Wednesday 11/21 ~ Who Knows?

The scripture for today, November 21 (11/21), is Acts 11:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”

What had just happened? Some Christians in Phoenecia (today’s Lebanon), Cyprus (the Mediterranean Island) and Cyrene (in today’s North Africa), went to Antioch, a city in Northern Syria near the southern border of today’s Turkey. There they established a congregation.

This little congregation ended up being the home congregation of Paul and Barnabas for many years. It started small; we don’t know the size it grew to. Regardless of the size, it had foresight and eventually did great things.

Perhaps you live in a town full of churches, but you’ve compared them with the New Testament, and none of them follows that pattern. Perhaps you have even given up going to church because of this problem. What is stopping you from beginning a little congregation after the New Testament pattern in your home?  

New Testament churches were simple ~ not elaborate like those mega-churches out there. And those simple churches have always been dynamic in their simplicity. Who knows but that your new little congregation will someday produce a Paul or a Barnabas….

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#small, #large, #growth, #churches, #denominations, #faith,

God doesn’t believe in atheists

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How can you be so patient, God, when we are so set in our ways? You’ve told us over and over what things are sin but we do them anyway. It doesn’t even occur to us that we are hurting you, our Father, and shaming you. It doesn’t even occur to us that Satan is laughing the whole time because we have believed his lies instead of your truths. Though you agonize for us, you love us still. I cannot begin to comprehend such patient love.

Thank you, Lord, for a warm house on these cold days, bright lamps on these dark days, colorful furniture on these bleak days, food on these barren days. Thank you for rescuing me from illnesses, moodiness, danger on the street and icy paths. Thank you for allowing me to stop and rest sometimes and holding my spirit in your strong, yet, gentle arms until my soul sees the sunrise.

Tuesday 11/20 ~ Never give up on them

The scripture for today, November 20 (11/20), is Hebrews 11:20ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

08-Come Fly-ChildsCartoonThumbnailCover“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons….By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”

Do you have children that were loving and good when they were young, but when they became older, they changed? Do you sometimes wonder, “How could I have gone so wrong with my children?” True, they have free will. But do you feel like a failure because your children did not turn out the way you had hoped and prayed?

Have faith ~ the faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Isaac blessed his sons with his land, even though he did not yet own the land. Jacob blessed his sons with power, even though they did yet not have power. Joseph blessed his sons and his brothers’ sons with the land, yet they no longer lived there.

Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all blessed their children with something they believed would happen someday, even though the evidence was not there. Why? Because they had faith in their children? Actually, it was mostly because they had faith in God. They had faith in what God would do for their children.

Don’t give up. Keep trusting God. Never stop having faith in what God (even after we die) will (not can, but will) do for your children.

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#children, #discouragement, #delinquents, #juveniles, #hope, #blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

God is calling to you

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My prayer for Monday

I searched for you everywhere, Lord God. I flew to the top of a tree, but could not find you. I rocketed to the moon and still could not find you. I soared to the stars and searched in vain for you. Finally, I stopped, stayed still in submission, and I found you. I found you in my yearning heart, the heaviness of my spirit, the aching of my soul.  You had been here all along whispering to me. You waited as long as it took until I found you. Now I rest in you.

Thank you for giving us music. Music has been loved by all people throughout all generations. Fast or slow, exciting or gentle, loud or soft, high or low. Music expresses every emotion. You gave us music to help us express those emotions, sometimes those which we do not know how to express in words.  You love music so much, you delight when we sing to you. I wonder if you hum along with us. Ah, such delights in music. Thank you.

Monday 11/19 ~ Surely, not me!

The scripture for today, November 19 (11/19), is Ezekiel 11:19 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Lg Thumb“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

Although the 600+ commandments in the Old Testament/Covenant Law of Moses were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:10-13), God has always had laws to keep us safe. In the New Testament/Covenant era, he does not have a lot of laws, but he still has them.

What is our worship like? Is it full of things God never asked us to do? Does our worship elevate God or ourselves? When we’re done worshiping, do we say, “We were so great!” or “God is so great!”?

We add all kinds of things to our worship that were commanded only under the Old Testament/Covenant Law of Moses, or things we think would “add to the effectiveness” of our worship. If, for example, it’s okay to add things to our singing and praying because then they would sound better, then it is okay to add lemon pie to the Lord’s Supper because then it would taste better.

Again, the question: Who are we worshiping and trying to please? God or ourselves? Do we deep down have a heart of stone, but put on our halo and say, “Surely not me”?

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#HardHeart, #SoftHeart, #worship, #selfwilled, #LawofMoses, #OldTestament, #NewTestaent

 

A newspaper article about me in case you’re interested

Here’s a newspaper article about me that appeared over the weekend in case you’re interested.

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/faith-inspires-cg-writer-to-keep-writing-and-to-teach/article_01ace361-98fb-540d-a703-3f991928777f.html

Katheryn Maddox Haddad

Go with the strength you have

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My prayer for Sunday

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Lord, I am like the sheep that walk around afraid to drink from troubled waters, so you lead me to where the waters are calm and peaceful. When I cannot see you, I am afraid to follow a stranger, so you keep me confined so I am safe until your return. Though I walk around with no concern for possible dangers, you are right there with me to make sure I do not fall into that danger. Sometimes I become restless and fearful if I sense a storm is coming close. Then, Lord, I hear your heart singing to my heart and it calms me and I lie down and rest in you.

The sun is shining, the frost is heavy, it is very cold out there, but I am inside warm, snuggled up, thinking, meditating and watching for the birds to discover the corn I put out for them. I am tired these days and a little depressed. But I thank you for these times when I stop everything, back off, and contemplate. I know it is often at such times that we take a good look at ourselves selves, try to see ourselves as others do, and make changes for the better. So, I thank you for this little bit of unhappy time when I can learn better who I am and how much you love me.