Buddy has been my fur pal for over thirteen years now. I almost always know what each unique look communicates, even when Buddy is not making any sound to emphasize his point.
I grind my own beans since I have the time to do so. I dipped some fresh grounds into the paper sleeve of my coffee machine Monday afternoon but still had some residual left in the grinder. I swiped my fingers around the inside and tipped the machine over the coffee filter, but didn’t hear anything. Did the grounds drop into the filter?*
I looked inside the grinder and the grounds were gone, so apparently they dropped into the filter but I didn’t hear anything.
God doesn’t usually shout that He exists. The Apostle Paul said everyone is without an excuse not to believe there’s a God, because everyone can see the evidence of a Grand Designer in nature (Romans 1:20).
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.…There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.”—King David of ancient Israel, Psalm 19:1, 3
When I’ve recently read about how complex the human heart is or how many functions the liver performs, it shocks me that there’s still people in our modern world who deny God’s existence.
Buddy shocked me when he walked over to my artificial Christmas tree and knocked my manger scene ornament off the tree. He chose that one particular ornament to flip to get my attention.
He got it.
Now Buddy is a creation of God, but he doesn’t know about Jesus and His manifestation in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), which Christian believers celebrate on Christmas Day. It’s probably just a coincidence that he chose that particular ornament, as it was within reach of his nose, rather than a secular ornament. It’s unlikely that his goal was to show God disrespect.
This winter, I’ve been thinking about who Jesus hung around with. Yes, He loves everybody and sat at the table to share meals with sinners—people who weren’t following the Lord—and with self righteous sinners who thought they knew God.
But who did Jesus spend His private time with? And most of His personal time with? His 12 disciples, the 72 others who served Him, and the women following Him and offering financial support. Not people who had no interest in serving, or knowing, the Lord.
The Apostle Paul issued a warning in his letter to the Corinthian church, whose members were struggling to overcome various sins:
“Do not be deceived; ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”—1 Corinthians 15:33
This story about Abraham’s nephew, Lot, particularly distresses me. Abraham had a discussion with God, begging Him not to destroy the city of Sodom if only ten righteous men lived within the city (Genesis 19:32). Abraham was concerned about the welfare of his nephew, Lot, who lived in the city limits of Sodom. So God sent two angels to visit Sodom.
Lot met the two men and “urged them strongly (vs 3)” to spend the night in his home and not stay in the city square, as it wasn’t safe. When the men of the city learned that Lot harbored guests, they knocked on Lot’s front door, insisting that he open up and let them have sex with his guests.
Lot refused, rightly so. But he demonstrated his moral confusion by offering his two virgin daughters, in the place of his guests, to be raped.
As a woman, it really bothers me that Lot considered his only two offspring, his daughters, to be treated like cheap meat to be abused then disposed of.
Lot moved into the vicinity of Sodom because there wasn’t enough grazing land for his livestock and his uncle’s, but then he moved his family progressively closer to the pagan city till he lived within the city limits and participated in its civic life.
After God rescued Lot, because ten good men couldn’t be located in the city, Lot lived in a cave with his two daughters. Apparently the pagan culture also influenced Lot’s family, as each daughter got their father drunk, slept with him, and became pregnant. They lacked the faith to trust God to care for their needs, so they took matters into their own hands to ensure their family line continued.
(Now their offspring became the nations of Moab and Ammon, who caused the nation of Israel quite a bit of grief later in the history of Abraham’s own offspring.)
Now I’m not saying that Christians shouldn’t be friends with unbelievers. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:9-12, that we’re not to avoid associating with unbelievers, as we have to live in society. But not to associate with believers who are engaged in immoral behavior.
When I first got saved, my close friends were unbelievers. Their behavior greatly influenced my character, beliefs and behavior till I grew strong in the knowledge of God’s Word, the Bible, and developed close Christian friendships through the church.
