Tag: Transformation (Page 5 of 8)

The Truth Is…

March 12, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“For where I found Truth, there found I my God, the Truth itself; which since I learnt, I have not forgotten.” – Saint Augustine.

Like many of us, Saint Augustine had an entire life of inquisition and soul searching before he found God. While his mother was a devout Christian, he did not share her values. She prayed for his salvation, and although she did not see the fruits of this prayer, his salvation came after her death. He accepted Jesus and became a prominent figure in church history. Augustine’s revelation on truth is reminiscent of King Solomon’s realizations after searching high and low for the meaning of life. Solomon concluded, “everything is meaningless” –Ecclesiastes 1:2.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/theologians/augustine-of-hippo.html

What is truth? This question is not new. It has been a question that has shaped generations for thousands of years. The definition of truth may change as each generation passes. For example, one generation may be religious, finding truth in sacred texts. The next generation may define truth as relative, coming from within oneself. I do not have a seminary dissertation for you on the answer to this question, but I can share, in part, what I have found in the scriptures regarding what God, our Creator, says about Truth.

Let’s start with the dictionary. Truth (as defined by Miriam-Webster dictionary) is conformity to fact or reality; correct opinion; honesty; purity from falsehood. We can refer to truth as “the truth,” meaning the opposite of a lie, or “truth” as a noun meaning a moral position. The former is a factual statement or account; the latter can become an abstract idea, requiring a gauge for measurement. We cannot count our mere perceptions or emotions as truth because they change daily. What we feel today may not be the same tomorrow. We must have a standard that is unshakable by which we measure our position.

That standard is the Word of God.

While the world constantly changes its definition of what is morally right, the Word of God continues to stand the test of time, being uninfluenced by the shifting shadows of this world. During His ministry, Jesus boldly addressed this question of Truth by giving a simple answer for those who pursued truth. In John 14, Jesus was describing the kingdom of heaven to His disciples. “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the Way to where I am going.” “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the Way?” Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him” – John 14:1-7.

There is far more to our lives than meets the eye. Jesus is God in the flesh. And by telling His disciples that they knew the Way, Jesus introduced Himself to them yet again, by this new name—Truth. He follows it up again with an incredibly profound statement. I am the Way, the truth, and the life. You see, in those days, the Jewish people knew “I Am” as one name for God. God introduced Himself to Moses at the burning bush as “I Am.” Jesus said, “before Abraham was, I AM”– John 8:58. What Jesus claimed could have been taken as a blasphemous statement; Jesus was saying He was God! But understand this: “I Am” is just one of His many names! And by saying, “I am the way,” I also read this passage as Jesus describing Himself as:

I Am (the infinite one) who is the way to the Father, the [everlasting] truth that outlasts generations, and the life that gives vigor and makes you move and breathe.

Truth is not what we say, and it cannot exist independent of the standard by which we gauge it. The world says, “live your truth,” but they are really saying, “stay comfortable in your ideology.” Just because we think or believe something to be true doesn’t make it a truth; believing the sky is green doesn’t make it true. Your reality allows you to take the easy route, remaining in your old or current patterns that may or may not be healthy, while God’s Truth—His Word, requires sacrifice and change.

Biblical Truth requires you to be uncomfortable, making changes that reflect God’s character and result in blessings in your life.

Reading just a few chapters earlier, in John 8, Jesus instructs His followers how to live, walk out, Biblical Truth. The world has always been a confusing place, but God has not left us alone to figure it out. Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you are really my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” – John 8:31-32. So now we know Jesus as The Truth. Jesus is The Truth. He tells his followers here in John 8 to know the Truth, and in John 14, He reveals that He is the Truth! The One they have talked and walked with, known as Jesus, reveals Himself by this new name—I Am the Truth!

The first step in learning the Truth is to continue in The Word of God. Read your Bible and know what it says. Let it be your gauge, your compass, as you commit yourself to understand it, living it, not just being a harbor for its Words. Ask God to help you to know what the scriptures mean. The more you know His Word, the more you will know Him (The Truth), and Jesus (The Truth) will set you free!

If you’re anything like the people of that day, you’ll say you’re not a slave and have nothing from which to be “set free.” But according to Jesus, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. Yet if the Son sets you free, you indeed be, free. –John 8:34, 36. Sin has you in bondage, whether you realize it or not. The good news is that while Jesus exposes this harsh Truth, He also provides a way out. He can set you free, and you will begin to see things so differently. The lens of a sinful lifestyle is focused afresh that you might now see yourself living in sonship with God—being part of His family.

And while the world will tell you that you can live and thrive in “whatever truth works for you,” the eternal Word of God says otherwise. It assures us only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only He can fulfill you; everything else will leave you hungering for increasingly more. Like Saint Augustine and King Solomon, I pray that just as the Holy Spirit has led you here today, He will lead you into the understanding that Jesus, Yahweh, is the Truth you need for fulfillment and freedom. If you don’t yet know Him, I invite you to ask Jesus into your heart. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you as the Truth today. Why wait another day? Repent of your sins, ask Jesus to set you free and bring you into sonship with the Father.

It’s Personal

February 19, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]” –John 16:7

While speaking to His disciples, Jesus said the above. His point? Not even death will keep Him from being with those the Father has given Him—His Beloved Bride. His disciples. You and me. “…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” –Matthew 28:20. He is the eternal One: The Alpha and Omega, God’s Logos. Bound by no-thing, nor anybody. He is our Promise Keeper—All-Seeing and All-Knowing. Time cannot constrain God, nor can flesh and bone, angel nor demon hide anything from Him who stands outside of the very time He created. Nothing is hidden from He who imagined and fashioned the flesh and bone, blood, cells, and sinew that uphold us. “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.”–Psalm 139.1-4.

This Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God exists at once, within all His children.

Jesus had to look His beloved friends square in the eye and tell them; He would soon be leaving them, physically, that is. Have you ever stopped to consider how Jesus’s disciples felt hearing such news? Jesus knew His return to the Father would bless His friends. Being fully God and fully man, He knew the pain His words brought to His friends. I can only imagine that Jesus took some measure of comfort in knowing it was for their betterment. But sitting there in what indeed may have been a moment of slack-jawed silence, fear, and pain, Jesus’ disciples, had not one clue that soon and very soon, His Holy Spirit would be living within them, always.

In my anemic imaginings, I can almost feel the leaded gut-punch of Jesus’ statement landing squarely against His disciple’s defenseless hearts, lacerating them. And while pausing to imagine my brothers’ emotional states, I was reminded of yet another brother who had experienced similar pain, King David. I was reminded of his desperate anguish before the Lord. David had an illicit affair with Bathsheba then ordered Uriah, her husband, to be sent into a fierce battle, ensuring he would die there on the front line. David’s sin was great, and God had temporarily withdrawn His spirit from David. So, in a desperate, heartrending plea, David cried out to God r forgiveness, not to take His Holy Spirit from him—remember that? Unrelated to Jesus’ disciples, but akin in similar emotion; the fear of losing God.

I can empathize, can’t you? In allowing myself to imagine my life without God’s Holy Spirit living in me, at the helm of my life, a desperate panic grips my heart.

How could I live without the Holy Spirit’s comforting? His Ever-present-ness? His leading and guiding, opening, closing, correcting, and realigning, without His whisperings? His merciful, unmerited kindness? Without His friendship and unfathomable love? Even allowing myself to examine these vain imaginings is unnerving. Losing God’s Holy Spirit is as inconceivable to me as losing some piece of me; a leg, arm, or eye—being struck mute suddenly or going blind. Yet far more piercing even than any of these. I could live minus anyone of them. I would be the walking dead minus God’s Holy Spirit alive in me. And I experientially know this because I was the walking dead in my not-so-distant past.

Yet despite the pain I know Jesus’ disciples experienced, I, for one, thank Him for His unswerving obedience to our Father. For His physically coming into this world and physically leaving it as well. If you are God’s child, His Holy Spirit alive in you, then I am sure you are thank-full as well. We, my true brothers and sisters and I, scattered across the globe, millions each united as one now in Christ, by His Holy Spirit alive in us. Jesus loved us enough to leave us—bodily, that is.“…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” –Matthew 28:20.

As our Great High Priest, Jesus accomplished His work here on earth through His sacrificial death and resurrection. The Blood of God’s Perfect, Spotless Lamb, shed for the sins of the whole world. Having resurrected, He is our Great High Priest forever, seated now at the Father’s Right hand, as Intercessor He pleads our cause and presents our offerings before God. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” –Hebrews 4:14-15.

Back now, to Jesus and His disciples. We will continue looking at John, Chapter Sixteen, digging a bit deeper. But before we do, to recap: Jesus had just told His disciples He was leaving. It was time for Him to return to the Father. Not leaving them hopeless, Jesus promised them He would send a “Helper” His Holy Spirit. Jesus knew the work the Father had sent Him to do was nearing completion—His Cross before Him now.

In John Sixteen, starting in verse Eight, Jesus begins to unfold “why” the Holy Spirit is coming.

In part, He is sent into this world to convict it—of its sin and God’s righteous judgment, also, of the coming judgment. And in verse thirteen, Jesus reveals even more of the “why.” He goes on to say that when the “Spirit of Truth” comes, He will guide us, you, me, every Blood-bought believer in Jesus Christ, into all Truth. Seemingly, and in part, this Truth is the “so much more” Jesus spoke of in verse twelve? While in verses thirteen and fourteen, Jesus assures His friends that when the Holy Spirit begins to reveal future events to them, they can trust His voice—His leading, counsel, His revelation. Why? Because the wisdom of the One to come flows directly from Him. Jesus is His Source. Remember, up to this point, Jesus’ disciples have only known, trusted, relied on Him, Jesus’ voice, His teaching. So Jesus assures his friends that the Holy Spirit only speaks what He has received from Him, and that Jesus speaks only from what He receives from God. Triune Unity. “I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it” –John 12:49.

Perhaps penning the Revelation from Jesus while exiled on the Isle of Patmos, John remembered Jesus having spoken these very Words? But I stray.

In verse fifteen, we witness Jesus make plain the greatest mystery ever shared with humanity: The mystery of The Trinity. Here, Jesus makes plain yet deepens the Truth He has been speaking to his disciples from the beginning, He and the Father are One. Jesus now broadens their understanding of this marvelous mystery by including the Holy Spirit in this Oneness.

For the past three and a half years, His friends have solely depended on Jesus. Relied on Him to reveal, teach, expound on, point the way toward the Truth. Towards God and His Kingdom plan. They have witnessed Jesus’ miracles, healing the sick, lame, and blind, bringing the dead to life. Yet the disciple’s pain and disbelief, coupled with their yet limited spiritual understanding, momentarily prevents them from fully understanding that Jesus is not deserting them. Instead, He is passing the proverbial baton to the Holy Spirit. The One who will be with them now, living in them, always. They yet to understand that the work of the Holy Spirit is, in part, to point them, and all those who will come to belong to Jesus, “into all Truth.”

That He will spread God’s Truth globally, by revealing Christ, God’s Logos, person by person; the work of the Holy Spirit is nothing if not personal. And being one of those to whom He has revealed Christ, I thank God for my very personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. I thank God for the engagement ring Jesus slipped on my finger in the person of His Holy Spirit alive in me. Christ’s assurance He will fulfill the promise He made me, returning to bring me to where He is, eternally. And so, I wait. We wait, family. Assured and hope full—we are never alone. “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given to Me [as Your gift to Me], may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world” –John 17:24.

Friend, Jesus died that you might have eternal life, live each day with His Holy Spirit alive in you. Leading and guiding and strengthening you—regardless of sins you may have committed. Won’t you ask Jesus to be Lord of your life today? Confess your sins and be saved!

Through Love, Part 2.

December 18, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

In Part One of “Through Love,” I shared a specific prayer request with you. I had asked God for more opportunities to share the Gospel at my workplace. With my colleagues, I shared the Truth of Jesus amid workplace Halloween activities. While I was not necessarily preaching to them, I did uncompromisingly share the truth of how God’s nature conflicts with a holiday that does not point to the love, light, and peace of who God is.

In my workplace environment, I am often reminded of the bible verse found in 1 Peter 3:15-16, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander’.” As a follower of Jesus Christ I must be prepared, suited in the armor of God, ready always, to defend my faith with gentleness and respect. Moreover, I must be bold in sharing the Truth of God’s Word, even if it makes those who yet believe feel uncomfortable. It has become clear that the profession and defense of my faith in Jesus will not always be easy and will be met with challenges more frequently than not. Yet if I fix my gaze on an eternal perspective, however challenging any situation may feel in the moment, the challenge in no way compares to the possibility that God’s Truth may turn someone’s heart, leading them to faith in Jesus Christ.

Another way the Lord responded to my prayer request concerning ministering in my workplace was when He instructed me to connect with others during lunchtime. There are times; frankly, I do not enjoy breaking bread with my colleagues at work because the conversations too often revolve around gossip. The bible states, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” –Ephesians 4:29.

For instance, during lunchtime with a group of work friends, I began listening to one coworker gossip about her dislikes of an executive leader in our company. While everyone jumped in in agreement, I gently challenged them by asking, “Have you considered the possibility that this person may be going through something at home and brought it into work? Or they are making decisions from business pressures we may know nothing about? Before we judge, I think it’s good to know the source.” The conversation certainly shifted because my questions did not come from a place of agreement, rather a position of challenge. Hopefully, one that allowed them to see how a thrilling chat about someone while feeling or seeming harmless carried judgment with it instead. Proverbs 18:13 says, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

In other more positive instances during lunch, just being in contact and available to break bread has led work colleagues to approach me for advice or with their questions about the Bible. In those moments, I think about Jesus Christ and how His contact with so many folks in the Bible led them to receive His life-changing grace. We can preach all the Truth in the Bible; however, it is essential to come in contact and draw close to those who have not learned or experienced the gospel message. We draw near in the hopes that they may be drawn in.

I think about how Jesus encountered Mary Magdalene, a woman possessed by seven demons. In comparison, the Pharisees skipped over those like Mary. But not Jesus. He knew of her situation, who she was, what she had done, yet He was nonetheless compassionate towards Mary. He saw her. Mary Magdalene was not passed over with disgust by Jesus. Jesus proved His love, healing power, and care, which radically changed her. Mary became one of Jesus’ followers. And ` I think about how Jesus, aware of Zacchaeus being a tax-collecting thief, had dinner with him. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” –Luke 19: 5-7.

No one wanted to dine with a tax collector, yet before addressing his sin of stealing, Jesus did eat with him. The Bible tells us that after his encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus gave half of his goods to the poor. “And Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much” –Luke 19:8. And I think about the woman at the well. She was a foreign woman, living in sexual sin, yet before addressing her sin, Jesus first offered her His living Water. And immediately after her encounter with Jesus, the Samaritan woman ran back to her community, exclaiming her experience with Jesus. Her faithfulness led others to believe in Jesus.

In each of these biblical accounts, I realized Jesus, being fully aware of their sins, first proved His love and compassion towards them before He addressed their sins. “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinner, Christ died for us” –Romans 5:8. And, through these accounts, the Lord has reminded me that the opportunities I so desire to share about His good news at my workplace are often linked to my sitting down and first connecting with people.

Regardless of what I know of the person or how I may feel towards them, only the Holy Spirit is fully aware of their hearts. Yet, our genuine connection with others makes room for the Gospel to enter and be at work in their hearts. Sharing the Gospel is not about insisting on being correct like the Pharisees, not on being theologically right; instead, it is about demonstrating genuine care, compassion, dignity, and a listening ear. It is incredible how the teachings of Jesus were always modeled on love. And how they teach us about the power and effectiveness of how far a gentle, compassionate, and respectful response can go.

Sharing and demonstrating the Good News of Jesus Christ is at times challenging; however, as Christians, we are commanded to tell others about Jesus Christ. And it is His Holy Spirit at work in us who empowers us to do the work with which we have been entrusted. Honestly, the more I share, the more confident I become. “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety” –Proverbs 29:25.

The Lord called me to Himself through someone who showed this compassion when they spoke to me about God’s love. Instead of judging me, they showed compassion, allowing my heart to be receptive to the gospel message. If you are a believer, I pray that you will not hold back from sharing Jesus with others. Be confident, be obedient, be loving. If ever there was a time to speak about the One who is The Light in the ever-increasing darkness, it is now!

If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, ask Him to reveal Himself to you now. Admit and confess that you are a sinner in need of His rescue, guidance, and love in your life. Ask Him to send godly people into your life to support and encourage you. And pray that He opens your ears and heart to be able to understand His Word. God is inviting you to come to Him. Open the door of your heart to the One who loves you and created you in His image. Who died for you—has a purpose and plan for your life. I pray you fully commit your life to Jesus! Trust me; it will be the best decision you will ever make!

His Love Transforms.

December 11, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” –Romans 12:2.

This Advent, let us call to mind the true reason for celebrating the Christmas season. As you wrap your gifts in festive, embossed papers, in like fashion, allow your heart and mind to be enveloped in this Truth:

At just the right time, God stepped across time as we understand it and wrapped His Holy Majesty in human flesh—in the person of His Son, our Lord, Jesus; giving this world, giving you, the most precious, costly gift you will ever receive. Then, being wrapped in milk rags, He was laid in a manger, Emmanuel—God with us. Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” –John 14:9.

And why this gift of Emmanuel—God with us? John 3:16 makes abundantly clear God’s overarching reason for His freely giving us His only Son “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” –John 3:16.

Simply put, God loves you.

And because He loves you, today, right now, right where you are in your addiction, in your hotbed of adultery, in your homosexual lifestyle. In the middle of your messed up relationship and dysfunctional family mess. In your inability to decide whether you are male or female, white, brown, or black. Wherever you may find yourself today, regardless of how far removed you may feel from God—He wants you back. He wants to have a loving, committed relationship with you.

You see, sin separates us from actively partaking in a loving relationship with God.

Our sins create a barrier of sorts, a gaping divide separating us from God and prohibiting us from reaching out to the very One who can save us. Only God, being drawn to the one whose heart is crying out in sincere repentance, can break through, closing off such divides—sealing them shut, eternally, with His eternal Love, forgiveness. His healing, cleansing, and restoration. “I will ·forgive them for [be merciful with regard to] ·the wicked things they did [their unrighteousness/wickedness], and I will not remember their sins anymore”—Jer. 31:31–34; Luke 22:20. Accepting Jesus as Lord is the only way for a relationship with the Father to be restored. Jesus’ Life, death, and resurrection are what make this restoration possible. We, sin-full man, must sincerely say yes to God by accepting the free gift of His Son, Jesus. At that moment, an exchange occurs. Jesus’ Righteousness, His Right standing with God, is placed over us, covering our every sin, and we are, our Spirit man, made new—washed clean in Jesus’ Pure Blood. Jesus’ Righteousness covers us, much like the robe the Father wrapped about the shoulders of his prodigal, wayward son.

Now, when God looks at us, He no longer sees our sin; instead, He sees Jesus, the Spotless One sacrificed in our place on Calvary’s Cross. “The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet” –Luke 15:21-22.

So, what does all of this have to do with us, now—today?

Simply put, it means the same thing it has always meant. God is Immutable—unchanging; giving and transforming is part of His character. God’s Living Word assures us of this Truth. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” Hebrews 13:8.

Scripture makes clear that God so loved you and me that He could not stay away from us one second longer. He chose to come, the Bible says, “in the fullness of time,” and give us, provide us with, a clearly marked path back to Himself. How exactly? Through our acceptance of the free gift of His Son—Jesus. “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons”—Galatians 4:4-5.

Hence, why we celebrate Christmas, the day the Lord declared “the fullness of time” had come, and in fulfillment of the Scriptures, a God-man was born to a virgin named Mary and His earthly father, Joseph. That holy night, a host of angels broke through a thick night sky to proclaim the birth of this long-awaited Messiah to lowly shepherds tending their sheep in a town most assumed nothing good could ever come from—Bethlehem. It means “house of bread.” How fitting then that the Bread of Life be born in that place. And a star unlike any other led those lowly shepherds and Three Wise men from afar off, to the very spot this newborn babe lay, in a manger. “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh” –John 6:50-51.

But what about today’s Scripture verse? How does Jesus’ birth connect to our minds being transformed and renewed and our relationship with God restored?

In part, I will answer the second part of this question; rather, Scripture will, before looping around to answer the first, where I will close out this week’s teaching.

As I touched on earlier, Scripture makes plain that the only way we can be restored into a right relationship with God the Father is by accepting His Son, Jesus, into our hearts. When we recognize we are sinners and are willing to humble ourselves before a holy God, asking His forgiveness. Then, as with the prodigal, God will wash us clean of the filth we have allowed to cling to us. Surrendering our will for His in that instant, we are made new. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants”‘ –Luke 15:17-19.

The moment we accept Jesus, God deposits within us His Holy Spirit—God slips an engagement ring on our finger, in you will.

His unbreakable promise that we are His Bride forevermore. Snatched out of the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of this world, forever to reside in the Kingdom of our God. This is the heart of the Gospel—The Good News! That we, sinful men, have been afforded the unfathomable privilege to partner with a Holy God, through Jesus’ Life, death, and resurrection, to carry this Truth, a Light in this present darkness, to all men, just as Jesus did. “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.

You just read that the very moment we say yes to Jesus, God deposits His Holy Spirit within us. God takes up residence in us. We are now one with God. His residing in us a mystery far too great for finite understanding to fully take in—but it is, nonetheless, True. “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him” –Ephesians 1:14.

Since Jesus is The Truth, alternately, there must be a counterfeit.

