Blog Post

Kingdom Citizen

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Kingdom Citizen: Your Role in Rebuilding a Broken NationKingdom Citizen: Your Role in Rebuilding a Broken Nation by Tony Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The news is filled with stories of violence, division, and despair. American politics have become polarized. Effective leadership is in short supply. Change may seem outside our reach. And Christians struggle to understand their role in reversing the downward spiral of our nation.

Dr. Tony Evans offers a healthy dose of hope: the solution to our nation’s problems and unrest isn’t out of reach. The solution is here—and each one of us as Kingdom Citizens has a vital role to play.

Be assured that our God is greater than any challenge—and He has promised to equip His people. In Kingdom Citizen, you’ll discover how to respond in faith, in spite of a country and culture in decline.

Here is a powerful call to action for concerned Christians. Here is a call for unity and restoration. And here is strong assurance that each of us has the ability to walk justly, to seek truth, and to stand in the gap for our land.”

Continue reading →

Does God Really Forgive Our Sins?

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Does God Really Forgive Our Sins? And if He does then why do we keep taking them back?

So a few weeks back, I was having a sweet chat with a dear friend and she said to me, “Do you believe that God really forgives our sins?” Without hesitation, I said yes I do.

She went on to tell me that sometimes she feels like no matter how many times she asks forgiveness, she feels like He doesn’t hear her. She doesn’t feel forgiven; thoughts of that particular sin seem to plague her.

There are dozens of Scriptures that talk about repentance and God’s forgiveness in the Bible, here are just a few that I shared with my dear friend.

Continue reading →

Transforming Presence

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Transforming Presence: How the Holy Spirit Changes Everything-From the Inside OutTransforming Presence: How the Holy Spirit Changes Everything-From the Inside Out by Daniel Henderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Why did Jesus say it would be better for Him to go? He said the coming of the Helper – the Holy Spirit – was that important. And that the Spirit who so powerfully turned bumbling disciples into unstoppable world changers is alive in us. But misunderstandings, confusion and contention are keeping us from the abundant, satisfying life God has for us in Him.”

Transforming Presence by Daniel Hendersonis an eye–opening book on the subject of Holy Spirit. The author reminds and teaches us that He is not just a “member” of the Trinity. He is God. “Because Holy Spirit is a person, He can be intimately known deeply loved, and clearly understood. Because He is God, we relate to Him in abandoned worship, unquestioned obedience and full surrender.” (Page 84) And as such we have the gift of the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit in each of us; our role is to let His presence invade not just our life and the life of our churches as well.

Continue reading →

Praying God’s Promises

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Praying God's Promises: The Life-Changing Power of Praying the ScripturesPraying God’s Promises: The Life-Changing Power of Praying the Scriptures by Linda Evans Shepherd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Prayer changes things. Praying God’s promises changes everything. The Scriptures tell us that when we pray the will of God, he delights to answer our prayers. But what is God’s will in any given situation? How can we know it? And if we don’t know it, how can we pray it?

In this inspiring book, Linda Evans Shepherd reveals that God’s will is not a mystery–it’s clearly laid out in his Word through his many promises. Through stories, practical application, examples of prayers, and guided reflection, she leads you toward a more powerful prayer life. Arranged by topic for ease of use, this book shows how to pray God’s promises of peace, for health, for relationships, for our children, and so much more.” Continue reading →

The Tragedy of Dumbing Down Christianity

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

This article is reprinted in it’s entirety with the permission of the Author – Ethan Renoe

The other day I was in a coffee shop in the mountains, seated near the counter. A guy in his early 20s walked in wearing a TOOL shirt and a long ponytail. I could overhear his conversation as he approached the barista and they began chatting. Somehow it came up that she attends a Christian university and he clearly didn’t approve.

“Do they incorporate religion into all the classes there?” he asked. “Even the science classes? How does that work?”

She valiantly began explaining how they pray before every class and teach from a Christian worldview, but it soon became evident that she was being crushed in this conversation. He was well-schooled in the writings of Dawkins, Hitchens and Nye, and began doling out the punishment.

I use the word punishment because this poor barista has herself been punished by a church system which, for the past 200 years, has begun discarding intelligence in favor of emotion, conversion experiences and passion. Ask most American Christians today any question deeper than “Does God love everyone?” and you’re bound to get some sort of response suggesting that that sort of discourse should be reserved for theological universities.

The other day, a friend of mine said he sees no merit in understanding Calvinism or Arminianism because he just wants to love God and love people. And it seems that the ball stops there for most Christians today. No need to know any more than that.

