Copied and Pasted

Posted on 10 Apr 2023 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

beauty-of-nature-24

Facebook is chocked full of words and pictures that bring out the ‘preacher’ in me. And just yesterday or perhaps the day before is a case in point. Here’s the post making its rounds.

If you end up in a burning hell for all eternity, it won’t be because you have a tattoo, or because you have a nose ring, or because you drink beer or have an addiction/addictions, smoke cigarettes, or because you spent time in prison. It won’t be because you didn’t do enough good deeds. It won’t be because you didn’t belong to the right church. It won’t be because you belong to the wrong political party. It won’t be because of that dumb thing you did that you don’t want anybody to know about. It won’t be because of what anyone else did to you.

It will be because you refused to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior! HE already paid for all the stupid stuff you or I have done, and all the stupid stuff you are going to do, when HE died FOR YOU on the cross and rose again!

HE offers salvation as a FREE GIFT

because, let’s face it, if it was up to us to earn it, we would have no chance.

The gift of salvation is there for you to receive. The decision is totally up to you. The price for your sins has been paid, the way to heaven for you has been made.

AMEN

—copied and pasted, hopefully you will too

I didn’t.

And I didn’t because it’s misleading at best and at worst hindering people from Heaven.

Yes. It talks about salvation as a Free Gift.

Folks, salvation is not FREE.
It will cost you dearly.
Yes. It says we cannot earn salvation and that is true.
But the fact that we cannot earn it does not mean it will not COST us.

What will it cost?
It costs us our love for our sins.

Moses: Hebrews 11:25 King James Version ²⁵Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

“The price for your sins has been paid, the way to heaven for you has been made.”

I have to tell you, your sins are NOT paid for UNLESS you repent of them.

Just what does repenting mean?

It means changing your mind.
It means to say the same thing about your sins that GOD says about your sins.

What has GOD said about our sins?
That they have EARNED hell for us. Romans 6:23

So our sins are ONLY paid for IF we forsake them.
That means to CEASE TO PRACTICE THEM.

(Let me urge you to search The Gospels and The ACTS. There you will find John’s message, The Apostles’ message, and YESHUA HIMSELF preached TURN FROM YOUR SINS TO GOD.

Seriously, check it out. Here are some Verses to start, in both the Old and New Testaments. Link)

It means we Love and cherish JESUS more than we love and cherish our sins.

Moreover, I must say in order for us to cease to practice whatever sin it is, we will have to stop cherishing that sin.
It’s not pretty but this is the truth — we sin because we CHERISH sin. (cherish defined)

Let me say it again, We MUST say the same thing about our sins that GOD says about our sins.

IF we do not — well until we do there is no evidence to show that we actually have received the gift of deliverance, salvation, and a home in Heaven.

It stirs me (obviously) that I see out there in professing Christianity, the teaching that we can accept JESUS’ salvation and because our sins are paid for, we can sin all we want and still go to Heaven.

People, that is a LIE from HELL.
I think this copied and pasted from Facebook lends to that teaching.

So now you know why I did not copy and paste it to my Facebook page.

Love, Kathie

But Wait . . .

Posted on 23 Mar 2023 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

I think you should read Exodus 12 today. Not because I did but because of what it says.

Let me stir us up today.

GOD kills people.

When was the last time you heard that preached?

¹²For that night, I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals; and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt; I am Adonai. source

But I am not a proponent of taking Scripture out of context which is why I am urging you to always read in context.

GOD kills people.
As I made that note in my journal, I thought the first thing people are going to say is that was the Old Testament. Yes. It is. But wait.
Acts 5 is in the New Testament. Check it out.

Back to Exodus.

Would you agree we need to know what would cause GOD to kill someone?
Scripture is where we can gather that knowledge. Exodus 12 is an excellent place to start.
Albeit, we would need to read more than Exodus 12 to learn all the evil rebellions done by Pharoah and his people. How familiar are you with the story given to us in the Book of Exodus?
It is well worth your time to read it.

What else is in Exodus 12?

There is verse 13.

¹³The blood will serve you as a sign marking the houses where you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over you — when I strike the land of Egypt, the death blow will not strike you. source

Please, please don’t miss this: when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

This is GOD talking!
When I see the blood, I will pass over you!

When GOD looks at YOU does He see the BLOOD of JESUS applied to YOU as the blood of the Passover Lamb was applied to the doors of those houses in Egypt?

