Buddy wasn’t too thrilled to get a bath this afternoon, but he was starting to get stinky. No one wants to be around a stinker.
Sometimes I have a stinky attitude; the only thing that can wash it away is to remind myself about God’s love and power toward me.
“But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy hill.”—King David, Psalm 3:3-4
Reminding myself to call out to my Lord when I feel distressed or sad gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work on my attitude.
And He will lift my attitude skyward, to rise above my circumstances, to remember that He is with (me) always, even to the end of the age,*” to grant me the courage to face the day.
Nobody enjoys the company of someone with a stinky attitude. Instead of wallowing in self pity, it’s best to call out to Jesus, just like the ancient King David did.
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.
Buddy’s so adorable when he’s a big fur ball, but about three times a year he gets professionally groomed. When he’s trimmed, as above, I nickname him “Fruity,” because his trimmed face resembles a fruit bat.
Fruit bat image from Doi.gov
(I tried to find a tan bat but couldn’t locate the best one to illustrate my point.)
Although Buddy looks very different trimmed, we still love him and consider him adorable. Even when he acts like a little stinker (or smells like one on occasion), he’s still a beloved member of our family.
King David trusted that, even though God knew he was a sinner, his Heavenly Father could still be counted on to deliver him from his enemies in a time of need:
“O God, it is You who knows my folly, and my wrongs are not hidden from You….Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, and do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly.”—Psalm 69:5, 16-17
Because we’re born again, indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), we greatly desire to obey and please Jesus. But although our spirits and hearts have been renewed, we still have minds programmed and influenced by the world, the flesh, Satan, and our past history. It’s why the Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).”
Because we’re aware of our sin, we sometimes balk at bringing our prayer requests before the Lord, because we feel unworthy. We want to clean up our act firstly before coming to Him.
But here’s the BIG TRUTH many Christians forget or legalism prevents us from considering:
WE’RE NEVER WORTHY.
It’s why Christ had to die to atone for the sins of humanity (John 3:16), because only a spotless lamb was an acceptable sacrifice for sin (Exodus 12:5, 1 Peter and 1:19). We are never seen as spotless, free of sin, before we confess our sins and come into relationship with Jesus. Then, clothed with the blood sacrifice of Christ, we become beloved children of God (Galatians 3:26).
The Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church for their sinful behavior: drunkenness at communion, tolerating incest, dividing into camps based upon which apostle they followed rather than Christ, etc. They were immature in their behavior and not doing a good job of submitting to God in the sanctification process.
Yet, the Apostle Paul begins his two letters to the Corinthian church greeting them as saints: 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 2:2 and brethren (1 Corinthians 2:1, 3:1, 2 Corinthians 1:8) and, also:
“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; you are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”—2 Corinthians 3:2-3
He gently rebukes them for their sin, calling for repentance, reminding them that they are God’s children who are to love others and shine the light of Christ into this dark world.
But he continues to love them and call them fellow believers—because they are born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
My dear brother or sister in Christ, always call upon Jesus in your time of need. He knows that it’s impossible for you to meet the perfect standard of righteousness that the Law requires (Matthew 5:48).
Call on Him with humility and sincerity as He loves you.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”—Apostle John, 1 John 4:10
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Everyone is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), but only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become born again are His children:
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”—Apostle John, John 1:12-13
You may not have heard this before as our culture teaches that every person is a child of God—but it isn’t true. Only those in relationship with the Father through the Son are children of God.
Every human is made in His image, which gives precious value to everyone. So treasured are humans that He sent His Son to live a perfect life, taking on human flesh, then die on a cross to take the punishment for our sins instead of us. He rose bodily from the grave on the Third Day, proving that He is God and can give eternal life to those who repent and ask Him to be their God.
If you believe this but haven’t joined God’s family yet, will you please pray the following 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 my Lord and Savior. Please change my heart and life by granting that Your Holy Spirit lives within me. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me. 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 spiritual soul food. Just as your body needs food every day to stay healthy, so does your soul.
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 (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless you as you make a new start in life. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Buddy and I moved to Arizona four years ago, yet we still support Seattle’s baseball team, the Mariners.
This season Arizona’s team, The Diamondbacks, is currently pkaying in the World Series. My beloved Mariners are the only professional baseball team that’s never made it to the World Series.
But I plan to remain faithful to the team my family attended the first ever game for.
(I do ask myself: Will I live long enough to see them play in baseball’s premiere event? Sorry Mariners!)
