TABLE OF CONTENTS

When you find the writing you want, copy and paste the link below it into the search bar.

I have arranged my titles in categories in hopes of helping you locate the type of writing you are seeking: Bible Subjects, Bible Stories, Family Stories, a Biography and Christian Poems.

To print this list, for Windows, use Control & P to bring up the print option; for Mac, go to File, Print or Command, P. Choose the number of pages (out of 7) that you want to print. The last couple of pages have poems from my booklet "The Color of Love."

BIBLE SUBJECTS

Scriptures for Tithing/Offering Worship Time

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/08/offeringtithes-scriptures.html

Foolish and Stupid Arguments
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/06/foolish-and-stupid-arguments.html

A Demon Called Porn
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-demon-called-porno.html

Forty Ways to Keep Her Love
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/02/ways-to-keep-her-love-communicate-tell.html

Headed for Hell?
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/01/headed-for-hell-new-testament-matthew.html

The Power of Words
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-power-of-words.html

Instruments in the Worship Service, Pros and Cons
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/09/instruments-in-worship-service-pros-and.html

Study the Bible and Preach It
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/09/study-bible-and-preach-it.html

How to Treat Me if I get Alzheimer's or Dementia
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/08/how-to-treat-me-if-i-get-dementia-or.html

What Does the Christian Church Believe
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-first-christian-church.html

Giving/Tithing
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/07/givingtithing-ii-cor.html

Encouraging Words
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/03/encouraging-words-lord-will-call-you.html

In Love or in Lust?
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/02/in-love-or-in-lust.html

Passive Violence - The Butt of Jokes/Teasing
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/02/passive-aggression-butt-of-jokesteasing.html

The Last Days
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/01/psalm-139-in-rhyme.html

For Heaven's Sake
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/12/for-heavens-sake-dont-miss-glorious.html

The End of Earth
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-end-of-earth-and-beginning-of.html

A New Attitude
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-new-attitude-longer-ilive-more-i.html

Lustful and Perverse Thoughts
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/10/lustful-and-perverse-thoughts.html

Sex Education from the Bible
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/10/what-bible-says-about-sex.html

Counting the Cost
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/09/counting-cost-when-someone-asks-for.html

Lucifer, a/k/a Satan, Beelzebub
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/07/blog-post_17.html

Whoever Is Not With Me Is Against Me

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/07/whoever-is-not-with-me-is-against-me.html

Once Saved, Always Saved?
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/07/once-saved-always-saved.html

The Wise and the Foolish
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-wise-and-foolish.html

Honor Your Father and Mother

Invisible Old People

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-older-folks-are-to-be-treated.html

From Bible Babes to Bible Scholars
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/12/from-bible-babes-to-bible-scholars.html

A King's Ransom
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-kings-ransom-heaven-is-holy-place.html

Moody Music
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/03/mood-music.html

Be Prepared, Be Ready
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/03/be-prepared-be-ready.html

Infinite, Unbroken, Powerful Love
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/03/infinite-unbroken-powerful-love.html

CWBA
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/05/cwba.html

Mr. Luke Warm
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/04/mr-luke-warm.html

The Forbidden Allowed and Practices Now Unnecessary
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-forbidden-allowed-and-other.html

Mood Music
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/02/mood-music.html

Godspeak
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/02/godspeak.html

Undying Love

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/02/undying-love-he-cried-to-god-he.html

Growing in God's Grace as a Divorcee

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/growing-in-gods-grace-as-divorcee.html

Is Not Going to Church a Sin?
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/is-not-going-to-church-sin-this-is.html

A Study of Angels Good and Bad
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/04/angels-col.html

Profanity
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/profanity-ex.html

About Angels
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/about-angels-i-was-at-right-to-life.html

Our Wholy Holy God

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/our-wholly-holy-god-who-isgod-that.html

Avoid Unclean Lips
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2019/11/to-cuss-or-not-to-cuss.html

When Someone Threatens Suicide
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2019/02/when-someone-threatens-suicide.html

Double Trouble
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/05/double-trouble.html

Beware of Your Pet
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/05/beware-of-your-pet.html

Wanting for Nothing
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/05/beware-of-your-pet.html

On the Hard Road
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/05/on-hard-road-when-faced-with-choice-of.html

Pie in the Sky
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/05/pie-in-sky.html

The Temptation of Jesus
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-temptation-of-jesus.html

The Prison I'm Living In
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-prison-im-living-in.html

Where Is God?
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/02/where-is-god.html

The Passing of Time
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/12/time-passed-away-as-child-i-lay-on-cool.html

Seasons in the Son
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/seasons-in-son-each-person-enters-into.html

Living on a Battlefield

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/12/living-on-abattlefield-do-you.html

