Scary Costume Ball, 1 John 4:20-21

Buddy wanting to shake off the hair bow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. They reject the deity of Jesus Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. They deny they’ve sinned.

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

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

Because Who is the embodiment of truth?

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

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

5. They encourage you to sin or disobey God.

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

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

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

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

But Jesus claims this is false.

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

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

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

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

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

God promises to answer that prayer.

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

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

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

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

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I‘m sorry for my sin. Please forgive me. I invite Jesus into my life and heart. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And teach me how much You love me. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.

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

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

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

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay strong. Jesus is returning.

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

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please don’t delay.

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

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

Dear Heavenly Father, I open the door to my heart and invite Jesus to enter. I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness and a new heart. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for You. Teach me how much You love me and how precious and valuable I am to you. Thank you for hearing my prayer and that Jesus gave His life on the Cross so that I could have new life. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.

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

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

Spooky Thinking, Psalm 37:8

Buddy playing in shredded paper.

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

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

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

But what does the Bible say?

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

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

I’m fretting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

The Scariest Costume Of All Time, 2 Corinthians 11:14

My best pal after Jesus.

I think one reason I love dogs is that they’re not sneaky, like cats. They normally don’t creep up silently on their prey, unless trained to do otherwise. They happily announce they’re coming after you, or are angry with you, by barking wildly or growling.

No deception. Just honest, “You’re cruising for a bruising” announcements.

October is the month that many people prepare their costumes for the Halloween holiday. But there is a wicked being who is always deceptive and has his own costume. He doesn’t wear his costume to party, but “to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10).”

This deceiver wears the “scariest costume of all time:” That of pretending to be good, when he really means to do you harm.

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”—2 Corinthians 11:14

I believe that’s why the Bible never advises us to attempt to contact angels.

To my recollection, no one in the Bible ever asked for an angelic visitation. They’re always a surprise. God decides when to send an angel to give a message.

Examples are: Gabriel visiting Mary (Luke 1:26-38), Jacob witnessing the angels ascending and descending from heaven (Genesis 28:12), and revealing the future and the hidden spiritual warfare among the angels to Daniel (Daniel 10).

In fact, before His incarnation (Matthew 1:23), the Angel of the Lord, whom most Biblical scholars believe was the pre-incarnate Christ, also surprised people by His visits. The Lord didn’t appear because He was requested, or commanded to do so.

Some examples of the Angel of the Lord appearing unexpectedly in the Old Testament are: Hagar, when she fled from Sarai’s wrath (Genesis 16:7-13), to Gideon to appoint him as the leader of Israel’s army to defeat their Midianite oppressors (Judges 6:11-12), and, of course, to Abraham when he obeyed God by offering his son Isaac up as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:11-18).

So, please, offer up your prayers in confidence to the Lord God through Jesus Christ our Lord:

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.”—the Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 2:5

Since the Lord is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent—unlike angels—why would anyone need to call out to anyone else?

If God decides to send angelic assistance, that’s an act of His grace and love.

But beware of calling on angels, because you’re highly likely to be dealing with a deceptive substitute.

Even Moses refused to be accompanied and led into the Holy Land by anyone other than the Lord Himself:

“I will send an angel before you…Then (Moses) said to Him (God), ‘If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.’”—Exodus 33:2 & 15

Moses refused to be led by anyone other than the Lord God. Not even an angel. Given this example, why would anyone want to do otherwise?

“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”—Exodus 33:11

Moses knew who his true friend was.

Don’t risk deception. Satan is far craftier, intelligent and wickedly deceitful than you can imagine.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6)”.

“It is impossible for God to lie.”—Hebrews 6:18

One of Satan’s biggest lies is that there are many ways to heaven, to enter the Father’s presence. Jesus declared “I and the Father are one (John 10:30).”

Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh, Immanuel (Matthew 1:23). So He’s the expert on heaven and how to get there.

The Good News is that you don’t have to clean up your act first to approach God. He knows that it’s impossible to be perfect enough to enter His presence (Matthew 5:48), which is why Jesus, God incarnate, as the only perfect man ever to live, is the only one who could take the punishment every person deserves.

Mine too. I’m not speaking as an arrogant person who thinks they were good enough to be saved; I still don’t have my act totally together, despite my best efforts. I also had to ask God to forgive my sin.

We always fall short.

Basically, life is about choosing which god to spend eternity with: Life is full of enough good things to prove there’s a powerful, majestic God Who loves beauty, variety and goodness—and enough hell to realize there’s an evil being who wants to be god but can only kill, steal and destroy.

You just need to humble yourself to admit that you can never be good enough to enter heaven through your own efforts and call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.

Are you ready to call on Jesus to be your God and moral authority?

Or do you want to follow in Adam’s and Eve’s footsteps and continue deciding what’s right and wrong for yourself, despite frequent negative outcomes?

It’s up to you. No one is going to force you. After all, I’m actually just text on the Internet speaking to you. You can ignore me if you want and click on another page.

But, because I care about you, I hope you’ll consider: “‘Whoever calls will call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).’”

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

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Thank you that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, taking the punishment I deserve, because it’s impossible for me to be good enough to earn your favor. I ask You to forgive me and I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Thank you, also, that Jesus rose bodily from the dead on the third day, proving that He is God, and gives resurrection life to those who ask Him. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And please teach me how much You love me. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily. Just as our bodies need daily nourishment to be healthy, so do our souls. The Bible is your soul food. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand, and read forward.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. It’s hard to stand alone against the tide of culture. 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 get misled by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well, particularly the New Testament.

God bless you as you start your new spiritual journey.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.