Thursday 12/19 ~ Sweet revenge. Or not.

The Scripture for today, December 19 (12/19), is Romans 12:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Old Testament Survey-Cover-thumbnail“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Thank God, he took away the old Law of Moses and gave you the new Law of Jesus instead. Under the Law of Moses, you had to take revenge yourself. You had to stone adulterers and children who were disrespectful to you as their parent. If someone killed a relative, you were obligated to go out and kill the killer. If someone knocked out the eye or tooth of a relative, you were required to go out and take that person’s eye or tooth.

Now God says to forgive and do good to your enemy (verse 20-21). That’s what God did for you who once was his enemy as a sinner. As you are merciful to others, he is merciful to you.

Forgiveness is not condoning evil, but wishing a better life for whoever did something bad to you. You may forever be afraid of that person, but you must forgive. Hard to do? Indeed! But, with God, anything is possible. So, let go of it. Let go of them. Let God take care of it. He has released you of that burden. Released you to “overcome evil with good”.

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Old Testament Survey-Cover-thumbnailOLD TESTAMENT SURVEY AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE NEW TESTAMENT is an easy fill-in-the-blank workbook to help you see the contrast in the Old Testament laws and the New Testament “laws”. O.T. leaders were taking revenge everywhere, and so God took revenge on them. The prophets warned them and gave them promises of good to come ~ the Savior.  This is part of the EASY BIBLE WORKBOOKS series.  Great for homeschoolers, private study, small groups.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2tt58Fc

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Take the clouds away and bring back the sunshine

How to Forgive but Not Forget | Mark Manson

Hebrews 12:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Really?  Bitterness can cause us to miss the grace of God? Bitterness only causes trouble for yourself and others, and defiles you. Bitterness comes from you thinking of yourself more highly than you ought (Romans 12:3), and forgetting that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Bitterness leads to either bullying or shunning, and ends in broken relationships and a cancer of the heart. It can cost us our eternal salvation.

The opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean you condone what someone else has done. It means you let go of it and let God handle it. It means you wish the best for the offending person or situation. You can wish even the most hardened criminal will someday turn to God and turn his life around. How many times in your lifetime have you asked God to forgive you for the same things over and over?  God forgives you as you forgive others.

Forgiveness lifts weights off of you until you feel as though you could soar. Forgiveness takes the clouds away and brings back the sunshine. Forgiveness makes sure you do not miss the grace of God.

 

Wednesday 12/4 ~ Even angels will notice

The scripture for today, December 4 (12/4), is Isaiah 12:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCover“In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.’ “

Do you make known to your part of your nation what God has done for you? When a friend tells you of a difficulty, do you share what you went through that was similar, and that God helped get you through it? Are you ready with an easy-to-remember scripture to prove God cares and God helps? When someone is sick or bereaved, do you let them know that God hurts just as much when they suffer as when he watched his own Son suffer on the cross?

You may live in a country where most people are living immoral and unethical lives. You may live in a country where Christianity is illegal. You can still call on Jesus privately to help a friend in distress.  Do not under-estimate the power of word-of-mouth.  He can build great things out of ashes.

Look back over your life. Make a list of some difficult times you and God made it through. Find an applicable verse and memorize it. Find out what is going on in the lives of your friends, co-workers, neighbors. Then be ready to share your story and what God has done for you. It’s up to each one of us to do this. Thereby God’s name can be exalted throughout the world. Even angels will notice.

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03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCoverBIBLE KIDS: NAAMAN’S MAID was taken as a slave to far-away Syria.  She was sad. But when her master came down with a terrible disease, she told him who could heal him back in his country.  A great Christmas book. Grandparents love to have books on hand for when their grandchildren visit. Great for bedtime storytime, homeschoolers, church libraries. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/33Q2Mww

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Saturday 11/30 ~ What Adam & Eve did Right

The scripture for today, November 30 (11/30), is Proverbs 11:30 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

Remember back in the Garden of Eden? Going by the age of their three sons, Adam and Eve were in the Garden close to one hundred years.  Instead of centering on what they did wrong, look at what they did right.  They were sinless for nearly a century! Hardly any of us can accomplish that in 100 minutes.

Just think. Walking through a garden lush with the beauty of holiness.  Walking through a garden with the water of life to drink. Walking through a garden with God (materialized) himself.

How many times did that snake Satan, upright like a king’s scepter and perhaps with a crown of gold and ruby on his head, make his way gracefully through the garden, laughing and enjoying the company of newly made humans? How many times did he coil up his tail like a maelstrom spiraling through the heavens full of light and beauty as he watched the couple enjoy the fruit of the garden? How many times did this magnificent creature sway back and forth, back and forth as cobras do as he spoke hypnotic words to make them feel like gods?

“Oh, look at the fruit on that tree over there? God told you never to touch it, but God is wrong.  Go ahead. Touch it. That’s right. Did anything bad happen to you? Of course not, because God is wrong.  How about touching it with your lips? That’s right. You’re not really eating it. You’re just touching it. Smell it too. Have you ever smelled anything so wonderful? God doesn’t want you to have it. He knows you will learn what evil is and then be as smart as him. God is jealous of you. Go ahead. Take a tiny bite. It won’t hurt you.  See there? Are you dead like he said you would be? No. You are still alive. God is a liar. I am the only one who tells you the truth. I am on your side. God hates you. Sure, go ahead and take another bite, and Adam might like some too.  It’s harmless. Do not believe anything God says. He hates you. I am the only one who loves you.”

How many thousands of times did Adam and Eve chase him off, only to have him back in their lives a few hours later? How many thousands of times did they try to resume what they were doing and try to put him out of their minds? How many times did they do it right? One stumble was all the enemy needed.

That was a long time ago. Now the Tree of Life, which God withheld from Adam and Eve, is in heaven waiting for them. Waiting for you.

And as you wait, win souls.  Snatch them out of the beautiful flower-strewn web of mankind’s enemy number one. He is still out here, still beautiful, still suave, and still lying.

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0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-ThumbnailMICHEL: THE FOURTH WISE MAN lived a few miles from the Garden of Eden where the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers meet.  It was now under water.  Michel descends from Daniel. His dream is to buy what was the Garden of Eden, restore it, and bring people to it to meditate and pray so that perhaps God will return and walk the earth again. Little did he know that is what was happening over in Bethlehem.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2Y9Z4wQ

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Thursday 11/28 ~ Sundays, our special Thanksgiving day

The scripture for today, November 28 (11/28), is 1st Corinthians 11:28,31 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Supper-Front Cover-Thumbnail“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup [of the Lord’s Supper]….If we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.”

“When they met on THE first day of the week to break bread” (Acts 20:7), these first-century Christians were meeting to keep the Lord’s Supper, for the word (“met”) in the original Greek of the New Testament means a religious meeting. Interestingly, the word “the” in the original Greek means each and every without exception perpetually.

Even if we did not know the Greek, look how the Jews (and we) interpreted “Remember THE Sabbath Day to keep it holy”. They did not remember the Sabbath day monthly, quarterly or yearly, but weekly. Therefore, , the first-century Christians realized that “When they met on THE first day of the week to break bread” (Acts 20:7), it meant every Sunday.

We can sing, pray, teach and read the Bible any day of the week. What makes Sunday special is that’s the day Jesus came back to life, the day Jesus ascended back to heaven, and the day the church was established. Today, on the special first day we are to meet to take the Lord’s Supper, the Communion ~ the bread representing his body dying in our place, the wine representing his blood dripped out of his body in our place.

During the Communion, we consider Jesus’ terrible sacrifice in order to save us from hell. And we consider our sins that made his sacrifice necessary to save us from hell. Today’s scripture tells us that. During our weekly partaking of the Communion, we should be examining ourselves, comparing ourselves to Jesus. It is kind of like taking weekly exams so we will be ready for the big final exam on the Day of Judgment.

God thought of everything ~ weekly remembering the sacrifice of our Lord so that we never take him for granted, and weekly remembering our sins. And, in the process, our souls fall at his feet and whisper “Thank you. Oh, my Lord, thank you.”

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Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailTHE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 BIBLE READINGS WITH PRAYERS is for those leading the weekly communion and for participants to read as they partake.  Perfect for church libraries and special-occasion gifts for fellow Christians.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  ……….https://amzn.to/2L45Y14

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Tuesday 11/26 ~ Welcome Home

The scripture for today, November 26 (11/26), is John 11:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New” ‘ And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ “

Jesus was talking to the sister of his close friend, Lazarus, who had just died. Of course, we understand he was talking about spiritual death ~ the death of our souls. And death in the original Greek means separation; so in the case of our souls, it would be separation from God.

Revelation 20:6 & 14 refers to the second death of our souls which is the lake of fire. So what is the first death of our souls?

In John 3:3 Jesus said we must be born again of water and the spirit. Romans 6:4 says “we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death [of that sinful life] in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a NEW LIFE.”

Ah, the thought of living on inside the walls of salvation in heaven where Satan can never touch us again. The thought of walking and talking with God and never growing tired of it. The thought of singing with God with pleasure unending.

How reassuring to us when Jesus said believers’ souls would never die. Oh, glorious thought.

And so, day by day I keep on walking and keep on walking. I’m on a journey.  It will not end until, at last, I hear those words, “Welcome Home”.

