Happy Sunday!
Isaiah 44:3 says, "For I will pour water upon him that is THIRSTY, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:"(KJV). Don't miss this! God will pour water on ground that is thirsty. Water represents the Word of God, and man was formed from the dust or earth. God will hydrate you when you are thirsty for the Word. I know that in popular culture, being "thirsty" is not seen in a positive light. In the Urban Dictionary, "thirsty" is defined as being too eager to get something. Don't let popular culture cause you to miss your Blessing! In Psalm 42:1 the psalmist says, "My soul is dry and thirsts for You, True God, as a deer thirsts for water."(Voice). Another translation of this scripture says, "A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I’m thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, “Will I ever make it—arrive and drink in God’s presence?” I’m on a diet of tears—tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, “Where is this God of yours?”(vs 1-3, Message).
1 Kings 17:8-16 is a familiar passage, but it always provides fresh revelation. Jesus said in Luke 4:24, "No prophet is accepted in his own country."(KJV). This passage in 1 Kings proves that the prophet did not go to a widow in Israel, and there may have been many needy widows during the drought and the famine. He went to a widow in Zarephath. In verse 9, God tells the prophet, "I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee."(KJV). She had already been told what to do. But her obedience had to overcome her fear. Think of how she must have felt contemplating making this last meal and then starving to death, she and her son. Dr. Bill Winston said, "The biggest miracle is believing the Man of God!" The widow had to trust that what the Lord said, and verified through the prophet was true. She had to be willing to take her eyes off the present circumstance and trust God.
Lets go back to Isaiah 44:3, in another translation it says..."Like a devoted gardener, I will pour sweet water on parched land, streams on hard-packed ground; I will pour My spirit on your children and grandchildren—and let My blessing flow to your descendants."(Voice). Recently, I was admiring a picture posted on Facebook. It was a bowl of fresh string beans from my cousin's garden. They looked so sweet and delicious! When she planted her garden, if she used seeds...the seed packet did not show a picture of the seed. The packet showed the final product. The packet was a vision, or a visual representation of what she could expect over time. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."(KJV). Faith is our seed packet. When we see the promises of God, we plant them in our hearts and can expect that in time we will get the exact harvest we desire. With God there is always a guaranteed return on our seeds planted! Galatians 6:7 says, "What you give is what you get. What you sow, you harvest."(Voice).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Father to the Fatherless
Happy Sunday!
Happy Father's Day! William Ellery Channing said, "Every man is a volume if you know how to read him". What a wonderful, powerful quote! Today, I found myself refuting a young woman's comment about fathers. OK, I will admit that I do speak up more often than not when someone proclaims something that is untrue. She stated that most fathers are absent or dead-beat. I refuse to believe that "most" is appropriate even though my life experience has been littered with examples of bad fathers. I encouraged her to consider that though there are many absent fathers in her immediate surroundings, there are many more dedicated, loving, and present fathers that go unnoticed! There are wonderful fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and "play" fathers doing the hard work everyday.
I never met my biological father, but I am blessed with the Best Daddy in the world, Perry A. Woods, Sr. Yes, I spent many years waiting and hoping for a Cinderella styled rescue by my biological father. That never happened, and will not happen since he has transitioned from this world to eternity. God has been gracious to me, he has healed my broken heart. and has loved me unconditionally. His Word has proven to me that he is the Ultimate Father. He never leaves me, he never forsakes me, he loves me, and has a great plan for my life. This understanding came in handy today. While working in Children Church, assisting a younger class with making Father's Day Cards, a young girl said..."I don't know where my Daddy is. He left my mother when I was still in her belly." WOW! This baby is 7 years old! At 7, I was still being protected from the truth, and had no idea that my Daddy wasn't my daddy. You know how in movies the character's life flashes before their eyes? My life did today! I could feel this child's pain. Thank God for the Holy Spirit! Quickly, I said, "That's OK! You have the best Father now! God is a good father and will never leave you!" She smiled and said she would give the card to her grandfather.
If you ever do a daily Bible reading plan, you will undoubtedly run across many, many fathers. There were fathers and kings that followed the ways of God, and there were those that were rebellious and disobedient. Don't get stuck on the stories of the bad guys like the media does! Look closer for the stories of the good guys! Psalm 68:5 says, "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."(KJV). If you still are blessed to have your father, or a father figure...love them well! Show your appreciation. If you are still struggling with "Daddy Issues", consider allowing the Word of God to comfort you. We can't go back and change the bad decisions that others have made, but we do have the opportunity to change the way we think, and live. We can be confident that we are complete in Christ! Colossians 2:10 says, "So you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power."(Living Bible). We can also rest in knowing that what concerns us concerns God. We can trust him.
Psalm 139:14-18 says, " Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!"(Living Bible).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Happy Father's Day! William Ellery Channing said, "Every man is a volume if you know how to read him". What a wonderful, powerful quote! Today, I found myself refuting a young woman's comment about fathers. OK, I will admit that I do speak up more often than not when someone proclaims something that is untrue. She stated that most fathers are absent or dead-beat. I refuse to believe that "most" is appropriate even though my life experience has been littered with examples of bad fathers. I encouraged her to consider that though there are many absent fathers in her immediate surroundings, there are many more dedicated, loving, and present fathers that go unnoticed! There are wonderful fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and "play" fathers doing the hard work everyday.
I never met my biological father, but I am blessed with the Best Daddy in the world, Perry A. Woods, Sr. Yes, I spent many years waiting and hoping for a Cinderella styled rescue by my biological father. That never happened, and will not happen since he has transitioned from this world to eternity. God has been gracious to me, he has healed my broken heart. and has loved me unconditionally. His Word has proven to me that he is the Ultimate Father. He never leaves me, he never forsakes me, he loves me, and has a great plan for my life. This understanding came in handy today. While working in Children Church, assisting a younger class with making Father's Day Cards, a young girl said..."I don't know where my Daddy is. He left my mother when I was still in her belly." WOW! This baby is 7 years old! At 7, I was still being protected from the truth, and had no idea that my Daddy wasn't my daddy. You know how in movies the character's life flashes before their eyes? My life did today! I could feel this child's pain. Thank God for the Holy Spirit! Quickly, I said, "That's OK! You have the best Father now! God is a good father and will never leave you!" She smiled and said she would give the card to her grandfather.
If you ever do a daily Bible reading plan, you will undoubtedly run across many, many fathers. There were fathers and kings that followed the ways of God, and there were those that were rebellious and disobedient. Don't get stuck on the stories of the bad guys like the media does! Look closer for the stories of the good guys! Psalm 68:5 says, "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."(KJV). If you still are blessed to have your father, or a father figure...love them well! Show your appreciation. If you are still struggling with "Daddy Issues", consider allowing the Word of God to comfort you. We can't go back and change the bad decisions that others have made, but we do have the opportunity to change the way we think, and live. We can be confident that we are complete in Christ! Colossians 2:10 says, "So you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power."(Living Bible). We can also rest in knowing that what concerns us concerns God. We can trust him.
Psalm 139:14-18 says, " Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!"(Living Bible).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Wisdom over Miracles
Happy Sunday!
God prefers wisdom over miracles! Now, don't worry...if you need a miracle God is a miracle working God! But needing a miracles signifies that there is a crisis of some sort! Living in wisdom, and making good choices is always the best way to live life! Proverbs 22:6-7 are generally quoted and memorized separately. Do you realized the Bible was not originally written in chapter, and verse? The thought from verse 6, carries over into verse 7. It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."(KJV). When you read them together, you see the reason to train up your child right. Who wants their child to be a slave to debt? Or ruled over by lenders?
The ultimate goal in my parenting was to see my children live a better life than I have lived! I want them to learn from my mistakes, and not suffer in the same areas that I have. Now, I'm not claiming to be a perfect parent. I have not always known what I know now! If I had known the Truth, I would certainly have saved my children from more of life's heartaches. God is our father! He's a good father! In Luke 11:13, Jesus said..."Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask!"(Voice).
God wants to train you in the way that you should go as well. He wants the best life for you. He hates to see you living below the standards of your heavenly family. There is no fear, pain, sickness, or poverty in heaven. Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."(KJV). Don't miss this! When the disciples saw John the Baptist's disciples praying, they asked Jesus to teach them to pray! What did they pray? You know it, I know you do! Matthew 6:10 says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."(KJV). We are to pray that God's will be done on earth just like it is in heaven. Heaven on Earth! It may take a while for that to soak in...but God is not unjust. He wants you to enjoy this life, and live it to the fullest! He wants you to be all that he created you to be, so that you can destroy the works of the devil and make this earth resemble heaven.
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 27:13. The Psalmist said, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."(KJV). This scripture has encouraged me and given hope when patience has been necessary. Another translation of this verse says, "I will move past my enemies with this one, sure hope: that with my own eyes, I will see the goodness of the Eternal in the land of the living."(Voice). I believe and receive this for myself, and my children. Even if it happens to be my spiritual children, or "play children" as we used to say. I expect to train them up in the "way" that they should go, and I expect them to be wise and prosperous in every area of life.("I am the way, the truth, and the life." -John 14:6, KJV)
Love and prayers, Cynthia
God prefers wisdom over miracles! Now, don't worry...if you need a miracle God is a miracle working God! But needing a miracles signifies that there is a crisis of some sort! Living in wisdom, and making good choices is always the best way to live life! Proverbs 22:6-7 are generally quoted and memorized separately. Do you realized the Bible was not originally written in chapter, and verse? The thought from verse 6, carries over into verse 7. It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."(KJV). When you read them together, you see the reason to train up your child right. Who wants their child to be a slave to debt? Or ruled over by lenders?
The ultimate goal in my parenting was to see my children live a better life than I have lived! I want them to learn from my mistakes, and not suffer in the same areas that I have. Now, I'm not claiming to be a perfect parent. I have not always known what I know now! If I had known the Truth, I would certainly have saved my children from more of life's heartaches. God is our father! He's a good father! In Luke 11:13, Jesus said..."Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask!"(Voice).
