Happy Sunday!
I got busy working on another project and just realized I hadn't done Happy Sunday! Sure, I could miss one here or there, BUT I don't like to. I really believe this is something that God wants me to do. Even if the only goal is my own faithfulness. So I will share this scripture with you, and I hope it encourages you for the new week ahead!
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
4 Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
6 Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. (Amplified Version).
Love and Prayers, Cynthia
P.S. - This footnote from the Amplified Version was a blessing as well. "Psalm 23:5 It is difficult for those living in a temperate climate to appreciate, but it was customary in hot climates to anoint the body with oil to protect it from excessive perspiration. When mixed with perfume, the oil imparted a delightfully refreshing and invigorating sensation. Athletes anointed their bodies as a matter of course before running a race. As the body, therefore, anointed with oil was refreshed, invigorated, and better fitted for action, so the Lord would anoint His “sheep” with the Holy Spirit, Whom oil symbolizes, to fit them to engage more freely in His service and run in the way He directs—in heavenly fellowship with Him."
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Living Large
Happy Sunday!
Matthew 27:62-66 says, "That day was the day called Preparation day. The next day, the leading priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. They said, “Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, ‘I will rise from death in three days.’ So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that he has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about him before.” Pilate said, “Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know.” So they all went to the tomb and made it safe from thieves. They did this by sealing the stone in the entrance and putting soldiers there to guard it."(Easy-to-Read Version).
One of our questions today in Children's Church was, "Did Jesus really die?" I was surprised to have students that answered "No". But it was good to be able to discuss this, and give supporting scriptures. The scripture passage I listed above reveals that the enemies of Jesus acknowledged and verified that he was dead. "Graveyard Dead", as my Aunt Theaha would say. These scriptures also show that the leading priests and Pharisees heard every word Jesus said. They were so convinced that the disciples would steal the body of Jesus and fake a resurrection that they went to Pilate for reinforcements.
Matthew 28:1-4 says, "When the Sabbath was over, just as the first day of the week was dawning Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. At that moment there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from Heaven, went forward and rolled back the stone and took his seat upon it. His appearance was dazzling like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The GUARDS shook with terror at the sight of him and collapsed like dead men."(Phillips). Don't miss this! The Guards were still at the tomb, and witnessed the earthquake, and the angel rolling the stone away!
Matthew 28:11-15 says, "The women went to tell the followers. At the same time, some of the soldiers who were guarding the tomb went into the city. They went to tell the leading priests everything that happened. Then the priests met with the older Jewish leaders and made a plan. They PAID the soldiers a LOT of MONEY and said to them, “Tell the people that Jesus’ followers came during the night and stole the body while you were sleeping. If the governor hears about this, we will talk to him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers kept the money and obeyed the priests. And that story is still spread among the Jews even today."(Easy-to-Read Version). Can you imagine how those guards or soldiers must have felt? They knew and had seen this with their own eyes! The King James translation of this scripture says, "they gave them LARGE money" to keep this a secret. Thankfully, it's no secret that He Is Risen! And he didn't just stop there, "...also he shewed himself ALIVE after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:"(Acts 1:3, KJV).
The Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our Christian existence. It's the one thing that separates our relationship with God from all other religions. Our Savior is ALIVE! Romans 10:9 tells us what it takes to be a part of the Winning Team, "For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved."(Living Bible).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Matthew 27:62-66 says, "That day was the day called Preparation day. The next day, the leading priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. They said, “Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, ‘I will rise from death in three days.’ So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that he has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about him before.” Pilate said, “Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know.” So they all went to the tomb and made it safe from thieves. They did this by sealing the stone in the entrance and putting soldiers there to guard it."(Easy-to-Read Version).
One of our questions today in Children's Church was, "Did Jesus really die?" I was surprised to have students that answered "No". But it was good to be able to discuss this, and give supporting scriptures. The scripture passage I listed above reveals that the enemies of Jesus acknowledged and verified that he was dead. "Graveyard Dead", as my Aunt Theaha would say. These scriptures also show that the leading priests and Pharisees heard every word Jesus said. They were so convinced that the disciples would steal the body of Jesus and fake a resurrection that they went to Pilate for reinforcements.
Matthew 28:1-4 says, "When the Sabbath was over, just as the first day of the week was dawning Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. At that moment there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from Heaven, went forward and rolled back the stone and took his seat upon it. His appearance was dazzling like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The GUARDS shook with terror at the sight of him and collapsed like dead men."(Phillips). Don't miss this! The Guards were still at the tomb, and witnessed the earthquake, and the angel rolling the stone away!
Matthew 28:11-15 says, "The women went to tell the followers. At the same time, some of the soldiers who were guarding the tomb went into the city. They went to tell the leading priests everything that happened. Then the priests met with the older Jewish leaders and made a plan. They PAID the soldiers a LOT of MONEY and said to them, “Tell the people that Jesus’ followers came during the night and stole the body while you were sleeping. If the governor hears about this, we will talk to him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers kept the money and obeyed the priests. And that story is still spread among the Jews even today."(Easy-to-Read Version). Can you imagine how those guards or soldiers must have felt? They knew and had seen this with their own eyes! The King James translation of this scripture says, "they gave them LARGE money" to keep this a secret. Thankfully, it's no secret that He Is Risen! And he didn't just stop there, "...also he shewed himself ALIVE after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:"(Acts 1:3, KJV).
The Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our Christian existence. It's the one thing that separates our relationship with God from all other religions. Our Savior is ALIVE! Romans 10:9 tells us what it takes to be a part of the Winning Team, "For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved."(Living Bible).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, April 14, 2019
You Can Make It
Happy Sunday!
"And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me."(Ezekiel 2:1-2, KJV).
Pastor Hart Ramsey of Northview Christian Church in Dothan, Alabama brought the message at All Nations Worship Assembly Chicago this morning. To say that the message was amazing would not do it justice. He used many scriptures, but the one I listed above really blessed me. The prophet Ezekiel is telling the story. He tells us that God made a request of him, and also reveals that when God asked him to do something the Spirit of God gave him the strength to do it.
We work so hard. We face obstacles and struggles. Life is even hard at times. BUT learning to lean on, trust in, and rely on God are the keys to living our lives with joy. It reminds me of the Psalmist saying, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."(Psalm 34:19). God never intended for us to just struggle through life and then die. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."(John 10:10b). Don't miss this!
The Psalmist also said, "I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living."(Psalm 27:13, Amplified). Another translation of this scripture says, "I would have fainted..." Just visualize being so tired of the ups and downs of life that you are ready to faint...BUT the Promises of God come back to your heart and mind. You remember that God is not a man, he will not lie. You recall all the promises are "Yes, and Amen". Hope sparks faith, and faith, like adrenaline shoots through your veins! You can make it!
Hang on in there, Baby!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
"And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me."(Ezekiel 2:1-2, KJV).
Pastor Hart Ramsey of Northview Christian Church in Dothan, Alabama brought the message at All Nations Worship Assembly Chicago this morning. To say that the message was amazing would not do it justice. He used many scriptures, but the one I listed above really blessed me. The prophet Ezekiel is telling the story. He tells us that God made a request of him, and also reveals that when God asked him to do something the Spirit of God gave him the strength to do it.
We work so hard. We face obstacles and struggles. Life is even hard at times. BUT learning to lean on, trust in, and rely on God are the keys to living our lives with joy. It reminds me of the Psalmist saying, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."(Psalm 34:19). God never intended for us to just struggle through life and then die. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."(John 10:10b). Don't miss this!
The Psalmist also said, "I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living."(Psalm 27:13, Amplified). Another translation of this scripture says, "I would have fainted..." Just visualize being so tired of the ups and downs of life that you are ready to faint...BUT the Promises of God come back to your heart and mind. You remember that God is not a man, he will not lie. You recall all the promises are "Yes, and Amen". Hope sparks faith, and faith, like adrenaline shoots through your veins! You can make it!
Hang on in there, Baby!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Who you gonna call?
Happy Sunday!
"This man Daniel, whom King Nebuchadnezzar named Belteshazzar, has special abilities, knowledge, and wisdom; he is able to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve problems no one else can. Why don’t you call for Daniel? He will tell you what the writing means."(Daniel 5:12, Voice).
When I read this translation of Daniel 5:12, I immediately thought..."Who you gonna call?" If you are old enough you may remember that this question was the clarion call for Ghostbusters. The king in this story decided to have a party. As the night wore on, he called for the gold and silver vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem. While drinking wine from these sacred vessels, "Suddenly, a person’s hand appeared and began writing on the wall. The fingers scratched words into the plaster on the wall, near the lampstand in the king’s palace. The king was watching the hand as it wrote."(Daniel 5:5, Easy-to-Read Version).
The king and his guests were horrified! The king's mother heard the screams and entered the room. She encouraged her son, and told him about Daniel and his amazing track record. Of course, Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall and sadly it didn't end well for the king. He died that same night.
Life is all about choices. We have free will, but we cannot escape the consequences of our choices. Daniel had the Spirit of the Lord, and so do we. We have the answers at our fingertips. BUT we have to listen and obey.
"The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning, and the discerning will receive divine guidance, and they will be able to interpret the meaning of a proverb and a puzzle, the twists and turns in the words of the wise and their riddles."(Proverbs 1:5-6, Voice).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
"This man Daniel, whom King Nebuchadnezzar named Belteshazzar, has special abilities, knowledge, and wisdom; he is able to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve problems no one else can. Why don’t you call for Daniel? He will tell you what the writing means."(Daniel 5:12, Voice).
When I read this translation of Daniel 5:12, I immediately thought..."Who you gonna call?" If you are old enough you may remember that this question was the clarion call for Ghostbusters. The king in this story decided to have a party. As the night wore on, he called for the gold and silver vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem. While drinking wine from these sacred vessels, "Suddenly, a person’s hand appeared and began writing on the wall. The fingers scratched words into the plaster on the wall, near the lampstand in the king’s palace. The king was watching the hand as it wrote."(Daniel 5:5, Easy-to-Read Version).
The king and his guests were horrified! The king's mother heard the screams and entered the room. She encouraged her son, and told him about Daniel and his amazing track record. Of course, Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall and sadly it didn't end well for the king. He died that same night.
Life is all about choices. We have free will, but we cannot escape the consequences of our choices. Daniel had the Spirit of the Lord, and so do we. We have the answers at our fingertips. BUT we have to listen and obey.
"The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning, and the discerning will receive divine guidance, and they will be able to interpret the meaning of a proverb and a puzzle, the twists and turns in the words of the wise and their riddles."(Proverbs 1:5-6, Voice).
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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