Friday 6/21 ~ Slave Trading

The scripture for today, June 21 (6/21), is Romans 6:21ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-Thumbnail“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sometimes you do things you are ashamed of and decide God would be too ashamed of you to accept you as his child. But God can get rid of the shame, for he can forgive so completely, it is as though you never did those things.

Do you bristle at the phrase “slaves to God” or “slaves to Christianity” or even slavery at all? But we’re all slaves to something ~ a big car, high position, beauty, a hobby, chasing after the opposite gender, reading, eating, music, sports, etc.  What are you a slave to?

From the beginning of time, anyone giving up their perfection by sinning always belonged to Satan who rewarded anyone following him with death. Death means “separation”, and in the case of sin, it means separation from God and belonging to Satan instead. God appeased Satan and held him off in Old Testament times whenever a sinner (everyone) killed a perfect animal in their place. But they had to keep doing it throughout life. Then Jesus came as our perfect Lamb of God and allowed himself to collect the wages for all of everyone’s sins and be killed in our place.

The reward of death was collected from Satan by Jesus.  Yes, Satan paid mankind’s wages to Jesus. He set us free from Satan. Now we voluntarily make ourselves slaves to the one who freed us.

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-ThumbnailLUKE: SLAVE & PHYSICIAN  is about a young man raised by Theopholis as his slave. But Theopholis learned to love him, gave him a medical education, and set him free.  Then Luke became a slave to Jesus.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2ZDMkOk

 

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Friday 6/14 ~ The gratitude day

The scripture for today, June 14 (6/14), is Numbers 6:14 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“There he is to present his offerings to the Lord…a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering…. “

A lot of people don’t understand what Jesus dying on a cross has to do with going to heaven. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death.” ~ both physical and soul death. It is Satan who pays us our wages. In Old Testament times, God intervened and arranged for people to kill a perfect animal in their place whenever they sinned to satisfy Satan’s bloodthirst.  But it was only a temporary fix because it is impossible for us to be sinless ~ without defect.

Finally, God the Word came to earth as a human, and John the Baptist called him the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Jesus was perfect and without defect; that is, he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Then he took the wages of sin from Satan and died as the perfect Lamb of God in our place ~ both physically (separation from people on earth) and spiritually (separation from God the Father). After Satan released his hold on mankind, Jesus even went a step further and miraculously came back to life!

Then God said, “If you’ll believe and imitate Jesus, I will consider your debt paid in full and consider you perfect too (Romans 6). Then I’ll bring you back to life in heaven.” How amazing!

And, by the way, since he came back to life on Sunday, that’s what makes Sunday so special. It’s an I’m-sorry-you-had-to-die-for-my-sins Day. It’s the “Do-this-in-remembrance-of-me” Lord’s Supper Day.  It’s the Gratitude Day.

 

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-ThumbnailTHEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH takes the reader through the middle-of-the-night trial of Jesus, two chapters of the actual crucifixion, and the agony of his closest friends as they say goodbye to a man with love beyond comprehension and his now-dead cause. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2MPmDcj

 

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Wednesday 6/5 ~ “I just want to keep you safe.”

The scripture for today, June 5 (6/5), is Deuteronomy 6:5 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Thumbnail“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Jesus said this is the greatest of all the commandments (Mark 12:29). He didn’t say that any of the Ten Commandments were. He chose one of the over 600 commandments God gave to Moses in the Old Testament. It might have been lost in the crowd, but Jesus called it out and gave it special attention.

Although we no longer keep the Old Testament Law of Moses, we do have the New Testament Law of Jesus. There aren’t as many commandments, but there are some. Sometimes Jesus’ law repeats something in the Old Law such as the one above. But it was his choice what to carry over, not ours.

Some people don’t even know they’re obeying any of the Laws of Moses. That’s easy to solve. All you have to do is read that Law and see you if we recognize anything you’re doing. It is full of hundreds of rituals and commands how to worship the way God wanted.

On the other hand, do you love the Lord your God enough to keep all of the commandments of Jesus or do you say the church is too modern now and Jesus’ commands are old fashioned.? Or perhaps do you say Jesus had no commands ~ he just wants me to love him?  We do not tell our parents, “I love you, but you have no right to command me to do anything.” We do not tell our government, “I’m going to drive on any side of the road I want because I’m not going to obey any of your commands”?

Be not like the clay telling the potter what to do (Isaiah 64:8). Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15). Commands do not mean someone is trying to hold you down; commands means, “I love you and want to keep you safe from Satan.” Give it a try. Life just might get a little better.

 

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE married and became a father. He had his royal enemies, but never became bitter.  His son often became angry because his father was always forgiving his enemies.  Years later after Mefiboset had died, the son told his own sons about his father ~ “The greatest man I have ever known.”  PERFECT FOR FATHER’S DAY.  Still time to receive on time.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2HVKRNs

 

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Tuesday 6/4 ~ “Turn, Oh Lord. Turn.”

The scripture for today, June 4 (6/4), is Psalm 6:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

000-COVER-KINDLE-Thumbnail“Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.”

Have you ever walked away from God then couldn’t figure out how to make a turnaround and get your life back on track? Are you there now?  Stop!

Stop whatever you are thinking and feeling and considering.  Look behind you.  God is a gentleman and will never force himself on you. When you turn away from him, he turns away from you.  But, oh, how he misses you.  He wants you back so you can feel his love again.

All you have to do is stop everything and call for him to come get you. “Turn, O Lord! Turn! Deliver me!”

Why would God be so good to someone walking away from him? Because he loves you and is always listening for your voice calling out for him. His love is unfailing.

 

000-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailLAZARUS: THE SAMARITAN lives through all Jesus’ parables over a period of 45 years. One of his sons was the “prodigal son”.  How he ached when his son was gone, for he knew he was not mature enough and he had gone to a dangerous country. His sister was the “Woman at the Well”, his wedding to a Jewess was attended by people “on the highways and biways”, his daughter’s wedding was attended by the “ten virgins”, when he was held for ransom in Persia, his workers at home killed every servant he sent to them and finally… Well, read the book.  This is a perfect book FOR FATHER’S DAY.  So, to BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://amzn.to/2IjojVR

 

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Monday 6/3 ~ Do you say no to what God says yes to?

The scripture for today, June 3 (6/3), is Romans 6:3f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Joseph-Cover-Thumbnail“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life….because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”

Oh! Baptism does all that? Some people say no. God says yes. Some people hate this topic because their church leaders have rejected it as unimportant and even call people who quote such verses in God’s Word as dangerous.  Why?

Look at the list in that verse that baptism does for us.  In baptism, we obtain a new life ~ are born again. And in baptism, we are freed from sin ~ forgiven. Look at it this way: Just as Jesus died carrying our sins on himself, we die to our sinful nature ~ the part of us that sins and doesn’t care. Then just as Jesus was buried in his tomb, we are buried in our watery tomb. And just as Jesus came up out of his tomb the Savior, we come up out of our tomb the saved ~ with a “new life” and “freed from sin.”

Everything works together beautifully ~ hearing, believing, confessing, dying to sin, being baptized. What an honor and privilege we have been given to imitate what he did for us! 1st Peter 3:21 says it is an answer of a good conscience toward God.

Just as the crucifixion was a physical thing to obtain a spiritual outcome, baptism is a physical thing to obtain a spiritual outcome.  How beautiful. How amazing.

 

PERFECT FOR FATHER’S DAY GIFT ~

JOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER had the greatest challenge in the history of the world ~ to raise God’s child in a violent world. A year before Jesus died, he visited his hometown of Nazareth. The people there said, “ISN’T this the son of the carpenter?” not “WASN’T”. Read the story of Joseph and all he may have gone through to keep Jesus protected until he was grown. To BUY NOW, click a book title or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2HTIcE6

 

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Tuesday 5/21 ~ The Unimaginable Plan

The scripture for today, May 21 (5/21), is 2nd Corinthians 5:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

A lot of people do not understand what Jesus’ death has to do with going to heaven. The key is in Romans 3:23 that says “The wages of sin is death.” In Genesis, 2:17, God told Adam and Eve the moment they disobey him, they will die. When Adam and Eve sinned, immediately their souls died, and the bodies gradually died. That was the wages they collected for sinning.

It’s been happening to everyone since then. Why is God so strict?  He is trying to protect us from Satan. He is like a parent shouting, “Don’t go out into the street!”  So, during Old Testament times, God told people to kill an animal to placate Satan temporarily.  Apparently, it did but not forever.

 Hebrews says the blood of animals cannot truly take away (take the substitute punishment for) sins; they are remembered again every year (Hebrews 10:3-4).

Finally, John the Baptist announced Jesus was “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). This is what Satan really wanted. He had not yet put mankind in hell with him.  He was holding mankind for ransom.  He wanted God to die before he would release mankind from his hold. For 33 years, God’s Word took human form in Jesus and became one of us. Then he died in our place. In so doing, he collected our wages forever.

Jesus did two things impossible for us to do: Live a perfect life without sin, and come back to life after he died ~ both physically and spiritually. Why? So we could do two more things impossible for humans to do on our own: Release ourselves from Satan’s captivity and escape to heaven where we would be permanently safe.

But we have to believe this happened. As long as we do not believe it, even though Satan has opened the gate to release our captives, we must walk through that gate and through the gate of heaven.

It is not about being good enough. No one can do enough good works Satan has no choice to release us and God has no choice but to let us into his home, heaven. It only takes one sin to be a sinner.  God cannot exist with sin.

God begs us to come to him and follow him out of danger and into the safety of his heaven. It is not automatic. If we follow Jesus, God sees us as sinless. Jesus was perfect for us. What a plan ~ the things Jesus had to go through to free us.   What unimaginable love. 

Button-BUY BK TODAYSHADOW OF DEATH has two chapters on the crucifixion. They take the reader slowly through the agony in order to bring us ecstasy.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2wlt5wF

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Thursday 5/9 ~ Freedom is not free

The scripture for today, May 9 (5/9), is Matthew 5:9 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Thumbnail“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.”

Jesus, the only begotten Son of God (Christians are adopted sons) was a peacemaker. He came to earth to help us make peace with God. After all, “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It only takes one sin to be a sinner. And God cannot dwell with sin. What was the solution?

Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. These wages we earn are from Satan because Satan is the originator of death. In Old Testament times, God told people to kill a perfect animal in their place to pacify Satan who was holding mankind hostage. So, people kept having to do it. The death Satan really wanted was the death of God. He would not release mankind until God paid the terrible ransom price ~ his death.  So, when the time was right, Jesus came to earth and lived that perfect life that is impossible for us to live as the perfect Lamb of God. Then he allowed himself to take our punishment for our (not his) sins and collect the death wage in our place.  

His was the final sacrifice. Our freedom was not free. Jesus had paid the ransom to Satan to set us free. (Then, of course, God tricked him and that body Jesus was in came back to life.) But freedom is not automatic. Satan gets us back unless we believe Jesus did that and follow him. Now we are no longer slaves of Satan. We are adopted and become children of God.

Jesus was a peacemaker between God and man. You, too, can be a peacemaker. You can help people be at peace with themselves. You can help them be at peace with each other. And you can help them be at peace with God. Thereby, you can share in what God’s begotten Son was.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redTHEY MET JESUS: SHADOW OF DEATH tells, not only of the terrible price Jesus had to pay Satan to free us but also how it affected both his friends and enemies.  Read it. It will change your life. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2vPZFpW

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Thursday 4/18 ~ What is unseen is most real

The scripture for today, April 18 (4/18), is 2nd Corinthians 4:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Was Jesus God-COVER-kindle-thumbnail“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

In a sense, what is unseen is the true reality. We cannot see love, but we see its influence, and it is stronger than anything in the world that we can see. We cannot see God, but we can see his influence, and he is more real than anything in the world that we can see.

Sometimes we all say we wish we could see God and touch God. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t be God, for he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He would only be able to hear the prayer of one person at a time, and only able to answer the prayer of one person at a time. By being unseen by human eyes, God can be everywhere.

It’s a hidden blessing!  Every one of us among the billions of people on earth can feel we are God’s special ones. Every one of us can feel his presence, his soul, his love.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redWriting WAS JESUS GOD? (WHY EVIL?) impacted me more than anything else I have ever written. The urgency of God materialized spilling his blood so Satan couldn’t punish me touched me indescribably. Today, heaven is more real to me than ever it was. How I long to be there right now. But God still has work for me to do. When that work is done, I will leave all of you behind. But I’ll be waiting for you to catch up with me so we can be together forever.  Katheryn.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2ULeFUS

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Wednesday 4/3 ~ Discovering real truth

The scripture for today, April 3 (4/3), is 1st Timothy 4:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00- Worship Changes KC COVER-thumbnail“They [false teachers] forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”

It is hard for you to think that smiling, humble, Bible-quoting, holy-looking church leaders could be false teachers and condemned by the God they claim to represent.  We want to think well of everyone. Isn’t that the way Christians are to think? But sometimes thinking well of someone and thinking well of the truth can clash.  Now you have a choice to make ~ a hard choice.

The Apostle Paul, warned of false teachers in the church that would come in the future. Indeed, it did happen. A time came when certain Christians were ordered not to marry, and not to eat certain foods (for instance, on Friday. They claim it is a sin to disobey them and don’t show you the scriptures they refuse to obey.

Remember, your church leaders are going to be judged by God just like everyone else. Always, as the Apostle Peter once warned, “We ought to obey God and not men” (Acts 4:19). Besides, do you think this is one reason people have turned against “organized religion”?

This is why it is important to read the Bible for yourself. Use a concordance to look up all scriptures in the Bible with any keyword and you will learn what is true and not true. Isn’t it time for you to sort through everything you have been told?  Isn’t it time for you to discover pure truth?

Image result for "Buy the book" button redWORSHIP CHANGES SINCE THE FIRST CENTURY is a year-by-year account of how things gradually changed and what the changers did to those who protested against them. Be prepared to be amazed. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2FQgMfM

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Saturday 3/30 ~ Think. Think long and hard.

The scripture for today, March 30 (3/30), is John 3:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

04-Isaac&Jacob-KindleMedium“He must become greater; I must become less.”

This is John the Baptist speaking. He had a great following. People “were constantly coming to be baptized” by John (3:23). He had it made! But at the height of his popularity, he said, “I will be stepping down soon.”

Can you do this? Are you at the height of your popularity, perhaps at a club, an organization, church? Could you step down if someone more qualified than you came along? Or will you say, “I started this _______, and I was here first, so this is my project!”?

Look inside. Deep inside. What are your motives for doing good? Selfish ambition or love for others? 1st Corinthians 13:1 says that, even if I offer my body to be burned and do not have love, it benefits me nothing.

Jesus warned, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Think. Think long and hard. Do you have some repenting to do? Father in heaven, help me see myself the way You do.

Image result for "Buy the book" button redA CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: ISAAC & JACOB is about Jacob who just had to be ahead of everyone else, so he lied and cheated in order to be first. He never saw the big picture and what it was doing to others. He had to be broken. It took 20 years in exile before he understood how to be honest and good.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2FIkHvr

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