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.

Supplement to: Who Are You Listening To? John 8:12

Buddy’s nearly 16 years old, so his kidneys are starting to weaken. An ER veterinarian recommended the probiotic supplement, Azodyl, to bring down his BUN and creatinine levels. I’ll find out if the treatment is effective when he has his next yearly checkup.

Fortunately, the supplements are small. But Buddy is clever. I cannot say the word “pill” as he knows what that means. I attempt to trick Buddy into eating the three pills a day by hiding them in shredded chicken bites.

Still, he often discovers the deception and spits them out.

About a decade ago, most of us wouldn’t know what “fact checkers“ referred to. We trusted that the news and information we received from so-called trustworthy sources were accurate.

If not, free debate and public discourse would reveal the error.

But, nowadays, too many people and, unfortunately including Christians, rely upon “fact checkers,” rather than open discourse, to verify the truth of news, information or other statements.

Here’s what deeply disturbs me: Too many people and, again sadly Christians, rely upon these self-proclaimed fact checkers to be truthful—which are nearly aways ANONYMOUS.

At least in a newspaper there is a byline identifying the article writer. But most fact checkers don’t identify the source so that the moral worldview of the writer can be researched. Or who is funding the fact checkers or own the fact checking resource.

In other words, too many Christians are accepting as fact information that may be filtered through a deceptive and ungodly worldview.

Before you accept a source as fact, please identify the specific person WHO is providing the information and research if they believe they are accountable to God for being truthful, rather than deceitful, and aren’t deliberately misleading to promote an unholy worldview.

Too many people don’t have a Christian background and have been taught “situational morality” in the public schools; in other words, the ends justify the means. If that means skewing the information or withholding the truth, it’s justifiable in their worldview to promote a particular behavior or action.

“Now He spoke a parable to them, ‘A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?’”—Jesus, Luke 6:39

Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”—John 8:12

Will you learn the truth by following blind guides?

Or by obtaining your information from those striving to walk in the light?

The Apostle Paul praised the Berean church for fact checking his claims by turning to the Scriptures to verify whether he was proclaiming the truth or not. (Acts 17:11).

Follow in the footsteps of the Bereans by testing the source. Don’t trust anonymous sources of information.

You might be believing disinformation.

Or spreading slander, which God hates (Roman’s 1:30).

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Are you following Jesus today? Or attend you wandering in the darkness?

Jesus dispels the emptiness in your soul by filling your spirit with His light.

“In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men.”—Apostle John, John 1:4

The human race was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27)—body, soul, and spirit—but when our ancestors rejected God’s moral authority, the Holy Spirit abandoned humanity, and our spirits died.

Jesus is the only way to resurrect your dead spirit (John 14:6), so that you feel alive deep inside.

Are you ready to accept Jesus as your Lord with the right to help you discern right from wrong? To guide you along the path of life (Psalm 32:8)?

If so, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive my sin. Because Jesus died on the Cross for my sin and was raised bodily from the dead, I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please give me Your Holy Spirit and grant me eternal life. I want to live for You. Teach me about your love for me and others. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it feeds your soul. 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. You need the companionship of other Christians to grow in your faith and to resist the pull of our unholy culture. 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 false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Supplement to: Who Are You Listening To? John 8:12

Buddy’s nearly 16 years old, so his kidneys are starting to weaken. An ER veterinarian recommended the probiotic supplement, Azodyl, to bring down his BUN and creatinine levels. I’ll find out if the treatment is effective when he has his next yearly checkup.

Fortunately, the supplements are small. But Buddy is clever. I cannot say the word “pill” as he knows what that means. I attempt to trick Buddy into eating the three pills a day by hiding them in shredded chicken bites.

Still, he often discovers the deception and spits them out.

About a decade ago, most of us wouldn’t know what “fact checkers“ referred to. We trusted that the news and information we received from so-called trustworthy sources were accurate.

If not, free debate and public discourse would reveal the error.

But, nowadays, too many people and, unfortunately including Christians, rely upon “fact checkers,” rather than open discourse, to verify the truth of news, information or other statements.

Here’s what deeply disturbs me: Too many people and, again sadly Christians, rely upon these self-proclaimed fact checkers to be truthful—which are nearly aways ANONYMOUS.

At least in a newspaper there is a byline identifying the article writer. But most fact checkers don’t identify the source so that the moral worldview of the writer can be researched. Or who is funding the fact checkers or own the fact checking resource.

In other words, too many Christians are accepting as fact information that may be filtered through a deceptive and ungodly worldview.

Before you accept a source as fact, please identify the specific person WHO is providing the information and research if they believe they are accountable to God for being truthful, rather than deceitful, and aren’t deliberately misleading to promote an unholy worldview.

