It's Only a Test!

Happy Sunday!  I missed worship today due to car troubles.  I hope you took advantage of the opportunity to fellowship with other believers and get fortified for the work week! I'd just like to share a passage that blesses me every time I read it.  I pray that you get something from it as well!

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures." - James 1:2-18 (Message)

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Out of the Audience, into the Army!

Happy Belated Sunday!

Sunday we celebrated Men's Day at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church.  Our guest speaker was Dr. Fred Campbell, pastor of Mt Zion Baptist Church in Redwood City, California. His focus was, "Follow Me" and overall message was, "God's Desire is that Men come out of the Audience and into the Army!"  He used Matthew 4:19, "Jesus called out, “Come along with me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men!” (Living Bible)

MEN!  Men are pivotal to the Kingdom Enterprise! God wants men in the Kingdom - Kings Domain.  God wants followers, not fans!  A Fan has a crush on Christ, but is not dedicated to the relationship.  The Apostle Paul expressed his desire to be a follower like this, "I want to know Him inside and out. I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by His death, so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11(Voice)

Jesus did not define the word disciple, he described it.

He related to the men - Jesus invested in men!  John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish." (Message)  Jesus was willing to become a man in order to better understand being a man.  Jesus is the authentic man and worthy to be followed! 

He reflected the Father before men - Being a disciple is more than verbal, it's vocational!  Jesus reflected the Glory of God in everything he did.   Just as the moon has no light of it's own, but simply reflects the light of the sun, Jesus showed the world what God is really like.  What difference does Jesus make in your life?  Can anyone tell that you are a Christian without seeing your large print Bible?  Do your neighbors see the difference?  Do your children see the difference? Do your co-workers and enemies see the difference? Does your wife see the difference?

He reproduced Himself in men - When Lazarus the friend of Jesus died, his sisters said, "Lord, if You had been with us, my brother would not have died." John 11:21 (Voice)  Jesus encouraged them and said, "I am the resurrection and the source of all life; those who believe in Me will live even in death." John 11;25 (Voice)  Jesus is life!  He gave his life for us, "This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.” John 10:17 (Message)  

Lazarus was the living, breathing miracle and the evidence of the power of God!  The religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus and Lazarus!  Think about it.  Everywhere that Lazarus went, people whispered.  "He's the one that was dead, and now he's alive!"  Imagine living your life as a follower!  Imagine what people will say about you!  "Wow, I remember when she was in debt, now she's a millionaire!"  "I remember when he was in prison, now he's a successful businessman."  "I know where they came from, but look at them now!"  You are the evidence of a miracle.

Dr. Campbell reminded us of the story of cyclist Lance Armstrong.  He won seven Tour de France championships, then lost them when it was determined that he'd used performance enhancing drugs.  Jesus told his followers to wait for the power."But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection.” Acts 1:8 (Living Bible) We need God's power and wisdom to be followers.  When we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can say..."I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power." Philippians 4:13 (Living Bible)

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Seven Levels of Revenue

Happy Sunday!

I trust this message finds you well.  I'm out of town this week, but I prepared a special Happy Sunday for you.  This message by Bishop Tudor Bismark, blesses me every time I hear it!  Enjoy.

Bishop Tudor Bismark preached, "The Seven Levels of Revenue".  His reference scripture was Luke 16:1-12. We are citizens in the Kingdom of God.  We are governed by the Kingdom Economy. Ignorance of Kingdom principles is no excuse! Hosea 4:6 says,"My people are ruined because they don’t know what’s right or true." (Message)

In this passage, Jesus uses a parable  to help us, "Learn some lessons from this crooked but clever asset manager. Realize that the purpose of money is to strengthen friendships, to provide opportunities for being generous and kind. Eventually money will be useless to you—but if you use it generously to serve others, you will be welcomed joyfully into your eternal destination." Luke 16:9 (Voice)

There are four Levels of Human Existence; The Begging Level, The Digging Level, The Money Level, and the True Riches Level.

The Begging Level  - Psalm 37:25 says, "Through my whole life (young and old), I have never witnessed God forsaking those who do right, nor have I seen their children begging for crumbs." (Voice)  It has never been God's desire for you to beg!  He did not create you to beg for recognition, attention, love, support, or sustenance.  In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable about a beggar named Lazarus.

Lazarus was seated at the gate begging.  Begging will never allow you to go through doors!  As long as you beg, DOORS never open!  Even our prayers should never be begging prayers.  We are instructed to declare, proclaim, and"call things that don’t exist into existence." Romans 4:17 (Common English Version)  The beggar was sick, hungry, naked, and eventually died at the gate. 

The Digging Level - We must move from the begging level to the digging level. Jesus told another parable in Luke 13, about a fig tree. A certain man owned a vineyard.  In that vineyard there was a fig tree that hadn't produced fruit in three years.  The man told the gardener to cut it down.  The gardener asked for permission to give the fig tree one more chance.  The gardener answered, “Master, leave it for another year. I’ll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down.” Luke 13:8 (Common English Version) If you want a strong life, a strong business, a strong ministry or an strong relationship you will have to dig!  Dig for information, dig for knowledge, dig for connections...don't be lazy!

The Money Level - There are seven levels of revenue...

Wisdom - James 1:5 says, "If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it." (Message)  and Proverbs 8:11 says, "Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her." (Message)  We must ask God to give us Heavenly Wisdom, we must seek to understand the wisdom of this world,  and we must be aware of the wisdom of darkness.

