Need Prayer? Call us now at 888-637-4545|team@marilynandsarah.org

God’s Love

Stand on the Word of God

Do you realize how important it is to spend time reading and meditating on the Word? When we surround ourselves with the favor of God’s Word, we can confidently step out in faith and change situations around us.  The wisdom of the Word in your spirit will give you favor, regardless of the circumstances which may confront you or the people whom you may meet.  Again, remember Psalm 5:12, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” You have an invisible shield of favor surrounding you.

Whenever you are in a state of doubt, fear, or anxiety, remind God of His promises: “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3). Likewise, Hebrews 10:35 tells us to “not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Always lift your head high above all circumstances. You are wearing His glorious crown of divine favor.

Many times, we experience deep levels of grief and frustration, but if we hold fast to God’s promises, any situation can be altered! Hebrews 10:23 commands us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

David understood the awesome power of favor because in Psalm 30 he writes, “Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong…” (v. 7). If God’s favor is powerful enough to hold you up, no matter how heavy the pressures may be which come against you! Always remember that He is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). If you are standing on His Word, you can count on Him to uphold all the things in your life and give you wide open doors of favor. Hallelujah!

Today’s blog post was taken from Marilyn’s book, Wide Open Doors.

2025-02-26T10:30:19-07:00March 17th, 2025|

I’m the Answer and Way

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This verse is from a portion of Scripture where Jesus is preparing His disciples for His death. In chapter 13, He washes their feet and here He is leaving His final words with them. He tells his friends that He is going before them to prepare a place for them. The apostle Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Jesus responds to his worries by saying “I am the way!”

Family, how many times do we overthink the blessings of God? Jesus is telling his friends that there is a place for them, that He is preparing a blessing for them in the future! This is a good thing, a gift from Him. But Thomas is confused. He doesn’t know what Jesus means and He is uncomfortable with not knowing. He doesn’t want to miss out on any of the blessings that God has for him, so he asks Jesus for some clarification.

I imagine that Thomas wanted Jesus to tell him one of two things. Either to describe the details of the place Jesus was preparing for him, or a step-by-step list on how to get there. Instead, Jesus says “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Thomas wanted an easy answer. He wanted Jesus to tell him what to do, when to do it, and what was on the other side. Instead, Jesus refocused him. “It’s all about me!” He said, “I am the way, you don’t need to do anything else except know Me!”

How many times have you wanted Jesus to give you answers to your questions. “Jesus, what should I do for my next job? Jesus when will I get healed of this-or-that? Jesus, will my friends ever turn back to you?” These are questions that have answers, and it would be easy for Jesus to give us a simple answer. However, more often than not, He reminds us of who He is. Jesus is the answer. He knows it all, sees it all, and can do anything. So, when He responds to our questions and says, “Just be with me,” that is the most comforting thing He could say. How relieving is it to know that Jesus is the way? I think about all the different ways that I’ve failed, and I am filled with comfort knowing that it’s not by my own strength.

The next time you feel overwhelmed with your situations and all the “Jesus, why?” questions start to crowd your mind, remember, He is the answer. Take rest in Him. Know that He is the way, and He will get you through.

2025-02-26T09:41:32-07:00March 10th, 2025|

Trust in God’s Presence

God sent His Son to earth so man could experience His presence, not as Old Testament believers did in tents, temples, and tabernacles but through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. If you are born again, the presence and power of God is in you! You’re a walking tabernacle, and God is ever present to lead, protect, and guide you regardless of where you go or what you’re doing. First Corinthians 3:16 says, Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that even though He was going to return to heaven, they would not be without His presence. He would not leave them comfortless, but promised to send them the Holy Spirit, who would lead and guide them into all truth. This promise was fulfilled in Acts 2 when the disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit and the presence of God filled them. It was this point that God’s presence began to tabernacle with man.

Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Simply put, this means God inhabits everything we do to glorify Him. Adam and Eve lived in a garden, and the presence of God was there. The Israelites lived in a tent, so God said, “Put me in a tent.” When His people built a temple, God said, “Put me in a temple.” Finally, God said, “Put me in people so that I can be with them all of the time.”

Many people can name times when they’ve experienced God’s presence. This can happen everywhere—I’ve experienced the presence of God in airports and on airplanes. For some, God may have manifested His presence at church, in their cars, while they were preparing dinner, or getting ready for work. One thing is certain, God’s presence can be felt.

2025-02-26T08:35:06-07:00March 3rd, 2025|

God Is Always Leading Us

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  (Psalms 23:1-3 NKJV)

You must realize—and if you absorb this truth, it will change your life—God never leads His people aimlessly.  He always has a direction, a plan, a purpose.  He leads us with divine precision and accuracy, and always for good.

