Sunday, April 30, 2017

Heirs...

Happy Sunday!

I was prepared to go to church today for the 11:15 a.m. service.  I was supposed to receive my certificate of completion for the recent Intercessory Prayer Training Class!  My daughter, Christina was watching the streaming church service from Japan.  She sent me a text asking why I wasn't up on the stage!  LOL!  I had a last minute change, and ended up enjoying quality time with my son, Terrence and my grandson, Tyler and his mom, Tiera.  Tyler is 11 years old and playing AAU Basketball!  Why the games are on Sunday?  Only God knows.  I was amazed at what parents sacrifice for their children, but not surprised.  I imagine you know me by now, and you know that there is always a song lyric to describe what I'm going through.  I immediately thought of the song by Wiliam Bell, "Tryin' to Love Two".  Now before you judge me, let me say, I would change the lyrics a bit to fit AAU parents. I never condone cheating at anything or on anyone. Blame my mother, this was a Saturday cleaning favorite of hers.

Anyway, this my AAU rendition...

I need to be three parents in one
To get my jobs done
I need a thirty hour day
Two jobs with double pay

I need a parent to go to work
A parent to stay at home
I need a parent at the practices
To keep my children strong

I salute parents everywhere.  I know it's not easy.  Most parents want the best for their children, and are doing the best they can!  Our Heavenly Father wants the best for us as well!  He sits in the grandstand and cheers us on!  He loves us when we make the shot, and he comforts us when we miss it.  He's not as stuffy and rigid as some may think.  I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Barry Bennett.  Have a wonderful week!


ARE YOU AN HEIR, OR A SERVANT? - By Barry Bennett

The heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all. (Gal. 4:1).

Redemption has recreated us, transformed us and translated us! We are a new creation seated with Him in heavenly places. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ! We are heirs of the kingdom, heirs of salvation, heirs according to the promise and heirs of the grace of life!

Even the most recent believer is an heir. However, it is possible to be an heir and not have a clue about being ‘lord of all.’ We must grow in the grace of God and learn how to live in the Kingdom. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.” (1 Pet. 2:2).

Telling a babe that he is an heir doesn’t have much meaning. A newborn prince will one day be king, but right now he is a baby just like every other baby in the kingdom. His future is SETTLED but his present is ordinary. He needs to grow. He needs to learn and be educated in the workings of his kingdom.

So it is in the Kingdom of God. While the gospel has made us lords of all, very few ever grow into an understanding of what that means. Some remain babes their entire lives. The incredible potential of their new identity is never discovered or released into the world. They differ nothing from a servant.

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, (Eph. 4:13-14).

It’s time we LEARN, GROW and STEP into our role in Christ. Babes (though they be heirs) will never reign in life. Make up your mind to grow into all that Jesus has created you to be!  - By Barry Bennett

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Ask for help...

Happy Sunday!

"This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:  “I’m a young man, and you are all old and experienced.  That’s why I kept quiet and held back from joining the discussion.  I kept thinking, ‘Experience will tell.  The longer you live, the wiser you become.’   But I see I was wrong—it’s God’s Spirit in a person,  the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.  The experts have no corner on wisdom;  getting old doesn’t guarantee good sense.  So I’ve decided to speak up. Listen well!  I’m going to tell you exactly what I think." - Job 32:6-10 (Message).

Don't miss this!  "It’s God’s Spirit in a person,  the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible."(Job 32:8, Message).  Age, education, and experience do not guarantee wisdom or the ability to make wise decisions!  Haven't you heard the old saying, "he's an old fool"?  In the normal pattern of events we expect that people will get wiser as they get older.  Sadly, this is not always the case.  But these scriptures reveal there is a way that even a young person can be wise.  The presence of God's Holy Spirit gives a man or woman at any age the advantage.  Would you like to have the upper hand in your next business deal?  Would you like to know how to do your job ten times better?  Would you like to know how to make your next move in life?  Sure, you would! 

