Manifestation Mania, Micah 6:8

Not a happy pup.

I was excited about Buddy’s new feathered tiara. I pictured him smiling joyfully toward the New Year with hope.

Nope. Instead, he looked just as miserable as portrayed in last year’s photo with his Happy New Year’s hat.

Often I have great hopes that don’t become reality. Or others that I’m still hoping will come true, but I’m waiting on God’s timing and blessing. As the Apostle Peter stated, our incredible Creator lives outside of time:

“With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”—2 Peter 3:8

What seems like a long wait to me may not even be a blink of the eye to Jesus.

I’ve been rereading a marvelous book by Pastor John Ortberg: “If You Want To Walk On Water You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.” In Chapter Nine, “Learning To Wait,” he states that waiting on God to answer our prayers demonstrates both our Christian maturity and humility, because trusting in God’s timing is “the opposite of arrogance and boasting, a humble recognition of my limits (page 183).”—ie. I am not God: omnipotent and omniscient.

And, also, “When we wait for something, we recognize that we are not in control… Lower-status people always wait on higher status people (page 183).”

After pondering this material, I immediately thought about the many videos popping up on my YouTube recommended list advising how to manifest reality: your dreams, material goals, etc. Some are posted by supposed Christians and many by unbelievers.

These people are promoting an unbiblical worldview of achieving your goals.

1. Only God “calls things into being things that do not exist (Romans 4:17).” God spoke creation into existence (Psalm 33:9).

To believe that you can manifest reality into existence is similar to the practice of witchcraft, believing that you can cast spells or curses through the power of words or by manipulating the forces of nature or the universe.

2. This practice also demonstrates a lack of humility, trust, and submission to the Lord.

GOD WILL NOT BE RULED OR MANIPULATED BY ANYONE.

If we “pray according to His will,…we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).”

If we trust that God “causes all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28),” then we can bring our requests before God and know that He’ll answer for our benefit; sometimes that answer is to wait till He works things out or “No” because it’s not good for us or He has a better plan in mind.

Satan fell because he wanted to be in control and worshipped. He wants to be his own god and not submit to the will of his Creator.

3. Our prayers are requests, NOT demands.

God is the Lord, not us:

“Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He Who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).”

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told a parable about three servants who were “entrusted” with talents “according to their ability,” then he left town. The servant he rebuked after his return was the servant who didn’t trust in his master’s good character but feared him, arrogantly stating that he failed to multiply the money he was given because he viewed his master as “a hard man,” who benefited from the work of others.

When we fail to trust God’s goodness, we’re basically slandering Jesus, thinking that He gives us gifts out of improper motives.

Psalm 90 is a marvelous expression of trust in God’s good character, a humble acknowledgement of how transient human life is and that we’re dependent upon Him for reversing unfavorable circumstances:

“Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness, that we may sing with joy and rejoice all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, and the years we have seen evil…May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands (Psalm 90:14-15,17).”

Please, don’t follow the teachings of those who preach and teach that you can manifest your dreams into reality. Instead, humbly wait upon and trust in the Lord’s good character to answer your prayers.

You want the Lord Jesus to bless and guide your life.

Not the enemy of your soul. For Satan told Jesus that he could give the kingdoms of this world to those who worship him (Matthew 4:8-9).

Trust that Jesus loves you.

“He has shown you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”—Micah 6:8

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Maybe you’re unhappy because you’re trying to be your own god instead of submitting your life to the Lord and trusting in His guidance.

Jesus is omniscient and omnipresent. He sees the future. What seems the right course of action to a person may actually be leading toward disaster. Only God knows where a chosen path will lead.

Jesus died to pay for your sins. He lived a perfect life as a human being so that He could pay for the sins of others, having no sin of His own to be punished for. After His crucifixion, He rose from the dead to prove that He is also God, that He has the power over death.

You don’t have to continue living a life of regret and defeat. But becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee health and wealth, as false preachers claim, but does set you onto a new path leading away from self-destructive behavior.

A new Christian is like a baby: You’ll crawl, then totter on wobbly legs till you learn to walk steady. I’m encouraging you to give your life to Jesus, because it’s wonderful to be in relationship with God. But I also want you not to get discouraged after doing so. It takes time to learn about God’s love for you and how He works.

