Satan loses. God wins.

000-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, June 9 (6/9), is Job 6:9-8 found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off!”

Job was suffering terribly. The Bible says he had sores all over his body. There were other symptoms listed elsewhere in Job that indicate he had a form of leprosy. Now he just wanted to die.

When you get into a life problem that seems hopeless, do you just give up and say, “God, I can’t go on like this. Just take my life right now. It’s too hard. I can’t do it anymore”?

God knows what you are going through. God knows that Satan is attacking you. When things are desperately low, your job is just to hang on. It often takes God time to shift around a lot of other people’s lives in order to alleviate your pain.

Remember, God hurts just as much when you suffer as when he watched his own Son suffer on the cross. His Son’s suffering accomplished something wonderful for others. So too, someday your suffering will somehow, in some way, accomplish something good. And ultimately, just by surviving, Satan loses, and God wins.

This too, will pass. You may not think so, but it will. You may think you will never smile again, never want to go around people again, never sing again. But you will. Just like Job.

.

000-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailLAZARUS: THE SAMARITAN spent years as an indentured servant in the mines. The owner tortured him every way he could.  All for his bride, he Jewess Devorah.  Years later, he became the mine owner.  How did he do it?  Did his meeting Jesus have anything to do with it?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2AfVBoR

.

#patienceofjob, #problems, #troubles, #tragedies, #defeat, #suffering, #godcares, #lazarus, #samaritan, ##KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer

Hmmm. I seem to be missing my tantrum.

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailThe scripture for today, June 1 (6/1) , is Psalm 6:1 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.”

This is not only a good request to God, but it is a good request to each other ~ family and friends alike. When you disagree with someone, do you “back it up” with loud yelling or throwing or hitting things? Do you believe that your point cannot be understood and will not be accepted without a “tantrum”?

This scripture indicates that it is indeed possible to rebuke someone without the tantrum. In fact, it is more effective. When you calmly tell someone you disagree with them, it does not raise their blood pressure and put them on the defensive. With tantrums, they may react as you want on the outside, but you drive them farther from you on the inside.

Calm rebuke does not mean you don’t mean it; it means you are convinced enough, your point of view does not need reinforcement. In that case, the other person is likely to be convinced too.

Today, practice saying calmly what you normally back up with a tantrum. Practice in front of the mirror.  Practice when driving. Practice when cooking or mowing the lawn or combing your hair.  Then, next time you disagree with someone close to you, you will be ready. Ready to not rebuke in your anger.

.

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE MediumMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE got along with everyone. Well, except those who were determined to be his enemies.  His patience and happy disposition were a mystery to most, especially after becoming cripple for life and being denied the throne.  How could he do it?  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2ywrqJi

#arguments, #fights, #disputes, #temper, #tantrums, #familyfeuds, #arguments, #patience, #forgiveness, #handicapped, #crown, #throne, #Mephibosheth, #Mefiboset, #David #Jonathan, #KingSaul, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer

Today’s Mosaic

Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailGod of the universe, you think of everything.  You gave us morning, day, evening, and night. All good in their own way for starting, doing, stopping, and resting.  Each day has its own mosaic Seasons of the year are a mosaic too. Life is a mosaic. So are my friends you gave me, and my enemies too.  Even you are, for I was fashioned like you. All things work together for your pleasure and mine as long as I follow you. I wonder what you have in mind for my mosaic today. What color will today be? Whether light or dark, bright or dull, I will praise you for it.

My Father, sometimes I have a hard time distinguishing between pride and spreading the word about something I have done that will inspire others to do. Keep me from pride.

Ah, my Lord, how can I thank you for loving me and saving my soul? Thank you for preparing a place for me in your eternal home? Oh, how I long to transfer from this world to your perfect one. And thank you for the opportunities I have in this world to stand up for you and fight those who imitate Satan with their wiles and false promises of happiness.  Working for you is sometimes hard, but it makes me stronger and more like you. And I know that, whatever you promise, it will come true. I worship you.

.

Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailTHE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS is perfect to read as personal meditation while partaking of the Lord’s Supper or aloud by people leading the congregation.   To BUY NOW, click a book cover, or paste this………. https://bit.ly/2ZvCTDS

.

#mosaic, #seasons, #daysandnights, #friendsandenemies, #soul, #eternalhome, #Godsworld, #Satan, #promises, #jesuscrucifiction, #LordsSupper, #52readingsprayers, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer

Pray for me

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, May 26 (5/26), is 1st Thessalonians 5:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Brothers, pray for us.”

Do you have a prayer list? Often prayers get bogged down and short because the only person we “remember” in prayer is ourselves. Well, and maybe a relative or two

There are many people who need your prayers: Your family is obvious. How about your neighbors? If you don’t know their names, pray for them by house or apartment number. What about the newspaper? Every one of those bad-news stories is crying out for prayer. The school near you needs your prayers ~ students, teachers, administrators, janitors. It doesn’t matter whether you have a child in that school; pray for them anyway.

Are you praying for the hospital workers during this time of pandemic? People who keep us safe or rescue us in the fire and police departments? How about people in food service? And the delivery trucks to bring things to us because we hesitate to go to the store? What about people in your town who are self-isolating and have to family nearby?

Who are your local government officials? Not liking them doesn’t make any difference, for Jesus said we are to pray for our enemies too. And that leads to the list of your enemies; do you have any at your workplace? Include them too. It’s pretty hard to resent someone you pray for.

One other thing you might try doing in addition to having a prayer list: Have an answered-prayer list. Write down when you pray for someone, then when it is answered. Keep it as a reminder when you are down and don’t think He’s ever going to answer your requests. God does care, after all.

And speaking of requests, by the time you’re done praying for all the other people on your prayer list, you won’t have a lot of time to pray for yourself. And that is okay too, for others are praying for you!

.

I pen my thoughts to encourage souls. Most are based on one or more of my books.  Will you help me spread the word about today’s book?          https://bit.ly/3eh9Yrk

.

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailLUKE: SLAVE & PHYSICIAN is part of the spoils of war when he is 8 and his big, strong Norse father has been killed.  He is adopted by Theophilus, tribune in the Roman legion, as his slave, and helps the legion physician.  When grown, he meets Paul and leaves paganism for Christianity.  He is freed by Theophilus to become Paul’s personal physician, trying to keep Paul alive after all his beatings and lashings by pagan priests to try to stop him.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover, or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/3eh9Yrk

,

#family, #neighbors, #covid19, #medicalworkers, #policefiredepartments, #deliverymen, #Lukeslaveandphysician, #biblicalhistoricalnovel,  #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer

Getting Angry at God

The scripture for today, May 23 (5/23), is Exodus 5:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your [God’s] name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

This is Moses talking to God, and Moses is very angry. Is it a good idea to be mad at God? Deuteronomy 34:10 says there was never a prophet like Moses “whom the Lord knew face to face.”

Getting angry [not violent, that’s different] sometimes is part of a healthy relationship, as long as (1) we stick to the facts and not get into a blame game and (2) are willing to stay around long enough to understand the other person’s point of view.

Moses did not call God bad names nor did he desert God. He spoke his mind, then waited to see how God would reply.

It wasn’t that God didn’t want to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. God was not quite through putting Pharaoh in his place. And he probably did not rescue his people in the manner Moses had in mind. But eventually, ~ after a little patience on Moses’ part ~ it happened: God rescued his people.

Are you angry at God over something? Tell him so. Then stick around and wait for him to express his point of view. It will happen someday. Maybe it won’t be your point of view. Probably it will be better.

.

I pen my thoughts and stories to touch souls. Will you help me tell people about today’s book?    https://bit.ly/2ywrqJi

.

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE had every right to be angry at God.  He was denied the throne of Israel, and at age 5 he was crippled the rest of his life.  How did he manage to be one of the most positive people in the kingdom? This is novel #4 in the INTREPID MEN OF GOD series.  To BUY NOW, click a picture to paste this……….  https://bit.ly/2ywrqJi
.

#anger, #argument, #impatience, #acceptance, #desires, #expectations, #badtogood, #righttowrong, #Mephibosheth, #MefibosetCrippledPrince, #crippled, #handicapped, #bitter, #positiveattitude, ##KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer

He truly does.

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-newThe scripture for today, May 7 (5/7), is 1st Peter 5:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“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 was no evil and bad things happening, we would have heaven on earth. Satan is the Prince of this earth.  Jesus said so.

How many times in a week are you anxious about something? Especially now when our world has been turned upside down and inside out with an unseen enemy that taunts the earth. Your job, your home, your children, your neighbors, your government, your health? How many times in a day do your anxieties weigh you down? Are your burdens heavy? Almost too heavy to bear?

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

Indeed, this is not heaven on earth. But Jesus provides a way for us to escape in our hearts to his world.  Of course, you don’t have to escape; he doesn’t force you. But always he calls out to you, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Why would he do that? He cares for you. He truly does.

.

I pen my thoughts to encourage souls. Will you help me share today’s book with someone?          https://amzn.to/2WyA0z3

.

0-Bk3-HeartsAfire-COVER-Kindle.thumbnail-newHEARTS AFIRE takes place when Jesus makes trips around the country healing people to prove who he was, and teaching the multitudes now following him how to rise above the wars and violence around them. This is novel 3 in the series THEY MET JESUS.  At the end of each chapter are life application questions and historical evidences of the events.  To BUY NOW,  click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2WyA0z3

.

#burdens, #worries, #problems, #fears, #anxieties, #covid19virus, #family, #health, #jobs, #heartsafire, #theymetjesus, #healin, #multitudes, #evidences, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith, #prayer

Shhh. Listen. Do you hear?

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAILThe scripture for today, May 6 (5/6), is Song of Solomon 5:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“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 hears you knock, so opens the door for you. But you are now sidetracked. 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.

God has brought the world into silence and introspection.  How are you doing? Ah, but listen.

     Shhh.

          Do you hear?

              He wants you to be his Ecclesia.

Jesus is calling for you.

.

I write to encourage souls. Will you help me share today’s book with someone?          https://amzn.to/2QcwHcq

.

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAILLOVE LETTERS OF JESUS AND HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA.  Ecclesia is a beautiful name.  That’s because Jesus’ ecclesia is his bride, the church.  This book is a paraphrase of the Song of Solomon thought to have been written on his wedding day.  Each chapter in the book corresponds with each chapter in S of S.  And each chapter is a letter of one of them, usually looking for the other.  Numerous footnotes to explain the beautiful symbolism of this poetic book of the Bible.  Beautiful gift book with papyrus font and the watermark of a bride on each page.  A real keepsake.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2QcwHcq

.

#SongOfSolomon, #Ecclesiachurch, #brideofchrist, #searchforJesus, #loveletters, #giftbook, #keepsakebook, #lovelettersofjesusandhisbrideecclesia, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith, #prayer

Soon will come your morning

OldOldTunes-ThumbnailThe scripture for today, May 3 (5/3), is Psalm 5:3 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

Morning. The time of new beginnings. Birth is a morning. Graduating from a school is a morning. Marriage, a new job, birth of a child ~ these are obvious mornings.

You can create your own morning of life in a spiritual way too. You can stop depending on yourself and begin following and depending on God. You cannot fix all your problems. Sometimes you get yourself into your own problems and don’t know how to get yourself out. For you, it may be midnight. 

Lay your requests before God. Then wait. Waiting in the shadows can create frustration and even panic. But wait in peace. It is not quite dawn, and God is preparing the answer to rise up in your heart when morning finally comes.

He loves you as his child and knows when the moment is right for your dawning. Sometimes when you look back, you are most grateful he did not answer a prayer for you; he had something better in mind. And then, it was morning.

God loves to answer prayer. Therefore, while still in the shadows, wait. Do you see it now? The grayness of dawn with silver hopes intertwined?  Wait in peaceful expectation.  Soon will come your morning.

.

I write to encourage souls. Will you help me share today’s book with someone?          https://amzn.to/3bYLqCL

.

OldOldTunes-ThumbnailTHE OLD OLD STORY SET TO OLD OLD TUNES is a must for every kid who loves God and loves the stories and special verses in his Bible.  40 songs from the Old Testament; 40 songs from the New Testament. Songs about people, places, events, and verses we need to memorize.  Have fun as these stories and verses are teamed up with old folk songs from our youth.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/3bYLqCL

.

#discouragement, prayer, #waiting, #morning, #newbeginnings, #startingover, #theoldoldstorysettooldoldtunes, #childrensBible songs, #Psalm53, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith, #prayer, #praise, #thanksgiving

Rushing into his arms

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-The scripture for today, April 26 (4/26), is Galatians 4:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.”

There is more confusion over the “new Jerusalem” than you might think.  Well, let’s ask God.

What is “the Jerusalem that is above”? Revelation 21:2 says, “I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

Aha! We learn two things.  The New Jerusalem already exists.  And the New Jerusalem is sometimes called our mother and sometimes the Bride of Christ!

 So, what is the Bride of Christ? Ephesians 5:25,27 says, “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy…and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”  How exciting! The New Jerusalem, which is the Bride of Christ, is the Church – all of us.

What else can we learn about the New Jerusalem?  Well, the foundation of the New Jerusalem is the apostles. Revelation says it, and Ephesians 2:20 says it.

Hmmm.  This is getting more interesting all the time.  Okay, let’s look at the 12 gates leading into the church. They are the 12 tribes of Israel, Judaism, where all the prophecies of Jesus are found. 

Always check out the symbolism in the Bible. It deepens your spiritual understanding. Like the Walls of Salvation around the New Jerusalem insurmountably high (Isaiah 26:1 & 60:18). The River of Life and Tree of Life are there in the New Jerusalem.  Just imagine on the final day when the church arrives in heaven, and we are all arrayed in sinless white and are rushing into the arms of our groom, our Jesus.

.

I pen my thoughts to reach out to souls. Will you help me tells others about this book?        https://amzn.to/3bEHw1L

.

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE is by far the most sought-after of all 70 of my books.  It is about a man obsessed, a man who can never do enough to make up for imprisoning, torturing, and killing God’s children. He spends forty-five years going from one city to another daring them to stop him.  They harass him, beat him, starve him, rob him, imprison him, lash him, hound him to the next city. Nothing works.  He knows when he enters a city what they will do to him.  He knows!  But he cannot stop him.  Each time they torture him, he cries out, “Jesus!  This is for you!” At the beginning of the book, he is tall, robust, athletic. By the end, he is stooped, disfigured, the shell of a man, but never defeated.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/3bEHw1L

Ever wonder what happens to the angry people?

5 Science-Based Ways to Break the Cycle of Rage Attacks ...

Here we are mostly isolated from each other.  No one to laugh with, cry with, wonder with.  We adjust.  But what about the angry people?

You know the type.  The people who are mad all the time. The kind that walks up to you and says, “And besides…”  The kind that rants and raves, pounds on things, throws things ~ all to get everyone’s attention and prove how angry they have a right to be.

If they can no longer go to work or to the store or to relatives’ homes or to ball games, who do they get angry with?  If they are completely isolated and still have that drive to be mad at everyone, who do they get mad at?

Who do they lash out at, especially if they have to have living bodies to express themselves to?  It’s no fun throwing temper tantrums at televisions or computers. It’s no fun pounding on a tree that fell in your yard and the neighborhood doves that keep you awake all night with all their crazy cooing.  They don’t know they’re being “angered at”.

I wonder.  If a habitually angry person is forced to live in peace, after the initial shock, do they settle in and begin to like peace?  I wonder….

0-signature