Monday 9/30 ~ We fall at his bloody pierced feet and worship him

The scripture for today, September 30 (9/30), is Luke 9:30f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.”

Hebrews 5:7 says something very startling to most people. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.”

Jesus did not look forward to going to the cross, even though many thousands of others had died that way. Why was it different for him? Because he had to take on all our sins as though he had committed them himself ~ every lie we ever told, every gain from cheating, every insult, every slander campaign against another, every adultery, every murder ~ everything. He had to take the blame for ALL our sins! How could he bear it?

Not only that, but he had to experience both physical and spiritual death. Spiritual death means being separated from, being forsaken by God. What a terror to experience!

And so, a few weeks before his crucifixion, as he prayed on the mountain, Moses and Elijah appeared to him and they spoke about his death. They surely gave him the courage to do what had to be done to save you and me who deserve hell.

The crowning glory of this conversation with Moses and Elijah is that the Father himself reassured him by announcing, “THIS IS MY SON! WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN! LISTEN TO HIM!”

Jesus was to nail the Old Law of Moses to the cross (Colossians 2:14). He had promised people, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

On the cross, he said, “It is fulfilled.”  Indeed, by the time Jesus returned to heaven, he had lived the Old Law introduced by Moses perfectly ~ something no man had ever been able to do. And by the time he returned to heaven, he had fulfilled every prophecy about his birth, life, and death, the first such full-time prophet being Elijah.

Oh, the things Jesus went through for us. We fall at his bloody, pierced feet and worship him.

 

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailTHEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH includes two chapters on the crucifixion itself ~ one the first three hours, one the last three hours.  I studied a lot of medical manuals and consulted physicians and they are the result. It also includes the hours before his crucifixion, the mourning of his followers and that great Sunday morning when he gave Satan the final blow: He came back to life!  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2MPmDcj

 

#crucifixion, #blame, #penalty, #punishment, #cross, #Moses, #Elijah, #Shadow of Death, #TheyMetJesus, #hell, #heaven, #eternity, #Satan, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Free book

The Lord's Supper: 52 Readings With Prayers Kindle Edition

I do not know if the congregation you attend commemorates the Lord’s death and resurrection every Sunday or not.  If not, perhaps this book will encourage you to begin this wonderful practice ~ celebrate “Easter” every Sunday.

FREE: THE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS. For presiding at the Table or personal meditation. Available WORLDWIDE.

Download your FREE book to read on your computer, phone, notebook, etc. here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3r3rm0o4v1

#LordsSupper, #mass, #HolyCommunion, #deathofJesus,. #resurrectionofJesus, #Easter, #crucifixion, #resurrection, #EverySunday, #Worship, #savedfromhell, #forgiveness, #eternity, #ransomtoSatan, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Saturday 9/28 ~ Just keep walking and walking and…

The scripture for today, September 28 (9/28), is Hebrews 9:28 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Medium-New“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Waiting is hard to do. We wait for relatives to arrive at our house for a visit. We wait for our next promotion. We wait for babies to be born. We wait for enough money to buy new clothes.

But what about waiting for something that we have never seen? Waiting for something we believe in by faith? Waiting an entire lifetime?

All the more reason to keep your eyes on the Word, your activities in good works, and your heart on your Creator and Savior.

It’s a long spiritual walk. But just keep walking, and keep walking, and keep walking until someday in the distant future you walk right through the gates of heaven.

Then, when you look back from eternity, you will say, “The wait wasn’t so long after all.”

 

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Medium-NewTHEY MET JESUS: COME FLY WITH ME is the last novel in the life of Christ series. It is about Jesus appearing several times after coming back to life including the memorial service of 500 of his closest friends which he interrupts.  The very last chapter is old apostle John’s visit to heaven.  This series is being considered for a TV series.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2lZ0gEE

#heaven, #eternity, #waiting, #pearlygates,  #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Thursday 9/26 ~ How amazing God’s plan for us

The scripture for today, September 26 (9/26), is Hebrews 9:26f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

07-SHADOW-ChildsCartoonThmbnail“Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face the judgment.”

According to the Old Law of Moses, sacrifices of perfect lambs had to be made to temporarily pay the ransom of death for people’s sins. But it wasn’t enough because what Satan really wanted was the death of God so he could take over.

Finally, Jesus became the perfect Lamb of God and gave Satan what he wanted (Matthew 20:28). In a sense, he laid down on the altar of the world. He paid the ransom Satan demanded to release our sinful souls from his clutches.

Then Jesus fooled Satan.  Satan thought he got what he wanted ~ God in the body of Jesus had died.  The ransom was paid and our souls released in one fell swoop. Then three days later he played a trick on Satan: He came back to life!

