Thursday, June 13 ~ Go in the strength you have

The scripture for today, June 13 (6/13), is Judges 6:13f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail” ‘But sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about? .But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hand of Midian [enemies].’ The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have.’ “

How dynamic! When you feel trapped, God says, “Go.”  When you feel paralyzed, God says, “Go.”  When you feel hopeless, God says, “Go.”

Sometimes you spend your time concentrating on your problem rather than a possible solution. Or you try to find someone else to solve your problem for you. Or you feel so helpless, you sit huddled in a dark corner and ask God to take care of your problem for you. When Captain Gideon did this, God replied, “You’ve still got strengths. Use them.”

Yes, you have to wait for God’s final solution, but he does not expect you to sit idly by while he does all the work.  “But how?” you ask.  You are not a rock or tree or grain of sand.  You are not an elephant or tiger or worm.  You are a human being made in God’s image.  God breathed life into you and gave you special gifts and talents.

Don’t sit idly by while bad things happen around you. Everyone has God-given strengths. Look deep within your heart. It’s there.  Then go forth in the strength you have.

 

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE.  Preachers and teachers portray him as “poor little boy.”  But he was NOT. He got out in the world, met people, got married, had children and grandchildren.  Though the grandson of a king and heir apparent to the throne he was denied, he went out in the strength he had.  GREAT READING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HANDICAPPED and for FATHER’S DAY.   To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2HVKRNs

 

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Friday 6/7 ~ May the hardened see God in me

The scripture for today, June 7 (6/7), is Ephesians 6:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Serve whole-heartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.”

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailGod had just previously said that you were to obey your earthly master (boss). But, as hard as you try, sometimes what you may be told to do is very hard to do, especially if your boss is rude, or someone was promoted ahead of you, or you feel like s/he is being a “slave driver.”

At times like those, do what is asked of you anyway, knowing you are really doing it for God. The next verse says, “because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”

What you do as an employee in a difficult situation does not go unnoticed. God sees and God will reward you.

Thank you, God enthroned above the earth. You have given me the privilege of showing to the world the superiority of your way in breaking down barriers and building up lives. Your way enters the curious minds of even the most hardened hearts and makes them wonder if you are right after all. Your way rises up from my heart and soars to hills, the mountains, the moon, the stars, the very cosmos. May the hardened see you in me.

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailLUKE: SLAVE AND PHYSICIAN is treated like a son by Theopholis, Tribune in Caesar’s army. When Luke is grown, Theopholis sends him on missions far away, but he always returned “home”.  A bond of love is formed between them and Theopholis adopts Luke. Then, when Paul converts Luke and later his master, Theopholis set Luke free. And that is when he writes two of the most dynamic parts of the Bible. A unique FATHER’S DAY GIFT.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2IrYT8z

 

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Saturday 5/25 ~ Love everybody? What an intriguing thought!

The scripture for today, May 25 (5/25), is Galatians 5:25f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

When someone is better than you in doing something, do you pick fights with them as punishment, or spread gossip about them in order to get others to quit respecting them?

Perhaps you don’t do this all the time. But what about times when there is something you feel you are really good at, but another person not as talented gets the honor? That’s when it’s hard to “keep in step with the Spirit.”

Whenever you envy someone, deep down you consider that person your enemy. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45a).

To many, loving our enemy is the most difficult command in the Bible. Perhaps one way to love your “enemy” is to realize that Jesus loved his enemies. Every time you sin, you become one of his enemies. But Jesus keeps right on loving you, even when you don’t want to stop doing whatever you shouldn’t.

Jesus demonstrates the love of the Son of God. And here he says, if you love your enemies, you are demonstrating what the children of God do. And that is far more important than honor that goes to those you envy. Leaving behind conceit makes it much easier to love everyone.  Love everyone?  What an intriguing thought.

Button-BUY BK TODAYA lot of people thought they were better than MEFIBOSET.  Even though he was the crown prince after King Saul and his father, Jonathan, Crown Prince the first,  He was the CRIPPLED PRINCE.  Come on, now!  His brains we not in his feet!  He had many enemies afraid he would take over as king.  But he just smiled at them.  He smiled! Read about this son of King David’s best friend and let him teach you how to love your enemies.  To BUY NOW, click a  picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2QtFPKQ

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Friday, 5/24 ~ What are you doing for your nation?

The scripture for today, May 24 (5/24), is Amos 5:24 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

04-King Joash-ThumbnailCover“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.”

