Psalm 100

 Happy Sunday!

"Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture."(Psalm 100:3 Amplified).

I'm sure we memorized Psalm 100 in Sunday School.  It's just five verses, and shorter than some of our Easter speeches. LOL!  It's full of instructions for life.  Someone once made an acronym for the word, Bible: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Verse 1 tells us how to come before the Lord, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands."(KJV).  Throughout history it was customary to come before a King  happily.  In some realms you could be killed for looking sad in the presence of the King.  Nehemiah 2:1-3 says, "In the month of Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, some wine was brought to the king. I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never before been SAD when I was with him, but now I was SAD.  So the king asked me, “Are you sick? Why do you look sad? I think your heart is full of sadness.”  Then I was very AFRAID. But even though I was afraid, I said to the king, “May the king live forever! I am sad because the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and the gates of that city have been destroyed by fire.”(Easy-to-Read Version).  Thankfully, it worked out well for Nehemiah.   But we must remember to come before our Lord and King with joy.  Verse 2 says, "Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence."(Message).

How can we come before the Lord with joy?  Great question!  I'm so glad you asked.  Verse 3 says, "Acknowledge that the Lord is God.  He made us and we belong to him; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture."(ISV).  This translation made me think of how some parents would say, "I brought you into this world, and I will take you out".  Now I don't ever remember my mother saying that, but we knew that she could take us out with a quickness.  Acknowledging who God is, is the first step to coming before Him joyfully.  Like sheep rely on their shepherd to care for them, and protect them, we can confidently come before God happily, and joyfully knowing all of our needs will be met.(Psalm 23).

Verses 4 and 5 say, "Go through his open gates with great thanksgiving; enter his courts with praise. Give THANKS to him and bless his name. For the Lord is ALWAYS GOOD. He is ALWAYS LOVING and KIND, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation."(Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

RSVP

 Happy Sunday!

"And the seventy returned again with JOY, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through THY NAME.  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and NOTHING shall by any means HURT you.  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather REJOICE, because your names are WRITTEN in heaven."(Mark 10:17-20 KJV).

My cousin Sonya and I still chuckle about the guest list at her wedding reception.  I was instructed to only allow those to enter that were on the list.  How was I to know that her boss did not RSVP?  I was not letting him in!  Somehow he got a hold of the Bride, or maybe she saw him about to be kicked out to the venue. LOL!  If he were to see me today, he'd likely recall that interaction.  Jesus sent out 70 additional disciples  and gave them clear instructions too.  "When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, HEAL anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!"(Luke 10:-9 Message).  They were amazed at the power and authority they had when using the name of Jesus.  We are also given the authority to use that Name. 

BUT Jesus told them not to rejoice over demons being cast out out, and people being healed, but to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven.  Rejoice that you have an RSVP.  Cartoons always portray St. Peter at the pearly gates with the book looking for your name.  It may be funny, but it's not accurate.  Numerous testimonies of those that have died and come back to life, tell of either going up or down.  Not going up, then down.  GOD knows those that are His.  Jesus even told the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar.  Their eternal destination was determined before the event.(Luke 16:20-25).

Have you RSVP'd?  Is your name written in Heaven?  Romans 10:8-11 says, "It is the secret of faith, which is the burden of our preaching, and it says, in effect, “If you openly admit by your own mouth that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own mouth that confirms his salvation. And the scripture says: ‘Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame’."(Phillips).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Sharing the Good News

Happy Sunday!

"Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.”  But before people can pray to the Lord for HELP, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in the Lord, they must HEAR about him. And for anyone to hear about the Lord, someone must TELL them. And before anyone can go and tell them, they must be sent.  As the Scriptures say, “How wonderful it is to see someone coming to tell good news!”(Romans 10:13-15 Easy-to-Read Version).

Have you ever caught yourself smiling when you heard good news?  Sure you have!  Joy is contagious. Hearing about positive events, blessings and good outcomes brings joy to the hearer.  We are instructed to rejoice with others when they experience good things, and warned against rejoicing when our enemies fall.  Proverbs 24:17-18 says, "Don’t be happy when your enemy has troubles. Don’t be glad when they fall. The Lord will see this, and he might be upset with you and decide not to punish your enemy."(Easy-to-Read Version). OUCH! 