Too many people don’t have a Christian background and have been taught “situational morality” in the public schools; in other words, the ends justify the means. If that means skewing the information or withholding the truth, it’s justifiable in their worldview to promote a particular behavior or action.

“Now He spoke a parable to them, ‘A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?’”—Jesus, Luke 6:39

Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”—John 8:12

Will you learn the truth by following blind guides?

Or by obtaining your information from those striving to walk in the light?

The Apostle Paul praised the Berean church for fact checking his claims by turning to the Scriptures to verify whether he was proclaiming the truth or not. (Acts 17:11).

Follow in the footsteps of the Bereans by testing the source. Don’t trust anonymous sources of information.

You might be believing disinformation.

Or spreading slander, which God hates (Roman’s 1:30).

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Are you following Jesus today? Or attend you wandering in the darkness?

Jesus dispels the emptiness in your soul by filling your spirit with His light.

“In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men.”—Apostle John, John 1:4

The human race was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27)—body, soul, and spirit—but when our ancestors rejected God’s moral authority, the Holy Spirit abandoned humanity, and our spirits died.

Jesus is the only way to resurrect your dead spirit (John 14:6), so that you feel alive deep inside.

Are you ready to accept Jesus as your Lord with the right to help you discern right from wrong? To guide you along the path of life (Psalm 32:8)?

If so, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive my sin. Because Jesus died on the Cross for my sin and was raised bodily from the dead, I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please give me Your Holy Spirit and grant me eternal life. I want to live for You. Teach me about your love for me and others. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it feeds your soul. 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. You need the companionship of other Christians to grow in your faith and to resist the pull of our unholy culture. 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 false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Who Are You Listening To? Isaiah 53:1

Buddy listening.

When you’re dealing with the elderly, whether dog or human, it can be frustrating as their hearing is diminished. Often I believe I’m being listened to—but I’m not. When I call Buddy’s name, if he sits up or looks toward me, then I know he’s heard me. I request that my parents acknowledge they heard me, because, too frequently they didn’t hear me speaking or were distracted and, therefore, didn’t listen.

A leader in my church has often complained about the bias in our modern day news media. But when we were growing up, newscasters and journalists, even if they weren’t Christians, were still greatly influenced by Christian culture. Deliberately lying or misleading others was frowned upon. And although it’s impossible to avoid all bias, because even selecting which news is important enough to discuss within a half hour newscast or included within the allotted pages of a newspaper, there generally was a desire to strive for objectivity.

I recall when “The Seattle Weekly” ran a special issue on abortion. Planned Parenthood presented their position and then their views were counterbalanced by an equally lengthy article by Feminists Against Abortion. The reader was trusted to form their own opinion after absorbing the information from both articles. (I recall the issue clearly because of its impact on me.)

Freedom of Speech is one of the foundational principles undergirding the United States. Our forefathers believed that in open debate, when both sides are given an opportunity to present their viewpoint, the truth emerges through the clash of ideas.

But, I’m supposing here, that with the very nature and idea of truth being questioned in Western Post Christian culture, how a person uniquely perceives the world is now “their truth”. And, it’s therefore valid to push an agenda for “the good of others” based upon their definition of truth.

That’s why it’s critically important to distinguish which voices are speaking from a godly point of view—and which are not.

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no god.’”—Psalm 53:1

When you listen to a newscaster, read or listen to an opinion piece, or news or magazine article, please ask yourself: Is this coming from a person who believes in the existence of objective truth? And, of utmost importance, is this information originating from a source that believes in THE TRUTH, Jesus Christ?

“Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”—John 14:6

Although he knew Jesus was innocent of any crime deserving death, Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus to the horrendous punishment of crucifixion. Jesus claimed to be the voice of truth. But Pilate, apparently steeped in the humanistic teachings of Greek philosophy, asked “What is truth? (John 18:38)” Pilate listened to the voice of the populace and the Roman government, not what he knew was the right thing to do.

Regardless of how highly we regard a person, they’re either living under the influence of the Lord—or the enemy of our soul, the “liar (John 8:44).”

Psalm 53 continues to elaborate on the character of the soul that denies the existence of the Lord:

“They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is no one who does good…Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;”—Psalm 53:2-3

The Book of Proverbs issues multiple warnings against following in the path of, listening to, or associating with, fools:

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”—Proverbs 16:25

“With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,”—Proverbs 11:9

“With the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.”—Proverbs 10:14

“The heart of fools proclaims folly.”—Proverbs 12:23

Now I’m not saying that nonbelievers are always maliciously misleading people. They can sincerely strive to try to be good and to do right, but we believers know how God feels about that:

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”—Isaiah 64:6

As Proverbs 16:25 above states, you can be sincere but sincerely wrong. The information, or path, the nonbeliever advocates may seem right to them, but any actions not based upon God’s wisdom (the Bible) is leading them—and anyone who follows—down the wrong path.

What I’m advocating is:

Be aware the belief system of the person you’re listening to.

Obtain news and opinions from people who love Jesus and believe in the truth. Or Jewish people who honor the Old Testament teachings.

If the information source is from a nonbiblical perspective, be aware of that. Science, itself, is mere data, but humans interpret that data through the prism of their belief system.

I, personally, enjoy reading books about the importance and influence of storytelling from a Liberal nonbeliever. Her work highlights, for me, the reason why Jesus conveyed so much of His moral teachings through parables. And her books discuss the latest brain science on how the brain retains information and is influenced. But I’m also paying attention to when, and how, she’s expressing her personal beliefs and not just blindly accepting every statement as fact.

God promises to instruct us, counsel us, and teach us in the way we should go in Psalm 32:8. And Jesus claimed that His “sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me,” in John 10:27. So we don’t need to ask God to lead us or speak to us, because He’s promised to do so. I acknowledge by faith what He’s already promised to do. But I ask Him to enable me to listen and the grace to obey, at least try to, daily.

So the bottom line is: Do you want to listen to fools?

Or to those, though still imperfect, are influenced by Jesus and believe truth exists?

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”—Jesus, Matthew 15:14, equating spiritual blindness to walking physically blind in the world

***

Life is difficult to navigate. But even more difficult without God’s guidance. God is often described in the Bible as our refuge, someone we can turn to for comfort and a listening ear in distress.

But if you are separated from a perfectly holy God Who cannot tolerate even the teeniest sin in His presence, you cannot find comfort in His presence. Only conviction of your moral imperfection.

But here’s the real GOOD NEWS: God knows we’re incapable of cleaning up our act. Even our good deeds fail to meet His standards, but He loves us so much that He found a way to reconcile sinful people to Himself. He punished His son Jesus on the Cross for all the sins of humanity, instead of punishing us. Jesus died “once for all (Hebrews 10:1-23).”

Jesus paid the price for your sin. Because there’s no way you can meet the standard of perfection God demands to stand in His presence (Matthew 5:48).

A now deceased pastor described our salvation as a gift that God has placed into everyone’s bank account, but not everyone goes into the bank and asks the desk clerk to give them their deposit: eternal life. Every person has to ask God for that gift.

How do you claim your spiritual deposit? By accepting Jesus as both Lord and God Who has the right to determine what’s right and wrong. You must accept His authority and His path to eternal life: confess your sin and need for Christ. You can never be perfect enough to earn God’s love, but you don’t need to: just ask for his free gift of salvation.

Are you ready to leave the land of spiritual blindness and become truly awake?

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

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and willfully living my life apart from Your guidance. Please forgive my sins. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I believe He died for my sins and was resurrected bodily from the grace on the third day to give me eternal life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me and grant that I grow in my faith. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of the Lord 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 and reading forward, as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. 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 get misled by false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Another Critical Concept That The Church Doesn’t Explain Well, Psalm 27:14

Buddy can be impatient about getting his needs met. Sometimes it’s a good thing: He’s learned to bark when he wants into the house, important on a hot day. But he can be insistent on getting walkies, not wanting to wait to get his harness on. But the harness is critical to keep him safe from harm while we take our walks.

Multiple times I’ve heard famous preachers refer to this Biblical verse:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”—Psalm 27:14

Christians hear many sermons about “waiting on the Lord,” but not how to do that.

Some make the error of thinking you send up a prayer and then go about your business, hoping God arranges things or changes minds to answer the prayer.

Sometimes we think it means doing what you can and then let God work out the consequences, directing where “the chips may fall”.

Or just going with the flow of events in your life, floating downstream without any resistance and hoping the current takes you where you want, that God is directing the river along a desirable pathway. The old “Let go and let God,” mantra.

But after several decades as a Christian, I believe this is really what is meant by waiting on the Lord: Acting toward desires and goals following God’s ways of doing so.

The ancient King of Israel, David penned Psalm 27 in a time of great personal distress. According to BibleStudyTools.com, there is no agreement amongst scholars when David wrote the psalm, before or after he became king.

But I think the time period before he ascended the throne of Israel provides an excellent example of waiting on God.

The following events are chronicled in the Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel, chapters 15 and following.

The Lord rejected the first King, Saul, as ruler over His people because Saul’s heart wasn’t totally devoted to fully obeying Him (1 Samuel 15:26). Although the prophet Samuel loved Saul and was grieved by God’s rejection, he obeyed the Lord and anointed a young shepherd boy to be the next king.

But after David was officially anointed as Saul’s successor, he never stirred up rebellion nor went to war to claim his right to rule. He submitted to King Saul’s sovereignty until forced to flee when the jealous king sought to kill him to prevent his ascension to the throne, displacing his own selected successor, his son Jonathan. David fled to the wilderness to preserve his life, instead of planning to assassinate the king, prompting civil war.

Many disaffected men over a period of years joined David, accepting him as their leader. But David didn’t recruit his servants: They came willingly. King Saul was determined his family would inherit the kingdom, although he knew it was not God’s will. Saul forgot that Israel was not his personal kingdom, but the Lord’s; he was supposed to be a steward over the people, acting under God’s authority, which he rejected. He continued seeking to murder David, even though David had never made an attempt to seize the throne or murmur against the current king’s rule.

Twice, during his pursuit of David, King Saul unknowingly put himself in a vulnerable position, where David or his followers could have killed him. David was even encouraged to do so by his men. But on both occasions, David refused to murder the king.

On the second occasion, David rebuked his top commander, Abishai, for encouraging him to assassinate Saul:

“‘As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.

‘The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.’”—1 Samuel 26:10-11

David trusted in God’s promise that he would become king one day. He obeyed the Lord, while trusting God would work out His will in His timing.

Now David was not passive. He knew it was God’s will that he become ruler, but he wanted God’s timing, not his own. He refused to act in an ungodly way to obtain his goals. He refused to compromise his moral beliefs, even when prompted by others.

How to apply this lesson from David’s life to our own?

David was not passive. He continued praying but was not inactive in pursuing his goals. He fled, for instance, instead of allowing Saul to kill him. He even submitted to Saul’s authority, even when mistreated. He learned how to command men and to provide for all their needs in the wilderness, away from Jewish civilization. He never advocated rebellion against Saul’s authority.

He trusted God, even when the “chips didn’t fall his way.” He trusted God’s sovereignty and ability to fulfill His will for David’s life. He didn’t give up and just “go with the flow.” He played an active role in God’s plan, not just waited and did nothing.

Another way of stating my position: It’s not wrong to have goals and desires. But, also, to be open to God moving events in a new direction which may not align with our plans.

But we must try to achieve those goals God’s way, which means, by playing the game of life according to His rules, not sinful ways.

If God wants you to have a promotion, or attain an elected office, you will achieve that goal through honesty, perseverance and hard work. Maybe even get some help from unexpected sources.

But if you need to cheat or lie to obtain an elected position, or backstab and slander a fellow employee or lie on your resume to win that job, you obtained the goal either out of God’s timing, (if it was His will), or achieved a goal He didn’t intend for you. Obtaining wealth through defrauding or deceiving others, or committing crimes, or deliberately harming others, are obvious modern applications. And satisfying sexual needs through seducing a married person or other ways God forbids. I’m sure you can think of many other examples.

In other words, if you sin to obtain a goal or desire, it’s either not God’s will that you have it—or not the right time for you.

And anything you obtain through sinful behavior will bring you—and possibly many others—great sorrow and harm.

To summarize: To wait upon the Lord is to act in a godly fashion toward your goals and dreams, trusting that you don’t have to obtain them through unrighteous, fleshly means.

To “help the Lord” means that you’re taking matters into your own hands by trying to shove open doors through ungodly behavior that God either isn’t ready to open yet or He may want to redirect you to a better doorway to enter through which has unforeseen blessings.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will direct your paths.”—Proverbs 3:5-6

Even when life doesn’t make sense, don’t get anxious. Love and worship the Lord. Keep living life and working to fulfill your dreams by acting godly and lovingly. And He’ll open the right doors in His timing.

Because Jesus loves you.

David knew he would be king one day, so he trusted God to fulfill His promise, despite how difficult the wait was.

He prayed. But wasn’t passive. He acted, but did not disobey.

Was David perfect? Nope. But neither are we. Confess your sin when you get anxious and slip up, and keep trucking.

Believe me, please. I learned what it meant to “wait for the Lord“ the hard way because it was never explained to me properly. I want you to not only reach your goals, but also to enjoy God’s blessing when you obtain them His way.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

PS. Or as Pastor Blaine Smith once said, “God steers a moving ship.”

***

Jesus loves you. And wants to help you through the difficulties and hardships of this life. God never promises an easy life. But He promises to bring your soul safely to heaven where God will wipe every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21:4), and there will be “no more sorrow” or “pain.”

Your life is a fairy tale, full of dark woods, danger and evil rulers. But you get to choose the ending: eternal joy—or sorrow by dying separated from a loving God forever.

Will you choose the happy ending? Living with the Prince Who rides a “white horse (Revelation 19:11)” and lives in a palace of gold and precious gems (Revelation 21:18-21)?

That good King your heart has always been longing for is Jesus, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23).

Will you accept Him as your Lord and King today? Will you let Him rule in your life? Will you accept that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins and was raised to prove that He is God (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)?

If so, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sins and wash me white as snow*. I call on Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Teach me how much you love me. Thank you for answering my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, Your Son, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible. Just as your body requires 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 please 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 and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to get 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.

*Isaiah 1:18

Can You Sell Your Soul To The Devil? 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Buddy is normally a good boy—till the passion for chickie overcomes him. Then he becomes demanding, disrupting my meal till I give him some chickie from my plate.

But a little chickie is not enough to satisfy Buddy’s desires. He’ll keep barking at me till he’s convinced that I’m not hiding any chickie from him on MY plate.

This wasn’t my planned topic today, but last night I watched a YouTube video about musicians who are openly glorifying Satan. Several top, well-known performers acknowledged openly during interviews that they had “sold their soul” to the devil for fame and money.

But can a person sell their soul to the devil?

Some may disagree, but I emphatically state, “No!”

Why is that?

If someone asked me how much I would pay for Buddy, I’d asked, “Are you nuts? I’ve already been my dog’s owner for nearly 13 years now. Why would I pay you for a longtime pet who already belongs to me?”

A person cannot sell to Satan something he already owns, lays claim to.

Here’s how the Apostle Paul explained the lost person’s condition to young pastor, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:

“The Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all…with gentleness correcting those in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

People who aren’t born again Christians are already in bondage and slavery to Satan; they already are captives to his unholy will. Satan already owns their soul.

The good news for people who think they’re hopeless and can never go to heaven is this: It’s a lie that your soul is forever lost because you “made a contract with the devil.”

What also did the Apostle Paul claim?

“And it shall be that EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved.”—Acts 2:21, Apostle Peter, his first sermon

And who is that name we should call on?

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

If you think you can never escape the snare of Satan, that’s a lie from the enemy of your soul. Call upon the name of Jesus, tell Him you’re sorry for your sins, and ask Him to be your Lord. Renounce the devil and his works.

Or, if you know someone who believes they’re without hope, tell them the Good News: Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as Lord will be saved.

Hope this helps somebody out there who believes they’re without hope.

“The one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.”—Jesus, John 6:37

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

If you’re convinced that you CAN escape the devil’s grip on your life, please repeat the prayer below, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m truly sorry for my sins and want to change, and only You can change my life forever. Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live my life for You. Change my heart and life. Show me how much You love me. In the holy name of your Son Jesus, God in the flesh Who died for my sins*, amen.

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

Also, please 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 till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you as you begin a new path in life. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

*Matthew 1:23, John 3:16

Are You Walking In The Darkness Without A Flashlight? Psalm 119:105

Just a few hours ago, I was walking Buddy when a man approached with his two little dogs, one of which was barking rambunctiously. I tried to pull Buddy back, in case the dog was a biter, and lost my balance and tripped, falling backward onto a gravel area. Fortunately, I wasn’t injured. If it hadn’t been evening time, I probably wouldn’t have fallen, but the uneven ground was not visible in the darkness.

Many Christians are walking around in the darkness buck naked, an easy target for Satan’s deceptions and pitfalls. They’re saved, but have forgotten a fact vital to their daily survival: We’re living in the devil’s territory.

When Adam and Eve listened to Satan and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they rejected God’s authority and gave dominion over humanity to the devil. This world came under Satan’s jurisdiction.

Fortunately, God sent His Son Jesus “to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).”

Apostle Paul explained to King Agrippa that the purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ was to:

“Open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in (Jesus).”—Acts 26:18

Spiritually, Christians live in the kingdom of light, but Satan is “the ruler of this world (John 12:31).” Until Jesus returns to gather His elect, we are living in a broken world of sin and darkness. And despite the efforts of many well-meaning people, I think most people sense that our planet is slipping rapidly into some sort of worldwide catastrophe.

Jesus has given His people a mighty weapon against dark forces, yet it seems to be rarely utilized or is sitting in the closet, getting rusty. Jesus demonstrated the power of this awesome weapon when He battled Satan, who tried tempting Him to sin and demanded His worship.

Jesus used only Word of God to counteract Satan’s lies and twisting of the Scripture. He didn’t argue with Satan, debate Him, or try to punch him out; Christ repeated the Scriptures that were appropriate to the temptation.

The Apostle Paul warned the Ephesians in his letter, chapter 6:10-17, that the Christian needs to daily put on “the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (vs 11)” because we are fighting supernatural “forces of this darkness (vs 12).”*

The only piece of our spiritual armor that is an offensive weapon is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (vs 17).” But many Christians are walking around with very short swords or have left them sitting in their scabbard, unused.

Reading your Bible doesn’t make you “more saved” or “more born again” or “more forgiven,” but it makes you more discerning about the devil’s tactics to lure you into sin or despair, and better equipped to take back territory from the enemy of our souls.

Multiple times in the Bible, the Word of God is described as a light that shines into the darkness of this confused world, helping us to navigate safely and not stumble:

“Your word is a lamp into my feet and a light to my path.”—Psalm 119:105

So, are you stumbling around spiritually naked in the dark without God’s armor of light? Do you have a stubby sword—or one that’s thick and strong, forged in the power of God’s Word and Spirit? Does God’s Scripture light your way so that you can stay on the Good Shepherd’s path? Or are you straying into bad behavior and stumbling about in confusion, or vulnerable to deception by wicked people twisting God’s Word for their own selfish purposes?

It’s up to you to spend time in God’s Word.

Or keep tripping yourself up.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

*It’s worth your time to read Ephesians 6:10-17, but for the sake of brevity and emphasis, I didn’t quote all the verses.

***

Western culture will tell you that the Word of God, the Bible, is no longer relevant to living in the modern world. And many religions teach you how to be a good person. But only Jesus can give you eternal life and a new spirit. When you become born again, you become united with Christ at the spiritual level. You do NOT become a god, but somehow the Holy Spirit gives you a new spiritual heart and life (Ezekiel 36:26, 37:14, John 17:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

I hope you understand from the above blog post, that the Word of God helps a person recognize the devil’s temptations so that you can lead a healthier spiritual lifestyle. But you also need the Holy Spirit working in your heart to reveal the meaning of the scriptures.

If you’re ready to become born again and learn how to wield the Sword of the Spirit, please repeat the following prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive my sins. I’ve wronged You, so Jesus had to be born in the flesh, God incarnate, to suffer the punishment for my sins on the Cross. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Reveal to me how much You love me and teach me Your word. In the mighty name of Your Son Jesus I pray, amen.

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

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study, and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Start forging a strong sword!

Spooky Stories #1: Deceitful Spirits, 1 Timothy 4:1

Since Buddy had his late summer trim, he’s received a lot of compliments on his wonderful ears. And “What a sweet boy he is.”

Per the old saying, “Looks are deceiving.”

Since Buddy was terrified of me when I first adopted him, I didn’t discipline him as much as I should’ve. He’s got me trained, rather than the other way around.

However, there are times I just pick him up to end his obstinacy. Being small, there’s not much he can do about it.

I guess he really is a sweet boy, as he’s never tried to bite me.

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy, a young man he had trained to be a pastor in Ephesus:

“The Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”—1 Timothy 4:1

Satan is the leader of demonic spirits. He was characterized by Jesus as “a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).”

Satan destroyed the human race’s fellowship with God by deceiving Eve, telling her lies about God’s intentions for her life (Genesis 3:13).

Satan is still deceiving people into believing that there is either no God, that they don’t need to be in a relationship with God, or that they can earn their way into heaven by being “good enough.” These are lies.

Satan is the ruler of this world. And targets our minds—our belief system. The Apostle Paul warned believers:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”—Colossians 2:8

Jesus defeated Satan’s lies by repeating the Word of God back to the devilish foe. And when Satan responded by twisting a passage of Scripture, applying it in a way it wasn’t meant to be, Jesus responded by correcting the wrong interpretation.

That’s why it’s so important to regularly read the Bible. You cannot know if someone is misleading you—whether the media, politicians, the school system, even a pastor—if you don’t know the Word of God for yourself.

As Hebrews 1:1-2 states: “God…in these last days has spoken to us through His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

Every person needs to make a decision every day:

Do you listen to Jesus, through Whom all things were created?

Or are you going to listen to lies?

It’s your choice.

Familiarize yourself with what the Bible says so that you aren’t deceived. And ask the Holy Spirit to help you interpret the Scriptural passages you’re reading accurately.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Jesus defeated the power of Satan at the Cross. Sin separates us from God as He is totally holy and cannot tolerate any evil in His presence. But Jesus took every single person’s sin on that Cross. And through His resurrection, declared His victory over death and proved that He is truly God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23).

How do you escape the kingdom of lies and come into a relationship with a holy God Who loves you?

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”—Romans 10:9

A relationship with God is a gift. Jesus already paid the price. But you must reject the lies of our culture and believe:

1. Jesus is God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), died for your sins and was resurrected bodily from the dead to live forevermore.

2. You are a sinner who cannot be perfect enough to enter heaven by being “good enough”. You must confess that you are a sinner and need Jesus to get into heaven.

3. God exists and, as our Creator, is the Lord of the Universe and had the right to define right and wrong. In other words, He’s your boss.

That’s basically a summary of Romans 10:9.

If you give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will begin the process of revealing truth to you and expose the lies you’re believing.

But you are the one who needs to decide. Jesus won’t force Himself into your life. God wants you to love and follow Him willingly.

If your ready to give your heart to God, please repeat the following prayer:

Dear Holy Father, I confess that I’m a sinner and call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sins. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and give me eternal life. Teach me Your truth and deliver me from all lies I’m believing. In the name of Jesus Your Son, 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. 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, I suggest these two ministries: http://www.LTW.org or http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries but it’s easy to be misled or get caught up in legalism till you are fairly familiar with the Scriptures.

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

Are Some Christians Going To Hell? Romans 10:9-10

Tonight Buddy believed I was holding out on him. He thought I made myself a better dinner than I’d given him. I let him sniff my bowl of black and green beans, onions and pumpkin seeds. He agreed that I wasn’t holding out on him.

I wasn’t deceiving my furry pal when I told him he wouldn’t want my dinner. But many decent people deceive themselves. How?

Apostle Paul gave a simple summary in Romans 10:9-10 how to be saved (be born again):

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

So the Apostle Paul is saying that a person needs to believe that Jesus is God (Matthew 1:23) and that He was raised from the dead after being crucified, right?

Wrong.

And a lot of people who profess to be Christians believe this.

And are not saved (born again).

You see, Satan and the demons (fallen angels) know that Jesus is God and saw Him crucified and rise from the dead.

“Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’”—Mark 3:11

“The demons also believe, and shudder.”—James 2:19

The devil and evil spirits believe in God but do not make Him their Lord. This is the same sin that some so-called Christians share with Adam and Eve: They believe God exists do not submit to His authority as Lord.

Repeating myself from other blogs here, but Satan tempted Adam and Eve to be their own god and lord, to decide right and wrong for themselves.

And many people proclaim to be Christians but refuse to submit themselves to God’s authority to define what is right and wrong.

Now, I’m not talking about perfect obedience to God’s rules (Law) as that’s impossible. Jesus was incarnated as a human to live the perfect life we cannot live so that He could pay for our sins. If He had sinned, He couldn’t do that; He’d have to die to pay for His own sins.

But His resurrection from the grave proved that He did live a perfect life, so death could not hold Him in the grave. His death sacrifice was declared acceptable payment for our sins.

What I’m talking about are Christians who decide what is morally right apart from how God defines it in the Bible. They cherry pick what they like or don’t like to obey in the Bible, or decide the rules were just for ancient cultures and don’t apply in today’s modern society. Or they just don’t want to obey because sin feels fun for the time being, forgetting that some consequences take time.

Many so-called Christians want to be their own god and lord.

If you think you can go to Heaven and live in the Father’s house, but don’t need to obey His rules of behavior, you’re fooling yourself. Who wants to invite someone to live with them long term who doesn’t want to obey the house rules?

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven will enter.”—Jesus, Matthew 7:21

I’m not writing this to be mean, but to warn you. Christians sin in word, thought and deed—and what’s been undone but should have been said or done—every day. But a born again Christian has the Holy Spirit within them to convict them of sin; true believers are submitted to God’s authority as the “King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15)”. Spirit-filled believers feel remorse when they do what is wrong or someone points it out to them that it’s wrong. Or they are disciplined by God as their loving holy Father if they refuse to repent (Hebrews 12:5-8, Psalm 23:3).

If, like Adam and Eve, you don’t want to obey or consult the Bible on what sin is or not—what behavior the Lord defines is acceptable or not; if you want to follow what your culture or Professor says is right and wrong—and not God, then it’s highly likely you’re not saved.

You’re deceiving yourself.

Please repent. Because I don’t want to hear the Lord Jesus tell you on Judgment Day:

“‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”—Jesus, Matthew 7:23

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Nobody can perfectly obey God. He’s so holy that only He is good (Mark 10:18). But once we give our lives to God and ask Him to be our Lord, the Holy Spirit enters our inner being to make us a “new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)” who wants to listen and obey Him. God is our Creator and we’re made in His image (Genesis 1:27). He has an instruction manual to guide our lives called The Bible.

If you’re ready to submit to God’s authority, admit that you’re a sinner that needs His guidance to help you understand right from wrong, please pray the below prayer:

Dear God, I want you to be my Heavenly Father. I want to live with You in Your house forever. I’m tired of living life my way and not Your way. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. In the mighty name of the resurrected Jesus Christ, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations; you’re born again. God promises to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13).

Please start reading the Bible. I suggest starting with Matthew as it’s easy to understand. Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study to grow spiritually strong in your faith and knowledge of God. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but until you get to know what Bible teaches, it’s easy to be misled.

God bless you.

May Buddy and I greet you in heaven one day.

Two Main Reasons Humanity Rejects God, Genesis 3:11-13

Dirty Buddy

Buddy is such a sweet dog. I lured him the bathroom then set him into the tub for a bath. “This is not what I was planning on doing this afternoon,” Buddy seems to say in the photo. Yet, he permitted me to wash him and towel him off.

Clean Buddy

It’s amazing how quickly he dries off. After walking for a few minutes in the Arizona sunshine, he’s nearly dry, even in February.

Buddy permitted me to bathe him because he trusts me. He didn’t fight and put up a fuss. But, sadly, most of humankind rejects and distrusts God and refuses to allow Him to wash them clean of their sins.

Through the prophet of ancient Israel, God beckons to us in Isaiah 1:18:

“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 as crimson, they will be like wool.”

Much has been written about Adam and Eve, the ancestors of all humans. Because of their rejection of God’s authority, every descendant of theirs has been born spiritually dead. The first couple were created as triune beings—soul, body and God’s spirit—but the Holy Spirit left them when they rebelled against Him.

Jesus lamented that He wanted to give people abundant life (John 10:10), but they had to be willing to ask for it.

So why do people reject this offer of abundant life?

Adam and Eve represent the two main reasons most people reject God’s offer of eternal life with Him.

“And (God) said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’

“The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’

“Then the Lord said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate. Genesis 3:11-13.’”

Adam represents all of the people who listen to other people and not God’s voice in the written Word and Living Word (Jesus, John 1:1). They reject God’s great love and kindness, because Science, Philosophy and the Entertainment Industry teaches that only fools or the ignorant follow Biblical morality or believe that the universe was divinely designed. There is no God, so make up your own rules on how to live. Humans are not born sinful, but rather are good, so there is no need for a Redeemer to save us from our sins. Nor a divine, omnipotent being that we will have to give an account to.

Eve represents everyone who is deceived by Satan, “the god of this world (who) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).” Apostle Paul says in the prior verse that those who reject Christ are “perishing”.

Satan tricked Eve into believing that the Lord Who both created her, and wanted to fellowship with her, was holding out. God was selfish, Satan implied, and didn’t want her to determine right and wrong for herself as it threatened His authority. Satan tricked Eve into distrusting that God wanted the very best for her life and loved her.

Satan also implied, by default, that he cared more about Eve’s welfare than God did. How many people are drawn into the occult by this lie? Jesus declared that Satan actually hates us, is a liar, who only wants “to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10)” our lives.

God actually loves us so much that He wants us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven, a place so wonderful that we cannot even conceive of it (1 Corinthians 2:9) where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain; (Revelation 21:4).”

“Good so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (John 3:16),” to die on a Cross to take the punishment that our sin deserves, so that we are not punished eternally with separation from God.

I love you too. Which is why I take the time to write these blogs.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Can you identify with either Adam or Eve? People tell you there is no God Who loves you or you distrust God’s goodness?

You are NOT an accident of the universe! God designed you in the womb and loves you (Psalm 139:13-16). You were designed with certain attributes for a specific purpose, to love people and God in a way that’s unique to you alone. You are special and one of a kind.

The world tells you that you’re just one of billions and are unimportant. But you are just as lovely and unique as a snowflake. You matter. You have something valuable to contribute to this world.

But if you are not born again, you are spiritually dead, enslaved to a sin nature. It’s not your fault, as everyone is born sinful, but you are responsible for staying that way. God asks to enter your life, but doesn’t force Himself on you. You can listen to people or Satan, or invite Jesus into your life:

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

You have to open the door. You don’t have to “clean up your act first” or understand everything. You just have to be willing to invite Him into your heart, to become your source of spiritual life.

If you’re willing to open the door to God, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, 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’ name, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations. You are born again.

“How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (Luke 11:13)”

Please start reading the Bible; it is your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy and strong, your faith needs the Word of God (Romans 10:17). 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, these three ministries are my favorite: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). They also have apps if that’s your preference. There are also other godly ministries but you have to be careful as a young believer as you don’t know enough yet not to be misled by bad teaching.

God bless. Buddy and I will see you in heaven.

Dawn