Buddy likes to keep me within sight, even though he may not desire interaction.
I’m currently reading a nonfiction book that I highly recommend: Stolen Focus, Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again, by Johann Hari. You can probably find it in your library system, as I did.
This statement really stood out for me, quoted by the author interviewing the magician called Tristan:
“How does a magician do their work? It works because they don’t have to know your strengths—they just have to know your weaknesses. How well do you know your weaknesses?”—page 108
Do you think Satan attacks your strengths?
Of course not. Like any enemy, he’s searching your life for any unintentional opening to breach your protective wall.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”—1 Peter 5:8
Now most of us aren’t important enough to attract Satan’s attention, but a third of the angelic host fell into disobedience and works for the devil.
So, please consider in prayer, asking Jesus to open your eyes to anything in your life that is giving the enemy of your soul an opening to take a bite out of you.
Take heed of CS Lewis’ oft quoted warning:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
What are your weaknesses?
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
To be fair, I’ll admit one weakness I am working on. I hate being treated as if I’m stupid or a liar. I’m neither and can quickly become defensive if I feel someone has attacked my intelligence or honesty. I have to learn to listen before responding without allowing my “hackles” to rise up and overwhelm my reason. Proverbs 18:13
If you read my blog regularly, you know Buddy was rescued out of an abusive situation. Because he was so terrified of me, I didn’t enroll him in an obedience class.
Now he sometimes acts like a spoiled little brat. For instance, demanding I give him my chicken lunch through continual whining and fussing, even after gobbling down his own portion in his dish.
I was thinking about this verse recently, something Jesus said, recorded in Matthew 10:16:
“‘Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.’”
There seems to be an expectation in the Christian community that every leader, even politicians, should always be sweet and loving.
Lovey dovey.
But the Bible has multiple examples of leaders who were quite outspoken, bold, loud, even obnoxious at times.
The Old Testament prophets Elijah and his successor Elisha, and John the Baptist in the Gospels, were fiery, aggressive orators; definitely not men you’d call sweet and kind.
Elijah mocked and taunted the false prophets of Baal and even ordered to have them slaughtered (1 Kings 18:40).
Elisha cursed the “youths” mocking him and calling him names, so he “pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the youth (2 Kings 2:24)”. Because you don’t show disrespect to God’s appointed prophets!
And John the Baptist “saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’ (Matthew 3:7)”
Even Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple in Jerusalem, and took a whip of cords and chased the money changers and their animals out of the building.
There seems to be a theme here:
Sometimes you gotta act “not nice” when confronting evil.
In summary, God uses all sorts of personalities to accomplish His will.
Please don’t discount someone as a servant of God because their manner is more brash or forceful than yours.
Acting like a dove means avoiding sin but, also, sometimes knowing when to show grace to a sinful person.
But, in my opinion, sometimes being shrewd means knowing when to stand up and confront evil with strong words and actions.
Because some hearts are too hard; evil’s strong grip on a soul may require a good yank.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
PS. Please check out this great sermon by pastor Dr Charles Stanley. It’ll bless you.
Buddy was unhappy about being confined to the loft, so he pouted by staring into the mirror. He is losing his depth perception and must wait for me to pick him up and carry him down the staircase to the main living area. He would rather roam freely in our condo, doing what he wants when he wants.
The ancient Jewish religious leaders–the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes–rejected Jesus because they believed that their own works made them righteous in God’s sight. Although they diligently searched the scriptures about the coming Messiah, they missed recognizing Him when He stood in front of them, although He’d performed many miracles and fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies. They were awaiting a Messiah Who would rescue them from oppression by the Roman Empire; they weren’t looking for a Savior Who would rescue them from their sins.
Their pride prevented from realizing they weren’t righteous enough to earn their way to heaven. God’s standard for holiness is perfection (Matthew 5:48). They believed that because they kept the Laws of Moses, they had God’s favor.
But they didn’t.
Their self-righteousness caused them to reject the very Messiah they eagerly awaited.
“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”–Apostle Paul, Romans 10:3
Today it’s still pride that keeps people from recognizing their own need for a Savior. They think they can earn their way into heaven by being good enough, whatever “good enough” is. They create their own moral code, neglecting to realize that they aren’t little gods who get to write the laws of the universe.
Satan also believed that he could replace god and write his own rules of behavior. Because he wanted to be worshipped and make the rules, he rebelled against God, falsely believing that He could knock the Almighty off of His throne (Isaiah 14:12-17).
It surprises me that people believe they can reject God’s rules, create their own moral code, and live however they want, then believe God must accept them into heaven to live with Him for eternity when they’ve rebelled against Him their entire lives. They don’t realize that the rules they hate still apply in Heaven, and the people they despise who follow the Lord and attempt to obey His rules will be in Heaven.
In other words, Heaven would be Hell for people who think they’re good and can create their own moral code. And don’t need to listen to some Almighty God telling them what to do.
Satan must’ve been a great speaker as he persuaded a third of the angels to rebel against their Maker.
Similarly, our postmodern Western culture has persuaded many to believe that there is no Almighty Creator and that they can make up their own rules of what good behavior is, what’s right and wrong.
We’re seeing right now how poorly that’s working out as our culture continues to disintegrate and technology increasingly threatens our liberty and freedom to move freely, to think and speak freely, and to protest against corruption and tyranny.
Just as the ancient religious leaders rejected Jesus as a Savior from their sins, sadly, many also do the same today.
But this lesson also applies to Christians in this way:
You can never be good enough through your own works righteousness. You need to remind yourself frequently that Jesus has clothed you with His robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). It’s never about how good you are, but how good He is. Jesus loved us so much that He died for our sins–all of them–because we can never be good enough to please Him. We want to please Him because our spirit is united with Christ through the Holy Spirit, and we now have an undying love for Him (Ephesians 6:24). But thinking we have to be perfect keeps us running on the hamster wheel of works righteousness till we exhaust ourselves emotionally; therefore, physical and spiritual exhaustion follows. He wants us to rejoice in how sweet, kind, and gentle He is.
“For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”–Jesus, Matthew 11:30
Rejoice today in how much Jesus loves you.
It’s not about being perfect, but how much He loves you by wanting to live with you forever. And to hear your prayers. He’s the only friend Who always has time to listen.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Maybe you’re unhappy because you’re trying to be your own god instead of submitting your life to the Lord and trusting in His guidance.
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.
I know my furpal. If another dog walked into my home who wasn’t Buddy, I’d immediately wonder why and who its owner was.
Because that dog does not belong in my home.
But we don’t use that same discernment in the church. We just assume that everyone who sits in the pews is a born again believer or is interested in knowing more about Christ, or that anyone who preaches has the Spirit of the Lord.
But there is an event in the Bible that warns this is not necessarily true.
“Then He (Jesus) went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths….Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him,…”—Luke 4:31, 33-35
Not only was there an opponent and enemy of God hanging around in the congregation of sincere followers of God, but who also wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
The demonically possessed man was also perfectly capable of speaking openly and emphatically within a group of believers gathered together.
This is a warning not to assume everyone knows, loves, and obeys the Lord who attends or teaches in a church. Always use discernment and evaluate their teaching. If they disobey, or reject Jesus’ clear teachings, do not follow them. And do not allow them to influence you to disregard what God teaches in the Bible.
Please be respectful, as everyone is made in God’s image and He loves them.
But there might be a time to reprove or bring false teaching to the attention of leadership.
And if it’s the leaders who disobey God’s Word, leave the church.
Not everyone who walks through the doors of a church building is owned by Jesus.
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.
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.
Buddy always looks like he’s being tortured when I dress him in his Christmas outfit. But that’s OK, as long as he cooperates long enough to take a few photos. He remained amazingly still this year–till he ran out of patience.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:13:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Last Wednesday I discussed the topic of hope. Today I’d like to discuss faith.
What is faith, really?
Faith cannot be mere knowledge of who God is or a fact. Because the Apostle Paul also tells us:
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.”–James 2:19, James the brother of Jesus, (NIV)
The demons also acknowledged that Jesus Christ is God and had the authority to cast them into Hell and torment them (Matthew 8:28-29). So faith must be more than just knowledge that there is a Creator God and that Jesus is His Son, the incarnate God (Matthew 1:23).
2. Faith must be more than just obedience to rules of good behavior.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,… For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one can boast.”–Apostle Paul, Ephesians 2:4-5, 8
Good behavior doesn’t save us, the Apostle Paul states, but faith.
This mysterious faith.
Jesus made it clear to the religious leaders of that day, the Pharisees, that although they obeyed the Laws of Moses, they didn’t make the mark to get into heaven:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead man’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”–Jesus, Matthew 23:27-28
Jesus also emphasized this point that acting good and looking good to others didn’t mean that your heart was right with God. You can do all sorts of good deeds, but still not be right in God’s sight.
The Sixth (or Seventh)* Commandment given to the Jewish people through the prophet Moses is:
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”–Exodus 20:14
Yet, Jesus said that committing adultery was not just an outward action, as the Pharisees believed, but was also an attitude of the heart and mind:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”–Matthew 5:27-28
3. So is faith an attitude? Because apparently actions don’t save or make you right with God?
Yet the Apostle Paul says that faith is what saves, and is a gift from God.
The Book of James both clarifies, and sometimes confuses, this point:
James echoes both Jesus and the Apostle Paul that actions alone do not save.
Jesus taught, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”–Matthew 5:48
Which must’ve made His hearers despair as no one can be perfect.
And James echoes this in James 2:10:
“For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”
The Apostle Pau also strongly declared to the Galatian Church, who were trying to keep their salvation through good works:
“The Law is not of faith.”–Galatians 3:12
4. So what is saving faith?
I think the argument can be summarized as:
Receiving Jesus as both Lord and Savior.
Satan demonstrated that he knows the Bible (Luke 4:9-11) when He tried to trick Jesus into proving He was Lord by twisting the Scriptures. Demons also attend religious services, as Jesus cast out a demon:
“Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, ‘What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!”–Mark 1:23-24
So knowing what the Bible teaches or attending church isn’t enough to prove that you’re a Christian who has saving faith. The devil and his demons know that Jesus is Lord; apparently that’s not enough for saving faith.
Acknowledging Jesus as Lord, God in the flesh, is one half.
The other is submitting to His authority as Savior.
The devil and his demons don’t submit to God’s authority. They clearly cannot repent. Satan wants to be worshipped as God and the demons follow Satan as their leader and obey him.
When a person repents of their sin, they are admitting that they are unable to live life by their own rules and must submit to the authority of God to define right and wrong. There are a lot of people in our modern Western Culture who claim to be Christians, yet do not submit to God’s moral authority. These are not their exact words, usually, but they say that the Bible’s moral rules are old-fashioned and we need to change with the times. They follow what the culture says is right or wrong, or what the individual perceives to be truth or defines truth to be, not what the Word of God says is the truth and what is morally right or wrong.
Disciples of James confused the Galatian church. They believed that they were saved by faith, as the Apostle Paul taught, but had to keep their salvation through works. The Apostle Paul rebuked these disciples who confused this church and his teaching that we are saved and maintained by faith, not works (Galatians 3).
So the teaching of James can confuse.
Desiring to obey God demonstrates that you have a changed heart. You’ve put your trust in Jesus to save you and submit to His authority.
If you claim to be a Christian, but have zero desire to obey God, there’s something seriously wrong. You cannot be born again and still desire to sin and disobey Him. A sincere believer may stumble and fall and disobey, but he/she doesn’t want to sin. Sin no longer is their master (Romans 6:14). A true believer is a “new creation. The Old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”–Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:17
To summarize James: If you’ve truly put your trust in Jesus as your Lord, you will act differently. Your behavior will demonstrate what you truly believe. Because Abraham learned to trust God, he was willing to obey what God told him to do, even if it meant sacrificing his own son, because “Abraham believed God (James 2:23).” He was concerned about people forgetting who they were in Christ and not setting an example to the world by their behavior (James 1:22-24).
The centurion demonstrated that he had “great faith (Luke 7:9)” because he asked Jesus to heal his servant, but felt unworthy for Jesus to enter his home. He believed that Jesus could heal from afar and didn’t need to be physically present to perform the miracle. He knew Jesus was the Lord and had the authority to declare his servant healed. The centurion’s behavior backed up what he truly believed in his heart.
A modern example is an experience I often had with my beloved grandmother. She’d often say that “she trusted me,” yet would often doublecheck. Her actions demonstrated that she didn’t really trust me.
A saved person has a new heart, is one with Christ (John 17:22), and desires to obey God. They have cast off their filthy rags of works righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) and been clothed with the clean, white garments of the “righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).”
James was concerned that someone who claimed to be saved backed up their words with actions, as he clearly taught in the first chapter that it was impossible to be made right with God through the Law. So something else was needed.
So this is why I emphasize in my call to faith at the end of my weekly posts that a person asks Jesus to be both their Lord and Savior.
A person proves that they have a new heart–saving faith–by becoming a different person.
NOT a perfect person.
But they’ve entered the “paths of righteousness for His namesake (Psalm 23:3)” and have a heart to obey the Lord, rather than serve the world, the flesh, and our culture.
They have started their journey of sanctification.
I hope this helps clarify.
And then again–maybe not.
But that’s how I understand it. And why someone who claims to be a Christian may only be deluding themselves. I don’t anyone who reads my blogs to be one of the people that Christ casts away from His presence on Judgment Day because they thought they were right with God–but aren’t.
God bless you this Christmas Season (or whatever time of year you read this blog post).
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
*Different denominations parse the Commandments differently.
***
Most religions try to teach you how to be good.
But cannot give you the power to BE good.
Only a change of heart through the power of God’s Holy Spirit can change your behavior–and thus your life.
We’re all born spiritually dead, because our first ancestors rejected God’s authority in their lives. They believed Satan and his lies, rather than trusting that God is good and obeying Him because He had their best interests in mind.
And, therefore, every person is born without the Holy Spirit since Adam and Eve. (This Creation story is extremely important to understanding our need for God.)
Humans were created in God’s image; just as He is triune in nature–Father, Son, and Holy Spirt–we are supposed to be triune beings, also: body, soul, and spirit. But every person is born into this world without the Holy Spirit indwelling them. Everyone is born with just a body and soul, without union with God. That’s why you need to be born again.
“Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”–Jesus, John 3:3
Do you feel like something’s missing in your life? Like there is an empty space on your soul that can never go away, despite how hard you try to fill it with things or relationships you think should make you feel happy—but don’t.
Your soul was created to be united with God’s Spirit. If you feel empty, it’s because the Holy Spirit isn’t filling that space in your heart where He is supposed to dwell.
If you don’t have the Holy Spirit,you do not having saving faith.
If you haven’t yet, please consider asking Jesus to be both your Lord and Savior. He died for your sins, so that you don’t have to, and was resurrected bodily on the Third Day to prove that He is God and can give you supernatural, eternal life.
Please repeat the below prayer, out loud, if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I call on Jesus to be both my Lord and my Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And please teach me how much You love me. 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. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. The Bible is your soul food.
And attend a Bible-believing church or Bible study, and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend 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, but it’s easy to be deceived by bad teaching or legalism until you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
The thought of losing Buddy one day makes me want to cry. But he won’t ever truly be lost, just separated from me until I join him in heaven one day. He’s been my fur pal for over thirteen years now.
Yet, I’m still hoping to be raptured together. Although he’s 16 years old, he’s still pretty spry,so I am hoping for a few more earthly years with him.
The following is a bit harsh, but want to challenge you to consider something, if you haven’t already.
Don’t deceive yourself. If you don’t have the courage to speak up now for what is right and to defend your liberty, then you definitely will NOT do so when the AntiChrist arises. You will take the Mark of the Beast.
This sounds awful, but it’s the truth: If you’re a coward now when the stakes are lower, you’ll be a coward then.
Yes, if you stand for Jesus and godly values, it’s possible that evil people will attack you. They’ll slander you, maybe try to financially bankrupt you or take away your liberty.
Or even take your life.
For me, the hardest thing would be to witness my loved ones suffering, particularly if the abuse is aimed at them because of me.
But there is something the devil and his servants can never take from you: your soul.
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 8:48-39
Now I’m not sure if I will have the courage then that I have now. Indeed, the stakes are lower now.
So I occasionally pray that the Lord will give me the strength to stand strong On That Day, if the “abomination of desolation (Mark 13:14)” arises and desecrates the temple of Jerusalem (Daniel 11:31) during my lifetime.
Because when it comes to Jesus and spiritual matters, it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that I can walk in triumph.
For it is only through Christ “I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).”
For “thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14).”
If you’re feeling afraid, please remember Christ will strengthen you, if you will ask Him.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy.
***
There’s something way more scarier and awful than being a coward: It’s dwelling in the kingdom of Satan, rather than walking in the kingdom of light in Jesus Christ.
Because being called bad names may hurt our egos, but the devil is damaging souls under his power.
You see, there IS NO neutral territory: You’re either living in the kingdom of Satan or in the kingdom of Christ.
Do you feel like something’s missing in your life? Like there is an empty space on your soul that can never go away, despite how hard you try to fill it with things or relationships you think should make you feel happy—but don’t.
Your soul was created to be united with God’s Spirit. If you feel empty, it’s because the Holy Spirit isn’t filling that space in your heart where He is supposed to dwell.
If you haven’t yet, please consider asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. He died for your sins, so that you don’t have to, and was resurrected bodily on the Third Day to prove that He is God and can give you supernatural, eternal life.
Please repeat the below prayer, out loud, if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I call on Jesus to be both my Lord and my Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And please teach me how much You love me. 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. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. The Bible is your soul food.
And attend a Bible-believing church or Bible study, and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend 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, but it’s easy to be deceived by bad teaching or legalism until you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
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.
Buddy and I moved to Arizona four years ago, yet we still support Seattle’s baseball team, the Mariners.
This season Arizona’s team, The Diamondbacks, is currently pkaying in the World Series. My beloved Mariners are the only professional baseball team that’s never made it to the World Series.
But I plan to remain faithful to the team my family attended the first ever game for.
(I do ask myself: Will I live long enough to see them play in baseball’s premiere event? Sorry Mariners!)
Life is tough. But please don’t run away from the Lord. The predator always hunts down the animal that strays from the pack, as it’s the most vulnerable.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”—Jesus, John 10:10
Please stay with Jesus, Who gives abundant life through the power of the Holy Spirit working within you.
Meditations About God and Buddy 