Our Hope

Don Merritt's avatarLife Project Blog

Romans 5:1-11

We have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

Let’s see a show of hands: How many of you were really excited when you read that first sentence?

Interesting…

Can we read these verses and say, “yep, that’s nice”? Can we be so used to hearing that we have been reconciled to God that we take it for granted?

Some time ago I was teaching a group of Christians and was discussing a similar verse, and I said something like, “doesn’t the understanding of this glorious truth change the way you view everything?”

I was chastised for suggesting such a thing because life is sooo very hard.

I was almost speechless, and I erroneously thought at first that they must have misunderstood the question or that I hadn’t spoken clearly enough, but as it turned out, they understood the question perfectly, they just didn’t think it was that…

View original post 327 more words

Scripture for Thursday, April 20 (4/20)

The scripture for today, April 20, is 1st John 4:20 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-KINDLE“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

Jealousy and hatred are very much akin. Are there people you are jealous of? Do they have a position you want, and so you say and do things to undermine their character or work, in order to get their position? Do you have a position you love, and there is a new person who could perform better, so you undermine that person’s ability in order to protect your position?

God eliminates jealousy this way: What you accomplish in public isn’t as important to him as what you accomplish in private. Jesus said those who receive praise by people already have their reward, so will not be praised by God (Matthew 6:1-5, 16-18). As much as it goes against human nature, prefer to do your good deeds in private, and God will reward you openly.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
order discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/LazarusSamaritan

 

#jealousy, #hate, #lying, #truth, #selfishness, #position, #importance, #praise, #promotion, #private, #goodworks, #reward

Scripture for Wednesday, April 19 (4/19)

The scripture for today, April 19, is 1st Corinthians 4:19a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Oldoldstory-COVER-KINDLE“But I will come to you very soon if the Lord is willing.”

God knows each step you take through life. He knows all the roads you take in each phase of your life, and what is awaiting you at the other end. The road you are on today may lead you to where you do not want to be. But being unable to see the future, you do not always know that.

The writer of the above scripture was telling his friends he was coming to see them soon “if the Lord is willing.” Sometimes a decision seems so right. But there may be danger on the way. Or there may be a different road to take leading you to somewhere even better.

Thank God, he does not say yes to all of our prayers. Try to remember, when you ask God for things, to add “Your will be done”. His will is for you to have the best life possible.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
order discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/BibleSongBook

 

#prayer, #desire, #answers, #omnipresence, #step, #road, #path, #decision, #ask, #better, #walk, #life

Scripture for Tuesday, April 18 (4/18)

The scripture for today, April 18, is 2nd Corinthians 4:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLD“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

In a sense, what is unseen is the true reality. We cannot see love, but we see its influence, and it is stronger than anything in the world that we can see. We cannot see God, but we can see his influence, and he is more real than anything in the world that we can see.

Sometimes we all say we wish we could see God and touch God. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t be God, for he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He would only be able to hear the prayer of one person at a time, and only able to answer the prayer of one person at a time. By being unseen by human eyes, God can be everywhere.

Thereby each of us can feel that we are God’s special ones.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
order discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/GodsSpirit

 

#prayer, #omnipresence, #SeeGod, #HearGod, #TouchGod, #Everywhere, #Reality, #Unseen, #Eternal

Scripture for Monday, April 17 (4/17)

The scripture for today, April 17, is Mark 4:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
 
00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away.”
 
We may be mentally prepared for persecution out in the world. But what about persecution among our friends who we attend worship with all the time? They can turn on us too. Perhaps we have discovered a new truth and we’re trying to get members of our congregation to believe it. If they get the feeling we are trying to prove them wrong and make them look bad, they will turn on you much like people do a “whistleblower” in the business world.
 
On whose side will you stand? Your friends’ so you can continue to be friends with them, or God’s? It’s easy to let things slide and pretend that new truth no longer exists so we can keep our friends. How deep are our roots? Who shall we worship? Our friends or God? What is more important? Our friends or our eternity?
.
.
.
.
#choosing, #friends, #enemies, #whistleblower, #root, #foundation, #persecution, #doctrine, #worship, #truth, #pretend

Ends tonight. Win a FREE Kindle Fire & 30 Clean Novels including one of mine!

