The scripture for today, June 20 (6/20), is Matthew 6:20f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In describing heaven, terms are used like pearls, diamonds, emeralds, gold, and so on. So, certainly, God is not against riches. Otherwise, he would not have described heaven with those terms.
So, what is the problem? Ask yourself, “If I lost everything tomorrow, could I face life?.” You may say yes, but what about your friends? They may not want to associate with someone with nothing. So, it is not only a greed problem but a social problem. It is a problem of losing both your possessions and your friends.
Some have solved this problem by moving out into the country where possessions and social status don’t mean so much. Or you could stay where you are and just change your choice of friends. Your new friends may be truer friends than you ever had before and may need you more.
Lastly, if you lost your job, your car, your home ~ your identity ~ would you be so devastated that you would contemplate suicide as some have done? Or would you be able to look around and see what you can do without being paid and a job to occupy your time?
There are always things you can do for others. Is that truly where your heart is? In that case, loss of everything would not bring catastrophe. Rather, it would give opportunity to reveal what stuff you are made of deep down inside where your true treasure is ~ in your heart.
.
THE ROAD TO HEAVEN. It’s a long road. It began in the Gaden of Eden. What has it taken to get you forgiven? It’s been a long battle between God and Satan, both of which are trying to get you on their side. And the logistics God worked out: He’s always fooling Satan. Satan does not understand God. So, even though he thinks he is winning, he is not. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/Road-To-Heaven https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/the-road-to-heaven/
I praise you, Jehovah God of the universe and God of my heart. You are above all things, below all things and in all things. Yet you live in my heart and speak to me in your Word ~ Jesus, your brainchild. You have poured out your heart to mankind in your Word. You have exposed your greatest desires, greatest disappointments, and greatest glory in your Bible. You reign over the world, crowned with honor, truth, and love. How can I thank you enough for your Bible? I read and learn, read and learn, and there is no end to it So amazing it all is ~ each sentence you breathed into it. It contains examples of every type of behavior and how to keep doing it or change. It contains the answers to life’s questions. It is all I need or could ever hope for. It tells how much you love me and your patience when I walk away from you. It sings your praises and draws me back to you. I bow to you in gratitude.
Ah, my Lord. You made us for your pleasure, for Love cannot stand to be alone. Love must have others to love. But pure love must give a choice to love in return and not be forced. You gave us choice, thus taking the chance we might reject you. Little children love you because not too long before their birth, they beheld your face. May I be as the little child. May my eyes always twinkle, my lips grin wide, and my arms reach out for you. And when I my soul trips and falls sometimes in its hurry, may you reach down, wipe my tears away, hold me in your protective arms and kiss away my hurt. Help me be like a trusting little child. I am trying, Lord. I am trying.
.
A CHILD’S LIFE OF CHRIST: COME FLY WITH ME. 1 ~ TEN APOSTLES, 2 ~ THOMAS, 3 ~ SEVEN APOSTLES, ~ ELEVEN APOSTLES 1, 5 ~ 500 WITNESSES, 6 ~ BROTHER JAMES, 7 ~ ELEVEN APOSTLES 2, 8 ~ RULING SADDUCEES, 9 ~ THADDEUS, 10 ~ KING JESUS IN HEAVEN. Each story is on a child’s level with “Think & Do” at the end of each chapter. To BUY NOW, click a book cove or paste this: https://amzn.to/3iQPWcD https://www.amazon.com/Come-Fly-Childs-Life-Christ/dp/1948462435/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
The scripture for today, June 18 (6/18), is 2nd Chronicles 6:18a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you.”
Did you ever want to see God, to talk to him face to face? Perhaps something bad had just happened in your life, and you had this urge to bawl him out, then let him explain why. Or did you ever want to touch God? Perhaps you were so very lonely that you desperately needed his arms around you, and feel his touch as he brushed away your tears.
But, if you could see him and touch him, it would mean that he could not be with others in the world at that time and could not hear anyone else’s prayers at that time except yours. Try to be grateful that you cannot see and touch him for now. He is always available to you, regardless of where you are in this vast world and regardless of how many others are praying to him at that moment.
How he can sort out all our prayers at once is mind-boggling. How he can be everywhere at once is amazing. How he can love each one of us as though we were the only person in the world is miraculous and incredible.
.
BIBLE PUZZLES FOR YOUNG AND OLD. Secret Codes: Numbers represent letters. Crossword Puzzles: Some are easy, some a little harder. Fill in the blanks: This puzzle gets people to open their Bibles and read famous passages for themselves. Word Search: From very young to very old. Puzzles to keep you delighted for hours. And great for parties, home schoolers, bulletins, ice breakers, homebound. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. http://bit.ly/Bible-Puzzles https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/links-to-some-of-my-fun-bible-stuff/bible-puzzles-for-young-and-old/
The scripture for today, June 17 (6/17), is Matthew 6:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face.”
This is interesting because Jesus did not say “If, you fast,” but rather “When you fast.” It was as though he was teaching us to take for granted that we would fast ~ it would be second-nature to us. In a sense, it is, for when most people go through a sudden tragedy such as loss of a loved one, they often cannot eat.
But what about voluntary fasting? The early church sometimes fasted. Acts 13:2 says a congregation in Antioch, Syria, fasted and worshipped, then chose men to go out as missionaries. Queen Esther fasted before going to the king uninvited with a request he might not like (Esther 4:16). Isaiah 58:3 says people fasted in order to humble themselves.
Some people respond, “I’d die if I had to fast.” Perhaps that’s kind of the idea. We know we would die if we went without food long enough. So perhaps one day of fasting is a way of saying, “God, I would die for you if I had to.” Yes, fasting is a humbling experience and frightening to some people. But perhaps that is the point.
Is something important coming up that you know you will be urgently praying about? Once you skip one meal, you will have conquered your desire to eat. Then, with your brain not having to concentrate on digesting food, it will be able to focus more on that important thing happening in your life. Your prayers will be more focused. You will be more focused with your eyes more clearly on God.
So, take a shower, comb your hair, put on some nice clothes, and look like you have something important to do. Then fast.
.
APPLIED CHRISTIANITY: A HANDBOOK OF 500 GOOD WORKS. Handicapped? Wanting to do good works for others anyway? Too busy to add good works to your already cluttered life? What do you say when a friend’s relative dies? Wonder how to handle gossip, baby showers, mean bosses, etc. in the workplace? Do the poor in other countries bother you? Want to teach your children to do good deeds? To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/APPLIEDCHRISTIANITY https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/my-book-applied-christianity/
I praise you, Lord God of my heart. You are my king, my Father, my Creator, my Life, my Betrothed, the Lover of my soul. You are all I need and all everyone else needs. I came from you and find peace only when I go back to you. You made me, I am yours. I belong to you and long to return to you. I worship you both now and forever.
Forgive me for not sharing what you are with more people and showing them what you can make of them. You can make their life beautiful. How dare I keep it a secret!
Ah, my Lord, I cannot thank you enough for giving me your Bible. Within its pages is glory. It brims with delight, for I never have to guess what you’re thinking. They are your love letters to me. You are always on my mind. Sometimes I can hardly wait to join you in your home when I will know what you are like face to face. What a day that will be. Home coming! The angels and cherub and all of heaven will rejoice when I arrive, but none will rejoice more than I. What a wonder you are in the brilliance of your glory and majesty.
.
LOVE LETTERS OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA. Look over their shoulder at their love letters [chapters in Song of Solomon] beginning with the time he finds her in the clutches of Satan and pays the terrible blood ransom to free her. He takes her to their Garden and they fall even more in love. Then on to the times she wanders away and he follows her to bring her back to him. Their story ends with Ecclesia desperately calling to him, “Come, Lord Jesus.”. He replies, “I am coming soon.” To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/LoveLettersOfJesus https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/love-letters-of-jesus-his-bride-ecclesia-2/
The scripture for today, June 14 (6/14), is Numbers 6:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“There he is to present his offerings to the Lord…a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering…. “
A lot of people don’t understand what Jesus dying on a cross has to do with going to heaven. Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death.” ~ both physical and soul death. It is what we earn when we sin. It is Satan who pays us our wages.
In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve, the day you sin you will die. Indeed, the day they fell into Satan’s deceptive trap and sinned, their souls were separated from God.
Leviticus 17:11 “The life of the body is in the blood.” Although Hebrews 10:4 says the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin, their blood was a reminder of the horribleness of a violent, bloody death – whether physical or spiritual.
Finally, God the Word came to earth as a human, and John the Baptist called him the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Jesus was perfect; that is, he never sinned, he had no defects (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, Satan had no hold on him (John 14:30). But he took the blame for our sins (II Corinthians 5:21) and faced down Satan with them.
What does blood do? It delivers oxygen to the lungs and it delivers poisons to be destroyed by the liver which is in our side. So, after Jesus took that last belabored breath, a soldier opened his side with a spear, and out came all our poison sins along with the water which symbolizes rebirth.
Hours before his crucifixion, Jesus said in John 12:1, “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” How? In his dying, he could now cast out Satan’s greatest weapon – death. Just when Satan thought he had won, Jesus came back to life so that “through death, he destroyed him who had the power of death – the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
Then God said, If you’ll believe and imitate sinless Jesus, I will forgive and consider you sinless too (Romans 6). Then I’ll bring you back to life in heaven.
Power in the blood? Wonderful power!
And, by the way, since he came back to life on Sunday, that’s what makes Sunday so special. It’s the I’m-sorry-you-had-to-die-for-my-sins Day. It’s the “Do-this-in-remembrance-of-me” Lord’s Supper Day. It’s the Gratitude Day.
.
THEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH. It takes two chapters to entirely cover the crucifixion of Jesus — one chapter for the first three hours, a second chapter for the last three hours. Then the measly funeral held in the cave with two secret followers, his mother. and four other women just as the sun slipped away on the most terrible day in the history of mankind. The following book, COME FLY WITH ME, is the victory book. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/ShadowOfDeath-7 https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-7-shadow-of-death-adults-childs-versions/
The scripture for today, July 13 (7/13), is in Job 7:13ff in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“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 income back and more children to comfort him. God will see you through too.
.
INSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN. What did Job’s wife endure with the loss of all her children? What did she go through as she watched her husband suffer physically and mentally. What was her own anguish? The word “barek” translated “curse” is always translated “bless” everywhere else in the Bible. Do you suppose she finally said, “Husband, it’s okay if you die. I’ll be all right. Just keep blessing God and go to him in comfort.” Read the story of Job’s wife and other women in the Bible and how they handled their own challenges. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/HeartsBibleWomen https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/my-book-inside-the-hearts-of-bible-women/
