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

Tag: Purpose (Page 2 of 6)

Fight The Good Fight!

Adam Nichols

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith.” –2 Timothy 4:7.

Throughout the life of a believer, there will be hardships, struggles and pain. As Christians, we are called to persevere—keep moving forward. As difficult as that may be at times, we must remember we fight and push on from a place of Victory—through Jesus Christ.

The battles we face, we do not face alone.

Our Lord promises “…never to leave us nor forsake us.”—Deuteronomy 31:6.

We are called to fight the good fight and run our race in the power of the Greatest, most victorious Warrior ever, Jesus! God’s plans for us through these battles, their purpose often, is to strengthen us and our faith.

Last year, I stepped out in faith and bought my first truck. As a truck driver, I wanted to be more independent and create greater financial freedom for my family. But my business has experienced more valleys than mountain tops over the past year. It has been quite a fight and a long, gruelling race. Yet the Lord has been my Rock, the One holding it together. My faith has been shaken and tested at times. And many times, I’ve wondered if I would make it. If I could keep fighting? If I can continue the race?

In James 1:2-4 He writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, and sisters. Whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Through these trials and my various fights, I realized the Lord was doing a work in me.

God is stretching me and strengthening my resolve to keep the faith. To become more mature and complete, to serve Him better. So, today, I can testify because of my own perseverance, encouraging you to keep fighting and running your race. To tell you God is with you, He is for you, and He is doing mighty work in you in every season of your life.

My friends, be thankful on the mountain and in the valley. To God be the glory, Amen!

If you are reading this and have not given your life to Christ, beginning a genuine relationship with Him, then do it today while there is time. In Revelation 3:20, God’s Word says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” God will never force His way into your heart. So, will you open the door and welcome Him in today? If so, pray this simple but Life-changing prayer with me: Jesus, I ask You to come into my heart and change me from the inside out. I repent of my sins; make me into who You created me to be. I believe You are the Son of God, who died for me and rose again in victory, defeating death. Have Your way, Lord, in Jesus name. Amen.

Rebuild You Say?

MaryEllen Montville

In Loving memory of our Mother, Edna Dennis

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

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

My mother is gone!

But You know that—You took her Home!

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

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

Only You know my end from my beginning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You do the next thing.

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

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

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

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

I trust Jesus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving God Out Of Pain Or Passion.

Elda Othello-Wrightington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RSVP

Matthew Botelho

Hello to all my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord. I am praying that His mercies are covering you and that His peace comforts you in all situations you may be going through in this season. And to all those who have yet to accept Jesus as Lord, welcome, and I pray that you ask Jesus into your heart today. I do need to start this on a serious note, however. Today, in my city,  many parents received an email stating that the local public schools were in lockdown due to a threat of sorts. As it turns out, it was merely a hoax, a cruel joke played by someone lost in the dark. I hear these stories of public schools being raided by a gunman, and I think about how horrible this act truly is. These attacks are direct assaults from the pits of hell. My heart cries out for every student, parent, and teacher involved.

I praise our Lord that nothing came from this, and everyone is safe.

Yet I would never have thought this would happen so close to home. I am sure many of you reading this can relate on some level. Some of you may have similar stories, and if you do, please, know that I am standing in the gap for you. This twisted, nightmare-like fright results from God being banished from our schools. Other idols and gods have been allowed to set up residence. Baals, these false gods, have come for our children. And as this present darkness has settled in, people have become increasingly blind to it.

Now, any invitation or initiative to allow God’s Light into the many social systems and structures that once allowed Him free access, to be first and foremost in the classrooms and courthouses across this great land, has, for the most part, been rescinded.

But, my brothers and sisters, there is still hope for Christ to be restored to His rightful place in our land. As parents, pastors, leaders, and teachers, we must teach and raise the next generation of giant slayers to live full out for Christ.

Proverbs 22:6  instructs us, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not part from it.”

Psalm 33:12 tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. “ This passage of scripture speaks of the covenant God made not with the United States but with the nation of Israel. However, America was established, likened to a blueprint of Israel. How? Judeo-Christian values founded America. Yet as a nation, much like Israel, how far we have strayed from God, His Word, and statues. In his “City on a Hill” speech, John Winthrop said:  “But if our hearts shall turn away, so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced, and worship and serve other gods, our pleasure and profits, and serve them…we shall surely perish.”

But if we adhere to the promise God gives to the nation of Israel, we will see the fruit of that promise in our lives. When we as a people submit to God, He watches and leads His people. In Deuteronomy 7:12-13, God gives this amazing promise to Moses and the entire nation of Israel.

“Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.”

Only through Jesus shall we share in that inheritance promised from the very beginning. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. And His Love sets us free from the Law. “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” –Romans 8:2.

The blood of Jesus is the atonement for our sins. So to receive this forgiveness for our sins, we need to accept Jesus as Lord by acknowledging we are sinners, sincerely asking God for His forgiveness, and then living our lives submitted to Jesus. “Be fruitful,” says God. Live in abundance because Jesus has come to give you life and make it more abundant! “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” –Genesis 1:28.

Take dominion of the land that God has given you. Take authority of your household and let the enemy know that the battle is the Lord’s and he, your enemy, is defeated! Raise up your children on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that they will go into these schools and proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come! Repent! and believe in the Good News!