Life is tough. But please don’t run away from the Lord. The predator always hunts down the animal that strays from the pack, as it’s the most vulnerable.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”—Jesus, John 10:10
Please stay with Jesus, Who gives abundant life through the power of the Holy Spirit working within you.
Buddy wasn’t happy with me when I returned home today after being away for several hours. He let me know how he felt about it. He almost looks like he’s ready to do battle when I took the photo above.
Speaking of battles, one of my favorite verses from the Biblical book of Proverbs has been on my mind this week:
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.”—Proverbs 21:31
After Moses died, the Lord appointed Joshua to lead the nation Israel across the Jordan River to claim the Promised Land for their territory. Joshua sent the priests carrying the Ark of The Lord ahead of the people before they crossed.
Later, God promised to fight on behalf of the people of Judah after “a great multitude (2 Chronicles 20:2)” of the enemies of the nation gathered together to attack them. Victory seemed impossible.
But Jehoshaphat loved and trusted the Lord. After requesting that the people of Judah fast, the king prayed sincerely from his heart, declaring their dependence upon the Lord to save them as the nation gathered before him. Then he took the following action:
“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.’
“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
I think one reason Western Christian Civilization is in danger is because most Christians don’t realize that we’re in a spiritual battle, so they don’t bother to “prepare for battle.”
It’s my belief, and I cannot prove this, is that the lockdowns stopped corporate worship. And too many people have not returned to church once the lockdowns ended. The above two passages from the Bible demonstrate the importance of depending upon the Lord to defeat the enemies of our faith and of the necessity of praise and worship.
Thankfulness expressed to God for our blessings and declaring His magnificence, creativity, power and love, I believe are a vital part of winning spiritual battles.
Satan absolutely hates hearing The Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—praised because He loathes God. He knows his judgment is inescapable, so he’s doing as much harm as he can to those God loves: the human race, made in His image (Genesis 1:27).
We complain about people’s behavior and the seeming onslaught of wickedness in our modern culture, but they are not our true enemies: the powers influencing them are:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”Apostle Paul, Ephesians 6:12
To summarize:
Remember that you ARE engaged in a battle. Ignoring this fact will just make you a casualty.
Prepare your “horse” for battle.
Praise, worship and honor God Who indwells you and fights on your behalf. This also gives you confidence as you remind yourself how powerful that Big Guy on your side is.
And remember that your true enemy is not the hapless people in bondage to Satan; instead, have pity on them and ask God to save their souls.
Pray, requesting God’s counsel and guidance, then step forward in faith, crossing whatever Jordan River our Mighty God has asked you to cross.
God bless.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
PS. I hope you’ll memorize Proverbs 21:31 as it’ll remind you that victory comes from God. I cannot tell, or promise, what shape that victory will take.
***
You cannot defeat the forces of darkness in your own strength. But Jesus defeated Satan and the powers of darkness when He died for our sins and then was resurrected bodily on the third day.
“Having disarmed principalities and powers… (Colossians 2:15).”
So that He “might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:15).”
People who don’t believe in an afterlife just grab all the gusto they can to build their castles and kingdoms in this life. It’s tough being in the rat race, because not all the rats can win.
But knowing Jesus can free you from having to grasp for every little tidbit of cheese you can scramble together. He promises eternal life in His kingdom to those who accept Him as their Lord—meaning acknowledging He’s God and your boss.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”—Jesus, Matthew 11:28
The “rest” Jesus promises is for your soul. You can relax and find spiritual peace in His kingdom.
Are you ready to stop grasping for all the gusto, wearing yourself to a frazzle? Would you like God to start leading your life?
If so, please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m tired of the battle, of trying to live life without Your help. I need rest in my soul. Please forgive my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And please show me how much You love me. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. God has given you spiritual life. Please begin to read the Bible daily, as it’s your soul food. Just as your physical body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew and reading forward, as it’s easy to understand. And try to remember to ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding, as it’s a supernatural book.
And start attending either a Bible based church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest the following two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Buddy’s a clever dog. He’s discovered that if he squeals, rather than barks, I respond immediately, because he sounds distressed, needing help.
The Apostle Matthew relayed an extraordinary experience with Jesus. Jesus had just miraculously fed over five thousand people by breaking and distributing five loaves of bread and two fish. Then He commanded His disciples to get into a boat and travel to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while He sent the crowds away to spend some quality time alone on a mountain to pray to the Father God and refresh Himself.