Witchcraft, Omens, Sorcery, Divination, Mediums, Magic
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/03/witchcraft-omens-sorcery-divination.html

Holy is Your Name
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/02/i-was-inspired-while-saying-my-bedtime.html

Worry Won't Change a Thing, Good or Bad
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/09/worry-doesnt-change-thing-good-or-bad-i.html

Happy Rebirth-Day to You
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/08/happy-rebirth-day-to-you-happy-rebirth.html

The Great Physician
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-physician.html

Booksmart

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/booksmart.html

The Joy of Dying
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-joy-of-dying.html

Zip Your Lips
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/02/zip-your-lips.html

The Terminator and the Terminated

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-terminator-and-terminated.html

A Biblical Guide to the Employer/Employee Relationship
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-biblical-guide-to-employer-employee.html

A Tree Is Trimmed
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-tree-is-trimmed_9.html

What God Has to Say About How the Poor Are to be Treated

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/08/what-god-has-to-say-about-how-poor-are.html

Our Nation's Potention Certificate of Divorce from God

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-representation-of-our-nations.html

The Color of Love
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-color-of-love.html

How to Solve Any Problem
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-solve-any-problem.html

The Closet
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-closet.html

Mission Aborted
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/mission-aborted.html

The Measure of Our Love
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-measure-of-our-love.html

True Love

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/02/true-love.html

Baptism is More than Getting Wet in Church
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/11/baptism-is-more-than-getting-wet-in.html

Get Down with Your Bad Self
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/09/get-down-with-your-bad-self.html

A Measure of Success
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-measure-of-success.html

Beauty is as Beauty Does

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/04/beauty-is-as-beauty-does.html

A Poor Attitude
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-poor-attitude.html

Life is All about Choices
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/life-is-all-about-choices.html

Gossip: Wagging the Tongue
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/gossip-wagging-tongue.html

Weathering a Storm
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/weathering-storm.html

Time Spent

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/time-spent.html

A Glorious Day
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-glorious-day.html

How Long is God's Fuse
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-long-is-gods-fuse.html

Motivated by Money
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/motivated-by-money.html

Blueprint for Life
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/blueprint-for-life.html

Tomorrow May Never Come
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/tomorrow-may-never-come.html

A Dusty, Old Book
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-dusty-old-book.html

Artificial Fun

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/artificial-fun.html

From the Mouths of Babes

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/from-mouths-of-babes.html

My Own Psalm of Praise

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-psalm-of-praise.html

Two Precious Gems
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/two-precious-gems-there-are-but-few.html

A Mother Gives Life a Chance

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-mother-gives-life-chance.html

Morphed
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/morphed.html

Spiritual Diseases

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/spiritual-diseases.html

A One-in-a-Million Man
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-one-in-million-man.html

Likely Stories on Judgment Day
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/likely-stories-for-judgment-day.html

A Selfish Man's Version of The Lord's Prayer

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-selfish-mans-version-of-lords-prayer.html

Train Your Brain, Save Your Sanity

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/train-your-brain-preserve-your-sanity.html

Traveling in the Light
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/traveling-in-light.html

A Tree Is Trimmed
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-tree-is-trimmed.html

Christian Soldiers: A Win or Lose Situation

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/christian-soldiers-win-or-lose-situation.html

Consider the Ant, You Sluggard

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/consider-ant-you-sluggard.html

The Measure of Rich vs. Poor
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-measure-of-rich-vs-poor.html

Disposable Mates and Throwaway Children
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/disposable-mates-throwaway-children.html

Snatched from the Flames
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/snatched-from-flames.html

What Does the Christian Church Believe?

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-first-christian-church.html

 I Just Can't Keep My Mouth Shut
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-just-cant-keep-my-mouth-shut.html

Nothing to Worry About

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/04/to-worry-or-not-to-worry.html

Created Equal But Different
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/created-equal-but-different.html

Speaking in Tongues: My Study
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/speaking-in-tongues-my-study.html

All in a Word (love)
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/all-in-word.html

Love Without Measure
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-without-measure.html

Inseparable

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/05/inseparable.html

The Pounding of the Nails

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/pounding-of-nails.html

Blacklisted
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/black-listed.html

Train Your Brain, Preserve Your Sanity
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/train-your-brain-preserve-your-sanity.html

Handicapped
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/handicapped.html

Tattoos
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/05/tattoos.html

Strong Drink, Weak Will
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/06/alcoholism.html

Gambling, a Game Changer

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/07/gambling-game-changer.html

Judge Not, But Be Discerning
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/08/judge-not-matthew-71-5-judge-not-that.html

The Relationship Between God and Animals

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/08/judge-not-matthew-71-5-judge-not-that.html