Are you ready to make Jesus your Savior from sin and your Lord, the God Who rules your life? If so, please repeat the below prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be both my Savior and Lord, my moral authority. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me how much You love me. I want to learn to trust You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. You should begin to experience new attitudes and a desire to obey Jesus as you’ve been given a new heart by the power of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. You’re starting to walk a new path in life, so please be patient with yourself as you learn and grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

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

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

Changing Your Focus, Psalm 107

As many of you now know, Buddy is a rescue who was abused for three years before I adopted him—furever! At first he was terrified of me, but gradually his focus moved from his awful past to his present life full of love with his new family.

I bought a pocket-sized NASB version of only the Book of Psalms, so that I could focus reading a few chapters every morning without pulling out a heavy book.

Most people focus on Psalm 23. It’s a wonderful Psalm by the ancient king of Israel, David. But there are many other marvelous Psalms that are also worthy of our meditation and focus.

Please join me in culling some of the wonderful gems in the 43 verses of chapter 107 in the Book of Psalms.

Primarily, the Psalm describes the various ways that people get themselves into trouble by acting without God in their lives. But when they acknowledge their need for the Lord’s help, He responds to their cries.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is forever.”—Verse one

It’s basically a Psalm about how kind God is, rescuing us from our own self-imposed troubles. Unlike Satan, He doesn’t kick us when we’re down, but responds to sincere cries for help.

1. Verse two discusses how God redeems us “from the hand of the adversary.” The Lord Jesus came in the flesh, which is celebrated on Christmas Day, to live a perfect life and redeem us—buy us back—out of Satan’s realm of darkness and transfer us into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13) by dying for our sins.

We cannot earn this salvation; it is freely given to us when we call upon the name of the Lord to save us (Romans 10:13).

And throughout the Psalm, people call on God for help, which He freely gives to them.

2. Verses 4-9 describes people who are wandering “in a desert region” and in great physical distress. They were lost, unable to find an inhabited city to get help. Unable to get human aid, they turned to God, acknowledging they needed God’s rescue—and “He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city”.

Which reminds me of everyone’s favorite Psalm:

“He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His namesake.”—Psalm 23:3

When we follow God’s path, we discover that the Good Shepherd’s ways lead out of the confusion in the desert of sin and into green pastures of peace and safety.

3. Verses 11-16 describe people who are enslaved by sin and unable to free themselves. They’re miserable because “they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore, He humbled their heart with labor…”

Consequences for sinful behavior are an act of love from God. It causes us to realize our need for Him, to change our destructive behavior, so He allows us to suffer the result of our sin, so that we’ll come to our senses and acknowledge our need to follow Him and not our own desires. When the people in Psalm 107 finally realized, once again, that human effort couldn’t rescue them, they called out to God, who shattered their chains of sin.

4. Verses 17-22 describe people who became seriously ill: “Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.” But when they acknowledged their sin and repented, how did God help?

“He sent His word and healed them.”—verse 20

Deceased Pastor Norman Peale had many different persons approach him, as detailed in his various books, with serious ailments of various sorts that caused them great suffering and interfered with their careers. What the Pastor often discovered is that these men engaged in serious sin, such as adultery. Their guilt and wickedness was the root cause of their illness and setbacks. Once they confessed their sin, acknowledging their need to follow God’s moral rules and stop rebelling, they became healthy—mentally, physically, and spiritually.

God’s word, the Bible, sometimes is the cure for what afflicts us. He gives us instruction, insight, and hope through the promises in the Scriptures.

5. Verses 23-32 describe men engaged in commerce, who “do business on great waters.” But they encountered a great storm which caused them great fear and distress. But when they called on the Lord to save them, “He caused the storm to be still.”

Sometimes we get busy conducting business, searching for wealth or fame, and forget to include God in our lives. Then we encounter obstacles which are totally beyond our control, which reminds us to seek God.

And, God graciously rescues us.

6. Verses 33-38 describes how God can curse the efforts of wicked people, but bless the labor of good people. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the way is death (Proverbs 14:12).” Sometimes our efforts are not succeeding because we’re compromising our moral integrity. If you’re a child of God, He may delay blessing you till you repent and commit to acting with moral integrity.

