Above Average

 Happy Sunday!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."(James 1:17 KJV).

There are three levels that we humans beings can occupy. We are either below average, average, or above average. If you occupy two of these levels, you will undoubtedly experience persecution. If you are below average, people will say..."What a waste, they should be doing more with the gifts God gave them". If you are above average, people will say..."Who does he/she think they are? It doesn't take all that!" The only level you can occupy safely without any persecution in the "average" level. My mother wouldn't allow us to be average. We had to bring our books home from school whether we had homework or not. She believed that no self-respecting educator would send a child home without homework. She required excellence even in our housework. If you didn't do a task properly you could expect to have to do it again. God is our heavenly father. He says we are special, unique, and precious. He will not accept average. He calls us out to be extraordinary. "But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light."(1 Peter 2:9 Easy-to-Read Version).

In Mark 14:3-9, a woman gave an extraordinary gift to Jesus. When she gave her gift three things happened. First those around her got an attitude. Verse 4 says, "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?" They didn't buy the perfume! They didn't have any business commenting about it, but they did what others will do when you give God your best. People will judge and criticize you. Secondly, they made an assumption. Verse 5 says, "It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” Those around her assumed that they knew better how her gift could be used. Third, they attacked her. Verse 5 also says, "And they rebuked her harshly." 

At that point Jesus spoke up. Verses 6 through 9 say, “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (NIV).  Don't miss this!  In 2026 we are still talking about this woman and her extravagant gift.

Give God your best this week! 

I salute all our nation's Veteran's this week! 

I appreciate that you have given your best for our country!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Ever Learning

 Happy Sunday!

"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."(2 Timothy 3:7 KJV).

I'm starting a full month of training at work.  I'm getting everything done around the house today, and I have even considered laying out my clothes tonight like my Best Friend, Gina does.  I want to be able to fully concentrate and understand the material.  When each portion of the training is completed, we will have an assessment.  The trainers need to verify that we are comprehending the information, and that we will be able to apply it in our everyday work.  That's what made me think of the scripture above.  In the Last Days, the Apostle Paul described people who always seem to be learning but never understand the TRUTH.

The BIBLE has been called, "Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth".  God has given us the handbook. We are responsible for knowing the content and being able to use it.  The Apostle Paul encouraged us to, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."(2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).  People often say, "What you don't know won't hurt you!"  RUN from those people immediately!  What you don't know can kill you!  Consider this, a Rat Snake is often confused with a Rattlesnake.  A Rat Snake may even shake his tail to mimic the Rattlesnakes' actions.  As for me, I'm not going to try to figure out which is which.  I will be yards away from either snake, but if you are curious and don't know how to tell them apart it could be deadly.  

We don't want to be like those people! So let's go over what these people are like one more time.  2 Timothy 3:1-7 says, "You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be PROUD and BOASTFUL, sneering at God, DISOBEDIENT to their parents, UNGRATEFUL to them, and thoroughly BAD. They will be HARDHEADED and never give in to others; they will be CONSTANT LIARS and TROUBLEMAKERS and will think nothing of immorality. They will be ROUGH and CRUEL, and sneer at those who try to be good. They will BETRAY their friends; they will be HOTHEADED, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to worshiping God. They will go to church, YES, but they WON'T REALLY BELIEVE anything they hear. Don’t be taken in by people like that. They are the kind who craftily sneak into other people’s homes and make friendships with silly, sin-burdened women and teach them their new doctrines. Women of that kind are forever following new teachers, but they never understand the TRUTH."(TLB).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

CHOOSE LIFE

 Happy Sunday!

"Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like."(James 1:22-24 Message).

In the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are admonished to hear the Word and make the changes and adjustments necessary to line up with the Word. When we become DOERS, and not just hearers we are choosing LIFE.  Jesus came to give us Abundant Life. (John 10:10).   