Being God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), Jesus surely knew that a storm was brewing, that would capture the disciples in raging waves. Yet, He later walked on the sea, not to rescue the disciples from danger, but to pass them by.
Per Msgr. Charles Pope, Jesus intended to pass by to display His glory, His identity as the incarnated Christ. (https://blog.adw.org/2014/01/why-did-jesus-mean-to-pass-by-his-disciples-when-he-walking-on-the-water/). The disciples did worship Jesus as God after He stilled the storm. After all, Psalm 107:29 clearly teaches that it is God Who has the power to still stormy waters. After the display of His power and supernatural abilities, they recognized it was God in human form they were following.
If you aren’t familiar with the Scripture, the disciples became frightened when they saw Jesus walking on the stormy sea. After all, it was likely pitch black and they wouldn’t recognize whoever was out on the water walking toward them. They thought they’d seen a ghost.
“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I: do not be afraid.’
“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to you on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”—Matthew 14:27-30
Now, I certainly don’t condemn Peter for being frightened. He was a seasoned fisherman; those waves must’ve been massively high and scary, besides the flashes of lightning scarring the dark sky and the pounding thunder. But that’s not the point I’d like to focus on right now.
“And beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him…“—Matthew 14:30-31
When Peter called upon the Lord Jesus to be saved, Jesus acted immediately. He didn’t allow Peter to sink below the waves to “teach him a lesson.”
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.”—Isaiah 59:1
The Lord is always eager to hear a person cry out, “Please, save me!” He will respond immediately. Jesus will reveal His glory, but then stop to reach out to pull any person out of the treacherous waters of sin and death who cry out to Him for salvation with an open and honest heart (Luke 8:15).
“For ‘whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”—Romans 10:13, the Apostle Paul quoting an Old Testament prophet, Joel 2:32
Please don’t wait till you’re sinking. Call upon Jesus right now for your salvation. He’s knocking on the door of your heart, waiting for you to respond to His voice (Revelation 3:20).
“‘For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,’ declares the Lord God. ‘Therefore, repent and live.’”—Ezekiel 18:32
If you’re already a born again believer, Jesus knows every hair on your head (Matthew 10:30). Can you imagine how amazing that is? You shed and grow new hairs constantly. Yet, this incomprehensibly powerful God, Who has named every of the billions stars in the universe (Psalm 147:4) will also respond to the cries of His children when you call out to Him for help.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”—Psalm 147:3
Open up your heart to Jesus today. He loves and wants to hear your voice.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Why delay? Cry out to Jesus right now for salvation from the stormy waves of this uncertain world. Jesus, being God and sinless, didn’t have to pay the punishment for His own sin, so He was able to pay for the sins of others as a substitute on our behalf. He was crucified on the Cross, then rose from the dead on the third day, proving that He is God.
Perhaps that went over your head a little. That’s OK for right now. If you give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will teach you and help you to understand.
So are you ready to take a different path into your future? If so, please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. But I believe You love me and sent Jesus to take the punishment I deserve. Please forgive my sin. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me, guide me and lead me into a life of love. In the mighty name of Your Son Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all understanding as you read. The Bible is 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, and read forward.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study, and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled by false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well. Pastors Chuck Smith, Chuck Swindoll, and Max Lucado have also written excellent books, many of which can be found in an American library system.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
When you’re dealing with the elderly, whether dog or human, it can be frustrating as their hearing is diminished. Often I believe I’m being listened to—but I’m not. When I call Buddy’s name, if he sits up or looks toward me, then I know he’s heard me. I request that my parents acknowledge they heard me, because, too frequently they didn’t hear me speaking or were distracted and, therefore, didn’t listen.
A leader in my church has often complained about the bias in our modern day news media. But when we were growing up, newscasters and journalists, even if they weren’t Christians, were still greatly influenced by Christian culture. Deliberately lying or misleading others was frowned upon. And although it’s impossible to avoid all bias, because even selecting which news is important enough to discuss within a half hour newscast or included within the allotted pages of a newspaper, there generally was a desire to strive for objectivity.
I recall when “The Seattle Weekly” ran a special issue on abortion. Planned Parenthood presented their position and then their views were counterbalanced by an equally lengthy article by Feminists Against Abortion. The reader was trusted to form their own opinion after absorbing the information from both articles. (I recall the issue clearly because of its impact on me.)
Freedom of Speech is one of the foundational principles undergirding the United States. Our forefathers believed that in open debate, when both sides are given an opportunity to present their viewpoint, the truth emerges through the clash of ideas.