This leads us to the Bible’s answering just how our minds are renewed. God’s Holy Spirit living within us enables us to test, to challenge, as Romans 12:2 states, every other spirit and voice that attempts to come against us—attempts to speak into our lives, to misdirect us, leading us astray. “…that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” Jesus Himself attests to this Truth. Listen now, in John Chapter 10, Jesus uses sheep to illustrate this powerful Truth to His disciples, how those who are His can hear and discern His voice, that they will know and follow Jesus—only. “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:4-5;27.

Friend, if you celebrate Christmas yet have not asked “the reason for the season”—Jesus, into your heart, I pray you do that right now. I can promise you, as one who has asked Him into my own heart and life, that you will receive the most Life-changing, extraordinary of Gifts –a relationship with Jesus now. His Spirit living in you, and eternity spent in His presence. The Precious Gift of God’s Holy Spirit at work in you is the only gift that truly keeps on giving

Who Better Than The Master?

October 23, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability” –Matthew 25:14-15.

The same God of Springs burgeoning, embryotic buds and the verdant, leafy fullness of summer is the very same God of Fall’s brilliant, swirling colors and their seemingly final, fiery farewell, a showy changing of the guard really. He’s also the same God of the outward barren-ness of winter’s stark, snow-kissed branch, a masterful illusion. And, though diverse certainly, their bond and connection are their similarities—they’re seasons, each.

Each one, God’s gift to us, each bringing with it its own lessons, favor, and challenges; yet, if we’re wise, we will drink deeply from their unique cups—draining them dry across the span of our lifetimes, so as not to miss one precious drop of all God desires to teach us throughout our cyclical seasons, those of our holding on to, and of our letting go.

God entrusts each season with its unique lessons, expecting each to unfold them before us within their allotted time.

I was walking my dog as I do every morning, just drinking in the beauty of the sun playing in the treetops. I was admiring all the trees changing colors, no longer stark-thick green but so many now, red-tipped, others yellow, orange, others still, mixed variants of all the above. It was apparent that the season had changed. Yet behind the continued summer-like warmth of the waning sun on my face, a mask of sorts, laid the noticeable. Actual Fall had arrived. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and I was caught in a shower of falling leaves.

And, just as suddenly, God spoke: “Harvest season is over. It’s no longer time to reap; it’s time to store up, be a good steward over all of your resources.” I recognized my Father’s voice and sensed in my spirit, The good Stewart, that God was referring to managing, investing wisely, all of what’s He’s entrusted to us in this new season, hence our Scripture verse.

This Word is meant to prepare us—forewarn us, if you will, of something yet to come.

Whether that be a lean season on its way? —Think Joseph in Egypt here, some sudden turn in our societal or personal economy. Some collective “pinch” that will be felt across the Body of Christ or the globe? Or, perhaps, it had nothing to do with finances at all. But instead, it concerns the use of our talents and our time? Or, at the risk of sounding too vague, all the above? To tell you, “Thus said the Lord… it’s all about your money….” I’d be lying. Yet, as any watchman must, I’m sharing with you what God clearly said to me. And so, I encourage you to seek the Lord, asking Him how this Word, His Word, applies explicitly to your walk with Him in this season. ‘The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns” –Luke 12:42-43.

I would hate not to obey a Word from God because I’ve foolishly allowed myself to become deluded. Believing, unwisely, that I’ve somehow figured out how it is God will next move—as if a mere formula or His past acts could ever bind, or alter somehow, how God may choose to move, now, in this season!

Satan was once that puffed up, thinking he had God all figured out. But on the third day, when Jesus’ tomb was found empty, Satan discovered he’d been mistaken! So, to those standing outside of Noah’s Ark as the rain began to fall. God forbid, any such delusion be allowed the slightest room to grow within me, within any child of God—like some invasive, poisonous weed. Just because I’ve been walking with Jesus for some years now, I pray I never come close to thinking; pridefully, I have things figured out. More, foolishly believing, God’s “Living Word” has somehow lost its “Living-ness” due to my knowledge of it. That God’s ability to do as He pleases, whenever He so pleases, His being Sovereign, has ceased somehow?

Here’s what I know with fixed certainty, what I’ve been sent here today to tell you, confirm, for many I’m sure: the season has changed.

Our time of “squandering” God’s provisions, be they financial, His gifts, talents, His Gospel message, or the time we’re afforded—these being different for each of us (five bags, two bags, one bag) is well over. Soon and very soon, we will stand before the Master of the house and be asked to give an account of how we invested, nurtured, managed everything and everyone entrusted to us. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them” –Matthew 25:19. The Parable of the Bags of Gold clarifies for us the outcomes of those whom God had entrusted with His possessions. If you’re not familiar with this Parable, I will encourage you to go to Matthew’s Gospel and read Chapter 25 in its entirety.

I know with certainty this Word is a Word in season for me, yet I felt led to share it with you as well. I pray it is a confirming Word. And I pray that you will seek the Lord for His direction and guidance, allowing Him full and unfettered access to every “good thing” He alone has provided you. I pray you to entrust it all back into His Sovereign, capable hands, having used it wisely, invested it well. Who better than the Master of our house, after all, to instruct us in its optimal running? “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” –Matthew 25:26-29.

Friend, if you’ve read this far yet don’t know Jesus personally, you can no longer say that He’s never spoken to your heart. The very fact that you’re reading this now is because Jesus has led you and kept you here. He is talking to you, pursuing you, right now. Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. Won’t you invite Him to come into your heart, that He might share more of Himself with you? “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” – Revelation 3:20.

A New Heart, a New Life.

September 18, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” – 1 Corinthians 1:18.

It was June of 2009, and every few minutes, I peeked through the auditorium to see if there were open seats available for when my family would arrive. Dominican families have struggled to be punctual for events, that at this point, it’s been accepted as a cultural norm. I was anxious about their arrival and worried they would miss most of the ceremony. Patiently waiting in an uncomfortably warm foyer while wearing a cap and gown sure didn’t help with my internalized bundle of nerves, especially since I was asked to deliver a speech. My mind was in disarray from reading over my speech lines, wrestling with my gown in the muggy air, engaging in sidebar conversations while anxiously waiting for my family’s arrival. From a distance, a few minutes shy from the start of the graduation ceremony, I recognized my family members walking towards the venue. “Yes!” I thought loudly inside my head. A few minutes after their arrival, the loud processional music played. As I walked into the auditorium, with the classical music in the background playing, what felt like a frozen, shrink of time, the faces of everyone in the crowd disappeared. I envisioned my future in a small window of my thoughts, standing behind a podium, like I was prepared to do, delivering a moving speech like a politician—end memory.

I asked, “Lord, why are you having my mind revisit this episode of my life, and so detailed for that matter?” The Lord responded, “To show you how much has changed. To show you how much you’ve grown.” I admit I had to sit with this memory for hours to reflect on my changes and growth. With more profound reflection, I realized how distant I felt from that version of myself. In high school, I became consumed with politics, and the envision of moving people’s emotions through political means was a pursuit I obsessed about. That high school version of me wanted grandiose plans to reform the world as a politician, and my family persuaded me to travel that dream path into college. In college was where my fiery passion for politics became dim in exchange for the study of theology. Unlike high school, my college setting introduced me to the gospel and the pursuit of new dreams. My political goals dried up like a raisin in the sun. While I still had a few more years ahead of me to understanding, developing, and committing a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ, it became more precise in what God revealed to me in saying, “To show you how much you’ve grown.”

