“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23 NIV
How heartbreaking that some people put their trust in a false god. Sadly, many do. Some of these people even believe they are saved. But in reality, they worship another Jesus. This is what Jesus was talking about in the verses above.
The Apostle Paul said it like this,
“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, this you tolerate very well!” 2 Corinthians 11:4 NASB
God’s Word warns us. May we seek Truth and embrace it. Knowing God’s Word is our protection against deception.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:11-12, The Apostle Paul speaking (emphasis mine)
My message to you: If you aren’t content in your present situation, ask the Lord to teach you how to be content. Tell Jesus you want to learn to be content. I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t pray for God to change our situation. But sometimes, our need is to be content where we are. This truth has been very helpful to me in my walk with God.
If Paul could learn to be content when in prison or when going hungry, we can also learn to be content no matter what our circumstances happen to be.
I pray that this short lesson will give you hope, knowing that Jesus can and will teach you how to be content. Ask Him.
4/20/25 (Previously titled What Easter Means to Me)
Easter reminds me that because Jesus paid the penalty for my sins, I am free from guilt and shame. Have you ever felt such deep guilt that you couldn’t forgive yourself?
For those of us who have been forgiven much, love for Jesus runs deep because it changes our life in an indescribable way. It can’t be explained to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Maybe you could imagine what it would be like when you hear the hymn, Amazing Grace, written by John Newton, a slave ship captain who experienced God’s merciful forgiveness.
Another example is a woman known only as “The Sinful Woman”.
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:36-50 NIV
Footnotes
Luke 7:41 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).
This woman came to hear Jesus while he dined with some religious leaders. I have often wondered, What was she doing at the party!?
“But it was acceptable in Jesus’ day for people to come to a party to watch and listen to the conversation. They were not allowed to eat, but they could observe.” (Never Thirsty Ministry)
She was there to see and hear Jesus.
I have no idea what Jesus and the Pharisees talked about. Maybe Jesus talked about the forgiveness of sins. Perhaps, as she listened, she believed He was the Messiah and experienced the joy of receiving forgiveness.
Maybe Jesus quoted Old Testament Scriptures such as Isaiah 1:18:
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Maybe He quoted Psalm 103:12:
“… as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
And maybe, He looked right in her eyes as he did, not at the Pharisees, but only at her, and maybe that is why she cried so hard that she could literally wash His feet with her tears.
Verse 44 tells us that Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon,
“… her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Imagine how she felt, knowing He was talking about her.
She probably thought no one would notice her that evening. But Jesus looked right at her and spoke the words she longed to hear:
“Her many sins have been forgiven.”
To me, Easter means forgiveness and cleansing. Anyone carrying guilt can be set free from that heavy load, just like I was and just like slave ship Captain John Newton. Receive God’s gift of salvation by trusting in His son, Jesus, and giving your life to Him.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-8 KJV
A fascinating story about the song Amazing Grace.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
John walked down the crowded high school hallway carrying all the books from his locker when some bullies intentionally knocked them out of his hands.
A bystander walked up and helped him gather the books and supplies. Seeing that the boy was almost in tears, the bystander offered a few kind words.
The boy who had been bullied later became the class valedictorian. At graduation, he gave a powerful speech that caused the auditorium to become still in silence. He told the story of how at one time he had been planning to kill himself. He cleaned out his locker so that his mother wouldn’t have to do it after his death. He told how some students knocked the books from his hands leaving him in tears.
He explained how someone stopped and helped him gather his books, taking the time to speak kindly to him for just a few minutes. This act of kindness gave him the will to keep living because it showed him that kindness existed in the world. This simple act of compassion saved his life.
“Love is … kind…” I Corinthians 13: 4
I have failed to follow God’s path many times in my life. When I reflect on God’s kindness to me in spite of my failings, I am utterly amazed.
Why is God so patient and kind to me? Do I deserve it? Definitely not! And yet, He is always there, ready to listen to my cries for help when I need Him. Always faithful to His promises, always revealing His love for me expressed in His great kindness.
If I meditate on His kindness to me, how can I be anything but kind to others? God’s love is expressed in kindness.
Many times I have received a note or gift from a friend, and that person had no idea that God was using their expression of kindness to lift my heart, encourage me, and turn my eyes back on Jesus.
Even though it may seem like a small thing to us, writing a note, providing a small gift, or a random act of kindness could be just what a person needs at that time. We must not think we don’t have time or we’re too busy. May we slow down and take the time to show kindness where it is needed.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 NIV
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Titus 3:4-5a NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV (emphasis mine)
When I don’t understand something in the Bible, this verse reassures me. After all, God’s thoughts and actions are beyond human comprehension. We should trust in His wisdom, even when we don’t understand it. God said,
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV
Have you ever been in total darkness? Imagine what that would be like and then read what God has said about it. There are 142 verses about darkness. You can read some of them HERE.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
Our life of praise to the Almighty is a stone thrown in a deep mill pond, evidenced in the widening ripples. The mystery being, we will never know how far our ripples travel in this world.
Alan Kearns, Ripples of Praise, Devotional Treasure
My thoughts: I believe the Lord sometimes uses something we said or did to help another person. Then that person helps someone, and then that person helps someone. And so go the ripples! How far? We will never know!
“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11 NIV
Commentary: “He shall come in like manner … By any fair interpretation, this can mean nothing short of a visible and bodily coming. It may mean more than that. It cannot mean less.” R.A. Torrey, 28 January 1856 – 26 October 1928
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12 NIV Read full chapter
We are in good company in enduring the world’s hatred … If the world had nothing better than a cross for Jesus, it will not have a royal carriage for His followers.” J.C. Macaulay
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
“The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” Matthew 21:6-8 NIV Read full chapter
Commentary: The people showed that they were receiving Christ as royalty by spreading their cloaks on the road and palm branches before Him and shouting words meant only for the Messiah.
Palm leaves represented independence to the Jewish people. Waving palms expressed their hope that the Messiah was in the city, taking control, throwing off Roman bondage, and setting them free. He did set them free, but not in the way they expected. (Jeremiah Study Bible Notes)
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”
Real Christian Women 