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Category: Relationship (Page 1 of 18)

The Narrow Road

April 18, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” –Matthew 7:13-14

I recently read an online article that stated, “If you keep choosing easy, don’t complain when life gets hard. This is a truth most people don’t want to hear, because easy feels good in the moment. But here’s the cost no one talks about. Easy choices build weak habits. And weak habits quietly shape a hard life.”

To this, I would add, choosing to serve self rather than Jesus may give the impression of being “easier”; having no god but self to serve leaves your ability to choose wide open; to “blaze our own trail,” if you will. But here’s the thing about ways being left wide open before us; we can just as easily lose our way as choose our way when we take them. “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.” –Proverbs 14:12

Unlike many other of God’s creations, we were not created to roam free—contrary to those beautiful, enticing travel posters and vaca ads inviting us to do so.

You and I, dear friend, were created to live within the parameters of relationship—with God first and above all, with family, and within a community; that is God’s biblical plan. How He intends us to live, and designed the model He’s given us for forming communities.

In today’s scripture, we learn work is required of us—a concrete choice must be made if we’re to enter through the narrow gate, a metaphor for heaven. We’ve been afforded the unfathomable privilege of “getting to” choose which gate we’ll use—wide or narrow? Whom we’ll serve—or not serve, with our brief time on this earth. But know this: every man alive is serving something or someone—no man lives free of that choice; even your not choosing is, in fact, your choice.

Now, before I move on, I’ll stop here to clarify a foundational, biblical Truth: contrary to what you may have heard or been taught, God’s infallible Word assures us that salvation will never be achieved through our works.

Salvation is a free gift given to us by God alone, through Jesus alone, via God’s Holy Spirit, period. “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].” –Ephesians 2:8-9

If we could do anything to earn salvation/the forgiveness of our sins, there would have been no reason for Jesus to have ever been born. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” –Romans 5:17

The point of the story I read online and the point Jesus made in today’s Scripture verse run paralell: Choosing to take the easy way out, the path of least resistance, the “I’m a good person, I follow the rules so why shouldn’t I get into heaven, too,” road, will, in the end, only lead to a man’s ultimate destruction—eternal separation from Jesus. Taking the easy way out now might look good from the outside, but it offers no eternal value within.

Jesus once addressed the heart behind such deceptive life choices as He spoke to the religious leaders of His day. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” –Matthew 23:27-28

These men chose what was easiest for them: to stick to what they knew and believed to be true, rather than open their hearts to the possibility that Jesus was, in fact, who He claimed to be—their Savior. Man’s choice to serve any god but Jesus, the One True God, or no god at all, is really just rebellion disguised as freedom. “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

It’s man’s rebellious flesh determining for itself what it will or will not do, is willing to sacrifice, or not, in this life: time, energy, money, love, service, or anything else that may interfere with attaining its end goal—gain, relaxation, and pleasure now—because he’s earned it. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”–Matthew 6:24

Yet it’s here, in man’s insatiable pursuit of self-gratification—with its unquenchable thirst for freedom and more, where mere moral limits will ultimately betray such men in the end. “They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party.” –Philippians 3:19

Concerning the choices you make today, “Weak habits quietly shape a hard life,” said the author of the article I spoke of at the beginning of this teaching. Speaking of life now and eternal, Jesus cautions you to: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Why?

Because soon, and very soon, every man will lose his ability to choose the narrow way, having chosen not to follow it himself, he will, by default, have chosen the broad way instead, which leads to hell. “The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord YAHWEH,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father!” –Philippians 2:10-11

Friends, Christ has afforded all of us the unfathomable freedom to choose freely for ourselves life or death—the narrow way, with its sacrifices, trials, and demands in this life, certainly—or the broad way. A life of seeming ease now, but which comes with an inestimable price tag in the end—eternal separation from God.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.” –Luke 19-25

Every man must choose for himself, friend—and remember, not choosing is, in fact, your choice.

I pray you choose wisely, because Jesus loves you and hell was never meant for you, but for Satan and his minions. Friend, regardless of the choices you’ve made in life thus far, if you have breath in your lungs, it’s not too late for you to ask Jesus for His forgiveness. People send themselves to hell, this place of eternal torment and separation, not God. I share this with you in love, hoping to spare you from taking the seemingly easy path now and, instead, choosing the narrow Way that leads to Life. “Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.” –Hebrews 12:14

Holy Spirit Boldness.

April 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Wesley Mendes

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are going to be threats.

There will be risky situations in your life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Am, Life.

April 4, 2026 / / 0 Comments

MaryEllen Montville

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” –John 11:25-26

There are times Martha gets a bad rap.

But not today!

Martha has become known for her busyness—always doing something while her sister, Mary, was commended by Jesus, for choosing what is best—stillness at His feet; drinking in every Word that spills from His lips.“But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:41-43

Today, Jesus makes clear, however, despite Martha’s busy schedule and diligent attention to her everyday chores, she has not neglected to hold fast to what He has shared with her.

I pray Jesus’ acknowledgment of Martha’s heart, love, and belief in Him, in the midst of her busy life, despite all that still needed to get done, encourages that busy mom or pastor’s wife, Jesus knows your heart as well. He sees that sister, brother, mother, or daughter who stretches themself daily in service to others, desiring to meet their needs, all the while praying silently to their Lord for just five minutes of quiet so they too might pour their full attention at Jesus’ feet.

Now, before running to get her sister, Mary, Martha ended her conversation with Jesus by assuring Him of her faith in Him. That she knew—despite her pain, even in the midst of her chore-filled, others need me, every day life—that she could never forget Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that He could and would do all He had promised. “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” –John 11:27

So on this Resurrection Eve, I felt led to spotlight what Martha knew rather than her busyness. Martha knew her Lord. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Dear ones, you may be in the midst of a “Martha” season, still, hold tight to your “Mary” heart…

It’s Resurrection Sunday, tomorrow! Hallelujah!

For the Christian, it’s a day like no other; not even Christmas, as glorious, celebratory, and meaningful to us as it is. Why? Resurrection Sunday reminds Christians of the living hope we possess because Jesus defeated death and the grave—once, for all. And that all who believe on God’s Son, have life eternal in Him. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” –1 Peter 1:3.

No other god, so-called, has defeated death and the grave, having been raised from the dead. Buddha, Muhammad, even Krishna, to name but three; their remains, still in their graves—but not Jesus’! Jesus’ resurrection from the grave assures the believer that where He is, we will be—He has promised us: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” –John 14:3.

 With this eternal Truth in mind, please pause here a moment to ask and answer that same question Jesus once asked of Martha: “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?

 Everyone alive must answer, friend.

If not now, a day is coming, soon and very soon, when each man will.

God’s Word assures of this—believe it, or not.

“For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.” –Philippians 2:9-11

Now I didn’t ask you to answer Jesus’ question to scare or intimidate you, quite the opposite. I asked it out of love. Hopeful that Jesus is your Lord and Savior—that you do have a loving, intimate, Life-giving relationship with Him, and have, with a pure heart, said, as Martha did, “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” –John 11:27

I ask those also, who have yet to decide their answer, to search their hearts now and ask themselves, “Who is Jesus to me?” As you do, please use God’s beautiful Truth below to help guide your decision. Understanding what Jesus did for you, specifically, is deeply personal, and your answer will inevitably determine your eternal destiny.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” –Romans 5:6-11

Because Jesus was Martha’s Lord and Savior, she had a deeply personal relationship with Him and understood this Truth.

I pray you do, or will, before this day draws to a close…

God sent Jesus into this world to pay your sin debt—and mine—a debt we could never pay—Jesus didn’t come to condemn you, friend, but to save you! The guiltless sacrificed in place of the guilty. Jesus took your place on that Cross He was savagely nailed to and died on. All that you might have eternal life. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” –John 3:17.

Put simply, Jesus came into this world to ensure you be given the opportunity—along with every man—to answer for yourself the question He once posed to Martha. “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?

Martha believed, and she is with Jesus today, where she’ll be for eternity.

How about you?

Do you believe?

You must choose, friends, because not choosing is a choice.

Heaven or hell—that’s all there is.

I’m praying you choose heaven.

God’s Word promises you can and will have eternal life with Christ if, like Martha, you genuinely believe that Jesus is who He has claimed to be and will do all He promised to do. Read His promise for yourself. “If you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” —Romans 10:9-10

It’s Resurrection Sunday, tomorrow, Hallelujah!

I pray you experience a true Resurrection miracle: being set free from the grip from the kingdom of darkness, sin, and death; being born again into new Life with Jesus; and getting to meet Martha!

No Greater Assurance.

March 14, 2026 /

MaryEllen Montville

“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.” –John 5:25

Assurance, as defined by the world, in this case, by Oxford Languages: a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise; confidence or certainty in one’s own abilities.

Assurance, as defined in Acts 17:31, by the Living God: “He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Let me ask you, is a declaration of assurance given by a man, a mayor, president, king, or statesman, even the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, actual assurance?

Does such a promise made by any of these alleviate your fears?

Do you rest at night trusting that a man can fulfill, to the utmost, every promise he’s made regarding your safety and well-being?

Before you answer, stop and think about the current state of this world, I mean globally, not just your little corner of it.

Take a moment now and call to mind, if you can, all the promises you’ve heard recently from presidents, statesmen, and kings of countries; mere men, each one, educated men, certainly. Experienced, we certainly hope so. Well-intended? Call me naïve, but yes, I do believe that most men who seek to lead others start out well-intentioned, wanting the best for those who have put their trust in them and aiming to do their best for them.

Yet, at the end of the day, I have learned that the best of men are, at best, just men, and being created beings, will always fall short of their highest and best intentions; I know I am most certainly guilty of this.

But there is One who has never broken a promise—not a single one. “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” –Numbers 23:19

One who assures us, present tense, that He will do all and everything He has spoken, fulfilling every promise He’s made from the beginning of time, before time, more accurately, to this very day. “For no word from God will ever fail.” –Luke 1:37

Jesus has never failed—not once, because what He says He has heard from His Father, El Elyon, God Most High, Creator of us all and of things seen and unseen. “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” –John 12:49

And everything He does is in perfect alignment with the Father’s will. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” –John 6:38.

This same Jesus, Christ the Lord, who can do all things but fail, says this. “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.” –John 12:48-50

At any time, any man can assure you of anything, friends, this much we know; it’s the way of the world. The question, then, is not whether someone can assure you, but whether they can put legs under their assurance. Which brings up a thought: do you trust men in the same way you trust the chairs you sit on? An action, like other actions, people do without much thought. You sit automatically, yet seldom, if ever, do you question or give thought to the stability of the chair you’re quite literally placing the full weight of your trust on—

Here’s my point, friends. If you watch the news, even briefly, or glance at the headlines of most newspapers, or follow online threads, you can’t have missed that this world is changing 2 fast and 2 furious, for all you action movie buffs, except this is no movie, it’s real life. Your life.

I’m curious: who are you trusting to keep you, your family, your children, and loved ones safe from harm?

Now, before you answer or say that what you see happening elsewhere in the world will never happen to you, not here in good ole’ US of A, think again, because it can.

Hear me now. I pray earnestly that such hardships and fear never touch you. I pray God keep you and all those you love safe, in the palm of His Sovereign Right Hand. But above this, because Jesus has assured us, again, present tense, both saved and yet saved alike, that in this world, even with all the assurances we’re handed by each other or those well-intended officials, the president and all the good fighting men willing to lay down life and limb to protect us, we will, nonetheless, have troubles.

I’m not trying to be a Debbie-downer, friends, I’m simply sharing with you what Jesus assured us of, read it here for yourself: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33

What things is Jesus referring to?

To read the full account of all that Jesus assures us will happen, read the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24. Here’s a snippet to get you started. “Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” –Matthew 5-13.

Sound familiar?

Scholars tell us that Jesus’s birth fulfilled some 300 Old Testament prophecies concerning Him. Probability studies conducted by the mathematician Peter Stoner suggest that the odds of Jesus fulfilling just “eight” of the over 300 Messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. For those of us who are not mathematicians, that’s 1 in 100 quadrillion. (These calculations were published in “Science Speaks” by Peter Stoner.)

And whether mathematically correct or not, the Bible makes plain that Jesus has fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy concerning Him. From His birth in Bethlehem and being born of a virgin: Micah 5:2; Isaiah 7:14, to His ministry: Isaiah 61:1-2, to His betrayal and death: Zechariah 11:12; Ps. 22:7-8,16, culminating in Jesus’ burial and Resurrection: Isaiah 53:9; His being buried with the rich: Isaiah 53:9 and His resurrection: Psalm 16:10, Jesus has fulfilled every single one of these.

So, why would anyone think that Jesus won’t fulfill those yet-to-be-fulfilled?

Since none of us are equipped nor were we created to go it alone, my hope and prayer for you in these turbulent, trying times, is that you have or will this day, put the full weight of your trust in Jesus, who can help you navigate the turbulent waters of our times, steadying you, and leading you through what looks like the thing sent to take you out. No mere man, any man, from any political party, whether He be a president, king, or statesman, nor a Declaration written by mere men, regardless of their well-intentionedness, can do this.

So I pray the full weight of your trust will rest squarely and immutably on Jesus, the only one who can. He faithfully saved twelve others who put their trust in Him while in a storm. How? He commanded what was threatening them to be still. “When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” –Mark 4:38;41.

God has afforded you the privilege of making many choices in this life, friend, yet He has given you only One sure hope: His Son, Jesus. Will you put the full weight of your trust in Him?

Go!

October 4, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We have been commanded to “Go”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen.

Canceling Unbelief.

September 20, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus shows up in ways no one expected.

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

Jesus came to put Thomas’ doubt to an end.

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s love is so powerful.

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

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

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

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

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

Amen.

New, Not Renewed.

September 13, 2025 /

MaryEllen Montville

“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 global wake of destruction that has hit us, the likes of which would make a category five hurricane blush, has been savagely unleashed on our world, our emotions, and on countless poor souls’ lives. Leaving them in utter shambles. Gaza and Palestine. Africa and India. Russia and Ukraine. China, Taiwan, and the list goes on—wars and rumors of wars. Souls, lost, many eternally. Someone’s mom or dad. Husband, wife, and the children—children, dead now as they sat in prayer. An assassin’s bullet to the throat has seemingly silenced the voice of a young man in the prime of his life. But God!

A young wife and her children left now, without her devoted husband and adoring father. Then, there are the multiple school shootings that have resulted in the deaths of our most innocent, our children. All of this and so much more, every nameless faceless soul that has been killed, many with no one ever having so much as heard their names. Souls who, quite literally, have had the proverbial rug ripped right out from under their feet, believers and unbelievers alike. Leaving us all staggering and a bit numb in disbelief.

 Then, here I come, sharing a verse that reminds us all of God’s mercies. Mercies? Really?

Absolutely!

That’s the thing about God, He never changes. Never. Neither chaos nor death can cause God to change—to go against His very nature. James 1:17 says it like this: “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].”

This teaching isn’t intended to be insensitive or callous. Instead, a “just as shocking reminder of Truth.”

Because amid what certainly looks and feels like a world about to spin out of control, just when we think we’ve reached the point of not being able to hear of one more tragedy, one more death, God’s Holy Spirit steps in and redirects us. Recalibrates hearts and minds and families who have lost their sense of up and down, bringing peace and redirection where chaos and madness, where evil, are doing their level best to rob them of Truth and peace.

The early Church experienced such a moment when Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death. What the enemy thought would put an end to God’s Church—His Gospel message, His people—was instead used by God to galvanize His people and to spread His Word to the four winds!

Notice, beloved, that God’s mercies are plural, not singular. We serve a “Pressed down, shaken together, and running over” God whose mercies are fecund, original, unique, explicitly designed to more than meet today’s one-of-a-kind needs.

Mercies that are dewy, refreshing our weary, worn-out souls.

Mercies glistening with the love and care Jesus has for you and me.

A love and care that falls upon each of His beloved children, upon you, daily, regardless of what may be swirling around our feet or front door. Saturating your life and mine as specifically and purposefully as His tender mercies and care bathe each flower’s petals and every single blade of grass.

God knows we need refreshing. He knows we need what only He can give us, hope that His sure promises will stand, no matter what it looks like at the moment. Regardless of how much the enemy of our soul appears to be stealing from us—God is giving us so much more. “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.” –Matthew 6:30-31.

Jesus is infusing your life with newness and the resilient strength needed to face each new day—never forget that Truth, beloved. No assassin’s bullet, no bomb, war, or rumor of war will have the final say—that’s Gods. So even if standing is all you can do today, know that you’re doing it in God’s strength. His loving kindness towards you and me is enabling us to take tentative, baby steps forward. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” –Isaiah 40:29

God’s mercies are not like the transient things of this world, here one moment, needing to be replaced the next.

They’re not like that prescription bottle on your night table, something that needs renewing because it’s about to run out. God Himself has promised us, “for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” –Hebrews 13:5.

Nor are His mercies like the milk, bread, or cream for your coffee that needs to be replenished every few days or so. In a world where the words “renew” and “renewal” have become commonplace, the concept of anything new being afforded us daily has become almost obsolete.

Our parents, perhaps, and surely our grandparents, had a far better grasp of receiving new things daily than you or I ever will. We, the so-called more modern generation, must intentionally pause to make room for such a concept, allowing God’s Holy Spirit to unpack it for us. “The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” –1 Corinthians 2:14

Even then, until we come to know such newness—God’s plethora of mercies for ourselves, intimately: having kissed them on the mouth, eaten with, slept and woke beside them, belly-laughed til we cried with them, until, as with Jesus’ nearness, His “new” mercies has quickened the beating of our hearts, til we, parched and dizzied souls that we are, have had their dewy refreshing dripped onto our parched tongues, until God’s fresh mercies, like His Life-giving Word, our daily bread, has filled our bellies, we will never have truly experienced the newness God has awaiting us every-single-morning. His “new mercies” will remain some imagined experience, like a dream vacation on the bucket list map of life.

I know it’s hard to reach for hope right now, to keep putting one faith-full foot in front of the other, no turning back. I know it might be difficult even to hear the word mercy standing next to a child’s grave, a husband’s casket, but please, beloved, allow God’s Truth to rip you open right now. Let it pour new mercies, fresh hope in buckets full over your nearly dried-out, bone-weary faith. Let God do what only God can do in you and me. “But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” —John 3:12.

Leave room for God to cause faith to arise as you and me and them and they get mad at hell for its thievery, galvanizing us, uniting us just as it did the early Church, as we remember that Satan’s relentless barrage of hate and hurt, murder and death are no match for God’s unending love, mercies that are new every single morning, come what may, and a 3rd day power that raised Jesus from the dead. Hang on, beloved, soon, all of this pain, this feeling of being caught in the headlights of this life, will end. In peace and celebration—no more tears. No more death, wars, or assassins’ bullets. Just unending love and an eternity with Jesus, all because of God’s mercies. Soon, beloved, soon. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” –Revelation 21:4.

Put it In the Water…

August 23, 2025 /

MaryEllen Montville

“When she could hide him no longer, she made a papyrus basket, coated it with tar and pitch, placed the baby inside, and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” –Exodus 2:3.

There comes a time in every man’s life, many times, actually, where we have to put the basket in the water. We have to let go and trust the plan of the Father. –Elizabeth Elliott.

I pray God uses the above picture to remind us of two things: first, that what God placed on Amram and Jochebed’s hearts to entrust back into His Providential care was an actual baby, their precious, infant son.

God often asks His elect to do hard things—Father Abraham, Queen Esther, and each of Jesus’ Apostles would surely attest to this Truth.

Secondly, I pray God’s Holy Spirit reminds us that Jesus does not ask us to do something He has not already given us the grace, strength, and ability to accomplish. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” –2 Peter 1:3.

But back to Amram and Jochebed.

Think of the level of faith it took for Jochebed to obey God.

Moses is the child referred to in Exodus 1:1 as a “goodly baby.” The term “goodly” or tov in Hebrew is a throwback to Genesis, where we first hear it used by God on the 6th day of Creation to describe the perfection, functionality, and completeness of all of His works. “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was (Tov) very good…”

God was now asking Jochebed to take her hands off of the very “goodly child” He had given them, and to trust Him that He would protect and care for Moses. Today’s scripture assures us that Jochebed did just that. She trusted God, put Moses in the basket, and released him to the Nile’s watery embrace.

“About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.” —Exodus 2:1-4.

That “goodly” babe would grow into a man God had foreordained to help deliver His chosen people, Israel, from Pharaoh’s cruel, oppressive grip. Though Jochebed knew her baby was tov, destined even, for something great perhaps, still, circumstances dictated she had no choice other than to leave Moses’ fate in God’s hands; a fate, mind you, the Providence of God Himself had orchestrated.

What’s in your basket, child of God?

What precious promise, hope, ministry, child, partner, possession, what future dream have you been doing your best to keep hold of, beloved?

What precious thing is God asking you to entrust to His Providential care as He calls you to follow Him to the watery edge of surrender?

It’s from God, that much you know.

You’ve held it close to your heart, fed it, nurtured it for a season, and the peace of God that only He can give assures you it came from Him.

And yet, despite all of this, God’s Providence is, dare I say, bearing down on you, pressing you to release it back into His care. To trust Him, despite your knowing.

You sense His Holy Spirit pressing upon you to move in a direction so diametrically opposed to your own desire. Yet, His pull is so powerful it feels like some super magnet you cannot resist, drawing you in the utter opposite direction from where or how you thought you’d go.

Now all you can do is put your basket in the water, stand back, keep watch, and wait on God.

What will you do, beloved, when you can no longer “hide away” what God has given you? When you come face to face with having to know for certain if you genuinely believe that God will provide you with the grace to surrender all into His providential care?

An aside here for anyone who has never encountered the term “Providence” associated with God. Scripture explains God’s Providence rather simply: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” –Proverbs 16:33.

Or maybe you’d recognize God’s Providence explained this way: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” –Jeremiah 1:5.

As with Moses before him, God had predestined Jeremiah for the work and calling planned for him to do before the foundation of the world.  

So it is with you, too, beloved.

God has given you a “goodly promise,” and the peace that only He can provide a soul confirms it. And yet, if God is asking you to entrust what you “know that you know” He has given you, back into His Sovereign care, will you obey Him and put your basket in the water? Or do you want the gift God has given you more than you desire its Giver?

Each man must search his own heart; I pray that each of us follow Jochebed’s example.

I pray we’re all seeking to know and trust in the Giver far more than wanting to hold onto something we know He has given us.

Just as Jochebed could never lose Moses, regardless of God’s actions or how He might use him to accomplish His Kingdom purposes and plan, neither can you lose what God has entrusted to you.

“tov” doesn’t simply mean “good” as in God’s finished Creation, being perfect, functional, beautiful, and complete.

Tov also implies that something or someone fulfills the Divine purpose for which it was created.

With this in mind, I pray, like Amram, Jochebed, and Moses before you, that you might fulfill your true purpose in God: to trust Jesus, desiring Him and His Perfect, Providential will for your life more than anything else. Far above people, dreams, hopes, husbands, wives, children, relationships, even those heart’s desires, He’s entrusted into your care. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” –Exodus 20:3.

Put it all in the water, beloved child of God, taking Him at His Word. Believing that you cannot lose what Christ has given you—even unto your very life if you’ll but trust Jesus enough to release it back into His care. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33.

In Romans 10:9-10, God has made a straightforward way for you to do just that: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation.”

Jireh Shalom; God of Peace.

August 16, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why?

Because of God’s faithfulness.

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

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

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

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

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

In our humanity, we fear the unknown.

Our faith in Christ overcomes the unknown.

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

Jobs will come and go.

Life will throw us curveballs.

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

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

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

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

Amen

Skandalon.

August 9, 2025 /

MaryEllen Montville

“And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” –Luke 7:23

Oh! It is a great blessing to be put through the fire, if you come out purified. It is a sweet mercy to have to go through the floods, if some filthiness may thereby be removed. The children of Israel went down to Egypt to sojourn there, but after hard servitude and cruel oppression, they came up out of it with silver and gold, much enriched by their bondage. –Charles H. Spurgeon (MTP 15:657).

Skandalon: A Greek word meaning stumble, trapped, enticed to sin, or be caused to fall away.

In today’s verse, skandalon is used to mean: to be discouraged or put off. In modern speak, then, Jesus might say something to this effect, “God blesses those who don’t walk away from Me because they’re put off, discouraged, or disappointed by something I have or have not done or allowed to touch their life.”

I believe my liberty in paraphrasing to be biblically sound because it echoes back to how Jesus answered those disciples John the Baptist had sent to ask Him this question: “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” –Luke 7:19

A bit of context: John was locked away in Herod’s prison; this much we know for sure.

But based on the question he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, we can only speculate that he may have been feeling discouraged or disheartened momentarily by the weight of the looming knowledge that he’d likely never see the outside of his prison cell again. Wondering maybe if this was the end of his days of “crying out” in the wilderness?

Perhaps, in succumbing transiently to his frail humanity, John might have started to wonder if someone other than Jesus would come and do even greater works?

John believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Knew He was. He’d confessed Jesus to be the Savior and had told others as much. Telling them that he wasn’t even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandal strap! “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” –John 1:29-31

John’s miraculous conception, his life and future calling, had been marked by God; from the womb, John had been anointed and called to prepare the way of the Lord. Listen to what John’s Father, Zechariah, a priest of God, a descendant of Aaron, prophesied over his son on his day of dedication: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God…” –Luke 1:76-78.

And so this prophecy happened, as all true prophecy will…

“In the time of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough road will become smooth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God.'” –Luke 3:2-6

Yet now, having been locked up in his prison cell, as the days turned into weeks, perhaps John’s mind got the better of him and he began to wonder…

Could someone else be coming? One who looks more like how most think, expect, the Messiah to look, a Warrior King, more like King David before Him? Perhaps he’ll set me free from Herod’s prison? Free me to go back to preparing the way?

Was John’s discouragement, disheartenment, or possible disillusionment the reason Jesus responded to John’s disciples in the way that He did? Being Sovereign, surely Jesus knew John may have dropped a ball or two as he juggled his faith, his knowledge of Jesus, and his faulty, unfulfilled expectations. Hence, Jesus’ Words: “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”

In our quest for Truth—for Jesus, to know Him, we must humble ourselves and accept that Jesus may come looking, answering our prayers, or displaying His Sovereignty, differently than how we expect—He is, after all, God and can and often will do or show up—or not, however, whenever, and wherever He so pleases. More, who are we, to expect anything from God at all!

So it is not for God to explain Himself to us; rather, it is up to us to subject our faulty, fear-filled, pride-filled thoughts, feelings, or momentary weakness to Jesus’s Lordship. “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” –Ephesians 1:19-22.

Beloved of the Father, let us not fall away, then, due to our immeritorious notions, our brazen expectations of how Jesus ought to show up, do, or not do something, concerning our life or world at large.

Let us take heed instead to what Jesus had to say to another of His servants who came with very human yet faulty questions of his own: read Job, Chapters 38-40, and, as you do, ask God, His Holy Spirit, to bring any correction needed to your heart: “The Lord said to Job: “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him! “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” –Job 40:1-2; 38:4-7.

Now listen to Job’s response to his Lord’s questioning. “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.” –Job 40:4-5. Though Scripture gives us no such exchange ever taking place between John the Baptist and Jesus, I have to wonder if an inner heartfelt confession similar to Job’s bubbled up within John. Surely, as the days clicked past and the oppressive weight of his dank, dark prison cell pressed in on him, because of God’s tender mercy, this crushing produced a precious oil that eased John’s burden and washed away all his questioning.

I can only imagine this man of God began to encourage himself in the Lord, as King David once did, by reminding himself of all he knew, had seen, heard and experienced, of Jesus, the One He once said of: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” –John 1: 32–34.

I have no doubt we, too, must humbly and sincerely confess the same statement in our hearts when, in our weak as water flesh, we become disappointed or disillusioned with what Jesus is or is not doing in our lives.

Friend, if you don’t know Jesus as John did and I do, you can. I encourage you to ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you today, believing that He will. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” –Acts 4:12.

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