You see, before I truly knew about Jesus Christ, I was very self-absorbed and prideful. It was the love of my achievements and personal aggrandizement that controlled me. My daily bread was my success of traveling and speaking in various places, earning good grades, and being granted many awards. And while they were all great deeds, the pursuit of worldly pleasures never leaves you satisfied, for there is always a hunger for more. I relate to the bible passage that says, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was my reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” –Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.

The more I pondered the precise remembrance of speaking behind a podium as a future politician; it became ever so clear. The Holy Spirit revealed that “growth” had more to do with my heart behind the podium. Behind the podium of this vision was a 17-year-old heart plagued with selfishness, entitlement, and pride, and like a heart surgeon that grafts a healthy artery to a blocked one; since that time, it has been the grafting of the holy spirit that has brought fresh blood into my heart. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” –Ezekiel 36:26. Behind the podium was a heart that desired and lived in the pursuit for the applause of men. But the applause of men is short-lived, whereas the applause of God rings for all eternity! “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” –Galatians 1:10.

To put it simply, Christ in me changed me and continues to. My heart becomes tender when I think of how the Lord saw my prideful, 17-year-old heart, and yet in His faithful nature remained close for my heart’s return to Him. In the moments where my stone-cold, wintered heart abstained from anything related to Him, it was the extension of His unexplainable blessings over my life that summered my soul, one piece at a time. In the moments where my rebellious heart basked in the things that grieved God’s heart, it was to Him my heart searched for help when I didn’t want to confront the inevitable, uncomfortable consequences of my actions. And when my heavy tears cascaded down my cheeks, in a dark room of despair, it was the hearing that He keeps track of my sorrows that brought me comfort, even if it didn’t last for the entire day. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” Psalm 56:8.

He saw me, He heard me, and He lifted me out of the slimy pit I made and carried my heavy, orphaned body to shelter. It has been His presence that has stood as my fortress and the place my soul delights taking residence. It’s been His love and His rescue of myself where the posture and dreams of my heart changed. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” –Corinthians 5:17.

Since that high school memory, a lot has changed besides my dreams. I changed, thankfully. My gratifying desires have been exchanged for a life devoted to magnifying the heart and life of Christ. My heart’s content is no longer amassed with rebellion and pride but instead with humility and selflessness. How can the Holy Spirit enter in me and yet, continue to live like the world? I live for the eternal gratification of pleasing the Lord, and it is His applause and standing ovation that remains fixed as my eternal reward. Evidently, the Lord did so much work in my life, and while it took years, He was patient and faithful, and I am thankful and joyful because of it. And, since you’re reading this, be assured that the Lord knows your life’s end from the beginning. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from the ancient times the things that are not yet done…” –Isaiah 46:10. The maker of heaven and earth, your creator, designed you with intention and purpose, according to His will. Surrendering your plans and dying off yourself may feel wild, but the satisfaction of that act is beyond anything the world has ever tried to offer. I pray that you open your heart up to God so that He may do “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” – 1 Corinthians 1:18

“Even if we as clay are broken by the very hand of the Potter, know that you’re in good hands and you are His” –Jeremiah 18.

I found treasure in His heart more than my dreams. I chose the narrow way, and it has made all the difference. I pray for you to seek His heart above all things and allow it to wonderfully change the course of your life as it did with mine. And, if you have not invited Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, I encourage you to do that today. Repent of your sins and ask God into your heart, and trust that He will make all things new in your life.

Do Everything In Love, Part 2.

August 21, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Let everything you do be done in love (motivated and inspired by God’s love for us)” – 1 Corinthians 16:14.

A few weeks ago, while asking for guidance on what to teach, the Holy Spirit directed me to the refreshingly simple and profound message of doing everything in love. Immediately, I was filled with the Lord’s peace and joy, and I smiled at God’s gentle reminder and His answer to my prayer. Not long before having sought the Lord’s guidance, I’d been doing a bit of mental juggling. I was trying to determine the most effective way to share the knowledge of Jesus Christ with someone I know. God’s reminder to do “everything in love” reminded me that sometimes I might overcomplicate things in my head regarding the “how” I’ll share the reality of Jesus Christ with others. Forgetting at times the Word of God makes clear “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord’ –Isaiah 55:8.

I was focused on capturing this person’s attention while in His infinite mercy and grace; God wants to transform their heart and life, bringing them from death into life, knowing full well their mind will surely follow.

By this, I was reminded of Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church. He had reminded them to focus on their love for God, for from that love, that starting place, they would then flow in genuine love, affection, and honor towards each other. The Bible says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). Paul’s heart, purpose, and his calling were, in part, to point both the Church in Corinth and us towards the love of God—just as Jesus did. The Bible is replete with examples of Jesus directing both His disciples and those He taught in the Synagogues towards the love of the Father. Christ came, gave His life, that we might be restored into right relationship with God. Scripture makes clear that Jesus’ love was sacrificial, compassionate, truthful, servant-hearted, counter-cultural, selfless, and that it remains revolutionary and life-changing even unto today. The power that enabled Jesus to “do everything in love” is the very same power that indwells every born-again believer allowing us to do the same miracles Jesus did. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” –John 14:12.

So in an everyday practical sense, what does it look like to do “everything in love”?

Above all else, it is spending one-on-one time with God. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” –1 John 4:8. Our time spent drinking in God’s Word allows it to take deep root; marinate within us, if you will, whether through praying, confessing, listening, dancing, or singing praises unto Him. Our time spent with God will fill our minds with the knowledge of Him and fill our hearts with a deeper understanding of His enhancing Love. The more we dwell in God’s presence, the more we learn the nature of our God, the more too, we ought to be reflecting that same heart towards others through our deeds, actions, and attitudes—a living proof to the world around us of the Light that lives within us.

With the above as our starting point, next, we do “everything in love” by meeting people right where they are. Right at their “well.” Exactly as Jesus did when He met the Samaritan woman where she was—standing in her sin and shame beside Jacob’s well. Yet God did not leave her there, and neither should we. Just as Jesus did, we too must share Living water with all those we meet, giving them God’s Word—His eternal Truth—because only Jesus can satisfy the deepest longings of their soul. So following Jesus’ lead, we too must meet people right where they are. Regardless of their lifestyle, circumstance, or societal status. Our job is to love people and to speak the Truth of God’s Word in love, with compassion and kindness, pointing everyone we meet towards their Savior. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” –Matthew 9:36.

We do “everything in love” by being patient, kind, honorable, and truthful to others. The Bible states that “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” Corinthians 13:4-8.

So sometimes, doing “everything in love” means encouraging one another, speaking life into those who are battle-weary. Or it can also mean speaking that hard Truth to someone because we love them, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” Proverbs 27:5. To “Do everything in love” means that to the best of our ability, we must love as God loves. Our hearts ought to be compelled to love this way because God first loved us in this way. He loved/loves us unconditionally, graciously, mercifully, patiently, with tender, loving-kindness, and He demonstrates each of these to us still, “Let everything you do be done in love (motivated and inspired by God’s love for us).” – 1 Corinthians 16:14 [AMP]

Why Love? Because love draws us close, makes us come alive, extinguishes fear, guides us, frees us, and compels us. And so, I pray that every chance you get, every window of opportunity opened to you, whether in speech or deed, you demonstrate, cultivate, point, or redirect others to the love of Jesus Christ.

And I pray that when you do, the glory of God shines even more brightly from you, being magnified all the more because of Him who dwells within you, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” 1 John 4:12. I could talk forever about love because it is a beautiful emotion and is made all the more powerful when it’s put into action to accomplish God’s will. God, the maker of heaven and earth, knitted that element of His divine nature into humanity’s DNA, and it’s that force, that spark of the Divine, Him with us all, that stirs us from within and is used to birth within us the desire to pursue Him—to answer His Call.

It can be challenging to demonstrate God’s love to those we feel are undeserving of it in our flesh.

Thankfully, as Christians, we live by faith and Truth and not according to our carnal feelings—at least we ought to be living that way. And because of this, we choose to live differently than those in the world around us, not being guided by how we feel; instead, we rely upon the Holy Spirit to empowers us to “do everything in love” despite ourselves. Not because we are superior in any way, no. It is because we live with the undeniable knowledge that one second before Jesus revealed His Love for us, to us, we too lived the way those in the world do. And as undeserving as we are, God still continues to demonstrate His love to us daily. If only we exercised more love, perhaps our homes would flourish, and our world would be a more loving place.

So, it’s because of Jesus, because He first loved us, loves us still, that we choose to live in such a way as pleases God. So be reminded, fellow believers, that we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. As such, everything we do, from our thinking to our words, ought to be rooted and motivated by Godly Love. I know of no other love like this. There is no other love like the love of Jesus. And so I pray that if you haven’t accepted Jesus into your heart, you’ll do it today! That today is your day to receive and experience God’s unconditional love for you. “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” –Revelation 3:19-21.

Face it, Afraid.

August 14, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

I found myself on the shoreline of the most beautiful beach I’d ever seen; one might call it by happy accident. With only one way in and one way out, you’d never know this beautiful beach was even there except fate lead you, as it did me, and, once discovered, it was truly a sight to behold. Encircling the steep shoreline were cliffs that hold back an ocean that seemed to come alive as the wonder of what lies beneath its surface beckons onlookers. Copper sand sifted between my toes while my curiosity led me down the steep coastline that continued to descend rapidly into the water, a swimmer’s dream. With its splintered walls and four decaying posts, a hut stood not too far in front of me. It served as a resting spot for tired surfers and swimmers. “There is no way that thing is safe,” I thought as I observed the veteran swimmers hop up onto its deck. I could sense the power of the ocean as its banks tried their best to hold all that power back just long enough for me to be able to absorb the beauty before me. But the feeble ability of the shoreline proved no match for the powerful might of the ocean. So, its efforts at holding back the more sea didn’t last awfully long.

The receding water was the ocean’s way of communicating that trouble was on the way, or so I thought. I sensed impending doom. A tsunami-type wave was approaching. Panicking, I RAN to try and get everyone to safety. To hurry them out towards the only tiny opening available for everyone to escape through. This once beautiful oasis quickly became my nightmare. And yet, no one else seemed phased by this enormous wave that was mounting up higher now than my eyes could see over. Then, just as that terrifying wave crashed, I woke up, heart pounding, gasping for air!

In my dreams, I found myself on this beach several more times. Each time I wondered what my being there meant. On one such night, I pushed the limits of my fear and feelings of doom and just stood on the shoreline. And this time, like everyone else in the dream, I didn’t move when the wave finally came. Yet the anxiety that stood with me in my dream felt as powerful as that tsunami-wave had looked, and it told me it had come to take me away. And just as I braced for its crash, nothing. Nothing happened to me. The wave crashed, and it didn’t take me out. It didn’t destroy the hut, and everyone else just continued with their day.

The once anxiety-inducing tsunami, which had become a regular occurrence in my dreams, lost its power once I faced it afraid.

I’ve shared this dream in-depth with you because it marked me. Since I was a child, I have found comfort in the Bible stories of Joseph of Samuel. If you read their stories, the former proves that God can speak to us in dreams, and the latter proves that His voice is not partial to adults. Yes, even children can hear His voice, just as young Samuel did in the Old Testament. Like Joseph, I believe God was teaching me something about bravery in my dream.

Anxiety can often feel as real, terrifying, and overwhelming, inescapable, and larger than life, as that wave in my dream felt to me. But alas, God is not surprised by our anxiety or stress. He is aware of this very human condition and gives us guidance on how to handle it—with Him. In Joshua, we find a young man who has suddenly been raised to power in the wake of his predecessor, Moses, death. God is about to lead His people (the Israelites) into the land He promised to them. But before Joshua can get his men ready for battle, the Lord God gives him explicit instructions and a directive: Be “strong and courageous.” In fact, God gives Joshua this same directive three times within Joshua, Chapter One. God knew that this would be a high anxiety situation for him. Any human heading into battle, weighing victory or defeat, would be anxious imagining what lies ahead.

I imagine God knew Joshua’s mental state of mind required one of the greatest pep talks we see in the Old Testament. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” -Joshua 1:7-9.

Culture tells us that we can’t help feeling anxious. We can’t do anything to help with our anxious thoughts. It tells us that we can’t control what we think or feel. But this verse says otherwise. Within it, God instructs Joshua to go against his anxious thoughts and feelings and choose strength and courage instead!

Now, I’m not saying we’ll never have moments of fear or anxiety, but I am saying this: God will always give us the power not to have live-in, stay stuck in our anxiety. Through His Word, He gives us the tools not to allow our emotions to cripple us. Instead, He empowers us to face our fears with courage and strength. It’s as if this passage is our “how-to” on living courageously.

Obedience is at the helm of God’s instruction.

After telling Joshua to be strong and courageous, the next thing God tells Joshua is to “obey all the law Moses gave” (v. 7). Remember, before his death, Moses, one of the most important prophets of all time, was Joshua’s mentor. The laws that Moses passed on were given to him directly from God himself. So when God tells Joshua to obey Moses’ law, God is, in fact, telling Joshua to obey His law. There is order. God didn’t give Joshua a new set of laws; He told him to honor what had already been set before him. Furthermore, God tells Joshua not to “turn to the left or the right” (v. 7), speaking of having a singular focus. If Joshua had allowed the many voices that I’m sure were clamoring for his attention to distract him, he wouldn’t have been able to fix his focus on God and was He was speaking to him. So what is the takeaway? First, we must obey the Word of the Lord. Not looking to the right or left, we must focus solely on Him, honoring His commands.

The next thing outlined in this passage; we find in verse 8. God reiterates His first point: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” In this world riddled with distraction, it is easy to forget what the Truth is. We hear numerous self-affirmations, motivational speakers’ thoughts and ideas, and good vibes sayings, and we almost believe those things to be the truth. Yet so much of what the world says is true does not align with God’s perfect Truth. To give one example, how many times do we hear, “do what makes you feel good?” But the Bible says this regarding the world’s truth: “the heart is deceitful above all things” -Jeremiah 17:9. This Truth is just one of the many such examples found in Scripture concerning our feelings. Yet, in this one verse, we learn that although something may “feel good,” that doesn’t always mean it’s the right thing to do. Truth is found only in God’s Word. So if you are searching for The Truth, not others’ opinions or some feel-good message, spend time learning the Truth found in the Word of God. Listen to Godly podcasts and read books that will help you to grow in your faith.

Spend time in prayer. It is there, and only there, where God promises you will be prosperous and successful.

Finally, God seals this segment by promising Joshua His presence. He’s not giving Joshua an ultimatum in it by saying, “only if you’re not afraid, will I be with you,” or “don’t be afraid, or else I won’t be with you.” I understand this instead to be a comforting saying, “I’m with you; therefore, you have nothing to be afraid of.”

