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

Category: Mercy (Page 1 of 5)

Sin And Dinosaurs

May 11, 2024 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” –Romans 6:14.

You may ask, “What’s the connection between sin and dinosaurs?” Bear with me. We’ll get there. Holy Spirit birthed this title and teaching after reading a morning devotional about how, in today’s world, many have drifted away from or ignored altogether—the concept and consequences of sin and sinning—even some professing Christians.

There is physical and scientific proof that dinosaurs roamed planet Earth for some 165 million years, but there is also proof those same dinosaurs became extinct approximately 65 million years ago. Categorically speaking, no one in our modern world can realistically live in fear of being overpowered by a dinosaur. Conversely, sin predates dinosaurs. It has been with us since the fall of Adam and Eve. “Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned.” –Romans 5:12.

Yet, unlike dinosaurs, sin is very much alive and overpowers many in today’s world.

If you doubt this, watch the news. Daily, you’ll witness evidence of sin and its dire effects on the lives of so many men, women, children, teens, and young adults; those who come face to face with sin’s deadly presence—robbing them of hope, joy, peace, family, relational stability and, ultimately, both natural and eternal life.

So, in answer to the question: “What’s the connection between sin and dinosaurs?”

Simply put, one no longer has the lethal power to destroy lives, while the other very much does. Unapologetically, sin is often incognito, an unrelenting tyrant.“But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.” –James 1:14-15.

To find the only True explanation of how sin can and does rob us both in this life and the life to come, we must go to the only Source of Truth: God’s Innerant Word. “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” –Romans 5:17.

From the beginning, sin has gleefully robbed the saved of God’s blessings.

More tragically, whether acknowledged or not, sin is daily robbing the unsaved of eternal life.

Sin blinds them to the opportunity to experience intimate fellowship—a one-on-one relationship with Jesus, now and in the life to come. “But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.” –James 1:14-15.

Through his admonition, James intends to instill this Biblical Truth in both the believer and those yet to believe.

For the believer, James is warning us to stay alert! To follow Joseph’s example and not entertain nor linger in sin’s presence. To literally run from sin! “ so she grabbed Joseph by his outer garment and demanded “Let’s have some sex!” Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand..” –Genesis 39:12.

James also reminds believers: so long as we live in these natural bodies, both our intrinsic sinful nature —and the enemy of our soul—can and will, without warning, rear their ugly heads, determined to entice us to reach back and dredge up, make excuses for, give mouth-to-mouth to, those sins meant to stay dead.

To go dumpster diving—pulling out long discarded sins that reek of death and ruination.

In Hebrews 12:1, the Apostle Paul also admonishes us regarding ridding ourselves of sin so that we might run our race unencumbered by sins’ exacting weight: “…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed curse of the race that is set before us.”

For the unbeliever, sadly, sin will always have its way so long as the person continues to attempt to do life minus, the only Source of Life. To be set free from the grip of sin and death, one must be born again. These are not my words. They’re the Living Truth Jesus shared with Nicodemus—is sharing with you today. “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” –John 3:3.

Another reason being born again is necessary is for a person to receive and understand the spiritual things God chooses to share with them.

Being spiritually dead, the natural man is incapable of receiving these gifts. “But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters].” –1Corinthians 2:14.

James and Paul, speaking to believers, remind us that we, though saved, are still sinners. We are still prone to falling back into old habits, picking up once-discarded sins. Jesus, too, shares this same Truth in John 5.

After finding and healing a man who had been lying beside the pool of Bethesda for some thirty-eight years, Jesus admonishes him not to return to his past sin lest his next affliction may be worse than his last. “But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” –John 5:14.

 Though not stated plainly in Scripture, some theologians agree this man may have ended up crippled as the result of an untreated sexually transmitted disease.

Was sexual sin the sin that had so easily entangled this man?

Only he and the Lord know for sure. I use him as an example, as he is one of the only people in Scripture who we read about Jesus saying, “Something worse may happen to him.”

Typically, after having healed someone, such as a woman caught in adultery, Jesus tells those He heals to sin no more.“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” –John 8:10-11.

So, was Jesus’ telling this man that there is a far greater devastation that could overtake him than having once been a cripple for thirty-eight years—of his having reaped a thirty-eight-year harvest of crippling consequences for the sinful seeds he had once sowed?

Or, is Jesus warning this unnamed man, as He did His disciples, and through them, us—of the greater eternal penalties of our unrepentant sins?

“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will point out to you whom you should fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority and power to hurl [you] into hell; yes, I say to you, [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him!” –Luke 12:4-5.

To recap, I asked: “What is the connection between sin and dinosaurs?”

And in answer, I said: “Simply put, one no longer has the deadly power to destroy lives, while the other very much does.”

So then, is there hope for us? Can anyone be saved from the deadly consequences of their sins?

The answer: Absolutely!

How? By repenting of our sins.

By not pretending that, like dinosaurs, sin is prehistoric.

Satan loves nothing more than for you to believe the same lie he once got Eve to believe—doubt God’s Word. “Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” –Genesis 3:1.

Yet Satan’s ploys and recycled tactics are no match for God’s Immutable power.

So if you genuinely want every sin you have, or ever will commit, washed away, then, as Jesus assured Nicodemus. “You must be born again.”

Sure, you can choose to ignore the words I was sent to share with you with little consequence, but I pray instead you’ll ask Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior because ignoring His Words will have eternal consequences. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].” –Acts 4:12.

Time Out.

May 4, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Matthew Botelho

He also spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not after that you can cut it down.” –Luke 13:6-9.

I will start by saying hello and thanking everyone who takes the time to read this teaching. I pray it will minister to you as powerfully as today’s Scripture ministered to me. Have you ever had those moments when God sits you down and says, “Time to have a heart-to-heart talk?” This very thing happened to me. So I hope you don’t mind that I am using our time together to be transparent with you. My heart is such that both my transparency and our time together will serve to edify, not scare you. For our God is a loving and merciful God.

