New Year, New Me!

 Happy Sunday!

"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.  So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:15-17 NLT).

You've likely heard the catch phrase, "New Year, New Me".  To live up to this concept, we must change. Change is inevitable, but we usually don't like to do it.   Nina Simone sang, "Everything Must Change; nothing remains the same..." and Albert Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results". We are our biggest problem!  It's hard to admit, but it's true.  It's so much easier to play the blame game!  It's easy to blame our parents, our community, our pastor, and the "Man".  

Michael Jackson sang, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways, And no message could have been any clearer, If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself and then make a change".  Such prophetic lyrics!  Change has to begin within each of us.  As we listen to God and obey his Word we change.  

In Luke 17:20-21,  Jesus was being grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come.  He answered, "The kingdom of God doesn't come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, 'Look here!" or, "There it is!  And why? Because God's kingdom is already among you." (Message Translation).   With Jesus we have everything we need to change and to succeed.  2 Peter 1:3 says, "He gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life."(NLT).  

In Acts 1:7-8, Jesus told the disciples, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(NLT).
 
Paul wrote to the Romans, " I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?  The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different." (Romans 7:24-28 Message).  When we surrender to God, he adds his "Super" to our "natural" and empowers and anoints us to change for the better.  As we change individually, the church changes corporately, and the world will change completely.

Praying that you have a week full of positive metamorphosis - A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

RSVP

Happy Sunday!

This is a repost from 2021, it made me smile when I read it again!  Enjoy!

"And the seventy returned again with JOY, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through THY NAME.  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and NOTHING shall by any means HURT you.  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather REJOICE, because your names are WRITTEN in heaven."(Mark 10:17-20 KJV).

My cousin Sonya and I still chuckle about the guest list at her wedding reception.  I was instructed to only allow those to enter that were on the list.  How was I to know that her boss did not RSVP?  I was not letting him in!  Somehow, he got a hold of the Bride, or maybe she saw him about to be kicked out to the venue. LOL!  If he were to see me today, he'd likely recall that interaction.  Jesus sent out 70 additional disciples and gave them clear instructions too.  "When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, HEAL anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!"(Luke 10:9 Message).  They were amazed at the power and authority they had when using the name of Jesus.  We are also given the authority to use that Name.

BUT Jesus told them not to rejoice over demons being cast out out, and people being healed, but to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven.  Rejoice that you have an RSVP.  Cartoons always portray St. Peter at the pearly gates with the book looking for your name.  It may be funny, but it's not accurate.  Numerous testimonies of those that have died and come back to life, tell of either going up or down.  Not going up, then down.  GOD knows those that are His.  Jesus even told the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar.  Their eternal destination was determined before the event. (Luke 16:20-25).

Have you RSVP'd?  Is your name written in Heaven?  Romans 10:8-11 says, "It is the secret of faith, which is the burden of our preaching, and it says, in effect, “If you openly admit by your own mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own mouth that confirms his salvation. And the scripture says: ‘Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame’."(Phillips).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Ask for Help!

Happy Sunday!

Happy New Year!

Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in NEWNESS of life."(KJV).  Don't miss this!  Not just on New Year's Day, but every day we are to walk in newness of life.    

Every day we have another chance.  One minister compared it to being resurrected every morning. Think about it.  You may not remember when you fell asleep, you may not remember if you dreamed...and you have no idea what happened during the time you slept.  But miraculously, you were awakened.  Lamentations 3:22-13 says, "We are still ALIVE because the Lord’s faithful LOVE never ends.  Every morning, he shows it in NEW ways!  You are so very true and loyal!"(Easy-to-Read Version).  

Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us because of his mercy, and not because of any good things that we have done. God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us NEW birth and a fresh beginning."(CEV).  Isn't that what we all want?  A fresh new beginning?  A chance to start again? A new lease on life?  We can’t make on our own!  We must have the Power of the Spirit of God!  We need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and daily filled with the Holy Spirit.  We must have the power, wisdom, and guidance of the Holy Spirit to make the most of this new life, and new year.  We can lean on, trust in, and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us.