7. Lastly, verses 39-42 describe how sometimes we suffer because of the wickedness of other people who oppress us in some way, particularly those in high positions of power. But God graciously delivers us.

Why?

“Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, and consider the lovingkindness of the Lord.”—verse 43

May we always seek God in time of need, Who has the power to deliver us from circumstances and people too mighty for us to combat alone.

And from our own sin.

Please consider pointing unbelievers to this wonderful Psalm, which describes the many ways God will deliver people from the consequences of sin, if they’re willing to acknowledge their need for a Savior.

And recognize that He’s good.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

“Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13

It doesn’t matter what kind of trouble you’re in, God is good and loves you. He’s willing to forgive your sin and rescue you from bondage to the Kingdom of Darkness.

He doesn’t discriminate. No matter how far you’ve wandered in the desert, He’s willing to respond to your cries for rescue if you’re willing to repent and call on Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.

Lord: your moral authority and King of your life and

Savior: The one Who died for your sins, taking the punishment you deserve.

No need to get your act together first. Just humble acknowledgment of your need for Him. He knows about it all anyway, so why not confess your need to be delivered from self-destructive behavior?

He loves you and is eager to hear you call out to Him.

After I gave my life to the Lord, the Holy Spirit told me that, “He knew every sin I’ve ever committed, but still loves me very much.”

God already knows you cannot be good. Your sin doesn’t shock Him, regardless of how bad you think it is. He wants to rescue you—if you’ll only call out to Him.

Why not invite Him into your life right now? Don’t delay. Tomorrow is never promised to us.

Please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask for Your forgiveness. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, and confess that He died for my sins so that I don’t have to be punished for them. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me how much You love me. I need Your help in my life. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Your Son Jesus Christ, amen.

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

And start attending a Bible-based church or Bible Study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled or follow bad teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Different Horses Win The Race, Buddy Brief

Regardless of what you think about the sport of horse racing, I hope you’ll continue reading and take away what I hope will be a great encouragement to you.

In horse racing there are two main types of winners: front runners and closers.

The front runners will pop out of the gate straight to the front, remain in front throughout the entire track and cross the finish line first. The other horses may challenge the front runner but never manage to edge out to the lead position.

But there is another type of horse that runs last or near the back of the pack for most of the race. They don’t look at all like winners.

But something amazing happens during the race. When the front running horses begin to tire, the closers seemingly catch a second wind and begin to close in on the lead. The horse that looked like it was doomed to finish last or near the back of the pack begins to challenge the leader.

And, amazingly, that horse once near the back closes in and surpasses the lead horse to win the race.

If you’re a front runner, great. Keep running your race and don’t look back. Keep your eyes straight ahead toward the finish line.

But if you’re like me, feeling like you’re trotting along near the back of the pack, take heart.

You can still win your race if you don’t lose heart and give up.

And please remember: There are many races to run. The trainer and jockey agent places the horse in the race they think the horse can win.

If you cooperate and listen to Jesus, He’ll place you in the right race.

“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O’ Lord, is everlasting;”—Psalm 138:8

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay strong. Jesus is returning.

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

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please don’t delay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Money Is The Answer To Everything, Ecclesiastes 10:19

Buddy wondering what I’m doing.

Providing for a dog takes a lot of money, as any pet owner knows. Besides food, there’s medicines, vet bills, beds, treats, toys, cleaning supplies, kennels and even additional pet charges for checking into a motel with a pet. But the love, companionship and protection is worth every penny spent.

The writer of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes is generally considered to be the ancient king of Israel, Solomon. Though God spoke to him personally, he still turned away from serving the Lord due to the influence of his hundreds (not kidding) of pagan wives. However, some wonder if he repented before he died if he did compose this book. (Seems to me he was the author did based upon the accomplishments listed.)

The book of Ecclesiastes generally states the futility of living a life without knowing God. You can live long, happy, prosperous lives full of good works but still ultimately be a failure because death is the great equalizer: a foolish heir can destroy all your wealth and accomplishments; death claims both the wise and the foolish; fame is fleeting as future generations forget, or destroy, the accomplishments of prior generations.

Solomon really nailed it with the following verse. It’s as if he foresaw the future of today. Yet, it’s really because human nature doesn’t change over the millennia.

For nonbelievers, Solomon declares in Ecclesiastes 10:19:

“Money is the answer to everything.”

Nonbelievers seem to try to “fix” every societal problem by throwing money at it. They increase taxes or beg for money or demand someone else pay off their debts or bills.

“The leech has two daughters, ‘Give,’ ‘Give.’”—Proverbs 30:15

The truth is, they are trying to “fix” problems without God, but that never works. As our Creator, He wrote the instruction manual on how we operate and what’s best for us.

It’s called The Bible.

Western civilization is actually engaged in a debate regarding the nature of humankind: Are we born good or sinful?

The view of human nature determines the solution to humanity’s problems.

God declares that we are all born spiritually dead, so he sent His Son Jesus to be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, and die to take the just penalty that our sins deserve. Then He rose from the dead, proving that His sin sacrifice was sufficient punishment for our sins, that He is the Lord God, and declares righteous those who place their faith in Him as Lord (Matthew 1:23), (1 John 2:1-2), (Romans 10:8-10), etc.

God loves us so much, He took the punishment we deserve, instead of casting us away from His presence forever.

So, for believers, traditionally the solution to society’s problems is to restrain our wicked nature through God’s laws, repentance and government authority. Society is screwed up because every person tends to sin.

But nonbelievers believe that we’re born good and, by loosening governmental, religious, cultural and family restraints on people, people will make better choices. For them, society is screwed up because of its prejudice and intolerance and unrealistic restraints on human behavior.

So, for example, instead of ensuring better police training to respect human life, the nonbeliever calls for less restraint on criminal behavior and defunding the police and pushing those funds elsewhere.

Instead of investigating the spiritual roots of an emotional or ungodly behavior, they ignore it, choosing to believe that human behavior can be improved without the assistance of a new heart given supernatural life through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 11:19-21, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

I could give more examples, but the purpose of this post tonight is to give you a new lens through which to view what is going on. To equip you to think about what you’re observing in the society you’re living in.

Because the bottom line is, money is not the answer.

Jesus is.

***

It’s wonderful to hear nonbelievers beginning to realize that a spiritual battle is going on. They see Western civilization breaking apart at the seams and realize something is really wrong. Evil seems to be escalating and gaining a foothold in our media, schools, government and culture at large. Even traditional institutions like the Church are losing faith and power.

But every person who is empowered with new life by the Holy Spirit, God of the Trinity, becomes a point of light, restraining darkness in this world.

Like me in 1989, you might be realizing that something is wrong, but it’s not just “out there”—it’s “in there”, in your soul. You know something’s wrong, but not what it is.

That, my friend, is the Spirit of Jesus knocking on the door of your heart. As many preachers say, God will knock on the door of your heart but not break down the door. He wants you to invite Him into your life (Revelation 3:20).

If you’re ready to ask God to be your Lord and give you new life and a new spirit, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. I invite the Holy Spirit into my life and heart. Make me a new creation in Christ Jesus. I give my life to You. You promise to complete a good work You’ve begun in me and to never leave nor forsake me. Deliver me from evil and temptation. Help me learn how much You love me. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations you are born again. Please join a Bible believing Church or Bible study and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest listening to these three ministries: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled till you know the Bible fairly well.

As your body needs daily food to be healthy, so does your soul. The Bible is your soul food. Please read it daily. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

And pray to God in the name of Jesus, “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”—1 Peter 5:7

God bless you as you start your eternal life with your loving Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Society Benefits Because Of The Presence Of Christians, Mark 4:35-39

Buddy wondering what I’m doing.

When I moved to Arizona in late 2019, I had no clue that all my plans for 2020 would go up in smoke, irrevocably changing the course of my life. Buddy became my sole companion, besides the Lord, for an entire month as the State of Arizona went into lockdown. Residents were not permitted to leave their homes except to buy essentials or go to and from work. Otherwise, we were self quarantined. What a blessing Buddy was. To me, God is as real as my right hand but I will not see Him face-to-face till after my earthly life has ended.

Just like I couldn’t foresee the coming pandemic, as I am blind to the future, so I often read a Bible passage many times yet miss something. Then, suddenly, as it often happens to believers, something jumps out at me that I never noticed before that gives me a new insight.

“On that day, when evening came, He (Jesus) said to them (the 12 disciples), ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; AND OTHER BOATS WERE WITH HIM. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”—Mark 4:35-39

Please note my emphasis above: “And other boats were with Him.”

In this passage I’ve always focused on the disciples’ dire situation and Jesus, as God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), calming the waves. Till recently I’ve totally missed the fact that some people in the crowd also got into boats and were sailing on those same treacherous waters. But because of the presence of Jesus and His power, they also benefited from the miraculous calming of the waves.

So, too, did the shipmates of Apostle Paul benefit from his presence. Paul was a prisoner enroute to Rome under the guard of a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. After the ship embarked from Fair Havens, Crete, the crew encountered a dangerous storm that blew them off course, tossing their ship about for two weeks till all hope of finding a safe harbor was lost.

But 276 men survived the massive storm and arrived safely on the island of Malta because the apostle Paul was sailing with them. There may have been others sailing on those same treacherous waves on ships that foundered and went down, taking many lives with them, because there was no one aboard who merited God’s favor or had a mission that the Lord wanted completed.

“When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, ‘Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only that of the ship. For this very night an angel of God to whom I belong and serve stood before me, saying, “Do not be afraid Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.”’ …All of us in the ship were 276 persons…And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land.”—Luke the physician, Acts 27:21-24, 37,44

An aspect of humankind’s sin nature is the desire to control others, to be in control. As the pandemic proved, it’s impossible to predict the future. But people try their best to control the future and others. Every totalitarian society rejects the Lord Jesus, three examples being the Soviet Marxist Revolution in 1917, the French Revolution in 1789 and the Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1966.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”—Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:17

When a society rejects Jesus, persecuting born again Christians and rejecting God’s Laws, it will fall into increasing lawlessness, oppression and eventually totalitarianism. Christianity is a religion of grace, forgiveness, acceptance and freedom founded in a relationship with Jesus.

A culture benefits greatly from the prayers of Christians. For instance, scientists have discovered that seriously ill people who are not even believers benefit from the prayers of believers. A society benefits from the good works of Christians: the SPCA, Salvation Army, CareNet and many organizations that benefit the poor were founded by Christians. Christians don’t typically riot, loot, shoot police officers, commit murder and mayhem.

The United States was founded upon principles of liberty, not license, upon the expectation that a free and moral people could rule themselves without requiring an all powerful central government to keep them in check. (This is a simplification to make a point.)

“And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.’”—Acts 18:9-10

Every single Christian, living their lives on the rock of Christ, helps a society remain free.

To reject the Spirit of Freedom, is to be enslaved.

As Jesus said to the apostle Paul, “I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God,”—Acts 26:17

A society benefits from the prayers, good works and presence of Christians and the power of God working through them.

If you’re a Christian, stand strong, you are invaluable to your country, whether your fellow citizens acknowledge that truth or not.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

If you don’t know the Lord Jesus, you are not only incomplete, your inner self devoid of God’s life-giving Spirit, but you are under the dominion of Satan. Yes, that sounds harsh and scary, but the Apostle John warned “that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19).” But Jesus said, “The thief (Satan) comes only to kill, steal and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).”

Look at this world. You know something is really wrong. Things seem to be going to Hell. But Jesus, the giver of life, wants to stop the destructive power of sin in your life. Giving your life to Christ doesn’t mean that your life will suddenly be carefree, but you’ll begin the process of stopping self sabotage.

Forget the critics who claim Christians are hypocrites. Everyone is a hypocrite because there was only one perfect person who never sinned, Jesus, God in the flesh. Being perfect, He did not have to die for His own sins, but could offer Himself to be punished for our sins in our place.

The difference between a person who truly knows God or not isn’t whether they mess up at times or not, but whether they feel bad about their sin and want to change, become a better person. If a person feels no guilt over bad behavior, something is wrong in their heart as the Holy Spirit is not within, convicting them.

If you want to know God, please pray this prayer: “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 the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are born again and a new child of God. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).”

Please start reading the Bible, which is your spiritual food. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew. And please find a Bible-believing church to join to grow and be strengthened in your faith. If that not possible right now, these are my three favorite Christian ministries, which also have apps: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net.

May God strengthen and encourage you.

