Are you Thirsty?

The Happy Sunday!

Isaiah 44:3 says, "For I will pour water upon him that is THIRSTY, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:"(KJV).  Don't miss this!  God will pour water on ground that is thirsty.  Water represents the Word of God, and man was formed from the dust or earth.  God will hydrate you when you are thirsty for the Word.  I know that in popular culture, being "thirsty" is not seen in a positive light.  In the Urban Dictionary, "thirsty" is defined as being too eager to get something.  Don't let popular culture cause you to miss your Blessing!   In Psalm 42:1 the psalmist says, "My soul is dry and thirsts for You, True God, as a deer thirsts for water."(Voice).  Another translation of this scripture says, "A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I’m thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, “Will I ever make it—arrive and drink in God’s presence?”  I’m on a diet of tears—tears for breakfast, tears for supper.  All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, “Where is this God of yours?”(vs 1-3, Message).  

1 Kings 17:8-16 is a familiar passage, but it always provides fresh revelation.   Jesus said in Luke 4:24, "No prophet is accepted in his own country."(KJV).  This passage in 1 Kings proves that the prophet did not go to a widow in Israel, and there may have been many needy widows during the drought and the famine.  He went to a widow in Zarephath.  In verse 9, God tells the prophet, "I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee."(KJV).  She had already been told what to do.  But her obedience had to overcome her fear.  Think of how she must have felt contemplating making this last meal and then starving to death, she and her son.  Dr. Bill Winston said, "The biggest miracle is believing the Man of God!"   The widow had to trust that what the Lord said, and verified through the prophet was true.  She had to be willing to take her eyes off the present circumstance and trust God.  

Lets go back to Isaiah 44:3, in another translation it says..."Like a devoted gardener, I will pour sweet water on parched land, streams on hard-packed ground;  I will pour My spirit on your children and grandchildren—and let My blessing flow to your descendants."(Voice).  Once I was admiring a picture posted on Facebook.  It was a bowl of fresh string beans from my cousin's garden.  They looked so sweet and delicious!  When she planted her garden, if she used seeds...the seed packet did not show a picture of the seed. The packet showed the final product.  The packet was a vision, or a visual representation of what she could expect over time.  Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."(KJV).  Faith is our seed packet.  When we see the promises of God, we plant them in our hearts and can expect that in time we will get the exact harvest we desire.  With God there is always a guaranteed return on our seeds planted!  Galatians 6:7 says, "What you give is what you get. What you sow, you harvest."(Voice).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

The Long Way

 Happy Sunday!

"After the king had finally let the people go, the Lord did not LEAD them through Philistine territory, though that was the SHORTEST way. God had said, “If they are attacked, they may decide to return to Egypt.” So, he led them around through the desert and toward the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle."(Exodus 13:17-18 CEV). 

God never takes short cuts.  In this scripture, we see the reason behind His decision to take the Israelites the long way around to the Promised Land.  He knew that their minds had to be renewed to their new freedom status.  Taking them from slavery straight into battle with the Philistines would more than likely have caused them to fear and return to Egypt.  Do you remember Gilligan's Island?  It was a Situation Comedy from the late 1960's.  A group of tourists go on what should have been a 3-hour boat tour from Honolulu.  A storm comes up and the tiny ship is stranded on a deserted and uncharted island.  I think of this often when I think of how long it took the Israelites to get to the Promised Land.  It should never have taken more than 40 years to get there.  But this scripture can encourage us that the detour was part of God's plan.  Now don't go too far to the left and try to blame God for your sixth marriage to that psychopath!  That was not his fault, BUT he can surely weave that into your testimony and allow you to help someone else avoid that pitfall.

What can we take from this scripture, this story?  Great question!  I'm so glad you asked!  It's important to be led by the Spirit of God and not led by our emotions, by our fears, or by the opinions of others.  If we are honest, there are decisions in our lives that were BAD decisions.  If we trace the decision-making process in those instances, we are bound to find that we did get a strange feeling that the choice we were making was not the right choice.  Our ancestors would say, "I should have followed my First Mind!"  God understands this completely.  He constantly encourages us to change our thinking and renew our minds so that we will be empowered to make good decisions.  Romans 12:2 says, "Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you INSIDE with a new way of Thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect."(Easy-to-Read Version). 

Compete with yourself!  Don't compare your journey, your life, and your progress with anyone else!  When you are being led by the Spirit of God, he may take you the long way around.  If you compare your journey with the journey of another, you will be tempted to become depressed, distracted and frustrated.  Choose your battles wisely! Everybody's emergency is not your priority.  We have to determine we will go ANYWHERE but back!   Be focused on forward!  We cannot change the past, but we can change our future and the futures of others.  Going back requires no faith.  But moving forward requires that we walk by faith and not by sight!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Presentable

 Happy Sunday!

"So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re PRESENTABLE inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He ALWAYS keeps his Word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."(Hebrews 10:22-25, Message).

