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Tag: growth (Page 6 of 9)

Tag, Your It.

May 29, 2021 /
MaryEllen Montville

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” –Acts 10:34-35.

Everything was about to be upended for Peter—yet again. By this point in his walk with the Lord, I have to wonder if Peter had begun to figure out that the only thing that will ever remain the same for as long as he walks with the Lord, the only thing guaranteed to stay the same, is the Lord, Himself?

If biblical chronology is correct, some seven or eight months had passed since the Lord ascended back to the Father. Six or seven months since the Holy Spirit had been poured out on those gathered together in the Upper Room and since Peter had preached his first sermon and Christ’s Church was born. We can read all about these things in the Book of Acts, Chapters One through Five.

By this point in Peter’s walk, by the time Peter meets Cornelius in Acts Chapter 10 that is, God has already commissioned Peter as a leader over his brothers and sisters and His Church. He’s also been told to elect another to fill Judas Iscariot’s place among them. God has used Peter to heal a man who’d been lame since birth; and along with the Apostle John, Peter has also been taken into custody and forbidden by the Sadducees to teach using the name of Jesus. And, Peter has confronted Ananias and Saphira about their lying to the Holy Spirit, which resulted in their deaths. He and John were sent to Samaria to spread and teach God’s Word. Additionally, in Acts nine, Peter visits fellow believers in Lydda. The Lord uses him there to heal Aeneas, who’d been bedridden for eight years due to paralysis, and raise a young girl named Dorcas; some say, Tabitha, from the dead. You can read each of these accounts in the following Scriptures: Acts 1:16-26; 2:14-36; 3:6-8; 4:3-18; 5:3-9;8:14;9:32-40.

We catch up with Peter in Acts 10. We’ll find him in Joppa, a seaport town about 40 some miles south of Caesarea, at the home of Simon, the tanner. Being a devout Jew, I found it noteworthy that Peter would have chosen to stay with someone who would have been considered unclean, due to his chosen profession. After all, in a minute, we’ll read how Peter decries God’s instruction to kill and eat what the law teaches is unclean. A law Peter had painstakingly followed his entire life! “Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” –Acts 10:9-15.

So to find Peter staying in the home of someone who handles dead animal carcasses, a person another devout Jew would shun Peter for even associating with, is nothing short of unconscionable for this out-front, chosen leader of the Way. “The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean. And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening. Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you” –Leviticus 11:26-28. But God was on the move. And everything was about to change—forever.

As I said earlier, everything in Peter’s life was about to be upended, yet again. Very soon, Peter would face having to choose to place the full weight of the knowledge, faith, and trust he had on his Lord’s leading, regardless of it being unconventional, controversial, and undoubtedly unorthodox. Or, he’d have to turn away from His Master’s prompting, clinging instead to the law and teachings that had guided him since his youth. Because in a short twenty-four hours, all those traditions and rules, the religious rites and rituals that Peter had clung to so fiercely would all be upended.

Peter’s unraveling had begun on the rooftop of a tanner in Joppa, and it would reach its climax inside the home of yet another unlikely soul in Caesarea. Now, as Peter was in prayer on the rooftop of Simon’s house, the Lord, as only He can, broke through time and space with a message that challenged Peter to his very core. God needed Peter to shift, to move with Him and His plan for the future of His Church and all His people. There are times God will use the unorthodox, the unconventional, the new, and different to shake up the religiosity that has taken hold of us. All the “familiar” that we’ve allowed to enshroud us, blind us, stunting our growth. Stopping us from remembering that we can not, must not ever, put God in a box or attach some succinct, precise formula to how He will or does move or decide to show up. Jesus Himself is our most perfect example of this Truth.

“The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth” –Acts 10:9-11. On this great sheet was every kind of unclean animal. Peter saw all those repugnant animals that the law forbade and was instantly repelled by them. So when the Lord commands him to kill and eat, Peter barks back and tells God no. “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean” –Acts10:14.

Saying no to God is never a good idea. He is God, and we are not. And, as we’ll see, God had His way with Peter in the end.

Scripture indeed points towards Peter’s staying in the house of an unclean, gentile tanner to be no mere accident; more, it appears to be a herald, a preparation of sorts for Peter. Because soon, three men would appear and ask him to follow them. One commentary sums things up this way: The Jews already considered gentiles to be unclean. By drawing Peter into the home of a gentile tanner – the dirtiest of the dirty – God was breaking down barriers and preparing Peter as a vessel to pour out His blessing onto the gentiles.

Enter Cornelious.

While Peter was still atop Simon’s roof trying to sort out what he was to glean from God’s dropping that sheet before him, three men sent by a Roman Centurion named Cornelius to locate Peter show up to escort him to Caesarea. They’d been dispatched to accompany him to the home of yet another gentile. “Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate” –Acts 10:17.

Skipping ahead for time’s sake, these men tell Peter who they are and why they’ve come. “And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him” –Acts 10:22-23. Yet their news was only confirmation for Peter as the Holy Spirit had already revealed to him that He wanted Peter to go with these men when they arrived. “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” –Acts 10:19-20.

Again, skipping ahead, Cornelius has assembled his close friends and family in anticipation of Peter’s arrival. Before leaving Joppa, the men sent to accompany him tell Peter that an angel had visited Cornelius and told him to send for him. Upon arriving in Caesarea, Peter goes into Cornelius’ house, but not before making him aware that it is against the law for a Jew to be doing what he is doing. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” –Acts 10:28-29.

One last skip, I promise, and we’ll arrive at our destination:

In answer to Peter’s question, Cornelius outlines all that the angel had shared with him: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us” Acts 10:30-33.

And in that nanosecond, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, Peter gets it. The Light has shone inside of him, illuminating Truth and God’s glorious plan for His Church. A Truth and plan Peter never would have been able to grasp, outside of God doing something so unconventional. “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” –Acts 10:34.

Tag. Your It! And just like that, we, each gentile believer, from Cornelius and those gathered in his household, were grafted into the Body of Christ. Jew and Gentile now, one in Messiah. As Peter shared the Gospel message with this group of gentiles, salvation became there’s! Yet this plan for the grafting in of the gentiles isn’t new, however.  We caught our first glimpse of it back in the garden. It’s just now being unfolded, revealed afresh to Peter that he might ensure that God’s intended plan for His Church be carried out to the letter. But more on that next week. Remember, friends; God has set precise times and seasons for all things.

The Apostle Paul’s teaching on why this has occurred ought to lead us towards living our lives with great humility and boldness for the Lord. And for the things of the Lord, yet tenderly and with reverence for the grace and mercy shown us by such a loving Father. “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” –Romans 11:13-18.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you in the Lord to seek Him afresh in this season, to purify your hearts. Shaking off any spiritual slumber that has hampered you, all fear, and any confusion that has troubled the Body of Christ over this past year, instead, seek the Lord for what it is He’ll have you do now, while it is still day. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:6-9.

And dear friend, if you have yet to meet our unconventional and Loving Lord, Jesus the Christ, I hope that you’ll pause wherever you are right now and ask Him to make Himself as real and tangible to you as He did for Peter as he prayed on Simons rooftop.

