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

Tag: Salvation (Page 9 of 17)

But That’s Impossible.

December 31, 2022 /
MaryEllen Montville

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin. –Luke 1:35.

Christmas has passed. And as we prepare to walk into 2023, many of us will do so with expectations, doubts, with wondering. “What will this year bring? Will I have peace? Will my faith grow stronger, my service to God more steadfast? Will I lay aside, even for a season, what I know God is telling me to step away from, that I might pick up, make room for, what He’s calling me to take up? My obedience in exchange for my comfort—the familiar, the rote. The good even.

Many of us will come face to face with the seemingly impossible in this new season.

We’ll find ourselves asking the same question Mary asked. “How, Lord?” You know God is leading you in a new direction, asking something of you He’s not yet fully disclosed—and may never. And you know that only by faith and reliance on Jesus, trusting the leading and guidance of His Holy Spirit, will what God is asking of you be accomplished. So turn away from rebellion, put on discipline, and allow God to cut away the fat from around your heart—hardening it. Whatever the state you find yourself in these final hours of 2022, Beloved, repent if sin is present. Refocus, and follow hard after Jesus. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” –Isaiah 30:21.

The Holy Spirit has already brought some of you face-to-face with your Mary moment, whether good or seemingly bad. Your reading this is confirmation. As with Mary, the only question remaining is how you’ll respond to what you’ve been told. Will it be with a simple, humble, heartfelt, “Thy Will be done,” or will you proffer a litany of reasons why whatever God has or will ask of you is impossible? “How can this be, Lord? I don’t have the education, know-how, resources, the connections. I’m not gifted in that area. I haven’t the intelligence. I’m single, financially challenged, I can’t have children.”

Take heart, Beloved. You are not alone in your questioning. Others have also questioned how it is God accomplishes the seemingly impossible.

And as only God could arrange it, their question was directly connected to a seemingly impossible birth, the re-birth of man. His salvation. Being born again. That instantaneous regeneration occurring the very second Holy Spirit comes and makes His home in the life of the one God has called out of darkness into His glorious Light. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” –Mark 10:27.

Brother, sister, as surely as God unconcealed His will and plan to Mary and His disciple, He’ll do the same with you—in His own time and timing. Still, as it was with them, so too with us; God does not need to comply with our desire to know the ABCs of a thing before He brings it about. We must trust Him. Exercise faith in Him—in His Word—just as Mary and the disciples did. We must believe and have faith that whatever it is, God is birthing, salvation, a new ministry, marriage, a move, a book, or business, you having a child. However seemingly impossible, the thing may appear. If it is truly from God, He will bring it about. Hebrews 11:6 says this: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

So how will you respond to the Holy Spirit when He presents you with your “how will I ever take on such an undertaking” moment?

Mary asked, “How can this be” because she’d never known a man. Yet, for many of us, this same question will be asked in moments steeped in a lack of faith or fear of man, from coming face-to-face with our finite limitations or paralyzing unbelief. We will forget that the One who has overshadowed us, just as He did Mary—is calling into being that which has been in our belly from eternity past. Like so many before us, we’ll temporarily forget that the Sovereign Creator of this world is Omnipotent—He spoke, and it was finished. The world in a seed—perpetual. An orchard inside an apple—complete. We’ll fail to realize God is doing little more than manifesting an already-finished piece of His plan for our lives, some seed. That life-giving piece of the puzzle needed to make us complete in Christ Jesus is being birthed—bringing God glory. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. –John1:3.

How will you respond in your Mary moment, Beloved? Will you display belief and humility, knowing anything is possible with God, or question the same plans and purposes God Himself implanted within you, seed-like, in eternity past? In essence, saying there’s no way. Just look at me! That’s impossible!

We’re in a new season of, no, a new era of birthing.

Holy Spirit is about to overshadow many who are reading this—and some who are not—pulling from their depths the seemingly impossible. Those seeds, gifts, talents, ministries, marriages, a new level of boldness, and hunger for the things of God. It’s already begun. If you still yourself before the Lord, you may already feel the tiny flutters, the shifting of sorts that has already taken place within you—making room for the new—stretching you, making you Holy uncomfortable. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ –Isaiah 46:10.

You innately know this thing that’s about to happen—is happening, is going to cause you great discomfort, disrupting your status quo Christian walk in ways you would not have imagined just one short month ago. Welcome to the Mary club. The Apostles Peter, James, John, Paul, and even Gideon were members of the Mary club. The question walking into 2023 is, are you? Then Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” –Luke 1:38.

Friend, I can think of no more perfect way to ensure that you, like Mary, are open and welcoming of all that God has for you in 2023 and beyond than by asking God’s Son, Jesus, into your heart as your Lord and Savior. God has done His part. John 3:16 assures us of that. For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. And Mary did her part in partnering with God, scary as it may have been, by saying yes to God’s plan for her life. Won’t you ask Jesus into your heart today, now? Won’t you partner with God, allowing Him to birth all He has for you beginning in 2023?

Greater Love.

December 17, 2022 /
Matthew Botelho

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we must love one another. –1 John 4:10-11.

Hello to all my dear brothers and sisters, and Merry Christmas to you! May our Lord bless you for taking the time to read what He has given me to share. This is the season of joy and peace on earth. It is the season God sent the Greatest Gift of all to show His love for us; Jesus, His only Son.

Yet humanity is slowly declining in the love department. Especially in the whole, love thy brother.

Those who run around with a me-first mentality can bring us down, discourage us, and, if we’re not guarding our hearts, potentially sow seeds that will spring up into a mindset of, what’s the point? And that’s not to mention how much division is happening in this great country. Everyone has an opinion. And everyone wants to be heard.

I wonder if the disciples thought about these things during their ministry.

Why? Because there is nothing hidden that will not be uncovered, my friends. Jesus knew then, as He knows now, what was in men’s hearts. That is why as Blood-Bought believers, we must adhere to the new command our Lord Jesus gave us. It is not a mere suggestion. It is a command from our King. I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. –John 13:34-35.

My brothers and sisters, there is still hope in all you see happening around you. The darkness shall not prevail because some two-thousand years ago, God did something beyond amazing! He gave this world the ultimate sign of His love. He sent His Son to die for our sins once and for all! Let’s read this together in one voice, my dear family! 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.

Ok, so language, or specific words, catch my attention when I read different versions of the Bible.

Maybe it’s that way for some of you armchair theologians as well. For instance, in the King James Version of the Bible, John 3:16 uses “whosoever believes” rather than “everyone who believes,” as written in the New Living Translation. And though everyone and whosoever means the same thing (anyone who places their faith in Jesus will be saved), there is something about the word whosoever that catches me whenever I read it. For me, “whosoever” is enormous. It’s significant. It’s so substantial; it encompasses everyone. Whosoever means no one person’s sin is too big for God to forgive.

So whosoever is for the addict still stuck in their addiction. The prostitute, murderer, gang member, that person who thinks their sins are so great God could never forgive, nevermind love them. Whosoever speaks to the one who believes Jesus can only love those nice church people, but not someone like me. Maybe whosoever resonates with me because I was once whosoever before I fell in love with Jesus.

Are you whosoever, friend? If you are, Jesus does love you, died for you. Just as He did for everyone else, but you must believe He is who He says He is—that’s your part. That’s the part everyone who says Jesus is Lord must believe. So have you asked Jesus to be Lord over your life? Have you let Him into your heart?

Let’s look at John 3 a little closer. It says, “so that everyone or whosoever believes in Him.” Belief is key. If you do not believe in Jesus, that He is who He says He is, then your name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It takes a confession of faith and repentance of your sins to go from Whosoever to saved. I believe many miss this Truth.

God loves the world so much that He made a plan to save fallen man. A Way to save whosoever will accept Him. And the key that opens God’s plan is Jesus. Salvation is in Jesus alone. Jesus’s sacrificial Blood was always part of God’s plan. A plan first seen in the Garden of Eden—right under the enemy’s nose. Satan thought he had corrupted God’s ultimate design, but our God had a plan. The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. –Genesis 1:21.

Now the skins God used to cover Adam and Eve are known as a type and shadow, which means we first catch a glimpse of Jesus and God’s plan of salvation in the Garden of Eden. Innocent blood shed to cover the guilty. How uncomfortable and undeserving we feel when we sin. Adam and Eve must have felt the same way, so they tried to cover up their mess with fig leaves. But they failed, as we all do when we take things into our own hands.

Can you think of times you’ve attempted to cover over your sins?

God knew what they had done, so He asked Adam a question. “Where are you?” –Genesis 3:9. My brothers and sisters, this is a selah moment! A time to pause here and reflect. Holy Spirit is asking that you take this opportunity to ask yourselves this same question. “Where are you?”

Moving on now…

In the Garden of Eden, God made coverings for Adam and Eve from some of His creations. Scripture does not say what type of animals were slain to cover them, but we know that Jesus is the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world. So, could it have been lambs that were slain to cover Adam and Eve? We’ll find out someday. I raise this question because John’s gospel records the day John the Baptist sees Jesus walking towards him. He proclaims Him to be the Lamb of God who’s come to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29-31). And in Genesis 4:6, Adam and Eve’s son, Abel, presents a sacrifice of the firstborn lamb from his flock. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering. Had God remembered His act of slaying an innocent back in the garden to cover those who had sinned?

According to the law of Moses, almost everything is purified with blood. And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Throughout the Old Testament, an animal had to die. It’s blood shed for man’s sin to be covered. But the blood of these animals was only a temporary solution. Their blood could not fix man’s sin problem, and sin, my dear brothers and sisters, is death for us. God removes His presence where sin abounds because He cannot dwell where sin lives. God is Holy, forever (Hebrews 9:2). The Blood of Jesus is pure and undefiled because God is Holy, and His Blood is Holy. It’s what washes away our sins. The Blood of Jesus is not a covering for our sins; coverings will be removed. The Blood of Jesus washes away all our sins. Come let us discuss this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool. –Isaiah 1:18.

Jesus has come as Light into a dark world. Whosoever receives Jesus as Lord is saved. God has come in the flesh. Emmanuel, God with us. He died in our place—a sacrifice for our sins, foreshadowing what God did in the Garden of Eden. As we end this teaching, brothers and sisters, be reminded of the Greatest Gift God has given us, His only Son, Jesus. Salvation is found in none other. We caught of peek at God’s plan for man’s redemption in the garden, but in Jesus, God’s plan was fulfilled. Jesus is the gift we do not deserve.

My dear friends, scripture tells us today is the day of salvation! So if you are reading about Jesus for the first time and feel some stirring inside of you. Let today be the day you say yes to Jesus and make Him Lord over your life. Turn away from your sins and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Be washed clean of your sins by His precious blood. Let today be the day of new beginnings in our Lord Jesus. Amen. If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. –Romans 10:9-10.

Don’t Blame The Seed!

December 3, 2022 /
MaryEllen Montville

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” –Matthew 13:3-7.

Three distinct conditions. Three types of soil. Let’s start today’s teaching on the same foot by taking a closer look at three conditions described in the “Parable of the Sower.”