Continue reading →

A Crossless Christianity Is the Real Issue

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Note: This article is reprinted in it’s entirety with the express permission of the author, Reverend Nolan Harkness. For more information about Reverend Harkness Ministry please go to: www.verticalsound.org .  

A Crossless Christianity Is the Real Issue

By Rev. Nolan J Harkness

I was sitting on the beautiful St. Lawrence River in a small rowboat fishing just as the sun was setting over Canada. A vibrant mix of reds and oranges with scattered patches of various shades of sky blue created a breathtakingly magnificent sky scape to my North. Majestic mountains of great white and grey thunderhead cloud formations towered to the south over Goose Bay. Just as I felt I was going to be raptured out of there in a Heavenly experience, the sun broke through the fresh rain mix, creating a full seven colored rainbow, reaching out what seemed like miles from end to end. As I was in the middle of praising God for the beauty of his handiwork, His still small voice interrupted in a clear and somber tone and said to my heart: “Nolan, unless the cross of Jesus Christ becomes the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, you will never complete all that I have called you to do!” My head and heart dropped in immediate repentance saying, “Yes, Lord by your grace may it one day be!”

Hanging on the wall of my home are several crosses, from different acquisitions at separate times in my life. My favorite is one I just call “The Old Wooden Cross”. Soon after I rededicated my life to the Lord in my early twenties the Holy Spirit began to clean up my life. I had in my season away from God been a bartender and a bouncer in a nightclub near Williamsport, Pa. From there I moved to Jacksonville Florida in 1979. One night at Diamond Head Night Club in Jacksonville, I met the sister of a member from a internationally known rock band. We dated for about six months. It was during the highs and lows of that relationship that I finally came to the end of myself. It was while I was struggling with suicidal thoughts that I gave my life fully to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. In addition, I was also very powerfully filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

Continue reading →

What G(g)od do you seek?

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 1 Comment

“And God spoke these words, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have NO other God before me.”  Exodus 20:1-3

The first of the Ten Commandments, along with the next three, tells of our duty to God. While the remaining 6, speak to our relationship with our neighbor. It is correct that this commandment be first as we had a Maker to love, before we had a neighbor to love.

He is Jehovah God. He is the singular object of our worship. The worship of any other god animate or inanimate is forbidden.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” Exodus 20:22-23 Continue reading →

Prophetic Instruction: Wake Up From Your Coma

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Dear Readers,

The following is a reprint of a recent article published online by Charisma Magazine. It is written by Dawn Hill; I invite you to check out her writings at http://lovesickscribe.com/

****************************************************************

Prophetic Instruction: Wake Up From Your Coma
By Dawn Hill

For the past few weeks, I have been struggling to find the words to describe what I have been experiencing and sensing. Though I know in ministry it is not kosher to bear our souls to one another publicly, I believe that our transparency and vulnerability with wisdom is necessary. We the church, myself included, have become experts at suppression and wearing masks—so much so that we do not know what it feels like to have the breath of God blow across our being as we are set free from the masquerade of it all, and we are called to remain with Him past the proverbial stroke of midnight. I extend an invitation to you in this thing called holy discontentment. Continue reading →

The Truth of My Identity in Christ

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Who am I? What is my true identity? This world sees me as a woman, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, helper, widow, worker, speaker, author, neighbor, the list goes on. And while all of those are in fact true, I am so much more. You see, my Savior says that…

I am forgiven.
I am redeemed.
I am accepted.
I am blameless.
I am blessed.
I am adopted as God’s child.
I am marked as belonging to God by the Holy Spirit…

and so much more.

Continue reading →

Anchored to the Rock

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

“The wise man in the storm prays to God not for safety from danger,
but deliverance from fear.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I used to live in the Hill Country of Central Texas. We lived in a modest home right across the street from the amazing Lake LBJ. We were in close proximity to where the Lower Colorado joins the Llano River. It was such a beautiful area; we were blessed to call it home.

Central Texas, at that time, had been in a severe drought for quite a number of years. Many of the lakes on that river had dried up, Lake LBJ, however, was a constant level lake… so we were able to enjoy it immensely – drought or no drought.

It was about 2 years after we moved there, that the drought broke. And oh did it break. The rains started and it didn’t look like it was ever going to stop. Thankfully, our home was up on a little knoll… with all of the flooding, it looked like we lived on our own tiny little island, just big enough for our little house and our cars.

Continue reading →