Life is precious.  Time is valuable.  As we are becoming more like Christ, we must remember to be wise in our dealings.   We are representing our Father, God!  My daughters enjoyed the Disney movie, Mulan.  I have never watched it but I'm familiar with the theme and many of the quotes from the movie because we jokingly repeat them.  One quote we frequently use is, "Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow, dishonor on your whole family!"  We use it when someone does something that we don't approve of.  But think about it. There was a time when our parents would warn us about going out in public and embarrassing the family!   We cared about having a good family name.  We realized that we were representing our family!  How much more should we work to represent Jesus Christ? Proverbs 22:1 says, "Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold."(NLT).

Dr. Bill Winston told a story about a guest minister arriving at the airport in another city. He waited for an hour, then called the church.  The pastor assured him the driver was already at the airport to pick him up.  Another hour passed, and a man walked up to the guest minister.  He asked if he was the man. The guest minister replied, and asked what took so long.  The driver replied, "You don't look like your picture!"  The guest minister had provided a photo that was many, many years old.   In this world of social media, and AI, where photos can be manipulated, do we look like our picture? 

As believers, do we look like the picture painted of us in the Word of God?  Are we always triumphing?(2 Corinthians 2:14).  Are we always abounding, do we always have sufficiency in all things?(2 Corinthians 9:8).  Are we in health, and prospering in every area of our lives?(3 John 2).  Are we bold as a lion?(Proverbs 28:1).  Are we the lenders and not the borrowers?(Proverbs 22:7).  Do we have an excellent spirit, are we 10 times better than our co-workers?(Daniel 5:12, 6:3).  Are we a Blessing to those around us and those we meet?(Genesis 12:2).   Do we Love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us?(Matthew 5:44).  Ouch!  If you are like me, there is still more work to be done.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

"How to Handle a Dying Situation"

 Happy Sunday!

"Jesus said, “Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re HEALED and WHOLE.  Live WELL, live BLESSED!” (Luke 8:48 Message).

This scripture may seem unfamiliar in the Message Translation, but it's from the familiar Bible story of the "Woman with the Issue of Blood".  Luke 8:43-35 tells us, "In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent EVERY penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched me?” (Message).  Twelve Years, Ya'll! That's a long time!  She heard that Jesus was healing the sick, and she decided even if it meant dying by breaking the Jewish laws, she would go and touch the hem of Jesus' garment.  I wonder if she felt that she had nothing to lose.  Until that moment nothing else had worked.

In 2012, the guest speaker at our church was Bishop Darryl S. Brister from Beacon Light International Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Bishop Brister used Luke 8:40-56.  His subject for the message was, "How to Handle a Dying Situation".  When I read his points again, I knew it would be a good repost.

How to Handle a Dying Situation...

1)   Find Jesus - When the woman touched Jesus, he was on his way to home of Jairus.  Jairus' daughter was at the point of death.  Jairus realized he couldn't do anything to help his daughter.  He needed "Supernatural" Power and assistance, so he went to find Jesus.  Psalm 61:2 says, "From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety," (New Living Translation).

2)   Fall Down - Jairus fell at Jesus' feet in verse 41, he humbled himself before Jesus.  The Word says, "Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you," - 1 Peter 5:6 (Amplified Version).

3)   Take Jesus Home with You - There's an old Gospel song that says, "Take the Lord along with you, everywhere you go!"  If we are going to handle dying situations we have to take Jesus with us everywhere in every situation.  Ephesians 2:1-5 says, "It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in MERCY and with an incredible LOVE, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us ALIVE in Christ."  (Message Translation).

4)   Keep on Walking - When the messenger from Jairus' house said the girl was dead, he could have given up and given in.  But Jesus told him, “Don’t be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right.” (Luke 8:50 Message).  If we want to handle a dying situation, we have to keep moving forward no matter how bad it looks.  We have to trust Jesus and believe that nothing is impossible with GOD.  Luke 1:37 says, "For with God nothing shall be impossible." (King James Version).

Praying that you have everything you need, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially!

Love and Prayers, Cynthia

Enemies

 Happy Sunday!

"Tell them, “As I live,” says the Eternal Lord, “I don’t enjoy watching the wicked die; I want the wicked to stop doing what they’re doing and live! Repent! Turn from your wicked ways. Why would you choose to die instead of live, people of Israel?” (Voice). 

Sometimes as Christians, we falsely believe that everything will be perfect and there will be no struggles.  This is a lie!  When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we simultaneously denounce the Devil and the old way of life. As we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord we become more and more like Him.  Throughout the Bible, God instructed His people about how to deal with their enemies.   An enemy is defined as anyone that sets themselves as an opponent to your PROGRESS.  Don't miss this!  In Psalm 3:1, David said..."O Lord, so many are against me. So many seek to harm me. I have so many enemies."(Living Bible).  In Psalm 23:5 he also says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."(KJV).   God did not move the psalmist away from his enemies.  He BLESSED him right in front of his enemies.  This is exactly what he intends to do for you!       

God doesn't hate your enemy!  He loves them, and he sent his son to die for them too!  BUT the Day of Vengeance has come...God intends for us to live far above the world and its limitations.  Anything or anyone standing in the way of our progress and prosperity is in grave danger.  You know the story of Daniel.  Daniel 6:3 says, "Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an EXCELLENT spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm."(KJV).   Then his enemies began to search for a way to accuse him of wrongdoing.  Of course, they found no reason to accuse him but decided to use his prayer life against him.  They encouraged the King to establish a law that no one could pray to anyone but the king for a period of time.  Daniel 6:10 says, "But though Daniel knew about it, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs bedroom, with its windows open toward Jerusalem, and prayed three times a day, just as he always had, giving thanks to his God."(Living Bible).  He was arrested and thrown in the lion's den.  God caused the lions mouths to be shut and Daniel survived.  But do you know what happened to his enemies and accusers?  Daniel 6:24 says, "Then the king issued a command to bring the men who had accused Daniel and throw them into the den along with their children and wives, and the lions leaped upon them and tore them apart before they even hit the bottom of the den."(Living Bible).  OUCH!  

Shift your thinking!  Trust that the Word of God is True, and Truth!  See your enemies in a positive light.  See them as an opportunity to be better!  You have no successful enemies!   Isaiah 54:17 says, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."(KJV).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Our Inheritance

 Happy Sunday!

"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." (Proverbs 13:22 KJV).  

Did you know you are entitled to an inheritance? No, not only from your parents or your favorite uncle, but from God the Father. Galatians 3:14 says, "This is what God had in mind all along: the BLESSING He gave to Abraham might extend to all nations through the Anointed One, Jesus; and we are the beneficiaries of this promise of the Spirit that comes only through Faith."(Voice).  Just being entitled to the inheritance does not mean you will automatically enjoy it or receive it.  In order to lay hold on the promises of God we must have Faith.  Sounds simple enough.  Romans 1:17 says, "God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.” (God's Word Translation).  Did you see that?  Those justified by God shall live by Faith.  

I bet you're thinking, aren't we ALL living by faith?  If we don't live by Faith, what are we living by? Good question!  If we aren't living by Faith, Jesus said we are..."faithless and perverse".(Luke 9:41 NKJV).  OUCH!  Perverse?  The definition of perverse is showing a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable, often in spite of the consequences.  1 Corinthians 6:9-10 describes some of the behaviors that can keep us from receiving our inheritance, "Don’t you know that wicked people won’t INHERIT God’s kingdom? Stop deceiving yourselves! People who continue to commit sexual sins, who worship false gods, those who commit adultery, homosexuals, or thieves, those who are greedy or drunk, who use abusive language, or who rob people will NOT inherit God’s kingdom."(God's Word Translation)".

Thankfully, and prayerfully you are not included in the description of perversion or the acts that it involves!  That clears the path for you to get everything God has in store for you.   So, what was the Blessing of Abraham?  Genesis 12:2-3 tells us exactly what the Blessing of Abraham is.  It says, "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]."(Amplified).  That's a wonderful Blessing!  Now just in case you are tempted to take this verse lightly, think about this...the three major religions in the world recognize Abraham as their father!  Christians, Jews, and Muslims all respect and honor Abraham.

OK, we can move forward now!  We believe the Blessing is real!  We believe that we are eligible to receive the Inheritance because of what Jesus did.  Now, how can we get the Blessing to work in our lives?  FAITH!  Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen."(Voice).  How do we get more Faith?  Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."(KJV).  Another translation says it like this, "The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to." (Message).

Listening to the Word, Love and Prayers, Cynthia

New Year, New Me!

 Happy Sunday!

"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.  So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:15-17 NLT).

You've likely heard the catch phrase, "New Year, New Me".  To live up to this concept, we must change. Change is inevitable, but we usually don't like to do it.   Nina Simone sang, "Everything Must Change; nothing remains the same..." and Albert Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results". We are our biggest problem!  It's hard to admit, but it's true.  It's so much easier to play the blame game!  It's easy to blame our parents, our community, our pastor, and the "Man".  

Michael Jackson sang, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways, And no message could have been any clearer, If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself and then make a change".  Such prophetic lyrics!  Change has to begin within each of us.  As we listen to God and obey his Word we change.  

In Luke 17:20-21,  Jesus was being grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come.  He answered, "The kingdom of God doesn't come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, 'Look here!" or, "There it is!  And why? Because God's kingdom is already among you." (Message Translation).   With Jesus we have everything we need to change and to succeed.  2 Peter 1:3 says, "He gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life."(NLT).  

In Acts 1:7-8, Jesus told the disciples, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(NLT).
 
Paul wrote to the Romans, " I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?  The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different." (Romans 7:24-28 Message).  When we surrender to God, he adds his "Super" to our "natural" and empowers and anoints us to change for the better.  As we change individually, the church changes corporately, and the world will change completely.

Praying that you have a week full of positive metamorphosis - A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function!

Love and prayers, Cynthia