Vision - Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish:" (King James Version)  It has been said, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  We must plan our lives for generations! Proverbs 13:22 says, "A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren." (Voice)  It is impossible to run this life race without vision. Habakkuk 2:2 says, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." (King James Version)

Information -  God said, "Let there be Light!" Genesis 1:3 (King James Version) Light represents information.  The enemy controls you in the area of your ignorance. Everywhere you have ignorant the devil will control you!  Don't let the enemy defeat you!  Learn new words, explore new languages, read books, and expose yourself to experiences beyond your neighborhood!

Relationships -  It has been said, "There are things that money can't buy."  We need to build relationships to cover us in those times.  We may not be able to fight our battles alone, but our relationships can come along side us and help us to fight!   We need to network!  Build relationships

Good Name - Proverbs 22:1 says, "It is better to be respected than to be rich. A good name is worth more than silver or gold." (Easy-to-Read Version)  You must protect your good name, work on your good name, and you must develop your good name!  Not just your personal name but also the name of your business or ministry. You don't want doors to be closed to you because of a bad name.  Represent your family, your community, and your business or ministry well.

Property - Deuteronomy 6:11 says, "He will give you houses full of good things that you did not put there. He will give you wells that you did not dig. He will give you vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you will have plenty to eat." (Easy-to-Read Version)

Money - All money is not the same or equal! There are various denominations. Denomination is defined as, "the face value of a banknote, coin, or postage stamp." Money is also called currency.  Currency comes from the Latin root word currere which means "to run".  Money is intended to flow continuously through your life.  It will bless you and then bless those around you.  2 Corinthians 9:8 says, "God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share." (Voice)

The True Riches Level - True Riches are a generational blessing, where your children are more blessed than you! Where your grandchildren are more blessed than you! Jesus said, “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."Matthew6:19-21 (Message)

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Someday...

Happy Sunday!

God is faithful!  No matter what I may be experiencing He always gives me words of encouragement!  Our family suffered a great loss this week.  While riding down the highway, crying and asking why, I decided to turn on the radio.  Now, let me add a disclaimer here...if you are super religious and think it's impossible to get a word from the Lord through secular music, stop reading immediately!  But if you realize the Lord used a donkey in the Old Testament to minister to a prophet, continue reading.  The Supremes song, " Someday We'll Be Together" came on the radio.  It ministered to me. It encouraged me to look for the positive, which is extremely hard to do when a loved one has been taken so abruptly. Someday we will be together again, the Word says in Hebrew 12:1-3, "So since we stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us. We may feel alone, but we aren't. We are surrounded by an army of witnesses. They have run the race of faith and finished well. It is now our turn. Now stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honor. Consider the life of the One who endured such personal attacks and hostility from sinners so that you will not grow weary or lose heart." (Voice)

Then to top it off, today, Bishop Alexis A.Thomas preached, "God Will Turn It Around!"  he used Job 42:10 as his reference scripture.  Job experienced extreme tragedy! Even if a person has never heard of Jesus, they probably have heard of Job. When even say, "they have the patience of Job", to identify people that exhibit more patience than others.  He lost his 10 children, all his cattle(money), and his health in a matter of days!  His so called friends came to encourage him but really only came to accuse him and criticize him. Even his wife told him to, "Curse God and die!"  Job was "Going Through".  Job 42:10 says, "After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it!" (Message)  Did you get that?  After Job prayed for his friends, God gave him Double for his Trouble!  

What can we take away from this scripture?  So glad you asked.   

First, life can change in a moment!  Even the Apostle Paul said the Lord's return will happen in, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye". 1 Corinthians 15:52 (King James Version)  Love, live and forgive!

Second, we should never subscribe to the false theology that a person must have done something bad to deserve hard times! 2 Timothy 3:12 says, "In fact, anyone who wants to live a holy life in Christ Jesus will be harassed." (Common English Bible)

Third, our lives will turn around when we forgive.  Job had to forgive his friends and then pray for them.  Then his situation turned around. Unforgiveness is deadly! Matthew 6:15 says, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you if you forgive those who sin against you; but if you refuse to forgive them, he will not forgive you." (The Living Bible)

Love and prayers, Cynthia

I Need You To Pray For Me

Happy Sunday!

Bishop Alexis A. Thomas preached, "I Need You To Pray For Me!"  He used Acts 12:1-16 as his reference scriptures.

In these scriptures,  the Apostle James the brother of John had been killed by Herod the King. Because the reaction from the unbelieving Jews was so positive, Herod decided to kill the Apostle Peter as well.  He arrested Peter and had him held in prison guarded by four squads of soldiers. Evil is relentless. Evil never responds to your accomplishments, it responds to your potential. The Apostle Paul warned the New Testament Christians, "Everyone who wants to live showing true devotion to God in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."  and Jesus told his disciples, "The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy."  But God always has a plan! Verses 5 and 6 say, "During Peter’s imprisonment, the church prayed constantly and intensely to God for his safety. Their prayers were not answered, until the night before Peter’s execution." (Voice)  That night an angel came in and set Peter free.  It was so miraculous that Peter even thought he was dreaming.

Prayer works!  Praying for others works! Don't know what to pray?  Let me help you.

For your unsaved loved ones...pray that the blinders will be removed from their eyes..."The ruler of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News—the message about the divine greatness of Christ. Christ is the one who is exactly like God."  2 Corinthians 4:4 (Easy-to-Read Version)  Pray that the perfect person will cross their path to minister the love of God to them.

For your pastor and ministers that bless you...pray that they will be bold and speak the truth. "So make us brave enough to speak your message." Acts 4:29 (Common English Version) Pray that their words will fall on good ground. "Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop." Luke 8:8 (Message)

For family, friends, and enemies...pray that God will, "Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance."  Ephesians 1:17-18 (Voice)

For yourself...pray that you will, "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!" Proverbs 3:5 (Message)

I need you to pray for me...and I know you need me to pray for you.

Love and prayers, Cynthia