What’s Life All About Really?

Give me more attention!

Life is simple for Buddy. Take walkies. Snooze. Eat treats. Beg for food. Occasionally pay attention to your human.

Actually, human life is similarly simple. All of life boils down to one simple answer.

Want to know what it is?

What life really is all about?

Enough suspense yet? Here’s the answer:

Our life here on earth is all about choosing which god you’re going to spend eternity with.

That’s it in a nutshell.

The secret to this chaotic, rollercoaster, sometimes thrilling, sometimes awful life.

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”—Jesus, John 12:46

Every day a person can choose to remain in Satan’s “domain of darkness” and “perish in their sin” (Colossians 1:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:10,) or choose to spend eternity with Jesus.

“For He (God) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”—Colossians 1:13-14

The choice is yours.

Jesus hung on the Cross between two thieves. One continued to hurl insults at Jesus, demanding that He come down from the Cross and rescue them from crucifixion.

The other humbled himself, admitted he was a sinner, and asked that his soul be saved. And Jesus answered him, saying:

“‘Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’”—Luke 23:43

Eternity with Jesus or Satan.

Everyone makes that choice.

It’s truly what life is really all about.

Thank you for reading!

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

PS. So next time someone asks you, “What’s life all about?”—you have an answer.

***

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.

Are You Afraid Of The Future? Buddy Brief

Interior stare-case

Buddy is 16.5 years old and his eyesight has weakened, so his depth perception is off. He cannot climb down a staircase without risk of a misstep and tumbling down the stairs. He’s fine with me carrying him down the exterior stairs which must be scary looking to him, being pebbles set into concrete.

But he sure gets quite upset when I pick him up to carry him down the interior stairs. The photo above shows how it must look to him. But unless he permits me to carry him, Buddy is not guaranteed a safe journey to the lower floor.

After the arrest, merciless beating, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus Christ, his apostles were terrified of the future. The man they thought would establish God’s kingdom on earth and rescue them from oppression under the Roman Empire seemed utterly powerless to protect Himself from death.

They went into hiding, fearing the same, brutal death.

The future looked terrifying!

Maybe they wondered if they were wrong to believe He was the Christ. He died just like anybody else. Those who hated Him “without a cause (John 15:25)” had won!

“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”—John 20:19

Although Jesus had told the disciples on multiple occasions that He had to suffer but would rise again, they either didn’t believe or understand what He was really saying.

Even after His resurrection, the apostles still didn’t get that Jesus was establishing a heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one (per my Pastor Jon Bjorgaard this AM, thank you).

“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’”—Acts 1:6

Just as Buddy gets scared and doesn’t trust me to carry him safely down the interior staircase, so, too, we often get terrified at what lies before us. The unknown future looks frightening! We don’t realize that Jesus has total control, not only over our lives, but over history and the universe!

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”—Psalm 103:19

The apostles were afraid of the future because they didn’t understand God’s plan.

Just as you and I can be fearful when we look around at our deteriorating culture and the evil in our world.

But even though we don’t always understand how His plan is unfolding, we don’t need to be afraid.

Just as I won’t let go of Buddy and will get him safely down the staircase…

…God will carry you safely through the unknown future into Heaven.

He’s got this!

God bless you.

“You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.”—Psalm 139:5

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

PS. I’m human just like you. I get scared as I see prophetic events unfolding, so I recall the psalms above to calm myself, remembering God’s power.

The Difference Between Believing—And Knowing, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Dirty mouth from eating.

I cannot fool Buddy. I can try to hide my chicken dinner from him, but he still has an exceptional sense of smell at over 15 years old and knows I have chicken on my plate because he detects its scent.

I’ve learned, from Buddy’s unusually demanding behavior, that chickie is his favorite meat. It’s a good thing he isn’t a large dog, or I’d probably have to eat my chicken dinner hidden away somewhere.

Which reminds me of a funny event when a teenager. My mother, brother and I were eating dinner when the doorbell rang. My mother’s German shepherd mix, Peaches, ran barking to the front door. After my mother rose and walked over to the door to respond to the unexpected guest, Peaches ran back to the dinner table, grabbed my mom’s piece of chicken, and ran off. We still laugh about what a sneaky and clever dog she was.

But I digress.

One criticism of Christianity is the nonbelievers’ claim that many religious persons over the centuries were willing to face death for their beliefs, not just Christians. Just because a person was willing to face martyrdom, doesn’t mean their faith was correctly placed or true.