The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important good news we can share.  During the Christmas Season there will be opportunities to share the Good News.  Look for every opportunity to share the Good News. To make it easier, as children we were taught to use the Wordless Book to share the Good News.  We made them in Vacation Bible School out of colorful felt.  The cover was green. The First page was black, and we memorized Romans 3:23 to represent this page - "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"(KJV).  The second page was red.  We used 1 John 1:7 for this page - "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."(KJV).  The third page was white, and we memorized Psalm 51:7 - "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."(KJV).  The next page was gold or yellow to represent the streets in Heaven, and we used - John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."(KJV).  The green cover also served as the last page.  We used 2 Peter 3:18, "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." to represent the next steps after receiving Jesus. 

My mother-in-law, Minnie Pruitt used to say, "The Bible was so simple a child can understand it, and a fool would have no reason to err".  I thought it was a scripture, but haven't been able to find it.  But the important thing to remember is it's easy to understand, and easy to share.  Five scriptures to introduce someone to the greatest news that they will ever hear.  Luke 2:8-13 says, "That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them.  “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most JOYFUL News ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem!  How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God:"(Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Jesus Is Lord

 Happy Sunday!

"He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross."(Colossians 1:18-20 Message).

Don't miss this!  Please read that passage again!  ALL the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe are fixed and fit together in Jesus.  1 John 3:8 says, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."(KJV).  The Devil is behind every broken and dislocated thing.  He's a liar, a thief, and a murderer.(John 10:10).  He wants to wipe you out, BUT God has another idea.  His plan is for you to thrive even in the midst of chaos.

In order for you to thrive in the midst of chaos, you have to know that you know that you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  The whole world wants to be saved from sickness, poverty, and destruction BUT few want Jesus to be LORD of their lives.  The word lord is defined as "someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler".  A master or ruler, and even an influencer can get people to do what they may not want to do.  Jesus never forces us to do anything, but he lovingly and patiently knocks.  Revelation 3:20 says. “Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me."(Living Bible).

"Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God’s equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal. That is why God has now lifted him so high, and has given him the name beyond all names, so that at the name of Jesus “every knee shall bow”, whether in Heaven or earth or under the earth. And that is why, in the end, “every tongue shall confess” that Jesus Christ” is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father."(Philippians 2:5-11 Phillips).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Always On My Mind

 Happy Sunday!

"Our Lord, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere.  You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help. You take care of everyone who loves you, but you destroy the wicked."(Psalm 145:17-20 CEV).

James Mark and Christopher John Lee Jr. wrote the song, "Always On My Mind".  Numerous artists have sung the song including Willie Nelson, and Fantasia.  While the song speaks of regrets, the chorus echoes the fact that the loved one was always in the thoughts of the one with the regrets.  We humans so often fail at relationships, BUT God never does.  He is always kind, and thoughtful. The scripture above even says he satisfies the desires of those that worship him.  God is a Good God!

God loves us with an everlasting love, and he demonstrates it daily! Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are NEW every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness."(Amplified).  God gave us Jesus, and Jesus gave his life so that we can live abundantly.  They have no regrets.  "Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”(Romans 10:11-13 Message).

You are always on the mind of God. He has a great plan for your life(Jeremiah 29:11), He has given you richly all things to enjoy(1 Timothy 6:17), and He will never leave or forsake you(Hebrews 13:5).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Don't Fret!

 Happy Sunday!

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity."(Psalm 37:1 KJV).

Throughout the Word of God there are many exhortations to "Fret Not" and "Fear Not".  God is never surprised or startled by the state of world affairs.  But as a Good, Good Father, he tells us ahead of time that there will be things that will try to cause us to fret, or fear.  He is also faithful and will never ask, or command us to do anything that we can't do.  So it is possible to live without fretting or fearing.  The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control."(2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified).

