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

Tag: mercy Love

At The Altar

October 24, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Miguel Hernandes

Have you ever felt like you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?

Have you ever kept a secret that was slowly eating you alive?

Have you struggled with the same sin for so long that you began to wonder if you would ever overcome it?

Maybe you’re battling an addiction.

Maybe you’ve lost someone you love.

Maybe you’re struggling to forgive that one person who hurt you deeply. Or maybe you’re exhausted from fighting battles that nobody else knows about.

Whatever your battle may be, I want you to ask yourself one question:

How much longer will you carry something God never intended for you to carry alone?

Life can become overwhelming. Between responsibilities, relationships, temptations, and everyday struggles, we sometimes carry burdens that feel impossible to overcome. But what do we do?

We try to handle every situation on our own. We convince ourselves that we’re strong enough, that we can overcome our struggles through our own strength, and that eventually everything will fall into place. Thinking we have it under control. But what happens when our strength runs out? What happens when we find ourselves falling into the same sin over and over again?

What happens when we reach a point where we no longer know what to do?

That’s when we need to remember that God never called us to walk through this life alone. Before Jesus was crucified, He made a beautiful promise to His disciples. In John 14:16-17, Jesus tells them that He would ask the Father to send another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who would remain with them forever.

Think about that for a moment.

Jesus knew that His disciples would face persecution, temptation, fear, and many difficult battles. Yet He assured them that they would not be left alone. That Helper is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not simply a feeling we experience during worship or an emotional moment at church. He is the Spirit of God, here to help, guide, and strengthen us in our weaknesses. Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Maybe you’ve been living in fear.

Maybe you’ve been allowing anxiety, temptation, or your past mistakes to control the way you live. But through the Holy Spirit, God equips His children with power, love, and self-control. The Holy Spirit gives us strength when we feel weak, wisdom when we don’t know which direction to take, and conviction when we begin walking down a path that leads us away from God. And as we continue growing in our relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms our character. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are not simply qualities we develop by trying harder. They are the Spirit of God at work in us, transforming the fruit of our lives.

One of my favorite examples of the Holy Spirit’s power is found in the book of Acts.

 Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples an important promise. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” — Acts 1:8. Jesus promised them power through the Holy Spirit. In Acts chapter 2, we read about the Day of Pentecost. The disciples were gathered together when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a mighty rushing wind. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and started speaking in tongues.

Imagine being in that room!

Imagine experiencing that rush of wind!

These were regular people who experienced the same things we experience today. Things like fear, uncertainty, and weakness. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, had previously denied knowing Jesus three times. Under pressure, he sinned. Yet, after receiving the Holy Spirit, we see Peter standing boldly before a crowd, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:41 tells us that about three thousand people received his message and were baptized that day. The same Peter who once denied Jesus out of fear was now boldly proclaiming His name! That’s what happens when we stop relying solely on our own strength and begin depending on the power of God. The Holy Spirit didn’t make Peter perfect, and Peter didn’t have everything figured out.

Still, the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to become a bold witness for Christ.

And that same Holy Spirit can work in your life, too. Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard about the Holy Spirit. Maybe you’ve attended church your entire life, but you’ve never understood what it means to surrender your life to Jesus. Or maybe you’ve spent years running from God because you believe your past is too broken for Him to accept you. If so, I want you to understand something:

God looks beyond your sin, your past, your age, or the mistakes you’ve made and sees your life made righteous in Him; clean, new. You don’t have to clean yourself up before coming to Jesus; the Holy Spirit does that work. We all have fallen short; all have made mistakes, and all have struggled. You come to Jesus because you recognize that you need Him, just as you are.

In Acts 2:38, Peter tells the people: “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Notice that Peter calls the people to repentance.

Repentance is more than simply feeling guilty about something we’ve done. It’s recognizing our sin, turning away from it, and turning toward God with a sincere heart. Romans 10:9 also teaches us: “If we confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.” Salvation is not something we can earn through the number of good deeds we do. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us: “We are saved by grace through faith. It is God’s gift, not the result of our works; lest any man boast.”

Isn’t that such an incredible gift!

The Creator of heaven and earth loves us so deeply that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Because of the blood shed for you and me, we can receive forgiveness for our sins; we can receive the gift of salvation and a brand-new life with God Himself. If you haven’t surrendered your life to Christ, I highly encourage you to take that step right now. Turn to Jesus in faith and begin developing a fruitful relationship with him.

I want to bring you back to the questions I asked at the beginning.

What have you been carrying?

What sin have you been struggling to overcome?

Who have you been unable to forgive?

What is keeping you from fully surrendering your life to Christ? In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  

Notice what Jesus says. “Come to me.” He doesn’t say to come when you’ve figured everything out. He doesn’t say to come once you’ve overcome every addiction, repaired every relationship, or stopped struggling with sin. Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him. Maybe you’ve been trying to fight your battles alone for years. Maybe you’ve been holding on to bitterness, pride, anger, or guilt. Maybe you know who Jesus is, but you’ve never had a relationship with him.

Today, I want to encourage you to bring those things before Him.

