Sunday, June 26, 2016

Nearly-too-good-to-be-true News

Happy Sunday!

To the natural mind the Gospel is not reasonable!  I'm sure you have heard the word gospel defined as "the good news".  The actual Greek word for gospel means nearly-too-good-to-be-true news.  The word gospel referred to news that was so awesome, nothing really justified using it.   Jesus had an opportunity to minister in the synagogue in his home town, Nazareth.  They gave him the book and he selected a passage, and read, "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).   Jesus closed the  book and said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."(Luke 4:21, KJV).  

Now, let's think logically...can we do that?  What is good news to a poor person?  What is the good news that would change the life of a poor person?  Yes, that's right!  The best news you could give to a poor person would be to declare to them, "You don't have to be poor anymore!"  Jesus came to get our stuff back!  It's just that simple!  He paid the price to redeem us!  Have you ever taken a prized possession to the pawn shop?  When you return with the money and the receipt, you are redeeming your property.  If in the sad event you never return, your belongings can be sold to another person.  They will have the right to enjoy what used to be yours.  God created this entire world for man!  He intends for man to have dominion.  Not just any man, but a God-man, a man or woman that is born again and surrendered to the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Bill Winston continued the series, "Receiving Your Inheritance" with the subtitle, "Rising to the Top",   God wants to take you to the top of your industry, profession, and specialty.  That's good news!  Just like the Blessing was good news to Abraham!  Abraham left his familiar surroundings after God preached this Gospel or good news to him.  Galatians 3:6-9 says, "Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,  those who believe are the children of Abraham.  But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the GOSPEL in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you.  Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed."(Common English Bible).  

When the Blessing is allowed to work, it brings us into God's lifestyle.  Do you remember the television show, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"?  Or for my younger readers, do you remember the television show, "Cribs"?  Both shows took you inside to see how rich people supposedly lived.  These shows pale in comparison to the lifestyle God as prepared for you!  Did you get that?  God did not intend for his children and followers to be broke, busted, and disgusted!  He gets no pleasure out of you being on the bottom.  Psalm 35:27 says, "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."(KJV).  Did you see that? God gets pleasure out of the prosperity of his servant!  He is not sad or angry about you being blessed!  He wants you to be Blessed, so that you can be a blessing to others.  How Blessed does he want you to be?  Great question!  I'm so glad you asked!  Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."(KJV).    He wants to exceed anything you can ask or think!  My Best Friend, Gina and I love this scripture!  I always laugh and tell her,  "I can think up some stuff!"  God can exceed all of that!

Before I go, just a little word about fear.  The enemy and his system thrive on fear.  The Word tells us that God did not give us a spirit of fear!  So whatever you are afraid of is not from God!  The best way to get rid of fear is to increase your Faith.  How can you increase your Faith?  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."(KJV).  Faith comes by hearing, and so does fear.  Stop listening to all the negative, fear-based news and reports until you have had a chance to build yourself up in your most Holy Faith. (Jude 1:20).  Once you have built up your faith, you will be ready and equipped to watch and pray, and stand and fight the Good Fight of Faith!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Good Good Father

Happy Sunday!

Happy Father's Day to the many wonderful fathers that enjoy Happy Sunday each week!  I love and appreciate your contribution to your family and society!  The enemy deliberately fights against the family because it is God's institution.  Thank you for fighting back by ensuring your children know you, and your love.  God is the first father.  Following his pattern will always lead to success, for you and your children.  Psalm 127:4-5 says, "Your sons born in your youth are a protection, like arrows in the hand of a warrior.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full, for they will help and protect him when he is old.  He will not be humiliated when he is accused at the gate, for his sons will stand with him against his enemies."(Voice).

Dr. Bill Winston Continued the series, "Receiving Your Inheritance" with the subtitle, "Rising to the Top".   The Word of God has no adverse side effects.  You can't overdose on the Word of God, but you can be changed by it.  Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, pay attention to all the WORDS I am telling you.  Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.  Keep them before you; meditate on them; set them safely in your heart.  For those who discover them, they are life.  They bring WHOLENESS and HEALING to their bodies."(Voice).

God intends for you to rise to the top of your field and sphere of influence.  Part of that rise is dependent on your ability to understand the Blessing and receive the Blessing.  God uses the word inheritance to help us understand that the Blessing is something we receive simply because we are born into the family.  There are billionaires who brag about not leaving their fortunes to their children and grandchildren.  This is not the godly way.  God encourages us to leave a legacy and financial security to our descendants.  Proverbs 13:22 says, "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."(KJV).  This is an excellent example of how the Word must be the final word in the life of the believer!  The world always tries to feed unbelief in tiny bites.  It's important to resist unbelief as soon as it is spoken.  Dr. Winston always recounts the story of pumping gas.  When he went in to pay, the cashier said, "$36.00 dollars".  A man standing nearby screamed, "$36.00 dollars! $36.00 dollars!"  The amount startled the man and stretched him beyond his ability to believe.  Dr. Winston stopped the man and told him, "I got this!"  Don't let the world limit you!  God is the god of unlimited possibility.  Luke 1:37 says, "So the impossible is possible with God."(Voice).  

Dr. Winston said, "God has no backup plan because he doesn't need one!"  The plan he has to take you to the top is a perfect plan!  Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."(Living Bible).  Part of God's plan for you is for you to be debt free!  Deuteronomy 28:12-13 says, "The Lord will open the storehouses of the skies where he keeps the rain, and he will send rain on your land at just the right times. He will make you SUCCESSFUL in everything you do. You will have PLENTY of money to lend to other nations, but you won’t need to borrow any yourself.  OBEY the laws and teachings that I’m giving you today, and the Lord your God will make Israel a leader among the nations, and not a follower. Israel will be wealthy and powerful, not poor and weak."(Contemporary English Version).  Just in case you say, this does not apply to us, here's another scripture..."But Christ rescued us from the Law’s curse, when he became a curse in our place. This is because the Scriptures say that anyone who is nailed to a tree is under a curse.  And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the BLESSING that was promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit."(Galatians 3:13-14, Contemporary English Version).  The Blessing of Abraham is your inheritance.  This Blessing guarantees that you never have to settle for poverty, sickness, and death.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Fear Factor

Happy Sunday!

Man's purpose is to have Dominion!  God gave man dominion and authority in the beginning.  Genesis 1:28 says, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."(KJV).  Man lost his rights, but Jesus paid the price to restore us to our place of dominion.  Jesus reconnects us to the Blessing!  In Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus preached about the Blessing.  The Blessing is the supernatural empowerment to succeed.  The Blessing is the only thing powerful enough to stop the curse.

The curse is at work in the earth.  The curse is Poverty, Sickness, and Death!  Have you seen the curse at work in the world today?  Sure you have!  Terrorism, mass murder, racism, and depravity are evidence of the curse. Don't believe the hype! There are no social programs, capital improvement grants, or political initiatives that will stop the curse!  The curse can only be stopped by the Blessing.  The Blessing of Abraham is part of our inheritance as Christians.  Galatians 3:13-14 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the BLESSING of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through FAITH."(KJV).  

Job is a perfect example of the Blessing at work.  Job 1:1 says, "Once there was a man from Uz by the name of Job. He was a very good man—his character spotless, his integrity unquestioned. In fact, he so believed in God that he sought to honor Him in all things. He deliberately avoided evil in all of his affairs."(Voice)  The next verses go on to describe everything God blessed Job with.  The verses also recount a conversation between God and the Devil.  Most times we give the Devil too much credit.  We assume that he knows all and sees all, but that is false.  In Job 1:6, the angels came to present themselves and Satan came as well.  He is an angel, you know!  God asks him where he's been and what he's been up to.  He says he's been observing the inhabitants of the earth.  God asks him has he seen the faithful servant, Job.  The Devil responds, "I won’t argue with You that he is pious, but is all of this believing in You and honoring You for no reason? Haven’t You encircled him with Your very own protection, and not only him but his entire household and all that he has? Not only this, but Your BLESSING accompanies whatever his hand touches, and see how his possessions have grown. It is easy to be so pious in the face of such prosperity.  So now extend Your hand! Destroy all of these possessions of his, and he will certainly curse You, right to Your face."(Voice).  

