Life is simple for Buddy. Take walkies. Snooze. Eat treats. Beg for food. Occasionally pay attention to your human.
Actually, human life is similarly simple. All of life boils down to one simple answer.
Want to know what it is?
What life really is all about?
Enough suspense yet? Here’s the answer:
Our life here on earth is all about choosing which god you’re going to spend eternity with.
That’s it in a nutshell.
The secret to this chaotic, rollercoaster, sometimes thrilling, sometimes awful life.
“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”—Jesus, John 12:46
Every day a person can choose to remain in Satan’s “domain of darkness” and “perish in their sin” (Colossians 1:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:10,) or choose to spend eternity with Jesus.
“For He (God) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”—Colossians 1:13-14
The choice is yours.
Jesus hung on the Cross between two thieves. One continued to hurl insults at Jesus, demanding that He come down from the Cross and rescue them from crucifixion.
The other humbled himself, admitted he was a sinner, and asked that his soul be saved. And Jesus answered him, saying:
“‘Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’”—Luke 23:43
Eternity with Jesus or Satan.
Everyone makes that choice.
It’s truly what life is really all about.
Thank you for reading!
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
PS. So next time someone asks you, “What’s life all about?”—you have an answer.
***
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 was excited about Buddy’s new feathered tiara. I pictured him smiling joyfully toward the New Year with hope.
Nope. Instead, he looked just as miserable as portrayed in last year’s photo with his Happy New Year’s hat.
Often I have great hopes that don’t become reality. Or others that I’m still hoping will come true, but I’m waiting on God’s timing and blessing. As the Apostle Peter stated, our incredible Creator lives outside of time:
“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”—2 Peter 3:8
What seems like a long wait to me may not even be a blink of the eye to Jesus.
I’ve been rereading a marvelous book by Pastor John Ortberg: “If You Want To Walk On Water You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.” In Chapter Nine, “Learning To Wait,” he states that waiting on God to answer our prayers demonstrates both our Christian maturity and humility, because trusting in God’s timing is “the opposite of arrogance and boasting, a humble recognition of my limits (page 183).”—ie. I am not God: omnipotent and omniscient.
And, also, “When we wait for something, we recognize that we are not in control… Lower-status people always wait on higher status people (page 183).”
After pondering this material, I immediately thought about the many videos popping up on my YouTube recommended list advising how to manifest reality: your dreams, material goals, etc. Some are posted by supposed Christians and many by unbelievers.
These people are promoting an unbiblical worldview of achieving your goals.
1. Only God “calls things into being things that do not exist (Romans 4:17).” God spoke creation into existence (Psalm 33:9).
To believe that you can manifest reality into existence is similar to the practice of witchcraft, believing that you can cast spells or curses through the power of words or by manipulating the forces of nature or the universe.
2. This practice also demonstrates a lack of humility, trust, and submission to the Lord.
GOD WILL NOT BE RULED OR MANIPULATED BY ANYONE.
If we “pray according to His will,…we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).”
If we trust that God “causes all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28),” then we can bring our requests before God and know that He’ll answer for our benefit; sometimes that answer is to wait till He works things out or “No” because it’s not good for us or He has a better plan in mind.
Satan fell because he wanted to be in control and worshipped. He wants to be his own god and not submit to the will of his Creator.
3. Our prayers are requests, NOT demands.
God is the Lord, not us:
“Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He Who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).”
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told a parable about three servants who were “entrusted” with talents “according to their ability,” then he left town. The servant he rebuked after his return was the servant who didn’t trust in his master’s good character but feared him, arrogantly stating that he failed to multiply the money he was given because he viewed his master as “a hard man,” who benefited from the work of others.
When we fail to trust God’s goodness, we’re basically slandering Jesus, thinking that He gives us gifts out of improper motives.
Psalm 90 is a marvelous expression of trust in God’s good character, a humble acknowledgement of how transient human life is and that we’re dependent upon Him for reversing unfavorable circumstances:
“Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness, that we may sing with joy and rejoice all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil…May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands (Psalm 90:14-15,17).”
