Monday 12/9 ~ God is so proud of you!

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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Sunday 12/8 ~ The meaning of life

The scripture for today, December 8 (12/8), is Ecclesiastes 12:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail” ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’ “

About thirty-five years ago some Christians in England did a sidewalk survey in the downtown of a major city. One of their inquiries was: “What question about your life do you ask the most?”. The answer almost always was, “Why am I here? What is life all about?”.

The entire book of Ecclesiastes is about all the things that the richest and most powerful man in the world did in order to have an enjoyable and fulfilling life: He built palaces and grand temples, he cultivated great gardens, he imported tons of gold and precious stones and fabrics from around the globe, he had numerous wives and mistresses, he built the largest army and navy in the world, he studied every possible subject. At the end, he said it was all meaningless.

The meaning of your life is that you were born to die and walk through a gate. This life is temporary. It is your proving ground. This life is the foyer of the life you will have eternally ~ a life in heaven or hell. You were not put here just to have fun, but rather to live in the very presence of your Maker and take many people as possible with you to the home of God, your Maker, the Lover of your soul. That is the meaning of life.

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Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS contains daily excerpts from Proverbs plus one passage from Job, Psalm, Ecclesiastes, or Song of Solomon.  This is one of three books in the devotional TOUCHING GOD SERIES. Original artwork on the covers and poetic font inside.  A beautiful gift book for Christmas and all through the year.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://amzn.to/2rvxON8

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My Christmas Video

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4 Christmas Books ~ 1/2 price paper, 99c ebooks

CHRISTMAS Books-FBThey Rocked the Cradle that Rocked the World

Michael: The Fourth Wise Man

Joseph: The Other Father

Star Song (child’s)

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Saturday 12/7 ~ We are never alone

The scripture for today, December 7 (12/7), is Luke 12:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-HS-592 VersesExamined-COVER-Thumbnail“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Jesus had just said that God knows every sparrow individually. Amazing! This God of ours, this Creator of ours, this soul-lover of ours knows everything that is going on in his world, and knows everyone in his world, regardless of where we are in the world.

There are some two trillion galaxies out there. Within each galaxy, there are one hundred thousand stars. And God is larger than all of it.  He permeates his world ~ small and great.

Not only does He know everyone, but He knows our name, our likes, our dislikes, our struggles, our joys, if we bump into a door, how much we paid for groceries this week ~ everything. He is with us where ever we go. There is no place we can go that he is not there.

We are never alone.

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0-HS-592 VersesExamined-COVER-ThumbnailTHE HOLY SPIRIT: 592 VERSES EXAMINED.  Are all the things we’ve heard about God’s Spirit really true? This book covers every verse in the Bible. If it’s not there, it’s not true. The manifestations of God’s Spirit is broken down among the verses into topics. The Holy Spirit is not complicated. People have made it so.  Great for Bible classes or personal reading.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2rsi3Xt

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Friday 12/6 ~ God’s pride and joy

The scripture for today, December 6 (12/6), is 1st Corinthians 12:6 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-ThumbnailThis is Paul talking about spiritual gifts and jealousy.  Later in this chapter, Paul explains, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (12:21f). He further explains, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body….” (12:13).

For ambitious people in the church who “fight” for position, this is hard to take. Standing in front with a microphone are the most sought-after positions in the church.  Such positions have the potential of making you famous.

Sorry, folks. Not to God. To God you are dispensable. The church could easily survive without you. God could easily get along without you. So, get control of your ego. Huh?

Do you really and truly believe this? Those who do the seemingly menial works (the “weaker”) are indispensable to God ~ you who take food to the bereaved, who read the Bible to the sick, who clean the bathrooms, who daily pray for members and the lost, who give a tract to a friend, who share a bulletin with a neighbor, who send a thinking-of-you card to a lonely person, who mow the church building lawn, who pray with someone who has just told you of a problem, who watch the nursery, who periodically quote a Bible verse to a friend in distress ~ such works that are in the background ~ the ones that don’t make it into the “schedule of worship,” the bulletin, the newspaper, the church periodicals, the billboards are the ones who are indispensable.

To you who are jealous of people who get to have a more public position in the church and stand in front of the congregation and” lead” don’t be. Take heart. God is working more in you than them. Further, public approval by people is their reward. Your reward is from God himself.

You may seem weaker to the others, but to God you are strong. You are mighty. You are God’s pride and joy.

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00-1st Century Worship KINDLE-COVER-ThumbnailWANDERING SOUL,  ENTITLED HEART, & THE SIDETRACKED CHURCH: WORSHIP THE 1ST-CENTURY WAY covers every phase of our worship.  Each chapter begins with quotes from famous theologians like Luther, Calvin, Wesley, etc. and ends with quotes of 2nd-century Christians. In between the readers is taken one step at a time from what the common pattern is and gently leads to a better way, the first-century way.  Written for denominational leaders. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/36f2vVR

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Wednesday 12/4 ~ Even angels will notice

The scripture for today, December 4 (12/4), is Isaiah 12:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCover“In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.’ “

Do you make known to your part of your nation what God has done for you? When a friend tells you of a difficulty, do you share what you went through that was similar, and that God helped get you through it? Are you ready with an easy-to-remember scripture to prove God cares and God helps? When someone is sick or bereaved, do you let them know that God hurts just as much when they suffer as when he watched his own Son suffer on the cross?

