Monday 11/19 ~ Surely, not me!

On November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, humility, Inspirational, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 19 (11/19), is Ezekiel 11:19 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

Although the 600+ commandments in the Old Testament/Covenant Law of Moses were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:10-13), God has always had laws to keep us safe. In the New Testament/Covenant era, he does not have a lot of laws, but he still has them.

What is our worship like? Is it full of things God never asked us to do? Does our worship elevate God or ourselves? When we’re done worshiping, do we say, “We were so great!” or “God is so great!”?

We add all kinds of things to our worship that were commanded only under the Old Testament/Covenant Law of Moses, or things we think would “add to the effectiveness” of our worship. If, for example, it’s okay to add things to our singing and praying because then they would sound better, then it is okay to add lemon pie to the Lord’s Supper because then it would taste better.

Again, the question: Who are we worshiping and trying to please? God or ourselves? Do we deep down have a heart of stone, but put on our halo and say, “Surely not me”?

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Saturday 11/17 ~ Putting myself in danger

On November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, ego, humility, love, sacrifice, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 17 (11/17), is 1st Chronicles 11:17f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem.’ So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David.”

The people who followed David admired him because he knew how to be a good leader. So, many were willing to do anything to make “Captain David” happy. David had been born and raised in Bethlehem. Now he was grown and had a following of those evading power-hungry King Saul, many of whom were brave soldiers. They had traveled throughout the country either evading or defending themselves against this and other enemies.

Their travels took them back to David’s hometown which was being held by enemy Philistines. For old-time’s sake, he longed for a drink from the well he had drunk from many times in his youth. Three of his strongest men risked their lives to bring their captain, David, that drink of water.

How much do you admire the Captain of your Salvation, Jesus? How much are you willing to sacrifice for him? Do you say, “I’m too busy to do anything for Jesus and his kingdom today”? Do you say, “I’m afraid if I say something about Jesus to so-and-so, s/he will insult me”? Do you say, “Someone at church offended me, so I’m not going to worship Jesus anymore?” Do you admire Jesus enough to put yourself in the slightest danger just to do the smallest thing for him?

Ah, Lord Jesus, you put yourself in danger for me. Help me have that same kind of love for you.

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Tuesday 11/6 ~ True Grit

On November 6, 2018November 6, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, healing, Inspirational, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 6 (11/6), is Nehemiah 11:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 able men.”

Just who was Perez, and why was this even mentioned in the Bible? Perez was a descendant of Judah, and an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:3).

Why was living in Jerusalem a big deal at that time? Because Jerusalem had been attacked and destroyed. It was nothing but rubble and ashes. Earlier, other Jews had returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. Now it was time to rebuild the walls.

These 468 brave people had to agree to move into a burned-out city and rebuild on the ashes of previous homes. In the process of moving building stones out of the way to reuse in the city wall, they surely found skeletons of those who had been slaughtered in the attack decades before.

At first, the Jews had blamed the Babylonians for destroying their city and temple. But eventually, they began re-reading the prophets who had warned them about their own sins. Finally, they turned inward and placed the blame where it really belonged: Themselves. Their own pride had destroyed their temple and their city.

Following repentance, they acted. Was it easy rebuilding a broken city? Not any easier than rebuilding a broken home, a broken congregation, a broken life. You must look at your own part in your own destruction and begin building anew.

It took grit. What is yours like? Have you rebuilt anything important lately?

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Saturday 11/3 ~ Where’d that bread come from?

On November 3, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, ego, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 3 (11/3), is Luke 11:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Give us each day our daily bread.”

This is part of the ideal prayer that Jesus taught his followers to say. We claim to agree with it. But do we completely?

Do you feel like it is your hard-earned money that bought that bread? Do you claim it is our ability to cook that created that bread? Do you claim it was the hard work of the farmers and their equipment that brought us the grain from whence the bread is made? Or the mills that ground it into flour? Or the stores that brought the flour to the consumers?

Ultimately you must look past all of this to that which is beyond your control. It is God who makes the sun shine down upon the seed. It is God who makes the rain to come down to water it. It is God who places life in the buried wheat germ for it to reproduce with a flourish.

Many activities of man bring you your daily bread. But ultimately it is God the Creator who makes it all possible. He not only makes it possible for good people, he brings bread also to the bad. He loves everyone.

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Friday 11/2 ~The untamed ego

On November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn ego, Inspirational1 Comment

The scripture for today, November 2 (11/2), is Proverbs 11:2 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The word “disgrace” comes from Hebrew qalon meaning confusion. It is also translated dishonor and reproach.

Pride is so hard to control. With the church or clubs or other organizations, do you think your ideas, your points of view, your ways of doing things are the right ideas, views, and ways? Do you accuse others of not cooperating if it is your ideas, views, and ways they don’t go along with? Is it hard to give up your ideas, views, and ways for the sake of peace?

Even in doing daily business, does your pride show up? Do you become impatient with clerks in stores who do not help you, with other drivers on the road who are too slow for you, with people delivering things to your home who do not deliver them right to your door, with kids throwing rocks at things that belong to you, people who try to cut in line ahead of you, fellow workers who take credit for your work, and on and on?

Is it hard to sit by and let others be praised when you do better work than they do, or you work harder than they do, or they get the promotion you deserve?

How do you control your pride? Perhaps by comparing yourself, not with others around you, but with Jesus? In the same circumstance, what did he do?

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Thursday 10/25 ~ Bored in heaven

On October 25, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, church, Death of Jesus Christ, ego, good works, Heaven, sacrifice, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 25 (10/25), is Hebrews 10:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another ~ and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Do you declare, “I can walk through nature ~ the temple of God ~ and feel God is closer there than in a church building”? Well, do you really do it? How often? The purpose of the church meeting is not so much to encourage yourself as to encourage your fellow Christian and visitors along with worshiping God.

Look at the context. Verse 23 says “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” and verse 24 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” How do you do these things? A lot of it is done during your congregation’s worship and encouragement service.

And what comes after our verse for today? Verse 26 says, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.” Meeting together with other congregational members is one of the major experiences that keeps you and your friends from falling and missing heaven. Or does worshipping all the time in heaven sound boring too?

Should you meet once a week? This scripture says to meet “all the more as you see the Day [of Judgment] approaching.’ Do you say, “But that’s too inconvenient”?

It was inconvenient for Jesus to leave a perfect heaven for an imperfect earth. It was inconvenient for him to leave the company of angels for the company of sinners. It was inconvenient for him to do this for 33 long years. Inconvenient to take the blame for your sins, and then take your punishment. Inconvenient to experience agonizing spiritual death when God left him alone on the cross in your place, and then that agonizing physical death in your place.

Do you really know inconvenience? Do you love Jesus or not? Do you love your fellow Christian or not?

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Wednesday 10/24 ~ Jesus was king of the world but laid aside his ego

On October 24, 2018October 24, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, good worksLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 25 (10/25), is 1st Corinthians 10:24 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

The context of this verse is that some of the members of the church in Corinth were expressing opinions or doing things that were offensive to some of the other members. They hurt the consciences of some of the weaker members.

Today, do you do anything during the public worship that is offensive to some people? Do you do them as an example of how “holy” you are? Do you even try to get God on your side and say that any Christian could do those things if they had as much faith as you do? Can you control your ego in this?

What about committee meetings? Do you suggest something that the others just aren’t excited about? Do you allow your ego to eventually seep in and begin to feel slighted or challenged because your idea wasn’t accepted? Do you even try to get God on your side and say he will be more glorified if the other committee members accept your plan? Can you control your ego in this?

One way to look at things objectively is to ask yourself, “Would my congregation survive without me?” What if I were killed in an auto accident and suddenly taken from them tomorrow? Would they continue to worship? Would they continue to do good works? Would they continue to meet as a congregation? Ninety-nine percent of the time your congregation would survive without you.

So, try (struggle with tears if necessary) to lay aside your ego that gets hurt or feels challenged, and seek the comfort, welfare, and good of your fellow members.

Jesus was King of the world, but he laid aside his ego. And he triumphed!

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Saturday 10/20 ~ Lord God, you are crowned with the sun

On October 20, 2018October 20, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn ego, humility, Inspirational, praise, prayer, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 20 (10/20), is Deuteronomy 10:20 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him.”

I praise you, Jehovah, Creator of everything I observe and more. You are too large to see but a speck of you. You are too small to perceive, too much to fathom, too wise to comprehend. You are my monarch, my sovereign, my emperor, my king. You reign over my heart, my mind, my spirit, my soul.

Lord God, you are crowned with the sun. Your scepter is tipped with the moon. Your robe spreads across the Milky Way. 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.

In the Hebrew, “fear” is yirah. It means to revere. Psalm 111:9 (KJV) says, “Holy and reverend is His name,” not somebody else’s name. Some preachers say, “Well, I’m honoring God when I add ‘Reverend’ to my name.” Really?

We are told to hold fast to God. Hold fast to Reverend God, and he will hold fast to you.

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Thursday 10/18 ~ Who Knows? It may be you.

On October 18, 2018October 19, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, ego, good works, humility, judging, praiseLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 18 (10/18), is 2nd Corinthians 10:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”

Do you look at your life and decide some of your bad habits are not so bad, considering what some other people you know are doing? Do you look at your life and decide your lukewarmness in good works and spreading the gospel is not so bad, considering what most others around you are doing?

Jesus said you will receive only one reward, and we must choose it: (1) Being commended by each other, or (2) being commended by God. You can’t have both (Matthew 6:5; 18).

And that brings up how you judge other people. You may decide certain Christians you know are not pulling their share of the load in your congregation, not doing their part. That may be a wrong judgment.

A lot of Christians you know may be doing good works you will never learn about. “”Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward [them]” (Matthew 6:18a). Who knows? That time someone mowed your lawn while you were in the hospital may have been one of those “do-nothings”. I wonder how many stars are in their crown….

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Tuesday 10/16 ~ Just who are we trying to please?

On October 16, 2018October 16, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, church, ego, Heaven, judging, knowledgeLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 16 (1-16). is Acts 10:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.”

This is about a vision where God let down a sheet full of animals that were “unclean” or not allowed to be eaten according to the Law of Moses. (See Leviticus 11:1-8.) God told Peter he could now eat them.

Peter already knew that Jesus nailed the Old Law of Moses to the Cross (Colossians 2:14). But it just hadn’t sunk in yet. As many times as Jesus told his apostles about his Sonship of God and proved it with astounding miracles, it wasn’t until just before his death that Jesus told them, “You believe at last!” (John 16:31).

Similarly, sometimes you read the same scripture over and over and it goes right over your head. You are not seeing what God wants you to see. You assume that what you’ve always been doing will always be right. You assume that others in church do things a certain way, so it has to be right.

Do this: Search everything in the scriptures on topics that you assume you know all about, and get everything God has to say about it. Then compare scripture to practice.

It IS possible to get God’s opinion on things, and that is who, in the end, you are trying to please. He will judge you, not your friends. He alone can save you.

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