And so, just as Jesus died once, we too die once. Then our judgment. No second chances. No reincarnations. No going back and trying to be perfect again and failing again.  No trying for yet another 1000 years because supposedly Jesus didn’t get it right the first time.  

Jesus released us from all of our failures at being perfect. Thank God, he was perfect for us. And now, after dying once, when he returns, he will not set foot on earth.  Instead, his followers will meet him in the air among the clouds (I Thessalonians 4:17). The rest will face judgment.

How amazing God’s plan for us!

 

07-SHADOW-ChildsCartoonThmbnailA CHLD’S LIFE OF CHRIST: Storybook 7, SHADOW OF DEATH, takes the child very gently through Jesus hurting and then dying so he could go to a perfect and beautiful world and show us how to follow him there.  Children hear about the cross; help them understand with gentle words that keep them focused on the beauty of heaven.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2OR1Ztg

#crucifixion, #Satan, #savedfromhell, #sacrifice, #ransom, #freedom, #paradise, #heaven, #kidnapped, #released, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Saturday 9/21 ~ God’s blood

The scripture for today, September 21 (9/21), is Hebrews 9:21f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnail“In the same way, he [Moses] sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”

Long ago in the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve, the day they sinned they would die.  And it happened. The day they sinned their souls died. Death means separation. In a physical sense, we are separated from people living on earth. In a spiritual sense, we are separated from God in heaven. God is life, and cannot dwell with death. It is not in his nature. Neither can he dwell with sin. That, too, is not in his nature.

Death is Satan’s nature, so the souls of mankind began to dwell with Satan. He lured us into his trap and we gave in to his temptations. He held us ransom.  It was a blood ransom. God was able to temporarily appease Satan by commanding people to spill the blood of animals.  But animal blood was not enough for Satan. He demanded God’s blood. 

God loves us so very, very much, he sent his Words to earth, taking on flesh and blood (John 1:1,14). Then he bought us from Satan with his own blood (Acts 20:28).

What a God we have! What incomprehensible love! Let us fall at his feet in the awe of silence and worship.

 

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnailWAS JESUS GOD? (WHY EVIL?) takes simple steps from the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane to show Jesus was God’s Word materialized.  then it moves beyond all that to talk about the glories of our next life ~ our permanent life ~ and heaven. The entire book is centered around John 1:1, 14: “In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God…And the Word took on flesh and dwealt among us.” To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2V9FfUB

#bloodsacrifice, #deathofChrist, #crucifixion, #ransom, #AdamAndEve, #sin, #purchase, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Sunday 9/15 ~ Can you spare a few more minutes?

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

Supper-Front Cover-Thumbnail“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 weaker 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 die in the place of your enemy ~ 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? We fall silently at His feet and worship.

Today is Sunday, the day the apostles and those they taught kept the Lord’s Supper remembering Jesus’ body that was tortured and died in our place and his blood that was drained from his body in our place. When you worship today, will you have time to remember his death with all the singing and praying and speechifying going on? Will you squeeze out the reason for Sunday, the day he came back to life and the day he returned home to heaven? Can you take a little more time?

This is the day he ransomed you from Satan and hell! So, I ask again, do you have time?

 

Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailTHE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS provides scriptures about Jesus and his ultimate sacrifice, the love of God for us, and sacrifice in general. Never run out of things to say and think about in this most precious time every Sunday.  The prayers will help you say what is on your heart during those intimate moments with Jesus.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2I7yfm4

#Lord’sSupper, #HolyCommunion, #mass, #LastSupper, #sacrifice, death, #crucifixion, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Saturday 9/14 ~ Have a day of gratitude

The scripture for today, September 14 (9/14), is Hebrews 9:14f as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

0-BK 6-PromiseKeeper-Cover-thumbnail-new-kindleHow much more then will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts [sins] that lead to death so that we may serve the living God! For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant [testament] that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance ~ now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant [testament].”

This is a very interesting passage. Just previous to this, the author was talking about the blood of bulls and goats being sacrificed for sins under the old Law of Moses [Testament]. But now that the Son of God, the Lamb of God, had been sacrificed for our sins, we no longer need any more blood sacrifices.

Further, Jesus’ sacrifice was retroactive! It reached back to the faithful who lived under the first/old covenant [Testament] and set them free from punishment for their sins too.

Aren’t you glad God did away with the old Law of Moses with all its 600+ rules and regulations, and its requirement for animal blood sacrifices? Aren’t you overjoyed that he brought us a law of grace? What a God! What a Savior! Jesus did all this to save us from hell.

Have a day of deep gratitude.

 

0-BK 6-PromiseKeeper-Cover-thumbnail-new-kindleTHEY MET JESUS: PROMISE KEEPER: Walk with Jesus his last month on earth.  Watch him fight to stay strong so, when the time came, he would be able to fight for us, wrestle us from the claws of Satan, and set us free.  Blood ransom is what Satan demanded and blood ransom is what he got. Jesus came to earth for that purpose and he kept his promise. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2I4WQrO

#sacrifice, #blood, #lambofgod, #crucifixion, #covenant, #testament, #ransom, #freedom, #Satan, #hell, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Friday 9/13 – Rise up! Experience the Victory!

The scripture for today, September 13 (9/13), is Psalm 9:13f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises…and there rejoice in your salvation.”

Life is a mixture of highs and lows. You sometimes experience difficult things ~ some minor, some major. Do you let them define your entire life? Do you cling to them, never getting over them, never letting them go, and reliving them over and over in your mind?

 You cannot be “more than a conqueror” (Romans 8:37) unless you have something to conquer. You cannot have “victory in Jesus” unless you have something to be victorious over.

God said he can make “all things work together for good” to those who love him (Romans 8:28). He did not say bad decisions will end up with the best result. He said even the worst situation he will turn in to some kind of good for you.

Today, with the courage of God in your heart, the love of God in your soul, and the might of God in your very being, rise up! Rejoice! Thank God for your problems.  It is only when you have problems that you can experience victories.

 

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailIn SHADOW OF DEATH, you live through the last night and day of Jesus life and death. Why did he do it? He went through a hideous death to pay the ransom to set us free from Satan who kidnapped our souls the day Adam and Eve sinned. It freed all good people (everyone sins) in the past and still does today. Of course, after giving Satan what he wanted as the ransom ~ the death of God ~ Jesus tricked him and came back to life. The ransom had been paid and now Jesus had overcome death for us.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2I7VgFk

#discouragement, #disasters, #tragedies, #conqueror, #victory, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth  https://amzn.to/2I7VgFk

Friday 8/16 ~ Solace, Comfort, Reassurance

The scripture for today, August 16 (8/16), is Romans 8:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAIL“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

This is so similar to the scripture of a few days ago on how to know if the Spirit is living in you.  You can use the same approach to determine how the Spirit teaches you that you are God’s child.

Once again, John 14:17 says the Comforter Jesus sent us was the Spirit of Truth. And Jesus said in John 17:17, God’s Word is Truth. So it is through God’s Word that you are taught how to become God’s child. You do not have to guess!

This is what is so wonderful about Christianity. The Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Shamanist and many other religions leave the followers to guess because their “god” has given them no instructions. Ninety-nine percent of them believe they are not children of God.

They also believe there are not saved because they can’t be perfect, so have to be reincarnated thousands of times to try to be perfect. The Muslim religion says followers are slaves, and they won’t know until the Day of Judgment if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds. If they did more good than bad, they get to go to paradise where they have gold couches and wide-eyed virgin servants but God is not there.

In all other world religions, followers never know if they are children of God and saved. As hard as you try, you cannot be perfect.  But Jesus came and was perfect for you.  All the good works in the world will not get a sinner into God’s home ~ heaven~ because we are still sinners. Jesus collected the wages for your sin, thus making Satan’s threats of hell ineffective.  If you believe this and follow what he says in the Bible, you can become God’s child and live with Him forever after you go through the happy door of death.

 Praise God! He has given you The Map, the Way ~ the Holy Bible, God’s Word in written form. Such solace. Such comfort. Such reassurance.

 

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAILTHE ROAD TO HEAVEN begins in the Garden of Eden and leads the reader on the long journey to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and on into heaven itself.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  amzn.to/TheRoadToHeaven

#HolySpirit, #death, #salvation, #SlavesOfGod, #ChildrenOfGod, #Hope, #Perfection, #sinless, #GoodWorks, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth

Monday 8/12 ~ I am your light. I am your water. I am your life.

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

0000-BK 1-StarSong-Cover-new-Thumbnail“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 kill 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 called 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 there was a beautiful sunrise. When the sun was up and the crowds had 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.

 

0000-BK 1-StarSong-Cover-new-ThumbnailTHEY MET JESUS:  STAR SONG. This is novel 1 in the 8-novel series on the life of Christ and 100 people he met and struggled with.  I am getting a phone call one hour from now from a producer whose films have appeared on Netflix, PureFlix, Amazon, etc.  These are easy reads ~ 250 pages large type ~ and can be read in eight hours.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2OOHXj4

LINK to all BOOKS by CATEGORY:  http://bit.ly/MyBookInfo

LINK to all BOOKS on AMAZON: bit.ly/AmazonBooksByKatheryn

#temple, #feastoflights, #feastofingathering, #Honaka, #water, #light, #dawn, #hell, #heaven, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth