And can never die

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride-mediumI magnify your very name. You are in my heart and soul. I long to be with you in your realm forever rejoicing, forever yours, forever at peace.  Even now I am with you laughing and crying and struggling and it is wonderful. To be on the side of the winner, my heart bursts. I can fight side by side next to you, for you are my betrothed. You are my spiritual darling, my spiritual sweetheart, the spiritual lover of my soul. Someday we will be wed. I do not understand it, but I can hardly wait. How amazing that the Creator of the universe calls me his own! You are my Lord, my Master, my Maker, my very Being.

God, help me let go. Help me be strong enough to not let anything others say or do convince me to not love them.  Lord, help me love them. Bless my enemies, for they are your enemies too.  Help me know the difference in what I want and what you want so that I am not persecuted justly.

Ah, my Lord. I see your holy blood that seeped out of your body. Your holy hands and feet that contorted in the shock of being assaulted by the spikes. Your holy back that was made pure meat when embraced by the scourger’s whip. Your holy brow that bore the mocking thorns. They gradually overcame your body and made it lifeless. But they could not overcome your spirit and your stubborn will.  They could not overpower the love that flowed from you that day. They could not overpower the soul that had been alive forever more and can never die. In worship you.

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Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAILLOVE LETTERS OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA.  The Song of Songs written by King Solomon is a love story between a man and woman but overflows with the symbolism of Jesus Christ and his love for his Bride, his Church, his Ecclesia. The book begins with “His Proposal” (Prologue) ~ how Satan held her captive and how Jesus paid the ransom for her and broke her out of the dark pit where she had been chained. Each chapter thereafter coincides with the same chapter number in the Song of Songs. Come along with me now in this expansion of the greatest love story in the history of heaven and earth.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/2Vl3dhi

Love Letters of Jesus & His Bride, Ecclesia

Do you think it would help to…

03-Naaman'sMaid-MediumCoverThe stars praise you by night, the sun declares your glory by day. They sparkle with the romance of the ages in their own way. Even raging storms declare your power, butterflies declare your gentleness, grass coming back to life each spring declares your mercy. You make, then you remake. You create and recreate. You raise up, cheer up, climb up, clean up. You love without boundaries. Your mercy is limitless. Your life without end.

I was discouraged the other day and dragged my family down with me. I could have excused myself and gone for a walk or into a room alone. I could have written them a love note asking for their patience while I rebuild. I did not. I snapped at them because I felt so bad inside. It was probably just some chemical thing in my body, but I did not know how to change it. Do you think it would help to write some love notes to my family and put them away for the next time it happens?

Thank you, Jesus, for all you did for me. I couldn’t do it. I still cannot be perfect. No matter how hard I try, I fail. So, you did it for me and for everyone. You were perfect for us. Then you took the blame for our imperfections along with our punishment. The world hated you because you were perfect and we were not. Jesus, you did so much. I cannot begin to comprehend it all.  But I can spend eternity thanking you with my heart, my spirit, my soul.

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03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCoverA CHILD’S BIBLE KIDS:  NAAMAN’S MAID was grabbed from her parents’ yard when the soldiers came.  They took her far away, but she never forgot her family or friends.  And old Elisha who had performed a miracle for the widow lady living next door.  When her master began to look like a monster, she could have been happy her master was sick.  Instead, she forgave him and told him the God of her family, her friends, and Elisha could heal him.  Guess what?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/38OR4qT

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-kids-book-3-naamans-maid/?frame-nonce=dcd871ac5b

Look up! God knows what he’s doing.

The scripture for today, February 27 (2/27), is Jeremiah 2:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-Thumbnail“ ‘Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,’ declares the Lord.”

Do you want God to make it impossible for someone to insult or lie or cuss at you? Do you want God to make it impossible for someone to fire you? Do you want God to make it impossible to kill you?  Do you want to stop free will? If that were the case, we would all be robots with no will of our own.

More and more people are blaming God for bad things happening in their life. That is their excuse for rebelling against God and declaring he does not even exist. Their view of God is a Santa Claus or Genie in a Bottle who grants their every wish and keeps them from all harm. No one ever dies, no one ever sins, and it is heaven on earth.