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium

Ending tonight.

This giveaway of a FREE KINDLE FIRE + 30 CLEAN novels, including my STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR from BookSweeps ends tonight.

Great for gifts.

If you haven’t already entered, don’t miss your chance to win a KINDLE FIRE & 30 CLEAN novels. Good luck!

Enter here: bit.ly/christian-fic

Scripture for Sunday, April 16 (4/16)

The scripture for today, April 16, is Hebrews 4:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Anyone who has lived very long has committed some sin they hope no one ever finds out about. Some people have committed many such sins. Sometimes because of that one “big” sin or the constant repetition of a particular “big” sin, people punish themselves by putting words in God’s mouth. They say, “God could never forgive me for that.” Perhaps you can never forgive yourself, but God is greater than you.

Jesus told Peter we must forgive our brothers 70 times 7. If kept literally, that would mean we’d have to forgive the same sin 490 times. Actually, it is figurative for forgiving all the time. 1st Corinthians 13, the “love chapter” of the Bible, says, “Love…keeps no record of wrongs.”

Let us not only forgive others; let us also help people who cannot forgive themselves. God is the God of mercy.

 

website……https://inspirationsbykatheryn.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
order discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/Death-Resurrection

 

#mercy, #forgiveness, #sin, #bigsins, #throneofgrace, #sorrow, #repentance, #new

Scripture for Saturday, April 15 (4/15)

The scripture for today, April 15, is 1st John 4:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Cover-Kindle-small“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

The New Testament was written by people who walked and talked with Jesus. They saw his miracles, they heard his amazing words. They were eye witnesses.

Several first- and second-century manuscripts still exist that were passed down from some who actually knew the eyewitnesses. A few were even written during the late lifetime of the last living apostle, John. The Bible has more existing ancient manuscripts (over 5000) than any historical writing in the world. Read the New Testament. It was written by inspired men with a passion that would not let them stop talking about this Jesus. He consumed their life when he was on earth, and consumed their spirit after he left.

Through the centuries, men and women have given their lives so that we today may have the writings (New Testament) of those eye witnesses in our own language and read it for ourselves. Many were ridiculed and tortured terribly and then died a long excruciating death so that the apostles’ testimony could live on.

Do not take for granted the words of Jesus’ eyewitnesses. Jesus lived and died for you. Those witnesses, in a sense, also lived and died for you. Read what they testified to. Then, if necessary, live and die for it.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
order discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/ListenBible

 

#testimony, #testament, #Bible, #NewTestament, #witnesses, #eyewitnesses, #written, #language, #persecuted, #martyrs, #torture, #imprisoned, #killed, #read, #scriptures, #truth

Scripture for Friday, April 14 (4/14)

The scripture for today, April 14, is Esther 4:14b as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Today’s scripture is about a reluctant young lady who won a beauty contest and was chosen to be the queen of Persia. Time has passed, and now a command had just gone out to kill all Jews. Queen Esther was a Jewess but had not told anyone at the royal court. She could continue to hide her nationality and let all her people die, or she could intervene with the king. She was the only Jew the king would have listened to. So she took the chance that she, too, would be killed, and spoke on behalf of her people. They were saved.

There are always situations in life in which you are the only one who can accomplish something very needed. Perhaps you are the only adult standing near a strange child who is about to run out into a busy road. Perhaps you are tall and a short person needs to reach something at the store. Perhaps you know a particular language and others around you need you to explain something to them. Perhaps someone called a wrong number on the telephone and reached you instead.

As we go through life, there are situations in which you are the only one who can handle them. Do you? Do you watch for those situations, or do you walk around in your own little world?

Listen! It’s the silent cries of people only you can help. Do you hear them?

 

website……https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
order discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/500GoodWorks

 

#providence, #strangers, #GoodWorks, #QueenEsther, #prejudice, #persecution, #danger, #PowerOfOne, #one

3 Novels for For Easter

FOR EASTER. Large print, and children’s versions.

GIFT FOR FRIEND OR RELATIVE.

Last 3 novels of “They Met Jesus” series.

Kindle Unlimited or $3.99.

Also International access.

Discounted paperbacks.

0-FacebookMeme-LARGE-Easter

http://bit.ly/TheyMetJesus

Hurry!