In Your Own Strength

2 Kings 2:13-15 (Amplified Bible) He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. And he took the mantle that fell from Elijah and struck the waters and said, Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And when he had struck the waters, they parted this way and that, and Elisha went over. When the sons of the prophets who were [watching] at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

The miracle was not done in Elijah’s strength or Elisha’s own strength. It was not done in the mantle’s strength but it was done when he called out to God. How many times do you try to do things in your strength? Like a little child we insist on trying to do things all by ourselves. After we exhaust all other options then we call out to God as our last resort. When God is in control He will receive the glory, just like those prophets recognizing the same Spirit which had been with Elijah was now with Elisha. We not only need to relinquish control but give God the glory. It is time to give up your struggle of trying to do thing in your own strength and give Him the glory.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin

Season of Produce

Psalm 1:2-3 (Amplified Bible) But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

Dear Heavenly Father,
May they be excited to read Your Word and they desire to follow the words that they read. Give them understanding as they focus upon You and Your Word. Let them become strong and not swayed by every new teaching. Let their faith grow stronger so that when the world seems to be crumbling they will stand in their belief, knowing that You are God and You have everything in Your control. Let them produce fruit like love, joy, and peace. Let them prosper in the midst of the world’s draught so that You will be glorified. These things we ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin

Silencing

James 2:14-20 (The Message) Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

Silencing is described as: making quiet, shutting up, hushing, putting an end to, gagging, stifling, making speechless. There is a song that speaks of government silencing the Word of God. My question is why, since we are living in a country which has laws protecting freedom of religion and freedom of speech, are we allowing our voices to be silenced? I do not encourage you to break laws but rather use your protected speech freedom and stand up for what Godly principles. I do not want to pay for abortions. I do not want our children to be taught that sex outside of marriage is okay. I do not want to fund things that go against the Word of God. I do not force my beliefs on others and they should not be allowed to force their beliefs on me. We have become complacent in our beliefs. We believe in Jesus but so do the demons. It is time to utilize the freedoms we have, no longer complacent, and act out and vocalize our faith.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin

Release the Chains

Exodus 14:13-16 Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. The Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to Me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward! Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelites shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

The children of Israel were captive in Egypt and up on their release they were led to the edge of the Red Sea. With the Egyptians chasing them, they were cornered and there was no way out. God had Moses tell them not to fear but stand still and just watch what God was going to do.

What is holding you captive? Once He delivers you from that situation, don’t go back, trust that God will protect you. The children were considering returning back to captivity, we often consider doing that ourselves. It looks easier to give up rather than to stand and trust. Today is the day for your to be delivered from your captor, you make the decision to leave your captor and then God will do the rest. You are not to be fearful and stand; the Lord will fight for you. It is time for you to be free of your chains; have peace and rest in the Lord.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin

Appreciation

Hebrews 13:7-8 (The Message) Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.

Traditionally we honor our pastors in October but this week step outside of your schedule and take a look at all the thing they do. Some pastors are bi-vocational so they work a 40 hour a week job then spend time visiting the elderly and sick, preparing sermons, sometimes cleaning the church, tending to repairs, mowing and any other activity that no one else will do. Even the full time pastors carry these same burdens. Our pastors are often over worked and under paid. They are there crying out to God with us and for us through rough times and sharing our joys in the good times. They are faithful, often much more faithful than we are. Show them that their sermons are reaching fertile ground in your heart, start living like Christ. Tell them and show them how much they have blessed your life.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin

Wanting More

Luke 11:9-11 (Amplified Bible) So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?

If you are wanting more in your relationship with God then seek Him. You will find Him in His word, you will find Him in your prayer, you will find Him in your praise to Him; you will find Him every time you open your eyes and your heart. Start looking for Him.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin

Waterlogged Christians

Zephaniah 1:12 (New King James Version) “ And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘ The LORD will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’

Have you ever wondered why we do not see the miracles that was done in the book of Acts? God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Outside of America, when people learn about Jesus, healings come, miracles happen-why-because those people are absorbing truths of God and THEY BELIEVE. God is still the same. But what He does in other places, what He did in Acts, we are not seeing here in America. The reason is because we are waterlogged Christians. We have been sitting and absorbing in our churches, we do not activate our faith in the Word we have heard. We are so waterlogged we cannot move, we are stagnant and stink. Those other people hear the Word of God and they simply believe; they activate their faith. We must release what we have absorbed; we must believe and activate our faith.

Love and God Bless,
Cindy Irwin