Repent and Believe Podcast w/ Cynthia Smalls

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker 😊💥 Join me today as I discuss that Ultimately, it comes down to a question of will. Will you choose righteousness over sin? Will you identify and take the way of escape that exists with every temptation? Will you study God’s Word so that you can know what He expects of you? Will you follow the example of Christ? Will you keep your eyes focused on the reward of Heaven? We must do these things if we hope to be successful in the battle against sin.

As long as we live in the flesh, we will have the ability to commit sin. Because of this, God has provided an avenue of pardon. Non-Christians can have their sins washed away in the waters of baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Christians who commit sin “have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1; cf. 1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22).

However, this avenue of forgiveness should never be used as an excuse for sin. The goal is that we “may not sin” (1 John 2:1). Paul said we are to “consider [ourselves] to be dead to sin” (Romans 6:11). Remember that Jesus left an example for us (1 Peter 2:21-22). Let us be careful each day – even each hour – to follow His perfect example.

AMEN!

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REASONS AND EXCUSES where it comes to sin. We are to stop making excuses for our sins - we shouldn't be sinning anyway! We as Christians, need to stop using the "God is still working on me" line as an excuse to continue to justify doing the things we know are displeasing to God! Every sin is a transgression against God, because sin violates His moral standard for human beings. We are to deliberately, on purpose avoid sin! Tune in for more insight!

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss SPIRITUAL RECHARGE: GETTING OUR CHRIST-LIKE MIND TOGETHER! Having come back from visiting family members, where the visit went completely to the left, I just wanted to jump on the podcast real quick to refresh my spirit and to get my Christ-like mind together!

When you are the mist of darkness🤦🏽‍♀️, you must take a bloodbath in the blood of Jesus, if you will, to scrub off all of the negativity, to repent for any words that were out of line for a child of God, and to get your spirit back in check with the Holy Spirit! So for me, with today's episode, I just wanted, as a personal therapy session with the Holy Spirit, to remind myself of the rudiments of salvation, and of the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings, and to get my mind and spirit back on course! Because I felt with this out of town visit, I got pulled into some heavy family drama and if I don't check myself, I will allow the "cares of the world" to choke the Word of God that has been planted in me! I'm keeping it real today folks! When you go outside of your comfort zone, and into this dark vile-laden, sin-sick world, you got to strap up! You must put on the full Armor of God! Because Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion looking to see whom he can devour!"

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💪🏾💪🏾 So let's get into it today!

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker 🥰 💥 💖 Join me today as we discuss who the children of God are and who children of the devil are! As children of God, we must remain in fellowship with Christ, so that when He returns, we will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him and shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God's children! And our Father loves us very much! And how do we know this? The Bible says that He calls us His children, and that is what we are! I also discuss that damnable quote from that Hindu idol-worshipper, Gandhi, who coined the phrase, "God hates sin, loves the sinners." I expound on how the Body of Christ, who calls themselves, children of God, but wants to kick and scream when they hear that God hates sinners! The Bible tells us that when we do what is right, it shows that we are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on SINNING, it shows that they belong to the devil! God calls His children to love one another! We must love the brethren! We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother, because he had been doing what was evil and his brother, Abel, have been doing what was righteous. God, our Heavenly father, commands us that we must believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments, remain in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us, because the Spirit He gave us lives in us!

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss whether or not Man's Free Will is compatible with the Sovereignty of God? Who's in the driver's seat here?

Does man's "free will" allows him to choose to come to Christ for the saving of his soul? Does God have a right to choose whom He should have mercy on and whom He has destined for destruction? Well for starters, Jesus told us that, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day" (John 6:44); that man in his corrupt fallen nature, CANNOT on his own volition come to Christ because, "10 There is no one righteous, not even one;

11 there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10). And we further know that we were chosen beforehand by God when He tells us, "4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves" (Ephesians 4). So as far as men's free will to choose to come to Christ, let us not forget what Jesus told us in John 15:16,

"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you." People have a problem with the doctrine of Predestination, for it is a complex and difficult topic to behold and most people would rather bypass it all together as it causes debates and arguments within the Body of Christ. Let's crack open the Bible today and see what the Word of God has to say about man's "free will" vs. God's absolute sovereignty!