But, I’m supposing here, that with the very nature and idea of truth being questioned in Western Post Christian culture, how a person uniquely perceives the world is now “their truth”. And, it’s therefore valid to push an agenda for “the good of others” based upon their definition of truth.
That’s why it’s critically important to distinguish which voices are speaking from a godly point of view—and which are not.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no god.’”—Psalm 53:1
When you listen to a newscaster, read or listen to an opinion piece, or news or magazine article, please ask yourself: Is this coming from a person who believes in the existence of objective truth? And, of utmost importance, is this information originating from a source that believes in THE TRUTH, Jesus Christ?
“Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”—John 14:6
Although he knew Jesus was innocent of any crime deserving death, Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus to the horrendous punishment of crucifixion. Jesus claimed to be the voice of truth. But Pilate, apparently steeped in the humanistic teachings of Greek philosophy, asked “What is truth? (John 18:38)” Pilate listened to the voice of the populace and the Roman government, not what he knew was the right thing to do.
Regardless of how highly we regard a person, they’re either living under the influence of the Lord—or the enemy of our soul, the “liar (John 8:44).”
Psalm 53 continues to elaborate on the character of the soul that denies the existence of the Lord:
“They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is no one who does good…Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;”—Psalm 53:2-3
The Book of Proverbs issues multiple warnings against following in the path of, listening to, or associating with, fools:
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”—Proverbs 16:25
“With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,”—Proverbs 11:9
“With the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.”—Proverbs 10:14
“The heart of fools proclaims folly.”—Proverbs 12:23
Now I’m not saying that nonbelievers are always maliciously misleading people. They can sincerely strive to try to be good and to do right, but we believers know how God feels about that:
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”—Isaiah 64:6
As Proverbs 16:25 above states, you can be sincere but sincerely wrong. The information, or path, the nonbeliever advocates may seem right to them, but any actions not based upon God’s wisdom (the Bible) is leading them—and anyone who follows—down the wrong path.
What I’m advocating is:
Be aware the belief system of the person you’re listening to.
Obtain news and opinions from people who love Jesus and believe in the truth. Or Jewish people who honor the Old Testament teachings.
If the information source is from a nonbiblical perspective, be aware of that. Science, itself, is mere data, but humans interpret that data through the prism of their belief system.
I, personally, enjoy reading books about the importance and influence of storytelling from a Liberal nonbeliever. Her work highlights, for me, the reason why Jesus conveyed so much of His moral teachings through parables. And her books discuss the latest brain science on how the brain retains information and is influenced. But I’m also paying attention to when, and how, she’s expressing her personal beliefs and not just blindly accepting every statement as fact.
God promises to instruct us, counsel us, and teach us in the way we should go in Psalm 32:8. And Jesus claimed that His “sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me,” in John 10:27. So we don’t need to ask God to lead us or speak to us, because He’s promised to do so. I acknowledge by faith what He’s already promised to do. But I ask Him to enable me to listen and the grace to obey, at least try to, daily.
So the bottom line is: Do you want to listen to fools?
Or to those, though still imperfect, are influenced by Jesus and believe truth exists?
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy.
“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”—Jesus, Matthew 15:14, equating spiritual blindness to walking physically blind in the world
***
Life is difficult to navigate. But even more difficult without God’s guidance. God is often described in the Bible as our refuge, someone we can turn to for comfort and a listening ear in distress.
But if you are separated from a perfectly holy God Who cannot tolerate even the teeniest sin in His presence, you cannot find comfort in His presence. Only conviction of your moral imperfection.
But here’s the real GOOD NEWS: God knows we’re incapable of cleaning up our act. Even our good deeds fail to meet His standards, but He loves us so much that He found a way to reconcile sinful people to Himself. He punished His son Jesus on the Cross for all the sins of humanity, instead of punishing us. Jesus died “once for all (Hebrews 10:1-23).”
Jesus paid the price for your sin. Because there’s no way you can meet the standard of perfection God demands to stand in His presence (Matthew 5:48).
A now deceased pastor described our salvation as a gift that God has placed into everyone’s bank account, but not everyone goes into the bank and asks the desk clerk to give them their deposit: eternal life. Every person has to ask God for that gift.
How do you claim your spiritual deposit? By accepting Jesus as both Lord and God Who has the right to determine what’s right and wrong. You must accept His authority and His path to eternal life: confess your sin and need for Christ. You can never be perfect enough to earn God’s love, but you don’t need to: just ask for his free gift of salvation.