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0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-NewCOME FLY WITH ME is the last novel in the series THEY MET JESUS. Jesus has come back to life and visited with many people.  Once, he interrupts his own funeral and has a conversation with all 500 in the past seven books for whom he changed their lives.  But mostly his time is with his Twelve.  They must be in charge after he leaves.  They have their ups and downs. The GRAND FINALE is when John visits heaven.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………..  https://amzn.to/2pWXy4u

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Saturday 11/23 ~ Eternal Thanksgiving

The scripture for today, November 23 (11/23), is 1st Corinthians 11:23ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Supper-Front Cover-Thumbnail“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ “

How the hearts of Jesus and his closest friends must have been breaking that night. How the apostles must have struggled to hold back the tears. They all knew the religious leaders in Jerusalem were plotting to execute Jesus. They knew he was risking his to be in the city ~ their lives too. How could they part with the one they now knew was the Son of God but also the Son of Mankind ~ their dearest friend?

When you take the communion every Sunday, where are your thoughts? What you’re going to do after church? What someone sitting near us is wearing? How the person in front of us is blocking your view?

Have you ever during the communion wept as Jesus’ apostles must have wept ~ and probably even as Jesus himself wept?

Oh, Jesus, it was my sins that caused you to go through that horrible death!  My punishment! How could you love me that much? I fall at your feet. I am so sorry.

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Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailTHE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS can be used for private meditation during the Lord’s Supper or by whoever is leading the congregation for the communion.  The Lord’s Supper is the main reason early Christians under apostle leadership met on Sundays. They could sing, pray, study any day of the week.  Sundays were specifically for the Lord’s Supper.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/37pApsa

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Wednesday 11/13 ~ Just pick a religion you like

The scripture for today, November 13 (11/13), is Zechariah 11:13 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“And the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’ ~ the handsome price at which they paid me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.”

The book of Zechariah is full of prophecies about Jesus, especially circumstances surrounding his death. Compare the above scripture with this written five centuries later when Jesus was betrayed and crucified::

“Then one of the Twelve ~ the one called Judas Iscariot ~ went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him [Jesus] over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins” (Matthew 26:15).

and….

“When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests….So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself….So they [chief priests] decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners” (Matthew 27:3, 6-7).

The prophet Zechariah wrote this prophecy some five centuries before Jesus. The prophet had been long dead before it was fulfilled. This could not possibly have been contrived to fit such a distant future ~ the exact sum Judas was paid, the money being thrown into the temple and then given to the potters.

This is only one of many proofs. The Bible is the only religious book in the world with built-in proofs it is of divine origin.

Why not keep a list of the prophecies so you will be prepared when a friend says, “All religions are right. Just pick one you like”?

 

CHRISTIANITY OR ISLAM: THE CONTRAST quotes from the Quran and Bible on the same subjects.  The middle explains things Muslims are told Christians believe that we do not believe such as God marrying Mary and having Jesus.  It ends with statements from 100 Muslims who have decided Jesus really was the Son of God.  Can be given to a Muslim without offending them.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/33K7DAv

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Tuesday 11/12 ~ He sees you through the blood of Jesus

The scripture for today, November 12 (11/12), is Leviticus 11:12 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Cover-Medium“Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.”

Is the Law of Moses still in effect, including its requirement for tithing?  The scripture above is just one of the over 600 laws in the Law of Moses. They were intricate laws governing both their worship and their everyday life. This one chapter in Leviticus says in part they could not eat camels or coneys or rabbits or pigs. They could not eat eagles, vultures, kites, ravens, owls, gulls, hawks, osprey, storks, herons, hoopoes or bats. But they could eat locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers. And this is just part of chapter 11!

Why did God give so many intricate laws to the Jews? To give them a chance to keep them all exactly so they could be perfect. In the meantime, God did not give any laws to the Gentiles; He let them try whatever means they could on their own to become perfect. But during the same time period, both the Jews and Gentiles proved to themselves that it was impossible to keep their religions perfectly and thus be perfect themselves.

Now Jesus was ready to come. He lived the Jewish law perfectly, then nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14) and established a new last will and Testament (Hebrews 8-9). Now you live under a law of grace, and his commandments revolve around loving God and loving each other.

God cannot co-exist with imperfection. But he loves you and wants you to be his child.  Through Jesus he accomplished it; he set you free. He released you from having to be perfect under the Law, and sees you now through the blood of Jesus and his holy eyes as perfect.

 

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Monday 11/11 ~ I will lift you back up

 

09-Jonah-KindleThumbnail

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

“Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!”

So you decided to live for God. But you are still a weak human. Satan has lost you and wants you back. He will try hard to make that happen. Often, the new Christian is the one he attacks the hardest.

Still, Satan never lets up and periodically causes bad things to happen to you so you’ll blame God, just as he tried to do with Job.  He will tempt you with more things than before you became a Christian in his attempts to get you back.

God knows what is happening.  He stands with you. He is so proud of you when you stand up to Satan and say, “Never!  I will not blame or forsake my Lord.” He sees how your spiritual muscles are growing.

But, if you sometimes stumble and fall, you are not beyond hope. Never, never believe you are beyond hope! That is a lie! God never leaves you.  He continues to lean low, holding out his hands and saying, “Take them. I will lift you back up. You will be safe again.”

So, you do.

And so, he does.

He is amazingly patient with us. He loves you so very much.

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