Christian Memes, 2 Peter 3:9

Don’t go without me!

After living together for nearly thirteen years, I can usually interpret Buddy’s looks. This one says, “Where are you going? Aren’t you taking me along?”

There are times, however, when Buddy is staring at me or one of my parents and we are just clueless why.

Sometimes it seems like Christian pastors start communicating a similar message at the same time.

On YouTube it seemed that the most popular preachers were all talking about idols. Then more recently it was, “You need to say certain exact words to be saved.” (Franklin Graham’s testimony easily refutes this argument.) Now it appears to be, “God doesn’t love the sinners He sends to Hell. He loathes them because they’re evil.”

But what does the Lord say in His word?

Ezekiel 18:23 says, “‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ declares the sovereign Lord. ‘Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’ (NIV)”

After being whipped to the point of having His flesh torn off his back, spit upon, mocked, beaten and then crucified, Jesus asked, on behalf of His wicked persecutors, while hanging in agony on the Cross:

“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing.”—Luke 23:34

And, Jesus lamented the refusal of many of the Jewish people to recognize Him as their Messiah. He did not wish them harm, but, rather, was sorrowful about the consequences of not recognizing that their Lord had dwelt among them:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.”—Matthew 23:37

Certainly, there’s no doubt that God hates sin and cannot tolerate it in His holy presence. But He sent Jesus to die an agonizing death to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He could’ve abandoned the human race and let us destroy ourselves, or allow genetic entropy to to take its course. But He chose, out of His love for us, to find a way to reconcile sinful humanity back into fellowship with the Godhead.

The Old Testament is filled with examples of God’s unwillingness to punish the Jewish people, despite repeated rebellion. He patiently asks them to repent multiple times before His hand is forced to discipline them to force a repentant spirit.

God doesn’t hate his creation, made in His own image (Genesis 1:27). I believe it grieves him every time a person dies without accepting Jesus as the sin sacrifice for their sins, refusing to repent and acknowledge God is the Lord through His Son Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10).

Some differ from my opinion.

But I think the Apostle Peter summarizes it nicely:

“The Lord is not slow about keeping His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”—2 Peter 3:9

Oh, sometimes why can’t the church stick to talking about the basics, as so many Christians nowadays don’t understand what salvation is.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

The Lord loves you. I had a family friend once tell me that, “The church ceiling would collapse if I walked into the building.” No! God will be excited if someone realizes they were a sinner, needing Jesus, and walked into one of His church buildings to hear about Jesus and God’s love for us all.

Jesus was killed because the self-righteous religious leaders refused to acknowledge their sin and need for a savior. Jesus rebuked them saying that sinners would enter the gates of heaven before the self-righteous: “‘Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of heaven before you.’”—Matthew 21:31

God is looking for people who admit they aren’t good people and need His forgiveness. Hell will be full of “good” people who think they’re perfect enough to earn their way to heaven. But nobody can be perfect enough to meet God’s standard of entry: perfection (Matthew 5:48).

So, if you think you’re a bad person, congratulations. God is waiting for you to ask Him into your life and start walking a new and better path with Jesus!

I did so and have never regretted it.

So, if you’re willing, please pray the below prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sin. I want a new future with You. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit. I give my life to You and ask that You teach me how much You love me and about Jesus, Your Son, Who died for my sins to set me free. Thank You for answering my prayer. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you are born again. Please start reading the Bible. It’s your soul food. Just like your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.

And please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching until you know the Bible better. (I do enjoy Allen Parr on YouTube and books by Max Lucado, Chuck Swindoll and Chuck Smith.)

God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

The Difference Between Believing—And Knowing, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Dirty mouth from eating.

I cannot fool Buddy. I can try to hide my chicken dinner from him, but he still has an exceptional sense of smell at over 15 years old and knows I have chicken on my plate because he detects its scent.

I’ve learned, from Buddy’s unusually demanding behavior, that chickie is his favorite meat. It’s a good thing he isn’t a large dog, or I’d probably have to eat my chicken dinner hidden away somewhere.

Which reminds me of a funny event when a teenager. My mother, brother and I were eating dinner when the doorbell rang. My mother’s German shepherd mix, Peaches, ran barking to the front door. After my mother rose and walked over to the door to respond to the unexpected guest, Peaches ran back to the dinner table, grabbed my mom’s piece of chicken, and ran off. We still laugh about what a sneaky and clever dog she was.

But I digress.

One criticism of Christianity is the nonbelievers’ claim that many religious persons over the centuries were willing to face death for their beliefs, not just Christians. Just because a person was willing to face martyrdom, doesn’t mean their faith was correctly placed or true.

Those critics are missing a critical fact: There is a distinct difference between BELIEVING something is true versus KNOWING it is true.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 the following to the church he helped found in Asia Minor:

“…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the Third Day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas (Apostle Peter), then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”

History declares that all of the original Twelve Apostles (after Judas Iscariot was replaced) were martyred for their faith. Reportedly the youngest Apostle, John, survived being boiled in oil, then was confined to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the apocalyptic scripture, Revelation. Although not one of the original twelve, the Apostle Paul was also killed for his Christian faith.

These men saw the resurrected Jesus. When threatened with death, they did not recant but suffered martyrdom: crucified upside down, head lopped off with a sword, speared, and other grisly deaths. If they KNEW that their claim that Jesus was resurrected was a lie, they could’ve recanted and saved their lives.

But they didn’t just believe He rose from the dead, proving that He was God, they KNEW. They saw Him with their own eyes.

And, unlike some critics claim, it wasn’t an episode of group hypnosis, since Jesus made multiple appearances. Even an apostle who was willing to die for Jesus before His crucifixion, Thomas (John 11:16), doubted Christ was resurrected until he saw Jesus in the flesh for himself; he didn’t believe the other apostles till Jesus invited Thomas to “place your finger here, and see my hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing (John 20:27).” Jesus asked Thomas to physically touch His crucifixion wounds to prove He had risen from the dead.

In fact, the Apostle Paul was traveling to Damascus to drag Christians off to prison for their faith, in his zeal to protect his Jewish heritage, till the risen Christ appeared and appealed to him to stop persecuting Him (Acts 9:1-19) and killing Christians. Paul was present at the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, and “stood there, giving (his) approval (verse 20).” There would ABSOLUTELY be no reason for the Jewish Pharisee, rising up in the ranks and in reputation, to suddenly start proclaiming Jesus Christ and then later be beheaded for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.

What did the risen Jesus say about this topic to the Apostle Thomas?

“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you HAVE SEEN ME, have you now believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed (John 20:28-29).’” (Emphasis mine.)

The Apostles knew Jesus rose from the dead and proved He was God, because they saw Jesus physically in the flesh. John witnessed Christ being crucified.

But we are blessed, Jesus said, because we believe in the Lord’s death for our sin and His resurrection on the third day, although we did not actually witness the events.

God bless you.

And many thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I much appreciate it. I hope you find the posts helpful.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

God desires that none “perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).” Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts, asking for permission to be your Lord and moral authority, but He won’t break the door down (Revelation 3:20). (Although I wish He sometimes would for the benefit of the unsaved person.)

Are you ready to confess that you believe Jesus died for your sins to reconcile you to God and give you eternal life (Colossians 1:20)?

If so, please repeat the below prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Holy Father, Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I invite the Holy Spirit into my life. Please change my heart and show me how much You love me. I give my life to You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food and the main means through which God speaks to you. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please start attending a Bible based church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). Pastor and author Max Lucado has also written many fine books and copies can usually be found in your local library.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

God bless you as you start your new life.

Can You Sell Your Soul To The Devil? 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Buddy is normally a good boy—till the passion for chickie overcomes him. Then he becomes demanding, disrupting my meal till I give him some chickie from my plate.

But a little chickie is not enough to satisfy Buddy’s desires. He’ll keep barking at me till he’s convinced that I’m not hiding any chickie from him on MY plate.

This wasn’t my planned topic today, but last night I watched a YouTube video about musicians who are openly glorifying Satan. Several top, well-known performers acknowledged openly during interviews that they had “sold their soul” to the devil for fame and money.

But can a person sell their soul to the devil?

Some may disagree, but I emphatically state, “No!”

Why is that?

If someone asked me how much I would pay for Buddy, I’d asked, “Are you nuts? I’ve already been my dog’s owner for nearly 13 years now. Why would I pay you for a longtime pet who already belongs to me?”

A person cannot sell to Satan something he already owns, lays claim to.

Here’s how the Apostle Paul explained the lost person’s condition to young pastor, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:

“The Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all…with gentleness correcting those in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

People who aren’t born again Christians are already in bondage and slavery to Satan; they already are captives to his unholy will. Satan already owns their soul.

The good news for people who think they’re hopeless and can never go to heaven is this: It’s a lie that your soul is forever lost because you “made a contract with the devil.”

What also did the Apostle Paul claim?

“And it shall be that EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved.”—Acts 2:21, Apostle Peter, his first sermon

And who is that name we should call on?

“Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.’”—John 14:6

If you think you can never escape the snare of Satan, that’s a lie from the enemy of your soul. Call upon the name of Jesus, tell Him you’re sorry for your sins, and ask Him to be your Lord. Renounce the devil and his works.

Or, if you know someone who believes they’re without hope, tell them the Good News: Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as Lord will be saved.

Hope this helps somebody out there who believes they’re without hope.

“The one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.”—Jesus, John 6:37

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

If you’re convinced that you CAN escape the devil’s grip on your life, please repeat the prayer below, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m truly sorry for my sins and want to change, and only You can change my life forever. Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live my life for You. Change my heart and life. Show me how much You love me. In the holy name of your Son Jesus, God in the flesh Who died for my sins*, amen.

If you’ve prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul; the Bible is your soul food.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you as you begin a new path in life. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

*Matthew 1:23, John 3:16