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