Be sure to return next week for the conclusion of “Tag. You’re It…”

The Art Of Waiting…

May 15, 2021 /
Kendra Santilli

She sat at her windowsill, wide-eyed and waiting for her first guest to appear down the driveway for the celebration. Her mother was in the kitchen preparing for the festivities, pleading with her to help get the house to look presentable for the party. Still, the anticipation of having her favorite people in one place with gifts just for her was too much! How could she just set the table or sweep the floor? She needed to watch and wait patiently, wondering if anything she had hoped for would be in one of their presents? Her heart skipped a beat with every car that passed the house. Between the mundane preparations and her wandering eyes, she dreamt of the endless opportunities that awaited her in adolescence and adulthood. And there was not a single limitation on her imagination! She would never be in the single digits again after today. For some reason, the thought of crossing that threshold of single, into double digits made her think she was grown-up somehow. Unbeknownst to her, life would be filled with uncertainty and waiting. The possibilities she dreamt up on the day of her 10th birthday would not come with as much clarity as she had hoped. She grew to learn that who she would become would be molded in the waiting. Through the years, she came to realize that the more she learned, the less she knew.

The concept of waiting seems to have gotten away from us as a society.

From accessing information with the mere flick of a finger to the satisfaction of receiving a “like” within seconds on our social media accounts, we live in an era of instant gratification. The ability to wait seems like it’s getting further and further away from us as our instantaneous access to everything gets closer and closer. A rare commodity, patience has become valued less and less with each passing generation.

That said, today, I’d like to look at two types of waiting: the kind born from endurance and hard work and the type that exists just beyond our capabilities.

If we don’t have firsthand experience, we can imagine what waiting for a seed to grow into a flower might feel like? We can understand what becoming proficient at a task through arduous work and patience is? We know the feeling of waiting for guests to arrive who said they’d be there 10 minutes ago or waiting for a cake to finish baking in the oven? In this type of waiting, we know in advance what the final result will be; therefore, our waiting produces a reward. However, in Romans 8:24, the Bible says, “hope that is seen is no hope at all.” We cannot hope for our cake mixture to turn into a cake if we already know that’s what it is. It’s not like a pan of vegetables went into the oven, and somehow, we hope that what will come out is a cake. No, we already know what the final product will be. There’s no hope in that, just certainty.

Hope can only exist when uncertainty is factored into the equation.

The second kind of waiting is seen interchangeably across different Bible translations with the term “hope.” This form of waiting goes beyond our ability to produce something. It’s the kind of patience that requires hope. In Kingdom culture, hope and waiting go hand in hand; you can’t have one without the other. The Bible usually refers to this waiting as “waiting on the Lord.” Isaiah 40:31 tells us that: “those who wait on (hope in) the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Wait on the Lord.

This phrase makes me feel helpless in a way, but in the end, it reminds me of the truth that assures me His strength is made perfect in my weakness. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” –2 Corinthians 12:9.

It’s countercultural to say that rest will produce a product other than, well, rest. But Biblical principles are often paradoxical. That is, they typically don’t make sense. Waiting on the Lord requires a certain confidence in God that can only grow over time. Experientially, one that knows that although the outcome is uncertain, the hands of the One who holds you are good. His plans for you are not to harm you [but plans to] give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That is the hope that trusts that good things are coming even when there’s no end in sight. This hope comes from experience with repeated faithfulness of God. When you’ve seen the goodness of God, you can’t help but expect that He will come through yet again, even when it doesn’t make sense!

One of my favorite things to do in the face of uncertainty is to sit still in complete silence. For me, these times are reminiscent of what I’ve read in Mark 4:35-41. Within these verses, we read that Jesus is on a boat with His disciples in the middle of a storm. A furious storm suddenly came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so much so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

So, when I’m going through periods of chaos in life, I like to imagine that I’m sitting still with Jesus on that boat. I close my eyes and allow my mind to see the chaos all around me. I can almost hear the howling wind, and I allow myself to feel the fear of the unknown. The smell of the ocean becomes ripe in my olfactory receptors. Then I look up to notice that the One who commands the seas to be still is the One who’s keeping me safe, my firm foundation, Jesus. At that moment, I begin to realize that the howl of the fierce ocean storm that surrounds me is much louder than its actual bite. I realize, too, that so long as I hold fast to Jesus, He will take care of the uncertainties and turn them around for my good, just as He promises in His word. That doesn’t mean I have no problems, and it certainly doesn’t mean relinquishing control is easy, but it does mean that waiting is a rewarding discipline.

Those moments of chaos and confusion, of fear, require us to cling ever more closely to the Lord, sharpening our faith with each passing wave.

Waiting on the Lord produces peace, not pride. It helps us to look at our many blessings with eyes of gratitude rather than entitlement. Jesus then becomes the object of our affection as we grow stronger in Him. “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” –Psalm 27:14. Culture tries to convince us that we can’t control our emotions, but the word of God says contrary. It doesn’t say, “try to be of good courage.” It says, “Be of good courage.”

To do this requires that we renew our minds daily in His Word. And live with the mindset of courageously trusting in the Lord.

I want to leave you with these encouraging words found in 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is patient on His timetable, not ours. He wants to see your character built and strengthened before He can add the weight of His blessings to you.

Our trust in Him builds patience and steadfastness. As this verse indicates, His heart desires to see each one of us come to repentance. Abiding in Him produces more than you could ever produce on your own. Would you repent today and ask the Lord to help you trust in Him? My prayer is that as you repent and make Him your rock, the Holy Spirit will walk beside you, reminding you to surrender your anxieties to Him. I pray that the Holy Spirit teaches you how to trust in Him more deeply every day.

When God Calls You To It, Do It.

April 17, 2021 /
Stephanie Montilla

“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.

Now that New England’s weather is slowly becoming warmer, my car rides have become more enjoyable. I can finally open my sunroof and feel the pressing warmth of the sun on my face. It feels great to extend my arm out of the car window and feel the force of the wind blowing against it. And I’m so enjoying being able to soak up more sunlight throughout the day now. The warmer weather brings with it an added boost of happiness as well. Yet none of these things compare to the joy my car ride conversations with Jesus bring me.

Besides being at home, I spend most of my time in my car. It’s where I do my pondering, my questioning, confessing, and my praying. And I am convinced that my car transforms into my own private sanctuary in those precious moments. The other day, while driving, I talked with God about many of my worries and stresses. See, I have always been a planner. I’m always looking towards the future. And as great as being prone to thinking and planning for the future may sound, this mindset is also riddled with its own fears and anxieties—Its endless loop of questions. Questions like: “What if this doesn’t work out?”, “What if I run short of money?”, “How long do I have to wait, God?” And the more questions I ask, the more it feels like I’m doing little more than enabling my anxiety. Then suddenly, somewhere on that same drive, the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance Joshua 1:9, “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.”

Now I’ve heard and read this verse numerous times, but this time, it felt personal. Being reminded that the Lord is with me brought me comfort and peace. My remembering not to be discouraged; uplifted me. Knowing I need not be afraid; strengthened me. And that’s when it hit me: the same God that had spoken those exact words to Joshua; just brought them back to my remembrance! And knowing this prompted me to go and dig into Joshua’s story yet again. Allow me to pivot here and share some of what I discovered about courage and faith, and strength as a result.

The bible tells us, Joshua, son of Nun, became Israel’s leader after Moses’s death.

Moses had appointed him his successor before his death. And shortly after Moses died, the Lord said this to Joshua concerning his new ministry: “Moses, my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan river into the land I am about to give them – to the Israelites” –Joshua 1:2. God called Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and take possession of the land promised to their forefather Abraham –Joshua 1:1-5; Genesis 17:8. Yet before Joshua ever issued his first command to the people, God had already commanded Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. –Joshua 1:5, 7, 9. God’s repeated command over Joshua stood out to me because the Lord’s command for Joshua to be ‘strong and courageous’ was vital for Joshua’s future, his preparedness. Joshua would need to drink deep of this command before he could lead these people—before he would be able to execute God’s plan for them all. The Lord, who is both Sovereign and Omniscient, knows what lies ahead of us—and within us. He knows what we’ll need to be prepared to lead those He has entrusted to us, just as He did both with Moses and Joshua.

Leadership is no easy task. So, God makes things clear for Joshua and, through Him, for us. He outlines for Joshua what he must do to be prosperous and successful. First, and above all, love God and be obedient to Him. Keep God’s Word close to his heart—on his lips, and to not rely upon his own strength but, in all things, to trust God. “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go” –Joshua 1:7. Secondly, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” –Joshua 1:8. And lastly, “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.

The Lord’s repetitive command to Joshua to be strong and courageous is meant to draw Joshua into a greater understanding that the strength he’ll need moving forward will not be his own, but the Lords. Joshua would never be able to do all that the Lord had for him to do in his own strength. Neither can you and me. Think about it. How many times have you felt afraid before executing a task? How many times have you lost your nerve? God knows we get anxious; Scripture assures us that “He knows our anxious thoughts” –Psalm 139:23. He knows that discouragement will come our way. Yet, if we’ll but only remember that God is with us wherever we go, we can, in His strength, become empowered to be bold and walk confidently in the will of God—despite how weak and incapable we may feel.

It’s not true that God does not give us more than we can handle—He does. He allows it so that we’ll learn to rely and depend on Him even more!

After Joshua instructs the Israelites to cross the Jordan River, he then sent two spies ahead of the people into the next town to scout out its fighting force. Once these spies entered enemy territory, it wasn’t long before they needed to be hidden, and they were with the help of a prostitute named Rahab. But why would Joshua’s spies enter the home of a prostitute in the first place? Simple. No one would have thought it strange for these strangers, these men, to enter and leave the house of a prostitute at all hours of the day and night. But Jericho’s King found out about them and questioned Rahab as to their whereabouts. And as per her agreement with them, she lied to the King. “But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. Go after them quickly” –Joshua 2:4-5.

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient” –Hebrews 11:31. Talk about courage! Rahab shares with these Israelite spies her belief that it was indeed Yahweh who had given Israel this land. “I know the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you” –Joshua 2:8-9. I found it remarkable that this harlot from Jericho, a woman from Jesus’ lineage, was used by God to play a significant role in Israel’s story. As with Rahab and the Samaritan woman, God still demonstrates that He will use the unlikeliest of people to protect and support His children. And He’ll use the most improbable people to carry out His will. Let this be a reminder to us all that God goes before us to prepare the way, that He is preparing hearts to receive us, even now.

We can learn many valuable lessons from the first six chapters of the book of Joshua. The first is that even when we do not feel courageous or strong, we must trust God’s strength at work in us. The second is that the Lord is faithful to prepare the way, and He can use an unlikely person in a strange set of circumstances to aid and protect you just as the Lord used with Rahab with the spies. The third is that sometimes God’s instructions both sound and appear foolish; it’s in these moments we must hold tight to His Truth. Even when our minds desire to question God’s will or the instructions He gives us, faith in God means that we obey Him because He alone is faithful to do what He says He will. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:8-9. And finally, if we desire to see a supernatural move of God, we must be willing to exercise an unwavering, dare I say, crazy faith and obedience to His Word. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” –Hebrews 10:23.

Friends, our obedience to God is evidence of our faith in Him. Like Joshua, the more we unflinchingly follow his commands, we, too, will conquer and be victorious in our walk with the Lord—in His strength. The God of the Bible keeps His promises. So, I encourage you to stir up your faith in this miracle-working God. I encourage you to be strong and courageous no matter what you are facing today. And I pray that, like Joshua, you become unflinching in your obedience to God—come what may. And, if you desire to know more of this God, that you’ll invite Him into your heart. I pray that He reveals Himself to you. And that you’ll trust Him to show you His wonder-working power and faithfulness. “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might” –Ephesians 6:10.

The Simple Truth.

March 13, 2021 /
Kendra Santilli

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” –Revelation 3:15-16.

The days of lukewarm Christianity are quickly coming to an end. For some time now, pockets within the western Church have become image-driven; their performance, the standard of excellence they strive to meet—the smoke, lights, and the number of people walking through the doors week after week, their measure. The Gospel of Jesus Christ seemingly no longer reigning supreme; instead, it has been asked to take a seat right beside the world’s point of view—that ideology found within the hearts of unregenerate man.

Once driven primarily by Biblical principles, the western Church has dimmed the lights on what should be the ever-illuminating Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, making way instead for the counterfeit freedom that comes, supposedly, by following our feelings. It has forgotten what the word of God warns concerning those feelings: “The heart is deceitful above all things” –Jeremiah 17:9. It has instead taken man’s words as gospel in relinquishing God’s Word as its final authority. Somehow, the progressive thinker has taken the child-like simplicity of the Gospel message and contorted it into some complex ideology of their creation. And by their own doing, they’ve made communion with their Maker so inaccessible that the mere thought of knowing Him has become as far-fetched for them as some fairytale.

Yet the Truth is, while it most certainly is not always easy, following God is simple.

In Proverbs, the book of wisdom, the writer gives us a valuable key to opening our understanding of God.  It gives us clear instructions on how to know God, yet this simple principle has been lost in the name of enlightenment. “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5.

If you’re anything like me, you know what it’s like to have a loud mind. While coming up with ideas is easy, follow-through proves to be a more challenging feat. Typically, my carrying out an idea requires the know-how that isn’t always inherent in me. For example, if I want to do a house project, I will be more successful if I watch videos or get around someone knowledgeable in the subject. While on the flip side, I tend to give up rather quickly when tackling projects on my own.

Similarly, our desire to know more of God, about Him, His ways, and thoughts, must be cultivated. It’s great to want to know God, but if we’re not putting ourselves in an atmosphere conducive to finding Him, getting to know Him, we may never get there. God draws near to those who seek Him. So, seeking Him through reading His word, spending time with Him in prayer, asking Him for understanding, fellowshipping with other believers, and reading Christian books are just the beginning of our developing our personal relationship with Him. In our search for God, we quickly learn that there is no end to discovering His vast beauty. As we pick up the Bible and find His voice within its pages, He becomes the compass that continually points us towards His Truth.

Let me ask you this: what guides you? Whose voice are you giving ear to? Whose words do you accept as Truth? To what are you applying your heart?

I guarantee that if you fill your mind with the world’s ideologies over the Truth found in God’s Word, having a relationship with Him may end up feeling impossible and become far more complicated than it was ever meant to be. The promise in Proverbs 2 is that you will find the knowledge of God through storing His word in your heart. You will find the knowledge of God when you turn your ear to (in other words: soften your heart towards) Seeking after Godly wisdom, rather than pridefully rejecting it. You will understand the fear of God when you cry out to Him (or pray) for understanding. The simple Truth is this: if you seek Him, you will find Him. God promises this: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13.

God wants your heart, to have a relationship with you—that’s the simplicity of the Gospel message. Not what some western Churches have turned it into, the smoke, lights, and numbers, the celebrity preachers. Not some cleverly-crafted theology that has nothing to do with Him—a theology filled with thoughts and notions that are so complex and far removed from God’s heart that one would need a Ph.D. to follow along! God never said, “you might find me when you try to seek me.” No. The promise is that when you earnestly seek Him, you will find Him. Our pure longing for more of God becomes often corrupted by our striving—by what we’ve turned God into—some false idea that “more is required of us.” When the Truth is, Jesus has already done what we never could! “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18

From the outside, Christianity, following Jesus, can look complicated. It may seem like it requires so much effort on your part. It may seem as though the standards set in the Bible are unattainable to you. Yet here’s the part that’s only realized as you surrender to God—as you fill your mind with the things of God and apply your heart to understanding His commands: your natural response becomes obedience. Standards you once thought impossible, become natural. And, the more you get to know God, the more you realize that He is your everything. “[Jesus is] the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” –Revelation 22:13. God is the giver of joy, the giver of peace, the giver of hope, and the giver of Life itself. The simple Truth is this: as we spend time getting to know God through His word, True-Life opens within us, and the secrets of His kingdom begin to take root in our hearts.

Our place in creation becoming clear as His presence becomes our home.

You see, God knew that salvation had to be simple. His desire is for us to be with Him both now and for all eternity, hence Jesus’ sacrifice—His Life, death, and resurrection. He knew that outside of His power at work in us, if we had to jump through hoops on our own to get to know Him, chances are we’d be damned to a life of constant striving and insecurity—never knowing, with absolute certainty, if we were indeed His. So, in His mercy and lovingkindness, God made it so that the Cross of Christ is our security, His promise to us, that can never be revoked. “God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek” –Hebrews 6:18-20, Message Bible.

If you haven’t already done so, I invite you to search for God with your whole heart. Pick up a Bible and ask Him to make Himself known to you as you humbly seek His Truth. “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. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” –Matthew 7:7-11.

The Best Thing?

October 31, 2020 /
MaryEllen Montville

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” –John 16:7.

It is beyond most of us to understand fully why God would ask us to give something up. Especially when we don’t understand the reason why. When we don’t see the benefit or purpose in letting it go—of taking our hands off that—relationship, beloved friend, that job or home, city, or state we love. Deeper still, in being asked to give up some part of ourselves—a child or spouse, a beloved mentor, some long-standing belief, things we’ve come to love, rely upon, trust in, or appreciate about ourselves or others. Now, if you have any knowledge of who God is, His character, you may have already picked up on what is amiss with some of what I’ve just said? Go ahead, go back and reread it. Did you catch it? The “things we have come to love, rely upon, trust in, appreciate about ourselves or others” part?

Allow me to clarify.

In no way am I saying that we should not love people—that would be a deliberate contradiction to the great commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” –Matthew 22:37-40.

Neither am I saying that we should not enjoy our professions or homes, those relationships we have been blessed with, invested our love, time, and care into. Rather, what I am saying is this: Nothing, no thing, no one, must ever take primacy over God. Ever. Not even the best of things—the greatest of His gifts. Not our spouses, not our children or parents, job, or ministry, not where we live nor any-thing we have been allowed to have or use. Truth be told, most of us are still learning how to apply this Truth to our lives—I know I am. I’m much better at holding on than I am at letting go. And because of this, I am so very thankful that God is patient and merciful with me. He knows the weakness of my frame yet loves me still. I am thankful that He lends me His strength for the heavy lifting!

As I read and studied in preparation for this teaching, it became even more clear to me that we must be willing to continually position our hearts before God. Making room for, readying ourselves, for the ongoing refinement that takes place within them. Allowing all, any of those things that sully us still, to be removed, put away—that we might reflect more purely the One that has called us to Himself. After all, isn’t that a great part of the “why” God allows things to be taken? To refine us. I believe we are being asked to say yes to God, now, more than ever—before we even know or understand just what it is we are saying yes to. Out of love for Him—our deep-seated, abiding need for Him—in trust, we must say yes. Out of a profound desire to rid ourselves, our lives, of anything and anyone that we know God is putting His finger on, saying: Trust me on this, this person, this ministry, this home, job, relationship, this thought process, heart posture, this way your living, this expression, belief or ideal has outgrown its season—you must let go of it now. Left unattended, it will become a distraction that will blind you to where God is leading you next—and, possibly, to who. More, it is rebellion against God. It is saying you know better than He what’s best for you. “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’” –Isaiah 45:9.

On our journey with the Lord, we must come to understand those things given to us by God must remain fluid in our hands. Seldom, outside of Christ Himself and the sure promises found in Him are His greatest gifts ever unchanging. This lesson, in part, is what Jesus was imparting to His disciples—to us, in today’s scripture.

They had eaten with Him, walked, talked, laughed, and cried with Him—slept by the fire beside Him. They were fed by His every Word, refreshed in His abiding love and compassion, His mercy. They were emboldened by His justice! They had witnessed miracles in His presence. The dead brought back to life, the blind given their sight, thousands were fed with 5 loaves and 2 small fish. Treacherous storms had been stilled, and the deepest of Truths were revealed with Words spoken so plainly, so frankly, that even the least of them within earshot were able to understand—and marvel. This band of brothers, these disciples, each heard Jesus calling them with such clarity and certainty, that, at His slightest behest, they left everyone and everything behind—and followed Him. Yet now, these few years later, after having done that, after having experienced all that they had by His side, after having become enmeshed with this Jesus in this most indescribable bond of oneness, this deepest mystery of love and loyalty this true “until death we do part” commitment—Jesus says He’s leaving them.

Stop and feel that for a minute before you read on.

Wait, what! Why? Why would you do this to us!! What have we done to deserve this betrayal? No way… No, you simply can’t leave us, not now! NO! NO! You simply can’t go. Not now! Things are just getting started! How will you restore the Kingdom if you leave us now? Why Jesus!

If you’re listening with your heart, you can hear their dazed, gutted cries. I can only imagine the thoughts whipping around in their heads—perhaps even spilling out of their mouths? For anyone who has ever suffered such a soul-crushing loss, who has ever stood in frozen disbelief, in utter powerlessness as you watched the center of your world go away, surely you have some small idea, some slight glimpse into what these men felt after hearing this news fall flat from the very lips of God Himself? These same lips that had smiled at them and called them His friends—His beloved. At that moment they had no idea of the profound love and purpose behind His leaving, His removing Himself from their physical presence—all they knew was this thick, deep grief. They didn’t know Golgotha’s Cross lay just around the bend—the birth of His Church either, they couldn’t get past the fact that He was leaving them. He was taking something they loved away from them.

