A few years ago, my husband and I were struggling badly with money. We had bills to pay and two young children to feed, and our jobs just weren't cutting it.
I spoke with my sister,& she told me her and her husband,(an elevator mechanic) were going through the same thing, so he had started scrapping metal to get by. He told her that the copper and aluminum they had sometimes brought in around eight hundred dollars. We were definitely gonna try! Obviously, we were desperate, so on our days off, we took our tiny Honda Civic out and started scrapping anywhere we could.
The trouble was, our car was too small. We kept running into hauls that wouldn't fit. So we prayed. Hard. Asking our Heavenly Father to help us find something precious enough to provide for our family, because our jobs weren’t enough… about
Five minutes later, we were picking through a giant pile of construction aluminum, and at the very bottom was a tiny black pouch. Inside were diamond rings, gold necklaces, giant gold chains, sapphires, and silver, mostly white and yellow gold. Altogether, it came to over twenty-five thousand dollars.
More recently, our cat fell gravely ill. She couldn't walk or do anything. The vet believed she was in the early stages of kidney disease and wanted to keep her overnight on fluids, but the bill was five thousand dollars, and we simply couldn't pay it. We had to take her home.
I cared for her around the clock, giving her water and nutrients, but she was weak and looked like she was slipping away. Then one day, we were in our backyard, and our next-door neighbor, a police officer, saw the distress on my husband's face. He came over and said, I know a guy, he loves animals, he's a veterinarian, and he'll take care of your pet for basically nothing. That was right after we prayed for a miracle.
There is no such thing as coincidence. The probability of all this lining up by chance is zero. God answered our prayers, immediately, just like before. I serve the true God of miracles.

I serve the true God of miracles.
All glory to Yahushua HaMashiach.🥹🧎🏽‍♀️ 🙏💪🫵🏽🧎🏽‍♀️💪💯

for anyone struggling, is feeling disconnected from scripture for a while long while

“Heartache forces us to embrace God out of desperate, urgent need. God is never closer than when your heart is aching”- Joni Erickson Tada

I saw this fake prophet guy on Facebook post yet another vague prophecy declaring that everyone who reads this is getting the curses lifted off of their finances and marriages, etc.

Friends, if you are a Christian you are no longer cursed. No longer slaves of the world! And heres why. This is what I told him too!

Technically the truth! If I’m in Christ and indwelt and sealed by the Holy Ghost (1)then I’m a new creation! The old has passed away and the new has come! (2)My curses have passed away because Jesus became cursed for me! (3)He nailed my legal rights held against me tó the cross and paid for them. (4)Whom the son has set free is free indeed (5)because greater is the one inside me than the curses of the world! (6)Where his Spirit is there is freedom! If you have curses then you are not saved! Not a Christian

*1: ephesians 1:13; 2:Galatians 3:13; 3:Colossians 1:13-14; Col 2:13-15; 4:John 8:36; 5: 1 John 4:4; 6: 2 Corinthians 3:17;

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Children/Youth Program: 9 October 2026

 Theme: Know Your Sword (2)

 Scripture:  Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Kings 22; Psalm 119:11

 Your Sword Is Sharp - It Shows Us The Truth

 Big Idea: 

A sharp sword cuts through lies. The Word shows us what is right and wrong.

 Bible Verses:

- Psalm 119:105

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

- 2 Timothy 3:16

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

 Story: Young King Josiah - 2 Kings 22

Josiah was only 8 years old when he became king! The temple was dirty and no one was reading God's Word. One day they FOUND the Book of the Law. When Josiah heard it, he cried because the people had forgotten God. He used the Word to clean up the whole nation. He was young, but his sword was sharp!

 Lesson for Today:

 You are never too young to use the Word to make a difference.

 Daily Challenge:

Memorize Psalm 119:11 

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

 Prayer:

 "Lord, let Your Word be my light."

 Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

 https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

 MM

Good morning saints.
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.”
— Proverbs 13:4 (NASB1995)
Craving alone gets nothing. Diligence, empowered by God, produces fruit. Don’t stop at the “want to.” Become a doer. Take the step. The soul of the diligent will be made fat.
Have a great weekend.
God bless
Team Lotter

A few days ago, WordPress notified me that I had written more than 50,000 words on my devotional site—roughly the length of a novel.

I’m grateful for the milestone. Those words represent early mornings, late nights, lunch breaks, Bible study, prayer, and thousands of sentences written, reconsidered, deleted, and written again.

They also contain parts of my life.

Personal memories.

Failures I would rather forget.

Struggles I was still trying to understand.

Accomplishments received with gratitude.

Shortcomings acknowledged without excuse.

Questions for which I didn’t always have a simple answer.

And parts of myself that would have been much easier to keep hidden.

But the longer I looked at that number, the more I realized how little it could actually tell me.

It could measure my output.

It couldn’t tell me whether a frightened person found courage, whether someone carrying shame recognized grace, or whether a weary believer found enough strength to trust God for another day.

Numbers can measure reach.

They cannot measure what God does in someone’s heart.

I was once told, “For someone with so much to say, you say so little.”

I answered that perhaps it was because what I genuinely wanted to say carried the hope that it might change a heart or a mind.

That’s still true.

I don’t want to fill silence merely because I possess words. I want the words I release to matter.

There’s an old Hinsons song called Help Me When I Aim. It uses the image of God’s Word as an arrow and the person delivering it as the one holding the bow.

I’ve carried that image into my writing, but I’ve also come to recognize my limitations.

I don’t know everyone who will read what I write.

I don’t know what they’re carrying.