Thanks

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/11/thanks.html

When Nature is Fully Alive

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/09/when-nature-becomes-fully-alive.html

Youth in the Bible

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/08/youth-in-bible-names-roles-advice.html

The Sin of Omission

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-sin-of-omission.html

Communion Scriptures and Poems

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/12/communion-scriptures.html

BIOGRAPHY

History of Lee Carter Maynard 

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/01/history-of-lee-carter-maynard.html

FAMILY STORIES

Awakened by Angels
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/05/awakened-by-angels.html

Mom's Quips & Quotes
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/03/moms-quips-quotes-i-didnt-want-to.html

My Sister, Marilyn, an Amazing Overcomer
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/02/my-sister-marilyn-amazing-overcomer.html

My Traits Like Bible Characters
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/01/my-traits-like-bible-characters.html

How to Treat Me if I get Alzheimer's or Dementia
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/08/how-to-treat-me-if-i-get-dementia-or.html

Dad's Socks
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/12/dads-socks.html

Being Rich vs. Being Poor
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-measure-of-rich-vs-poor.html

The Saga of My Maid of Honor's Dress

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-saga-of-my-maid-of-honors-dress.html

My Ownership of the Restoration Plea

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/my-ownership-of-restoration-plea.html

Blog Bits and Pieces
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/04/blog-bites.html

An Unexpected Inheritance During the Depression

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2020/03/an-unexpected-inheritance-during.html

Poor But Rich

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/02/poor-but-rich.html

A Mother's Day Tribute to My Own Mother: St. Mom
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/st.html

Wonder-ful Woman

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/wonder-ful-woman.html

Two Precious Gems
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/two-precious-gems-there-are-but-few.html

A Mother Gives Life a Chance

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/05/mother-gives-life-chance.html

The Overturf Family's Easter Day Car Wreck

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/the-overturf-familys-easter-day-car.html

Buck and Eve: In the Beginning

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/buck-eve-in-beginning.html

My Son John

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-son-john.html

BIBLE STORIES

Old Testament Stories:

Overview of the Books of the Old Testament

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/06/books-of-old-testament.html

The Beginning

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-beginning.html

A New Construction Site

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-construction-site.html

Adam and Eve: The First Sin Brought to Fruition
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/adam-eve-first-sin-brought-to-fruition.html

Cain and Abel: His Brother's Keeper

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/cain-and-abel-his-brothers-keeper.html

High and Mighty

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/03/high-and-mighty.html

Noah and the Ark: A Worldwide Baptism

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/noah-and-ark-worldwide-baptism.html

Abram: A Father at 100
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/abram-father-at-100.html

The Day The Heavens Rained Fire

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-day-heavens-rained-fire.html

Abraham and Isaac: In God They Trusted

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/abraham-and-isaac-in-god-they-trusted.html

Promises From Heaven

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/04/promises-from-heaven.html

The Agony of Deceit

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-agony-of-deceit.html

Wrestling With the Lord

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/jacob-wrestling-with-lord.html

Dad Always Liked You Best

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/dad-always-liked-you-best.html

Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/04/every-silver-lining-has-cloud.html

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/09/meanwhile-back-at-ranch.html

A Tisket, a Tasket, a Baby in a Basket

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/moses-tisket-tasket-baby-in-basket.html

I Am/Am I

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-am-am-i-based-on-exodus-3-to-moses.html

Plagues and Pandemics

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/04/plagues-pandemics.html

Between the Devil and the Deep Red Sea

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/between-devil-and-deep-red-sea.html

A Call to Arms
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-call-to-arms.html

The Lord's Top Ten Carved in Stone

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-lords-top-ten-set-in-stone-ex.html

Life is All About Choices

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/life-is-all-about-choices.html

Two Spies and a Harlot

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/two-spies-and-harlot.html

Joshua Defeats Jericho

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/03/joshua-defeats-jericho.html

The Day the Sun Stood Still

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-day-sun-stood-still-joshua-105-27.html

Balaam and the Talking Donkey

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/balaam-and-talking-donkey.html

Two Women Win a War

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/deborah-woman-wins-war.html

Gideon: From a Zero to a Hero

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/from-zero-to-hero.html

3-Part Story of Samson: The Riddler, Foxfire, and Samson Brought Down the House

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-riddler-judges-1410-152-samson-was.html

Samson Brought Down the House

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/06/samson-brings-down-house.html

Ruth and Boaz: A Second Time Around Love Story

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/ruth-and-boaz-second-time-around-love.html

A Mother's Great Sacrifice

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/hannah-mothers-great-sacrifice.html

Saul: The First King of Israel

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-first-king.html

King Saul and the Witch of Endor

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/i-samuel-28-31-she-didnt-own-cauldron.html