Then God says something that has confused men and women for centuries!  He said, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only upon the man himself put not forth your hand."(Amplified).  It appears that God was giving the Devil permission to attack Job!  NO!  That's not it at all!  When Adam sinned, he relinquished his dominion, power, and authority to Satan.  That's why the Apostle Paul said, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."(KJV).  Satan had the power to attack Job all along, but he didn't even know it!  How stupid is that?  God is truth!  He even speaks the truth to the Devil!  Now, before you run and lock the second dead bolt on the front door, we have a better covenant!  The enemy cannot run roughshod over you unless you let him.  Dr. Bill Winston said, " What you don't resist is allowed to remain!"  James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. RESIST the devil, and he will FLEE from you."(KJV).

Deeper study reveals that Job opened the door to calamity by walking in fear.  Don't judge him too harshly!  He did what many of us do!  He worried about his children!  He feared that they would sin and not trust God.  He didn't trust God to protect them, reach them, and save them as he promised!  Job 3:25 says, "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me."(KJV).  2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."(KJV).  Where did Job get the fear?  He got it from the enemy, and he used his own mouth to seal the deal.  Job 1:5 says, "Job SAID, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."(KJV).  Job worried and feared, and spoke what he feared!  We have to watch what we say!  Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."(KJV)  Did you get that? We eat the fruit of what we speak!  Speak life, speak the Word!  

I don't want to end without reminding you that Job came out on top!  Job 42:10 says, "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before."(KJV).  He lived a long good life, had ten more children, and became even more prosperous!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Customer Service

Happy Sunday!

Sin stops the power of the Blessing!

Sure, you think you know this already.  Why would you need to hear this again?  The enemy is determined to keep you away from the Blessing God has lovingly provided for you.  What better way to keep you from the Blessing than to make you do and say things that hinder the Blessing in your own life.  Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life."(Voice).  

I'm employed by a major technology company, and provide customer service and technical support.  Customer Service is not easy!  Many times, customers have refused to do their part, and blame the company for their present situation or misfortune.  They fail to read the terms and conditions of their contracts, and fail to take necessary precautions to protect their investment.  In our social society, these disgruntled customers will even go on social media to vent, and even lie about their experiences.  In a moment of contemplation, the Holy Spirit showed me the that we sometimes treat God like a customer service representative.  We want to get all the benefits, but want none of the responsibility.  We even take to social media and lie on God!  

OK, so you think I'm exaggerating? Really?  How many times have you seen a sad story about someone suffering from a horrible disease?  In response to their sickness, disease, and even death some religious person will say "God must have wanted to teach them something".  Sweetheart, God doesn't put sickness on any of his children!  That would be child abuse.  It would also be respect of persons. Romans 2:11 says, "For God treats everyone the same."(Living Bible).  If sickness is from God, why would anyone resist it?  In John 10:10, Jesus said, "The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."(Living Bible).  Did you get that? The thief, the devil wants to steal from you! The thief  wants to kill you!  The thief wants to destroy you!  

I know what your are thinking! Deuteronomy 28:15 begins to list all the curses that will come on the people that decide not to listen and obey the commandments of God.  But each individual has the opportunity to choose.  We can obey and live in the Blessing, or disobey and open ourselves up to the curse.  My aunt, Pastor Theaha McClendon always says, "People are digging their own graves with a fork!"  I've been guilty, but I'm working on it.  How ludicrous would it be for me to blame God for my overeating and any subsequent health problems?  The Word says in Proverbs 23:2, "and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony."(NIV).  Sounds serious, doesn't it?  Well, you may say what about children? Children are suffering and dying as well.  Great question!  God gives parents the responsibility to stand for their children until they are old enough to stand for themselves.  In Mark 9:23-24, a father brought his son to the disciples to be healed.  They weren't able to heal the boy, so the father appealed to Jesus.  Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief".(KJV).  The father accepted responsibility for his son and used his faith to see his son healed.

The Word is full of promises.  You will never know what belongs to you if you don't read and study the Word.  Dr. Bill Winston continued the series, "Receiving Your Inheritance" with the subtitle, "Rising to the Top".  He said, "God not only guarantees a lifetime of prosperity, but he makes it generational prosperity!"  God intends to bless you so that you can be a blessing.  After you find the promise that applies to your situation, you have to stand in Faith!  Part of standing in Faith is saying what God says.  Saying what God says even when things don't seem to be changing is called walking by Faith!  2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."(KJV).

Walking in Faith, turning the plate down...love and prayers, Cynthia