The Power of Words, Proverbs 18:21

I felt badly recently when I became impatient with Buddy and yelled at him as he kept whining when I was trying to solve a problem. His wince made me realize that words, just like a fist, can punch and hurt.

“Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”—Proverbs 18:21

Our words can inspire people to try harder or to accomplish great things.

Or our words can discourage people and drive them to despair.

Great leaders are often remembered, not just for their great deeds or accomplishments, but also for their inspiring oratory.

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”—JFK

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only love can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”—Martin Luther King Jr

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”—Abraham Lincoln

Sometimes it can be discouraging to blog regularly, yet not many people read what took hours to create. But does that make my words or message any less worthy? Do numbers or recognition determine the value or a person or thing?

Or do we all have intrinsic value apart from recognition or financial success?

YES! We’re all made in God’s image, therefore we all have value as He created each of us for His own purposes (Genesis 1:27, Philippians 2:13).

“The pen is mightier than the sword.”—British playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Is one of the most famous quotes of all time, outside of Biblical quotes.

Yet, this same playwright and novelist is also remembered for penning one of the most wretched opening lines to any novel:

“It was a dark and stormy night.”—Opening line of his novel Paul Clifford

This same man who is lionized for one amazing line is also lampooned as an atrocious novelist. In fact, there’s even a contest to write the worst novel opening in Mr Bulwer-Lytton’s honor, the Bulwer-Lytton competition:

https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

Ironically, the site uses the same word: “atrocious”.

Guess what I’m saying is what the Apostle James admonished:

“But no one among mankind can tame the tongue… from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.”—James 3:8,10

So, in summary, no one is perfect. Don’t beat yourself up for saying stupid or hurtful things. Ask forgiveness, if necessary. But we must all be careful to guard our words. They can inspire revolutions or success, save or destroy lives.

And don’t despair, either. You may not be remembered just for foolish talk…

But also be loved for being that one person who makes one life better by encouraging them not to despair and give up.

Or to use your words to pray for them and God to move mountains for the spread of the gospel.

Just be faithful.

“For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man…”—James 3:2

Thank the Lord for His grace which covers all our sins.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Jesus said: “But the things that come out of the mouth, come from the heart…”—Matthew 15:18

That’s why the Apostle Paul states:

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Romans 10:13

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord Who came in the flesh to die for your sins, and rose bodily from the dead, your words reflect faith is in your heart.

Please call on Jesus to save you. There’s no neutral ground: You’re either in the kingdom of darkness, dead in your trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) or in the kingdom of Light, spiritually alive.

If you call out to Jesus, He will enter through the door of your heart to give you new, and eternal, life.

If you’re not ready to take this step in faith, please ask the Lord to help you. Or please remember to call on Him when you’re ready for a life change.

If you’re ready now, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is the Lord God Who died for my sin and rose bodily from the grave. I’m sorry for my sins and ask You to save my soul and forgive me. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me. In the name of Your holy son, Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily and join a Bible believing church or Bible study so that you can understand your salvation and get to know Who God is.

If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: Leading The Way and The Grace Message at the below links:

https://www.ltw.org/

or

https://andrewfarley.org/

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

Acceptable In The Beloved, Ephesians 1:6

Buddy

As you all know by now, Buddy is a bit of a spoiled brat because I was reluctant to discipline him after his adoption as he had spent three years in an abusive situation. But no matter how big of a stinker he is at times, I still adore my furpal and would never give him up.

Pastor Andrew Farley has been speaking quite a bit this year about how the modern church is treating the gospel as a “self-improvement program,” focusing Christians’ attention on themselves, rather than on their Savior.

So that got me thinking.

Concurrently, I started reading a book from the library on the perfectionism epidemic in modern Western culture called, The Perfection Trap, by Thomas Curran.

Mr Curran discusses the research of the past few decades into the exploding, and rapidly rising, trend in perfectionism. It’s particularly difficult for the generations growing up under the influence of social media.

Culture, and families, are pushing unrealistic expectations onto people to be more, do more, accomplish more, excel more. It’s creating depression, stress, and anxiety.

There’s pressure to look better, be more fit, be more healthy, be more relaxed, be more confident, be more educated, be more organized, be more cosmopolitan—just always striving to be more!

You cannot just relax and be yourself.

Enough is never good enough!

You must always be improving!

People are manifesting this pressure in several different ways: overwork, or trying to be like someone else, or not trying, or procrastinating out of fear of failure.

Parents want their kids to be all stars and get into the best colleges, even if it means bribing people. Kids want to be influencers and make lots of money on social media.

And, it seems to me that the modern Church is mirroring our culture by putting the same expectations on people, turning the Good News into Bad News.

Many new Christians hear the message: The Law of Moses showed you that you were incapable of meeting God’s righteous standards, so, congratulations, you’ve realized your need for Christ. Now that you’re born again, the Holy Spirit will help you keep the Moral Law.

Now you can, dear Christian: be more, do more, excel more.

But what did the Apostle Paul write to the Church in Ephesus:

“…He chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His Grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”—Ephesians 1:4-6

The Apostle Paul was highly educated and can sometimes create massive sentences, but did you catch his conclusion?

That Christians are “accepted in the Beloved.”

After I prayed to give my life to Christ, the Holy Spirit told me three things, and I surely wish I’d meditated these past 33 on the third much more: “Although I know every sin you’ve ever committed, I still love you very much.”

I was so thrilled that God was real and loved me that I was smiling with excitement nearly 24/7. At that time I worked with the public, and nonbelievers would ask me, “Why are you so happy?” And I’d respond, “Because Jesus loves me!”

Knowing me for some time, they wouldn’t criticize, but mumble, “OK,” and walk away.

Then I heard two legalistic sermons the same day that stole my joy. Since Jesus declared that “the truth sets you free (John 8:32),” I should’ve figured something was wrong with the teaching. But I was a new Christian, so who was I to question these two preachers with massive audiences and worldwide influence?

What was that false teaching that stole my joy and placed the chains of legalism around my heart for decades?

That some Christians were more acceptable to God than others. Christians who worked hard enough and met a certain standard (whatever that is) got to sit at the banquet table with Christ.

And those who didn’t meet that standard—lesser Christians—got to heaven but weren’t seated at the table with those superior Christians.

So I fell out of the joy of knowing Jesus loved me…

…and hopped onto the hamster wheel of trying to be acceptable to God through works.

In other words, the gospel of: do more, be more, achieve more.

And then, we’re saturated with examples of the super Christian, the one who makes us feel we’re failing because we aren’t as good, or kind, or humble, or doing enough amazing works like this phantom superstar.

So, some give up, walking away from Christ and the Church because they can’t meet THE STANDARD.

When they were already humble enough to admit they couldn’t meet God’s STANDARD of righteousness and gave their lives to Him.

You see, Pastor Farley is correct: the Church has Christians focused on themselves and their performance,…

…instead of…

…on Jesus and His performance,…

…His finished work on the Cross.

Dear Readers, Jesus said, “It is finished (John 19:30).”

King David, of the ancient kingdom of Israel and Judah, understood this truth. He was forgiven the sins of murder and adultery because he understood the grace of God.

“Oh my soul, you have said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.’”—NKJV Psalm 16:2)

Relax. Focus on Jesus and His righteousness…

…on God and His unbelievable love and kindness.

He loves you so much that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Jesus, Luke 12:7).”

And, please, pray for the grace to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

And don’t stress about your focus!

You are totally “accepted in the Beloved.”

And the joy of the Lord will begin to bubble out of your soul.

“Praise the Lord!”—Psalm 147:1 (and others!)

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”—Psalm 136:1

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

The gospel about Jesus really is Good News.

God loves you and sent His Son to die for your sins, so that you don’t have to meet His standard of perfection to enter heaven (Matthew 5:48).

No one can meet God’s standards, not even the kindest and most sacrificial of Christian teachers.

What God wants is for you to humble yourself enough to admit that you’re a sinner and need a heart change, to submit to His moral authority.

If you realize you want to experience God’s marvelous love and acceptance by becoming one of His children, please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I believe He died for my sins and was resurrected bodily to give me new life. Please give me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please reveal to me how much You love me. In the wonderful 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 food to be nourished, so does your soul.

And 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).

God bless you as you learn how much He loves you.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Always Pulling Away Our Focus, Buddy Brief

Looks SO innocent, doesn’t he?

For a few years Buddy started knocking things over to get my immediate attention. I’ll never forget when he knocked the top off of my shredder onto the tile of my dining room; my friend must’ve jumped two feet in the air off her chair. Buddy likely loved the loud slamming sound.

Buddy stopped knocking things over for about a year. Then, above, he pulled my fleece jacket off the back of a high chair to the floor. No loud slam, but it elicited a laugh—and my attention.

I’ve recently returned to school to improve my design skills. However, there’s a lot of intense homework this semester; I’ve been stressing out and my severe insomnia has returned. I’ve realized that my focus has been on the time crunch and worrying about not doing well—my focus has been negative, rather than positive.

So I’m trying to focus on the fact that the school allows older adults into their certificate programs, I’m already learning useful and valuable information helpful for my artistic goals, I only need to pass and not get perfect scores, etc.

OK. My mind goes in different directions sometimes. But this experience has prompted me to consider how Satan works: he wants our attention focused on the negative, rather than the positive, to discourage and depress us.

The devil lives “to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10)”, Jesus declared. He can only tear down and create chaos; he doesn’t want us focused on the beauty, creativity, and kindness of God—enjoying the Lord’s world. Satan wants us focused on his world of darkness, evil, and depravity.

As always, Satan wants to be the center of attention, rather than submitting to our Lord and Creator.

Satan’s self-centered desire to replace God in worship and attention never changes.

“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly….I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”—Isaiah 14:13-14

So, please, just like I need to, keep your focus on the blessings of the Lord.

And not the negativity of the devil’s chaos.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

Have Hope For The New Generation Of Future Believers In The Coming Year, Psalm 78

Buddy often expects me to share my meals with him. He has zero concern whether I’m hungry or have enough. I’m happy to share, however, a small amount but must be careful how much protein he eats to protect his aging kidneys.

It can be discouraging to listen to news reports of how increasingly unanchored from reality GenZ seems to be. Truth is just an intellectual concept and there’s no objective reality.

There’s a reason the Scientific Method arose from Christian civilization: Descartes and others believed that a benevolent God would not deceive His creation and that He created an orderly universe with laws that could be discovered.

Sociologists declare that each succeeding generation is increasingly secular and atheist in their beliefs. And many church leaders declare that, because of the imminent return of Jesus Christ, believers can only expect continual cultural decay and worsening spiritual collapse.

However, we can only speculate when Christ is returning. Certainly, although He declared we cannot predict the exact time (Mark 13:32-33), He did state that we can know when it’s near, like the budding green leaves that sprout from wintertime tree limbs (Like 21:29-30), announcing the arrival of springtime.

But the Bible itself describes two instances during which the Jewish people repented and returned to the Lord. The first is the ancient nation’s return to their land after 70 years in exile.

But I’d like to focus on the first return to the Lord.

“For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation which did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.”—Psalm 78:5-9

Quite a mouthful, isn’t it?

Now someone stated, not me, that pessimism comes naturally.

It’s easy to become disheartened by this wicked world.

But we have to remember that the world has always been wicked and needs God.

The Book of Exodus details how God performed mighty miracles to deliver the ancient Jewish nation of Israel out of bondage to slavery by performing ten mighty judgments against the Egyptians, yet simultaneously showing favor and preference to the Jewish people. The humbled Pharaoh finally permitted the Jewish people to leave, the Egyptians even showering them with lavish gifts as they scooted out the door.

And when Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued the nation of Israel to force them to return to their former slave status, God drowned the mighty Egyptian army in the Red Sea, while parting the waters to permit Israel to escape.

Yet, despite experiencing mighty miracles of God’s clear favoritism and protection, the nation rebelled and refused to enter the Promised Land, forgetting that the Lord was perfectly capable of performing miracles to defeat their enemies.

So, because the nation refused to obey God and enter the land, He declared:

“The carcasses of you who have murmured against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered…from twenty years old and above.

“Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

“But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.”—Numbers 14:29-32 (NKJV)

The nation wandered in the desert wilderness for forty years till everyone in the unfaithful generations had died, except for the two leaders who believed Israel could take the land, as they trusted fully in God’s word: Caleb and Joshua.

Even Moses died before the nation could enter the land and the younger leaders, Joshua and Caleb, who replaced him, succeeded in bringing the nation into the Promised Land.

