Thursday 8/1 ~ Your longing, your hope, your reason for being

On August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Bible, ego, eternity, faith, forgiveness, Heaven, humility, Saved from hell, Scripture, teaching, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, August 1 (8/1), is Romans 8:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There are a lot of religious groups out there in the world who control their people with fear. If you don’t do such and such, it proves you aren’t spiritual enough. If you do such and such one second before you die, you’re going to hell.

They put burdens on you that just are not in the New Testament. By making you feel guilty, they make you depend on them for your salvation and that boosts their ego. The Apostle Paul wrote to the congregations in Galatia (today’s Turkey) and warned them with tears:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel ~ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached [past tense] to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again:

“If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? ” (Galatians 1:6-10).

Are you sure you are IN Christ Jesus? Do your church leaders dance around scriptures they wish weren’t in the Bible and tell you they don’t really mean what they say? Or add things that the scriptures say nothing about? Are you sure they aren’t people pleasers instead of God pleasers? What do they do with Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27, I Peter 3:21? Look them up. Do your church leaders try to explain them away?

Ah, to be sure you are indeed IN Christ Jesus and can someday live in his world. This is your longing. Your hope. Your reason for being.

WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY is book two of the series WANDERING SOUL, ENTITLED HEART, AND THE SIDETRACKED CHURCH. Each chapter is about one form of worship. It begins with quotes from famous theologians, ends with quotes from second-century theologians, and all in between is scriptures and prayers for understanding. WRITTEN FOR UNBELIEVERS. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2GECkNW

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY: http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

#heaven, #hell, #leaders, #gospel, #salvation, #savedfromhell, #Satan, #baptism, #Acts238, #Romans64, #Galatians327, #Acts2216, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Wednesday 7/31 ~ That Great Gettin’-Up Morning

On July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, ego, eternity, good works, Heaven, Saved from hell, teaching, things, worship1 Comment

The scripture for today, July 31 (7/31), is 1st Corinthians 7:31b as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“For this world in its present form is passing away.”

How easily that which you have slaved for over a period of years can pass away. It can happen as a result of fire, flood, storm, war, economic crisis. Every day something in this world “is passing away.”

Life plods on and on. It seems so slow and so long ~ Year after year, month after month, minute after minute. If you live to be 90 (not uncommon these days), that means nearly 33,000 times you get up in the morning, 100,000 times you eat a meal, some 25,000 times you may leave your house and go to work to earn a living. On and on.

You were put here on earth for a reason: To prepare yourself for the other world. That is our real home. That world will never end for good or for bad. It will never pass away. It’s hard to stay focused on the other world when there are so many things that need to be done to survive in this world.

The other world seems so far away. But you will be there before you know it.

What are you working for day after day? Are you making time to prepare for “That Great Gettin’-Up Morning” when you say goodbye to this world forever? What are your plans for today? How about this week? How often do you worship?

Here is a link to hear singing of “That Great Gettin’-Up Morning” http://bit.ly/2Mxfqf1

THEY MET JESUS: COME FLY WITH ME is the last of 8 novels on the life of Christ. In this last novel, Jesus is alive again and spends 40 days appearing to people. The apostles begin the church, spend nineteen years in Jerusalem, then scatter. It ends with old crippled John’s visit to heaven and view of hell. And Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me…I will give you rest.” To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2ZxCYE4

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY: http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

#eternity, #endofworld, #things, #stuff, #time, #deathdying, #passingaway, #floods, #fires, #storms, #insurance, #heaven, #hell, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Tuesday 7/30 ~ Big plans for you

On July 30, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, Fear, Heaven, Inspirational1 Comment

The scripture for today, July 30 (7/30), is John 7:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“At this, they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.”

Even though during the last two years of his life, many people wanted to kill Jesus out of jealousy or fear or pure meanness, he was never afraid to keep teaching. Why? Because he knew his life was ultimately in the hands of the heavenly Father.

Do we feel fear sometimes because of things going on around us? Do we fear failure, or ruin, or false rumors, or even imprisonment or our life? Remember, each life is in the heavenly Father’s hands.

So do not fear. Keep on keeping on. Hold fast. Stand firm. Do the right thing. Stand up for Jesus. And, when someday, your time does come, know that God has everything under control. He had big plans for Jesus at his death and he has big plans for you. Plans you can only imagine.

JOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER raised Jesus in a violent world. What an assignment God gives him ~ to keep the boy protected all those years of his growing up. Sometimes Joseph cries out in an impossible situation, “God! Help me protect our son!” To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2LYlfC7

LINK to all my BOOKS by CATEGORY : http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

#time, #death, #fear, #confidence, #assurance, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Thursday 7/25 ~ Sunday, Sunday

On July 25, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Death of Jesus Christ, ego, eternity, Heaven, humility, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, July 25 (7/25), is Hebrews 7:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him [Jesus], because he always lives to intercede for them.”

How grateful are you that Jesus interceded or you on the cross and still does? Do you live for yourself ~ never reading God’s word, going on outings, shopping, or sleeping in on Sunday mornings, praying only in emergencies? Have you bought into the mindset that, if you don’t murder, steal big things, and only swear a little bit, God will suddenly let you into his home, heaven, when you die? If you could care less about God in this life, you would be miserable in heaven.

There are even those who do worship on Sunday mornings but forget why Sunday worship is different from worship the other days of the week. According to Acts 20:7, the early Christians met on Sunday to (for the purpose of) break bread (the Lord’s Supper). Jesus said hours before his agony that we had to keep his supper ~ his little ceremony. Instead, do you disobey him and tell yourself it’s okay to spend worship time doing other things that are more interesting and so time-consuming there is no time left for Jesus’ little ceremony?

Remember what happened on Sunday? Jesus broke those unbreakable chains of hell for you on Sunday. He broke the indomitable power of death for you on Sunday. He came back to life forever for you on Sunday. But ballgames and shopping and sleeping in are more important, and showing off how good people can perform or make speeches during worship are more important?

Oh, Jesus, help me bury my selfishness. You gave up so much for me. I have grown so insensitive to it. Help me remember what you sacrificed for me in this little ceremony you set up for me. Please forgive me for not meeting you at the cross every week in Your Supper. You did so much and asked so little. Help me live for you. Help me live with you.

THE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS helps worshippers think of Jesus’ sacrifice for us in 52 different ways. No more having to think of something original to say when presiding over the table. Scripture readings throughout the Bible say what is in your heart, you want to say. This is FREE for you in e-format with over 160 pages. To get your FREE copy, click a book cover or paste this……………..http://bit.ly/2GtLIDP

LINK TO ALL MY BOOKS: http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

#LordsSupper, #HolyCommunion, #Mass, #Easter, #crucifixion, #hell, #heaven, #weekly, #entertainment, #neglect, #selfishness, #Sunday, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Tuesday 7/23 ~ How much do you even care?

On July 23, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, church, Death of Jesus Christ, ego, Heaven, Saved from hell, sin, Thanksgiving, worship1 Comment

The scripture for today, July 23 (7/23), is 1st Corinthians 7:23 in the New Testament of the Bible.

“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”

Who were you bought from? Satan. God told Adam and Eve the day they sinned their soul would die. Satan is the source of death. When we sin, he holds us hostage. I Timothy 2:6 says Jesus paid the ransom to free us from Satan. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

God loved you so much, he put his words in a human body (John 1:1,14). Why? Hebrews 2:14 says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.”

Then God told the world through his Bible that, if you will believe this really happened and follow his will for you, he will consider you perfect through the blood of Jesus and eligible to enter his perfect home ~ heaven.

But it is not automatic. Romans 6 speaks a lot of who we are slaves to and how to break those chains and come under the umbrella of what Jesus did for mankind.

You were bought back from Satan at a great price ~ the blood of Jesus. On Sundays ~ the day he came back to life and overcame that terrible soul and body death for you ~ where are you? Who do you spend your time and attention with? Do you even care?

THE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS is 165 pages and completely FREE as an e-book. Click a book cover or go here to get your FREE copy: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3r3rm0o4v1

LINK TO ALL MY BOOKS: http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

#hell, #heaven, #slavery, #Satan, #crucifixion, #ransom, #death, #soul, #flesh&blood, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Saturday 7/6 ~ It IS possible to know!

On July 6, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, eternity, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, judging, knowledge, Saved from hell, Scripture, teaching, truth2 Comments

The scripture for today, July 6 (7/6), is Mark 7:6f as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

“He [Jesus] replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ ”

It is the trend today to say that all religions ~ even those who teach opposing things ~ are right and all are good. It is the trend today to say all gods are the same God, and we are all going to the same heaven if we’re pretty good. It’s not that simple. Jesus did not say this. Well, then, how do we know which religious things we are taught and do today are from God and which from men?

You are smart. Don’t be lazy. Read the holy books of all major world religions for yourself. Who knows? What you have been told all your life may be wrong. Do the other holy books have built-in proofs they really originated from God? Perhaps scientific, archaeological, ancient inscriptions, prophecies fulfilled? Here is a website with those holy books on it: https://www.sacred-texts.com Here is a website with nearly 400 proofs the Bible is from God:

https://casagrandechurchofchrist.com/bible-proofs/

If you conclude the Bible is true, use a concordance and do a study of everything the Bible says about any topic. That way you will have God’s opinion, not men’s.

Here is a website with an online Bible concordance and it’s easy to use: http://bibletab.com

You can find out for yourself,~ you can KNOW ~ whether what you were told to believe by family, friends, and leaders is what God told you to believe. Your eternity depends on it.

CHRISTIANITY OR ISLAM: THE CONTRAST quotes from both the Qur’an and New Testament of the Bible on the same subjects without comment. It can be given in a Muslim without offending them. Things they have been told about Christianity which is not true are explained. It ends with statements of over 100 Muslims I have studied with who decided Jesus really was the Son of God and not just a prophet. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2NyJHMH

#Islam, #Buddhism, #Hinduism, #Atheism, #Christianity, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Wednesday 7/3 ~ Gear up and take that leap

On July 3, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, ego, faith, family, Heaven, knowledge, persecution, sacrifice, Saved from hell, Scripture, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, July 3 (7/3), is Acts 7:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

” ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ “

This is part of a speech by Christian Stephen soon after the church began. He was reminding the Jewish leaders how God told their ancestor Abraham to leave his religion, home and family, and move to where God had something special for him ~ to begin the Jewish nation and a new religion.

But when Stephen got to the part where now God wanted his audience to leave the Jewish religion and move on to a still better one ~ the Christian religion ~ they were outraged. They were not like Abraham; they did not want to change. So, not liking the message, they killed the messenger. These religious leaders stoned Stephen to death.

Have you learned “new” things in the Bible that your religion is against? It is hard to change. You could lose your friends and family like Abraham did; you could even lose your home as Abraham did. It takes a great big “leap of faith” to follow that “new” truth you have discovered in the Bible. But when God does the recommending, you can know he has something special in mind for you. So, gear up and take that leap!

PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE did everything possible to not change from Judaism to Christianity. He hauled people to prison and even killed them if they refused to stop talking about changing. It was only when he changed sides that he saw what he had been missing out on. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/328ta59

#Bible, #scriptures, #truth, #ego, #blindness, #religion,#inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Monday 7/1 ~ Take the time

On July 1, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, eternity, forgiveness, Heaven, sacrifice, Satan, Saved from hell, sinLeave a comment

The scripture for today, July 1 (7/1), is Leviticus 7:1f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

“These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy. The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides.”

Romans 3:23 says the wages of sin is death. The earnings are paid by Satan, the author of death. God told everyone to appease Satan by killing substitute perfect animals during the Old Testament era. The earnings for your sins were collected by these perfect animals over and over in the Old Testament. But one day Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and with his one sacrifice made it so that no more bloody deaths of substitute animals were necessary (Hebrews 8-9).

In a sense, Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, laid down on the altar of the world where his blood flowed from all sides of the cross to all sides of the earth. Why would anyone want to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and nullify that horror Jesus went through in our place?

Jesus collected your wages from Satan for your sins to save you from facing both body and soul death. You can never, ever thank him enough. But, instead of temple ceremonies, he asked you to commemorate his death with the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Communion each week. Do you? On Sundays, the day he came back to life, do you care? Take time to remember his death. He took time to die in your place.

THEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH dramatically describes Jesus’ illegal all-night trial, with two chapters of him hanging on the cross, and his surprise return to earth alive again. Read it and you will never be the same. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2LO8yGO

#sacrifices, #death, #hell, #heaven, #substitute, #wages, #salary, #earnings, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Wednesday 6/26 ~ I can tell you love me

On June 26, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, healing, Heaven, Inspirational, joy, love, praise, prayer, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 26 (6/26), is 1st Chronicles 6:26ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

“Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son and SAMUEL his son. The sons of Samuel: JOEL the firstborn and Abijah the second son.”

This is a little long, but I think you will enjoy it.

The prophet Samuel came from a musical family who descended from Levi’s son Kohath. Samuel’s son listed in this scripture was Joel. Verse 33 called the son of Joel and grandson of Samuel “Heman the musician”. Just what did Heman the musician do?