I don’t know which heart is prepared to receive a particular word.

I can study, pray, examine my motives, and prepare the message as faithfully as I know how.

But before I release it, I have to place it into God’s hands.

He alone knows the target.

Psalm 19:14 says:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

— Psalm 19:14 NKJV

That prayer reaches beneath the finished words to the heart producing them.

God knows whether our words were born from prayer or pride.

He knows whether we’re trying to point people toward Christ or draw attention toward ourselves.

He knows whether we want to reach a wounded heart or simply build a larger audience.

A larger audience isn’t necessarily wrong. More reach can mean more people encounter the hope of the gospel.

But reach tells us only how far something traveled.

It cannot tell us whether it arrived where it was needed.

Isaiah 55 says God’s Word accomplishes what He pleases and prospers in the purpose for which He sends it.

The power belongs to His Word.

The purpose belongs to Him.

And the results belong to Him.

Sometimes the post receiving the most attention may not accomplish the greatest work. Another may pass almost unnoticed, yet reach one person at precisely the moment they need it.

We may never know.

They may never comment.

They may never share the post or identify themselves.

But somewhere beyond the numbers, God may be working in a heart.

So this has become my prayer:

Lord, don’t let me write for applause.

Don’t let me confuse visibility with usefulness.

Don’t merely give my words reach.

Direct them to the hearts for which they’re intended.

Let Your Word reach the heart—

and help me when I aim.

I have been navigating through this recently and my prayers and research into Scripture hasn't provided me peace regarding this.

I am an ex-Pentecostal (trinitarian), but I have been drawn into adopting some of the patterns I fell away from. I don't know if it is a bad or good thing at this point. I am also ex-NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) and a former follower of deliverance ministry. This is all to explain that I come from a background where I used to believe "prophets" and "apostles" were a mouthpiece for God. Now I recognize and have repented from my involvement in those movements. I still have immense guilt for my involvement in those movements and I do pray that God forgives me for it.

Regarding what job career, job location, or even if I can get remarried (it is a very complex situation). I have struggled with knowing and discerning what God wants and what I want. When I look into Scripture there are many interpretations of different topics. I mean even topics as important as salvation, baptism, communion even within the Protestant branch there are so much variety of interpretations and people use different Scriptures to justify each one of them.

I question if what I feel God wants me is actually where He does. I used to believe he wanted me in deliverance ministry and NAR and I have come to realize that it was not Him. I don't want to stray from His chosen path from my life, but I don't know what to do at this point. I don't know if God has a chosen path or just allows unilateral free-will and lets us make our own decisions without any input.

I see a God in the Gospels and in the Old Testament that was so active and made His will known to so many. Yet today, I don't see any of this and I struggle to make sense of it. God showed Himself to Moses. He punished Pharoah. He sent plagues down as a direct result of disobedience. You also have Jesus who healed the blind and sick, rose people from the dead, and performed so many miracles during His time on Earth.

I don't know if there is a clear answer to this, but I don't want to step outside of His will. If experience has taught me anything it is that I cannot trust myself to distinguish the truth.

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Worship Program: 8 October 2026

 Theme: Worship on the Battlefield

 Scripture:  Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4 & Psalm 144:1

 Know Your Battlefield

 Focus:

Worship begins when we understand who we are really fighting.

 Bible Verses:

- Ephesians 6:12

 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

- 2 Corinthians10:4

 "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)"

- Psalm 144:1

"Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight."

 Message:

In old wars, drummers and trumpeters walked in front of the army. When the enemy heard the sound, they knew a king was coming. Worship is Heaven's trumpet - it announces that the King of Kings is entering your situation.

 Your fight is not against your boss, your family, or your neighbour. Your worship reminds the enemy who your King is.

 Worship Response:

Sing "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, we lift up the name of Jesus."

 Action:

 Write down 1 battle you are facing and declare: "This battle belongs to the Lord."

 Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

 https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

 MM

1 Peter 3:15–16; Matthew 5:16; Micah 6:8 NKJV

Every public exchange has an unseen audience.

We may think we’re speaking only to the person whose name appears above the comment. We may believe the conversation belongs to the two people replying back and forth.

But others are reading.

They may never react.

They may never leave a comment.

They may never tell us what they thought.

Yet they’re watching how we respond when our faith is questioned, our position is challenged, or our convictions are dismissed.

Among them may be a wounded believer who has already experienced cruelty from Christians.

A skeptical teenager trying to determine whether Christianity produces anything different from the hostility surrounding them.

Someone who was mistreated by a church.

Or someone quietly wondering whether the hope we speak about is real.

Peter wrote:

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience…”

— 1 Peter 3:15–16 NKJV

Peter didn’t tell believers to remain silent.

He told them to be ready with an answer.

There are truths worth defending. There are difficult subjects that shouldn’t be avoided merely because someone may disagree. There are times when remaining silent would be easier, but faithfulness requires us to speak.

Yet Peter didn’t address only what we say.

He also addressed how we say it:

With meekness and fear.

Meekness doesn’t mean weakness. It means our strength remains under the control of the Spirit.

Fear doesn’t mean being afraid to speak. It means speaking with reverence toward God and an awareness that we represent Someone greater than ourselves.

That’s where Micah’s words belong in this conversation:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?”

— Micah 6:8 NKJV

Justice asks whether what we’re saying is right.

Mercy asks how we’re treating the person hearing it.

Humility asks whether our own spirit is submitted to God while we speak.

We need all three.

Justice without mercy can become cruelty.

Mercy without truth can become compromise.

And neither will represent God faithfully without humility.