And it’s no different from us, is it? When we’re told we must let go—give up something or someone—some-place or station in life, our health or husband, wife, or child—our parents or home.

Even after all the time they’d spent with Him, they still had no idea of who it was they had been doing life with these past three-plus years—not really. Truth is, neither do we. The enormity of God is unfathomable. He is so much more, so much bigger, and finer and far more Holy, Righteous, and far-seeing than a mere man can ever take in. Psalm 145:3 says it this way: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” His friends weren’t thinking about the fact that He stood over the dark void—seeing their beginning from their end. Seeing His plan unfolding from its end to its beginning. Knowing what is needed—and what isn’t, each step of the way. In each season and individual life—all at once. For as much as we believe we have come to know Him, there are whole worlds, universes chuck full of these deep mysteries pointing us towards just how much we don’t yet know, can’t know—at least not now, about this God we love. How can a spirit encased in this limited flesh fully take in the unplumed, boundless love of God? One who willingly offered Himself in our place that we might be afforded a way back to Him. “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.

We were not created to hang onto anything given us by God, save Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. God takes away what we perceive to be good that we may grow in our dependence in Him, and in the realization that He alone is good. —Barnes. Beloved, nothing. No—thing, no one, must ever take primacy over God. Ever. Not even the best of things—the greatest of His gifts. Won’t you posture your heart today—your very life, that He might refine you? Purify you as precious gold. Won’t you trust in Him when He asks you to return—let go of your understanding of what you think is best, in exchange for more of Him and His will for your life? “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete” –Luke 6: 46-49.

Friend, if you do not know this Jesus who died to ensure that you might be restored into a right relationship with God, then know this. This same God has led you here today that you might know His great love for you and accept the absolute best He has to offer me and you–His Only Son, Jesus. Won’t you accept His best by asking Him into your heart right now as your Lord and Savior? You’re not here by chance…

Necessary Endings.

October 24, 2020 /
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth”

Some may find it odd that God would speak of new beginnings amid His farewell address to His disciples. Why speak to them of some future hello in the middle of His saying goodbye? In part, Scripture points us toward the “new thing” on its way. A return to the upper room and all that would soon be birthed from it was awaiting them—they simply couldn’t see it yet. Be that as it may, Jesus assured them that He would not abandon them, leaving them like some poor orphans. Instead, He’d leave a blessing behind—He’d send the unfathomable gift of His Holy Spirit to them, to encourage, empower, and, to lead them into all Truth. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” –John 14:18. God knows the weakness of our frames, knows just how easily we lose hope—even as we’re standing in His very presence at times, hope may ebbing out of us. Peter understood this better than most the very second, he felt himself sinking. He had taken his eyes off Jesus, looking instead at the swirling, raging sea around him—but I digress. God is always re-directing us towards a new thing. I say re-directing because being the dumb, stubborn sheep we are at times, we stray off course far more often than we ought and must be put right. Pointed, yet again, towards what lay just ahead—just over that next horizon, around that next corner, just beyond our seeing—not behind us or backward mind, lest it’s part of God’s plan for our edification. God is forever speaking to us of new beginnings, new hope for our future—at the Cross, in birthing rooms, gardens and graveyards, or anywhere in-between. Today was no different in that respect. Jesus was about to re-direct His confused and heartbroken friends that they might soon be fully prepared to partner with Him in the birthing of His Church. They’re pain and confusion used as a springboard then, to propel them into this new Way. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” –John 14:16.

Save God, nothing and no one on earth remain with us forever. Life is a million little lessons of letting go —of holding loosely to what God has allowed our hands to touch at all.

Just about everyone loves Spring. We look forward to the promises it holds. Its new-ness. Green buds, life, color, and the scent of the not-so-distant summer teasing the air. Spring is like a fresh coat of paint over last year’s lackluster walls—everything seemingly made new again. We all love the sound of hello, its promise, and the hope that simple little word offers us —goodbyes, not so much. Yet they are necessary at times to make room for what’s about to come. That’s the crux of what Jesus was sharing with His friends concerning their need to experience this necessary ending. We must always remain obedient and open, no matter how painful, to receiving God’s best for our lives, marriages, ministry, careers, friendships, etc.—even when His best is born from some painful ending we wanted no part of. To do otherwise is saying we know what’s best for us—not God—making ourselves gods. And Scripture is clear about what becomes of the one who thinks too highly of himself. “Pride ends in humiliation” –Proverbs 29:23. From Genesis to Revelation, we witness necessary endings—fresh spaces being made for some new plan of Gods to take root in. Every-thing alive is cyclical—bringing with it new life, hope, provision, protection—springing forth from what appears to be dead and gone. Parents die and children are born. A leaf buds and falls to the ground only to return in the next season fresh and new. Joseph’s brothers fully understood this the day they stood before Him. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute…” –Genesis 45:8-11.

And Ruth may never have fully taken in the plan behind all the necessary endings she had endured while in Moab, the loss of her husband and friends, her childlessness, and Orpah’s choosing to stay behind—nevertheless, God redeemed every drop of her pain and loss. Though Ruth would have no idea that both King David and King Jesus were future descendants born from her God-ordained union with her kinsman-redeemer Boaz, still, God was faithful to give Ruth beauty for ashes, nevertheless. Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” –Ruth 4:9-10.

It is not for us to always understand the why of God, rather, we’re simply to obey whatever it is He asks of us.

But back to Jesus and His broken-hearted disciples. Jesus had just washed their feet in this same upper room He’d soon send their Comforter to. The same room we witness them partaking in their very first Communion—and their very last Supper—here on earth that is. Flesh and Blood would soon be offered up that night that they may possess Spirit and Truth and wisdom, discernment and revelation, eternal life too—power from on High as well. How else could His Church withstand the barrage of attacks it was and will endure at satans hand? No mere man or group of men, no matter how loyal, could ever defend His Church alone—only the One who has been charged to stand guard over it is able to fully protect it. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way” –2 Thessalonians 2:7.

We each are temporary stalwarts chosen to stand our post for the few brief minutes that is our life. We are chosen makers, gatekeepers who do not leave their post until their relief shows up—and it always shows up, remember, every-thing in life is cyclical. Forty days, the time Jesus spent being tempted and prepared in the desert for His ministry. Forty days after He defied death by walking out of His grave, Jesus said goodbye to His disciples—yet His goodbye was pregnant with hello’s promise. And, soon and very soon, we will reap the joyful reward of this necessary endings “new beginning”—when Jesus returns! It had been ordained for Him to leave the world that He might return to it in such a way that all men will see Him coming on the clouds—and we’ll be with Him, those once broken-hearted disciples of His too!  So, friends, don’t hang on to what God is asking you to let go of. Remember, all life is cyclical, and God has a beautiful plan for the necessary ending He’s allowed to touch your life—even those you wanted no part of.

Friend, if you have yet to meet this Jesus, now is the time—today is the day. We never know when a moment may pass us by, never to return. Please, don’t let this be that moment. Scripture assures you that if you’ll simply and sincerely ask Jesus to come into your life, He will. Won’t you ask Him now? “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” –Romans 10:8-10.

The Secret Place.

June 27, 2020 /
Kendra Santilli

When I was in nursing school I spent some time in the operating room observing some brilliant surgeons and nurses. I would say it was one of my favorite rotations. I remember one instance where I was sitting in on a knee replacement surgery. The patient had expressed that they were experiencing incredible knee pain and were more than ready to receive their new and improved hardware. They started counting to ten as they were lulled to sleep by anesthesia. Moments after the anesthesia kicked in, the physician got to work. To spare the graphic details, I’ll just say this: I never really understood just how much healing was actually happening in recovering patients. I realized that with surgery, the doctor sometimes has to cause more trauma, knowing full well that the patient is better off in the end, in order to get to the real problem. You see, the patient’s nerve endings, muscles, and skin all have to mend from the trauma they’ve just experienced. That day as I was standing in the OR watching this patient get torn apart to get stitched back together, I heard the quiet voice of God say to my spirit, “This is what I do.” I realized that, in some ways, God is like that physician.

I don’t know about you, but I have come to realize that many times when I feel burdened, it’s simply a symptom of some deeper issue; something that needs replacement or repairing within my heart. In the Bible, there are several passages where God is referred to as Jehovah-Rapha – the God who heals. I’m specifically reminded of Mark 2:17, where Jesus says “… Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” I find it funny that Jesus makes this clear distinction among a self-righteous culture. A distinction that tells the well-versed religious leaders that they clearly already have it all together (and I say this facetiously). He is looking for those who are humble enough to realize that they need some help. Just as sick people need a doctor, sinners need a savior. I love that He chased “sickness” with “calling sinners”. This tells me that sin causes sickness of the heart, and that heart healing is just as important, if not more important than physical healing. These sicknesses of the soul can only be remediated by the One who made a way. Our heart issues are rooted in sin and God knows that! One thing I learned about surgery is that it takes time before one can apply weight to the area which was operated on. 

A few years back, I experienced the deepest loneliness that I could ever even imagine going through. I was surrounded by people but somehow felt completely invisible. I was in the midst of several new transitions in my life: new husband, a new state, new career, new church community. I didn’t realize it then, but it was a lot. In the midst of all of that, I struggled to make new friends. It felt like the more I tried, the lonelier I became. It was weird. I have never had a problem making friends, it’s just the charismatic extrovert in me! Through prayer, I realized that this loneliness was a result of the sin of idolatry. Let me explain. I realized that being accepted by people and loving people’s company had become of more importance to me than God’s approval and desiring His company. This loneliness was my symptom of the root issue: rejection. I wanted so badly to belong, while God was trying to teach me that, in Him, I already belonged! God knew this about me before I ever knew it about myself, and He had some work to do. Over the next couple of years, He brought me through a process of learning what it means to say, “God, you’re enough for me”. It was a good two years of just me and Him in the secret place. It’s in the secret place where He does His deepest work. The kind of work that makes its way from our hearts to our heads to our hands. This work has tangible outcomes and truly changes a person, and it’s a job only the Great Physician can do. When a person is recovering from surgery, there is a lot of pain involved with their nerves, bones, muscles, and skin. They have to go through therapies and rehab before being able to carry their full weight again. I promise you, though the surgery and healing are painful, the outcome is always worth it in the end. For me, this weight looked like having meaningful relationships. Through this season of solitude, I learned how to have relationships without rooting my identity in them. I also discovered a lot of pride and arrogance in my heart. That weight looked like not being able to be in leadership positions until I could be there without arrogance. For some people, they may have to go through the healing of rejection where the weight is that they can’t handle criticism. Over time, healing allows us to carry the weight without being so deeply impacted: we are made strong enough to overcome obstacles that may come our way.

I invite you to pray and ask God to show you what areas of your heart need healing. You may or may not even be aware of what it may be, but He is so kind as to expose the need and lead us through it. He wants to see us whole. He wants to see us thriving while we are here on earth. In moments of adversity, pray for the strength to lean into Him to carry you. To heal you. To restore you. To strengthen you. Adversity is not time to run away, it is time to press in. Will you trust God to do the work that He needs to do to bring you to your purpose? We cannot carry the weight of our purpose until He does His refining work. 

If you don’t know God as a healer, Jehovah-Rapha, the invitation is available to you. He sees your pain, He knows your symptoms, and He knows your “diagnosis”. But until you bring it to Him, you will not see the healing that He needs to do. Surrender to Jesus and invite Him into your space today and watch what He does.

Abandon. Philippians 3:7-9.

February 15, 2020 /
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith”.

Oh happy state! to be perfectly acquiescent, to lie passive in His hand, and know no will but His” –Spurgeon.

Paul realized he would never achieve perfection in his lifetime. Neither will we. Nor will that greatest of saints we’re able to call to mind. That state of perfection, Paul knew, had recently spoken of, would come in that glorious moment when he, once for all, would leave his earthen vessel in the very dust from which it was created, and return, at last, to our Father’s house. Having attained, only then, the fullness of all that Christ had for him. Standing, finally, in his heavenly body in the presence of the King he had longed to see face to face.

Perhaps it was this realization, in part, which drove Paul to live his life then, resigned to press, ever forward, in continuous surrender to this God he lived for. Since knowing he would not reach that perfect state this side of heaven, he determined in his heart than, to become more Christlikeduring his time here on earth. We would do well to follow after his example. Paul understood his own wretchedness, outside of Christ. He was as aware (through the revelation of the Holy Spirit) of his natural, unchecked inclinations, as any man true to himself is, and, of just how easy it can be to follow after those desires of the flesh. Yet he did not try to hide his sin nor the once blind, dogmatic, beliefs he’d held. Rather he exposed his weakness. Confessing them before God and man, allowing us an unabashed view of his humanity.

The thorn of searing regret ever stuck in his flesh; stayed only by the grace of God from hindering his work and overpowering his mind. “though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” Philippians 3:4-9.

And, it’s not only in this Third Chapter of Philippians but also in Romans 7, that we witness this same forthrightness. Where we hear Paul’s confession, his angst. Where we bear witness to this very real, very human realization; one felt by us each, at some point in our walk with our Lord. “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” Romans 7: 18-19. Paul has so aptly put into words for us all what it like to live in this awareness of the ongoing war waging within every child of God. Listen to what he writes in Galatians 5:17 concerning this same battle: “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.”  Paul’s transparency allows us—aides us, in acknowledging that this same battle raging within him, wages within our own hearts as well. It rages, recognized, or not. Acknowledged, or not. Alive within the murky depth of, or the shame-filled, fear-filled, fractured surface of, every heart in whom He has placed His Spirit.

Yet, thankfully, Paul, via the illumination of the Holy Spirit, does not leave us there to figure out how best to fight, to gain ground, claim new territory, to have victory over, this ongoing battle he’s so freely spoken of—our base-ness. Rather, he points us towards Christ, towards the most advantageous, power-full battle stance any Christian can assume. Paul lets us know that any victory we may attain, any ground we’ll ever claim for the Kingdom, any success in ministry or relationship (think John Mark here) will only be found, attained, experienced, known, realized only in complete abandon to the will of God. Such abandon that, though ready to wage war on any foe at a moment’s notice, we recognize the battle we’re engaged in is not ours, it’s God’s. And, though, we are called to stand and fight, our victory has been assured by the finished work of the Cross. We never fight alone. We are incapable, in any real sense, of fighting in our own strength; without that is, doing more harm than good.