The night that Jesus was betrayed, He spoke to His disciples and said, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” –John 14:30.

Satan has no authority over Jesus because He is God’s Son, meaning that all authority has been given to Jesus by God the Father. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” –Matthew 11:27

So then, the invitations have been sent out, dear family. How will you respond? If you’ve already said yes to Jesus, continue to extend His invitation by sharing the Good News that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Remember, we are to deliver these invitations throughout the world. “I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” –John 15:5.

And if you are reading this, dear friend, and do not know Jesus as Lord, this is your invitation. Today is the day of salvation. Do not cast this moment away! This invitation is one you want to take advantage of. Ask Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, then allow Him to wash them all away with His precious Blood. Ask Him to come into your heart and make His home in you. “As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” –Hebrews 3:15.

Welcome to the wedding feast! Now, your seat is ready. Amen

The Compassion of Jesus

Kendra Santilli

What does it mean to be compassionate? Compassion is the ability to share in the sorrows of another. It is a mixed passion, composed of both love and sorrow. It starts with God the Father, and it also ends with Him. God’s reputation of mercy is reiterated several times by the Psalmists. “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness” – Psalm 103:8. It was also spoken of in Exodus after God had freed His people from their captors. The prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Isaiah also reference God’s compassion. It continues into the New Testament at the advent of Jesus and into the early church.

Scripture tells of God’s compassion from the beginning of time, but through Jesus, who was God incarnate, we witness the manifestation of God’s kindness. Jesus is the greatest physical example of compassion we will ever know.

Certain seasons of life can render us weak, left to our own sorrow. These agonizing times are often the best teachers of what it means to rely on something or someone greater than us; for the believer, that someone is Jesus. When we can’t make any sense of a situation or feel God’s presence with us, God often uses those moments as opportunities for the promise of His Omnipresence to be felt and experienced in very real and tangible ways. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” –Psalm 46:1-3.

In John Eleven, we read an account of the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus and his sisters were dear friends of Jesus, so when Lazarus died, Jesus felt the weight of their grief. Taking time to weep with Lazarus’ sisters, Jesus shared in their sorrow. He also felt the sting of losing a loved one. Everyone knew that if Jesus had intervened earlier, Lazarus wouldn’t have died. “Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You”…. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” – John 11:21-22, 25.

Those gathered at Lazarus’ graveside were yet to realize they were standing face to face with Resurrection Himself.

Jesus, in obedience to the Father’s will, raised Lazarus from the dead. He did this not just for his friend’s gain but to display the Glory of God. God had a plan, and Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead was part of that plan. At that moment, Mary and Martha’s faith in Jesus, the Son of God, met God’s perfect will, and Jesus, so moved by compassion towards His friends, called Lazarus from his grave.

And throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus performing miracles for a twofold purpose; He moved in obedience to God and had compassion for the people He served, whether deserving or not. Jesus performed miracles so people could believe in the One True God.

We see this again in Matthew 9:36. Jesus was moved with compassion toward the crowd. Walking among them, He was healing every sickness and disease. Still, when He paused to look at the crowd, the Bible says, “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd” – Matthew 9:36. Jesus was the Good Shepherd the people had long awaited, whether they realized it or not. He knew that He was their deepest need. Time and time again, the scriptures describe Jesus’ acts as acts of compassion towards mankind.

I remember a time when I felt incredibly lonely, as if loneliness itself was my only companion. My car’s dashboard had a front-row seat to my sorrow. A moment alone meant a moment to release my anxieties and sadness through tears as I sat with loneliness in my passenger seat. I couldn’t see, hear, or understand where God was in the midst of my pain. Loneliness would respond to my beckoning cries with more profound sorrow and reminders of my inadequacies.

I had to read His Word when I couldn’t “hear” God. I could think of nothing else to do. After all, these Words are His penned message to us! By washing my mind with His word, I began to feel the presence of Jesus once again. The Jesus that had compassion on my sick mental condition. He started getting into my passenger’s seat first, so loneliness had to find another ride. Over time, Jesus healed my mind. He was moved with compassion toward me, personally.

So, whatever you may be going through today, Jesus’ compassion for you has not run out. He prayed for you right before He went to the cross for you. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” – John 17:20. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, shared in your same sufferings, and He knows your very human struggle. He understands them. Jesus once experienced them in His humanity as deeply as we do now. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” –Hebrews 4:14-16.

Whether you’re weeping or rejoicing, Jesus has promised never to leave nor forsake those who believe in Him. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” – Matthew 17:20. So even if you don’t have much faith right now, I invite you to ask Jesus to guide you as you navigate difficult seasons of life. “Lord, I pray I would experience your compassion and grace even when it doesn’t make sense. Help me to look to you as I walk through this life, and give me a compassionate heart, just as you have. Amen.”

“Walk Into It.”

Matthew Botelho

What an amazing, loving God we serve! I am so excited to share the conclusion of “Crossroads” with you all. If you have not read Part One of this teaching, I encourage you to go back and read it now. The last time we met, we discussed the crossroads God sometimes brings us to. Those significant points in our Christian walk where we must decide to take that step of faith, walking our faith out with Him. God knows the heart of every one of His children. So I’m titling the close of this teaching “Walk into It.” Because when we walk in the anointing God has poured out on us, God will bring us to a place of honor. It’s all about that first step of faith. And after the first comes the second, the third, and so on. Next thing you know, you are walking on water with Jesus right in front of you!

