What's in a name?

 Happy Sunday!

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ORDINARY life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an OFFERING. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. READILY recognize what he wants from you, and QUICKLY respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the BEST out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."(Romans 12:1-2 Message).

Do you know who Jochebed was in the Bible?  Not Jehoshaphat, or Jeremiah, or John but Jochebed.  Do you need a moment?  No Googling allowed.  Jochebed was Moses' mother.  Probably not a name you may have remembered.  At least her name was mentioned, so many others did great things in the Bible and remain unnamed.  Think about the widow who gave her last two mites, or the woman with the alabaster box.  They used their everyday ordinary lives to worship and honor God and we are still using them as godly examples.

Jochebed refused to allow her baby boy to be thrown in the river and drowned as the Egyptian Law required(Exodus 1:22). She hid him as long as she could, then she made a little basket boat and sent him floating down the river.  Pharoah's daughter just happened to be at the river bathing that very moment.  She opened the basket, Moses cried, she had compassion on him, and raised him as her own son.

What if Jochebed hadn't recognized what God wanted her to do?  What if she hadn't responded to the instructions quickly?  Thankfully, we don't have to even think about what may have happened.  She was "not conformed to this world"(Romans 12:2 KJV).  The world may never know your name, but you are called to do great things.  Each and every day you have an opportunity to trust and obey.  You have a chance to be a blessing to everyone you come in contact with.  It may be as simple as holding the door for another person, smiling sincerely, treating the Customer Service Representative with respect, allowing another to go before you in line, giving your employer a full days work, or sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."(Matthew 5:16 KJV).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

HELL is Real

 Happy Sunday!

"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in HELL he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."(Luke 16:22-24 KJV).

At 5 years old I believed that Jesus came to save me.  Save me from what, you may ask?  Save me from Hell.  We were taught Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(KJV).  A few years after that, while traveling from Missouri to California by car I was certain I wanted no parts of Hell.  We drove through the desert and the air conditioner fuses kept blowing.  If you have ever traveled in a station wagon you know the windows in the very back rarely open.  I felt as if I was going to suffocate and melt all at the same time.  While in California I don't think I could fully enjoy myself, since I was dreading the trip back home.

Jesus told the story of the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus.  This is not a parable.  Jesus never named names in parables. These two men actually existed.  The Dake Annotated Reference Bible says of these scriptures, "This is a literal story of two beggars - one who begged in this life, and one who begged in the next".  Jesus often spoke of Hell.  I believe we can definitely trust the words of Jesus.  Don't you?

What can we learn from these scriptures?  I'm so glad you asked.  First, Death is inevitable.  Hebrews 9:27 says, "Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God."(GNT).  I know death is sad and shocking to us, but it happens.  Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, "It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and it is a good thing to think about it while there is still time."(Living Bible).  Second, when we die we will be conscious. The rich man knew he was in a place of torment and he could feel it.  He could also see Father Abraham, and Lazarus in the distance.  In verse 26, Father Abraham told him, "...there is a big pit between you and us. No one can cross over to help you, and no one can come here from there."(Easy-to-Read Version).

Third, there are separate locations or destinations for the righteous and the unrighteous.  All dogs may go to Heaven, but all people do not.  As I have said many times, God does not send anyone to Hell.  Let that sink in.  People go to Hell by choice.  You may say, that's ludicrous!  But it's true.  When you reject Jesus, you are choosing Hell.  Jesus said, "The world’s sin is unbelief in me;"(John 16:9 Living Bible).  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."(John 14:6 KJV).  Jesus is the only way to the Father, and the only way to Heaven.

There is hope.  If you are not certain of your final destination now, you can be in a matter of minutes.  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).  That's Good News!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

NO Anxiety

 Happy Sunday!

"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God."(Philippians 4:6 Amplified).

It would be unjust for God to require us to do something that we were incapable of doing.  He never commands us to do anything we can't do.  Think about this.  Jesus said, “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that."(Matthew 5:43-47 Message).  It must be possible if the Word says so.

Proverbs 12:25 says, "Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad."(Amplified).  The Bible is God's Word to you. The Psalmist said, "Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take."(Psalm 119:105 Easy-to-Read Version).  The Apostle Paul said, "I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]."(Philippians 4:12-13 Amplified).

God loves you and he has given you His love, His strength, and His promise that you can live this life without anxiety. 

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Humility

 Happy Sunday!

"Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health."(Proverbs 4:20-22 Message).

Brother Charles Capps has been in heaven for quite a while now, but I still enjoy listening to his sermon, "How to Succeed When Others Fail".  I may have even shared the link with you at some point. He used this scripture which in the King James Version says, "Attend to my words".  God inspired King Solomon to encourage the readers to pay attention to the Word.  The Bible is God's Word written to us so that we don't have to be hopeless, and helpless.

We've talked about the difference between listening and hearing.  When we really listen we are collecting information, gaining knowledge, and getting understanding.  Understanding gives us the ability to repeat something we've learned at will, and wisdom is putting what we learn into practice.  To succeed in this life we must have the Wisdom of God. 

James 1:5 says, "And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him."(Phillips).  Don't miss this!  God will give us wisdom for every situation, if we only ask.  To ask requires a bit of humility on our part.  In our society, we can simply Google a topic and get hundreds of answers and even "How To" videos.  We don't have to let anyone know that we really didn't know the topic.  I remember having to physically make a phone call to ask my grandmother how to skin a catfish, and ask my mother-in-law how to make a real banana pudding.  By asking them I was admitting that I didn't know how to do it, or I wasn't confident about doing it.  I humbled myself and asked those that knew more on the subjects.  God knows more than we will ever know, and He has conveniently put it in the Bible for us.  He even added human examples so that we can learn from their mistakes without making the same mistakes ourselves.

In Brother Capps message about succeeding when others fail, he tells his own personal testimony of failing.  He said he was "head over heels in debt" and if he'd sold everything he owned it wouldn't have made a dent in the debt.  He was sick with stomach ulcers and recalled drinking Maalox by the bottle.  He heard the Word of God and made the decision to believe and stand on the Word.  Things didn't change overnight, but it wasn't very long that he realized by following God's Word he was out of debt and healed.  He never went backward.  He succeeded all the days of his life in ministry, real estate, and farming.  I was even encouraged when he passed away.  His daughter recounts that he called his family members and told them he was going home on a certain day, and if they wanted to see him they should come.  They did, and he went home to be with the Lord on the very day he said he would.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."(Message).  Will you cooperate with God?  Will you ask Him for the wisdom you need to succeed?  Or will you doubt and do without? Selah.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Now...

Happy Sunday!

Happy Independence Day Weekend in the USA!

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."(Hebrews 11:1 KJV).

God designed the Word and "it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live".(2 Timothy 3:16 CEV).  I thought about using Hebrews 11:1 in this Happy Sunday, and I did.  But I was reminded of something very important when I went to the passage.  These "books" as we call them were really letters written to the early Christians.  When was the last time you assigned chapters and verses to your letters?  Never?  That's what I thought.  Letters flow from page to page. 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm happy that the translators broke it up and numbered everything.  Can you imagine what our Easter speeches would have looked like if we had to quote entire letters?  My mother was the Church Clerk and a Sunday School Teacher, so my Christmas and Easter speeches were always several paragraphs anyway.  I felt cheated as an adult when a young girl was asked to welcome the visitors at church and she said, "I welcome you once, I welcome you twice. I welcome you in the Name of Jesus Christ!"  Things sure have changed!

My point about the books actually being letters is that we sometimes are reading and taking the thoughts out of context.  Hebrews 11:1 begins with the word "now".  It's almost like the word "therefore".  One minister said when you see the word therefore, you need to see what it was there for.  Chapter 10 of Hebrews gives us more insight into why the writer said, "Now faith is...".

Hebrews 10:26-31 says, "Now if we willfully persist in sin after receiving such knowledge of the truth, then there is no sacrifice left for those sins— only the fearful prospect of judgment and a fierce fire that will consume God’s adversaries. Remember that those who depart from the law of Moses are put to death without mercy based on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  Just think how much more severe the punishment will be for those who have turned their backs on the Son of God, trampled on the blood of the covenant by which He made them holy, and outraged the Spirit of grace with their contempt. For we know the God who said, “Vengeance belongs to Me—I will repay,” also said, “The Eternal One will judge His people.” It is truly a frightening thing to be on the wrong side of the living God."(Voice).

Hebrews 10:32-39 says, "Instead, think back to the days after you were first enlightened and understood who Jesus was: when you endured all sorts of suffering in the name of the Lord, when people held you up for public scorn and ridicule, or when they abused your partners and companions in the faith.  Remember how you had compassion for those in prison and how you cheerfully accepted the seizure of your possessions, knowing that you have a far greater and more enduring possession.  Remember this, and do not abandon your confidence, which will lead to rich rewards. Simply endure, for when you have done as God requires of you, you will receive the promise.  As the prophet Habakkuk said,

In a little while, only a little longer,
    the One who is coming will come without delay.
But My righteous one must live by faith,
    for if he gives up his commitment,
My soul will have no pleasure in him.

My friends, we are not those who give up hope and so are lost; but we are of the company who live by FAITH and so are saved."(Voice).  I know that was long, but don't miss this!  The writer is encouraging the readers to stick with God, and not turn back.  He's reminding them of all they have been through, and encouraging them with the promises of God.  He tells them they are in a special group, a group that lives by Faith.  And his thought carries over to chapter 11 where he defines Faith.  I love quoting Hebrews 11:1 by itself, and I won't likely stop but reading chapter 10 with it made it easier to comprehend.  James 2:26 says, "For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead."(Amplified). 

Love and prayers, Cynthia