So why did The Holy Spirit inspire the Psalmist to tell the congregation to "Fret Not"!  Great question!  I'm so glad you asked.  Verses 1 and 2 in the Voice translation say, "Don’t be worried with evil workers or envy the gains of people with all-wrong-upside-down ways. Soon enough they will wither like grass, like green herbs fading in summer’s heat."(Psalm 37:1-2 Voice).  What a visual!  It doesn't take long for grass to wither in the sun.  Verses 12 to 15 go on to say, "The Lord is laughing at those who plot against the godly, for he knows their judgment day is coming. Evil men take aim to slay the poor; they are ready to butcher those who do right. But their swords will be plunged into their own hearts, and all their weapons will be broken."(Living Bible). 

Take a moment to read the entire 37th Psalm yourself.  You will be glad you did!  Verse 9 says, "For the wicked shall be destroyed, but those who TRUST the Lord shall be given EVERY blessing."(Living Bible).  I'll take The Blessing, will you?

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Ready? Or Not?

 Happy Sunday!

"In this way God wiped the earth clean—he destroyed every living thing on the earth—every human, every animal, everything that crawls, and every bird. ALL that was left was Noah and his family and the animals that were with him in the boat."(Genesis 7:23 Easy-to-Read Version).

In Sunday School, or maybe it was Vacation Bible School we sang a song that said, "Get on board, Little Children!  Get on board, Little Children.  Get on board, Little Children there's room for many or more!"  In Junior High School we learned and sang, "O Sinner Man". Both songs urging the listeners to think about their eternity.  Both warning of impending doom for those who fail to make the right choice. 

We are spirits, we have a soul(mind, will, and emotions), and we live in a body.  Our spirits are immortal and will live forever.  We get to choose where our spirits will live throughout eternity.  In Deuteronomy 30:19, God said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you that today I have set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live!"(Living Bible).  God gave us the ability to choose, and even gave us a hint about the correct answer to select.  So why are so many people confused, deceived, and deluded about which way to go?  Why are millions barreling down the wide road to destruction?  Perhaps, it's because we have stopped singing these songs and preaching like Noah.

Jesus said, "As it was at the time of Noah, so it will be with the coming of the Son of Man.  In the days before the flood, people were busy making lives for themselves: they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, making plans and having children and growing old, until the day Noah entered the ark.  Those people had no idea what was coming; they knew nothing about the floods until the floods were upon them, sweeping them all away. That is how it will be with the coming of the Son of Man."(Matthew 24:37-39 Voice).  Don't miss this!  God is not against all these activities, but there is something far more important to do BEFORE we do these other things. Jesus warned the religious leaders, "These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone."(Luke 11:42 Amplified).  Trust and Obey God First.  Jesus said, "What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. THEN he will give you all these other things you need."(Matthew 6:33 Easy-to-Read Version).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Meant to Live...

Happy Sunday!

"The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas. He led them out of the jail and asked, “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?” They said, “Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you’ll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!”(Acts 16:29-31 Message).

Are you living as you were meant to live?  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says, "Now, what should we learn from everything that is written in this book?The MOST important thing a person can do is to RESPECT God and OBEY his commands, because he knows about everything people do—even the secret things. He knows about all the good and all the bad, and he will judge people for everything they do."(Easy-to-Read Version).  Paul and Silas had been beaten then thrown in jail.  At midnight, when they could have complained about how hard life was for them, they praised God.  The didn't cry about their situation.  They knew as the Psalmist said, "The good man does not escape all troubles—he has them too. But the Lord HELPS him in each and every one."(Psalm 34:19 Living Bible).

God sent and earthquake that shook the jail, and opened every door.  "Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, when Paul stopped him: “Don’t do that! We’re all still here! Nobody’s run away!”(Acts 16:27-28 Message).  Why did Paul even care about the jailer?  He was a part of the system that locked him up for preaching.  He could have allowed the man to commit suicide.  But he knew that Jesus came to save lives.  Paul later wrote to the Romans, "Love doesn’t hurt others. So loving is the same as obeying all the law."(Romans 13:10 Easy-to-Read Version).  He saw the big picture. The jailer and his entire family were saved! One day we will see them all in Heaven!

When we live the abundant life, the good life we are meant to live, God can use us to shake things up and inspire others to live this way too.  Are you really living?

Love and prayers, Cynthia

God's Will

 Happy Sunday!