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss: Do we, the lump of clay, have a right to ask the Potter why He takes the same lump of clay, and creates one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? For God did say, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose,

and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” Both election and predestination refer to God’s choosing those who will be saved, but the latter term is used in a broader sense as well. This is a difficult biblical doctrine to understand, so serious digging into Scripture is required. When we look at the terms election and predestination, we are delving into the core of God’s Word by which God provides a glimpse of salvation from His perspective. The term “elect” refers to those whom God has chosen throughout time, this doctrine says that we choose God because He first chose us. Knowing that God chose us and then saved us by His grace means there is no room for boasting in Heaven. Where is man's boast about his free will to decide whether or not he will come to Christ? Instead, we should be filled with humility, gratitude, and love. Predestination is definitely one of “the secret things” of Deuteronomy 29:29 for in this life we see dimly and only in part, but one day we shall know fully (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss those who say they want God, but are UNWILLING to completely submit to His ways and commands. To their detriment, they will reap everlasting destruction! 😔 We will also be talking about our steps of Salvation from Justification, Sanctification and Glorification. When we hear the Gospel and believe it, we repent of our sins. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, we are instantly justified - we have been saved from the penalty of sin. The next phase is sanctification which is an ongoing process of being saved from the power of sin, where we put away the sin by crucifying the flesh daily. As we stand firm in Christ until the end, we are looking for the glorification of our mortal bodies to be resurrected in glorification just as Jesus is, and this is the Glorification process, when we will be saved from the presence of sin.

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss how does sin separates us from God and what are the effects of sin and what that means for us. There is more to sin than failing to follow a set of laws or meet specific religious obligations. It is not only about what we do, but also about who we are in relationship to God. Sin shatters humanity's connection with God in a way that cannot be repaired by paying fines, or serving sentences, or by good works. God is patient and merciful; He wants all people to return to Him in repentance. He understands, in His infinite wisdom, the imperfections of human nature. The love of Christ offers a chance for hope and salvation! Just as Christ was resurrected from the dead, so we too are resurrected from the spiritual death of sin. Glory be to God!

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Wake up and put away the sin! There is no benefit in sin! If we say we love God like we do, then we walk in the spirit and not by the stinking rotten flesh! 👉🏾Join me today as we discuss how do you see your relationship with God the Father? Is it deep enough for you to stop sinning? Do you love him so much that you will obey Him? Well that is what we'll be discussing today. Consequently, if we want to overcome temptation then we have to see our relationship with our Heavenly Father as the #1 reason not to sin. We are also taking a look at Romans 6. Paul answers the question of whether Christians should continue to sin. His answer is emphatic: we absolutely should not. First, when we came to God by faith in Jesus, we died to sin. We are not slaves to it any more. Second, what did living for sin ever get us? It led to shame and death. The righteousness given to us for free by God in Christ Jesus leads to becoming like Jesus and to eternal life. We should serve righteousness instead of sin.

Follow me on Facebook under AuntCynthia Whitaker ☺️👑😊 Join me today as we discuss how everybody will hate you - because of Jesus' Name! But you know what? Sometimes you just got to SHAKE the dust off your feet! Jesus said in

John 15:18,

"If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first." He's letting us know that we're not greater than our Master, if the world hated Him, oh trust and believe, they are going to hate you too! Jesus told us to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. The problem with this pagan world, which is ran by the "prince of the air" - Satan, is that they hate Jesus, they hate the message of the cross, they hate the resurrection, and they hate His followers & messengers! They will reject the preaching of the Gospel! They will scoff at it. They will mock it. They will tell you to your face to stop preaching it to them - and this will come from those closest to you! But Jesus said for us to shake the dust off our feet and move on to the next town! We show our obedience, by the preaching and spreading the Gospel. We are NOT responsible for those who reject the very message that can save their souls! The phrase, "shake the dust off your feet," is symbolic by saying that you wash your hands of the matter! That you have done your responsibility and you have done all that was needed to preach them the Gospel! If they choose to reject the Gospel, Jesus said that Sodom and Gomorrah will fare better at the judgment than them. “Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town” (Matthew 10:15). NOW THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING - 'CUZ WE KNOW JUST HOW WICKED SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE!