Author: Inspirations By Katheryn

I am kind of a world traveler. I have lived in Korea, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Tokyo, Canada, Afghanistan, India and USA. I remember when President Kennedy was assassinated, watched the first human walk on the moon, Alaska became a state, President Kennedy & Martin Luther King were shot, and the first human walked on the moon. I remember when the first Star Wars movie came out, 900 religiously misguided humans committed suicide in Guyana, when Microsoft was "invented" and the Ayatollah Khoumeini took over Iran, kicked out western companies (employers) and returned his country to the dark ages. I WAS THERE WHEN MOUNT SAINT HELENS BLEW. I remember when the Berlin Wall fell, the Internet was created, the first warm-blooded animal was cloned (a sheep) and the Hubble Telescope was launched - all in the 1980s. And you?

OOPS OF THE DAY ~ February 23

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

When Jesus’ family came to take possession of Jesus, it was because they thought he had lost his mind.

Mark 3:20-34  –  Luke 4:16-31  –  Mark 2:1  –  Mark 10:9-11  – Mark 3:6

Fact of the Day

Fact #1 – Jesus had been born and raised in Nazareth, but his former friends rejected him and tried to kill him 

Fact #2 – So he moved to Capernaum where he chose his apostles and apparently rented a house.   (He and the 12 was a big house full and they needed their privacy.  And his mother had to come to see him in his home.)

Fact #3 – But so many people were following him around – both people wanting to be healed and Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem already trying to destroy him – that he and his apostles couldn’t even eat.

Fact #4 – The scribes kept declaring that Jesus was demon possessed because he was casting out demons by the power of Satan.

Fact #5 – The Bible does not say who in the city heard about it, but what it does say what they did (according to the Greek) was to gently try to persuade him to leave with them – in other words, they tried to rescue him.

Fact #6 – But Jesus had powers to take care of himself.  So, he told two parables.  

Fact #7 – Next, his mother and relatives (brothers, sisters, etc.) came and just stood outside. 

Fact #8 – The word often translated “called” him is not a vocal call in Greek, but drawing attention to someone just by their presence. It is also used in “weep with those who weep”, etc.

Fact #9 – When Jesus realized his family was there, he launched into a new speech. (He always took advantage of every situation.  Remember, “You shall be fishers of men?”) To the crowd (even his enemies) he looked around and said, “Follow my guide and you, too, can be my brothers,  etc.


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SURPRISE OF THE DAY ~ February 22

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

Sometimes, even John the Baptist struggled with his faith.  

John 1:31-33  –  Luke 1:13-17  –  Matthew 11:2-11

Fact of the Day

John the Baptizer and Jesus were cousins born 6 months apart.  He knew his whole life who Jesus was.  But, after he grew up and began preaching to introduce Jesus to the world, he began to have doubts.  Was he preaching a lie or truth?  He said he did not know who Jesus was,  so the Spirit descended and God spoke out of heaven saying this was his Son. And while in prison with the strong possibility he would be executed, once again, he apparently needed a sign.   He sent word to Jesus, “Are you the one?”  Despite having moments of doubt,  Jesus called him great.

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OOPS OF THE DAY ~ February 19

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

When Christians die, they go to paradise and have to wait for heaven.

Luke 16:19-31  –  John 3:13  –  Luke 23:39-44  –  Ephesians 4:8; Revelation 22:2  –  Philippians 1:21-23  –  Revelation 10:6 (KJV)

Fact of the Day

No! Jesus’ parable of the beggar dying and going to Abraham was before he died and conquered Satan by coming back to life. The Mosaic Law was still in effect. The same with Jesus on the cross and telling the other crucified one he would be in paradise.

All references to where we go after Jesus’ death & resurrection refer to being with Christ

Jesus referred to paradise while he was still alive. But he descended to Paradise to bring captives up in his train, for the tree of life formerly in the paradise of Eden is now in heaven. Now, when the Christian dies, he is immediately with Jesus. Is Jesus not in heaven?

Since in our next life “time will be no more” it seems the Day of Judgment will be for each of us the day we die.

 

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OOPS OF THE DAY ~ February 16

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

In the story of THE PRODIGAL SON, the older brother had every right to not forgive his younger and lazy brother who finally came home, but only after spending all their father’s money.

Luke 15:11-14 – Luke 15:22-25 – Luke 30-32

Fact of the Day

No!   It was much more than that.  It was jealousy, greed, and a desire for all vs nothing. 

