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

Tag: Salvation (Page 2 of 16)

Who Is Worthy?

August 10, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. This is what I command you: Love one another.” – John 15:16-17.

I am so blessed to be back with you, my Sonsofthesea family! I truly have missed doing what our Lord has called me to do and connecting with all of you. God is very merciful and, like a good father, will chasten those He loves. We serve a God that will never leave you in a pit of doubt, loneliness, and depression. So, I need to be very transparent with you, brothers and sisters; I have been wrestling with the above in my heart these past few weeks away.

These very thorns in my flesh were slowly digging into my heart.

I felt that I was drowning in a sea of self-pity. Jealousy and strife were not only in my heart; they were taking root. These horrible works of the flesh were becoming manifest. Then, one day, as I was feeling sorry for myself, the Holy Spirit directed me to this Scripture, a checklist of my heart. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia:

“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds,  strife,  jealousy,  outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar,  I tell you about these things in advance-as I told you before- that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” –Galatians 6:19-21

My heart sank as I read this, and I felt sick to my stomach.

As a Christian, having just one of these sinful works of the flesh at work in you is terrible, but I could check off at least seven of these sins in my spirit. I fell on my face with tears, “Lord, how can I worship You when I am such a mess right now? How could You ever see anything in me? How am I worthy to be called you child?”

As I write this, the question returns: who is worthy?

What human is worthy to be in the presence of the Holy and Righteous Sovereign God?

After reading those verses in Galatians 6, I thank God that scales fell from my eyes, and I saw no way any Christian could, I could, boldly stand in God’s presence with all of that junk in our hearts. No man can receive the Kingdom of God in such sinful flesh. They must be born again. They need the Spirit of the living God. Jesus makes this clear in John 3:3, “I assure you; unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

My brothers and sisters, we all need Jesus!

Please hear me, friends: if you think the enemy won’t fire his fiery arrows at you or that the dark night of the soul that overtook me could never overtake you, then you are truly letting your guard down. I once said the very same thing: “My eyes are always on Jesus. That won’t happen to me.” I’d forgotten the Truth I so love. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” –Proverbs 16:18.

Friends, as long as we live in these earthly vessels, we are prime targets for Satan’s attacks.

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, the apostle Peter warns us of this: “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary The devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.”

Are we worthy to receive the forgiveness of God?

Humanly speaking, the answer is no if we look at it through the lens of the flesh or human ability.

We are not worthy to receive anything from a Holy and Pure God. Jesus alone is worthy! “The Lord is great and worthy of our praise; no one can understand how great he is.” –Psalm 145:3.

By nature, humans are selfish and self-centered.

We are always thinking about getting ahead or getting that next best thing, keeping up with the worldly standards of “success.” Such striving causes us to walk in fear and doubt, asking ourselves what the next day will bring before the day ever comes. Yet God still proves Himself to be a loving Father! “But God proves His love for using that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” –Romans 5:8.

God will never stop loving us, loving you, brothers and sisters. He cannot. God is Love. 1 John 4:16 reminds us of this. “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” He wants a relationship even with His most stubborn creations, you and me. “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” –1 John 4:10.

In today’s verse, Jesus reminds us: “you did not choose Me, but I chose you.”

 Let that sink in for a moment. God chose you—in your imperfections, in your anxiety, in your mess.

But, Jesus also tells us to repent our sins and believe He is God’s Son.

We’re able to stand righteous before God only by Jesus’ finished work—His life, death, and resurrection.

It wasn’t Matthew Botelho who solved his mess. If anything, I was making things worse for myself and my family. Not to mention all those who stood beside me during this challenging time. Only the love of the Father set this servant free from all that bitterness and selfishness. And though I am not worthy of such forgiveness, Jesus said, “For God loved the world in this way; He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” –John 3:16.

I am an “everyone” who believes. I have been set free by the One who sets His children “free indeed!”

Brothers and sisters, If you are going through a trying season, please know you are not going through it alone. We at Sonsofthesea are praying for all of you. We all walk through the desert at some time or another, that dry place where our enemy can take us out if we’re not careful. But with Jesus beside you every step of the way, you will leave your valley., just as I did.

And friend, if you are reading this and you feel the pull of the Holy Spirit moving you closer to God, follow His leading. Do not harden your heart, but allow the Presence of God to saturate every part of you. Repent and believe that Jesus washed away your sins with His precious Blood. Ask Him into heart and life as Lord of all. Amen. “As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” –Hebrews 3:15.

New Season.

July 27, 2024 /

Pastor Maria Braga

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” –1 Cor 13:11.

Scripture is so current! It was not only for the past but also the present and the future. I have grown and become an adult woman in an adult body, and I continue to grow and mature. I have matured in many areas of my life and am still maturing in other places, especially my spiritual life. I pray that God never stops chasing me in every area, but especially the areas of immaturity where I need to become wise and discerning in life. This Scripture is life to me – it not only reminds me but also causes an urgency in me to continue transitioning and growing from the person I was yesterday into the new person I’m becoming in Christ Jesus.

Often, we think challenges come to break us! However, God sends these very challenges our way to grow us. In our limited minds, we can’t comprehend God’s plan for us, but He tells us of His plan in Scripture. “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.” –Jer. 29:11.

When we capture this concept, we mature and understand that to grow spiritually, we must experience growing pains. God allows us to go through some valleys to shape and mold us to fit His plan for our lives. God uses all we go through to grow and develop us while preparing us for things much greater than ourselves. The situations He allows us to go through are the foundations for our breakthroughs and our ability to experience something new. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” –Isaiah 43:19.

Some seasons in life involve cutting people and situations away. We must delete conversations, phone numbers, and contacts, remove negativity, and bury stories and memories that will hurt us in our new season.

Even some good things from the old Season don’t fit in with the new.

All you need is to heal and grow in the confidence that those past things, as good as they once were, will now be thorns used to poke you in this new season. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” –2 Corinthians 3:18.

 Don’t expect everyone to applaud the new in you.

Acquire the faith and trust you need to move on regardless. “No, dear brothers, and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” –Philippians 3:13-14.

It is complicated for humans to understand that God’s timing is not ours.

His timing is perfect for every situation. All things happen the way they do for a reason. Life looks like a mountain at times, a mountain of stuff accumulated over the years that becomes clutter and blurs our vision of the next season of life. We must check in daily and ready ourselves for whatever comes by wearing the whole armor of God. It will protect us from any unexpected fiery arrows directed at us.

The Kingdom of God is an ever-increasing, always forward-moving Kingdom.

An organism that moves constantly in the direction of the King of kings and Lord of Lords; God longs to lead us into maturity; His heart longs to take us deeper into our knowledge and understanding of His love.

We look to Jesus’ victory for endurance, and we embrace His joy as our strength. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12:2.

You can choose to step through your next door, full of fear, doubt, and low expectations. But you will only experience the fullness of the new season God intends for you if you step into it with faith and great expectation.

I thank you, Lord, for this great salvation. For Your grace, we get to experience the joy that comes with it. Please fill me up with your Spirit and heal me today. Please help me continue to grow and become more and more like you as I journey through this life. Fill my heart and bless me. And I also pray for those who have yet to ask you into their lives as Lord Savior. May they do it today. In Jesus’ name. Amen. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” –Romans 10: 9-10.

Decision 2024: Who Is Jesus To You?

July 20, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” –John 1:29.

Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such importance. –C.S. Lewis

Friends, this post is not political. Though I pray your upcoming vote in November aligns with Godly principles and statutes. Still, in light of the horrific events that recently took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, my heart is nonetheless burdened for the nation and, indeed, for the families of the victims, living and deceased. Corey Comperatore—now in glory. In contrast, David Dutch and James Copenhaver are still fighting for life from the injuries they sustained. And though burdened for our nation, these victims, and their families, how much more my heart—our hearts, be burdened for all unsaved souls in light of just how quickly a person’s life can, without warning, be taken?

I’m sure if we asked the wife and daughter of Corey Comperatore, whose earthly life was ended by the sniper’s bullet, they would agree. Mr. Comperatore had given his life to Jesus, and so is far more alive now than he was that nanosecond before the bullet struck him. Though his being with the Lord is a great comfort to his family, I’m sure. We grieve with them nonetheless as they were maliciously thrown into learning to navigate the agonizing valley of loss. Thus, today, I felt led to share the Truth found only in God’s Inerrant Word.

A Word I pray that will help steady and realign our hearts and minds as we move forward individually and as a nation. “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” –1 John 5:20.

Jesus Christ is our only hope, Beloved.

Earthly leaders are powerless to save us. Only Jesus Christ has the Absolute Power to save.

John the Baptist knew this. So do I. And for the sake of your earthy life and your eternal destiny, I pray you do as well. No matter the outcome of “decision 2024”, the Lord Jesus Christ will remain forever on His Throne, Ruler over Life and death. And believe it or not, agree with it, or not, like it or not, your knee will bow before Him, and your tongue will confess that Jesus alone is Lord. “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” –Philippians 2: 9-11.

I pray you’ll freely do that now while the choice is afforded you.

Because every man, from those whom God appoints to hold the highest office in the land to, as Jesus lovingly calls them, “the least of these,” must choose whom they’ll serve. King Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, or the little g god of this world, Satan. There is no other choice on man’s proverbial ballot. No “other” box for us to check.

The instant John the Baptist caught a glimpse of Jesus walking amongst the crowd who’d gathered to be baptized, to choose Jesus publically—we hear John boldly proclaim words that had been put in his belly back when God was knitting him together in his mother, Elizabeth’s womb. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” –John 1:29;27.

The words John spoke that day marked the beginning of the end of his life work —making ready the Way of the Lord.

John knew his place. He never pointed to himself but rather to Jesus only.

John knew he was never meant to be the Groom—but the groomsman. “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete.” –John3: 29.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, John recognized Jesus as the Messiah through Divine revelation.

John knew Jesus to be God’s Passover Lamb, come to be sacrificed. To once and for all take away the sins of this world and so, destined to reveal Jesus to the world, John joyfully cries out: “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world!” 

Child of God, pause hereto remember that moment you first believed.

Close your eyes and feel the joy and excitement that flooded through you when it really sank in that Jesus was with you and had chosen you as His. That in an instant, He’d pulled you from eternal death to eternal life, lost to saved—creation to beloved child.

Let the memory of that pure joy wash over you—overtake you.

Might that same joy have been the feeling coursing through John? Unable to contain it, he just had to let fly that darkness-piercing, literal life-changing revelation God dropped in his belly. Why? Because the Inescapable, Supernatural Truth, which had always existed in John’s peripheral vision,  stood clearly before him now, in the flesh!

Now, in Jesus, the days of sacrificing goats and sheep, of spilling their blood as an offering to God to wash away Israel’s sins temporarily, were over. This Spotless Lamb—God’s Perfect Son, came to accomplish what no animal sacrifice ever could—save the lost, to save you, specifically, if you’ll but accept His free gift of salvation.

