The Lord Is My Shepherd? Psalm 23:1

Bud is admittedly spoiled. Which greatly concerns me as he’s willful and doesn’t like to listen to me. A family member let him slip out the front door this afternoon, so I panicked, knowing that Buddy wouldn’t listen to me call for him to return to the house. However, he was more interested in following me back through the doorway to safety than running away.

If Bud ran off, he’s too quick for me to catch him.

Some people won’t like this post. But if I’m only repeating what’s already posted out there on the internet ad nauseam, then why bother? I could just post links directing people to other material.

Many Christians have memorized Psalm 23; some have even read the excellent book, “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W. Phillip Keller; and many follow the Shepherd of our souls; but how many “sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3)” actually trust Him?

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want… He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake.”—King David, Psalm 23:1, 3

Jesus made it clear several times what His attitude toward His flock is.

1. If they wander off, He goes in search of them:

“What do you think? If a man had a 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the 99 and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he souls find it, assuredly, I say to you , he rejoices more over that sheep than over the 99 that did not go astray?”—Matthew 18:12-13

Jesus doesn’t just wave goodbye when one of His children stray away from the faith. He takes action and goes in search of that Christian to return them to the fold.

2. The Good Shepherd leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness for “HIS namesake” (Psalm 23:3).

Jesus takes action to correct His wandering sheep because His reputation is at stake when someone claims to be born again but is willfully, or deceived by Satan, disobeying.

3. Jesus promises that we’re united with Him through the Holy Spirit once we’re born again. As a result, He will never abandon us to evil nor can anyone or anything separate us from Himself.

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”—John 10:27-28, 30

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word (the Apostles); that they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me…I in them, and You in Me…”—John 17:20-21, 23

So, if you believe you can lose your salvation, you may not either understand what being born again means and your salvation—or you are trusting in your own works and efforts to maintain your relationship with Him. You are not trusting Him to seek his wandering sheep and return those sheep back into the safety of His flock.

You don’t have temporary life until you die. You are promised eternal life if you are in Christ Jesus (John 3:16, John 10:27).

Apostle Paul strongly admonished the Galatians about this teaching in his letter, Galatians 3:1-3:

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your eyes Jesus was clearly portrayed as crucified? I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”

Christ’s crucifixion put to death all human self effort. You’re either one with Christ or not, trusting in Him or yourself.

So you have a choice, dear brother and sister in Christ: standing on sifting sand or on the rock of Jesus Christ; trusting in Him to keep you—or in your own shifting, unstable efforts and moods (Matthew 7:24-26).

Your salvation is not at stake.

But, rather, your ability to rejoice in your salvation and truly feel grateful for being delivered out of slavery in the kingdom of darkness to becoming a sheep in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:13).

You can exhaust yourself with fear on the hamster wheel of insecurity or…

Dance with joy, little sheep, trusting in His work on the Cross, not your works.

He promises to “never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)”.

So who is your shepherd?

You?

Or Jesus?

***

Please trust in Jesus for your eternal life. Only He can send the Holy Spirit to indwell you and resurrect your dead spirit into eternal life. Other religions can teach you how to behave better, or experts can guide you in self-improvement programs, but only Jesus can give you life (John 5:40).

I spend the time to write these blogs because I waited till I was twenty-eight-years-old to give my life to Jesus. I only regret not doing it sooner. Becoming born again is the most wonderful experience—to know that God is real and loves you—and I want this for you too.

Please, heed my plea and give your heart to Jesus now.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed to any of us.

Repeat the following prayer out loud, if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and for being my own worst enemy. I call on Jesus Christ to be both my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Please change my heart and teach me how much You love me. Thanks for hearing my prayer. I ask 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 both your soul food and God’s letter to you. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul.

And join a Bible believing church or Bible study, and get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

There are other godly ministries out there, but it’s easy to be misled by legalism or false teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

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

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

Living In A Haunted House, Psalm 73

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay strong. Jesus is returning.

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

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy.

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please don’t delay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spooky Thinking, Psalm 37:8

Buddy playing in shredded paper.