Those critics are missing a critical fact: There is a distinct difference between BELIEVING something is true versus KNOWING it is true.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 the following to the church he helped found in Asia Minor:

“…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the Third Day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas (Apostle Peter), then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”

History declares that all of the original Twelve Apostles (after Judas Iscariot was replaced) were martyred for their faith. Reportedly the youngest Apostle, John, survived being boiled in oil, then was confined to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the apocalyptic scripture, Revelation. Although not one of the original twelve, the Apostle Paul was also killed for his Christian faith.

These men saw the resurrected Jesus. When threatened with death, they did not recant but suffered martyrdom: crucified upside down, head lopped off with a sword, speared, and other grisly deaths. If they KNEW that their claim that Jesus was resurrected was a lie, they could’ve recanted and saved their lives.

But they didn’t just believe He rose from the dead, proving that He was God, they KNEW. They saw Him with their own eyes.

And, unlike some critics claim, it wasn’t an episode of group hypnosis, since Jesus made multiple appearances. Even an apostle who was willing to die for Jesus before His crucifixion, Thomas (John 11:16), doubted Christ was resurrected until he saw Jesus in the flesh for himself; he didn’t believe the other apostles till Jesus invited Thomas to “place your finger here, and see my hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing (John 20:27).” Jesus asked Thomas to physically touch His crucifixion wounds to prove He had risen from the dead.

In fact, the Apostle Paul was traveling to Damascus to drag Christians off to prison for their faith, in his zeal to protect his Jewish heritage, till the risen Christ appeared and appealed to him to stop persecuting Him (Acts 9:1-19) and killing Christians. Paul was present at the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, and “stood there, giving (his) approval (verse 20).” There would ABSOLUTELY be no reason for the Jewish Pharisee, rising up in the ranks and in reputation, to suddenly start proclaiming Jesus Christ and then later be beheaded for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.

What did the risen Jesus say about this topic to the Apostle Thomas?

“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you HAVE SEEN ME, have you now believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed (John 20:28-29).’” (Emphasis mine.)

The Apostles knew Jesus rose from the dead and proved He was God, because they saw Jesus physically in the flesh. John witnessed Christ being crucified.

But we are blessed, Jesus said, because we believe in the Lord’s death for our sin and His resurrection on the third day, although we did not actually witness the events.

God bless you.

And many thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I much appreciate it. I hope you find the posts helpful.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

God desires that none “perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).” Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts, asking for permission to be your Lord and moral authority, but He won’t break the door down (Revelation 3:20). (Although I wish He sometimes would for the benefit of the unsaved person.)

Are you ready to confess that you believe Jesus died for your sins to reconcile you to God and give you eternal life (Colossians 1:20)?

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

Dear Holy Father, Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I invite the Holy Spirit into my life. Please change my heart and show me how much You love me. I give my life to You. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food and the main means through which God speaks to you. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please 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). Pastor and author Max Lucado has also written many fine books and copies can usually be found in your local library.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

God bless you as you start your new life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrong.

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

And are not saved (born again).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You’re deceiving yourself.

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

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

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you.

May Buddy and I greet you in heaven one day.

The Resurrected Life, Ephesians 2:1, 4-5; The Missing Second Half of the Gospel

After I rescued Buddy from an abusive situation via a foster mom, he began a new life. Kisses and hugs replaced slaps and kicks; food preferences and treats replaced having his food yanked away for amusement.

Most Christians understand how to get saved—“by grace through faith”—but not what happened WHEN they got saved.

Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1, 4-5:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…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),…”

Before a person gives their life to Christ and repents of their sin, they are spiritually dead. When a person becomes born again, God gives them spiritual life.

Jesus warned the religious leaders of His day that they knew the Scriptures, the Law of God, but were “unwilling to come to (Him) so that you may have life (John 5:40).”

The problem destroying the human race isn’t that we sin.

The problem is: We sin because we are sinners.

Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority to define right and wrong; they wanted to decide for themselves (Genesis 3:1-8). As a result, all their descendants—the entire human race—are born spiritually dead, running away from God.

Spiritually dead people sin and disobey God.

We are “dead in our trespasses and sins (vs 1),” till Jesus gives us spiritual life through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

When you’re unsaved, you are dead, “by nature children of wrath (vs 3).”

After you’re born again, you become a “new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)” with a new “heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)” that desires to obey God (Ezekiel 36:27) because the Holy Spirit lives in you (Ephesians 1:13).

You were once a slave to sin (John 8:34).

But are now a “slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)”.

You were once dead in your sins, but…

Now you are alive in Christ Jesus, resurrected with Him into the “newness of life (Romans 6:4)”.

Live life, rejoicing in God’s kindness.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)”

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

As you read above, when you’re not born again, you’re spiritually dead. It doesn’t matter how many good deeds you’ve done in your lifetime, dead people cannot enter heaven.