God wants to train you in the way that you should go as well. He wants the best life for you. He hates to see you living below the standards of your heavenly family. There is no fear, pain, sickness, or poverty in heaven. Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."(KJV). Don't miss this! When the disciples saw John the Baptist's disciples praying, they asked Jesus to teach them to pray! What did they pray? You know it, I know you do! Matthew 6:10 says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."(KJV). We are to pray that God's will be done on earth just like it is in heaven. Heaven on Earth! It may take a while for that to soak in...but God is not unjust. He wants you to enjoy this life, and live it to the fullest! He wants you to be all that he created you to be, so that you can destroy the works of the devil and make this earth resemble heaven.
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 27:13. The Psalmist said, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."(KJV). This scripture has encouraged me and given hope when patience has been necessary. Another translation of this verse says, "I will move past my enemies with this one, sure hope: that with my own eyes, I will see the goodness of the Eternal in the land of the living."(Voice). I believe and receive this for myself, and my children. Even if it happens to be my spiritual children, or "play children" as we used to say. I expect to train them up in the "way" that they should go, and I expect them to be wise and prosperous in every area of life.("I am the way, the truth, and the life." -John 14:6, KJV)
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Change is Good
Happy Sunday!
I hope you have enjoyed a blessed, and prosperous week! I served in Children's Church today, and I didn't get up early enough to go to one of the first two services. So I'll have to catch up on Dr. Winston's sermon when they add it to the web site! Last year our church suffered minor damage to the roof in the rear near the Children's Church during a storm. I said all this to say, we are currently completing the remodeling in the area and we moved the children's services to our Youth Sanctuary today. People sometimes don't do well with change. I can be included in this group as well. The world changes, our jobs change, even our relationships change. We tend to resist change as if it may kill us to try another way. We just get comfortable doing things the way we have always done them and don't want to change. But change is necessary in life, and especially in our walk with the Lord.
The Apostle Peter wrote to the church, "But grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and splendid honor, both now and forevermore."(Living Bible). Don't miss this! Our level of knowledge of the Lord and his Word must change and grow as we go through life! We should not be on the same spiritual level that were on last year. If you were cursing at the drop of a hat last year, now that you know that your words have the power of life and death...your speech should be positive and "seasoned with salt". (Colossians 4:6, KJV). If you were selfish and evil last year, prayerfully and hopefully the "Love of God has been shed abroad in your heart" this year!(Romans 5:5, KJV). If you were fearful about world events last year, you should definitely lean on, trust in, and rely on Jesus this year!(Proverbs 3:5-6, Amplified). It's the only way to survive!
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, "We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your ADVANTAGE and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever."(Message).
Don't be afraid to change! Don't be afraid to examine why you do things the way you do, and be willing to make adjustments. Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin used to say, "The Blessings of God are not going to just fall on you like ripe cherries off a tree!" You have to do your part. Not meeting that special someone in your current circle? Change circles! Not working in the career you love and desire? Start applying for other positions, go back to school, get out of debt, be willing to relocate! Not seeing the changes in your body that you want to see? Change your eating habits, change your exercise routine! Change! Change! Change!
Changing me. Love and prayers, Cynthia
I hope you have enjoyed a blessed, and prosperous week! I served in Children's Church today, and I didn't get up early enough to go to one of the first two services. So I'll have to catch up on Dr. Winston's sermon when they add it to the web site! Last year our church suffered minor damage to the roof in the rear near the Children's Church during a storm. I said all this to say, we are currently completing the remodeling in the area and we moved the children's services to our Youth Sanctuary today. People sometimes don't do well with change. I can be included in this group as well. The world changes, our jobs change, even our relationships change. We tend to resist change as if it may kill us to try another way. We just get comfortable doing things the way we have always done them and don't want to change. But change is necessary in life, and especially in our walk with the Lord.
The Apostle Peter wrote to the church, "But grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and splendid honor, both now and forevermore."(Living Bible). Don't miss this! Our level of knowledge of the Lord and his Word must change and grow as we go through life! We should not be on the same spiritual level that were on last year. If you were cursing at the drop of a hat last year, now that you know that your words have the power of life and death...your speech should be positive and "seasoned with salt". (Colossians 4:6, KJV). If you were selfish and evil last year, prayerfully and hopefully the "Love of God has been shed abroad in your heart" this year!(Romans 5:5, KJV). If you were fearful about world events last year, you should definitely lean on, trust in, and rely on Jesus this year!(Proverbs 3:5-6, Amplified). It's the only way to survive!
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, "We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your ADVANTAGE and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever."(Message).
Don't be afraid to change! Don't be afraid to examine why you do things the way you do, and be willing to make adjustments. Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin used to say, "The Blessings of God are not going to just fall on you like ripe cherries off a tree!" You have to do your part. Not meeting that special someone in your current circle? Change circles! Not working in the career you love and desire? Start applying for other positions, go back to school, get out of debt, be willing to relocate! Not seeing the changes in your body that you want to see? Change your eating habits, change your exercise routine! Change! Change! Change!
Changing me. Love and prayers, Cynthia
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