Beloved, for as long as we continue to reside this side of heaven, the Godliest of us will sin, falling ever short of God’s perfect standard. Paul knew this. I pray each of us, as God’s children, will come to truly know it as well. And, that, from such knowledge, our striving will cease. A total surrender takes place, and a complete abandon of our will be offered; freely, lovingly, whole-heartedly to our Lord. That whosoever will are released, as Paul was, I was, you were, he, she, and they were, each, freed from the bonds of religion, from the onerous striving to measure up to a standard only One could ever meet, Jesus. That perfect Lamb in whom all our striving after righteousness finds its rest. Just as one straightaway trusts water beneath them as a surety on which to surrender themselves, to float, be held up, may we with greater abandon yet, surrender our will with even greater surety to God. I pray our surrender to be so complete, we will only recognize its absence in that very hour we are safely home with Him….

Friend, how incredibly grateful I am to know, be certain of the fact, that when God sees me today, He sees Jesus. That because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, now, because of what He has done, I am covered, as with a royal robe, in Jesus’ perfect Righteousness. And I so want that knowing, that certainty, that peace to be yours as well. If you have come this far with me and find yourself asking, “what’s next?” “Where now?” I strongly encourage you to ask this Jesus into your own life, as Lord and Savior, you did not come this far by chance…

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” –Galatians 2:20.

Not Even the Best of Things. John 16:7.

November 16, 2019 /
“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”

It is beyond most of us, oftentimes, to fully understand why God would ask them to give something up. Especially when they can’t understand the reason why. When they don’t see the benefit or purpose in letting go. Of taking their hands off of that—intimate relationship, beloved friend, that job or home, city, or state they’ve loved living in. Deeper still, in giving up some part of themselves; a child or spouse, a beloved mentor, some long-standing belief. Things they’ve come to love, rely upon, trust in, or appreciate about ourselves. Now, if you have any knowledge of who God is, His character, you may have already picked up on what is amiss with some of what I’ve just said. Go ahead, go back, and reread it. Did you catch it? The “Things we have come to love, rely upon, trust in, appreciate about ourselves” part.

Allow me to clarify. In no way, am I saying that we should not love people—that would be a deliberate contradiction to the great commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” –Matthew 22:37-40. Neither am I saying that we should not enjoy our profession or home or those relationships we’ve been blessed to have invested our love and time and care into.

Rather, what I am saying is this: Nothing. No thing, no one, must ever take primacy over God. Ever. Not even the best of things—the greatest of His gifts. Not our spouses, not our children or parents or job or ministry, not where we live nor any-thing we have been allowed to use. Truth be told, most of us are still learning how to apply this Truth to our lives, daily.  I know I am. I’m much better at holding on to than in letting go of. I am thankful that God is patient and merciful. He knows the weakness of my frame yet loves me still. I am thankful that He lends me His strength for the heavy lifting! Not even Jesus made an allowance for such things. Nothing and no one superseded God in His life. Everything He does points towards and glorifies God. Everything. So must we then, in His strength, train ourselves, minute by minute, to follow after this example He models for us…

As I read and studied in preparation for this teaching, it became clear to me that we must be willing to posture ourselves, our hearts, before God. To make room for, ready ourselves for, more intense refining to begin; to take place within us. To have all—any of those things that sully us, still, removed from us—put away; that we might look more like the image of Him that has called us to Himself. After all, isn’t that a great part of, “the why” God takes things from our lives? Allows them to be taken? To refine us? I believe we are being asked to say yes to God, now, more than ever. Before we even know or understand just what it is we are saying yes to. Out of our love for Him—our deep-seated, abiding need for Him—in trust, we say yes. Out of a profound desire to rid ourselves, our lives, of anything and anyone that we know God is putting His finger on and saying, “Trust me on this, this person, this ministry, this home, job, relationship, this thought process, heart posture, way of living, this expression, belief or ideal has outgrown its season—it must go.” Left unattended, it will become a distraction that will blind you to whom, and to where God is leading you to.

On our journey with the Lord, we must come to understand those things given to us by God must remain fluid in our hands. Seldom, outside of Christ Himself and the sure promises found in Him are His greatest gifts ever unchanging.

 It was this lesson, in part, that Jesus was imparting to His disciples—to us, in today’s scripture…

They had eaten with Him, walked, and talked, laughed, and cried with Him—slept by the fire beside Him. They were fed by His every Word, refreshed in His love and compassion and mercy. They were emboldened by His justice! They had witnessed miracles in His presence. The dead had come back to life, the blind were given their sight, thousands were fed with 5 loaves and 2 small fish. Treacherous storms had been stilled, and the deepest of Truths were revealed in Words spoken so plainly, so frankly, even the least within their earshot was able to understand them—and marvel. This band of brothers, these disciples, had each felt Jesus calling them with such clarity and certainty, that, at this His behest, they left everyone and everything behind, and followed after Him. Yet now, these years later, after having done that, after having experienced all that they had by His side, after having become entwined with this Jesus in this most precious of relationships—this most indescribable bond of oneness, this deepest mystery of love and loyalty this true, “until death us do part” commitment; Jesus says He’s leaving them. Stop and feel that for a minute before you read on.

What! Why? Why would you do this to us!! What have we done to deserve this betrayal? No way… No, you simply can’t leave us, not now! NO! NO! You simply can’t go. Not now!

If you listen, you can almost hear their dazed, gutted cries. I can only imagine that all of these thoughts, and more, had been swirling around in their minds—perhaps even spilling out of their mouths. Scripture doesn’t make that clear to us. Yet, for anyone who has ever suffered such a soul-crushing loss, who has ever stood, in frozen disbelief, in utter powerlessness as you watched the center of your world go away; you qualify, surely, as having some small idea, some slight glimpse into what these men felt hearing this news fall from the very lips of God Himself. The same lips that had smiled at them and called them His friends—His beloved.

They had no idea, at that moment, of His unfathomable reason for having to go. The profound love behind His needing to leave—of removing Himself from their physical presence; all they felt was their deep grief. They didn’t know Golgatha’s Cross lay just around the bend. All they understood was that He was leaving them. He was taking something they loved away from them. And it’s no different from us, is it? When we’re told we must let go—give up something or someone—someplace or station in life, our health or husband or wife or child—our parents or home. They had no idea of who it was they had been doing life with these past three-plus years—not really. This unfathomable enormity of God. And neither do we. God is so much more, so much bigger and finer and far more Holy and Righteous and far-seeing than a mere man can ever take in.

His friends weren’t thinking about the fact that He stood over the dark void—seeing their beginning from their end. Seeing His plan unfolding from its end to its beginning. Knowing what is needed—and what isn’t, each step of the way. In each season and individual life—all at once. For as much as we believe we have come to know of Him, there are whole worlds, universes chuck full of these deep mysteries pointing us towards just how much we don’t yet know, can’t know, —at least not now, about this God we love so. How does a spirit encased in its limited flesh fully take in the unplumed love of God? One who offered Himself in our place all that we might be afforded a way back to Him. “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.

We were not created to hang onto anything given us by God, save Jesus and His Holy Spirit. We are expanded by His giving of these most precious gifts—stretched that we might receive more from one so Holy. Yet, in order for this to happen, room must be made. A surrendering of ourselves in exchange for Him, a hollowing out must occur; a new and clean replicable must be created, made ready deep within to catch, and store, His life-giving gifts. God takes away what we perceive to be good that we may grow in our dependence in Him, and in the realization that He alone is good. —Barnes.

Beloved, nothing. No—thing, no one, must ever take primacy over God. Ever. Not even the best of things—the greatest of His gifts. Won’t you posture your heart today—your very life, that He might refine you? Purify you as precious gold. Trusting Him when He asks you to return—let go of, your understanding of what’s best in exchange for His. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete” –Luke 6: 46-49.

Friend, if you do not know this Jesus who died to ensure that you might gain God, then know this. He has led you here today that you might know His love for you and accept the absolute best He has to offer me and you; His Only Son, Jesus. Won’t you accept His best and by asking Him into your heart right now, as your Lord and Savior? You’re not here by chance…

Waves of Affliction And Trouble. Matthew 14:22-25.

November 9, 2019 /
“As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people.”

It wasn’t Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, nor was it Peter’s walking on water that jumped out at me as I read Chapter 14 of Matthew’s Gospel. It wasn’t even Jesus’ walking on water. Rather, it was the fact that He ‘insisted’ that His disciples get in their boat and cross the Sea of Tiberias, and head towards Gennesaret without Him—all the while knowing a storm was headed their way. But why? Why did Jesus insist that they go ahead without them? Why send Twelve of His dearest friends—His beloved disciples, into a perilous storm He knew was coming? Why would He send them off on their own to face a storm He knew was far beyond their capacity to traverse?

Would you be surprised if I said His love for them was the motivating force behind Jesus’ command that they cross the sea without Him? Be sent into a storm He knew they were ill-prepared for? Difficult as it may be to take in, God’s love will, oftentimes places us in situations or allow us to face seasons of difficulties that we simply do not understand, are in no way prepared to handle. Included within these often-stormy moments, are precious gifts given us—if we’ll but receive them. Those sweet moments of clarity that lead us into the sure knowing that He alone is God. And, in those moments, a heart-cry goes out, Abba! Father! Save me as only can! We hand ourselves over to the One who allowed the storm so that we might witness Him walking on the water right there beside us; already there with us, ready and willing to save. Just as it was with the disciples, so it is with us, too. Though skilled in their craft as fishermen, and dedicated followers of Jesus, what they were about to face is an example of one of the occasions the Lord would use adversity to build their faith in Him. To redirect their natural tendency to handle things on our own—back towards Himself.

When we become aware that life will give us more than we can handle and come to grips with this, we find a promise: God is faithful to meet us in the mess and in the pain. And when He does, we learn to recognize our constant need to depend on Him. This is why Peter instructs the Church to cast our fears, worries, suffering, and pain on God. He reasons we can do this because God cares for us. When life deals us more than we can handle, we can rest in the reality that God can handle it –MICHAEL HIDALGO.

They were following after Him, mind you, serving Him, they were not out of the will of God, had not disobeyed Him. This was no rebuke. No punishment for deliberate sin. These were not men who had decided to run off and go their own way. On the contrary, in getting into that boat, they were following Jesus’ command, just as they always had. From the time Jesus called His disciples, He began stretching their faith, preparing them for that day when He knew He would have to leave them behind and return to the Father. This command to cross over before Him was no exception. He was ever instructing them, refine them and building them up. Taking from them what did not benefit them, their calling and purpose, and depositing into them instead new-life and purpose, a new vision and wisdom; readying them for the task of spreading His Message to a world who would all-too-often reject that message—reject Him. Sound familiar?

Jesus knew His friends end from their very beginnings. Hence, He knew exactly what they’d need, both individually, and collectively to do the will of the One that had sent Him, and chosen them. As evidence of this stretching of their faith, we first witness Jesus’ disciples facing a similar storm back in Matthew Eight. Immediately following Jesus’ informing those within earshot of the cost of following after Him, He instructs His disciples to get into their boat and head off to the opposite side of the lake –Matthew 7:18-22; 8:23-27.

God is always working. Always preparing us for what is just ahead—just on the other side of any given storm or struggle.  

It is here then, in verse 24 of Matthew 8, that we first see the disciples facing a storm at sea. It is here also, where we come to understand that the disciples have yet to come into the full knowledge of just who this Jesus truly is. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” –verse 27. It is here too, that we witness an eternal Truth that can and will carry us through any storm. Jesus has promised to never leave His chosen alone.

He was as present in the disciple’s boat in Matthew 14 as He was in Matthew 8. The difference between the two being the lesson He was teaching in each instance—the degree of stretching that was taking place. Their learning to see beyond the limits of the natural world that they may see more clearly into the realm of the spirit. Contained within Matthew 14 is, in part, a vital nugget: to always remember the Truth of who God is, has shown Himself to be in our lives; contrary to the intensity of the storm we may be facing. For as long as we are on this earth, waves of affliction and troubles will come our way. How we perceive them, allow them to affect us, determines the shape we’ll come out in on the other side of our storm. Shipwrecked or strengthened?

Know this beloved: it is to the other side of the storm that we as His disciples, His servants, are being called; to serve, witness to, to bind up and undergird another. Why, in part, we have been chosen in Him at all. The other side of the storm is what we, as our brothers before us, are being prepared for, stretched, that we might reach the one God is sending us to; all the while becoming more like the One who sent us…

Another of the reasons the disciples were sent into the thick of a situation that was too great for them to manage on their own, was to teach them reliance—to trust in God alone. Only God can safely get us through the perilous storms that would otherwise destroy us. Contrary to our strengths and gifts, to our God-given abilities and our divine potential, we were not created to live apart from God—we are not our own. Love teaches us to rely solely on God, while the world around us screams at us to be self-reliant. To be our own god, to save ourselves. Let us each, instead, follow the lead of our brothers before us.

After being saved from a storm, once again—after allowing God to have stretched their faith one more time, it is here, for the first time that we hear these men finally proclaim that they know, (a knowing so deep and pure and true that they were willing to die for it) that this Jesus is, in fact, the Son of God. Long before Jesus ever stood over the dark void this storm—and its outcome, existed in Him; as does every storm—and its outcome, that you and I will ever face. Even that one that appears so perilous that it threatens to take us out! Fear not beloved. God is as present with you now as He was with our brothers then. And, the wind and waves still obey Him today…

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” –Isaiah 43:1-2.

He has called you to pass through the afflictions, the troubles, this current storm, beloved. Through the waters and rivers. Through the fire—to faith and Life in Him. Trust that you have everything within you you’ll ever need to get there; God in you and with you—always and in all ways. Waves of affliction will come—troubles too, but we, you and me and Peter and John and every believer that has ever or will ever live—are never, not for one nano-second, ever alone. He still walks on the stormy waters we are passing through them on the way to those He has sent us to reach; before He calls us back to Himself. Rely on that Truth. Place your trust in God alone…

If you have read this through this teaching, and do not have a relationship with Jesus, the One who saves all those who cry to Him from their hearts; then please, ask Him to show Himself to you know. Ask Him to be the Lord and Savior of your life. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” Romans 10:9.

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