Question? Is it the fault of the seed (God’s inerrant Word) these three soils (various conditions of the heart) don’t produce fruit? Answer. Absolutely not! How can I say this with such authority? Easy, I’m quoting God. It’s by His authority that I speak so boldly. Hear the Word of the Lord: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” –Isaiah 55:11.

Our inability to produce good fruit can’t be blamed on God.

He has equipped us with the best of everything we’ll ever need to do the work He’s called us to do. To grow deep and sure roots, bearing much fruit—if we stay connected to Him, The Vine, our Source, and strength. Suppose, with humility; we persevere under any condition. In that case, we’ll find ourselves trusting the God we serve, that this “Sower of Good Seed” has a purpose and plan for every state we find ourselves in. “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” –Hebrews 13:20-21.

Our first step in today’s journey starts with examining the condition of the path. “…some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.” _Matthew 13:3. Anyone who’s walked on a well-worn footpath through the woods knows its hardened earth can often be as planate as blacktop—made solid by years of wear and the pressure exerted by many sets of feet. Thus, anything falling atop it stays exposed—making it easy pickings for some bird of prey to swoop down and take it away. So too, with the sin-hardened hearts of men who hear the Word of God and reject it. It “falls” on them but does not penetrate their sin-hardened hearts, made so by lack of interest and unbelief—impervious.

Next, we have the rocky place. “Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.” –Matthew 13:5-6. Some fertile soil is found here, but not much; thus, whatever roots manage to sprout and take hold quickly give way at the first good gust of wind or slashing rain. The soul this seed represents shows interest in the Gospel, they believe—but only so long as conditions are right. At the first sign of pushback, what had begun to take root in their hearts quickly shrivels and dies. Its roots are far too shallow to endure such pressure.

And the last, thorns, these prickly things. Somehow most everything gets snagged on their barbed spikes—distracting, harmful. “Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.” –Matthew 13:7. These looping spiny tangles cause this tender seed to become smothered. Thorns are exacting. Their suffocating, spiny maze chokes the life out of anything attempting to make its way to the Light. “And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit.” –Matthew 13:22.

Which are you? Are you the path? Sin-hardened and unbelieving. Trusting no one but yourself? Not able to receive correction. Set on doing things your way? If so, I understand. I, too, was once knee-deep in my sin, my life a trainwreck, my thoughts void of God—or my need for Him. But, thankfully, his mercy and choice of us are not based on our behavior, worthiness, or belief in Him. Being Sovereign and our Creator, God gets to enter any life He so chooses, whenever He so chooses, changing it eternally. I pray that you find this out for yourself sooner than later.

Maybe you’re the rocky path instead. You go to church most Sundays, and at least a few days a week, you find yourself reading your Bible. While driving back and forth from work, sometimes in the shower, you pray. You believe there’s a God who hears prayer and answers. Well, He answers most prayers anyway. You’re still not wholly convinced He’s not holding back on you. Perhaps angry over that thing you did, so He’s withholding, not answering all your prayers. If this is you, I can confidently say that many Christians were in your shoes at one time or another. They, too, misbelieved God was mad at them for that thing they had done.

But God is not mad at you. He loves you—unconditionally, madly, deeply, enough to die for you! And here’s a news flash. He loved you while you were doing that thing. Did He like it? Heck no! God can’t abide sin. Never! But you, He loves. So how do you resolve this tension within, this sin issue standing between you and God? You repent. Tell God you’re sorry and really mean it. Press into Him wholeheartedly so that your tiny hair-like roots might grow strong, deep, sustaining you. Lest the first good wind or slashing rain that comes your way take you out, causing you to turn away from God in fear.

And you, child of God, what are you doing among the thorns!? “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” –Matthew 13:7. The cares of this world are choking out your faith. Your misdirected, divided attention and loyalty cause you to stray from the narrow path—the straight way. Desiring what you don’t have, you lack contentment with what God has given you. Allowing yourself to be pulled in too many directions, you attempt to please everyone but your audience of One, misguidedly pushing God to the back burner, the last “to do” on today’s list. God comes after everyone else has gotten a piece of you. Scraps are what you offer Him these days, leftovers.

When did you become so consumed with more? How quickly you’ve forgotten that what you currently have was once the very thing you hoped and prayed for. How will you ever grow, thrive, and reach your God-given potential, living choked out? Closed off from seeking God unmolested. How will you get to that green open place beside still waters where the two of you can meet? Where the Vinedresser will cut away everything that has done its best to choke out the Light of His presence.

 But fear not! Take heart, friends. With Jesus, there is always hope! “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear” Matthew 13:9. I pray the Lord finds us all walking, with determination and passion, along this, His most excellent path. As this teaching makes clear, we have choices. Will we choose to accept Jesus into our hearts or reject Him? This is our great and eternal choice; saying yes to Jesus. Accepting, believing in, receiving salvation from sin, He died to afford us—more the relationship He desires to enter into with us.

So, if you don’t have this relationship, haven’t asked Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior. There’s no better time than the present. And there’s no set formula, no right or wrong way to do it. Jesus is drawn to the sincere cry of those who’ll acknowledge their need and desire for Him. Just be real with Him. Ask Jesus into your life as Lord and mean it. Admit that you need Him, that you’ve sinned and are genuinely sorry. Then trust what the Scriptures promise you. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” –Romans 10:9-10.

Level Up!

