Category: governments

Friday 12/27 ~ True separation of church and state

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, church, ego, Enemies, Fear, governments, persecution, power, Scripture, sin, teachingLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 27 (12/27), is 1st Kings 12:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnail“If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem [not some other capital city], they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah.”

For centuries and millenniums, kings selected a patron god for their nation, a god they most revered to protect them. Nations were always ruled by either a high priest or king. Some nations even had priest-kings.

So, when Constantine conquered much of Europe and set up his empire, he needed a patron god. One day during a battle, he looked up and saw a cloud formation that reminded him of things he’d heard about Jesus. So he made Jesus his patron God, and Christianity his empire’s required religion. He even rode his army through rivers, then declared them baptized. He ordered conquered peoples to be baptized or killed.  Headquarters was Rome.

Luther was friends of the Duke [king] of Germany, so when he broke off from Rome, the official state religion became Lutheranism. John Calvin was in the government of Switzerland, so when it broke off from Rome, the official state religion became Calvinism. When the king of England broke off from Rome, he became head of the Church of England (and Prince Charles is head of the Church there today). John Knox was influential with the parliament of Scotland, so his Presbyterianism became the official religion of Scotland.

In each instance, the king or parliament could force its citizens to follow the chosen religion of that nation. If people didn’t, they could legally put them in prison, torture them, and execute them at will. Up to a hundred years ago, it was illegal to not be a Shinto. Today, Islam is the required religion of most Middle-Eastern and some African countries. Anyone leaving Islam suffers.

Eventually, the idea of separating religion from the state government became popular in the Western World. And that is where many nations are today. But it does not mean people in government cannot express religion. It just means they cannot force citizens to be a particular government-selected religion or be in danger of punishment. That is true “separation of church and state”.

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00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnailWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE FIRST CENTURY is a year-by-year account of governments and religious hierarchy who changed “church law” and what they did to those who protested ~ things you always took for granted were always that way. Intermingled are the hymns of some of the martyrs during this time, hymns you have sung a hundred times and never knew.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2SwgtyY

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Saturday 12/14 ~ Hold fast. Stand firm.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Daily, discouragement, Enemies, eternity, ethics, faith, Fear, governments, Heaven, patience, persecution, power, worship1 Comment

The scripture for today, December 14 (12/14), is 1st Samuel 12:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

02-samuel-thumbnailcover“If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God ~ good!”

The Jews had just insisted on having a king rule over them instead of a supreme judge. Samuel, their last supreme judge, replied and said two IFs. IF they serve and obey the Lord, and IF they both (people and king) follow the Lord, then it is good.

Today as then, some people live in a nation where the king/government does not follow the Lord. What to do? Galatians 5:22 tells us to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled, for “against such things there is no law”.

Is it hard to do this when crooked officials are getting all the advantages and you are being cheated and even threatened if you do not cooperate? Indeed, it is. It may seem they are living the good life. In reality (eternal reality, not earthly reality). They have lost everything. This life is fleeting. Keep your eyes on the eternal. Keep your eyes on God!

Hold fast!

       Stand firm!

             Do the right thing!

In the end, they lose. You and God win. And that is good!

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02-samuel-thumbnailcoverA CHILD’S BIBLE KIDS:  SAMUEL.  How did Samuel’s mother prepare him to live in someone else’s house when he was a toddler? How did Eli settle little Samuel’s confused mind when Eli suddenly became his “grandfather” while he grew up?  But grow up, Samuel did. And he became one of the strongest supreme judges Israel ever had.  But he was also the last.  He had to resign his position when the people wanted a king instead of him.  But, he never stopped being loyal to God.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2YPmlVe

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Monday 12/9 ~ God is so proud of you!

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #Handicaps, attitude, blessings, discouragement, governments, Inspirational, joy, power, praise, problems, Thanksgiving, victory, weaknessLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 9 (12/9), is 2nd Corinthians 12:9 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Oh, how much we need to be reminded of this scripture. Everyone has weaknesses of some kind. Do you complain about the hand you were dealt? Do you lament the country you were born in, the family you were born into, the physical limitations you were born with, the mental, emotional or physical deficiencies you ended up with?

This is your chance! Your grand and glorious chance. Those weaknesses! Go around others with the same weakness you have with joy in your heart, gladness on your lips and a continual gleam in your eyes!  Let God’s strength shine in your weakness!

When people begin to sympathize with you, interrupt them and tell them how much God loves you, and how much God loves them! Encourage your “encouragers.” Let them go away from you with a new understanding of the blessings of weakness! And perhaps be a little more thankful for their own weaknesses.

Lucky you! You are one of the chosen!  God will be glorified in you.  He is so proud of you!

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0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE was the grandson of King Saul crippled for life the day his grandfather and crown prince father, Jonathan, died.  Denied the throne at age 11 when his uncle, the last King of Israel died, his family sent him far away from the king’s enemies. Through the years, he avoided being killed by doing tricks upside down on his crutches. He successfully wooed a girl in Ur where they were first introduced to frisky camel rides and the unexpected.  An inspiring book for everyone who is handicapped.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://amzn.to/3518cGB

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Thursday 12/5 ~ Then God will arise

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, Enemies, Fear, governments, patience, persecution, problems, Satan, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 5 (12/5), is Psalm 12:5 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

06-Moses Thumbnail Cover” ‘Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the Lord. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’ “

Notice, in this scripture the Lord says, “I will now arise.” Sometimes God needs you to endure difficulties so that bad people who cause such problems can be exposed for what they are, and ultimately so Satan can be exposed for what he is. Sometimes that difficulty will last months or years ~ sometimes even a lifetime.

First Corinthians 3:9 in the New Testament says you are a worker together with God. Ephesians 6:12 says “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly [spiritual] realms.”

You are where God wants you to be. This is your assignment. Are you up to it? Sometimes your job is just to hang on and not give up on God. That’s what Satan is always trying to get you to do, just as he did Job in the Old Testament. God won’t leave you in a situation that is impossible for you to endure. I Corinthians 10:13 says, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”

So, go ahead and groan in your weakness, beg in your frustration, and cry in your frailty, but hang on. Never let go of God. That’s your part.

As soon as the evil around you is exposed for what it is, you have proven good cannot be conquered by evil, and you have grown spiritually as a result of your experience.  And God’s part?  Then God will arise.

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06-Moses Thumbnail CoverA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES:  MOSES’ people had endured 400 years of terrible slavery.  Thousands died thinking God had not heard their prayers. But, when the harsh treatment of the Egyptians got unbearable, God arose. He lifted up Moses who then endured the threats of Pharaoh, outlasted Pharaoh, and led over three million of his people out of their slavery and into freedom.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/36abNlZ

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Monday 11/18 ~ Perhaps someday they will listen

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, emptiness, Enemies, ethics, governments, Loss, patience, persecution, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 18 (11/18), is Deuteronomy 11:18f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCover“Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

Sometimes the country you live in goes through very bad times. You pray for the bad times to end, but they do not. What is going on? The above warning was to the Israelites just before they entered their promised land. God had just said through Moses, don’t worship idols.

Perhaps your country is going through bad times because of idol worship. Probably not like the hand-made idols of ancient times, but idols of money and power and lack of morality and ethics.

You may feel all alone in trying to get the people you know to do better. They may laugh at you, scorn you, fire you from your job. There have been times in the Bible when a good man prayed, “God, I am the only one left who worships you.” God would reply there were others trying to do right too. But he never replied he was going to stop the punishing. The country hadn’t turned back to God yet.

Therefore, when you are suffering unjustly for what a majority of your countrymen have been doing, you must do it bravely. And while you wait it out, continue to remind yourself, your family, your neighbors, your countrymen of the righteous ways they should be acting.

In bad times, this is your assignment. Be brave and spread the news. Keep reminding and being as patient with them as God is with you. Perhaps someday, they will listen.

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03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCoverBIBLE KIDS:  NAAMAN’S MAID was kidnapped when people in Israel were not acting right. The girl was turned into a slave in Syria without hope of ever being freed.  She accepted it and was as good as she knew how.  Because of this little girl, a big, important general met a prophet and learned about the true God. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/340Cc4L

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Friday 11/15 ~ Kingdom of Hope

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn church, death, ego, governments, judging, knowledge, persecution, power, Scripture, teaching, worshipLeave a comment

The Scripture for today, November 15 (11/15), is Revelation 11:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnail“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever!’ “

 You belong to a kingdom/nation in this world. It is not perfect. Its leaders can sometimes do very bad things. And you wonder how you can stand some of the terrible things that sometimes happen within a government.

But your worldly kingdom/nation is not the only one you can live in. Colossians 1:13 says Jesus “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Rescued! Brought you! Past tense! The kingdom isn’t something in the future. It is here now. And it goes by yet another name. Verse 18 says, “And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church.”

So, when you sometimes become discouraged about your kingdom/nation in this world that you live in, take hope. You can have dual citizenship! For there is another kingdom here, a spiritual one. The king of that kingdom will love you. Forever love you.

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00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnailWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1ST CENTURY is half of a series, “Wandering Soul, Entitled Heart, and the Sidetracked Church.”  Many of the ways people worship today and think are so sweet are the result of governments stepping in and mandating the change. They imprisoned or executed anyone objecting to the change.  Changes in worship came about amidst agony.  Investigate your habitual ways of worshipping. How did they come about?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2NTsJHb

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Monday 10/28 ~ Being a hero

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, discouragement, Enemies, eternity, faith, Fear, governments, Heaven, persecution, power, sacrifice, Satan, Saved from hell, victory1 Comment

The scripture for today, October 28 (10/28), is Matthew 10:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”

This scripture indicates that sometimes God’s allows you to “fall to the ground” ~ your body suffers, or you are killed. How can that be? After all, God is so loving. Surely a good God would not allow any harm to come to someone if he truly loves them.

But we all have our assignments from God in this war between Good and Evil. Just as Job in the Old Testament lost his entire family and all his wealth and then his health, he refused to blame God. He even said, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

Satan causes bad to happen to you. Why? In order to get you to blame God for it and maybe even then declare God does not exist. Your assignment is to refuse to deny God. That way, Satan loses one more battle, and God wins one more.