You may live in a country where most people are living immoral and unethical lives. You may live in a country where Christianity is illegal. You can still call on Jesus privately to help a friend in distress.  Do not under-estimate the power of word-of-mouth.  He can build great things out of ashes.

Look back over your life. Make a list of some difficult times you and God made it through. Find an applicable verse and memorize it. Find out what is going on in the lives of your friends, co-workers, neighbors. Then be ready to share your story and what God has done for you. It’s up to each one of us to do this. Thereby God’s name can be exalted throughout the world. Even angels will notice.

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03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCoverBIBLE KIDS: NAAMAN’S MAID was taken as a slave to far-away Syria.  She was sad. But when her master came down with a terrible disease, she told him who could heal him back in his country.  A great Christmas book. Grandparents love to have books on hand for when their grandchildren visit. Great for bedtime storytime, homeschoolers, church libraries. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/33Q2Mww

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Tuesday 12/3 ~ I just got out there and did it

The scripture for today, December 3 (12/3), is Romans 12:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Applied Christianity“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

The context of this verse is members of a congregation getting along with each other. He explains that each person is given certain gifts such as serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing and so on (12:6-8).

Within congregations, disagreements can come about because one person has an idea about a good work, and someone else has a different idea about it, and still, someone else says some other good work should be done. All sincerely believe their way is the best form of outreach, and each wants a committee to be formed to carry it out. Then egos tend to get involved.

Perhaps the best way to judge whether you are thinking of yourself more highly than you ought, is to ask yourself this:  If I moved away or if I died, would this congregation survive without me? Of course, it would.  Keep praying, Lord, help me see myself as others do.

It does not matter if you can get a committee formed to help you.  If your heart is set on a certain good work, you can always do it alone. You do not need a committee.  If your heart is truly set, stop waiting for others whose hearts may be on something else. If your heart is truly set, get out and do it.

Perhaps others will see your results and want to join you later. Perhaps not. Just keep following your heart. Be true to your heart. Be true to the souls that will be helped because you got out there and just did it.

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Applied Christianity

APPLIED CHRISTIANITY: A HANDBOOK OF 500 GOOD WORKS is great for church libraries or a new Christian, teenagers. Even ladies’ Bible classes are using it for their class book.  Full of every kind of good work suggestions including how-to’s for every age and every physical condition. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2YbbrIY

 

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Introducing new First-Christmas book

Front Cover-Medium

  • ebook 99c
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  • To BUY NOW, click the book cover above

Come meet the people who met baby Jesus. You are one of them. Go ahead and struggle with who he was.. Laugh. Cry. Do mental battle. Emotional battle too. Fight for your faith as they fought. Pause to listen for what you’ve never heard before. Then touch Jesus.

This is the story of faith in the impossible. Hope in the inconceivable. Love for the invincible. It is the dreams of youth, the desperations of infirmity, the hopes of age, and the song of eternity. Follow the suspense as each person in Jesus’ life comes to terms with who Jesus is. Both God and man? Both Creator and created? Both King and servant?

It is the story of doubts explained away, animosities melted away, misunder-standings cleared away. It is your story and mine. For deep within each of us is everyone who ever met the baby Jesus and rocked the cradle that rocked the world.

Are you teenaged Mary or barren old Elizabeth? Are you Joseph who struggled with Mary’s claim to have seen an angel? Are you the shepherds who were too smelly and looked down on by the good people? Are you Anna who prayed for the Messiah to come for 75 years or her friend, Simeon, who was as stubborn as she? Perhaps you are the wise men back in Parthia who searched the world for the meaning of the strange star. Or ~ heaven help you ~ you are the mad king who hated even the baby.

Which one are you? And who was that baby born so long ago to an obscure young couple? They who dared tell God, “We believe” then changed the world forever.

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Sunday 12/1 ~ Treasures in the heart of God

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

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New“Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you to decide. Now let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil men so happy? You plant them. They take root and their business grows. Their profits multiply, and they are rich. They say, ‘Thank God!’ But in their hearts, they give no credit to you. But as for me ~ Lord, you know my heart ~ you know how much it longs for you. And I am poor, O Lord!”

Now compare this with Job 15:20-24:

“All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless through all the years stored up for him. Terrifying sounds fill his ears….He despairs of escaping the darkness; he is marked for the sword. He wanders about ~ food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. Distress and anguish fill him with terror.”

These two passages contradict each other. So what is the problem? The words spoken in Job were by Eliphaz, one of Job’s well-meaning friends who took it upon himself to help Job figure out why he had lost all his wealth, all his children, and all his health. Was Eliphaz right?

At the end of the book of Job, is this: “The Lord…said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends because you have not spoken of me what is right.” Then God ordered Eliphaz and his friends to sacrifice seven bulls and rams (not small sacrifices), then ask Job to pray for them so God “will not deal with you according to your folly.”

When we read scripture, let us be careful to investigate its context and ALL other scriptures on the same subject. Only then can we have the whole picture. Only then can we avoid religious folly.  And truly know the heart of God.

(And, by the way, always remember, this earth is not your home. You’re just passing through. Treasures beyond comprehension are being laid up for you right now in your permanent home ~ heaven.)

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0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-NewCOME FLY WITH ME is novel 8 in THEY MET JESUS  series.  Persecution of Jesus ended in his death, but it was his greatest triumph. Persecution continued with his twelve and would the rest of their lives. But, the reward at the end of the race.  Oh, the reward. Heaven in all its splendor and being with Jesus once again. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2OZFOxK

 

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