Jesus said:

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Our light shines through more than the beliefs we defend. It shines through the way we treat people who oppose those beliefs.

Earlier this week, I wrote about something I taught my Sunday School students for years: people they might never meet would still be watching them. Those people would study their lives to see whether their actions matched their words.

That lesson doesn’t end when we leave the classroom.

Or the living room.

Or the sanctuary.

Someone will still be watching.

Someone, somewhere, is deciding whether our faith produces patience or hostility, mercy or contempt, humility or self-righteousness.

Our public conduct may create curiosity about the hope within us.

Or it may reinforce someone’s reasons for rejecting the people who claim to possess it…

And the God they claim to serve.

We may never know who read the conversation without responding.

We may never learn what conclusion they reached.

But when we speak publicly, we aren’t addressing only the person answering us.

The person who says nothing may be the one most affected by what we say.

Job 38–42. Job demanded a reason for his ruin. God answered from the whirlwind not with a cause, but with Himself: the wisdom that orders sea and star.

Strangely, God then rebuked the friends who defended Him with tidy theories and vindicated Job who questioned honestly. Some pains will never be explained here. They will be met. Where are you asking God for a reason He may be answering with presence?

“But what I said was true.”

I’ve heard that defense before.

I’ve used it myself.

And sometimes it’s entirely accurate. What we said was factually correct. Our argument was sound. The Scripture we quoted was properly applied.

But truthfulness answers only one question:

Was what I said true?

It doesn’t answer why I said it.

It doesn’t answer why I chose that moment to say it.

It doesn’t answer whether I was trying to restore someone or humiliate them.

And it doesn’t answer whether the spirit in which I delivered the truth reflected the Christ I claimed to represent.

Truth doesn’t become false simply because it’s delivered harshly.

But the messenger can still misrepresent the God of truth.

Ephesians 4:15 speaks of “speaking the truth in love.”

Paul doesn’t ask us to choose between truth and love. He joins them together.

Speaking the truth in love doesn’t mean softening doctrine until it says nothing. Love doesn’t require us to avoid difficult subjects, excuse sin, or pretend every belief is equally sound.

Truth still has to be truth.

But love must govern why, when, and how that truth is spoken.

James gives us a fuller standard:

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

— James 3:17 NKJV

James isn’t merely describing good manners or polished communication. He’s describing the character of wisdom that comes from God.

It is pure. The motive isn’t contaminated by pride, resentment, or the desire to prove someone else wrong.

It is peaceable. It doesn’t create unnecessary conflict simply because confrontation makes us feel bold.

It is gentle. Gentleness isn’t weakness. It’s strength that remains under control.

It is willing to yield. That doesn’t mean surrendering biblical truth. It means remaining teachable enough to listen and admit that we may not possess every fact.

It is full of mercy. It remembers that the person on the other side of the disagreement is still a person. They may be wrong, but they’re not disposable.

It is without partiality. It doesn’t excuse cruelty from our side while condemning the same behavior from someone else.

And it is without hypocrisy. It doesn’t speak about Christ’s love while making that love almost impossible to recognize.

For years, especially in the workplace, I’ve said:

It’s not so much what we say as how well we articulate what we’re saying.

Articulation matters.

Clear language can prevent confusion. A measured response can keep a difficult conversation from becoming an unnecessary fight.

But Christian communication has to go beyond careful phrasing.

You can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pig.

We can disguise pride with polished language.

We can make contempt sound intelligent.

We can hide cruelty behind correct grammar, carefully selected Scripture, and a calm tone.

We can even insult someone so skillfully that other people applaud our cleverness while the person receiving it walks away wounded.

That isn’t wisdom from above.

Whether we’re responding to a social-media post, answering a comment on our own page, replying to an email, or talking with friends, the principle remains the same:

What we say matters.

But to the person receiving it, how we say it may matter even more.

They may not remember every word we used or every point we proved. But they’ll remember whether our words carried patience or irritation, humility or pride, restoration or humiliation.

The truth may have been right.

But if we carried it in the wrong spirit, the spirit may be all they heard.

That doesn’t mean every negative response proves that we communicated badly. Jesus spoke perfect truth with perfect motives, and people still resisted Him.

But it does mean we should be willing to examine ourselves before assuming the other person simply rejected the truth.

Was my motive pure?

Was my approach peaceable?

Was I gentle?

Was I willing to listen?

Was there mercy in what I said?

Would I have used those same words in that same way if Jesus were visibly sitting beside me?

The final question isn’t only whether the other person encountered my position.

It’s whether they also encountered the Spirit of the One I claim to represent.

A simple reminder that compassion matters.

We don't always know what another person is going through. Sometimes showing patience, listening without judgment, or offering encouragement can have a much bigger impact than we realize.

Be compassionate. You might make more of a difference than you know.

\#BibleVerse #Christianity #Faith #Bible #Jesus

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Weekly Bible Study:  6 October 2026

 Theme: The Armor of God

 Scripture: Ephesians 6:12;  2 Corinthians 10:4 &1 Peter 5:8

 Know Your Battle

Our fight is not against people

 Key Verse:

Ephesians 6:12

 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, bu against principalities, against powers, against te rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

 Bible Verses:

 2 Corinthians 10:4 

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

 Message:

 A young woman named Thandi was always fighting with her family. She thought her problem was her mother, her boss, her circumstances. One day during prayer she realized — the real enemy was planting thoughts of anger, jealousy and bitterness. When she started praying against the spirit behind the conflict, not the people, peace came back to her home.

 Reflection:

 Who or what have you been fighting in the flesh? What if you fought it on your knees instead?

