Devotions with Your Cat: For Those Who Are Struggling
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About this ebook
This 380-page devotional book offers daily lessons containing two Bible readings and a thought for the day for meditation.
Katherine Tapley-Milton
Katherine Tapley-Milton lives with her husband, Dave, and five cats in Atlantic Canada. She graduated from Mount Allison University with a B.A. in the areas of psychology, sociology, and history and has a two year Master of Theological Studies degree from Tyndale Seminary in Willowdale, Ontario. Katherine has been a freelance writer for the last 35 years and has been published in hundreds of periodicals. Her books “Mind Full of Scorpions”; “Devotions With Your Cat”; and “The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Cat”; are already published, and “Old Boats and Old Quotes”; and “The Adventures of the Three Mouse-Breath-Kateers” are soon to be published. Her hobbies include cooking, organic gardening, writing, reading historical romances, doing crafts, and hanging out with her cats.
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Devotions with Your Cat - Katherine Tapley-Milton
Copyright © 2013 Katherine Tapley-Milton.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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ISBN: 978-1-4497-8338-9 (e)
WestBow Press rev. date: 2/12/2013
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
1) A CASHLESS SOCIETY COMING SOON
2) A CAT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
3) A CHILD’S HYMN
4) CHOSEN PEOPLE
5) A MATTER OF FAT
6) A MEASURE OF WHEAT FOR A PENNY
7) PRISONER WHO IS FREE
8) A SERIAL KILLER AND PORNOGRAPHY
9) A SPICEY BIBLE
10) A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT?
11) AARON: MOSES’ RIGHT HAND MAN
12) ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOR PRESIDENTS DAY
13) ABSALOM, OH ABSALOM
14) ABSOLUTE TRUTH
15) ANIMAL INSTINCTS
16) AMY CARMICHAEL SUPER-SAINT
17) AN AFTERLIFE IN HEAVEN
18) THE UNHAPPY SECRETS OF SUICIDE
19) ONE OF THE WORLD’S FIRST BILLBOARDS
20) AN EVENING MEDITATION
21) AN UNSHAKABLE FUTURE
22) UNUSUAL PASSENGER: A STRANGE ROUTINE
23) ANGELS, GOD’S MESSENGERS
24) ANGER
25) ANNE FRANK’S CAT
26) ARE PAST LIVES REAL?
27) AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
28) BANQUETING WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB
29) BARABBAS, THE MOVIE
30) BEING A MODERN DAY WATCHMAN
31) UNDERSTANDING GOD’S PRIORITIES.
32) BEING CRUEL TO ANIMALS LEADS TO BEING A KILLER
33) BELIEVERS’ JUDGEMENT DAY
34) BIBLICAL FLYING OBJECTS
35) BIGGER BARNS
36) BILLY SUNDAY: BARE FISTED EVANGELIST
37) BONHOEFFER
38) BORN TO WORSHIP
39) BROTHER LAWRENCE
40) BUILDING ON SAND
41) CASKET FOR A CAT
42) CAT HERO DIALS 911
43) CAT SPIRITUALITY
44) DON’T SPURN THE CAT
45) CATS, SHIPS, AND SUPERSTITIONS
46) THE CHALLENGE OF A PAGAN SOCIETY
47) CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULT
48) CHARLES WESLEY
49) BEING CRUEL TO BE KIND
50) CHILD SLAVERY
51) CLEANLINESS AND FILTH
52) CLONED KITTY
53) COLLECTING TAX : AN ANCIENT CUSTOM
54) COMPASSION FATIGUE
55) CREMATION OR BURIAL?
56) CRYSTALS, A PRETTY DECEPTION
57) DABBLING IN THE DEVILISH
58) NINE CIRCLES OF HELL
59) DEATH: THE MODERN TABOO?
60) THE LONELIEST DAY OF THE YEAR
61) DEMONS AND EVIL
62) DETERMINING WANTS AND NEEDS
63) DEVIL’S HANDMAIDEN OR DEVOTED WIFE?
64) DEWY THE CAT’S ADOPTION
65) DINOSAURS AND THE BIBLE
66) DISASTER OR DELIVERANCE?
67) DOGS IN THE BIBLE
68) WHEN DONKEYS SPEAK
69) DON’T GO PUTTING OUT FLEECES
70) DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
71) THE PASCHAL SERMON OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
72) EMPATHY TAUGHT BY A CAT
73) AN ESSAY ON MAN
74) EVEN ATHIESTS HAVE FAITH
75) EVOLUTION OR DEVOLUTION?