The first step is to be mature enough to ask!  James 1:5 says, "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it."(Living Bible).   Don't be afraid to ask God!  Prayer is simply communicating with your loving father.  I'm amazed when I hear stuffy, disconnected prayers.  Do you talk to someone you love like this?  "Here it is again, Lord...it's me your humble servant..."  Really?  God knows who you are, he knows where you are, and he knows what you are doing!  When he called for Adam in the garden and asked, "Where are you?",  it was for revelation not information.  He wanted Adam to realize where he was.  God wants to hear from the real you, not the religious you.  He can handle any question you throw out!  His answers will always line up with His Word.  God will never tell you to do anything that violates or contradicts His Word.  Think about Peter when he walked on the water.  Jesus probably didn't intend for Peter to walk on water, but listen to the request.  "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water."(Matthew 14:28, KJV).  So Peter said, "If it's really you Jesus, and not a ghost, ask me to come out there with you."  What was Jesus supposed to say?  He couldn't lie and say it wasn't him.  His only option was to say come on out here buddy!

John 16:13 says, "When the Holy Spirit, who is TRUTH, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas, but will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future."(Living Bible).   Talk about insider information!  The Holy Spirit can even reveal the future to you!  Not like a psychic, or medium...he won't have to get information from familiar spirits or demons, BUT he will get the perfect plan from God the Father.  You do remember the plan, don't you?  "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."(Jeremiah 29:11, Message).

Proverbs 4:5 says, "Whatever it takes to gain Wisdom, do it.  To gain understanding, do it!  Never forget this!  Never stray from what I am telling you."(Voice).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Monday, April 17, 2017

The Little Things

Happy Resurrection Sunday!  

Praying that you are doing well today!  Worked two services in Children's Church today due to the multiplication that generally occurs on Holiday Sundays.  You know the CME's, the people who come to church on Christmas, Mother's Day, and Easter!  LOL!  Anyway, thankful that they are here and able to get the Word!  Hope you are encouraged by this except from Barry Bennett.  Have a wonderful week!


The Little Things by Barry Bennett

Our lives are the sum total of many little things that we have said, things we have done, little decisions we have made and our seemingly inconsequential actions. While we may look at the big events as the moments that changed our lives, it is often the little things that determine our futures.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. (Luke 16:10)

What we do with the ‘LEAST’ determines how we will approach the bigger things in life. Are we honest in the smallest things or do we only lie now and then? Do we arrive late for work and steal time from our employer? Do we cheat on tests? All of these seemingly little things are actually the building blocks of our futures.

Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. (Mt. 25:23)

When we are faithful in the little things, God gives us more. We have chosen faithfulness and integrity over slothfulness. But when we establish a pattern of indifference and laziness in the little things, we are setting a course toward failure and loss. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Gal. 5:9)

Don’t let even a little leaven of flesh and carnal thinking into your life. Allow His grace to provide your strength for every need.

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him. (Heb. 3:1-2)

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Woe...

Happy Sunday!

G.K. Chesterton said, "When deceit becomes universal, truth becomes a revolutionary act."   This quote brought the following scripture to mind, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"(Isaiah 5;20, KJV).   In our modern culture, we may miss the weight of a "Woe"!  Woe is defined as great sorrow or distress.  Jesus often said "Woe" to the religious leaders in his day!  They were fake and phony, and used deceit to force the people into a ritualistic existence.  But Jesus wanted them to know the Truth of God's Word will always remain and win out!  The Apostle Paul encouraged us, "For we walk by faith, not by sight:"(2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV).  Why would we have to walk by Faith and not by sight?  Great question!  Hebrews 11:1 says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."(Living Bible).  We must walk by faith and not by sight, because often things in this world are distorted, and intentionally changed to create distractions.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "The thing that has been—it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is NOTHING NEW under the sun."(Amplified).  Don't miss this!  There is nothing new under the sun!  When God rested on the Sabbath, his work was complete.  Everything man could ever need was in the earth.  Electricity was in the earth!  Adam and Eve could have enjoyed electric appliances!  But it took men and women hundreds of years to investigate, invent, and harness the power of a resource that already existed in the earth.  2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue."(Voice).  This scripture holds the secret to how we gain access to God's "everything"!  It says, "through the knowledge of the One".

As we learn more about Jesus we gain access to the things God has provided.  God is a good father. Contrary to popular belief, we are not on this earth to aimlessly figure our way out of every situation and circumstance!  People even ignorantly say, "you never know what God will do".  That's a lie!  If you have ever said that, promise me you will never say it again!  God tells us exactly what he will do in his Word! John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."(KJV).   Jesus is the Word, Jesus is God.  Jesus is the answer to all of our questions.  When we make time to study and meditate on the Word, the Holy Spirit can answer all of our questions.  Should you date or marry this person?  2 Corinthians 6:14 says, "Stay away from people who are NOT followers of the Lord! Can someone who is good get along with someone who is evil? Are light and darkness the same?"(CEV).   Should you steal office supplies from work?  Ephesians 4:28 says, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."(KJV).   Should you be angry and seek to get even with that person that did that thing to you? Romans 12:19 says, "My friends, don’t try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. In the Scriptures the Lord says, “I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back.”(Easy-to-Read Version).

