Happy Sunday!
"Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your Patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your Patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete."(James 1:2-4 Living Bible).Did you see that word? That word we usually hate to hear? What word? I'm so glad you asked. PATIENCE. Patience is the word we don't like, but it's necessary. The writer of Hebrews said, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."(Hebrews 10:36 KJV). It could be that we don't like this word because we have an incorrect definition of the word. Most people think it means being passive, being satisfied with whatever comes your way, or just waiting for someone else to do something. But this word would better be translated as "Endurance". Rick Renner defines patient endurance as "the power to face down the enemy; like a soldier who is ordered to maintain his position in spite of intense opposition". This definition makes me think of Ephesians 6:13-14 when the Apostle Paul encouraged us, "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore,"(KJV). Patience means to stand your ground!Webster's Dictionary 1828 defines patience as "The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent". Bet you're wondering how this can ever be accomplished. When we trust God, it is possible to be patient. When we know that his Word is Truth and it will never fail, we can be patient. Patience requires Faith. 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)."Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion. It won’t be long now, he’s on the way; he’ll show up most any minute. But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won’t be very happy. But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way."(Hebrews 10:35-36 Message).Love and prayers, Cynthia
Happy Sunday!
"It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work of telling his Good News to others, and so we never give up.We do not try to trick people into believing—we are not interested in fooling anyone.We never try to get anyone to believe that the Bible teaches what it doesn’t.All such shameful methods we forego.We stand in the presence of God as we speak and so we tell the truth, as all who know us will agree.If the Good News we preach is hidden to anyone, it is hidden from the one who is on the road to eternal death.Satan, who is the god of this evil world, has made him blind, unable to see the glorious light of the Gospel that is shining upon him or to understand the amazing message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is God.We don’t go around preaching about ourselves but about Christ Jesus as Lord.All we say of ourselves is that we are your slaves because of what Jesus has done for us.For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made us understand that it is the brightness of his glory that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ."2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (Living Bible).What a beautiful passage, and a beautiful translation. Everyone needs some good news! There are more than enough frightening and sad things to talk about and think about. BUT the Apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit reminds us to think about good things, and especially the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans 12:3 says, "Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you THINK. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him."(CEV). Philippians 4:8-9 says, "Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your MINDS and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."(Message).Have I ever told you that one of my favorite movies is "Date Night" with Steve Carell and Tina Fey? Well, it is. On their date nights they would play a game called "What's Their Story?" They would pick a couple in the restaurant and make up a funny story about who they were and what they were doing. It's comical, but what's your story? When people see you can they tell you are filled with the Spirit of God? Can they see the Glory of the Lord on you? Or are you just like every other customer in line: pushing your way forward, only concerned with yourself, and oblivious to those around you. Do people want to be around you? Do they enjoy your company? Or has COVID-19 been an answer to their prayers to not have to visit you? Selah.The Believers in the early church did not called themselves, Christians. The people around them saw they way they lived and conducted business and called them "Little Christs". This may have been derogatory at first, but it does prove that they were different and the anointing was evident. Matthew 5:16 says, "You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your GOOD actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it."(Voice).Love and prayers, Cynthia
Happy Sunday!
1 John 4:18 says, "We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us."(Living Bible).My daughter reported that our local grocery store was full of shoppers this morning getting the last minute Valentine's gifts. Even in our single digit temperatures scantily clad women flounced around dressed in their eye-catching best, and men were seen with balloon bouquets and gift baskets. I'm not against the celebration of holidays or these types of displays of affection but I would hope that love would be demonstrated extravagantly everyday of the year. The Word says, "God is love."(1 John 4:8 KJV). Don't miss this. Love is not just something God does. It's His very essence.So how can I truly show love? Great question! I'm so glad you asked. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."(KJV). 1 John 4:8 in the Living Bible says, "But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love." 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind."(KJV). The Amplified Version of this same scripture says, "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." When we know that we know that we know that God loves us, we can live life without fear. We don't fear death because he has conquered it, "By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death."(Hebrews 2:15 Message). We don't fear sickness because he has healed us, "Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed."(1 Peter 2:24 Easy-to-Read Version). We don't have to fear poverty, "After all, God can give you everything that you need, so that you may always have sufficient both for yourselves and for giving away to other people."(2 Corinthians 9:8 Phillips).Love and prayers, Cynthia
Happy Sunday!
"Then they threw Jonah overboard, and the sea calmed down."(Jonah 1:15 CEV).Have you ever hated anyone? I can wait for your answer. If we are all honest there have been people throughout our lives that have been so evil, spiteful, and underhanded that it has caused us to hate them or at least hate their actions. Jonah hated the Assyrians for reasons that he believed he could easily justify. They were Israel's enemies. So when God commanded him to go to Nineveh the Capital city of Assyrians to preach to them, he made up his mind to disobey.This made me think of a little statement that one of my elders once said. In response to helping her enemy, she said, "I wouldn't spit on her if she was on fire!" Ouch. No wonder Jesus had to teach us a new way to deal with people. He came with a new commandment of Love, not an eye for an eye that they were accustomed to. He said, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"(Matthew 5:44 KJV).Jonah 1:5 says, "The sailors were frightened, and they all started praying to their gods. They even threw the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. All this time, Jonah was down below deck, sound asleep."(CEV). Don't miss this! Jonah was sleeping. His decision had put other innocent people and their possessions in danger, and he wasn't even worried. The captain woke him up and they discovered he was the cause of the trouble they were in. These heathens had enough respect for God to know that they should never take another persons life. So they prayed unto Jonah's God. “Lord, please don’t say we are guilty of killing an innocent man. Please don’t make us die for killing him. We know you are the Lord, and you will do whatever you want.”(Jonah 1:14 Easy-to-Read Version).They threw Jonah overboard and the storm stopped! You probably know the rest of the story. Jonah spent 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a great fish. He repented, and the fish vomited he out on the shore. He went to Nineveh and preached and the people repented and humbled themselves before the Lord. Then the Lord spared their lives. The Apostle Peter later explained, "But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent."(2 Peter 3:9 Living Bible). God is giving your enemies more time to repent. Don't be like Jonah. Ask God to help you! Really pray for your enemies. Pray for them like you pray for your favorite people. God has given us his love by the Holy Spirit and he helps us to love the seemingly unlovable.Trust God to protect you. Psalm 91:6-8 says, "Don’t fear a thing! Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you, nor will the powers of evil launched against you. Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed, you will remain unscathed and unharmed. You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment, for they will be paid back for what they have done!"(TPT). Romans 12:19 says, "Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, “I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord.”(GNT).Love and prayers, Cynthia