The Apostle Paul also admonished that we should “not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness with lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”—2 Corinthians 6:14. We should not marry, nor own a business, with nonbelievers as they can skew our moral compass in the wrong direction. (If you get saved while already in these relationships, you’re not to break your contract with them (2 Corinthians 7:10-16).
So, in conclusion, we need to be in contact with unbelievers to help point them toward a relationship with the Lord, without making them feel like they have targets on their backs. We’re to love them, just as God loves them, showing them kindness and respect. But our closest friendships should be with godly people who can influence us for good and gently correct us when needed. We need people in our lives who’ll help keep us on the good Shepherd’s path (Psalm 23:3). Who have a moral compass pointed in the direction of Jesus and not the worldly culture.
Because we already have a daily battle with the world (1 John 5:5), the flesh (Galatians 5:17), and the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Our close friendships should be with those who help us to conquer.
God bless you.
Thanks for spending your time reading my blog post.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
You may start each New Year with the best of intentions, yet find yourself falling flat on your face once again, having difficulty breaking old habits.
No surprise! But some habits are more difficult to overcome than others.
As above, every person has three ungodly enemies trying to push each person into bad decisions: the world, the flesh and the devil. But Jesus died on the Cross, taking the punishment for our sins, “once for all (Hebrews 10:10),” to free us from the enslavement to sin (Romans 6:17-18). For the believer who has faith in the finished work of the Cross and has become born again by the Spirit of God (1 John 3:24, 4:4), the power of sin is broken. A believer can break bad habits (although some are overcome with more time and effort in cooperation with the Holy Spirit than others). This is called the sanctification process: over time, God’s Spirit gradually conforms a believer’s moral character to be more like Jesus (Romans 12:2, 1 John 5:1-5).
If you’d like a new start in life by becoming born again spiritually, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible.
Dear Heavenly Father, I’d like a new start in life. I ask Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please show me how much You love me and bring godly people into my life to disciple me. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of your Son, Jesus, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, your soul needs daily food; the Bible, which is your soul food. Please start reading it regularly. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand.
Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).
May Buddy and I see you in heaven one day.
Have a great year as you begin your new relationship with the living and almighty Lord God.
Tonight Buddy believed I was holding out on him. He thought I made myself a better dinner than I’d given him. I let him sniff my bowl of black and green beans, onions and pumpkin seeds. He agreed that I wasn’t holding out on him.
I wasn’t deceiving my furry pal when I told him he wouldn’t want my dinner. But many decent people deceive themselves. How?
Apostle Paul gave a simple summary in Romans 10:9-10 how to be saved (be born again):
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
So the Apostle Paul is saying that a person needs to believe that Jesus is God (Matthew 1:23) and that He was raised from the dead after being crucified, right?
Wrong.
And a lot of people who profess to be Christians believe this.
And are not saved (born again).
You see, Satan and the demons (fallen angels) know that Jesus is God and saw Him crucified and rise from the dead.
“Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’”—Mark 3:11
“The demons also believe, and shudder.”—James 2:19
The devil and evil spirits believe in God but do not make Him their Lord. This is the same sin that some so-called Christians share with Adam and Eve: They believe God exists do not submit to His authority as Lord.
Repeating myself from other blogs here, but Satan tempted Adam and Eve to be their own god and lord, to decide right and wrong for themselves.
And many people proclaim to be Christians but refuse to submit themselves to God’s authority to define what is right and wrong.
Now, I’m not talking about perfect obedience to God’s rules (Law) as that’s impossible. Jesus was incarnated as a human to live the perfect life we cannot live so that He could pay for our sins. If He had sinned, He couldn’t do that; He’d have to die to pay for His own sins.
But His resurrection from the grave proved that He did live a perfect life, so death could not hold Him in the grave. His death sacrifice was declared acceptable payment for our sins.
What I’m talking about are Christians who decide what is morally right apart from how God defines it in the Bible. They cherry pick what they like or don’t like to obey in the Bible, or decide the rules were just for ancient cultures and don’t apply in today’s modern society. Or they just don’t want to obey because sin feels fun for the time being, forgetting that some consequences take time.
Many so-called Christians want to be their own god and lord.
If you think you can go to Heaven and live in the Father’s house, but don’t need to obey His rules of behavior, you’re fooling yourself. Who wants to invite someone to live with them long term who doesn’t want to obey the house rules?
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven will enter.”—Jesus, Matthew 7:21
I’m not writing this to be mean, but to warn you. Christians sin in word, thought and deed—and what’s been undone but should have been said or done—every day. But a born again Christian has the Holy Spirit within them to convict them of sin; true believers are submitted to God’s authority as the “King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15)”. Spirit-filled believers feel remorse when they do what is wrong or someone points it out to them that it’s wrong. Or they are disciplined by God as their loving holy Father if they refuse to repent (Hebrews 12:5-8, Psalm 23:3).
If, like Adam and Eve, you don’t want to obey or consult the Bible on what sin is or not—what behavior the Lord defines is acceptable or not; if you want to follow what your culture or Professor says is right and wrong—and not God, then it’s highly likely you’re not saved.
You’re deceiving yourself.
Please repent. Because I don’t want to hear the Lord Jesus tell you on Judgment Day:
“‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”—Jesus, Matthew 7:23
God bless you.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Nobody can perfectly obey God. He’s so holy that only He is good (Mark 10:18). But once we give our lives to God and ask Him to be our Lord, the Holy Spirit enters our inner being to make us a “new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)” who wants to listen and obey Him. God is our Creator and we’re made in His image (Genesis 1:27). He has an instruction manual to guide our lives called The Bible.
If you’re ready to submit to God’s authority, admit that you’re a sinner that needs His guidance to help you understand right from wrong, please pray the below prayer:
Dear God, I want you to be my Heavenly Father. I want to live with You in Your house forever. I’m tired of living life my way and not Your way. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. In the mighty name of the resurrected Jesus Christ, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations; you’re born again. God promises to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13).
Please start reading the Bible. I suggest starting with Matthew as it’s easy to understand. Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study to grow spiritually strong in your faith and knowledge of God. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but until you get to know what Bible teaches, it’s easy to be misled.
Buddy is basically a good dog. And I tell him that he’s the cutest, best pal in the world; no, the universe.
Is it true that he is the bestest dog ever?
At times Buddy acts like a little monster or does foolish things. He snaps up dried toadstools when we’re taking a walkie so that his panicked human has to snatch it out of his mouth before he swallows it. He sometimes pees on the pad in front of the door, instead of telling me he has to go outside, when he’s angry at me. He even surprised me yesterday by sticking his nose into my pita sandwich to grab the meat wrapped inside (as if I starve him to death).
But to me, he’s the best dog in the universe because he’s my pal, part of my family.
I can overlook Buddy’s bad behavior out of my love for him, but the Lord cannot overlook our sin. The human race rebelled against His authority when Adam and Eve decided to choose for themselves what was right or wrong. Since then, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)”. God is loving, but He also loves justice and must punish sin.
God does not grade on a curve. Everyone sins, so everyone must be punished. “There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).”
So that puts God into a bind, because He must punish sin yet loves us immensely. He wants sinful people to repent of their rebellion and enter into a love relationship with Him.
So God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth, God born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14), to live a perfect life as a man. Because Jesus never sinned, He never had to be punished for His own sin. As a result, He could die in the place of sinful people.
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).”
Because an innocent God-man died for our sins, we don’t have to bear the punishment of eternal separation from a holy God. Only God is perfect, so only God Himself could live a perfect life. We can enter into a relationship with a holy God through faith in Christ’s death for our sins.
As the Apostle Paul explains in his letter, Colossians 1:19-20
“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Jesus) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His Cross;”
Because Jesus shed His blood for our sins, “by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified…And their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:14, 17).”
