Category: forgiveness

Scripture for Saturday, January 28 (1/28)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, faith, forgiveness, good works, healing, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, judging, prayer, Satan, Saved from hell, Scripture, truth, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 28, is 1st Chronicles 1:28 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-“The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.”

Are you a parent with a grown or nearly-grown child who is going in the wrong direction? Have you tried everything you can think of, and nothing is working? Do you know in your heart that you have been a good example and things shouldn’t have turned out as they have?

Abraham has been called the Father of the Faithful. Yet he had one son who followed Jehovah ~ Isaac ~ and one son who followed idols ~ Ishmael. Certainly, Abraham tried everything he could to “talk some sense” into Ishmael. Certainly, he prayed earnestly for Ishmael. So what went wrong?

Just as God has given each of us free will, our children also have free will. Just as God will never force us to follow him, we cannot force our children to follow God. You did not refrain from having your children because they may have difficulties in their life, and neither did God. And when our children rebel and break our hearts, imagine what God goes through when we rebel and break his heart.

Who knows? Perhaps your child will return to God some day in your old age, or even after you have died. If your child deep down has a good heart, that is enough for God to work with. Keep hope alive.

#Children, #FreeWill, #Families, #Adolescence, #Astray, #Hope, #Teaching, #Training, #BrokenHeart, #GodsHeart

 

Scripture for Tuesday, January 24 (1/24)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, faith, forgiveness, Heaven, Inspirational, judging, Satan, Saved from hell, truthLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 24, is Jude 1:24 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

REV-Cover-Kindle“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy ~ “

God is perfect, and so cannot dwell with faults and imperfection. We have faults. Romans 3:23 says everyone sins. And Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. But God always has wanted us to live with him. What a dilemma!

God solved our problem at great expense. He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth who lived the faultless life for us. Then God offered His perfect Son, His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place.

After that, God told the world that He would consider us “without fault” vicariously through Jesus. He’s already paid the penalty for our sins. All we have to do is believe He did and follow his instructions to keep us out of hell.

How amazing ~ God’s love for us!

#Crucifixion, #Sin, #Punishment, #Wages, #Forgiveness, #Heaven, #Hell, #Satan, #Jesus

Scripture for Sunday, January 22 (1/22)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn church, Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, Heaven, Inspirational, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 22, is Ephesians 1:22 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 5-FLOOD GATES-Cover-Print“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

What makes this so interesting is that the church is the body of Christ. And what else is the church? Matthew 16:17-18 says the church is the kingdom of heaven. Ephesians 5:25 & 32 says the church is his bride. Revelation 21:2, 9-10 says the church bride is the new Holy City Jerusalem. Colossians 1:18 says Jesus is the head of his body ~ the only head ~ on earth and in heaven.

And what does Jesus think of the church? Ephesians 5:25-27 says he loved the church so much that he gave himself up for her, to make her radiant ~ no stains, no wrinkles, no blemishes.

Why would anyone not want to be part of this?

Such love.

Such eternal love.

#ChurchOfChrist, #BodyOfChrist, #HeadOfTheChurch, #KingdomOfGod, #ChurchOfGod, #BrideOfChrist, #KingdomOfHeaven, #NewJerusalem

Scripture for Thursday, January 9 (1/9)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, Daily, faith, forgiveness, good works, Inspirational, judging, persecutionLeave a comment

 The scripture for today, January 19, is James 1:19a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-KINDLE“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

There was a book published a few years ago entitled, Hurt People Hurt People. Have you ever wanted to say something like, “How dare you think you know how bad I feel!” or “How dare you think you understand the  ordeal I went through!” or “How dare you treat me like that!”?  Those are accusing words. And what do they accomplish?

We may feel justified in explaining how bad we were treated by someone. But, in reality, it makes the hurt keep going and going and going…. Perhaps this is a cycle you’ve been in for a long time with someone. Who is going to stop the cycle?

Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10).  God is the forgiver.  Even Jesus forgave his killers. When we have been hurt, let us be ready to listen to the other person’s hurt instead of accuse. And in the process, “bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

#Sympathy, #Anger, #Accusing, #Listening, #Hurt, #Forgiveness, #Humility

Scripture for Wednesday, January 18 (1/18)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, forgiveness, Inspirational, Satan, Saved from hellLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 18, is Isaiah 1:18 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW OF DEATH-Cover” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ “

When did this become possible? Revelation in the New Testament explains in 7:14 we make our robes white by washing them in the blood of the Lamb.

What lamb? John the Baptist introduced the world to the Lamb. When he saw Jesus walking toward him in front of a crowd, he announced, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

What made Jesus the Lamb of God? Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. In the Old Testament era, God allowed us to kill an animal in our place whenever we sinned. So for centuries, we would sin and sacrifice an animal, sin and sacrifice an animal and on and on, for we never could quit sinning.

Finally God offered one last sacrifice for all times. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (Communion), he did so during the Jewish Passover feast where they ate their meal of lamb. There is no mention that Jesus and his apostles ate the usual lamb. Instead, he passed around the usual wine and said from now on it represented his blood as the sacrificial Lamb. And he passed around the usual bread and said from now on it represented his body as the sacrificial Lamb. (Mark 14:12 22-25).

Sunday is the most special day of the week for Christians. Why? The early Christians under guidance of Jesus’ apostles “broke bread” for the communion every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). May we always make this the central part of our worship on this special day. We can never do it too often. We can never too often say, “I’m sorry my sins caused You to go through your terrible death.” We can never too often say, “Thank You.”

#Sacrifice, #LambOfGod, #Sin, #Death, #Punishment, #Blood, #White, #Scarlet, #BloodRed, #Forgiveness

Scripture for Monday, January 16 (1/16)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, Daily, death, forgiveness, healing, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 16, is Ruth 1:16ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

inside-cover-medium“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Although Ruth was talking to her mother-in-law after the death of her husband (Naomi’s son), this can be and sometimes is quoted by the bride and groom at their wedding. If only it were quoted more often. Not only at weddings, but at anniversaries. At birthdays of children and parents. During arguments, and low times and hard times and discouraging times.

These are the words of love ~ deep genuine, unselfish love. Let us so love one another that deeply.

#Love, #Marriage, #Family, #Friends, #Ruth, #Naomi, #Wedding, #Anniversary

Scripture for Friday, January 13 (1/13)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, forgiveness, Heaven, Inspirational, Satan, Saved from hellLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 13, is Habakkuk 1:13 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW OF DEATH-Cover“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.”

This pretty much explains why none of us deserves heaven. Only sinless people can be in heaven. Of course, we cannot be sinless. For thousands of years, God let mankind try any way we could to be perfect. Some people he gave the Law of Moses to, and some people he continued to let try on their own. Neither worked. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get it right.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So, God gave us a temporary fix: We could kill an animal to die in our place, and offer it as a sacrifice, to take onto itself God’s rage at destructive sin.

But Galatians 4:4 says, “When the time was come, God sent his Son.” Finally, when mankind understood we needed outside help, God sent Jesus. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus lived the perfect life that was impossible for us to live; he was completely free of sin. Then God offered his Son as the final sacrifice to die in our place ~ to be falsely accused of all the sins that WE had committed, to take onto himself God’s anger, rage, and fury at OUR sins, to collect the terrible wages Satan metes out ~ death ~ for OUR sins.

That done, God ~ who can only dwell with sinlessness ~ is able to allow obedient, faithful people into his home, heaven.

#Heaven, #Hell, #WagesOfSin, #Sin, #Satan, #Jesus, #Sacrifice, #Crucifixion, #Perfection

Scripture for Tuesday, January 3 (1/3)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 3, is Jonah 1:3a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-“But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.”

Do we spend our life running away from the Lord? Do we do it with busy-ness, with resentments, with disbelief that he even exists?

Is it even possible to run away from the Lord? Eventually, it is. But for a long time, the Lord runs after us. He does things to get our attention such as he did by causing a storm at sea where Jonah was on board his escape ship. 

Perhaps there are storms in your life. Have you ever thought of them as God trying to get your attention?  Perhaps you run here and there day after day, too busy to even think about God. But when disaster hits, it seems a lot of people suddenly remember God so they can blame him for their hardships. Perhaps they’re blaming God, but at least they’re thinking of him. Perhaps it’s been years since they’ve thought seriously about God. 

He has big shoulders. Go ahead and blame him for awhile, then remember how he loves you and just wants you by his side.

But don’t wait too long. God only runs after us for so long. Eventually, he gives up on us. Don’t wait so long that God gives up on you and treats you the way you have been treating him.

“God, I’m coming back. Help me.”

#RunningAway, #FromGod, #Disasters, #AttentionGetters, #Reminders, #Pursuit, #GivingUp, #Forgiveness, #Safety

Scripture for Thursday, December 22 (12/22)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, healing, Heaven, Inspirational, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 22, is 1st Samuel 12:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 3-HEARTS AFIRE-COVER“For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.”

Amazing love of God. It pleases him to make us his own. It pleases him! 

We the lowly. 

We the weak. 

We the inconsistent. 

We the sinners.

Let us reply, “My soul is overwhelmed with joy.”

#LoveOfGod, #MercyOfGod, #GraceOfGod, #Sins

Scripture for Tuesday, December 20 (12/20

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, forgiveness, good works, healing, Inspirational, judgingLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 20, is 2nd Corinthians 12:20b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-cover-kindle-new-medium“…. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”

It can happen among well-meaning people trying to accomplish the same good work but from a different angle. Do we insist our way is the best way, and people will be lost if the committee/congregation doesn’t do things our way? Do we then get hurt and think (or say) everyone else doesn’t love the lost like we do? Then are we tempted to just drop out?

A good test when personalities clash is to ask ourselves, “Would this congregation survive without me?” Of course, it would. It did before we came and would after.

A good solution: If our heart is set on a certain good work, but no one else’s heart is, do what we can alone. We don’t need a committee to follow our heart.

Let us prefer one another, honor one another, and love one another. We are family ~ God’s family.

#Quarrels, #Jealousy, #Ego, #Temper, #Heart, #GoodWorks