Wednesday 5/8 ~ Keep on walking and walking and walking until…

The scripture for today, May 8 (5/8), is Psalm 5:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies ~ make straight your way before me.”

An enemy would like nothing more than to get into a good fight with someone. Do not let that happen. You have better things to do than argue with people.

Set your eyes, not on your enemy, but on the Lord. The path of enemies will take you on all sorts of side trips that lead to dead ends. The path of God rises up before you ~ straight and direct. Never let your attention stray from that path.

Keep on walking on the path of God.

And keep on walking,

and keep walking,

and walking, and walking…

….until, at last, you walk right through the gates of heaven.

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Sunday 4/28 ~ God is still on his throne and all is well

The scripture for today, April 28 (4/28), is Mark 4:28 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“All by itself, the soil produces grain ~ first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”

Jesus was explaining that the kingdom of heaven is like a seed planted in the ground. It grows almost miraculously. The church is, indeed, like this. Planted some 2000 years ago, it has survived through every adversity and attack contrived by man. Sometimes the attacks were even from within. But at such times, just when it looked as though it was going to die, just like a seed dying in the earth, it would begin to sprout anew and grow up stronger than ever.

A little seed turning into a stalk is miraculous and amazing. The survival of the church for 2000 years in a hostile world is even more miraculous and amazing.

God is still on his throne, and all is well.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redYOU CAN BE A HERO ALONE is full of Bible SURVIVaL STORIES FOR THE COURAGEOUS ISOLATED CHRISTIAN ~ whether in a foreign country, prison, a nursing home, a wild university, a shut-in.  You can purchase it as a book, or I will send it to you as a PDF so you can share it with isolated Christians in countries where Christianity is illegal and dangerous.  It is always priced at 99c or $10 for paper.  TO BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2FMUJ9O

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Friday 4/26 ~ Just imagine when…

The scripture for today, April 26 (4/26), is Galatians 4:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAIL“But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.”

There is more confusion over the “new Jerusalem” than you might think.  Well, let’s ask God.

What is “the Jerusalem that is above”? Revelation 21:2 says, “I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

Aha! We learn two things.  The New Jerusalem already exists.  And the New Jerusalem is sometimes called our mother and sometimes the Bride of Christ!

 So, what is the Bride of Christ? Ephesians 5:25,27 says, “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy…and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”  How exciting! The New Jerusalem which is the Bride of Christ is the Church – all of us.

What else can we learn about the New Jerusalem?  Well, the foundation of the New Jerusalem is the apostles. Revelation says it and Ephesians 2:20 says it.

Hmmm.  This is getting more interesting all the time.  Okay, let’s look at the 12 gates leading into the church. They are the 12 tribes of Israel, Judaism where all the prophecies of Jesus are found. 

Always check out the symbolism in the Bible. It deepens your spiritual understanding. Like the Walls of Salvation around the New Jerusalem insurmountably high (Isaiah 26:1 & 60:18). The River of Life and Tree of Life are there in the New Jerusalem.  Just imagine on the final day when the church arrives in heaven and we are all arrayed in sinless white and are rushing into the arms of our groom, our Jesus.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redLOVE LETTERS OF HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA (based on the Song of Solomon) will lift you high as you read of the deep, loving and protective relationship Jesus, our groom, has with us. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2GF9H25

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Thursday 4/25 ~ Is that what you really want?

The scripture for today, April 25 (4/25), is Proverbs 4:25 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 5-FloodGates-Cover-Thumbnail-New“Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

There are a lot of interesting and fun distractions in life, so we have to remind ourselves over and over what is most important to us. We have only so much time in a day and in a lifetime. We can run back and forth from one sideroad to another; one fun thing to another, one power thing to another, one great–looking thing to another.

Before we know it, we have been on that side road a long time. Too long actually.  We can barely see the main road we were on before. And God? He is now so far away. How can that be?  We were always told God would always be there for us.

But God pretty much treats us the way we treat him. If we don’t like being around him, he doesn’t much like being around us. If we don’t like listening to his word (the Bible), he doesn’t much like listening to our word (prayer). If we don’t like to spend special time with him, he doesn’t much like to spend special time with us. God gives us the same courtesy we give him. God will not force himself on us, for he is a Gentleman.

So what do you have in your sights to do today? Next year? The rest of your life? What road are you on? Where is it leading you in the long run? Is that what you really want?

 

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHEY MET JESUS:  FLOOD GATES. People tried to distract him, discourage him, falsely accuse him, flatter him, lie to him, laugh at him. Nothing worked. Onward he went until the last year of his life when he opened the flood gates. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2GBZkMt

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Thursday 4/18 ~ What is unseen is most real

The scripture for today, April 18 (4/18), is 2nd Corinthians 4:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnail“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

In a sense, what is unseen is the true reality. We cannot see love, but we see its influence, and it is stronger than anything in the world that we can see. We cannot see God, but we can see his influence, and he is more real than anything in the world that we can see.

Sometimes we all say we wish we could see God and touch God. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t be God, for he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He would only be able to hear the prayer of one person at a time, and only able to answer the prayer of one person at a time. By being unseen by human eyes, God can be everywhere.

It’s a hidden blessing!  Every one of us among the billions of people on earth can feel we are God’s special ones. Every one of us can feel his presence, his soul, his love.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redWriting WAS JESUS GOD? (WHY EVIL?) impacted me more than anything else I have ever written. The urgency of God materialized spilling his blood so Satan couldn’t punish me touched me indescribably. Today, heaven is more real to me than ever it was. How I long to be there right now. But God still has work for me to do. When that work is done, I will leave all of you behind. But I’ll be waiting for you to catch up with me so we can be together forever.  Katheryn.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2ULeFUS

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Wednesday 4/17 ~ How deep are your roots?