David and Goliath: A Giant Problem

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/david-goliath-giant-problem.html

David and Jonathon: Best Friends Until Death

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2024/09/best-friends-until-death.html

An Analogy Told to King David: I Love Ewe

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/i-love-ewe.html

King David's Last Words to His Son and Successor

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/king-davids-last-words-to-his-son.html

King Solomon: A Wise Man's Folly

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-wise-mans-folly.html

Elijah: Fed By Ravens

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/elijah-fed-by-ravens.html

Jezebel: A Mean Queen

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/jezebel-mean-queen.html

450 vs. 1

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/based-on-i-kings-1816-40-israelites.html

Elijah Fights His Toughest Battle: Depression

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-prophet-overcomes-depression.html

Elijah: Hot Wheels, Fiery Horses, and a Whirlwind

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/elijah-in-hot-wheels-with-fiery-horses.html

Naaman: Why Do the Easy Way What Can Be Done the Hard Way

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/naaman-why-do-easy-way-what-can-be-done.html

Hezekiah Given Life + 15 Years

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/king-hezekiah-given-life-15-years.html

Ezra: Riding the Waves of Discouragement

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/07/riding-waves-of-discouragement.html

Nehemiah: Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/nehemiah-rebuilding-walls-of-jerusalem.html

Esther Crowned Queen for Such a Time as This

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/03/from-book-of-esther-king-of-persia.html

Job: Sore No More

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/job-sore-no-more.html

Psalm 23: This Journey Called Life

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/psalm-23-this-journey-called-life.html

Psalm 23:

Psalm 139 in Rhyme
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/01/psalm-139-in-rhyme.html

Consider the Ant, You Sluggard

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/consider-ant-you-sluggard.html

Square Pegs and a Round Hole

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/ecclesiastes-square-pegs-for-round-hole.html

It's About Time

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/ecclesiastes-3-its-about-time.html

Ecclesiastes: Words of Wisdom for Labor Day

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-bible-search-on-labor.html

How to Solve Any Problem

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-solve-any-problem.html

I Just Can't Keep My Mouth Shut

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-just-cant-keep-my-mouth-shut.html

Misery from A-Z

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/07/misery-from-z.html

Who's Saved and Who's Not

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/08/whos-saved-and-whos-not.html

Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego: That's Hot!

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/thats-hot-daniel-17-249-ch.html

The King Who Grazed on Grass

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-king-who-grazed-on-grass.html

The Writing Was on the Wall

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-writing-was-on-wall.html

Original Sin

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/07/based-on-ezekiel-14-33-sin-began-with.html

The Man the Lions Couldn't Tame

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-man-lions-couldnt-tame-daniel-6.html

In the Belly of a Really Big Fish

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/jonah-in-belly-of-live-submarine.html

Who Is Robbing God?

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/03/who-is-robbing-god-malachi-213-malachi.html

New Testament Stories:

John the Baptist Prepares The Way
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/11/john-baptist-prepares-way.html

When Your Will Won't
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/07/when-your-will-wont.html

Worth Your Salt

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/08/worth-your-salt.html

Communion Scriptures and Poems

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2015/12/communion-scriptures.html

Sonrise
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/sonrise.html

Jesus is Betrayed by a Friend: Kiss of Judas, Kiss of Death
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/kiss-of-judas-kiss-of-death.html

The Greatest Pain of All

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-greatest-pain-of-all.html

Sowing the Gospel Seed: Harvest Time

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/sowing-gospel-seed-harvest-time.html

New Creature Features
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/baptism-new-creature-features.html

When the Mountains Envied a Hill
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/when-mountains-envied-hill.html

One and Only One

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-one-and-only-one.html

My Name is Legion for We Are Many

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-name-is-legion-for-we-are-many.html

Faith & Works: You Can't Have One Without the Other

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-works-you-cant-have-one-without.html

Jesus Heals a Blind Man: Blindsight
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/blindsight.html

Two Part Story: The Prodigal Son & the Unforgiving Brother

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/two-part-story-prodigal-son-unforgiving.html

For His Bride
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/for-his-bride.html

Rock and Roll With Jesus
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/rock-and-roll.html

A New Construction Site

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-construction-site.html

Mary's Perfume vs. the Pharisees' Stench

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-fragrant-aroma-or-smell-of-death.html

Pharisees: Nothing Hurts Like the Truth

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/nothing-hurts-like-truth.html

The Temptation of Jesus

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-temptation-of-jesus.html

Dragnet

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/01/dragnet.html

The Pounding of the Nails

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-pounding-of-nails.html

CHRISTIAN POEMS FROM MY "COLOR OF LOVE" BOOKLET

John the Baptist Prepares The Way
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2017/11/john-baptist-prepares-way.html

