Category: Inspirational

Monday 5/14 ~ Perfect love

On By In Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, good works, Inspirational, loveLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 14 (5/14), is 2nd Corinthians 5:14a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“For Christ’s love compels us….”

On a distant hill a very long time ago, something unbelievable happened.

Jesus died both physically and spiritually in our place! (Remember when he said God had forsaken him?) He knew we couldn’t come back from either kind of death on our own, so he did it for us. Such terrible things he went through for us!

Love is powerful! It causes us to do things for someone we love that we never wanted to do and never dreamed we could do.

How powerful is your love for Christ? Do you share the love of Christ with others? 1st John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”

You must reach out to people who think Jesus will ruin their fun, or has too many rules, or could never forgive them, or wouldn’t stop a tragedy from happening to them. If not in person, tell them in a note, a phone call, email, even a song. There are ways. Reach out. You can and you will if you let Christ’s love compel you.

~~~BUYLINK for ebook and discount paper:  http://bit.ly/ShadowDeath

 

Today is my birthday

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Ken & Me

This is my brother, Kenneth, and I when we were two. We used to argue who was oldest. He said he was because he was born at 8:00 in the morning and I was born at 7:00 in the morning and 8 is a bigger number than 7.   Can’t argue with that!

Above are Ken and I in High School.  Below is us around the late Viet Nam era.
We’ve perfected singing happy birthday to each other as a duet.
This Saturday, I gave myself a 78th birthday party at my home. Instead of bringing me a gift, I asked my guests if they’d bring a donation to the Arab Palestinian preacher for the church of Christ in Jerusalem and towns nearby. It is very difficult for them. The Muslims don’t bother the Christians much except to pressure them to stop being Christians. There are Israeli checkpoints everywhere, making travel difficult.  Sometimes they meet in fields because the owner of the building they rent tells them to leave. A lot with no building in Jerusalem costs $1 million. If anyone is interested in this work, there is a new website for it at https://jerusalemchurchofchrist.wordpress.com/

For Mother’s Day

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Saturday 5/12 ~ Can I ever become wise?

On By In Bible, Inspirational, problems, ScriptureLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 12 (5/12), is 1st Kings 5:12 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

 

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“The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him.”

 

God makes a promise of wisdom to Christians today. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Amazing! God doesn’t sit around and tell certain people, “You really messed up. Your life is full of turmoil. Now you come to me expecting me to fix it for you.” No, God does not throw your faults in your face. It’s no use dwelling in the past; that is history.

He is ready and willing to provide guidance for the present and future, the now and later. How can you know God’s wisdom? He certainly does not make you guess.

He put everything he wants you to know in his Word, the Bible ~ examples of people who did and did not mess up their lives and words of advice. All you have to do is open it, and ask God to help you understand it and apply it with wisdom.

God promised. And he keeps his promises.

Thursday 5/10 ~ You’re not home yet

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The scripture for today, May 10 (5/10), is 1st Peter 5:10f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong and firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever.”

This earth is not meant to be your paradise, to be your eternal home. This earth is just the foyer. God stands at the door to heaven and calls you.

Are you too busy watching over things here to look over at his door? Are you too caught up with temporary things of this world to stop and listen for God?

Is there too much noise in your life? The noise of problems with job, home, family, government, neighbors, health? Remember, you are only in the foyer.

Life is not always easy. Do you have the stamina to not be sidetracked? Do you have the fortitude to keep walking toward his door?

God can make you strong and firm and steadfast if you will stop the noise and listen for him. God can make you strong and firm and steadfast if you keep your eyes on his door.

You’re not home yet.

Tuesday 5/8 ~ Deadends blocking heaven

On By In attitude, Enemies, Heaven, Inspirational, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 8 (5/8), is Psalm 5:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Lg Thumb“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies ~ make straight your way before me.”

An enemy would like nothing more than to get into a good fight with someone. Do not let that happen. You have better things to do than argue with people.

Set your eyes, not on your enemy, but on the Lord. The path of enemies will take you on all sorts of side trips that lead to dead ends. The path of God rises up before you ~ straight and direct. Never let your attention stray from that path.
Keep on walking on the path of God.

And keep on walking,

and keep walking,

and walking, and walking….

….Until at last, you walk right through the gates of heaven.

Monday 5/7 ~ Lord, why don’t you stop all this suffering?

On By In discouragement, Heaven, Inspirational, Loss, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 7 (5/7), is  1st Peter 5:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Thumbnail“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Oh, how hard life can be sometimes. We wonder why God doesn’t stop all the bad things. But, if there were no evil and bad things happening, we would have heaven on earth. Satan is the Prince of this world. 

How many times in a week are you anxious about something? Your job, your home, your children, your neighbors, your government, your health? How many times in a day? Are they heavy? Sometimes almost too heavy to bear?

Name them to God. Tell him all about them. Go into as much detail as you like. Then put them all on his shoulders. That’s what he wants you to do. He will carry those burdens for you.

Yes, this is not heaven on earth. But Jesus provides a way for us to escape to the other world in heaven.  We don’t have to escape; he doesn’t force us. In the meantime, he calls out, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Why? He cares for you.

 

Sunday 5/6 ~ Where has Jesus gone?

On By In emptiness, eternity, Inspirational, loveLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 6 (5/6), is Song of Solomon 5:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 4-FolkHero-Cover-Kindle-thumbnail-new“I opened [the door] for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.”

Jesus is the lover of your soul. He opens the door for you, but perhaps you’re spending all your time thinking about material things. His heart sinks when you run away from him. Oh, how his heart aches with loneliness for you.

So Jesus goes out looking for you. He looks everywhere you go. He calls you by name. But perhaps your life is so full of the noise of doing and going and accomplishing, that you do not hear him.

Stop! Allow some quietness into your life. Then listen. Do you hear that? Jesus is calling for you.

Saturday 5/5 ~ Seek peace. Deep peace.

On By In discouragement, Inspirational, Loss, love, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 5 (5/5), is Micah 5:5a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

000-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“And he will be their peace.”

The little book of Micah was written during a time when his country was full of prosperity. But it was also full of abused power. The lower on the social scale, the more the people suffered at the hands of the powerful few.

In the midst of warning the social elite, Micah offers comfort to their victims. You may be going through economic distress such as losing your job or losing your home. You may be going through social distress such as being passed up for a promotion or losing friends because of your moral code.

Seek peace. Deep peace.

Sometimes, it is only possible to reveal powerful abusers by revealing their victims to the world. Sometimes our job is to just survive so that a future generation can find justice and acceptance. Or sometimes we must lose everything so that we can quit worrying about this world and look forward to the next.

Seek peace. Deep peace.

So when you feel left behind with nothing, look up! God is still on his throne. God still holds out his arms. God still wipes away tears. Possibly it is at such times that you can feel God’s love most warmly and God’s peace most deeply.

For Mother’s Day

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