November 26, 2022 /
Matthew Botelho

Hello, my dear brothers and sisters. I’m praying that this finds you well and filled with hope in our Lord Jesus. I hope that whatever it is we are crying out for, He hears us. I am also praying that this teaching will come as an encouragement for many. We are coming close to the end of the year. There has been much shifting and sifting in the body of Christ. Holy Spirit is replacing what was good in one season with something greater. With the refining of your faith, room is being made for the new.

 “You are being protected by God’s power through faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last days. You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith-more valuable than gold, which perishes though, refined by fire- may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” –1 Peter 1:5-7.

My brothers and sisters, there is promotion coming for the Body of Christ, for the Body that wants to move forward. Who has an ear inclined to God’s Word. We must not harden our hearts to His voice or instructions. Let us be the Church that comes alive in the Word and Spirit; let there be unification in both, as Christ is not divided.

Dear friends, I am excited about what is taking place! Promotion is coming, or as the title states, the Church is about to Level Up! So many times, I have heard my kids yell that phrase while they play their video games. They get all excited and are blown away by what their character can do and how much stronger they are. This leveling up did not just happen, however. It took hours or even days to make this progress. Have you ever felt like that? You have been in faith, walking it out with our Lord for days. Then those days turn to months. The months to years. “When will this happen for me?” or better yet, “when will it happen for the Church?” Matthew 23:12 (Jesus’ speaking) “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Our posture should be one of submission to God and His Holy Spirit, for He is the head of the Body, The capital “C” Church. The body that keeps its eyes on Jesus will experience an outpouring from heaven. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” How can we, as an individual or a Church Body expect anything from God if we don’t seek Him first, more than anything else? Remember, God resists the proud and boastful. Let me remind you of what happened to king Saul. He was given specific instructions on battling the Amalekites, but Saul thought differently. Full of pride, Saul believed he knew better. His presumed knowing better would prove troublesome for Esther and her people later down the road.

“Then the Word of the Lord came to Samuel,” I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night.” –1 Samuel 15:10-11.

In the same chapter, the prophet Samuel rebukes Saul for not following instructions and delivers a blow to his ego from the One who made him king, God! “Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” –1 Samuel 15:22-23.

Some of you might be thinking, “we live under grace, not under the law. God is not vengeful towards those who do not obey. He will still love us regardless.” To this, I say yes, absolutely, I agree, but. Yes, God does love you! He loves you WITHOUT A DOUBT! Jesus went to the Cross for you and gave His life so you might have an abundance of life! However, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He does not change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8.

But our lifestyle needs to imitate that of our Lord. The kind of relationship we have with Jesus matters, and commitment and obedience are a large part of that relationship. Like every great marriage, you must work at it equally, 100/100. No marriage will last with 100/50. Where is that other 50 going? Look, my marriage would not work if I saw my wife one or two days out of the week. I am not meeting her needs or committing my time to her. The same with our Lord Jesus. How do we draw closer to our Lord when we only visit Him once or twice a week? He is always there, 100 percent in, but you’re walking in the world. Yet you complain that nothing is happening in your Christian walk. Where is that promotion that I was promised?!

My dear brother and sister, my friends, please, heed this scripture! “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord! Will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the One who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? Then I will announce to them, I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!” –Matthew 7:21-23.

 God does not want to keep anything good from you, but if you are keeping yourself from Him, He will not exalt you and bring you to those moments of leveling up in the Kingdom. And if a particular Body is not remaining in His Word or preaching a different gospel, it will be like He never knew them. “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” –Revelation 2:5.

Jesus knows His flock. They are the ones that hear His voice and come running to him like sheep after their shepherd. They recognize the voice of the One who cares for them, feeds them, and has healed them. As we end this teaching, please know that you are all very dear to me. We have never met, but I pray you are on fire for our Lord Jesus. The blood spilled on the Cross was done out of love for you. God’s love is immeasurable. It has no end, my dear friends. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you this day and receive the fullness of the Kingdom only found in Jesus our Lord. Amen. “Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them? I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man come, will He find that faith on earth?” –Luke 18:8.

Brothers and sisters, let this be the day you have declared Jesus as Lord over your life, and every circumstance is brought to its knees. Run to Jesus, friend. Let this be the day Jesus makes His home in you by your confession of faith in Him. Ask Jesus into your heart as Lord, and He will answer. “Jesus, wash away my sins with Your precious Blood and forgive me of my sins. Today I surrender all of me to you. Amen.”

Foreshadowing.

October 22, 2022 /
MaryEllen Montville

“And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” –Nehemiah 8:10.

In Chapter Eight of Nehemiah, while reading from the Book of the Law of Moses, Ezra, the priest, reminds God’s people of the festival known as Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths. A feast God commanded the Israelites to observe. A feast of which those Israelites who’d recently returned from Babylonian captivity had long forgotten.

Sukkot is over now, but just. It ended at sundown, October 16th. God’s divine will and timing caused this verse in Nehemiah to leap off its page as I read it. Why? Perhaps God wanted to remind us, Jew and gentile alike, to “remember and rejoice.” And if you have a personal relationship with Jesus, that’s all the reason you’ll ever need to do both!

Now is the time to remember—to reflect. To re-consider how your loving, merciful, patient God delivered you from your “Egypt.”

And then, dear brothers and sisters, rejoice, thanking God afresh, this day, for His election of you. Sincerely repent of having drifted away, certainly. Then let your tired hands take a fresh grip on your faith and press on—despite your past sins. “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees” –Hebrews 12:12. Wipe your eyes, rejoice that God has restored you like the prodigal and Israelites before you. Remember, too, that God’s hands continue to rest above and below you, hemming you in, Beloved. The Spotless Blood shed for you, protecting you now; you are loved with an unquenchable love. “You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” –Psalm 139:5-6.

Sukkot is a yearly feast God commanded all Israel to observe. It’s one of three “pilgrim feasts” Jewish people are commanded to celebrate, bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you” –Deuteronomy 16:16.

Sukkot follows the Day of Atonement. A day when every observant Jewish person rests from their labors and all pleasurable activities. Instead, they wholeheartedly fast and pray, repenting of their sins before the Lord. It begins at sundown and concludes at sunset the following day. We read of its origin in Leviticus 16. And it’s in this same chapter that we learn of the term “scapegoat.” “Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat” –Leviticus 16:7-10.

No, this isn’t a lesson in Judaism or its feast days. And yes, I am going somewhere with this.

We’re headed straight to the foot of the Cross, to Jesus, that Spotless Lamb of God. Jesus, our Advocate, seated at the Right Hand of the Father. God’s own Son, who put an end, once, for all, to any further need for scapegoats, animal sacrifices, and feast days. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” –1 John 2:1-2.

Jesus has always been. From the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation, we see Jesus. The Alpha and the Omega, beginning and the end.

The foreshadowing of Jesus’ death, the shedding of His innocent, atoning Blood, understood in the imagery of the animal’s God slew in the garden. Innocent blood, shed—their bodies broken, stripped to cover Adam and Eve after they’d sinned. “The LORD God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them” –Genesis 3:21. God has always had a plan. From the time of man’s fall, before, really, somewhere in eternity past, Jesus was at the ready.

And as “way too big as that is for our limited, finite minds to fully take in,” God surely foreknew every detail of every life that ever has or ever will exist. He knows our every sin, thought, the decisions we’ll make, every word we’ll speak, well before we speak them!

My point? I have a couple.

Firstly, as one who has felt the weight of their sin, been convicted by God’s Holy Spirit for allowing myself to stray from my Father.  I empathize with why those Israelites began to weep when Ezra read from God’s Word. The reality of their desperate state had seeped into their hearts and minds; God’s Word ought to cause true repentance to pierce the heart of those who hear it. Remember, the Israelites knew God. They’d once walked in His ways, obeyed His commandments. Yet they’d drifted from Him. Instead of clinging to God, holding fast to His commands, they’d instead taken on the world’s ways—the pagan practices of their captors. They’d become almost indistinguishable from them. God’s people had become so immersed in the culture and comforts of Babylon that many decided to stay put—leaving God and Israel far behind them. Why?

Because leaving behind the world and all it had come to mean to them would have required sacrifice—and sacrificing their comfort, what had become familiar, was a price they simply weren’t willing to pay.

Secondly, I understand why those Israelites began to weep when Ezra read from God’s Word. They had been restored, forgiven, were home now, returned to the land God had promised their ancestor, Abraham. Covenant had been restored. Not that God had or could ever break it. Man alone does the breaking; God alone restores. Those Israelites gathered before Ezra had repented of their sins, and God, merciful Father He is, had washed them white as snow—a foreshadowing. I, too, have experienced this with God, at least partly—the washing as white as snow. Like so many of you, my brothers, and sisters, I’m still waiting. I’m hoping, looking forward to walking into my promised land. An eternity spent worshiping Jesus, that Spotless Lamb of God I spoke of earlier. Soon and very soon, like the Israelites before me, I will once again and forever be at home with my Lord, my Savior, my Great Love.

Dear reader, I understand that for one who does not yet know and love Jesus in the way I’ve spoken, asking you to ask Him into your heart as Lord and Savior might seem a strange request. But I’ll ask it of you, nevertheless. Why? Because I know Jesus loves you. Not like people you’ve known, who’ve loved and hurt you. Jesus’s love is pure and good. It restores and washes clean. Jesus’s love gives you hope and joy, and freedom. I know this not because I write about it but because I experience it, daily.

Jesus loves you. He wants to have a relationship with you. I pray you’d want that, too. Don’t stay stuck in the ways of the world. Come home to Jesus instead. How? By being born again. “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” –Romans 10:8-11.

Awaken!

October 15, 2022 /
Matthew Bothelo

Blessings, my brothers, and sisters in the Lord; I pray God’s peace continues to pour over everyone who takes the time to read this teaching. May we all grow in His knowledge, and may His Holy Spirit bring wisdom to all who cry out for it. God is so worthy of all our praise!

So, before we get into this week’s teaching, permit me to share what has been stirring in my heart for a few months.    

Awaken oh my soul, awaken

The Lord helps me to be steadfast and ready

Awaken all these dormant gifts

Resurrect my soul for You

Awaken oh my soul, awaken

Refill my heart with only You

Refill my heart with new wine

Strengthen my bones

Strengthen my soul

Awaken oh my soul, awaken

For my Lord will save me in times of trouble

He is always for me. He alone goes before me

He shows me the path to take. He anoints my eyes and allows me to see

For He is victorious overall, He has laid waste the enemy

He alone reigns. I fall to my knees

For He is holy and righteous, our Lord will never fail

My soul cries out to the one I love

He has awakened me from the dead. He has resurrected me by His blood

He has strengthened my bones. He has saved my soul

He has awakened me. My soul is awakened

My Jesus has awakened me!

This word “awaken” has been stirring in my belly for many months. The Church that once was asleep is coming alive now. And the Light of the gospel will be preached in its sanctuaries. Those men of God Christ have appointed will not shrink back but will boldly preach in the name of our Lord, Jesus!

Indeed, friends, times are dark. And it can be hard to see clearly. Yet remember the reminder our Lord shared with the people during His Sermon on the Mount. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. “In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” –Matthew 5:14-16. As Christians, we have been set apart from the world. We are that light in our homes, in our places of work, and in our schools.

