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

RSVP

Happy Sunday!

This is a repost from 2021, it made me smile when I read it again!  Enjoy!

"And the seventy returned again with JOY, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through THY NAME.  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and NOTHING shall by any means HURT you.  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather REJOICE, because your names are WRITTEN in heaven."(Mark 10:17-20 KJV).

My cousin Sonya and I still chuckle about the guest list at her wedding reception.  I was instructed to only allow those to enter that were on the list.  How was I to know that her boss did not RSVP?  I was not letting him in!  Somehow, he got a hold of the Bride, or maybe she saw him about to be kicked out to the venue. LOL!  If he were to see me today, he'd likely recall that interaction.  Jesus sent out 70 additional disciples and gave them clear instructions too.  "When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, HEAL anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!"(Luke 10:9 Message).  They were amazed at the power and authority they had when using the name of Jesus.  We are also given the authority to use that Name.

BUT Jesus told them not to rejoice over demons being cast out out, and people being healed, but to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven.  Rejoice that you have an RSVP.  Cartoons always portray St. Peter at the pearly gates with the book looking for your name.  It may be funny, but it's not accurate.  Numerous testimonies of those that have died and come back to life, tell of either going up or down.  Not going up, then down.  GOD knows those that are His.  Jesus even told the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar.  Their eternal destination was determined before the event. (Luke 16:20-25).

Have you RSVP'd?  Is your name written in Heaven?  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).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Ask for Help!

Happy Sunday!

Happy New Year!

Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in NEWNESS of life."(KJV).  Don't miss this!  Not just on New Year's Day, but every day we are to walk in newness of life.    

Every day we have another chance.  One minister compared it to being resurrected every morning. Think about it.  You may not remember when you fell asleep, you may not remember if you dreamed...and you have no idea what happened during the time you slept.  But miraculously, you were awakened.  Lamentations 3:22-13 says, "We are still ALIVE because the Lord’s faithful LOVE never ends.  Every morning, he shows it in NEW ways!  You are so very true and loyal!"(Easy-to-Read Version).  

Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us because of his mercy, and not because of any good things that we have done. God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us NEW birth and a fresh beginning."(CEV).  Isn't that what we all want?  A fresh new beginning?  A chance to start again? A new lease on life?  We can’t make on our own!  We must have the Power of the Spirit of God!  We need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and daily filled with the Holy Spirit.  We must have the power, wisdom, and guidance of the Holy Spirit to make the most of this new life, and new year.  We can lean on, trust in, and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us.

This brought to mind an old familiar song, one of my mother's favorites.  It's entitled, "Yield Not to Temptation".  The chorus says, "Ask the Savior to HELP you, Comfort, Strengthen, and Keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will CARRY you through".  ADMIT that you don't know it all, and ask the One who does.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

That's None of My Business

 Happy Sunday!

"Indeed, your love is already strong toward all the Christian brothers throughout your whole nation. Even so, dear friends, we BEG you to love them more and more. This should be your AMBITION: to live a quiet life, MINDING your own business and doing your OWN work, just as we told you before. As a result, people who are NOT Christians will TRUST and RESPECT you, and you will not need to DEPEND on others for enough money to pay your bills."(1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 TLB).

After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples' numerous times.  During one interaction he asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?"  Peter responded three times, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”(John 21:16 NIV).  Perhaps, Peter felt uncomfortable because he denied the Lord three times around the campfire.  He tries to change the subject and asks the Lord about John.  "So he said, “Yes, Lord, but what about him?” "If it is my wish,” returned Jesus, “for him to stay until I come, is that your business, Peter? YOU must follow me.”(John 21:21-22 Phillips).

What a great response from Jesus!  You know I connect everything to songs!  This made me think of the rap song by Andy Mineo entitled, "That's None of My Business"!  Why?  So glad you asked!  Time spent worrying about what others think or say about us is wasting time! Our ambition, as the Apostle told the Thessalonians, should be to live quietly, and mind our own business.  We have so much to do daily to live our own lives!  When we read the Bible, we can barely read one chapter without running across an encouragement to do better!  

For instance, I enjoy a good nap!  Reading Proverbs 6:10-11 has me thinking and changing my ways.  It says, "You say, “I need a rest. I think I’ll take a short nap.” But then you sleep and sleep and become poorer and poorer. Soon you will have nothing. It will be as if a thief came and stole everything you owned."(ERV).  Ouch!  I think I will limit the naps!  Then when I'm finishing that half gallon of Moose Tracks Deluxe Chocolate Ice Cream, I remember Proverbs 23:2-3, "Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. And don’t STUFF yourself; BRIDLE your appetite."(Message).  And when I'm feeling like I really don't want to be bothered, and I want to be alone, I remember Jesus said, “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. GO to the lost, confused people RIGHT HERE in the neighborhood. TELL them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously."(Matthew 10:7-8 Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

PERECT

Happy Sunday!

I knew a woman who would become depressed around the Christmas Holiday if there was no snow!  She lived in an area of the country where snow was not common in December.  Movies, books, and traditions had convinced her that a perfect Christmas had to have certain specific details!  Now that I've lived in numerous states with varied climates, I wish I could have encouraged her to move to a place like Minnesota, Indiana, or Iowa where snow at Christmas is almost guaranteed! 

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ was perfect, even though the circumstances were not!  Don't miss this!  The ruler decided to tax the people, and it required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem!  Traveling so close to her delivery date couldn't have been easy, and they were traveling on foot or by donkey.  Then they arrived and the Inn was full!  No Internet or phones to call ahead and get a reservation!  Then the baby arrived and Mary used what was available!  She swaddled her baby in strips of cloth and place him in a manger! (Luke 2).  

How was this perfect?  I'm so glad you asked!  The Prophet Micah gave this prophecy hundreds of years before Jesus was born, "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come FROM you on my behalf."(Micah 5:2 NLT).  God used Caesar Augustus to get them to Bethlehem at the perfect time to fulfil the prophecy.  God himself prophesied to Satan in Genesis about Jesus Christ, "From now on you and the woman will be enemies, as will your offspring and hers. You will strike his heel, but HE will crush your head.” (Genesis 3:15 TLB).  1 John 3:8 says, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For THIS PURPOSE, the Son of God was manifested, that he might DESTROY the works of the devil."(KJV). 

Jesus came to save us and to destroy the works of the Devil!  Jesus came to give us a Hope and a Future! (Jeremiah 29:11).  He came to fix the mess that Adam got us into, and He's still interested in, "Seeking and Saving the lost!"(Luke 19:10).  Psalm 138:8 says, "The Lord will PERFECT that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands."(AMPC).  

Merry Christmas!

Love and prayers, Cynthia