The Hebrews of Old applied that blood to the doorposts. See verse 7.
door They obeyed and applied the blood because GOD told them to.
They heard the words of Moses given to him from The Father and they obeyed what they heard.
Sound familiar? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of GOD? See Romans 12:17

So I must ask again – Is the BLOOD of JESUS The CHRIST applied to you?
When GOD moves in judgment will He pass over you?
seder-e1394248396864 Look again at verse 12.
He was executing JUDGMENT when He killed all the firstborns not protected by the blood of the Passover Lamb.
Are you protected?

And if you read Acts 5, you will see not pagans being killed but church people.
There are sins unto death for church people. See 1 John 5.

I began by saying I was going to stir us up?
Did I?

Love, Kathie

Woodshed

Posted on 12 Dec 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

I have a question for us.
Are we afraid because we think we don’t matter?
Questioning our value to GOD?

Why the question?

Luke 12

Specifically verses 4-7.

Here I’ll paste them to the page for you.

⁴“My friends, I tell you: don’t fear those who kill the body but then have nothing more they can do. ⁵I will show you whom to fear: fear him who after killing you has authority to throw you into Gei-Hinnom! Yes, I tell you, this is the one to fear! ⁶Aren’t sparrows sold for next to nothing, five for two assarions? And not one of them has been forgotten by God. ⁷Why, every hair on your head has been counted! Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows. source

Do you see? Verse 7. Read it till you believe it.

And while we are on the subject, let’s look at who we should and should not be afraid.

I mean for real, who are we afraid of?
(Forgive me just had to leave that preposition at the end.)

I mean when we are threatened by someone, wouldn’t it be the BEST! to be so secure in JESUS that we with firm authority say,
“What’s the worse thing you can do to me?
Kill me?
Then I am with JESUS! Give it your best shot!”

What did JESUS say in this passage?
For Real Christians what is the worse thing another human person can do to us?
Be the vehicle of exit from this cruel, hostile world?

(Albeit, even I can admit that beatings, tortures, etc. are not what I want but I understand from the testimonies of Saints that JESUS gives unspeakable help and comfort during such sufferings.)

So who do people need to be afraid of?
This is not spoken on the street or preached in the pulpit, but I am saying it.

Any person who has not repented, believed and received in exchange for their sins the RIGHTEOUSNESS of JESUS — oh they need to be afraid.
Very afraid of none other than GOD, HIMSELF.

We are taught in this culture that GOD is all love and there is no reason to be afraid of Him.

Rubbish from hell!

Read it again.

⁵I will show you whom to fear: fear him who after killing you has authority to throw you into Gei-Hinnom! Yes, I tell you, this is the one to fear!

And please please do not miss that word AUTHORITY. And please do not miss there is only ONE to fear.
HE has the authority, and the right, it is JUST for Him to cast every unbeliever into the hell they have chosen.

This is Who we should be afraid of!
And even as His children, bought and cleansed by The BLOOD of His Only Begotten Son, we better still be afraid of disobeying Him!
He chastens those He loves when they disobey — by the way, so does any godly daddy.

So, we really need to work at staying out of the woodshed.
Not just because it hurts but because HE IS WORTHY of our obedience and love.

He chastens those that are His. Hebrews 12:6-11

That’s it for now. pioneer-woodshed-sheri-mcleroy

Love, Kathie

The Inside Matters

Posted on 6 Dec 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

Luke 6

49 verses.

One of the first things I noticed in this chapter was the “church” leaders and their hatred for YESHUA.

⁷The Torah-teachers and P’rushim watched Yeshua carefully to see if he would heal on Shabbat, so that they could accuse him of something. source

They watched Him carefully, not to learn from Him, not to worship and obey Him; no, they watched Him carefully so they could accuse Him.
They watched Him carefully so they could accuse Him.

Let you and I never be the ones who watch to find a reason to accuse Him.

When we watch and see things coming to pass that we do not understand, things we do like, things we did not ask to come to be — let us NOT find reasons to accuse Him. Rather let us pray to remember that He is always good and we are always loved.

Did you know the night before YESHUA was to name His Twelve, He spent the whole night in prayer?
I imagine He talked to The Father about each and every one of them, calling them by name and discussing their weaknesses and their strengths.
He knew what He was getting when He called them.

He knew what He was getting when He called you and me too.

Would you like to know how The Father expects us to respond to persecution?
Verses 22 and 23 will tell you.
I added a note in the margin of my Bible: a proper response to persecution.

And in closing, there is another question: ⁴⁶“Why do you call me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ but not do what I say? source

Some in our world would answer that “well, I’m just a sinner, He understands I can’t help it.”

No. He means what He says — call me, LORD? Then obey me.
Are we not told that at our re-birth, we received Holy Spirit? Acts 2:38 Repent And Be Baptised (silver)
He came to reside in us.
He is the Gift Who enables.
He is the One Who raised JESUS from the dead — and we dare say Holy Spirit is powerless to enable us to lay down that sin that so easily besets us? See Hebrews 12:1.

And with that, I conclude for the evening.

Love, Kathie

Also known as Brittle Star

Posted on 7 Nov 2022 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

As I said in an earlier post I’ve been editing here at The White Stone today. I did not mean to edit this long.

Well, sometimes edits do not go as one intended. One should not convert a published post to a draft — that necessitates a re-publish. So here we are. (For the third time )

Brittle Star (again) Sometime in 2013 I think

IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Brittle Star

Our Guide at the Sea, Sand, and Stars, situated in Orange Beach, Alabama acquainted us with many creatures, including a Brittle Star. To certain second graders, it looked like a small octopus.

Truth be told, only one thing about my field trip with Issy made me sad – really, really sad. Hearing about fins and tails and shapes of sea creatures and how each one works so perfectly in harmony to enable them to swim, find food, and escape predators just did me good – I loved it! And I suspect you are not surprised that as I listened I thought of The Father. I thought about how smart He is. I thought how AWESOME He is. I thought how ingenious He is. I thought how fun He is! And then I grieved that those precious children with minds like sponges soaking up all that important information about fish and seahorses and Brittle Stars and planets with their precision orbits, with the earth’s axis titled just right – all of it, and not once were they told all this came to be because God made it! Not once were they inspired to see how Awesome He is, how smart He is, and how fun He is! It still makes me sad!

But back to the Brittle Star. When our Guide told us that the Brittle Star will break its own leg off and leave it behind (it can grow another one) in order to escape a predator, a spiritual application began to form on the screen of my mind. Wouldn’t it be great if we were as ‘smart’ as the Brittle Star? Wouldn’t it be smart of us to be willing to voluntarily cut off those ‘appendages’ that make us prey for the Evil One? This Scripture came to mind and even though it is primarily speaking to an unsaved soul, you will probably see why it came to mind.

Matthew 18:⁸ “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. source

And since I sat to write, this one came to mind too: Hebrews 12: ¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, source

I’ll not probe with you the laying aside of every weight or the sin which so easily ensnares, but I will trust Holy Spirit to do His job in each of us to shed His Light on those ‘appendages’ that make us prey. I will encourage us to pick up a few books to read; books on Astronomy, mammals, reptiles, fish and other sea creatures, and botany – there are so many! And when we have read and marveled and communed with Father about how AWESOME He is, gather our children, and our grandchildren and use those books and information to allow Holy Spirit to WOW them and open their hearts to soak up the Truth their schools are not telling them!

It’s been a ‘fishy’ week, hasn’t it? Bluegill and now Brittle Star. Have some holy fun this weekend! We love you with holy hugs!

Father, Thank You. I so enjoyed the wealth of information we were given about Your Creatures. I so enjoyed seeing Your Handiwork up close and personal. No ONE, nothing compares to You. You truly are AWESOME. You are so huge I cannot get my mind around You but what I do comprehend thrills and delights me. I love You, Father. I am so glad You are You. Now, help us teach our young about You even more faithfully. Help us not be shy about learning ‘science’ because in true Science You are there in the very heart of it! LORD, train us, like You did Daniel, help us excel in matters of Science and Astronomy – all that stuff that shows us You are the Creator. Put some excitement in us that will inspire our children and our grandchildren; to wake them up to the fact that YOU ARE THE COOLEST! That No One is more cool, more hip … whatever words they use these days for people they admire. I want my grand-babies to ADMIRE You. To admire You above everyone and everything. Hey, I want that for me too. So help me show myself faithful to that desire and cut off those appendages that make me devil prey.

We’ve had some prayer request activity today and You have heard our prayers, we renew them now, knowing You have not forgotten and neither will You, and more than not forgetting You will do according to Your will for wayward souls we want to come home; for strife and un-forgiveness, for physical bodies that hurt, for eyes that don’t see, for ears that do not hear, for babies to grow up healthy and strong, for Mommas to rest and grandmothers to be okay; all this and more we bring to You and thank You so much that we can. And thank You so much that You hear and answer. We pray for all our IDOK Troops, for their peace and safety. We pray for Israel’s peace and safety. We pray for America’s repentance. We pray for political offices occupied by immoral folks to be vacated and filled with people of character and righteous principles. We pray for revival in America. And we pray for an army of prayer warriors to come together and pray until we see You pour out Your Spirit on Your Sons and Your Daughters. LORD, I am excited to see what You are going to do with this IDOK ministry and other ministries all across this land. LORD JESUS I just want You to be lifted up, exalted, loved, and praised because You are worthy. Thank You for loving us and for enabling us to love You back. Amen and amen.