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?

Amazing thoughts that dazzle my mind

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, church, faith, good works, Heaven, Inspirational, joy, love, praise, prayer, Thanksgiving, worship2 Comments

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride-mediumYou are my king. You are crowned with the sun. Your scepter is tipped with the moon. Your robe spreads across millions of galaxies.  Your throne is the dome of the cosmos encircled with a thousand rainbows. Your eyes sparkle like stars, your laughter is like the thunder, your tears like raindrops, your touch like billowy clouds gliding across the sky. Oh, my Lord. I love you, adore you, worship you.  I am your bride and long for you.

Ah, Lord Jesus. What a life you lived!  You never sinned and that means you never passed up anyone who needed you. I think you must have been skinny. You must have skipped many a meal to get to everyone. And the awesome miracles you performed! Growing cut-off arms and legs back, returning the noses, fingers and toes to lepers, making the forever blind see, opening the ears of the deaf so they could hear your voice and the amazing words that came from your lips. Thank you, thank you for showing us who you really were ~ God materialized.  Amazing thoughts that dazzle my mind.

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Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAILLOVE LETTERS OF JESUS AND HIS BRIDE is based on the Song of Solomon as it relates to the church as the bride of Christ.  Hundreds of footnotes lead you to the N.T. where the symbolism is revealed in the church.  Can be used for a class Bible study or as a gift book.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or PASTE THIS………. https://bit.ly/2Vl3dhi

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I Miss the World

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn prayerLeave a comment

I Miss the World

by mitchteemley

I grew up near the beach in Southern California. Honestly, I didn’t go all that often once I grew up. But the moment we moved away, I missed it. I missed knowing I could. This pandemic has made me feel that way about the whole world.

So gear up and take that leap

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, church, discouragement, eternity, family, judging, knowledge, persecution, teaching, truthLeave a comment

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, July 3 (7/3), is Acts 7:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible: 

” ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ “

This is part of a speech by Christian Stephen soon after the church began. He was reminding the Jewish leaders how God told their ancestor Abraham to leave his religion, home and family, and move to where God had something special for him ~ to begin the Jewish nation and religion.

But when Stephen got to the part where, since Jesus’ arrival, now God wanted his audience to leave the Jewish religion and move on to a still better one ~ the Christian religion ~ they were outraged. They were not like Abraham; they did not want to change. So, not liking the message, they killed the messenger. These religious leaders stoned Stephen to death.

Have you learned “new” things in the Bible that your religion is against? It is hard to change. You could lose your friends and family like Abraham did; you could even lose your home as Abraham did. It takes a great big “leap of faith” to follow that “new” truth you have discovered in the Bible.

But when God does the recommending, you can know he has something special in mind for you. So, gear up and take that leap!

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00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR was a coward as a teenager and his best friend was crucified. But little by little through the years, he stepped up and exhibited courage at increasing levels. How did he do it? What happened to him?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or PASTE THIS……….  https://bit.ly/2XBFXvJ  

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I am always in heaven

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn eternity, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, joy, judging, knowledge, love, patience, praise, prayer, Thanksgiving, victory, worshipLeave a comment

Praise God who makes all things magnificently beautiful. Sometimes I wonder what you are thinking. Each soul you invite into heaven brings along the brightness of their faith in you. Each soul who returns to their Maker brings along the brilliance of their love for you. Heaven grows brighter than before as your children return to you.  And you laugh and rejoice that your family is with you at last. Oh, for the day when I can join your children there and laugh with you. Oh, for the eternal day when I can sing praises to you.  Do you sing, Lord?  I hope so. Will you be the director of our heavenly chorus? Wonderful, incredible day when I close my eyes in weakness and open them in your everlasting strength and ceaseless joy.

Ah, my Lord, thank you for your promises. You always keep your promises. You are my protector, my helper, my shield, and keep me safe under the shadow of your wing.  But the greatest promise of all is that you will return in the clouds someday and bring me up to you. When all who have loved and obeyed you arrive, you will take us with you to heaven. What an amazing and comforting promise. You will take me to the new and glorious body you are preparing for me and I shall walk streets of your golden purity. I cannot begin to conceive what heaven will be like, but with you, I am always in heaven. Thank you.

