Monday 8/12 ~ I am your light. I am your water. I am your life.

The scripture for today, August 12 (8/12), is John 8:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0000-BK 1-StarSong-Cover-new-Thumbnail“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ “

Jesus had only about six months left to live. He knew the religious leaders were after his life out of jealousy. Before going to Jerusalem, he told his brothers, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me” (John 7:7). Knowing people were wanting to kill him, he slipped into Jerusalem after everyone else got there (John 7:10, 14). Then suddenly he appeared in the middle of the Temple complex ~ the size of many football fields. He knew he was safe as long as there was a crowd.

Jesus answered some private questions, and then “he called out, ‘You know me! You know where I am from!’ ” (John 7:28).

Every day of this feast, a priest would ceremonially pour out some water to represent the water that poured out of the rock when the Jews wandered in the wilderness. But on the last day, the priest did not do this, for it represented their ancestors finally arriving in the Promised Land. It was on this last day of the feast that Jesus “stood and said in a loud voice…  ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him!’ ” (John 7:38f)

First thing the next morning at dawn he returned to the Temple court.  Maybe there was a beautiful sunrise. When the sun was up and the crowds had returned, he shouted something else to everyone, “I am the light of the world!” (John 8:12).

He had compared himself to the water ceremony of the day before, and now he was comparing himself to the new dawn. There he was. God the Son crying out to humanity. “Come to me! I am doing everything I can to help you! Won’t you come? Please listen to me! Please come! I can save you!”

Such stubborn love.

 

0000-BK 1-StarSong-Cover-new-ThumbnailTHEY MET JESUS:  STAR SONG. This is novel 1 in the 8-novel series on the life of Christ and 100 people he met and struggled with.  I am getting a phone call one hour from now from a producer whose films have appeared on Netflix, PureFlix, Amazon, etc.  These are easy reads ~ 250 pages large type ~ and can be read in eight hours.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2OOHXj4

LINK to all BOOKS by CATEGORY:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

LINK to all BOOKS on AMAZON: bit.ly/AmazonBooksByKatheryn

#temple, #feastoflights, #feastofingathering, #Honaka, #water, #light, #dawn, #hell, #heaven, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Sunday 8/11 ~ …because your soul is alive.

The scripture for today, August 11 (8/11), is Romans 8:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

Death literally means separation. Physical death means separation from this body on earth. Spiritual death means separation of our soul from God who is Life. Whenever we sin, our soul dies. It happened to Adam and Eve who didn’t think God meant it when he said, “In the day you eat of the fruit, you will die.” They could no longer walk and talk with God in the garden because they were now separated from him, spiritually dead. With that eventually also came physical death.

There are certain spiritual laws that cannot be broken. For example, it is impossible for God to lie. It is also impossible for God to sin. Therefore, God cannot co-exist with sin. We sin. Another law is that sin demands death. For centuries, God commanded mankind kill perfect animals in their place to take their death punishment. Apparently, Satan accepted this so as not to take our souls to hell ~ yet.  It was a temporary fix.

Finally, God sent the Son in bodily form to be killed in your place and take your death punishment. Now, all you have to do is be “in Jesus” which is accomplished by doing what Galatians 3:26 says.

What is the role of your spirit? When someone dies, you say their spirit has left their body. So, as long as they are alive, it means their spirit is still in them. They are not conscious of their spirit being in them; they just know it is because they are still alive.

In the same way, when you become a Christian by believing, repenting, confessing and being baptized, God’s Holy Spirit enters you; Acts 2:38 says so. This is when you become spiritually alive; Romans 6:3-4 says so. You are not overtly conscious of God’s Spirit being in you, but you know it is true because your soul is now alive.

 

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAILTHE ROAD TO HEAVEN begins in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided to follow Satan’s advice instead of God, thus taking mankind into his custody, works through God’s magnificent plan to ransom us from Satan, and ends in the heavenly throne room. Come along with me to trace the sometimes treacherous but ultimately glorious path made for us by God.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2yPeURw

 

LINK to all BOOKS by CATEGORY:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

LINK to all BOOKS on AMAZON: bit.ly/AmazonBooksByKatheryn

#gardenofeden, #adamandeve, #satan, #sin, #death, #life, #ransom, #kidnap, #pathway, #heaven, #ransom, #custody, #freedom, #faith, #repentance, #confession, #baptism, #sacrifice, #spirit,

 

Friday 8/9 ~ Taking the death penalty for someone else

The scripture for today, August 9 (8/9), is 2nd Corinthians 8:9 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Such love!