Yet there will also be times of waiting, preparation, and equipping, times when it’s just you and the Lord.

Every child of God eventually finds themselves in those moments spent in the wilderness. Now I can almost hear the groaning! Many of you might say, “but I do not want to be in the wilderness! How is this a good place to be?!” And I agree. The wilderness is a place we don’t run and sign up for; however, the wilderness experience is necessary. “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end” –Ecclesiastes 3:11 (HCSB).

My brothers and sisters, we are all unfinished works. Be patient, then. God is still working. He has not forgotten you.

So, let’s dive into this lesson by looking at a young man who will be the greatest king Israel has ever seen. His name is David. A warrior and worshiper of God. This young man started out in a field caring for his father’s sheep, fighting off bears, lions, and other dangers that would harm the flock. But most importantly, David had a heart for God. He saw the importance of having a relationship centered on worship and time with Him. His heart was for the Lord.

I cannot stress strongly enough David’s heart for the Lord.

Yet David was overlooked by his very own father and brothers when the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king. From the very beginning, God tells the prophet Samuel: “…Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart” –1 Samuel 16:7 (HCSB).

So why was David anointed king out of all Jesse’s sons?

A large part was David’s genuine heart for God. 1 Samuel 13:14 says David was a man after God’s own heart. David’s true love for the Lord was one of the things God used to bring David out of the fields and into the throne room, but not immediately. Now here comes that wilderness moment we all love. Not! First, Saul was already Israel’s king. Secondly, although Samuel anointed David King, David still had some growing up. He had to learn to walk in the anointing and what it was to run a kingdom. In part, which meant humbling himself under a very jealous king Saul.

David’s crossroads moment came only after being anointed king.

 Scripture tells us it happened when Israel battled an enemy known as the Philistines.

David’s older brothers had volunteered to battle the Philistines. They were on the front lines defending the land God had given them. Now, for those who know the story of David and Goliath, you may be saying, isn’t that the moment David went to face Goliath? Yes, but no. To defeat something, you first need to show up. And David was still tending his father’s sheep. Goliath’s defeat would soon follow. “One day Jesse had told his son David, “take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to the camp. Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring conformation from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines. So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him” –1 Samuel 17:17-20 (HCSB).

David’s father had sent him to bring provisions to his brothers. David’s time of waiting had ended. He left behind the flock and the fields. Everything David had known, he now laid aside. It was time to go into the battle. As David arrives, he hands off the provisions he’d brought and runs to meet his brothers. Seeing all the men, he runs up to them. Scripture tells us that as David spoke to his brothers, the champion named Goliath came forward and started shouting and profaning the God of Israel. “David spoke to the men who were standing with him, “what will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” – 1 Samuel 17:26 (HCSB).

After David spoke these words, his older brother spoke out against him, claiming that David was arrogant, and his heart was evil. At that point, David could have said nothing. He could have just walked away and returned to his father’s house. Instead, it’s here, brothers and sisters, where we witness David step into what God had chosen him to do. But know this: whenever one of God’s chosen is walking in obedience to God, stepping into their calling, there will be resistance. Even from your very own family. Follow David’s lead. Do not be discouraged, my friends.

Like David, your time of waiting will end. And no man can stop what God has for you when it does! Just abide in Christ. John 15:5. Assures us of this. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” God’s Holy Spirit in you will lead you into all Truth, so remain in Him and, like David, chase after more of God!

When you get to those crossroads’ moments, know that the Father is right there with you. He wants the best for you. He wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.

My brothers and sisters, as we close, let me remind you of the amazing, loving Father we have and serve. How He sent his Son into the battlefield called the world. And how Jesus went willingly and triumphantly to the Cross for you and me. By Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we are forgiven of all our sins, and because of His resurrection, we too shall see eternal life. Call out to Him today if you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior. He is standing at the door of your heart, ready to make his home in you. Amen. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” –Revelation 3:20.

You Are Mine.

MaryEllen Montville

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out” –Ezekiel 34:11.

God knows them that are his and can call his own sheep by name; he knows the places where they are; for he has fixed the bounds of their habitation, and was delighting himself in the habitable parts of the earth, where he knew they would be, even before the world was. –Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible.

It started in the Garden. God’s searching out His own, that is. Draw to His image and likeness; He sought communion with His creation. He’s seeking fellowship with you now, Beloved, even as you read this. God has always desired to be one with you through Christ Jesus. That started way before the Garden. Somewhere in eternity past. When Eden was but a seed yet planted and you, a mere sketch, some faint intersecting lines in God’s mind, waiting to be created.

Yet be sure of this one thing, God knows where you are.

Nothing and no one are hidden from Him, even when we think we are, especially when we may want to be. “When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God” –Genesis 3:8.