When Buddy and I visit my parents, they have to hide the bag of paper slices produced by their paper shredder. When Buddy got upset, he’d head into their den and tear open the bag of shredding, then spread it all over the room. It was cute, watching him “go to town” in the pile of shredded paper—yet quite inconvenient to clean up. Fortunately, there was no permanent damage to anything but the black garbage bags.

We are living in scary times. I’m often realizing that I’m thinking SPOOKY thoughts; I’m imagining conversations that are not real, like transparent ghosts, because I’m fretting over foolish, ungodly, or ignorant attitudes of people I know.

And I imagine discussing with them why these attitudes are wrong.

But what does the Bible say?

“Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.”—King David, Psalm 37:8

What I’m engaging in are imaginary thoughts with imaginary people. Just like Buddy playing in the pile of shredded paper, I’m prancing around in shredded thinking. My imaginings are NOT changing anybody’s minds or attitudes, because my conversations are not real. I’m engaged in wishful thinking of what I might have the courage to say and speculating about what the other person might say.

I’m fretting.

And the Bible proclaims that it “only leads to evildoing.”

Firstly, I’m disrupting my thinking which could be focused, instead, on praying or whatever task is at hand. I’m wasting valuable mental energy that could be better engaged elsewhere.

I’m also damaging my body, causing stress reactions in my brain and, particularly, my shoulders and back which begin to clench up, creating soreness.

Secondly, I’m not only sinning against myself, but others.

I’m unintentionally thinking haughtily toward others. I know they’re deceived by the media and our culture. They’re not bad people. But I can treat them arrogantly if I don’t guard my attitudes.

Also, the wrong thinking can create the “simmering teapot” effect, where I can become impatient with others, and perhaps even explode in anger, because my internal pressure is already near the boiling point. Just one or two more degrees of aggravation and off blows the whistle.

So, if you’re struggling like me with spooky thinking, please read Psalm 37. Because David reassures us that evil does not last forever, nor evildoers. At least, not in their earthly existence.

I have to remind myself about Palm 37:8 and that, no matter what happens in this world, God’s got this. Nothing that’s occurring has caught Him by surprise.

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

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Do you want to have confidence that God is with you?

Yes, we cannot see God. The Father is spirit and His Son Jesus, Who came in the flesh (Matthew 1:23) over 2,000 years ago is at the Father’s right hand (Mark 16:19) till it’s time for His return.

But we can see the effect of His presence. Like the wind, we cannot see the Holy Spirit of God Himself, but we witness His impact on our lives and this world.

Jesus changed my life for the better, and I want that same blessing for you.

If you’ve read this far, I believe that the Lord is calling to you. Please accept His invitation to enter His kingdom and into a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

You don’t have to “clean up your act” firstly. God knows you cannot meet His perfect standards. Jesus came to earth to take the punishment all our sins deserve. As the only perfect God in human form (John 10:30), He didn’t have to be punished for sin as He had known. So He was qualified to take it for us.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 8:1

Are you ready to accept Jesus as Lord, Who has the authority to define right and wrong, and as your savior from punishment for your sin?

If so, please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive my sin. Jesus died for me so that I can be forgiven forever and have eternal life. I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. And fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Because Jesus was resurrected bodily from the dead, I am able to receive Your resurrection life. I give my life to You. Please help me understand how much You love me. In the marvelous name of Jesus, Your Son, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul; the Bible is your soul food. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand, and reading 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, but it’s easy to be misled by bad teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well. Sadly, I’m speaking from experience.

God bless you as you begin your journey in life with Jesus as your companion.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Never A Sheep, Matthew 7:21, 23

Buddy doesn’t want to get up.

If you’ve been reading my blog for some time, you know that Buddy ran off one fireworks streaked, July evening. I exhausted myself looking for him—to no avail. I took a nap for a few hours then drove around as the morning dawn spread into the early morning sunshine. I had no idea how many bunny rabbits hopped around my neighborhood till that morning. Fortunately, my cousin, whom I had just met at an 80th birthday party for her great uncle and aunt (same birthday) put me in contact with a neighborhood rescue that knew where Buddy was.

I honestly believe that Jesus introduced me to my cousin because He knew she’d be instrumental in helping me find my beloved Buddy one day.

Plus, I’m certain God protected Buddy that night he ran off. When I was running around on foot searching for Bud, I saw a van slam to a stop a block away. The driver of the truck behind the van angrily honked his horn because of the sudden stop. I’m certain the woman driving the van was avoiding hitting Buddy as that was the neighborhood where someone had taken Buddy in.

(Wish his rescuers had heard me calling for Buddy at the top of my strained voice, but at least Bud was safe, due to this kind couple.)

I wore myself out searching for Buddy because he is my pal, my furever friend.

Other neighbors helped search initially, but since Buddy wasn’t their family member, they didn’t persevere as long as I did.

Christians who claim that you can lose your salvation tend to camp on about three verses, while ignoring dozens of others that teach or indicate that the opposite is true.

For example, Jesus is recorded as saying, by His disciple Matthew, the former tax collector:

“‘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…I will declare to them, “I NEVER knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”’”—Matthew 7:21, 23

The emphasis on “NEVER” is mine to clarify the point I’m making: Jesus claimed He NEVER knew the person protesting that they should be permitted entrance into heaven.

He didn’t say, “You used to be one of my sheep, but you chose to leave the fold.”

No, Jesus said that the person was NEVER one of His flock.

What did Jesus teach about the shepherd who had a sheep who went astray? The shepherd had 100 sheep but one wandered away from the safety of the flock and the shepherd’s watchful care. The shepherd left the other 99 sheep and went in search of the one that strayed away until he found it (Matthew 18:12-13).

So, too, Jesus doesn’t turn His back on the lamb of His flock who foolishly wanders away because of listening to the world, the flesh or the enemy (Mathew 26:41, 1 John 2:16).

The Apostle Paul chastised the Galatians for going astray from the purity of the Gospel and rebuked the Corinthians for their sinful behavior, but he still considered them God’s people.

Because “Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2)” initiates our faith and brings it to completion. He knows that the world, our flesh, and the devil are always working to discourage, defeat, and lead astray His people. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit Who convicts us when we go astray and leads us back into the security of His flock and obedience.

As the Apostle Paul confidently declared in Philippians 1:6:

“I am confident of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

WILL perfect the faith He initiates in the lambs of His flock.

Hope this reassures you.

Jesus always has His children enclosed in His arms, leading them safely home (Psalm 139:5, Psalm 23:3).

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Would you like to be a member of Jesus’ flock? You don’t have to “clean up your act” first. He only wants you to ask Him to be your God and Great Shepherd, then He’ll take responsibility for guiding you into attitudes and behaviors that are healthier and life sustaining.

You just gotta be humble enough to admit you’re a sinner requiring His moral guidance and authority in your life—the opposite of what Adam and Eve did.

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

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and want to change my life’s direction. Please forgive my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. And reveal to me how much You love 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. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding as it’s a supernatural book.

And please join a Bible believing church or Bible study, as sheep belong in a flock for protection. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend the following 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 legalism or false teaching until you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you as you start walking a new path in your life. May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

What’s Life All About—Really? Acts 26:18

After our first Silky terrier, Buster, died, my life was devoid of a pet dog for 1.5 years. He passed away while lying next to me on my bed. I wept till I could cry no more, although his incipient death from kidney failure was not unexpected.

But my life felt empty without a furry welcome of rejoicing when I entered my house. As many say, “A house without a dog is not a home.”

Buddy isn’t my whole life—Jesus is.

But Buddy makes my life whole.

Just as the Holy Spirit of God awakens my dead spirit and fills that emptiness in my soul, Buddy fills an empty place in my life.

When I didn’t believe that Jesus is God Who was manifested in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), Christians tried to explain the gospel to me, but they made it too complex. As a result, after being saved, I’ve often considered how to make the truth easier for nonbelievers to grasp.

Here is one summary of “What Life Is All About”:

Choosing the god you will spend eternity with after you take your last breath.

There is enough heaven on earth to reveal that a powerful and creative God exists Who loves beauty and variety.

And enough hell to reveal that there is an evil force in the universe who delights in death, destruction, horror and trouble.

The Apostle Paul explained his mission given to him by the resurrected Jesus when he stood before King Agrippa as a prisoner making a defense for his freedom:

To open the blind eyes of nonbelievers by declaring the truth about who Jesus is, “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”—Acts 26:18

Every day every single person makes a choice: Choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and spend eternity with Him.

Or choose to reject Jesus as your God and remain spiritually dead, in bondage to Satan’s will—and spend eternity in Hell with the enemy of your soul.

Psalm 139:16 declares that we have an appointed day to die when God creates us. Of course, we don’t know the exact timing, even when seriously ill. Only God knows.

I’m hoping, dear reader, you’ve made the right choice and will go to Heaven, spending eternity with the Lord Who loves you and loved ones who are awaiting your arrival…

Including your fur pals.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

I’m hoping that my blog posts are helpful, either helping Christians clarify the gospel in their own minds, or will help someone give their life to the Lord. If just one person comes to the Lord because a reader has been able to lead someone to Christ because of my blog, or a reader gives their life to Jesus, then these years of posting have not been fruitless.

Or if it’s encouraged my fellow saints to hang in there.

Love you all.

Dawn

***

So, dear reader, have you chosen Heaven as your eternal destination? If you haven’t given your life to Christ yet, don’t believe Satan’s lies that you’ll lose your freedom if you do. The devil wants you to remain enslaved to his will and purposes for this world.

But with Jesus:

“If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”—John 8:36

You may not feel like you’re in bondage, but when you are alone and quiet, you likely sense an emptiness in your soul. It’s because you’re incomplete until the Spirit of Christ resurrects your spirit and frees you from slavery to the world, the flesh, and the devil (James 3:15).

Are you willing to choose to spend eternity with Jesus as your Lord and God? You don’t need to clean up your act first, as it’s impossible to meet His standard of perfect behavior. You need to humble yourself by admitting your need for His life and guidance, a willingness to admit that you’re a sinner. If you’re willing, please pray the following, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to go to heaven. Please forgive my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and grant me resurrection life. I want to live for You. Please teach me how much You love me. And please replace the lies I’m believing with the truth. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

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

Also, please join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. Please ask Jesus to lead you to the right place.

If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these two Christian 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 or fall into legalism if you don’t know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Running Away From Love, 1 John 4:18, Part One

Buddy truly is the strangest fur pal I’ve ever lived with. He comes up to me to say hello, then runs away when I bend over to hug or pet him. His predecessor, Buster, loved being held or carried. When I had abdominal surgery, he crawled up onto the couch without any encouragement to lie next to me until I recovered. I still treasure the photo of us lying together on the couch.

What likely caused the difference in their reactions to my attempts at expressing my love to them?

Their puppy years.

Buster was adopted at eight weeks old. He was a bit of an instigator, leading the other puppies into trouble, so his owner released him two weeks early to my family. Buster knew only hugs, cuddles, kisses and affection as he grew into adulthood.

However, Buddy was mistreated for three years till I adopted him from his foster mom who had rescued him from an abusive situation. Based upon Buddy’s behavior, he must’ve been kicked whenever he stood still or his food was snatched away before he could eat it. He still won’t eat his food if anyone is looking at him, as if fearful it’ll be taken away.

Which is weird as I’m the one buying his expensive, healthy food, snacks and other supplements to ensure his health is as good as possible.

Similarly, the majority of people run away from God, even though He’s the Creator of everything, and every sentient being, that exists. Every breath is a gift of life from Him.

The Apostle John put his finger on one of the major issues with accepting His love:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.“—1 John 4:18

Two dogs with the same loving owner, yet with two very different reactions when that love is expressed.

Unfortunately, God is often misrepresented by the church. People are told, “You cannot measure up to God’s perfect standard, so Jesus died to pay for your sins to meet that standard for you…”

Then, after they’ve asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, they’re told: “Now that you’re saved, you better behave at all times AND your motives better be right too, or God will punish you. He’s standing there with a big stick, waiting to smack you one if you get out of line.“

Christians are taught to be afraid of God, because they’re still fearing punishment. And maybe they’ll even lose their salvation if they cross that line, angering God one too many times.

In other words: You cannot keep the Law before you were saved, but you can keep it now with the Holy Spirit’s help.

So, Christians try really hard to behave and when they eventually fall short, they get discouraged and give up “trying to be good,” or fall prey to Satan’s condemnation, because our enemy always loves to kick us when we’re down. Or, they put on the self-righteous smiley face, hoping they are fooling everybody with how good they are at obeying God, while knowing deep down they’re really hypocrites who cannot measure up, while others think they’re hypocrites because nobody’s perfect.

But what is the cure for being afraid of God?

“We love Him because He first loved us.”—1 John 4:19

God sent His Son Jesus to live amongst sinful, imperfect people for over 33 years. He came, not only to pay for our sins, voluntarily suffering a humiliating and excruciatingly painful death on the cross, but also, I believe, because we just couldn’t “get Him.”

The ancient Israelites could never truly trust that God loved and wanted to bless them. One example is that He delivered them from Egyptian bondage then took them on a roundabout route to the Promised Land so that they wouldn’t encounter warfare too soon. He even sent them out, loaded with gifts from the Egyptians, but they still grumbled and refused to enter the Promised Land when He asked them to. Eventually, they entered and were given an abundantly blessed land, with vineyards, fields, and homes already built by those God helped them displace, yet they continually rebelled against His rule and followed other false gods, even sacrificing their children to Molech.

Jesus became God incarnate (Matthew 1:23) to demonstrate His love for us. He healed the sick, fed thousands, comforted sinners, cast demons out of people, and suffered for our sins. He showed how much He loves us imperfect people.

God isn’t eager to punish us when we get out of line. Jesus already took our punishment. It’s been my experience that the Holy Spirit convicts me and warns me to change a certain behavior. He only allows consequences reluctantly if I don’t change course. He’s not eager to “bring down the hammer” on me. He gives me time to repent. It’s my own stubbornness and rebellion that brings me trouble.

Now, I’m not advocating that personal experience replace Biblical teaching, but I believe my experiences confirm what the Bible teaches, not that I get my theology from experience. (Which is likely pastors often warn not to get your theology from the Book of Acts as it’s a history.)

“But God, Who comforts the depressed…”—Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:6

It’s also my experience that God is mindful of our emotions. He doesn’t crush my spirit by slamming me with a list of my sins and expect me “to clean up my act all at once”. He reveals them one by one, peeling away my sins like peeling away the layers of an onion. I deal with one, then He reveals something else to work on. In fact, if I ever succumb to proud thoughts, such as, “I’m doing pretty good this week,” the Holy Spirit will point something out and then I’m horrified. I’m never “good” compared to a Holy, perfect God.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”—Apostle Paul, Ephesians 4:30

I loved Buster dearly and I love Buddy, despite their faults. I would never reject either of them. I look forward to seeing Buster and all my fur pals in heaven one day—and maybe even being raptured with Buddy, if the Lord returns soon.

The Lord doesn’t want us to grieve Him by acting sinfully, as it brings harm to us and others.

But we are “sealed for the day of redemption”. God will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He’s not going to reject His imperfect children.

We don’t need to be afraid of God. Or run away from Jesus, fearing He’s out to get us.

We can find forgiveness, help, comfort, encouragement and loving correction from a Father Who loves us.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

PS. Once again, I intended to be brief. But I guess it’s difficult for me to do so!

***

We’re living in an age of grace. God’s love is freely available to everyone who accepts it. But He won’t force a relationship with you. He wants you to voluntarily ask Him to be your God and Savior. He desires you to accept His authority in your life, because then you’ll leave the kingdom of darkness for His kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13-14). Which is greatly to your benefit.

There’s so much more that could be said, but are you willing to accept God as your Father, Who guides, comforts, corrects and loves you?

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

Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. I want to live in the light of Your love and leave the kingdom of darkness. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please grant me Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for You. And show me how much You love me. Teach me not to be afraid of You, even when you’re forced to correct my behavior. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the name of Jesus, Who took the punishment my sins deserved, amen.

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

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

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

(A bit of a delay in posting as Buddy is demanding butt scritches, which is very unusual.)

Are You Unprepared? Proverbs 21:31

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.

An Immediate Response, Matthew 14:30-31

Goofy look.

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.

Supplement to: Who Are You Listening To? John 8:12

Buddy’s nearly 16 years old, so his kidneys are starting to weaken. An ER veterinarian recommended the probiotic supplement, Azodyl, to bring down his BUN and creatinine levels. I’ll find out if the treatment is effective when he has his next yearly checkup.

Fortunately, the supplements are small. But Buddy is clever. I cannot say the word “pill” as he knows what that means. I attempt to trick Buddy into eating the three pills a day by hiding them in shredded chicken bites.

Still, he often discovers the deception and spits them out.

About a decade ago, most of us wouldn’t know what “fact checkers“ referred to. We trusted that the news and information we received from so-called trustworthy sources were accurate.

If not, free debate and public discourse would reveal the error.

But, nowadays, too many people and, unfortunately including Christians, rely upon “fact checkers,” rather than open discourse, to verify the truth of news, information or other statements.

Here’s what deeply disturbs me: Too many people and, again sadly Christians, rely upon these self-proclaimed fact checkers to be truthful—which are nearly aways ANONYMOUS.

At least in a newspaper there is a byline identifying the article writer. But most fact checkers don’t identify the source so that the moral worldview of the writer can be researched. Or who is funding the fact checkers or own the fact checking resource.

In other words, too many Christians are accepting as fact information that may be filtered through a deceptive and ungodly worldview.

Before you accept a source as fact, please identify the specific person WHO is providing the information and research if they believe they are accountable to God for being truthful, rather than deceitful, and aren’t deliberately misleading to promote an unholy worldview.

Too many people don’t have a Christian background and have been taught “situational morality” in the public schools; in other words, the ends justify the means. If that means skewing the information or withholding the truth, it’s justifiable in their worldview to promote a particular behavior or action.

“Now He spoke a parable to them, ‘A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?’”—Jesus, Luke 6:39

Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”—John 8:12

Will you learn the truth by following blind guides?

Or by obtaining your information from those striving to walk in the light?

The Apostle Paul praised the Berean church for fact checking his claims by turning to the Scriptures to verify whether he was proclaiming the truth or not. (Acts 17:11).

Follow in the footsteps of the Bereans by testing the source. Don’t trust anonymous sources of information.

You might be believing disinformation.

Or spreading slander, which God hates (Roman’s 1:30).

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Are you following Jesus today? Or attend you wandering in the darkness?

Jesus dispels the emptiness in your soul by filling your spirit with His light.

“In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men.”—Apostle John, John 1:4

The human race was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27)—body, soul, and spirit—but when our ancestors rejected God’s moral authority, the Holy Spirit abandoned humanity, and our spirits died.

Jesus is the only way to resurrect your dead spirit (John 14:6), so that you feel alive deep inside.

Are you ready to accept Jesus as your Lord with the right to help you discern right from wrong? To guide you along the path of life (Psalm 32:8)?

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

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin. Please forgive my sin. Because Jesus died on the Cross for my sin and was raised bodily from the dead, I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please give me Your Holy Spirit and grant me eternal life. I want to live for You. Teach me about your love for me and others. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it feeds 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. You need the companionship of other Christians to grow in your faith and to resist the pull of our unholy culture. 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, but it’s easy to be misled by false teaching or legalism till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Move That Mountain! Matthew 17:20

Buddy’s getting a little hard of hearing. Or perhaps he’s developed that “selective hearing” so many family members tend to develop. I’ll call out to him to come into the house, but he’ll keep roaming and sniffing, totally oblivious to my commands.

And then I surreptitiously open a cookie bag…

And, suddenly, Buddy leaps to alertness.

Similarly, it’s said that the pupil doesn’t hear the message till they’re ready to receive it.

Or, in my case, it could be an instance of forehead thumping, dense thinking that needs to be penetrated.

(I’m posting three photos because the last one is the photo that shows up in links.)

Christian motivational writer, John Mason, recommends reading something positive each day to maintain a godly, positive mindset in our negative, fear mongering culture. So I pulled from my bookcase a positive thinking book that I’ve read about ten years ago but kept shelved since.

Now Pastor Peale has many critics, some valid as he wasn’t a perfect man, but he believed that the challenges of life could be met fearlessly and overcome through faith in Jesus. That faith is relevant for daily living, not just confined to a Sunday sermon. A fellow Cross Country runner gave me one of his books in high school, which was my first positive introduction to Christianity, as I was raised in a cult religion that taught Christians were false teachers serving Satan. Until that book, “You Can If You Think You Can,” I’d been told God was a scary guy who wanted to throw a fireball at me if I got out of line.

That’s a bit of an aside to my head slapping moment.

Jesus’ twelve disciples asked Him why they couldn’t cast a demonic spirit out of a boy, which was trying to destroy his life.

“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you.’”—Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

I’ve always been puzzled by this verse. Can we really command nature to obey?

Pastor Peale likened this verse to believing faith.

Then the big “Duh” moment came: Jesus was using the ancient Jewish tradition of hyperbole, using exaggeration to make a point.

When Jesus says to “pluck out your eyes,” “if your eye causes you to stumble” (Mark 9:47), He wasn’t advocating dismembering ourselves to avoid enticements to sin that torment us through our human vision, such as lust, envy and coveting. He was using hyperbole to emphasize that we must be careful what we’re looking at and how we perceive those images. We can choose to gaze at the one fruit from the one tree God says not to eat—or we can choose to look at all the delicious fruit He permits on many other trees available to us (Genesis 3).

In the same way, Jesus doesn’t discount that there will be mountainous challenges blocking our life path. In fact, we may be on the path God wills for us to travel, yet encounter those steep climbs that can discourage us from continuing onward.

Buddy keeping a vigilant eye on me.

But with faith in the Lord, Who promises to hear our cries and help us, we can expect that mountain of difficulty to be navigated successfully or removed out of our path.

“From my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and put me in an open space.”—Psalm 118:5

“I sought the Lord and He answered me, and rescued me from all my fears.”—Psalm 34:4

“On the day I called You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.”—Psalm 138:3

Jesus promises to answer if you have enough faith to merely ask for help and guidance.

So what mountain of difficulty do you need to ask Him to help you move or overcome today?

Hope this helps you.

God bless.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

So what is faith? Is it grunting out enough belief? Or feeling like you have enough faith?

Or is it the object of your faith?

We all have faith in something. For the average person, it’s faith in oneself to be good enough to earn God’s favor to earn a ticket into heaven.

Or enough faith to know we’re too rotten to earn a pass and lose hope of ever getting through those pearly gates, so why not live it up, because hellfire awaits anyway?

But the truth is: Faith needs an object.

And that focus of faith should be Jesus, God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23). Believing in anything, or anyone else, as our basis to enter heaven is mistaken.

Having faith in our own efforts—or lack of them—will never measure up to God’s standards. He demands perfection to enter heaven (Matthew 5:48).

But the Good News is that one perfect sacrifice for our sins was offered to pay our sin debt—“Once for all (Hebrews 10:10)”—by Jesus. As God in the flesh, Jesus was the only perfect God Man to satisfy the entrance requirement to heaven. Since He had no sins to pay for, He was able to substitute His death on the Cross for the punishment our sins deserve.

Are you tired of trying to measure up, to be good enough, to earn God’s approval? Jesus invites you to find rest and peace in Him from your self efforts and asks you to trust in Him:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”—Matthew 11:28-29

If you’re ready to give you life to Jesus and travel a new path in life, please pray the following, out loud, if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m sorry for my sin and ask you to change my life and heart. Please forgive my sin. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I give my life to You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. And teach me about Your love for me and others. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily. Just as your body needs daily nourishment, so does your soul; the Bible is your soul food. I suggest starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand.

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, 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.