Please, don’t follow the teachings of those who preach and teach that you can manifest your dreams into reality. Instead, humbly wait upon and trust in the Lord’s good character to answer your prayers.
You want the Lord Jesus to bless and guide your life.
Not the enemy of your soul. For Satan told Jesus that he could give the kingdoms of this world to those who worship him (Matthew 4:8-9).
Trust that Jesus loves you.
“He has shown you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”—Micah 6:8
God bless.
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.
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.
I adored Buddy’s predecessor, another Silky terrier named Buster. Buster died of kidney disease just after his ninth birthday due to eating some of the poisoned dog food from bad ingredients imported from another nation. But I also adore Buddy. I love both dogs and know they’ll always be my furever friends.
Buddy cannot make exclusive claims on my affection in eternity. But he’s top dog now.
Many churches teach “Replacement Theology,” meaning that the Christian Church, as the spiritual heir of Abraham through faith (Galatians 3:29), has replaced the Jewish nation as God’s people.
But the Apostle Paul, who was not only Jewish but excelled in the teachings of Jewish theology, clearly said this wasn’t so.
“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them… But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you… They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear… And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.”
The true Christian Church of born again believers is referred to as “a wild olive shoot” that is grafted in. The Jewish nation are referred to as “branches” which naturally originated from the original source of spiritual nourishment: likely referring to Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation.
The Apostle Paul warns that Christians are not supposed to be “proud” or “arrogant” toward the Jewish people. They are the “root” of our faith, the family tree that produced the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23).
The Church has not replaced the Jewish nation as God’s people; the Church has merely been “grafted” into the family of God.
God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob (Genesis 17:7). He also promised to return the scattered Jewish nation back to their land (Ezekiel 37:21) and that at Jesus’ 2nd Coming the Jewish people who have survived the Tribulation shall repent and mourn for not having recognized that He was the Messiah when He first appeared:
“And I will pour out on the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on Me, on Him Whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him…”—Zechariah 12:10
Jesus will stand in the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) when He returns. And God claimed Jerusalem as His “resting place forever (Psalm 132:14).”
And as Christians know, Christ will defeat the armies gathered against Israel to destroy it in the Last Day at the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:2).
God remains faithful to His covenant promises. His eyes are still toward the nation of Israel and on Jerusalem. Christ will return one day to Jerusalem; the first time He came as their suffering Messiah (Isiah 53), but the second time He will arrive as their rescuer from their enemies to reveal Himself as their redeemer.
Just like I love both Buster and Buddy, God loves His Christian children, but has not forgotten Israel, the original olive tree.
Hope you find this helpful.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Jesus warned in Matthew 24 that He will return again and there will no longer be any opportunity to accept Him as Lord. Are you willing to ask Him into your life to be your Great Shepherd and be your moral authority? Please don’t delay. Take a new path in life today by following Jesus in “the path of righteousness (Psalm 23:3).”
You don’t have to clean up your life firstly. He knows that without His guidance, you’ll struggle. He’s willing to accept anyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13), Who is Jesus Christ.
If you’re willing, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I want a new direction in my life. I’m sorry for my sins. 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 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 your soul needs daily soul food—the Bible. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew and reading forward as it’s easy to understand. And please ask God to guide you through His Holy Spirit as you read.
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). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled or get involved in legalistic teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.
(If you did pray sincerely, proof of being born again will be the beginning of the transformation of your attitudes and behavior (James 2:14), because the Holy Spirit will “lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).”)
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
I have to be careful sometimes that I don’t trip and fall over Buddy. He often hangs around my feet, either observing what I’m doing or keeping guard. Last year a lady at the local hardware store told me that my dog was in his guardian stance to protect me. I thanked her as I wondered what that particular posture meant.
Maybe you’re like me in this way—or maybe not. But it seems like a lot of the Christian literature I read talks about super Christians who do great exploits through faith in the Lord. It makes me feel like I’m failing God, because I’m not digging water wells in Africa or adopting five foster kids or leading a Bible study in the local prison, for instance.
I’m just this average gal with a blog who helps out her parents every week, goes to Bible study and church, and helps with some church activities. I’m far from being the “super Christian” that gets books or stories written about her.
I often feel like a little dog who gets in his master’s way.
But then, some days, I’ll look at the goofy cow painting hanging in my kitchen and smile. After some wrestling about whether to spend twelve dollars on something I didn’t need, I picked it up in an antique store in Indiana. I was pleased to discover that it fit in my carry-on suitcase and then survived the trip back home without getting crunched or scratched.
The painting isn’t signed, so I don’t know who to thank for creating it. But every time I look at that goofy cow’s face smiling down at me, I smile and feel a little bit happier than I was a moment before.
(Though the creator is unknown, I’m not posting a photo of it to respect their artistic rights.)
And though it’s a very little unimportant thing in relation to nearly every other event in this world, that one goofy, unsigned painting is important to me.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever should believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.”—Jesus, John 3:16
Most of us are not super Christians. But every single one of us is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). And God loves every single one of us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to live with frail humans and die to take the punishment for all of our sins so we don’t have to suffer that punishment.
In fact, He pays such tender and close attention to every one of us, that He has numbered every hair on our heads (Luke 12:7). And is so humble, that He lovingly washed the dirt off of His disciples feet at the dinner table, although humans vastly, and incomprehensibly, inferior to God in every aspect.
Every single Christian is a lamb in His pasture whom He carries close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11).
And when you think about it, only a handful of people are profiled in the Bible, in relation to the multitudes that lived during, and before, the age of the Apostles. Yet, surely there were many unnamed faithful believers who not only followed Joshua into the Promised Land, were faithful during the Babylonian Captivity, and followed Jesus and the apostles.
And thank goodness that is so, because the Bible would be too enormous to read in one lifetime, yet alone study carefully.
God created each one of us to be unique and to serve His purposes in this world in a distinct way.
Even if that purpose is just to make one person smile and lift their spirits when they’re feeling down or tired.
You are made in God’s image. And He loves us more than we can comprehend.
Even us little “unknowns”.
We are His creation.
We all have His signature on us.
“For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”—Apostle Paul, Ephesians 2:10
His workmanship.
Created for His purposes.
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are.”—Apostle John, the letter of 1 John 3:1
Hope this post made you smile inside.
God bless.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
You’ve probably heard that “We’re all the children of God,” but that’s not what the Bible teaches. God loves every single person, despite their flaws, and wants “none to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).” Every individual is a creation of God, but not a child of God. A child has a relationship with the Father.
“But as many received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”—John 1:12
You don’t have to be a super good person. In fact, no one is good enough to earn God’s love and mercy. He’s perfect and nobody can meet that standard of holiness to enter into His presence.
“For ‘Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13
Whoever means whoever. Not just the good guys and gals, but also the ones who’ve horribly mucked up their lives. And those who’ve screwed up the most are often the ones who acknowledge they’re sinful and need God’s help to turn their life around.
Is that “Whoever” you? Are you sorry for your sins and want to become a child of God?
If so, please pray the following, out loud if possible. (I’ve copied a prayer from the book, The Search For Significance” by Robert S. McGee. The second paragraph is my addition.)
Lord Jesus, I need You. I want You to be my Savior and my Lord. I accept Your death on the Cross as the complete payment for my sins. Thank you for forgiving my sins and for giving me new life. Help me to grow in my understanding of Your love and power so that my life will bring honor to You.
Please grant me the gift of the Holy Spirit. And thank You, Holy Father, for accepting me into your kingdom and family as Your child. In the 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, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.
Please, also, 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 get confused by legalism or bad teaching till you know the Bible fairly well and can make a better informed decision who to listen to.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Once again, life has proven that a person cannot predict what a day will bring. I was walking Buddy Thanksgiving morning in the nearby green belt as we’ve done many times. But, apparently, two visiting dogs escaped from one of the townhomes. The chow was not aggressive, but for some reason the standard poodle was determined to harm Buddy.
The poodle ran half a block and snapped at Buddy, injuring his back right side as I lifted him up into the air. Buddy struggled and I feared he’d hurt his long back. The poodle ignored me but kept jumping upward to attack my pal. I love dogs and didn’t want to hurt it, so I kept kicking it flat footed against its chest. But it would not back off.
The poodle was tall. Neighbors heard my screaming and invited me into their home to wait till the aggressive dog left the green belt. It was quite a challenge to keep Buddy out of reach as I ran into the home. A few minutes later, it appeared that it was safe to leave. I thanked Maria and her mother.
It wasn’t safe.
The poodle saw us leave and scampered back to attack. I ran between two homes and placed Buddy onto a fairly tall HVAC condenser, while yelling and kicking the aggressive dog away. A resident of one of the homes came outside, saw what was happening, and began picking up rocks and throwing them at the dog. The poodle finally ran off. Fortunately, I was only about a hundred yards from my parent’s home and was able to get us both to safety.
With my heart pounding loudly in my chest.
The attack was unprovoked. Yet that poodle was determined to harm Buddy.
The next day I was able to get Buddy to his vet who cleaned the wound, shaved the fur away and prescribed antibiotics. Although my mother used hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound and neosporin to prevent infection, I was concerned that his fur would cause an infection. I didn’t sleep well that night!
After calming down a few hours later, I realized that I’d been singing and praising Jesus out loud and giving thanks just before the attack. The dog’s persistent aggression certainly ended my praise.
Was it a coincidence or an attempt by Satan to silence my praise? I cannot say definitively as the spiritual world is invisible.
Many born again Christians I know has at some point told me a story about a demonic attack against them. Mostly the encounters are unseen, but, occasionally the victim has seen an entity.
Now, my desire is not to frighten anyone. I just want to arm you with a few strategies in case you have an encounter.
My number one warning is: NEVER think you’re an expert in spiritual warfare. And be suspicious of anyone who claims to be an expert. The demonic has been around for thousands of years and has far more intelligence and experience than you’ll ever have. They are deceitful spirits (1 Timothy 4:1) and have had plenty of practice at it.
My number two warning—and this is very important—is never stray from God’s word in spiritual warfare. Do not go by someone’s experience but by what God’s word says. Any deviation can get you into trouble.
And, thirdly, you must be a true Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The seven sons of the Jewish chief priest Sceva were severely attacked by one man possessed by one evil spirit (Acts 19:11-17) because they tried exercising spiritual authority which they did not rightfully have.
Now, between screams I prayed for God to help and protect Buddy. He normally uses people (as does the devil) to accomplish His will. I truly believe that those two neighbors were God’s way of helping us.
But the type of attack I’d like to address in this blog is that spirit of oppression, which often feels like you’ve suddenly been draped with, or encapsulated by, a suffocating presence. You have trouble thinking, or speaking or moving. Often this may occur after you turn out the lights and attempt to sleep. Why darkness matters, I don’t know.
I don’t claim to be an expert!
If you cannot speak, you must at least pray to Jesus in your mind and ask for help and His deliverance. Once you can speak any words at all, cry out to Jesus, even if just to say His name. For it’s only in the name of Jesus that “every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).” Only the name of Jesus is given “the name which is above every other name (Philippians 2:9).”
Once you’ve cried out in the name of Jesus, keep crying out till the oppression eases. Then take authority by saying, humbly, “In the name of Jesus, and covered by His blood, I command you to leave.”
ALWAYS do so in the name of Jesus and under His blood covering. Not to do so is to be presumptuous, that you have the power over evil. You don’t; it’s given to you by God alone. Only in the name of Jesus must every power bow down.
Jesus wants you to know: “the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,”—Apostle Paul, Ephesians 1:19-22
Then begin singing praises to God. Evil hates hearing Jesus, our Lord, thanked and praised. He wants us to blaspheme and curse God (Psalm 139:20).
I also suggest turning on the light and keep praying and praising God till you’re certain you’re delivered.
Those are your weapons of warfare: prayer and praise and the blood of Jesus (Revelation 12:11).
As Jesus said in Luke 10:19-20: “I have given you authority…over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Two further caveats: “Trouble will come to him who seeks evil (Proverbs 11:27).” I highly advise not seeking out spiritual warfare opportunities and don’t watch ghost hunting shows. And stay away from witchcraft and fortune telling and all forms of the occult (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). Stay out of the devil’s domain. If you’ve been involved in these activities, ask God to forgive you and turn away from them. As my Pastor, Jon Bjorgaard, says, “God has Satan on a leash; so stay out of the devil’s reach.”
Secondly, repent from known sin. But, please, don’t be paranoid about it. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” Nobody is perfect. We all have sin to confess and faults we struggle with to overcome. But if you’re engaging in sexually immoral behavior, for instance, don’t count on Jesus to protect you. He may, because He’s kind and loves all of His children, but don’t presume upon His assistance. He may choose to withhold help till you repent of something you know He’s been telling you to repent from but are refusing to do so.
This is definitely not the topic I was planning to blog about tonight, but the unprovoked aggression against Buddy got me thinking about how evil can suddenly attack without warning.
So be ready. Use God’s weapons.
“You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.”—Psalm 115:11
Hope this is helpful.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
If you are not born again, which means you’re indwelt by God’s Spirit, you don’t have authority over evil spirits. They may trick you into thinking you do—through casting spells or giving peace offerings—but you don’t. They will cooperate in any way to keep you from seeking Jesus and His protection.
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:9
You see, everyone is born spiritually dead, devoid of the Holy Spirit of God, because our first ancestors rejected God as their moral authority. When you confess Jesus as Lord, you’re reversing that first rebellion against God, by asking Him to be your moral authority and your Lord. You’re asking Him to deliver you “from the kingdom of darkness and translate you into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13).” In other words, you’re confessing that God is the boss, not you.
If you’re ready to invite Jesus into your life, please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sin. I invite the Holy Spirit into my life and give my life to You. Help me to repent and free me of those sins I struggle with. Thank you for my new heart. In the powerful name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible, as it’s your spiritual food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Luke as it begins with the Christmas story.
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) or http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to get misled by legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible well enough.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Buddy is my furever friend. He has a distinct personality from my prior dogs. In fact, we’re a perfect match as we’re both a bit strange. He knocks things over to get my attention, instead of barking, and licks his bowl to tell me that he’s hungry. He’s terrified of loudly chirping birds but will bark at large dogs that could crush him who he feels threatened by.
I believe one reason that the Harry Potter book series is so popular, besides being amazingly creative, is that Harry chose society’s misfits as his companions. Most people felt rejected by the cool kids when attending school, unwelcome in the popular clique. The fact that the “Chosen One” chooses the outsiders immensely increases Harry’s likability factor.
Harry rejects the offer to join the popular kids from arrogant, handsome, wealthy, pure blood wizard Draco Malfoy as he doesn’t want to discriminate against others. He knows the hurt of rejection, from suffering by living with the Dursleys. Instead, he surrounds himself with “misfits”: Hermione, the smart girl from a Muggle (nonmagical) family; Ron, the red-headed, freckled chess player from a large, not too wealthy family; Luna, the dreamy-eyed space cadet who sees and believes in creatures no one else sees; Seamus, the halfblood Irishman; Neville Longbottom, the clumsy dork; and Hagrid, the half-human, half-giant who loves dangerous creatures.
And guess what? God chooses misfits to join His team, also.
The Apostle Paul describes God’s choice of converts in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 as follows:
“For consider your calling, brethren, that there we’re not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen,…so that no man may boast before God.”
In other words, God doesn’t choose people because they’re popular, or good or beautiful or rich, but, rather, He chooses misfits who are humble enough to realize their need for a Savior.
Jesus chose, as His top 12, men who weren’t considered high class in Roman and Jewish society: fishermen, a political zealot and a tax collector, Matthew, a member of the most despised group in Jewish society.
Jesus also spoke to a Samaritan woman, a disliked racial group of Hebrews who had intermarried with Gentile pagans; rescued an adulteress from being stoned to death; allowed a woman considered impure from uterine bleeding, to touch his garment; permitted a repentant prostitute to wash his feet with her tears and hair; touched lepers, the most outcast group of society; approached demoniacs; and had lunch with a short tax collector.
God doesn’t discriminate. He doesn’t go looking for perfect, wonderfully holy people to join His family and spend eternity with Him.
“We love because He first loved us.”—Apostle John, 1 John 4:19
God chooses ordinary, faulty people like me and you who are willing to come to Him.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
PS. God loves everyone. He chooses intelligent, lovely, charming and talented people as His children, also. After all, He created and gifts everyone in different ways.
***
As you can see, God loves you just as you are and welcomes you into His family. You don’t have to “clean up your act” first before becoming a child of His. Just welcome Him as your Lord, submitting to His authority, and He’ll partner with you to improve your personality. He does not reject anyone willing to open their heart to Him.
“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.”—Jesus, Revelation 3:20
If you’d like to follow Jesus, the Great Shepherd, please pray the following:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that you love me and accept anyone into Your family who is willing to come. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. In Jesus’ holy name, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you are born again. Just as your body needs daily meals, so your spirit needs soul food: the Bible. Please start reading it, daily if possible. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. If that’s not possible right now, please check out these three ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) or http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but as a new believer, you can be misled by bad teaching till you become familiar with the Bible.
Buddy is mostly a good boy. He tries to get my attention when he needs to use the “outside toilet” and almost always comes when I call. But he definitely is not a perfect little pal. He’s selfish like everyone else who exists on the planet. Buddy would never consider, “Hey, my human is eating right now. I’ll wait and bother her when she’s done.” No, what he does is either say, “I want outside right now” or “Give me your sandwich.”
There are many Christians who misunderstand the gospel message and most times it is not their fault. There is a lot of bad, legalistic and misleading teaching in Christendom. No matter how much we disagree with one another, if someone is born again, they have been accepted into God’s kingdom and are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are commanded by Jesus “to love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another (John 13:34).” We are to love our fellow Christians regardless of their faults, for we all “sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”
Jesus declared something very profound during His Sermon on the Mount that I don’t believe gets emphasized enough. The Apostle Matthew records in Matthew 6:33:
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…”
It seems to me that many people misread the admonition to seek HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. They seek their own righteousness. They believe that their salvation and right standing with God was, and is earned, because they do so many good deeds and are such a nice person. Most of them are sincere and are trying REALLY hard to be good people. But what does God declare about our good deeds through the prophet Isaiah?
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6).”
And Jesus “also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt (Luke 18:9).”
Jesus praised the tax collector who felt unworthy of God’s kindness and asked for mercy, acknowledging that he was sinful. But warned not to behave like the self-righteous religious leader who believed he was better than other people because of his good behavior. The religious leader thought he was “gooder” than others, condemning others for falling short of his own good behavior.
Jesus reminded His hearers, shortly after relating the parable that “No one is good except God alone (Luke 18:19).”
Many well-meaning Christians are sincere in trying to please God and to do what is right. But they turn people off by not realizing that the gospel is all about God’s goodness, not their own. Most self-righteous Christians sincerely want people to escape Hell and enter into God’s kingdom.
But, they drive people away from Christ by unintentionally preaching bad news: You must keep the Law, be really good like I am, to please God.
James, the half brother of Jesus, pointed out the error in trying to earn one’s right standing before God by obeying all of God’s commandments: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all (James 2:10).”
Jesus said that the only way for a person to earn their way into heaven was “to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).”
It’s not wrong to try to obey Gods commands. Following God’s rules keeps us from harming ourselves and others. But when a Christian thinks that he or she is superior to others and has earned their ticket into heaven by being a good person, they’re missing the whole point of the gospel:
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).”
Jesus had to become incarnated as a human being to take God’s punishment for sin because it’s totally impossible for any human being to be perfect. It’s totally impossible for any person to earn their way into heaven because only Jesus is perfect. No person, no matter how sincerely they love God and others, can be good enough. As both Jesus and James taught, one sin declares you guilty before God.
And that’s the true gospel that frees people from bondage: “Through the obedience of the One the many will be righteous (Romans 5:19).”
When a person repents of their sins, accepting Jesus as Lord, Jesus takes away their filthy rags and clothes the Christian in His white garments of righteousness.
So rejoice. God loves you, not because you are, or can attain perfection, but because you are His child.
And rejoice that you can be saved and enjoy eternal life with God, not because you are good enough—but because when you ask for mercy, recognizing that you are NOT good enough to earn your way into heaven, He adopts you as His beloved child.
Now that is GOOD, not bad, NEWS.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
I hope you understand that you don’t need to “clean your act up first” to come to the Lord. He knows that you cannot be good in your own power and strength. What He desires is, like the tax collector, that you admit that you’ve fallen short of His righteous standards and ask for His mercy to save you. You can never clean yourself up enough to be choir enough in His eyes. You’re stained with the sins you’ve committed during your lifetime.
“‘Come now and let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool (Isaiah 1:18).’”
All that God requires is that you humble yourself and admit that you are a sinner. It is why He hates self-righteousness so much: because proud people think they are good enough to earn their way into heaven, so they don’t ask to be clothed the white garments Christ bought with His righteous deeds and His blood.
Pride is what caused Satan’s downfall.
If you’re willing to admit that your ways aren’t working and that you need God to define right and wrong, to be your Lord, please pray the following:
Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. Wash me clean with the blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to you. Thank you for loving me. In the precious name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations. You are a born again child of God. Just as your body needs daily food to survive, so your spirit needs soul food—the word of God. Please start reading your Bible. I suggest starting with Matthew as it’s easy to understand.
I was saying my prayers this morning when I heard Buddy walking through the slats of the blinds covering the patio doors. Since he doesn’t bark when he needs to go out, I immediately dashed out into the living room—but it was too late. Fortunately most of his poopie hit the mat in front of the door. I actually made more of a mess pulling the mat away from the door, not noticing the urine on it.
That’s how life goes. You have your plans for the day and then there’s unexpectedly having to power up the portable rug cleaner and wash the rug.
My mom suggested that maybe Buddy was frowning (photo above) because he’s afraid of being punished. But I didn’t raise my voice or punish him. After all, he’s 14 years old and ate something that disagreed with his system. He cannot open the door himself and when you’ve got the squirts (sorry if you’re squeamish), you really cannot control your bowels.
However, although I was not angry, I felt disappointed. Buddy could’ve warned me that he needed to rush out the door, but he likely was focused on getting to it.
I was raised in a cult religion which kept people scared by focusing on the Book of Revelation, which is full of difficult symbolism. Frequently our study materials pictured God raining fire and brimstone and hailstones upon people who disobeyed Him. I don’t recall any sermons about God’s love or desire to fellowship with His creation.
If such sermons about God’s love for humanity were preached, the images of punishment definitely overshadowed them.
Some people definitely need to hear that they’re sinners in need of repentance or they’ll never be motivated to change. But God’s laws were given by Moses to show how far we fall short of God’s standards of holiness, that it’s impossible to meet those standards.
Adam and Eve fled from God’s presence after they disobeyed and ate from the Tree of The Knowledge Of Good and Evil, rather than humbly approaching Him and admitting their sin (Genesis 3). They even passed the buck: Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed Satan. Neither one took responsibility for their actions.
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”—Apostle Paul, Romans 2:4
When we disobey God, He doesn’t want us to run away from Him, but, rather, to trust in His love for us and run towards Him, confessing our sin (1 John 1:9). He doesn’t give us rules for living to be a harsh killjoy, but to protect us from harming ourselves and others. Even His commands to praise and worship Him brings better health and reduced anxiety. He doesn’t want Satan and his minions to take advantage of us through our disobedience.
“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”—Hebrews 4:13-16
God knows everything you say, think and do anyway. So draw near to Him, confess your sin and receive His mercy to help you repent and overcome that issue. He isn’t going to condemn you—that’s what Satan does—but will help you. He wants you to “live your best life now”, as my pastor, Jon Bjorgaard says.
Just keep coming to Jesus, no matter how many times you need to (Matthew 18:21-22). He loves His children and doesn’t want to condemn them. That’s why He came to die for our sins, so that we don’t have to be punished for them.
God bless you.
Love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Some people are afraid to be saved because they believe that they have to “clean up their act first”. Well, God knows that you cannot clean up your act without His help. If you’re ready for a major life change by becoming a Christian, please recite the below prayer to God:
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sin. I invite Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you sincerely prayed that prayer, congratulations, you are now a member of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit will make His presence known to you. Please ask Him as He is your counselor and guide.
But the main way the Holy Spirit guides you is through the Word of God. The Bible is your spiritual food, which you need to take in daily, just as your body needs food daily. I suggest start with reading the book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand.
Also, please find a Bible-based church or Bible study to attend. If that’s not possible right now, these are my three favorite ministries and all have apps, if that’s more convenient: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net. There are other great ministries but you cannot go astray with these. Each approaches the Word of God a little differently, which gives you a broader base of understanding.
When I first met Buddy, he was in a cage at the dog festival in Enumclaw, Washington. I had no feelings for him, only a desire to have a Silky terrier in my life and to give a rescue dog a forever home. I thought, “I’ll learn to love you,” when looking at those sad, scared eyes.
My desire to adopt and protect him had zero to do with how good, special or personable Buddy was. It was based solely on my desire to have a Silky in my life, to have a companion dog.
When the nation of Israel was in bondage to Egyptian slavery, God desired to rescue them from His final judgment on the Egyptian nation and its false gods, known popularly as the Tenth Plague: “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. (Exodus 12:12).”
And what would save each Hebrew family from this plague? A seemingly odd request: “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb.
“You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.
“For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come into your house to smite you (Exodus 12:21-23).”
I have a black and white illustration of this event, with the blood on the lintel and doorposts colored in red. It is a daily reminder to me that, just as the blood around the doors of the ancient homes saved the Hebrew families from God’s wrath, so the blood of Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God—is on the lintel and doorposts of my own heart, protecting me from God’s punishment for sin.
Just like the ancient Israelites, I’m not protected by how good I am or how well I perform each day. God did not demand that the Jewish people clean up their act or obey certain moral rules to escape punishment; they only had to obey one request, apply the blood of an innocent lamb to their home’s entrance.
God loves and accepts me, not because I perform well each day—I don’t—but because He offered to love me and adopt me into His family, taking me into His eternal home one day. I accepted His invitation—that the blood of Jesus was shed for the payment and forgiveness of my sin.
And because of the blood of the Holy Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, I am loved and accepted.
God’s acceptance of me is not based upon my own performance, but the perfect life of Jesus, His performance under the Law of God.
Please consider how the First Passover illuminates God’s love and acceptance of you as a child of the living God. He loves you because you accepted His love, not because He expects you to be perfect.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
You don’t have to clean up your act first to come into a relationship with the Living God. You just need to humble yourself, acknowledging that it’s impossible to be good enough to enter Heaven on your own merits, and accept that He alone is God and has the right to rule your life, as your Creator.
If you’re willing to enter into a personal love relationship with the holy, Triune God, please repeat the following prayer. It’s not about being good enough, but about admitting you need His love, protection and guidance.
Dear Holy Father, I call on Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Reveal Yourself to me. In the name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations: You are a child of God, adopted into His family. “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”—Apostle Peter, Acts 2:21
Please find a Bible-based church to fellowship and grow in a knowledge of God. If that’s not possible right now, these are three ministries that I recommend. Though there are others, these are my favorites: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net. All three also have apps.
Meditations About God and Buddy 