Jesus’ last words before He died on the Cross were, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), because the punishment for our sins were paid for by His death.
Just like I overlook Buddy’s bad behavior because he is a part of my family, so God sees us as righteous and holy if we accept His invitation to join His family through faith in Jesus.
“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, (John 1:12).”
God bless you as you celebrate God’s love for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
PS. The Bible teaches that there is one God in three Persons, which Christians call the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Nonbelievers may not know that the Trinity is actually described in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah 9:6 and is clearly present in the New Testament at the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3:16-17.
***
You might look around you and think, “I could never be as nice as that person.” Or, “I need to clean up my act to please God before He’ll accept me.” As stated above, God doesn’t grade on a curve. Even our best efforts to behave, He condemns as “filthy rags” because only He is perfect—and we never can be.
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6).”
So don’t think God will reject you for not being “good enough”. No one is. He just wants you to be willing to come to Him for forgiveness of your sins. Then you’ll work together to clean up your act. He wants to help you do that by giving you the Holy Spirit to live within your heart (or spirit, I’ve heard it said different ways; it’s mysterious). It’s what “born again” means.
If you’re ready to change your life, please repeat the following prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that Jesus was born into the human race to die for my sins. I don’t understand much right now, but I ask Jesus to be my Lord God and Savior. Forgive my sins, because Jesus took them away at the Cross. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you prayed sincerely, congratulations you’re born again. Just as our bodies need daily nourishment, so your soul also needs soul food—the Word of God. The Bible is a supernatural book, so please read it daily and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand and you’ll learn about Jesus.
Also, please join a Bible-based church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these ministries: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be deceived by bad teaching till you know the Bible somewhat. These three ministries are unique in their approach and will give you a broad understanding of what the Bible teaches.
Buddy literally had a conniption fit last weekend. My dad accidentally dropped a light bulb in the kitchen while I was helping to change the ceiling lights. To protect Buddy from the broken glass, we locked him in a bedroom while we cleaned up the sharp debris. He cried, whined, scratched on the door and barked furiously as if we were trying to ignore and abandon him.
I’ve been listening to Richard Pfeifer’s audio CD set about the book of Revelation, which is available through the Basic Gospel ministry. I like to hear different viewpoints regarding this confusing and symbolic book as the false religion I was raised in camped on this last book of the Bible. He has a different take on our earthly lives: We don’t need to tell people to repent or they’ll go to Hell, as we’re already living in Hell.
Some months ago I blogged about the Titanic, how we’re all living on a sinking ship. We’ve hit the iceberg of sin and are dead in the water. Like the last scenes of Director James Cameron’s hit movie, “Titanic,” people are floating in the icy water, dying. Jesus is rowing His lifeboat amongst the chunks of ice, looking for people to save from eternal death. Yet, most people are unwilling to get into the boat with Him, preferring to drown in sin with most of the other dead and dying people in the water.
But Mr Pfeifer’s interpretation puts a slightly different spin on things. When someone taunts you, asking why do children get cancer or bad things happen to decent people, you can respond, “Because we’re in living in Hell. Satan, a corrupt creation and sinful people, cause bad things to happen.”
Considering it further, what is Hell? The absence of God and His love. Our earth belongs to Satan—“for the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19)”—and he is bent on “stealing, killing and destroying us (John 10:20).”
The only reason we are not living in a total Hell here on earth is that God has not abandoned us. Humanity, because we’re all descendants of Adam and Eve, rejected God’s authority and decided to choose for themselves how to live their lives without Him. But God continues to share His love, His blessings and His kindness on us although we have turned our backs on Him.
“‘But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous.”—Jesus, Matthew 5:44-45
When we continue to reject God throughout our lives, rejecting His authority, He gives us what we want at our death: an eternity in Hell, existence totally apart from His love and presence and rule.
“The Lord’s bond-servant must…with gentleness correct 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 (Satan’s) will.”—Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Right now we’re just experiencing a taste of what Hell is like—and the love of a God Who continues to intervene, to give talent, beauty, intelligence, skill, good health, fame and fortune to people who continually reject Him.
And comfort, hope, encouragement and perseverance to those who are willing to grasp His hand and allow them to be pulled into His lifeboat, to one day land at that distant shore, safe and sound—for all eternity, rejoicing in His love.
Forever away from Hell.
“I am the truth…”, Jesus, John 14:6
God bless you.
Love from Dawn and Buddy
***
Are you willing to step into God’s lifeboat and get out of the dark waters of sin? Many of our problems are self-inflicted because of our foolish impulses and fears. But Jesus can get you on a new path, onto the “narrow path that leads to life (Matthew 7:14).” If you are, please pray the below to God:
“Heavenly and kind Father, You sent Your Son Jesus to die for our sins so that I don’t have to pay the penalty for my own sin. I call on Jesus to be my Lord, my God, my Savior. Forgive me of my sins. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.”
If you prayed that prayer with sincerity, congratulations. You are a child of God and the Holy Spirit indwells you by faith. You have begun walking a new path in life. Please start reading the Bible, which is your soul’s spiritual food. I recommend starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand and interesting.
Also, please find a Bible-based church or Bible study to attend so that you can grow in an understanding of God, faith and salvation. If that’s not possible right now, please consider these ministries which also have apps, if you prefer: http://www.BasicGospel.net, http://www.InTouch.org or http://www.LTW.org. There are other good ministries but these are my favorites.
Buddy and I recently drove down HWY101 on our return trip to Arizona. We stopped for a few nights at Seaside, Oregon and then for a night at Gold Beach, Oregon so that Buddy would have some ocean beach time before returning to the desert. The entire trip lasted 6 nights as I avoided I-5.* Apparently, fussing for several days in the car and attempting multiple times to get onto my lap exhausted the little guy; he ran out of energy.
Like many Americans, I celebrated the successful launch of the SpaceX spacecraft, Dragon. Pastor Ben Davis of Hope Fellowship, Maple Valley, Washington compared the rocket that sent the two crew members to the International Space Station to the Holy Spirit: Just as it took a massive amount of power to transport astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley into outer space, so there exists a mighty force to empower the body and soul of the human race.
One of the most vital components of being a Christian was totally unknown to me as an ubeliever: that a person becomes born again when the Holy Spirit indwells their inner being. No one had ever told me what being born again meant, not even the Christians who had tried to convert me. So it was a total shock when the Holy Spirit entered into me after I’d given my life to Christ via a volunteer phone counselor during a Billy Graham Crusade TV program.
God created people to be triune beings: body, soul and His Spirit. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s authority, wanting to be their own gods and decide for themselves what was good and evil (Genesis 3:5-6), God’s Spirit left them. Therefore, all of their offspring–the human race–was, and is, born devoid of God’s presence within their inner being.
There is great power available to transform a person’s life, but they are usually unaware of it.
As I was.
Therefore, the problem with humanity is not that we sin, but that we are sinners.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”–Apostle Paul, Romans 3:23
We are sinners because the human race is separated from God Almighty, who is the source of all life. He created us, gives us a soul and a personality. But we have no spiritual power because we are incomplete, devoid of the Holy Spirit.
I believe that at some point in their lives, every person becomes aware of this inner emptiness, but most try to ignore it or don’t understand why it exists and just limp along, living with the awareness that something is wrong in their soul.
Or attempt to quiet the distress of their souls through “enlightenment” or politics or other compulsive behaviors.
The true cure for this inner emptiness is a relationship with Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One through Whom all things were created (Colossians 1:16) and Who is our life (Colossians 3:4).
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”–Apostle Paul, Colossians 1:19
With the help of God, my energy level is improving, despite some chronic health issues. When I choose to forgive, I can literally feel a heavy weight lift off of my mind and soul. Loving, grateful and kind thoughts are slowly pushing out the bitter, selfish and unkind thoughts that once characterized most of my thinking.
Letting go of these heavy anchors of sinful thoughts…
My soul feels lighter!
And like a Dragon, I can soar toward the heavens!
***
Do you want to experience the power of Christ in your life? Please pray this simple prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I’ve done things that grieve you because I’m spiritually dead. I want to repent of my sinful, unloving and selfish behavior, and invite you to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, taking the punishment I deserve for my wrongdoing, because you love me and want me to spend eternity with You. You don’t want me to suffer the consequences of dying for my own sins, separated from You, the source of all life and power. Jesus rose bodily from the dead, conquering death and proving that He is God. I humbly ask the Holy Spirit to come into my life and make me a new Creation. Thank you in Jesus’ great name. Amen
Please start reading the Bible daily. Before you begin to read, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into understanding what you are reading and how to apply it to your life. And, if possible, please attend a church or Bible Study where the people truly believe in the Bible. It is much easier to withstand the pull of our ungodly culture when you are not walking alone. If COVID19 is preventing you from going to a church, there are great ministries on YouTube, the TV or radio. I highly recommend Dr Charles Stanley’s ministry at In Touch (www.InTouch.org).
*Sorry to state this but the landscape in Nevada was generally pretty boring. I recommend a different path heading South. It appeared to me that God dumped the rubble from digging out the Grand Canyon into the Nevada desert. (Don’t take me too literally! I’m being a little facetious here!)
Buddy is examining the branch which is one of many blocking his path around the lake in our old neighborhood. As he could not navigate through each obstacle, I had to pick him up and climb over the branches or move them out of our way.
Jesus is the good Shepherd Who came to earth to help us out, to pick us up and carry us over that impassable divide to Heaven. Like Buddy, we have an obstacle in our path that is preventing us from getting to Heaven without assistance: sin. God hates evil: even the tiniest lie separates us from Him. Our wickedness prevents us from fellowshipping with Him.
But the problem is even worse: We are “dead in our trespasses and sins,” Ephesians 2:1. Jesus came in order to give us life.
“I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” Jesus, John 10:10
You see, we were designed to reflect God, Who is a Triune being. We are supposed to be Triune beings, also: body, soul and Spirit. But when Adam and Eve rebelled against God, declaring that they wanted to decide what was good and evil for themselves and not have God tell them, the Holy Spirit left humanity. As a result, all of their offspring are born incomplete, broken: no longer triune beings but only soul and spirit.
The way to become complete once again is to receive the Holy Spirit back into our lives. But that is impossible to achieve in our own strength: We can never be good enough to earn God’s presence and blessing. The path is impassable. Jesus said to enter the kingdom of heaven, “you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus, Matthew 5:48
Everyone is imperfect, no matter how sweet and kind we think they are. No one can earn their way into heaven, because “the person who sins will die” (Ezekiel 19:20). Everyone must die for their sin to pay the penalty for not living a perfectly loving life.
So humanity was in a terrible bind. God hates sin and must punish it, but loves us and doesn’t want to be separated from us. So He sent Jesus, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), to live the perfect life that is impossible for us to live. Because Jesus did not have to die for His own sins, having none, He was able to die to take the penalty for our sins instead.
All we have to do is reverse the curse of Adam and Eve by admitting we’ve grieved God by sinning against Him and humbly ask Him to be our Lord, that we want to follow His ways instead of our own. That we believe that Jesus is the Lord and died in place for our sins. And that He was resurrected bodily to give us eternal life.
And then you receive your ticket to heaven: The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who will change your heart and make you a new Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You will become whole again, a triune being: Body, soul and Spirit of God.
“After listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
The Holy Spirit seals you as God’s promise that you have eternal life with Him. Without this indwelling presence of God, you cannot get into Heaven. You will still be incomplete, separated from God.
The Holy Spirit is your ticket to Heaven.
