Tuesday 4/30 ~ Grieving or smiling?

The scripture for today, April 30 (4/30), is Ephesians 4:30f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Do you think God has no choice but to let you into his heaven because you do not steal, cheat, or murder? Think again.

There’s more to it than that; it’s called sins of attitude. Are you bitter about something? Let it go or it will take you to hell.  Do you have a problem with rage and anger? Do you enjoy a good mental or physical brawl? Do you slander people who have done you wrong? Do you harbor grudges year after year? Let go of them. Please. They are taking you to hell.

The average person does not have trouble with bad actions. The big problem is with bad attitudes. Let go of them. God will take care of the problems. Let go of people you consider your enemies and wish them well. Do not grieve God. He does not deserve it.

Live in sweet inner peace. Live at peace with God. Make God smile.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redPAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE was cruel in his youth. He grieved the church, he grieved God. Then he made the great turnaround and because a leader of the Christians he had formerly hated.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2R0jL9w

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Saturday 4/27 ~Anointed One

The scripture for today, April 27 (4/27), is Acts 4:27b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnail“…your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.”

In this prayer of early Christians, they acknowledged that God had anointed Jesus. What does anointing mean? In the Old Testament, men were anointed to become the high priest or the king.

Aaron was the very first high priest (Leviticus 6:20,22) and his son [and descendants] who succeeded him as high priest was also anointed. Saul was the very first king of the Jews (I Samuel 15:1) and he and all succeeding kings were anointed. This was a form of coronation.

And so when God anointed Jesus, he made him both high priest and king. Hebrews 4:14 says, “we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” And in Mark 15:2, Jesus acknowledged that he was King.

Who in the Christian era has been anointed?  Jesus.

And so we worship the anointed one.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redWAS JESUS GOD (WHY EVIL?) brings together scriptures you have always known so they answer both questions.  People everywhere, no matter what their religion, are asking these questions more and more. BUY NOW by clicking a picture or pasting this:  https://amzn.to/2V1Lk92

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Tuesday 4/23 ~ What do you think?

The scripture for today, April 23 (4/23), is Mark 4:23 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Some of us read a passage in the Bible and say, “I know it says that, but it doesn’t really mean that.”  We just don’t want to hear it.

It’s hard to admit we are wrong, isn’t it? It’s human nature. And in the realm of religion, it is even harder because we’re talking about our eternal soul. So, reading that we’re supposed to be doing or not doing something that we’ve never followed before is a shock.  It’s like being on a bridge over a roaring river, and suddenly realizing the bridge is breaking and we are not as safe as we thought we were.  Let us take our human egos out of the way.

Let’s say, for example, you have a wood or cooking project. If you leave a major step out, it results in your creation not turning out right. You might turn a blind eye to the correct way, give up and throw your creation away so that you never have the joy of whatever you were creating. Or you may go back and check what you have done until you find your mistake, are glad you found the mistake. Now you can see it with seeing eyes, correct it, and then have the joy of your creation.

Let us not fight God.  Let us not be like spiritual teenagers trying to boss their parents. We are God’s creation. He is just trying to help us. Instead of spiritual blindness and deafness, let us have eyes that truly see, and ears that truly hear what God is trying to tell us. What do you think?

Image result for "Buy the book" button redMICHEL: THE FOURTH WISEMAN kept trying to get the others to check out the writings of Daniel, a former prime minister of Babylon. The others kept objecting that a religion with only one God didn’t make sense. After traveling the world investigating the holy writings of other religions, they finally relent and find their answer: The meaning of the star.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2UTHgr8

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Wednesday 4/17 ~ How deep are your roots?

The scripture for today, April 17 (4/17), is Mark 4:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away.”

We may be mentally prepared for persecution out in the world. But what about persecution among our friends who we attend worship with all the time? They can turn on us too.

Perhaps you have discovered a “new” truth and are trying to get members of your congregation to believe it. If members get the feeling you are trying to prove them wrong and make them look bad, they will turn on you, much like people do a “whistleblower” in the business world.

On whose side will you stand? Your friends’ so you can continue to be friends with them, or God’s? It’s easy to let things slide and pretend that “new” truth no longer exists so you can keep your friends. How deep are your roots? Who shall you worship? Your friends or your God? What is more important? Your comfort in this life or your eternity?

Image result for "Buy the book" button redSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR starts out as a teenage coward who runs from every confrontation and hides his beliefs.  Through tragedies, he gradually matures until one day he is confronted with the leaders of his old religion who demand, follow our creeds or die. So, he died. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2GnzJqq

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Tuesday 4/16 ~ Mercy when you need it

The scripture for today, April 16 (4/16), is Hebrews 4:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Anyone who has lived very long has committed some sin they hope no one ever finds out about. Some people have committed many such sins. Because of that one “big” sin or the constant repetition of a particular sin, do you punish yourself by putting words in God’s mouth? Do you say, “God could never forgive me for that”? Perhaps you can never forgive yourself, but God is greater than you.

Jesus told Peter we must forgive our brothers 70 times 7. If kept literally, that would mean we’d have to forgive the same sin 490 times. It is figurative for forgiving all the time. 1st Corinthians 13, the “love chapter” of the Bible, says, “Love…keeps no record of wrongs.” Do you hold grudges?

Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” In addition to forgiving yourself and others, can you reach out to help people who cannot forgive themselves? Are you strong enough to imitate God? Are you strong enough to find enough mercy and grace in your heart to forgive? There, indeed, is divinity in forgiveness.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redIn the midst of excruciating torture, Jesus uttered, “I forgive you.” THEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH tells the story of ultimate forgiveness of his enemies (that includes us).  Read about all the people involved in his death and the beholders of his coming back to life in this historical novel.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2GcZcmy

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Saturday 4/6 ~ Your heart will soar

The scripture for today, April 6 (4/6), is 1st Corinthians 4:6 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-HS-592 VersesExamined-COVER-Thumbnail“…learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.”

Periodically through the Bible there appears this same warning for us to not “go beyond what is written.” 2nd Peter 1:20 says prophecy is scripture. Prophecy was needed before the New Testament was written, but no more after that, for by then, the prophecy of the apostles had been written down and were being passed around.

It is important to find out if what we are being taught is “beyond what is written.” It can be done. How? Simple. Use a concordance. A concordance is the size of an unabridged dictionary and includes every word in the Bible alphabetically, and every scripture that contains each word. Many libraries have one. Or you can order one from your local bookstore. There are some concordances on the internet too. Here is one:  http://bibletab.com

You are an intelligent person. Don’t take for granted what others tell you, no matter how holy they look and act and how much they smile at you or threaten you.  Check things for yourself. Read the Bible for yourself. Decide for yourself whether any of your church leaders have gone “beyond what is written.” You can do it: Find out for sure.

It is liberating. Your heart will soar and your soul will embrace God in a whole new way.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHE HOLY SPIRIT: 592 VERSES EXAMINED covers every verse in the Bible about God’s Spirit. No guessing. No pet theories. No opinions but God’s. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2UmP3xo

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Wednesday 4/3 ~ Discovering real truth

The scripture for today, April 3 (4/3), is 1st Timothy 4:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnail“They [false teachers] forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”

It is hard for you to think that smiling, humble, Bible-quoting, holy-looking church leaders could be false teachers and condemned by the God they claim to represent.  We want to think well of everyone. Isn’t that the way Christians are to think? But sometimes thinking well of someone and thinking well of the truth can clash.  Now you have a choice to make ~ a hard choice.

The Apostle Paul, warned of false teachers in the church that would come in the future. Indeed, it did happen. A time came when certain Christians were ordered not to marry, and not to eat certain foods (for instance, on Friday. They claim it is a sin to disobey them and don’t show you the scriptures they refuse to obey.

Remember, your church leaders are going to be judged by God just like everyone else. Always, as the Apostle Peter once warned, “We ought to obey God and not men” (Acts 4:19). Besides, do you think this is one reason people have turned against “organized religion”?

This is why it is important to read the Bible for yourself. Use a concordance to look up all scriptures in the Bible with any keyword and you will learn what is true and not true. Isn’t it time for you to sort through everything you have been told?  Isn’t it time for you to discover pure truth?

Image result for "Buy the book" button redWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE FIRST CENTURY is a year-by-year account of how things gradually changed and what the changers did to those who protested against them. Be prepared to be amazed. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2FQgMfM

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Saturday 3/30 ~ Think. Think long and hard.

The scripture for today, March 30 (3/30), is John 3:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

04-Isaac&Jacob-KindleMedium“He must become greater; I must become less.”

This is John the Baptist speaking. He had a great following. People “were constantly coming to be baptized” by John (3:23). He had it made! But at the height of his popularity, he said, “I will be stepping down soon.”

Can you do this? Are you at the height of your popularity, perhaps at a club, an organization, church? Could you step down if someone more qualified than you came along? Or will you say, “I started this _______, and I was here first, so this is my project!”?

Look inside. Deep inside. What are your motives for doing good? Selfish ambition or love for others? 1st Corinthians 13:1 says that, even if I offer my body to be burned and do not have love, it benefits me nothing.

Jesus warned, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Think. Think long and hard. Do you have some repenting to do? Father in heaven, help me see myself the way You do.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: ISAAC & JACOB is about Jacob who just had to be ahead of everyone else, so he lied and cheated in order to be first. He never saw the big picture and what it was doing to others. He had to be broken. It took 20 years in exile before he understood how to be honest and good.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2FIkHvr

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March 28 (3/28) ~ Forgiven

The scripture for today, March 28 (3/28), is Mark 3:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-HS-592 VersesExamined-COVER-Thumbnail“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”

This is confusing to many because we aren’t sure what it means to speak against the Holy Spirit. Jesus clarifies it in John 14:17 where he said he was going to send to us another Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. And in John 17:17 he said God’s Word ~ the Bible ~ is Truth.

If we refuse to believe what is in the Bible, then we are going to refuse to believe in a Savior and refuse to repent of our sins. These things are unforgivable because God cannot forgive someone who does not believe in Jesus, likes to sin, and refuses to repent.

Have you ever tried reading the Bible through in a year? You could divide all the pages in your Bible by 365 so you know how many pages to read each day. If it’s too much for you, the New Testament half of the Bible was written to the Christians.  Read God’s Word. It will fill you with an amazing amount of knowledge and understanding, all from the Holy Spirit ~ the Spirit that communes with your spirit.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHE HOLY SPIRIT: 592 VERSES EXAMINED looks at every verse in the Bible to find out what God’s opinion is of His Spirit, not our opinion. This is a short book at a low price. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2FzldM9

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Saturday 3/23 ~ It’s so unfair!

The scripture for today, March 23 (3/23), is Colossians 3:23 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-Thumbnail“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Perhaps you are in a job that is unfair ~ you are given too much work, you are underpaid, you are not given enough work, you are given too much responsibility, you aren’t given any responsibility, you have been passed over for promotion by someone less qualified than you. Still, it is the only job available to you right now;  you need this job no matter what.

Think not that you are working for the person who supervises you. S/he is only human and comes to work with all their past experiences influencing them. You are working for God. You are representing God. If you are being treated unfairly and smile anyway, others will wonder why. Keep smiling and keep working. Others will keep noticing.

Hard to do?  Of course. But eventually, someone will ask you, “How can you keep going?”. Then you can tell them how you have God’s approval, and that makes you feel like number one. Therefore, nothing anyone can say or do to you can ever make you feel otherwise.

So, keep on keeping on. The world notices.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redIn 1st-century Rome, physicians were always slaves, usually to a rich family, although the Roman legions began using physicians also. That means LUKE was both SLAVE & PHYSICIAN.  There was no fairness in a life of slavery. Slaves were always spoils of war. I traced what battles Roman legions had when Luke would have been young and found the 10th Legion was in today’s Holland. Therefore, this is where I begin the story of Luke as a child and watch him go through the confusion of many gods until he meets the Apostle Paul.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vdCh5T

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