Jesus gave up streets of gold for streets full of trash. Gave up a heavenly mansion for a barn. Gave up the ability to be everywhere at once, to being confined to a body. Gave up eternal bliss for thirty-three years of pain and struggle. Gave up adoring angels for crowds that hated him. And finally, he gave up sinlessness to take the blame for your sins and allow himself to take the soul and body death penalty for your sins.

What more can be said about God who materialized for you and snatched you out of Satan’s jaws? Unless perhaps it is ‘What have you given up for him lately?’.

 

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailSHADOW OF DEATH is a novel about the last day of Jesus’ life including two slow-motion chapters about his six hours on the cross and ending with the hopelessness felt by his shattered followers.  This THEY MET JESUS series is a commentary in narrative form.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2OXZjd8

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY:    http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books
#crucifixion, #shadowofdeath, #theymetjesus, #heaven, #streetsofgold, #Satan, #hell, #heaven, #sin, #love, #forgiveness, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Tuesday 8/6 ~ Was Jesus God?

The scripture for today, August 6 (8/6), is 1st Corinthians 8:6f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnail“Yet for us, there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord [Word], Jesus Christ, through whom all things came [by a Word] and through whom we live [by the Word]. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols.”

Was Jesus God?  As God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he warned, “The day you sin you will die.”  They sinned and immediately their souls died.

What is death? Technically, it means separation. For the soul to be separated from God, it can only be one other place: With Satan.  Satan told God, “You want them back? You pay my ransom demand.”  What was the ransom? God’s death.  So, God put his Words in a human body and walked with us on earth once again (John 1:1-2,14).  Then God ransomed us with his blood (Acts 20:28).

(Of course, after Satan released mankind (though mankind can return to Satan if they choose), Jesus played a trick on Satan and came back to life ~ re-entered that body.)

Just as you have a mind/will, a body, and a spirit, God does too.  Some object and say, “Was Jesus praying to himself?” and “Why did he have to obey his Father?”.  Your words do not just take off speaking on its own.  Your mind ~ your will ~ tells your lips what to say. Your lips have to obey your mind, your will. 

What about Jesus being God’s Son? You create your words, you beget your words. Your words are your brainchild. But your brainchild is still you.

I have written an entire enlightening book on this called WAS JESUS GOD?  It is fascinating and wonderful. And, yes, Jesus was God.

 

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnailWAS JESUS GOD (WHY EVIL?) recalls the events in the Garden of Eden with the fall of mankind and the beginning of God’s plan to ransom us from Satan. It progresses from there to show all the natural ways Jesus was God, then our road today to follow him right into heaven.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2yFYiM1

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY:    http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#JesusGod, #trinity, #persons, #SonOfGod, #WillOfGod, #SpiritOfGod, #WordOfGod, #Ransom, #Satan, “GardenOfEden, #AdamAndEve, #Sin, #Forgiveness, #hell, #heaven,#inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Friday 8/2 ~ He still reaches across the centuries

The scripture for today, August 2 (8/2), is Matthew 8:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.’ “

People in Jesus’ day who had leprosy had to live outside of town in what we would call a leper colony. They were incurable. And if someone without leprosy started getting close to them, they were required to call out, “Unclean! Unclean!” 

But here was a man who apparently sneaked into town where he didn’t belong, went up and down streets where he didn’t belong looking for Jesus, pushed his way through a crowd where he didn’t belong.

Once he found Jesus, he didn’t ask him if he could heal him; he asked if he would. After all, he was “unclean”. Remarkably, Jesus said yes.

Then Jesus did another remarkable thing: He touched the man. He touched the leprosy. Not only was he willing to be seen with an unclean man, and have a conversation with an unclean man, he was willing to touch the unclean man.

Jesus still does this today. When you come to him with a diseased heart wondering if you are good enough, Jesus reaches out across the centuries and touches you. And his voice echoes across those centuries ~ “I am willing.”

No matter how much sin mars your life, Jesus still today wants to touch your incurable heart and say, “Be clean.”

