Chosen 1

Happy Sunday!

Hope you have enjoyed a wonderful day!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in the Phoenix area.  Not trying to rub it in, for my family and friends in colder climates, just making a statement!  It's a beautiful day.  As the deacons used to say in the Baptist Church, " It's a day that's been coming since the foundation of the world, a day we ain't never seen before and we won't ever see again".  Today is a special gift from a special GOD to his special person!  That's YOU!!!

I attended "Bedside Baptist" this morning! LOL!  I watched Joel Osteen, he always encourages me.  Then I left "Bedside Baptist" and went to Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix.  Bishop Alexis Thomas continued his series on "Chosen".  It's like eating your favorite food, it's hard to get tired of it.  Two points from his message, I'd like to share with you...

Knowing you are chosen eliminates the possibility of ever being unchosen.  Maybe it's just me but I have terrible flashbacks about choosing teams in gym class. In elementary school at Pierremont Elementary in Manchester, MO, I was the only black girl.  I was chosen last, not only because I was black, but because I am not good at sports.  Dodge ball, picked last, softball, picked last, even at tetherball, picked last. LOL! I always feared being chosen.  I was afraid that I'd make some horrible mistake and my team would lose. That's what happens when we are chosen based on our performance.  We will never be good enough, but GOD chooses to use us as we are! So even if the team never chooses you, GOD chose you!  He created you just the way you are!  He has a purpose and a plan for your life! Chosen doesn't make me miraculously the next Serena Williams, but it helps me to accept me for me.  The rapper, Rocko exclaimed,"Umma Do Me".  If we spend more time accentuating the positives about ourselves, the opinions of the "haters" in this life won't matter so much.

Knowing you are chosen eliminates a disease called, "comparisonitis".   Yes, Bishop is creating new words, but I bet you understand what he's saying.  When you know that your selection was based on love, grace, and mercy you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else.  You are a one of a kind, an original!  The Poet John Newton wrote, Amazing Grace.  Three stanzas that don't get as much attention are as follows;

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

Enough said!  Love Cynthia

The Power Of Imagination

Happy Sunday!
WOW!  What a week!  We celebrated in the "Fresh Rain" conference.  I was able to attend Thursday and Friday night.  Bishop Michael Pitts from Toledo, Ohio was the speaker Thursday night.  He preached, "It's All Coming into Alignment!" using 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 for his text.  He went from Genesis and beyond Revelation showing us that when a we align ourselves with GOD, all of creation responds because "creation has a special relationship with the Creator".  It was rich.  I was encouraged by all of it but if I had to share one point with you it's this:  YOU CANNOT DESIRE A NOTHING, WHAT YOU DESIRE EXISTS SOMEWHERE!  Did you hear that! Think about it! When Adam saw that every creature had a mate, and he desired a mate, there was no mate for him.  GOD created Eve out of Adam's desire for a mate.  I know, I know, it's deep...but work with me now!  If you desire a job, even though the CNN news report says there are no jobs, your job exists somewhere!  Even if GOD has to create a job for you!  I'm a living witness...I could not find a full-time job in Texas, I came to Arizona, two weeks later I was offered the position I now hold.  During training the staffing specialist told us that the company had no intention of hiring another group.  But, she suggested it, management agreed, and I was hired in that last group hired in 2009!  Are you shouting yet?  If you desire something, it exists somewhere.  Align yourself with GOD...he can create it for you!
Friday night, the speaker was Bishop Rudolf McKissick from Jacksonville, Florida.  His message was entitled, "The Power Of Imagination".  He used 2 Kings 7: 3-10, a familiar and favorite scripture text.  You know the story, four lepers are sitting outside the city. The whole city is experiencing a famine.  They said to one another, "What are we doing sitting here at death's door? If we enter the famine-struck city we'll die; if we stay here we'll die. So let's take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we'll live, if they kill us we'll die. We've got nothing to lose." (Message Translation)  When they got to the enemy's camp, GOD had already scared the enemy off!  They ate and drank and put on new clothes and shoes, then they thought...Finally they said to one another, "We shouldn't be doing this! This is a day of good news and we're making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we'll get caught and punished. Come on! Let's go tell the news to the king's palace!"(Message Translation)  Hey, wait a minute!  Wasn't it the King that had the lepers put out?  Yes, the were blessed and were mature enough to share that blessing with the very people that ostracized, criticized, and humiliated them!  WOW, I'm not there yet but I'm on my way!  The lepers issue was open to public display, they couldn't hide their struggle,  they were defined by their condition.  read it for yourself!  They had to cry out when others came near and let them know they were lepers.  They were doomed to live on the outside.  But when they were blessed, they considered others.  Another point Bishop McKissick brought out, "YOUR MOVE OF FAITH WILL INITIATE GOD'S MOVE".  When did the enemy hear the noises?  I believe they heard the noises the minute those four lepers started moving!  What is your next move?  What are you waiting for?
Finally, today Bishop Thomas told us, our CHOSEN-NESS can't rest in who we know, what we look like, who our parents are, how much money we have in the bank.  Our CHOSEN-NESS has to rest in GOD, who is the same yesterday, today and forever...Hebrews 13:8.  
I'm so excited!  It's going to be a wonderful week!  Have a great week!  Love, Cynthia
P.S. - Thanks to all my family and friends that let me know how "Happy Sunday" touches them.  I thank GOD that I can share it with you.  Feel free to forward it to others!

Chosen

Happy Sunday!

I love Sunday!  

I can get up and move at my own pace, I watch Sunday Morning(http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml), and then go to church!  And of course I love to dress up! Don't we all?

I cried this morning watching the reports from Haiti.  It wasn't just a cry about the current events, but about the history.  I think I cried for all the down trodden masses of people in the world, especially people of color.  We have come so far, but we have so much further to go.  It's so good that we are mobilized to help Haiti, but Haiti has needed our help for so long.

Bishop preached again about being chosen and I'm glad he did. Throughout the week, I'd forgotten that I am chosen.  I forgot as I dealt with unhappy customers at work, I forgot when I looked at my funds and my bills and realized they are not equal.  I forgot when I was reminded of a sad event from the past.

But this week I vow to remember!  I vow to be grateful and appreciative!  I vow to pray for people in Haiti, and all other countries. I vow to stay positive and I will not complain!  I'm reading, "A Complaint Free Week" by Will Bowen.  He started a movement  with his congregation.  You can google it or check the book out for yourself.  

Have an awesome week!  Remember you are CHOSEN!

Philippians 2:14-16 (The Message)

Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.


Love and prayers for you and for Haiti!
Cynthia

I Was Chosen Before

Happy Sunday!
Guess we needed a refresher course, so Bishop preached again from John 15:16 and Ephesians 1:4.  He called it, "I was chosen before".
He explained that our enemy the devil wants to keep us blinded to who we really are.  The enemy starts when we are young, breaking us down.  He strategically places people in our lives who tell us we're not good enough, we're not the right color, we're not the right height, we'll never amount to anything. He breaks our self-esteem down in any way he can.  Even as adults we have ups and downs, and sometimes we're down so low, we think we can never rise again.  Maybe you didn't have that experience, but many of us have.
Bishop reminded us that "We are somebody" and God said so long before Jesse Jackson made it his mantra.  Just being alive today and able to read this e-mail is a reason to shout!  We are blessed by the best.  Jesus paid an awesome price in order for us to know we are special, we are chosen, we are loved!  Bishop is going to continue next week with more on being chosen, I will definately share it with you!  You are an original, you are one of a kind.  There is no one else in this world exactly like you!
My grandmother has an identical twin sister.  At one event, I wasn't able to tell them apart.  They would usually have very different hair styles. But this particular day they looked the same.  I ran up to my Aunt Elizzie and proclaimed, "I love you, grandmother!"  My Aunt remarked, "I love you too, baby, but your grandmother is over there!"  I couldn't tell them apart, but GOD knew and knows who they are and who you are too!  You aren't just a face in the crowd.  You are "Designed By God and You are Special".
One last thing, Bishop explained that we can be born into a family and never know if we were really wanted.  But when a child is adopted, they know for sure that family wanted them and made the necessary steps to make them a part of their family.  GOD did the same thing.  He wants us in his family and he has done all he could do to prove his love to us!
Ephesians 1:5 (The Message)

The God of Glory
 ^3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Enjoy your day, Love Cynthia

You Are Chosen

Happy Sunday and Happy New Year!
Today was a beautiful day! 

Don't get me wrong, everyday is beautiful when you have life, health, and strength.  But today was a beautiful day!  I worshipped at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona.(www.pilgrimway.com) The service was wonderful!  Bishop Thomas preached, "You Are Chosen!".  He took his text from Ephesians 1:3-4 and John 15:16.

Ephesians 1:3-4 (The Message)   How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
John 15:16 (The Message)  You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
Bishop reminded the congregation that enemy emphasizes the physical, tangible, and the seen. His intent is to steal our joy.  But if we remember what God has done on our behalf we can stand against the enemy.
GOD chose us "before", before we were born, before we made any mistakes, before we failed, before we faltered, before we did any of the things that bring us shame.  He loved us and in spite of our short comings he chose us - to bring forth fruit.  He believes in us!  He is our biggest cheerleader!  He even described us in 1 Peter 2:9-10,   ^"But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted".
So, I just wanted to share this good news with you, God chose you!  He never makes mistakes. He knows you are the right one for the job.  That is the job he designed you to do!
Love, Cynthia