This brought to mind an old familiar song, one of my mother's favorites.  It's entitled, "Yield Not to Temptation".  The chorus says, "Ask the Savior to HELP you, Comfort, Strengthen, and Keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will CARRY you through".  ADMIT that you don't know it all, and ask the One who does.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

That's None of My Business

 Happy Sunday!

"Indeed, your love is already strong toward all the Christian brothers throughout your whole nation. Even so, dear friends, we BEG you to love them more and more. This should be your AMBITION: to live a quiet life, MINDING your own business and doing your OWN work, just as we told you before. As a result, people who are NOT Christians will TRUST and RESPECT you, and you will not need to DEPEND on others for enough money to pay your bills."(1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 TLB).

After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples' numerous times.  During one interaction he asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?"  Peter responded three times, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”(John 21:16 NIV).  Perhaps, Peter felt uncomfortable because he denied the Lord three times around the campfire.  He tries to change the subject and asks the Lord about John.  "So he said, “Yes, Lord, but what about him?” "If it is my wish,” returned Jesus, “for him to stay until I come, is that your business, Peter? YOU must follow me.”(John 21:21-22 Phillips).

What a great response from Jesus!  You know I connect everything to songs!  This made me think of the rap song by Andy Mineo entitled, "That's None of My Business"!  Why?  So glad you asked!  Time spent worrying about what others think or say about us is wasting time! Our ambition, as the Apostle told the Thessalonians, should be to live quietly, and mind our own business.  We have so much to do daily to live our own lives!  When we read the Bible, we can barely read one chapter without running across an encouragement to do better!  

For instance, I enjoy a good nap!  Reading Proverbs 6:10-11 has me thinking and changing my ways.  It says, "You say, “I need a rest. I think I’ll take a short nap.” But then you sleep and sleep and become poorer and poorer. Soon you will have nothing. It will be as if a thief came and stole everything you owned."(ERV).  Ouch!  I think I will limit the naps!  Then when I'm finishing that half gallon of Moose Tracks Deluxe Chocolate Ice Cream, I remember Proverbs 23:2-3, "Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. And don’t STUFF yourself; BRIDLE your appetite."(Message).  And when I'm feeling like I really don't want to be bothered, and I want to be alone, I remember Jesus said, “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. GO to the lost, confused people RIGHT HERE in the neighborhood. TELL them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously."(Matthew 10:7-8 Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

PERECT

Happy Sunday!

I knew a woman who would become depressed around the Christmas Holiday if there was no snow!  She lived in an area of the country where snow was not common in December.  Movies, books, and traditions had convinced her that a perfect Christmas had to have certain specific details!  Now that I've lived in numerous states with varied climates, I wish I could have encouraged her to move to a place like Minnesota, Indiana, or Iowa where snow at Christmas is almost guaranteed! 

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ was perfect, even though the circumstances were not!  Don't miss this!  The ruler decided to tax the people, and it required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem!  Traveling so close to her delivery date couldn't have been easy, and they were traveling on foot or by donkey.  Then they arrived and the Inn was full!  No Internet or phones to call ahead and get a reservation!  Then the baby arrived and Mary used what was available!  She swaddled her baby in strips of cloth and place him in a manger! (Luke 2).  

How was this perfect?  I'm so glad you asked!  The Prophet Micah gave this prophecy hundreds of years before Jesus was born, "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come FROM you on my behalf."(Micah 5:2 NLT).  God used Caesar Augustus to get them to Bethlehem at the perfect time to fulfil the prophecy.  God himself prophesied to Satan in Genesis about Jesus Christ, "From now on you and the woman will be enemies, as will your offspring and hers. You will strike his heel, but HE will crush your head.” (Genesis 3:15 TLB).  1 John 3:8 says, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For THIS PURPOSE, the Son of God was manifested, that he might DESTROY the works of the devil."(KJV). 

Jesus came to save us and to destroy the works of the Devil!  Jesus came to give us a Hope and a Future! (Jeremiah 29:11).  He came to fix the mess that Adam got us into, and He's still interested in, "Seeking and Saving the lost!"(Luke 19:10).  Psalm 138:8 says, "The Lord will PERFECT that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands."(AMPC).  

Merry Christmas!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Good VS Evil

 Happy Sunday!

