Category Archives: Questions

2 Corinthians, 2023, Proverbs, Psalms, Questions

Clichés

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Is this month speeding by for you too? 

Two weeks and this month, this year, will be done — in the books. 

Are you making plans for 2024?
Are you thinking you want to do better in 2024 than you did in 2023? 
Me too! 
Watch after family and friends better. Pay more attention to my calendar. Bring my thoughts captive more. Study more. Read more. Are you thinking about those things too? 

That’s what we do at the end of one year leading into a new one, right?
And that’s not bad. It’s good to reflect. Visions and plans are good too. 

What does the Bible say? 
People perish where there is no vision.  Proverbs 29:18

What else does the Bible say about our plans? 

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”  source
Don’t miss the verses before and after. We will surely need them in 2024.
We need them now.

Depending on the circles in which you read or listen you may be getting wind that 2024 may hold some rougher times than did 2023. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps not. 

But on this, we can hang our hat, take it to the bank, and other clichés we hear or say, GOD will NOT forsake His Children. 

A Look at Prayer

 

 

Kathie 

2 Peter, 2023, Giving Thanks, Questions, Romans

We Can Learn

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Day 25

Giving Thanks for this:

We know, not we hope, not we think, but we know.
We know that ALL things that come in and out of our lives, out of whose lives?
The lives of certain people. What people?
People who LOVE GOD, people who are called according to His Purpose.
What is His Purpose?
I am confident His Purpose is that ALL people come to repentance so they do not perish.

So, who can know, who should know that ALL things work together for good for them?

People who LOVE GOD.
And who are those people who love GOD?

People who have repented and keep on repenting. 

These people (you and I) should know and live as we know that ALL things, all happenings be those happenings bitter or sweet, GOD is working those situations for our good.

Do we know this?
Do we day in and day out live as though we know this?
We can learn. bible-study-feat-1141351566

Because He came & He is coming again,
Kathie Whitestone Thompson

2023, Ephesians, Giving Thanks, Questions, Revelation

Sunday Afternoon Stroll

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Titus 3

Titus 3:2 . . . behave gently towards everyone.

If you begin reading verse 1, you will see he had just told them to submit to the government and its officials – to obey them; to do any honorable work.
I wonder if the Cretan Government was any less hostile to People of The Way than today’s governments toward Christians? Would GOD have Paul tell us any differently? No. I am sure Father’s Word is the same for us as Titus and his fellow brethren.

Back to verse 2.
He goes on — slander no one. Avoid quarreling. Be friendly.

Wow!

Gentle.
I found a definition of gentle that I think fits here: Considerate or kindly in disposition.

Are Christians gentle toward the government and its officials?
Do Christians speak with godly consideration about the government? Please don’t misread me here.  I am not blind to the corruption, and the depravity of the powers that be here but I would like for us to recognize who our enemies are.  Ephesians 6

Considerately, what good have we done for our Father’s Kingdom if we are critical of people for the pleasure of criticizing? May I add, people that we have had no personal interaction with? Public people are people too. Again, I am not suggesting by any stretch of the imagination that we close our eyes to the sin that is paraded as good, but that we make sure it does not harden us – that we remain gentle, pliable in the HANDS of HOLY SPIRIT to the spiritual needs of government officials and all People.  Perhaps we can begin by praying for them more than we criticize them. And let’s put away words like idiot, stupid, imbecile, ding-bats, etc. Father uses words like poor, wretched, blind, miserable, and naked. See Revelation 3:16-18.

I don’t know that I can adequately write about this but it is firm and clear in my being. People are not our enemies. Our enemies live in the spiritual realm. As Christians, we are amid spiritual warfare. We must know our enemy and we must battle effectively.

Consider a good soldier, a Navy Seal. When they are on a mission they neither conduct themselves haphazardly nor nonchalantly. They are quiet, watchful, strategic, and ready at a moment’s notice to engage their opponent.

Spiritually speaking, should not we be the same? Should not we embrace that we too are on a mission? Should we be ever watchful, strategic, and ready at any moment to humble ourselves before GOD and resist the evil one and his army?

In summary, for too long I, and I think I am not alone, have lived years of this earthly journey like it is a Sunday afternoon stroll instead of a white-hot battle for the eternal souls of mankind.

I didn’t know this post was going to be so heavy – I’m not apologizing just acknowledging messages here are often tough.

What am I thankful for today?
That I am right here, right now.armor-of-god-cdd53f0d-6b0f-4ca0-9f21-ea844a06ea1-resize-750