When I was younger, the house I lived in with my parents was located within the woods. I was so afraid of the dark. I would not go outside by myself under any circumstance. Yet, whenever my dad was with me, my story changed. I had nothing to be afraid of if dad were with me because I knew he would take care of anything that might attack or harm me. I think this is the same sense of security that God was trying to instill in Joshua. God gives Joshua his instructions, and then God rewards Joshua’s obedience with His presence. A presence that did not and does not fail—any of us.

Maybe you’re in a place where you feel you can’t face the waves of anxiety that are coming at you in life. Yet if you’d dare to stand on the shore and allow yourself the experience that the wave won’t kill you, after all, you’d find that fear truly doesn’t have to own you. Maybe you’re like Joshua, and you need to be reminded several times over to be strong and courageous in your present circumstance? Whatever it is, the apostle Paul reminds you to “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” -Philippians 4:6.

So if you’re anxious or fearful today, I encourage you to respond to your fear with prayer. Respond by reading and meditating on the Word of God. Start by surrendering your heart, whether for the first or the hundredth time and humble yourself before God. Repent of your sins. Ask God for His forgiveness and that He leads you in His ways. Pray these verses to God. And as you dedicate time to learn His Word and commands, He will bless and prosper your faith. I pray your heart’s desire is for God to be with you all the days of your life. I pray that you find the courage to face your wave and fulfill the God-given purpose you were created to, even if it means you do it afraid.

And, if you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart and life as Lord and Savior, please “be strong and courageous ” and do it now. The same promises God made Joshua can be yours today. Why wait another day?

Because You Believe In Jesus, That’s Why.

August 7, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.” –Revelation 12:17.

Why is this happening to me? What am I going to do now? How am I supposed to deal with this? Where is God in all of this? This ____ is all too much!

Sound familiar?

Today, so many said believers are peppered with fear—others are just plain paralyzed by it. Their lives suspended somehow for years or moments, mere microcosms, some shell of what they were only a brief time ago. They are, undoubtedly, a far cry off now from what they were created to be—fear-less. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” –Joshua 1:9.

There are approximately 365 “fear-not” statements found in the Bible. It would be an understatement then to say that the “cares of this world” have seemingly seized so many believers in its Boa-like vice, despite these many commands. Methodically, persistently, thoroughly squeezing hope and life out of them instead, one precious breath at a time. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you” –Isaiah 35:4.

And yet, is it possible that this season of storms, “this current darkness,” is purposefully blowing open the proverbial curtains of our professed faith? Revealing to us, and, by default, those around us, the true resoluteness of said faith? The condition of our foundations, if you will? What our spiritual houses are actually built upon? Because storms will do that to us, you know. Reveal what is or, conversely, is not in us. Scripture backs up my personal, “yes, I absolutely believe this to be Truth!” Why? “…There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” –1 Peter 1:6-7.

So what sustains us then, upholds us—Who and what anchors us during the storms?

Jesus makes plain that to have victory over the storm, to be left standing and thriving in its aftermath, we must be found standing on a firm foundation before the storm hits; listen: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” –Matthew 7:24-27.

Notice, friends, that both houses stood akin in appearance—until the storm hit, that is.

As I stated earlier: storms will do that to us. Reveal what is or, conversely, is not in us. Now I assure you I’m not saying this to condemn anyone; instead, to strongly encourage each of us to check our basements for leaks! And know, I’m starting with my own! And, also, to thank God for the time, mercy, and mortar, He’s given us to get any cracks we may find sealed up. Anything out of balance, wobbly or wonky, made straight with God while it is still today. “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5.

At times, friends, the enemy of our soul, strikes with his persistent Boa-like constriction. I say at times because there are also instances where his attack is lion-like. Brutal, bloody, and sudden. Darting, swift, and deadly, his victim thoroughly stunned and left for dead before they quite literally know or have had time to process what just hit them. I know many of you can relate to what I’m saying. Perhaps, like me, like many of us, you’ve also been walking through just such a season? One in which our enemy is attacking you or someone you love in his lion-like way? Maybe he is attacking both of you simultaneously? Perhaps his attack was aimed at a dear friend, a brother or sister in Christ, your child, or a family member? Or maybe his attack has been more subtle in your season? Less lion-like and more boa-esque? Methodical, persistent, vice-like.

Either way, today’s Scripture, and many others like it testify to this one Truth: our enemy’s hatred for God and all those who are called by His name.

It should never come as a surprise to those who believe in Jesus Christ when His enemy, our enemy, does what his very nature demands he do: kill, steal, and destroy. That would be akin to being taken by surprise when Jesus answers your prayers! Each of them, Jesus, or Satan, can only do what their very natures compels and demand them to do. Jesus made this painstakingly clear concerning both Himself and our adversary in John, Chapter 10. I encourage you to read this entire chapter for yourself because, in John 10 verse 10, Jesus lays plain our enemy’s character for us; listen: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Within this chapter, Jesus goes on to make His own character plain as well. Also, Jesus leaves no doubt as to Satan’s singular, fixed mission. He wants you dead!

The Apostle Peter reminds us too of Satan’s hate-full, singular purpose: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are” –1 Peter 5:8.

This ongoing onslaught from our enemy is, currently, has been, throughout its history, and will always be, Israel’s plight—until that is, that instant Messiah Jesus returns and saves His first-born son. Take to heart Peter’s words then and, “Stay alert!” Because it only follows, fellow believers, since you and I have been grafted into this Olive tree, we’ll also experience persecution, hatred, and attacks of various types. Until that is, we’re either raptured to meet Him in the clouds (my heart’s desire and great hope) or until our mortal tent is folded and our then eyes open in eternity to see Jesus face-to-face. “If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” –Romans 11:16-18.

So then, in answer to the “why is this happening” question posed by so many believers today, said plainly, all that’s happening right now must happen. It’s been foretold. It must come to pass. Everything and more that you see playing out on the evening news, every news report you hear from around the globe, all of it must happen. Yet nothing, not one thing, is going on in this world that is catching God by surprise. Some of us, yes. God, never. It all ties in, somehow, to His ultimate plan for humankind. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:8-9.

Yet as Christians, we are only walking through this current darkness, this valley of death—our final purging perhaps, while it all plays itself out. God has spoken, and His Word cannot return to Him void. Remember, child of God, that so long as you are still in this world, the prince of this world can do nothing other than what his character demands of him to do: kill, steal, and destroy. But God!

If you are sealed in Christ Jesus, however, have been purchased by His Blood, are His child, “fear not,” Be strong and courageous. Remembering not only who you are but to Whom you belong!

Take to heart, drink deeply, the Words of Life and hope and strength Jesus whispers into the very marrow of your bones—His Life-giving promise to you. Fortifying you, making sure your every step as pass-through this valley of purging, of purifying. Your Good Shephard leading and guiding your way. Hear and wrap your every momentary trembling in these Words of comfort and assurance, straightening your spine then, start thanking your Lord in advance. Proclaiming your victory even now! “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you” –Isaiah 41:13.

And dear friend, if you have yet to ask Jesus, whose promise is to never leave you nor forsake you, into your heart as Lord of all, do I right now, please. I know you can see how dark this world is becoming. So please, don’t wait. Jesus is calling you to Himself. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne” –Revelation 3:20-21.

Sacred Spaces.

July 17, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us” –Acts 17:27.

