Horror turned to victory

On November 23, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, love, power, prayer, sacrifice, sin, Thanksgiving, victory, worshipLeave a comment

Ah, my Lord, from the cross that day, drops of grief fell with your blood. From those hands pierced through with nails, drops of shame fell with your blood. From your feet stabbed through with a rusty spike, drops of sin fell. From your side where your exhausted heart burst, drops of disgrace fell. I can only begin to understand what you went through in your spirit on the cross that terrible day. That day of horrors which you turned into a day of victory. That day of degradation in which you were crowned with glory.

You are my bread of life that feeds my hungry soul as it yearns for you. You give drink to my heart that longs to be refreshed in springs of mercy. You provide a path for my wandering spirit as it seeks to join you in that holy of holies, heaven. You keep me alive when I am weak, breathe your love into me, and hold me in your everlasting arms. How can I thank you for loving me this much? I worship you.

THEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH tells the stories of the three crosses, the six hours of horror and honor on the one. It tells the stories of grief and desertion by the one they loved beyond death. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/ShadowOfDeath-7

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-7-shadow-of-death-adults-childs-versions/

The real Thomas

On November 16, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn Death of Jesus Christ, discouragement, Enemies, Fear, Inspirational, judging, persecution, sacrifice, victoryLeave a comment

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

“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). It took Thomas to lead the charge.

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.

SHADOW OF DEATH IS BOOK 7 IN THEY MET JESUS. Actually, stories of Jesus beginning with the last supper, progressing through all the interrogations and beatings, then the crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection, and appearing to everyone takes three books — PROMISE KEEPER (#6), SHADOW OF DEATH (#7) COME FLY WITH ME (#8). To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this. https://bit.ly/ShadowOfDeath-7

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-7-shadow-of-death-adults-childs-versions/

Forever summer

On November 2, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, death, Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, Heaven, sacrifice, Saved from hell, sin, victoryLeave a comment

My God, I often think of heaven and how there it will always be summer. There will be no autumn when things begin to die, for I will live on forever in the flower of youth. There will be no winter where death prevails, for I will never become helpless and shiver while in the sunshine of your presence. There will be no springtime when that which is dead returns to life, for I will never die. Thank you, Lord God, for gracing us with forever summer in heaven.

Lord, the Old Testament Law of Moses was so bloody. Every day the priests butchered animals. Sticky, smelly, slimy blood. People had to smear blood on their door posts and priests smeared blood on the horns of the altar and the Ark of the Covenant. Always blood. Blood everywhere. Thank you for putting a stop to all the bloody worship. Thank you for taking on human blood and spilling it down the cross one last time. Now worship comes forth like the pure water from your side. Thank you for taking away the blood.

THE ROAD TO HEAVEN was a long one — from Eden to Golgatha. What happened between was all part of God’s miraculous, complicated, amazing Plan. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/Road-To-Heaven

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https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/the-road-to-heaven/

Your assignment

On October 28, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Enemies, eternity, faith, Fear, Heaven, Inspirational, persecution, problems, sacrifice, Saved from hellLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 28 (10/28), is Matthew 10:28f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”

This scripture indicates that sometimes God’s allows you to “fall to the ground” ~ your body suffers, or your life is threatened. How can that be? After all, God is so loving. Surely a good God would not allow any harm to come to someone if he truly loves them.

But we all have our assignments from God in this war between Good and Evil. Just as Job in the Old Testament lost his entire family and all his wealth and then his health, he refused to blame God. He even said, “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

Satan causes bad to happen to you. Why? In order to get you to blame God for it and maybe even then declare God does not exist. Your assignment is to refuse to deny God. That way, Satan loses one more battle, and God wins one more.

There is an old Christian song called “Victory in Jesus.” How can you have victory in Jesus if you do not have something to be victorious over? Romans 8:37 says we are more than conquerors. How can you be a conqueror if you have nothing to conquer?

Stand strong and say with James (1:2), “I consider it pure joy whenever I face trials.” Hard to say? Of course, it is. But it could turn your life around and make you a hero.