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 vividly describes the consequences of choosing.  “Look, today I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, depending on whether you OBEY or DISOBEY. I have commanded you today to LOVE the Lord your God and to FOLLOW his paths and to KEEP his laws, so that you will LIVE and become a great nation, and so that the Lord your God will BLESS you and the land you are about to possess. BUT if your hearts turn away and you won’t listen—if you are drawn away to worship other gods—then I declare to you this day that you shall SURELY perish; you will NOT have a long, good life in the land you are going in to possess.  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!  CHOOSE to love the Lord your God and to obey him and to cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days. You will then be able to LIVE SAFELY in the land the Lord promised your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (TLB).

Just in case you don't think these scriptures apply to us today, Galatians 3:14 says, "God’s purpose is therefore plain: that the BLESSING promised to Abraham might reach the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, and the Spirit might become available to us all by faith."(Phillips).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

GO, and sin no more!

 Happy Sunday!

"And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: FOR the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God Day and Night."(Revelation 12:10 KJV).

In the Bible the devil is called the "accuser of the brethren".  The Apostle Peter warned us, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."(1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV).  Even in the Book of Job, the enemy accused Job of only serving God for what he could get.  Job 1:9-11 says, "Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” (NLT).  We know how that story ended, don't we?  Job 42:10 Says, "Then, when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his WEALTH and HAPPINESS! In fact, the Lord gave him TWICE AS MUCH as before!"(TLB).

So, what do we do when we encounter the accuser?  Great question! I'm so glad you asked!  First, RESIST him.  James 4:7 says, "SUBMIT yourselves therefore to God. RESIST the devil, and he will FLEE from you."(KJV).  Second, realize he is the "Father of Lies".  Jesus said, "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."(John 8:44 KJV).  So, if our accuser is the father of lies, he's probably lying to you. Don't believe him! The Apostle Paul encouraged us, "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them which are IN Christ Jesus, who walk NOT after the flesh, BUT after the Spirit."(Romans 8:1 KJV).  He reiterated this in Galatians 5:16, "But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will CERTAINLY NOT gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God)."(AMPC).

Third, if we do miss it, slip up, stumble, or fall.  Remember, 1 John 1:9 is a safety net, not a crutch.  It says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(KJV).  Another translation of this same scripture says, "If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]."(AMPC).

Like Jesus said to the woman caught in Adultery, "GO, and sin no more."(John 8:11 KJV).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Change Is Inevitable

Happy Sunday!

"We walk by Faith, not by sight". (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV). 

God's Best for us usually means we must leave the comfort of our current level, move forward into the unknown and leave the past behind. Everyday God invites us to the next level.  "To achieve this, you will need to add virtue to your faith, and then knowledge to your virtue; to knowledge, add discipline; to discipline, add endurance; to endurance, add godliness; to godliness, add affection for others as sisters and brothers; and to affection, at last, add love."(2 Peter 1:5-7 Voice).  The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us." (Hebrews 12:1 Voice).

Isaiah 6:1 is probably one of the most preached and used scriptures in the church world. The Prophet Isaiah lets the readers know about a powerful vision he had. He saw it the year that something changed in his life. A great man, King Uzziah died. CHANGE can happen without warning. Perhaps you have experienced the death of a loved one, the death of a relationship, or the death of a dream. God wants to take you to the next level. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, "First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus."(Message). We have HOPE! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness."(Message).

Now don't beat yourself up about not wanting to change. One of my former employers used the motto, "Change energizes us!"  I'm still not sure energize was the best description for what happened to us when things changed.  BUT it did motivate us to either go with the flow or get run over.  And getting run over in the business world could mean finding a new job.  Even the Disciples wanted things to stay the same. They asked Jesus, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel NOW? Is this the time?” He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.” (Acts 1:6-8 Message).  Don't miss this!  Jesus knew that change is not easy, but he promised to give us the Holy Spirit, and power to do great things in this life.

In John 14:26, Jesus describes how the Holy Spirit will help us deal with change.  "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you ALL things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you."(AMPC).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

In Earth as It Is in Heaven

 Happy Sunday!

"Thy kingdom come. Thy WILL be done, as in heaven, so in earth."(Luke 11:2 KJV).

What is God's will? How can I know God's will? Great questions. The will of God is the Word of God.  Think about it this way.  When a rich man dies, the family reads the Last WILL and Testament. The will outlines how the assets, property, and belongings of the rich man will be divided and disbursed. Ephesians chapter 1 tells us that we have been adopted into the family of God by the finished work of Jesus.  2 Peter 1:3-4 says, "Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust."(Message).

We become the sons and daughters of God when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. John 1:12 says, "Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to ALL who RECEIVED him, he gave the RIGHT to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them."(TLB). 

Now that we have accepted Jesus three things happened.  

1)  God has Signed for you - Just like we sign for packages or new car leases, God signed for us with the precious blood of Jesus.  1 Peter 1:18-19 says, "God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver as you very well know. But he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."(TLB).

2)  God has Sealed you - You have God's seal of approval!  Not because you are good, but because he is GOOD! Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."(Message).

3)  God has Delivered you - God delivered you from a life of sin! Galatians 1:3-4 says, "Jesus Christ RESCUED us from this evil world we’re in by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins. God’s plan is that we all experience that rescue. Glory to God forever! Oh, yes!"(Message).

So, what's going on in heaven? So glad you asked.  All the focus is on Jesus!  The elders, and the creatures and the angels are all in awe of him.  Revelation 5 says, they worship Jesus continually and fall on their faces in reverence and say "Amen".  Amen means "so let it be".  It's a simple but effective prayer.  Until we get to heaven, we can worship Jesus right here on earth and we can agree with the Word of God and say AMEN.  Amen to HEALTH and HEALING, because the Word says, "by whose stripes ye were healed."(1 Peter 2:24 KJV).  Amen to PROSPERITY and ABUNDANCE, because the Word says, "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:"(2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV).  Amen to FAITH and WHOLENESS, because the Word says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."(2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

Yes, and Amen!  Love and prayers, Cynthia

READY

 Happy Sunday!

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:"(Hosea 4:6 KJV).

When you hear anyone preaching Gloom and Doom, remember this, even Jesus did not know when the world as we know it would end.  In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."(KJV).   What Jesus stressed more than fear was readiness.  Matthew 24:44 says, "Therefore be ye also READY: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."(KJV).  Read Matthew 24 for yourself.  Yes, I have to admit the things that Jesus described are definitely happening in our world today.  He said there would be wars, and rumors of wars, famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes.  But in Matthew 24:8 he warned that, "All these are the beginning of sorrows."(KJV).  WOW!  That's scary!  This is only the beginning?  Yes, he goes on to describe even more trouble..."Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and killed. People all over the world will hate you because you believe in ME. During that time many believers will lose their faith. They will turn against each other and hate each other.  Many false prophets will come and cause many people to believe things that are wrong. There will be so much more evil in the world that the love of most believers will grow cold.  But the one who REMAINS FAITHFUL to the end will be saved.  And the Good News I have shared about God’s kingdom will be told throughout the world. It will be spread to EVERY nation. Then the end will come."(Matthew 24:9:14, Easy-to-Read Version).  

Don't miss this!  1 John 3:8 says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  When we follow Jesus, his mission becomes our mission!  Our purpose and life goal should be to destroy the works of the devil every day!   In Matthew 24, Jesus said the Good News that he preached would be preached to the entire world, then the end will come.  Each day as you do your part to fight poverty, ignorance, sickness, injustice, homelessness, hopelessness, depression, sadness, and sin...you are helping to bring the return of our Lord closer.  

It will take time and effort to study the Word for yourself.  But in the Bible times, even the blind and lame were made to work.  OK, I know what you are thinking...she's really lost it now!  But read it for yourself.  The blind and lame were taken to the local thoroughfares by their families to beg.  Sounds like work to me.  No disability checks!  No welfare!  They were expected to use what they had to improve their lives, even if it was just their voice used to ask for money!  Jesus told a story in Luke 16:19-20, "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was LAID at his gate, full of sores,"(KJV).   Mark 10:46 says, "And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, SAT by the highway side begging."(KJV).  And Acts 3:2 says, "And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they LAID daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;"(KJV).  So there is NO EXCUSE for us!  If you miss out on God's BEST because of your own laziness and ignorance don't blame the Man. 

Love and prayers, Cynthia