People mock Christianity as narrow-minded because we claim there’s only one way to heaven, and that’s through Jesus Christ.

But we aren’t being mean. The truth is, only Jesus can give you spiritual life. Obeying laws, doing good, or chanting or meditation cannot give you life. You are “dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Please don’t be unwilling to come to Jesus for life. It’s a free gift. You can never be good enough to earn eternal life.

Jesus promised:

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

If you’re ready to ask God into your heart to give you new life in your inner being, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I’m sorry for my sin and ask You to forgive me and blot out all my sin. I believe that Jesus died for my sin on the cross and was resurrected bodily to give me new life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for giving me eternal life as a free gift. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you are born again. Please start reading the Bible. Just as your body needs food daily to be healthy, so your soul needs daily soul food, God’s Word, the Bread of Life. 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 three ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). These aren’t the only godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled till you understand the Bible better. These are my favorites and each has its own emphasis.

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

Celebrating My Re-Birthday, Romans 10:8-9

When I adopted Buddy, he didn’t come with his papers. So I don’t know his actual birthday. His official birthday is, therefore, his adoption day: August 21st.

I do know my re-birthday: March 7th, 1989. On that night I called the Billy Graham Crusade phone number on the TV screen and spoke with a Christian volunteer who led me to the Lord.

That night I had felt that something was wrong in my life, in my spirit, but couldn’t identify what it was. At that time, the local channels would broadcast the Billy Graham Crusades as paid advertising. So you didn’t have to pay to listen or travel to the convention.

I believed that Jesus was a real man who walked the earth. But I was raised in a cult religion that denied His deity. After I finally broke free from that false belief system, I tried to embrace atheism, but it was impossible for me.

I read a biography on Charles Darwin and the “Origin Of The Species,” but found his work to be very unscientific and speculative.

A turning point came at an unlikely time: I took a class in Greek and Roman Mythology at my university to fulfill a requirement. A longtime school friend and I had loved reading myths from other cultures when we were kids, so thought I’d enjoy the class. The professor surprised me by frequently attempting to discount the Old Testament instead of focusing on what the class was supposed to be about.

The turning point came when the professor declared that the Bible couldn’t be true as “every culture in the world has a flood myth”. Her statement surprised me. I knew to question my teachers as my uncle was a college professor and I knew that he had kooky ideas. It seemed to me—and still does—that if there really wasn’t a worldwide flood, then only a few cultures would have this belief. But if there really was a cataclysmic flood, then ALL cultures would have a distant memory of this event, passed down through the generations.

So, thusly, an atheist college professor turned me back onto the path of salvation.

Years later I’d thought I was saved and was baptized, but didn’t truly believe in my heart that Jesus was “God in the flesh”, as Matthew stated in his gospel, Chapter 1:23. It seemed incredible to me that the deity who created the vast universe could be contained within a human person.

There’s more to my story, but I finally believed and became born again about 11:27 PM when the Holy Spirit entered into my body and brought life to my dead spirit. Formerly dead in my sins (Ephesians 2:1), I became alive. As Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:8-9:

“The word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

I became born again when I truly believed that Jesus is LORD, God in the flesh, a person of the holy Trinity.

So today I celebrate my 33rd birthday as a child of the living God.

If you’d not born again, I invite you to join me. Because my only regret is that I didn’t believe in Jesus as Lord invite the Holy Spirit into my life fifteen years sooner.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

If you’d like to celebrate a new birthday, to become a “new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17),” please repeat the below:

Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is God Who came in the flesh to die for my sins and was raised bodily from the dead to give me resurrection life. 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. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus’ name, amen

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you are born again. Please start reading the Bible, as it is your soul food. And your soul needs daily nourishment, just as your physical body does. 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 three ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but you need to grow in your knowledge of the Bible so that bad teachers don’t lead you astray.

God bless you. Celebrate your new birth today—and every year. This is your new beginning.

May Buddy and I see you in heaven one day.

Dead People Don’t Go To Heaven, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

Buddy in the bathtub

I recently had problems getting enough hot water flowing through my shower faucet, so I had to bathe Buddy in the tub at my parent’s home. So-called sailor showers were adequate for me, but not for my dog. Merely wiping at his fur with a wet washcloth would not get Buddy clean enough.

Most people don’t understand why it’s necessary to have faith in Jesus Christ to enter heaven. Sadly, many Christians do not either and an increasing number believe that there are multiple paths to heaven.

As the Apostle Paul explained in his first letter to the Corinthians, 15:21-22:

“For as by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection from the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

As several ministries have pointed out (Basic Gospel, People to People, InTouch, The Grace Ministries), Christianity is not just about getting your sins forgiven. People sin because they are sinners—the problem is that we are all born spiritually dead. Jesus died for our sins, but was resurrected to give us life (Romans 8:11). We have sinful hearts that need transformation.

Jesus warned that people needed to come to Him “so that you may have life (John 5:40).”

Jesus was speaking to a crowd of walking, breathing beings. They had physical life but were spiritually “dead in (their) trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).”

Because we are spiritually dead, there is only one way to obtain spiritual life: to be made a “new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)” through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The prophet Ezekiel prophesied about the gift of transformation from death to life by the Holy Spirit in Ezekiel 11:19-20:

“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them.”

We all need more than a simple washing of our outer life. A mere washcloth isn’t enough to cleanse our heart of its sinful desires.

This is why I stated that “dead people don’t go to heaven.” The truth is that only living souls can enter heaven; souls dead in their sins cannot. And only through faith in Jesus Christ is the heart transformed so that the human soul naturally loves God and others and desires to obey God.

Jesus declared that He was the source of life when He was preparing to physically raise Lazarus from the dead in John 11:25-26:

“I am the resurrection and the LIFE; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”

Jesus made it clear when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6).”

“This is eternal life, that they may know You (the Father), the only one true God, and Jesus Christ whom You (the Father) have sent (John 17:3).”

If you want to be spiritually alive, Jesus is the only power in the universe who can give you that life.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

We are all made in the image of God. That desire to do good is evident in many religions. But following rules can never give you life. It can make life easier and more pleasant. But only the Holy Spirit can give you a new soul birth.

If you’re ready to be born again, please repeat the below:

Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive my sins. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and transform my heart. I give my life to you. Give me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, amen

When you pray according to the Father’s will, He promises to answer your prayers (1 John 5:14-15). Congratulations. You are born again.

Just as your body needs food daily to be healthy, your soul needs soul food—the Word of God. Please begin reading the Bible. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

And please find a Bible based church and/or Bible study to fellowship with other believers and grow stronger in your faith. It’s not easy to stand alone in a culture that is turning away from God. If that’s not possible for you right now, I suggest the following three ministries, which also have apps: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other good ministries, but as a new believer, you can be lead astray till you know enough to be discerning.

God bless you as you enjoy your new life.

Buddy and I will see you in heaven.

Why Didn’t Jesus Roll Away The Stones? Matthew 28:2-4

Buddy listening and trying to figure out what Dawn is saying.

Buddy often stares at me, cocking his head and listening when I am speaking, as if trying to understand the meaning of what I am saying. However, being a dog, he has a limited English vocabulary and only understands some of what I am babbling.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus Himself didn’t roll away the stone sealing Lazarus’s tomb?

“So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.”…So they removed the stone.” John 11:38, 41

He could’ve proven to the crowd of skeptics that He was the Lord God by zapping the stone out of the way or by using superhuman strength to shove it out of the way.

And why didn’t he perform a Marvel superhero event and zap the stone out of His tomb with laser vision or fingers radiating cosmic rays to demonstrate His power to the two Roman guards and prove His deity? I think we can understand why He just didn’t walk through the boulder, because His followers wouldn’t have known that His tomb was empty and that He had risen if the stone was still blocking the mouth of the burial cave.

“And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.” Matthew 28:2-4

I wonder if it’s because Jesus invites others to partner with Him in rolling away the stones in our and other’s lives?

Rolling away stones of poverty.

Rolling away stones of depression and discouragement.

Rolling away stones of sickness.

Rolling away stones of oppression and tyranny.

But God Himself rolled away the biggest stone of all–our sin that keeps us apart from Him. Because the penalty of sin is death, and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), we must die for our sins. But Jesus, living a perfect life that pleased the Father, was able to die for the sins of humanity, not having committed any sins Himself. He invites everyone into fellowship with Him because He loves us and wants to roll away that stone in our hearts keeping us from experiencing eternal life with Him.

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord (i.e. God in the flesh Who should be obeyed), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Romans 10:9

Happy Easter! Partner with God to roll away the stones in your life and the lives of others.

Happy Easter! John 20:26-31

“After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here with your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’

Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and My God!’

Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have your believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’

…these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you maybe have life in His name.”

May you experience His divine life today as we celebrate worldwide the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave proving, after His crucifixion, that He is fully man and fully God.

Happy Easter from Dawn and Buddy

God bless you.

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Bible quotes are from the New American Standard Bible, NASB, on this blog, unless otherwise noted.