"The one who loves Me will do the things I have commanded. My Father loves everyone who loves Me; and I will love you and reveal My heart, will, and nature to you."(John 14:21 Voice).

Jesus is the Living Word.  John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."(KJV).  The Word is full of wisdom that reveals the heart, will, and nature of God.  If you want to know God's Will on any topic go to the Word. 

God's Will regarding Health and Prosperity - "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."(3 John 2 KJV).

God's Will regarding Success - "Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do."(Joshua 1:8 Easy-to-Read Version).

God's Will regarding Long Life - "The Lord says, “If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keep you safe. When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you.  You will live a long life and see my saving power.”(Psalm 91:14-16 CEV).

God's Will regarding Enemies - "The Lord will defeat your enemies before you; they will march out together against you but scatter before you in seven directions!"(Deuteronomy 28:7 Living Bible)

God's Will for Salvation - "God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change."(2 Peter 3:9 Message).

God's Will for Abundance - "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]."(2 Corinthians 9:8 Amplified).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Hell Is Real

 Happy Sunday!

"Wise [Insightful] people’s lives [way] get better and better [move upward]. They avoid whatever would cause their death [turn aside from Sheol/the grave below]."(Proverbs 15:24 EXB).

Proverbs is packed full of wisdom about things to avoid.  The young man is urged to avoid getting involved with evil friends, and loose women.(Proverbs 4:14, Proverbs 2:16).  We are told to avoid co-signing on a loan for a family member or friend.(Proverbs 17:18). We are urged to avoid laziness.(Proverbs 21:25).  All of the things we are encouraged to avoid could lead us to Hell.  We don't hear much about Hell these days, but Hell is real.  Bishop Henry Phillips used to say, "If you know Jesus, this life is the only hell you will ever experience. If you don't know Jesus, this life is the only heaven you will ever experience."  Who really wants to go through hell on earth, only to go to Hell in eternity?

Jesus said, "Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."(Matthew 7:13-14 Message).  The Good News Translation says it this way, "Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to HELL is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it."

The Apostle Paul said, "I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No lazy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself."(1 Corinthians 9:26-27 Message).   The Apostle Peter said, "Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you KNOW about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. But if you don’t GROW, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven. My friends, you must do all you can to show that God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won’t stumble and fall."(2 Peter 1:5-10 CEV).

My Aunt, Pastor Theaha McClendon always said, "You have to know that you know that you know you are saved."  You can be sure of your final destination, and Jesus came to make a way for you to spend eternity with Him.  John 3:16 says, "Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life."(Easy-to-Read Version).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Say, Say, Say what you want!

 Happy Sunday!

"Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”(Matthew 12:37 Living Bible)

Since the Garden of Eden man has been playing the "Blame Game".  Adam blamed the woman, the woman blamed the serpent, and we blame parents, employers, and other races for all of the misfortune in our lives.  BUT Jesus said it's not other people that are to blame.  We are responsible.  We have been given the power to create life or death with our words.  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).

Don't miss this!  You have the power to steer your life in any direction with your words.  James 3:3-9 says, "We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. With these bits we can control their whole body. It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. And the one who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. It goes where he wants it to go. It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things.  A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. The tongue is like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads its evil through our whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell. 

Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness."(Easy-to-Read Version).

Words matter!  Your words matter.  Especially the words you speak to yourself.  Have you told yourself anything good lately? Encourage yourself with the words of your mouth.  Not sure what to say?  Follow the old rule:  If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.  Need some tips on what to say, when you don't know what to say?  Ephesians 5:19 says, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"(KJV).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Counsel, and Correction

 Happy Sunday!

"Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails."(Proverbs 19:20-21 Message).

Several of my managers have commented about how easy it is to coach me.  Now, don't get it twisted.  I don't like being wrong, I don't enjoy being accused of things I didn't do, and I work hard to do the right thing.  I do make mistakes, and I am open to try things another way.  Honestly, sometimes I do it their way just to prove that they are wrong.  But most of the time, their way works and my numbers show it. 