76) EXERCISING THE BODY AND THE CONSCIENCE
77) EXISTENTIAL NAUSEA
78) AARON THE BROTHER OF MOSES
79) FAITH IN SPITE OF BAD CIRCUMSTANCES
80) THE BLIND HYMN WRITER: FANNY CROSBY
81) FARTHER ALONG
82) FASTING
83) FASTING AS A SPIRITUAL DISIPLINE
84) FATHER BREBEUF
85) FEAR OF THE CAT
86) FEARLESS, JACK THE CAT
87) A NEW TWIST ON THE FIREY FURNACE
88) FIESTY SENIOR SAVES PET FROM WILDCAT
89) ORDERED TO FIGHT
90) FINDING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
91) FORTITUDE
92) FRANKENFOODS: WORSE THAN THE TOWER OF BABEL
93) FULFILLING ONE’S MEANING FOR LIFE
94) GAMBLING AND THE CHRISTIAN
95) GEORGE MUELLER
96) THE CONSUMER MENTALITY
97) GLUTTONY
98) GODLY MARRIAGE
99) GOD’S ACRE
100) GOD’S PSYCHIATRY
101) GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PURPOSES THROUGH ISREAL
102) GOD’S VALENTINE TO US
103) GOOD FRIDAY
104) IS IT ALL VANITY AND CHASING THE WIND?
105) HAVE YOU EVER FALLEN ASLEEP DURING A SERMON?
106) HAVE YOU SEEN A GHOST?
107) HAVING THE COURAGE OF YOUR CONVICTIONS
108) HEALING BY PURRING
109) HEALING FROM HELL
110) FINISHING STRONG IN OLD AGE
111) HEALTHY WAYS TO REACT TO A CRISIS
112) HEAVEN A PERMANENT HOME
113) HELL IS REAL
114) HERBS: GOD’S GIFT TO MANKIND
115) HERDING CATS: FELINE TIPS ON PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
116) HEZEKIAH: A GODLY KING
117) THE HIDDEN GOD
118) HONEY
119) KEEPING THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
120) HOW HAS THE HUMAN RACE SURVIVED?
121) HOW HAVE THE MIGHTY FALLEN
122) HOW MANY ANGELS ARE THERE?
123) HOW TO KEEP OUT OF THE DIVORCE COURTS
124) HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE PROPERLY
125) HYSSOP
126) IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
127) IN TIME OF WAR
128) INTERCESSORY PRAYER
129) IS THE BLACK HORSE GETTING READY TO RIDE?
130) ITCHING EARS
131) THE HUNGRIEST MAN IN THE BIBLE
132) JEREMIAH: THE WEEPING PROPHET
133) JEROME: A SAINT WHO LOVED SCRIPTURE
134) JOHNATHAN EDWARDS ON CHARITY
135) JOHN DONNE AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
136) JOHN HARVEY KELLOGG
137) KATHERINE VON BORA
138) KILLED FOR TOUCHING THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
139) LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS WITH YOU …
140) CHALLENGES TO TAKE DURING LENT
141) LIFE FROM DEATH
142) LIVING GREEN IS BIBLICAL
143) THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH
144) MAKING A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
145) MAN AGAINST GOD
146) MAN AGAINST MAN
147) MAN MADE MONSTERS: SIGNS OF THE END TIMES
148) MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW
149) MARKETING THE CHURCH
150) MARRIAGE AND FORGIVENESS
151) MARTIN LUTHER’S CONVERSION
152) MASADA
153) MATERIALISM GONE BAD
154) MATTHEW HENRY
155) MICROCHIPPING: A TOOL OF THE ANTICHIRST?
156) MOSES IN A CRISIS
157) MY FORTRESS AND MY DELIVERER
158) THE MYTH OF A PAIN-FREE CHRISTIANITY
159) NEITHER RICHES NOR POVERTY
160) NICODEMUS: THE NIGHT VISITOR
161) OZYMANDIAS
162) THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE
163) PETER AND JUDAS
164) PRAYER FOR DEATH UNANSWERED
165) THE PRAYING HYDE
166) PREACHING FOR PROFIT
167) PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM FALSE PROPHETS
168) PUNISHMENT FOR BEING A GOSSIP OR A SCOLD
169) RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS ARE NOT ENOUGH
170) RAPTURE ME NOW LORD!
