The Zombie Apocalypse, John 10:10

Buddy can sleep contentedly without fear of harm, knowing that he is loved by his human family. But before I adopted him through Silky Terrier Rescue, he lived but did not have a real life: He was mistreated and miserable. I thought he’d be thrilled to have a new owner. But when I put his new leash onto his brand new halter and started leading him to my car to take him to his new home, he bucked and kicked and struggled against me like a wild horse. He didn’t realize there was something far better awaiting him, a much better life. Once he realized that he was adopted into a new family with people who loved him, he began to relax and really enjoy life. (In other words, he is now spoiled rotten.)

This current generation of youth appear to be obsessed with zombies, whereas the prior generation was smitten with vampires (I think maybe because of Anne Rice’s novels about the Vampire Lestat which led to the Twilight craze). Subconsciously, they are onto something: I believe they sense that there is something very wrong with their generation, that something that truly gives a person life is missing. They live but perhaps sense an emptiness inside.

They are the Zombie Generation, the first generation of kids raised with zero knowledge of Jesus, God and the Bible. They walk and move about, but they don’t truly live.

When I was growing up, Christianity did not exist in a TV ghetto, confined to Christian cable shows. Bible-based or Christian tales like Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments were frequently on the major networks and on Easter, movies about Jesus would be televised.The Billy Graham Crusade would rent time on the local TV networks in prime time. There were Christmas pageants in school and history teachers weren’t forbidden to acknowledge that the United States had a Christian heritage.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”–Jesus, John 10:10

As Bob Christopher and Richard Pfeiffer like to say in their radio ministry, Basic Gospel, the problem with humanity is that we are dead spiritually. We’re walking zombies: We have souls and bodies but our spirits are dead.

Many people sense this emptiness and try to fill it with things that never satisfy. My pastor, Ben Davis, likes to quote about those who don’t know Jesus, “They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13, Old Testament prophet) They try to fill their empty cisterns (their incomplete souls) with food, or drugs, or parties, or sex, or serial romantic relationships, or books, or exercise, and after exhausting themselves physically or mentally, wonder why they still fill empty inside.

It’s because only One can fill that emptiness: the Spirit of God.

We are all created in the image of God, and in a sense, were also meant to be triune beings just like He is. He is Three Persons yet One God, called the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We were meant to have bodies, souls and spirits. But we are all born incomplete: body and soul only, lacking the Spirit of God.

Jesus referred to Himself as water, when He invited people to come to faith in Him, crying out to the crowd attending a great festival in Jerusalem:

“Anyone who is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” But this He spoke of the Spirit…John 7:37-39a

I wasn’t raised Christian, so I had no idea what being “born-again” meant and the Christians I knew in college never explained it. Born-again means that you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, Who gives you eternal life. This occurs when you believe that Jesus is the Christ, God in the Flesh (Emmanuel, Matthew 1:23), that He died for your sins and was raised from the dead, so that you can be declared righteous in His sight. The Holy Spirit comes to live within your spirit, giving you spiritual Life. Where once you were dead spiritually, incomplete and broken, you are now alive in Christ. And once you are born-again, it is forever, for He “will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13;5)”.

You become a triune being: body, soul and spirit.

You are no longer a zombie.

“But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have LIFE in His name.”–John 20:31 (emphasis mine)

Please come to Jesus and be filled with His Life.

God bless you.

From Dawn and Buddy

***

If you realize that you’ve been spending your entire life feeling broken, empty, that something is missing, then please ask the Spirit of Life, Jesus Christ, to be your Lord and Savior:

Dear Father, I believe that Jesus is God in the Flesh. He lived a sinless life and died for my sins on the Cross so that I don’t have to pay for my sins. I believe that He was resurrected from the dead. I don’t understand much about Christianity, but I want Your abundant Life and Your guidance. Please forgive my sins. I invite You into my life and heart.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations for entering into the abundant life that Christ gives. It is not an easy road, but it is a path that leads to everlasting life. I recommend finding a good Bible-based church and getting a good translation of the Bible. I use the NASB and many recommend the New Revised Standard version. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, so there are different organizations that translated the Scriptures into English, which why there are various versions. Once you obtain a Bible, I recommend learning the 23rd Psalm and meditating on the 139th. These will both assure you of God’s great love and care for you. Then please read the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to learn about who Jesus is and what He taught. But always pray to the Father that you are led by God to understand.