And because Jesus is your advocate before the Father’s throne (1 John 2:1), freely pour out your heart to Him, “because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).”

God bless you. See you in heaven.

I’m praying for all new Christians.

Dawn and Buddy

Is This Preventing Your Blessing? Luke 16:10

Buddy is a little dog–about 19 pounds–but he has a big personality and casts a big shadow in a room. You definitely know when he is around.

Jesus talked about the importance of the little things that we do.

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous also in much.”–Luke 16:10

God doesn’t just notice the big brave acts or mighty deeds of so-called important Christians: He is omniscient and omnipresent, meaning He sees everything we say, do and think. He is called El Roi–“The God Who Sees’–by Hagar, Abraham’s concubine, after God hears her pleas for help in the desert wilderness after she fled from his wife Sarah’s wrath. (Her son was mocking Isaac, the son born to Sarah and Abraham when they were elderly.) See Genesis 16:13

God cannot trust someone with big responsibilities if they cannot be faithful in the little things, when the stakes to act with integrity are much lower.

I think most people pretty much agree with the Eighth Commandment that God handed down to Moses as a basic guideline to the Jewish nation on how to live godly:

“Thou shall not steal.”–Exodus 20:15

Would you agree that God would not want to bless theft? And, therefore, He might withhold prospering someone financially to get their attention in an area where they might be stealing from another person and not be aware of it? He jealously guards His reputation and wants His people to act with integrity, so that nonbelievers will not slander His church.

Nowadays, these following forms of theft occur far too frequently: Downloading copyrighted music or copying music CDs that should be paid for and aren’t; copying photos or drawings and reselling them in some form, say a book cover or article, without permission to use them or haven’t purchased the rights; copying software loaned from a friend instead of purchasing the original software–this is theft of someone’s copyright.

Creatives depend upon the honesty and integrity of others for their financial support. Sometimes it can mean the difference between making a living or getting discouraged and giving up.

Just because the Internet makes theft easier, doesn’t make it right.

And it doesn’t matter if it’s a large corporation selling the material or an individual creative. Stealing isn’t right, regardless of who is being ripped off. Today I just read an article in the Seattle Times about how thieves are copying people’s books and reselling them online. It’s eating into smaller companies’ and self-publishers’ profits. (See the article by David Streitfeld sourced from The New York Times titled, “Sellers in Amazon’s bookstore feel beaten up by counterfeit Wild West” for the details.)

For example:

Let’s say, Joe obtains a CD from the library. He really enjoyed it, so he copies it to his computer.

That’s theft. Joe should purchase a copy of it.

Alice finds a great cartoon drawing online. She downloads a copy, prints off T-shirts with her own caption and logo, and sells them.

That’s theft. Don’t assume that, just because something is on Google Images or anywhere else on the Internet, that it’s fair game to copy and use it however you’d like.

So if you’re one of the persons who is wondering why you’re tithing and being financially responsible to the best of your ability, working hard and are not lazy, are not coveting or trying to sabotage someone else’s success, encourage and help others to succeed, yet God is not answering your prayers for prosperity, maybe it’s because you’re being unfaithful in a very little thing: stealing someone’s copyrighted material.

And some creative believer might be praying to God to protect their copyrighted material–and praying against you.

Because your little act(s) of theft are having a big consequence on their bottom line.

***

Sorry, but tonight I thought I’d share my pet peeve. I always strive to honor other people’s copyrights because I want my copyrighted material to be respected by others ie, The Golden Rule. It was actually a coincidence that I read the article in the Seattle Times today (6/24/19) at dinnertime as I had already decided to blog on this topic when driving home from work. I think that multiple coincidences in a short period of time can sometimes confirm it’s an issue God wants to highlight. However, please don’t put too much stock in coincidences because, sometimes, that’s just what they are: coincidences and not divine signposts.

And if I hit a sore spot tonight, please remember that if you confess your sin and repent, you’re forgiven. Christians live under an umbrella of forgiveness, bought by the blood of Christ. All our sins are covered by Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness. It’s an important distinction: It’s not that God won’t forgive or that He’s mean, but He cannot bless what breaks His rules and, thereby, encourage wrong behavior. He wants us to “walk in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3).

Trust God to provide your desires in a manner that glorifies Him and protects your reputation for integrity.