Tuesday 10/8 ~ Why would a good God…

The scripture for today, October 7 (10/7), is Joshua 10:7f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

07-Samson-KindleMedium“So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.’ “

We today cannot imagine a good God condoning violence, let alone promoting it. But think back. Mankind was quite barbaric in the centuries and millenniums before Christ. For example, when Alexander the Great got offended at what a friend said to him, he cut off his nose and ears and put him in a cage the rest of his life.

God never runs very far ahead of mankind, or else mankind would not understand and would not even try to follow God. By the time Jesus came, God was saying, “No more violence.”

In this scripture for today, God was telling Joshua to attack people in the Promised Land ~ Canaan. This brings up another question: Why would a good God allow one group of people to kill off another group of people? God told Abraham centuries earlier, “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16). By this time they were sacrificing children to their gods.

In Leviticus 18:24, 28, God warned the Jews through Moses, “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled….And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.” So God warned the Jews that, if they got as bad as the previous people in Canaan, he would drive them out too. (Eventually they did, so God did.)

Further, in Old Testament times, God often punished people immediately. Why punish them? Partly to get them away from the good people. And God used armies of believers to do the punishing for him.

Today God does not expect us to do the punishing. Romans 12:19 says, “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. On the contrary, If your enemy is hungry feed him….Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Thank God, he has taken the terrible task of vengeance away from us. We can just forgive our enemies and hand things over to God to take whatever steps need to be taken. In the meantime, we can read the Old Testament and learn that God takes notice when people are doing bad things to us. God does take care of us. God does love his children.

Tuesday 10/8 ~ My prayer

The scripture for today, October 6 (10/6), is Jeremiah 10:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“No one is like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.”

You are the glorious God of the universe and beyond. You are also the God of the minute and dwell in such small specs, no one can even imagine you are there. Mostly you are the God of my heart. I adore you. You forgive me for the same things over and over. How can you? Because you are Love and to be less would be beyond your very nature. I am so small and unworthy, but you see me anyway. You even think about me all the time. I am never out of your thoughts. The magnitude of your heart transcends worlds and all that exists.

Thank you, God, for pouring your heart out to the world in your Bible. Now we can know you and have no doubts. How many in this world are willing to pour out their heart to others as you did?

I praise and adore you, God of all heaven and earth. God of existence. You are greater than death, for you are the life giver. You will be there when I die, welcoming me into a realm of joy and beauty and peace that I cannot even begin to imagine. Life here is like living in a cave compared with heaven. How I long to be in your world and before your throne.  I think when I get there, I shall try to sing to you louder than anyone else. Would that be a sin, Lord?

What a mighty God you are. You speak and your words roar and echo through the universe. You sing and your song echoes from star to star. You whisper and the wind swirls and makes the clouds bump lazily into each other. You sigh and I feel your Spirit within my soul.  Mighty and tender and a wonder to behold. (Excerpt 365 Silver-Winged Prayers Your Spirit to God’s.)

From a scientist friend

Image result for einstein

FROM A SCIENTIST FRIEND (Bob Towell):

As I have said several times, the idea that most scientists are atheists is simply not true. During 43 years as a nuclear engineer, many if not most of his colleagues were believers. Here is an example from a name familiar to all of us:

During an interview in 1929, Albert Einstein was asked if he believed in God. This is his response:

“I’m not an atheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written the books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they were written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws.”

When asked if he accepted the historical existence of Jesus, he replied:

“Unquestionably. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”

– Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955), German born theoretical physicist who developed the Theory of Relativity.

Wednesday 10/2 ~ Strength to angels?

The scripture for today, October 2 (10/2), is Daniel 10:2ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks…On the twenty-fourth day of the first month…I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude….Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’ “

The description of the speaker indicates he may have been angel Gabriel. Michael is another known angel. In Daniel 12:1 he is called “Michael, the great prince who protects your people.” Jude 9 refers to Michael as an archangel who disputed with Satan over the body of Moses.

Revelation 12:7-9 says, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down ~ that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.”

Now, let us look back at Daniel 10. Daniel prayed for 21 days. The un-named angel (Gabriel?) appeared to him on the 24th day and said Daniel’s prayers had been heard the first day, but God’s angel could not break away to help because of fighting Satan’s angels.

Now look at Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Does our persistence in prayer give strength to the angels?  Something to think about….

 

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Tuesday 10/1 ~ Being religious isn’t enough?

The scripture for today, October 1 (10/1), is Romans 10:1f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

000-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for ______ is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.”

Oh, my! Being “religious” isn’t enough? There are lots of religions out there. Feeling “spiritual” isn’t enough? There are lots of differing religions that induce a “spiritual” feeling. Confidence of salvation isn’t enough? There are lots of differing religions that create their own ways to salvation. Dedication to prayer isn’t enough? There are lots of differing religions that require much prayer.

Sincere Christian leaders today may want us to rely on feelings and inducements and confidence and dedication, but they can be sincerely wrong. If we base our salvation on feelings and inducements and confidence and dedication only, we have zeal, but our zeal is not based on knowledge. Some may defensively call “knowledge” legalism.

God gave us his Word ~ the Bible ~ for a reason. He wanted us to reason. Hebrews 11:1 says faith is accepting the evidence ~ not wishful thinking. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing/reading the Word of God for ourselves ~ not someone’s sermon or a friend or a book. Let us search the scriptures daily for ourselves. And, let us not be afraid to approach our religious leaders and try teaching the teachers. Then their zeal as well as ours can be based on knowledge and take us to glory.

 

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Available FREE to Blind & Upper-body handicapped here

Aser demos the QBraille

Help me spread the word.  All my books are now available FREE on this website for the blind and upper-body handicapped (paralysis, amputees, etc.) in ELECTRONIC BRAILLE format.

Most now have an electric braille reader connected to their computers.  A friend who has been blind all her life “translated” all my books into electronic braille for me. Here is my page:

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/free-braillebooks/

You will see there are no pictures on that page.  Pictures confuse the blind.  Also, I have eliminated use of a mouse because they cannot tell where the cursor is. They only use arrows to get around. 

I first explain what is on the page. Then I list categories of books in a simple row.  They just click what they want.

Those with upper-body handicaps may use a pointer under their chin or between their lips. I have used larger letters to help them target what they choose, but not so large they have to move their pointer around a lot.

I have had a couple blind people use this free service and they said it was easy to follow and fun and they were enjoying their free book selection.

HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD!

 

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Sunday 9/29 ~ …and we love Him for it.

The scripture for today, September 29 (9/29), is Matthew 9:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you.’ “

Sometimes when we pray for healing during sickness, a well-meaning friend will say, “Well, you haven’t been healed because you didn’t have enough faith.” But Jesus did not heal everyone according to their faith.

The boy in Nain he brought back to life (Luke 7:14-15) did not have any faith at all. The girl in Capernaum he brought back to life (Luke 8:51-56) did not have any faith at all. When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-9) the hosts did not have any faith at all.

This is encouraging because often we pray for the healing of non-religious friends. It would be futile to ask God to bring them back to health if it depended on their faith all the time.

He is not a God of futility. He is a God of hope. And we love him for it.

 

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How Big is Your God?

via How Big is Your God?

God's Dwelling Place

 

Free book

The Lord's Supper: 52 Readings With Prayers Kindle Edition

I do not know if the congregation you attend commemorates the Lord’s death and resurrection every Sunday or not.  If not, perhaps this book will encourage you to begin this wonderful practice ~ celebrate “Easter” every Sunday.

FREE: THE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS. For presiding at the Table or personal meditation. Available WORLDWIDE.

Download your FREE book to read on your computer, phone, notebook, etc. here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3r3rm0o4v1

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Saturday 9/28 ~ Just keep walking and walking and…

The scripture for today, September 28 (9/28), is Hebrews 9:28 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Medium-New“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Waiting is hard to do. We wait for relatives to arrive at our house for a visit. We wait for our next promotion. We wait for babies to be born. We wait for enough money to buy new clothes.

But what about waiting for something that we have never seen? Waiting for something we believe in by faith? Waiting an entire lifetime?

All the more reason to keep your eyes on the Word, your activities in good works, and your heart on your Creator and Savior.

It’s a long spiritual walk. But just keep walking, and keep walking, and keep walking until someday in the distant future you walk right through the gates of heaven.

Then, when you look back from eternity, you will say, “The wait wasn’t so long after all.”

 

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