Christian

You Are Not Alone

Encouragement for Friday, 7/17/26

In these last days, courage is a rare commodity – one that God expects, requires, and calls His people to demonstrate.

At times, standing for the truth may make us feel as though we are standing alone. Elijah felt exactly that way. Yet the Lord gently corrected him, reminding him that He had preserved a faithful remnant of 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). The same God who preserved a remnant then is preserving one today.

God has never needed the majority to accomplish His purposes. He has always worked through a faithful remnant. Our calling is not to be popular, but to be faithful – to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3), and leave the results to Him.

Amir Tsarfati

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He (Elijah) replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:13-18 NIV Read full chapter

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Photo by Sandy Ravaloniaina on Unsplash

Christian

Just As I Am, I Come

Encouragement for Thursday, 7/16/26

She thought she was useless to God. She wrote the hymn that brought millions to Him.

Charlotte Elliott was born in 1789 in England and lived much of her adult life as an invalid, confined largely to her bed by chronic illness. She wrestled openly with feeling she had no purpose — that her sickness made her a spiritual burden rather than a contributor.

In 1834, after a conversation with a Swiss minister who told her that coming to God required nothing but coming “just as you are,” something shifted. She wrote it down as a hymn — not as a sermon, but as a confession of her own helplessness turned into an invitation for anyone else who felt the same.

“Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.”

The hymn made no demands of moral cleanup before approaching God. That was the radical part. Worship culture at the time often emphasized preparation, worthiness, examination. Elliott’s hymn said: come now, broken, as you actually are.

A century later, evangelist Billy Graham adopted “Just As I Am” as the closing hymn for his crusades — sung softly while thousands walked forward to commit their lives to Christ. He used it at nearly every altar call across six decades of ministry, reaching tens of millions of people.

A woman too sick to leave her bed wrote the invitation that moved more people forward than almost any preacher alive.

Share this with someone who feels too broken to start over.

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Source: #JustAsIAm#CharlotteElliott#BillyGraham#ChurchHistory

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Christian

Small Beginnings

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 7/15/26

“Small numbers make no difference to God. There is nothing small if God is in it.”
― Dwight Lyman Moody

“For who has shown contempt for the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.” Zechariah 4:10 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Photo by Rachel Reinhardt on Unsplash

Bible and Scripture, Christian

Jesus’ Letters to the Churches

1-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 7/14/26

Nothing could be more relevant to the Church today than the message from Jesus to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. These letters reveal which things He approves of and which things they must repent of. (Revelation, chapters 2 and 3)

These letters are important. And they are just as applicable now as they were then. Jesus tells them they must repent or He will remove their lampstand!

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches…” Revelation 2:7,11, 17, 29 and Revelation 3:6,13, 22

May we have ears to hear!

Read Revelation chapter 2 HERE, and Revelation chapter 3 HERE.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Christian, Encouragement

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Devotion for Monday, 7/13/26

This post from Alan Kearns at Devotional Treasure impacted me in a powerful way.

“One may mourn over the loss of a loved one or of possessions, one can also mourn over sin, and the results of it in life…”  Alan Kearns

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Photo by Dima Kapralov on Unsplash

Bible and Scripture, Christian

Transform Your Morning

1-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 7/12/26

The first thing I do every morning is to read and study my Bible. (Well, after I feed and walk Henry, my Yorkie. As you know, he is very bossy.)

When we get back, he gets in his dog bed and sleeps for a couple of hours. And I open my Bible.

This is my favorite time of the day. Do you know why? It’s because the Bible speaks to me every day, and so it becomes more dear to me every time I read it.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV (emphasis mine)

No other book in the world can do that, only the Bible. The word translated as “alive” is the Greek word zao. It is the same word Jesus used when He said,

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 NIV (emphasis mine)

Scripture is life-giving, not merely instructive, because the Bible is God speaking to you and me.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Christian, hope

Hope for Victims of Trauma

Reflection for Friday, 7/10/26

I experienced trauma over 20 years ago, but PTSD can linger for many years, causing anxiety and unwanted dreams. When I read these verses, I prayed, Lord, help me forget. They encouraged me, and I pray they will encourage you, too.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
    and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. … Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” ” Isaiah 54:4 & 10 NIV (emphasis mine) Read full chapter

The Hebrew word for forget is šākaḥ. In Biblical Hebrew, šākaḥ is not just a passive cognitive slip of the mind. Instead, it signifies willfully moving past a trauma, letting go of a previous status, or no longer acting in accordance with past grief. (David Guzik)

We can’t do this in our own strength, but we don’t have to.

