Ambassador of Health

Happy Sunday!

Happy Memorial Day!  I saw a quote called, "There is a Difference".  It says, "Armed Forces Day:  For those who currently wear the uniform.  Veteran's Day: For those who used to wear the uniform.  And Memorial Day: For those who never made it out of uniform."  I'm so thankful for the sacrifices made by others that allow me to enjoy life to the fullest.  I'm happy that I can share these Happy Sunday emails freely, and I'm proud to be an American.

Proverbs 13:17 says, "A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health."(KJV).  Another translation of this scripture says, "Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence."(Message).  No wonder Jesus said, "I tell you that men will have to answer at the day of judgment for every CARELESS word they utter—for it is your words that will acquit you, and your words that will condemn you.”(Matthew 12:36-37 Phillips).  Words matter!  Are your words bringing life and healing?  Or are your words causing death and destruction?

I think most people are familiar with the saying, "If you can't say something good, don't say anything at all".  But what if we modify this and determine we will be mature, we will grow up, and we will speak good things.  God gave us our voices to praise, pray, bless, and to communicate.  He doesn't want us to be silent, but he wants us to be health, and healing to others.  Think of that one person that you love to spend time with.  Why do you like being with them?  More than likely they are a pleasure to be with.  You enjoy your time with them.  I'm sure you can also think of people on the other end of the spectrum.  You avoid them like a plague.  Don't be that person!

Luke 6:44-45 says, "For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush.  The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth SPEAKS."(Amplified).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

The Name

 Happy Sunday!

"Let Christ himself be your example as to what your ATTITUDE should be. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God’s equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, he humbled himself by living a life of utter OBEDIENCE, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal. That is why God has now LIFTED him so high, and has given him the NAME beyond all names, so that at the name of Jesus “every knee shall bow”, whether in Heaven or earth or under the earth. And that is why, in the end, “every tongue shall confess” that Jesus Christ” is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father."(Philippians 2:5-11 Phillips).

The Bible is chock full of examples of how to live, and how not to live.  Our greatest example of how to live is Jesus.  Hebrews 2:18 says, "For since he himself has now been through suffering and temptation, he knows what it is like when we suffer and are tempted, and he is wonderfully able to help us."(Living Bible).  Jesus proved that it can be done, and with him we can do all things.(Philippians 4:13). 

Whatever we may face, the Name of Jesus, and the Authority to use that name will always cause us to triumph.(2 Corinthians 2:14).  That's good news!  No matter what it looks like in the natural, WE WIN!  2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, "We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up.  In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again."(CEV).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Free Through and Through

Happy Sunday!

"So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law."(Galatians 5:1 NLT).

Are you free?  Free from fear? Free from sin?  Free to dream? Free to hope for the best?   "Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through."(John 8:36 Message).  Don't miss this!  God wants you to be completely free, and he sent Jesus to set you free. 

Long before Jesus came to save us and set us free, there was a man named Jabez.  He was determined to be free.  He believed his life could be better even though he'd had a rocky start.  1 Chronicles 4:9-10 says, "Jabez was more distinguished than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because she had such a hard time at his birth (Jabez means “Distress”). He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would wonderfully bless me and help me in my work; please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all evil and disaster!” And God granted him his request."(Living Bible).  Isn't it interesting that Jabez didn't blame is mother for the state of his life, or blame God that things weren't better since he was a good person.  He was determined to honor God, and asked Him to ensure that change occurred.  What a powerful example for us today, and everyday!

Don't be afraid to do something different.  Don't be afraid to dream again.  Don't be afraid to trust God with your life.  Even more than any insurance company, when you are in His hands you are in "good hands".

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Mama Said...

Happy Sunday!

Happy Mother's Day!

"What strikes me most is how natural and sincere your faith is. I am convinced that the same faith that dwelt in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice, abides in you as well."(2 Timothy 1:5 Voice).

Timothy was the Apostle Paul's protégé.  Based on the letters written to him, life as a pastor was not always easy.  I imagine most pastors would agree that working with people can be trying at times.  Paul encouraged Timothy to remember the faith that his grandmother and mother demonstrated, and taught him.  He said, "Because you have this faith, I now remind you to stir up that inner fire which God gave you at your ordination. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind."(vs 6-7 Phillips).

What did your mother teach you?  I can name numerous things my mother taught me, but the greatest would be the Word of God.  Sure, our mothers didn't get everything right, and neither have we.  But being taught that the Word is God speaking to me, and that God can be trusted has kept my life balanced during some very tumultuous times.  I remember my mother teaching, well it may have been preaching to a group. She read a scripture, and the crowd didn't respond as she may have thought they would.  Then she said, "Mrs. Woods didn't say that, God did!"  I laugh when I hear pastors and teachers today doing the same thing.  Brother Kenneth Hagin often told of conversations with people after he'd preached.  The person would say, "I don't agree with what you said!"  He'd say, "I didn't say that!"  The person would be getting frustrated and remark, "Yes, you did!  I heard you say it while you were preaching!"  Then Brother Hagin would say, "No, Jesus said it!"  So if you want to dispute it, or you refuse to believe it, you are not rejecting the messenger.  You are rejecting the message.

The Apostle John wrote, "This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him."(1 John 1:5 Message).  No darkness, no shadow of turning and changing.  God is still speaking to us through His Word.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, "The preaching of the cross is, I know, nonsense to those who are involved in this dying world, but to us who are being saved from that death it is nothing less than the power of God."(1 Corinthians 1:18 Phillips).

I hope that if your mother is still on earth with you, you showed her the love and respect God would desire.  If your mother has gone on to Heaven, I hope that you honor her memory by remembering the good things she taught you, and applying it to your daily life.  And if you are still in the "mothering business", carefully consider the legacy you are creating.  What have you taught your children?  What will they remember?  Do they have what it takes to keep it altogether when the world seems to be falling apart?  Selah.

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Works

Happy Sunday!

I'm praying that this Happy Sunday finds you well.  I'm hoping this new week will bring you all good things.  The Word of God speaks for itself.  I was inspired to use the first scripture and talk about it, but reading it in the Living Bible translation needs no additional explanation.  Enjoy!

James 2:14-26 says, "Dear brothers, what’s the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren’t proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone?  If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing,  and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?

So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good works is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.

But someone may well argue, “You say the way to God is by faith alone, plus nothing; well, I say that good works are important too, for without good works you can’t prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act.”

Are there still some among you who hold that “only believing” is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too—so strongly that they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that “believing” is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith.

Don’t you remember that even our father Abraham was declared good because of what he did when he was willing to obey God, even if it meant offering his son Isaac to die on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to; his faith was made complete by what he did—by his actions, his good deeds. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say, that Abraham trusted God, and the Lord declared him good in God’s sight, and he was even called “the friend of God.”  So you see, a man is saved by what he does, as well as by what he believes.

Rahab, the prostitute, is another example of this. She was saved because of what she did when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.  Just as the body is dead when there is no spirit in it, so faith is dead if it is not the kind that results in good deeds."(Living Bible).

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Peter Knows

 Happy Sunday!

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust."(Psalm 4:8 Amplified).

I had a very full weekend, and got a lot accomplished.  I know I will sleep peacefully, and soundly tonight.  Not just because I am tired, but also because God cares for me.  1 Peter 5:7 says, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."(Amplified).  It's so nice to know that someone cares about you.  And it helps that it's the God of the Universe.

All this made me think about Peter. He had first hand experience with resting in God's care.  "The night before he was to be executed, he was asleep, double-chained between two soldiers with others standing guard before the prison gate, when suddenly there was a light in the cell and an angel of the Lord stood beside Peter! The angel slapped him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists! Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your shoes.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me!” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a dream or vision and didn’t believe it was really happening. They passed the first and second cell blocks and came to the iron gate to the street, and this opened to them of its own accord! So they passed through and walked along together for a block, and then the angel left him."(Acts 12:6-10 Living Bible).

I thank God for all of His many blessings.  I thank him for prosperity, progress, and purpose.  I'm thankful to know He has a good plan for my life, and your life too.  He promises in Jeremiah 29:11, "I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering."(CEV).  And I love how the Psalmist confidently proclaimed, "I know that I will live to see the Lord's goodness in this present life."(GNT).

I'm thankful for you!

Love and prayers, Cynthia

Open My Eyes

 Happy Sunday!

"When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha."(2 Kings 6:15 NLT).

This is one of the greatest bible stories!  The King of Aram was at war with the King of Israel.  Each time the King of Aram would plan a military strategy, God would supernaturally inform the Prophet Elisha and he would warn the King of Israel.  It got so bad that the King of Aram was ready to kill any traitors he found in his camp.  But they quickly informed him that the Prophet Elisha was telling the King of Israel every move he made, and even the secret things he said in his private bedroom.  WOW! 

Makes sense that Jesus would later say, "But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when the TRUTH will be revealed: their secret plots will become public information."(Matthew 10:26 Living Bible).  God sees it all!  God knows the entire story, all the intricate details.  So back to Elisha.  He didn't sit the servant down and try to convince him that everything is going to be alright.  He said, "Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them."(vs 16).  Then he prayed, "Lord, I ask you, open my servant’s eyes so that he can see.”(vs 17).  Wait!  Didn't the servant already have his eyes open?  He saw the enemy army surrounding them, didn't he?  Yes, his physical eyes were open but he needed to see in the spirit.  "The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha!"(vs 17).

Psalm 34:7 says, "The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers."(Amplified).  I guess the servant didn't know that we have invisible armies at our disposal.  The prophet prayed and asked God to blind the Aramean soldiers, then he led them to the King of Israel and prayed that their sight would be restored.  Can you imagine their horror to open their eyes and realize they were in the middle of the enemies camp?  They were easy prey.  They could be killed and it would have all been normal for times of war.  But Elisha told the King of Israel to feed them and send them home.  After that, "The raiding bands of Aram didn’t bother Israel anymore."(vs 23).

What can we get out of this?  So much!  I'm so glad you asked!  When we reverence and fear the Lord he has promised to protect us.  Even though we cannot see our angelic body guards, they are present and accounted for.  Hebrews 1:14 says, "What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation."*GNT).

Love and prayers, Cynthia