Are you ready to leave the land of spiritual blindness and become truly awake?
If so, please repeat the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and willfully living my life apart from Your guidance. Please forgive my sins. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I believe He died for my sins and was resurrected bodily from the grace on the third day to give me eternal life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please teach me how much You love me and grant that I grow in my faith. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily, as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew and reading forward, as it’s easy to understand.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to get misled by false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.
When visiting my parents a year ago, Buddy ran out through the garage and scurried down the street. I was terrified as he is car stupid and won’t hesitate to run in front of an SUV or any other motorized vehicle. For a dog of fifteen years, he is still remarkably quick.
I used to run track and cross country in high school, but congenital birth defects in my hip and feet became too painful to continue after my mid-thirties. In other words, Buddy was outrunning me.
What frightened me was my total lack of control over the situation. I couldn’t convince Buddy to stop running away from me. I felt totally helpless.
Yes, I prayed between my sobs of fear and frantic calls to Buddy to return to me. But I still felt helpless to protect my best furry pal from harm.
I hopped into my dad’s SUV and we were off, trying to locate the rascal. Again, I felt out of control, fearing my father would accidentally run Buddy down in the near darkness. Fortunately, Bud stopped to sniff at a bush near the development’s clubhouse. I hopped out of the car and grabbed him.
Similarly, I think many Christians today are like me. We see the rapid rise of evil in our culture, and rejection of commonsense and adherence to traditional American values and the US Constitution/Bill of Rights, and feel helpless to stand against this tsunami of corruption and folly. It’s easy to feel afraid. Many times I need to recite this verse to calm myself:
“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”—Psalm 103:19
I have to frequently remind myself that God is sovereign and still in control “OVER ALL.” Nothing escapes His notice.
However, God’s in control—and NOT me.
King David wrote Psalm 37 near the end of his life, (answers.com claims based upon verse 25). He was reviewing how God remained faithful despite the ups and downs of his life.
This Psalm, however, also encourages the Christian to remain faithful despite evil in the world.
David gives four statements on how to deal with evil in the world.
1. “Do not fret…” verses 1, 7 and 8.
Why? Because “it leads only to evildoing”—verse 8. This same verse warns that anger and wrath are linked with fretting.
It’s true, isn’t it? Worrying about evil and focusing on their wicked deeds only fills me, and you, with increasing bitterness, particularly when coupled with feelings of helplessness. I want it to stop, but it doesn’t.
Fretting is like a boiling teakettle: The water keeps heating up internally. Only one small irritant from someone in my life can cause me to blow because I’ve been simmering and just needed one more degree of irritation to go off.
2. David reminds us that evil people eventually “perish…they vanish, like smoke, they vanish away (vs 20), but the godly person is “preserved forever (vs 28).”
It looks like wicked people are prospering, “carrying out wicked schemes”, “spreading himself out like a luxuriant tree in its native soil” (verses 7 and 35), but their glory is temporary. God doesn’t assist them when they’re in trouble, their descendants are cut off, and “will perish” eternally. They seem to prosper, but as Asaph mentioned in Psalm 73, after he “perceived their end,” he realized it’s much better to follow the Lord than to prosper during our short time on earth.
Conversely, the Lord helps, strengthens, blesses, and rescues His children and even “gives (them) the desires of their heart (vs 4).” In fact, there are multiple promises sprinkled throughout the Psalm how the Lord blesses His children. They may suffer for a time, but can count on His deliverance.
3. David encourages us to focus on the Lord and His power to bless us, rather than worry and fret about what evildoers are up to. We’re advised to follow the Lord, “trust in” Him, “delight in” Him, “commit your way to the Lord”, “rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him,” and “to cultivate faithfulness” (verses 3-5, 7).
That’s not to say to never stand up against evil, because our culture and society would collapse if we remained mute and allowed Satan a free reign. But we’re advised to keep God in the center of our thoughts and not worry.
4. David reminds us how powerful God Almighty is. He’s got everything under control, even if it doesn’t look like it.
“The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees his day is coming.”—verse 13
The Lord isn’t worried that these seemingly powerful people will knock Him off His throne. They think they’re in control, but they aren’t. The Lord can bless His children with “abundance” even “in the days of famine” (verse 19). The Lord can deliver His children out of the grasp of evil people (vs 33), strengthen them when under attack (vs 39), and deliver them:
“The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”—verse 40
The Psalmist is a realist. He asks us to “wait patiently for” the Lord to act (vs 7). God generally works through natural processes; it can take time to get all of His “ducks in a row” to save us from evil. We gotta keep trusting in Him while He works things out for our benefit.
