“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
RealChristianWomen.blog
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 NIV (emphasis mine)
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
(Jesus) said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” Luke 9:48 NIV Read full chapter
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
Over twenty years ago, I became a special education teacher. I quickly realized that I couldn’t make a difference in every student’s life. But the Lord planted in me the idea that if I could make a difference in just one student’s life, I had accomplished something wonderful.
That’s when I learned the Story of the Starfish. It made such a huge impression on me that I hung a dried starfish on my desk lamp as a reminder (and it’s still there today).
The Starfish Story – Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley
A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.
She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”
The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”
This is the same idea the Lord spoke to me about my blog: Don’t pay attention to numbers. Write for individual people. If just one person is encouraged, that’s something wonderful.
Look around for your starfish – someone you can encourage, or maybe even introduce to Jesus. Now that’s something wonderful!
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38 Read full chapter
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
Do you consider your ministry small and insignificant? God doesn’t! I encourage you to press on in your service to the Lord. Do not let the enemy discourage you! Trust the Lord to lead you and guide you. He who promised is faithful!
In the following parable, “The bags of gold (Greek talanton) represent all the opportunities God gives people to serve Him, including their wealth, reputation, abilities, and learning. This parable warns believers to diligently take everything God has given and invest it for His glory as they await Christ’s second coming.” (David Jeremiah Bible Study Notes)
Read the passage below and ask yourself, “What have I done with my bag(s) of gold?
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30 NIV
Maybe you think you have been given only one bag of gold. For example, maybe you write a blog and don’t have many views. Or maybe you teach Sunday School to children, or your ministry is visiting the nursing home.
Maybe the enemy tries to deceive you into thinking your small ministry isn’t important. He wants you to give up (bury it). The enemy will try to make you afraid and quit. “I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.” (v.25)
Don’t hide your bag of gold in the ground! Just one bag of gold was worth, 20 years wages! Your “small” ministry is valuable to God!
(a) Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.
Every time you speak or write God’s Word from the Bible, you are engaged in spiritual warfare. That’s right!
“The sword of the Spirit … is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
Speaking TRUTH is spiritual warfare. Fight on!
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22 NIV (emphasis mine)
My thoughts: Willingness to do God’s will, not perfection, is the path to God’s favor.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
RealChristianWomen.blog
Knowledge of God’s Word can help us to discern whether or not our desires come from the Holy Spirit. We must test our inclinations against Scripture—the Holy Spirit will never prod us to do anything contrary to God’s Word. If it conflicts with the Bible, then it is not from the Holy Spirit and should be ignored.
GotQuestions.org
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Pray for Israel
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RealChristianWomen.blog
