It’s Not About How You Feel, 1 Thessalonians 4:5

I love Buddy with all my heart, but some mornings I’m tired and want to be left to myself. But I have to get up and walk Buddy, as we live in a condo with only a balcony. Then I prepare his breakfast and pills before my own. Some days I just don’t feel like doing it, but Buddy is my responsibility.

Similarly, there’s times when our feelings don’t match up with God’s commands. As Christians we’re under grace and not the Law, but God’s rules still work to help us lead happier and more prosperous lives. We’re also commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), and we do that by not listening to Him and disobeying His leading.

One area people are particularly susceptible to disobey God and follow their feelings is in the area of sexual relationships. God’s commands demand one behavior, but our feelings pull us strongly toward a relationship, or behavior, we know displeases God.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God…Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”—the Apostle Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 8

Now as Christians we can still choose to disobey God and, thereby, grieve the Holy Spirit; since He indwells the believer, we’ll be miserable till we repent. We still have free will as believers.

But we are supposed “to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).”

Do we please God by following our passions? Because feelings are not only fleeting but changeable.

Or by obeying His Word, the Bible?

God promises that we’re blessed when we obey Him:

“But without faith it’s impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”—Hebrews 11:6

I’m thinking about this because in the past I tried so-called Christian dating sites and the majority of the men wanted to engage in premarital sex, which God expressly forbids (Hebrews 13:4). So I left the sites.

Every day, as believers, we can choose to disobey God and be miserable—or defy our feelings, obey God, and be blessed.

It’s all a matter of whether we trust God more than our feelings.

He loves us. And wants to lead us in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3).

God forgives our sin. We can always confess our sin and choose to repent and get back onto the right path.

It’s all a matter of: Do you want to be miserable?

Or content, knowing God is in control and not your feelings?

It’s all up to you—and me.

And the Holy Spirit. We’re not left alone in our struggle.

“Blessed be the Lord , because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”—Psalm 28:6-7

Prayer, honest conversation, and singing praises helps a lot.

And maybe a brisk walk.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

If you do what you know is is wrong, but don’t feel God’s Holy Spirit convicting you, then you should truly examine your heart whether you actually believe Jesus is God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), died for your sins (1 Peter 2:24), and rose bodily from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Please don’t let pride get in the way of recognizing the truth about yourself. God loves you and wants to be your Lord and best friend. Jesus promises never to leave nor forsake His followers (Hebrews 13:5). But you must submit to His authority to be saved. The demons believe that Jesus is God and rose from the dead, but they aren’t saved.

Don’t be like the demons. Choose life obeying Jesus instead.

If you’re ready to receive Jesus, please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for grieving You and ask for forgiveness of my sins. I also ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that He is God, died for my sins, and rose bodily from the dead. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And show 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. And please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food and the main way God speaks to you. And please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized.

If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that‘s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

God bless you as you start your new life in Christ.

Does God Want Christians To Look Miserable? Buddy Brief

I feel happy when my beloved Buddy smiles. It shows that he enjoys living with me. After three years of being abused by his former owner, he’s loved sharing thirteen-and-a-half years with me now, someone who loves and dotes on him.

God is called “Our Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:26, 32),” yet sometimes Christians are presented with a solemn, joyless image of Jesus in movies and pictures as if being miserable or unhappy is the preferable Christian personality.

Does your earthly father want you to be miserable? (If mentally healthy, he doesn’t.)

Or, too often, pastors tell us that joy is independent of circumstance, meaning that you’re not supposed to feel or be happy, as if a smiling countenance means you’re not thoughtful or taking your faith seriously. That you can be cognitively happy, but to actually be happy is an unrealistic expectation.

Please ask yourself: Does a happy, energetic joyful person attract you more or less than a solemn, frowning person?

Jesus told His disciples:

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”—John 15:11

I believe Jesus wants us to be authentic people. To be honest with Him when we talk with Him. To cry when we’re suffering, to smile when we’re happy, to laugh when we think something’s funny.

Jesus said:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”—John 10:10

After all, who invented laughter?

As the Bible says, and modern scientific research continually confirms:

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.”—Proverbs 17:22

Go ahead and enjoy life.

Giving thanks to our loving Father Who has created a beautiful world full of wonders.

After all, who should be the happiest people on earth than Christians who know that all these worldly sufferings are temporary and in no way comparable to the eternal joys of heaven (Romans 8:28) prepares for us by a loving God?

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

PS. I realize pastors are trying to deal with human suffering, but is that how God wants our lives to be? Nothing but suffering without overcoming? To focus only on unhappiness? Even cops use gallows humor to defuse stressful situations.

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.

Just Wasn’t “Feelin’ It”, Buddy Blog Nonpost

Hi. I try to post the regular longer blogs on Friday evenings, but I had a big project due this Tuesday (Am I crazy to go back to school and worry about getting my homework in on time?) and was feeling exceptionally cranky Friday night. I’m still not proficient in some popular graphic arts programs and miss being able to draw mostly by hand.

So, I’m just as human as everyone else. And have days I feel great, or not so great. Am joyful, thankful, and elated—or am crabby, worrying, and critical.

Thank goodness, just as I love my spoiled and demanding Silky terrier, Jesus still loves me—even on my bad days.

Just as the love Buddy and I have for one another is unconditional, so is the love of my God and Savior.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!”—the Apostle John, 1 John 3:1

I write these posts, not because I think I’m holier than others or the most knowledgeable, but because the best thing that’s ever happened to me is to become born again by the love of Jesus.

I want that same wonderful relationship for everyone.

Have a great week.

Love you,

Dawn

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

Christian Spoilsports, Luke 2:8-14

Ah, Christmastime. The time, once again, to torment our furpals with costumes as part of the holiday season traditions.

Just as Buddy isn’t too keen to put on his Christmas outfit, there is a group of Christians who seemingly refuse to enter into the joy of the season and put on their happy faces.

They self-righteously proclaim several reasons for not participating in the Christmas spirit:

Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas Day. He was likely born in Springtime as the shepherds were sleeping outside in the field.

Christmas is a pagan holiday, since it takes place on, and replaces, the pagan holiday of Saturnalia, traditionally celebrated around December 25th.

They claim that the Christmas tree is a pagan symbol, so we shouldn’t put up a tree in our homes.

And a couple other highlights worthy of Dickens’ Scrooge:

You shouldn’t be celebrating with your family on Christmas Day. You should be out serving and helping the poor.

You shouldn’t waste your money buying gifts for family and friends who already have too much. Give your money to charity, instead.

I remember something a Counseling Pastor’s wife once said: “Christians need to stop shoulding on other people.”

About a week ago I attended a Christmas Party with fellow authors. One dour-faced woman announced that she’d just received her license as a pastor (the denomination surprised me).

She scowled through the entire party, her small, bear-like eyes never sparkling with joy or gratitude. Not even a forklift could lift up the corners of her mouth to resemble anything like a smile.

I would never want to be her friend, let alone listen to her preach. As an unbeliever, I’d probably run the other direction if I saw her heading my way.

I remember walking to a church service one night with a group of students from the dormitory when attending college. I wasn’t a Christian then and appreciated that they wanted me to accompany them.

But, the pastor preached that you should never joke or be jovial, but always “sober-minded (1Peter 4:7, 5:8).” As an aspiring comic strip cartoonist, this lecture was a big turnoff to ever joining that denomination. After all, isn’t it the Scriptures that advise: “A joyful heart is good medicine. But a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22).”

The Christian spoilsports always seem to rear up their legalistic heads during any holiday.

The Christmas tree actually has its origins during the Protestant Reformation. Supposedly Martin Luther began the tradition in Wittenberg, Germany, while walking beneath an awe inspiring, starry sky: “This wondrous sight inspired him to set up a candle-lit fir tree in his house that Christmas to remind his children of the starry heavens from whence their Saviour came.” The tradition supposedly was imported into Great Britain by Queen Charlotte, December 1800. (See article by Alison Barnes, 2006: https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/first-christmas-tree). Some scholars say that the traditional star atop the Christmas tree represents the Star of Bethlehem.

OK. Jesus likely wasn’t born on December 25th. But the early church planted the holiday tradition on this date to turn people’s attention away from worshipping a false god to worshipping the true God, Jesus Christ. Just as they built many churches upon the ruins of pagan temples.

Isn’t it wonderful to have festive Christmas lights and beautiful carols and family celebrations during the darkest time of the year?

Instead of being focused on the Winter Solstice, a traditional tine for pagan celebrations during the shortest day of the year, people are instead preoccupied with parties, gift giving, remembering the poor, baking delicious goodies, decorating their homes, and celebrating loving relationships.

If someone wants to be a Christmas Scrooge and scowl their way through the “happiest time of the year (see below video)” that’s OK. God’s unconditional love shines also upon his cranky children; they’re recipients of God’s grace too and deserve our love and compassion.

But don’t feel obligated, please, to heed their joy-killing admonitions.

Even the angels took a break to joyfully announce the birth of the Savior to lowly shepherds one dark night:

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

“‘For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.

“‘And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’”—Luke 2

Enjoy the holiday season.

Merry Christmas from Dawn and Buddy

Don’t worry; be happy!

***

Knowing Jesus Christ is good news. It’s wonderful to discover that God is real and loves you immensely.

But too many Christians only preach half the gospel, so it sounds like bad news, instead of the Great Good News that it really is.

Through Moses, God brought the Law, His rules of right and wrong, to show us how sinful we are and in need of abandoning our right to rule our lives and submit to His rule and authority.

But too many legalists stop there.

God makes you feel bad to announce the way to eternal happiness.

Jesus died for our sins on the Cross so that we don’t have to suffer the punishment for rebelling against a holy God (Colossians 2:13-14).

But followers of Jesus are saved, given eternal life, through His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3).

Too many focus on the Cross and forget why He was resurrected. He rose bodily, not spiritually, and walked amongst His followers for 40 days till he rose heavenward with his apostles looking on.

We are all born spiritually dead. No one is holy enough to deserve to be saved, to become born again. Everyone must repent.

But we must repent so that we can be given spiritual life by the Holy Spirit.

Other religions or leaders can tell you how to be good. But only Jesus can give you spiritual life. That’s why He claimed to be:

“The way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”—John 14:6

EVERYONE needs to repent to receive eternal life with God in Heaven. There’s no sliding scale where someone does enough good deeds to get in.

Jesus said that the standard to enter heaven through good works is “perfection (Matthew 5:8).”

No one is perfect, even if they think they are.

EVERYONE is on the same level, and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). It’s the most fair religion there is.

NO ONE can earn their way into bliss. EVERYONE must humble themselves before the Almighty Lord.

Are you ready to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ Jesus? If so, please repeat the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I realize that I can never be good enough or do enough good deeds to earn your love and forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And teach me how much You love me. Thank You for hearing my prayers. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily. I suggest starting with the Book of Luke this Christmas Season as it tells the most complete story of the first Christmas. The Bible is your soul food. Just as you need to eat daily for your body to be properly nourished, so does your soul.

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

God bless you as you celebrate your first Christmas, united with God through Christ Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Life Is Short, Nehemiah 8:10

Buddy was squealing frequently yesterday, indicating that he was in pain. He limped a little but wouldn’t allow anyone to approach him to inspect his paws. At times he’d stand behind me and squeal, causing me to jump in surprise. But I couldn’t take him to the veterinarian till today as I had to take a family member to their doctor for a post op checkup.

Buddy calmed down later in the evening, so I didn’t have to take him to the After Hours emergency clinic.

But I was distressed, wondering why God allowed him to get hurt the same afternoon that I needed to help someone else who couldn’t drive themselves.

You can see above that Buddy wasn’t happy visiting the veterinarian and wanted out of the clinic room.

But the Lord was answering my prayers to protect Buddy.

Fortunately, the vet discovered that he had something imbedded in his paw pad that likely poked him at times and two little burrs between his toes. I have to be more diligent in inspecting his paws in the future, particularly as Buddy is the most careless of any of dog I’ve owned regarding where he steps.

For instance, this past winter we were walking on a trail. There was a big pad of horse poop. I thought surely Buddy would be wise enough to walk around it.

Nope. He shoved one little front paw straight into the center of the plop. I had to wash his paw, after carrying him across my living room into the bathroom to protect my rug.

But just as Buddy should be more careful about where he puts his paws (he won’t), it’s beneficial to our physical, mental, and spiritual health to be careful to monitor our thoughts, as thought precedes emotion.

The Scriptures frequently exhort believers to be joyful.

After the exiles returned from Babylon to Jerusalem to successfully rebuild the city’s walls, they wept over their sin. The scribe Ezra had read God’s commands from the Holy Scriptures for many hours, and they felt convicted.

But what did God want them to focus on?

His mercy and goodness.

Nehemiah told the weeping Israelites:

“‘Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is Holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”—Nehemiah 8:10

Life is short. Please don’t spend it being unhappy. Be joyful.

And please remember, when times are tough, if you know Jesus, there is a seat at the table of God’s great banquet reserved for you in Heaven.

Prepared by a loving and merciful God so that you can rejoice in His goodness.

The Apostle John wrote in Revelation, verse 19:9:

“Then the Angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’”

Amen! God bless you.