Our Lord Jesus has given us the great commission. He gave it to His disciples then, and He reminds us of it today! From the greatest to the least, we are appointed. “Then He said to them, “Go into the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes; If they should drink anything deadly, it will never harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well” –Mark 16:15b-18.

If you have a relationship with Jesus, know Him as your Lord and Savior; You are a new creation. Your sins have been forgiven. And you ought to be walking in a manner the world is not used to seeing.

We may live in this world, but we do not have to think the way this world would have us think. The Apostle Paul writes, “For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims” –Romans 6:5-7.

Many right now are walking into churches searching for answers, seeing if there really is hope, a Light that will shine bright. Their lives are seemingly endless, void of any light. Yet Jesus calls us to be that Light. This world is dark, my brothers and sisters, and it will only get darker. But God’s Word will remain—shining evermore brightly! Jesus has come for those who are blind and roaming around in the darkness. And as they place their faith in Him, they will see clearly!

Deception equals darkness. And today, one such deception leading many astray says being a “good person” somehow equals salvation. But Jesus asked, “Who is good?”

Firstly, salvation is found only in God’s Son. Every good work, then, is the fruit of your salvation. “I am the vine; you are the branches, the one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me” –John 15:5. Just because you do good does not mean that you are good. Even an evil person can be nice to their own. But when it comes to someone else, they can be devious; their heart is not in the right place. God knows the heart, brothers, and sisters. The Holy Spirit is reminding many today that salvation does not come through their works. Instead, they must be awakened in their spirit and be firmly rooted in God’s Word. Without seeking God and knowing Him, they are still in darkness. To do God’s work, you must seek His will. We are called to partner and be in a relationship with our Lord.

Friends, the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of John 15:5, and so I’m reminding you. You have been called out, set apart to be God’s Light.

To remain where there is no light and life will only bring you spiritual stagnation and death. Do not let the ways of the world back you into a corner, intimidating you. Persecution will always be there for the believer. Jesus said, “Remember the word I spoke to you: a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy whispering and trying to remind you on who you once were. Jesus said, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” –John 10:10.

God also gives us the peace and assurance to know that no matter how bad things may get, He is always with us. “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” –John 10:10.

As I close dear friends, the Holy Spirit is revealing many other scriptures on this topic. If I were to continue, many of you would go cross-eyed, and my editor would have a thing or two to say to me later!

So instead, may God’s peace blanket your every negative thought, and His Word be sealed in your hearts. I look forward to our next meeting, God willing. And, if you’ve read this far, I pray this teaching is the confirmation you have been praying for.

And if you don’t know Jesus, have a real relationship with Him. Let this be the day our Lord Jesus calls you out of death into life. Declare that your sins are washed away by His precious blood. Do not harden your heart but be renewed in your mind and your spirit. Awaken to the freshness that is found in Jesus Christ alone. Amen. “Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life” –John 8:12.

Fading Out

September 8, 2022 /
Kendra Santilli

“He must increase, but I must decrease” –John 3:30.

The cycle of living can feel so exhausting. Wake up, eat, work, take care of the house, sleep, repeat. I think we can agree that at one time or another, we have all understood, related to this reference from Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Utterly meaningless, everything is meaningless.”

We try our best to be good people. Yet leaving a mark on the world feels like a futile effort many days. In the Gospel of John, we are presented with an example that exemplifies a counterintuitive approach to fulfillment. John the Baptist (not to be mistaken with John the apostle who penned the Gospel of John) is introduced in John 1. “There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light [Jesus] so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light” – John 1:6-8.

John was Jesus’s cousin, a prophet who lived in the wilderness. John wore clothes made from camel hair and ate wild honey and locusts. Since his ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord, he would come to the people telling them to repent, to water-baptize them, and to declare there was one to follow after him (Jesus). You can read all about this in Mark 1:1-9.

I imagine John the Baptist would have been perceived as an odd man, but then again, God often moves through those we’d least expect Him to use. For John the Baptist, his ministry was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus.

And John’s purpose? Pointing everyone to Jesus Christ.

In New Testament Scripture, John’s ministry is our first example of a person testifying of the person of Jesus. The Bible says of Jesus, “He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” –John 1:10-11. And while the rest of the world didn’t recognize Jesus, John recognized Him instantly.

God was using John to prepare the hearts of those who did not know Jesus. Although the Old Testament is full of prophecies of Jesus and the entirety of the Bible points to Jesus, John is perhaps one of the first to see Jesus—physically. John gave his whole life to tell the world about the person of Jesus.

There is a great lesson we can learn from John the Baptist about pointing the world to Jesus.

John the Baptist was selfless. While the world teaches us to focus on ourselves, God’s Word teaches us to love others even when they do us wrong. The culture of this world is one of selfishness. It looks inward for its fulfillment instead of allowing its Creator to fill and fulfill its every need, including its unseen needs. The world is centered on self-gratification instead of loving thy neighbor. And as more of society has welcomed the idea of self-centeredness, it has also drifted away from the One who can deliver them from the mental prisons that hold them bound. The result? A society that has increasingly accepted depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as normal. And while taking care of yourself is essential, it shouldn’t be our sole focus. We were created to love and exist in fellowship. Loving and serving God and one another.

Throughout the Gospels, we don’t read of John focusing on himself. There is no evidence in the scriptures of John focusing attention on himself. Instead, he readily released his disciples when they wanted to follow Jesus. When John saw Jesus passing by, he quickly said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus” – John 1:36-37. John didn’t get offended that his disciples went to Jesus, no. His attitude was one of rejoicing. “My joy is complete” – John 3:29.