What they want is for God to stop his laws of Nature whenever you want. If someone throws a knife at them, it suddenly turns to gelatin.  If someone’s car is about to slam into them and kill someone, they want that car to suddenly be made out of feathers.

Other people sometimes blame God for bad things happening in their life because blaming is one of the ways they handle their grief. They don’t really want to blame God because they want to think God loves them. But there is no one else to blame.

No one else to blame? Oh, yes, there is. There is Satan. We tend to forget Satan is out there too. It is Satan who causes bad to happen, not God.

Is that what you’ve done lately ~ blame God for bad happening, then rebel against him? Or do you know someone who is going through many problems, not of their doing or choosing? Are they blaming God and rebelling against him? Help them. Remind them of Satan.

People want to blame someone. They will be relieved to be reminded that Satan exists. Now they can put the blame where it belongs.

Let us not blame God for the bad. Instead, let us thank Him for the good. And for hard things in our life so we can build our spiritual muscles. How can we have Victory in Jesus unless we have something to be victorious over? How can we be More than Conquerors unless we have something to conquer?  Are we cowards? Do we run from hard work and exercise?

Look up! God knows what he is doing. He wants you to become a good person, a great person, a mighty person. But you must do it his way. He’s our father and Father knows best.

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00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-ThumbnailWORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY is book two in the series, WNDERING SOUL, ENTITLED HEART, AND THE SIDETRACKED CHURCH.  Book one is WORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1ST CENTURY.  Get the set.  They work together.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/37akvlF

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/my-book-worship-the-first-century-way/

Every corner of the universe

04-King Joash-MediumCoverThe snowflakes outside my window praise you with all their intricate designs. The icicles praise you as they hang on upside down and grow longer with each drip, drip, drip. The scampering squirrels and fluttering little birds praise you as they brave the cold outside and look in my direction every once in a while as though to say, “Come on out. The winter’s fine”. And, oh how the stars take on a special sparkle and effervescence in the wintertime when so much of the earth is asleep. It is as though they are saying, “Go ahead, world, and sleep. I’ll be here watching over you.” You are in everything because you made everything. How exciting it must have been for you those days of creation.

There are people in this world that seem to have no conscience. They had just as soon kill a person as to step on an ant.  I am afraid of people like that and do not want to be around them. Even though they are overtly doing the work of Satan, I must cover them with prayer. I don’t do it. I don’t pray for my enemies or the enemies of the world. Grab them, God, and invade their heart so the hardness will leave and they can catch a glimpse of you.

Thank you for little babies. They remind me of my helplessness to make food grow and my dependence on you. Thank you for little toddlers who patter around discovering their world and giggling in delight. Thank you for adults who are mentally still like children. They remind me of innocence in an adult body and how I should be more like them. As I look around this world, I see blessings you give me in every corner of the universe.

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04-King Joash-ThumbnailCoverA CHILD’S BIBLE KIDS:  KING JOASH:  1 ~ Baby Prince, 2 ~ Running, 3 ~ Escape, 4 ~ Hiding, 5 ~ Growing, 6 ~ Almost King, 7 ~ Practicing, 8 ~ Telling the Secret, 9 ~ All the Guards, 10 ~ Long Live the King.  Large font for early readers.  “Think and Do” at the end of each chapter.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/37HLpDa

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-kids-book-4-king-joash/

God’s Mosaic

The scripture for today, February 21 (2/21), is Daniel 2:21 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

10-Daniel-KindleMedium“He [God] changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”

It seems there is always some amount of restlessness within each nation regarding who is ruling. Some people like the ruler, some do not. Or people may start out liking the ruler, but later dislike him. Some rulers are okay, a few are considered outstanding, and a few others are outright evil.

But God sets up the rulers of nations and deposes them. Many places among the prophets of the Old Testament, God explains that he may raise up a cruel leader just because he is strong enough to get rid of other cruel people. After that, God deposes the cruel leader.

In the midst of all this, innocent people are always hurt. That is why it is important for us not to complain, but to bear up under a hard government with patience and courage. It is in hardship that the true heart of a Christian is revealed. And it is in hardship that many people turn to God who might never have done so.