Look to the future and be happy.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

***

You see, Jesus doesn’t want to bring punishment and judgment. He wants you to accept Him as your Lord and God, repent of your refusal to obey Him, and give you eternal life. But it’s your decision.

If you’re ready to become born again, to follow the Lord Jesus, please pray the below, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sin and take my punishment on the Cross. Thank you for not wanting to punish me, but to save and love me. I call on Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sin. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for You. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please read the Bible as it’s your spiritual food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so your soul needs daily food—soul food. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

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: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. Both have apps, if that’s your preference. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

Remember, God loves you. Focus on Jesus and His righteousness and goodness. Relax and let the Holy Spirit work through you.

Rejoice in His mercy and be happy.

Life is too short to spend it being miserable.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Spooky Stories #3: Haunted, Matthew 18:32-35

Buddy is such a sweet boy, that he’ll acquiesce to getting a bath. Although he’d prefer not to.

After his bath, my squeaky clean little monkey races around, joyous to be released from his confinement to the tub and bathroom.

Sadly, many people never experience the joy of feeling released, even Christians.

Jesus warned that refusing to forgive would bind someone with the torment of bitterness and anger:

“‘You wicked slave. I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.”

In this parable a high level slave owed his master a debt so enormous that it was impossible to repay. When the slave begged his master to permit him to repay, the master forgave him the debt, instead of insisting he pay.

Every person has a debt they can never repay: our sin. Since the entry requirement into Heaven and living in the presence of a holy God is perfection (Matthew 5:48), Jesus became incarnate and died in our place. Everyone who admits they’re a sinner and asks Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, receives this forgiveness (Romans 10:3).

Because God has forgiven our impossible sin debt against Himself, He demands that we forgive those who sin against us. In His eyes, we have no right not to forgive our fellow sinners. He is the Lord and we are not.

“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”—Jesus, Luke 17:3

Now, that doesn’t mean you continue in an abusive situation or relationship. That not only brings you harm, but is actually ungodly behavior, because you’re enabling the other person to continue sinning instead of forcing them to confront their wicked behavior and repent. Jesus commands to forgive—but also to rebuke, if necessary. If you’re in this type of situation, please seek professional help, as this blog is not intended to offer assistance in such instances.

Note what happens to the wicked slave who refused to forgive his fellow servant who owed a smaller debt that was payable: He was tortured.

I am not condemning anyone. I struggled with forgiveness myself. I’ve suffered some pretty horrific situations, but also great harm from selfish or petty people. And I tormented my soul for years with bitter and angry thoughts. It didn’t benefit me even a teensy bit. I suffered the torment of bitter thoughts, while those who mistreated me seemingly enjoyed their lives. It’s actually stupid to inflect self torment.

When I began the process of forgiving from the heart, my soul felt lighter. Then I prayed that the Lord would bring to mind anyone I hadn’t forgiven and free me from that bondage. My soul now feels like a helium balloon floating skyward, free and light, that someone let go of its string.

I am telling you the truth: The more you forgive, the lighter your soul feels. You begin to realize how those unforgiving thoughts, tormented and weighed down your soul.

Many people have been carrying that heavy load of unforgiveness for so long, that they’ve gotten used to the weight and don’t realize how it’s weighing down their life and spirit.

Is that you?

Jesus never commands us to do anything that isn’t for our benefit and welfare.

Be like Buddy: Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse your soul of tormenting thoughts, caused by a refusal to forgive others, and be joyous.

Or, as the author Oscar Wilde declared:

“Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.”

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

***

It’s difficult to forgive without the help of the Holy Spirit. When you ask Jesus into your life and accept Him as your Lord and God, you are given a new heart spiritually. This is called becoming born again.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”—Prophet Ezekiel, Ezekiel 36:26

If you’re ready to begin walking on a new life path, please repeat the following out loud, if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I want a new life and a new spirit that’s eager to forgive others. Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I believe Jesus died for my sins and was raised from the dead, offering resurrection life to anyone who calls upon Him with a sincere heart. I ask that You fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for loving me, despite my faults. In the holy name of Jesus, amen.

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

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.AndrewFarley.org and http://www.LTW.org. There are also other godly ministries, but it’s easy to get caught up with legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Believing The Lie That You’re Not Enough, Genesis 3:5

When Buddy wants attention, he’ll sometimes head for the bag of paper shredding in my parents’ den and live it up by kicking shredded paper everywhere. I don’t want him to inhale any paper shavings, so I’ll interrupt his fun. But no matter how he misbehaves, he’s still the perfect dog for me. We have a great partnership.

I had planned a different topic tonight but felt the need to write something encouraging again. Yes, I’m going to squeeze more “juice” out of the Adam and Eve story. (Some claim it’s apple juice, but that claim cannot be confirmed.)

Adam and Eve were declared “very good (vs 1:31),” not only because humans were designed in “God’s image (vs 1:27),” but because they were perfect. Flawless. The very best of God’s creation. They were complete.

And God had created a beautiful world for them to live in, full of delicious foods and animal companions that they could speak to.

But they bought the devil’s lie that they were incomplete, that they didn’t measure up. That they could be more.

“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”—Genesis 3:5

Adam and Eve didn’t accept themselves as created. There was something more and better that they could be, Satan said. They were inadequate as they were. They didn’t measure up. They needed to be wiser and more knowledgeable like God. They were blind to their true potential.

As you know, they disobeyed God by eating fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and fell from their glorious perfection. They became dead spiritually, when they were once alive and in perfect union with God in their spirits. They also began to age, when their bodies were created beautiful and magnificent.

By buying Satan’s lie, they became seriously flawed.

Modern Western culture, and sadly the church, is swallowing the bitter apple Satan offers: That they are not good enough.

Christians are declared, once accepting the blood sacrifice of Jesus to atone for their sins, “holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:22), and can “stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy (Jude 1:24).”

Even the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, described our future cleansing from our sins by the one time sacrifice of Jesus in Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

And King David of ancient Israel, who also prophesied about the coming Messiah, said in Psalm 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us.”

Yet many Christians confuse their spiritual condition (blameless and forgiven) with their lifelong process of sanctification. They feel dirty and undeserving before a holy God, rather than rejoicing they are a beloved child. They believe they need to earn the Father’s love by trying to be as perfect as possible, rather than resting in the finished work of Christ—Who already fulfilled the Law—that God already loves them perfectly, that His love doesn’t need to be earned by being “good enough.”

God knows we’re flawed beings, which is why Jesus had to come to save us from our own self destructive behavior.

And unbelievers cannot accept themselves either, as they were created. They wish they were another sex, another race, had a different metabolism or body shape, were smarter or had different skills or talents, etc.

They often accept the devil’s lies through another person or our culture that they are not lovable or acceptable unless they look a certain way, achieve certain goals or status, or health, or have certain talents and interests.

Instead of viewing their current sex, or race, or body type or intelligence or talent or physical appearance as a gift from a loving God who designed them to follow a particular path in life, they reject themselves for who they are.

If you discover as a child that you have one amazing skill—can play football, build things or dance—it’s pretty easy to find your life path.

But if you’re multi-talented, it can be a bit more difficult to figure out which path is the best one, or how to fit all the different pieces together.

Or it’s not so obvious, and a person needs to work a little harder to discover what they’re naturally gifted at.

Most often, I believe, it’s not that the person doesn’t know what they’re good at or naturally interested in, but they don’t believe that talent or skill is important or special enough.

I also believe that some of our interests are God-given. And Science is proving that we’re born introverts or extroverts, that our basic personality can only be modified so much (note the book, “Quiet, by Susan Cain). As David declares in Psalm 139:13-16, He lovingly creates us, even forming “our inward parts,” ie. our personality.

God made you in His image.

You are NOT an accident of the universe.

You were deliberately designed to be loved…

By an amazingly patient and loving God.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

I viewed a short clip online by a young woman, tricked out in piercings and tattoos and risqué clothing, who commented that God wasn’t real because He wasn’t zapping her for being blasphemous.

I responded, “He isn’t punishing you because He loves you and wants you to repent and come into relationship with Him. He doesn’t want you to go to Hell.”

Jesus said in John 3:17:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

We’re made in God’s image, but fall short of His glory spiritually because we’re born dead in our sins (Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1). He wants to give everyone the spiritual life we were designed to have, but don’t, because Adam and Eve decided to believe Satan’s words rather than His word.

If you realize you feel incomplete and acknowledge only Jesus can give new birth to your spirit, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving me so much that You want to be in relationship with me. I realize that I need You in my life. I’m tired of feeling inadequate and not enough, because of other people’s criticism or my own self condemnation. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins and wash me white as snow. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Help me to stop believing the lies of my culture and other people by revealing to me how much You love me. May the Holy Spirit guide me into all truth. In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so your soul needs God’s holy word to be healthy. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these godly ministries, in order of my personal preference: http://www.AndrewFarley.org and http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way). They also have apps, if that’s your preference. There are other godly ministries, but they can sometimes be legalistic and you need a firm foundation in the truth to recognize when law and grace are being mixed together.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Where Do You Find Peace? John 14:27

Somehow Buddy senses whether I’m leaving for a long or a short time. If it’s a short trip, he thinks I’m obligated to take him along. He gets angry when I don’t.

He starts barking as soon as he spots me returning across the courtyard. Then he gives me a good chewing out once I enter our home. Oddly, he doesn’t bark otherwise.

When I’m with him, Buddy feels safe and at peace. He’s distressed when I’m not around.

When you become born again, the Holy Spirit comes and takes residence within your spirit. You are made alive, because your heart is circumcised and made new by the indwelling power of God’s presence (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 2:29, Ezekiel 36:26-27).

As a result, the Lord promises “‘I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you’, so that “we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what will man do to me?’Hebrews 13:5-6)”

God also promises that anyplace we go, He has us in His grasp: “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me (Psalm 139:5).”

The dictionary defines “forsake” as “to abandon in time of need.”

I cannot promise never to leave nor forsake Buddy. I’m human, so it’s not always possible to be with him nor foresee all potential dangers. And there’s also the possibility that I could die suddenly and he’d come into my family’s care.

People who do not know Jesus don’t have the guarantee of His help or presence in time of need. Therefore, it’s not possible for their hearts and minds to remain at peace. Jesus says that peace s a GIFT that He gives to His followers:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful (John 14:27).”

People of the world find all sorts of ways to seek peace and freedom from anxiety: pharmaceuticals, drugs, alcohol, parties and sex, camping, vacations, reading, political activism, binging TV programs—and many other ways to forget their anxiety. The world is unsteady. Evil never rests so needless wars, corruption and economies erupt, with unanticipated gusts of rest. But all attempts to escape the anxiety of an uncertain world and future are only temporary fixes.

As Jesus said, His peace is not like the world’s. Because He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, He is always involved in our lives and aware of our circumstances. He loves each child of His and has each one in His embrace.

God promises a peace that is not based on circumstances:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea (Psalm 46:1-2).”

A Christian’s peace comes from keeping our focus on the Lord. Anytime I or you turn our attention to what’s going on in the world, we become anxious because it’s really out of our control. We can do the best with what’s in our control—eat healthy, work hard, be kind—but even then, eating healthy becomes meaningless when a car accident takes our life, or a layoff in an economic downturn renders our efforts moot, and being kind can be misinterpreted or not appreciated by the recipient.

We know that this world and its evil and problems are temporary, a mere vapor of time (James 4:14). Each Christian is destined for heaven, an eternity of joy. Even Jesus kept His focus on the future, on the innumerable people who would benefit from His sacrificial death for our sins:

“Who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).”

So, my dear friends, when you feel anxious, remember:

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).”

Because only God does not change, for He alone is a firm foundation, a solid rock to stand upon (Psalm 62:5). Our future is secure only in His hands. Cry out to Jesus when you’re anxious and worry, and find your rest in Him.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)” is an invitation that Jesus offers to everyone who is willing to accept Him as their Lord and God.

Jesus gives His rest from trying to prove you’re good enough to earn His love and freely GIVES His love to those willing to admit they can never be good enough to earn His love. Salvation is a gift earned for us by Jesus: He lived a perfect life so that He could suffer the punishment our sins deserved. If He had sinned, He could never have died for our sins, having to die for His own.

Thank goodness Jesus was the perfect God-Man (Matthew 1:23), so He met the standard FOR US to enter Heaven.

But God wants us to love Him freely, without force.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20).”

Are you willing to open that door and permit Jesus to be your God, to advise what’s right and wrong, how your life should be lived?

His ways are the best ways!

If you’re willing, please pray:

Heavenly Father, I want the rest from worry and anxiety that You give, the peace Jesus gives that’s not dependent upon the circumstances of life. Please forgive my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. And fill me with the Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please help me enter your rest. In the name of Your holy son, Jesus, amen.

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are born again. Please start reading the Bible. Just as your body needs daily food to be healthy, your soul needs the daily nourishment of soul food—the Bible. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please find a Bible-based church and get baptized. Ask the Lord to guide you to the right church for you. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries, which are my favorites: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. All three also have apps, if that’s your preference. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled when you’re a new believer till you know the Bible well enough to know if someone is teaching you correctly.

Good bless you. May Buddy and I see you in heaven.