 

My Favorite Form of Physical Exercise?

What is your favorite form of physical exercise?

WALKIES!

Scary Costume Ball, 1 John 4:20-21

Buddy wanting to shake off the hair bow.

Christians’ opinions vary about celebrating Halloween. Some see it as a time for diverting attention to church harvest festivals to encourage church attendance, while others view it as a celebration of evil to be avoided at all costs.

As you can see from my blog titles this month, I view it as an opportunity to draw attention to the Word of God.

Of course, many people see it as just a time to party, eat candy, and wear fun costumes. They don’t attach any particular meaning to it.

Or to dress up their long suffering dogs and cats in costumes.

(Buddy doesn’t suffer long as he doesn’t like to cooperate, unlike his predecessor, Buster, who would do anything to please me.)

Unfortunately, there are many people who dress up in costumes every day and not just during one or two holidays a year. They pretend to be Christians, but their hearts are far from God (Matthew 15:8). They wear the “Christian” mask but are not born again of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.

So, how do we as believers gain discernment as to who is truly born again or not?

Because we can be influenced by bad teaching and influence, or unaware of someone’s need to be witnessed to, assuming they’re believers when they aren’t.

Now, we cannot know someone’s heart. Only God knows a person’s heart (Romans 8:27).

But neither are we to fellowship with false believers (Matthew 7:15). Jesus warns that we need to be wary of accepting people at face value.

You’re likely an honest person like me, so you’d like to believe others are too. But life experience demonstrates that not everyone is who they claim to be. So these are some pointers to help you differentiate true from false believers.

Now, we are saved by faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Not everyone starts at the same point in the race toward the finish line. But the following are pretty reliable indications of false believers.

1. They claim to love Jesus but hate, or are continually critical of fellow, born again believers.

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

“And this commandment we have from Him; that he who loves God must love his brother also.”—Apostle John, 1 John 4:20-21

Someone who is always contemptuous of fellow believers, particularly someone who follows the authority of Scripture, does not have the love of Jesus in their heart.

Someone who shows no interest in the welfare of suffering believers or who claims they’re “bitter clingers, clinging to their guns and Bibles,” is not born again.

2. They reject the deity of Jesus Christ.

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God.”—1 John 4:2-3

Anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), is not born again. Jesus made this abundantly clear, according to the Apostle John in John 8:24:

“If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

3. They reject the authority of the Word of God.

Anyone who rejects the moral authority of the Bible is rejecting God’s authority.

They might have a dispute with a particular denomination’s interpretation of a Scripture passage or a pastor, but they accept the Scriptures teachings.

It’s natural for a new Christian to thirst for God’s Word, having lived in a spiritual desert all their lives. Someone who claims to have had a conversion experience but has no interest in growing in their faith likely is self-deceived or lying.

The devil and the demons know that Jesus was manifested in the flesh, lived amongst humanity, then died on the Cross. They also know that He rose bodily from the dead. They know that He is God, party of the Trinity. But they do not willingly submit themselves to God’s moral authority (James 2:19).

I’m not referring to temporary backsliders or those who rebel temporarily due to suffering or being deceived by bad teaching.

But if someone claims to love God, yet doesn’t feel the Holy Spirit convicting them, making them miserable for their rebellious spirit, then it’s unlikely the Spirit of God indwells them.

Because God hates sin and “leads us in the paths of righteousness for HIS name’s sake (Psalm 23:3, emphasis mine)”.

4. They deny they’ve sinned.

There’s no true repentance without an acknowledgment that Christ needed to die for our sins so that we can have fellowship with the Father through the Son.

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”—1 John 1:8

Because Who is the embodiment of truth?

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”—Jesus, John 14:6

I have listened to preachers who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, and in His sin sacrifice for humankind and our need for repentance. Yet deny that we are born sinners. This is a dangerous position to take, as any teaching not founded on the Rock of Christ is slippery sand and can cause our lives to crumble when the inevitable hurricanes of suffering hit our life (Matthew 7:24-27).

5. They encourage you to sin or disobey God.

In other words, they don’t submit themselves to God’s authority, as per point #4 above:

“For certain men have crept in unnoticed,…ungodly men, who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Jude 4

(I strongly urge reading the entire Book of Jude which is only one chapter.)

6. They claim there are many paths to God. You don’t have to believe that Jesus is the only path to Heaven.

But Jesus claims this is false.

“No one comes to the Father except through Me.”—Jesus, John 14:6

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the ONLY true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”— Jesus, John 17:3 (emphasis mine)

7. Most of all, pray. Because we can all be deceived, particularly Christians, because we usually want to believe the best of people. And pride keeps us from heeding God’s warning signals.

I try to pray this every day. I suggest you do so, also, in your own way:

Lord, please sift everything coming through my mind, ear, eye and heart gates through the Holy Spirit. Help me test it against your Word. Help me discern truth from error, fact from fiction. Help me not to jump to conclusions or slander anyone. Help me know if someone is deceiving or misleading me intentionally or intentionally. And help me not to deceive others. Thank you in Jesus’ name.

God promises to answer that prayer.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”—1 John 5:14-15

Please, every day beware of false prophets and fake sheep (Matthew 7:15). And remember:

“Bad company corrupts good character.”—1 Corinthians 15:33

There are many other Biblical verses to support the points above. The more you familiarize yourself with the truth, the easier it’ll get you spot lies.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

It’s OK to admit you’ve been deceived. It’s humbling, but we’re human. We make mistakes. We sin.

But the worst sin or big mistake is to assume that tomorrow will come and that we can wait to ask Jesus into our hearts.

I hope that the unexpected, recent pandemic brought a new awareness that life brings surprises, including ugly ones.

Why continue putting off a decision that, in my opinion, is the best one you’ll ever make? I have zero regrets giving my heart to Jesus.

Beware of false prophets who claim coming to Christ guarantees prosperity. We come to God because He’s God and we’re not. And to reverse the curse of the Fall, we have to admit that Jesus is the Lord—we’re not—and need to repent of our willful disobedience.

Cone on! If you’ve read this far, then you know Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, waiting for you to invite Him into your life (Revelation 3:20). Don’t delay!

Please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I‘m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I invite Jesus into my life and heart. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And teach me how much You love me. 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. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.

And join a Bible believing church or Bible study. (You’ve got some tips above how to determine a good church or study.) And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest the following two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) or http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

There are other godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

Please Answer This Question: Jetpack And My Blog

Have any of you noticed a downturn in the number of views on your blog since the introduction of the new Jetpack blogging system?

I was gaining followers and views until we were forced onto the new blogging platform. This year I have a third of the views that I had during 2022.

I don’t believe it’s just that blogging is less popular than it used to be.

Anybody seeing this post?

What is your experience, please?

Thanks and God bless.

Dawn and Buddy

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

Is Buddy still haunted by memories of the abusive behavior of his prior owners? He’s much more relaxed and demanding than he used to be, but when he’s whimpering and twitching during sleep, is he having normal doggie dreams or bad memories? Only God knows what’s in his mind.

Asaph begins Psalm 73 by reassuring himself that the Lord loves his nation and blesses the righteous:

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart (verse 1).”

But then his focus shifts to lamenting that the wicked and selfish seem to prosper, are able to bless their children with an inheritance, and suffer no punishment for their wicked behavior (verses 2-12).

What possibly could God have in mind by allowing the wicked to have happy lives yet continue cause so much harm to others?

I can relate. When I focus on world events and on US politics, it seems that wicked people are blessed: They continue to prosper although they murder the innocent, feather their beds with corruption, and spew lies and hatred. It seems their evil is not restrained at all. It’s easy to become angry and discouraged.

It’s as if I’m living in a haunted house, filled with ghouls and angry spirits and I cannot escape. The wicked appear to have free rein in this world, and there’s seemingly nothing good people can do about it.

And then I shift the focus to my own life and realize that God doesn’t give me what I deserve for my sin, but, instead, is gracious to me and permits me the time to grow and become a better person.

Asaph shifts the focus to himself, also, but wonders what’s the use of being a good person, when it seems evil people have blessed lives while he, trying to serve the Lord, suffers misfortune (verses 13-16, 21-22). He became embittered and angry.

And then he enters God’s house, which was the ancient Jewish temple where the Spirit of God rested above the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies:

“Then I perceived their end (verse 17).”

Entering into the Lord’s house reminded him that his service ultimately was not in vain. As Christians, we need to keep an eternal perspective. This world and its material blessings are temporary. The haunted house that we currently live in will one day crumble in decay and be destroyed. People who refuse to acknowledge the Lord are choosing to spend eternity with the enemy of our souls.

Unbelievers will one day discover, to their dismay, that there is an eternal price to pay for their temporary happiness.

“For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You (verse 27).”

Asaph comes to his senses and stops feeling bitter for his suffering. He shifts his focus from his present circumstances to the future:

“With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory…My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (verses 25-26).”

Like Asaph, it’s easy to get dismayed at the present state of this world and wonder where God is. Why is He allowing evil to triumph while good people with the courage to stand for God and what’s right keep losing ground? It seems like America—and Western Civilization—continues its downhill slide into nihilism and self-destruction, while privileged elites prosper from corruption and oppression.

But Asaph reminds us to shift our view from our present time to the future. Jesus has already won the victory over sin and the devil at the Cross. And was resurrected to prove that He is God and can give eternal life to those who ask for it, desiring to be in His kingdom under His authority.

Jesus promised to return (John 14:1-3). Evil will not continue to prosper. God has a plan and will fulfill it.

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

God is working events to bring as many people to repentance as possible. And, unfortunately, it appears that many won’t repent till He allows the full expression of human evil to prevail to demonstrate our world’s need for Jesus to rule.

Stay strong. Jesus is returning.

Evil will be punished when God determines the time is right.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

PS. I often feel unworthy to minister to you. Daily I fail and fall short, and am reminded that I am still Jesus’ work in progress. Failure reminds me to be humble and how blessed I am to be a child of the Great King.

***

Do you want to live forever in God’s house in heaven?

You see, many people believe that they can rebel against God’s rules their entire life and then knock on heaven’s door and demand entrance.

Heaven would be hell for them, as they don’t want to live under His rules.

The truth is, Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, asking you to give Him permission to enter (Revelation 3:20). He wants you to voluntarily enter into His kingdom under His rule—because He’s the King! The Lord God Almighty!

Which side of the door Jesus stands on is decided in this lifetime.

If you’ve read this far, you hear God knocking on your heart asking permission for His Holy Spirit to enter. Will you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior right now?

Please don’t delay.

I’ve never regretted asking Jesus to be my Lord.

If you’re ready, please say the below prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I open the door to my heart and invite Jesus to enter. I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness and a new heart. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for You. Teach me how much You love me and how precious and valuable I am to you. Thank you for hearing my prayer and that Jesus gave His life on the Cross so that I could have new life. 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. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest 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 many other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Do Lazy Days Make Me Feel Rested or Unproductive?

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

Definitely yes!

After my creative life was swallowed up by working over 25 years at a job that sucked the life out of me, I am very eager to be productive creatively.

However, 9 years of severe insomnia, the last years of my employment before my layoff, taught me that our bodies will force us to recognize when we’re pushing ourselves too far emotionally, intellectually and physically. My body rebelled—and no amount of treatment brought rest until I left that job which was not a good fit for my personality and skills.

The naturopath even told me that, “I’ve given you enough sleep medicine to fell an elephant!” Yet, I could not sleep.

Frustration can be an indication that you’re in the wrong place.

I’ve learned to go easy on myself—if my body says to rest, I give it that rest, without fueling frustration.

My productivity is not where I’d like it to be, due to family responsibilities right now, but I’m permitting myself to take baby steps instead of leaps, to be at peace with myself if at least I am going in the right direction—for ME.

What Could I Try For The First Time?

What could you try for the first time?

I immediately thought of what I definitely would NOT EVER NEVER try: eating one of those giant spiders in Cambodia!

I’ve had a hankering to visit Cambodia to visit the ancient ruin of Angkor Wat at the Archeological Park to see the famous carving of a stegosaurus on one of its walls. In fact, the country recently opened a new airport nearby to boost tourism.

https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/cambodia-opens-new-airport-serve-angkor-wat-seeks-104011348

But part of me fears going as I don’t want to eat, nor see, spiders bigger than my hand. The thought terrifies me.

I absolutely hate big spiders with every fiber of my being, having grown up with enormous wolf spiders surprising me in the house where I grew up. They’re quite common in Washington State, particularly near Seattle.

However, I’ve recently considered learning to play…

the ukulele.

Because I have normal sized hands that would be stressed on the bigger fret boards of guitars and piano keyboards. (I’ve tried finding a piano keyboard with narrower keys—to no avail.)

I also thought it’d be a skill that my mother could also pick up and take lessons with me. Learning a new skill—like learning a musical instrument or a new language—is good for exercising the brain and slowing down the onset of dementia or other debilitating brain issues.

Looking forward to reading your answers.

God bless.

Dawn

Demanding Treats Now! Psalm 27:14

Yesterday in the USA Americans celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday when we focus on our blessings and, hopefully, also express gratitude to our Creator “Who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17)”.

Buddy nearly drove me crazy last night as he apparently believes that I’ll forget he’s standing near my feet unless he whines consistently to remind me to give him some meat.

There’s no way that I’d ever forget to share with my pal. I’m well aware where he is.

I bought a pocket-sized book of the Psalms. I’m trying to read several every morning before starting my day.

What really strikes me, as I read the Psalms, is how frequently the writers are in deep distress and need to reassure themselves that God will eventually rescue them. They trust by faith in God’s promises and love for them, reassuring themselves that He’ll eventually answer.

It’s just a fact of our spiritual life that God cannot show Himself strong on our behalf if we weren’t in a situation needing rescue.

Psalm 3: The number of enemies against David are overwhelming.

Psalms 4 & 5: David is the victim of slander.

Psalm 6: David is wearing out himself weeping because of his troubles.

Psalm 9: David is oppressed by his enemies.

And so it goes.

David is so distressed, that he laments:

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?”—Psalm 13:1-2

How long? How long? How long will You make me wait, Lord? I’m suffering!

David’s distress caused him to feel as if God didn’t care and had abandoned him.

It’s easy to keep faith when God answers instantly to rescue us. But much more difficult when the problems last for days, weeks or even years.

I wonder how I must look to God sometimes. Am I whining constantly like Buddy, believing God has forgotten that I need something from Him? Just like Buddy cannot open the refrigerator and grab himself a piece of turkey, there are times that I am totally dependent on God to come through for me. He needs to open that door of blessing that remains shut in my face.

It seems to be a fine line between trusting on God’s love for me and His promises in Scripture…

And barking for treats.

I have to remind myself that my prayers are requests. The same Lord Who fashioned the heavens and the earth and all its inhabitants graciously meets my requests because He loves me.

But I am not God’s boss.

He’s my Lord and King.

I don’t get to order Him around.

When I’m demanding that He rescue me immediately, I’m barking demands at Him, rather than trusting that He knows what He’s doing and what’s best for me.

Poor Job; he suffered severely and unjustly in a cosmic game of chess. Yet God reprimands him for questioning His goodness and fairness, basically reminding Job that He’s not the Creator.

So when in great distress, I need to remind myself not to demand immediate rescue.

Not to bark at God.

Not whine continuously till I’m irritating.

I need to learn to wait—to trust that He hears me.

Delays encourage faith in His love and goodness.

As David reminded himself in his distress:

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”—Psalm 27:14

And he would see “the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”—Psalm 27:13

Ask Him to strengthen your heart as you wait.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Any situation we find ourselves in this life is fleeting in comparison with eternity.

God’s greatest desire is to rescue us from our sinful lifestyle and bring us into fellowship with Him.

We cannot earn our way into heaven please by doing more good deeds than bad deeds.

Jesus declared that God’s entrance standard was perfection (Matthew 5:48). One nasty word or wicked thought and we fall short of the mark.

We sin because we have sinful hearts that need to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only through Jesus can we receive eternal life.

The leaders and gods of other religions cannot give you the Holy Spirit.

Only Jesus can.

Do you sense that your life and heart needs transformation? Do you realize that your life would improve if you weren’t your own worst enemy?

Why not call on Jesus? He lived a perfect life because we cannot. As a result, he could die in our place to take the punishment our sins deserve. He rose bodily from the dead on the Third Day, proving that He was “God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23)”.

If you’re ready, please say the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, and best friend. Please transform my heart and life by the power of the Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Teach me how much You love me. 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. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. It’s also the main way that God communicates with us.

Also, please start attending 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 by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Spooky Thinking, Psalm 37:8

Buddy playing in shredded paper.

When Buddy and I visit my parents, they have to hide the bag of paper slices produced by their paper shredder. When Buddy got upset, he’d head into their den and tear open the bag of shredding, then spread it all over the room. It was cute, watching him “go to town” in the pile of shredded paper—yet quite inconvenient to clean up. Fortunately, there was no permanent damage to anything but the black garbage bags.

We are living in scary times. I’m often realizing that I’m thinking SPOOKY thoughts; I’m imagining conversations that are not real, like transparent ghosts, because I’m fretting over foolish, ungodly, or ignorant attitudes of people I know.

And I imagine discussing with them why these attitudes are wrong.

But what does the Bible say?

“Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.”—King David, Psalm 37:8

What I’m engaging in are imaginary thoughts with imaginary people. Just like Buddy playing in the pile of shredded paper, I’m prancing around in shredded thinking. My imaginings are NOT changing anybody’s minds or attitudes, because my conversations are not real. I’m engaged in wishful thinking of what I might have the courage to say and speculating about what the other person might say.

I’m fretting.

And the Bible proclaims that it “only leads to evildoing.”

Firstly, I’m disrupting my thinking which could be focused, instead, on praying or whatever task is at hand. I’m wasting valuable mental energy that could be better engaged elsewhere.

I’m also damaging my body, causing stress reactions in my brain and, particularly, my shoulders and back which begin to clench up, creating soreness.

Secondly, I’m not only sinning against myself, but others.

I’m unintentionally thinking haughtily toward others. I know they’re deceived by the media and our culture. They’re not bad people. But I can treat them arrogantly if I don’t guard my attitudes.

Also, the wrong thinking can create the “simmering teapot” effect, where I can become impatient with others, and perhaps even explode in anger, because my internal pressure is already near the boiling point. Just one or two more degrees of aggravation and off blows the whistle.

So, if you’re struggling like me with spooky thinking, please read Psalm 37. Because David reassures us that evil does not last forever, nor evildoers. At least, not in their earthly existence.

I have to remind myself about Palm 37:8 and that, no matter what happens in this world, God’s got this. Nothing that’s occurring has caught Him by surprise.

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”—King David, Psalm 103:19

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Do you want to have confidence that God is with you?

Yes, we cannot see God. The Father is spirit and His Son Jesus, Who came in the flesh (Matthew 1:23) over 2,000 years ago is at the Father’s right hand (Mark 16:19) till it’s time for His return.

But we can see the effect of His presence. Like the wind, we cannot see the Holy Spirit of God Himself, but we witness His impact on our lives and this world.

Jesus changed my life for the better, and I want that same blessing for you.

If you’ve read this far, I believe that the Lord is calling to you. Please accept His invitation to enter His kingdom and into a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

You don’t have to “clean up your act” firstly. God knows you cannot meet His perfect standards. Jesus came to earth to take the punishment all our sins deserve. As the only perfect God in human form (John 10:30), He didn’t have to be punished for sin as He had known. So He was qualified to take it for us.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 8:1

Are you ready to accept Jesus as Lord, Who has the authority to define right and wrong, and as your savior from punishment for your sin?

If so, please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive my sin. Jesus died for me so that I can be forgiven forever and have eternal life. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. And fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Because Jesus was resurrected bodily from the dead, I am able to receive Your resurrection life. I give my life to You. Please help me understand how much You love me. In the marvelous name of Jesus, Your Son, amen.

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

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest 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 by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well. Sadly, I’m speaking from experience.

God bless you as you begin your journey in life with Jesus as your companion.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.