Jesus’ sacrifice and death, His resurrection, all of it, everything Jesus did while on the earth, and continues to do as He intercedes for us while seated at the right hand of God, is personal and intentional because Jesus has had you in mind specifically, from before the foundation of the world. “From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.” –Pro.8:23.

Friend, the question before you is:

Who is Jesus to you?

Remember, professing Jesus is your eternal choice. I pray you’re not passive in that choice, friend. Because to not choose is your choice; it’s either God or Satan. There is no “other” box available to any of us.

In both the Old and New Testaments, Scripture makes that abundantly clear.

There is no “other” box to check. “By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.” –Isaiah 45:23.

God or Satan. Those are the choices before you today. Who will you choose in 2024?

Take a stand for Jesus now.

Choose Him to be the Lord and Savior of your Life.

Friend, what recently happened in Pennsylvania is a sure reminder that no man is promised tomorrow. Jesus is the only sure hope you have of eternal life. Repent of your sins and welcome His Pure, sinless Blood to wash away your every sin because only Jesus is able to cleanse you. He freely laid down His life so that you might have life eternal. Won’t you accept His free gift of salvation today? “Because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10.

Me, Lord?

July 13, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” –Ruth 2:8;10.



Like many redemption stories, Ruth’s started long before Boaz, her earthly kinsman redeemer, took notice of her gleaning grain in his field. Long before, he would waste no time hastening before the town elders and leaders to state his intentions concerning her. “Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife.” –Ruth 4:9-10.

As with all those Jesus calls His own, somewhere in the eternal past, a conversation occurred between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit concerning us; in this instance, Their discussion centered around Ruth and Their plan for her life. As with our own, Ruth’s story began so far back that as God recounted it, the earth was yet formless and void. “According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” –Ephesians 1:4-5.

Ruth, a Moabite, married Mahlon, a Judean immigrant from Bethlehem. Son of Elimelech and Naomi, Mahlon had accompanied his parents and brother to Moab due to a famine that had struck their land. Thus, Mahlon somehow lands in Ruth’s proverbial backyard and ever the story goes. Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl, yet after ten years of marriage, Ruth is not only left childless but a widow when Mahlon dies suddenly. Nonetheless, El Roi, the God of her husband’s people, saw Ruth’s plight. “The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.” –Psalm 146:9.

Ever watchful, El Roi, the God who saw Ruth, sees us. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” –Hebrews 13:8.

So even when we, the vulnerable and dispossessed, the seemingly unseen, unprotected, the foreigner, feel as Ruth did, wholly unworthy of receiving such unfathomable kindness and such incomprehensible love. Contrary to those feelings and far more than any man’s kindness toward us, God is far more willing, kinder, and more gracious than the best of us deserve. “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” –Isaiah 30:18.

“When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.” Ruth 1:6. But somewhere en route to Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” Naomi has second thoughts. She tells Ruth and her sister-in-law Orpha to head back to Moab, their families, their gods, and, hopefully, to future husbands.

After some tears and a long goodbye, Orpha concedes and heads back to Moab, but not Ruth.

Right there on a dusty road that will lead both women to a future they could not have imagined, Ruth upends her heart, spilling its contents at her mother-in-law’s feet. “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” –Ruth 1:16-17.

Only at the feet of Jesus, as Mary, Lazarus’ sister, cries tears born of eternal devotion and an inexpressible love while pouring spikenard over Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair, do we see a more moving example of such humble, pure and heartfelt devotion. But that’s a teaching for another day. Ruth’s humility, tender devotion to her mother-in-law, readiness, confidence, and courage to leave her family—and the only life she’s ever known; her emboldened plea and willingness to follow Naomi, come what may, were gifts from God.

Unrecognized at the moment, each trait was some piece of the whole she would need to walk out God’s plan for her life faithfully.

A destiny unfolding undecipherably before her as she walked beside Naomi on that dusty, one-way road that led to redemption. “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” –Ruth 4:13-17.

And if we follow David’s genealogy, it leads us straight to our Eternal Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus: “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.” Then, after skipping multiple generations, David’s natural lineage ends with “and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.”

Ruth could not have known where her obedient, submissive heart would lead her.

We know Ruth was overwhelmed with gratitude by the human kindness shown to her by Boaz; the scriptures make that clear. But what we can only imagine is how full of gratitude, how much more humbled and thunderstruck Ruth may have felt had she known standing on that dusty road that her one decision to leave a familiar world behind her to follow Naomi would one day lead to her having played some small part in ensuring her spiritual Redeemer and ours; Jesus,  Savior of the whole world, is born.

So, what does Jesus’ being born mean for you specifically?  

It means if, like Ruth, you are willing to humble yourself and follow after the One True God who has led you not to some dusty road but here, instead, you might meet and, like her, walk away following not some earthy redeemer who can offer you only temporary rewards, but your eternal, Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ who offers you His Life.

Won’t you welcome His Life into your yours? Are you willing to leave behind this world’s old, familiar things and follow God more wholeheartedly, passionately, and tenderheartedly than even Ruth once followed Naomi? “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” –Psalm 32:8.

As scripture says, being born again must occur for you to have a relationship with God. A relationship Christ gave up all to have with you. “Me, Lord?” “Yes, you child.” “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” –John 3:3.

He Walks With Me.

June 29, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho & MaryEllen Montville

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” –Proverbs 16:9.

I love this proverb because, as Christians, it is something we have all dealt with and can relate to. We all have a dream or vision that we want to pursue, and dreams and visions are good to have. Often, they are a gift from God that gives us something to strive for and a purpose to get up every morning. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.” Having a plan to strive for is great, especially when you seek God first. God promises that it will be blessed and fulfilling; maybe not always exactly what you want or asked for, but blessed and fulfilling because He will always bring good and personal growth out of it. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus reminds us to keep God first in our hearts and everything we do. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

My dear friends, I’m here to remind you that you have a purpose, and God has a plan for your life.

If you belong to Him, do not think for one second that God has left you as orphans. He speaks to you daily through His Spirit that dwells inside you. So do not ignore what God is speaking to you. Be wise in understanding what God is showing you regarding how to walk out what He has placed in your heart. Because when you allow yourself to think you are wise in your own ways and feel you do not need the Lord’s help, you will always be wrong. Always hit avoidable roadblocks and pitfalls. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” –Hebrews 3:15.

God’s Holy Spirit gives you the knowledge and the peace to navigate whatever He has placed on your heart; you can confidently walk knowing that God and His promises are with you and for you. You will never hear the Lord say, “Well, got to go now! And oh, good luck, because you are going to need it! Remember God and all that good stuff. See ya!”

God forbid!

I can’t even imagine it!

I thank God we serve a faithful, kind, intentional, and loving God who created us on purpose—with a purpose.

Today, I cannot even think about what life would be without having Jesus as my Sustainer—the One who places His plans and purposes in my heart. “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.” –Jeremiah 29:11.

Because there once was a time when I walked in rebellion, according to my plans and desires—walking in the way that seemed right in my heart. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.” –Proverbs 14:12. It was not until Jesus came and set me on the path of Life that forever changed me. He said, “Follow Me,” and directed my steps in a new direction. One from which, by His grace and in His strength, I will never turn. “For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” –2 Corinthians 6:2.

Brothers and sisters, I pray that before you begin to set goals and make life plans for yourself, you first go before our Lord in prayer, wholeheartedly seeking Him and submitting yourself and your plans to God, allowing His Holy Spirit to guide your every step. “Commit your works to the LORD [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].” –Proverbs 16:3.

So many right now do not know that the love of God is found in no one other than Christ Jesus. Jesus alone is the only way back into a loving Father-child relationship with God. “Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” –John 14:6.

For those who are reading this for the first time and don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus but want one, who want to know what it truly means to walk in a new direction, to have your sins forgiven and your plans firmly established and blessed by God, I invite you first to repent of your sins—ask Jesus to forgive you, then, ask Him to come into your heart as Lord and Savior believing He is truly the Son of God. God promises, “If you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10.

Everlasting To Everlasting.

June 22, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!” –Psalm 2:12.

From Genesis to Revelation, one single, tenable thread establishes and unites Truth. God is Alpha and Omega, without beginning or end. He is Triune and Co-Eternal. As He was in the beginning, He will be in the end. It’s this very constancy—this “sure foundation” upon which every Blood-bought believer, starting with Moses and reaching to you and me, then locking fist and faith with that final believer, has anchored our faith. As Scripture makes plain, all else is shifting sand. “And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great and complete was its fall.” –Matthew 7:26-27.

Truth is Living. Immutable. Inerrant—contrary to the many jockeying voices who clamor otherwise.

“In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.” –Colossians 2:3-4.

But more to my point, Truth is a Person:

 “Who is Truth?”  

Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God. “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God.” –John1:1-2. Firmly establishing this Cornerstone of Christ as God’s Living Truth is paramount so that all else built atop it is sure, lasting—able to bear weight.

Jesus is God’s Living Word.

And so, I’ll lay the beginning and end of Truth side by side, exposing us to its whole counsel.

First, from the Old Testament, is Moses, who, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, says this of Truth: “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” –Deuteronomy 32:4. From the New Testament, Truth Himself speaks: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:6.

Go back and trace the Scripture references within this teaching, and you’ll notice a consistent interlacing theme—the Words: He, Father, Son, Mine, I, etc. As we will soon see, the “Person” they point to is our Linchpin, our Bridge, The Truth, Jesus. “I and the Father are one.” –John 10:30.

Jesus is Eternity Past and Eternity Future, being perfectly One with the Father, spanning time as we understand it. God simultaneously birthed and fulfilled His plan and purpose for creation through Jesus. And Jesus accomplished God’s purpose through obedience and Love for the Father. In Jesus, everything is held together: every jot and tittle of Scripture, you, me, the cosmos, every molecule of our world. “And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]” –Colossians 1:17.

We witness Jesus, the Eternal Presence, foreshadowed in Eden—when sinless, innocent blood was shed to cover Adam and Eve’s sin and guilt. Yet let’s remember, Jesus has always existed, and so, through Scripture, we also witness Him Pre-Garden as The Lamb.

God’s Sinless Sacrifice—prepared before God’s the foundation of the world. Waiting. Willing. “And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world.” –Revelation 13:8.

Before Christ’s Perfect sacrifice was a time when, over and over again, the blood of bulls, sheep, lambs, and rams were sacrificed, their lifeblood spilled on alters—blood is the substance God required to rid man of his sins. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” –Leviticus 17:11. Blood, smeared on door posts and lintels that death might pass over those who, by faith alone in God alone, Trusted Him—another foreshadowing.

Those who ate their meals in haste behind those bloody doors knew God, but not the name of His slain Lamb—not yet.

Moses, Abraham, Noah, Joseph, and David worshiped God and served Him. Leaving behind their old way of life to follow “YHWH.”   They’d heard His Voice and came to know Him via His Spirit and Word. These men believed God to be far Greater than themselves—eclipsing all other gods they had worshipped before Him—out of custom and ignorance.

From eternity past, the Father’s plan centered around Jesus:From Genesis to Revelation, we witness this Truth repeatedly: Jesus’ eventual substitutionary death on the Cross, His defeat of sin, death, and the grave.

Even in the nascent Church, this Truth became so firmly entrenched in the hearts of Jesus’s disciples that men freely gave their lives for Him. “But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law, so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we [who believe] might be adopted as sons [as God’s children with all rights as fully grown members of a family].” –Galatians 4:4-6.

Later, as the Church grew, through the only Scriptures they knew, New Testament writers would heavily pepper the Word with Old Testament references to Christ. The birth, life, ministry, miracles, and mentions or inferences of Jesus’ Lordship, His Blood, death, and future reign all reference the will and work of God’s Holy Spirit; God’s Word is one single, seamless Truth.

Some scholars say these Old Testament references constitute as much as 33% of the New Testament. Said differently, roughly 2606 Old Testament Scriptures are directly quoted or referenced within the New Testament, every one pointing toward Jesus. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” –Romans 15:4. This hope is part of God’s plan for all of His children—all those chosen in Christ, for Christ, before the foundation of the world. “For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus.” –Galatians 3:26.

Though none from the Old Testament had heard the name Jesus—they knew God—believed in God.

And because of such faith—His Blood, the Blood of Jesus, God incarnate, The Father’s Perfect, Sinless Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world, washed them clean, saving them. “Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” –Mark 12: 26-27.

We have looped full circle, ending where we began: with Jesus, our Co-Eternal, Triune God; The Father’s Spotless Lamb, whose All-Powerful Blood is far-reaching enough to simultaneously save Moses, Abraham, Isacc, Jacob, me, and you, if you’ll invite Him into your life as Lord of all. Trusting, as did Abraham before you, as I and every other believer on the planet have, that Jesus is who He claims to be—the Only Way to the Father. “Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” –John 14:6.

Friend, before the foundation of the world, Jesus knew you.

And if you say yes to Him today, that is evidence you’ve been chosen in Him.

Yet if you reject Him, which, unimaginably, is your God-given right, then Gentle Christ that He is, Jesus will not force Himself nor His forgiveness upon you.

He will honor your choice to reject Him.

But understand this.

From eternity past, that is never God’s choice nor His heart toward any of us—towards you. Your relationship with Jesus is personal. “Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace. And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those in Christ Jesus so that for all future time he could show the very great riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus.” –Ephesians 2:5-7.

Repent! The King Is Coming.

June 8, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“Just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will—.” –Ephesians 1:4-5.

Sporadically, over the past months, my team and I have shared teachings focusing on sin, sinning, and our need to repent. I believe God’s Holy Spirit birthed each of these teachings to remind us all of the effects and repercussions of sin and our need to repent daily. All to lead us to Truth—The Truth—His name, Jesus. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:6.

So today, to bring these peppered teachings on sin full circle, to offer hope, and to prayerfully guide those whom Jesus is calling to follow Him into the fullness of Truth, where God’s Love and plan for such a Love has always existed—in Jesus. Through Scripture, we’ll witness that somewhere in the “eternal past,” God knew you; equally, He created you to fit purposefully and uniquely into the grand tapestry of His eternal plan.

God’s Inerrant Word speaks of the time “before the foundation of the world.” When all that existed—was Yahweh: “The Uncreated, Self-Existent One.”

That place where you, me, and everything in the seen and unseen worlds began. In God.

As finite beings, we recognize the abovementioned time as the eternal past or time everlasting. “Before the mountains were born Or before You had given birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are [the eternal] God.” –Psalm 90:2.

Notice that this Old Testament Scripture says of God, “You are,” present tense. Yet it also gives evidence of God’s eternal existence with its; “Before You had given birth to the earth and the world…”  

And in Revelation 1:8, God says of Himself. “I am the Alpha and the Omega [the Beginning and the End],” says the Lord God, “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all].”

Brothers and sisters, I took pains to lay a sure foundation for God’s irrefutable, eternal existence for the primary reason of re-minding and confirming for you that you were indeed chosen in Jesus. Sealed untouchable in Christ—who is God and was with God before the foundation of the world; your eternal destiny secured in Jesus—for Jesus, in the everlasting past.

You are chosen, set apart, sealed in Christ, unlike those creations God foreknew and gave the same opportunity to grab hold of, cherish, and accept His free Gift of Love, yet they rejected Him.

And so you are not that one, friend, one who will reject Jesus; I’ll pause here a moment to remind you that the Author of Life, Christ Jesus, is extending His Hand of forgiveness and Life to you.

Continuing, listen to how the Apostle Paul explains our being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. “For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.” –Romans 8:29.

Scripture is clear, friend: there is no middle ground to stand safely upon. Either we’re all in, or we’re out. Unimaginably, God Himself has afforded us this unfathomable freedom of choice. Now, it’s up to us to choose wisely because God has made His choice clear: we choose Him, surrendering our will freely in exchange for His. “And just as Moses in the desert lifted up the brass replica of a venomous snake on a pole for all the people to see and be healed,  so the Son of Man is ready to be lifted up, so that those who truly believe in him will not perish but be given eternal life. For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.” –John 3:14-16.

Yet God is patient, knowing the hearts of each of His creations.

Perhaps, to build our faith in Him,  Jesus allows us to believe that He has forgotten us for a time—that He doesn’t see our great need for His strength and intervention to come swiftly and pull us out from the thick mire we’ve been wallowing in for so long that we’ve made our mess our home. Falsely believing there is nothing more for us than the crippling consequences of our sinful choices. “The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” –2 Peter 3:9.

Friend, the enemy of your soul, would like nothing more than for you to falsely believe that where you find yourself now is as good as it gets.

Please, don’t fall for his lies!

You were not created for sin; to live in sin. You, dear friend, were lovingly and purposefully created in the Image and Likeness of God—for God—to be loved and protected, cherished by God as a precious child of God. Scripture makes clear: “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”  

This Scripture alone demonstrates the Truth of Jesus’ Words shared with His doubters—those supposed wisest men of their time who stood poised to kill Him for making the assertion “I and the Father are one.” –John 10:30.

By Jesus saying this, these Jewish priests and scholars understood just enough to realize Jesus was claiming to be God—and they could not abide by what they assumed was a blasphemous claim. So, in hardening their hearts, these so-called wise men rejected Jesus—and sought to kill Him and anyone or anything associated with Him.

Sadly, not much has changed since then. “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” –John 10:33.

Jesus’ heart for His chosen people is Love.

In the eternal past I’ve spoken of today, the fullness of the Father’s love was continually poured out on His Son—Righteous, Holy, and Pure. According to God’s Inerrant Word, He is The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. “And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world.” –Revelation 13:8.

This verse not only testifies to the Truth of God’s plan to save mankind somewhere in eternity past, before Adam and Eve or God’s earth were ever created, but equally, it makes clear God foreknew those who would reject His offer: His free Gift of salvation: His only Son’s Life given in exchange for theirs.

My prayer for you, for us all, today is this: that you are not like those who, being wise according to the world’s standards, become so like those so-called wise men before you that you reject Jesus, Savior of the world, to your eternal peril.

Although no sin is acceptable before our Holy God, Jesus Himself assures us there is one unpardonable sin—rejecting God’s Holy Spirit.

And since His Holy Spirit is God, those who reject Him reject the Triune God Himself. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” –Matthew 12:30-32.

Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Jesus proclaimed it. As did John the Baptist. And though not popular nor feel-good, now, concerning the deadly wages of sin, in obedience to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, so too have me and my team. Friends, Jesus loves you. He is patiently waiting for you to accept His Love and forgiveness. If you haven’t done this, what are you waiting for? “Heaven’s kingdom is about to appear—so you’d better keep turning away from evil and turn back to God!”–Matthew 3:2.

Dear God (A Letter of Thanksgiving.)

June 1, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” –Psalm 34:1-3.

Dear God,

 I must boast in You!

I thank You because I would not be where I am today without You. You have blessed me beyond measure; I have more than enough. You have done it all, and You alone are worthy of all my praise. You have blessed my marriage and my family. You have brought me to a place of plenty, and we grow richly in You. My family humbles itself under Your Mighty hand. When I was at my lowest, You were there and loved Me. You saw me in my blindness and removed the scales from my eyes. I was a mess, wallowing in the pit of my sin, but You reached down and grabbed me, pulling me out.

I was a lost sheep who had strayed, You left the others to rescue me. You said, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find more it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”-Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus, You did not leave me desperate in my sin but forgave me.

I am reminded of Your prophet Isaiah. What You spoke through him regarding Judah’s wickedness, saying, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” –Isaiah 1:18.

As Your people once worshipped idols, so did I. Praise was kept only for me. I sought the approval of man, yet You loved me anyway. I am washed clean by Your Blood, Jesus; I can walk holy and set apart because You are holy.

In 1 Peter 1:13-16, You said: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but He who called you is holy, you also be holy in your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Your patience with humanity speaks volumes of Your love for us.

You know what’s in our hearts before we do. We are wicked when left unchecked by You, and yet Your eyes do not miss a thing. Proverbs 15:3 reminds us: “The eyes of the Lord are every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

 I asked You: “Why do you keep us around, God? Truthfully, we are often self-centred, prideful, ignorant, spoiled children. Yet, John 3:16-17 answered my question: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Your Words are the keys to setting us free from the darkness of this world.

Lord Jesus, help us burn brighter as the days get darker. Remind us that victory has already come for those who call You Lord and that death no longer holds us captive.

Jesus, thank you for remembering me in my times of distress.

You have promised that You would never leave nor forsake me. You have never failed me, Lord. You do what you say You will do, exactly, and accomplish what You set out to do, precisely. May my praise always be for You alone, my Lord Jesus. Amen.

Friends, there are times when we must stop and simply thank God for everything He has done—just as David once did. David took time to thank God for His Sovereignty and His protection. So today, be reminded to go before the Throne of God with a humble heart, seeking only His Presence. As His child, remember, you can enter boldly into His Throne room of grace, filled with awe at how genuinely Magnificent your God is. “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne room of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” –Hebrews 4:14-16 

We have received our salvation through Jesus alone. The Blood of our Lord, Jesus, has washed our sins away, and we are free!

Jesus lived a sinless life yet died a sinner’s death. He did this for you, me, and for everyone in every generation after us who will believe that Jesus is the Son of God! That the Word became flesh and walked this earth. Having done this, Jesus can sympathize with us. He alone is God, able to save humanity from its sin. Having come in the flesh, Jesus knew what it felt like to be a living, breathing man. Still, Jesus also understood the heart and will of His Father because, throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus never lost Oneness with His Father. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.” –John 5:19-20.

Maybe you can see yourself and how you feel about Jesus in this letter.

