Being Mad at God

05-Joseph-KindleMediumThe scripture for today, May 23 (5/23), is Exodus 5:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your [God’s] name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

This is Moses talking to God, and Moses is very angry. Is it a good idea to be mad at God? Deuteronomy 34:10 says there was never a prophet like Moses “whom the Lord knew face to face.”

Getting angry [not violent, that’s different] sometimes is part of a healthy relationship, as long as (1) we stick to the facts and not get into a blame game and (2) are willing to stay around long enough to understand the other person’s point of view. Moses did not call God bad names nor did he desert God. He spoke his mind, then waited to see how God would reply.

It wasn’t that God didn’t want to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. God was not quite through putting Pharaoh in his place. And he probably did not rescue his people in the manner Moses had in mind. But Eventually ~ after a little patience on Moses’ part ~ it happened: God rescued his people.

Are you angry at God over something? Tell him so. Then stick around and wait for him to express his point of view. It will happen someday. Maybe it won’t be your point of view. Probably it will be better.

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05-Joseph-KindleThumbnailA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: JOSEPH. He had every right to be bitter.  Everything in his life had gone wrong from the time he was a child with his jealous older brothers, through being sold as a slave, then jailed for a crime he did not commit.  Did he blame God? We have no evidence he did.  He kept a positive attitude and “bloomed where he was planted.”  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. http://bit.ly/Child-JosephInEgypt

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-heroes-book-5-joseph/

The fight is worth it. The victory overwhelming.

changes-in-worship-cover-mediumI adore you, my God. I cannot see or hear you, but I know you are beside me and in love with me. You are higher than the stars, louder than the thunder, gentler than the butterfly, deeper than the ocean, sweeter than a flower. They are all a touch of you. I bask in the warmth of your love, the gentle breezes of your mercy, the quietude of safety in you.  I praise you, God, for all that you are. You are so strong, nothing can make you change. That is what makes you God. You are the doer, not the un-doer. You are the Creator, not the destroyer. You are the love, the light giver, the light provider. How I adore you.

Lord, I have neglected going to see people who need my encouragement. I know they need me, but I do something for myself instead. It has gotten out of hand. Open my eyes and forgive me.

Ah, my Lord, thank you for the Bible and revealing yourself in it. I never have to guess. Your mind is laid bare to me. You’ve exposed all your joys and pain, laughter and tears, hopes and desires, strengths and tenderness, justice and mercy. You dared expose yourself to me. All the rawness and transparency is there for me. Do I dare do less? My God, my hope is in you. My will I surrender to you. My heart I give you. My soul bows forever to you.  Thank you, Jehovah God, for giving me the Bible that explains why I am here and all you did to save me from Satan’s living death. Thank you that you are preparing me to live and reign with you over worlds I cannot imagine. Whatever they are, my will shall always be your will.  Without you, nothing good can ever happen.  With you, goodness reigns supreme.  With you, I can live forever. You have allowed me to stand with you. The fight is worth it. The victory overwhelming. 

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00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnailWANDERING SOUL, ENTITLED HEART, & THE SIDETRACKED CHURCH:  WORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1st CENTURY.  This is the story of the power brokers who turned the church into big business. And the story of the martyrs who refused to fall in line.  Discover the hymns we sing still today written by the protesters, sometimes just hours before their torturous death.  Then be challenged to go forward! Back to the Bible. Be challenged to get rid of denominationalism and unite only in Christ with our only headquarters being in heaven. Can it be done? Christian unity? Read this, and make the challenge your own.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/Worship-Change 

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Without you, who would I talk to?

inside-cover-mediumIt is spring. Little by little the flowers are blooming and showing a little more of your glory. Some will fade and rest until this time next year when they will return. Some will become fruit and nourish me with zest and delight, just as you nourish my heart. It is spring. Raindrops soften the earth, breezes waft and tease, the sun shares its warm rays while declaring you are the light of the world. What a wonderful, beautiful God you are!

I have to confess that I would rather watch something on television in the evening than spend that time writing a little note of encouragement or visiting someone who is lonely. Help me break loose of my habit of preferring my pleasure over that of others.

Thank you for allowing me to converse with you. Without prayer, who would I talk to about these deep and sometimes hidden things? You understand me even when I do not understand myself. You forgive me even when I do not forgive myself. If I do not forgive myself, it robs me of being able to have a second chance and be a new person all over again. Thank you for pouring out your heart to mine in your Bible. There is so much my stubborn mind misses. Satan tries to put blinders on me because he is jealous of you and wants me to rely on him ~ the father of liars. But I’ll keep trying. My copy of your Bible is right here in front of me, just as you are.

I praise you, God of glory. Your splendor is the light of your goodness and the richness of your comfort.  Your glory is your mercy when I do wrong and protection when others doing wrong toward me. You interrupt me when I am about to do that which I should not and you make me fail when I plan something that would betray you. You watch over me and it is too much to understand how you can. You know all my thoughts and prayers, actions and cares. You love me so much, refusing to let me go, I can only worship you.

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Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailINSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN. Unbeknown to you, a seemingly stable woman may be going through any of these problems right now, and need suggestions from her sisters. Most such problems are not normally discussed openly, but we should not pretend they do not exist (James 1:24). Furthermore, we should not wait until, God forbid, you or a friend is thrust into one or more of these problems before figuring out how to handle it.  Let us prepare ourselves now while we are thinking clearly. Let us march confidently into that unknown future, our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of truth (Ephesians 6:15). Thus, we can courageously and assertively face anything! 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/

I Rush Like the Wind

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailThe wind rushes anxiously down the mountains to worship you. The waters pound the shore so the sands will move aside and worship you. The snow falls in silence to purify the ground so it will worship you. All things worship you. They exist because of you. You are their Creator and their life force. Let me shout it to the world both now and in the infinity of forever.

Lord of all that exists, I bow to you because I never can live up to your perfection. I am weak. How can you love me so? When I fall, you lift me up. When I stray, you run after me and bring me back. When I weep, you wipe away my tears. When I collapse, you make me fly. Always you make me better than I am. You delight in me and make me your own. I lift my eyes to you in gratitude.

I rush like the wind to give my deepest thanks for all you did to save me from Satan’s trap.  He wanders in and out of my thoughts enshrouded by the darkness of his light.  His wisdom gives me permission to flaunt my will over yours. His lies cover up my willfulness so that I think I have won eternity without you. I rely on your Words to tell me what is truth. I rely on your Words to warn me of the shadows of his laughter. I rely on your Words to lift me up and carry me away from the Great Destroyer to safety in your everlasting arms. Only in you is there strength. Only in you is there wonder and beauty and everything magnificent that Satan does not want me to know of. Only in you is there true life.

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00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailINTREPID MEN OF GOD.  LUKE: SLAVE & PHYSICIAN.  In the Roman world, phyisicians were slaves of wealthy families. Later, they were assigned to military legions. Slaves were gained from wars. As a child, his father is supposedly killed in a battle and Theophilus adopts him.  Luke is confused with all the gods, so prays, “Oh, thousand gods, hear me.”  But, when they move to Berea and he climbs Mount Olympus to talk to the gods, his anger grows hot when he realizes they are not there and may not even exist. Then he meets the Apostle Paul over in Macedonia.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/Lukephysician   

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Nails that pierced the heart of the world

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW-ChildsCartoonMediumYour love, oh God, appears from the most unlikely and impenetrable places. Like water out of a rock. Like life from a long-dead seed.  Like a pin of light in a deep and dark cave. Let your love burst forth and astonish mankind with a love that refuses defeat. Let your magnificence soar to the uttermost parts of the heavens. Let your victory chain Satan in his hell and shout your glory.

Holy! Holy! Holy! Because of you, Lord God, thieves stop stealing and rise up to call you holy.  Because of you, liars stop lying and raise their voices to call you holy. Because of you, drunks stop drinking and stand up to declare you holy.  Because of you, murderers stop murdering and lift their hearts to announce you holy. Because of you, the selfish stop hoarding and release all they own to  you holy. You are life in its purest form.