In summary: We shouldn’t worry but remain faithful, trust God will act in His timing, that evil won’t ultimately triumph as there is a coming Day of Accountability, that no wicked plans survive the passage of time, and God is always in control.
Our focus—and believe me, I falter often—needs to be centered on God’s love and faithfulness. He rewards His children who love Him and try to lead a godly lifestyle.
And isn’t that what wicked people hate most? Not getting the upper hand because we refuse to worry and remain cheerful and determined to follow the Lord Jesus?
Hope you’re feeling encouraged.
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
PS. I really encourage you to memorize Psalm 37 or meditate upon it. It’s a long one, so be patient with yourself and learn it in chunks. I’m still working on memorizing it myself.
***
God promises “never to desert you, nor will I ever forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-6).” But that promise is only for Christians indwelt by the Holy Spirit—the presence of God. I do believe God is at work in the lives of all people, as Satan would likely destroy every person’s life if allowed free reign. But nonbelievers cannot count on God’s promises, given only to those who love Him.
But God is eager to shower His love upon those willing to accept Him into their lives as their Lord and Savior.
Do you want Jesus in your life? To be assured of eternal life in heaven?
It’s a free gift. You don’t need to try to “be gooder” or clean up your act first. You just need to invite Him to be your God: ask Him to be your Lord, believe that Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected bodily from the dead.
To believe that Jesus, God in the flesh, loves you so much that He took the punishment that your sins deserve, so that you don’t have to pay for your sins.
Jesus paid the price. You just need to humble yourself to receive His gift.
If you’re ready to invite God into your life, please pray the following, out loud if possible:
Dear Father, Please forgive all my sin. I’m sorry for my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. I confess that Jesus was punished for my sin and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day. 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 begin reading the Bible daily, as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs nourishment daily to be healthy, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand. And keep reading forward.
And join a Bible believing church and 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 (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.
God bless you. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Buddy is normally a good boy—till the passion for chickie overcomes him. Then he becomes demanding, disrupting my meal till I give him some chickie from my plate.
But a little chickie is not enough to satisfy Buddy’s desires. He’ll keep barking at me till he’s convinced that I’m not hiding any chickie from him on MY plate.
This wasn’t my planned topic today, but last night I watched a YouTube video about musicians who are openly glorifying Satan. Several top, well-known performers acknowledged openly during interviews that they had “sold their soul” to the devil for fame and money.
But can a person sell their soul to the devil?
Some may disagree, but I emphatically state, “No!”
Why is that?
If someone asked me how much I would pay for Buddy, I’d asked, “Are you nuts? I’ve already been my dog’s owner for nearly 13 years now. Why would I pay you for a longtime pet who already belongs to me?”
A person cannot sell to Satan something he already owns, lays claim to.
Here’s how the Apostle Paul explained the lost person’s condition to young pastor, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:
“The Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all…with gentleness correcting those in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
People who aren’t born again Christians are already in bondage and slavery to Satan; they already are captives to his unholy will. Satan already owns their soul.
The good news for people who think they’re hopeless and can never go to heaven is this: It’s a lie that your soul is forever lost because you “made a contract with the devil.”
What also did the Apostle Paul claim?
“And it shall be that EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved.”—Acts 2:21, Apostle Peter, his first sermon
And who is that name we should call on?
“Jesus said to him (Thomas), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.’”—John 14:6
If you think you can never escape the snare of Satan, that’s a lie from the enemy of your soul. Call upon the name of Jesus, tell Him you’re sorry for your sins, and ask Him to be your Lord. Renounce the devil and his works.
Or, if you know someone who believes they’re without hope, tell them the Good News: Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as Lord will be saved.
Hope this helps somebody out there who believes they’re without hope.
“The one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.”—Jesus, John 6:37
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
If you’re convinced that you CAN escape the devil’s grip on your life, please repeat the prayer below, out loud if possible:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m truly sorry for my sins and want to change, and only You can change my life forever. Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live my life for You. Change my heart and life. Show me how much You love me. In the holy name of your Son Jesus, God in the flesh Who died for my sins*, amen.
If you’ve prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul; the Bible is your soul food.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled till you know the Bible fairly well.
God bless you as you begin a new path in life. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.
Meditations About God and Buddy 