 
When individuals of a nation begin taking advantage of each other, the nation loses its standard of justice. Eventually, nations fall because of it ~ maybe not right away, but eventually.

Although acting justly may decrease someone’s income or status or power, that nation will roll on and on like a river.

Injustice is not impersonal. Injustice begins with you. One person at a time until eventually, an entire nation falls. On the other hand, justice also begins with you. One person at a time, and your nation rolls on and on like a river.

What are you doing for your nation?

Button-BUY BK TODAY(A CHILD’S BIBLEKIDS) ~ KING JOASH was orphaned at age two.  The high priest hid him until it was time to make him king. He honored God’s ways and that made him an unpopular king. He didn’t care. He wanted to lead his people the right way and not the popular way. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2Qv0m1H

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Wednesday 5/22 ~ Find Peace

The scripture for today, May 22 (5/22), is Galatians 5:22f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnail“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

There are some people in the world who call people who practice these traits “losers.”  They distrust people who love everyone, are kind to everyone and are always happy.  “People like that are not for real.”  They believe you have to stick up for yourself and get ahead of the pack or the world will trample you and pass you by.

They are a lot like drivers out on a highway who think they have to pass every car. Once they do, there is usually a brief period when they are ahead of all the others. But soon they catch up with another pack of cars and begin all over again to pass every one, to get ahead of the pack. And so, it happens over and over endlessly. They never relax, for they are never ahead of the others for very long.

Today, relax a little. Exercise patience and self-control.  There is no law against slowing down. And in the process find gentleness and find peace.

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Saturday 5/18 ~ Rejoice and keep Satan puzzled

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

OldOldTunes-Thumbnail“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. 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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Thursday 5/16 ~ Smile anyway. The world will wonder why.

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

000-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“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 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.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redLAZARUS: THE SAMARITAN grew up surrounded by the Jewish nation who hated his kind. When he went to work in a mine, they turned him into a slave and beat him half to death. How did he and his wife and children survive such suffering and for him to rise up to be the mine owner?  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2ELJtfS

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Wednesday 5/15 ~ Stuff

The scripture for today, May 15 (5/15), is Ecclesiastes 5:15 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Lg Thumb“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?

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTITUS: THE ARISTOCRAT had it all.  His father was the supreme magistrate of Antioch in Turkey and he had a university education. After many family complications, Titus met Paul and left paganism.  Eventually, both he and his now-converted father gave it all up and traveled together into the far north country of Albanian barbarians. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2Ncd0km

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Wednesday 5/8 ~ Keep on walking and walking and walking until…

The scripture for today, May 8 (5/8), is Psalm 5:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies ~ make straight your way before me.”

An enemy would like nothing more than to get into a good fight with someone. Do not let that happen. You have better things to do than argue with people.

Set your eyes, not on your enemy, but on the Lord. The path of enemies will take you on all sorts of side trips that lead to dead ends. The path of God rises up before you ~ straight and direct. Never let your attention stray from that path.

Keep on walking on the path of God.

And keep on walking,

and keep walking,

and walking, and walking…

….until, at last, you walk right through the gates of heaven.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHEY MET JESUS: COME FLY WITH ME is the last book in this series. What was Jesus’ actual resurrection like? How did his apostles handle him being gone permanently? It took them 19 years to break loose and leave Jerusalem. Maybe they needed time for their children to grow up. Then what happened to them? To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vIUCaW

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Sunday 5/5 ~ Seek peace. Deep peace.

The scripture for today, May 5 (5/5), is Micah 5:5a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“And he will be their peace.”

The little book of Micah was written during a time when his country was full of prosperity. But it was also full of abused power. The lower on the social scale, the more the people suffered at the hands of the powerful few.

In the midst of warning the social elite, Micah offers comfort to their victims. You may be going through economic distress such as losing your job or losing your home. You may be going through social distress such as being passed up for a promotion or losing friends because of your moral code.

Seek peace. Deep peace.

Sometimes, it is only possible to reveal powerful abusers by revealing their victims to the world. Sometimes our job is to just survive so that a future generation can find justice and acceptance. Or sometimes we must lose everything so that we can quit worrying about this world and look forward to the next.

Seek peace. Deep peace.

So, when you feel left behind with nothing, look up! God is still on his throne. God still holds out his arms. God still wipes away tears. Possibly it is at such times that you can feel God’s love most warmly and God’s peace most deeply.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE endured the enemies of his grandfather, King Saul, and even death threats on his own life plus being crippled for life.  Amidst it all, he found peace.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2Ga5tzi

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