When Your Will Won't
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2022/07/when-your-will-wont.html

Worth Your Salt

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/08/worth-your-salt.html

Sonrise

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/sonrise.html

Jesus is Betrayed by a Friend: Kiss of Judas, Kiss of Death
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/kiss-of-judas-kiss-of-death.html

The Greatest Pain of All

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-greatest-pain-of-all.html

Sowing the Gospel Seed: Harvest Time

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/sowing-gospel-seed-harvest-time.html

New Creature Features
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/baptism-new-creature-features.html

When the Mountains Envied a Hill
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/04/when-mountains-envied-hill.html

One and Only One

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-one-and-only-one.html

My Name is Legion for We Are Many

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-name-is-legion-for-we-are-many.html

Faith & Works: You Can't Have One Without the Other

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-works-you-cant-have-one-without.html

Jesus Heals a Blind Man: Blindsight
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/blindsight.html

Two Part Story: The Prodigal Son & the Unforgiving Brother

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/05/two-part-story-prodigal-son-unforgiving.html

For His Bride
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/for-his-bride.html

Rock and Roll With Jesus
https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/03/rock-and-roll.html

A New Construction Site

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-new-construction-site.html

Mary's Perfume vs. the Pharisees' Stench

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-fragrant-aroma-or-smell-of-death.html

Pharisees: Nothing Hurts Like the Truth

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/nothing-hurts-like-truth.html

The Temptation of Jesus

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-temptation-of-jesus.html

Dragnet

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/01/dragnet.html

A Selfish Man's Version of The Lord's Prayer

Inseparable

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/05/inseparable.html

True Love

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/02/true-love.html

Love Without Measure

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-without-measure.html

In Love or In Lust

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2023/02/in-love-or-in-lust.html

From the Mouths of Babes

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/from-mouths-of-babes.html

A Dusty Old Book

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-dusty-old-book.html

Traveling in the Light

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/04/traveling-in-light.html

He Moves Heaven and Earth for Me

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2025/07/he-moved-heaven-and-earth-for-me-god.html

Booksmart

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2016/08/booksmart.html

Disposable Mates and Throwaway Children

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/02/disposable-mates-throwaway-children.html

Mission Aborted

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/03/mission-aborted.html

A Glorious Day

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-glorious-day.html

I Just Can't Keep My Mouth Shut

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-just-cant-keep-my-mouth-shut.html

Nothing to Worry About

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/04/to-worry-or-not-to-worry.html

Inseparable

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2012/05/inseparable.html

BIOGRAPHY

History of Lee Carter Maynard

https://beckyowall.blogspot.com/2014/01/history-of-lee-carter-maynard.html

HUMOROUS BIBLE VERSES

HUMOROUS BIBLE VERSES

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Proverbs 23:5

Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave; let no one hold them back. Proverbs 28:17

Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. Proverbs 20:4

I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. Zechariah 5:1

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” II Kings 2:

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” I Kings 18:16-17

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. I Kings 18:25-29
“‘As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. Leviticus 26:36

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. James

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Job 41:31
It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.

Acts 12:7-16
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

GOD CRIES TO ALL NATIONS

GOD'S CRIES TO ALL NATIONS

Jeremiah 18:8
If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

Exodus 19:5
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,

Leviticus 18:28
And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

Leviticus 20:23
You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.

Deuteronomy 4:7-8
What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Deuteronomy 8:20
Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 12:29
The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”

Deuteronomy 28:1 - Blessings for Obedience
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.

Deuteronomy 28:12
The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.

Deuteronomy 28 - Curses for Disobedience
15 However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: 16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. 17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. 18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. 20 The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The Lord will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. 25 The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food for all the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29 At midday you will grope about like a blind person in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you. 30 You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and rape her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. 33 A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. 34 The sights you see will drive you mad. 35 The Lord will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. 36 The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. 37 You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you. 38 You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. 42 Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land. 43 The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail. 45 All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. 46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. 49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or olive oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. 52 They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the Lord your God is giving you. 53 Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you. 54 Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55 and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. 56 The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter 57 the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For in her dire need she intends to eat them secretly because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of your cities. 58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God— 59 the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. 63 Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. 64 Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. 65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. 67 In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. 68 The Lord will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.

NOTE: God is speaking to the Israelites in these verses, but keep in mind, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We, the people of all nations, have changed but He has not. We learn His way of thinking from these verses. Would the punishment be the same for our nation? Probably not the same, but maybe similar. Lands and circumstances have changed. Our nation had one God for centuries, but we have allowed many gods into our country. God is a jealous God when it comes to other gods being worshiped instead of Him. We may say we worship Him, but how devoted are we? Do we spend Sundays watching sports on tv or weekends participating in sports? Do we take time away from family and church events to watch sports or participate in them? In other words, is sports our God? What about alcoholic beverages? Is that a god you're familiar with? Your phone? Pornography? Gambling? What has mastered your life?

Deuteronomy 32:21They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.

Deuteronomy 32:28
They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them.

Joshua 236 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.
9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

1 Chronicles 16:8
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

1 Chronicles 16:26
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

1 Chronicles 16:28
Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

1 Chronicles 16:31
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Job 12:23
He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

Psalm 9:17
The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.

Psalm 18:47
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,

Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,

Psalm 22:28
for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

Psalm 33:10
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Psalm 43:1
Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked.

Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 47:1
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

Psalm 47:8
God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.

BARGAINING WITH GOD

BARGAINING WITH GOD

Have you ever bargained with God? Have you ever prayed that if He would do so and so for you, you would do something special for Him? I don't believe I've bargained with Him before, but for sure I've argued with Him, or to Him. I guess I took my chances because God doesn't like grumblers and I've done my share. Following are some of the ones who bargained with God and got results. Does that mean you would? Only God knows. But the Bible does give us several instances where people bargained with Him, so if we use that as a guide as to whether He would do the same for us, well, there's a good chance He will, or you might just get a maybe. One thing is for sure. It is not wise to make a vow and not keep it. Numbers 30:2 says, "When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said." Deuteronomy 23:21 says, "If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin." Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, "It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it." There are several others, also.

BARGAINERS:

Abram/Abraham - Genesis 18:20-33

"20 Then the Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.' 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: 'Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?' 26 The Lord said, 'If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.' 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: 'Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?' 'If I find forty-five there,' he said, 'I will not destroy it.' 29 Once again he spoke to him, 'What if only forty are found there?' He said, 'For the sake of forty, I will not do it.' 30 Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?' He answered, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there.' 31 Abraham said, 'Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?' He said, 'For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.' 32 Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?' He answered, 'For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.' 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home." 

As the rest of the story goes, Sodom and its twin city, Gomorrah, were destroyed by burning sulfur. Abraham's family was saved except for Lot's wife, who did what God told her not to do and that is to look back. She disobeyed and became a pillar of salt. God's answer was actually "Yes" to each of Abraham's bargains as long as they held true, but the deals could not be sealed because Abraham's part of the deals did not materialize.

Lot's Plea to God While Escaping Sodom - Genesis 19

12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” 18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” 21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.

The two men the verses speak of are angels. That is told in a previous verse. They told Lot to flee to the mountains or die, but Lot was afraid he wouldn't make it to that destination, so he asked to go to a small town near enough to run to so his life would be spared. His request was granted, no problem. It was a reasonable request. Remember that the Lord was present from the time Abraham made his request that God save Sodom if 50, then 45, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10 good men could be found in the city. Abraham's request was not granted because there was not even 10 good men in the city.

God and the devil - Job 1:6 - 2:1-13, 42:10-17

The most well-known bargain that occurred in the Bible was between God and the devil himself. 

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.( 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who ha escaped to tell you!” 16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

'Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.'

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." 

Ch. 2:1-13 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” 4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out you hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said 11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhit and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

The next chapters involve a discussion between Job and his three so-called friends, or maybe I should say well-meaning friends who did more to accuse him than comfort him. Finally the Lord speaks. His message chastises Job, which may seem to some of us to be somewhat harsh, though everything God says is true. This takes up several chapters, then God restores to Job twice what he lost.

Ch. 42 - "10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years."

 

The Parable of the Lady Before the Judge - Luke 18:1-8

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

I don't know if this falls in the category of a true bargain since the lady had nothing to offer except her faith. She never gave up praying and demanding justice against her adversary from the judge. But the Grand Judge granted her wish for justice, quick justice. The Lord wonders when Christ comes again as the Son of Man, will He find faith on earth such as the woman has?

The Parable of the Rich Ruler - Luke 18:18-30

"18 A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 19 'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ 21 'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.' 26 Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved? 27 Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.' 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!' 29 'Truly I tell you,' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'"

The ruler wanted Jesus to give him an easy entrance into heaven but he was unwilling to accept the deal Jesus made with him. He could not give up his riches to help the poor and follow Jesus. That was too much to ask of him, he thought. He was hoping to make it to heaven on works alone. So he walked away sad, though he had been offered a much greater deal than what he was asked to give up. He would have greater riches, no pain, no sorrow, peace and eternal life with Jesus. But like so many, he lived for the present, not the future. He had just traded a few years of "happiness" from wealth for an eternity of misery.

Hezekiah happily accepts God's offer - II Kings 18:5, 20:1-20

2 Kings 18:5 - Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.

2 Kings 20:1 - 20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. 8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?” 9 Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?” 10 “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” 11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

The Lord had already had a prophet inform Hezekiah that he was going to die; that he would not recover. The Lord's prophets were always truthful and correct. But Hezekiah didn't give up that easily. He reminded God how he had been faithful, devoted, and did good. Then he wept bitterly. God responds to genuine tears, so he sent the prophet back to Hezekiah and told him he would heal him. Hezekiah had no deal to offer God except his faith, his devotion, his good deeds and his tears. But that was enough to add 15 years to his life.

Gideon with a Fleece Bargains with the Lord - Judges 6:11-15, 36-40

11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. 

This is one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament. Gideon was in the weakest clan and he was the least of the least in his clan. I couldn't include the whole story in this article but it is well worth reading to see how one with no confidence and no military status was able to defeat a much larger army with God's help and through the most unusual means.  

Paul and His Thorn in the Flesh - 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul was given a thorn in his flesh by one of Satan's followers. The purpose of the "thorn" was to torment him. Paul begged to the Lord three times to take it away from him. The Lord did not grant Paul's wish even though Paul was a faithful, devoted follower of Christ. The Lord's power is made perfect in weakness. Our weaknesses make us stronger, also. We try harder and depend on the Lord more when we are at our weakest. Through visions and revelations from the Lord, Paul had knowledge that no one else had. He was "caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." Paul told that part in the third person but was speaking of himself. God allowed Satan to give him a thorn in the flesh to keep him from becoming conceited, which would be a sin, and to do so would result in dire consequences. The sights he saw were meant for his eyes and ears only. We all must fight hard to overcome temptation and trials. Life isn't always easy, but the reward is great for those who persevere and overcome those obstacles. Everything the Lord does is with one goal in mind and that is so that we can live with Him in heaven. If it takes hardships to get us there, so be it. If we are insulted for being a Christian, so be it. Let's rejoice in those chances to show Jesus our devotion.

Naaman Healed of Leprosy, But Not on His Terms - 2 Kings 5:5-14

5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Naaman didn't want to be cleansed of his leprosy according to the prophet's terms, though the prophet got his messages from the Lord. Naaman was the commander of an army, so he was used to making the rules and the rules being followed. The prophet's terms did not concide with his thinking. The Jordan River was dirty. Naaman wanted Elisha, the prophet, to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on God to heal him. He had no intention of dipping in the dirty Jordan River, not once, but seven times. Disgusting. And yet, what an easy way to be cleansed of a flesh-eating disease. It took Naaman's servants to convince him of that because he had gone away in a rage. When God tells us how to do something, we'd better be obedient down to the letter. He speaks to us through His Word. And it's important to know God's Word. God healed Naaman but on His terms and not Naaman's. Naaman balked but eventually obeyed and was healed.

Barak Passes the Lord's Command off to Deborah - Judges 5:4-24

4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him. 11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. 12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. 17 Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. 19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. 20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’” 21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. 22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead. 23 On that day God subdued Jabin (king of Canaan) before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

The Lord specifically commanded that Barak lead the Israeli army of 10,000 men. Barak said he wouldn't do it unless Deborah went with him. She told him she would do it but he wouldn't get the glory. A woman would. As it turned out, two women defeated the opposing army. God didn't punish Barak for refusing to lead the army. In fact, Barak did pursue the army with their 500 chariots and killed them with the swords of his own army. But Deborah had to egg him on all the way. She built his confidence and motivated him to fight with all his might. Of course, God was in the mix and guided the actions of both armies. To begin with, He sent rain so that the 500 chariots got stuck in the mud. It was a lost cause for the opposing army after that. Deborah was a bit of a warrior, but Jael just used her brains to outwit Sisera, the commander of the opposing army. She wasn't familiar with weapons but used what tools with which she was familiar and drove a tent peg through Sisera's temple into the ground. Barak didn't get punished for not fully obeying God, but he got no glory either. Deborah and Jael stole his thunder.

Balaam is Asked to Curse Israel but All He Can Do is Bless - 

Numbers 22:9-20, 22:35-41,23:11-14, 23:25-41, 24:10-13,

9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” 10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’” 12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.” 13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.” 18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.” 20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.” 

Ch. 22:35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials. 36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?” 38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” 39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.

Ch. 23:11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!” 12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” 13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Ch. 23: 25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?” 27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. 29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

CH 24: 10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.” 12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’? 

Much of the story was omitted due to space, but you get the gist of it. But did you notice that all the while Balaam was saying he had to obey the Lord, he was trying to get the Lord to give in to Barak's wishes and curse Israel. He had Barak build altars and make sacrifices. He was trying to please both God and Barak, probably because he was hoping to get the wealth offered to him if he succeeded in convincing God to curse Israel. In the middle of this story is a side story of a talking donkey that Balaam was riding. 

