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

Category: Revelation (Page 1 of 5)

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

December 21, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Pastor Maria Braga

“When they saw the Star, they were filled with Joy!” –Matthew 2:10.

The Bible tells us how the wise men were filled with Joy when they saw the Star. These men were waiting for this great event to take place; they were looking until they saw the sign (Star) announcing the coming of Messiah. What a moment this was! A moment all creation had been waiting for. After thousands of years, the fulfillment of prophecy would appear. They knew God had walked with Adam and Eve, but God’s abiding Presence had been missing, and creation had to hold its breath until the Star appeared! “The watchmen shout and sing for Joy; before their eyes, they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.” –Isaiah 52:8.

The anticipation of this moment was monumental.

The earth was about to receive her King, not just a king, but the King of kings! The arrival of King Jesus was an occasion like no other. As we read in Luke 2:10-11 “Don’t be afraid, I bring you Good News that will bring great Joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, The Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

A Superbowl party is a great feast, but this event was much more significant than a Superbowl! An event that, for centuries, God’s creation had been awaiting—looking to the heavens for. The promise was given to Mary, and people of faith held it in their hearts until it was fulfilled—recognized by those who understood and believed.

The day this Star appeared was a day of Joy and Light.

Those who know the story understand that in Jesus’s Presence, there was always great joy while He walked the earth. Those who believe in Jesus today still get to celebrate that great joy at Christmas time and every day! The Father also said His Son (Jesus) brought Him great joy several times through Scripture.

Jesus walked this earth for thirty-three years, and some had the privilege of getting to know Him, walking side-by-side with Him! For the first thirty years, Jesus lived a life much like ours, except He never sinned, and we do. We witness much of Jesus’ public ministry in the last three years of His life; the Cross of Calvary was His aim, His focal point! At the Cross, His Presence was taken from us, and once again, the earth experienced the void of God’s Physical Presence. There is never Joy in the absence of God!

But His story doesn’t end there! There is so much to the story of Joy because He is an eternal story!

Jesus’ friends had no idea of what lay ahead—the crucifixion of Jesus. They got to witness and endure this excruciating time of seeing their friend, the promised Messiah, the One they had waited for, being treated so unfairly and so torturously.

I can only imagine the angst they felt!

But, because Jesus is Hope, they had hope.

A new Joy was on its way. As the story continues, another joy takes place soon after the cross: the Joy of Jesus’ Resurrection. Here again, we learn that Jesus rises from the dead and lives! The Joy of the Resurrection! His friends were perplexed by all these wonder-full things they were experiencing. Things that were different indeed, supernatural, and far beyond their human expectation.

How marvelous are the ways of the Lord! I sometimes say: “God is the God of the midnight hour; when we are ready to give up, He shows up!” There’s much truth to that statement!

As I write these words, I am reminded that Jesus is always with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Today, we still say/sing: “Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King!” Our Joy is Jesus, and His Joy is our strength. John 20:20 says: “As He spoke, he showed His friends the wounds in His hands and His side. They were filled with Joy when they saw the Lord!”

I can only imagine how they felt because in Luke 24:41: “Still, they stood there in disbelief, filled with Joy and wonder.”

His plan is yet finished. Much more is still to be done; many still need to come into His Presence and know Him as their personal Lord and Savior. There is still more Joy (Jesus) to come.

Jesus left this world physically, but He gave us the third person of the Trinity; the Mighty Holy Spirit of God!

 Through His Spirit, salvation is ongoing. Every man, woman, boy, and girl who repents and chooses to live for Jesus – is still welcome to experience Joy in His Presence. Joy to the world! Salvation is here. In Acts 13:52, we learn that the believers were filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit! “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

There are many other biblical verses about Joy. I’ll close with this one: Zephaniah 3:17. He, the Living God, our Mighty Savior, delights in us with gladness. With His love, He will calm all our fears. He will rejoice over us with JOYFUL songs.

Each of us must first know Jesus as Lord and Savior to experience an infilling of His Holy Spirit.

Everyone sings the very familiar song “Joy to the World.” Yet, only some understand the true Joy the Holy Spirit offers. If more people would open their hearts to Jesus, the world would be filled with His Joy! “Joy to the World, The Lord has come” is more than a song. It is a promise.

A promise to those who know Him—those who get to experience His Joy!

James 1:2-4 reminds all those who call Jesus Lord that even in our trials, we can experience Joy when Jesus is in the trial with us. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

There are many other biblical verses about Joy. Still, I’ll close with this one: Zephaniah 3:17. “He, the Living God, our Mighty Savior, delights in us with gladness. With His love, He will calm all our fears. He will rejoice over us with JOYFUL songs.” Today, if you are ready to receive His Joy, open the door of your heart and say, Jesus, come in, fill me with this Joy I am reading about. Infill me with your Holy Spirit and teach me how to trust you. Help me to keep my Joy even when I don’t understand my circumstances; when things look hopeless, be my Hope. I need faith to believe. I invite Your Joy to rule from the throne of my heart, and I rest assured, You, oh, Lord, will take care of me. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” –Matthew 7:7-8.

True Protection Is In Christ Alone.

October 12, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” –2 Corinthians 11:14.

A recent online communication from a well-recognized U.S. bank warned their customers of a significant increase in phishing scams in the banking industry; this, they say, is due to the rise in both online and bank app usage. They said that in 2023 alone, a staggering $10 billion of Americans’ money was lost to phishing scams and online fraud. That’s an increase of 13.6% over 2022. Many of you, or someone you know, have either heard or fallen victim to one of these insidious schemes perpetrated at the hands of those on the dark web—who hide in the shadows. Their sole objective? To rob and deceive you.

Sound familiar?

I am not making light of these insidious schemes or their devastating monetary losses.

Still, it would be negligent of me not to point out that these dubious schemes are mere child’s play compared to the plans of a far more lethal, stealthy, and insidious foe—Satan.

The Father of lies himself, whose sole intent it is to rob us, saved and unsaved alike—here and now and, if possible, from an eternity worshipping God.

Much like the increase in these banking scams made possible by widespread online and app usage, so too is the level of spiritual deception being perpetrated on so many today by those who freely use their pulpits, social media, YouTube, and any other platform available to them to spread false doctrine—deceiving many. “Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.” –Romans 16:18.

Christ Himself reveals Satan’s sole purpose, nature, and intentions toward us in using such people; We’d be wise to pay attention.

While speaking to the Jews and Pharisees in John 8:44, Jesus said this of Satan: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the Father of lies.”

In John 10:10, speaking of this insidious foe, Christ Himself makes Satan’s intentions so plain that even a child can understand them: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Period.

Friends don’t skip over “only” in the above verse.

This one-word packs a powerful punch.

Webster’s Dictionary defines ” only ” as exclusively, solely, or alone in a category.

If you are a child of God, Satan’s only delight comes from robbing your lives of joy, happiness, rest, peace, and communion with God. And if you are not, he desires to kill any possibility you may have of having a relationship with Jesus by keeping you bound and blind—by any means necessary.

He’ll use chains of religion, deception, false doctrine, fear, and anxiety as tools to keep you so distracted, so blinded to true Light. You’ll continually spin your tractionless wheels, chasing after anything that shines.

And he’ll use anyone he can to accomplish his sinister plan—those in the pulpits or that well-meaning brother or sister sitting next to you in Church—even your mom or dad. There’s a reason Jesus said: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” –Matthew 10:37.

Is it any wonder, then, when asked by His disciples what would be the sign of the times and the end of the age, knowing how insidious, cunning, and manipulative, what a copycat and contortionist Satan is, how much he loathes God and God’s people, one of the very first things Jesus told His disciples weren’t words of comfort, he offered them no reassuring come back.

 Instead, Jesus warned them, and through them, us, to be mindful and not be deceived. “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.'” –Matthew 24:3-4.

And after Jesus, in writing to his beloved brothers and sisters at the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul cautions them of deception as well: “I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of Gospel than the one you believed.” –2Corinthians 11:2-4.

Deception enters the individual or Church in numerous ways:

  1. It is tolerated. “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” –Romans 6:15-16.
  2. It will go unrecognized: As with Jesus’ own family or that brother sitting beside you or even yourself, those who have seen and been with Jesus can, at times, be spiritually blinded by deception. They fail to accept the Truth by faith, the Truth of His Gospel message, making it almost impossible to believe what they cannot see until Christ’s Spirit alone opens their eyes—removing their blindness.
  3. It enters in via false religion/beliefs:  What better example of this Truth than the Apostle Paul himself?

Known as Saul then, the Apostle Paul once was deceived—spiritually blinded by a powerful false religious view. But thanks be to God, there is no spirit more powerful than God’s own Spirit. The Spirit of Truth. Saul had plenty of head knowledge but he did not have a genuine relationship with Jesus. Until that is, Christ caused this brother to see clearly. “So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” –Acts 9:17.

Within the email from the well-recognized U.S. bank I referenced earlier was a list of recommended steps their customers take to help safeguard themselves against becoming victims of phishing scams.

We will do all we can to safeguard our finances.

How much more should we do to safeguard our relationship with Jesus by ensuring we are both hearers and doers of the Gospel message? By measuring everything we think we know, hear, and see, all we claim to believe is truth, against the Truth of God’s Word. Safeguarding then our most valuable treasure, our relationship with Jesus. “I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 619-23.

Are you safeguarding your heart and faith against those who will do their best to rob you of Truth?

Friends, your only protection from spiritual deception is found in Christ alone.

God’s Word tells us there is only one way to the Father: through His Son, Jesus. Don’t be deceived. Don’t let those who use darkness and perpetuate lies rob you of the Truth and a real relationship with Jesus. “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” –Matthew 24:42-44.

A New Thing.

September 14, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” –Isiah 43:19.

The Bible is filled with countless examples of God’s incredible changes in His people’s lives as He led them. He continues to change us and lead us today. The “new thing “the prophet Isaiah talks about in today’s Scripture is not a one-time event. It’s a continuous work of God in each generation. A work that is impossible for man to do—but not for God. This evidence of God’s ongoing work should reassure and fill us with hope.

The prophet Isaiah received this Word from the Lord and passed it onto us, believers, so we would know that Abba Father is creative and Omnipresent in every season of our lives and every generation. God Himself points to this Truth in Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing.” 

All God does in the life of the believer is for growth.

To bring His child closer to Him and to build His child up in the Spirit.

God, in His Omnipotence, knows what His plan is for each of us.

And He knows exactly how to execute the individual plan He created for each of His children.

Often, in our humanity, we can’t comprehend God’s plan because of our spiritual limitations, but in His Omniscience, God’s plan is so perfect. All we need to do is trust that the new thing He is doing is awesome! Because God is more than awesome! He is Powerfully All-Knowing, and He is always present. God is Spirit, and the things of the Spirit are not always clear to us. For the believer, we must accept spiritual Truths by faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” –Hebrews 11:1.

God is in control.

In our humanity, we get thrown off because our timing does not align with God’s timing; we want it when we want it, and we want it now! But Abba Father teaches us to trust Him with all things. In His Omnipresence, He is always beside us, and things come to our understanding in His perfect timing! “God will provide your need at the right time. At the right time, God will deliver you. At the right time, God will rescue you.” –Psalm 31:15.

We must understand that the right time is God’s time, not ours.

“Now it springs up (forth); do you not perceive it? (Recognize it?)” –Isaiah 43:19.

God’smaking a way through the desert and providing water out of nowhere for the Israelites to drink is a miracle that transcends their passage through the Red Sea and many other miracles we see throughout Exodus; it lands at God’s faithfulness to His people today. God is still doing a “new thing” for and in His people. Maybe in the prophet’s mind, this may have been the “new thing” he saw—a symbol of Israel’s deliverance.  

Today, God continues doing this new thing in our personal lives, church community, and within the hearts of all those who call on Him.

God never stops working.

 In Numbers Ten, we learn that the people of Israel only moved when the Lord moved. They followed His lead and rested whenever the cloud rested. But today’s culture encourages us to move on our own, independent from the Lord.

God knows our weaknesses like He knew the weakness of His people then. He knows how far we can go without Him, so God gently realigns us when we persist on going it alone. God is always right and always knows what is best for us. We must train ourselves to obey Him quickly when He speaks, especially through His written Word.

” Do you not perceive it?”

God calls our attention to what is happening and what is passing us by, similar to how He called Isaiah’s attention to what was about to happen, yet we sometimes don’t see it. We may pay attention to natural things and quickly understand them, but not so much with spiritual matters. At times, our miracle is in God answering our prayer.

We cry out, ask, call intercessors, plead, and even lose hope in difficulties.

Then, suddenly, God answers our prayers and cries, yet when we receive them—receive our healing, we sometimes act as though we are entitled. We don’t even take the time to say, “Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer. For healing my body.” This ungrateful attitude must hurt God’s heart! Things are well now; I am all set. Just like the Israelites, we quickly forget what God has done and does for us.

Let’s be attentive and grateful for all God does for us. Our gratitude for His answering our prayers should make us feel appreciative and humble before the One who helps us. There’s a story in the Bible about ten lepers that Jesus healed, but only one returned to say thank you. “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” –Luke 17:15-17.

We must not forget to bless God for healing us and answering our prayers. Our thanksgiving is giving God the glory He deserves!

Since 2022, I have been crying out to God to heal me of breast cancer. I have my church praying, my family, friends, and others. I could be in heaven today, but God did heal me and is allowing me an extended life. I am so joyful and thankful for all He’s done for me through answered prayer.

I look forward to the “new thing” He is about to do in the seasons that lay before me. I believe the best is yet to come because God always does what He says He’ll do.

Look at the last part of this verse in Isaiah 43:19: “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

I never want to forget the wilderness that Abba has brought me through, as He’s taking me to the “new thing” He has for me. From now on, I choose to worship Him with greater devotion and a more thankful attitude. And I will wait for His lead. Going when He says go and stopping when He says stop. After all, He is opening streams in the deserts I know not of. It is His work, and I will follow Jesus to these streams to serve and bless His name.

Today, Father, we come before Your Throne with a grateful heart. We ask for faith to believe every Word You say. Forgive us for going our own way at times, and teach us to listen to Your voice as You lead us into the “new thing” You have for our futures. We are ready to receive Your salvation, healing, and the power needed to live for You and bring glory to You alone. We love You and praise You, Jesus. Amen.

If you are looking for a “new thing” to happen in your life, start by asking Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior. The Word of God promises, “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.

Clean Your Lenses.

July 6, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“And he looked up and said, “I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again Jesus laid His hands on his eyes; and the man stared intently and [his sight] was [completely] restored, and he began to see everything clearly.” –Mark 8: 24-25.

Have you ever felt like this blind man, perplexed by God’s actions or lack thereof, disoriented, unclear, questioning, even? Not questioning God, precisely—instead,  asking why something you’re positive God’s given you just doesn’t seem to be shaping up into all you thought or hoped it would be. You’re operating in it, walking by faith, using every drop of this God-given gift, and yet, there’s this inescapable thing in your belly telling you there’s so much more available to you. “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”

Maybe, like the blind man in today’s Scripture, that incomplete feeling concerns your healing or that of a loved one—that ailment, insecurity, or spiritual affliction, that addiction you’ve been praying God would remove altogether, deliver you or them from. But still, it lingers—it’s 50% gone, just not 100%.

Friends, I’ve come to remind you that God’s plan is always perfect and complete—even when we perceive it to be otherwise. God’s Word promises He is faithful in finishing what He has started in us. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” –Philippians 1:6.

It is we who must remember we operate on God’s time. He doesn’t operate on ours.

In studying today’s verses, various commentators and theologians weighed in as to why, based on Scripture, this man did not straightaway receive his sight. After all, throughout the Gospels, Jesus’ other healings were immediate—except for this lone, unnamed blind man.

Why did he require a second touch? Jesus undoubtedly intended to restore his sight fully, lest he continue to see men who “look like trees walking around.”

Those of us who know Jesus as Lord believe God is unchanging. That with only one touch from Him, this man’s sight could have been restored immediately. In fact, Scripture teaches Jesus didn’t even need to be in the same room with the one He was healing. He need only speak a Word and the person was healed. “When he (Jesus) was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.” –Luke 7:6-7;10.

But in this instance, offering us only brief glimpses of clarity, the encounter between Jesus and this unnamed blind man is shrouded and unclear, much like this blind man’s first glimpse of the world.

But was it his first glimpse of things?

I ask this to point us toward the oft-overlooked obvious.

Our blind friend instantly recognized and knew the difference between a person and a tree.

Scripture doesn’t come right out and say it; rather, it eludes to the obvious: our unnamed blind man was not born blind.

So why the double touch from Jesus?

Why didn’t this blind man’s miracle result in instantaneous healing? After all, every other healing Jesus performed did.

What is Jesus trying to teach us? Get us to see?

This is where, within the context of this seemingly brief encounter and, much like the coming together of our blind man and Jesus, the details of why Jesus chose to heal this man in the location and manner He did is shrouded in the unspoken and seemingly unfinished.

One potential answer backed by Scripture that some commentators offer up is:

  1. Jesus chose to perform this miracle for the benefit of His disciples—for us.

In Mark 8, Jesus had just fed the masses—some four thousand men, besides women and children, with a few pieces of bread and a few fish. After this, Jesus and His disciples get into a boat and head to Dalmanutha, where they go ashore only for Jesus to encounter the Pharisees, who immediately demand He show them a sign from heaven.

He assures them He will by no means perform such a sign. He returns to the boat with His disciples and heads toward Bethsaida, where a conversation between the disciples almost immediately catches Jesus’ attention. The topic? Lack of provisions—the disciples had only brought a single left-over loaf of bread. After watching Jesus take a few loaves and as many fish and feed some 10,000 men, women, and children, His disciples saw only their lack of bread! Like the blind man, they, too, saw only in part. While unbeknownst to them, it appears Jesus had been ruminating on the Pharisee’s demand for a sign from heaven because, seemingly randomly, Jesus warns them to “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Why? Because at this point in their relationship with Jesus, His disciples still saw Jesus much as our blind friend’s first glimpse of the world—kind of, in part, “like trees walking around.”

 They believed, yet did not fully possess a clear understanding of Jesus. That would come later. “Jesus, aware of this [discussion], said to them, “Why are you discussing [the fact] that you have no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Though you have eyes, do you not see? And though you have ears, do you not hear and listen [to what I have said]? And do you not remember,  when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They answered, “Twelve.” “And [when I broke] the seven [loaves] for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they answered, “Seven.” And He was saying to them, “Do you still not understand?”—Mark 8:17-21.

Bewildered and thinking only in the natural, the disciples immediately do what so many of us do: lean on their own understanding. And as a result, they miss entirely the more significant spiritual implications our Lord is trying to get them to see.

The deeper Truth Jesus wanted them—and us, to see clearly. The dangers of unbelief. How just a little can blind us to the whole Truth. In time—God’s time, each man would see clearly. So clearly, whether by martyrdom or natural causes, each would give his life for Jesus: “We [who were with Him in person] have seen and testify [as eye-witnesses] that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” –1 John 4:14.

So be encouraged, brothers and sisters, if what you thought would happen has yet to happen, God is not finished with you. Clean your lenses by asking God to touch you—again. Trust His timing and plan for your life until all is clear and you are at peace with who God is—Lord of all.

Friend, if you want to see Jesus clearly, your first step is to ask Him into your life as Lord and Savior. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and give you eyes to see so much more than what surrounds you in the natural. None of us deserves to be forgiven of our sins; such forgiveness is a free gift from a loving and mercy-full God. “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” –Titus 3:5.

Saturation Point.

December 9, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

“They will fall by the sword, or be carried off into slavery among all the Gentiles. And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, till the appointed times of the Gentiles have expired.” –Luke 21:24

Saturation Point. Dictionary.com defines it this way: A point at which some capacity is at its fullest; limit:

As I read today’s Scripture, its last nine words came alive. God’s Logos, His written Word, became Rhema, a Living Word. I couldn’t help but think of everything happening in Israel right now. Let me explain: the Holy Spirit mostly speaks a Rhema Word into our spirit as we read His Written Word. It’s made alive and often applies to a right-now situation in our lives or the world around us. A Rhema Word is the Holy Spirit drawing our attention to or confirming something of importance. In every case, God’s Rhema Word must align with His written Word—His Logos. Holy Spirit is a God of order, not confusion. He will not “share” something with any of His children that does not align with what He has already spoken in His inerrant Scriptures.

“When, Lord? “When will the fullness of the Gentiles be complete?”

“When will You rapture Your Church?”

Those questions were burning in my heart as I read today’s Scripture. Like many brothers and sisters, I, too, am “watching and waiting” for our Lord’s return.

A greater sense of expectation has gripped me lately—an even deeper longing has been awakened.

Today, that growing expectation made me ask: “When will You call us Home, Lord?”

This world is not our home, and it’s undoubtedly nearing its saturation point. How much further will You allow things to deteriorate before You say, “Come on Home?

Abba, I’m not questioning You. I’m asking You a question, putting to words the recurring thoughts in so many of Your children’s hearts, Lord. “Are we one drop, five, ten drops even from this world having reached its absolute ability to contain the sin, hatred, hardheartedness, rebellion and rejection of You and most anything to do with You?

Will my brothers, sisters, and I live to be raptured?”

Mind you, either way, we won’t stand idly by, just watching the sky or the news for signs—concerning the rapture, they’ve been fulfilled. Still, while we watch, wait, trust, and pray to the Lord of the harvest, we’ll fish for men.

Yet I’m hoping that today, no, before this sentence is finished…

“It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.” –1 Corinthians 15:52.

Still, I wanted to know more about those nine words Holy Spirit brought to life to answer my question.

I’ll pause here to clarify that Scripture clearly states no man knows the day or hour the rapture will occur, so, straightaway, what this teaching is not, is a false prophetic word concerning the Church being raptured. Given today’s climate, I choose to leave nothing open for interpretation.

As I said, I wanted to know the meaning behind today’s Scripture, so I went digging.

I read more concerning the historical background of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. That led me back to the Bible, to Jesus and today’s verse, then to the Apostle Paul and his teaching on the meaning of the fullness of the Gentiles. “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.” –Romans 11:25-26.

At the end of the day, Jesus and the Apostle Paul confirm that a divinely set number of Gentile believers must first accept Jesus as Lord and Savior before every living Jew will be saved, having finally accepted the Truth that Jesus is the Messiah.

In roughly A.D. 70, Jerusalem received its fatal blow at the hands of Rome, its oppressor, where, it’s said, some 1.1 million Jews had been murdered and where approximately 100,000 others were enslaved, used to feed Rome’s insatiable appetite for dominance. Of this horrific atrocity, Johannes Norval Geldenhuys, a South African minister and Bible Commentator, writes: From the commencement of the history of the Jewish nation, God, through His servants, warned them clearly that if they behaved unfaithfully and wickedly, they would reap disastrous retribution. Especially the striking words of Deuteronomy 28:15-68. There is almost no form of calamity that visited the Jews during the Roman-Jewish war, not mentioned here in Deuteronomy.

I strongly recommend you pick up your Bible and read what the Lord warned would happen to His chosen people should they disobey Him. And then, ask yourself, if God did not allow His firstborn to escape the consequences of their deliberate sin and rebellion, what makes anyone today think that they will escape God’s judgement if they refuse to repent of their intentional, flagrant sins?

I share this Truth in love, not to frighten you but to remind us all, starting with myself, that we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Full of mercy, longsuffering, and whose heart it is certainly, that not one should perish, yet He’s also a just God who will not allow his creations to reject Him forever. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” –2 Peter 3:9.

God’s heart is that no one tastes destruction—that which was created for Satan and his followers.

Some commentators say that when Rome had sated its savage appetite, having devoured Jerusalem and its people, not one Jew was left alive. In addition, no Jew was allowed to enter Jerusalem save one day a year—when they were allowed to enter and mourn the ravaging of their people, Jerusalem’s utter destruction, and its renaming at the hand of its Roman conquerors.

Even then, to ensure nothing of the Jews remained, Rome renamed and rebuilt a city atop Jerusalem’s ruins, calling it Aelia Capitolina.

Antisemitism is nothing new.

Knowing that He had forewarned His people of the inescapable destruction to come upon them and their land should they choose not to obey Him, is it any wonder that as Jesus drew near Jerusalem and, seeing into its near future, the utter pain and destruction yet to come, He wept? “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things [that make] for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, “and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” –Luke 19:41-44.

In 1948, a Jewish state was established by what can only be described as the Sovereign Hand of God after thousands of years of its people having been scattered, existing in exile. Yet it wasn’t until 1967 that Israel took control of the Old City in the Six-Day War with Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. And yet, even to this very day, Arab Gentiles continue to reign over the most contested site in all of Jerusalem – the Temple Mount.

And so, we wait and watch while we continue to work—knowing that, at least for today, the fullness of the Gentiles has yet to occur.

Unless, suddenly…

Friends, the fullness of the Gentiles is about God not wanting any man—Jew or Gentile, to perish. So, if you have yet to accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, please do it today. Listen to Jesus’ Words concerning the hour we find ourselves: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24: 36-37; 42:44.

Elohim: Redeemer God.

November 11, 2023 /

MaryEllen Montville

“And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” –Ezekiel 36:27. We serve the One True God—Creator of all things, seen and unseen. From Genesis to Revelation, God is unchanging, self-existing—Alpha and Omega. And because Jesus has no beginning or end, we can lay the Old Testament alongside the New and witness their continuity and agreement. Compare, for instance, how the Apostle Paul’s words found in the New Testament echo the words of the Prophet Ezekiel found in the Old Testament. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” –Philippians 2:13.

And here, in 1 Corinthians 10:11, speaking of the things which took place in the Old Testament, in Israel’s past, Paul shares a Biblical Truth which points, in part, to why there is agreement and continuity found throughout the Bible: “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

From the beginning, whenever that was, Jesus loved you with a never-ending love.

“Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was on the surface of the watery depths. And God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.” –Genesis 1:2. This same Spirit, this Fluttering God, this Sweeping Wind, the God who compasses about, who broods and moves over and in those He indwells, as some versions describe Him, is seen hovering over Israel in Deuteronomy 32:10 “He found them in a ·desert [wilderness], a windy, ·empty [unformed; Gen. 1:2] land. He surrounded them and brought them up, guarding them as those he loved very much [the apple/pupil of his eye].”

And just as our Faithful and True God led Israel, His firstborn, through the wilderness, that arid, untamed, and hostile place, we also witness Jesus leading us, His Church.

Beloved, you and I have always been on God’s mind—the very apple of His eye.

God the Spirit, present at creation, hovering over the dark void, foreknew you long before God the Father created you for Himself—in Christ. Our Triune God has always worked as One. “Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” –Genesis 1:26.

Only God could accomplish such a thing: all things made new—including you and me, because of Jesus and the Divine transfer at Calvary—Innocent Blood shed, the guilty found innocent—the spiritually dead, restored to life eternal.

He who knew no sin was made sin that we might have a right relationship with the Father.

And, to ensure we would not be afraid and have all we’d need to accomplish what God has predestined us to do and be in Christ, Jesus does not leave us orphans. His work complete, Jesus returns to the Father, but not before He gives us the promise of His Spirit—His engagement ring. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” –John 14:26-27.

Jehovah our Redeemer: Jesus is the Bridge God used to unite all things in Himself.

Found with the Father and Spirit in eternity past, all things have been established by Jesus, for Jesus, through Jesus and are held together in Jesus. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” –Colossians 1:16-17.

We first glimpse the foreshadowing of the innocent being sacrificed, slain to cover the guilty, in the Old Testament, Genesis 3:21. “The LORD God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Having laid down His life for those He loved, Jesus closed the gap some claim exists between the Old and New Testament. And yet, for those with eyes to see, it is evidenced in Scripture that Jesus has always been the self-existing God. Jesus is His Living Word.

God chose the innocent to be sacrificed for the sake of the guilty.

