Apr 1, 2025 – James 3:5 – a little tongue that causes mass destruction
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”
James 3:5
Hi Everyone!
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”.
This was a statement children were given to ward off bullies who talked about them at school or in the neighborhood.
Sadly, this statement is not true. Many people, myself included, are still trying to unlearn names that we were called when we were children.
We also have an accuser of the brethren, Satan, who throws names and identities at us, hoping that we accept them as truth.
In our own lives, small words have caused divorce, have led to violence, have caused anarchy, and have divided people through racism.
Words have power, and as believers, we have to watch our tongues because within us is the power of God, to speak things into existence.
Are words really “small” when they carry such a powerful consequence?
Today, we will look at James 3:5, a little tongue that causes mass destruction.
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”
James is teaching in Chapter 3, those who believe about the power of the tongue. The words they use will either edify or tear down, and person responsible for a group of people should also be responsible for their tongues, and for the things that come out of their mouths.
The word “tongue” means “language, especially speech that is not learned naturally”.
This suggests a speech that is taught. We must recognize that when we speak, we also have the ability to instruct within our speech, because our words are a testimony.
In Proverbs 18:20-21, the Bible says, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
If our speech can essentially become our reality, and the implications can be death or life, then we have to be especially careful with the things that come from our mouths.
In Ephesians 4:15-16, the Bible says, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Have we ever said something to someone that was absolutely true about them, but it was incredibly damaging to them?
Could it be that the words weren’t spoken in love? No matter how small we believe our speech is, it fits together perfectly with the rest of our body to edify and increase in love. If our speech doesn’t edify, it can start a wildfire that it nearly impossible to contain, but if it does edify, it can start a movement that produces the power of God within someone else.
The phrase “boasteth great things” means “to talk big, to be arrogant or egotistical”.
This speaks of the destructive nature of our speech, how something so small can cause so many problems within our lives.
In Proverbs 15:1-2, the Bible says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”
It isn’t just what we say, but it also how we say things as well.
Pride is a main culprit in a person’s inability to allow soft words to turn away wrath. We saw that on clear display when Ukrainian President Zelensky visited the White House to discuss the war they are having with Russia. Being offended by comments made by President Trump, President Zelensky felt compelled to defend himself and his country’s interests, and he made comments that came off threatening in nature to the country that is funding their war efforts. Of course this was not received well, and President Trump threatened to pull back protective and financial support from Ukraine because of it. See how small words, words spoken in anger, words spoken without consideration to the future, can work against everything a person wants?
In Psalms 12:1-3, the Bible says, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things”.
We see a lack of godliness when our speech isn’t edifying others in love.
When we have our own motives at play, and our own insecurities ruling, or when anger is the driving force, then our speech can be destructive in nature.
But if our speech is seasoned with salt, loving and Godly in nature, then we can see amazing things happen in our personal lives and the lives of others.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 2, 2025 – James 3:6 – a tongue that can bless or destroy
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
James 3:6
Hi Everyone!
In the course of my nearly 22 years confined, I have seen more problems occur because of what comes out of the mouth than with any other thing.
In the maximum security prison I was housed in nine years ago, I have seen words turn into fights, brawls, stabbings, and I have also seen words place a person at odds with the whole administration.
Words aren’t much, but their ability to completely unsettle and destroy are beyond anything a person can sign up for.
What we say comes from a nature at work within us, and if the enemy’s influence reigns within us, then what comes out of our mouths will ultimately lead to our destruction. What we say can either bring glory to God or glory to the enemy, and that choice is ours to make as to who we allow to reign through our speech.
Today, we will look at James 3:6, a tongue that can bless or destroy.
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
The tongue should be seen as an instrument of speech, a language that is not learned naturally.
This verse is directly connected to James 3:5, which says, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”
That verse expresses what a tongue does, but the topic verse deals also with what a tongue is. To equate a tongue as “fire” it implies that the tongue is a destructive force that sweeps through anything attracted to it.
In Proverbs 16:27, the Bible says, “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.”
This doesn’t say a Godly man does this, but an ungodly man, because the nature that is an expression of evil doesn’t come from God, but it comes from Satan. The ungodly man is going to search for evil like treasure, and his speech is going to light a path that allows him to see where evil is.
The phrase “world of iniquity” expresses a nature of wickedness and unrighteousness that a tongue operating under Satan’s influence produces.
Satan produces after his own kind, and so does God. Whatever is prevalent in the heart is going to surface as a testimony for the nature at work within us.
In Matthew 12:34-35, Christ says, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
Christ teaches us that we build a treasure in our hearts for the things that we value and that treasure will make itself evident. If our hearts are overwhelmed by evil, then that is going to be what comes forth from us.
The word “defileth” means “soil or stain”.
So our evil tongues can, and will, soil our whole bodies.
The phrase “course of nature” is a time set in motion at birth and extends through one’s life.
So we all have the ability to mass-produce evil within us that can surface through wickedness and unrighteousness. Remember, James is writing this to believers, not unbelievers, so salvation does not mean that we can take our feet off of the gas and take for granted the power that our tongues have.
In Matthew 15:10-11, Christ says, “And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
So the thing that can defile us comes from within us and extends outward. We can never say that our environment is the reason that we are the way we are, because what generates from our hearts is what rises to the surface.
This is why Proverbs 4:23-24 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.”
God places the responsibility of what we allow in our hearts on us, because we have to say yes to the Lord’s will on our own. God is not going to force compliance, but He will punish sin.
In Mark 7:21-23, Christ says, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
This is why God commands us to be diligent about making sure our speech is of Him and not the world, because all of these things can be manifested from within us.
Romans 6:22 says, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
This is what needs to flow from us and be our expression in the earth!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 3, 2025 – James 3:9 – the hypocrisy of our speech as believers
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”
James 3:9
Hi Everyone!
I remember going to church when I was in Waupun Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison in Wisconsin that I was housed in for over 12 years.
We had an amazing church service and we were walking back to the cell hall in a big crowd. The church service was powerful, the preaching insightful and Spirit-filled, and I left encouraged.
What I heard in the crowd completely countered the experience from church, because I heard three dudes talking badly about a guy back in the cell hall, actually saying that he deserves a bullet for being a child molester.
I am certain that there were some guys convicted of child molestation in the crowd coming back to church, and I can only imagine what they felt. They went to church and heard a message that, through Christ, they can be new creations, and on the way back, they hear a report that says that they will always be the scum of the earth, by people that they were just singing praises to God with.
Today, we will look at James 3:9, the hypocrisy of our speech as believers.
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.”
If James was talking about the world, it would be easier for us to wrap our minds around this verse, but he is writing to the church about the problems they are having with their speech. Just as the brothers’ conversation on the way back from church countered the purpose of the Gospel, our speech can counter the narrative of our faith.
In Mark 12:30-31, Christ says, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
It first begins with love, the love we have for God and then the love we extend to our fellow brothers and sisters.
We can’t develop a hierarchy of sin that would make them worthy of our communication, meaning, we can’t pick and choose who we should love because of what they have done.
This is because 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
If the Bible declares those who are in Christ to be new creations in Him, then who are we to tell them that are not?
Now, there are people who think that they can talk to the world any way they want because they aren’t Christians.
This is completely wrong as well, especially since John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
If God loved the world, meaning the people in the world, to the point where He would sacrifice His only Son, so they we could have access to salvation by faith in Jesus, then why are we being so judgmental towards those who God loves?
The word “bless” means “to speak well of, to praise, or to thank”.
In Psalms 34:1, the Bible says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
If this verse is true, then when do we ever have time to curse someone made in the image and likeness of God?
The word “curse” means “to wish evil upon or to doom”.
In order to curse someone, we would have to stand in judgment against them.
In Matthew 7:1-3, Christ says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
It is so easy to poke at the sin of others, because we never have to tend to our own sin, but when we stand in judgment, the rigid standards we set for others become the same standards that we will be judged by. If God commanded us to love our brothers and sisters as ourselves, then how can we ever stand in judgment of them? Christ didn’t condemn the woman at the well in John 4, neither did He condemn Peter for denying Him. He loved and received us.
The word “similitude” means “resemblance or assimilation”.
If we saw every man and woman as created by, and deeply loved by God, then there would be no room for us to curse anyone else.
In 2 Corinthians 7:1, the Bible says, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Sometimes, our biggest filthiness is in how we view mankind. If we saw them the way that God does, we would be more inclined to bless and not curse!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 4, 2025 – James 3:10 – a mouth of blessing and cursing
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
James 3:10
Hi Everyone!
As believers, our speech should reflect who we are as Christians.
When a person hears a believer speak, they should hear love flow from our lips, they should hear grace imparted, they should hear edification, and there should be a distinguishable difference in how a believer speaks and how the world speaks.
In my prison environment, I am very well known on my housing unit. I am approachable, and I talk with anyone.
I am one who doesn’t hide my faith, because I am happy about my relationship with God.
A brother jokingly told me that I was the “clean version” of a movie on TV because I don’t use the language that those around me use.
While laughing, I saw the blessing in that.
We should be pillars of light and hope for a fallen world, an example of Christ showing that our walk with Christ can be done, and we should be a reason why someone would want to turn to the faith. When our speech is in conflict, where we can clearly see both natures at work, which one do we believe?
Today, we will look at James 3:10, a mouth of blessing and cursing.
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
The word “mouth” refers to an instrument of speech.
This is part of where our message flows flow, and our mouths give testimony to what nature is dominant in us.
James is preaching to believers about the importance of us watching our mouths, not merely making sure that we don’t use certain language, but to make sure that our words reflect the faith that we have. A person doesn’t have to use profanity in order for their speech to be toxic. James desires to see a church who speaks and people see Christ.
In Proverbs 6:12-14, the Bible says, “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.”
There is a body of conduct that follows a person who has a perverse mouth, because the behavior stems from what is at work within their hearts. Now if James is writing to believers about this that came from their mouths, then it is safe to assume that the church at that time, looked no different than today’s world in this regard.
The end result of a froward heart is discord, a state that lacks unity. I am learning how to play the piano, and if I play one wrong note while playing a chord, it sounds horrible, and your instinct is, to then stop playing because something is not right. That is how our speech, when not aligned with the Word of God, jars.
The word “blessing” means “commendation, adoration, or fair speech”.
The word “cursing” means “dooming a person or wishing ruin to come upon them”.
1 John 4:20-21, the Bible says, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
God doesn’t want us to be hypocrites in our lives or in our speech. If I am instructed by God to love, then I would never desire to wish doom or ruin to fall upon anyone. I would never celebrate the misfortune of others, because in that, there is no love.
This is why Proverbs 24:17-18 says, “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.”
We are always going to want to pursue good for those around us, and it should ache our hearts when someone faces punishment for their actions. Many times, people who go to church every Sunday are some of the biggest advocates of the death penalty.
What makes us different?
If 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
Sometimes, the unclean thing we touch is our speech, and according to the teachings of James, we have to check what comes from our mouths, because we have the ability to be two-faced.
In 1 Corinthians 7:23-24, the Bible says, “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.”
Understanding the sacrifice Christ made on the cross in order to give those who believe in His name a clean slate, we should live like we have been saved from certain death.
In Romans 3:13-14, the Bible says, “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”.
It is tragic to observe a new life in Christ, but then on looking close their speech flows from the death that they have been delivered from.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 5, 2025 – James 4:4 – cleaving to our salvation by leaving the world behind
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
James 4:4
Hi Everyone!
I used to try to straddle the fence, living the double life of someone who went to church and also someone who was making a name for myself in the streets.
I remember people telling me that I can’t have both, and somewhere in my heart, I knew that they were right.
Being a true believer now, walking in salvation instead of the ritual of going to church like I am saved, I understand that we can’t have both, and we shouldn’t want both either.
As believers, we have entered into the kingdom of God, where our citizenship is of heaven.
To live in the world as the unsaved would be to slap Christ in the face for being our atoning sacrifice for sin, but it would be as deep as a wife cheating on their husband.
Being loyal to the world means that we are disloyal to God, and that shouldn’t be.
Today, we will be looking James 4:4, cleaving to our salvation by leaving the world behind.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
The words “adulterers” and “adulteresses” are words that should have struck the church with conviction. James isn’t writing this letter to unbelievers, but he is writing to believers, and this clearly gives us this indication that the church is trying to play both sides of the fence.
Psalms 73:27-28, the Bible says, “For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”
When we entered into the kingdom of God, we entered as the bride of Christ, a church unified by salvation.
What we do by then going back to the world to be its servant is to abandon our union with God, our fellowship with the believers, and our position in the kingdom to make ourselves at the service of Satan, the very enemy to the kingdom we belong to.
We essentially become traitors, and instead of becoming closer to God, entrusting our spiritual well being to Him, we become further apart.
The word “friendship” means “fondness”.
The word “world” pertains to the present order of things in opposition to the kingdom of Christ, always with an idea of transience, worthlessness, and physical and moral evil, but it also pertains to the wealth and enjoyments of life’s goods.
In 1 John 2:15-16, the Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Being a friend of the world is to be attracted to what the world has to offer, instead of being attracted to the position that we have in the kingdom of God and the provision that God has lovingly bestowed upon us.
In Luke 16:13, Christ says, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
When we develop friendships with the world, we are making the world our master, and we will give in to its desires. This is how we can have people who go to church, but never look like they go to church to the people who don’t know any better.
The word “enmity” means “hatred or hostility”.
When we befriend the world, what we are saying through our behavior is “I hate you God”. Hate is a very strong word, but in this context, “hate” means “to love less”.
In John 15:19, Christ says, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
A lot of times, we befriend the world because we cannot bear the world not loving us anymore. We straddle the fence because we want to please both parties, and we don’t want to be ostracized. When I made the choice to walk away from my gang affiliations, I felt like an island even though I felt free. I then understood why it is so hard for people to walk away, because they don’t want to be on the outside of something they we so deeply a part of.
In John 17:14-15, Christ prays, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
In this prayer, Christ is asking for us to be removed from the world and distinguished in the earth as believers of Jesus Christ.
Christ is praying that we won’t give in to the hatred of the world and our desire to be people pleasers. Christ is praying that we will remain friends of God!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 6, 2025 – Proverbs 29:11 – wise discretion in speech
“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”
Proverbs 29:11
Hi Everyone!
I used to “keep it real” all of the time.
In the streets, that was a notable act that made me extremely transparent to others, making me able to be trusted a lot faster.
If a person knows what you think and feel, then they don’t have to figure you out, and it makes it a lot easier for them to like you as well.
I used to think that by airing out my dirty laundry, I was actually solving a bunch of problems before they surfaced, but in all actuality, I created more problems in the process.
“Keeping it real” came at a drastic price, because a lot of times, my words cut like a sharp knife, and people were offended and hurt by my frankness.
Thank God, I have learned discretion over these years, and I am becoming more careful of the words I use, for my benefit and also the benefit of others.
Today, we will be looking at Proverbs 29:11, wise discretion in speech.
“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”
The word “fool” means “a stupid or silly person”.
One of the iconic lines from the movie “Forrest Gump” suggests that a person is stupid not because of their intelligence, but because what they do.
In Matthew 7:16-17, Christ says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”
Our speech can easily express what nature is at work inside of us, and it will be a body of evidence that displays to the public what is going on inside of us.
In Matthew 12:34, Christ says, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
If a person has no discretion over what comes out of their mouth, and are quick to vent how they feel to everyone, they are expressing a lack of self-control.
In Galatians 5:22-23, the Bible says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Temperance is self-control, which is a key part of the fruit of the Spirit, and evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work and reigns within us.
If a person exercises no self-control, then who reigns in them, do they or does the Holy Spirit?
The word “uttereth” implies speech, the things that we say.
The phrase “all his mind” implies that a person is pouring their innermost thoughts out.
This is dangerous ground and can subject us to destruction in the process.
Remember Samson? He married Delilah, a woman who had foul intentions for him. The Philistines were using her to find out the secret of Samson’s strength. At first, he tricked Delilah twice by giving her false information, which she tried to use against him. He knew better than to share his secret. But something changed.
In Judges 16:16-18, the Bible says, “And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.”
There is always someone laying in wait, hoping that we tell everything in our heart and mind, so it can be used against us. Samson found this out the hard way, but God gives us stories like this so that we can be equipped to make better choices.
The word “wise” means “skillful or cunning”.
The phrase “keepeth it in” means “to pacify”.
A pacifier is something that is used to silence the cries of a baby, so a wise person is someone who foregoes the desire to speak out immediately about something that bothers them.
In Proverbs 14:33, the Bible says, “Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.”
The truly wise ones, deal with matters by stepping away from the situation, breaking it down, identifying the nature of the situation, and then deciding if it is worth a response.
I just had a situation happen where someone was giving me dirty looks that made me extremely uncomfortable. Everything in me wanted to confront the guy, to at least find out what his issue was, but I didn’t, concluding that it was Satan trying to knock me off my square.
I ended up finding out from another person what his issue was, and we talked things out peacefully.
Imagine what might have happened if I would have just spoken my mind?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 7, 2025 – Proverbs 3:1 – remembering the law of the Lord
“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments”.
Proverbs 3:1
Hi Everyone!
With any ambition that we have as believers, we have to remember that the most important thing is that we obey the Word of God.
We can’t walk by faith without obeying the Word of God, because the Word of God is the source of our faith.
Looking at the history of our faith, obedience was met by the blessing and protection of the Lord, while disobedience was met with punishment and destruction.
Looking at our lives today, and even looking at our world today, there is undeniable evidence that our world is becoming more and more Godless by the second.
We have to look back to our faith if we have fallen astray, and we can to re-commit our lives to obeying the Voice and Word of the Lord.
Having all the success in the world means nothing if we are out of fellowship with God.
Today, we will be looking at Proverbs 3:1, remembering the law of the Lord.
“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments”.
The word “son” was a term that expressed an offspring charged with the building of the family name.
In the patriarchal society the Bible was written in, this job went to the male offspring, but taking the interpretive journey to the times we live in now, we can understand that this Proverb was written to include women as well. Here is how we know this.
In Genesis 3:13-14, the Bible says, “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
God punished both Adam and Eve for disobeying Him, and women are still experiencing the punishment from sin every time they go into labor. Also, when Abraham came to rescue Lot, the angel of the Lord told them to not look back at Sodom and Gomorrah as they fled.
In Genesis 19:24-26, the Bible says, “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”
Not only were women expected to follow the Word of God, they were punished for disobedience as well, so the word “son” can effectively be defined as “child”.
The phrase “forget not” means “to mislay, to be oblivious of from the lack of memory or attention”.
The word “law” means “precept or statute” but it can also refer to the Ten Commandments or Torah as well.
The posture towards God of not storing His Law in our heart and not deeming it as important is a flippant response to the commandment of God.
In Deuteronomy 8:1-2, the Bible says, “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”
The Israelites experienced a wilderness for 40 years where they had to unlearn Egypt and learn the Word of God. Sometimes, we have to remember what we have been delivered from in order to spur us into obedience.
That really helps me, because I don’t want to be who I used to be.
The word “heart” pertains to one’s innermost being, the seat of one’s cares, desires, passion, and will.
The word “keep” means “to guard in a good sense, to observe or obey”.
In Deuteronomy 30:15-16, the Bible says, “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.”
God doesn’t force compliance, but He does punish sin. The beauty about our God is that He truly wants us to succeed, and He gives us His Word so that we can find success in obeying it.
In Psalm 119:11-12, the Bible says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.”
How is our posture towards the Word of God?
Is it something that we treasure enough to store in our hearts and train up our children according to it?
When we obey the Word of God, we get to experience His presence without guilt, shame, or anything that hinders our relationship with Him.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 8, 2025 – Joshua 23:6 – courageous obedience to the Word of God
“Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left.”
Joshua 23:6
Hi Everyone!
What would your parting words be to the generation you are leaving behind?
What advice would you give to prepare your family for life without your leadership?
If we really think about it, tomorrow is not promised to any one of us, so our lasting words should flow from our lips right now.
It is our responsibility to equip our families and respective communities with knowledge of the Word of God, and it is also our responsibility to ensure that they are being rightly trained up as well.
This is bigger than just teaching people how to live Godly in the earth, but this is about helping people secure their place in the kingdom of heaven right now.
This is not an easy job, which is why many don’t take their place, and do what they are commanded by God to do in their homes.
Today, we will be looking at Joshua 23:6, courageous obedience to the Word of God.
“Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left.”
Joshua is someone who is now advanced in years and nearing death. Throughout the course of his life, he has been an eyewitness to the powerful hand of God bestowing favor upon Israel. He has seen mighty wonders of God, he has seen God deliver them in battle, but he has also seen Israel severely punished because they disobeyed God.
Joshua has even seen his teacher and mentor, Moses, excluded from the promises of God due to his disobedience, which propelled Joshua to be the leader of all of Israel.
This is a full circle moment for Joshua, and knowing that he is going to pass soon, he calls Israel’s leadership together to convey these parting words to them, preparing them for life without him.
The word “courageous” means “to fasten oneself upon, to be strong, or to be valiant”.
The word “keep” means “to hedge about, to take heed, to observe, or obey”.
The word “do” means “to perform, accomplish, fulfill, or to put into practice”.
It is a beautiful thing that Joshua is sharing with the people, because this is his personal testimony.
In Deuteronomy 31:7, the Bible says, “And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.”
When Moses appointed Joshua as the leader of Israel, he gave him the command to be strong and of a good courage, because leadership requires courage, especially leading a people in the love and obedience of the Lord.
In Joshua 1:7-8, the Bible says, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
God encouraged Joshua as he assumed this leadership role and was charged to leading Israel into the promised land, expressing to him that obedience to His word, without deviation, would produce good success for him and for Israel. God is essentially telling Joshua to plant the Word of God inside of him so that he would become Scripture when he speaks and when he leads.