Summary

The Old Testament is often poo pooed or just ignored, but I find the stories fascinating. The more you learn about the background and details of the books, their verses and stories within, the more you want to know. All but three of the bargainers in this article were from the Old Testament. We learn more about how God thinks and reacts to our own thoughts and actions from these stories along with the ones from the New Testament. People were made the same back then as they are today. Only the sights and sounds have changed in our physical being.

GAMBLING - A GAME CHANGER

 

I am going to publish this though it is still a draft, a work in progress, but it has enough information in it that I believe you can follow, if interested.

GAMBLING - A GAME CHANGER

When I was young I asked my mother if there was anything in the Bible about gambling. She thought for a few seconds and said, "Well, there is the verse 'A fool and his money are soon parted.'" That was the end of the discussion, so I went years wondering if there was more, especially when gambling became legalized. It wasn't always legalized. I remember one state voting against it but it was allowed anyway with promises to help fund schools. To my knowledge, that has never happened.

Though the Bible doesn't specifcally mention gambling, other than casting lots, it does talk about wasting money as being done by fools. There are other Bible teachings that indirectly condemn gambling as something detrimental to family and society. Questions a person needs to ask himself or herself before gambling are:

Does it take time away from the family?

Does it take away resources needed for the family? I Timothy 5:8 - Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Does it take time away from God whether in thought or deed? Matthew 6:24 - “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Are you willing to take the risk of becoming addicted? It is a very difficult addiction to break. Any addiction goes against God's teachings. Genesis 4: 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.

Do you get a high over a small win even though you have spent six times more than the win? 2 Peter 2:19 - They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

Do you have remorse after losing more than you gained?

Do the effects of gambling make you do things you wouldn't ordinarily do or to entertain thoughts you never would allow to enter your mind before gambling demanded your time and money? Just remember, the father of lies is behind this evil and all other addictions.

Is gambling ill-gotten gain? Proverbs 1:19 KJV - So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 

“‘They will throw their silver into the streets,

and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.

Their silver and gold

will not be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath.
It will not satisfy their hunger
or fill their stomachs,
for it has caused them to stumble into sin.

Does it have the appearance of evil? 1 Thessalonians 5:22 - Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Do you encourage others to participate, even though they may not have the means or are weak-willed and prime for addiction? Romans 14:21 - "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall." King James Version words the same verse a little differently: "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." I have known people who went gambling as a fun night out and were hooked right away into continuing until they lost their everything including home and family.

Are you setting a poor example for your children or others? Matthew 18:6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." NIV

Are you influenced by others also gambling, who are also drinking to excess and possibly philandering? 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 1:10, 13-16b,19:
My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.

I Timothy 6: 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Luke 12: 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Luke 12: 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Colossians 3:5 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Proverbs 13:11 - Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

I Peter 5:2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

I Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

20 Proverbs 28:20 - A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

Mark 8:36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Ezekiel 7:19 - “‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin.

(Copied from internet, source unknown):
Cognitive Distortions Gambling is an ineffective and unreliable way of acquiring money. For someone to become addicted to gambling, their cognitions or thought processes must become distorted to the point where this central truth eludes them.

Ten Types of Cognitive Distortion Many problem gamblers’ thoughts are distorted in the following ways: 

1. Attribution –- Problem gamblers may believe their winnings occur as a result of their efforts and not randomly. 
2. Magical thinking –- Problem gamblers may believe that thinking or hoping in a certain way will bring about a win or that random outcomes can be predicted. They may also believe they are special in some way and that their specialness will be rewarded with a win. 
3. Superstitions –- Problem gamblers may believe that lucky charms, certain articles of clothing, ways of sitting, etc., may cause a win or a loss. 
4. Systems –- Problem gamblers may believe that by learning or figuring out a certain system (a pattern of betting in a particular way), the house advantage can be overcome. Although professional gamblers were more able to predict payouts with earlier technologies, which relied on more predictable patterns of payouts, this required many hours of careful observation, and the machine always kept more than it paid out. The increased computerization of gambling machinery has ensured that wins are now truly random, so it is impossible to predict a payout, and, of course, it is still heavily stacked in favor of the “house.” 
5. Selective recall -– Problem gamblers tend to remember their wins and forget or gloss over their losses. 
6. Personification of a gambling device –- Problem gamblers sometimes attribute human characteristics to inanimate objects, which are part of the gambling process, thinking that a particular machine is punishing, rewarding or taunting them. 
7. Near miss beliefs –- Problem gamblers reduce the number of losing experiences in their minds by thinking they “almost” won. This justifies further attempts to win. Near misses can be as stimulating, or even more stimulating, than actual wins. 
8. Chasing losses –- Problem gamblers believe that they have not really lost...

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