Saturday 7/27 ~ The Encourager

The scripture for today, July 27 (7/27), is Luke 7:27 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “

Jesus had a difficult task ahead of him.  He had to prove to the world who he was while not scaring them to death with lightning strikes out of the sky or being a giant, or striking unbelievers dead.  So John the Baptizer announced his coming ahead of time, smoothing out the crooked roads in the hearts of people.

Do you know a dreamer who is struggling to accomplish something very important to them? Have they been trying to overcome all the obstacles for weeks or months or years?  Do you know anyone who is an obstacle for them? Can you say something to that obstacle in order to help smooth the way for the dreamer? Does this dreamer need something in their climb that you can provide for them? How about encouragement? 

On the other hand, do you sometimes slump into times of discouragement or depression? You can prepare “the way” for yourself.  We all have our ups and downs. You know yourself better than anyone. You know best what you need to hear when you are down in order to lift you back up.  Write yourself a letter. Tell yourself what you need to hear. Then put your letter away in preparation for one of your downtimes.

Life is hard. It is full of both promise and discouragement.  Today, sit down and write yourself that letter.  Then contact someone else for whom you can begin to prepare “the way”.

 

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE.  Though he has lived nearly all his life crippled, he is the one who encouraged others. He is cheated out of his throne, swindled out of his palace, chased by his enemies and falsely accused of being a spy. How does he survive one crisis after another? To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2GvdIqU

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Saturday 7/13 ~ When misery ends with gladness

The scripture for today, July 13 (7/13), is in Job 7:13ff in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-new“When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions so that I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine. I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”

Job was extremely depressed. It happens to everyone sometimes. His depression was certainly valid ~ he had lost all his income and all his children in a recent storm. Now he had what the Bible translated as “boils” but the symptoms indicate he had a form of leprosy called Elephantiasis.

This particular form leads to nightmares in addition to the physical problems. Job had every right to be depressed. So depressed was he, that he no longer wanted to live, for his life no longer had meaning.

But, as miserable as Job was, he hung on. Patiently he hung on during the bad times. Sometimes during your bad times, the greatest thing you can do is “hang on” ~ be patient.

Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Job loved the Lord. Even in his misery and desire to die,  he continued to love God and trust Him.

And, although at such times you may believe your misery will never end and you will never even smile again, it will happen. The misery comes to an end. It did for Job. He got his health and wealth back and more children to comfort him. God will see you through too.

 

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Friday 7/12 ~ And the stars sing together

The scripture for today, July 12 (7/12), is Revelation 7:12 in the New Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

How often do you praise God? Praise is more than thanking Him. Praise refers to God’s attributes.

Some people think God is ugly, He doesn’t understand them, He is against them. Some think God is a figment for weaklings. Some even hate God and are even repulsed at the idea of worshipping him.

How much they do not understand. There is a spirit world out there. Every day God runs after us, “Come this way. I will save you from a terrible fate. Come! I have wonderful plans for you. Come!  Together we will climb mountains, leap to the moon and soar through the stars of heaven. Come! See all the excitement I have planned for you.

Ah, yes, Lord!  I am coming.  Gladly I am coming. The mountains touch the clouds and declare your glory. The moon glows in praise of you. The stars sing together in anthems of your greatness, your magnitude, the divinity of your being. And I worship you.

 

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail365 SILVER-WINGED PRAYERS: YOUR SPIRIT TO GOD’S has a prayer of praise, a prayer of repentance, and a prayer of thanksgiving for your every day.  With these thoughts in your mind, you are now ready for your requests, be they for yourself or others in the world. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2GcvQVi

 

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Thursday 7/11 ~ Overwhelmed

The scripture for today, July 11 (7/11), is Matthew 7:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“If you, then, though you are ‘evil’, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Yes, we are evil.  Evil and sin mean the same thing.  Let’s face it:  If we are sinful, then we are evil.  Hard to think of ourselves that way.  Could we do nice things to someone who did bad things to us every day?  God can. God does. He is the God of the impossible. The God who absorbs the black hole of sin and brings light into it, not to reveal it but to forgive it.

The Creator of the Universe our Father? The master-mind behind the intricacies of our bodies our Father? The Creator of over two trillion galaxies (not stars, but galaxies of stars) our Father?  The one who occupies the tiniest atom our Father? The One who can be everywhere at once our Father?

How unworthy we are. All we can do is fall at his feet and whisper, “You are so great. I am so small. I am overwhelmed by your love.”

 

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE called himself a violent man, and that he was.  He imprisoned, tortured, and executed people for believing in Jesus.  Then he switched sides. So overwhelmed was he for God’s ability to forgive him, he endured beatings, slashings, storms, floods, hunger, shipwrecks, and each time he cried out, “Jesus! This is for you!” To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2SHeQPg

 

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Wednesday 7/10 ~ It’s time to come on home

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

Golden Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.”

Ah, my Lord, I become so tired sometimes. That latest assignment you gave me has been so hard. Sometimes I complain knowing I should not because that would make me a Christian coward.

Is it okay if I am afraid sometimes? I am only one and am trying to keep my head above water along with others I am trying to pull out of the flood with me. I’m trying, Lord. I weep sometimes, but amidst my tears, I continually think, “What should my next step b?.”.

Sometimes I just stand still and let the turmoil go on around me while I close my eyes and sing a sweet song to you. That’s when I sense you are singing with me.

At other times I stand up to all the turmoil charging at me. You gave me your weapons: a smile, a touch, a gentle word.

Then there are those terrible times when I feel so beaten up, I think all is lost. Then I remember you are there.  You are always there.  And I know you are shielding me while I rest.