Great leadership comes from someone who remains attached to Christ, receiving direction, correction, and training in righteousness.
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
When the word does what it is able to do in us, we will then be able to perform anything that the Lord commands us to do. Joshua was unsure about his abilities even though he trusted God. Now, he is giving them the same words of encouragement he received from God.
In Deuteronomy 5:32-33, the Bible says, “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.”
God’s word is a sure foundation for our feet, and if we follow His word as written and spoken, then God is going to pave our crooked pathways and make us ready for everything that comes our way.
I want the world I leave behind to know this!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 9, 2025 – Joshua 23:8 – cleaving fast to our Lord
“But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.”
Joshua 23:8
Hi Everyone!
What have we joined ourselves to?
The world has a system that is attractive and has an ability to make one popular and rich for doing little to nothing, but does it lead us into the presence of God?
The marriages we are in, do they make us better believers, or do they lead us further away from God?
Does our career path pave the way for God to be glorified?
When we cleave to the Lord, we become a branch that is attached to the vine, receiving our sustenance, our beauty, and our fruit from what the Lord provides.
When we try to be something in life without being attached to the vine, we are nothing more that a branch that has fallen to the ground.
We look healthy, we look like we can be fruitful, but we are slowly dying because we are not attached to the vine.
Do we want our lives as believers to reflect this sad truth, living apart from the presence and power of our Lord?
Today, we will be looking at Joshua 23:8, cleaving fast to our Lord.
“But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.”
Joshua is concluding his service to God and Israel, and his life is approaching its end.
He is giving them his parting words, the words that God has given him to give to them. During his leadership, Israel has conquered the promised land, and they now have peace on all sides. He wants to leave them equipped to maintain what they have built. Looking at our topic verse, the verse begins with the word “but”, a conjunction that connects two main points.
For context, we will go back to Joshua 23:6-7, which says, “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them.”
Joshua is encouraging the people of Israel to obey the Word of God in its entirety and to not compromise or deviate in their obedience to the Word of God.
Joshua is also commanding them to not take up the gods of the surrounding nations that are still present and make themselves at the service to their gods, and cause them to turn their backs on God, which would lead to their destruction.
The word “cleave” means to adhere to, to catch as the result of a pursuit, to cling, or to be joined together to”.
In John 15:4-6, Christ says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Christ is expressing the importance of cleaving to the Lord, that everything we need to survive comes from Him.
When we are not attached to the vine, we can be carried away by strange doctrine, by false gods, by the world’s system, and by our own lusts, and be subject to the destruction that will follow.
In Deuteronomy 10:20-22, the Bible says, “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.”
We cleave to the Lord out of reverence for who He is, but also because of what He has done.
Israel went into Egypt as a small number and have grown to the millions, all due to the protective, provision, and sovereign hand of God blessing Israel.
I know what it feels like to experience a mighty change come over my life. Because of God’s mighty hand, and coming to prison completely broken and empty, 21 years later I am filled to the brim by His blessings.
God gives us all every reason to obey Him.
In Deuteronomy 11:22-23, the Bible says, “For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.”
We want to walk in victory, we want to overcome mountains in our path, but we don’t want to cleave to the Lord in order to make it happen.
Yet, we still want to “live our truth” and, worse, we expect God to bless those lives we want to live apart from Him, despite knowing His warnings.
Only through cleaving to the Lord will we experience the fruit of the kingdom of God.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 10, 2025 – Ecclesiastes 12:13 – the whole duty of mankind
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Hi Everyone!
What has life taught us that would be highly useful for the generations behind us?
Our testimony is the continuous account that God has given us to share with someone else, so that they can take an easier route to get to where we are.
We navigate the terrain that is our lives, we cut through brush, we take a few injuries along the way, but what we can provide after our journey is over is a map that shows the easiest routes, the obstacles, the detours, and the perils.
I tell the younger brothers in my prison environment that I lived through the poor decision making so I could teach them how to make better decisions.
Hindsight is also 20/20. I would rather them find a better way than I have, so when they assess their lives at the end, they were able to go farther and wider because they didn’t have to waste time battling the harsh lessons of disobedience.
Today, we will listen to Ecclesiastes 12:13, the whole duty of mankind.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Solomon was the wisest man in the world. God came to him in a dream and asked him what did he want from Him.
Solomon could have said anything and made any request, but in 1 Kings 3:9-10, the Bible says, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.”
Solomon asked for wisdom to perform the duty that he was called into, the king of all Israel. Solomon asked for the right thing in his sleep, this shows what kind of heart Solomon had. Stewarding the kingship well was something that was of deep concern to him and it pleased God.
In 1 Kings 3:11-12 the Bible says, “And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.”
God answered his prayer and Solomon became the wisest man in the world. There was no king like Solomon in wisdom or wealth, and people came from all over the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon. We still have a record of the wisdom of Solomon through the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon.
Even amid all of this, we also know that Solomon made some very unwise decisions at the end of his life.
In 1 Kings 11:1-2, the Bible says, “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.”
Solomon was the wisest man in the world, but his desire changed to wanting to gratify his flesh instead of living to please God.
They turned his heart away from the Lord, and he began to worship others gods. Solomon had everything, wealth, wisdom, power, and the favor of God, but he still fell, and all of this provides the testimony of his life from the book of Ecclesiastes.
The phrase “let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter” implies that Solomon is going to give us the one thing that his life of wisdom, wealth, and favor taught him.
Remember, this is the ‘wisest man’ in the world.
The phrase “fear God” means “to have a deep, moral, reverence and respect for God, causing us to be faithful and trustworthy to Him.
In Proverbs 1:7, the Bible says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Before we can truly know anything, we have to reverence God.
The word “keep” means “to guard, observe, or obey”.
The word “commandments” means “law, ordinance or precepts”.
In 1 Samuel 15:22, the Bible says, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
Saul’s disobedience didn’t get him great results, he lost his kingship and died in war, and because of Solomon’s disobedience the kingdom of Israel became divided.
In all of Solomon’s unmatched wisdom, “the whole duty of man” isn’t some profound life lesson.
He stresses clearly, fear God and obey His commandments – THIS is THE journey into THE blessed life.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 11, 2025 – 1 Peter 2:15 – putting the adversary’s agenda to shame
“For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men”
1 Peter 2:15
Hi Everyone!
In my prison environment, there is a lot going on.
Being in such an enclosed environment, one has to be strategic if one wants to avoid the nonsense from both staff and those confined, which is a continuous struggle if one has to come up with their own game plan.
Since I have been drawing closer and closer to the Lord, my lifestyle choices have placed me away from certain people, certain activities, and certain conflicts.
I am learning to relinquish my pride, and in the process, people who have wronged me have quickly apologized.
Also, by being an outspoken believer, there is a standard for the types of conversations that I will entertain, which eliminates a lot of the stupid arguments I could find myself in.
Today, we will look at 1 Peter 2:15, putting the adversary’s agenda to shame.
“For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men”.
Peter is writing this letter to believers who are experiencing persecution now, and will experience more ahead. He is trying to prepare the church to avoid certain behaviors and conversations that could potentially lead to unnecessary persecution. By preparing them in advance, so they will be equipped to handle things as they come already knowing the potential end of a matter if they choose to engage.
Within 1 Peter 2, Peter is confirming the identities of the believers that he is writing to, that they are indeed the people of God, that they are a spiritual house, a chosen nation, a holy priesthood, deeply beloved, and those who have experienced the Lord firsthand.
In 2 Corinthians 6:17, the Bible says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”,
There is the call for us to distinguish ourselves from the world, in both word and deed, so there should be a clear difference between how we operate and how the world operates.
The word “will” means “determination, purpose, or volition”.
The phrase “well doing” not only refers to good works, but it displays a posture that we possess in our daily lives that is pleases God.
In Galatians 6:9-10, the Bible says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Being completely honest, Paul knew that it would be difficult to maintain a faithful stance in the face of mounting pressure, which is why he encouraged then, and encourages us, now, to “not be weary in well doing”.
Sometimes, standing in our faith, not reacting and not responding sucks, because we are essentially bailing people out, allowing them to behave stupidly at our expense, but it goes a lot deeper than this.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the Bible says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
This means that God has designated us to be a place that people come to experience the presence of God, a place where God is glorified through us. This is why we have to continue to press forward in well doing, because we represent the kingdom of God.
The word “ignorance” means “contempt for God, or not acquainted with true knowledge of God”.
The word “foolish” means “unbelieving, mindless, stupid, or egotistical”.
So people who don’t share our faith, who actually have a contempt for God, are actually going to try to prod us into behaviors and attitudes that are inconsistent with our faith?
In 1 Peter 5:8-9, the Bible says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
This passage tells us to resist in the faith, which means that I can’t use my own methods to handle spiritually perverse and unbelieving people.
It means I have to remember to walk according to the Spirit, and remain rooted in the word of truth when the enemy sends someone to derail me.
In 1 Peter 3:15-16, the Bible says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”
Our good behavior, our Godly speech, and the way we handle adversity becomes a testimony that brings glory to God, and pushes out the negativity that tries to hinder our witness.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 12, 2025 – Revelation 12:11 – the blood of Chris, a powerful testimony against the enemy
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
Revelation 12:11
Hi Everyone!
Things changed when I received God’s free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
Spiritually, I was made new, a new creation in Christ, and I was given admittance into the kingdom of God.
Though their is a physical world that I have to live this spiritual life from, and though I was living in the midst of real consequences from real poor choices, my life is still new in Him.
This is what we must speak about when the enemy tries to talk us out of accepting our rightful place as believers.
Living in Christ is more important than anything that I have experienced, which is why the enemy always aims to get us to relinquish our identity in Christ.
Today, we will be looking at Revelation 12:11, the blood of Chris, a powerful testimony against the enemy.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
This passage in Revelation is when Michael, an archangel, and the armies of the living God went to war against Satan.
This is a great victory that was won in heaven, causing the enemy to be cast out of heaven.
In Revelation 12:9-10, the Bible says, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
This happened already, which means that the enemy has been defeated since the blood of Christ won the victory against sin and death.
This means that the enemy has a “crabs in the bucket” type of mentality, trying to pull as many people back into their sin as he possibly can. He is also trying to soil our appearance before God by throwing dirt on us, but we have a perpetual covering in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Just think, we war daily with the enemy, who is already defeated.
The word “overcame” means “to subdue, conquer, prevail against, or get the victory over”.
We know “him” to be Satan based on the verses above.
Not only did Michael and the angelic hosts defeat Satan and expel him out of heaven, but because we who believe have the blood of Jesus Christ upon us, we enter into that victory as well.
In 2 Corinthians 2:14, the Bible says, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”
In Christ, we have victory, but the enemy tries to erase the knowledge of that victory over him from our minds and hearts, so we will accept the testimony of defeat, of shame, of fear, and of guilt. If we don’t accept our rightful place in victory, then we won’t get a chance to experience the spoils of victory, which is the kingdom of God.
The phrase “blood of the Lamb” speaks of the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross for the sin of the world.
In John 1:29, the Bible says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Christ”s role was always to be the perfect atoning sacrifice for sin, and in doing so, fulfilled the Law and defeated Satan in the process.
In Hebrews 2:14-15, the Bible says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
The enemy wants to keep us in bondage to an identity that no longer belongs to us, and he enjoys to watch us living defeated lives.
The phrase “word of their testimony” is a declaration of evidence provided that attests who we are in Christ, that we are washed clean by His blood, that we are children of the Most-High God, the our lives no longer matter because we are secure in Him.
In Romans 8:33-34, the Bible says, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Doesn’t Romans 8:1 say, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Putting these two passage together, the enemy has nothing to accuse the saved with, nor is there any more power in his testimony against us. He was expelled from the kingdom of God, where we now reside!
What if that testimony went out in the earth more than the enemy’s accusations of us?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 13, 2025 – 1 Peter 4:15 – not adding dirt to the holes we find ourselves in
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.”
1 Peter 4:15
Hi Everyone!
For the last twenty-one and a half years, I have been living the very real consequences for my actions, sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for murder.
I am truly blessed to walk in true repentance and salvation, and I praise God for giving me eyes to see not only the errors in my past thinking and my past ways, but also see the potential errors in my and other peoples thinking and ways.
I have come to the conclusion that sometimes, we bring problems upon ourselves, when we behave in such a way that forces us into experiencing unnecessary hardships.
As believers, we should understand that there is going to be suffering that will occur because we are of the faith, and we should strive to not do anything to make matters worse.
Sometimes, we are hardheaded, and our responses to situations are in rebellion to God. We should be the last people that would want to heap further consequences upon ourselves.
Today, we will look at 1 Peter 4:15, not adding dirt to the holes we find ourselves in.
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.”
Peter is writing to a church under persecution.
Peter’s aim is to encourage them while under persecution, but also prepare them for a very rough road ahead. He is calling them to live holy lives in the face of suffering, to respond as believers, and look to God in hope that no matter how great the suffering, there is power available that God bestows freely upon His children.
In 1 Peter 4:12, the Bible says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you”.
Peter is telling them in this verse that they should expect that suffering will come, and for us too that it will likely catch us by surprise.
This is a posture that we are expected to have in the face of suffering.
In 1 Peter 4:13, the Bible says, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
We are to rejoice in the face of suffering, not be unhappy that we are suffering, while even though no suffering feels pleasant, we must not allow our suffering to extinguish the joy we have in Christ.
James also wrote to a church experiencing persecution and in James 1:2-4, the Bible says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
James encourages the church to “count it all joy”, which requires a completely different vision and posture to what is being experienced.
Our natural inclination would be to push back against persecution, to fight back against injustice.
Instead, we are to press on in love, in faith, and in assurance that there is a Godly purpose in our suffering that will produce faithfulness in others. God was glorified in Christ’s sufferings, but are we able to let God be glorified in our sufferings?
The word “murderer” means “a criminally intentional taking of a life”.
Remember in Exodus 2:11-12, where the Bible says, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.”
Our natural inclination to injustice is to chastise or remove the oppressor, but that is not how God wants to us to respond.
Some people will fight against their sufferings, but God is calling us into a faithful endurance of suffering.
Murder, stealing, doing evil, and meddling in the affairs of others because we are suffering persecution is not an adequate response.
God doesn’t want us to respond in our own way, but in His way.
In 1 Peter 2:20-21, the Bible says, “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps”.
Christ suffered a far greater penalty yet being without sin, and He didn’t fight back, but He was as a sheep being led to the slaughter. He didn’t kill, steal, do wrong or get into others’ business.
In Romans 8:18, the Bible says, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
There is glory in store for those who endure suffering in a Godly manner, but brutal consequences in store for those who are lawless in the face of suffering.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 14, 2025 – 2 Peter 1:13 – a reminder to remember who we are
“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance”
2 Peter 1:13
Hi Everyone!
We have a Godly obligation to share the Word of God with others.
Some are able to teach the Word with fluidity and truth, but others are just as capable of telling someone else how God took them from sinner to salvation.
No matter our methods, our behavior, our love, and our grace are also testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have to live out the faith we have, and as we live our faith out, we will be able to strengthen and encourage someone else in the Lord, reminding them of who they are and whose they are.
Sometimes a reminder can be the thing that someone needs to overcome what is coming against them.
Just as the church faced persecution when it began in the first century, believers are still faced with adversity, and there is still a call for us to live a holy life.
Today, we will be looking at 2 Peter 1:13, a reminder to remember who we are.
“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance”
Peter is writing to a church in peril, facing persecution, being scattered, jailed, killed, and tortured for the name of Jesus Christ.
When we experience persecution to this extent, there can be a tendency to drop our hands and give up and go back to whatever lives we had before salvation.
However, it is due to the persistent endurance of the saints in the first century that the Word spread all over the world. Within the first 15 verses of this first chapter, Peter is encouraging the church by reminding them of their capabilities.
In 2 Peter 1:3, the Bible says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue“.
I love this verse because it is not in our power or ability that we have what we need for Godly life, but it is in the divine power of God that we can live Godly under any type of hardship or circumstances.
The beginning, telling the church that they are equipped with Godly power to walk in the Spirit even as they suffer, and adding to their measure by putting on Christ.
In 2 Peter 1:10, the Bible says, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall”.
Peter is giving them the roadmap to faithful endurance in Christ, despite what is happening in their lives.
The word “meet” means “right, upright, or just”.
The word “tabernacle” means “body, encampment or temple”.
Peter is showing a commitment to continue to press forth the Gospel message, even in the midst of what he is going through.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the Bible says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Just as Paul understood that his life and body was not his own, but belonged to Christ, so Peter understood that while he still lived, his life’s mission was also to serve the Lord’s agenda first.
The word “stir” means “to arouse or wake”.
This term ‘stir’, almost signifies putting the feet to the fire, compelling movement.
The phrase “putting you in remembrance” speaks of reminding someone or bringing something to someone’s recollection.
What Peter is sharing with them isn’t something they don’t know already.
In Luke 21:12, the Bible says, “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.”
Christ taught the people, especially the disciples, that these things were going to happen, that persecution was coming, but in Luke 21:13, the Bible says, “And it shall turn to you for a testimony.”
How we handle ourselves in these types of situations will provide a testimony to who we are in Christ. Peter is reminding the church in the first 13 verses of the first chapter of 2 Peter of Who they are in Christ, and what they have as the result of God’s divine power.
In 1 Peter 2:21-23, the Bible says, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously”.
Christ left us an example of how we are to handle ourselves in the face of intense persecution, but also how we are to handle ourselves in our daily lives.
Are we reminding others to persevere in the midst of the pressures they face? Are we encouraging others to live faithfully to God?
Do we remind others of who they are and Whose they are?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 15, 2025 – 1 John 4:10 – the all-surpassing love of God
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:10
Hi Everyone!
I remember being homeless.
It was a set of unfortunate circumstances sparked by a few dumb decisions on my part from my past that I was still being made to pay for.
Experiencing my family’s rejection, I didn’t feel loved or acknowledged, and I lived in a constant state of alert and fear because I also had a warrant out for my arrest.
I had a friend Charlie who saw my circumstances and he used to sneak me in his house at night after his Mom Sheila went back to work. To show my appreciation, I used to clean his house from top to bottom, on my own.
Of course, this got his mother’s attention, because he never cleaned the house!
She didn’t give me permission to live there with them, but if I so happened to go to sleep after “stopping by the house”, she wouldn’t have a problem with it.
That was the deepest form of love I experienced at such a rocky time in my life, but the love of God is something so much deeper, so much better, and it is never ending.
Today, we will look at 1 John 4:10, the all-surpassing love of God.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
The word “love” means “a love-feast, to regard with affection, or benevolence”.
The word “loved” refers to a love out of a social or moral sense, out of veneration, fidelity, or duty.
What is our response to love – it is: faithfulness to God, service in His kingdom, and deep reverence. But our response only comes because of God’s deep love and sense of duty in sending Jesus Christ to die for sins that we could not atone for.
In John 3:16, the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We are not talking about the earth when we are talking about the world, but we are talking about all mankind.
Think not?
In Romans 5:6-8, the Bible says, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Before we could get it right, while we were still overwhelmed by our sinfulness, Christ died for us, so that by faith in Him, we would receive salvation for our sins, redemption from the penalty of sin and death, and admittance into the kingdom of God.
When I was in the world, my family’s “good graces” were given as the result of good behavior, and pulled away for bad behavior. Imagine a God who loves us so much that He has made a place ready for us before we even received the gift of salvation. Imagine the belief He has in us!
I learned a long time ago that love is an action that expresses the feelings and emotions that one has for another.
This means that with God, we are going to see real love in action.
In John 15:16-17, the Bible says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
We are God’s choice, and He has a life in store for us where we will be fruitful for His kingdom. However instead of selfishly residing in our kingdom wealth, God desires us to share the love that we receive from God.
In Ephesians 1:4-5, the Bible says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”.
We have such a loving God, who looked at our sinfulness and saw that there was no answer, no redemption, no offering that would be sufficient to pay the debt back, but still chose us in Him before we were born, to dwell with Him in love.
He took the homeless and made them children. He took rejects and made them accepted in love. He took sinners and made them able ministers, all out of love!
The word “sent” validates John 8:58, which says, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
Christ always was, ready to fulfill God’s divine intention for mankind, to bring us into a right relationship with Him by faith in Jesus.
The word “propitiation” means “atonement that appeases God’s anger and produces reconciliation with God for our sins”.
In 1 John 2:2, the Bible says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
God extended this invitation for atonement to the whole world, but left us the choice to accept His gift.
This is the beautiful love of God that we have, and should be well aware of and understand, as believers!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 16, 2025 – 1 Peter 4:16 – the sufferings of believers shining a glorious light upon God
“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
1 Peter 4:16
Hi Everyone!
The sufferings we go through as believers are not easy, but I tell people that endurance is necessary as a believer, because we never get to the testimony without enduring the tests that come.
I don’t want to be someone who suffers and no one learns from it, where there is no silver lining, where no one is encouraged.
I want my posture in suffering to reflect my trust in God under all kinds of strain. I have been through a lot in my walk with the Lord, and I have been targeted, had offensives mounted against me by numerous staff members, leaving brothers who are still in the world scratching their heads.
One of them told me, “Brother Marshall, this shouldn’t be happening to someone like you. You put out nothing but good around here.”
I realized something greater than my sufferings. People are watching, and how we respond will show the world what nature is at work within us.
Today, we will look at 1 Peter 4:16, the sufferings of believers shining a glorious light upon God.
“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
The word “suffer” means “to be subject to evil or pain”.
Also, the word “yet” beginning a passage suggests that there is a connection between this verse and the previous verse.
In 1 Peter 4:14-15, the Bible says, “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.”
Peter is encouraging a church being plagued with persecution, that because they are experiencing pain from evildoers because of who they are in Christ, God’s spirit and glory is still upon us.
There is a difference between things we do to bring suffering upon ourselves, and the sufferings that come when you have wronged no one. God isn’t glorified by sinfulness, but by patient faithfulness in God.
The word “Christian” means “a believer or follower of Christ”.
When we suffer as a follower of Christ, His light is reflected in us and people see some unnatural qualities and behavior come from us.
In John 16:32-33, the Bible says, “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Christ is preparing us for a life where we will sometimes take hits for who we are instead of anything we have done. In this warning, is an instruction, for us to be of “good cheer”, which suggests that we count it all joy, where we praise God and live out our faith, even when it hurts.
The word “ashamed” means “disgraced”.
Suffering has the ability to make us feel like an island.
I remember when I was being pressed on all sides by the prison administration, some believing that I was trying to get a staff member into hot water, which I had nothing to do with.
It took months before their investigation was complete, with me being investigated for months without any knowledge whatsoever. Imagine getting dirty looks everywhere you go, being stared at intensely by staff while on visits with my wife, and not even understanding why. I just stayed the course and continued serving God and helping people as if nothing was happening.
In 2 Timothy 2:3, the Bible says, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
This is a war sometimes, and we can’t fight these kinds of battles on ground level.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”.
Though I was being pressed by the administration, I realized that this was really a spiritual battle, and I needed God’s help! When the investigation was complete, it was unearthed that I had nothing to do with any of it, that no wrongdoing was done on anyone’s part. Just like that, it was over.
The phrase “glorify God” means “to celebrate with worship, praises, and adoration”.
In Acts 5:41, the Bible says, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”
Both staff and inmates saw me endure the turmoil I was facing as a believer, and I believe God was glorified. I am now grateful for the experience!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 17, 2025 – 1 John 1:10 – transparency before a Holy God
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:10
Hi Everyone!
One of the reasons some people refuse to attend church is because they say that the church is filled with a bunch of high and mighty people who cast judgment upon others.
They say that church people act like they are perfect and they typically forget where they came from.
Of course, this is true, and the sad thing about it is that if we exercised the love of Christ, Who we come to church to worship, we would understand that the same love that saved us can save them.
Trust me, the same dynamic exists in prison, where there are some believers who have allowed their conversion to produce arrogance, making them believe that they are better than the unsaved.
No matter the attitude, no matter the location, all people have sinned, giving no-one a reason to attempt to present themselves as perfect before a Holy God.
The Word of God is THE standard that we all have fallen short of many times in our lives, even after our salvation.
Today, we will look at 1 John 1:10, transparency before a Holy God.
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
The faith that we have comes from four significant events: creation, the fall, Christ’s death on the cross granting those who believe redemption, and restoration when Christ comes back for His church.
The fall produced sinfulness in humanity, and generation after generation continue to walk in the sin of Adam.
In Romans 5:12, the Bible says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
We were under the curse of death and the curse could only be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The Mosaic Law and ceremonial practices were not enough to atone for sin, but they rolled the sins ahead year after year until the perfect sacrifice for sin came.
In John 1:29, the Bible says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
We are incapable of walking sinless in the earth, which is why Christ had to come.
The word “sinned” means “offenses against God”.
In Romans 3:23-24, the Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.
If a person walks this earth and proclaims to be sinless, they are lying, which is sin.
In Romans 6:23, the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Our sin requires the consequence of death.
But God gave us a way to avoid this penalty altogether by believing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by entrusting our spiritual wellbeing to Him as Lord and Savior, and by confessing that He died on the cross for our sin.
In Romans 10:9-10, the Bible says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
If someone is capable of living sinlessly in the earth, why is God’s plan of salvation established through Christ? Why wouldn’t God tell us to do what Jamie does, or do what Eric does, or anybody else? Why does everything point to Christ?
In Romans 5:8-10, the Bible says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Before we were born, a provision for salvation was made to atone for our sinfulness, yet some think they can profess they are without sin?
We not only sin, but we were enemies of God.
In 1 John 1:8-9, the Bible says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
The person who claims to be sinless is a person who is not acquainted with the truth, and cannot have the Word of God in them.
In John 17:17, Christ says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
The Word of God exposes the sinfulness of mankind and also reveals our need for a Savior to atone for our sin.
The person who believes themselves to be sinless is the person who has not recognized the truth of the Gospel; and most often the person who casts judgement upon another’s sin has not yet come into full knowledge of the truth of God.
No-one is in any position to judge but the Sinless One who died for our sin, Jesus Christ.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 18, 2025 – GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE – Luke 23:46 – a committed Spirit unleashing salvation to all who believe
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
Luke 23:46
Hi Everyone!
When we think about the gift of salvation bestowed upon us freely, who believe in the name of Jesus Christ, most people don’t realize that this “free gift” cost Jesus His life.
From the sufferings of the cross, Jesus never ceased to minister to us, and there are lessons in forgiveness and acceptance in that for everyone.
Do we really understand that when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, the Romans torture of the cross isn’t what killed Him, but it was His spoken Word that caused Him to lay His life down.
Remember, this is Emmanuel, meaning God with us, so in order for Jesus to have died, He had to relinquish the very thing that kept Him alive. If Jesus has this much power over death, for it to not come until He relinquished life, imagine how much power He has over life!
Today, we will look at Luke 23:46, a committed Spirit unleashing salvation to all who believe.
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
We have to understand that Jesus suffered brutally for our sins. He was beaten with fists, He was whipped, spit on bludgeoned and then crucified.
In Isaiah 52:14, the Bible said, “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men”.
They beat Jesus until He was unrecognizable, beaten more severely than anyone documented. Putting this verse into context, the beating alone should have killed Christ, at the least put Him in a coma.
In Isaiah 53:9-10, the Bible says, “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”
Jesus did nothing wrong, that deserved what He received, so the people beat Him for sport, in the name of barbarism. In these two prophetic verses, we clearly see that God ordained this to happen, so that His word would be fulfilled.
The word “hands” means “power”.
The word “commend” means “to deposit as a trust for protection, to commit”.
The word “spirit” means “the vital spirit or life, the principle of life residing in man. The breath breathed by God into man and again returning to God, the spiritual entity of man”.
Looking at this part of the verse, Jesus glorified God from the cross by saying “into THY hands” because His life wasn’t in the hands of the Romans who were crucifying Him or the Jewish leadership who sold Him out to Pontius Pilate. His life was in the hands of God.
In Psalm 31:4-5, the Bible says, “Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.”
Christ quoted David from a Psalm of lament due to being surrounded by enemies who wanted to do him harm.
Christ proves in this, that He identifies with our sufferings, as evidence by Hebrews 4:15, which says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
In Him identifying with us, we have an example in Him to follow, that no matter what is going on, or how bad it looks, we who believe are in hands of a loving God who sees us right where we are.
The phrase “gave up the ghost” means “to expire or die”. Before this phrase, the topic verse says, “and having said thus”.
This is a very simple but profound revelation.
Jesus Christ didn’t die until He relinquished His life.
He literally spoke His death into existence. If Jesus had never spoken those words, “into thy hands I commend my spirit”, He would still be on the cross right now!
Remember, Jesus is fully man and fully God, so the Spirit that is in Him is all God. God cannot die, so as long as the Spirit remained in Him, He couldn’t have died.
Remember in John 10:17-18, when Christ said, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
Jesus Christ received a commandment from God that He wouldn’t die until He (Jesus) laid His life down.
It wasn’t the cross that killed Jesus, nor was it the soldiers who killed Jesus.
He literally gave us His life, bringing His own death to pass, so His shed blood would redeem us from the penalty of death for our sin.
Brings a different perspective to what happened on the cross, doesn’t it?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 19, 2025 – 1 John 4:11 – loving each other with the love of the Lord
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
1 John 4:11
Hi Everyone!
People won’t remember a lot about us if we are not some celebrity, but what they will remember is our impact in their lives.
I left negative impacts on people’s lives when I was involved in the street life, and have lived through some brutal consequences due to the choices that I made.
Living as a believer, I have experienced the deepest love I could ever know, and that is the love of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who died on the cross in order to save mankind from their sin.
In reflecting upon that beautiful love offering given to us, especially me, who needed it the most, I also reflect on those who reflected the image of Jesus Christ in their love for me.
Their earthly example guides me in my love for others, especially those who haven’t yet come to repentance.
I want to make an impact of love on people and allow that to be my lasting legacy, no matter where my life leads.
Today, we will look at 1 John 4:11, loving each other with the love of the Lord.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
John’s love for the people that are reading his letter is evident in his words.
John is writing this letter likely from Ephesus about 15 years after the destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in A.D. 70.
Imagine that the believers are scattered in various places by then, churches are growing, Jews are being converted, and the word is being spread farther in the earth.
Receiving a love letter like this would actually encourage a church facing some perils, but it would actually guide the church in its posture, as the church is supposed to be a movement introducing people to the love of God in Christ.
He begins this verse with “Beloved”, a term of deep affection and endearment, one of inclusion, one of welcome, one that dispels roles and hierarchies.
In John 3:16, the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God displayed His love to the world by giving us Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for the sin mankind was cursed by. His death on the cross covered sin permanently, so the destruction that was promised to those who disbelieved may not come upon them.
God shows us in this iconic verse that love is far beyond an emotion, but it is a divine action that expresses Godliness. God loves so He gave.
In Romans 12:1, the Bible says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Just as Christ presented Himself as a living sacrifice who ultimately gave His life for our sin, we have to be living sacrifices in this earth, giving of our time, our service, making the kingdom of God the priority in our lives.
There is a difference in just doing stuff for people and doing it out of love.
The word “loved” means “to love in a social or moral sense, to regard with strong affection, favour, goodwill or benevolence”.
John is writing this particular passage for people to consider the love of God as the standard to weigh our love for others.
In Romans 13:8, the Bible says, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
This is another way to approach love, where if I continuously owe love, then I will never stop paying it.
I won’t have to worry then about if I am walking the line or not because through my love, I am deeply considering God and others above my own interests.
When we look at love, it also is expressed from a sense of duty, as an expressing of faithfulness to God.
If Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”,
it means that we can only display faith if it is directly aligned to the Word of God.
Mark 12:31, says, “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Faith and obedience are one in application, because we can’t be faithful unless we obey God.
If Christ commanded us to love thy neighbor as thyself, then that is what we must do. God is not trying to force our love, but through His example, He is hoping that we would desire to love on this level.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, the Bible says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”.
If our heart’s desire is to love others from a cheerful heart, God is going to give us everything we need to perform it.
Love then truly manifests the presence of God in our relationships.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr NOT POSTED, 2025 – PRE EASTER MESSAGE – Luke 23:41 – a supernatural gift for someone completely undeserving
“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”
Luke 23:41
Hi Everyone!
I deserve the penalty of death that Jesus Christ died on the cross for.
I was the worst of the worst, someone who actively participated in the street life, committing crimes, trying to thrive in an environment where sin is expected.
I am not going to ever act like I haven’t done anything worthy of being strung up on a cross, especially being convicted of murder.
Being a believer, I cringe at the thought of staring into the eyes of someone deeply loved by God and doing irreparable harm to them, their families, and their community.
How do I deserve salvation? How do I deserve to receive revelation from the Holy Spirit? How I do I deserve to be in a position to teach anyone the Word of God? How do I deserve to be whole?
The fact is, I don’t, but praise be to God that I understand that, and I live in a daily appreciation for everything I have as a new creation in Christ.
Today, we will look at Luke 23:41, a supernatural gift for someone completely undeserving.
“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”
This verse occurs as a dialogue between the malefactors on the cross, sentenced to die on either side of Jesus for their crimes. They are cited as malefactors, but we don’t know the extent of their crimes.
In Luke 23:39, the Bible says, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
I remember being this person, in the midst of facing two consecutive life sentences without parole plus a hundred plus years, trying to manipulate Christ to release me from my bondage. All I cared about was myself, not the people I hurt, and I wanted relief from my own agony.
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, the Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
It took some time, but I came to myself, just like the other malefactors on the cross, and I cried out to Jesus in repentance for salvation.
The phrase “we indeed justly” is connected to the previous verse in Luke 23:40, which says, “But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?”
In my own life, I got tired of making a horrible situation worse, especially realizing that Someone died to give me another chance at life, living the right way. I deserved every bit of the recompense that Christ received, but He hung there to release me from the bondage of sin and the penalty of death.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Bible says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
This is what Jesus Christ’s death gave us the opportunity to experience, a newness that wiped our slate clean.
From the cross, the malefactor came into repentance, and in Luke 23:42, the Bible says, “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
All the malefactor worried about at that point was residing with Jesus, and in Luke 23:43, the Bible says, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The malefactor in that moment was no longer a thief or criminal, but he was a child of God.
In Romans 5:6-8, the Bible says, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Christ didn’t stay on that cross because there was anything good about us, but He stayed on that cross because He was our only hope!
He didn’t wait on us to get our lives together, start ministries, plant churches or anything like that. He gave us the invitation of salvation while we were still vile, while we still were deep into our sin, while the world felt that there was nothing good about us.
I saw a lot of backs when I was arrested for murder, but through labors of love, through nudges, through people constantly pouring into me, when I was a mess, I received God’s gift of salvation.
In Romans 8:1-2, the Bible says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
The world continues to try to condemn me, and social media can be brutal with trolls who throw my past back on me, but I am who God says I am, and my life is completely sealed in Him.
The world’s record is not my truth! Christ took my condemnation upon Himself, so I could live free indeed, and I am!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
APR 20, 2025 – EASTER SUNDAY – Luke 24:46 – a risen Saviour, a risen Church
“And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day”.
Luke 24:46
Hi Everyone!
Christ has risen!
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then there would be no Christianity, there would be no Holy Spirit indwelling, and our faith would essentially die out.
Praise God that He rose, conquering the grave, and in His hands are the keys of death and hell.
His sacrifice ensured that death and hell, that spiritual state that keeps us separated from God would be a choice and not a reality for those who place their faith in Christ.
Not only do we have atonement for our sin, redeeming us back to God, but we who believe experience the power of the Holy Spirit, which will lead us into Godliness and truth.
Because Christ rose from the dead, He sent us the Comforter to dwell in us forever, the same Holy Spirit that dwelt in Christ.
Life for Christ means life for us, and that means that His resurrection power lives in us!
Today, we will look at Luke 24:46, a risen Saviour, a risen Church.
“And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day”.
The word “and” at the beginning of a verse gives us the indication that there is more context to pull from the text in order to understand the verse.
Jesus Christ appeared to the disciples after His death on the cross, and they were terrified.
In Luke 24:36-37, the Bible says, “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.”
The odds thing is they knew that Christ rose from the dead and appeared to Simon, so one would think that Christ appearing would produce a different type of welcome, but they were terrified.
Christ knew they were afraid, which is why He said, “Peace be unto you”, to soothe their fears.
In this passage, Christ shows that He had to take a series of actions to show them He really was the risen Saviour, such as showing them His wounds, and then eating food in front of them.
All of this should have convinced them that Jesus was who He was, but He also had to remind them of the Words He spoke to them.
To make sure they locked it in, Luke 23:45 says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”.
Until Jesus opened up their understanding, they couldn’t comprehend what was happening, and how it was happening right in their faces. Sometimes, the dots won’t connect until our understanding is opened up.
In John 14:28-29, Christ says, “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”
Jesus had prepared them for this moment before it happened but they still were lost when it actually happened.
In John 14:25-26, Christ says, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Based on what we are seeing with the risen Saviour’s interaction with the disciples, they are going to need the Holy Spirit to fully connect the dots between what was taught to them and what they will ultimately teach.
The word “behoved” implies necessity, that Jesus had to “suffer”, which means “to be subjected to evil”.
In Isaiah 53:3-5, the Bible says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Over 700 years before Christ was sent to this world, Isaiah speaks of His being ordained to suffer for the sins of mankind, to bring the faithful into restoration and reconciliation with God.
There is more to the story!
The phrase “rise from the dead” means “to return to life”.
Christ was never ordained to remain in the grave.
In Hebrews 2:14-15, the Bible says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Jesus Christ rising from the dead completely stripped Satan of his power, and it empowered us to live without fear, knowing that we have resurrection power dwelling inside of us!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 21, 2025 – 1 John 4:12 – the manifestation of love producing the image of God in the world
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
1 John 4:12
Hi Everyone!
I remember when I was in New Lisbon Correctional Institution in 2018, and I was reading my Bible in the morning like I also do daily.
I was reading 1 John 4, and I came into a deeper knowledge of God’s love, something completely simple, but yet so profound.
Love is the manifestation of God in a relationship.
I was so excited by the revelation, because in it I finally understood why Jesus commanded us to love each other, because we would bear the image of God in the process.
When we love, we embody the Gospel, and it is the evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
After receiving this revelation, I shared it with a few people, even a couple of correctional officers.
Some people caught the revelation right away, but one person didn’t catch it until that night.
Love is much deeper than emotion.
It is our way to “see” God in this fallen world.
Today, we will look at 1 John 4:12, the manifestation of love producing the image of God in the world.
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
The word “seen” means “to look upon, to look closely at, to behold”.
In the Old Testament, people expected to die if they beheld the presence of God with their eyes.
In Exodus 33:19-20, God says to Moses, “And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”
Beholding the face of God meant death, but God does show us a way that we can dwell in His presence and live.
In John 1:18, the Bible says, “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
Who God is was declared by Christ, and that declaration is etched in the hearts and minds of those who believe in Jesus Christ.
The word “love” means “to regard with strong affection, benevolence, a love-feast”.
The word “dwelleth” means “to stay, remain, or be present with”. This doesn’t say that God will stay “with” us, but it says that God will dwell “in us”.
In John 15:4, Christ says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
Everything we are and everything that we need is given when we abide in the Lord and He abides in us.
In John 15:11-12, Christ also says, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
When the Lord’s joy is complete in us, we can love in the manner that He prescribes and commands.
We will in time come to understand that it is not anything we are capable of on our own, but it is only because of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16, the Bible says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
A temple is a place people go to in order to experience the presence of God, so when the Holy Spirit is free to inhabit us, we become that place people come to in order to experience God’s presence, and where they can also experience God’s love.
In 1 John 4:7-8, the Bible says, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
So God is love, and if God dwells in us by His Holy Spirit, then that means His love dwells in us. So when we obey the commandment of loving one another, then we are giving someone the love that God has given us, which produces the manifestation of God in that interaction.
Through our love, we can bring the church to anyone at any time, and we don’t need to have a profound message to preach to someone. If our sermon is love, then God is going to be revealed in us and glorified.
The word “perfected” means “spiritually mature, or complete”.
In 1 John 4:20, the Bible says, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
Our love, or lack therefore, is the evidence of what spirit is at work within us. How can we look at mankind, people created in the image of God, and not love who He created?
In 1 John 2:5, the Bible says, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
Even our obedience to God’s Word bears evidence of His love being complete in us, and through our obedience to God, His will can be done through us.
Are we a conduit for God’s love or an obstruction to it?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 22, 2025 – 1 John 4:20 – loving others as if we are loving God
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
1 John 4:20
Hi Everyone!
As believers, our lives here are a dress rehearsal for heaven.
We have the opportunity to live according to the Word of God, to be led by the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, and to share the Gospel so others can experience God while on earth.
How we pattern our lives becomes a reflection of who and what we serve, and we want to make sure that what we reflect is the light of Christ.
When we can live our lives glorifying God, then we can come into an amazing relationship with God, and we can also come into an amazing relationship with people as well.
Our love will become more evident, more vibrant, and we will be people that others desire to be around, despite the sin that may hold them captive.
How can we say that we love God and then not show love to the people God created with love in mind?
Today, we will look at 1 John 4:20, loving others as if we are loving God.
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
The word “love” expresses a love-feast, a strong affection, regard, or benevolence shown.
It can be expressed out of a sense of duty or fidelity, but this love is evident of God’s involvement.
A couple of weeks ago, the Lord put it on my heart to speak to a guy on my unit, but I had a problem with it because he is a very outspoken racist. Normally, no one has to prime me to start a conversation because I am very social, but I was lost for words.
I made up my mind to offer him a cup of coffee, because coffee is a staple in prison. I walked up to him and said, “You want a cup of coffee?” Looking confused, he said, “Seriously? Yeah, I’ll have a cup”. I told him to get his cup, and I followed him to his room, scooping coffee from my container into his cup.
He asked me why would I give a cup of coffee to someone like him, and I told him I have a love for all people and grabbed him by the shoulder. We talked briefly, gave each other a fist bump, and we went our separate ways.
This story is important because we can never lose sight of Genesis 1:27-28, which says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
God created mankind in His image and likeness, which means every time I stare at someone, I am looking at someone deeply loved by God. This verse also says that God blessed them after He created them, so God imparted blessing upon mankind before He gave them a rule to follow, or break.
In Ephesians 1:4, the Bible says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”.
God created us and chose us in love, and love that was prepared beforehand as a gift for us to rest in.
The word “hateth” means “to detest or love less”.
The word “brother” means “one connected to another in intimacy, fellowship, or kinship; a fellow Christian; people having the same Father”.
The brother I gave the coffee to is not really a racist, because no real racist will willingly accept any gift from a person of a different race, nor would he fist bump me either. God showed me that ‘racist’ is an outfit he put on, which is no different than the criminal outfit I used to put on.
In 1 John 2:3-4, the Bible says, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
If I disobeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit, I would have been no different than the brother I gave the coffee to, and I wouldn’t have ever come to the conclusion God gave me.
