For the WHOLE FAMILY: Life-Enhancement, Biblical Historical Novels, Textual Studies, Story Books, Puzzles, Songs, & Scholarly Research Books
The scripture for today, December (12/9), is 2nd Corinthians 12:9 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“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. We all have weaknesses. Do you lament 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! 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! He is so proud of you!
FOLK HERO is storybook #3 in A CHILD’S LIFE OF CHRIST with 8 storybooks. Ten stories with “Think & Do” at the end of each story. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2ruYxWJ
#handicap, #government, #weakness, #strength, #blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth
Yesterday I was at a market selling my books. Two different men looked briefly at them, then said, “I’m an atheist.” To the first one, I said, “I understand.” He looked at me a moment with a surprised look, then left.
To the second one, I said, “I understand,” and he gave me the same look but did not leave. I said, “There is so much politics in churches.” He replied, “Yes and it doesn’t give a person a chance to know himself.” I said, “I wish they’d tear down all church buildings. It would get rid of all the vying for positions of leadership and entertainment. Their worship times would be simple again.” He said, “Yeah, that’d be a lot better. Even the atheists are getting organized.”
I tried to sell him one of my INTREPID MEN OF GOD books, explaining that I do not include a lot of doctrine; the books are about the men and what made them tick, what drove them. He said no, but there is always next month.
By the way, when men tell me they are atheists, they say it matter-of-factly. When women do, they say it with bitterness of soul. Over the years, every time I have spoken very long with an atheist I just ask, “What happened?”. They all know what I mean and tell me about some tragedy God caused to happen to them. I remind them Satan also exists and they are so relieved; they want so much to blame someone. Others say God could have stopped it. But (1) God gave everyone free will and (2) if he stopped every bad thing on earth, we would either all be robots or have heaven on earth already.
I always have such interesting conversations with the public when I sell my books at a market somewhere.
Just sharing…
The scripture for today, December 7 (12/7), is Luke 12:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“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 knows everything that is going on in his world, and knows everyone in his world, regardless of where we are in the world.
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.
WAS JESUS GOD? is a question that should be on our minds. Read this short book for scriptures with answers. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:
#blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth
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.”
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. You are nearly invisible and weak to most people. But to God you are strong. You are mighty. You are God’s pride and joy.
APPLIED CHRISTIANITY is a handbook of 500 GOOD WORKS for all ages and all levels of health. A perfect gift for a friend or the church library. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2rjaTRx
#important, #unimportant, #menial, #overlooked, #weak, #leaders, #microphones, #ego,#blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth
The scripture for today, December 4 (12/4), is Isaiah 12:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“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”. Jesus 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.
He was a crippled prince who was denied his throne, but he lived a joyful life anyway. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2rmhH0K
#problems, #encouragement, #blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth
The scripture for today, December 3 (12/3), is Romans 12:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“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, many disagreements 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 want 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.
May your prayer be, “Lord, help me see myself as others do.”
Get APPLIED CHRISTIANITY: A HANDBOOK OF 500 GOOD WORKS for yourself, your church library, a Christmas gift. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2rjaTRx
#GoodWorks, #committees, #church, #cooperation, #ego, #blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth
The scripture for today, November 29 (11/29), is Matthew 11:29f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Ah, Lord Jesus. I am so weary worn. It seems everything that could ever go wrong in my life is happening right now. Just when I think I have one problem at least partly under control, another raises its ugly head. Or should I say Satan raises his ugly head? Satan, why are you doing this to me? It is you who is causing all the diseases and problems at work, and the car wreck and progressive blindness. Was it you who set me up in that posh job which you knew was never popular in the company and would only cause me grief? Was this new house I bought with my pay raise worth it after all?
I am so tired. Help me, God? I don’t know which way is up anymore. God? I’m calling for you. God? Don’t you even care?
“Let’s trade, my child. I’ll take your burdens and you take mine.”
But, Lord, I do not understand. What could your burdens possibly be? You’re all comfortable in heaven.
“My child, my burden is to reach out to everyone and tell them how much I love them. My burden is to take their burdens on my shoulders. You can do it too. You can write encouraging notes or emails to them every day. You can open up the newspaper and pray for everyone in it by name. You can call someone who is depressed like you and sing them a sweet song.”
But when, Lord? When would I find time?
“Use your brooding time, your crying time, your anger time. Let loose of them so I can brood, cry, and be angry for you. Remember, it’s a trade.”
Friends, will you continue to carry your burdens and let them weigh you down so you cannot move? Or will you let go of them and smile as Jesus smiled, reach out to others as Jesus reached out, teach God’s love as Jesus did?
Join the multitudes as they gasp at Jesus’ miracles with HEARTS AFIRE. To BUY NOW, click picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2rbL6dV
#burdens, #troubles, #problems, #emptiness, #Satan, #blog, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth
The scripture for today, November 26 (11/26) is John 11:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
” ‘ And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ “
Jesus was talking to the sister of his close friend, Lazarus, who had just died. Of course, we understand he was talking about spiritual death ~ the death of our souls. And death in the original Greek means separation; so in the case of our souls, it would be separation from God.
Revelation 20:6 & 14 refer to the second death which is the lake of fire. So what is the first death of our souls?
In John 3:3 Jesus said we must be born again of water and the spirit. Romans 6:4 says “we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death [of that sinful life] in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a NEW LIFE.”
Someone has said “Born once [physically], die twice. Born twice [physically & spiritually], die once.” If we emerge from the waters of our mother’s womb, that is the first birth of our souls. If we emerge from the waters of baptism, that is our second birth.”
Ah, the thought of living on inside the walls of salvation in heaven where Satan can never touch us again. The thought of walking and talking with God and never growing tired of it. The thought of singing with God with pleasure unending.
How reassuring to us when Jesus said believers’ souls would never die. Oh, glorious thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is heaven like? REVELATION: A LOVE-LETTER FROM GOD explains all the symbolism of heaven that is so grand it defies language. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2FJ53Dg
#death, #life, #heaven, #hell, #baptism, #water, #rebirth, #bornagain