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY HERO. Be inspired by this young deacon with his whole life ahead of him but who came to understand sacrificing life here would be like leaving a cave and entering the real world of eternity. He begins the book as a coward, and ends as a hero. to BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/StephenUnlikelyMartyr

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https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-7-stephen-unlikely-martyr/

Dread, Daring, and Dominion

On September 30, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, Death of Jesus Christ, Life of Christ, love, sacrifice, Saved from hell, victoryLeave a comment

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

“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 ~ even for a moment.

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 courage to Jesus’ human side 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 ~ the Will of God ~ 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.

SHADOW OF DEATH is biblical historical novel #7 in the THEY MET JESUS series. This book has a child’s version; the chapters on the crucifixion have been toned down, but do explain what children hear about but do not understand. In the adult version, each chapter ends with Life Application discussion questions. The adult version has Think & Do at the end of each chapter. Come along, now, and witness those days of dread, daring, and dominion. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: http://bit.ly/Death-Resurrection

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-7-shadow-of-death-adults-childs-versions/

Blood streaming through the veins of my soul

On September 19, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, blessings, Death of Jesus Christ, discouragement, eternity, forgiveness, Holy Spirit, love, patience, prayer, sacrifice, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

I lift up my heart to you, my God. I ache so much for the lost. But my puny efforts are nothing compared to you. You did so much more than I ever dreamed of doing and for longer than a thousand lifetimes. You paid the death ransom, then overcame Death itself. You put up with our sins while you did everything necessary to destroy our greatest enemy ~ Satan. Satan must be destroyed and you have given mankind the privilege of working with you to that end. So, amidst my paltry efforts I praise you, my majestic King. You are so incredible. Beyond finding out.

Father, sometimes when I talk to people about your love for them and ask them to return to you, I think I come across as controlling. That is not what I want to do. Help me know when to back off and let them think. Help me be patient and calm and respect the free will that you gave them.

My Lord, thank you for not getting so angry you would give up on me. You are a high and great mountain that cannot be moved. You are the deepest ocean that cannot be emptied. As the river of life, you offer to give me your blood so it will stream through the veins of my soul and give me life without impurities of sin. What more could anyone ask than that? You offered to me your blood and your Spirit. The sacrifice was too great, but you made it anyway.

SHADOW OF DEATH takes the reader through the trials and beatings and lashings. Nearly lifeless already, the soldiers carry him up that dreadful hill so he can live long enough for them to kill. Two chapters cover the agony and ecstasy of the cross of torture saved only for traitors. Then the funeral. Two old men, some women, and his mother. Washing his lifeless body with tears, surrounding him with spices only the rich can afford, wrapping him in the flimsy shreds of broken hearts. Then going home to agonize over what could have been and never will be. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: http://bit.ly/Death-Resurrection

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-7-shadow-of-death-adults-childs-versions/

Picking and Choosing

On September 18, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn ego, Enemies, governments, healing, judging, Life of Christ, persecution, sacrifice, Scripture, teaching, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 18 (9/18), is Leviticus 9:18ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it against the altar on all sides. But the fat portions of the ox and the ram ~ the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver ~ these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded.”

The Law of Moses did not have just Ten Commandments. It had over 600! They were intricate commands that had to be kept exactly. The above is just a small portion of what they were supposed to do for a particular sacrifice.
Thank God, Jesus nailed the Old Law of Moses to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Yet some religious leaders continue to dip back into the Old Law to copy showy types of worship ~ robes, candles, choirs, harps, incense ~ many things, and all commanded. But if they do that, they must keep ALL of the Law of Moses ~ stoning for adultery, giving 1/3 of their income (not just 1/10), not working on Saturday (even cooking), going to Jerusalem three times a year.

They can’t just pick and choose which ones they like. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:17 “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised [just one command in the Old Law of Moses] that he is obligated to obey the whole law.”

James said in 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Old Testament worship was showy, elaborate, and demanding to the nth degree. New Testament worship is just the opposite.

Mark 14:26 says that after Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper/Communion, “When they had sung a [single] hymn, they went out…”

Acts 2:41-42 says, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week, we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people…”

I Timothy 4:13 says, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”

Nothing complicated about it. Just simple worship. Worship the way Jesus and his apostles worshiped. Worship the way God wants it. He said so himself.

FLOOD GATES is novel 5 in the THEY MET JESUS series. His life has been threatened since last his first year of ministry. Now it is the third year and his enemies are desperate to kill him. The people are running after him, declaring their folk hero their king. No more doctors, no more begging for food ~ he’ll supply it all free. In the temple, he tells off the hypocrite leaders more. Among the people, he performs miracles more. Alone with his twelve, he speaks of his death more. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: http://bit.ly/5FloodGates

inspirationsbykatheryn.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-5-flood-gates-adults-childs-versions/

Out of disaster came beauty

On September 11, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn family, healing, Inspirational, joy, patience, persecution, rest, sacrificeLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 12 (9/12), is found in Genesis 9:12f in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

On the technical side, how can it be that there was never a rainbow before Noah’s time? Genesis 2:5b-6 explains, “The Lord God had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.”

Up until the time of Noah, people lived to be several hundred years old. Christian scientists have said that, before the flood, the earth had a constant cloud covering with a thick ozone layer that created the greenhouse effect of vapors and protected man from the aging process. It was much like Venus.

So rainbows were not possible when the sun could never break through the ever-present clouds. It was because of a terrible worldwide cataclysm that the beauty of the rainbow was made possible.

On the faith side of this story, we see a man who had such faith in God that, although he probably had never seen rain, believed it would happen. Such amazing faith! Later, through the pain of losing his stubborn extended family in the flood, he was blessed with the lives of his direct family members. Then God gave him one more reward ~ the rainbow ~ that he could not only enjoy in his generation but generations even today.

Out of disaster came beauty.

A CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: NOAH. Did you realize that Noah’s oldest son was born the year he began building the ark? Can you imagine growing up with a father everyone laughed at? Can you imagine how many hundreds of trees they had to chop down and haul back over over the years and how many hundreds of trips they had to make to the tar pits so they could line their ship and make it good and water tight? Great for home schoolers, grandparents, birthdays, Christmas, just because. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: http://bit.ly/HeroNoah

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-heroes-noah/

Praying for Nero

On September 8, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn death, Enemies, eternity, faith, Fear, Heaven, Inspirational, persecution, sacrifice, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, September 8 (9/9), is Daniel 9:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes, and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.”

Have you prayed for your government lately? I Timothy 2:1 & 2 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone ~ for kings and all those in authority.”

At the time of this writing, Nero was Caesar. First-century historian Tacitus said this about Nero in his Annals 15:44: “But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called “Christians” by the populace.

“Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.

“Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”

If the Apostle Paul could pray for such a government leader, can you not follow his instructions? Why don’t you stop and pray for your own government right now?

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR is a novelized version of life as it may have been for Stephen who, history tells us, lived in Antioch of Syria, then Cyrene in Libya, then Jerusalem of Judea. He was a deacon when killed, so had a wife and children, probably young. What could drive a young man to give up his whole life ahead of him? When he went into the Sanhedrin chambers, he knew they’d never let him live. What stirred within his young heart? To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. http://bit.ly/stephenmartyr

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-7-stephen-unlikely-martyr/

Our friends and their chariots

On August 29, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #ransom, Bible, Daily, forgiveness, Heaven, judging, knowledge, sacrifice, Saved from hell, Thanksgiving, victory, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, August 30 (8/30), is Acts 8:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.”

Our friends, family, and neighbors will continue riding their chariots and understanding little of the Bible unless someone asks, “Do you understand?.”

“Do you understand why you are here?” “Do you understand why Jesus had to die?” “Do you understand that Satan holds mankind hostage, and Jesus paid our ransom with his blood?” “Do you understand the Bible can be proven true?” “Do you understand how much God loves you?” “Do you understand how the Bible is divided up and which parts give the life of Christ?”

People are afraid to ask us questions because they think we will make fun of their ignorance. We’ll probably never know what they don’t understand unless we do the asking. Let us go up to their chariots and offer to help them so that they, too, can understand.

THE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS provides good public and private meditations for the Lord’s Supper. to BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/2Vhacqn

#crucifixion, #salvation, #LordsSupper, #DeaconPhilip, #ethiopianeunuch, #chariot, #questions, #neighbors, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #worship, #prayer

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