David told the Levites to appoint “singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals“. Heman was the first one they appointed (I Chronicles 15:16f) and he had two assistants ~ Asaph and Merari (I Chronicles. 6:39, 44). David put them in charge of the music in the house of the Lord and they performed their duties according to the regulations (verses 31f).

So what David appointed was a choir and orchestra. When David first appointed them, Heman had 120 relatives in his clan, and his assistants had 220 and 130 in their clans (I Chronicles. 15:5-7; 19-22; 27-28) so they had a total of 470 musicians. Wow! And these musicians had a full-time job!

They were to minister before the Lord “according to each day’s requirements” of sacrifices as written in the Law of Moses. Heman and the others were responsible for sounding the trumpets and cymbals and playing the other instruments ~ lyres, harps and cymbals (15:19-21) ~ for sacred song (16:37-42). In addition to playing the prescribed lyres, harps and cymbals, trumpets were to be sounded to announce sacrifices, etc. (16:4-6).

By the time David was old, there were “four thousand…to praise the Lord with the musical instruments” (I Chronicles 23:5)! What an amazing choir and orchestra they had by this time! Remember, they were all male Levites, and were to help Aaron’s descendants, the priests, in the temple every day and at special feasts (verse 28, 30f). And what instruments were they still playing? Cymbals, lyres and harps “for the ministry at the house of God” (I Chronicles. 25:1 & 6).

Years later after David died and his son Solomon had completed the grand Temple in Jerusalem (II Chronicles. 5:1), “all the Levites who were musicians…stood on the east side of the altar dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined in unison as with one voice to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and the other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord” (verses 12-13).

Can you imagine such an orchestra and choir? The tinkling of the harps and lyres, with cymbals keeping the tempo, and trumpets calling attention to it all? And all those singers! Was God pleased? Indeed he was, for in the form of a cloud “the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God” (verse 14).

All this occurred around 1000 BC. Three centuries later when Hezekiah was king, the same instruments were being played ~ cymbals, harps and lyres (II Chronicles. 29:25f). Why? Because they were prescribed by David, Gad the seer and Nathan the prophet as commanded by God through his prophets. (Acts 2:29-30 says David was a prophet too.)

So we see that during Old Testament times, God commanded that they have full-time musicians to sing and play during daily sacrifices and special feasts and they had to be male Levites and they had to play cymbals, harps and lyres, sometimes accompanied by trumpets.

What a family Samuel had! And I’ll bet he was musical himself. How proud he would have been of his descendants.

Interestingly, although God specified every detail of the instruments that had to be played in the Old Testament, nothing like that was specified in the New Testament. Did God forget? Perhaps God took us to a higher plain in the New Testament era. We do know that in I Corinthians 14:15, we are told to both pray and sing with mind and spirit.

And in Ephesians 5:19 we are told to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” The term “make music” in the original Greek language of the New Testament is to play on strings. Since we are to make music in our hearts, then it looks like we are to play on the instrument of our heart. How beautiful!

About 40 years ago when my father died, the funeral was in a little country church. The music consisted of a small group from the congregation who sang hymns without the accompaniment of an instrument. They were not good performers ~ they twanged a lot and sometimes were a bit off key. But it was some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Why? Because their singing was accompanied by their heart. They were telling my family, “We love you,” and I really felt that they did.

God looks down at our singing ~ no matter how good or feeble ~ and says, “I can tell you love me.” And that’s all that matters.

THE OLD OLD STORY SET TO OLD OLD TUNES is a fun songbook for children. Lyrics for 40 songs from the Old Testament and 40 for the New Testament. Paperback just $8. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2IOVMsE

#singing, #music, #songs, #hymns, #spiritualsongs, #harmony, #melody, #heart, cymbols, #harps, #lyres, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Tuesday 6/18 ~ Incredible, amazing, mind-boggling

On June 18, 2019 By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, faith, healing, Heaven, Inspirational, love, prayer, worshipLeave a comment

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

“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 you 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. Try to be grateful that you cannot see and touch him for now. He is always available to you, regardless of where you 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. How he can love each one of us as though we were the only person alive is miraculous and incredible.

Book 3 in TOUCHING GOD SERIES: 365 SILVER-WINGED PRAYERS: YOUR SPIRIT TO GOD’S. Book 1 is inspirational thoughts and Book 2 is wise sayings. To buy now, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2IDpgbF

#emptiness, #hope, #sadness, #loss, #prayer, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: