Category: Bible

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, Inspirational2 Comments

The scripture for today, February 14, is Colossians 2:14 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

New Testament Parchment“[God] having canceled the written code with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

This amazing scripture tells us that the Old Law of Moses was nailed to the cross. Why? Because it was against us; that is, it was impossible for us to keep perfectly. The Law of Moses wasn’t just ten commandments. It was over 600. Try reading Leviticus in the Old Testament. That’s where most of the old law (“the written code with its regulations”) is.

It’s tedious. It regulated nearly every part of everyone’s daily life. It involved what we could and couldn’t eat, having to kill animals to die in our place whenever we sinned, stoning adulterers to death, having a separate priesthood, tithing, reporting to priests if we had an open sore, use of candles, having to go to the Temple in Jerusalem 3 times a year, and on and on.

The book of Hebrews in the New Testament was written to help us understand that God’s new Law of Grace is much more spiritual. Hebrews was written just before the Temple in Jerusalem was permanently destroyed, thus making it impossible to obey several things in the old law. And a little time later the Jewish genealogies were destroyed, thus making it impossible to prove who was a Levite and eligible to be a priest.

The Old Testament of the Bible is not the same as the Law of Moses. The Law is a small part of the Old Testament. The rest of it is praise and wisdom, accounts of people who did or did not try to follow God, warnings and prophecies of good and bad. These are examples to us today.

Let us not neglect the Old Testament as so many people do. It includes the Law of Moses to help us know what to stay away from in favor of the Law of Grace. If God wanted us to continue any part of it, he repeated it in the New Testament. It is full of examples that we need to know about. And it is full of prophecies of a Savior who would save them and us some day ~ Jesus. Thank God for the Old Testament.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, Inspirational2 Comments

The scripture for February 13 is Philippians 2:13 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

05-Inspirations-Cover-KINDLE“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Here is another related verse: “The Lord opened her heart to respond” (Acts 16:14)”

God the Father moved people’s hearts throughout the Bible ~ Old Testament and New Testament. But he never moved hearts to do what they were not already inclined to do. He does not go against someone’s will, for he gave everyone free will.

If you are struggling to know the will of your religious leaders and friends, you struggle alone. If you are sincerely struggling to know God’s will and do it, the Father will help you. If you are struggling to act according to the purpose of your religious leaders and friends, you struggle alone. If you are sincerely struggling to act according to God’s good purpose, the Father will help you. If you have a sincerely open heart, God can move you closer to himself so that he can work in you and through you on earth.

He will always tell you what to do through his Word ~ the Bible. You do not have to guess. It covers every possible situation you could ever face and shows you his good purposes. God the Father will work in you if you let him.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 12, is 2nd Timothy 2:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us.”

God loves us, but never forces us to love him. He has given us a beautiful world to live in full of excitement and challenges and comforts. He has given us family and friends. He has given us his Son to take our punishment for our sins so we can live with him in his home ~ heaven. He is constantly calling to us, “I love you!”

But being the Gentleman that he is, he never forces himself on us. Instead, he lets us lead the way so to speak. If we don’t want to listen to God’s words, God doesn’t want to listen to our words. If we don’t want to spend extra time on God, God doesn’t want to spend extra time on us. If we don’t want anything to do with God in this life, he will not want anything to do with us in the next life.

He never forces us. But oh, how he weeps when we walk away from him.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 11, is Ecclesiastes 2:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-COVER---Star-Song---flat“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.”

King Solomon wrote this. He tried everything to bring deep happiness and satisfaction. He tried writing proverbs and songs. He tried every pleasure there was. He tried working hard with his hands. He tried investing his money and becoming the richest man in the world. Nothing worked. He still couldn’t achieve the deep happiness he longed for.

There was a book published a few years ago entitled, HOW TO WANT WHAT YOU HAVE. It seems that, for most of us, the deep contented happiness we all crave is always just around the corner. If we could just be selected for that promotion, if we could just get married, if we could just get a pay raise, if we could just be on the winning team, if we could just have children, if we could just get that house or car. Always if. The problem is that, once we attain what we believe will bring us happiness, we just want the next promotion, the next pay raise, a different marriage partner, the next house, no children, the next car.

What was Solomon’s conclusion? You’ll find it in the final few verses of Ecclesiastes: True happiness comes from a love relationship with God

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, Inspirational2 Comments

The scripture for today, February 10, is James 2:10 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

05-Inspirations-Cover-KINDLE

Do we pray on Sunday and curse on Monday? Do we sing on Sunday and lie on Monday? Do we recite a scripture on Sunday and mock someone on Monday?

On the other hand, do we use this as an excuse not to go to church? Do we refuse to attend because there are hypocrites in the church? Do we refuse to go to work because there are hypocrites there who talk behind the boss’s back? Do we refuse to go to school because there are hypocrites there who would skip school if they could? Do we refuse to go to sporting events because there are hypocrites there that would literally “kill the umpire” if they could?

Even Jesus had a hypocrite among his 12 Apostles ~ Judas. That didn’t stop him from doing what was needed to save us from hell.

In a sense we are all hypocrites because we go to church and sing songs about giving everything for Jesus, then we go home and don’t. Or we sing songs about going into all the world and teaching the gospel, then we go home and don’t. Or we talk about the importance of praying for everyone around us and their loved ones, then we go home and don’t.

Let us look at ourselves as others do ~ and as God does.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 9, is I Corinthians 2:9 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

REV-Cover-Kindle“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

This amazing promise applies to us today.  It also applies to eternity.  Indeed, it is difficult to conceive heaven.  That is why so much of Revelation is symbolic.  The symbols are beautiful, so try going one step beyond reading how Revelation describes heaven, and make a drawing of what you think it looks like.  Then colorize it all those beautiful colors:

Revelation 21:12,13,21: Each of the 12 GATES is named after one of the Tribes of Israel, and has an angel guarding it.  Make the gates pearl.  Make the angel over the gate white or yellow.
Revelation 21:17, 18a:  Make the WALL jasper, which is a light see-through green or red.  
Revelation 21:16, 18b: Heaven is full of many MANSIONS (John 14:2).  Make them a translucent (see-through) gold.
Revelation 21:21: The STREETS of the city are like crystal and gold.  Make them a translucent (see-through) gold also.
Revelation 22:1: The RIVER OF LIFE runs through heaven coming out from the throne of God.  Make it blue.
Revelation 4:6a: The CHRYSTAL SEA is in front of God’s throne.  Make it blue.
Revelation 22:2: The TREE OF LIFE grows on both sides of the River of Life.  Make it green and brown.
Revelation 22:2: The ALTER OF INCENSE from Christians’ prayers is in front of the throne.  Make it gold
Revelation 21:23: God’s THRONE is jasper (crystal red) and the glory of God is so brilliant, there is no need of a sun.  Make the area of the throne silver.
Revelation 4:5: Around the throne of God are the seven SPIRITS of God, symbolized by seven lights.  Make them yellow.
Revelation 4:3a: Near the Spirits there is a ruby red GLOW around the throne of God.  Make this inner arch red.
Revelation 4:3b: There is a RAINBOW over God’s throne.  Make the arch at the very top over the throne emerald green.

Although this is all symbolic, doesn’t drawing and coloring in the symbols help to put across just how beautiful heaven will be!  

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 8, is Genesis 2:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Sun Rays on Road-green“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.”

Just think: Mankind’s nursery was a garden. How God wanted to spoil us, his children. And dote on us. Then Satan came along and lied to us, saying God was our enemy.

Many people even today believe that. It is not true. God does not hate you. Do not listen to Satan. Turn around and try once more listening to God who loves you beyond comprehension. And wants to spoil you. In heaven.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 7, is Proverbs 2:7 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.”

Do you feel like a loser sometimes? Once someone gets into that mind set, it is hard to break out. One dream after another has been shattered. One goal after another has been impossible. One effort after another has been a failure.

The world can be a cruel place in which to live. It is ruled by Satan.

But look up! Victory is still possible! There is an old song called “Victory in Jesus.” We may be losers to our friends, but victors to Jesus. Just remember, we cannot have victory in Jesus unless we have something to be victorious over.

Life is hard. But each day that problems face us and we refuse to give in, that’s victory. Each day that we search God’s Word for answers in the right places, that’s victory. Each day that we refuse to give up on Jesus despite opposition to him by those around us, that’s victory.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 6 is Jonah 2:6f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

05-Inspirations-Cover-KINDLE“To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.”

This is what was going through Jonah’s mind as he was swallowed by the great fish and on his way to certain death. It is never too late. As long as the breath of life is in you, it is never too late to cry out to God. You may be in the pits of your life. You may feel you cannot sink any lower than where you are now.

But look up! God is watching you with tears. You are not only breaking your own heart, but you are breaking the heart of God who loves you so. God wants to lift you up out of your pit. But he cannot do it without your help. What is your part? You must lift up your hands so God can grasp them.

Look up! God is right there within your grasp.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 5, is Ephesians 2:5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“[God] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ~ it is by grace you have been saved.”Crucifixion

Every time we sin, our spirit ~ our soul ~ dies a little more. Every time we steal, cheat, torture, murder. We say we don’t do such things. Well, how about every time we stretch the truth (lie), go over the speed limit (disobey the laws of the land), close our eyes to someone we know is in need (selfishness), lose our temper, indulge in coarse talk, call someone names, refuse to forgive?

It is true that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and our wages every time we sin is death (Romans 6:23). We certainly do not deserve to live with a sinless God. Nor can we. But by his grace, he made a way possible to consider us sinless.

In Old Testament times, people killed a perfect animal to die in their place, but it was only a temporary fix. Then God sent his perfect Son who never sinned ~ the Lamb of God ~ to lie down on the altar of the world at the cross. There he died spiritually and physically in our place for the things we in the world did wrong, all while the world raged at him.

Yes, while we were still dead in our sins, Jesus died for us. He can also make us spiritually alive. If we will actively seek him.