Christian, Christians and Jews

The Bible: An Obligation or a Gift?

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 9/15/26

Do you feel obligated to read your Bible? New Christians may need to discipline themselves to study their Bible, at least for a while. If you do that, you will begin to understand its value. You will understand that the Bible is a gift from God. Why?

God’s Word will guide you into all Truth.

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17

God’s Word will protect you from the devil’s schemes.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes … Take the … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:11 &17

Studying the Bible will enable you to hear the Holy Spirit reminding you of what God has said in His Word.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13

God’s Word will encourage you and give you hope.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

Ultimately, you will begin to treasure God’s Word for what it is: not an obligation, but a gift from God!

Feel free to add to this list! God bless you!

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

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Christian, Christians and Jews

What Is the Spirit Saying?

Cindy Dawson

Monday’s Meditation for 9/14/26

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1 NIV

You don’t become discerning by going to church, or listening to YouTube preachers, or by reading books about the Bible. These things can be good, but they are vulnerable.

To understand what is happening in our world today, we must be students of the Bible because if we aren’t, we will be at great risk of being deceived by our enemy, Satan, and his demons. Everything we hear or read must pass the litmus test of God’s Word. That’s how you become discerning. It’s the only way.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

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Christian, Christians and Jews

Need Wisdom?

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 9/13/26

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

Photo by jonny-gios-jv8916l2k0i-unsplash+

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How Do I Know If That’s True?

Cindy Dawson

Why do people believe a lie?

Many times, people believe a lie when that lie is something they want to be true. Sometimes people believe a lie because they have heard it so many times. In fact, a study at Villanova University proved just that. If a person hears something often enough, they will start to believe it’s true.

Is there any way to know what is really true and what is not? There is! God’s Word is true. The longer you study it, the more you will realize how true and relevant it is today!

One of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to commit to a “Read the Bible in a Year” chronological reading plan. The reason I recommend it so highly is that you will be exposed to “the whole counsel of God’s Word” and begin to see God’s Word as the complete story of Christ.

At the very least, read the New Testament cover to cover at least once a year (although twice a year would be better). But remember that the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy saying,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

Paul is talking about the Old Testament! It must not be neglected because it has much to teach us! Some preachers have said the Old Testament is not relevant today, but that is clearly a contradiction of 2 Timothy 3:16.

Many preachers claim God wants you to be wealthy and rich. That’s called the “Prosperity Gospel” and it’s very popular. (Possibly one of those things people believe because they want it to be true.) But the Bible says something different.

“These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” 1 Timothy 6:2-5 NIV

Errant teaching thrives when specific verses are taken out of context, as in the two examples above. We can pray for discernment, but we must still check what is preached against the Word of God.

Let’s take Harriet as an example. Harriet goes to church on Sunday, has a devotional at home (usually a passage from Psalms, and reads random verses for encouragement. She even attends a Ladies’ Bible Study in which they study the latest best-selling book of a well-known Christian author. For the most part, Harriet gives well-known Christian personalities a lot of respect and she trusts their teaching. She has attended church her whole adult life.

Here’s the question I have for you: Is Harriet a mature Christian woman? Is she safe from false teaching? She thinks she is. But is she? Is she developing discernment? Take another look at Harriet’s habits. She depends almost entirely on Bible teachers to guide her beliefs. She has never read the whole Bible, not even the entire New Testament. Is she well-equipped to recognize false teaching or is she vulnerable? You decide.

In his book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, Tim Challies compares spiritual discernment with identifying counterfeit currency.

Challies writes, “We can best know what is wrong by first knowing what is right. Experts on counterfeit currency know this as well. They train others first to know the traits of genuine currency… Experts in counterfeit money study every aspect of their currency including how it feels and every detail of its appearance and color. Only after they do this are they shown counterfeit currency. And guess what? They know immediately what is not real!”

In the same way, the better we know the Bible the easier it will be to discern truth from error.

“I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:16 NIV (emphasis mine)

Learn more about discernment in the following articles:

 How To Be a Discerning Christian

Why Do Christians Listen to False Teachers?

The Skill of Discernment

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

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Christian, Christians and Jews

Out of the Devil’s Reach

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for 9/11/26

“Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.” Johnathan Edwards

Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Is It a Masquerade?

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Thursday, 9/10/26

“You seem so gullible: you believe whatever anyone tells you!”

Do you know who said that? The Apostle Paul said that!

In his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul says,

“You seem so gullible: you believe whatever anyone tells you even if he is preaching about another Jesus than the one we preach, or a different spirit than the Holy Spirit you received, or shows you a different way to be saved. You swallow it all.” 2 Corinthians 11:4 TLB

In the passage above, the Apostle Paul is warning the Corinthian church. Are there preachers who preach “another Jesus” today? What would that look like?

To answer that question, we must look closely at how the Bible describes Jesus and learn from what He said and did. If the Jesus being preached doesn’t align with that, it is a “different Jesus”. Wouldn’t you agree?

Some say, “If people are getting saved in those churches, what difference does it make?” Well, Paul thought it made a big difference. He said,

“I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3

Paul goes on to say,

“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” verses 13-15

The only way to know “The Authentic Jesus” is by reading the Bible.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

Photo by Andrea Woods on Unsplash

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Christians and Jews

When I Am Afraid

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 9/9/26

“To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust him in the dark—that is faith”. Charles Spurgeon

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
     In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3 NIV

A Psalm of David when the Philistines had seized him

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

Photo by Joe Woods on Unsplash

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Christian

Don’t Let Satan Discourage You!

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 9/8/26

I recently heard one of my favorite ministers, Pastor David Jeremiah, say this:

“Discouragement is Satan’s number one tool that he uses on me.”

What? Pastor Jeremiah gets discouraged? I couldn’t believe it! I thought discouragement was something I fought against because, well, there is just something wrong with me. It had to be a weakness in me. I should be stronger than this. I need more confidence.

If Pastor Jeremiah has been plagued by discouragement, then anyone could be! After hearing him say that, I believe discouragement has lost its power over me. From now on, I’ll look at discouragement and say, “Forget it, Satan! Don’t even try that on me anymore!”

Why? Because,

“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:2

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

All Scripture NIV (emphasis mine)

Photo from Getty Images on Unsplash+

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Are You Studying the Book of Revelation Or Avoiding It?

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Monday, 9/7/26

Just the thought of studying the book of Revelation can be daunting. I’ve read it several times, but what does it all mean? I challenge you to tackle this book, take notes, and delve in, expecting God to teach you.

Jesus assured His disciples,

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

Learn the characteristics of a healthy church according to Jesus. Find out the things Jesus held against them, things which would result in the removal of their lampstand if they did not repent. The lampstands represent all Christian churches. (chapters 2 and 3)

Some of the things prophesied made little sense until recent times. That’s why Revelation is even more interesting and exciting than it ever was!

“It (the beast) also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17

In the past, we couldn’t imagine how this would be possible. But today we know that through modern technology, it is possible.  The mark of the beast could be an implanted microchip that allows people to access their digital currency.

Key end-time events involve Israel. But before Israel became an independent nation on May 14, 1948, the Jews had not been living in their land since the first and second centuries.

These are just a few examples of what you can (and should) learn in this timely message from Jesus.

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:3

“The angel said to me (John), “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” Revelation 22:6

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Revelation 22:7

These are words in red, the very words of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Scriptures from NIV

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Christian

Proverbs for Gaining Wisdom

Cindy Dawson

Sunday, 9/6/26

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

The Lord appeared to Abram and said, … “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Genesis 17:7 (emphasis mine)

RealChristianWomen.blog