  1. As the oldest son, he was going to inherit their father’s entire estate.  Remember when his father told him, “All I have is yours”? And the younger son did not ask for his half of the inheritance; he just said his part.  All younger children got only token gifts. 
  2. Yet the older son resented one little party given to his brother. 
  3. Their father thought his youngest son was dead; the older son acted as though he wished his brother was dead.
  4. And, by the way, the story teller did not say the younger son sinned with prostitutes.  That is what the older brother said.

 

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OOPS OF THE DAY ~ February 16

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #education, attitude, Bible, Daily, faith, judging, knowledge, Scripture, truth1 Comment

Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

Zebedee, the father of James and John, was betrayed by Jesus when he recruited his sons along with his fishing partners, Peter and Andrew, so that his fishing business would fail.

Luke 5:4-11  –  Matthew 27:56  –  Matthew 20:20-21  –  Mark 15:40  –  Mark 16:1-8  –  Matthew 8:20  –  Luke 9:58

Fact of the Day

No!  Just before recruiting them, Jesus performed a miracle of catching so many fish at the wrong time of day that Zebedee’s nets were about to break.  It was a message to Zebedee that his fishing business would do fine. 

In fact, Zebedee’s wife, Salome, traveled with Jesus and his mother sometimes, probably donating funds (since he did not have any) and helping with the women and children.

She certainly had enough money to partner with the other women in paying for expensive spices for his “embalming”.  Rabbis Joseph and Nicodemus had already bought 76 pounds of spices (at that time valued at some $200,000) and the five women brought even more.

 

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OOPS OF THE DAY ~ February 15

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

Joseph, Jesus’ step-father, died while Jesus was still a child.

Matthew 13:2  –   Matthew 13:55-56  –  Luke 4:14-22  –  John 6:42 – John 19:25-27

Fact of the Day

No!  After Jesus was grown, began his ministry, and moved to Capernaum, he visited his hometown in Nazareth and preached there. The people said, “IS (present tense) this not Joseph’s son?”  IS (present tense) not his mother’s name Mary?  ARE (present tense) not his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  ARE (present tense) not all his sisters with us?” 

His step-father apparently died between his visit to Nazareth during his ministry and the crucifixion.

 

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SURPRISE OF THE DAY ~ February 13

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

THIS IS A CORRECTION OF MY POST ON JANUARY 9:

Jesus first went to the temple when he was 12 and had celebrated his bar-mitzva

Luke 2:31-42  –  Matthew 2:19-23

Fact of the Day

No!  Bar-Mitzva was first recorded in history in the 13th century in France.  Jesus’ parents went to the temple every year.  The likely reason they did not take Jesus until he was age twelve was that cruel King Archaelaeus was so mean.

 “After Herod [the Great] died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went from Egypt to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in the province of Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the province of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.”

Based on Jesus probably being 2 when Herod sent the soldiers to kill all boy babies 2 and under, Jesus was actually born BC 6.  Herod died in BC 4. So, when Joseph took Jesus back to Palestine, he was about age 4.  One of the first thinks Herod’s successor, Arhaelaus, did was  order 3000 worshipers to be killed right in the temple. So, Joseph took Jesus up to the province of Galilee and to Nazareth where he would be safe.

But young king Archelaus kept getting worse, So, the same year Jesus turned 11, Caesar banished Archelaus to Vienna, Gaul.

FINALLY, it was safe to take Jesus to Jerusalem the following year when he was 12.

 

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SURPRISE OF THE DAY ~ February 8

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

When Jesus came up out of the waters of his baptism, the Holy Sprit descended on him, and God announced he was his son.

Mark 1:9-11 – Matthew 3:16-17  – John 1:12-13 – Acts 2:38 – Galatians 4:5 – Ephesians 1:5 – Hebrew 1:10 & 13

Fact of the Day

Ever since then, when we do what Jesus did that day, the same thing happens to us.  When we come up out of the waters of baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on us and we are then his sons.

Amazing privilege.  Check it out.

 

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SURPRISE OF THE DAY ~ February 7

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

At the end of Jesus’ great commission, just as he was rising up to heaven, he said,   “I will be with you to the end of the age.” 

Matthew 27:29

Fact of the Day

In the original Greek of the New Testament, that word, age, can also be translated, “I will be with you to the end of ETERNITY.”

 

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OOPS OF THE DAY ~ February 6

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Things in the Bible not really in the Bible ...and a few surprises

Oops of the Day

The crown of thorns was arranged neatly in a perfect circle with long, bare thorns everywhere.

Matthew 27:29

Fact of the Day

No!  First, it is nearly impossible to fold a branch in a perfect circle.  Try it.  Second, it was spring, not winter.  There were leaves on the bushes and often flowers. A crown of thorns with just leaves on it would imitate Caesar’s crown.  A crown with leaves and flowers on it would mock Jesus (but also be the last thing of beauty he wore).

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