Is Jesus enough to make your joy complete? Or is your joy made whole by your job, family, or ministry? While each gives us a sense of well-being, Jesus must be first. Everything else is just extra. Our prayer and deepest desire should be that Jesus fills us more than we thought possible. And, for that to be enough.

John the Baptist baptized with water, but the Bible says that Jesus baptizes (present tense intentional) with the Holy Spirit. – John 1:33.

It is impossible to live a life of faith without the help of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit without measure. “The man whom God has sent speaks God’s message. After all, God gives him the Spirit without limit” – John 3:34.

Our human nature is bent on us taking care of ourselves first. So, it is counterintuitive to put others before yourself, including Jesus. The work of the Holy Spirit in us gives us the grace to manifest His love supernaturally. So, I’m not talking about us manifesting love by our own power. The True Source of supernatural love is Jesus Christ, manifest and evidenced by the Holy Spirit at work in us.

The Holy Spirit does not make us do anything or possess us to do anything, however. But He does lead us. Scripture clarifies, “If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” – Romans 8:13-14. The choice is yours.

If we belong to Jesus—have professed Him as our Lord and Savior, His Spirit leads us. Yet, given that Jesus has also afforded us free will, we are allowed to obey or disobey His Holy Spirit’s leading us. Even though the Holy Spirit will always lead us in the way of Truth in Christ Jesus, to abundant life. Not only eternally but also on this side of eternity.

I pray that you invite the Holy Spirit to lead you in living a selfless life that points to Jesus and loves others unconditionally. If you don’t know Jesus, invite Him to your heart today and ask Him to help you live with purpose and fulfillment as He makes your joy complete.

Perspective.

August 6, 2022 /
MaryEllen Montville

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” –Philippians 3:20.

“To wait is to learn the spiritual grace of detachment, the freedom of desire. Not the absence of desire, but desire at rest. Waiting does not diminish us any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy”–John Eldredge.

I read somewhere that having and maintaining a proper perspective in this life will help us reflect on the importance of our priorities. As Christians, Jesus should be our priority, loving Him, firstly and wholeheartedly, passionately—with abandonment. Expecting at any moment, we’ll see Him. Right now, today! Our brothers, the Apostles, lived with this level of expectancy. We ought to be praising God, worshipping Him with all that is in us—throwing off all pretense, any thought of how mere men may perceive us, our worship. I’m talking about the type of abandonment King David once demonstrated for us. “Then David came dancing before the LORD with abandon, girt with a linen ephod, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” –2 Samuel 6:14-15.

David had little concern for the thoughts of men. His heart was bent on pleasing and honoring God. We would do well to take note of David’s example.

Yet how easy it is for us to be deceived, for me to be deceived. Forgetting, even momentarily, there is a world just beyond the veil, our true home. Easy to be lulled into believing that what we see, taste, and touch, those we can wrap our arms around, looking into their eyes, is all that there is. Now, being all there is. The firm earth we stand upon and the four walls that enclose us, our home. But that is a lie—a delusion. “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” –Hebrews13:14.

This world is not your home, Beloved Sojourner. “For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven” –Hebrews 13:14.

I am here to remind you of Jesus’ promise to you, child of God. “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am” –John 14:2-3.

We forget, temporarily, I pray, that though we serve a God we’ve yet to see face to face, save in the eyes and smiles, in the expressions of those we love. Those whom God permits to walk a while with us, that we might be afforded some fleeting glimpse of His beauty or fairness, His passion or the peace left in His wake. This God we’ve yet to touch, wrap our arms around, look into His eyes; this withstanding, Jesus is more real than the most real thing before us! Realer still than your spouse’s hand in yours or that beloved child, snuggled up against your side, warm.

God, more perfect than any precious newborn babe or the most magnificent sunset or seascape ever witnessed, more beautiful and majestic than any mountain or rolling green plain. More regal than the Lion He created. Holy, Perfect, more precious than silver or gold, nearer to us than our next breath or heartbeat, this, in some small part, is our God. “O Lord our God, the majesty and glory of your name fills all the earth and overflows the heavens. You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example shame and silence your enemies! When I look up into the night skies and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you have made— I cannot understand how you can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him!” –Psalm 8:1-4.

So let me ask you this. When was the last time you just laid back on some sunny day or still, star-filled night and just let your eyes drift upward or out? Even if you were sitting in your car, in traffic instead, staring out through some rain-soaked windshield?

When did you last intentionally contemplate spending your eternity with Jesus?

When was the last time you purposefully shifted your perspective from this world to the next—your real and true home, and thought about what it will be like the second you’re afforded the unfathomable privilege of looking into Jesus’ eyes? Or of hearing His voice for the first time? Or even the feeling that might overtake you when His hand touches yours—reaching for you, His Bride? Such thoughts equally blow my mind and make me giddy—simultaneously! Leaving me with that feeling in the pit of my gut one gets from the first major drop on a rollercoaster or when you witness something so profoundly beautiful that the awe of it robs you of your breath, stopping you in your proverbial tracks! And this, in the natural. How much more the supernatural!

How about when the Holy Spirit so stirs within you that it’s no great leap to understand another person has taken up residence there? Yet, in that second of eternal birth, rapturous, our finally seeing Jesus face to face will far exceed any vivid description any one of us might come up with. Any beauty wildly imagined. Indeed, our every hope and longing will be realized in that instant. Every heartache, all questioning, washed away. Was I good enough, did I do enough, put to death, finally, in the One who gave it all for you and me?

We will be like Him, scripture says. Transformed, living eternally in the very presence of our God. Oh, glorious day! Maranatha! “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” –1 John 3:2.

Consider this your reminder, dear sister, brother, and new friend. A reminder that what you see and touch and hold dear now—is quickly fading away. Conversely, God is, quite literally, drawing nearer and nearer daily. So I encourage you to shift your perspective. To fix your eyes and hope, to, quite literally, bet your life on Jesus. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” –1 John 2:15-17.

Friend, if your eyes and thoughts have been so fixed on the things of this world that you have not considered the next, I pray that you’ll do that today. Please, don’t let another day pass without asking Jesus to open your eyes to the Truth. He is Truth. “Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” –John 14: 5-6.

Fearfully Faithful.

July 30, 2022 /
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.

Unending Love, Amazing Grace.

July 16, 2022 /
MaryEllen Montville

“And raised-us-with Him and seated-us-with Him in the heavenly-places in Christ Jesus, in order that He might demonstrate in the coming age the surpassing riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” –Ephesians 2:6-7.

‘Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear And Grace my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed. My chains are gone, I’ve been set free My God, my Savior, has ransomed me. And like a flood, His mercy rains, Unending love, Amazing Grace. The Lord has promised good to me His word my hope secures He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures. –Chris Tomlin.

Via His Word and various worship songs, the Holy Spirit has spoken to me throughout the day. Stirring up in me reminders of His Holiness, His Power, His Amazing Grace, and Love. God has been refreshing me. Re-minding me (returning to my remembrance); He is not finished with me yet. His ongoing work of sanctification, my being made new, constant. “ 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.

God has been reminding me of just how easily I forget what, said anemically, is the extra-ordinary privilege I have been afforded in having been chosen in Him. My having been saved by the finished work of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. My salvation, costing Jesus His life. I have been humbled today, brought low. Not in a bad way. That’s not the Holy Spirit’s style. Instead, I have been reminded that I am standing on Holy ground whenever God shows up as He has today; I’ve been in the very presence of my heavenly Father. My knees bent, hitting the floor in adoration and awe, feeling the weight of His glory all around me. Who am I that God would come to me?

Now, hear me here. I don’t say this lightly or with some false sense of humility.

I understand I am God’s child and that it is very natural for us to commune with each other. Yet, even knowing this; still, a holy reverence overcomes me whenever my Father shows Himself as plainly as He has today. And I pray that never changes. May I never lose my awe of such a Holy, Loving God.

In His infinite mercy and unfathomable love for us, His children, we who have been chosen in Christ Jesus from before the foundation of the world stand as living testaments, open letters, epistles of God’s unplumbed love. Both now and in the world to come. Irrefutable proof of the supernatural power of our God—to men and angels alike. In 2 Corinthians 3:3, the Apostle Paul says the following concerning your being a living testament to our God. “You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

Listen to how Angelica Duncan describes your being a living testament: “To be a living epistle means you are a living, breathing, walking letter of God’s goodness, glory, and grace!”

So for those whose memory of that precious sacred moment, the Sovereign God of the universe first revealed Himself to you, has dimmed. That very instant, God plucked you out of the kingdom of darkness, placing you safely, instead, into the Kingdom of His Marvelous Light. The Lord has sent me here today to lead you back. Back to the remembrance of the most wonder-full, life-changing miracle you have ever or will ever experience. The hour you first believed. To stir up a re-minder of the very precious gift of faith entrusted to you.

Hold tight to this Truth, child of God! Clinging to it as if to a lifeline, “your” lifeline. Salvation is nothing if not personal. Re-membering, Christ died for you.

No other gift, no matter how great, will ever have greater worth than the gift of your salvation. No healing or blessing, no ministry, spouse, no-thing will ever surpass you receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. Nothing. “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have” –2 Peter 1:10-12.

I pray you never forget the very second this unsearchable miracle occurred in your life, having been seared into your memory, indelible, until the Lord calls you back to Himself.

That very second when, like Paul, scales fell from your eyes. Then, for the first time in your life, you saw clearly. Not by human hands, mind you—no Ananias prayed over you. “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again” –John 3:5-7.

Instead, you were persuaded God had sent His Holy Spirit to visit you as surely as He visited Mary—depositing eternal life into your belly. Filling you with His eternal promises and sealing you in Himself for all time, birthing a new man from the old. You have been washed clean, prodigal. Never forget that Truth! “In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]” –Ephesians 1:13.

Chains that had you bound for years, some for a lifetime, falling to the floor. You have been set free from sin, death, and the law; because of Christ Jesus. Because God so loved you that He sent His only Beloved Son into this world to die in your place. All that “whomsoever” might be reconciled to Him, now and forever. “He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2.

Remember, too, child of God, when your eyes close to this world, they will open to an eternity spent in the loving presence of your Lord. Never lose hope then. “Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” –Luke 23:43.

Beloved brothers and sisters, listening to Chris Tomlin’s Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) Holy Spirit reminded me of the Truth Paul shares with us in today’s Scripture. And so, I’m passing along this oft-needed reminder to you, too, wanting to stir up what the Holy Spirit stirred up in me. A reminder of who I am in Christ Jesus. Contrary to how I may feel in moments of weakness, doubt, or fear, Christ is not finished with me yet. And neither is He finished with you. Keep moving forward, child of God. Keep trusting in God alone. “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints” –Ephesians 6:18.

Friend, if you’ve yet to ask Jesus, who sets us free from our past, into your life as Lord and Savior, do it now, please. Why stay bound to your sin, addiction, or pain for one more minute? Live free this instant! “A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” –John 8:35-36.

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