We serve a God whose very nature is Love. He is relational—desiring intimate communion with His children. To walk and talk with us, talk with you, friend. God’s love is personal. He knows you by name. And God loves you. Jesus lived as a man and died as one, just for you. The fact that the Sovereign God of the universe, Holy and blameless, desires to know us, be in a covenant relationship with us, with me, borders on incomprehensible. Something just too good to be true. Yet as mind-blowing as that is for this writer to take in at times. I know it to be true. God, Himself has told me so.

He is an intimate, personal Father. One who desires an open-door invitation into our hearts and lives that He might walk through them at will. Listen to how John Eldredge states this truth: Jesus came to reveal God to you. He is the defining Word on God—on what the heart of God is truly like, on what God is up to in the world, and on what God is up to in your life.

Tell me, friend, have you dared to ask God what He’s up to in your life?

Have you afforded God, His Son, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit an open-door invitation?

Have you invited them in—made room for them?

Do you seek, want to know more of, or at all, this God who thought it not too great a sacrifice to send His only Son to die in your place?

Has it crossed your mind that no one else but Jesus ever made such a sacrifice just for you?

“Then I passed by and saw you, and you were indeed old enough for Love. So I spread My cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, declares the Lord GOD” –Ezekiel 16:8. As surely as God’s covenant with Israel stands—and it always will. So it will be with you, child of God. Having been grafted into His everlasting promise of Love and devotion, your loving Father will continually fight for you. Woo, you. Desire you only.

God wants, more; He chooses to be active in your life. He longs to be the center of your every waking moment, invited into and consulted about your dreams and decisions.

“Even those decisions I may consider far too dull, too trite to “trouble” God over. Isn’t it too much to ask of God that He help me make decisions? Listen as I talk about my dreams. Bring clarity to my confusion and doubt. After all, He’s God! Isn’t He too busy overseeing the entire planet, to say nothing of knowing the heart and thoughts of every single person—simultaneously? Doesn’t God have too much going on to be bothered with my thoughts and troubles,” you ask?

The answer, friend? Absolutely, emphatically, No! Nope. Not at all. Never.

Psalm 139 makes it plain God already knows everything about you. He’s just waiting on you to bid Him welcome into your life, heart, and your “boring” daily concerns. “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely” –Psalm 139:1-4.

You are not faceless, nameless, nor aimless in God’s eyes, Beloved. God created you on purpose, for a purpose. “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything” –Ecclesiastes 11:5. You are no mistake. God sees you. God’s way is so much higher than our own. So far beyond our finite ability to take in, friend. You’ve been created to touch lives no one else can. Why? They don’t carry in them what God has placed in you alone. You are as unique as your fingerprint!

So regardless of what you’ve been told, think about yourself. Contrary to your feelings, God loves you and desires to have a relationship with you. Yes, you personally. He wants to make His home in you.

Now please hear my heart. I’m in no way trying to minimize your pain or any trauma you may have suffered at the hands of another. I remember the sting of such wounds all too well. I’m just speaking the Truth in love here, sharing something that can save you. The Truth that can and will heal your pain. With the full authority of one God has healed, I can say that healing from such wounds is possible—no matter how nasty or deep they are.

All things are possible with God.

Friend, God is so acutely attuned to His world. His creation, to you, personally, that even when a sparrow, some little chick somewhere, falls to the ground, it doesn’t escape His notice. “Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice” –Matthew 10:29.

God created you. He has a plan and purpose for your life. Still, despite the lengths this magnificent, Sovereign, Loving, relational God can and will go to reach you, the one thing God won’t do, can’t do, is violate the free will He’s given you, died to provide you. You must then choose to say yes and welcome a relationship with God.

The choice is yours. God has done His part. Ask Jesus into your heart today, as Lord, Father, and Friend. He’s waiting for you to say welcome, come in. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” –John 3:16-17.

Fearfully Faithful.

Kendra Santilli

One of the challenges of reading scripture is finding Jesus from the beginning to the end. The Bible is a singular, great love story of the Creator, God, on a quest to redeem mankind from sin and separation from Him, back into communion and relationship with Himself. All in His perfect timing.

The Old Testament is filled with biblical accounts that precede the advent of God’s incarnate appearance on earth as the Godman, Jesus. Within the Old Testament, we read of an Almighty God fiercely protecting and judging His people. Finding God’s redemptive love within these ancient texts can sometimes be challenging. Especially if we read the Bible as a mere history book rather than a redemption story, it is a story that includes you and me. It takes eyes of faith to see where we fit in, where God’s love is reflected from Genesis to Revelation.

So I invite you to put on your faith lenses as we look at First Kings. There we’ll meet one of Yahweh’s prophets, Elijah.

First Kings also introduces us to three central characters in the Old Testament: King Ahab, the king of Israel for almost an entire generation, his reign lasting twenty-two years. The Bible makes clear that Ahab was a wicked king. “Ahab, son of Omri, did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than any King before him. “He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him”– 1 Kings 16:30-33.

The above passage gives us insight into why King Ahab was so evil in God’s sight.

Ahab followed the sin pattern of the previous king –Jeroboam. We read about Jeroboam’s sins in First Kings, also. Jeroboam erected idols, false gods, for Israel to worship. All the while knowing the first commandment God had given His people is, “You shall have no other gods before Me” –Exodus 20:3. So Jeroboam explicitly disobeyed God’s law. He’d also ordained priests for the temple who were not of the tribe of Levi, bypassing one of God’s divinely ordered requirements for the priesthood. It seems as though Jeroboam set a precedent that the future kings of Israel would follow, as that’s precisely what King Ahab did.

Instead of restoring Divine order to God’s people, Ahab followed the status quo.

Then there’s Queen Jezebel, the woman Ahab chose as his wife. Even though God didn’t want the Israelites intermarrying, this is because these other nations worshipped idols—false gods. Jezebel, in particular, is listed as one of the most wicked women in the Bible. She was from Sidon’s seaport town (sometimes called Zidon). Sidonians had previously oppressed God’s people (Judges 10:12). They were also known to be lawless and idolatrous (1 Kings 11:5; Judges 18:7. They were superstitious (Jeremiah 27:9). And all around wicked in God’s sight. Jezebel embodied each of these sinful qualities plus more! She had also introduced the false God, Baal, to the Israelites. She’d also oppressed God’s people while manipulating her husband into following her wicked, idolatrous ways.

And Elijah, one of the greatest prophets to serve Israel. He came in a close second to Moses. His name means, “Jehovah is my God.” Elijah sought to restore the heart of the people of Israel back to the Lord. Everything He did was to point to his God and bring Him glory. Elijah performed miracles, signs, and wonders by God’s power. The Bible does not give us much insight into Elijah’s history other than he was a Tishbite from Gilead—1 Kings 17:1a.

So now that we know the characters at play here, we can better appreciate the conflict to come and what we can glean from this story. A lot happens in a brief period, so today’s teaching is not an all-inclusive overview of biblical events.

Instead, I focused on Elijah’s faithfulness to God while living in an evil culture.

To fit everything into one teaching, we’ll dive into two specific events that struck me as I studied 1 Kings. The first is the widow in Sidon. The second is the bounty on Elijah’s head. At the beginning of 1 Kings 17, when we met Elijah, the first words we read are words from the Lord. God is telling Elijah there will be a famine in the coming years due to drought until He, the Lord, opens the heavens again, sending rain. After making this announcement, the Lord tells Elijah to hide by a brook so that he’d have access to water.

In addition to providing his water, the Lord also miraculously fed Elijah, sending ravens to bring him food by the brook.

But when the brook dried out, the Lord told Elijah to leave that place and stay with a widow in Zarephath, located in Sidon—v. 8. Did you catch that? Elijah was to go to Sidon, where the villainess of the day (Jezebel) hailed from. SIDON, whose people had oppressed the Israelites, worshiped false gods, and had no laws. That Sidon! So this widow was likely a worshiper of Baal, who, ironically, was supposed to be the god of nature. Specifically, the god of fertility and rainstorms.

I can imagine her feeling of betrayal towards Baal as she and her people revered this nature god, yet they were suffering from famine and drought. I’m sure many were starving, unable to feed their children, much like this widow. From what we know of her, she seems hopeless.

In the same breath Elijah uses to introduce himself to the widow, he also asks for a cup of water and some bread.

So, she gets him a little water and then informs him of her situation. “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” – 1 Kings 17:12. She acknowledged Elijah’s God, not knowing God already knew her, and wanted to display His faithfulness and mercy towards her through His servant, Elijah. God was not afraid of their idol worship. Instead, He was seizing moments where hearts could be turned towards Him, even if it took a famine and a drought to get them there.

What struck me as I read this was this widow who was about to die. And how Elijah tells her to use the only flour and oil, she has left to bake him some bread, and she did just that. God miraculously caused her jars to be filled with oil and flour until the famine was over. This is very unusual because widows were seen as lowly members of society. Yet, it was a lowly widow that God saw fit to provide for, a woman whose heart would be soft towards His prophet. I can just imagine the joy she experienced as she saw the abundance Elijah’s God provided, while Baal just stood by and let the people die. Where Elijah is from, Gilead can be translated to mean “heap of testimony.” Elijah’s life truly resulted in heaps of testimonies like this one!

It doesn’t matter if your history is one that dishonored God. What does matter is if you have a heart of repentance, turning away from what displeases God, turning instead towards what pleases Him. You will see the fruit of His love and provision in your life in unexpected ways.

This second account is remarkable. It’s when the Lord breaks the drought, using Elijah’s faith. God tells Elijah to call for a showdown with the prophets of Baal. Four hundred fifty of them, to be exact. It was four hundred and fifty to One. These prophets of Baal were to call on him to send fire from heaven, and Elijah would do the same. Whichever succeeded in sending fire from heaven would be the One True God. So, the prophets of Baal prepared their bull offering on the altar, performing rituals that Baal would respond to. They danced and mutilated themselves. Their belief was to call the gods’ attention from the underworld; blood must be spilled. So, they cut themselves, danced, and shouted all morning and afternoon, to no avail. After this, Elijah prepared his altar. Wanting to make more of a fool of these so-called prophets than they were, Elijah had his altar and offering drenched with water. (Many would have seen this as a waste of water during a drought) then, Elijah knelt and prayed.

In that instant, fire fell from heaven, consuming every drop of water, the bull, and even the wood of Elijah’s offering!

