Scripture for Sunday, June 25 (6/25)

The scripture for today. June 25 (6/25), is Matthew 6:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
 
00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
 
Do you sometimes wonder how God can allow people to starve with such a promise as this?  Try to remember the Big Picture.
 
Remember the Jews being in slavery in Egypt for 400 years? They must have prayed thousands of times to be freed, but most died still in slavery, believing their prayers never had been answered.
 
God had a greater plan for them ~ a plan to give them time to multiply from the original 70 people who went to Egypt to the over 3 million who left Egypt.
 
So, too, God has a Master Plan for each person and each nation. It is our assignment to hang on and keep believing in Him and that which we do not understand. We may not understand, but God always does.
 
So, hang on and watch God turn that ugly cocoon into a butterfly.
 
website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/HeroesAlone
 
#persecution, #problems, #troubles, #providence, #slavery, #governments, #nations

Scripture for Friday, June 23 (6/23)

The scripture for today, June 23 (6/23), is 2nd Chronicles 6:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium“Then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty and so establish his innocence.”

Did you notice here that God brings down on our head what we do to others? It includes how we treat him too. If we don’t have time for God, God doesn’t have time for us. If we put God last, he puts us last. If we refuse to forgive others, he refuses to forgive us. This is the boomerang effect. Here are several scriptures that reflect God doing to people what they do.

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The Lord is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.” (Psalm 9:15-16)

“In his arrogance, the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.” (Psalm 10:2).

“The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts.” (Psalm 37:14-15)

“Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused.” (Psalm 140:9)

“He mocks proud mockers.” (Proverbs 3:34)

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” (Proverbs 6:27)

“If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.” (Proverbs 26:27)

“Woe to you, O destroyer, you have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you have not been betrayed. When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.” (Isaiah 33:1)

“According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes.” (Isaiah 59:18)

“I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.” (Ezekiel 7:8)

“As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” (Obadiah 1:15)

In the meantime, we’re to leave punishment to God. And, if you are falsely accused of anything, God will declare you innocent. His is the important judgment.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/stephenmartyr

 

#persecution, #vengeance, #ricochet, #boomerang, #injustice, #justice, #reward, #punishment

 

 

Scripture for Tuesday, June 20 (6/20)

The scripture for today, June 20 (6/20), is Matthew 6:20f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In describing heaven, terms are used like pearls, diamonds, emeralds, gold, and so on. So, certainly, God is not against riches. Otherwise, he would not have described heaven with those terms.

So, what is the problem? We must ask ourselves, “If I lost everything tomorrow, could I face life?”. We may say yes, but what about friends who are now unsure they want to associate with someone with nothing? So, it is not only a greed problem, but a social problem. It is a problem of losing both our possessions and our friends.

We could solve this problem by moving out into the country where possessions and social status don’t mean so much. Or we could stay where we are and just change our choice of friends. Our new friends may be truer friends than we ever had before and may need us more.

Lastly, if we lost our job, our car, our home ~ our identity ~ would we be so devastated that we would contemplate suicide as some have done? Or would we be able to look around us and see what we can do without having possessions and without having a job to occupy our time?

There are always things we can do for others. Is that truly where our heart is? In that case, loss of everything will not bring catastrophe. Rather, it can give opportunities to reveal what stuff we are made of deep down inside where our true treasure is ~ in our heart.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/500GoodWorks

 

#greed, #lust, #power, #treasure, #heart, #job, #car, #home, #friends, #identity, #contentment, #satisfaction, #peace

Scripture for Sunday, June 18 (6/18)

The scripture for today, June 18 (6/18), is 2nd Chronicles 6:18a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Joseph-Cover-Kindle-Medium“But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you.”

Did you ever want to see God, to talk to him face to face? Perhaps something bad had just happened in your life and you had this urge to bawl him out, then let him explain why.  Or did you ever want to touch God? Perhaps you were so very lonely that you desperately needed his arms around you, and feel his touch as he brushed away your tears.

But, if we could see him and touch him, it would mean that he could not be with others in the world at that time, and could not hear anyone else’s prayers at that time except yours. Let us be grateful that we cannot see and touch him for now. He is always available to all of us, regardless of where we are in this vast world and regardless of how many others are praying to him at that moment.

How he can sort out all our prayers at once is mind-boggling.

How he can be everywhere at once is amazing.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/JosephOtherFather

 

#prayer, #omnipresence, #everywhere, #hear, #answer, #facetoface, #touch

Scripture for Saturday, June 17 (pre-Father’s Day)

The scripture for today, June 17 (6/17), is Matthew 6:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Joseph-Cover-Kindle-Medium“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face.’

This is interesting because Jesus did not say “If, you fast” but rather “When you fast.” It was as though he was teaching us to take for granted that we would fast ~ it would be second-nature to us. In a sense it is, for when most people go through a sudden tragedy such as loss of a loved one, they often cannot eat.

But what about voluntary fasting? The early church sometimes fasted. Acts 13:2 says a congregation in Antioch, Syria, fasted and worshiped, then chose men to go out as missionaries. Queen Esther fasted before going to the king uninvited with a request he might not like (Esther 4:16). Isaiah 58:3 says people fasted in order to humble themselves.

Some people respond, “I’d die if I had to fast.” Perhaps that’s kind of the idea. We know we would die if we went without food long enough. So perhaps one day of fasting is a way of saying, “God, I would die for you if I had to.” Yes, fasting is a humbling experience, and frightening to some people. But perhaps that is the point.

Is something important coming up that you know you will be urgently praying about? Once you skip one meal, you will have conquered your desire to eat. Then, with your brain not having to concentrate on digesting food, it will be able to focus more on that important thing happening in your life. Your prayers will be more focused. You will be more focused with your eyes more clearly on God.

So, take a shower, comb your hair, put on some nice clothes, and look like you have something important to do. Then fast. Jesus fasted.

How many times do you think Joseph–probably the most admired father in the Bible– fasted?

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/JosephOtherFather

 

#fasting, #Esther, #elders, #mothers, #fathers, #prayer, #meditation, #death, #food
 

Scripture for Friday, June 16 (6/16)

The scripture for today, June 16 (6/16), is Jeremiah 6:16 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

changes-in-worship-cover-medium“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

We need history, not only for an appreciation of what our forefathers did for us, but also to learn which mistakes not to make all over again. This is true with religion also. There are hundreds of denominations and religions out there. This divisiveness hurts us. It seems the more denominations and religions we have, the fewer people are interested in spiritual things.

Within Christianity, think about creeds for a moment. If a creed is less than the Bible, it isn’t enough. If it is more than the Bible, it is too much. If it is the same as the Bible, why have it? Let us change our loyalties away from denominationalism and toward the Bible. All this confusion is exhausting!

Human nature has always been the same, and the Bible written long ago applies just as much to human nature today as it did then. Proverbs! The life and speeches of Jesus! The many mistakes made by people in the Old Testament! The advice to Christians in the New Testament! It’s not confusing. Read it. Read it all. 

Maybe then, we will find rest for our souls.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/WorshipChanges

 

#history, #Bible, #creeds, #denominations, #divisions, #Christianity, #scriptures

Scripture for Thursday, June 15 (6/15)

The scripture for today, June 15 (6/15) is 1st Timothy 6:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

REV-Cover-Kindle“…which God will bring about in his own time ~ God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords!”

But it’s hard to know just when God’s time is. You may think it is when an opportunity arises, but something happens and it doesn’t turn out. So later another opportunity arises, but something happens there too and it still doesn’t turn out.

This verse can carry you from hope to hope. Your life is like a line drawn across a piece of paper, and you have to stay on that line. But God looks down and can see the entire line at once, and he can also see everything going on around you.

Rather than give up on God and decide he doesn’t really love you like he claims, amidst your tears of disappointment, stretch your spirit and praise him anyway. Acknowledge him. Then rest until his own time.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/RevelationLoveLetter

 

#providence, #fate, #hurry, #solutions, #confidence, #time, #problems, #troubles, #confidence

Scripture for Tuesday, June 13 (6/13)

The scripture for today, June 13 (6/13), is Judges 6:13f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium” ‘But sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about?…But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us in the hand of Midian [enemies].’ The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have.’ “

Soetimes we spend our time concentrating on our problem rather than a possible solution. Or we try to find someone else to solve our problem for us. Or we feel so helpless, we sit back and ask God to take care of our problem. When Captain Gideon did this, God basically replied, “You’ve still got strengths. Use them.”

Don’t sit idly by while bad things happen around you. Everyone has some sort of God-given strength. Look deep within your heart. It’s there.  Then go forth in the strength you have.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/crippledprince

 

#strength. #weakness, #discouragement, #solution, #solve, #problems, #idleness, #miracles, #action, #troubles

 

Scripture for Monday, June 12

The scripture for today, June 12 (6/12), is Luke 6:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

How in the world did Jesus think of enough things to say that he could pray all night? Most of us on a good day only manage a 5-minute prayer. The next verse says that the next morning he selected his twelve apostles. He had probably spent at least half an hour each praying for them by name, as well as for others he was considering.

Who do you pray for by name? Do you have a prayer list? How about opening the newspaper and praying for all those people in the news ~ perpetrators, victims, causes, governments, situations? Or everyone you work with? Or everyone your children go to school with? Or all their teachers and administrators? Or the clerks in the stores you go to regularly? Or members of an organization you belong to?

There are always people in need of prayer. And one of the joys of such a prayer life is now and then telling people whom you know that they are in your prayers, or writing a note to someone who was a stranger to you that you pray for them.

Some people have never heard their name in prayer. Some people have never even been told someone prays for them.

God loves to answer prayer. Do you love prayer?

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/HeroesAlone

 

#prayer, #PrayerList, #newspaper, #school, #work, #government, #neighborhood, #clerks, #organizations, #memberships, 

Scripture for Sunday, June 11 (6/11)

The scripture for today, June 11, is Job 6:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 6-PromiseKeeper-Cover-medium-new-kindle“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects that I should be patient?”

Many people use the expression, “patience of Job.” But he had on-and-off patience, for he was very sick. By descriptions he gave of himself ~ sores, rancid breath, low voice, partial blindness, skin turned hard and black, bloating, nightmares, extreme pain, unrecognized by his closest friends, some believe he had a grotesque form of elephantiasis leprosy.

What did he need from his friends? He surely didn’t get it, for they spent their time trying to prove that he had sinned and God was right to be punishing him. His reply? “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?” (Job 16:2f).

So how do we comfort someone who feels utterly hopeless? We certainly don’t put the blame on them, nor do we tell them it’s “all in your head’ or to “snap out of it”. We can share times when we felt hopeless. We can weep with them. We can hold their hand. We can sit with them in silence. We can pray aloud for them. (Some people have never heard their name mentioned in a prayer.)

And we need to let them talk. Sometimes they will say things they don’t mean in the long run, but at that brief moment, they do. Or sometimes they need to talk through things they are unsure about. They may even say contradictory things.

At one time Job said, “Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household….God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me” (16:7f). But another time he said, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end, he will stand upon the earth….I myself will see him with my own eyes ~ I and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (19:25f).

If you have a very sick friend, let your heart yearn with them.

 

website……https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com
monthly newsletter+free book……http://bit.ly/katheryn
free kdp select & discounts (Searcy)……http://bit.ly/JesusBetrayed

 

#illness, #tragedy, #sickness, #poverty, #patience, #leprosy, #friends, #hope, #despondent, #depression, #prayer, #silence, #misery, #comfort