But, if in your mind, you think you are doing well, yet, what you are doing doesn’t align with God, He will sit you down and have that “Father to son/daughter moment.” “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” –Romans 12:3.

Not out of anger but in love, to realign you. God wants to speak lovingly to you.

“For whom the Lord loves He chastens And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” –Hebrews 12:6-8.

Chastening sounds like such a harsh word, doesn’t it? It means to bring correction, rebuke, reprimand, and, yes, even punishment.

Yet, which of us, when we were children and did something wrong, did not receive a rebuke from our dad or mom? In that same way, more actually, God loves so us. So much so, that if we start walking down a path that He did not call us to go down, any path that will lead us towards something He never told us to do –because of His great love for us; God will bring correction.

God will deal with you and me in the same fashion as an earthly loving father would.

So, during my recent chastening, the Holy Spirit led me to Luke 13. As I read, He started ministering to me as only God’s Living Word can. I read this chapter as though Jesus was teaching it to me for the first time. Let me explain:

In Luke 13:6-7, I read: He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of the vineyard, “Look for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?”

I read: This man had a fig tree in a beautiful vineyard, and in reading, it sounded as though the tree was mature enough to have produced fruit; saplings do not produce fruit. And so he hoped it would one day produce the fruit he so richly desired.

Now, picture God looking at you, hoping you will not remain a sapling forever. That one day soon, you too will mature and produce fruit.

Yes, you look the part. You go to Church smiling and saying, “Bless the Lord.”You have bumper stickers on your car saying, “Jesus Saves!”

You talk the talk; yet inside, however, you are hollow, clanging, as Paul says: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction].” –1 Corinthians 13:1.

Are you carrying bitterness, anger, jealousy, selfish ambitions, envy, and so on? You look mature, and like that fig tree, you have green leaves. But, you are not producing fruit because of whatever is contaminating the soil of your heart.

Friend, God did not create or call you to watch you live and not bearing fruit.

What fruit might that be? The fruits found in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

A child of God will have evidence of these fruits on their “tree.” My friends, we are all a work in progress, yet God expects us to be producing something for His Kingdom.

There is a timeline in that Scripture: “For three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down.” God’s Word reminds us all, believer and unbeliever alike of our need to repent of our sins. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 6:23

My friends, we are living at the end of the age when Jesus will soon return to take His bride Home.

No one knows the day or hour, but, are you willing to go another day not having a relationship with Jesus? Or not producing good fruit for His Kingdom? In Revelation 22:12-13, Jesus reminds us: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

 But thank God, there is always hope!

Let’s read what the servant said to the Vineyard Owner in Luke 13:8-9: “But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.”  And though Jesus was talking about the nation of Israel needing to repent for its sins and rebellion, so too does the Church; you and I. We are, after all, grafted into their vine. There is only One God.

Jesus has interceded for us, my dear brothers, and sisters. When the Owner wanted to cut down the tree, The Servant said, “Let it alone until I dig around it and fertilize it.”

Jesus asked the Father to allow Him to dig around the soil of your heart. It is like Jesus is saying, “Father, allow Me, to dig deep and minister to them so they will produce the fruit you want to see and desire.” 

So, ask yourself, is it worth holding on to anger and jealousy?

Do you truly believe that Jesus does not want to set you free from your sins? To not be righteous before the Father, in whose Image you are created? Because if you do believe that lie, my heart breaks for you. We read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  That is the Truth.

You have likely heard that Scripture; the question is: Do you genuinely believe Jesus died for you?

I pray this has touched you in such a way that it helped set you free.

Fellow believers, we must grow and bear the fruit Jesus is looking for; let us not choose just to look the part yet stay barren. “So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin.” –Matthew 3:8.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus makes this offer: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  I invite you to ask Jesus to take first place in your heart. Allow Him to minister to you. Open the door of your heart to Him. He is willing and able to set you free. Jesus Himself promises you: “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” –John 8:36.

Amen.

Breath To Serve

April 6, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” –Colossians 3:17.

Whether serving in ministry in your local church or serving others every day at your job, give thanks that you get to serve an amazing, loving God—no matter where you serve. I can certainly attest to having experienced some rough days at the office. I have had my share of being ignored by coworkers or even by my brothers and sisters, whom I serve alongside within the ministry. In our flesh, we can step on each other’s toes and say the wrong thing to one another, and if we’re not quick to forgive, soon enough, offense rears its ugly head and can cause division. Many of you know what I am talking about because this can and does happen when people of diverse backgrounds and personalities come together.

Jesus even witnessed it among His disciples.

After Jesus predicted His death and gave a warning in verses 44-45, the disciples started fighting. “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.” Jesus had chosen twelve unqualified men to come alongside Him to spread the Good News. But look what happened in Luke 9:46: “Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.” J

It must have saddened Jesus how quickly they had turned against each other after He had spoken this. Yet, at the same time, it did not catch Him off guard because He knew what was in the hearts of men. Without Jesus, man lives a sinful, prideful life, which causes our inflated egos to get the best of us. We see this clearly in Luke 16:14-15. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, those who followed the rules of the Law and considered themselves, above most others, holier, which is pride. In Luke 16:15, Jesus rebuked them, saying, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts, For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” 

Man’s wicked, carnal ways are an abomination in the sight of God. “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness.” –Proverbs 15:9. Allowing pride, a sin of the flesh, to enter in when ministering to others, opens the door for God to bring a rebuke; however, if received, there is mercy and grace in the rebuke Jesus brings.

Remember that dispute between the disciples earlier? Jesus used it to show His mercy and grace during their prideful dispute. “And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” –Luke 9:47-48.

Jesus wants you and I to be willing to accept and show hospitality to those who cannot repay us. We are to be humble, expecting nothing in return like children, with nothing of material value to offer anyone. Children are unaware that they ought to offer anything in exchange for love and acceptance until it is taught to them. A child’s pure love is all they have or know to offer others.

Jesus went to His Cross, knowing that we could never repay Him. He died a death that we deserved.

Jesus served man humbly. He offers us salvation so that you and I might be called children of God.

Yet, in our eagerness to serve Jesus, we must never forget to put on humility and love first.We who get to serve the Lord must do all we can to remove pride from our serving and stop comparing how we serve to others, treating it like a competition. For us to do anything of eternal value in ministry, we need Jesus to be our Guide.

We cannot do this work in our own strength. Yes, we have been given gifts and talents, but what good are the gifts without the Giver, Jesus?

Just like He did with His disciples, Jesus placed in you whatever gifts and talents you possess when He knit you together in your mother’s womb. Then, like them, you were born again from above, and your gifts were called to life.

Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” He breathed on them to bring New Life so they might be born again. Jesus had spoken of this to Nicodemus in John 3:3. “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

And when we read further down, in verses 6-8, Jesus told him, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

All faithful ministry is born from intimacy with Jesus, from a relationship with Him.

We need Jesus’ Spirit in every part of our service to Him and to serve those He has given us.

We “get to” do this, my dear brothers, and sisters. We have been chosen. Serving the Body of Christ is our privilege and should never be taken lightly. Whether you are a pastor, worship leader, someone who cleans the church, gives out coffee and pastries or writes a blog, without Jesus, we can do nothing of eternal value.

As I end this teaching, I pray it somehow touched your heart. It stirs us to serve our Lord Jesus in humility, not for selfish gain or seeking popularity or position. Jesus came as a servant to all men. He carried the weight of His Cross and took all of our sins upon Himself. “And being found in appearance of man, he humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus shed His Blood for each of us so that we might be forgiven for all of our sins. I pray we serve each other with that same humble spirit.

Today, I pray and invite you to cry out to Jesus, repent of your sins, and believe in Him. Romans 10:13 promises that: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Amen.

I Know.

February 17, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Still, I know that God lives – the One who gives me back my life – and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth.” –Job 19:25.

How will you respond when, from seemingly nowhere, tragedy strikes? When you’re fired unexpectedly or a stroke, heart attack, or some dreaded diagnosis strikes? When your spouse leaves, or your child, parent, or beloved friend dies? Some will say that question can’t be answered until we face it. And yet, Job knew his answer well in advance. And so ought we. As Christians, we must determine in advance to cleave to Jesus when the familiar, everyday rhythm of our lives becomes abruptly unrecognizable, just as Job once did. Long before his world was ripped from beneath him, Job had decided never to turn away from the God He loved and served. Did Job have questions? Absolutely. Was he heartbroken and devastated? You bet. Yet Job had decided there’d never be a turning back to life before Jesus. A decision each of us must determine in our own heart.

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.” –Job 13:15.

God has every right to take anything back to fulfill His will in our lives, including the health, people, possessions, and prosperity He’s afforded us. His doing this will require us to “come up higher.” To operate in the Spirit, not the flesh. Our flesh is far too selfish and constantly warring with our Spirit. To remain steadfast in our faith and commitment to Christ, we must tether ourselves to unwavering trust in God. Be unswervingly committed to following, clinging to, honoring, obeying, running to Jesus long before adversity, loss, pain, suffering, or the unfathomable occurs. “Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” –Psalm 108:12-13.

Jesus never promised that our following Him would be easy.

All too often, we forget that—I know I have.

As followers of Christ Jesus, by faith, we believe what God says is Truth because we know we serve a God who cannot lie. Who foreknew how each of His children would act, react, or respond to every situation and circumstance He knit into His plan for their lives—just as He foreknew how Job would respond to His extending Satan the invitation to sift him. Remember, God drew Satan’s attention to a man scripture makes clear, loved, and followed Him. It wasn’t sin that had opened the door to Satan—God Himself did that. “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” –Job 1:1.

In those moments and seasons when, like Job, we feel confused, afraid, targeted, even forsaken or forgotten by God, it’s then that the surety of what we know of God’s character and heart toward us must be our only lifeline. All else but God must fall away, lest we fall. “I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” –Psalm 63:8.

We trust Jesus because we have tasted and seen that our God is a Good Father, even in the worst of times.

And because of who God is, His unfathomable love for us—for you, beloved, I’m here to remind you that surely, soon and very soon, you too will heal, live, and breathe again, restored with even greater levels of trust—looking more like Jesus not despite, but because of your trial. Like Job, you will emerge more unshakable. Your faith is more deeply rooted because you’ve walked through the refiner’s fire with the Lord, and something far greater than silver or gold was deposited in you.

So allow God’s sure promises to speak to your feelings, Beloved. Reminding them they are fleeting and untrustworthy, emotional responses that are all too often slaves to your circumstances.

Please understand me. Assuredly, there are moments in life, seasons even, when these feelings are valid—we’re not robots. The loss of a loved one, a life turned suddenly upside down by the words, “We’re going to have to let you go.”  “There’s been an accident, or we’re sorry to inform you that your husband, son, or daughter did not survive.” “I have your test results. You have cancer.”

Still, more than ever, especially in such moments, we must grab hold of God’s promises and become so one with His Truth; we allow nothing, no loss, trial, or pain, to separate us from our loving Father. “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”‘ –Romans 8:35-39.

The one sure thing I know, having experienced such desperate moments, is this: Everything must pass through God’s Sovereign Hand—Period. Are those things painful? Absolutely. They’re rip your heart out painful. You’ll never be the same again. As with Job’s losses, these sudden rippingaways are meant to leave us different than they found us—changed because they were allowed to touch us.

“Job answered God: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.” –Job 42:5 MSG.

Compared to the agony Jesus endured for you and me on His Cross, who are we to complain?

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” –2 Corinthians 4:17.

Soon and very soon, Jesus will return, wedding ring in hand, oh, glorious day when we’ll be forever One with Him, just as He promised His disciples as they watched Him ascend back to the Father, having conquered sin, death and the grave for you and me. Job believed it. Jesus’s disciples knew it. And so do we, those who have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb and are eagerly watching and waiting for His soon return. And so, I fix my eyes on Jesus, pain, and all.

Like Job, I know my Redeemer lives. And any moment now, I will meet Him.

How about you? Do you know Jesus? More importantly, does Jesus know you? If you’re uncertain, call out to Him now. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Give Him your pain. He’ll carry what you were never meant to. He loves you. You’re the one He gave His life for. Grab hold of Jesus’s promise to you: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” –Revelation 3:20.

Natural vs. Supernatural: Faith, Hope & Love.

January 20, 2024 /

Elda Othello Wrightington

Do you like to journal? I have always kept a yearly journal. My most recent entry reflected on the last three years of my life. Over the previous three years, I’ve had my faith tested in 2021 and experienced hopelessness in 2022. Last year, the sincerity of love was questioned due to hurt and disappointments in 2023. As I journaled and poured out my heart to the Lord about love, the last and greatest of the three things, I realized something. Faith, hope, and love can be seen with either the natural eye or with supernatural eyes. “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” —1 Corinthians 13:13.

Let me explain.

Faith can be portrayed and publicized in the natural world on clothing, bumper stickers, jewelry, etc.; hope is often used loosely and casually.

For example, “I hope I win… (You fill in the blank).”

And, for the most part, in the natural, the word love is also often used by many like any other four-letter word.

“I love my car; I love these shoes; I love this song.”

Love is literally used to describe just about everything and any experience one can think of that brings pleasure. However, God helped me see that faith, hope and love are undeniably different in the supernatural. The Bible’s definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things Hope for and the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is bold, brave and has substance.

It’s daring to believe in God no matter what, “even if,” because the truth is, in the Spirit, there is nothing too hard for God. Faith makes everything possible when we’re operating in the Spirit! Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” However, trying to walk by faith in your flesh is contradictory and impossible because you’re trying to do something supernatural in your own strength.

You might be going through a season where your faith is being tested, and you’re trying to encourage yourself in your own strength.

Maybe you’re using some method of motivation or positive self-help talk, i.e. “I can do this… this is the plan. Follow it.” And though you might start out with desired goals in mind, even some good ideas, to move forward in these goals, the truth is, in the natural, your perceived notion of having faith really has no substance. It’s just your futile efforts greasing the wheel that will only get you so far. I found that the more I tried to exercise faith in my natural strength and abilities, the more I took my eyes off of God. The more I did that, the more it affected how I thought.

I didn’t know what to believe because my eyes were reaching for everything except God.

However, when I remember faith comes by hearing the Word, everything changes. “Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.” –Galatians 3:2.

And hope sprung up within me when I remembered God’s Word is Truth. “Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth.” –John 17:17.

And when I remembered that God is Good, I remembered His love for me. “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!” –Ps. 107.1.

I can depend on God’s Word. His Word is the only sure place to find faith and hope. It’s there I found substance.

Faith and hope really do go together.

God’s Word is dependable. His Word has substance. God’s Word never lies. His Word gives hope and helps cultivate faith. But loving someone or something can honestly try your faith when that love is being tested—when love tests your hope.

I realized loving in the natural, eros-romantic love is very different from agape love, God’s unconditional love.

You may be struggling with a relationship issue with your partner, spouse, brother, or sibling. Maybe it’s with your children or friend (philia love). I have noticed that when we struggle with the natural forms of love, we question God’s Love. That is what happened to me. Sometimes, the enemy will try to use these natural forms of love to taint God’s agape love.

Agape love is constantly demonstrating itself. We see the ultimate evidence of this at the Cross. “For God demonstrated His love towards us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” –Romans 5:8.

“Us” entails everyone. You, me, and even that person who has caused your hurt or pain. It’s so easy to confuse and get hurt by natural love because it’s so easy for us to lose ourselves in it. Carnal love is tangible and attainable; it can be touched and felt, unlike God’s love, which can surely be felt, only differently. So I found myself asking the Lord to forgive me for confusing eros and philia with agape love. For expecting from others what only God can give me.

The truth is, agape love, God’s love, is what remains after Philia and Eros leave. God’s Love is consistent. It doesn’t change. No matter what we have done. God’s love is quick to forgive and longs for reconciliation.

When my eyes were again opened to agape love, when I welcomed and embraced God’s love, only then could I walk in forgiveness. When hurt settles in the heart after experiencing rejection, upset and or trauma, agape love can heal, restore and help you believe in the goodness of God’s love again.

Friends, I encourage and remind you of Romans 8:28: “All things work together for the Good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”

There is purpose amid pain. Pain is a natural, tangible feeling that is hard to shake. It requires you to pursue faith, hope and love to help heal it because these three things, when chased after and seen through God’s lens of the supernatural, will bring healing, peace, and so much more! God has a plan and purpose for your pain, but unless you choose to align with His plan by agreeing with the healing power of faith, hope, and love, then the struggle in the natural will continue to be difficult and daunting. Friends, if you have not accepted Christ, today is the day. I invite you to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He will lead you in the ways of Faith, Hope and Love.

Life, Relationship, Authority.

November 4, 2023 /

Matthew Botelho

In John 6:37, Jesus assures us: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

We were created to be social beings, to be in relationships with one another. We possess a desire to share, laugh, cry, and learn from one another. We all seek acceptance in some way or another. We feel that tug on our hearts for acceptance because God created you and me to be in a relationship with Him. We are spirit beings living in a physical world, meaning God knew all of us before we were formed in your mother’s womb. “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” –Psalm 139:13-14.

Our soul knows that the One true God created us!

When He breathed life into you, He breathed in all you will ever be. Your giftings, personality, intelligence, all you are today, were brought into existence in that one breath. Such giftings are an amazing picture of intimacy between you and your Creator. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” –Genesis 2:7. No other creature in creation was afforded this relationship with God.Your Creator made you fearfully and wonderfully. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” –Psalm 139:14.

Your being alive now is no accident. And there is no other like you. There is no confusion or doubt in God. God formed you uniquely and perfectly. You are created in His image. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” –Genesis 1:27.

Unlike you, God did not breathe life into a dog or koala bear. God created them, and they became living creatures.

We see in Genesis 2:18-20 that God did not want man to be alone, so He created every living creature and presented them to Adam. God could have named every animal and bird, but He gave Adam the authority to name them instead, and whatever Adam called them, that is their name.

Every animal was created in pairs, male and female.

Yet no animal created was a suitable mate for Adam. And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would name them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.” –Genesis 2:18-20.

God is the Giver of life, and He is the Giver of all authority. God could have named every animal and bird, but He gave Adam the authority to name all the animals because He loved Adam and had close fellowship with him. God loved walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.

Remember, God created us to be in a loving relationship with Him. Still, man is man, and God is God. Man will never be God’s equal. When the fall of man happened, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, our relationship with Him was broken.

We will never be able to mend this relationship on our own merits.

No amount of good deeds will ever make what we did wrong right again. Jesus is the only way to restore man to God in a right relationship, and we are made to live in relationship with God. He loves His creation. Why else would He have set His plan for redemption into motion?

God knew we would mess up—sin, yet that did not stop Him from loving us. God looks at man and sees the apple of His eye. Meaning there is nothing that He will not do for you. In John 3:16-17, God’s Word is clear: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

This unchanging Truth clearly states that when we believe in the Son of God, placing our faith in Him as Lord as Savior, the key word being “believe,” we will not perish but have eternal life because we believe—putting our faith in Jesus alone. Christ stepped down from heaven to earth so you might have a relationship with God. There is no other way to be saved. God did not say for you to believe in any other person. Jesus stated that we must believe in Him to receive salvation. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” 

God’s saving mercy is poured out on us through His Son, Jesus, then His Holy Spirit comes and lives in us, empowering us. Without accepting Jesus as Lord of your life, His Holy Spirit cannot live in you. In John 16:7-8, speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

We are powerless to fight the battles of sin and temptation alone. I cannot speak for you, but without Our Lord Jesus, I would never have been able to break the chains of addiction in my own life. I praise Jesus every day that He alone set me free! 

My dear friends, the answer to becoming free is to abide in Christ Jesus, staying connected to Him. Because when we feel weak, our Lord’s strength is perfected in us. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Apostle Paul writes about having “a thorn in his flesh.” And Jesus addresses this weakness in him, saying, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.”.

I do not know what Paul’s thorn was, but I do know that God helped him, and the Holy Spirit’s strength enabled Paul to endure.

What God did for Paul, He will do for all those who cry out to Him in times of distress. 

John 16:13-14 “However, when He, the spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”

Outside of Christ, we are all under the curse of sin and death and the distortion sin brings to each one of our lives. Sin is the enemy’s plan to keep you far away from God by deceiving and lying to you, presenting you with distractions and idols that only suck your life from you. In John 10:10, Jesus says of your enemy, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Jesus says In John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” In Christ, there is life, relationship, and authority. You are one breath away from making Lord Jesus your Savior.

Lord, I pray the ones reading this will ask Jesus to come into their lives and repent of their sins. I pray that they ask, in faith believing, to be washed clean by the Blood that you, Jesus, shed for them on the Cross. May they walk in a new life given by you, Lord. Amen

Rebuild You Say?

September 9, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

In Loving memory of our Mother, Edna Dennis

“…Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” –Nehemiah 4:2

Rebuild? Move forward? How, Lord? My strength is gone. My thoughts are fractured and muddy. My heart is little more than rubble—pieces charred by this searing inferno of grief.

My mother is gone!

But You know that—You took her Home!

Yes, I know, in Your mercy, You answered my prayers—our prayers, that she might not suffer any longer, and I thank You for answering us, but if You will, answer me this as well:

What am I supposed to rebuild from this giant heap of pain? “Partner with Me,” You say. Give You my heart? Yes, that’s right! Rebuilding, reshaping, New Life, only You can do that. Only You breathe life into what’s dead—reviving it.

Only You know my end from my beginning.

But what can You build with charred rubble? “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” –Jeremiah 18:4.

These thoughts raced through my head as I read Nehemiah, Chapters Three and Four. I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me it was time to rebuild. After all, He was the One who had just spoken to my heart, nudging me to read His Words.

He said He would use all the broken pieces of the last season, things that appear defunct, to build a new foundation—start a new chapter, just as He did for those who have gone before me. Our Father is faithful like that. He doesn’t play favorites.

So what do you do when someone most dear to your heart is taken away?

When you feel feeble, raw, and exposed—at your most vulnerable?

When God takes back the very one He used to bring you into His world? To deliver you into the life He had mapped out for you from before the foundation of the world? When everything inside of you is silently screaming in pain so thick and exacting that breathing becomes a chore—as does everything else.

Like Job, you mourn, howl, question, sob, and then wait for God to rebuild: one trusting step at a time. “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” –Job 1:21.

You do the next thing.

In your own power? Not a chance. You have nothing left.

You rebuild by grabbing hold of God’s outstretched Hand so tightly that fusion happens, complete Oneness—absolute surrender. Then, from the bond forged between you, welded together by love and trust, you allow His Holy Spirit to lead, as is your privilege. You let Him place one of your feet in front of the other—in His good time, inching you closer and closer to your life’s purpose—reflecting the image and likeness of His Son, our Lord, Jesus. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” –2 Corinthians 3:18.

You allow God to use the rubble of your broken heart. Seared and scared by grief so deeply rooted in your bones, it feels as if any attempt at removing it might cause your foundation to collapse. And collapse it must—because God is doing a new thing. “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” –Romans 8:28.

Hear me, please. I do not profess to understand how God accomplishes all of this—that’s far beyond my ability to comprehend. Neither can I say that it feels good as He’s working things together for my good, but what I can say with absolute confidence is this: I serve a Good, Good Father whom I do not need to understand in full to know that He loves me—loves all those called by His Holy name. “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.” –1 Corinthians 9:26.

I trust Jesus.

I choose to place the total weight of my faith, every sliver of my now-broken heart, into His Omniscient, Omnipotent, nail-pierced Hands.

My faith in my Father, more, His overwhelming love for me demands that of me.“Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes!” –Romans 11:33-36.

When will this fog lift? I cannot say. Only God knows.

When will I see this new thing, the new version of myself Jesus is bringing forth, the beauty springing up from the ashy cinders of my heart? I don’t know. Soon. Whatever that means.

In the meantime, I will do the next thing while God rebuilds using whatever remains.

I will worship, pray, and praise God’s precious Name; I’ll serve Him because these are the fruits of a new creation. Byproducts birthed in me by His Holy Spirit. Because He lived, died and rose again on the third day my old man has passed away; my new man knows only Jesus, His amazing grace and mercy-full love. “For I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].” –1 Corinthians 2:2.

Still, I’ll ask your forgiveness for any scrape or bruise I may cause as God’s Holy Spirit continues His work in me, repairing the charred rubble in this season of new beginnings, and I’ll turn to Jesus, in faith knowing, “As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” –Psalm 138:3;7-8.

Beloved of God, I know sharing the news of my mom’s passing with you is personal. But you’re family. You are my brothers and sisters in Christ. And so I trust because of this, you will pray for me and my family as we walk through this valley of the shadow of death—and we will. I, for one, have staked my life on this Truth.

And please say yes, you whom God is wooing, calling to Himself—to become His child—my new brother or sister. I need you; we, the Body of Christ, need you. We need what only you have to offer us all. “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” –1 Corinthians 12:12;18-20.

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

Walk It Out On The Sea of Doubt, Pt.3

August 26, 2023 /

Matthew Botelho

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” –Isaiah 30:21.

The last teaching God gave me is still registering in my spirit, and if you have not read it, the teaching’s title is “Will You Follow Me?” I believe Jesus is speaking that so clearly to the body of Christ in this season. Hearing the words “Follow Me” still excites me as I pray it does you. My pastor read from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 during a time of edifying the church this past Sunday, and he touched on the timing of God and how all things work in His time.

There are seasons of life God places us to grow, prune, strengthen, and give us rest. To me, the Word the pastor shared was confirming. Be at peace, dear brothers and sisters, and walk in what God has specifically given you.

Because sometimes, in our walk with the Lord, we can get sidetracked by everyday life. The hustle and bustle of work and family can take us to a place where we lose sight. We can lose our focus on Jesus and try to follow Him in our own strength and time, And what comes as a result of trying to follow in our own strength can be a raging sea of doubt, anxiety, and disappointment.

You can say,” Oh, this would never happen to me. I would never walk it out on my own. Jesus is always my first and for most.” To that, I pray a season of doubt never overtakes you. As for me, I have fallen short; I will fall flat on my face if I rely on myself. I need Jesus to be my guiding light. I need Jesus in the hard times, I need Him in the good times, I need Him in my family, in my marriage, with my children, I need Jesus!

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” –Romans 3:23-24.

I want us to remember when the disciples were out on the sea of Galilee after feeding the five thousand. In Matthew 14:22-24 the disciples of Jesus are rowing to the other side, but a massive storm comes upon them. The waves are crashing, the wind is blowing, and fear and chaos surround them. They cannot see the other side but see something or someone approaching them in the distance. “Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” and they cried in fear.” –Matthew 14:25-26.

As part 2 of “Walk It Out On The Sea of Doubt” states, fear can take so much from you. It is a thief of joy and of peace in you. It can cause you to do things you would never usually do. It distorts your vision to see clearly both physically and spiritually. But know this: fear is not your portion in life.

Fear is a weapon your enemy uses as a distraction to stop you from reaching the other side. He will not only use fear but, with it, the lying voice of condemnation to tell you God is not for you, that He has left you in this mess you created. Know now that voice is not God’s. God comes for you in the middle of your mess or the middle of the storm. “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” –Matthew 14:27.

Notice when Jesus spoke to them.

It was immediately after they saw Him. God does not waste time in leaving you in doubt of whether it is Him or not. We are His sheep, and we hear the voice of the One who calls us. Jesus is that Shepard that will come for you in the middle of the storm you are going through. He knew where His disciples would be and precisely where you are now dearly beloved. Jesus says, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Though fear may have gripped you, Jesus sets you free from what holds you captive.

“And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” –Matthew 14:28-29.

I may give Peter more credit than he deserves, but he does something unique here!

Yes, he walks on the water, but he says to the Lord, “If it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Is Peter testing God here? Peter knows the voice of his Lord, and he knows if that is Him, then nothing will go wrong. But stepping out onto the water will take a giant leap of faith if it’s not.

Peter places all of his faith in Jesus and then waits for Jesus’ next command. “Command me to come to You on the water.”

Tell me to step out in faith, step out with my family, ask me to start this ministry, and speak to that person about You. Just tell me what to do, Lord. You know Jesus spoke to you. You know it was His Word. You know it is Him saying, “Come, follow Me”. So, what stops you from jumping out of the boat you’re in?

Whose voice will you listen to?

You can almost hear the voices of the other disciples yelling at Peter. And their voices are no different than those you are hearing now. “Are you crazy!”, “This will never work!”, “Mark my words, Peter, you are going to drown!” You have heard these words before, these voices of doubt. But you have also heard God say, “Follow Me.” “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.” –Matthew 14:30-32

When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he started sinking. He became so focused on what was going on around him that he forgot all about what had gotten him out of the boat in the first place: his faith, entrusted entirely to Jesus. When Peter put his complete faith in Jesus, he was able to walk on the water. When Jesus told him to come, Peter could jump out of that boat. Scripture does not say Peter was hesitant about stepping out onto the water, only that he stepped out once Jesus bid him to come.

We cannot be hearers of the Word of God only. We must be doers, pliable enough to go when it is time to go.

At times, you will fall short. We all will. When you call on Jesus during those raging storms, He will immediately stretch out His hand and catch you. Will may get a rebuke as Peter did, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” But when you fix your eyes on Jesus again and allow Him to guide your steps, you will get to walk on that water again. Scripture says that they got into the boat. The boat did not come to them. They walked to it together. Hallelujah!

I pray this teaching blessed you because I know it truly blessed me.

So to anyone who feels like they are in the storm alone, I encourage you to focus instead on the One that brings calm to every storm. Jesus can and will be that Savior you have been searching for. He will deliver you. Cry out to Him and proclaim Him Lord of your life this day! Then watch as His outstretched hand saves you. Amen. “…May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!” –Psalm 20:1.

Be Loosed!

August 12, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” –John 11: 38-44.

I intended this week’s teaching to come out of the first chapter of Colossians and be titled “Doing your part.” But as you can see, that is not the case. Holy Spirit always has the final say here. When I picked up my Bible and read the account of Jesus’s resurrection of Lazarus within the margin, I read a long-ago notation I’d noted. It reads: “Jesus will handle the resurrection. You do your part.”

I don’t believe in coincidences. The fact was not lost on me that the exact words I’d intended to use to title this teaching were now staring back at me.

God was trying to get my attention. And He had it now.

“Doing your part” has been an ongoing theme of late. So It made me wonder if you’re also not hearing some rendition of these exact words in your Spirit.

I ask because my experience has been that the Word I receive from the Lord is first meant to minister to me, then flow outward to you. And so I pray that we submit our will, our wants, what may appear ‘right’—sound, to us, to the will and calling of Jesus—putting to death all internal chatter that clamors for answers to the why’s. Allowing God’s Word to mirror our true reflection back to us.

In so doing, may the exhale of our breath genuinely be, “Thy will be done.” Whether we understand God’s will—or not.

As I read today’s Scripture, several points stood out:

First was the opening sentence. It informs us that Jesus was deeply moved—but why? What had touched Him so that Scripture lets us know straightaway that Jesus was moved? I believe in answering this properly; we must go back a bit.

At the beginning of this same chapter, Jesus informs His disciples that Lazarus has died.

Yet, at first, His disciples don’t understand that Lazarus is physically dead because Jesus says Lazarus has fallen asleep.’ Naturally, their minds think of ordinary sleep–rest. This oxymoron is one of many instances found in Scripture. Knowing their confusion, Jesus spells it out for them. He emphatically states that Lazarus is dead. He tells them it’s good that He wasn’t there to intervene.

Jesus was about to perform a miracle in the lives of so many through this one act of obedience.

Yet Jesus commiserated with Mary and Martha’s friends and neighbors’ pain and outpouring of grief. Was this partly because, acting out of obedience to the Father, Jesus had to stay put and not go to Lazarus? Is this why in part, Jesus was so deeply moved? Because He could not intervene, not touch, and heal His friend as He had so many others? Jesus trusted His Father surely. And although Jesus is fully God, He was also fully human and felt the genuine pain we experience in such moments. “For we do not have a Great High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…” –Hebrews 4:14.

Yet all of this—His pain and theirs, did not stop Jesus from obeying the Father’s will.

There was a greater good that was about to come of this. Jesus knew obedience to the will of the Father was more important than His or their feelings—obedience is always paramount. “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” –John 15:10.

The second point that struck me was the barrier blocking Jesus’ entrance into the place He was sent to bring about the miracle He’d been sent to perform. Remember, Jesus tells us: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” –John 5:30.

Scripture points out Jesus’s saying, “Take away the stone.” Why?

Could it be that in addition to its natural use, attention is brought to this stone to illustrate that we place proverbial stones across our hearts, denying God unfettered access? Denying Jesus access to give us the same healing and restoration of life and life to the full that we see Him give Lazarus?

Friends, if we belong to Jesus, we have been chosen to partner with God. Our part—my part, your part—is to choose to listen to Jesus’ voice and allow whatever stone impeding His entrance into our dead places to be rolled away—so that fullness of life might come forth.

Jesus tells those present to roll the stone out of His way. (notice the stone can be moved!)

Martha’s response? To tell Jesus no—don’t do that. What are you thinking? He’s been dead for days, and it stinks in there!

Sounds reasonable, right? After all, isn’t that what we do when we hide ‘our flesh’ in places we think no one can see? When we choose to keep our tomb, those—shameful or painful—even prideful parts of ourselves sealed off—safe from view.

After all, Jesus couldn’t possibly love us if He sees all that, right?

Wrong!

Jesus knows that to have True Life; we must let Him into our stinking—rotten fleshly places. We must agree to have any stone moved away that might deny Him full access—to every yucky—stinking part of us! Why? Because the Truth is this: whatever Jesus does to us—in us, through us, is not just for us.

“Lazarus, come out!” And He did. And we will, too—all those called by His name must leave our dead things behind.

We, still wrapped in our grave clothes—still carrying the scent of things long since dead within us—are just waiting, as Lazarus was, to be released into the Fullness of Life. “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Jesus will always have the final Word.

Though salvation is a free gift from God, one based not on our good works that any of us might foolishly think we could earn such a gift, we do have a part to play in working out our salvation. Paul clarifies this in Phil.2:12. “So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

Plainly put: We must do our part, must agree—desire, want, our stone be rolled away.

Do you, friend? I pray you do. Won’t you ask Jesus to roll away everything blocking you from asking Him to come into your heart? To be your Lord and Savior, He’ll roll away anything standing between you and Him if you genuinely want it gone. Jesus says it this way: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” –Revelation 3:20

Repent, The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand!

June 24, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life], All you humble of the land Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments; Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital]. Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued] In the day of the Lord’s anger.” –Zephaniah 2:3 AMP.

When my eyes hit verse 3 of Zephaniah, Chapter 2 this morning, I knew what I was being led to share this week. It’s definitely not a feel-good, popular message. It never has been. But it is needed. So thank God I care little about popularity…

Smack dab in the middle of foretelling of God’s impending judgement—Zephaniah reminds Israel that Love and mercy have always been the Father’s heart towards them—towards all His children. One of the most quoted and recognized Bible verses makes this Truth abundantly clear. “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” –John 3:16 AMP.

As I read Zephaniah’s third verse, almost instantly, my mind went to the Words Jesus spoke in the beginning of His earthly ministry. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” –Matthew 4:17 AMP. And these nearly verbatim Words echo back to John the Baptist, Jesus’s forerunner. Jesus and repentance are synonymous, after all. We can trace this foundational Truth all the back to Eden.

So if God has been tugging on your heart, beloved friend, it is likely for salvation. God is offering you a relationship with Himself. “Today [while there is still opportunity] if you hear His voice, Do not harden your heart, as when they provoked Me [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].” –Hebrews 3:15 AMP. If you will humble yourself, repent of your sins, and tell God you’re genuinely sorry for even the vilest sins you may have committed. Then by His Word, God is faithful to forgive, cleanse, and restore you to Himself. “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises] and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].” –1 John 1:9.

And to you, dear brother, beloved sister. Since you have tasted salvation freely given you, the goodness of God, I admonish you never to lose sight of your desire for your first Love. “But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].” –Revelation 2:4 AMP. As I hope you would me, I encourage you to do whatever you must to ensure God remains first in every aspect of your life, and, if your love has grown cold, your flame of love flickering, stoke that fire right now!

Humble yourself before your Lord, repent, and run back to the feet of your Lord. Take to heart what God’s Word has to say about your salvation: “So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].” –Philippians 2:12 AMP.

The Holy Spirit had led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested. There, Jesus had fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights. During that time, Satan came to Him on multiple occasions to do what He does best—kill, steal, destroy—and lie. But God always has a plan! Because through this same Jesus, the Father made possible the only Way for you and me to be restored to right relationship with Him. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” –Acts 4:12.

This Truth, God’s intent to provide the Way back to Himself, has lived in the heart of our Father from the beginning—as we understand it.

How can I confidently state this without sounding as though I, His creation, would dare presume to know the mind of God, my Creator? Because of His Word, I trust the infallibility of God’s Word. In addition, I know my Father’s heart—experientially. I hear it beating loud and clear across every page of the Bible—God’s infallible, life-changing, Living heartbeat. “He humbled you and allowed you to be hungry and fed you with manna, [a substance] which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, so that He might make you understand [by personal experience] that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” –Deuteronomy 8:3 AMP.

God’s fierce and resounding “I love you” is the very Lifeblood and Bread of the Bible’s every syllable.

And so, it is towards Jesus’ finished work, towards salvation—that Zephaniah is pointing us. Light and Hope amid great darkness and sin.

It’s toward the Cross, the foreshadowing of Jesus’ finished work, the shedding of His Blood, that sinless, blameless sacrifice first witnessed in Eden. Where God put to death innocent animals to cover Adam and Eve’s sinful, fallen nakedness—sin separates us from God—yet another point Zephaniah makes clear for those with ears to hear. “…Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital]. Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued] In the day of the Lord’s anger.” –Zephaniah 2:3.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul said it this way concerning those who have come to know the Lord: “How will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us and proved authentic by those who personally heard [Him speak].” –Hebrews 2:3.

In Christ Jesus, eternal Life and hope are offered in place of death and judgment.

Again, it is towards this Truth that Zephaniah points us. Most in Israel had abandoned God—His commandments and ways. Great apostasy had saturated the people’s hearts (the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief—Oxford Dictionary) indeed, in part, that had much to do with their time in Babylon in exile. Zephaniah reminds Israel—and through them you and me, to humble ourselves before God, remembering to live by His Word—His commands, to seek His heart and to enthrone Him on ours—it is His rightful place, after all. And do not delay!

Zephaniah calls us to repent our sins before God’s righteous judgement begins and the window of God’s grace closes. Remember, Beloved, God will not tarry with man forever. “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 AMP.

In these last days, I pray you’ll chase after Jesus with all that is in you, friends. “The Lord bless you, and keep you [protect you, sustain you, and guard you]; The Lord make His face shine upon you [with favor], And be gracious to you [surrounding you with lovingkindness]; The Lord lift up His countenance (face) upon you [with divine approval], And give you peace [a tranquil heart and life].’ –Numbers 6:24-26

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