 

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAILTHE ROAD TO HEAVEN begins with the problem of sin and evil and works its way step by step from the Garden of Eden to Golgatha and on to heaven. Thought-provoking and reassuring.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2KdVOuT

 

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY:    http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#leprosy, #healing, #asking, #help, #unclean, #sin, #forgiveness, #incurable, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Thursday 8/1 ~ Your longing, your hope, your reason for being

The scripture for today, August 1 (8/1), is Romans 8:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-Thumbnail“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There are a lot of religious groups out there in the world who control their people with fear. If you don’t do such and such, it proves you aren’t spiritual enough. If you do such and such one second before you die, you’re going to hell.

They put burdens on you that just are not in the New Testament. By making you feel guilty, they make you depend on them for your salvation and that boosts their ego. The Apostle Paul wrote to the congregations in Galatia (today’s Turkey) and warned them with tears:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel ~ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached [past tense] to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again:

“If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? ” (Galatians 1:6-10).

Are you sure you are IN Christ Jesus? Do your church leaders dance around scriptures they wish weren’t in the Bible and tell you they don’t really mean what they say? Or add things that the scriptures say nothing about? Are you sure they aren’t people pleasers instead of God pleasers? What do they do with Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27, I Peter 3:21? Look them up. Do your church leaders try to explain them away?

Ah, to be sure you are indeed IN Christ Jesus and can someday live in his world. This is your longing. Your hope. Your reason for being.

00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-ThumbnailWORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY is book two of the series WANDERING SOUL, ENTITLED HEART, AND THE SIDETRACKED CHURCH.  Each chapter is about one form of worship. It begins with quotes from famous theologians, ends with quotes from second-century theologians, and all in between is scriptures and prayers for understanding. WRITTEN FOR UNBELIEVERS.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2GECkNW

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY:    http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#heaven, #hell, #leaders, #gospel, #salvation, #savedfromhell, #Satan, #baptism, #Acts238, #Romans64, #Galatians327, #Acts2216#inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Wednesday 7/31 ~ That Great Gettin’-Up Morning

The scripture for today, July 31 (7/31), is 1st Corinthians 7:31b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New“For this world in its present form is passing away.”

How easily that which you have slaved for over a period of years can pass away. It can happen as a result of fire, flood, storm, war, economic crisis. Every day something in this world “is passing away.”

Life plods on and on. It seems so slow and so long ~ Year after year, month after month, minute after minute.  If you live to be 90 (not uncommon these days), that means nearly 33,000 times you get up in the morning, 100,000 times you eat a meal, some 25,000 times you may leave your house and go to work to earn a living. On and on.   

You were put here on earth for a reason:  To prepare yourself for the other world.  That is our real home. That world will never end for good or for bad. It will never pass away. It’s hard to stay focused on the other world when there are so many things that need to be done to survive in this world.

The other world seems so far away. But you will be there before you know it. 

What are you working for day after day? Are you making time to prepare for “That Great Gettin’-Up Morning” when you say goodbye to this world forever?   What are your plans for today? How about this week?  How often do you worship?  

Here is a link to hear singing of “That Great Gettin’-Up Morning”  http://bit.ly/2Mxfqf1

 

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-NewTHEY MET JESUS:  COME FLY WITH ME is the last of 8 novels on the life of Christ. In this last novel, Jesus is alive again and spends 40 days appearing to people. The apostles begin the church, spend nineteen years in Jerusalem, then scatter. It ends with old crippled John’s visit to heaven and view of hell. And Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me…I will give you rest.” To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2ZxCYE4

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY:    http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#eternity, #endofworld, #things, #stuff, #time, #deathdying, #passingaway, #floods, #fires, #storms, #insurance, #heaven, #hell, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Thursday 7/25 ~ Sunday, Sunday

The scripture for today, July 25 (7/25), is Hebrews 7:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Supper-Front Cover-Thumbnail“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him [Jesus], because he always lives to intercede for them.”

How grateful are you that Jesus interceded or you on the cross and still does? Do you live for yourself ~ never reading God’s word, going on outings, shopping, or sleeping in on Sunday mornings, praying only in emergencies? Have you bought into the mindset that, if you don’t murder, steal big things, and only swear a little bit, God will suddenly let you into his home, heaven, when you die?  If you could care less about God in this life, you would be miserable in heaven. 