We all come from diverse backgrounds, and our testimonies will be different. But what unites us, what we share, is this: we each have had an encounter with Jesus—if we are His, that moment when we came to the “end of ourselves.”  Amen?

How can we honestly look back at our past lives and not say, “How did I make it this far? How is it that I am still alive?” Because many of us can say, “I shouldn’t still be here because…” 

Our answer: But God!

Whatever the addiction or mindset was, in His Mercy, Jesus set you free, my brothers and sisters. It wasn’t by your own understanding or anything you did or could have done; your freedom came solely by the Spirit of Almighty God. He alone brought you through it. “Where can I go from Your spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold You are there; If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your right hand shall hold me.” –Psalm 139:7-10.

Friends, today, I hope you’ll praise the Lord Jesus. Worship Him with all that is in you; He is worthy of your praise. Get undignified! Dance around! Sing a new song to Jesus!

If you are reading this for the first time and want to know Jesus, experience this freedom and joy, then ask Jesus to come into your heart. Repent of your sins, be washed by Jesus’ Precious Blood, and receive His free gift of salvation. Friend, Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” -John 14:23.

Lifter of My Head.

May 25, 2024 /

Matthew Botelho

“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her; “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” – Luke 13:10-13

I pray this is a timely word for someone out there because it hit me right between the eyes when I read this Scripture. Why? It is the All-Powerful Word of God. It’s not just another bunch of writings or some book you may pick up off the shelf. It is God’s Living Word! You may have read the above passage many times and not thought about it much. But then, one day, as you read it, the Holy Spirit will make it come alive, and you can’t help but see it afresh. That is what happened to me.

As I was reading this passage of Scripture, Holy Spirit started to reveal things we go through in this life, as this poor woman did. She had spent eighteen years hunched over, bent under the weight of the spirit of infirmity. Some weakness, whether physical or mental, the Bible doesn’t specify which, had caused the ground around her feet to become her view daily. She was missing the beauty of life surrounding her—God’s beautiful creations.

Infirmity is not always the result of some physical illness.

It can also manifest by way of emotional trauma. Sometimes, when we are hurting or battling depression, anxiety, or anger, our bodies will suffer physically as a result of our emotional experiences. Let me explain.

We do not know this woman’s exact age, but we do know she was not born with this “infirmity.” However, Scripture does say, “She could in no way raise herself up.” Perhaps being in this state for so long had caused her to live in a mindset of defeat. Gradually becoming incapable of raising herself physically and, maybe equally, of speaking life into herself.

Maybe something unexpected had happened to her, and it left behind the weight of so much doubt and sadness that she could not even bring herself to praise God.

Or perhaps she just gave up. One day, she decided to stop fighting and allowed her body to give in to the weight of her infirmity, and before she knew it, the ground became the only thing she could see.

Had her heart been so broken and her confidence so shaken, she could only mutter, “What is the point, God?”

I really do wonder what happened to this poor woman. What caused this to happen to her? Her downcast spirit reminds me of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 42:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”

Friends, the Scriptures remind us that our worship of God is our weapon during our times of difficulties. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” –Hebrews 4:16

As believers, we hope in God. We praise God. We cry out to Jesus, yet in our trials, how often do we forget to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” focusing instead on our problems?

Are we only to seek Jesus when the wind and the waves threaten us? Shouldn’t our worship and adoration of His mercy and goodness be our default lifestyle?

I can speak from the experiences I have had where I had no strength in me to worship or pray. I have felt defeated and lost, not knowing what else to do. Be real with me here. Surely, I am not the only one here admitting to this. 

I need a Big God. A Father who will lovingly remind me when I am weak, He is strong and able to do exceedingly above anything  I could ever do without Him. When troubles come, I need Jesus to remind me that He is right there with me, going before me and leading me and my family out of whatever storm we are facing.

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, the Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I pray when distress comes, and it will, that you will stand knowing God is for you, child of God, and if He is for you, then who can be against you? 

My dear friends, all hope is not lost, for we have a loving God who will move mountains for His kids. He will not leave us to see only the ground beneath our feet. Scripture tells us, “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him.” Get that into your hearts, my friends. El Roi saw her, and He sees you and is calling you to Himself, just as He did with this poor woman.

I can picture her as she heard Jesus’ voice, slowly following, hunched over, and looking at the ground. Only this time, when she heard Jesus’ voice, her faith was stirred up. This wounded sheep now followed her Shepards voice. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they know Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” –John 10:27-30

You are His Beloved sheep if you have placed your faith in Jesus. And you shall never perish, nor can anything hold you back from Him reaching you. Jesus is Greater than the sadness that keeps you up at night. He is far stronger than that fear causing you to walk, head down.

As this poor woman finally reached Jesus, laying His hands on her, He said, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” –Luke 13:12. “… And immediately she straightened up and praised God.” –Luke 13:13.

Can you see the picture? I can see her looking at the ground, and then Jesus places His hand under her chin, and she looks up to Him. “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.” –Psalm 3:3-4

No more is she focused on her bondage or the ground beneath her; now she is eye to eye with God, and as He lays His hand on her shoulders, she starts to feel strength where there was weakness. The weight is removed from her as she stands up straight.

What an image of victory over the enemy! She stands glorifying God in His Presence, knowing her life will never be the same.

This holds true for you, dear friend. God wants you free from your infirmity, to be loosed, in Jesus’ name.

I pray this teaching spoke to you today. I pray the Holy Spirit touched you in a way that brought you comfort and peace, knowing no matter what is going on around you, Jesus is right there with you. Choose this day to make Jesus your Lord and Savior. Be washed by the Blood of Jesus and ask for forgiveness of your sins. Jesus is faithful to forgive. 1 John 1:9 assures you, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Amen.

Sin And Dinosaurs

May 11, 2024 /

MaryEllen Montville

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” –Romans 6:14.

You may ask, “What’s the connection between sin and dinosaurs?” Bear with me. We’ll get there. Holy Spirit birthed this title and teaching after reading a morning devotional about how, in today’s world, many have drifted away from or ignored altogether—the concept and consequences of sin and sinning—even some professing Christians.

There is physical and scientific proof that dinosaurs roamed planet Earth for some 165 million years, but there is also proof those same dinosaurs became extinct approximately 65 million years ago. Categorically speaking, no one in our modern world can realistically live in fear of being overpowered by a dinosaur. Conversely, sin predates dinosaurs. It has been with us since the fall of Adam and Eve. “Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned.” –Romans 5:12.

Yet, unlike dinosaurs, sin is very much alive and overpowers many in today’s world.

If you doubt this, watch the news. Daily, you’ll witness evidence of sin and its dire effects on the lives of so many men, women, children, teens, and young adults; those who come face to face with sin’s deadly presence—robbing them of hope, joy, peace, family, relational stability and, ultimately, both natural and eternal life.

So, in answer to the question: “What’s the connection between sin and dinosaurs?”

Simply put, one no longer has the lethal power to destroy lives, while the other very much does. Unapologetically, sin is often incognito, an unrelenting tyrant.“But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.” –James 1:14-15.

To find the only True explanation of how sin can and does rob us both in this life and the life to come, we must go to the only Source of Truth: God’s Innerant Word. “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” –Romans 5:17.

From the beginning, sin has gleefully robbed the saved of God’s blessings.

More tragically, whether acknowledged or not, sin is daily robbing the unsaved of eternal life.

Sin blinds them to the opportunity to experience intimate fellowship—a one-on-one relationship with Jesus, now and in the life to come. “But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.” –James 1:14-15.

Through his admonition, James intends to instill this Biblical Truth in both the believer and those yet to believe.

For the believer, James is warning us to stay alert! To follow Joseph’s example and not entertain nor linger in sin’s presence. To literally run from sin! “ so she grabbed Joseph by his outer garment and demanded “Let’s have some sex!” Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand..” –Genesis 39:12.

James also reminds believers: so long as we live in these natural bodies, both our intrinsic sinful nature —and the enemy of our soul—can and will, without warning, rear their ugly heads, determined to entice us to reach back and dredge up, make excuses for, give mouth-to-mouth to, those sins meant to stay dead.

To go dumpster diving—pulling out long discarded sins that reek of death and ruination.

In Hebrews 12:1, the Apostle Paul also admonishes us regarding ridding ourselves of sin so that we might run our race unencumbered by sins’ exacting weight: “…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed curse of the race that is set before us.”

For the unbeliever, sadly, sin will always have its way so long as the person continues to attempt to do life minus, the only Source of Life. To be set free from the grip of sin and death, one must be born again. These are not my words. They’re the Living Truth Jesus shared with Nicodemus—is sharing with you today. “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” –John 3:3.

Another reason being born again is necessary is for a person to receive and understand the spiritual things God chooses to share with them.

Being spiritually dead, the natural man is incapable of receiving these gifts. “But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters].” –1Corinthians 2:14.

James and Paul, speaking to believers, remind us that we, though saved, are still sinners. We are still prone to falling back into old habits, picking up once-discarded sins. Jesus, too, shares this same Truth in John 5.

After finding and healing a man who had been lying beside the pool of Bethesda for some thirty-eight years, Jesus admonishes him not to return to his past sin lest his next affliction may be worse than his last. “But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” –John 5:14.

 Though not stated plainly in Scripture, some theologians agree this man may have ended up crippled as the result of an untreated sexually transmitted disease.

Was sexual sin the sin that had so easily entangled this man?

Only he and the Lord know for sure. I use him as an example, as he is one of the only people in Scripture who we read about Jesus saying, “Something worse may happen to him.”

Typically, after having healed someone, such as a woman caught in adultery, Jesus tells those He heals to sin no more.“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” –John 8:10-11.

So, was Jesus’ telling this man that there is a far greater devastation that could overtake him than having once been a cripple for thirty-eight years—of his having reaped a thirty-eight-year harvest of crippling consequences for the sinful seeds he had once sowed?

Or, is Jesus warning this unnamed man, as He did His disciples, and through them, us—of the greater eternal penalties of our unrepentant sins?

“I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will point out to you whom you should fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority and power to hurl [you] into hell; yes, I say to you, [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him!” –Luke 12:4-5.

To recap, I asked: “What is the connection between sin and dinosaurs?”

And in answer, I said: “Simply put, one no longer has the deadly power to destroy lives, while the other very much does.”

So then, is there hope for us? Can anyone be saved from the deadly consequences of their sins?

The answer: Absolutely!

How? By repenting of our sins.

By not pretending that, like dinosaurs, sin is prehistoric.

Satan loves nothing more than for you to believe the same lie he once got Eve to believe—doubt God’s Word. “Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” –Genesis 3:1.

Yet Satan’s ploys and recycled tactics are no match for God’s Immutable power.

So if you genuinely want every sin you have, or ever will commit, washed away, then, as Jesus assured Nicodemus. “You must be born again.”

Sure, you can choose to ignore the words I was sent to share with you with little consequence, but I pray instead you’ll ask Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior because ignoring His Words will have eternal consequences. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].” –Acts 4:12.

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