The scripture for today, April 17 (4/17), is Mark 4:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away.”

We may be mentally prepared for persecution out in the world. But what about persecution among our friends who we attend worship with all the time? They can turn on us too.

Perhaps you have discovered a “new” truth and are trying to get members of your congregation to believe it. If members get the feeling you are trying to prove them wrong and make them look bad, they will turn on you, much like people do a “whistleblower” in the business world.

On whose side will you stand? Your friends’ so you can continue to be friends with them, or God’s? It’s easy to let things slide and pretend that “new” truth no longer exists so you can keep your friends. How deep are your roots? Who shall you worship? Your friends or your God? What is more important? Your comfort in this life or your eternity?

Image result for "Buy the book" button redSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR starts out as a teenage coward who runs from every confrontation and hides his beliefs.  Through tragedies, he gradually matures until one day he is confronted with the leaders of his old religion who demand, follow our creeds or die. So, he died. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2GnzJqq

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Monday 4/15 ~ Could you die for it?

The scripture for today, April 15 (4/15), is 1st John 4:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

The New Testament was written by people who walked and talked with Jesus. They saw his miracles, they heard his amazing words. They were eye witnesses.

Several first- and second-century manuscripts still exist that were passed down from some who actually knew the eye witnesses. A few were even written during the late lifetime of the last living apostle, John. The Bible has more existing ancient manuscripts (over 5000) than any historical writing in the world.

Read the New Testament. It was written by inspired men with a passion that would not let them stop talking about this Jesus. He consumed their life when he was on earth, and consumed their spirit after he left.

Through the centuries, men and women have given their lives so that you today may have the writings (New Testament) of those eye witnesses in our own language and read it for yourself. Many were ridiculed and tortured terribly and then died a long excruciating death so that the apostles’ testimony could live on.

Do not take for granted your New Testament ~  the words of Jesus’ eye witnesses. Jesus lived and died for you. Those witnesses, in a sense, also lived and died for you. Read what they testified to. Then, live, and if necessary, die for it.

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Monday 4/1 ~ Rise Up!

The scripture for today, April 1 (4/1), is Ephesians 4:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Paul, imprisoned for spreading the word about Jesus? Now he wants others to follow his example, even if they end up in prison like him? 

Did Paul’s incarceration stop the Christians he was writing to from spreading the word?  More, did Jesus’ crucifixion stop them for fear they would be crucified too? Did early Christians decide it was too dangerous to tell people the way to escape hell and go to heaven? Never.

They loved people’s souls so much, they were willing to take insults, persecution, imprisonment and even death in the hopes their persistent love would eventually lead to people becoming Christians and being saved from eternal hell. They knew their “calling” as Christians.

How about today? Do you live a life worthy of your calling as a Christian? Do you stand up for Jesus and reach out to the lost, regardless of how they treat you? Or do you cower and use the excuse, “Once people see my godly life, they will ask me how to be saved”?  How many times do the lost really do that?

Rise up!  Stand tall as a brave soldier of the Lord. Dare to march into enemy territory and do everything you can to snatch the lost out of the claws of Satan.

No matter what they do to you.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redPAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE told people how to be saved from hell, knowing their leaders would try to kill him. Each time he was beaten and lashed, he would cry out, “Jesus! This is for you!”  To BUY this novel now, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2FG8tmL

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Sunday 3/10 ~ A part of you

The scripture for today, March 10 (3/10), is Colossians 3:10 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail“And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

Did you ever make something with your hands and it was your pride and joy?  Were you so proud of it that you would stop at nothing to take care of it and make sure it lasted forever? Yes, you had a few rules about its care. You had a few rules about who could touch it and who couldn’t. You had a few rules about whether it should be kept at high or low temperature and should or shouldn’t be exposed to water. You were its creator and it was, in a sense, a part of you.

Do you resist knowing the Bible because you think of it as being full of rules from a God who doesn’t really like you and is just giving you a hard time so you can’t have any fun?

Think again. He made you. You are his pride and joy. He will stop at nothing to make sure you will last forever. He made a few rules for your daily maintenance.

He is your Creator. He loved you enough to make you, and you are a part of him. Now he wants to take care of you so you can last forever. Can you love him back ~ your Maker and the Lover of your soul?

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Friday, 3/8 ~ With no regrets?

The scripture for today, March 8 (3/8), is Philippians 3:8 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ.”

Wow! Paul, who wrote this, apparently came from a well-to-do family since he was born in today’s Turkey but went to school in Jerusalem. He also apparently held a position in the Jewish ruling body, the Sanhedrin, since he could vote on whether to execute someone. So, he probably owned a lot of things and had an honored position.

But now, he considered everything he had previously owned and every position he had ever held as rubbish ~ garbage ~ compared with belonging to his Lord.  The King James Version of the Bible says he considered it all as dung ~ manure.

Where are your priorities? What do you spend most of your time on? The stuff you just have to own, exciting things you just have to do, the power you just have to claim? All to enhance the little inch of your life on earth?

What if a storm destroyed your house, your car, and all your stuff tomorrow?  What if you were banned from a sport you love tomorrow? What if a rumor destroyed your career with all its power tomorrow?  Then what?

Do you think you would consider suicide as so many of the wealthy did during the Great Depression?  Or could you consider the deep and unconquerable love of Christ Jesus your Lord the most valuable thing in your life?  Could you accept your loss, take advantage of it, and unleash a different kind of life for Jesus with no regrets? 

Related imagePAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE was obsessed with Jesus and obsessed with telling as many people as possible how to not go to hell.  He gave up everything and walked thousands of miles, endured beatings of priests who were afraid he was going to destroy their religion, went without food, was in shipwrecks, and on and on, always crying out,  “Jesus! This is for you!” To READ NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2Tv5mav

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