But just consider for a minute: The younger generation had the faith to enter the land, but their rebellious and unbelieving parents and grandparents did not.

Certainly, the faith-filled leadership of these two mighty men made a difference, Joshua and Caleb.

We don’t have to assume that the children and grandchildren of a disbelieving generation will necessarily continue to reject the Lord. Forty years of living in brutal conditions, yet protected by God, turned their hearts toward trusting Him.

As the younger generations wander in the desert of a decaying and lifeless culture, they “may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”—Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 2:26

Particularly during the pandemic and post pandemic, there have been some surprising public conversions of youthful, public figures.

Let’s not give up on the upcoming generations in our nations, but continue to tell them about the love and mercy found only through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So that they don’t have to continue wandering in the desert of sin.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

“Some wandered in desert wastelands…They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.”—Psalm 107:4-6

If you feel like life isn’t working for you, or feeling hopeless, please don’t despair. The Lord is kind and is willing to transfer you out of the kingdom of darkness and bring you into His kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13) through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13

God doesn’t play favorites. No matter where you are in life, or whatever you’ve done, God is willing to embrace and transform your life if you’re willing to repent of your sin and acknowledge that He can guide your life more successfully than you can.

If you accept Jesus as your Savior, Who lived a perfect life and died for your sins so that you don’t have to; and that He rose from the dead, proving that He is God and has the right to rule over your life, you can become one of His loved children and be given eternal life.

Are you willing to call on the name of the Lord and be saved? If so, please repeat the below prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m tired of wandering in the wilderness and am sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And show me how much You love me. Break the chains of darkness in my life. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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

Please, also, 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).

God bless you as you begin your new journey with Jesus.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Cure For A Stinky Attitude, Buddy Brief

Buddy wasn’t too thrilled to get a bath this afternoon, but he was starting to get stinky. No one wants to be around a stinker.

Sometimes I have a stinky attitude; the only thing that can wash it away is to remind myself about God’s love and power toward me.

“But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy hill.”—King David, Psalm 3:3-4

Reminding myself to call out to my Lord when I feel distressed or sad gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work on my attitude.

And He will lift my attitude skyward, to rise above my circumstances, to remember that He is with (me) always, even to the end of the age,*” to grant me the courage to face the day.

Nobody enjoys the company of someone with a stinky attitude. Instead of wallowing in self pity, it’s best to call out to Jesus, just like the ancient King David did.

Jesus is always willing to listen.

*Jesus, Matthew 28:20

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

Changing Your Focus, Psalm 107

As many of you now know, Buddy is a rescue who was abused for three years before I adopted him—furever! At first he was terrified of me, but gradually his focus moved from his awful past to his present life full of love with his new family.

I bought a pocket-sized NASB version of only the Book of Psalms, so that I could focus reading a few chapters every morning without pulling out a heavy book.

Most people focus on Psalm 23. It’s a wonderful Psalm by the ancient king of Israel, David. But there are many other marvelous Psalms that are also worthy of our meditation and focus.

Please join me in culling some of the wonderful gems in the 43 verses of chapter 107 in the Book of Psalms.

Primarily, the Psalm describes the various ways that people get themselves into trouble by acting without God in their lives. But when they acknowledge their need for the Lord’s help, He responds to their cries.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is forever.”—Verse one

It’s basically a Psalm about how kind God is, rescuing us from our own self-imposed troubles. Unlike Satan, He doesn’t kick us when we’re down, but responds to sincere cries for help.

1. Verse two discusses how God redeems us “from the hand of the adversary.” The Lord Jesus came in the flesh, which is celebrated on Christmas Day, to live a perfect life and redeem us—buy us back—out of Satan’s realm of darkness and transfer us into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13) by dying for our sins.

We cannot earn this salvation; it is freely given to us when we call upon the name of the Lord to save us (Romans 10:13).

And throughout the Psalm, people call on God for help, which He freely gives to them.

2. Verses 4-9 describes people who are wandering “in a desert region” and in great physical distress. They were lost, unable to find an inhabited city to get help. Unable to get human aid, they turned to God, acknowledging they needed God’s rescue—and “He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city”.

Which reminds me of everyone’s favorite Psalm:

“He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His namesake.”—Psalm 23:3

When we follow God’s path, we discover that the Good Shepherd’s ways lead out of the confusion in the desert of sin and into green pastures of peace and safety.

3. Verses 11-16 describe people who are enslaved by sin and unable to free themselves. They’re miserable because “they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore, He humbled their heart with labor…”

Consequences for sinful behavior are an act of love from God. It causes us to realize our need for Him, to change our destructive behavior, so He allows us to suffer the result of our sin, so that we’ll come to our senses and acknowledge our need to follow Him and not our own desires. When the people in Psalm 107 finally realized, once again, that human effort couldn’t rescue them, they called out to God, who shattered their chains of sin.

4. Verses 17-22 describe people who became seriously ill: “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.” But when they acknowledged their sin and repented, how did God help?

“He sent His word and healed them.”—verse 20

Deceased Pastor Norman Peale had many different persons approach him, as detailed in his various books, with serious ailments of various sorts that caused them great suffering and interfered with their careers. What the Pastor often discovered is that these men engaged in serious sin, such as adultery. Their guilt and wickedness was the root cause of their illness and setbacks. Once they confessed their sin, acknowledging their need to follow God’s moral rules and stop rebelling, they became healthy—mentally, physically, and spiritually.

God’s word, the Bible, sometimes is the cure for what afflicts us. He gives us instruction, insight, and hope through the promises in the Scriptures.

5. Verses 23-32 describe men engaged in commerce, who “do business on great waters.” But they encountered a great storm which caused them great fear and distress. But when they called on the Lord to save them, “He caused the storm to be still.”

Sometimes we get busy conducting business, searching for wealth or fame, and forget to include God in our lives. Then we encounter obstacles which are totally beyond our control, which reminds us to seek God.

And, God graciously rescues us.

6. Verses 33-38 describes how God can curse the efforts of wicked people, but bless the labor of good people. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the way is death (Proverbs 14:12).” Sometimes our efforts are not succeeding because we’re compromising our moral integrity. If you’re a child of God, He may delay blessing you till you repent and commit to acting with moral integrity.

7. Lastly, verses 39-42 describe how sometimes we suffer because of the wickedness of other people who oppress us in some way, particularly those in high positions of power. But God graciously delivers us.

Why?

“Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, and consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.”—verse 43

May we always seek God in time of need, Who has the power to deliver us from circumstances and people too mighty for us to combat alone.

And from our own sin.

Please consider pointing unbelievers to this wonderful Psalm, which describes the many ways God will deliver people from the consequences of sin, if they’re willing to acknowledge their need for a Savior.

And recognize that He’s good.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

“Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13

It doesn’t matter what kind of trouble you’re in, God is good and loves you. He’s willing to forgive your sin and rescue you from bondage to the Kingdom of Darkness.

He doesn’t discriminate. No matter how far you’ve wandered in the desert, He’s willing to respond to your cries for rescue if you’re willing to repent and call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.

Lord: your moral authority and King of your life and

Savior: The one Who died for your sins, taking the punishment you deserve.

No need to get your act together first. Just humble acknowledgment of your need for Him. He knows about it all anyway, so why not confess your need to be delivered from self-destructive behavior?

He loves you and is eager to hear you call out to Him.

After I gave my life to the Lord, the Holy Spirit told me that, “He knew every sin I’ve ever committed, but still loves me very much.”

God already knows you cannot be good. Your sin doesn’t shock Him, regardless of how bad you think it is. He wants to rescue you—if you’ll only call out to Him.

Why not invite Him into your life right now? Don’t delay. Tomorrow is never promised to us.

Please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, and confess that He died for my sins so that I don’t have to be punished for them. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me how much You love me. I need Your help in my life. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Your Son Jesus Christ, 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 food daily to be nourished, so does your soul.

And 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). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled or follow bad teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Different Horses Win The Race, Buddy Brief

Regardless of what you think about the sport of horse racing, I hope you’ll continue reading and take away what I hope will be a great encouragement to you.

In horse racing there are two main types of winners: front runners and closers.

The front runners will pop out of the gate straight to the front, remain in front throughout the entire track and cross the finish line first. The other horses may challenge the front runner but never manage to edge out to the lead position.

But there is another type of horse that runs last or near the back of the pack for most of the race. They don’t look at all like winners.

But something amazing happens during the race. When the front running horses begin to tire, the closers seemingly catch a second wind and begin to close in on the lead. The horse that looked like it was doomed to finish last or near the back of the pack begins to challenge the leader.

And, amazingly, that horse once near the back closes in and surpasses the lead horse to win the race.

If you’re a front runner, great. Keep running your race and don’t look back. Keep your eyes straight ahead toward the finish line.

But if you’re like me, feeling like you’re trotting along near the back of the pack, take heart.

You can still win your race if you don’t lose heart and give up.

And please remember: There are many races to run. The trainer and jockey agent places the horse in the race they think the horse can win.

If you cooperate and listen to Jesus, He’ll place you in the right race.

“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O’ Lord, is everlasting;”—Psalm 138:8

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

Loved Just As You Are, Psalm 69:5, 16-17

Fall trim: Fruity

Buddy’s so adorable when he’s a big fur ball, but about three times a year he gets professionally groomed. When he’s trimmed, as above, I nickname him “Fruity,” because his trimmed face resembles a fruit bat.

Fruit bat image from Doi.gov

(I tried to find a tan bat but couldn’t locate the best one to illustrate my point.)

Although Buddy looks very different trimmed, we still love him and consider him adorable. Even when he acts like a little stinker (or smells like one on occasion), he’s still a beloved member of our family.

King David trusted that, even though God knew he was a sinner, his Heavenly Father could still be counted on to deliver him from his enemies in a time of need:

“O God, it is You who knows my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from You….Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, and do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly.”—Psalm 69:5, 16-17

Because we’re born again, indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), we greatly desire to obey and please Jesus. But although our spirits and hearts have been renewed, we still have minds programmed and influenced by the world, the flesh, Satan, and our past history. It’s why the Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).”

Because we’re aware of our sin, we sometimes balk at bringing our prayer requests before the Lord, because we feel unworthy. We want to clean up our act firstly before coming to Him.

But here’s the BIG TRUTH many Christians forget or legalism prevents us from considering:

WE’RE NEVER WORTHY.

It’s why Christ had to die to atone for the sins of humanity (John 3:16), because only a spotless lamb was an acceptable sacrifice for sin (Exodus 12:5, 1 Peter and 1:19). We are never seen as spotless, free of sin, before we confess our sins and come into relationship with Jesus. Then, clothed with the blood sacrifice of Christ, we become beloved children of God (Galatians 3:26).

The Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church for their sinful behavior: drunkenness at communion, tolerating incest, dividing into camps based upon which apostle they followed rather than Christ, etc. They were immature in their behavior and not doing a good job of submitting to God in the sanctification process.

Yet, the Apostle Paul begins his two letters to the Corinthian church greeting them as saints: 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 2:2 and brethren (1 Corinthians 2:1, 3:1, 2 Corinthians 1:8) and, also:

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; you are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”—2 Corinthians 3:2-3

He gently rebukes them for their sin, calling for repentance, reminding them that they are God’s children who are to love others and shine the light of Christ into this dark world.

But he continues to love them and call them fellow believers—because they are born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

My dear brother or sister in Christ, always call upon Jesus in your time of need. He knows that it’s impossible for you to meet the perfect standard of righteousness that the Law requires (Matthew 5:48).

Call on Him with humility and sincerity as He loves you.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”—Apostle John, 1 John 4:10

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Everyone is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), but only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become born again are His children:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”—Apostle John, John 1:12-13

You may not have heard this before as our culture teaches that every person is a child of God—but it isn’t true. Only those in relationship with the Father through the Son are children of God.

Every human is made in His image, which gives precious value to everyone. So treasured are humans that He sent His Son to live a perfect life, taking on human flesh, then die on a cross to take the punishment for our sins instead of us. He rose bodily from the grave on the Third Day, proving that He is God and can give eternal life to those who repent and ask Him to be their God.

If you believe this but haven’t joined God’s family yet, will you please pray the following prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please change my heart and life by granting that Your Holy Spirit lives within me. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Your Son Jesus Christ, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations: You’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your spiritual soul food. Just as your body needs food every day to stay healthy, so does your soul.

And 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 by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

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.