Wednesday 9/19 ~ Do you feel ordinary?

On September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Inspirational, joy, love, persecution, power, praise, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 19, is Acts 9:19f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food he regained his strength.”

This is the story of Saul, as he was known to the Jews and to us as Paul, who became an apostle. Notice the order he did this: He was hungry, but that wasn’t important. He had to do what was important first. He was baptized.

Why was Paul baptized? In Acts 22:16 Paul recalls that day when he was told, “Get up: be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”

Further, notice who baptized him. Was he part of the clergy, someone with an ordained title in the church? No. He was ordinary and unknown. Acts 9:10 says, “In Damascus, there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him: ‘Go to…. a man from Tarsus named Saul’.” What title did Ananias have? None. He was just another disciple. Disciple simply meaning follower.

Little did this otherwise ordinary and unknown disciple realize that day that the person he baptized would end up writing much of the New Testament.

Do you feel ordinary like you are an “unknown disciple” to followers of Jesus around you? Find something to do, and God will make it great.

Paul took Christians to prison and tortured them. He hated Jesus, then became one of his most passional and unstoppable ambassadors in a hostile world. Read what it might have been for this terrorist turned apostle. To order, click one of the images or go here: https://amzn.to/2plwTdJ

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Saturday 9/15 ~ Just how far would you go?

On September 15, 2018September 15, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, death, Death of Jesus Christ, ego, humility, love, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 15 (9/15), is 2nd Corinthians 9:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

Can you imagine dying in the place of someone else? We occasionally hear stories from the battlefield of a man falling on a grenade so he is the only one killed, thus saving his buddies.

But closer to home, if you saw a child in the path of a car, would you run out and throw the child out of the way knowing there will be no time for you to escape death?

What if you were hiking or sailing with a friend and got lost? Would you split the food and water evenly, or would you give it all to your friend? What would you do if you were lost with someone who hated everyone? Would you give them all the food and water knowing you would die and the hateful person live on?

What if you were with a friend and were arrested for a crime the friend did? Would you take the blame and the punishment of twenty years in prison so your friend could go free? What if that person was a habitual criminal, you happened to cross paths at the wrong time, and you were both arrested for his heinous crime? Would you take the blame and his punishment (execution) for him?

Now try to imagine making your child take the blame and die in the place of every sinner in the world ~ your sinless, innocent child.

It is indescribable.

It is unimaginable.

It is unthinkable.

But God did exactly that.

How can we thank Him for his indescribable gift of Jesus redeeming us from Satan with his blood? We fall silently at His feet and worship.

Read of what it might have been like for Jesus during his last supper with his apostles, his agony in the garden, his grueling all-night trial with intermittent beatings, and his excruciating crucifixion in this biblical historical novel. Life-application questions and scripture/historical citations at the end of each chapter. Click images or type EasyBuyLink: https://amzn.to/2pbaU94

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Friday 9/7 ~ You mean I don’t have to tithe?

On September 7, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn blessings, Inspirational, joy, judging, loveLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 7 (9/7), is 2nd Corinthians 9:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

There are many religious leaders who insist that Christians tithe. But that was part of the Law of Moses, which we no longer keep. If we pick one item, we have to pick them all including stoning people. Let’s look at Law-of-Moses tithing:

Actually, the Jews were required to give more than a tenth. (1) Deuteronomy 26:12 said the Jews had to give an extra tithe every three years for their welfare program. So, if someone tithed $900 a year, s/he would have to tithe an average of $300 more per year for the welfare program, equaling $1,200 year. If the yearly income was $9000, this would take it up to 13.3% a year.

(2) Also, according to Leviticus 27, they had to pay for their vows, which in many cases were really special prayer requests. (3) They also had to buy animals for sacrifices for intentional sins, unintentional sins, and sins requiring restitution.

(4) If they wanted to thank God for anything, they had to buy grain for a sacrifice (Leviticus 1-5). If they didn’t have to buy the animals or grain, they had to take them out of their own supply, thus depleting their own “paycheck.”

(5) And every time one of their flocks or herds had a first-born, they had to sacrifice it ~ another depleting of the “paycheck.”

So the good Jew under the Law of Moses did not just tithe. He ended up giving about one-third of his income. Galatians 5:3 says that, if we keep one part of the Law, we have to keep all of it. There were over 600 burdensome commandments in the Law of Moses!

In today’s scripture, Christians are being released from this burden. Instead, they are being told to decide in their own heart. Christians are released from serving and giving through obligation and set free to serve and give out of love.

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Sunday 8/26 ~ Unfathomable yearning, inescapable love

On August 26, 2018August 26, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, faith, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, love, power, prayer, ScriptureLeave a comment

The scripture for today, August 26 (8/26), is Romans 8:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

The Holy Spirit in the New Testament is always linked with communication between God and Man. Even the miracles, made possible by the Holy Spirit, were a guarantee that the words and teachings accompanying the miracles were from God. This was needed before the New Testament was written. But the Holy Spirit does more than this.

God speaks to us in his Word, the Bible. Then we speak to him in return in prayer. But sometimes all we can do is bow our head in silence and know that God understands ~ His Spirit communes with our spirit.

In the Beginning, God the Mind decided to make the universe, God the Word spoke the words to make the universe, and God the Spirit made it happen and brought life to the universe. When humans die, we say their spirit left their body. Therefore, God’s Spirit brings life to our spirit, our soul, when we are born again.

So, we see God’s Spirit brings life to our spirit and keeps it alive by communing with our lowly spirit. Unfathomable yearning. Inescapable love.

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Wednesday 8/22 ~ Listen to the song

On August 22, 2018 By Inspirations By KatherynIn discouragement, Inspirational, Life of Christ, love, sin, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, August 22 (8/22), is Jeremiah 8:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?”

There is a very beautiful African-American spiritual of unknown origin that many of us have sung. You may be able to hear it sung a cappella here: http://bit.ly/1PfHxrI These are the words to that spiritual:

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

If you can’t preach like Peter,
If you can’t pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.

Have a blessed day.

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Sunday 8/12 ~ Jesus, Your Dawn

On August 12, 2018 By In eternity, Heaven, Inspirational, love, sacrifice, Saved from hell, victory2 Comments

The scripture for today, August 12 (8/12), is John 8:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ “

Jesus had only about six months left to live. He knew the religious leaders were after his life out of jealousy. Before going to Jerusalem, he told his brothers, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me” (John 7:7). Knowing people were wanting to execute him, he slipped into Jerusalem after everyone else got there (John 7:10, 14). Then suddenly he appeared in the middle of the Temple complex ~ the size of many football fields. He knew he was safe as long as there was a crowd.

Jesus answered some private questions, and then “he cried out, ‘You know me! You know where I am from!’ ” (John 7:28).

Every day of this feast, a priest would ceremonially pour out some water to represent the water that poured out of the rock when the Jews wandered in the wilderness. But on the last day, the priest did not do this, for it represented their ancestors finally arriving in the Promised Land. It was on this last day of the feast that Jesus “stood and said in a loud voice… ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him!’ ” (John 7:38f)

First thing the next morning at dawn he returned to the Temple court. Maybe it was a beautiful sunrise. When the sun was up and the crowds returned, he shouted something else to everyone, “I am the light of the world!” (John 8:12).

He had compared himself to the water ceremony of the day before, and now he was comparing himself to the new dawn. There he was. God the Son crying out to humanity. “Come to me! I am doing everything I can to help you! Won’t you come? Please listen to me! Please come! I can save you!!!

Such stubborn love.

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Tuesday 8/7 ~ The Boomerang Effect

On August 7, 2018 By In ego, forgiveness, good works, humility, judging, love, patience1 Comment

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

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.”

This is the boomerang effect. We throw a boomerang into the air and no matter how we throw it, it always comes back to us. In the same way, God treats us the same way we treat him.

If we draw near to God, God draws near to us (James 4:8). If we don’t have time for God, God doesn’t have time for us. If we don’t want to do what he says, God doesn’t want to do what we say. If we reject God, God rejects us:

Psalm 9:15-16; Psalm 10:2; Psalm 37:14-15; Psalm 140:9; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 6:27; Proverbs 26:27; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 59:18; Ezekiel 7:8; Obadiah 1:15.

Another viewpoint is that there may be people out there mistreating us. Someday their mistreatment will boomerang right onto themselves. In the meantime, our assignment is to remain true to God with patience and calm. God will take care of the boomerang.

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Saturday 8/4 ~ Rise up!

On August 4, 2018 By In attitude, eternity, Heaven, love, Saved from hell, victory4 Comments

The scripture for today, August 4 (8/4), is Acts 8:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”

Sometimes our plans get scattered, our dreams shattered. We lose our home, our job, our chance at an education, our savings, our family.

Satan loves to discourage you. He’s good at it. But Romans 8:28 says that God can make something good come out of all things ~ good or bad.

Do you use your circumstance in life as an excuse not to share the Good News that people can be saved from hell and go to heaven instead?

What if, for instance, you lose your home or job and go to another one? You would be the same person you were at the old home or job. If your old excuses were not valid any longer, would you then share the Good News? What is the likelihood you will be any different when your life is “scattered”?

Do not let Satan put excuses in your mind. Rise up! Rise up and do as our Lord Jesus did. Seek and save the lost wherever you go.

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Friday 8/3 ~ The Maker of Stars Knows Me

On August 3, 2018 By In blessings, Inspirational, knowledge, love, power, praise, Thanksgiving2 Comments

The scripture for today, August 3 (8/3), is 1st Corinthians 8:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

“But the man who loves God is known by God.”

How can God know us all individually? Just how does God do it? There are multiplied millions of us. All praying with our own set of problems, sometimes thousands of us at once. All singing our various hymns. All trying to do right in the name of God.

This Creator of the entire universe, the Maker of stars and sunflowers and little puppies and unfathomable oceans, knows each person who loves him. Not “knows about”, but KNOWS!

With all that is going on in the world, yea even in the universe, he still knows which ones of us love him, and he takes the time to fix things in our lives, hold our hands, bless us with just what we need. All tens of thousands of us at once. How does he do that?

How large he is. How small we are.

Utter amazement!

And so we worship him.

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Thursday 8/2 ~ And he touched him

On August 2, 2018 By In discouragement, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, love, sin, weaknessLeave a comment

The scripture for today, August 2 (8/2), is Matthew 8:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.’ “

People in Jesus’ day who had leprosy had to live outside of town in what we would call a leper colony. And if someone without leprosy started getting close to them, they were required to call out, “Unclean! Unclean!”

But here was a man who apparently pushed his way through a crowd where he didn’t belong. He didn’t ask Jesus if he could heal him; he asked if he was willing to. After all, he was “unclean”. Remarkably, Jesus said yes.

Then Jesus did another remarkable thing: He touched the man. He touched the leprosy. Not only was he willing to be seen with an unclean man, he was willing to touch him.

Jesus still does this today. When we come to him with a diseased heart wondering if we are good enough, Jesus reaches out across the centuries and touches us. And his voice echoes across the centuries and says, “I am willing.”

No matter how much sin mars your life, Jesus still today wants to say, “Be clean.”

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