Category: Inspirational

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

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, 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. The patron god was selected by the king. 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. And sometimes they did just that.

Eventually, the idea of separating religion from the state government became popular. 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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The scripture for today, December 26, is John 12:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Questions You Have Asked2-Cover-Kindle“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

Who or what are we servants to or even slaves to? Power in a work place, club, congregation, neighborhood? Prestige in a community, an occupation, an organization? Self-indulgence of money, music, entertainment?

While we are pursuing things in life, is Jesus there with us? Are we doing what he would do? Let us be servants only to the power of Jesus’ love, prestige only in the eyes of God, self-indulgence only in the joy of worshiping Him. In this only is there true and enduring honor.

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The scripture for today, December 24, is Luke 12:24 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK EIGHT-COME FLY WITH ME-Cover“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”

In many nations right now, things are financially strained. Luxuries? No. To be able to live until tomorrow? Yes.

Which is more valuable? To impress men or impress God? A life dedicated to things impresses men. A life dedicated to doing good things impresses God.

Oh, Jesus. You had such a way of explaining the Father’s relationship God wants with us, his creation. He loves us so. Such love. Such undying, everlasting love.

PS ~ Those of you with children, and you cannot get them much for Christmas:. Write IOU’s to them and put each one in a box. Wrap each with typing paper if you don’t have Christmas paper. And with a red or green crayon, draw a ribbon on top. What’s on the IOU’s? “One hour of coloring with you.” “One hour of playing ball with you.” “Three hours of hiking with you.” “Two hours of baking cookies with you.” Give yourself for Christmas!

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The scripture for today, December 23, is 1st Samuel 12:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-Thumbnail“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

It’s a sin not to pray for others!

Do your prayers get bogged down in the mire of me’s? Do you wonder why you can’t pray for more than a couple minutes ~ five on a good day? Satan gets you to do this; he is the enemy of prayer because he knows how powerful it is.

Who is on your prayer list? Pray for people by name. Your neighbors. People you work with. Your government officials ~ both good and bad. People in a nursing home. People in your congregation. People in the military. People being persecuted, imprisoned and even killed because they are Christians. Missionaries. Children in an orphan home. Sales people at the store. Local school teachers.

Pray for 15 minutes a day. Half an hour. An hour. It’s oh so easy when we stop praying only for self and pray for others.

Pray for them by name. And tell them that you do. Some people have never been told, “I am praying for you”.

Let us not sin by praying only for “me”.

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

0-BOOK EIGHT-COME FLY WITH ME-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.”

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The scripture for today, December 21, is Matthew 12:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 2-DREAM MAKER-COVER“In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Revelation 21:2, 9, & 26 says something similar regarding the New Jerusalem which is the Bride of Christ which is the Church: “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.”

The nation you live in may not be in good hands right now, or it may be thriving with high morals, or it may be diving into poverty.

But your nation can hope ~ hope in Jesus. Never lose hope. You are just one person, but there is great power in one. Jesus came to provide that hope. In your own way, in your own life, use your power of one. Show your nation how it can hope, how it can have glory, how it can have honor.

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

HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLD“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 us the new Law of Jesus Christ instead. Under the Law of Moses, they often had to take revenge themselves. They had to stone adulterers and children who were disrespectful to their parents. If someone killed a relative, they were obligated to go out and kill that person. If someone knocked the eye or tooth out of a relative, they were obligated to go out and take that person’s eye or tooth.

Now God says forgive and do good to your enemy (verse 20-21). That’s what God did to us ~ we who once were his enemies as sinners. As we are merciful to others, he is merciful to us.

Forgiveness is not condoning evil, but wishing the best for whoever did something bad to you. 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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0-BOOK 5-FLOOD GATES-Cover-PrintThe scripture for today, December 18, is Hebrews 12:18ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“You have not come to a mountain [Sinai] that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storms; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ “

“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a NEW COVENANT….”

The first paragraph refers to the mountain on which Moses received what was called the Law of Moses ~ not just 10 commandments, but over 600 ~ over a 40-day period. The second paragraph refers to a different mountain where the Temple was later built in Jerusalem.

Then it shows that Jesus took it beyond the physical so that the Christian Jerusalem has come out of heaven where angels and the living God dwell (Revelation 21).

Why would anyone want to dip into the old Law of Moses to get justification to do showy things in worship? And why would anyone want to rebuild the old Temple in Jerusalem when the new Jerusalem is in heaven? Let us not think of what pleases us, but what pleases God.

Scripture for Thursday, December 17 (12/17)

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The scripture for today, December 17, is Revelation 12:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 3-HEARTS AFIRE-COVER“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring ~ those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

Verse 9 says the dragon is also the serpent which is also Satan.

There are some people who seem to be enraged all the time. We may never be able to change that person. But we can direct their anger. If they want to be enraged at someone, let them be angry at Satan. Let them go to war with Satan. Let them rage at everything he is doing. Let them lash out at everything he stands for.

So think about the people you know who are extremely angry at the church or at God. Tell them that Christians must be spiritual warriors and they could become a Christian soldier of the Lord.

Some people just cannot get rid of anger in their life. They may mellow in their old age, but that mellowness is a long way off. Show them how much Satan is enraged at them and how much God loves them. Show them how to get on God’s side, enroll in the army of the Lord, and use their anger against Satan.

Does it work? Paul said in 1st Timothy 1:13, “I was a violent man.” Yet, he converted people all over southern Europe, as he “fought the good fight”.

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The scripture for today, December 15, is Hebrews 12:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

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

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

The opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean we condone what someone else has done. It means we let go of it and let God handle it. It means we wish the best for the offending person or situation. We can wish even the most hardened criminal will some turn to God and turn his life around. God forgives us as we forgive others.

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