Mary Cantell

Sep

23

Beginning of the End…

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Many would say we are in the end times. Daily, we see the moral corruption of our society as it wanes further into darkness. Just a few of hours of evening TV will point to our culture as revering sex, drugs, greed, and rebellion as something to be celebrated. How much more proof do we need to see that the American culture is pushing God out and embracing the evil one? We’ve moved from revering God to where false idols are the new role model. Where we once embraced morals and good conduct, now, what is right is called wrong and wrong is right.

As we earnestly seek the return of our Lord Jesus to earth, the Bible tells us we will not know the day or the hour of his coming back. However, in the 24th chapter of Matthew, there are signs to watch for that signal the time is approaching.

Matthew 24:6-8: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Second Timothy, chapter three says, “This we know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” 

Increasing famines, natural disasters, and persecution of Christians are on the rise. But as the word says, do not be alarmed. The social fabric of society may be coming apart at the seams, but remember that in the midst of the chaos, our God is near. Just as in the times of Noah, God provided a way of escape for him and his family. So, too, we have a way of escape from the judgment to come through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sep

10

How do we love?

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Romantic songs often speak of love and claim how easy it is to become swept up in the lyrics. It’s also easy to love those who love us back. But this kind of love is superficial and pales in comparison to the kind of love the Lord displays toward us. Humanistic love usually has something attached to it, whether it’s feelings or something else. The Lord loves unconditionally.

The Bible speaks of several types of love. In the original Greek, there is eros (erotic) and philios (brotherly); some lesser known types are philautia (self-love), mania (excessive love), and storge (familiar love). Real love in action comes out of a will to love—not necessarily for what we can receive in return. This is called agape love.

In Ephesians 4:2, we are instructed “to be humble and gentle… patient, bearing with one another in love.” First Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Let’s be totally frank. Some people are difficult to love. So how do we manage to fulfill our Godly command to love others when sometimes we’d rather not? That’s when we make the choice to yield to the Holy Spirit and “put on Christ.” Loving people in our own strength can often fail. But with Christ, “we can do all things…”

As we serve God and make his name known, the only way to fulfill our purpose is to love people as God would. As we serve him, seek the lost, and share the love of Christ with our brethren, we demonstrate his love at work. The only way to truly love is without reservation and without strings.

John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

 

 

Sep

03

Labor Day

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Cease from all labor!

Today, we celebrate the American worker’s contribution to the prosperity and the industrious work ethic that has made America an economically bountiful nation.

While Labor Day is a time to pause and reflect leisurely on life and what’s been accomplished through our daily tasks, more importantly, it’s a time to remember that the joy of our work comes at the hands of the Lord, who gives us the physical and mental strength to accomplish all we do.

Enjoy your day!

Aug

27

The lad who had a dream…

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The life of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, could be defined by Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” In Genesis, we learn about young Joseph, whose dreams angered his ten older brothers. As his nightly visions spoke of his supremacy over them, they jealously plotted to do away with him.

In Egypt, Joseph became the servant of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, and when falsely accused of misdeeds with Potiphar’s wife, he was thrown into prison. Slavery… jail time… What’s next for poor Joseph?

While locked up, Joseph interpreted dreams for his cell mates and, years later, drew the attention of Pharaoh, who summoned him to interpret his own dreams. Impressed by the interpretation of seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine, Pharaoh promoted Joseph to the highest office in the land directly under him.

Further in the Genesis story, we learn how Joseph eventually came face-to-face with his brothers, who came to Egypt during the famine seeking grain. They didn’t recognize him all those years later, but he knew them. Joseph’s heart seized with inward grief and he vacillated on what to do, even so much as secretly planting a silver cup in the youngest brother Benjamin’s grain sack to implicate him in stealing—as well as imprisoning the others for three days for being spies. All the while, he struggled with his emotions. When his grief waxed and eventually waned, he was convinced that his love for them would overcome all they’d done. He told them that what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good.

In the story of Joseph, we learn that we are destined for good no matter the course as we keep the love of our Lord at the forefront of our hearts and yield to him as the ultimate ruler of our lives. We’re instructed in James 1:2 to “Count it all joy…” and in 1 Thess. 5:18, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Aug

20

Fruit of the Vine… or just pulp?

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Fruit is especially delicious when it’s been given the proper dose of rain and sunlight. Too much rain or not enough sun, the fruit trees don’t produce as well or the growth turns out mushy or tasteless.  Apples, cherries, grapes… all have their charm. However, God’s fruit—that is, the fruit of his spirit—is even more scrumptious in that it is comprised of nine different flavors or attributes. His spirit is a delightful blend of love along with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control—all in one fruit. This manifestation of collective attributes is what we need in order to live a complete and fruitful life in Jesus.

What’s good is that we don’t have to stress or strive to grow this fruit in our lives; it emanates from the Holy Spirit that works inside each believer as we are continually sanctified. God’s work in our lives, in combination with our yielded hearts, produces fruit that brings God the glory. Our yielding to the Father is the rain and sunlight.

By, through, and in Him, we are established to work for his good pleasure. As we remain in Him, we are promised that we’ll bear fruit that glorifies Him (John 15). In Acts 4:13, the disciples amazed the Jewish leaders by their insights despite not having any formal education. As we are steeped in Christ and abiding in his word, we have wisdom above and beyond our own capabilities to secure because the Lord is doing the increase in our lives.

When the world sees you bearing fruit for Jesus, they are now seeing the inner workings of the power of God’s grace. We may not be able to grow a fruit tree on our own, but with the Lord by our side, our lives can become a whole orchard by the time we get to Heaven.

Aug

15

Sealed with more than a kiss

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There are many spirits in the world though only one of them is holy. When Apostle Paul spoke to the Corinthians, he made a point to encourage them that the Holy Spirit is what now unites all of the believers whether Jew or Gentile. Unfortunately, the Corinthians thought that with the benefits from the power of the Holy Spirit, they would no longer have to suffer and would have an easy ride. They did not realize that God’s promises extended far beyond the day-to-day temporal existence and would be fully realized at Christ’s second coming.

What God gives to Christians is not the immediate benefit of these promises but the guarantee, or proof, of them. That guarantee is God’s Holy Spirit, who is working in the life of every Christian.  It is by the workings of the Holy Spirit that when we suffer, we lean on the power of the Lord for comfort. Suffering is there to prove God’s mercy in that we can rely on him for all of our needs.

When we sign a check or a contract, there is often nothing immediately seen; however, the law of the transaction and payment is certain. So God’s Holy Spirit proves that a person has the benefit of what God has promised.

Apostle Paul describes the Holy Spirit’s work in four ways: It establishes believers in their relationship with Christ; anoints or covers us; seals us to mark that we belong to him; and is a guarantee of God’s promises.

Aug

06

Surrendering to win

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In a world where the word surrender chafes the secular world view as one who’s not a winner or who lazily gives in to the enemy; in God’s economy, it means quite the opposite. Surrendering to the Lord is an act of the mind where we let go of ourselves and yield to the Almighty. It’s putting our faith and trust in Him alone and obeying what we know is right to do through his Word and the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

The world tells us we’re crazy or not using our heads when we put all of our faith into something we cannot see. While they struggle to be strong in their own flesh… we, as children of God, choose not to take over for the Lord but to let him have complete reign—of our hearts and minds as we serve out our days on earth.

The most telling example of surrender is Jesus, himself, who on the night before his crucifixion, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane… “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42.

The word of God tells us to worship the Lord “in spirit and in truth” – John 4:24. May our hearts and minds be surrendered as we recognize the truth about who He is and give Him the honor, glory, and devotion He deserves.

Jul

30

Why are we here?

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The sun seeps through the edge of the curtains and we lift an eye to greet the morning.  With thanksgiving in our hearts and praise on our lips, we thank God for protection through the night and his grace in granting us another day. Sometimes, a stray question crosses our mind:  What’s my purpose for today?

Among all of the souls on this great spinning rock called Earth, many have no idea why they’re here. It’s a mystery. They set their minds on earthly pursuits and basically go about to fulfill them. Often times, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life are at the forefront of their daily goals. Before Christ or even as babes in Christ, this, too, may have been our quest. Though, in God’s word, we see our purpose for being on this planet is pretty singular. Our purpose is to honor and to make Him known.

“For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Cor. 6:20

Through God’s holy word, we learn we are created to be part of God’s family. We are established to have a relationship with the King of Kings. We are given life not to glorify ourselves or seek our own but rather to give honor to the Lord. This is a lifelong script that we follow throughout our days through our sanctification… each of us learning and growing in the Lord as we are led.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Of course, the Lord doesn’t need anything from us. We don’t need to ask him what can I do for you, Lord? The answer would be nothing. There’s nothing we can do for the Lord. Our job is to be his hands and feet in sharing and teaching others about him, to love others, to seek his face in fellowship, to study his word, and to repentantly ask for strength and guidance as he gently molds us into the image of his son.

Whatever the question about our purpose on earth is, the answer can be found in Him.

Jul

23

Fighting the Good Fight

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Where’s your battleground these days? Is it mental, physical, or emotional? Amid the tumult of political, cultural, and personal wars, it all boils down to the battle between good and evil. Wherever the storms of life toss you, there is no struggle that should overtake you as a Christian because all of them have already been won in Christ.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Apostle Paul instructed Timothy that his business was to be a soldier for the Lord by faith and to continue fighting “the good fight”—to defend the gospel and to thwart Satan and those who did not regard the gospel above the law as did the false teachers. By using the sword of the spirit and the belt of truth, we can be mighty in our pursuit to overcome the enemy, particularly when we are wearing the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and our feet covered with the “preparation of the gospel of peace.”

Using the strength of the Lord is the only way to win a battle. Artful words can make some good points, but ultimately it’s by his spirit that hearts are changed. Those who engage in battles for the Lord are sure of victory. By his grace, the gift of the crown of life, righteousness, glory, and exultation along with the Wreath Imperishable will be ours in heaven. We will always win when we put on Christ because God already fought the ultimate battle—and won. What more victory do we need?

Jul

17

Rebuilding our lives

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After the Babylonian exile when Nehemiah took a look at the destruction that had befallen Judah, the sight of the brokenness stirred him to action. People, too, may have figurative walls in their lives that may also need repair. That is where Jesus can come in and build up all of the brokenness. Of course, the enemy will be the first one at the door saying, like the Jews did, “but we’ve lived this way for so long now, why not just let it be? It’s impossible to restore such a sad state.”

Proverbs 25:28 says, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”

Many lives are like a city with broken walls in major need of repair. God desperately wants to change them. As a servant of God, Nehemiah focused on what he needed to do. Our spiritual enemies have no recourse to foil our plans when we are committed to what we know to be God’s will for our lives.