BE BOLD!

by Cindy Bice

Aloha!

Be bold in the Lord and in the power of His might!

I recently saw a picture of a cat looking at its reflection in a puddle of water.  What the cat saw was a lion!

If you were looking at your reflection, what would you see?  Would you see a victorious warrior or as defeated and insignificant? Look at yourself through eyes of faith and see yourself the way God sees you.  He sees you through the work that Jesus wrought on the cross.  When God looks at you, He sees you whole and victorious!

How you see God directly affects how you see yourself! Our perception is our reality.

It doesn’t take long in reading the Bible to see what a mighty God we serve!  He is awesome in power!  King of kings and Lord of lords! 

In a day when we are pushed and shoved to be politically correct, I encourage you to stand for Jesus.  Be bold in your faith and don’t ever shy away from sharing the hope that Jesus has placed in your heart.  No one can ever take away your testimony in what the Lord has done for you!

When we moved to Hawaii, I overcompensated being considerate of others who believed differently from me so much so I found I wasn’t saying anything about my precious Lord. By living my Christian life by example so others can see Him in me, I found the Lord opened doors for me to share the hope I have in me with others.  I also welcome any and every opportunity when the Lord opens a door, I walk right through it. 

Being bold for the Lord does not mean that you are obnoxious and rude.  What it means is you don’t shrink back from sharing Jesus when given the opportunity.  You won’t win many souls for the Lord knocking them over the head with your Bible, but sharing the truth of the Gospels with the love of God in a thoughtful way, will make the hungriest soul want to know more! 

Don’t hesitate to share the hope you have in your heart with others!  You don’t have to defend the Gospel.  By sharing your testimony of faith in Jesus, you have the potential to make a difference in someone’s eternity!

Be bold and know the Lord is with you!

Ephesians 6:19 (NKJV) “and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,”

1 Thessalonians 2:2 (NKJV) “But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.”

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

PICTURE: Kauai Marriott Resort

SONG: Morris Chapman and the Maranatha singers – Be bold, be strong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYZ880P5-Jk

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice

DO UNTO OTHERS

by Cindy Bice

Aloha!

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

As Christians, we are blessed to have experienced the unconditional love of God! Because God loves us and fills us with His love, we can love others!

Treat others the way you want to be treated. Think about the attributes of God’s love for us and practice those thoughtful attitudes towards others.

Have you ever been mistreated?  I have.  Did you want to lash back?  My first response at the time was fear for what was done and then I quickly understood they did not see me as I saw them.  Rather than fear them, I chose to forgive and continued to show the love of God by my actions and attitude.  (Every situation will be different and should be treated accordingly.) 

On other occasions, I have felt like slapping people for being cruel and mean!  No, I didn’t actually slap anyone, but I sure felt like it!  When cruel injustice is done, it’s very hard to be civil.  In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to allow our emotions escalate to anger and we may say or do things we will greatly regret and are not able to take back.

What do you do when you are provoked or have been wronged?  It depends on the situation. Serious situations may require your dialing 911 for help.  You may need to speak to a Guidance Counselor.

When you let anger and hate fill your heart, that’s what is going to come out in your actions and words.  When you let God’s love fill your heart, that’s what is going to come out in your actions and words. 

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Rather than react, we can choose our response. Before saying anything, take a breath and pause.  While doing that, ask yourself Will it help or hurt what you’re dealing with?   

Luke 6:31 (NIV) “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

1 John 4:7,8 (NKJV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Ephesians 5:2 (ESV) “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

PICTURE: My husband and I at Dukes Restaurant in Kauai

SONG: Brandon Heath – Your Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vbg2dpX-EY

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice

CHOOSE JESUS FIRST

by Cindy Bice

Aloha!

God is not an afterthought.  Choose Jesus first before everything else!

Life can be very full and busy.  Before you know it, the day has ended and you still haven’t taken time for Jesus. Jesus needs to be the anchor to our souls and our firm foundation that we build our lives on.  Without Him in our daily lives and on the throne of our hearts, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

I used to have a hamster and he had a wheel he would run on in his cage.  He would run and the wheel would turn, but he never got anywhere.  Do you ever feel exasperated and frustrated like you aren’t getting anywhere? Break the insanity cycle and make a change!  Put Jesus first before any and everything else! 

You may not feel like you have time to include a moment of prayer or a brief Bible devotion, but without these how can you hear God and find direction for your life? 

There are many distractions in our lives that can get us off track from what we need to be doing.  Take time to step back and look at your life.  You may need to make some changes. Remember to put Jesus as your first priority.  Ask yourself the importance of each item and prioritize accordingly.  You may be able to let go of some things or just trim off the time they are taking.  For example, you may need to take 30 minutes from watching tv to allow time to pray and read your Bible and have a few family moments too!

Choose Jesus first. You’ll be glad you did!  He’s our peace, He’s the joy of our Salvation.  He gives us strength when we are weak.  He fills our hearts and lives with hope.  He is our firm foundation! He is with us always!  

Acts 17:28 (NIV) “For in him we live and move and have our being.”

John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Psalm 119:30 (KJV) “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

PICTURE: Waterfall in Dukes Restaurant in Kauai

SONG: Desert Song, Natalie Grant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuNCtsm6YvA

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice

HUMBLE YOURSELF!

by Cindy Bice

Aloha!

If there was ever a time we needed the Lord, it’s now! 

Now is the time to humble ourselves before God. 

It’s time to humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways.

How do you humble yourself? 

It’s something you choose to do.  It shows in your attitude and actions. God gives us a free will and it’s up to us to acknowledge Jesus is Lord of our lives.  When we do that, we are putting Him on the throne of our hearts and we live our lives to please Him.  Our attitude needs to be, “Not my will be done, but Thy will be done.” When you humble yourself, you are preferring the Lord over your own desires.  You are putting Him first.  You are letting God be God.

My husband and I were in the process of building and buying our first home.  We were both so excited! One day I felt like something was wrong and so my husband and I prayed and read our Bibles seeking answers.  The Lord gave us our answer and told us not to buy the house.  We humbled ourselves by choosing what God told us over our own desire in buying the house.  Months later we discovered the whole neighborhood had dropped drastically in prices because the water was bad. If we had insisted on having our way in what we wanted, we would have been in a big mess, but by humbling ourselves before the Lord and being obedient to His instruction, we were spared. 

1 Peter 5:6,7 (NIV) “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

James4:6 (ESV) “But he gives more grace.  Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Matthew 23:12 (ESV) “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Isaiah 62:6 (NKJV) “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night.  You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,”

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

PICTURE: Kauai Rooster

SONG: If my people, Jimmy Owens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPY-CrPtdKw

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice