Persecuted? Yes. Frightened? Yes. Cowering? Never.

On February 15, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, death, discouragement, Enemies, faith, Fear, governments, Loss, patience, persecution, power, problems, victory, weaknessLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 16 (2/16), is 2nd Thessalonians 2:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Who were these people the apostle Paul was writing? They were suffering people.

Physically they were suffering. Some in their group had even been killed for their faith. Mentally they were suffering. Would they be next? Would it be worth everything they were going through?

Spiritually they were struggling. The apostle Paul, who wrote this, had been through such struggles many times himself. He wanted to make sure their faith would not waver.

How? By praying that their persecution would stop? At no time in the Bible do we have an account of Christians pray that the persecution stop. What did they pray for? Boldness.

They could be bold if they knew Jesus Christ loved them personally. They could be bold if they knew God the Father loved them personally. They could be bold with eternal encouragement, strength.

“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” he told them. “With the strength God gives you, keep doing good deeds and spreading the Word.”

Persecuted? Yes. Frightened? Yes. Cowering? Never.

How about your life?

God’s encouragement never ceases. It is always there. There when you feel alone, when you feel forsaken, when you are frightened, when you feel helpless, when you feel hopeless.

God gives good hope. Sometimes things in your life may be going so badly you have trouble having faith in God. But you can still hope. The candle of your faith may be flickering, but your hope can still be a flaming hope, a large hope, a good hope.

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR ran for his life when his best friend was crucified because of their prank against the city’s goddess. No matter where he lived and what he tried to get people to believe in the one true God, things seemed to backfire. His university turned against him. The Olympic Games turned against him. His fellow craftsmen turned against him. Then he met Jesus. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/2XBFXvJ

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Do your best, Timothy. Do your best.

On February 14, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Daily, discouragement, Enemies, eternity, Fear, governments, Heaven, Inspirational, Loss, patience, persecution, power, problems, temptation, victory, weaknessLeave a comment

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

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

“Do your best,” Paul told a younger co-worker. “Do your best.”

This was an apostle speaking. This was Paul who had endured multiple beatings with rods and lashings with whips. This was Paul who no one could stop.

He had endured floods and snowstorms, hunger and robbers on the road. Still, no one could stop him. He endured shipwrecks and even treading water a day and night in the sea. Nothing could stop him.e \

It seems with Paul, it was never enough. He was driven. When he was stoned and presumed dead, he got up and went back into the city! When he was imprisoned, he defied the magistrates who put him there and sang his sermons to the other prisoners. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could shut him up.

When he wrote this, he was now in prison. He had done his best. Now it was time for the next generation. He was handing the torch over to Timothy and the others.

“Do your best, Timothy. Don’t let them stop you. Never let them stop you. They are lost and don’t know it. Tell them, Timothy. Keep telling them, no matter how terribly they treat you. Keep telling them and keep telling them. Don’t stop, Timothy. Do your best.

“Some will stop what they are doing and listen to you. They will turn their life around. They will be there with you when it is time to be presented to God. They will be there with you, and with you they will say, “I did my best.”

PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE. I sometimes wonder what kind of child Paul was. I tend to think when his parents punished him, he got up and immediately did the offending thing again. Why do I think that? Because that is what he did as a missionary preacher. Pagan priests beat him. But he got up and preached again. Jewish priests lashed him. But he got up and preached again. Governments imprisoned him. But he got up and preached again. What kind of stuff was Paul made of? To READ THIS BEST SELLER, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/UnstoppablePaul

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Hyperactive Paul

On January 28, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Daily, Enemies, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, love, persecution, power, problems, sacrifice, victory, weaknessLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 29 (1/29), is Colossians 1:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me.”

Wow! Hyperactive Paul, Paul who preached even while in jail, Paul who went back to preaching after he’d just been beaten and told not to, Paul with the “A-type personality” said he got all that energy from Jesus Christ (see verse 28).

Who provides your energy? It depends on what you are being driven to do. It depends on what consumes you. It depends on what you’re spending your time doing and what is on your mind all the time.

Think about it today.

On what things do you use the energy of Jesus?

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You brought eternity into my soul

On January 22, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, Bible, Death of Jesus Christ, eternity, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, Life of Christ, love, patience, persecution, power, praise, prayer, sacrifice, Satan, sin, Thanksgiving, victory, worshipLeave a comment

I praise and adore you, Lord God of heaven and earth. Of angels and people. Of stars and beasts. Of galaxies and molecules. So great and so minuscule ~ too large and too small for me to even see. You are in all. You made all. Your glory and might and wonders are reflected in all. You are my Maker, my Defender, the Lover of my soul. You make darkness light. You make rough roads smooth. You make my chains break and fall away. I feel so warm and loved in your presence. You alone are worthy of worship.

Thank you, Jesus, for all your sacrifices. Over and over you sacrificed ~ heaven, a normal childhood, being a suspected bastard, being hounded by would-be assassins for two years. You went in and out of hiding. You dared them to live what they demanded of others. They hated you for it. They tortured you, insulted you, crucified you. Then death and hell. So much. Because of my sins. My sins. You never gave up on me. Satan tried to destroy you. No one can destroy God. You destroyed him. You destroyed my sins. Your persistence brought light into my life. Your love brought eternity into my soul. Your love is unfathomable.

THEY MET JESUS: FLOOD GATES. Jealous leaders feel threatened by Jesus. The people follow him everywhere. He is feeding them free. Healing them free. Teaching them free. Even commanding demons. He must be crushed. He must be destroyed. Spreading rumors about him has not worked. Blaming him for breaking the law has not worked. He must be killed. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/2XsOXDS

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The “naked” conqueror

On January 20, 2021 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Daily, discouragement, emptiness, Fear, Inspirational, judging, Loss, patience, persecution, problems, Satan, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 21 (1/21), is Job 1:21 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“ ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ “

Wow! Is he for real? Job had every reason to turn against God. In one day his entire wealth was stolen from him, nearly all his servants were killed by an invading army, and all his children died in a storm. Why hadn’t God protected him if he loved him so much?

Amidst tragedy, do you sometimes forget that Satan exists also? Job understood that whatever Satan does, God can undo.

Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10), but God is the forgiver. Satan can cause you to get sick, but God can heal. Satan can cause you to die, but God can bring you back to life. Satan can make you miserable in this world, but God can take you to a better world.

Shall you leave God to fight Satan alone? You were made in his image. And how do you fight Satan? The same way Job did. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” There’s more….

In all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons,
Neither the present nor the future,
Nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth,
Nor anything else in all creation
Will be able to separate us from the
Love of God
That is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:37-39)

How can you be “more than a conqueror” unless you have something to conquer? How can you have “victory in Jesus” unless you have something to be victorious over?

You have periodic assignments from God. What bad thing has happened in your life lately? That is your assignment.

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Hold fast. Stand Firm. Do the right thing.

On January 12, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, church, Enemies, eternity, judging, Loss, patience, persecution, problems, Satan, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 12 (1/12), is James 1:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

How loyal are you to God? Is your relationship up and down, depending on how your life is going at the moment? If you pray for something and don’t get it, do you feel as though God is punishing you? If everything seems to be going wrong, do you blame God instead of Satan? Do you pray over and over for God to relieve you of a particular burden, but relief hasn’t come so you’ve decided to quit the church?

Quit grumbling! God has assignments for you. What kind of soldier of the Lord are you? Do you tell the general you don’t like what he has assigned for you to do? Where you are today is where God wants you. Your job is to stay loyal no matter how difficult things get. Be brave. Hold fast. Stand your ground.

Why? To prove that love is stronger than hatred. To prove that good is stronger than bad. To prove that right is more mighty than wrong. To prove that God is stronger than Satan. Ephesians 6:12 says Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Determine today to thank God for whatever state you are in, even if you do it in tears because it goes against all your emotions. And, even though you may feel helpless to do anything about it right now, in your helplessness, persevere!

JOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER. Have you ever wondered the pressure Joseph must have felt those thirty years raising the Son of God? To keep him safe in a violent world? To open up the scriptures to him? To defend him when neighbors called Mary names and Jesus a bastard? To rescue him from bears in the forest while cutting lumber? To watch him and wonder if and when he knew who he was? And when he felt out of control, did he cry to the other Father, “God! Help me protect our Son!” Read this biblical historical novel of how it might have been. To BUY NOW, click a book cover, or paste this: https://bit.ly/30FFlbC

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Shhh. Listen. God is calling you.

On January 11, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, death, eternity, faith, Fear, Heaven, Inspirational, joy, persecution, Thanksgiving, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 11 (1/11), is 2nd Peter 1:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

How often do you forget that earth is not your home? As an old gospel song says, “We’re just passing through.” Do you really believe that?

If someone told you tomorrow you were going to die, would you go into a panic? Would you beg God to let you live another ten or twenty years? Would you feel this was the beginning of the end?

To a true Christian, your dying is the end of the beginning. You have a whole “life” ahead of you in heaven. A never-ending life. Do you live like you believe it? Will you die looking forward to it?

Are you even a Christian yet? What is your life like? Do you even know what is in the Bible, God’s messages to you? Does the thought of heaven sound boring to you? Do you even like God?

Stop and listen to the empty place in your heart (Ec. 3:11). Do you hear it? Shhh. Listen… God is calling you.

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Go and conquer anyway

On January 8, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Enemies, Fear, governments, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, persecution, power, truth, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 9 (1/9), is Joshua 1:9 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Fear can paralyze. Just ask Joshua. He had just been given the job of conquering horrible people who practiced prostitution as a religion, self-mutilation, and sacrificing their children to the fire god. Plus, his spies said those bad people were like giants and his army was made up of the children of former slaves with no experience.

Guess what God said. “Go anyway. Conquer anyway.”

What do you fear? A few people fear spiders and night time and heights and such. A lot more of us fear changing a bad habit that has us in its claws and won’t let us go. Even more serious, do you fear telling a neighbor, someone in a club, a relative about Jesus’ willingness to save them from hell and get them ,entrance into heaven? To all this, God says, “Go anyway.”

Some of you reading this live in countries where it is dangerous to be a Christian. Do you fear being arrested, tortured, killed for your faith? God tells you, “Be strong! Be courageous! Do not be terrified!” Why. Because “the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

What keeps the fear under control? “Perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18). Love yourself, love your neighbor, love God.

Today, whatever it is holding you back, “Go anyway, Conquer anyway.”

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Faithful to my descendants

On December 29, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, church, death, faith, family, Inspirational, judging, persecution, prayer, Saved from hell, Thanksgiving, worshipLeave a comment

Jehovah God, your Master Plan of saving us from Satan and hell is perfect and grand. It will continue, no matter how much we humans and Satan fight it. It will be carried out to the glorious end. Your will shall be carried out because you have the strongest will of all ~ love, justice, mercy. You shall win over Satan and hell and take me safely home to heaven. I am overwhelmed. I worship at your feet.

Thank you, Lord, for all those who have gone before me in the faith. People like Abraham and Joseph and Elijah who stood alone to believe in and follow you. Thank you for the apostles, their hard work, and enduring terrible pain when they were slowly killed rather than deny you. Thank you for Christians around the world who believed in you, even when the other people in their countries ~ China, India, Africa, Europe ~ did not. Thank you for those who stood up against changing your rules, even though it meant being burned at the stake. Thank you for my own ancestors, some of whom were loyal to you to the very end. May I follow their example and be a faithful Christian ancestor to my descendants.

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR had always loved God and wanted to show Him to unbelievers. He tried everything he knew to do, but everything seemed to backfire. Then he met Jesus. He escorted desperate widows in Cyrene to live in Jerusalem. There he was made a deacon. His messages were powerful, his miracles unbelievable. The church grew. He had everything to live for. How could he have given it all up? He knew when he entered their chambers he would not come out alive. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/StephenUnlikelyMartyr

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The God of Second Chances

On December 27, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Daily, eternity, good works, Heaven, persecution, praise, prayer, sacrifice, teaching, victoryLeave a comment

God, you love every one of your children and we love you in return. But sometimes someone wanders away. You need to leave the rest of us behind to find the lost one and that is fine with me. I will be okay while you’re gone. Oh, me? You mean me? You want me to go for you, and find your missing child? Ah, let me think a moment. Are you sure? Ummm… Yes, yes! If you will fill my spirit with your kind of love, then I must go. I will not be able to resist the search. Help me find the lost soul in time. Give me courage to go where ever I must go. And, Lord, help that lost one keep praising you until I arrive. Me too. I will keep praising you.

Ah, my Lord, I grow so impatient sometimes, waiting for my time to join you ~ impatient over days and months and years. How you must laugh because you work in decades and centuries and millenniums. Thank you for time. All things change and all things will eventually pass away. With time, the consequences of my sins eventually pass away. You give me an opportunity to try again. You are the God of second chances. I will forever bend my knee to you in the shimmering gratitude that permeates my soul.

PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE. He had to change sides to obey God. He’s been wrong. He had to admit it. It took sudden blindness and a voice out of heaven to stop him and make him turn around. He spent the rest of his life doing the same for others. Constantly stopping people, making them think of what they are doing with their lives, then turning them around to march in victory toward the gates of heaven. Was it convenient? They beat him, starved him, imprisoned him, lashed him, stoned him ~ but nothing stopped him. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/UnstoppablePaul

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