Sunday 7/21 ~ Teaching the teachers

Our scripture for today, July 21 (7/21), is Matthew 7:21ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

NF-WorshipChanges-WorshipFirst“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “

There are hundreds of denominations/sects out there all contradicting each other. It’s impossible for them all to be right. They cannot all be on different roads going to the same place. They cannot all be pleasing God if we decide opposing things please him.

You can never rely on what someone else says just because they look and act holy and say all the right holy words and phrases and pray such holy-sounding prayers. You must never rely on your religious leaders to tell you what to believe. Shall you take their opinion or God’s opinion?

Romans 10:1 in the Bible mentions some people who had a lot of zeal for God, but were lost because it was not according to the proper knowledge.

Well, how do you get God’s opinion? Read the Bible for yourself! Use a concordance (lists every word in the Bible and every scripture with that word ~ Bible Hub has one on the internet) and look up your chosen subject.  Then, having found the truth, why not go back to your religious leaders in love and try to teach your teachers? Some just might listen to you.

 

NF-WorshipChanges-WorshipFirstWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1ST CENTURY gives the very year changes were introduced and who introduced them. It also tells what they did to the protesters to each change.  WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY gently covers each part of our worship beginning with quotes from famous theologians, scripture examples, and intermittent prayers for guidance.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2M2Gsux

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Saturday 7/20 ~ Invading Heaven

The scripture for today, July 20 (7/20), is Ecclesiastes 7:20 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”

Many people believe if they don’t murder or steal, and if they help people poorer than themselves, and aren’t mean to their family, God will have no choice but to let them into heaven. But it only takes one sin to be a sinner.

God ~ who is Perfect Goodness ~ cannot dwell with sin. But mankind has never figured out a way to be perfectly good.

God said in the Garden of Eden that the moment we sin, our soul dies. Satan holds us for ransom. I Peter 1:18-19 says, “…knowing that you were not ransomed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

Jesus became that perfectly good person (Hebrews 4:15) ~ that perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29). Then he paid the terrible ransom to free you and me from Satan. But, it does no good if you do not believe he did this. You cannot despise Jesus and say he is too demanding.

Your part is the easy part. All he asks is that you love him, thank him, worship him, follow his examples and all his commands (there aren’t many). Then Satan can no longer hold you hostage. God the Father will consider you perfect too. Then you will be accepted into heaven.

 

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Friday 7/19 ~ How often do you want God to forgive you?

The scripture for today, July 19 (7/19), is found in Romans 7:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do ~ this I keep on doing.”

Doesn’t this pretty much describe you and me in some area of our life?  It may be eating too much, breaking the law by going over the speed limit, laughing at dirty jokes, habitual lying, stealing “little things” at work, cheating on tests, jealousy, impatience, temper ~ any number of things.

Sins of habit and attitude are hard to break. So you go to God over and over asking him to forgive that which, deep down, you know you’re going to do again.

Perhaps this emphasizes the importance of you forgiving others who habitually do wrong to you. You do not know their deep inner struggles any more than they know your struggles.

Jesus said, “IF you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14).

Satan wants you to quit trying to do better. And he wants you to quit forgiving other people. Don’t give in to Satan.  Give in to God. God’s way leads you to ultimate forgiveness of your sins ~ ultimate and complete.

 

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR was insulted by other people; he forgave them. He was harassed by other people; he forgave them. Mocked by other people; he forgave them. Bawled out by other people; he forgave them.  Killed by other people; he forgave them. How did this former coward change?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2M0sjxX

 

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Thursday 7/18 ~ Waiting is Hard to do

The scripture for today, July 18 (7/18), is Acts 7:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“Then another king, who knew nothing about Joseph, became ruler of Egypt.”

Does God really answer prayers? When the Jews first arrived in Egypt, they received “royal treatment” because they were relatives of “Prime Minister” Joseph. Then he died, but his Jewish relatives stayed. Eventually, they were resented because they were foreigners, then they were feared, then they were made slaves of the Egyptians.

For the following 400 years, the Jews prayed for God to release them from their slavery. Generation after generation died believing that God does not answer prayers.

But God saw the big picture. He saw that the 70 relatives of Joseph who originally went to Egypt would become more than three million over the next four centuries. Then and only then would they be large enough to begin a new nation ~ the Jewish nation. In Egypt during those centuries, they were in a form of “protective custody”.

Are you frustrated and confused because God is seemingly not answering some very important prayers? Perhaps you are part of a bigger picture that God only knows about. Perhaps your job is to stay where you are and just keep hanging on. Waiting is hard to do. Are you up to the task God has assigned you?

 

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAILTHE ROAD TO HEAVEN was begun in the Garden of Eden.  We blithely pray, “And forgive our sins. Amen.” It’s not that simple. It has never been that simple. It took God thousands of years to get our road to heaven built. Ah, but now that we are on that road, we look in anticipation toward our arrival in that glorious place called heaven. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2JCvom6

 

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Wednesday 7/17 ~ It’s your assignment

The scripture for today, July 17 (7/17), is 1st Corinthians 7:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Joseph-Cover-Thumbnail“Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.”

In some situations in life, this scripture is hard to accept. Sometimes life gets very, very hard. Sometimes it is difficult to keep smiling, even to keep breathing. When will it end? Will it ever end?

But can it be that this is where God wants you? Can it be that the difficulties in your life right now are your assignments from God? God fights Evil from heaven and it is our place to fight Evil from earth. It is an ongoing battle. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

For some reason that cannot be understood right now, you are where God wants you to be. This is your assignment from God. Remember, we are “ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20). You must show the world that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28).

As a soldier for Christ, be brave. Think with a clear head. Hold fast, stand firm of faith, strong in spirit, pure of heart.

 

0-Joseph-Cover-ThumbnailJOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER had the hardest assignment in the world ~ keep the Son of God safe in a violent world until grown.  How many times did he rescue the boy through the years? How many times did he cry out in desperation, “God!  Help me protect our son!”? To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2LYlfC7

 

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Tuesday 7/16 ~ Stop and take a breath

The scripture for today, July 16 (7/16), is Genesis 7:16 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

02-Noah-KindleThumbnail“The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.”

Does your life sometimes feel like a downpour of unending bad incidents or a flood of tragedies? Whenever that happens, why not just enter an ark of safety and let God shut the door? When God shuts the door on something, try to recognize it, accept his decision, and take advantage of its peace and quiet.

Your ark of safety is in your mind, your heart, your soul. Your ark of safety is quietness in the Lord.

“My heart is not proud, O Lord….I have stilled and quieted my soul” (Psalm 131:1f)

“In quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15b)

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

Today, instead of being angry at God for a closed door, stop, take a deep breath, and rest in the ark of his arms.

 

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Monday 7/15 ~ Challenging and liberating

The scripture for today, July 15 (7/15), is Matthew 7:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

0-HS-592 VersesExamined-COVER-Thumbnail“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

Jesus said this. Maybe sometimes the “false prophet” is within yourself. You have a pet theory you want very much for God to agree with you on. So you read through the Scriptures trying to prove your point correct. Of course, taking a verse here and a verse there, you can “prove” anything you want.

So how do you find out if you are being your own “false prophet”? If you see a verse that contradicts your pet theory, look for other scriptures similar to this one. Use a concordance ~ a book that lists alphabetically every word in the Bible and every verse it appears in. There is one on the internet here:  https://biblehub.com/concordance/

Or, if you believe in a different holy book of a different world religion, you can read it, then honestly search for built-in proofs it is truly from a mind that knows things humans do not such as prophecies of the future that came true.

Or perhaps your pet belief is based on deep emotional longings or excitements or desires that want to show themselves in outward ways  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:1, 14).  So God in flesh was Jesus, therefore God was and is word, logic. Therefore, try to find explanations of your deep emotional expressions in the Bible.  If you do not find them, perhaps your emotional expressions came from a tradition instead of God.

Yes, there are ways to determine if you’ve been listening to a “false prophet”. Yes, it is humiliating to believe you just might have been wrong, and then actually admit you were wrong. But it is also liberating. Many people have already gone through this challenge and can testify that changing from their viewpoint to God’s viewpoint is not only liberating, but ultimately brings peace.

 

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Sunday 7/14 ~ What if all the good people left?

The scripture for today, July 14 (7/14), is 2nd Chronicles 7:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

There is always a little bit of turmoil in all nations of the world. Of course, there is more in some. The average person cannot make their own nation call on God. But the average person can do this: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone ~ for kings and all those in authority” (I Timothy 2:1-2). Further, we should pray for them by name.

Even if you think some people in authority in your nation are against you, you must pray for them anyway. Then wait quietly for God to work things out. It may take Him a year, a decade or a lifetime to bring about your heart’s desire for your nation. But keep praying.

Your job, in the meantime, is to follow God’s ways yourself. Romans 13:1,3-4 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…For rulers hold no terror for those who do right….For he is God’s servant to do you good.”

Love the country you are in. No country is all good or all bad. Stay where you are. What if all the good people left your country? God put you where you are for a reason. Everyone has assignments from God. This is your assignment. You are only one, but you are one.  Be an example of good.  Seek God’s face. God will heal what needs healing in your land.

 

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Saturday 7/13 ~ When misery ends with gladness

The scripture for today, July 13 (7/13), is in Job 7:13ff in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-new“When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”

Job was extremely depressed. It happens to everyone sometimes. His depression was certainly valid ~ he had lost all his income and all his children in a recent storm. Now he had what the Bible translated as “boils” but the symptoms indicate he had a form of leprosy called Elephantiasis.

This particular form leads to nightmares in addition to the physical problems. Job had every right to be depressed. So depressed was he, that he no longer wanted to live, for his life no longer had meaning.

But, as miserable as Job was, he hung on. Patiently he hung on during the bad times. Sometimes during your bad times, the greatest thing you can do is “hang on” ~ be patient.

Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Job loved the Lord. Even in his misery and desire to die,  he continued to love God and trust Him.

And, although at such times you may believe your misery will never end and you will never even smile again, it will happen. The misery comes to an end. It did for Job. He got his health and wealth back and more children to comfort him. God will see you through too.

 

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Friday 7/12 ~ And the stars sing together

The scripture for today, July 12 (7/12), is Revelation 7:12 in the New Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

How often do you praise God? Praise is more than thanking Him. Praise refers to God’s attributes.

Some people think God is ugly, He doesn’t understand them, He is against them. Some think God is a figment for weaklings. Some even hate God and are even repulsed at the idea of worshipping him.

How much they do not understand. There is a spirit world out there. Every day God runs after us, “Come this way. I will save you from a terrible fate. Come! I have wonderful plans for you. Come!  Together we will climb mountains, leap to the moon and soar through the stars of heaven. Come! See all the excitement I have planned for you.

Ah, yes, Lord!  I am coming.  Gladly I am coming. The mountains touch the clouds and declare your glory. The moon glows in praise of you. The stars sing together in anthems of your greatness, your magnitude, the divinity of your being. And I worship you.

 

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