God knows what he is doing, even if we do not understand ~ at least, on this side of eternity. Remember Romans 8:28 ~ “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord.” Life is a mosaic of many colors ~ sometimes bright and sometimes dark ~ but in the end, it will be beautiful.

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10-Daniel-KindleThumnailA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES:  DANIEL.  This amazing young man managed to become an old man because he figured out how to get along with many emperors — sometimes very bad, sometimes very good.  His secret? He concentrated on keep himself godly rather than changing everyone else.  When God wanted someone to change, He handled things himself.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/3dBf70e
https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-heroes-book-10-daniel/?frame-nonce=25eaefacf3

And again. Never stop.

The scripture for today, February 20 (2/20), is Galatians 2:20 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Medium-“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The apostle Paul wrote this. He had been an angry, spiteful, and hateful man in his younger days. He had been a terrorist and had even declared holy jihad against Christians.  He had gone around the country rounding up Christians, torturing them to get them to renounce Jesus, then sending them either to prison or to their death. He hated Christians.

But once Jesus got his attention and Paul realized he was persecuting those who could tell him the true way to heaven, he switched sides. Jesus had to do it himself because all the Christians were afraid of him. Then Paul, so to speak, crucified his old self, and let Jesus and his words live in him instead.  All his tremendous energy that he had used for hate was now used for love, and he turned his part of the world upside down for Christ.

Is there someone in your life or that you know of who is angry, spiteful, and hateful? Dare to talk to that person and tell them how much God loves them. S/he will argue with you and maybe even be meaner to you than ever. But when things calm down, try saying something else, perhaps about what Jesus did or said once in his life.

It may take you months or years. S/he will be curious why you keep coming back when s/he is being so mean to you. And eventually, this same person who uses all his enormous energy in a negative way, just might turn that same enormous energy around and use it for Jesus in a great way.

Give it a try. If you are crucified with Christ, then nothing anyone says can hurt you because your ego is dead. Keep trying to reach this enemy of Jesus. Keep trying to help this person become Jesus’ friend and defender.

You may be the only one in his or her world with the courage to do it. Keep trying. Cry in private after the insults, then take a deep breath and try once again. And once again. And again. Never stop. Who knows?

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00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL:  THE UNSTOPPABLE.  Dare to experience with him every rod slamming into his bones, every whiplashing through his skin, every breath struggled for when treading water a day and night. Survive with him through all the shipwrecks, going days without food, a snow storm in the Taurus Mountains, being robbed on the highway. Listen as, each time his body is mercilessly attacked, he calls out, “Jesus! This is for you!”  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/3fw2mlA

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-2-paul-the-unstoppable/

Persecuted? Yes.  Frightened? Yes. Cowering? Never.

The scripture for today, February 16 (2/16), is 2nd Thessalonians 2:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Who were these people the apostle Paul was writing? They were suffering people. 

Physically they were suffering.  Some in their group had even been killed for their faith. Mentally they were suffering.  Would they be next? Would it be worth everything they were going through?

Spiritually they were struggling. The apostle Paul, who wrote this, had been through such struggles many times himself. He wanted to make sure their faith would not waver.

How? By praying that their persecution would stop? At no time in the Bible do we have an account of Christians pray that the persecution stop. What did they pray for? Boldness.

They could be bold if they knew Jesus Christ loved them personally. They could be bold if they knew God the Father loved them personally. They could be bold with eternal encouragement, strength.

“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” he told them.  “With the strength God gives you, keep doing good deeds and spreading the Word.”

Persecuted? Yes.  Frightened? Yes. Cowering? Never.

How about your life?

God’s encouragement never ceases. It is always there. There when you feel alone, when you feel forsaken, when you are frightened, when you feel helpless, when you feel hopeless.

God gives good hope. Sometimes things in your life may be going so badly you have trouble having faith in God. But you can still hope. The candle of your faith may be flickering, but your hope can still be a flaming hope, a large hope, a good hope.

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00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR ran for his life when his best friend was crucified because of their prank against the city’s goddess. No matter where he lived and what he tried to get people to believe in the one true God, things seemed to backfire. His university turned against him. The Olympic Games turned against him.  His fellow craftsmen turned against him.  Then he met Jesus. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/2XBFXvJ

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-7-stephen-unlikely-martyr/

Do your best, Timothy. Do your best.

00-PAUL COVER-Medium-The scripture for today, February 15 (2/15), is 2nd Timothy 2:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

“Do your best,” Paul told a younger co-worker.  “Do your best.”

This was an apostle speaking. This was Paul who had endured multiple beatings with rods and lashings with whips. This was Paul who no one could stop.

He had endured floods and snowstorms, hunger and robbers on the road. Still, no one could stop him. He endured shipwrecks and even treading water a day and night in the sea. Nothing could stop him.e \

It seems with Paul, it was never enough. He was driven. When he was stoned and presumed dead, he got up and went back into the city! When he was imprisoned, he defied the magistrates who put him there and sang his sermons to the other prisoners. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could shut him up.

When he wrote this, he was now in prison. He had done his best. Now it was time for the next generation. He was handing the torch over to Timothy and the others.

“Do your best, Timothy. Don’t let them stop you. Never let them stop you. They are lost and don’t know it. Tell them, Timothy. Keep telling them, no matter how terribly they treat you. Keep telling them and keep telling them. Don’t stop, Timothy. Do your best.

“Some will stop what they are doing and listen to you. They will turn their life around. They will be there with you when it is time to be presented to God. They will be there with you, and with you they will say, “I did my best.”

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00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE.  I sometimes wonder what kind of child Paul was.  I tend to think when his parents punished him, he got up and immediately did the offending thing again.  Why do I think that?  Because that is what he did as a missionary preacher.  Pagan priests beat him. But he got up and preached again.  Jewish priests lashed him. But he got up and preached again.  Governments imprisoned him. But he got up and preached again. What kind of stuff was Paul made of?  To READ THIS BEST SELLER, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/UnstoppablePaul

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-2-paul-the-unstoppable/

The God of Second Chances

I praise you, God of my life, my soul, my being. You are all I need to exist. Without you the world is formless and empty just as it Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailwas at the beginning.  You give my life form and substance. You give me a reason to be, to live, to die. You are beyond the finiteness of my comprehension. Oh, how I wish I could understand you more.

Forgive my inability to forgive 490 times like you said ~ 70 x 7.  If I forgive, I know I am opening myself up to them doing it again, then I’ll have to forgive again. 490 times? I haven’t even begun to reach that. Slow me down, Lord, and help me unburden myself of others’ sins.

Ah, thank you, my Lord, for your simple Word. You never left me guessing what you are doing or wanting or saying. I can just follow your Words with simple, childlike faith. When I read it and meditate on it, I feel as though I am sitting at the foot of your very throne. And thank you for sleep.  And for watching over me while I rest. Thank you for chances to start all over again each new day. You are the God of second chances.

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Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailINSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN is twelve stories of twelve women in their normal life, their life during tragedy, and their life trying to pull out of the tragedy.  Thought questions at the end.  AUDIO also available.  ADVERTISING MANUAL and LEADER’S GUIDE also available.  Great for outreach as a private reading book or group enrichment.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/3hr2bJR

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/my-book-inside-the-hearts-of-bible-women/

 

 

The Warrior King

07-Samson-KindleMediumYou are most powerful, yet most gentle. You are most gigantic, yet most minute. You are the roar and the silence. You are the silk and the sackcloth. You are the laughter and the tears. You are light but never dark. You are life but never death. You are love but never hatred. You are all that is good and right. You are my all and I worship you.

Thank you for being the Warrior King that you are. You are the winner over Satan because you are stronger than Satan.  Thank you for attacking Satan in that hidden realm where I cannot go and getting him away from me. For fighting so many of my battles for me. For standing over me protectively and being strong for me when I am weak. I cannot imagine life without you. Thank you for all those who I love and who love me back.  And thank you for my enemies that I might experience what you do when the world turns against you. I fall at your feet unworthy.

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07-Samson-KindleThumbnailA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: SAMSON.  Samson was a one-man army when God’s people did not have an army.  He stood between them and captivity.  But he was more.  He was a judge for forty years.  He was not just known for his strength of body, but also for his strength of mind.  He was not a warrior king, but he was a warrior judge.  He advised his people and they respected him for it.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/3aUlBUW

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-heroes-book-7-samson/?frame-nonce=1e7c6b1760