In 1 John 3:17-18, the Bible says, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
We make a liar out of ourselves and give a black eye to the Gospel when we turn our backs to someone in need. We have to stand on the Word and be believers that can be linked to our God through our love.
The phrase “hath not seen” means “to attend to, or experience”. Remember, our time here on earth is a dress rehearsal for heaven.
In 1 John 4:21, the Bible says, “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
Why do we make the Word of God so complicated by our own rules and standards?
We show how much we love God by the love we show others.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 23, 2025 – Matthew 5:39 – what Christ says about revenge
“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Matthew 5:39
Hi Everyone!
When I was in the streets, retaliation was a social norm.
If you wronged me, I had to get revenge, because in certain circles, if you didn’t get revenge, then you became a target for anyone who saw you as a “victim”.
In prison, retaliation is kinda the same way, where most want to establish that they are not a pushover, so they push back against anyone who tries to wrong them.
At the end of the day, retaliation is not about the offense, but it is about a false sense of pride.
I have seen so many fights occur because that false sense of pride made them feel like they “had to strike back”, and sadly, many people are in prison with life sentences for crimes of revenge.
A brother told me nearly 21 years ago that you have to think for yourself as well as the person you have a conflict with, so that you always give yourself an out.
However the truly strong have mastered walking away.
Today, we will look at Matthew 5:39, what Christ says about revenge.
“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
This passage is a part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus gave a series of teachings from a mountainside. He taught about a variety of subjects, such as the Law, anger, sin’s origin, divorce, oaths, enemies and retaliation.
Some of His teaching was like explaining to us what the Law says, and then He would command us to carry it out in a more perfect way.
The word “but” at the beginning of this verse suggests a turn from a previous thought. This means we have to go back to grasp the full context.
In Matthew 5:38, Christ says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”,
He is teaching from the Law in Exodus 21:23-25, which says, “And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
The Law had provisions in place for revenge, and whatever happened to you, the other person was repaid in the same fashion.
“But I say to you” reflects Christ’s change in direction.
Remember, Christ came to fulfill the Law. He also came to show us a better way.
In Mark 12:31-33, Christ says, “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Christ didn’t eradicate revenge in His change of direction, but through love, He changed our desire for revenge.
If I wronged someone, I would need God’s forgiveness and grace.
If I am wronged, I have to dispense the very thing that I need when I wrong another.
This is loving my neighbor as myself.
The scribe who was talking to Christ understood that the Law of Love was more important than any other law. Also, if I love my neighbor, I would never do anything where revenge could be considered.
The phrase “that ye resist not evil” can be said in a different way, “Do not oppose or stand against the one who is wicked”.
This means that we are to come against our tendency to push back when we are offended.
In Proverbs 20:22, the Bible says, “Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.”
When we are offended, mistreated, or harmed, our instinct may be to come against the injustice with revenge, but in this passage in the Old Testament, which was then still governed by the Law, we are now called to seek out justice from the Lord, not from our own hand.
In Proverbs 24:29, the Bible says, “Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.”
God wants us to see that the Law of Love also belongs in the midst of a Law making it permissible to get revenge, but He is hoping we choose love.
In Romans 12:17-19, the Bible says, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
Paul is teaching the same message as Christ, that where we defer our sense of justice and we entrust our offense to God, He will handle it as He wills.
In Romans 12:21, the Bible says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
This is how we are to be as believers. The Law of Love should govern our hearts and be the driving force that allows us to walk in peace and love all others.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 24, 2025 – Matthew 5:44 – walking in love towards those who war against us
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Matthew 5:44
Hi Everyone!
Conflict is inevitable in prison.
It is not because there is a population of hardened criminals jockeying for position either.
Imagine as parents having children, and you will quickly understand that the conflicts they have don’t take much at all!
Here we all have our own TVs in our rooms. But in the day room for 45 people; one television, three phones, four tables, and only one microwave! Definitely a recipe in there for conflict.
As believers, there is an understanding that conflicts will arise, that believers have to be a “rock” in a hard place, being able to handle the conflict that arises well, and with love.
It is not always easy, especially when people don’t like you, but it is necessary because we represent Christ.
Today we will look at Matthew 5:44, walking in love towards those who war against us.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
The phrase “but I say unto you” immediately suggests that there was a previous point made by Christ that is directly connected to this verse.
In Matthew 5:43, Christ says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.”
This was an application taken from the Law in Leviticus 19:18, which says, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
This rule pretty much implies that conflict was permitted against our enemies, not permitted for our people. Do you know that believers have that clique mentality where the only people who matter are believers?
That is not what God has called us into.
Christ is once again changing our direction, calling us into a deeper standard as believers.
The word “love” implies a love feast offered, strong affect and regard given, benevolence bestowed towards another. Consider God’s love for us.
In 1 John 3:23-24, the Bible says, “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment. And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him.”
When we love others, we are in direct compliance with the Word of God and we become vessels that He is proud to dwell in.
The word “enemies” means “foes or adversaries”.
In Romans 12:17-18, the Bible says, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
I have learned that it always depends on us as believers to live at peace with all men. Living in peace doesn’t mean that we have to be buddies with everyone. But it does mean that we have the ability to exercise love in the face of conflict, and the ability to give someone a gift where they don’t realize that they need one.
It isn’t exclusive to people who do us right, because reciprocity is expected when someone treats us right, but it is unusual to respond in love when attacked.
The word “bless” means “to speak well of, invoke prosperity upon”. It is hard to do this to someone who hates you, trust me, I know.
The word “curse” means “to doom”.
In Luke 23:34, the Bible says, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”
While people strung Jesus up on a cross, condemning Him to die, He was petitioning God on their behalf, praying that no harm comes upon them.
Is this our stance when we are hurt by others?
The phrase “do good” implies that we perform in such a way as to confer benefit upon someone else.
The word “hate” means “to love less”.
In 1 Corinthians 4:12-13, the Bible says, “And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.”
No matter how the world responds to us, we have to respond in love, remembering who we are in Christ.
The phrase “despitefully use you” means “to insult or slander”.
The word “persecute” means “to cause to flee”.
In 1 Peter 2:21-23, the Bible says, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously”.
In the light of suffering that we encounter from our interaction with people, we have to always remember that Christ paid the ultimate cost while leaving us the best possible example of love we could have.
Let us follow it, exercising love to those who need it most.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 25, 2025 – John 6:69 – faith in Christ being the foundation of our faith
“And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
John 6:69
Hi Everyone!
In my prison environment, I hear conversations about Jesus Christ from believers and nonbelievers alike.
I hear Muslims say that they believe that Jesus was an anointed Prophet, but not the Saviour or God Incarnate.
I hear Native Americans say that He might have lived on this earth, but He is not what He is depicted to be.
I listen to people say that Jesus is a fictitious character and the Bible is just a book.
The sad thing is, people tend to say this around believers, to professing Christians to get under their skin or to see how they are going to respond.
I usually don’t partake in these conversations, because they spark arguments that have nothing to do with Christ.
In this, I understand that all of these people have had an introduction to Christ in some way, so they are without excuse.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God Incarnate, the Saviour of the world, and there is no salvation without faith in His name.
Today, we will be looking at John 6:69, faith in Christ being the foundation of our faith.
“And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The scene in the text is chaotic to say the least. Jesus fed the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves, and when he departed from them, they came to find Him. They didn’t want to have a relationship with Him. They didn’t come to Him because they wanted to be saved. They didn’t even care about the Word of God. When they tracked Jesus down, they had one thing on their minds: food.
In John 6:26-27, the Bible says, “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
Christ knew their hearts without being told, which is another piece of evidence that He is all-knowing. Jesus wanted them to get their priorities in order, that their spiritual health is more important than any type of food they could eat.
They didn’t listen, but instead kept trying to manipulate Jesus Christ to produce food, but in John 6:35, the Bible says, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
Jesus is trying to introduce them to salvation by faith in Him, but they have a one-track mind. They then question His heavenly authority, this is His answer in John 6:51, Christ says, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
They saw this as a bizarre statement made by Christ, instead of understanding that this is a spiritual statement, for them to partake in His Word and salvation, not in His actual flesh!
In 1 Corinthians 2:14, the Bible says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
They missed the whole point, and because of it, they deserted Christ. His disciples were murmuring, and Christ asked them if they would leave as well.
This is the make or break moment in Jesus Christ’s ministry for the disciples, and they choose rightly. Even though they didn’t understand in that moment, they cleaved to the Lord in faith.
The word “believe” means “to have faith in, to entrust one’s spiritual well-being to”.
The word “sure” means “to know”, expressing a oneness that they have with the truth.
In John 3:16, the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God isn’t asking for us to know everything, but He is inviting us to place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
We are not going to see everything either, but God isn’t requiring that we see everything. He has provided us with enough evidence that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world.
In John 1:49-50, the Bible says, “Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.”
When we partake in the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we are also given the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who will continue to teach us and fill in the gaps where our understanding is lacking.
Only through Jesus can we be saved.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 26, 2025 – Mark 1:3 – clearing the brush to cultivate a pathway to the Lord
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Mark 1:3
Hi Everyone!
How do we, in our lives, blaze a trail to reach people for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
We have the Bible available in nearly every language, we have Bible apps, we have commentaries, we have preachers who are online, and we also have people who post and write devotionals.
Amid all of these means to produce a sound Gospel message, the world is turning more and more godless year after year.
In the United States, churches pride themselves on their mission work, which is essential. They jump on planes and go to different countries to share the Gospel, but right around the corner from our churches lies an untapped mission field.
Are we doing enough from our ‘wildernesses’ to provide a pathway for someone to be introduced to the Lord?
Is our personal testimony key?
Is our conduct one of becoming able to clear a path for others see the Lord?
Today, we will be looking at Mark 1:3, clearing the brush to cultivate a pathway to the Lord.
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
This passage is quoted from Isaiah, a prophet who lived nearly 700 years before Christ was born. Not only did Isaiah write prophecy concerning the arrival, purpose and deity of Jesus Christ, but he also wrote prophecy on His messenger John the Baptist.
In Isaiah 40:1-3, the Bible says, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Understanding that John the Baptist’s ministry being the fulfillment of a prophecy written 700 years before it happened shows us the sovereignty of our God and also the accuracy of Scripture.
Just in case someone believes this is mere coincidence, in Luke 1:76-79, the Bible says, “And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.“
This was John the Baptist’s mission given before he was born to older parents with a perceived barren womb. John the Baptist came to blaze a trail that leads people right into Christ. This was his specific purpose, but in looking at these verses, isn’t there a call in them for us as well?
The word “crying” means “shouting”.
Ministry is no silent matter, and John the Baptist served as a herald for Christ.
The word “wilderness” means “a desert, desolate, solitary, or lonesome place”.
A wilderness is not just a physical location but it is a spiritual state as well. It is the person sharing the Gospel from the seedy parts of town, the remote places where the Gospel isn’t being spread.
In Matthew 3:1-2, the Bible says, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
His message was simple, for us too:
repent, and turn our backs on the sin that we so loyally serve, and turn our faces to the Lord in humble submission and obedience.
This is the message John the Baptist was shouting in the wilderness.
Doesn’t seem too hard does it?
The word “prepare” means “to provide or make ready”.
The word “way” means “a road, mode or means”.
Through sharing the Gospel with others, we are cutting a trail through a dense forest that leads them directly to Christ.
John the Baptist had a mission that made the way for Christ to come, so when the Holy Spirit revealed to him who Christ was, the Bible said in John 1:35-37, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”
Our ministry should produce a following that we essentially introduce to the Lord and turn them over to Him. Blazing a trail means that the only important thing is what is at the end of the trail, Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 28:19-20, the Bible says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
This is our call, to continue to open up the road in the wilderness that leads people to Christ. The question is, will we?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 27, 2025 – Mark 1:15 – the time for the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is now
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:15
Hi Everyone!
In this the technological time that we are living in, we can use social media to share the Gospel, to tag people in posts, to show videos of pastors preaching the Gospel, but it is still going to require an effort on our part to get out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
Christ was preached about in prophecy from Scripture long before He physically arrived, and John the Baptist was purposed in blazing the trail for people to receive Him as Lord and Saviour. What did Christ do when John the Baptist’s ministry was coming to an end?
He picked up the mantle and began His ministry. How can we read about so many examples of those who relentlessly shared the Gospel, and then understand that even Jesus preached the Gospel message, yet we can stand silent and refuse to share the Gospel with anyone?
Today, we will look at Mark 1:15, the time for the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is now.
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
In order to grasp the full context of this verse we have to understand what was happening during this time, and who is speaking here.
In the book of Mark, projected to be the first Gospel written, it takes us through a rapid fire timeline of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry, all to establish that Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.
We quickly read about John the Baptist blazing the trail for Jesus, then we read briefly about the baptism of Jesus, then His temptation in the wilderness by Satan, then a very small snippet of John being imprisoned, meaning that there is no one out there heralding the Gospel.
What did Christ do?
He took the Gospel message and began to proclaim it, Himself!
The person speaking in our topic verse is Jesus.
In Mark 1:14, the Bible says, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God”.
His message?
Prophecy has been fulfilled and the Gospel of the kingdom of God is right in their faces.
This fulfills the prophecy from Daniel 9:25, which says, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”
This project was fulfilled by Christ’s arrival, producing an everlasting kingdom for believers to partake in. Through His blood atoning for our sin, we are able to enter into the kingdom as children of God, cleansed from the sin that kept us in spiritual bondage. Jesus Christ came to bring peace, salvation and restoration.
The topic verse again:
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
The phrase “time is fulfilled” means “the set or proper time is complete”.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1, the Bible says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.
Nothing happens by surprise to God. Everything comes and goes according to His purpose.
The phrase “kingdom of God” refers to the blessed kingdom that we receive by faith in Jesus Christ where even on earth, we can dwell in the presence of God, fellowshipping with His Holy Spirit. As with any kingdom, members of the kingdom partake in the kingdom benefits and privileges.
The phrase “is at hand” means “is near or approaching”. With this message, there is a call in this for us.
The word “repent” means “to think differently afterwards, to reconsider, to turn towards God.
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, the Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
Our godly sorrow should not turn to shame, but it should turn us coming to God for forgiveness, salvation, and restoration.
The word “believe” means “to have faith in, or entrust one’s spiritual well being to God”.
The word “gospel” means “the glad tidings of Christ and His salvation”.
In Galatians 4:3-5, the Bible says, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
The Gospel message of Christ, through faith, delivers all persons confined to sin, delivers the murderer, the thief, the outcast, the person slated for destruction, but we have to believe.
The Gospel transformed my life, and it can certainly do the same for you.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 28, 2025 – Mark 1:8 – the real baptism
“I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”
Mark 1:8
Hi Everyone!
We have discussed the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, how this ensured salvation and redemption for all who believe in Him name.
There is still one more aspect about the Resurrection Season to consider, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to become more like Him.
It is the power, guidance, and authority of the Holy Spirit that will keep the chains of sin and death off of us, so that we can not only live in the freedom that is in Christ, but we can experience the kingdom of God right where we are now.
Our lives in the kingdom began at salvation, and the Holy Spirit is the person who begins the transformation process to conform us to the image of Christ. God’s design is for people to see us and then see Him, because we will bear His attributes.
Christ sent the Holy Spirit so that we can walk in resurrection power and kingdom authority in the earth.
Today, we will look at Mark 1:8, the real baptism
“I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”
This verse is a part of the preaching of John the Baptist, born to be the prophet that paved the way for Christ to come. He established in this verse that his baptism with water is a symbol of what is to be the picture of our identification with Christ.
The word “baptized” means “to make whelmed or fully wet, to immerse”.
This act expresses a burial process, where we die to our former sin and former person, and when we come out of the water, we come out new in Christ and filled with His power.
In Acts 1:4-5, the Bible says, “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”
So imagine the disciples of Jesus in eager expectation of the promised Holy Spirit preached about by John the Baptist, and confirmed by Christ.
In John 14:16-17, Christ says, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
Christ had to go in order for Him to send the Holy Spirit in His name and authority. We talk about the power of the Holy Spirit, which is awesome, but the truth of the Holy Spirit is that He teaches us who we are in the kingdom of God right now.
Remember in John 14:1-3, where Christ says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Many of us see this passage as being what happens at the end of our lives, which is a wonderful image of a loving Saviour who is establishing our place and lives in the kingdom of God.
In Acts 1:8, the Bible says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
The promised Holy Spirit would empower the disciples to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, allow them to work the works of Christ, and live in kingdom authority right here on this earth. Their places in the kingdom were secured at salvation, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit would produce the power that would display the kingdom of God on this earth.
In Joel 2:28-29, the Bible says, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
God designed us to live kingdom lives right now, which means that Christ has already prepared our places in the kingdom!
In Acts 2:4, the Bible says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
When the Holy Spirit fills us, we are able to do the unprecedented, and walk in the kingdom authority that God designed for us to.
In John 14:12, Christ says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Many of us are sadly waiting to get to heaven to experience the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us, but we have that power right now at work within us!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Apr 28?, 2025 to May 28, 2025 Jesus Christ – The Mystery Uncovered 31 days – see DAILY DEVOTIONS 2021 Q4
May 30, 2025 – Galatians 4:14 – trusting in the message while receiving the messenger of God
“And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 4:14
Hi Everyone!
It is more important for us to receive the message than it is for us to embrace the messenger, but it is extremely important that we receive our messengers well.
They are not going to come in the form we would expect them to be in, but that is so we can learn to listen to the Word of God preached anywhere from anyone.
Being in prison, it is highly likely that some people will look at my confinement, my crimes, or my life sentence, and automatically disqualify me as someone worthy enough to be heard.
There are people who have disabilities we would refuse to hear because of their conditions.
What if God sent those people with a word especially for our situation, but because we looked at the outside appearance instead of the message, we missed something we needed to get to the next level?
Today, we will look at Galatians 4:14, trusting in the message while receiving the messenger of God.
“And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.”
Paul is writing to the church of Galatia, who are being infiltrated by false teachers that are taking them away from the Gospel by trying to convince them that their salvation isn’t complete unless they subject themselves to the Law. Paul is trying to remind them of their salvation experience, and how well they received the Word of truth.
Paul is worried that his efforts to share the true Gospel with them were in vain, as evidenced by Galatians 4:11, which says,
“I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.”
The word “temptation” refers to the state of trial in which God brings His people through adversity and affliction in order to encourage and prove their faith and confidence in Him. It is a word that also means “adversity, affliction, or sorrow”.
The word “flesh” means “body”.
There are several indicators from Scripture that Paul suffered from some physical impairment that would essentially cause Him to be fully reliant on the Holy Spirit to do the work he does when presenting the Gospel.
In Galatians 4:13, the Bible says, “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.”
Sometimes, God will use our impairments, sicknesses, afflictions, and confinements to make us a conduit for the Gospel to come forth. I am sure that Paul was undeterred by his condition, no matter what it was, and I am not deterred by my imprisonment either. Whatever God has given me, He has also equipped me to perform it.
The word “despised” means “to look upon with contempt”.
The word “rejected” means “to spit out”.
This provides a clear picture of how we can handle the messengers sent by God.
In Zechariah 12:8, the Bible says, “In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.”
Just because our outward appearance appears feeble, does not mean that the message lacks any power.
What if we received these messengers as angels of God instead of by the conditions they present?
The word “received” means “to accept”.
The word “angel” means “a messenger of God.”
In Malachi 2:5-7, the Bible says, “My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”
This passage shows us the esteem God holds for those who preach His Word, shouldn’t we receive them in the same fashion.
In Matthew 10:40, the Bible says, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”
We don’t really understand that when we reject God’s messenger, we are actually rejecting God’s message. How can we expect to live a blessed life when we reject what would be our own blessing?
In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, the Bible says, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
We have to rightly divide the Word of truth from God’s messengers, not pick apart the messengers as if they are not worthy enough.
In Hebrews 13:2, the Bible says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
We have to be careful to receive God’s people with open hearts and minds, the same way we would receive God Himself.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
May 31, 2025 – John 13:14 – the greatest service of love we can give
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
John 13:14
Hi Everyone!
Pope Francis, in the last weeks of his life, went inside a women’s prison and performed a foot washing ceremony.
He was feeble, his health was failing, and he was dying, but he sat in prison washing and kissing the feet of imprisoned women. The women could not stop crying, and my tears are welling up thinking about how unworthy they must have felt to receive this from someone so important to the world, and also how loved they must have felt at the same time.
Shortly after this foot washing ceremony, Pope Francis passed away, but their was power and beauty behind his ministry to prisoners.
Many people look at prisoners and discard them like bad trash, and discount any idea of them being able to be redeemed. Sadly, a lot of churches don’t do prison ministry, but they would then hope that a prisoner would then come to church upon release.
People don’t realize that how prisoners are viewed and treated affect their mindsets upon release.
Today, we will look at John 13:14, the greatest service of love we can give.
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
These are the words of Jesus Christ, who is soon going to the grave.
He strips down, clothed with a towel, and begins to wash the disciples feet, using the towel he was clothed with to dry their feet. This is usually the work performed by the lowest of servants, for it is a very demeaning task.
Our Dean at Trinity International University spoke about his journey to the areas Jesus traveled, how the dirt caked up so much on his feet that his shoes we rendered useless by the end of the trip. Imagine that type of dirt being on someone’s feet, and we can come to greater level of understanding of how hard the work actually is.
The word “Lord” means “supreme in authority or controller”.
The word “Master” means “instructor or teacher”.
In Luke 6:46-48, Christ says, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”
Christ left an example for us to follow, and if we are Christians, then our character, conduct, and attitude should be aligned with Christ, where it would make sense to someone if they found out we were believers. We have a solid foundation under our feet when we do what the Word of God says, when Jesus Christ is Lord.
In Luke 22:25-27, the Bible says, “And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.”
Our attitude as believers should be one of entitlement because we are in the kingdom of God, but one of service, where we constantly show people the love of Christ and the beauty of our faith. Serving is more important than being served.
The word “washed” means “cleansed”.
Jesus leaves us an example that we should not be above the menial tasks, that we shouldn’t have threshold for service.
We should always have a servant’s heart towards our fellow brothers and sisters, no matter their background or their sin.
In Romans 12:10, the Bible says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another”.
When in service, the person we are serving are more important than we are. If we are believers, which means our forever is secure, we may be with someone who is not a believer, and the love we show may introduce them to the love of God.
In Galatians 6:1-3, the Bible says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
Instead of looking at prisoners with disdain, let us look at them as people who need to experience the live of Christ and the fellowship of the saints.
When we think that we are above serving those we think are beneath us, we hinder the Gospel of Jesus and the example left behind as He washed the disciples feet. We may not ever be asked to wash feet, but we may be asked to love another unconditionally. Are we willing?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 1, 2025- John 14:15 – obedience from love
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 14:15
Hi Everyone!
We display our faith through our love of God and one another.
If love is present, God is present because God is love.
This world is in disarray because we have forsaken the greatest commandments, all rooted in love.
God doesn’t force us to love Him, and He doesn’t force us to obey Him either, but both are necessary to experience the abundant life promised to us.
Most people don’t understand that faith is the product of obedience, and that obedience is birthed in love.
A child obeys their parents because they love them, because they want to do the things that please them.
Our relationship with God should be the same way, where we desire to obey Him because of this love.
Too many people believe that God is some brutal taskmaster with unending rules that are aimed to make us lesser versions of selves, but that is not the case. God desires for us to live incredible lives of love and service that point the way to Christ, and allow us to commune and fellowship directly with Him.
This is an amazing life where we can be something greater than anything we could have imagined.
Today, we will be looking at John 14:15, obedience from love.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
The word “if” here expresses cause and effect.
If one thing is in place, the other thing should be happening.
Sometimes, the Word of God is really this easy, but we complicate it with our tainted understanding.
In Mark 12:29-31, the Bible says, “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Within these Scriptures, we are given the keys to follow the entire law as Christian believers. This is spoken out the mouth of Christ, the fulfillment of the Law.
The word “love” means “to regard with strong affect, with the idea of duty, respect, veneration and fidelity”.
Believers make up the Church, and the Church is the bride of Christ.
Through our love, faithfulness and fidelity is manifested, and within that fidelity is obedience.
In 1 John 5:2-3, the Bible says, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
Our perception of God’s commandments is usually the decider on whether or not we actually follow them. If we feel that God is unfair or too harsh, then it is highly likely that we will rebel, but if we believe that His commandments are designed to make us better believers and better people, then our posture will change towards what He commands.
The word “keep” means “to guard, maintain, or prevent escape”.
In Psalm 119:11, the Bible says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
This is us making sure that the Word of God is secure within, so that our instincts are to obey.
The word “commandments” means “an authoritative prescription”.
We know that the word “prescription” implies a regimen of medication or treatment necessary to make one well.
If our posture towards God’s commandments is one that views them as something that makes us well, then I believe more people would follow them.
In Romans 10:17, the Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
This word “hearing” isn’t just listening, but it is attentive listening with the intention of obeying.
Imagine a soldier waiting to hear the command of the person in charge. They are hanging onto every word, and when the command is given, the soldier acts in trust and obedience.
This is how we are to keep the commandments of God, as someone who is ready to receive them, someone who is ready to heed them, and someone who is ready to fulfill the desires of their commander.
In John 14:21, Christ says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
When we operate in obedience, God makes Himself present and available to us. Many of us want the Lord’s hand, but we don’t want to obey His Word. We cherry pick what we are going to follow, and that is not true obedience.
In John 14:23, Christ also says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
Imagine our obedience providing a home for the Holy Spirit to dwell unrestricted. This is what our love and obedience produces.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 2, 2025 – John 14:16 – the Holy Spirit, our guide into godliness
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”.
John 14:16
Hi Everyone!
One of the greatest gifts we have received from God besides our salvation is the Holy Spirit.
He is the same Spirit that lived in Jesus Christ, Who empowered the disciples, Who allowed the apostles to spread the Word of God all throughout the world, and Who is still guiding us into all truth today.
The Holy Spirit dwells within us, teaching us who we are, teaching us who our Father is, convicting us of sin, and giving us divine revelation of Scriptures.
I most certainly would have not been able to do all of these devotionals without the Holy Spirit, because there were many mornings I sat with a verse in front of me, and had no clue where to begin.
Then, I received step by step instruction from the Holy Spirit, and before I knew it, I was hitting “send” on my email.
Today we will look at John 14:16, the Holy Spirit, our guide into godliness.
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”.
The word “and” beginning a Scripture suggests a connect that needs to be made between two verses. In order to receive the full context from Scripture, we have to go back and find out what it is connected to.
In John 14:15, Christ says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
So the prayer that Jesus is making to the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us is for the reward of our obedience to what God commands.
Obedience and faith are directly aligned, and if we are not walking in obedience to God, then we cannot expect to receive what the Holy Spirit has to offer. Think not?
In Acts 5:30-32, the Bible says, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”
Even Peter knew that the Holy Spirit was given to those who obey. They experienced this, and it is also the fulfillment of the prayer that Jesus offered up on our behalf in our topic verse.
In Luke 24:49, Christ says, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Had the disciples not obeyed the commandment of the Lord, they wouldn’t have been in position to receive the promised Holy Spirit.
The word “pray” means “to request, beseech, or intreat”.
This is Christ going to God on our behalf to make sure that we would never be alone after He gave Himself up on the cross.
The word ” Father” speaks of God generally as the creator, preserver, and governor of all men and things, always watching them with paternal love and care.
If Christ, who was fully God and man on the earth, had to pray to the Father to request things of Him, then why do we feel like we don’t have to pray to God for the things we need?
In Matthew 7:7-8, Christ says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
Prayer works, and the Holy Spirit is integral in ensuring that our prayers are answered according to the will of God.
The word “Comforter” means “intercessor or counselor”.
The word “abide” means “to dwell or be present with”.
In John 16:7-8, the Bible says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”.
The Holy Spirit’s job is to teach us and guide us in the things that make for godliness.
He will tell us where we are going right and where we have fallen short, all to position us to walk worthy of our salvation.
Do we notice that Jesus already claims that the Comforter will come after He leaves, which tell us that God answered His prayer, granting Him permission to send the Comforter? Because Jesus was obedient, God answered His prayers.
In Romans 8:26-27, the Bible says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Imagine that we have Someone who not only hears our prayers, but pours into our hearts and minds in order for us to deliver a pure prayer to God that He would be pleased to hear?
This is what we have in our Holy Spirit, the answer to Christ’s prayer concerning us!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 3, 2025 – John 14:17 – the Spirit of truth dwelling in us
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
John 14:17
Hi Everyone!
There is something amazing in a believer’s life when they receive salvation.
They come into a saving faith relationship with Jesus Christ, and are now an active participant in the kingdom of God.
They now have the ability to come to God directly, and they can experience the beauty of being led by the Holy Spirit into the Godly life that they can live as a result.
Some people have the misconception about our faith, that it is about a bunch of rules to follow that are sure to kill one’s joy, but our faith is coming into communion with our heavenly Father, to receive of Him as if we are standing right next to Him.
He planted His kingdom inside of us with the Holy Spirit, causing us to live in the kingdom of God while we still live on this earth, and also, gave us the power to experience the kingdom of heaven come down to earth.
Today, we will look at John 14:17, the Spirit of truth dwelling in us.
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
This verse is a continuation of the words of Christ pertaining to the Holy Spirit, so for the full context, we will look back at the verses that precede this one.
In John 14:15-16, Christ says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”.
Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to come to us and dwell inside of us, being with us forever.
In Isaiah 62:4, the Bible says, “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”
When we received salvation, we received a great form of this passage in Isaiah, because we would no longer be forsaken, left to fend for ourselves. We will have the Holy Spirit pouring into us, convicting us of sinfulness and leading us in righteousness, all to bring us into compliance with God’s creative intention, for us to bear His image and likeness.
The phrase “Spirit of truth” speaks about the promised Holy Spirit.
The word “truth” means “the divine or Gospel truth”, so the Holy Spirit is going to make the Gospel plain to us and teach us about our God on a personal level.
In John 15:26-27, Christ says, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”
The Holy Spirit is going to give a precise, honest report on who Jesus is, not just so we can have the knowledge of Christ for ourselves, but so that we can fulfill the great commission, to share the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. The Holy Spirit helps us with the words we need, and gives us the push to talk to specific people.
The word “world” speaks of the present world and present order of things, as opposed to the kingdom of Christ, and hence, always with an idea of transience, worthlessness, and evil both physical and moral, the seat of cares, temptations or irregular desires.
The word “receive” means “to accept as truth”.
In 1 Corinthians 2:13-14, the Bible says, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The Holy Spirit can give us a direct, simple message that people of the world cannot receive as truth, because the nature that dwells in them is opposed to God’s word.
This world believes ‘seeing is believing and knowing’, but in the faith, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
In faith, we receive what we do not see as being just as true as something right in front of us. This mystery confounds the world because they don’t have the Holy Spirit.
The word “know” expresses a oneness through relationship, the Spiritual version of intercourse, where a person becomes one with the Holy Spirit.
The word “dwelleth” means “to remain or stay”.
In 1 John 2:27, the Bible says, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
We have a never ending, extremely valuable resource in the teachings of the Holy Spirit, and the beauty is that we get to experience this presence of God forever!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 4, 2025 – John 14:26 – being taught by the Holy Spirit
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 14:26
Hi Everyone!
My cellmate, who is not a believer, yet, checked out a graphic novel (like a comic book), but it was on the Bible. He had me check it out because someone who is not a believer told him that the book was sacrilegious, and he didn’t want to read something that was wrong about the Bible.
The minute I began reading through it, I not only discovered that it is Biblically accurate, but it also gives Bible verses at the bottom, so a person reading can grasp the full context of what they are reading in the graphic novel.
My cellie gave it to me to decipher, but I had to give it to the Holy Spirit to decipher it for me. The Holy Spirit bears the truth, and teaches us more about God. I wouldn’t have been able to help my cellie had the Holy Spirit not been teaching me all of these years.
Today, we will look at John 14:26, being taught by the Holy Spirit.
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
The word “but” is a conjunction that connects two pieces of Scripture by expressing a shift from one state to the next.
So for context, we have to go back to John 14:23-25, where Christ says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.”
Christ is preparing His disciples for the day that He will no longer walk with them in the earth. He is expressing that obedience is necessary in order for God to make His abode within them, which is preparing their understanding to receive the promised Holy Spirit when He comes.
The word “Comforter” means “intercessor, consoler, or advocate”.
Think about these definitions, and we will understand that the Holy Spirit is very much an ally to us, guiding us into godliness. He receives of the Father and He activates it on earth, to produce the will of God in our lives. John establishes in his writings that the Comforter and the Holy Spirit is the same Person.
The word “Father” is our God.
The word “send” means “to despatch from one location to the next”.
The word “name” means “appellation of authority”.
Not only is Jesus telling us that the Holy Spirit will be sent, but He is also showing us the three distinct roles of the Godhead in this verse. The Father sends the Holy Spirit under the authority of Christ.
In John 14:18, Christ says, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
This is all done to fulfill the words of Christ, that we will never be left alone in this world, that the Holy Spirit will be a sure presence in our lives.
In John 20:21-22, the Bible says, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost”.
Jesus made His disciples ready to receive the Holy Spirit, and when we have the Holy Spirit, we instantly have a peace within us that is unexplainable.
The word “teach” means “to instruct, advise, put in mind, or tutor”.
I love the term “tutor” because I am a state-certified tutor, and a tutor’s job is to meet a person where they are and usher them through the learning process. We correct what is wrong gently, and praise what is right, but it is all to help them learn and to help the knowledge stick.
In Acts 4:13-14, the Bible says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”
The knowledge and power provided by the Holy Spirit will always leave a person speechless about how we know what we know, but it will also provide a record of Christ as well.
The phrase “bring all things to your remembrance” means “to stamp it in our minds, to remind us quietly, or to suggest it to memory.”
In Acts 2:32-33, the Bible says, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
Peter gave the first sermon, not based on his extensive studying and knowledge, but by the power and knowledge of the Holy Spirit. 3,000 people were saved the day Peter gave this sermon, a direct manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s ability to teach.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 5, 2025 – Matthew 24:4 – avoiding deception by the enemy
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”
Matthew 24:4
Hi Everyone!
Deception is running rampant in our world today. Online profiles are made to project a person in the best light, pictures are edited to erase the blemishes, and more seriously, more people are being led away from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have had cults in our day where people have sacrificed every dollar they had to a false preacher professing to know the way to God.
People have put their lives on the line in Waco, Texas, engaging in a fierce gun battle with federal and state authorities over someone professing to be Jesus.
We have others putting together whole religions, trying to attach it to Christianity, and people are being led astray believing it to be truth.
In my prison environment, “the universe” seems to be replacing God, all while none can answer the question, “If the universe isn’t God, then who created the universe?”
Simple truths are being ignored because the enemy is deceiving the nations away from the Word of God.
Today will we be looking at Matthew 24:4, avoiding deception by the enemy.
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”
This section of Scripture is from a series of teachings that Jesus made during what we know as Holy Week, the week that He made the triumphal entry into Jerusalem leading to His death, burial, and resurrection.
In this particular passage, Jesus is teaching about the destruction of the temple and how the last days will be. This passage has a little prophecy of a future event not too long away and of eschatological events that will take place in the end.
Because this verse begins with “And Jesus answered”, this lets us know that we have more context to pull from previous Scripture that will give us an idea of what is being spoken of.
In Matthew 24:3, the Bible says, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
We can understand that this isn’t a public teaching, because if we go back to Matthew 24:1, it expresses that Jesus and his disciples departed from the temple and are walking outside the temple area.
Context is extremely important to understanding Scripture, because in this passage we have information about what we should be looking for to understand when the end times are coming.
The phrase “take heed” means “to perceive with the eyes or mind, to discern or understand”.
In 1 Corinthians 2:14, the Bible says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The natural man is going to look at the temple and tell themselves that there is no way that the temple will be destroyed, but the spiritual man is going to entrust their understanding to the Lord, and prepare themselves for the day that the temple will no longer stand.
Sometimes, the truth makes no logical sense, and that is because spiritual matters don’t have to be logical in order to be true. The Jews thought the Messiah was going to come as a military warrior who would destroy the Roman empire and stop the oppression of Jews, but Jesus Christ came riding on a symbol of peace in the city of peace as the Prince of peace.
Jesus came to destroy a greater kingdom and He defeated Satan once and for all.
The word “deceive” means “to cause to roam from safety, truth, or virtue”.
In Ephesians 5:6-7, the Bible says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.”
Those who deceive others can sound so true and their words so enticing that people are led in a path of destruction.
The enemy is trying to get us to roam away from the presence of God, so we are vulnerable to attack. Foxes act like they are playing, all to lead dogs away from the safety of their homes, where they will be forced to fend for themselves.
In Colossians 2:8, the Bible says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
The enemy is so crafty leading believers astray by trying to replace what we have with something that seems more attractive. Satan subtlety led Eve and Adam astray by getting them to question God’s word and His intention for them.
In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Bible says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
When we study the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to rightly divide the truth within us, we will be able to discard the nonsense the enemy tries to plant.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 6, 2025 – Isaiah 25:1 – praising God for His faithfulness
“O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”
Isaiah 25:1
Hi Everyone!
I was working out in our courtyard area yesterday, doing an core circuit.
Things were going fairly well, but it started getting loud with the influx of guys out there. I ran back in my room to get my tablet so I could listen to music to drown out the noise.
When I got back to do another set, the song “I Surrender All” began to play, and I looked at the clouds in the sky and was overwhelmed with a desire to glorify God, so that is what I did.
The more I praised God for Who He is, the more I locked into my workout, and each song I listened to gave me another reason to praise God.
God has truly been faithful in executing His plan for humanity, and He has definitely been faithful in drawing me closer to Him. God’s plan leads to His children dwelling in His Holy City, the new Jerusalem, with Him forever, where we will come into a full understanding of how loving and how faithful our God truly is.
Today, we will look at Isaiah 25:1, praising God for His faithfulness
“O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”
This passage in the Bible is a part of a section in Isaiah that is apocalyptic in nature. God is judging the nations in the end days, while His children are wonderfully secure in Him. After judgment, a beautiful city descending from heaven appears for those who are saved to dwell in forever. This chapter is about praising God for our redemption.
The word “LORD” refers to the Self-Existent God.
The word “God” here refers to the Supreme God.
So putting these together, Isaiah is saying “O Self-Existent and Supreme God”.
That has to sum up all God is capable of accomplishing, having no origin and no one being able to usurp His authority.
The word “exalt” means “lift up on high”.
Exalting God is an act of worship where we place Him above us, where His purpose supersedes everything we have in mind.
From victory, Moses exalted God in Exodus 15:1-2, which says, “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
Moses and the children acknowledged that it was the LORD that gave them the victory over a towering and seemingly insurmountable foe, and He alone is their salvation.
The word “praise” means “to extend hands to God in reverence and worship”.
Most people in the prison system know that extended hands in the air means “I surrender”, and when we praise God, we surrender our ambition, our pride, our plans, and or perceived reputations, and we worship God.
In this passage we are praising God from the safety of our new heavenly home, but what about praising Him right now? What about being awestruck by His creative hand and giving Him the glory?
In Psalms 34:1-3, the Bible says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
This should be our posture towards God at all times, hearts willing to praise Him at the drop of a hat, mouths willing to profess His goodness right where we stand. Why wait on heaven to do what we can do right now. If the kingdom is now in us by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, then we are in New Jerusalem right now in spirit.
Why now give God the praise He is due?
The word “done” means “to complete, fulfill or accomplish”.
This means God sets out to do something and it gets done every time.
In Philippians 1:6, the Bible says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.
God finishes what He starts, and we can celebrate that!
The word “wonderful” means “miraculous”.
These are things that cannot be explained away by our human logic and understanding.
The word “counsels” means “purpose, plan, or advisement”.
The word “faithfulness” means “moral fidelity”. God is true to His Word, even when we are not.
In Psalms 98:1-2, the Bible says, “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.”
We can celebrate the faithfulness of God right now by just reflecting on His goodness and faithfulness in the face of everything we have experienced. There is a victory in Him to celebrate right now!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 7, 2025 – Isaiah 25:9 – rejoicing in the day of deliverance
“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9
Hi Everyone!
I sit in prison, where I have been for nearly 22 years.
During this confinement, I have received true repentance and salvation for my sins, God has allowed me to radically change my life, and God has given me a purpose to preach and teach His Word.
God has been faithful in my life, far more than I deserve, and He has completely added to my life, giving me an outstanding wife, amazing children, and a community of friends.
One thing my heart continues to yearn for is to regain my freedom, to walk out of prison a free man, not for the sake of freedom, but so I can truly become everything that God created me to be.
I wait on God’s deliverance from this place, and when that day comes, I am going to rejoice in Him and Him alone.
We have a greater hope of deliverance in the end times, a risen Saviour who is coming back for His church!
We haven’t begun to experience freedom until we experience it with Him in heaven.
Today, we will look at Isaiah 25:9, rejoicing in the day of deliverance.
“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
This passage is speaking of the end times, where death is defeated, where we are delivered from this world and where we get to experience New Jerusalem with our God and Saviour.
The word “and” means that this verse today is connected to Isaiah 25:8, which says, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”
I want it to be understood that Isaiah is writing about the end times 700 years before Christ came to earth robed in flesh, and over 2,700 years to this date, speaking about events still to come.
In studying Isaiah 25:8, we see that Hosea, Paul, and John, all writers from different areas, all confirm this same truth, that death succumbs to the victory that is in Jesus Christ!
There is always a testimony given to God’s saving hand.
In Joshua 2:10-11, the Bible says, “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
When the hand of God moves, there will always be a record left behind that leaves an undeniable testimony of God’s strength and power. When death is swallowed up in victory in the end times, that event will produce a testimony of another flawless victory God has pronounced over His enemies.
When we see the part of the text say, “And it shall be said in that day” at the start of the verse, it leaves no doubt that God completely fulfills this prophecy.
The word “waited” means “to bind together by twisting as a rope, to hope, to expect that God will establish His kingdom”.
The word “waited” is not a weak word where we wait but are unsure as to our outcome. It is not a blind hope, but it is locking ourselves into the Word of God by an unshakeable faith.
In Ecclesiastes 4:12, the Bible says, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
When our hope is in the Lord, we are twisted into His Word, forming an unbreakable bond of faith that also secures our outcome.
In Psalm 121:1-2, the Bible says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
When we wait in faith, we look afar to our hope manifesting itself, knowing that it will be done.
The word “save” means “to deliver, help, or defend”.
The word “glad” implies expressed cheerfulness.
The word “rejoice” means “to make blithe or gleesome”.
This is a time of victory and celebration at the victory of our Lord, because it means “salvation”, or “deliverance from harm or destruction” for us!
In Psalm 20:5-7, the Bible says, “We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
Our deliverance under all circumstances as believers is in the Lord.
Just as death is swallowed up in victory, so shall my confinement be, and it shall be said by me on that day, that it was the Lord who delivered me!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 8, 2025 – Isaiah 25:8 – death defeated forever
“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 25:8
Hi Everyone!