The Word is truth!  The Word is available.  Don't be deceived....the answers are available...reading is fundamental and necessary.

Don't get caught on the wrong side of the "Woe"!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Do-Over...

Happy Sunday!

Have you ever had a day when you really needed a "do over"?  Today was one of those days!  After years of vowing not to volunteer or work in a church ministry, I agreed to work in our church Children's Ministry.  I know you are wondering why I of all people would make a vow such as this.  That's a great question considering my mother taught me how to teach a Sunday School lesson using the flannel graph board at 5 years old!  And considering I have held every position that exists in the helps ministry...even bathroom cleaning.  An even bigger shock is after I left Texas, I wasn't even planning to ever go back to church, let alone work in a ministry.  But thankfully, the Holy Spirit has been working with me and on me!  Simple answer is...offense.  If anyone has been offended in the church, it's me!  Jesus said one thing is impossible.  Yes, there is one thing that is impossible. It's impossible NOT to have an opportunity to be offended!  Luke 17:1 says, "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!"(KJV).   Another translation says, "Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause people to trip and fall into sin must happen, but how terrible it is for the person through whom they happen."(Common English Bible).  

So what happened?  I know you are anxiously waiting to hear.  People are human!  People are shaped by their upbringing, learning styles, and life experiences. They really are doing the best that they can.  I want to start a campaign for "Adult Time Outs".  I will be the first to take a time out. Time out to give people the benefit of the doubt, time out to step back and as my daughter, Christina always says out loud, "I forgive her, or him, or them!"  Time out to remember it's not all about me...although some attacks may very well be about your destiny.  But the thing the enemy is really after is your Faith, and your Christian witness.  The enemy wants to stop the will of God in your life, your church, and our world.  What better way than to discourage the volunteers.  Now don't worry, I didn't go off...but I was reconsidering this decision and wondering if I really want to do this.  I need a do-over because I allowed the enemy to get to me!  I was ready to cry and went straight to bed when I got home!  If you know me, you know I'm no wimp.  Perhaps, I'm hormonally imbalanced.  LOL!  But I allowed my focus to be drawn away from the real reason we do ministry.  There are people dying daily without the Word we sometimes take for granted.  People need to know the love of God.  They need to know that we do get do-overs everyday!  Lamentations 3:21-23 says, "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I HOPE.  It is of the Lord's MERCIES that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are NEW every morning: great is thy faithfulness."(KJV).  

The requirement is to work one service, two Sundays out of the month!  I can handle this!  I have forgiven everyone involved, and asked for forgiveness from my daughter, Crystal...she listened to me recounting it all.  She's a great listener and simply said, "You need to decide if this is something you really want to do!"  She didn't lead me on with false hope that anyone else will EVER change, but she did encourage me to be honest with myself.  After recounting the events of the day, the enemy went to work on me!  He wanted me to feel bad about feeling bad.  I immediately thought about Peter.  He denied Jesus three times.  Matthew 26:75 says, "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly."(KJV).  Peter was human...he missed it...but Jesus didn't give up on him!   In Mark 16:7, the angel told the women, "Now go and tell his followers. And be sure to tell Peter. Tell them, ‘Jesus is going into Galilee and will be there before you come. You will see him there, as he told you before."(Easy-to-Read Version).

I can understand and sympathize with those who decide to avoid new experiences and new relationships. Anytime you are dealing with other human beings there will be opportunities for misunderstandings.  I think it's why so many people would rather have pets than friends.  Your dog will never tell you to get a grip!  Your cat will never tell you to lay off that Mocha Fudge Ice Cream.  The sermon was great!  Dr. Bill Winston is preaching a series entitled, "Christ in You", the subtitle today was "Restoring the Years".  I plan to get everything the enemy has stolen from me over the years I spent in unforgiveness!  I refuse to spend any more time in this wilderness...I'm heading into my Promised Land!

Thanks for listening, and praying for me!

Love and prayers, Cynthia