“For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” –Acts 17:23-25.

I love God’s written Word. It reveals His character and His kindness to Me. It has the power to remove scales from my eyes, and it softens areas in my heart I never even knew existed. God’s Living Word enables me to drink deeply and often from the very Source of my life.

I love meeting God in His Word, discovering Him there, being drawn into the very depths of Him.

Understanding His Justice and being ever thankful for the laws He gave, all that I might live free, safe, and protected. He is a Loving, intimate, deeply caring Father. A Father who, according to His Word, so loved me, so wanted to ensure that nothing, here and now, nor in eternity, ever separated us, that He gave His only Son in exchange for me, to demonstrate the depth of that love. He then placed His Holy Spirit in me, into this clay vessel, as surely as if He had slipped an engagement ring on my finger. Because He did, He has—I Am my Beloveds, and He is mine. “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” –Romans 5:8.

And yet, I also love those Kairos moments when I’m lost in Him.

When God sends His Spirit to enliven that one Word or sentence, when eternity lays exposed for the briefest of seconds, opening my understanding and forever changing me. These moments leave in their wake some intuitive understanding that I’ve just been given a most precious gift. A Pearl of Great Value. Some intimate “knowing” of Him. And all because I serve this Beautiful, Wonder-filled, personal God who loves me and desires that I know Him through His Word and His Spirit both. Relationally—Spirit and Truth, One.

My God, our Father, desires for us, all of us, to want Him, long to be with Him; He wants us to seek His face, look deeply into His eyes as only lovers do, and to witness the unplumbed depth of Him—to be one with Him. And no, I am by no means suggesting that a Pure and Holy God relates to us sexually. But what I am saying is this. The highest form of oneness expressed via human intimacy is between man and wife. And so, our God deigns to bend down to our level and use a language that will leave no doubt in our minds as to the depth of the connection He seeks with us, His beloved. The Song of Solomon is replete with such language and imagery. Solomon penned his love letter to his betrothed, the Shulamite woman. It foreshadows the intimate connection, the sacred love bond between Christ, our King, and His beloved bride. Listen to the bride’s heart-cry to her beloved: “Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers” –Song of Songs 1:4

Jesus Himself shared this Truth of the Father’s desire for such intimate connection with a Samaritan woman while talking with her near a well. A Truth as radical, liberating, as tradition-shaking, chain-breaking, and ceiling-raising as He Himself was when He walked amongst us—as He is, still. “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” –John 4:23-24.

Friends, our God doesn’t parcel Himself out to us. A wink here, a nod there. No, He is an exceedingly, abundantly, more than we can ever think or image, God. A God who still desires you and me. To be with us—Emmanuel, and to be seen by us. And though no longer with us in the flesh, now He openly shows Himself daily, through His creation. That we might catch some glimpse of His love and tender care for us through what He has created for us—wooing us to fall more and more in love with Him because of our seeing Him ever before us. “Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. “Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end” –Psalm 102:25-27.

“Sacred Spaces.” These two words have been stirring in my belly for the past several weeks now. These places God has created, carved out, that He might transcend time and space as we under it and intimately unveil Himself, show some aspect of Himself, His favor or will, His goodness, mercy, or great love, some personal attribute of His, to you and me. Imagine! Yet this awareness of sacred spaces isn’t new to me; only God has enlivened it, breathed on it, allowing me to see afresh, something I have been aware of for many years. I’ll explain.

From the beginning, literally, in Genesis 2, verse 8, we witness God create a sacred space to fellowship with His children, His beloved. A place to meet with them, sharing, displaying the many facets of Himself that they might witness Him, and drink Him in. Creator God. Abba God. God, our Provider. The Omniscient and Omnipotent God. A Tender, Merciful, Loving Father. The Sole Giver of every good and perfect gift. Supreme Artist and Author. A Jealous Lover of His own, to name but a few. And because of who He is, has proven Himself, shown Himself to be from the beginning. From somewhere back before, He stood over the dark void when He chose me in Himself before the very foundation of the world has even lain. Faithful and True, time and time and time again; I stand firmly on, and take deep comfort in, the Truth found in Matthew 28:20: “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”.

Knowing this Truth, believing it, assures me that contrary to how I may feel on any given day, my ability to sense Abba’s nearness, or not, God is nevertheless closer to me than my own breath.

Still, there are moments and places where, whether for seconds or minutes, maybe hours sometime, God pulls back the veil, and His palpable presence surrounds me—is undeniably with me. And, because of His being “with me,” all else melts away, is melting away still—especially time. I wonder if Adam and Eve ever felt this way when God walked with them in the cool of the day?

So, whenever I am blessed to catch the sunlight settling on some leaf, setting it ablaze, transforming its everydayness into something fiery, glowing, and alive. Or when the full weight of the sun gives itself over to the surface of the water, and a trillion sparkling tiny diamonds bursting forth because of that union. Or when the branches dance just so with the wind. When the morning birdsong fills the air swirling about my backyard, or when I float on my back in the sea, imagining it is God’s own hands, not buoyant force, at work cradling me—upholding me. When the intoxicating fragrance of some flower awakens something in me, allowing me to catch some watered-down heavenly scent of the prayers of the saints that have clung to Him as He passed before me. Sacred spaces each of these; places where God dropped a ladder from heaven to earth, and, in so doing, the things of heaven mingled with earth for one sacred moment, transforming everything in its wake. I know I have witnessed some aspect of my Jesus in those moments.

I know my God has revealed Himself to me in the way only dear and trusted friends do with each other, drawing me ever deeper into Himself as a result. “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” –Jeremiah 33:3.

So let me ask you: “Has the Lord been in your midst, wooing you, loving you, calling out for you to come and sit awhile with Him? Has He carved out some sacred space for the two of you to meet, and, like Adam and Eve maybe, you hid from His nearness?” Feared coming too close to His Beauty, His passion for you—His presence? If so, you’re in good company. Moses feared meeting the Lord face to face too. Yet before you turn away entirely, consider this, please. The very God that created you wants you, all for Himself! And He wants you to have an eternal, loving, and wide-open relationship with Him.

Lorraine Espenhain says this concerning God’s wanting us for Himself: How swift was Heaven’s intervention in the day His jealousy was aroused, when He saw you loving, needing, trusting, desiring, enjoying, and reaching out for something other than Him! From His temple He saw you giving to another what solely belonged to Him, and His jealousy was ignited in Heaven. Said scripturally: “I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me” –Song of Solomon 7:10.

How awesome and humbling it is to know that our God loves us with such a fierce, intimate, and passionate love. That He created—creates still, these sacred spaces, these transformational moments in time when His Holy Spirit overshadows us—Mary-like, enabling us to conceive of Him—some part of Him alive in us! The impossible made possible. A miracle for sure. God allowing mere men to take inside of themself their Creator! Who but God could make such a thing happen! To enable finite man to take into himself the Divine. The Apostle Paul said it this way: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” –1 Corinthians 4:7. And who but God could weave together the 66 books of the Bible, threading the 39 books of the Old Testament seamlessly into the 27 books of the New Testament?

Dear friend, if you’ve yet to experience this kind of love, this God who so loved you that He made sure you’d be reading this today so that you might ask Him to show Himself real to you right now. He’s patiently waiting just for you. His creation leaves us without excuse on that day; every man will stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. So won’t you come to Him now? “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge” –Psalm 19:1-2.

Tag: Transformation (Page 5 of 8)

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