When this life is over, there is eternal life waiting for me.
Jesus Christ promised that there is a place prepared for me with Him forever in heaven, a place where there is no more pain, no more tears, and no more suffering.
This life isn’t exclusively for me, but it is designated for any who call upon the Lord for salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.
Those who are saved will give up this life for a greater one, and give up the corruption of this world for the incorruptible.
Being someone who has lived a very painful life, I look forward to the day that I feel nothing but unspeakable joy, but I am not in a rush, because while I am here, I want to make sure that as many people get into heaven as humanly possible.
Today, we will look at Isaiah 25:8, death defeated forever.
“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”
This chapter in Isaiah is dealing with the end times, what will happen to us and for us by God as this life here is over. For those who don’t believe, this will be a terrible and terrifying time, but for those who believe, this will be an amazing time because we will be with the Lord, where God has always intended for us to be.
This is a time to praise God if our lives are already sealed in Him, and a time for those who are not to call upon the Lord for salvation, because it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can be saved.
In Romans 10:9-11, the Bible says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
This is an assurance of salvation, a divine promise that by faith, we will receive redemption from the penalty of our sins. This is something to treasure and praise God for.
The phrase “swallow up” means “to destroy”.
The word “death” refers to not only our physical and spiritual states, but it also refers to the place where the dead are housed.
It will all be gone!
In Hosea 13:14, the Bible says, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”
In order to ransom someone, a price has to be paid. That price was the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross for our sins. The blood paid that price in full, and my ransom had to be expensive, because I was a total mess! God rescues us from death’s power by showing death it has no power over His Word.
The word “victory” refers to the constant confidence we have that Jesus Christ has triumphed over the grave, and His victory becomes our victory!
In 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, the Bible says, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
When we trade in this world’s nonsense for God’s heavenly agenda, death will carry no weight, because death will be destroyed forever! There will be no more fear of disease, of cancer, of anything that can produce a testimony against the Word of God.
The word “wipe” means “to erase”.
This is what God will do to our tears, to our pain, and to our sorrow. He will erase them, because they have no place in the kingdom of heaven.
In Revelation 21:3-4, the Bible says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
God dwelling with us, us experiencing His glory in its fullness, and knowing that our pain will be gone forever gives us so much hope about our future.
The word “disgrace” is a word I am familiar with, because my sins have disgraced not only me but my family as well.
That is going to be gone too, and in fact, it is gone now!
We have assurance of this because the Word of God is true.
We have a writer, Isaiah, who over 700 years before Christ came to the earth wrote about something that is confirmed by a totally different writer, John, who wrote Revelation 60 years after Christ died on the cross.
God’s Word cannot lie!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 9, 2025 – Isaiah 26:4 – trusting in the everlasting strength of the Lord
“Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength”.
Isaiah 26:4
Hi Everyone!
When we are afflicted by the weight of the world, where do we turn?
Whatever we turn to, it is highly likely that it is who or what we place our trust in. When we were in the world, we relied on the things the world provided to become strength for us when we were weak.
We sought relationship to fill voids, some of us used drugs and alcohol to meet the need to feel better and in the process, we were led away from the only Person who could fix what is broken in us, and that is Jesus Christ.
Being confined for nearly 22 years, I have experienced the sufficiency of God in being exactly what I need to endure the hardships of imprisonment, and most people scratch their heads at how strong I am, but it is not me.
It is the Lord being strong in me. When we trust in the Lord, we become pliable in the potter’s hands.
Today, we will took at Isaiah 26:4, trusting in the everlasting strength of the Lord.
“Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength”.
The verse is a part of a section in Isaiah that deals with the triumph we experience in the end times. Even though this deals with prophecy concerning the end times, there is a ton that can be gleaned from Isaiah 25-27 that can be applied to the times we live in today.
Isaiah 26 is a victory chant extending praise to God for being stronger than our enemies, for overcoming the power of death.
Isaiah 26 is a continuation of the praise of God from Isaiah 25, because in Isaiah 26:1-2, the Bible says, “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.”
This is definitely a proclamation in all the land that our Lord is victorious and we are beneficiaries of His strength.
The word “trust” means “to hie for refuge, to be confident or sure”.
The word “hie” means “to instinctively run toward”.
That is very important, because our instincts are active due to to the narrative that exists within us. If the Word of God is the strongest narrative within us, then we are going to turn to The Lord instinctively when we are in trouble.
In Psalms 46:1-3, the Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.”
Our first option is usually what we trust in, and sadly, a lot of times, it is not the Lord.
If we don’t see God as a very present help, then we are not going to turn to Him in the midst of struggle, when we are afraid, or when life’s circumstances become hard. Our instincts are going to be to seek out what is comforting, even if the end result is destruction.
In Psalm 91:1-2, the Bible says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
Just as the victorious hand of the Lord was declared by the children of the Lord in the end times, we can declare the same thing today. Only from the secret place, by abiding the presence of the Lord, can we have the position to declare our trust in Him with confidence.
In Isaiah 45:17-18, the Bible says, “But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”
We have the ability today to operate in faith and full assurance that we will experience victory and deliverance not only in the end times, but right now as well. They are giving us the declaration from the end times to show us that because He provided us the ultimate victory in the end, we can entrust our lives to the Lord right now!
The phrase “everlasting strength” gives us a picture of the might of the Lord being a rock that we can build our lives on forever.
In Deuteronomy 32:4, the Bible says, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
When we receive this truth, we can look at our circumstances from a posture of victory.
In 2 Corinthians 2:14, the Bible says, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”
When our assurance is in the Lord, we can have a victory chant while we are still going through the storm, because we know that our God has already won!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 10, 2025 – Proverbs 26:11 – an inclination to stray from the path
“As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”
Proverbs 26:11
Hi Everyone!
People scratch their heads at how some people can return back to their life of sin after receiving salvation from sin.
But in our own way, we are no different.
There are times where we are disobedient, times where we are harsh towards people, and times where we ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In those ways, we are no different, being like a dog returning to their own vomit. Sadly, our deviation back into the foolishness we have been delivered from sets us back from growing in faith the way that God intends for us.
This recognition should make us more compassionate towards those who struggle in sin instead of judgmental, considering how easily we can stray from the narrow path.
I have been this person many times, and there are still some areas of my life where I have to keep myself from taking up again.
Today, we will look at Proverbs 26:11, an inclination to stray from the path.
“As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”
The word “returneth” is the same word we get “repent” from, where there is a turning back from one direction to fully attend to another.
This isn’t just a slight misstep or a lane merge, but this is a U-turn.
When we look at the word “vomit”, we understand that this is something the body has rejected as sustenance, and for humans, something where the smell of it may induce vomiting in others. So our return to a life of sin can negatively affect others.
In 2 Peter 2:20-22, the Bible says, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”
This is a scary sight, being subject to a great penalty for returning back to the sinfulness our salvation got delivered us from. In the midst of all of this, I wonder if a person really realizes what salvation has truly gifted them?
In 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, the Bible says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”.
Most people don’t understand that they are new creations in Christ because they don’t feel new. They receive salvation, and everything appears to be exactly the same. It is hard to feel reconciled with God through Christ when you have to begin the process of learning how to forgive yourself.
You have to grow into that identity, growing into who we are, and for some people, that is a longer process. It is harder to lead someone astray who knows who they are, and that word “knows” express oneness with the truth.
The word “fool” means “stupid or silly”, but it also expresses someone who is morally bankrupt.
In Matthew 7:16-18, Christ says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
The behavior one exhibits is the evidence of what nature is more dominant within them. If a person returns back to their sinfulness then sin still reigns within them and they haven’t allowed their new identity in Christ to take root.
The fruit one bears gives us an idea of what the tree consists of, but we are still in no place to judge the heart of the person, because we don’t know the extent of their struggle.
In Luke 11:24-26, Christ says, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
When a person receives salvation for their sins, they are definitely new creations in Christ, but the sinful life they once lived created a void that has to be filled with the Holy Spirit, with fellowship, and with ingesting the Word of God.
This is why people revert back to sin, because they are cleaned up, but they haven’t filled that empty space.
Let us be mindful of this when looking at those who backslide, because within this study are things to consider and ways we can help.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 11, 2025 – Mark 7:15 – what truly defiles mankind
“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”
Mark 7:15
Hi Everyone!
In our faith, building a relationship with God should be our number one priority. That is what we extend to the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the experience of oneness with God.
Many people try to merge traditions that do nothing to cultivate our faith into our practice, somehow believing that this will make us closer to God, but sadly, it only takes us further away.
There have been debates I have heard from guys in my prison environment about what Christians are allowed to eat and what we shouldn’t eat, based on the Mosaic Law, and I shake my head in sorrow, because there is more concern about following a Law we were never a part of than learning more about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The enemy is crafty, and will even use religion to keep a person from building and strengthening their relationship with God.
Today, we will look at Mark 7:15, what truly defiles mankind.
“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”
This is a conversation that is happening between Jesus and the people, based on His previous interaction with the Pharisees who tried to make tradition law. They pressed Jesus because they saw his disciples eating food without washing their hands, essentially saying because they hands are unwashed, their hands are defiled, and if their hands are defiled, then the food they ate is defiled. So because they didn’t wash their hands, the Pharisees implied that they were somehow spiritually unclean.
In Mark 7:6-7, the Bible says, “He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
The Pharisees are more concerned with outward things than inward change, and Christ expresses that these traditions are in vain because none of it honors the Lord if the heart isn’t clean. Jesus also establishes that their accusations against the disciples were baseless, because the commandment didn’t come from God, but from mankind’s idea of godliness.
The word “without” speaks of things that are external.
The word “defile” means “to profane or make unclean”.
Christ took this interaction with the Pharisees and set the record straight about what truly defiles someone.
Jesus wanted people to know the truth, not tradition, which makes sense because in John 14:6, the Bible says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The truth is what draws us closer to God, and imagine all of the people who have been pushed away from the faith by tradition instead of the truth. There are churches who will ostracize their members if they attend another church, or call someone unsaved if they don’t speak in tongues, or even worse, call someone ungodly if they sing contemporary Gospel songs instead of hymns. How is any of this bringing us closer to the truth?
In Luke 6:45-46, the Bible says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Whatever is in the heart produces the good or evil that we see as fruit.
Mankind loves to make their own rules for what is right and what is not, but if Jesus is Lord, why isn’t what HE is commanding us to do being obeyed?
We can follow the traditions of man and not ever develop a relionship with God, and that is sad.
In Acts 10:12-15, the Bible says, “Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”
Peter had a vision that came down from heaven, a sheet with all kinds of animals on there, and he was commanded to rise, kill, and eat.
Peter responds in disobedience all while calling the voice, “Lord”, which means “supreme in authority”.
This was done three times, and we know that this vision paved the way for Peter to receive Cornelius, who is a Gentile, so he could share the Gospel with him and expand his ministry to the Gentiles.
Do we see how our traditions can completely destroy what God is trying to do not only in our lives, but in the lives of others?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 12, 2025 – Isaiah 50:5 – a servant’s heart being one of obedience
“The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.”
Isaiah 50:5
Hi Everyone!
When we place our trust in the Lord, amazing things begin to happen in our lives. The Lord turns us from churchgoers to servants of God, from hearers to doers of the Word, and He causes us to become more and more attuned to listening to His Word.
This allows us to draw closer to God for a deeper experience with Him, which will position us to think, believe, respond, and operate on a kingdom basis.
Are we someone that the Lord can depend on to carry His word of truth into the world?
Can God count on us to operate in love with people who seem to be unlovable?
Can the Lord watch us turn into pillars of the faith as we grow stronger in Him?
The key to all of this is obedience.
When we live in obedience to the Word of God we then begin to meet the conditions of the Word which activate the kingdom promises, causing us to be fellow workers with Christ in this world.
Today, we will be looking at Isaiah 50:5, a servant’s heart being one of obedience.
“The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.”
Imagine God walking into our household, and not finding any who represent Him.
Imagine coming to a house expecting to experience Jesus, but instead find a home that has abandoned the faith.
This is what God sees every time He appears before us and sees us walking in disobedience. He comes looking for a servant and finds an infidel instead.
The sad thing is within God’s power, He has given us everything we need to fully represent the kingdom on earth.
In Isaiah 50:4, the Bible says, “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”
God has given us the knowledge of His word so that we can edify the body of Christ, so that we can come alongside others and help them in their time of need.
Now some will errantly say that the Old Testament does not apply to the life we live today.
Compare Isaiah 50:4, with 2 Peter 1:3-4, which says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Slightly different, but the foundation is the same: God gives us everything we need to be partakers of the kingdom, helping people who are in need, meeting people right where they are. Just as God equipped His servant in Isaiah 50, He is equipping us today, but will we use what He has given us, or will we try to operate in our own strength and knowledge?
The phrase “opened mine ear” is a personal declaration that God has allowed him to fully listen and comprehend the commandment of the Lord.
This is a person who has understanding because God gave them the ears to hear.
In John 16:13, Christ says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Nothing we have in the kingdom came because of anything we are, but it is because it was freely given to us by God. The disciples didn’t understand the teachings of Christ until their understanding was opened up.
In Luke 24:44-45, the Bible says, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”.
The dots began to connect when their understanding was opened up.
The problem at this point is disobedience. God leads us on this path and gives us divine understanding, but we then choose to go our own way.
The word “rebellious” means “to make bitter, to resist, or to be provoked into disobedience”.
This is an intentional act, where we allow the Word of God to be a stench in our nostrils instead the Word of life and truth.
The phrase “turned away back” means “to retreat or backslide”.
In Philippians 2:8, the Bible says, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
This is our example, Jesus Christ, who went to His death in obedience to God.
The vast majority of us will never have to go to our deaths for obedience, but many of us refuse to die to ourselves so that we can be living sacrifices in this earth.
The work has been done in us, but disobedience nullifies everything God has built in us to be servants.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 13, 2025 – Isaiah 50:7, an unshakable trust in God for help
“For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
Isaiah 50:7
Hi Everyone!
God is more than willing to help His children.
I know that when the unsaved cry out to God for salvation, God will hear them.
We have real struggles in this world and our families have to be covered in the blood of Jesus Christ, because in His salvation lies deliverance from insurmountable odds and unbeatable foes.
In Him, cancer has to leave. In Him, brokenness has to cease. In Him, our enemies will become our footstool, but only if we are in Him.
It shows a great amount of trust in the Lord to cry out to Him for help, and it is also a deviation from the social norms, because the world provides its own ways to help, none encouraging the will of God for our lives.
Even in prison, you hear how much trust people place upon their lawyers to free them, only to find themselves disappointed because they trust in the instrument and not the Person who created the instrument. Who do we place our trust in?
Today, we will be looking at Isaiah 50:7, an unshakable trust in God for help.
“For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
The word “for” is a conjunction that connects a previous scripture to the one we are looking at now, so for context purposes, we have to go back.
In Isaiah 50:5-6, the Bible says, “The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”
In Isaiah 50, God is teaching us about a servant’s heart, actions, and posture before Him and others. God has provided the servant with everything needed to serve Him, including the ear to hear His word, but in service, it should be expected that opposition will come.
In Matthew 13:20-21, Christ says, “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
The enemy will send persecution our way to try to detach the promises of God from our minds, so that we don’t continue the service God has empowered us to do. Expect that when we are in the will of God, the enemies will try to mount up to shake us from our sure foundation.
We can stand in the midst of opposition victoriously.
Christ endured His opposition head on, and so must we, understanding 2 Corinthians 10:4, which says, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”.
When we hold a spiritual posture against a carnal foe, we are still positioned for service, to honor God in our lives.
The word “help” means “to surround, protect, or aid”. Isaiah didn’t write and say that man would help, but he declared, by faith, that God will help.
In Psalm 121:1-2, the Bible says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
Shouldn’t we want help from the Person who created us?
If we have a new Mercedes Benz and we experience car trouble, would we take it to an alley mechanic? No, we will take it to an approved Mercedes mechanic or dealership. Why? Because who knows a Mercedes better than those charged with manufacturing and repairing Mercedes?
If we are going to man for help instead of God, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
In Jeremiah 17:5-6, the Bible says, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.”
Our hearts depart from God when we don’t trust in Him.
The word “confounded” means “to be put to shame, put to confusion, or wounded”. This is the person who doesn’t know where they stand, people who don’t know if their foundation is secure.
The phrase “set my face like a flint” means “to be confident, or to have resolute determination”.
In Ezekiel 3:8-9, the Bible says, “Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.”
God not only gives us what we need to be servants of Him, but He also equips us with the strength to stand confident in the face of mounting opposition. It is scary when offensives are mounted against us, but we need not worry because God is our help!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 14, 2025 – Isaiah 50:8 – a servant who stands faultless before His accusers
“He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.”
Isaiah 50:8
Hi Everyone!
I remember a young brother in my prison environment who committed suicide.
He was 26 years old, the father of two daughters, who had so much still to live for. When he committed suicide, it ripped through the institution, and on my unit, there were a lot of brothers that were hurting badly.
I and another brother called a lot of them to our courtyard area and talked with them, and presented ourselves to them as counsel, friends, and a shoulder to lean on. We prayed with them, we prayed over the fallen brother’s family, and we sang a song to them.
It changed the atmosphere of the space we were in. Instead of being angry and crying, the brothers were smiling and encouraged, but when we walked back on the unit, there were about 30 nervous officers now standing at the desk, uncertain about what was going to happen. They were ready to bring action upon us, but after explaining to them what we were doing, they were relieved and left very shortly after.
When we have a servant’s heart, and we do what the Lord calls for us to do, no accusation or injustice will stand against us.
Today, we will look at Isaiah 50:8, a servant who stands faultless before His accusers.
“He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.”
Even though we can draw encouragement from these Scriptures from the fact that God provides help to His servants who place our trust in Him, no greater example of this can be given than the example of Christ Himself.
In His service, many opposed Him even though He had the words of eternal life. Many people tried to find fault when He healed people on the Sabbath Day, without really understanding that the Sabbath Day, a day to be made holy, was actually the perfect day to be healed!
Christ’s life and example shows us that when we become servants of the Lord, it is not our words, but God’s words, it is not our understanding, but God who gives understanding, and it is not us needing to defend ourselves, but it is the Lord who defends us.
The word “He” refers to God.
The word “near” means “at hand”, expressing availability in the moment of need to step in.
The word ” “justifieth” means “to cleanse, to make righteous, to render innocent, or to vindicate”.
In Romans 4:23-25, the Bible says, “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
Our justification doesn’t come from anything that we have done, but it comes from our faith in God for everything that Christ has done on the cross for our sins. We needed justification because our sin kept us from experiencing salvation and oneness with God.
In 1 John 1:7, the Bible says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that our justification can be obtained, and in Romans 5:1, the Bible also says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
This peace allows us to remain rooted when afflicted, it allows us to be faithful when tested, and it allows us to entrust our well-being to the Lord when accused.
The word “contend” means “to grapple or to wrangle as an adversary”. This is a person who is going to try to oppose us in our mission to serve the Lord, the same way the religious leaders did with Christ.
In John 8:10-11, the Bible says, “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
The woman was brought to Jesus by a mob of people who wanted to stone her for her sin. When Christ granted the sinless person permission to throw the first stone at her, no one did, including Christ, who was the only sinless one there. If God defends us like this when we have sinned, then imagine what He will do with us when we serve Him?
The word “adversary” means “one who is the owner or master of a cause”.
This is our accuser. The phrase “come near “ means “to adduce an argument”.
In Romans 8:33-34, the Bible says, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
No one can stand against us when it is God who justifies us, no adversary, no court, no accuser, nor any prison sentence can stand against the Word of God.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 15, 2025 – Psalm 133:1 – a family united under God
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1
Hi Everyone!
Unity is something this world needs.
There are so many divides: social, racial, political, financial, and religious.
Sadly, within the Christian faith, there is so much division between churches, between denominations, and between doctrine. Even sadder, there is a ton of division within our own families and within our own homes. This is not what God hoped to see when He created mankind to have dominion in the earth, but it is because sinfulness has made mankind selfish in nature.
The enemy operates within these divisions, to keep people from uniting amid our similarities rather than our differences, and this is a way the enemy can create and pick off the most vulnerable. Even skilled hunters in the animal kingdom would not attack a herd directly, but aim to incite fear that will cause them to scatter, making their hunt easier
I have seen animals becoming food this way, but in a few times, I have seen the herd reassemble and go back for the one who was left vulnerable, causing a lion to run away instead!
What if the church did this for the prisoner, for the addict, for the castaway?
Today, we will look at Psalm 133:1, a family united under God.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
The word “Behold” suggests that we fix our attention on what is being said, because it is of great importance.
In Matthew 1:21-23, the Bible says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, BEHOLD, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
God with us. This means that we are not alone because Christ came so that God could dwell with us. Now someone is going to say, ‘Yeah, but Christ has already gone back to Heaven, so that means that we are alone again’. Not so!
In John 16:7, Christ says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
The Holy Spirit was sent to ensure that we would always have access and experience the presence of God.
In John 14:16-17, Christ says, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
This isn’t just a walk with us kind of unity, but this is a dwell within us, guiding us in a Godly life kind of unity. If God had made sure that He would leave us alone, then He wouldn’t desire that we fellowshipped together in unity.
The word “good” means “well-pleasing, fruitful, or morally correct”.
The word “pleasant” means “delightful”, implying that it is something that God inclines towards.
The word “good” will almost also include God’s will being fulfilled.
In Genesis 2:18, the Bible says, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”
God observing man by himself, “I created man for relationship”.
Of course, mankind’s sinfulness will always disrupt God intention for unity.
In Genesis 13:8, the Bible says, “And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.”
Selfishness is one of the primary things that created division between people, and God blessed the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot so much that they began to feud about provisions for their animals.
The word “brethren” implies those attached or united by relationship, and in this case, they are united by the same faith.
The word “unity” means “togetherness or oneness”.
In Jesus’ intercessory prayer in John 17, oneness was one of the themes of His prayer.
In John 17:22-23, Christ says, “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
Christ not only prayed that we would be one as a people, but also one in Him as He is with God. This oneness would be a testimony that God is present.
In Acts 2:1, the Bible says, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
We know that the Holy Spirit was dispensed and dwelled in them, giving a resounding testimony to the presence and power of God. Does our unity provide the same result?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 16, 2025 – Mark 9:23 – faith in the seemingly impossible
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
Mark 9:23
Hi Everyone!
I have been confined for nearly 22 years, and I have seen God’s mighty hand move in ways that still leave me scratching my head.
He has truly been faithful to His word and in fulfilling His promises.
The fact that I am doing these devotionals almost every day is preparation for the fulfillment of another promise, that I would preach the Word of God.
This was a prophecy given to me on my 17th birthday, and it has been confirmed multiple times in the 26 years since.
Right now, my life is full and beautiful. I am married to a phenomenal woman and we have some amazing children.
We share the Gospel together, do prison reform together, and we come alongside people in need and help them right where they are. I am a sophomore in the Trinity International University’s Bachelor’s Degree Program, and I am learning even more about the Word of God.
Also happening right now is the push for my freedom, which is a mountain within itself. Trying to do away with a life sentence is a Herculean effort, but I believe that the God I serve is mightier than anything in the earth.
Today, we will look at Mark 9:23, faith in the seemingly impossible.
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
The man is a father and his son has an unclean spirit controlling him. He is a man lost for answers, and he has tried everything. He even brought the boy to Jesus’ disciples, but they couldn’t heal him either. The man weaves through a multitude of people to get Jesus’ help.
In Mark 9:21-22, the Bible says, “And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.”
This is a father who has dealt with this for a long time, and is desperate. On the surface, we would think that the father has shown exceptional faith in order to keep trying, but sometimes, keeping going is the only thing a person can do. When he told Jesus, “If thou canst do any thing”, implies an uncertainty about whether Jesus is capable to of healing his son. This is where the rubber meets the road.
The word “canst” means “able”, so this word implies a person’s capacity for faith.
The word “believe” means “to entrust one’s spiritual wellbeing to”.
Jesus went straight into the man’s heart, not his actions. His actions expresses faith, but faith is a heart condition.
In John 16:17-19, the Bible says, “Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?”
This shows that Jesus knows the inner workings of our thoughts and beliefs, even what we don’t speak to him directly about.
Jesus knew the father lacked the faith he needed to see this miracle done, and he exposed the heart condition the man suffered from.
What was the father’s response?
In Mark 9:24, the Bible says, “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
He believed enough to bring his son to Jesus but didn’t believe enough that his son would be healed.
In Hebrews 11:6, the Bible says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
We have to believe that when we come to God in prayer, He not only hears us, but we can be assured that He will answer our prayer as well. If Jesus put our faith on trial, what would the testimony show, a person capable of coming to Jesus, or a person who has entrusted our petition to Him to answer?
The word “possible” expresses capability and availability. Jesus says “all things”, so what God will do for us is not confined to our flawed thinking.
In Mark 11:23, Christ says, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Jesus taught the disciples a valuable lesson in faith that applies to us today. What is our faith response to our petitions before God? What is our faith speech?
What is really in our hearts desperation or faith?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 17, 2025 – Mark 9:1 – seeing the kingdom of God come in power
“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
Mark 9:1
Hi Everyone!
When we received salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we were granted admission into the kingdom of God.
We have a place prepared for us in glory, but we are also given the privilege to be partakers of the kingdom of God while on earth. Sadly, so many believers have accepted salvation but have not experienced this power, nor allowed this promised power to grow in them.
It is God’s desire for those who believe, that they experience the kingdom while on earth, because it foreshadows things to come, giving us a small slice of the glory that is to be revealed. When we are given a taste of the kingdom, that should embed hope within us, that there is something so much greater to experience in this life and in the next, the very reason Christ was nailed on a cross so that we could partake in it by faith.
Today, we will look at Mark 9:1, seeing the kingdom of God come in power.
“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”
In this passage, Jesus predicts His own death and resurrection to his disciples.
In Mark 8:31, the Bible says, “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
In the midst of this teaching, Peter has the audacity to rebuke Jesus, in an attempt to stand in between Him and His destiny.
In Mark 8:33, the Bible says, “But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”
There can be a major difference between how we see things and how God sees things. Christ instructs His disciples that if they want to follow Christ, they have to declare everything they are and everything they know to be untrue in the face of the will of God, and submit fully to God’s will. This is leading to the topic verse, where there is a promise attached, even for us right now!
The word “verily” means “truly”.
The phrase “some of them that stand here” gives us context about who the original audience was, which were Christ’s disciples, who were literally standing there.
In Matthew 16:28-17:2, the Bible says, “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”
Not only did these disciples see Christ transfigured, but they also saw Moses and Elias (Elijah) standing there with Jesus. Peter, being afraid and not knowing what to say, asked to make three tabernacles for Christ, Moses, and Elias, trying to provide a physical dwelling for a spiritual presence, signifying that he still doesn’t get it.
In John 14:17, Christ says, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
Instead of building tabernacles for the kingdom of God, we are to become tabernacles for the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19, the Bible says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
We experience the kingdom of God coming, not by an external event, but by an inward filling of the Holy Spirit. What the disciples experienced with the transfiguration was a picture of the kingdom of God at work before them, and only some of them experienced this, even hearing the voice of God!
The phrase “taste death” means “to experience death”.
The phrase “come with power” means “to appear as a miraculous force”.
This is the term we get dynamite from.
In Acts 1:8, Christ says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Was the transfiguration a powerful event?
Absolutely, but in Acts 2:4, the Bible says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
The power of the kingdom of God came upon them at Pentecost as the Holy Spirit dwelled within them. It was a testimony that others saw, but didn’t experience, but we have the ability to still experience the kingdom of God coming in power within us today.
The transfiguration gave us a testimony that there is indeed a kingdom realm, but Pentecost gave us the power of the kingdom realm within us.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 18, 2025 – Psalm 32:7 – our song of deliverance
“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.”
Psalm 32:7
Hi Everyone!
When I was a child, my Dad was my source of protection, and in his presence, I felt secure.
Whenever I wasn’t sure, I looked over to him and knew that he would barrel through any crowd to get to me.
When I got older and my father wasn’t in the picture, I joined a gang, and they became my source of protection. In their presence, I felt just as secure as I did with my father, knowing they would do anything to protect me.
Both my father and the organization I was affiliated with let me down when I needed them the most, leaving me stranded and vulnerable. The problem wasn’t the people, because mankind is fallible, and despite their best intentions, they will let us down, but the problem was me, because I trusted in creation to protect, guard, and deliver me instead of the Creator, who is the only One capable of defending me and delivering me.
Today, we will look at Psalm 32:7, our song of deliverance.
“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.”
The word “Thou” is speaking about God and Him alone.
David wrote this Psalm around the same time as he did Psalm 51, when he confessed his sin before God and desired God’s forgiveness and blessing.
David was a man after God’s own heart, but he committed adultery and murder, then covered it up in his heart until his sin was exposed.
In Psalm 32:4-5, the Bible says, “For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
David experienced the feeling of being an adversary to the Lord and it compelled his confession and repentance. I know this feeling because when God showed me who I had become: a murderer, robber, drug dealer, gang member, and criminal, I realized how far I was away from the presence of God.
It made me cry out to Him for forgiveness.
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, the Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
There is a major difference in being repentant and being remorseful, because I can be sorry, but it still does not change my behavior.
The phrase “hiding place” means “covering or protection”.
The word “preserve” means “to guard or serve as a watchman”.
This means God will warning us when danger is coming from a distance so we can prepare accordingly.
The word “trouble” means “affliction, distress, tribulation or an adversary”.
In Psalm 91:1-2, the Bible says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
When we are in the presence of the Lord, He becomes a covering for us, where we can declare, from experience, that God is a refuge from harm, Someone worthy of our trust.
When we sin against God, we essentially step out from under His covering and expose ourselves to harm.
How is it that animals have the concept down, their instinct, to remain with the pack, but we are supremely intelligent beings who constantly deviate, our ego, from the covering of the Lord?
In Psalm 9:9-10, the Bible says, “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
I am a living witness of this truth, because God visited me right in my prison environment and became a hiding place for me, coming with forgiveness, restoration, and set me on a completely different trajectory.
It wasn’t my people who did it, because they all abandoned me, but it was the Lord.
In Psalm 27:4-5, the Bible says, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”
There is something beautiful about being in the presence of God, experience His covering, and it should be our desire to abide in the presence of the Lord.
The phrase “compass me about” means “to surround”.
The phrase “songs of deliverance”, shows us a method that we can both praise God and testify to His deliverance.
In Exodus 15:2, the Bible says, “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
When we have been delivered, we can sing with confidence, exalting the One responsible, and that is God.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 19, 2025 – Romans 2:11 – an impartial God inviting all to experience His will
“For there is no respect of persons with God.”
Romans 2:11
Hi Everyone!
We have too many standards as believers, and these standards not only keep us divided as a body, but they also prevent the will of God from being produced corporately through us.
Churches have gotten more progressive and less judgmental, but there are still churches where if I walked in there with street clothes, I would be judged harshly and looked down upon.
What if the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart and led me to church instead of where I intended to go?
As believers, there should only be one standard, and that is what is found in the Word of God, but we have placed our own rules upon people so harshly that love and acceptance is not common with us.
God had no respect for persons and neither should we, because we may miss reaching out to someone God appointed us to help because they came in a form we didn’t agree with.
Today, we will look at Romans 2:11, an impartial God inviting all to experience His will.
“For there is no respect of persons with God.”
Paul is writing to the church in Rome, and one of the issues He is addressing is the judgmental hearts that people in the church have towards others. At that time, you had Jews opposing Gentiles, Pharisees opposing Sadducees, Jews opposing Samaritans, and and Jews opposing Christians. This was just some of the divisions that marked those who are supposed to represent the will of God.
In Romans 2:1, the Bible says, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
There is no excuse a person can make for the judgments that they have against another, but in some way, we are no better! Some people believed that because the Jews were the chosen people of God, that this put them in better standing with God, and there was no way a Gentile would ever measure up to them. When Paul was Saul, he used to believe this, but he has learned a more perfect way.
In Matthew 7:1-3, Christ says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
We should not be looking at any person with judgment in our hearts because the more time we spend focusing on the perceived flaws of others, the less time we will spend working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, as Philippians 2:12 says.
In 2 Corinthians 13:5, the Bible says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
If we examine ourselves, we will see our need for the Holy Spirit, which should also make us compassionate towards others’ need for the Holy Spirit as well.
The word “for” at the beginning of this verse means that it is connected to a previous passage of Scripture.
In Romans 2:6-7, the Bible says, “Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life”.
Every man is all-inclusive. Those who serve the Lord faithfully will receive their just rewards leading to eternal life. There is also another side of the coin.
In Romans 2:8-9, the Bible says, “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile”.
When we practice evil and serve Satan faithfully, then punishment, damnation, and affliction will be a direct result. This is once again all-inclusive. God doesn’t look at to person who has been a believer for 40 years differently than He sees the person who is just beginning. God’s standard is the same, and not only His love, but His correction is for all of us.
The phrase “respect of persons” means “partiality or favoritism”.
In Acts 10:33-35, the Bible says, “Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
God sent Cornelius to Peter so that he could receive the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The problem was that Cornelius was a Gentile, and Peter was still a little racist. God worked on Peter’s heart to receive Cornelius as a brother, and from it, he saw that God ordained the Gentiles to receive the Gospel too.
Who are we keeping from salvation because of our partiality?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 20, 2025 – Romans 2:13 – being a doer of the Word of God
“(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
Romans 2:13
Hi Everyone!
There are millions of people every week who go to church or tune in online.
We hear the pastor preaching, we hear people praying, we listen to amazing singing, but does any of this cause an internal change within us, a shift into godliness?
Have we matured beyond the believers we were five years ago in word and deed, or have we gone week after week to hear the message and it didn’t create any internal change?
Imagine if we began to practice the things that are in the Word of God: if husbands actually practiced what God commands husbands to do, if wives practiced what God commands wives to do. There would never be a divorce rate, because marriages would remain under the anointing, covering, love, and blessing of the Lord.
Imagine a world where people did more that just hear the pastor’s message, where they lived the faith out. This world would change greatly for the better!
Today, we will look at Romans 2:13, being a doer of the Word of God.
“(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
The word “for” expressing a connection to a previous verse, one that amplifies the point previously made.
For context, we will go back. This chapter is dealing with the unrighteousness of the Jews, a people chosen by God to bear His name in the earth. Some people have gotten the misconception ingrained in them that because they are the chosen people, that they are exempt from God’s judgment. To believe this is to believe that they are able to do anything they want and still avoid the wrath of God.
In Romans 2:12, the Bible says, “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law”.
This verse simply says that people will be judged according to the standard that they lived by. The Gentiles don’t have the law, so they will experience final judgment because of their sin. The Jews, who have the law, will be judged for transgressing the law.
We have to understand that even though Paul is highlighting Jews here, this word crosses the bridge to us as well.
The word “hearers” implies those who listen to the law or the Word of God. Hearing the word in itself is not a bad thing, because Romans 10:17-18, the Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”
The Word of God heard produces the faith that we stand on. Without the Word of God, there can’t be true faith, but the Word has to connect to our instrument of hearing so that the Word can take root in our hearts. So we have churches services all over the world and online weekly, and I have a television station, TBN, where I can watch a plethora of pastors preach the word of God everyday, and all day long! What an amazing resource, but if it doesn’t change anything in my walk, the I am watching to no avail.
The word “just” means “righteous, innocent, or holy”.
On the face of it, the person who goes to church every Sunday, or listens to the Word of God daily is no more holy than someone who doesn’t.
In Matthew 7:21, Christ says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.“
Our professions, our lip service, and our feel good moments after hearing the Word of God does nothing for us if we do not put the Word of God into practice.
Calling Jesus “Lord” implies obedience, because the word “Lord” means “supreme in authority, controller”.
If Jesus is Lord, then we will do what He says.
The word “doers” means “performer”.
This is the person who is instructed and carries out the instructions.
In Matthew 7:24-25, Christ says, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
The other side of the coin is that the person who merely hears but not performs will be subjected to destruction.
The word “justified” means “to render innocent, holy, or righteous”.
In James 1:22, the Bible says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
We trick ourselves into a false sense of standing before God when we hear but do not do.
In James 1:25, the Bible says, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
There are blessings conferred to the obedient, those who carry out the Word of God, to take hearing to the next level!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 21, 2025 – Mark 13:33 – a readiness for the Lord’s return
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”
Mark 13:3
Hi Everyone!
How would we live if we knew we did have long to live?
Do we live our lives in regret, pining over the opportunities we missed and the choices we didn’t make?
Do we try to make up with people we broke fellowship with, and actually tell people that we offended that we are sorry?
Do we build fences, bridges, and do we give people the wisdom God has bestowed upon us, to leave behind a legacy that speaks for our presence on the earth and our faith in God?
Honestly, we should be living our lives like today could be our last, because as believers, we know that Christ can come back at any time. Imagine Him coming back to see that we poorly stewarded our salvation, that we forsook the blessings that he bestowed upon us, that we are living as unbelievers instead of growing in the knowledge of the Word of God.
Personally, I don’t want to be caught in a bad spot, in a wrong mindset, with a dark heart when He comes back.
I want to be ready.
Today, we will look at Mark 13:33, a readiness for the Lord’s return.
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”
Christ is speaking to His disciples about the last days, how the temple will be destroyed, how false prophets and teachers are going to rise up, how there are going to be wars, natural disasters, family discord, and all while this is happening, the Word of God is going to be preached in the world.
Christ is giving the disciples and us a battle plan and an exit strategy for when this time comes, all so that they will be prepared for everything that comes their way. Christ wants the disciples, and us, mindful of what is to come, so we can open our eyes and be on the look up for what Christ prophesied.
In Isaiah 46:9-10, the Bible says, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”.
Christ is God robed in flesh, and if God declares the end from the beginning, then the testimony Christ gave the disciples concerning the end times is truth, and it will happen exactly how He said it.
What is our response?
The phrase “take heed” means “to behold, look at, or beware”.
Christ wants them, and us, to see the seriousness of the moment and pay attention.
The word “watch” means “to be sleepless, to keep awake”.
The term is the same as a guard keeping watch in a tower.
The word “pray” means “to supplicate in worship”.
This is the posture that we need to be in when the Word of God is spoken. We have to pay attention, be on the look out for the Word manifesting itself, and we have to be in prayer.
In Matthew 24:42-44, Christ says, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
We can’t allow the enemy to break through our hearts, through our families, through our marriages, and through our purposes. We have be mindful that there is a real enemy who is trying to cause us to look away, but we also have a Saviour that is coming back for His church! We have to be ready for both!
In Luke 21:34-35, Christ says, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.”
Sometimes, we will grow weary in waiting and begin to become slack in our walk with the Lord, in reading our Bibles, in praying. That slackness can become a snare that traps us and prevents us from becoming who we are supposed to be. We have to remain kingdom-minded, Christ-centered, and focused on fulfilling the purpose that God has for us.
In Romans 13:11-13, the Bible says, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”
We have no clue just how close we are to Christ coming back for His church, so without that knowledge, we have to live like it can and will happen today. We can’t live as the fallen world has chosen to live, in arrogance and sheer opposition to the Word of God. We have to live like our God is watching and as our Saviour is coming back!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 22, 2025 – 1 Samuel 15:22 – obeying God over giving offerings
“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
1 Samuel 15:22
Hi Everyone!
We can serve the Lord in our respective capacities and have the appearance of doing great work for the Lord, but if our hearts aren’t postured in obedience to the Word of the Lord, our efforts are futile in God’s eyes.
We cannot expect to please God in our offerings if we aren’t following His Word.
Our service is empty without a servant’s heart.
Would roses truly help restore the marriage when a husband has beaten on his wife, or would a home-cooked meal cure a wife’s infidelity?
The service is empty without them fulfilling their God-ordained roles.
Believers everywhere want to do something to share the Gospel, and we want to do great things for the kingdom, but are we willing to give God the little He is asking of us?
Today, we will look at 1 Samuel 15:22, obeying God over giving offerings.
“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
King Saul was given specific instructions before they went to war.
In 1 Samuel 15:2-3, the Bible says, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”
Amalek came against Israel when they came out of Egypt. Moses stood on the top of the hill and as long as Moses had the rod lifted, Israel prevailed, but the minute his arms lowered, they began to lose. His ministry team sat him down on a rock and held his arms up, so he wouldn’t have to bear the burden alone, and Israel won that day, but God wasn’t done with Amalek yet. Now, God wants what is due to Amalek, and King Saul is the instrument that God chose for the job.
Saul was charged to “utterly destroy all that they have” which means to leave no one and nothing alive.
This is very clear and anyone with ears should be able to hear this instruction and know what to do.
What did Saul do?
In 1 Samuel 15:7-9, the Bible says, “And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.”
King Saul keeps the King alive and also the best of the animals in order to sacrifice them unto the Lord. Saul had good intentions, but he clearly disobeyed the Word of the Lord.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, the Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Saul didn’t trust in God’s command, but he had his own idea about what God would want. He leaned on his own understanding and he was terribly wrong.
The crazy thing is, he wouldn’t humble himself when confronted by Samuel, the prophet of the Lord.
In 1 Samuel 15:19-20, the Bible says, “Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.”
Selective hearing is still disobedience, and Saul then had the time to humble himself before God, but he defended his disobedience! We are no different, choking up with excuses for deviating from the command of God.
In Isaiah 1:11-13, the Bible says, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.”
God is tired of our empty offerings without true obedience and worship.
God desires to have people fully submitted to Him, and a people who incline their ears and their hearts to His word.
All of the lip service in the world is not going to produce the will of God if we aren’t obedient to the Word of God.
I don’t want to be someone who is perceived to have done great things for God only for it to mean nothing because I disobeyed Him in doing it.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 23, 2025 – 1 Corinthians 12:27 – becoming the body of Christ
“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
1 Corinthians 12:27
Hi Everyone!
There is something amazing that happens when believers come together as one.
When the church moves as one, it becomes a living organism that moves through a place, changing its nature, and producing the presence of God.
I go to a Bible study every Saturday morning in my prison environment and the Holy Spirit is mighty in that place.
For people who are new to the faith, they are blown away by this unexplainable force that moves through the study, but it is a body of people operating under the headship of Christ.
Where Jesus is Lord, there is liberty, healing, power, and God is glorified in an undeniable way. The first century church moved in one spirit and power and because of it, the Gospel message of Christ was spread to the whole world. The body should always reflect the head, which is Christ. They should see the church as the shining reflection of Christ, where all members work to glorify our Head
Today, we will look at 1 Corinthians 12:27, becoming the body of Christ.
“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
The word “now” amplifies a previous Scripture, as almost a cause and effect.
Paul is teaching the Corinthian church the power of being many members in one body.
Sometimes, we don’t want the role God has designated for us, but in our ordained roles, there is no weakness or vulnerability within the body.
In 1 Corinthians 12:25-26, the Bible says, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”
Not only is the body designed for there to not be any division in it, but it is designed to be a community where we rejoice together, cry together, heal together. The body is supposed to be in unison, even in our different capacities, so a person is supposed to experience Christ whether we are a janitor at the church of a pastor, or whether we have a job in the church or in the community.