"The wicked become angry when they see this. They grind their teeth in anger, but then they disappear. They will NEVER get what they want most."(Psalm 112:10 Easy-to-Read Version).

What is making the wicked people angry?  Good question.  I'm so glad you asked. Reading the entire 112 Psalm will explain why the wicked are so angry.  Psalm 112 describes a Godly, God-fearing, God-respecting person and the wonderful life God provides for him.  Verse 1 says, "Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience], Who delights greatly in His commandments."(Amplified). 

Why would the wicked hate the good?  Well, the Apostle James described it like this, "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it because there is a whole army of EVIL desires within you? You want what you don’t have, so you kill to get it. You long for what others have, and can’t afford it, so you start a fight to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. And even when you do ask you don’t get it because your whole aim is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure."(James 4:1-3 Living Bible).

Psalm 37:4 says, "Do what the Lord wants, and he will give you your heart’s desire."(CEV).  You and I are probably more familiar with the King James Version of this scripture, "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart".  We never have to worry about the wicked, we just want to live our lives in a way that makes it clear that we are not the wicked ones.  Jesus said, "A good tree does not produce bad fruit. And a bad tree does not produce good fruit.  Every tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. You won’t find figs on thorny weeds. And you can’t pick grapes from thorn bushes! GOOD people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are EVIL have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts."(Luke 6:43-45 Easy-to-Read Version).

"If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies."(1 Peter 3:10 Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

In Earth, as it is in Heaven

Happy Sunday!

When did God create you?  When did God create everything, you would need for life and godliness?  I know what you are thinking!  Cynthia, why are you asking these silly questions?  But are they really that silly?  Do you realize that some people are approaching God as if he created them and failed to consider that they would need food, clothing, shelter, college tuition, and transportation!  People are praying and asking God to do things for them that he has already done since the foundation of the world!   The great evangelist, T.L. Osborn once said, "Much prayer time is wasted by people asking God for two things that He will NEVER do:  1) To do what He has already done.  2) To do what He has told them to do."   Don't be that person!  Work through these questions for yourself.  Get your personal theology straight!

God created us to dominate in the earth realm!  Our ancestor, Adam messed up, but God always had a plan!  He is never reactive, but always proactive.  He's even called Jehovah Jireh, which means God sees ahead of time and provides!  Even in Genesis, there are prophetic promises of the good ending he planned for mankind.  God created everything you will ever need long, long ago.  Hebrews 4:3 says, "For only we who believe God can enter into his place of REST. He has said, “I have sworn in my anger that those who don’t believe me will never get in,” even though he has been ready and waiting for them since the world began."(Living Bible).    Did you see that?  Faith is necessary to see the resources and provision of God!  Dr. Bill Winston said, "Faith for the Promise, is in the Promise.  Faith goes into the Eternal realm and gets what we need!"  It's like a heavenly bank account.  Everything you will ever need is there.  But just like an earthly bank account, there are procedures and guidelines in place in order to make a withdrawal.  Don't get mad at God because your transaction was denied due to insufficient Faith.

God wants you to do exploits!  Daniel 11:32(b) says, "but the people that do KNOW their God shall be strong and do exploits."(KJV).  He gets no Glory when we do small things that require no Faith.  He created you to reign as a king and a priest on earth.  Revelation 5:10 says, "You made them to be a kingdom and to be priests for our God.  And they will rule on the earth.”(Easy-to-Read Version).  I know the old church focused on Heaven.  Heaven is great, I've got lots of loved ones there.  But heaven is not the ultimate goal.  God wants us to bring heaven to earth.  OK, so you think I made that up?  Read it for yourself.  You can probably quote it from memory.  Matthew 6:9-13 says, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in EARTH, AS IT IS in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."(KJV).  Don't miss this!  God wants the earth to look like heaven!  It might be helpful if we knew what heaven really looked like, right?  Revelation 21 says, there's no death, no crying, no darkness, no fear, no poverty, no sickness, no hunger, and no thirst.  Makes perfect sense that Jesus would say, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."(Luke 4:18-19, KJV).  He came to set things right.  We are his ambassadors and agents in the earth; sent to continue the work he began!

Love and prayers, Cynthia