There is an old Christian song called “Victory in Jesus.” How can you have victory in Jesus if you do not have something to be victorious over? Romans 8:37 says we are more than conquerors. How can you be a conqueror if you have nothing to conquer?

Stand strong and say with James (1:2), “I consider it pure joy whenever I face trials.” Hard to say? Of course, it is. But it could turn your life around and make you a hero.

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00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR begins with a 17-year-old coward who grows and matures a little at a time so that by the time he is a 28-year-old deacon with wife and children, he is stronger than most people we will ever meet in our lifetime.  He purposely walks into the Sanhedrin’s council room to say what needed to be said, knowing he would not leave alive. He sees the door.  It is opening for him.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2MWxVtn

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Sunday 9/8 ~ Nero and your government

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn discouragement, Enemies, governments, persecution, power, prayer, Satan2 Comments

The scripture for today, September 8 (9/9), is Daniel 9:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes, and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.”

Have you prayed for your government lately?  I Timothy 2:1 & 2 says “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone ~ for kings and all those in authority.”

At the time of this writing, Nero was Caesar. First-century historian Tacitus said this about Nero in his Annals 15:44:

“But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called “Christians” by the populace.

“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.

“Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”

If the Apostle Paul could pray for such a government leader, can you not follow his instructions? Why don’t you stop and pray for your own government right now?

 

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailTHEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH tells the story of “Christus’ ” death at the hands of two governments ~ one out of jealousy, the other out of job protection.  Two chapters in this book cover the first three and last three hours on the cross.  The Merck Desk Manual for Physicians was the major source along with scripture. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/30V6hBb

 

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Sunday 7/14 ~ What if all the good people left?

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, discouragement, Enemies, governments, healing, patience, persecution, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, July 14 (7/14), is 2nd Chronicles 7:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-Thumbnail“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

There is always a little bit of turmoil in all nations of the world. Of course, there is more in some. The average person cannot make their own nation call on God. But the average person can do this: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone ~ for kings and all those in authority” (I Timothy 2:1-2). Further, we should pray for them by name.

Even if you think some people in authority in your nation are against you, you must pray for them anyway. Then wait quietly for God to work things out. It may take Him a year, a decade or a lifetime to bring about your heart’s desire for your nation. But keep praying.

Your job, in the meantime, is to follow God’s ways yourself. Romans 13:1,3-4 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…For rulers hold no terror for those who do right….For he is God’s servant to do you good.”

Love the country you are in. No country is all good or all bad. Stay where you are. What if all the good people left your country? God put you where you are for a reason. Everyone has assignments from God. This is your assignment. You are only one, but you are one.  Be an example of good.  Seek God’s face. God will heal what needs healing in your land.

 

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-ThumbnailMICHEL: THE FOURTH WISE MAN, like ancestor Daniel, decides to stay in the pagan country of Babylon, now part of Parthia.  Being a minority Jew, he is not taken seriously. Through the whole book as he and the other wise men search the world for the meaning of the star. At last, they listen to him and find that, indeed, not only was a star born, but the Son of God was born to walk on earth as he had in Eden at the beginning.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2LrXpzh

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Sunday 6/30 ~ The heavenly temple

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn church, discouragement, emptiness, faith, governments, Inspirational, joy, patience, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 30 (6/30), is 1st Kings 6:30 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.”

About 40 years ago it was figured that Solomon put $3 trillion worth of gold in the temple to line the ceiling, walls, and floor. And that figure would probably be around $12 trillion today. Talk about streets of gold in heaven!

There are some people today asking for money to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Even if they accomplished it, what would it do for Christians? The book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains to the Hebrew (Jewish) Christians that they no longer need or want the temple. Why? Hebrews 8:13 says, “By calling this covenant (Testament) ‘new’ he has made the first one [Old Testament] obsolete.”

Let’s look at the temple in a spiritual sense through the eyes of a Christian ~ and of Jesus himself in Hebrews 9:1. “Now the FIRST  COVENANT  [TESTAMENT] had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 7 Only the High Priest entered the inner room [Most Holy Place]…and never without blood.…. 11When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle [temple] that is not man-made. 12. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood [He being the Lamb of God ~ John 1], having obtained eternal redemption. 24. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered HEAVEN  ITSELF. For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a NEW  COVENANT  [TESTAMENT].’

Why in the world would anyone want an imitation temple and holy of holies made with hands back in Jerusalem again, along with all the animal sacrifices on the altar, and priests who would have to be of the Tribe of Levi, and tithing and all the other over 600 laws of Moses? 

Thank God, we live in a more spiritual age ~ the age of Christ and the temple of heaven itself.

 

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailYOU CAN BE A HERO ALONE is stories of Bible people who had to stand alone and became our heroes.  There are isolated Christians everywhere today ~ in countries where Christianity is illegal, in prisons, in universities, in extended-care homes, shut-ins, etc.  They do not need a temple or church building to worship in. All they need is the knowledge that they are not alone and they are our heroes today.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/324ArTw

 

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