In Genesis 17: 7, our Redeemer promised Abraham: “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

From Genesis to Revelation, God’s Word has consistently pointed us in one unified direction: toward Jesus, God’s sinless Lamb, and the saving work of His Life, death, and resurrection.

So if you are a Blood-bought believer in covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, having accepted the Eternal God as your Lord and Savior, I’ve come to remind you that God’s promise to Father Abraham is also yours, beloved. “Abraham, our father of faith, believed God, and the substance of his faith released God’s righteousness to him. So the true children of Abraham have the same faith as their father! And the Scripture prophesied that on the basis of faith God would declare gentiles to be righteous. God announced the good news ahead of time to Abraham: “Through your example of faith, all the nations will be blessed!” And so the blessing of Abraham’s faith is now our blessing too!” –Galatians 3:6-9.

Our redemption was accomplished when Jesus, out of obedience and love for His Father, left heaven, allowing Himself to be wrapped in flesh to be born of a virgin, died, fully God and fully man, and was resurrected on the third day by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus returned then to His Father, the Sovereign One He loves and trusts above all else, making intercession even now for His children. “Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children. The reason the world doesn’t recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize him.” –1 John 3:1.

Times are dark, friend, and getting darker by the minute. So here’s my question to you. Will you recognize Jesus as Lord? Will you choose to trust that Jesus is the only way to the Father and enjoy a loving, Holy Spirit-filled relationship with Them? “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.

If so, here is Their promise to you: “For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will experience salvation. The heart that believes in him receives the gift of the righteousness of God—and then the mouth confesses, resulting in salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10.recognize Him?

“Jesus, the Way”

June 3, 2023 /

Kendra Santilli

Have you ever introduced yourself with an identity other than your name?

Throughout my childhood and into my teenage years, I looked up to my brother immensely. He always took to everything he did so easily. He could draw, did well in school, learned any instrument he picked up quickly, hit home runs in baseball and built whatever his mind could imagine with Legos. I really thought my brother was the pinnacle of what I could become.

His teachers loved him, and our mutual music teachers would rave about his abilities.

Before letting anyone know my name, I would introduce myself as “Aaron’s sister.” I didn’t even realize how much of my identity was attached to being his sister until someone replied, “ok, that’s nice. What’s your name?” It was almost as if they didn’t care who my brother was; they wanted to know me.

All of a sudden, my brother’s shadow was gone, and I realized that I had so tightly interwoven my identity with being Aaron’s sister that I lost a little bit of myself. Don’t get me wrong, I still think my brother is a remarkable human being, but my point rests in the example of an alternate introduction.

In John 14, Jesus introduces Himself through an alternate identity.

Jesus introduces Himself to His disciples as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He doesn’t say that He knows the way and the truth and the life. Jesus says that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is not referring to the ideology of these terms. Rather, He’s identifying who He is. More than just adjectives, these are nouns that denote His character.

For context, Jesus was describing Heaven to His disciples as He was preparing them for His imminent death.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 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. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:1-7

One thing I love about Jesus is that He is so intentional with all His words.

His communication style invites inquiry, leading His listeners to seek understanding rather than being ok with the status quo. Instead of Jesus’ telling His disciples they knew where He was going, he said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Being One with God and the very One who came from heaven to earth, Jesus is undoubtedly a reliable source for discovering the way to heaven. He didn’t say He was “a Way” or “one way,” He said he is “THE Way,” and unbeknownst to them, His disciples supposedly know this way!

Thomas’ inquiry into Jesus’ comment led to the revelation that knowing Jesus is knowing the way! Although Jesus referred to heaven in this passage, He also prayed, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10.

If Jesus’ kingdom can come and His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven, then perhaps for the believer, The Way is also for the here and now…

The Way to joy; the Way to freedom; the Way to new life; the Way to forgiveness; the Way to hope. Ultimately the reward is eternity with Jesus, but even here and now, God is so good that He gives us life in abundance. “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” –John 10:10

To take it a step further, knowing Jesus is also knowing the Truth and the Life. “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32. If Jesus is the Truth, and He is, then He holds the power to set you free through a relationship with Him and by meditating on His Word.

Today you have the opportunity to know The Way. As you navigate this life, allow yourself to meet Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life who came out of love for you. So that you, too, may have Life in abundance.

Walk It Out On The Sea Of Doubt.

May 20, 2023 /

Matthew Botelho

 “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen, Even so, come Lord Jesus!—Revelation 22:20.

I was awakened to the above words early this morning, and what a wake-up call it is, my dear friends. My response to this Truth was precisely what the Apostle John had said after our Lord spoke this promise to him. I, too, found myself uttering these exact words with the most sincere amen. Knowing soon, they will come to pass. I do not know the hour, but soon our Lord Jesus is coming.

So, to my dear brothers and sisters who are taking the time to read this teaching, rest assured that soon and very soon, Jesus is coming back. Rest in the assurance that God finishes what He has started. He has finished the work of the Cross by paying our sin debt in full. We are washed clean by the Blood of Jesus of our past, present, and future sins. God is faithful to forgive us when we come to Him in repentance. Jesus said, “It is finished,” and His work, the finished work of the Cross, was done. As believers, what more assurance do we need to believe that Jesus never has and will never forget that promise? By faith, I know Jesus will come again!

As Christians, our lifestyle must be one of faith and obedience; of taking that first step of faith, the next, and then a third; until we walk in a way that is not common to what the world perceives as normal.

When all hell has broken loose, and people are searching for answers, be assured that God is still in control.

He is the one that controls the wind and the waves. Nothing is too difficult for our God! Jeremiah 32:17 confirms this. “‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” 

One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Matthew 14:22-33. It is a Scripture that has helped me during those times of doubt and not knowing which way to turn. After feeding the five thousand, which I highly recommend reading Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus tells the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side while He sent the multitudes away. And after sending them away, Jesus went up to a mountain to pray. “Now the evening came, and He was alone there.” –Matthew 14:22-23

The disciples did not question why Jesus was not coming with them. They just got in the boat and did what they were told.

 Now think about that for a moment. When God asks us to do something, are we often obedient to do the first thing he asks of us? Or do our little minds start racing and asking, “Why, Lord? Or,  “You want me to do what, Jesus?!”

Brothers and sisters, how will we make it to that second step if we get stuck on the first step—our being obedient?

Next is the word “immediately”—a strong word to put in there. There is an urgency attached to it. Some reason why Jesus is telling them to go at that very moment. Are we sensitive to the urgency in God’s promptings or Word? When He says, “Move’ or ‘Go now’?

God has a purpose in it. He wants to show you or bring you to what is next.

In verse 24, we read that the waves in the middle of the sea were tossing the boat the disciples were in. For the wind was contrary, and all hell was breaking loose. Do you think they had any doubts at that point? Scripture does not say anything to the contrary, but by human standards, I am sure they did. Now let’s be honest here. We all have had our doubts, my dear friends.

If you haven’t experienced one yet, live long enough, and you will.

We are frail, sinful humans, not perfect by any means. And yet, when we walk in obedience and do what God asks us to do, we will experience God stilling the waves of doubt and the negative thoughts blowing around us. How can we be sure? In verse 23, Jesus told His disciples to go before Him to the other side. That assures us we will get to the other side of our storm. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT!

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

And in Hebrews 6:13: “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”

Going back to Jesus and His disciples verses 25-26 tell us this: “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 out for fear.”

So, in verse 24, we hear nothing about fear until they get into the middle of the sea. It is here where fear starts to grip them. There is nothing in sight due to the low visibility of the storm. Equally, fear can blind you and distort your vision. Example: The disciples saw Jesus and yelled, “It is a ghost!” they were so gripped with fear that they could not see it was Jesus. Yet it is so reassuring that God will make His presence known even in the middle of such chaos. For some of us, our issue, at one time or another, will be our need to see Jesus through the eyes of faith and not by what we see in front of us.

Hebrews 11:1 says about faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And in Romans 8:24-25  we read: “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

Many of us have asked, “How will I get through this?”

Do not abandon ship when your flesh and impulses lead you, making it feel like there is no way out. Remember that God is for you! Remember why Jesus came; you have purpose. There is a reason why you are reading this right now. I do not know who this is for, but I believe someone is about to give up their walk as I write this. You have been praying and waiting for the answer, but it has not happened yet. You have repeatedly heard the same thing, “Be still and know I am God.”

Know that our Lord does not turn a deaf ear towards His children. Jesus is the mediator between us and the Father. Please, do not give up, my friend; you are so close to the other side! Philippians 1:6 promises you this: “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Serving God Out Of Pain Or Passion.

April 22, 2023 /

Elda Othello-Wrightington

Are you serving God out of your pain or out of passion?

Is it possible to do both? Friends, I believe the answer is Yes. The Cross is a combination of both pain and passion. Jesus suffered much pain for us, yet His passion was that we would be reconciled to the Father. For everyone who believes, John 3:16 makes that so clear. We will not perish but have eternal life. If you are reading this and have yet to accept the Lord Jesus into your heart, today is the day! I encourage you to do so.

The beautiful thing about Christ’s pain and passion was and is still; we witness how God longs to communion with us through it. And get this. He really wants to share secrets with us.

Recently, I was standing in line at a fast-food joint and out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed two little girls whispering and giggling freely with one another while what seemed to be their mother placed an order for happy meals. As I stood there, I could not help but wonder, what were these little girls talking about? What secrets could they possibly be sharing with one another? And then it occurred to me: God has secrets. God has secrets that He longs to share and reveal to us. The Bible says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” –Deuteronomy 29:29.

As I have been reading through the book of Deuteronomy, this passage stroked my heart so. “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all of your heart and with all of your soul and live.” –Deuteronomy 30:6.

Now, I’ve never been circumcised; however, removing the foreskin sounds painful. Its original purpose was to set the Jew apart from others and, more importantly, to solidify their commitment to God’s Convent—that being their heart was indeed for the Lord. Throughout my reading of Deuteronomy, the theme I found the Lord speaking most of was that He wants our hearts. He wants us to live in His rest, in His will. He desires us to be truly free despite pain and adversity—living above whatever circumstance we might face. And the beauty of all this is that God wants that we LIVE free even when we are in pain!

Did you catch that part in the above passage? Because I sure did!

Sometimes that pain can come through life challenges, disappointments, and setbacks. Over the years, I’ve found the purpose of God allowing such pain is often tied to the condition of our hearts. And if we are intentionally mindful of what’s happening within them, we might see those painful moments are actually heart “check-ins”—or circumcisions. God nudging us to examine some part of our lives, walk, our attitude—or His removing something from us entirely because it does not reflect His own heart.

Friends, it is possible to be passionate in the midst of your pain.

It is possible to allow your heart to wonder, linger and desire more from the Lord. Keep hoping and believing for more! What pain has touched your life, making it seem too hard to worship or praise Him? To serve God? What pains and transitions keep you distracted from Him? Because as painful as the process of circumcision sounds, there are rewards to the process. Being set apart comes with rewards and blessings!  

For instance, have you ever wondered, “What in the world is the lord doing in my life?”

Are you in that place in life where there are so many transitions and decisions to make that you’re just not sure which one to choose? Or opportunities that were once before you seem to be ending, and you’re not sure what your next move should be.

Friends, can I say once more that God Has secrets to share, and He has answers for your questioning heart? 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 says: “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except for their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

Friends, God longs to reveal secrets to us freely. I hope you caught that! So, stay passionate about pursuing Him even in the midst of your pain. The circumcision process is definitely painful, but it also has its purpose and its rewards. And one of its best rewards is our being in constant fellowship with God—the Reveler of all Truths.

Let’s Talk About Suffering.

February 4, 2023 /
MaryEllen Montville

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. –Isaiah 55:8.

“If God is loving, why does He allow so many to suffer?” “Why are some healed while others are not?”

I don’t know about you, fellow Christian, but I have been asked these questions numerous times by as many people. Now I am no theologian, no Bible scholar. I am a fellow believer in our Lord Jesus Christ who, like you, asks and, via Scripture and by the leading Holy Spirit as my teacher and guide, attempts to answer questions we may be asked or ask ourselves.

Some, claiming to believe in Jesus, attempt to answer these “beyond our paygrade” questions intellectually or emotionally. Yet, at their core, such answers are only partially understood spiritually within a faith-filled relationship with our Lord, Jesus. But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. –1 Corinthians 2:14.

Truth is, fellow believers, we, the Church, will never fully know, comprehend, or be able to wrap our finite minds around, the answer to these very real questions, this side of eternity. Today’s Scripture verse makes this evident. In 1 Corinthians 13:9, Paul clearly spells this out for us: Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!

God never intended for His children to have all the answers.

Most of our walk and understanding of God is done by faith, as God intended. From the beginning, we were meant to know in part. Yet we’ve been commanded to act on what has been given us, leaving the rest to God. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. –Deuteronomy 29:29.

God has given us solid threads throughout His Word—lifelines. We can cling to these strong, sturdy, and steadfast threads, keeping our hope and faith alive and thriving until we, like Jesus, “know in full.” These lifelines enable us to share the life-changing Truth of God’s love and justice with a hurting and confused world.

So, what is God’s heart towards us, His children? His creations? The most accurate answer is Love. God is Love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” –John 3:16.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. –2 Peter 3:9.

I thank God for the Truth found in 2 Peter 3:9. Why? Because I was one of the “any“ our brother Peter is referring to. I thank God that it was His heart towards me that I should live—on earth and in heaven, with Him. Here, in part, is why:

In 2008 I suffered what some of the best neurologists in the country have categorized as a massive Ischemic Stroke. A blood clot had formed in my body and shot to my brain, causing what now resembles half-dollar size dead areas of brain tissue when seen on an MRI. These dead areas are on my brain’s frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes. The clot that hit my brain was described to me this way:

“Think of a pinball machine. You hit the little metal ball, and it bounces off several bumpers. That’s what happened in your head. One clot bounced off several lobes of your brain, damaging them as it did.”

I don’t remember much about the first few days after the stroke. Loud noises and voices, really. I now know they were the sounds of the MRI machine and those of the doctors and nurses who were treating me. My first conscious thought, the first thing I remember, is hearing my children’s voices. I couldn’t respond to them, as hearing them was like hearing someone far off, but I knew they were there, which comforted me. Eventually, I would awaken to find that the entire left side of my body had been paralyzed. I say “had been” because God healed my body in His infinite mercy. If you saw me today, like many, you’d likely say, “to look at you, you’d never know you had a stroke.” And you’d be right. Only God and I, and those closest to me, recognize the minor residual effects of that stroke.

I share my testimony with you in the hopes that it will encourage you. Restoring hope to that one who may be suffering some physical malady or is walking beside that loved one who has or is. Hang on—God is not finished with you/them yet. There is a purpose to what may appear to be this random suffering. God will redeem it.

He doesn’t play favorites. God did it for me, and He will do it for you or in the life of your loved one.

Those who know me will tell you that I often say one of the best things that ever happened to me was having that stroke. Sounds insane to some, I’m sure. Others may say my saying this is the result of the brain damage I sustained. But I say what the enemy meant for evil, God used for His glory and my good. I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. —Romans 8:18.

 I was not saved when that stroke occurred.

I was knee-deep in sin and rebelling against God. Had I died, I’d be in hell today. But God! Instead, within a few short months of returning home from the hospital, the Lord saved me. He wooed me back to Church, and once there, He came. Oh, glorious day! For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. —Romans 5:6.

Since that moment, my life has never been the same—not perfect by any means, and certainly not sin-free. But I am fully committed to the God who gave purpose to my suffering. Who, through that affliction, redeemed my life, using it to connect you and me and countless others. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. –John 12:26.

Beloved, you and I are here today because God is mercy-full and Loving.

On our best days, we forget this Truth—at least I do. Never mind when we are in the thick of suffering. We all too quickly forget that, as believers, we will share in Christ’s suffering, one way or the other. So, let’s not be afraid to share that Truth, one with another. Reminding one another that our God is loving, kind, and mercy-full. And that if, as with Job, God allows affliction to strike, He will surely redeem our suffering. Using it as a living testimony, a beacon of hope for those in our God-given sphere of influence, and a lifeline for the lost and hurting.

I am grateful to God for allowing me to break off and share this small corner of my testimony to minister hope to you or your loved one in your hour of need. Know that I am praying for you. And may God, in His infinite mercy, bring healing to your bodies, minds, and souls. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. –1 Peter 4:13.

And if you are new here, dear friend, thank you for reading our blog. I pray it has been a Word in season for you. And I pray that if you have not asked my Mercy-full Father into your life as your Lord and Savior, you’ll do it now. We are not promised tomorrow, friend. As I have just testified, life can change in the blink of an eye. I don’t say this to scare you, only to share the Truth with you. Please, don’t miss saying yes to Jesus. Seeing that the warning still comes to us, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as your forefathers did in the time of the provocation. –Hebrews 3:15.

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