And it’s a ticket you cannot earn, but to receive as a gift of grace by casting aside your pride and humbly asking for His salvation.
God bless you in this time of crisis.
Love from Dawn and Buddy
***
If you’d like to get that ticket to Heaven, please pray the following: Dear Lord, I’ve sinned and grieved You. I no longer want to decide what is right and wrong for myself but follow You as my Good Shepherd, Who knows perfectly the correct path to follow. Please forgive my sin. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, who died for my sin and was resurrected bodily and returned to Heaven. Please grant me the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me into all righteousness.
If you prayed this prayer, congratulations. May God bless you richly. Please ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding as you read the Holy Bible. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew in the New Testament as it is easy to understand. And please find a godly, Bible-based church because it is hard to stand strong alone in our ungodly culture. There is strength, and encouragement, in numbers.
Last Wednesday my family celebrated Buddy’s 11th birthday. I don’t know his true birthday, only that he was a summertime puppy. However, a little over 8 years ago on August 21st, 2011, I picked up Buddy from Barbara, who was working with Silky Terrier Rescue as a foster mom, so that’s his unofficial birthday. He’s been a great little pal and I’m very thankful to them both for rescuing and fostering Buddy till he came into my life. And am praying that Buddy will have many more happy and healthy years.
It’s my belief that many people don’t understand what salvation is, not only nonbelievers, but also many people who claim to be Christians. I agree with the Basic Gospel ministry that many preachers teach only “half a gospel”, i.e. that to become a Christian you repent of your sin. True enough.
But the problem with humanity is not that we sin, but that we are sinners. We sin as a result of who we are: fallen humanity. Whether you believe in Adam or Eve or not, the point of the story is that humanity chose to believe satan, rather than God. They chose to be their own gods and choose for themselves right and wrong, rejecting God as their Lord Who defines right and wrong.
We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). God is a triune being–Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, we too, were once triune beings–body, soul and filled with God’s Spirit. When our human ancestors rejected God, the Holy Spirit left the human race. As a result, we are all born incomplete: body and soul only. Everyone is born spiritually dead. That is why everyone feels incomplete and tries to fill that emptiness with food, drugs, alcohol, pleasure, sex, whatever, to make that wrong feeling go away. But it never works because that hole in your soul was meant to be filled with God’s Spirit only. Nothing else will satisfy and make you feel complete.
What that means is that, as Apostle Paul explained to the Ephesians who lived in a culture steeped in the occult:
“You were dead in your trespasses and sins,…” Ephesians 2:1
Doing good works or being good or knowing enough or being wise isn’t going to give you life. The problem isn’t just that you are bad and God is good; the problem is that you’re dead in your sin and need spiritual life.
And only Jesus Christ can give you life.
That’s the problem that unbelievers don’t understand. And what many Christians don’t understand, either. It’s not about a list of rules to obey. Christianity isn’t just a religious system: It’s about your soul being resurrected spiritually from the dead so that you can interact with God. Only spiritually alive people can enter heaven; only spiritually alive people can relate to God the Father.
It is the reason why, after Adam and Eve listened to satan and rejected God’s authority, that they ran and hid from Him. And God was walking around asking, “Where are you?” It wasn’t that God isn’t omniscient and didn’t know where they were physically; it was because they were no longer connected to Him spiritually (Genesis 3:9).
Jesus died for our sins; He took the punishment we deserved to satisfy God’s wrath for our sinful behavior.
But Jesus was also resurrected from the dead, proving He was God in the Flesh (Immanuel, Matthew 1:23). When we put our faith in Him, we are also resurrected from the dead with Him and seated in the heavenly places with Christ. Which is the symbol of baptism: having our sins washed away and then resurrected to a new life.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surprising riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”–Ephesians 2:4-9
So the main point I’m trying to get across is: your works don’t make you right with God because you’re spiritually dead without the Holy Spirit indwelling you. You have to become spiritually alive and trying to be good doesn’t cut it. You can never be good enough to earn the Holy Spirit. You receive Him by asking in faith, admitting that you are sinful, i.e. cannot meet God’s standards and need Him to change you through His resurrection power.