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REVELATION: A LOVE LETTER FROM GOD.  Once you understand the simple symbolism of numbers to the Jews, it is easy to understand Revelation and to tear down the horror stories people try to feed us.  It is a book of promises fulfilled.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/36W2CqT 

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Twelve Trillion Dollars

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, Heaven, truth, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 30 (6/30), is 1st Kings 6:30 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.”

About 50 years ago, it was figured that Solomon put $3 trillion worth of gold in the temple to line the ceiling, walls, and floor. And that figure would probably be around $12 trillion today. Talk about streets of gold in heaven!

There are some people today asking for money to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Even if they accomplished it, what would it do for Christians? The book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains to the Hebrew (Jewish) Christians that they no longer need or want the temple. Why? Hebrews 8:13 says, “By calling this covenant (Testament) ‘new’ he has made the first one [Old Testament] obsolete.”

Let’s look at the temple in a spiritual sense through the eyes of a Christian ~ and of Jesus himself in Hebrews 9.  1 “Now, the FIRST  COVENANT  [TESTAMENT]  had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 7 Only the High Priest entered the inner room [Most Holy Place]…and never without blood.…. 11When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle [temple] that is not man-made. 12. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood [He being the Lamb of God ~ John 1], having obtained eternal redemption. 24. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered HEAVEN  ITSELF. For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a NEW  COVENANT  [TESTAMENT].’

Why in the world would anyone want an imitation temple and holy of holies made with hands back in Jerusalem again, along with all the animal sacrifices on the altar, and priests who would have to be of the Tribe of Levi, and tithing and all the other over 600 laws of Moses? It makes no sense.

Thank God, we live in a more spiritual age ~ the age of Christ and the temple of heaven itself.

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WORSHIP THE FIRST CENTURY WAY is one of a pair on worship. The other is WORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1ST CENTURY.  Each chapter is about a different form of worship and quotes the Bible, famous theologians, and 2nd century Christians.  Written for religious leaders of all denominations.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/37akvlF

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#OldTestament, #NewTestament, #LawofMoses, #SolomonsTemple, #gold, #covenant, #WorshipOldTestamentWay, #WorshipNewTestamentWay, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer  https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/my-book-worship-the-first-century-way/

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Declaring Your Majestic Divinity

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, church, death, forgiveness, Heaven, persecution, praise, prayer, sin, temptation, worship1 Comment

You, my Creator, allow me to be so close to you, it takes my breath away in awe.  I am frail. I am feeble. I am made of dust. But you breathed into me the breath of life. Just think!  I have the breath of God in me.  Oh, miracle of miracles! I will return that breath to you in songs of praise. With that same breath I will extol you to the end of my days on earth, and then resume in your world before your throne forever.  As small as I am, you take time to know me ~ the good and the bad ~ and love me still, and make me your friend. More, you have made me your child. Wonder of wonders.

Thank you, Lord God, for times of worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of us cannot be together right now in order to protect each other.  But our hearts are intertwined with love. Thank you for freedom to worship you. Thank you for your protection. Nothing can hurt me without your permission. And when sometimes I am persecuted, thank you for the privilege of standing tall, forgiving my persecutors, and declaring your majestic divinity before them. And, should I die at their hands, let it be while praising you.

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ADAM & EVE is storybook #1 in the A KID’S BIBLE HEROES series.  Looking at the ages of their sons, they apparently went some 100 years without sinning.  They resisted Satan’s temptations a very long time. There is good and bad in everyone.  “Think & Do” at the end of every chapter. Great for HOME SCHOOLING. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/3dOf7X8

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Invincible Faith

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, attitude, Death of Jesus Christ, ego, faith, good works, healing, Heaven, persecution, SatanLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 29 (6/29), is John 6:29 , as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

“Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: To believe in the one he has sent.’ “

Yes, it is true that the gift of salvation is just that ~ a gift, a free gift. That’s because God was the only one powerful enough to overcome Satan.  Satan wanted God’s death as a ransom in order to free you from your bondage to him. God gave Satan what he thought he wanted because it resulted in Jesus destroying the power of Death.

And it is true that you cannot be good enough to earn salvation from Satan because you don’t know how to be sinless, and heaven can only be occupied by the perfectly sinless. Satan is always lurking in the shadows to lure you back. It only takes one sin to be a dinner.

But at the same time, James 2:18 says, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” In other words, there are things you need to do to obtain salvation. You have to believe there is a gift for you somewhere, walk over to it, reach out, and grasp it.

Believing is a work because you have to find and spend time listening to or reading the Word before you can believe. And Jesus himself said believing (faith) is a work.

How do you go about obtaining faith? By believing what other people tell you to believe? Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing/reading the Word of God ~ the Bible. It is going directly to God’s Words to find out for yourself. It takes a little bit of work to read through it. But then, you can know that what you believe is really what God said.

What a marvelous, delightful, magnificent thing it is to find out what this invisible God did for you and to bask in the glory of such knowledge through invincible faith.

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NAAMAN’S MAID is storybook #3 in A CHILD’S BIBLE KIDS.  Often it is the children who teach the grownups.  This little girl has so much faith, she was sure her master could and would be healed by the prophet Elisha.  Such examples the little children are for us.  “Think and Do” at the end of each chapter. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/38dRhmK

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You’re killing yourself. It’s okay to smile again.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn prayerLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 28 (6/28), is Luke 6:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” 

There was a book published several years ago entitled, Hurt People Hurt People. Have you been hurt? Perhaps by an insult, a neglect, an illness, losing your job?  Have you turned bitter? Do you lash out at everyone, or a group of people or a particular someone?

One method of lashing out is when someone tries to console someone who has lost a loved one in death by saying, “I know how you feel.” Then the hurt person lashes out at the other person and says, “You DON’T know how I feel!  How dare you pretend that you do!”

That is a hurt person trying to hurt someone else. It’s as though they are bragging, “My hurt is so amazingly great, any effort on your part to understand is puny and not worthy of the greatness of my hurt.”

How do you react to your pain? Do you run people off?

Stop letting that old hurt punish you. Stop putting your life on hold and living in the moment over and over for eternity. Stop being the victim and the aggressor both. You’re killing yourself ~ your mind, your spirit, your soul.

It is okay to smile again. Try it in private. Then in public. It is okay to let it go and hand it over to God. It is okay when you feel cursed to not curse back. It is a blessing to bless.

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MEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE was the grandson of King Saul who had many enemies. Their hatred for Saul was transferred to his grandson.  Despite this and that he was crippled for life, he had his father, Jonathan’s, ability to bless when cursed.  He had a rich and full life.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2ywrqJi

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Come back. Come back to me!

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn forgiveness, Heaven, Inspirational, joy, love, patience, praise, prayer, Thanksgiving, worship1 Comment

All praises belong to you, Jehovah my Maker, Creator of my soul, the re-Creator of my life. You are astonishing in everything you do. When I call out for help, your chariot races through the storms to rescue me. You are my fortress walled about with salvation. You are my shield between me and danger. At last there is peace once again in my life. Peace that flows like a gentle stream. My every breath whispers your praise and rises to storehouses of white clouds. My every sigh soars through the heavens to your throne and rests in you.

Ah, my Lord, thank you for your everlasting love. It never fades away. It never ceases no matter how bad I may become. You run after me and say, “Come back!  Come back to me.” No matter how many times I wander, you never tire of running after me. Your love is beyond comprehension.  I do not deserve you. Thank you, for loving me and being willing to fling my sins off me and trample them underfoot.  How amazing, and how lofty the thought. I adore you. I worship you.

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LOVE LETTERS OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE ECCLESIA.  Beautiful study book on how Christ loves his church based on the Song of Solomon.  Each book chapter coincides with the same chapter in the Bible.  Hundreds of footnotes bring this book alive in the greatest love story in the universe.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2Vl3dhi

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Short history of music in the temple

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, blessings, family, Inspirational, joy, praise, Thanksgiving, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 26 (6/26), is 1st Chronicles 6:26ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible.   

“Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son and SAMUEL his son. The sons of Samuel: JOEL the firstborn and Abijah the second son.”

This is a little long, but I think you will enjoy it.

The prophet Samuel came from a musical family who descended from Levi’s son Kohath. Samuel’s son, listed in this scripture, was Joel. Verse 33 called the son of Joel and grandson of Samuel “Heman, the musician.”  Just what did Heman the musician do?

David told the Levites to appoint “singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps, and cymbals.”  Heman was the first one they appointed (I Chronicles 15:16f), and he had two assistants, ~ Asaph and Merari (I Chronicles. 6:39, 44). David put them in charge of the music in the house of the Lord, and they performed their duties according to the regulations (verses 31f).  

So what David appointed was a choir and orchestra.  When David first appointed them, Heman had 120 relatives in his clan, and his assistants had 220 and 130 in their clans (I Chronicles. 15:5-7; 19-22; 27-28), so they had a total of 470 musicians. Wow! And these musicians had a full-time job!

They were to minister before the Lord “according to each day’s requirements” of sacrifices as written in the Law of Moses. Heman and the others were responsible for sounding the trumpets and cymbals and playing the other instruments ~ lyres, harps, and cymbals (15:19-21) ~ for sacred song (16:37-42). In addition to playing the prescribed lyres, harps, and cymbals, trumpets were to be sounded to announce sacrifices, etc. (16:4-6).

By the time David was old, there were “four thousand…to praise the Lord with the musical instruments” (I Chronicles 23:5)! What an amazing choir and orchestra they had by this time! Remember, they were all male Levites, and were to help Aaron’s descendants, the priests, in the temple every day and at special feasts (verse 28, 30f). And what instruments were they still playing? Cymbals, lyres, and harps “for the ministry at the house of God” (I Chronicles. 25:1 & 6).

Years later after David died and his son Solomon had completed the grand Temple in Jerusalem (II Chronicles. 5:1), “all the Levites who were musicians…stood on the east side of the altar dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison as with one voice to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and the other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord” (verses 12-13).

Can you imagine such an orchestra and choir? The tinkling of the harps and lyres, with cymbals keeping the tempo, and trumpets calling attention to it all? And all those singers! Was God pleased? Indeed he was, for in the form of a cloud, “the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God” (verse 14).

All this occurred around 1000 BC. Three centuries later, when Hezekiah was king, the same instruments were being played ~ cymbals, harps, and lyres (II Chronicles. 29:25f). Why? Because they were prescribed by David, Gad the seer and Nathan the prophet as commanded by God through his prophets. (Acts 2:29-30 says David was a prophet too.)

So we see that during Old Testament times, God commanded that they have full-time musicians to sing and play during daily sacrifices and special feasts, and they had to be male Levites, and they had to play cymbals, harps, and lyres, sometimes accompanied by trumpets.

What a family Samuel had! And I’ll bet he was musical himself. How proud he would have been of his descendants.

Interestingly, although God specified every detail of the instruments that had to be played in the Old Testament, nothing like that was specified in the New Testament. Did God forget? Perhaps God took us to a higher plain in the New Testament era. We do know that in I Corinthians 14:15, we are told to both pray and sing with mind and spirit.

And in Ephesians 5:19, we are told to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” The term “make music” in the original Greek language of the New Testament is to play on strings. Since we are to make music in our hearts, then it looks like we are to play on the instrument of our heart. How beautiful!

About 50 years ago, when my father died, the funeral was in a little country church. The music consisted of a small group from the congregation who sang hymns without the accompaniment of an instrument. They were not good performers ~ they twanged a lot and sometimes were a bit off-key. But it was some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Why? Because their singing was accompanied by their heart. They were telling my family, “We love you,” and I really felt that they did.

God looks down at our singing ~ no matter how good or feeble ~ and says, “I can tell you love me.” And that’s all that matters.

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THE OLD OLD STORY SET TO OLD OLD TUNES has 40 songs about the Old Testament and 40 about the New Testament ~ all set to common folk tunes.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2YwJVHI 

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