.

This holds true for you, dear friend. God wants you free from your infirmity, to be loosed, in Jesus’ name.

I pray this teaching spoke to you today. I pray the Holy Spirit touched you in a way that brought you comfort and peace, knowing no matter what is going on around you, Jesus is right there with you. Choose this day to make Jesus your Lord and Savior. Be washed by the Blood of Jesus and ask for forgiveness of your sins. Jesus is faithful to forgive. 1 John 1:9 assures you, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Amen.

There Were Witnesses, Part 2.

April 13, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

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

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

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

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

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

And Peter did follow Jesus—straight to his cross.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What about you?

Where do you stand with Jesus?

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

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

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

How can I be so sure of this?

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

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

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

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

There Were Witnesses.

March 30, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then, there are those like the guards.

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

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

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

There will only ever be two groups of witnesses.

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

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

Which will you choose?

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

You Are Enough.

March 16, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God had predestined this moment in time.

He knew how He would feed the people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beauty From Ashes

February 10, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But As For Us.

February 3, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Expecting.

January 13, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are You A Crowd Pleaser?

July 15, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

“So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over [to his soldiers] to be crucified” –Mark 15:15.

You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it. –Paul Coelho.

As I listened to another vessel sharing what God had laid on his heart, Holy Spirit grabbed hold the wheel when I read Mark 15:15. What you’ll read today is the result of where He led me. Thank you, Pastor Mike Padgett, for being the vessel Holy Spirit used to get my attention. I trust He’ll use the Word He’s pulled out of our bellies to accomplish His good purpose.

Now at Shechem, Joshua had assembled all the tribes of Israel, then, standing before them, he ran through the litany of how the Lord had delivered them. How God had blessed, provided for, and protected them. Then, Joshua presented the people with the inescapable choice God set before them. “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” –Joshua 24:14-15.

Those gathered before  Joshua had a choice to make. So do we.

We must choose between serving Jesus unashamedly, being so firmly planted in Christ that the fiercest winds of change may plummet us, but they’ll never uproot our faith in Him. Joshua made his choice. Pontus Pilot certainly made his. So did the high priests and their hastily assembled crowd who shouted, “Crucify Him!”

Give us Barabbas and put an end to this supposed king of the Jews!

A day is coming when no man will be allowed to play the “I didn’t know” card.

Scripture is clear: “When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. –Philippians 2:7-11.

Why wait until it’s too late, friend? Repent your sins and confess Jesus as Lord of your life today!

Now I understand how difficult that is to hear—and for some even to believe. But I love God and you too much not to obey Him and tell you the Truth—regardless.

For much of my adult life, I, too, wrestled with God—I knew of Him, that He was God. Still, I continued living life as usual despite that fact. I was a crowd pleaser—just like Pilot. But today, with a grateful heart surrendered to Jesus, I thank God, He pursued me until He won! God always wins, and I also thank Him for that. God’s plans for my life are so much bigger and better than mine could ever be.

But back to Pilot.

We’re focusing on him today because his choice, or lack thereof, is the mirror through which we might glimpse our own choice: choose Jesus or please the crowd. “So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands [to ceremonially cleanse himself of guilt] in the presence of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this [righteous] Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” –Matthew 27:24.

God’s Word is clear: we can’t have it both ways. Our not choosing Jesus is, in fact, our choice. Just as it was for Pilot, no amount of hand washing will ever change this fact. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].” –Matthew 6:24-26.

If left unguarded, friends, your ears will be accosted by the shouts of those clanging voices who would have you bow down to the gods of this world—as they did Pilot. He knew what these religious leaders and their motley mob were up to.

Scream loud enough to threaten a man’s livelihood, his position, pockets, or peace, and you might cause him to fall.

In Pilot’s case, this strategy worked. Pilot’s wife, even Jesus Himself, had told Pilot who it was that stood before him. His conscience bore witness to this man being different—and innocent.

So why did he cave? What made Pilot give in to the voices that bayed for Jesus’ Blood—denying His deity?

Likely for the same reason, many today cave and deny Jesus.

Most people don’t want to stand out—create a fuss, be ostracized, risk losing friends, family members or popularity—maybe even their jobs or business. They don’t want to be labeled a Jesus freak—one of those sold-out Bible believers. They’re afraid of going against the prevailing opinions of the world in which they live. Against a legion of voices telling them their children’s sex is not fixed, as God created it, but fluid.

A girl today, a boy tomorrow, and; if they don’t support these twisted lies, they are hateful, unsupportive, bigoted parents damaging their child’s self-esteem. These same voices will assail the ear of anyone who will listen. Falsely instructing them that a woman has the right to murder the unborn child in her womb—after all, it’s her body, they say, and that so-called child is nothing more than a blob of tissue. Don’t allow that to ruin the rest of your life.

Hear me, friend. These are lies from the pit of hell, bent on twisting and destroying what God Himself created. “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.” –Genesis 1:27.

Some of these same twisted voices shouted for Lot to send out the Angels God had sent to carry out His judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah so they might have sex with them. There truly is nothing new under the sun. Satan has always tried to pervert God’s Word, causing man to question His Truth and laws. It started in the most perfect place on earth, Eden, and continues still. “Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.'” But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!” –Genesis 3:1-4.

Governor Pilot fell sway of the legion of voices demanding He betray Jesus—go against what He knew to be little more than petty jealousy and manipulation—a power play, politics—not much different than today, is it?

So here’s my question to you, friend. “If Jesus were to stand before you as he did Pilot, whom would you choose? Jesus, or those who deny Him.”

I pray you choose Jesus. He loves you. God hates sin, all sin. Not just sin committed by the gay community or the woman who had the abortion. God hates adultery, lying, stealing, greed. He wants us all to love and choose Him, despite our sins. God can more than cleanse us of our sins if we choose Him.“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.” –Joshua 24:15-18.

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