Bible

How Can Empty Be Good?

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

“Very early that Sunday morning, the women made their way to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Jesus’ mother Mary. Arriving at the tomb they discovered that the huge stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside, so they went in to look.
But the tomb was empty. The body of Jesus was gone!”
Luke 24:1-3 TPT

The Tomb was empty

Dictionary.com defines “EMPTY” as:

  • containing nothing
  • having none of the usual or appropriate content
  • vacant
  • unoccupied
  • deprived of contents, to discharge
  • without knowledge or sense; frivolous; foolish
  • without force, effect, or significance; hollow; meaningless
  • without knowledge or sense; frivolous; foolish

Synonyms for empty: dry, vacant, uninhabited, unfilled, unoccupied, hollow, deserted, devoid, desolate, bare, blank, barren, flat, worthless, meaningless, idle

So how can empty be a good thing?

A search of the Dictionary of Bible Themes regarding “Empty” or “Emptiness” returned the following:

“Scripture stresses the emptiness of human life without God, and notes that Jesus Christ chose to empty Himself in order to redeem humanity.

Human life can be empty Ruth 1:21; Ecclesiastes 1:2; 3:19; Ecclesiastes 12:8

Human attempts at fulfillment are empty

  • Work does not satisfy Isaiah 55:2 Psalms 127:1-2; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Ecclesiastes 6:7; Haggai 1:5-6
  • Pleasure does not last Job 20:5; Proverbs 21:17; Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, 25
  • Wealth does not satisfy Ecclesiastes 5:10; Ecclesiastes 4:7-8; Luke 12:15; 1Timothy 6:9-10
  • Material possessions are unreliable Luke 12:18-20; Job 8:13-15; Job 15:31; Psalms 49:10,12,16-17; Proverbs 11:4; Ecclesiastes 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:7
  • False religion cannot save Isaiah 57:13; Judges 10:14; Isaiah 44:17-18; Isaiah 45:20; Isaiah 46:7; Jermiah 11:12; Acts 14:15”

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What’s Your Price?

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

“Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.”  Matthew 26:14-15

What amount of money, fame, prestige, influence, authority, or wealth would it take for you to sell out Jesus Christ? For Judas, it was 30 pieces of silver. What’s your price? Do you have a price?

We live in a society where we are so interconnected… we have the ability, in the blink of an eye, to post, snap, tweet, share, pin, link, blog, ping and tag any and every thought, idea, or belief to family, friends, colleagues and strangers around the world.

But what if our family, friends, colleagues, and strangers don’t agree with our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs? What then? At what point do you stop posting, snapping, tweeting, sharing, pinning, linking, blogging, pinging, and tagging? 

What if somebody completely disagrees with you and doesn’t like what you have to say? What if those strangers don’t like what you have to say? Do we change our stand, for the sake of harmony? Or do you stand? Are you willing to lose the approval of strangers for your thoughts, ideas, or beliefs? What about friends, family, and colleagues? Are you ready to maybe have your feelings hurt?

I imagine that most here are thinking… well if I say something uncomfortable and a stranger doesn’t like what I’m saying that I am not going to change what I stand for. I get that.

What about colleagues? What about your livelihood? What if what you spoke was “not allowed” or considered improper or politically incorrect or deemed intolerant by your employer? Are you okay to lose your income for what you believe? Will you continue to stand strong in your beliefs? Remember, we’re talking about making your living and your income. Continue reading →

Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

I bought a book a couple of months ago, “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” by Louie Giglio. I was intrigued by the title and the back cover description as it was in line with the book that I had recently published. https://titus345.com/my-books-2/Who-do-you-think-you-are/

From the back cover:
“You don’t have to let negative thoughts control your life. You don’t have to allow the enemy to influence your thinking. You have power through Jesus Christ to take control of your thoughts and emotions. Jesus invites you to a table the He has prepared for you – a table where the enemy is not invited.”
My original intent was to have this book as my summer study. I mean seriously ten chapters – 194 pages, just the right size for a summer study.
Oh my… was I wrong. This book has taken me through the summer and just into the fall to get through it all. It is so jam-packed with simple, yet such profound wisdom… so much needed in my life that I found myself reading and rereading the same pages… and some paragraphs. I found my thinking in these pages.
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Perspective

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

glass ball on wood clip art

The difference between a bad day and a good day is simply just a difference in perspective. We have the ability to change how we think, to alter our perspective, and so change how we feel and how we act on any given day, or in any particular circumstance.
Many of us spend so much of our lives trying to discover our purpose, why we are in this life.  Asking questions like: “Why am I here?” “What am I supposed to be doing?” “What does this life mean?” “What is the point of all of this?” “Is this all there is?” And then there are those questions that we already know the answers to… “Why can’t I just be happy?” “Why do I feel so empty?” “Why can’t I have it all my way?” “Who am I really?” “Why isn’t it all about me?”

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The Fruit of The Spirit

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 BSB

Love – When I asked the Lord to reveal to me His Love, He said, “I already have, now go and love those who have been cast aside!” and He brought me to those in need of a simple touch of His love.

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Oranges Make Orange Juice

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” Matthew 12:34

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”
Matthew 12:35

“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” Matthew 15:18

What do those verses have to do with Orange Juice? Let’s take a step back. If you were to take a whole, unpeeled orange and squeeze it with all your strength, what would the result be? Right… the result would be orange juice; it wouldn’t be tomato juice or apple juice. Because an orange, or any fruit for that matter, can only give up what it contains on the inside.

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Alive in the Spirit

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Alive in the Spirit: Experiencing the Presence and Power of GodAlive in the Spirit: Experiencing the Presence and Power of God by A.W. Tozer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is the Holy Spirit active in your life? Many people look to extraordinary experiences as evidence of the Holy Spirit. But what happens when the experience ends? How can we be filled with the Spirit every day in the ordinary things we do?

Many talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit, but few accept God’s conditions. Tozer lays down these requirements in his trademark bold and wise way. Though every Christian has the Spirit, not every Christian is filled with the Spirit. Knowing the difference will change your life.

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Praying Through Hard Times

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 3 Comments

As I am writing the review of this book…  I am trying to keep myself from thinking about the appointment that I have tomorrow morning for a breast biopsy.  I’m not sure that this book could have come at a better time.

With an ovarian cancer diagnosis 4 years ago…. and Praise Jesus, no reoccurence… I have been struggling with this appointment – playing out all of the worst case scenario’s over and over in my thoughts

But after finishing this book this morning… all I can do is take my heart and my fears to Him.  To take them to His throne, and at that throne… I find my strength.

I found solace in the words of this book… I pray that you do too. Continue reading →

52 Reasons to Believe – A Review

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

52 Reasons to Believe: Concise Thoughts on the Christian Faith52 Reasons to Believe: Concise Thoughts on the Christian Faith by Gregg Farah

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Have doubts about the Christian faith? 52 Reasons to Believe is a devotional theology book, offering concise thoughts on the Christian faith. It will help you confront your questions and disarm your doubt. You’ll learn what the Bible says about itself and the character of God, and discover how they relate to contemporary life. Learn on your own or with a group, but expect to develop a stronger faith as you arm yourself with 52 Reasons to Believe.”

52 Reasons To Believe is divided into 4 sections. “The Bible is…” “ God is…” Jesus is…” “The Holy Spirit is…” Each section focuses, reveals, identifies and shares the characteristics, traits and descriptions and evidences of each particular topic. The author invites the reader to “dig in” and confront your questions, disarm your doubts and strengthen your spiritual life.

Within each of the 52 chapters, you will find: a reason to believe, a key quote, a “did you know” section, a “link to your life”, small group discussion questions, a Key verse and a short prayer.

Whether you decide to read this book all at once, or use it as a chapter a day or week, this book is a great resource for Christians of all spiritual levels, and would be perfect for groups focusing on new believers.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads
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