Although these verses are speaking directly to Israel, they reveal the heart of God. His compassion and unfailing love are beyond comprehension. With the help of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may those who have experienced trauma remember no more.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV

This is the first step toward healing.

In His Love, Cindy

P.S. If this doesn’t apply to you directly, may you use it to comfort and encourage someone who needs hope.

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Bible and Scripture, Christian

How Can I Hear God Speak to Me?

Quote of the Week for 7/8/26

“When I pray, I talk to God, but when I read the Bible, God is talking to me; and it is really more important that God should speak to me than that I should speak to Him. I believe we should know better how to pray if we knew our Bibles better. What is an army good for if they don’t know how to use their weapons?”
― D.L. Moody

If you want to hear God speak to you, open your Bible. God has a lot to say!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Photo by Yuri Efremov on Unsplash

Bible prophecy, Christian

Why Is the Church Silent on Bible Prophecy?

For Your Reflection, Tuesday, 7/7/26

I have been reading in my Bible about the kings and prophets of Israel. Much of it is prophecy, and I have found it fascinating because it explains a lot about our times. And there are many lessons for the Church in these pages, too. I am referring to all the books of the prophets, plus 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.

As I finish up this important study, I wonder why so many pastors ignore Bible prophecy. How is it even possible?

“Out of the 216 chapters found in the entire New Testament, did you know there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ? That means if you were to omit passages about prophecy, you would have to remove one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament. You would also have to skip 23 of the 27 New Testament books because that’s how many mention it. For every prophecy about the birth of Christ, there are eight about His Second Coming. Considering prophecy’s prominence in the Bible, how could any believer call it unimportant?”

Dr. David Jeremiah

And that’s just in the New Testament! Bible Scholars estimate that 27% to 28% of the Old Testament is prophecy. That’s a lot of the Bible to ignore! So I did some research to find out why.

One Christian author, Steve Lampman, suggests that fear is to blame (And we know where fear comes from: SATAN). Steve says,

“Fear of showing their lack of knowledge on the subject. Fear pastors may have of offending or scaring church members. Maybe the fear that people will stop coming and stop giving to support the church. Or maybe it’s the fear of them looking like a fringe group who take things to an extreme when other churches pulpits are silent on the subject. … There are many pastors who remain silent on Bible prophecy because they don’t understand and were never taught it in seminary. ” 

Steve Miller also attributes fear as the reason prophecy is not being taught in the church:

  1. A fear of generating Controversy and Division
  2. A fear of being viewed as sensational
  3. A fear of the Complicated and Unknown

Before I began this research, I didn’t expect to find that fear would be the culprit behind this neglect. But it seems to be so.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

Photo by HAN Mengqi on Unsplash

SOURCES:

https://www.stevelampman.com/why-pastors-dont-teach-on-one-quarter-of-the-bible/

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/age-of-signs/why-should-we-study-prophecy?srsltid=AfmBOooICL-F6DS0vS-arwcCS94Vm3ZDbUrF2rm4-diS3rqKwm4BgO1m

https://harvestprophecy.com/why-are-some-churches-reluctant-to-teach-bible-prophecy

Christian, Israel & the Jews

Are You an Obadiah?

Reflection for Monday, 7/6/26

Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.” 1 Kings 18:3-4 NIV

A MESSAGE FROM AMIR TSARFATI

As the man in charge of Ahab’s household, Obadiah found himself serving in the highest levels of a corrupt and godless government. Yet when Jezebel began slaughtering the prophets of the Lord, he quietly hid one hundred of them in two caves, fifty in each, and provided them with bread and water.

What a reminder for us today.

God may place you in a position of influence where you are surrounded by ungodliness and compromise. He hasn’t put you there for fame, success, or fortune. He has placed you there to serve Him in places where others have no access and to be a faithful witness in the midst of darkness.

When I was appointed deputy governor of Jericho at the age of twenty-one, I knew it was my faith that led the colonel to choose a lieutenant as his second-in-command. My promotion defied both logic and military convention, yet the governor sensed something in me that made him trust me more than others. I never hid my faith from him, even though he was an Orthodox Jew.

You may not be an Elijah- with all the bold confrontations, dramatic moments, and public displays of power.

But maybe, just maybe, you’re an Obadiah.

And that is no less significant in the kingdom of God.

Courage, faithfulness, and truth are rare commodities these days.

The Bible is filled with ordinary men and women whom God used to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of many.

Be one of them.”

A Message from Amir Tsarfati, on his Telegram Channel

Telegram is the one-stop shop for daily updates from Amir related to current events in the Middle East and what’s taking place around the world. Connect with Amir and Behold Israel HERE.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic