Buddy likes to keep me within sight, even though he may not desire interaction.
I’m currently reading a nonfiction book that I highly recommend: Stolen Focus, Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again, by Johann Hari. You can probably find it in your library system, as I did.
This statement really stood out for me, quoted by the author interviewing the magician called Tristan:
“How does a magician do their work? It works because they don’t have to know your strengths—they just have to know your weaknesses. How well do you know your weaknesses?”—page 108
Do you think Satan attacks your strengths?
Of course not. Like any enemy, he’s searching your life for any unintentional opening to breach your protective wall.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”—1 Peter 5:8
Now most of us aren’t important enough to attract Satan’s attention, but a third of the angelic host fell into disobedience and works for the devil.
So, please consider in prayer, asking Jesus to open your eyes to anything in your life that is giving the enemy of your soul an opening to take a bite out of you.
Take heed of CS Lewis’ oft quoted warning:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
What are your weaknesses?
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
To be fair, I’ll admit one weakness I am working on. I hate being treated as if I’m stupid or a liar. I’m neither and can quickly become defensive if I feel someone has attacked my intelligence or honesty. I have to learn to listen before responding without allowing my “hackles” to rise up and overwhelm my reason. Proverbs 18:13
I know my furpal. If another dog walked into my home who wasn’t Buddy, I’d immediately wonder why and who its owner was.
Because that dog does not belong in my home.
But we don’t use that same discernment in the church. We just assume that everyone who sits in the pews is a born again believer or is interested in knowing more about Christ, or that anyone who preaches has the Spirit of the Lord.
But there is an event in the Bible that warns this is not necessarily true.
“Then He (Jesus) went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths….Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him,…”—Luke 4:31, 33-35
Not only was there an opponent and enemy of God hanging around in the congregation of sincere followers of God, but who also wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
The demonically possessed man was also perfectly capable of speaking openly and emphatically within a group of believers gathered together.
This is a warning not to assume everyone knows, loves, and obeys the Lord who attends or teaches in a church. Always use discernment and evaluate their teaching. If they disobey, or reject Jesus’ clear teachings, do not follow them. And do not allow them to influence you to disregard what God teaches in the Bible.
Please be respectful, as everyone is made in God’s image and He loves them.
But there might be a time to reprove or bring false teaching to the attention of leadership.
And if it’s the leaders who disobey God’s Word, leave the church.
Not everyone who walks through the doors of a church building is owned by Jesus.
I think one reason I love dogs is that they’re not sneaky, like cats. They normally don’t creep up silently on their prey, unless trained to do otherwise. They happily announce they’re coming after you, or are angry with you, by barking wildly or growling.
No deception. Just honest, “You’re cruising for a bruising” announcements.
October is the month that many people prepare their costumes for the Halloween holiday. But there is a wicked being who is always deceptive and has his own costume. He doesn’t wear his costume to party, but “to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10).”
This deceiver wears the “scariest costume of all time:” That of pretending to be good, when he really means to do you harm.
“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”—2 Corinthians 11:14
I believe that’s why the Bible never advises us to attempt to contact angels.
To my recollection, no one in the Bible ever asked for an angelic visitation. They’re always a surprise. God decides when to send an angel to give a message.
Examples are: Gabriel visiting Mary (Luke 1:26-38), Jacob witnessing the angels ascending and descending from heaven (Genesis 28:12), and revealing the future and the hidden spiritual warfare among the angels to Daniel (Daniel 10).
In fact, before His incarnation (Matthew 1:23), the Angel of the Lord, whom most Biblical scholars believe was the pre-incarnate Christ, also surprised people by His visits. The Lord didn’t appear because He was requested, or commanded to do so.
Some examples of the Angel of the Lord appearing unexpectedly in the Old Testament are: Hagar, when she fled from Sarai’s wrath (Genesis 16:7-13), to Gideon to appoint him as the leader of Israel’s army to defeat their Midianite oppressors (Judges 6:11-12), and, of course, to Abraham when he obeyed God by offering his son Isaac up as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:11-18).
So, please, offer up your prayers in confidence to the Lord God through Jesus Christ our Lord:
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.”—the Apostle Paul, 1 Timothy 2:5
Since the Lord is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent—unlike angels—why would anyone need to call out to anyone else?
If God decides to send angelic assistance, that’s an act of His grace and love.
But beware of calling on angels, because you’re highly likely to be dealing with a deceptive substitute.
Even Moses refused to be accompanied and led into the Holy Land by anyone other than the Lord Himself:
“I will send an angel before you…Then (Moses) said to Him (God), ‘If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.’”—Exodus 33:2 & 15
Moses refused to be led by anyone other than the Lord God. Not even an angel. Given this example, why would anyone want to do otherwise?
“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”—Exodus 33:11
Moses knew who his true friend was.
Don’t risk deception. Satan is far craftier, intelligent and wickedly deceitful than you can imagine.
God bless.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6)”.
“It is impossible for God to lie.”—Hebrews 6:18
One of Satan’s biggest lies is that there are many ways to heaven, to enter the Father’s presence. Jesus declared “I and the Father are one (John 10:30).”
Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh, Immanuel (Matthew 1:23). So He’s the expert on heaven and how to get there.
The Good News is that you don’t have to clean up your act first to approach God. He knows that it’s impossible to be perfect enough to enter His presence (Matthew 5:48), which is why Jesus, God incarnate, as the only perfect man ever to live, is the only one who could take the punishment every person deserves.
Mine too. I’m not speaking as an arrogant person who thinks they were good enough to be saved; I still don’t have my act totally together, despite my best efforts. I also had to ask God to forgive my sin.
We always fall short.
Basically, life is about choosing which god to spend eternity with: Life is full of enough good things to prove there’s a powerful, majestic God Who loves beauty, variety and goodness—and enough hell to realize there’s an evil being who wants to be god but can only kill, steal and destroy.
You just need to humble yourself to admit that you can never be good enough to enter heaven through your own efforts and call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
Are you ready to call on Jesus to be your God and moral authority?
Or do you want to follow in Adam’s and Eve’s footsteps and continue deciding what’s right and wrong for yourself, despite frequent negative outcomes?
It’s up to you. No one is going to force you. After all, I’m actually just text on the Internet speaking to you. You can ignore me if you want and click on another page.
But, because I care about you, I hope you’ll consider: “‘Whoever calls will call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).’”
If you’re ready to be saved, please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Thank you that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, taking the punishment I deserve, because it’s impossible for me to be good enough to earn your favor. I ask You to forgive me and I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Thank you, also, that Jesus rose bodily from the dead on the third day, proving that He is God, and gives resurrection life to those who ask Him. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And please teach me how much You love me. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily. Just as our bodies need daily nourishment to be healthy, so do our souls. The Bible is your soul food. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand, and read forward.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. It’s hard to stand alone against the tide of culture. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to get misled by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well, particularly the New Testament.
God bless you as you start your new spiritual journey.
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.
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.
As I’ve posted before, Buddy was terrified of going home with me after his foster mom released him into my custody. At that time I was a total stranger, but after he got to know my character and love for him, he relaxed and became a beloved member of our family.
Christianity is a supernatural religion. People who ask the Lord Jesus into their lives become temples of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
As a result, it’s not wrong to believe in the supernatural. But in the Last Days before the return of Christ, Jesus warned that demonic power will increase and to guard against being deceived (Matthew 24).
The Apostle Paul stated that even Satan himself “masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)”.
And, the Apostle John warned that there are false, deceiving spirits that will also try to deceive us, pretending to be from the Lord but are not, 1 John 4:1-3:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
“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 Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world.”
Tonight I’d like to address the first portion regarding deceiving spirits.
1. Stand 100% on the Word of God. Jesus set the example when He defeated Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11). Many books and sermons give anecdotal information about the demonic. Never deviate from what is clearly taught in the Bible. And don’t forget that Satan and his followers also know the Bible and will try to either discredit it (Genesis 3:1-5) or twist its meaning (Matthew 4:6-7). Please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding when you read the Scriptures, help you handle it accurately and recall it. And to reveal any false beliefs that you may have.
2. Satan is much older, stronger and smarter than you are. Never consider yourself an expert in the occult. God will allow you to be humbled by not standing fast on His word.
3. Don’t go looking for spirits, particularly if you are not born again (Acts 19:11-20). Only God has power of the evil spirits and those to whom He has granted power through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Too many people are hunting ghosts or exploring haunted locations, placing themselves in danger from the supernatural.
4. God never overrules your personality or ability to think for yourself. The Apostle Paul warned to always hold fast to the mind and that we have “the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)”. Losing control of your mind, behavior, body and words is characteristic of the demonic (Mark 5:1-20, 9:14-29), not God.
Sadly, many Christians do NOT heed Apostle John’s warnings to test the spirits. Some so-called modern apostles claim to “slay people in the Spirit“, ie. cause people to lose control and fall to the ground. The only Biblical example of being slain in the spirit is in the Book of Acts. Ananias and his wife were slain by the Spirit for lying publicly to God. They were killed by God. It’s not recommended.
Also, some people claim to speak in tongues but are in an altered state. God NEVER puts you into an altered state. You are always fully aware and able to function if it’s from God.
My pastor related an instance where visiting Christians from Nigeria entered a church and heard Christians, supposedly speaking in tongues, speaking in their native Nigerian language. They were cursing God in Nigerian.
Even demons attend church. Jesus expelled a spirit from a man who was in a synagogue where people were worshipping God (Mark 1:21-26). False prophets and teachers can be found in churches. Don’t trust someone just because they claim to be a Christian. Be like the Berean church (Acts 17:10-11), who even tested what the Apostle Paul taught by checking the Holy Scriptures daily to see if what Paul taught was in line with God’s Word.
5. You are never told in the Bible to seek out supernatural experiences (except to prophecy or interpret tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:1, 13). When God visited Moses at the burning Bush; the angels visited Zacharias, Joseph and Mary, Daniel, Balaam; or the Transfiguration occurred, as a few examples, the godly people didn’t seek out a supernatural encounter. God initiated the encounters.
Do NOT visualize or ask spirit guides, animal spirits, aliens, fairies, ghosts or other supernatural entities to enter your life. Do not go ghost hunting.
6. God never contradicts His word. Any spirit that teaches anything that contradicts the Bible does not come from God. Therefore, the better you know what the Bible says and teaches, the less likely you are to be deceived. However, please remember you need prayer, also, because the religious leaders at the time of Jesus knew the Bible yet didn’t recognize the Messiah when He stood in front of them.
7. Don’t hold conversations with spirits. They are likely “deceiving spirits (1 Timothy 4:1)”. Don’t commit the same error that Eve did who stopped to hold a conversation with the devil (Genesis 3). Instead, hold conversations with the one true God in prayer. Jesus promised to meet all your needs (Matthew 6:25-34, 7:7-12).
8. Satan and demons can also perform miracles. The Antichrist will deceive most of the human race by performing miracles (Revelation 13). I personally knew a man who spoke in tongues who was demonically oppressed; his gift was not from God.
I didn’t write this blog to frighten you, but to warn you. There are too many media programs about ghosts, aliens and other supernatural beings and occurrences. And too many churches promoting unbiblical practices.
Always stick close to Jesus and His word (2 Peter 1:20-21).
“Be sober, vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).”
The chick that stays under the wings of its mother (Matthew 23:37) won’t get eaten by the hawk.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
Note: I usually use the NASB, but tonight am visiting my parents so am using the New King James Version of the scriptures.
***
The safest place is always in our loving Shepherd’s field. Jesus invites every person to find abundant life by coming to Him.
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved…I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (John 10:9,11).”
Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).” He wants everyone to come into fellowship with Him and spend eternity with Him. But we’re born spiritually dead, in rebellion to God our Creator, wanting to choose right and wrong for ourselves, to do “our own thing”.
If you’re tired of doing things your way and want to become a child of God, learning from Him how to live life and love His way, please pray the following:
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sin. I’m tired of living life my way and bringing unnecessary trouble into my life. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I give my life to you. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Teach me how to live. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
If you’ve prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. But just as your body needs daily food, your soul needs daily soul food—the Bible. Please begin reading every day to grow in your faith. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.
Also, please join a Bible-based church or Bible study. If they not possible right now, I recommend these three ministries: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but as a newborn Christian, you can be deceived till you know the Bible better.
And please get baptized.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).”
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.
You’ve probably guessed by now that I adore my Silky terrier, Buddy. We’ve been together for over eleven years now. Sometimes he acts like a little devil, but I still love him. He’s my best pal—after the Lord.
Whether Buddy acts like a sweet angel or little rascal, he still has a place in my heart. However, I warned last week that it’s critical to test the spirits. Satan is a liar (John 8:44) and a deceiver, he “disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)”.
Apostle John warned believers in Christ to be on their guard regarding supernatural beings in 1 John 4:1-3 (NASB):
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.”
The Apostle John made several important points:
1. Spirits are real—the supernatural is real.
2. There are good spirits and bad spirits.
2. Don’t believe every spirit.
3. Some spirits serve the omnipotent and loving God (angels) and some do not (demons/Satan).
4. These supernatural beings can influence us.
5. Therefore, test the spirits to determine if they should be listened to or not.
6. The Holy Spirit and angels will testify that Jesus came to earth in the flesh: “Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23)”. Demons will deny that God came to dwell amongst us; (Gnosticism is an example). Jesus is not an angel, or an enlightened being, or merely a good teacher. He is God (Luke 9:20, John 1:1-3, John 5:18, John 9:38, John 11:27, Colossians 1:19, many etceteras).
7. Deceiving spirits will deny Jesus.
8. False prophets will deny Jesus. Don’t believe everything someone says, just because they claim to be a Christian.
9. These falsehood teachings exist now.
Additionally:
1. Satan and anyone influenced by him will deny the truth of God’s Word (Genesis 3:1). They will teach that the Bible is not true, or just some parts are true and some don’t apply in today’s culture—you can pick and choose your own buffet style Christianity. Apostle Paul (1 Timothy 3:16) and Apostle Peter (2 Peter 1:20-21) advised that all of Scripture was inspired by God and beneficial for our lives.
2. You can disobey God with no consequence—not true. You reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7-8), are disciplined by God as a Christian if you refuse to repent (Hebrews 12:5-11), or suffer in Hell if you die in unbelief (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:13-15). God’s rules are for our benefit and protection, not to harm or restrict us.
3. They will hate God’s people—Jewish and Christian (1 John 4:19-21). “God is love (1 John 4:8)” and teaches us how to love others. Anyone who claims to be a Christian but hates those who believe in the Bible—and Jesus—are deceived or deceivers.
4. Deny that they sin or are sinners (1 John 1:8). Any philosophy that denies the sin nature of humanity is a false teaching and leads to bad outcomes for an individual, relationship, culture and society.
My born-again experience (see blog post dated 10/21/21) passed the test. Not being raised Christian, I was surprised when Holy Spirit rushed into my body after giving my life to Jesus. He reassured me Who He was, so that I wouldn’t be frightened to death. He told me three things:
1. The Bible is true;
2. Anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus is lost;
3. And, although He knew every sin I’d ever committed, He still loved me very much.
So that is why I take the time to write these blogs, because I know without a doubt that God is real, loves us and Jesus came to deliver us from evil. I want you to have abundant, and eternal, life too.
And one final warning: Please take this to heart. The Bible never advises us to seek angelic encounters or to pray to angels. Every angelic encounter in the Bible was initiated by God. There is a good reason for that: Because, as stated above, Satan and his followers will try to deceive you. Jesus has “all authority…in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18)”. Jesus is our only “mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5,” John 14:6). Pray to God in the name of Jesus only (John 14:13-14). Jesus is all you need.
God bless you.
Love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Satan led humanity into rebellion against God’s authority in our lives. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10) and to bring us back into relationship with the Lord. Adam and Eve wanted to determine for themselves what is right and wrong, not listen to God. As a result of being rejected, the Holy Spirit left the human race so that we are all born incomplete: born just body and soul, instead of as a triune being.
So we all sense an inner emptiness, which we try to fill in our own unique way: with drugs, food, alcohol, pleasure, distraction, relationships, shopping, sex, knowledge, etc. But we never get enough of whatever that filler is, because that hole can only be filled with God’s Spirit.
If you’d like to become whole, accepting God’s authority and presence in your life, please pray the following:
Dear Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus came in the flesh, is the Lord and died for my sins. Please forgive my sins because Jesus already paid the price for me at His death on the Cross. I give my life to you. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I invite the Holy Spirit into my life. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus’ might name, Amen.
If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are born-again. You’ll become aware of the presence of God in your life. (Remember to test the spirits. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the clear teachings of the Bible.)
Like your body needs food daily to function properly, your soul needs soul food—The Bible. Please begin reading it daily. I suggest starting with Matthew as it’s easiest to understand. Some also suggest the book of John, firstly, as it focuses on God’s love for us.
And find a Bible-based church or Bible study to fellowship with other believers and to be strengthened in your faith. You have joined the family of God; families gather together. If that’s not possible right now, these are my three favorite ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net.
God bless you. Buddy and I will see you in heaven.
This story starts with another dog, far different in character than my beloved Buddy.
My mother and I traveled to the UK and split our stay in the city of Liverpool, spending one night before moving on to a private tour of Wales and Chester the following morning. Then returning for another two nights at another hotel, due to cost, to explore the hometown of the Beatles and the port that my great grandpa traveled to the New World from.
Though we enjoyed visiting the lovely city and its friendly citizens, we will never return, due to the frightening experiences we had at both hotels.
In the middle of the night at a remodeled brick hotel, sleeping in a loft room, I awoke to a suffocating presence. The air seemed oppressive, as if it thickened somehow, making it difficult to breathe. I sensed the strong presence of a Bull Mastiff sized black dog, sitting between my and my mother’s twin beds. Recognizing it as a demonic presence, I earnestly began praying and praising God, being particular to mention the most powerful name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, God in the flesh Who defeated sin and death for us.
Do you believe me? You see, I feared waking my slumbering mother, so I prayed in hoarse whispers. I continued praying until I sensed that the presence had left, which seemed an eternity but was likely about twenty minutes.
The next morning, I discovered that my mother had also been awakened and was praying quietly, trying not to wake me. She also sensed the presence of a large, black dog sitting between our beds.
We also had a bad supernatural experience at the other hotel: We both sensed/saw a dragon like figure.
Neither presence exuded the loving presence of God, Who is love (1 John 4:8).
Why we had these experiences, I cannot say. Only that we’ve been to the United Kingdom twice, visited several cities, yet only had these negative experiences in Liverpool.
How do I know that these spirits were not from God?
I was not raised in the Christian faith. And the Christians who witnessed to me during my college years never explained to me what being born-again meant. Nor was it explained that those without Jesus are spiritually dead. I didn’t understand why I felt so empty inside and incomplete.
So it was a total shock when, after I gave my life to Christ through talking to a volunteer with the Billy Graham organization, the Holy Spirit swooped into my body. Being kind, God immediately reassured me Who He was. I was filled with the amazing sense of God’s presence, of love that is indescribable.
I had a “born-again” experience.
Which was totally unanticipated. And could not, therefore, have just been a product of my imagination as I had zero knowledge this would occur.
I became a new creation through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Now I had read through the Bible a few times, but a lot did not click or make sense. Yet, after becoming born-again, I became aware that there are many passages in the Bible that declare that a true Christian had the life of Christ within themselves:
“We know by this that He (God) abides in us, by the Spirit He has given us.”—Apostle John, 1 John 3:24
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,”—Apostle Paul, Galatians 2:20
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”—Apostle Paul, Colossians 1:27
“Guard, through the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us,”—Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 1:14
Next post I’ll explain more about testing the spirits to discern if it’s from God (1 John 4:1) or Satan, masquerading as “an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
But can I leave you with this advice: Don’t listen to the atheists. They are dead wrong about the supernatural. It’s real.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
What I didn’t understand as a nonbeliever is that every person is born spiritually dead. Because our ancestors (Adam and Eve) rejected God’s authority to tell them right from wrong, the Holy Spirit left the human race. All of their descendants were, thereafter, born incomplete. Made in the image of God, we were intended to be triune beings: flesh, mind/soul and Spirit of God. If you sense that there is an inner emptiness that cannot be filled, you are correct. No amount of pleasure, drugs, sex, food, possessions, or money can ever fill this empty space in your soul: only the life of Jesus can.
If you’re ready to give your life to God and become born-again, please repeat the below prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Lead me, guide me and teach me to discern right and wrong. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. N the mighty name of Jesus I pray, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations: You are a born-again child of God. You may have a dramatic experience of the Holy Spirit or come to a gradual awareness of His presence within you.
As your body needs food daily to be healthy, your soul needs daily feeding through the Word of God. Please begin reading the Bible. I recommend starting with the New Testament book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.
Sometimes Buddy stares off into space or shivers with fright, making me wonder what he’s seeing or hearing that I’m unable to see or hear.
There seems to be great interest in ghosts and stories of hauntings. Some TV channels have an increasing number of so-called ghost hunters or series about ghost investigators.
The apostle Matthew relates a story about Jesus walking on the water. His disciples set off in a boat without Jesus because He apparently needed some alone time to pray after feeding five thousand men, not counting the accompanying women and children.
“And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’”—Matthew 14:25-27
Now Jesus did not rebuke the disciples, claiming that they were silly to believe in ghosts.
So if ghosts are real, then who or what are they?
Jesus makes it clear that the dead cannot return to speak to the living in the passage of Luke 16:19-31. A rich man died and suffered great torment in Hades. During his lifetime he had callously ignored a poor man suffering outside his gate when he had the means to assist him. Lazarus, the poor man, suffered during his brief earthly life but found comfort and love in the afterlife.
The rich man had the effrontery to beseech Lazarus to leave his happy place to come over into Hades and offer him some respite from his torment by dipping a finger in water to cool off the rich man’s burning tongue. But the rich man was told that no one could cross over to Hades to assist him due to a “great chasm” between the realm of torture and comfort.
Apparently the rich man was not totally rotten because he was concerned about the welfare of his five living brothers. He wants someone to go to earth and warn them about the eternal torment that may await them if they continue along his same selfish path in life. But he’s told that his brothers need to heed God’s warnings through Moses and His prophets (the Old Testament Bible writings), that his brothers won’t be persuaded by someone returning from the dead to warn them.
The rich man, himself, cannot leave Hades to warn his brothers of potential eternal damnation.
Some may disagree with my interpretation of the passage in Luke, but to me it’s clear that Jesus is teaching that we should be seeking His word and not the dead. That the dead cannot return to the earth to speak to the living, once they’ve died and entered into their eternal home of either torment or happiness.
But if Jesus doesn’t deny the existence of ghosts, yet teaches that the dead cannot return to communicate with us, then who or what are ghosts?
The Bible teaches that spirits are real. The book of Mark in the New Testament relates several stories about “unclean spirits” which are demonic beings that torment and destroy humans, and animals, when they inhabit their bodies. Jesus delivers many people from the torment of these wicked spirits.
The only good Spirit, that I recall, mentioned in the Bible is the Holy Spirit of God.
Both the Apostles Paul and John warned about evil spirits who pretend to be good so that people would fall away from the true God.
“But the Spirit (God) explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”—1 Timothy 4:1
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”—1 John 4:1
Even Satan himself pretends to be a good angel to deceive people, “disguising himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).”
The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, said that the Egyptians would become demoralized by civil war and “resort to idols and ghosts of the dead and to mediums and spiritists (Isaiah 19:3).” Deuteronomy 18 makes it clear that God forbids contact with idols, mediums and speakers of the dead, so for Isaiah to include ghosts in this group is a clear warning to not have contacts with ghosts, that they’re demonic.
Now God is not a spoil sport: He warns us not to do or engage in an activity to protect us and others.
I wish I could find the YouTube video for you, but a man and his wife used to be ghost hunters in Texas. They had some frightening experiences and came to the realization that ghosts are actually demonic spirits. They converted to Christianity and the power of God delivered them from the ghostly oppression they were experiencing. And gave up their ghost hunting hobby.
Ultimately it’s your choice. You can heed my warning not to mess with ghosts, as I believe they’re demonic spirits trying to deceive and harm you—or not. I honestly don’t think it’s good for your soul to watch hours of these ghost hunting programs a week.
But note this warning from the Bible’s great book of wisdom: “But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.”—Proverbs 11:27
***
In Africa the Book of Mark is often one of the most important books used in converting people to Christianity because it shows that God is far more powerful than evil spirits. The demonic is often quite real to people living on that continent. Jesus commanded the spirits and they had no choice but to obey Him. All of the universe was created through Jesus and is held together through Him (Colossians 1:16).
When you give your life to Jesus, you are “rescued from the domain of darkness, and transferred…to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).” It is the omnipotent God, alone, who can protect you from supernatural evil.
“The Lord will protect you from all evil, He will keep your soul.”—Psalm 121:7
If you want the power to resist Satan and sin, please ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Come under His protection.
If you’d like to do that, please pray the following: Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sin and deliver me from evil. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and invite the Holy Spirit to come into my life and fill me. I give my life to You. Thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you are born again, the Holy Spirit has come into your life. But just as out bodies need food to eat to be strong and healthy, your spirit requires soul food to be healthy, which is God’s word, the Bible. Since this topic interested you enough to read this blog post, please start with the book of Mark in the New Testament to learn how powerful Jesus is.
Also, please join a Bible-based church or Bible study to grow strong in your faith and to fellowship with likeminded people. If that’s not possible right now, please check out these ministries, which are my favorites. They also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.BasicGospel.net, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.LTW.org.
Romans 10:9-10: “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; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
God bless you. May Buddy and I greet you in heaven one day.
Meditations About God and Buddy 