Oh, Jesus, that cross was intended to be an instrument of torture and shame outside of Jerusalem but turned into a tower of light for the world. That crown of thorns was intended to be a mockery but turned into a crown of gold that pronounced you king of the world. Those nails were intended to pierce human flesh; instead, it pierced the heart of the world. How can I thank you? How can any of us thank you for rescuing my wounded soul and making me a child of the King?

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07-SHADOW-ChildsCartoonThmbnailSHADOW OF DEATH.  This book is available in both adult form and child form with the child’s vocabulary reduced to a gentle understanding of what Jesus endured on the cross.  It teaches them victory over death.  1 ~ PILATE, 2 ~ SIMON, OF LIBYA, 3 ~ CRUCIFIXION 1, 4 ~ CRUCIFIXION 2, 5 ~ THIEVES, 6 ~ RABBI JOSEPH, 7 ~ GUARDS, 8 ~ 5 RICH WOMEN II, 9 ~ PETER. 10 ~ JAMES JR & FAMILY.  Thought questions at the end of both versions.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….http://bit.ly/ShadowOfDeat-7   

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And keep Satan frustrated & puzzled

The scripture for today, May 18 (5/18), is 1st Thessalonians 5:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

06-Moses-KindleMediumjpg“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is one of the most difficult verses in the Bible to follow. How can we rejoice with the loss of a loved one, of health, of a job, of a home, of a position? The Christians at Thessalonica, in Greece, had been suffering a lot of persecution for being Christians. Some had even been killed for their faith.

Satan will do all he can to cause bad to happen in your life in order to get you to blame God and forsake him. But the real blame belongs on Satan. It may sometimes seem like the harder you try to follow God, the worse things get in your life.

Satan is afraid of you and is trying more than ever to weaken you, to break you, and get you back on his side. He doesn’t have to attack people he already has.

And sometimes, God stands back and tells Satan, “Do your best. This person will grow stronger, not weaker.” Along with the Christians in Thessalonica, you can “become a model….your faith in God…known everywhere” (1st Thessalonians 1:7-8).

So, through your tears, rejoice that Satan is so afraid of you. And at the same time, keep your eyes on Jesus, who never gave in when Satan caused bad to happen to him. Through your discouragement, rejoice that you are counted worthy to be treated the same way Jesus was treated. Give thanks, and keep Satan frustrated and puzzled.

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06-Moses Thumbnail CoverA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES:  MOSES.  For 400 years, the Jews prayed to be released from slavery. For 400 years, they thought God had forsaken them and didn’t really love them.  But God was preparing them for future generations.  During the 400 years, they grew from 70 to millions.  Now God was ready to release them.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  http://bit.ly/PrinceMoses 

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-heroes-book-6-moses/?frame-nonce=1e7c6b1760

Then wish will be reality

The scripture for today, May 17 (5/17) is John 5:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

COVER-England-med“Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’ “

Psalm 115:12 says God is thinking about you all the time. When you’re walking, riding, talking, doing, coming, going. God is always working for you. A popular song a few years ago was, “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.”

But does he always keep you from harm? He gave you free will, and sometimes you don’t make good choices. Others around you have free will, and they sometimes don’t make good choices.

If everything was perfect, this would be heaven. But it is not.  Heaven is for later after we go through some tests. Regardless of what happens here, God is beside you if you fall, ready to get to work, ready to hold out his hand to lift you up.

How he loves you and cherishes you and cares for you. He always will if you follow him.  Then, after you have fulfilled your own work here on earth, you can follow him right through the gates into that perfect world you wish you had now ~ heaven. Then wish will be reality.

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Smile anyway. The world will wonder why.

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE MediumThe scripture for today, May 16 (5/16), is 1st Thessalonians 5:16 (KJV) as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Rejoice evermore.”

But how can we rejoice when something terrible has happened?

The Apostle Paul, who wrote this knew that the Thessalonians were being terribly persecuted (2nd Thessalonians 1:4), but he still said, “Rejoice evermore.” How could he say such a calloused thing amidst their suffering?  Had he no feeling, no empathy?

 Sometimes we have to suffer so the true nature of bad people pretending to be good can be revealed to the world.  Sometimes we have to suffer so we ~ like body builders ~ can build our spiritual muscles.  Sometimes we have to suffer so we can understand others going through the same thing.  Sometimes we even suffer so people around us wanting to do a good work will have someone to do a good work for.

There are many reasons for suffering. But none of them take away the pain. Just remember that, just as God was grieved when his Son suffered on the cross, he is grieved when you suffer. And just as God was able to bring something wonderful out of his Son’s suffering, he can bring something wonderful out of your suffering too.

In the meantime, chin up, shoulders back, stand straight, be brave, and smile. The world will wonder why.

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0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET:  CRIPPLED PRINCE.  Despite his handicap, the beautiful Kisarra becomes his wife, King David becomes his friend, and the forests become his mission. Though he must constantly deal with three enemies who do everything they can to make his life miserable, Mefiboset, grandson of a king, is an overcomer, a climber, a conqueror who triumphs in the end.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….http://bit.ly/Crippled-Prince   

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You all fill my heart

0-Titus-Cover-MediumThe scripture for today, May 15 (5/15), is Ecclesiastes 5:15 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.”

As most people enter their senior years, they finally understand this verse. In their youth, they struggled to get jobs and status and things. Some accomplished it, and some didn’t. But in the senior years….

when health is gradually declining….

the world is passing them by….

and they are sitting in their chair most of the time

….the main thing people look back on is what difference they made in their world, and how they did or did not help people important to them.

Often in their senior years, when their income goes down, and they are living only on a small pension, and they are unable to keep their big house, and fancy car, and impressive stuff, they realize they are still the same person inside regardless of what they own.

Ask a senior what they want for a birthday present. It is not likely to be things. It is likely to be time spent with a loved one or something special given to someone in need.

What about you?  How much time are you spending on things?

Button-Divider Line

I wrote this about twenty year ago when I was a young 61.  Yesterday I turned 81.  I went shopping to buy myself a birthday present, but didn’t see anything I wanted.  Instead, I looked through the 340+ birthday greetings I received on my two Facebook pages — friends I hadn’t seen in decades, strangers who loved me, delightful pictures, sweet verses.  You were my birthday gifts.  With you I had all I needed or wanted.  You all fill my heart.

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0-Titus-Cover-Lg ThumbINTREPID MEN OF GOD.  TITUS: THE ARISTOCRAT. Titus is  born of privilege, surrounded by luxury in the family palatio, and a graduate of the university at Pergamum. His father is the supreme judge of Antioch and Flamin of Apollo, while his mother is Flaminica of Apollo’s Muses.  His ambition is to become important like his father and qualify for the purple border on his own white toga. Then he meets the Apostle Paul and becomes a Christian. He gives it all up to travel to church and places where Jesus is yet unknown.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/TitusAristocrat-8 

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-8-titus-the-aristocrat/

You will not be able to stop

00-PAUL COVER-Medium-The scripture for today, May 14 (5/14), is 2nd Corinthians 5:14a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“For Christ’s love compels us….”

On a distant hill a very long time ago, something unbelievable happened.

Jesus ~ God materialized ~ died both physically and spiritually in your place! (Remember when he said God had forsaken him?) He knew you couldn’t come back from either kind of death on your own, so he did it for you. Such terrible things he went through for you so you wouldn’t have to and would fail.

Love is powerful! It causes you to do things for someone you love that you never wanted to do and never dreamed you could do.

How powerful is your love for Christ? And for those he was compelled to die for? Do you share his love with others? 1st John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”

Reach out to people who think Jesus will ruin their fun, or has too many rules, or could never forgive them, or wouldn’t stop a tragedy. If not in person, tell them in a note, a phone call, email, even a song. There are ways.

Reach out. You can if Christ’s love compels you. You will not be able to stop.

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00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-INTREPID MEN OF GOD.  PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE.  Dare to experience with him every rod slamming into his bones, every whiplashing through his skin, every breath struggled for when treading water a day and night. Survive with him through all the shipwrecks, going days without food, a snow storm in the Taurus Mountains, being robbed on the highway. Listen as, each time his body is mercilessly attacked, he calls out, “Jesus! This is for you!”  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/UnstoppablePaul                                                  https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-2-paul-the-unstoppable/