Snow

Happy Sunday!

Proverbs 31:21 says, "She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear."(Message).

In honor of our current snow storm in the Chicago Land area I did a bible search for the word "snow".  This scripture stuck out to me.  If you have not read Proverbs 31 from verse 10 to verse 31, I recommend it.  This woman is amazing!  She is classy, stylish, organized, well respected, and dearly loved by her family.  But why wouldn't she be with all of her many accomplishments. Verses 25 and 26 say, "She always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly."(Message).  Don't miss this!  She is positive, and encouraging, and has worthwhile things to say!  She's the polar opposite to the wicked woman described in Proverbs 9:13, "The foolish woman is noisy; she is simple and open to all forms of evil, she [willfully and recklessly] knows nothing whatever [of eternal value]."(Amplified). 

I like that the Amplified mentions "eternal value".  Even with her busy schedule the virtuous woman made sure her family knew about the Lord.  I here you, you're saying, "Cynthia, that scripture doesn't say that!"  Oh, but it does!  Verse 30 says, "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."(KJV).  The "fear" of the Lord is reverent respect.  So it's clear that she put God first and He made all of this possible.  Proverbs 20:7 says, "When people live good, honest lives, their children are blessed."(Easy-to-Read Version).  Even Jesus promised, "But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well."(Matthew 6:33 CEV). 

Another snow scripture that we all know and love is Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."(KJV).  The Living Bible says it like this, "Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!"  What an awesome offer!  God wants to talk to us, and make our lives better. 

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Home Inside of Me

 Happy Sunday!

"Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you.  For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give GLORY back to God because he owns it."(1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Living Bible).

We don't often think about the fact that everything, including our bodies and ourselves belong to God.  God blessed us with life!  Think of how many people don't even live a few days after birth, and some don't make it to birth, we are extremely fortunate to be born and live for many decades.  Worshiping God is more than an external event. We worship Him or demonstrate our lack of regard for Him with everything we do. The Psalmist knew this and sang, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and ALL that is within me, bless his holy name."(Psalm 103:1 KJV).  The Apostle Paul also urged us to see our bodies in a new light.  Romans 12:1 says, "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship."(Amplified).

I have to admit I've not always been conscious of this.  I could give so many good excuses as to why I could eat an entire box of Fudge Dipped Chocolate Chip Granola Bars in one sitting.  But when I shine the Light of God and the Truth of His Word on my actions, I have to say any failure is in me and not God.  He has shed his love abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit.(Romans 5:5).  So he's given me the tools to forgive and move past the pain that may lead me to overeat.  He has forgiven all of my sins and removed them as far as the East is from the West.(Psalm 103:12).  So I don't have to constantly recall my shortcomings and feel that I am not worthy of the marvelous blessings he pours out on me.  He's promised, "“I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”(Hebrews 13:5 Living Bible).  So I can rest and declare with confidence that everything will be alright.

Wes King sang a song entitled, "Home Inside of Me".  The lyrics made me think, and blessed me as well.

You live on the highest mountain
You swim in the deepest sea
You dwell in the grandest canyon
Yet You make Your home inside of me
Yes, You make Your home inside of me

You call to the leaves in springtime
You speak to the kings of men
And You breathe life, life into a baby
Yet You make Your home inside of me
Yes, You make Your home inside of me

You walk through the starry heavens
You run to the soul that seeks
You climb the hill of sorrow
Yet You make Your home inside of me
Yes, You make Your home inside of me

Chorus -
Home inside of me
Home inside of me
Of all the places You could be
You choose to make Your home inside of me

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Tzitzit

 Happy Sunday!

Matthew 14:35-36 says, "And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole."(KJV).

Did you know that the woman that touched the hem of Jesus' garment while he was on his way to heal Jairus' daughter was not the only person to do so and be healed?  It's true, many others were also healed by using the same method.  There was no magic in the "Tzitzit" the knotted ritual fringes, or tassels of his garment.  Touching the hem of his garment and receiving healing required Faith.  Jesus verified this, "Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”(Luke 8:48 Living Bible).

Let's take a look at how she received her healing...

She HEARD the WORD - "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had HEARD of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment."(Mark 5:25-27 KJV).  Somehow she heard that Jesus had the power to heal. Maybe a neighbor mentioned it, or perhaps she overheard a conversation but she heard the reports and envisioned her own healing.  Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ."(Easy-to-Read Version).

She SPOKE the WORD - "For she SAID, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."(Mark 5:28 KJV).  She could see herself whole, and her hope is what Faith is made of.  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).  Then she spoke only what she wanted to happen.  Proverbs 18:21 says, "What you SAY can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words."(Good News Translation).

She ACTED on the WORD - James 2:26 says, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."(KJV).  She had to do something.  She had to get information about where Jesus would be.  She had to map out her way there.  And considering it was against the Law for her to be in public with an issue of blood, she may have even had to wear a disguise to conceal her true identity.(Leviticus 15:25-30).  James 1:22 says, " Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves."(Easy-to-Read Version).

She Heard, Spoke, and Acted on the Word, and she got just what she wanted!  "And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague."(Mark 5:29 KJV).

Galatians 3:13-14 says, "Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing—just the way Abraham received it."(Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Gifts

 Happy Sunday!

James 1:17-18 says, "So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures."(Message).

God loves us, and He loves giving us gifts!  Don't we all just love getting gifts?  I do! God told Abraham, "I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore. They will conquer their enemies,"(Living Bible).  Jesus reinforced this in Luke 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much MORE shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"(KJV). 

What gifts has he given us? Great question!  I'm so glad you asked!

The Gift of His Son - "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."(John 3:16 KJV).

The Gift of The Holy Ghost - "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."(Acts 2:38 KJV).

The Gift of Righteousness - "After Adam sinned once, he was judged guilty. But the gift of God is different. His free gift came after many sins, and it makes people RIGHT with him."(Romans 5:16 Easy-to-Read Version).  "The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be king over all, but all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life because of this one man, Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:17 Living Bible).

The Gift of Purpose - "But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his OWN gift."(Ephesians 4:7 Message).  "He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ."(Ephesians 4:11-13 Message).

The Gift of Peace  "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.](John 14:27 Amplified).

The Gift of Healing & Deliverance - "As you go proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven has arrived. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, drive out devils—give, as you have received, without any charge whatever."(Matthew 10:7-8 Phillips).

The Gift of Mercy - "Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive MERCY [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]."(Hebrews 4:16 Amplified).

The Gift of Divine Protection - "Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from the sky. He is the enemy, but know that I have given you more power than he has. I have given you power to crush his snakes and scorpions under your feet. NOTHING will hurt you. Yes, even the spirits obey you. And you can be happy, not because you have this power, but because your names are written in heaven.”(Luke 10:18-20 Easy-to-Read Version).

I will stop here BUT I'm sure you know there are more gifts to name, and God is still giving us Gifts each and everyday!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

New Year

Happy New Year!

It's 2021, and you made it! 

2020 is over! No matter how bad it may have looked, how bad the media portrayed it, or how bad it may have actually been, you made it!  Praise God for bringing us through!  I'm hearing many testimonies of great things that have happened to the people of God in 2020! Promotions, weddings, new adventures, and so much more!  I for one was delivered from a 2.5 hour commute.  That was both ways, so almost 5 hours a day spent in transit.  Getting home was faster many times so that's why I say almost 5 hours.  We are permanently working from home, still have a great job, with awesome benefits.  I'm forever grateful.

Job 36:11 says, "If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures."(KJV).  The Word is amazing, and it stands forever.  It never changes.  Even if the whole world is in chaos, God's Word can be trusted and relied on.  The Message Translation gives us much more insight into this scripture. It says, "“It’s true that God is all-powerful, but he doesn’t bully innocent people. For the wicked, though, it’s a different story—he doesn’t give them the time of day, but champions the rights of their victims. He never takes his eyes off the righteous; he honors them lavishly, promotes them endlessly. When things go badly, when affliction and suffering descend, God tells them where they’ve gone wrong, shows them how their pride has caused their trouble. He forces them to heed his warning, tells them they must repent of their bad life. If they obey and serve him, they’ll have a good, long life on easy street."(Job 36:5-11).

We still have unanswered questions about 2020, and we may even be asking God, "Why did all this happen?"  I heard Gloria Copeland telling a story that puts this into perspective.  Her husband loves to go to cafeterias.  While she prefers sit down restaurants where servers bring everything to you. She laughed and said, "He loves his entree on his own tray!"  She says when he asked where she wanted to eat she would always say she didn't care, or it didn't matter.  But  when they arrived at the cafeteria, she would have an attitude.  Her husband would say, "If you didn't want to come here, why didn't you say something!" 

It's the same thing with prayer, and with life.  Jesus is likely going to say, "Why didn't you say something!"  Mark 11:23-24 says, "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."(KJV).  You have to speak the Word. No matter how bad it looks or feels!  You can determine the outcome by what you say.  You are a creative spirit, and your words have power.  Speak Life.

Love and prayers, Cynthia