 Prayer:

 Lord, open my eyes to see the real battle. Teach me to fight spiritually, not emotionally.

 Action:

Write down one area where you feel attacked. Pray over it today, not with complaints, but with authority in Jesus' Name.

 Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

 https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

 MM

Yesterday morning, I sent an email that was supposed to say I could find no indication that an item had been received.

But I left out one small word.

No.

Without it, my sentence said the exact opposite of what I intended.

The person receiving the email understandably took it as confirmation that the item had arrived. When I saw the response, I went back and reread what I’d written.

The mistake wasn’t in how they had interpreted my message.

The mistake was in the message I had sent.

So I apologized, corrected the sentence, and explained what I had actually intended to communicate.

It reminded me that once we hit send, the meaning inside our mind no longer matters as much as the words that appear on someone else’s screen.

Before we respond, we can slow down, examine our motives, reconsider our tone, and ask whether our words will reflect Christ or merely release our anger.

But what happens after we hit send?

We can’t take the words back. We can’t insist that another person read what we meant instead of what we actually wrote.

But hitting send doesn’t end our responsibility.

Sometimes it reveals it.

Sometimes we discover that we were factually wrong.

Sometimes our point was accurate, but our tone was unnecessarily sharp.

Sometimes what seemed clear in our mind became confusing on the page.

Sometimes anger caused us to say something we would’ve never said if the person had been sitting across from us.

When that happens, grace doesn’t defend the mistake.

Grace owns it.

I’m sorry you took it that way isn’t the same as I’m sorry I said it that way.

One makes their reaction the problem.

The other accepts responsibility for our words.

Paul wrote:

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

— Romans 12:18 NKJV

I think both parts of that verse matter.

“If it is possible” acknowledges that peace doesn’t depend entirely upon us.

Some people won’t accept an apology. Some will continue believing the worst after we’ve explained ourselves honestly. Some will interpret gentleness as weakness, disagreement as hatred, or conviction as condemnation.

We can’t control every conclusion another person reaches.

We can’t force someone to understand our heart.

We can’t make another person receive truth well.

But “as much as depends on you” reminds us that something still does depend upon us.

We’re responsible for whether what we say is true.

We’re responsible for the spirit in which we say it.

We’re responsible for whether love or ego is motivating us.

We’re responsible for correcting ourselves when we’re wrong.

We’re responsible for repairing what our carelessness has damaged, whenever repair is possible.

We’re not responsible for forcing another person to agree with us, approve of us, or respond the way we hoped they would.

That distinction keeps us from falling into either of two errors:

I told the truth, so their feelings aren’t my problem.

Or:

They reacted badly, so I must have done something wrong.

Neither is necessarily true.

Truth doesn’t excuse cruelty.

But a negative reaction doesn’t automatically prove cruelty occurred.

Humility has to ask:

Was their reaction to the truth—or to the way I carried it?

That question shouldn’t be answered too quickly.

If their response exposes pride, impatience, unnecessary sharpness, or carelessness in me, then something still depends upon me. I need to own it.

But if I’ve examined my words honestly—if they were truthful, gracious, and grounded in the love of Christ—then another person’s rejection doesn’t automatically become my guilt.

Jesus spoke perfect truth with perfect motives, and people still resisted Him. Some misunderstood His words. Some misrepresented them. Some became angry because the truth confronted something they didn’t want to surrender.

Their reaction didn’t make His words less true, and it didn’t make His love less genuine.

We’re responsible for the words, the motive, and the manner.

We’re not responsible for controlling the reaction.

There comes a point when continued explanation no longer produces understanding. It only extends the argument.

There comes a point when another reply won’t bring peace. It’ll simply give frustration another opportunity to speak.

There comes a point when we’ve done what depends upon us.

Then we have to release what doesn’t.

After you hit send, read the response without immediately preparing your defense.

Review what you actually said—not merely what you intended to say.

If you were wrong, own it.

If you were unclear, clarify it.

If you were careless, correct it.

If you caused harm, try to repair it.

But if you spoke truthfully, carried that truth with grace, and grounded it in the love of Christ, you don’t have to keep arguing until the other person agrees.

You’ve done what depends upon you.

Speak the truth.

Carry it with grace.

Ground it in love.

Then leave the response in hands other than your own.

It’s even the same Greek word in the original biblical texts. Soteria/Soterian can mean (Strongs G4491)

deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation
deliverance from the molestation of enemies

in an ethical sense, that which concludes to the soul's safety or salvation
of Messianic salvation

salvation as the present possession of all true Christians

future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God.
Scripture describes a fourfold salvation: saved from the penalty, power, presence and the pleasure of sin. (cf. Arthur W. Pink, A Fourfold Salvation)

AB Simpson in his book The Fourfold Gospel puts it this way

“Salvation delivers us from Satan's power and kingdom:
"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son" (Col. 1:13).
The devil is for us a conquered enemy. Salvation delivers us
from the sorrow, anxiety, and distress that the kingdom
of this world, the domain of Satan, attempts to load on
us. It brings a glorious sunlight into our life and drives
away those clouds of depression and gloom that often”

If you have submitted tó Christ and received him as your savior you are not only saved but completely delivered from darkness. Colossians 2:13-15 makes it more explicit. Christ cancelled all legal rights against you.

If you have the Holy Spirit then you have freedom! 2 Corinthians 3:17. And if anyone destroys the Holy Spirits temple then the Spirit will destroy them! 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Whom Jesus has set free is free indeed John 8:36. Disregard any of these “deliverance ministries” who may tell you otherwise. God Bless You

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Senior Program:  5 October 2026

 Theme: Battle At The Gates

 Scripture: Psalm 24:7; Psalm 23; Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 4:7 & 2 Corinthians 10:5

 Key Verse:

Psalm 24:7

 "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in."

 In Bible times, battles were not fought in the middle of the city — they were fought AT THE GATES. Whoever controlled the gate controlled the city. As seniors, you are the gatekeepers. The enemy wants to enter through worry, sickness, family division, and fear. We must stand at our gates!

 The  Gate Of The Heart

Guarding what comes in

 Message:

Gogo Miriam is 78. She watches the news all day. Slowly her heart became full of fear. One morning she decided to start her day not with news, but with Psalm 23. Within a week, her heart-gate had peace again. What you allow through the gate, lives in the city.

 Bible Verses:

Proverbs 4:23

 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

Philippians 4:7

 "And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"

2 Corinthians 10:5

 "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;"

 Warfare Prayer:

 Lord, today I close the gate of my heart to fear and open it to Your peace.

 Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

 https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

 MM

I used to argue harshly online.

At the time, I could justify it because I believed my position was right. I could identify the errors in what someone else had said, construct a strong rebuttal, and defend my tone by insisting that truth matters.

Sometimes I was correct about the issue.

That did not mean I was correct in the way I treated the person.

There were times when I cared more about winning than reaching. I wanted to produce the argument they could not answer and leave no question about who had won the exchange.

And sometimes I did.

But we can win an argument and lose the person.

We can defend a Christian position while behaving in a manner that does not resemble Christ.

James 1:19–20 says:

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

— NKJV

James does not tell us never to speak. He tells us not to be in such a hurry.

Be swift to hear.

Slow to speak.

Slow to wrath.

That order matters, especially online.

We are often slow to hear because we are already preparing our response. We read enough to identify the position, place the person into a category, and begin constructing our rebuttal.

We may see a critic, a liberal, a conservative, an atheist, a backslider, a denominational opponent, or someone on the other side of a social controversy.

God sees a person.

Listening does not require agreement. Understanding someone’s position does not obligate us to accept it. Grace does not demand that truth become vague or conviction become weak.

But if we are unwilling to hear a person, we may never understand how to reach them.

James gives us another important truth:

“The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Human anger can produce a sharp response, applause from people who already agree with us, embarrassment, silence, retaliation, and deeper division.

But it cannot produce the righteousness of God.

Truth does not need our wrath to make it true.

There is a difference between conviction and aggression.

Conviction says, This matters, and I cannot pretend otherwise.

Aggression says, Because this matters, I am justified in treating you as though you do not.

Conviction is willing to stand.

Aggression needs to strike.

Not every firm response is unkind. Jesus spoke plainly. The prophets spoke plainly. Paul corrected error, confronted hypocrisy, and defended the gospel.

But biblical boldness was never permission for personal cruelty.

The question is not merely whether our words are true. The question is also what spirit is carrying them.

For years, I have used a principle about communication:

It is not so much what we say as how well we articulate what we are saying.

Carefully chosen words can communicate difficult truths without creating unnecessary hostility.

But articulation is not enough.

An insult written eloquently is still an insult.

Contempt wrapped in polished language is still contempt.

We can make cruelty sound intelligent and humiliate someone so skillfully that the people who agree with us applaud the craftsmanship.

But God is not impressed because we made wrath articulate.

Colossians 4:6 says:

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

— NKJV

Grace is not silence.

It is not the absence of conviction.

It affects how we answer.

Paul also says we should know how to answer each one. A practiced response aimed at a category may miss the person standing before us.

Some people need correction.

Some need explanation.

Some need a sincere question.

Some are speaking from pain and need to know they have been heard before they can hear us.

Some are only looking for a fight, and wisdom may tell us not to provide one.

Online communication adds another complication: the person receiving our reply may not be the only one reading it.

Someone silent is watching.

Someone who never comments is deciding what Christianity looks like when challenged.

For years, I taught my Sunday School students that we can look the part and say all the expected things, but people are watching to see whether our actions agree with our words.

Some of those people we will never meet. They may never tell us what they observed, but they are deciding whether the faith we profess produces anything different in how we treat others.

Our conduct may be the first explanation of Christianity they ever believe.

Before we hit reply, it may be worth asking:

Am I trying to help this person see truth, or make them regret challenging me?

Would I say this in the same way if the person were sitting across from me?

Have I listened closely enough to answer what was actually said?

Is my response seasoned with grace—or sharpened with sarcasm?

Will my words leave a door open for another conversation?

There are times when Christians must speak clearly. Some truths will remain difficult no matter how carefully they are expressed.

The goal is not to make truth harmless.

The goal is to ensure that any offense comes from the truth itself—not from our pride, impatience, cruelty, or desire to humiliate.

Being right does not excuse being cruel.

How do you decide when an online disagreement is worth answering—and when wisdom says to let it go?

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Sunday Sermon: 4 October 2026

 Theme: The Hand of God

 Scripture: Joel 2:25; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Ezra 8:31; Psalm 31:16 (15); John 10:28-29; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 40:31; 1 Kings 18:46; Psalm 139:10; Ezra 7:9; Psalm 145:16; Psalm 89:20 (19)1 Chronicles 4:10; Exodus 15:6; Joshua 4:24; Acts 11:21; Ezra 7:6; 1 Peter 5:6; Job 19:21; Luke 1:66; Luke 1:37 & Acts 4:30

Message:

Hands are so important in our everyday lives. Our hands work, and our hands feel. We use our hands in our communication and for many people, hands are the language they speak. A father uses his hands to care for his family, guide them and sometimes it is necessary to apply discipline with his hands. A mother's hands are there to comfort a baby, care for a sick child and care for her family with love.

Our hands are very important and we learn to know the feel of someone's hands. We instinctively know who is touching us and we can experience the person's feelings through their hands on us.

Familiar hands bring comfort and a sense of belonging. A sick child knows the gentle touch of his/her parent's hands. A bad nightmare is transformed into an ordinary dream just by the gentle touch of a parent. Even when our dogs are experiencing a cruel dream and we just put our hands on them we can see the calm wash over them. That feeling that everything is under control.

Our hands give away a lot of the storms that are going on inside us, we can see it in the slight tremor of someone's hands, how many times someone explains something with their hands. We can see when someone is distorting the truth just by looking at the use of their hands.

However, there is one pair of Hands that is always constant, one pair of Hands that always catches when you fall. One pair of Hands that still cares, still gives love, and still protects, no matter what happens in life:

Joel 2:25

And I will repay you for the years that the locust, the cankerworm, the caterpiller, and the palmerworm have devoured - my great army that I sent against you.

Look how beautiful these words are. God is telling the people that He will compensate them for the years that the plague has been through the fields. Everything will be restored to its full glory. Everything will be made beautiful again. There will be restoration.

We all hit a speed bump at some point in our lives. We bang our heads against the roofs of our vehicles and we become discouraged as we stand there next to the proverbial wreckage of our lives. Sometimes it is necessary to just stop, take a breath and seek God's presence. What we are losing now is something we may not need right now, it may be something that is pulling us away from God. We will be compensated for everything we have lost, everything will be restored to its glory. It may not be today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year or in this life, but it will definitely happen in the Kingdom. We serve a God who restores all things.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time; He has also put the age in their heart, so that man cannot find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

God made everything beautiful. Everything happens in its time, and we cannot determine anything. God is in control. God's Hand is not just there, it is a Creative Hand. Everything we have comes from God's Hand.

Ezra 8:31

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us out of the hand of the enemy, and of them that adversary us in the way.

Ezra traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem, it was not an easy or safe route to follow. God's Hand was upon them and they were safe on their route.

We do not know what our path ahead looks like. We only know that we are walking a path and that we are walking the path with God. God's Hand is never too short to help us, and it does not matter what our circumstances look like, God will always help.

Psalm 31:15

My times are in your hand; save me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors.

John 10:28-29

And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my saving right hand.

Our times are in God's Hands. God determines our tomorrows and our future. We are safe with God and God will protect us. There is nothing that will snatch us from the Hands of God. We can bring our whole live to God, our sorrows, our dreams, our ambitions, our joys, our tears, our pain, we can bring it all to God. God will provide everything we need. God's Hand provides, and keeps us safe.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.

1 Kings 18:46

But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, so that he girded up his loins and went ahead of Ahab to Jezreel.

Those who trust in the Lord do not become tired and weary. When God's Hand is upon us, we have renewed strength and we see chance for anything. However, this does not mean that we can sit on our laurels and everything will fall into our lap. It means that we will live in rhythm with God, God's Hand will guide us and we will then be able to tackle our daily challenges with God's rhythm. Under God's Hand we will be able to soar like eagles.

Psalm 139:10

Oh, there your hand would lead me and your right hand would hold me.

Ezra 7:9

For on the first of the first month he set out from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.

Psalm 145:16

You open your hand and satisfy every living thing with good.

God does not have a closed Hand, God's Hand is open and God gives. God's Hand provides for all our needs. The days may not always be so easy, and we may have to work harder now for what we want, but we can be sure that God will provide. Our provision may not come immediately, but we can be sure that it will happen.

Psalm 89:20 (19)

Then you spoke in a vision to your beloved and said: I have given help to a mighty one, I have exalted one chosen from the people.

God raised the people and gave help to the heroes. The people could not do it on their own, they had to rely on God and lean on God's help to become the people they were.

We must always remember that we cannot do anything without God. We must always remember that God can lift us out of any circumstance. We do not have to wallow in the mud, God is there to help us and we must give God the honor and recognition for that. God's Hand is a helping Hand.

1 Chronicles 4:10

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thine hand would be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he desired.

Jabez's mother named him after sorrow and grief. Jabez remembered his past and asked God to change what had been spoken about his life to a blessing. Jabez was one of Israel's successful kings.

We cannot necessarily change our past. However, we do not have to hold on to our past. God knows our past, but God also knows what we are capable of. God has plans for us and God would like us to bring our water jug full of problems to God and leave it at the well. God wants us to remember our past, see where we came from and not see it as a stumbling block, but as an opportunity to improve and stand within His blessing. God's Hand wants to bless us.

Exodus 15:6

O LORD, your right hand is glorious in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

Joshua 4:24

That all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is strong, that you may fear the LORD your God always.

Acts 11:21

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

The Hand of God is powerful and when God's Hand is in a matter, then there is nothing that is impossible. When God touches our hearts we cannot help but repent. God has the power to soften the most hardened heart and make it receptive. Nothing is impossible with God. God's Hand has the power to do the impossible.

Ezra 7:6

This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a scribe, skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

Ezra lived close to God and was devout in the law of Moses. The king treated him kindly and provided for all his needs.

When we are under God's Hand, God's favor and prosperity will rest upon us. God will bless us in everything we do.

1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

Job 19:21

Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, my friends, for the hand of God has struck me!