The word “body” refers to an organized collection of individual members that make up the Christian church.
The body is not the head, but it moves according to the will of the Head, which is Christ.
In Ephesians 1:22-23, the Bible says, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
The church is supposed to reflect the fullness of Christ, the living manifestation of Christ in the earth, and our lives as individuals and as a body is supposed to glorify and magnify God. Our problem is when we try, on our own, to be what God has ordained the body to be.
In 1 Corinthians 11:3, the Bible says, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
If the head of every man is Christ, then as a body we are all supposed to be moving according to the will of the Head. In the human body, the body doesn’t move until the brain sends the signal, but many of us, me included, have moved without the Head sending the signal, and we wonder why we are so divided as a church today.
In Romans 12:4-5, the Bible says, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
If we are members one of another, then there can’t be any selfishness within the body. We are not only to live according to the will of God, but we are also supposed to live to love and edify the body as well.
In Romans 14:19, the body says, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
We are to live to help each other become everything God envisioned us to be, so that we can be a body with no vulnerability, a body undivided, and a body that reflects the image of God.
God made us different, with different skill sets for a reason.
In Ephesians 4:11-13, the Bible says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”.
For the role I have to fulfill in the body, God made my experiences, wisdom, and understanding fit my role like a glove. If I fulfill my role, then the body is edified fully, I am joined to the body in unity, and I am able to minister to the needs of those around me.
If I can’t, then my brother or sister is equipped! When the body moves the way God ordains, this whole world can change!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 24, 2025 – Philippians 2:13 – a loving God who works in us to produce His will
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13
Hi Everyone!
For at least two years, probably more, different people from different places have given me the same word sent from God. “Be still and know that I am God”.
I heard this word everywhere, and I knew this word was for me.
By nature I am a go-getter. Having a life sentence, I work extremely hard on fulfilling my purpose and regaining my freedom.
I am thinking that this word meant for me to rest, so I started taking rest days, enjoying the Sabbath, taking days off from work, yet I was still getting the same word from people and also from the Holy Spirit.
I am asking God, “What do you want me to do?” because I was not getting it.
The answer came this past week, that not only has my posture before the Lord been misaligned, but I have been trying to work where only God can. This is why I have suffered burnout at times, because I was still moving in my own strength!
Today, we will be looking at Philippians 2:13, a loving God who works in us to produce His will.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
The word “for” expresses a connection between two passages of Scriptures, so for context, we have to go back.
In Philippians 2:12, the Bible says, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Now, this is a paradox, to receive a word telling me to “Be still and know that I am God”, but “work out my own salvation with fear and trembling”.
How can I “be still” and “work out my own salvation”?
See my confusion?
I believed that if I am moving at lightning speed, helping people, counseling people, mediating situations, teaching the Word of God, writing poems, doing devotionals, being an ear to hear, helping my family, and being a leader in my prison environment, I was doing God’s will according to Romans 12:1, which says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Surely, I am working out my own salvation by all I listed above, right?
Anything that seems right done in the wrong posture, is not fulfilling God’s will.
The word “worketh” means “to be active, efficient, or mighty”.
Here is where I had it wrong.
It is God who is active, efficient, and mighty in me, so I have to remain postured at the Master’s feet in submission and surrender while I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, because what I may be doing may not be what He has in mind for me.
In Ephesians 2:9-10, the Bible says, “Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
God gave us a free gift of salvation, nothing we could do to earn, because Jesus Christ paid the cost. Even though God ordained us to do good works, we have to realize that it is God who made us and equipped us to fulfill His will, BUT not in our own power.
Remember in Zechariah 4:6, where the Bible says, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts”?
It is what is within us that empowers us for service, not our own desire to serve.
The word “will” means “to determine, choose, or be inclined to”.
So God even places the choices we make within us to serve Him and how! This is where obedience is key because we may have a way in mind, but everything has to go through God first.
In Isaiah 55:7-8, the Bible says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
We have to give up our plans to submit fully to God.
The word “do” is the same word as “worketh”, which means ” to be active, efficient, and mighty”.
An efficient person does more with less and does things in an orderly fashion.
The phrase “good pleasure” means “completing God’s will to satisfaction”.
In 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, the Bible says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
It all comes through God and for God, and we are the vessels that are being used for His glory.
It is not us working, but God working in us,
and if we keep that posture, we will become more effective for the kingdom than we could ever imagine!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 25, 2025 – Colossians 1:29 – a laborer in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit.
“Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”
Colossians 1:29
Hi Everyone!
In our work with the Lord, we have to understand that we are not working alone.
We are partakers of divine kingdom business, where God is the head, where He equips us with power, knowledge, and truth, so that we can overtake whatever He wills for us to do.
God doesn’t command us to overtake something that He hasn’t empowered us to do, and He provides us the framework to work in.
As long as we remain in His framework, doing what He commands, we must give God free reign to work mightily in and through us, but if we step outside of that framework, our independent labors, no matter how notable, will always be in vain.
Imagine a person entrusted to core a hole in the wall. They disregard the measurement, and operate on their own knowledge, so while they are effective at drilling, they are drilling in the wrong location. That is how we are when we refuse to allow God to work in us.
Today, we will look at Colossians 1:29, a laborer in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit.
“Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”
The word “whereunto” requires us to go back in order to fill that void in our understanding.
In Colossians 1:27-28, the Bible says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”.
We have a collective mission as a church to preach and teach Christ, to share the Gospel with those who are outside of the fold, and in that Gospel message, there is hope to experience the glory of God.
This isn’t just meant for our pastors, but it is meant for us as well.
In Matthew 28:18-20, the Bible says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Christ, who has all power, has given us a mandate to share the Gospel with everyone we can. If Christ has all power, then He is undoubtedly bestowing all power upon us to fulfill this command.
In Acts 1:8, the Bible says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
This power is given to us by the Holy Spirit, and this power works within us. So we are to labour according to the will of God, and also according to the power that God has given us.
The word “labour” means “to work hard”.
No one can look at Paul and say that he wasn’t one of the hardest workers in the Church. We can scratch our heads trying to figure out how he was so relentless in sharing the faith everywhere, or we could understand that He was divinely empowered by God.
The word “striving” means “to struggle”.
Kingdom work is indeed a struggle, but the struggle is a lot easier when it is God who is with us, leading us, empowering us, and teaching us.
In 1 Corinthians 15:10, the Bible says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
When we look at Paul’s life, we see someone who preached the Gospel everywhere and to everyone, but he never says that he was an army of one. The grace of God made him who he was and empowered him to do what he did.
The phrase “according to His working” shows us that we are not the ones who work, but it is God who works in us.
The word “worketh” means “to be active, efficient, or mighty”.
The word “mightily” is the same word we get “miraculous power or force” from.
This is divinely given power, not something we do on our own.
In Ephesians 1:18-19, the Bible says, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power”.
God not only gives us knowledge, but He also gives us power to experience His fullness as we work.
In Ephesians 3:20, the Bible says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”.
There are no limitations when God is at work within us, but we have to allow him to work in us. Only by His power can we be who He has ordained us to be.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 26, 2025 – Galatians 2:20 – a life lived unto Christ
“I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
Hi Everyone!
Someone died so I could live.
I am tearing up at this truth, because I needed this gift the most. Being convicted of a double homicide, I looked at people like there weren’t worth living before I tragically took their lives.
No amount of justification I could offer could wash over the offense I committed against God and my fellow man, but Christ hung on the cross, shedding His innocent blood so that I could be restored back unto God as a son and not a murderer.
Someone died so that I could live… Think about that.
If someone on earth died for us, we would live the remainder of our lives to honor their memories. We would tell their story everywhere we go, because we wouldn’t want them to go forgotten for giving us such a powerful gift.
How can we do this for a man, but not for Christ, who died to secure our spiritual lives by faith in Him?
So I live for Him now, and I have never known a better life.
Today, we will look at Galatians 2:20, a life lived unto Christ.
“I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
In the book of Galatians, Paul is writing to the church, that is facing a little drama.
There are Judaizers who have crept into the church and spread false doctrine that they have to be converted to Judaism in order to truly be saved. Paul is preaching that it is only through Christ alone that we are saved.
He was kinda stern with the church too, because in Galatians 3:1, the Bible says, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”
The church were being misled into living a life of the Law and of works, instead of walking in faith and truth. We sadly live like this too, not believing that the blood of Jesus Christ is enough, so we then live to “earn our salvation” without realizing that this was a free gift from God that is already available for us to receive by faith.
The word “crucified” means “to impale in company with”.
This speaks of what happens as the result of our salvation, that our old man is now dead, and we now live in Christ.
In Romans 6:6-7, the Bible says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”
I didn’t understand this at first. I knew I was forgiven, but I didn’t feel forgiven, and there were surely a bunch of people who kept throwing my past back in my face, so I didn’t feel that anything changed. What I didn’t realize was that everything changed, and I would experience a process that brought that truth to light.
In Galatians 5:24-25, the Bible says, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
There is a call in this passage for us to not only understand that our old man is dead and we have to live our lives in obedience to the Spirit that is now at work within us. It is the Holy Spirit that is going to teach us how to live, and how to accept who we truly are now in Christ.
The word “live” isn’t just an existence of life, but it is an intentional course of life under submission to God because of what Christ has done for us. This means our lives are not our own anymore, but they belong to the One who redeemed us from the penalty of sin and death.
In 2 Corinthians 5:15, the Bible says, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
This is where the change begins outwardly, as we begin to live according to Christ.
The word “flesh” refers to the mortal body.
The word “faith” means “reliance upon Christ for salvation, persuasion, assurance, or belief in Christ”.
Remember in Romans 12:1, where the Bible says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”?
This is how we respond to our salvation, by making ourselves available to God, for our lives to be patterned according to His Word and direction.
The word “love” means “to regard with strong affection”.
In Ephesians 5:1-2, the Bible says, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
We are to walk in the very thing we have received of the Lord, love! Someone died so that we could live.
What we do with that life is on us.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 27, 2025- 1 Samuel 15:29 – a God who never lies, whose Word endures forever
“And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
1 Samuel 15:29
Hi Everyone!
I have been confined for nearly 22 years, and I have been in the company of many brothers who I have been shoulder-to-shoulder with doing time together.
There have been professions of loyalty, promises by brothers that when they went home, they wouldn’t forget about me, and would reach back to help.
The vast majority haven’t, despite the oaths, promises, and statements. I have come to understand that we shouldn’t place our trust in man, and the Bible is clear about trusting in man.
Should we be cynical?
Absolutely not, but we have to understand that we should be placing our trust in someone who is incapable of lying or going back on their word.
God is Someone who we can place our full trust in, Someone whose Word is proven correct time after time again, whether good tidings or punishment.
We can truly rely on God and His Word because it doesn’t lie or change.
Today, we will be looking at 1 Samuel 15:29, a God who never lies, whose Word endures forever.
“And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
In this passage of Scripture, Saul disobeyed God’s clear command. He told him to utterly destroy the Amalekites, the people, the animals, everything.
Saul, in response to a clear command, disobeyed God by keeping the King of the Amalekites alive, along with the best sheep for a sacrifice to the Lord.
For some reason, Saul didn’t think he disobeyed God, and in 1 Samuel 15:20-21, he defended his stance by saying, “And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.”
If someone defends their disobedience, then they are not repentant, and Saul never humbles himself before God, asking for forgiveness. There is a penalty for that.
In 1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
We don’t see our “little sins” as the great offenses against God that they really are.
Sacrifice without obedience is no different that witchcraft, where a person is practicing the doctrine of another god. So God sends Samuel to tell Saul that he will no longer be king, and he will be replaced. Let us never think that we are irreplaceable in the kingdom!
The phrase “Strength of Israel” refers to God: His glory, His splendor, His truthfulness, the confidence that we can place in Him under all circumstances.
The word “lie” means “to engage in deceit or deal falsely with”.
The word “repent” means “to be sorry, or change course”.
Looking at God, we can bank on the fact that when He says something, it will be exactly what He declares it to be.
In Isaiah 55:11, the Bible says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Whether God’s word is promising fruitfulness or destruction, He sticks to His word.
In Hebrews 6:17-19, the Bible says, “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil”.
God wants us to be rooted and grounded in truth, because it’s the lies of the enemy that causes us to go astray.
It’s our choice which side of God’s Word we want to be on, the side of blessings or the side of destruction.
In Numbers 23:19-20, the Bible says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.”
Balak hired Balaam to come and curse Israel, and Balaam must have been highly effective in what he speaks over people. Even Balaam said that he cannot reverse the blessing that God has placed upon His people.
No counsel stands against the Lord’s, and nothing man speaks can overthrow the Word of God spoken over our lives.
When God declares something, it becomes just that, but we want to make sure that His unchanging Word over us is blessing, growth, and spiritual prosperity.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 28, 2025 – Romans 4:3 – the righteousness of God produced by faith
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3
Hi Everyone!
Faith in God is vital to a believer’s walk.
In faith, we are placing our trust in the Word of God, and patterning ourselves accordingly.
Sometimes, God is going to have us do so stuff that is going to make us scratch our heads, and we know it has to be the Lord telling us it, because it doesn’t make any sense.
One day, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to talk to this racist guy who just moved in our wing. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him, but then I thought, “a cup of coffee in prison is a universal language”, so I offered him a cup. Not only did he accept, but we talked, not once, not twice, but now daily, and he talks, jokes, and banters with all the Black guys on my wing now! Imagine the tension that would have remained had I been disobedience.
Sometimes, God’s answer to our problem is in our obedience to Him, a testament to our faith.
Today, we will look at Romans 4:3, the righteousness of God produced by faith.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
The word “scripture” speaks of the Holy Writ of God, which is the Bible.
Faith isn’t some pipe dream, where we can believe in anything and receive anything, and that kind of false doctrine is being preached in churches, setting up the hearer for major disappointment.
In Romans 10:17-18 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”
If our faith isn’t directly attached to the written Word of God or by the leading of the Holy Spirit, then we are not walking in faith. Everything must filter through the Word of God.
This is why Paul is asking the church in this letter, “For what saith the scripture?”, because he is showing them that only by the Word of God can we understand what faith and righteousness is.
The word “believed” means “to have faith in, to entrust one’s spiritual well-being to”.
Abraham’s life is one of displayed submission to the Word of God, even against all logic.
In Genesis 12:1-3, the Bible says, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
First, God tells Abraham to leave his father’s house and embark on a journey to an unknown land. The command came with a blessing conferred for obedience. Leaving the security of home at the Word of God for an unknown land is a huge faith move.
How did Abraham respond?
In Genesis 12:4, the Bible says, “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.”
Abraham left as a old man, not as a spring chicken. This was similar to a retiree uprooting from everything that they worked to build, exchanging it for the unknown.
In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Abraham didn’t have to see it, but He trusted in God’s Word, even when it didn’t make sense. Abraham followed God’s command, and he went through a series of rollercoaster rides, but it became exactly as God promised.
There was one problem.
God promised that Abraham’s descendants would number the stars in the sky, but He didn’t have a child!
In Genesis 15:1-3, the Bible says, “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.”
God assured him that he would produce a child, but there was another 25 years that passed before that happened!
The word “counted” means “to take an inventory”.
The word “righteousness” means “equity of character or act, or justification”.
Abraham’s waiting wasn’t perfect, because he and Sarah rushed and Abraham had Ishmael with Hagar, but when God looked at his record, in Romans 4:20, the Bible says, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God”.
Abraham’s posture before God, was one of submission, one of faith, and one where even when he had Ishmael, he still looked to the promise. Our faith has to imitate that of Abraham, a relentless desire to produce the will of God.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 29, 2025 – Psalm 16:8 – keeping the Lord in front of us daily
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
Psalm 16:8
Hi Everyone!
How is our posture before the Lord?
Are we in submission to His Word, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, or are we living according to our own doctrine, our own mind, or our own ambitions?
Do we live life as if God is walking right alongside us, like the fullness of His Deity dwelling in us?
Do we crumble in the face of adversity because we are fearful or concerned about what is going on around us?
When we have the wrong posture before the Lord, we do not walk in the way God desires, and we miss out on the victory that we can truly walk in.
God doesn’t want us to be losers, because He has called us into His victory, the victory over sin and death, so that we can be the people that God created, a people created in His image and likeness.
Today we will be looking at Psalm 16:8, keeping the Lord in front of us daily.
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
The word “set” means “to make alike, or to resemble”.
The word “always” means “daily, constantly, or regularly”.
The sad thing we encounter in this world are people who receive salvation, but that is all they receive.
They never grow in the faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ so that they can help advance the Gospel through their lives and through their outreach. God designed the faith to be a daily relationship building experience, where by knowing Him, we will begin to bear more of His attributes, while shedding our own.
In Genesis 1:26, the Bible says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
God always designed us to look like Christ on the earth, meaning that when people encounter us, they are supposed to walk away with an experience from God.
Think not?
In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the Bible says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
When we were created, God had a plan for us, that we would be living testimonies of His existence, His power, and His love.
We can see the hand of God in creation, or when we reflect upon the intricacies of our own bodies, but we can’t physically see God. We were created to not only be shining reflections of His image, but we are to be temples of God, a place people can go to experience the presence of God. God made the provision for us to become this through creation, and after the fall, through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Someone died so that we could live. That someone is Jesus Christ. What thanks can we give for such a powerful sacrifice?
We live according to His Word.
The word “right hand” refers to a position of strength or power.
In Genesis 35:18, the Bible says, “And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.”
Rachel, who was toiling in labour, soon to giving birth to a son, so called him Benoni, which means “son of my sorrow”. Jacob renamed him Benjamin which means “Son of my right hand” or “Son of my strength”. When someone is at my right hand, that means they are the closest person to me. They know my secrets, and my weaknesses, and that can be a covering for what I may lack.
Now get this.
In Acts 5:30-31, the Bible says, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
God is someone who is all-powerful, so He doesn’t need anyone at His right hand, but where is Jesus? At His right hand! If God, who doesn’t need anyone to be strength or power for Him, has Christ at His right hand, then don’t we, who are imperfect, need Someone at our right hand?
The word “moved” means “to waver, slip, be shaken, or to fall”.
In Acts 2:25-27, the Bible says, “For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
When we keep the Lord before us, we can live in hope and from a place of joy, because in this posture, we are postured to live from the victory that God desires for us to walk in.
God desires that we are rooted and grounded in Him, so we can be secure in our foundation in Him.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Jun 30, 2025 – Romans 11:20 – living in appreciation and reverence for the gift of salvation we have received
“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear”.
Romans 11:20
Hi Everyone!
I had a series of conversations with a brother on my unit who is extremely judgmental towards other people on our unit.
He has extensive knowledge of the Word of God, studies it all day long, but hides in a corner, and doesn’t share the faith with any of them.
He then makes comments about the guys, calling them heathens, calling this institution “Sodom and Gomorrah”, and he has a very arrogant attitude towards people he doesn’t believe are saved or living right.
I told him to examine his thinking, because God was patient with him, as were others, when he gave his life to Christ, so why not extend the same grace?
He then says, ” Well God will just have to forgive me for that one, then?”
One of the biggest problems the world has with the church is that we so easily become arrogant in our standing with God and then turn our noses up towards people we feel are in lower standing.
That shouldn’t be.
Today, we will look at Romans 11:20, living in appreciation and reverence for the gift of salvation we have received.
“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear”.
This verse is part of a teaching Paul is sharing with the church in Rome. He has spoken to both the Jews and Gentiles in the book of Romans, but in this particular section, Paul is taking directly to the Gentiles.
In Romans 11:13, the Bible says, “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office”.
It is vital to know who the original writer was writing to, because that can show us what, if anything, can apply directly to us today.
In Romans 11:17-18, the Bible says, “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.”
Paul is encouraging the Gentiles to understand that they were invited into the Vine to partake in the divine nature of God, and that came as the result of the Jews disbelief in Christ. Paul is imploring the church to have an attitude of gratitude for the position they are now in, to not turn up their noses at the Jews who rejected Christ or the people in the world who are outside the faith either.
Arrogance has no place in the kingdom of God, because all have entered due to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The word “unbelief” means “disbelief or unfaithfulness”.
Imagine being a husband to a bride who rejects us and refuses to fellowship with us in marriage. This is how God feels when we reject Christ as Lord and Saviour.
The phrase “broken off” implies an intentional act of removing someone from the fold. Being someone who has been kicked out of a house before, I know firsthand what being rejected by someone you love feels like, when they were tired of dealing with my crap.
In Mark 16:14, the Bible says, “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”
Christ had to really get on the disciples case about their unbelief. But He did give them the opportunity to get themselves together, and despite their unbelief, they went on to contribute to spreading the Gospel around the world!
The word “standest” means “to be estsblished”.
The word “faith” means “reliance upon Christ for salvation, assurance, belief or fidelity”.
The word “highminded” means “to be lofty or arrogance”.
In Romans 12:16, the Bible says, “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”
We are not supposed to act like we have arrived because we are saved. We are supposed to come alongside people who are not saved and help them receive the Gospel, just as we have. Just because we are secure in our faith, doesn’t mean that any of that gives us, the right to judge those we feel are outside of the fold.
In Romans 11:23, the Bible says, “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.”
This is the crux of this teaching, because it expresses the reason why we shouldn’t be conceited towards the unbelievers; as there is still hope that they can believe and be grafted in again!
The word “fear” here means “to have reverence”, which causes us to understand that we are here by grace.
In Proverbs 28:14, the Bible says, “Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.”
When we have reverence for God, we will look at all His creation as redeemable and lovable, not with rejection or arrogance.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