It takes away all boasting before God because you cannot stand before Him and say, “Look how good I am. God is really pleased with me.” That’s what Christians call “legalism”: thinking that you can follow God’s rules to be right with Him. And those people are usually mean and judgmental. It may not be that they are not saved but that no one properly explained to them what salvation is after they accepted Jesus by faith.
Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”–Luke 11:13
After accepting Christ, you’ll once again be whole: body, soul and Spirit.
Much love from Dawn and Buddy
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There is much more that could be said to clarify, but, hopefully, I’ve laid the foundation for a greater understanding of why we need Jesus in our life.
My first sight of Buddy was at pet fair in Enumclaw, Washington. He sat in a cage stacked on top of other cages housing Silkies that his foster mother was exhibiting at the show. I took one look at Buddy and thought, “Well, I don’t know you now but I’ll learn to love you.”
The number one mistake nonChristians make is believing that Christianity is just another religion. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what religion you believe in if it teaches wisdom and how to be a good person.
Christianity is not just another of many religions teaching right living and how to treat others or a self-improvement program. It is about reuniting in a love relationship with the living God Who created us.
Five thousand years ago, Adam and Eve had a perfect love relationship with God. He would walk about in the garden of Eden and fellowship with them. Their lives, gorgeous environment, nutritious food and animals as friends were freely given to them to enjoy. When they rejected God’s authority by believing Satan’s lies that God didn’t really loved them, didn’t have their best interests at heart and was holding out on them, their relationship with God fell apart.
By rejecting God’s authority, the Holy Spirit left the human race.
So we all become incomplete beings at birth, souls and bodies but no Spirit of God indwelling us.
In Genesis 3:9, you can almost hear the anguish in God’s voice as He walks the garden, looking for His companions, “Where are you?” He cries out.
But Adam and Eve are hiding from God. “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid…so I hid myself,” Adam answers in verse 10.
Humankind has been fleeing from God’s presence ever since, making up their own rules of how to get back into relationship with Him. Most people sense that something is wrong, that they are incomplete, but, just like Adam and Eve, they don’t want to approach the God of the Bible because they know that they fall short of His expectations, His standards. Humanity’s solution is religion, a system of reaching up to God.
Christianity is about God reaching down to us, the second part of the Trinity becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:14). Not us reaching up to Him. When Jesus came to earth to live among us, He didn’t sit on a throne in the temple of Jerusalem (aka Herod’s temple), announce His deity and demand that people approach Him with fear and trepidation, present gifts and bow down to Him. No. He sought out people and showed that He loved them by healing them, encouraging them, feeding them, comforting them and even resurrecting their loved ones from the dead. Jesus likely walked over three thousand miles during his three years of public ministry, seeking and saving His lost sheep, inviting people to follow Him and enter into fellowship with the Triune God.
Jesus explained why He came to earth: “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. (Matthew 18:11) Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) No one has ascended into Heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man…For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:13, 16-17)”
My pastor, Ben Davis of Hope Fellowship, frequently quotes this verse from the last book of the Bible, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”–Revelation 3:20
If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, He is knocking at the door of your heart, waiting for You to invite Him into your life. Why not ask Him now? Tell Him you’re sorry for your sins, for falling short of His holy expectations, and want Him to guide Your life and open up your eyes and heart to understand how much He loves you.
“Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”–Apostle Peter, 1 Peter 5:7
And enter into the greatest love relationship you will ever experience with the true and living Triune God who created you, loves you and wants you to know that you are special. You are not an accident of the universe: You were planned (Psalm 139), your life has a purpose, and He wants to be your Lord, Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) and best friend.
“If you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”–Jesus, Luke 11:13
Meditations About God and Buddy 