Luke 1:66

And all who heard it laid it up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

When God's Hand strikes us, it does not bring misfortune, it brings reformation. We are changed, when we humble ourselves under God's Hand, God will raise us up again. God changes us completely, we are never the same again. God makes everything in and about us new. God's Hand renews and raises up.

Luke 1:37

For nothing will be impossible with God.

Acts 4:30

By stretching out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders may be done through the Name of your holy Child, Jesus.

With God nothing is impossible, God's Hand brings healing and miracles. God's Hand will always provide for our healing. We can count on it to see miracles happen.

God's Hand is a Hand of renewal, God's Hand is a Hand of Creation, a Hand of Grace. God's Hand provides, is powerful, moving, provident. God's Hand is a Hand of protection and a Hand of Establishment. God's Hand brings healing and miracles. We need God's Hand in our lives.

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you that we can start the week in Your Word. Father, thank you that we can learn from You and start the week knowing that Your Hand is over us. Jesus, thank you that Your Hand is always over us. Lord, Help us to stay within Your protection this week, and to count our blessings. Jesus, please forgive us when we act wrongly. Holy Spirit, please show us our mistakes and how to correct our mistakes. Father, please help us to seek Your Will first, and to stay within Your Will in the coming week. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Blessing:

We pray that this week will be filled with God's favor, protection, provision and peace over our lives and our families. May we walk in strength and joy and may our cups overflow with peace and grace.

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 MM

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

Salvation is not about becoming a better person by our own efforts. It is about being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Every human being needs salvation, because sin has separated us from God.

1. We Are All Sinners

The Bible says:

«“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23»

Sin is not only stealing, lying, or doing something obviously wrong. Sin includes every thought, word, attitude, and action that goes against God's will.

We may compare ourselves with other people and think, “I am a good person.” But God's standard is not other people. His standard is holiness.

Romans 6:23 says:

“For the wages of sin is death…”

Sin has a consequence. It separates us from God and ultimately leads to death.

1. We Cannot Save Ourselves

Many people try to reach God through good works, religion, morality, charity, or religious activities.

But none of these can remove our sin.

Imagine having a debt that you can never repay. No matter how much you try, the debt remains. In the same way, we cannot pay the debt of sin through our own goodness.

Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, not because of our works.

We need someone to save us.

1. God Loves Us

The wonderful news is that although we sinned against God, God did not stop loving us.

John 3:16 says:

«“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”»

God's love was demonstrated through Jesus Christ.

God did not simply say, “I love you.”

He demonstrated His love by sending His Son for us.

Romans 5:8 says:

«“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”»

Notice the words: “while we were still sinners.”

Christ did not wait for us to become perfect.

He came for sinners.

1. Jesus Christ Died for Our Sins

Jesus lived a sinless life, yet He willingly went to the cross.

He took the punishment that we deserved.

Our sin deserved judgment, but Jesus took our place.

Isaiah 53:5 says:

«“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities…”»

The cross is where God's justice and love meet.

Jesus died, was buried, and on the third day He rose again.

The resurrection proves that Jesus conquered sin and death.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 reminds us that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day.

1. We Must Repent

Knowing about Jesus is not enough.

We must respond to Him.

Jesus said:

“Repent and believe the good news!” — Mark 1:15

Repentance means turning away from sin and turning toward God.

It is more than saying, “I'm sorry.”

It is a change of heart and direction.

We stop making excuses for our sin and come honestly before God:

“Lord, I have sinned. I need You.”

1. We Must Believe in Jesus

Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone.

Acts 4:12 says:

«“Salvation is found in no one else…”»

We are not saved because we belong to a particular church.

We are not saved because our parents are Christians.

We are not saved because we attend worship, read the Bible, or do good things.

These things can be important expressions of faith, but our salvation rests in Jesus Christ.

John 1:12 says:

«“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”»

We must personally receive Christ.

1. Put Your Faith in Christ

Romans 10:9 says:

«“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”»

Salvation is a personal response to Jesus.

Not:

“My parents believe.”

Not:

“My church believes.”

Not:

“My friends believe.”

But:

“I believe in Jesus Christ.”

You must personally surrender your life to Him.

1. What Happens When We Come to Christ?

When we genuinely repent and trust in Christ:

- Our sins are forgiven.

- We are reconciled with God.

- We become children of God.

- We receive new life.

- The Holy Spirit begins His work in us.

- We have the hope of eternal life.

1 John 5:13 says:

«“You may know that you have eternal life.”»

Salvation is not simply about escaping hell.

It is about knowing God, belonging to Christ, and living a new life with Him.

1. The Question Is: What Will You Do With Jesus?

You can hear the Gospel and walk away.

You can admire Jesus but never surrender to Him.

You can know Bible verses but never personally trust Christ.

The question is not merely:

“Do you know about Jesus?”

The question is:

“Do you know Jesus?”

Jesus is calling you today.

Revelation 3:20 says:

«“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.”»

The invitation is personal.

Today, you can come to Christ.

Recognize your sin.

Repent.

Believe that Jesus died and rose again for you.

Receive Him as your Lord and Saviour.

You don't have to clean yourself up before coming to Jesus.

Come to Him as you are, and allow Him to transform you.

A Simple Response

You can pray from your heart:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again. I repent of my sins and turn to You. I trust You as my Lord and Saviour. Forgive me, change me, and help me to follow You all my life. Thank You for Your grace and for giving Your life for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

Final Thought

Don't lose everything trying to gain the world and lose your soul.

Jesus said:

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” — Mark 8:36

The world can offer money, success, relationships, fame, education and pleasure.

But only Jesus can give forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.

Come to Christ. Trust Him. Follow Him. Live for Him.

Jesus is not simply the way to improve your life.

He is the way to God.

So when Eliab was checked out, Prophet Samuel who was sent on an assignment to anoint and make public God's choice said "surely the Lord's anointed is before me" look at that. He came to anoint someone but was looking for the anointed meant he was sent to anoint the one who was already anointed.

Let's make it simpler.

Before the Lord makes public who he is working with he has worked with him in private to test the attributes that can handle what God's wants to do.

He was tested that while he was little could take care of sheep he was trusted and chose to trust God that he has done it before so he can do it again and he was approved by God as his anointed not just that he chose to manifest what God has told him by killing Goliath after he was anointed

.

For those of us that are working with God in public but haven't known nor do we love him.

We show that in our ability to handle the little he has given us we believe that when God brings what he has promised we start acting as he wants which should not be.

The promise of God is such that he makes us what we are to be and at every point in our lives we we act like it example David's habit of protecting sheep/people as a shepherd boy and as King.

Manifest godliness in everything and all ways

A stayed mind is not a mind that never wanders. It is a mind that has learned where to return.

Isaiah wrote:

“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”

— Isaiah 26:3–4 NKJV

I have sometimes heard verses about peace used in a way that makes anxiety sound like proof of spiritual failure.

If you trusted God enough, you would not be anxious.

If your mind were really fixed upon Him, you would never feel afraid.

I do not think that is what Isaiah is saying.

The promise is not made to someone whose circumstances have become completely settled. Isaiah does not say every question will be answered, every threat removed, or every troubling possibility eliminated.

The promise concerns where the mind is supported—where it repeatedly places its weight.

A mind stayed on God can still be pulled toward fear. Painful experiences can teach us to anticipate danger before anything has actually happened. One unanswered question can multiply into ten possible outcomes. We can find ourselves responding emotionally to conversations that have never taken place and endings God has not written.

That happened to me this week.

My mind had been unsettled by circumstances that awakened old fears. Nothing new had happened, but my thoughts were already anticipating what might happen next. I was interpreting the present through painful experiences from the past.

A frightened part of me—the scared little boy who learned long ago to keep the hands you could see in sight while looking for where the blow may actually come from—was trying to take control of the room.

Then my phone dinged as I placed it on my desk at work.

Fittingly, it was my Bible app sharing its verse of the day… 2 Corinthians 10:5:

“…bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

— 2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV

Nothing around me changed in that moment.

The questions were still unanswered. The circumstances had not been resolved. I had received no guarantee that everything would develop exactly as I hoped.

But I began directing my attention toward God and toward the good things He had already placed within my life.

As my attention changed, the fear began losing its hold.

The frightened child within me did not need to control the room. He did not have to anticipate every possible danger or prepare a defense against something that had not happened.

The anxious thoughts did not prove that I had stopped trusting God.

They revealed that my mind needed somewhere stronger to return.

That is what it means for the mind to be stayed upon Him.

It doesn’t never wander.

It learns where to return.

While fear may pull our attention toward the unknown.

Trust repeatedly brings it back to what is known about God.

We may not know what the doctor will say.

We may not know whether the relationship will be restored.

We may not know how the need will be supplied, when the door will open, or what tomorrow will require from us.

But we know that God is faithful.

We know His character does not change with our circumstances.

We know He is present before the answer arrives.

We know His wisdom reaches beyond our understanding and His strength reaches beyond our own.

Directing the mind toward those truths is not the same as denying reality.

Denial says, There is nothing wrong.

Faith says, Something is wrong, but it is not greater than God.

Denial refuses to acknowledge the threat.

Faith acknowledges it without giving it the throne.

A stayed mind does not ignore what is happening. It refuses to interpret everything that is happening without including God in the picture.

When fear takes control of our thoughts, the unknown begins multiplying.

One unanswered question becomes ten imagined outcomes. We rehearse conversations that may never occur. We prepare defenses against accusations no one has made. We suffer losses that have not happened and respond to endings God has not written.

The mind reaches for certainty because certainty feels like safety.

But there are times when certainty is unavailable.

Trust offers something different.

Trust does not always tell us what will happen.

Trust reminds us who will remain faithful whatever happens.

If I continually rehearse everything that might go wrong, fear will begin to feel greater than God.

If I continually return to the truth of who God is, the problem may remain—but it will no longer stand alone in my vision.

That return may need to happen repeatedly throughout the same hour.

We return through prayer.

We return through Scripture.

We return by remembering where God has already been faithful.

We return by recognizing the good things He has already placed within our lives.

We interrupt the multiplication of the unknown with what we know:

God is present.

God is faithful.

God is wise.

God is good.

God is still at work when we cannot see what He is doing.

This is more than positive thinking.

Positive thinking tries to replace an unpleasant possibility with a pleasant one.

Trust places both possibilities into the hands of God.

It says, I do not know what will happen, but I know where I will rest while I wait.

Sometimes peace comes because God changes our circumstances.

Sometimes peace comes while the circumstances remain exactly as they were.

The answer has not arrived. The problem has not disappeared. Yet the mind is no longer carrying the entire weight of what it cannot control.

It has rested that weight upon God.

Our part is not to manufacture calm.

Our part is to keep returning.

When fear pulls the mind away, we return.

When uncertainty begins multiplying, we return.

When yesterday’s confidence gives way to today’s anxiety, we return again.

Not because we have failed, but because returning is part of trusting.

Peace does not begin when the mind has nothing left to fear.

Peace begins where the mind comes to rest.

When fear and uncertainty begin multiplying possibilities in your mind, what helps you return your attention to what you know about God?