We humans want to do it our way.  We have been singing songs for decades about "Doing It My Way".  Years ago when I worked at Officer Funeral Home in East Saint Louis, Illinois, they had a audio system that could play soft reflective music in the chapels.  I found that there were some other options on the playlist, and happened to have Frank Sinatra playing when Mrs. Myrtle B. Officer walked in.  She heard the song and quipped, "We only do it my way here!"  I took that as a cue to turn that selection off. 

Jesus is our perfect example.  He said, "The truth is that the Son does nothing on His own; all these actions are led by the Father. The Son watches the Father closely and then mimics the work of the Father."(John 5:19 Voice).  The Apostle Paul later picked up on this same theme and encouraged the Believers to remain teachable.  In Ephesians 5:1-2 he wrote, "Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that."(Message).

In life, in work, and in relationships we must never stop learning, and always be willing to admit that we don't know it all.  The enemy is a great deceiver and works overtime to get us focused on the wrong things while the important things fall by the wayside.  It's good to remember, "Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life."(Galatians 6:7-8 Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Righteous

 Happy Sunday!

"Tell the good people who do what is right that good things will happen to them. They will receive a reward for what they do. But it will be very bad for wicked people, because they, too, will get what they deserve. They will get what they did to others."(Isaiah 3:10-11 Easy-to-Read Version).

Israel had a history of ups and downs.  Periods of obedience followed by disobedience.  Good honorable kings followed by desperately wicked kings.  But consistently the good people were always at peace, protected, and provided for.  Think about Elijah facing off with Ahab.  He prophesied drought and famine, but he personally never lacked water or food.  And when he felt depressed and told God about all he'd done in 1 Kings 19:10, insisting he was the only good guy left.  God told him, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal nor kissed him!”(1 Kings 19:18 Living Bible).

God is faithful.  God is faithful to His Word.  God is faithful to the righteous.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He orchestrated this: the Anointed One, who had never experienced sin, became sin for us so that in Him we might embody the very righteousness of God."(Voice).  Don't miss this!  When we accept Jesus, we become the righteousness of God in Christ.  Titus 3:5 says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"(KJV). 

The Message Translation says it like this, " It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this."(Titus 3:3-8).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Read All About It!

 Happy Sunday!

"Good news from a faraway place is like a cool drink of water when you are hot and thirsty."(Proverbs 25:25 Easy-to-Read Version.

We all like to get Good News!  Well, I hope you like to get good news!  I sure do!  When everything in the world seems to be bad, negative, and fear inducing there is always Good News in the Secret Place for the Child of God.  Jesus proclaimed, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."(John 14:27 KJV).  Don't miss this!  Jesus did not pretend that things in the world were just fine.  He did not tell us that everyday would be filled with only good and no evil.  BUT he ensured we would have everything we needed to overcome.

Jesus said, "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).  The Easy-to-Read Version says it this way, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me.  He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor.  He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again.  He sent me to free those who have been treated badly and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.”

You don't need an advanced degree to know that Good News to a poor man is the truth that you don't have to be poor anymore!  Good News to a man that is bound physically, mentally, or emotionally is the fact that you are set free!  Good News to the Blind, Lame, or Sick is that healing is yours!  In 3 John 2, the Apostle John echoed this, "My heartfelt prayer for you, my very dear friend, is that you may be as healthy and prosperous in every way you are in soul."(Phillips).  There is Good News for us today!  The Bible is full of Good News and promises made to you by our Ever Faithful God.  But there's only one way to get this Good News, you must read all about it in the Word of God.  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."(KJV).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Red Letters

 Happy Sunday!

“I promise you,” returned Jesus, “nobody leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property for my sake and the Gospel’s without getting back a hundred times over, now in this present life, homes and brothers and sisters, mothers and children and land—though not without persecution—and in the next world eternal life."(Mark 10:29-30 Phillips).

Have you ever gone through your bible and read the red lettered words?  In bibles with this differentiation, the red letters represent things that Jesus said.  It amazes me that some Christians don't believe the Word of God.  And so many don't even trust the things that Jesus said Himself.  Why call yourself a Christian if you can't abide by, rely on, and believe the Word?  A rich young ruler had just come to Jesus in the scriptures before this one.  He insisted that he'd kept all the commandments since his youth.  Jesus said, “There is one thing you still need to do. Go and sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.”(Luke 18:22 CEV).

The rich young ruler was sad, and the disciples were shocked.  They weren't poor as so many would like you to believe.  They were businessmen who left their businesses to follow Jesus.  They thought to themselves, if a rich man can't get into Heaven how will we get in?  Now, before you delete this email let's go to John 12:6.  Mary the sister of Lazarus broke a costly bottle of ointment and anointed Jesus.  Then Judas Iscariot commented about this action being a waste, and that it could have been used to help the poor.  The Word says, "But Judas did not really care about the poor. He said this because he was a THIEF. He was the one who kept the moneybag for the group of followers. And he often stole money from the bag."(John 12:6 Easy-to-Read Version).  Don't miss this!  He was the treasurer for the ministry of Jesus.  There was enough money in the treasury for him to steal out of it regularly, and no one knew about it, except Jesus.

What this rich your ruler didn't know was the Word of God.  If he'd studied the Word, and applied it to his heart and life he would have known the Word says, "When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!"(Proverbs 19:17 Living Bible).  It also says, "Those who help the poor succeed will get many blessings. When trouble comes, the Lord will SAVE them."(Psalm 41:1 Easy-to-Read Version).  One more for good measure, Proverbs 28:27 says, "Give to the poor and you will NEVER be in need."(GNT).

I remember singing at offering time, "You can't beat God giving, no matter how you try!"  We sang it in churches where the offering list on the next weeks bulletin would show small dollars amounts and some cents.  We sang it and lived in poverty.  This should not be!  God wants us to prosper, BUT in order to prosper we have to believe His Word.  We have to trust that His Word is truth.  We have to know that nothing we've ever given is lost.  God is faithful.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Different

 Happy Sunday!

"Then everyone will once again see the difference between those who obey me by doing right and those who reject me by doing wrong."(Malachi 3:18 CEV).

Are you different?  No, I don't mean are you unique.  But are you different?  God made you unique, you are a one-of-a-kind you.  The Psalmist wrote, "I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way.  I know how amazing that was!"(Psalm 139:14 Easy-to-Read Version).  But being different means an outsider can observe the way you act, talk, and live and see that you do things with excellence and integrity.  Think about Daniel.  You do remember Daniel, don't you?  He was taken into captivity, proved to be 10 times better than his co-workers, became a President over Princes in Babylon, and became a target for the ungodly.

Daniel 6:4-5 says, "This made the other presidents and governors very jealous, and they began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn’t find ANYTHING to criticize! He was faithful and honest and made no mistakes.  So they concluded, “Our only chance is his religion!”(Living Bible).  Don't miss this!  The ungodly men around Daniel had trouble finding anything to accuse him of.  He had true integrity.  The only thing they could try to target him with was his devotion to God.  Isn't that crazy that anyone would be offended by your devotion to God?

So Daniel's HATERS went to the King.  "Your Majesty, we hope you live forever!  All of your officials, leaders, advisors, and governors agree that you should make a law forbidding anyone to PRAY to any god or human except you for the next thirty days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions.  Order this to be written and then sign it, so it cannot be changed, just as no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed.”(Daniel 6:6-8 CEV).  So what did Daniel do?  I'm so glad you asked!  "Daniel heard about the law, but when he returned home, he went upstairs and prayed in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. In the same way that he had always done, he knelt down in prayer three times a day, giving thanks to God."(Daniel 6:10 CEV).

I'm sure you know the rest of the story.  Daniel was thrown in the lion's den, spent the whole night there, and came out unharmed.  But that wasn't the case for his accusers.  Daniel 6:24 says, "And the king ordered the men who had brought charges against Daniel to be thrown into the pit, together with their wives and children. But before they even reached the bottom, the lions ripped them to pieces."(CEV).  Is it any wonder the New Testament Apostles refused to stop preaching in the Name of Jesus?  Acts 4:18-20 says, "So they called them in and ordered them bluntly not to speak or teach a single further word about the name of Jesus. But Peter and John gave them this reply: “Whether it is right in the eyes of God for us to listen to what you say rather than to what He says, you must decide; for we cannot help speaking about what we have actually seen and heard!”(Phillips).

Love and prayers, Cynthia