Then we start all over again, you and I, Lord. Another assignment. Another. And another. Until at last you reach out your arms to me and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. It’s time to come on home.”

 

Golden Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail

 

365 GOLDEN BIBLE THOUGHTS: GOD’S HEART TO YOURS.  Whether your quiet-for-a-moment time is morning, noon, or evening, this book 1 in the TOUCHING GOD SERIES will help guide your thoughts. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/32hUQEV

 

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Tuesday 7/9 ~ Eternity

The scripture for today, July 9 (7/9), is Deuteronomy 7:9 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAIL“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.”

Our amazing God! He loved our great-great-grandparents and He will love our great-great-grandchildren. The average age of having children is 30. Therefore, if we take this literally, 1000 generations would be 30,000 years. In that case, we’ve only just begun.

If taken figuratively, 10 to the Jews meant all-inclusiveness, and 1000 is 10 x 10 x 10 or all-inclusiveness times all-inclusiveness times all-inclusiveness. This means God will love us all-inclusive years, times all-inclusive years, times all-inclusive years ~ for eternity!

And God gives everything we ~ the Bride of Christ ~ ask of him if it is good for us. All he asks in return is for us to give the little bit that he asks of us ~ faithfulness and keeping his few commandments. Then he will help us escape this world for his. What a small price for us to pay and what grand arrangement!

 

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAILLOVE LETTERS OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA is a beautiful retelling of the Song of Solomon written on his wedding and interpreted as the Bride of Christ (the church) and the lover of our soul, Jesus.  Beautiful interior with special fonts, a perfect gift.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/32gmMJc

 

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Monday 7/8 ~ Waiting for your turn

The scripture for today, July 8 (7/8), is Ecclesiastes 7:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

03-Abraham-ThumbnailCover“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”

Years ago there was a little boy who belonged to the Pee-Wee Baseball League. A lot of teams played in different parts of a very large ball field. He would get in line to wait his turn to bat the ball. But he’d become impatient, feeling that he should be able to bat as often as he wanted.

So he’d take off across the field and get in the line of another team, hoping his turn at bat would come sooner. When he didn’t go to bat as soon as he thought he should, he’d take off across the field in yet another direction and get in the line of yet another team, hoping his turn at bat would come sooner.

After doing all that, he’d finally give up and come back to his own team. By that time, if he had just stayed in line with his own team, he could have come up to bat two or three times. His pride got in the way, his impatience got in the way, and he ended up losing all his turns.

What you hope and dream for may happen today, a year from now, a decade from now. It’s hard to be patient. But try. Learn to wait for your turn and it may turn out better than you had hoped for.

 

03-Abraham-ThumbnailCoverA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES:  ABRAHAM waited many years for his turn ~ to receive God’s promised son.  Others gave up on it ever happening, but not our Abraham.  “Think & Do” at the end of each chapter.  Good for early readers but can be understood from age 3.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2NIZit2

 

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Saturday 7/6 ~ It IS possible to know!

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

 

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Sunday 6/30 ~ The heavenly temple

The scripture for today, June 30 (6/30), is 1st Kings 6:30 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.”

About 40 years ago it was figured that Solomon put $3 trillion worth of gold in the temple to line the ceiling, walls, and floor. And that figure would probably be around $12 trillion today. Talk about streets of gold in heaven!

There are some people today asking for money to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Even if they accomplished it, what would it do for Christians? The book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains to the Hebrew (Jewish) Christians that they no longer need or want the temple. Why? Hebrews 8:13 says, “By calling this covenant (Testament) ‘new’ he has made the first one [Old Testament] obsolete.”

Let’s look at the temple in a spiritual sense through the eyes of a Christian ~ and of Jesus himself in Hebrews 9:1. “Now the FIRST  COVENANT  [TESTAMENT] had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 7 Only the High Priest entered the inner room [Most Holy Place]…and never without blood.…. 11When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle [temple] that is not man-made. 12. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood [He being the Lamb of God ~ John 1], having obtained eternal redemption. 24. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered HEAVEN  ITSELF. For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a NEW  COVENANT  [TESTAMENT].’

Why in the world would anyone want an imitation temple and holy of holies made with hands back in Jerusalem again, along with all the animal sacrifices on the altar, and priests who would have to be of the Tribe of Levi, and tithing and all the other over 600 laws of Moses? 

Thank God, we live in a more spiritual age ~ the age of Christ and the temple of heaven itself.

 

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Friday 6/28 ~ It’s okay to smile again

The scripture for today, June 28 (6/28), is Luke 6:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” 

There was a book published several years ago entitled, Hurt People Hurt People. Have you been hurt? Perhaps by an insult, a neglect, an illness, losing your job?  Have you turned bitter? Do you lash out at everyone, or a group of people or a particular someone?

One method of lashing out is when someone tries to console someone who has lost a loved one in death by saying, “I know how you feel.” Then the hurt person lashes out at the other person and says, “You DON’T know how I feel!  How dare you pretend that you do!”

That is a hurt person trying to hurt someone else. It’s as though they are bragging, “My hurt is so amazingly great, any effort on your part to understand is puny and not worthy of the greatness of my hurt.”

How do you react to your pain? Do you run people off?

Stop letting that old hurt punish you. Stop putting your life on hold and living in the moment over and over for eternity. Stop being the victim and the aggressor both. You’re killing yourself ~ your mind, your spirit, your soul.

It is okay to smile again. Try it in private. Then in public. It is okay to let it go and hand it over to God. It is okay, when you feel cursed, to not curse back. It is a blessing to bless.

 

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