Keep your mind and heart tuned to the Great Shepherd’s voice and He will continually lead you into places of provision, security, restoration, and righteousness.

If you continue to follow Him, you will be going somewhere, and that somewhere will be a place full of God’s promise and power.

2025-01-29T12:40:00-07:00February 24th, 2025|

The Gift of Encouragement

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

The gift of encouragement is important because all believers need encouragement: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  Acts 4:36 tells us of Joses, who operated in the gift of encouragement. Joses was a wealthy priest from Cyprus who got saved and gave his wealth to help persecuted believers.  He was such an encouragement that the disciples called him “Barnabas,” which means “Son of Encouragement.” By encouraging others, we not only uplift them, but we establish areas of service that minister to generations of people after us. Barnabas operated in such a ministry.

When the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to be missionaries, John Mark went along to serve and learn from them (see Acts 12:25; 13:2). Though called to the ministry, he was still young, immature, and unprepared for the hardships that a missionary had to endure.  He ended up going home mid-journey.  That’s why on their second mission trip, Paul didn’t want John Mark to come along, so they separated.  Barnabas took John Mark with him. This time, John Mark didn’t run home.  Barnabas encouraged, trained, and discipled him because he saw who John Mark could be a hardworking, seasoned minister.  John Mark became a very successful minister of the gospel—he wrote the book of Mark. Through this episode with John Mark, even Paul learned the profound results that encouragement could bring.  John Mark was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). At the end of his life, Paul sent for John Mark because he was so useful (2 Timothy 4:11).

Like Paul, we may forsake other people because they have disappointed us in the past, but we can also learn to minister encouragement. How? By applying three simple keys found in Hebrew 10, you can unfold your gift of encouragement.

  1. Draw near to God. Hebrews 10:22 tells us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” To encourage others successfully, you must first draw near to God and fellowship with Him daily. People who are experiencing difficulties need to hear encouragement that comes straight from Jesus’s heart—not something we think He might say.
  2. Develop patience. Fellowship with the Lord gives a spiritual foundation upon which to base a ministry of encouragement. However, it’s crucial that we don’t allow impatience to erode that foundation; “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Unfortunately, most of us begin to lose patience if we don’t see results in ten seconds or less.  We must wait patiently and steadfastly for answers.
  3. Determine needed actions. Hebrews 10:24 states, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” We can speak encouraging words all day, but if they don’t instill in others the faith to act, remember that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Word of God, the most powerful force in the universe, will instill faith in people’s hearts and encourage them to act. Our responsibility is simply to speak forth the Word.

Remember, everyone needs encouragement.  Begin today to share your gift encouragement, and you’ll bless the body of Christ for many generations.

This blog post is excerpted from Marilyn’s 101-day devotional, Beautiful Inheritance.

2025-01-29T12:04:50-07:00February 17th, 2025|

The Peace that Passes All Understanding

Fear is the opposite of peace. No one enjoys being frightened. In Hebrew, the word “baath” means to be “affrightened.” Job poetically used this word to describe his grief after his great trials. The word “baath” conveys the meaning of desert winds, grievous visions, discomforting pain and a panting heart.

God has freely given us a remedy for all the above calamities. Philippians 4:7 tells us,

…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When you keep your mind on Jesus Christ, God’s Incarnate Word, you will never be “affrightened;” you will remain in “perfect peace.”

Concentrate today upon keeping your mind focused on Jesus. When you enter a difficulty, ask yourself, “How would Jesus handle this situation?” Do you remember what He said to the storm? He said, “Peace, be still.” Do the same in all your difficult circumstances! Speak PEACE to them.

2025-02-18T10:00:02-07:00February 10th, 2025|

Love With God’s Love

We will reap what we sow, and today I want you to decide to sow LOVE. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The love we demonstrate for each other is infectious. Non-Christians will see it and want what we have—Jesus! Decide today to correct any differences that you may have with someone else. Go out of your way to walk “the extra mile” to love the person who has offended you. You will not be sorry. Why? Because you’ll be acting like Jesus.

Remember He loved us while we were in sin, and His love was so strong that He was willing to die for us. Because He first demonstrated His love towards us, we love Him. Purpose in your heart to SOW LOVE to someone who is not expecting it. Surprise someone by showing them the LOVE OF JESUS today!

2025-01-16T11:48:28-07:00February 3rd, 2025|
Click to access the login or register cheese
Go to Top