Category: persecution

Monday 12/16 ~ Feel the harmony

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, #Handicaps, Daily, ego, humility, judging, love, patience, persecution, weaknessLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 16 (12/16), is Romans 12:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Titus-Cover-Lg Thumb“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Who do you associate with? Just people who are like you?

Do you consider people richer than you as greedy, uncaring and uppity? And people poorer than you as lazy, users and lowlifes?

Do you consider people smarter than you as impractical with their heads in the clouds? And people duller than you as incapable of understanding anything important?

Do you consider people stronger than you as egotistical show-offs? And people weaker than you as not worthy of notice?

How this hurts your Savior who died for everyone. We are all sinners. We all need the same saving grace.

Live in harmony with all. Make everyone ~ both those “above” you and “below” you ~ feel the love of God through you. Apply the Golden Rule to your life:  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). Then feel the harmony.

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0-Titus-Cover-Lg ThumbTITUS: THE ARISTOCRAT.  Tradition tells us that Titus was from Antioch in the province of Pisidia in today’s Turkey. It was a city full of aristocrats. No one spoke the Greek of commoners. They spoke the Latin of aristocrats.  Titus became a lawyer and brilliantly solved crimes his poor clients were falsely accused of committing. After Paul converted Titus, he sent him as an arbitrator to Corinth, then Crete, then up in “barbarian” southern Europe around today’s Albania.  He was gifted in helping people get along with each other. He even found a way to get the “false apostle” in Corinth to voluntarily resign and leave and like doing it. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2YSG8Tu

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Take the clouds away and bring back the sunshine

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, #Handicaps, attitude, death, ego, Enemies, family, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, judging, love, patience, persecutionLeave a comment

How to Forgive but Not Forget | Mark Manson

Hebrews 12:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Really?  Bitterness can cause us to miss the grace of God? Bitterness only causes trouble for yourself and others, and defiles you. Bitterness comes from you thinking of yourself more highly than you ought (Romans 12:3), and forgetting that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Bitterness leads to either bullying or shunning, and ends in broken relationships and a cancer of the heart. It can cost us our eternal salvation.

The opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean you condone what someone else has done. It means you let go of it and let God handle it. It means you wish the best for the offending person or situation. You can wish even the most hardened criminal will someday turn to God and turn his life around. How many times in your lifetime have you asked God to forgive you for the same things over and over?  God forgives you as you forgive others.

Forgiveness lifts weights off of you until you feel as though you could soar. Forgiveness takes the clouds away and brings back the sunshine. Forgiveness makes sure you do not miss the grace of God.

 

Saturday 12/14 ~ Hold fast. Stand firm.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Daily, discouragement, Enemies, eternity, ethics, faith, Fear, governments, Heaven, patience, persecution, power, worship1 Comment

The scripture for today, December 14 (12/14), is 1st Samuel 12:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

02-samuel-thumbnailcover“If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God ~ good!”

The Jews had just insisted on having a king rule over them instead of a supreme judge. Samuel, their last supreme judge, replied and said two IFs. IF they serve and obey the Lord, and IF they both (people and king) follow the Lord, then it is good.

Today as then, some people live in a nation where the king/government does not follow the Lord. What to do? Galatians 5:22 tells us to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled, for “against such things there is no law”.

Is it hard to do this when crooked officials are getting all the advantages and you are being cheated and even threatened if you do not cooperate? Indeed, it is. It may seem they are living the good life. In reality (eternal reality, not earthly reality). They have lost everything. This life is fleeting. Keep your eyes on the eternal. Keep your eyes on God!

Hold fast!

       Stand firm!

             Do the right thing!

In the end, they lose. You and God win. And that is good!

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02-samuel-thumbnailcoverA CHILD’S BIBLE KIDS:  SAMUEL.  How did Samuel’s mother prepare him to live in someone else’s house when he was a toddler? How did Eli settle little Samuel’s confused mind when Eli suddenly became his “grandfather” while he grew up?  But grow up, Samuel did. And he became one of the strongest supreme judges Israel ever had.  But he was also the last.  He had to resign his position when the people wanted a king instead of him.  But, he never stopped being loyal to God.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2YPmlVe

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Thursday 12/12 ~ “Marks of an Apostle”

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, ego, ethics, healing, Holy Spirit, persecution, ScriptureLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 12 (12/12), is 2nd Corinthians 12:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“The things that mark an Apostle ~ signs, wonders and miracles ~ were done among you with great perseverance.”

This is so interesting. These are not things that mark Christians in general, but the Apostles.

Jesus told his Apostles that, when they taught the world about Jesus and baptized them, miracles and signs would accompany the believers (Mark 16:17). The miracles and signs followed conversions of believers by the Apostles to whom he was speaking.

Acts 3:6f and 9:40f involved healing by the Apostle Peter, and Acts 20:9f involved healing by the Apostle Paul which they performed to prove their words were the Words of God.

In Acts 6:5-6, the Apostles laid their hands on seven men to serve the church in a special way. Of those men, Stephen performed miracles (6:8) and Philip performed miracles (8:5-7), both to prove their words were the Words of God.

In Romans 1:1,11, the Apostle Paul said he wanted to visit the Christians in Rome so he could impart some spiritual gift. In 1st Corinthians 1:6-7 the Apostle Paul said he imparted spiritual gifts to Christians in Corinth.

We have no examples in the New Testament of anyone other than an Apostle passing on the power to perform miracles. Even the writings of the “Apostolic Fathers” in the late 1st and early 2nd century say things like “Even down to those times there were a few miracles being performed including raising the dead.”

Yes, the reason for the miracles was to prove the words of the miracle performer were the Words of God (which had not yet been written down). Now that we have the New Testament (Jesus’ and his Apostles’ teachings in written form) we no longer need the miracles.

They were “marks of an Apostle.” The miracles including, healing, renewing the maimed (making limbs grow back), and bringing people back to life. All of them.

Interesting, isn’t it?

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00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE.  One reader declared,  “WOW!  OH, WOW!”  Paul was a stubborn man.  He said of himself, “I was a violent man.” Jesus had to strike him blind and let him stew in his confusion before letting the facts sink into his stubborn head: Jesus, whom he persecuted, was the Son of God.  He spent the rest of his life trying to convince the rest of the stubborn world. He suffered the same kind of torture he had meted onto Christians in his youth.  A stubborn and amazing man.   To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/34ktQnT

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Wednesday 12/11 ~ God be with our teenagers

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, family, judging, knowledge, patience, persecution, problems, Scripture, teaching, victoryLeave a comment

(Oops.  We did today’s yesterday.  So, today we will do yesterday’s.)

00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, December 10 (12/10), is Job 12:10 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”

Let’s talk a moment about teenagers. Many adults joke that their teen is 16 going on 60. What know-it-alls they’ve become! Let’s look at the situation this way. They may have bodies that have grown to that of an adult. But minds grow much slower, and they must give their minds a chance to catch up.

As adults, it is our responsibility to help their minds catch up. Know enough about the Bible that you can apply scriptures to their activities and interests and friends. You may wish to make a list of your teenager’s activities, interests, and friends, and then list a scripture next to each. Proverbs is an excellent book to start with. Then when the occasion arises, be ready (even if you have to sneak into the other room a minute to consult your list) to instill some wisdom.

This way, it is not you speaking, but God speaking. God said, “My word will not return to me void” (Isaiah 55:11). And God is older and wiser than all of us.

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00-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-ThumbnailSTEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR begins with Stephen as a wreckless 17-year-old coward. He is idealistic but always goes about proving his point in the wrong way ~ speaking when he should not, trying when he should give up, frustrated, brazen.  Go along with Stephen as he gradually matures until, at the age of 28 with a wife and two children, he walks into the death chamber (Sanhedrin council chambers) and keeps them busy with his accusations until his friend can escape.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or PASTE THIS………https://amzn.to/2t3I53z

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Thursday 12/5 ~ Then God will arise

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, Enemies, Fear, governments, patience, persecution, problems, Satan, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 5 (12/5), is Psalm 12:5 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

06-Moses Thumbnail Cover” ‘Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the Lord. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’ “

Notice, in this scripture the Lord says, “I will now arise.” Sometimes God needs you to endure difficulties so that bad people who cause such problems can be exposed for what they are, and ultimately so Satan can be exposed for what he is. Sometimes that difficulty will last months or years ~ sometimes even a lifetime.

First Corinthians 3:9 in the New Testament says you are a worker together with God. Ephesians 6:12 says “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly [spiritual] realms.”

You are where God wants you to be. This is your assignment. Are you up to it? Sometimes your job is just to hang on and not give up on God. That’s what Satan is always trying to get you to do, just as he did Job in the Old Testament. God won’t leave you in a situation that is impossible for you to endure. I Corinthians 10:13 says, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”

So, go ahead and groan in your weakness, beg in your frustration, and cry in your frailty, but hang on. Never let go of God. That’s your part.

As soon as the evil around you is exposed for what it is, you have proven good cannot be conquered by evil, and you have grown spiritually as a result of your experience.  And God’s part?  Then God will arise.

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06-Moses Thumbnail CoverA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES:  MOSES’ people had endured 400 years of terrible slavery.  Thousands died thinking God had not heard their prayers. But, when the harsh treatment of the Egyptians got unbearable, God arose. He lifted up Moses who then endured the threats of Pharaoh, outlasted Pharaoh, and led over three million of his people out of their slavery and into freedom.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/36abNlZ

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Monday 12/2 ~ How much do you want your crown?

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, Death of Jesus Christ, Enemies, Loss, persecution, power, problems, Satan, Saved from hell, victory, weaknessLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 2 (12/2), is Hebrews 12:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Yes, life gets pretty rough sometimes. And the harder we try to act like Christians among non-Christians, the more difficult it can become. Did such difficulties stop Jesus? No. He was determined to save as many souls from hell as possible. And he was determined to do the job God gave him before returning to heaven.

What is your assignment?  God gives everyone an assignment; you can often tell by what is going wrong in your life. Some bad things are our own doing. But Satan never rests, especially among Christians; and the stronger the Christian is, the harder he pushes them. He does this, according to Job, to get us to blame God.

Those with the old excuse, “If God is so good, why does he allow evil?” are still with us long after Job.  Satan makes people forget he exists, thus leaving only one being to blame. He is a liar.

First, bad exists because Satan exists. Second, God gave us free will whether to follow him or not and Christians are subject to those who choose to tear down God and all he represents.  Third, God is preparing us for something in heaven and is testing us to develop our spiritual muscles here on earth. It may have something to do with the servants Jesus mentioned to whom the Master gave cities to rule over (Luke 19:11-27). There are an estimated two trillion galaxies out there.

Where is your determination? Jesus is preparing a crown for you (James 1:12; Revelation 3:11) so you can reign with him (II Timothy 2:12). Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Do not “grow weary and lose heart.”  Jesus has a crown for you. He has a throne for you.  He has a job for you.  Will you listen to Satan’s lies that God hates everyone and is using them as pawns, or will you listen to the God of the Universe? How determined are you to live forever in heaven?

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0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailSHADOW OF DEATH is book 7 in the 8-historical-novel series THEY MET JESUS. For most of three years, his nation’s leaders tried to kill him, sometimes legally and sometimes illegally. In the end, they got him illegally.  He was beaten by the priests, by Herod’s soldiers, by Pilot’s soldiers. He had no skin left on his back, his eyes were swollen, he was probably missing some teeth. Then there were the spikes that finished attacking his flesh and robbing him of his blood.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………..https://amzn.to/2DEnxRj

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Monday 11/18 ~ Perhaps someday they will listen

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, emptiness, Enemies, ethics, governments, Loss, patience, persecution, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 18 (11/18), is Deuteronomy 11:18f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCover“Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

Sometimes the country you live in goes through very bad times. You pray for the bad times to end, but they do not. What is going on? The above warning was to the Israelites just before they entered their promised land. God had just said through Moses, don’t worship idols.

Perhaps your country is going through bad times because of idol worship. Probably not like the hand-made idols of ancient times, but idols of money and power and lack of morality and ethics.

You may feel all alone in trying to get the people you know to do better. They may laugh at you, scorn you, fire you from your job. There have been times in the Bible when a good man prayed, “God, I am the only one left who worships you.” God would reply there were others trying to do right too. But he never replied he was going to stop the punishing. The country hadn’t turned back to God yet.

Therefore, when you are suffering unjustly for what a majority of your countrymen have been doing, you must do it bravely. And while you wait it out, continue to remind yourself, your family, your neighbors, your countrymen of the righteous ways they should be acting.

In bad times, this is your assignment. Be brave and spread the news. Keep reminding and being as patient with them as God is with you. Perhaps someday, they will listen.

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03-Naaman'sMaid-ThumbnailCoverBIBLE KIDS:  NAAMAN’S MAID was kidnapped when people in Israel were not acting right. The girl was turned into a slave in Syria without hope of ever being freed.  She accepted it and was as good as she knew how.  Because of this little girl, a big, important general met a prophet and learned about the true God. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/340Cc4L

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Saturday 11/16 ~ Falsely Accused No More

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, faith, Fear, Inspirational, judging, persecution, sacrifice, truthLeave a comment

The scripture for today, November 16 (11/16), is John 11:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

EASTER Strip-MetJesus“Then Thomas…said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go that we may die with him.’ “

Have you ever been falsely accused?  This apostle is most often and wrongly called “Doubting Thomas.” We’ve all heard the story about Thomas being absent when Jesus appeared to the other apostles, then later said he wouldn’t believe Jesus was alive again unless he could touch him. Well, the other apostles hadn’t believed until they saw him either.

After returning to life, Jesus first appeared to the women. Then, “when they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others…But they did not believe the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:9-11).

Now let’s look at our scripture for today. In the months before Jesus’ death, he had been traveling everywhere except to Judea where Jerusalem and the religious leaders were. Those leaders had plans to kill Jesus, and everyone knew it. Then Lazarus got sick just six miles from Jerusalem and his sisters begged Jesus to come heal him. It was dangerous for Jesus to go there. He didn’t go and Lazarus died.

John 11:7-8 says, “Then he [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’ ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?’ “

After explaining that he needed to get to Lazarus, it was Thomas who bravely spoke up and said, “Let us also go that we may die with him!”

Later, when Thomas did finally see Jesus, he was the first to call him “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Doubting Thomas? Far from it! Brave Thomas. Devoted Thomas. Thomas who was willing to follow his Lord to the death. Thomas who was the first to call him God. That was the real Thomas.

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EASTER Strip-MetJesus

PROMISE KEEPER, SHADOW OF DEATH, COME FLY WITH ME are the complete Easter Story.  In these, Thomas plays a major role as he encourages the other apostles to not be afraid but follow Jesus to the death.  And meet his twin sister who shares his faith.  To BUY NOW click the book covers or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2OKZLLL

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Friday 11/15 ~ Kingdom of Hope

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn church, death, ego, governments, judging, knowledge, persecution, power, Scripture, teaching, worshipLeave a comment

The Scripture for today, November 15 (11/15), is Revelation 11:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnail“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever!’ “

 You belong to a kingdom/nation in this world. It is not perfect. Its leaders can sometimes do very bad things. And you wonder how you can stand some of the terrible things that sometimes happen within a government.

But your worldly kingdom/nation is not the only one you can live in. Colossians 1:13 says Jesus “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Rescued! Brought you! Past tense! The kingdom isn’t something in the future. It is here now. And it goes by yet another name. Verse 18 says, “And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church.”

So, when you sometimes become discouraged about your kingdom/nation in this world that you live in, take hope. You can have dual citizenship! For there is another kingdom here, a spiritual one. The king of that kingdom will love you. Forever love you.

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00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnailWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE 1ST CENTURY is half of a series, “Wandering Soul, Entitled Heart, and the Sidetracked Church.”  Many of the ways people worship today and think are so sweet are the result of governments stepping in and mandating the change. They imprisoned or executed anyone objecting to the change.  Changes in worship came about amidst agony.  Investigate your habitual ways of worshipping. How did they come about?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2NTsJHb

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