The Correct Interpretation of This Biblical Verse Sets You Free, Philippians 4:13

Buddy

Buddy’s veterinarian has nicknamed Buddy “The Energizer Bunny” because he’s quickly adapted to being lame. In the photo above he’s acquired a stance that stabilizes him while eating.

Despite the critics, I have found Pastor Norman Vincent Peale’s books very helpful and inspirational. When I ran Cross Country in high school, a teammate gave me a copy of his book, “You Can If You Think You Can.” I wasn’t raised in a Christian religion, so the book was not only the first Christian book I’ve ever read, but was also the first book that presented Jesus, and God, in a friendly light.

But I believe his broadly applied application of Philippians 4:13 is not quite correct.

“I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”

I can repeat this verse out loud as my own personal mantra, but in my heart of hearts, I know that not only I cannot do all things, but God hasn’t designed me to do all things.

I not only have limitations, but God has created me with certain skills and heart desires to guide me in a particular direction. And no one person can do all things. The Church praises the superstars, but most Christians are part of a group accomplishing great things for Christ.

I think Pastor Andrew Farley has the correct interpretation, based upon verse 12, preceding the oft quoted verse 13:

“I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Pastor Farley says verse 13 is not about being enabled by God to accomplish a particular goal, but is about God walking alongside us to face every circumstance of life.

The Bible has multiple verses about our Great Shepherd leading and guiding us, the most famous being Psalm 23:4:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”

When interpreted correctly, Philippians takes the pressure off of me that God has the expectation that I can be a Super Christian and accomplish spectacular results with Christ’s help.

It’s freeing to realize that Christ actually promises to help be through whatever circumstances this life throws at me.

And as we know, “The truth sets you free (John 8:32).”

I think this takes the stress off our shoulders to accomplish spectacular deeds or achievements, and reassures us of God’s attention to survive or thrive during our sojourn here.

Hope this helps you as it did me.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

The best thing that’s ever happened to me was to give my life to Jesus, to accept Him as Lord—God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23)—and Savior: Who died for all our sins.

Won’t you please give your heart to Jesus now? And experience the joy of knowing that the God of the Bible is real?

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

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to forgive my sin and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I’m sorry for my sin and want new life in Jesus. I ask Jesus to be both my Lord and Savior. Please give me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you’ve prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food and the main way God speaks to you. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew 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) or http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

God bless you as you start your new walk with Jesus. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

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.

Please Don’t Forget Who You Are, Buddy brief

Buddy

When I first left Buddy to stay for a few days with my parents, I was concerned he’d become their pet and not return home with me to our condo.

Turns out that he stares at the front door for hours, waiting for my return. Buddy does not forget that he’s my best pal.

My parents love Buddy and he’s fond of them, but he loves me the “mostest”.

The Apostle James reminds Christians not to forget who they are:

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”—James 1:23-24

Once you were “dead in your trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1),” “slaves to sin (Romans 6:20)” and “the powers of darkness (Colossians 1:13),” until you believed in the Gospel and became born again.

You were a sinner who sometimes did good deeds.

But now you are a saint who sometimes sins!

“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 6:18

You are no longer a dirty worm. Nor a reformed sinner.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”—Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:17

You are a saint! You want to act saintly.

Or you grieve the Holy Spirit within you and become miserable.

It’s vitally important that you remember who you are! What is now your natural bent!

You were dead; now you’re spiritually alive!

The author CS Lewis got it correct in his Narnia book series:

You are now a prince or princess. You now wear the royal garments of Christ Jesus.

Look into the mirror which reflects back “Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).”

Now walk like the royalty you are!

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

Milking The Parable One More Time! Luke 11:29-30

Buddy resting in his cube.

Buddy can rest in the privacy of his cube knowing that he is loved and cared for. When he became my fur pal, it was for life.

I want to return to the prodigal one more time and milk a new point that I haven’t heard from preachers before.

You might be familiar with this parable Jesus told: A father had two sons. The younger son asked for his inheritance early; although such a request was dishonorable in that culture, his father honored the request. The younger son ran off to waste his money on “loose living (vs 13).” After impoverishing himself to the point of near starvation and demeaning, employment, he returned home, expecting to be treated by his father as a hired employee and disowned.

However, the father was so overjoyed that his son repented of his wicked behavior and showed new respect, that he threw his once wayward son a party.

The older son had been laboring away in his father’s field, not living it up; he was building up his father’s estate and his future inheritance. In anger he refused to accept his father’s invitation to the party to celebrate his brother’s return home.

“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours…but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’”—Luke 15:29-30

Get to the point, Dawn! We already know the story!

The older son believed he was more worthy of his father’s love because he worked for it. He believed he had earned his father’s love, but his younger brother hadn’t measured up. This passage is often preached on as a contrast between the legalistic believer who thinks he earns his salvation through good works, verses the person who realizes his salvation is through grace alone and cannot be earned, and that our Heavenly Father loves those with repentant hearts.

But also…

The older brother wasn’t the only one hard at work in the fields. He wasn’t taking care of his father’s estate and property by himself: The father had “hired men (vs 17).”

The older brother was equating his hard work with his worth in his father’s eyes.

But there were other men laboring hard for his father, also.

But the difference in the workers wasn’t how hard they were laboring, but their status in the father’s eyes.

You see, my dear reader, your value in the Heavenly Father’s eyes isn’t dependent on how hard you labor in his field.

You’re valuable to the Father because you’re His child,…

regardless of how you think your work is measuring up compared to those “superior” older brothers.

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”—Apostle John, 1 John 3:1

Hope you find this message encouraging.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Maybe you’re unhappy because you’re trying to live life apart from the loving embrace of your Heavenly Father who has rules of living to protect people. After all, He’s the one Who created us and knows the instruction manual.

Jesus is omniscient and omnipresent. He sees the future. What seems the right course of action to a person may actually be leading toward disaster. Only God knows where a chosen path will lead.

Jesus died to pay for your sins. He lived a perfect life as a human being so that He could pay for the sins of others, having no sin of His own to be punished for. After His crucifixion, He rose from the dead to prove that He is also God, that He has the power over death.

You don’t have to continue living a life of regret and defeat. But becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee health and wealth, as false preachers claim, but does set you onto a new path leading away from self-destructive behavior.

A new Christian is like a baby: You’ll crawl, then totter on wobbly legs till you learn to walk steady. I’m encouraging you to give your life to Jesus, because it’s wonderful to be in relationship with God. But I also want you not to get discouraged after doing so. It takes time to learn about God’s love for you and how He works.

Are you ready to make Jesus your Savior from sin and your Lord, the God Who rules your life? If so, please repeat the below 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 both my Savior and Lord, my moral authority. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me how much You love me. I want to learn to trust You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. You should begin to experience new attitudes and a desire to obey Jesus as you’ve been given a new heart by the power of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. You’re starting to walk a new path in life, so please be patient with yourself as you learn and grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

Please start reading the Bible daily. And 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 legalism or false teaching until you know what the Bible teaches fairly well.

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.

The Silver Lining, Buddy Brief

On Thanksgiving Day 2022 a black labradoodle escaped out of a neighbor’s home at my parents’ development and insisted on attacking and killing Buddy. Fortunately, neighbors ran out to assist. After our escape, I rushed Buddy over to the veterinarian across the street in Mesa the next day to patch his wounds.

The veterinarian’s staff said they wouldn’t help Buddy without an appointment and none were available that day, so I drove back to his usual doctor in Scottsdale who happily made accommodations to treat him without much notice.

So when, a few months later, Buddy injured his shoulder by ramming into a table doing zoomies at my parents’ home, I took him to the ER vet further away instead of the much closer office across the street.

The ER vet not only recommended arthritis chews, besides pain meds, but also a medication called Azodyl for Bud’s ailing kidneys.

Buddy had his annual physical last week at his usual doctor in Scottsdale, which included a blood test.

The test showed that Buddy’s kidneys stabilized and stopped deteriorating.

I don’t know why Bud’s usual vet didn’t recommend the Azodyl, because he was the one who told me about the prior concerning kidney test results during his 2023 annual physical. But those pills will likely extend his life for several more years.

The timeline:

Dog attack.

Vet across the street refused to treat Buddy.

Buddy taken to the ER vet when he injured his shoulder because the closest Mesa vet “sucks rocks.”

ER vet recommends kidney pills.

Annual visit with regular doctor shows pills worked.

Ironically, the dog attack led to Buddy getting put onto lifesaving medicine that is extending his life.

Truly, “all things work together for good to those who love God.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 8:28

Thank you, Lord, for taking care of my furever pal.

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.

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