Friday, May 17 ~ Then your wish will be your reality

The scripture for today, May 17 (5/17) is John 5:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-new“Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’ “

Psalm 115:12 says God is thinking about you all the time. When you’re walking, riding, talking, doing, coming, going. God is always working for you. A popular song a few years ago was, “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.”

But does he always keep you from harm? He gave you free will, and sometimes you don’t make good choices. Others around you have free will, and they sometimes don’t make good choices.

If everything was perfect, this would be heaven. But it is not.  Heaven is for later after we go through some tests. Regardless of what happens here, God is beside you if you fall, ready to get to work, ready to hold out his hand to lift you up.

How he loves you and cherishes you and cares for you. He always will if you follow him.  Then, after you have fulfilled your own work here on earth, you can follow him right into that perfect world you wish you had now ~ heaven. Then wish will be reality.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHEY MET JESUS: HEARTS AFIRE. Jesus went public and got to work healing people. He was not a fake faith healer.  Broken arms were healed, amputated legs grew back, people deaf and blind for life could hear and see. Lepers with their skin eaten away were instantly given a new body with healthy skin.  Not all of them had faith. The dead he brought back to life certainly did not have faith. Yes, he had much work to do and he did it. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2w7sluE

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Monday 5/13 ~Just for you

The scripture for today, May 13 (5/13), is 1st John 5:13f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

Ah, to know you have eternal life.  It’s easy to say. “I’m so happy because I have eternal life.”  Easy to say. But do you really believe it?

I hear Christians everywhere lament their death.  “Whew, I could have died in that car crash” “Oh, no, I just took the wrong medicine and it will kill me.”  “Hurry, get me to the hospital before I die!”

Yes, life here is precious. But it is only the bud of the flower, the spark of the fire, the whisper of the song. Our life here is like living in a dark cave.

Why would a truly believing Christian fear walking through that marvelous door where Jesus himself awaits their arrival?

True, part of looking forward to heaven is knowing what it looks like. Revelation gives you a hint but it is symbolic. Cling to what you know and believe. Rush to the door out of the cave in anticipation for the world you were always meant to live in.

Some people say, “But I want to be here to watch my children or grandchildren grow up.” What then? To watch them graduate and get a job and start having babies? When does it end?

Stop right now.   Take a deep breath. Ask God to forgive your doubts and selfishness and putting things and people before him. Then look up. Look up! He is there waiting for you. His hands are reaching out to you. Those hands that were nailed to the cross for you. His hands that are now full of healing and tenderness and glory just for you.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR gave up his life when he was probably in his 20s. He was a deacon, so left behind a wife and small children. It was his choice. He was a coward at 17. What changed him? How? What did it take for him to walk into that Sanhedron courtroom, knowing he would not walk out alive? Toward the end, he saw Jesus in heaven. He saw the door and rushed through it.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vYFWV3

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Saturday 5/11 ~ So ask. Again.

The scripture for today, May 11 (5/11), is 1st Peter 5:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

03-Abraham-ThumbnailCover“To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

God has the power to do more for you than you ever dreamed. He can take you in new directions in your life; arrange for you to meet wonderful people; provide the ability to overcome not-so-good things in your life.

All you have to do is ask. Perhaps more than once. Perhaps many times. But he wants you to ask. Why?

Parents sometimes tell their children “no” the first time they ask for something. Maybe it’s because children need to find out for themselves how badly they want something. It’s in the asking they find out. So, God waits for the request. Sometimes the request never comes. And so, the blessing never comes.

Remember, God has the power. He probably has something (in his eyes) special in mind for you. So, ask. Again.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: ABRAHAM reminds us of the greatest man of faith in the history of mankind. Though it is written for a child, it wouldn’t hurt more adults to read it as a gentle reminder that we must keep asking and keep waiting. Be patient. Your big blessing will come.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2w0XYX3

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Wednesday 5/8 ~ Keep on walking and walking and walking until…

The scripture for today, May 8 (5/8), is Psalm 5:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies ~ make straight your way before me.”

An enemy would like nothing more than to get into a good fight with someone. Do not let that happen. You have better things to do than argue with people.

Set your eyes, not on your enemy, but on the Lord. The path of enemies will take you on all sorts of side trips that lead to dead ends. The path of God rises up before you ~ straight and direct. Never let your attention stray from that path.

Keep on walking on the path of God.

And keep on walking,

and keep walking,

and walking, and walking…

….until, at last, you walk right through the gates of heaven.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHEY MET JESUS: COME FLY WITH ME is the last book in this series. What was Jesus’ actual resurrection like? How did his apostles handle him being gone permanently? It took them 19 years to break loose and leave Jerusalem. Maybe they needed time for their children to grow up. Then what happened to them? To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vIUCaW

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Saturday 5/4 ~ “Organized Religion”

The scripture for today, May 4 (5/4), is 1st Peter 5:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-ThumbnailAnd when the Chief Shepherd [Jesus] appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

The world is frustrated with and has left “organized religion” and it is our fault.  We brought it on ourselves. We have organized our denominations to death, and the spiritually minded have said, “Enough is enough. I want none of it. I just want Jesus.”

Look at all the denominations that appoint someone to be the head of their religion at their world headquarters. He goes by different titles ~ bishop, high priest, father, pope, president. Their headquarters may be a small office or a multi-story building, or an entire complex of buildings.

From here the head meets regularly with his immediate underlings (who are still much higher than us ordinary people) to make decisions for their denomination. They pass regulations on who can hold office, what percent of income must be given to their denomination, where their contributions must be spent, amendments to their particular creed, and on and on. (By the way, shepherd is translated in modern English to pastor.)

Here is a unique thought: Let us set this system aside and replace everything with Jesus as the only head, and let the world headquarters be in heaven! We do not have to rely on the decisions of men but on the decisions of God the Son who loved us so much that he became human for a while so he could die for us. Maybe we need to sell our big buildings, give the money to mission work and the poor, and return to meeting in unorganized homes or fields.

We don’t even need a creed, because, if it is less than the Bible it isn’t enough, if it is more than the Bible it is too much, and if it is the same as the Bible why have it?

No more “organized religion.” No more divisiveness. No more denominationalism. Just one united church of Christ with its divine Founder as our sole leader, and His divine words as our sole creed. This will never fade away.

Jesus is the crown giver. Return Him to His throne and watch the world return to Him.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redWANDERING SOUL, ENTITLED HEART, & THE SIDE-TRACKED CHURCH:  WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY is 320 pages and always priced at my cost ~ $12.75 for print and 99c for ebook.  To BUY NOW click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vDHDaA

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Friday 5/3 ~ Soon will come your morning

The scripture for today, May 3 (5/3), is Psalm 5:3 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

05-Joseph-KindleThumbnail“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

Morning. The time of new beginnings. Birth is a morning. Graduating is a morning. Marriage, a new job, birth of a child ~ these are obvious mornings.

You can create your own morning of life in a spiritual way too. You can stop depending on yourself and begin following and depending on God. You cannot fix all your problems. Sometimes you get yourself into your own problems and don’t know how to get yourself out. But God knows.

Lay your requests before God. Then wait. Waiting in the shadows can create frustration and even panic. But wait in peace. It is not quite dawn and God is preparing the answer to rise up in your heart and life.

He loves you as his child and knows when the moment is right for your dawning. Sometimes when you look back, you are most grateful he did not answer a prayer for you; he had something better in mind. And then, it was morning.

God loves to answer prayer. Therefore, while still in the shadows, wait. Now, do you see it? The grayness of dawn with silver hopes intertwined.  Wait in peaceful expectation.  Soon will come your morning.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: JOSEPH tells of the shadows in Joseph’s life as he spent years in prison for something he did not do. Then came the dawning and the morning shone brighter than he ever imagined.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2PIZs14

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Wednesday, 5/1 ~ Declared perfect

The scripture for today, May 1 (5/1), is Romans 5:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Lg Thumb“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Of course, if we do not have faith in Jesus, we will not obey any of his commands. He said in John 15:14, “You are my friends IF you do what I command.”

How do we become his friends?  By obeying all his commands. But we have all sinned and fallen short God’s perfection (Romans 3:23) and the wages we earn from Satan with our sins is body and soul death (Romans 6:23).

That makes it impossible for us to live in heaven. Only the just ~ the perfect ~ can enter heaven. Otherwise, heaven wouldn’t be heaven. But how do we become perfect when the fact remains that almost daily we sin by actions, attitudes, and good things we leave undone?

Every time we sin, we come in the clutches of Satan, the originator of both body and soul death.  He holds us hostage. So, God came to us in flesh, paid our fine, our bail, and bought us out of the death prison of Satan. He got us out and declared us not guilty ~ perfect. But, it does us no good unless we believe he did that for us. 

What amazing God we have. We can scarcely comprehend it. It stretches our mind, our heart, our soul. Yes, it is a beautiful thing what God did for us so we can have peace with him. That was his part. Our part is to believe it, accept it, and actively follow it.

That, too, is beautiful.

TImage result for "Buy the book" button redITUS: THE ARISTOCRAT was born of privilege. His father was the city magistrate and Titus became a lawyer.  He searched until able to declare his clients not guilty. But his father forever declared Titus guilty for causing Titus’ mother’s death. He carried this with him until he learned about Jesus, the one who would forgive.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vtKu5N

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Thursday 4/25 ~ Is that what you really want?

The scripture for today, April 25 (4/25), is Proverbs 4:25 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 5-FloodGates-Cover-Thumbnail-New“Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

There are a lot of interesting and fun distractions in life, so we have to remind ourselves over and over what is most important to us. We have only so much time in a day and in a lifetime. We can run back and forth from one sideroad to another; one fun thing to another, one power thing to another, one great–looking thing to another.

Before we know it, we have been on that side road a long time. Too long actually.  We can barely see the main road we were on before. And God? He is now so far away. How can that be?  We were always told God would always be there for us.

But God pretty much treats us the way we treat him. If we don’t like being around him, he doesn’t much like being around us. If we don’t like listening to his word (the Bible), he doesn’t much like listening to our word (prayer). If we don’t like to spend special time with him, he doesn’t much like to spend special time with us. God gives us the same courtesy we give him. God will not force himself on us, for he is a Gentleman.

So what do you have in your sights to do today? Next year? The rest of your life? What road are you on? Where is it leading you in the long run? Is that what you really want?

 

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHEY MET JESUS:  FLOOD GATES. People tried to distract him, discourage him, falsely accuse him, flatter him, lie to him, laugh at him. Nothing worked. Onward he went until the last year of his life when he opened the flood gates. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2GBZkMt

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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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