171) RELAXING WIHOUT GUILT
172) RAHAB THE REPENTED
173) RICHARD COREY: A SUICIDAL RICH MAN
174) ROMANCE WAS GOD’S INVENTION
175) THOSE ROTTEN REJECTIONS
176) SAINT IGNATIUS
177) BEING EMPATHETIC AND SYMPATHETIC
178) CLASSIC CHIRSTMAS POEM
179) HUMILIITY
180) BEING A FOOL
181) THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
182) SILENT, INVISIBLE, AND DEADLY
183) SILVER AND GOLD THROWN INTO THE STREETS
184) SKELETONS IN THE CHURCH’S CLOSET
185) REAPING THE BENEFITS OF CHRISTIANITY
186) SPIRITUAL LESSONS FROM A GARDEN
187) STAYING CONNECTED TO YOUR SPOUSE
188) STOLEN WATER: BEING A THIEF
189) STRANGE FIRE
190) STUDYING THE BIBLE
191) AFTER SUICIDE
192) TEARS
193) TEMPERANCE
194) THAT SAME OLD SIN AGAIN
195) THE ADJUSTABLE WRENCH OF DISCOURAGEMENT
196) THE ANGST OF ANXIETY
197) THE BACKGROUND OF PRECIOUS LORD TAKE MY HAND
198) THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
199) THE BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER AND SORROW
200) THE BOOK OF LIFE
201) THE CHAINS OF ADDICTION
202) THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
203) THE COMPARISON BETWEEN AMERICA AND ROME
204) THE DANGER OF INDECISION
205) THE DEATH OF AN ANIMAL COMPANION
206) THE DOOMED DUO
207) THE DRAGON OF DEPRESSION
208) THE FRAGILITY OF THE HUMAN BEING
209) THE FINE ART OF LISTENING
210) THE GARDEN OF EDEN
211) THE GOD SHAPED HOLE
212) THE GODS OF THE ROMANS
213) THE HISTORY OF INCOME TAX
214) THE HISTORY OF THE HYMN
215) THE HOPE OF HEAVEN
216) THE HOUND OF HEAVEN
217) THE HUMBLING OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
218) THE IMPACT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
219) THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE
220) THE LOCATION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH?
221) THE LOVELY BONES
222) THE MARKETING OF CHRISTIANITY
223) THE MURDERER NEXT DOOR
224) THE NEW JERUSALEM
225) THE PRICE OF FREE WILL
226) THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
227) THE RYMME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
228) THE SEASONS OF THE SOUL
229) THE SINS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH
230) THE SORROW TREE
231) THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
232) THE THIRSTY SOUL
233) THE TOWER OF BABEL
234) THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
235) THE UNPARDONABLE SIN
236) THE WAILING WALL
237) THE WAITING ROOMS OF LIFE
238) THOMAS CRANMER
239) THOMAS HARDY AND THE CAPRICIOUSNESS OF GOD
240) THUNDER STORM
241) TIME AND CHANCE HAPPEN TO US ALL
242) TIPS TO OVERCOME LAZINESS
243) TO DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK?
244) TRUE WORSHIP
245) TOO STUBBORN TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH
246) FIGHTING UNTRUTH WITH TRUTH
247) UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE
248) UNPREPARED FOR THE HURRICANE
249) VELMA BARFIELD: SERIAL KILLER
250) WATCHMAN NEE: A PASSION FOR GOD
251) WATCHMAN NEE AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE
252) WEARY OF WANDERING FROM MY GOD
253) WEB OF LIES
254) WHAT’S IN A NAME?
255) WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?
256) CROSSING THE BAR
257) WHEN KNOWLEDGE INCREASES
258) WHEN LIFE TURNS BITTER
259) WHEN THE HEAVENS ARE BRASS
260) WHEN THE LOVE OF MONEY CAUSES DISASTER
261) WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND
262) WHEN THE WIND IS CONTRARY
263) WHEN YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT’S IN THE MIRROR
264) WHICH IS BETTER: TO LAUGH OR TO CRY?
265) WHY ANTISEMITISM?
266) WHY ARE WE TO FORGIVE?
267) WHY DOES GOD NOT STOMP OUT EVIL?
268) WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES
269) WILL OUR PETS GO TO HEAVEN?
270) WILLIAM BOOTH
271) WILLIAM CAREY: THE FATHER OF MODERN MISSIONS
272) WILLIAM COWPER
273) WITNESSING ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
274) THE STRONG FAITH OF HANNAH
275) WOMEN PROPHETESSES IN THE BIBLE
276) THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS
277) WRITING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
278) ZACCHAEUS
279) SAINT IGNATIUS
280) BEING EMPATHETIC AND SYMPATHETIC
281) JOHN DONNE’S CHRISTMAS POEM
282) HUMILIITY
283) BEING A FOOL
284) CHRISTIAN REWARDS TO LOOK FORWARD TO
285) PETS NOW HAVE OBITURARIES TOO
286) CATS WHO PLAYED A PART IN HISTORY
287) MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE
288) SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI: MORTIFYING THE FLESH
289) DR. RAWLINGS AND THE REALITY OF HELL
290) THE PROMISED LAND DENIED TO MOSES
291) WHY DID GOD CREATE THE DEVIL?
292) THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
293) A BETTER MOUSE TRAP?
294) WORLD WAR THREE
295) TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION
296) CHRISTIAN DATING IN DANGEROUS TIMES
297) FLEECING THE TELEVISION FLOCK
298) FACES OF JESUS AND MARY IN FOOD
299) SOCIAL JUSTICE IN AMOS
300) REAPING THE BENEFITS OF CHRISTIANITY
301) SPIRITUAL LESSONS FROM A GARDEN
302) SAMPSON’S DOWNFALL
303) MAN SUING GOD
304) TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM
305) CATS AS FRIENDS
306) SAINT NICHOLAS
307) HISTORY WAS MADE BY STUPID PEOPLE
308) RESIGNING FROM THE HUMAN RACE
309) IS THE PRISON MINISTRY FOR YOU?
310) THE BURNING OF BOOKS
311) A LITTLE BIT OF HITLER IN EVERYBODY
312) ON DEATH AND DYING
313) OLD, DRIED UP FAITH
314) ALCATRAZ
315) NO ONE CARED FOR MY SOUL
316) GOD’S CONCERN FOR THE POOR
317) CONTENTMENT
318) AT THE ROUND EARTH’S IMAGINED CORNERS
319) THE EDGE
320) FRUGALITY
321) BUDGETING THE OLD FASHIONED WAY
322) TOUCHING THE HEM OF CHRIST’S GARMENT
323) BOTTLES OF TEARS
324) BROKENNESS
325) GANDHI ON THE POWER OF LOVE
326) POLYCARP THE MARTYR
327) THOMAS A KEMPIS: AUTHOR, MONK, TEACHER
328) THE SEED OF THE CHURCH
329) THE MARK OF THE BEAST
330) SELF ESTEEM
331) THE WITHERED FIG TREE
332) MIRACLES
333) HELL
334) DOMINION THEOLOGY UNBIBLICAL
335) MAN AND CAT DIE AT THE SAME TIME
336) BELIEVING FABLES
337) HOW WERE PEOPLE SAVED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?
338) INTERTWINED WITH GOD
339) THE ORGINS OF CHRISTMAS
340) THE BENEFITS OF KNOWING GOD THE FATHER
341) NOTHING BUT LEAVES
342) JOHN BUNYAN’S ADVICE ON PRAYER
343) ANIMAL INSTINCTS
344) TERRITORIAL DEMONS
345) THE BIG QUESTION BY GLEN MILLER
346) BEATEN TO DEATH WITH HIS OWN BOOK!
347) AWAKE TO THE SHOCKING TRUTH!
348) THE BENEFITS OF HOBBIES ON MENTAL HEALTH
349) WHO WAS JACOB?
350) ASKING HOW LONG AND WHY?
351) BENEFITS OF CHURCH GROWTH GROUPS
352) GOLDEN YEARS, GOLDEN SORROWS
353) JESUS IS NOT A BRAND
354) LIVING A GODLY LIFE IN A SINFUL WORLD
355) MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON THE MISSION FIELD
356) MURPHY’S LAW
357) THE FLU PANDEMIC OF 1918
358) SCRIPTURES THAT SUPPORT THE RAPTURE
359) BROTHER LAWRENCE
360) NOW AND AFTERWARDS
361) SILENT, INVISIBLE, AND DEADLY
362) WHEN MRS. JOB LOST HER PATIENCE
363) WINTERTIME CHRISTIAN IN A SUMMERTIME CHURCH
364) I’VE GOT THE DARKNESS
365) WHEN YOU ARE TOO WEAK TO CRY FOR HELP
INTRODUCTION
I have written this book, Devotions With Your Cat
to go deeper than most devotional books go; to deal with the hard questions like suffering, depression, eschatology, serial killing, obesity, hell, and the great theologians, hymn writers, sages, and poets of the past. Also, I have thrown in some stories about cats for your enjoyment. In writing this book, I imagine you curled up comfortably with your pet and your Bible. I had a cat on my lap for most of the time that I wrote this book. Devotions With Your Cat
has 365 meditations, one for every day of the year. I hope that this book will challenge you, amuse you, comfort you, and help you get closer to Jesus. Katherine Tapley-Milton, January 2, 2013.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Katherine Tapley-Milton lives with her husband, Dave, and five cats in Atlantic Canada. She graduated from Mount Allison University with a B.A. in the areas of psychology, sociology, and history and then got a two year Master of Theological Studies degree from Tyndale Seminary in Willowdale, Ontario in 1981. Katherine has been a freelance writer for the last 35 years and has been published in hundreds of periodicals. Recently, her book Mind Full of Scorpions
was launched on Amazon. Her hobbies include cooking, organic gardening, writing, reading historical romances and doing crafts.
A CASHLESS SOCIETY COMING SOON
Revelation 14:9-11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Shawn Arbeau wrote an article on a website titled, The Cashless Society
which Comments on the world economy revolving completely around plastic money and the antichrist. She explains: The Computerized World Many financial institutions across the world have adapted to the change towards the cashless society by implementing electronic funds transfer via automated teller machines (ATM’s) and of late, the internet. By having a simple plastic card, society could completely eliminate the need for cash. The benefits range from the end user through to the government and the merchants. The end user now has no worries about being robbed; there is no cash to steal… (which may lead to) the implanted microchip on all human beings that wish to buy and sell… Revelation 13:16-18 refers to the last days which Christians should be aware of: ‘And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.’ In the future whoever controls the cashless society will be able to track every human being’s spending habits, activities, and travel. To take the antichrist’s number will mean certain damnation.
( http://csusap.csu.edu.au/~darbea01/#_Toc78730022) However, if you are a Christian, Paul says these comforting words:
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Are you watching for his appearing?
A CAT’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Sugar the cat ran an incredible race of 1,500 miles to get back to her original owners. Her persistence and endurance were astounding. The website http://www.kittens-lair.net/history-and-famous-cats/amazing-true-stories-about-cats.html tells Sugar’s astounding story: ‘ One of the nicest stories about a cat’s power to travel or remember long distances… is about Sugar. Sugar was a cream-coloured, part-Persian who was living with a family in Anderson, California. When her family had to move to Oklahoma they felt that Sugar was just too afraid of cars to go through such an ordeal and so they very reluctantly left Sugar behind with a neighbor. Fourteen months later, in Oklahoma, a cream-coloured semi-Persian cat leaped on the shoulder of the woman from Anderson, California while she was working outside her new home. Although the woman thought the cat looked like Sugar, she had her doubts. Would a stray cat jump happily onto the shoulder of a stranger? Not likely. But it also seemed unlikely that a cat could cross half a continent of desert and mountain ranges! All doubts were ended, however, when she petted Sugar and felt the unique bone deformity that defined Sugar’s left hip. And then she knew for sure it was Sugar when she called the old neighbour in California … Sugar travelled more than 1,500 miles through land even a mountain lion would find harsh…to a place she had never been….to get back to the family she loved and missed.’ Sugar the cat is a shining example of endurance and perseverance — qualities which we as Christians should develop.
Are you focused on finishing the race and getting rid of hindrances to your spiritual life? When the going gets tough do you quit or do you look to God for strength?
Paul says in Hebrews 12:1 : Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
.
A CHILD’S HYMN
Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The following hymn was written for children by the famous author, Charles Dickens. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on February 7th 1812 and died in 1870. Many of Dickens writings championed the poor and downtrodden, but this poem is a tender prayer for children.
A CHILD’S HYMN
by: Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
HEAR my prayer, O heavenly Father,
Ere I lay me down to sleep;
Bid Thy angels, pure and holy,
Round my bed their vigil keep.
My sins are heavy, but Thy mercy
Far outweighs them, every one;
Down before Thy cross I cast them,
Trusting in Thy help alone.
Keep me through this night of peril
Underneath its boundless shade;
Take me to Thy rest, I pray Thee,
When my pilgrimage is made.
None shall measure out Thy patience
By the span of human thought;
None shall bound the tender mercies
Which Thy Holy Son has bought.
Pardon all my past transgressions,
Give me strength for days to come;
Guide and guard me with Thy blessing
Till Thy angels bid me home.
** Taken from "The Poems and Verse of Charles Dickens, New York Harper and Brothers (1903)
Dickens’ child’s hymn has good theology in it and can be applied to adults as well. Do you confess your sins and shortcomings to God and ask for his protection? Do you teach your children to do so?
Matthew 18:10 says, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
CHOSEN PEOPLE
Deuteronomy 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Why would God choose the Jews to be his special race? Was this blatant favouritism, an affront to all other races? On the website: http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/gods_chosen_people.html, the author discusses this problem: The common assumption of many sceptics is that God chose the Jews just to give them some sort of preferential treatment. In reality, the Bible says that the Jews were selected to be a blessing to all the nations of the world. In fact, the same passages that says that God chose the Jews also says that God does not show partiality and commands the Jews to love other peoples. The Old Testament indicates that the Jews were not prospered because of their righteousness, since they were a stubborn people. However, the main way that the Jews were to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth was that the Messiah was to be born through the line of David. Beginning with the third chapter of Genesis, the Old Testament tells how the Messiah was to come as the Saviour of the world, These prophecies specifically state that the Messiah was to be God in human flesh, who would be the Son of God. The Messiah would establish the new covenant and would die as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all people.
Being God’s chosen people difficult for the Jews. God expected them to adhere to many food restrictions and to follow a series of laws. The Jews were the only monotheistic people around and because of their sinfulness spent 70 years in exile inside Babylon. Because they failed to keep the law they were scattered around in many nations. However, the Messiah still came from the line of King David. Matthew 2:6 declares,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel."
1Peter 2:9 Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
We are a chosen generation as Christians and called to holy living. What can you do to lead a holier life? Are there sins that you need God’s help with to stop? Are there ministries that God is calling you to do?
A MATTER OF FAT
Judges 3:21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
In the Old Testament, Eglon, King of Moab was so obese that the dagger he was killed with stuck in his abdomen and could not be pulled out. In an article called, Obesity: Weighty Matters
the author states: The world is getting weightier and the trends suggest that it will continue. Why is obesity such a problem - and what can be done about it? Obesity is more than just a disease. It is also about more than just eating too much. As the American Obesity Association says, ‘No human condition – not race, religion, gender, ethnicity or disease state – compares to obesity in prevalence and prejudice, mortality and morbidity, sickness and stigma. The American Obesity Association has identified some general and regional trends in obesity, … In many developing countries, obesity co-exists with under-nutrition – a body mass index of less than 18.5 (see panel below). Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths each year in the UK, where the Department of Health estimates that current trends suggest that one in three adults and a fifth of all children – a total of 13 million people (will soon be fat) . The good news is that studies show that even a modest cut in weight in people who are obese or overweight improves their chances of better health.
The Bible sometimes uses the word fat
to mean prosperous. However, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are commanded to keep the temple in good shape. You can avoid diseases such as heart attacks, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other illnesses by exercising will power at the table.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body,
A MEASURE OF WHEAT FOR A PENNY
Revelation 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; …
We all know that planet earth is in trouble. Overpopulation, global warming, and running out of oil are going to increase the distress level of earth’s dwellers. During the seven year tribulation a whole day’s wages will only barely pay for a day’s worth of food. Everything in the modern world requires petroleum products to function. Kevin Moore on a website titled, Surviving Oil Crash: Soft Landing or Hard
says: Once the supply of oil begins to decline we should anticipate an escalating price (initially to $100/barrel) as consumers compete for what is left [and probably reaching $1,000/barrel before 2025] Superimposed on this gloomy scenario is the rampant growth of the Chinese economy: every month China requires more oil than it did the month before to supply the increasing numbers of factories and vehicles located there. (http://www.oilcrash.com/articles/survivng.htm) . On the website called Life After the Oil Crash
the author asks
Are all forms of modern technology actually petroleum products? The answer is
Yes. It’s not just transportation and agriculture that are entirely dependent on abundant, cheap oil. Modern medicine, water distribution, and national defense are each entirely powered by oil and petroleum derived chemicals. In addition to transportation, food, water, and modern medicine, mass quantities of oil are required for all plastics, all computers and all high-tech devices… .The explosive spread of the internet, finally, was also a product of the era of ultra cheap energy. The hardware of the internet, with its worldwide connections, its vast server farms, and its billions of interlinked home and business computers, probably counts as the largest infrastructure project ever created and deployed in a two decade period in history. The sheer amount of energy that’s been invested to create and sustain the internet beggars the imagination. Recent estimates indicate the infrastructure necessary to support the internet consumes 10% of all the electricity produced in the United States. The overwhelming majority of this electricity is produced using coal or natural gas, both of which, as explained momentarily, are also near their global production peaks.
: http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
God said in Revelation 3:17-18 to the church at Sardis, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
Jesus Christ is coming back soon to save believers from global disaster. Do you watch for his appearing?
PRISONER WHO IS FREE
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
David Ewart is incarcerated, but he has a testimony about how Jesus saved him, after he lost everything in the world that was meaningful to him. The websitehttp://www.precious-testimonies.com/PrisonerDocs/Ewart.htm has his story:My incarceration is the direct result of my sin; not one great huge sin, but a change of my behaviour. It took Satan time to destroy my value system and my strong beliefs. My temptation, subsequently my fall from grace, was like the frog that is placed in cool water with a very low flame under the container, as time goes by, the water heats up and the frog is cooked, never knowing what happened! I am incarcerated in a California prison, with a sentence of 34 years to life. The first time that I will be eligible for the parole board, will be the year 2015, which at that time I will be 71 years old. …. .After my graduation from Graduate School, I became a schoolteacher and a lay minister. For years I followed this path. Then I let Satan rob my joy. Through some circumstances that are not important now, I became bitter towards the Church. I had taken my eyes off of Jesus and became very prideful in my accomplishments …. Even though I never committed the physical act of adultery with this woman, it still had me taking my wife’s’ life - literally… . For the first time in months I prayed and I felt the Lord tell me to confess my sin to my wife and repent for my behaviour. I did, but then we argued, and my anger got out of control. It resulted in my murdering her… . I left myself wide open for satanic attack. I did not resist the devil’s temptation, as James 4:7 says to do, and my anger turned into uncontrollable rage before I knew it. There is no one to blame except myself. I am not looking for sympathy either. I simply feel God wants me to express how important it is to keep your eyes on the Lord and seek to obey His Word - in all things. We are under attack all the time….
Have you thought of contributing to a prison ministry in you’re area by donating calendars (very popular with the inmates) or going into the prison and volunteering?
Matthew 25:43 warns, I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
The prison ministry is not for everyone, but if the Lord calls you to it you to it you will be blessed.
A SERIAL KILLER AND PORNOGRAPHY
Galations 6: 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Psychologist, James C. Dobson interviewed serial killer, Ted Bundy and Bundy’s words give a chilling message against pornography and how involvement in it led him to become a killer. Ted Bundy, an infamous serial killer responsible for the murder of as many as 50 young women and girls, granted an interview to psychologist James Dobson just before he was executed on January 24, 1989. In that interview, he described the agony of his addiction to pornography. Bundy goes back to his roots, explaining the development of his compulsive behavior. He reveals his addiction to hard-core pornography and how it fueled the terrible crimes he committed. James C. Dobson: ‘It is about 2:30 in the afternoon. You are scheduled to be executed tomorrow morning at 7:00 … .For the record, you are guilty of killing many women and girls.’ Ted: ‘Yes, that’s true.’ JCD: ‘How did it happen? Take me back. What are the antecedents of the behaviour that we’ve seen? You were raised in what you consider to be a healthy home … . I grew up in a wonderful home with two dedicated and loving parents, as one of 5 brothers and sisters … . I take full responsibility for all the things that I’ve done. That’s not the question here. The issue is how this kind of literature (pornography) contributed and helped mold and shape the kinds of violent behaviour….’ I was on the edge, and the last vestiges of restraint were being tested constantly, and assailed through the kind of fantasy life that was fuelled, largely, by pornography.
( http://www.tldm.org/news6/bundy.htm) Ted Bundy commented later in the interview that just because he was going to be executed, it wouldn’t stop the killing. He warned that there are lots of Ted Bundys on the loose out there. Tragically, children can get worse pornography on the Internet than Ted Bundy had.
1 Corinthians 6:18 commands us to, Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Are you or your children involved in pornography? If so pray for help and stop reading or watching it. Pornography is the only sin mentioned in the Bible that is against your own body and it can harden the heart as no other sin.
A SPICEY BIBLE
Exodus 25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
Spices that were common in biblical times were aloe, cumin, cassia, cinnamon, coriander, frankincense, myrrh, saffron, mint, dill etc… These condiments were used as food flavourings, medicines, and to embalm the dead. The Biblical story of Joseph tells that his brothers sold him to spice merchants that were Ishmaelites from Gilead who were transporting balm, myrrh, and gum to Egypt. Genesis 37:23-25 reports, And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
Another mention of Biblical spices is in the Tabernacle when God ordered Moses to obtain the finest spices for His sanctuary. Exodus 30: 22-26 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony….
When the Queen of Sheba went to meet King Solomon, 2 Chronicles 9:1, mentions that she brought gifts of including spices, And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
Finally, after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus brought a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes to anoint Christ’s dead body. The Lord’s body was wrapped in linen and spices.
John 19:40 says, Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
Next time you get the chance, experiment with some herbs from the Bible. Look for some recipes for Biblical spices and get to know some of the herbs that were used in the Old and New Testaments. It just may bring Biblical history alive for you.
A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT?
Job 7:3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
Both Job and Shakespeare’s character, Macbeth, have lost their joy of living. Job says that his life is disdainful and meaningless and Macbeth says that life is a tale told by an idiot
. In Job’s case his suffering was caused by satanic attacks and calamity followed calamity. However, Macbeth had committed murder and was suffering from a guilty conscience. Shakespeare was very pessimistic about life, and it is no wonder. During his lifetime the Bubonic plague had killed many in Europe, and the theatre where Shakespeare performed his plays was burned down. Shakespeare’s bleak view of life is shown in Act 5 of Macbeth:
MACBETH.
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 23-8)
Macbeth is inside Dunsinane castle still confident that no matter what Malcolm’s soldiers try, they can never kill him. He is speaking of his invincibility when a woman screams within the castle. Seyton, Macbeth’s servant, goes to see what the noise was about. While he is gone Macbeth confesses that he has been a part of such great evil and seen such terrible sights that such screams no longer startle him. Seyton returns to tell Macbeth that Lady Macbeth has died. The king says that she should have died at a time when he could mourn her. A messenger runs in to tell Macbeth that as shocking as it seems, it looks as if Birnam wood itself is approaching Dunsinane. Macbeth begins to panic at the news because the prophecy of his downfall is beginning to unfold. He orders his men to put on their armour and prepare to fight so that at least they will die wearing their armour." ( http://www.bookrags.com/notes/mac/PART25.html) In Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 King Solomon said, And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Life can seem meaningless if you don’t have Jesus, but in Jesus we are to love God and other people. Life is not just a tale told by an idiot. It was created perfect by God and man ruined it. However, we have the hope of heaven to look forward to.
Galatians 2:20 says, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
AARON: MOSES’ RIGHT HAND MAN
Exodus 4:14-15 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
For the most part Aaron was a loyal spokesperson for Moses and performed priestly functions. However, when Moses was on the mountain getting the Ten Commandments., Aaron sinned and allowed the Israelites wishes to make a golden calf to worship. He also sinned again when he protested Moses’ marriage to an Ethiopian woman. Wikipedia has the following to say about Moses’ right hand man: Aaron ( 25346.jpg ), or Aaron the Levite flourished about 1200 BC (traditionally 1597 BC) was, according to biblical accounts, one of two brothers who play a unique part in the history of the Hebrew people. He was the elder son of Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi. Moses, the other son, being three years younger, Exodus 7:7 and Miriam, their sister, several years older Exodus 2:4; Exodus 6:16; Numbers 33:39. Aaron was the great-grandson of Levi Exodus 6:16-20 and represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High priest of the Hebrews. While Moses was receiving his education at the Egyptian royal court and during his exile among the Midianites, Aaron and his sister remained with their kinsmen in the eastern border-land of Egypt. Here he gained a name for eloquent and persuasive speech; so that when the time came for the demand upon the Pharaoh to release Israel from captivity, Aaron became his brother’s
nabi, or spokesman, to his own people …
. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron Moses had declared to God that he could not speak to Israel. It isn’t clear whether or not Moses had a speech impediment or a cleft palate. However, God spoke to Moses and then Moses told Aaron what to say to the people.
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Aaron’s devotion to the Lord waxed and waned and he was punished for it. What about your devotion to the Lord? Is it consistent? Do you worship the golden calf (idols) sometimes?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOR PRESIDENTS DAY
Ecclesiastes 2:20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
Abraham Lincoln is famous for saying: People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.
( http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=1178) Yet the 16th president of the United States suffered from bipolar illness and had deep depressions. In one of his down moods he wrote, I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better I cannot tell; I awfully forebode I (will) not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better, it appears to me
. ( http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln84.html) Without question Lincoln was subject to periods of melancholy throughout his life. His own term for it was the hypo
(short for hypochondriasis). Lincoln was probably a believer in the doctrine of fatalism. Additionally, he was somewhat superstitious. However, his ability to cope with whatever depression afflicted him, especially late in life, was enormous. Using various means…. work, humour, fatalistic resignation, or even religious feelings… he generally did not allow the depression or melancholy to interfere with his work as President. He overcame this depressive aspect of his personality with a powerful inner strength and will… . The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds….
On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South." (http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html) Although Lincoln was dealing with a severe mental illness, he is remembered as a an outstanding president.
Are you drowning in a sea of melancholy? Jesus promises support for you. Latch onto Him.
In John 16:33 Jesus says, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
ABSALOM, OH ABSALOM
2 Samuel 16:8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
After David’s sin with Bathsheba, the Lord told him that the sword would not depart from his kingdom. Absalom, who was David’s own son, staged a rebellion against his father. The sequence of events that brought this on was: Absalom’s beautiful sister Tamar was ruined by his half-brother, Amon, who was David’s oldest son. (3:2) Absalom had a dual purpose in mind when he found out what Amon had done: he wanted to revenge Tamar by killing Amon, but at the same time he would be removing the obvious heir to the throne. Absalom took matters into his own hands and killed Amon; then he fled to Gentile territory to hide away with the relatives of his mother. (13:37 & 3:3) In chapter 14 Joab interceded for Absalom and tricked David into bringing his wayward son back home. Absalom wasted little time in building a loyal group of followers. He openly criticized his father’s administration and secretly stole the hearts of the people. After a time Absalom determined his movement was strong enough to risk open revolt. It is not surprising that Ahithophel, David’s counsellor, sided with the rebels for it was his granddaughter, Bathsheba, that David had taken.(11:3 with 23:34) It looked as though Absalom would be successful and steal the crown from his father.
(http://www.thebiblestudypage.com/kings_10.shtml)
Absalom’s rebellion got to the point that in 2 Samuel 13:30 the Bible says, And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.
In the end Absalom was killed and it brought heavy grief to David. The King felt the historical consequences of his adultery and murder.
In 2 Samuel 18:33 the Bible reads, And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Do you have a wayward son or daughter that is rebellious? Carry on the ministry of intercessory prayer for him or her and show the Lord that you mean business by fasting.
ABSOLUTE TRUTH
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto The Father, but by me.
Our society has abandoned absolute truth for relative truth, therefore with everybody believing something different, the main value we are supposed to have is tolerance. In the first century Rome and Greece, nobody cared if you believed in Jesus – in Greece there were more gods than there were people. The rub came when people said that Jesus was the only way. All of Christ’s apostles with the exception of John were put to death for saying that Jesus is the only way to be saved. The following poem illustrates the relativism most of our society endorses:
I bow to the one who signs the cross.
I bow to the one who sits with the Buddha.
I bow to the one who wails at the wall.
I bow to the OM flowing in the Ganges.
I