In Romans 12:1, Paul urges believers to: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

That is what surrender looks like.

Choosing to place our lives in God’s hands, even when we don’t have all the answers. It’s choosing obedience when our flesh desires something different. It’s waking up each morning and saying, “Lord, not my will, but Yours be done.” Surrendering your life to Christ doesn’t mean you’ll never face another battle. It means you no longer have to face those battles without Him.

There will still be difficult days.

There will still be temptations.

There may even be moments when you stumble.

But as we continue walking with Christ, the Holy Spirit works within us, correcting us, strengthening us, and shaping us to become more like Jesus. This helper that Jesus gives us stays with us forever. Philippians 1:6 reminds us: “He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”

God is not finished working in you.

My prayer is that today will not be another page taken from your past, but the beginning of a new chapter. Today can be the day you finally forgive that person. Today can be the day you confess the sin you’ve been hiding. Today can be the day you stop running from God and start running toward him.

Or maybe today is the day you make the greatest decision of your life: surrendering your heart to Jesus Christ.

Whatever your situation may be, remember this: You don’t have to leave the altar carrying the same burdens you brought before God: your fears, your struggles. Bring God your brokenness. And most importantly, bring Jesus your heart.

Because the greatest transformation begins when we stop trying to control everything and allow Jesus to become Lord over every part of our lives.

The question is no longer whether God is willing to receive you.

The question is: Are you willing to surrender?

Today, I encourage you to come to Jesus. Not because your life is perfect. Not because you have all the answers. But because He is worthy of your surrender.

Come to the altar.

Lay it all before Him. And let your journey of walking with Christ begin today.

The Gate That Leads To Life.

May 24, 2025 /

Matthew Botelho

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to Life, and there are few who find it.” –Matthew 7:13-14

In this opening scripture, Jesus teaches the people what it means to follow Him. I remember reading this passage when I first started walking with our Lord, and it puzzled me. “What gate am I supposed to walk through?” I thought to myself, looking around. I wonder if Jesus saw that same reaction from the people He taught and His disciples.

Now, after maturing some, I see and hear this scripture, and it brings me Life. Jesus is the Gate that leads to Life. He is the Narrow Way, and not many find it. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” –John 10:9

There is a broad path that leads to destruction. I picture it as a bunch of people crammed together, leaping over one another, trying to get ahead of one another, doing whatever it takes to make it or to beat out another person, fueled by a destructive “me first mentality.” Allowing fleshly desires to overtake and consume them; that’s a dark place to be.

The apostle Paul writes to the Church in Galatia about these works of the flesh. What was happening then is still happening today; there’s nothing new. Paul writes, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultry, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissension, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” –Galatians 5:19-21

When we come to know Jesus, He changes our mindset from darkness into Light, from death to Life. Jesus has made the way! Darkness flees when the Light is present. Jesus says, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” –John 12:44-46

A believer’s lifestyle needs to be one of worship and prayer, not trying to gain an advantage over another to get ahead. Jesus says, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33. We walk with Jesus down this narrow path, set apart from the “worldly” lifestyle. We are to be transformed into a new way of living.

Jesus even said this to the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and Sadducees at the temple, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” –John 23:25-26.

I recall my pastor saying many times, “true salvation is not first seen from the outside. It starts from the inside, then it shows itself outwardly.” Thanks, pastor Lino! He always points us directly to the Word of God. “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love,  he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” –Titus 3:4-5.

Your salvation is not based on what is on the outside, how good we look on the outside, but rather, salvation starts when you have been washed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which leads us to repentance. “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” –Romans 2:4

You can look all pristine and well put together on the outside, but be a total train wreck on the inside. This is why we must remember that works without faith in Jesus Christ will not save us.

Speaking to His Church, Jesus reminds us: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” –John 15:5-6

Later, Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples.” –John 15:7-8

Let us abide together, Church. With Jesus as its Head and we as His Body.

There is no Life in the Body without The Head controlling or telling His Body how to move.

According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, to abide means: to accept or act in accordance with (a rule, a decision, or recommendation).

This means that when we decide to follow Jesus, we choose to follow Him fully. We follow Him fully by loving Him and following the statutes He laid down for us, His commandments. “If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15.

Ask yourself, “If I am living for Jesus, am I truly walking this narrow path? Or have some things gotten in the way of my walk?” Did I allow anything to come in, causing me to stumble? Reading Galatians 5:19-21 reminds me to examine my heart and ask our Lord Jesus if anything needs to be repented and thrown away. As David writes in his psalm, “Search me, O Go, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” –Psalm 139:23-24

David knew he was human and susceptible to sin. We are all human, and we all fall short. May I suggest you take a moment today to ask God to examine your heart?

If you were convicted after reading this teaching, I pray the Holy Spirit leads you to repent and ask for forgiveness. Repentance means to turn your mind and your heart away from that sin and worldly desires that lead to death, and ask Jesus to forgive you. “For godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.” –2 Corinthians 7:10.

Decide today to repent and walk no more in your sin. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10

We are praying for you all in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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