Baal was put to shame, the false prophets put to death, and rain ended the drought. (There is so much more to this account. I encourage you to read 1 Kings 18 and 19 for yourself). When King Ahab told Jezebel Baal had been defeated, she ordered that Elijah be killed just as the prophets of Baal were. She was livid, and Elijah, the man who had just called fire down from heaven, was terrified. This same guy who’d witnessed God’s faithfulness towards the widow. Elijah, the man who hid by a creek and was miraculously fed by ravens, was afraid. Just a moment ago, he was laughing at the prophets of Baal; now, he is terrified of this worshiper of Baal.

So, Elijah goes into a spiraling depression. He hides in the desert for forty days and can’t eat. Gosh, I think we’ve all been there.

“I know *insert the best thing that just happened to you* just happened, but I’m going to die here.”

“I know God has provided for me in the past, but I might as well give up now because God’s nowhere to be found.”

Hear me out. God has not left you. If you are a follower of Jesus, a child of God, He promises never to leave you nor forsake you.

You will experience victories, but you’ll also experience trouble. But Jesus is there through it all. His work in you is not over until He says it’s over. Just as God came back to Elijah, whispering a reminder to shake off his fear because there was still work to do, He wants you to rise up and trust Him to complete the work He has for you. It’s not over until God says it’s over. Will you find the faith today to be fearfully faithful? And when you can’t find the strength to get up and fulfill that purpose, remember, in those moments, to rely on Jesus. Pray, because God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” –2 Corinthians 12:9.

When you feel weak, God is strong in you.

If you don’t know this God I am talking about; I invite you to ask Him into your life today. Invite Him to have a seat at your table as you try to navigate life’s difficulties. He is faithful to forgive your sins, just as He’s forgiven mine, and He wants to have a relationship with you. So, I challenge you to be fearfully faithful to Jesus, then watch as He does the impossible in your life.

The Power of the Blood of Jesus.

Pastor Samuel Cordeiro

“In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment]”–Hebrews 9:22.

Each year millions of people worldwide celebrate Easter or what many refer to as “Resurrection Sunday.” Churches and home groups everywhere come together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christmas has no merit if not for Easter; it wasn’t the birth of Jesus that brought us salvation but Jesus’ death and resurrection. Through these, Jesus conquered sin and death. Some of my favorite worship songs are Easter Worship Songs, beautiful songs about the Blood of the lamb. Songs like: “Thank you, Jesus, for the Blood” by Charity Gayle; or the hymn “There is Power in the Blood”; and “Oh the Blood” by Kari Jobe. Those songs always remind me of the powerful Blood of Jesus.

Growing up in a Portuguese-American church, I remember countless instances when someone would share a prayer request during prayer meetings. Almost instantly, a brother or sister in the church would say “O Sangue de Jesus tem poder,” which translates to “There is power in the Blood of Jesus.” My church knew that the answer to that prayer would be found in the Blood of Jesus. They would plead the Blood of Jesus over a situation as part of their prayer, as a declaration. However, to truly understand the power of the Blood of Jesus, we need to start with the question, WHY BLOOD?

The Bible tells us that sin separates us from God.

However, in the book of Leviticus, we find God’s instructions to the Israelites. He makes plain that their sins would be forgiven after the priest offered the bloody sacrifice of an animal, which was a foreshadowing of the death of the Messiah—Jesus Christ, who would come to defeat sin once and for all. In both the Old Testament and New Testament, there would be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.

There are six revelations about the Blood of Jesus God spoke to me over the past couple of months:

  1. There is forgiveness and salvation through the Blood of Jesus.

 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” – Matthew 26:28.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” – Ephesians 1:7.

“And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary” – Hebrews 10:10;12-13; 18

The power of Jesus’ Blood is the basic, central message of true Christianity—that God the Father sent His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth in the flesh to physically die on a Cross to save us and give us total and permanent forgiveness for all of our sins. We are not saved by our good works, by going to church, not by donating to the poor; there is only one way you are guaranteed eternal life, and that is because you have placed your faith in Jesus and the power of His shed Blood on that Cross. In Isaiah 1:18, we see forgiveness described as the Blood of Jesus washing away our sins: “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”

I recently heard this quote “If you are looking only at the blood of Jesus for heaven, you are going to miss out on the power of the blood of Jesus here on earth.”

These words really encouraged me to use the Blood of Jesus as a weapon.

They made me realize that the Blood of Jesus is a weapon in our God-given arsenal. There is power, wonder-working, supernatural power when a Christian pleads the Blood of Jesus over their lives, families, and homes.

  1. The Blood of Jesus Redeems:

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” –1 Peter 1:18-19.

The definition of redeemed is: “to buy back” or “to save from captivity by paying a ransom.” In the days of slavery, a slave could be bought back by offering an equivalent or superior slave in their place. God chose to buy us back in this exact way – by offering his Son, Jesus, in exchange for us. When God sent His Jesus to Earth, He could have quickly taken him back; Jesus wouldn’t have had to suffer and shed His Blood on that Cross. Yet God literally exchanged His one and only Son, Jesus, so that mankind (you and me) can be freed from sins, slavery, and bondage. Jesus took our sin debt onto Himself. And God stamped it “paid in full.” So now we can sing: “Sin has lost its grip on me.” So if there is a lifestyle choice, bad habit, or any sin in your life that you need to get rid of – plead the Blood of Jesus. Jesus can set you free.

Through Jesus, we have redemption from sin, and we need to take hold of that freedom.

  • The Blood of Jesus Delivers:

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” – Colossians 1:13-14.

“…That through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” – Hebrews 2:14.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” –1 John 3:8.

The Bible makes plain that through Jesus’ physical death on the Cross, when His Blood was shed, Satan and his power were defeated.

So if there is something in your life that you need deliverance from, plead the Blood of Jesus over it. If there is a negative voice in your head speaking lies over you – plead the Blood of Jesus for deliverance from those lies. If something is tormenting you with fear – plead the Blood of Jesus for deliverance over that fear.

And if you are reading this and thinking you are too weak, you don’t have the strength, or perhaps your faith is too small, listen to this:

  • The Blood of Jesus Empowers:

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” –Revelation 12:11.

God has given us the power to overcome, not in our own strength, but by the Blood of the Lamb shed on that Cross and by the word of our testimony. We are empowered to overcome by pleading the Blood of Jesus and declaring our God’s goodness. God gives us authority and use of the spiritual weapon of the Blood of Jesus to deliver us once an attack has come. God also gives us the authority to plead the Blood of Jesus over situations before an attack ever happens.

  • The Blood of Jesus Protects:

In Exodus 12, we can read the story of the first Passover. God sent Moses to rescue the people of Israel from their captivity and slavery to the Egyptians. Since Pharaoh refused to set the Israelites free, God sent ten plagues over Egypt to punish them. These plagues included turning water into Blood, an infestation of frogs, lice, flies, locusts, disease on livestock, and so on. The 10th of these plagues was the death of the firstborn. God told Pharaoh He would allow an angel of death to come through their camp to kill all of their firstborn children. However, before God allowed this plague to come, God promised to protect the Israelites from this plague. God told the Israelites to kill a blemish-free lamb. Then, to put its Blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their homes. God told His people that when the angel of death passed by, if he saw the blood on their doorposts, the angel of death would “pass over” their houses, sparing the lives of their firstborns. In other words, the blood of this blemish-free lamb was being used as divine protection before an attack would ever touch their land.“The Blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the Blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt” – Exodus 12:13.

Scripture informs us that at midnight, when the angel of death came by, all the firstborn children died except those of the Israelites who obeyed God’s command. So what does this mean for us in 2022?

In simple words – Jesus is our PASSOVER. In John 1:29 – when John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching, he says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The same way the blood of a lamb was used to protect the Israelite families, the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, is our supernatural protection today. We no longer need to sacrifice animal blood to forgive our sins or for our protection.

Jesus’ Blood is the ultimate sacrifice, shed once, for all.

When the Blood of the Lamb forms a wall around you, it is difficult for the enemy to penetrate your life and home. Remember, you can plead the Blood of Jesus over your home, over your journey & your means of transportation; you can plead the Blood of Jesus over your children, and, if you are ever in a place you feel afraid or unsure – plead the Blood of Jesus!

  • There is Healing through the Blood of Jesus:

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” – Isaiah 53:5.

Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the crucifixion of Jesus was given him approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Isaiah declares that by his stripes, the bloody wounds on Jesus’ body, WE ARE HEALED. By faith, I encourage you to plead the Blood of Jesus over your body for healing. May it be done to you according to God’s will. When the doctor gives you a diagnosis, plead the Blood of Jesus—by His stripes, Jesus has the power to make you whole.

I am reminded of the chorus of the Hymn “There is Power in the Blood” that says, “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.”

The lyrics of this song are written in the present tense, not the past; this can only mean one thing: When the Blood of Jesus was shed some 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ Blood’s saving, supernatural power was not a one-time work’s, it is still working today. The Blood of Jesus is for yesterday, today, and forever. God has given us this weapon, this tool for our spiritual life to be used by faith. When we begin to plead the Blood of Jesus for redemption, deliverance, power, protection, and healing, we declare that the struggles and situations we face are no match against the power of the Cross or Jesus’ resurrection.

As we approach Easter, let us be reminded that the Blood of Jesus shed on Calvary’s Cross has the power for salvation and gives us victory over every situation or trial we face today.

If you have not yet experienced the power of the Blood of Jesus, I encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart today. Ask Him to reveal His love to you. Ask God to forgive you of your sins, then receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus.

Moments.

Pastor Maria Braga

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” –Deuteronomy 8:1.

As it was with God’s people in days past, so it is today. Born-again believers continue to make like decisions and choices, operating similarly to those who came before us. We won’t always understand our spiritual seasons unless we continually communicate with the Father. Are we faithfully reading His Word, fellowshipping, and gathering with like-minded brothers and sisters? Scripture teaches that “iron sharpens iron, so we sharpen each other” –Prov. 27:17. Our part in helping usher in the revelation of our unique destinies is by seeking God’s presence daily through His Holy Spirit at work in us. We must be intentional and vigilant to catch this revelation. We must ready ourselves and be careful to follow the commands of the Lord. These revelations will often come when we are at the feet of Jesus, just as Mary, Martha’s sister, once was. “As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message” –Luke 10:38-39.

Wilderness times of testing are inevitable! They will come. And God will humble us that we may come out of this testing refined, polished, and ready for what He has before us.

Typically, these “God moments” we experience happen when something meaningful happens in our lives. Often, our emotions are tied to these moments. Deuteronomy Eight tells us about one such moment in time.

The Israelites had to experience a season of testing before God allowed them to enter their “Promised Land.” This season of anticipation, of inheriting God’s promise,  a promise that had been spoken of and handed down for generations, was now before them. The moment of their liberation was in reach. Yet knowing the oppression they had endured in Egypt; the Israelites had never anticipated that God’s promise to give them the Promised Land would be attached to a test. A test of their faithfulness—forty years of preparation, wandering in the wilderness.

As anticipation grew in the Israeli-Camp, they expectantly waited out what they thought would be eleven days of preparation before entering in. They were thrilled that finally, after what felt like forever, they’d be ushered into the fulfillment of God’s promise. Yet it would not be eleven days but forty years before they’d walk into their promised land.

God had warned the Israelites to follow His commands carefully, yet they could not obey even this one command. So, it wasn’t the physical distance between Egypt and The Promised Land that had delayed their taking possession of it. It was their disobedience, their grumbling, which had delayed their access. They thought they knew better than God. Disobedience, pride, grumbling, bitterness is what delayed the Israelites from taking possession of God’s promise. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it, this human condition? Our thinking we know better than God? It is so hard, even impossible, to obey God’s commands on our own, trusting God and not ourselves or our ideas. To be quiet and simply obey God. “Be still and know that I am God” –Psalm 46:10.

Before coming to know the Lord, this concept of simple obedience was foreign to me. It seemed unattainable. I was too busy, and “time was gold.” My prayers were quick, and everything else came first. Now that I’ve aged some, I call this time spent waiting on God a gift from my Father to me. I have learned that it is in the waiting that the Lord prepares me for my “moments.” I have assignments to fulfill. Every child of God does. And often, they’re scattered throughout our mundane, daily lives.

Also hidden within the mundane are many distractions. “The Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:41-42.

While working at a previous job, I remember when the Lord allowed me to share His love with someone, and I totally missed it. For days, I felt guilty for not obeying God. A seemingly small thing, yet it marked my life significantly. It was a missed moment. I was disobedient. I had been saved about five years at that time, yet I was paralyzed still by anxiety and fear; so intimidated, I withdrew. I lived a quiet life, not speaking up or out when I should have.

I was so torn by the fact that I had missed the moment. But I thank the Lord, He set me free from this oppression. From the fear, anxiety, and intimidation that once held me captive. Just as He had for the Israelites before me, instead, that missed moment became a memorial of sorts; it caused me to step out bravely, sharing His love with others instead of being quiet. It was part of my deliverance from these demonic forces that once had a grip on me. I have determined to share my experiences more openly and boldly as the opportunities present themselves. And in making that decision to be bold for Christ, my life was never the same.

Moments can grow, inspire, bless, and transform us as we walk out our faith. Romans Eight assures us of this.

God created us. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:27-28. Because of God’s Agape Love for us –aGreek term used to define a particular aspect of love. Love without condition, sacrificial, gracious, and underserved God is the source of agape love.God will allow what He knows is necessary to touch our lives, bringing about these moments that mark us—Think about God’s servant Job here.

And the key to not missing these moments is to spend quiet time with God in our prayer closets.

There is always a reason for all that God does or allows. But, as I said earlier, we must be ready, tuned in to His voice, prepared to receive so as not to miss our moment. As Scripture makes clear in Ecclesiastes: there is a time for everything under heaven. “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build” –Ecc. 3:2-3.

Let us all pray this prayer throughout our New Year: “Lord, I Trust In You.” Regardless of what may happen, my eyes will stay focused on your promises and the command You gave to follow You. So I say yes, I will trust in You alone!”

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this same thing this way: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Typically, we only want to hear what we want to hear, yet it’s in those quiet moments spent alone with our Father where God whispers the plan He has for our lives, what He is testifying to within our hearts. It’s here too, where we must choose God’s way or our own. I pray, fast, refocus in my wilderness, and my moment appears after pressing, pushing, and standing. It is as though the Lord is saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Here is your reward” –Matthew 5:23. My previous test prepares me for the one to come. And I’ll face it with greater confidence, knowing that what I have seen God do before, He will do again – in more excellent ways. There are no limitations with God.

The mission is spiritual, but the victory is supernatural! Victory typically follows our wilderness experiences. It was no different for the Israelites. We witnessed Joshua lead his people into The Promised Land and conquer Jericho.

So be encouraged. Continue trusting in God alone. Follow and obey His commands.

Remember that His promises become our reality. Being one in Him, we will enter the Promised Land awaiting those that love Him and are called by His name. A Land flowing with milk and honey. “On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” –Joshua 4:19-24.

I encourage us all to make the following our New Year’s prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. I give you my heart and make you Lord of my life. Making this decision for the first time takes a measure of faith. And Jesus strengthens us. He makes us new. He promises never to leave nor forsake you. So, march forward into your Promised Land with confidence. Be assured that Jesus will cause “moments” of revelation, the fullness of joy, peace, and abundant life to follow you! May His Love fill your heart as you embark on this spiritual journey! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Cor 5:17

A very blessed New Year to you!

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