There are even those who do worship on Sunday mornings but forget why Sunday worship is different from worship the other days of the week.  According to Acts 20:7, the early Christians met on Sunday to (for the purpose of) break bread (the Lord’s Supper). Jesus said hours before his agony that we had to keep his supper ~ his little ceremony. Instead, do you disobey him and tell yourself it’s okay to spend worship time doing other things that are more interesting and so time-consuming there is no time left for Jesus’ little ceremony?

Remember what happened on Sunday? Jesus broke those unbreakable chains of hell for you on Sunday. He broke the indomitable power of death for you on Sunday. He came back to life forever for you on Sunday. But ballgames and shopping and sleeping in are more important, and showing off how good people can perform or make speeches during worship are more important?

Oh, Jesus, help me bury my selfishness. You gave up so much for me. I have grown so insensitive to it. Help me remember what you sacrificed for me in this little ceremony you set up for me.  Please forgive me for not meeting you at the cross every week in Your Supper.  You did so much and asked so little. Help me live for you. Help me live with you.

Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailTHE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS helps worshippers think of Jesus’ sacrifice for us in 52 different ways. No more having to think of something original to say when presiding over the table. Scripture readings throughout the Bible say what is in your heart, you want to say.  This is FREE for you in e-format with over 160 pages. To get your FREE copy, click a book cover or paste this……………..http://bit.ly/2GtLIDP

LINK TO ALL MY BOOKS:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#LordsSupper, #HolyCommunion, #Mass, #Easter, #crucifixion, #hell, #heaven, #weekly, #entertainment, #neglect, #selfishness, #Sunday, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Monday 7/22 ~ You can know for sure

The scripture for today, July 22 (7/22), is 2nd Samuel 7:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”

How do you know there is no God but the God of the Bible that we read about and “hear with our own ears” (when scriptures are read aloud)? How do you know our God is the only true God, and our Bible his only true words?

Investigating the numerous built-in proofs is how we know. They are all over the Old Testament ~ Prophecies fulfilled of people and entire nations as given in the Bible and verified in secular encyclopedias. Scientific facts not known in early centuries. Over 300 archaeological facts.  Here is a colorful website showing most of them:  http://bit.ly/2M4VdNu

Therefore, you can KNOW what God is like, what he wants and how he views you, for you have heard with your own ears and seen with your own eyes. How lucky you are. How blessed.

 

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-ThumbnailMICHEL: THE FOURTH WISE MAN and the pagan wise men tried for over a year to find the meaning of the star. Only after a year was Michel able to convince the pagan wise men to check the archives where Queen Esther and Daniel had left copies of their own writings and writings of the Jewish prophets. There they found prophecies of the God-King.  At last, they knew.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2M4uzEj

LINK TO ALL MY BOOKS:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#Bible, #OneGod, #TrueGod, #evidence, #proof, #archaeology, #manuscripts, #papyrus, #parchment, #ancientengravings, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Sunday 7/21 ~ Teaching the teachers

Our scripture for today, July 21 (7/21), is Matthew 7:21ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

NF-WorshipChanges-WorshipFirst“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “

There are hundreds of denominations/sects out there all contradicting each other. It’s impossible for them all to be right. They cannot all be on different roads going to the same place. They cannot all be pleasing God if we decide opposing things please him.

You can never rely on what someone else says just because they look and act holy and say all the right holy words and phrases and pray such holy-sounding prayers. You must never rely on your religious leaders to tell you what to believe. Shall you take their opinion or God’s opinion?

Romans 10:1 in the Bible mentions some people who had a lot of zeal for God, but were lost because it was not according to the proper knowledge.

Well, how do you get God’s opinion? Read the Bible for yourself! Use a concordance (lists every word in the Bible and every scripture with that word ~ Bible Hub has one on the internet) and look up your chosen subject.  Then, having found the truth, why not go back to your religious leaders in love and try to teach your teachers? Some just might listen to you.

 

NF-WorshipChanges-WorshipFirstWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1ST CENTURY gives the very year changes were introduced and who introduced them. It also tells what they did to the protesters to each change.  WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY gently covers each part of our worship beginning with quotes from famous theologians, scripture examples, and intermittent prayers for guidance.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2M2Gsux

LINK TO ALL MY BOOKS:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

SIGN-NARROW Click Here for All My Books

#worship, #denominations, #churches, #knowledge, #teaching, #teachers, #truth, #judging, #ego, #humility, #falsehood, #doctrines, #creeds, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth